I was chastised a bit by a snooty guide this morning for applying the incorrect inflection in my pronunciation of Regensburg. It is, by his correct inflection, RAY-gensburg And, it is by anyones inflection a great city to explore. Founded by the Romans, along with
most everything over here, in the first century AD, (I listened well) and survived multiple attacks from land thirsty conquerors, Regensburg has become not only an important German city but also a significant European city and educational center.
It likewise survived WWII, with less than seven percent of the city destroyed by bombing. A Messerschmitt (thanks Spel check) factory was located a few Kilometers outside the city and I have chosen to believe my father’s next to last mission was to bomb the factory. He was shot down the next day, February 23, 1945, bombing ball bearing factories in Steyr, Austria.
Walking through old town Regensburg, and realizing that most of the historic buildings are native structures erected as much as a couple of thousands of years ago makes one realize that history can really
happen. While the original construction is mostly renovated and rebuilt, the bones are classic medieval. I will say Reginsbutg ranks high on our list of must visit European cities. My body is telling me that the day was a long haul but, now that I’m in bed and well fed, I couldn’t be more pleased with the tour choices I made. 
A fifteenth century Benedictine Abby on the Danube Narrows (with one of the biggest beer gardens in Germany to fund its maintenance) was a significant lifetime event and to learn more about the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jews, while sobering, was also a needed learning opportunity.
To close, the university of Regensburg is a major educational center in Germany, with enrollment approaching forty thousand students (as stated by our guide) provides not only opportunity for German students to grow educationally but also provides a healthy source of income for the city. Now, what other city comes to mind that benefits from its student residents? We also had our abandon ship exercise this evening.
Jim