The winter doldrums…

I don’t have much to write about life in Germany this week. It’s been cold, dreary, snowy, icy, and just all out yucky. We had snow and cold temperatures every day until Friday, when the temperature shot up about twenty degrees and everything suddenly melted, except for the water in the barrel in our backyard. It rained all day, and there was all of that melted snow, so the backyard was like a sloppy sewer, as I uncovered soggy piles of dog shit laid bare after the snow disappeared.

On Monday, the village’s Christmas tree was still up. It looked so pretty with the snow on it, so I got a photo, which is today’s featured image. The next day, the tree was gone, and there were several naked formerly living Christmas trees lying in the Dorfplatz, ready to be hauled away. It was a little sad, especially since there was dirty snow, ice, and remnants of fireworks lying nearby.

*A yearly ritual… disposing of formerly live Christmas trees…*

This time of year in the northern hemisphere pretty much sucks on many levels. The holidays are over, so everything is kind of blah… The weather tends to be grey, cold, dismal, and depressing. People’s moods are grim. Nights are long; days are short. Summer seems a long time away, although summer has its problems, too.

Sitting here in Germany, at the behest of my homeland, I’m watching with shock and dismay as tensions boil over and people get killed by so-called government officials. It’s distressing to watch, and embarrassing on many levels… And I know all too well that even though we are far away from home, we’re also here because of home. It really is enough to make me want to burrow under the covers and wait until things are “better” somehow.

I have been getting some enticing ads for travel possibilities. I’ve been researching the more interesting places, wondering if it’s even practical to plan for a visit. There’s no telling what the future will hold, as tempers flare and our leader does unthinkable things. So I continue to take one day at a time… and look forward to my next trip, which will be to the Stuttgart suburb of Waiblingen. It does look like a charming area, and the place where we’re staying has a very nice restaurant. We’re going there so we can finally get our teeth cleaned. It’s long overdue! But I’d like to be going somewhere more interesting.

Bill will take an online course or two from the Jung Institute while we’re down there for his new degree program. His analyst has said he should double up his hours in analysis with her, so he can quickly get the quantity of hours needed before he can take exams. I think she has noticed he’s a natural, and he’s not getting any younger. Neither is she. And we don’t know what the future holds. As we tragically found out this week, tomorrow is never promised to anyone.

I need to get a new driver’s license at some point in the next six months. I have one from Texas, but I might have to go back there to get a new one, since I renewed by mail last time. Or, maybe I’ll just trade it in for a German license. Or maybe we’ll finally move. 🥲 I really don’t know what’s going to happen. I sure don’t want to go to Texas.

The dogs also need dentals in a big way. Maybe that will happen next month.

One interesting thing I did do this week was try purple potatoes for the first time. Bill went to the Denn’s Biomarkt near where he buys our dog food for Noyzi and Charlie. A few years ago, I wrote a post about Denn’s, which is a chain market that sells organic food. Bill picked up the potatoes, thinking they were the usual white ones. He was surprised when they turned out to be the color of eggplants…

*We had pan seared Japanese sea scallops, green beans, and purple baked potatoes…*

I didn’t mind the purple potatoes. They tasted a lot like white ones, and are supposedly very healthy. I was reminded, though, of Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss, and how when I worked as the cook at a summer camp, some of the counselors would cook eggs and ham over a hire and dye them with green food coloring for a fun and educational activity. I guess it’s not exactly the same thing, but I was still reminded of it.

Anyway… I’m hoping this week will be better on all levels. Bill has to go on a business trip and will be leaving this afternoon. At this point in time, he still has a lot of work to do at his job… but again, things can change on a dime with Trump’s whims. We have very sunny weather today, but it’s extremely cold outside. I think I heard the rain and snow will be back tomorrow, too… 🫣

Ah well. Such is life. This too will pass.

Baden-Württemberg, German lifestyle, Hessen

Winter is definitely here now…

Featured photo is of our view from the front balcony…

I don’t have too much to write about today. I might have decided to go out and get my new banjo set up, but it’s snowing outside, and I can’t be bothered… As I’ve gotten older, I’m less inclined to go out in weather conditions that are less than perfect. In Germany, that means I’m a virtual shut in, especially during this time of year!

I did want to share a couple of photos, though, especially for my mother-in-law, who is stuck in hot old Texas. I don’t mind looking at the snow falling, but I don’t like walking or driving in it. I’m always afraid I’ll fall and break my ass!

Below are a couple of photos taken an hour after the featured photo. The snow is really falling right now!

We woke up to snow yesterday, and it fell off and on all day. I noticed a young man I’d never seen before, clearing a walkway to the trash bins. I also saw that he even cleared a path in front of our house. It wasn’t a lot of snow, but I appreciated his effort, just the same. Especially since he looked contented as he did it.

I remember living in Jettingen, where it snowed more often. Before I realized how compulsive our former landlady was, I’d usually clear a path on the driveway for the mail delivery. But one day, she showed up, unannounced, as usual, and furiously grabbed a snow shovel and cleared the whole driveway! I wasn’t going anywhere and my car was parked under the carport. I guess it really bugged her that I didn’t clear the whole thing. She seemed to expect me to adhere to her standards and know instinctively what they were.

Remembering that– and all of the other crap we dealt with down there– just makes me appreciate our current living situation all the more. Cheers to neighbors who are kind, helpful, considerate, and not inclined to be jerks. On the other hand, some of our neighbors seemed to want to set our house on fire with explosives on New Year’s Eve… 🤔

My German friend says that there were a few house fires this year on New Year’s Eve, thanks to the armageddon style fireworks. I’ve read that many Germans would like to ban them, and some neighboring countries already have. People do get really stupid on New Year’s Eve, especially when you combine alcohol with fireworks. A couple of people died in the house fires, and my friend also reported that there was a fire at a barn in nearby Mainz. Fourteen horses were left homeless, although thankfully, they were rescued before they were hurt or killed.

I’m glad that shit only goes on once a year!

Anyway, here’s to a new blogging year. Hopefully, we’ll be able to explore some new places and new aspects of German life. Can’t believe this has been my life for so long! Also can’t believe how fast the years have flown by… 👀

I think we’ll just enjoy the weather from inside… Maybe we’ll light a fire and drink some red wine. I’m up for coziness.

German lifestyle, holidays

Happy New Year– 2026!

Here’s a video and photo dump from New Year’s Eve 2025/New Year’s Day 2026. We got a new neighbor last month, and I think he might have influenced our other neighbors to set off a shitload of fireworks. We usually get a pretty good show on New Year’s Eve, but last night was beyond the pale. This was my 14th New Year’s Eve in Germany, and I’d rank it as one of the wildest yet!

This is kind of long, but it was hard to choose a segment to feature. It was a little scary at one point. The fire was pretty close to the house!

The dogs were a little scared at first, especially Charlie, who clung to us all night. By the end of the evening, they were used to the noise and realized it wasn’t going to hurt them. The fireworks went on for about an hour, allowing us to go to bed at about 1:00 AM. Bill was getting perturbed, because they were setting stuff off pretty close to our house and car.

*A bit blurry… zoomed in image of all the ambulances at the top of the hill.*

We had fondue for dinner last night– something we don’t do that often. Today, Bill made cheese souffles for breakfast, and he’s using the sous vide to cook a pork shoulder for dinner. We listened to music and talked, and had a good time. You can see Charlie is in his jacket. I thought it might work like a Thundershirt to calm him down. We later took it off, because we didn’t want him to get too warm.

I used to like to go out for New Year’s Eve, but now I like staying home, so I don’t have to put on a bra. We went through some sparkling wine, and tried a couple of cocktails. It was a nice evening. Of course, now I’m going to have to take down all the Christmas stuff. Maybe this weekend, that will get done.

Hope you have a very Happy New Year, and a successful 2026! I’m grateful we survived last night without any house fires or injuries! And I’m glad the dogs managed to chill out. They even went potty before things got really nuts!

Hessen, holidays

2025 Advent Market photo dump…

Although it was chilly, foggy, and misty yesterday, Bill and I decided to go to the Dorfplatz and check out the 2025 Advent Market. Every year, our little village of Breckenheim has an Advent Market to raise funds for clubs. It’s just for a night, and different clubs sell food and crafts. Last night, they had a guy with a “barrel organ” who was playing old songs and hymns. He didn’t have a monkey– just a little elf that one finds in Germany and France at this time of year.

We didn’t stay long… I just wanted to get some photos and enjoy some Gluhwein. They had two kinds– red wine and rose. The rose was better than the red, in my opinion. It was very fruity! I think they had a church service, too, but we didn’t stick around for that. We did go to it last year, and it was very nice, though all in German. I found the pew a bit uncomfortable to sit on. It wasn’t quite deep enough for my ass. 🤭

We saw one of our American neighbors and caught up with her. But then she wandered away, and the smell of raclette was overpowering. So we went home to enjoy the evening before Bill’s journey back to the United States for the upcoming work week. He’ll be back early next Sunday morning, God willing. On our way back to our house, we ran into two of our next door neighbors, to include our landlady, who is always so pleasant and friendly!

Anyway, we were once again reminded of how much we have enjoyed the last seven years in Breckenheim. This is the place we’ve spent the most years of our marriage so far. We have been warmly welcomed here. Once again, I’m reminded that it was a good decision to leave Jettingen for this place. Almost everything is better here. The only things I miss about our old house are the pretty views and the proximity to the Black Forest. But even those things aren’t so far away… and we get treated with basic decency, respect, and a spirit of welcome. We are so grateful for that!

Christmas is now officially here. I think Germany is the best place to be at this time of year! And every time there’s a festival and we’re welcomed by our neighbors, I’m reminded of how people in my homeland are treating newcomers, visitors, and immigrants. It makes me sad, but it also fills me with gratitude that I’m not being treated that way in this country. At least not yet. 🤔

YouTube

The Eismann cameth…

Featured photo is a screenshot of a video made by someone comparing the two grocery delivery services…

Here in Germany, some people like to order from food companies that sell frozen dishes. One of the best known companies that does this is called Bofrost. Back in January 2015, mere months after we had moved back to Germany, I got a visit from a Bofrost salesman. At the time, we were living in Jettingen, which is in Böblingen and the state of Baden-Württemberg.

The Bofrost guy had a catalog with him and he wanted my phone number, which I didn’t know offhand. We’d only been back in Germany for a few months at that point, and I truly didn’t know my number. He got all pissed off and left. Later, the former tenant, who later tried to screw us over, left this comment on my blog post:

Ha! I am the previous tenant. I’m 98% sure that guy came around when I lived there too. I took the catologue and then proceeded to give him a fake phone number. I’m probably the cause for his rudeness.

I think maybe I’ve gotten another visit from Bofrost people. I’ve definitely seen their trucks. I might have been interested in ordering from them, if not for the unpleasant memories of how that salesman acted, and the former tenant, who was stalking and harassing me before she ultimately took her own life.

Yesterday, at about four o’clock in the afternoon, the doorbell rang again. I answered it, and another man launched into a rapid fire German spiel. I stopped him and said, “I don’t understand…” although I knew he was there to sell me shit. Then I noticed the branding on the catalog in his hand. It was from Eismann, which is either a competitor or contemporary of Bofrost’s. I don’t know if or how they are related, only that they offer similar services. And I’ve seen Bofrost in our neighborhood, as well as Eismann.

The guy wanted my phone number in exchange for a catalog. Suddenly, I was reminded of former tenant taking a fake number and a catalog, and how the Bofrost guy took it out on me. I told the dude I wasn’t interested, although I did it in a very polite way. He said that was fine and headed for my landlord’s house.

Isn’t it funny how something like a former tenant stalker can affect us in such weird ways? 🤔 🤭 I am truly sorry she felt so desperate and was so unhappy with her life that she made the tragic choices she did. But I was pretty scarred by what she did to me, personally… and all because, evidently, she didn’t like me, and was “bonding” with the ex landlady, who also didn’t like me. What a weird and toxic situation that was… What a shame it had to happen.

I’m glad it’s over now. I wish that it had never happened. And I fear that from now on, random encounters by the Eismann guy or his Bofrost brethren, may trigger me similarly. Of course, my triggered reaction isn’t his fault. I’m sure the products are great. But after our fiasco experience with Hello Fresh, I think I’ll give grocery services as a whole a pass. I’d rather just go to the grocery store.

In German… but I figured I’d better link the video if I’m ripping off my featured photo from them.

By the way, tonight we are going to Pizarro Fine Dining again, where we will drop a load of euros and not eat anything from the Rewe… My German friend says Eismann products are available at the grocery store, anyway. Don’t know why I need to give a salesman my phone number to get their stuff. They’re online, too.

German lifestyle, Hessen

I just tried Knuspr for the first time…

Hi y’all. I am currently living life on my own, as Bill has gone on another one of his marathon business trips to Bavaria. But I wanted to pop on here for a moment to write about a first time experience I had yesterday.

A couple of days ago, I was on Amazon.de shopping for a new capo for my guitar. The one I’ve been using has a rubber pad that comes askew sometimes. I start playing, and the guitar sounds shitty. It’s because the pad has doubled up on itself and the capo isn’t seated properly. Yes, I could probably fix the capo with some super glue, and it’s easy enough to straighten out the pad in the meantime. I guess I just felt like shopping. I actually meant to go to the music store last week and pick up a new capo, but we never got around to it.

As I was shopping for the capo, it occurred to me that I also needed a new razor. I had just thrown out my old one. I don’t actually need to shave much these days. I don’t grow much hair anymore, and what I do grow is blonde or silver. But I don’t like seeing or feeling the long hairs, especially in my armpits. So since I was already going to buy a capo, I went looking for a razor, too. I wound up putting what I thought was a razor in my virtual basket, but it turned out to be just a box of razor refills. I still needed the actual razor. 🙄

So, as I put the razor refills away, I looked in the bathroom to see if I could find a new razor. I didn’t find one then, even though late yesterday, I found one, plain as day, in the top drawer of the chest of drawers in our bathroom. I don’t know how I missed it– it was in a big pink box, and exactly the kind I needed. But I did miss it during that first search, so I was left with the wrong impression that I needed a new razor handle. And it couldn’t be just ANY razor. I required one that would work with the box of eight razor refills that I got from Amazon.

So I went back to Amazon, and somehow, I found that the only way I could buy a new razor through them was to use Knuspr, which is an online German Supermarket-Hofladen. In retrospect, this was pretty dumb thinking on my part. I could just go to the Rewe, which is a ten or fifteen minute walk from our house. They would probably have what I needed. But I’m lazy, and I figured I could write a post for this blog, so here we are.

The razor was about 10 euros, give or take. To get free shipping, I needed to spend 39 euros. I actually found it rather hard to do that. Bill left me well-stocked with groceries before he left, so I really didn’t need much of anything. Knuspr offers all kinds of products, though. They do actually have a dedicated Web site that is independent of Amazon, but they also have lots of stuff on Amazon, which ends up becoming a separate Knuspr order.

I still didn’t want to spend 39 euros, or pay several euros for shipping and handling, so I tried repeatedly to find another seller, other than Knuspr. I was unable to do it. So I resigned myself to shopping on Knuspr for the very first time.

Yesterday morning, besides the razor, I ordered several bags of pasta, a bag of risotto, a couple of bags of Doritos, a pastry wheel, a jar of mustard, a couple of jars of different types of pasta sauce, and bathroom cleaner. Oh, and I also ordered a couple of fresh pretzel rolls, too…

Two hours later, the doorbell rang, and there was a guy standing there holding four or five paper shopping bags. He said, “Jenny?” I answered affirmatively and thanked him. Each bag had my name on it. And there was all the stuff I ordered. How very convenient… and dangerous!

I was impressed by Knuspr. The service was fast, accurate, friendly, and again, super easy! Will I use it often? Probably not… It actually does my heart good to go to the Rewe to shop when Bill isn’t home. It’s healthy for me to shop in person– forces me to drive the car and interact with people. If anything, I practice a little German and engage with the world. But if, for some reason, I ever need groceries delivered again while I still live in Germany, I would definitely use Knuspr. It’s totally legit!

And yes, I know some people have been using services like Knuspr for years, but I’m kind of a luddite. It takes me awhile to jump on these kinds of bandwagons.

It looks like Knuspr is available in cities throughout Germany, although I don’t know how many specific places offer it. I just input my old postal code in their search bar, and was informed that– tut uns leid– they don’t offer Knuspr there yet. But even in somewhat rural Jettingen, there was still an Aldi nearby, and a huge Real (which is now a Kaufland). So Knuspr is a great convenience, but if you can’t use it yet, you’re not gonna starve here. Jettingen also has a few great farms nearby, where one can buy super fresh milk and produce straight from the source. I think we have farms in Wiesbaden, too, but they aren’t quite as obvious. 😉

I didn’t actually need to buy the stuff I did. I didn’t even need to get the damned razor, because I found one in the bathroom after I already made the order. But the stuff I bought, by and large, won’t go bad. I can always use another bag of pasta or a jar of sauce. And it gave me something to put in this blog today, as I plow through this latest business trip. So kudos to Knuspr for that. One more reason NOT to get dressed in the morning!

Hessen

Breckenheimer “Kerb” or “Kerwe” October 12, 2025…

Yesterday, Bill came back from walking the dogs and said our village was having some kind of event in the Dorfplatz. He looked it up on the town’s Facebook page, and discovered that for the first time since 2009, they were having a “Kerb” or “Kerwe” (depending on your preference). This is a regional term for a street or village fair.

They had a carousel for kids, a game booth, snacks, beer, wine, cakes, and live German music. They also had tractors pulling trailers that played music. I don’t know much about who organized the Kerb, or what it was about, but it looked like several youth clubs put it on. It was very well attended, so I have a feeling that it will be something they do more often.

One thing I really like about living in Breckenheim is that there are a lot of social events. They are family friendly, and promote community. And, as a foreigner, I never feel unwelcome, even if we are “Ausländer“.

Below is a video I made of clips I took. I wasn’t very steady with the camera, because I didn’t want people to think I was focusing on them. I also took some photos…

Eight minutes of German style community fun!

I don’t know how much longer we’ll get to enjoy this community, but I really have enjoyed my stay here so far. I love this about living in Germany. I wish we could do stuff like this in the United States and not worry about idiots with guns or people getting violent over politics. We could learn a lot from the Germans.

art, Hessen

Our new art and one last wine stand for 2025…

On the third Saturday in September, Bill and I took some more art to Kunst-Schaefer in downtown Wiesbaden to get two new prints from Hungary framed, and have some other art re-framed. Bill picked up the finished projects a couple of days ago. Below are some photos of the results. The first photo is of our new Hungarian acquisitions. I always wish I’d bought more art when I get new stuff!

The above photo is of two sketches we bought from Dariusz Milinski in Jelena Gora, Poland, back in 2008. They were originally in platinum with beige matting and plastic, instead of glass. I’m not even sure if they were actual sketches or copies. But our experience buying them makes them pretty special to us. It’s nice to have them in new framing. I wish we could get back there and buy one of Milinski’s paintings. They are pretty amazing, even if he’s a bit of a nutter.

The ones in the middle are paintings we got in Vilnius, Lithuania, all done by the same lady. She was pretty happy when we bought her art. I am happy to see the paintings in new frames, although I wish I’d asked the picture framer to touch up the edges so they aren’t white. But I got some magic markers, so I can fix that issue without too much trouble. Sometimes being the daughter of a professional picture framer comes in handy.

On Friday night, we went to the wine stand. It was kind of cool outside, and the sky was a bit cloudy, but we had a great time. It was mainly because of that friendly German couple who always sit with us, even though we speak little German, and they speak little English. Google Translate is very helpful in that situation. At one point, the lady asked how long we’ve lived here. She probably wonders why I don’t speak better German. I do actually know a lot more than I used to, but it’s hard to speak in German. I have no one to practice with on a regular basis.

I told the lady that I can only sing in German. It’s a bit of a joke, because I did used to sing German songs a lot, when I was in my 20s. When you take voice lessons, that’s what happens. You learn songs by composers who wrote in German or Italian… or sometimes French and Latin.

She was curious about my musical pursuits, so I played a video from my YouTube channel. I chose this one, because the song is short, and I did a pretty decent job with it… Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?

I think they were surprised…

She mentioned Breckenheim’s pop choir, led by our neighbor and the co-owner of our veterinarian practice, Dr. Konrad Blendinger, who is also a musician and songwriter. She was quick to tell me they do songs in English. I’ve seen them perform a few times. Dr. Blendinger has even written an original song about Breckenheim!

It would be fun to be in a pop choir… sometimes it’s hard to feel like a joiner, when you’re an outsider. But this couple is always so warm and welcoming to us. It makes me smile, knowing that there’s at least one local couple besides our landlord and immediate neighbors, who think we’re okay. 😁 I’m glad to meet locals in Wiesbaden, too. They’re more mature than some of the “friends” I made in Stuttgart.

Our town also just got a charging station for electric vehicles. Apparently, there was some controversy about this new development. I think they’re putting in a couple more stations at the Sportsplatz on the other side of town. Personally, I think it’s cool… just like I thought it was cool that they installed a public WC for events in the Dorfplatz. I love to see the community develop so people can have nice things. I wish Americans were more like this.

I took few photos at the wine stand, because it was kind of dark outside. I think there will be one more this year, but I’m not sure I’ll attend. Bill has to go to Bavaria again, so I’ll be alone when it happens. Maybe I’ll attend solo… but probably not. I like to teetotal when he’s not home. Besides, a lot of times, no one talks to us except the American pastor/lawyer who lives nearby. And she’s a very popular lady, so it’s not like she visits extensively. So, if I did go to the wine stand, it might not be much fun. I might get more out of watching political pundits on YouTube.

Anyway… it was a really nice time. Once again, I’m grateful to live in Breckenheim, which is a great little community with a good manager who makes sure the people are entertained. Bill says there’s a little fair going on at the Dorfplatz as I write this– something they haven’t done there since 2009. And there’s the Apple Fest in Wiesbaden, too, although I’m not sure if I want to go there. I probably should go, since I’m about to be lonely for three weeks. 🙁

But, on the other hand, I’m glad Bill has a job and is still getting paid to work. So, you gotta count your blessings where you find them, I guess. In other news… the vet called us while we were at the wine stand and told us Noyzi’s cytology report came back. He had a raw spot on his leg that we had tested for cancer. It was negative– he just has a bit of dermatitis. So that’s good news, too!

Hessen

It’s good to be back in Germany!

This past weekend was pretty busy. On Saturday, I finished my Budapest series, we dropped off some art at Kunst-Schaefer to be framed, and we attended the annual Oktoberfest our village holds. I bought a couple of prints in Budapest, plus we had some other art that needed new frames. The proprietor recognized us before he even saw us. He heard Bill’s voice and handled us personally. I think we give him a lot of business, plus he likes to talk about Donald Trump.

Yesterday, we went to lunch at Villa im Tal, which is one of my favorite local restaurants. The weather was gorgeous on Saturday, and kind of moody and weird yesterday. Fall is now upon us, and the temperatures are fluctuating. Last night, I even closed the balcony door, mainly because I’m tired of being bitten by mosquitos. They are particularly bad this year, and I have a bunch of itchy, painful bites from the blood sucking pests.

I remember earlier years in Germany, when by mid Germany, it would be decidedly chilly. This year, the weather has not been chilly, but it’s definitely pleasant. Saturday’s weather was a bit warm, but otherwise perfect. Some people wore Trachten to the Oktoberfest. I have a dirndl that could use a wearing, but I don’t know if it fits anymore. Menopause is a bitch.

I took some photos of the Oktoberfest celebration. It was very small, and they changed the location at the last minute. It was going to be in our Dorfplatz, which is very close to where we live, but they ended up relocating it to the place where the chicken raising club meets. There’s a German name for it, of course, but I don’t remember what it is offhand. They had beer, wine schorle, water, and other stuff, plus sausages, pork knuckles, and other delights. We didn’t eat anything at the fest, but we drank lots of beer.

*A cool looking house in our neighborhood.*

While we were there, after we were greeted by the city manager, only one guy spoke to us. He was a very pleasant older man who came alone and was hoping for company. I had never seen him before and wondered if maybe he was a widower. It was awkward, though, because our German isn’t nicht so gut. He finally excused himself. Before he left, he came over and said goodbye. I thought he was nice and felt bad that I couldn’t have a good conversation with him. But then, as we were leaving, we ran into a very friendly German couple who always talk to us, even though they don’t speak English! Every time we run into them, there’s an enthusiastic greeting!

On Sunday, we had our lunch date at Villa im Tal. I even wore a new dress. When we walked in, the wait staff immediately welcomed us warmly. There’s one lady who works there who always greets us by name and is so nice. They invited us to sit down, and the male half of the wait staff immediately knew to bring us sparkling water.

The meal was excellent, as usual, but it was a little difficult for me, because many of the selections had mushrooms or truffles in them. I get that it’s fall, and a lot of people love fungus, but it’s the one thing I can’t eat under any circumstances due to embarrassing childhood trauma, and the fact that I just don’t like them at all. Even if I didn’t have a phobia, I don’t think I’d eat mushrooms. I don’t like earthy flavors.

Anyway… I had a delightful pumpkin soup and Iberico pork, which Bill had on our last visit. The soup was so good– I am always impressed by Villa im Tal’s soups, which are velvety smooth and packed with flavor. It came with a tasty Parmesan “cracker”. The pork was very tender and delicious, and came with ratatouille and a potato pancake with chorizo sausage.

Bill had Tyrolean ham as a starter, and ox cheeks with truffled celery puree. The wait staff brought out extra bread for Bill’s appetizer, which was pretty filling. I was glad I had the soup!

Bill ordered a lovely bottle of Tuscan wine to go with our lunch. The waiter praised his choice, saying that it was a popular entry on the wine list. I enjoyed the wine very much, but then, when it comes to wine, I’m not super hard to please.

*House aperitif, which comes with or without booze.*

We had dessert, which kind of put us just over the edge of fullness. I had a tart made with Pink Lady apples, a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, and berries. It also had a couple of dollops of chocolate mousse. The tart was very good, but I think I would have been just as happy with some chocolate mousse!

Bill had vanilla ice cream with pumpkin oil and toasted pumpkin seeds. He said it seemed odd to put oil on ice cream, but the combination worked beautifully. We didn’t need any more food for the rest of the day.

I got up to go to the bathroom, and when I came back, Bill had an amused look on his face. He said the credit card machine wasn’t working and he didn’t have enough euros to pay the bill. So, because we are “regulars”, the waiter just took our address and got Bill’s email. He said they’d send him a bill and he could do a bank transfer. If they hadn’t known us, Bill would have had to go to an ATM! He did have enough euros to give the waiter a “Trinkgeld” (tip).

I’d say Wiesbaden is starting to really feel like home. This is where we’ve lived the longest as a married couple. In my lifetime, it’s the place where I’ve lived the second longest length of time in one stint. And yet, I feel like I don’t know Wiesbaden that well, mainly because of the pandemic, and the two years we spent holed up in our house, avoiding the virus and face mask mandates. We spent a total of six years in the Stuttgart area, but in two different stints and two different towns. I feel like I know Stuttgart a lot better.

Anyway… it’s a really nice feeling to be so warmly welcomed at a restaurant, and even nicer to know that they trust us to pay them when their credit card machine malfunctions. I know I’m not German, but Germany, and its people, have been welcoming… for the most part (we won’t discuss the ex landlady… 😈). We’ve been talking about a move to Italy, but maybe we should just stay here… if they’ll have us, anyway. 😁

Well, that about does it for the story of our weekend. Time to move on to heavier matters on the main blog. See you next post!

German lifestyle, Hessen

Last night at Breckenheim’s annual Wine Fest…

This weekend happens to be the weekend for Breckenheim’s annual wine fest. We were able to attend last night, and we had a great time listening to live music and trying wine from one of four vintners that were there. I got some photos and spent awhile talking to an American couple who had come to Germany to help one of our American neighbors with her kids. My neighbor’s spouse had to go back to the States, and she had to work, so an aunt and uncle came all the way from Massachusetts to help. They came over and introduced themselves.

I really enjoyed talking to both of them, but especially the wife. It turned out we had some things in common. We traded travel and waitressing stories, and we both expressed our chagrin at the current state of things in the USA. And she told me about how, when she was very young in the 1970s, she and a friend were camping in the Schwarzwald and wound up getting arrested because they were in an area where they weren’t supposed to be. And the cops, instead of kicking them off the property and issuing a fine, took them to the Stuttgart jail! She said they were really kind to them, and even gave them pillows and blankets, as well as tea!

I don’t know what Germany was like in the 70s, but I do know about the Black Forest. I would imagine there weren’t a lot of hotels open that could have taken them in, since it was presumably quite late. She said it seemed like the police were doing them a kindness by having them spend a night in jail. It was a great story, though. It ranks right up with my story about being trapped with my friend, Elaine, on the Georgia/Turkey border in 1996.

I’m sure I’ve written that story somewhere in the blog, but the short version is that Elaine and I arrived at the border too late and wound up having to spend the night in an office on the Turkish border, after the customs manager asked me if I’d go home with him. The next morning, we happened to catch the Greek bus back to Yerevan… it was a bus that went back and forth to Greece every two weeks to pick up goods, and it just happened to be there when we needed a ride back to Armenia. I think God was looking after us, because that story could have gone bad so easily!

Anyway, below are some photos and a video I took of the live entertainment, which was quite good. Please excuse my harmony! I was a little drunk. I love that we have these little celebrations in Germany, where people come together for wine and song. No one gets drunk or obnoxious, drives in a crowd, or brings weapons. People just have fun! The first photo was from earlier in the day, when they were setting up. The first night was very well attended, with lots of people making merry!