Happy All Saints Day, y’all. Bill left this morning for a trip to the USA. I’m sitting here alone with a big bowl of candy, leftover from last night’s lame Halloween. We bought more candy this year, because last year, I was passing out candy alone, and we got cleaned out early.
I’d rather have too much candy than not enough, although now that I think about it, after that big crowd showed up last year, no one else rang the doorbell. So, as it turned out, we did have enough candy… or maybe it was just because I turned out the light when I ran out of goodies.
This year, I think we had five or six kids. One of them wasn’t even wearing a costume and looked really confused when he came up on our doorstep. His mom was standing by, smiling, and the kid just stood there while Bill handed him American chocolate. Another kid was collecting candy with his hands, because he forgot to bring a sack.
It’s not a big deal, though. It’s fun to go through the Halloween ritual every year, even though I don’t really enjoy carving jack o’ lanterns that much. Sometimes we get kids who participate. Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes, we go out of town for Halloween, but more often than not, Bill has to go on business trips. Last year, he was in Bavaria and came home on November 1st. This year, he’s going to North Carolina. SIGH…
Anyway, we both carved pumpkins, and I did take some photos…
Last night was kind of fun, anyway, because we listened to music and ate homemade pizza. Naturally, we also drank lots of German beer. It was my favorite weizen, Franziskaner.
I’ll miss Bill while he’s gone, but at least I’ll have a chance to get some creative things done. I suspect this could be a good week for music, for instance. It would be an even better week if my ear would pop. I hate recovering after colds.
By the way… because I was blogging about our trip to Eastern Europe, I never did get a chance to share photos of our recent picture framing. Behold… The top three are prints Bill picked up in Budapest in September. The bottom paintings came from Bulgaria.
The blue windmill is especially dear to me, because I bought it in 1996, when my friend Elaine and I were traveling from Yerevan to Sofia by bus. I think I spent about $3 on the art, but the reframing job was a hell of a lot more expensive than that! 🤭 We bought the other paintings when we went to Sofia in 2024.
Anyway… that’s about all I have to write today. We should have three more prints to hang soon, when our picture framer calls us to come pick up the art we bought in Dresden.
Bill got home from Budapest on Wednesday, and he brought three new prints with him. If I had gone with him on that trip, he would have bought bigger prints. But, I can’t complain about the art he picked up, because they’re pretty much my style. They are from a Kenyan-British artist named Marcus Goldson, who moved to Budapest in the early 1990s after having trained as a sculptor.
Goldson initially couldn’t afford the materials he needed for sculpting, so he started sketching, and took his art career in a whole new direction. I don’t know if he sculpts now, or just does watercolors. Obviously, he’s got a good business going in Budapest, serving tourists like Bill and me.
Since we were already going to visit Kunst-Schaefer to get the new art framed, I decided to get some older art redone. I bought two paintings in Sofia, Bulgaria, when we visited in 2024, plus I had another painting that I bought in Sofia back in the summer of 1996. My friend, Elaine, and I took a bus from Armenia to Turkey, and then onward to Bulgaria, for a vacation.
Although I was completely broke at the time, Elaine lent me the money to take the trip with her. We had a fabulous time, and I managed to pick up a small blue tinged painting of a windmill. I wish I’d bought another one, because I really like that piece of art, and I must not have paid much at all for it, because I had no extra money whatsoever in 1996. Of course, it’s going to cost about 160 euros to get it reframed!
We parked at the Marktplatz, where the weekly Saturday market was going on full tilt. It seemed like everybody was out and about yesterday, as the weather was beautiful. I would have liked to have walked around the market, but we were on an important mission.
Some folks were drinking wine in the morning!
I’ve mentioned before that, when I was growing up, my parents ran their own business out of our home. My mom had a knitting, needlepoint, and cross stitch shop, and she taught countless people how to do needle crafts. My dad sold art and did custom picture framing. So, being in an art gallery is very natural for me, because I literally lived in one for years. 😏
Bill and I made our way through Wiesbaden’s posh streets and walkplatzes to get to Kunst-Schaefer. We passed buskers playing piano, accordion, saxophone, and guitar, adding their own elements of atmosphere to Wiesbaden’s bonny streets.
The street where Kunst-Schaefer lives…
When we arrived at Kunst-Schaefer, a young lady welcomed us. She was with a customer, so we took a moment to look around the gallery to see if there was anything I’d want to hang on the wall. Of course, there were things there I would happily purchase, but I’d rather spend the money on another art scouting trip… the next of which we will be commencing in about ten days!
The proprietor showed up, having stepped out to get some baked goods for his Sunday breakfast. He personally dealt with us, as we showed him six pieces to be framed.
Budapest finds. I love the cow’s ass.Our Bulgarian art.
It didn’t take long to decide how we would be framing everything. Regular shadow box frames for the Bulgarian paintings, and a plain black frame for the windmill. Colorful frames and matting for the Budapest prints. All of it should be done while we’re on vacation, and by then we’ll probably have another batch that needs to be done. Before we present a VAT form, the total comes to about 700 euros.
By the time we were finished with the framer, I really needed to find a restroom. Bill and I decided to have lunch. For some reason, I was in the mood for German food, so we headed back toward the Marktplatz. Maybe it was because I found out that one of the towns we once lived in, Fredericksburg, Virginia, now has a snazzy German restaurant.
On our way there, I noticed that BrewDog Wiesbaden had closed. I either didn’t know it was going to close, or had forgotten. Bill and I went there a few times for craft beers and sandwiches. I think the last time we went was at Christmas last year. But we didn’t know then that the place would be closing in January 2026, and in September, no one else has set up business in the beautiful old building where it was situated.
I guess the Scottish style craft beers at BrewDog never quite caught on in Wiesbaden. Some people complained about the quality of the food and mice in the restaurant, but our personal experiences dining there were never bad. Too bad… it was a reliable lunch choice for us. But I guess it just goes to show that we hadn’t been downtown in ages! ETA: My German friend says BrewDog basically went insolvent, got bought out by an American company, and the new company didn’t want to operate in Germany anymore. At this point, there are still locations in Hamburg and Berlin.
We went to the Ratskeller instead, where we knew we could have beer and some very decent German food. Because it was so nice outside, we ate outdoors… where we were accosted by many bees. Or were they wasps? I wasn’t going to let them get close enough to find out for sure. I heard one American lady loudly complaining about them. ETA: My German friend says they were wasps.
Schweinebraten for me, and Frankfurter Schnitzel for Bill…
My only complaint about lunch is that it wasn’t served as hot as I would have preferred. But the food tasted good. I especially enjoyed the Schweinebraten and the delicious brown gravy made with beer. I was hungry, too. Managed to eat the whole potato Knödel, and some of the Rotkraut, and washed it down with a Weizen. Bill loved his Frankfurter Schnitzel with green sauce and fried potatoes. He had a Helles.
After we ate, we had another round… I had a Doppelbock, while Bill had a Radler. We made the waitress laugh when we tried to say “Doppelbock” properly. Bill had a taste of my rich, dark, malty beer, which came from a bottle.
The source of the bees?
Finally, we were finished with our leisurely lunch, and decided to head home. There, we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon out on the patio, listening to music and savoring the last warm gasps of summer. The silver lining is that my mosquito bites are finally healing, and pretty soon, they’ll be gone.
It was nice to go to Wiesbaden again, and enjoy a nice lunch in the sunshine. I always enjoy visiting the art guy, too, and patronizing a business that helps us preserve our memories so beautifully. Wiesbaden sure is a lovely city, and we’re now at the point at which we’ve spent the most time of our married life living here. It really feels like a privilege. As much as we both enjoyed living in the Stuttgart area, I think Wiesbaden suits us somewhat better. If only because I seemed to get yelled at less often here. 😉
Well, that about does it for today’s travel post. Pretty soon, this blog will come alive with posts about our next travel adventure, which will take us back to Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and then a return trip to Dresden. So watch this space! Bill has to go to Brno next week for a couple of days, too, but I don’t get to accompany him. Bummer.
Saturday morning, we went down to breakfast at Hotel L’Eldorado. Our waiter was a very pleasant man, but I don’t think he had a very strong grasp of English. We first encountered him on Wednesday night, and he didn’t seem to understand us very well.
And then on Saturday, we ordered breakfast and I asked for poached eggs. He brought me boiled eggs. I would have accepted them, but I wondered if maybe I got someone else’s order. I also had hot chocolate again, and it was very different than what I had gotten on Thursday and Friday; this time, it was thick and rich, like I’ve encountered it in Spain! I actually really liked the hot chocolate prepared that way, but I wondered why it was done differently.
Bill had pancakes without blueberries and cream. The waiter eventually brought out my poached eggs, which were perfect. We tried to explain to the waiter that breakfast was supposed to be complimentary, because of the broken elevator. He didn’t understand, so Bill had it put on the room. When we checked out, they took the charge off our bill.
I didn’t order these…
Bill discovered that our hotel was near a Salvador Dali museum, so we decided to go there. We had been planning to visit the Louvre, but decided that maybe it would be better to just go to a smaller museum with fewer people. That turned out to be a good decision. The walk there involved hills, so we were able to burn off breakfast.
Antarctic?Windmill!
The Salvador Dali museum in Paris is based on a collection acquired by Beniamino Levi, an Italian man who met Dali and encouraged him to make sculptures. He would buy Dali’s pieces, as well as the intellectual rights to them.
I didn’t know anything about Salvador Dali before I visited the museum. I mean, I knew about the famous melting clock, but I didn’t know what had inspired it, nor did I know much beyond the famous surreal artwork he was known for before his death on January 23, 1989. By visiting the museum, I learned that Dali’s melting clock was inspired by watching Camembert melting in the sun. I also learned that he was fascinated by the children’s book, Alice in Wonderland.
The museum also had some very interesting and cool art pieces that showed different perspectives. The pieces were ridged, so that if you looked at them in one direction, they’d look very different if you looked at them in the other direction or straight on. Hopefully, the pictures will explain what I mean… Sorry this is a big photo dump! The museum isn’t super large, but it does have a lot of interesting pieces. There’s also a public restroom, which is always a plus!
After our visit to the museum, we walked around the charming village near the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. It was very crowded with tourists visiting the basilica. We walked around near the huge church, but didn’t go in, because there was a really long line. I still managed to get some good photos. Below are some photos near a small church we visited. Bill lit candles for our deceased fathers.
I wish I’d bought a painting.Palm Sunday
And below are some pictures closer to the basilica… It was getting close to lunchtime, but we resisted the urge to eat among the tourists, even though it had started raining. I do wish we’d bought some art, although we bought some candy for Bill’s grandchildren.
Candy shop! It was very expensive!My kind of place.I still need to find out about this…
As you can see in the last photo above, we passed Le Passe-Muraille Sculpture in Montmartre, Paris. It was somewhat close to where we had lunch. After ducking into a tiny French place that was full, we ended up at an equally tiny Italian place just across the street. The restaurant was called Tentazioni. Although it was tiny, it was also a chain, with several locations in Paris. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a very nice lunch there. Bill had linguini carbonara that was insanely good, and I had linguini with pesto and burrata. We started with focaccia, and ended with dessert… Below, you will notice a picture of a very sweet and friendly labrador, who was a service dog enjoying life outside.
This version of focaccia was also excellent, though different what we had on Thursday at Il Sorrentino.A moment off the job…I tried a digestive.
After lunch, we continued walking down the hill and ended up stopping at a wine shop. We bought a couple of bottles of wine to bring home to Germany– one Italian and one French. Below are photos of the Italian wine, which we had the other night. It was excellent. I confess that I chose it because of the label.
Below are a few more photos from the Montmartre area, including a shot of the bottle shop where we found our wines.
And, just to wrap things up, we stopped by Corcoran’s Irish Pub again and hung out for awhile… This was mainly because we were a bit tired of traveling and we were ready to go home. I was glad we stopped by the pub again, because I found some more music for my collection, and I shared a moment with a Brit who appeared to be my age. We were both enjoying hearing “Our House” by Madness, a song that took us back to childhood!
In our younger days, I think Bill and I would have gone out to dinner or something. But it was a Saturday night, and as we’ve found out from many trips to France, you really need to make reservations if you want to go anywhere remotely special. So we stayed in again, and Bill picked up some very reasonably priced Korean fried chicken for dinner. He got it from a “hole in the wall” place near our hotel. There were quite a few places like that near where we stayed.
Not bad at all…
And… since we’re now at the end of our Paris trip, I’m going to go ahead and describe our chaotic journey home, so I can wrap up this series.
As it was on Friday night, it was very loud and busy outside of our hotel on Saturday night. I had forgotten all about the time change, so when I woke up to pee, I looked at the clock and it said 3:30 AM. I’m sure to the loud revellers, it actually felt more like 2:30 AM.
We had one more breakfast at the hotel. I had avocado toast with a poached egg, which was perfect! And more hot chocolate, again, done differently. This time, they brought it out rather thick, but included a side of steamed milk.
Hot chocolate done three ways at Hotel L’Eldorado… But I loved them all.
After breakfast, we decided to check out of the hotel and head to the Gare de L’est train station. That ride cost us a mere 22 euros. 😏 In retrospect, I wish we’d waited a little bit longer, because we ended up being an hour early. But that gave me the opportunity to listen to some talented people play the piano. Train stations in France often have pianos which people are encouraged to play!
This kid was especially good! I think he’s going places!French soldiers were in the station, fully armed.
We boarded our first class seats and enjoyed a very peaceful ride back to Germany. I was even impressed by the pizza we had for lunch, and were able to order directly from Bill’s phone. It was (seriously) among the best I’ve ever had in Europe. We had plans to change trains in Mannheim and get home by about 3:00 PM. Fate had different plans.
This pizza was surprisingly good!Crossing the Rhine!
Bill noticed that the train we were supposed to catch from Mannheim to Frankfurt Airport was delayed. As we got closer to Mannheim, the train was further delayed. Bill was getting more and more agitated, because he needed to pick up Noyzi and Charlie between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. A delay would put his ability to make that time more difficult. It was also pretty chilly outside, and Bill wasn’t adequately dressed.
He was a bit pissed… and I think it’s time to retire that jacket he’s wearing.
I needed to use the restroom, so I went into the station and encountered a VERY annoying public restroom. It cost 1,50 euros, and the turnstile wasn’t working properly. There was a line, and in spite of being attended, it wasn’t all that clean. But, I was able to relieve myself, and after about an hour delay, Deutsche Bahn let us take a different train. We were also lucky enough to score seats, which would not have been a given. Thankfully, it was just one stop, so our ride was only about 30 minutes.
Once we got to the Frankfurt Airport train station, we were able to find a great cabbie, who spirited us home. And Bill was able to get the dogs in time, and they were very happy to be home!
Overall, we had a really great time visiting Brussels and Paris, and we got to see a lot of places. It was fun visiting places we saw in 2008 and 2009, and discovering new places, like the Atomium and finally going up the Eiffel Tower. I especially enjoyed exploring the Montmartre area of Paris, which is a district I had never seen before. We did have a few glitches during our travel, but we learned from them. I will never again allow anyone to approach me at the train station offering a cab ride, for instance! I also got to learn about potatoes, chocolate, beer, and Salvador Dali!
More than once, I also said out loud that Brussels and Paris beat the hell out of Napa Valley… 😏 And, I also noticed that I left Paris liking it just a little bit more. The first time I went to Paris, I didn’t like it at all. But every time I return, I find myself more charmed and thinking I’ll someday return. I hope that turns out to be true. As for Brussels, it remains one of my favorite cities!
So that about does it for our trip to Brussels and Paris. I will be doing the usual “ten things I learned” post next! Stay tuned for that!
On the third Saturday in September, Bill and I took some more art to Kunst-Schaefer in downtown Wiesbaden to get two new prints from Hungary framed, and have some other art re-framed. Bill picked up the finished projects a couple of days ago. Below are some photos of the results. The first photo is of our new Hungarian acquisitions. I always wish I’d bought more art when I get new stuff!
The above photo is of two sketches we bought from Dariusz Milinski in Jelena Gora, Poland, back in 2008. They were originally in platinum with beige matting and plastic, instead of glass. I’m not even sure if they were actual sketches or copies. But our experience buying them makes them pretty special to us. It’s nice to have them in new framing. I wish we could get back there and buy one of Milinski’s paintings. They are pretty amazing, even if he’s a bit of a nutter.
The ones in the middle are paintings we got in Vilnius, Lithuania, all done by the same lady. She was pretty happy when we bought her art. I am happy to see the paintings in new frames, although I wish I’d asked the picture framer to touch up the edges so they aren’t white. But I got some magic markers, so I can fix that issue without too much trouble. Sometimes being the daughter of a professional picture framer comes in handy.
On Friday night, we went to the wine stand. It was kind of cool outside, and the sky was a bit cloudy, but we had a great time. It was mainly because of that friendly German couple who always sit with us, even though we speak little German, and they speak little English. Google Translate is very helpful in that situation. At one point, the lady asked how long we’ve lived here. She probably wonders why I don’t speak better German. I do actually know a lot more than I used to, but it’s hard to speak in German. I have no one to practice with on a regular basis.
I told the lady that I can only sing in German. It’s a bit of a joke, because I did used to sing German songs a lot, when I was in my 20s. When you take voice lessons, that’s what happens. You learn songs by composers who wrote in German or Italian… or sometimes French and Latin.
She was curious about my musical pursuits, so I played a video from my YouTube channel. I chose this one, because the song is short, and I did a pretty decent job with it… Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?
I think they were surprised…
She mentioned Breckenheim’s pop choir, led by our neighbor and the co-owner of our veterinarian practice, Dr. Konrad Blendinger, who is also a musician and songwriter. She was quick to tell me they do songs in English. I’ve seen them perform a few times. Dr. Blendinger has even written an original song about Breckenheim!
It would be fun to be in a pop choir… sometimes it’s hard to feel like a joiner, when you’re an outsider. But this couple is always so warm and welcoming to us. It makes me smile, knowing that there’s at least one local couple besides our landlord and immediate neighbors, who think we’re okay. 😁 I’m glad to meet locals in Wiesbaden, too. They’re more mature than some of the “friends” I made in Stuttgart.
Our town also just got a charging station for electric vehicles. Apparently, there was some controversy about this new development. I think they’re putting in a couple more stations at the Sportsplatz on the other side of town. Personally, I think it’s cool… just like I thought it was cool that they installed a public WC for events in the Dorfplatz. I love to see the community develop so people can have nice things. I wish Americans were more like this.
A wave of the future…
I took few photos at the wine stand, because it was kind of dark outside. I think there will be one more this year, but I’m not sure I’ll attend. Bill has to go to Bavaria again, so I’ll be alone when it happens. Maybe I’ll attend solo… but probably not. I like to teetotal when he’s not home. Besides, a lot of times, no one talks to us except the American pastor/lawyer who lives nearby. And she’s a very popular lady, so it’s not like she visits extensively. So, if I did go to the wine stand, it might not be much fun. I might get more out of watching political pundits on YouTube.
Anyway… it was a really nice time. Once again, I’m grateful to live in Breckenheim, which is a great little community with a good manager who makes sure the people are entertained. Bill says there’s a little fair going on at the Dorfplatz as I write this– something they haven’t done there since 2009. And there’s the Apple Fest in Wiesbaden, too, although I’m not sure if I want to go there. I probably should go, since I’m about to be lonely for three weeks. 🙁
But, on the other hand, I’m glad Bill has a job and is still getting paid to work. So, you gotta count your blessings where you find them, I guess. In other news… the vet called us while we were at the wine stand and told us Noyzi’s cytology report came back. He had a raw spot on his leg that we had tested for cancer. It was negative– he just has a bit of dermatitis. So that’s good news, too!
On Sunday morning, Bill went across the street to the fabulous bakery called Wüst. This bakery, which is part of a chain, offers wonderful fresh breads and pastries. Almost every day of our stay, Bill went there to get our breakfasts. One day, he went to a different, but equally good bakery, only because we were out of juice and he could get some at the other place.
I have discovered that I really like the way the Swiss do their breads. The places we’ve gone have offered soft rolls and croissants that aren’t too crispy/messy. Personally, I like that a lot. I know some people love flaky croissants, but I prefer them to be softer, if only because it means fewer crumbs all over the place.
I already miss these…
After breakfast, Bill and I took a walk to Lake Zürich, which was a very short walk from the apartment. On Sunday, there happened to be a bike race going on, so there was a “crossing guard” in the middle of the crosswalk! We sure weren’t expecting that.
The part of Lake Zürich where we were was near the Chinagarten, as well as a really cool looking machine/statue that I happened to catch running once during the week. I discovered that I was looking at “Heureka”, a “useless machine” that was built in 1964 by sculptor, Jean Tinguely. Below is a video of it running. I only caught it in action once during the whole week we were in Zürich! I read that they only run it three times a day for eight minutes, from April until October.
According to Atlas Obscura, “Heureka” was meant to symbolize consumerism in advanced societies. It’s made of scrap metal and junk, and when it runs, it just makes noise. It doesn’t actually do anything useful. Interesting that this would be in a place where many people are quite well-to-do.
I videoed this after Bill and I saw it for the first time. I guess they don’t run it often, because it makes a fair amount of noise.
There were so many people at the lake on that sunny Sunday. They were all lying out on blankets and towels, swimming, sunning, fishing, and splashing around in the lake. I wished I’d worn one of my bathing suits, because the lake was so inviting. But instead of jumping in the lake, we decided to visit a Biergarten right next to it… And unfortunately, we ended up sitting next to a big pile of dog shit. Nevertheless, I took lots of photos, and where we sat was perfect for that. And the sausage and roll weren’t too bad, either.
While we were eating, we were visited by a bunch of little birds and some very well fed ducks. I tried not to feed them any bread, since it’s bad for ducks. But they made it hard to resist. They were practically tame! I noticed a number of different types of birds by the lake, everything from seagulls to swans! I’ll have pictures of the swans later in the series.
After lunch, we walked around some more, and I took a lot of photos. I was amused by the many people on hydrofoils. It looked like a lot of fun, riding those things– like surf boards with poles under them, operating like pogo sticks. Maybe if I was younger, fitter, and braver, I might be willing to give them a try!
He’s pretty good at that!
Below are some more photos from Sunday. The Swiss, and all of the visitors, all seemed to be having a blast!
I want to ride my bicycle!
We walked a few miles on Sunday, and ended up running into the bike race again. There was a boy there, maybe about 12 years old, wearing a neon colored uniform. He fixed one of the racers’ bikes on the side of the street. We overheard him telling a couple of ladies in German that he was a member of a bicycling club that provided services for the race. We saw a young girl in a similar reflective outfit providing drinks for the riders as they whizzed past.
After awhile, Bill and I got a bit hot, and we were both worried about sun exposure. We decided to go back to the apartment and watch some local television. We caught a couple of American movies, dubbed into German. One was 1962’s That Touch of Mink, starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. The other was 2012’s Now Is Good, starring Dakota Fanning. The Fanning flick was also airing on Friday night. I hadn’t heard of Now Is Good before, but I see it’s on Netflix. Maybe I’ll watch it in English.
For dinner on Sunday, we ordered Chinese/Thai food. I had sweet and sour pork with rice, and Bill had chicken satay with rice. We also had dumplings. There were leftovers for Monday, which was a good thing for me.
In the next post, I’ll start explaining how I entertained myself while Bill was “at school.” Stay tuned for that excitement. 😉
On May 10, 2025, Bill and I visited our favorite art dealer/picture framer to get some art framed. Most of the pieces we had done were ones we’ve had for years, but never had the time, money, or will to have properly framed. Wednesday of this week, Bill got a call from the picture framer, letting us know that our order was ready to pick up. After he got home this morning from his latest business trip to Poland, Bill stopped by and fetched our art.
Below are some photos of the finished products by Kunst-Schaefer. Except for three pieces, all of the art in these photos was framed by this gallery in downtown Wiesbaden:
We had a photo of Bill’s daughter’s family framed. She had sent us an older framed photo before her youngest was born.The one on top was custom framed.I hope to add more art to our stairway… Hopefully, there will be some available in Lithuania.The Van-Gogh inspired piece was done on this round. The art dealers were fascinated by it. They did something special. The smaller pieces were purchased already framed.We finally got our drink paintings done… The same artist who did the Van-Gogh knock off did these.All of these were framed by Kunst-Schaefer, but the ones in the middle are the latest.They were gushing over this, which was done by a military wife who did an art and wine class in Stuttgart.
In other news, Bill’s cherry tomato plants have produced two cherry tomatoes. I have put them in the chili that is on the stove cooking right now. Charlie is absolutely delighted that Bill is home. So is Noyzi, of course, but Charlie is Bill’s dog. He’s been giving me the cold shoulder. Now that the pack is reunited, all is right in his world again. I may have to make a reunion video at some point.
I think this latest batch of framing ran us about 600 euros or so, after using a VAT form… The matriarch at the gallery was gushing over the paintings done by the military wife we bought them from in 2014. I wish I was still in touch with her. I’m sure she’d get a kick out of knowing that a German art dealer was admiring her work!
I’m not sure what we’ll do over the weekend. If the weather is nice, maybe we’ll venture out somewhere… Or maybe not.
Bill went by the art gallery yesterday, and picked up the pieces we had framed. Below are some photos of the results. I’m very happy with the work Kunst-Schaefer in downtown Wiesbaden did. As usual, they did a great job! I am especially delighted by how Amy’s painting looks. The frame really makes the art stand out beautifully!
This is new art done by our friend, Bruce, who, along with his wife, fostered our late dog, Arran.My friend Amy painted this portrait of Paddy’s Run in Virginia. This was a wedding gift that badly needed framing!I put Bruce’s art on the wall by the stairs.My favorite painting bought in the Czech Republic in 2009. It was done by a Russian painter named Nikolai Korelov.Korelov did this one, too.I bought the above painting in Prague in 2008 at a gallery run by an Armenian. I surprised him by speaking Armenian.
Bill said that before he gave them a VAT form, the framing cost about 800 euros. After the VAT, it was significantly less… I think it was about 650 euros or so. I’ll have to ask. Anyway, I am very pleased… We have more art that needs framing, plus a lovely photo of Bill’s daughter’s family. I’m sure we’ll be back to the gallery soon!
I didn’t write any travel posts over the weekend, because Bill got home from Stavanger, Norway on Saturday afternoon, and I spent yesterday hanging out with him. We are slowly catching up with some of the stuff that went undone while he was gone. He’s going to collect our mail today and maybe drop by the commissary to get a few things. I may decide to make a video and take care of some household chores that need attention. Or maybe not.
At the moment, we’re planning a trip to Zurich, Switzerland for late June/early July. We went there in 2021, and visited Carl Jung’s house. Now Bill wants to go again, so he can take some courses at the Jung Institute. I will go with him, although I won’t be taking any classes. Maybe I’ll go on a tour or something… or just get some reading done while I enjoy views of Lake Zurich. Last time we were there, it was during the pandemic. This seems to be our year to visit Switzerland. We’ve already been there twice so far in 2025.
Bill did some good work in Norway. I think it was a successful trip for him. He enjoyed Stavanger, too, and wants to visit there for recreational purposes. I wouldn’t mind that. Hopefully, it will be within the realm of the possible, but with all that’s going on right now, who knows?
As you can see, Charlie was very happy to see Bill. I took a few more photos of their reunion, along with a video… And Bill also enjoyed the lasagna I made the other day. I used to be a pretty damned good cook.
The dogs are so glad to see Bill again! So am I!
Tomorrow, we’ll have newly framed art to hang. Several pieces are works we’ve had for years, but one piece is new. I’m still trying to decide where to hang it. Maybe I’ll put it in Noyzi’s room. 😉 We’d pick up the art today, but like many businesses in Europe, Monday is the art gallery’s “Ruhetag” (quiet/free day). When my parents ran their framing and needlework business, they also closed on Mondays. But they were open until the early afternoon on Saturdays. Same with the art gallery in Wiesbaden.
Anyway… that about does it for this post. Not too much went on in the past week, other than the usual angst and spending. Maybe there will be more to report during this year’s Holy Week. I’m sure in the mood for a miracle or two, aren’t you?
Bill has to go on a business trip, starting tomorrow. He will be gone for about twelve days. I just bought a piece of art from a friend of ours that needed to be framed, so Bill and I decided to go to downtown Wiesbaden to drop off the new art, as well as four unframed paintings we’ve had for years.
We have used Kunst-Schaefer several times already for other art we’ve had framed. They’ve always done a great job making sure our artwork looks fabulous. So, after a quick pee stop at the Karstadt Galleria, we went there today, and spent about an hour or so picking out frames… and then we got into a discussion about US politics (naturally). When the work is done, we’ll owe about 800 or 900 euros, give or take… I’ll miss having that artwork at home to look at, too. But one of the paintings we’re having done is my favorite, and we’ve had it for about 16 years. It’s time it had a proper frame.
Once we were done ordering our framing, we decided to go look for some lunch. We wound up trying Pizza Punto It, a popular Italian place near the big market square. I’ve passed that place a bunch of times, but it’s always been busy. Even today, it was bustling when we stopped in. I could tell why when I smelled the aroma in there. They make good pizzas!
I don’t often get pizzas in Germany, but today I made an exception and had a Pizza Garnele, which had tomato sauce, mozzarella, fried shrimps, and garlic. Bill went with the Positano, which had pepperoni sausage, dried tomatoes, black olives, and capers, along with the usual tomato sauce and cheese. We both brought home leftovers, after we paid a 45 euro bill (which included two Weizens). The shrimp on the pizza was okay, but I prefer my pizzas a little more American style. Next time, maybe I’ll just get a Margherita.
Service was friendly and professional, and I was enjoying the 80s era music, which took me back to my school days. The weather is nice today, but I decided to come home and relax. Bill went to get some provisions for when he’s away. Always a good provider, he is…
I’m really looking forward to seeing how the artwork turns out and giving our home a new look. You’d think that having been raised by a professional picture framer, I’d be better about getting my art professionally framed. It’s not all that cheap, though. We do, at least, get a break on the tax. Kunst-Schaefer takes the VAT form.
Well, I think I will now go have a rest… Below are a few photos of our neighborhood mallards, who made an appearance yesterday as I walked the dogs.
As I have mentioned in previous blog posts (and videos), I first discovered the formerly Austrian and currently Italian town, Vipiteno/Sterzing, back in June 2009. I went on a bus trip out of the Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. They advertised a day trip to Italy in Vipiteno and Bolzano. I went for it.
I remember that week spending every day on a tour somewhere with other military spouses and their families. On that particular day, I was seated next to a very hostile man who seemed angry that I existed. I guess he was mad that he had to sit next to me, instead of with his wife. That’s why you should get to the bus early, so you can stake out your territory.
In any case, I enjoyed both Bolzano and Vipiteno in June 2009. Bill and I went to Bolzano in August 2020. And now, we have enjoyed Vipiteno together. Below are a few Vipiteno pictures from my first trip. I remember our group was herded to a purse shop there. I bought a leather bag that I used for some time before it was time to replace it. We also visited a very old church that dated from the 14th century and is famous for its frescoes. I don’t know why I didn’t post more pictures. Bill and I didn’t have a chance to go there during our visit together.
Chiesa di Santo Spirito a Vipiteno
On Saturday, March 15th, we woke up to snowy skies, which later turned to rain. We enjoyed a good breakfast at Hotel Erna– cold cuts, cheeses, breads, fruits and vegetables, and these incredible rolls that were shaped liked crescents. They had a sweet filling and toasted almonds on top, and they were served warm. They were so good!
It was raining during our visit to the town, which literally put a damper on things. Luckily, there are many shops in Vipiteno. It’s a great place to buy things. And, indeed, we did buy lots of gifts for the grandchildren and stuff for ourselves. Bill also insisted on buying me an umbrella. Aside from that, I took a lot of photos, and availed myself of the very welcome free public restroom near the tourism office. I am relieved to report that it was also pretty clean!
The tower is pretty much the main attraction!
Vipiteno is also where I purchased my latest prop… I bought a middle finger paperweight. I feel pretty sure I will get my money out of using it. I even made a video about it.
I made this video for my friend, Dave, and to show off the new toy I bought in Vipiteno!
We bought toys and delectables for ourselves and the kids, then went searching for lunch. The town has many pizzerias, and a few places that appeared to offer cuisine that is more for the Austrian/German palate. We ended up at a pizzeria ourselves, a place called Ristorante Bellavita. It looked like they were doing some cosmetic work on the outside of the place, which isn’t on the main drag.
We sat down at the back of the restaurant and both decided to have pizzas. Bellavita offers some special ones. Mine was called Aline, and had Brie, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, and oregano. Bill’s was a white pizza that had pork bellies, mozzarella cheese, and basil pesto. He managed to finish his, but I only got through half of mine. Then, for dessert, I had Blanco profiteroles, which were chocolate filled and covered with whipped cream! We took the rest of my leftover pizza with us, but Bill ended up eating it.
I see the this particular restaurant doesn’t get the best ratings, but we definitely enjoyed our lunch there. Service was good; prices were reasonable; and we felt comfortable. Also, the pizzas were interesting and delicious!
After a bit more walking around, we realized the weather was getting worse. It was colder and wetter, and frankly, it wasn’t fun hanging around outside in it. So we decided to stop by a Spar grocery store (Austrian chain) and pick up some more goodies for home and the kids. As much as we shopped in grocery stores, there are still some things I wish we’d bought.
After that, we headed back to the hotel, and I played with my new pink hand. I also took selfies, and then a long nap… When I woke up, someone on YouTube had left me a comment on one of my best videos, advising me to take it down because of the election results. Bill and I made a video response to that, and I got to put the new pink hand to good use.
I’m glad we visited Vipiteno. It really is a charming town, even when the weather is bad. There’s good food and shopping, and it’s a nice place to spend a Saturday afternoon! For those who want to do more than shop, there’s also good skiing and hiking, as well as the train to lovely Bolzano, which is well worth a look. We might have gone there, if we hadn’t already been. I would probably rather stay in Bolzano, although the area around Vipiteno and Brennero is very charming. March was a good time to be there, too. I would imagine there are many crowds in season. I noticed lots of bus parking, and of course, my first time there was on a bus tour!
It kind of gives you a look at Hotel Erna, and the hand, which comes from Hong Kong, but was imported through The Netherlands.
And, as was our custom on this particular trip, we decided to stay in and watch movies as we wound down our trip. In the next post, I will describe the drive back to Germany, and that will end the blow by blow account of this trip. It will be followed by my usual “ten things I learned” post. Stay tuned!
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