Day 2 in Deutschland, Vegan Eats in Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, Germany

Day 2 in Germany started with a trip to the army base, where photography is prohibited unfortunately. My friend pays American prices for gas on the base, thank goodness, as European gas prices are so high not even tacking on the exchange rate. We missed the soldiers running in unison and other things I had only seen in movies. Oh well, with a full tank we drove back to Kemnath and got ready to hit the road. On today’s itinerary–Rothenburg ob der Tauber, meaning “Red fortress above the Tauber [river],” a beautifully preserved medieval town that is a tourist hot spot.

I fell in love with the description of the place in the guide book and was delighted to see it was every bit as special.

As we entered the town gate, crossing the moat and its resident turtles and schools of big, glowing-orange goldfish, we quickly parked the car and set out afoot.

After seeing the town from up-top the town wall, walking through the carved names of donors from all over the world who’ve donated money to preserve and upkeep designated meters of the wall, we walked the town’s streets, excited to see authentic German crafts and to bask in the afternoon sun.

These timber-framed dwellings were so gorgeous. The main streets’ buildings were converted into shops but if you turned the corner, there were residences–modern-day folks living within a preserved, fairy tale town.

This was one of the two beautiful churches off town square.

It’s always more special when you come across a vegan eat naturally. I was very excited to see  the sign for Lebe Geshund, an all-vegan (!!) market with savory spreads, sweet snacks, and a kind woman who treated us to samples of their delicious apple chips and glazed ginger bread cookies. It was a special place beaming with positive energy. We were lucky to have stumbled upon it.

The shelves were stocked beautifully. I could barely contain my excitement to learn it was exclusively vegan, and outspokenly so as the shop had plenty of literature on animal cruelty.

Everything available in the store can also be purchased online on their website, where I learned the English translation to their name: Vitality Life.

Here is my favorite German holding my v.v. business card. Upon hearing we were looking for somewhere I can get a vegan meal in the area, she walked over to the restaurant across the street to asked the owner to make something special for me (see below). I was very grateful.

I bought a bag of her delicious glazed gingerbread cookies… and a pretzel, which I was worried about not being able to find vegan out here in Pretzelville.

So this was the Italian restaurant across the street, Da Vinci Cafe & Lounge. The owner pointed out which items on the menu can be veganized. Craving bread, I chose the veggie pizza topped with marinara, artichokes, mushrooms, olives, and Cubanelle peppers.

This hit the spot.

And I finally had a beer in Germany! Just like I wanted to–sitting outside a cafe on a cobblestone street cushioned in the comfort of not understanding a single word spoken around me. Prost! (Don’t worry; the kids are having apple juice.)

When we got back to Kemnath, I busted out my pretzel to heat up in the oven. The loose English translation of the bag’s info made me smile: without manure (the country uses nature’s fertilizer), without livestock, without artificial fertilizers, without sewage sludge, without pesticides, without genetic engineering, and by first class quality.

There it is. Pretzel in Germany: check! Another great day here in Germany. Goodnight!