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Hello again to the Holzkrug!

Back in August 2014, around the time Bill and I moved back to the Stuttgart area, we paid a visit to the Holzkrug in Vaihingen.  I had fondly remembered the tiny little eatery from our first tour in Stuttgart, from 2007-09.  For the first six weeks of our stay, we lived at the Vaihninger Hof, a run down hotel within walking distance of Patch Barracks.  Because it was a no frills German hotel, we only had a little dorm sized fridge in our room.  We had to eat out for most of our meals.  As a consequence, I got to know the restaurants circa 2007 in the Vaihingen area very well.

I remember liking the Holzkrug because of its local style charm and the fact that they sometimes serve roasted chicken there that is to die for.  I see by my last Holzkrug post, Bill and I both had chicken the last time we were there.  Today, we stopped in for lunch because we stopped by Patch to gas up my car.  They weren’t serving any chicken today, but we still had a nice lunch.

The door was open and the German pop was playing…

 

Holzkrug offers hot food from 10:30am until 2:00pm on Saturdays.  They also offer lunch with specials from 10:30am until 2:00pm and then dinner from 4:30pm until 8:00pm all during the work week.  On Sundays, they are only open from 10:00am until 2:00pm.  Dinner is not offered on weekend nights.

The Holzkrug is the only restaurant in this area that I’ve been to that sometimes offers roasted chicken.  The only other time I’ve seen it has been at fests or from “chicken men” with food trucks.  If there are other local restaurants that have chicken, I haven’t run into them yet.

Bill checks out today’s limited menu.

 

Today’s offerings.  Bill originally settled on “Forelle” (trout), but they were out of it.  They did, however, have fried fish of some sort.  That’s what he ordered.  I ordered “Cordon Bleu und Krokettes”, basically a fried schntizel stuffed with ham and mild melted cheese.

 

The Holzkrug has a very local vibe, even though it’s close to Patch Barracks.  Although I did see a plaque with an American flag on it, I don’t know that they get a lot of Americans in there.  We had to share a table with a guy who was clearly a regular and kindly made room for us at the “Stammtisch” (a table set aside for regulars).  I think it’s mostly a bar, though we’ve always gone there to eat and have enjoyed every experience.

“Stammtisch”– if you see one of these signs in a German or Austrian restaurant, it means it’s reserved for regulars.  However, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen too many regulars taking advantage of one.  Maybe it’s because I make a habit of trying so many different places that I haven’t really become a “regular” at many restaurants here.  The Stammtisch is different than a table that’s “reserved”.  

 

The view of the bar from where I was sitting.  This is a small place, but it’s very quaint and kind of charming.  I’m pretty sure they have English menus if you ask for them.  Sometimes the servers speak English, though today’s didn’t really.  I like the interior of the Holzkrug.  It’s the kind of place I wish we had in our own little town… you could go there and soak up the atmosphere over a couple of beers.

 

Here’s a picture of our deep fried goodness…  Bill had the fried fish special, which came with potato salad.  He washed it down with a Hefeweizen.  I had the Cordon Bleu and fried potato croquettes.  It was a lot and we brought home leftovers from my dish!

 

The guy sitting next to us was humming off key.  It was driving me nuts.  I happen to be a very musical person with “perfect pitch”, which means that when things are off key, it’s like nails on a chalkboard.  I felt badly about being annoyed, though, because he was nice enough to share his table with us.  The guy sitting behind Bill, also clearly a local and a regular, kept shooting glances at us.  But the wait staff was very kind and attentive.

This is a decidedly dog friendly place.  A large Doberman was enjoying a visit while we were there.  It’s also kid friendly.  I noticed the bartender gave a little boy a little bag of popcorn while he was waiting for his Oma to finish up.  There are also a couple of kid-sized choices on the menu.

After we ate, I noticed the sign on the wall.  It basically translates to “If you’re the type to forget to pay when you drink, pay beforehand.”

 

A Pilsner…

After lunch, I had a Pils.  I don’t usually drink Pils, but every time we visit the Holzkrug, I am reminded of our first time here.  Bill ordered a Pils at this restaurant and thought they had forgotten about his beer when I got served my Hefeweizen first.  He asked the barkeep where his beer was.  The bartender chastised him and told him that a proper Pils can take up to seven minutes to pour.  A quick Googling tells me that she was telling the truth about that, but truth be told, I have yet to ever visit a bar in Germany where it’s taken that long…

At about 2:20pm, it was time for our server to clock out, so she asked us to settle our bill.  It came to about thirty euros before the tip.  I finished my beer and visited the ladies room.  Here’s a handy tip for anyone who happens to be in Vaihingen and needs to pee.  The Holzkrug will allow non-guests to use their restroom if you pay 50 cents.  Yeah, I know paying to pee is the norm here, but at least you know there’s a place to go if the need strikes.

Anyway, we like the Holzkrug.  I like them even better when they have roasted chicken, which they also sell to go.  This is a nice local hole in the wall with typical German food, friendly service, and very reasonable prices.

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Sundays

Glassblowing at Dorotheenhütte and the best Black Forest cake, ever!

Some time ago, someone in one of the local Facebook groups alerted me to Dorotheenhütte, a glass museum and store in Wolfach, Germany.  Prior to today, I had been wanting to visit there for months. We finally decided to go this weekend, when we realized we were finally going to have sunny skies!

Wolfach is a resort town in the Black Forest.  It takes a little over an hour for us to get there from Unterjettingen via B28, which is definitely the slower, scenic route.  If you’re coming from points north, you may want to use A81, as it’s faster and less icy after a good snow.  Apparently, our area got a lot of snow last weekend and a lot of it still hasn’t melted.  There’s still a lot of white stuff in the Jettingen area, but there was even more snow west of us in Freudenstadt.  We decided to take the scenic route anyway, and were treated to some stunning views of snow capped mountains and pine trees laden with white stuff.  I got a few pictures of the scenery, which kept me occupied until we reached Wolfach.

As we were driving on either side just outside of Freudenstadt, I noticed a lot of people had parked on the side of the road.  I could see many folks cross country skiing.  That area still has a lot of snow after last weekend.  We also saw kids sledding.  If you’re ever looking for residual snow in the winter, the area west of Nagold is a good bet.  It’s a higher elevation and snow sticks around longer than it does closer to Stuttgart.  


Wolfach is a pleasant town, just made for tourists.

We reached Wolfach at just before noon and decided to tour the museum before we had lunch.  The tour is self-guided and there are translations in German, French, and English.  It turned out we got there at a good time.  There weren’t too many people there when we arrived at noon, but within an hour, more people began to show up.  It cost 15 euros for two adult tickets to the museum.

There were a lot more people here within an hour of our arrival.  I would imagine this place gets really packed in the summer.  I think now is a good time to visit Wolfach.  

When we pulled into the glass factory’s large parking lot, I noticed there was a lot of parking for buses.  There were no buses today, but they still had a good stream of folks coming in to tour the museum and get themselves a custom made vase.  I opted not to wear my jacket in the factory, since it wasn’t that cold outside.  That was a mistake, because the area where the museum is and the glassblowing is done was pretty chilly!  But as I stood there watching the group ahead of us getting vases made, it occurred to me that the factory must get pretty busy in the summer.  I’ll bet the museum gets hot, too.  The furnaces where the vases are made get to be up 1200 degrees centigrade.

 

Children’s play area.

 
 

A few shots of items available in the very expansive shop.  There are lots of nice items to be had and I thought the prices were pretty reasonable.

Christmas tree stands.

Items on display as you enter the museum area.

It turns out there’s a lot of “glass history” in this part of Germany.  The curators did a good job explaining how the glass industry came to be in Wolfach.  It’s obviously a significant source of employment.  In the small theater at the museum, there was a film about the factory.  I think it employs 34 people.

Above are schnapps bottles that were mouth blown.  Each farm was entitled to two liters of schnapps per cow.  

Different minerals found in the area.  There is also a place nearby where one can pan for minerals.

These are glass eyes– prosthetics for people who have lost an eye.

Explanation about the eyes here.

This was what I was waiting for… Glassblowing.  For 18 euros per vase, you can have one custom made and have a small part in its creation.

 

There are a couple of tables with examples of vases.  You choose two colors and which pattern you want.

Bill watches the group ahead of us.  They had several kids with them and I think they made three vases.  

Finally, it was my turn.  The guy who helped me spoke German at first, then switched to pretty good English, which I really appreciated.  I choose pink and blue for my vase.  In retrospect, I wish I had chosen blue and white… or maybe blue and green.  Oh well.  It turned out okay anyway.

The guy gave me a plastic mouthpiece that fit over the hollow rod.  When he pulled my vase out of the furnace, I blew into the rod, which helped shape the glass.  

Here’s a 30 second video  I made of the process.

More shaping and making a flat surface on the bottom…

Another trip into the furnace.

Then 20 minutes to cool off.  The glass gets up to about 500 degrees centigrade, so it needs to cool down and harden.  The guy made me a certificate and we paid for the vase and gave him a two euro tip.  Tips are appreciated and solicited.  You must pay for the vase on the spot.

 

We entertained ourselves by walking around the museum some more.  Not long after my session ended, a very large group showed up.  There were quite a few kids among them.  I must admit, I was impressed by how the guys running the glass works interacted with the kids.  They were great with them.  I could tell the kids were enjoying the activity, too.

Some more creations made in the factory.

Bill was eager for me to see the glass above.  It was colored by uranium before it became common knowledge that uranium is poisonous.

 

A view of the glassblowing.

A model of the furnace, sans heat.

Old glass making tools.

Tips please!

You can spend your twenty minutes watching a movie about the factory if you want…

This was as close as Bill got to making a vase of his own.

A wooden cuckoo clock.  I have been told Germans don’t care about them.  I left mine in the States.

 

When it became clear the large group was going to preclude us from being able to pick up our vase, Bill went to find the guy who helped me make it.  He got the vase and trimmed the top of it for me, then washed it out.

 

Finishing touches.  Then he wrapped it for me and put it in a bag.

 

When we were finished making my vase, we decided to have lunch.  The factory has a good restaurant serving traditional German food and some delicious desserts.  The lady who took care of us was a cute older lady who looked and acted very much like Oma.  She gave us the specials in German.  Realizing that we were English speakers, she asked if we understood.  I mostly did, though I settled on something from the regular menu anyway.

Bill looks at the menu, which was translated in French and English.

I had bratwurst with fries.  It came with mustard and ketchup.  The sausages were good.  The fries were ordinary.  I’m glad I didn’t fill up on them, because dessert is a must have experience at the factory.  

Bill had Zigeunerschnitzel “gypsy schnitzel”, which was basically a breaded pork cutlet with a paprika and tomato flavored sauce.  It was kind of like Hungarian salsa.  I noticed that a lot of the food coming out looked and smelled delicious.  I would say this restaurant offers above average food for what it is.  

 

Lunch was very satisfying and I think we were going to stop with what we’d had until I saw the ladies at the next table with pieces of Black Forest cake.  That is a particular weakness of mine.  But then, so is chocolate rum cake, which they were also offering… and cheesecake, too.

Wow…  an array of presents for my ass.  These cakes were beautiful!

We shared a piece of Black Forest cake and had coffee.  That cake was so good.  It was probably the best Black Forest cake I’ve ever had anywhere!

Lunch came to about 38 euros.  The lady who looked after us was doing a good job serving everyone.  She got very busy as we were finishing.  I bet that place is crazy with tourists when the weather warms up.

We decided to take a quick look at the Christmas town.  You can get your ornaments year round!

After I made a couple more impulse purchases, we headed back to Unterjettingen.  I got a few more pictures of Wolfach and the surrounding area.  This is pretty much stereotypical Grimm’s Fairy Tales Germany, right here.  I think I’m going to look for a house to rent for our next long weekend.  I think we’d love to get away in the Black Forest, especially since it’s not far from where we live, yet it’s kind of different.

We passed a wolf and bear park on the way to and from Wolfach.  This is another possibility for something to do in this area.  I’m definitely adding this to my list of places to see on a Sunday.  It looked well attended today.

More beautiful landscape shots from our drive.

 

My loot.  The taller vase and paper weight came from the shop (as if you couldn’t tell).  The pink and blue vase is what I helped make.  Next time Bill brings me flowers, I won’t have to use the wine decanter!

Right after we got home from our adventure, my dog Arran got loose.  Our door sometimes doesn’t close all the way, especially if it’s windy.  Bill neglected to shut the door securely and that’s how Arran got away from us.  I had just stepped out of the shower when it happened.

It’s unusual for Arran to run off.  Usually, Zane is the one who scares us with his daring escapes.  Fortunately, most of the people in our neighborhood have seen me or Bill with Zane and Arran.  When Bill got to where we usually walk the dogs, there were people there who had seen Arran run by, including a fellow hound owner.  Their dog, Oskar, is a friend of Zane’s and Arran’s.  In fact, Oskar’s mom often gives our dogs treats.  Anyway, they pointed Bill in the right direction.  One guy even kindly drove Bill in his van.  They saw a lady standing on the side of the road as if she knew someone was looking for Arran.  She’d grabbed him and put him in her house.  Once again, I’m heartened by how great our neighbors are and greatly relieved that Arran is okay.

We had a great day.  I would definitely recommend the glass factory and Wolfach in general, especially on such a pretty day.  The area is absolutely gorgeous and there’s a lot to do there, even if you aren’t wanting to make a vase.  I’d like to go back and check out the mineral pit… try my luck at finding rare rocks.

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Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part two

After we decided we wanted to go to the Czech Republic, Bill and I had to determine where in the country we wanted to go.  I was actually kind of wanting to visit Brno, which is a city we hadn’t seen before.  It got some great write ups that made it sound like an appealing place to see.  Unfortunately, we were constrained by the brevity of Bill’s time off and the fact that we’d need to bring our dogs, Zane and Arran, with us.  I did consider another visit to Chodovar, but again, thought of the dogs.  Although Chodovar allows dogs to stay in its hotel, Zane and Arran do better in lower density populations.  They aren’t exactly quiet.

I went to Booking.com, to look for appropriate accommodations near Chodova Plana and found a couple of possibilities.  The place that won our business was Vila Verunka, a little freestanding house in Senec, a suburb of Plzen.  I was won over by the fact that it offered free parking, free WiFi, and didn’t charge extra for the dogs.  It’s not that I mind paying pet fees; it’s just that I’ve found that people who don’t charge extra fees for pets tend to be less nervous about them staying.  They’re usually dog lovers who won’t freak out over normal things that dogs do.  That appeared to be the case at Vila Verunka, too.  The owners were very welcoming to our dogs, which I always love to see.

A lot of people like Air BnB.  I haven’t tried it yet, mainly because their Web site makes it hard for me to find exactly what I’m looking for.  I tend to be specific about what I want in a rental.  Although Booking.com doesn’t seem to have as many properties as Air BnB does, its search process is easy to use.  And, if I end up really hitting it off, sometimes the owners will just tell me to text them personally.  Such is the case in Ribeauville.  We’ve stayed at one guy’s apartment three times in the past year and he’s given us his number and told us to text him next time we want to rent from him.  I’m sure it’s because he makes more money that way, but if I’m honest, I kind of like having our French friend Yannick on speed dial.  😉

I could tell Senec would be a suburban location.  The price was definitely right, though.  For three nights in a two bedroom house, we paid the Czech crown equivalent of 288 euros.  Although we paid in the local currency, it turned out we could have paid in euros or even by credit card.  We didn’t have quite enough Czech crowns when we arrived because Bill stopped at the border and changed money at an exchange– something he shouldn’t have done, because they’re very expensive.  The owners were cool, though, and came the next morning for the money, after Bill had a chance to hit the bank.  Apparently, that house is popular with business people.  The owners asked us if we were there on business or filming something.  They seemed surprised that we’d go to Plzen for fun, although if you’re a beer lover, it’s a must see place.

Below are some pictures of the accommodations.  Everything was very clean and appeared to be new.

The living room.  There’s a gas fireplace, which we didn’t use.  I liked how carefree the couch was.  Very durable material that didn’t embed dog hair.  I will probably be in the market for a new couch when we move out of Germany.  I’m going to look for one upholstered with that material.

The bigger bedroom.  The mattress was a little hard, but the bed was nice and big.  There were flatscreen TVs in both bedrooms.  There’s also a single daybed in this room that could accommodate another person.

This property doesn’t have a shower.  Instead, there’s a bathtub with a handheld sprayer.  Also, the toilet is in a separate room.  The sink is in the washroom with the tub and the washing machine.

Nice kitchen, although the microwave was in a cabinet over the fridge.  Bill had to get it down when we wanted to use it, which was kind of a pain.  We’re both short.  It would have been nice if the microwave were on a cart or a table instead of a high cabinet.  There is a coffee pod machine, so Bill went out and got a cheap French press because we don’t like coffee pods.  Otherwise, the kitchen was well appointed, although lacking coasters.  The water in this house is not potable, though.  I think it may be because the house has a cistern, which means it uses rainwater.  Our first German house had a cistern that we could turn on and off.  

The toilet.  There was a curtained off “closet” with cleaning supplies.  No sink in the WC.

The other bedroom.  Somewhat smaller.

Another view of the living room.  There’s another daybed for another person to sleep on.  Nice flatscreen TV, though there were no English channels.  We watched the Winter Olympics in Czech, which was more interesting than it sounds!  WiFi in this house worked great!  No issues whatsoever.

Washing machine.

The outside of the house.  The picture doesn’t show how big the yard is.  It’s fenced in and has a picnic area and grill.  There’s also a swing set and the owners will rent you an inflatable pool for your kids.  There’s also a very small pond, which was frozen over when we visited.

Another shot of the house.  It backs up to a wooded area where there are trails suitable for walking your dogs.  Otherwise, you can turn them loose in the large, fenced yard.

This house is in what appears to be a developing subdivision.  There are several homes being built now.  In the neighborhood, there are a couple of small markets and a restaurant or two.  We didn’t explore much of Senec, although we did make a very cool find on Saturday morning.  More on that in the next post.  Here’s a hint, though… if you like old aircraft from the Cold War era, you might want to take a peek!

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Sundays

Some kid friendly stuff to do in and around Stuttgart…

Stuttgart is a great place for donkeying around with your kids…

First thing’s first.  I am not a parent nor do I play one on TV.  I am, however, a bit of a big kid.  I usually update this blog on weekends because that’s when my husband, Bill, indulges my big kid proclivities.

I often see people in our local Facebook groups wanting to know where they can take their kids on weekends and holidays.  While I am sure there are many other people in the community who are even more in the know than I am about kid friendly activities, it’s a rainy Saturday and we’re stuck at home because my dog just had surgery and I don’t want to leave him alone.  I figure a blog post about the kid friendly stuff I’ve found offers some one stop shopping for those who are looking for a convenient list.  This is not intended to be an “end all be all” list.  I’m just offering a few ideas for those who need inspiration.

Here’s my list of what we’ve found so far.  I’m not ranking them in any particular order and I’m generally only going to include places I’ve actually tried myself.  For that reason, I’m not going to list attractions like Europa Park, Legoland, or Sensapolis because I haven’t yet had occasion to try those places (I’m trying to convince Bill to go to Europa Park, though).  With a few exceptions, most of these places are close to the Black Forest because that’s where we happen to live right now.

Museums

The Stuttgart area happens to be blessed with a number of museums, many of which would be fun for young people.  Bill and I have visited a few places that we thought were interesting to kids and adults alike.  Here are just a few.

Schweine Museum– The pig museum in Stuttgart is a fun place to kill a couple of hours and learn about all things swine related.  The museum’s owners have created a bizarre and fun little tourist attraction that includes many kid friendly areas within it.  Parents should be advised that there is a room that has exhibits that are definitely more adult related and include sex toys.  The room is easy to spot because it’s red.  Each room has explanations in English.  An added bonus is that the museum has a really nice biergarten out back that offers good food.

Experimenta– Experimenta in Freudenstadt (and Heilbronn, though we haven’t been to that one) is a hands on science museum intended for kids.  I have heard the Heilbronn location is pretty extensive.  The one in Freudenstadt is fairly small and offers old school, no frills science fun for youngsters.  The  activities include German explanations, but are not hard to figure out.  I’d say it’s good for a couple of hours of activities, after which you can find a restaurant or take a walk around Freudenstadt’s pretty center.

Welt der Kristalle– This is a small, but cool, museum in Ditzingen (south on A81) that features fossils, rocks, gems, and petrified wood.  I was delighted by the enormous amethysts they had as well as the different fossils from places around the world.  Again, it won’t take all day, but it’s an interesting place to spend an hour or so.  Afterwards, you can get the staff to open an amethyst for you.

Ritter Sport– Aside from offering a great little cafe for breakfast treats, the Ritter Sport factory in Waldenbuch also has a museum and a “Schokowerkstatt” for kids.  If you visit the Berlin location, you can also have your own chocolate bar custom made.  This is not the same thing as the “chocolate workshop”, which is just for kids.

Fernsehturm– Stuttgart’s awesome TV tower is well worth a visit.  You take an elevator up to the top, where you can see splendid views of Stuttgart.  Then you can enjoy refreshments at the Panorama Cafe!  I have heard Stuttgart’s TV tower was the inspiration for Seattle’s Space Needle.  Having seen them both, I will say I like Stuttgart’s tower better because no one forces you to pose for a picture.

Other possibilities include any of the car museums in Stuttgart.  Bill and I have only been to the Porsche museum to eat dinner at Christophorus, but we have visited the Mercedes museum.  I have not blogged about it because we went during our first tour here, before my blogs existed.  I would like to visit the Mercedes museum again, if only so I can see the Popemobile one more time!

Outdoor fun

It’s not hard to find outdoor fun in the Stuttgart area.  This place is chock full of gardens and parks where you can work off all the beer, broetchens, and brats.  Some of the stuff around here is pretty cool, too… You wouldn’t find it back home.

Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald– I might as well start with everyone’s favorite tree walk.  This very cool and solidly built structure is located in Bad Wildbad.  It’s fairly new, having been constructed as of September 2014.  On a really pretty day, you can spend a few hours enjoying nature and the kid friendly activities on the tree walk.  Be advised, dogs are not allowed on the tree walk, but there are kennels where they can stay until you’re done sliding down the spiral slide!  Just a heads up– the city of Herrenberg is currently building a structure that appears to be somewhat similar.

Barfuss Park– Ever been to a park where you’re expected to walk barefoot?  Here’s your chance!  You can visit Dornstetten and take your shoes off, then walk the trails where your feet will encounter everything from pine cones to glass shards.  You can walk through mud, wade in icy water, and bounce on a trampoline.  Bill was surprisingly enchanted with our visit to the Barfuss Park and wants to go again, probably even more than I do.  This activity would make a great accompaniment to a trip to Experimenta in Freudenstadt, since the route to Freudenstadt can take you past Dornstetten.

Ropes Courses– I haven’t actually tried any of the ropes courses in this area, but there are a number of them and they tend to be located within or next to other activities.  For instance, there is a ropes course near Lichtenstein Castle.  There’s one at the Wildpark Pforzheim.  There’s also one right next to the Tiefenhöhle.  After you check out the main attractions, you can burn off some steam before heading home for the night.

Bärenschlössle– This is a huge park in Stuttgart with many miles of trails and a castle dedicated to bears.  It’s also within walking distance of Schloss Solitude, but you may not want to try walking there with very young children.  There’s a serene lake, a nice biergarten, and plenty of opportunities to people watch and stretch your legs.

Monbachtal– Lovely park in Bad Liebenzell that offers tranquil walking trails and a chance to glimpse nature.  Just the drive there is pretty.  Then you can take a walk along a flowing river and maybe spot a heron or two.

Hohenzollern– This is another place Bill and I visited the first time we lived here and haven’t been back to yet.  You can hike up the steep hill to see the castle and its grounds or take a bus.  We walked up and it was quite a workout.  The beautiful views are well worth the effort.

You might also want to check what the cities in your area offer.  We are near Nagold, which happens to have an excellent Freibad park, as well as a fabulous playground for kids, mini golf, and proximity to Hohennagold.  I know Esslingen also has nice play areas for children.

Waterfalls, mines, and caves

If you feel like chasing waterfalls or exploring caves, you’re in luck.  This part of Germany offers a number of great places to visit.

Triberg– Triberg is home to Germany’s tallest waterfall, delicious Black Forest cake, and cuckoo clocks galore.  It’s a very touristy town and tends to be crowded.  However, I think it’s worth a visit to see the waterfall, try the cake, and maybe visit the world’s biggest cuckoo clock.

Silver Mine–  Near the cute little town of Neubulach, there’s an old silver mine where you and your young ones can see where azurite, malachite, and silver come from.  Although the tour is in German, the mine itself is pretty interesting.  Afterwards, you can visit the small museum, check out the outdoor exhibits, or take a walk on the Fledermaus trail.  Or you can venture into the town for a round or two of mini golf and lunch.

Bad Urach– Bad Urach is a really nice area where visitors can climb up a waterfall or visit castle ruins.  Besides being kid friendly, Bad Urach is also very dog friendly.  It also happens to be convenient to a couple of other attractions on this list…

Blautopf– Want to see really blue water that’s not in your toilet?  You might want to check out Blautopf, which you can visit after you see Bad Urach or save for another day.  Blautopf is the end of a cave system– indeed, Germany’s only publicly accessible vertical cave, Tiefenhöhle, which is also in the area.  I would also recommend a visit to the Hammerschmiede Museum, which is directly adjacent to Blautopf.  Your kids can see how an old fashioned blacksmith works!

Tiefenhöhle– Really cool vertical cave near Blautopf.  Be advised that visiting this cave is pretty strenuous.  I would not recommend it for very young kids or those who don’t listen to directions.  To negotiate the cave, you must climb up and down steep ladders.  I recommend good shoes, long pants, and plenty of stamina.

Bärenhöhle– This is what I’d call a “kid friendly” cave (technically it’s called the Charles and Bear Cave), especially for little kids.  Located in Sonnenbühl near Schloss Lichtenstein, it’s rather small and easy to walk through, with no steep stairs or ladders.  One can see this cave system in about twenty minutes or so via guided tour (in German) or on your own.  Be advised that if you go on your own, you will probably end up in a tour group by default because you’ll eventually run into them and probably won’t be able to pass.  Printed English explanations of the caves are available on request.  When you’re finished in the cave, you can have lunch at the biergarten on site and stop by Traumland, which is a kiddie amusement park.  Or you can visit the Easter egg museum.

Nebelhöhle– is another cave system, a bit more challenging to navigate, located very close to the Bear Cave.  It’s my favorite of the three caves we’ve been to so far because I think it offers a good combination of things to see and ease of navigation.  It’s a bit more interesting than the Bear Cave, but not nearly as physically demanding as the Tiefenhöhle.  There are also playgrounds on site for after your visit, as well as a biergarten.

Animals

I could probably write a very extensive section on animal related activities, but in the interest of keeping this blog post from getting too long, I will offer just a few ideas.

Naturally, you can visit Stuttgart’s awesome zoo, Wilhelma, which Bill and I saw the first time we lived here.  I have not been back to the zoo in the eight years since our first visit, but I do remember really being impressed by the animals there.  I would love to go back and spend a day.  Maybe we’ll even do it next weekend, if Zane is recuperated enough to be left home alone.

Wildpark Pforzheim– If you have kids who love animals, you should take them to the Wildpark Pforzheim.  Besides having a whole lot of “wild” animals that kids can feed and observe, this park also has a whole lot of play areas for kids.  I kind of wished I was under twelve so I could play on some of the imaginative structures there.  The park is large enough to wear your little ones out, guaranteed!

Affenberg-Salem (Monkey Hill)– This is a super cool park where you can feed popcorn to monkeys and view other wildlife.  The monkeys are super gentle and sometimes they play!  After you’re finished visiting the monkeys, you can have a beer and a bite to eat at the biergarten.

Tierparks– I have written a blog post on our trip to Der Kleine Tierpark Göppingen, which was the small zoo we visited last Sunday.  However, I think it’s fair to mention that this area is home to a number of Tierparks, some of which are probably closer and move convenient than Göppingen is.  If you look around, you can find places where kids can learn about animals and interact with them.

Fischzucht Zordel–  This is a fish farm where kids can feed trout caught in the brook running past the property.  Afterwards, they can enjoy some fishy delectables.  I’ll leave it up to parents to decide if they want to teach their kids that the trout they feed will eventually be consumed.

Okay… this is a pretty good list of kid friendly stuff to do.  If you read this blog regularly, you have probably already been exposed to these ideas.  Sorry for the rerun!  I am mostly intending this list for newcomers who are looking for ways to combat cabin fever.  If people enjoy this post, I may write a sequel or two on the next rainy day.  Stay tuned!

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Sundays

We’re through being cool… a silver mine in the Black Forest

Bill and I are always looking for new things to try on our Sundays.  Recently, one of Bill’s soon to be departed co-workers passed along a tip for us.  Not far from the cute little town of Neubulach is a silver mine, which also has an “asthma treatment” area within it.  I happen to suffer from asthma, which means recovering from colds and flu is a real bitch for me.  Unfortunately, the asthma treatment is not operating during the month of July.  However, from May to October, one can visit the silver mine.

Good mood music for this post…

Since I love walking into mountains, I figured it would be good fun to visit the silver mine today.  It’s not far from where we live in Unterjettingen– maybe twenty minutes, tops.  After a short drive through some pretty forested country, we arrived at the mine.

The grand sign.  We parked near here, but you can actually drive a bit down the road and park closer.  Parking costs nothing.  The walk down to the mine takes about ten minutes and is downhill.  That means when you come back, it will be uphill.  Keep that in mind as you decide where to park.

 

 

There are actually a few things to do in the area, as Bill is discovering.

 

If you want to, you can hike up the hill to the town or a mini golf course.

 

Or you can take a 45 minute walk on the Fledermaus (bat) trail.  We skipped the trail because I didn’t feel like climbing hills, but I might try it on another day.  Looks like there’s a nice creek you can wade in.

 

Helmets and capes are waiting for visitors.


I was a bit hungry on arrival, so we had a snack.  While Bill was ordering, I took a look at what was on display.  The shop has things for sale as well as exhibits.

Not a bad little museum!

We had beer, wurst, and broetchen.

Then we walked around the grounds as we waited for our guide.

Something for the kids to check out.

Finally, it was time to don our helmets and capes for the tour.  You might not think the helmets are necessary, but I’m here to tell you; all of the red helmets for adults were pretty scuffed up.  It’s not from falling rocks as much as it is from low ceilings.  I’m only 5’2″ and I had to duck a couple of times.  Bill hit his helmet a few times, too.

Bill reacts to my quip when he puts on his helmet…

“We’re through being cool!”  (You probably either need to be a certain age or a big geek to get this joke…)

The cape is handy for keeping your clothes from getting wet.  Or for completing the Devo look.

On our way…

The mine has silver, but it also has azurite and malachite.  I should mention that this tour was done in German.  Our guide was a young lass who spoke perfect high German and enunciated very clearly.  I still only caught a small percentage of what she said.  That was a surprise, though, because I wasn’t expecting to understand even that much!

You can spot these little guys throughout the tour.

I got a kick out of this one.

 

The silver mine tour runs for about 40 minutes.  I enjoyed it, even though it was in German and my German sucks.  On the other hand, I recently started doing Duolingo again and the word “tief”, which is used a lot during this tour, was one of the vocabulary words.  So I will probably never forget that word because it was used in a practical instance.

Since we decided not to try the bat trail, we headed back to the car…  It was an uphill jaunt to get there, but at least my muscles weren’t sore.

Very close to the mine is a the cute town of Neubulach.  Bill managed to find us a Brauhaus.  Because of our snack before the mine tour, we weren’t wanting any food.  But we did stop in for some beer, which is apparently brewed on the premises and is very good.  Since we live close to the Brauhaus Roessle, we’ll have to come back.  They have live music sometimes, too.

The bartender was friendly and efficient.  We sat inside, although there is a nice biergarten area outside.  Food is offered without pause.  

Bill checks out the choices.

They offer seasonal beers, but the one for July wasn’t available today.

Halloween maybe?

I had a Kellerpils…

and a hefeweizen.  Bill had a fest beer.

I was charmed by this cute little town.  It reminded me of rural France.

We’ll definitely have to go back and discover more about it.

They even have this…

The silver mine was very interesting.  We learned that this area actually has a number of mines, some of which are evidently open to visitors.  While the tour was in German, it was still pretty neat to see the inside of the mine and the surrounding nature.  I can’t believe we’ve been living in the Stuttgart area for a total of five years over two tours and just heard of this place last week.  Kudos to Bill’s buddy, Tim, for pointing out this attraction to us.

If you’re looking for a kid friendly activity for a Sunday, the silver mine might be a good bet, even if you have to exercise your budding German skills.

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Lunch at Panorama Eiscafe & Pizzeria in Nagold…

I thought I was done blogging for today, but Bill and I got hungry after he purchased a used freezer and we decided to go to Nagold for lunch.  I am always on the lookout for new places to try and every time we visit Nagold, I notice the Panorama Eiscafe & Pizzeria is always packed.  Today, we happened to park right next to the restaurant, so we decided to have lunch there.

Bill checks out the menu.

When we arrived, it was just before 1:00pm.  Most of the tables were free for the taking, although a lot of people were getting ice cream to go.  We sat down at a table and decided what we wanted.  A shy looking girl approached and took our drink order, then came back a few minutes later for our lunch orders.  This restaurant seems to specialize on amazing ice cream creations, but they also have a lot of pizza, salads, soups, and pasta selections.  I settled on Tagliatelle Salmone and Bill had Tagliatelle with mozzarella, basil, cream sauce, and tomatoes.  I talked him into ordering it, because it sounded good to me.

I took this during the calm before the storm.

It was fun people watching while we waited for our food.  Lots of people visit this eiscafe every week and they get their ice cream to go.  There’s a sign that says if you get your ice cream to go, you can’t sit at a table.  So people were getting cones and cups of ice cream and sitting on nearby benches.  Lots of kids were frolicking under the trees, chasing pigeons, and dropping ice cream.  Nagold is a very kid (and dog) friendly town.

When our food arrived, Bill got his dish.  Mine appeared to be baked rigatoni, which was not what I ordered.  The very sweet food runner was quick to pick up the rigatoni (which actually looked fabulous– might have to get that next time) and bring me the Tagliatelle Salmone I ordered.

Bill’s colorful pasta dish…

And mine…. Both of these dishes were priced at less than 10 euros. 

 

I had big plans of getting ice cream today, but as it was, I only managed about half of this pasta dish.  Bill also only got through half of his lunch.  I ended up having beer for dessert, while Bill had an espresso.  I was really sad that I was too full for ice cream.  Some of what I saw people eating was truly magnificent.  Unfortunately, I just can’t eat that much… and I really shouldn’t, given the beer baby that’s been growing for years.

I was very impressed by how pleasant the food runner was.  She smiled at us and spoke some English when it became clear that we aren’t Germans.  She seemed genuinely interested in whether or not we enjoyed our meals.  I found her very charming and it was easy to forget that she accidentally brought me the wrong dish.  I can see why this particular restaurant draws a crowd every weekend.

I still wish I had room for ice cream, but I know it’s better that I skip it…  If you happen to be in or near Nagold, the Panorama Eiscafe and Pizzeria is a nice place for a reasonably priced lunch.  Every time I go to Nagold, I like it more.  I’m shocked that we never discovered it the first time we lived here.  I’m glad we got to come back and enjoy its many charms.

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caves, Sundays

Bärenhöhle and Nebelhöhle… caves fit for a castle!

Yesterday, I wrote about the trip Bill and I took to the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle, the only vertical cave in Germany open to the public.  We had a great time visiting Germany’s vertical cave, although I am definitely feeling the pain today.

I’ve always been one to enjoy themes, so today we decided to visit the town of Sonnenbühl, where one has easy access to two caves.  There’s the family friendly  Bärenhöhle and, just a few kilometers away, there’s the more challenging Nebelhöhle.  Both of these caves happen to be with easy distance of the Schloss Lichtenstein, one of my favorite castles in Germany.  We didn’t visit the castle today, since we went last September.  If I had a family and we wanted a fun Sunday outing, I would definitely do the castle and the two caves on the same day.  In fact, I think if I didn’t live in Germany and was looking for a fun place to spend a week, Sonnenbühl would be a good bet.

We set off for Bärenhöhle first– this cave is actually two caves in one.  The first cave is called Karlshöhle and is named after Charles I of Wurtemberg.  The second cave, which is attached to the first, is the Bärenhöhle and consists of the last 338 feet of the cave.  The whole thing is about 888 feet long.

The GPS had the caves at about an hour and ten minutes from our home in Unterjettingen.  The drive to Sonnenbühl is beautiful.  It winds through charming villages through beautiful countryside.  I would say it was a nicer journey than the trip to Laichingen, since we avoided having to drive through any big towns like Reutlingen.  There’s free parking at Bärenhöhle, although if you get there late, you might end up with a walk.  They had guys directing people into parking spots today.

One thing to know about Bärenhöhle is that it’s a very kid friendly place.  I would say that if you have very young kids who have never seen a cave, this is a good one to start with.  It’s 4,50 euros for adults to walk through the small system, and you can either go by yourself or take the guided tour.  Since the tour was in German, we started off by ourselves.  Then we ran into a tour in progress, which was slightly annoying.  Oh well.  Compared to yesterday’s high octane tour, the Bärenhöhle was a piece of cake.  It took about twenty minutes to pass through it.  If we’d wanted to, we could have followed up our visit with a trip to Traumland, a small amusement park that appeared to be mostly intended for little kids, although I did see a few rides suitable for adults.

The entrance.  There are printed instructions/explanations in English if you want them.

The entrance of the cave.

The bear…

The entrance to Traumland, which you pass on your way back to the parking lot.  There’s also a small playground for kids whose parents who don’t want to spring for the amusement park.

We decided to have lunch before heading to our next stop.  There’s a snack bar and a self service restaurant at the Bärenhöhle/Traumland complex.  The snack bar has things like ice cream, wurst, and such, while the restaurant has hearty Swabian fare.  The complex also has an Easter egg museum, but we didn’t visit.

I had maultaschen with potato salad and fried onions.  Bill had a linsen teller.  The food was very good.  They have other dishes like schnitzel and schweinebraten, as well as choices for kids.  The prices are pretty reasonable.  Bill paid about 26 euros for what’s in the photo.

The biergarten area of the restaurant.

The snack bar.

Nebelhöhle is only a few kilometers from Bärenhöhle and, if you really feel energetic, you can even walk to or from there.  Lichtenstein Castle is also within walking distance.  There’s plenty of free parking at Nebelhöhle and it’s close to the cave.  Of the three caves I’ve visited so far, Nebelhöhle is definitely my favorite.  For 4,50 euros for each adult, you get turned loose in an old cave that offers a lot more to see than Bärenhöhle and isn’t quite as physically demanding as the Tiefenhöhle.  We probably spent a good forty minutes in there, enjoying the beauty of the cave system.  There were a couple of times when we were even by ourselves and got a sense of how quiet the cave is when no one is in there.

Naturally, there’s a playground for the kids at Nebelhöhle

The entrance to Nebelhöhle

Bill commented that this was much like walking down to the U-Bahn…  Needless to say, not stroller friendly!

Once we got to the bottom of the steps, we were free to tour the cave at our leisure.  I commented to Bill that that would probably never happen in the risk averse United States.  It’s not that accidents don’t happen in German caves, either.  My German friend Susanne told me that last year, a woman fainted at the bottom of the Tiefenhöhle and was discovered by other visitors some time later.  Rescuers had a hell of a time getting her out of the cave.  She was later airlifted to a hospital in Ulm.  The caves we visited today probably wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to be rescued from, but it would still be a challenge.

Here’s a video I made of a pool at the bottom of the cave.

We’re not exactly sure what this was…  It kind of resembled a petrified tree trunk, but my guess is that it was once a column.  Edited to add– my German friend says this column was cut in 1961 and placed in Stuttgart at the Schloss!  I did read about that, but forgot… and there was no sign in the cave!

Bill commented about the moss.  He wondered how it got there, since there was no sunlight.  I mentioned the lighting in the caves and people using their cameras.  The light causes photosynthesis, which is one reason why people aren’t supposed to use their flashes in caves.

I dragged my ass up the steps and left sweating and panting…

I was tempted to enjoy another beer by the playground, but we decided to head home.  Actually, we stopped in Nagold first, where a fest was going on, but we were too tired to hang out there.  So here I am… hoping tomorrow I won’t be too sore!  Today wasn’t nearly as physically challenging as yesterday was, at least.

 

I want to reiterate that I would not recommend taking very young children to the Tiefenhöhle, which is the cave we visited yesterday.  The climb is very challenging and potentially dangerous.  I would reserve that cave for mature older kids– say at least age eight or older– who have a healthy respect for heights and not trying to go too fast.  Also, I think the other two caves will be more interesting for kids.  The lighting is colorful and there are many more formations to see.

For very young kids, I would definitely recommend the Bärenhöhle.  It doesn’t take too long to get through it and it’s not particularly physically challenging, although there are a few steps to be climbed.  Afterwards, you can enjoy Traumland.

The Nebelhöhle, my favorite of the three, is a good mix of challenge and ease.  I saw fairly young kids in there who were doing fine.  There are steps to climb, but they aren’t narrow or shallow and the passages are easy to negotiate.  There’s also a lot to see.  Of the three caves, we spent the most time in the Nebelhöhle and enjoyed it the most.

I would recommend all three of the caves for those who enjoy spelunking.  Just be prepared to climb a lot of steps!  Happy caving!

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Sundays

You can be a big kid in Freudenstadt!

Some days, I really wish I had kids to entertain.  I am myself a bit a of a big kid, so having a kid to play with would give me a good excuse to visit kid friendly museums and attractions.  Bill and I didn’t actually plan to do anything kid friendly today.  We stumbled across our fun, just like we always do.  And now I’m going to pass along our good fortune to readers who have kids and enjoy science.

We had absolutely perfect weather today.  Bill wanted to know what we should do today.  We went looking for a fest.  I remembered that next weekend, Freudenstadt would be hosting a fish market.  Then I remembered that next weekend is the weekend before my birthday and we’ll probably be out of town.  I’ve always been intrigued by Freudenstadt.  It’s a decent sized city not too far from where I live, in Unterjettingen.  We always drive through it when we go to France.  One time, we stopped and had lunch at the Turmbrau.  I remembered that lunch with fondness, so we decided to visit there today and wander around…

It turns out Freudenstadt is undergoing a lot of major road work.

 

It’s a bit of a mess in some parts of the city.

I noticed the name of this store and it made me laugh.  “To Crazy”, huh?  I think they meant “Too Crazy.”  But that’s no worse than Der Wienerschnitzel in the United States, which is also incorrect.

There is an art fair and flea market going on today and tomorrow.

And someone was getting married.  I took this right after withdrawing money from an ATM.  While I was doing that, a couple was changing their baby next to the machine.  I guess the baby left a deposit.

We didn’t linger too long at the market.  We wanted food and beer.

Bill checks the menu.

We enjoyed housemade beers.  Bill had a Maibock and I had a Hefeweizen.

For lunch, I had Schweinshaxe, which I couldn’t finish.  It wasn’t as big as some I’ve had.  At the Turmbrau, this dish comes with sauerkraut.  I have to be careful with that or else it’ll be a very windy night at my house.  

Bill had roasted pork with fried potatoes.  This was served with a beer gravy that was very good.  The pork was also tender and flavorful.  I think I liked Bill’s dish better than mine.  My pork knuckle was a trifle overdone.

But it did come with beer bread.

Turmbrau has live entertainment, too.

 

And a really excellent looking Biergarten.  We probably should have sat out there, since I wore plenty of sunscreen.

Brewing!

 

This is a great place for lunch.  Both times we’ve been, it’s been busy.  Service is friendly and efficient and prices are fair.  We had a couple of weizens for dessert.  With the extra round of beer, the bill came to just under 35 euros.  We made the waitress smile when we topped it up to 40.  

Because Bill didn’t want to drive so soon after our second round, he wanted to walk around Freudenstadt.  I had a better idea.  On the way into town, I noticed a sign for a museum.  After looking up the word “Erlebnis”, I determined a visit to Experimenta might be a fun way to sober up… even if it was kind of a kid oriented place.  Like I said, despite last week’s fun, I really am a big kid.  Experimenta turned out to be a no frills kind of science museum, but it was surprisingly fun for us!  We did, however, get curious looks from other visitors.

Experimenta is open daily from 10-6.  Tickets cost 6 euros for adults and 5 euros for kids.  A young guy was manning the desk.  It looked like the building was once a music school.  

The first exhibit was about time zones.  I noticed the signage was all in German, but with a little effort, I could understand a lot of it.  A lot of the exhibits are very intuitive anyway.

Here’s an exhibit about size perception.

Bill has fun with balls.  That silver thing was blowing air

I never did figure this out… it involved a marble.  Edited to add, my German friend Susanne says there is a bigger Experimenta in Heilbronn and she shared a picture that shows how this activity works.  I want to also mention that a lot of the activities had step stools for little ones.  

Spyrograph.

This was the room I really got into.  Bill and I built a bridge.

And we learned how holes affect the speed of cylinders.

I brushed up on my terrible geometry skills.

 
 

Bill loved this activity…

Pictured above is a logic activity involving a man who has to move a goat, a wolf, and food across a river.  He only has room on the boat to move one at a time.  Bill really got into telling me how the man could move each.  I giggled at him because it was fun watching him turn into a little boy, much like the young kids who were enjoying the activities.

Next, we made a bridge out of magnets.  This was a very interesting exhibit because it forced us to learn the logistics of building a bridge and what you have to do to make it work.  I am still a confirmed former English major, though, and couldn’t explain this if my life depended on it.

Next, I saw how water can propel a boat…

I learned about human organs.

And bones.

And the tongue!  

 

I think my favorite room was the last one we entered.  On the main floor, there’s an exhibit about electricity…

I played with these for a long time…

And then I discovered the black light.  Sorry for the ugly photos but…

You can’t see it in this picture, but in person, it was really obvious which of my teeth is an implant.  Hard to believe I’ve had it for a year now!

I may never have teeth this white again.

 

I made a short video of our fun today…  It offers an example of what you can expect at Experimenta!

 

Like I said, I wish I’d managed to have kids.  We live in an area that’s really great for kid friendly activities.  If I had a kid, I’d make of a day out of Freudenstadt and its environs.  You can stop at the awesome Barefoot Park in Dornstetten, which is on the way.  After that, head to Freudenstadt and have a good lunch at one of the many restaurants in the town.  Then visit the science museum.  By the time you’re done, you’ve killed a few hours.  And… as you can see below, the countryside is BEAUTIFUL!  God bless Germany!

Look closely and you can see a glider…

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I needed a vacation like nobody’s business… Lasagna by the lake! Part 6

When it became clear that Zane and Arran were going to be okay after their Saturday night food orgy, Bill and I decided to take them for another walk.  This time, we walked them down the hill into the town.  Zane was feeling very frisky as he pranced along, taking in the sights and sounds of Italy on a Sunday morning.  Unfortunately, we had to cut their walk a bit short because I suddenly needed to pee.  One thing that Domaso doesn’t seem to have is public restrooms.  Yes, we could have stopped into a bar or a cafe and had a drink, but it was still kind of early for that.  So we walked the dogs back up the hill.  Really, it was a long enough walk for them, anyway.

At lunchtime, we decided to head back to the lake without the dogs.  I was going to get my lasagna.  I had read that the beach hostel had good lasagna and I knew it offered a prime spot right by the water. We got there a bit early for the lasagna.  We were told it wouldn’t be ready until 1:30pm.  Or, we could have pizza or a panini.  I wanted lasagna, though, and was willing to sit at a table and drink beer until it was available.  And that is exactly what I did.

The beach hostel offers two beers on tap.  Bill and I enjoyed them both.  I commented that the above beer was a bit like sex in a rowboat, though…  😉  

 

The staff at the beach hostel were very friendly during our visit.  The hostel was also very kid and dog friendly.  One lady brought a hilarious cocker spaniel, who was making the rounds saying hello to everyone, including a nearly identical cocker spaniel who passed by.

Sitting at the hostel, we were able to watch people enjoying the lake.  I didn’t see anyone swimming or wading, although I’m sure it’s acceptable.  I think the water was still a little cool for that.  However, we did see people windsurfing and there were plenty of sunbathers.  There were also many small sailboats on the water.  I’m sure in a month, people will really be enjoying watersports on the lake.

The above beer was less like sex in a rowboat.

After our second beer, the cute girl who waited on us said it would be another forty minutes for the lasagna.  We ordered another round and waited…  and finally, it came out piping hot and delicious.

This was worth the trip!  Made with bechamel sauce and a light Bolognese sauce, this lasagna really hit the spot. 

If you’re in Domaso looking for a laid back hangout that caters to kids and dogs, this is the place.

Bill bought some food at the market, so we had dinner in the apartment on our last evening in Domaso, paired with plenty of wine.  We planned an early departure for yesterday, knowing it would take several hours to get back to Germany.

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Uncategorized

El Mero Mexicano… damn fine Mexican food, especially for Germany!

Yesterday, Bill asked me if I wanted to go out this weekend.  I was game.  He told me to find a place, so I went to OpenTable.de and noticed a listing for El Mero Mexicano in Fellbach.  I had heard a lot of good things about this place, from both here in the Stuttgart area and back in the States.  A German friend of mine living in North Carolina said she and her husband used to go there whenever they needed a fix.  Although I never have a whole lot of expectations for Mexican food in these parts, I decided to book us a table for 6:30pm.  It’s a good thing I did that, too.  El Mero Mexicano opens at 6:00pm and is open until 11:00pm, but it was already hopping when we arrived about ten minutes before our reservation.

We had to drive quite a way to get to Fellbach.  Then it took some time to find a place to park.  There is a lot of street parking in the area, but there are also one way streets.  If you aren’t familiar with the area, you might want to give yourself some time to find a place.

A shot of the door.  They aren’t kidding when they say the food is authentic.

A nice looking young guy led us to a table for two in the back.  I heard several American accents as Bill and I took our seats and looked at the menu.  English menus are available and we were given them, even though we said it didn’t matter.  Having seen the crowd tonight, I’m guessing they wanted to save the German menus for the locals.

Bill is excited.  He loves Mexican food.

The noise level in the restaurant was very energetic tonight.  I would say it’s a good place to go if you have young children.  They have a play area for kids, stocked with plenty of Legos, as well as a kiddie menu.  I didn’t see anyone chased out of there for bringing a stroller, either.  😉

I kept changing my mind about what I wanted to order, which was a good thing.  The wait staff was a tad weeded tonight, so it took them awhile to get to us.  I had plenty of time to decide if I wanted the steak with tomato sauce or the combo platter.

Bill and I started with a round of beer.  Bill started with a Modelo and I had a Cave Creek Chili Beer.  The Chili Beer was interesting, only because it had a chili pepper in it that gave it a little kick.  The beer had zero head and, had it not been for the chili pepper, would have been pretty uninteresting.  The menu listed other Mexican and German beers, as well as a variety of cocktails and non alcoholic drinks.

Chili Beer… note the little chili pepper floating in it.  It was worth a try, but I think I’ll stick to regular suds from now on.

I finally decided to try the Pozole Rojo, which is a Mexican red corn soup with pork.  I was hungry when we came in and it was a good idea to get something before the main dish for that reason.  However, that particular starter, which is apparently only offered on weekends and perhaps only this month (they have a menu that changes),  is pretty large.  It comes with a small salad and a corn tortilla, along with some excellent guacamole.  I ordered the combination platter for my main dish, realizing that I can get a good steak in a number of places in Stuttgart.  Bill ordered spicy enchiladas for his main dish and helped me with the soup, which we didn’t finish.

The soup was awesome.  I noticed they had a sign on the door confirming they had it tonight.  It had a great kick to it, which Bill especially enjoyed.  I enjoyed the guacamole, which wasn’t overprocessed or slimy green.

Check out the guac!  It’s definitely not snotty.

When the noise level got to be too much for me, I decided to try a margarita.  I asked for one, and they brought me one on the rocks.

I like Bill’s margaritas better, but this was pretty good tonight.  I also got a glass of water to help douse the spices.  I tend to be a wimp when it comes to spicy food.  

In the foreground, you can see my combination platter.  Tonight, it consisted of a potato flauta, a soft taco with chicken and grilled red onions, and a mild enchilada.  The flauta and enchilada were covered with sour cream and cheese.  It also came with rice and a choice of pinto beans or salad.  I chose beans.  My only complaint about this dish was that it didn’t arrive very hot.  I have a feeling that was because they were so busy tonight and it might have sat for a bit.  I should mention that this platter has the potential to change, since the flauta and the taco came from the “weekly menu” (which looked to me more like a monthly menu).  If I went back in a month or two, the choices might be different.

Bill’s spicy enchiladas with green sauce.  They also have a mild version with tomato sauce and will adjust spiciness on request. 

This is one contented man…

I asked Bill if he’d want to drive back to Fellbach from Unterjettingen for more Mexican food and he said, “Absolutely!”  It took well over an hour to get there, but it was worth it.

 

Our bill came to 61 euros before the tip, although we certainly could have gotten away for significantly less if we’d wanted to.  Again, that soup was a meal within itself.  We paid in cash, although I noticed that they take credit cards.  The staff also kindly boxed up our leftovers, so I’ll be enjoying them tomorrow afternoon after we have brunch at another new restaurant.

El Mero Mexicano seems to specialize in tacos and enchiladas.  Don’t go there looking for burritos, fajitas, or chimichangas.  What they do, they seem to do very well.  This was by far my favorite Mexican food experience in Germany; it probably comes as close as we’re going to get to authentic in these parts.  The owners are from Mexico.  Suffice to say, it beats the hell out of Chilli’s, La Cocina Mexicana, and El Chico.  I highly recommend it to those who are missing a taste of home.  Just be sure to book a table.  If you drop in, you may have to wait.

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