A little Swiss serenity: I made waves by taking off my jacket… part five

Featured photo was taken in the Historical Museum.

Sunday morning, Bill and I decided to try the breakfast at Les Trois Rois. When we stay in hotels, we usually go ahead and book breakfast, even when it’s expensive. I didn’t do that for our trip to Basel, mainly because I didn’t see the option to do so until we’d already booked our stay. Now that we’ve been to the hotel, I’m kind of glad that we didn’t include breakfast in our nightly rate. I believe you do get a break on the price if you pre-book breakfast. When I look at the hotel’s Web site, I see that the rate for a room with breakfast is 45 francs more per night, while if you just go there without pre-booking, it’s 55 francs per person.

Les Trois Rois also has a Sunday brunch that runs from 11:30 PM until 3:00 PM. The brunch was fully booked on Sunday, but if we had chosen to do it, it would have cost 155 francs per person.

The breakfast includes a buffet, juices, champagne, hot drinks, and made to order egg dishes and other breakfast staples. It was pretty busy in the Brewery restaurant, where breakfast is served, when we arrived. Bill had Eggs Benedict, and I had Eggs Norsk, which was basically Eggs Benedict, but with smoked salmon instead of bacon.

After breakfast, we decided to walk around Basel some more. We went across the bridge nearest the hotel, which took us to a seedier part of the city. At one point, I looked down and noticed pictographs on the pavement. It looked like a woman standing next to a streetlamp… A prostitute! And lo and behold, upon looking up prostitutes in Basel, I discovered that yes, indeed, we had found Basel’s Red Light district! Prostitution has been legal and regulated in Switzerland since 1942, but street hustling is supposed to be illegal. In 2016, city officials in Basel made areas where prostitutes are allowed to stand, um… offering their wares. Before I noticed the pictograph, we did see a few ladies in the street, chatting up men and sort of loitering near what appeared to be seedy bars… for Switzerland, anyway.

After a few minutes of walking through the Red Light District, we decided to go back across the bridge and up a hill. We wandered around, passing buildings belonging to the local university, until we wound up in the Münsterplatz. This is a big plaza where the Basler Münster is. We happened to be there just as church was letting out, so we didn’t have the chance to go inside for a look, but I did hear some lovely organ music that I picked up on video, along with my heavy breathing. I also got some photos of the area, which is one of the oldest public squares in Basel.

We rounded a corner and soon found ourselves near the Basel Historical Museum. I needed to pee, so that was a sign we needed to visit the museum. I’m not sorry we visited, as the museum is pretty awesome and extensive, and once you get to the bottom of it, you will, in fact, find a public restroom. But something surprising happened when we went inside.

First, we bought our tickets, which were half price, because we had a Basel Card. The tickets were good for two other museums within walking distance and could be used for up to seven days after purchase. We didn’t get a chance to visit the other two museums, one of which was a music museum. If we ever go back to Basel, we’ll have to make a point of seeing those places.

I took in the vast, beautiful building, that was clearly once a place of worship. Then I realized I was hot. I wore my heavy coat, and had been walking around. I decided to take it off. When I did that, I was immediately accosted by a security guard. The man came up to me and said that in the museum, I had two choices– I could either wear my coat or put it in a locker. Then he went on to politely explain that they had 800 year old artifacts there, and somehow, if I’m carrying my coat instead of wearing it, that puts their priceless artifacts at risk.

I must have looked annoyed, confused, and perhaps even angry, because the guy just kept going on while I stood there listening to him, considering what I wanted to do. As he continued to explain… unnecessarily, I might add… I finally said in a rather peevish tone of voice, “It’s alright. It’s not a problem.” I put the coat in a locker, but was then quite pissed off, not because I minded putting my coat in a locker, but because the guy kept going on and on about it, as if merely removing my jacket was offensive to him. All they needed to do was suggest it when we bought the tickets, not lecture me in the middle of the museum for daring to take off my coat because I was sweating.

That confrontation kind of put a damper on the visit, but at least I got the chance to pee. I’m glad we did go there, too, because it is an interesting museum with a lot to see. One could spend hours in there. We also managed to pick up some gifts for Bill’s grandchildren and co-workers, and a book on phobias and manias for me. In fairness to the guard, he was not impolite. In fact, it was like he was trying very hard not to offend, but in the process of doing that, managed to be offensive by acting as if I didn’t understand his request. He could have just requested that I put the coat in the locker without the unrequested explanation and that would have been much less irritating.

*Just outside of the museum. It reminded me of Antwerp, Belgium.*

After we visited the museum, we realized it was close to lunchtime. So we went across the street to a Swiss beerhall type restaurant called Braunen Mutz. This was a very casual place that offered a lot of local favorites like fondue and raclette, but also had things like meatloaf, sausages, and fried fish. In fact, I had fried perch and frites, while Bill had the meatloaf. We enjoyed several locally produced beers, too. We got a kick out of the little Swiss flags on every dish. It wasn’t the most amazing food we’ve ever had, but it was comforting and tasty, and we got service with a smile. I see by reviews on TripAdvisor that not everyone enjoys the experience as much as we did…

I told my German friend, Susanne, that the little flags were very National Lampoon’s European Vacation…

Bwahahahahaha… I’m sure the food was better than TV dinners!

After lunch, we walked around some more, finally running into some impressive buskers who were playing a mean version of “Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley. I got Bill to leave them a tip.

I love buskers!

Then we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit and digest… and then enjoy a little more time in the bar, where I got a dirty look because I was trying to watch a video without sound, but didn’t realize the volume was turned up. I’m afraid my eyes probably expressed how I felt about that. Below are some more photos, including some of the lovely bar at Les Trois Rois. I noticed what appeared to be a few ladies posing in front of the fireplace. I don’t know if they were guests, or had just gone there to have a drink and be “seen”.

*The bar at Les Trois Rois is a great place for gin and tonics.*

We missed turn down service again, because we decided to watch some TV and relax on our final night in Basel. I will sum up our ride back to Germany in the next post!

bakeries, Luxury, short breaks

A little Swiss serenity: Dinner at Alchemist, breakfast at Bachmann’s Confisserie… part three

At seven o’clock, Friday evening, Bill and I presented ourselves at Alchemist Basel, an unusual restaurant just around the corner from Les Trois Rois. This place, which is very casual and innovative, focuses on unique, experimental, interesting dishes and drinks. Bill discovered the restaurant before we left Germany and made a reservation for us.

We were immediately shown to a two top table, right next to the open kitchen. Our server, who spoke perfect English without much of a distinctive accent, greeted us and invited us to have a look at the menu. We immediately wanted to try the Spirituum Et Circenses, which is a novel way to order a cocktail. The server brought out a little box that had a dreidel, miniature tarot cards, and a four sided die (triangular). The drink would be prepared according to the results of the spin, toss, and card drawing. I ended up with a rum based cocktail topped with cotton candy. Bill’s drink was whiskey based with dry ice. Both were tasty. Of course, if we’d wanted something more conventional, or even wanted the surprise cocktail without alcohol, we could have done that, too. Below is a video I made…

Our dinner included small cocktails, again presented in novel ways. The video shows them.

For dinner, we had a five course “surprise” dinner, which included dishes on the menu, along with novelly prepared cocktails put in laboratory equipment. We had things in beakers, test tubes, and jars, with chemical sleights of hand all over the place. The dishes were mostly vegetarian and vegan friendly, although since we’re meat eaters, there were also a couple of courses that included meat. One dish had chickpeas in it. I was amazed by the array of different flavors, some of which I probably never would have thought to try at home.

Below are some photos… I thought the magnifying glass was pretty inspired, given how dark it was in the restaurant, and how small the print on the menus was for some of us…

I think Bill really enjoyed Alchemist. He likes to try new and different foods. I didn’t mind it, and would go back another time, but my tastes in food are a bit more pedestrian than his are. I also found the restaurant kind of noisy and crowded, which isn’t much to my liking. However, the menu concepts are fresh, innovative, and fun, and I loved the surprise cocktails made by chance. It was exciting to watch other patrons getting cocktails that were presented with different gimmicks. Sometimes, the gimmicks didn’t work as intended.

*Don’t know if Carl’s Jr. will end up in Germany, too…*

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel, noticing that across the street was one of Switzerland’s three Carl’s Jr. outlets. Carl’s Jr., in case you don’t know, is a fast food outlet that is based in California. The company bought Hardee’s, which is a fast food chain popular in the southern and midwestern states. I used to like Hardee’s when I was younger, but I haven’t eaten at one in years. I thought maybe we’d try Carl’s Jr., since I’ve never been to one. But we never got around to getting our fast food fix. It’s just as well… I need fast food like I need a second asshole. 😀

When we returned to our room, we found that the housekeeper had been by to do turn down service for us. That was the only night we got turn down, because we’re not really night people anymore. We went to bed, and unfortunately, neither of us slept very well. The mattress was a little too firm for us. But that seems to be the case in most of the hotels we’ve stayed in lately.

In the morning, we decided to go across the street to Bachmann’s Confiserie for breakfast. This is a Basel based chain store that offers a light cafe menu, breakfast, and chocolates for sale. Since breakfast at the hotel was 55 Swiss francs per person, and we knew we were going to be dining at the Cheval Blanc for lunch, we decided the cafe was a better place for a light breakfast. I see from my search that there’s another Bachmann’s Confiserie in Switzerland, but it appears to be owned by different people and is located in Lucerne.

I really enjoyed the breakfast at Bachmann’s Confiserie of Basel. For 16,50 CHF, you can get a breakfast with a hot drink, fresh orange juice, a bun, a croissant, jelly, and butter. I fell in love with the bread rolls, which were slightly sweet, soft, and yeasty. The gipfeli (croissant) was also excellent… not crispy or crumbly, but soft and flaky. And I loved the fresh squeezed orange juice. The service was also friendly and professional.

*I loved the roll… I want to find a recipe!*

After breakfast, we walked around the Rathaus and explored downtown Basel before our much anticipated lunch at Cheval Blanc. I will write more about that in the next post.

holidays, Luxury, short breaks

A little Swiss serenity: Bahn to bedroom to bar… part two

Bill booked us on an Intercity Express (ICE) Train leaving the Frankfurt Airport train station at 1:50 PM. We got first class seats, and since it was a non-stop ride, I figured it was going to be stress free. And, for the most part, I was right. We took a cab from our house in Breckenheim to the airport, arriving well ahead of time.

Since we hadn’t had lunch, we stopped at Burger King by our platform and had a quick bite to eat. Then we hauled our bags down to the platform. It was frigid outside. I was glad we weren’t at an outdoor station. I was also glad I managed to get almost everything I needed in a backpack, although I did stuff it. I decided to bring my trusty “coatigan” sweater, which necessitated a carry on bag. I made use of a tote bag Atlantic Magazine recently sent me. It came in handy later, when Bill went shopping for snacks and wine.

We reserved seats with a table. It would have been nice to have gotten a “two top”, but we wound up in a four top. Bill did this because he didn’t want to force me to ride backwards for three hours. I have a tendency to get motion sickness. On the way down, no one else shared our four top with us, and the car was very quiet. In fact, we were in a “quiet zone”, and there were signs requesting silence. I don’t know if all first class cars are like that, but I didn’t mind it too much. The ICE trains are nice, because they are clean and almost always have clean, functional toilets. There’s also a restaurant on board, where one can get drinks, snacks, and sandwiches.

Our train arrived in Basel at about 5:00 PM. We hauled our bags out of the train and schlepped them to the lobby of the station, where Bill got some Swiss Francs. Then we walked outside and quickly found a taxi to take us to Les Trois Rois. I took a few photos on the way down the escalator…

The hotel and downtown Basel are not very close to the SBB train station, one of two train stations in Basel. The other is called Basel Bad, which is in a seedier part of town on the other side of the Rhein River. We stopped at the Basel Bad station on the way into and out of the city. It’s located just two kilometers south of the German border. Wikipedia tells me the SBB station is Europe’s busiest international border station!

We arrived safely at the hotel and a bellman very quickly greeted us and grabbed our luggage. A very friendly young man welcomed us to the “Three Kings” hotel and checked us in, then asked us if we’d like a morning newspaper. We said we’d love to get The New York Times, which was one of our choices. We never did get the paper delivered, although it was no big deal. I’m already a subscriber, anyway. It would have been nice to get a paper version, though, especially given how expensive the room was.

One thing I would like to mention… When I booked our room, I didn’t realize I could have booked breakfast with it. I wish I had noticed that, since pre-booking breakfast does make it slightly less expensive. Breakfast costs 55 Swiss Francs per person, which is a lot of money… but if you pre-book, it’s only 45, which is slightly better. On the other hand, we discovered the lovely Bachmann Confiserie across the street, which was a lot less expensive and was perfectly fine for our needs. They sell chocolates, but they also have a cafe menu and serve wonderful fresh pastries and bread.

The receptionist introduced us to the concierge, who assured us he could help us with any reservations or tickets we wanted to book. We had already made reservations at Alchemist for dinner, and we had lunch plans for the Cheval Blanc. We also received Basel Cards, which entitled us to free rides on the city’s extensive public transportation and half price admission to museums! I wish we’d had one more day to take better advantage of that benefit.

Finally, it was time to visit room 110, a “queen” room with a balcony and river view. This was not the cheapest room available at the hotel, but it was pretty small. However, the terrace/balcony was quite large and offered a great view of the Rhein. As you will see in the gallery, we didn’t have the best weather on Friday…

We decided to visit the bar before we headed off to dinner at Alchemist. It was pretty busy on Friday night, and we had to sit at the bar. There were a couple of American women there, one of whom had put her stuff on a barstool. The very chic hostess politely requested her to move her stuff. There was a hook under the bar for purses, jackets, and stuff.

The drink menu at the bar was pretty pricey, which is to be expected at a five star hotel. They did have an impressive array of gins and whiskies, as well as some very interesting looking cocktails. Bill decided to have a gin and tonic, while I had a margarita. A piano player played contemporary hits to a lively crowd, and I was just enjoying the very classy ambiance. It really is a cozy bar.

I probably would have been happy to eat dinner at the bar, but we had 7:00 PM dinner reservations. Bill got the check, and we made our way over there. I will write about our experience at Alchemist in the next post, as I want to make a video for it and that will take some time. Stay tuned.

Baden-Württemberg

From Wiesbaden to Horben: The first day’s discoveries…

Saturday morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. The sky was perfectly clear and blue, and the temperature was warm. I thought it would be a good day to visit the nearby city of Freiburg. But first, we’d have our first breakfast at Luisenhöhe. After our first dinner, I knew breakfast would be an unusual experience.

A smiling waitress, who ended up taking care of us every morning of our visit, led us to a table on the other side of the dining room. We had a view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Bill looked at the waitress’s nametag and got the sense that maybe she hails from Ukraine. She spoke excellent English that was charmingly accented, and she seemed genuinely friendly and service oriented as she offered us coffee. As she poured it, and brought me cream (rather than the usual milk), I realized that the coffee at this hotel was some of the best I’ve ever had, anywhere.

Just as it is at dinner time, breakfast at Luisenhöhe consists of small plates of different things which are brought to you at your table. They offer cold cuts and cheese that you can help yourself to, as well as juices and water. During our visit, they also offered fresh fruits and vegetables and smoothies, with a different thing offered every day. For example, on the first morning, they had vegetables. On the second and third, they had the smoothies. On the last morning, it was fresh fruit. Then after we had our four small courses, we were offered a “sweet” selection. On the first morning, it was a waffle.

Another server brought a big basket of bread, and we chose the pieces we wanted, which ended up being one of each kind. Bill likes hearty full grain breads with nuts and raisins and such. Much to my shame, I like refined white breads. It was no problem. They had several different varieties, all of which were impeccably prepared and very fresh. We had a small “globe” of butter, and jams were available. Below are photos of the first breakfast.

I enjoyed the first morning’s breakfast, although the French toast was made with Bergkäse (mountain cheese) that was too strong for me. It was too bad, too, because I really liked the idea of a savory French toast made with cheese. I’d like to try it at home, only I’d use a much milder type of cheese. It’s not even that the cheese they used was that strong. I just have very sensitive tastebuds when it comes to certain flavors. The musty, barnyard flavors in certain cheeses and other foods make me gag, and if I’m not careful, I will vomit. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t become a chef! Anyway, I think we’ll try to find a recipe for savory French toast and use cheese that doesn’t make me puke.

After breakfast, I decided I needed to get some photos of the surrounding area. It was a good thing I did, since the skies weren’t nearly as clear the rest of our time there. Below are the pictures I took on the biking/hiking trail near the hotel.

We decided to try out the heated pool after our walk. I had a feeling it would be a good time to do that, since the weather was so nice. I figured people would be out and about. I was right about that, as we would find out after our swim. Below are a few photos from the spa area. We did not have any treatments or use the saunas, but if we go back, I’ll make a point of doing that. One thing I hope this hotel will eventually have is a hot tub or two… I’m sure it’s just a matter of time, especially at their current price point.

*This was a kind of rain shower, which took a moment or two to figure out.*

I have a feeling they use heavily vanilla scented products in the spa. I came to that conclusion on the first night at dinner, when a young woman sat near us and smelled really good… of vanilla. I thought maybe it was perfume, but then noticed she looked like maybe she’d been at the spa. When I later smelled someone else with that same scent, I realized that was a spa product. I loved the scent, although it did kind of obscure the smell of the food in the dining room. I’m not sure that was the proprietors’ aim.

After a swim, and trying out the massage functions in the pool, we got cleaned up and headed toward Freiburg. I took more photos on the drive there. I was excited to see the city… but alas, the parking garages were all FULL! And there were long lines of cars waiting to park in them. Bill made a couple of wrong turns and we soon found ourselves in “Walkplatzes”, where people were giving us dirty looks and making gestures at Bill. We didn’t know Freiburg was such a “green” city, so unfriendly to cars. The GPS sent us to the wrong part of the town, which was positively TEEMING with people who were walking and on bikes.

Here, I want to make a statement to anyone reading this, thinking it’s helpful to shoot dirty looks and make gestures at people who end up driving into the wrong place. We KNOW we’re in the wrong place, and we’re trying our best to rectify the matter. We don’t need you to add to the situation by wildly gesturing, giving us dirty looks, or shouting at us. It just makes you look like assholes. And before anyone points this out, we know that being in the wrong places makes us look like assholes. But, unlike you, we’re trying to fix the situation, rather than engaging in shaming and ridiculing people who simply made an honest mistake. What? You’ve never made a mistake? It must be nice to be so perfect. /sarcasm

Anyway, we did finally get out of that mess, although any relaxation gleaned from the pool was now totally gone. Bill was trying to figure out where we could go with the car. I looked around at what was admittedly a very cool looking city, and I realized that all of those people were a huge turn off to me. So I suggested that we go to France.

“But I forgot to bring my passport.” Bill fretted.

In almost ten years of living in Germany, no one has EVER asked for our passports at the French border. Of course, there is a first time for everything. But what was the worst that could happen? We get sent back to Germany?

We headed to the border, even though Bill didn’t have his passport. Before we knew it, we were driving over the Rhein… and I realized, we were passing Breisach again! As I was getting my bearings, Bill said “I really need to pee.”

I looked up and noticed a “welcome center”. Bill wondered if maybe there was a public restroom there. He pulled into the parking lot and found the place boarded up. Then he turned his head and saw a sign for a “Piscine.”

“Piscine!” he exclaimed. “Perfect!”

Naturally, I had a good laugh at the joke. Yes, we know that “piscine” is French for pool. But it does sound like one could “piss” there. One probably can, if one pays the entrance fee. I had noticed the pool from the German side of the river the day before. As we were trying to escape the parking lot, we were confronted by a bunch of confusing road signs advising us not to make a left turn. Left was where we needed to go to get out that area.

After a few minutes, we found ourselves being funneled into a parking lot where there were RVs, and then we saw a hotel… and they had the patio open for lunch! As it was almost 2:00 PM by then, I suggested we stop for lunch. Bill could use the potty while we were there.

The waitress asked us if it was okay if we had salads. Yes– it was fine. We were still kind of full from breakfast, anyway. We sat down at a table in France, at Hotel Le Caballin, with a view of Breisach, Germany. We had tarte flambées (Alsatian pizzas) with beer, as I marveled at how we ended up in Vogelgrun, France for lunch.

*I’d like to get a closer look at this building in Freiburg…*

I said to Bill, “I am fascinated by borders. It’s so cool to be sitting in France, listening to people speaking French, as I gaze at the German border town we visited yesterday…”

Bill said, “That’s true. Whenever you’re near a border, you gotta cross it!”

And I said, “Especially if it’s the border of good taste…”

We headed back toward the hotel, thinking maybe we could take the Schauinsland Bahn… but there was no parking to be had. Not surprising, given how beautiful the weather was. So, we went back to the hotel and hung out on the patio before dinner. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon…

And then we had dinner, which was, once again, a stunning experience. My one complaint was that we ended up sitting at the big communal table, which meant climbing up on a stool. However, because people didn’t want to sit in the middle seat at the big table (just as they wouldn’t on an airplane), we ended up with a slightly more private dining experience on Saturday night. As you can see in the menu, they had mushrooms on the menu, and I can’t eat mushrooms. I substituted a delicious wild boar dish for an upcharge of 13 euros. It was worth the extra money.

Bill selected a Sylvaner wine to go with our dinner. The sommelier praised his choice. Bill told him that we’d visited Würzburg in February and visited a winery that specialized in them. Much to our surprise and delight, the guy said “Weingut Am Stein?”

Yes! That was where we stayed, and we had a wine tasting there. It turned out the sommelier knew all about it, and in fact, they had some wine from Weingut Am Stein on their wine list. That was a pretty cool moment.

holidays

Muffin Man!

Today’s breakfast was a hit!

Bill made French Breakfast “Puffs” (or if you prefer, French Breakfast Muffins). I used to make them a lot when I was younger. I suggested he try them today, because we’re trying to break the weekend breakfast rut we’ve been in for the past several years.

I don’t have the recipe handy at the moment, but they’re easy enough to make. Basically, it’s like making blueberry muffins, but instead of using blueberries, you use vanilla and cinnamon to flavor the batter. Then, once you bake them, you roll them in melted butter and a sugar and cinnamon mix. They’re probably more American than French. I got the recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook.

Yesterday, he made chocolate chip cookies…

Is it any wonder I don’t take a lot of full body photos? :D

Hope you all have a Happy New Year’s Eve, and a very happy, healthy, and successful 2024. And if you’re a regular, thank you so much for joining me on our trips and excursions this year. We’ve really had a great time. I hope for more next year. We already have some exciting travel plans, which, God willing, we’ll be able to turn into reality.

I expect fireworks, as usual, tonight. It has been raining all day, though, so that could put a damper on things. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll have some video and photos to share. We’ll see what happens.

art

How great thou Armenian art…

Bill just got home from downtown Wiesbaden. He was picking up the two paintings we bought in Armenia and had custom framed. I was wondering where we’d end up putting them, since they’re really nice, and I want them to be easily seen by people who come into our home… not that there are many who do that.

I ended up moving two lamps and four prints to new places. We put one lamp I bought from Overstock.com over ten years ago into a corner where we rarely need lighting. It’s a fake Tiffany style lamp that came with another one, which has a home upstairs in our little used entertainment room. Both are pretty beat up. I’ll probably be replacing them soon. The other lamp that had been in that spot is not ideal for its new place, but will be better suited than the one that was stationed there.

Then I moved four prints by Matylda Konecka, a Polish artist who lives in Edinburgh, to new places. I have a fifth print that, unfortunately, fell off the wall last summer. The frame broke, so we just took it down.

The Armenian paintings are now in a very prominent spot in the living room. I wish the weather weren’t so gloomy, so they’d have more natural light to show them off, but I’m still very pleased with out they turned out. Our living room is looking a bit like a small art gallery now. I’m going to have to find more art for the stairway.

I also think we might be bringing more art to Kunst-Schaefer for framing in the new year. They do really good work, and we have some original paintings with stories attached to them that deserve better than just being stretched and hung, unframed.

Speaking of art… Bill made a delicious “Dutch Baby” this morning for breakfast. It was his first attempt. I think it turned out nicely! I trained him well. 😉

He says he found the recipe on Bon Appetit’s Web site. It was probably this one…

In other news, Bill ran into a relative of Mitt Romney’s in Wiesbaden. The guy was trying to figure out the parking garage and needed directions to the Market Square. Bill provided his services, but did not let on that he’s an ex Mormon. 😉

trip planning

We now have a hotel in Prague!

We got word yesterday that Noyzi is booked at the Hundepension from September 30 until October 10. That allowed me to book the last hotel for our big Czech tour after we see the dentist. This dental discovery excursion is definitely the most ambitious one we’ve done yet. Just to recap, we’re planning:

three nights at Hotel La Casa in Tübingen, Germany
two nights at Monastery Garden Hotel in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
three nights at Ještě Brno Hotel in Brno, Czech Republic
and finally, two nights at Hotel Nerudova 211 in Prague, Czech Republic

I was actually planning to book the Aria Hotel in Prague, having seen Samantha Brown’s Passport to Europe episode about Prague. She made that hotel look like it would be such a fun place to stay! But, I changed my mind last night, when I did a search on Booking.com and noticed that Hotel Nerudova was listed first, and it had great reviews. I was dazzled by the photos, but what really gave me pause were the consistently glowing comments about how friendly the service was. It’s also a family run place.

I decided to check other sites and noticed that on Expedia.com, Google, and TripAdvisor, Hotel Nerudova got similarly great reviews. But they didn’t have a lot of reviews, which made me wonder if they’re new. I see now that the hotel was closed during the pandemic and had fallen into disrepair until it was bought by Jan and Sarah, the husband and wife who now own it. I did read that the hotel was fully renovated in August 2022, and they only have ten rooms/suites.

According to their story, the hotel used to be known as Hotel Santini until the pandemic. The building dates to the 1500s, although the original house was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt in the 1700s, and renovated starting in 2002. That must have been a very exciting undertaking, as they found original features such as frescoes, wooden ceilings, and an original porcelain cocklestove.

The only thing making me hesitate was the parking situation. The hotel’s website said there was off site parking available at 15 euros per day. I worried a little about that, and would prefer a secure parking garage. There was another highly rated hotel that offered a garage, and I almost booked the other hotel for that reason. However, I just couldn’t shake the desire to try Hotel Nerudova 211. It was in my head. So, I took the plunge, and I think I booked this room.

Immediately after booking, I got a welcome message from the hotel which included information about parking. That was reassuring. I wrote back to let them know we’d be driving, and they told us to send them our license plate number and they’d put us in a registry to allow us to park near the hotel on the street. I asked if they needed the information now, or closer to October. They quickly responded that we could do it at the reception. Such quick responses are a really good sign. We had a great time when we stayed at the Old Town Hilton in 2008, but I think Hotel Nerudova will definitely be more charming, memorable, and personal, which I definitely love!

Hotel Nerudova appears to be at a very good location. It’s very close to the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and Prague Castle. As an added bonus, Bill also spotted a sex machines museum nearby. I’m sure we’ll make a point of stopping by, if it’s open while we’re in town. 😉 Or maybe we won’t, since there’s a lot to do in Prague, and it doesn’t look like that museum gets the best ratings. It looks like people think it’s overpriced for what it is. I’ll probably want to visit it anyway, though. I love weird museums.

We will probably visit one of the beer/wine spas for treatments. I haven’t had a good beer spa visit in ages, and we have never been to one in Prague. When we visited in 2008, the spas in Prague didn’t exist. We went to Chodovar Beer Wellness Land for our first beer spa experience. Actually, looking at the link I shared, it appears to be the same system used at Hotel Moorhof and Hotel Diana in Austria.

There’s another beer spa in Prague that offers a wine spa treatment. We might do that one for a change of pace. I doubt the ones in Prague can hold a candle to the beer pools of Starkenberger Brewery. Unfortunately, I think the beer pools have stopped operating in the wake of the pandemic. I’m so glad we had a chance to have that experience when they were still working. Swimming in a vat of warm beer wort is an experience I will never forget!

Anyway… even if we end up doing things that are less sinful in Prague, we’re sure to have a great time. Prague is a fabulous city on so many levels. I especially look forward to buying some new art for the house!

I think this trip is going to be so much fun! I’m really looking forward to it, probably more so than I usually look forward to travel. We always have a great time when we visit the Czech Republic, and we’re long overdue for another visit.

As for the rest of the summer, I’m not sure if or when we’ll go anywhere. I’d kind of like to go to Austria for a few days, but I don’t know if we’ll manage it. For the next three months, it looks like Bill will be doing a new temporary duty involving finance. The good news is that he won’t have to travel when he’s doing the finance job. The bad news is, he’ll probably be pretty busy. Or maybe not… He’s a multi-skilled, multi-talented man, though. Case in point, below is the breakfast he made us this morning, minus the made from scratch biscuits that were still in the oven when I took this photo.

*In fairness, I did kind of teach him how to make cheese souffles. The orange juice is fresh squeezed!*

Today, it’s raining a bit, so I don’t know if we’ll venture out. We’ll see. Anyway, it’s time to write a post for my main blog, so I’ll check y’all later. 😉 I’m excited about this trip, though, and I think we’re going to have a blast!

The featured photo is a screenshot from Expedia of the room I booked.

art

Food and wine in Switzerland, Italy, and Liechtenstein… part eight

How great the art….

One of the reasons Bill really wanted to go on this trip to Italy, besides to indulge his love for fine wines and good food, was the chance to visit the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. When we visited Florence in 2013, we were only there for two nights. We stayed in a hotel outside of town. For some reason, we didn’t make time to go to the Uffizi Gallery during that trip. I think it was because he hadn’t booked ahead, and either couldn’t or didn’t want to stand in line at the ticket office. So, on this trip in 2022, we made a point of seeing the art gallery.

Bill loves to look at art. I am less interested in it, although I will admit that some of the paintings I’ve seen in art galleries amaze me. One would think I’d love to look at art, since it’s been such a big part of my life. I have a sister who is an artist, and after his career in the Air Force, my father made a living selling and framing art. But when it comes to museums, I tend to find interactive ones– science and natural history museums– more interesting. During the COVID era, I’ve not been that interested in going to many indoor activities at all. We did go to the Lindt Chocolate Museum in Zurich last year, and that was fun. Especially since tasting chocolate means taking off the damnable face masks. 😉 Below are some photos from breakfast and our walk to the museum.

The Uffizi requires booking a time in advance. Bill got us an appointment for 10:00am. After a simple continental breakfast at Hotel Firenze Capitale, we walked to the gallery. On the day of our visit, the Uffizi was still requiring everyone to wear face masks. I’m not sure if that’s still required as of May 1. There were a lot of people there when we were there, so I would imagine that anyone who is very concerned about contracting COVID-19 would want to wear a mask, even if they aren’t required. On the other hand, my guess is that people will get the virus whether or not they wear a mask, especially if they don’t cover their eyes. That is one thing I did notice in Italy. Many people in Italy wore glasses with their masks, which would make it less likely that they would get the virus.

We picked up our tickets, stood in line, and went through security. Then, we walked up several long flights of stairs that left me breathless and lightheaded at the top. I did notice that some people used the elevator. Before I knew it, I was among hundreds of people walking through rooms of beautiful art… with many depictions of mothers and babies, Madonnas, and marble statues of naked men with small penises. There were exhibits featuring Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as many lesser known, but very impressive, artists. I took a lot of photos.

At one point, Bill wanted to walk into a very crowded room. I demurred and said I would see him later. He thought that meant I was leaving the museum altogether, but I meant I was going to go to a less crowded place. I don’t like crowds, even when COVID isn’t a thing. Later, Bill sent me a private message on Facebook, asking if I was still in the gallery. Yes, of course! And I did enjoy my visit. I went back later to see the paintings I missed when the rooms were full of people. Uffizi has a cafe, for those who need a moment with some coffee to process everything.

All in all, I found the Uffizi more manageable and less overwhelming than the Prado in Madrid was, when we went there in 2014. I haven’t been to the Louvre yet. Bill and I didn’t go there when we were last in Paris, back in 2009. We’ll have to fix that at some point. Below are many photos from the Uffizi.

There’s more to come, but I needed to break up the group. I wish we had spent a little more time around the Uffizi. I wanted to buy some art while we were in Italy, but didn’t get a chance. I noticed some artists near there when we were in line. We did visit the gift shop at the Uffizi and bought a few gifts for Bill’s daughter and her kids.

After we bought gifts for Bill’s daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren, we walked out of the museum. I heard a British guy say, “Yea! Now it’s drinks time!” Man after my own heart. I spotted a beautiful silk scarf in a shop window and decided to go in there and purchase it. And now I have another cash drain, because the designer, Massimo Ravinale, has a Web site, and I loved their stuff. May be time to order Bill a spiffy new necktie.

The huge photo load in this post has made loading much too slow. It necessitates closing this one and starting a new one. Sit tight for part nine.

Alsace, short breaks

Reunited with France… and it felt so good to be back! Part three…

ETA: I had a real problem with uploading pictures for this post. The second set of photos is actually several galleries. If you notice “repeats” when you scroll through, just move to the next gallery.

Before we went to sleep the first night, we were visited by one of the restaurant staffers. She bore a slight resemblance to the actress Elisabeth Moss, who plays June on The Handmaid’s Tale. That was how we found out that our room had a doorbell! She came bearing fresh baked treats from the kitchen, which were scrumptious. She came to ask us about our breakfast preferences and reconfirm our reservations at the restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights.

The breakfast at Auberge au Boeuf was absolutely something to behold. But as it was our first time visiting, we didn’t know what to expect and we were decidedly overfed on the first morning. The lady from the restaurant asked us what we wanted from the list of offerings, which included boiled eggs, ham, fruit salad, cheese, smoked fish, juice, coffee, tea, yogurt, jam, butter, Museli, and fresh baked pastries and bread. This breakfast, which costs 12 euros per person, is served “family style”. But we didn’t know that on Wednesday night, when we were asked when we wanted to eat, and whether we wanted breakfast at the big “Stammtisch” table, or in our room. So, we ordered two of some things, not knowing how big the portions were.

The next morning at 8:00am sharp, a tiny lady who spoke French and German brought out tons of food for us… two servings of the things we both liked. I will admit, we were able to eat a lot of it, but some things went to waste. We had two big trays of smoked fish, two big trays of ham and salami, two of three kinds of pastries, and two butters… I was grateful we were the only ones eating at 8:00am, which is when breakfast starts. It was embarrassing to get that much food! We noticed a couple who ate later got less food. Now, we know better.

However… I must admit that the breakfast at Auberge au Boeuf was one of the best I have ever had anywhere. And, at twelve euros per person, it was very reasonably priced. The pastries alone were worth the price of admission, as it was obvious to me that they were very fresh and probably house made. They were exquisite! Below are some pictures from breakfast in the Stammtisch room.

*The beautiful and obviously custom made Stammtisch!*

The Stammtisch is something else I must mention. The restaurant offers less fancy and expensive meals at the big table in their gorgeous breakfast/dining room. We didn’t try the Stammtisch, since we didn’t know about it before we came and decided not to have dinner on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The food offered there is mostly beef and Alsatian– and looking at their menu, I might have had some issues with it, since there are many mushrooms! I see that the Stammtisch is offered for lunch and dinner on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. On the other hand, if we go back to that hotel, we may have to try it. The Stammtisch room has a very different vibe than the gourmet restaurant does. I think if I could have found something without fungus, I would have loved it.

The big “Stammtisch” table is made from a tree– in fact, I was blown away by how beautiful that room is. It looked like the plates, cups, saucers, and serving platters were all locally produced by a potter. They were very cool looking and original. They also have a cool wine cave, as well as a museum devoted to Goethe, that I didn’t see open during our visit.

After our first night at the hotel, we took a walk around the neighborhood. First, we passed a small market, where vendors were selling local produce, rotisserie chicken, and cheeses. I noticed that the hotel even had a kiosk set up, probably so people could pick up their catering orders. Patrons can order things via the restaurant’s Web site.

During our walk, I met a very sweet and social “European style” beagle who was super friendly and wanted to chat with us. He was so cute! I wanted to take him home with me, but I know if I bring another dog home, Arran will shit on my pillow! I have noticed that beagles are getting more popular in Europe, but they look a bit different than American beagles look. They’re a bit stockier, and have jaws that look kind of square. Whatever… I think they are adorable! Below are some scenes around Sessenheim.

We also saw some pygmy goats who were hanging out in someone’s yard, enjoying the nice weather. And we visited Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s memorial, which is open and free to the public. If we’d wanted to, we could have planned a day’s activities around Goethe. There’s actually a lot around Sessenheim and its environs about Goethe, who fell in love with Frederique Brion, a French woman from Sessenheim, when he was studying law in Strasbourg. Goethe immortalized her in his memoirs.

We strolled through the neighborhoods, noticing a couple of places for sale. I started talking to Bill about whether we should look for a house in France when he retires. I noticed how beautifully the gardens are kept there, including someone’s well tended kale plants. Dr. Blair, the dentist, used to practice in the Black Forest, and he said a lot of Germans buy homes in Alsace, because it’s supposedly cheaper. And, as we can attest, it’s more laid back, too.

After we took a walk, we made our way to Haguenau, which is a small, pleasant city known for pottery. There are museums, spas, and churches, and even a microbrewery there. The city is located near the famous Maginot Line, so it attracts people who are interested in “Remembrance Tourism”. There is also a lot of Jewish history in Haguenau. There’s even a museum dedicated to baggage in Haguenau! There are also some interesting looking restaurants, bars, and retail establishments. Since we’re still a bit COVID wary, we kept our activities outdoors, with the exception of visiting one cathedral, where Bill lit a candle for his father, who was a devout Catholic and died in 2020.

For lunch, we visited a tiny Moroccan restaurant called Restaurant Côté Sud. We lucked into finding this place, which offered a few French items like faux filet, as well as tajines, cous cous, and some intriguing salads. I’ll write more about Haguenau and our Moroccan lunch in the next post. Uploading photos is problematic for some reason.

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Volvo, Mark Knopfler, and East German adventures… part three

Sunday morning, I woke up at about 3:00am. I couldn’t help but notice the sun was already rising. Sweden is a bit weird for the uninitiated, especially in the winter and summer, when days are either really short, or really long. A few hours later, we got up for real, enjoyed the awesome rainfall shower, got dressed, and headed to the 25th floor for breakfast. At Upper House, breakfast is always included in the rate. You get a very nice buffet, as well as “small plates”, which are prepared by the chef. Most people get two or three of the small plates, as well as whatever they want from the buffet. Below are a few photos of items we enjoyed over the course of our two night stay.

The menu.

Awesome scrambled eggs with chives and bacon.

Roast beef…

Chocolate filled cream puff.

Delicious strawberry crumble with cream. I think this one was my favorite.

A beautifully set table.

A view of the city.

On day two, Bill had the royal and the shakshuka, a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, and garlic.

At 11:30am, we headed to the spa for our massages. One thing I want to mention about the spa in Sweden. It seems that when it comes to nudity, the Swedes are more like the Brits and us Americans. We were advised to come dressed in our bathing suits. Even in the locker room, there really weren’t any places to change in privacy. So, if you’re reading this in Germany and you want to visit the Upper House spa, be advised that it’s NOT textile free, even in the sauna. In fact, we even had our massages while wearing bathing suits, although they were rolled down. We were fully covered the whole time.

Our aromatherapy massages went on concurrently– Bill and I were in the same room with two female therapists. We spent 80 very peaceful minutes getting the knots knocked out of our tired muscles, although the bed at the Upper House was the very best of all four hotels we stayed in this week. Then, we checked out the amazing spa area with its views of Liseberg.

Heated lounges overlooking the amusement park.

The view.

Bill in his snazzy robe. I brought mine from home.

This pool is 18 floors up and has a glass bottom… Yes, it’s very secure, and yes, you can see to the street when the water isn’t bubbling.

A saltwater pool… It had jets.

A peek at the pool from the ground floor of the towers.

After a few pleasant hours in the spa, we were hungry. We got dressed and went looking for food. Unfortunately, just as it is in Germany, a lot of Swedish restaurants also take a “pause”. Consequently, we ended up at Ristoria, an Italian eatery in the towers. They had a Sunday brunch, which didn’t really please me much. The food wasn’t bad, but it looked like it had been sitting for awhile. Also, the chairs were uncomfortable. But it satisfied my hunger well enough…

From the buffet at Ristoria. It should be mentioned that cash isn’t accepted anywhere in the hotel or restaurants, so bring your credit cards.

Not too impressed.

One drawback to Gothia Towers’ location is that it’s not close to downtown, nor is it in a particularly walkable location. Moreover, while we were in the spa, I overhead a guy telling the staff that he was robbed. So after we finished lunch, we went back to the room. I proposed a visit to Liseberg to Bill, but he wasn’t interested. He doesn’t like rides, particularly ones that are extremely high or just plain extreme. I will admit, while I wouldn’t have hesitated to ride most of the rides at Liseberg when I was younger, they did seem a bit extreme, even to me. And I don’t like crowds or being part of a captive audience… so we decided to hang out and talk.

At about 5:00pm, we went to the Upper House’s bar and proceeded to spend the evening drinking… and talking to a British woman named Janet who lives in Doha, Qatar and works in the airline industry. Bill struck up a conversation with her when she said she wanted to sit out on the balcony. The wind up on the 25th floor was extreme, but Janet said she had been dealing with 50 degree weather for weeks and she wanted some fresh air. Dopey me… I thought she meant 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Nope… 50 degrees Celsius. That is some HOT weather! No thanks!

Janet was a total stranger prior to last Sunday, but she turned out to be a lot of fun to talk to. She also reminded me a lot of my sister, Becky. She said she was going to have to get up very early on Monday morning to fly to Stockholm for business purposes. Then, I guess, she was going back to Doha… We had a lot to talk about, though, since it turned out we liked the same kind of music and had lots of travel stories to share. We found ourselves talking about everything from 9/11, Princess Diana and where we were when she died (I was in a sleeper care with a Chinese family on a train from Vienna to Venice) to her trip to Vietnam and, of course, religion and politics. She even kissed us goodbye!

This was dinner… two small plates. Pork belly and some kind of sea scallop soup. I was partial to the pork, but that probably surprises no one.

The next morning was the day we picked up our new car. Things got off on the wrong foot, when the elevators wouldn’t work. We had to climb a tight spiral staircase to get to the restaurant. Then, while we were eating, our waiter came over and said Volvo had sent a taxi for us. Bill was upset, since he was told they wouldn’t come until after 9:00am. But he never got any confirmation one way or the other and, I guess, trusted that things would go according to plan. He was pretty upset that we weren’t ready for the taxi and they hadn’t told us it was coming.

After breakfast, we went to the reception and explained what was going on. A very beautiful blonde woman with delicate features and big blue eyes was running the desk. She offered to call Volvo for us and find out what to do. Meanwhile, we went back to our room to wait. While we were there, I noticed the below sign.

This is pretty awesome! If you smoke in your room, they’ll charge you a lot to clean it. Then, they’ll donate half of the fine to Sweden’s Heart and Lung Foundation. I love the sense of social responsibility the Swedes have.

One more view of the dining room. Next time, we’ll be sure to reserve a table for dinner. Upper House has a restaurant with a Michelin star.

Volvo agreed to send us another taxi at 10:40am, so we waited in our room, checked out, and hung out in the lobby to wait for yet another taxi driver driving a Volvo to take us to our new wheels. I prepaid for the room, so the only bill to be settled was for our dual massages and drinks in the bar. It was about $400.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: breakfast