Thought I would do something travel-related today. give everybody a break from politics.

This fountain is at the base of the old Water Tower in Mannheim, Germany. When I lived in the country it was a city I always intended to visit, if for no reason other than to see their hockey team in action.

But it never happened. I went by on the train a dozen times or more, but never got off to look around. This year I did, though the visit was short.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and nothing was open, and the friends we were visiting in a neighboring town suggested going to Mannheim to see the Water Tower. So we packed up the four kids and hopped on a streetcar.

I’m more interested in cultural history than architecture or parks, but in a Sunday afternoon there are no museums open. Going to a park wasn’t high on my list. But if it kept the four children occupied, then I was in favor.

It was a warm May afternoon and we weren’t the only ones with the idea of checking out the park. What else can you do in Mannheim on a Sunday? (Some day I may return and find out.)

I took a lot of pictures, probably more than I would have if there had been other things to do. Today I’m going to leave the tower itself out of the equation and just show some views of the fountain at its base.

And we can all forget about politics, for a few moments anyway.