Last night, Bill was looking for places to eat and he noticed that one of our favorite restaurants, Die Scheuer, in Hofheim, was going to be open. I’m not sure why they have now decided to open on Sundays, but it was good news for us. We’ve been to this place a few times and enjoyed several good meals there, but we tend to go out on Sundays. Until now, with the exception of Easter last year, they were closed on Sundays.
Bill made a 1:00 PM reservation, and we just got back from a lovely two hour repast. From start to finish, it was excellent! When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the proprietor and a very cute little dog. They knew who we were, and escorted us upstairs to the very charming wooden dining room, with Eckbank Gruppes all over the place. I love the Eckbank Gruppes, because I don’t have to worry that my ass is going to be squashed. 😆
I ordered a glass of Champagne– again, perhaps too many Trek Trendy videos– and Bill had a non-alcoholic Inge (ginger) cocktail as aperitifs, while we decided on what to have for lunch… We also ordered sparkling water, and they brought out fresh bread with butter. Bill decided to use the olive oil and salt on the table, instead…
Nice bubbles… for 18 euros!
There were a couple of specials available, which were explained to us in English. One was a smoked salmon roulade, which was there in place of a tuna appetizer they’d run out of. The others were the catch of the day (loup de mer) and duck.
I decided to have a lovely pea foam soup with smoked trout, followed by the duck, which came with gravy, warm cabbage slaw, and a potato knoedel. Bill went for the smoked salmon special and braised beef cheeks with truffled mushrooms, celery puree, dehydrated carrots, and herb spaetzle. We also ordered a bottle of red wine from the Pfalz…
The food was excellent, and we were on our best behavior. A woman and a young man who might have been her son were sitting near us. I suspect they might have overheard and understood us talking about the strange and difficult times we’re in… Maybe they were somewhat relieved, as I told Bill I think it’s time we got rid of the electoral college and had more candidates to choose from when it comes to our presidential elections. Or maybe they were just very polite.
We were trying not to be loud, and I don’t think we were. But as they left, the woman smiled warmly and said “goodbye.” I responded with “Auf Wiedersehen!”, and she beamed at me! I do get the sense that a lot of Germans seem relieved when they run into Americans and they aren’t obvious fans of the felon.
For dessert, we were both undecided, and let the coin tell us what to have. I ended up with the Kaffee Grande, which was a shot of espresso with mini versions of the the desserts. Bill went for the mandarin “frischkase” tart with mandarin ice cream. I think I would have had that, if not for the coin toss.
This was a brilliant dessert. I got to try everything for two euros more than if I’d just had the cheese tart.This was my second choice.
All told, the lunch came to about 235 euros or so. Bill tipped like an American (40 euros 😳), which I think made the waiter very happy. When we left, he had a huge grin on his face. 😆 I don’t think it was just because he was glad to be taking a break and getting rid of the Americans. We were pretty low maintenance… ordered everything as it was on the menu, and didn’t complain. The dog said goodbye to us, too.
I really like Die Scheuer. I hope we’ll soon have a chance to go back there. We definitely need to visit Hofheim more often. It’s an adorable town! I don’t know why the restaurant is now open on Sundays. I hope it’s not due to money problems. That place is a real gem in Hofheim!
I don’t think I’ll need to eat again until tomorrow, but I did bring home a few leftovers, just in case I get hungry later. These are the times when I’m very grateful for good plumbing.
Anyway, I always highly recommend Die Scheuer. If you’re near Hofheim and looking for a nice place to dine, it’s a good bet. I recommend making reservations and bringing a credit card or a good amount of cash. It’s definitely not a cheap place to eat, but I think it’s well worth what you spend there.
As I was writing yesterday’s post, Bill came into my office and asked if I wanted to go out and do something. We quickly decided to visit the Wein am Stadtpark festival in Mainz. We have been to that fest before, but I think it was a few years ago. I know we went in 2019, but then the pandemic came, and we usually travel for Labor Day weekend, which is when the event usually happens. Last year, for instance, we were in Iceland.
Wein am Stadtpark usually occurs during the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September. They don’t run it during the week. I’m not sure if they take all of the food trucks and such out during the week. Seems like that would be impractical, since there are people from all sorts of wineries there.
Anyway, we had nice weather yesterday. It was partly cloudy and not super hot, so we decided to go. We parked at the shitty garage near the Römische Theater, then walked through a tunnel, which had train tracks running over it, and up a hill, which put us on the road to the city park. That’s my one complaint about this fest/market. It’s not very close to a parking garage, and to get to it, you have to walk uphill. Because we didn’t eat before we went, I was unusually winded when we climbed the steps up to the street. But I recovered soon enough, and we walked on a lovely forested path to the celebration.
I got lots of photos…
We kind of took it easy at the fest. Bill had a wine schorle (white wine with sparkling water) and grape juice. I had two glasses of white wine. We also had salmon wraps for lunch. They were really good! I don’t know why the salmon truck never comes to the Wiesbaden fests! Of course, they also had a truck devoted to mushrooms (eew).
The festival was very well attended with people of all ages. They had kid friendly activities and plenty of food, wine stands, and even a Biergarten. Bill and I were noticing how beautiful the park is and saying we need to go there sometime when there isn’t a fest. I’d like to go just to try the Biergarten, which is connected to a hotel there. The park also offers views of the Rhein/Rhine River, and it’s not far from St. Stephan’s church, which is where Marc Chagall’s beautiful blue windows are.
After we visited the park, we went home and enjoyed our backyard for a couple of hours. Bill is getting ready to fly to Lausanne for the night. He’ll be back tomorrow, and then we can plan our visit to Budapest.
I do appreciate the festivals here in Germany. They’re always celebrating something. And if I had to compare the Wein am Stadtpark to the Rheingauer Weinwoche, I think I’d prefer the Wein am Stadtpark market. I just wish the parking was a bit closer. The parking garage is usually pretty full; it’s not a nice garage; and getting to the park requires a steep walk uphill, which makes it harder for fatass housewives and people with mobility issues. 😉
Bill got home from Romania yesterday afternoon. His flight was delayed, but it wasn’t too terribly late. Still, he didn’t get home until about 6:00 PM. He was fussing about what to have for dinner, and I suggested that maybe we should go out to lunch at Landhaus Diedert today. He agreed, and we had a nice vegetable and hummus dinner washed down with beer.
Our reservation was at 1:00 PM. We dressed up a bit, although Landhaus Diedert is a pretty casual place. The food and service are excellent, but you can come as you are. In the summer, this is especially fine, because chances are good you’ll be sitting out in their beautiful Biergarten, which has huge mature oak trees that offer plenty of shade. We parked on the road behind the restaurant, although we could have scored a spot in their parking lot.
I was very appreciative of the comfortable chairs in their Garten, along with the umbrella. Last time we ate outside at Landhaus Diedert, we were at a table that didn’t have an umbrella. After a round of aperitifs– a house cocktail for me, and alcohol free prosecco for Bill– we ordered. Bill got bottles of red wine and sparkling water. We watched a waiter train a new staff member on how to do wine service. I remembered when I first had to serve wine at a table. The guy did a good job teaching his colleague.
I had a vegetarian pea and mint soup with ricotta filled raviolis. Bill had a smoked Forellen-lachs dish with cherry sorbet. Then, for lunch, I had fried chicken breast with parslied mashed potatoes and honey cherry tomatoes. Bill had Angus filet with parmesan crust, Béarnaise sauce, and green asparagus.
Then, after a short pause, as we drank our delightful Italian red wine, we had dessert. I had what they call a “quick dessert”, which was chocolate creme brulee and a cup of coffee or espresso (in my case, an Americano with sugar), and Bill a cherry Clafouti with marinated cherries and cherry sorbet.
As usual, everything was delicious, and the service was laid back and professional. We’ve never had a bad experience at Landhaus Diedert. It’s always a pleasure to go there and have really good food, even if maybe it was a little heavy for summertime.
Perhaps next week, we’ll manage a visit to our other favorite Wiesbaden Sunday lunch spot, Villa im Tal. We can always count on a warm welcome there.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying lunch at the Landhaus Diedert today… except for maybe one of the two kids who were in attendance. But the lovely thing about this restaurant is that it has a little playground for kids to play on while they wait for the food. The same child who protested a couple of times was enjoying the playground when we came in…
And as we were sitting there under the gorgeous oak trees, I couldn’t help thinking, once again, we are so blessed to get to live in Germany. I’ll always be grateful to the people of Germany for being more welcoming to strangers than my own homeland has been.
Anyway, as usual, I highly recommend Landhaus Diedert to anyone in the Wiesbaden area looking for a truly wonderful meal.
While Bill and I were in the hotel room, digesting our fabulous French lunch, the skies turned cloudy and grim. It started to rain. I looked out the window at the cathedral. We were supposed to meet the guide at 4:00 PM for our hourlong guided tour of the crypt. But the rain was coming down steadily and showed no signs of stopping.
I realized that the rainy weather would also put the kibosh on my tentative plans to go hear the US Air Force play with with Lithuanians in the town square. That concert, set for 6:30 PM, seemed like it was going to be doomed with bad weather.
Bill glanced out the window and said, “Hey, there’s a guy out there in a bright red Cadillac Coupe d’Ville, stranded on the street. There’s something you don’t see every day! The guy was on the phone. I felt sorry for the car trapped by the big red land yacht. But it was soon back on its way, and the road was no longer blocked by the striking car.
I said, “Are you really wedded to going to the crypt?” I really didn’t feel like braving the elements.
Bill responded, “Not really.”
I gave some thought to skipping the tour, as my muscles were getting sorer by the minute and I didn’t really want to sprint to the church in the rain. But Bill said that Thursday would be our one and only chance to take the tour in English, so ultimately, we decided to go. I’m really glad we did. It turned out to be a fascinating activity, led by an engaging, witty, and very intelligent guide who told us she’d worked at the Cathedral as an anthropologist for nine years.
I couldn’t help but remember my days at Longwood University, which, at least when I was a student, boasted a really excellent anthropology and archaeology program. I wish I’d taken at least one anthropology class there, as when I was a student, there was a very well known professor there, Dr. James W. Jordan, who was kind of a legendary for his ghost stories. He’s now retired.
In any case, a group of us tourists gathered in the rain and hustled into the church, where the guide took us to a locked grated door. She unlocked the door; we walked down a flight of steps, and she started telling us the fascinating story of the crypts. It started out as a place where only the wealthiest people could be buried… people who had donated land and/or built a church, plus had people who had promised to pray for them forever. As time went on, the people buried there were less wealthy and celebrated.
The church went through several incarnations, all of which were fashionable at the time. I got a kick out of the guide explaining how the cathedral had once had two beautiful towers, but one of them collapsed, and killed people. The people were divided in what they should do… Rebuild the towers? Or redesign the church? It turned out the people with more money were in the camp that the towers should go. So that’s why the Vilnius cathedral looks the way it does now!
The guide also told us about how medieval crowns and scepters were very recently found (as in months ago) in the crypt. Experts knew the trove existed, as it was stashed away after World War II. However, they had not been able to find it in the decades that passed since the war ended. The guide said that next year, they will be available to be seen in the museum, once they are prepared.
We also saw a very old painting of Mary, done by an artist who wasn’t Catholic and had dressed her in red, instead of blue. And we saw the tombs of royalty from hundreds of years ago, and heard the fascinating stories behind their lives and deaths. The guide also invited us to whisper into the corners of the crypt and listen for whispers from a partner. Bill and I tried it, with success!
Lithuania is the last European country to accept Christianity (1387 AD). By contrast, Armenia, where I spent two years, is the first country in the world to accept Christianity as its state religion (in 301 AD). And yet, both were once Soviet countries, where people from Moscow were telling them what to do and demanding that they give up their cultural identities.
It was very poignant to hear the guide talk about things that happened in the Soviet times. Soviet leaders had wanted to turn that cathedral into a warehouse. Fortunately, wiser people determined it was better suited as a concert hall and picture gallery. Also, people who worked in the crypts were wise enough to hide things from Soviet leaders, who would have confiscated the items and taken them to Moscow, never to be seen again.
Below are some photos from the tour:
A pump that was put in during the Soviet era.The lady in the pink was asking a lot of questions. I later heard her speaking in what sounded like Lithuanian.This is a replica, but the real painting is in the crypt. A mirror reflection, with Mary in red instead of blue.A photo reproduction of Queen Barbara, who was said to be very beautiful.
When the crypt tour was over, I was really glad we decided to go. Not only was the tour interesting and informative, the guide was very entertaining and personable. It was well worth the time and euros to attend, even if I was getting sorer by the minute and we got a little wet.
Unfortunately, the weather was still pretty stormy and dismal after the tour. We decided to have a couple of beers at the hotel bar and, alas, skip the free concert in the town square. As I looked out the windows in the bar, the wind picked up, the sky darkened, and the rain fell harder.
Check out the rain!
I felt sorry for the musicians who had planned for a summer concert, only to be rained on. I’m sure the show went on anyway, but it was still kind of sad. I really was looking forward to attending, but not enough to walk to the square in the rain and possibly have to stand in the weather while my muscles screamed in pain. I thought of my dad, an Air Force veteran and music lover, when he used to encourage my sisters and me to join the Air Force and be in the “Singing Sergeants”. I have to agree, it’s probably a pretty sweet gig, except for when the weather turns to shit and the show is outside.
Still, it was nice to have a couple of beers in the hotel bar. They didn’t have a big selection. We were still kind of full from our French lunch at Balzac, so we ate nuts and cheese (or Bill ate cheese), and then went back to the room, where we watched classic MTV. We made it an early evening.
The next morning was, of course, my birthday… and we woke up to… MORE RAIN! Seriously, it was pouring. We got up and went to breakfast, and a friendly waitress asked us how we were doing. I mentioned it was my birthday– just making conversation. She later brought me a surprise!
A lovely little cake with a candle. Yes, I made a wish!Eggs Royale, with smoked salmon and roe, as well as the usual Hollandaise sauce.Bill had Belgian waffles with berries and maple syrup.
After breakfast, we went back to the room, which was already made up! I made a video…
My parody video “The Things They Do For Trump” was racking up lots of hits and earning me lots of new subscribers. So I made a video from our hotel room…
Then… we decided to do some reading, to see if maybe the rain would let up. It didn’t let up, which honestly was a blessing, because I really needed to rest my sore muscles. I took some Advil, which helped a bit, before we went to lunch at Dionysos, a Greek restaurant right next to the hotel. The friendly waitress who brought me the cake later told us she’d almost worked there, but didn’t like the people running it. We liked the restaurant fine… Bill had three chicken skewers with hummus (that was one too many) and I had ribs with fries, and rose wine made with syrah.
It was still raining cats and dogs after our visit to the Greek place, so we went back to the hotel and read some more. I learned that the Grand Hotel Vilnius used to be a telegraph station, and then served as the treasury building. Now, it’s a five star hotel with 93 rooms. We did like the hotel, for the most part. It was very comfortable. I was grateful for that, as the rain fell on my birthday. I hate to waste a day sitting in the hotel when I travel, but honestly, I’m not sure how well I would have done walking around Vilnius with so much muscle stiffness and soreness!
Finally, the rain let up, and we decided to go to a bar that specialized in craft beers. In retrospect, I wish we’d gone out for dinner, but lunch at the Greek place had left us rather sated. I have missed craft beers, too. We do have them in Germany, but they aren’t always easy to find. Like… you can’t necessarily go to the local drink market and find exotic beers in Germany, although you will find excellent German beers. So I was excited to visit Nisha Craft Capital, which was very close to the hotel.
Bill and I spent a couple of hours at this bar, trying all sorts of craft beers and listening to the same loop of excellent classic rock songs. Seriously, though, I think they need to add to their playlist. We heard the same songs at least three times during our first visit (we went back twice more). The other two times we visited, we sat outside in their beer garden.
After our evening of beers, we went back to the hotel for birthday bubbles… I didn’t need the bubbles, but hell, I don’t turn 53 every day. It was fun watching the well dressed people showing off in the bar and restaurant.
Finally, it was time to call it a night, so we did. The next day, we had much better weather, and saw a lot more. I’ll write about that in the next post!
The second part of our culinary inspired weekend occurred at Villa im Tal, one of our favorite local restaurants. We’ve been there a number of times over the past few years. In fact, we’ve been so many times that most of the staff recognize and warmly welcome us. Such was the case yesterday, when we were rewarded with a bright smile from one of the wait staff, who invited us to choose a table. I ended up picking the one we sat at the last time we visited, around the Christmas holidays.
I always enjoy going to Villa im Tal, because even though it’s just a few minutes’ drive from Wiesbaden’s city center, it’s located in a gorgeous wooded area near a natural spring. There’s plenty of parking, and it’s very quiet and peaceful there… most of the time, anyway. There are some people appearing to be of Middle Eastern origin who usually hang around the spring with plastic containers/jugs for collecting the water. I suspect they try to sell the jugs to people. They were there yesterday, but didn’t cause an issue when we arrived for our 1 PM reservation.
Right now, it’s asparagus season, so Villa im Tal has a “Spargel Karte” (asparagus menu). The asparagus actually comes from the fields near where we take our dogs for boarding (Greisheim). They also have their usual offerings, which change with the seasons. As we sat down in the comfortable chairs (nice and wide, and deep enough for my ass), we ordered aperitifs– refreshing house cocktails made with lime and mint. Bill got the non-alcoholic version. We also got our usual bottle of sparkling water.
For lunch, I started with the avocado and asparagus tartar, which came with pink grapefruit, pink peppercorns, and marinated watercress. Next, I had the grilled Anchorena Black Angus Roast Beef, which came with Béarnaise sauce and, roasted potatoes and asparagus.
Bill had South Tyrolean mountain ham with salted butter, gherkins, and horseradish flakes, followed by Iberico acorn-fed pork, Sicilian caponata, chorizo and potato rösti. He ordered a bottle of primitivo from Puglia, Italy, which our server kindly poured into a special decanter made by Riedel. I looked it up when we got home. It’s called “Mamba”, which is a type of snake.
I was mostly enjoying the relaxing music, most of which were Brazilian covers of songs from the 1980s done by several different artists. I was so intrigued by the revamped Bossa Nova style covers of the songs that I later downloaded several albums, especially by Sarah Menescal. I had never heard of her before yesterday, but she’s now on my HomePod playlist. Some of her covers were of songs I never would have thought could be turned into Brazilian Bossa Nova music. I can’t say I necessarily love the songs, but I am amused that she turned them into something unexpected. I mean, she even covered a Guns n’ Roses song!
Wild…
As we were enjoying the excellent food and relaxed ambiance out in the woods, I remembered how I said on Saturday night that I thought maybe I liked Landhaus Diedert better than Villa im Tal… I think I might have changed my mind yesterday. But that might be because lunch was not very busy. It was Whit Sunday, after all. Today is Whit Monday.
For dessert, I had the Affogato al caffè, which was a scoop of house made bourbon vanilla ice cream served with a small pitcher of freshly brewed espresso. You pour the espresso over the ice cream. Bill had the Albi-Cup, which was a scoop of bourbon vanilla ice cream topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and served with a small pitcher of Styrian pumpkin seed oil.
When we were finished with our two hour lunch, the bill came to just over 200 euros. Bill paid for it with a credit card and gave our lovely server a tip in “Geld” (cash). A group sitting by one of the large windows walked out with their large, well-behaved, white male poodle. I wondered if Noyzi would ever calm down enough to join us at Villa im Tal.
Below are some photos:
Cool decanter!
I went outside to wait for Bill to finish using the restroom and took a look at the terrace, which is enclosed with what are probably electric walls and roof. This makes the space usable in the cold months. I took a picture of the rustic looking gazebos, where people dine when the weather is fine. We did have sun yesterday, but it was unusually chilly. Villa im Tal is also close to a horseback riding facility, which is always bittersweet for me to see. Horses were, at one time, my whole life! Unfortunately, I gave them up a long time ago, but I really miss having horses in my life.
A front shot of the Ring Church, which I shared photos of in yesterday’s post.
So then it was time to leave, and that large group of Middle Eastern appearing folks had congregated around the spring, which is very close to the parking lot at Villa im Tal. I noticed one grandmother looking woman with a little girl, who was excited about the horse I pictured above. One of the men had parked a very large van near the exit of the parking lot, which made it a tight squeeze to get our car through. Bill was reluctant to try to get through there, but one of the men was insisting it was possible. It was, but only with about an inch to spare. Bill was quite annoyed that these guys were loitering there, obstructing traffic, and commandeering the spring.
But, as we were driving away, I told him to relax and not let those stupid guys ruin what was a very lovely lunch. I’m not sure what they are doing at that place. It looks to me like they’ve unofficially taken it upon themselves to hang out there and harass people into buying their plastic jugs. As long as we were able to get out of there without an accident, I guess no harm was done. Too bad they can’t be arsed to be more considerate, though.
Overall, it was a very nice afternoon. Of course we’ll be back.
ETA in 2025: Unfortunately, this restaurant is now closed.
A couple of weeks ago, when we were still in Czechia, a friend of mine who lives near Ramstein Air Force Base posted about a really good Mexican restaurant near where he and his family live. Among the comments on that post was also a suggestion for Mexico Lindo, a Mexican restaurant in Mainz, which is a college town about 20 minutes from where we live (which is not near Ramstein).. I made a note of the restaurant and when Bill invited me out to lunch today, I suggested we try out the Mexican place in Mainz. I heard it had a San Antonio flair, as if maybe the owners were of Mexican descent and came from San Antonio, Texas.
We had reservations for 1:30 PM, but we really didn’t need them. The restaurant was relatively quiet, save for the Mexican music and the sound of quiet chatter from the mostly German clientele. I do know this restaurant is known among the American community, but I didn’t see evidence that we were among a lot of our countrymen today.
I started our visit off with a visit to the ladies room, which was reasonably clean, albeit in a downstairs location. After we took care of essential business, Bill and I decided on what we’d be having. I was really tempted by the fajitas, which are available in all beef (with peppers and onions), all marinated chicken, or a mix of chicken and beef, and come with rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, and the usual vegetables, but it seemed like too much food and attention.
I ended up going for the Super Taco, which was a large flour tortilla with beef chunks, gravy, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, fresh cheese, and guacamole. It was 16 euros; I finished half and brought the rest home. Bill went for the barbacoa, which was very tender beef in tortillas with spicy pico de gallo, rice, and refried beans for 16,50. I think I liked Bill’s dish better than mine, although both were good. The issue with my Super Taco was that the cheese wasn’t melted, which weirded me out. Also, the cold toppings cooled off the beef rather quickly.
Bill had a Dos Equis beer, while I had a Kristalweizen. His beer came with a lime wedge; mine came with lemon. Next time, I’ll have to try one of their Margaritas, which I hear are very good. They’d have to be pretty good to beat Bill’s! A full range of cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks are available.
Service was friendly and relaxed, and we had a bit of a wait before we had the chance to ask for dessert. We split an order of Fried Ice Cream, because Bill had never had it before. I hadn’t had it since the late 1980s. It was pretty good, but quite sweet and gooey. I’m glad we split it.
Overall, we enjoyed lunch very much. It was very good, especially for Mexican food in Germany. Although the Mexican scene has improved a lot in Germany since we first moved here, restaurants can be hit or miss. This one is a good one, especially for Germany. It was nice to get out of the house, even though it’s pretty gloomy outside today. The restaurant is located near a shopping mall, so parking in a garage is convenient. You may also be lucky enough to score a street spot.
Below are some pictures from today’s outing!
Front of restaurant…AtmosphereEl Guapo himself.Beer and chips with salsa. Super Taco!BarbacoaFried Ice CreamPay for parking.Moi!
I think the total was about 40 euros or so for the food… We had the option of paying by card or with cash. Bill paid in cash. It was well worth the trip. I think next time, I’ll go for the Fajitas or maybe a Chimichanga. I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those. And there will definitely be a Margarita next time, too!
Spring is coming, and I’m starting to feel like I should be end my self imposed winter hibernation. I do still worry about Arran, whose lymph nodes are getting big again, but I also know I can’t stay homebound forever. Saturday night, Bill decided to check OpenTable to see if there were any inviting and interesting restaurants to try yesterday. He noticed one we hadn’t yet tried, Restaurant Retter’s at the Romantik Hotel Schloss Rettershof. They had plenty of tables open for a 7:00pm reservation, so Bill booked us. As you can see from the featured photo, it’s a lovely, historic venue!
I didn’t know anything about the Schloss Rettershof before last night’s repast. My German friend, Susanne, decided to look up the castle’s history while we were enjoying dinner. It seems that before the Rettershof became a hotel and restaurant, it had a colorful history that included stints as the European headquarters for the Hare Krishnas, and, for a few years after World War II, a U.S. Army post. Prior to the 20th century, it was a farm. And before that– from the 12th century until 1559, it was a monastery, and home for nuns. On July 3 and 4, 2018, parts of the roof of the nearby riding stable burned down due to a major fire. I saw evidence last night that people still go riding in the area.
The property has had a very colorful past that is well worth reading about, even if it is beyond the scope of today’s blog post. I only wish we could have visited when the sun was out, as even in the darkness, I could see that the Rettershof offers beautiful views. It’s located in the Fischbachtal district of Kelkheim, and very close to Eppstein, which is one of my favorite areas up here near Wiesbaden. I wouldn’t have been at all distressed if we’d found a house in Eppstein, instead of in Breckenheim.
Anyway… on to our actual experiences. 😉
Bill overestimated the amount of time he’d need to get from our house to the Rettershof. Nevertheless, I was delighted that the GPS took us in a direction that, in four years of living up here, we’d never before ventured. I guess COVID lockdowns have a way of putting a damper on exploration. We ended up going through our village, up a hillside, and into a pretty, mountainous area. Or, it was mountainous for this area. Really, it was probably more hilly than mountainous, but it was still a nice change of landscape for us. We live in a valley.
I was pretty hungry when we got to the Rettershof, which was a good thing. We got plenty to eat last night. However, as we pulled up, about 25 minutes before our 7pm reservation, I almost wondered if the place was open. The generously sized parking lot was practically empty. No one was near the entrance of the hotel, although it was lit up. When we walked inside, there was a friendly young woman at the reception desk who greeted us and took our coats. I was immediately enchanted by the sitting area near the reception. I didn’t get a chance to linger, though, because we were immediately ushered to the dining room and invited to take a table. There was one other party there– a family of four, who had the one table near a charming bay window. We took a table for four on the other side of the small dining room, so it was rather private.
I did manage to get a couple of photos of the lobby area before we sat down… I loved the fireplace, and the cozy lighting of the area around it. Too bad this isn’t a dining room, because it was very charming and inviting.
At the top of the stairs are some bedrooms for rent. There is also an extension where newer rooms have been built. I have no idea if anyone was staying at the hotel last night. It didn’t appear to have any guests, but then, it’s not exactly the high season.
There were two very enthusiastic men waiting on us. We got the sense that one might have been from France, and the other seemed to be Spanish. Both spoke German and English, of course, and they were very friendly. The one from France, who had his long dark hair in a bun, thanked us profusely for coming. We sipped glasses of champagne while we looked at the menu, which was pretty limited last night. I got the sense that maybe they limit the menu when they are expecting few guests.
There was a set four course menu, which I didn’t go for because of the presence of truffles… A la carte, we had a choice of Ox with cheese, See Teufel (Angler fish), or Wiener Schnitzel. I didn’t see any vegan or vegetarian options on last night’s menu, but I’m sure they have something… perhaps it was in the regular menu, which I never had a chance to look at, as Bill was selecting a wine and the list was in the one permanent menu they gave us. There was also a choice of two starters– beef tartar with quail egg or beef consomme.
I decided to go with the Angler fish, which a dense fish that reminded me a little of catfish in terms of looks and texture, but tasted more like halibut. Bill went for the Schnitzel. I was surprised he didn’t want the ox, since he usually likes that kind of thing… but he did order the tartar as a starter. I had the consomme, which had sliced pancakes and carrots in it. We also had bread and butter from France, and a lovely and unique red wine that the waiter with the man bun said was “new” to them.
Both waiters were professional, but the one with the man bun was especially memorable. I got a kick out of him, especially when he pronounced the word “dynomite” like “deenomeete”. I think he might have learned new vocabulary last night.
Interesting local wine, It retails for 12 euros a bottle, but we paid about 40. 😉An amuse of slightly spicy pumpkin soup with popcorn.Beef consomme…Beef tartar with fried quail egg and hijack mayonnaise. This also came with fries.Angler fish fried in butter with delicious mashed potatoes, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes.Wiener Schnitzel done German style, with cranberry sauce, fries, and asparagus.Nice cucumber salad with t’zatziki dressing.Lavender creme brulee with raspberry coulis, warm carrot cake and vanilla ice cream.Another gift from the kitchen… Accolades!Dinner in a Schloss!
Overall, we really enjoyed the food and the pleasant, yet quirky, wait staff, who were both clearly delighted that we came in for dinner last night. Yes, it would have been nice to have had more of a choice in entrees, but given that we and the other party of four appeared to be their only patrons last night, I can understand why they didn’t stock too much. This definitely wasn’t an inexpensive meal. The check came to 277 euros, which is a lot… and Bill delighted the wait staff by tipping like an American. They were practically bowing to us as we left. 😀
I would go back to the Retterhof for another meal. Next time, I’d like to do it during the daytime, so I can see how pretty it is. I also suspect that when the weather is warmer and more people patronize the restaurant, the menu expands a bit. But we did enjoy ourselves last night. The castle is a charming venue, and at least last night, the staff was very warm and friendly and were clearly glad to welcome us. We don’t live far away, either, so I could definitely see us venturing out there again.
A little clever marketing about the hotel and restaurant… I’m sure they live up to this if you give them plenty of warning.
I will offer a caveat to those who have mobility issues. The restrooms are located down a flight of stairs and I didn’t see an elevator. In the ladies room, there are several steps up to the toilets. I’m not sure if they have alternative accommodations for people who use wheelchairs.
A parting shot of the wine…
We got home at about 9pm. Arran and Noyzi were delighted to see us again. Arran, in particular, was really wound up and took off running around the house. I was relieved to see it, as two of his lymph nodes are large again. The vet decided to skip chemo last week, and the cancer has responded accordingly. But, in spite of the larger lymph nodes, Arran doesn’t appear to be feeling too badly right now. This is a sign, however, that the cancer is progressing, and we will probably be saying goodbye to him before too much longer.
I really hate this part of having dogs in my life, even though I know it’s necessary. However, I also know from experience that every time I have a dog who is very special and think no one can possibly equal him, I am proven wrong. Every dog we’ve had has been original and special in their own ways, and every one has been unforgettable and uniquely wonderful. So, as much as I hate the thought of saying goodbye to Arran, I also know that when he goes, another opportunity awaits us. And with that opportunity comes new and amazing experiences waiting to happen.
Yesterday, Bill and I got back from our eleven night food and wine odyssey, which mostly took place in Italy, but also included a night in Andermatt, Switzerland, and two nights in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. We also spent three nights in a castle in Torrechiara (near Parma), three nights in Florence, a night in Cortona, and another night in Florence. Our trip was busy, as it included a very intense, but brief, wine tour, as well as visits to places we’d never been, and a revisit for lunch in the coastal town of Viareggio, which I had last seen in 1997.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had initially demurred when this trip was proposed. We hadn’t been planning to go to Switzerland and Italy for our spring vacation, but had to be convinced that it would be a good idea to go there. Left to my own devices, I probably would have chosen to go somewhere else, mainly because I like variety, and we’ve been neglecting other countries because of COVID-19. We are way overdue for a trip to Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Poland, for instance. We went to Switzerland and Italy in 2020, and we visited Zurich, Switzerland last summer, so it seemed too soon to be going to those places again.
I also wanted to go somewhere where COVID-19 policies were less onerous, because frankly, I’m really tired of the rules and restrictions. I know this might not be a politically correct thing to admit. Many people still think we should be wearing masks and locking down, but having been in Germany the whole time COVID has existed, I am, quite frankly, fed up with the rules. In fairness, the rules have been much stricter in Europe than they have been in the United States. And yet, in spite of the stricter rules, people have still gotten the virus.
Anyway, Tom De Vries, a Florence based member of the Facebook wine group I run, owns a business selling beautiful Tuscan wines and leading wine tours in Tuscany. We’ve purchased a few wine boxes from Tom’s business, Sommelier’s Choices. While the boxes are not inexpensive, Bill and I have genuinely enjoyed the wines he’s sent to us. One day a couple of months ago, Tom sent me a private message, asking if Bill and I would be interested in joining his tour starting April 28th.
I have to confess that my initial reaction to his query wasn’t particularly positive. At the time Tom made his pitch, there were still a bunch of people arguing about COVID-19 and what should be done about the rules. I don’t always do well in groups, because I have the kind of personality that people tend to love or hate. I like to do things at my own pace, and I can be particular about food and accommodations. I also didn’t want to be stuck in a vehicle or touring wineries wearing a face mask. I legitimately hate wearing masks, and I go out of my way to avoid situations in which I have to wear them.
If anyone is offended by that statement, keep in mind my comment that I do my best to try to avoid situations in which masks are necessary. I do wear the masks when I’m required to, but I don’t like having to do it, and would much rather not. I figure that I don’t have to like wearing masks, as long as I comply with the rules. Vacations that require face masks aren’t fun for me, and I was afraid they would be required for the wine tour, either due to local laws, or because of other participants who preferred to wear them and imposed their preferences on everybody else.
I’m happy to report that face masks weren’t an issue at all on the tour, though masks were required for a good portion of our time in Italy. I’ll get more into that further into the series, since I did make some observations about COVID prevention measures in Italy that I haven’t seen in Germany. I was also surprised that Italy did away with masks in most public places later than Germany did. I would not have expected that, since Italians seem to be more laid back about a lot of things than Germans are. In some ways, Italy’s mask rules are stricter than Germany’s are, although to be fair, Italy got hit really hard with COVID-19 when the pandemic began.
I finally changed my mind about taking the trip because it was very obvious that Bill wanted to do it. He has become quite the food and wine aficionado, and he really has enjoyed Tom’s wine boxes. Bill also BADLY needed a vacation. He had leave to burn up, and was really jonesing for a trip somewhere. Before COVID, we used to do a lot of short breaks, which gave him a chance to recharge. We have been doing less of that over the past two years. But, I have to admit, for many reasons, I actually kind of wanted Bill to drive us in our own car on the tour. Again, I’m not very good at groups… Of course, now I know that wouldn’t have been a great idea. 😉
In spite of my initial misgivings, this trip turned out to be a good one, because we went to some places I’ve been wanting to see for a long time, and we returned to a couple of places to where I’ve wanted to return. I also finally got to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which I know many of my fellow military community friends have visited. In spite of my years living abroad and extensive travel, I had not had a chance to visit Pisa before last week. It was also great to walk around Viareggio, which I had the pleasure of visiting back in 1997, at a time when I thought I might never have a chance to see Europe again. And we spent two nights in Vaduz, which we had previously visited very briefly in 2009. Since Liechtenstein is technically a country, I was happy to add it to the itinerary– even if it does bear a strong resemblance to Austria and Switzerland.
So yes, even though I had some doubts about this trip when it was initially proposed, we did have a great time. I would also highly recommend Tom De Vries as a tour guide, especially if you’re into wines. He did a great job introducing us to some wonderful small wineries and great food. Again, more on that as the series progresses. This will probably be a long series, due to the length of the trip and its many facets. We stayed in SIX different hotels. I hope some people will follow along, anyway. I know of at least a few who will. So, let’s get down to it, shall we?
Edited to add in 2025: Unfortunately, this restaurant is now closed.
Until this afternoon, it had been awhile since Bill and I last enjoyed Greek food. Unlike our former neighborhood in Unterjettingen, our current house isn’t within spitting distance of several Greek restaurants. Sure, there are plenty of Greek restaurants up this way, but they aren’t clustered near us, and the ones that do exist don’t all have all day hours or even lunch hours.
Nevertheless, Bill managed to find a great Greek place in Erbenheim, a charming little hamlet not far from Clay Kaserne. Der Grieche turned out to be a great pick for lunch, although we had a challenge trying to find parking near it. Fortunately, there was a free spot open right by the Rathaus and the restaurant has its own tiny lot, though it was full of cars today. Apparently, this is a popular Greek place. Most of the tables were full when we arrived at about 1:30pm.
Near the Rathaus in Erbenheim. It’s quite quaint!
And look! They make cleaning up after your dog a cinch!
We were seated at a comfortable four top next to the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. I was taking note of the charming building and how well maintained it appeared to be. I was glad to see it, since this area does not seem to have as many beautiful old buildings at Baden-Württemberg does. I asked Bill if Hesse got bombed a lot in World War II, since I don’t see as much old architecture here as I did near Stuttgart.
I was really in the mood for gyros, so that’s what I decided to have. Bill went with the Hähnchenspießen– grilled chicken on a metal spit with peppers and onions. Both dishes came with t’zatziki and salad. Bill had pommes and I had patates– although I was supposed to get tomato rice. I think our very charming waiter took one look at me and thought to himself, “There’s a woman who likes potatoes.” He got one of my winsome grins when he asked me if I’d prefer those.
Obligatory shot of Bill, looking handsome as ever.
Both of our dishes came with this salad, full of kraut, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, a single black olive and a single pepper. The dressing was the usual yogurt dressing Germans seem to like. Personally, I prefer less dressing than this, but it was a nice start to the meal.
I almost ordered the chicken spit myself, but Bill decided to have it. He said it was delicious. I tried it and agree. The chicken was very juicy and flavorful and looked festive next to the colorful peppers and onions.
The gyros were also very good. They were well-seasoned and juicy and I loved the potatoes. The t’zatziki was also very good and matched beautifully with the pork.
It was nice to see all of the families out today, enjoying each other’s company. I noticed the people behind us got chocolate mousse, which I didn’t see on the menu. I was tempted by it, but decided we’d had enough calories… so we called for the check and had our ouzo…
And then our charming waiter brought us chocolate mousse, anyway. I have to say, that really put a smile on my face!
The total bill was about 41 euros. Bill topped up the waiter to 45 euros, not realizing that he’d stuck an extra 20 in there. The waiter noticed it and gave it back to Bill. I mused that in America, the waiter probably would have just grabbed the cash without looking. I was left with a very good impression of Der Grieche after lunch, but it improved after that little mistake was pointed out to us.
We’re going to visit again…
They have a Biergarten, too.
Actually, Erbenheim has some possibilities, even if it sucks to have to park there. This whole area is loaded with cars and not enough parking spots.
After lunch, we went to AAFES to buy a lamp and a couple of other necessary items, as well as to gas up my car. Now that we’ve had our Sunday fun, I’m going to buy a couple more bookshelves so I can put the finishing touches on straightening out our living quarters. My next project is to unload our horrible futon and get a real couch. Interestingly enough, when I searched for “couch” on Amazon.de, I came up with one very interesting and unexpected result. I’ll let you discover it if you’re interested, but be prepared. It’s not exactly safe for work.
Even though I love good food and wine, it’s taken me several years of living in the Stuttgart area to finally go to the annual Slow Food Messe. This huge exhibition takes place at the Messe near Stuttgart’s airport every spring. My German friend, Susanne, lives near the airport and makes a point of going every year. I had wanted to go in the past, but decided not to… probably because of the crowds and the hassle of getting there.
This year, Bill decided to pre-purchase tickets for yesterday. The tickets included a train pass, which made it very easy to get to and from the festival. Frankly, if you’re a drinker and think you might be tasting adult beverages, I would highly recommend using public transportation to get to and from this event. There are a lot of opportunities to try alcoholic beverages and you don’t want to drink and drive. The Messe is a short walk from the train stop at the airport, but then you have to walk through the convention hall itself, and it’s a pretty huge place. The Slow Food Fair is happening in halls 5,7, and 9. There are also other exhibitions going on, such as a Yoga Fair and a Fair Trade Fair (which shares hall 7 with the slow food exhibits).
According to Susanne, this year’s event is not as good as ones held in the years prior. She told me that a lot of her favorite exhibitors didn’t come this year because of new, more restrictive rules governing what products could be displayed. She said that in past years, they’ve had live animals at the park; but this year, there were none. Also, she said she felt there was too much emphasis on alcohol and less on food.
Since this year was the first time we’ve gone to the Slow Food Fair, Bill and I were plenty impressed by what we saw. I would highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes and, perhaps, eating before you show up. There is plenty to eat at the fair, but you’ll want to have strength as you make your way through the crowds. We made the mistake of not eating before we showed up and trying to find something for lunch was kind of overwhelming. We finally found some quiet food stands with seating in hall 7.
Below are some pictures from yesterday. The Slow Food Fair continues today from 10:00am until 6:00pm. Today is the last day of the festival.
Walking into the huge “Messe”… There is a very helpful information desk where Bill asked where to go.
We bought tickets online. It was cheaper and more convenient that way. You can also buy them on site.
There were African dancers…
I got a short video of them, as well as some of the other sights and sounds of the festival as it was yesterday.
The Yoga Fair was also going on. Your ticket allows you entry to the other events. I don’t do yoga, but Susanne does.
No dogs allowed! But I still saw one snuck in… it was a tiny chihuahua looking thing.
Damn… I meant to come back to this booth! I totally forgot!
We stopped for a “crash course” on wines, given in German. Bill speaks some German. I don’t, really… although I can understand it somewhat. They were handing out free tastes, though, so I was game.
If beer is more your thing, they have plenty of that, too. And they also have a “gin quarter” in hall 9.
An oasis of quiet in hall 7, where Bill and I found smoked salmon sandwiches.
They also had quiches and tarts from France.
And some kind of cinnamon and sugar creation.
I liked this sign.
This sandwich included smoked salmon, a honey mustard sauce, and cucumbers. It was delicious!
Hall 7 was a bit quieter than hall 5.
I really should have made room for pastries. This stall in hall 7 had what looked like sugared doughnuts filled with chocolate or vanilla custard.
And, of course, you can have coffee, too.
I think hall 9 was my favorite of the three. It was a happy balance of exhibits with a slightly less hectic vibe.
Bill tried some cheese.
Polish exhibit, with sausages and folk art.
Fresh orange juice!
Damn… I meant to come back to this stall, too!
We stopped to try ravioli. One euro per sample includes two raviolis stuffed with ricotta, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. It was delicious!
For some reason, I didn’t get pictures of what came next. We stopped at a Champagne exhibit and decided to try six for 18 euros. Three German ladies joined us. They were trying four for 12 euros. We ended up chatting with them and they were hilarious! I told them how much I enjoy living in Germany and hope we can stay awhile. When I told them I was from Virginia, one of the ladies said all she knew about Virginia is that they have moonshine there. Apparently, this was on a German television program! I happen to be related to people who live in moonshine country! They knew a lot more about Bill’s home state of Texas. One had even been to Austin.
We bought two bottles of bubbly and some “dip”. That’s more Bill’s thing than mine.
Bill tries some dip. Guess we should pick up some crackers.
A Swiss monk was selling cheese. He had a little contraption that made the cheese look like a little flower. Bill bought some, noting that it was milder than Gruyere. Maybe that will mean I can eat it, too!
Lots of whiskey! We were going to taste some, but soon became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices. So we moved on to wine…
This was a vintner from the Piemonte region of Italy. Bill and I visited there in 2008 and we love the wines from that region. The seller was very friendly, so we bought four bottles from him. He also told me his family runs a B&B near Genoa in the vineyards. It might be time to go back down there for a visit. The ladies who joined us for Champagne tasting laughed when they saw us trying Italian wines, too. Like I said… it’s good to come by train.
We finally stopped for “Eis”… This kind was vegan and had no added sugar! It was made with cashews and dates. They used cashew milk to make it creamy and dates for sweetening.
It was surprisingly good, too. Maybe it’s time I tried more vegan products.
We had a fabulous time at the Slow Food Fair. I’m half tempted to go back for another visit today, but I think Bill is hoping to start another batch of his home brew. If we’re still here next year, we will have to make a point of visiting the Slow Food Fair again. It really was a lot of fun, even if this year’s exhibition was not as good as last year’s. Susanne said over 100 past exhibitors protested the new rules. I can’t even imagine another 100 exhibits! I might have to book a room at a hotel and spend a few days!
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