A whole lot has gone on since I last posted in this blog. The biggest thing is that my husband’s fifth grandchild was born on Monday. She’s tiny, but feisty, and very beautiful. The next biggest thing, of course, is that we’re celebrating anniversary number 23 today. And to be honest, we were kind of “meh” about it, mainly because there’s so much happening right now.
My husband’s new granddaughter is a big thing, but so is everything in the news… and the fact that tomorrow, Bill and I are both flying to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. He’s going there to work, and I’m tagging along. I’ve been to Istanbul before. It was about 30 years ago! But even the idea of going to to Istanbul is kind of overshadowed by everything else right now! You’d think I’d be excited about visiting Turkey again, so many years later. To be honest, though, I’m thinking about how it’s time to put up the Christmas shit and hunker down for the holidays.
Anyway, because it’s our anniversary, we decided we should go out. And because Villa Im Tal always offers us excellent service, great food, and a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful area, we decided that’s where we’d go. And they didn’t disappoint today. As usual, we had wonderful, warm, friendly service, and we spent a luxurious afternoon enjoying delicious food in a gorgeous setting. In fact, they even gave us the prized table in the corner turret…
Right now, it’s goose season. Christmas is just around the corner, and Wiesbaden has already put up decorations. Since the menu had a lot of items that had mushrooms and truffles in them, Bill and I both decided to have the special goose menu, which offered delights that featured goose. Below are some photos from our amazing repast…
Champagne for me, and a non-alcoholic house cocktail for Bill.The bread came with rillets and the local cheese spread. It was delicious!Delicious salad with goose…A wonderful Austrian Pinot Noir that had a smokey essence that reminded me of a succulent ham.We brought about half of the goose home for dinner! It was delicious, but so filling!He was at the next table and was a perfect gentleman.Chocolate mousse and mango sorbet for dessert…And some Spanish brandy for me to help digest everything…One of Bill’s trademark mushy cards… He is so wonderful to me.
I didn’t ask how much Bill spent on lunch, but I feel sure it wasn’t as much as what he spent on dinner at Pizarro Fine Dining last weekend! And this time, their credit card machine was working, so we won’t get a bill.
The very cool wine decanter that looks like a snake…
Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll board a flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul. It will take about three hours, and we’ll debark at about 8 PM Turkey time (two hours ahead of us in Germany). Then we’ll spend four nights in Istanbul. I’ll do my best to get some good photos, and Bill will work… and maybe we’ll do some shopping. It’ll be good to see Istanbul again since 1996. And I’m glad I’ll be there with Bill, who can share the memories. Today, more than most days, I’m reminded that we must enjoy the time we have together and never take it for granted. You never know when it will all be over on Earth.
Watch this space for my reports on Istanbul! Here’s to 23 more wonderful years with my Bill.
A couple of days ago, I asked Bill if he’d like to go out for lunch sometime over the weekend. He said he would, and immediately started looking for a place for us to go. He was hoping to find a new venue, rather than going to our tried and true favorites in Wiesbaden. After some searching, Bill found a spot at the Hofgut Laubenheimer Höhe, a popular wedding venue and restaurant near Mainz.
This week, in addition to their popular brunch buffet, the restaurant was also offering a goose meal that was served family style. Bill worried that I wouldn’t be interested, but I was game to try it. So he booked us a 1:00 reservation, and off we went.
The Hofgut Laubenheimer offers beautiful views off the hilltop. A lot of people were at the restaurant today, enjoying good food and service, as well as ice skating on the temporary rink behind the restaurant. Parking was in short supply. Bill ended up letting me out by the door and parking the car in a nearby muddy field. We had some rain and sleet today, before the sun came out briefly.
The pace of our lunch was leisurely, and we enjoyed a nice local Riesling to go with the goose with all the trimmings– potato dumplings, red cabbage, and roasted chestnuts, along with fresh bread, ham, and Schmalz. Below are some photos…
Roasted goose with red cabbage, potato dumplings, chestnuts, and gravy.Fluffy pancakes with stewed plums.Tiramisu with fried apples
I noticed that the restaurant doesn’t get the best reviews or ratings on Google, but we had a good experience there. Not only was the service kind and professional, and the food tasty and plentiful, but the clientele was also very pleasant. And the prices were pretty reasonable, too, especially for the wine, which was about 35 euros. My only observation is that the ladies room could have used some attention. But I also recognize that it was very busy there, today, and it’s likely that the restaurant is short staffed, as a lot of German restaurants seem to be these days.
On our way out, a lady asked me in German where the elevator was. I didn’t know, and much my shame, said so in English. Then, Bill tried to climb a bank to get to the car and ended up slipping and falling. I waited for him to come around, because I was wearing a new sweater that I didn’t want to get muddy if I fell down.
I’m glad we went out today, even though I was a bit tempted to cancel and stay home. We did have some hail briefly this afternoon, as well as some rain. But once we got out of the house, I was happy to be out, and I really did like the restaurant, with its charming and cozy ambiance. The buffet looked really good. I was eyeing the salmon they had. I’m sure Bill would have loved to have tried the cheese.
We were even reminded of an experience we had when we used to live near Stuttgart. It was a German buffet— very crowded and obnoxious. But it was fun for us, because we ended up sharing a table with three young guys who were taking full advantage of the buffet style of dining! What they had at the Laubenheimer was definitely better looking and more upscale than the first German buffet we went to, several years ago.
We came home with leftovers, and probably won’t need to eat again for the rest of the night!
When we got home, we found the customary Christmas goodies from our landlord and his wife– three bottles of wine, chocolate, and a very nice card with a Christmas ornament. It’s so nice to have thoughtful landlords! Bill gave him some bubbles and chocolate with a big bottle of Tylenol. Our landlord says he can’t easily get that on the German market, and he likes it best for pain relief. No wonder he likes American tenants. We tend to pay more, stay shorter, and we can hook him up with over-the-counter drugs!
That about wraps up our last weekend before Christmas… I’m ready to get the show on the road and unwrap some presents!
Happy Sunday, folks. It’s been a truly crazy and shocking week, and like a lot of Americans, I am pretty horrified at what happened back home on Tuesday.
Anyway… we do still have a short while before the chaos starts. Yesterday, Bill asked me if I’d like to go out to lunch today. I said I would, and he told me that Villa Im Tal was offering a goose menu. Now is the time of year when Germans eat goose. I don’t often eat it myself. I got traumatized years ago when one of my aunts served it at Thanksgiving and it was very gamey. But here in Germany, goose is a lovely dish. We decided to make a 1:00 PM reservation and take advantage of it.
The weather today is cold, dark, and dreary…
It was chilly and foggy today, and I almost regretted making that appointment for lunch. But then I remembered I had a knit dress that I bought last year and hadn’t had a chance to wear yet. I also bought some new Dansko dress shoes that needed a maiden voyage on the town. I got dressed, put on some makeup, curled my hair, and we headed off to the beautiful restaurant that was once a “Forest House” on the outskirts of Wiesbaden. The whole way there, Bill and I were talking about the election.
As we approached Villa Am Tal’s familiar facade, the tension melted away. It’s a beautiful place in the forest that looks like a castle. When we walked through the door, the hostess smiled at us and welcomed us by name. We’ve been there enough times that they know us. And she apologized, because she hadn’t had a chance to translate the menu. We laughed and said it was okay, since we’ve been here a long time and can speak restaurant German.
As we were headed to our table, we chatted a little about life in Germany, and she made a remark about how maybe we prefer it here, under the circumstances. We nodded and said, “Yes… we definitely appreciate Germany.”
Silly selfies…
We sat down, and our excellent waiter poured hot water on the tiny rolled up towels for our hands, warning us not to eat them. LOL… we had long ago learned that lesson and laughed, as he said he’d had guests who had tried to eat the towels. He asked us if we’d like aperitifs. We went for the house cocktails– non-alcoholic for Bill, and fully loaded for me. It was made with white wine, Sekt, lime, and mint. Bill’s version had non-alcoholic wine. I think I liked his drink even better.
While we were looking at the menu and wine list, they brought out the usual bread. It had goose spread (rillette) and Spundekäs, a local cheese spread.
I love the bread… I have to try not to eat too much of it because it takes up too much room!
Ultimately, Bill decided to go for the goose menu, while I went for the Saibling menu (Arctic char fish). These are three course meals, but of course, one can also order a la carte. Villa Im Tal has vegetarian options as well as offerings for meat eaters.
The wine Bill selected wasn’t available, so the waiter brought him a sample of the house Primitivo. We liked that, so we ordered a bottle of it, along with our usual sparkling water.
My menu came with a pumpkin and muscat soup with a Parmesan cheese wafer. Bill’s goose dish had a field salad with wurst. Then we had our main courses. I was pleased with my fish with cous cous, pea and mint puree, and pumpkin. Bill’s goose had a potato knoedel, red cabbage, and roasted chestnuts. I tasted the goose and it was delicious! I also loved my fish, which was cooked perfectly and not dry at all. I finished the fish, but had to bring home the cous cous and peas. Bill brought home some of his goose. We’ll enjoy it later, as we prepare to go to Belgium tomorrow.
After we finished our main courses, we took a brief pause to talk and enjoy our wine. Then it was time for dessert… white chocolate mousse for Bill, and dark chocolate mousse for me. My dessert was paired with cherry sorbet and amarena cherries, crumble, fruit, and white chocolate. His came with mango sorbet, meringue, fruits, and white chocolate.
After we finished dessert, a very nice waitress came over to speak to us. She had recognized us by name back in March, when we last visited the restaurant. We had a brief chat about Villa Im Tal’s history and I quipped that it’s one of our favorite places to dine. We will keep coming for as long as we’re able… as long as we don’t get deported, anyway. 😉
There’s an event going on at Villa Im Tal right now, to raise money for sick children. Art was displayed in the dining room and down by the restrooms. This was an effort to make life a bit sweeter for unfortunate children suffering.
We stayed a bit after the kitchen closed, but no one rushed us. In fact, as we were leaving, the restaurant was still pretty full. The bill came to about 247 euros. It wasn’t cheap, but it did offer a pleasant afternoon for us… and a break from the doom and gloom of this week’s dreadful news. Sorry… I know some people are delighted, but I feel pretty sick to my stomach about the results.
On our way out, I noticed the trees and a very decorated car…
I probably should spend more time walking in the woods. Maybe it will bring me some peace. The area around Villa Im Tal is a good place to do that. Maybe I could lose enough weight to ride horses again. But then, maybe not… if I keep eating at Villa Im Tal!
Today was time and money well spent. I’m glad we went. Tomorrow, we will head to Belgium for a few days. Bill will work, and I will wander around, take photos, and probably drink a lot of beer. Stay tuned!
It’s been an unusually social week for Bill and me. On Monday, we drove to Schwetzingen to meet Bill’s former co-worker and current friend, Tim, and his wife, Melody, who had come to Germany to celebrate their anniversary. On Wednesday, we saw the Scottish Music Parade in downtown Wiesbaden. And last night, we gathered with Bill’s new co-workers in the picturesque city of Hochheim am Main, which is where Bill’s new boss lives.
Bill’s boss’s landlords own a winery, so they had arranged for us to do a wine tasting before dinner at the hotel directly across the street. We were a little bit late to the wine tasting, since Bill wasn’t able to get home as early as he’d hoped he would. We also went to the wrong place at first. Apparently, Hochheim is loaded with wineries and wine stores. The first place we went, the guy was just closing up for the evening. But he was so friendly and kind that when we go back to Hochheim, we will definitely stop in and check out his wines.
It was fun to meet some new people, although I have to watch myself in social situations. Sometimes I get carried away and say more than I should. Below are a few pictures from the event.
No… Bill wasn’t falling asleep, although this week of activities has worn him out a bit. We aren’t used to socializing as much as we have this week.
I learned last night that Thomas Jefferson once visited Hochheim. This wine was named after that event, although we didn’t arrive early enough to hear the history of his visit, which the landlord/winery owner explained. Later, we were quizzed on this… Bill and I didn’t fare well.
The wines flowed freely. This was the price list. I liked several of them.
I was feeling a little envious of where Bill’s boss lives. It’s the kind of cute town I was hoping to find when we were searching for our current house. I guess we just weren’t destined to live in a super cute town this time. I wish it hadn’t been so dark during our visit. Hochheim looked like a really quaint place.
We had a buffet dinner at Hochheimer Terrasse, a restaurant located directly across the street from Bill’s boss’s house. There were a few Christmas parties going on last night, and they also had their bar and restaurant open to the public. Our buffet dinner consisted of pumpkin soup, which was creamy and delicious, goose leg, Rotkohl (red kraut), bread dumplings, and apple strudel for dessert. We also got all the beer and wine we wanted.
I ended up talking to a few people at the party, and Bill’s boss mentioned my blog, which Bill had told them about. I think when they had their first meeting back in September, Bill had our visit to the elevator testing tower near Rottweil in mind. I was explaining that the tower offers Germany’s highest observation deck, as it’s also a place for elevators to be tested. I’m not sure people quite understood the appeal of visiting an elevator testing facility in southern Germany, but nevertheless, that was how Bill introduced my travel blog to his boss.
As things were winding down, we were visited by this guy… He recited a poem, tried to get us to sing “O Tannenbaum”, which no one knew in German, and then handed out tangerines and chocolates. Afterwards, he asked for money. Bill said the restaurant owner came over and shooed him out of the dining room. I missed that part, but I will admit that he kind of put an unusual accent on the evening. In all my years of living in Germany, this was the first time I ever ran into a German Santa.
My German friend says this was the poem he recited… I think she’s right.
I grabbed a parting shot of the restaurant’s sign as we were leaving.
I enjoyed the goose last night, which surprised me, since I had only had goose once before and I hadn’t liked it at all. It was too gamy. This time, it reminded me of duck, only with a longer leg. I know goose is popular in Germany this time of year, but somehow I missed it during previous Christmases here. I may have to try it again, but not at a buffet. It turns out several of Bill’s new co-workers also spent time in Stuttgart, although we were told that usually people move from Wiesbaden to Stuttgart, and not the other way around. For that reason, I won’t be surprised if we move to Stuttgart a third time someday. But then again, maybe we won’t.
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