anecdotes, C.G. Jung, Celebrations, Funny stories

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part eleven)

By Thursday, June 25th, I was looking forward to going home. I know that’s kind of foolish, given the beautiful surroundings and great food we were enjoying in Switzerland, but I missed the dogs. I also wanted to do laundry. Several days in sweaty conditions can make one’s clothes a bit icky.

Bill had two more days of class to go, so off we went to breakfast. The wait staff was getting to know us. A few folks seemed surprised we were still at the hotel. I don’t think it’s a normal thing for most people to book six nights… except for maybe some people who are going to the Jung Institute.

I didn’t get the sense that there were too many Jung Institute students staying at the Sonne Seehotel. The one exception was at breakfast on Thursday. An American man came in with a younger woman, and Bill said he later saw both of them at the Institute. He said the man was an author of a book he’d read, and also taught at the Institute. The woman was someone on the brink of getting her diploma.

As for breakfast, I decided to go for something conventional. I had scrambled eggs and bacon. (I thought) Bill had the Egg Royal– like Eggs Benedict, but with smoked salmon, avocado, and roe. The Egg Royal is probably my favorite dish at the Pavilion Restaurant during breakfast. But, of course I needed to try as many things as possible. On Thursday, we also got to try the fruit plate, along with the usual etagè and rolls. And that, my friends, is why I have so many rolls. 😁

After breakfast, we went back to the room, hung up the Do Not Disturb sign, and I got to work on my blogging. Bill went off to school. His schedule on Thursday had him attending classes until 5:30 PM. I think he had three that day.

It was another hot day, and once again, I noticed the canvas barrier was up at the lakeside. There would be another event. Actually, Thursday turned out to be a rather obnoxious day for hotel events. But, during the afternoon, I did my usual swimming and sunning under the shady trees. Below are a few artsy pictures I took from our room. There’s always something to see on Lake Zürich, especially during the summer!

*I saw this guy a few times over the week. He is very fit!*

Something funny did happen on Thursday. While I was sitting by the lake, enjoying the cool breezes and fresh air, there was some kind of private event happening on the other side of the canvas barrier. It sounded like maybe it was a work party, or something like that. A man gave a speech in impassioned German, having summoned everyone’s attention by striking a glass with a utensil.

I wasn’t really paying much attention to what the man was saying. I was trying to relax, and wishing I had ear buds. At one point, the speaker on the other side of the barrier said something, and the crowd cheered. At that very same time, a group of school kids– maybe about eleven or twelve years old– were passing by the garden.

Just as the crowd behind the barrier started laughing and cheering, the kids– egged on by one especially naughty boy– also started cheering enthusiastically. It was pretty funny, and the whole group of adults at the luncheon started laughing.

As I was sitting there alone, listening to the laughter, it occurred to me that the luncheon was probably “mandatory fun”. The people were dressed nicely, enjoying lunch on a hot day, next to the very cool and inviting lake. They sort of half listened to a speaker droning on about something, politely applauding at appropriate times. And then, all of a sudden, a cheeky boy broke the tension by letting loose with a hearty cheer.

I observed a lot of kids in large groups, often with adults, heading to the pier so they could catch a ferry. Usually, the kids were really young– kindergarten aged or even younger, wearing orange safety vests, hats, and sunglasses. But sometimes, the kids were older, and traveled in noisy, unruly packs. Such was the case on Thursday, as the funny kids got on a ferry and continued to cheer… trying to prolong the joke. They weren’t quite old enough to realize when a moment had passed. 🤭 I can relate to that!

After the afternoon “mandatory fun” luncheon was over, the participants dispersed, and I got a brief respite from company. But then a family of four showed up. They were clearly Americans, consisting of a mom, a dad, a daughter, and a son. The son appeared to be about 13 or 14, and he’s the only one whose name I caught, because his parents had to keep correcting him.

At one point, the whole family decided to go into the lake. They were all wearing shoes of the Croc variety, which wouldn’t necessarily recommend for swimming. They might protect your feet from rocks, but they don’t let water flow out so easily, because they’re basically clogs.

The mom brought her phone into the lake, and her son said, “Why are you bringing your phone into the water? That’s a STUPID idea!”

The mom ignored the lad, took a few pictures from the water level, and then, maybe a minute or two later, exited the water with her daughter in tow. I think it was too cold for them.

Personally, I have to agree with the young man that taking a phone into the water, unless it’s highly waterproof, isn’t the greatest idea. The rocks at the bottom of the steps are pretty slippery. More than once, I almost fell down from a combination of slippery rocks, lack of balance from an awkward stance, and the odd strong current. Of course, it was none of my business, so I just observed in silence.

The boy soon grew bored with the lake and said he wanted to leave. He was clambering around near the rocks when the dad admonished him to be very careful and avoid getting hurt. He said he couldn’t afford for the boy to be injured. I’m sure that’s true in Switzerland, where healthcare is expensive. I don’t know if it’s on par with the United States, though.

The young man finally left, and soon it was just mom, dad, and daughter. The females seemed content to hang out by the lake, while the dad kind of paddled around, much like I did all week. 🤭

***

The day wore on, and finally it was time for Bill to come back from his classes. I was sitting in the hotel room, when a large boat pulled up to the pier. I noticed it, because it was blaring music. There was a sign on the boat that read LS Stäfa Festschiff (party boat).

I could see signs that there were more private events going on. I’m not sure if the people who booked the Festschiff were staying at the Sonne, but the boat turned up at about 4:00 PM and kind of loitered near the pier, sharing its music with everybody. After it departed, the cool looking Stadt Zürich ferry was back.

When Bill arrived later, he said the restaurant was closed, due to a private event. We hadn’t booked a reservation anywhere, and I wasn’t really in the mood to get dressed up… even if it meant putting on makeup that would melt off within minutes. We decided to eat at the hotel’s Biergarten.

I thought it would be good to go there as soon as possible, because I worried there would be nowhere to sit. When we were at the Biergarten on Wednesday afternoon, a woman got very excited when we stood up to leave, implying that she’d been patiently waiting to claim our table. 🙄 I feared something similar would happen Thursday night. But, actually, it wasn’t so bad…

Before we went down to the Biergarten, though, LS Scäfa returned to the pier with its loud music. I got the sense that this was where it was pickup up partygoers, as this time, there was a Tina Turner impersonator singing her hit songs. She wasn’t bad, although I don’t think Tina’s spirit came down to help her out. I could sort of see the woman from the window, and it looked it she wore a short dress and a leonine wig, just like Tina did, back in the 1980s.

It was not surprising to hear Tina Turner’s music blaring from the ship. Tina Turner became a Swiss citizen in 2013, when she married her longtime German boyfriend, Erwin Bach, at their home in Küsnacht, Switzerland. She famously lived at a lakeside estate called Villa Algonquin, and if I’m not mistaken, she couldn’t buy property there unless she became a Swiss citizen. So that’s what she did… and she later sold Villa Algonquin and rented it, with the arrangement that she would be allowed to live there until she died. She passed away in May 2023.

According to an article in People Magazine, Tina also dined at Rico’s cosi, just as Bill and I did on Wednesday, June 24th. And when she walked into the place, people’s jaws and eating utensils dropped! Apparently, she was a regular there, having celebrated her 60th birthday at the restaurant! Lionel Richie was also there, and sang to her. I recently read Lionel’s book about his life, and I think he’s got a Swiss girlfriend now.

I hope Tina got better service at Rico’s than we did. 😏 Apparently, she and Rico were friends, so I’m sure he took good care of her and Erwin.

Anyway, Tina’s impersonator sounded enough like her that I knew she was going for Tina’s sound. And the fact that I could see her hair from our hotel window tells me that she was also going for her look. I don’t mind Tina’s music at all, so I thought it was cool. In fact, the party boat looked kind of fun, although it appeared that the Tina Turner impersonator was probably hired separately.

***

Bill and I snagged a table in a corner, right by Lake Zürich. It was still very hot outside, but people were all dressed up for the party in the Pavilion Restaurant. They had a woman singing and playing saxophone, and later, there was a DJ. It looked like a classy party from our sweaty spot in the Biergarten. Of course, the partygoers were also sweating, because there was no air conditioning in the restaurant!

For dinner, I had short ribs, and Bill had a sandwich that was advertised as a burger, but was really more like a pulled beef barbecue sandwich. Of course, there were fries and beverages… and later, there was also wine. The ribs were kind of messy, but they tasted good. I think Bill was mostly happy with the “burger”, although he said they didn’t really melt the cheese on it. Bummer.

We hung out at the Biergarten until the sun went down. I got more photos, especially of the ducks, who came by to beg for food. I’m always surprised how the birds in places where tourists and water meet tend to attract waterfowl and songbirds who are almost tame. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, though…

And the LS Scäla came back to unload some passengers, but the Tina Turner impersonator had apparently retired for the evening.

I do already miss the sunsets on Lake Zürich. What a beautiful place. I can see why Tina was happy there… and why she had no qualms about giving up her US citizenship so she could be Swiss. The older I get, the more appealing that idea sounds to me, too.

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education, Lakes

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part eight)

Featured photo is another picture I took of the lake at sunset.

Because I still have the rest of the week to get through, and one of our air conditioners is in my office, I figure I might as well finish writing about Monday, June 22nd in Küsnacht, Switzerland. Although it was just six days ago, it almost feels like a month has passed since my first afternoon spent sitting by Lake Zürich. I figure it will be good to keep the momentum going, so I don’t forget any details… You might be surprised by what can happen when you sit by a lake in Switzerland!

As I write this, it’s about ten minutes til two o’clock in the afternoon. It’s about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and my weather app is warning of “severe conditions”. It was also very hot in Switzerland, but the lake breezes and close proximity to the refreshingly cool water in the lake made sitting outside more appealing than sitting in our hotel room.

If you know what I look like, you know I am a very WHITE person, with fair–very blonde– hair and blue eyes. I no longer tan very well. I feared a sunburn. But, I’m pleased to give credit to the makers of Neutrogena 70 SPF sunblock, because all I got this week were some faint tan lines around my shoulders, rather than an angry burn. I slathered that stuff on faithfully before I ventured out to the private lakeside “beach” at the Sonne Seehotel.

I’m also grateful that I brought two of my own beach towels. The hotel provides robes and slippers, although I’m not sure the little tote bag with spa attire in it also included beach towels. I did notice the bag had a tag on it that read 30 CHF if you wanted to buy it. I’m not sure if that price was just for the bag, or also included the stuff in it. I’m sure most folks wouldn’t want to reuse the slippers, at the very least!

In any case, I anticipated that I’d want the towels, because I like having one on my lounger and another to dry off with, and it didn’t appear to me that the “beach” had anyone offering towels. In fact, there was really no one there working as an attendant. There was a sign warning that swimming is at one’s own risk, and reminding people of when the ferry boats come by to pick up and drop off people. I noticed that they came in twos– one going in either direction.

On Monday, I was lucky enough to score a lounger near the ladder into the lake. It was under one of the nice densely leafed chestnut trees, so there was good shade cover. I plopped down there and started reading a book that I reviewed on my main blog last week. The book was about the extremely entitled behavior of former Prince Andrew and his ex wife, Sarah Ferguson. I was glad I didn’t run into anyone quite as obnoxious at the Sonne Seehotel last week, but there were a couple of contenders for an honorable mention.

Not that I was handing out awards, or anything. Bill would be in class until about 7:00 PM. Monday was his “long day”. I wanted to give the housekeepers plenty of time to clean the room, so I hung out at the lake all day, taking an occasional dip in the water to cool off. I was surprised that more people weren’t hanging out down there with me, but I guess most other guests were there to actually see Zürich.

I’m sure some went to the Lindt Chocolate Museum/Factory, directly across the lake. Bill and I went there in 2021, and I wouldn’t mind going back, especially now that we don’t have to wear face masks anymore. It was also usually lunchtime when I tended to visit, so some people were probably eating. And some, like Bill, were taking classes or doing business.

Not that much happened on Monday, except for when a group of elderly ladies showed up and started speaking rapid fire Spanish to each other. At one point, one of them addressed me in German. I hadn’t quite understood what she asked me, and said “I’m an American.” 😚

She immediately switched to perfect English! 🫪 The funny thing is, I studied Spanish for six years in school, although I haven’t used it in decades. I’m probably about as good at Spanish as I am at German… although if she’d asked in Armenian, maybe I would have caught it.

The lady had wanted to know if they were bothering me by being too loud. The honest answer is, I probably would have preferred quiet, or even silence, but they had as much right to be at the beach as I did. And of course I wasn’t going to tell them they were annoying me, even if they were. It was nice of her to ask… or maybe I looked bitchy and she was being passive aggressive? I don’t know. But I still got a marvel out of how she spoke at least three languages. Americans really need to do better at learning other tongues… myself included!

On Monday, the hotel had the whole yard open, which meant there was room to spread out. As I would come to learn over the course of last week, that would not always be the case. The other thing I noticed, especially when the whole yard was open, is that from my window, I could see how many people were down there on the loungers, so I could avoid going down there when there were many people.

But the first day was kind of dreamy, and it wasn’t quite so hot. I got some photos and watched a bunch of rowdy, noisy school kids jumping off the pier. At one point, a boat honked at a couple of the kids, because they were in the path of the boat as it approached. The kids– so full of the same endless energy I used to have– bolted from the pier, only to return seconds later, after the boat had departed. In the other direction, more kids were hanging out at an idyllic park, jumping in the water and screaming. It felt a bit like a natural version of the neighborhood pools I used to attend when I was growing up in Virginia.

A few people braved the lake. Some even swam out a ways. I noticed people tended to have interesting reactions to the lake, especially the Americans. As I previously mentioned, the lake floor is a bit rocky. While there area. couple of flat, square shaped slabs on the bottom, perhaps for the ease of hotel guests, the were also kind of slimy and slick. Then the ladder, which had wooden steps most of the way down, had two metal grated steps at the bottom. I’ve always had really tough feet, so I wasn’t bothered by them. Most people reacted to the water as if it was really cold. It was cold, but certainly not frigid. I quickly got used to it and loved it. Unfortunately, I’m not the greatest swimmer these days, so I stuck fairly close to the shore.

When it got later, and more people started venturing toward the lake, I took that as my cue to leave. I packed up my stuff and headed back to the room, where after a shower, I took another nap. It was the only one I took for the rest of the week, which is quite a feat for me these days. Maybe it’s because I didn’t eat lunch.

Since Bill got back to the hotel rather late on Monday, we decided to eat dinner in the Biergarten. The guitar busker guy showed up again. Bill came prepared with spare change, so we could tip him. He’d cue the hat passing by playing a cheeky rendition of the “Pink Panther Theme”, by Henry Mancini.

Bill and I both had fried chicken tenders and potato salad for dinner, along with draft beers. One thing I noticed at the Sonne Hotel is that they don’t offer many Weizens. If you want a Weizen at the Biergarten, you have to buy it in a bottle. It’s also a German beer–Schneider Weisse.

*We both had fried chicken tenders and potato salad for dinner. They came with a garlicky dip.*

Once some people cleared out, I got some more photos of the beautiful lake and sunset… I liked how they put lights in the trees. Also, this year, there wasn’t a huge pile of dog shit left there all week, like there was last year.

After our nightcap by the lake, Bill and I went to bed. I asked how Bill had enjoyed his first day in “school”. He said it was phenomenal. He took a class in Borderline Personality Disorder that was especially interesting… probably because he used to be married to someone who likely has BPD (and NPD, if I’m honest).

Tuesday was also going to be a busy day for him, although he would be getting back to the hotel at a more normal time. More on that in the next post.

Bavaria, short breaks

All Saints’ Day in Bad Wörishofen… (part three)

Friday morning was the first day of November. It was also All Saints’ Day, which is a religious holiday in parts of Germany. On this day, Christian Germans honor the lives of every saint. They also remember deceased friends and loved ones and visit their graves.

We were getting ready to go to breakfast on the morning of All Saints’ Day, when the door to our room suddenly opened. It was the housekeeper who, for some reason, didn’t knock before opening the door. It wasn’t a huge deal, since we were a minute away from leaving for breakfast, anyway. However, it did kind of reinforce the fact that the hotel may not be on par with what most people would consider “five star”. It has a lot of amenities, but some of the staff might need a refresher course on courtesy and delivering proper service. The housekeeper did apologize profusely. I’m just glad I was dressed!

Bavaria is a part of Germany where there are still many religious people, so many folks were definitely celebrating the holiday. I probably shouldn’t have been surprised, but I noticed as we were having breakfast that the hotel was playing several hymns over their sound system. I didn’t count how many hymns they chose, but it seemed like there were maybe four or five that played on a loop as we enjoyed breakfast. Hotel Fontenay has the usual buffet, and egg dishes are also available. If you want fresh juice, there’s an additional charge. The staff was so nervous about our lack of German fluency that they hunted down a room service menu for us that was in English. That was not necessary, as Bill and I can certainly speak restaurant English! But I give them an A for effort.

We both decided to have egg dishes on our first morning. I had “Spiegelei”– sunny side up eggs, with a side of ham. Bill had “Rührei”– scrambled eggs, with a side of bacon. I might have gone for the bacon, but I don’t like the way Germans usually cut it. It’s very thin and crisp. I like my bacon thicker and not crunchy. We also had fresh squeezed orange juice, which I could have sworn was priced at 3 euros in the menu. But the next day, we got a bill for 14 euros. The juice was 7 euros a glass! Oh well… at least it tasted good.

Breakfast:

After breakfast, we stepped outside to see what the weather was like. It was just slightly brisk and the sun was out, so I decided to ditch my cardigan. I didn’t even take my purse with me as we walked and talked, noticing all of the places offering Kneippen treatments and other spa services. Bad Wörishofen also has a salt grotto, where one can go and sit enjoy the health benefits of salt.

The Kneippen therapy is based on the benefits of exercise, good nutrition, and walking knee deep in cold water to stimulate the circulation. There are also baths meant for soaking one’s arms. Sebastian Kneipp’s philosophy was that good health requires us to create harmony between mind, body and soul. Bad Wörishofen has Kneippen stations all over the town which allow visitors to tread water and enjoy the health promoting benefits of the therapy. I did try soaking one of my arms at one of the public stations, but it was too chilly for me to consider walking in the pool!

Below are some photos from our first look at the town. As you can see, Kneipp is big business there:

As we rounded a block, I noticed the Sebastian Kneipp Museum. It was late morning as we passed it, but the museum didn’t open until 3:00. Maybe we should have tried to get back there to visit the museum. I do like to visit museums and learn about things about which I know nothing. But we ended up otherwise engaged.

Bad Wörishofen has a Kloster as well as a large Catholic cathedral in the middle of the town. Ordinarily, we might have ventured inside, but on Friday, there was a service going on. So Bill and I contented ourselves by taking some photos…

*Bill was fascinated by this sculpture, which shows Jesus giving a blessing sign.*

We decided to go back to the hotel to check out the spa. In retrospect, I kind of wish we’d gone to the public Therme, since it’s huge and has lots of wellness areas. But I’d also seen some photos of Hotel Fontenay’s spa, and I wanted to try it. So we went in to see the spa, so we’d know what to expect. I took a few photos. It probably would have been a good time to visit there, since there were only a couple of people using it at that time of the day. But we decided to go have lunch, instead.

The spa also has a steam room, various saunas that are not “textile free”, massage facilities, and other treatment rooms. There’s also a room where one can have tea and water. To be honest, the spa area could use a renovation, although I did enjoy the massage jets and rocks. We happened to visit later in the day and were joined by a family who brought their two very young children with them. While I remember what it was like to be a kid, I don’t think spas at expensive hotels are necessarily the best places for them to be. But that’s just me.

Anyway, I want to dish about our lunch… which was at a really nice restaurant by the train station. Originally, we thought we’d eat at a German restaurant that had opened its Biergarten, but the Biergarten was packed. So we kept walking until I spotted a place that had very good reviews on Google. It was also supposed to have a Biergarten, but it wasn’t open when we visited. It was called Unsere Liebhaberei (Our Hobby). We later ate at the German restaurant, and it was clear we made a better choice by walking further at lunchtime.

A friendly young man invited us in and we took a seat at a table at the back of the restaurant. I was immediately impressed by the creative menu. The waiter apologized that he didn’t have a menu in English, but again, that’s not really a problem for us. We’re pretty good at restaurant German. We sat near a group of four older folks who appeared to be having a great time being with each other. They seemed to be well educated, as they dressed well and I heard them speak several languages. The waiter joined in, speaking flawless Italian. I felt kind of embarrassed by our typical American foreign language skills… When the waiter asked us what we were doing in Bad Wörishofen, we explained that we live in Wiesbaden and were looking for a short break in a nice town. And the waiter said, “Yeah, this is a town where older people come to rest.” No doubt!

Below are some photos:

*Bread with Schmaltz (bacon lard) and olive oil*.

After lunch, we walked around some more and found a whiskey shop. Unfortunately, it was closed, because of the holiday and someone being sick. The shop also had a bar that opened at 7:30 PM. We probably should have tried to visit after we had dinner at the German place.

The weather was so nice that we decided to stop for beer at a cafe. It was during the typical late afternoon German coffee and cake hour, so we were among a lot of people enjoying cake while we sipped Weizens. The wait staff was similarly scarce at the place where we stopped, so we just had one beer… It was also getting chilly.

I’ve already mentioned the spa, which is what we did after our beer break. The spa was okay, but again, it looked a bit old and in need of renovation. And we were joined by shrieking urchins… I’m kidding. I do like kids. I just don’t love it when they’re hogging the hot tub. 😉

By the time we were finished with the spa, it was time for dinner. We decided to venture out to a restaurant, stopping first at a Greek place that looked and smelled promising. They were full, so we headed to Gasthof Rößle, which was also busy, but had a table for us. This was a typical German Gasthof, which a huge menu full of southern German delicacies. I ended up choosing a special– Wels Filet– a type of mild white fish that is well known in Wels, Austria. I knew that because we visited Wels in 2021, and learned about the fish there. I didn’t get to taste it during that visit, though, since it was during the pandemic. Bill had beef rouladden… and we drank lots of Augustiner beer!

I was afraid the Wels filet would taste like catfish, since I remember that was what it was compared to when I read about it. But it was actually very mild and pleasant. It reminded me more of trout or maybe flounder. I would order it again.

The restaurant was winding down at about 9:30 PM or so. I got a kick out of some of the other patrons. There was a large family who came in with four older kids. They spoke accented English among each other, so I’m not sure where they were from. I noticed they had a rousing game of Uno going on, which is not something we’d often see in the United States. At one point, the oldest kid, who looked to be a young teenager, said in English “Did you know that cannibalism could solve overpopulation and world hunger at the same time?” I was astonished by that announcement. I had a good laugh!

After dinner, we went back to the hotel. It wasn’t long before we were asleep again on the hard mattress. I was glad I brought Advil PM, even if I didn’t bring my own pillow. We won’t make that mistake next week, when we head to Belgium!

markets

Weekly market in the dark…

Yesterday was Thursday, so that meant the weekly market was going on in the Dorfplatz. I also neglected to walk the dogs yesterday morning, mainly because the weather was so cold and damp. When Bill got home from work, we decided to see what was being offered at Breckenheim’s weekly market.

The weekly market is a new thing. It started in September, and now that Daylight Savings Time is over, it now runs partly in the dark. Every Thursday, the market starts at 1:00pm and closes at 6:00pm. Bill doesn’t get home until about 5:00, so now when we venture out to the market to shop for produce and local goodies, we have to do it in the dark. Last night, we brought Arran and Noyzi with us, because we didn’t feel like “Arran proofing” the house, to prevent him from raiding anything remotely resembling food while we were out.

Last night’s market was pretty sparsely attended. Or, at least there weren’t many people there by the time we got there. Bill ended up buying some shrimp and scallops from a fish monger who shows up regularly. We also enjoyed a glass of Riesling.

While we were having wine, we ran into an American neighbor, who was down there with her two kids. Meanwhile, Arran was insistently trying to get under one of the benches. Someone had dropped some bread there, and he desperately wanted to eat it. In spite of his age and cancer diagnosis, Arran is surprisingly strong and, when it comes to food, he’s very determined. When I told him “no”, he started to loudly and indignantly howl, causing the locals to laugh at him. I suppose that’s better than the scowls we usually got in Baden-Württemberg, whenever Arran or our sweet Zane (RIP) would misbehave in public.

Our neighbor had new running shoes and wanted to take a quick jog in them, so she basically told her son to hang out with us. She wasn’t gone long, but we were reminded of an incident that happened to us on a train to Nice, back in 2014. Basically, we (really Bill) got tasked to watch a single mom’s child on the train for a few hours. That was a bit strange, as the woman was a perfect stranger. Last night’s encounter wasn’t really, since our neighbor was only gone for about fifteen minutes and we had met her before. It was the first time I had ever talked to her son, though… a very bright, polite, and adorable eight year old chap. After his mom came back, he came over to us and said, “I’m going to go over there, if you don’t mind.” Hilarious!

His mom laughed and said, “I guess he really thought you were watching him.” I guess he did, since she told him to stay with us! But it was not a big deal. She was back before we were halfway done with our wine.

We had a brief chat with our neighbor, and then our landlord came up and said hello. Noyzi was pretty nervous at first, but then he submitted to petting by a couple of people. I could tell he was delighted, as his little stubby tail was going a mile a minute. Yes, indeed… I think that eventually, Noyzi will be less nervous around people and he’ll be able to join us when we’re out and about. He doesn’t bugle like Arran does. Arran likes people, but he gets tired when he’s out. He’s also loud when he wants to complain about something. Noyzi genuinely loves people, especially women. He’s just been traumatized by abuse in his past. He’s also a street dog, and they’re stealthy.

Once we finished our Rieslings, we went back home and had biscuits and gravy for dinner. Bill had a date with his Jungian therapist, while I did some Christmas shopping. A good night was had by all.

Again… I love this about living here– weekly markets, getting to know our neighbors, and bonding over dogs and wine. I suppose that could happen in the USA, but our neighborhoods aren’t usually as perfect for this kind of community fellowship. I’m glad we’ve been able to experience this… and I’m so glad we moved to Wiesbaden.

holidays

12 confused German kids in costumes…

Well, Halloween has come and gone, and this year, we actually celebrated. One of our new neighbors had asked us to participate in Halloween because she and her husband have young children. However, even though we carved jack o’lanterns, lit them with candles, and turned on our lights, that neighbor didn’t visit us. I’m not sure why she didn’t, but it was okay, because we got visits from other neighborhood children.

The first ones showed up in a group of three at about 6pm. They didn’t ring the doorbell, but I could see them because we have glass panels by our front door. Bill met them at the door and said they looked utterly shocked when he offered them candy. They didn’t say a word as Bill gave them Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s bars, Hershey’s Almond Chocolate Kisses, and Dove Minis. I could see two teenagers with them who looked quite amused and delighted. One of them laughed when he asked if they wanted any candy.

The next group of three showed up a little while later. They didn’t ring the doorbell either, but did manage to say “Süß oder Sauer!” (sweet or sour, the German version of “Trick or Treat!”) I didn’t mind that they didn’t ring the bell, since it would only make the dogs freak out.

A couple of bigger kids came by, and I heard one of them quite confidently explain to Bill in German that they weren’t sure if anyone was going to have candy since this isn’t really something that is done in Germany. I have a feeling that it’s going to catch on, though. At about 4:00, I noticed a group of costume clad children heading down the hill from our house. I figured maybe they were going to a party. I have noticed more Halloween themed stuff this year as opposed to other years, and the kids that were participating were clearly enjoying themselves.

Then the Italian couple across from our house came over with their child. Bill gave him Kisses and Minis, but astutely noticed the child eyeing one of the full sized Hershey Bars. Bill gave him one of those. I noticed the peanut butter cups were popular, probably because they aren’t widely available in German stores. I never hear so much about peanut allergies here, either. Personally, I think German chocolate is a lot better than American chocolate is, but kids love novel stuff.

One other thing I noticed is that most of the participants either had very small bags for collecting candy or no bag at all! But then, I also noticed that they didn’t have a lot of candy, either. We might have been among the very few houses passing out sweets!

I’m quite pleased with the turnout from last night. There have been years when we’ve lived in America and gotten just slammed with kids, and other years when we’ve lived in rural areas and gotten no one at all. One year, when we lived in Germany the first time, we got kids, but had no candy. Another year, we had candy, but only got a visit from two teenaged boys who looked like they were dressed as their drunk uncles. This year, we had a nice number of local children, all of whom were in the spirit of things in their costumes and very appreciative that we gave them candy. I almost felt like it was an international relations act of goodwill. See? Americans aren’t all bad. 😉

If we’re still here next year, maybe we’ll decorate more, so the kids who participate won’t be so shy. I might even put on a costume myself… or maybe I’ll just wear my Dirndl. We turned off the porch light at about 8:45, and we still have candy leftover. But at least this year, we did manage to give some away, which is a good thing. My ass doesn’t need more presents.

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Celebrating 14 years in Ireland! Part four

We woke up bright and early Saturday morning for our trip to Kilkenny. Bill ordered a cab for 9:00am after we were told it would take at least an hour to walk to the train station from our hotel. The cab driver arrived right on time.

A map of Ireland.

While we were in the taxi, I found myself listening to the talk show on the radio. My ears pricked up when I heard the female commentator refer to the United States as the “United Hates of America”. She said she didn’t see America that way, but other people did.

“The United ‘Hates’ of America, huh?” I responded. “Wow.”

The cab driver chuckled and, naturally, that opened up yet another conversation about politics. He gave us his impressions of our elections and we explained to him that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump were not the only candidates. They were simply the only ones most people heard much about, especially outside of the country. Bill then explained that we live in Germany, so we’re somewhat removed from a lot of the political maelstrom that has been going on for over a year now.

We arrived at the train station a bit early, so after Bill bought us a couple of tickets, we went into a bar for a round of beer. Yes, it was 9:30am, but I decided I wanted a beer. We were turned away from the “outdoor” area of the bar, but inside, there were several old guys congregated. They were all sipping Guinness, so we joined them and enjoyed the 80s music playing on the stereo.

A new book by Jodi Piccoult.

While we were sitting there in the bar, Bill told me about the funny sign at the ticket counter that read something to the effect of “Antisocial behavior will not be tolerated! You will be caught and prosecuted!” Little did I know, our social skills would be tested on our ride to Kilkenny.

Cute Hoor beer…

And the first of several Guinness beers I’ve had since our arrival…

At 10:15am, we got on our train. It was pretty packed with people. We were at a four top table, so we were later joined by a funky looking lady who was very intent on reading a tabloid. We thought we would have a nice sedate ride to Kilkenny and we did… until we stopped at Kildare.

The train stopped and a bunch of people got on… and most of them were of the youngster set. I heard lots of high pitched chattering as laughter as we were suddenly joined by a group of about twenty or thirty kids. I didn’t count them; I only noticed as they made their way down the train, looking for spare seats together. They looked like they were on the brink of adolescence– maybe ten or eleven years old.

“Urchins…” I muttered.

One kid got on the train with a backpack and a large foam rubber mat. It was rather wide and he seemed oblivious as it smacked a few passengers he tried to pass. A motherly looking group leader advised the lad to unhook the mat and carry it in front of him. It seemed to take a couple of minutes before he finally got it and carried the thing in a less offensive way.

A few minutes later, the boy with the foam mat was back, along with a couple of his friends and a group leader. The group leader very apologetically seated the boys at the four top table opposite the aisle from Bill and me. A young man was already sitting by the window, blissfully tuned out of the action because he had ear buds planted firmly in his ears.

The overhead baggage area over the boys’ seats was full, so after prompting from yours truly, Bill very helpfully offered to put the foam mat over our seats. This kindness opened up yet another hilarious exchange with the Irish. You see, these boys were not the type to be quiet and shy. I don’t actually know the boys’ names, but I’ll give them nicknames for the sake of this story.

“Where are you from?” asked the foam mat bearer– I’ll call him Seamus for simplicity’s sake.

“America.” Bill said.

“America!” another boy exclaimed– I’ll call him Lefty due to his broken hand in a cast. “What the hell are you doing in Ireland?”

“We’re here on vacation.” Bill said.

“You can’t be here on vacation!” another kid I’ll call Ray said. “Nobody vacations here! Ireland is awful!”

Naturally, this unabashed comment made everyone in the vicinity crack up with laughter.

One of the boys pulled out a plastic bottle of some kind of juice. The three of them then commenced flipping the bottle, trying to get it to land right side up. I am told this is a game that is “all the rage” among youngsters these days, but it was the first time I’d ever seen it. I eyed the bottle nervously, fearing that it would either break or the top would come off, making a big mess. At one point, the bottle landed upright and the kid I call Ray started yelling “Drink! Drink! Drink!” like he was at a frat party. My eyes widened in surprise, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been.

“So do you like Ireland?” Ray asked during a lull in the gameplay.

“Oh yes!” Bill said.

“How many states have you been to?” Lefty asked, moving on to the fact that we were Americans and apparently totally foreign to them.

“48.” Bill said. “I have not been to Alaska and North Dakota.”

“48 states!” the boys exclaimed. “Wow!” They were extremely impressed that Bill had seen so many states. When another from their group sat nearby, they eagerly told their friend about Bill’s U.S. travels.

“What state are you from?” one of the kids asked.

Bill told them he was from Texas. I told them I’m from Virginia. The kids continued peppering Bill with questions. Eventually, they asked which country he’d been to that was furthest away. For some reason, Bill said “Iraq”, although he has since been to a few African countries that are even further away from where we’ve ever lived.

Recognizing that Bill had been in the Army, the kids moved on to subject of the war. “Did you know anyone that died?” one of the kids asked.

“Yes.” Bill said. Thankfully, they moved on from that line of questioning… only to start talking about politics!

“Hey! Do you think of Canada as your ‘goody two shoes neighbor to the north’?” Seamus asked, just in time for one of the roving group adults to hear him. I gasped in surprise just as one of the group moms came over and grabbed Seamus for a talking to. While she was chewing out Seamus, she shot Lefty what appeared to be a ‘death ray’.

“I’m so sorry,” the group mom apologized as she returned Seamus to his seat.

“Really, it’s not a problem.” I said as I laughed. These kids were cracking me up and making the time go much faster. I probably shouldn’t have encouraged them, but I have to admit to being similarly obnoxious… especially when I was their age.

“Oh no.” Lefty said suddenly. “Here comes Dermott.”

Dermott was apparently the head leader of this group and he gave the impression of brooking no nonsense. He was heading down the aisle toward the boys.

“He wears a Titanium vest!” Ray shouted. “And if you don’t get on with him, he’ll send the IRA after you!”

“Oh my God…” I muttered to Bill, who was having a hard time containing his laughter.

“What does D.C. stand for?” Lefty asked.

“District of Columbia.” I responded.

“Isn’t Colombia a country in Africa?” one kid asked.

“No, that’s a country in South America.” Bill said.

“Isn’t it a city in Ohio?” Lefty asked.

“No, you’re thinking of Columbus.” I said. “But good on you for being close, because a lot of people wouldn’t be.”

“We have to walk three miles to our campsite.” Lefty said.

“You’ll be alright if your rucksack is 20% of your body weight.” Bill offered.

“It’s too far.” the boys said as they flipped the bottle again.

“Hey! Why don’t you have a go?” Lefty asked Bill as they passed him the bottle. I shot Bill a warning look as he wisely gave the bottle back to the kids.

Finally, another stop came and a bunch of people got off the train. One of the moms came back to our little group of comedians and told them to come with her to another part of the train. They had found seats together. The boys all groaned and got up to leave. Seamus, who appeared to be the leader of the hooligans, came back because he’d forgotten his bottle. Before he left, he said goodbye to Bill and me and gave us both a bro fist.

I have to admit, next to the train ride we took in Luxembourg with a bunch of nuns and a woman wearing Depends and a rubber phallus on her nose, that was one of the more entertaining train rides we’ve ever experienced. It’s also not the first time Bill has become a de facto babysitter on a train. For some reason, he attracts people in need. Fortunately, he is great with kids and as kind and gentle as a man can be. More on that in part five!

Ads in the train station. I thought they were very clever!

Sundays

Barfuss in the park…

The Barfuss Park is open daily from 9:00am until 8:00pm.

Some time ago, there was talk in one of the local Facebook groups about “barefoot” parks in Germany. Apparently, walking barefoot on trails is a thing in Deutschland. I was immediately interested because I love walking barefoot. I never wear shoes unless I have to. I don’t even put on shoes when I have to take the trash out in the snow.

Anyway, the idea of visiting the BarfussPark in Dornstetten stayed in the back of my mind for some time. Then, two weeks ago, Bill and I took an overnight trip to France and passed signs for the BarfussPark on the way there. I decided then and there that it was time to try out walking barefoot in the park. A bonus is that the park is not even thirty minutes from where I live, as long as there aren’t any farm vehicles on the road!

We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather and agreeable temperatures this morning as we set off for our outing. We left the dogs at home, having read that they aren’t welcome in the park. And really, if you think about it, that makes perfect sense. While you will likely get dirty walking barefoot in the park, no one wants to get dirty by stepping on what comes out of Fido during a good walk. 😉 We did see one dog at the park today, though, and no one seemed too upset about it.

We arrived at the park at about 11:30 or so; it’s pretty much right off B28 heading west. The parking lot wasn’t full at that point. In retrospect, it was a good idea to get to the park somewhat early because by the time we left at a little after 1:00, the lot was full and some people had parked on the side of the road coming into the park. We took advantage of the handy WC near what appeared to be the bigger of the two parking lots we encountered. Then, after Bill paid for three hours of parking, we headed to start of the barefoot trail.

It is forbidden to wash your feet in the bathroom!

The big sign before the park… there are ads for restaurants and a map of what’s on the trail.

These handy little “foot” markers show you where to go. The trail can run as long as 60 minutes if you go the long way or 30 minutes if you take a shortcut.

There are lockers for those who want to lock up their stuff. We opted to just carry ours.

But it’s there if you need it!

I was really enjoying walking on the grass toward the first part of the park, which appeared to be an area geared toward children. There was a cold little puddle to walk through, then a few other water related activities. Only one of the activities appeared to get people wet. I didn’t try it because I didn’t come prepared with a change of clothes. And actually, after what happened on our walk, I would definitely recommend bringing something to change into, just in case. 😉

This water was frigid! But it felt really good after we stepped out of it.

Probably my favorite part of the trail was the trampoline. I could see it was very popular with others, too. I watched several little kids gleefully bounce the length of it. For once, I didn’t let Bill discourage me from indulging my inner child. I gave him my purse and hopped across. Then I goaded Bill into it.

We were both smiling after bouncing on the trampoline!

We encountered many different walking surfaces. There were rocks, sand pits, wooden beams, and even a couple of glass beds. We encountered a rope bridge, a pinecone pit, and a surface comprised of nail heads. Although I did see some glass shards on the trail, the glass wasn’t sharp and didn’t cut my feet. The rocks, on the other hand, were a little painful, even for someone like me, who isn’t a tenderfoot. You always have the option of walking around or skipping an activity you don’t want to do.

Here’s a video of us… the last part is pretty much why I recommend bringing at least a towel and perhaps even a spare pair of shorts!

After we walked through the mud, we stopped by this bed of straw… it kind of helped get the mud off, but you’re going to have to rinse off at the end! A bunch of German ladies laughed at me as I tried to shake off the very sticky mud.

Some people wiped off on the tree.

Pinecones.

Bill helped me across these logs, due to my honkin’ big purse full of shoes and stuff…

Rope bridge!

Nail heads!

Glass!

Rocks (these were the most painful for me).

Those who have upper body strength can make like a monkey and swing on the bars!

All through the park, there are cool wood carvings. I saw totem poles, an owl, and the gnome above.

At the end of our walk, it was definitely time to rinse off…

And beer…

What’s the wurst that could happen?

Well deserved suds!

All told, this was a very cheap activity. We spent a total of about twenty euros including the two euro donation (on your honor), parking, and wursts and beers. The snack bar has ice cream and other beverages. I’m thinking this would be the perfect place for a BBQ. 😀 As long as it’s not too cold, anyway.

We had a great time at the BarfussPark and I’d love to go again. Bill and I were both grinning ear to ear at the end of it and the walk was just long enough to get our juices going. Next time, we’ll bring another pair of pants in case of a fall. At the very least, don’t forget to bring a towel! I would say I enjoyed this activity even more than the famed “Tree Walk”, which we did last year. The Tree Walk is also a lot of fun, but I think you get more bang for your buck at the BarfussPark.

My feet handled all of this very well!

Helpful facilities for those who can’t wait for the WC… I always get a kick of the illustrations on these portapotties… Pretty much the universal sign of people who need to pee!

Bees!

If you want to grill, there are facilities. We saw one group enjoying a picnic lunch at a nice table out in the woods.

Luxury

Pam Conover resigns from SeaDream…

Less than a month ago, I blogged about SeaDream Yacht Club’s turnover. When I wrote that post, I was a little hesitant, since I am definitely no cruise line insider, nor am I even really a travel expert. I just like to travel when I can and I like to write about my experiences. I have cruised on SeaDream three times and mostly enjoyed each time. However, as a Cruise Critic message board poster, I also regularly follow SeaDream’s forum and this morning, learned that Pam Conover, a highly regarded and much touted executive who joined SeaDream less than a year ago, has just decided to resign her position, effective December 4, 2013.

This is yet another worrying departure on the small, but much beloved, luxury cruise line. Of course, I don’t know why she’s leaving. For all I know, she could be resigning for personal reasons that have nothing to do with SeaDream’s apparent decline. However, I do know that at least on Cruise Critic and among a couple of people I met onboard, there seems to be growing discontent with the product, mainly because of issues people have been having with kids on the ships.

SeaDream I is headed for Costa Rica this month. I was really wanting to book one of the Costa Rica cruises, but our circumstances didn’t allow for that. If we hadn’t had to move to Texas, perhaps we would have pulled the trigger. Every time we move, it costs money and requires time to get settled. As it is now, I’m not really feeling the urge to book anymore. I do have the itch to travel, but not necessarily on SeaDream, and that is a big change from the past, when I couldn’t wait to book my next SeaDream voyage.

I will be watching to see what people say about the Costa Rica cruises. Even if we never do a SeaDream cruise down there, I would like to go to that region at some point. If my teeth keep giving me grief, I might even go down there for medical tourism purposes.

One magical memory, courtesy of SeaDream…

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Kids on SeaDream…

SeaDream I in San Juan, Puerto Rico…

I will never forget the first time I boarded a SeaDream cruise. It was April 2010 and Bill and I had booked a five night cruise that would take us from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands. I remember the fare was a very reasonable $1599 per person plus government fees. Yes, it sounds like a lot for a cruise, but SeaDream is all inclusive. I had been trying to sell Bill on the concept of a luxury cruise for a long time. Prior to our first SeaDream cruise, we had been on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, which took us to four ports in the Baltics. We spent almost as much for that cruise, which wasn’t nearly as intimate or special… although given how expensive Scandinavia is, I think we probably got a nice deal with Royal Caribbean’s cruise.

Anyway, though our first SeaDream cruise was not at all perfect, Bill and I had a wonderful and unforgettable time. We disembarked in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands completely blown away by the experience. It took me a couple of months to stop fantasizing about our next SeaDream cruise. I talked it up constantly and constantly shopped for new voyages.

We took our second SeaDream cruise in November 2011. That cruise was also very special, as we were celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary. Bill and I made a couple of new friends and I got to swim in some of the world’s most beautiful waters. I got a terrible sunburn, but I also got to enjoy the piano bar for the first time. By the time we were enjoying our Champagne and Caviar Splash in Mayreau, I was making plans to book again. When we got home, I happily began what was becoming a ritual, searching for our next cruise.

Our third SeaDream cruise was in Italy and Greece in May of this year. By the time we boarded this cruise, I was beginning to feel like a regular, even though there are others who sail SeaDream a lot more than I could ever hope to. I started noticing things that made SeaDream less magical to me, even though our most recent voyage was probably the best of the three. It was the best even though I got sick with a nasty cold during that week onboard.

I think one thing that made SeaDream less mind-blowing the last time was that Bill and I also sailed on Hebridean Princess less than a year ago, and that experience in Scotland made us realize that there are other great small ships out there waiting to be explored. Another thing that made it less special was the fact that there were some obvious cost cutting measures being taken. On our first cruise, champagne flowed freely. On our second and third cruises, I noticed prosecco was being offered instead. I wasn’t upset about the prosecco. I like it fine. Also, I understand that if I had asked for champagne, I could have gotten champagne. But it was a sign that there were some pennies being pinched.

And then, I started noticing a lot of people on Cruise Critic complaining about kids on SeaDream. While Bill and I have been really lucky– we’ve only encountered one kid on our three cruises and that was a baby who rarely made an appearance– others report having to endure large groups of unruly children running around on what are very small cruise ships. Think about it. SeaDream I and II are both tiny vessels; each is designed to carry just 112 passengers. There aren’t that many places to go onboard when the rugrats are running wild. Add in the fact that there are no balconies on either SeaDream vessel and you realize that locking yourself in your cabin for a little peace and quiet can result in claustrophobia very quickly. Who books a cruise to hang out in their stateroom, anyway?

Our last SeaDream cruise cost about $7000, not including airfare, transportation, and hotel. That price includes a 15% discount we got for pre-booking onboard. All told, we probably spent $10,000 to do Italy and Greece SeaDream style. Our last voyage was very good, but it didn’t make me forget Hebridean Princess, which was gloriously kid free and, in many ways, ultimately a better value than SeaDream was despite its generally higher fares. I thought about pre-booking another cruise on our last SeaDream cruise, but realized our financial future is less certain since Bill has to retire. And I remembered that there are other cruises out there just waiting to be explored in places SeaDream doesn’t yet go…

But also, I know that if I spent $10,000 for a SeaDream cruise and had to worry about kids pooping in the pool, hogging the lounge chairs, or snorkeling in the hot tub, it would really piss me off in a big way. I realize that some kids are great around adults and enjoy grown up travel experiences. Those kids are few and far between, though, and the average kid on SeaDream would probably not enjoy the experience that much. SeaDream has recently started offering a makeshift kid program for voyages that have a lot of kids onboard, but it’s nothing like what other lines offer, including Crystal, which is considered a luxury cruise line.

Frankly, I can’t understand why a loving parent would subject their kids to a cruise where they won’t be looked upon fondly by most of the passengers or staff and probably won’t be kept entertained. There are so many vacation options out there for families with young kids. Some of those options are quite luxurious and allow adults to have their fun while their kids are properly supervised and can take part in fun activities with other kids. Why choose a cruise line that is advertised as an adult experience for couples?

SeaDream is not designed for children and most children, when they are bored, will make sure everyone knows about it. What ends up happening, then? SeaDream’s “regulars” get pissed off and decide not to book again. SeaDream loses revenue and has to drop prices, which makes it more attractive to families. And then the families show up with their kids, who will no doubt endure dirty looks from other passengers. The staff will endure complaints from child free passengers who are rightfully upset about not being able to use the jacuzzi for a couple of hours because someone let their child take a dump in it. Or passengers who can’t go to sleep because someone has let their children run up and down the halls, shrieking. The kids are just being kids, wanting to burn off their abundant energy. But many people go on vacation to escape this sort of thing; and people on SeaDream ships pay a lot to be there. It’s selfish to subject innocent vacationers to your kids on a ship that is not designed for kids. It’s selfish to SeaDream staff to expect them to entertain your little darlings when they are trying to entertain adults who can be very demanding and expect a lot for what they’re paying. And it’s selfish to your kids to expect them to act like adults when they’re kids and just want to be entertained and be able to blow off some steam.

Granted, I have seen some adults on SeaDream act much worse than kids ever could. The difference is that SeaDream apparently has no issue dealing with unruly adults who bother other passengers and will even kick these people off if they get too out of hand. They apparently don’t do as much about kids or their parents, who let their kids annoy others who have paid a lot of money to be on vacation and may not have that many vacation days available to them. The end result is that people who might have been loyal to the brand now can’t be sure of what their $10,000 is paying for.

I met a man on my second SeaDream cruise who said he had sailed four times with SeaDream and it was his favorite line. Recently, he told me he doesn’t want to sail on SeaDream anymore. And he has also expressed doubts that the line can survive the way it’s going now. I didn’t want to believe him when he first said it, but I must say that the griping on Cruise Critic is starting to reach a fever pitch. Unfortunately, even choosing cruises that happen at a time of year when kids are usually in school doesn’t seem to be helping some hapless cruisers, nor does it seem to matter if one chooses an expensive cruise. The recent very attractive Black Sea cruise was more than Bill and I could spend for a vacation, but apparently it’s overrun with obstreperous kids anyway.

I don’t know if or when Bill and I will sail on SeaDream again. I still have very high regard for SeaDream and its wonderful staff. When it’s good, it’s very good. But Bill and I don’t have the time or the money to gamble on SeaDream cruises if we can’t be sure our vacation won’t be ruined by the antics of unsupervised children running amok. There just isn’t enough premium liquor in the world for that.

Still… this is pretty hard to give up forever…

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: kids