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Post pandemic trip number two– Germany’s only Glauber’s salt spa

If you are a regular reader of my travel blog, you might know that Bill and I are big fans of Germany’s wonderful spa culture. We’ve gotten so into the spas here that we’ve even done a very unAmerican thing and indulged in the nude! Yes, that’s right… despite being decidedly middle aged and not having the best body images, Bill and I have both embraced being naked in front of other people. I don’t know how Bill feels about it, but personally, I think the nude spas are liberating and healthy, even though it took us years to finally take the plunge, so to speak.

So far, we have visited these spas:

Mineraltherme Böblingen (probably my favorite, because it has clothed and nude areas, was recently renovated, has a great restaurant, and has a lot to do)

SchwabenQuellen in Stuttgart (all nude most of the time)

Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden (famously all nude, all the time)

Caracalla in Baden-Baden (clothed everywhere but in the sauna/steam room area)

Palais Thermal in Bad Wildbad (nude in most areas)

Kaiser-Friedrich Therme in Wiesbaden (nude all the time)

Rhein-Main Therme in Hofheim (clothed everywhere but in the sauna and steam room area)

And finally, as of Sunday of last week, we visited the Vulkaneifel Therme in Bad Bertrich (clothed everywhere but the sauna and steam room). If you’re interested in my thoughts on and experiences at the other spas, you can easily find my posts about them in this blog. Just do a search or click the spa tags.

Because I love Germany’s decadent Thermes, I would have wanted to visit the Vulkaneifel Therme regardless of whether or not it was “special” in any way. But as I was researching the Eifel area, I came across ads for the Vulkaneifel Therme describing it as Germany’s only “Glauber’s salt” spa. What does that mean? Well, in English, Glauber’s salt is sodium sulfate, somewhat akin to what we call Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). I used to use Epsom salt a lot when I had a horse. Applied topically in hot water, it’s great for reducing inflammation, soreness, and stiffness in muscles in horses and humans. Both salts are also used as laxatives, although Epsom salt is supposedly a better drying agent than sodium sulfate is. In any case, both salts are useful for soothing muscle pain, and apparently, the Vulkaneifel Therme naturally has sodium sulfate in its water, making it different from the other spas we’ve visited.

Bill and I decided to set off early for Bad Bertrich, since we weren’t wanting to be there when it was especially busy. Bad Bertrich is also not that close to Meerfeld; it’s maybe 35 kilometers away. I had actually considered staying in Bad Bertrich when I was looking for accommodations and, as we found out when we visited on Sunday, there are a number of appealing hotels in the area. However, now that we’ve been to the spa, I can say that I’m kind of glad we stayed in Meerfeld, again because it’s quiet and unique. Bad Bertrich is very much a spa town and it’s a bit touristy, although it’s also pretty.

We arrived at the Therme at about 10:00am and parked in the large garage right across the street from it. Additional parking is located to the side of the spa. The spa’s front door is contactless; it opens as you approach. The first thing to do is fill out the contract tracing information. There’s a station on the first floor, near the elevator, as well as hand sanitizer. Once you fill out the forms, either take the stairs or the elevator to the top floor, where you pay your admission fee. You can purchase entry to just the Therme or the Therme and sauna. Bill and I aren’t big on saunas, so we opted for three hours in the Therme. In retrospect, that was more time than we really needed, since this Therme isn’t very large. If we had eaten at the restaurant and spent at least five euros, we would have been entitled to an extra hour, anyway. The cashier station is also where you can rent towels, robes, and shower shoes if you need them.

The cashier gave us the familiar “wristwatches” that one gets at almost every Therme in Germany. Strap it to your wrist. It’s your ticket for everything in the Therme, from entering and exiting the turnstiles, to locking and unlocking a locker, to paying for food and beverages or anything else that would ordinarily require money.

Next, go into the co-ed locker room. Not to worry… they have individual cubicles where you can get into your bathing suit in private. Once you’ve changed clothes, find an open locker and put your stuff in it. Close the locker door and use your watch to lock it. There are instructions in English on the inside of the locker doors at this spa. Take a quick shower, then you’re ready to go!

We enjoyed the Vulkaneifel Therme, probably because it wasn’t very crowded at all during our visit. It’s not a very big Therme, although it does offer a large soaking hot tub, an exercise pool with jets, and a large central pool with indoor and outdoor access and jets. I noticed that they didn’t turn on the external “waterfall” jets that are usually periodically turned on at Thermes for people wanting to stand under them. I guess that’s to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus. The water in the exercise pool and main pools is kind of lukewarm; both were about the same temperature. Bill and I liked the exercise pool because we had it to ourselves for almost an hour and there are several powerful waterjets in the pool that are great for massaging sore backs, feet, and legs.

There were signs everywhere to remind people to wear masks and be socially distant from one another. Most people were respecting the social distance rules, but it’s hard to wear a mask in a pool environment. I was glad to see people were being sensible about that, too. I noticed people cleaning surfaces while we were there, which was reassuring to see.

After about three hours in the pools, we were pretty wrinkly, but relaxed. We didn’t try the wellness area, so I’m not sure if massages are being offered right now. I doubt they are. Anyway, we have yet to try a massage at a Therme, although we’ve had them at other places. Maybe someday, when the coronavirus is hopefully no longer such a threat, we’ll get an opportunity. We took another shower, used the watches to get our clothes, and since we didn’t buy anything in the Therme, had no need to pay the machine (much like the ones you find in a parking garage) before we put the watches in the turnstile and exited.

We walked around Bad Bertrich looking for a place to have lunch. The town does have several restaurants, but none were especially appealing to me. I wanted to have Italian food and the Italian places didn’t appear to be open at lunchtime. Several places also appeared to be closed, although I did notice that some shops were open, even though it was Sunday. I guess it’s because Bad Bertich is a touristy area. I did take some pictures of the town, which is really attractive and worth consideration for anyone who is looking for a base in the Eifel area.

  • I took a morning shot of the castle ruins on our way to Bad Bertrich.
  • The view from the parking garage, facing the town.
  • The Therme.
  • Another look at the town.
  • Bad Bertrich’s main drag.
  • Other direction.
  • Don’t forget to check alleys and alcoves.
  • A lovely sound…
  • This hotel allows guests to be lulled to sleep by the sound of rushing water.
  • Film and photo museum, and a cafe.
  • Watch for ducks!
  • A pretty pond near a hotel I almost booked. The little black thing in the water is a fountain, but they didn’t have it turned on when we visited.
  • I would have liked to have visited this shop…
  • especially since they like dogs…
  • Looks like this runs water during normal times…
  • A hotel garden.

Since we were unsuccessful in finding a place that appealed for lunch, we decided to leave Bad Bertrich. That turned out to be a good decision, even though it was after 1:00pm, and I was nervously eyeing the time. Remember, in Germany, a lot of places take an afternoon pause. If you don’t get to a restaurant before 2:00pm, you may be out of luck for lunch.

The GPS in our Volvo directed us to Christophorus, a pizzeria in a little town called Büchel, which was not too far from Bad Bertrich. We got there at about 1:30 or so, and two of the three outdoor tables were occupied. Christophorus is a roadside restaurant and, at first blush, doesn’t appear to be especially interesting. But we had a great lunch there, mainly because besides the good food offered, there was also exceptionally friendly service.

Bill decided to have a Bolognese Pizza, which came in three sizes– mini, mittel, and grande. He ordered the “mittel”, which was more than he could eat. I went with tortellini al forno. It wasn’t exactly low cal, but I was really in the mood for pasta. We each had a hefeweizen. As we were crying “uncle” at the end of the meal, a very pleasant and super friendly masked lady with extremely short hair came over to talk to us. I got the sense that she might have been the proprietor. We started out speaking German, but it turned out she spoke pretty good English, came to Büchel from Giessen (which used to host the U.S. military), and she was genuinely interested in how we were enjoying Germany and our trip. When she realized we are Americans, she shook her head sympathetically and said, “America is not so good right now.” Unfortunately, we agree… and we feel very lucky to get to be in Germany during this time.

Although it wasn’t the fanciest place we’ve ever eaten, I was really glad we stopped there instead of eating at a touristy place in Bad Bertrich or Cochem, which is where we went after lunch. Also, the inside of the restaurant is very nice. I loved the bar area, as well as the booths. It doesn’t look like a particularly special place if you’re just checking it out from the outside, but it really was a good stop. Other than Christophorus and another Italian roadside restaurant, there isn’t a lot to Büchel. But it is on the way to Cochem, which is a nice city with a beautiful castle. That’s where we headed after lunch.

  • Not your ordinary roadside restaurant…
  • The view from where I sat.
  • Bolognese pizza– meat sauce with cheese. This was the middle size. Too big for Bill.
  • My huge helping of tortellini. I couldn’t finish it, but it sure tasted good. I wish we could have taken the leftovers.
  • The sign.
  • Outside…
  • I took this Monday morning as we were on our way home.

It was mid afternoon by the time we were finished with lunch. I told Bill about Cochem, which I thought would be a good lunch stop if Christophorus Pizzeria didn’t pan out. Since we had nothing else to do, we headed down that way, about 10 kilometers from Büchel. Just as you approach Cochem, there is a place to pull off the road and take pictures in a very scenic spot. You can get a great view of Cochem Castle, as it’s situated by the Mosel River. We missed it on the way into town on Sunday. That was a pity, since the weather was beautiful and sunny, and a lot of people were taking advantage of it. We drove through Cochem, noticing how many people were out and about… it was a bit of a madhouse. However, if you want to take a boat cruise on the Mosel, this is a place to do it. There are also plenty of places to stay and eat, as well as visit the gorgeous castle on the hill.

Because it was so crowded and busy, Bill and I decided not to stop. However, we did make a note of it and perhaps might visit after the high season. It’s not that far from where we live, and it looks like a very nice base for exploring the Mosel area. Here are a few photos from our drive through Cochem.

  • Cochem Castle on a hill.
  • Inviting riverside walk.
  • You can take a cruise.
  • Or stroll around and people watch.
  • Cute village on the way back to Meerfeld.

The next post will be my last in this series. Sunday night was our final night in Meerfeld, and we were due to drive home to Wiesbaden on Monday morning. Stay tuned!

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Post pandemic trip number two– getting there is half the fun!

Friday morning, Bill took Arran to the Tierpension Birkenhof in Darmstadt, which has become a great help to us in our quest to see more of Europe. When we lived near Stuttgart, we used two different pensions. One was a place we’d used during our first tour, from 2007-09. During that time period, the place was very well run and we never worried about our dogs. But during the five years we were absent from Germany, the lady who used to run the pension divorced her husband and left the area. I guess the pension was the husband’s property. He remarried, and although his current wife is very nice, she wasn’t as good at caring for animals as the ex wife was. We changed pensions when we heard some disturbing stories about the fate of some of the dogs who stayed there. Two different people we knew had dogs who died after staying there. Another had a dog with diabetes who got very sick after her stay. Although we never had trouble ourselves, I couldn’t put the dogs there again after hearing the stories.

The next pension we used was Dog On Holiday. It was not in as bucolic of an area as the first place was, but the people who own it are exceptional, and they took outstanding care of Zane and Arran. When we suddenly lost Zane to cancer last year, Bill let Max, the proprietor, know. He actually called Bill to find out what happened. He was genuinely saddened by our loss, as was Celene, the lady who runs the Birkenhof, who sent us a very kind letter of condolences. Max and his wife are excellent caregivers to dogs; consequently, they are often fully booked. Fortunately, up here in Wiesbaden, it’s easier to book the dogs when we travel, so Arran (and our soon to be new dog, who already lives with a bunch of dogs outside) don’t come with us as often anymore. It works out fine, since Arran actually loves going to the pension and hanging out with other dogs. He would have been welcome at the Hotel Zur Post in Meerfeld, too. There was an adorable beagle staying there while we were visiting. But it’s really easier for us to travel when we go without our four legged “son”, and that was certainly true this time.

The drive to Meerfeld was to take less than two hours, although we did hit a “Stau” near Koblenz– a great city on the Rhein I would like to visit soon. As we journeyed west, I noticed how beautiful the landscape is. Soon we were in a forested area that gave me flashbacks to the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). We lived right on the border of the Black Forest when we lived near Stuttgart and I’ve missed the beautiful scenery and trees. It was so nice to be out in nature again. Rheinland-Palatinate (Pfalz) is not that far from Wiesbaden, but it looked and felt a world away from the suburban views we have in my neighborhood. Yes, there are trees here too, but not so close to where we live. Near Stuttgart, we lived on the edge of a nature park, where there were many acres of forests. Being in Rheinland-Palatinate reminded me of that, minus the high stress living arrangement we had down there.

On the way to Meerfeld, I needed to stop for a pee break. This was the first time I’d been in one of Germany’s many rest stops since the pandemic began. Grumpily, I grabbed my face mask and stalked off to the convenience store/pay toilets/restaurant. The place was almost empty, except for a couple of women in the ladies room. One of them had a small boy with her. They were blocking the sink. When I was done peeing, they were both still blocking the sink when it was time to wash my hands. I probably looked bitchy because– no joke– I hate wearing the mask with a fiery passion. I just wanted to wash up and get out of there. I noticed the proprietors had put a piece of plywood between the in and out doors, funneling people in and out in a single direction. In retrospect, that seems like a good idea. Once that chore was done, we got back on our way, but not before I noticed the funny ad for “safe” eating…

Safe eating! The views beyond this rest stop were a lot more appealing.

Not far beyond the rest stop, I noticed the cell phone signal became very spotty. That is an issue throughout the area, which may or may not be a good thing. If you want to unplug and get away from social media or the news, it’s a good thing. If you need to call for help, as it happened once when we were near Oppenau in the Black Forest, it may not be such a great feature of the area. But then, people have been traipsing around this volcanic wonderland for many thousands of years… I am sure help is available even when there’s no cell signal.

A spare shot of the castle ruins.

Very close to Meerfeld are several cute little hamlets, as well as a magnificent castle ruin called Manderscheid Castle. We did not visit this historic site because we didn’t have the time or the stamina to climb the large hill it sits upon, but if we ever do come back to Meerfeld, I would love to see it up close. As it is, I got some nice photos from a lookout on the road above. The above photo is of Manderscheid Castle, and just seeing it as we passed was kind of a thrill. Meerfeld is just a short drive from the castle, and as you drive in, you can see the famous volcanic lake in the distance. It’s close enough to walk there from any hotel in the town; I counted at least four, as well as several vacation homes.

Aside from lodging and restaurants, there doesn’t seem to be much to Meerfeld. There’s a church, with bells that ring promptly at 7:00am every morning. I also noticed an office for a naturopath. There aren’t any shops, although you can get what you need a short drive away.

We pulled into the front parking lot at Hotel Zur Post, which also has a gate controlled back parking lot that you get access to once you check in. Donning our masks, we entered the reception area and spoke to the very friendly proprietor, who welcomed us warmly and assigned us to room 401. I don’t think she spoke English at all, but I found her German easy to understand. The elevator was very slow, but once we got to the fourth floor, we easily found our generously sized room. Hotel Zur Post also has apartments for rent in the building next to it. They looked really nice. I might have booked one of those if I had found the option to. In any case, the room was pleasant and airy, with a small balcony and a view that overlooked the back of the hotel and offered a peek at the pool and spa area, which are on the fourth floor. The fourth floor is also where you can access the back parking lot, since it’s on a hill. That was very convenient for us. Below are pictures of the hotel room and the views.

  • The bed, which was old school and could have been more comfortable, but was basically suitable.
  • Bathroom sink. The bathroom was a good size, but had a really tiny shower with low water pressure.
  • Your classic toilet.
  • Views from the balcony.
  • On the other side of the hotel, you can see the maar.
  • Another view.
  • A sample dinner menu at the restaurant. The chef has won awards, and I can attest to the quality of the food.
  • The apartments. The hotel is next door, and has a similar facade, only in white.

After we checked in, we took a short walk around the town. I took the opportunity to take some photos. The walk through the field isn’t how to access the maar itself. There’s a road to a parking area just as you come into the town. You can either walk or bike down that road, or drive your car… driving might get you a few dirty looks, since it’s a narrow passage. Get yourself a Parkscheine at the machine, then walk to the entrance of the maar. Right now, they’re taking people’s contact information in case anyone comes down with COVID-19. We didn’t opt to get a close look at the maar on Friday. I did get some pictures from our walk, though. Lots of plants and animals make their home on the boggy shores and in the maar itself.

  • In the distance, you can see the maar.
  • Helpful signs offer tips…
  • and the history of this place with an ancient history.
  • The walk we were on was pretty, but not close enough to the maar.
  • If you’re hiking, here’s some help.
  • I got a kick out of this sign. Just one biker is welcome?
  • Meerfeld…
  • A kick ass town.
  • These cows greet you as you enter the town.
  • Another distant shot of the maar. You have to access it from the parking lot.
  • Pretty thistles.
  • Volcanic rocks.
  • More hiking help.
  • A little milk history.
  • We stopped by the church, whose bells awakened us every morning…
  • I was impressed by the graveyard.
  • It’s been awhile since I last visited one in America… but these graves are impeccably groomed.
  • Some people were there gardening as we visited. I noticed these rather militaristic graves from 1945… I wondered if the occupants had been soldiers in World War II.

Bill was telling me about his very first German landlord in Ansbach, back in the late 1980s, who had fought in World War II. The guy was a member of the Nazi party, not because he necessarily believed in its principles, but because he wanted to advance in the military, and at the time, being in the party was a requirement. The landlord showed Bill his souvenirs from those days. Bill said his first landlady, wife of the former military landlord, was a very fastidious Bavarian lady whom he ended up hiring to clean his apartment. Unfortunately, she was adversely affected by the nuclear fallout from Chernobyl, which blew up in April 1986. She got cancer and died just six weeks after her diagnosis.

I remember when the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine happened. I was in eighth grade, without any idea that someday I’d end up living in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Incidentally, in 1997, I took a train tour around Europe for a month. One stop was in Regensburg, and I spent a night in a cheap hotel by the train station. As I was checking out, the proprietor told me that he had been taken prisoner of war by the Americans during World War II and was held in Tennessee. I didn’t know what to say to that information… at the time, I had no idea there were POW camps in Tennessee. But he didn’t seem too upset about it and I learned something new. Graveyards are interesting places with a lot of history. I thought the one in Meerfeld was beautifully kept.

Bill and I made dinner reservations at the hotel for 6:30pm. I was looking forward to it because not only had I heard the food was excellent, but I was also really hungry. We didn’t eat much lunch before we set off for Rheinland-Palatinate (Pfalz- my German friend says Pfalz is the German word for Palatinate). Below are some photos.

  • Our assigned table was marked clearly. We sat here for breakfast and two dinners.
  • The menu was presented on a single sheet of paper for hygiene reasons.
  • Bill had to wear rubber gloves to look at the laminated wine list. Masks were required when people weren’t sitting down. It got pretty tiresome, to be honest. Wait staff also wore masks. Before anyone tries to school me about this subject, yes, I get that they’re necessary. But I don’t have to like it. 😉
  • Dry Riesling from Mosel. Quite satisfactory.
  • I had a Caesar salad with sea scallops as a starter… all of the entrees include a trip to the salad bar, too. I didn’t partake of the salad bar the first night for obvious reasons.
  • Bill ordered a delicious soup made with smoked salmon and wild garlic. I liked his soup better than my salad. I was hoping they’d have it last night, but they didn’t.
  • My entree was dorade filets with tarragon sauce, asparagus, and a side of gnocchi, which is pictured next…
  • Yeah… no need for a side salad!
  • Bill had trout almondine with a side of salted, boiled potatoes.
  • For dessert, I had delicious creme brulee and a scoop of strawberry sorbet that was off the chain!
  • Bill had warm apple cake with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream. It was a nice way to end the meal. Service was pretty good, although Bill had to hunt someone down to pay the bill, which came to 123 euros.

We retired to our room to watch some German TV and relax. We had some big plans for Saturday! Stay tuned for the next post, which will probably be written tomorrow, because my computer is being super annoying tonight.

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