Bill and I are now mostly over our sicknesses. I hadn’t been out of the house in ages. I asked Bill if he’d like to go have lunch at La Fonte, an Italian restaurant in Breckenheim that is in the local Sportshalle and right next to the town’s brand new school. We’ve been to La Fonte a few times. It’s notable for its covered terrace with the retractable roof, smoking area, and very dog friendly dining rooms.
Bill had band pasta with Gorgonzola sauce. I had black tortelloni with lobster sauce, scallops, shrimps, and sugar snap peas. We also enjoyed chilled Pinot Grigio and San Pellegrino. The only thing that marred our lunch was the smell of cigarettes from the smoking area. For some reason, they left the door to the smoking area open. Oh well. Once you’ve lived in Germany awhile, you get used to smoking… even though I am allergic to cigarette smoke. Service was, as usual, friendly and competent. We should visit more often.
Below are a few photos:
Breckenheim’s new schoolComplimentary chilled Limoncello after we paid the check.Bill’s pasta with Gorgonzola sauce…My black tortelloni…My sweet Bill…
La Fonte is a nice neighborhood restaurant. On a nice day, we could easily walk there. It wasn’t that nice yesterday, weather wise, although the temperatures are coming up, slowly but surely. Days are getting longer.
Today is Election Day in Germany. I hope like hell that Germans don’t vote for the far right AFD party. It’s scary how the world has changed in the last month.
On another note… Valentine’s Day, I got a very small bouquet of sweetheart roses. It lasted just two days before I needed to toss it. On that same day, the florist sent Bill an email claiming they sent the wrong bouquet, and I’d be getting a new bouquet this week. Personally, I think they probably ran out of flowers, because it took a week. But anyway, the real bouquet was much nicer…
They bring cheer… I’m trying to keep the faith.
Today, we’re going to Wiesbaden to have lunch downtown. I’ll probably write about it later today or maybe tomorrow…
If you’re among the few folks who have been following this blog for all of the years Bill and I have been in Germany (this time, anyway), you might remember that I am a big fan of caving. In a way, it’s probably in my blood. Both of my parents come from the mountains of Virginia, and there are caves there. I remember visiting a couple of wild caves when I was in high school and being really impressed by the experience. My uncles also used to run Natural Bridge and its accompanying hotel, before it became a state park. Natural Bridge has caverns, which were always pretty amazing to visit.
Since we’ve been in Europe, I’ve had the chance to visit several different cave systems. Most of them have been in Baden-Württemberg, where we’ve spent six of our almost 21 years of marriage. Today, we visited our very first Hessian cave, the Kubach Crystal Cave (Kubacher Kristallhöhle) in the rustic hamlet of Weilburg, which is about an hour’s drive from our home near Wiesbaden.
I’ve been wanting to visit this cave for a couple of years, but COVID put a damper on our ability and desire to go anywhere– especially anywhere I’d have to wear a mask and exert a lot of physical effort. And then I just kinda got lazy. Caves are generally pretty challenging to explore, since they often require climbing up and down steep steps or ladders.
I had visions of our experience at the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle a few years ago. This cave is the deepest show cave in Germany, but it’s exhausting to visit, especially if you’re a fatass housewife like me. It requires sure footedness and stamina, as well as a strong heart and lungs. I did it in June 2017, but I think it would be harder for me to visit today. I’m older, fatter, and not as fit as I was then… which is pretty sad, I know.
I didn’t think the Kubacher Crystal Cave would be as intense as the Tiefenhöhle was, and it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean it was easy… but it was doable for me. Maybe I can convince some of my Germany local visitors to give it a whirl. It’s not the easiest or most exciting cave I’ve ever visited, but it’s well worth an hour of your time. And if you do happen to wipe out, you can rest assured that help will get to you somewhat quickly.
The guided tours– in German, of course– are required. You also have to wear a helmet, because there is a section of the cave that is a tight squeeze with a low ceiling. Being 5’2″, I didn’t have to duck much, but taller people may be challenged. And I did notice that quite a few of the helmets were pretty scratched, which indicated that many people have hit their heads in the Kubach Cave. We did not have helmets or tour guides when we visited the Tiefenhöhle.
Kubacher Crystal Cave is one of a few show caves in Hesse, which is less mountainous than points south are. They call it a “crystal cave”, but I think that’s a bit of a misnomer. This particular cave is not full of stalactites or stalagmites. It’s a huge hole under the earth with cavernous rooms, but lots of limestone and some other elements, like silver, amethyst, and many unique rock formations.
We arrived at the cave at about noon, which was just after the tour before us departed. Bill went to buy tickets– ten euros per person, plus a one euro charge for taking photos. We had to wait about an hour before it was our turn to go on the tour. There used to be a restaurant at the cave, but it’s now closed. I passed the time by drinking a Coke, purchased from a vending machine on site, and peeing a lot. We also wandered around the outside rock formation museum and the inside museum, which showed the history of the cave. Again, it was all in German.
The lady who sold us the tickets did not speak English, but the guide did. I don’t think she knew we were Americans until the end of the tour, as I was dragging my ass up the stairs. She was very kind and patient, telling me she’d much rather I go slow than have an “Unfall” (accident).
We were climbing a long passage of steps when she told me that I’d be “screwed” if I wiped out there, since the paramedics would have to carry me up the steps. She further explained that if I were to drop in the bottom of the cave, they could get me out without paramedics needing to carry me. I guess they have a secret exit or something. Anyway, none of that was necessary. I did some heavy breathing, but recovered quite quickly. I had a nice lather of sweat in my hair, thanks to the helmet and my sweater, and then came a very pleasant rush of endorphins.
Our group was pretty small, with a young family (a couple with two young kids), another couple, and an older woman who, like me, was not keen to face plant while climbing up and down the 456 steps, about 70 meters under the earth. There is a sign at the cashier’s desk advising that anyone with serious heart related health problems forgo visiting the cave. It is a fairly strenuous climb. I noticed our guide was pretty fit, though not as obviously athletic as I would expect someone who climbs up and down the steps a lot would be. She also didn’t wear a helmet. I guess it was because she knows where to duck, and the helmet does kind of obstruct your vision somewhat.
One thing I have learned from visiting other caves in Germany is that it’s good to wear pants, good shoes with excellent traction, and bring a light jacket. Gloves may also be useful, as you will hopefully be using the handrail and it gets wet and slippery. I left my purse in the car, since I didn’t want to have to cart it up and down with me on the steps… been there and done THAT! It was a good decision.
There’s plenty of free parking, and I’d say that if you have children who are reasonably fit and listen well, this is a fairly child friendly place to visit. There’s an outdoor museum, where you can look at rock formations, and an indoor museum explaining the cave’s history and how it came to be discovered and opened to paying visitors. This cave was rediscovered in 1974 and opened to the public in 1981. It is the highest show cave in Germany, as it has a ceiling height of 30 meters.
Another thing that makes this cave special is the presence of “cave coral”. From the site www.showcaves.com:
The cave has two spots with extraordinary speleothems, a strange and rare speleothem called bulbous calcite or cave coral. The first location is right at the entrance in the first chamber of the cave. The walls are covered by cave coral, somtimes spottet with other minerals. Here is the 50 cm borehole and the small group of stalagmites which was discovered first and is actually the only dripstone formation in the cave. The second area is a narrow passage in the middle of the cave, with even more beautiful cave coral which is filling holes and cracks and rather difficult to spot. We recommend to walk slow, look up and back to discover the hidden minerals. This is actually one of the main sights of this cave.
Below are some photos from our excursion today. The first batch are from the grounds, museum, and outdoor area with rock formations. The second batch are from the tour itself. And the third and fourth batches are from the drive and our delightful lunch at La Fonte. I think it was time well spent!
The ladies restroom was nice. It had a Dyson faucet and hand dryer. Bill said the stalls in the men’s room were locked, so if you need to poop, you have to ask for the key. Same for the baby changing room. The ladies room had no such restrictions. There was also no Klofrau. Sometimes it pays to be female. 😉
Do you see what I see?Some people dropped coins in the pond.It reminds me of a colonoscopy.
I was surprised to find that the way back out of the cave is different than the way down. Both going up and going down are challenging. I expect to be a little sore tomorrow. But at least there weren’t any ambulances necessary today.
We drove through lovely Bad Camberg to get to and from the Crystal Cave. We’ll have to come back and visit the town and other attractions nearby. There’s a castle and a Wildpark calling our names. I think we also passed some kind of stone mason’s park or something. See the photos with the carved animals. The property had a fence with little dragons on top of it.
Once we were finished visiting the cave, we made our way back home with a stop at our local Sportsverein restaurant, La Fonte. There, we refueled with a three course late lunch that will keep us going until tomorrow. It had been quite awhile since our last visit to La Fonte, so I was surprised to see how our village’s new school is coming along. They will be tearing down the one that is located near where we live. I heard it was going to be turned into apartments. Bummer. But at least the school looks nice. La Fonte is always a pleasure. Lunch was about 65 euros before the tip.
Field Salad for Bill. Pumpkin soup for me.Seelachs filet with boiled potatoes and spinach for me.Viktoriabarsch filet (fish) and tagliatelle with pfifferlingen mushrooms for Bill.Panna cotta with fruit for me.Cherries and cream for Bill… and Montepulciano wine!New school.
I’m going to wrap up today’s post and join Bill for our nightly happy hours… I’m glad we made the effort to go to the cave today. And I’m even more glad that I didn’t pass out on the way out of the cave! I guess I’m not as big of a fatass as I feared. Maybe that means I can climb the tower in Cesky Krumlov when we visit at the end of the month!
Here’s another quick post during our self-imposed lockdown. Things have loosened up a bit here in Wiesbaden. We’re now allowed day trips in Germany, but I’m still not really wanting to venture out. Instead, I’ve been playing my new guitar every day, building up calluses on my fingers. I’ve made some progress, although I’m nowhere near ready for anyone other than Bill to hear me play. I made one music video this week. Singing well is a lot easier for me than guitar playing is. Bill says he might like to pick up guitar himself… if he does, I think I’ll get myself a Fender for my birthday.
Anyway, we did get some takeout last night. Bill had a frustrating week, mostly spent working from home. We decided to call on our neighborhood Italian restaurant, La Fonte, which we’ve only dined in at one time. They have good food. Lots of pizza and pasta on the takeout menu, but I remember when we ate in the restaurant, they had other stuff. I seem to remember having salmon the first time we ate there. It was Christmas time and they gave us a pannetone, which was really yummy!
Last night, I had black tortelloni with scallops, sugar snap peas, and baby shrimp. I think there were four tortellonis, and Bill and I each had one. It was plenty. Bill also got a pizza with ham and pepperoni wurst. Pepperoni in Germany is a pepper, but you can get pepperoni wurst, which is the sausage we Americans know so well. I’m slowly getting used to German style pizza made by Italians… it’s only taken six years. Bill butchered his German as he called in the order, but they all speak English at La Fonte anyway.
By the way, we learned last night that there’s a difference between tortelloni and tortellini. Tortelloni is bigger and sealed somewhat differently, although they’re both basically the same thing.
Here are a couple of photos.
Bill said, “That’s a pretty dish!” It was tasty, too, and not that expensive.
Good pizza!
Arran enjoys the weather on Bill’s lap. He hasn’t mastered jumping into laps.
This bird hangs out on that roof every evening.
The weather has been really pleasant lately, although we could really use some rain. Our rain barrel is almost totally depleted. Bill’s vegetables are growing and some might even survive long enough for harvesting.
I don’t know what we’ll do today. We probably could go out and do something fun… but I’ve kind of lost my mojo lately. It would probably do me some good to go out and see the world again. Maybe later.
Bill and I had to go on post today. We both needed to get our vision tested for new driver’s licenses and I needed passport photos for a renewal. So, for the first time since March 14th, I rode in the car. This time, it was with face masks I bought from Amazon.de. They’re the surgical kind, since they were the easiest to get my hands on quickly. I bought a pack of ten.
As we passed the entrance to our neighborhood, I was reminded of a month ago, when the dog we had hoped to adopt escaped his pet transport and got hit by a car. We live very close to Autobahn 3 and Autobahn 66. A3 is literally right next to our neighborhood. I felt a little sick thinking about that poor dog disoriented, terrified, and lost as he ran away from what could have been the lap of luxury for him. He was so close… And it will probably be a while before we can get our next dog.
Maybe it’s for the best, since it’s hard to get the routine services we need. Bill needs to get new rear tires for his car, since we had snow tires put on them in France back in December. I need to get my car serviced. Arran, Bill, and I all need dental cleanings, which means a vet visit for Arran and the dentist for Bill and me. Germany is starting to loosen up some restrictions, but everyone has to wear masks now in any place where social distancing isn’t easy.
We did decide to order take out again last night. Our local Italian joint/sportsplatz, La Fonte, had pizza and pasta on offer. Bill said the family that runs the restaurant was sitting outside drinking wine as they handed over the orders. They were doing a good business. We’ll probably get more take out tonight, since I’m tired of Bill’s cooking and we want to support local businesses. I’m kidding, actually. Bill has turned into a great cook. But I do want to give some business to the restaurants, since they have provided me with content for so long.
Passed this on my walk with Arran yesterday… Wonder whose handprint that is.
Pizza with an incredibly thin crust and tortellini with ham. No wonder I look fat in passport photos. La Fonte has good food.
The drive to post was even quicker than usual, since there wasn’t so much traffic. We got to the gate and a uniformed guy in a mask asked us the three important questions about whether or not we had been exposed to COVID-19, whether or not we had symptoms, and if we were ordered to be quarantined by a medical officer. We both said no to all three questions, then presented our IDs to be scanned touchlessly.
This is probably a European eye test as opposed to an American one. It’s probably harder to cheat on it, since it’s not letters. I remember doing one in Armenia that was different, too. It was a Russian eye test.
The PX opened for regular folks (as opposed to high risk folks) at 11:00am. We needed the optical shop. A sergeant was standing there in his mask, enforcing the wait time. Finally, at 11:00, we all washed our hands, donned our masks, and went in. Taking the eye exam was weird. It was a German style test, which meant telling the examiner where the openings were. I had trouble with my left eye until I realized that the steam from behind the mask was fogging up the lens. Once I let the steam dissipate, I could read everything properly.
After the eye test, we found the passport photo booth, where I got new pictures done for my passport. I was actually quite pleased with them, since the photo I’ve had since 2011 is horrible. In that picture, I look fat, hungover, and my hair is a yucky shade of dark brown. I gave up hair color several years ago, because the hard German water mixed with dye was turning it into straw. So now I’m back to my original blonde with silvery hints. And the new pictures done by a machine are prettier and have more natural light, even if I still look fat. The weird thing is, it’s just like taking a selfie with your phone. You think you’re going to look like you do on the monitor, but your image is reversed. But for some reason, it looks less ridiculous taken by the machine.
We went into the PX to pick up a few things… I got a new hairbrush, conditioner, and lotion for my horribly dry skin. I think I have eczema on my boobs, which is not very pleasant. The hard water and constant washing has turned my skin into leather. Edited to add: my German friend says there is soft water in parts of Germany, however in all of the places I’ve lived, it’s been very hard by American standards. It’s been hardest of all in Wiesbaden, where there was so much chalk on our taps when we moved in that we couldn’t turn one of them on and had to get it replaced.We also have to use salt in the dishwasher or else our dishes look terrible.Vinegar is useful for getting rid of some of the Kalk, but it’s an ongoing battle.
After about twenty minutes with the mask, I was ready to get the hell out of the PX. It wasn’t as stifling as I feared it would be, but the thing kept going into my eyes, requiring me to touch it to adjust it, which you shouldn’t do. Anyway… since this was a momentous occasion, I did get some photos…
Rocking the fucking mask…
Bill shows he’s not blinded by the fog.
This was a painless exercise.
The machine has a recorded female voice with a British accent. I was grateful for a few minutes without the mask.
Handy service. I’d use it again. Five euros well spent.
Anyway… I’m glad to have that chore done with for now. I’ve been bugging Bill about our driver’s licenses and my passport for ages. We should have done it before this coronavirus mess started. Hindsight, unlike my eyesight, is 20/20.
A little gift left by our new landlords… They gave us a gift bag with a huge Lindt Swiss chocolate bar with hazelnuts and a bottle of locally produced Sekt.
The sun came out today and, unlike last week, this past week was rather quiet. Although I probably would have been happy to hibernate, Bill decided we needed to go out and have lunch. It was after 2 o’clock when he made this decision, so we were kind of limited in where we could go. Fortunately, our new neighborhood has an Italian restaurant that doesn’t do pauses and has a Monday Ruhetag. So once Bill managed to convince me to get dressed and prettified, we beagle proofed the house and drove the one kilometer to La Fonte, the local Sportsplatz’s restaurant.
I have mentioned before that a lot of German communities have sports clubs, and many of the sports clubs have restaurants. In our old town, Jettingen, I remember two sports complexes, both of which had Greek restaurants next to their sports fields. The neighboring town, Haslach, had a German restaurant. Likewise, our new community of Breckenheim also has a Sportsplatz, which has an Italian eatery. I noticed it got great ratings, so it was easy to convince Bill to visit. It turned out to be a nice place to spend a couple of hours.
The first thing I noticed was the smell of horses. There’s a barn nearby. It seems to be my luck to live in places where there are horses… which only serves as a reminder that I need to buy a place with land so I can have horses in my life again. I spent the 80s showing horses.
When we arrived at La Fonte, it was busy. It looked like there were a couple of parties going on. Nevertheless, we were welcome, and once they realized we were English speakers, the staff switched to excellent English. We’re pretty good at speaking food, but I have to admit it’s nice to run into English speakers, even if it cuts down on my German practice. I am somewhat consoled, though, because I heard some German youngsters leaving the restaurant and actually understood what was being said. A young boy was eager to get outside and play, but his older brother admonished him to wear a jacket, even though the young boy said he didn’t need to bundle up. It’s funny… suddenly understanding German is like suddenly tuning into a clear radio station.
Bill checks the menu. We were seated “outside”, but it was warm enough. They had a heater out there and the area was enclosed by glass and an awning. I never would have known we were “outside”. I’m sure in the warmer months, it’s nothing to open up that area.
We settled on salmon with shrimp sauce and noodles for me and veal with Gorgonzola sauce and noodles for Bill. Both dishes came with generously sized salads and bread. My dish had a slightly different dressing. Bill’s was the usual yogurt dressing, while mine was more like a red wine vinaigrette.
This little guy, name of Milo, is obviously the restaurant’s mascot. He’s well known and loved. I noticed the place had many apparent regulars and they were all greeting this adorable dog.
He was so cute in his “I love New York” hoodie. I might be persuaded to abandon my love of beagles for this little guy. I was impressed by how well behaved he was, too.
Bill enjoys veal, noodles, and Gorgonzola sauce. He managed to finish everything, even the salad. I had to take half of my stuff home, even though I was hungry when I went in. They were happy to pack up my leftovers.
Grilled salmon with shrimp sauce and noodles… it came with tiny shrimp and the sauce had a hint of nutmeg. I really enjoyed it, but only managed half before I was full.
This couple came in with a black version of Milo… and obviously, the owner knew Milo, and so did his cute little dog. I noticed Milo and the other pooch played nicely in the dining room. This is a very dog friendly place. I saw at least two other dogs visiting during our two hour lunch.
We had another glass of Sangiovese for dessert, as well as espresso. Note the generous pour!
We really enjoyed La Fonte. I have a good feeling that we’ll be regulars. The food was good; there was plenty of parking; it’s dog friendly; the wait staff were welcoming; and we can literally stumble to our new home from there. We told the waiter that we were new in town and he gave us this…
Panettone— Italian cake/bread, just for Christmas… I guess these folks are from northern Italy. This was a nice hospitable touch.
And he warned us that if we want to have dinner on a weekend night, to call ahead. I could easily tell La Fonte is a very popular local hangout. It was nice to see. Lots of people seemed to know and love the staff, which is always a good sign. I am certain we’ll be back repeatedly. It appears to be a very kid friendly place, too… the kind of place where friends and families gather. I love those kinds of places.
A moonrise…
So we no longer have the enchanting view from our house, but we can still see one not far from where we live. And the bonus is, I can smell horses from here. I trust none of them are on La Fonte’s menu. I’m kidding, of course. I feel better now, though… even if I didn’t really feel like going out. It’s time to get back to normal and start having some fun again. Of course, we did come home to a big mess caused by Arran, the troublemaker. He got into the trash. I guess our new system needs refining.
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