Tag Archives: good food

Sundays

Celebrating swine in Stuttgart…

Pig out!

Need something to do on a Sunday?  May I suggest Stuttgart’s kitschiest museum?  It’s a place utterly dedicated to the pig and the largest pig museum in the world, the Stuttgart Schweine Museum.

I don’t remember where I first heard about this place.  I want to say it was mentioned in a local Facebook group.  I know I also saw it highlighted in an online magazine article about quirky museums.  What can I say?  My people are originally from the same area where Foamhenge existed for years (it has since been moved to a new location).  I’m a sucker for the surreal.

I suggested a trip to the pig museum last weekend, but Bill and I were sidetracked by beer and wine tastings.  I thought we might go yesterday, but then we decided to go to Herrenberg today.  We thought about postponing our trip for another week when I realized how beautiful the weather is today.  I thought maybe the Schweine Museum might be better on a rainy day.  After some discussion, Bill and I decided we’d go… and then maybe drop by Killesberg Park for awhile.  Little did we know how absolutely HORRIBLE traffic was going to be.

At this point, we were very close to the museum… it still took about ten minutes to get there.  I think there was a game going on, which also made parking difficult.

 

Bill made me laugh pretty hard as we drove through one of Stuttgart’s many tunnels.  The GPS told him to make a U-turn and he said, “What?  I’m not making a U-turn!  Screw you!”  He gets pretty funny when he converses with computerized objects.  Thanks to the traffic going to a football game and the neverending road projects going on in the big city, it was kind of a challenge to get to the museum.  Once we got there, we had to find parking, which wasn’t so easy since a lot of people going to the game were availing themselves of parking at the pig museum.  Fortunately, we drove my Mini Cooper…

Props to Bill for his parking job.  He managed to squeeze into a tight spot.

 

Pigs are everywhere at the Schweine Museum.

The Schweine Museum has a very nice biergarten in the front and back.  There’s also a nice restaurant (called the Schlachthof Restaurant) on the first floor of the museum.  My guess is that many people come there for the food.  We saw plenty of people who were obviously in the area for football having lunch at the biergarten.  It was pretty full when we arrived, but had emptied out somewhat after we finished lunch.  It’s worthwhile, by the way, to stop in for food at the museum.  They had some great stuff, naturally inspired by pork. For those who aren’t pork eaters, there are other selections available.  Vegetarians and vegans might be a bit challenged, though.

Come on in… sit down and have a beer and a cigarette, if you want.  Smoking is allowed.

 

Someone (not me) obviously got bored while waiting for their order…  I have to admit being impressed.  It never would have occurred to me to add these features to the beer coasters.  I decided to be a good Samaritan and take these with me, lest any innocent children see them.

 

Bill laughs when I show him the adulterated coasters.

 

For lunch, Bill chose the barbecue pork burger, which came with onion rings, potato wedges, and kraut.  I had bratwurst, which also came with potato wedges and barbecue sauce.  Bill and I were delighted with the quality of the food.  I noticed that the company providing the food is the same one that owns Ampulle Dry Gin and Beef Club in Stuttgart.  We visited that restaurant last July and enjoyed it.  I’m glad to see they know what to do with pork, too.  Edited to add:  My German friend, Susanne, says the museum was founded by Erika Wilhelmer, who is the grandmother in the family that owns the Wilhelmer Gastronomie Company.  Wilhelmer Gastronomie is the force behind several food oriented outlets in the Stuttgart area.

The usual beer…

 

My fancy bratwurst.  It was very fresh, although the BBQ sauce reminded me of what they put on currywurst, minus the curry.

 

Bill’s pork burger.  It was a hit!  

 

Other choices included everything from salmon filet to pork t-bones to beef.  They also had salads and soups, as well as a kid’s menu.  Our lunch was about 36 euros before the tip.  Service was a little slow, but the servers were working hard.  It was a beautiful day and they were very busy.

 

After we ate and visited the loo, we went into the restaurant to find out how to visit the museum.  They lady running the museum had stepped out for a minute, so we ended up waiting for a few minutes.  After she sold us our tickets, a guy came in and started asking about the restaurant, at which point she pitched the museum to him.  I don’t know if she was the owner, but I would not be surprised if she was.  I read that the museum was moved to Stuttgart from Bad Wimpfen, a location near Heilbronn, just a few years ago.  The museum was housed in much smaller quarters in those days, but still made the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest swine museum in the world.

The swine museum itself is on two floors.  I didn’t see any elevators, so I would guess this attraction would not be suitable for mobility challenged people or those with strollers.  I wouldn’t swear to this, though, so if this post makes you want to visit and you have mobility challenges, you might want to call ahead.  It costs 5,90 per adult to see the museum and that is the most you’ll pay for an hour or two of kitschy pig related fun!  Below are some pictures I took while browsing the exhibits, almost all of which had English translations of what we were looking at.

Pigs like this one are everywhere!

 

Outside, in front of the museum, there’s a lot to see.

Artwork near where you buy your tickets.  Looks like they had private dining rooms in that area, too.

Hours.

The two pictures above show who eats the most pork out of 75 of the 196 countries in the world.  Austria is #1.  USA is #21.  Not surprisingly, several countries heavily populated by Muslims come in last.

A pig inspired barbecue.

These helpful signs are translated in English, so you won’t wander from room to room learning by osmosis.

I would actually love to have this table.  I love this kind of stuff.

 

Pig booze?

Sexy pigs.

 

Today, I learned that pigs are rumored to have 30 minute orgasms!

X-rated pig stuff.  This is just one picture of several I could have taken.

Although most of the exhibits in the pig museum are good clean fun, I will caution those who are sensitive about sexually explicit exhibits.  There is one room, easily identified because it’s red, where there are some items that may not be suitable for children or uptight adults.  However, this room is easy to skip and you have to look closely to find the sexually explicit pig figurines.  I almost missed them myself, until Bill pointed them out to me.

For Lego lovers!

Kids play area!

Someone should have given us this for our wedding…

 

All in all, Bill and I really enjoyed our visit to the Schweine Museum.  It’s an inexpensive and fun place to visit, the food is great, and you will learn some surprising facts about pigs.  They have exhibits about everything from where pigs come from, to their intelligence level, to what it takes to hunt them.  I had no idea, for instance, that male boars in the wild are so cunning and dangerous.  There are also some interesting exhibits about where certain pig related sayings come from, such as “Casting one’s pearls before swine” and “Even a blind pig can find an acorn sometimes.”  I’m proud to report that I know more about pigs today than I did yesterday.  I would recommend this museum to anyone else who likes a little porking.

When pigs fly?

We also tried to visit Killesburg Park today, but there were way too many people there and it was impossible to find parking.  Maybe next time, we’ll take the U-Bahn and get there earlier in the day.

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A Schlachtfest! And lunch in Nagold at Luz Bistro Bar…

A flyer about our local Schachtfest.  It was held at Willy-Dieterle Halle, here in Jettingen.

Here in Jettingen, we get a weekly newspaper that tells us what’s going on.  I have only recently started paying attention to it.  I noticed a few days ago that the local evangelical church was having a Schlachtfest today after church services.  I was curious about it, but when I mentioned the prospect of going to the festival to Bill, he was a bit skeptical.  Bill has had a rather distressing history with organized religion and was worried about being proselytized.

I asked my local German friend, Susanne, what I could expect if we went to the Schlachtfest.  She posted a link to a newspaper article about last year’s fest.  She said it was strictly to raise money and there wouldn’t be any pressure to get religious.  She said the cakes would be made by the Landfrauenverein (country women’s club) and would probably be amazing.

A Schlachtfest, for those who don’t know, is basically a festival dedicated to meat.  Historically, it involves the ceremonial slaughter of a pig.  The meat from the pig is then used to make schnitzel, sausages, and other meaty dishes.  At the one hosted in our town, there was a two hour lunch followed by coffee and cake and a concert put on by the local music club.

I pressured Bill about going to the fest, but we were a little slow on the draw.  We didn’t get to the Schlachtfest until it was well underway.  The parking lot was very full and things were in heavy swing.  I took a few photos, but was a little overwhelmed by the crowds.

Check out those cakes!  They looked awesome!  I probably should have gotten a piece to go.  We noticed they had a waffle station, too.

Most of the seats were taken.  There were a couple of tables with religious literature on them, but other than that, it looked like a regular fest, complete with wine and beer and a couple of crosses on the stage.  No one tried to help us find Jesus.

The menu on the wall.  It looked like you’d pay, get a ticket, and then present the ticket to the ladies who were dishing out the food.  It smelled really good in there and I was tempted to partake, but it was after 1:00pm and the scene was a bit chaotic.  There were hundreds of people there having a good lunch.  I felt a little like I was in a school cafeteria.  So I told Bill I wanted to go to Nagold.

The parking lot was loaded.  Next time, we’ll come earlier.  They had games for kids in the lobby as well as a big coat rack.  I love how civilized things are in Germany.

 

We went to Nagold and had lunch at Luz Bistro Bar/Alte Post.  We’ve eaten at this restaurant a few times and have never been disappointed.  Today’s lunch was especially lovely.

Bill checks out the flyer on the table about Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations, as well as wine dinners regularly hosted in Alte Post’s classy upstairs dining room.

We split a nice bottle of Barbera from the Piedmont region of Italy.

I had the Metzgerspiesse– basically pieces of pork on a skewer with barbecue sauce, lots of bacon, and sauteed onions.  A potato with sour cream completed the dish.

Bill had Schweinebackchen– basically braised pork with pureed potatoes and corn served in a copper pot.  I really liked my dish, but Bill’s was even better.  That pork was so tender and flavorful!  Bill was hesitant to order it at first, but he really enjoyed it.  Next time, I’ll probably go for this dish myself if they still have it!

We finished with a round of espresso.

And I had to take note of the unisex bathroom.  Don’t worry.  There are two rooms with stalls, but everyone washes their hands in the same place.  

 

Our bill for today’s sumptuous lunch was almost 80 euros.  It was well worth the price.  We definitely need to get to the Alte Post for a formal dinner.  I’ve enjoyed every meal I’ve had there and the service is always welcoming and professional.  If you are ever in Nagold, I highly recommend stopping in for a meal.

A nice shot of a Nagold church…

On the way back to the car, we passed Osteria da Gino’s, which is probably our favorite Nagold restaurant.  We always end up getting the degustation menu, so we never know what he has or the prices.  I took a picture of the menu posted outside (we are usually there after dark).  We haven’t been to see Gino since my birthday in June and are long overdue for a visit.

 

All in all, we had a nice afternoon.  Now we’re enjoying quiet time with another nice red.  Hope your Sunday is just as peaceful.  On another note, isn’t Schlachtfest a great word?  It ranks right up there with Stau and Schmutz in descriptiveness!

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Our pet friendly Belgian Labor Day Adventure… Part three

We woke up Friday morning fairly refreshed.  Actually, I woke up at the crack of dawn because that’s my habit after being married to an Army man for almost fourteen years.  It was a bit chilly in the house, but the WiFi was working so I caught up on Facebook and email while Bill and the dogs slept.  Finally, at about 7:30 or 8:00, Bill got up and picked up some fresh croissants, cold cuts, and cheese.  He also bought some Senseo pods.

Now… I mentioned in my first post that Bill and I are coffee snobs.  Neither of us had high hopes for the Senseo pods.  Nevertheless, Bill tried them… and pronounced the resulting “coffee” horrible.  After fiddling around with the Senseo machine, he succeeded in making a cup of coffee that was somewhat less dreadful.  He offered to make me some coffee, but I told him not to bother.  I am very picky about coffee and don’t really have to have it to function.  When I drink it, I want it to be very good.  So Bill decided to go back to the store and find some whole coffee beans.  Once he did that, he was able to make some decent coffee that we both could enjoy.  The Senseo pods Bill bought ended up being donated to the house.

After we had breakfast and coffee sorted– that actually took a long while– we decided to check out Durbuy.  It was Friday, so everything was mostly open and it didn’t look like there were tons of tourists about.  We found plenty of parking, which we had to pay for.  You can either use cash or credit; I recommend using cash because the credit option confounded a large group of Europeans.  Besides, it was only about four euros for four hours.  Big deal.

Pretty Durbuy!

Durbuy is noted for being the “smallest city in the world” and it’s right next to the Ourthe River.  There’s also a topiary park, a jam factory, a castle, and The Belvedere, which is a vantage point over the city offering good views.  The town itself has charming cobbled streets, cute little shops, and plenty of little inviting bars.  Had Bill and I not had the dogs with us, we probably would have spent a good long time exploring the bars.  There was one called The Pirate Bar that was particularly intriguing; the bartender was actually dressed like a pirate.  One other thing I loved about Durbuy is that I didn’t see or hear any other Americans.  In fact, we didn’t run into any of our countrymen on this trip and not everyone could speak English!  I love Americans, but when I’m in Europe, it’s nice to find authentic, undiscovered places.

There was just one table of Brits at the restaurant where we had lunch.  They were enjoying lots of beer after a round on the golf course.

This was probably my favorite picture of the entire trip!  Apparently, public defecation is an issue in Belgium.  I didn’t see evidence of it in Durbuy, perhaps because of this sign.  I have seen it in other places, which I will explain in a later post…

As it was, we walked around the little city and stopped at a very pet friendly hotel/brasserie for lunch, Hotel La Caleche.  We chose this place because there were several bowls of water set out for dogs.  Durbuy is actually very dog friendly anyway.  We saw dogs everywhere and they seemed to be perfectly welcome, though most were probably better behaved than ours are.  Since Zane and Arran are fairly new to dining out, we wanted to choose a place that put out the “welcome mat”, so to speak.  Hotel La Caleche definitely did.  They also had an impressive beer list and a good menu.

Beer time!

Bill enjoyed a locally brewed beer from Durbuy which came with cheese.

He said this cheese was like butter!  I wish I liked cheese enough to try it for myself!

Zane relaxed.

I had a ham and butter sandwich and a side of marvelous frites.  No one does fries quite like the Belgians do…

Bill had what was basically a grilled cheese with ham and pineapple…

Heavenly fried potatoes!  They also brought us olives, crackers, and a mild onion dip.

Obligatory shot of Bill.

Obligatory shot of Bill after I made a disgusting joke.  Not long after Bill made this face, a wandering accordion player came around.  I got some video, which I’ll probably put on YouTube.

After the Westmalle Dubbel… I was starting to relax and some folks at a nearby table smiled appreciatively at Zane and Arran, who were both behaving surprisingly well.

Another local beer… though not local to Durbuy.  We passed this hamlet on Saturday.

A few parting shots of Durbuy as we were leaving…

Parking!

And a couple of shots of Barvaux.

 

Bill had picked up some more beer at the store, so we moved the party back to the chalet.  While I tasted some excellent Belgian brews, Bill filled the hot tub and started heating it with a fire.  The fire was a bit high maintenance, but happily Bill took care of it.  The chalet provided us with wood.  We enjoyed a very leisurely soak under Belgian stars.  It’s just now getting to the point at which it’s a bit chilly at night and coming inside was a bit of a shock to the system.  But, I must admit, it was well worth it.

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Sundays

A beautiful Sunday afternoon in Seewald…

I’m always looking for new things to do, especially on Sundays.  Today, I was inspired by the continuing beautiful weather to take a trip to a place Bill and I had never been to before.  I remembered that one of Bill’s coworkers had suggested a cool Biergarten in Seewald.  After searching all my bookmarks, I suggested it to Bill, who had originally planned for us to visit the commissary.  I’m pretty glad I talked him out of that, especially after our little road trip today!

Although Unterjettingen is not all that close to the military installations near Stuttgart, it is in a great area for finding things to do.  Yesterday’s trip to the Barfuss Park was pretty painless; it’s only about a half an hour from where we live.  Likewise, Seewald is also within about a 30 or 40 minute drive.  I was keen to try the Seeheiner Gasthof and Cafe.  I knew the Seeheiner was next to a lake.  What I didn’t know is that the Seewald is a great place to hang out, swim, boat, have a picnic, and enjoy nature.  In fact, many Germans were doing just that today.

I snapped this shot as we sat at a light in Altensteig, a picturesque town we passed through on our way to Seewald.

 

As we approached the biergarten, I noticed there were many, many cars… and even more bikes!  Seeheiner’s parking lot was full of motorcycles.  Plenty of people were parked on the side of the road and most of the parking lots were full.  Undaunted, we parked in P2, which is a lot a bit past the biergarten.  We made our way there, enjoying the majestic beauty of the lake, surrounded by evergreens and full of people having fun.

A man checks out a commemorative sign…

My first unobstructed glimpse of Seewald.

Plenty of people brought all manner of boats and rafts. 

Bringing your dog?  Seewald has you covered.  Unfortunately, not everyone availed themselves of this Hundestation.

At last, we reached the biergarten.  We wanted to sit outside, but every table was taken.  People were especially eager to take the tables on the slowly rotating platform that offered 360 degree views of the lake and the surrounding areas.  Seeheiner has lots of outdoor seating.  Besides the rotating platform, there are a couple of wraparound balconies offering views of the lake.  There’s also seating out front.  We didn’t want to wait for a table outside, so we decided to eat inside.  That was actually okay, since Bill and I drove the Mini convertible and already got some sun on the way to and from the lake.

Beer!

A shot of the rotating platform.  It moves very slowly round and round…

And another shot of the bikes… Bikers obviously love Seeheiner!

It was a beautiful day!

Bill checks out the menu.

 

Seeheiner has warm food throughout the day, though some dishes are only available at certain times of the day.  If you want a traditional lunch, you should arrive between 11:00 and 2:00pm.  The food is very typical hearty Swabian cuisine.  I saw only a few options for vegetarians, though there is a menu for kids.  The wait staff was working very hard and it took some time for them to get to us.  The food turned out to be well worth the wait.  Not only does Seeheiner boast a great location, it also offers delicious food.

Bill and I both had Hefeweizens.

And we had salads, though our dishes were so large that we probably shouldn’t have.  I could only eat about a third of this.

Bill had Schweinebraten.  He said it was probably the best he’s ever had.  I have to admit, this pork was super tender and flavorful.  It was delicious!

I had fresh Nagolder trout. As you can see, it’s liberally sprinkled with toasted almond slivers and accompanied by parsleyed potatoes.  The fish was also excellent.  It was super fresh, moist, and flavorful.  I managed to eat a little over half before I had to stop.  I thought about taking it home for lunch tomorrow, but thought better of it when I realized we were going to want to walk around a bit.  What a shame!

 

I noticed quite a few delicious looking desserts heading out the door… lots of ice cream creations and cakes.  If we were going to be spending the night in Seewald, I might have come back later for a late afternoon sweet.  As it was, we were too full to even consider having dessert.  Our bill was just over forty euros.

A better shot of the sign as we were leaving.

We took a walk around the lake and I found myself wishing I’d worn my bathing suit.  I have been itching to take a swim for some time now!  Maybe we’ll go back next weekend, if the weather holds up for us.  The following are some photos I took as we explored Seewald, a name that now means more to me than just Jessa Duggar’s new last name.  😉

The Seeheiner is one of several nice looking biergartens in the Seewald area.  I also noticed there were lots of people camping in the area.  There is also a small snack bar near the Seeheiner for those who just want a snack and don’t want to battle crowds at Seeheiner.  I also noticed a pubic restroom near where we parked.

When we got back to our car, the guy who was parked next to us had his door open, blocking me from entering my vehicle.  Bill told the guy in German that we were going to leave.  He came around and closed his door.  I got into the car.  As I put the top down on my convertible, he smiled and asked in German if we wanted to trade cars with him.  He was driving a minivan!  Nein danke!

What a beautiful day to go to the lake and enjoy the sunshine.  If you’re looking for a way to spend a warm sunny Sunday, Seewald is a good bet!

But get there early…  Parking is a bit tricky!  At least it doesn’t cost anything!

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Luz Bistro Bar vs. The Alte Post… (both are now closed)

So Bill and I recently noticed that the restaurant at the Alte Post seems to have changed names.  What we thought was the Alte Post restaurant is called the Luz Bistro Bar.  I looked at their Web site and it appeared that the Alte Post is a more formal restaurant, while Luz Bistro Bar is more casual.  They are run by the same people.

After our quick trip to Switzerland on Sunday, we were in no mood to cook.  So Bill and I went to Nagold and had a lovely dinner outside at the Luz Bistro Bar.  The weather was perfect for sitting outside.  We have actually eaten at this place at least three times and have enjoyed it each time.   But now I see we may have to go back and try what appears to be their nicer restaurant.

As for Sunday’s dinner, this is what we had…

Bill had a sauvignon blanc and I had a riesling…

Then he had a lovely grilled skewer with beef, onion, bacon, and a baked potato.  

I went with a beautifully prepared rib eye and pommes.  The steak was outstanding, though the pommes were rather ordinary.  

 

A lot of people were enjoying a pasta dish with truffles, which I could easily smell from several tables away.  I was tempted by the dorade, though I eat fish all the time.  Service was relaxed but professional.  English menus are available.

As we were leaving, I caught sight of the Vodaphone hot air balloon flying overhead.

 

I love living near Nagold.  I’m so glad we got to come back to the Stuttgart area and get to know more about what this part of Germany offers.  It’s great to be here.  I hope we can stay awhile longer.  And now that I know there’s more to the Alte Post, I will have to make a point of visiting so I can write a proper review.  It appears the Alte Post is only open Thursday through Saturday nights.  Luz Bistro Bar is open daily.  We’ll have to make plans!

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Lake Bled!

I have been wanting to visit Lake Bled for years.  I first noticed it when we lived in Germany the first time.  I read up on it and looked wistfully at photos… and then we had to leave Germany a year earlier than expected!  It’s probably Lake Bled’s “fault” that we’re on the vacation we’re on and not in Ireland or France.

Baby swans in Bled!

We set off from Trieste relatively early and got caught in a traffic jam right before a tunnel.  I got a kick out of the traffic cop, who was an older, heavyset gentleman wearing knee length boots and sporting roguish long, gray hair.  Although I couldn’t picture him giving chase to anyone, he looked like a badass.  The jam only lasted a few minutes, but several truckers had left their vehicles to investigate.  They had to scramble back into their trucks to avoid being run over.  I noticed a lot of them had upturned shirt collars on their polo shirts, the way stylish preppy guys used to wear them in the 80s.

Just over the Slovenian border, we stopped for gas.  I took off my seatbelt while I waited for Bill to gas up the car.  When he got back in the car, he decided to be cute and put the seatbelt back on me.  I was about to let him do it (it’s easier that way), but then I noticed a car full of Muslims parked next to ours and one lady was staring at us with a horrified expression on her face.  I pushed Bill away and grabbed the seatbelt as the woman’s shocked glower became more obvious.  Then we both started laughing our heads off.  She probably thought we were completely insane… or maybe just a little kinky.

We arrived at Lake Bled too early to check in to our hotel.  Nevertheless, we completed all the formalities as a large group of Chinese tourists were leaving the hotel.  The receptionist invited us to take a walk around Lake Bled, since it takes about two hours if you don’t stop.  The weather was perfect and it was close to lunchtime anyway.  Off we went.  We stopped at a hotel cafe for lunch, sitting outside on a very nice terrace overlooking the majestic lake.  A group of pushy ladies took the table next to ours.  At first I was a little annoyed by them– hangry again, and they were taking pictures and encroaching on our personal space.  But then they were joined by a man who was obviously a local and happened to be gorgeous.   It was kind of fun to watch them and listen to them as they ate the local dessert speciality, Bled Cream Cake.  I haven’t tried that yet, but noticed they offered it at breakfast.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll take the plunge.

After the ladies and their hottie guide got up, a man and two ladies sat down.  The man and one of the ladies immediately lit up.  I didn’t notice their smoking at first, but then it was time to eat and I was immediately downwind of the lady’s cigarette.  Smoking is still okay here and I get that, but I think it’s very rude to smoke in a way that the smoke hits someone in the face while they’re eating.  Bill and I moved to another table, then a new party took our old table.  They had an infant who was downwind of the noxious fumes.  I couldn’t help but fantasize about revenge, especially since I noticed no one was smoking upwind of the smokers as they enjoyed their lunches.

Local beer… not bad, but not mind blowing.

 

Super rare cheeseburgers that tasted like they were made of sausage, coupled with another party’s nasty cigarette smoke.

Anyway, after we ate, we felt much better and enjoyed a very pleasant stroll around Lake Bled.  Here are some photos…

Baby swans!

After a brief rest in our huge hotel room, we ventured out again for dinner.  We ended up at what turned out to be a very popular local restaurant.

We wait for our first bottle of wine…

And I enjoy a delightful sea bass dish with potatoes and vegetables.

Bill had John Dory fish, which I thought was even better than my sea bass (branzino).

Our first bottle of wine… a white that we killed over fish and fresh, flavorful, colorful vegetables.

 

This particular restaurant seemed very popular with Americans.  We saw a number of them enjoying dinner there and I was left with the impression that Lake Bled has become very popular with American tourists.  I’ve heard more American English spoken here than Slovenian, which is a bit of a disappointment for me.  But the funny thing is, we have been mistaken for Germans several times.  I think it’s because Bill and I don’t make a lot of noise.  We don’t talk loudly and we don’t wear clothes that automatically identify where we’re from.  We both could pass for German too, though we’re both short.

We ordered a lovely red wine in lieu of dessert…

And one of the waiters brought out this plate of cheese and olives, saying it goes great with the wine. We were not charged for this and I even tried the cheese!  It basically tasted like mild Parmesan.  It was very good, though I don’t usually eat cold cheeses (it’s a texture thing).  A tiny bit made my tastebuds explode.

The bill… 83 euros!  

And the name of the restaurant…  I see we aren’t the only ones who enjoyed it!

 

All in all, our first day in Bled was a success!

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A whirlwind trip to Austria, Italy, and probably Switzerland, part 8

I decided to go to the mall and have pizza yesterday.  I mainly did it because I didn’t want to accidentally order too much wine.  The lady who helped me didn’t speak much English and I, of course, know very little Italian.  I managed to get a slice of cheese pizza and a bottle of water.  It was only 3 euros.

Bill came back from work early, so we decided to hit the store and stock up on Italian goodies.  I have to say, it may be worth it to come to Italy just to go shopping for food and wine.  For 115 euros, we bought two new serving dishes, a new scarf, several bottles of wine, a bottle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lots of pasta, canned tuna (for some reason Italy and Spain have awesome tuna), chocolate, cheese, and sausage.

Afterwards, we drank some wine from Sardinia, then had a fantastic dinner at the hotel restaurant.  I may not love Hotel Victoria’s charmless location, but it sure does have a fabulous restaurant.  The food is amazing and cheap.  And yes, shopping is also good, especially for staples that are easy to take home.  I’m really glad we brought the RAV4 instead of my little Mini.

Today, we head to Switzerland.  I look forward to beautiful mountain and lake views and a very plush (and expensive) hotel.  We’ll spend a couple of days there, then go home to Germany, pick up our dogs, and get ready for Christmas.

The front of the hotel…  hedge blocks the front.

And the neighborhood…

The mall, backlit by the sun.

 

The place where I had cheap pizza!

Got Parmesan?

Last night’s dinner.  We started with fried cheese, onion rings, and meat and olives.  

Bill had a sausage pizza.

And I had an enormous t-bone.  It wasn’t trimmed so well, so I didn’t eat all of it…  but this was huge!  The grilled vegetables and polenta were delicious.  Wish I could have taken it home.  I need to juice or something to get rid of all the good food I’ve had in Italy.

Bill’s sleepy smile.  Maybe he was a little drunk, too.

The restaurant was very busy last night.  Look at that parking lot!

Breakfast buffet.  I will sort of miss this.  I would have liked to have tried a few pastries.  Where we are going tonight, breakfast costs 39 Francs a person.  

 

All in all, it’s been a good week in Italy.  I wasn’t wild about this hotel, but it kind of grew on me.  I have a feeling we could be back, so if we are, I will make more of an effort to see more of the city.

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A whirlwind trip to Austria, Italy, and probably Switzerland, part 5

I’m going to be very honest.  My initial impressions of the Hotel Victoria in Vicenza were not good.  This very large hotel is located in a rather depressing outskirts area of the city, next to a huge, half empty shopping mall.  When I compare it to the patrician beauty of Seefeld, it definitely falls short.  I was in a cranky mood when we first got to the hotel.  The room smelled a little funny and looked dated.  The view from the window sucks.

My view of Vicenza from the hotel.

 

And yet, it gets great reviews on Trip Advisor.  After being here a couple of days, I can sort of see why.  The staff is very pleasant and service oriented.  Breakfast is included and offers a number of different items, all of which are of good quality.  It’s got a fantastic restaurant with great food at low prices.  There’s a large pool for the hot summer months and an exercise room.  Parking is free and the mall, while depressing and decaying a bit, is very handy.  It’s especially nice if you like good quality wine for not many euros.  I do.

But anyway, Monday night, I was in a mood.  It was cold outside and I wasn’t feeling that great.  We needed to find some dinner, so Bill got a recommendation from the front desk guy who checked us in.  He recommended a place downtown.  Off we went in search of it.

It was dark, windy, and very chilly.  Traffic was utterly horrendous.  Bill was stressed out trying to avoid having an accident with drivers more aggressive than he’ll ever be.  He had a hard time finding parking until he finally parked on the side of the street.  We went looking for the restaurant, which we couldn’t find in the dark.  I was getting decidedly pissy because I just wanted to eat, get into my nightgown, and go to bed.  Bill had his mind set on finding the obscure restaurant out in the dark and cold.

Finally, he acquiesced when I said I just wanted to get out of there.  We headed back to the car, walked another block, and ended up at a place called the Pullmanbar.  It was dark and they were playing dance music.  I think the theme was vaguely train-like, though I didn’t see any train decor in there.  We were escorted to what looked like a glass enclosed outdoor patio.  It was heated by a masonry heater of some sort.  I see it used to be an “average bar”, but is now an upscale restaurant.  Indeed, the food we ate there was upscale.  So were the prices.

I was feeling very moody and I think the waiter must have sensed it, since we were seated in the back room.  It was no big deal, though.  I had a seat next to the window, where I could watch the brook/river rush by, lit up by streetlights.  I bet it’s beautiful on a sunny day.

An amuse from the kitchen.  Basically a salad on a crostini.

My starter.  A salad with little mounds of a spread made with cod fish.  I’m pretty sure the yellow things are crackers made of polenta.  They were light and airy, kind of like Bugles (the snacks).  The cod fish dip married well with them.  

Bill had a quinoa salad.

We both had the special, which was a local fish served with zucca (squash, though it tasted like sweet potatoes to me) and a radicchio cream.

This was pretty good for 15 euros.

And a lovely but somewhat overpriced bottle of wine…  35 euros!

I had creme brûlée for dessert…  

Bill had what amounted to an apple and raisin crumble.  

 

Total bill came to 105 euros.  It wasn’t the most expensive meal we’ve had, but it was probably more than we meant to spend.  Still, the food was very good and the service attentive and professional.  I’d go back again.

The outside.  I took this photo as we were passing.

I was in a better mood after dinner and the drive back to the hotel was not bad at all.  That put me in a better frame of mind for yesterday, when I finally started to write about this trip.

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I’ve been waiting seven years for today’s lunch…

In 2007, Bill and I moved to Stuttgart for the first time.  We lived in a crazy hotel in Vaihingen for about six weeks, which meant that we went to a whole lot of restaurants during that time.  One of the places we visited a few times was called Holzkrug.  It was at this little restaurant that I enjoyed some very tasty chicken that was sort of the gold standard for us the whole time we were in Germany with the Army.

Today, we had to take care of some business on Panzer Kaserne.  I got into “the system” the rest of the way, as in I have a SOFA card now.  Then we went shopping at the PX and picked up some dog supplies, laundry detergent and fabric softener, and some Ritter Sports for when I get hungry during the day.  We also dropped by the driver’s ed place and got information about getting new USAEUR licenses for Germany.  And we got the handy dandy landlord blacklist, which tells us which houses to avoid.

After all of that and an unfortunate puking episode after breakfast, I was ready for a hearty lunch.  We decided to see if our favorite Italian place, Cafe da Michele was still open.  It wasn’t, so we went around the corner and headed over to the Holzkrug.  I was glad to see a lady eating the rotisserie chicken I remembered and loved so well last time we were in Stuttgart.  I could see there were more where that came from, as there were chickens rotating on a spit at the front of the restaurant.

Bill peruses the menu as I notice an “America the Beautiful” sign near the men’s room…

 

We had kind of a funny experience at the Holzkrug back in 2007.  Bill and I both ordered beers.  He got a pils and I got a hefeweizen.  My beer came right out, but he had to wait for his.  Thinking he had been forgotten, Bill approached the barmaid, who curtly informed him that it takes seven minutes to pour a proper pils!  Suitably chastised, Bill sat back down and waited more patiently for his beer.

The menu… #8 is definitely a favorite!

The chicken… boy, was this good.  And I ordered a pils, too.  The chicken was fresh, juicy, and flavorful and the potato salad was very delicious with a slight curry flavor.

 

The waitress was very nice and spoke perfect English.  I told her I’d been waiting seven years for our lunch.  Once we found a house, we didn’t eat in Vaihingen very often, so after 2007, we never went back.  We meant to, but just never managed to.  I’m happy to report that this old favorite still offers some great food.  And at 23 euros, the price wasn’t too bad, either.

A view of the restaurant from the side as you drive down Vaihinger Strasse toward Mohringen.

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France and Germany… a send off from the Army– Part 3

On our second day in the Champagne region, we enjoyed a typical French continental breakfast, then walked around Reims some more.  The Ibis had a pretty good spread for five euros…

I already miss the croissants…

We were marveling about how we could end up in France so suddenly.  Most people, when they plan a trip abroad, plan for months in advance.  We just picked up our stuff and headed for the most convenient Space A Pax terminal, which in our case was BWI.  Honestly, I would have liked to have gone to McGuire, which has recently been offering flights to Shannon, Ireland.  But we had set days we needed to make this trip happen and we didn’t want to waste any time.  So we went to Germany and then France…  I have to say, we had a great time!

The city hall in Reims… on the way to the beautiful cathedral.

Reims Cathedral…

 

I am a sucker for stained glass.  This cathedral also had some music softly playing.  I could tell Bill was starting to get really touched by it.

The outside… lots of scaffolding on the front because like many other cathedrals in Europe, Reims Cathedral is being restored.

Cool house!

I know what merde means.

Bill and I sat in this peaceful park for awhile, resting and catching our bearings after our walk around town.

We decided to take a day trip to Epernay, which is where a lot of the champagne caves and vineyards are.  We had a nice lunch at a brasserie.

Lasagne and some kind of carbonara were on the menu…  quite satisfactory!

We decided to have mid afternoon drinks at a bar that served French beers on tap as well as the Belgian styled Afflingen…  

The proprietor kept the door to the bathrooms locked, so every time I had to pee (frequently), I had to go get the key which had a champagne cork as a keychain.  It was kind of a lively little bar, though.  Lots of locals were in there enjoying themselves.

As Bill gazed at this intersection, he saw a young woman having a rather animated conversation with herself.  She finally stalked off in a rage at one point…

When it was time for dinner, we were back in Reims.  We found ourselves at a restaurant I had noticed around lunchtime by the enchanting aroma of something tasty.  We went inside and asked for a table and were fortunate to be able to get one… because this place was basically in a bomb shelter!

A young man of about twelve or thirteen who didn’t speak any English was trying to wait on us.  Soon, a young woman, rumored on Trip Advisor to be Belgian, came out and translated the menu for us.  I got the sense that it was her place.  She took a keen interest in making sure we enjoyed our meal.

Smoked salmon with a horseradish cream…

A delightfully creamy asparagus soup…

I had duck with vegetables and potatoes au gratin…

Bill had a lovely beef dish…

This was the special dessert of the day.  It was some kind of yogurt with cherry liqueur.  I don’t like yogurt much, so I passed it to Bill…

Bill gave me his warm strawberry rhubarb crumble, which was delicious.

 

As we were finishing our meals, a mixed French and American couple came in.  The man seemed nervous.  He was American and spoke what sounded like excellent French.  But he was ill at ease about the dining partners who would join them, an American couple whom they had obviously never met in person before.  The French lady was trying to reassure the guy, who didn’t seem to know where he should sit or what they should order in advance of the couple’s arrival.  When they did show up, I kind of wondered what was going on.  I have to admit, the thought that they were swingers crossed my mind.  Maybe I should write a short story about that scenario.  I’m sure the reality was far less salacious.  They were probably just trying to strike a business deal.

Anyway, that was one of the best meals of our trip.  We thoroughly enjoyed L’Alambic and would recommend it to others!

Cool little fountain in Reims…
Grape vines in Epernay…
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