Bill and I just got back from our latest jaunt to Stuttgart. We usually go down there to see our dentist, Dr. Blair, who is the best dentist either of us have ever had. We missed seeing him in October because our appointment was originally made on a holiday, and there was a miscommunication. We went down there and found no one in the office. After that, Bill got busy and/or could never get the receptionist on the phone.
We finally got an appointment for noon today. Ordinarily, we’d stay for a couple of days and do a few fun things down in our old stomping grounds. Unfortunately, Bill is currently very busy with a work project. He also just took last week off work while his mom was here. So, instead of staying for a couple of days, like we normally would, we just went down for a night and came back late this afternoon.
Although our trip was short, it was very productive and a lot of fun! It began with a stay at the Wald Hotel, which is our favorite Stuttgart area lodging so far. I had actually considered booking a different hotel, as I thought maybe Bill would want to take the train instead of driving. There are a couple of hotels that are near the Hauptbahnhof that I thought we might try. 
The Wald Hotel is not close to the main train station, but is somewhat close to the U-bahn. However, getting to the hotel from the station requires a walk, which is not fun while toting a bag. Bill ultimately decided he’d rather drive, because we’d have to check out of the hotel and then do something with our bags. We knew we’d be walking around Stuttgart while waiting for our appointments. Once Bill decided to drive, I booked the Wald Hotel, since I knew it would offer everything we’d need.
Instead of booking fancy suites, like I have the last two times we’ve been there, I booked one of the comfort rooms in the new part of the hotel. That was a mistake, mainly because the shower in our cheaper room– unlike the ones on the ground floor– was just an ordinary shower, rather than one of the awesome spa showers that are in the more expensive rooms. In my opinion, the extra money for the bigger room is worth it, mainly because of the spa shower! On the other hand, it has been a few years since I last stayed in one of those rooms. Maybe they took them out.
We had a pretty easy late afternoon drive down to the Degerloch area of Stuttgart last night, and were rewarded with a fairly empty parking lot at the hotel. We easily found a spot right by the entrance, went in, and picked up our key cards and a voucher for a free round of drinks. 
Once we dropped off our bags, we headed down to the bar, where we were greeted by lovely Cosima, who took care of us when we visited Wald Hotel last spring! She remembered us, and was delighted when I said I remembered that she’d told me her name is Italian. Cosima said she was only working in the bar by chance, as she was filling in for a sick colleague. She is in a training program, so she’s been working all over the hotel in different capacities. I thought that was pretty great, since she’s becoming proficient in all jobs required in a German hotel.
Cosima made us a couple of rounds of drinks, and was kind enough to book us a table at Finch, which is the gourmet restaurant at Wald Hotel. We’ve eaten at Finch several times, but last night’s dinner was the best we’ve had there yet. I had a wonderful lamb’s lettuce salad with orange slices, croutons, and hazelnut dressing and crispy duck with Savoy cabbage, and bread dumplings. Bill had a leek soup with duxelles, and wild boar with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. We also enjoyed dessert– white chocolate mousse with blood oranges for me, and a banana almond cheesecake for him. And we had lovely wine from France, as well as a digestive, hazelnut for Bill, and pear for me…
My only complaint about our stay at Wald Hotel is that the mattress on the bed was too firm for my liking. It felt a bit like sleeping on a sidewalk. I remember last year, the mattress was also too firm for me. However, I don’t remember having that problem on previous stays.
After a nice Eggs Benedict breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we went back to the room, packed up, and processed a bit. Breakfast is not included in the room rate and could be considered expensive– but aside from a generous buffet, they also offer hot selections that are prepared to order and included in the price. We both had Eggs Benedict, but we could have chosen from a number of different items.
Then we went to downtown Stuttgart to wait for our appointments with Dr. Blair. It was kind of a special day, since there was Fasching going on. Lots of people were dressed in costumes and there was music. Some businesses were also closed, including the Markthalle, which is a great food and wine market. We were lucky enough to have sunny and somewhat warm weather, for February, anyway. I took some photos… 
Dr. Blair was glad to see us. Bill broke the news to him about his broken tooth, and the dental implant process in process with a Wiesbaden area dentist. Dr. Blair was very understanding, and wanted to know about the type of implant used and the process the other dentist used for the sinus lift Bill needed. He had good things to say about my teeth, which were thoroughly cleaned… (gums are sore tonight). He gave me an Implant Pass, which shows the type of implant I got in 2016. He wanted me to show it to Bill, so he could get the information about his implant. That way, if it breaks, the next dentist will have the information.
We made appointments for August, then headed out for lunch at Abacco’s Steakhouse, a steak joint where you get your steak served on a hot stone. I hadn’t wanted to eat there, but there was a big Fasching party going on at the Paulaner Bar next door. I wanted to get photos!
We both had small rib-eyes with house fries. Bill’s was from Uruguay, and mine was from Argentina. It wasn’t that easy to eat steak after our cleanings. Maybe we should have had pasta or soup instead… but at least I’m still not hungry many hours later. We each had a beer, then went to buy some Berliners, which we had noticed being set up just before we went to see the dentist.
Below are some photos of the Berliner or Krapfen (Pfannkuchen– doughnuts) and other associated doughnuts. Tis the season to get them! 
Our drive back to Wiesbaden was very easy, with no traffic whatsoever, and no building projects. The only drawback was the less than beautiful weather. But at least we got some sunshine while we were down in our old stomping grounds! And now, Noyzi is back home, too!
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