Tag Archives: Black Forest

Sundays

We’re through being cool… a silver mine in the Black Forest

Bill and I are always looking for new things to try on our Sundays.  Recently, one of Bill’s soon to be departed co-workers passed along a tip for us.  Not far from the cute little town of Neubulach is a silver mine, which also has an “asthma treatment” area within it.  I happen to suffer from asthma, which means recovering from colds and flu is a real bitch for me.  Unfortunately, the asthma treatment is not operating during the month of July.  However, from May to October, one can visit the silver mine.

Good mood music for this post…

Since I love walking into mountains, I figured it would be good fun to visit the silver mine today.  It’s not far from where we live in Unterjettingen– maybe twenty minutes, tops.  After a short drive through some pretty forested country, we arrived at the mine.

The grand sign.  We parked near here, but you can actually drive a bit down the road and park closer.  Parking costs nothing.  The walk down to the mine takes about ten minutes and is downhill.  That means when you come back, it will be uphill.  Keep that in mind as you decide where to park.

 

 

There are actually a few things to do in the area, as Bill is discovering.

 

If you want to, you can hike up the hill to the town or a mini golf course.

 

Or you can take a 45 minute walk on the Fledermaus (bat) trail.  We skipped the trail because I didn’t feel like climbing hills, but I might try it on another day.  Looks like there’s a nice creek you can wade in.

 

Helmets and capes are waiting for visitors.


I was a bit hungry on arrival, so we had a snack.  While Bill was ordering, I took a look at what was on display.  The shop has things for sale as well as exhibits.

Not a bad little museum!

We had beer, wurst, and broetchen.

Then we walked around the grounds as we waited for our guide.

Something for the kids to check out.

Finally, it was time to don our helmets and capes for the tour.  You might not think the helmets are necessary, but I’m here to tell you; all of the red helmets for adults were pretty scuffed up.  It’s not from falling rocks as much as it is from low ceilings.  I’m only 5’2″ and I had to duck a couple of times.  Bill hit his helmet a few times, too.

Bill reacts to my quip when he puts on his helmet…

“We’re through being cool!”  (You probably either need to be a certain age or a big geek to get this joke…)

The cape is handy for keeping your clothes from getting wet.  Or for completing the Devo look.

On our way…

The mine has silver, but it also has azurite and malachite.  I should mention that this tour was done in German.  Our guide was a young lass who spoke perfect high German and enunciated very clearly.  I still only caught a small percentage of what she said.  That was a surprise, though, because I wasn’t expecting to understand even that much!

You can spot these little guys throughout the tour.

I got a kick out of this one.

 

The silver mine tour runs for about 40 minutes.  I enjoyed it, even though it was in German and my German sucks.  On the other hand, I recently started doing Duolingo again and the word “tief”, which is used a lot during this tour, was one of the vocabulary words.  So I will probably never forget that word because it was used in a practical instance.

Since we decided not to try the bat trail, we headed back to the car…  It was an uphill jaunt to get there, but at least my muscles weren’t sore.

Very close to the mine is a the cute town of Neubulach.  Bill managed to find us a Brauhaus.  Because of our snack before the mine tour, we weren’t wanting any food.  But we did stop in for some beer, which is apparently brewed on the premises and is very good.  Since we live close to the Brauhaus Roessle, we’ll have to come back.  They have live music sometimes, too.

The bartender was friendly and efficient.  We sat inside, although there is a nice biergarten area outside.  Food is offered without pause.  

Bill checks out the choices.

They offer seasonal beers, but the one for July wasn’t available today.

Halloween maybe?

I had a Kellerpils…

and a hefeweizen.  Bill had a fest beer.

I was charmed by this cute little town.  It reminded me of rural France.

We’ll definitely have to go back and discover more about it.

They even have this…

The silver mine was very interesting.  We learned that this area actually has a number of mines, some of which are evidently open to visitors.  While the tour was in German, it was still pretty neat to see the inside of the mine and the surrounding nature.  I can’t believe we’ve been living in the Stuttgart area for a total of five years over two tours and just heard of this place last week.  Kudos to Bill’s buddy, Tim, for pointing out this attraction to us.

If you’re looking for a kid friendly activity for a Sunday, the silver mine might be a good bet, even if you have to exercise your budding German skills.

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Our pet friendly Belgian Labor Day Adventure… Part five

I’m going to combine the last two days of our trip into one final post.  The reason for that is because our Sunday plans got unexpectedly cancelled by driving rains!  Originally, we planned to either visit a French border town called Givet, or walk around Bastogne, which was another city that had been in the running for our Labor Day trip.

We tried Bastogne first, even though the skies were grey and looked like they might open up at any second.  Bastogne is well known among World War II historians.  Had we not had the dogs with us, I am pretty sure we could have seen some interesting museums.  It is where Liberty Road ends.

Unfortunately, Bastogne was not as inviting or dog friendly as Dinant was.  Since the weather was threatening, we decided not to stop and look around there.  So then we started heading toward Givet, which appeared to be a little more promising.  But as we were heading down the highway, the skies opened up and unloaded buckets of rain on us.  It showed no signs of letting up.  I told Bill that I thought it might be best to just go back to the chalet and have a quiet afternoon in.  He agreed and we headed back toward Barvaux.

Now… the next part of this story will not appeal to those with weak stomachs.  But, it was a memorable part of our trip, so I feel compelled to share it.  If you don’t like stories about body functions, now might be a good time to move on to your next Internet station.

Still with me?  Alright then…

As we were heading back to Barvaux, I started feeling an urgent call of nature.  The coffee, water, and orange juice I had at breakfast were ready to be expelled.  Of course, because I had been having an ongoing Facebook discussion with Europeans and Americans about public urination in Germany, Bill and I were sort of talking about that as we started hunting for a place for me to take care of business.  I spotted a sign for a rest stop with a WC, so we pulled off the road.  I noticed a man brazenly peeing right by the road, completely unashamed.  I must admit to having a brief moment of penis envy.

Anyway, I noticed that there were three port-a-potties in front of the dilapidated building.  I had a sense of doom, since I figured there had to be a reason those were sitting there in front of a rest stop.  Port-a-potties are usually not very pleasant places themselves, so I figured the rest stop must be especially bad.

I got out of the car and inspected… and was absolutely shocked by what I found.  The toilets in the Belgian rest stop were overflowing with shit, dirty paper, and assorted other filth.  There were vile epithets spray painted on the walls.  Of the four “rooms”, two had actual piles of excrement on the floor.  There were also piles of human shit outside of the rest stop, as if people had just gone behind the building once they saw how truly nasty it was.

I honestly couldn’t see how this rest stop could be rehabilitated.  I think they’d have to demolish the building.  It was that bad.  I briefly considered taking a photo for my Facebook friends who had been arguing about how gross German rest stops are.  Let me tell you, as a former Peace Corps Volunteer, I have seen and smelled some truly repulsive public restrooms.  This one in Belgium ranks right up there among the very worst.  It was the stuff of nightmares.

I should have thought about this as we visited the nasty rest stop.

I quickly took care of my needs and got back in the car to tell Bill about what I saw.  Ugh…  As an aside, as we were coming back the opposite way yesterday, I noticed that the rest stop on the other side of the road appeared to be very clean and functional.

We got back to the chalet in time for lunch and I slipped into my nightie and parked myself on the very comfortable sofa in the living room.  I wrapped myself in one of the very fluffy duvets and turned on the TV.  And then Bill and I spent the whole day watching a ridiculous show on MTV called Catfish.   I actually had to explain to Bill what catfishing is.  Given that we met online in the late 1990s, he probably feels like he dodged a bullet.

We had a nice lunch of rotisserie chicken and frites, which Bill managed to score fresh from a local snack bar.  We spent the day enjoying Belgian beer and chocolate.  It was restful and peaceful.  I think Bill especially enjoyed having the downtime.  The sun eventually did come out, but by the time it was out, we’d had a few beers and were neither in the mood nor condition to drive anywhere.  For dinner, we had what was left of the steaks Bill cooked on the barbecue the night before, along with more of the chicken from lunch.

Yesterday morning, we got up early and packed up our stuff.  The handyman showed up right on time to check us out.  He gave us back our 250 euros deposit and sent us on our way.  Bill stopped at the local chocolatier to get me a box of bon bons and some macaroons.

We decided to go back to Germany via France.  As it turned out, that was a pretty good idea.  I’m not sure if it was because of the time of day we were traveling or just that there’s less traffic on that route, but getting home was a lot easier and less stressful than getting to Belgium through Germany was.  We completely avoided Stuttgart traffic.

One thing I saw on our drive that sticks in my mind were highway safety signs in Luxembourg.  I saw two of them and they were obviously intended to shock.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared to get photos of them, but if you click this link, you can see what I write of…  Basically, it’s a picture of a young, attractive woman driving a convertible.  The front of her face is a bloody skull.

Another thing that sticks in my mind is seeing how the landscape changed as we drove back into Germany on B28.  That drive from France is absolutely beautiful and I was thinking we need to book a vacation in that “spa” area in Bad Peterstal and Griesbach at some point.  It’s not that far from where we live, yet fairytale like.

Our biggest challenge of the ride back to Unterjettingen was in the last minutes of our trip.  We were stuck behind trucks for most of the drive back.  We’d lose one truck only to have another one get in front of us.  Compounding our issues is the fact that there’s a lot of major road construction going on near where we live.  So, at one point, Bill got distracted by the GPS and almost rear ended the truck in front of us, which had stopped suddenly to turn into a small rest area.  Then, as we were passing the truck, it started backing up and almost broad sided us.

Then, when we were maybe four kilometers from our home, we had to take a detour.  The GPS sent us through Moetzingen, but that area also has closed roads.  It took some time to figure out a way to get around the construction and back to our neighborhood.  But… we are back, healthy and sound, and ready to plan the next adventure.  I will write one more trip to sum up what we learned on our trip to Belgium!

Borders!

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Sundays

Barfuss in the park…

The Barfuss Park is open daily from 9:00am until 8:00pm.  

Some time ago, there was talk in one of the local Facebook groups about “barefoot” parks in Germany.  Apparently, walking barefoot on trails is a thing in Deutschland.  I was immediately interested because I love walking barefoot.  I never wear shoes unless I have to.  I don’t even put on shoes when I have to take the trash out in the snow.

Anyway, the idea of visiting the BarfussPark in Dornstetten stayed in the back of my mind for some time.  Then, two weeks ago, Bill and I took an overnight trip to France and passed signs for the BarfussPark on the way there.  I decided then and there that it was time to try out walking barefoot in the park.  A bonus is that the park is not even thirty minutes from where I live, as long as there aren’t any farm vehicles on the road!

We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather and agreeable temperatures this morning as we set off for our outing.  We left the dogs at home, having read that they aren’t welcome in the park.  And really, if you think about it, that makes perfect sense.  While you will likely get dirty walking barefoot in the park, no one wants to get dirty by stepping on what comes out of Fido during a good walk.  😉  We did see one dog at the park today, though, and no one seemed too upset about it.

We arrived at the park at about 11:30 or so; it’s pretty much right off B28 heading west.  The parking lot wasn’t full at that point.  In retrospect, it was a good idea to get to the park somewhat early because by the time we left at a little after 1:00, the lot was full and some people had parked on the side of the road coming into the park.  We took advantage of the handy WC near what appeared to be the bigger of the two parking lots we encountered.  Then, after Bill paid for three hours of parking, we headed to start of the barefoot trail.

It is forbidden to wash your feet in the bathroom!

The big sign before the park… there are ads for restaurants and a map of what’s on the trail.

 

These handy little “foot” markers show you where to go.  The trail can run as long as 60 minutes if you go the long way or 30 minutes if you take a shortcut.

 

There are lockers for those who want to lock up their stuff.  We opted to just carry ours.

 

But it’s there if you need it!

 

I was really enjoying walking on the grass toward the first part of the park, which appeared to be an area geared toward children.  There was a cold little puddle to walk through, then a few other water related activities.  Only one of the activities appeared to get people wet.  I didn’t try it because I didn’t come prepared with a change of clothes.  And actually, after what happened on our walk, I would definitely recommend bringing something to change into, just in case.  😉

This water was frigid!  But it felt really good after we stepped out of it.

 

Probably my favorite part of the trail was the trampoline.  I could see it was very popular with others, too.  I watched several little kids gleefully bounce the length of it.  For once, I didn’t let Bill discourage me from indulging my inner child.  I gave him my purse and hopped across.  Then I goaded Bill into it.

We were both smiling after bouncing on the trampoline!

 

We encountered many different walking surfaces.  There were rocks, sand pits, wooden beams, and even a couple of glass beds.  We encountered a rope bridge, a pinecone pit, and a surface comprised of nail heads.  Although I did see some glass shards on the trail, the glass wasn’t sharp and didn’t cut my feet.  The rocks, on the other hand, were a little painful, even for someone like me, who isn’t a tenderfoot.  You always have the option of walking around or skipping an activity you don’t want to do.

Here’s a video of us… the last part is pretty much why I recommend bringing at least a towel and perhaps even a spare pair of shorts!

After we walked through the mud, we stopped by this bed of straw…  it kind of helped get the mud off, but you’re going to have to rinse off at the end!  A bunch of German ladies laughed at me as I tried to shake off the very sticky mud.

Some people wiped off on the tree.

Pinecones.

Bill helped me across these logs, due to my honkin’ big purse full of shoes and stuff…

 

Rope bridge!

Nail heads!

Glass!

Rocks (these were the most painful for me).

Those who have upper body strength can make like a monkey and swing on the bars!

 

All through the park, there are cool wood carvings.  I saw totem poles, an owl, and the gnome above.  

At the end of our walk, it was definitely time to rinse off…  

 

And beer…

What’s the wurst that could happen?

Well deserved suds!

 

All told, this was a very cheap activity.  We spent a total of about twenty euros including the two euro donation (on your honor), parking, and wursts and beers.  The snack bar has ice cream and other beverages.  I’m thinking this would be the perfect place for a BBQ.  😀  As long as it’s not too cold, anyway.

We had a great time at the BarfussPark and I’d love to go again.  Bill and I were both grinning ear to ear at the end of it and the walk was just long enough to get our juices going.  Next time, we’ll bring another pair of pants in case of a fall.  At the very least, don’t forget to bring a towel!  I would say I enjoyed this activity even more than the famed “Tree Walk”, which we did last year.  The Tree Walk is also a lot of fun, but I think you get more bang for your buck at the BarfussPark.

My feet handled all of this very well!

Helpful facilities for those who can’t wait for the WC…  I always get a kick of the illustrations on these portapotties…  Pretty much the universal sign of people who need to pee!

Bees!

 

If you want to grill, there are facilities.  We saw one group enjoying a picnic lunch at a nice table out in the woods.

 
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Talblick Gourmetrestaurant– A lovely date night possibility in Wildberg…

I don’t remember who suggested it to me, but last year, somehow I got wind of the presence of a really great restaurant in Wildberg.  Bill and I happen to live about 7 kilometers from Wildberg and we love good food.  I went searching and finally found it, surprised to find out Talblick Gourmetrestaurant is part of a gasthof.  On further exploration, I discovered that besides being a small hotel, Talblick has two restaurants.  There is a traditional restaurant offering typical local cuisine and a “gourmetrestaurant”, where diners get a very special tasting menu.  Naturally, Bill and I were interested in the gourmet menu.  So, sometime last fall, I asked him to get reservations.  I thought it would be an easy task.

“Sorry, no can do.” they said.  It was October, and party season was cranking up for the holidays. Both restaurants were booked solid.

Bill tried again in November and got the same answer.  And again in December, they were booked and advised Bill to try again in January, because apparently, they book out two or three months in advance.  Finally, June comes around and it’s time for my birthday.  Bill tried again and was told they were booked on my birthday (Monday of this week).  However, they did have room in the gourmet restaurant last night.  Bill took the reservation and we finally got to try Talblick’s Gourmetrestaurant.  Now I get to dish!

It’s such a pretty drive from Jettingen to Wildberg.  I was reminded that we really need to get up that way more often.  In fact, the town of Wildberg itself is really cute and begs to be explored.  Gasthof Talblick is situated at the top of a rather steep hill that overlooks the picturesque surroundings.  Any of my local readers who have ever driven their dogs to the Hunde Hotel Haase might understand when I write that I was reminded of the town where that doggie hotel is located, although Wildberg is a less rural area.

Bill pulled into a parking lot that looked like it was part of an apartment complex.  He was afraid he couldn’t park there legally, so he dropped me off and parked at the bottom of the hill in a spot designated for hotel guests.  He didn’t have to do that.  We saw other patrons parking near the apartment building with no problem.  It was no big deal, though, because we had a pleasant stroll back down the hill after dinner.

Here’s a shot of the hotel and restaurant from the parking lot across the street.  They also have some parking on the property itself and we also saw a few folks drive to the top of the hill and park.

The view of the hill going down.

 

It was rather warm last night.  Bill and I had dressed nicely.  I noticed quite a few other patrons who had dressed up, though many people were wearing casual clothes.  I wondered what we were in for as we walked into the hotel.  We were greeted by a friendly and quirky looking waitress with ink.  She was very pleasant, but busy!  When we told her who we were, she led us to a beautiful dining room.  A very large table was set up, clearly for a family or maybe a business dinner (though I did see a couple of kid seats).  We were seated at a table intended for six people.  I noticed our table was the only one that had been fully prepared with menus and wine glasses.  I wondered if we were destined to be the only guests in the gourmet restaurant.  It soon became clear that we were.

Bill looks at the wine list.  We would both be having the same menu… 7 courses of bliss!

I was seated right next to a very impressive dry bar full of exotic libations.

 

When dinner started, it was 7:00 and the sun was still shining bright.  The dining room was a bit warm, but I was excited about what we were about to experience.  I also looked nervously at the menu, hoping I wouldn’t run into something that I couldn’t eat.  I tend to be a lot less adventurous when it comes to really exotic stuff, though Bill loves to try everything put before him.  Must be those many years of Army life at work!

Seven courses!  The tasting menu is priced at 85 euros a person and everybody gets the same thing.  We paired it with two splits of wine and two bottles of mineral water with gas, which added to the bill.  The splits of wine were great because we got a red and a white which complemented the courses beautifully.  We were under the impression that the tasting menu changes monthly.  Be sure to mention any allergies or extreme food aversions before dinner gets started.

Bill started with a non-alcoholic fruit cocktail aperitif.  It tasted very strongly of tangerines to me, though it was probably something else.  It was very good and beautifully presented.

I had sekt.

The waitress brought out bread and we had the luxury of slathering it with plain butter, olive oil, or a flavored butter.  The bread was outstanding.  I ate two pieces, which I later regretted.  Let’s just say, I may look like I can eat seven courses in one sitting, but it was a challenge last night.

 

Our waitress did not speak English at all.  Fortunately, Bill is somewhat proficient in German (for an American, anyway).  I have gotten to the point at which I understand a lot of what is said to me and can sometimes respond, especially if I’m in a restaurant “speaking food”.  Anyway, our waitress brought out the amuse… and how amusing it was!

This was not on the menu.  It was our amuse, and it was absolutely delicious!  It was quail with lentils, foam, a small fried quail egg, beautifully presented, and what tasted like a really interesting pepper flavor that made my tastebuds explode.  The little dots on either side of the bowl are red and green beets turned into a gel.  They were a little like candy!

Next came the artistically presented first course.  Cobia fish with fruits of the sea– a scallop, langostine, shrimp, and a nest of phyllo with wasabi creme and algae salad.  Again, so creatively conceived and presented!  I really enjoyed this course.

 

I was nervous about the second course.  The menu mentioned “Pfifferlingvariation”, which I thought might mean there were mushrooms in it.  I was once unpleasantly surprised back in 2008 when I ordered something at a restaurant in Tuebingen that included Pfifferlingen (a type of mushroom).  Fortunately, the next course was devoid of fungus.

Pfifferlingvariation mit Allerei von der Ente…  Basically, this was a duck and asparagus treat.  There was asparagus foam in a little cone shaped glass on a metal platform, a piece of breaded and fried white asparagus, a small glass of heavenly asparagus cream soup, and very creamy cheese that reminded me of butter.  The rest was duck in different forms, including a very fresh duck inspired ravioli.  Again, a very enjoyable course.

I have to admit, by the time we got to the third course, I was starting to slow down.  However, I am always up for fish and we enjoyed Seesaibling (Arctic char) with more asparagus, Hollandaise sauce, and beautifully cut mango, snap peas, and carrots.  The little breaded thing on top of the fish is an egg yolk.  When I broke into it with my fork, a small geyser of yolk spurted up, making me gasp in surprise.  Thankfully, I didn’t get any on me!  

 

The waitress was concerned that I only managed half of the fish course.  I assured her it was only because I was getting full and wanted to make sure I could try everything.  Next came the sorbet palate cleanser, which I figured would be somewhat light.  I was expecting a simple scoop of sorbet.  I should have known it was going to be a lot fancier than that!

The sorbet course consisted of a small cone shaped glass of aloe vera juice, a scoop of cactus flavored sorbet (don’t worry, no thorns), and little tequila flavored gum drops.  The spoon was full of what those of us who came along in the 70s know as Pop Rocks.  😉  This was a refreshing course and I did manage to finish it…

 

And then it was time for the meat course.  I will admit, I wasn’t that excited about it because it was lamb and I am not a lamb fan.  Also, there was the issue of less room in my stomach!

But this course was very good.  The lamb was beautifully prepared, set atop fava beans, cooked to perfection, and tasted very clean.  There was no gamey flavor to it, which is what usually turns me off when I try to eat lamb.  As you can see, this course came on two plates.  I ate maybe a third of it and they wrapped up the rest for us.  Bill will enjoy his lunch today!  

Some baby corn and what tasted like a garlic inspired fritter…

 

Finally, after over two hours of dining, it was time for dessert.  You might have expected just one dessert after such a fine meal, but at Talblick, you get two (three if you count the sorbet).  I did manage to make room for most of these two sweet delights…

The first dessert was strawberry inspired, with a scoop of strawberry sorbet, sliced strawberries, strawberry mousse, a piece of strawberry candy, and what tasted like two creams surrounded by strawberry gelatin.  It was a very tasty and refreshing course.  I really enjoyed it.

And then, we had the last course, inspired by lemon and bergamot.  The candle looking thing on the wooden plank tasted like a citrus juice.  Next to it is a cone of chocolate creme topped with a milk and white chocolate twig.  The lollipop was basically straight chocolate ganache formed into a succulent ball.  Then we had a dish of refreshing sorbets and another type of mousse that I couldn’t identify but enjoyed.  

 

It was about 10:30 when we finally finished eating and were presented the bill for 228 euros.  Bill paid by using his brand new USAA Visa card.  We’re happy to report that it worked perfectly.  😉

 

We really enjoyed our meal at Talblick’s Gourmetrestaurant.  The service was impeccable, except that we were left hanging for a bit while the two hard working servers tended to the many people in the regular restaurant.  If there had been others in the gourmet dining room, I doubt that would have been as much of an issue because they might have had another server working.  Because this was such a large, sumptuous meal, we didn’t mind the wait too much, though I can see why we were finally able to snag a table in June.  It gets warm in the dining room in the summer.

The Talblick restaurant does not have air conditioning.  I watched the butter for the bread soften throughout the evening.  At about halfway through dinner, they opened a window and raised the shades, which gave us some much appreciated air.  I would imagine that the dining room gets very uncomfortable in July and August, though we did see some folks really enjoying the biergarten just outside.  I’m not sure if it’s possible for gourmet patrons to eat outside, though it’s probably worth asking.

Each course was universally perfect in its presentation and every item served was absolutely delicious.  In terms of the food, I think the meal we had last night was one of the best I’ve ever eaten.  It’s hard to believe a little gasthaus has such incredible food.  Just be warned that dinner in the gourmet restaurant is a leisurely experience.  Don’t go there expecting to get in and out in two hours.  It takes time to enjoy such a grand experience.  We were there for three and a half hours.  Also, make sure you’re hungry when you get there and don’t load up on the fantastic bread!

We were impressed by how laid back yet professional the service was.  Even though she had to tolerate our halting German skills, the waitress was very friendly, kind, and accommodating.  As Bill and I left, she and her colleague bid us a cheery farewell and I got the sense they appreciated our visit.  On the way home, I realized that it hadn’t taken long for us to get to and from the restaurant, which means that if we ever manage to get another reservation there, we’ll likely be back again!  I definitely want to go and try their regular menu.

Overall, I can highly recommend Talblick’s exquisite Gourmetrestaurant.  Reservations are a must and you should dress accordingly if you plan to dine inside during the summer months.  The gourmet restaurant is probably not kid friendly (unless your kid is unusually patient and adventurous), though the main restaurant likely is fit for youngsters.  Credit cards are accepted and there’s plenty of free parking.  Come on out to Wildberg for a wonderful gourmet meal!

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Chasing waterfalls in touristy Triberg…

I don’t know how we missed it last time we lived in Germany, but somehow Bill and I never made it to Triberg before today.  Triberg is notable for being very cute, having lots of cuckoo clocks, and being home to the highest waterfalls in Germany.  The falls have an overall drop of 163 meters over seven cascades.  I happen to love a good waterfall, so I talked Bill into taking me there today.

A cow passed us as we headed into town…

From Unterjettingen, the drive was maybe 90 minutes southwest through some very scenic country.  Though clouds threatened to spoil our fun, the rain held off.  We pulled off at one scenic location on the way into town so I could get a few photos and Bill could duck behind a tree.  Luck being as it is, a woman pulled up with her little white dog while Bill was whizzing, causing him to abort abruptly.  I would have finished.  It’s not like it’s uncommon to see guys peeing in the woods in these parts.

The picturesque field where we took a short rest…

A map of the area…

We arrived in adorable and very touristy Triberg at about 1:00pm.  Lots of people were there today.  Parking was somewhat scarce and we were impatient to find it, since we both needed to pee and we were stuck at world’s longest stoplight.   I mean, seriously, that thing was red for several minutes.

After pulling into a full parking garage and having to back out disappointed, we ended up parking for free at the Netto Supermarket.  Since it was Sunday, the store was closed.  We weren’t the only ones using the lot, which has lots of signs threatening to tow people who stay too long.  Our car was unmolested, though, and we managed to enjoy a nice little visit.  If you visit Triberg on a Sunday or a holiday and can’t find a place to park, try the Netto.

The first order of business was to find a WC.  There is a public one right on the main drag, but we avoided it because we also wanted lunch.  We ended up at Pizzeria Pinnochio, an Italian place that also offers Black Forest cake… just like every other cafe, konditorei, and restaurant in town.  It wasn’t packed when we sat down, but the service was very slow.  It took several minutes to get menus, several more minutes for drinks, and quite a long time to get our food.

Pizzeria Pinocchio

 

Pinnochio is in the house!

 

Bill waits patiently for food and wine.

The food at Pizzeria Pinnochio wasn’t bad.  Bill had the Rigatoni Pinnochio, which was rigatoni pasta served with a cream sauce, ham, mushrooms, and peas.  I had grilled salmon, which came with a salad.  Bill’s dish came out much sooner than mine did, so I had to watch him eat.

I had Montepulciano and he had Bardolino… They took awhile to get to us, but at least the pours were generous.

I wasn’t impressed by Bill’s dish, though he seemed to like it.  

 

My salmon was nice, though.  It was a good choice and worth waiting for.

I have heard that in Europe, they bring the food out when it’s ready, but this was the first time it had ever happened that way to me.  My entree took a noticeably long time… as in, Bill was about halfway done before I got my food and that was because he waited for me.  Fortunately, I enjoyed the salmon very much.  We thought about getting dessert, but the service was just way too slow and neither waitress seemed to have any sense of urgency.  We wanted to see the town and check out the falls.  So we paid our 28 euro check and got out of there.

We saw two Ferraris in Triberg.  I took a picture of one of them.

Main drag…

Complete with water…

It was four euros per person to see the waterfalls.  Word to the wise; the climb up is strenuous and there may be a lot of crowds.  You can take a tram to the top of the falls, which may be a better option for those who have mobility issues.  There are several entrances to the park and you can buy peanuts at the cashier’s station.  I’m not sure if the peanuts are for you or the squirrels.

Main entrance to the waterfalls.

First view of the falls.

 

Standing here at the first level will net you a refreshing spray from the rushing water…

First level… there’s a ways to go…

 

Bill gazes at all the watery splendor… 

 

Bill and I walked up the waterfalls and it was a challenge for both of us.  I’d say the walk up took about twenty minutes or so, but we were moving fairly fast to get past the throngs of people.  The rewards at the top of the falls are worth it, though, since there’s a beautiful view from the top cascade.

I wonder if anyone heard this tree fall…

View from the very top…

 

On the way out…

There are a number of ways to leave the falls; we simply decided to walk down the way we came.  I recommend good walking shoes.  You might want to bring a jacket, though we didn’t really need one today.  It was noticeably chillier at that field where Bill peed than it was at the falls.  Speaking of peeing, there is a WC right by the main entrance should the need arise.

Walking down took longer than walking up did, mainly because I forced myself to go slow.  I have a feeling my thighs are going to complain tomorrow.  Walking down the falls is almost as challenging as walking up is because you don’t want to fall on your keister.  I’ve done that before– when we went to El Yunque in Puerto Rico, I fell hard on a large boulder and my tailbone wasn’t the same for weeks.

Once we were finished with the falls, we headed to a little konditorei for coffee and Black Forest Cake.  It was a very nice way to cap off our short visit to this cute little town.

I might stay in Triberg to try the many different authentic Black Forest cakes there…

Nice konditorei… not so touristy and fast and friendly service.  I’d go back!

Lots of souvenir shops were open today.  If I didn’t already own a cuckoo clock (which is in storage in Texas), I might have gone ahead and picked one up at one of Triberg’s many cuckoo clock shops.

Cuckoo clocks!

Touristy hotel with cafe…

There is a clinic in Triberg and we passed it as we were leaving the trail to and from the waterfalls.  The sign asks for quiet.

A front shot of the hotel where we had dessert and coffee.

 

Lots of cute hotels are in Triberg.  I know they must have a lot of tourist business, but I’m not sure I’d want to stay longer than a day or two.  The area is very pretty, though…

We had a good time in Triberg and would definitely recommend it as a day trip to others living in the Stuttgart area.  It’s well worth a visit, even if the town is very touristy.  Triberg is also very kid friendly; we saw plenty of kids burning off energy climbing the falls.

Bill also pronounced today a fun day, though I think he enjoyed yesterday’s outing a little more.  We’ll see where we end up next…  I think I can get into these staycation trips.

Peanut gas for sale.

The drive is pretty, too…

Lots of crowds!

Sheep!

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There’s something fishy near Pforzheim…

Thanks to our local Facebook group, last week I became aware of a great place to get fresh fish.  Fischzucht Zordel is a delightful trout farm in Neuenbürg/Eyachtal, a scenic little hamlet not too far from Pforzheim.  Someone posted about this place on Facebook and, being a lover of fresh fish, I knew I had to try it.  My husband, Bill, is going away on business next week and has to leave tomorrow morning, so I told him I wanted to go there today.

We hopped in the Mini and drove north on a beautiful stretch of highway on the edge of the Black Forest.  It took about an hour as we made our way through cute little towns, over hills, and along a swiftly rushing river.  I was reminded of the drive to Colmar, France we took last fall.  We actually missed the turnoff for Fischzucht Zordel because we were enjoying the scenery and my collection of cheesy 80s rock so much.  But we managed to turn around and correct ourselves.  We drove along a lane with the hills in the background and a picturesque river rushing on the left before we came to a generous parking lot.

A welcoming sign… open every day from 8:00am until 8:00pm.

 

Bill and I noticed a number of couples walking around as we easily found our way to the fish grill.  Here, you can order trout soup, potato salad, a grilled trout stuffed with onions, and bread.  Beer, wine, soft drinks, and water are also available.  The menu is very simple and inexpensive.

A side look at the case where the trout is available for sale to take home.  They have fresh trout and smoked, as well as roe, filets, and condiments.  

Bill anticipates a good lunch.

If I weren’t going to be alone all week, we would have bought some fish to go.

 

We decided to order one trout, a cup of the trout soup, a side of potato salad, and two beers.  I’m really glad we shared everything.  That was plenty of food and cost just over 18 euros.

 

I loved the piping hot soup.  It’s a bit salty and made with smoked trout, peppers, and a hearty broth.  

The rest…

We had a bit of a wind today, which made holding on to all the plasticware tricky.

That fish was very fresh and delicious.  The potato salad was also very good.  This was a simple but very satisfying lunch!

The view from where we were sitting…  Can’t you just hear the water rushing?  An indoor seating area is also available for when the weather is bad.

As we were enjoying lunch, an older gentleman came by with what looked like a big empty bucket on wheels.  A few minutes later, he passed us again, this time with a bucket full of fish destined to be processed.  I ended up making a very inappropriate joke that I probably shouldn’t repeat here…  I actually felt a little sorry for the fish, even though they are definitely delicious.

Obligatory shot of Bill looking disinterested.

Once we were finished eating, we walked around the grounds and I took lots of pictures. As you can see, the surrounding area is beautiful. 

Fish in the ponds waiting to be harvested.

This picture reminds me so much of Goshen, Virginia… It was like being home.

A friendly looking horse was enjoying a snack of carrots and bread.

This house is beautiful, right down to the trout carvings on the balconies.  I envy the people who live here and run this business, though I’m not sure I’d really want to deal with fish processing.

As the weather gets better, these tables will fill up…

 

For fifty cents, you can feed the fish.  A few kids were enjoying feeding the fish in the first pond, so I went to the one being ignored a ways down.  It was a lot of fun feeding the fish because they are eager to eat and will jump to get the food.  A word of warning, though.  The fish food smells a bit like a mixture of dead fish and ass.  You will definitely want to wash your hands after you feed the fish.  Fortunately, there is a generous three stall restroom available perfectly suitable for washing up.

I’m not sure what kind of fish these were… they were huge.

Poor fishies… so close to freedom.

A couple of resident mallards…

I was dying to pet this horse.  Another one was in a nearby paddock.

These fish were jumping for the ass smelling fish food.  I had fun delivering, until I noticed what my hands smelled like afterwards.  I would advise using one of the plastic cups offered to catch the food as it comes out of the machine.

We really had a great time at Fischzucht Zordel today.  I bet we’ll be back, especially as the weather improves.  It’s a lovely place to have a simple lunch and enjoy nature.  I highly recommend it!  Kids seem to love it, too.

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German ice cream…

It’s funny when I type “German ice cream”, I’m reminded of the job I spent four summers doing at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.  I worked in the German Ice Cream shop.  I cashiered, capped strawberries, served soft serve ice cream, and made waffle cones.  The first two years, I wore ugly fake lederhosen, complete with culottes, knee socks (which I never pulled up) and shirts with lederhosen straps sewn to them.  The first year I worked there, the straps were not sewn on and that turned out to be an occupational hazard, since we had an unused frozen yogurt machine that had parts that stuck out on it.  More than once, one of my straps got hooked on that thing.  The second two years, females were outfitted in dirndls.  I liked the dirndls better, since it was easier to use the restroom and I could wear my own shorts under the skirt.  The only thing bad about them was that I am a bit well endowed, so that dress made me look like I was selling something milky besides soft serve ice cream.  My boobs were busting out, if you know what I mean.

All day, I listened to polka music… the same damn six or eight songs over and over again all day and every summer.  The polka music got on my nerves, because one of the songs had a flat note in it.  I seemed to be the only one who noticed it.  It’s been about 16 years since I last visited Busch Gardens, but I think they still play the same music, or so some of my local friends have told me.

This is the music I listened to for four summers…  It was a little like being trapped in a Lawrence Welk style nightmare.

Now that I live in the actual country of Germany again, I get to enjoy real German ice cream.  That was one thing I loved about living here last time because Germans put Americans to shame when it comes to this frozen treat.  Go to any German Eis Cafe and order a sundae and you will get an incredible creation that will blow your mind.

An example of “German Eis” at a cafe…  They get a lot fancier than this.

Hell, go to the store and buy some ice cream.  They come in plastic containers here and you will find all manner of different flavors designed specifically for self-indulgent adults.  Sometimes, you can even find ice cream with booze in it.

Two flavors in our freezer: Black Forest and Triple Chocolate…  Black Forest is my favorite!

 

Look at that!  When was the last time you saw American ice cream in a container that looks all decorative?

 

Yes, this is vanilla ice cream with “Eierlikor”– Egg liqueur.  And yes, egg liqueur is an adult beverage.

A close up of the Triple Chocolate…

 

Now, I don’t eat a lot of ice cream.  Every once in awhile, I get in the mood for a little dessert, but it happens less than once a week.  But when I do want ice cream, it’s nice to have some that isn’t for kids.  When I am in the USA, I can make ice cream.  Here in Germany, I am content to purchase it and give a big present to my ass.

Tomorrow starts my big trip to Virginia, so stay tuned for new hotel reviews… and probably a fair amount of bitching.

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Back from Colmar… what a weird weekend! Part One…

So Bill and I just got back from Colmar, France.  This was our first trip since our return to Germany.  We had intended to visit Colmar last time we were here but never got around to it.  Since Bill only had two nights free and this would be our dogs’ first visit to the Hunde Hotel Haase, I kind of wanted to stay close.  I didn’t think our dog Arran would give them any problems and we haven’t gotten any indication that he did, but I wanted to be sure we were somewhat near in case there was a problem.

The day got off to a rough start.  First, the coffee grinder that we bought in August broke and was blowing smoke in the kitchen.  And then Arran left me a big “present” spread in the basement, complete with a puddle.  It took some doing to clean that up.

We started our trip to France at around noon on Saturday, the 11th.  Since check in at our hotel, Le Relais du Ried in Bischwihr, France, wasn’t until 4:00pm, we decided to take our time getting there.  We took the long way, on B28, which took us through a stunning part of the Black Forest.  We stopped for lunch at Turmbräu, a really nice brewery/biergarten in a nice looking town called Freudenstadt.  The place was pretty packed when we arrived, so Bill and I shared a double stool at the bar.

I noticed a lot of people were dressed in traditional garb… women in dirndls and men in lederhosen.  Two guys in leather pants were sitting at the bar, each with a mas krug of the Fall Fest beer.  They looked like they had been there awhile.  The two of them were talking about nonsense, constantly bantering and slurring their words.  Bill got a big kick out of them.  They’d say something about beer in Barcelona, then follow it up with “Ja, ja, ja…”  Then they’d talk about tuna salad and more “Ja, ja, ja.”  There were two ladies sitting next to them who seemed very entertained, both by the drunken Germans and us, the wayward Americans.  They ate lunch and had more beer, then one of the ladies said she had to use the bathroom.  Then, one of the men said he needed to go… “Ja, ja, ja.”

The food and beer was very good, though, and served to us by a hardworking Asian German guy in lederhosen with the name of the brewery stenciled across his butt…  Most of the wait staff were wearing similar garb.

Bill had lentils with spatzle, bacon, and wurst…
I had pork with potatoes, cooked in beer…

The beer was good, too!

 

We kept driving through some beautiful countryside.  I took pictures as the car moved.  Many of them turned out surprisingly decently.  And I also scored a free pit stop…

After drinking beer in Freudenstadt, I soon had to whiz…  This was a lifesaver.  It was clean and free, too!  I have a friend who is an artist and loves the graphics on this port a potty…

 

Interesting advertising for a Gasthaus…

Once we arrived in France, there were cornfields aplenty…

 

Some of the towns we passed through leaving Germany were obviously spa towns.  We must pay a visit sometime.  They were very pretty, though I did spot a few bored looking teens sitting in a couple of them when we were stopped at lights.  I guess even if you grow up in a beautiful place, you may not recognize the beauty if you see it every day.

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