Swiss Studies… A surreal dinner among strangers with stories (part six)

By Thursday morning in Switzerland, I was feeling ready to get back to Germany. I missed Noyzi and Charlie, and there were people in the apartment above us who were driving me nuts. In the early mornings, I’d hear a baby squalling. I’m not sure if it was in the above apartment, or a different place, but it was pretty loud.

Then, within an hour, the “wrestling matches” commenced. I call them “wrestling matches”, because that’s pretty much what they sounded like. I’d hear the pitter patter of little feet, then a big “BOOM” as something hit the floor or thudded, HARD. It happened over and over again.

It was nervewracking, because I couldn’t predict when the noises would happen, and they would startle me. Then, I would get annoyed until the cycle repeated. And it would go on for hours. I thought about saying something, but I didn’t know where the people were from, or if they spoke English.

So, I slathered on more sunscreen, gathered up my stuff, and headed back to beautiful Lake Zürich, for some peace and quiet. Well, at least I thought it was more peaceful… and honestly, it probably was quieter, even though there was construction going on in the lake and near it. There were also cool breezes.

I don’t actually recall much about what I did during the day on Thursday. Nothing sticks out in my mind. I do remember coming back in the afternoon, trying to read, and once again falling asleep, as I waited for Bill. But something DID happen on Thursday night at dinner.

When Bill got back to the apartment, we decided to go to the Greek restaurant again, Le Beaujolais. The same friendly guy waited on us. He asked us where we wanted to sit, and I chose a table next to the building. It was dirty, so he had to bus it for us. We sat down and Bill ordered some white wine. I ordered gyros, and he chose souvlaki.

We hadn’t been sitting there long before a group of young Swiss folks showed up. They sat at the table right behind us. Within the group, there was one woman, in particular, whom I found very annoying. She spoke in rapid fire Swiss style German, in a voice that grated.

Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have been as irritated as I was, but I’d been listening to dull, sudden thuds all day in the apartment. I was hot, and recovering from boredom, missing my own space, and the peace and quiet I have in my home. I also missed my desktop computer, because that’s the best place for me to write and make music.

So, the woman kept yammering in her Swiss dialectical German, and then she switched to English, when another person joined their group. I was trying to keep a straight face and get through dinner. And then, it happened…

In front of the restaurant, there was a very busy main drag. Trams go up and down that street every few minutes. There were also many cars coming and going, and people walking past. But, all of a sudden, the street seemed to empty out, and this man in a luxury sedan stopped right by where we were eating. There were no cars near him at all. His window was down, and he was playing loud music. It sounded like Louis Armstrong (Satchmo). The guy either lip synched perfectly, or sang along, complete with facial expressions and hand movements. It was like he was performing “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” especially for us!

We all kind of stopped what we were doing and stared in amazement as this random guy in his car was singing to us… with loud Louis Armstrong blaring from his windows. It lasted for about one surreal minute, and he wasn’t interrupted by traffic of any kind. Some pedestrians gave him a quizzical look as they passed.

I heard the people sitting behind us murmuring, and suddenly I felt like we were all experiencing this weird, bizarre moment in time. Then I heard the annoying woman behind me say in English, “Now he’s going to want money.”

But just as suddenly as it started, it was then over. The guy rolled up his window and drove away, and traffic returned to normal. It was as if it had never happened. I wish I’d thought to take a picture or a video. He didn’t seem to want money. In fact, the whole thing seemed like a spontaneous act. For all I know, he does this every summer day, serenading random al fresco diners as he drives through Zürich. Maybe he just does it for his own amusement, to break up the monotony of life in such an orderly country. I did look on YouTube to see if anyone had caught him on video. Apparently no one has, yet. Or maybe I’m just using the wrong search terms.

Then, just as we were about to have a round of ouzo, the woman sitting behind us started telling a story in English about her brother, when he went into the Swiss Army. He’d forgotten his toothbrush, so his mother had to bring it to him. As she was telling the story, a man with a dog was passing. He came over and, although he was obviously a stranger to them, started a conversation. He’d heard the woman talking about her brother in the Swiss Army, and decided to tell the group about how he’d joined the Israeli Army and everything was provided, including toothbrushes.

The guy’s dog, a sweet, older, female, plopped down next to the talkative woman, and he told them (and us) about how he’d been a performer in the Israeli Army, and it had led him to Switzerland. He met his Swiss wife in Zürich, and worked in the arts there for many years. He said he’d been working as a clown, at one point. And he said his dog’s name was Gille (if I recall correctly). He said the name meant “comfort” in Hebrew, and added that she is a comfort to him.

*This guy is an Israeli who lives in Switzerland with his Swiss wife and dog…*

Bill and I sat there quietly, not actively involved in the conversation, yet passively involved in that we were hearing it. Bill could have piped up, too, as a 30 year Army veteran from the United States. I could have spoken up and talked about how I have my own performances as a singer. But nowadays, it’s hard to tell how people will react to the revelation that Americans are near. I’m sure they knew we were Americans, anyway. Bill has told me that it’s easy to work with soldiers from other countries because, when it comes down to it, they’re all mostly cut from the same cloth, doing the same job.

Still, it was a very weird evening… surreal, even. As annoyed as I had been with that woman sitting behind us, I suddenly felt like she’d given us a gift. Because she was engaging the guy from Israel, and allowing us to hear his story.

Stay tuned for the next installment, when I describe visiting the C.G. Jung Institute and seeing where Bill might soon be a student.

Champagne Bucket trips, churches, former Soviet Union, Lithuania

The Vilnius Series… Tales from the Crypt, and my rainy 53rd birthday… (part four)

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.*

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!*

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!

Hessen

We tried out Akropolis Restaurant in Erbenheim…

Although it is Memorial Day weekend, Bill has been working on a project at his job that took him away yesterday morning. To make it up to me, he decided to take me out to dinner at Akropolis Restaurant in Erbenheim, a suburb of Wiesbaden. We had never been to this restaurant before, and it had been awhile since our last Greek food repast. I was all for going out last night at first… but then, as the weather got gloomier and it threatened to rain, I kind of wished we were going to stay home and snuggle. Nevertheless, we went out, anyway.

Bill was fretting about the parking situation at the restaurant, which is located right next to a train stop. He needn’t have worried. There’s a little dirt lane by the restaurant where people park their cars, free of charge. The restaurant also has a very small lot with a few spaces specifically marked for patrons. We arrived just as the train was stopping.

The restaurant was doing a brisk business when we arrived last night. We had a choice of two tables. There was a two top by a stained glass window, or a three top by the wall. We went for the three top and used the extra chair for our jackets and my brand new purse. Below are a few shots of the neighborhood near the restaurant. I was eerily reminded of Vaihingen, near Stuttgart.

I really liked the art in the restaurant, especially where we were sitting. I even took a couple of photos. I was less impressed by the music, which was too loud for my taste, and sounded like Greek pop. I also didn’t like the chairs, which were well cushioned, but uncomfortably narrow, and they all had armrests. Granted, I am overweight, but so are a lot of other people… I’m sure if I was uncomfortable, other patrons have been uncomfortable, too. There was a larger man sitting behind me whom I’m sure didn’t like the chairs, either. That said, I guess I need to take more walks and drink less beer. Maybe my ass will get smaller.

*The tree art was especially interesting. It was textured. I’d like to hang that in our living room.*

Bill ordered a bottle of wine and a large bottle of sparkling water for us to share. For dinner, I ordered pork gyros with potato “chips” (more like soft medallions) and t’zatziki. Bill got the bifteki, which was a mixture of chopped beef, lamb, and vegetables stuffed with cheese. Both dishes came with a small, simple salad, which I really appreciated. Bill finished his dish, while I took about half of mine home. Maybe I’ll finish it today or tomorrow.

When it came time to pay, there was an issue with the credit card machine, which, for some reason, wouldn’t accept Bill’s card. Fortunately, he had enough cash to pay the check. I think it came to about 77 euros, or so. We killed the pain with a house shot of ouzo.

It was still daylight when we got home. We enjoyed the rest of the evening inside, listening to music. Today, it’s kind of cold and rainy. I liked the Akropolis Restaurant fine, although the chair was uncomfortable. After awhile, I didn’t notice it that much. If we go back, I’ll probably order a different dish, as the gyros were a little too seasoned for my taste.

I’m not sure what we’ll do today… perhaps we’ll visit post and price new mattresses. We REALLY need a new one, but our bed is an American king, and it’s hard to find those on the German economy. We bought our first bed and mattress together at the PX on Fort Belvoir, about 20 years ago. We still have that mattress. And we bought another bed set and mattress at a Haverty’s in Georgia back in 2009. That mattress is in dire need of replacement. It’s like sleeping in two valleys. But it may be a real pain to buy a mattress from AAFES (the PX), because it will probably have to be ordered, and that will take awhile. Plus, there’s the issue of getting it set up– I’m not sure if they offer a white glove service. We’ll investigate it, just the same. My back needs a break.

Below are a few photos I took of a beautiful yellow rose bush in my neighborhood. I love how Germans take care of their gardens and have so many beautiful flowers in the spring, even though it wreaks havoc on my allergies…

I also replaced my beautiful green leather purse this week– the one I bought in Florence, back in 2022. The strap on it needs repair. I ordered a brown version of the same purse from the same retailer in Florence, Pelleteria Fratellini. I like the brown purse, and it will probably go with more things… but I really love the green one. We’ll have to get the strap fixed. They didn’t have any green ones in stock when I looked last weekend.

I was amused to see that one of our neighbors was apparently getting rid of a desk. I happen to have an identical IKEA desk that I inherited from our very first German landlord in Ammerbuch. At the time, he worked for IBM, but he now works as a mental health therapist in Tübingen. We really liked him. Before we met our current landlord, he was the best landlord we’d ever had. I think he and Bill have a lot in common. I hope he’s doing well.

*This desk is just like mine, except it’s in better shape. My desk was originally purchased by our first German landlord.*

Well, that about does it for today’s post. Very soon, I’ll be planning our trip to Lithuania for my birthday. That will be exciting, because Lithuania is another country to cross off our bucket list. It will be the first time either of us have visited.

BeNeLux

Work in Belgium, play in The Netherlands! (part one)

Yesterday, Bill and I got home from our latest trip. This journey was different from our usual trips, because most of it involved a conference Bill attended in Mons, Belgium. Some weeks ago, Bill told me about this trip and asked me if I wanted to go with him, since it was happening just before our 22nd wedding anniversary. I said yes, because I enjoy Belgium very much. I love most things about it– the chocolate, the beer, the frites, and the irreverent humor, especially!

After the conference, Bill agreed that we would go somewhere more luxurious to celebrate our marriage. He got permission to drive our personal vehicle so we could make that happen. Normally, when Bill goes on work trips, he has to rent a car or fly. Fortunately, his bosses were fine with letting him drive our Volvo.

We didn’t have much choice over where we would spend our days in Belgium. I think Bill had a choice of several hotels that fell within the rates allowed by his company. By the time he was ready to book, a lot of the hotels were already full. Consequently, we ended up at the B&B Hotel Mons Centre, along with a lot of other military types from around Europe.

It was a Facebook ad that led me to book our wonderful accommodations in Nistelrode, Holland (The Netherlands). I wanted a place that was quiet, luxurious, and comfortable, and when I saw The Duke Suites showcased on my Facebook feed, I was immediately curious. The only thing that gave me a moment’s pause was the fact that the place is part of a golf club. Bill and I are not golfers, nor do we aspire to become golfers. However, I did used to work at a country club when I lived in South Carolina, so I am familiar with golfing. Even though the nightly rate was pretty steep, I decided to book it.

With our plans set and Noyzi and Charlie safely boarded at their usual Hundepension, we headed west on November 11th. The drive to Belgium was fairly uneventful. We did stop at a McDonald’s for lunch. That was a regrettable decision, especially since their toilets were closed. They did have port-a-lets outside of the restaurant, but we decided to hold on until we encountered the next Autohof.

When we arrived in Mons, it was already dark. The hotel has a good location, within walking distance of the Grand Place in Mons. However, Bill was challenged by parking, as the hotel has a parking garage, but it’s easy to miss and has a very narrow opening. We didn’t check it out for ourselves, but the parking garage is also reportedly deep, making it a challenge to get in and out of. Someone also parked in front of the door on the first morning and got their car towed! Fortunately, after some repeated circling around the block, Bill managed to find some free street parking. He left our Volvo unbothered in that spot all week.

When we checked in, we were initially given room 156, which was supposedly a “boutique room”. Indeed, it was a large room with chairs and a table, as well as the usual bed. But then when we went into the bathroom, which had a shower stall, I noticed that the toilet seat was not fully connected to the seat. Since I’ve had my share of dealings with half-assed toilet seats, I asked Bill to see if he could get us a room with a better toilet seat. He was successful, and we were moved to room 358.

Below are some photos from room 156…

*That green background was a bit depressing.*

Below are some photos from our second room. It was smaller, but in better condition. At least the backdrop was less depressing.

Once we checked in, Bill and I decided to hunt for some food. As I mentioned up post, the best thing about the B&B Mons Centre Hotel is that it’s very close to the heart of the city. It takes about ten minutes to get to the action on foot. It’s also very close to a large grocery store, which came in handy for us a couple of times.

We didn’t realize it when we arrived in Mons, but there was some kind of carnival going on. It was kind of surreal walking downtown and being confronted by bright rides, games, and street food in the Grand Place. The weather was cool and misty– probably unseasonably warm by local standards. Lots of people were out and about, enjoying the November festivities. This carnival was going on the whole time we were in Mons. No, we didn’t get on any of the rides!

We ended up having dinner at a restaurant called La Grillade, which is a Greek place. They were fairly busy, but they had room for us in the back room. This turned out to be a good choice for dinner, as the back room was nice and quiet, and the food was delicious. I especially appreciated the excellent frites! I had salmon filet, and it was cooked perfectly. Bill had a lamb skewer that he said was most satisfactory. We split a bottle of wine and enjoyed watching a group of men at a nearby table bonding over friendship and good food. The food was good enough that we even had dessert.

*The salmon was excellent. The Béarnaise sauce came in handy!*

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. Bill had work in the morning, and I was tentatively planning my first day of exploration around Mons… I know some Americans live there because of SHAPE Headquarters. I don’t think I’d mind living there myself. It’s a very nice town.

So ends the first installment of this series. I’ll be back soon with the next part.

anecdotes

The first September wine stand of 2023…

Happy Saturday, y’all. It’s cool and overcast today, and Bill is preparing for another TDY in Bavaria. I’m not sure what we’ll do, but it looks like the weather may not be optimal. We’ve sure had a mild summer this year… lots of rain and temperatures that weren’t very oppressive. I’m grateful for that. Coming from Virginia originally, I know what it’s like to feel like you need gills to breathe. We have had a few warm, humid days this year, but it’s really not been too bad at all. And pretty soon, after next week’s warm spell, it will get chilly and Fall will truly be upon us.

When Fall arrives in Germany, so do a lot of fun harvest related festivals. But, at the end of October, the wine stands end… I always find that sad, because the wine stands are a lot of fun, especially for Noyzi. We went to the one in our village last night, and Noyzi got to work on his social skills, make new friends, and enjoy a change of scenery. I got some photos of our fun.

You’ll notice there are also election candidates’ signs, which I took photos of a couple of days ago while walking Noyzi through the Dorfplatz. It’s always interesting to see what German politicians focus on when it comes time for elections. The first five photos are from a couple of days ago, while the ones with Noyzi and sunshine were taken last night.

Noyzi was a bit excited at first, but after about 45 minutes, he settled down. He also got to meet one of our neighbors, who was understanding when we explained that Noyzi is from Kosovo, which isn’t a very dog friendly place. He was abused before we got him, so he gets nervous around men. However, he’s come a LONG way, and calms down quickly when he realizes that someone is being friendly. He loves people, and he LOVES wine stands and Biergartens.

Something funny did happen last night. There’s a somewhat young looking couple in Breckenheim who sometimes attend the wine stands. They have two little kids. One is obviously a girl, but the jury is out on the other child, who is still very young. I thought it was a girl, but Bill thought it was a boy child. I guess we’ll know soon enough.

Anyway, the children’s father is a very gentle looking guy… kind of short and slender, with a beard and shoulder length blond hair. He actually looks like a shyer, younger version of the husband half of a LDS couple I knew when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the mid 1990s (they were my colleagues, not missionaries 😉 ). Every time I see this guy, I am reminded of Jason from Armenia. Both men are very “granola” looking, although by now, Jason is probably twice the local guy’s age.

So, this local beaded guy was wearing a down vest last night, as he was shepherding his small children. I was admiring how very patient and attentive he was toward his kids, playing with them, and making sure they didn’t get into any trouble. The children got a bit close to Noyzi, who was a little spooked. He doesn’t spend a lot of time with little kids, although I’m sure he would enjoy them if he got to know them– as long as they didn’t make too many fast moves.

Bearded guy comes up to Bill and asks in German if Noyzi minds children. Bill told him in German that Noyzi is friendly. I looked up at the beaded guy and immediately noticed that he had a baby doll hanging out of his vest! I was immediately charmed by that! What a great dad! Obviously, he was being a good Opa to his little girl’s baby. It was very cute, and my respect grew by leaps and bounds as he herded the children away from Noyzi.

There were a couple of other kids climbing up on the chest where the chess pieces are kept. Our Dorfplatz has a chessboard built into the brick floor of the village square. The kids were picking the grapes that grow in one corner of our Dorfplatz. Nobody seemed to mind… it looked to me like the grapes were about to turn into raisins, anyway.

We also saw our neighbor’s mother, a lovely, elderly matriarch who, I fear, is starting to suffer from the troubles that come with aging. We hadn’t seen her in awhile. She broke her leg a few months ago, and then seemed to be dealing with some confusion. She looked like she’s lost some weight, and I noticed she didn’t speak to us in English, as she had been up until around April or so.

I saw the same thing happen to our old Greek restaurant owning friend, the late “Mad Scientist” of Entringen, down near Stuttgart. He used to speak perfect English, having spent years working as an engineer in Canada. Then he moved to Germany with his second wife, learned German, and opened his restaurant. When we met him in 2007, he was married to wife number three, and joked about Barack Obama.

When we came back to Germany in 2014 or so, he was noticeably slower and spoke English less fluently… and then he couldn’t really speak it at all. I was sad when I read about his death in 2020. He was a good friend to us. I’m glad we were able to come back to his place, Agais, a few more times when we moved back to the Stuttgart area.

Anyway… we had a good time last night, didn’t stay too late, or drink too much. Noyzi was very good, and I don’t think any of us offended anyone. I love the wine stands and other community events in our little village. People are very relaxed and nice here. The wine helps! I feel grateful to be a part of it.

Below is a short video I took of Noyzi, who was grinning and having a great time, as always!

This dog could be a total social butterfly, given the chance. He loves a party!

Well, I don’t know what we’re going to do today… I’d like to go do something fun, preferably somewhere we haven’t been. Our motivation is lacking lately, though… I guess that’s what happens when you live somewhere so long that it starts to feel too familiar.

Hessen, Hofheim

Two cities, one day…

Yesterday, we had a rare busy Saturday, as we went out for business and pleasure in TWO different nearby cities. There was a time when we were younger when accomplishing this would not have been so notable for us, but COVID kind of took the wind out of our sails and made us enjoy being homebodies more. Bill often needs to rest on the weekends. But sometimes, we do manage to get out of the house. Yesterday, we went to both Wiesbaden and Hofheim.

If you’ve been reading my recent posts, you might know that in a couple of weeks, we are planning an epic vacation. We will start with six nights in Norway– two nights in Oslo and four in Bergen. After we do the Norwegian land based part of our trip, we will fly from Bergen to Stockholm, where we will spend one night prior to boarding Regent Seven Seas Splendor. Our week on the ship will include stops in Helsinki, Finland, Tallin, Estonia, Riga, Latvia, Visby, Sweden, Liepaja, Latvia, Ronne, Denmark, and finally, Copenhagen, Denmark, where we will disembark. We’ll spend two nights in Copenhagen, then fly home.

We plan to be away for about two weeks. Although one of those weeks will involve a cruise, it’s still a lot of luggage hauling as we make our way around to the different places we’re planning to visit.

Since about 2011 or so, Bill and I have been using Red Oxx bags almost exclusively. I like them for their handy compartments, tough construction, and beautiful colors. Bill also likes the fact that the company is in based in Billings, Montana and was started by veterans. We have a whole bunch of Red Oxx bags, and we’ve used them for a whole lot of traveling…

BUT…

On this trip, I’m going to be celebrating my 51st birthday. I’m not getting any younger, and my back is not what it used to be. Red Oxx bags do not come with wheels, meaning that I have to carry them. I typically use a Sky Train convertible backpack, which I’ll use on this trip, too. And when I go on big trips, I also use the Beanos Duffel bag, which can hold a lot of stuff, but isn’t the easiest thing to carry. It can be very awkward. I decided that for our upcoming trip up north, I wanted a bag with wheels.

Often I’d shop for such an item online, but I decided that I wanted to actually touch and pick up what I was buying before I made a final decision. Luggage is one of those items people tend to keep forever, and I didn’t want to be stuck with a “lemon”. I told Bill I wanted to go to the Karstadt Galeria in Wiesbaden to see what kinds of luggage they were selling. The Galeria recently announced that they were closing quite a few branches of their department store. Wiesbaden has had two branches, but soon will just be left with the one we visited yesterday at the Mauritiusplatz.

Bill was a little hesitant. He’d made a 7 PM reservation at Ariston Greek Restaurant in Hofheim. I looked at my watch. It was about 1:30 PM. 😀 I love my husband very much, but he has a tendency to be a bit neurotic sometimes. I guess he was afraid I’d dawdle in the store, and we’d miss our reservation or– horrors– arrive there late!

I said, “It’s just a fucking dinner reservation! Are you really telling me we don’t have time to go into Wiesbaden hours before dinner?”

Bill admitted I was right, so off we went to our fair host city. While we were at a light, Bill was getting annoyed at a guy who was in the wrong lane and had turned on his blinker.

“You’re gonna make me miss my light, buddy.” Bill muttered.

“We’re NOT going to be late for our reservation, Bill. Going out to dinner is supposed to be FUN!” I reasoned.

“You’re right.” Bill said.

I remembered we were going to be passing the Globus Hypermarket, which is kind of like WalMart on steroids. It’s a bit closer to where we live. I said, “Maybe we should just go to the Globus. I bet they have luggage.”

Bill disagreed with my ideas about the Globus, but finally relaxed about the time. We got to Wiesbaden and parked the car in the Market Garage, which is not where we usually park. It’s closer to the Galeria than our usual place is, although the store also has its own parking garage.

*Wiesbaden was ALIVE yesterday. I wanted to stay longer.*

As soon as we walked in, Bill spotted the luggage section, which was actually pretty large. I was immediately drawn to the Samsonites, which of course, were priced “top of the line”. But, just to do my due diligence, I looked at the other suitcases available. It had been a long time since I last shopped for luggage with wheels! I was surprised by how lightweight the bags were.

I ended up choosing a pretty marine blue Samsonite. I wanted to look for new towels, too, but Bill seemed too nervous, so I told him I’d get them another time. 😉 He would have obliged, of course, but he was making our shopping trip more complicated than it needed to be. What I really needed for now was the suitcase, and we accomplished that mission. I got some pretty cool photos outside of the store, too…

We went back to the car and Bill paid for the parking. When he got back, I said, “See? We have plenty of time. We could have had lunch!”

Bill said, “You’re right. Do you want to go have lunch?” Then he said, “Shit, I’ve already paid.”

“No, let’s go home to Noyzi.” So we went home, and started watching Amazon’s docuseries, Shiny Happy People. I’d already seen it, but Bill wanted to watch it, too. That kept us occupied until it was time to go to Hofheim for our dinner date.

The last time we tried to visit Ariston Restaurant, it was early March and everybody was out and about. They had no tables. Remembering that experience, Bill made a reservation. It was not necessary last night. Ariston was having a pretty slow night! Still, we decided to eat out on their tiny patio, and enjoy the pleasant June weather. It was about 70 degrees out and sunny. I had a Gyros Teller, which was gyros, souvlaki, tomato rice, t’zaziki, and salad. Bill had the Bifteki Teller, which had gyros, bifteki, pommes, t’zaziki, and salad. We also had a small carafe of house wine, our usual sparkling water, and for dessert, a round of Pils beer.

The very kind lady who looked after us was so nice. Bill gave her a generous tip on the bill, which was around 60 euros, and she touched her heart as she thanked us. It’s been too long since our last Greek food fix. When we lived in Stuttgart, we used to go to Greek places all the time. We don’t have as many Greek restaurants up here, though… We seem to eat more Italian food now. Not that that’s a hardship!

After dinner, we headed back to the car, and I took a few more photos. Hofheim has sort of replaced Nagold as our “go to” town for casual recreation. It’s not quite as pretty as Nagold is, but it does the job. Likewise, I think we think of Mainz as our replacement for Tübingen, even though they aren’t that much alike, other than both being university towns.

We didn’t know it, but Ariston has parking available. We probably should have parked there, but then we would have missed out on the pretty walk through Hofheim. It’s a very nice place in the evening. We need to go there more often.

*Someone drew a garden gnome near the museum.*

I’m not sure what we have in store for today. The weather is beautiful again, though… Maybe we’ll venture out. Maybe we won’t.

art, Frankfurt, holidays, Sundays

Easter, Van Gogh Alive, and Omonia…

Howdy folks. Bill and I just got home from today’s outing. We planned it a few days ago, knowing that Saturday would be busy. I wanted Bill to fix the boundary wire for the robotic mower, because it’s definitely grass cutting season. We needed to get the outdoor furniture moved outside. And I bought a new Apple TV, so I could update the TV in our entertainment room with the old HomePod as a speaker. It actually took some time to get the new technology squared away. I had to reset the Apple TVs, run updates, and then configure everything. By the time all that stuff was done, it was mid afternoon and too late for an outing.

But we knew Sunday would be a good day for a day out on the town. Yes, it’s Easter, but restaurants and museums are open. Lately, I’ve been seeing lots of ads on Facebook for the Van Gogh Alive exhibit in Frankfurt. It started in January and will now run until early June. The ads were enticing. Then I read the reviews, which were pretty lukewarm.

Bill likes art, and the ads made the show seem exciting. So we bought two tickets for noon today– at about 25 euros a pop. I think the tickets were overpriced, BUT– we did have a good time and learned new things. And Bill got very emotional as he saw Vincent Van Gogh’s works in the show, projected on the walls with information about the artist’s tragic life and death, coupled with lovely classical music from Van Gogh’s era. There was also a (somewhat lame) sunflower room, which consisted of fake sunflowers, lights, and mirrors, which took about five minutes to see. And there was a “drawing room”, where they had easels and a YouTube video showing how to sketch Van Gogh’s bedroom in under two minutes. I didn’t try it myself, but I did observe others.

Our visit lasted 45 minutes. Maybe it would have lasted longer if we’d brought our own chairs, as some people wisely did! I would also recommend showing up a little after your appointment time. You can enter the exhibit anytime after your appointment time, and stay as long as you like. If you’re on time, you’ll be in a crowd. But if you show up later, you’ll have the first part of the exhibit to yourself! If I did it again, I’d come a few minutes late.

Below are some photos… As you can see, everything is in German and English!

Frankfurt’s TV tower, which has been off limits to visitors since 1999.

There is a public restroom in the exhibit, as well as baby changing and handicapped facilities. I was grateful for the restroom. I would also recommend using the train to get to the venue. Parking is at a premium, but there’s a train stop just outside the exhibit’s location.

Below are a few short videos to offer a look at how the show is… It’s pretty cool, but nothing earth shattering.

It’s an impressive show… especially if you can sit down.

A longer look.

We had 1:45 lunchtime reservations at an upscale Frankfurt Greek restaurant called Omonia Taverna. Bill found it on OpenTable.de. He ended up amending our reservation to 1:30, and found a parking spot on the street.

Omonia Taverna turned out to be a great place to spend the afternoon. The food was excellent; the staff was welcoming and didn’t rush us; and we had a very lovely Greek wine. Bill had lamb, and I had a Grill Teller. The waiter spoke English and offered English menus. We didn’t require either, but it was good to know they had them. There is a parking garage nearby, but it was closed yesterday. We found street parking, but it would have also been convenient to use the train.

Below are some more photos… I got some good ones of the Europaturm (Frankfurt’s TV tower, which no longer allows visitors. Every decent German city has a TV tower.). The Europaturm used to have a discoteque, but it’s been closed to the public since 1999, mainly for fire safety reasons. Recently, there was talk of reopening it, but so far, nothing has happened. Still, it makes for a striking sight in Frankfurt. Koln’s TV tower is also closed to the public– and has been since 1992. But, you can still see Stuttgart’s and Berlin’s TV towers, which I have…

We noticed that the staff was extremely hospitable at Omonia. Especially the proprietor, who was personally welcoming everyone in Greek. I didn’t know the word “Kalispera” before we ate at Omonia, but now I know it’s Greek for “Good day”. We similarly learned the Greek word “Yamas” from our friend, the “Mad Scientist” at Agais in Entringen, down in BW. We spent a good 90 minutes on a very leisurely Easter lunch, but we skipped dessert. The main courses were enough to fill us up… Maybe next time we’ll try a sweet ending.

The bill was about 104 euros. Bill tucked some euros in for a Trinkgeld (tip), and paid with his credit card. The waiter was so nice. He said come back anytime, with or without a reservation. I truly think we will. We had a great time, and the food was really nice. They also have an inviting outdoor area for when the weather is slightly better. I noticed a lot of locals there, and a lot of Greeks! It’s obviously a local gem!

Overall, Omonia Taverna, and Frankfurt in general, were excellent places to spend our Easter Sunday afternoon. I understand there’s also a Monet Alive exhibit. It was going on in Stuttgart when we were down there. It got worse reviews than the Van Gogh Alive exhibit did. What a pity. I like Claude Monet. I probably would still go see it if it shows up in Frankfurt, even though I think it’s overpriced. But I would bring a chair and spend a little more time watching the movie.

We need to spend more time in Frankfurt, anyway. There’s a lot to see there that we’ve missed, thanks to COVID-19. I’ll be looking for more ways to kill our weekends in Frankfurt and Mainz, which we’ve also sorely neglected since we moved to Wiesbaden.

Bill is now working on our US taxes… but I think I’ll go downstairs and bug him. That’s what I was born to do.

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Turning 50 in Antwerp… Part four

One thing I noticed and really liked about Antwerp is that there’s a huge variety of different types of food available there. Yes, you can find the usual Belgian inspired cuisine, with croquettes, frites, and waffles, but there are also more exotic choices. There’s plenty of Italian food, Spanish food, Greek food, Asian food, and even some fun fusion, like Peruvian-Japanese! For lunch on Saturday, we found our way to an Israeli place called Shuk. Bill and I actually ended up eating on the backside of the restaurant. The front side was facing the street we’d need to cross to get back to our hotel. It was super close!

The weather was very hot and sunny on Saturday, so the first thing we did when we sat down was order lemonade. I had a mint lemonade, and Bill had pomegranate lemonade, plus we had a large bottle of sparkling water. For lunch, I had Za’atar chicken hummus, which came with pita bread, red onions, pickles, and tomatoes. Bill had a chicken schnitzel sandwich. Of all the places we ate during our visit to Antwerp, I think I might have enjoyed the food at Shuk the best. It was very fresh, wholesome, and interesting. Service was also good; our waitresses all spoke perfect English (as did many of the people we encountered) and they were prompt about delivering the food. I’m actually remembering that lunch at Shuk and wishing I could repeat it today. We had beer for dessert, too, although they had some tempting choices for real desserts.

Shuk’s menu offered a lot of healthy options, and would have been a good stop for vegetarians or vegans. I actually felt really good about eating there. If we ever get back to Antwerp, I’d make a point of stopping there again. I think we spent about 60 euros.

After lunch, the temperature seemed to get more extreme, so we headed back to the hotel for a rest. Bill took a nap, while I did some writing, then ended up having to chat with USAA because they erroneously put a fraud alert on my credit card. I was trying to update a subscription to Internet security, of all things, and it tripped their security system. It was irritating to have to contact USAA, but I was actually glad to have the option. I would rather wait to chat than sit on the phone, listening to their God awful hold music from Hell.

As the weather got cooler, we decided to go back into the city to see what was going on. As I mentioned in part 3, there was some sort of festival going on in the Grote Markt with radio DJs playing music, lots of dancing, drinking, and merry making. We did ask two people at the hotel if they knew what the festival was about. Neither seemed to know, although it was totally free of charge to walk through and listen to the music.

There was much merriment in the market square!

I felt like dancing.

We mostly just walked around and people watched for awhile, until it got closer to dinner time, which we enjoyed at a Greek restaurant called Griekse Taverne. Again, we entered the back way, and sat inside, instead of in the huge outdoor area. Neither of us were really hungry, but Saturdays can be crazy, especially when a fest is going on. So we decided to go ahead and have dinner, just to be sure we got it before the hour got too late. The downtown area was really slammed with people!

We enjoyed the food at the Greek place, although the servers were pretty “weeded” and we kind of got forgotten sitting inside. The outdoor terrace was really hopping. Our waiter looked like a Greek God, though…

We did more people watching after dinner, watching many Belgian youths play basketball as we sipped Omer beers. As the sun went down, we headed back to the Grote Markt, where things were really wild. We thought about sticking around for some of the party, then heading back to the hotel for bed, but then I spotted the piano bar. More on that in part five.

More music!

It’s good that we didn’t have a hotel room there!

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Chasing lakes and waterfalls in Aus-cro-slo-aus… part three

Wednesday morning, we awoke in lovely Wels, Austria, and headed down to the restaurant for breakfast. Breakfast is supposedly very highly rated at Hotel Ploberger. Many reviewers commented on how extensive the buffet is, and the varied and expensive items that can be found there. They did have breads, cheeses, cold cuts, vegetables, fruits, smoked salmon, cheeses, and even a machine that would squeeze marginally ripe oranges into juice. I will agree that the buffet was extensive, but it wasn’t particularly well-stocked when we visited. I got the sense that like all good food and beverage managers, the manager at the hotel instructed the employees to put out only a little bit, as I don’t think the hotel was particularly well populated during our visit.

I noticed that the buffet appeared to be a bit picked over both mornings of our stay. I understand that it was probably a cost or labor cutting method, but to be honest, it wasn’t a great look. The breakfast lady brought us coffee with a no nonsense attitude. It was strong and fresh, and that definitely perked up my ex Mormon husband.

It was pretty foggy and chilly the morning of our one full day in Wels. We decided to walk around the town and take more pictures. Here are some shots from our walk.

Right next to the church is Der Weinphilosoph, a bookstore owned by a genius… Or maybe not. I saw a similar concept in Rostock, Germany, where one can buy wine and books in the same place. I wouldn’t have minded going in there for a few minutes, if only to pick up a few new jigsaw for the probable tighter COVID-19 restrictions that will be in store as the weather gets colder and more folks stay inside with other people.

We continued walking until we reached an “Energy Park”, which offered lots of activities for children. Right next to the park was a kiosk and a WC, where one could get a coffee and take a piss. And there were vending machines dispensing smokes, playing cards, and other items for committing sins. 😉

Bill and I kept walking and noticing what was available in Wels. We could have visited the science museum. I probably would have enjoyed that. There was an art museum, and a spa, which I would have been all for attending. Bill is less enthusiastic about spas than I am.

This was an interesting concept. Looked like you could get a photo shoot while having a party.

For lunch, we decided to go to a well regarded Greek restaurant called Zum Kleinen Grieschen. It had been too long since our last Greek fix, and this turned out to be a good place to stop for lunch. We were the first ones there for lunch, and we were warmly welcomed. The food was excellent! I had my usual pork gyros with flatbread and t’zatziki. Bill had souvlaki. We both had large draft Gössers, a beer I used to drink in Armenia, when I had the drams to spare.

Goofy Bill in his favorite shirt. I probably should buy him new ones.

We took our time walking back from the Greek restaurant, as there’s a small park area nearby that has some interesting memorials to people who died in the Holocaust.

We decided to stop by Vom Fass, an awesome chain store that sells liqueurs, oils, vinegars, and other gourmet goodies. An English speaking associate quickly realized we were easy sells. By the time she was finished with us, we’d dropped some major euros on new items for the home bar. And by that time, of course, I figured it was time to redeem our free drinks at the wine bar… which we proceeded to do.

We weren’t hungry again after our huge Greek lunch. I wasn’t really wanting to hang out in the hotel room after dark. We thought maybe we’d go look for a place with small plates or something… but before we could venture out, I got a phone call from USAA. They wanted to talk to me about my complaint about their tendency to block my credit card at the drop of a hat. I wasn’t really in the mood to talk to them, and they had already called and missed me the night before. So I talked to the poor lady who had the misfortune of calling me.

In all seriousness, I wasn’t as pissed off on Wednesday as I had been the previous Saturday. Still, I was pretty stern as I let her know in no uncertain terms that the way they’ve changed their practices of fraud protection really suck. I don’t want to have to call the bank every time I use my money. And it IS my money, since they also block the debit card at the drop of a hat. SIGH…

After that conversation, we headed out… and ended up in a somewhat unauthentic Irish pub called Labi’s. It turned out to be an entertaining place, though, because a bunch of young Austrian guys came in and started playing darts. We sat in the dark for about an hour before they arrived, drinking Guinness, which turned out to be our dinner.

The proprietor who checked our vaccine certs seemed to be trying to cater to our musical tastes. At first, they were playing Eminem and similar stuff. Then, “You Make My Dreams”, a song by Hall & Oates, came on. I mentioned that I liked it, and it was popular in 1981. Next thing I knew, “The Best That You Can Do (Arthur’s Theme)” by Christopher Cross, also from 1981, came on. Then, the proprietor wisely switched to more Irish music by The Pogues.

We were thinking about leaving when the Austrian college lads came in and started playing darts. It was interesting to watch them and their friendly competition as they swilled Austrian beers. One of the guys was clearly an outside. He wore casual clothes, while the others had on business attire. I got the sense that the casual guy was someone’s little brother or maybe a guy they knew from the village. He was the worst dart thrower, too. The other guys were pretty players, and I alternated between feeling really old and wondering where the time went, to seriously enjoying their game.

I also noticed the urgent walk of a person about to either hurl or piss themselves, as two young ladies charged to the bathroom with the heavy gait of people who have had way too much to drink. Trust me, I know. 😉

When we settled up with the bartender, he asked us where we were from. I think he knew damned well we’re Americans. What he really wanted to know was what the hell we were doing in Wels! So I helpfully volunteered that we live in Germany. That seemed to satisfy his curiosity. With that, we headed back to the hotel to sleep before our big journey to Croatia on Thursday, the 28th.

Stay tuned for part four.

Hofheim

Gay pride in Wiesbaden… wine in Hofheim…

I had heard a couple of wine events were going to be happening in Wiesbaden and Hofheim this weekend. Bill and I decided to check them both out. I must have gotten confused about the Wiesbaden event, because we never did find it. Instead, we ran into a gay pride parade, and had lunch at a Greek restaurant called Kavos. Below are a few photos I took of what we could see of the parade. I was sorry we hadn’t gotten there a little bit sooner, but we did see many dressed up people walking around the city with gay pride rainbow flags.

*There were rainbows everywhere in Wiesbaden!*

Yesterday was the second time we visited Kavos. I was in the mood for Greek food, and they had a nice lunch special going. I had pork “Spiess” (skewer) and Bill had a lamb skewer. They came with kraut and potato medallions. We also had t’zaziki, garlic pitas, and beer. In retrospect, I probably should have had water, given the wine market we attended in Hofheim.

*I liked my dish, but I wish the skewers had been a little bit more substantial. I had enough to eat, though… it was just my appetite talking.*

I’m actually glad we never found the Wiesbaden wine event, since I ended up trying wine from five different vintners yesterday in Hofheim. I’m surprised I can still remember it.

*On our way out of town, I noticed the Apotheke had chickens…*

Edited to add: My German friend says the chicken display is a warning to use sunscreen. One chicken says to the other to use sunscreen so she won’t look like a rotisserie chicken. Glad to have that confusion cleared up.

Below are some photos from the wine market in Hofheim. We stayed pretty socially distanced, although some people were having a great time! I must admit, I’ve missed going to these kinds of events, although my liver is probably scarred as hell now.

I think the wine event in Wiesbaden is going on today, too. I had the wrong location yesterday. I’m not sure if we’ll go. Unfortunately, I just went outside to clean up Noyzi’s business and it grossed me out so much that I puked. I love that dog, but he really takes humongous craps and I no longer have the strong stomach I once had. In any case… I’m glad we got out yesterday. It was really fun. Nice to have some normalcy for however long it lasts.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Greek food