Last night, Bill and I decided to have dinner at Tommi’s Bistro. As usual, the food did not disappoint. Bill and I had our usual lecker entrecote steaks from Argentina, lots of wine, and potatoes. Here’s a photo.
I paired this with my usual favorite Wildekartoffeln… Next Thursday is the next live jam!
After a very leisurely morning, we decided to go to Tübingen. I wanted to visit Vinum for some wine. Vinum closes at 4:00 on Saturdays, so we needed to hurry. But we did have enough time for a quick lunch at Die Kelter, which is a favorite restaurant on the way into town. We got there a little bit after 2:00, so we were limited to their “small” menu.
Bill checks out the menu.
We both had Baisinger hefeweizens…
I flipped a coin because I couldn’t decide between wurst or cheese spatzle. The wurst won…
Nice beer snack.
Bill had the Kelter Burger, which is basically a pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and wild potatoes with sour cream and chive dip. Those potatoes are the bomb! Bill had had the burger last time we visited and it was just as good this time as it was last time. I probably should have gone with the spatzle, though the wurst and pretzel were good, too.
We stopped into Vinum, tried a few wines that were being highlighted, and ended up coming home with five bottles and a refill of our syrah, which we get from a tap at the back of the store. I was glad to get there well before 4:00. Afterwards, we headed to the Neckarmueller, where Bill had one beer and I had two…
A nice Fischer Kellerbier…
Bill had another hefeweizen.
Impressive brewing equipment.
Then I tried a Saphir Fest beer. This only came in a small size, which was fine with me. It had notes of orange and cardamom.
A few photos of the Neckar River while I waited for Bill to make a pit stop.
We decided to walk back to the garage via the wooded park area opposite the Neckarmueller. As we approached the steps to get to the tunnel that leads back to the garage, we ran into what appeared to be three Muslim females. They heard me speak English to Bill and the two older ones seemed to look at us with hostile disdain. I simply stared back at them as we made our way to the tunnel, which makes for a convenient shortcut back to the parking garage. We were talking about the unspoken exchange as we walked through. Then I noticed some of the graffiti and stickers on the walls…
I must say, my German is starting to come along a bit…
Then I noticed this business, which I would guess is run by Armenians. The clue? The last name. Most Armenian names end with ian or yan. Also, note the colors under the name Takesian. They are the same as the Armenian flag. I could be wrong, though. I didn’t see any other clues but those.
We gave some thought to going to eat tonight, but I decided I’d rather get into my nightgown and watch The Brady Bunch on DVD. I’m thinking about booking us a table in Stuttgart after our dental appointment on Monday. Stay tuned for another restaurant review soon.
I want to thank those of you who have been following along. I hope these posts weren’t too dull. I think this may be the last one of my Scotland/England series. To be honest, by Saturday, Bill and I were feeling a bit fatigued and just wanted to kill time. Also, the weather wasn’t so great on Saturday. Originally, we were going to go to Bury St. Edmunds and walk around. We did drive there and started to park, but Bill realized that he didn’t have enough change to prepay for the parking. Also, the weather wasn’t conducive to walking around. It was cold, windy, and wet. So we decided to drive to Ipswich, which wasn’t very inspiring either, although it did look like they had a lot of ethnic restaurants there!
Actually, I would have liked to have walked around Bury St. Edmunds. There are a lot of impressive churches and it looked like there was a big park there. I bet we could have found a cool pub or something. When we decided to turn around from Ipswich, I initially said we should go back there. But then I remembered my sister mentioned the Bird In Hand pub, which is right outside the gates of Mildenhall Air Force Base and around the corner from where we lived. In the interest of nostalgia, we decided to have lunch there.
I enjoyed a local beer from Bury St. Edmunds… I also had the Old Speckled Hen when we were on the Hebridean Princess.
Bill soaks up the atmosphere at the Bird in Hand pub.
My sister says it looks the same as it did in the 70s.
The beer taps weren’t working when we first walked in the pub, so our first beers came from bottles. In retrospect, we probably should have stuck with the bottled stuff. I could tell this place is very popular with Americans. They had lots of American style military awards on the walls, along with video gambling and darts. Bill and I had burgers, which were okay, but nothing really special. After lunch, we went back to the inn and decided to pick up some beer and watch TV…
I bought a few childhood favorites to bring back to Germany. I love British sweets!
Bill went to tell the hotel folks that we had to leave early in the morning and we needed to know what to do with the room key. They were kind enough to give us a tray of food so we’d have breakfast!
They even gave us a portable fridge and toaster! That came in handy for the beer we bought at the local grocery store.
Some of my friends made fun of the Weetabix, especially since we were leaving Easter Sunday.
One thing I forgot to mention in the previous post is that you can meet some interesting people in British pubs. On Friday evening, we sat in The Willow House’s bar and ended up talking to a couple who were visiting Watton. The male half had a relative who had owned another inn in town and later sold it. They had wanted to check it out, but it was closed. So there they were in the only other pub in Watton.
The guy had been a prison guard in Britain, while his wife, who was about my age, was telling me about her obsession with Dallas andJ.R. Ewing as portrayed by the late Larry Hagman. By the time we got the pub, the two of them looked like they’d been there awhile. It was too bad. I would have liked to have heard a few British prison stories from the guy, who also told us about his relatives in Islay in Scotland and how he’d once gone there, told the bartender his family name, and the bartender called up the guy’s relatives. They showed up at the bar and partied with him.
Later, we chatted with a British couple who had moved to Norfolk from London and brought their adorable Staffordshire Terrier with them. I enjoyed a little canine attention as they chatted with Bill about Korea and Japan. Yep… Brits are a friendly lot! We sure appreciated their hospitality when we visited Scotland and England for two weeks!
Our drive to Norwich Airport on Easter morning was a delight. Very few people were on the road, so we had no trouble getting there. Getting through security was a breeze, though we had to pay 10 GBP each as an “airport improvement fee” and the machine wouldn’t accept Scottish money. Don’t worry, though, you can pay with a card. We had English money, too.
The flight to Amsterdam was smooth as silk and took 35 minutes. The flight from Amsterdam to Stuttgart was also smooth as silk and took an hour. It was super easy getting to and from England and, now that we know Bill has left side driving skills, flying in and out of airports without train connections is a possibility! However, because we chose to check our carry ons for the sake of taking up less overhead bin space, Bill ended up leaving his tablet on the plane in Stuttgart. Fortunately, someone turned it in to lost and found. He went back to the airport and got it after paying a 10 euro fee.
This is a curling iron… You can pay and curl your hair. It was in the bathroom at the Norwich Airport. I had to take a photo because I had never seen something like this before.
So ends my two weeks of fun and vomiting in Great Britain. I hope to be back sometime soon, though at this point, it looks like our next trip may be to Ireland. Stay tuned!
We decided to have lunch after we visited Crystal World. Although we could have gone to the restaurant on site, we thought we might have a more peaceful meal in the town of Wattens. Sadly, it was not to be… But we did come away from our lunch at Pronto Pasta with a fun story.
I’m not sure what the restaurant scene is like in Wattens. I do know that it was a Sunday and Pronto Pasta had lots of signs around town, advertising their restaurant. I don’t usually like to go to restaurants that are so heavily promoted because they are usually tourist traps. Indeed, Pronto Pasta has signs in five or six different languages… a sure sign that they cater to the clueless who visit the little Austrian town of Wattens. We went anyway.
Now, usually when there are lots of signs attracting tourists, you’d expect a huge restaurant with lots of tables. As it turned out, Pasta Pronto is a very small place with a menu in English and German. We noticed that they’d set up a couple of large tables which took up most of their tiny dining room. We were directed to a pub table near the front door. I eyed the large tables nervously, figuring that a big tourbus was about to arrive. Bill tried using his rudimentary German, but our waiter immediately switched to flawless English. Just as well.
Bill ordered a nice glass of red… I had white.
Bill had penne pasta with truffles, cream sauce, and ham. I had a salmon filet with cherry tomatoes and a side of tagliatelle.
Another shot of the food. It was very good.
Just as we were about a third of the way into our meals, a large tourbus full of Chinese people showed up. A small, nervous looking little Chinese guy who spoke English hustled into the restaurant. He had a large plastic bag full of individual packets of spicy Hunt’s brand ketchup. Bill overheard him explain that a number of the tourists with him were “addicted” to the stuff. The Italian bus driver took the table next to Bill’s and mine, meaning he shared a bench seat with me. He seemed a bit “over it”. I couldn’t blame him for that. The tourists all sat down at the tables that had been prepared for them.
The little tour guide approached one of the waiters and started asking about the menu. He wanted pizza. The restaurant doesn’t serve pizza, though they do apparently have a pizzeria in a separate location. Then the guy was asking about sausages. The waiter seemed to be doing a good job maintaining his cool as he explained to the tour guide that they had ordered a set menu, so they were all going to be served the same thing. It looked like they were having some kind of soup with a dollop of cream on top (sprayed into a decorative etoile), Wiener schnitzel, and tiramisu for dessert. From what I could see, the food looked good and everybody was reasonably happy. The two waiters were hustling and Bill overheard one of them complaining about their boss, a plain clothesed man who dropped off a couple of plates and claimed to have been helpful in the process.
The waiter deals with the tourists. Bill and I were, of course, no trouble at all…
I got up to go to the bathroom, but it was occupied. I stood and waited, feeling more and more intrusive. I wasn’t sure what was going on in there, but the lady ahead of me had some issues. At one point, I figured maybe I shouldn’t try to use the toilet at that time, but then she came out… It was a tiny girl, looked no older than fifteen and no bigger than a size zero, apologizing profusely. It was no big deal at that point. Poor thing.
A shot of the outside of the restaurant.
The above signs were all over Wattens.
Finally, after more wine, Bill paid the check. We headed back to the car, bypassing the tiny little Christmas market going on. As Bill paid for the parking, I noticed a ladies room. I ducked in and waited again. I didn’t really have to go so badly, but I remembered the arduous mountain drive and didn’t want to have to pee while Bill was stressing over the drive up the 16 degree grade.
Christmas market in Wattens.
Graffiti on the bathroom door.
We stopped by Spar for more wine, which we didn’t end up drinking. I took a photo of the Williams pear schnapps because Bill has a funny college story about it. He and a buddy were once held hostage in a DC bar by a mischievous bartender who wouldn’t let them leave until they could explain how the pear got in the bottle…
Beer tubs at Hotel Diana. I didn’t have a chance to get a shot of Bill and me this time. If you want to see us in a beer tub, I recommend checking out my Moorhof writeup.
Our appointment for our beer bath was set for 5:00 pm. I had Bill go ask at the reception if the bath would be with or without bathing suits. When we were at the Moorhof, we did it with suits. While that preserved our modesty somewhat, it also got hops and other debris in our suits. I would have been fine doing the bath naked. But the guy at the front desk either didn’t understand the question or didn’t care one way or the other. Bill came up and told me we should wear our suits. I had brought my “spa robe”(which I like so much that I wear it around the house, too). Bill only brought his bathing suit. Since I also brought a cover up, I let Bill borrow my robe (Santa will bring him a spa robe for Christmas). I wore the cover up.
We showed up at the beer bath and the lady from the video I posted in the first of this series said we should bathe naked. I was game, but I think Bill was a bit bashful. The whole thing was kind of awkward because she was telling us to get undressed and we’re typical Americans who aren’t used to being nude in front of strangers. Finally, she told us to just get in the tub. I think the tubs at Hotel Diana are a little smaller than the one we used at the Moorhof.
Bill and I were not as cramped in the one at the Moorhof as we were at Hotel Diana. It was ultimately okay for us, but Bill and I are short people with short legs. If this writeup makes you want to try a beer bath at Hotel Diana with your partner and you have long legs, you may want to go for separate baths. Also, I recommend this treatment without bathing suits. The barley they use in the tub gets stuck in your suit, plus you have to undress for the straw bed, anyway.
So anyway, we got in the tub… this time, unlike at the Moorhof, the beer spigot was not purely for decoration. We were allowed to drink as much as we wanted. The water was a little too cool for me at first, but I had access to the tap, so I was able to heat it up. The hotel owner was kind enough to light candles and dim the overhead lights.
Later, we told her that we booked Hotel Diana because of the beer bath. We explained that hers was the fourth beer spa experience we’ve had. She then told us that Moorhof was the first hotel to offer the beer spa experience in Austria. The family that owns Hotel Diana went there to check it out and decided to offer it at their hotel, too.
After the lights were turned down.
After about thirty minutes in the tub, we lost our bathing suits and got in the straw bed. I mentioned in my review of Moorhof’s beer spa that the oat straw seems like it would be itchy, but it’s really not. In fact, it’s very relaxing to lie there next to your loved one and enjoy the smell… and the softness. But remember, I grew up in a barn with horses, so it makes sense that this experience would especially appeal to me. Overall, it was a nice experience, though it seemed like Hotel Diana hasn’t done as many beer baths as Moorhof has, so things were a little less smoothly run. Still, we managed to leave the beer baths very relaxed and contented.
Bill in the straw bed. I shared it with him until I needed to use the potty.
After our beer bath, we went up to the room, showered, and dressed for dinner. I was feeling a little nervous that the militant waitress would be helping us, but she was off that night. Instead, we were waited on by the guy who had checked us in. He told us to pick one of the first three tables, all of which had been set for two. I liked that.
Bill enjoys the pleasantly decorated restaurant.
And orders us a nice bottle of Austrian red…
Our waiter apologized for the menu in German. We said it was okay because we live in Germany and can speak menu somewhat. We started with the same salad as we had the night before…
Then a very nice cold tuna appetizer, followed up a cup of chicken noodle soup.
I had the Cordon Bleu which came with cranberry sauce and parsleyed potatoes.
Bill had pork with a pepper cream sauce and a baked potato with sour cream.
And for dessert, we had rice pudding… It was very good!
The same two ladies who had snickered at us the previous night showed up when we were halfway through our dinner. Fortunately, they sat two tables down from us, so we were spared having to serve as their source of entertainment. After dinner, we went to bed and slept well until morning.
Today, Bill and I took advantage of the holiday and went to Stuttgart to get my dental impressions done for my implant. The lady who helped Dr. Blair pull my baby tooth was there to do the job. I think she recognized me from three weeks ago, when I had my crying jag, because she asked me if I was nervous. I said I wasn’t nervous, but I was pretty hungry. I was grateful she took us early, since I was about to starve. I neglected to eat lunch before we set out on our journey. After four minutes with my teeth stuck in dental putty, we were all finished. Seems to me when I had full mouth impressions in the 80s, the dentist used nasty Plaster of Paris. Now they use this gummy stuff, today colored hot pink, which is only marginally less nasty. At least it doesn’t take long to have impressions done.
After my very quick appointment, during which my dental implant surgery was scheduled and Valium ordered, we had a late lunch and did some shopping. First, we stopped by Ridmueller, a beer store recommended by the Stuttgart Beer Club. It’s not a big store yet, but there are some interesting selections available there, including Icelandic beers. We picked up a selection of stuff we haven’t seen elsewhere, then rounded the corner and looked for lunch.
One of the four beer fridges. It’s not a big store yet, but the selection is interesting. With a little love and support, Ridmueller could turn into something special.
I was famished and my blood sugar was dropping fast, so we ended up at Weber, a nice sit down restaurant that seems to offer a little something for everyone, yet seems to specialize in Thai food.
Bill enjoys a brief break… Plenty of comfortable seating at Weber and a great menu. We sipped some wine and tasted the bread, which had an essence of honey.
I started with this delicious bowl of green peanut curry soup garnished with lemongrass. It was a bit rich, but I was so hungry I found it instantly restorative. This soup is creamy with a hearty peanut flavor and plenty of spicy zing. I was sorry we didn’t order mineral water, but my red wine soothed the burn until I got used to it. I would definitely get this soup again; it was really good. I bet it would be especially good for someone who needs their sinuses cleared.
I followed the soup with coconut shrimp. This was cooked in a wok with rice noodles and a tasty assortment of vegetables including carrots, eggplant, spinach, peppercorns, peppers, zucchini, sprouts and what I think may have been plantains. The whole thing was drenched with lime coconut sauce. I liked this, but…
I liked Bill’s choice better. He had the Monkey-Nut-Chili-Chicken Pasta. It was basically rice noodles with tender strips of chicken, the same array of vegetables that was in my dish, plus a delicious, hearty peanut sauce. Bill’s dish needed no seasoning, while mine needed a dash of salt because it was a little bland.
I wasn’t able to finish my lunch, owing to the yummy soup I ate first. I brought about half of my shrimp and rice noodles home with me. Lunch tomorrow should be delightful!
Weber is located in Stuttgart Mitte, again very close to Dr. Blair’s dentist office. For those who don’t like Thai style food, there were also a few local selections, as well as several daily specials. I almost went for the dorade special, but I can get dorade most anywhere. Ditto for the tempting salmon filet served with lime coconut sauce, basmati rice, and sugar snap peas… Maybe next time. They also had Argentinian roast beef that looked good.
After lunch, we went on a brief shopping spree at the Markthalle. Though we were there last week, this time, we were prepared to shop. And shop we did…
I got a kick out of this six euro bag of Old El Paso tortillas in the Asian market.
Bill checks out Spanish cheeses. He bought some, as well as slivers of Serrano and Iberian hams and Spanish Sauvignon Blanc…
The Spanish market got lots of our euros today. In the background, you can see the Balkan market, where we picked up some Croatian and Montenegrin wines, as well as a little bottle of Unicum.
I got some truffles… I love that most of them are full of alcohol.
We also picked up some Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses. I wish I liked cheese more than I do, since Bill ends up eating most of what we buy. Still, it was a lot of fun to shop at the Markthalle in Stuttgart. I think a person could seriously lose control in that place and go a little hog wild. Next time, I want to bring some lined bags and get some really good beef and fish.
The musician who was playing rapid fire Beethoven on an electric keyboard last week was back today. This time, I didn’t catch the title of the music he was playing on his keyboard. I think he had a handler, though. Bet he sells CDs.
Our next trip to Stuttgart will probably be December 1. That is when I will have dental surgery. I doubt I’ll be in the mood to shop afterwards. I may want to drink, though.
If you read this blog, you may know that after a trip, I like to reflect on the things I learned. This trip in particular was really about drinking beer and seeing places with funny names. And yet, I did learn a few new things thanks to our trip to Austria. So here goes. This is some of the stuff I learned on our Beer and Fucking Tour.
1. Austria is home to Highline 179, which is currently the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world. It’s listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. But there are also other suspension bridges located nearby that are almost as long and not as pricey to visit. We had such a great time in the Tyrol area that Bill and I might have to go back and explore some more… and maybe cross more bridges. The Holzgau Bridge is free, open to the public 24/7 365 days a year, and looks like it’s pretty picturesque. On the other hand, Highline 179 is worth visiting because it has a great museum and the ruins are beautiful.
2. If you are a beer lover and like beer spas, Austria is a great place to visit! In fact, there is another hotel in Austria, close to the Tyrol region, that offers a beer spa. Hotel Diana in Seefeld is a possibility for those who would rather not visit Franking, though personally I think Franking is well worth seeing. We had so much fun there that we may have to make a repeat trip!
3. Austrians use some words that aren’t that common in Germany. For instance, when I was researching places to visit in Austria, I came across the word Jausenkarte (snack menu). I asked on Facebook what it was and my German friend piped up and explained that Jausen means snacks. I had never seen that word in Germany, though she said her family uses it sometimes.
4. There are many places in and around Austria with names that are funny for English speakers. We visited Fucking and Fuckersberg, but we didn’t make it to Kissing, Petting, or Wank Mountain. Perhaps on a future visit…
5. Swimming in a big pool full of warm beer water is super fun!
6. I may have to get a dirndl of my very own, even though I used to wear one every day when I worked at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. Though we mostly saw people wearing them while working in restaurants, I did see a couple of people wearing them out and about. I also saw lots of cool Austrian fashions on the men, like lederhosen and beautifully made jackets and sweaters. Maybe if I quit drinking so much beer, I can squeeze into some Austrian fashions myself.
7. We need to take more road trips with my Mini. We bought it on the way back to the States from Germany back in 2009 and it’s just now approaching the 23,000 mile mark on the odometer. The car needs to be driven and it’s a lot of fun driving it in Europe!
8. People drive like maniacs on the autobahn. Seriously… yes, I’ve seen them near drive like maniacs where we live, but there were a few times on our road trip when Bill was doing about 80 mph and got passed as if we were standing still.
9. Austria has snakes.
10. I really need to get back to studying German. And I need to learn how to not crack up when people are using public restrooms.
Sometime during or after Bill’s last tour of duty in Germany, I found out about the Starkenberger Beer Pools, basically big stainless steel vats rendered obsolete by the modernization of beer making. Someone involved with the brewery in Tarrenz, Austria had the bright idea to turn the huge vats into “swimming pools” for paying customers. Given that I love beer tourism with all my heart, and we have a lot more money now than we did last time we lived here, I easily convinced Bill that this was an experience worth paying 250 euros for. So in August, Bill sent an email to the brewery asking to reserve a pool for last night.
When Bill inquired about reserving the pool, he got a pleasant response letting him know the pools were available. He wrote back asking them to expect us and figured they had penciled us in, even though he never got a confirmation. The email advised that we could reserve the pool for after 5:00, which, as it turns out, is when the tours end. At 10:00, we’d have to vacate. And we were allowed to drink all the beer we wanted. We were limited to four people using the pool.
Starkenberger Brewery also has a restaurant (which was closed for ruhetag yesterday) and a “Biermythos” museum. I think the grounds are also beautiful, though due to the weather, we didn’t get to see much of them. I wanted to see the museum, so I told Bill we should go to the brewery right after we were done at Highline 179. It turned out that it was a lucky thing I’d suggested that.
Front of the brewery and the museum.
After stopping in a nearby town to get some cash (not sure if you have to pay in cash, but Bill wanted to be prepared), we showed up at the brewery. There was… you guessed it… a large tourbus group there. The tour guide went to speak to the lady running the shop before Bill had a chance to ask her about the beer pool. When he did, the lady looked confused, then a little panicked. She was not expecting us.
First, she said that the pool had to be reserved in advance and costs 250 euros. Bill said he knew and he had reserved it. And he had the cash in hand. Then she asked if he had the email. He had to turn roaming on his cell phone because although he had printed the emails, he had forgotten to bring them. Then, the lady said she needed to prepare the pool, so we might not be able to go in right at five. That was fine with us. I asked if we could see the museum. She said yes and handed us a packet of information in English, which basically told us what we were looking at.
The brewery tour costs 7 euros per person, but since we were paying to use the beer pool, we didn’t have to pay for the tour. It’s entirely self-guided and you go at your own pace. Don’t be surprised if you run into a beer maker as you make your way through.
Entrance to the museum.
The tour was very interesting, but I really needed to use the ladies room because my lunchtime beer had processed and, truthfully, I was there for the pool! I rushed through the exhibits a bit. We finally got to the big hall where we could taste some of the products made at the brewery. The tour group was there and they were all drinking beer. The tour guide who had spoken to the shopkeeper ahead of us told us the beer was one euro each. Bill paid it, even though he didn’t have to. I think she got a kick out of getting tipped by the clueless Americans.
While we were exploring the museum, the shopkeeper found the email Bill sent. She later explained that she’d been on holiday during that time, so her assistant had been the one who had answered Bill. For some reason, she never saw the follow up email Bill sent. She presented us with a bottle of beer liqueur and Starkenberger single malt liqueur for our troubles (yes, they do make whiskey and liqueurs, too– whiskey is basically made the same way beer is). That was a very nice and totally unnecessary, but much appreciated, gesture.
It was lucky that we got there early. If we hadn’t, we might have been disappointed. If this post makes you want to reserve a pool at the Starkenberger brewery, make sure you get a confirmation from them. Also, print out the emails you send and have them with you when you show up.
After the rowdy tour group cleared out, the shopkeeper found us and said it was no problem to use the beer pool at 5:00. She prepared it for us and offered us robes, slippers, and towels. We had our own towels and I had a robe, but we did use the slippers. Then, at 5:00, we went to her, paid 250 euros, and she invited us to the beer pool. She said she’d be back at 10:00 and we were welcome to use the infrared sauna and showers and drink as much beer as we wanted. There was a tap with lager in the beer pool room or we could go back to the tasting room and get the biologic or dark beer from there. I’d already had a few from the tasting room and I was itching to try the pool.
She set up a couple of lounge chairs for us and told us to have a good time. Then she left us completely alone to enjoy the pool at our leisure! Let me just say, it was awesome. We had a wonderful time! And honestly, after the beer pool experience, other beer spas will probably pale in comparison. One of the things I loved most about the beer pool was all the cool art on the walls. Whoever painted in there had a great, raunchy sense of humor! I noticed all the people in the murals were naked and had hilarious expressions on their faces.
Cool exhibit in beer pool room showing how beer ferments.
Beer tap. All you can drink. Plastic cups for safety.
Sauna.
Showers.
Yes, you can do this… or, at least we could. The naughty murals were inspiring.
Someone’s gloves on a beam. We thought they might be trunks.
I liked the panorama room, with its beautiful mural and scene of the surrounding countryside.
One of many empty glasses.
This was the information about what we were seeing. The museum has information in several languages.
The last room in the museum.
The way the pool looked before we got in.
At the beginning of our dip in the pool.
Check out the art!
We took a short break on the loungers because we needed to de-wrinkle a bit.
Bill was loving it!
Toward the end of our adventure.
A funny poem in the bathroom.
There is a special bathroom for patrons of the beer pool not to be used by employees or regular visitors.
Last look at the pool before we left…
I am about 5’2″ tall. The warm water and beer mixture came up to my chin. It was deeper than the pool we had in our backyard in Texas and, yes, you really can swim in it. We got in the pool, swam around, drank lots of beer, and eventually ditched our swimsuits. We stayed until about 8:00, then decided we’d had enough of our decadent beer pool adventure. One thing we didn’t bring but should have is soap and shampoo. But the shower worked fine for hosing off the beer aroma.
Gift!
We had an unforgettable time at the beer pool. Yes, it was absolutely worth paying 250 euros to do it, especially after hiking up a mountain. The hot beer water did nice things for my sore muscles. Would we do it again? Maybe, if we had the opportunity and the extra money. One thing I will mention is that I had forgotten that the Tirol region is full of curvy, two lane roads. If we did go to the beer pool again, I think we would stay in a hotel closer to Tarrenz than Lermoos because driving on dark, wet, curvy mountain roads after enjoying beer is not the safest idea. Fortunately, Bill was very careful about not drinking much. I have noticed that after my dips at the beer spas, my skin and hair is looking great!
Dinner last night at the hotel. I was gushing about the beer pool! And I was also a bit tipsy.
A video about the Starkenberger beer pool. Here, I see they didn’t fill it as high and they served beer in glass.
We checked out of the hotel this morning. The innkeepers had put a little goodbye card in the menu holder on our table. It was a very nice gesture. We said goodbye to the tour group and got on the road, experiencing no issues at the border. We got home at about 11:45am, after making a stop at that same exit where I ran into the pooping, farting lady. I think I speak for Bill when I say that our Beer and Fucking tour is sure to go down as one of our best trips. We had a marvelous time. I can’t wait to start planning our next adventure!
The drive to Lermoos took a long time. Our side trip to Fuckersberg took us off course. Then we had to stop for gas and a potty break, happily at a truck stop instead of on a snake’s nest. We got back on the autobahn and headed west. The route took us through Munich. I was getting hungry and suggested that Bill just park somewhere so we could eat. He was in a hurry to get to Lermoos, though, because he had a paper due for an online class he’s taking. The slow Internet at the Moorhof, and the beer spa, had sort of distracted him, and he needed to get to our next hotel so he could get his work done.
As my blood sugar dipped, I became more fatigued and annoyed. Bill could tell. He looked at me and could see my facial expression darkening by the second. But we were stuck in slow moving Munich traffic; then he made a couple of wrong turns. I commented that Munich reminded me a little of Charlotte, North Carolina, for some reason… not that I think Charlotte and Munich look alike. It was more the traffic than anything else.
Anyway, the Munich traffic sucked. My mood was souring. Bill was nervous and irritated. He programmed the GPS to find us a restaurant. He got off at some exit not far from Munich and the first gasthaus he got to was closed. In frustration, he started cussing, which for some reason annoyed me. I guess I don’t mind when he does it casually, but when he’s annoyed and swearing, it bothers me for some reason, especially when I’m “hangry”. So I told him I’d just eat chocolate… or he could find me a McDonald’s or something that doesn’t close on Sundays or have a “pause”.
Then, just as he was about to turn onto the road taking us back to the autobahn, I spied a busy looking Italian restaurant called Ristorante Il Brigante. What a God send that place turned out to be! Bill pulled into the parking lot. We walked into the restaurant and were immediately seated on the very busy covered terrace outside. The people next to us had little kids and while I normally like kids, I was in a shitty mood. They were playing Uno and I was secretly hoping I’d either get some wine and bread pronto or they’d finish up and move on.
This was waiting for me when I got back from the bathroom. Bill rocks!
By the time I got back from the ladies room, Bill had ordered a half liter of primitivo and San Pellegrino. The folks with the urchins had left and I tried to figure out what I’d be having for lunch. I might have chosen one of the specials had I had the chance to read the whole board, but as it turned out, I had spaghetti carbonara. Bill had pizza. All the waiters were Italian and the one who took care of us was very charming. He walked around singing.
Heart attack on a plate! But it was delicious! I probably should have had something with more protein, though.
Bill enjoyed his pizza. I have to admit it was very good.
I took this picture wanting to capture the cows in the field right next to the patio… I caught something else instead…
If you look at the above photo over Bill’s right shoulder, you might notice an interesting looking man. I didn’t see him at first, until I had gotten over my “hanger”. The guy sitting behind Bill is apparently a Buddhist monk. He was with a young German woman who seemed absolutely enchanted by him. I watched the people at the table give him a pair of what looked like hand knitted green socks. He bowed and smiled and, I have to say, he had the most peaceful and gentle countenance I’ve seen on a person in a very long time. Just looking at him put me at ease.
I mentioned it to Bill who explained what he knows about Buddhism. I still don’t know much about it, but I was really moved by his presence and how kind and decent he seemed to be. It’s not often you run into someone with such a peaceful and pleasant aura. He seemed like a very special person just by his manner. I didn’t even speak to him, but his body language said enough. I forgot my initial annoyance and relaxed, truly inspired by just watching the monk interact with his companions. He left before we did, with the German woman who seemed so enchanted by him.
Edited to add… My German friend, Susanne, says that the monk is Toyoshige Sekiguchi from Japan. He is rather famous and is currently a guest at a farm in Hohenschäftlarn, which is the town where the restaurant where we had lunch is located. It turns out the reason I thought the monk was so peaceful is because his life’s work is all about promoting peace and nuclear disarmament. Of all the places we could have eaten… How amazing.
After lunch, we had a round of espresso and some heavenly tiramisu…
Bill paid the check and we got back on the road. I put the top down on the Mini and we headed south. I love watching the Alps as they rise on the horizon.
First awe inspiring look at the Alps…
As we continued driving, the beautiful weather turned to clouds and the temperature dropped. And… I had to pee again. So we pulled off the road and I found another wooded spot. We put the top back up and headed into Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is every bit as pretty, touristy, and crowded as I remembered from our last visit in 2009. We passed the Edelweiss Lodge and got on the beautiful road through Tirol that we used to drive on the way to Edelweiss. Lermoos is really not far from Garmisch, so we were soon at the Zugspitze Silence Sporthotel, a very quaint and traditional hotel offering great views of the mountains.
The view from our room…
Bill enjoys it…
I took a bunch of pictures because the mountain kept changing as the weather did…
Horses grazing peacefully outside the window…
I entertained myself taking pictures while Bill worked on his schoolwork. Later, we had beer for dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was then that I noticed yet another tourbus in the parking lot. The hotel was hosting a large group of seniors, one of whom was having a birthday. The very organized leader of the group led everyone in a German birthday song that I had never heard before. It was kind of cool. They all seemed to be having a great time, though I did feel a little like I had stumbled into a Hoveround convention.
Sunday morning, we were up bright and early, ready to move on to our next location. After breakfast, we loaded up the car and checked out of the hotel. Our total bill for two nights, two beer spa packages (beer bath, partial massages, and four course beer menu), Friday night’s four course “menu” dinner, and several beers, came to about 480 euros.
I noticed that the proprietor meant to take the day off. She had set a sheet of paper with hotel keys on it next to the names of people scheduled to check in. I guess these folks would later show up, grab their keys, and deal with the check in process later. Obviously, the lady in charge was going to rest and enjoy her Sunday. As we were about to leave, she showed up in a beautiful dirndl, said goodbye, and wished us a pleasant trip.
I really enjoyed staying at the Moorhof, even though it’s a bit 80s and in a somewhat rural area. Salzburg is close enough to visit for those who need to see a city, yet the hotel is in a very serene, beautiful area. The food is good. The prices are reasonable. There’s plenty of free parking and there are many places to take walks. And, if you want to, you can even rent an “old time” tractor and go for a ride. Though I thought Franking was lovely, I really liked the friendly people. I would go back there if I ever need a place to completely unplug. Franking is very tranquil and serene.
After we settled up, I told Bill that I was dying to see a place called Fuckersberg. I was alerted to the existence of this place in Austria by ListOfTheDay, a hilarious guy on Facebook who posts funny stuff. He claims he lives in Fuckersberg. He’s hysterical and now runs the Everything 70s group on Facebook.
Anyway, because we were in Austria, I had to see this mystical place called Fuckersberg, even though we had big trouble pulling it up on the GPS. While plenty of people posted pictures of Fucking, no one had posted pictures of Fuckersberg. Yet I knew from Google (and now having seen it) that it’s a real place. So, even though it was Sunday and Fuckersberg is over an hour northeast from Franking and in the opposite direction of where we were going, I convinced Bill to take me there. Since it wasn’t in the GPS, we picked a small town about three miles from Fuckersberg’s location per Google maps.
The drive to Fuckersberg was absolutely beautiful! I was really enjoying the scenery. Unfortunately, I eventually really had to pee. Since it was Sunday, a lot of places were closed. I determined that I needed to find a bush somewhere. As a side note, since we moved back to Europe, I am finding that I have fewer and fewer inhibitions when it comes to public urination.
Bill found a spot on the side of the road near a wooded area. I don’t think we were supposed to park there and given what happened, I kind of wish we hadn’t. But my bladder was screaming and I spotted a place I could duck behind and relieve myself quickly…
I ducked behind here… it was a good hiding spot for a whiz…
I was pretty pleased with myself for finding this particular spot, even though there were briars and debris back there. I had just dropped my pants and squatted down when I spotted a stick near my foot. As the first drops of urine flowed to the ground, I saw the stick move and realized that I was actually peeing on a snake who had the misfortune of hiding back there while I took a much needed whiz. I let out a small scream, finished up, and rushed out from behind the machinery. Later, I looked up the snake… It wasn’t very big, nor was it poisonous. Still, it gave me the creeps. In fairness, I guess I gave it the creeps, too. ETA: My German friend Susanne thinks maybe it was a different kind of snake. She’s probably right. Anyway, it was sort of gray and brown and not very scary. Just creepy.
Near Fuckersberg…
We finally got to a town called Zell an der Pram, which is near Fuckersberg. Bill turned on roaming services on his phone and we used Google GPS to get to the exact place where Fuckersberg is. Fuckersberg is in a very beautiful area, but I could tell the locals aren’t used to strange people cruising through there. One lady gave us a bewildered look as we drove past. She was saddling her horse for a morning ride. We passed her again when we determined that Fuckersberg only has one sign. It’s pretty small and you could very easily miss it. But here it is in all its fabled glory… Fuckersberg is apparently a big field.
I had to take this photo in a hurry because the horse lady looked perturbed with us…
Once we finished our business in Fuckersberg, we headed for Lermoos, which is in the Tyrol region and very close to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In fact, Bill and I passed through Lermoos several times last time we lived here because he had a bunch of conferences at the Edelweiss Lodge and I always tagged along when he went there. I gotta say, I liked our traditional hotel in Lermoos a lot better than the Edelweiss Lodge.
Because we were so far east, we ended up going to Lermoos by way of Germany, which involved driving through Munich. Bill was not a happy camper and neither was I. In fact, I got pretty “hangry”. More on that in the next post.
So, finally it was time to try out the Moorhof’s beer spa. Bill and I slipped into our bathing suits and I wrapped up in the robe I wisely brought with me (I don’t think they had them at the Moorhof). The hotel has sauna towels, but we brought our own spa towels, which are huge and cover everything. The nice lady who checked us in told us to wait by the door where the beer spa is (and you can tell which one it is because it says it’s only for beer spa patrons). We waited patiently for her to come and get us started.
For beer spa patrons only!
Finally, we went into the little room where the fake beer keg looking bath is. She had already prepared it with hot water and hops. I got in first and sat on the side close to the wall, where there was a beer keg with spigots over the tub. Unfortunately, they were just decorative. Bill sat on the other side. There were two dark beers waiting for us, included in the treatment. She turned on the tub and told us she’d be back in 20 minutes.
Bill and I visited the beer baths in Chodovar, which is a beer spa in the Czech Republic. That was a great experience and we really enjoyed ourselves. I think we liked the Moorhof’s beer spa a little better. For one thing, it was more private. At Chodovar, there are a bunch of tubs in one room and people bathe at the same time, albeit it with sheets drawn for privacy. The Moorhof had the one beer bath in the room we were in and I think there was another room with two or three more tubs for those in groups. I liked that the tub was like a jacuzzi, too. And the hops and stuff added to the water was definitely rough. Some of it stuck to me when I got out of the bath.
The beer bath at Moorhof is hot, and you definitely wouldn’t want to drink the beer used for the spa treatment. It’s really more like a wort than actual beer. But it’s relaxing and a lot of fun.
After thirty minutes, the lady came back, had us strip naked (and she averted her eyes so she didn’t see us in the buff), then wrapped us in sheets. She escorted us to a wooden bed covered in oat straw that had a sheet over the straw. We laid on the straw and she covered us with a blanket and turned out the light. We laid there for thirty minutes. Actually, I had to get up a little sooner than that because I had to answer the call of nature. But again, it was very nice… very restful and relaxing and not itchy at all. I was expecting the straw bed to make me sneeze or scratch, but it didn’t. It was surprisingly comfortable and pleasant.
I don’t usually pose for pictures, but I made an exception…
Awww…
After we were finished with our treatments, we showered. We really needed to shower because there was beer spa residue all over us and in our bathing suits. Then we got changed and went to dinner, where we enjoyed four courses. Each course included beer in the ingredients. Three small beers were included with the dinner.
They thoughtfully translated for us.
Cute little pils.
Beer soup. It was very yummy, even if the color was a little iffy.
Beer batter fried broccoli? Maybe the best way to eat it…
I didn’t eat much of the chicken and potato croquettes because I was getting full and wanted dessert. It was good, though.
Beer pancakes with cranberries.
Remember in the first post of this series, I mentioned tour buses? Well, there was one parked at the Moorhof on Saturday night. I think it was full of young folks in a band of some sort. We heard a few brass instruments playing scales. This was the only tour group we encountered that consisted of students. It was interesting to watch them, especially when the adults had to come in and herd some of the stragglers from the breakfast buffet the next morning.
The beer spa at the Moorhof was great! But it paled in comparison to the Starkenberger Beer Pool. Stay tuned for that post coming up soon.
After lunch, we sped down A8 toward Munich, then headed toward Salzburg as I fiddled with the sound system in my car. The weather was beautiful and I was tempted to put the top down. Bill was afraid something would fly out of the backseat, so I refrained. I had noticed on the map of the area near Franking, there was a place called “Fucking”. I thought that was funny and looked it up on Google. Sure enough, people had visited and taken pictures… and yes, there had been quite a few folks who decided to steal the sign.
As it turned out, we didn’t have to go out of our way to visit Fucking. It was on the way to Franking, and we drove right through the village.
And yes, I got a picture…
I had been afraid that someone would harass me, but there was no one in sight when I took this photo. In fact, the whole village of Fucking consists of maybe five or six houses. We went through it so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to photograph the exit sign. But anyway, yes, this is a real place and it’s pretty charming. If you visit the Moorhof, you can cruise through Fucking too… Also, you can read more about Fucking in earlier posts on this blog.
Anyway, after Fucking, we were soon close to our destination. My amusement over unusual place names turned to awe as I noticed just how pretty the country is around the Moorhof. Indeed, it reminded me a little of Sanford, North Carolina, which is a country town in the middle of North Carolina where Bill and I lived for two years. Of course, near Franking, you can see the mighty Alps in the distance.
Approaching the Moorhof…
When we got to the rurally situated inn, we entered the lobby, which appeared to be deserted. A kind woman answered when Bill finally hit the bell summoning her. She spoke little English, but between Bill’s sucky German and her somewhat better English, we determined that we were assigned room 28. We had booked the beer spa package, which included a partial (back) massage, a beer bath, the oat straw bed, and a four course beer inspired dinner on Saturday, which was the day of our treatment.
The entrance to the inn…
Looking around the hotel, I got a distinct 80s vibe. It was quaint and cute, but a little old fashioned. However, the staff was very kind and the prices were reasonable. Because it was close to dinner time when we arrived, we opted to eat at the inn. We had a choice of rotbarsch (ocean perch) or pork cutlets. I had the fish and Bill had the pork. This meal came with four courses and was priced at the bargain low sum of just 15 euros.
Bill and I, along with a family of five– grandparents, parents, and an adorable little girl, were the only ones around on Friday night.
Bill waits for dinner to start.
Super quaint dining room…
A little bar in the dining area. They also have a very cozy Stuble on the other side of the hotel.
We start with a simple salad.
I pause to take a picture of the fireplace and mantle, circa 1986. That explains a lot, actually.
Next was soup. This was some kind of beef terrine served in a broth. It was good.
My pumpkin seed encrusted rotbarsch with parsley potatoes and tartar sauce.
Bill’s pork cutlet with krauterbutter, vegetables and potato wedges.
The first of many beers.
Plum cake for dessert!
The local dark beer was a winner!
One thing I did that Bill didn’t do (and regretted) was pack my own pillow. I have found that in a lot of traditional hotels, pillows are small and in short supply. I like a couple of pillows when I sleep. It turned out to be a good thing I brought my pillow because both places we stayed only offered one wimpy pillow per customer.
Also, I made a new discovery when I spotted this on the nightstand…
Just so you know… this is used to repel insects… Plug it in and supposedly it keeps the beasties away.
At first, I wondered if it was a thin piece of chocolate. Nope.
Bugs weren’t a huge problem in our room, but we did end up plugging that thing in on the second night after Bill left the balcony door open awhile. It did seem to help and didn’t smell bad.
The bed was comfortable, aside from not having enough pillows, and the shower was surprisingly good. It was a rainfall shower and was just heavenly. The bathroom was the old style WC in a separate room and there was a hokey fake rock sticker on the cabinet. But the shower made up for the room being a bit dated. It was pretty awesome.
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