Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum in Idar Oberstein (8/3/16)

The heart of the European gem trade is about forty five minutes away from us in Idar Oberstein.  The town is home to Germany's most famous gem mine.  As a result, the town became famous for gem cutting as generations of miners and craftsmen passed down their skills.  Gems aren't mined in Idar Oberstein anymore, but stones are still sent there to be cut and shaped.  We took spent a day in the village exploring the Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum (German Gem Museum).

GONDWANA - Das Praehistorium (7/30/16)

So, we've noticed that Germans seem to really enjoy dinosaurs.  There are huge dinosaur models at the Garden Show in Kaiserslautern, the museum at Burg Lichtenburg features some dinosaur fossils, and the GONDWANA Das Peaehistorium has robotic ones set up in nature scenes.  We went to check them out one weekend and learned a lot about dinosaurs, but not much about why Germans like them so much.

 After the dinosaur displays, the museum went back in time and featured scenes from different periods in history.  We still don't understand how all the information shared in the museum related to each other or to dinosaurs, but it was entertaining.

Roman Villa Borg 7/17/16

Not wanting to learn about the Celts and ignore the Romans, we went to the Roman Villa Borg the day after visiting Keltendorf.  Scholars discovered ruins of a Roman settlement between Borg and Oberleuken and painstakingly reconstructed many of its buildings.  The Romans enjoyed a bit more luxury than the Celts.

 I have to say, the Romans knew how to build impressive kitchens.

 Obviously, you need separate hot and cold bathtubs that are big enough to swim in.

 Wool combing

 Dice playing

 When in a Roman settlement, dress like a Roman.

 Obviously, you need a place to rest between your hot bath and your cold one.

 The Romans were pretty clever.  They figured out how to build raised floors with ovens underneath so that the floors would be heated.

 And, you always need a fountain in the middle of your living room.

Keltendorf am Donnersberg in Steinbach 7/16/16

Not far from Ramstein is a model of a Celtic settlement from the second half of the 1st century BC.  Keltendorf am Donnersberg in Steinbach was built to illustrate the influence Celtic communities had on the area.  We visited on a lazy summer afternoon and learned how the Celts constructed buildings, made arrows, and crafted soap.