I’m a few days late writing this post about our Easter lunch. I’ve been preoccupied with writing about our trip to Belgium and France. I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of my series with a post about lunch in a restaurant we’ve enjoyed many times.
We decided to have lunch at Villa Im Tal, kind of on a whim. Bill was talking about what he wanted to cook for Easter and I suggested that maybe we should go out to eat, like we did last year. Looking back on my posts, I see that we had Easter lunch at Villa Im Tal in 2024, too. What can I say? We really like this lovely restaurant on the outskirts of Wiesbaden, in its lovely bucolic setting by the woods.
I put on a dress and we made our way to the restaurant for our 1:00 reservation. I noticed no one was hanging around at the natural spring. Usually, a group of swarthy looking men stay there, as if they own the spring. I guess they took Easter off. Villa Im Tal is a casual place, but I felt like putting on a dress… and squeezing into a pair of tights!
The Easter Bunny came all the way from Belgium…Ooh… dramatic!
When we walked into the restaurant, one of the waiters immediately recognized us, but I think he forgot our surname. But then the lovely female waitress who always greets us by name came into the bar area with a big smile. When her colleague couldn’t find our name, she said “I got this!” and found us listed.
It was a bit cloudy on Easter this year.Cute Easter bunnies…
We sat at a table on the edge of the dining room and had a look at the set menu, which is usually what they do for holidays. We’re heading into asparagus season, so I wasn’t surprised to see asparagus on the menu! They had a meat, fish, and vegetarian option for the main course. The rest of the courses were offered to everyone.
I usually go for the fish dishes when we go to Villa Im Tal, but this time, I decided to have the roast beef. First, I made sure the vegetable side was going to be mushroom free. Bill had the saibling (char) filet, which came with barley risotto, basil coulis, and garlic. Both dishes were appealing to me, but I was very happy with the beef, which was more like prime rib than what I think of as roast beef.
Bill ordered a nice bottle of red wine, which was decanted in the novel “snake” decanter. Of course, we also had the house aperitif, too– booze free for Bill. The salad was so pretty, I took two pictures of it! Looking at the vegetarian/vegan offering, I think I would have been pleased with that, too. Of course, we also had the usual bread, with butter and a festive pink spread that tasted of chickpeas.
The roast beef came with what I think of as scalloped potatoes.
After we finished our main courses, we spent a few minutes resting, then had dessert… Red fruits, white chocolate mousse, walnuts, and ice cream, with a white chocolate topping.
A little German brandy…
We were very pleased with this lovely lunch. The food was excellent, as always, and the service was friendly, professional, and familiar. We left there feeling very satisfied and blessed, and of course we were also done eating for the day! I’m glad we went to Villa Im Tal for Easter this year. This weekend, we have plans to visit an Armenian/Georgian restaurant in Wiesbaden called La Boheme. It will be our first time there, so the review should be interesting.
Villa Im Tal is always a pleasure to visit, no matter what season it is.
I’m just writing a quick post to update this blog, since it’s been 13 days since my last entry. The weather has been pretty crappy since my last post. This week, we had two snowstorms. One occurred Sunday, and though most of the snow had melted by the afternoon, Bill’s planned business trip to Prague was abruptly canceled.
The meeting he was supposed to attend still happened, but his flight was called off, and there was no way to get to Prague in a timely manner. I heard that not only was the weather bad in Prague, but there was also an airline strike. So I don’t know what actually caused the cancelation– the winter weather, or a strike. I was glad he missed his business trip, because I like it when Bill is home with me. However, it did kind of spoil Presidents Day weekend, which used to be a good time for short trips away.
It’s been quite a winter in 2026. This is the kind of snow we experienced in BW. But it doesn’t hang around for as long up here.
The other snowstorm happened on Thursday. A couple of inches were dropped and then promptly melted. Not quite all of the snow from the first storm was gone. The backyard is sodden, and the creek that runs through Breckenheim is very high right now.
Bill has another trip planned starting Monday. He’ll be gone until Thursday. It’s only to the Netherlands, though, so no airplanes are involved. Meanwhile, once again, a shipper has decided not to deliver to my house. I got an email letting me know that DPD tried to deliver yesterday, and wasn’t able to, because they didn’t have my full address. Of course, that’s not true… it seems like nowadays, shipping companies just want you to go schlep to a packstation. 🙄 The same thing happened last week.
Valentine’s Day was also pretty boring. Bill did send me 30 roses, but they didn’t last long. I think maybe it’s best not to get roses for Valentine’s Day. Maybe choose another flower, or get it a day or two ahead of time… or just buy diamond earrings. 🤣 My roses arrived on Friday, but they were pretty small. I remember last year, the florist sent a small bouquet, which they claimed was the “wrong order”. The roses were tiny and quickly wilted. The following week, they sent a new bouquet that was much better and lasted a lot longer.
Sadly, these only lasted a couple of days before they were depressing to look at. But I did appreciate the lovely thought.
Anyway, I’ve been giving some thought as to where I’d like to travel next. We will definitely go to Switzerland again this year, because of Bill’s studies at the Jung Institute. But I would like to go somewhere we haven’t been yet… providing that we don’t end up in another world war. So, I’m working on that, and waiting for the sun to come out again. Maybe we’ll go out and do something tomorrow… maybe not. But I do look forward to getting out and doing something fun in Germany, soon. The days are getting longer, so it won’t be long before spring arrives, and we can get out and about… then this blog will “spring” back to life. 😆
Here’s a video and photo dump from New Year’s Eve 2025/New Year’s Day 2026. We got a new neighbor last month, and I think he might have influenced our other neighbors to set off a shitload of fireworks. We usually get a pretty good show on New Year’s Eve, but last night was beyond the pale. This was my 14th New Year’s Eve in Germany, and I’d rank it as one of the wildest yet!
This is kind of long, but it was hard to choose a segment to feature. It was a little scary at one point. The fire was pretty close to the house!
The dogs were a little scared at first, especially Charlie, who clung to us all night. By the end of the evening, they were used to the noise and realized it wasn’t going to hurt them. The fireworks went on for about an hour, allowing us to go to bed at about 1:00 AM. Bill was getting perturbed, because they were setting stuff off pretty close to our house and car.
A bit blurry… zoomed in image of all the ambulances at the top of the hill.
We had fondue for dinner last night– something we don’t do that often. Today, Bill made cheese souffles for breakfast, and he’s using the sous vide to cook a pork shoulder for dinner. We listened to music and talked, and had a good time. You can see Charlie is in his jacket. I thought it might work like a Thundershirt to calm him down. We later took it off, because we didn’t want him to get too warm.
I used to like to go out for New Year’s Eve, but now I like staying home, so I don’t have to put on a bra. We went through some sparkling wine, and tried a couple of cocktails. It was a nice evening. Of course, now I’m going to have to take down all the Christmas stuff. Maybe this weekend, that will get done.
Hope you have a very Happy New Year, and a successful 2026! I’m grateful we survived last night without any house fires or injuries! And I’m glad the dogs managed to chill out. They even went potty before things got really nuts!
Happy Boxing Day, everybody. Bill has gone off to work today, and I’m sitting here tying up loose ends from our Christmas celebration. It was actually a pretty good day for us. The weather was appropriately bitterly cold, so we got to light a fire, which we kept going for most of the day. We got lots of cool stuff, mostly for the kitchen. I got a new banjo, which was a bucket list item for me, ever since I was a child. Bill says there’s more stuff coming; unfortunately, he ordered from a place that is shipping from China. 😬
Our morning started off with Eggs Benedict, excellent Peet’s Big Bang coffee, and orange juice…
Yum! Or… at least I think so!
Then, after I started our fire going and turned on some Christmas music, we sat down to open the presents. As usual, I bought most of them, so Bill did most of the unwrapping. I got lots of photos of that…
We got some cool Italian designed kitchen and dining gadgets, several new cookbooks featuring cuisine from Turkey, the Baltic countries, and the Caucasus countries, a new coffeemaker and a new blender, tarot cards, glasses and glass drinking straws, and a couple of Jungian books for Bill… I got him two new Alpa sweaters from Finland, and sweater soap, a new pen and Moleskine writing pad, a new bread knife, Chemex carafe, and mixing bowls, bags for the sous vide, food storage containers, and ginger jam… Charlie was there to supervise, while Noyzi stayed in his “room” upstairs.
This is a really interesting looking book about our favorite chocolatier!
And then came the most exciting gift of all…
Bill ordered a bluegrass banjo from Ireland. It came from McNeela, the same company that made the bodhran drum Bill got me last year at Christmas. I am very impressed with the quality. It was a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be, which is why Bill is holding it in the photo! I’ve always been fascinated by banjos, and have always wanted to learn how to play one… So we’ll see how it goes. I’m still working on my guitar(s), after all!
I had to do a little rearranging of my “studio” to accommodate the new banjo. And now I have space for two more instruments!
Below are a couple more photos of noteworthy Christmas gifts. I was particularly amused by the Eggsecutor, a handy device used to open boiled eggs. I loved the witty description of it on the box! Bill said it was kind of like a guillotine for eggs!
An amusing read!I bought a set of these tumblers and glass straws from a German company.
All in all, it was a pleasant holiday celebration for us… and I managed to capture a few moments on video…
My laugh is annoying… sorry! Maybe my mother-in-law will watch this.
And then for dinner, Bill cooked duck legs, roasted potatoes, and green beans, fresh baked bread, Italian red wine, and brownies and ice cream for dessert…
Man… how did I get so lucky? My husband is an absolute KEEPER. He’s a great cook and bartender, and a wonderful lover and friend!
Below is a photo of this morning’s breakfast. Bill made the bread, and “eggsecuted” the egg with our new gadget! At the end of the above video, you can see how it works!
We’ve got one more week to go before this annus horribilus is finally over… But I am grateful that I get to spend this time with my dearest friend and husband, Bill, who always makes me smile and lets me live life in high style. 😘
I hope those of you who have taken the time to read this also had a great holiday! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
Although it was chilly, foggy, and misty yesterday, Bill and I decided to go to the Dorfplatz and check out the 2025 Advent Market. Every year, our little village of Breckenheim has an Advent Market to raise funds for clubs. It’s just for a night, and different clubs sell food and crafts. Last night, they had a guy with a “barrel organ” who was playing old songs and hymns. He didn’t have a monkey– just a little elf that one finds in Germany and France at this time of year.
We didn’t stay long… I just wanted to get some photos and enjoy some Gluhwein. They had two kinds– red wine and rose. The rose was better than the red, in my opinion. It was very fruity! I think they had a church service, too, but we didn’t stick around for that. We did go to it last year, and it was very nice, though all in German. I found the pew a bit uncomfortable to sit on. It wasn’t quite deep enough for my ass. ðŸ¤
We saw one of our American neighbors and caught up with her. But then she wandered away, and the smell of raclette was overpowering. So we went home to enjoy the evening before Bill’s journey back to the United States for the upcoming work week. He’ll be back early next Sunday morning, God willing. On our way back to our house, we ran into two of our next door neighbors, to include our landlady, who is always so pleasant and friendly!
Anyway, we were once again reminded of how much we have enjoyed the last seven years in Breckenheim. This is the place we’ve spent the most years of our marriage so far. We have been warmly welcomed here. Once again, I’m reminded that it was a good decision to leave Jettingen for this place. Almost everything is better here. The only things I miss about our old house are the pretty views and the proximity to the Black Forest. But even those things aren’t so far away… and we get treated with basic decency, respect, and a spirit of welcome. We are so grateful for that!
Christmas is now officially here. I think Germany is the best place to be at this time of year! And every time there’s a festival and we’re welcomed by our neighbors, I’m reminded of how people in my homeland are treating newcomers, visitors, and immigrants. It makes me sad, but it also fills me with gratitude that I’m not being treated that way in this country. At least not yet. 🤔
After four nights in Türkiye, I didn’t have turkey on Thanksgiving… This isn’t a new thing for Bill or me. Thanksgiving is not an official holiday in Germany, although some restaurants do offer Thanksgiving inspired options for the Americans. Even if I was a big fan of eating turkey, our oven is not really big enough to cook one properly. And since we’re just two people, it doesn’t make sense to cook turkey, anyway. Even if we just cooked a turkey breast, it would probably take us forever to eat it. I’m partial to darker meat, anyway.
Although we could have cooked a nice meal at home, we decided we’d rather go out to eat. Last year, we did the same thing in the same town– Hofheim– which is a really cute hamlet about 20 minutes from where we live. This year, we tried a new restaurant, Maison d’Amer. It was listed on OpenTable.de, and located in what used to be Ariston, a Greek restaurant that I think relocated to Frankfurt. We only got to eat in Ariston once, although we did get takeout from them a couple of times during the COVID era.
Bill was a little confused about Maison d’Amer, because it looked like it had been around since before 2022, and based on the reviews, it appeared to be the inside of another nearby restaurant called Schmiede. Schmiede is another restaurant we only got to try once. But as Bill was researching, it looked like the concept of Schmiede had changed. It was no longer offering dinner, only breakfast, lunch, and aperitivos. We were curious about what was up, especially since it’s been months since our previous visit to Hofheim. We’ve just been really busy this year, and haven’t had the chance to explore our local environs. After yesterday’s superb lunch, along with an explanation about things from our server, we will have to rectify that!
Getting to the restaurant turned out to be slightly challenging. Our usual Hofheim exit from the Autobahn was closed, so Bill went to a different one, which put us in a part of town with which we were unfamiliar. At one point, Bill almost rear ended some guy who didn’t quite make it through an intersection.
Soon enough, we recognized Hofheim’s familiar old town, and we lucked into a parking space very close to the restaurant. I did make a joke about the guy whose parking space we were taking. He was backing out extremely slowly… I said, “He has tortoise nervosa.” If you were around in the 1980s and watched Night Court on TV, you might remember that joke… but if you don’t, here it is.
I have a condition… LOL!!!! I used to love this show!
As Bill straightened out the Volvo in a parking spot, I noticed something strange hanging on a nearby tree…
What the hell is this? Someone left their keys? And they’re a little rusty, too.
We walked to the former Ariston Restaurant turned into Maison d’Amer. I got a few shots of the outside.
I was surprised to find the restaurant fairly empty. There was one table occupied by a couple of ladies, but the rest of the place was deserted, except for a friendly waitress who spoke excellent English. She invited us to sit anywhere we wanted, so we took a spot in a back corner on a banquette. I immediately noticed the excellent music that was playing– soulful music that I found myself repeatedly Shazaming. I was glad there were none of those weird Bossa Nova cover songs of 80s hits we were subjected to at the Hilton Istanbul Maslak at this place!
The waitress handed us a printed lunch menu, as well as the regular menu, and a wine list. We explained that yesterday was our Thanksgiving as we had a look at what was offered. I ended up selecting a pumpkin soup with a prawn as a starter, while Bill chose a salad. For our main courses, I ordered the tajine, which was chicken, potatoes, green olives, peas, and carrots. Bill had Shakshuka, an African dish that was bulked up a bit with mashed potatoes and sausages made with lamb and beef. He explained to me that he had encountered this dish on his business trips to Africa when we still lived near Stuttgart. We also enjoyed fresh bread with olive oil and rich balsamic vinegar.
Bill was able to finish his main course, but I had to take about half of mine home. That was because I wanted dessert! Last year, we didn’t get to have dessert, because we happened to finish lunch as the restaurant was closing for a pause. Maybe they would have let us order dessert, but they seemed eager for their break, so we skipped it and went to Hofheim’s little Christmas market, instead.
The waitress was not in a hurry to rush us out, and we ended up talking to her about what was going on with the restaurants. She explained that the guy who had opened Maison d’Amer was the former owner of Schmiede. He had sold it to an Italian guy, who had changed the concept, but not the name of the restaurant. She also told us that the place was always called Schmiede, except for a brief period of time in which a woman had opened a place called Blanca Bistro that sadly closed in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.
Anyway, when Ariston closed in Hofheim, that was a chance for Schmiede’s previous owner to move to a new place, literally next door. Then, we found out that the waitress had worked at Die Scheuer, where we had Thanksgiving last year, and Easter lunch this year. I then remembered her. She had waited on us once, when we dropped in for lunch! And as were talking, I told her we had lived in Baden-Württemberg, and she said that she’s originally from Tübingen! That’s another city that is near and dear to us!
Our desserts were excellent, of course. I had a chocolate lava cake with berries. Bill had an almond parfait with persimmon sauce. I loved the plates they were served on! I don’t usually love lava cakes, but this one was done well.
Another view of the restaurant.
As we were settling up, I had grappa, while Bill had an espresso. Then we made our way home. I took a few more photos. We had sunny weather on the way into the restaurant, but it got pretty cloudy on the way home! As you can see, Schmiede now has a new sign to go with a new concept and a new owner.
That meal at Maison d’Amer was substantial enough that we didn’t need anything else for the rest of the night, although we did sit around and drink beer while listening to music… same as we always do. We will definitely have to go back to that place another time. The waitress did warn that if we want to have dinner there, reservations are a must! But we’re lunch people, especially as we get older!
Unfortunately, our Thanksgiving holiday weekend is going to be cut short. Bill has to go to the US on business next week. But, on the bright side, it’ll give me time to make some music videos and do some shopping. So that’s a good thing, I guess. At least the Christmas stuff is put up.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, if you celebrated it! I feel grateful for a lot of things this year, in spite of the shitshow that has been going on since Trump came back to power.
Halloween in Germany seems to be hit or miss. There have been years when we’ve had candy and no one comes to the door, leaving us with leftovers for months. A couple of years ago, we had a moderate turnout for Germany… maybe a dozen kids. This year, I was thinking it was going to be a bust. I turned on the porch light at 5:00 PM and by 7:00 PM, no one had rung the bell.
But then at 7:00, several waves of kids showed up. The last wave was about six or eight kids, and they were like feral animals! When they came to the door, the bowl was about half full. When they left, it was completely empty! They were grabbing candy as if the bowl was a pinata! At 7:30 PM, I was done!
I guess it helps that this year, Halloween is on a Friday. It looks like the neighborhood was participating, because I saw kids with a fair haul of candy. I guess they’ve never really learned Halloween etiquette, though, because it wasn’t a custom their parents participated in, back in the day. So they don’t seem to realize that they should let the person with the bowl hand out candy, rather than grabbing it! I suppose it’s my fault, though. I was shocked into speechlessness, plus I don’t speak German that well.
Anyway… so ends another Halloween. I turned off the porch light and blew out the candles in the jack o’ lantern. If we’re still here next year, we’ll have to get more candy. 🤣 I think Halloween has officially caught on in our neighborhood!
Good news… Mr. Bill is going to come home tomorrow morning, instead of on Tuesday. So that means tonight is the last night I’ll be spending alone. I made a music video earlier tonight, when I was looking forward to Tuesday, but it’s even more appropriate now. I’m “wild again”…
I know the syncing is messed up toward the middle, but there’s nothing I can do about it…
It’s Labor Day weekend. In previous years, that meant going away for a short break. This year, we stayed home, because tomorrow, Bill has to fly to Lausanne, Switzerland for an overnight. He’s going to meet with one of the analysts at the C.G. Jung Institute as he progresses through the admissions process. Then, next Sunday, we will both be flying to Budapest, Hungary for several nights. Bill will be working, and I’ll be tagging along, looking for interesting photo ops.
We did a few things this weekend, though. On Friday night, we went to the wine stand. We talked to our American neighbors, a married lesbian couple with two children. One of the wives is a reservist in the military, though not posted here. The other is applying for German citizenship for herself and their children. The reservist is pursuing a doctorate in social work, so she was interested in hearing about Bill’s journey at the Jung Institute. She’s setting up a private practice for Americans and other English speakers here.
It stormed, so we sat under the tents and waited for it to pass. I couldn’t help but remember that in 2017, the awning from hell collapsed, and our former landlady accused me of negligence, because later that day, there was a storm. She claimed I was negligent for using the awning in a storm, which I hadn’t done… but obviously, it’s not uncommon for Germans to use awnings and tents when it storms. Yesterday was the anniversary of that sad event, which led to a lawsuit.
Saturday morning, I got up and went into the backyard to clean up dog poop and check the water bowls. I noticed one of the bowls was dirty. It wasn’t the first time. Then I saw a feather floating in the bowl and assumed that a bird has been using it as a bird bath. It occurred to me that maybe we should have a bird bath for the backyard. That would be a good excuse to get out of the house, anyway.
So we went to the hardware store– the one with the cool slide for kids. We searched the whole store, but they didn’t have any bird baths for sale. We also tried the Globus, which is a HUGE hypermarket. No luck there, either, although we did leave with a booze haul, Belgian beers, some groceries, and some really tasty snacks called Fonzies, which are like Parmesan flavored Cheetos. I’d say they’re superior.
Then last night, as I was sitting in the backyard, listening to music and drinking beer, I saw what appeared to be a female blackbird eating bugs. I assume she’s the one who keeps dirtying the dog’s water bowl. I put two out there, and they really only use the one on the right. The bird uses the one on the left. I am still looking for a bird bath, but maybe I shouldn’t bother. It’s going to be winter soon enough. I got some pictures of her. Looks like she was eating the bugs on Bill’s tomato and pepper plants. They say blackbirds don’t eat aphids, though… Maybe that’s not a female blackbird, after all.
As I was taking photos, the song “Maneater” by Hall & Oates came on. I changed the lyrics to “Bug eater.”
And then this morning, after being repeatedly pawed by Charlie, Bill got up and made breakfast. The biscuits turned out perfectly. So did the grits. I’m so blessed to be married to a man who knows his way around comfort food. He has really perfected making perfect biscuits. It’s not as easy as it seems!
I’m not sure what we’ll do today. Bill just asked if I want to go out. There is a wine fest going on in Mainz that we could attend. Do I want to go? I don’t know… The Mais Labyrinth is also going on, and we passed it on the way home from the store, but after we went to Globus, we were too tired to consider visiting. I always feel drained after going to Globus. It’s a HUGE store. But it was cool to watch the ladies making the melon displays as we passed. They take melons and turn them into people or animals or other decorations. Quite an impressive skill!
Anyway, that’s about all I have to write about for now. If we end up going out, I’ll update.
A few days ago, Bill asked me if I’d like to go out for lunch on Easter. I agreed, so he found us a 12:45 reservation at Die Scheuer, a Michelin Guide mentioned restaurant in Hofheim am Taunus, a gorgeous town near where we currently live. Yesterday’s visit to Die Scheuer was our third. I think, if not for the pandemic, we would have been more regular patrons at this restaurant. It has a lot going for it. The food is excellent; the service is professional and kind; and the ambiance is very charming. Die Scheuer used to be a barn, hence its Swabian name. Now, it’s a very cozy and comfortable place for a leisurely meal.
Technically, our home is in Wiesbaden, but we only live about two kilometers from the Hofheim border. Likewise, when we lived in Jettingen, we were just near the border of Calw– maybe about two kilometers. Still, it’s a short drive to get to the center of Hofheim. Bill usually goes on the Autobahn, but I wish he’d take the back road. It reminds me that this part of Germany is also pretty, even if it doesn’t quite match the mesmerizing landscape of our previous stomping grounds.
We had beautiful weather on Easter morning, so after our usual morning routine, we headed to Hofheim. We were a little early for our appointment, so we walked around Hofheim. I got a few photos.
Die Scheuer
When we walked into the restaurant, the proprietor seemed to know who we were and greeted us by name. It could be we were the last of the people on her list, or maybe she remembered us from Thanksgiving. I assume we were the last ones she was expecting, although it’s not unheard of for us to become regulars at some places. For instance, when we go to Villa im Tal, we usually get greeted by name! We were seated upstairs, at a nice table next to a window. I really liked the bench seat. In fact, I was admiring the tables and chairs in the restaurant, which were very heavy duty wood tables, chairs, and benches. I told Bill I’d like to replace our Eckbank Gruppe with one of better quality. Maybe we’ll have the chance to shop for one soon.
I looked down at my napkin and saw that there was a colorful boiled egg nestled there. Bill also had one. His was pink, and mine was blue, and matched my dress. It was especially funny to see the eggs, since I just wrote a blog post on my main blog and made a video about how the Rewe Grocery Store was giving them out on Saturday. That gave me a laugh, since eggs are so precious in America right now.
The four course Easter menu was special; there was only a choice of the main course– lamb, chicken, or cod. Bill surprised me by ordering the fish, instead of the lamb. I had chicken, although I thought about getting the fish. We were both pleased with our choices. Below is a screenshot of the menu, all of which was agreeable to me. Bill was surprise, because I can be kind of picky sometimes.
I don’t usually eat veal, but I will make exceptions sometimes.
Below are some photos from the lunch. It was definitely hearty, but was presented at such a leisurely pace that we didn’t get too full. Bill ordered a bottle of Weissburgunder (pinot blanc) and sparkling water, and we both had aperitifs– a non-alcoholic ginger beer and mint concoction for him, and champagne for me.
Veal with green sauce, quail egg, and wild greensLobster medallion with snow peas, lobster butter, and miso foamBill’s cod with green asparagus, and champagne risottoMy black feather chicken breast with white asparagus, and nut potatoes.Rhubarb and strawberries with white chocolate mousse.
Lunch lasted about two hours or so… and it was very nice. As we were eating, I told Bill that I feel so fortunate that we’ve been able to dine in so many excellent restaurants. We have been blessed with a wonderful European sojourn so far… And now, I think we’re trying to savor it even more, given what’s been happening in our country.
The bill came to a bit over 200 euros, which I don’t think was out of line for the quality and quantity of what we enjoyed. One thing I will mention is that the restroom at Die Scheuer is in the basement, which could be a challenge for anyone with mobility issues. I saw more than a couple of older folks being very careful going up and down the stairs. I also noticed some things for sale displayed by the restrooms…
I thanked the chef and his staff as we left the restaurant. They were gathered on the terrace for their well-deserved pause. I thought we were going to enjoy a beautiful afternoon at home, on our own terrace, with sunshine, warm temperatures, music playing, and wine flowing. Unfortunately, the weather turned crappy not long after we got home. We did manage to walk the dogs again. They were super happy to get two walks in one day, and I was glad to burn off some of that lunch!
For dinner, we enjoyed the eggs and some crackers we picked up on our trip to Italy. We really didn’t need much to tide us over after that delightful meal at Die Scheuer.
These are so pretty. And yet, they are available year round in German grocery stores. They look like Easter eggs, but they’re dyed so we know they’ve been cooked.
And then, as we were enjoying the evening music and wine, the sun came out during a rain storm, and we were rewarded with a very intense and beautiful rainbow… He is risen, indeed!
Easter was beautiful this year, in spite of everything… I am reminded of how very lucky we are, on so many levels. Charlie got to show Bill some love, too…
I took this on Saturday, but it was too cute not to share…
Here’s one I made about Fasching, which is going on right now in Germany. I included stories, a photo, and video in which we also got mooned.
This is one of my funnier videos. The last part is about my disgust for people who patronize Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman)…
And here is one I made about buying art in the Czech Republic, and how it relates to our political situation today… It includes a sample of music from the wonderful Charles Bridge Swing Band. Both videos are a bit political… but that’s hard to avoid right now.
We can connect with so many people through art and music…
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