Trier

A little while ago we had the opportunity to go to the gorgeous city of Trier, and while driving on the Autobahn can sometimes be nerve-wracking, the scenery is always delightful.  Rolling hills covered with vineyards, red roofed villages dotting along the Rhine, a lot of the time we do drive through the country it feels a little like taking a step in the past, where skyscrapers aren't towering over you and suburbia doesn't exist.  Just quiet, beautiful country...I think that is why the transition has been so easy.

Anyways, back to Trier.

All though there is a Christmas Market, the real reason we wanted to see Trier, is that it's the oldest city in Germany, complete with Roman ruins.

This is "The Black Gate," note the bottom of the picture to see how small people are in comparison.  It's huge, it's magnificent, it's breathtaking.  I am used to being enamored with large natural wonders on account of being in Mount Rainier's backyard, but this building is so different from anything I've ever experienced in my life.  Aside from native petroglyphs, this is the oldest man-made structure I have ever seen...and it's quite possible that this building is much older than the petroglyphs at Ozette park.

The only funny thing about The Black Gate, is that it's across from a hotel and a car dealership in the center of town.

On an unrelated note, due to the popularity of my "Roommate Chronicles" I will be posting a new feature monthly, maybe every two weeks about "That Guy."  It's definitely going to be worth your time.