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Sud Tyrol and beyond… part twelve

Home at last!

I managed to get up in time to take a couple of pictures of the sunrise over Lake Konstanz on Sunday morning. It was a little sad to think of leaving the lovely Oberwaid Hotel, but I was definitely ready to get home and start writing. I have a few folks who genuinely look forward to reading these posts and it was time to dish!

We enjoyed another fine breakfast in the restaurant, albeit for a hefty price tag. Then we loaded up the car and Bill checked out. The receptionist kindly offered us bottles of sparkling water for the journey. Once again, as I left a hotel, I found myself saying “What an amazing place.” I would come back to the Oberwaid for sure. Next time we need a short break from Germany, it’ll be on our list! Hopefully, by then, the COVID-19 situation will be better controlled. But if it’s not, I’d still feel very safe in that hotel. I noticed they have a huge team of housekeepers, all of whom wore masks and keep the place sparkling clean. Here are a few parting shots before we got on the road to Wiesbaden.

  • Sunrise…
  • I really loved the bread.
  • Pictures of a bulletin board…
  • Shows the history of Oberwaid when it was a health sanatorium.
  • It’s still a health promoting place.
  • I bet these prices were considered expensive even back in the old days…
  • The lobby.
  • When we checked in, a man was playing the piano beautifully.
  • The bar area, which we didn’t have a chance to use.
  • Back to Austria…

We had a choice of several ways to get home. If we still lived near Stuttgart, we would have driven through Switzerland to the familiar border at Thayngen, which ultimately leads to A81 and past our old stomping grounds. But since we now live in Wiesbaden, Bill decided to get on A7 on the other side of the lake. From there, we passed through Baden-Württemberg and Bayern (Bavaria) until we finally reached Hesse. We hit a few staus on the way, one of which was pretty obnoxious and took some time to get through.

Against our better judgment, we stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch, but decided against eating in the restaurant due to the high number of people there. It wasn’t even a good restroom stop, since patrons could only go one at a time and there was a line. So we ended up peeing at a nearby rest stop. We should have just gone there to eat, too.

  • Back in Germany…
  • Not the most exciting drive home…
  • But I did catch some paragliders.
  • I bought this at the little market in Leutasch.
  • This came from the wood carver in Italy…
  • As did this… One of my friends didn’t like the wine guy because of the keys, but since the drunk monk has keys, I thought it was a natural fit.
  • He kind of goes with my drunk monk from Oberammergau.
This came from the little market in Leutasch, too. Everyone is making gin these days! We should have spent more money… and we definitely should have bought more wine.

Arran stayed at the Birkenhof until Monday night. I wish we could have picked him up on Sunday, because I really missed him. But we weren’t sure when we’d be back on Sunday and the Birkenhof only allows a short window for pickups.

I’m really glad we took this trip, especially as the news about COVID-19 gets bleaker. There have been more cases in Europe lately because people are traveling. I didn’t feel particularly unsafe when we traveled, but there was definitely no chance of forgetting the pandemic, even in Switzerland, where things seemed the “slackest” (and that really surprised me). I’m not sure when we’ll get to do another lengthy trip. I hope it won’t be too long. For now, I’m glad we took this opportunity to change our scenery and get new pictures. I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride!

I’m amazed at all we were able to do– hike through a gorge, look at a waterfall, go to the top of the Zugspitze, see several beautiful lakes, eat good food, visit Lake Konstanz, and enjoy excellent hospitality. Overall, it was a very special and memorable trip. I’m glad we did it, even if I’m now slightly worried about exposure to the virus. But I’d rather live life than stay locked up, drinking wine in the backyard with the dog.

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Germany, restaurant reviews, Stuttgart

Lunch at Primo Ristorante X Vineria and fine food shopping in downtown Stuttgart…

This weekend, we decided to spend our Saturday afternoon in downtown Stuttgart.  There were several reasons why we opted for the city.  One was an annoying monthly visitor that necessitated proximity to a ladies room.  One was the high chance of thunderstorms that clearly struck while we were gone.  And one was the fact that my car needs new tires and one tire has a slow leak.  Bill’s car has squeaky brakes that need to be fixed.  We didn’t want to chance the Black Forest today.

I’m glad we went to Stuttgart, even though it’s a crowded, busy city.  I’ve kind of been wanting to go downtown for awhile.  Actually, I need a date night at a really nice restaurant, but that’s what my upcoming birthday is for… hint hint (not that I need to hint to Bill).  We parked the car in a big garage near our dentist’s downtown office and went searching for lunch.

On the way there, we passed these buskers.  One was playing accordion and the other was passionately playing violin with so much emotion that I got very verklempt.  I have a weakness for street musicians, especially when they’re good.  These two went straight to my heart.  Unfortunately, they weren’t selling any CDs.  Bill wasn’t the only one to slip them some euros.

This guy was also a skillful busker who was selling CDs, but panpipes don’t do it for me…  We passed another guy playing acoustic guitar and another playing flute.  I really enjoy talented musicians playing in city squares.

 

We headed off the main drag in Stuttgart and suddenly I noticed a heavenly aroma.  I have mentioned in this blog before that I typically trust my nose when I stop at a restaurant.  It smelled of garlic, grilled, fresh bread, and exotic spices.  That aroma, along with a lovely smile from a striking young woman led me to pick Primo Ristorante X Vineria.  We took a two top under the outdoor canopy and checked out the menu, which was helpfully offered in Italian, German, and English.

Bill poses for the camera after ordering glasses of white wine and our usual big bottle of Spruedel.  Our wine and water came with fresh bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  I had a glass of Lugana Ottella, while Bill had Pinot Bianco Moritz DOC.

 

I was sitting in a good spot for people watching.  I thought it was fun hanging out in the food court at AAFES and watching the people walk by.  This place was even more fascinating, as people from all walks of life and different countries passed, sometimes with a significant other or a child and sometimes with a four legged friend.  I was especially enjoying the fashion show.  I saw quite an array of fashion statements, including one woman who was wearing a t-shirt with pictures of hamburgers over her breasts.  I saw another well muscled man wearing a tank top bearing the 7Eleven logo and a pair of cut off jeans shorts.

Bill decided to have the Panzirotti, which was basically ravioli stuffed with cheese and porcini mushrooms.  I went with Tagliolini with scallops and a turmeric lime sauce.

Bill’s dish was extremely pungent.  Some might say it was fragrant.  If you like the smell of mushrooms, it probably smelled heavenly.  I don’t like the smell of mushrooms, but Bill loves everything about the cursed things.  He said this dish was delicious… just the right size and delightfully earthy.  I took his word for it. 

I much preferred my day glow colored scallops and pasta.  The scallops were slightly bitter, but the lime and turmeric sauce kind of set off the bitterness.  And again, this was just the right size.

 

Our waitress asked us where we’re from.  We explained that we’re Americans who live locally.  She seemed impressed by that news and wondered why we’d want to live in Germany.  She was genuinely surprised when we told her how long we’ve been here and that it was our second time.  She might have wondered why our German is so bad, too.  I noticed she spoke German and English like an expert.

Next, she told us she’s from Iraq and was waiting to get her German passport so she’ll be allowed to visit the United States.  She told us she hopes to visit within the next year.  I was very impressed by how warm, friendly, and genuine our server was.  It was her warm, welcoming smile that made me want to sit down in the first place.

The weather was still nice after we finished lunch and an entertaining Spanish family sat down.  We could tell they knew the owner, just based on the affectionate way they greeted him.  Then I heard them switch from rapid fire Spanish to perfect German.  I really need to get back to my language lessons.

I decided to have a glass of primitivo, while Bill had an espresso.  I didn’t look at the wine list before I ordered this, but I was so impressed by it, that Bill went in to find out the brand.  Our waitress told us that everyone loves that primitivo.  It was just slightly effervescent.  Looking at the menu now, I see it was Primitivo di Manduria

 

When we left, our waitress bid us a very fond farewell and even taught us a new phrase in Arabic.  Perhaps we’ll see her again.  I would visit Primo another time.  We enjoyed lunch there.

 

Our waitress gave us truly excellent service and it was a real pleasure to sit in her section.  I thought she was Italian when we sat down, but then when I looked at her face, I could tell she was Middle Eastern.  She had beautiful, thick black hair and topaz colored eyes that matched her bronze skin tone.  Aside from being a very attractive young woman, she was also extremely kind and hospitable.  I hope she can visit the United States and she’s treated well there… at least as well as she treated us today.  We really enjoyed talking to her.

After a couple of hours at Primo, we decided to head toward Feinkost Böhm, which is a very expensive and fancy grocery store in downtown Stuttgart that offers everything from fresh sushi to housemade desserts.  But before we made it to the Feinkost, we stopped by the Markthalle.  I always love going into the Markthalle because it has such a festive atmosphere and one can find all kinds of foods there.

Fresh meats, fresh breads, fresh fruits and vegetables…

Lots of wines…

Beautiful produce!

Sausages and cheeses…

We bought Italian cherries, although they had them from Germany and Spain, too.  And we bought limes, in case I get in the mood for a margarita.

 

We also bought a couple of large, dry-aged, rib-eye steaks, which Bill will be cooking sous vide style and then grilling later.

Fresh fish in the Feinkost.  It smelled delicious.

 

We picked up a couple of bottles of wine at the Feinkost and a little dessert.  We may not be at the Army Ball tonight, but I think we’ll still have a nice evening.  If we’d wanted to, we could have eaten at the Feinkost, which has a lovely restaurant now offering outdoor seating, as well as a sushi bar.  No, it’s not exactly cheap to shop there, but sometimes it’s great for a morale boosting treat.

The Feinkost even has an outdoor champagne bar…  God, I love living in Europe!

All in all, we had a really nice afternoon downtown.  We need to visit Stuttgart more often, if only so I can burst into tears when I hear a particularly talented street musician play.  On our way back to the garage, an acoustic guitar player had taken over the corner where the violinist and accordion player had been.  He was doing a mean version of “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel.

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Ten great date night restaurants in or near Stuttgart…

ETA: 8/30/18 

I notice I’m getting a lot of new hits on this old post from 2017.  Please note that restaurants open and close all the time in this area.  I have written newer lists of favorite date restaurants and I hope you’ll take a minute to read about those.  (I am leaving this up for posterity)

Next weekend, we have travel plans that involve yet another trip to France with our dogs, Zane and Arran.  I’m eagerly anticipating our next trip, where we will no doubt load up on wine, cheese, and pastries.  But today, my mind is on date nights near Stuttgart.  Bill and I have been fortunate enough to have had quite a few of them.  Here’s a list of restaurants where I think you and your honey can enjoy a nice night out.  All of these restaurants have been reviewed on this blog, so please do a search if you want to read more.  Also, these restaurants are not necessarily ranked in order because, truthfully, I liked them all for different reasons!

10.  Ocean’s First– Holzgerlingen

Someone in one of the local Facebook groups turned me on to Ocean’s First, a seafood restaurant in Holzgerlingen.  This place, which is decorated to look a bit aquarium like, offers very fresh seafood and other gourmet delights.  There is no freezer on the premises, so what you’re going to find will be whatever can be acquired locally.  Bill and I had a great time at Ocean’s First last May and I enjoyed a huge lobster there, among other things…

Trough o’ crustaceans…

 

The atmosphere at Ocean’s First is very pleasant and the service is excellent.  If you like seafood, it’s a good bet.  Just don’t expect to find anything really exotic because we are in southern Germany and they don’t freeze their seafood at Ocean’s First.  I have done some checking and it appears that Ocean’s First is closed now.  Their Web site is offline and Google reports that it’s no longer open. 

 

The restaurant that was Ocean’s First is now a Russian/Former Soviet Union inspired eatery called Veranda.  

9.  Refugio– Tübingen

I discovered Refugio last year while prowling OpenTable.com, looking for a nice place to eat.  Refugio is the restaurant at La Casa, a beautiful boutique hotel in Tübingen.  We were very impressed by the impeccable service, beautiful presentation of the food, and lovely ambience at Refugio.  It’s a small dining area, but it’s very tastefully decorated.

Rinderfilet Refugio style…

 

A bonus is that if you have too much wine, you can always spend the night.  In fact, I would love to do just that sometime.  ETA: Refugio is hosting a special Valentine’s meal this year.  There will be live music, dancing, and a special four course menu.  It’s 69 euros a person.  Click here for more info.  (Bill and I will be dining there on Valentine’s Day!)

8.  Gasthof Krone– Waldenbuch

Gasthof Krone is another restaurant I found on OpenTable, but it enjoys a great reputation among locals.  The food is German and French and the service is outstanding.  The dining area is a bit cozy; it does have the look of a gasthaus, after all, but we had a lovely date in Waldenbuch, mainly thanks to this gem of a restaurant.

A fabulous tuna starter at Gasthof Krone!

7.  Five– Stuttgart

We went to Five in Stuttgart for our 13th wedding anniversary in November 2015.  Bill was very much enchanted by the cool decor.  They offered us a novel “mystery menu”, which was a lot of fun.  Basically, they served us several surprise courses after we told them of any foods we couldn’t eat (for me, it’s mushrooms).  Those who aren’t as brave can order off the menu.  This is not a cheap place to eat, but the food is very good and beautifully presented.  It’s a great place for a date.

An example of dessert.  They also served a “pre-dessert”…  Come here with an appetite!

6.  Cube– Stuttgart

We just had our first meal at Cube this week.  I have seen it repeatedly suggested as a good place for a date in downtown Stuttgart.  Having now seen the famous view of the Schlossplatz, I can agree that it’s a pretty nice place to eat.  Reservations are a must, but you will enjoy very good food, competent service, and an impressive view of Stuttgart.

Duck for lunch?  Why not!

5.  Im Gärtle- Entringen

This lovely little place is in the little town of Entringen, which is between Herrenberg and Tübingen.  It sits on top of a hill overlooking the town and includes a small art museum.  Bill and I have eaten there twice.  Our first time was last year on Valentine’s Day, where we truly did enjoy a date night.  The last time was a few weeks ago for lunch on a Saturday.  Both times we were left very impressed by the food, the ambience, and the friendly service.  It’s an especially great place to go if you like art.

Delightful herb encrusted salmon in the garden…

4. Christophorus– Stuttgart

Christophorus is a restaurant located in the Porsche Museum.  It offers excellent USDA beef and amazing service.  Reservations are a must at Christophorus; you can make them through OpenTable.de.  This a great place to go if you want to impress someone or want to celebrate, though be prepared to drop some major euros!  Tables are nicely spaced, so you can enjoy some intimacy with your sweetheart.

Magnificent steak at Christophorus.  The service is outstanding and if you like beef, this is a good place to be.  There are other options on the menu for non beef eaters.

3. Osteria da Gino– Nagold

Osteria da Gino is a small, intimate place run by a very charming Italian man and his family.  Do not go to see Gino wanting pizza; none is served in his restaurant.  Instead, he will impress you with many courses of amazing Italian food.  If you are looking for intimacy, I would recommend saving Gino’s for a summer evening, when you can dine outside.  During the colder months, you may find yourself sharing a table with another couple.  However, the last time Bill and I went to Gino’s, we ended up having a great time meeting a French/German couple who had come into town to visit relatives.  We are long overdue for another visit!  Make a reservation.

One of Gino’s wonderful pasta dishes… and one of several courses.  When we visit, we usually let him take charge and he brings out whatever…  It’s really unique and awesome!  The food is out of this world.


2. Luz Bistro Bar/Alte Post– Nagold

This is another nice and very comfortable restaurant in Nagold.  We have never needed to reserve a table at Luz Bistro Bar, but we have also never gone away disappointed.  The Alte Post is a more formal dining room that we haven’t yet tried, but have plans to try very soon.  Service is uniformly excellent; there’s a nice wine list, and the food is creatively prepared and very appealing.  It’s also a rather casual place, so there’s no need to dress up (unless you try the more formal dining room).  (Please note: this restaurant is now CLOSED)

Delicious braised pork at Luz Bistro Bar.  This was offered at lunchtime.


1. Talblick Gourmetrestaurant– Wildberg

Finally, there is Talblick Gourmetrestaurant, which is part of a larger gasthaus restaurant in Wildberg (sort of a sub restaurant, if you will).  Bill tried for months to get a reservation at Talblick Gourmetrestaurant and finally succeeded in June.  Word to the wise.  There is no air conditioning in the dining room where this sub restaurant is, so you should try to book it during the cooler time of the year.  However, the food is astonishing.  Prepare to spend an evening dropping lots of euros but being amazed by the creativity of the chef.  When we dined, we had the whole dining room to ourselves.  This gasthaus also has another restaurant that serves more traditional food.  You must make reservations for either.

Just ONE of the many beautiful photos I got of the beautiful food at Talblick…  If you like food that looks like art, I highly recommend trying this restaurant.  It’s truly amazing.  And yes, you can spend the night if you need to.  It’s also a hotel.

 

I’m sure there are many other great date restaurants that haven’t made this list.  I wanted to keep this post a reasonable length.  Rest assured, I’m doing my best to work through the amazing places to eat in and around Stuttgart.  Stay tuned for more reviews in 2017.

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We’re going back to Scotland… why we’re doing another Hebridean cruise

Hebridean Princess.

I already announced this on my main blog, which tends to get more readers than this one does.  It’s mainly because I am a bit rawer on my main blog than I am here, where I try to be somewhat genteel.   Today’s post will be somewhat less genteel.  I’m writing it because I want to convey why I think Hebridean may be the best cruise line ever.  If you can afford it, that is.

Bill and I took our first cruise(s) on Hebridean Princess back in November 2012.  It was in honor of our 10th wedding anniversary.  Originally, I had planned to take one five night cruise, but then it occurred to me that we could take a second five night cruise with little overlap of ports.  They were the last two cruises of Hebridean’s 2012 season and they were relatively inexpensive.  Each five night segment was priced at $1960 for the lowest priced cabins.  If we booked another cruise, we’d get a 5% discount.  I told Bill that if we left after the first cruise, we’d be traveling during the busy Thanksgiving rush.  Moreover, I wasn’t sure when we’d ever be back to Scotland.  That was before we ever knew we’d be back in Germany.

Fortunately, Bill agreed.  We made the booking and went off to Scotland in mid November 2012, not knowing that our sweet dog, MacGregor, was suffering from cancer.  Unbeknownst to us, he had a malignant tumor in his spinal column.  We had him on prednisone because he’d been having some problems with walking.  Our vet thought it was arthritis and/or disc disease.  She had instructed us to wean him off the drug, but that coincided with our trip.  We asked the people at the boarding facility to do it for us.

We had a wonderful trip to Scotland.  We went to Glasgow first, spent two nights there, then got on the very small vessel, which was originally a car ferry.  Hebridean Princess only handles 49 people at a time and is special enough that Queen Elizabeth II has chartered it twice.  Prior to cruising on Hebridean Princess, we had been on SeaDream I twice.  I thought that was an amazing experience.  I had no idea.  After ten nights on Hebridean, my mind was changed.  I still love SeaDream, but it is no longer #1 to me.

Anyway, our Scottish cruise was insanely awesome.  Once we boarded the ship, we were completely taken care of.  They didn’t even ask us for a credit card.  The service was just impeccable.

While we were cruising, MacGregor was having some problems.  The people at the North Carolina boarding facility where he was staying took very good care of him, but he really had trouble when he went off the prednisone.  One day, he just up and collapsed.  The folks at the kennel had to take him to our vet.  They were in constant communication with us, which was frustrating because there was nothing we could do from thousands of miles away other than worry.  At one point, the kennel manager sent us a letter from our vet advising that we put MacGregor out of his misery before we came home.  Naturally, that was devastating news to us, especially since we thought he had arthritis.

On the last night of our wonderful cruise, there was a gala event.  Bill and I were dressed to the nines, but I was very upset about the dog.  Bill had called the vet in North Carolina, who told us that MacGregor wasn’t on the edge of dying or anything, but he was in pain.  We told him to keep MacGregor comfortable as best he could.  We would get back after a few nights in Edinburgh and have him checked out.  We eventually took him to NC State, where an MRI was done.  That was when we found out he had cancer– up until that point, we had several vets arguing about what was wrong with MacGregor and we didn’t know who to believe.

The Hebridean staff was wonderful as we were dealing with all of this stuff.  But what was really awesome was what happened later on the last night on the ship.  It was the last night of their season.  After throwing up when I heard about MacGregor and before the haggis, I suddenly realized that Aunt Flow had come to visit me.  Somehow, I had come onboard completely unprepared.  I had remembered everything else we needed on our trip.  But I had forgotten to pack maxi pads.

Haggis!

I was very upset about everything that was going on: my dog ailing in North Carolina, vomiting, and now, an unexpected visit from Aunt Flow.  So Bill, being the wonderful guy he was, grabbed the assistant purser, a lovely Latvian lady named Valeria.  He said, “I need your help.”  She looked at him expectantly as he said, “Jenny just started.”

That was all he needed to say.

Valeria said, “I can’t promise I’ll get the best selection, but I’ll knock on your door…”

Ten minutes later, Valeria discreetly presented Bill with a bag of feminine hygiene products she’d collected from other staff members.  While I am sure this problem has come up before, I doubt it happens often.  On our first cruise, I was the youngest one onboard at age 40.  The second one included a couple of younger women, but for the most part, people on Princess tend to be silver haired and well past their childbearing years.  Valeria handled the situation like a champ.

I had enough supplies to get me through the night.  The next morning, the purser gave me a hug and wished us well.  I was later able to get the products I needed (and I have never made that mistake again).  We got back to North Carolina a few days later and took care of MacGregor until we sent him to the Rainbow Bridge on December 18, 2012, after we learned of what was really ailing him.

A month later, we adopted Arran.  We named him after one of the beautiful islands we visited in Scotland.  He remains a wonderful companion, though I just found out last week that he had a cancerous mast cell tumor (which was hopefully entirely removed).  I only hope when we get on Princess in March, he’ll still be just fine.

My MacGregor memorial…

Scotland video…  which is a little less emotional.

Anyway, with service like that, I knew we had to sail Hebridean Princess again, especially after mom raved about it last week.  I can hardly wait.  And I am hoping that this time, we have no sick dogs or menstrual catastrophes.

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