Those of you who have been following our homebrewing experiment may be interested in the latest video. Bill bottled his brew yesterday. Hopefully, in about three weeks, it’ll be ready for drinking! I tasted the beer yesterday and I think it’s going to be nice and chocolatey!
We’re both getting more skills in videomaking.
We had absolutely beautiful spring weather today. The sun was shining and the temperatures were very mild. Bill and I decided today would be the day we took a walk at Monbach, a beautiful creekside walk near the town of Bad Liebenzell, which is about a half hour’s drive from our home in Unterjettingen.
We arrived at Monbach at about noon. There is a Christian mission there, where people can rent a room or a holiday house and enjoy nature. There are also walking trails where one can communing with nature. Although we left our dogs at home today, we could have brought them with us. I’m kind of glad we didn’t, though. Monbach is a very beautiful and serene place and not having them with us gave me the chance to get some photos of a very handsome heron.
Besides walking, visitors can enjoy kayaking and mini golf on the mission grounds. There’s also a sportszentrum near the Monbach area which includes an ice skating rink. I haven’t been ice skating since about 1980, but I caught myself thinking I’d like to stop there sometime and give it a try. Maybe it’s like riding a bike… or maybe I’ll end up breaking my ass.
Parking at Monbachtal is free, although it’s not particularly plentiful. Below are some photos from our walk, which ended up being almost three miles.
These little signs were at the beginning of the walk. They explain the flora and fauna you might encounter on your walk.
The walk had a lot of what looked like pasture areas for livestock. We didn’t see any cows or horses today, but there was plenty of electric fencing. I don’t think it was working today, but I wasn’t about to test it for myself.
This particular trail was for bikers, so we had many bikers passing us as we walked.
There were a few of these, as the path was next to railroad tracks. One train passed as we walked and we could barely hear it. They’re probably for drainage, but I bet more than one person has peed in there. I am not among them, though.
I brought my new camera and played with the settings a bit…
I managed to zoom in and get several shots of this handsome heron, who was hunting for fish. We also saw a guy fly fishing in the creek.
Information on fishing.
This is a snack bar on the grounds. It’s mostly ice cream, soda, and the like. There’s also a larger cafe near the mini golf course. We decided to go to the Schönbuch Bräu Brauhaus in Calw, which is on the way home.
Many Americans living near Stuttgart are familiar with this brewery and its chain of restaurants. Like many Americans, Bill and I have been to the Brauhaus in Böblingen several times. The one in Calw is probably closer to where we live. Today was our first time visiting.
There is a large public parking lot outside of the restaurant. Most of the time, you have to pay to park there. On Saturdays after 1:00pm, parking is free. There are signs informing people of this, but Bill missed them. A helpful local smiled and reminded Bill of the time, but he’d already paid. It’s really cheap anyway. I think Bill said he paid about 50 cents for a ticket good until Monday.
Bill checks out the specials.
The menu is the same as the one in Böblingen. On Monday nights, they have all you can eat spare ribs. On Wednesdays, they have burger night. We might have to come back for the ribs.
We decided to have the Weizenbock currently available on tap. It weighs in at about 7% ABV. Weizenbock is traditionally offered during Lent, so it was nice to get to try it. Weizenbocks were brewed in the Middle-Ages at monasteries. They were the only source of energy that monks were allowed to get during Lent.
I decided to have the Schweinshaxe, something I enjoy but rarely order because it’s always way too much for me to finish. I was hungry after our walk, though, and having missed it at Funzel last weekend, I decided today was a good day for a pork knuckle. Bill went with the Schweinebraten, which is never a disappointment in these parts. Our waitress was very friendly and spoke English.
My pork knuckle came with farmhouse bread. It was very fresh and tasted like it was made with beer. I only ate one piece, though, because I knew I was about to be hit with plenty of protein.
And here it is in all its glory! It was delicious, but I have enough leftover to last the rest of the week!
Bill’s dish came with spaetzle and red cabbage. His lunch wasn’t impossible to finish.
I cracked a dirty joke to get Bill to make this face.
Cheers!
I confess, part of the reason I didn’t finish more of the pork knuckle is because I wanted a piece of Black Forest cake. Bill and I split this, which was a wise decision. It wasn’t too heavy or sweet, so it turned out okay.
This is the inside of the Calw version of the Brauhaus. I think I prefer it to the one in Böblingen. The inside reminds me a little of a church. There’s also a nice outside dining area. ETA: A German friend tells me this used to be a gym, hence the high ceilings…
Our bill was about 36 euros. Bill rounded up to 40 euros. Our kind waitress wished us a pleasant stay in Germany and seemed surprised when we told her we live here. I promised her that I’m working on my German.
See the sign that says “Nette Toilette”? Last time we visited Calw, I noticed them all over the city. I did some research and learned that Calw is a city that participates in the Nette Toilette program (nice toilet). Local businesses get paid to allow non-patrons to use their bathrooms. It’s a win/win/win. Visitors are less likely to pee in the alleys and the city doesn’t have to equip the city with public toilets. Businesses get more traffic and potential customers, as well as money from the local government.
All in all, it was a pleasant visit… well worth the trip!
We had a really nice visit to Monbach today. The weather was amazing. I was reminded of how many nice areas there are around Stuttgart, just a little ways beyond the city. We need to visit Bad Liebenzell and Calw more often. Both are very pleasant places to spend an afternoon.
For those of you following along in our beer making quest, here’s a somewhat shorter video showing the second stage. As I mentioned in the first beer making post I wrote, Bill is brewing beer for the first time in Germany. He gave up his hobby when we moved back over here and has now decided to try again.
Today, he moved the beer from the container in which it had been fermenting into a second container. It will now sit for two weeks, after which the beer making process will continue.
He’s getting more confident on camera, isn’t he?
Last week, he had a minor disaster when there was a slight explosion from the first container. He came up with a makeshift cure.
Necessity is the mother of invention!
A few months ago, Bill told me that for Christmas, he wanted an Anova Precision Cooker. He’d seen it advertised on Facebook and thought it looked “cool”. A friend of mine in California bought one and was raving about it, so I ordered one. I hoped it would arrive in time for Christmas, but it only got to us a couple of weeks ago. Anova Culinary won’t ship to APO and I didn’t want to have it sent to my German address because I feared the duties I’d end up paying. And then, it appeared that they had a backlog of orders, so although I ordered it in November, it didn’t get to my mother in law until December 23. She sent it to our APO box, but I guess it got put on the slow boat.
We bought the version that is 220 volts because we may be in Germany for awhile. You can also get a 110 volt version. I believe there are a few accessories one can buy for this gadget, too.
Anyway, Bill decided he wanted to try his new toy yesterday, so he bought a duck breast and used the Anova Precision Cooker to prepare it. I made a video of the experience, which some readers might find interesting. The duck breast turned out great, although the process of cooking it took a few hours. I think it’s cool that this gadget runs off your phone or an iPad. Check it out!
You can use this thing to cook all kinds of meats… Bill is having fun learning how this new (for him) way of cooking.
Besides cooking duck breast, Bill also brewed his first batch of beer since we moved back to Germany in 2014. When we lived here the first time, from 2007-09, we were under the impression that homebrewing was illegal. But then from 2009-11, we lived in Fayetteville, Georgia for about 18 months, and Bill got hooked up with a great homebrewing guru who had a store. He learned the basics of brewing there and then continued his hobby until we moved back to Germany. Because he thought homebrewing was still illegal, he left his equipment in the States. He has since purchased new equipment from Austin Homebrew Supply. Although shipping costs were a bitch, the stuff made it to our APO box with no problem.
So I made another video of Bill as he brews beer. It’s about fifteen minutes, but it covers the first steps in making beer. I’ll make another video in a week when the brew has had some time to ferment and we move to the second step.
Bill makes beer!
I should mention that I filmed all of this on a new camera I bought last week. My filmmaking skills are still developing, but I think Bill did a good job!
Bill and I were still laughing about the boys on the train as we walked into Kilkenny, a town that appears to have recently exploded in population. I was reminded of towns like Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which was once a rural place and eventually became very popular. Kilkenny appeared to be the kind of place that was very small for a very long time and then became busy. As we headed for the the Smithwick’s Experience, I was surprised by how many people were there, trying to get around us and/or otherwise in a rush. On the way to the beer museum, we decided to stop for lunch. We ended up at a place called Petronella, which I spotted as we were passing an alcove.
One of my favorite bits of travel advice is to pay attention to alcoves. It’s easy to find stuff if you’re on a main drag. But I have found the best places are often tucked away, and Petronella turned out to be one of those places. It was a bit of a hole in a wall, tucked away off the main road. We arrived just in time for lunch. Indeed, I think we were the first customers of the day.
Bill checks out the menu.
Kilkenny beer.
The first version of my lunch. I tried to make it work by switching with Bill.
Our waitress directed us to the second floor and I took a seat by the window. Right as I was noticing the piped in music on the sound system– mostly music from the 70s and 80s– a busker was warming up outside. The busker was quite a talented guy who played guitar and sang, sounding a bit like Bob Dylan if Bob Dylan could actually sing (and this is no disrespect to Mr. Dylan’s overall talents as a musician. He writes wonderful songs and plays guitar, but he is not a singer).
So, we came in and sat down… and I ordered a steak sandwich and Bill ordered the special of the day, which was a chili flavored tagliatelle. I ordered a Kilkenny beer to go with my lunch, while Bill had a glass of cabernet.
The food came… and unfortunately, my steak sandwich, which was served open faced with fries and a fried egg on top, also came with mushrooms and onions. No problem, Bill and I thought… We switched plates and I tried his dish… It, too, was loaded with mushrooms. So the waitress came up and I had to tell yet another person about my ridiculous mushroom hatred/phobia.
Bill called her over and said, “My wife can’t eat mushrooms.”
Bill’s lunch. I tried to eat that instead, but the mushrooms were awful. Otherwise, this was almost like a really nice chili mac. It was quite good and I would have loved it minus the fungus.
Rebooted steak sandwich. The potato salad was surprisingly good.
The waitress was wonderful. She quickly took the food away and had the chef make me another sandwich without ‘shrooms. She brought me a clean sandwich sans egg, onions, and mushrooms. Instead, it came with a surprisingly good potato salad. I got to tell the waitress about why I hate mushrooms so much. To make a long story short, I have a bit of a phobia. Even as I told her how I knew how ridiculous this story sounded, she was patient and understanding. And she also confessed feeling the same way about baked beans. I like to think she appreciated that I told the truth, rather than tried to tell her I’m allergic. The truth is, I am not allergic to mushrooms. They just really freak me out in a bad way.
At one point, the piped in music was a song by Bruce Springsteen circa 1985. The busker outside was playing a 90s Springsteen song. Synchronicity! (truthfully, it was a bit weird)
Petronella… in case you ever find yourself in Kilkenny.
After we had lunch, Bill and I went to the Smithwick’s Experience, which was very entertaining from the get go. We entered the beer museum and were immediately greeted by a good hearted lady who said we could use the kiosks to pick up our tickets or just talk to her. She immediately recognized my name, since I had just ordered tickets and got engraved glasses in honor of our anniversary. The lady who did the engraving personally wrapped our glasses for us and wished us a good time in Ireland.
At 2:00, we had our tour, along with several other folks. There were a couple of Irish folks on the tour, but the majority of us were Americans. An adorable lady named Ide (pronounced Eee-dah) guided us through the museum, gave us the long history of the brewery, explained the process of beer making (which Bill and I know very well), and led our tasting. Bill and I had a paddle tasting, which included several beers by Smithwick’s. We ended up chatting with a couple from Ireland who were really friendly and wanted to talk about politics!
After the tour, we walked around the town, then headed to a bar. We had to kill some time before our train, due to leave at around 7:00pm. The first bar we went to seemed geared toward hen parties. There were a couple of groups of younger women who were cackling over brews. I finally got annoyed enough to tell Bill we needed to move on to the next place, a pub affiliated with a hotel.
We stopped into the pub, which had the soccer game between Austria and Ireland playing. We sat down and started drinking local brews. A bald guy working the bar came over to talk to us. He was obviously a local and very cool. After a couple of hours, I think we became friends. And yes… there was more talk about Donald Trump.
Shots of Kilkenny…
He told us to come back if we ever made it back to Kilkenny. Somehow, I have the feeling he’ll still be there if we ever do make it back to Kilkenny. He might even remember us!
Bill and I are currently in Ireland, celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary. This trip has been a long time coming, since Bill has Irish ancestry and last visited Ireland in 1984. I think I visited Ireland when my father was stationed at Mildenhall Air Force Base in England, but if I did visit, I was much too young to remember it. I’ve been wanting to see Ireland for a long time, especially since I also have a little Irish blood, though it got to me by way of Scotland (I assume, anyway, having examined genealogical research done by people in my family).
I’m not sure when we decided, once and for all, that this anniversary would be spent in Ireland. Originally, I was thinking about a trip to Baden-Baden, of all places, because I love spas and Baden-Baden is chock full of them. For all I know, I decided on Ireland after we bought tickets to the recent whisky/whiskey tasting we attended at The Auld Rogue in Vaihingen. In any case, we’re here and it’s good. I tried to make this trip as first class as possible.
Business class on Lufthansa and Swiss Air (as well as Austrian Airlines)
As is my habit when I start planning a trip, I turned to Expedia.com for the initial planning. I do that mainly because on Expedia, I can see prices for multiple airlines at one time and pair them with hotels. I know everybody has their favorite travel site. I’ve tried and used Travelocity and I’ve looked at Kayak.com, too. For some reason, I just happen to prefer Expedia. I also have a lot of rewards points there that I’m saving for a big splurge sometime.
When Bill and I fly, we usually opt for economy class because it’s often difficult to justify the extra money it costs to fly business class. For this particular trip, we ended up booking business class seats. Although business class was a bit more expensive than economy class was, it wasn’t prohibitively so. I also wanted to try business class so I could write about the experience.
We ended up paying about $840 for two business class tickets from Stuttgart to Dublin. Our first leg took us from Stuttgart to Munich to Dublin on Lufthansa. On the way back, we’ll fly Swiss Air to Zurich to Stuttgart. We have a long layover in Zurich and I looked at possibly taking a train back to Stuttgart. Unfortunately, I didn’t find one that would get us back home sooner than the plane would. I guess I will get to write about Zurich’s airport and maybe Swiss Air’s business class lounge.
The Marker Hotel in Dublin
The Marker Hotel is a very contemporary hotel located in the Docklands area of Dublin. It’s located in the center of town, making it a good place from which to explore. As it’s turned out, so far we haven’t explored much of Dublin yet, because I bought us tickets to the Smithwick’s Experience in Kilkenny. Yesterday, we took a train to Kilkenny to use our tickets and that took up the whole day. Today, we have plans to visit the Guinness brewery for a tour and a connoisseur beer tasting. Hopefully, we’ll get to see some of Dublin today, because tomorrow, we’re headed to the west coast, where I’ve rented a cottage on the water for five nights.
Nectar of the gods?
The Water’s Edge in Aughris
That is the name of the cottage I’ve rented. I found it through Booking.com. It’s located in County Sligo. I had originally wanted to find us a place in County Donegal, but was unable to find anything that really pulled at the heartstrings. The Water’s Edge is located steps away from a well regarded beach bar and is literally right on the beach. I look forward to seeing the area around there because it looks absolutely beautiful! Best of all, the price was right. Just 440 euros for five nights. I haven’t seen the house yet, though, so we’ll see if it was really a bargain.
We will come back to Dublin on Saturday, November 19th and stay a night at the Clayton Hotel, which is right next to the Marker Hotel. I didn’t know they were so close to each other when I booked. I was simply looking for an airport hotel. Now I know to check locations more carefully! On November 20th, we will fly back to Germany.
Now that I’ve outlined our main plans for this trip, it’s time to write about what’s happened so far. Stay tuned for part two.
I know a lot of people are reeling in the wake of the astonishing results of the Presidential election. I’ve seen a lot of people posting about how much they need a drink. As the daughter of an alcoholic, far be it for me to promote alcoholic behavior. However, I would be a hypocrite if I said I’m not fond of booze and that it doesn’t soothe the soul sometimes. Based on what I’ve seen on Facebook, a lot of people are eyeing their liquor cabinets and fridges and eagerly waiting for five o’clock.
Right now, I’m sitting at my computer with a bottle of Germany’s best mineral water with gas. But, for those of you out there who feel like you need an excuse to have a beer, allow me to give you one, especially if you happen to be in Bavaria (which I’m not, but whatever). Since it’s now mid morning, it’s perfectly appropriate for you to enjoy a second breakfast.
What is a second breakfast, you ask? It’s historically a meal eaten after breakfast, but before lunch. Typically enjoyed by farmers and other people who do hard work early in the morning, second breakfast is a lighter snack that keeps workers fueled until it’s time for lunch. Second breakfast is especially popular in Bavaria, but it’s also a “thing” in Hungary and Poland… and, to a lesser extent, here in Baden-Württemberg. The cab driver who took us to the airport when we PCS’d from Stuttgart back in 2009 mentioned having a second breakfast, anyway. So some people do it here, right?
While many people enjoy coffee and pastries as a second breakfast, some people do go for more savory fare like pretzels, wurst, sweet mustard, and yes, beer.
An example of a “second breakfast” Bill and I enjoyed at the airport in Stuttgart.
So, if you are sitting at home and feeling the need to drown your sorrows, consider enjoying a second breakfast. You don’t have to have anything alcoholic with your snack, but you certainly can use second breakfast as a viable excuse, especially if you live in southern Germany.
Bottoms up, everybody!
Hello folks. Every once in awhile, I like to write posts that are comparative in nature. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a few wine stores near us and I thought it might be interesting to write about the pros and cons of each.
Naturally, you can always buy wine on post (if you have access and/or purchasing privileges) or at your favorite grocery store like Edeka, Aldi, or Real. Those locations are givens. I wanted to highlight stores that specifically focus on wine. I’ve written about each place before, so I will link to my first posts about them so those who are interested can read about my first impressions.
Vinum! Our favorite wine store.
Probably my all time favorite wine store in the area is Vinum in Tübingen. I will admit that I mostly like that store for sentimental reasons. We used to shop there all the time when we lived in Germany the first time. I still like to go there and will go out of my way to visit for several reasons. First off, they have a great selection of wines. It’s not a huge store, but there are plenty of wines to choose from and quite a few are available for tasting. They also have wine on tap and, as long as you have a bottle (you can buy one there if you want), you can load up on cheap, good quality wines.
Secondly, Vinum offers more than just wine. They have a small selection of gourmet foods. They also sell exotic beers and fine liquors and liqueurs, as well as nice booze related gifts. Their staff is very helpful and speak English. Sometimes they host events on the weekends for wines and spirits. I also think their building is very cool. It reminds me of a cave. Bill and I have shopped there extensively, both times we’ve lived in Germany, so we’re very familiar with the store. In fact, it may be time to pay them another visit soon.
Inside the Alte Brennerei in Herrenberg.
In second place, I think I’d put Alte Brennerei, a wine store Bill and I discovered just a couple of weeks ago in Herrenberg. Alte Brennerei is a fairly small store in comparison to Vinum, but the proprietor is very friendly, speaks great English, and offers a good variety of wines. She also has a small selection of gourmet items, though not as many as Vinum does, and will offer to do tastings for small groups. She doesn’t have a wide range of liquors available or wines on tap, but she does have plenty of whiskys. Since Bill and I like scotch, we like Alte Brennerei. A bonus is that right across the street is a cheese shop and right next door is the adorable Lamm Gasthof, a great place for a bite to eat.
Jacques’ Wein Depot in Ludwigsburg.
In third place, I’d choose Jacques’ Wein Depot, a chain wine store that has locations all over Germany. One advantage to visiting the Wein Depot is that there are a lot of convenient locations. This store also allows patrons to try almost every wine they sell.
The reason I put Jacques Wein Depot in third place is because when we visited, the salespeople did not seem all that interested in helping us. This is not such a big deal to us, since we pretty much know what we like. It could be a problem for less experienced wine drinkers. Also, I did not get the impression that the guys who were working at the Wein Depot spoke English. Again, not a huge deal, but potentially less helpful for English speakers who don’t know what they like.
I also think the Wein Depot lacks the charm of of Vinum and Alte Brennerei, stores that have a personal touch. Jacques’ Wein Depot is a chain; as such, it lacks a certain mysticism. However, I did think the wines were probably better priced at Wein Depot as opposed to the other two stores. Generally speaking, that is the advantage of visiting a chain store over an individual location.
Vom Fass.
Likewise, Vom Fass, another chain wine store is kind of similar to Jacques’ Wein Depot. Although we visited one when we went to Ulm in August, I haven’t yet really had a chance to write a review of one. Vom Fass also has several locations near Stuttgart and elsewhere in Germany. It seems to be more of an all purpose store, offering wines, vinegars, oils, and other gourmet items. Jacques’ Wein Depot, by contrast, appears to be all about the wine.
Wein Kreis in Stuttgart.
There are definitely other stores in the area we haven’t tried yet. For example, there’s a wine store/ wine bar in Stuttgart we have yet to visit. It’s right next to the Markthalle, though, and we usually load up on wines when we visit the Markthalle. Next time we visit Dr. Blair, which should be next week for a cleaning, we will have to stop by the Wein Kreis store in Stuttgart and try it out. I will definitely update then.
The lovely thing about living in Germany is that there’s always a place to buy great wine for not much money. You don’t have to visit a wine store to find something good, though it sure can be fun shopping in one! This weekend, I hope to find a few more wines when we visit France!
Yesterday afternoon, Bill and I went to the Cannstatter Volksfest for the first time since 2007. The Cannstatter Volksfest is a pretty big deal. I have heard it is the second largest fall fest in Germany behind Oktoberfest in Munich. This year, the Volksfest runs from September 23rd until October 9th.
The first time we experienced the Volksfest was just days after our arrival in Germany. Bill’s office at EUCOM had reserved a table. We were brand new and knew no one. I remember going to the tent and sitting among a huge crowd of people, many of whom were much younger than I was. The band played fun songs that they never seemed to finish. I distinctly remember hearing them play “So Lonely” by The Police several times, but they only seemed to know the chorus. I also remember a bunch of young guys, maybe 17 or 18 years old, with bras on their heads. They hit on me, even though I was old enough to be their mother. I think they had their beer goggles strapped on pretty tight!
This time, Bill and I went with people who work with him at AFRICOM. Instead of attending at night, we went at 11:00am. I was surprised by how much emptier the tent was. I was also surprised to see so many people dressed in proper Bavarian attire. Lots of guys were wearing lederhosen. Lots of women, myself included, wore dirndls. I did not get any pictures of myself yesterday, which is probably a good thing. By the time we were finished festing, I’d had four Maßkrugs of beer and was definitely in no shape for photos. Our tickets, included four drinks and a meal. Maybe next time, I’ll stick with apple schorle.
Anyway, I did take a lot of pictures and got some video, which I will probably turn into a YouTube movie. Here are some of the highlights of yesterday’s festivities!
At 11:00am, the food stands and rides were pretty idle.
White horses in front of the Dinckelacker tent. We didn’t realize there was a guy with a camera taking official photos until he told us to vamoose.
Black horses in front of the Schwaben Bräu tent, which is where we enjoyed our afternoon.
Obligatory shot of Bill. He promises me he’s going to shave this weekend.
Bill was one of the few in our group who didn’t dress up. He did wear his Saint Obnoxious t-shirt, though. For those who don’t speak German, it reads “Life is too short to drink shitty beer.”
At one point, an older German lady came up behind Bill slowly and read his t-shirt. She had on a sequined turquoise and white dress and wore lots of make up. I didn’t quite catch what she said to Bill, but I could tell she liked the shirt. Meanwhile, I got stopped by a young German man who wanted to know why Americans like Germany so much. I don’t remember what I told him, but I do remember kissing him. I thought it was the only way he was going to let me get back to the table.
The tent after we’d been sitting there awhile.
I got a big kick out of this sports team near us. They were having a blast! All of them had nicknames on their backs.
The band broke into a rousing rendition of “Looking for Freedom”, a song made famous in 1989 by David Hasselhoff. As you can see, the lead singer dressed the part! I got footage of this performance that I will probably put on the Internet for all to see. ETA: Here’s the video.
David Hasselhoff sings the famous original.
There was much dancing and singing.
There was so much beer! I drank four of these and paid for it later.
And yes, there was delicious, fresh, roasted chicken with bread… Germans sure do chicken right!
A good time was had by all!
All in all, I think I like the midday festing better. It was a lot less crowded and chaotic. There was never a wait for the ladies room. Believe me, after four big beers, I sure needed a potty with no line. I dozed off on the train ride home and got my dirndl stuck in the car door, which earned me a gentle chastising from a German lady. But, aside from being a little tired this morning, I’m not too much worse for wear. The new dirndl is headed for the cleaners and I’ll put it away until the spring fest!
There are a couple of things I did that turned out to be smart. I brought an extra pair of comfortable shoes to wear on the train ride home. I also brought a shawl, which serve to keep me warm and covered up an unfortunate spill on my blouse. I only wish I’d remembered to buy a hat this time!
Bill and I decided to go to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on Saturday. We correctly surmised that there would be many day trippers coming to Lake Bled on Saturday and it would probably be a madhouse. As we left Bled Saturday morning and observed the long string of cars coming into the town, we could see our hunch was right. Making matters more complicated was the road construction going on. Bled has a two lane road going through it that is currently being worked on, probably in time for what promises to be a busy summer season.
Ljubljana is only about an hour from Bled, so we got there at about noon. Bill found expensive parking in a garage at a galleria. There was a Spar grocery store there, which we made plans to visit on the way out. We’re always looking for interesting wines and beers. After we parked, we made our way into the main drag in the old town. It was very festive this past Saturday. There was a market going on where people could buy all manner of fresh produce, gifts, arts, and crafts. Lots of musicians were busking on busy corners and most of them were skilled. The air smelled of cheeses, meats, and fruits.
One of the first things we happened upon was a bunch of Hare Krishnas dancing to a young woman’s surprisingly lovely vocals. Bill and I stood and watched; it was happening right where the boat tours start and some woman asked me if we wanted to take one. I declined at that time, since we’d only just arrived. Really, what I wanted was lunch. As we rounded the corner, we were delighted by the sight of bubbles everywhere. Some guy was blowing them by the dozen and kids were chasing them in the sunshine. It made for quite the whimsical scene.
Raw footage of the Hare Krishnas and the boat tour we took in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
One thing I always do when I check out new cities is look down alleyways and in alcoves. I try to get out of the tourist drags, especially when I’m looking for a meal. I find that a lot of the better restaurants aren’t necessarily in the thick of the action. Not only do the out of the way restaurants tend to have better food and service, they also tend to have more reasonable prices.
We rounded a corner, where I heard the majestic sounds of a flute, a violin, and a harp. Three young ladies were playing beautifully as we passed and I noticed a tiny wine shop that I made a mental note to visit later. We got to a corner of a cafe that promised food, beverages, and speedy sewing jobs (it seemed to be paying homage to Singer sewing machines). Then I spotted an open door, wine bottles, and corks. I headed across the street, well away from the tourist action, and spotted where we’d be having a leisurely lunch.
I see that according to TripAdvisor, Spajza is ranked ninth out of 407 restaurants in the city. Having chanced upon it Saturday, I can agree that the food at Spajza is indeed excellent. So is the service. When we arrived, we were among the first there for lunch. We were ushered to a two top in the restaurant’s charming terrace area. I could see several large tables set up and knew that the peace and quiet wouldn’t last. Clearly, there were going to be a couple of big groups joining us.
Spajza has a number of dishes that might seem exotic to the average American. They serve “young horse” there, which I would never eat for many reasons. At a less American friendly Slovenian restaurant, I saw the “young horse” billed as “foal”, which is even creepier to me. I didn’t see any bear on the menu as I did in other Slovenian restaurants, but there was also rabbit as well as a host of seafood dishes. I wasn’t feeling too adventurous and the beef dishes mostly included mushrooms, which I don’t eat. I ended up having a couple of starters and Bill had a shrimp salad. Bill and I started with three scallops au gratin, which were served in the shell. Then I had a shrimp and asparagus risotto. We also enjoyed the awesome rolls and fish paste amuse that came with our meal, which we washed down with two bottles of local wine and sparkling water.
We might not have stayed as long as we did, but I got a kick out of one of the groups. It was a large group of guys who were obviously bonding over good food, beer, wine, and cigars. They were fun to watch. I think the waiter was surprised when we ordered more wine… and maybe even more surprised that I didn’t fall out of the chair.
After we enjoyed lunch, we stopped at the tiny wine shop– seriously no larger than a closet– and bought a couple of bottles from a guy with excellent taste in music. He was blaring Dire Straits and every time I hear certain Dire Straits songs, I’m reminded of a wonderful long weekend Bill and I enjoyed in Barcelona back in April 2009.
Further into the tourist district, I saw a sign that read “Beer”. Not being able to resist such an advertisement, I followed the sign into a little craft beer shop. The very friendly and enthusiastic lady who was running the store chatted with us about beer and nodded approvingly when I picked up a few Belgians I haven’t yet tried. Next, we picked up some Slovenian honey at the farmer’s market.
We pressed on to the parking garage and entered the grocery store, where we found a few more bottles of wine and a bottle of chocolate liqueur. Then, something funny happened. A couple of weeks ago, an acquaintance introduced me to a hideous disco song called “Lady Bump”…
Penny McLean, who was a member of the Euro disco group Silver Convention, sings “Lady Bump”. Turns out she’s from Klagenfurt, Austria, which we passed through on our way back to Germany.
I happen to be a serious music nerd and I especially enjoy crappy music from the 70s and 80s. But I had never heard of “Lady Bump” until my friend introduced it to me. Sure enough, while we were wine shopping at the grocery store, that song came on! It was kind of surreal. After we bought the wine, we dropped it off in the car and went back to the boat tour dock. Bill needed some time to sober up and it was a really gorgeous late afternoon.
The lady who sold us the tour was trying to chat us up and coming off as a bit disingenuous, especially when her machine malfunctioned and she had to handwrite us tickets. But we got on the boat and enjoyed a lovely little cruise, especially when we ran into a regatta! A bunch of kids, no doubt learning how to sail, were having a race on our route. You can see the footage in the first video I posted. They were pretty awesome.
Ljubljana is a great town and I’m glad we visited. I’m actually glad we stayed in Bled instead of the capital city, since I have a feeling parking can be a challenge there. However, if you want to go shopping or eating, I think Ljubljana is a great bet. I hope we can visit again, if only because I want to find more awesome restaurants and visit the castle. We spotted it as we drove into the city, as well as the handy funicular that takes people up the hill. Had we arrived a bit earlier, maybe we would have toured the castle, although we were both a bit tired of tour groups by Saturday and we knew the castle would probably be teeming with them.
Farmer’s market!
Hare Krishnas
Bubbles!
This is why I always check alleys… really cool art here.
A church near where we had lunch.
Food and sewing…
Graffiti.
Our spot for lunch!
Bill’s tiger shrimp salad with delicious wasabi dressing…
My risotto with shrimp and asparagus…
Scallops and mild cheese.
Awesome bread and amuse.
Our first bottle of wine…
The terrace before things got busy!
A good spot for beer!
Our boat cruise.
I snapped this shot of the mural on the building. It must have taken forever to do that…
On the way back into Bled, we saw yet another stream of cars. They were headed in the opposite direction. Yep, day trippers! I recommend for those wanting to visit Bled, go somewhere else on Saturday. Take a trip to the city to avoid the crowds! Saturday is fun in Ljubljana!
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