The Neumarkter Stadtlauf was held in the middle of town.  Andrew ran 5.5 km, the girls 1 km each and Declan ran 500 m.  Similar to American runs in many ways, participants got a t-shirt but also the kids each got a backpack and a medal.  It was a huge, well-organized event and we're happy we could be a part of it.

Refreshments afterwards?  Giant pretzles, fruit and cookies and of course... beer!  (non-alcoholic in this case)

His wagging tongue is so cute I can't stand it.

The kids all had their names on their tags and as they crossed the ZIEL (finish line), they'd be announced be name.  "Hier kommt die Emma - toll gemacht!"  Wow - talk about feeling like a superstar!

Felix Magath announced some of the runs.  He's a famous former soccer player and current coach in the Bundesliga (German soccer league).  Just seeing him was enough of a lure to get Andrew to do the run.










Next stop on our tour of local sights - Nearby Velburg's König-Otto-Tropfsteinhöhle has the largest intact stalagmite/stalactite cave in Germany! Discovered on the Name Day of the Bavarian King Otto I. on September 9, 1895, it was immediately opened to visitors which led to some damage as the candles caused blackening on the first section of the cave.






They naturally grow 1 mm every 4 or 5 years and the oil from your fingertip and stunt their growth for years!


If a drop should fall on your nose, according to legend you'll live to be 100 years old.  I had two hit my forehead... close but no cigar!




                                                                               Stalactites are from the top and stalagmites grow from the bottom.  Once they meet, it's called a column.

After the cave, we continued onto the ruins on top of the Velburg -- it was quite a hike!  The path you see here is the gradual incline and we were all huffing and puffing.  The top is 621.5 meters above sea level and from here you can enjoy the ruins of the 1000 yr old Velburg castle.