adventure, Champagne Bucket trips, Funny stories, Paris

Pardon My French: Brussels and Paris 2026 (part seven)

This is going to be a very LONG post. Sorry about that!

Thursday, March 26th, was our biggest day in Paris. We had tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, something neither of us had ever previously done. We decided to visit the iconic site at 7:00 PM and have champagne at the top. That decision cost us a lot of money, but I think it was worth it for that one time. I doubt we’ll bother going up to the top of the tower again, but I’m glad we did it that one time, especially since it was a beautiful evening.

But what did we do before we went to the tower? Well, we did lots of walking, taking pictures, and people watching. All told, we racked up about six miles on that day, which for me, is quite an accomplishment.

We started off Thursday with breakfast at the hotel. Bill had avocado toast with a cappuccino and orange juice. I had a continental breakfast, with bread, butter, jam, orange juice, poached eggs, and delicious hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was especially interesting, as I had it each of the four mornings we were at the hotel, and each time, it was served differently. Below is the cup that seemed the most conventional to me. It was very good. The guy who waited on us had to confirm that I could get poached eggs with a continental breakfast. I guess they require more work than scrambled, boiled, or fried eggs.

After we ate, we started our long walk into the city center. I paused somewhat frequently to take pictures and stretch my hips and back, which ache a lot these days. It was a crisp, sunny morning, and just slightly too cold for the v-neck wool sweater I was wearing under my bigger “coatigan”.

As we got closer to downtown, we came across Parc Monceau, a gorgeous spot that I read is a sort of mirror image of the Jardin du Luxembourg in northern Paris.” It’s interesting we went there, since our hotel was close to the Jardin du Luxembourg when we visited Paris in May 2009.

I wish we’d spent more time visiting the Parc Monceau. It was absolutely gorgeous. And a little girl drew our attention to it by blowing bubbles as she crossed the street. I wish I’d gotten a few more photos of this magical place… totally free to enjoy, and with lots of benches for weary backs. If anything, I wanted more photos of the beautiful flowers and landmarks. Parc Monceau is “unusual” in Paris, because it’s more of an informal English style garden, rather than the more formal French style. Just looking at these photos make me want to find a garden and explore it today.

*You can’t see it that well, but there were bubbles all over the place when I took this photo.*

But the chilly weather insisted that we keep walking, because sitting down, even in the sun, was a bit too cold. Besides, there was a lot more to see. So we kept walking until, as we were about to pass through the gates of the park, Bill looked up and noticed a familiar arc…

Lots of people were taking photos of the majestic Arc du Triomphe, which loomed imposingly across the street. We crossed over, soon finding ourselves on the Champs-Élysées, a very famous shopping boulevard in Paris… We cut down another street, where we passed the American Cathedral in Paris and The Crazy Horse, a legendary cabaret.

*One of those guys who doesn’t move a muscle…*

After we crossed a major road, I looked to my left and noticed we were passing the Bateaux Mouches dock. Even though we took a river cruise when we visited Paris in 2009, it seemed like a good thing to do before lunchtime. We could get out of the chill by sitting inside the boat, while taking in views of the major Parisian sites from the Seine. It was also especially handy, because there was a restroom at the dock, and on the vessel itself. It also happened to be a great spot for an Eiffel Tower pic.

So we bought a ticket for 17 euros… it was a strictly no frills cruise. And as we waited for our 11:30 AM departure, we were suddenly joined by about a hundred teenagers! They descended on the dock like the famous anchovies from the first episode of Spongebob Squarepants. I wrote more about this experience on the day after it happened. You can follow the link to my main blog to read what I wrote then.

For those who don’t want to click the link… I remember sitting there at the dock, as dozens of teens crowded in. I was sitting next to an automatic arm with a boxing glove on the end of it.

Everybody was looking at the boat that was nearest to where we were waiting. I figured that was the one we’d be boarding, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a good spot that allowed views, while not forcing me to be out in the cold. I looked at all the teens who had congregated. Quite a few of the girls were dressed stylishly, but not for comfort or practicality, as they walked around Paris. Some had on short, tight mini skirts, lacy tights, and high heels. I was dressed more appropriately, but I’m old and cranky, and I don’t like to be chilled.

So I was feeling a bit doomed, but then I noticed an annoyed looking man standing near the boxing glove. He was obviously an official, and he was trying to get the teens’ attention. He saw me looking at him and invited me to board… and it was a different boat, beyond the boxing gloved automatic arm I’d been staring at as the teens descended on us.

I jumped up, and was the first to board the boat. We took an inside seat at the rear, near the bathrooms and a vending machine that sold candy, water, and soft drinks. We didn’t move from our spots. I didn’t have to worry, anyway. The boat was huge, so there was lots of room, and it was kind of fun to listen to the kids shrieking when we went under the many Parisian bridges.

The only unfortunate thing was that I wasn’t in the best spot for picture taking. At one point, two guys stood outside our window and smoked. One of them noticed me scowling at him when he dropped his butt on the floor. He stomped on it again and walked away, but left the smoldering trash on the boat, where I think it eventually rolled off into the river. 🤬

We used a different cruise company when we did our boat ride in 2009. It was very similar, and had the same “guide” that came on over a loudspeaker that we couldn’t really hear very well. But it was okay. We were just there to kill an hour and experience something different. I enjoyed the cruise, even if I wish it had been a bit warmer outside. There are MANY boat cruise companies in Paris, and they offer a variety of experiences, so this is an activity I would happily do again and again.

Maybe next time, we’ll do a champagne cruise. That might help us avoid huge groups of high school kids… although in fairness to them, they were mostly pretty well behaved. A lot of them were wearing jackets that indicated an affiliation with the International Rotary Club. My dad used to be a member of Rotary. I also enjoyed the kids who were singing and playing songs that were popular when I was 12! One guy was singing Wham’s “Careless Whisper” (and quite well, I might add). Another was playing “Down Under” by Men at Work.

After we got off the boat, it was time for lunch. We started walking on the Left Bank of the Seine. I was looking for a charming place, not too crowded, where we might have some lovely food. I was starting to get a little frustrated until we turned on a street with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower. As we got closer, I noticed a couple of places that looked like they might fit the bill nicely. I almost went into a French place, but decided I didn’t like the look of their tables and chairs. I thought they’d be uncomfortably small.

But then I turned down another street, where people were taking pictures. To my right, there was an Italian place. It wasn’t packed with people. And when we went inside, we were warmly greeted by a lady who invited us to sit down at a two top near a rather crotchety looking elderly French couple. They were finishing up their desserts. Il Sorrentino turned out to be an excellent lunch choice for us, side eyes notwithstanding…

We started out with focaccia, some of the best I’ve ever had. Bill ordered sparkling water and a lovely Brolio Chianti Classico from Italy. Then, for our main courses, I had spinach cannelloni gratinati, while Bill went for ravioli stuffed with chicken on pecorino cheese and black truffle. It was absolutely delicious!

Then, for dessert, I had lemon creme brulee, which was served in a half of a lemon. Bill had a strawberry dessert served in a cookie crust with pistachio sauce. We had a round of espresso and, as we were paying the bill, enjoyed a digestive of limoncello.

The whole time we were dining, I noticed a bunch of people who appeared to be v-loggers outside, talking into cameras. A trio of girls, who looked like they were about sixteen or seventeen years old, were taking turns posing for the camera. One of the girls seemed to be particularly engaging. She had long, red, curly hair, and I noticed she was wearing a very stylish jacket. I would not be surprised if the girls had dreams of being models. However, although they were very pretty, they seemed a bit too short. But what do I know? They did look like they were having fun.

We closed down Il Sorrentino, and were the last ones to leave before they enjoyed a pause after the lunch rush. We continued walking toward the Eiffel Tower, which we hadn’t seen since 2009. I remember on that trip, I had been able to just walk under the tower without having to go through security. Now, they’ve got the area fenced off, and if you want to go in, you have to be screened. It is free to walk around the Eiffel Tower, though, and they have public toilets that are free of charge to use. We didn’t go in there until it was time for our visit. Instead, we did some people watching in the park. I noticed more people getting photos with the Eiffel Tower in the background. One girl was a dancer doing jetes while another woman took photos.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to look for a bar to enjoy a drink before we finally took our turn going up the tower. I couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for, but we did find a very busy restaurant called Brasserie de la Tour Eiffel, that served authentic French food– frogs legs, escargot, charcuterie, etcetera.

Of course we didn’t want to eat, but we were down for a couple of beers… I got a kick out of our very professional waiter, Philippe, who immediately gave us tokens for the toilet! This is not a spot where I’d want to have dinner, as it was very chaotic and touristy. However, it served fine as a place to enjoy drinks and people watch. And we lucked into having a great waiter, who wasn’t stereotypically rude or arrogant. It was fun watching people eat very stereotypically French cuisine, and I appreciated their selection of draft beers.

Below, outside the barrier to the tower… more people were dancing for cameras, and there were lots of Africans selling Eiffel Tower souvenirs. Or… I assume they were Africans. They looked the part.

Finally, it was time to head over to the Eiffel Tower and experience it for the first time. Since we already had tickets, we were able to get in a somewhat shorter line than those who still had to buy them. I believe it’s possible to go to the first floor of the tower, using the steps, without buying a ticket. We didn’t even visit the first floor, which is too bad. Below are a few 2009 era photos… Again, we didn’t go up the tower during that visit, because of the lines. But at that time, there wasn’t a barrier around the tower.

We crammed into an elevator, which took us to the second floor. I was immediately reminded of National Lampoon’s European Vacation and glad I wasn’t wearing a beret. I took many pictures of the magnificent evening views…

Then we found our way to the elevator to the top, crammed in, and up we went… Bill had neglected to print the last page of the tickets he bought, which was where the scanner code for the champagne was. Fortunately, he had it on his phone. Below are some photos at the top of the tower. I think the second floor may be better for photography, since you aren’t going to be behind a plastic barrier. But it was fun to be up there and get a view of Paris as evening set upon the city.

Our journey back to the second floor was uneventful. But then we got on the elevator to the ground floor, and that’s when things got especially entertaining.

A young woman with long brown hair and a beautifully made up face was running the elevator. She commanded that we all crowd in to the elevator together, and seemed a bit absent minded as she made an announcement that came out staticky. She apologized, and then said she’d be stopping on the first floor, for those who wanted to visit there.

Maybe one or two people got off, and she let one couple get on…. I’m not sure why, because she had told those waiting, that there was no room on the elevator for any more people, and they needed to go up a level. Even though she had clearly made that statement, one gentleman and his wife still tried to board.

The elevator operator then said, “I told you there is no room! Why do you not listen to me?! Go up a level, and my colleagues will take care of you!”

Everyone on the elevator was dying laughing at this lady, who was reprimanding the guy trying to board her elevator. She was so completely unabashed, telling off those folks who hadn’t paid her any mind. I happened to be standing next to her, and saw a peculiar mixture of amusement and befuddlement on her pretty face, and she fearlessly addressed the tourists. It was absolutely hilarious, and really capped off the experience for us!

Once we were finished with the tower, we decided it was time to go back to the hotel. But instead of walking, we took a taxi… Thank God for that! I accidentally connected the seatbelt to the wrong buckle, though, so the alarm was going off… and the taxi driver gently scolded me. Luckily, Bill was able to help me find the right buckle in the dark.

One last look at the majestic Eiffel Tower! I definitely recommend going at nighttime, if the weather permits.

So, now, this finally brings me to the next installment, which I will probably post tomorrow. Have a good Easter! We will be going out to lunch at Villa im Tal!

Below are some more Paris photos from 2009… We missed most of these spots on this trip. Paris is a VAST city. You could spend a week there and not see it all.

Hessen

An impromptu Saturday lunch at La Fonte…

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:

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…

Stay tuned for that exciting entry. 😉

Bavaria, short breaks

Our cloudy Saturday in Bad Wörishofen… (part four)

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.*

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.

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…*

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.

Hessen

An evening at Isoletta Steak und Pasta…

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.*

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.

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.

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!

Frankfurt, Hessen

We mixed ex Mormonism and gay pride last night…

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.*

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.

Bavaria, churches, dental

Italian food in Würzburg… part four

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…

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.

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.

dental

Rheingauer Weinwoche in Wiesbaden– 2023 edition! And more dental woes for Bill…

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…

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!

Champagne Bucket trips, Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines

Getting off the Regent Splendor and into Copenhagen…

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 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.

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.

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.

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…

And some more before I close this post…

Champagne Bucket trips, Finland, Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines

Helsinki! Helsinki! Our first look at Finland’s capital city!

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!*

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…*

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.*

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.

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.

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.

So… that about does it for Helsinki. Stay tuned for Tallinn, Estonia!

Sundays

Impromptu lunch at Lucullus, in lovely Königstein…

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.*

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.

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.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Italian food