Monthly Archives: December 2017

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Lunch at Il Due and I finally signed up for a cell phone contract!

When Bill and I first moved back to Germany in 2014, we resisted signing up for a cell phone contract.  It was mainly because we didn’t know how long we’d be living here and we knew cancelling contracts in Germany can be a pain in the ass.  For three years, Bill has been buying me Vodaphone pay as you go top ups.  They run 25 euros each and I usually need at least one a month.  I get one GB before the speed is throttled… or, at least that was the way it was at first.

I got a new phone for Christmas.  In honor of the occasion, Bill decided to take me out today to sign up for a contract.  He chose O2 because they have a deal where you can get 10 GB of data a month for about 20 euros.  He later said it was closer to 30 euros, probably because they add a VAT or something.  I don’t know.  I am not the one paying the bill.

Before we went to the shop, located in Nagold’s fabulous Edeka supermarket, we stopped at Il Due for lunch.  I decided on the duck special.  Bill ordered swordfish.  He had a Pinot Grigio and I had a Barbera red.  Sadly, the duck came with hated mushrooms all over it, so we ended up trading plates. These are photos from my new iPhone 8+.

 

The swordfish was originally Bill’s choice, but I ended up eating it.  It came with a nice healthy side of vegetables and was covered with a tapenade with onions, capers, and black olives.  I was good today. I even ate the Brussel’s sprout.

Bill had the duck breast with its mushroom infested gravy.  It came with a side of cheesy potatoes, which Bill said were nice, and a side of vegetables.  I actually enjoyed the vegetables, which were cooked al dente and were very flavorful.  If I ate more vegetables, I might be less hulking than I am.

 

This was our third trip to Il Due.  Our first visit was a couple of months ago, even though we had been wanting to try the place for most of the time we’ve been here.  So far, we have not been disappointed by the food.  It’s always been excellent.  Service can be a little slow, but it’s always friendly and competent.  It’s a nice place to stop for lunch when we’re in Nagold.  Today’s lunch before the tip was about 60 euros.

We went to the O2 store after we ate and had to wait about fifteen minutes or so, since the young man who was working there was helping someone else.  When it was our turn, Bill asked if the guy spoke English.  He said a little.  Bill said he speaks a little German.  Then he proceeded to speak German for about 90 percent of their collaboration.

I was waiting for Bill to find the IBAN (account number), since he did not take my advice and get a German bank account and an EC credit card.  He says he’s going to rectify that mistake pronto.  I hope we’ll be here long enough to make it worthwhile.

Bill brought his passport and a utility bill, but neglected to write down the IBAN.  Fortunately, he found it on our water bill.

 

The guy the O2 employee had been helping before he helped us offered to translate if we needed it.  It turned out he spoke perfect English.  We have found that fewer people in Nagold speak English.  In a way, it’s kind of refreshing.  They don’t automatically slip into English when they hear Bill speak German and he gets in his practice.  I am myself learning more of the language, but can’t really speak it.  I understand a lot more now, though.  It’s good to watch the German ads on YouTube and the odd video my German friend, Susanne, shares with me.

We stopped by Edeka to pick up some Champagne for tomorrow night.  We left with several bottles of wine and a box of chocolates.

I was amused by the sweet, well-behaved dogs sitting outside the store.  I wish mine were like that.

We were checking out… and once again, I noticed the warnings on the boxes of tobacco.  I snapped this picture to remind myself to look them up online.  In one warning, there was a shirtless man pictured looking down.  I couldn’t help but wonder what he was looking at.  My guess is that the warning is that cigarettes cause impotence due to heart disease.  I love how blunt the warnings are.  They aren’t simple text like they are in America.  No… here, you get photographic evidence of how nasty cigarettes are.

 

Below are a few photos from Nagold today.  It’s still decorated for Christmas.  I always enjoy visiting Nagold.  It’s hard to believe we live only a few miles away and the landscape is so totally different.  I definitely think we should shop at Edeka in Nagold over the Real in Jettingen.  It’s a lot more pleasant.

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Legal insurance… a romantic Christmas gift…

If you’ve been reading this blog, you may know that Bill and I had a slight mishap with our landlord’s awning.  Luckily, we purchased personal liability insurance last year, so we were able to submit a claim.  Our landlords weren’t happy with the settlement, so they contested it.  Our trusty insurance broker told me about their complaint and advised that the amount they were offered for their awning was in accordance with German law.

We haven’t heard anything else about the awning recently, but all of this fussing over an old awning got me to thinking.  I’m not one to enjoy screwing with legal matters.  Having lived in Germany for several years, I know many Germans apparently enjoy going to court over the most “piss ant” issues.  And judging by our landlady’s reaction to our accident with the awning, I started thinking it might be a good idea to invest in German legal insurance.I sent our trusty broker a message and he sent me the information about the legal insurance he sells.  He sent me a flyer.

This sounded good to me…  About 300 euros annually for additional peace of mind.

After a couple of weeks of nagging from yours truly, Bill finally got the policy.  Yes, it seems like we have a lot of insurance policies, especially when compared to what we have when we’re in the States.  At this writing, we have renter’s insurance (both German and American), personal liability insurance, pet liability insurance, and now, legal insurance, to add to all of the regular stuff like car and health insurance.

I am determined not to be screwed with when it’s time to move out of this house.  This insurance will not protect us if the landlady decides to take us to court over her awning, but it will provide security if another issue arises.  I kind of doubt she will want to go to court over the awning anyway.  We have an email where she admitted the awning was old and didn’t know how long it was going to last.

We are also joining the Mietverein (renter’s union) for our area.  This is a club that, for a small annual fee, provides legal counsel in case of problems with the landlord.  I’ve actually been wanting to do this for a long time, since I have heard it’s a wise investment.  Now we’re doing it because I told Bill I’d consider that a Christmas present.  I like having peace of mind.  From what I understand, the Mietverein is run for different counties in Germany.  If you live in Germany and are interested, click this link to find the club that serves your area.

Earlier today, I read an interesting thread on Toytown Germany about legal insurance in Germany.  I used to hang out on Toytown Germany a lot the first time we lived here.  It was always useful in the days before the multiple Facebook groups we have now.  I actually liked it even more than our local groups because the people in it weren’t necessarily military folks living here under the umbrella of the Status of Forces Agreement.  Sometimes the discussions there would get interesting in terms of the culture.  For instance, it was on Toytown Germany that I first learned that most German men sit when they pee at home (at least if they’re married).

I hope we won’t have to use the new insurance, but I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.  We have a clue that our landlady is not going to be laid back, so having some extra protection makes me feel a little bit better about continuing to rent her house.  The last thing I want to deal with is a bunch of legal bullshit.

I am truly sorry the awning broke; but honestly, it was an act of God.  We told her it was starting to fail and she sent her husband to fix it.  The repair didn’t stand up to a stiff breeze.  If it hadn’t happened to us this year, it probably would have happened next year… or perhaps to future tenants.

As for whether or not other Americans should consider taking out extra insurance, I can’t say.  Personally, I like having the coverage.  It’s psychologically beneficial.  Other people’s mileages may vary.

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Middle Eastern eats at Yaz Eine Prise Orient…

Bill and I had to go see Dr. Blair for dental cleanings this afternoon.  As is our habit, we both neglected to eat before we visited.  Consequently, we were both hungry when we were finished with the dentist.  It was about 4:00pm, though, which means that a lot of restaurants are enjoying a “pause” between lunch and dinner.  Fortunately, Dr. Blair’s office is in downtown Stuttgart and there are a number of restaurants near him that serve food all day.  Today, we decided to stop at one that has always intrigued us, Yaz Eine Prise Orient.

I know Bill was excited when I suggested Yaz.  He’s been interested in trying that place since we first arrived in 2014.  He’s always been overruled by my desire to eat somewhere else.  I have to admit, every time we’ve passed this restaurant, which also has a flagship location in Düsseldorf, it has smelled good.  It also looks like a relatively popular place, although it was pretty empty when we stopped in this afternoon.  I see on their Web site that they plan to expand the chain.

When you first walk into Yaz, you may be a little bit confused about what to do.  There’s a big menu on the wall, like what you’d see in a fast food place.  However, the servers told us to sit down wherever we wanted.  We selected a table by the window.  I liked the comfortable banquette seating against the wall.

Bill enjoys the menu.

As we perused the menu, which is rich with options for vegetarians and vegans as well as meat eaters, I found myself listening to the dance music that was playing.  It was kind of exotic sounding.  I don’t normally like dance music, but it seemed to fit well in Yaz.  Bill got up thinking he had to order at the counter, but the waitress told him she’d come to us.

The counter kind of confused us at first. 

Yaz offers a full bar as well as an interesting menu with a number of different choices.  You can have a yufka (which appears to be a wrap), tajine, teller, or a salad.  They also offer soups, snacks, and desserts.  Prices are very reasonable and portions are large.  Although we were both hungry, we decided against getting any of the grill specialties.  Instead, we had burgers.

Bill had a kofte, which was much like a cheeseburger, except it was made of meatballs and came on sesame seed bread.  It included grilled onions and mushrooms and barbecue sauce.  It also came with optional cheese, which Bill included, and a side of potatoes with mustard sauce and barbecue sauce.

Bill’s excellent burger.  I probably would have liked it sans fungus.

I went vegetarian for once and had a delicious falafel burger.   It was served on the same sesame seed bread and came with lettuce, tomato, hummus, mango sauce, pomegranate seeds, and grilled onions.  I took mine without cheese.  Our sandwiches came with an additional side of fresh bread that was delicious.

This was an excellent sandwich.  I am definitely not someone who ordinarily eats vegetarian, but I was very happy with this.  I would order it again.  Yaz offers several options for vegans and vegetarians.  I also enjoyed the dips that came with the sandwiches, especially the sweet, spicy mustard.  The barbecue sauce tasted strongly of harissa.  

After we ate, I went to use the ladies room.  Unfortunately, it was closed.  There was a sign on the door asking the ladies to use the men’s room.  I couldn’t help but laugh to myself.  Germans have no problems with unisex bathrooms!

Tonight’s dinner came to a very reasonable 24,50.  Bill rounded up to 30 euros, which seemed to please the waitress.  We were done and out of there less than an hour after we arrived.  I imagine Yaz is very popular at lunchtime.

The sign at the entrance to Yaz.  It kind of shows you what they offer.

Outside the restaurant.

Overall, we were very happy we stopped by Yaz tonight.  It was a refreshing change of pace and any time I manage to go meat free and enjoy it, I feel good.  I would definitely recommend Yaz to anyone else who enjoys Middle Eastern food, especially if they happen to be in Stuttgart at a time when other eateries are “paused”.

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Every girl’s crazy ’bout a kilted man…

Three months ago, Bill and I were in Glasgow, Scotland, about to embark on our fourth cruise on Hebridean Princess.  While we were in Glasgow, we stopped into a kiltmaker’s shop and got Bill fitted for a kilt of his very own.  We decided to do it because we both love visiting Scotland, especially on Hebridean Princess.  Kilts are very welcome on that ship.  On all of our previous cruises on Hebridean Princess, Bill wore his dress blues on the formal nights.  The uniform, like kilts and tuxedos, has always been well-received on the ship.

Bill retired from the Army in 2014 and there comes a point at which it gets harder to do justice to the Army dress uniform.  I also learned that it might not even be appropriate for a retiree to wear the uniform on a cruise, though I doubt anyone would “bust” Bill on such a British cruise.  On each of our voyages, we have been among a very small number of Americans, none of whom have been affiliated with the military.  In fact, we have found that the Army uniform is quite a conversation starter, especially among the Brits who have also served in the military.  However, I was dying to see Bill in a kilt and kept pestering him to get one.  He finally gave in and indulged me.

While we were in Berlin, the finished kilt arrived.  Our very kind neighbor accepted our box for us while we were out of town.  Bill got the whole package, which included everything except a shirt and a belt and buckle.  Last night, he tried on his new Scottish duds.

Bill decided not to put on the Ghillie brogues (shoes), although they were included.  Below is a video I made of the kiltmaker showing us how the shoes should be tied.  He also didn’t put on the kilt pin, which was included.

 

The tartan used is County Donegal, since our last name is Irish.  Bill’s surname originated in Donegal.  The jackets are made in Donegal.

 

It took just under three months for the kilt to be made.  I think it’s because the tartan we used had to be ordered.  Otherwise, we probably would have had the kilt in late October or early November.  The kiltmaker made the kilt by hand and the quality is excellent.  It set Bill back about 900 GBP (approximately $1300).  But again, everything except the shirt was included in that price, even socks.   And Scots are not supposed to wear underwear under the kilt.  On the other hand, Bill is Irish.  ðŸ˜‰

Anyway, for those who are wondering who made this marvelous outfit, here’s the link to the man responsible.  We are very pleased with the finished product, even though we probably could have had it made faster and cheaper at one of the other, larger kiltmakers.  I would highly recommend James Robertson Kiltmaker if you’re ever in Glasgow and looking to be kilted.

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Blind booking #4: Berlin! Part 5

Yesterday was our last day in Berlin.  Our flight did not leave until 5:55pm, so we had all day to spend in the city.  The Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Mitte is very accommodating.  We were able to leave our bags at the hotel while we visited Berlin’s TV Tower.  I have visited Stuttgart’s TV Tower twice so far.  I expected that Berlin’s tower would be similar.  Actually, it was a bit different in that the whole thing is enclosed indoors, whereas Stuttgart’s tower allows visitors to go outside.

Berlin’s TV Tower has a restaurant and a bar and, if you pay extra, you can reserve a table in the Sphere restaurant.  Naturally, it costs more to sit on the outside ring, next to a window.  We were going to do that, but the first available reservation was at 4:15pm and that was too late for us.

We took the tram to the tower, which allowed us to see more of Berlin’s inner city.  As we were passing the neighborhoods, it occurred to me how much we were going to miss on this trip.  Bill and I will have to try to go back and see more sometime, if we stay in Germany.  Berlin is a very impressive city.

A bike messenger stopped near us while we were waiting for the tram.  I liked his vehicle.

The tower was somewhat crowded when we got there, although it’s possible to skip the lines and book tickets online or purchase them from vending machines.  We walked around the sphere, looking at the very spectacular views of Berlin that would have been even nicer had the sun been shining.  After a few looks at the city, Bill, Parker and I stopped by the bar and had a drink.

The many scenes of Berlin.

Part of the bar area.

The whole inside of the tower is like this.  You can’t venture outside.  But the weather was crappy anyway, so it was no big deal.

 

Time for a beer break.  They had local craft beers available, which made Bill happy.

 

After our pit stop at the bar, Parker and I went to the ladies room.  I was not surprised to find a line, as there had been a line when we first arrived.  This time, it was two women, one of whom was pregnant.  As we were waiting, I happened to notice that the first three of the five stalls were open.  I could tell by the white display on the lock.  If the door had been locked, it would have been red.

Just at the time I was about to point out the availability of the stalls to the chattering women, they noticed the first open stall.  They went to the first one, which had a changing table in it that apparently made it unavailable for normal use.  I went to the one next to it, but just as I was about to enter the stall, one of the women said, “Sorry!” and quickly jumped back in front of me, thwarting my attempt to pee.

I swear, I must be turning German, because my reaction was decidedly pissy… it was the kind of response I’ve gotten myself from Germans.  I then pointed out the other normal stall, which the other woman quickly took.

Parker said, “Aggressive!”

My response was, “No, it’s stupid!  Pay attention and fucking go!  Luckily, I don’t have to pee that badly.”

Even I was surprised by the sharp tone of my response, although I think those two women both kind of deserved it.  Both of them lit out of there pretty quickly.  I don’t even think they washed their hands.  Normally, I try not to be bitchy in these situations, but I was feeling exasperated and spoke too soon.  We left the tower and decided to have lunch across the street at the Block House, which is a chain steakhouse.  We’ve eaten there in Stuttgart and knew the food to be decent.

I had a cheeseburger.  This was ground beef sitting on a piece of baguette with some kind of tomato relish and covered with Edam cheese.  It was pretty good, although I really wanted a proper burger.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the stretchy cheese, though.

Bill’s mom had a small steak with a baked potato and bread.

And this was Bill’s lunch.  

Block House has a lot of American appeal.  It reminds me of American chain steakhouses.

A few more shots near the TV tower… and another Christmas market.

 

By the time we were finished with lunch, it was mid afternoon.  We took the tram back to the hotel, picked up our bags, and headed for the airport.  Our cab driver was very helpful and knew exactly where we should be when we told him we were flying Eurowings (which was Air Berlin last night).  We checked into the remarkably primitive looking terminal, breezed through security and hung out until it was time to fly out of Berlin.  While we were waiting, I took notice of the very sexy voice coming from the woman doing the announcements.  Apparently, I am not the only one who’s noticed that.

Seriously… she’s quite the sexpot.  Reminds me of Princess Aura in Flash Gordon.
 
No!  
 

We enjoyed another uneventful flight back to Stuttgart and arrived home at about 8:00pm.  While we were gone, Bill’s custom made kilt finally arrived from Scotland.  Tonight, he will model it for us and I will take pictures.  Stay tuned for that!

As for Berlin, I will declare it a successful trip, despite the weather.  The blind booking flights worked out really well and we were very happy with our accommodations.  There’s a lot to see and do there and, when the weather isn’t horrible, you might just find some good food and shopping.  I think I liked Hamburg better because it’s prettier to me, but there’s no denying that Berlin has a fascinating history.  I feel like reading more about it now that I’ve seen it in person.

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Blind booking #4: Berlin! Part 4

By the time we got back to the hotel, the weather was getting pretty crappy again.  We had a pretty disagreeable mixture of rain and snow that made venturing out for food unappealing.  We decided to go back to Alto, the restaurant’s bar.  Awsam, the bartender, greeted us warmly.  Again, I wrote a lot about Saturday at the bar in my main blog.  That piece is a bit political, though, so for those who would rather skip my rantings, I’ll just say that we enjoyed some wine, some bad pop music, and watched videos from the early 80s.

We also tried kumquats for the first time.  I must admit, although I had heard of kumquats, I’d never actually tried them.  They’re basically tiny oranges.  You’re supposed to eat the rind, which none of us did.  I wasn’t aware of this, but apparently kumquats are pretty popular in Germany.  My friend Susanne says she likes to eat them when she’s feeling sick.  They’re supposedly pretty healthy.

Lemons, limes, and kumquats!

After a couple of hours in the bar, we went back to our room.  It was so yucky outside that I decided I just wanted a pizza from the Domino’s we passed on our first night in Berlin.  Yes, I know it’s ridiculous to seek out Domino’s Pizza in an international city, but it had been years since I last had one and I was craving comfort food.  Parker was game, although Bill rolled his eyes at us.  So he went to the nearby Domino’s in the shitty weather and picked up a pizza for us.

Domino’s Pizza in Berlin.

It’s been awhile since my last Domino’s pizza and even that was in France (of all places).  We were pretty shocked by how small a “large” pizza was from the German Domino’s.  It was about the size of a small in the United States.  Bill ordered us a Hawaiian style pizza with ham and pineapple, although I really just wanted a pepperoni pizza.  Pepperoni, as we know, is not the same in Germany as it is in America.  Here, pepperoni refers to peppers, not sausage.

After a good night’s sleep, we rose to sunshine on Sunday.  Bill, Parker, and I had a special errand to run for some Americans in Stuttgart who were hoping for souvenirs from the Hard Rock Cafe in Berlin.  We also wanted to see Checkpoint Charlie.  We headed for Checkpoint Charlie first, hopping on the underground train just a couple of blocks from the hotel.

A couple of ads I spotted on the way to the subway.  They drive home how important it is to keep safety on the brain while driving.  Slow down and don’t use your phone.

 

On the way to Checkpoint Charlie, I was intrigued by an ad on the train.  They’re looking for healthy balding men to take part in research.

 

Below are some pictures from Checkpoint Charlie.  We stopped by the very extensive museum there, which was well worth the time.  I don’t usually get that excited about museums, but this one is well worth a visit, even though it can get rather crowded and there’s a lot to read.  Headsets are available.

A piece of the famous Berlin Wall.

A very famous sign.

Actors portray guards in front of the replica of Checkpoint Charlie.  For a fee, you can have your picture taken with them and get your passport stamped.  We didn’t bother with that.

The one picture I took inside of the huge museum.  Seriously… if you visit Berlin, I highly recommend visiting the museum by Checkpoint Charlie.  It’s fascinating and extensive.  I learned a whole lot about the former German Democratic Republic and the people who risked their lives to leave it.  

 

After we visited the museum, we got back on the underground train and headed for Charlottenburg, the area of Berlin where the Hard Rock Cafe is.  I didn’t have any particular desire to visit there, but I got requests from three people in Stuttgart who were hoping for shot glasses and such.  Since I definitely don’t mind the occasional American food, we went there for lunch.

Bill smiles for the camera as we try to decide what to eat.  I was tempted by the burgers, but I can get those in Stuttgart.  Ditto on the ribs…

 

One thing I don’t necessarily like about the Hard Rock Cafe is that they have all of this memorabilia on the walls.  I know that’s the draw, along with the music, but having that stuff on the walls creates a museum effect.  We happened to be sitting near Janis Joplin and Keith Richards exhibits, so people would come stand by our table to check it out.  It was a little annoying.

Bill had a pulled pork sandwich with some very tasty fries.

Parker had a cheeseburger sans bacon.

I went with combo fajitas, which arrived sizzling on peppers and onions and came served with pico de gallo, guacamole, and cheese.  They weren’t the best fajitas I’ve ever had, but they were probably the best I’ve had in Germany.  Unfortunately, that isn’t saying a whole lot.  

For dessert, I had an Irish kiss, which was like hot chocolate with whiskey and tons of whipped cream.  It was good and not too big, as I could see the other desserts were.  I didn’t need it, but it hit the spot.

After we ate, we went to the gift shop and picked up the requested souvenirs.  The lady who rang us up was Brazilian and said that a lot of Americans from Texas visit the Hard Rock Cafe in Berlin.  Although Bill and I came to Germany this time from Texas, only he and his mother are from there.  I am from Virginia.

Cool “bus” outside the restaurant.

 

And the facade.  It had gotten cloudy while we were having lunch.

We decided to check out another Christmas market and this cool looking church, which we didn’t have time to explore.

We stopped for the obligatory Gluhwein…

Good to the last drop?

By the time we had walked through the Christmas market, it was getting dark and threatening to snow.  We decided to take a cab back to the hotel.  We considered staying in and ordering room service, but somehow I was cajoled back down to the Alto restaurant.  Parker stayed in the room and watched TV.

Bill and I shared a nice gray burgundy.  He had pumpkin soup because he was still full from lunch.

I had penne carbonara, which was covered in fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

It snowed furiously while we were enjoying dinner.  I was surprised to see how quickly the white stuff accumulated.  By the morning, most of it had melted.  I heard Stuttgart got hit with a lot of snow on Saturday and Sunday, but most of it was gone by the time we arrived home last night.

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Blind booking #4: Berlin! Part 3

On Saturday morning, Bill and his mother decided to take a walk alone while I stayed in to do some writing.  Originally, I had been thinking about trying the indoor pool at our hotel.  The Berlin Mitte location of the Adina Apartment Hotel has a lap pool and a weight room.  I did bring a bathing suit, but decided I’d rather blog.  I had a book review to write and the Internet was being difficult.

If I had one thing to complain about in terms of our accommodations, it would have been the Internet.  Adina offers free Internet, but you get limited bandwidth.  If you want faster Internet, you can pay for it starting at 3,50 euros for three hours.  I opted for 24 hours, which cost 14,50 euros.  Sadly, I don’t think it mattered much.  Moreover, I spent about an hour trying to figure out how to log in.  You have to go to a different Web site to log into the pay Internet.  It’s kind of a pain.

It was a bit snowy outside and our apartment offered an interesting view.  On one side, I could see what appeared to either be a dentist’s office or a dental lab.  The windows were large, so we could actually see people being worked on from our windows.  On another side, I got a view of Charité Hospital, an enormous and very highly regarded hospital affiliated with Humboldt University and Freie Universität Berlin.  The hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe and has several campuses in Berlin.  We happened to have a view of one of its very large buildings, which served as a useful landmark.

The dental lab.

The big hospital!

 

After I finished my writing, I decided to take a nap.  While I was napping, Bill and his mom returned.  I felt a lot better after a few hours alone.  I spend a lot of time by myself and am probably more introverted than I appear.  Besides, I knew Parker had come to see Bill and needed some time to hang out with him without the wife tagging along.  So they had a stout two hour walk.  Then, when I got up from my nap, Bill and I went to lunch and Parker stayed in the apartment and read her book.

We stopped at Trattoria Due Fratelli, a very nice eatery a couple of blocks from where we were staying.

 

Bill checks out the menu while I check out the atmosphere.  I liked the way this place was decorated, but the Euro trash dance music put me off a bit.

 

I need a bookcase full of wine, too.

We started with pizza bread, which was drizzled with olive oil and garlic.  This was pretty good, although I would have liked a little more olive oil and garlic than just pizza crust.

For lunch, I had tagliatelle with salmon.  It had a very light cream sauce, tomatoes, and hunks of garlic in it.  I appreciated the Parmesan cheese, which really set off the dish.  I managed about two-thirds of it before I had to stop.

Bill had penne pasta with gorgonzola cheese and basil. 

 

One thing that struck me about this restaurant is that it was very inexpensive, with many dishes under 10 euros.  We thought the food and service were good, although I see by Trip Advisor that not everyone loves this place.  Nevertheless, we were satisfied.  Once we were finished eating, we took a walk and visited the Brandenburg Gate, as well as a Christmas market, a mall, and a park.

A shot of the TV tower.  Probably the best I managed.

A little city styled art in the form of graffiti.  I am fascinated by what people put on buildings and walls.

A few shots of the Brandenburg Gate.  We happened to be there while people were protesting.  Like most parts of Germany, it’s not wise to do a “Hitler salute” in this area.  It’s crawling with police and they will arrest you if you dare to raise your arm for a selfie.  Bill and his mom saw a couple of girls doing it.  I don’t think they got caught.  Still, it’s not a good idea.

We passed a park dedicated to the many Jewish people who died during World War II.  This was a very sobering exhibit, but watch out for pickpockets.  There are even signs to alert you.

We passed a science museum for kids that offered free entry.  We probably should have gone in to check it out, since I love science museums and am myself a big kid.

As evidenced by my decision to photograph this…

We happened upon a Christmas market, which was going on next to a busy mall…

They had a winter slide, which I didn’t try.

This was interesting.  Berlin has the usual carriage horses and rickshaws.  They also have this thing where you sit on a stool and peddle while you drink beer.  I’m sure this is great until you need to pee.

 

Near the coffins display, there is a park.  We passed through it and I saw a man on a bike towing what appeared to be a very beat up and rather small incarnation of a piano.  It was styled more like a baby grand than an upright, although it didn’t look exactly like a baby grand, either.  He looked like he might be a street musician.  I was so astonished by how he was towing the instrument with his bike that I forgot to take a picture.

After my trip to Amsterdam, I agree that cannabis is a good thing.

We also took note of the grape vines growing in Berlin.

Kids were blowing bubbles, despite the cold, rainy weather.

It was about this time that Bill and I ducked into the mall so we could use the bathroom.  While we were there, we came across a puppet show.  A couple of guys were presenting Hansel and Gretel.  It’s been awhile since I last read that story, although I know it well.  I was surprised by how much of the German version I understood and how entertaining this particular performance was.

I think watching Hansel and Gretel put on by puppeteers may have been the highlight of our day.  I noticed that as entertained as they young kids were, so were the adults.  

Another shot of the Christmas market as we headed back to the hotel.

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Blind booking #4: Berlin! Part 2

On Friday, December 8, 2017, Bill, Parker, and I ventured to the Stuttgart airport.  We lucked into a mid afternoon flight, which was a great thing.  Sometimes, when you do a blind booking, you can end up with flights at inconvenient times.  Not surprisingly, Berlin flights are a dime a dozen from Stuttgart.  We were scheduled to leave at 1:45pm, so we arrived at the airport at lunchtime and enjoyed a relatively painless trip through security.

We sat at an airport bar and had some beer.  Bill was talking about how he doesn’t like sitting in the middle seat, although he was willing to do it for our flights to and from Berlin.  I helped by reminding him that he was sitting between his wife and his mother, adding “You once came out of her and now you come into me.”  Yes, I know that’s a disgusting joke.  It was still pretty funny, though.  I was rewarded with the reaction pictured below.

My husband has an infinite amount of patience.

 

We really should have had a snack while we were waiting.  Although Eurowings provides snacks if you reserve a seat (up to 19 euros per person each way), it’s a pretty paltry offering.  You get half a sandwich, water, and a tiny packet of gummi bears.  They also give you another small drink in a little plastic cup.  By the time we arrived in Berlin at about 3:00pm, I was famished.  I have a tendency to get “hangry” when I’m hungry.  The bright side is the flight from Stuttgart to Berlin is only about an hour and it’s relatively painless.

I also paid to check our bags, so we stopped by the luggage carousel on the way into the city.  Our bags were among the first to be offloaded, so it was quick and easy to get through Berlin’s “old style” airport.  Before I knew it, we were in a taxi headed for Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Mitte.

I had originally looked for a self catering apartment on Booking.com, but the ones I found didn’t suit our purposes as well as the Adina Apartment Hotel did.  I had not heard of the Adina brand before our trip to Berlin, but I learned that it’s owned by TFE hotels in Australia.  The Adina brand is all over Australia, New Zealand, and certain European countries.  There are three Adina Apartment Hotels in Berlin; besides the Mitte location, there are also hotels at Checkpoint Charlie and the Hackescher Markt.

I did not have especially high hopes for the Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Mitte, but I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised.  When we entered the lobby and greeted the receptionist, he asked if my name was Angela.  There was an Angela Crossan registered at the hotel.  My name isn’t Angela, although that is my husband’s sister’s name.  We spell our last name with an “e”, too.  Once they found our reservation, we were assigned room 308, a two bedroom apartment.  Below are some photos.

Bedroom #1.  I think this was the spare bedroom, since it didn’t have its own bathroom.  The bathroom was located across the hall.  Both bedrooms had king sized beds and wall mounted flatscreen televisions.

Bathroom #1 had a tub/shower combo.

Sitting room.  There was a TV in this room, as well as a small kitchenette that had a mini bar, a fridge, a small stove, and a microwave.

This was the master bedroom.  Parker stayed in this room.

Her room had its own bathroom with a stand up shower.

There was a desk with free Internet, though you could pay extra for “premium”.  I did pay extra for premium Internet and can say that it wasn’t worth the money.  The free Internet worked as well as the pay version did… and that’s to say that both were pretty slow.

Little kitchenette.

I was very surprised to find a washer and dryer in Bathroom #1.  They even provided detergent!

 

Had Bill and I been traveling alone (without the dogs, that is), we probably would have opted for a hotel room.  However, this apartment hotel really suited our needs beautifully.  It’s perfect if you’re bringing kids or in laws and want to stay together, yet have privacy and the ability to cook your own meals.  Of course, if you’d rather not cook, you can also use the hotel’s restaurant, Alto.  Breakfast costs 19 euros a person.  They also have dinner at the restaurant and a full bar.

The weather on Friday night was pretty nasty, but we ventured out looking for food, anyway.  We weren’t successful, mainly because the one place we stopped into was hosting a Christmas party.  There are actually a number of restaurants close to the Adina Berlin Mitte, but it was cold and rainy and I was really hungry and cranky.  It was also pretty dark outside, even though it was only about 4:30pm.  It gets darker earlier up in Berlin than it does in Stuttgart at this time of year.  There is an Italian restaurant right across the way from the hotel, but we didn’t go in there because it got really horrible reviews for bad service.   There’s also a kebab shop and a bakery in the same building complex as the hotel.

After a short walk around the neighborhood, we headed back to the hotel, stopping at a Lidl on the way.  We picked up snacks, bottled water, and wine.  I got a slight kick out of the heavily tattooed and pierced clerk who rang us up.  The person was very friendly and nice, although I couldn’t tell if s/he was male or female.  I suppose it doesn’t really matter, but it did make me wonder a bit.

After we put away our snacks, we decided to try Alto.  The bartender was a man named Awsam, which I thought was awesome.  I wrote about Awsam on my main blog.  We had a rather special interaction with him that I won’t go into on this blog.  In this post, I will simply focus on the food.

We had a couple of cocktails, which did a lot of soothe my crankiness.  Then we ordered dinner while we sat at the bar.  I had duck, which came with red cabbage and what Bill knows as collard greens (although it said kale in the menu).  He was happy to eat lots of kale, along with a steak sandwich.  Parker stuck with pumpkin soup, which came with plenty of bread.  I did get a picture of Parker’s soup, but it turned out blurry.  Bill had it a couple of nights later.

Gin smash… we first learned of this drink when we visited Hamburg in 2015.

I had a Long Island Iced Tea, which Awsam the awesome bartender said was not a lady’s drink.  Good thing I’m no lady.

 

 

Bill’s impressive steak sandwich.

 

Duck with collard greens/kale and dumplings.

 

Awsam, the bartender, took great care of us.  Bill tipped him generously and he beamed.  So we came back each night.  More on that in the following posts.

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short breaks

Blind booking #4: Berlin! Part 1

My husband’s mother, Parker, has been visiting us for the past ten days.  While she’s here, my husband, Bill, wanted to do something special.  The last time she visited us in Germany, we got trapped in Italy.  We decided that this time, we would do something different… something not involving a car or driving through the Alps.

At first, we considered taking the train to Paris.  It seemed like the perfect solution.  Parker has not been to Paris and it’s a really interesting city with plenty to do.  But then it occurred to us that we were just in France last month.  I’ve been kind of hankering to do something different.  So then I suggested a blind booking on Eurowings.

Blind booking is not a new concept for Bill and me.  When we were living in Germany last time, we did it twice.  Basically, it involves buying a cheap plane ticket for a secret destination.  The first two times we tried blind booking, we scored excellent and super cheap trips to London, England and Barcelona, Spain.  Both trips were in 2009, when Eurowings was still Germanwings.  Prices were significantly lower than they are today and more services were included.  For instance, I don’t remember paying for luggage or even the paltry snacks they give you.

The next time we tried blind booking was in May 2012.  We had taken a Space A hop from Baltimore to Ramstein.  I was still crazy about the mystique of blind booking, so we went to Cologne, visited the city, then did another blind booking from Cologne.  That time, we got Munich.  I was slightly disappointed, since I had been to Munich.  On the other hand, we had a great time!  On that trip, we bought train tickets that were good for all of Germany and certain border cities.  We ended up going to Trier, Salzburg, and Luxembourg City, in addition to Munich and Cologne.

Although blind booking is not as exciting to me as it used to be, it had been five years since our last one.  And when we pitched the idea to Parker, she was excited about it.  The decision was made.  About ten days ago, I went on the Eurowings Web site, selected Stuttgart as our airport, input the days we wanted to travel, and chose which group  of cities we wanted.  I know there are ways to “game” the system.  Checking to see what days certain cities are offered is one way to improve your odds of going somewhere “exotic”.  You can also pay a little extra to exclude certain cities, which we have done in the past.  This time,  I wanted to leave it up to fate.  Besides, there weren’t any cities in the “Culture” group that I wouldn’t mind visiting, even if I’d already been there.

We got Berlin.  I had kind of mixed feelings about it.  On one hand, neither Bill nor I had ever been to Berlin, despite having spent a lot of time in Europe.  On the other hand, I was kind of liking the idea of getting out of Germany for a few days.  But then I realized that I told myself I couldn’t leave Germany again until I saw its capital city.  Now that’s done, so we can focus on going to some truly different places… provided we can board our dogs.  ðŸ˜‰

Parker was pretty happy about going to Berlin.  The three of us are old enough to remember when Berlin was much harder to visit than it is today.  When I was in sixth grade, I wrote a paper about Germany.  As I researched the topic, I learned about its history.  It was the first I’d ever heard of East and West Germany.  I remember being shocked that the country was divided; one side was a “free” part of western Europe.  The other side was “communist”, like the Soviet Union and the satellite countries.  I read about how the people in East Germany weren’t allowed to leave at will.  I learned about the huge wall that once separated Berlin.  One side was “free” and the other side was not.

A look at what life was like in Berlin, back in the 1970s…

As an eleven year old in the early 80s, I had no idea that one day I’d live in the former Soviet Union and get to visit a lot of those “forbidden” eastern European countries.  I didn’t know then that I’d eventually live in Germany twice and visit its eastern side with ease.  I didn’t know that one day, I’d stay in what used to be East Berlin.

I’m truly surprised it took me so long to finally see Berlin, although I did visit its airport once before when Bill and I took a Baltic cruise originating in Oslo, Norway.  We did have a great trip.  If I’ve piqued your interest with this first part, I hope you’ll read on as I lay out yet another exciting travel story.

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Luz Bistro for dinner!

Last night, Bill and I decided to take his mom, Parker, to Luz Bar & Bistro in Nagold.  I have written about Luz Bistro at the Alte Post in Nagold several times.  We usually go there for lunch on the weekends, but last night we decided to have dinner there.  I chose Luz because I knew the food and service would be excellent.  I also had a feeling we wouldn’t need reservations.

We arrived at the restaurant at about 7:00pm.  The bar area was pretty busy, as was the small dining room to the right.  I had never seen that dining room full.  Fortunately, there were still a few empty tables in the dining room to the left, which is where we usually sit if we aren’t outside enjoying Nagold’s city scenes while we drink wine.  Bill, Parker, and I took a seat at a four top and Bill ordered a bottle of Rioja and our usual sparkling water.

I was intrigued by a couple of the choices on Luz’s dinner menu last night, but I needed Google translate for a few things.  For instance, I had forgotten the word “Topinambur”, which is Jerusalem artichoke.  I also didn’t know the word “Saibling”, which is German for “char (a type of trout)”.  Parker chose a trout dish that was served with a citrusy pickle cream sauce.  I don’t know how I stood being in Germany without Google Translate.  It’s saved me a few times.  Anyway, below are the dishes we enjoyed last night.

I was originally intrigued by a dish that featured shrimps, onions, bacon, and mashed potatoes.  Since I was really hungry, I opted for a rib eye.  Luz has several steaks, a couple of which come in a “lady’s cut”.  The rib eye is one size only, 230 grams.  I ordered a side of fries, although I probably should have had a salad.  The fries at Luz are nothing special, although they arrived hot.  The steak, on the other hand, was juicy and delicious and beautifully complimented by a chilled garlic spread that was delicious.  It really married well with the beef.  

Parker’s dish was trout with a pickle and cream sauce.  I didn’t taste it, but she said the sauce was citrusy.  This dish came with a simple preparation of potatoes and greens.  I probably would have enjoyed it.  Maybe next time.

Bill had a very hearty plate of goulash made with venison and served with cranberry sauce and spaetzle.  I could tell he enjoyed this dish, based on how clean his plate was.  It was very satisfying.  I don’t routinely eat venison, but I might have liked this dish, too.

After our sumptuous main courses, Parker and I decided to have dessert.  I think our waitress might have been a little “weeded”, handling the rest of the crowd in the bar area and the other dining room.  She brought our desserts before she brought drinks.  I could see the ice cream was melted, which makes me think it sat for a few minutes.  But anyway, it still tasted good… especially Parker’s dessert.  I must have it next time I go to Luz Bistro.  It was a real hit!

My creme brulee came with red wine ice cream, blackberries and blueberries, and a crisp cookie.  It was a pretty standard incarnation of creme brulee, which I would have liked more had the ice cream not been so soft.  But… having waited tables myself, I am willing to cut the waitress a break.  She was working hard.  About halfway through the dessert, I had the prosecco I ordered.

Parker’s dessert was my favorite culinary treat of the evening.  She had a dark chocolate tart with sea salt ice cream, berries, whipped cream, and a vanilla sauce.  I swear… next time I have PMS, I hope I can get my hands on that dessert.  It was absolutely delicious.

 

Last night’s dinner came to about 159 euros before the tip.  I think had it not been a little busy last night, we would have had an almost flawless meal.  The good news everything tasted great and we were together, enjoying each other’s company.  Luz and the Alte Post remain another of my favorite local restaurants and it’s always a good bet for a weekend lunch of when company is around.

We are headed to Berlin later today, which excites me because it’s the first time any of us has been there.  It’s a blind booking on Eurowings, which we haven’t done in the past five years.  It should be fun.  I look forward to seeing some sights and writing more travel articles.  Berlin has been on my “must visit” list for a long time, especially since I’ve been to so many other European capitals in countries where I don’t actually live.

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