As most of our friends and family are slowly going stir crazy in their snowed-in houses this weekend, here's a shot taken a couple weeks ago of "snowy" Nuremberg. We keep being told that it never snows here, but it's been coming down pretty regularly (albeit very lightly, then melting) since late November. Here is a shot taken from "my" Nurnberger stand (see below entry), looking out to the Weisser Turm. That means "White Tower," and it was indeed painted/plastered white for hundreds of years, and I believe will be yet again (it has been covered in scaffolding for most of the fall, undergoing upgrades and structural improvements). Unfortunately, I don't know much more about the tower's history itself, but it lies directly over one of the most used U-Bahn (Nuremberg subway) stops, so folks have to enter the tower to get to the escalators and elevators-- pretty cool. The small castle-like building in the front (as always, click on the photo for a closeup) was one of the earliest entry gate towers in medieval Nuremberg, and it was kept, even though the city greatly expanded around it. The small temporary structure in front of the entry gate houses a couple guys dressed as shepherds, and some barnyard animals, including a camel, for the holidays. Not to be nitpicky, but this is a Two-hump camel, indigenous to the Gobi desert, and not the middle east. I'd have taken a shot of the camel, but every time I go near there one of those shepherd dudes rattles a can in my face, demanding money.
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