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. 🤔
Yesterday, I was feeling kind of depressed, so Bill decided we needed to get out of the house. The weather was sunny and not too cold, so he proposed visiting the Wiesbaden “Sternschuppenmarkt” (Christmas market). I don’t really care too much about Christmas markets. I mean, the lights are pretty, and there’s stuff to buy and food. But they also tend to be crowded and busy. Nevertheless, we went, and I took some photos…
As usual, the market was busy with eager shoppers and children wanting to get on the rides. There were a couple of carousels there. I thought about maybe finding some street food, but there’s usually nowhere to sit at the Christmas markets, usually because it’s cold outside and when you sit, you get cold! Also, tables and chairs take up valuable retail space. So we decided to search for a restaurant, and ended up at the Andechser am Kurpark. This place, which serves traditional German cuisine, is located in what used to be a location of Vapiano, an Italian chain restaurant. We ate there once when it was still Vapiano, but they closed their location in Wiesbaden some time ago. When they moved out, the restaurant space was vacant for awhile.
Bill said the guy who welcomed us was familiar, as if maybe he also worked at the Ratskeller Wiesbaden, which also serves Andechser Bier. I don’t know if the restaurants are sisters– the menus are definitely very similar, even if the interiors are different. Looking at their Web sites, my guess is that it’s possible they’re owned by the same people, but offer slightly different ambiances. I’m not sure I care enough this morning to find out what the story is.
Most of the tables at the restaurant appeared to be reserved for later, but there was enough time for us to have a quick late lunch. We sat down at a two top. I had a quarter duck with gravy, red wine cabbage and a potato dumpling. Bill went with venison goulash, Brussels sprouts, and what appeared to be Spaetzle. He had a Dunkel Bier and I had my usual Hefeweizen.
We were both very satisfied with the food. It was hearty and delicious, and not too much. We both managed to finish everything. I need to learn how to make that brown gravy. It was so good!
Then, since it was getting dark and Breckenheim was having its annual Advent Market, we decided to head home. I took a few evening photos of the Wiesbaden skyline with my new iPhone before we left. The Advent Market is usually just for one night, but this year, I think they did it on Friday and Saturday. It’s always a treat to see our Dorfplatz decorated and populated with little huts and lots of lights. I love the smell of crepes, waffles, and Gluhwein, too. So we went to that, and then I noticed the church was lit up. I had never been inside the church, so we decided to check it out…
It turned out there was going to be a church service. I’m sure in the back of my head, I knew this to be true. But since we’d never been in the church, let alone been to a service, we decided to stay. It turned out to be a good decision, as the service was absolutely charming because of the children’s choir, which performed three songs. The last song they did was “Last Christmas” in English and German. It was adorable! And the pastor even handed out fair trade chocolate to everyone!
None of my American pastors ever handed out chocolate during a service!
It’s true we didn’t understand all that was said, although we did understand a fair amount of it. The chocolate, for instance, came out after the pastor started talking about Advent calendars. There were also songs in German, but I recognized the melody of at least one hymn, since I grew up going to church and my mom was a church organist for several decades. 😉 I actually can sing in German, thanks to voice lessons. I just can’t speak it worth a damn. 😀
The service was well attended and very casual, with everyone coming as they were. Even the organist was wearing an old sweatshirt and jeans. He played very well, and I enjoyed that part of the service the most. We felt welcome, and even saw a couple we’ve talked to at one of Breckenheim’s famous wine stands. I’m glad we went. Just hearing the kids singing a 40 year old Wham! song was worth it to me. The whole congregation also sang a song called “At the Christmas Bakery” or something like that. It was in German. Again… not something I’ve encountered in an American church service. But then, I mostly quit attending church regularly in the late 1980s.
After the service, we went back home to the dogs, who were happy to see us. I was feeling good for about fifteen minutes… but then I got back into social media. I’ll vent about that on my main blog. As for today, I think we’ll just relax and try to enjoy the last peaceful weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency. Kumbayah…
As I mentioned in my previous posts, Bill and I had already been to a few of the ports on our most recent Scottish cruise. One place we visited on our first Hebridean cruise is Rothesay, a very quaint town on the Isle of Bute. There are a number of places to see on Bute, but we had already been to the ones offered on our most recent cruise. I really enjoyed seeing Mount Stuart House on our first trip, but didn’t feel like sitting on a bus and taking another tour. When Bill and I travel, we love to walk around and soak up the atmosphere. So on the second morning of our cruise, we took a walk along a path that runs along the waterfront in Rothesay.
A view of Rothesay’s marina.
As we were walking, a very fit looking older lady was approaching us on a bike. She had super short grey hair and a big smile on her face. When I see anything on wheels approaching me, I do my best to get out of the way, so Bill and I stepped behind a park bench so she could pass us with ease. Instead, she stopped her bike, offered us a big friendly grin and said, “You must not be locals. No one from ’round here ever gets out of the way like that for me!”
Well fed seagull…
Cool old car.
We had a hearty laugh as we admitted this wasn’t our town. She welcomed us and said she hoped we’d have a good time. I was still smiling as we turned back and watched a swan paddling around in the water eating detritus. We walked past the Rothesay castle ruins and a neat little mini “wildlife preserve” someone had set up for local birds. They had taken the time to paint wooden replicas of typical birds who liked to eat there. Unfortunately, no one had taken the time to clean up the rubbish unceremoniously dumped in the enclosure. It was still fun to watch the birds.
Hungry swan…
A little bird reserve…
I stopped at a cute little Episcopalian church on the main drag and took a couple of photos. I had noticed it on our first trip to Rothesay in 2012 and thought it was such a pretty place. A friendly voice behind me said, “Come in! We’re open!”
This photo was taken in 2012. For economy’s sake, I didn’t take a new one this time…
2016 shot of the door, which was opened wide for us!
I love how the inscription says the person “fell asleep”…
Bill and I hesitated for a second, then went into the church, which was as adorable on the inside as it was on the outside. It so happened the rector, a tall smiling man named Andrew, was there to lead a discussion on sin. He came over, introduced himself to us, and chatted with Bill and me for a few minutes. It turned out Andrew had also served in the military and he and Bill traded a few anecdotes as I read the inscriptions on the wall about those who “went to sleep” (died). Andrew joked that a lot of people fall asleep during his sermons.
Bill and I aren’t really church people. I grew up going to a Presbyterian church and probably wouldn’t mind going back. Bill has tried several churches in his lifetime. He’s been Methodist, Episcopalian, Catholic, and even Mormon. He knows a lot about the Bible and is very spiritual, but isn’t a fan of organized religion. Bill’s experiences with Mormonism were bad enough that he decided he doesn’t enjoy church. So we don’t go… However, I must admit that it was a real pleasure to meet Andrew and the charming folks who had invited us in to see the inside of their house of worship. They were genuinely welcoming and kind and, I think that if we lived in Rothesay, I wouldn’t have minded attending services. It was a pleasure to be invited in with a genuine spirit of friendship. In fact, I noticed all over our travels in Scotland how kind and welcoming people are there.
We went back to the ship, passing Rothesay’s famous men’s Victorian toilets on the way. We saw the toilets on our first cruise and they are indeed very beautiful. I took so many pictures of them during our first trip that I didn’t feel the need to see them again. However, it would be wrong not to mention them in this post about Rothesay for readers who might find themselves there. It costs 30 pence to enter, whether you’re there to pee or gawk at the Victorian styled men’s room (I guess the ladies room didn’t rate). Hebridean actually paid for everyone to see the restrooms the first time we were in town and probably did this time, too. The photos of the men’s room in this post are from 2012.
We went back to the ship and enjoyed the first of many gin and tonics. Hebridean stocks a lot of gins, a couple of which we’d never tried before.
A gin and tonic made with Hendrick’s gin. We are familiar with Hendrick’s, but this is the first time we had it with cucumbers. Hendrick’s has an essence of cucumbers in it, which makes them go particularly well as a garnish.
This is the wood stove in the Tiree Lounge. I love the seal… we saw a few of those too, on this trip!
Hearty tomato soup for me…
A Greek inspired salad for Bill.
Bill had the crumble for dessert. I love them. They take me back to childhood!
The front of Rothesay Castle. It was closed when we visited the town this time, but we toured it last time we cruised Hebridean and it’s definitely worth seeing, if only for the very cool “prison pit” you can climb down in and explore.
On Friday morning, Bill and I got up and had breakfast at the hotel. It was priced at 20 euros a person, though no one was keeping track of who was eating. I have to admit, the spread was pretty nice. They had all kinds of fruits, breads, meats, cheeses, and prepared breakfast foods. One could also enjoy a nice glass of prosecco, though it was a little flat when I tried it.
Breakfast at the Falkensteiner…
Bill and I never have an agenda when we visit new places. We like to wander around and listen to conversations. We like watching people, too. We almost always end up in a situation when we do this.
Friday morning, we were still planning to go to the hokey concert Adrian the ticket hawker had told us about. I like classical music, though what was on the playlist were mostly well known pieces that Bill and I have heard a thousand times. I thought it might be fun to attend the show, though honestly I could have taken it or left it. Bill was charmed by Adrian, who was probably more entertaining than the musicians would have been. He was certainly funnier.
We walked another three or four miles back into Vienna. We took a look at an anti-war memorial…
Next, we ended up at the Spanish Riding School just in time to watch them take the stallions out for a workout. I even made a video!
This was a delight!
Here is a video of them actually performing. We didn’t go see it because I knew it would make me feel too horse crazy.
I spent a good portion of my childhood and adolescence around horses and I never tire of the smell. Watching the Lipizzaners on their way out of their cozy stable made me really miss having horses in my life. Maybe someday, if and when we stop moving so often and traveling so much.
The Austrians recognize the Genocide…
Just outside of the riding school is where a lot of horses and carriages hang out. Bill and I don’t often do the carriage rides. We did one in Seville back in January 2014, only because once again we got cornered by an aggressive salesman. The rides in Vienna weren’t nearly as assertively sold to tourists and I was content to just take some pictures. Then we noticed a church very close to the barn which had a sign commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Having lived in Armenia, I decided I needed to have a look, so we went into the church for a little while.
As is his habit, Bill got a bit emotional during our few minutes in the church. This one in particular was very peaceful and pleasant, which is more than I can say for St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
More photos from near the church and the Spanish Riding School…
My feet were hurting because I wore clogs that were a little too big for my feet. I needed to sit down for awhile, so we visited our first Viennese coffee shop. The place was adorable. The waiters were pleasant older gentlemen in tuxedos.
Bill soaks up the atmosphere.
I had a Maria Theresia, which is strong coffee with orange liqueur, whipped cream, and chocolate dust.
He started with a Melange. Note the glass of water. In Vienna, as long as the glass has water in it, you can sit.
Next, I had an Irish coffee… Bill was good and had mineral water.
The outside… we visited here twice on Friday!
We rounded a corner and I took photos of fancy cakes…
And then, I realized it was time for lunch…
We ended up at this amazing Italian place near St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It was tiny, but very authentic. Bill ordered a bottle of pinot grigio. I had a delicious branzino (sea bass) with spinach and Bill had saffron pasta with shrimps. It was a delightfully long, luxurious, and delicious lunch.
We wait for our food. The store next door was having renovations done, so it was a bit noisy. A few times, we laughed because the saw sounded a bit like loud farting.
This fish was amazing. The server (and I think one of the owners) brought it out on a silver platter and deboned it right there in front of me. I watched her lift the bones out of the filets as if she was removing a violin from its case.
I liked Bill’s pasta, too. It tasted homemade.
I got my greens!
Well worth visiting if you go to Vienna… this is a very authentic place. I suspect the owners are from Venice because I noticed a lot of masks on the walls. ETA: Apparently, they are from Bari. Also, almost everyone else who came in was speaking Italian. I could tell this was a well-regarded restaurant among local Italians.
After our sumptuous lunch, Bill and I went into St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We had to dodge several ticket hawkers. Then, when we went in, the place was crowded, noisy, and not all that spiritual. I saw no tears in Bill’s eyes this time, but I did manage to get a few photos.
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