Ahhh… I love September in Germany. The first time we lived here, it was from September 2007 until September 2009. We were in the Stuttgart area. I remember flying over here from Virginia, where it was still hotter than four hells, a warning from a former neighbor still in my head. She’d told me it would be much cooler in Germany. Sure enough, I soon found myself on Panzer Kaserne, at AAFES, buying a cheap suede jacket that made in China. It lasted five years before I tossed it out in Glasgow, Scotland, because it had a big rip in it.
Seven years ago, we moved into our second German home, located in lovely Unterjettingen. I still remember the smell of fermenting apples and the sight of the trees gently turning gold as the month progressed. And now, here we are in Wiesbaden, where the weather is just PERFECT. It was about 80 degrees today, with lots of sunshine and a cool breeze, promising that very soon, the weather would be more like it is in Germany the rest of the year. 😉 Although, I have to admit that global warming has changed things here, even since 2007.
Anyway… I might have been tempted to vegetate and drink in the back yard. Bill decided he wanted to go out. So at about 12:30, we dog proofed the house and set off for Wiesbaden. Bill wanted to check out the park behind the Kurhaus. I don’t know how we’ve missed it for the past almost three years we’ve lived here, but we have. Today, we discovered a lovely oasis, where paddle boats can be rented, picnics and sunbathing can be enjoyed, and beer can be consumed at the 1907 Lounge, a Biergarten that is affiliated with Benner’s Bistronomie, where we had lunch a few weeks ago.
Below are many photos from today’s outing. I think they mostly speak for themselves!
Saturday… big day for weddings and wedding photo shoots! 
Lovely garden in the park. 
There’s a small lake behind the Kurhaus… 
You can rent boats or watch the ducks. 
The Kurhaus was handy for having a bathroom… 
The 1907 Lounge/Biergarten. 
The menu. We had burgers, but we probably should have had snacks, instead. 
Kid friendly! 
There’s even a bubble blower! 
We arrived at a good time. I was enjoying the music, which was quirky jazz and blues. 
Self-service dining. Bill had a vegan “beyond burger”. I had a regular beef burger. Both were very messy, but not bad. I’ve had better. 
I probably should have worn gloves! Glad they came with handy wipes. 
Unusual bride… 
This was the first time we had ever been in the historic Kurhaus. 
The ceiling and stained glass is very impressive. 
No wonder we saw so many brides and grooms. They were getting their pictures taken. 
And if you want to gamble, you can do that too. Just be sure to be dressed in “smart casual” attire. 
There’s also an amphitheater. 
The park is so pretty and peaceful, but it’s not very big. I felt like I was back at the Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina. 
There’s a WC, too. Handy knowledge for next time we’re in the city and I have to pee. 
A shady spot. 
I am always surprised by the squirrels. 
There are no gray ones here. 
They all look like this fellow, or have black fur. 
There’s also a little creek. 
Lots of families were enjoying the sun as we left the park for the main square. 
We thought about getting ice cream, but wound up at a wine stand. 
Self-service here, too. The area was crawling with police. We heard what sounded like a band warming up. 
Ice cream probably would have been better. 
I love this time of year. Wiesbaden is so beautiful. 
I think the Arcade came straight from 1983.
It was getting close to 4:00pm, which is when Arran and Noyzi eat their dinner. I was loving the weather, but not the cigarette smoke. Also, because Wiesbaden’s COVID cases are on the rise, new restrictions are in place. Everybody has to show that they’ve been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from the virus. Of course, medical masks are required, too. They’re a bummer, but people cooperate.
That’s one thing I like about Germany. Nobody enjoys wearing masks, but people do it without causing a ruckus. And, when the threat is no longer, they won’t require masks anymore. Nobody pretends they’re more or less virtuous for complying with the health measures. The masks aren’t political, nor are the vaccines. People accept that this is about health, not politics, and there’s a minimum of fuss. I expect that if and when the pandemic peters out, Germans will enjoy being mask free if they want to be. But until then, people simply do what they’re supposed to do, mostly without getting violent or obnoxious. It helps to have a lot of cops around, of course… and here, the cops are generally not belligerent or violent unless they have to be.
On many levels, I’m so glad we’ve been able to be over here for this particular time in history. I will always be grateful to Germany for being kind to us Americans who don’t want to raise hell and just want to get through this crisis with our lives and health intact.
I’m glad we went out. It’s nice to see Germany functioning again, and people out and about. It would be a crime to miss this wonderful weather. I’m sure we’ll do something similar tomorrow.
