I don’t have much to write about last night. It was pretty much a repeat of Friday night, only with beer instead of cocktails, although the bar was busier and they played reggae/UB40 instead of German pop and euro trance music. Most of the same staffers were there. Once again, I had a great time, because I’ve missed going out and seeing things. It was just great to be in a pretty area where I could get photos of nature and good food.
I did get a few photos of last night’s fun. But it was kind of low key…
Like I said… a great venue for social distancing.I had fried chicken fingers and fries for dinner… It came with a quark garlic dip, barbecue sauce, and a curry dip. Germans love curry.Bill had rosti– a potato like hashbrowns with smoked salmon and a dressing. He’s a healthier eater than I am.
After another good night’s rest, we got up, had breakfast, and checked out before 9:00am. I was eager to get home and do some writing, guitar practice, and sing a few songs. Bill has gone to pick up Arran from the Birkenhof. I think we could be persuaded to take another trip, possibly very soon!
All told, I think Bill spent under 700 euros for the nights in the hotel, the Therme access, two breakfasts, two dinners, and the bar… not bad at all! I would highly recommend Vital Hotel and the Rhein-Taunus Therme for a quick getaway. I think it would be a lot of fun for a “girls” trip, but it’s also good for those who need a hotel near Frankfurt Airport or those who like water fun.
I don’t know that I’d necessarily call it a romantic spot, since the Therme did have a number of kids around. But… I particularly enjoyed it right now, since there weren’t nearly as many people as I’ve come to expect at the spas in Germany. And non nudists will like that it doesn’t seem to have a nude bathing area, like the Mineraltherme, Schwabenquellen, Palais Thermal, and Friedrichsbad all have. I have been to all of those spas, and you will find my write ups of them in this blog. Personally, I like the nude spas, but I know not everyone is comfortable. It appears that those who don’t like nudity will appreciate Rhein-Main Therme, although I didn’t check the saunas. You may have to be naked for those.
Anyway… I hope y’all enjoyed this brief series. I hope I can write more soon. I have missed traveling and dining out so much!
Yesterday morning, we had breakfast and checked out of the Waldhotel. For three nights with breakfast and one bar bill that we charged to the room, we spent just under 1100 euros. That was actually less than I was expecting to spend. Granted, we could have easily spent a lot less money in a cheaper room at a cheaper hotel. In fact, I was telling Bill that maybe it would have been better if we had booked the Hilton Garden Inn by the arena. It would have spared us the traffic nightmare. However, I have a genuine fondness for the Waldhotel. It has all we need; it’s convenient; and it’s in a really pleasant part of Stuttgart. I’m glad we tried the junior suite, too. I don’t know if we need to book it again– maybe we will. I’d go back just to hang out with the Italian barkeep.
Goodbye, lovely Waldhotel… We don’t have as many wooded areas up here in Wiesbaden.
We needed to find something to do for a few hours, since Max doesn’t allow pickups at Dog on Holiday until after 2:30pm. I suggested the Schwabenquellen, which is one of Stuttgart’s mineral baths/spas. The Schwabenquellen is a textile free facility. Unlike the Mineraltherme in Böblingen, on most days, swimsuits aren’t allowed anywhere in the whole “park”. It’s only on certain dedicated days that one can wear suits at the Schwabenquellen.
To be honest, although I’m totally into the nude spa scene, I like the Mineraltherme better than the Schwabenquellen, especially since they renovated it a couple of years ago. For one thing, the Mineraltherme has a great restaurant that offers healthy dishes rather than burgers and pizzas. For another thing, there are more pools and more things to do at the Mineraltherme. It’s also significantly cheaper. However, the Schwabenquellen was more convenient to our location and the Mineraltherme is closed for cleaning right now.
Before yesterday, I had been to the Schwabenquellen only once before. It was back in 2017, and I remember very clearly that I had to figure out how to use the lockers. It took about twenty minutes to realize that the lockers are assigned by a computer system. You don’t just pick one yourself, like you do at the Mineraltherme. While I was getting undressed, a young German woman asked me in German if I understood how the lockers operated. I asked her if she spoke English. Of course she did. I told her how the system worked. Then, when we went to shower, she tried to use her “watch” to turn it on. She laughed and said, “I promise, I’m not stupid” when I told her all she had to do was push the button. I was just glad to be helpful to someone for once.
Naturally, because it’s a nude spa, I didn’t take any pictures. The Schwabenquellen, although a little cheesy and dated, is kind of nice. I like the big pool in the middle of the facility, even though it’s cold. Actually, I thought most of the hot tubs were a little cool for my liking, as were the saunas. The complex looks like it could use some refurbishing, especially in the locker rooms. I noticed some of the showers looked like they needed sprucing up. We did manage to relax during our few hours there. It was a fine way to kill time before getting back on the road to Wiesbaden. I also noticed that unlike last time we visited, most everything was open rather than closed for repairs.
The one place I think the Schwabenquellen should start refurbishing is its restaurant. Both times we’ve eaten there, I’ve been less than impressed with the food. But, I don’t think the Schwabenquellen is like the Mineraltherme, which appears to focus on health rather than simple relaxation and recreation. They have a lot of themed saunas, some of which included music. The Austrian sauna had some funny hunting themed decorations on the walls and Austrian “fest” music. The Tibetan sauna was decorated in an Asian style and had very calm music. I liked the different themes, but they seemed to be more for entertainment than therapeutic value.
At about 2:30, we pulled up to Max’s to get Zane and Arran. They were outside in the yard and Zane heard me say something. He started bugling, which got Arran going. When they brought the boys in, Zane, in particular, was struggling to get to us. He and Arran clearly had a great weekend, but like us, they were ready to go home. As always, we were so grateful that Max and Christine took such great care of them for us. I wish we could transplant them in Wiesbaden. The dogs will be trying out a new “hotel” at the end of the month, when we go to Cologne to see The Eagles. Hopefully, that place will work out just as well.
Despite our SNAFUs in Stuttgart traffic and being too old for the Fest, I think we had a good weekend in Stuttgart. I really had forgotten about how awful the traffic is, although I did notice A8 was a lot nicer yesterday. I think they’re working on A81 now, which was the road that most directly affected us during both of our Stuttgart stints. Hopefully, the upgrades will make commuting easier for everyone, once they’re finished.
Will we be back in November for dental cleanings? Maybe… or we may be back sooner for other reasons. In any case, Stuttgart really does feel like home– or, at least my German home. It was nice to be back for a few days. And it’s also nice to be back in Wiesbaden.
I gave serious thought to going to the Sindelfingen Street Fest this afternoon. Then I looked up at the cloudy sky and decided I’d rather spend the afternoon naked with a bunch of Germans. I told Bill we should go to a spa, since it’s been ages since our last visit. Poor Bill is such a good sport. Although he knows I love a good spa day, the thought of going to one strikes dread in his heart, especially when we go to ones that have textile free areas or are entirely textile free. But he loves to make me happy and he can’t deny that after a few hours at the spa, he always comes home relaxed.
Bill takes a deep breath before enduring the horror of bathing suits.
At first, I was kind of wanting to visit the Schwabenquellen, mainly because when we went the last time, it was a lot less crowded than the Mineraltherme in Böblingen usually gets. However, the Schwabenquellen’s restaurant is not as good as the Mineraltherme’s is, and it’s not as close to where we live. It’s also entirely textile free, which I know Bill is leery about. Sure enough, when I made the suggestion, he said he preferred Böblingen, so that’s where we went.
We arrived at the Mineraltherme at a little after one o’clock and enjoyed a very nice lunch. Of the spas I’ve been to in this area, I would say the Mineraltherme has the best restaurant. It offers somewhat healthy, upscale dishes instead of the usual pizzas, burgers, and brats offered elsewhere. Today’s lunch was no exception. We each enjoyed wine– I had a Riesling and he had a Gray Burgundy, along with our usual sparkling water.
They brought out a very nice lentil salad amuse. It was well seasoned with cumin and filled out with eggplant. I don’t usually love eggplant, but I did enjoy this.
Our waitress was pleasant and spoke English. Bill ordered one of the specials, spaghetti with tuna mixed in a tomato sauce, pictured below.
It was a pretty big dish! He said it was tasty.
A moment of seriousness before it was time for me to try my dish…
I had a “Kartoffel trifft Fische”, a baked potato covered in sour cream and served with smoked salmon and a simple green salad. I enjoyed this dish, although I wish I had asked them to go very easy on the sour cream. I don’t like sour cream that much and even if I did, I wouldn’t use as much as is pictured here. But the salad and smoked salmon were really enough to satisfy me anyway.
Lunch came to just over 40 euros. Because we hadn’t yet entered the spa, we paid for it in cash. I always enjoy eating at the Mineraltherme. I wish other spas had restaurants as nice as theirs.
Then we got in line to pay basic admission and get our wristwatches, which allow you to purchase things without using cash in the spa and keep track of your time. At this writing, it’s 12 euros per adult to visit the upstairs and part of the downstairs portions of the Mineraltherme. If you want to go into the Saunagarten, which is textile free, you have to pay another 6 euros. This is done by scanning your wristwatch at a turnstile. On your way out of the spa, you pay a machine for any refreshments or other extras you get while you’re in the spa.
After we paid our admission, we went into the unisex locker room, which is full of small dressing rooms so you can “suit up” in private. The Mineraltherme underwent a large renovation last year and they made some improvements to the locker room and some of the other facilities. We spent the first hour or so enjoying the pools upstairs, which require the use of a bathing suit. It was somewhat busy when we first got there, but not too bad. But then, as time went on, the spa began to fill up. I started noticing some rather inconsiderate behavior, which I’ll be bitching about in the following paragraphs.
One thing I don’t really like about the Mineraltherme experience on weekends is that it gets very crowded. People bring their kids and act as if the spa is a Freibad. I don’t really have so much of a problem with the kids up in the clothed area. I accept that parents like the spa and they’re going to bring their children. Most of the children at the Mineraltherme have been well-behaved, although I did see a couple of them hogging the pool noodles and not being very careful about where they were swinging them. I didn’t need a pool noodle myself; I pretty much float on my own. However, I did almost get beaned by one when one of the inattentive kids was horsing around. I don’t find having to duck pool noodles a very relaxing experience, but I’m willing to accept that kids are welcome there. So be it.
I have more of a problem with people who bring their young children into the textile free area. Technically, youngsters under 18 are allowed down there if they are with an adult. Personally, I think it’s a bad idea to bring children into that area. It’s not because I’m uptight about nudity. On the contrary, I’m all for it among consenting adults. Consider this, though. In the textile free area, the adults are walking around naked or wearing a towel or a robe. You’ll see all kinds of things that might need explaining or cause uncomfortable staring, even if you do your best to avert your eyes. For example, I saw one guy today with a very large metal ring hanging off of the end of his junk, Prince Albert style. I don’t have kids myself, but I can just imagine explaining that one to a nine year old.
Also consider that people drink alcohol down there, just as they also do in the upstairs area. It seems to me that adults drinking booze while naked is not necessarily compatible with hanging around with school aged children. And… this is a big thing for me… the adults have paid an entrance fee so they can relax and unwind. That is what spas are for.
Where’s Alice to set people straight when we need her?
I don’t find it very relaxing when a kid is hogging the jets in the pool, screaming and yelling, running amok, or staring. I have less of a problem with kids watching couples practically fucking in the pool, which frequently happens at the Mineraltherme, than I do with them watching egregious violence on TV. On the other hand, I’m not sure it’s something that they necessarily need to be seeing. In fact, I’m not sure it’s something I need to be seeing, either. But whatever… when in Rome (or Germany), right?
I counted at least five grade school aged kids in the textile free area today. I also saw a few American youngsters who appeared to be high school aged. They were loudly making jokes about bringing dates to the spa. One of them was squirting water with his hands, like an oyster, and basically acting like he was at a naked pool party.
I know nudity is much more acceptable here in Germany than it is in the United States, but it’s still kind of a shock to my American sensibilities when I see young kids hanging out in the nude area of a spa, where grown people are trying to relax. I think it’s inconsiderate for people to bring their kids in there. It’s kind of akin to people who bring young kids on luxury cruises that aren’t equipped for kids. It’s not really fair to the children or the other adults who have paid the price of admission. Naturally, a day at the spa costs a lot less than a week on SeaDream I, but the concept is still the same.
Anyway… I don’t plan to write a letter of complaint or anything. It was just something I was thinking about today at the spa. I did leave there feeling more relaxed than I did when I came in and I’m sure I’ll go back another time. I probably ought to show up in the mornings on weekdays, when kids are more likely to be in school, or maybe find a place that is strictly for adults. I just think the local Freibad is probably a better place for kids to be, rather than the spa. But that’s just little ol’ childfree me, sharing my opinion. Incidentally, I also hate the term “littles” for children, but it is what it is.
I know… I know… this naked spa stuff is starting to become a habit. I wasn’t actually planning to visit the Schwabenquellen this weekend. We decided to go kind of by default. I’m glad we went because we had a great time and I’m feeling a whole lot better. That’s right. We hit the spa today for medicinal purposes.
I woke up early this morning needing to pee. As I got up, somehow I twisted my neck and gave myself a whopper of a crick. When I was fully awake later this morning, I realized that I couldn’t turn my head to the left without a lot of pain. Seriously, folks. I was really hurting. I still have some pain after our naked afternoon, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier today. I have my generous, good sport of a husband and the spa to thank for that.
I suggested the Schwabenquellen, knowing that Bill probably wouldn’t be too excited about it. Although he always ends up enjoying the spas whenever we go, he’s very self-conscious about being seen in a bathing suit. Well, the bathing suit wasn’t a problem today, since the Schwabenquellen is almost always textile free. By that, I mean you usually have to be without a bathing suit in the saunas, the steam baths, and the pools. You are, however, highly encouraged to wear a robe and/or a big towel. I bought Bill a new robe last week for just that purpose and we brought two towels each, one to sit on and one to dry off with. We ended up only using one each. I also brought “shower shoes”, but didn’t end up using them much.
The Schwabenquellen is located in the SI Centrum complex, very close to Kelley Barracks. There’s a huge parking garage there and, if you use the spa, you can get your parking ticket validated so parking is cheaper. Today, we spent 2,50 euros.
Naturally, I didn’t manage to get many pictures. This is one I got in the garage as we were about to climb the stairwell to the spa.
We decided to get the all day pass, since it was priced only a little bit more than the two hour pass. We weren’t sure how long we were going to be there today, since I knew there were a lot of rooms, themed saunas, and steambaths available, as well as two large pools. In retrospect, we were smart to get the all day pass the first time, even though we don’t usually stay longer than a couple of hours. The reason we were smart was because there is a bit of a learning curve to figuring out how things work at the Schwabenquellen. For example, it took both Bill and me several minutes to figure out how to get the lockers to work. We also had a mishap when we had lunch. There will be more on that in the coming paragraphs, because I intend to give my readers the lowdown on what to do at the Schwabenquellen.
After we paid the entrance fee, the lady behind the counter gave us the little plastic watches I’ve come to expect at Germany’s best spas. The “watch” doesn’t tell time; it provides you with a way to make purchases without using cash and it also gets you use of a locker. There are some small lockers available in the lobby that run on coins, but if you have more than a wallet and a phone, you’re probably going to want a bigger one. Unlike the Mineraltherme, the Schwabenquellen separates its locker rooms by sex. There are also no individual changing rooms at the Schwabenquellen like there are at the Mineraltherme.
How to use the lockers
In the interest of helping out my fellow man, I’m going to explain how to use the lockers at the Schwabenquellen. They, too, are different than what Bill and I have encountered at the Mineraltherme and the Palais Thermal in Bad Wildbad.
Step 1: Wave your watch in front of one of the monitors in the locker room.
Step 2: Wait for the monitor to tell you which locker is yours.
Step 3: Find your locker.
Step 4: There’s a little green light that should flash on. When it does, put your stuff in the locker, close the door, and turn the knob counter clockwise. That should lock it. You’ll know it’s locked if the dial stays to the left instead of coming back in a horizontal line.
It took us awhile to figure out this process and we did not see any signs in English explaining it, although there are English instructions on the monitors. If I had known to pay attention to the monitors, I’m sure I would have figured it out much faster. I don’t think I even noticed them until several frustrating moments had passed with me trying to lock up my stuff.
Now, you have your locker and you put everything away. Be sure to remember which number you have, although when you come back into the locker room, you’ll need to swipe your watch again. The monitor will remind you which one is yours as it unlocks the locker for you. Also, be sure to stow your cell phone. Phones and/or cameras are not allowed in the spa for obvious reasons.
Once you’ve stowed your clothes in your locker, make sure you’re naked, unless you happen to be visiting at a time when swimsuits are allowed. The first Saturday of every month is when patrons can wear suits. Also, every Tuesday after 6:00pm, patrons have a choice of whether or not to go naked. There are also designated ladies days on the first Wednesdays of March, June, September, and December. That means ladies only, but I don’t think it means you can wear your bathing suit.
You can now simply walk out of the locker room naked if you wish, or you can cover up in a towel or a robe. Put any other stuff like extra towels and robes in one of the many cubbies scattered throughout the facility. It may be strange being naked in a spa. Some people may find it embarrassing. For some reason, I’ve taken to nudity like a native. Next thing you know, I’ll be sporting Jack Wolfskin activewear. Then I’ll really pass for a local, at least until I open my mouth.
Careful with the first stop…
The first thing you will come across is a very large pool with two waterfalls. It’s a very deep, inviting, beautiful pool. You can see it pictured on the Schwabenquellen’s Web site. Allow me to warn you that that particular pool is cold. If you’re a guy and you go striding in, thinking it’s going to be warm, it’s likely you will experience major shrinkage. However, the water is refreshing and you should get used to it quickly.
There’s another pool that is warm and full of salt water. If you want to, you can access that pool inside and walk outside in the warm water. Or you can access it outside. The salt pool is really nice, though both have jets on them.
Bill and I aren’t much into saunas, but we did try the Canadian sauna next to the salt pool. It’s 90 degrees Celsius and nice, dry heat. I liked that sauna because it’s very large and there’s plenty of room. As a matter of fact, the spa wasn’t busy today and there was plenty of room throughout the complex. I found it a very nice change from the Mineraltherme.
We also tried the amethyst steam room, which was very hot and intense. I couldn’t take more than a couple of minutes in there.
How to order food and drinks.
This was another area where Bill and I had a slight problem. The spa has a bar out by the “beach”, which is a sandy area with loungers where you can catch some rays. The bar sells drinks only. There’s also the Mandala Bar, which overlooks the cold pool with the waterfalls. The Mandala Bar offers a buffet as well as a small menu with burgers, salads, pizzas, paninis, rumpsteak, salmon, turkey, and baked potatoes, as well as some snacks. You can also purchase cocktails there. If you order food that has to be prepared (as opposed to taken from the buffet), you will get a chit and a beeper that will go off when your food is ready. Don’t forget, as Bill did, to give the chit to the cook. If you don’t, you will be waiting a long time for food that never gets made.
As for food… I think this is one area where the Schwabenquellen could improve. The Mineraltherme in Boeblingen has a nice restaurant with really interesting choices that are pretty healthy. The Schwabenquellen’s offerings are a lot more pedestrian, although we enjoyed what we had. Bill had a ham and cheese panini and I had a Hawaiian pizza, which was way too big for me to finish. Food and drink prices are pretty standard. It’s not like the tourist traps of the United States where they take advantage of a captive audience. I noticed none of the food was priced over 15 euros.
And yes, you ARE expected to wear a robe or a big towel when you’re dining at the Mandala Bar. In fact, you need to sit on a towel or wear a robe whenever you are not in the water. There are also rest areas where you are expected to wear dry swimwear or otherwise be clothed.
Overall impressions
As Bill and I were enjoying our late lunch, I commented that the spa reminded me of an adult oriented Rainforest Cafe. I don’t know how long the spa has existed, but to me, it has sort of a late 80s vibe. The Mineraltherme appears to be a lot more modern, although it’s also a lot more inclusive. One thing I did notice today was that there were no children around and that was a good thing, especially since everyone was naked.
I noticed that a lot of the signage, though not all, was translated into English. That was very helpful, although we could have used English instructions for the lockers. I also noticed that they were playing horrid pan flute music in the bar area. Think Zamfir… It certainly added to the late 80s early 90s vibe.
They were playing “The Rose” today… not sure if it was Zamfir, but it sounded like this.
Staff was very friendly and I thought the facility was pretty clean, if not a little dated looking. I didn’t get to try everything available, but I enjoyed today enough that I’d happily go back for another visit, especially since I now know how to use the lockers. We spent a little over three hours at the spa and might have stayed longer, except we knew our dogs were at home waiting to be fed. I also noticed that though my neck isn’t totally back to normal, it does feel a lot better after some time in the water and the sauna.
If I keep going to textile free spas, pretty soon, people will be calling me Bubbles…
As we exited the spa, we handed our watches to the attendant and Bill paid for the food and drinks. Then she gave us tickets, which we used to get through the turnstile and back into the land of the clothed. Of the three spas I’ve tried so far, I think I might like Schwabenquellen the best. Yes, it’s a little cheesy and slightly more expensive than Mineraltherme is. And yes, I like the food at the Mineraltherme better and the Mineraltherme offers a choice as to whether or not you have to disrobe. But today, at least, it was less crowded than it has been at the Mineraltherme the last few times I’ve been. There also seems to be more to do at the Schwabenquellen. I like all the different saunas, steam rooms, and treatments you can get at the Schwabenquellen. And the absence of kids, much as I like them, is definitely a plus if you really want to relax.
We really could have spent the whole day doing stuff at the Schwabenquellen. Next time we get a day pass, we’ll have to spend more time enjoying all of the facilities. I would definitely recommend the Schwabenquellen for a fun and interesting date night. Just keep an open mind and avert your eyes. Above all, relax, enjoy yourself, and remember that no one is looking at your junk.
I took a shot of Bill as we exited, just to prove he was there… All told, we spent roughly 100 euros today, including the two day passes, lunch for two, four beers, and parking. You can also rent towels and robes and purchase shower shoes if you find yourself unprepared.
Children under age 6 are not allowed in the Schwabenquellen. As for kids over age 6, here is the policy according to their official Web site.
Personally, I don’t think this spa is a good place to bring children, whether or not they are allowed.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I recently asked members of the local food and wine Facebook group for suggestions of places to go out to eat. One of the suggestions was 3 Mohren, a Turkish restaurant in Sindelfingen. I was delighted to try this place today, since we walked past it last week on our way to Corners Burger Restaurant and I noticed how well attended it was and how good it smelled. We made reservations for 1:00pm via the restaurant’s Web site. When we arrived a few minutes early, the place was jumping with business. It turns out 3 Mohren has a popular Sunday brunch buffet and lots of people were taking advantage of it.
The sleek, modern sign outside the restaurant… On nice days, there’s a large terrace available, as well as a good sized indoor dining room.
Bill and I weren’t there for the buffet. We wanted to try some Turkish food and a bottle of Turkish wine. We were very successful in that endeavor today.
Our server seated us at a four top table near the buffet table and had a good look at the menu, which offers all kinds of Turkish specialties with lamb, chicken, beef, and fish. There are also vegetarian selections. Do not go there looking for pork; naturally, you won’t find it on the menu.
We decided to start with an order of hummus, a bottle of mineral water with gas, and a bottle of Turkish wine. Both the waitress and the owner of the restaurant spoke excellent English once they realized we aren’t German.
Bill checks out the menu… lots of great Turkish choices, as well as grilled salmon, shrimp, and dorade. The menu is also vegetarian and kid friendly.
This was a very nice dry red wine from Eastern Anatolia. Several bottles were available, as were wines by the glass and a range of cocktails. 3 Mohren has a full bar.
A shot of the buffet during a couple of minutes when it wasn’t being visited by patrons. This table stretched another ninety degrees into the next dining room. I didn’t get a close look at what was on the table, but people seemed to be enjoying the food
The hummus was absolutely delicious. The bread was dressed with a zesty oil that gave the chickpea dip a kick. This was a nice start to lunch.
Bill and I both went with kebabs. He had a lamb kebab and I had chicken. Both dishes came with salads, rice, and vegetables, as well as a basket of bread.
This salad was not too big, which I appreciated. It consisted of lettuce, corn, carrots, radishes, and a zingy dressing that tasted of mild mustard with just a dash of mint. I really liked the dressing.
My chicken kebab. The chicken was white meat and just a little dry for my taste, but well seasoned. The vegetables were cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, and a green pepper. There was also a small scoop of delicious rice that had a buttery essence. I might have liked this better if it had come with a sauce or something on the side.
I don’t usually go for lamb, but I have to admit Bill’s lamb was excellent. Next time, I might have to have a mixed grill or even order the lamb myself. It was very tender, juicy, and not gamey at all.
We were offered a basket of bread, which we accepted. It arrived hot and fresh. I noticed a couple with twin babies who were just adorable. They had big, bright blue eyes and one of them kept staring at me. I think I heard their mom talking to the owner about booking the restaurant for a party of 30 people.
As we were sitting there eating, I was paying attention to the music. They were playing a lot of jazz– mostly modern stuff. I think I heard some Diana Krall. Then I heard a cover version of Stevie Wonder’s classic song, “If It’s Magic”, which is originally from his wonderful 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. Although the cover version wasn’t necessarily moving to me, I was explaining the song to Bill. It’s always been kind of special to me, because the lyrics are so wise and seem especially poignant, particularly given the mood a lot of us have been in over the past few months.
For those who haven’t heard the song, here’s a video…
This song always moves me.
So anyway, there I was sitting in the Turkish restaurant, explaining to Bill the meaning of this song. It poses the question why, if love is so special and magical, are we so careless with it? Why don’t we pay as much attention to preserving the love in our relationships as we do to how we dress, smiling for the camera, and protecting our children from danger? For some reason, as I was explaining the song, I got very verklempt and started tearing up. I was sitting at the table wiping tears and talking about the song in a quavery voice. It was kind of embarrassing.
Bill is used to this reaction from me, especially over music. We’re both hopeless saps when it comes to some things. I usually see him get weepy when he enters a beautiful cathedral or looks at amazing artwork. He sees me tear up when I hear gorgeous music with powerful lyrics. I have a Stevie Wonder DVD that I’ve only watched once or twice because it makes me cry to watch Stevie Wonder perform. He is so incredibly talented. I am myself a singer and have sung “If It’s Magic”. I have to admit, it’s usually a struggle to get through it without getting really emotional. It probably doesn’t help that I’m also hormonal as hell right now.
I don’t know about my readers, but Bill and I have had a pretty tumultuous few months. Although it probably started with the political upheaval that’s been going on since Trump got elected, it really started coming to a head in April when Bill’s former company lost its contract and we spent a couple of scary months wondering if we were going to have to move… and if so, where? Then, both of Bill’s parents had some rather major health issues. They’re both mostly fine and we ended up not having to move, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t worried. And now Bill’s working for a new company and feels the pressure to perform and prove himself to his new employers. Although 2017 was not nearly as stressful as 2014 was– when we moved here from Texas after Bill retired– it has been a bit crazy. Add Trump to the mix and the fact that our dog had a cancer scare (that turned out not to be cancer, thank God) and you have a couple of really wound up people.
Anyway, once I finished explaining the song and wiped away the tears, we were finished with lunch. Bill called for the check, which was about 58 euros. I think he paid in cash, but I believe they do accept cards there.
Given how tense we both were, we decided to visit the Mineraltherme in Böblingen. It just reopened after having been closed for renovations for several months. I had to talk Bill into going, but he admits that every time I talk him into hitting the spa, he feels a lot better afterwards. I wanted to see the changes they made over the summer. Looks like brand new lockers, more parking spots (most of which were filled today), and new equipment in the saunagartens. I read they invested over 13.5 million euros in fixing the place up.
Today, we did something we had never done before… at least not at the Mineraltherme. Today, for the first time ever, we ventured downstairs to the textile free area and actually stripped down to our birthday suits. Regular readers may have read about our trip to the Palais Thermal spa in Bad Wildbad a couple of months ago. That was our first time getting naked in front of strangers. Well, today was the first time we did it locally and ran the risk of running into people we know.
Honestly, it was kind of awesome. After a quick dip upstairs in the clothed area, we went down to the classic sauna area, got in the raw, and hit a sauna. We paid an extra 5,50 euros each to go into the saunagarten, where everyone is buck naked (but with big towels and robes for when they sit down). We took a longer dip in the warm, relaxing mineral pool, wandered around the gardens, checking out the sandy lounge areas, relaxed in another sauna, had a beer, and then tried out the heated lounge chairs (wrapped in towels, of course). It was amazingly relaxed and pleasant. In all seriousness, the nudity thing doesn’t bother me in the slightest anymore. I have taken to it like the proverbial duck to water. Yeah, no one wants to see me naked, but I no longer give a shit about that. It’s a wonderful feeling.
After a couple of hours enjoying some rays, warm water, German suds, and peace and quiet, we headed home. Bill looked a lot less stressed. I told him we need to make a priority out of visiting the spa more often… and he needs to get back to the gym and blow off some steam before he has a stroke. It was a really lovely afternoon.
Needless to say, I recommend 3 Mohren, but make reservations if you’re coming on the weekend. Both the restaurant and the spa were noticeably less packed later in the afternoon. We will have to remember that for next time. Turkish food plus being naked with Germans equals awesomeness… A good cry over music doesn’t hurt, either.
This morning, one of Bill’s friends posted a picture of their cute little girls enjoying an indoor swimming pool. The girls are absolutely adorable, so they alone should have been enough to capture my attention. What I actually noticed first, though, were the walls around the pool. I could only see two of them, but they were heavily adorned with huge warning signs.
The first sign says in huge, bold letters:
WARNING: NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY. No swimming alone. Children under 14 years of age and non-swimmers shall not use the pool unless accompanied by a responsible adult.
The next sign says…
MAXIMUM POOL BATHER LOAD 15. Another sign says… WARNING! NO DIVING! I’m sure the “no diving” sign is posted because the water is probably only four feet deep or so… It’s hard to find an “old school” deep pool in America anymore. Luckily, they are everywhere in Europe.
Easily visible in the photo, there is also a long list of pool rules in type too small for me to make out, but I guess they cover everything not already covered in the big signs. I see another sign that looks like a crude picture of food and beverage crossed out.
Now, had Bill and I not recently gone swimming alone in an Austrian beer pool, maybe these signs wouldn’t seem so over the top to me. When I lived in the United States, I saw these kinds of anti-litigation signs everywhere and never thought much of them. Now that I live in Europe again and have walked along the sides of ponds with no protective fencing and observed children walking and riding their bikes alone in our neighborhood, the signs seem strange. At some point, Americans surrendered their common sense and businesses and insurance companies became hyperaware of the need for warnings. Seems like this wasn’t the case when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s.
Before anyone mentions it, I don’t think Stella Liebeck, the lady who spilled hot coffee from McDonald’s, is necessarily to blame for this hyperwarning society we have right now. For one thing, Stella Liebeck was well within her rights to sue McDonald’s. They sold her coffee that was way hotter than the industry standard. Yes, she stupidly put it between her thighs so she could add cream and sugar, but the coffee was so hot that it gave her serious burns that affected her for the rest of her life. Moreover, she had originally only asked McDonald’s for about $10,000 to cover her medical bills. They offered $800. She sued and a jury awarded her big money, most of which she never got.
On the other hand, it does seem like since the big 90s era McDonald’s hot coffee case, Americans have gotten a lot more interested in disclaimers that cover every possible scenario that could come up and lead to a lawsuit. I would expect a similar attitude in Germany, where people seem similarly prone to litigation. And yet, when I go swimming at the Mineraltherme, I don’t see humongous signs posted warning about what’s not allowed or what could happen while floating in the pools full of many peeing patrons and face suckers (sorry, but it’s the truth). I don’t even see signs warning me that I might see nudity, not that that’s dangerous per se, but what will the children think? 😉
I contrast the sight of those signs in the American pool with what was on the walls at the Starkenberger Beer Pools in Austria. There, we saw many murals, many of which were very bawdy and probably not suitable for audiences under age 13. Bill and I were left alone to bathe to our hearts’ content, drinking as much beer as we wanted. There were no lifeguards on duty and no one was there to check our ages or tell us not to dive. Fortunately, we were smart enough to survive the experience. I’m proud to say that we lived by our wits that night! And what memories we have! It was one of the most fabulous evenings we’ve had since our move back to Europe.
The only sign at the Starkenberger Beer Pool…
A magical experience!
I wonder if those signs really do prevent drownings or other tragedies… Somehow, I doubt it. What they do is make it somewhat harder for people to be sued. At the same time, they also kind of curb the ambiance and remind everyone that there are dumb people out there who have to be explicitly warned not to do dumb things. It’s a little depressing. I’m a big fan of Darwinism, but that’s probably because I’m nobody’s mother.
I have spent the whole holiday weekend holed up at home. Perhaps later today, we will go out and try a new restaurant. But for now, I will think about how lucky I was to get to swim in beer with no lifeguard on duty and no warning signs protecting me from my own negligence.
As I wrote earlier today, we decided to go out to a restaurant for our Thanksgiving meal. Although I know I could have found a place that offered really good and somewhat Thanksgiving appropriate food for our celebration, I ended up choosing to dine at Herrenberg’s Gasthaus Lamm Inh. Wolfgang Mezger. I chose this place because on Trip Advisor, it is listed as Herrenberg’s number one restaurant. I figured that since it was a gasthaus, it would have the hearty fare I was craving. I had visions of Stuttgart traffic and decided we should stick closer to home.
Earlier today, I also had the idea that I would like to go to the SI Suites near Kelley and visit the Schwabenquellen spa, but when Bill found out it was textile free, he was having none of it. We compromised and decided that later we’d visit the Mineraltherme Boeblingen. I even gave some thought to visiting the textile free area by myself.
Before we went out to dinner, though, I had some household chores to do. Since I don’t have a job that pays me big bucks, I like to earn my keep. So on Thursdays, I vacuum the house and typically do laundry. This morning, the weather was absolutely shitty. Bill took the dogs for a walk and I did my vacuuming.
**Skip this part if you have a weak stomach. I’ll let you know when to read again…**
About an hour after they returned from their walk, I heard the sound most dog owners dread. Arran had vomited up something extremely foul all over my ugly hallway rug. It was so nasty and vile smelling that I almost sympathy hurled. Bill grabbed one end of the 5X8 rug and I grabbed another. We took it outside, where the weather was misty and cold. I brought Bill lots of hot water with vinegar and baking soda while he kindly cleaned the rank smelling rug for me. It’s still sitting outside deputrifying.
Arran’s puking episode made me nervous, since when you look up “dog’s vomit that smells like poop” on Google, most sites tell you it’s a veterinary emergency because your dog has surely got a bowel obstruction. However, Bill had seen Arran eat some kind of feces while they were walking in the field behind our house. I know Arran well enough to know that he fancies himself a poop hunter while on walks… but he doesn’t have the iron constitution of his predecessor, MacGregor, who was a true connoisseur of all things crappy. Arran usually throws up when he eats shit; that’s why I tend to keep him on a short leash behind our house. Since Bill was walking him today, he had a little more freedom to get into trouble. Anyway, fortunately after his one extremely disgusting vomit fest, Arran was fine.
**Nasty part is done… weak stomached readers can read again…**
So off we went to the Mineraltherme. I was drying clothes before we left and had the dryer running. Bill was nervous about it, so we went back and turned the dryer off.
I was a little hungry when we got to the spa. We first stopped in their restaurant and I had a glass of Riesling and a nice bowl of carrot and ginger soup. It was served with a somewhat soggy piece of bread covered with melted mozzarella cheese. Bill had a ham and cheese panini and a beer. They served us a house shot of soup, which I didn’t eat because it was made with mushrooms. I don’t ever eat mushrooms, but even if I had liked them a little, I was still a little grossed out by Arran. The earthy mushroom aroma was doing nothing for my stomach or my nerves.
My carrot ginger soup. It was okay, though probably could have used a little salt… or maybe more ginger.
Bill’s panini. He declared it “substantial”. He also enjoyed the wild mushroom soup shots.
We spent the next couple of hours enjoying the pools at the Mineraltherme. Although Bill is generally reluctant to go there, he’s always relaxed when we leave and never regrets going. We did have a good time, despite getting a few peevish looks from a couple of older gentlemen. I didn’t go down to the textile free area today because we didn’t have time. One of these days, I will disrobe and enjoy the freedom of being naked in front of complete strangers. I may need more Riesling to do it, though.
We got home at about 5:30 or so, took the dogs out for a wee, and I washed our swimsuits and such on a short cycle. I put them in the dryer. Then we left for our dinner at the Gasthaus Lamm. On the way there, I started feeling nervous about the dryer. I went as far as to look up on the web to see if we were taking a big risk by letting it run while we were out. I had visions of coming home to an obliterated house and two dead dogs. At the same time, the rational side of me told me I was being ridiculous. I now know that leaving major appliances running when you aren’t home is probably not worth the risk or my neurotic worrying.
Bill parked the car and we headed for the adorable Gasthaus Lamm. Although the restaurant is clearly popular with locals and we used to visit Herrenberg all the time when we lived here the first time, we had not been there before. When we entered the building, we were immediately charmed by how cozy and quaint it is. Make no mistake, the Gasthaus Lamm in Herrenberg is a very small venue. You may wish to make reservations before going for dinner.
Herrenberg at Christmastime… sehr cute.
We were warned that we would be sharing a table. Sure enough, we joined a German couple at a rather private little four top tucked away in a corner. We had a good view of the bar, where the young, attractive waitresses were slinging beers. The place was pretty much packed and it was all Germans, having a good time on a Thursday night.
Outside of the restaurant.
It was a little like being home at Granny’s house in the restaurant, since we were sitting at a table with a couple of people we didn’t know and the place was wall to wall people. Those who went to Longwood with me in the 90s may remember Macado’s restaurant during that era. The ambiance was much more authentically charming at Gasthaus Lamm, but the space constraints were very similar… Those who don’t know what I’m writing about can just imagine themselves in a really cute but tiny, cozy restaurant.
We started with Schimpf Christmas beers… These were nice, though somewhat pedestrian. They did chase away my thirst, though.
Bill ordered the special wild boar being offered tonight with spatzle and red cabbage slaw. It came with a little pot of gravy to go with that already on the meat.
I had a cordon blue schnitzel with fries… I awarded points when the waitress asked if I wanted ketchup or mayo to go with my fries. That rarely happens!
This was what our plates looked like when we finally quit eating. The food was very good. Bill’s boar was especially good. But it’s for people who have huge stomachs!
For dessert, we both had hefeweizens. This was very good. Reminded me a bit of Franziskaner. I had never before had either of the beers offered at Gasthaus Lamm, but I liked them both. I especially enjoyed the Berg Ulrich Bier.
Obligatory Bill shot, after our German stranger dinner companions departed. It was a little odd sitting with them, because it seemed like both couples were trying to pretend the other couple wasn’t there. The table was rather intimate, rather than the long table I was expecting. Also, I know people think I look dumb when I photograph food for this blog. I did like the little alcove, though. It was nice and private, otherwise. The other couple was nice enough, too. Anyway, breaking bread with strangers and family is what Thanksgiving is all about, right?
A shot of the bar from where I was sitting. Other people were sitting on the other sides.
As I was sitting on the cute little bench, I noticed my buns were warm. It reminded me of our old house, which had a masonry heater. When we used it, the bench would heat up and I’d have a nice warm butt… warmer than sitting on the dryer or getting a good spanking. But actually, last night I was just sitting over a heating vent. What a thrill it was having my buns toasted in a restaurant!
A shot of the other side of the table from where I was sitting, again after the other couple left.
Wall art. They had a lot of cool stuff on the walls. We also tried that beer…
A message on the bottom of my glass… Is it German or Schwabish? Who knows? It’s backwards as well as in a language other than my mother tongue.
Anyone want to translate?
Our total bill came to 44,60. That was for two very substantial and tasty meals and four beers between us. Service was pleasant, friendly, and competent. Our servers seemed to take pride in speaking English to us, even though when it comes to restaurants, we can sort of get by in German. The lady who took our reservation also spoke English. The food was very good, though the portions were huge. It seemed like more of a bar atmosphere than a restaurant, but clearly the locals love it. We will definitely be back… In fact, we need to get back into the habit of visiting Herrenberg. I had forgotten how cute it is, especially at this time of year!
We came home and happily found our house still intact, despite my decision to run the dryer while we were out. The dogs were glad to see us and are now blissfully sleeping on my new sheets. I am about to join them.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Stay tuned, because we will make up for last week’s lack of restaurant outings this weekend!
After yesterday’s hike to the Bad Urach waterfall, I woke up with slightly sore thighs this morning and was way overdue for a trip to Mineraltherme Böblingen. I talked Bill into going and mentioned that I might even check out the textile free area. I had a feeling Bill wouldn’t be into getting naked, but with a little cajoling, he usually can be talked into venturing beyond his comfort zone. We had to get some cash on the way in, but the parking lot at the bank where Bill usually gets cash was full. We went to the next lot, then made our way through Jettingen’s annoying road project.
As we approached the spa, it became pretty clear that a lot of people had the same idea I did. Bill quickly grabbed a free parking spot on the way into the Mineraltherme. Lucky thing he did, too. They were pretty packed. When we went inside, there was a line to pay the cashier.
But first, we needed lunch, so we stopped at the Mineraltherme’s restaurant. It was fairly empty.
I said something obnoxious to get him to make this face.
Here’s a more normal photo.
After perusing the menu for a few minutes, I decided to have the trout special pictured below and a glass of locally made Riesling that was surprisingly good. Bill had a beer and a salad plate with avocado wrapped in smoked ham.
We started off with these shot glasses of bean soup. I really enjoyed this. In fact, the bean soup inspired me to make some soup sometime before we head off to Austria on Friday. I love soup, especially when it’s getting cooler outside.
This was my lunch. The trout was very nice. It was lying atop the French culinary trifecta of celery, shallots, and carrots and served with parsleyed potatoes. How healthy.
Bill’s salad. It was very large and quite tasty.
As we were finishing lunch, I was watching people go downstairs into the textile free area. I noticed a lot of them were wearing bathing suits or robes. That made me feel somewhat less tentative. But then, just as I was starting to relax, an old woman walked past our window almost completely naked. She had a very small towel covering her front, while her backside was totally nude. I was really not expecting to see someone’s naked ass as I finished my lunch while sitting in the non-nudity area, but I figured I could go with the flow. Bill said the look of shock on my face was priceless.
After lunch, we got our tickets, went into the locker room, changed into bathing suits, and promptly got in a stau as two very large women blocked the way out because they couldn’t get their locker to lock. After a quick shower, we went to the main pool and waded around for awhile. Then we went outside and dodged the many bodies cavorting in the water. I think today was the most crowded I’ve ever seen the Mineraltherme, though it was pretty busy on Easter Sunday, too.
We ventured into the warmer pool near the solarium and talked for awhile. I watched a few people suck face. Bill complained about the chlorine, which he said was stronger than usual. Then we went back inside. We totally skipped two pools because they were really full of people. I decided to be brave and go into the textile free area to see if it was something I wanted to try. To my surprise, it was totally not a big deal.
Yes, there were quite a few naked people walking around. A lot of them were people one might expect to be embarrassed about being naked, though perhaps refreshingly, they weren’t at all perturbed about it. I find that attitude very liberating. I mean, most of us have things about us we’d like to change. We’re all naked under our clothes. And you can always avert your eyes.
There were also people wearing swimsuits. I expected to feel uncomfortable, but I didn’t really. I went back upstairs and got Bill. He came down and had a look after some gentle persuasion from yours truly. After he checked it out, he conceded that it wasn’t that bad, even though I sensed that to him there’s a difference between looking at naked people and being one himself.
Why am I reminded of this?
I said we needed to come back on a weekday morning and try it. Today, it was just way too crowded, even if I had felt totally at ease in my birthday suit. It was so busy there weren’t any places to sit. I will definitely try it out, though, even if Bill sticks to the clothed area. I want to be prepared for when we finally visit Baden Baden and hit Friedrichsbad. I really think I could assimilate to this nudity thing going on in Germany. Bill probably never will.
After checking out the textile free area, we each had a glass of Grüner Veltliner and watched a water gymnastics class… which really looked more like water aerobics. The teacher cracked me up. She was tall, slim, and had a very high pitched voice. I liked how she had everyone wave their hands in the air as she said “Tschuss!”.
I chatted with Bill about the importance of being brave… as I realize that it’s been about seven months since the dentist told me I need a tooth extraction. I am one to talk about not being chickenshit. But I am less afraid of being naked in front of people than having a dentist take out my tooth. I do have an appointment to have that done, though. As of the 22nd, my dental implant process will begin. Anyway, in my defense, Bill almost always thanks me when I push him into doing something outside his comfort zone. He’s just bashful about his body, which is something I can understand.
We needed to drop by Patch Barracks to pick up a few things, gas up my car, and top up our phones. On the way there, we were in front of what appeared to be a soccer mom in a Toyota. Bill said, “There’s an American with a lead foot behind us.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
“Because she’s driving a van.” he said. “And it’s a Toyota.”
“Are you starting to become annoyed by Americans?” I asked him.
He laughed and said, “Yes.”
I’m sure he’s not the only one. On the other hand, given that we are Americans and most definitely annoy Germans, I thought it was a pretty funny observation. If we were comedians, we could probably make a SNL worthy sketch from being Americans in Europe annoyed by Americans.
To celebrate the fact that it’s the weekend and Aunt Flow isn’t here yet, Bill and I decided to head to the Mineraltherme Böblingen. Today’s visit was our fourth ever and our second since we came back to Germany. I really just wanted to unwind. I think it would have been good for Bill, too, though it usually takes some doing to get him to agree to go. Once he does, he’s usually glad he went.
I reviewed the mineral baths last time we went, which was at Easter. If you want to know about the ins and outs of the baths, click here. Today, I mostly want to focus on the restaurant at the Mineraltherme, Restaurant Thermini. Bill and I ate there once last time we lived here. I seem to remember having a turkey dish with quark and quince. It was good, but not amazing. Today, we went back for lunch and things were different. First off, I’d swear the restaurant was bigger. Secondly, I really liked what we had.
We started with a couple of big beers…
Then the waiter brought out shot glasses with lentil soup in them.
I had a delicious lachs (salmon) filet with spinach and latkes. There was a light creme sauce, too.
Bill had the antipasto. Lots of veggies (eggplant, carrots, endive, and zucchini), cheeses, cold cuts, and olives.
We also got very fresh bread of the baguette variety. I really enjoyed my lunch. Unfortunately, I had an incident involving something getting stuck in my throat. You know when you try to swallow a pill and it gets stuck going down? That’s kind of how I felt today, though it wasn’t quite as uncomfortable. I swallowed and kept trying to flush it with beer, but it wouldn’t budge. Fortunately, I’d had enough food by the time this happened. Once I got changed and in the pools, the stuck food feeling went away. It sucks getting older. Total charge was 28 euros! What a bargain!
Very pleasant place… mood music, good service, tables not too close together, and an outdoor area that allows smoking for those who must.
After lunch, Bill and I paid 22 euros (11 euros each) for 3.5 hours in the Mineraltherme. As usual, it was very relaxing and today it wasn’t all that busy. I did see a few young couples making out and at least one pissy grandmother who seemed annoyed by all the face sucking going on. But I also saw an adorable young mom who looked like Kirsten Dunst and her cute little boy, a smiling lad of maybe three who was having a blast. No one bothered us as we soaked and floated in the many heated salty pools. I kept looking at the stairs leading to the nude area, but Bill wasn’t having it. Someday, I’ll brave the naked part of the Mineraltherme. I have nothing to lose. Seriously, no one cares what your goodies look like.
After about two and a half hours, Bill complained of being itchy and pruney skinned, so we covered up and tried the snack bar, run by the same people who run the restaurant. Indeed, it’s attached to the restaurant, so you can use your chipband to “pay” for your order (you actually pay at the automat on the way out of the baths). We each enjoyed a generous glass of Gruner Veltliner. I “might” have also had a glass of rose. Total for the three glasses of wine was 12 euros and it was interesting to watch people. Bill had a good time watching a couple of young guys being rebuffed by two girls who weren’t into them. Actually, only one of the guys seemed to want to find a date. The other guy just seemed to want to hang out with his buddy.
On the way home from the Mineraltherme, we passed a horrible accident on the north side of 81 involving a jackknifed and overturned horse trailer. Thankfully, the horses seemed to be fine, though I can’t imagine how they escaped unscathed. The trailer was literally on its side. Traffic was understandably backed up. Good thing we were headed south. ETA: My German friend Susanne has helpfully provided this link to a German news story about this wreck. It includes 17 photos. Again, I am truly shocked the horses were mostly okay after this, although the grey one was apparently and understandably traumatized and didn’t want to be loaded into another trailer. Frankly, I can’t blame the horse for that!
We went to the Real. Jettingen has one, but I have only been in it a handful of times. Bill usually goes there on his way home from work. It was a treat to go with him today because I goaded him into buying me some treats.
It was raining and sunny at the same time, so I was able to snap this shot…
Turkish food at Real. We got some cheese for Bill to try. It comes from Kars, which is a Turkish city very close to Armenia. In fact, it was once part of Armenia. I was once at the bus station in that city for several hours… and we had to take a bus from Kars to the Georgian border because you can’t get to Armenia from Kars. I am not a fan of Ayran, but know what it is because Armenians drink a similar yogurt drink called tan (pronounced tawn).
Good old crappy Efes. Drank a lot of this in Armenia. Shitty Turkish beer, but it’s not all that bad on draft.
Real Budweiser. Good stuff.
And an obligatory bathroom condom dispenser photo.
All in all, it was a very good day. I had made tentative plans to go to Cocina Mexicana if only because it’s such a controversial place. We didn’t go today because it wasn’t open until 4:30 and I needed food sooner than then.
Bill and I were here when the Cocina Mexicana was by the Esso in Vaihingen and avoided it because we had heard the food wasn’t good. Now we hear the food isn’t necessarily bad (depending on who you ask), but the owner is a bit nutty. Given that, I want to see for myself, even if it means eating bad “Mexican” food. And who knows? Maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised. We will try to get there soon to try it. Too bad it’s not open on Sundays, because that is when we are usually in Vaihingen. If it turns out the food and service is too horrible, we’ll just head to Taverna Olympos. Been wanting to try that place, too, and never did last time we were here.
Like a lot of Americans, I was wondering what we’d be doing for Easter. Easter is a big weekend in Germany and a lot of places shut down on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Easter is always on Sunday anyway, so a lot of places would be closed regardless.
We didn’t go anywhere yesterday because the weather sucked. I didn’t even manage to get dressed and I spent most of the day drinking cocktails and playing Facebook games. I was determined to make up for that today. First off, I had Bill make reservations at the Waldheim Restaurant, since one of the family members who runs it was kind enough to tell us they’d be open on Easter and they were advertising asparagus, which is now in season. Next, I decided we needed to visit the Mineraltherme Boeblingen.
We had one o’clock reservations, so I got all gussied up…
I decided to look at the sun while I took the photo… Beats my usual pseudo-sexual look, right? Maybe not.
After beagle proofing the house, we headed toward Boeblingen. The Waldheim was doing a brisk business. We were seated in a small dining room with two other tables of Americans.
It was a little like sitting at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving, but we didn’t mind…
Bill sure looks spiffy in his new sweater. I may have to steal that from him.
We both had Weizenbocks… at first the waitress didn’t understand what Bill wanted, but soon all was clear.
The Waldheim Restaurant was offering a special menu for Easter and an asparagus menu, along with their regular fare. I had been jonesing for asparagus earlier this week, so I ordered it with pork medallions. It came with lots of Hollandaise Sauce and parsley potatoes.
One bite of this and Bill could tell I was loving it. The asparagus was really excellent. Last time we were here, we didn’t get into asparagus, but we did enjoy it on a Space A trip to Germany and Austria in May 2012.
Bill had the special wild boar with spatzle, red cabbage, and some kind of berry sauce. The wild boar was succulent and excellent, but I think I liked my dish a little better. Cabbage does a number of me and makes me unpleasant to be around.
I catch Bill enjoying his meal…
We decided to order dessert. After careful consideration, I chose the Waldheim Eis, which was chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and Eierlikor (egg liqueur). As you can see, Germans take their ice cream seriously and it was delivered with much fanfare.
This was very yummy, though… and the waitress said it is her favorite dessert…
The folks at the table next to us saw the desserts and noticed as I took a photo. When the waitress came back, one man at the table got all excited. He told the waitress he’d have what I was having. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize the ice cream had alcohol in it and was apparently sensitive to it for medical reasons. I watched him cringe as he tasted it. I felt kind of bad for him. He asked me what the liquor was and I told him. The waitress confirmed it. Maybe I should have warned him, but since we didn’t know each other, I figured it wasn’t my place.
Bill had the warm Vienna style apple strudel. It came with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.
The guy who had accidentally ingested alcohol came over to chat with us when it became obvious Bill knew some of the same people he did. He was very nice to talk to. Turns out he’s a chaplain and has only been in the area for a few months. He and his wife seemed to be enjoying themselves, though, along with several folks who appeared to be good friends. That’s one thing I love about living abroad. You often end up meeting more people because many Americans are here for the same reason and know a lot of the same people. You recognize people who are from where you’re from and you kind of bond.
I doubt what happened today would have happened in a place like San Antonio. I still know folks from my Peace Corps years in Armenia that I doubt I would have met if I hadn’t lived abroad at the same time they did. We just wouldn’t have run in the same circles.
Our total bill was 61 euros. That included two excellent lunches, three beers between us, and two desserts. The Waldheim Restaurant will be in Boeblingen until May 25th; then it will close until July as the owners relocate to a new place in Renningen.
The parking lot had mostly cleared out by the time we left. We even saw some snowflakes as we ate.
After lunch, we went to the Mineraltherme. Last time we visited was in 2007, when we were here last time. Bill and I really enjoyed going there during our first Germany tour, but never managed to go back after we found a house. I had been wanting to go back there for a long time, so Bill finally relented. Parking is free and plentiful. You should bring a towel and shower shoes if you want them.
On the way to the Mineraltherme…
For obvious reasons, I didn’t take a camera into the pool area. For 11 euros per adult, you get 2.5 hours in the Mineraltherme, which has several heated and unheated saltwater pools, a sauna, and a solarium. For the uninitiated, it can be a little tricky visiting for the first time. The signs are all in German, after all, as one would expect them to be. But they give you a watch-like disc that you wear on your wrist and that serves as a time keeper and lets you buy food and beverages without a wallet.
Bill always has a good time when we go anywhere there’s water, but he’s shy about his body. Of course, in Europe most people aren’t too shy about baring themselves. If I may be candid, I would also add that Bill’s body is definitely nothing out of the ordinary or anything to be ashamed of, especially compared to some of the people I saw today. We Americans should take a lesson from Germans and not be so shy and embarrassed about nudity. They honestly don’t care what you look like and frankly, it’s very liberating. One of these days, I’m going to brave public nudity… or at least try a textile free sauna!
We spent our whole time in the pools, watching people make out and a few brave souls getting into the cold water plunge pool. We saw one poor kid with a prodigiously bleeding nose. I felt very sorry for him, but at least he had someone helping him. I’m not really sure what happened, but I’m guessing it involved horseplay.
After a couple of hours of fun in the Mineraltherme, we emerged feeling very relaxed. It was a little tricky figuring out how to exit, but with help from a staffer, we were able to turn in the wrist bands and make our way home. I now feel like taking a nice long nap.
I have decided I need to go to the Mineraltherme much more often, even if it means I go by myself. I love that place. I need to book a massage, too. Germans really know how to relax. I just try not to think about how many people might have peed in the water.
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