A rocky morning

Detmold is, without a doubt, a pretty city.  We popped quickly into Detmold this morning to get a SIM card for our iPad.  Afterwards, we drove to the Augustinum, which is a home for elderly folk.  Christine's and Renate's Dad, Ernst, now lives there.  When we parked to visit him, a lady entered the car park in her car, and went to make a right turn.  She then drove over this huge rock (see below), crunching the vehicle's underbelly, and making an ear-splitting cacophony.  To get off it, she reversed over it again, making another horrendous crunch.  She was OK, and, in making sense of what had happened, implied we were to blame because we were walking a little bit in the way as she drove in.  We all couldn't stop talking about the event for the rest of the day. 

Walking towards the Externsteine

These are the Externsteine.  Various pre-modern people lived among the rocks, and there have been huge debates about how and why these rocks were used.  It is believed the Celts may have been here as well as 12th century Christians.

You can climb the rocks, but there are about 150 steps to the respective peaks.  Between these two, there is a bridge.

From the bridge looking down.  One German man said only one person at a time should walk on the bridge, but Christine and I bravely crossed together between the two rocky towers.

The trees are beautiful in this area.  The scenery is packed with birch, beech, maple and various pines.

A scene at the top of one of the boulders.

It is believed this relief at the bottom of one of the peaks was carved by 12th century Christians.