If you’re a regular reader of my travel blog, you know that I like to wrap up our trips with a ten things I learned post. It kind of helps me sum things up succinctly, as is hand for those who don’t want to read the blow by blow journal. So, I now humbly present to you ten things I learned while we visited the Freiburg region of Germany!
10. Freiburg has a thriving wine culture. We noticed a number of wineries as we headed down to Horben. If we’d had another day or two, maybe we would have visited a few wineries and tried more of the local wines and brought some home. One of the sommeliers in training reminded us that the region is very close to France’s Burgundy region, so there are some good wines to be had from Freiburg. There are also, naturally, some excellent beers, and some places are embracing the alcohol free cocktail trend, too.
Schauinsland is a must see on a clear day…
9. The Schauinsland cable car takes about twenty minutes, but you get a gorgeous view of the countryside. The Schauinsland rises 1284 meters as it takes riders up the mountainside, where they can enjoy hiking, biking, dog walking, and the miner’s museum. It’s also a great place for lunch or even breakfast at Die Bergstation. Be sure to make a reservation if you want to try breakfast, though.
Lunch in France!
8. If you get bored with Freiburg, you can easily visit France and/or Switzerland. Both borders are very close to Freiburg. I was thinking we might venture into Switzerland at some point during our visit, but Freiburg had so much to offer that we never had the opportunity.
So many bikers…
7. If you want to visit Freiburg, you might want to walk, take the bus, or ride a bike… Freiburg is a “green” city. It’s not very car friendly at all, as we found out when we tried to find a parking garage and ended up in a Walkplatz, where people were quick to give us dirty looks and gestures. I would like to visit Freiburg proper, but not when we have to worry about driving.
On the way into Freiburg from Horben… They issued a few hand gestures.
6. Freiburg is heaven for bikers. We saw so many people riding bikes in and around Freiburg, and lots of them were riding them up very steep mountains. My days of doing that kind of bike riding are long over, but I was impressed by the stamina and bravery of the many bikers in Freiburg. For a moment, I thought we were actually in The Netherlands!
St. Stephan’s Church rising high over Breisach.
5. Breisach is well worth a visit. We decided to visit Breisach kind of on a whim, because I noticed it was a stop on many Rhein River cruises. I wanted to give myself a reason not to ever book one, because I live about twenty minutes from the Rhein and have been to most of the stops on the majority of the available Rhein River cruises. Breisach was one place I hadn’t been. I’m glad we went there, as it is a very cute little town right on the French border. I’d like to see more.
Beautiful church in Staufen!
4. Ditto to Staufen… Staufen is a quaint, colorful, historic town I’d never heard of before we visited Freiburg. I want to thank my German connection, Susanne, for recommending it. I hope we can visit again and spend more time there.
Todtnauer Wasserfall is well worth a look!
3. The Freiburg region has a lot to offer. Not only do you get the Black Forest and stunning mountain views, but you’re also very close to the Rhein River. It’s kind of like a marriage between our two German lifestyles since we moved back here in 2014– Black Forest in the Stuttgart region, and Rhein River in the Wiesbaden region. Freiburg has them both! There are also waterfalls, a hanging bridge, and even a downhill scooter track.
He is magnificent, and he knows it…
2. Peacocks can make a visit to a small “zoo” worth the price of entry… We visited the small Schwarzwaldzoo in Waldkirch and were charmed by the animals. However, in my opinion, the preening peacock who was primed for peahen poontang was the star of the show. It was worth the 7,50 euros each to watch him strut, fanning out his beautiful tail, and showing off to everyone. What a personality!
Such a beautiful, enchanting, inspirational place… I recommend that you visit, too.
And finally, 1.– I am so glad we finally made it to Freiburg. Susanne has been after us to go there for ten years. She was right, Freiburg is well worth the trip. I’m glad we took the plunge. I hope we can take the plunge again and see even more!
One more waterfall crossed off the bucket list!
So far, this year, we’ve done two short Germany trips, plus an overnight in Stuttgart. Where will be going next? It’s anyone’s guess. It depends on when our new canine family member arrives. For now, I will keep my fond memories of beautiful Horben and Freiburg close to my heart and on my mind.
Tuesday morning eventually arrived, and it was time to pack up and go home. I can’t say I was sad to be going. As much fun as we had in Horben, I was missing Noyzi and my bed, which has a foam topper on it and is easier on my back. The weather had also taken a turn for the worse. It was raining outside, and the temperature had dropped about twenty degrees, at least on the Fahrenheit scale.
We were ready to go back to our normal lives in Hessen, but if we had stayed another night, it probably would have been a spa day for us. I regret not having a massage while we were at Luisenhöhe, if only so I could enjoy that wonderfully aromatic vanilla scented fragrance they used there. But that gives us a reason to go back sometime, if the opportunity ever arises.
Bill loaded up the car while I put on my face. Then we went down to breakfast and enjoyed one last innovative meal. I really enjoyed the staff at Luisenhöhe. Most of the people working there truly seemed to enjoy their work, especially those working in the kitchen. The equipment is state of the art, and the head chef truly is a genius. Or maybe I just don’t get out enough.
Below are some photos from our final breakfast, served once again by the smiling waitress who took care of us the previous four mornings. The night before, Bill had spoken to the bartender about the Chemex filtered coffee system they had in the bar. He wanted to try it, but unfortunately, the barista said it wasn’t possible. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t know how, or because they didn’t have the available equipment. We did learn, however, that coffee drinks are included in the price during breakfast. The barista brought us a couple of Americanos for our trouble. I wish I had thought to ask them where they get their coffee. It was really good.
We had a “sausage salad”, that I suspect was made from the goat pastrami we had in the previous night’s dinner. There was goat yogurt with granola, pears with pistachio nuts, wonderfully fresh brioches, milk rice, fresh fruit, and a poached egg on spinach…
Since we had already packed the car, all that was left to do was check out. So, with slightly heavy hearts, we headed to the reception and tallied up the damage. Four nights at the Luisenhöhe, with the optional dinner board, wine every night, tips, and multiple visits to the bar, set us back 3,400 euros ($3,700). Yes, it was expensive, and in some ways, I think it was a bit overpriced. I think the room rate was too high, but I think the food was worth every euro cent.
Seriously… my mind was blown at just about every meal. It was very healthy and fresh, and there were so many interesting combinations of ingredients that I never would have expected. Everything was beautifully presented, and the staff seemed to really enjoy their jobs. The setting for the hotel is exquisite, with flowering trees, green hills, and when there’s no Sahara dust, blue skies. I bet it’s stunning there in the autumn. I hope I can find out firsthand, even if I do think the room was slightly too “spendy”. I’m sure they need to charge a lot, though, as I read it cost about $60 million to build the hotel, which is very cutting edge. It’s powered by geothermal means and has a green roof.
The receptionist thanked us for staying, gave us a couple of bottles of sparkling water, and a tin of the hotel’s special tea as a parting gift. We headed down to the parking garage one last time. Then we were on our way home. I took a few more photos as we left the beautiful Freiburg region. I do hope to be back someday soon. As you can see in the photos, the weather did change a bit…
We got home in the early afternoon, after a completely uneventful drive north. I started doing laundry, and at about 5:00, Bill went to get Noyzi. I wasn’t there for the reunion, but Bill said he was delighted to be picked up after a few days hanging out with his canine friends at the Tierpension Birkenhof.
I don’t know what we’ll do this year for a big vacation. We usually go away for a week or two. This year, we’re expecting a new canine family member, who will be joining us from Kosovo at some point in the near future. We had been talking about visiting Iceland, but then we heard about the volcanos erupting. I have been getting some tempting offers from Hebridean Island Cruises, which I have to say is probably my favorite cruise line. I just wish they went to places other than the UK. But I do have my eye on a cruise in Ireland that I might decide to book. We’ll see.
Actually, Bill and I have been talking about doing more short trips, but on a regular basis. We used to do that a lot when we had less money and time to travel. It would definitely help keep my travel blog more interesting. But that plan remains up in the air for now.
Anyway, that about does it for my series on Horben and the wonderful Luisenhöhe. I do hope the hotel is a success, as I’m sure it will be. We really enjoyed ourselves. I hope we’ll be back again. Stay tuned for my usual “ten things I learned” post.
The weather on Sunday morning was not quite as picture perfect as it had been on Saturday. The sun was out, but it was pretty hazy. My German friend, Susanne, said it was because of Saharan dust, which has to do with the warmer than usual temperatures in Europe right now. It didn’t block the sun, but it did kind of give it a weird looking glow.
Bill and I woke up slightly hungover on Sunday morning, which meant it was a good day for extra physical exertion. We decided to see if we could ride the Schauinsland Bahn, a cable car that takes people up an Alpine mountain, allowing them to walk around above the plains and get a view of the Feldberg, the Black Forest, and other points along the mountain chain. There is also an observation tower at the top of the mountain, although it is currently closed.
Before we did that, though, it was time for another innovative breakfast. We were treated to that by the same friendly waitress who had served us on Saturday morning. Below are some photos of yet another culinary adventure, morning style.
Excellent “smoothies”…Ham, cheeses, and jams.JuicesQuiche Lorraine bites, bread, coffee…Scrambled eggs with curried pumpkin. It was delicious!Fruit saladWeiss Wurst with Senf (mustard)BreadCrepe with raspberry jam…
Again, these were all small plates. They may look bigger in the photos than they actually were. I ended up having two servings of the eggs. They were excellent.
After breakfast, we headed to Schauinsland to burn off the repast. The Schauinsland Bahn takes about twenty minutes to get from one point to the next. Those who’d rather drive to the top of the mountain can also do that; there is a parking area up there, as well as a mining museum. We didn’t go to the museum, although it would have been a good use of our time. One can also visit the Waldtraut, which is Germany’s tallest tree.
Instead, we walked around the steep summit and worked off some of that fabulous breakfast. I got lots of pictures, noticing people who were riding bikes, walking their dogs, or power hiking with their poles. I’ll confess, I was moving slower than most of them, but I still managed to see some magnificent views. We probably could have spent most of the day up there, although it’s important to remember than the last trip on the cable car is at 5:00 PM. I hope we can go back to Freiburg, because I would like to explore this area a lot more.
After we walked around for a couple of hours, my legs felt a bit like rubber. I noticed the time, and it was about 1:00 PM or so. I asked Bill if he wanted to stop for lunch. He demurred, saying he wasn’t very hungry. I wasn’t either, but I’ve also been in Germany long enough to know that it’s best not to wait too long to have lunch. A lot of places close after 2:00 PM.
We ended up having a delightful lunch at Die Bergstation, a little restaurant at the station on top of the mountain. They had a small menu that included small dishes, which was perfect for us. I had an open faced smoked salmon sandwich with a salad. Bill had potato soup with wurst. It appears this place is especially popular for breakfast. As I was linking the restaurant’s Web site, it indicated that they are fully booked on weekends and public holidays up until October! There are a few free spots available during the weekdays. Luckily, they weren’t booked for lunch last weekend. There’s also a little kiosk outdoors that offers food and drinks.
That sandwich was so good! It was served on toasted sourdough with creamy mustard. I liked Bill’s soup, too.
We made our way back down the mountain by way of the cable car. After a visit to the restroom, we decided our next stop would be at the Todtnauer Waterfall. I got the idea to do that after reading a Facebook post in the Schwarzwald group. There’s also a 450 meter “hanging bridge” at the waterfall. One can either climb up to it from the waterfall, or drive up.
We were a little confused about what to do at the waterfall. There were signs near the gate to the waterfall, as well as a broken ticket machine, indicating that it costs 2,50 euros to go to the falls, and another 12 euros to do the bridge. As we didn’t even know about the bridge before we arrived, we weren’t really prepared to visit it.
Frankly, we were kind of tired after our mountain visit, so we decided to skip the bridge. We did a similar one in Austria in 2015, which involved climbing up a steep mountain, walking across and back again, and then going back down the mountain. I wasn’t sure my muscles could take it. The waterfall ended up being free to visit, as there was no one there to take the money, and the ticket machine was broken. Many people were baffled about what to do and where to go. The guy running the cafe said he fields questions every day from flummoxed visitors.
A lot of people were visiting the Todtnauer Waterfall on Sunday, but I still managed to get plenty of pictures and some video. Here are the pictures for now. I may make a video later. The area around the waterfall is very beautiful, and like a lot of tourist areas in Germany, there’s a cafe where you can sit and enjoy it while enjoying a beverage or snack of your choice. The parking area is basically just off either side of a rather busy road with a lot of aggressive bikers. Be careful!
You can spend a good amount of time at the waterfall, if you want to. There’s a trail that leads down the creek, as well as one that leads up. And of course, you can climb up to the hanging bridge. I think the Burgbach Waterfall is prettier than this one, but mainly because there aren’t as many people hogging the scenery.
After about an hour at the waterfall, we went back to the cafe for a drink. Bill had a non-alcoholic beer, while I had a Hefeweizen.
Hazy skies!
By the time we visited the waterfall, it was getting later in the afternoon. We decided to head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner. I knew I was going to need a shower after all of the walking and sweating I did. So we went back, and I took some more photos, marveling at the beautiful scenery and realizing that we could come back and still have plenty to see and do. Better yet, maybe there wouldn’t be that cursed Saharan dust messing up the atmosphere. We had a quick drink before cleaning up. Bill tried a non-alcoholic cocktail called Luise’s Black Forest. I had my usual beer.
You never know what or who you’ll see on a Sunday drive…
I’ve already written about the unfortunate incident that happened at dinner on Sunday night on my main blog. I won’t get into that here, on my generally upbeat travel blog. Instead, I’ll share photos and some comments about some of the more positive aspects of yet another delightful dinner at Luisenhöhe. That night, we were introduced to a new waiter, a young man who was born in Texas, but is Slovakian and grew up in Slovakia. He was very good at his job, and I was impressed by how confident and skilled he was.
As you can see, I was intrigued enough by the second course that I took several shots of it. It was almost too pretty to eat! And everything was so interesting… I was amazed by how willing I was to try foods I would normally shun. I usually dislike beets, but I found myself trying and enjoying them on Sunday night. And everything was washed down with an excellent local Pinot Noir.
The menu.I would normally shun goat yogurt, but this was very good…BeetrootRainbow trout…Underneath the Kohlrabi was the most tender, delicious pork, ever… The salted caramels were so good…Bill enjoys the blood orange digestive, which I ended up wearing.
If we had just been able to enjoy dinner and the views, this would have been a stellar day. But, as you know, some people have to rain on other people’s parades… or shit in their Easter baskets. Oh well. Overall, Sunday was a success. We had one last full day in the Freiburg area, which I’ll write about in the next post.
We arrived at Luisenhöhe shortly after the 4:00 PM check-in time. Bill was a little confused by how to access the parking garage. As he approached, he turned right, instead of left. A right turn got him to what appeared to be a sort of sally port. A left turn got him into the generously appointed parking garage, which offered several outlets for electric vehicles, as well as spots for gasoline powered cars.
Bill parked at the first spot that was free. He commented that he was sure he’d be asked to move, since the spots were all numbered. I grabbed my purse and found the door into the hotel. From the very first glance, it was impressive. The underground entrance reminded me of trees, but my German friend, Susanne, said that it was actually meant as a designer’s nod to the area’s silver mining history. Whatever it was meant to signify, I thought the entrance was very cool looking…
We took the elevator to the reception area, where a friendly young man with a big smile and curly brown hair greeted us. He quickly found our reservation, the paperwork for which I had filled out at home before we left. When Bill asked about parking, the receptionist assured him that it was fine to leave the car where it was parked. Then he offered us a welcome drink– alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Naturally, we went for the alcoholic choice, which turned out to be locally produced Sekt. As you can see below, the view changed constantly.
We sat in the hotel’s bar area, enjoying the views of the mountains in the distance. It was pretty cloudy on Friday, but even with the clouds, the mountains offered dramatic scenery. Bill immediately noticed the Chemex coffee system carafes in the bar area. He was impressed, as this type of filtered coffee system is very cutting edge. My eyes were caught by the row of bottles that looked almost like perfumes. I later asked the bartender about them, and he said they were indeed meant for making cocktails with just the right flavors.
After we finished our welcome drink, we went back to reception, where a young woman waited with the keys to room 207. Below are photos from that room, which is one of the largest of the basic rooms offered. From the room we booked, the price jumps considerably, as those rooms are considered either feel good or favorite suites. They are much larger and more private than the regular rooms are.
Bed– it had a nightlight under it that was tripped every time we got out of bed.Large rainfall shower headView of the roomCool storage drawer for glasses and utensils. Every day, you get a snack and a beverage included.Friday’s snack. It changed every day. Fruit, a sweet or savory snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage.Sink
One of the most interesting features of the room was the window. The bottom half was made of glass, while the top part could be opened with an unobstructed view, or with the sunshade pulled down. The whole thing was controlled by a touch screen switch on the wall. This was also where the climate control was located. There was a heavy sliding door that could be pulled to close the window from the elements or noise from outside.
Bill demonstrates the window. I was the one pushing the button, of course. As you can see, we had a view of the pool and the spa area…
If we ever go back to this hotel, I would opt for a room with a “panorama” view, even if it meant a little less room. The larger room we had was right by the pool and spa area, making it seem somewhat less private and, at times, a bit noisy. It wasn’t too much of a problem during our visit, since it’s early spring and the hotel wasn’t full. But when people show up for the summer, and the hotel is fuller, having a window that opens to the pool area may be problematic for those who prefer quiet. I noticed in the couple of hours before dinner, as people were enjoying the pool, that I could easily hear their conversations. That probably doesn’t bother everyone, but I am kind of sensitive to noise. I can picture a crowd at the pool being rowdy in the afternoon when I might want to take a nap… 😉
To be totally honest, I wasn’t that impressed with the room itself. The room has a bathroom that is kind of open concept, with a private stall for the toilet and the shower, rather than a private room for everything. For some reason, there’s a clear glass panel in the shower, making it possible to see inside the shower. That’s fine for people in a relationship, but it might be a problem for friends sharing a room.
The mattress was a bit firm for my taste, although it wasn’t as firm as the mattress was at the Wald Hotel in Stuttgart. Each side of the bed had two foam rubber pillows. We brought our own feather pillows, because we’re weird like that. It wouldn’t have been necessary to bring the pillows to this hotel, but you never know in Germany. Sometimes, they really don’t give you enough pillows. Each side also had its own duvet, which some people like or hate. Personally, I don’t mind it.
The shower had a huge rainfall head, but the water pressure was a bit weak, which was disappointing for me. I like a massage action on the shower. The toiletries were good quality, with a woodsy, unisex scent. They were in big pump bottles– body wash, shampoo, and conditioner (balm). The vanity area was a bit crowded and small, but I did appreciate the good lighting and makeup mirror. They also provide robes for the stay, and a bag you can take with you. If you need slippers, they can provide them. I brought my own robe and pool shoes, but Bill used the robe. He said it wasn’t very roomy.
There were plenty of electrical outlets for all of our electronics, and lots of lamps, rather than overhead lights. I liked that, since overhead lighting usually stresses me out. The floor was painted concrete, which I didn’t like much, but I can’t deny that it came in handy. When we stopped at the gas station on our way to Breisach, Bill bought me a Coke, which exploded when I opened it. The concrete floor made it easy to clean up the resulting mess. I’m sure it’s better for keeping allergies at bay, too.
After we settled in for a couple of hours, Bill and I headed down to the restaurant for dinner. It’s optional to pay extra and book nightly dinners at the Luisenhöhe, although breakfast is included in the price of the room. The service hours are between 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM. You just show up anytime between those times.
I will admit, my first impression of the hotel’s restaurant, Restaurant Luise, wasn’t 100 percent positive. Food service at Luisenhöhe is unusual, and it may not suit everyone. However, now that I’ve spent four nights there and tried a huge array of dishes I never otherwise would have, I can say that I would enthusiastically recommend booking dinner, especially if you aren’t super picky. It really is a pretty amazing experience.
The hotel’s Chef de Cuisine is Niels Möller, and he is something of a culinary wizard. Every night, there’s a four course meal offered, which can be ordered with or without flesh (meat or fish). The chef chooses very fresh, local, seasonally appropriate ingredients, and somehow matches them perfectly, often with items you would never expect. I was pleasantly shocked at every meal, even at the one in which I couldn’t eat the main course because it had mushrooms and veal. I will eat veal sparingly, although I prefer not to. I do not eat mushrooms under ANY circumstances. Fortunately, they do have a menu in which a substitute dish can be ordered for a modest upcharge.
The wait staff is very friendly and many of the staff members speak excellent English and/or French. Several of the servers appeared to also be in training to be sommeliers. The first two nights we were there, we ordered wine from the guy who was clearly the sommelier, as he had a lapel pin with a bunch of grapes. But on Sunday and Monday nights, we were sold wine by more junior staffers, both of whom did a great job.
Our first night, we were seated at a two top between two other two tops. That would not have been my preference, as we were rather close to the other couples, which made it harder to converse privately. It didn’t occur to me to complain. I did notice other people complaining about proposed tables and being moved elsewhere. I guess my time as a server makes it hard for me to complain at restaurants.
We were a little confused at first, thinking we were to choose an entree, until the waitress explained that we would get everything on the menu. Everything is on small plates. I did notice the lady next to me didn’t have every course or had a substitute. She was very thin and fit looking, and her husband was a very snappy dresser. They spoke German, but I suspect they came from Switzerland. They didn’t dress like Germans. 😉
Below are the dishes we were served the first night. Bill decided to go vegetarian for that one:
This is the non-vegetarian option, with mackerel… Bill’s vegetarian option.I absolutely LOVED this– a creamy corn based soup with Black Forest ham, chiles, and artichoke hearts…Catfish– otherwise known as Wels. We were actually in Wels, Austria, a few years ago. They have catfish there.Bill’s came with potatoes.Lemon meringue dessert…With lemon sorbet…And delicious petit fours– chocolates and chocolate cream puffs.
It looks like this might be their Friday night selection this season, since this menu is the example on their Web site. All of it was very good, although this was not my favorite of what we had during our four night stay. I’m pretty sure the chef was there on Friday and Saturday night. He served us one course each on each night, spoke English and French, and was utterly charming. He can do magic with food.
After dinner, we decided to skip the nightcap and go to bed. It had been a long day, and Saturday promised to be active. More on that in the next post!
When I plan trips, sometimes I get carried away with what I’d like to try to do. As a member of several Facebook photo groups, it’s easy to find quaint little villages where I’d like to go take some photos and walk around a bit. That was the case last week, days before we ventured to Horben. Someone in the Schwarzwald photo group on Facebook had shared a picture of a very attractive village that was on the way down to the Freiburg area. I thought it might make for a nice place to stop for coffee and a wee off of Autobahn 5.
Unfortunately, after I saw someone’s photos of a quaint village in the Black Forest, I neglected to make a note of where the place was. Bill and I looked for it on Google Earth, but never were quite sure of what we were looking for. Then, on the morning of April 5th, I decided to do laundry before we left the house. We can only drop off Noyzi at the Hundepension at an appointed time, so we didn’t end up leaving early enough to make a stop in a village. Instead, we wound up at a very familiar Rasthaus stop, where we had very ordinary food for lunch. That would be the last ordinary meal we’d have before we got home yesterday afternoon. I see that I didn’t even bother to take a photo of it. Instead, I took one of the Paulaner Hefeweizen I drank, so I could tag it for the Untappd app.
For music boxes…First time I’ve ever seen then sold like this.Excellent beer… but kind of boring.Noyzi loves the car!
Noyzi was very happy to go to the Tierpension Birkenhof. He was so excited that he ran to the young folks who run it and practically bowled them over with his brand of canine hugs. It’s always reassuring to see how much Noyzi loves the staff at the Hundepension. We never have to worry about him when we take trips. He loves car rides, too, as you can see!
Noyzi LOVES the Birkenhof!
Although we weren’t able to stop in a cute town for a coffee break, we did kill some time in a town we’d never been to before. I get a lot of ads for river cruises, especially along the Rhein. I would never book a Rhein cruise, though, unless there was a reason other than the ports of call. I live about twenty minutes from the Rhein, and have seen most of the places where the vessels usually stop. I did notice, though, that Viking ships usually stop in a little town called Breisach, which is right on the Rhein and across the river from France. We had never been to Breisach, so we decided to stop there on the way to Horben. I thought maybe we’d have lunch there, but again, we got on the road too late for that.
Breisach is about a thirty to forty minute drive from Horben. Bill put it in the GPS, which was going to take us on a scenic route through another cute town to get there. Unfortunately, the GPS doesn’t always know about roadworks. When we were faced with a detour in a little town near Breisach, we decided to backtrack to the main road, with a quick detour to a gas station so I could have a pee break. The weather was a bit cloudy, but fairly warm. It was okay for a short stop near the cruise “port”, which turned out to be a little stop on the edge of the old town. Viking had two identical ships there, anchored side by side. Emerald Sky was also docked there when we made our short visit. We were happy to find free parking and a free toilet that was moderately clean and stocked! That’s quite a score in Germany.
Breisach is a very attractive town, smaller than I was expecting it to be. A large Catholic church– Breisacher Münster St. Stephan— overlooks the little port town, and I noticed lots of tourist friendly businesses near the port and the main drag. The ice cream shop was doing especially brisk business on Friday. As I gazed across the Rhein, somehow it didn’t occur to me that I was looking at France. Especially when I noticed a water slide on the other bank. Yes… that is extreme eastern France! And there’s a lot of waterfowl there, too. I was especially enchanted by the swans. I think I could be persuaded to visit Breisach again, and spend more time exploring there.
Below are some photos:
A little town near Breisach. It was very cute, but loaded with construction.The first of many bikers we encountered.Vineyards!Breisach is adorable.Church on a hillside…River cruises stop here.You can also have a dinner cruise.Two Viking vessels alongside each other…They appeared to be identical.Innovative way to keep pizza boxes out of the trash.Wine stand near the port.A little local history.Breisacher Münster St. StephanFrench police…Rapeseed…a common spring sight in Germany.A view of France…
After our too brief stop in Breisach, we continued on toward Horben. Our route took us through a corner of Freiburg, a beautiful, sunny, “green” university city that we need to return to by train and explore some more. Freiburg is not friendly to cars, as we found out on Saturday. But, what we did see of it is very appealing, especially if you like to bike. I definitely want to visit it properly and see what’s there. The part of Freiburg that leads to Horben is very charming and kind of ritzy, as you can see below.
As we made our way up into the mountains, we passed through a charming suburban hamlet. Then we saw it… the distinctive horseshoe shape of the Luisenhöhe, which just opened in the fall of 2023. More on that in the next post!
We’re back home in Wiesbaden now, after our four night trip to the southern Black Forest (Schwarzwald) hamlet of Horben. Before a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of Horben. Now, our visit there will live among many cherished memories I will forever have of our years in Germany.
I discovered Horben by way of Facebook. Last month, Bill was on a long TDY assignment in Bavaria, working very long days and nights. Meanwhile, I was sitting here alone, bored and a little depressed. When he got back from his temporary duty yonder, I asked Bill if he’d like to go away for a few days. He said he’d like to take a short trip. I went looking for the right place. I wanted something restful, but in a nice area. I wanted good food and a decent spa. Since it was going to be a short break, I didn’t want it to be too far away, although we did briefly consider flying somewhere.
Facebook kept sending me ads for a place called Luisenhöhe. I was definitely intrigued, because it looked like just the kind of place I enjoy the most. I noticed it was in a very scenic area and promised an excellent dining experience. Then I noticed it’s practically a brand new hotel, had only a few reviews, and it costs a lot of euros to stay there! Also, it’s in Germany, and I was kind of hoping to go somewhere else for a few days. I decided to keep looking. I thought maybe we’d finally visit Basel, Switzerland or maybe Bern. I even had a hotel in mind…
But the Facebook ads for Luisenhöhe were continuing to beckon, and I finally realized that Horben is very close to Freiburg, a city/area my German friend, Susanne, has been bugging me to visit for the ten years we’ve lived here. Susanne is from the Freiburg area, and she’s kept telling us how beautiful it is. I believed her, as we’d driven through Freiburg before on other trips. I’d even looked into staying there, but my plans were always overcome by events.
Finally, I decided to show Bill and get his reaction. He was as attracted to Luisenhöhe as I was. He also liked the other finalist, Les Trois Rois, in Basel, Switzerland. Finally, we decided to let fate settle things. We flipped a coin. Luisenhöhe won. I felt good about that outcome, especially when I realized that Horben is very close to France and Switzerland, and if we got too bored in that area of Germany, we could easily cross either border.
I immediately set about booking our stay in a 31 square meter “Wellbeing Room”, facing the garden. Since we booked within two weeks of our stay, we were committed to paying. So, I prayed everything would go according to plan, and we’d manage to finally visit the Freiburg area. Now that’s we’re home from our trip, I feel like it was meant to be that we would discover the Freiburg area and this amazing new hotel with food that blew our minds!
I’ll be writing in detail about our unique experience over the next few days. I will also be sharing photos of some of the most picturesque views I’ve seen in Germany. As we were saying goodbye to some of the very friendly staff members last night, we were warmly thanked for coming, and welcomed to come back soon. I honestly hope we can. As long as Bill works these crazy TDY assignments, I think it’s within the realm of the possible!
I hope you’ll follow along as I write my series. I’d really like to help this new hotel succeed! The food alone is something amazing to behold…
Now that my latest blog series about Hotel Bareiss is complete, here’s my usual “ten things I learned” post. I find that these top ten lists tend to get read more than my “blow by blow” posts. Let’s face it! People don’t necessarily care about the minutiae of someone else’s vacation. On the other hand, sometimes including the small details is useful for some readers, or even just to myself, as I get older and duller. 😉
Anyway, here’s my list, even though we’ve done Baiersbronn before. I see that I didn’t do a ten things I learned list for our first Baiersbronn trip, so maybe it’s good to do one now. Here goes!
10. The Hotel Bareiss experience reminds me a little of being on a cruise ship.
The first time we visited Baiersbronn for more than a couple of hours, we stayed at Hotel Engel Obertal, which is a perfectly nice hotel that offers half board. But that hotel didn’t seem to be nearly as structured as Hotel Bareiss is. Yes, lunch was included in the daily rate there, but we didn’t feel like we HAD to eat lunch there. Although we didn’t HAVE to eat dinner at Hotel Bareiss either, the very heavy service component and knowing that we were paying for the food, anyway, made us feel obligated to eat there. And while it wasn’t a bad thing at all to dine at Hotel Bareiss, that aspect made me feel a little like I was on a cruise ship. The resort offers a lot of activities, too, like a cruise ship does.
9. Hotel Bareiss is very expensive, but offers an extremely high quality product.
When I compare Hotel Bareiss to Hotel Engel Obertal, I see some obvious similarities. However, Hotel Bareiss is an institution in Baiersbronn, and people come from all over to experience it. Service is mostly top notch, and they put a lot of effort into presenting a very pleasant experience for guests. That experience will cost you, of course! But if you have the means, and you just want to relax without worrying about anything, Hotel Bareiss might be just the place to go.
8. I wouldn’t call Hotel Bareiss a very “romantic” place for couples…
Although this is a five star resort hotel with a three star Michelin restaurant, it’s also a very family friendly place. There are lots of activities available for children, and they aren’t specifically prohibited from going into places. That means you might see them in the bar, or even in the sauna area. However, I did notice that visiting in late September/early October meant that most kids were in school, so their population was at a minimum during our stay. I would not book Bareiss in the summer if I was wanting to avoid running into families with children, though.
7. Baiersbronn and the Black Forest offer a lot to do outdoors. But maybe there are not as many things to do inside. Planning for the weather is a good idea.
We suffered some rain during our visit, which made us not really want to venture out so much. A lot of the things I was thinking I’d like to do were strictly outside activities. There are some museums and other indoor activities for the resourceful, and the hotel offers excursions to nearby places like Strasbourg, France or Baden-Baden. The hotel also offers classes sometimes. For instance, they have culinary and wine courses that can be booked. I didn’t mind the rain so much, since we had such a hot, dry summer. Next time, maybe I’ll look for more inside opportunities, in case of inclement weather. Or, at the very least, I would bring clothes and shoes for wet weather. Baiersbronn is kind of a sleepy town, but there are other areas nearby that are well worth a visit.
6. Bring an extra bathing suit!
Hotel Bareiss has an AWESOME pool area, and it’s usable all year. If you like to swim or relax in the water, you may want to bring an extra bathing suit. They also have a dryer in the locker room that will wring most of the the water out in eight seconds.
5. You can bring your dog!
Although I tend to relax more when I travel without our dogs, I did miss them while we were at the Hotel Bareiss. I think Noyzi, in particular, would have loved the hotel. So many people brought their beautiful pooches with them, and there were a lot of amenities for them, including dog sitting! But bear in mind, if you do bring your dog, there are steep extra charges involved and not every room will be available to you.
4. Pack a nice outfit or two.
The Hotel Bareiss requests that guests dress nicely for dinner. That doesn’t necessarily mean putting on a dress or a suit, nor does it even mean they’ll turn you away at the door. But if you happen to be at the hotel on gala night, you will want to be dressy, as most people do put on their gladrags for the occasion. If you wear jeans and a sweatshirt, you might feel quite underdressed.
3. Don’t be afraid to try other area restaurants.
Baiersbronn is home to quite a few excellent restaurants besides the ones at Hotel Bareiss. Most are affiliated with other hotels, to include the ones at Hotel Traube Tonbach, another highly regarded hotel in the area. We ate at Traube Tonbach last year and had a very nice experience. We also tried the Meierei, which has a Michelin Plate, and liked that even more than the Michelin starred restaurant at the Traube Tonbach. But even if you aren’t into gourmet food, you can find really good eating in Baiersbronn. Especially if you like fresh trout, like I do!
2. You don’t have to spend a mint to stay in Baiersbronn…
It’s true that we dropped a load of euros at Hotel Bareiss. This year’s visit was about twice as expensive as last year’s, although we also stayed a day longer and in fancier digs. But if we’d wanted to, we could have easily bunked comfortably in less extravagant lodging and had a great time. In fact, in some ways, I think I might have preferred a less “structured” holiday. I don’t think I’m that into resorts and half board plans. I like having the freedom to try different places and do my own thing. Maybe next time we go to the Black Forest, we’ll try to find a self catering apartment in a different area.
1. On the other hand, I would NOT turn down another visit to Hotel Bareiss…
It really is a lovely hotel, with friendly and mostly professional staff, and magical surroundings. We absolutely did enjoy ourselves, and would heartily recommend that others visit. Just remember that when you book Hotel Bareiss, you’re likely to be committed to going. You may wish to purchase travel insurance, in case you need to cancel. In our situation, I was worried about Arran being sick with lymphoma and needing us to come home to take care of him. However, he has now shown us that he is clearly not ready to leave us yet… so I’m glad we didn’t cancel! In fact, as I write this, he’s visiting the vet. I have a feeling she might be pleasantly surprised by how he’s doing today.
Well, that about does it for this year’s visit to the Schwarzwald. I hope this series has been entertaining, informative, and inspirational. If you’re living in Germany, I highly recommend taking the opportunity to visit The Black Forest. We completely missed it the first time we lived here. I’m so glad we came back and rectified that tragedy! And if you are into good food, especially fine dining, you may want to make a point of visiting Baiersbronn. As I mentioned in 2018, when we first heard of Baiersbronn, there are lots of (Michelin) “stars” in them there hills!
Here’s the very last part of my series on the Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. I hope it will be short. I’ll try to make it so, as I will also be doing my customary “top ten things I learned” post, for those who can’t be bothered to read the whole series.
Sunday night, after dinner, we found a letter from the hotel management thanking us for our stay. The letter was in English, but it had a couple of rather glaring errors in it. I know this sounds really “uppity” of me to notice, especially since I understood it perfectly. But, I’m afraid I am a bit of a stickler about such things, especially since so many people speak English at the hotel, and the errors were pretty basic (ie; not capitalizing the word “dear”). Also, this hotel charges out the wazoo, and purports to exact high standards in all things. So I wasn’t very impressed by the letter, which thanked us for staying, offered instructions for checking out, and requested us to fill out a survey, which I was happy to do. One thing that was lacking in the room, or maybe I just never found it, was a pen. Fortunately, other hotels were more generous, and I had a couple in my purse. 😉
I didn’t sleep well the last night, because I woke up at about 3:00 am needing the bathroom. When I was finished there, I was wide awake, which prompted me to look at Facebook. That was a mistake, since that was when I saw the comment about my trout looking like it was vomited on, and that irritated me. I probably should book a meditation vacation next. I need to stop being annoyed by dumb things.
I did finally drift off to sleep again, and we got up at about 7:30 am. We packed everything up before heading off for our last breakfast. Then Bill fetched the car key fob from the “mailbox” in the lobby, so he would have it ready for the porter who came to help us with our bags. The same very kind gentleman in the green blazer arrived quickly to load us up and get us on our way. I took a couple of photos of the minibar, which I never managed to look at during our stay. It was pretty well stocked! I didn’t see a price list, but I’m sure nothing in there was cheap. They did provide us with daily waters and fruit. I took the fruit home, since I knew they would be throwing it out, anyway.
Bill settled the bill, which came to about 4800 euros. That was for the room, half board, a la carte dining, drinks, tips, taxes, an energy surcharge (thanks Putin), and parking in a private garage. Yes, it was a lot of money, but it was less than we would have spent on a luxury cruise. We don’t do big ships– we do smaller lines like SeaDream and Hebridean– and if we ever cruise again, we’ll probably do a French barge cruise. We would have easily spent more than that for a week on a boat, plus we probably would have had to fly to reach the vessel. This was a lot like being on a cruise, but having access to our car. I like not being a captive audience!
Thankfully, right now the dollar is in the very rare position of being worth more than the euro is. So actually, we spent about $4700. What a bargain! 😉
Of course, you don’t have to spend that much to enjoy Baiersbronn. The area has a bunch of lodging options to fit any budget. In fact, I was looking at another hotel– four stars– that is rated higher than Bareiss is on TripAdvisor. Because it has fewer facilities, it’s less expensive. And it is important to note that in Europe, five stars doesn’t necessarily mean service is five star. The stars indicate the facilities available and supposed luxuries. So you could stay at a perfectly basic but wonderful one star hotel that just offers a bed and a toilet. Or you could stay at a really shitty five star place that has a big pool and a business center. Keep that in mind.
I do think the Bareiss Hotel is a beautiful property and, for the most part, I was very pleased by the service. Most everybody was very pleasant, and the facilities are very good. My only quibble was that some of the decor was kind of dated looking to me. The color scheme included a lot of pinks, greens, and mauves, with lots of gold fixtures, if you catch my drift. Yes, it’s a hotel with a long history, having been founded in 1951 as the Kurhotel Mitteltal by Hermine Bareiss, and the quaintness is part of its charm. But there were a few areas that looked like they could use a coat of paint or maybe an updated color scheme. Of course, making those changes would result in higher prices.
I did love the uniforms everyone wore. The dirndls were especially pretty, and it looked like they had several styles. I don’t like wearing uniforms, but I would feel beautiful in some of the dirndls they had for the ladies. A dirndl is a rare dress that actually flatters my figure.
Once Bill paid the tab, we got in the car and headed home. Just as we were leaving the valley, the sun came out and there was beautiful sunshine. Figures. It would have been a good day to go to the waterfalls. Maybe next time we’ll make it there. I did get some pictures from the drive out of the Schwarzwald. It’s so beautiful there. I do like Wiesbaden, but it lacks a lot of the landscape and natural beauty of Baden-Württemberg. Since I lived in that area for a total of six years in two and four year stints, it will always have a piece of my heart. I feel like I’m going home when I visit BW, even though my actual home is Virginia.
So now we’re back in Wiesbaden, and it’s time to face the music with our sweet Arran. He survived the Hundepension just fine, and is still chipper at this point. I know it’s temporary, but it’s good to see him, and Noyzi who, just today, is celebrating two years of life with us. We brought him home two years ago today. Who knows what’s in store for us? We could have a rough winter. So I’m glad we took this trip. I don’t think I’ll forget our experience at Hotel Bareiss anytime soon… especially since they sent us home with a parting gift.
It’s not Molton Brown, which were the toiletries in the bathroom… in fact, it’s better.
Tomorrow, I will post my top ten things I learned rundown… Hope you’ll read it!
Ah Sunday… our last full day at the luxurious Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. Once again, I wondered if we might be able to venture to the waterfalls. Once again, I was disappointed by wind, rain, and the occasional teasing from the sun. Oh well. Now we have a reason to come back to Baiersbronn, or some other fancy resort in the area.
So what did we do on our last day? That was another pool day for us, and since I’ve already posted my pool photos in part four, I don’t have much to write about that, other than we discovered that the Bareiss has a really cool swimsuit dryer that wrings the water out of your bathing suit in eight seconds flat. I hadn’t noticed it during our first visit. Also, this was the day that I saw the nude lady in the jacuzzi, informing me that the sauna and steam room area at Hotel Bareiss is obviously clothing optional. I didn’t see any signs about that, although it’s well known in Germany that you don’t sit in a sauna or steam room while wearing a swimsuit. You will be properly bitched out for it, if you do!
Bill and I weren’t really interested in the saunas or steam rooms, anyway. After a few more turns in the indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, we just enjoyed the awesome outdoor hot tub in the sauna area, which we had all to ourselves. The sauna world also had a Kneipp walk pool, an icy cold plunge pool, foot baths, and an exit to the outside, where I assume one could walk around au naturale if they wanted to. I’ve heard being nude in public isn’t necessarily illegal in Germany, although it certainly would be noticed and frowned upon. But I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong. 😉
After we came back from the pool area, we decided to walk into town and have lunch at a restaurant at Hotel Lamm, another lodging facility located across the street from Hotel Bareiss. Hotel Lamm isn’t as fancy as Hotel Bareiss is, but it does have a pretty nice restaurant. As we were walking in, we noticed a large group of young folks in Trachten– traditional German clothing– and they were obviously headed to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. Or maybe they were going somewhere else, but they sure looked like they were going to party, and they could get the train and enjoy themselves safely.
The restaurant at Hotel Lamm is called Wipfel (Treetop), and it is staffed by young folks dressed in traditional Trachten. Our waitress switched to English as soon as she heard us speak, then apologized for not having a menu in English. It was okay, as we both speak German restaurant lingo pretty well.
I was still perturbed about the unpleasant reactions to my trout dish on Saturday, so I ordered another one! That one didn’t attract as much attention. Bill had beef with horseradish sauce. We shared a bottle of locally produced Riesling, a bottle of mineral water, and more farmer’s bread. I was impressed by the Wipfel, and the hotel itself looked nice. I’m sure it is a hell of a lot less expensive to stay there, too!
Farmer’s bread, honey drizzled butter, and amuses from the kitchen!A less surprised looking trout cooked in the Müllerinartstyle…Bill’s horseradish covered beef.I had Black Forest cheesecake for dessert. It was plain cheesecake topped with cherry ice cream and garnished with chocolate.Front doors.I’d go here again. Food and service were good.A view of the weather.Baiersbronn-Mitteltal is nice.A shop with classic bikes… Obviously restored.I would have liked to have tried this gastropub, but it was only open past 8pm.
We walked around Baiersbronn a bit after a late lunch, then walked back to the Bareiss, gawking at all the Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas and Volvos… I never thought we’d stay in such a place. When we married 20 years ago, we never went anywhere for fun, because we were broke. It wasn’t until we were married 3 years before we finally went on a trip that didn’t involve staying with family. We’ve come a long way.
Dinner at Bareiss on Sunday night was a more casual affair. I didn’t visit the buffet, but I believe vegetables was the theme. As it was, I just had one course from the menu, a filet mignon with roasted potatoes, and dessert. I wanted to try another steak, and was pleased that this time, the temperature was right. I also loved the dessert, which was a pistachio parfait.
Delicious pumpkin soup…Salmon tartar. I tried this and it was good, but I was still full from lunch.Mushroom encrusted beef for Bill.A medium cooked mushroom free filet for me.Perfect roasted potatoes.Herb butter.Pistachio parfait with oranges.The heart signified that it was our last night.
Because it was our last night, and because I was thinking of Arran, who was named after a Scottish island in the Hebrides, Bill and I visited the bar one last time. I drank a couple of drams of whisky, while Bill had a cocktail and a wee dram of scotch. I was glad to see they had Glen Scotia from Campbeltown, but they didn’t have any Springbank!
This was nice, and reasonably priced.Bill joined me in a toast.
The bartender, who had been a little aloof, was genuinely kind when we said we were going home. It was nice to hang out in her bar for a few days. But going home is better for the wallet! And, to be honest, as much as I enjoyed our visit, I was ready to come home. I think long trips are kind of hard for us, especially when things are structured, as they tend to be in resorts. I don’t know if or when we’ll be back to the Schwarzwald “on holiday”, but I would love to find a really nice self-catering house with great views of the mountains and the freedom to try different places for dinner.
On the other hand, of course I would also love to go to the Bareiss again. Stay tuned for part eight, which will close out this series.
We woke to steady rain on Saturday morning, which was a real pity. Friday night, when we were at the bar, fueled by fine food and cocktails, Bill and I gave some thought to paying a visit to the Allerheiligen Wasserfalls… yes, I know I misspelled it in German. In English, they are the All Saints Waterfalls. Bill and I discovered them in June 2018, when I read a blog by a Dutchman who had come to Germany to see waterfalls. We were enchanted by the falls, and I wanted to see them again, as the leaves are about to change, and the hotel is only a few miles away. But I didn’t want to see them in the rain.
We were also a bit in need of recovery after Friday night’s wild bar escapade. I think we’re getting to be too old to be carousing in the bar at all hours. Of course, children are allowed in the bar at Hotel Bareiss, which personally, I don’t necessarily agree with. I did see one cute little chap who appeared to be bonding with his dad, only to have his fun interrupted by a woman who showed up later. She went into the Smoker’s Lounge for a few minutes before coming back for a Whiskey Sour.
Because it was raining, I figured there would be a bunch of people at the pool, too. I wasn’t in the mood for that, so we decided to give housekeeping a chance to fix up the room while we checked out the library. When we got to the library, it was also full of people. So we went to the lobby, which was probably a better decision, as I got to ogle all of the dogs who were staying at Hotel Bareiss. There were some really sweet ones there, all of whom behaved impeccably. This hotel is the only one I know of that actually has a dog shower, where people can wash their pooches if they get dirty on a walk.
Dog shower!
The “dog shower”.
We also decided to have lunch at the Dorfstuben, which is a traditional restaurant in the hotel that serves hearty Swabian delights. They play accordion music while you sit in a quaint little stube with farmer painted furniture, enjoy local wines and beers, and eat food that will stick to your ribs. There was a lady in there– she appeared to be holding court– who seemed to know everyone! People were stopping at her table, hugging and kissing her. We later saw her in the bar, and she was getting the same familiar treatment there. I don’t know if she’s a member of the Bareiss family, or just someone who comes to the hotel a lot. Maybe she’s a local celebrity! She did seem like a very nice lady, though, and obviously has a lot of friends. Bill called her the “Grand Dame”.
Below are some photos from our delightful lunch at the Dorfstuben:
He’s not a lumberjack, but he’s okay.Cute interior.Farmer’s bread, radishes,quark and chive spread, and Schmalz.Delicious FRESH trout locally sourced.Bill had beef rouladen.Cookies…And an espresso for Bill… I had a beer.
I know I have some Facebook friends who read these blog posts. I want to make mention of an incident that occurred the other day that really perturbed me. As you can see in the above gallery of photos, I had trout for lunch. It was fried, and served with tomatoes, lemon slices, and almonds, as well as oil. Fresh trout in the Schwarzwald is a real treat, if you like fish. Hotel Bareiss does it very well. They even have a restaurant that is dedicated to serving trout dishes. The restaurant, which is off site, is called the Forellenhof Buhlbach. We visited there last year, so we didn’t go this year.
I shared photos of this lunch with friends. A couple of people commented on the fact that the trout was served whole. I think Americans are grossed out by being served whole fish. I know it was hard for me to get used to when I lived in Armenia. I would buy whole fish from Lake Sevan, that might or might not be cleaned beforehand. I always cut off the head and tail before cooking it, because I don’t eat the head. Some people do eat it, though, and this is how the fish is served over here. Anyway, I got a couple of pretty rude comments about my lunch, which was absolutely delicious, by the way. A couple of people remarked that they don’t want to be “looked at” by what they’re eating. Understandable, although it might be even more jarring to realize that when you cut off the head, you’re decapitating the poor fish!
The worst comment, though, came from someone who said it looked like someone had vomited on the plate. Seriously? Even if that was true, it’s not an appropriate thing to say about someone’s lunch. Especially if they obviously enjoyed it, which I did, and you consider yourself a friend of theirs. That fish was cooked perfectly. When I reacted with an “angry” orange emoticon, and the comment, “That is not nice.” The person came back with an even worse comment.
So I felt compelled to post a request to everyone who was offended by the sight of a cooked, whole fish prepared „meunière“ style to either keep scrolling, or X out the photo without comment. It’s sad that I should have felt the need to do that, since one would hope that would be simple manners learned in childhood. I don’t have the best manners myself, but it’s a well known fact that it’s not nice to “yuck on other people’s yums.” Tastes differ, and we should respect that. I’m legitimately horrified when people post photos of mushrooms of any kind, but especially the ones that grow wild. I have an actual phobia of mushrooms. But instead of imposing my tastes on someone else’s social media posts, I simply hide the photo and move on.
In my friend’s defense, they did come back and apologize and delete the comment. I was so irritated, though, that I just deleted the photo. I had already seen the comment, so the damage was done. Yeah, I know I sound oversensitive, but that fish was brilliant. I feel like a true friend would be glad I enjoyed it, instead of leaving rude remarks about what they think it looks like or what they think are my poor choices in lunch dishes.
That lunch left us so full that we skipped dessert, though they did bring us cookies while Bill drank espresso and I had a beer. Afterwards, we went back to our room, where there was a mysterious vase of water waiting. We ignored it, and I laid on the bed and tried to read my latest book. Soon, I was fast asleep, enjoying a very nice nap, lulled by the sound of the rain.
Saturday night’s dinner was a “gala”. We soon found out the reasons for the vase on the coffee table. I was going to dress casually, but when we ventured down to the hotel foyer, I noticed that the Bareiss family was there handing out roses to the ladies, and chocolates to the men. Obviously, this was to be a formal dinner. We went back to the room, and I put on a dress and some jewelry. Then, we sat down at our table, where there was a vase waiting for the pretty pink and white rose and a lit candle. The buffet table was shut down for Saturday night, as we were going to be enjoying a beautiful dinner. Below are some photos:
Delicious halbut…Essence of guinea fowl…Tiger shrimp.Deer for me… Veal and mushrooms for Bill.More cheese, this time selected by the chefs.And a delightful chocolate dessert for both of us, with more cookies!
By the time dinner was over, we were both pretty exhausted, so we went straight back to the room and promptly crashed. But not before I put my rose in the vase that was waiting for it. I brought the rose home, and it’s now on our table to enjoy until it needs to be composted.
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