We started the day by going to church. As usual, my main reason for going to church is the music. We'd learned that St. Peter's Cathedral has had a boy's choir for 1000 years, and they sing at the 10:00 Sunday mass. Plus, there's a huge pipe organ, so how could we resist? The accoustics in vaulted churches like this are wonderful, so I like to listen whenever I can. The choir and the organ filled the church, even though we sat far enough back that the singing and the organ weren't together. The choir director's arms didn't match the beat of the organ when the sound got back to where we were. No matter, it was grand anyway.
One part of the service was particularly fascinating. The mass was in German, with various Latin bits (which were easier to translate, actually, being more familiar), so we weren't always sure what was going on. But--when they got to the Lord's Prayer, the cadence was EXACTLY the same in German as it is in English, in every church service where I've recited it. Even to the bit where it falls apart because some say "trespasses" and some say "debts". I'd never have thought that was a world-wide phenomenon.
This cathedral was started in 1273, after a fire destroyed the old one. It was finally finished after about 600 years later, with the distinctive spires being completed in the mid-19th Century! As you might imagine, there are many different styles represented in the church. Some of the windows are still the original Medieval gorgeous, small-piece, darker stained glass; some are the more modern ones with larger panes that let in more light; and all the in-between styles are represented as well. Same with the window casings. Some are round-arch, some are pointed, some are square. There is a LOT of history in this one building.
We then went to the Johannes Kepler museum. It's the house where he died, while visiting a friend, and it's been made into a museum that's only open on weekends. I won't go into Kepler's Three Laws, but they were revolutionary in the study of astronomy. Seeing his works was just fascinating. Graphs, original publications, calendar, it was nicely set up. What was just as interesting, though, was the house. It was really interesting to see a house of the time, 1630. Four floors with steep stairs, floors made either of stone or hand-hewn wide planks, and a refectory table which is the same sort of table that I grew up with. Really interesting, the whole thing.
Then lunch at the famous Ratskellar. Good beer, good sausage, so-so sauerkraut, but a legend that we can cross of our list.
Then we wandered. The wonderful ceiling is in St. Ulrich's church. Lovely, isn't it?
Then we walked to the Porta Praetoria, the Roman gatehouse into the original city. Regensburg started as a Roman camp in about 80AD, to protect the border of Roman empire from the marauding wild German tribes. It's the only Roman structure in Germany to have survived above-ground. The stones were carved and fitted together with pressure, not mortar. And have survived this long! To get to the street level of the current city, you have to go up several steps behind the arch. Regensburg, as with so many old cities, is built upon the layers of the different cultures preceding it, from Roman through Medieval through Renaissance to modern times. It's probably 15' higher than the original level.
I'll end this day with the very uncomfortable-looking guy at the highest point of the Stone Bridge. According to legend, he's the bridge's master-builder, who made an unfortunate bet and had to ask the Devil to help him win it. He did win, but then he didn't want to live up to the original terms and tricked the Devil. The Devil was so angry that he tried to destroy the bridge by pushing it up with his back. He didn't succeed, but the bridge has had a hump ever since.
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