By Saturday morning, I was starting to look forward to going home. But we still had a full day in Switzerland and no big plans for how to spend the time. Bill said the weather would probably be turning later in the day, but on Saturday morning, it was sunny and temperate.
We went down to breakfast and sat in the first dining room, as the breakfast area was full of people. Obviously, Friday was a big day for people checking in, as the room was bustling! The family with the German Shorthaired Pointer was also there. I got a kick out of the “grandpa”, a funky guy maybe Bill’s age, who was rocking red socks and bright orange shoes. Once again, I admired their beautiful dog, who was lying on the floor near their table. We heard him and another dog before we went down to eat. Later, we saw the family with a Schnauzer, who I guess wasn’t as laid back as their GSP was.
You can see the pooch behind Bill.
The table where we sat wasn’t the best, since people kept coming in and out. But at least no one slammed into my back, and I didn’t have to look at myself in the mirror!
After breakfast, we decided we’d just hop on a boat and take another boat cruise. Yes, it’s true that we took a boat cruise when we visited in July, but I really didn’t feel like going into the city and pounding the pavement. I wasn’t in the mood for crowds. Given that the boat stop was just outside the hotel’s doors, it was just too perfect to get on a long lake cruise and take photos. So, that’s what we did… but the coolest thing about that decision was that we took the 12:47 cruise from Küsnacht, and it wasn’t like the last boat we were on. We lucked into taking the 100 year old steamboat “Stadt Rapperswil”. In almost all ways, it was better than the last lake cruise we took, back in early July.
A short video showing the machinery of the boat, as well as a later boat in the swells of the lake during a storm!
I took some photos on our four hour cruise, which started and ended at the Küsnacht stop, rather than Bürkliplatz, which is the big pier near the inner city of Zürich. While we were waiting for our boat to arrive at 12:47, we noticed the dark haired lady from breakfast. I don’t think she saw us.
There was also an American couple, the female half wearing a Budapest sweatshirt. When we got on the boat, she annoyed the purser by asking if they could get off in one stop, as they wanted to go to Zürich. What they’d hoped for was a shuttle boat going to the city, but they got on the long cruise going to Rapperswil, instead. The guy was willing to work with them, but I could tell he was irritated as we paid our first class fares. This cost about 86 francs (for both of us), but it was basically a pass for ALL boats and trains until 5AM Sunday morning.
The below photos were taken before the weather turned to shit. We had lunch onboard. I made the mistake of having a burger, which I didn’t enjoy, as it didn’t taste like the Angus beef it was supposed to be. I think Bill had a salad. I wish I had, too. At least the fries were good. I didn’t finish the burger. The Stadt Rapperswil was much more comfortable than the other boat we were on, back in July. I really liked the bench seating.
Rapperswil!
We were getting close to Küsnacht when it started to sprinkle. We responded by moving inside, sitting at the end of the dining area with a half liter of white wine. Looks like Halloween is catching on in Switzerland, as there’s a costume party planned for the boat…
We made dinner reservations for a restaurant in Küsnacht called Falken. To be honest, I kind of wasn’t in the mood to go there. The weather was bad, and I was kind of wanting to just spend a quiet evening in… But, as it turned out, Falken was a really excellent restaurant, well worth the trip in the rain. By the time we started walking there– maybe about a six minute walk from the hotel– the rain had mostly ended.
It’s good that we made reservations, because the restaurant was pretty full, a good sign of its quality. And Bill and I both really enjoyed the food. He had scallopine with a light port sauce and a side of roasted potatoes, and I had chicken with lemon and garlic and a side of herbed risotto. I loved the “amuse” they sent out, a rich, creamy red pepper soup that had kind of a “nacho” flavor. I’d love to learn how to make it for the rainy, cold weather that is coming soon. And the best part of the meal was dessert– Crema Catalana for me, and Cassata with maraschino for Bill. Falken was definitely my favorite of the restaurants we visited on this trip.
This soup was so delicious!CassataCrema Catalana… like the best creme brulee, ever!
We finished up dinner at a reasonable time and walked back to the hotel. Then we got into bed and listened to a video made by Bill’s daughter. We responded to her while in bed– at about 9:30 PM– and then enjoyed our final slumber at Hotel Sonne.
The next post will be the last one of this series, and it will include the story of the most “surreal” thing that happened on this trip!
While Bill and I were in the hotel room, digesting our fabulous French lunch, the skies turned cloudy and grim. It started to rain. I looked out the window at the cathedral. We were supposed to meet the guide at 4:00 PM for our hourlong guided tour of the crypt. But the rain was coming down steadily and showed no signs of stopping.
I realized that the rainy weather would also put the kibosh on my tentative plans to go hear the US Air Force play with with Lithuanians in the town square. That concert, set for 6:30 PM, seemed like it was going to be doomed with bad weather.
Bill glanced out the window and said, “Hey, there’s a guy out there in a bright red Cadillac Coupe d’Ville, stranded on the street. There’s something you don’t see every day! The guy was on the phone. I felt sorry for the car trapped by the big red land yacht. But it was soon back on its way, and the road was no longer blocked by the striking car.
I said, “Are you really wedded to going to the crypt?” I really didn’t feel like braving the elements.
Bill responded, “Not really.”
I gave some thought to skipping the tour, as my muscles were getting sorer by the minute and I didn’t really want to sprint to the church in the rain. But Bill said that Thursday would be our one and only chance to take the tour in English, so ultimately, we decided to go. I’m really glad we did. It turned out to be a fascinating activity, led by an engaging, witty, and very intelligent guide who told us she’d worked at the Cathedral as an anthropologist for nine years.
I couldn’t help but remember my days at Longwood University, which, at least when I was a student, boasted a really excellent anthropology and archaeology program. I wish I’d taken at least one anthropology class there, as when I was a student, there was a very well known professor there, Dr. James W. Jordan, who was kind of a legendary for his ghost stories. He’s now retired.
In any case, a group of us tourists gathered in the rain and hustled into the church, where the guide took us to a locked grated door. She unlocked the door; we walked down a flight of steps, and she started telling us the fascinating story of the crypts. It started out as a place where only the wealthiest people could be buried… people who had donated land and/or built a church, plus had people who had promised to pray for them forever. As time went on, the people buried there were less wealthy and celebrated.
The church went through several incarnations, all of which were fashionable at the time. I got a kick out of the guide explaining how the cathedral had once had two beautiful towers, but one of them collapsed, and killed people. The people were divided in what they should do… Rebuild the towers? Or redesign the church? It turned out the people with more money were in the camp that the towers should go. So that’s why the Vilnius cathedral looks the way it does now!
The guide also told us about how medieval crowns and scepters were very recently found (as in months ago) in the crypt. Experts knew the trove existed, as it was stashed away after World War II. However, they had not been able to find it in the decades that passed since the war ended. The guide said that next year, they will be available to be seen in the museum, once they are prepared.
We also saw a very old painting of Mary, done by an artist who wasn’t Catholic and had dressed her in red, instead of blue. And we saw the tombs of royalty from hundreds of years ago, and heard the fascinating stories behind their lives and deaths. The guide also invited us to whisper into the corners of the crypt and listen for whispers from a partner. Bill and I tried it, with success!
Lithuania is the last European country to accept Christianity (1387 AD). By contrast, Armenia, where I spent two years, is the first country in the world to accept Christianity as its state religion (in 301 AD). And yet, both were once Soviet countries, where people from Moscow were telling them what to do and demanding that they give up their cultural identities.
It was very poignant to hear the guide talk about things that happened in the Soviet times. Soviet leaders had wanted to turn that cathedral into a warehouse. Fortunately, wiser people determined it was better suited as a concert hall and picture gallery. Also, people who worked in the crypts were wise enough to hide things from Soviet leaders, who would have confiscated the items and taken them to Moscow, never to be seen again.
Below are some photos from the tour:
A pump that was put in during the Soviet era.The lady in the pink was asking a lot of questions. I later heard her speaking in what sounded like Lithuanian.This is a replica, but the real painting is in the crypt. A mirror reflection, with Mary in red instead of blue.A photo reproduction of Queen Barbara, who was said to be very beautiful.
When the crypt tour was over, I was really glad we decided to go. Not only was the tour interesting and informative, the guide was very entertaining and personable. It was well worth the time and euros to attend, even if I was getting sorer by the minute and we got a little wet.
Unfortunately, the weather was still pretty stormy and dismal after the tour. We decided to have a couple of beers at the hotel bar and, alas, skip the free concert in the town square. As I looked out the windows in the bar, the wind picked up, the sky darkened, and the rain fell harder.
Check out the rain!
I felt sorry for the musicians who had planned for a summer concert, only to be rained on. I’m sure the show went on anyway, but it was still kind of sad. I really was looking forward to attending, but not enough to walk to the square in the rain and possibly have to stand in the weather while my muscles screamed in pain. I thought of my dad, an Air Force veteran and music lover, when he used to encourage my sisters and me to join the Air Force and be in the “Singing Sergeants”. I have to agree, it’s probably a pretty sweet gig, except for when the weather turns to shit and the show is outside.
Still, it was nice to have a couple of beers in the hotel bar. They didn’t have a big selection. We were still kind of full from our French lunch at Balzac, so we ate nuts and cheese (or Bill ate cheese), and then went back to the room, where we watched classic MTV. We made it an early evening.
The next morning was, of course, my birthday… and we woke up to… MORE RAIN! Seriously, it was pouring. We got up and went to breakfast, and a friendly waitress asked us how we were doing. I mentioned it was my birthday– just making conversation. She later brought me a surprise!
A lovely little cake with a candle. Yes, I made a wish!Eggs Royale, with smoked salmon and roe, as well as the usual Hollandaise sauce.Bill had Belgian waffles with berries and maple syrup.
After breakfast, we went back to the room, which was already made up! I made a video…
My parody video “The Things They Do For Trump” was racking up lots of hits and earning me lots of new subscribers. So I made a video from our hotel room…
Then… we decided to do some reading, to see if maybe the rain would let up. It didn’t let up, which honestly was a blessing, because I really needed to rest my sore muscles. I took some Advil, which helped a bit, before we went to lunch at Dionysos, a Greek restaurant right next to the hotel. The friendly waitress who brought me the cake later told us she’d almost worked there, but didn’t like the people running it. We liked the restaurant fine… Bill had three chicken skewers with hummus (that was one too many) and I had ribs with fries, and rose wine made with syrah.
It was still raining cats and dogs after our visit to the Greek place, so we went back to the hotel and read some more. I learned that the Grand Hotel Vilnius used to be a telegraph station, and then served as the treasury building. Now, it’s a five star hotel with 93 rooms. We did like the hotel, for the most part. It was very comfortable. I was grateful for that, as the rain fell on my birthday. I hate to waste a day sitting in the hotel when I travel, but honestly, I’m not sure how well I would have done walking around Vilnius with so much muscle stiffness and soreness!
Finally, the rain let up, and we decided to go to a bar that specialized in craft beers. In retrospect, I wish we’d gone out for dinner, but lunch at the Greek place had left us rather sated. I have missed craft beers, too. We do have them in Germany, but they aren’t always easy to find. Like… you can’t necessarily go to the local drink market and find exotic beers in Germany, although you will find excellent German beers. So I was excited to visit Nisha Craft Capital, which was very close to the hotel.
Bill and I spent a couple of hours at this bar, trying all sorts of craft beers and listening to the same loop of excellent classic rock songs. Seriously, though, I think they need to add to their playlist. We heard the same songs at least three times during our first visit (we went back twice more). The other two times we visited, we sat outside in their beer garden.
After our evening of beers, we went back to the hotel for birthday bubbles… I didn’t need the bubbles, but hell, I don’t turn 53 every day. It was fun watching the well dressed people showing off in the bar and restaurant.
Finally, it was time to call it a night, so we did. The next day, we had much better weather, and saw a lot more. I’ll write about that in the next post!
Good morning, folks. I was hoping I could have written this post yesterday, but I was feeling kind of poorly. This morning, I took a COVID test, and it came up positive within seconds. That will probably slow down my progress in putting up this series. Fortunately, I don’t feel too terrible right now. It just feels like I have a cold with a low grade fever and body aches. Still, I am rather fatigued and achy, and will probably want to go back to bed before too long.
I just broke the news to Bill, who is also feeling badly this morning. I’m sure he’s got COVID, too, but he’s on a business trip. I’m not sure what that will mean for him. I had to get him to cancel a vet appointment for Charlie today, because I don’t want to be spreading this. Just a reminder than COVID is still out there, so be advised!
Anyway… back to Iceland.
Saturday, August 31, Bill and I got up and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then, at about 9:00 AM, we went down to the lobby to wait for our guide from Iceland Luxury Tours. Bill checked out of the hotel while I watched for someone looking official. All of a sudden, I noticed a very tall SUV with huge tires. Bill saw the Iceland Luxury Tours logo on what we found out was a very well-equipped Toyota Land Cruiser.
Waiting in the lobby…
I took one look at that vehicle and said, “I’m going to need a mounting block!” It was very high off the ground for me.
Bill went out and spoke to the driver, who turned out to be Ivar (pronounced Ee-var), the man who would be guiding us around the hinterlands of Iceland for the next five days. I immediately noticed that Ivar is very fit and quite handsome, but he’s married, and likely at least ten years younger than I am. Besides, I don’t think there’s anyone for me but Bill, who is definitely my soulmate.
Our itinerary…
Ivar helped us put our bags in the Land Cruiser, then invited us to “mount up”. I was immediately reminded of my days as an avid equestrienne, trying to mount an especially tall horse. I really did need a mounting block to get into that vehicle! I’m not as strong or as lean as I once was… not that I was ever especially lean. It was cold and rainy, which made getting into the Land Cruiser even more of a challenge. Fortunately, I had spunk and determination, and on that day, I didn’t have COVID. I managed to scramble into the backseat, while Bill sat shotgun. We headed to our first destination, Thorsmork Nature Reserve, in the southern highlands. It is one of Iceland’s most popular hiking destinations.
This was a “monster truck” for me…
Driving through the nature reserve gave me insight as to why we needed the Land Cruiser. The terrain was full of rivers that the vehicle was capable of driving through without flooding. I also realized why wearing a seatbelt in the backseat isn’t just the law, but a really good idea. The roads are very bumpy, and it would have been easy to hit my head on the ceiling of the SUV. Just before we went into the reserve, we stopped by a convenience store/restaurant for a bathroom break. I had a real time getting back into the SUV! I also got soaked!
Ivar stopped to let out some of the air in the tires to make the ride more comfortable. I can’t imagine what it would have been like with fully inflated tires! Not that I minded, of course. Even with the steady rainfall, the nature preserve was beautiful and remarkable. I didn’t get a whole lot of photos during that segment of the tour because the weather was bad, and there was a lot of rain. Still, I did manage to get a few pictures…
My view from the backseat.Bill got out and took these photos…I would have done it myself…But it was pretty hard to get in and out of the truck!
On our way through the reserve, we ran into other brave souls in massive trucks passing through the wild, other worldly Icelandic terrain. We got to one spot where it looked like someone was stuck on the side of the river. We watched some guides with Russian clients go across, but Ivar wasn’t keen to try it himself. That was fine with us. We’re definitely not thrill seekers.
The three photos in the second row above were taken at a very inhospitable spot that was incredibly beautiful. Bill got out and took those pictures for me, while Ivar spoke to other guides who were there. One guy, a Russian with lots of money, had brought a professional photographer along with him to capture the moments in this brutal landscape!
After we drove through the nature preserve, we headed back the way we came. The rain continued to fall steadily, while the wind blew. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall called Seljalandsfoss, which Ivar said we could walk under if we wanted to. Unfortunately, the weather was so terrible that we weren’t tempted by the waterfall’s charms. I did get some pictures of it, though, and availed myself of the handy WC. Meanwhile, Ivar used the Land Cruiser’s internal air compressor to reinflate the tires.
Below is a short video that shows the conditions we were working under when we got to this waterfall. I’d love to go back there on a better day. The whole area was surrounded by waterfalls, and even in the rain and wind, it was very beautiful. But I did see a few folks trying and failing to use umbrellas!
It was a challenge to get to the waterfall, as you can see! We got soaked again!
Below are some photos from our visit. I managed to get one of a guy trying to use his umbrella. It was a fail! I wish the weather had been nicer, but Iceland is one of those places in which you just never know what you’ll get from the Norse gods…
Yikes!
After we visited the waterfall, we went to a restaurant for lunch. All the while, Ivar was telling us about growing up in Iceland, and his very adventurous grandfather. He seemed to know the roadside eatery where we stopped. As we got out of the Land Cruiser, I looked at the skies and wondered if we were in for that weather the whole time…
As you can see, Iceland isn’t a place where you should care about your hairdo.The first of many fish dishes I ate and Einstock beers I drank in Iceland!Ivar told us the English translation of this restaurant, but I can’t remember it offhand. The food was good, though.
As we were about to leave the restaurant, I asked Ivar if the weather was typical in Iceland for this time of year. He said it wasn’t, but then very quickly realized that we weren’t really prepared for the elements. He offered to stop by Icewear, a large outdoors retailer in Iceland, where folks can load up on outdoor clothing essentials. I ended up getting a raincoat and new hiking boots. I wish I’d gotten rain trousers, too, but the place was packed with people who were as unprepared as we were, buying up better gear so they could enjoy their trips more.
This place was a lifesaver!
After we dropped about $500 on clothes, we made one last stop at a beach before stopping at our first hotel on the road, we stopped at a beach… and to be honest, I can’t remember what it was called, mainly because I was focused on the weather. But I did get some photos. I got a lot of photos like this over our time in Iceland… I also got a video of the rough seas, but I got so many of those during our tour that I think I’ll just add it to a longer video that I’ll do when I’m closer to the end of this series (when I’m hopefully feeling better).
Once we visited the rocky beach, we headed to our first hotel of the night, Skalakot Manor. I will start the next part with our experience at that hotel, since it included a stable visit. For now, I need to go lie down for awhile. 😉
I mentioned in part one of this series that I had originally wanted to book us a few nights in Bamberg. Over the years we’ve been living in Germany this time, we’ve heard over and over again how great Bamberg is, and given that it used to have a US Army installation, a lot of military affiliated people know firsthand what a great town it is. I also knew about it because that’s where the famous Rauchbier (smoked beer) is made. I had tried that beer before our visit last Wednesday, but I was eager to try it on draft.
So, even though we had another cold, rainy, windy day greeting us, Bill, Parker, and I decided we’d take the train to Bamberg and see why everyone seems to love it. The train from Würzburg, which, incidentally, also used to have a US Army post, takes about an hour to reach Bamberg. We decided that was the best way to get to the city.
After breakfast, Bill drove us to the train station and managed to find a parking spot against all odds. He was very careful to buy an all day ticket (18 euros) for the lot, as the Würzburg train station is notorious for fining people who don’t pay– even if they’re only in the lot for a couple of minutes! He also bought us first class tickets for the train, which just meant we were at the front in a somewhat quieter area.
I can’t say the ride to Bamberg was especially exciting, as it was grey, dreary, and rainy. We managed to get a group of four seats and sat almost in silence the whole way. When we got to Bamberg, we walked to the center of town, where Bill had planned for us to have lunch at Schlenkerla, a historic restaurant that serves the beer and very hearty German food. I did notice that Bamberg is a very charming town. I especially enjoyed the enchanting Rathaus, which famously juts out over the middle of the Regnitz River. I didn’t get a chance to take a lot of spellbinding photos on Wednesday, due to the crappy weather. But, when we go back– and I’m sure we will– I will take more pictures.
Schlenkerla was pretty packed when we got there. I was surprised, given that it’s February, and the weather was not good. We ended up sitting at a Stammtisch, and I sat in the wrong spot. The waitress chastised me, which really annoyed me. I’m out of practice of being yelled at by Germans, having moved out of Swabia. Bill asked me if I wanted to just leave, but I sighed and said no, since we were already sitting down. I cheered up when she brought us a round of nice, fresh, Rauchbiers. I know they are an acquired taste for many, but I do like me some smokey beer.
As for food, we had more heavy German fare. Bill and his mom both got roast beef plates with vegetables and horseradish. I got a pork knuckle with sauerkraut and potato dumplings. I don’t usually get knuckles, because I can’t finish them. But the one I had on Wednesday was manageable. Bill and I also tried a Rauchweizen, which was like a wheat beer with smokey flavor. It was a bit lighter. I think Bill preferred it to the Rauchbier. By the time we finished lunch, the restaurant had emptied out.
I liked what Bill and his mom had. It was a little less extreme, too.Legendary brewery!This knuckle was delicious and not too huge.
We walked around Bamberg to burn off some of our lunch. I can’t say it was a really enjoyable walk, thanks to the wind and rain, but at least it wasn’t super cold. I managed to visit a few more churches, too, and Parker bought some gifts for her co-workers in Texas. One other thing I want to mention is the very convenient public WC near the Rathaus. That was a lifesaver after lunch! St. Elisabeth’s Church had beautiful windows on display.
St. Elisabeth’s Church…St. Martin’s Church.
Our stay in Bamberg was brief, as the weather was getting worse as the afternoon wore on. But now that I have an idea of what the town looks like, I know I want to go back and explore it some more. The train ride back was a bit more crowded, as it was quitting time. Our guide at the wine tasting mentioned that he lived in Bamberg, which probably meant he got on a train going the other direction just as we were leaving. Bamberg is definitely enchanting. Bill and I will have to go back and enjoy it when the sun is shining and Biergartens are open!
Here are a few more artsy photos of Bamberg… It really is a handsome town, even when the weather sucks.
For the past few months, I’ve been following a Facebook group called Ausflugstipps für Baden-Württemberg. Members share photos and day trip suggestions for Baden-Württemberg. I’m also in similar groups for Hessen and the Schwarzwald. I don’t contribute much, but I do get some good tips from actual Germans on places to see. In some ways, I kind of like the old way I used to find places to go… suggestions from people I know, seeing signs on roadsides, or even just by doing a trusty Google search. I have to admit, though, that the Facebook groups make finding places a lot easier!
Anyway, someone in the aforementioned Facebook group recently shared some stunning photos of Brenztopf (aka Brenzersprung), a pond near the Rathaus in Königsbronn, a municipality near Heidenheim, a nice town on the way to Ulm. They also shared some photos of what looked like a really beautiful creek, but people in the know recognized that the background scenery in the photos didn’t match the terrain in Königsbronn and its environs.
I was intrigued by the beautiful photos of the spring/pond on the eastern side of the Swabian Jura. I told Bill I wanted to check it out; it reminded me of when we visited Blautopf in March 2017. Blautopf (Blue Pot) is a gorgeous pond in the town of Blaubeuren. A lot of people have heard of Blautopf; it gets plenty of visitors. By contrast, I had never heard of Brenzertopf, nor the nearby town of Heidenheim, which boasts a big hilltop Schloss (castle). So, although the weather was positively bipolar, Bill and I set out for the attraction, which is about a 90 minute drive northeast of Stuttgart. I got a few rainbow pics… March weather is nuts!
For those who don’t want to drive, it’s possible to take the train. Bill said it involves taking the high speed ICE train from Stuttgart to Ulm, then getting a regional train to Königsbronn. The train stop is right by where the spring is.
Before we went on our excursion, I did some basic checking out of the area. I learned that although Königsbronn is quite industrial, there are a few nice restaurants near there. I thought maybe we’d score a good lunch, too. On the other hand, such things usually require planning… more than I ultimately did.
We managed to find our way to the Brenztopf. It was raining a bit when we arrived, and Bill had to pee… blame those high blood pressure meds. Nevertheless, we gamely found a (free!) parking spot, and found our way to the pond, which I came close to missing, as it’s beside the Rathaus and Hammerschmiede (blacksmith) building. The blacksmith was closed, but Bill sweet talked some lady into letting him use their restroom while I walked around and took a few photos. While Bill was doing his business, I found my way around the building, where the pond is. Although it was very pretty even in the rain, the brilliance of the water doesn’t come out unless there’s sunshine. There I stood in the rain, taking pictures… At least it was free!
The river that springs from the spring.Lots of trout in this water. One jumped for us.Hammerschmiede…Happy ducks!Rathaus…Cute neighborhood…Local information in German…First glimpse of the pond…It’s still beautiful, even with the rain…But to really appreciate this…Sunshine is essential!And there’s a lifering, for anyone who falls in in spite of the fence.
Then, just as we were about to drive away, the sun came out. I asked Bill to drop me off by the pond again, to see if I could get some sun kissed photos. As you can see, the effort was well worth it!
What a difference five minutes makes!Wow!I think this photo is my favorite…Some guys in wetsuits were about to get in the water.Yeah, it takes only a few minutes…But now my blog has cool photos…Stick around for the sun!
So, the moral of the story is, give it a few minutes if the sun isn’t out… I’m actually glad I got to see the pond when it rained, too. I thought the more opaque baltic blue was gorgeous… it’s one of my favorite colors to wear! But it was especially exciting to see how the sun changed the perspective so dramatically. Seems like a metaphor for life, too.
Bill didn’t bother to look at the pond a second time. He relied on my photos. Then we got on the road again and went to Heidenheim, which was having its Saturday market. I think we mainly just wanted to look around a bit, maybe find some lunch. On the way there, Bill saw a woman at a bus stop who wore a long black coat with the hood up. She also wore a white headscarf. He said, “It’s a nun!” I looked up and realized that the woman was actually Muslim and trying to keep warm in the chilly rain. We shared a laugh.
Although Heidenheim has a number of restaurants, not all of them were open. Some appeared to be more like cafes. It was chilly, and the rain was off and on, along with the sun. We were starting to get a bit grumpy. I had noticed an Italian restaurant when we first arrived, but although the sandwich board was out, it looked empty. I thought maybe it would open for dinner. We walked around and I got more photos. I tried to get a good one of the Schloss, with varying results…
This place smelled good, but had no toilet… Bill needed one.Taken because I have an American friend whose last name is Abendroth…
Finally, we went back to the Italian place. Noticing a sign for the WC, Bill walked up the stairs, where he found the entrance to La Strada Osteria. On the menu, it looked like they didn’t take a pause, either. Score!
We were greeted by a very friend and tall waiter, who invited us to take a seat in the quaint dining room. He asked what we wanted to drink, and I blurted out “Rot Wein!” It was mainly because I was cold, cranky, and wet. We both enjoyed a healthy pour of red wine. For lunch, Bill had a pizza with buffalo mozzarella and ham. I had lobster ravioli with “hummer sauce”.
The food was very good, and I was charmed by the waiter, who was very pleasant. I noticed everyone seemed to be enjoying their lunches, including an adorable Bichon Frisé at the next table, who smiled and wagged at me when I sat down.
It was about 1:45pm, and we were finishing up lunch. The waiter asked if we wanted anything else. I wanted another glass of wine. He hesitated. I then noticed that he and his coworkers were eating pasta. They were having a pause, after all. So he was hoping I’d have coffee or dessert, rather than wine. I guess he thought we’d linger. Bill had wanted an espresso, and God knows I don’t take that long to drink a glass of wine.
When the guy hesitated, we were about to just pay the check and leave. I was a little embarrassed. But then he compromised and said he’d bring us “Wein für Eins”… I guess he thought we’d split it, which we ultimately did. I was confused, though, because it would have taken just as much time for me to eat dessert, plus they’d have to prepare it. Below are some photos.
We weren’t even the last ones to leave… but the guy got out of the restaurant at just after two, and Bill gave him a nice tip so he could buy himself some more smokes. Then, tired of the crazy ass weather, we decided to head back to Stuttgart. Heidenheim is a nice town; I’d go back, especially if there’s an event going on, and the weather isn’t shitty. A few more photos from our drive back to Stuttgart…
As special as Saturday had seemed at that point, it was about to get even more special… We sat down in the bar and ordered a round, noticing that a large family was wandering around the area. Some of them had musical instruments.
After a little while, we noticed a couple at the end of the bar, who heard us speaking English. It turned out to be a woman and her son. She had long white hair and a face that gave away her German heritage. They had come to Stuttgart from Vermont; her very elderly father had died, and they were there to help her German stepmother bury her dad.
She told us her story. Her dad was born in Stuttgart and had left due to World War II. He married and raised his family in Maine– a place Bill and I visited in 2011. Then, years later, he married his second wife, a German woman who lives in Stuttgart. However, although they were married, the couple lived apart for years. She’d come to the USA for a few months, and he’d visit her in Germany. Finally, about ten years ago, he sold everything and moved back to Germany permanently. He’d finally passed away at the age of 91, so the lady from Vermont and her son were there for the funeral, visit family, and see other sights.
Dinner… Club sandwich for Bill…Soup for me…
Just after she told us her story, a manager warned us that the big family in the bar was celebrating a birthday, and they were going to be playing music. The lady from Vermont and her son decided to leave, but Bill and I opted to stay… and I have to say, by the time the evening was over, I’d had a good cry.
I’m not totally sure what was going on with the big family. I think they were celebrating their grandfather, but this family had several acts, most of which were very professional. The first performers were three little girls who sang, with violin accompaniment. One of the girls was noticeably talented as a singer; one was noticeably less so; and one was probably tone deaf. All three were adorable.
Next, a teen girl sang what sounded like a German pop song. She was pretty good, but seemed a little nervous– still, obviously more trained than the girls.
Then there was an older young lady who played cello beautifully. That’s when the tears started. She was followed by other family members– a boy on trumpet, a woman at the piano, someone playing a recorder, two violinists… and they played so beautifully for the patriarch. I was very moved, and grateful they didn’t kick us out of the bar. I was very happy to witness that concert. Besides the excellent playing, it was just so obvious that they were a close and loving family.
It made me miss MY family, which is also very musical. We used to be bound by our Granny, who was almost 101 when she died. Unfortunately, her passing, along with the deaths of many aunts and uncles has made it less imperative for me to go home to Virginia. Maybe we’ll make an effort to go back again soon. Some of my extended family might remember me, right?
Below are a couple of videos of the music. Since I wasn’t actually in the party, I didn’t film faces… just got clips of the music they played. Beautiful, isn’t it?
We’re now at that time of year when Germany’s weather gets much less predictable. Today, the temperature is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s kind of overcast and rainy. It was sort of like that yesterday, too, although the sun did appear for a brief period in the afternoon. I tried to sit outside, but it was too windy to enjoy the sunshine, so back into the house I went.
Ordinarily, yucky weather wouldn’t necessarily keep us homebound, but we also decided to stay home because we’re a bit concerned about Arran. I mentioned in a few recent posts that he hasn’t been himself lately. A week ago, I discovered enlarged lymph nodes in his popliteal glands behind his knees (back legs). I immediately became concerned about lymphoma, which is the dreaded cancer that took our dog, Zane, in 2019. Bill took Arran in to see the vet last week, because besides the lymph nodes, Arran also had a few pesky fleas, which he picked up from the hedgehog who has been residing in our backyard.
The vet did a fine needle aspirate, and at this point, we still haven’t gotten the results. She also put him on antibiotics, which he’ll finish today. I would say he had a partial response to the antibiotics. The lymph nodes are still large, but Arran did seem to feel somewhat less lethargic. We treated him for the fleas, and I washed everything in sight, and that seems to have gotten rid of them for now. I just have a bad feeling that he has cancer. It might or might not be lymphoma. If it is lymphoma, it’s not like it was for Zane, who seemed to have a very aggressive case of it. He died exactly one week after he was diagnosed. Arran, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be ailing much, other than being a little slower to eat his breakfast, quicker to tire on his walks, and slightly less spry when he jumps up on the bed.
The dogs are due to get dentals next week, and if Arran is still with us, he’ll probably get a biopsy. Bill and I talked about it last night, and I think we agree that whatever we do for Arran will be conservative, because he’s about 14 years old. That is the human equivalent as a man in his 90s. Canine lymphoma is treatable, but it’s not curable. As sad as it was to lose Zane, though, his was the easiest of our canine deaths. He had a good last week. If that is what’s in store for Arran, I wouldn’t object.
On the other hand, it’s possible this is an infection and the antibiotics he’s been taking weren’t the right ones to cure it… or it could be another type of cancer. I really don’t know. I hate this part of having animals in my life, but I don’t hate it enough to give them up for good. Anyway, at this point, Arran is still eating, drinking, sleeping, taking walks, and hanging around with us. So this weekend, we decided to give him some more of our time.
Noyzi is also hanging out with us more. He likes to listen to me practice guitar, especially since he knows that when I’m done playing, if Bill isn’t home and hasn’t already taken him out, that means it’s walk time.
One thing that does worry me a bit is that we are due to go to The Black Forest at the end of the month, and we can’t cancel our reservation without having to pay for the stay. I did buy travel insurance with cancel for any reason coverage, but it’s not so easy to get reimbursed by travel insurance. Plus, I really want to go… Yes, we’ll be visiting our dentist, but I would also like to have a change of scenery. We haven’t gone anywhere since June. We’re long overdue for a trip.
I think that like Zane, Arran is going to stay with us for as long as he possibly can. He’s already the oldest dog we’ve had the pleasure of having. All of the others have died younger. He’s a very resilient, spunky dog, and he LOVES Bill so much. So we’ll see what happens. Below are photos that were taken within the past 36 hours or so. As you can see, the boys look fine. But I am still worried about those big lymph nodes.
Edited to add on September 19, 2022… Unfortunately, my concerns were on target. Arran does have lymphoma. So we will be speaking with the vet to determine what to do from this point. I think we are inclined to keep him comfortable for as long as possible, but we’ll see what the vet says.
Tuesday afternoon, we decided to go to Lake Bled to see if we could find some lunch. There were some places open, but we were flummoxed because at that point, we hadn’t found the large public parking lot in Bled. I’m not sorry we went, though, because I got more beautiful photos. And then, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes from Ukanc at Lake Bohinj, where our rental house was, we found lunch at Gostilnica Štrudl, a cute little eatery in the touristy town of Bohinjska Bistrica. This restaurant offers local specialties– real “stick to your ribs” food, with lots of beans, cabbage, sausages, and potatoes. We coupled lunch with a couple of excellent locally made craft beers. I loved the dark beer. Should have brought some home! It also has apartments for rent, and sells locally produced gins, jams, and liqueurs. Below are some photos from our Tuesday outing.
A climbing wall for wouldbe mountaineers. We saw a class being taught there as we left on Friday.
I was glad to be able to get a few sunny shots of Lake Bled, even though we were passing in the car. We later found the public parking lot for Bled, so we came back on Thursday.
Bled CastleBled IslandWaterfall…
And then we found lunch, which stuck with us for the rest of the day. If only I’d had this lunch before we left Croatia!
Gostilnica ŠtrudlNot only does it have a cool label, but it was also delicious!One of those sausages was enough for me. Bill had to eat a good part of the second one. The beans mixed with potatoes were a hit! We need to try it at home!Bill had a stew with cabbage, potatoes, and sausage.Cute place. We brought home some gin and jams.And it even has a playground for your kids.Nearby souvenir shop. Too bad it wasn’t open.
There appeared to be several open restaurants in the Bohinjska Bistrica area. That’s also where the Aquapark Bohinj is. We decided not to visit there, mainly because of some poor reviews and concerns about sickness (the reviews mentioned that it wasn’t very clean). But, if we’d wanted to, we also could have gone bowling. We decided to go back to the house and finish watching The Crown instead, as the weather was getting crummy.
Unfortunately, Wednesday, we didn’t do much of anything because of high winds and rain. We did take a short drive, though, and I got some more photos. And we also found where the entrance to Mostnica Gorge is, as well as a few more eateries. One didn’t open until 4:00pm, and the other didn’t open until 1:00pm, so we ate leftover pizza and drank local wines.
Fortunately, even in inclement weather, Slovenia is so beautiful… it’s hard to be bored there. There’s always something to see, even if the weather makes being active more difficult. And the lack of crowds, especially during COVID-19 times is especially appealing.
We had big plans to try a new restaurant yesterday, but the weather was icky and I didn’t feel like wandering around in the cold and wind. That gave us the perfect opportunity to try out the new 40th anniversary edition Trivial Pursuit game I bought from Amazon.de. I ordered it when Bill’s mom was visiting us last month, but we never got around to trying it until yesterday afternoon. Over wine and Steely Dan, we played the game, quickly realizing that it was a British version, which made it a bit more challenging. We got lots of British culture, sports, and government questions. I’m not complaining, though. It made the game more interesting.
New fangled board, with a “jewel” for the center.
At home in storage, we have the original game that came out in the 80s. Bill was always very good at Trivial Pursuit. He says his ex wife complained that he cheated, he was so good at it. Fortunately, Bill and I are evenly matched. I won yesterday’s game, but it was close.
Ta da! I was the blue pie. Maybe we’ll play again today while Bill cooks a Sunday roast. We adopted the Sunday roast tradition from our Hebridean Island cruises.
After we were finished playing our board game, I took a look at Facebook and noticed a long, lost, familiar face… There was my mom, featured on the Facebook page for the assisted living place where she’s lived for the past ten years. She looks great, standing next to an exquisite counted cross stitch project she recently finished. My mom is super talented with keyboards, knitting needles, and other needles. I inherited her musical gifts, but not her talent for making beautiful works of art with needles, beads, and thread.
She’s amazing! I am so proud of her for this!
After my dad retired from the Air Force, my parents ran their own business out of our home. Mom sold knitting and needlework supplies, and she taught countless people her crafts. Dad sold art and framed pictures for people. Mom was also a church organist for about fifty years. Unlike most kids, whose parents worked out of the home and forced them to be “latchkey”, both of my parents were always home. I didn’t always appreciate that about them, but now I know I was lucky in that I got to spend a lot more time with both of them than my sisters did.
I tried to cross stitch when I was a kid, but I was terrible at it. I don’t have the patience to sit still for that long. I don’t have the dexterity to use a needle and thread. I have always hated sewing, even with a machine. I couldn’t make straight seams to save my life. My mom, by contrast, does just about everything with a needle except crochet. She told me it was because when she was growing up, her mother crocheted (and I have inherited one of the afghans Grandma Elliott made), but didn’t knit. A neighbor offered to teach my mom how to knit. Mom said yes to that because the neighbor had a TV. She and the neighbor would watch TV while they knitted together. I never learned any stitching skills, although one of my sisters has followed in my mom’s artsy footsteps. She knits and cross stitches and all that. Meanwhile, I’m the most musical of her progeny.
I did appreciate the yarn my mom sold. As a child and teenager, I showed horses, and that required me to braid manes and tails. Either yarn or rubber bands are required for braiding manes and tails, so I always had my pick of the best colors and highest quality yarns at the barn!
Mom’s yarn came in handy at the barn… I was 16 years old in this photo. I miss these days.
I haven’t seen my mom in person since the summer of 2015. I’d love it if she came to visit us again, especially since we live in a new city and have a better house for hosting guests. But flying across the Atlantic is tough on her, despite the fact that she’s aging so well. I’m long overdue for a trip home, anyway. It’s been five years since I was last in the States. Bill’s contract is coming up for renewal again this year. We’ll see if we stay or go. If we go, I’ll visit Mom when we get back to the States. If we don’t, it may be time to plan a visit to the USA before it’s too late. Bill needs to go see his dad, his daughter, and his grandchildren, too.
We were thinking we might go out today, but the weather is similarly yucky. Maybe we’ll play another game of Trivial Pursuit over more wine and conversation. Or maybe I’ll finish my latest jigsaw puzzle… we’ll see.
We didn’t do anything notable yesterday. The weather turned icky and I just didn’t feel like going out in it, even though there were things going on. However, I did manage to get a few dramatic photos of last night’s storm before the sun set. Here they are…
I will miss watching the sun breaking through the clouds.
I will miss the neighbor’s willow tree, which is beautiful all year.
One of the best things about living where we live is being able to watch the weather. It’s fascinating, especially at this time of year. Pretty soon, there will be amazing sunrises to photograph. I hope we’ll get them in Wiesbaden.
I will miss this view when we move. It will be hard to find a place with such pretty surroundings. We’ll try, though.
I do look forward to going to a new place for a lot of reasons. I have seen some great pictures of the Wiesbaden area that makes me think the landscape change will appeal. I have heard Hessians are different than Swabians are, although my German friend Susanne says true Swabians are a dying breed.
We did have a nice view the last time we lived in Germany, although our neighborhood was a bit more crowded. Last time, we had a great view of the Wuermlinger Chapel, sitting on a hill. I can see that chapel in the distance as we descend into Herrenberg from where we live now. I’ll miss it. This area is truly beautiful, especially in a storm.
I did hear that there was an accident at the Neckarmueller in Tuebingen last night. Something struck a glass door during the storm and five people who were sitting near it were hurt. Acts of God are a real hazard here, especially when the wind picks up.
Moving is a real pain. I’d rather not have to do it. I’ll be glad when the process is finished.
As regular readers might have guessed, Bill and I didn’t end up going anywhere yesterday. I hate staying in on the weekend, since those are precious days I can spend enjoying Germany with Bill. But the weather was pretty dismal yesterday and neither of us felt like going out in the rain. I sat around and watched iTunes all day, while Bill made another batch of homemade dog food for the boys in our Instant Pot.
iTunes is a funny thing. I started using it when we lived at Fort Belvoir about ten years ago. Bill was deployed and I was always alone, so I did things to try to fill my time. I discovered a lot of music during those days.
When we moved to Germany the first time, I used iTunes to keep up with the few TV shows I got hooked on while he was in Iraq. I discovered a few new shows that were offered free of charge. Sometimes I’d get hooked on them and end up buying the whole series. We never bothered to get AFN and, though we did have German cable, we didn’t watch much of anything on it outside of CNN. Instead, I’d watch Netflix– at those days, I’d wait weeks for DVDs to arrive in the mail. I’d buy my own DVDs, too; I still have many I bought at the Stuttgart PX ten years ago. Or I’d watch iTunes.
Now that we’re in Germany again, I’ve found that entertainment possibilities are endless. Netflix is streamable now and the German version is pretty good. Although it doesn’t have the selection the American version has, I’ve found there’s enough stuff in English to occupy me. And when there’s not, I can always watch iTunes. Yes, I end up paying more, but that’s not really a concern to me. This time, we have plenty of money. I’m not as frugal as I once had to be.
Yesterday, we binge watched Snapped, which is a show about women who go off the deep end and commit murder. After watching all the true crime stories I could stomach, I switched to Lifetime’s movie about the making of Melrose Place. I was surprisingly entertained by that film, not just because I was in my 20s when that show aired, but also because it was genuinely a pretty decent film. The casting was really good and there were some snarky lines in it that would really appeal to anyone who was young in the early 90s.
Unfortunately, I find that I pay a price when I don’t venture out on the weekends. Because I’m kind of a recluse, if I don’t go out on Saturday or Sunday, I tend to get a touch of cabin fever. I suppose I could go out on my own and I probably would if we didn’t have our dogs. I have found that lonely excursions don’t always amount to much more than wasted gas and buying crap I don’t really need.
This is about right for me when I venture out alone…
Luckily, this week we have a holiday and Bill and I will be going to France with the dogs. We are going back to Ribeauville, to an apartment we’ve stayed at before. I don’t usually like to use precious time going back to places we’ve been, but we were short on planning time and needed a place somewhat close because we won’t have the whole day to get to our destination. Bill has to work part of Thursday before we leave.
I know the place we’re going is dog friendly and super easy and convenient to access. I know I like Ribeauville and even if we don’t do a lot of new stuff, there’s enough there that we can enjoy a change of scenery and different food. We know the dogs will be okay alone for awhile in the apartment we’re renting while we scout out new wines and cuisine and perhaps do some shopping. Maybe we’ll even try a French spa. The price was also right. Three nights in a three bedroom apartment for less than $500. Can’t beat it.
I do hope 2018 will be somewhat better for seeing Europe. I desperately need to get to Berlin sometime and there are other places I want to see, once Bill has leave saved up. It’s not so easy when you have dogs and don’t trust a lot of folks.
Next week, we will also be celebrating our 15th anniversary. This year, because Bill is building up vacation time, we are staying local. Bill found a new restaurant in Stuttgart that looks promising. If he can get us a reservation, I will be reviewing it soon.
But for now, all I can say is that we stayed in yesterday because it was just too icky to go anywhere yesterday. It’s just that time of year.
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