The Poor Father With Three Daughters

So once upon a time there was a poor farmer who had three daughters, but he couldn't marry them off because he had no money to give them a dowry.  Well, one Christmas Eve someone sneaked up to a window of the farmer's house and dropped off a bag of gold coins so the farmer had a dowry for his first daughter.  The farmer was overjoyed.

The next year it happened again, another bag of gold coins.  The father was elated that he could marry off his second daughter, but wondered  his who benefactor was.

The next year the farmer stayed up all night watching the window, but the secret benefactor, knowing the farmer was watching the window, climbed up to the roof top and tossed the bag of gold coins down the chimney where it landed in some stockings that had been left to dry.

So there you have it ... the foundations of another Christmas Legend.

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Brrrrrrrrrrr.

Regensburg was cold.  The city marks the northernmost boundaries of the Roman Empire, but by the time the Romans got this far north Roman civilization was falling apart, the emperor didn't have the money to pay his troops, (not to mention that togas don't give much protection against the cold) so the troops pretty much gave up the fort and the Barbarians they had been fighting against took over - thus creating a region known as Bavaria.  Barbarian - Bavarian ... get it?

Part of Roman Wall around the city.

Regensburg was not bombed during the war (WWII) because there was nothing here  of military significance other than an arms factory about 50 miles away.  (Most bombers are accurate within 50 miles.) The only thing that was blown up was an ancient bridge built by the Romans, and that was blown up by the Nazis to keep the American troops from advancing to Regensburg. Damn Nazis, it was a perfectly good bridge for about a fifteen hundred years.

Also went to the Thurn & Taxis Palace, which is still being used, in part, by the somethingth generation of Thurns und Taxis.  The current heir apparent is a race car driver of some accomplishment.  Inside the courtyard was, yep another Christmas Market!!  More gingerbread, ornaments, nativities, angels, etc.  This time there was a bit more handmade stuff.

The weird souvenir of the day looks like this:

haven't figured out the connection with Christmas.