Getting to Bad Wörishofen, and our first night… (part two)

Several weeks ago, Bill arranged to take Thursday and Friday off from work. As I mentioned in the first post in this series, he was planning to get his teeth cleaned by our Stuttgart area dentist, Dr. Blair. Wiesbaden does have good dentists. Bill even goes to one up here, because last year, he broke a tooth and needed treatment while Dr. Blair was on vacation. However, I am very picky about healthcare providers. If I find one I like, I’m willing to travel. I like Dr. Blair and trust him, and it’s fun to visit our old stomping grounds. We have spent six of our married years living in the Stuttgart area, so it will always have a place in my heart.

We took Noyzi and Charlie to the Hundepension. Noyzi was delighted to be there, as you can see in the video below. He’s probably one of their favorite clients, too… he’s so sweet and friendly, and never causes any trouble. I’m sure Charlie will love it, too. This was only his second time there.

If they hadn’t opened the gate when they did, I’ll bet Noyzi would have knocked!

Once we unloaded the dogs, we enjoyed a fairly uneventful trip down to Stuttgart. It was lunchtime when we arrived, so we visited the Paulaner am alte Postplatz, which is a German restaurant very close to Dr. Blair’s office. We’ve been there a few times over the years, and we’ve never been disappointed by the hearty food or the friendly service in this Paulaner themed bar that is situated in the old post office.

This time, Bill had fried sole, which was a special. I had the “Fitness Teller”, which was supposed to be healthy. I guess, in retrospect, it kind of was, although I washed it down with beer. The dish came with a small piece of chicken breast, a salad, and a baked potato with Schmand (German sour cream with herbs) on the side. I don’t really like sour cream that much, so that was good for me. Bill helped me eat the salad! His dish came with Spaetzle, which is a local favorite.

*The ceiling in our dining room. I love how quaint this restaurant is.*

When we got to Dr. Blair’s office, he was at the reception desk, talking to a couple about an implant for the wife. He let us in, and told us to take a seat, since he knows us very well. I waited about fifteen minutes for a hygienist to call me back. Unfortunately, she started the appointment by annoying me. She asked me to swish some very strong antiseptic for a minute. Usually, they have a timer so it’s easy to see how long you’ve held the very strong stuff in your mouth. This time, there was no timer. I spat it out when it started to burn my mouth. She scolded me for not swishing long enough and had me do it again. And again, she said I didn’t swish long enough, although I probably did, since I didn’t rinse after the first swishing.

Her scolding irritated me, so I told her that I spat it out because it was burning my mouth, and I don’t want to hold substances in my mouth if they burn. She might not know it, but a lot of women who are menopausal have problems with burning mouth syndrome, as I do sometimes. But honestly, if she’d just put up an egg timer, I would have tried to swish for as long as the sands were flowing through the glass. I do have an Apple Watch, but it wasn’t convenient to time myself with it. I probably sounded kind of bitchy, but if you read about my recent experiences with German medical care, you might know where that attitude comes from. Anyway, we’re paying for the treatment, and it’s my mouth. I figure I can spit if I want to.

I waited for awhile for Dr. Blair, but then had to change rooms because the hygienist needed to clean someone else’s teeth. When he came in, he was his usual friendly self. He asked why Bill wasn’t getting a cleaning. I told him he was originally supposed to, but the appointment was canceled because of a lack of hygienists. Dr. Blair apologized profusely, especially since he knows we travel to see him. It was no big deal, though. Even if Bill didn’t have a local guy, he’s got to visit Stuttgart again on business in a couple of months. He could always slip in to see Dr. Blair when he’s down there for his conference.

When we were finished with the dentist, we headed southeast toward Bad Wörishofen. It was a pretty easy drive, once we got out of Stuttgart. By the time we got to our destination, I was really glad I didn’t choose a destination that was further away. It was about 6:30 PM when we arrived, and pretty dark outside. Bill and I were definitely ready to relax with a drink. It would take awhile before that would happen.

As we drove into the spa town, Bill found his way to Hotel Fontenay, which has its own parking garage. He tried to turn into the garage, which was locked, of course. It was pretty awkward to back out of there, even with all the assistants on our Volvo. He finally managed to turn the car around and get us to the front door. A young woman behind the desk welcomed us and told us she’d park the car for us after we unloaded our bags. Then she came back with a trolley and took us to room 220.

I booked us a deluxe room with a balcony. It was a large room, and the balcony was very nice, as it looked over the hotel’s lovely backyard. The one thing it lacked was furniture. They probably don’t keep that outside when the weather turns cold. I did see a balcony that had chairs, but most of them seemed to be bare. As for the rest of the room, well… it looked kind of like a relic from the early 1990s. The bed was large, but the mattress was extremely firm. We neglected to bring our own pillows this time, because we figured such an expensive hotel would have decent pillows. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I suppose we could have asked for extras, though. We had split duvets, which was okay with me. I got a kick out of the upholstery on the couch and chair. It reminded me of the old arcade game, Q-bert.

*If you were around in the 80s, you might know why this couch made me think of Q-bert!*

The bathroom had a tub and a rather disappointing shower, although the water pressure was good. I did like that the bathroom was in its own room, rather than part of the room. The television was small and tucked into an armoire with a safe and the minibar. There was also a built in desk, which I might have appreciated if we had stayed longer than three nights. Below are some photos:

*A nice snack for us. We ate most of the fruit last night for dinner.*

There was a door in the room that could be closed, which separated the bathroom and closet from the bedroom. There was a bright light that operated by motion detector. It was a little annoying, as we would get up to go to the bathroom and get hit with a bright light. On the other hand, it made getting to the bathroom somewhat safer. The door had a window in it, so even with it closed, that light would shine in the room, which might wake up light sleepers.

We decided to have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. It was here that I noticed some bumbling among the staff. I have sympathy for them because I used to wait tables myself, and people have to learn somewhere. But this was supposed to be a five star hotel… Granted five stars doesn’t necessarily mean excellence. The stars are awarded based on amenities. So you can go to a pretty mediocre five star hotel that has every amenity and service you could ever want. Or you could go to a one star place with stellar service.

Anyway, we were directed to a table in the corner. It wasn’t fully set, and the candle was never lit. I think we were the only ones in the restaurant without a lit candle. It’s not a huge deal, but I did notice it… as well as the lack of bread plates and silverware. The waiter spoke English, and mentioned that he’d only been at the hotel for about two months. He was working the whole room pretty much on his own, as the bartender was a shy young Asian woman who seemed quite inexperienced.

I got the sense that they don’t get too many Americans or English speakers at Hotel Fontenay, which would make sense to me, since it doesn’t seem that well known among English speakers. Most of the clientele appeared to be older than Bill and me, although we did see a couple of parties with younger folks… including one that had children.

I decided to have the turbot dish, which was priced at about 58 euros. Bill ordered shrimp and scallops, which was 49 euros. They had another fish dish that was priced according to the weight of the fish. We thought the restaurant was just expensive, given the price of the room. We also ordered wine and sparkling water.

The waiter brought us an amuse bouchée of duck ham, which I didn’t want to try until I had liquid. Sadly, we had to wait awhile for that to arrive. We tried to order sparkling water from the bartender who seemed to hear us, but apparently didn’t… and then it took the waiter a long time to get to it. The sparkling water and wine were finally delivered by the very friendly and enthusiastic manager (I think), an older German man who seemed intent on presenting a welcoming image. He was sweating a lot, and I was a little worried about his health at first. But he smiled and served the wine, and we started to relax… until the turbot came out.

It turned out the turbot, like the other fish on the menu, wasn’t parceled out into small portions. I had ordered a whole fish, and it was enough for two people! I was shocked as the manager cut the fish, wondering if the other portion was for someone else. No… it was all for me, and Bill had his own dinner! Thank God we didn’t order starters! It came with spinach and basmati rice.

*The amuse I waited a long time to eat.*

Naturally, we didn’t have room for dessert, so we decided to have after dinner Irish Coffees. That too, was a bit bumbling. The bartender brought out the drinks with the cream on the side. The manager saw that, and apparently, that wouldn’t do. He swiped the drinks and had the kitchen put cream on them. The drinks were good, and by the end of dinner, I was really glad to have them.

The bar at Hotel Fontenay isn’t exactly hopping, or at least it wasn’t when we were there, so we decided to go to bed after we ate. My gums were hurting after the dental visit anyway. Before we left the dining room, the waiter, who seemed kind of nervous about us, told us that when we arrived for breakfast, we should sit at the same table in the corner. I’m not sure why some hotels do the assigned seating thing, but I find it kind of annoying. I’m sure there’s a good reason for it, though.

I took a shower and a couple of Advil PMs. Soon, I was fast asleep.

Bavaria, churches, holidays

A glimpse of Würzburg… part two

On our first morning in Würzburg, we woke up to clouds and rain. It wasn’t a surprise, since it’s February in Germany. I was kind of sad about it, though, because I don’t enjoy walking around in the rain. Fortunately, we had a wine tasting scheduled for 3:00 PM, so that kind of limited our time in the great outdoors.

We enjoyed a breakfast of locally made Brötchen and pastries from the bakery. Bill said the lady at the bakery was kind of a character. He’d order something and she’d prompt him to buy more by saying “Und?” after he made a request. The bakery also had eggs for sale, so Bill bought a few and cooked them for our morning repast.

After drinking coffee and sharing our opinions about the morning news (King Charles’s cancer and Toby Keith’s death), we all piled into the Volvo and headed for Würzburg. Bill easily found another spot at the Residenz, and we retraced the path we’d taken the night before, when we had dinner at Wirtshaus am Dom.

I smelled pizza as we rounded the bend into the center of Würzburg. It was already late morning, which meant we’d be having lunch soon. I did mention that this was a leisurely trip, focused more on time spent with Bill’s mom in unfamiliar surroundings, than actually seeing a lot of tourist attractions. I pulled out my phone to take some photos and immediately noticed a bright, colorful ramp at a business.

On closer inspection, I could see that the ramp was made entirely of Legos! I’d never seen one of these before, but apparently they’re a thing. There’s even a firm that builds them for businesses and cafes in the city. The organization that builds these Lego ramps are trying to bring attention to the many physical barriers that still exist in public spaces, making it difficult for people who have disabilities. According to the link I provided, ten Lego ramps were built from August 2020 until January 2022, with the help of local primary school children! I had no idea, and I think this is a great project to help bring awareness to the needs of people with disabilities. I love how the people of Germany are so community minded toward everyone!

*This ramp isn’t just cool looking. It serves an important cause!*

As we continued down the main drag, I took note of the colorful trams that were providing service into the inner city. Then we made our way to the Dom– a Roman Catholic cathedral that dates back to 1075, and is dedicated to Saint Kilian. This cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg, and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of years.

After helping Parker climb the steps, we got some photos of the interior– full of art and colored white and gold. I always marvel at the beauty of cathedrals, and notice how no two are ever the same. I am not a very religious person myself, but I do enjoy the beauty and craftsmanship that God inspires in the people who build holy places.

Just down the street from the Dom is the Neumünster. I wanted to go in there, too, but there were a number of steps to reach it, and it appeared to be closed when we were visiting. I did get a few photos of the outside, though. The Neumünster is a former collegiate church that dates from the 11th century. If we manage to visit Würzburg again, I’ll make a point of venturing inside and taking my own photos. For now, Internet pictures will have to suffice!

We rounded another bend and found ourselves at Maria Chapel, another Roman Catholic church on the Marktplatz in Würzburg. The Maria Chapel is a Gothic church that dates to the 14th century. It’s considered large for a chapel, but is named such because it doesn’t have a parish. I’m not Catholic, so I don’t know much about the ins and outs of Catholic church structures. I just like to see the insides of the churches– especially the windows and the pipe organs. My mom was a church organist for over 50 years, so organs are kind of special to me. She didn’t play pipe organs, but I’ve grown to love the sound of pipe organs.

*The door under the stairs to the Neumünster*

Bill’s mom, Parker, needed some more euros, so she and Bill went to an ATM, while I took a few more pictures of the Marktplatz and Maria Chapel. We walked past the Rathaus and over the Old Main Bridge, which offers great views of the Marienberg Fortress. The Old Main Bridge crosses the Main River, and was built in the 16th century. It was built in a combination of Gothic and Renaissance styles and completed in 1543. There are rows of statues on either side of the bridge, which reminded me a bit of the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Realizing that we had a three o’clock appointment, we decided it was about time for lunch. We headed back toward the Dom, passing a few restaurants that looked cozy and inviting. Then I noticed a cool looking building and a sign that read Sternbäck. Although I was kind of thinking maybe we’d have something less German for lunch, I couldn’t resist the charm of this “Würzburger Original”. As soon as we walked in, I could tell it’s a very popular spot with the locals. It’s actually lucky that we arrived when we did, as the place filled up soon after we sat down.

It looked like they were doing some renovation, perhaps to the kitchen area. I noticed the waitress kept going outside to pick up her orders. There was a food truck parked next to the restaurant, and I could see craftsmen hard at work from where I was sitting. But the location of the kitchen didn’t affect the excellent quality of the food we ordered, which happened to be the special of the day– Bratwurst with either potato salad or sauerkraut. We enjoyed local draft beers and really excellent music, too. The prices were very reasonable, and the service was friendly and competent. I would definitely go back! Maybe I’d even bring Noyzi; as you can see, it’s also a dog friendly place!

After a leisurely lunch at Sternbäck, we started to make our way back to the car so we could be back at Weingut am Stein in time for our wine tasting at 3:00 PM. The wine tasting also turned out to be surprisingly interesting, as Weingut am Stein specializes in Sylvaners. I mentioned in part one that it was our first time trying German Sylvaners– a type of grape that isn’t as popular as, say, Riesling.

The guy who did our tasting spoke perfect English and came from Hamburg. We really enjoyed learning about the wines offered at Weingut am Stein and just chatting about life in Germany… and of course, American politics. We tried a whole range of wines, each one better than the last, and surprisingly different. We had Sylvaners, Rieslings, and I think we might have had a Pinot… but my memory is a little fuzzy.

After the tasting, we went down to the room where wines were being aged in egg-like structures that were based on Georgian qvevris. Having spent two years in neighboring Armenia, I am delighted to see how Georgian winemaking is catching on in Europe. In that room, there is also a beautiful table that was made from an old tree on the property. I was really admiring it.

We learned more about the history of the winery, including the construction of the degustation room and the guest house. They were built 20 years ago after an architectural competition. I really liked the design of the tasting room, which offered beautiful views, as well as interesting sunlight through the slatted windows. Our guide also told us that most of the vineyards by the winery don’t belong the winery, but are actually owned by the city. I noticed a lot of people walking around in them, and the guide said it was because that was the closest thing to a nature park in the area. It’s definitely not too shabby of a “nature” area for walks!

The wine tasting lasted about two hours, and by then, we were ready to call it a day. So we offered our thanks to the guide and went back to the house for some rest and relaxation. The next day, we were planning our day trip to Bamberg. More on that in the next post!

Bavaria, holidays

A few days in Bavaria… part one

Over the past week, Bill, his mother, Parker, and I have been hanging out in Würzburg, a beautiful town in the Franconia region of Bavaria. When Parker comes to visit us from Texas, we typically spend a few nights at home, then go somewhere for a few days. It gives Parker a chance to see more of Europe, and me a chance to write some content for my travel blog. Since we moved back to Germany in 2014, Parker has visited three times. The first time was in 2017, and we took a “blind booking” flight to Berlin from Stuttgart. The second time was in January 2020, and we went to Alsace, France. This time, it was Würzburg.

I had originally meant for us to go to Bamberg, another beautiful town in Franconia, known for its architecture and Rauchbier. It took a long time to come to that decision, only to change my mind, because I couldn’t find the right accommodations. I could have booked two hotel rooms at one of Bamberg’s hotels, or I could have booked an apartment. But most of what I found during my searches had some major drawbacks, such as a lack of parking or lots of stairs. Parker has had both hips replaced, so it’s not ideal for her to have to climb a lot of stairs.

I thought maybe we’d do better in Nuremberg, a city I’ve never seen, but Bill and Parker had both visited in the 80s. But then I realized that I’d get bogged down in Nuremberg, as there are a lot of museums there that I thought we’d want to visit. I really wanted to visit Bamberg, even if it was just for a day.

Then, I noticed Würzburg mentioned on a travel Web site. Located roughly halfway between Nuremberg and Frankfurt, it, too, has a lot to offer. The city, which is the third largest in Franconia, is also located relatively close to our home of Wiesbaden. It only takes about 90 minutes to get there from Wiesbaden by car, if traffic isn’t too heavy. There’s also an easy train connection from Frankfurt.

When I saw the winery, Weingut am Stein, offering a rental house on the edge of a vineyard, I decided to book it. For about what I would have paid for four nights of two hotel rooms, breakfast, and parking, I got a 1100 square foot house with a fireplace, kitchen, parking, and a beautiful view of the city. Adding to the appeal was the included wine tasting in the winery’s degustation room. With Bill’s approval, I booked the house through Expedia.com, and was delighted when the transaction went through smoothly. As I’ve discovered over the years, booking lodging sometimes results in fraud alerts on my credit cards.

I would have probably chosen to go further afield, but again– I needed a special place to stay. I also would have preferred to visit during a different month, but February was when Parker could visit us. I’m sure Würzburg is even better during the other seasons, when the weather is much more agreeable than it was during our visit.

Bill, Parker, and I set off for Würzburg on the afternoon of February 5th. It was sunny and mild, and Bill had already taken Noyzi to the Birkenhof Tierpension, which is one of his favorite places to visit. It would have been nice to bring Noyzi with us, but he takes up the whole back end of our Volvo, and the rental house didn’t allow pets. We stopped at a rest area to have lunch at Nordsee, and arrived in Würzburg at about 3:30 PM, right in line with the 3 PM check in time at the house.

*Seen in the ladies room at the Rastplatz… if your pee burns, there’s a medication that can help.* *I’ll keep this in mind… along with the word “Pippipausen”.*

A strikingly pretty young woman greeted us and showed us the house, then booked our wine tasting, which was included in the rental fee. Then she invited us to come back to the tasting room for a welcome glass of wine. Weingut am Stein’s tasting room is very impressive, and the winery itself is on a hillside, which offers arresting views of Würzburg’s many landmarks. Bill and Parker tried Sylvaner wines, while I enjoyed a Riesling. We later found out at our wine tasting that Weingut am Stein specializes in Sylvaners, which is a somewhat less popular style in these parts. Bill and I had tried them before at wine tastings when we lived near Stuttgart. But those Sylvaners had come from France, not Germany.

Below are some photos I took after our arrival. Unfortunately, the weather was not nearly as nice during the rest of our stay in Würzburg, but we made the best of it…

I forgot to take photos of the two bathrooms in the house. Both are located upstairs. Only one of the bathrooms has a shower. The house also has a basement, but there was nothing in it but firewood for the small fireplace, which we never got around to trying. The fridges were stocked with Gerolsteiner water and a variety of wines from the winery. There were a couple of reds, several whites, and a couple of sparkling wines, all of which could be purchased and paid for at checkout. I think the water was complimentary.

Located nearby is a bakery, that Bill said also offered some basic incidentals like eggs, jam, and milk. He had to walk up and down stairs to get to the bakery. The train station is very close, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to walk there from the house, as it’s near a rather busy roadway without sidewalks. I would recommend having a car if you wish to book this house. The winery is very close to downtown Würzburg, but it’s not very safe or convenient to walk there from Weingut am Stein.

I spent about $1700 four comfortable nights at Weingut am Stein’s guest house. We did not have to pay a deposit or any other fees, other than for the many bottles of wine we consumed over our four night stay. The house was also fully equipped with sheets, towels, and other basic essentials.

After we got settled at the guest house, Bill, Parker, and I went into Würzburg for dinner. Bill found a restaurant called Wirtshaus am Dom, which is located right next to the cathedral. Although the restaurant is listed on OpenTable.de, Bill decided to just walk in, after we parked at Würzburg’s impressive Residenz.

As you might have guessed, Wirtshaus am Dom specializes in hearty Bavarian fare and beer. Right next door is L’Ostreria, an Italian chain restaurant, for those who would rather have pizza or pasta. Or, you could just keep walking, where you’ll encounter lots of other restaurants. There are lots of choices in Würzburg, and plenty of young people, as Würzburg is a college town.

We sat down at a comfortable table and enjoyed a delicious dinner, consisting mostly of pork… and excellent Bavarian draft beers. Below are a few photos. We all agreed the highlight of dinner was the dessert, which we all shared with Parker, as we were too stuffed to each order desserts for ourselves. I think Bill spent about 90 euros for the three of us. The entrees each ran around 20 euros, give or take a euro, plus we had four beers, two espressos, and dessert.

*I had pork with a crispy crust, dark beer gravy, and potato dumplings*

After dinner, we walked back to our parking spot at the Residenz. I was struck by how majestic the building is, and how much went into building it. This city is impressive, day or night…

Not only is the Residenz incredibly beautiful, but it also offers convenient parking near the downtown area. I wish I could tell you we toured it, but we never got around to visiting the Residenz, partly because we were preoccupied by other major life events, which I’ll explain in a forthcoming post. Anyway, Bill and I live somewhat close to Würzburg, and I think we’ll visit the region again. I hope we’ll have a chance to tour the Residenz then.

Hessen

Our wine barrel bar gets accessorized…

A couple of years ago, Bill and I decided to buy a wine barrel bar from a craftsman from Alsace, France. The craftsman, name of Bijan, is married to a German woman and has run a studio about ten minutes’ drive from our home in Breckenheim. He’s a member of my Facebook wine group, because besides making furniture, he also has a long history of selling wine, particularly at AAFES (our military store). When we bought our wine barrel bar, we noticed that someone else had ordered stools to go with it. Bijan told us he’d be happy to make us stools, too. We just had to let him know when we wanted them.

Within the past couple of years, Bijan had an accident that caused a significant injury, so he’s decided not to make furniture or sell wine anymore. Instead, he makes jewelry. We bought Bill’s daughter a couple of bracelets from him, back in September 2023. Bill has run into Bijan a few times at AAFES, and at some point last fall, he mentioned that he’d love to order stools for the wine barrel bar. Bijan said he’d be happy to make them for us. Yesterday, Bijan let us know the stools were ready. Today, we went to his studio to pick them up.

*They look beautiful, but I’m kind of afraid to sit on them! Also, they’re a little tall.* *Like the bar, they are made from a wine barrel.*

I was surprised when we got there, because Bijan’s studio has been turned into a LP/CD shop. Bijan said he was renting out his retail space to a German guy who sells music. I am a big fan of music, as most of my friends know. I could see myself spending time shopping for rare CDs at that place sometime, even though it seems like kind of a strange place to have such a business. Bijan’s studio is just outside a charming little village, which doesn’t really seem ideal for a music store. But what do I know?

Anyway, Bijan had the stools ready, and they looked beautiful. We chatted with him and his American friend, who helps him with his business. It’s too bad he won’t be making more furniture, but we’re glad to have a few of his handcrafted pieces for our home.

Bijan gifted us a bottle of French dessert wine from 2011. When Bill’s mom comes to visit us next weekend, I’m sure we’ll give it a try. The stools cost 280 euros– actually, he said they were 290, but he charged us 280. Bill gave him cash and offered a VAT form (which lets us avoid paying local taxes, since we’re Americans). Bijan already had a VAT form. So, once we paid and loaded up the stools, we headed to Globus, our “gargantuan” superstore. I wanted to check out the liquor section to see if they had any fun liqueurs. For the record, I didn’t find any… but we did get some wines. Then we picked up a few food items for the weekend.

I actually kind of hate Globus, because it’s so huge that I find being there exhausting. It’s usually pretty crowded on Saturdays, too, as everybody prepares for Sunday, when most places are closed. However, it had been a long time since my last visit, so it wasn’t a bad thing to be reminded as to why I’d rather stay home when Bill goes shopping on the German economy. I usually go to the neighborhood Rewe when I need something and Bill isn’t home. I can walk to the Rewe, although I usually don’t. Globus is absolutely enormous! It makes the Real in our previous town, Jettingen, look positively petite!

I got some photos from my outing, which will probably be the only one I get this weekend. Bill has to go to Bavaria again next week. I hate that, too… but at least it will give me a chance to teetotal.

Every time I go to Globus, I’m shocked by how humongous the store is. It’s so big that it’s overwhelming. You either leave with too much food, or get too overwhelmed to find what you need. Give me an Edeka or Rewe any day!

Schwarzwald

Baiersbronn in the Black Forest– Bareiss Style! Part seven

Ah Sunday… our last full day at the luxurious Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. Once again, I wondered if we might be able to venture to the waterfalls. Once again, I was disappointed by wind, rain, and the occasional teasing from the sun. Oh well. Now we have a reason to come back to Baiersbronn, or some other fancy resort in the area.

So what did we do on our last day? That was another pool day for us, and since I’ve already posted my pool photos in part four, I don’t have much to write about that, other than we discovered that the Bareiss has a really cool swimsuit dryer that wrings the water out of your bathing suit in eight seconds flat. I hadn’t noticed it during our first visit. Also, this was the day that I saw the nude lady in the jacuzzi, informing me that the sauna and steam room area at Hotel Bareiss is obviously clothing optional. I didn’t see any signs about that, although it’s well known in Germany that you don’t sit in a sauna or steam room while wearing a swimsuit. You will be properly bitched out for it, if you do!

Bill and I weren’t really interested in the saunas or steam rooms, anyway. After a few more turns in the indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, we just enjoyed the awesome outdoor hot tub in the sauna area, which we had all to ourselves. The sauna world also had a Kneipp walk pool, an icy cold plunge pool, foot baths, and an exit to the outside, where I assume one could walk around au naturale if they wanted to. I’ve heard being nude in public isn’t necessarily illegal in Germany, although it certainly would be noticed and frowned upon. But I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong. 😉

After we came back from the pool area, we decided to walk into town and have lunch at a restaurant at Hotel Lamm, another lodging facility located across the street from Hotel Bareiss. Hotel Lamm isn’t as fancy as Hotel Bareiss is, but it does have a pretty nice restaurant. As we were walking in, we noticed a large group of young folks in Trachten– traditional German clothing– and they were obviously headed to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. Or maybe they were going somewhere else, but they sure looked like they were going to party, and they could get the train and enjoy themselves safely.

The restaurant at Hotel Lamm is called Wipfel (Treetop), and it is staffed by young folks dressed in traditional Trachten. Our waitress switched to English as soon as she heard us speak, then apologized for not having a menu in English. It was okay, as we both speak German restaurant lingo pretty well.

I was still perturbed about the unpleasant reactions to my trout dish on Saturday, so I ordered another one! That one didn’t attract as much attention. Bill had beef with horseradish sauce. We shared a bottle of locally produced Riesling, a bottle of mineral water, and more farmer’s bread. I was impressed by the Wipfel, and the hotel itself looked nice. I’m sure it is a hell of a lot less expensive to stay there, too!

*Farmer’s bread, honey drizzled butter, and amuses from the kitchen!*

We walked around Baiersbronn a bit after a late lunch, then walked back to the Bareiss, gawking at all the Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas and Volvos… I never thought we’d stay in such a place. When we married 20 years ago, we never went anywhere for fun, because we were broke. It wasn’t until we were married 3 years before we finally went on a trip that didn’t involve staying with family. We’ve come a long way.

Dinner at Bareiss on Sunday night was a more casual affair. I didn’t visit the buffet, but I believe vegetables was the theme. As it was, I just had one course from the menu, a filet mignon with roasted potatoes, and dessert. I wanted to try another steak, and was pleased that this time, the temperature was right. I also loved the dessert, which was a pistachio parfait.

Because it was our last night, and because I was thinking of Arran, who was named after a Scottish island in the Hebrides, Bill and I visited the bar one last time. I drank a couple of drams of whisky, while Bill had a cocktail and a wee dram of scotch. I was glad to see they had Glen Scotia from Campbeltown, but they didn’t have any Springbank!

The bartender, who had been a little aloof, was genuinely kind when we said we were going home. It was nice to hang out in her bar for a few days. But going home is better for the wallet! And, to be honest, as much as I enjoyed our visit, I was ready to come home. I think long trips are kind of hard for us, especially when things are structured, as they tend to be in resorts. I don’t know if or when we’ll be back to the Schwarzwald “on holiday”, but I would love to find a really nice self-catering house with great views of the mountains and the freedom to try different places for dinner.

On the other hand, of course I would also love to go to the Bareiss again. Stay tuned for part eight, which will close out this series.

Health

Wiesbaden on business, followed by pleasure…

I have been needing a new contact lens prescription for ages. Now that I’ve reached 50 years of age, my eyes don’t work the way they used to. I need reading glasses, but I don’t wear them because I didn’t know what kind I needed. Besides, if I don’t wear my lenses, I can read just fine. But when I have them in, I have a very hard time reading small print. Likewise, Bill was in need of a new lens prescription, as it had been five years since our last exams. I’ve been taking advantage of the fact that one can buy contact lenses in Germany without an official or yearly updated prescription. If you know what you need, you can simply order from Amazon. So that’s what I’ve done… but it’s not been without its drawbacks, as I’ve gradually been self prescribing stronger lenses for myself.

The last time we saw an eyecare professional, Bill and I visited the Stuttgart health center on Patch Barracks, then filled our prescriptions at an optical shop in Nagold, a cute town near where we used to live in BW. Wiesbaden doesn’t have such a facility, and even if it did, using it would be on a space available basis for peons like us. So Bill decided to “bite the bullet”, and he made us appointments at Apollo Optik, an optometrist in downtown Wiesbaden. I should mention that Apollo is one of many eyecare outfits downtown. We passed two others on the way there today.

Bill made our appointments online, and we both got confirmations and reminders by email. Bill was in a hurry to get to the shop, but he needn’t have worried about being on time. Apollo wasn’t like the typical eye doctor’s office we’re used to, where there are places to sit. 😉 We arrived and waited for the painfully shy gentleman helping the people ahead of us to check in. He didn’t speak much English, and didn’t seem all that comfortable with German, either. He did not appear to be a local. My appointment was first, so I sat at a machine that did an automated exam that took about two minutes. But he neglected to tell me to remove my contacts first, so we had to do it again, once I’d taken them out. I was glad I brought my glasses and a fresh pair of lenses!

After a short delay, the technician came in and did my exam. He spoke English reasonably well, and was actually very thorough, as I explained that I need to upgrade from my regular astigmatism dailies to multifocal lenses. My prescription had changed a bit regardless, so it was good that we went in. He ordered new lenses for me to try, and when they come in, we’ll go pick them up and I’ll try them out. If they don’t work, he’ll order different ones. 😉 We are going away next week for a few days; then Bill has a business trip. We’re also dealing with Arran, who is newly diagnosed with lymphoma. But hopefully, we can get in and pick up the new lenses so I can at least see better.

Speaking of Arran… he’s a little slower than usual, especially in the morning, but he’s hanging in there. Yesterday, Noyzi got a dental, and Arran had more blood samples taken so that we might know what kind of lymphoma he’s got, and whether or not it will be worth it to treat him with chemotherapy. But again, he’s about 13 or 14 years old, so we’ll probably just make him comfortable until the sad day comes when we have to say goodbye.

Now, back to our day in Wiesbaden, which is a happier topic. Bill got his exam done. He just wanted new lenses for his glasses, as his frames from Nagold are made of titanium and he likes them. They were also expensive. The whole appointment took about 90 minutes, and when we were done, we both really had to pee and wanted some food. Our plan had been to eat at the City Fest, or the Fall Fest, both of which are going on right now. Unfortunately, for some reason, the toilets weren’t open, even though the fest was in full swing! So we decided to visit the Andechser Ratskeller, where we’d eaten once before, back in 2019. I’ve been wanting German food anyway, so it was perfect.

I had a Doppelbock beer, while Bill had a “special Hell” (hell is a German style of beer, not the fiery place down below). To eat, I had Schweinebraten with Rotkohl and a potato Knodel. Bill had a Wiener Schnitzel with fries. It was hearty fare served by a hardworking waiter, who was delighted when Bill tipped him American style. Our bill was 42,50 euros, and Bill gave him 50 and told him to keep the change. I could see the guy got a nice lift from that, since he was really busting his ass! I’m sure that might help him pay his energy bill this year. 😉 Or maybe pay for a few liters of gas… Ordinarily, we don’t tip like Americans when we’re in Germany, since people who work in restaurants actually get paid here. But I know firsthand how tough that job is, and we can afford to be generous sometimes.

After we ate, we made our way back toward the parking garage, stopping to explore the fall fest. I remember going to it in 2019, before COVID was a thing. It was great to see everything back in full swing again. People were having a lot of fun, and I saw some art I wanted to buy. Maybe we’ll go back tomorrow and get something, making sure to be armed with more cash. I heard several excellent musicians in the city fest, including an awesome brass band who were playing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (yes, by Guns n’ Roses). I wanted to listen to them, since I love brass bands… but my bladder was screaming for relief. So maybe we’ll catch them another time. They were great! We also heard a British duo performing a lovely version of “Old Man” by Neil Young, and a beautiful classical guitar player, enchanting people on a soundstage.

We did need to get home, though… the boys needed to eat and pee, and they were happy to see us.

Here are some photos from today’s excursion!

Cool busker with a marionette playing violen.

I hadn’t wanted to go out today, but I’m glad I did. I was reminded of how lucky we are to live in Germany, especially at this time of year. Autumn is magical in Germany. It’s almost as amazing as Christmas is.

customs

New neighbors clue me in to a German tradition I had never heard of…

Bill had to go out of town on business, so I’m spending most of the week alone. We got a bunch of Amazon deliveries yesterday– a new spool for the weed whacker, dog food for Noyzi, contact lenses for me, and two bottles of liqueurs that I was curious about trying. I thought I was finished answering the door when the bell rang again. I will admit, I was a little annoyed, mainly because I wasn’t wearing clothes that people outside of the household should see. But I answered the doorbell anyway…

It was our neighbors-to-be, whom we met on Friday night– mom, dad, and two young children. They were all dressed up, and the wife was holding a plate with what appeared to be a piece of bread on it. She said, in her heavily accented and somewhat broken English (which is still much better than my German any day), that yesterday was the first day of school, and it’s a tradition for sweet “Brezels” to be served for good luck. I think she also said that it was tradition to share the treat with a neighbor, and originally she had described what looked like a yeast bread as “cake”.

In ten years of living in Germany, this has never happened to me before, so I was unaware of the custom, but I was very moved by the gesture, nonetheless. Especially since they are going to be our neighbors as of next month! I did enjoy talking to them at our party the other day, mainly because she was born and raised in the Stuttgart area and had some rather candid opinions about her hometown that I found amusing. Let’s just say that she has the same impressions of the Swabian culture that a lot of people seem to have, and she prefers living in Hesse. Personally, I really like the Stuttgart area, but I have to agree that Hessians are stereotypically friendlier.

She presented the piece of “Brezel” to me on a lovely plate. I asked her what I should do with the plate when we were finished with it. She said I could return it when they move in next month. I am enjoying the Brezel bread for breakfast today, with my coffee. I thought it had raisins in it, too, but now that I’ve tasted it, I think they’re chocolate chips! Even better!

I posted about this surprise gift on Facebook, and my German friend– also hailing from Baden-Württemberg– was initially confused about the tradition herself. But then when I explained that the “cake” was actually Brezel, she wrote “alles klar”, and explained that it‘s customary for sweet pretzels (Brezels) to be made for the new school year, and passed out to the kids. Usually, one only sees them at New Year’s, when they are made fresh and passed out to family and friends for good luck and cohesion. However, in some areas, they also make them for St. Martin’s Day, or for the new school year, which starts in September in these parts.

Here’s a video about the New Year’s Pretzel, which I guess is the same as the pretzel handed out yesterday.

My friend asked if the bread was braided, and I wrote that I couldn’t tell, as it was only a generous sized piece of the Brezel, and not a whole one. But after a few minutes of research, she was able to find the answer for me. Now that I think about it, I believe our new neighbor’s husband’s family– who is also going to be our neighbor– is from a bit north of Wiesbaden. He brought some special beer to the party that can only be found in that area, and he and Bill bonded over it.

One of the things I like about living in Europe is that there are a lot of surprises. Most of the time, they’re pleasant surprises, like the time we lived in Jettingen and I got serenaded by three kids dressed up for Three Kings Day. They were collecting money for the Catholic church, and they were so adorable I couldn’t resist giving them some spare euros. There’s always something going on here, and so many traditions. We’re also heading into my favorite time of year, when the summer heat dissipates, and the weather gets cozy. I can stop wearing my t-shirts and Daisy Duke shorts (which I can’t pull off worth a damn), and wear pretty sweaters, scarves, and jewelry.

Hopefully, this new family will turn out to be actual friends. So far, so good. The wife even laughed at my jokes… especially when I was talking about having to leave Stuttgart early the first time and said, “I was PIIISSSED…” Come to think of it, I was probably also “pissed”, in the British sense of the word, when I was telling that story… But it’s a good sign that she wasn’t offended. 😉

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Our first visit to Landhaus Diedert… I give it an A+!

Yesterday, as I was considering where we might visit in Italy later this month, I realized that it had been awhile since our last nice meal. I asked Bill what he thought about going to one of our favorite restaurants, Villa Im Tal. He was up for it, but Villa Im Tal was closed this weekend. Then Bill noticed Landhaus Diedert, a restaurant and hotel located in the Kloster Klarenthal, which dates back to the 13th century. While I was searching for places to stay during our upcoming trip, Bill was reading up about this restaurant, which is family run and has a mention in the Michelin Guide. After today’s lunch, I can see why. We had an absolutely FANTASTIC experience.

The restaurant is located on the outskirts of Wiesbaden, in an area not far from nature. There’s free parking, and in the warm months, they offer a very nice outdoor area, complete with a little playhouse for the kids. But the food here is anything but kid stuff. It was more what I would call a mix of comfort food and haute cuisine.

The mask requirements in Hesse were dropped yesterday, and our vaccine statuses weren’t checked, but I noticed everyone wore masks in the lovely dining room at Landhaus Diedert. I don’t know if that was required; they didn’t have a sign up. I suspect people are just used to masking, and as time passes, more people will relax. The staff all wore masks, and there were two hand sanitizing stations in the restaurant, which is very beautiful. I do know that the health minister wants people to keep masking. Personally, I look forward to being done with the fucking things… but I did wear a mask today, since everyone else was doing it.

When we first arrived, we were taken for Germans. That always pleases me. One waiter delivered the specials in German. I understood most of what he said, but when he was finished he heard me say in English, “It’s asparagus season.” And indeed, they did have a number of asparagus specials available. He was kind enough to give us the specials in English, and brought us menus in English, too. I was grateful for the English menus, although they weren’t necessary. We enjoyed a round of Sekt and some fresh breads with hummus and butter, then perused the extensive wine menu. Bill chose a lovely Shiraz from South Africa.

To start, I had a delicious wild garlic soup with a won ton filled with smoked trout, and served with a side of wasabi mayonnaise. Bill had a cannelloni filled with goat cheese and served with greens and a walnut dressing. I tried the walnut dressing, though I’m not a goat cheese fan. Bill liked his starter very much, but I LOVED the wild garlic soup. It made my tastebuds sing from the first taste. Although it was a bit rich, I had to finish the whole thing. I exclaimed how good it was as one of the servers cleared the first course. I have a feeling it’s a popular offering.

For our main courses, Bill had a perfectly tender U.S. flank steak with prosciutto wrapped asparagus and pureed sweet potatoes, topped with chimchuree. I had a braised beef short rib with smoked roasted and mashed potatoes, leeks, roasted corn, and a sweet gravy with blueberries. It was very rich, but absolutely delicious and comforting. We had to take our time with the main courses, because they were substantial. I did end up bringing home some of the mashed potatoes.

Then, for dessert we decided to go with something different. Bill decided to have a flambeed pineapple slices, with ice cream. This was prepared at the table for us, and the gentleman who served us was kind enough to let me take a video, which I have posted at the bottom of this post. I had a rhubarb crumble with vanilla ice cream that was very extreme. I mean, I’ve had vanilla ice cream, but this was something very special.

Service was kind, competent, and expedient. The pacing of the meal was perfect, and we noticed that everyone seemed very jovial. It must have been the food and the friendly service. I wouldn’t say this restaurant is particularly kid friendly, but I did see some children there, and they seemed happy to be there. And, again, in the summer, they can play while the adults enjoy the food, which is really something to behold. Total bill was about 185 euros, before the tip, and we paid with a credit card.

Landhaus Diedert makes a great place to celebrate a special occasion, or just celebrate great, seasonal food. We really enjoyed ourselves today. This is one place I’m glad we didn’t miss.

I’m sure we will be back again… Below are some photos from today’s fabulous lunch!

Bill’s dessert. The waiter was kind enough to let me video. I’m sure I’m not the first.

And just to close out this post. I want to add a couple more photos… things I noticed on the drive to and from the restaurant.

What a great Sunday! I hope we can do this a lot more often now.

Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz

From Wiesbaden to wine, women, and Worms…

We had nice weather today. It was the first nice, warm, sunny day in about a week. Or, at least the day started out nice, anyway. We have clouds right now. At about 11:30am, I asked Bill if he’d like to go do something. He said he would. I’d been wanting to visit Worms, a well touristed city in Rheinland-Palatinate, maybe an hour’s drive from Wiesbaden. So we beagle proofed the house, got in the trusty Volvo, and headed to the city of slimy critters.

*Crossing the Rhein River into Worms… this is the Nibelungenturm, built by architect Karl Hoffman’s, whose handiwork can be spotted all over the city. It’s pretty cool!*

By the time we got to Worms, I was hungry. It was about 12:45pm when we parked, and then because Bill parked in an outdoor parking spot at Das Wormser, he only got an hour. It was long enough for me to take this photo of yet another one of Germany’s provocative ads. Well, it would be provocative in the United States, for sure…

*Netto is a discount market… I guess the wardrobe budget was cut for this ad. 😉*

So we made a quick trip to the Wormser Dom, the big Catholic church where Martin Luther was condemned as a heretic. More went on there, of course, but since I am neither a Catholic nor a student of history, I can’t write authoritatively on the cathedral, except to mention that it had a lofty history before it was reduced in status to a parish church. When you come to Worms, you’ll see it easily on the horizon, and it begs a visit. I got a few photos, which I noticed made Bill tear up.

*You can see a “dragon” in this photo. My German friend says Worms has a bunch of dragons around the city. They’re very cute.*

And a few shots of the other side, which is where the main entrance is.

After we took a walk around the cathedral, Bill moved the car into the inside of the garage at Das Wormser, and we headed back into the city in search of lunch. By that time, I was pretty hungry and getting a bit grouchy. But I still managed to take a few more pictures, which because of Apple’s latest update, Catalina, are a bit of a pain in the ass to upload.

*There were lots of people in the city today…*

Finally, we ran across a restaurant that was still open, even though it was about 2:00pm. Die Pfälzer stays open for lunch until 2:30pm and they were able to help us out with some tasty, high quality food. I was definitely feeling better after a healthy lunch of salmon, spinach, and boiled potatoes washed down with wheat beer, although this restaurant is known for its wines. Bill had grilled wurst with sauerkraut and fried potatoes. There was a table full of Americans in there and I was reminded of how loud my countrymen can be. But overall, it was a nice, economical experience…

After lunch, we headed back toward the Marktplatz and stopped into the Evangelische Kirche– that’s the protestant church in town. It was impressive on the outside, but looked a bit refurbished on the inside, circa 1960 something.

*Nice, but not so soul stirring as the Dom…*

We walked out of the church to discover a wine bar set up outside. Naturally, I couldn’t resist a glass for the road. I drank most of Bill’s too, since he was driving. I love this about this part of Germany. You can go to any town and find neighbors socializing over wine. I don’t remember seeing this in the Stuttgart area. Down there, it’s more beer and less hanging out… but I like Stuttgart too, for many other reasons.

*Lots of convivial people enjoying wine on a Saturday…*

Last night, we went to our neighborhood wine stand. I got a few photos of that, too. We ended up chatting with our neighbor, Uli, who speaks English fluently and has a horse and a cool dog named Levi that she adopted from an American soldier who went to Iraq. I love Levi… and Uli says if we’re ready for another dog, she can help us get one. Something tells me we might not be a three member family for the rest of our time here.

Photos from last night’s fun… one of our neighbors who had seen us at earlier wine stands came over, welcomed us in German, and said it was wonderful we were hanging out with them. Americans could learn a few things from Hessians.

*No, it’s not a urine sample. A neighbor makes apple wine. This five liter bottle, which included the bottle, was six euros.*

I really hope I get the hang of Catalina soon… or they do something to fix the many glitches in the new system. Otherwise, future posts might be lighter on photos. But so far, our holiday weekend has been good. It’s hard to believe a year ago, we came to Wiesbaden for the first time to look for a place to live. Time flies when you’re still having fun!

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The Eagles sure didn’t stink in Cologne… part 3

On thing Cologne, Germany is known for is its Kölsch (or Koelsch) beer. This beer is very light, crisp, dry, and refreshing, and it’s usually served in a tall, cylindrical, 20 cL glass called a rod or a spike. The server, called a Köbes, carries twelve of the “rods” in a caddy known as a Kranz. It looks kind of like a crown or a wreath.

Kölsch bars are plentiful in Cologne, but there’s one that is right in the thick of things. The Gaffel am Dom restaurant is next to the Excelsior Hotel Ernst and across from the train station. When we visited Cologne in 2012, we ate there, so we decided to do it again in 2019. As we walked into the large building, we were invited to sit wherever we wanted.

There are two entrances… one across from the train station and the other around the corner.

The inside of the restaurant. It’s actually pretty huge.

Neither Bill nor I were very hungry, thanks to a filling lunch at the airport. We just wanted to drink some beer and maybe have something a little light. Well, I’m here to tell you that finding something light isn’t so easy at this restaurant, but I did manage to go vegetarian.

Our waiter carries a Kranz full of beer.

The waiters will keep bringing you beer and mark how many you have on a coaster.

When you’ve had enough, do this.

Prost! It’s definitely not like a Weizen. Kölsch beer is different, because it’s warm fermented with ale yeast, then cold conditioned like a lager.

Bill used his beer to wash down beef goulash, which came with a little potato dumpling. He had this the first time we visited and wanted to try it again.

I was happy with my three fried potato fritters with black bread, butter, and apple sauce garnished with cranberry sauce. This was surprisingly hearty and filling. They also had meat versions of this dish with the potatoes, which sounded good, but I honestly wasn’t hungry enough for them. I had been eyeing a chicken salad, but noticed another woman got what I’d been looking at. It was HUGE! She actually cried out in surprise when she got it.

The waiters at this restaurant are very professional. The one who took care of us had a great sense of humor and looked dismayed when we stopped at ten beers (five a piece). Remember, they’re small glasses.

I meant to call attention to Cologne’s love locks. I’ve seen this “fad” all around Europe and it’s really popular on Cologne. You get a lock with your name and your lover’s name engraved on it, then lock it to the fence by the train station near the Rhein River.

The love locks were everywhere!

I’ve read they had to cut off the locks in Paris because they were so heavy they were ruining fences.

I’m sure this refers to a politician…

You can buy these locks at souvenir shops. There is one right across from the train station that sells and engraves them.

Aw… what a charming fad…

Lots and lots of people have hooked their love locks in Cologne. Bill and I didn’t.

We weren’t quite ready for bed when we finished wandering around the train station, so we decided to try the hotel’s piano bar. Every night, from 7:00 until midnight, a pianist plays in the hotel’s wood paneled bar. There, you can listen to music while you sip pricey cocktails, beer, wine, or something non-alcoholic. Bill loves to try new cocktails, especially since he usually has to drive when we go places.

I started with an expertly prepared Sazerac, served in a lead crystal glass…

Bill’s cocktail… I am hard pressed to remember what it was. I guess drinking cocktails will do that to a person.

The bartender was great. He made excellent recommendations in English and made some fantastic drinks for us.

The little baby grand…. Smallest one I’ve ever seen.

White Lady.

A fridge dedicated to Dom Perignon!

While we were sitting in the bar, another couple came in. The wife was American and her husband was Swedish. It turned out they had come to Cologne from Malmo, Sweden to see the Eagles, too. We ended up talking about other concerts we’ve seen. We have similar tastes in music. In July, we are going to see Mark Knopfler. She said they’d wanted to go to that show, but won’t be there. We ran into those people everywhere except at the concert hall.

Her husband didn’t say anything, while his wife did the talking. I got the sense that maybe she missed talking to fellow Americans or something. She was a bit forward, but friendly enough, I guess.

After a few drinks in the piano bar, we headed up to bed. It was expertly turned down and the air conditioning was cranked, even though it’s not been hot here. I am no longer used to air conditioning, so I was a bit chilly.

Each night, the turn down person leaves you a little card with a quote on it…

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: German food