Our Eastern European October… part three

After my rather dramatic and explosive first night in Karlovy Vary, I was ready for some breakfast. So after I did my morning hygiene routine, I made my way down that pesky spiral staircase and got dressed. We left our bags in the sitting room, because hauling them up that spiral staircase would have been a real pain in the ass. I wonder how in the world they got the furniture in the bedroom. I’m sure it’s easily explained somehow…

We went back down to the restaurant… the scene of the pickle crime that had me barfing hours earlier. They laid out a very nice buffet, with plenty of choices. Bill and I fueled up, and then headed out to the city for a few hours. The only thing on our agenda was visiting the Home of Becherovka, a museum dedicated to Becherovka herbal liqueur, which is made in Karlovy Vary.

On our way into the city, we encountered the first of many horse drawn carriages. Interestingly enough, it was in the news yesterday that Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City has now brokered a deal to end carriage rides in New York. This measure, which has been discussed for years, has come about due to the death of a teen who was riding in a carriage in Central Park when the horse spooked and had an accident.

I have my own opinions about the carriages, but then, I am someone who literally grew up with horses. It’s important for them to have jobs. Most people can’t afford to keep horses as pets. On the other hand, there have been instances of abuse in the carriage industry. The horses we saw in Karlovy Vary appeared to be healthy and well cared for… but I am certainly no expert on this issue as it is in Eastern Europe. Bill and I did not take any carriage rides, but I did enjoy seeing and smelling the horses. I really miss having them in my life, but keeping them is expensive and requires a lot of hard work! They are wonderful company, though.

We found a paid parking lot on the immediate outskirts of the city center. I noticed some cops standing by. One of them had a cute little dog on a leash. I’ve never seen a police dog like this one…

*I’m not sure what job this pooch does…*

As we headed into the city, I instantly recognized the Teplá River, the warm river that flows through the center of Karlovy Vary. Teplá means warm in Czech, and the river is fed by the many hot springs in the city. I took some photos of the colorful buildings we encountered as we walked into the familiar environs. After almost 18 years, it was still pretty recognizable, even though we didn’t spend that much time there in 2009.

*A Mix Markt! This is a chain that specializes in products from the former Soviet Union. We have them in Germany, too.*

As we headed closer to the main square, I caught sight of a vendor who was making chimney cakes. I took a few photos for Bill’s daughter, who lives in Utah and loves them. Someday, Bill and I will have to try one. There were other things on sale, too… only I didn’t see any art.

*Except for the mushrooms, this grill smelled and looked great!*

Soon, we encountered the first of the mineral water springs, where one can taste the thermal waters. I remembered the gazebos from our first visit, which is also incidentally, where we found my favorite painting in my collection, back in 2009. I took a video of our first tastes of the water, after we bought spa cups. The spa cups are easy to find. They are sold in kiosks around the many springs.

Yes, that is a toilet. I have a very irreverent sense of humor.

Naturally, I took some photos, too… It was very helpful that the locals provided instructions on how to best “enjoy” the water. If you listen to my video, you will hear me say that it reminded of Gloucester in 1980. I grew up in Gloucester, Virginia, and in those days, the local water was pretty terrible tasting. It was full of sulfur. They have since put in a water system there, so the water is now better. My parents, fortunately, had a well, so our water wasn’t as gross in the early days of our time living there.

Karlovy Vary really is a very pretty city…

We had an appointment to visit the Becherovka Museum at 1:00, so we had to make our way to the other side of town. On the way there, I took a few more pictures, including one of a woman’s art. I wish we’d had the chance to go back and take a closer look at what she had. It turned out hers was the only art collection with paintings that we saw during our entire trip! Everybody had mass produced prints, instead of original artwork.

*I remember when beer spas were a novelty. Now it seems like they’re all over the place!*

It was raining on the way to the museum. We got there a little bit early, so we took the opportunity to use the bathroom. Then, we took our guided tour… Bill got us “exclusive tickets”, which meant we each got personalized bottles of Becherovka to take home with us.

The guide who did our tour spoke excellent English, and we enjoyed learning the history of this very special Czech drink. The museum is very interesting and well put together. I thought the exhibits were fun and engaging. And it was fun to try the different flavors of products made by Becherovka. We came home with several different bottles after our visit.

After we visited the museum, Bill and I had lunch at a local place… It wasn’t all that “special”, but it did give us a chance to people watch and enjoy some heavy local cuisine. Bill got to have some garlic soup, too, which is a local specialty in Czechia. I need to learn how to make it, because I think it would be good for when I’m sick. Sadly, I think I’m getting sick now. 😢

Once we finished our leisurely late lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel. As we walked out of the city, we passed a political rally, and stopped by the Mix Markt for some wine and a bottle of Ukrainian vodka from a producer we like.

On the way back to the hotel, we passed a body of water. I noticed a lot of people were going down to walk near it. There was also a picturesque looking hotel… but it wasn’t quite as cute as the one we stayed in…

*Our room was in the tower… the top three levels of windows.*

Since we had a late lunch, we decided to skip dinner. We enjoyed some Georgian wine in the room, along with a few snacks from the hotel’s vending machine. You have to use a credit card to use the machine. That is so weird to me, as someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s!

So ends our first full day on vacation. In the next part, I’ll write about our quick change of plans, and a visit to a Czech Globus!

art, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, Hessen, Hungary, services

Picture framing, heavy German food, and beer…

Bill got home from Budapest on Wednesday, and he brought three new prints with him. If I had gone with him on that trip, he would have bought bigger prints. But, I can’t complain about the art he picked up, because they’re pretty much my style. They are from a Kenyan-British artist named Marcus Goldson, who moved to Budapest in the early 1990s after having trained as a sculptor.

Goldson initially couldn’t afford the materials he needed for sculpting, so he started sketching, and took his art career in a whole new direction. I don’t know if he sculpts now, or just does watercolors. Obviously, he’s got a good business going in Budapest, serving tourists like Bill and me.

Since we were already going to visit Kunst-Schaefer to get the new art framed, I decided to get some older art redone. I bought two paintings in Sofia, Bulgaria, when we visited in 2024, plus I had another painting that I bought in Sofia back in the summer of 1996. My friend, Elaine, and I took a bus from Armenia to Turkey, and then onward to Bulgaria, for a vacation.

Although I was completely broke at the time, Elaine lent me the money to take the trip with her. We had a fabulous time, and I managed to pick up a small blue tinged painting of a windmill. I wish I’d bought another one, because I really like that piece of art, and I must not have paid much at all for it, because I had no extra money whatsoever in 1996. Of course, it’s going to cost about 160 euros to get it reframed!

We parked at the Marktplatz, where the weekly Saturday market was going on full tilt. It seemed like everybody was out and about yesterday, as the weather was beautiful. I would have liked to have walked around the market, but we were on an important mission.

*Some folks were drinking wine in the morning!*

I’ve mentioned before that, when I was growing up, my parents ran their own business out of our home. My mom had a knitting, needlepoint, and cross stitch shop, and she taught countless people how to do needle crafts. My dad sold art and did custom picture framing. So, being in an art gallery is very natural for me, because I literally lived in one for years. 😏

Bill and I made our way through Wiesbaden’s posh streets and walkplatzes to get to Kunst-Schaefer. We passed buskers playing piano, accordion, saxophone, and guitar, adding their own elements of atmosphere to Wiesbaden’s bonny streets.

*The street where Kunst-Schaefer lives…*

When we arrived at Kunst-Schaefer, a young lady welcomed us. She was with a customer, so we took a moment to look around the gallery to see if there was anything I’d want to hang on the wall. Of course, there were things there I would happily purchase, but I’d rather spend the money on another art scouting trip… the next of which we will be commencing in about ten days!

The proprietor showed up, having stepped out to get some baked goods for his Sunday breakfast. He personally dealt with us, as we showed him six pieces to be framed.

It didn’t take long to decide how we would be framing everything. Regular shadow box frames for the Bulgarian paintings, and a plain black frame for the windmill. Colorful frames and matting for the Budapest prints. All of it should be done while we’re on vacation, and by then we’ll probably have another batch that needs to be done. Before we present a VAT form, the total comes to about 700 euros.

By the time we were finished with the framer, I really needed to find a restroom. Bill and I decided to have lunch. For some reason, I was in the mood for German food, so we headed back toward the Marktplatz. Maybe it was because I found out that one of the towns we once lived in, Fredericksburg, Virginia, now has a snazzy German restaurant.

On our way there, I noticed that BrewDog Wiesbaden had closed. I either didn’t know it was going to close, or had forgotten. Bill and I went there a few times for craft beers and sandwiches. I think the last time we went was at Christmas last year. But we didn’t know then that the place would be closing in January 2026, and in September, no one else has set up business in the beautiful old building where it was situated.

I guess the Scottish style craft beers at BrewDog never quite caught on in Wiesbaden. Some people complained about the quality of the food and mice in the restaurant, but our personal experiences dining there were never bad. Too bad… it was a reliable lunch choice for us. But I guess it just goes to show that we hadn’t been downtown in ages! ETA: My German friend says BrewDog basically went insolvent, got bought out by an American company, and the new company didn’t want to operate in Germany anymore. At this point, there are still locations in Hamburg and Berlin.

We went to the Ratskeller instead, where we knew we could have beer and some very decent German food. Because it was so nice outside, we ate outdoors… where we were accosted by many bees. Or were they wasps? I wasn’t going to let them get close enough to find out for sure. I heard one American lady loudly complaining about them. ETA: My German friend says they were wasps.

*Schweinebraten for me, and Frankfurter Schnitzel for Bill…*

My only complaint about lunch is that it wasn’t served as hot as I would have preferred. But the food tasted good. I especially enjoyed the Schweinebraten and the delicious brown gravy made with beer. I was hungry, too. Managed to eat the whole potato Knödel, and some of the Rotkraut, and washed it down with a Weizen. Bill loved his Frankfurter Schnitzel with green sauce and fried potatoes. He had a Helles.

After we ate, we had another round… I had a Doppelbock, while Bill had a Radler. We made the waitress laugh when we tried to say “Doppelbock” properly. Bill had a taste of my rich, dark, malty beer, which came from a bottle.

Finally, we were finished with our leisurely lunch, and decided to head home. There, we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon out on the patio, listening to music and savoring the last warm gasps of summer. The silver lining is that my mosquito bites are finally healing, and pretty soon, they’ll be gone.

It was nice to go to Wiesbaden again, and enjoy a nice lunch in the sunshine. I always enjoy visiting the art guy, too, and patronizing a business that helps us preserve our memories so beautifully. Wiesbaden sure is a lovely city, and we’re now at the point at which we’ve spent the most time of our married life living here. It really feels like a privilege. As much as we both enjoyed living in the Stuttgart area, I think Wiesbaden suits us somewhat better. If only because I seemed to get yelled at less often here. 😉

Well, that about does it for today’s travel post. Pretty soon, this blog will come alive with posts about our next travel adventure, which will take us back to Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and then a return trip to Dresden. So watch this space! Bill has to go to Brno next week for a couple of days, too, but I don’t get to accompany him. Bummer.

Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, trip planning

Our fall vacation is now sorted and booked…

Today is the last day of the Rheingauer Weinwoche in downtown Wiesbaden. Bill and I are usually enthusiastic participants of that particular fest, which features lots of great food, entertainment, and thousands of wines.

But this year, we just haven’t felt like attending. We know what to expect there, because we’ve done it so many times in the past. It’s fun, but kind of “old hat”. Today, the weather is actually pretty nice. The sun is out, but it’s not super hot. I still didn’t feel like going, and Bill had to do some shopping at the commissary, anyway.

So I figured that since I’m not at the fest, awkwardly milling around, looking for a place to sit that won’t offend others… drinking wines that mostly taste the same… promising myself a hangover for tomorrow… I’ll just write about our upcoming fall vacation.

Bill has been working very hard at his job. He has a bunch of conferences coming up, some of which will take him out of town for days at a time. He’s going to Budapest again this year.

I went with him last year, but we decided I’d stay home this time. He’s got back to back conferences in Budapest, and the hotel he booked is in a less tourist oriented area. It does actually look like this year’s hotel might be better lodging than last year’s spot, even though it’s an Ibis. But it gets old trying to dodge the housekeepers, plus it’s no fun going to tourist spots alone, while Bill works.

Bill recently told his bosses that he really needs a vacation, so he arranged to take leave from October 1st until the 13th. Normally, we’d do a champagne bucket drawing to decide where we’d be going. However, this year, we both decided we wanted to do a road trip. I was particularly keen to visit Slovakia, because although we have technically been there, we’ve never done a proper stay there.

My first visit to Slovakia was in 1997, and I stayed in a university dormitory with friends. The second time I visited was a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna, back in 2015. I wanted to see a different part of the country, and maybe get some pretty photos of fall foliage. I also wanted to buy some art for the house, and have a nice rest in a spa.

Slovakia is not that close, if you’re going by car. That meant we had to decide where to stop on the way there and back. Initially, I thought I’d like to visit Gorlitz, which is a German border town where a lot of movies have been shot. I actually didn’t know that until I started looking for a good halfway point between Wiesbaden and the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and southern Poland.

But as I was looking at Gorlitz, I realized that it’s really an underrated gem, and there’s a lot to see there. I also realized that I wanted to visit nearby Bautzen, too. And although we went to Dresden in 2008, I think we’re overdue for a visit there, again. I realized that hitting all of those spots would eat up precious time we didn’t have, and we wouldn’t get much “bang for the buck”. That area really demands a separate, more concentrated look.

I hadn’t originally thought of going to Czechia, since we’ve been there a bunch of times already… Valentine’s Day weekend 2009, we went to Chodova Plana and visited Beer Wellness Land, Chodovar. We had a great time, although that was when we learned we would be leaving Germany a year earlier than expected. 🤬

Anyway, after spending a couple of hours deliberating, I finally decided to look for a hotel in Karlovy Vary (also known as Carlsbad), a beautiful spa town in Czechia that is close to Chodovar. Bill and I did a day trip there in 2009, and I was impressed by how grand it was. It’s also where we met Nikolaj Korelov, the Russian artist who painted my favorite piece of art from our travels.

I actually wouldn’t have minded going to Chodovar again, and having a beer bath and a massage. They’ve really built up and expanded that place since 2009, and added a beautiful pool complex. The restaurants are nice– unless things have changed a lot. But I wanted to see more of Karlovy Vary and get some photos. I forgot to bring my camera on that 2009 trip, so I don’t have any good pictures from then. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful town. I’m sure in October, it’s a lot prettier than it is in February!

So, we will spend three nights in Karlovy Vary at Hotel Chateau Cilheny, a property located just outside of the city. There’s a train there, that will get us to Karlovy Vary in eight minutes. It’s also near a golf course (not that we play), and trails for walking.

After our stay in Czechia, we will move on to Slovakia, where I have booked three nights at panoraMic Mountain Residence, a self-catering apartment in Stary Smokovec, a touristy area in the Tatra Mountains. The apartment, which is our cheapest spot, gets rave reviews. That’s why I chose it over the much pricier Kempinski Hotel. I think we’ll enjoy it, because we’re mainly hoping for peace and quiet, forest views, and maybe some gentle hikes.

From Stary Smokovec, we will continue to Krakow, Poland, a city neither of us have yet visited. People have repeatedly recommended Krakow, although I had a hell of a time finding a hotel I liked. I finally settled on Kanonicza 22 another self-catering apartment located in the heart of the city. We will be parking at a nearby garage. This property has three apartments. We took the Duke Suite, which was the only one still available.

I picked Krakow because I heard it’s beautiful, but I also think we’ll try to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is about an hour’s drive from Krakow. I know it will be a very somber, depressing experience visiting that museum, but I really think it’s important to go there and see it. I’ve read a lot about the Holocaust, but nothing beats actually going to the place where this terrible history occurred and seeing it firsthand.

I looked into staying in Oświęcim, where the museum is actually located, but again, had trouble finding a hotel I liked. And we did want to see Krakow itself. If it turns out we like the area, maybe we’ll go back… I thought about staying in Zakopane, too, but that’s in Poland, and I did want to stay in Slovakia, just to say I did.

After three nights in Krakow, we’ll move on to Dresden, and stay at Hotel Suitess, a lovely small luxury hotel we stayed in back in November 2008. I thought long and hard about booking the Kempinski there, too, but it was so much more expensive than the Suitess. We know where the Suitess is, and we know it has all we need. Why spend so much more for the most basic room at the Kempinski, when I can book us an upgraded room at the Suitess for so much less? Yes, the Kempinski has a pool and a sushi restaurant, but I’m not sure that’s worth several hundred euros more.

A few November 2008 era photos from our first Dresden trip.

I think this will be a great trip that will spawn plenty of memories. I hope to find some more art for the house, pick up some Chodovar beers and Il Santo water, and get lots of beautiful photos. If, for some reason, we aren’t able to get to Auschwitz, we’ll just come back… and maybe pair that with a trip to Gorlitze, Bautzen, and the surrounding area. I am still intrigued by those towns and want to do a trip that focuses time on that area. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that before it’s time for us to leave Europe.

I will say this… we’ve been here so long, and done so many great trips. I feel very fortunate to be so spoiled for choices. And no matter what, we really can’t lose. We always have a great time, no matter where we go. But I did want to do something that doesn’t involve huge cities. I think I have succeeded in these plans. Wish us luck as I research things to do and places to dine. 😁

adventure, Brussels, Champagne Bucket trips, Paris, Ten Things I Learned

Ten things I learned in Brussels and Paris…

Here we are, at the end of my latest series. I always end my travel series with a list of ten things I learned. It offers me a chance to reflect on the intangible blessings I take with me every time I travel. I may not buy a single souvenir, but I learn new things every time I venture out. These lists are also better read, because they’re much more concise than my exhaustive blow by blow accounts. So… here’s my list of things I learned on our trip to Brussels and Paris.

10. The Atomium is well worth a visit, even though getting there from downtown Brussels takes some time.

Our decision to visit the Atomium, a very cool looking structure that was built for the 1958 World’s Fair, was not something we planned. We decided to go there, kind of on a whim. I didn’t know what to expect when we got there, but I really enjoyed our visit. I got some great photos, and loved the music and light show.

*Don’t miss the Atomium if you visit Brussels!*

9. If you are approached by a “taxi driver” at an airport or a train station, don’t take the bait.

We were “taken for a ride” in Paris. Although no real harm was done, we spent a lot more euros than we needed to. Always take rides from licensed taxi drivers! French law requires all taxi drivers to accept credit cards and have working credit card machines in their vehicles.

8. Thalys has been taken over by Eurostar.

But if you take a Eurostar train, you will likely see Thalys branding. The current experience on Eurostar is pretty much the same as it always was with Thalys.

7. If you have an American credit card and want to buy metro tickets in Paris, you might want to pay cash.

I’m not 100 percent sure, but I don’t think the Paris ticket machines are compatible with US credit cards. Paying cash can also be problematic, because I noticed one of the machines we tried to use also wasn’t taking cash. To be honest, I’ve never had a smooth experience using the Paris metro, but that might just be me.

6. Visit the Friets Museum!

We had so much fun at the Friets Museum. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but it really is a fun place to spend some time, especially if you have kids. There are lots of interactive exhibits that are fun and educational. Sadly, I didn’t find the related Choco Story Brussels museum as good. Yes, Choco Story was worth visiting (especially for the samples), but the Friets was more fun for me.

5. If you like beer, definitely visit the Beer Museum in Brussels.

You can’t miss it, because it’s in a huge, grand building in downtown Brussels. The exhibits are fun and interactive, and it’s a good way to spend an hour or two.

4. The Eiffel Tower is well worth the trip, but next time, I might just visit the second floor.

This past visit to Paris was my third. The first two times, I skipped going up the Eiffel Tower. This time, we decided to do it right, and we went all the way to the top and drank champagne. If I do it again, I might skip going to the top. I don’t think the views are better, and it’s very crowded. But I am glad we went to the top this time, so I can say I’ve finally done it!

3. There’s something to be said for exploring whatever neighborhood you’re in…

During this trip to Paris, we stayed in the Montmartre neighborhood. I knew nothing about this part of Paris before we visited, but it offered a very different view of the city than Montparnasse, which is where we stayed in 2009. I enjoyed exploring the area, especially since we went to the Salvador Dali museum.

2. Salvador Dali’s famous melting clock was inspired by melting Camembert cheese!

I learned a lot by visiting the Salvador Dali museum in Paris, including what inspired him to create his famous “melting clocks”.

And finally, 1. A visit to Paris and Brussels beats going to Napa Valley, California, especially if you live in Europe…

Well, I can’t say I “learned” this. I mean, it’s pretty obvious, especially nowadays. I’d much rather visit European capitals than go to California and deal with the chaos in the United States. I will mention, too, that in spite of what has been going on in the United States, I have not encountered any hostility in Europe because I’m from the United States. However, I do recommend that any Americans visiting Europe keep a low profile. I would recommend that for any visit to Europe, though, not just in these bizarre Trump times.

We did have an excellent trip to Brussels and Paris, in spite of experiencing a few mishaps. It was just so nice to get away from Germany for awhile, hear a different language, enjoy changes in scenery, and do it all by train, so we didn’t have to worry about a car. I wish I’d made more of an effort to look for some art, especially in Paris. I need something new to put on our walls. But I’ve heard that at the end of the month, actor Johnny Depp is exhibiting some of his art in Wiesbaden, so maybe we’ll attend the exhibition.

So that does it for my Brussels and Paris series! Thanks so much to everyone who followed along!

adventure, art, BeNeLux, Brussels, Champagne Bucket trips, Paris

Pardon My French: Brussels and Paris 2026 (part nine)

Saturday morning, we went down to breakfast at Hotel L’Eldorado. Our waiter was a very pleasant man, but I don’t think he had a very strong grasp of English. We first encountered him on Wednesday night, and he didn’t seem to understand us very well.

And then on Saturday, we ordered breakfast and I asked for poached eggs. He brought me boiled eggs. I would have accepted them, but I wondered if maybe I got someone else’s order. I also had hot chocolate again, and it was very different than what I had gotten on Thursday and Friday; this time, it was thick and rich, like I’ve encountered it in Spain! I actually really liked the hot chocolate prepared that way, but I wondered why it was done differently.

Bill had pancakes without blueberries and cream. The waiter eventually brought out my poached eggs, which were perfect. We tried to explain to the waiter that breakfast was supposed to be complimentary, because of the broken elevator. He didn’t understand, so Bill had it put on the room. When we checked out, they took the charge off our bill.

Bill discovered that our hotel was near a Salvador Dali museum, so we decided to go there. We had been planning to visit the Louvre, but decided that maybe it would be better to just go to a smaller museum with fewer people. That turned out to be a good decision. The walk there involved hills, so we were able to burn off breakfast.

The Salvador Dali museum in Paris is based on a collection acquired by Beniamino Levi, an Italian man who met Dali and encouraged him to make sculptures. He would buy Dali’s pieces, as well as the intellectual rights to them.

I didn’t know anything about Salvador Dali before I visited the museum. I mean, I knew about the famous melting clock, but I didn’t know what had inspired it, nor did I know much beyond the famous surreal artwork he was known for before his death on January 23, 1989. By visiting the museum, I learned that Dali’s melting clock was inspired by watching Camembert melting in the sun. I also learned that he was fascinated by the children’s book, Alice in Wonderland.

The museum also had some very interesting and cool art pieces that showed different perspectives. The pieces were ridged, so that if you looked at them in one direction, they’d look very different if you looked at them in the other direction or straight on. Hopefully, the pictures will explain what I mean… Sorry this is a big photo dump! The museum isn’t super large, but it does have a lot of interesting pieces. There’s also a public restroom, which is always a plus!

After our visit to the museum, we walked around the charming village near the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. It was very crowded with tourists visiting the basilica. We walked around near the huge church, but didn’t go in, because there was a really long line. I still managed to get some good photos. Below are some photos near a small church we visited. Bill lit candles for our deceased fathers.

And below are some pictures closer to the basilica… It was getting close to lunchtime, but we resisted the urge to eat among the tourists, even though it had started raining. I do wish we’d bought some art, although we bought some candy for Bill’s grandchildren.

As you can see in the last photo above, we passed Le Passe-Muraille Sculpture in Montmartre, Paris. It was somewhat close to where we had lunch. After ducking into a tiny French place that was full, we ended up at an equally tiny Italian place just across the street. The restaurant was called Tentazioni. Although it was tiny, it was also a chain, with several locations in Paris. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a very nice lunch there. Bill had linguini carbonara that was insanely good, and I had linguini with pesto and burrata. We started with focaccia, and ended with dessert… Below, you will notice a picture of a very sweet and friendly labrador, who was a service dog enjoying life outside.

*This version of focaccia was also excellent, though different what we had on Thursday at Il Sorrentino.*

After lunch, we continued walking down the hill and ended up stopping at a wine shop. We bought a couple of bottles of wine to bring home to Germany– one Italian and one French. Below are photos of the Italian wine, which we had the other night. It was excellent. I confess that I chose it because of the label.

Below are a few more photos from the Montmartre area, including a shot of the bottle shop where we found our wines.

And, just to wrap things up, we stopped by Corcoran’s Irish Pub again and hung out for awhile… This was mainly because we were a bit tired of traveling and we were ready to go home. I was glad we stopped by the pub again, because I found some more music for my collection, and I shared a moment with a Brit who appeared to be my age. We were both enjoying hearing “Our House” by Madness, a song that took us back to childhood!

In our younger days, I think Bill and I would have gone out to dinner or something. But it was a Saturday night, and as we’ve found out from many trips to France, you really need to make reservations if you want to go anywhere remotely special. So we stayed in again, and Bill picked up some very reasonably priced Korean fried chicken for dinner. He got it from a “hole in the wall” place near our hotel. There were quite a few places like that near where we stayed.

And… since we’re now at the end of our Paris trip, I’m going to go ahead and describe our chaotic journey home, so I can wrap up this series.

As it was on Friday night, it was very loud and busy outside of our hotel on Saturday night. I had forgotten all about the time change, so when I woke up to pee, I looked at the clock and it said 3:30 AM. I’m sure to the loud revellers, it actually felt more like 2:30 AM.

We had one more breakfast at the hotel. I had avocado toast with a poached egg, which was perfect! And more hot chocolate, again, done differently. This time, they brought it out rather thick, but included a side of steamed milk.

*Hot chocolate done three ways at Hotel L’Eldorado… But I loved them all.*

After breakfast, we decided to check out of the hotel and head to the Gare de L’est train station. That ride cost us a mere 22 euros. 😏 In retrospect, I wish we’d waited a little bit longer, because we ended up being an hour early. But that gave me the opportunity to listen to some talented people play the piano. Train stations in France often have pianos which people are encouraged to play!

*This kid was especially good! I think he’s going places!*

We boarded our first class seats and enjoyed a very peaceful ride back to Germany. I was even impressed by the pizza we had for lunch, and were able to order directly from Bill’s phone. It was (seriously) among the best I’ve ever had in Europe. We had plans to change trains in Mannheim and get home by about 3:00 PM. Fate had different plans.

Bill noticed that the train we were supposed to catch from Mannheim to Frankfurt Airport was delayed. As we got closer to Mannheim, the train was further delayed. Bill was getting more and more agitated, because he needed to pick up Noyzi and Charlie between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. A delay would put his ability to make that time more difficult. It was also pretty chilly outside, and Bill wasn’t adequately dressed.

*He was a bit pissed… and I think it’s time to retire that jacket he’s wearing.*

I needed to use the restroom, so I went into the station and encountered a VERY annoying public restroom. It cost 1,50 euros, and the turnstile wasn’t working properly. There was a line, and in spite of being attended, it wasn’t all that clean. But, I was able to relieve myself, and after about an hour delay, Deutsche Bahn let us take a different train. We were also lucky enough to score seats, which would not have been a given. Thankfully, it was just one stop, so our ride was only about 30 minutes.

Once we got to the Frankfurt Airport train station, we were able to find a great cabbie, who spirited us home. And Bill was able to get the dogs in time, and they were very happy to be home!

Overall, we had a really great time visiting Brussels and Paris, and we got to see a lot of places. It was fun visiting places we saw in 2008 and 2009, and discovering new places, like the Atomium and finally going up the Eiffel Tower. I especially enjoyed exploring the Montmartre area of Paris, which is a district I had never seen before. We did have a few glitches during our travel, but we learned from them. I will never again allow anyone to approach me at the train station offering a cab ride, for instance! I also got to learn about potatoes, chocolate, beer, and Salvador Dali!

More than once, I also said out loud that Brussels and Paris beat the hell out of Napa Valley… 😏 And, I also noticed that I left Paris liking it just a little bit more. The first time I went to Paris, I didn’t like it at all. But every time I return, I find myself more charmed and thinking I’ll someday return. I hope that turns out to be true. As for Brussels, it remains one of my favorite cities!

So that about does it for our trip to Brussels and Paris. I will be doing the usual “ten things I learned” post next! Stay tuned for that!

art, Hessen

Our new art and one last wine stand for 2025…

On the third Saturday in September, Bill and I took some more art to Kunst-Schaefer in downtown Wiesbaden to get two new prints from Hungary framed, and have some other art re-framed. Bill picked up the finished projects a couple of days ago. Below are some photos of the results. The first photo is of our new Hungarian acquisitions. I always wish I’d bought more art when I get new stuff!

The above photo is of two sketches we bought from Dariusz Milinski in Jelena Gora, Poland, back in 2008. They were originally in platinum with beige matting and plastic, instead of glass. I’m not even sure if they were actual sketches or copies. But our experience buying them makes them pretty special to us. It’s nice to have them in new framing. I wish we could get back there and buy one of Milinski’s paintings. They are pretty amazing, even if he’s a bit of a nutter.

The ones in the middle are paintings we got in Vilnius, Lithuania, all done by the same lady. She was pretty happy when we bought her art. I am happy to see the paintings in new frames, although I wish I’d asked the picture framer to touch up the edges so they aren’t white. But I got some magic markers, so I can fix that issue without too much trouble. Sometimes being the daughter of a professional picture framer comes in handy.

On Friday night, we went to the wine stand. It was kind of cool outside, and the sky was a bit cloudy, but we had a great time. It was mainly because of that friendly German couple who always sit with us, even though we speak little German, and they speak little English. Google Translate is very helpful in that situation. At one point, the lady asked how long we’ve lived here. She probably wonders why I don’t speak better German. I do actually know a lot more than I used to, but it’s hard to speak in German. I have no one to practice with on a regular basis.

I told the lady that I can only sing in German. It’s a bit of a joke, because I did used to sing German songs a lot, when I was in my 20s. When you take voice lessons, that’s what happens. You learn songs by composers who wrote in German or Italian… or sometimes French and Latin.

She was curious about my musical pursuits, so I played a video from my YouTube channel. I chose this one, because the song is short, and I did a pretty decent job with it… Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?

I think they were surprised…

She mentioned Breckenheim’s pop choir, led by our neighbor and the co-owner of our veterinarian practice, Dr. Konrad Blendinger, who is also a musician and songwriter. She was quick to tell me they do songs in English. I’ve seen them perform a few times. Dr. Blendinger has even written an original song about Breckenheim!

It would be fun to be in a pop choir… sometimes it’s hard to feel like a joiner, when you’re an outsider. But this couple is always so warm and welcoming to us. It makes me smile, knowing that there’s at least one local couple besides our landlord and immediate neighbors, who think we’re okay. 😁 I’m glad to meet locals in Wiesbaden, too. They’re more mature than some of the “friends” I made in Stuttgart.

Our town also just got a charging station for electric vehicles. Apparently, there was some controversy about this new development. I think they’re putting in a couple more stations at the Sportsplatz on the other side of town. Personally, I think it’s cool… just like I thought it was cool that they installed a public WC for events in the Dorfplatz. I love to see the community develop so people can have nice things. I wish Americans were more like this.

I took few photos at the wine stand, because it was kind of dark outside. I think there will be one more this year, but I’m not sure I’ll attend. Bill has to go to Bavaria again, so I’ll be alone when it happens. Maybe I’ll attend solo… but probably not. I like to teetotal when he’s not home. Besides, a lot of times, no one talks to us except the American pastor/lawyer who lives nearby. And she’s a very popular lady, so it’s not like she visits extensively. So, if I did go to the wine stand, it might not be much fun. I might get more out of watching political pundits on YouTube.

Anyway… it was a really nice time. Once again, I’m grateful to live in Breckenheim, which is a great little community with a good manager who makes sure the people are entertained. Bill says there’s a little fair going on at the Dorfplatz as I write this– something they haven’t done there since 2009. And there’s the Apple Fest in Wiesbaden, too, although I’m not sure if I want to go there. I probably should go, since I’m about to be lonely for three weeks. 🙁

But, on the other hand, I’m glad Bill has a job and is still getting paid to work. So, you gotta count your blessings where you find them, I guess. In other news… the vet called us while we were at the wine stand and told us Noyzi’s cytology report came back. He had a raw spot on his leg that we had tested for cancer. It was negative– he just has a bit of dermatitis. So that’s good news, too!

adventure, art, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss Studies… Sunday at the lake! (part two)

On Sunday morning, Bill went across the street to the fabulous bakery called Wüst. This bakery, which is part of a chain, offers wonderful fresh breads and pastries. Almost every day of our stay, Bill went there to get our breakfasts. One day, he went to a different, but equally good bakery, only because we were out of juice and he could get some at the other place.

I have discovered that I really like the way the Swiss do their breads. The places we’ve gone have offered soft rolls and croissants that aren’t too crispy/messy. Personally, I like that a lot. I know some people love flaky croissants, but I prefer them to be softer, if only because it means fewer crumbs all over the place.

After breakfast, Bill and I took a walk to Lake Zürich, which was a very short walk from the apartment. On Sunday, there happened to be a bike race going on, so there was a “crossing guard” in the middle of the crosswalk! We sure weren’t expecting that.

The part of Lake Zürich where we were was near the Chinagarten, as well as a really cool looking machine/statue that I happened to catch running once during the week. I discovered that I was looking at “Heureka”, a “useless machine” that was built in 1964 by sculptor, Jean Tinguely. Below is a video of it running. I only caught it in action once during the whole week we were in Zürich! I read that they only run it three times a day for eight minutes, from April until October.

According to Atlas Obscura, “Heureka” was meant to symbolize consumerism in advanced societies. It’s made of scrap metal and junk, and when it runs, it just makes noise. It doesn’t actually do anything useful. Interesting that this would be in a place where many people are quite well-to-do.

I videoed this after Bill and I saw it for the first time. I guess they don’t run it often, because it makes a fair amount of noise.

There were so many people at the lake on that sunny Sunday. They were all lying out on blankets and towels, swimming, sunning, fishing, and splashing around in the lake. I wished I’d worn one of my bathing suits, because the lake was so inviting. But instead of jumping in the lake, we decided to visit a Biergarten right next to it… And unfortunately, we ended up sitting next to a big pile of dog shit. Nevertheless, I took lots of photos, and where we sat was perfect for that. And the sausage and roll weren’t too bad, either.

While we were eating, we were visited by a bunch of little birds and some very well fed ducks. I tried not to feed them any bread, since it’s bad for ducks. But they made it hard to resist. They were practically tame! I noticed a number of different types of birds by the lake, everything from seagulls to swans! I’ll have pictures of the swans later in the series.

After lunch, we walked around some more, and I took a lot of photos. I was amused by the many people on hydrofoils. It looked like a lot of fun, riding those things– like surf boards with poles under them, operating like pogo sticks. Maybe if I was younger, fitter, and braver, I might be willing to give them a try!

He’s pretty good at that!

Below are some more photos from Sunday. The Swiss, and all of the visitors, all seemed to be having a blast!

We walked a few miles on Sunday, and ended up running into the bike race again. There was a boy there, maybe about 12 years old, wearing a neon colored uniform. He fixed one of the racers’ bikes on the side of the street. We overheard him telling a couple of ladies in German that he was a member of a bicycling club that provided services for the race. We saw a young girl in a similar reflective outfit providing drinks for the riders as they whizzed past.

After awhile, Bill and I got a bit hot, and we were both worried about sun exposure. We decided to go back to the apartment and watch some local television. We caught a couple of American movies, dubbed into German. One was 1962’s That Touch of Mink, starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. The other was 2012’s Now Is Good, starring Dakota Fanning. The Fanning flick was also airing on Friday night. I hadn’t heard of Now Is Good before, but I see it’s on Netflix. Maybe I’ll watch it in English.

For dinner on Sunday, we ordered Chinese/Thai food. I had sweet and sour pork with rice, and Bill had chicken satay with rice. We also had dumplings. There were leftovers for Monday, which was a good thing for me.

In the next post, I’ll start explaining how I entertained myself while Bill was “at school.” Stay tuned for that excitement. 😉

Champagne Bucket trips, former Soviet Union, Lithuania

The Vilnius Series… Saturday night and Sunday… (part seven)

After we visited the Church Heritage Museum, Bill and I visited a couple more nearby churches. You could spend all day looking at churches in Vilnius. They are EVERYWHERE…

The weather was relatively warm, and I was pretty tired, since we did so much walking. On the way out of the churches, we took a different way back toward our hotel. I looked up and noticed the three crosses on the hillside, where I noticed a lot of people visiting. The Three Crosses monument (or The Hill of Three Crosses, if you wish) makes an attractive landmark. According to the link:

A wooden castle was built on the hill in the 12^th and 13^th centuries, and a settlement was later established in its place. The hill got its name after Franciscans died as martyrs when pagans tied them to crosses and threw them down the hill. The three crosses were erected to commemorate this event. The current monument was created by architect and sculptor A. Vivulskis in 1916 and rebuilt in 1988.

We passed a nice looking park and Bill wanted to walk through there, but I was pretty tired and “peopled out.” I’m kind of sorry we didn’t visit on Saturday, as it did look like a beautiful park. I was just really ready for a drink. We went searching for one, hoping for a quiet place. We wound up at a bar called Baras Ir Vinilas, a place that had interesting canned beers and annoying music…. and then they played a Lithuanian basketball game. Half the players appeared to be Americans. I was surprised by how entertaining it was. They had cheerleaders and even little kids holding up signs, hoping for jerseys.

We continued down an unfamiliar road and, thanks to my excellent sense of direction, no doubt bestowed on me by my dad, the former navigator, we found our way back to the hotel by a different way.

We decided to see if we could have dinner at an attractive looking restaurant near the Nisha Craft Capital pub where we spent my birthday. Unfortunately, that restaurant was closed. They were also closed on Sunday night, so we assumed maybe they were taking a vacation. That is one thing we see a lot of in Europe. Restaurants will close so people can take vacations. That sure wasn’t the case when I worked in that business in the United States.

I was disappointed that the restaurant was closed, but I didn’t mind spending a little time in Nisha Craft Capital’s beer garden, so I could have another Angry Rooster brew. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and had dinner there. I was curious about their Wagyu burger. It was okay. Bill ate about half of it, because I wasn’t that hungry, and because I didn’t really like it that much. But the wine was good…

On Sunday, we woke up to overcast skies. It wasn’t raining, though, so that was a good thing. I wanted to go shopping and see if we could find some gifts for Bill’s grandchildren and art for our house. We were successful in that quest. We walked around Vilnius University, a church with beautiful blue windows, and the Presidential Palace grounds. We decided not to try to go up the bell tower at the university, although now I know it has an elevator. And we also had lunch at a very nice Italian restaurant called Fiorentino’s on a quiet side street.

We bought three paintings from a lady selling her art at a small market. There were a few artists there, but we bought from the lady, because she was the most interested in selling to us. I think we made her morning, because we spent 180 euros. I bought a cat painting and a couple of sea landscapes… They are framed, but we may have them redone.

Then we went to a souvenir shop, because Bill was out of euros and needed to use a card. We bought a mug, some magnets, and several little hand puppets for the kids. I figured that was safe enough from breaking, melting, or choking anyone.

Things were winding down, so we made our way back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for our flight on Monday afternoon. We did go out to dinner, though. We found a very cool family owned brewpub called Būsi trečias. It had friendly service, a large room with many board games, great music, and really good food, along with excellent locally made beers. Prices were very reasonable, too.

I wish we’d found that place earlier in our trip… or really, on Saturday afternoon, when I was hoping to find an interesting place for a rest and dinner. But I’m not sorry we were at the place where they showed Lithuanian basketball, nor am I sorry I got to try pomegranate lime beer. I really liked our last restaurant, though. The bathroom signs alone were worth the trip.

And… just because, we stopped at Nisha Craft Capital again, so I could have another Imperial Stout…

I think I’m kind of at the “fuck it” stage of life… My poor liver.

We decided to turn in somewhat early on Sunday, since we were a bit worn out from all the walking. There’s still a lot of Vilnius we didn’t get to see, and I would definitely not be averse to going back!

Last post in this series will be about Monday… and our trip back to Germany. It should be a quick one!

art, Hessen

The latest batch of framing…

On May 10, 2025, Bill and I visited our favorite art dealer/picture framer to get some art framed. Most of the pieces we had done were ones we’ve had for years, but never had the time, money, or will to have properly framed. Wednesday of this week, Bill got a call from the picture framer, letting us know that our order was ready to pick up. After he got home this morning from his latest business trip to Poland, Bill stopped by and fetched our art.

Below are some photos of the finished products by Kunst-Schaefer. Except for three pieces, all of the art in these photos was framed by this gallery in downtown Wiesbaden:

*We had a photo of Bill’s daughter’s family framed. She had sent us an older framed photo before her youngest was born.*

In other news, Bill’s cherry tomato plants have produced two cherry tomatoes. I have put them in the chili that is on the stove cooking right now. Charlie is absolutely delighted that Bill is home. So is Noyzi, of course, but Charlie is Bill’s dog. He’s been giving me the cold shoulder. Now that the pack is reunited, all is right in his world again. I may have to make a reunion video at some point.

I think this latest batch of framing ran us about 600 euros or so, after using a VAT form… The matriarch at the gallery was gushing over the paintings done by the military wife we bought them from in 2014. I wish I was still in touch with her. I’m sure she’d get a kick out of knowing that a German art dealer was admiring her work!

I’m not sure what we’ll do over the weekend. If the weather is nice, maybe we’ll venture out somewhere… Or maybe not.

art

Ta da! Our art is now framed!

Bill went by the art gallery yesterday, and picked up the pieces we had framed. Below are some photos of the results. I’m very happy with the work Kunst-Schaefer in downtown Wiesbaden did. As usual, they did a great job! I am especially delighted by how Amy’s painting looks. The frame really makes the art stand out beautifully!

*This is new art done by our friend, Bruce, who, along with his wife, fostered our late dog, Arran.*

Bill said that before he gave them a VAT form, the framing cost about 800 euros. After the VAT, it was significantly less… I think it was about 650 euros or so. I’ll have to ask. Anyway, I am very pleased… We have more art that needs framing, plus a lovely photo of Bill’s daughter’s family. I’m sure we’ll be back to the gallery soon!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: art