Category Archives: Tübingen

Tübingen

The spring Regionalmarkt in Tübingen

Today’s activity comes courtesy of an ad from Vinum, my favorite wine and spirits store.  Vinum has locations in Tübingen and Reutlingen and I subscribe to their Facebook page.  If I had not been subscribed to their page, I probably would have missed today’s market.  That would have been a shame, because not only was it a great scene today, but Tübingen is always a pleasure in any case.  I love going there on sunny, warm Saturdays, people watching, eating, drinking, and doing the odd bit of shopping.

I was originally afraid we’d have rain today, but after a few sprinkles, the clouds cleared and we made our way to the big Koenig garage by the Klinik as you’re coming into the city from the west.  Every time we visit Tübingen, we also pass our old town (from 07-09) of Pfäffingen.  It never fails to bring back pleasant memories of our first tour in the Stuttgart area.

The very first banner about this twice yearly event featuring products from near the city of Tübingen…  

Flowers… just one of the beautiful products of nature available for sale today.

 

And fresh pasta!

 

Garden goodies!

After we parked, we walked into the city and noted the large crowd of people sampling wares in the main square.  Suddenly, it seemed like a good idea to have lunch.  We passed the Alte Kunst on the way up to the square, but then I remembered they had a large Biergarten behind the restaurant.  I walked through an archway and soon found myself in an oasis of quiet and calm.  We chose a table for two near an umbrella.  It was about 12:45 pm and I was surprised more people weren’t out there.  I didn’t have to wonder long.  Within the next half hour, we had plenty of company.

This empty scene lasted maybe ten minutes before the garden was full of smokers and little kids who needed naps.  Not that I’m knocking naps, you see.  I need them myself nowadays.

 

Bill checks the menu.

It’s asparagus season, so I had risotto with tiny shrimps, white asparagus, Parmesan cheese, and tomatoes.  This was paired with a glass of Pinot Grigio and San Pellegrino.

 

Bill went with asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and the same wine.  We had originally considered other dishes, but remembered this is the time of year to eat asparagus in Germany.

 

A family with two small children sat near us.  The children shrieked and cried while they waited for their lunch.  Their parents shushed them as the guy sitting behind me lit up a cigarette just in time for my lunch to arrive.   Once the kids had some lunch, they seemed a lot more contented and started playing with another little boy at another table.  I got a kick out of the other kid.  He was wearing a Fedora hat and looked adorable.  I also appreciated that his friendship calmed the other two kids down a little.  Lunch came to an even forty euros.  Bill paid and we made our way to Vinum, taking note of all of the stalls we needed to visit again on our way home.  We saw everything from fresh bread to fresh cheese, with plenty of other locally made wares like gin, wine, dips, spreads, and handcrafts.

 

 

Sausage…

 

Bread!

 

And Schwabian ketchup…

 

As usual, Vinum had Georgian wine.  We took the two bottles on display, then tasted several they had on special.  The guy who helped us spoke perfect English and looked like he could be a shorter version of our first German landlord’s brother.  I tried some local wine, which he made clear he didn’t like.  We discussed the finer points of how America’s Rieslings are too sweet.  Bill and I have become fans of the Alsatian and locally produced German Rieslings, but before we took the plunge on our second tour here, we avoided them like the plague.  It just goes to show that you should try the local stuff… except maybe the cheese made with raw milk.  Kidding, actually.  Bill loves it.

We walked out of Vinum with four bottles of wine and I suddenly realized I needed to pee again.  So we headed to the Neckarmueller, which also happens to be the location of my favorite Biergarten in this area.  We drank hefeweizens at a table and watched people on the river…  We still need to try punting before we leave.

It’s always time for beer.  Especially if you’re in a German Biergarten on a beautiful spring day.

Today was an excellent day to be on the river, drinking beer…

After our beer and rest stop, we walked around the city some more and did some shopping.  Bill bought some spreads from an African vendor.  We listened to some buskers and I discovered a Moroccan store I had never noticed before.

Or maybe I had seen this store before… but I never stopped in.

 

Spreads by HottPott…

 

We made our way to the main square, where we found a man selling locally produced gin.  We tried some and bought a bottle.  I am now enjoying my first gin and tonic of the season.

The guy who was selling this looked like he could have starred on Little House on the Prairie.  I thought he was very handsome.

Bill tried it first, then gave the rest to me because he was driving later.

 

Okay, maybe he had two sips.

 

Then we moved on to cheese made with raw milk.  Bill said it was very good.  To me, it just smells like a combination of dirty feet and ass.  Different strokes, I guess.  

Gin is all the rage.  You can even get it to go.

We stopped here for a little dessert for tonight.  We got a lemon tart and a chocolate cake.  Bill spoke German, but the lady behind the counter immediately switched to perfect English.  

I have a feeling this business is owned by Armenians.

You could even get escargot today!  It actually smelled wonderful.

We went into the Rathaus for the first time ever, because we were searching for these before the drive home.  There was an interesting exhibit in the lobby about energy.  

More sights from today’s regional market are below.  This was a one day event, but there will be another regional market on Saturday, October 6th.  If my post has piqued your curiosity, be sure to mark your calendar.  We had a really good time today, but we pretty much always enjoy visiting Tübingen.  It will always be one of our special places.

Piano playing on the street!

You probably have to be a certain age to get this…

I took this as we passed the “Schloss” near Unterjesingen, very close to where we used to live.

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Tübingen

A lovely lunch at the Alte Kunst in Tübingen

After a morning spent fretting over the immediate future, Bill enticed me to get dressed and come into the light… the light of Tübingen, that is.  He wanted to go out for lunch in Tübingen, one of our favorite local cities.  I was game, so I got dressed, sprayed on some sunscreen, and got in the car.  It was a good thing I put on the sunscreen.  More on that later.

We parked the car at our favorite garage, walked into town, and passed a rather paunchy guy wearing a funny tank top that read “Train harder than I do.”  We wound up stopping at the Alte Kunst restaurant.  To be honest, I had been wanting to stop there for years.  Last time we ate at the Alte Kunst in Tübingen was in 2009, right after Michael Jackson died.  I knew we were going to be moving soon and remember sitting outside eating dorade as I listened to Michael Jackson’s biggest hits on the radio.  I was kind of in a foul mood that day because I didn’t want to move and was really pissed off that we had to go a year early.  But I do remember the dorade was good.

Today, the outdoor seating at Alte Kunst was mostly full, save for one table in the sun.  We took that table, although we could have sat inside.  I was really glad I had applied sunscreen, because for the first half hour or so of our visit, I was getting a bit grilled.  I am a very white person and the sun doesn’t agree with me for too long.

Fortunately, the folks behind us left, so we were able to claim their more desirable table under an umbrella.  Not only was I no longer grilling in the sun; I was also spared from having to see my reflection in the store window across the street.  This was a good thing, since I ordered dorade again.  Dorade is pretty healthy as entrees go, but it usually comes out on a big platter and who wants to watch themselves eating from that?

Bill enjoys the sun while he decides on lunch.

A pretty table!

And today’s special!

I went with dorade, which was perfectly grilled with potatoes with just enough salt.  The fish was stuffed with a bay leaf and fresh lemon.  I have had dorade at a number of places and Alte Kunst consistently does it right… although I will admit that it had been awhile since our last visit.  This was priced at 18,80.

Bill had shrimp with pasta and vegetables.  He said the pasta was very simply prepared, with lots of garlic, a little butter, and very fresh shrimp.

 

I paid a few visits to the restroom.  One of the stalls lacked toilet paper, but the other one was well stocked.  And I was tickled to see that they had thoughtfully provided a range of products intended to comfort female guests.

A picture of the facade, after the sun had moved a bit.

 

There was a book fair going on… 

They had a lot of activities for kids, to include balloons, which we saw more than a few kids chasing down the hill past us as we ate.

I wish I could read German.

And it was good to see the Rathaus looking so nice.

Food trucks… and books…

And people who climbed the tower of the church to look over the city.  We have been there and done that!

But I never get tired of the city.  I can see why we almost never visited Stuttgart when we lived in Germany the first time.

For my yarn loving friends.  

Dueling Eis cafes.  These two ice cream parlors have been in these locations for years and they never hurt for business when the weather is good.  There is always a line for both and they are directly across the street from each other.

And there is Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for those who want it.

After lunch, we visited the Neckarmueller, since it had been awhile since our last visit.  Our favorite stand by biergarten was in full swing and we had no problem finding a table right by the river.

Mr. Bill enjoys a beer while gazing at the river.

Everybody was enjoying the river today.

Not long before I took this picture, we ran into a young couple and I asked them if they wanted me to take a photo of them.  I don’t know if they liked the picture…  Usually, Bill is the one who gets asked to take pictures.  He doesn’t have a resting bitch face like I do sometimes.

Looks like a good idea.  Bring your food and booze and enjoy the river.

 

As we were walking to the tunnel that would take us to our car, we ran into a young woman with two little kids who were shrieking with delight as they passed through the tunnel.  I heard her chastising them, so I gave her a big smile.  She smiled back.  I remember being a kid and enchanted by tunnels.

 

These guys were going tubing.  I hadn’t seen this since Texas.  

We finally ended up at Die Kelter, because I needed to whiz.  We sat in their biergarten and Bill had coffee.  I had beer.

Check out the ladybug!

The local brew is good.  This beer is made not too far from where we live.

 

It amazes me that my husband’s contract will end in 55 days…  We could be in Italy in that time or we could still be here… or back in the USA.  No matter what happens, I was reminded today of just how much I love living in Germany.  It may turn out I will love Italy just as much, or I may get to stay here… or I may go back to the States and plot to come back.  😉  All I can say is that I am very pleased to have the privilege of getting to live in Europe.  And this part of Germany is a real treat to get to know.

 
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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

Love was in the air at Hotel La Casa in Tübingen

Ever since my traumatic adolescence, I’ve made a point of trying to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  When I was a young, frisky thing, I was almost always ignored on cupid’s big day.  At my high school in Gloucester, Virginia, every Valentine’s Day there was a dreaded list read at the end of the school day. It consisted of all the students– naturally all girls– who had received flowers and needed to pick them up in the office.  My name was NEVER on that list, although I do think one year a friend took pity on me and brought me carnations at home.

Anyway, for many reasons, I’m a lucky lady now.  I married a sweet guy who likes to spoil me and enjoys eating out in restaurants.  We decided to go out for Valentine’s Day this year.  Originally, we were going to try a new to us place in Pliezhausen, but then I started seeing ads for Hotel La Casa’s Valentine’s Day event on Facebook.  Bill and I dined at Hotel La Casa’s Refugio restaurant last year and we were very impressed with it.  So we cancelled our reservations at the first place and booked a table at Refugio.

This was the ad that attracted me…

Normally, reserving at the hotel’s restaurant is very easy to do.  Just use OpenTable.de!  But because the hotel was running a special dinner complete with a musical guest, we had to call directly for tickets, which were 69 euros a piece and included everything but beverages.  They mailed us the tickets, which arrived a day after we ordered them.

Last night’s program consisted of Swing and Jazz Romance hits from the “Golden Twenties”, which isn’t as old fashioned as it might sound.  Virtuoso pianist Duncan Galloway and a male singer whose name I didn’t catch were playing classic hits like “I’m Confessin'”, “Witchcraft”, and “The Girl from Ipanema”.  It was quite enjoyable if you like that sort of thing… and I do.

Our view of the festivities.  We were at Table 1.  I was glad to see they had a full house!

The dinner consisted of four courses.  They had a vegetarian/vegan option and a meat option.  Bill and I opted for the regular meat option.

Bill takes in the scene.

There were candles and flowers and hearts everywhere…

 

I started with champagne.  Bill wanted a bottle of wine with dinner, but they brought him a glass. 

Then they brought out the amuse…  a curried shrimp with red cabbage and pesto.

Next came cod with pureed Jerusalem artichoke and spinach, topped with champagne sauce.

Crustacean soup!  This was delicious, with its clear, briny broth and two shrimp filled raviolis.

Then came the meat course.  This was veal with a medley of Italian vegetables.  I don’t actually eat veal very often, but I will admit this course was very nice.  I gave some of my veal to Bill, who has fewer moral objections to eating it.

A well satisfied date!

Finally, we had dessert, which was white chocolate mousse with hibiscus.  I probably would have preferred chocolate, but this was a nice, light ending.  

 

Hotel La Casa is a beautiful place and I’m hoping someday we can spend a weekend there, sans dogs (because they aren’t allowed).  The spa alone is tempting, but the restaurant is also excellent.  The food has been beautifully presented and delicious on both of our visits and the service is friendly and very professional.  I definitely recommend it for a great date night, especially if you like design.  The dining room is very stylish.

Yours truly, whispering sweet nasties in Bill’s ear.

I asked my Facebook friends if I should go for pretty or cuddly.  They all said cuddly, but Bill wanted pretty… so I went with pretty.  

Anyway, this was another successful Valentine’s Day celebration.  We had a great time and those traumatic memories of my youth have been successfully buried for yet another year.  I hope your Valentine’s Day was just as enjoyable!

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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

Fabulous date night in Tübingen!

Please note: Refugio is now closed as of 2023.  Hotel La Casa is still open.

Bill and I decided to go out to dinner tonight.  We made the decision yesterday, after we couldn’t get a table at our favorite local haunt in Nagold, Osteria da Gino.  I wanted some really nice food and good wine and I wanted to try a different place other than our usual favorite restaurants.  I finally turned to OpenTable.de, where I spotted an interesting listing for a restaurant in Tübingen called Refugio at La Casa.  Refugio is actually a hotel restaurant, which made me a bit wary.  Hotel restaurants can be hit or miss.  When I noticed that Refugio at La Casa got mostly good reviews and had a look at their menu, I decided to book us a 6:30pm reservation.

We arrived at the hotel just a little bit early after lucking into a parking spot directly outside the front door.  When we walked through the revolving door, a very proper receptionist was standing at the ready to greet us, as if she was expecting us.  She probably was, since there were no other restaurant patrons until about an hour later.  Hotel La Casa is located in a residential part of Tübingen.  Though we used to live near the city, tonight was the first time we ever ventured in the southern residential area.  We noticed a parking garage near the hotel.  I’m not sure if it’s public or private.  Limited street parking is around the hotel as well.

Hotel La Casa’s front door.

After helping us with our coats, the lady sent us with a sommelier to our table.  I was immediately impressed by how beautifully decorated the dining room was, with its Spanish and Moroccan accents.  Whoever decorated the lobby, restaurant, and bar has good taste!  There are lots of tables with colorful, scattered throw pillows and exotic light fixtures.  The hand railings are made of brass.  The steps leading into the sunken dining room are covered with some type of silvery metal that I thought was striking.  La Casa is family owned and operated and opened in 2008, which was during the time we were living here the first time.

We were seated at a four top next to a small marble fountain that peacefully dripped water droplets that blended in with the Muzak.  I don’t usually like Muzak very much, but I must admit that I got a kick out of what was playing in the restaurant… lots of hits from the 70s, everything from “The Logical Song” by Supertramp to “Time” by The Alan Parson’s Project.  The sommelier helped me into a very comfortable chair and offered us an aperitif.  I asked for a glass of sekt.  Bill ordered spruedel (mineral water with gas) and asked for the wine list.  Meanwhile, they brought us some wonderful bread with olive oil, salt, and butter.

Bill checks out the menu.

 

The bread was delicious.  Very fresh!  Went well with the sekt, which was semi-sweet, but not too cloying.


Very good local red…

I ventured to the ladies room while Bill chose a wine to go with our dinner.  The waiter, a young, friendly lad who spoke excellent English, helped Bill pick a local red.  In the past, we were a bit wary of German wines.  I’m pleased to announce that the waiter’s suggestion was outstanding.

Then he brought out a very impressive amuse.  I don’t usually like beets much, but this little teaser from the kitchen was excellent, with its cauliflower mousse and perfectly grilled prawn…  The waiter told us that Refugio Chef Jonas Oest has a lot of creative ideas and that’s why they were so glad to get to work with him.

 

At first, I thought the cauliflower mousse might be potato with lots of garlic.  Then I realized it was cauliflower very creatively presented.  I probably enjoy cauliflower less than beets under normal conditions, but tonight I was impressed.

A blurry shot of Bill.  I wish I had waited just a second to get a clearer picture.  Oh well…

 

The dining room is very pretty, with lots of personal yet exotic touches.  I loved the fountain.

 

I started with a velvety Topinambur soup, served with two sea scallops and garnished with herb oil.  This soup was delicious.  The scallops were perfectly seared, just so they were cooked but not rubbery.  And it’s always a pleasure to find scallops in southern Germany, especially when they are properly prepared.

 

Bill had Kaninchen Ravioli– rabbit ravioli– which consisted of rabbit, black olives, pine nuts, herbs, and Parmesan cheese.  I didn’t try his starter because I don’t want to develop a taste for rabbit.  He loved it, though.  Must be his Arkansas roots.

 

My main course was rinderfilet (beef tenderloin), cooked to medium and served with a mustard sauce, bread dumplings, and vegetables.  The meat was so tender you could cut it with a spoon.  Given my preference, I would have liked the mustard on the side.  It was a little too intense for my taste.  A lighter touch would have made it easier to taste the beef.  I still enjoyed it very much.

 

Bill had roast saddle of lamb served with carrots and parsley root.  I did try the lamb.  I don’t usually like lamb, but I will admit that this was very good.  Not gamey at all and very tender.

For dessert, I had creme brulee, which came with a red berry compote and currant sorbet.  I probably would have been happy enough with just the sorbet, but I am always up for burnt custard when I can get it.

 

Bill had pannacotta of oat, a vegan sweet with quince ice cream and oat crumbles.   I did notice that there were a few options for non meat eaters, though the selection is not very large.

 

As we were enjoying our dinners, I couldn’t help but remember the crappy experience we had at the fancy Swiss hotel restaurant we tried back in December.  At Refugio, the wait staff was genuinely helpful and service oriented.  There was no egregious attempt at upselling.  It was clear to me that they were hoping we enjoyed ourselves.  In fact, when we mentioned we live in Germany and might be tempted to come spend a night, the waiter was sincerely happy and invited us to speak to the receptionist about their specials.  I can see this is a family owned business; that would account for the very professional, courteous, and genuinely kind service we received tonight.  I was very impressed.

I visited the ladies room again to process the wine and water and noticed that the restroom was spotlessly clean and stocked with high end toiletries, as well as thick washcloths.  I couldn’t help but wish we were spending the night.  I bet the rooms are beautiful.  I also noticed the spa.  I’m kind of hoping Bill and I can sneak away for a weekend in Tübingen sometime.  I know we live only about 40 minutes away, but we both love that town and would enjoy the chance to take in the nightlife.  It was easier to do that when we lived in Pfaeffingen the first time we were here.

Total damage for tonight’s beautiful dinner was 181 euros and 30 cents.  It was definitely worth it and we were allowed to pay by credit card.  We will have to go back another time and spend the night.  I’m sure it goes without saying that this restaurant is not kid friendly.

I think Refugio is well worth a visit and, even though it’s a hotel restaurant, offers great potential for a nice adult oriented date night outside of Stuttgart.  I highly recommend it.

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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

Lunch at Forelle Weinstube in Tübingen… and a puzzling pigeon…

Since today is Veteran’s Day and we missed our Saturday outing last weekend, Bill and I decided to go to Tübingen this afternoon for lunch and a brief shopping excursion at Vinum.  I wanted to dine at Forelle Weinstube, an adorable restaurant I remembered from our first time in the Stuttgart area, but according to their Web site, Wednesday was supposed to be their Ruhetag.  We decided to check there anyway, since Google said they were open… and, as things tend to go with Google, Google happened to be right.  I was glad they were open because I remembered having a really nice meal there seven years ago.  I wanted to see if they were still good.

We arrived at about 1:30pm, just as the lunch crowd was winding down.  A kind waitress offered us a table and we decided to have a leisurely lunch with a bottle of locally produced Riesling.  As we waited for the wine, I looked around and was charmed by how quaint the interior was.  It truly looks like a stereotypical old fashioned German restaurant.

The outside of the restaurant on a street tucked away from the main drag.  Forelle is the German word for trout and they do have it on the menu.

Bill checks out the menu.  They had a special today, but he went with the Linsenteller, while I had trout…

 

Loved the murals on the walls and ceiling, and the etched windows.  It’s a very homey place.

Bill’s lentils… came with spatzle and pork cheeks.  He said it was very satisfying.  My gut tells me he’ll be regular tomorrow and probably the next day.

My trout.  This came with a small green salad dressed with a light mustard vinaigrette.  I really enjoyed this dish, though at 19,80, it was the most expensive thing on the menu during lunch.  They do offer a small portion for about three euros less.  

 

View of the bar area.  The restaurant is small, so there’s no one actually sitting there.  They do appear to have an upstairs dining area, too.

 

Nice wine glasses…

 

After lunch, we had double espressos.  I knew that I was asking for trouble drinking wine, water, and espresso and knowing we were headed for Vinum, where there are free samples aplenty.  But my appetite won out over my sense of practicality and I indulged.  Then I visited the ladies room and sadly, the toilet wouldn’t flush.  Oops.

Loved their espresso glasses.  They were made so our fingers didn’t touch the hot liquid.  Reminded me of the cool beer glasses we saw at the beer museum in Lisbon, Portugal.  

After we paid the check, which came to about 66 euros, we headed for Vinum and tried some wines.  An American couple came in while we were shopping, though I might not have pegged them as Americans immediately.  The guy was wearing a Jack Wolfskin jacket and had a beard.  Bill chatted with them a bit while I taste tested a few reds.  We used our handy wine caddy bag, which which the lady at Vinum was impressed, and refilled our bottle from Vinum’s wine tap.  On the way out of Vinum, I heard a guy playing Vivaldi on an accordion.  It was interesting and he was surprisingly good, though if I wanted to hear Vivaldi, I probably wouldn’t choose to hear it played on an accordion.

Nice church shot…

By the time we left Vinum, my bladder was starting to sound off.  So we stopped at Ranitzky’s coffeehouse, which is right on the big square near the Rathaus in Tübingen.  It was a prime spot for people watching and enjoying hot chocolate.  My stomach neither needed the extra calories nor did my bladder need the extra liquid, but it did give me a chance to process more of the fluids I had at lunch and at Vinum.

Coffee break.

 

Bill had a large hot chocolate without cream.

I had a Bailey’s hot chocolate… it was very yummy.  They also have lots of tempting desserts, drinks, and light food.

 

While we were enjoying hot chocolate, we did some people watching…  I observed a drunk bum chugging what appeared to be vodka from a bottle as he staggered across the square.  Of course, it could have been water, too.

Bill people watches…

 

Rathaus… I was glad to see more of the construction is done.  Will it ever end?

 
 

Remnants of the market…  Most of the booths were shutting down as we arrived.  This was still open at 3:00 or so.

We saw a bunch of kids checking out the fountain and a woman walked by with her “bagel” (beagle and basset hound mix).

Then, we observed a woman looking curiously at what appeared to be a dead pigeon, only it was sitting on its feet…

Lots of people stopped to observe this bird, which made no move even when people got within a foot or two away.  Bill wondered if someone was doing a science experiment or something.  

 

I remembered my former German neighbor from our first tour here saying that it’s against the law to feed pigeons in the city and that locals refer to them as “rats from the sky.”  But still, a lot of people were curious and maybe even concerned.  I decided I wanted to pick up some Ammertal whiskey, so we went into Silberburg and bought a small bottle.

We never tried this the last time we lived here, though it is made in Unterjesingen, which was the town next to where we used to live and very close to Tübingen.

 
They had a nice selection…
 

When we came out of Silberburg, a woman had picked up the seemingly dead pigeon and we saw its wings flap feebly.  I guess the bird was sick or something.  Reminds me a little of the time we visited Nagold’s castle and a whole bunch of people were gathered around a dying mouse.  Someone finally picked the poor creature up and moved it to a more private place for its final death throes.  I don’t think the pigeon was quite so lucky.

We decided to head home, though I knew my bladder was going to be aching soon.  On the way out of the city, I spied some graffiti.

And a charming street scene…

 

Bill was going to drive back on B28, which is kind of the long way back to our town.  I asked him to head back to Jettingen via Poltringen instead.  It saved us significant time, helped us avoid traffic, and got me to a bathroom sooner.  Don’t think I wasn’t tempted to stop off on the side of the road, though…

Stop here for fresh milk, eggs, and onions.

 

All in all, we had a very pleasant afternoon.  It’s always a pleasure to visit Tübingen.  We used to go there all the time when we lived here in 07-09.  This time, we’re trying to see more of the area around Stuttgart.  But I am never disappointed when we visit one of my favorite college towns.  We’ll have to go back soon.

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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

A quick trip to Bad Urach to see the waterfall…

Since it’s Labor Day weekend and we didn’t make any travel plans, I really wanted to try to do something different today.  Sadly, after last night’s indulgent dinner and wine excursion, Bill and I got off to a slow start.  Finally, around noon, I got dressed and Bill asked me what I wanted to do.  I said I wanted to visit Bad Urach.

I actually wanted to see the town of Bad Urach and, perhaps, drop by their thermal baths.  But Bill determined that we needed to hike up the famous Bad Urach waterfall.  We set off from Unterjettingen at about 1:00 after I had a brief OCD moment worrying whether or not I had shut the door firmly.  Bill had thought to pack me a bag of peanuts in case I got hangry, but I had a better idea.  I said we should stop in Tübingen and have lunch.  Bill agreed, and we ended up having a really nice meal at Die Kelter, which is a very cool restaurant on the main drag coming away from our favorite parking garage near the university clinic.
We last dined at Die Kelter last time we lived in Germany, though we have since been in there for drinks.  Die Kelter has a very unique atmosphere and very good food.  In fact, today when we had lunch, I couldn’t get over how great the place smelled… kind of like fresh bread and Mom’s Sunday roast.  
Bill looking bored…  It’s time to order him some new clothes.
We  sat at one of the big tables on the main floor and a friendly waiter who spoke perfect English took care of us.  I had the New York pastrami on focaccia with a salad.  Bill had the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and fried potatoes.  He had mint iced tea and I had a beer.  But before lunch could begin, I had to hike to the ladies room.  And when I say hike, I mean hike.  You have to go up two or three flights of stairs (I lost count) to get to the toilet.
There are several of these signs to help you in case you lose your way…

Here’s a shot of the restaurant.  I took it on the way back down to our table.  Cool, huh?

Nice Baisinger beer.  Locally brewed and I think it’s Die Kelter’s brew of choice.  The bread was very fresh and yummy.

My delicious pastrami.  Seriously, this was very good, and at 13 euros, not too pricey.  The pastrami was cool to the touch, with a toasted focaccia bread bottom.  It was served with a nice mustard sauce on the bread.  The salad was delicious, especially because of the dressing.  I don’t usually eat a lot of salad, but I could eat this every day.  The dressing was like crack.  And the cherry tomatoes were sweet and almost like candy.

Curiously, Bill’s sandwich (which the waiter said was a good choice) was advertised on the “small hunger” part of the menu.  It was also very good.  I enjoyed helping Bill eat the potatoes.

Bill is waiting for the bill…

A couple more interior shots.

Well worth a visit!  We’ll be back again.  

With our hunger satiated, we went back to the car and watched as a nervous woman tried very hard to get out of her parking spot.  I guess she and her man were teaching a young guy with them how to drive.  We were stuck behind them for awhile and it was a bit hair raising.  But soon, we were out of the city and the countryside turned pretty.  I told Bill I wished we’d gotten an earlier start because I knew I’d want to see more than the falls…

First glimpse of the trail to the waterfalls.  There is a train station located very close for those who’d rather ride the train than drive.  Plenty of parking is available, too.  You have to pay to park, but the pass is good all day.  There is no charge to see the waterfall.

By the time we parked and Bill got his parkschein, I really had to pee.  Sadly, there were no public toilets to be found.  There was a restaurant nearby, but I figured there would be something near the falls.  I was mistaken.  

Though I badly needed to find a toilet, I tried to focus on the natural beauty of the Bad Urach area.  Clouds were rolling in and it made for some very dramatic photography.

But then we came upon a swiftly rushing brook… just what my aching bladder needed!  

Castle ruins in the distance.  We weren’t up to hiking there today.  Perhaps another time.

There were many people at the waterfalls today.  With no bathroom in sight, I was hoping to be able to pull off the trail and find a bush.  Unfortunately, the opportunity didn’t present itself and even if there had been a good bush to duck behind, the throngs of people made it difficult to do so discreetly. Just as I was about to lose hope, I spotted what looked like a deep dry creek bed with lots of tree cover and a convenient overhang.  I sneaked down into the creek bed, found a private spot, and took a glorious whiz away from the glare of onlookers.  It’s a good thing I did, too…  It would not have been fun to hike up the falls needing to whiz.

We reached the base of the falls, where a sign warned us against drinking the water.  It looked cool, clear, and clean, but apparently it’s been known to cause waterborne illnesses.  I’ve had giardia before.  Don’t need a repeat experience.

We started the walk up the falls, which mostly consisted of taking some steps up the side.  I’m pretty slow going up these things since I’m not very thin or fit, but there were many fearless kids running down as if the steps were nothing.  There are no handrails.  I did my best mountain goat impression as I made up way up.  I was sad to see that some people had thoughtlessly left trash in the area.
The roots on this tree reminded me of a horde of fighting monkeys.

About halfway up.


At the top…  I am told that there’s usually more water, but we didn’t have much rain over the summer.

The view off the top of the falls.

People making their way up.

I managed to annoy several people behind Bill and me because I took my time going down.  Like I said, I’m not as fit as I’d like to be and the last thing I want to do is break my ass coming down those hard steps.  They finally made a move to pass just as I was putting out my hand for balance.  One of them said, “Hallo.”  I stepped aside, let them pass, and asked Bill if there was anybody else.  He said no, then got in front of me and let me steady myself by putting my hand on his shoulder as we descended.  Oh, how I miss the days when I was a kid and hadn’t yet fallen on my face in public.

Dramatic shots of the castle ruins.

On the way back to the car, Bill decided to pull off at the same place I did and relieve himself.  Of course, when he did that, he attracted the curiosity of a couple who were wondering what they were missing.  I wanted to say that all they were missing was my husband taking a whiz.  You can see that on the side of the autobahn anytime.  The same couple was ahead of us and I had a good laugh when someone walking the other way inexplicably said “Hallo!” in a cheery tone of voice.  She laughed as she passed and the male half of the couple turned and stared at her with a confused expression on his face.  I guess random people don’t go around saying “Hello!” so enthusiastically in these parts.

While Bill peed, I distracted myself by taking a photo of this tree.

An adorable and friendly golden retriever took an extended dip in the creek.  Bill almost got a shower when the dog came up and shook off the excess water in front of him.

Another shot of the dog playing fetch in the water.

We left Bad Urach after our short visit, vowing to come back and see more sometime soon.  On the way back to Unterjettingen, we decided to see the Mad Scientist at Agais in Entringen.  We didn’t really need to eat, but we knew he needed the business and it’s always fun to see him.  So we dropped in at just before 5:30 and had a nice Greek meal.

Beer instead of wine…

A small salad…

I had grilled turkey.  Bill had souvlaki, which I didn’t photograph because he’s had it before.  I have had the turkey before, but not since we moved back to Germany.  It was a nice change of pace.
When we got home, Zane and Arran went absolutely nuts.  They showered me with beagle kisses after they ate their dinner and had a potty break.  They had a brief play session.  Now, I suspect they’re asleep.
We had a really good day, despite starting off with a hangover.  Next weekend will be even better because we’ll be in Austria while everyone else is back at work!
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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

Restaurant Rosenau in Tübingen

I thought Bill and I were going to be going out for French food last night.  A couple of months ago, I had done an Internet search of French restaurants and somehow the Rosenau ended up at the top of my search string.  I looked over the menu and thought it was interesting, but kind of pricey.  I eventually forgot about the place.

Then on Friday night, we went to Tommi’s Bistro and had a wonderful steak dinner.  I decided yesterday afternoon, I wanted to try another restaurant I had never been to before.  That’s when I thought of Rosenau again.  I convinced Bill we needed a real date night and he made an online reservation through their Web site.  It turned out he didn’t have to do that, but not knowing anything about the restaurant, we decided to be safe.

I was going to wear a dress, but ended up changing into pants because it was chilly!

Getting to the Restaurant Rosenau turned out to be an interesting experience.  Though we already knew how to get to Tübingen, our GPS system decided to take us a shorter way, which involved driving on narrow roads and through quaint little towns while being tailgated by impatient locals.  We ended up driving right past Pfäffingen, which is the town we lived in the first time we were in Germany.  I’m always happy to drive through that area, since that’s where I learned to enjoy living in Germany.  It’s also a delightfully pretty town.

We got to the Rosenau restaurant just in time for our 7:00 reservation.  The parking lot was somewhat full of cars.  That’s when I realized that the restaurant is also a very nice looking gasthaus, though I couldn’t tell if the gasthaus side of it was running.  It was a bit cloudy and misty last night and it was getting very dark by the time we parked, but I could see that the restaurant and hotel are in sort of a picturesque rural area that made me think of a farm.  I bet when the sun is out, it’s beautiful.  The parking lot was next to a meadow and I could see charming timbered buildings that have probably been there for centuries.

The outside of the restaurant…

A very friendly waitress who bore a slight resemblance to Celine Dion greeted us warmly as we entered the dining room.  We were invited to choose a table.  I picked one out near the fireplace, which wasn’t operating last night.  The waitress apologized for not having menus in English.  That was okay, though, since Bill and I both need to practice our German.  We can navigate German menus pretty well most of the time, anyway.

Bill looking handsome in clothes I picked out for him.  😉

Bill chose a Bordeaux from the wine list as I realized that the restaurant’s cuisine was more high class Schwabish-French food than straight French.  They had a number of nice selections, though, and even offered a degustation menu.  Our server spoke English and had a really pleasant personality, smiling more often than the average German does.  I’m kidding, of course.  Although she really did smile a lot and was very warm and engaging.  She lit a candle for us as I admired the fresh flowers on the table and left us to decide what we wanted for dinner.

We enjoyed very fresh baguettes with butter and an herbal spread that was a little sour.  There was a simple white baguette and one that had different seeds in it.  Both were delicious and I was tempted to eat a lot of it, but knew I needed to save room.

An amuse.  This was what tasted like some kind of fish croquette with carrot and herbal creme.  It was good!

 

I started with onion soup.  It consisted of caramelized onions with homemade Parmesan croutons, and a clear broth.  This was a nice starter, since it wasn’t too heavy.  Our server poured the soup out of a small kettle into the bowl.

Bill had a nice salad with venison.  I did taste the venison, which was very fresh.

 

I had duck with what could best be described as potato croquettes but were actually called Dauphine potatoes.  They were pretty sinful.  My duck was cooked to medium and served with a cream sauce and what tasted like a red wine sauce.  I managed to finish most of this, though I was saving room for dessert…   

Bill had sauerbraten.  The beef was literally tender enough that you could cut it with a spoon!  They were served with pretzel dumplings and red cabbage.

Our wine…

 

I was determined to have dessert, even though I find that the older I get, the less food I can eat at one sitting.  That declining ability to eat food has had no effect on my waistline.  That’s the only reason why I left a few bites on my plate.

I ordered what turned out to be sort of a panoply of desserts.  There was panna cotta, chocolate mousse, a tiny almond cookie, grapes, blueberry sorbet, and I’m not sure what the little orange slivers up by the panna cotta were.  I’d guess they were another panna cotta, but they were very mild and had sort of an orange flavor.

Bill had a similar dessert, except his included a banana cake (in the cup), chocolate ice cream, and banana ice cream with pistachios.  In the little shot glass was a type of creme which I didn’t try…

We ended with a round of espresso, which was served with tiny Ritter Sports and a small plate of cookies.  We noticed another couple choosing digestives from a cart that a server wheeled over to them.

I had to sneak a photo of the beautiful stained glass lighting in the middle of the dining room.  I wonder what they have to do when a light bulb burns out.

Outside menu…

Service at Rosenau was mostly impeccable.  Our charming server was extremely professional and practiced excellent table maintenance.  She was very poised and when she couldn’t think of the English word for the sorbet, even went to the kitchen and Googled it for me.  She did sort of disappear at the end of the meal, but her colleague brought us our check.  The total bill for this meal was 138 euros before the tip.  It was well worth what we spent.

The atmosphere at Rosenau seemed to be geared toward older people, though we did notice one group of younger folks who appeared to be celebrating a birthday.  Most people were dressed in what we’d call “business casual” attire, though there were a couple of people in jeans.

One thing to note is that all of the chairs in the dining room have arms on them.  I wouldn’t mention this, except that I used to wait tables and observed that some people have trouble sitting in chairs with arms.

I think Restaurant Rosenau would make a good date night restaurant.  It looked like they had a really nice garden area for al fresco dining.  As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, we may have to venture back.  The surrounding area is just lovely.  An added convenience is the ample and free parking… not something you can always find in Germany!

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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

Another trip to Tubingen!

I always love the square!

 

Bill and I decided to go to Tubingen yesterday because we wanted to stop by Vinum and look for some new glassware.  We didn’t end up getting glasses, but we did have a great time tasting and buying some wines and picking up Belgian beers.  Adding to the fun was a small group of Russian buskers who were playing beautiful classical music on brass instruments.  They were also selling CDs.  We probably should have bought one, since I love to support musicians.  We ended up going to the LUSH store instead, where we were talked into buying some shower gel and lotion.  That was the first time we had ever been to LUSH, though that store was there when we lived here last time.  You can smell it before you see it.

I love visiting Tubingen.  It’s such a neat town!

Bill waiting for service at Neckarmuller…

 

We had a late lunch at Neckarmuller, which is a very cool brewery restaurant.  In the warmer months, they have a nice biergarten.  Yesterday, it was dark and rainy, so there were many people inside having lunch.  We ended up squeezed between two tables of Germans who seemed baffled as to why Americans were having lunch in Tubingen.  Our waiter was very charming and funny, though.

I had turkey with a baked potato served with garlic sour cream and butter.  There was also a very nice salad.  Bill had beer roasted beef served with gravy and pretzel dumplings.  Naturally, we enjoyed beers too!  I couldn’t even come close to finishing all of this. 

Dessert!

 

On the way home, we stopped by Agais in Entringen for dessert.  I must admit, part of the reason we stopped was because I really needed to relieve myself after drinking beer.  But it was fun to talk to the Mad Scientist, too.  We were his only customers.  I made him smile when I noticed a piece of artwork on the wall that depicted a man and a woman.  I asked if it was him in the art and he said it was him and his “first love”.  Then he showed us a picture of him bare chested and standing by a boat in 1980.  He had just caught a huge swordfish.

If we hadn’t have been so full, we would have had dinner, but he ended up making 30 euros off of us anyway.  We came home, hung out, and went to bed… and today, we are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary!

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