Tag Archives: Nagold

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Lunch at Restaurant Burg in Nagold…

Once again, we thought about visiting the Freibad in Nagold.  Once again, we got a look at the crowds and decided against it.  That meant we needed to find a place for lunch.  We were going to try a place we’d never been before, but were told there was no food today.  So we kept walking and wound up at Restaurant Burg, a lovely family restaurant in Nagold’s center where we’d eaten once before a couple of years ago.

On the way into town… sleepy ducks!

 

We were lured into their garten, which was advertised as open for lunch.  It was very inviting, with lots of plants and plenty of umbrellas for shade.  It was also well attended today, with plenty of people enjoying hearty local fare.

One of the reasons I like Nagold… has a lot of what I like about Tuebingen without the crowds.

We took one of the few tables that wasn’t reserved.  Bill ordered us a dry white wine and our usual bottle of Spruedel.

I had delicious dorade filets on greens– beautifully prepared Swiss chard, broccoli, and spinach, along with the usual salted, boiled potatoes.  Bill was very excited about the greens.  I was happy to let him share them, because although they were perfectly cooked, there was too much for me!  The fish was also delicious– very fresh and lightly fried.

Bill had homemade raviolis stuffed with spinach and ricotta and dressed with Parmesan cheese, basil and pinenuts.

 

We really should eat at Restaurant Burg more often.  They lady who runs it is so nice and the food is outstanding.  We also really like the inside, which is very quaint, and the outdoor area with its garden feel.  It was warm today, but there was a nice breeze.  We decided to have dessert.

Bill had a red fruit parfait with vanilla ice cream and berries.

I went with a glass of Italian dessert wine and “cantuccini”, otherwise known as biscotti.  They are twice baked almond cookies that you can dip in the wine (or in coffee, if you’d rather).

 

I was impressed by how beautifully everything was presented and how most people seemed to be having a really nice time enjoying each other’s company.  It was a very pleasant scene.  The bill came to 59 euros and was well worth the cost.

The outside of Restaurant Burg.

We left just after they closed down lunch.

On the way back to the car, we got mooned by a swan who was looking for food.

Hungry bird!

 

Baby duck!

 

The pool was even more crowded when we came back, so we decided to go home and enjoy our new air conditioner, which made last night a lot nicer for sleeping.  I think that was 499 euros well spent.  Wish we’d done that weeks ago.

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Keeping our cool on August 4th… and lunch at Fellini’s in Nagold

Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile… and there may be a few of you out there in Internetland… may remember that on July 4th, 2015, Bill and I succumbed to the German heat wave of 2015 and bought an air conditioner.  Three years and one month ago, we went down to our trusty Toom in Herrenberg and bought a portable AC.  I will confess that I do use it every summer for the few weeks when it gets oppressively hot here in Germany.

This year, we are in the midst of another heat wave.  I don’t think it’s quite as hot as it was in 2015, but the heat has been very persistent and shows no signs of breaking.  Our yard is positively scorched.  We have a little more money because I recently paid off the last of my student loans and, it’s also not lost on me that someday in the near future, I will probably be having my first hot flashes.  Plus, I’m just sick and tired of being hot and sweating all the time.  It really saps the energy and puts me in a foul mood.  Bill has air conditioning where he works, but I only had it in my one big room.  I’m tired of being hot all night and waking up uncomfortable and not rested because I’ve been roasting in bed.

This morning after breakfast, Bill asked me what I wanted to do today.  Noting that it wasn’t even 9:00am and I was already dripping sweat, I said, “Why don’t we go to the Freibad.”

Quite predictably, Bill grimaced at that idea.  He hates going to the Freibad even more than he hates our nude afternoons at the spa.  So then I said, “Or we could go buy a new air conditioner for the bedroom.”

High tech or low tech?  The Germans have you covered.  Buy a portable AC for over 400 euros or buy a little battery powered fan with a mister for about 3 euros.

Last year or the year prior, I had Bill set up the window in our bedroom with a “hot air stopper”.  It’s basically a velcro kit you put on your windows and attach a piece of fabric with a zipper running through it.  You thread the hose of a portable air conditioner through the zipper and zip it tight so that hot air is filtered out.  However, we never did get around to buying another air conditioner for the bedroom.  It wasn’t as hot for as long in 2016 or 2017, so we just never bothered.

Much to my surprise, Bill agreed.  He also agreed to the Freibad.  I suggested we go to find the AC in Nagold and then hit the pool afterward.  I figured we’d be less likely to worry about early Saturday closing times that way.

So off we went to the Bauhaus/Media Markt in Nagold.  We checked the Bauhaus first, since our first AC came from a hardware/home improvement store.  There were no ACs at the Bauhaus.  So we went downstairs to Media Markt, and there by the front door, there were several air conditioners ripe for the picking.  They had several for 479 euros and one floor model for 499 euros.  They were more powerful than the one we already have in my “big hot room”.  Bill decided to buy the lone floor model.  That took some effort…

You see, buying stuff at Media Markt is not necessarily like buying something in the United States, especially when you’re in Nagold.  Nagold is one of my favorite local towns, but I have noticed that people who speak English are markedly fewer there.  In a way, it’s refreshing, unless you need to buy eyeglasses, set up a cell phone plan, or purchase an air conditioner.  Bill was passed to several different staffers until one who spoke some English was located.  He bought the machine, which was their last of that model, paid for it, and then drove around back to pick it up.

Now… you might think this would be a quick endeavor.  It wasn’t.  The warehouse guy insisted in packing up the air conditioner perfectly in its box.  That took some time.  He had to put the cumbersome machine into the box, make sure all of the stuff that came with it was packed perfectly, and the whole thing was taped to perfection.  I wasn’t too upset about that focus on precision.  I mean, at least we didn’t have to load it into the car ourselves, like we did at the Toom.

After we bought our new air conditioner, we drove to a large parking lot in Nagold and went to lunch at Fellini’s Ristorante, a nice looking Italian place in Nagold that we hadn’t yet tried.

Bill checks out the menu.  It was pretty appealing, with a summer menu, pizzas, pastas, and a lunch menu for the work week.  We ordered off the summer menu.

Nice outdoor area.  Plenty of seating and shade, which my pale skinned, blue-eyed, blonde self likes.

 

We shared a bottle of San Pellegrino.  Bill had a glass of Barbera and I had a glass of Frascati, a white wine that comes from the town of Frascati, which is about 25 kilometers southeast of Rome.  I think it might be the only time I’ve ever had Frascati.  I liked it.  It reminded me a little of Pinot Grigio.

I had the Salmone Fresco, which I chose over several other appealing choices.  Unfortunately, the “bed of vegetables” it came with was loaded with mushrooms, which was a real turn off.  The description in the menu did not mention mushrooms, although mushrooms were mentioned for Bill’s beef carpaccio, pictured below.  Fortunately, he was a good sport and took them off my plate.  And the dish didn’t have the flavor of fungus…

Bill’s beef carpaccio was a hit.  He said it was like a steak salad.  

 

I couldn’t finish the whole dish.  The salmon portion was substantial and I was a little put off by the ‘shrooms.   Bill was proud of me, though, because I neither ran screaming from the restaurant or refused to eat it.  Truthfully, I thought it was a good dish.  Both came with a basket of fresh pizza bread, which was very nice.  Next time we go, I’ll make sure to specify no mushrooms.  I noticed other patrons getting dishes loaded with them.  I’m sure they’d rather save them for people who would appreciate them.  The waiter did seem concerned that I didn’t clean my plate.  I was genuinely full, though, and left satisfied.  I did have a nice glass of dry Rosado for “dessert”.

The facade at Fellini’s.  This restaurant seems to get mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, but is given high marks on Google and Facebook.  We’d go back.  I will just be sure to emphasize “ohne Pilze” next time.

We walked back to the pool area and I noticed it was really packed.  I decided I’d rather go home, set up the new AC, take a shower, and drink in the privacy of my own home.  We may try the Freibad tomorrow.  Maybe we’ll go early, while some people are at church.  We did go to Lidl, though, to pick up a few things.  I love going in there, because you never know what they’ll be selling…

Our Lidl in Nagold has sewing machines… and next to this was a large cardboard display with CDs ranging by everyone from Barry Manilow to Amy Winehouse.  It was truly a bizarre mixture of artists.  There were a couple of German artists, at least one Italian (Zucchero), a CD by ABBA, and one by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

 

Junk aisle!

 

At that point, Bill asked me if I wanted any sandwich meat for the week ahead.  I said sure.  Then we stumbled across the monstrosity pictured below…

This ain’t no Bisquik.  McEnnedy “American” style junk food is always a hoot.

Meatballs and pulled pork!  Oh my!

And “Funktionsshorts”… whatever the hell those are.  The sparkly garment above was actually a form fitting spandex minidress with a zipper down the back.  If you need a last minute party garment, Lidl has you covered.

No, these aren’t leftover Easter eggs.  These are pre-cooked hardboiled eggs that are supposed to be put in kids’ lunchboxes.  One of Bill’s co-workers bought some thinking they’d be raw and he could cook himself a nice omelette.  He was surprised when the eggs were already cooked through.

 

We came home with some Magnum ice cream bars, which I had to wait for due to a gaggle of excited kids out with Opa.  As we were checking out, I noticed Opa had also gifted them with Kinder Eggs.  I had to smile, since Kinder Eggs are banned in America due to a perceived choking hazard.  We won’t let American kids be threatened by hollow chocolate eggs with toys in them, but we have no problem letting them have access to guns.  The longer I live in Germany, the weirder the United States seems.

Anyway, while I was showering, Bill was good enough to set up our new AC.  It’s now primed for use tonight and much quieter than the one we bought in 2015.  I suspect I won’t be so hot in the morning.  That’s a good thing.  And maybe tomorrow, we’ll hit the pool for the one and only time this summer.

If you’re in Germany now and this is a new thing to you, just hang in there.  A month from now, it’ll be time to start thinking about jackets and heating again.

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Bill’s birthday eve at Luz Bistro in Nagold…

Today is Bill’s 54th birthday.  As far as I know, we don’t have any special plans.  We didn’t have special plans last night, either, but we decided to have dinner at Luz Bistro and Bar in Nagold.  Bill and I have eaten there quite a few times over the past few years.  In fact, I think the staff is starting to think of us as regulars.

The weather was very pleasant when we arrived at the restaurant.  Several people were enjoying the terrace.  We decided to join them.  The restaurant was recommending barbecue style steaks, which I guess is different than the American version.  Bill decided that’s what he wanted to have.  I went with a rib eye and pommes.  We paired it with a bottle of house red, which was apparently commissioned by Marina Hentsch, one of the proprietors.

Both sides of the bottle.  This was a very nice blended German wine, created by Marina Hentsch.  Ms. Hentsch came over to see if we’d ordered and I had a chance to show off my developing German skills when I said, “Sie kommt.”  Our waitress beamed because that’s probably the most German she’s ever heard me speak.

Bill looks goofy as we wait for our steaks and smell cigarette and cigar smoke.

Bill’s barbecue style steak came with a baked potato with sour cream and was topped with bacon, corn, and barbecue sauce.  It was cooked to a perfect medium temperature.  He said the sauce actually had a bit of heat to it, which he loved.

I enjoyed my rib eye, which was just the right size.  It came with a krauterbutter and a chilled garlicky butter that I wasn’t sure if it was intended for the frites or the steak.  I tried it on both.  The beef was tender and perfectly cooked.  It was very good, especially for a German steak.

 

While we were eating, a sudden rainstorm developed.  We tried to stick it out, but the rain came down harder and we were finally driven inside.  The smokers simply moved to a corner table, where they could be sheltered from the rain and still ogle the young women passing.  I do enjoy this time of year in Germany, when the weather is nice enough for people watching, even if I don’t generally enjoy the month of July for other reasons.

We grabbed the first table by the door leading outside, mainly just to finish our wine and have dessert.  The rain came down for a steady clip, although it had stopped by the time we were finished with dinner. 

 

I don’t always go for dessert, but since it was Bill’s birthday eve, we decided to splurge.  I had a Schwarzwalderbecher (Black Forest kiss), pictured below…

This was so good!  It was basically a parfait of chocolate mousse and cream flavored with kirschwasser (cherry water) liqueur.  At the bottom was a small piece of chocolate cake and in the middle was a scoop of cherry ice cream.  Although it was kind of pricey at 10,50 euros, it wasn’t too much.

Bill had panna cotta with strawberries.  It, too, was beautifully presented and tasted good.  We are never disappointed at Luz or its more upscale cousin, Alte Post.  

 

The Alte Post, which is a fantastic feature offered at Luz, is currently closed due to a lack of qualified workers.  Apparently, this is a problem across Germany.  There aren’t enough people to wait tables or do other, similar work.  It’s a shame, since the restaurant got a Michelin star in 2016.  Hopefully, the closure is temporary.  They do still offer the upstairs dining for events.

 

The total bill came to about 111 euros before the tip.  That’s more than we usually spend on dinners we didn’t plan in advance.  Good thing my student loans will finally be paid off next month!  I think today, we might head into Tuebingen for a bit.  There is a gastro fest going on this weekend that we don’t want to miss.

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Celebrating 46 years circling the planet at Osteria da Gino’s in Nagold and drinking “crispy” wine!

Yesterday was my birthday.  It was a great day, even though I’m now officially even closer to turning 50.  Bill and I usually try to do fun things on birthdays, although last year, when I turned 45, we spent a rather hellish day driving home from Belgium and got caught in multiple traffic jams.  The upside is that we came home with a lot of great beer, chocolate, and fantastic memories.

This year, Bill went to work, and I enjoyed a rare imported CD on which I spent lots of cash.  I also listened to my landlords cut the grass and the road workers repairing the street that runs in front of our house.  The duplicate tickets I ordered for Paul Simon’s concert in Dublin next month also arrived, so I can breathe easy that we won’t be going to Dublin simply for the Guinness.

When Bill’s work day was over, he came home, presented me with a new iPad, and took me out to dinner at my FAVORITE restaurant in the entire Stuttgart area.  I’m writing, once again, about Osteria da Gino in Nagold– not to be confused with the Osteria da Gino in Herrenberg, which is also a great place to eat.

If you check this blog, you will see that I’ve written about Gino’s awesome restaurant in Nagold many times.  We discovered it in the spring of 2015, when I read glowing reviews on Trip Advisor.  Nagold is very close to where we live and it’s a super cute town, so it’s always a pleasure to go there in any event.  Dinner at Gino’s is always a treat, and not just because the food is amazing.  Gino and his wife are simply awesome people, richly endowed with the gift of hospitality.  I never feel like I’m a customer when I eat at their restaurant.  I always feel like family… albeit family that pays a check at the end of the meal!

Below are some pictures from last night’s glorious birthday dinner!

Obligatory shot of Bill, reacting to one of my crude jokes.  He’s always good for a laugh!

He gives me this look when I’m on the hot tamale train, which doesn’t happen very often these days.  I did decide to get “dolled up”, though, since it was my birthday and my former English professor, who is now a Facebook friend, wanted me to post a new profile picture.  I was happy to oblige.

We did not make Gino or his wife aware that it was my birthday when we made the very necessary reservations.  It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because they always treat us like family.  But I did tell the chef that I was “older”…

So Gino’s wife brought me a flower!  

 

It’s not a good idea to visit Gino’s without making a reservation.  In the colder months, people dine in his very small dining room, where it’s very likely that you’ll be sharing a table with another couple.  In fact, two years ago, Bill and I celebrated my 44th birthday at Gino’s and we shared a table with a French and German couple.  The wife was from the Nagold area and they had come to town to visit her family.  It was their first time at Gino’s and, since it was raining, we ate indoors.  I remember how much fun we had getting acquainted with the couple, who were raving about the food.

Last night, we had beautiful weather and a perfect temperature, so we ate outside at a two top.  When outside tables are available, it’s more likely that you’ll have a table to yourself, although that’s not a given.  We saw at least three couples sharing a four top in the course of our dinner.  I have yet to be presented with a menu at Gino’s.  He usually just offers us what he has, although I know he does have a menu.  I kind of like to let Gino take the wheel.  I have never once been disappointed.

Antipast!  The usual orange and fennel salad and a new offering– a mixture of sausage, cheese, carrots, and red peppers…

Fresh bread…

And the rest… beautifully grilled peppers, zucchini, and eggplant, as well as burrata with fresh tomatoes, salami, prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, cheese, and dried ham.  

 

We washed this down with prosecco, then Gino’s wife asked us what kind of wine we’d like.  Neither Gino nor his wife speak English and though we’re doing better than ever with German, we still have a long way to go.  So when Bill was describing the kind of white wines we like, I said I enjoy “crisp” wines. Dutifully, Bill described it in German–  knusprig– which does mean “crispy”.  But really, it’s more of a word for “crunchy”– kind of akin to the cracklins on a Schweinshaxe or maybe a bowl of Rice Krispies.  Who drinks crunchy wine?  Well, I might try it once!  Anyway, although there is really no such thing as “crispy wine”, our order of “knusprig wine” got a big laugh!  The wine Gino’s wife brought us was less “crisp” and more “toast”, but it went very well with our fruits of the sea inspired dinner.

Followed by warm, lemony octopus…  I do like a little octopus, but I can’t eat too much of it because it’s very dense and protein rich.  But this was a nice prelude to what came next.

 

Normally, after we have the long antipasti phase, Gino brings out a simple pasta dish, then we have either a meat or fish main dish.  Last night, Gino had fresh lobsters.  He brought one out to us before he turned it into our dinner.  It was still alive!  I was so shocked, I didn’t get a picture of the poor, doomed soul.  Nevertheless, I can’t deny that I love lobster and I am not a vegetarian.  And if I hadn’t had him for dinner, someone else would have.

This was the main event… lobster with pasta and a pleasantly spicy tomato essence.  While my Texas husband could stand more heat, this was just perfect for me.  It was just a notch hotter than the preferred German level of spiciness, to remind us we were eating at an Italian restaurant.

 

Not everyone had lobster last night.  We noticed some people were served clams.  Some people had pasta with black truffles and perhaps a main course of osso bucco or a steak.  I noticed one couple enjoying pasta with Seeteufel (a type of fish).  You just never know what Gino will surprise you with… although the antipasti is pretty standard and you will never get pizza because Gino doesn’t do pizza.

I couldn’t finish all of the pasta because I knew I wanted dessert.  When Gino chided me for not finishing the pasta, I said “Dolci!  Dolci!”, which made him laugh.  One of the ladies who works in the kitchen brought out what is pictured below…

Fresh strawberries, panna cotta, hazelnut chocolate cake, blueberry ice cream, and something very coffee flavored…  Again, you never know what’s coming!  We were also treated to many happy football fans, driving around Nagold blasting their horns when their teams won.  The atmosphere was truly joyful.

As you can see, lots of people were enjoying Gino’s magic last night!  We had such a wonderful time!

 

Total damage for last night’s dinner was 147 euros.  We always pay cash, although Gino does take credit cards.  I should mention that you don’t have to have as many courses as we did.  One couple brought their tiny baby with them and only had a main course and wine.  When they left the unfinished bottle on the table, the chef chased them down and corked it for them.  They seemed very appreciative.  One other thing I noticed was that most of the people dining last night either seemed to know each other or knew Gino well.  But then, I don’t think Gino has ever met a stranger.  He is really a very gregarious guy who was born to throw parties.

It’s safe to say that this is my favorite restaurant in the area and I’ve tried a lot of them.  No one else offers quite the experience Gino does.  We need to visit him more often.

Well… here’s my new selfie.  I’m sure my English prof and everyone else who didn’t like my WTF face is happy now.

Last night’s dinner was definitely a rip roaring success.  If you’re looking for a very different kind of Italian meal, I would highly recommend Osteria da Gino’s in Nagold (not Herrenberg– though again, that’s also a nice place.)  Just call first, come with an open mind, and don’t be intimidated by the language.  I promise, Gino will take good care of you!

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Sundays

Thanks to Ruine Mandelberg, our Sunday wasn’t ruined!

This morning, Bill called my attention to a swollen cut on my dog, Zane’s, face.  He and our other dog, Arran, had a fight last night.  After Bill broke them up, he thought both dogs were okay.  Neither appeared to have a scratch.  In fact, Zane had actually come out the victor, having scored a rare rawhide treat that Arran had momentarily let out of his sight.  We were marveling at that, since Zane is not really a fighter and tends to be the less aggressive of our dogs.  But then this morning, there was that swollen place on his face.

Zane enjoyed the freshly mowed grass yesterday, before he and Arran had their little spat.  He’s going to be ten in November and both he and Arran have had cancerous mast cell tumors that have had to be surgically removed.  But they’re still plugging along and at each other.  

Bill and I don’t have kids together, so we tend to be neurotic about our dogs.  Because puncture wounds can get infected quickly, Bill decided to take Zane to the on duty vet, a gruff guy in Herrenberg named Dr. Katz.  Dr. Katz took a look at Zane, said he was fine, and told Bill to keep the spot clean.  Then he said goodbye without even bothering to charge Bill for the visit.

Since Zane seemed to be okay, Bill and I decided to go out to lunch in Nagold.  Afterwards, we had plans to visit Ruine Mandelberg, another one of my highway finds during our many recent trips to the Black Forest.  I had noticed the sign for it as we passed the turnoff for the little hamlet of Bösingen, a true one horse district if I’ve ever seen one.  I had looked up Ruine Mandelberg on the Internet and I wasn’t sure if it was something that would excite me, but since it’s pretty close to where we live, we decided today was the day to see it.

We started in Nagold, where parking is free on Sundays and you never know what’s going to happen. Lunch was at Provenciale, a little Italian restaurant near the main square.  We had eaten there before, but it had been awhile.  For some reason, this restaurant does not get good reviews on Trip Advisor.  I don’t know why.  Our experiences there have been good.  In fact, today we both enjoyed our pasta dishes.  I especially liked mine.

We enjoyed malty hefeweizens.  Sometimes, when I drink one of these, I taste Ovaltine.  That sounds strange until you realize that beer is malty and so is Ovaltine.  Bill had to move as the sun did.


Bill enjoyed cheese filled tortellini with spinach, ham, and gorgonzola cheese sauce.  He said it was delicious, even if he preferred yesterday’s mushroom extravaganza more.  Personally, I preferred his choice for today, if only because it didn’t smell of fungus!  Sigh– if I only liked mushrooms, my life would be so much easier!


I went with the very safe Tagliatelli Salmone, made with cream sauce and very tender, delicious pieces of salmon.  I loved it.  What can I say?  I like comfort food.  It shows… especially on my ass.  

 

This particular restaurant also specializes in ice cream and we saw plenty of people enjoying fancy Italian/German style ice cream treats today.  I think many people were substituting ice cream for lunch!  Our bill came to 27 euros, which Bill rounded up to 30.  Before we left, we caught the Albanian cultural/dance club Shota marching by.  My German friend says they were performing at Kinderfest today.  I caught a short video clip of them parading by.  I’ll have to see if I can upload it to YouTube.

After lunch, we got back on B28 and headed for Ruine Mandelberg.  We drove through tiny Bösingen, which has an interesting looking antique shop, a gasthaus, a church, and lots of pretty scenery.  There’s a road where cars are not supposed to go unless they are going to the ruins.  There’s a small parking area near a park/picnic area.  It’s free to park there and, as you can see below, there’s playground equipment for kids.

A map of the sights in the area.  If you wanted to, you could take a nice hike here.  There are lots of trails.

It looked like a group was having a picnic today.

 

We parked the car and started walking.  It was about 1.5 kilometers to the ruins themselves, though there were a couple of other trails and roads that made Bill nervous we weren’t going the right way.  

 

But then we rounded a corner and easily found the ruins, which date from the 12th century.  Actually, according to Wikipedia, the 11th century ruins predeceased what is there now.  The first time the castle was mentioned in documents was in 1287.  The castle burned down during the peasant revolts in 1525 and was never rebuilt.

A sign offering a brief history… in German, naturally!

The community of Pflazgrafenweiler purchased the property in 1970 and renovated what was left of the ruins.  In 1975, they renovated the keep, which is 35 meters high and offers nice views of the surrounding countryside.  Below are some pictures I took during our visit.


First glance of the tower.  A family of four was at the top when we first arrived.  They met us at the bottom as I was wondering whether or not I really wanted to climb up the extremely tight spiral staircases.  The parents were encouraging us in German, telling us it wasn’t unlike climbing the church spires in Ulm!

 

The first steps seem narrow…

 

And the tower seems high…  You do get two opportunities to pause on the way up and down.

 

But those steps are extremely narrow.  You must hold on to the railing and the center or risk falling.  Bill got dizzy going up the tight spiral.

 

But then you reach the top…  Thank GOD!  It’s very well fortified, so there’s no need to worry about falling.  Unfortunately, some people left trash up there.

 

At the top of the keep, we were rewarded with some very beautiful views.  Below are some pictures from the top of the tower.


This isn’t a great shot, mainly because the barrier prevented me from getting more of the grounds in the picture.  You can see the cistern on the left, which is unfortunately full of trash.

A couple of closer pictures of the cistern from the ground.

After a few minutes, we decided to climb back down.  Going down was less strenuous, but a bit scarier.  You can see how far down it is as you climb down.  I am very cautious about climbing, so I tend to go slowly.  The last thing I need is to faceplant in a tower.  When we got to the outside steps, I realized that might have been the best spot for picture taking, especially within the ruins.  Here is a 360 tour of the ruins.

Directions for other areas of interest.  I was too sweaty and dirty to hike more.

 

One last look at the tower.

Bill gazes at the view.

A cave?

With a friendly ghost?

Bars on the window…  wonder what for!

Auf wiedersehen, Ruine Mandelberg!

I couldn’t resist taking pictures of this pretty church we passed going in and out of the little hamlet.

I think these ruins are worth seeing if you’re interested in old castle ruins dating from the 12th century.  It might also make an okay stop on the way to Freudenstadt or some of the other attractions in the Black Forest.  It doesn’t take long to see the ruins, but if you wanted to hike longer, you certainly could, and the area is pretty and offers good picnic/play opportunities.  I’m glad we stopped by.  I was also considering visiting Herrenberg’s new Schönbuchturm, but figured it would be crowded, since it just opened yesterday.  Maybe we’ll do that next week!

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Olive Restaurant in Nagold…

We had such marvelous weather all week that I was itching to go have dinner al fresco.  So tonight, Bill and I decided to visit the Olive Restaurant in Nagold.  Although we’ve lived near Nagold since 2014, this was our first time visiting this Greek spot.  I first noticed it last fall when we visited the Waldachtal Restaurant and then when we went into the Black Forest a couple of months ago.  I could see they had a great Biergarten and today’s weather definitely called for that.  And I was in the mood for ouzo, too.  Off we went.

The Olive Restaurant is located on the western outskirts of Nagold.  We pass it when we go to the Black Forest.  Since we don’t always go that way when we head west, it’s easy to see how we missed this place for the three years we lived here before we had seen it.  The last time we passed it was when we went to see the wolf and bear park last month.  I remember making a mental note to go there the last time we passed it.

Tonight, we parked in their small lot, noticing that the restaurant is also a small hotel.  We walked in at 6:30pm.  A few people were already there, enjoying the covered Biergarten.  I was actually very impressed by the Biergarten.  It’s quite large and even boasts a swingset for the kids.  It looked to me like they hadn’t quite squared away the garten for the warmer weather, but I was glad to see it open tonight.

The front of the Olive…  

 

We had a seat and checked out the menu.  I’ve been following this restaurant’s Facebook page, so I know they have some impressive looking food.  But I wasn’t that hungry tonight.  We ordered our usual sparkling water and red wine.  Curiously, they didn’t have any wine in the menu, but we could see people were ordering it, so we just asked for dry red wine.  We ended up with a half liter of something.

Happy Bill.  I think the weather agrees with him.

 

They also brought us ouzo with ice in it.  I was immediately reminded of Raki, which is a Turkish thing.  

 

Bill decided on souvlaki and I went with my usual gyros.  Both dishes came with salads and fries.  I noticed they had fancier dishes that came with “tomato rice”.

 

Salad.  Not long after we ate them, the lady who brought our entrees accidentally knocked over Bill’s water.  It was no big deal and they were quick to clean up the mess.  At least there wasn’t any broken glass involved.

 

My gyros, well seasoned and loaded with raw onions, which I didn’t eat much of…  I prefer my gyros lightly onioned.  

Bill’s souvlaki, which was tender and juicy.  He really enjoyed it.

 

While we were eating, about four firetrucks came screaming through the roundabout right outside, along with at least three ambulances.  I have no idea what was going on tonight, but it appeared to be a pretty major incident.  Bill wondered if a factory caught on fire or something.  There were that many emergency vehicles!

We decided we were too full for dessert or coffee, so we called for the check.  The bill came to 37, 30.  At one point, the proprietor asked us if we were American.  We admitted to being American and said we live here.  He said he lives here too.  All of this was said in German, which seemed pretty cool, to me.

The entrance to the very nice Biergarten at Olive.  It looked like they had a number of regulars.

 

Now that my curiosity is satisfied, I can say that I’d return to Olive in Nagold.  I don’t know when that will happen, though, because I have an ever expanding list of places to try… and lots of places I need to visit again.  But if you’re near Nagold or live in the area, I can report that this is a nice place.  And in the warmer months, the Biergarten alone makes it well worth a stop.  And your kids can play while the food is being prepared.

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Lunch at La Meo in Nagold…

I was needing a couple of hours out of the house this afternoon.  Originally, we were considering going  further afield than Nagold, but then I took a look at the time and the fact that one place we were considering trying for lunch was only open for dinner.  Since it was almost 1:00pm, we decided to go to Nagold, which is one of my favorite cute towns and super convenient to us.  I had a restaurant in mind, La Meo, which is an Italian bar/cafe/bistro right next to Nagold’s big Edeka store and convenient to the nearby Ibis hotel.  It’s open every day and does not take a pause in service.

As we approached the restaurant, I had a funny thought about the sign.  The restaurant is called La Meo, but the sign says “Lameo”.  That made me wonder how to pronounce it.  Was it La-Meh-O?  Or Lame-oh?  But I see when I look it up on Google, it’s actually two words– La Meo.  And Google Translate doesn’t tell me what La Meo means.  Oh well.

Lame-o?  

The first thing I noticed about this restaurant, besides its very contemporary ambiance, is that it smelled great.  The air was permeated with the aromas of fresh bread and garlic.  Indeed, since this is an Italian restaurant, you will find pizza, pasta, and other dishes that smell of garlic.  We had a seat at a comfortable table on the lower level, affording us a good view of the open kitchen where a very good natured chef was at work.  There’s also an upstairs dining area, should you want to take in Nagold’s fabulous views.  I also noticed loud dance/pop music, which was a little annoying, but not surprising.  The staff appeared to be young and hip.

Bill takes a look at the menu, which was sitting on the table.  

 

This inexpensive eatery offers lots of pizzas, pastas, salads, and a full range of beverages.  It appeared to be very kid friendly and casual.  Naturally, since it’s next to the supermarket, plenty of people were stopping there before hitting the Edeka for their Saturday shopping chores.  Service was okay, although the servers weren’t as attentive as they could have been.  They were chatting with the bartender and not noticing when we were ready to order.  Also, we ordered a bottle of sparkling water and they brought us one big glass instead.  However, it was served with lemon and Bill was fine with forgoing water.  We both had nice glasses of red wine.

Here’s a view of the window where food is picked up.  The chef appeared to be very pleasant.  He’d ring his bell and if one of the two servers didn’t answer, he’d deliver the dish himself with a smile on his face.  When I dropped my napkin, he kindly brought me a clean one and disposed of the one that fell.

Bill decided to have Romana Pizza, which was made with ham and cheese.  The crust on this pizza was really good.  It was probably among the best I’ve had in this area.  I don’t like German pizza as a rule, but this wasn’t bad at all.

I had Penne alla Vodka.  To be honest, this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.  Vodka sauce, to me, is kind of like a creamy tomato concoction.  This tasted more like plain old tomato sauce that was a little heavy on the onion.  It had little bits of bacon in it.  I would have appreciated some Parmesan cheese and noticed they had some in the fridge by the chef’s window.  The waitress never asked, though, and I decided not to trouble her.  

 

Bill was hungry and ate most of his pizza.  Unfortunately, I feel like I might be coming down with something and only managed about a third of my dish.  They gladly packed up our leftovers for us.  Total damage was about 28 euros before the tip.  I probably wouldn’t order the pasta dish again, but I would get a pizza there or try one of the other pasta dishes.  Overall, it was a good experience.  When the weather warms up, they’ll offer seating outdoors, which will make for good people watching.  We’ll go back and try it again another time.

After we ate, we decided to go to Edeka.  Bill wanted to find some barley because he wants to try to replicate that insane garlic soup we had in the Czech Republic a couple of weeks ago.  We didn’t know the word for barley, so I consulted Google and learned that the German word for barley is “Gerste”.  We went looking for Gerste, but never did manage to find it.  However, I did find something else…

Oh why did I have to find chocolate sandwich spreads?  Talk about a present for my ass!

 

This stuff was a thing twenty years ago.  Deadly!  It needs a warning on its label!

Before anyone asks, yes, I know all about Nutella.  In fact, I know about those deadly chocolate candy bar spreads, too.  When I lived in Armenia in the 90s, I used to be able to find both Snickers Bar and PB Max spreads.  I’m pretty sure PB Max has been discontinued.  Snickers bars are still made, of course, but their devilish spread is no longer.  That’s good thing, because that stuff was the devil!  It contained about 50 grams of fat per serving!  However, nothing was better for slaying the onset of PMS.  As it was, today I did pick up a jar of the Twix spread, which I haven’t tried yet.  We also got some other fattening treats, just in case I am coming down with whatever crud is going around.

When Bill spotted these bottles in the line to pay for our stuff, he thought it was motor oil.  Upon closer inspection, it became clear that these plastic bottles are full of some kind of liqueur.  Marketing is a funny thing! 

 

When we go to Edeka, I usually get a kick taking pictures of the cigarette packages.  Here in Germany, the warnings include pictures and cover the whole package.  I didn’t take any pictures today, but did notice one funny warning that showed a crestfallen shirtless man looking down, along with a stern warning that smoking causes impotency.  Leave it to the Germans to pull no punches!  I think they should put warnings on candy bar spreads, too, because eating that stuff will make your posterior spread in short order!

Anyway, I hope to get to a more mainstream restaurant soon.  Hopefully, tomorrow I won’t be laid out with an illness and there will be a fresh review.

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Big Greek dinner in Jettingen and lovely lunch in Nagold… Luz Bistro strikes again!

Last night, Bill and I decided to have Greek food at Taverne beim Griechen, which is a restaurant in a local Sportsplatz.  We both had fish and I didn’t quite finish mine, which seemed to piss off the proprietor.  He was concerned that I didn’t enjoy my dorade.  I did enjoy it; I just couldn’t finish it.  I probably should have had him wrap it for me.  Next time, I’ll do better.  I only got through about half of it, though, which seemed to really upset our Greek friend.

Bill had grilled Wolfbarsch (branzino), which was just the right size.  He managed to finish his fish.  

I had a grilled dorade.  This was delicious, but so much fish!  And the rice was a lot, too!  I need to remember to be hungry when I order dorade.  This fish had lots of bones in it, but came with a very nice garlic sauce.  The tomato rice was tasty, but filling.
 
It seems like German restaurants are more willing to wrap leftovers than they were last time we were here.  It makes sense, since Germans, especially in Swabia, tend to be very frugal folks.  I found myself apologizing to the proprietor of Taverne beim Griechen for not having a hollow leg!
By lunchtime today, I was hungry again, so we decided to go to Nagold for lunch.  We stopped by Luz Bistro, because it’s one of my favorite local restaurants and because they have a dessert there that I was dying to have today.  We got there at 1:30pm, which was about 30 minutes before they stop serving and have their pause before dinner.
Bill’s customary pose before dining.
 
Because I wanted dessert, I decided to go light.  I had a salad.  You see it pictured below.  It was quite enjoyable, with watercress, pinenuts, bacon, light dressing, and roasted duck breast.
I don’t usually love salads, but I did love this salad.  It was delicious.  Bacon makes anything better, though.  Actually, my favorite part was the duck, which was cooked to medium rare perfection.  I also loved that there wasn’t a huge load of dressing on my salad.  I like my salads lightly dressed… same way I like my men.  I washed this down with a lovely primitivo.

Bill went a schnitzel with cognac cream sauce and potatoes that were kind of like latkes.  Again, the dish was well sized.  It wasn’t too much and he was able to enjoy the whole thing.  We had fresh bread, too.

 

It was just after 2:00 when we finished.  I asked the waitress/bartender if I could have dessert.  She said she had to check with the kitchen.  Fortunately, they were agreeable and made me the dessert pictured below.  Truth be told, I went to Luz Bistro expressly for that dessert, which is a true cure for PMS.  My mother in law had it when she visited in December and I’ve been wanting to visit again ever since so I could get it.

Rich chocolate tart with vanilla sauce, and the most sinful salted caramel ice cream I’ve ever had.  That was the best part of the whole thing… and I’m usually a sucker for anything chocolate.  Bill had an espresso.

 

Our bill came to about 74 euros.  It was worth it, just for that tart and ice cream.  It was so good!  After lunch we went to the Wein-Laden store and picked up a couple of wines for later.  I took note of the ad for energy.

I like it when bucks are used to advertise energy.

If you’re ever in Nagold and need wine, this shop is a great place to stop.  

 

I’m not sure what tomorrow has in store for us.  As the days get longer, I start thinking it’s time to break out of hibernation and get back to enjoying life in Germany.  We won’t be here forever.

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Another wonderful evening at Osteria da Gino’s in Nagold…

My husband’s mother, Parker, just flew from San Antonio, Texas to Germany to see us for the first time since we moved back here in 2014.  Parker is a wonderful person and I’ve missed having easy access to her.  We came to Stuttgart from San Antonio and she used to come to our house all the time to spend the night or have dinner.

We spent yesterday morning driving to and from Frankfurt to collect her at the big airport.  Then, having arrived home at about 3:15pm, Bill picked up our stylin’ new glasses from the optical shop in Nagold.  I’m pretty pleased with our badly needed new spectacles, although I don’t like wearing glasses as a rule.

Last night, we went to see Gino at Osteria da Gino in Nagold (not to be confused with the one in Herrenberg).  As many places as we’ve dined since we came back to Germany, I think Gino’s is probably my favorite.  He and his wife greet us like family.  In fact, when Bill called for a much needed reservation a few days ago, Gino’s wife immediately recognized the name and gave him a very warm greeting.  They are truly wonderful hosts.

I have reviewed Gino’s restaurant plenty of times in this blog.  I have never been disappointed on any visits there, even though Gino’s style is different than most anywhere else we’ve been.  For one thing, I have never once been offered a menu at Gino’s place.  He or his chef just comes over and asks you if you want each course.  The antipasti is usually pretty much the same thing.  An orange and fennel salad, grilled vegetables, sliced cheeses and sausages, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, and bread.  But then he’ll bring out pasta and that course often varies.  Then we’ll have fish or meat and we never know what that will turn out to be.  We’ve had everything from filet mignon to osso bucco.  Finally, dinner is capped off with dessert, which is usually a platter of different things… or maybe tiramisu.  You just never know.  One thing you will never be served is pizza.

Anyway, here are some photos from last night’s food extravaganza.  Gino had a full house last night– 26 people in his tiny dining room.  It had the ambiance of a good party, with everyone sharing a table and a good time.

I took a few photos of Nagold, which is now beautifully decorated for the holidays.  If you haven’t visited this cute little town, you should come by and see it.  It’s super quaint and adorable and there are a lot of nice restaurants there.  

 

We had to keep our tour of Nagold brief, since Parker didn’t bring a heavy coat with her.  She said it’s about 80 degrees in San Antonio right now.  I would be surprised if she owns a heavy coat.  As soon as we walked into Gino’s restaurant, he turned around and tried to place us in his mind.  It’s been too long since our last visit.  His adorable wife remembered us immediately.  Gino doesn’t speak English, but that doesn’t matter.  He has such a big personality that it’s easy to be friends with him.

We were seated with a party of five at a long table.  Lots of people were enjoying Gino’s hospitality last night.  I don’t think I have ever seen his dining room when it wasn’t full.

Obligatory shot of Bill…

and his lovely mom, Parker.  Now both of our mothers have visited Gino!

We started with a lovely bottle of Primitivo.  We actually had a bottle, which was kind of a switch.  Usually, Gino brings us little carafes and I don’t know what I’m drinking.  I enjoyed this wine enough to look for it next time I’m shopping.  It was very pleasing.  Incidentally, we didn’t specifically order this.  They suggested a Primitivo and we said that was good.  This is what they brought us.

The four above shots are of the antipasto.  We had the orange and fennel salad with olives, fresh sausages and cheese, mozzarella and tomatoes, and grilled vegetables.  I am always pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy the way Gino’s chef grills the veggies.  They are delicious.

Next, we had a pasta course.  Bill and Parker had their spaghetti Parmesan with truffles.  I had mine plain, sprinkled with just a little ground pepper.  Although his restaurant is too small to witness this in the dining room, Gino’s hardworking culinary crew makes this dish in a big wheel of cheese.  Bill watched them preparing it as he passed the kitchen.

Next, the main course.  We all had filet mignon, cooked medium rare and topped with rosemary, with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach.  I noticed a couple of ladies having zander filet, which was the fish option last night.  One man had what appeared to be shrimp.  If Gino offers you something that doesn’t appeal, chances are excellent that he’ll have something you’ll love.  We enjoy letting him take the wheel, though.  He has never disappointed us.

And finally, dessert.  This was just enough because we were a bit full.  Parker and I were going to have espresso, but I think they forgot to bring it.  By the time we were finished with dinner, it was time to go home and sleep.  

The bill for this lovely meal was just under 300 euros.  We usually spend in the neighborhood of 160 to 175 euros when it’s just Bill and me.  But then, we also always get four courses, which you certainly don’t have to do.  We saw at least one couple having two courses.  They were the first and only ones to leave for a couple of hours.  Most people who dine at Gino’s seem to go for the whole program.  Fortunately, you can pay by credit card.

As I mentioned before, Gino’s food is usually fantastic.  But what I love the most about his restaurant is that it’s unlike any of the others in the area.  Every time we go there, it feels like we’ve been invited to a great party.  More than once, we’ve met new people there and even made new friends.  And Gino and his wife are just wonderful, warm hosts who make us feel at home.  I love bringing friends and family to this place.  As usual, I warmly recommend Osteria da Gino in Nagold if you ever have the chance to visit.  Just don’t go on Sunday and don’t go there looking for pizza.

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New glasses and lunch #2 at Il Due in Nagold…

A couple of days ago, Bill and I went to the optometry clinic on Patch Barracks.  We both badly needed to get our eyes checked.  It had been about three years for both of us and I knew my prescription had changed noticeably.  So we went in and had a good exam, which I wrote about here.

Today, we decided to take advantage of the American/non German holiday and visit a optical shop.  We went to Nagold, because there are several eyewear shops there.  We stopped into Pro Optik, which is clearly a chain, and picked out frames.  We happened to be there during a sale, which was a good thing.  I found frames that I think/hope will be more comfortable than the ones I have now.

The guy who helped us was really young and spoke a little English… his English was better than our German.  Using both languages, we got the job done.  He got us set up for glasses and we gave him a short lesson on American politics.  Like most every German we run into, he was interested in our thoughts on Trump and Clinton.  He even laughed and said, “Fuck Trump.”, which I thought was interesting.  In America, if you heard someone helping you in an eyewear store saying that, they’d probably get fired!

After about a half an hour or so, he had our fittings done and said we’d have new glasses by December 8th.  We’ll be out of town if that’s when they get to us, but at least I have the right contact lens for my right eye, which needed a stronger prescription.  I can see a whole lot better now.  I think our two pairs of glasses will cost approximately five hundred euros together.  I’ll be glad to ditch the ones I’ve been wearing and it’ll be nice to see Bill in a pair that weren’t issued by the Army.

I very rarely wear glasses, so I have never really shopped for them very often.  Today, after realizing that we don’t speak German, the sales staff kind of left us to our own devices to pick out frames.  It was kind of nice.  Usually, I get some lady in the optometrist’s office trying to get me to upgrade.  I remember in 2002, I bought new glasses and got the kind that turn into sunglasses.  They were very expensive and ultimately a waste of money, since I rarely wear my glasses out of the house.  Last time, I bought a pair in Georgia.  They were on sale and look okay, but they aren’t very comfortable.  I think the new pair is a little more comfortable and more my style.  I probably still won’t wear them much, though.

After we ordered our glasses, we decided to have lunch at Il Due, which is an Italian place we tried for the first time last month.  I’ll be honest.  I wasn’t planning on having lunch in Nagold, but the smell outside of Il Due was so good that I was lured in.  Bill was game, too.

Today, we opted for some traditional Italian.  They had lasagne as a special.  After finding out there were no mushrooms in it, I ordered that.  It came with a side salad.  Bill had a Pizza Salami.

My side salad.  They have a few varieties of dressings available.  I went with a vinaigrette.  

Bill’s pizza was outstanding!  We will have to come back and get take out from there.  It was probably some of the best locally made pizza I’ve had yet.

And my lasagne, which was delightfully cheesy and included peas and meat sauce.  It was a little bland, but otherwise very enjoyable and filling.  I couldn’t quite finish it.

As we were enjoying lunch, we were marveling at how many nice restaurants we have in Nagold.  Seriously… for its size, it really does offer a great variety of high quality eateries.  I think I like it more than even Tuebingen.  We had half of Bill’s pizza packed up and paid about 33 euros before tip for our lunch.  Tonight, I think we’re having pork loin at home.  I’d like to have a Thanksgiving meal, but it’s just the two of us.  That’s one bummer about being in Germany during the holidays.  But at least there are good restaurants here.

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