Bill and I are now mostly over our sicknesses. I hadn’t been out of the house in ages. I asked Bill if he’d like to go have lunch at La Fonte, an Italian restaurant in Breckenheim that is in the local Sportshalle and right next to the town’s brand new school. We’ve been to La Fonte a few times. It’s notable for its covered terrace with the retractable roof, smoking area, and very dog friendly dining rooms.
Bill had band pasta with Gorgonzola sauce. I had black tortelloni with lobster sauce, scallops, shrimps, and sugar snap peas. We also enjoyed chilled Pinot Grigio and San Pellegrino. The only thing that marred our lunch was the smell of cigarettes from the smoking area. For some reason, they left the door to the smoking area open. Oh well. Once you’ve lived in Germany awhile, you get used to smoking… even though I am allergic to cigarette smoke. Service was, as usual, friendly and competent. We should visit more often.
Below are a few photos:
Breckenheim’s new schoolComplimentary chilled Limoncello after we paid the check.Bill’s pasta with Gorgonzola sauce…My black tortelloni…My sweet Bill…
La Fonte is a nice neighborhood restaurant. On a nice day, we could easily walk there. It wasn’t that nice yesterday, weather wise, although the temperatures are coming up, slowly but surely. Days are getting longer.
Today is Election Day in Germany. I hope like hell that Germans don’t vote for the far right AFD party. It’s scary how the world has changed in the last month.
On another note… Valentine’s Day, I got a very small bouquet of sweetheart roses. It lasted just two days before I needed to toss it. On that same day, the florist sent Bill an email claiming they sent the wrong bouquet, and I’d be getting a new bouquet this week. Personally, I think they probably ran out of flowers, because it took a week. But anyway, the real bouquet was much nicer…
They bring cheer… I’m trying to keep the faith.
Today, we’re going to Wiesbaden to have lunch downtown. I’ll probably write about it later today or maybe tomorrow…
A few days ago, I mentioned that there are a lot of attractions in the Bad Wörishofen area. There’s also a train station in the town that is easy to access, as well as lots of buses. We also had our trusty Volvo. I also mentioned that we might decide to just rest. Then I added that Bill needed rest a lot more than I did.
Well… guess who needed to rest.
We made our way to breakfast at about 8:30 AM, noting the cloudy, foggy, noticeably chillier conditions outside. Bill wanted to shop for a gift for one of his co-workers, who always brings him booze when he travels. Other than that, we didn’t really have much of an agenda. And although the waiter told us that the chef was ready to make us eggs if we wanted them, we decided to skip the hot dish and just graze from the breakfast buffet. We also skipped the super expensive fresh juices, especially since we own our own juicer and can make fresh squeezed orange juice at home.
After breakfast, we walked back into the town center and ducked into a few shops to see if Bill could find something for his friend. We weren’t lucky, even though most of the regular shops were open on Saturday. We did go into the city market and bought some liqueurs for us, but Bill wanted local whiskey or something similar for his friend. We didn’t find anything like that.
We walked around some more and I took some more photos. The pictures weren’t as pretty on Saturday, since we had no sunshine, but I did see some really cute dogs waiting outside the grocery store for their owners. And then, I started feeling a little lightheaded, almost like I was hungry and overheated at the same time.
The Gasthof where we had dinner on Friday night.There was a huge cemetery in the other direction of this Allianz office. I noticed people went to visit their dead loved ones.Where we found some liqueurs.I was sorry this place was closed. Apparently one of the workers was sick.One of the places where people can wade in the water and take in some Kneipp therapy.Another look at the pond. It has a different appearance when there’s no sunshine.Homage to Sebastian Kneipp!
Since, by the time we’d taken our walk, it was getting close to lunchtime, and I was feeling kind of lightheaded, Bill decided we should go eat. It was about 12:30 PM by that time, anyway. So we looked around for a place to go… I did notice that there were a lot of closed businesses and empty rental spaces in Bad Wörishofen. November 1 is kind of when the low season starts, so it makes sense that some businesses would close. But I was surprised by the number of empty retail spaces. I don’t know what was up with that.
I saw an ad for an Italian place that looked appealing. It was called Rossini’s Restaurant, and it was located not far from the train station. Bill said he wasn’t sure if it would be open, but when we approached, we noticed there were lights on in the dining room. So we walked in and were invited to take a seat. I smiled at the couple who had brought their lovely, well behaved, shaggy dog with them. I love that dogs are welcome in many restaurants in Germany.
I thought the pizzas at Rossini’s looked really good, but I can never finish individual pizzas by myself. Bill and I both ended up ordering pasta. I had Tagliatelle Salmone, which was ribbon pasta paired with salmon and a light tomato cream sauce. Bill had Tagliolini Paglia e Fieno, which was green and white tagliatelle pasta with shrimp. We also had a bottle of Montepulciano and San Pellegrino. They gave us a house “shot” of prosecco, too, as an aperitif.
This is a tried and true dish for me… Bill enjoyed his dish, too. The shrimps were a nice touch with the light lemon sauce.Another shot with some Parmesan cheese!A shot of the front of Rossini’s.
Business was rather slow on Saturday. Besides us, there were two couples, and an older man who came in alone and drank some beer. I think we were the last ones out at about 1:15 PM. Although lunch hours are advertised until 2:00 PM, we heard the waiter lock the front door as we left! I guess it wasn’t worth staying open. Even though it was a holiday weekend and there were some people visiting Bad Wörishofen, I wouldn’t say it was particularly crowded.
We decided to head back to the hotel. On the way there, we stopped at a quirky little produce shop that also had drinks and candy. The proprietor spoke English and was happy to help Bill pick out a couple of Italian wines and some chocolate. We made our way back to the room and I started to read a book. Before I knew it, I was sound asleep. I took a very long nap, while Bill sat in one of the Q-bert chairs! I guess I did need a rest, after all…
A heart shaped bench in Bad Wörishofen…Cute little shop where one can find fruit, wines, water, and candy… and that’s about it!
Because the weather wasn’t all that welcoming, we decided to just watch German TV, drink wine, and eat fruit and chocolate. Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest choice to make, but we were satisfied. And we slept well through the night, too.
A couple of nights ago, when we were sitting at our most recent wine stand, Bill asked me if I’d like to go out to dinner. I said that would be fine, so Bill went on OpenTable and searched for a restaurant. He ended up choosing Isoletta Steak und Pasta, a restaurant in a part of Wiesbaden where we rarely wander. We had never been to this particular restaurant, so I was kind of excited to go there. We had a 7:00 PM reservation.
The restaurant is casual, so we dressed accordingly. We parked at the Kurhaus parking garage and walked about ten minutes until we reached the restaurant. The weather was nice, so a lot of people were dining outside.
Those ladies eventually came inside and sat at a table near us, where they had dessert. I guess they got too chilly.
The first thing I noticed about Isoletta Steak und Pasta is that the dining room is very beautiful and elegant. It has the look of an old style Wiesbaden home. The next thing I noticed was that the dining room is pretty small and the tables are all close together. Even checking off our names in the reservation book was a little awkward, as the stand is right by the door, and people were coming and going.
We took a two-top table next to steps leading up to the bar. That was a bit awkward, since we had to move the table so that I could sit down. The steps were blocking ingress to the couch. Once we were seated, I was pretty comfortable. A waiter brought us bread, green olives, and some kind of sweet garlic spread that resembled mayo and tasted like heaven. Seriously, that spread was probably my favorite part of the meal besides the wine.
The interior of the restaurant is nice.Bill watches the action…
The third thing I noticed was that the waiters, all of whom appeared to be Italian, were very busy and could have used one more set of hands. The charming waiter who took care of us looked a little like the American actor, Matthew McConaughey. He spoke German, Italian, and English. I could barely hear him tell us the specials and he left before we had a chance to ask for sparkling water. I got a little perturbed watching the staff flit in and out of the restaurant, just under the threshold of overwhelmed. I’m sure this restaurant, like so many others in Germany, is having trouble finding help. A lot of good restaurants have closed because of a lack of waitstaff.
After several minutes of waiting, the waiter came back and we gave him our orders. I was tempted by the burger they offered, since I was kind of craving a cheeseburger. But I ended up ordering a 200 gram rib-eye (the smaller one) and roasted potatoes. I asked for it to be cooked medium. Bill ordered tuna with a wasabi crust and a side of roasted vegetables. Both dishes came with salads.
Nice salad.Bill loved the tuna, which was cooked rare and had a subtle wasabi crust. I liked it, too. I think it was better than my steak.The 200 gram steak.Roasted potatoes.
To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the steak as much as I’d hoped I would. I had asked for it to be cooked medium, but it came to me rare. It was so dark in the restaurant that I couldn’t really tell until I started eating it. I’m not totally grossed out by rare meat, so I was able to eat it. But rare is not how I ordered it. The potatoes were a bit starchy, dry, and bland… but then I put a little of that garlic spread on them and they were improved! I’m glad they didn’t take that away like they did the bread.
The lighting in the restaurant was very dim, so it was kind of hard to read the menu, even though there was still daylight when we arrived. I noticed other people had to use the lights on their phones to be able to see what was offered. And yet, even though it was dark and cozy in the restaurant, I wouldn’t call the mood romantic. It was a bit crowded. They also played pleasant jazzy music that was maybe a little too loud.
One nice thing about how busy they were was that we were able to relax and enjoy our wine. That’s precisely what we did. We might have ordered dessert, but they didn’t seem too interested in selling it to us, and by the time we finished dinner and our wine, I was kind of ready to go home. Bill asked for the check in Italian, which totally charmed our waiter. He brought us a round of limoncello while Bill paid the bill.
Bill commented that after our time in Iceland, where most everything is very expensive, last night’s dinner seemed like a bargain. I think the check was about 120 euros.
Wiesbaden is so pretty…Even at night…Glad to see this implant doctor has good teeth.This sign and the next one…are within mere yards of each other…
We walked back to the Volvo, and I marveled again at how beautiful Wiesbaden is. It really is a very gracious city, with lovely architecture. We should spend more time there. As for Isoletta Steak und Pasta, I might give them another chance. Maybe I’d try the burger or their pasta, which is reportedly homemade. But last night’s dinner was kind of a disappointment for me. I’d give it three stars out of five.
We did have a nice evening, though, and we came home and had a little bit of ice cream while we listened to music. We noticed a Moroccan restaurant across the street. Maybe we’ll try that place next. Stay tuned!
A couple of months ago, I got an email from the founder of the Recovery from Mormonism (RfM) messageboard, Eric K. I was surprised to hear from him, since although I had frequented that board for over 20 years, we had never really had many exchanges on his Web site. One thing we do have in common is music. Eric plays woodwinds in a number of bands.
Eric’s email was to inform me that he and his wife, Kathy, were coming to Germany for three weeks. He wanted to know if Bill and I would like to meet up with them for dinner. During their trip, they were going to be visiting Mainz and Frankfurt, two cities near where we live. The funny thing is, I haven’t been hanging out much on the RfM board much lately. Neither has Eric, since he handed over control of RfM to a trusted associate a few years ago.
I always experience a little bit of anxiety when it comes to meeting new people. I have the kind of personality that people seem to love or hate. Bill is much better at making neutral first impressions than I am. Nevertheless, I owe RfM a great debt, because that Web site helped me understand the religion Bill joined with his ex wife back in 1997. Bill ultimately resigned from the LDS church in 2006, four years after we married.
I grew up Presbyterian, a very mainstream Calvinist church, often populated by people of Scottish or Scots-Irish descent (that’s definitely me). When I met Bill, I knew next to nothing about the LDS church… and I didn’t understand why he was a bit panicked when he found out that I had talked to LDS missionaries one day when he was at work, back in 2002. Bill was a member of the church, but it was because of his ex wife’s influence. I didn’t know it then, but he was on his way out of Mormonism, and had started to think of it as a cult. So when I talked to the missionaries, he was afraid they would try to get him back to church.
The RfM board was a place where we could share our story and connect with people who were in a similar situation. It was a place to read about some of the significant issues people face when they leave highly controlling/restrictive religions. It was also a great place for finding music, books, and even some new online friends. We decided that we wanted to meet the man who created that online community in November 1995, which is still going almost thirty years later.
Bill and I met Eric and Kathy last night after a couple of days of trading emails trying to come up with plans. Unbeknownst to us, yesterday there was a huge gay pride celebration in Frankfurt. It happened to be going on right by where Eric and Kathy were staying. Originally, we were going to visit them today, but the restaurant they wanted to go to is closed today. So we decided to brave the pandemonium of the gay pride celebration. I’m really glad we did that, because not only was the restaurant a winner, but it was really cool to be walking around the gay pride party with three ex Mormons.
We met Eric and Kathy at their hotel at 4:30 PM, had a drink in the hotel’s tapas bar as we introduced ourselves. Then we went to Quattro, a really nice Italian restaurant next to their hotel. Eric said they’d gone to that restaurant a couple of nights earlier and enjoyed the food and service very much. After our dinner last night, Bill and I can echo their positive sentiments about Quattro. It has a small indoor dining room, but there’s also a very cool outdoor terrace with what appeared to be a retractible roof. We had 5:00 reservations, so it wasn’t that busy when we arrived, but by the time we left, it was packed with gay pride revelers!
Below are some photos of the food we enjoyed at Quattro. Bill and I shared a dorade fish– which was one of their specials. We also ordered an antipasto platter for two, which we all shared. It was a good call to get the antipasto for two, and share it among the four of us. More would have been too much! And of course, there was dessert!
The antipasto had burrata, octopus, squid, vitello tonnato, scampi, Parma ham with cantaloupe, beef carpaccio, and smoked salmon. Eric and Kathy each had pasta dishes– spaghetti for him, and ravioli for her. Our dorade came with broccoli and a boiled potato. We had two bottles of white wine and sparkling water– I loved that they were water compatible with us, too! A lot of Americans prefer still water.
For dessert, Bill had lemon sorbet. I had panna cotta with a berry compote. Eric and Kathy shared a chocolate souffle with ice cream. I think the total bill for the four of us was about 300 euros, which the men split.
What I really enjoyed about last night’s dinner, aside from the food and ambiance, was the natural and free flowing conversation. We weren’t awkward at all! It turned out that we had a lot of similar views about the topics that tend to divide people– religion and politics. Eric and Kathy have two adult children, and their son is a veteran. Their daughter has made them grandparents. Eric, Kathy, and Bill are all LDS converts. I have never been LDS, but I did serve in the Peace Corps. Eric did a Mormon mission in Finland. And Bill has a daughter who has made him a grandfather four times over, so they were able to talk about the grandchildren and share pictures.
After dinner, we walked around the gay pride festival. I took a bunch of photos. We could have probably spent a little more time walking around the festival, but it was very crowded and a bit warm. Also, we were clearly not with the crowd, because we were dressed very conservatively! Still, how cool is it that three ex Mormons were getting to know each other at a gay pride event? There was a time when the three of them would never have gone to that event because of the religion.
I was surprised by this establishment’s name.Look closely at this photo…These signs were at the Democrats Abroad booth. I am signed up with that organization…They send emails and texts, and even call me, to remind me to vote…We drove my Mini, so I was able to get some good photos of Frankfurt’s skyline. It’s the only German city with true skyscrapers.Gay pride was everywhere!
Bill’s daughter is still LDS, but according to her, the church is getting somewhat more liberal these days. They’ve lessened some of the time commitments required of members, and softened some of their stances on certain issues. Still, I can’t imagine that a lot of active church members would have wanted to mingle at a gay pride festival, where there were all kinds of crazy get ups, lots of smoking and drinking, and people wearing t-shirts with foul language on them. I could easily worn my new t-shirt that says “Fuck off!” on it. No one would have batted an eye!
After we walked around the gay pride event, we went back to the hotel lobby and chatted a bit more. We learned about how risky and scary it was to leave the LDS church, particularly at a time when widespread use of the Internet was still in its infancy. It occurred to me that there’s good to be found in almost every situation. I mean, if it weren’t for Bill’s ex wife demanding that they convert to the LDS church, I probably never would have met Eric and Kathy. I never would have had a reason to hang out on RfM.
It’s possible that I would have found RfM because I was curious, and maybe I would have even hung around for awhile. But it was because the LDS church directly affected us that I stayed on that site for such a long time… and if I hadn’t done that, it’s unlikely that we would have had last night’s experience. And while I don’t know if we’ll have the opportunity to mingle with Eric and Kathy again, it really was a pleasure meeting them and experiencing that side of Frankfurt together!
Even if I had never met Bill, my life has been unexpectedly touched by Mormonism. I knew a LDS couple in Armenia, as they were part of my Peace Corps group. They were the first Mormons I ever got to know well. And then my mom’s alma mater, Southern Seminary in Buena Vista, Virginia, was purchased by LDS businesspeople, who turned it into a Mormon influenced university. The influx of Mormons has changed Buena Vista and Rockbridge County, which happens to be where both of my parents grew up. And then I went on to marry a Latter-day Saint, who then resigned… but still has ties to the church because of his daughters.
Anyway… we really enjoyed last night. I even suggested Frank Scaheffer, one of my favorite authors, to Eric and Kathy. I think they could really relate to his story. Schaeffer was raised by famous American evangelical missionaries in Switzerland. He didn’t learn to read until he was about eleven years old and was groomed to take over his parents’ ministry. Instead, he became an atheist and best selling author and filmmaker. He’s written wonderful novels, but he’s also written some excellent non-fiction books.
Frank Schaeffer also has a son who joined the Marines, a world that was totally foreign to Schaeffer. He wrote some excellent books about that experience and changed his mind about the military. Kathy had also lamented her son’s decision to join the military, but then came to accept it, as Frank Schaeffer did with his son.
I discovered Schaeffer about twenty years ago, when I used to hang out on a messageboard for people who had attended (and many had been expelled from) Pensacola Christian College, an extremely conservative Christian college in Florida. It’s so strict it makes Bob Jones University look liberal. I found some of the posters there surprisingly well read and brave. One of the posters mentioned Schaeffer, and how his novels were the only ones he’d found that really got the experience of growing up fundie right. I’m not sure if that observation is still true, but I was curious enough to read Schaeffer’s trilogy of novels about Calvin Becker– clearly based on his real life experiences in Switzerland. They were funny and poignant, and I became a fan.
I do love it when we can make connections offline with people we meet on the Internet. I’m really glad we took a chance, and met the couple behind the legendary RfM messageboard. It’s mind boggling how many people RfM has helped, and lives Eric has helped improve, by starting that resource. I am very grateful for that, and for last night’s amazing fellowship!
Well… that about does it for today’s post. I’m not sure what we’ll do today. The wine festival is going on, but we’re just as likely to stay home and enjoy a nice afternoon in our backyard. Or maybe we’ll hit a Biergarten… or do something else. It’s so nice to have Bill home again.
Edited to add: I forgot to mention this earlier in the post, but we did see some crazy pedestrian stunts yesterday. One guy was juggling in the middle of a busy intersection while we were waiting for a light. A woman was in an adjacent intersection hula hooping. They were no doubt hoping for tips.
Then, on the way out of Frankfurt, Bill got stressed out trying to navigate the city. A strung out looking woman appeared to be kicked out of a cab in the middle of the street. She lingered in traffic, motioning to Bill, as if she wanted money. The top was down on the Mini, and I found myself yelling “Get out of the way!” at her… Thankfully, she heeded my command! Bill guesses she didn’t have enough money to pay for the cab ride and was hoping to raise some euros. Hope she didn’t get hit by a car.
Featured photo was spotted in Würzburg… but it could apply to a number of other things… like my stomach after a big meal.
Thursday morning, we woke up to more rain in Würzburg. I was thinking maybe it would be a good day for us to visit the Residenz. However, we never got around to committing to that plan. I think it was because we were all a bit distracted by that big “issue” I mentioned at the beginning of this series.
My husband’s younger daughter was pregnant with her fourth baby, and she had elected to induce labor on Thursday, February 8th. She had hoped the labor would occur naturally, and because her other three babies had come early, she assumed this one might, too. I believe her due date was actually February 14th, but for whatever reason, she and her doctor decided that the baby needed to be born sooner than that. So naturally, we were excited about the new arrival– a baby girl– who would be joining two brothers and a sister.
We were sitting around talking about the baby, who hadn’t been born yet. Younger daughter lives in Utah, so she’s eight hours behind us in Germany. I think I was also getting a bit grumpy. Physically, I wasn’t feeling particularly well, and although I truly do love Bill’s mom, I’m not used to being around people anymore and was feeling a little company “fatigued”. So, because of that, my mood was a little bit off kilter, too. And then there was the incessant rain!
The upshot is, by the time we left the guest house, it was getting close to lunchtime. Parker also wanted to shop for souvenirs for her friends in Texas who hadn’t already benefited from her shopping trip in Bamberg. We drove back to Würzburg intent on having Italian food at Le Candele, a restaurant Bill found that was in another area of town.
I was looking forward to having some Italian food. I love German food, too, but we ate a lot of it during our trip to Bavaria. It can be kind of heavy, and since lately my stomach has been giving me problems, I thought I’d prefer something else. Le Candele did offer good food and rightfully earned their high ratings on Google. We had a nice, long, leisurely lunch…
I had linguini with frutte di mare…Parker had tagliatelle with marinara sauce, while Bill had tagliatelle with pesto.He makes me light up.Hot chocolate for me…Espresso for Bill and his mom.And a variety of desserts that we shared.
It was a really nice lunch. Service was professional; prices were fair; and everything tasted good. The only thing I didn’t particularly like was the pop music that was blaring from a speaker over my head. But that’s just a personal quibble of mine. Le Candele appears to be yet another local gem in Würzburg.
The only problem with such a luxurious lunch is that it can lead to indigestion and having to go to the bathroom, which can be problematic in public places. And, sure enough, shortly after we left the restaurant, I needed to go to the toilet. Parker wanted to buy some fridge magnets, so we went into the Euro Shop, which looked kind of like a store on par with The Dollar Tree in the US. We found some magnets for her friends back home, and noted the the weather, which was getting worse.
I started to feel like I’d rather just go back to the guest house, put on something comfortable, and be near the bathroom, since I figured I’d have some “processing” to do, plus I kind of wanted some peace and quiet. I tend to be kind of introverted, and sometimes I need a little alone time. This is especially true when I have an upset stomach. I don’t blame this on the restaurant, by the way. I have been having some stomach issues for awhile.
I told Bill he should just take me back and he and his mom could go out and do something together. But Parker didn’t like that idea… She also wanted to buy some soaps for her friends. So we headed back toward the Old Main Bridge, where I remembered there was a public toilet.
I was actually a little scared to go into the public WC. It was underground and didn’t look particularly clean. And, truth be told, the area around it was pretty gross. It looked like there was a pile of something right by the door, along with trash. Fortunately, the toilet itself was clean, if not kind of akin to the free roadside toilets on the Autobahn. At least I didn’t have to pay to use it.
Once I had gone to the bathroom, I felt a little better, so Bill went to the Edeka to pick up some snacks and wine for the evening. Then we decided to head back to the car. Parker was reassuring me that she could just buy soap at the airport. But then I noticed a shop that had homemade soap displayed in the window. I told her she should go pick some up for her friends. She protested– obviously not wanting to inconvenience me– but I was getting annoyed, because she had mentioned wanting to buy soap more than once, and there it was, right there! I’m afraid I got a little short tempered and snapped, “Just go get the soap! It’s right there! It’s not a problem for me to wait a few minutes.”
Bill and his mom went to buy the beeswax/honey soap while I took a few more photos of the Neumünster. I considered going in there for a few photos, while Bill and his mom were picking up souvenirs. I noticed people were going in and out of there, so it was obviously open. But then I thought I shouldn’t do that, because then they’d come out and wonder where I was.
So I waited, and Bill and Parker came out with the goods. We went back to the car and drove back to the guest house. I was a little sad… because I would have liked to have done more. I was just feeling icky… both physically, because of the big meal, and mentally, because I felt a little like a third wheel, and because I just needed a couple of hours to relax by myself.
Cheap lingerie!
When we got back to the house, I decided to close the door to the bedroom take a nap, which helped my mood. I appreciated that the rooms in the house had thick doors, so it was very quiet in the room. By the time I woke up, I felt better in all ways. I joined Bill and his mom for wine, snacks, and German television shows about the police and paramedics.
We enjoyed one last night at the guest house, and on the morning of February 9th, awoke to the news that Bill had a brand new granddaughter who weighed a respectable 7 pounds 12 ounces! The baby was born at 4:15 PM on February 8th and is very beautiful and healthy.
Friday morning, we packed up, and Bill went to check out of the house. He paid for the wine we enjoyed, and bought a six pack of wines to enjoy at home. Kudos to the wine tasting guide, who remembered that we prefer wines that are less sweet. He replaced the “halb-trocken” wine in the pack with a Riesling.
All in all, we enjoyed our time in Bavaria. I would love to go back to Würzburg and Bamberg when the weather is better. I think next time, maybe Bill and I would stay in a hotel in Bamberg… although I also truly enjoyed Würzburg. You can’t really go wrong in either place; they’re both very nice cities.
This trip was marred mostly by the German weather which, unfortunately, tends to suck in February. Also, the guest house’s location wasn’t conducive to being able to walk downtown easily. That last day could have been saved if I could have just gone to a hotel room for a short rest while Bill and his mom walked around some more. But Bill didn’t really want to drop me off and then go out again… and his mom was very worried about inconveniencing us. If we’d had more sunshine, I think it would have been a better visit… but then, that kind of goes without saying. And the fact that we were anticipating a new family member also kind of added to the stress.
I was eager to go home, too, because I missed Noyzi. He’s my baby. He had to go back to the Hundepension again today, though, because we’re going to Stuttgart today for an overnight. It’s time to see Dr. Blair for a dental cleaning and exam, after we missed him in October. We might have stayed two nights, but Bill has a big work project going on, and frankly, Stuttgart isn’t all that exciting in February, either. Ah well… at least we’re staying at the Wald Hotel, which is my favorite Stuttgart area hotel.
Anyway, so ends another series… Time for my ten things I learned post.
Yesterday, I lamented to Bill that yet another Saturday was about to get away from us with no fun outside of the house. His answer to me was to suggest that we go to downtown Wiesbaden, where the Rheingauer Weinwoche is going on. This annual event started on Friday and will run through August 21st. COVID kind of messed it up in 2020 and 2021, but we attended in 2019 and we went several times last year.
Although we had some rain yesterday, we managed to get to the festival after most of the weather had passed. It was just partly cloudy with some breezes and a few drops from the sky. As usual, the big celebration is going on in the Schlossplatz, and there are dozens of wineries from the Rheingau region represented, along with some food stands and live entertainment.
Bill and I parked at our usual garage at the theater, where we soon noticed that they had a brand new parking system in place. It used to be, when you drove in, a machine would give you a ticket that you’d later feed into the payment machine. It would tell you how much you owed when you reclaimed your car. Now, you just drive in and input your license plate number when you leave. I also noticed that they had designated a bunch of spaces on the first floor for electric vehicles. I guess that’s one reason to get an electric car. You get prime parking spots downtown! 😉
Anyway, it had been awhile we were last in downtown Wiesbaden. We should probably go there a lot more often than we do, because it’s a really nice town… much prettier than downtown Stuttgart is. There is often a lot going on, too.
We walked around the fest, just to see what was available. I stopped at the first WC I saw, noticing that the price of a whiz has gone up to 1 euro. However, you can purchase an all day ticket for four euros, or a family pass for six euros. I ended up going four times and Bill went twice yesterday. Next time we go, we’ll have to get a family ticket. 😀
We stopped at a random wine stand that had plenty of seating and a good view of the festivities. I had a glass of Riesling and listened to a female singer in the distance, but noticed I could also hear a brass band on the other side. I was more in the mood for the brass band, so we left after one glass and went to the other side. Not surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of seating there, so we went around the corner and sat at another random wine stand that happened to specialize in Sekt.
That other stand was also near a WC, which was very handy for me… so we just sat there and people watched, drank wine, and took some photos. I’m sure we’ll be back again at least once, because just as they did last year, Bill’s co-workers have reserved a table for this coming Friday night. I have a feeling Bill will be ready for a celebration, because on Monday morning, he has to visit a local dentist to have a tooth extracted and start the process for his very first dental implant.
Wednesday, he was at work, eating a gummi bear, and suddenly noticed that there was some rattling in his mouth. He spit out a hunk of gold, which turned out to be a root canaled and crowned molar that he’d had done in 2011 or so. It just sheared right off! He called our usual dentist in Stuttgart, but as usual in August, he had shut down his practice for his annual vacation. Since this was not a situation in which Bill could wait until next week, when Dr. Blair returns, he asked a colleague for a local suggestion. Her dentist turned out to be pretty excellent, too.
He called that dentist’s office and they got him in at 10:30. The oral surgeon– a young German guy who went to school in nearby Mainz– said he couldn’t save the tooth, which had a huge cavity in it under the gold crown. But since the tooth had already been root canaled, the dentist said Bill could wait until Monday to have it extracted without risking infection. Then, perhaps, he might even be able to get the implant put in without having to wait for the tissues to heal first (like I did when I got my implant in 2016). Truthfully, though, I have a feeling he’s going to have to come back later for the implant. They’re probably going to have to do a sinus lift, which will take more time. I had to get one of those, too.
So… not only did we just buy a bunch of new appliances for our house, but now Bill is going to have a big dentist bill. We do have dental insurance, but it’s still going to be pricey work. And when we go back to see Dr. Blair in October for our cleanings, he’s going to be like “WTF”? 😀
Honestly, though, given the number of appointments it takes to get a dental implant, it’s probably a good idea for Bill to have it done locally. If and when my other baby tooth finally gives up the ghost, Dr. Blair can do another implant for me. I know he does excellent work. The one I had done in 2016 is still perfect.
I figure the wine fest will offer Bill some pain relief, after he has his extraction on Monday… I don’t know if we’ll go back today. Bill just brewed a new batch of beer last weekend, so he needs to bottle his brew. My car also needs a spin to keep the new battery functioning. It looks a bit cloudy, too. On the other hand, the wine fest is a lot of fun– there’s also beer and non alcoholic beverages for those who aren’t into wine, as well as plenty of food. We capped off yesterday by having a rare east Sicilian treat called arancini. I noticed them early in the day and was intrigued. They’re deep fried rice balls, covered with bread crumbs and stuffed with mince meat and/or vegetables, mozzarella cheese, peas, and ragu. The ones we had yesterday were delicious and filling!
Here are some photos from our excursion…
Wiesbaden has a new statue.Lots of geese were out, too.I always get photos of the awesome Market Church.The electric company had strong young lads pouring water.Bill was sensible and switched to Gerolsteiner after a couple of glasses. We were there for a few hours.Pretzels… good for preventing hangovers.Arancini!It’s interesting how so many signs in Germany are in English now.
I do love this about living in Germany… There’s always some kind of fun or interesting activity going on, and the vast majority of people are well-behaved. Yes, the police were there, and there was security, but I saw little need for them to intervene. The same isn’t necessarily true at events in the United States. So, I’m grateful to live here… and raise yet another toast to the annual wine festival week in Wiesbaden!
The morning of Friday, June 23, would be a “changing day” for us, as Dr. Phil would say. That was the day we were to disembark from Regent Splendor and go back to a land based lifestyle.
To be honest, I wasn’t that sad about getting off the ship. We had a good time, and Regent Splendor is, for sure, a gorgeous, comfortable, well-staffed vessel. But I looked forward to a still floor at night, a day without tour buses, and not having to dress up for dinner. Also, I was legitimately tired. I know it sounds crazy to need a vacation after a vacation, but in my daily life, I don’t spend time with many people. I was also still dealing with the remnants of the cold I caught in Norway, and trying to unpack the many new things I saw, heard, and did over the course of our long vacation. So, I wasn’t too depressed about disembarkation day. For me, it was time.
The last Regent Splendor breakfast…
The night prior, we packed our bags, tagged them with group Yellow One stickers, and went to bed. We had our last breakfast in the stateroom, did one last thorough check to make sure everything got packed, and then made our way to Deck 5, which was the lowest the stairs and elevator closest to us would go. I think our original plan was to go to Deck 4, which was where the exit was, but we ran into Gail and Ger at the Coffee Connection area– where people could get coffee drinks and desserts at any time. We only used it once, on the last full day, when I stopped there for a double shot of espresso to get me through the last bus tour.
We had a nice final chat with Gail and Ger as we waited for our group to be called… and it never actually was! We were among the last people off the ship! I didn’t mind, because we were headed to the Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport, which has a check in time of 3:00 PM. Since it was still about 9:30 AM when we disembarked, we had plenty of time to kill. And kill time we would, because there was a HUGE line for taxis. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it took about an hour before we scored a cab of our own. I managed to get a shot of a customs dog inspecting cargo while we waited.
A very friendly Pakistani man– one of several on our trip– invited us into his cab for the roughly forty minute trip to the hotel. The guy told us that he was born in Pakistan to a wealthy family. His siblings were all people with prestigious jobs. His children moved to the United States, where they enjoyed high level work with handsome paychecks. But he was happy as a Copenhagen cabbie, where he provided an honest and necessary service to people like Bill and me. As he talked, I could tell that he was more interested in interacting with Bill. He said a few things that were blatantly sexist, mostly about the female leaders in Denmark.
I had agonized a bit over where we would stay for our two nights in Copenhagen. At first, I wanted to stay downtown. But then, when I realized we would be leaving the city on Sunday morning, I figured it would be best to stay near the airport. Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport is the closest we could get. It turned out to be an excellent choice.
When we arrived at about 10:00 AM, a bunch of people were checking out. We had originally planned to drop our bags and go into the city, but it turned out they had a room ready for early check in. Bill paid an extra $70 or so, and we were able to go straight to room 1140.
Room 1140 was very spacious and offered a nice view of the area. It had a large bathroom with a bathtub and a shower, and his and hers sinks. There was a desk with an uncomfortable chair that faced the mirror. However, I was able to move the chair to the other side, so that was a plus. I don’t like looking at myself when I’m writing! The room also had a minibar, but it was the kind where if you move anything, they automatically charge you. That wasn’t so good, since we couldn’t use the fridge to cool anything personal.
Nice policy!Bikes you can rent…Large room.Large bathroom.Nice view of the city from far away.
When we got into the room, I realized that I really just wanted to rest. The weather was kind of crappy, anyway. The sun was coming in and out, but there was also lots of wind and some rain, which was much needed, from what I understand. So I got into my nightie and laid down on the bed. Soon, I was fast asleep… for three hours!
I think Bill took a nap, too, but he slept for a much shorter time. He’s such a good egg. He let me take my very long nap without interruption. Obviously, I needed the rest.
When I woke up later, it was mid afternoon. The hotel has a restaurant that stays open all day, so we decided to go get something to eat and try some Danish beers (although my first one was French– Kronenbourg 1664). So that’s what we did… and I was delighted when the blond waiter, an obvious local, immediately spoke Danish to us! I guess we look the part.
The food in the restaurant was good, although the portions were small. I didn’t mind the smaller portions, actually. I wasn’t super hungry, and it was just enough to take care of me for the rest of the day. I guess the hotel restaurant is popular with locals, too, because I noticed there were several reservations. It was empty when we came in, but it was pretty much packed when we left! Maybe it’s just the only “local” restaurant in the Kastrup area, although the hotel is connected to both the airport AND a metro station. And the train will get you downtown in about 13 minutes!
After we visited the restaurant, we went back to the room and ended up watching a 70s era movie with Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed. No, it wasn’t Smokey and the Bandit. It was called Gator, and it was a drama. I confess that I wasn’t paying close attention to it, even though it was in English. However, I enjoyed it enough that I downloaded a greatest hits album by Mr. Reed. When we got home on Sunday, I played it. I had forgotten how entertaining and genuinely talented Jerry Reed was. It made me glad I was born in the early 70s.
The next morning was Saturday, and we had the day to venture into Copenhagen. The weather was actually somewhat worse on Saturday, but I was feeling more energetic after my day of rest. Over breakfast, we thought about what we might like to do. Copenhagen’s aquarium is located very close to the hotel and we thought maybe we might like to go there. But then I read the reviews, which indicated that weekends there are crowded. I wasn’t in the mood for crowds.
Copenhagen’s awesome metro!
So, we decided that we’d just take the metro downtown and wander around, like we usually do. Maybe we’d stumble across a museum or something, or find something cute to buy for Bill’s grandchildren. I’ve been on a lot of metros in my time. Copenhagen’s metro is very easy to use and reasonably priced. It was easy to find our way to the center, which was still vaguely familiar to us after fourteen years away. Our visit to Copenhagen in 2019 did not include a stop downtown.
We walked around a bit, and I got lots of photos… I was a little tempted by shopping, but then I remembered that we were flying, rather than driving. My bags were stretched to the limits as it was.
Eventually, it was time for lunch. We went searching for a place, and then it appeared, just like a beacon… An Italian restaurant called Accanto. We were warmly welcomed to sit down and enjoy a lovely lunch, accented by expensive, but tasty, wines by the glass. What I especially loved about this place, besides it’s “cozy hygge” vibe, was that we were not rushed at all. The waiters were very friendly; the food was good; and they even threw in some limoncello.
Salmon filetA great place for lunch in Copenhagen!Salute!
After our long lunch, we decided to stop by a very cool food market, where we picked up some wine for the evening. We took the metro back to the hotel. On the way there, I got a rather obvious sign that my cold was finally finished (glad I had tissues). And we spent the evening enjoying wine and watching more Danish TV. I know that’s kind of boring, but we were a bit vacationed out. I was glad to have the chance to relax a bit before our journey back to Germany. The hotel, by the way, also has a spa with a salt water pool. But I didn’t make use of it during our stay.
Below are some photos from downtown Copenhagen…
Nice rules!These flowers were at the university. Note the beehive!
And some more before I close this post…
Cool food market!7 Elevens are everywhere, and they all have phallic hot dogs.In the metro stop by the airport.Like Vom Fass!
Years ago, Bill and I were big fans of the British comedy show, Little Britain. That show featured various character skits by comedians David Walliams and Matt Lucas. One skit they did consistently involved characters named Lou and Andy. Lou asked Andy where he wanted to go on holiday, and Andy insisted that he wanted to go to Helsinki…
Lou suggests Florida, but Andy reiterates he wants Helsinki… but then changes his mind.
I didn’t change my mind about Helsinki. I was genuinely curious about it. On our first day aboard the ship, we were to take a short bus trip into Finland’s capital and enjoy a harbor cruise. This was one of the “free excursions” offered by Regent. But first, we needed to fuel up with breakfast. So we went down to the Compass Rose restaurant and enjoyed some very hearty fare, delivered to us by warm and attentive wait staff.
Sparkling water… we had to request it a lot!Avocado toast for Bill.Poached eggs, hash browns, and sausage for me.
We were arriving in Helsinki during the late morning hours, so we had time for a leisurely breakfast and, as it turned out, a quick lunch. I’m glad we had lunch before we got off the ship, as our excursion took place during the time when we might ordinarily have a midday repast. There’s a reason I mention this, and I’ll get to it in a couple of posts. 😉 Suffice to say, we went to La Veranda again and grazed the humongous buffet so we’d be well-fortified for our trip to the city of Helsinki.
Looks like a ham and cheese baguette for Bill…Quiche Lorraine and roasted chicken with vegetables and roasted potatoes for me.Dessert!
Cruise director Jude made an announcement that Finland’s authorities had cleared the ship and people could get off the vessel. There were complimentary shuttle buses into town, or those who had excursions could go to the Constellation Theater and trade their tickets for group numbers, which they would then give to the locally hired tour guides.
One thing I immediately liked about the Regent experience is that they do have the complimentary shuttle buses. Regent bills itself as the most “all inclusive” cruise line available. Actually, I think Hebridean Island Cruises is (or was) more all inclusive than Regent is, but it’s a lot less famous and goes to far fewer places than Regent does. For a well-known cruise line that goes worldwide, I do think Regent probably does offer the most bang for the buck. But I caveat that by saying this as someone who hasn’t experienced a lot of different cruise lines.
On both Royal Caribbean and SeaDream, if we weren’t signed up for excursions, we had to find our own ways into the cities. Sometimes, that wasn’t a problem, but other times, not signing up for excursions meant being stuck at an ugly port, walking into town, figuring out and taking public transportation, or hiring a cab. Regent does have buses for those who want to do their own thing. I also want to mention, in fairness to Royal Caribbean and SeaDream, their policies may have changed since we were last aboard their ships. I honestly don’t know.
I ended up enjoying the harbor cruise excursion, as Gail and Ger were also on the boat with us. One group got off about midway, because they had paid for an extra segment of the tour. We were just fine with the boat, which had three guides offering commentary about life in Finland. When they mentioned that Finland had just joined NATO this year, everybody cheered!
The harbor cruise boat was comfortable, with seating available on top and inside the cabin. There was a bar serving snacks and beverages, including local beers. They also had clean toilets, which was a huge plus. In fact, the guides encouraged everyone to use the toilets on the tourboat, since public restrooms in the market area in Helsinki are scarce.
I thought the tour guides on the harbor cruise were basically good. There was one who did a bit of rambling. It was as if she wanted to keep talking to prevent people from talking among themselves. I know that once people get to talking, it can be hard to get them to be quiet again. But the rambling was noticeable.
Nevertheless, we did learn a lot about how cold it gets in Finland in the winter, as the guides showed us the ice breakers that keep the shipping lanes open. The guides also said that the ice gets hard enough that people can walk or even drive on it, although global warming is changing that reality. Personally, I think I’d be afraid to walk on the ice!
The guides also spoke at length about sauna culture in Finland. Apparently, many people have their own saunas at home. Sometimes you find homes with private saunas in Germany, too, but in Finland, it’s evidently very common. Lots of people own boats and second homes, too, even if they aren’t very wealthy. Or, at least that’s what we were told.
Below are some photos…
Waiting in the theater to be invited to our bus.A Carnival ship was also in port. Check out the water slide!First glimpse of Finnish flags.A boat much like the one on which we took our cruise. Gay pride was everywhere.A glimpse of the zoo, which is on an island.Icebreakers!Pigeons are apparently especially aggressive in Helsinki.Another bridge with locks of love.Swedish embassy.
After the boat tour, we walked around the marketplace, where vendors were selling everything… There were a lot of really nice souvenirs. I bought a silk scarf for myself, and a couple of wooden toys for Bill’s youngest grandson. I wish we’d had more euros on us, although a lot of places also took credit cards.
There was also a ferris wheel and live music playing. I would have liked to have spent more time in Helsinki. We’ll have to go back, if only because I also noticed an Armenian restaurant near the port!
Here are some more pictures of Helsinki, some of which were taken with my digital camera, as opposed to my iPhone.
Ferris wheel in Helsinki.I was sitting in the Observation Lounge and noticed the skies and water…A very lucky shot.
Some of the above photos have a glare on them. I am still learning how to edit photos, so I need to find a way to get rid of the glare on the above shot. It’s a keeper.
There seemed to be a lack of open deck space, which made taking photos of scenery challenging. I could take pictures from my balcony, from the top decks, or on deck 5. But if I happened to be sitting in the observation lounge and noticed a particularly beautiful sunset or leaping dolphins, there was no way to easily get outside to get a good shot. And getting to a place where taking a good photo was possible would take a lot of time. That’s one thing about Regent Splendor I don’t like. I wish they had an outdoor area near the Observation Lounge. Even the pool area was kind of enclosed on the sides, though it didn’t have a retractable roof.
Oh well… another first world problem…
When we went back to our suite, our laundry was waiting for us, boxed up and gift wrapped. And again, because we were concierge guests, there was no extra charge!
Each item of clothing had a little tag in it with our suite number. It was all expertly cleaned, pressed, and folded. Very, very nice!
For dinner on the 24th, we decided to try Sette Mari, which I had read gets very crowded as people discover it. We went early, to make sure we’d get a seat. A poised young woman with black hair and a braid over the top of her head took care of us. She was very polished and professional, as she brought us Italian dishes. Sette Mari does offer table service, but there’s also a buffet for salads and desserts. I noticed it got a bit rowdy in there, but the food was good. We enjoyed it. I wish we’d had another chance to dine there. Maybe on another cruise.
Here are some photos from our visit to Sette Mari.
Antipasti!Obligatory selfie.Delicious asparagus risotto for me.A spicy pasta dish for Bill.I had a seafood stew with toasted bread.Bill had pork medallions.And dessert from the buffet…. an apricot tart and Italian donut, plus biscotti.Tiramisu for Bill.
After dinner, we spent a little more time in the Observation Lounge. I had a Brandy Alexander. Bill had ginger ale, because he wasn’t feeling well. We decided to go to bed early. At about 9:30 PM, a steward brought us the beer I requested. He seemed surprised to catch me in my nightie.
Nightcap.This was enough for the week. Notice the “mid cruise” comments. It was the first night!
So… that about does it for Helsinki. Stay tuned for Tallinn, Estonia!
Since we’re down to one dog, and he does pretty well on his own, Bill and I decided to go out to lunch yesterday. We were going to try a place I’ve been curious about since we first moved up to Wiesbaden in late 2018, Ristorante Fischbachtal. That restaurant, which doesn’t take a midday pause, is always busy, though, and though it has its own parking lot, the lot looks a bit like a half maintained field. So it was yesterday, when Bill turned in and was immediately confronted by cars trying to go in and out with no sense of decorum.
I said to Bill, “Let’s find somewhere else to go.” It was getting close to 2:00 pm, though, and that’s when the midday pause starts to happen. I consulted with my phone and got on the OpenTable app, where I discovered that Lucullus in Königstein had plenty of availability and doesn’t take a pause on Sundays. We should have made a reservation, since that would have given us some “points” on OpenTable, but we were really close to the restaurant and it seemed silly to reserve fifteen minutes in advance.
Bill and I last visited Königstein in June 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic nightmare. In fact, we went to Lucullus for my birthday lunch, because we were staying at a nearby hotel connected to a mineraltherme. Yes, it was only about 20 minutes from our home in Breckenheim, but we wanted to get away for the celebration, and at the time, travel was difficult. I remembered how cute Königstein was when we went there in 2020. Now, I think we should go there a lot more often. Not only do they have the fabulous Lucullus restaurant, which offers wonderful food and wine served with a smile, but is also just a really pleasant little town.
In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that we saw a Braille model reconstruction of Wiesbaden on Saturday. It was the first time we’d ever noticed it. Sure enough, there’s one in Königstein, too. My friend, Susanne, says that these bronze city models are spread all over the place, not unlike the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) that commemorate people who were lost or displaced during the Holocaust. I had never noticed them before spotting them in Breckenheim one day in 2019. Now, I’ve seen them all over, and not just in Germany.
I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for more of these…
We arrived at Lucullus at about 2:30, and were warmly welcomed by the staff. They asked if we had reservations, but none were needed. There were only a few people there, and they were mostly having drinks near the bar. Lucullus has a big terrace area, which is where we sat in 2020 (mainly because it was required). Yesterday, we got the chance to sit in the dining room, which I really enjoyed. The walls were lined with many bottles of wine and books… two of my favorite things!
We took a seat by the window and the sommelier came over and asked us if we wanted an aperitif. I said that I really wanted some red wine. Bill and the wine steward chose a beautiful bottle of Primitivo, that went very well with our sumptuous lunch. Feast your eyes…. 😉
I loved this wine, with its deep red fruits and rich spicy notes.Perfect, fresh bread…coupled with silky olive oil…Crispy duck “taco”.Parmesan cheese “brulee” with winter truffles for Bill. Dorade for me…Lamb for Bill.Chocolate “lava cake” with vanilla ice cream for me.Baklava with yogurt ice cream for Bill.
We decided to go “all out” and each had three courses. I started with a “taco”– made with a fresh salad, topped with crispy duck, and drizzled with a passion fruit dressing and garnished with perfect avocados and tomatoes. I loved the duck. It was probably my favorite part of the meal. I don’t usually get excited over salads, but I loved the dressing, and it went perfectly with the duck.
Bill enjoyed his Parmesan “brulee”, which looked a bit like a dessert creme brulee, only it was savory and topped with winter truffles. I might have enjoyed trying it, except I don’t like fungus at all. I should mention that the restaurant itself smelled a bit like truffles. I guess it’s the season. 😉
As the meal continued at a leisurely pace, we talked and enjoyed each other’s company, not worried about Noyzi, who has proven himself to be very good at home when he’s alone. We miss Arran a lot, but he was not always so good when we needed to go out somewhere. He was a typical hound, who missed his pack very much. Noyzi is a lot more independent.
I chose dorade, which was one of the daily specials, for the main course, mostly because a lot of what was offered had mushrooms or truffles, or was something I could get anywhere. Lucullus doesn’t offer things like pizza or a lot of pasta dishes, but they did have spaghetti carbonara. Bill went with lamb, which is another dish I probably wouldn’t enjoy anywhere. He really enjoyed the lamb, which was topped with zucchini and paired with potatoe pralines filled with candied tomatoes. My dorade came with a perfectly cooked medley of spring vegetables– carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli, and topped with olives and tomatoes.
We couldn’t leave without dessert. Bill had warm baklava topped with yogurt ice cream. I had a “lava cake” with vanilla ice cream and cookie crumbles. I don’t actually like ordering lava cakes. I do enjoy them, but they’re done everywhere now. I would love to go somewhere and have a nice slice of layered cake, instead of the half-baked flourless chocolate creation. Next time we go there, I’ll have to make a point of branching out. 😀
The bill came to about 205 euros, which is a lot of money. But we were done eating for the day, and it’s been so long since we last enjoyed a really beautiful lunch. We got great service from our server, who spoke English and welcomed us back again, next time we’re in town. We truly enjoyed our visit to Lucullus yesterday as much as we did in 2020. We must visit again, if only to look around the town and perhaps visit the imposing castle ruins in the distance.
Königstein is cute!
One other thing. They were playing dance music in the dining room. I don’t usually enjoy dance music much, as I’m not a dancer… but the kind they were playing was tasteful and interesting. And, once again, we were reminded of Arran. I mentioned that on the day we lost him, we heard the song “Shiny, Happy People” by R.E.M. twice. Yesterday, as we were finishing up, we heard “Losing My Religion”, though it was not done by R.E.M., but was a cover version by Mark Coles & Menno. “Losing My Religion” was, of course, from the same album that brought us “Shiny, Happy People”– Out of Time. Crazy, huh? I had no idea so many people had covered that song, either.
Some time ago, I started following a Facebook group dedicated to sharing pictures of Hessen and day trip ideas. People were sharing photos that reminded me of how much fun Bill and I used to have pre-COVID, visiting different places, eating in restaurants, and enjoying our weekends. Bad Homburg, which is a spa town just north of Frankfurt, is about a half hour drive for us. People in the Hessen Facebook group often share pictures of it, making me think it was a place I wanted to see.
Today was the perfect day for a visit, as we had beautiful, sunny weather, and pleasant temperatures. So, off we went this afternoon, after Bill had confirmed there were restaurants that didn’t take a pause after lunch. As usual, we got a late start that put us at our destination after prime lunch hours. He also found a well-rated parking garage. This was important, as when he arrived at the garage, he found it pretty hard to maneuver our SUV into a spot without parking over the line! He tried several spots before he finally got the car in without encroaching. I shudder to think about the poorly rated garages in Bad Homburg!
Just outside of the garage, I could tell we were in for a treat. Just coming into the city, you pass imposing looking tower gates. I also noticed that the Christmas market stalls were already going up, and they were all over town! I bet this will be a great destination when the markets open for the holiday season! I loved the tower on the Schloss grounds, and the saying at the gate “Walk in like you mean it.” I also loved the awesome cedar tree outside the gate. This castle dates from the 12th century, although all but the keep were demolished by Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. The castle that exists today was built in the 1680s.
First, we walked up to the Schloss, which offered beautiful views and finally, some fall foliage, which I feel like I’ve missed since summer ended. Not only did I get some pretty photos, I also got a chance to use the bathroom, and it was FREE! That was lucky! Below are some photos from around the Schloss. We could have toured it if we’d wanted to, but we were short on time and needed lunch.
After the Schloss, we visited a couple of churches– Erlöserkirche, a Protestant church that dates from 1908, and the Church of St. Mary, a Catholic church. Both were beautiful in their own rights, but I also loved the gay friendly vibe at the Catholic church. I liked how the inside of the Protestant church glittered as if it was studded with gold. The Catholic church was a little more modern looking, but still very welcoming and comfortable, with the smell of incense in the air. The town itself, especially near the churches, reminded me a lot of France.
Bill lit a candle for his father, and then we made our way to a restaurant called Pane e Vino, an Italian place with a full menu and bar, and no afternoon pause! I had grilled salmon with potatoes and spinach, while Bill had veal scallopini with potatoes and pea pods. We washed it down with Primitivo and San Pellegrino, and enjoyed the convivial mood of the place, then finished with a glass of Merlot for me, and an espresso for Bill. We also had complimentary limoncellos as digestives! Check out the cool mural on the ceiling in the restaurant! Lunch came to about 65 euros, before the tip, but we had a couple of the pricier dishes.
We walked around a bit more, stopping to tip a violin busker, who was playing Mozart and Vivaldi, enhancing the European ambiance with his talents. Then we went to the Kurpark for a short stroll, as the sun was starting to set. I got a kick out of the statue of Dostoyevsky, who looked like he was thinking real hard. I found myself wishing we had gotten going earlier in the day. Bad Homburg has a lot to see. Next time, we’ll come on a Saturday, and I’ll get a better shot of the potted tree on the way in. I want to come back just to check out that Feinkost!
We will definitely have to go back for a longer visit. This is a really lovely, elegant, classy town with a different feel. I’m glad we didn’t miss it after living here for four years. I want to see more!
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