Tag Archives: Boeblingen

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The Sindelfingen Streetfood Fiesta meets Music! And Bill and I meet new friends!

You’d think a person like me would me chomping at the bit to attend a “streetfood fiesta” coupled with music.  I am a food lover, and it shows.  And I also both love and create music.  This should have seemed like an event of my dreams.

Well, I’ll be honest.  I wasn’t that excited about it.  It was in my Facebook alerts and, because Bill is my husband, he noticed it on my Facebook feed.  He asked me if I wanted to go.  To be truthful, I was kind of thinking I might like to stay in and enjoy the day.  Yes, it’s been hot in Unterjettingen lately, but the forecast was calling for rain.  I don’t like getting caught in the rain.

The Afrika Fest was also going on in Böblingen and will also be tomorrow.  We went to it last year and enjoyed ourselves.  I was thinking it would be good to see the Sindelfingen Streetfood Fiesta, if only because it would be different.  This event, by the way, will also be happening tomorrow in  downtown Sindelfingen.  You can enjoy food from food trucks, lots of craft beers, and plenty of live music.  To be honest, as much as I enjoyed last year’s Afrika Fest in Böblingen, given a choice between the two events, I’d pick Sindelfingen’s event.  But then, I really like food, beer, and music.  I also know that there will be an Afrika Fest in Tübingen.  We attended in 2016 and had a great time.  Pretty soon, the 2018 fest will be on, affording us to enjoy African cuisine and buy African products.

So we went to Sindelfingen, parked at the Stern Center, and started walking into the familiar downtown area.  The first thing I noticed was a lovely German lady singing a song I translated to “Dance with Me” in German.  I was pretty proud of that, not that it was that hard.  She had a great voice and I kind of wanted to get a table at a restaurant and listen to her and her acoustic guitar playing friend some more.  But we kept walking and eventually ended up at a craft beer tent where there were a couple of Americans.

We heard the telltale accents and it wasn’t long before the wife and I were realizing we have a whole lot in common, even though I am way older than she is.  She’s 30 and I’m 46, but we both lived in Northern Virginia for awhile.  We were born in the same Hampton, Virginia hospital.  She went to William & Mary for grad school and my sister got her undergrad there.  I also did a lot of temp work there after I finished my degree at Longwood.  And our husbands both work on Kelley Barracks…  As we talked longer, we learned that we had even more in common.  It was freaky!

Bill enjoys a new craft beer.

Then, I noticed she and her husband were updating their beers on Untappd, an app Bill and I both use.  In fact, Bill had his Untappd baseball hat with him and was able to show it off.  This was a beer loving couple, which Bill and I both are.  I showed them some of our more interesting beer vacations and we had another round.  We kept chatting and eventually moved on to a food truck…

These guys make some great craft beers.

 

More craft beers.

Bill got me a “crunchy box”, which included a couple of dumplings and what appeared to be homemade potato chips.

 

He was very pleased with himself.

But there was actually a lot to choose from.  There were burgers, Polish goodies, Korean goodies, and barbecue interspersed with different musicians stationed throughout the route.  Sadly, we didn’t get to see the whole thing… or maybe it’s not so sad, since we truly did make new friends.

There was even a truck that used a Camden, New Jersey schoolbus for dispensing its burgers.

This guy met us when we were tasting craft beers.  He followed us and was very keen to share the moment, German style.

 

The whole time we were enjoying beers and food, we were getting acquainted with new people in our community.  And, besides meeting new people, we also got to pee for free.  This event has a public restroom truck that doesn’t cost anything to use and is surprisingly clean.

Homemade potato chips!

And craft beer…

And if you hit the Sindelfingen fest, you should hit this truck.  There are good eats there.

Our drunk German friend again, who was very nice and harmless, although we didn’t understand everything he said.  I did do some nonverbal bonding with the craft beer sales people, who were enjoying watching us communicate with him.  He wasn’t a bad dancer, either.

See?

They have stuff for kids to do, too.  Even a “bull” for those who think they can hack it.

I probably should have been more conscientious about recording the scenes, but we were having too much fun getting to know our new acquaintances and soaking up the atmosphere.

I don’t know what we’re going to do tomorrow, but I wouldn’t be averse to visiting this fiesta again… or maybe hitting the Afrika Fest.  Having been to both, I can say that both are worth the stop, depending on what you want to do with your time.  The lovely thing about Germany in the summer is that you are spoiled for choices when it comes to things to do.  Someone is always having a fest if you haven’t already planned to see a park or another attraction.

If you didn’t get out today, I highly recommend making the attempt tomorrow.  You never know.  You might make new friends, too!

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Baden-Württemberg, Böblingen

Lunch, lounging, and “littles” at the Mineraltherme…

I gave serious thought to going to the Sindelfingen Street Fest this afternoon.  Then I looked up at the cloudy sky and decided I’d rather spend the afternoon naked with a bunch of Germans.  I told Bill we should go to a spa, since it’s been ages since our last visit.  Poor Bill is such a good sport.  Although he knows I love a good spa day, the thought of going to one strikes dread in his heart, especially when we go to ones that have textile free areas or are entirely textile free.  But he loves to make me happy and he can’t deny that after a few hours at the spa, he always comes home relaxed.

Bill takes a deep breath before enduring the horror of bathing suits.

At first, I was kind of wanting to visit the Schwabenquellen, mainly because when we went the last time, it was a lot less crowded than the Mineraltherme in Böblingen usually gets.  However, the Schwabenquellen’s restaurant is not as good as the Mineraltherme’s is, and it’s not as close to where we live.  It’s also entirely textile free, which I know Bill is leery about.  Sure enough, when I made the suggestion, he said he preferred Böblingen, so that’s where we went.

We arrived at the Mineraltherme at a little after one o’clock and enjoyed a very nice lunch.  Of the spas I’ve been to in this area, I would say the Mineraltherme has the best restaurant.  It offers somewhat healthy, upscale dishes instead of the usual pizzas, burgers, and brats offered elsewhere.  Today’s lunch was no exception.  We each enjoyed wine– I had a Riesling and he had a Gray Burgundy, along with our usual sparkling water.

They brought out a very nice lentil salad amuse.  It was well seasoned with cumin and filled out with eggplant.  I don’t usually love eggplant, but I did enjoy this.

Our waitress was pleasant and spoke English.  Bill ordered one of the specials, spaghetti with tuna mixed in a tomato sauce, pictured below.

It was a pretty big dish!  He said it was tasty.

A moment of seriousness before it was time for me to try my dish…

I had a “Kartoffel trifft Fische”, a baked potato covered in sour cream and served with smoked salmon and a simple green salad.  I enjoyed this dish, although I wish I had asked them to go very easy on the sour cream.  I don’t like sour cream that much and even if I did, I wouldn’t use as much as is pictured here.  But the salad and smoked salmon were really enough to satisfy me anyway.

 

Lunch came to just over 40 euros.  Because we hadn’t yet entered the spa, we paid for it in cash.  I always enjoy eating at the Mineraltherme.  I wish other spas had restaurants as nice as theirs.

Then we got in line to pay basic admission and get our wristwatches, which allow you to purchase things without using cash in the spa and keep track of your time.  At this writing, it’s 12 euros per adult to visit the upstairs and part of the downstairs portions of the Mineraltherme.  If you want to go into the Saunagarten, which is textile free, you have to pay another 6 euros.  This is done by scanning your wristwatch at a turnstile.  On your way out of the spa, you pay a machine for any refreshments or other extras you get while you’re in the spa.

After we paid our admission, we went into the unisex locker room, which is full of small dressing rooms so you can “suit up” in private.  The Mineraltherme underwent a large renovation last year and they made some improvements to the locker room and some of the other facilities.  We spent the first hour or so enjoying the pools upstairs, which require the use of a bathing suit.  It was somewhat busy when we first got there, but not too bad.  But then, as time went on, the spa began to fill up.  I started noticing some rather inconsiderate behavior, which I’ll be bitching about in the following paragraphs.

One thing I don’t really like about the Mineraltherme experience on weekends is that it gets very crowded.  People bring their kids and act as if the spa is a Freibad.  I don’t really have so much of a problem with the kids up in the clothed area.  I accept that parents like the spa and they’re going to bring their children.  Most of the children at the Mineraltherme have been well-behaved, although I did see a couple of them hogging the pool noodles and not being very careful about where they were swinging them.  I didn’t need a pool noodle myself; I pretty much float on my own.  However, I did almost get beaned by one when one of the inattentive kids was horsing around.  I don’t find having to duck pool noodles a very relaxing experience, but I’m willing to accept that kids are welcome there.  So be it.

I have more of a problem with people who bring their young children into the textile free area.  Technically, youngsters under 18 are allowed down there if they are with an adult.  Personally, I think it’s a bad idea to bring children into that area.  It’s not because I’m uptight about nudity.  On the contrary, I’m all for it among consenting adults.  Consider this, though.  In the textile free area, the adults are walking around naked or wearing a towel or a robe.  You’ll see all kinds of things that might need explaining or cause uncomfortable staring, even if you do your best to avert your eyes.  For example, I saw one guy today with a very large metal ring hanging off of the end of his junk, Prince Albert style.  I don’t have kids myself, but I can just imagine explaining that one to a nine year old.

Also consider that people drink alcohol down there, just as they also do in the upstairs area.  It seems to me that adults drinking booze while naked is not necessarily compatible with hanging around with school aged children.  And… this is a big thing for me… the adults have paid an entrance fee so they can relax and unwind.  That is what spas are for.

Where’s Alice to set people straight when we need her?

I don’t find it very relaxing when a kid is hogging the jets in the pool, screaming and yelling, running amok, or staring.  I have less of a problem with kids watching couples practically fucking in the pool, which frequently happens at the Mineraltherme, than I do with them watching egregious violence on TV.  On the other hand, I’m not sure it’s something that they necessarily need to be seeing.  In fact, I’m not sure it’s something I need to be seeing, either.  But whatever… when in Rome (or Germany), right?

I counted at least five grade school aged kids in the textile free area today.  I also saw a few American youngsters who appeared to be high school aged.  They were loudly making jokes about bringing dates to the spa.  One of them was squirting water with his hands, like an oyster, and basically acting like he was at a naked pool party.

I know nudity is much more acceptable here in Germany than it is in the United States, but it’s still kind of a shock to my American sensibilities when I see young kids hanging out in the nude area of a spa, where grown people are trying to relax.  I think it’s inconsiderate for people to bring their kids in there.  It’s kind of akin to people who bring young kids on luxury cruises that aren’t equipped for kids.  It’s not really fair to the children or the other adults who have paid the price of admission.  Naturally, a day at the spa costs a lot less than a week on SeaDream I, but the concept is still the same.

Anyway… I don’t plan to write a letter of complaint or anything.  It was just something I was thinking about today at the spa.  I did leave there feeling more relaxed than I did when I came in and I’m sure I’ll go back another time.  I probably ought to show up in the mornings on weekdays, when kids are more likely to be in school, or maybe find a place that is strictly for adults.  I just think the local Freibad is probably a better place for kids to be, rather than the spa.  But that’s just little ol’ childfree me, sharing my opinion.  Incidentally, I also hate the term “littles” for children, but it is what it is.

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Swabian delights at Zum Reussenstein in Böblingen

I promised some friends on Facebook that this week there would be a deluge of restaurant reviews.  Last night, Bill and I went to the second of three restaurants we have booked this week.  When I booked the family owned Zum Reussenstein restaurant and hotel in Böblingen, I had no idea that the place had any notoriety.  I just noticed that reservations on OpenTable.de were kind of hard to come by.   I had to book our Thursday night table several days in advance.  Weekend reservations demanded even more notice.  I figured that must mean the food is very good.  What I didn’t know is that Zum Reussenstein is owned by TV chef Timo Böckle, which may be one major reason why reservations are a must.

I used to work at The Trellis, a restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia that, for years, was owned by TV chef and cookbook author Marcel Desaulniers.  The Trellis has since been sold and Marcel now owns Mad About Chocolate, a cafe in Williamsburg where he sells light lunches and desserts. When I waited tables at Marcel’s restaurant, I frequently ran into people who had traveled from far flung places simply to have lunch or dinner at The Trellis.  A lot of people bought cookbooks, which we kept stocked in the restaurant and all of which were autographed.

I don’t know how famous  Timo Böckle is, but I did notice a number of what looked like gourmet items for sale.  Indeed, I see on his restaurant’s very musical Web site, I see there is a gourmet shop there that appears to be open during lunch and dinner hours.

As we were getting ready to leave for our 8:00pm reservation, I got the news that world famous recording artist Prince died.  Having grown up in the 70s and 80s, I shared a love for Prince’s music with many others in my age group.  As we headed toward Böblingen, I started thinking about how whenever I’m in Europe, it seems like someone legendary dies.  I was on a train between Vienna and Venice when Princess Diana died.  I lived in Germany when Michael Jackson died.  And now we’ve lost Prince, along with a number of other amazing celebrities.  2016 is turning out to be a terrible year to be famous and a Baby Boomer.

Bill enjoys a moment before looking at the menu.  Through the curtain dividing the room, I spotted a TV monitor on the wall that showed a fireplace with a perpetually flickering flame.  I’m not sure what the point of those things are, but I guess some people think they make a dining room seem “homey”.

We arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before our reservation.  It took a little time to find street parking and we ended up having to walk about ten minutes.  That would have been fine, except I was wearing heels, which I rarely wear unless I’m dressed up.  Although I probably didn’t need to get too spiffy for Zum Reussenstein, I like to look nice when we’re eating at a nice place.  Zum Reussenstein has sort of a homey feel to it and it’s not as fancy or expensive as Gasthof Krone is.  However, I did notice that there were quite a few locals there who seemed to be celebrating.  I was glad I wore a skirt and Bill wore his trusty sport jacket from Saks.

These little cards say “We’re glad you’re here.” in German and English.

The restaurant was almost full last night and the ambience was definitely energetic.  Our waiter offered us menus that highlighted very traditional Swabian delights.  There was also a monthly special and a evening special.  At first, I was a little confused by what we had to choose from; I think the presence of the monthly special menu, the evening special, and the regular menu overwhelmed me.  Fortunately, our waiter spoke pretty good English.

Bill ordered us a nice local red.  This particular wine was very inky and tannic, with flavors of dark berries.  I liked it.  I must admit, during this tour in Germany, we’re learning that not all German wines are sweet.  We’re becoming fans of local vino.

I was torn between several appealing choices.  Zum Reussenstein offers a schnitzel that they prepare with apple.  They also had a chicken dish that looked good, as well as several very hearty sounding entrees that included venison and wild boar (Bill usually goes for those).  In the end, I went with a bowl of Flädlessubb, which is strips of crepes seasoned with herbs and served with a clear beef broth.  Then I had last night’s special, which was ham, white asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, and boiled new potatoes.  Bill ordered a colorful house salad, pork cheeks that were slow cooked in mustard sauce, and spaetzle.

This was the amuse.  It was a piping hot shot of soup.  I’m not sure what it was called because the waiter never told us.  However, it tasted like it had a chicken stock base infused with peppers.  Unfortunately, I burned my tongue… but it was still really good.  I would order that soup if it was offered on a menu. 

This was my “pancake” soup– the local speciality Flädlessubb– which was comforting and not too filling.  The last time I had this was in August 2014, right around the time we first moved back to Germany.  I remarked to Bill that it would be a great soup for unclogging a stuffy head.

Bill’s very fresh salad was made with field greens and topped with sunflower seeds.  He really seemed to enjoy it.

My colorful ham and asparagus dish…

With a side of parsleyed potatoes…

Bill’s pork cheeks…

And a big dish of spaetzle…

I opted for the ham and asparagus because this is the time of year to eat such a dish.  Asparagus is in season right now and while we didn’t eat a whole lot of ham the first time we lived here, we have come to realize that spring is the time to pair ham with asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.  The version I had last night was perfectly prepared, though it was a lot of food.  The ham wasn’t too much, but I couldn’t finish the asparagus or potatoes.  I definitely did not go hungry last night!

Bill really enjoyed the tender and tasty pork cheeks.  He said the spaetzle was very fresh and appealing as well.  But, like me, he had to cry uncle at some point.  We knew we wanted dessert.

Bill had vanilla ice cream with apple balsam syrup…

I had sinful chocolate mousse made with chocolate from Rittersport.  

I think dessert was my favorite part of last night’s meal.  The chocolate mousse was fantastic and really satisfying.  I thought I was full, but I managed to enjoy the whole thing with no problem.  Bill also loved his dessert.  The ice cream was regular vanilla, but it was very good quality and the apple balsam syrup was a nice touch.

Vegans and vegetarians may have a somewhat tough time at Zum Reussenstein, though I did notice that there were a couple of vegetarian options and several dishes that could be made vegetarian on request.  They were marked in the menu.  ETA: A vegetarian who read this review says that if you tell the staff you are a vegetarian, they will bring a special vegetarian menu.  In the menu there was also a note explaining that smaller portions are available on request.  I thought that was a nice touch.  I did not see any children dining last night, but I imagine they are catered to.  The restaurant is nice, but definitely has a family friendly vibe.

I also noticed that the ladies room was thoughtfully appointed with hairspray, high quality hand soap, and tastefully presented feminine supplies.

Our bill came to about 80 euros before the tip.  It was presented to us, along with a couple of bon bons, in a wooden box that resembled a small treasure chest.

Overall, Bill and I liked Zum Reussenstein.  Bill told me that it’s a favorite of one of his U.S. based bosses and he likes to eat there whenever he’s in town.  I can see why people like this local gem.  If you’re into traditional Swabian food, it’s definitely a good choice.  I don’t mind Swabian food, though if I’m honest, it’s not my favorite cuisine.  I do think Zum Reussenstein is a great place to go if you have guests who want to try something authentic to Baden-Württemberg.  Reservations are a must, though, and you may want to plan for the parking situation.  On a busy night, you may have to walk a ways, although the restaurant is very close to the Böblingen S-Bahn station.

Now that I know the restaurant is owned by a TV chef, I kind of wish I had access to German TV…

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Sunday lunch at Ristorante Monte Cassino…

Since we’re going out to dinner tonight, I wasn’t really planning to write a review of lunch.  But because we ended up going to Ristorante Monte Cassino, a restaurant right outside of Panzer Kaserne, I decided I might as well.  Why not?  I have a few hours before I have to get dolled up for tonight’s date.

Ristorante Monte Cassino is an Italian restaurant in Böblingen, literally overlooking AAFES.  Bill and I ate there once before when we lived in Germany the first time.  Before we ate there today, I didn’t remember being overly excited about their food, though I do remember enjoying their biergarten.  Today, we’ve had snow flurries on and off.  The clouds are hanging low.  It’s not a biergarten kind of afternoon.

We decided to go to the Ristorante Monte Cassino because it was lunchtime and the Brauhaus was packed.  I was not in the mood to deal with a crowd.  Besides, I didn’t blog during our first tour here, so the Monte Cassino offered me the chance to add another restaurant to my list of local”good eats”.

The first thing I noticed about the restaurant is that it has a large parking lot.  Readers in Germany who have met me know how neurotic I am about parking and driving around here, so the fact that the Monte Cassino has a lot of parking that is free of charge is a big bonus in my book.  It’s also very easy to find.  So that’s two positive marks right off the bat.  I noticed an enormous Dodge truck parked there with ease and plenty of room to spare.

The second thing I noticed was that it wasn’t packed with people.  There was a table of Germans sitting at the well marked Stammtisch.  They seemed to be enjoying themselves.  I noticed a couple more tables of Americans.

Cute, old fashioned dining room.  

The third thing I noticed was that the restaurant smelled good.  That’s a very good sign.  The dining room at the Monte Cassino smelled of garlic, tomatoes, and cheese.  That pleasant aroma added to the pleasing and quaint ambiance.  I liked the charming interior, with its wood stove and small bar area.  It’s very homey.  We took our place at the one two top, since the other tables were large.  I don’t like to sit at tables meant for six to eight people when it’s just the two of us.

Obligatory shot of Bill checking out the options on the menu…

Our waitress seemed to be a bit somber, but she spoke English.  She dropped off our menus and Bill and I took our time deciding what we wanted.  Bill is trying to lose a couple of pounds before he gets into his dress blues on our upcoming cruise, so he opted for a salad.  I decided my cholesterol levels needed boosting, so I had spaghetti carbonara.  We also had our mineral water with gas.  Bill had an alcohol free weizen and I had a glass of Chianti.

My carbonara arrived steaming.  It was a very large portion and kind of bland, but it managed to stave off lunchtime hunger pangs.  I managed about half before I stopped.  I didn’t ask for a box, though I noticed the Americans at the other table took some of their food to go.

Bill’s salad.  This wasn’t the most artfully decorated dish, but he said it was very satisfying.  It had a nice light dressing to go with the bits of ham, strips of cheese, and vegetables.  Bill doesn’t usually like tomatoes much, but he said the ones on this salad were good.  He finished the whole thing.

The bill…  It was 22,40, which was pretty reasonable.  I noticed they had a pretty good selection of dishes, everything from pizza to calamari, as well as beef dishes.  I also noticed that they had two desserts, vanilla ice cream and housemade tiramisu.

The outside.

When the weather improves, this will be a good place to sit.

 

I’ve had better Italian food, though what we had at the Monte Cassino was fine for a simple lunch.  The service was competent, if not a bit unenthusiastic.  I was really happy that it wasn’t packed and there was plenty of space for my Mini.  And again, the inside of the restaurant is cute.  I’d like to go again and try something other than pasta.

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Mom’s visit part two…

Today, we decided to go to Esslingen.  Bill and I went there around Christmas last year and thought it was cute.  I had been wanting to go back, but it’s not close to where we live and traffic can be a major bitch.  I thought my mom would enjoy it, since it really is a nice little town.

We got a bit of a late start.  It was almost one o’clock when we left the house and we knew that a lot of places that serve lunch would be closing at two.  Because of that, we decided to eat at Brauhaus Schoenbuch in Boeblingen.  I’ve been there a few times, so I was a little disappointed to be eating lunch there today.  I always like to go to places I haven’t been so I can post a review of the food and service.  But the Brauhaus was convenient, since there’s plenty of free parking.  I knew we wouldn’t have to worry about getting there too late for lunch.

It was a bit cloudy and looked like it might rain.  Even if it didn’t rain, my mom, Bill, and I are very light skinned people and have a tendency to get sunburns.  I had forgotten sunscreen.  We decided to eat inside instead of out in the Biergarten.

My mom got a bit hot as she enjoyed the lasagne that was being offered during lunch (it was delicious, by the way).  She was fanning herself when an older German lady approached Bill and actually touched him on the face as she told him in German that it was too hot for my mother to be sitting in the dining room (even though she and her husband were sitting at the table behind us).  At first, I didn’t quite understand what she was saying because, besides not speaking or understanding German very well, I could barely hear her.  But then it became clearer, especially when I saw the unmistakable look of disdain on her face.

My mom and I laughed about it, especially when the woman kindly told my mom how cute her bedazzled t-shirt was.  Bill acted like he didn’t understand her, though he eventually did.  Then I turned around and noticed her scowling disapprovingly at Bill and me.  It kind of pissed me off, mainly because my mom’s comfort level was none of her goddamned business.  My mom would have been hot regardless of where we sat, and she is certainly no invalid.  She can tell us where she wants to sit and would have had no issue doing just that.  I was also irritated because Bill is one of the kindest, most attentive men I know, and it doesn’t sit well with me when some woman who doesn’t know him presumes to publicly chastise him, especially in front of his wife and mother-in-law.

It may be a common thing among Germans for perfect strangers to publicly correct other adults, but this American thought it was very rude and strange behavior.  I usually try to go with the flow when I am abroad, but I can’t help being an American.  There are some things about living here that I may never get used to.  All I have to say is, that woman is probably very lucky I didn’t understand her that clearly when she was speaking to him and that I can’t speak German worth a damn.  She may have very well have gotten a talking to from yours truly.  But then, I’m not necessarily known for being polite myself.  The first time we took a cruise, we left out of Norway.  I yelled at some elderly Norwegian women when they almost knocked me over trying to get on the ship.  It’s probably a good thing I don’t practice social work.

Rathaus

A pretty view of the main platz…

 

Mom said this looked a bit crowded…

Anyway, after lunch, during which we all ate too much, we got in the car and headed for Esslingen.  We didn’t stay too long… just long enough to walk a ways through the town, near the rathaus and cathedral, and past the Kessler Sekt store.  As we walked over a bridge over the Neckar River, my mom said “Okay!  Let’s find some coffee or ice cream or something.”  She was tired and wanted to sit for a bit.  So we ended up at Sommer, a restaurant/cafe/bar in a park in the heart of Esslingen.

Bill enjoys a cool drink, outside where it’s cooler.

We sat down and watched kids play with the drinking fountain near the cafe.  Bill commented on the kids, male and female, running around with few to no clothes on.  In the United States, this would be considered weird among many people.  There, people think there are pedophiles lurking on every street corner.  Here, it’s just very normal.  I think it’s refreshing that children’s innocence is preserved and celebrated here.  The kids were having a lot of normal kid style summer fun and no one thought anything of it.

Mom ended up ordering a macchiato, which was too hot for her.  She didn’t want a schorle, iced tea, or a beer.  She also wanted to dump some of her euro coins, since they were too heavy for her to lug around.  She noticed a elderly gentleman sitting in a wheelchair, seemingly out of sorts, and said that had my father lived much longer, he probably would have been in a similar state.

After we finished our drinks, she was ready to go home.  It was just as well, since it was about 5:00 and traffic was starting to back up.  On the way out of Esslingen, we stopped at the Kessler store and picked up some Sekt.  I managed to hear some strains of the organ from the cathedral.  My mom was a church organist for over fifty years, so she listened, too.  Then, as we got on the road and Bill missed the exit for the A8, I used my super sensitive human compass skills to get us there after a short detour.  Who needs a GPS?  Not me.

Near the Kessler factory…
A pretty view of the Neckar in Esslingen.

We passed a violin shop on the way into town.  

And a typically funny German ad…

As well as some interesting art.  I probably would have liked to have done some shopping in this place.

This thing actually waved…

Another pretty shot of the Neckar and Esslingen.

A few shots of the Kessler store.  Bill and I will have to go back and do some tasting. 

Love German print ads.  These were for a theater.

I almost got creamed by a biker just before I took these shots.  I didn’t see or hear him until he’d almost run me over.

Goodbye, Esslingen.

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Our visit to Brauhaus Schoenbuch Boeblingen….

Apparently, the Brauhaus Schoenbuch Boeblingen is a local landmark.  My husband, Bill, had been there more than once for an office party or a hail and farewell.  Somehow, I missed visiting there last time we lived in the Stuttgart area.

Some ladies in a local Facebook group said they wanted us all to visit there for a lunch.  I had never been there and am extremely neurotic about driving, especially in Germany.  I have no reason to be neurotic.  To date, I have gotten exactly one speeding ticket in my lifetime.  I just don’t like driving, even though I’m pretty good at it.  I hesitated agreeing to go and, in fact, told Bill that we needed to visit there this weekend so I’d at least have an idea of where the place is.

So we went to Panzer today so I could pick a new ugly rug for our living room, we could drop off some empty bottles at the Shoppette/Military Clothing Sales, and I could see this mythical brauhaus for myself.

We arrived at the place at almost three o’clock…

As you can see, the parking lot was packed…

We sat at the one empty table, which was cleaned up after we took our seats.

The place was busy… but I had to get a shot of the brewery equipment…

The menu is in German and English and has plenty of choices.  The beer in the photo is the current “strong beer” being offered.  It’s very good, and I say this as a committed beer lover.  

 

I was pretty hungry when we went into the place.  Brunch was still in full swing… at about 25 euros a person, that was a bit steep for Bill and me, especially since we never eat that much food.  I was kind of wanting wurst, but ended up ordering a Schweinhaxe.  Bill had the lentils and sausage plate.  The waiter took pains to tell me that my dish would be huge.  I asked if we could take it with us.  He said yes, so I told him to bring it to me…

Bill’s dish came with lentils, “German wieners”, and spatzle.  

Our waiter was not lying when he said the pork knee was “huge”…  It really was!  You will need the sharp knife, too.  Those “cracklin’s” are tough!

But seriously, this was less than 11 euros…  I ordered the Farmer’s bread to go with it.  For maybe a euro more, you could get a dumpling…  The potato salad is excellent!

 

The food was very hearty.  Our waiter was right to tell me it was a lot of food.  I managed less than a third of that pork knee, even with Bill’s help.  So I asked him to bring me something so I could take it to go.  I could tell he was annoyed by the request, though he should have anticipated it.  He brought me foil and a plastic bag…

So I made a swan!  I have to admit, that made the waiter smile.  Glad to know I haven’t lost my touch since the days when I used to wait tables…  I think my leftovers will last at least two meals.  

 

We stayed a bit longer for a round of the very delightful and very fresh “strong beer” they have going right now.  Bill enjoyed a Naturtrüb and I had a hefeweizen.  For our two lunches and the five beers we enjoyed between us, we paid just under 40 euros.  An added bonus, the place is within walking distance of Panzer; but it also has plenty of parking for those of us not in the neighborhood and neurotic about driving in Germany.  There are also plenty of reasonably clean toilets!  That may mean nothing to people who aren’t beer drinkers, but it means everything to me.

One last shot… after the lunch crowd left, the bar was in full, glorious view…

So Bill and I had a great time.  I hope to be back at the Schoenbuch Brauhaus soon… maybe even tomorrow if I don’t chicken out.

I almost wish I’d had room for dessert.  It looked like they had some good choices.  I saw a lot of coffee drinkers at the very least, a cute little Jack Russell Terrier, and one couple who walked out on their check.  🙁

Prost!

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