It was an exquisite day in old Durlach

The Basler Tor (Basel Gate) on the south side of the Village of Durlach, my home near Karlsruhe. The village dates back many, many centuries.

Zunftstraße, which is basically a ring street in the village. Over 75% of the houses on this street are original, dating back to their resconstruction following the War of the Palatinate Succession in 1689. King Louis XIV burned the town to the ground. It was rebuilt starting around 1691 on into the next centuries. Only about 5 or 6 houses survived the devastating fire, one of those houses of which is where I live: dates back 600 years.

From the Turmberg, which look out over not only Durlach, but all the way to France. The hills/small mountains in the background are the northern part of the famous German Black Forest, which runs directly south along the Rhine down to the Swiss border where Basel is.

France is in the horizon. I think you just might be able to see the Eiffel Tower over the last tree there on the edge of the horizon, right next to the little fly that is sitting on that leaf there. See it?

SURE you do.

This is the oldest cable-car system in Germany. The system was built I believe in 1888. (Oh, yes, they have renovated and done upkeep on it since - they even modernized the cable-cars.)