Our first visit to Restaurant Bootshaus Mainz…

In my last post, I complained about the neverending winter weather and advised that winter was free to scram as soon as possible. Well… ask and you shall receive! This weekend, we’ve had beautiful sunny days with mild temperatures in the 50s. Since it had been awhile since my last outing, Bill invited me out to lunch at the Restaurant Bootshaus Mainz today. He made a 1:00 reservation, which was a good idea. Although the restaurant wasn’t completely full during our visit, it did get busy!

We found a parking spot somewhat close to the Bootshaus. The place has free spots for guests and employees. It’s near a couple of tennis courts, as well as the majestic Rhine/Rhein River. When we arrived, we were told to sit at any two top table that was open. I chose one near the door, which faced the big windows that offered a view of the river.

The table where we sat had one chair facing away from the river, and a bench full of pillows facing toward it. I chose the bench, but had to do some maneuvering to sit comfortably, thanks to all the pillows! Seriously the bench was full of them, and some were pretty big.

An English speaking waiter brought us menus in English. We don’t require English menus, but it’s nice that they had them. A couple of items were not available, including the duck croquettes, which Bill had specifically mentioned when he told me we were going to dine at the Bootshaus. Oh well… now we have a reason to go back! But I would have wanted to go back, anyway, because the food was very good!

I started with sea scallops that came with a luscious carrot puree. Bill had the burrata with fresh tomatoes and crispy bread. The scallops were perfectly grilled and not at all bitter. Bill raved about the burrata, which I also tried. I only wished they’d brought me a spoon, so I could have gotten all of the carrot puree in my dish.

Next, Bill had Saltimbocca made of chicken breast and wrapped with prosciutto, with polenta, broccoli, and jus. I went with the rainbow trout, which was (mostly) deboned and served with beurre blanc, roasted potatoes and spinach with lots of garlic. I loved that the spinach was perfectly cooked and not mushy. That’s not always a feat that kitchens get right. We also had a bottle of locally produced Sylvaner and some sparkling water.

They did not give us bread, but that could be ordered a la carte. Personally, I’m glad they didn’t bring it out, because it would have put me over the edge of being uncomfortably full. They also didn’t serve an amuse bouche, which is also fine with me. The place has a very casual feel, although the food is certainly not what you’d expect to find in a casual restaurant.

*My fish also came with beurre blanc– a lovely butter and white wine sauce for the trout.*

We had a long pause after we finished our main courses. At that point, the couple sitting at the table next to ours abruptly got up and moved to another table. It looked like they had finished eating, too. I wondered if they moved because we’re English speakers, but then I noticed the woman got up a few times and seemed to move stiffly. Bill said she’d been giving us a side eye, but for all we know, they wanted to free up that table for someone else. The table where they sat wasn’t set up for food. Anyway… I will assume they moved for benevolent reasons, and not because they resent us Yanks. 🤭 (of course, under the circumstances, I don’t know that I would blame them…)

For dessert, I had warm cheesecake with ice cream and candy apple cream. Bill had coconut semolina flummery with a pineapple sorbet and a mango ragout. Both desserts were delicious and not too much. However, the cheesecake was definitely served warm, rather than lukewarm. They did have a chocolate lava cake, but if you’ve been reading this blog, you already know how I feel about lava cakes. 🙄 Especially chocolate ones…

Two hours after lunch began, we were finished. The bill came to about 174 euros, before the tip. Bill paid with a credit card, and we made our way home. I might have taken a walk in the very pleasant weather, but I needed to pee, and this restaurant, unfortunately, requires a stout walk and climbing up two flights of stairs to get to the loo. After two trips, I decided I’d rather go at home. There is an elevator for those who can’t do the stairs.

Overall, we had a very nice time at the Bootshaus in Mainz. I think we’ll go back, provided we don’t get deported… 🤭 (I know… I shouldn’t laugh about that, but if I don’t laugh, I might cry…)

A few more photos… the restaurant is also close to the train tracks and the city park, where we attended the wine fest a few months ago. Keep in mind, although we live about twenty minutes away from Mainz, it’s in another state– Rhineland-Pfalz (or Palatinate, if you prefer).

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

Ten things I learned (or was reminded of) in Sofia, Bulgaria…

Alrighty, then. This should be the last Bulgaria post for our most recent trip to the Balkan country on the Black Sea. If you’re a regular reader, you may already know that I almost always cap off my trips with “ten things I learned” lists. Some people seem to like these over the blow by blow chronicles. So here goes.

10. Bulgaria’s time is an hour ahead of Germany’s.
When my friend Elaine and I visited Bulgaria in 1996, we went by bus and traveled from Armenia through Georgia and Turkey to get there. We crossed two time zones, which was kind of bizarre, because in spite of its huge size, all of Turkey was in the same time zone. That meant there was a two hour difference between Georgia’s time and Turkey’s. Now, Georgia, Turkey, and Armenia have stopped changing the clocks in the summer, so the time difference between Turkey and Georgia is only one hour. And Bulgaria is far enough east from Germany that it’s one hour ahead of us. Bulgaria still observes Daylight Savings Time.

9. English is widely used in Sofia.
I don’t know how it is in the smaller cities and towns of Bulgaria, but I was amazed by how many people spoke excellent English in Sofia. That was not the case when Elaine and I visited in 1996. I only encountered one person who wasn’t an English speaker on last week’s trip.

8. McDonald’s are everywhere in Sofia!
When I visited Sofia in 1996, there were only two McDonald’s restaurants in the entire country. The first McDonald’s in Bulgaria was opened in December 1994 in Plovdiv. The second one opened in 1995 in Slaveikov Square. During my visit in 1996, I spent a lot of time loitering near that McDonald’s, because Elaine and I had crashed with a Peace Corps Volunteer, and Elaine had gone to visit a friend of hers. One day, I kind of got lost wandering around Sofia, and ended up taking a taxi. The driver didn’t speak English, so I asked him to take me to McDonald’s. I couldn’t do that trick today, though, because Sofia has McDonald’s all over the place. I understand they’re not so popular anymore, though, because there are many BETTER restaurants in Sofia now!

7. Sofia’s iconic golden bricked road was meant to make the city look more like a “capital”.
Both times I visited Sofia, I wondered about the yellow bricked roads in the center of town. They are very unusual looking, especially compared to other parts of the city, where it’s easy to see shabby buildings from the communist era, crumbling from age. I researched the yellow bricks and learned that they date from the early 1900s, some years after Bulgaria was liberated from the Ottoman Empire and Sofia was named its capital. Sofia was chosen because of its location, and not because of its beauty. In those days, the city didn’t have much decent architecture to speak of. In 1907, Sofia’s mayor, Martin Todorov, decided that the city needed something unique. He decided on the yellow cobblestones, which cost a lot of money, but definitely gave Sofia some sparkle. Nowadays, the yellow bricks are a challenge, because they aren’t so easy to procure when they become damaged and need to be replaced.

6. Sofia is still relatively cheap to visit.
While the city has luxury accommodations and restaurants, they are less expensive than in other cities. Taxis are also easy to use and won’t break the bank. But if you prefer an even cheaper option, you can take Sofia’s metro or one of its many trams. Or, you can do what Bill and I did, and just walk everywhere. Sofia is a pretty walkable city.

5. Sofia is home to religions of all kinds… and they all seem to coexist peacefully.
If you walk through Sofia, you will see many interesting religious buildings. The oldest one dates from the fourth century! But not only will you find churches, but you will also find a synagogue and a mosque, and they all operate near each other, apparently in basic harmony.

4. If you plan to visit Sofia’s famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the summer, be sure to cover your limbs.
This is a basic truth for many religious sites, but I’ve found it to be especially true in orthodox churches. You should not attempt to visit when you’re wearing shorts, skimpy sundresses, or otherwise indiscreet clothing. You may be asked to leave or cover up if you ignore this advice.

3. Be sure to stop by the flea market outside of the cathedral.
In 1996, I bought a small painting at that flea market. I remember paying the Bulgarian lev equivalent of about $6 for it. In retrospect, I wish I’d bought another. The artist had a few similar ones for sale. We went again on Monday and bought two more paintings that I love, although I saw a few on Saturday that I thought were even more interesting. I noticed in Armenia and Bulgaria that Saturdays are the best times to visit markets, if you want to find something cool for your home.

2. Bulgaria is a fascinating mix of different cultures.
The language is Cyrillic and sounds a lot like Russian, but the weather is more like Turkey and Greece. The food is a tantalizing mixture of different cultures, and you can also enjoy excellent beers, wines, and juices. I wish we could have gone outside of Sofia on this trip, as I know firsthand that Bulgaria has a lot to offer beyond the capital city. I want to go back and visit caves and hang out at the beach.

And finally 1. Sofia is a great place to go if you’re not wanting to be overrun by tourists…
I was kind of surprised that there were Americans in Sofia, but there were not nearly as many as there likely are in Dubrovnik right now. We were originally thinking of going to Dubrovnik, since that was the location Bill picked out of the Champagne bucket. I’m glad we went to Sofia, instead. It was fun seeing the city again after so many years… and it’s still a pretty authentic place to go, even though there’s been a lot of business development since 1996. I wish we hadn’t gotten sick, but at least we’re on the mend now. After my upcoming medical journey, we’ll plan our next adventure. At this point, it looks like it’s going to be Iceland…

So stay tuned!

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe, short breaks

From Frankfurt to Sofia… June 7, 2024…

The morning of June 7th, 2024, Bill and I got up bright and early and prepared for our short break in Sofia. Bill gathered enough dog food for Noyzi to keep him going for the days we’d be gone. I packed a bag and took care of the usual last minute chores before our 3:00 PM flight, while Bill took Noyzi to the Hundpension.

We decided to take a cab to the Frankfurt Airport, because Bill didn’t want to fool with parking. I can’t blame him for that. It’s expensive, and the airport is so big and sprawling. You have to walk your ass off. There have been a couple of times when Bill has tried to get cabs and no one answers in time. This time, we had no issues. Checking in was quick and easy at the Lufthansa Business Class counter. As we were handing over our documents, I noticed a really cute little white dog sitting in a travel carrier. I couldn’t help mentally comparing the tiny dog to Noyzi, who is probably about twenty times bigger!

I had to take my laptop out of the suitcase. Somehow, I had forgotten that it’s not allowed to check them. After that, we made our way to the Lufthansa lounge, where we waited until it was time to fly. The lounge wasn’t too busy, although I did notice one guy trying to get his wife in when she didn’t have the proper credentials. Both of them were wearing really high-speed face masks that didn’t conceal their annoyance when the gatekeeper turned them away.

*Chilling in the Frankfurt Lufthansa Lounge…*

Our flight to Sofia was slated to land at about 6:30 PM, as Bulgaria is an hour ahead of Germany. It lasted about two hours and was downright boring. We didn’t have the slightest ripple of turbulence, even though the pilot mentioned having to fly around some rain. I did get some photos…

*Some kind of cold meat with vegetables. Dessert was the best part.*

I entertained myself by taking pictures of the sky…

I immediately noticed how warm it was in Sofia. Germany has been fairly cool recently. Today, for instance, I walked Noyzi in a short sleeved t-shirt and pants. I was actually chilly. In Sofia, it was mid 80s Fahrenheit, and I did a lot of sweating. We made our way to the baggage claim and waited awhile, even though our bags were supposed to come out first. While we were waiting to claim our luggage, I had Bill get me a SIM card for Bulgaria. It was very simple, as the local carrier, Yettel, has a kiosk right there in the baggage area. It’s cheap and easy to change out the card for short trips to Bulgaria and other places Yettel serves.

Once we got the phone and bags sorted, we walked outside and stood in line for a taxi. I looked around, immediately amazed by how different Sofia looked. When I arrived there by bus in 1996, it had seemed much less cosmopolitan. I mean, yes, there are still crumbling Cold War era buildings in Sofia, but there are also a lot of newer, modern buildings. I remember walking from the bus station– a dirt plot, really– into Sofia with my friend, Elaine, in 1996. I can’t imagine doing such a thing today.

Bill handed the cab driver a slip of paper with our hotel’s name printed on it. The cabbie, who spoke perfect English, laughed in astonishment and said, “Where did you get this?”

Bill said he’d made them. I guess he figured the cab driver might not be an English speaker. That was a fair assessment based on both of our previous experiences in Sofia. But this time, I only ran into ONE person who couldn’t converse with me in my native tongue. It was incredible. This is not to say that I think it’s a wonderful thing that English is so prevalent in places where English isn’t the main language. But I have to admit, it does make things more convenient for us less lingually endowed Americans.

I ended up booking us four nights at the Grand Hotel Millennium, which is a HUGE luxury hotel on Vitosha Boulevard. It hadn’t been my first choice. I wanted to stay at a three star B&B near the center of town that got really excellent ratings on TripAdvisor. The guy who runs it gets high marks for being enthusiastic and helping people really experience the local culture. Unfortunately, he didn’t have availability on one of the nights we were in town, so I had to make another choice.

I had struggled over which alternative hotel to choose. Bill had previously stayed at the Grand Hotel Sofia, which is in the center of the city. He had a good experience there. Now that I’ve been to the city again, I might choose the Grand Hotel over the Grand Hotel Millennium, if only because it’s much closer to the center. The Grand Hotel Millennium is a very nice and comfortable hotel with ten restaurants, a spa, and conference facilities. It’s also near a metro and other public transport. But we tend to do a lot of walking when we travel, and such was the case this time. On the other hand, maybe it’s a good thing we were so far out. We probably saw more than we would have otherwise.

The room I booked was a Signature Suite. The lady who checked us in gave us a big smile and said it was “very nice”. She wrote what looked like the number 906 on the key card, although I thought I heard her say 904. Bill took the cards and we went to 906… which was already occupied! Oops! When we went back down to the reception to clarify which room was ours, the man who helped Bill said this happened “all the time”. Oh well…

We went into the room, which was huge, and offered floor to ceiling views of Sofia on two sides. The bathroom was as big as my childhood bedroom was. It had a tub and a huge rainfall shower, as well as a bidet. There was no minibar, but there was a small fridge, handy for storing snacks and drinks purchased at a local shop. And there was also a large, flatscreen TV installed on the wall, which allowed for ordering room service and getting announcements. Below are some photos…

Keep in mind, we were only on the ninth floor. This hotel has thirty floors! And yet, as nice as the room was, it wasn’t particularly luxurious. But then, it’s important to remember that a hotel’s stars aren’t necessarily about true luxury or quality. It’s about what services are offered. Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia certainly offers a LOT of services, and it’s a very pleasant place to stay. Last time I was in Sofia, the best hotel was the Sheraton Balkan Palace. I see now that that hotel definitely has a lot of competition.

By the time we checked in, it was already after 7:00 PM. Bill had been sniffling a lot, complaining about his allergies. I knew he was probably tired, as he tends to be tired as the sun starts to set. We decided to have dinner at one of the hotel’s ten restaurants. It so happens the restaurant that seemed most suitable was the Vienna Restaurant, which was advertised as “casual”. We didn’t bring any fancy clothes with us, and we noticed a number of the eateries had dress codes. Yikes!

So we went to the third floor, where the Vienna Restaurant is. It was practically empty. We were shown to an outside table on a patio, there one other guy was having dinner. I chuckled when I saw the menu, which was very “German”. They had all the stuff we can easily get here at “home”. But they also had Bulgarian beers, and a few dishes that looked interesting. I went with fried perch, while Bill had truffled pulled pork with mashed potatoes. Bill liked his dish. Mine was just okay. The fish was a bit bland, even with the tartar sauce that came with it. But it was not offensive and did the job of filling us up for the night…

We were about to call it a night when another server asked us if we wanted dessert. I realized we had nothing better to do, so we agreed to look at the menu again. After we ordered– Black Forest cake for me and Sachertorte for Bill– there came a sudden huge deluge of rain. We had to move to another table, because the roof was leaking on Bill.

I didn’t really want dessert, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed the Black Forest cake, which wasn’t so much like what we get in Germany. Instead of whipped cream as frosting, the Bulgarians used a cream cheese frosting. It was delicious. It’s been so long since I last had a decent slice of layer cake, even if it’s not something I ought to be eating. Bill liked his Sachertorte, too. I was actually hoping to score another piece of that Black Forest cake, but we didn’t eat in the Vienna Restaurant again. Phooey.

After we ate dinner, we decided to head back to our room and go to bed. I was already surprised by how different our welcome to Sofia was this time.

When I came to Bulgaria in 1996, I had a terrifying experience at the border with Turkey, as the border guards were very aggressive, and spoke no English. This time, we just sailed right through without so much as a nod to customs. And this time, we also didn’t have to worry about registering with the police, as Elaine and I had to when we visited in the 90s. Our Peace Corps Volunteer host was kind enough to help us with that. He saved us fines when we left the country. Of course, even in the 90s, if one stayed in a hotel, the hotel would do the police registration. So, I guess if we had stayed in a commercial place, we would have been spared the police experience. I’m not so sure they still do that, anyway.

In any case, I was eager to get out and see the city on Saturday… and we sure did that. Stay tuned for the next part!

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, churches, Eastern Europe, short breaks

Worn out, sunburned, and sick with Bill’s cold…

Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria. We’ve been here for two nights already. I had been hoping to go on a couple of excursions while we’re here. Sadly, I don’t see it happening, mainly because Bill and I are both sick with miserable colds.

We did manage to get out yesterday, though, and walked over seven miles. It’s very warm in Sofia, but I opted to wear pants, because I knew we would probably visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and they wouldn’t want people with bare arms or legs coming into the building. Sure enough, I was right, as I watched a strict church worker turning away visitors in shorts and sundresses. The alternative, of course, is to cover up.

Sofia is very different now than it was in 1996. English is everywhere, just as it was in Yerevan, when we went there in November. When my friend Elaine and I came here in 1996, Sofia was still very reminiscent of the days when Bulgaria was behind the Iron Curtain. Now, it’s more like any European city, albeit with its own flair. I’m glad we were here in the 90s. It’s interesting to compare things. Also… there are still a lot of crumbling buildings from the Iron Curtain era, so it’s not like things are completely different.

Bill had thought his sniffles were caused by allergies. Unfortunately, he has a cold, and has passed it to me. I’m not sure what we’ll see today, if anything. I might want to spend time resting… at least until my nose is less drippy.

I also got a slight sunburn yesterday. I forgot to put on sunscreen. Anyway… it is nice to be away this weekend, although I hate being sick, especially when I’m away from home.

I got a few nice photos, at least…

Baden-Württemberg, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe, trip planning

Ten things I learned this time in BW and Czechia…

It’s time now for my customary “ten things I learned post”. Since this wasn’t our first time in the Czech Republic, I’ve already done a “ten things I learned” post for the country. Nevertheless, this most recent trip was very educational and entertaining on many levels. We really enjoyed ourselves, but we also learned a lot. Besides, people seem to like these summary posts better than my usual detailed postings. So here goes…

*Cesky Krumlov will take your breath away… especially if you climb the castle tower.*

10. Cesky Krumlov is well worth visiting for a day or two.

I mentioned that Bill and I visited Cesky Krumlov for a few hours back in 2009. I thought the town was really adorable then, and vowed to go back someday. This time, we stayed there for two nights. I think one full day in Cesky Krumlov is probably sufficient for most people, although we certainly could have enjoyed another full day there. I don’t know if I’ll go out of my way to return, but I wouldn’t object to it. It’s a beautiful town and well worth a stop if you’re in Czechia.

9. English is widely spoken in the tourist areas of Czechia.

On prior visits to Czechia, we noticed that it was helpful to speak some German. This time, we noticed that a whole lot of people are fluent in English. It’s not a given than they will be, but there’s a good chance that if you go to a touristy area, you don’t have to worry about a language barrier if you are an English speaker.

8. Brno is well worth a stop!

Of all the places we planned to visit when we were coming up with our itinerary, Brno intrigued me the most. I had read that it is an “up and coming” destination in Czechia. It’s not as handsome and charming as Prague is, but it’s definitely got its own vibe. And if you like caving, it’s a must visit destination, as there are several show caves there that are beautiful and worth seeing. I will never forget our visit to the Punkva Caves. I also noticed that Brno was not as heavily touristed as Prague and Cesky Krumlov. For that reason alone, it may be worth putting on your itinerary.

*Choosing to eat here put us in contact with a local…*

7. Someone may be watching you when you’re eating at the street food fest…

We certainly weren’t expecting to encounter an unhoused woman when we sat down to have lunch at a street food fest in Brno. But she did us a favor by eating our leftovers, and teaching us a thing or two about charity and not wasting food. And while I didn’t leave Brno with any artwork, I did leave with a memory and a great story. I doubt I’ll forget it anytime soon.

*Where we spotted a very determined nutria…*

6. Prague has surprising “wild kingdom” moments…

I don’t know if I’d ever heard of nutria (otherwise known as coypu) before I spotted one swimming in the Vltava River in Prague. At first, I thought maybe I was watching an otter or some kind of beaver, but I’m pretty sure I saw a nutria, an animal that has taken up residence in Prague and is apparently causing issues.

*Unusual tufa cave with cauliflower rock formations.*

5. If you’re near Lichtenstein Castle on the first Sunday of the warm months, you should visit Olgahöhle!

Again, this is a suggestion for those who like visiting caves. This cave is kind of special, and it’s only open on the first Sunday of the warm months. We happened to be able to visit by chance, and it was well worth the stop.

4. You can now purchase vignettes for Czechia online and there’s no longer a need for stickers.

This was a really welcome and convenient development for our trip. We were able to buy our vignette online, allowing us to use Czechia’s high speed highways. There was no need to put a sticker on the windshield. And the day before it expired, they helpfully sent a reminder email.

3. But the backroads are still in need of repair…

Our trip required some detours on secondary roads. A lot of them were in need of repair, thanks to potholes and other issues. On the other hand, they can take you to some great places, like the cool burger place we found because Bill needed to pee.

2. The people of Czechia are very warm and hospitable…

I can’t think of a single incident during our trip where we didn’t encounter very pleasant and warm people, especially in the hotels and restaurants. It definitely lent to the country’s charm and makes me want to go back again and again. This is also a great place for shopping, especially if you’re looking for art and unique toys.

The food, wine, and beer is very hearty… but if you want to, you can easily burn it off!

I was amazed anew by how rich and filling the food was on this trip. As heavy as German food can be, I think the Czechs have them beat! But I also found myself working hard, walking, climbing stairs, enjoying nature, and burning that fuel quite handily. Czech wine is pretty decent, by the way. I might not choose it over Italian wine, but it probably deserves a lot more attention than it gets. The beer is, of course, excellent and noticeably different from Germany’s beers.

So… that about does it for our most recent trip to BW and Czechia. We meant to see our dentist in Stuttgart and take in the sights in one of our favorite European countries. We missed the dentist, but sure made up for it with good times, new experiences, new friends, and fun. I hope if you’re inspired to visit the Czech Republic, you will take the plunge! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Uncategorized

An underwhelming late lunch at Chillers in Wiesbaden…

Bill needed time to bottle his latest homebrew and Zane got us both up at about 4:00am. Consequently, after a morning spent doing laundry, I laid down to read and fell fast asleep. By the time Bill was finished bottling, Zane, Arran, and I were all catching some Z’s. I finally woke up about about 1:45 or so, kinda late for lunch. Since we didn’t go out yesterday, we decided to try lunch at a place where there is no pause.

I generally make it a habit to steer clear of German “American” style restaurants, with the exception of those I know have a connection to an actual American person. However, I had seen Chillers at the Wiesbaden train station and was kind of intrigued by it. I kept getting suggestions to try it on Open Table. So, realizing that a lot of places would be closing soon for their pre-dinner pause, we decided to give it a try. I made a reservation for 3:00pm, but there was no need to do so. They had plenty of open tables.

Before I get too cranked up with my review, I must mention the truly confusing parking garage next to Wiesbaden’s train station. We had a hard time figuring out how to get out of it, since it’s Sunday and the garage is attached to a mall. The mall is closed and they don’t leave it open like they do the Schwabengarten in Vaihingen, and some other places we’ve been when we lived in Stuttgart. It took us about fifteen minutes to find the way out, since every exit had a sign that said it didn’t lead to the mall… not that we wanted the mall. We just wanted to escape the garage. I think we finally just said “fuck it” and picked a door to see where it would lead.

Out front. They were setting up umbrellas for all the pale people avoiding the sun.

Anyway… Chillers is supposed to be a “Californian” beach bar. The bartenders were wearing t-shirts that read “Never leave the beach”. The waitresses were dressed in black. We heard both German and English spoken there. In fact, the staff all spoke excellent English.

The bar area.

Bill told them we had a reservation and the bartender joked that he wasn’t sure he could accommodate, as he pointed out all the open tables. A lot of people were sitting outside, since the weather is warmer today. I wanted to avoid the sun and cigarette smoking, so we decided to sit inside. I liked the music they were playing, which was one part hard driving rock, one part head banging metal. The inside of the restaurant appears to have been part of the train station, so the building has some character. It’s also a bit noisy inside, due to the high ceilings and hard floors.

Bill checks out the menu, which is chock full of burgers, quesadillas, ribs, chicken wings, and a few salads.

I got a kick out of the welcome, which started in English, welcoming everyone to California, then went to German. The menu is in English and German.

Lots of burgers. They let you choose what kind of patty you want– beef or “gemischt”. Mixed there was half beef, half bacon.

We sat in a booth and I decided to have a Lynchburg Lemonade, which is basically lemonade with Jack Daniels. I don’t usually order mixed drinks, but I wasn’t in the mood for beer. Bill had a hefeweizen.

This Lynchburg Lemonade wasn’t bad. It was generously sized and potent. I noticed the non-alcoholic drinks were kind of pricey. For instance, Dr. Pepper was selling for over four euros a can.

Bill had a regular Weizen, also kind of pricey at about 4 euros. I think my mixed drink was about 6 euros.

They also have American craft beers in bottles.

There was a large group of Americans in the restaurant and the wait staff had their hands full with them. Consequently, they were a little too busy to deal with us right away. That was alright, since we weren’t in a hurry. Then the group moved outside, which made things a bit more chaotic. The waitress was apologetic as she took our food orders. I had a “Social BBQ” quesadilla, which was a tortilla with chicken, guacamole, barbecue sauce, melted cheddar, melted Monterrey Jack cheese, and bacon. It came with a choice of sides– fries, garden salad, Caesar salad, or for a euro more, curly fries or sweet potato fries. I went with a small Caesar salad. Bill ordered a half rack of baby back ribs, with Californian jerk sauce, and fries.

Our food took a long time to get to us. After we’d been sitting for awhile without food, the waitress came over and apologized, explaining that the large group had put them behind. It was alright, since we were neither in a hurry nor particularly hungry. However, once the food arrived, I couldn’t help but notice that it wasn’t very hot and appeared to have been sitting for awhile. I wondered what it would have been like if they were dealing with that large crowd of Americans and the restaurant was actually full.

My barbecued chicken quesadillas. This was actually good, but not very fresh. Obviously, it sat for awhile before it got to me. The cheese was no longer very melted, and it was just warm. I could have complained, but I didn’t want to wait longer. I did enjoy it well enough. It would have been better if it had been hot.

Bill enjoyed his ribs, which had a bit of heat to them. They were saturated with sauce. He said he also liked the dip that came with the fries. I can’t comment on that, since I didn’t try it. I did try the ribs, which were pretty good. I did notice that the sauce tasted a lot like the sauce that was used on my quesadillas.

After we were finished eating, the waitress asked if we’d like an espresso on the house, since we’d had to wait. I missed that she was comping it and said I’d rather have a shot. She said that was fine. Bill then explained that these were freebies. It was no matter, since the shots were cheaper than an espresso or cappuccino would have been. I decided on Bailey’s. Bill had an espresso.

I was expecting a small shot glass, but she brought me a big glass with a healthy pour that looked watered down… but didn’t really taste watered down.

You can’t go wrong with espresso.

While we were waiting for the check, which came to about 34 euros, we noticed a man talking to the waitress. He was from the large group that had moved outside. We heard him apologizing and wanting to pay for ribs. She said something along the lines of what he was asking wasn’t allowed– I mean, I’m sure she would take his money, but it sounded like something else happened that was technically verboten.

I wasn’t sure what was happening, but her reaction and body language were definitely not what I’d expect from a restaurant in California. It was very German, in fact. But I can’t comment on who was in the right, since I’m not sure exactly what was going on. He seemed to be trying to smooth things over and she was kind of chastising him for something. Rather than stand back and rubberneck, Bill gave her 40 euros and said “Stimmt”, so we could get out of there and let them settle their dispute in peace.

We went back to the parking garage and proceeded to get off on the wrong floor, wandering around the garage for about ten or fifteen minutes in a fruitless search for my car. I kept telling Bill I thought we were a level lower. He finally listened to me and we found the Mini. Very soon, that car will be the senior one in our fleet, as we send his Japanese SUV on to its next owner (in Africa or Asia maybe?) and start driving a Swedish SUV.

As we passed Chillers on the way home, we saw that same large group of Americans standing in a circle in front of the restaurant, appearing to be having a discussion with someone in charge. It just occurred to me that the lady at the bus stop was posing!

This election poster gave me pause. It sounds a bit like MAGA.

It’s election time…

I didn’t think Chillers was horrible. It wasn’t as bad as Chili’s at Ramstein, for instance. I might give it another chance if the opportunity arose and I really wanted a German interpretation of American style junk food, although I don’t think I’d go out of my way to give it another try. I would have had a better impression if my food hadn’t been lukewarm and service had been a little more attentive. However, having once been a waitress myself, I understand that sometimes shit happens. I don’t hold it against her too much. It looked like that group might have been giving her a hard time.

Drinks were a bit pricey, but the food was reasonable. I just don’t want to park at the garage from hell again. Anyway… not my favorite local restaurant… could have been better… but it has its positives, too. Probably best for a young crowd. Bill pointed out that Erbenheim isn’t too far away. I’m sure American youths come by there often to get their chicken wing fixes.

housekeeping tips

How to change your language settings on Vodafone…

Many thanks to local Facebook group member Mary, who started a thread about changing language settings on Vodafone. Finally, after almost three years of struggling with German text messages, I am able to get my messages in English.

Since I know I have many readers in the military community who face the same problem, I have decided to write a quick blog post with instructions for future reference. It’s not hard at all, even though I realize that it’s good for me to read stuff in German.

Step one: Call 22044.

Step two: When the recording answers, press 5.

Step three: You will hear a menu. To get to language preferences, press 3.

Step four: Press 1 for English.

That should do it. I just called again and for the first time ever, got everything in English. Alternatively, you can ask the Vodafone rep to fix your settings for you, but that won’t get you the same feeling of accomplishment!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: English