Yesterday afternoon, it was cloudy and damp, and the skies were kind of dark. I wasn’t really in the mood to venture out, but changed my mind when I realized that it had been ages since I last left our neighborhood. I had considered going to the Globus, but realized how huge and overwhelming that place is, even when it’s not days before Christmas. I thought about going to AAFES to pick up some skin cream, but Bill also mentioned going to the commissary to buy groceries, which I really didn’t feel like doing.
So, although the Wiesbaden Christmas Market pretty much looks the same every year, we decided we’d go there and get some photos… We did that, and also visited BrewDog for a late afternoon lunch. Below are some photos from our outing. The sandwiches we had at BrewDog were good, but I see that I didn’t even take photos of them, which is a rare thing for me!
Love these hats!Dude, where is your shirt?!
I wore a heavy coat, which I didn’t need to do. I thought it was colder than it was, because there was a stiff breeze at our house in Breckenheim. But, as you can see in the photos above, there were people who wore short sleeves and shorts. One guy, which I got a photo of, even took off his shirt. I noticed him making a hasty exit as a group of stern looking Polizei got close.
I’m glad we went to the Christmas market. It was very pretty, especially when it got dark outside at around 4:30PM. I saw a lot of nice looking things– some of which were very cute and creative– and I might have been interested in buying some of them, but it’s hard for me to shop when there are hordes of people around. I guess the grandchildren will get an Epiphany box, instead of a Christmas box. But Bill already sent a box of stuff we picked up on our latest travels, so they’ll have something to unwrap on Christmas day.
We might end up going to AAFES today… Lord, give me strength. I would like to go to Globus, too, but it’s Sunday… Maybe next weekend, when it’s sale time. The market was crowded yesterday, but I’ve seen it worse. At least we didn’t have to hunt too long for a parking spot.
After I did my blog writing yesterday, I was sitting in my steamy office pouring sweat, rather impatiently waiting for our new mattress and air conditioner to be delivered in two different shipments. I had moved the old air conditioner to the bedroom, until the new one got to us. I have since moved that AC back into the office, so my sweaty days are over, for now.
The mattress arrived first. I had already completely stripped the bed by 1:00 PM, when the two guys arrived with our new bedding. We were expecting to have to schlep it up the stairs, but the delivery guys kindly did that for us.
Once the new mattress arrived, Bill and I wrangled the old mattress off the bed, cursing the fact that, for some reason, it didn’t have handles on the sides. We pushed the old mattress into the hallway, and then while Bill unwrapped the new one from its plastic, I vacuumed up all of the dust, dirt, hair, and trash that was under the bed since we moved in back in 2018. It was pretty gross, though not quite as gross as it was when we moved out of Jettingen in late 2018.
We put the new mattress on the bed, and worked up a sweat putting the cover, foam topper, and feather bed on it, then the sheets and duvets. I sat down on it and was immediately impressed by how much better the new mattress is. For one thing, there’s no “hill” in the middle of it! We do have the old box springs, but that’s okay for now. We’ll check back again to see if they get any in at AAFES so we can replace those, too.
About an hour later, the new AC showed up. We did have to haul that upstairs, and it wasn’t easy. But, we managed to get it into our bedroom, and Bill set it up quickly. It’s much quieter than our old one, and does a good job keeping the room cool while we sleep.
This morning, Bill was noticeably well rested and in a good mood. It occurred to me that once you get to our ages, things like mattress replacement should be a priority. Good rest is essential for good health, and better work. I did wake up a time or two last night, but I don’t think it had more to do with the mattress than my need to pee.
The new air conditioner is a bit more compact than its predecessor and came with a remote control that works well. I think the other AC also had a remote, but we bought it as a floor model at a Media Markt in Nagold. So this new machine is a step up, and well worth the money. I’m too old and crotchety to wake up hot and sweaty… and given that menopause is upon me, it’s even more important to have an AC. I know the AC will probably be tucked away for the winter a month from now, but to me, the money to be comfortable for the last few weeks of summer was very well spent.
The air conditioner came from Amazon.de. I’d rather not give Bezos money, but sometimes, the logistics are just easier with Amazon. This was one of those occasions. I had to give the driver a six digit code to accept this shipment. I guess they’ve had problems with people taking stuff that isn’t theirs. I didn’t have to give anyone a code when we got our new washer and dryer in 2023.
Now, it’s time to do something about my OLD Mini Cooper, which is long overdue for retirement. Stay tuned for that update.
Although it is Memorial Day weekend, Bill has been working on a project at his job that took him away yesterday morning. To make it up to me, he decided to take me out to dinner at Akropolis Restaurant in Erbenheim, a suburb of Wiesbaden. We had never been to this restaurant before, and it had been awhile since our last Greek food repast. I was all for going out last night at first… but then, as the weather got gloomier and it threatened to rain, I kind of wished we were going to stay home and snuggle. Nevertheless, we went out, anyway.
Bill was fretting about the parking situation at the restaurant, which is located right next to a train stop. He needn’t have worried. There’s a little dirt lane by the restaurant where people park their cars, free of charge. The restaurant also has a very small lot with a few spaces specifically marked for patrons. We arrived just as the train was stopping.
The restaurant was doing a brisk business when we arrived last night. We had a choice of two tables. There was a two top by a stained glass window, or a three top by the wall. We went for the three top and used the extra chair for our jackets and my brand new purse. Below are a few shots of the neighborhood near the restaurant. I was eerily reminded of Vaihingen, near Stuttgart.
I really liked the art in the restaurant, especially where we were sitting. I even took a couple of photos. I was less impressed by the music, which was too loud for my taste, and sounded like Greek pop. I also didn’t like the chairs, which were well cushioned, but uncomfortably narrow, and they all had armrests. Granted, I am overweight, but so are a lot of other people… I’m sure if I was uncomfortable, other patrons have been uncomfortable, too. There was a larger man sitting behind me whom I’m sure didn’t like the chairs, either. That said, I guess I need to take more walks and drink less beer. Maybe my ass will get smaller.
The tree art was especially interesting. It was textured. I’d like to hang that in our living room.
Bill ordered a bottle of wine and a large bottle of sparkling water for us to share. For dinner, I ordered pork gyros with potato “chips” (more like soft medallions) and t’zatziki. Bill got the bifteki, which was a mixture of chopped beef, lamb, and vegetables stuffed with cheese. Both dishes came with a small, simple salad, which I really appreciated. Bill finished his dish, while I took about half of mine home. Maybe I’ll finish it today or tomorrow.
When it came time to pay, there was an issue with the credit card machine, which, for some reason, wouldn’t accept Bill’s card. Fortunately, he had enough cash to pay the check. I think it came to about 77 euros, or so. We killed the pain with a house shot of ouzo.
It was still daylight when we got home. We enjoyed the rest of the evening inside, listening to music. Today, it’s kind of cold and rainy. I liked the Akropolis Restaurant fine, although the chair was uncomfortable. After awhile, I didn’t notice it that much. If we go back, I’ll probably order a different dish, as the gyros were a little too seasoned for my taste.
I’m not sure what we’ll do today… perhaps we’ll visit post and price new mattresses. We REALLY need a new one, but our bed is an American king, and it’s hard to find those on the German economy. We bought our first bed and mattress together at the PX on Fort Belvoir, about 20 years ago. We still have that mattress. And we bought another bed set and mattress at a Haverty’s in Georgia back in 2009. That mattress is in dire need of replacement. It’s like sleeping in two valleys. But it may be a real pain to buy a mattress from AAFES (the PX), because it will probably have to be ordered, and that will take awhile. Plus, there’s the issue of getting it set up– I’m not sure if they offer a white glove service. We’ll investigate it, just the same. My back needs a break.
Below are a few photos I took of a beautiful yellow rose bush in my neighborhood. I love how Germans take care of their gardens and have so many beautiful flowers in the spring, even though it wreaks havoc on my allergies…
I also replaced my beautiful green leather purse this week– the one I bought in Florence, back in 2022. The strap on it needs repair. I ordered a brown version of the same purse from the same retailer in Florence, Pelleteria Fratellini. I like the brown purse, and it will probably go with more things… but I really love the green one. We’ll have to get the strap fixed. They didn’t have any green ones in stock when I looked last weekend.
I was amused to see that one of our neighbors was apparently getting rid of a desk. I happen to have an identical IKEA desk that I inherited from our very first German landlord in Ammerbuch. At the time, he worked for IBM, but he now works as a mental health therapist in Tübingen. We really liked him. Before we met our current landlord, he was the best landlord we’d ever had. I think he and Bill have a lot in common. I hope he’s doing well.
This desk is just like mine, except it’s in better shape. My desk was originally purchased by our first German landlord.
Well, that about does it for today’s post. Very soon, I’ll be planning our trip to Lithuania for my birthday. That will be exciting, because Lithuania is another country to cross off our bucket list. It will be the first time either of us have visited.
I’m interrupting my Italy series for a quick photo dump of pictures from this week. We have some photos from our weekly market on Thursday. Bill and I picked up a few items for dinner, including chicken shawarma sandwiches from a new Syrian vendor we’d never seen before. The guy spoke English, was very friendly, and seemed delighted to talk to Bill about Doha, Qatar. As for the rest of the people at the market, they seemed to be giving us the side-eye more than usual. My guess it’s because they know we’re Americans and Trump is a major league asshole… Oh, and there’s also a photo of me in a Guinness hat Bill got at the drink market.
Charlie is glad to be home.
And then today, we went on post so I could buy makeup. Afterwards, I was feeling hungry, so we went into Wiesbaden and had lunch at the Ratskeller Biergarten. There, I had a Haxn Salad and a Hefeweizen. Bill had Tafelspitz (beef with horseradish sauce) and a Dunkel. Nice to see people and dogs out and about, flowers blooming, and open outdoor spaces! Our IKEA also set up a Swedish Easter decoration!
We have nice weather today, and several fests are going on. I was thinking I might like to go to one in a town near us, since I knew there would be wine, food, and live music. But just after we got on A 66, we hit a Stau… that is, a traffic jam. We must have gotten to it pretty soon after a wreck, as a couple of ambulances passed us while we sat behind an endless processional of cars.
It was just after one o’clock when we hit the Stau, and about 1:45pm when we were finally moving again. We were both so irritated and hangry that we decided to just go to AAFES on post and pick up a few necessary items. I hadn’t been to the PX in many months… it’s probably been over a year. I needed to get some new makeup, because the stuff I’ve been using is probably from the pre-pandemic days. Bill also wanted to get shit bags for the dogs, and an Internet extender for the house.
By the time we were done shopping, we had spent well over $200, mostly on my cosmetics, because I don’t use cheap stuff. I usually buy Lancome, but there wasn’t any way to tell which shades things were, so I switched to Estee Lauder. Then we went to the Pizza Hut Express and got a pizza, which was pretty crappy. Pizza Hut used to be pretty good, back when you could go there and sit in the restaurant for dinner. Now, it’s kind of yucky. But it was handy to get it, since it was after 2pm, and we were both grouchy.
When we got home, the dogs were ecstatic. Noyzi goosed us both in the ass. Then I noticed a funny Carolyn Hax column in the Washington Post, about a woman who was pregnant and having to deal with her mother-in-law treating her like her grandchild’s vessel. For example, they’d go out for Thai food, and Grandma would say, “If that’s what Baby wants…”
My response was, “I’d tell her Baby would rather have a double gin martini.” For some reason, people thought that was a really funny quip. In honor of it, Bill made us gin martinis. See the featured photo for that. 😉
Below are a few photos from the highly annoying Stau. We were used to those in Stuttgart. They aren’t so common up here in Wiesbaden. Good thing we didn’t have our hearts set on doing anything special or having lunch anywhere good.
Get back in your car, guy!
And no, I did not commit Beleidigung today, although the impulse was there. The martini was made from gin we bought from Vom Fass in Wels, Austria. We finally finished the bottle.
Regular readers of my main blog may notice that I’ve been kind of crabby lately. I was especially irritable yesterday, since I was trying to write the blog post I posted earlier today while listening to kids outside my window shrieking and trying to respond to a private message. I get really cranky when I’m trying to write and can’t concentrate on what I’m doing. I probably should have been on ADD meds when I was a kid because I am very easily distracted. On top of that, I had a tension headache, and Bill was bugging me about going to AAFES. We did need to go to AAFES (military run department store), even though I hate going there, especially now that everyone has to wear face masks.
Military facilities are even more anal retentive about COVID-19 protocol than other places are. Although the guards have stopped giving drivers the third degree every time they enter the gates, there’s still a very strict mask requirement, entry and exit protocol, and handwashing detail. And while it may be necessary for sparing people from getting sick, I also remember that not too long ago, it was not uncommon to find the restrooms at AAFES in pretty disgusting shape. I have pictures of ones I encountered in Stuttgart as well as vivid memories of the remnants of other people’s dumps lingering in the toilets at the food courts. So while enforcing the over-the-top COVID-19 requirements may be a very good idea right now, they seem rather disingenuous to me after a lifetime of patronizing the BX/PX (AAFES).
I finally gave up on the blog post after trying to upload a few photos. I came back to my post, only to find that over half of it was somehow wiped out. After uttering a few choice words at the computer screen, I went downstairs, where Bill was busily “beagle proofing” (although Arran is probably more of a pointer than a beagle). He asked me if I was hungry. I legitimately wasn’t, although I knew that we were about to hit the dreaded “pause” hour of 2:00pm. Bill proposed picking up a pizza from Pizza Hut, because I had mentioned getting a pizza somewhere (I meant at a real restaurant). I used to like Pizza Hut pizzas, but they have really gone downhill over the past ten years or so.
So anyway, we went to AAFES. I dutifully put on the fucking mask and washed my hands, rushing to pick up the few items I needed… expensive Lancome face cream for my middle aged face, ponytail holders for my growing grey hair, and a couple of new dog toys for Arran to replace the ones he’s destroyed. I love that Arran is ten and still loves his toys. I don’t love that he only recently quit using my favorite rug as a Hundetoilet. God help us when the new pooch moves in, sometime soon. Bill picked up some more shit bags for the dog walking, of which we could soon be legally compelled to do twice as much of at some point soon (though I doubt it will be enforced).
As we were waiting in the obnoxious checkout line that stretched down the lotion and skincare aisle, Bill asked me what I wanted to do about lunch. I had no desire to eat in the food court, so initially, I said we should go by Five Guys and get takeout. But then I remembered Little Italy, a great restaurant I’ve blogged about several times since our move to Wiesbaden. There is a Little Italy on post. That’s not the one I’m writing about now. I am referring to a small restaurant in the heart of Wiesbaden, where they serve lovely Italian dishes, nice wines, and luscious desserts. Before the pandemic, we used to go there fairly often. Yesterday was our first time back since February, I think.
Bill made a reservation on OpenTable.de, noting that Little Italy does not take an afternoon pause. We got there at about 2:15pm. The proprietor, a friendly bald guy who speaks English, looked slightly panicked when Bill announced our arrival. Bill then noticed that the entire dining room was set as if there was going to be a large party. But when Bill said we had a reservation, he told us to find a table outside. The weather was glorious, so that was a pleasure to do.
A lovely young woman came over to take our drink order and have us sign the paperwork for contract tracing. Bill got me a glass of white wine from Sicily. He got himself a white wine from Lugano. Then, we both ordered dishes from the specials, presented on a chalk board in front of us. Bill had saltimbocca made of dorade. I had a salmon filet with rucola pesto, mashed sweet potatoes, and ratatouille (pisto).
A familiar place. We love to have late Sunday lunches at Little Italy.
Yesterday’s specials…
I sat next to the big bottles of bubbly. A little girl of about three came over and picked them up. She was a strong little thing.
Salmon filet with rucola pesto, mashed sweet potatoes, and pisto.
Bill’s saltimbocca of dorade with tagliatelle.
Festive tree!
Tiramisu for Bill…
Limoncello sorbet with vodka, pears, and mangoes for me…
A sword in the stone.
While we were waiting for our food, a large group of well-dressed people showed up. I soon gathered that this was why the proprietor had looked a little stressed when we arrived. There were bottles of bubbly chilling in ice buckets until umbrellas near us. I had mistakenly thought they had set up a little wine stand, but no, that was for the people partying at Little Italy. Hopefully, none of them were carriers of the COVID-19 virus, since they weren’t wearing masks.
A tiny little blonde girl of about three came over to play with the Champagne bottles pictured in the gallery above. She had huge blue eyes and was sincerely adorable. We smiled at her while she played with the bubbly bottles and the nearby decorative water fountain. A few minutes later, I heard her shrieking as her mom struggled to contain her. Finally, mom put her in the stroller and methodically strapped her down while she wailed. I figured it was probably nap time for her… having been cranky myself a little while ago, I could commiserate, too.
I soon forgot about being cranky as we enjoyed lunch. I mostly enjoyed the bright colors of my dish, even if I’m not the biggest ratatouille or sweet potato fan. I managed to finish most of it, with Bill’s help. Bill really loved the dorade, which was accented with sage and bacon. He said he would definitely order it again if he had the opportunity.
As we were eating, the little blonde girl came outside. I watched her pick her nose while her grandmother smoked a cigarette. It occurred to me that kids are just so unabashed and unashamed about anything. Maybe watching that tiny girl explore the world around her without a mask is why I found this morning’s New York Times article about training kids to wear masks so very depressing. The masks have the effect of making communication and exploration more difficult, especially for the youngest among us. But, with any luck, there will be an effective vaccine or treatment that will make this brave new pandemic world less ominous and irritating. I always wanted to have children, but I am grateful I’m not a parent dealing with this pandemic stuff right now. I think it would drive me crazy.
For dessert, I had limoncello sorbet with mangos and pears, while Bill had tiramisu. Neither of us really needed dessert, but the weather was just so nice, and I was enjoying being out and about, watching people celebrate in a normal way. I used to take doing stuff on the weekends for granted. Now, when we get to have lunch somewhere nice, it’s a real treat. Maybe that’s one of the silver linings to the COVID-19 situation. I’ve often said that every bad situation has its positives. I don’t take a nice meal at a good restaurant for granted as I might have in 2019…
The bill was about 89 euros. Bill gave our lovely waitress a 100 euro note and said “Stimmt”. We really had a nice time. I hope we can do it again sometime soon. Then we came home and I set to work trying to wash the stench out of Arran’s Klo on my blue carpet. It’s now outside drying… and I fear that my efforts may have been for naught. Oh well… at least we had a good meal, and hopefully, we’ll stay healthy.
Bill and I had to go on post today. We both needed to get our vision tested for new driver’s licenses and I needed passport photos for a renewal. So, for the first time since March 14th, I rode in the car. This time, it was with face masks I bought from Amazon.de. They’re the surgical kind, since they were the easiest to get my hands on quickly. I bought a pack of ten.
As we passed the entrance to our neighborhood, I was reminded of a month ago, when the dog we had hoped to adopt escaped his pet transport and got hit by a car. We live very close to Autobahn 3 and Autobahn 66. A3 is literally right next to our neighborhood. I felt a little sick thinking about that poor dog disoriented, terrified, and lost as he ran away from what could have been the lap of luxury for him. He was so close… And it will probably be a while before we can get our next dog.
Maybe it’s for the best, since it’s hard to get the routine services we need. Bill needs to get new rear tires for his car, since we had snow tires put on them in France back in December. I need to get my car serviced. Arran, Bill, and I all need dental cleanings, which means a vet visit for Arran and the dentist for Bill and me. Germany is starting to loosen up some restrictions, but everyone has to wear masks now in any place where social distancing isn’t easy.
We did decide to order take out again last night. Our local Italian joint/sportsplatz, La Fonte, had pizza and pasta on offer. Bill said the family that runs the restaurant was sitting outside drinking wine as they handed over the orders. They were doing a good business. We’ll probably get more take out tonight, since I’m tired of Bill’s cooking and we want to support local businesses. I’m kidding, actually. Bill has turned into a great cook. But I do want to give some business to the restaurants, since they have provided me with content for so long.
Passed this on my walk with Arran yesterday… Wonder whose handprint that is.
Pizza with an incredibly thin crust and tortellini with ham. No wonder I look fat in passport photos. La Fonte has good food.
The drive to post was even quicker than usual, since there wasn’t so much traffic. We got to the gate and a uniformed guy in a mask asked us the three important questions about whether or not we had been exposed to COVID-19, whether or not we had symptoms, and if we were ordered to be quarantined by a medical officer. We both said no to all three questions, then presented our IDs to be scanned touchlessly.
This is probably a European eye test as opposed to an American one. It’s probably harder to cheat on it, since it’s not letters. I remember doing one in Armenia that was different, too. It was a Russian eye test.
The PX opened for regular folks (as opposed to high risk folks) at 11:00am. We needed the optical shop. A sergeant was standing there in his mask, enforcing the wait time. Finally, at 11:00, we all washed our hands, donned our masks, and went in. Taking the eye exam was weird. It was a German style test, which meant telling the examiner where the openings were. I had trouble with my left eye until I realized that the steam from behind the mask was fogging up the lens. Once I let the steam dissipate, I could read everything properly.
After the eye test, we found the passport photo booth, where I got new pictures done for my passport. I was actually quite pleased with them, since the photo I’ve had since 2011 is horrible. In that picture, I look fat, hungover, and my hair is a yucky shade of dark brown. I gave up hair color several years ago, because the hard German water mixed with dye was turning it into straw. So now I’m back to my original blonde with silvery hints. And the new pictures done by a machine are prettier and have more natural light, even if I still look fat. The weird thing is, it’s just like taking a selfie with your phone. You think you’re going to look like you do on the monitor, but your image is reversed. But for some reason, it looks less ridiculous taken by the machine.
We went into the PX to pick up a few things… I got a new hairbrush, conditioner, and lotion for my horribly dry skin. I think I have eczema on my boobs, which is not very pleasant. The hard water and constant washing has turned my skin into leather. Edited to add: my German friend says there is soft water in parts of Germany, however in all of the places I’ve lived, it’s been very hard by American standards. It’s been hardest of all in Wiesbaden, where there was so much chalk on our taps when we moved in that we couldn’t turn one of them on and had to get it replaced.We also have to use salt in the dishwasher or else our dishes look terrible.Vinegar is useful for getting rid of some of the Kalk, but it’s an ongoing battle.
After about twenty minutes with the mask, I was ready to get the hell out of the PX. It wasn’t as stifling as I feared it would be, but the thing kept going into my eyes, requiring me to touch it to adjust it, which you shouldn’t do. Anyway… since this was a momentous occasion, I did get some photos…
Rocking the fucking mask…
Bill shows he’s not blinded by the fog.
This was a painless exercise.
The machine has a recorded female voice with a British accent. I was grateful for a few minutes without the mask.
Handy service. I’d use it again. Five euros well spent.
Anyway… I’m glad to have that chore done with for now. I’ve been bugging Bill about our driver’s licenses and my passport for ages. We should have done it before this coronavirus mess started. Hindsight, unlike my eyesight, is 20/20.
It’s raining cats and dogs today, and I needed to go to AAFES to pick up a few things. Bill has to go to Stuttgart tomorrow, so we decided to head into Wiesbaden for lunch and a little ‘Murican shopping on post. I kind of didn’t want to go into town because of the steady rain and unseasonably warm temperatures, but Bill was curious to see how our brand new Five Guys location was doing.
If you read last week’s post, you might know that we overheard an employee at Wiesbaden’s latest burger restaurant telling people that they would be opening their store on Thursday, January 30th. Bill and I have been to the one in Frankfurt a couple of times, as well as ones in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland. And, since I am a Virginian and we used to live in Northern Virginia, we have also tried one of the original Five Guys’ restaurants (the chain was founded in Arlington, Virginia in 1986), as well as the Five Guys outlets that have been springing up like kudzu all over the United States. The funny thing is, I distinctly remember reading back in 2002 or so that the Murrell family would never allow anyone to franchise their restaurants. Now, every time I turn around, a new one is opening. They’re probably rolling in money now.
Anyway, we noticed that today, there wasn’t that much of a line. The first time we went to the one in Frankfurt, there was a line out the door. I actually saw tables open, even though it was prime time for lunch. So, just because I do like a good burger and I wanted to visit this location before it turns into a total zoo, we decided to try it. Here are some pictures.
It was about 12:45pm when I took this photo…There were several tables open…And the line wasn’t too bad.Bill went up and ordered. He brought me a beer. You can have Brooklyn Lager, Beck’s, or Corona.Reaching into the bag for two cheeseburgers and a regular order of fries…This was mine. It was pretty well smashed.Lots of loud signs and loud music…And potatoes from The Netherlands. I didn’t see any shelled peanuts. Five Guys used to put boxes of them out for customers to eat before they got their food.They have quotes from American and German reviewers…On a sunny day, this place will probably hop…Burger King, by contrast, was pretty dead.
I was pleased to discover that the burgers we had today were just like the ones we’ve had in the States. In fact, even the pickles were right. Last time we ate at Five Guys, I didn’t like the pickles because they were sweet. Today, they used “spicy” ones, which aren’t actually spicy as much as they are sour.
I enjoyed the music playing– lots of decent rock from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, although it was turned up a bit loud. I told Bill that I wouldn’t enjoy working at Five Guys due to the noise, fast paced environment, and the extremely bright lighting. In fact, as much as I do like a good burger, I don’t even really enjoy sitting in their dining rooms because they’re so loud and bright. But I was pretty happy with the hot, juicy burger. The cheese was melted well and they got the order right.
Besides burgers, you can get hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, BLTs (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches), and veggie sandwiches. They also have “freestyle Coca-Cola” with free refills, Evian water, and milkshakes. I saw a lot of people with shakes today. I might try one myself someday, although I would probably have to go there only for the shake. There’s no way I could have a burger and a milkshake in one sitting. I’d probably throw up from the excess. As it was, we didn’t even finish half of our one order of regular fries!
Some people complain about the prices at Five Guys. Our burgers were priced at 9,50 euros, which is admittedly higher than what you might find at, say, Burger King. But the burgers at Five Guys are all beef, never frozen, and aren’t loaded with way too much mayo. I don’t think we’ll go to Five Guys regularly, especially since I have a feeling it’s going to be super busy as it catches on in Wiesbaden, However, for the occasional burger, I don’t mind if I do… I hear Stuttgart’s location opens on Monday, so there’s no longer any need for anyone to make a road trip from down there to Frankfurt just so they can get their American style burger fix.
This is more my style.
After we ate, we dropped by AAFES, where I wasn’t able to find exactly what I was looking for. I got what I could find, then got in line. While we were standing there, ready to pay, I looked over to the entrance of the store and spotted a young man wearing a t-shirt that read “Fucking Slayer” as he held on to a handle of a baby carriage. Then, as the cashier was ringing us up, she talked to the customers ahead of us, who were waiting on a price check. The man said the cashier was good at multi-tasking, and the cashier said, “Yes, I am surprisingly good at multi-tasking. When it’s slow, I drop shit.” I guess nowadays, people don’t even try to stifle what are traditionally known as “swear words”.
At least I didn’t see any curlers today…
I am certainly not a prude when it comes to off-color language. I just thought it was kind of funny that she said “shit” out loud without batting an eye. That, and the guy’s profane t-shirt, reminded me of a time when a person could be kicked off an installation for wearing something like that in public. When I was a kid, certain clothes weren’t allowed to be worn… like, if a woman wore curlers or spandex in a shopping area on post, she might be asked to leave.
In my mom’s day, women weren’t even allowed to wear pants or shorts in the commissary or the officer’s club. Nowadays, when I go to AAFES, it’s like a live rendition of the People of Walmart. There’s nothing like a visit to AAFES to remind one of his or her ‘Murican roots. Ah well… I don’t really care too much about that issue. I just thought it was funny and interesting. As much as I curse, I would probably blush if I accidentally swore in front of customers. But I guess it’s not a big deal nowadays.
Bill and I are taking a road trip to France for Christmas. We’re bringing Arran with us, so we’ll be staying in self-catered places. My friend, Audra, lives in Nimes, and we’ll be seeing her and her family, as well as stopping in Beaune on the way there and back.
I wanted to pick up a few things on the installation at Hainerberg yesterday– stuff like supplies for wrapping Christmas presents and such, and a few groceries, since I felt like making a dessert I hadn’t had in years, a cherry cream cheese pie. So we took the Mini out of the garage and went to AAFES and the commissary. The Mini needed to be driven, since it gets less action thanks to the new car. We ran into one of Bill’s co-workers at the PX, while we were standing in line to pay. Then we picked up our stuff at the commissary, and headed into Wiesbaden for lunch.
I wasn’t in the mood to screw around as we looked for lunch. It took awhile to find a parking spot. It was impossible at our usual garage, which became “Besezt” as we were driving up and down looking for a free spot. We were successful at the next garage, at the Kurhaus. We had to park on the second floor, though, because that garage was also packed. I was a little worried that it would be hard to find a restaurant that wasn’t crowded, but I needn’t have fretted. Little Italy was wide open at about 1:30pm. Better yet, when we walked inside, were immediately recognized and warmly welcomed!
I was impressed by the waiter, who even remembered what Bill had the last time we were there. To put this into perspective, without looking it up on the blog, I don’t even know when we were last there! I guess it was a couple of months ago. Little Italy has become a favorite restaurant, though. The food never disappoints; the service is good and very friendly; and it’s not hard to get in and out of there. Here are some pictures from our lunch.
Waiting for wine…
They brought out complimentary tuna spread, which is delicious and usually goes with Vitello Tonnato.
Bill had Wolfbarsch filet, which is a German fish. It came with rosemary potatoes and vegetable.
I had salmon filet with a very interesting spinach pea side. I think I had this last time, too.
For dessert, Bill had chocolate souffle with ice cream.
I had tiramisu.
The most decorations we managed to see.
Goofy German ads…
Weird outfit on this lady. It looks like a couture track suit adorned with diamonds.
If you want to gamble, Wiesbaden is your place.
Last night’s project… cherry cream cheese pie.
Our lunch at Little Italy was nice and leisurely. At one point, they cranked up the music by mistake, and the older Germans that were in there with us started laughing. I’ve noticed that Germans seem to enjoy quirky, slapstick humor, and people who act like fools. I think it’s because the culture here is a lot more serious and uptight than American culture is. In many ways, I like it… but I do get a kick out of what they find funny.
Arran was happy to see us when we got home. After we let him out and fed him dinner, he went to lie down in the living room. Bill went upstairs for a moment, then came back downstairs looking a little pale. He said, “For a split second, I could have sworn I saw Arran upstairs, flitting past me, but he’s down here. So now I wonder if it was Zane.”
“So you think that was Zane’s ghost?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Bill nodded. “I guess he’s going to hang around until we find a new dog.”
We usually get new dogs within a month of losing one, but it’s easier to do that in the United States. There, people don’t hold it against us that we’re Americans affiliated with the military. We also don’t travel as much or as often there. We decided to wait on getting a new dog until after our road trip to France, since we’re going to need to take time breaking it in. To be honest, as much as I want another dog, I feel a little apprehensive about the process of getting one. I guess that when the time is right, the right dog will show up.
It’s always heartbreaking to look at Facebook memories at this time of year. In December 2009, Zane joined our family as a young dog. In December 2012, MacGregor was dying of cancer. Both are gone now, and they were both wonderful dogs. I miss them… and I don’t know how another dog will fill Zane’s pawprints. But I also know that I’ve never regretted a single dog we’ve taken in, and somehow they all manage to be wonderful in their own special ways. I much prefer dogs and other animals to most people, too. Pets love you for who you are and don’t screw you over.
Bill’s mom is coming here next month, so I don’t know how much searching we will do in January. I suspect we might have a new friend in the spring… We’ll see.
Bill and I have now lived in our house for almost seven weeks. We’re mostly settled, although until today, there were still a few things that needed to find homes. Bill had some text books from his latest master’s degree program that had nowhere to go, and the small collection of actual books I have in Germany had taken up all of the space on the one bookshelf I had allotted to our shared office.
I always buy cookbooks at Christmas, but only a few of them get much action in the kitchen. The matching bookshelf to the one in our office was, until today, located in our dining room. It was holding all of the cookbooks we never use. This past year, because I bought a couple of extra books, there were a few cookbooks that needed a home. Also, we had some kitchen gadgets that needed storage.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been looking for a nice bookshelf for the downstairs. What I found on the local Amazon site wasn’t thrilling me, and I found nothing at all at the Wiesbaden AAFES. German mod style doesn’t excite me, either.
Then I realized that Bill’s desk chair would probably scratch the brand new flooring in our office if I didn’t find him a rug. Our Wiesbaden AAFES does not have a Turkish rug guy like Stuttgart has (and I’m actually pretty happy with the rugs we bought in Stuttgart in November– they’re much nicer than the ones I bought a few years ago). I thought maybe Ramstein would have a permanent rug guy at their PX, the way Heidelberg used to and Stuttgart still does.
Finally, I realized that my skin is no longer taking makeup like it used to. I have dry skin and when I apply makeup, it collects in my pores and makes me look even freakier than ever. I need to start using primer under foundation so it doesn’t get all cakey and gross looking. That meant a trip to the Lancome counter was in order.
Chili’s was also on the agenda…
With all of these items on my list, plus the prospect of getting some Southwestern Egg Rolls at Chili’s, I told Bill maybe we should go to Ramstein to see what was at the huge PX/BX there. We now live about 80 minutes from Ramstein, quite a bit closer than we did when we were in Stuttgart. Bill hates going there, but conceded that maybe it would be a good idea to see what the largest AAFES in Europe has to offer.
Ramstein’s Exchange is absolutely humongous. It was opened on September 23, 2009, which was just one week after we left Germany the first time we lived here. At the time it was opened, it was the largest AAFES in the world. I would not be surprised if it still is. It’s enormous, especially compared to every other AAFES I’ve ever seen.
By the way, we never did visit Ramstein during our first Stuttgart tour. Our first time visiting Ramstein was in 2012, when we took our very first Space A hop from Baltimore. We flew in and out of Ramstein on that trip, as well as the Space A trip we took in 2014 to Germany and France. I remember sitting at the bar in the now defunct Chili’s Too at the AAFES mall, talking to a soldier who had basically been forced to move from England to Germany due to mental health issues. It was an interesting and disturbing conversation. I wonder how that guy is doing and hope he’s okay.
During our 2014 visit, I recall being sad to be leaving Germany to go back to Texas, where Bill would then retire. I was worried about what would come next. We didn’t know at the time that we’d be moving back to Germany just weeks after that trip; we’d taken our vacation thinking it might be our last chance to enjoy Europe before Bill left the Army. Little did we know…
I remember visiting the PX during one or both of those Space A trips, but we didn’t buy anything there, since we were not stationed in Europe at the time. Back then, I noticed that half of the shops were vacant.
The next time we visited Ramstein was in June 2017, on our way to Belgium. We stopped by to gas up the car and had horrible burgers from Johnny Rocket’s. I didn’t go inside the mall because we had our dogs with us.
The vast food court at Ramstein. It’s probably got twice as many vendors as other AAFES food courts have. They had Chinese food and even Anthony’s Pizza, which used to have a location at Patch Barracks when we lived in Germany the first time. Anthony’s is long gone from Stuttgart, but Ramstein still has one, along with a Pizza Hut Express. There’s also a Ramstein “Hofbrau” restaurant that looked somewhat lame, but probably has good food.
I had to take a picture of the tiny sewing/knitting area. When I was growing up, AAFES had a decent sized sewing section, but not so much anymore. I don’t sew or do needle crafts, but my mom owned her own business selling knitting and needlepoint supplies. She taught many people how to knit. I was not among them.
Spotted at the Birkenstock Outlet… I think they’re pretty tacky, but I’m sure someone else loves them. My dad, rest his soul, would probably wear these. I noticed all of the store space was taken at Ramstein. I don’t think I saw a single vacant space yesterday.
Bill makes it a point to avoid Ramstein when he can help it. He says it’s too much like being back in the States. After today’s visit, I’m inclined to agree. It’s a shock to go to that base and see just how much American stuff is there. It really does feel like “home”. As crowded as our local AAFES can get on the weekends, the one at Ramstein kind of puts it to shame. It’s just huge– it looks like a legitimate American style mall. And besides the Exchange, there’s also a Birkenstock Outlet, a spa, a Swarovski store, and several fast food joints in the food court I’ve not seen in other places.
So… today, we went to AAFES at Ramstein, braving the nasty January rainy weather. I found the primer for my face. Then, we located a bookshelf for the cookbooks. I looked at the rugs offered by the Turkish rug guy, who appeared to have a temporary station under the escalators, but he didn’t have what I needed. The rugs were either the wrong color or size, or they were way too expensive. I found one really nice looking rug that would have worked for the area next to our bed that needs protection from our dogs’ toenails (they take flying leaps onto the bed, and that can cause scratches). It was priced at 1149 euros, which is way more than I wanted to spend on a rug that shares living space with dogs.
Bill’s area sporting AAFES’ finest… I probably wouldn’t have bought it under normal circumstances, but it works for now.
I did, however, find a rather psychedelic looking tie-dyed looking rug that would do the trick for Bill’s office chair. It was tucked away among a pile of cheap rugs at the Exchange and came a bit closer to matching the colors in the much nicer Oriental rug on my side of the office. Next time we visit Stuttgart, we’ll hit up the rug guy on Panzer. Hopefully, he’ll still be there.
After we shopped– and Bill traded gossip with a former co-worker he ran into who now works at Ramstein– we went to Chili’s. The Chili’s Too we visited at the PX in 2014 is now a Macaroni Grill. It’s just as well that the Chili’s Too was closed, since I don’t remember liking it much when we visited in 2014. The bartender had pissed me off for some reason. Fortunately, my memory fails me now. Also, I recall that location only had a limited menu.
The Chili’s we went to today offers the whole menu. To get to Chili’s, we had to drive to the Enlisted Club on Lawn Road. It’s right next to the bowling alley. When we arrived at the restaurant, which is in a building that also hosts a P.F. Chang’s, we were confronted by a crowd of people waiting to be seated.
I noticed a rather strange, sour aroma in the air that made me wonder if we should abandon our plans to get Southwestern Eggrolls and go somewhere else. But the hostess said the wait was only ten minutes, so we stuck it out.
Bill checks out the well-used menu. I found a piece of a straw wrapper in mine.
The noise level in the Chili’s was really high. I felt a little like I was having lunch in an elementary school cafeteria. Babies were shrieking; toddlers were crying; kids were yelling; and adults were talking very loudly. I had forgotten how loud Americans can be in groups. I don’t say this to be disparaging. It’s just that I’ve noticed that since we’ve lived in Germany, Bill and I find ourselves speaking in lower voices when we’re in public. I think it’s partly because we don’t want to be too obviously American. I guess I paid close attention to all of those AFN OPSEC PSAs I used to see when I was in the Peace Corps in Armenia.
Anyway, it was extremely loud in there and very busy. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be a quiet lunch, but there was definitely a lot more noise than I’m used to or had anticipated. But then, we were there in the afternoon, which is probably prime nap time for a lot of young kids. Some of them really sounded like it was time to nap.
I took this message to heart…
Although the ear splitting din in the restaurant sorely tempted me to get a Margarita, I decided to have a beer. Good thing I did, too, because our food got to us before our beers did. And when they arrived, they had, as my Irish friend Chris would say, “shitty wee heads” on them. Quite disappointing.
We decided to split the “Ultimate Dipper”, which is a platter of fried stuff… but it includes Southwestern Eggrolls, which is really all I wanted, anyway. Besides the eggrolls, you get Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers, Crispy Cheddar Bites, Signature Wings, and (Regular) Chicken Crispers. You also get six “dips”– basically different salad dressings like honey mustard, blue cheese, avocado ranch, and ancho chili ranch. Oh, and there are also a few celery stalks for all you health nuts out there. The two kinds of Chicken Crispers, by the way, weren’t really like each other. One was like beer battered chicken and the other was like crispy chicken drenched in sweet, spicy maple syrup. It wasn’t unlike General Tsao’s Chicken.
I’m glad we shared this. We didn’t finish it. Chili’s also offers fajitas, burgers, ribs, soups, and Tex Mex stuff, as well as steaks, salads, and at least one pasta dish. I mainly go there for eggrolls.
I think the waitress was surprised to see we didn’t need any refills on the “dips”. Neither of us likes to use a lot of condiments. A little dab’ll do ya.
Our waitress was very friendly. I have no complaints at all about her service, especially since the place was a bit of a zoo. For some reason, it took awhile to get our beers, so she brought us water in the meantime, which I appreciated. It was even still tap water, like you get in the States (although I like mine fizzy). However, I was kind of disappointed in the appetizer. The Cheddar Bites tasted like they’d been sitting awhile, and didn’t taste that good. Actually, the whole thing looked a little wilted and tired, like it wasn’t quite as fresh as it should have been. It reminded me of something I might extract from a box that came from the frozen food aisle at the commissary.
Also, I was a bit grossed out by the ladies room. At least one of the bathroom stalls had a broken lock, and another had the remnants of someone’s dump on the toilet seat. It didn’t exactly make me feel better after eating all that fried stuff.
Still, I did get my Southwestern Eggroll fix, which was really all I wanted. It was also a pretty cheap lunch. I think we paid about $26 and still had leftovers. And after that trip to Ramstein, I feel pretty certain I won’t need to visit again for awhile. In fact, it was kind of like a vaccine against visiting the States. It’s been four years since I last set foot in America. I don’t know when I’ll be going back, but I think I’m definitely content to stay in Germany for now.
I’m sort of kidding. There are certainly good restaurants in the States, and I do still have many friends and loved ones there. But every once in awhile, it’s good to be reminded why one should savor their time abroad. I remember missing Germany something terrible when we moved in 2009. I pined for it for five years, even though some good things happened during those five years away. I know not everyone feels this way. Some people cannot wait to move back to the States. Me? I think I love Europe. It really suits me. And while Chili’s is okay for the occasional Southwestern Eggroll, I think I’ll stick to European restaurants for now… There will surely come a day when I’ll be missing them again, too.
And now, perhaps it’s time for a Margarita in my nice, quiet, dining room.
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