I was dying to get out of the house today. Normally, on Saturdays, Bill ends up doing chores or sleeping in. But we have good weather today, and the temperature is finally warm. I wanted to do something besides hang around in my nightie all day. We thought about several things we could do this afternoon, and finally decided to take Noyzi and Charlie to the Bootshaus Flörsheim. It’s right next to the Rhein/Rhine River.

I think Bill and I were assuming we were going to be visiting a much more casual, low key restaurant today. A couple of years ago, we took Noyzi to this place on the Rhein that was near Mainz-Kastel. Looking back, I see we took him there May 28th in 2023. That place was also called Bootshaus, but it was a different one, with a very laid back Biergarten that served drinks and sausages. It was more like a stand. The place where we went today was a real restaurant. I think the other place also has a real restaurant, but the day we went, they just had their little beer stand going.

Because we were directed to a different establishment, we were a bit confused as we approached the restaurant. But we didn’t need to be. It was very dog friendly, and several canines were enjoying time with their people today.

I was a little nervous about dining at the place, because it had been awhile since we last took the dogs out. I expected the less fancy place with grass on the ground and Bratwursts on a grill. But the dogs ended up mostly doing okay. Noyzi was nervous and a little chatty, but he was not as spooky and nervous as he’s been on previous outings. That didn’t stop a few folks from giving us side eyes as they inexplicably decided to sit near us.

Bill and I ordered beers and water. To eat, I had a Caesar salad with chicken and bacon, while Bill had beef croquettes with salad and sauces. It took awhile to get the food, which offered us time to get the boys more settled. Noyzi sat after a few minutes and eventually rested on the pavement, only to spring up when a person approached, especially someone with another dog. Noyzi made friends with one guy’s adorable puppy, who actually tried to mount Noyzi. That was ambitious of him, because Noyzi is about four or five times his size. Charlie was also nervous, but less so. Since he’s smaller, he’s also easier to control. Below are some photos from the Biergarten.

We brought a bottle of water, but Bill didn’t bring a bowl. I told him to, but he forgot. At one point, some guy brought a bowl over to Noyzi. It had a little water in it. He got excited and bumped into it, making a racket. A lady sitting near us had given us the side eye a few times. I knew she was going to do it again when Noyzi crashed into the bowl. I was ready for her and headed her off with a side eye of my own. 🙄

I know… that’s not nice or particularly mature, but they’re dogs, and dogs are unpredictable. I can’t help it if they freak out. Children also make mistakes in public. Show some grace and realize that within the hour, we’ll be leaving your life forever. Aside from that, it’s hard for dogs to learn how to behave in public if they never go anywhere. Noyzi has made a lot of progress over the years. I was overall very pleased with his behavior.

The woman got the message and quit glaring at us after I returned fire. Isn’t it funny how so much communication is non-verbal? Dirty looks are definitely international language… kind of like music.

It wasn’t easy to eat the salad while holding Noyzi, so Bill took over so I could finish. Then, we finished our beers and paid the check. I got a few more photos while Bill used the bathroom. There was plenty of free parking at the Bootshaus. That’s a definite plus!

We are now back, and Noyzi is behind me, resting, panting, and farting. We need to get him some dog food made of poultry. It’s now cloudy and looks like it might rain.

I don’t know what we’ll do tomorrow. Maybe we’ll go somewhere and do something fun. Or maybe we’ll find another Biergarten and take the boys. The sooner they learn how to behave in restaurants, the better off we’ll be. I think Charlie will be a pro in no time. Noyzi might need a few more lessons.