Tag Archives: October

Sundays, trip planning

The next big trip was decided by a quarter…

October is approaching, which means it’ll soon be time for us to visit Stuttgart again for dental cleanings. We had originally booked the dentist for October 3, but that’s a holiday in Germany. Our dentist’s receptionist later called and rescheduled us for October 2. That got me to thinking about potential travel opportunities after the appointment. It occurred to me that maybe we should get out of the country for German Reunification Day.

As is my habit, when we go to Stuttgart, I’m making some tentative plans to go somewhere. Taking a side trip after seeing the dentist kind of lessens the trauma of the experience, even if it does kind of add to the cost.

For the past couple of years, when we’ve seen the dentist in the fall, we’ve gone to Baiersbronn, in the Schwarzwald. It’s a picturesque area, with many good restaurants and things to do. This year, as much as I like the Black Forest, I think it’s time to do something different. So, after our Hundepension confirmed that they have space for Noyzi, Bill and I started talking about where we might go for our dental side trip. Stuttgart is kind of an advantageous area, as it’s not too far from France, Switzerland, Austria, or even the Czech Republic.

We had originally wanted to book Noyzi starting on Sunday, October 1, but the dog hotel doesn’t do check-ins on Sundays. So that means we have to bring him on either Saturday or Monday, giving us a couple of days in the Stuttgart area.

When we stay in Stuttgart, we often book the Wald Hotel, which is a favorite lodging of ours. But while we like the hotel, we also enjoy other towns near Stuttgart. So, for our upcoming visit, I proposed staying in either Esslingen or Tübingen– two very pretty towns we both love that are near Stuttgart. We already know Tübingen very well, since we used to live very close to it during our first German stint. We’ve only been to Esslingen a couple of times. We decided either would be fine bases other than Stuttgart. To choose where we should go, we flipped a coin. Esslingen won, so now I’m looking for good lodging options in and around that area.

Then, we decided to plan where to go after the cleanings were done, since we’ll have a few days to burn, and the following weekend is a US holiday. We did another coin flip. First, it was between Austria and Switzerland. Switzerland won, so we flipped again between Switzerland and Germany. Switzerland won again! Then, we did one for Switzerland and the Czech Republic. That time, the Czech Republic won.

I’m happy about the results, because we haven’t gone to the Czech Republic since 2018. We used to visit the Czech Republic pretty often when we lived in Germany the first time, but we’ve been neglecting it lately. I’ve been very interested in visiting Brno, among other places… I am hoping to find some more art for our walls.

So… that’s the plan for our next big trip for now. I’m going to look for a place in Esslingen and/or its environs. Then, we’re going on a road trip to the Czech Republic, to show off our nice, clean teeth. Should be fun… Maybe this will keep me busy while Bill is in Bavaria this week, doing his TDY duty!

I really hate it when Bill travels for work without me, but at least we no longer have a dog with cancer to take care of. And our sweet Noyzi has really bonded to us. I suspect the week will be pretty peaceful. I do enjoy trip planning!

I wish I could write about something fun today, but Bill is busy preparing for his trip. I thought maybe we’d go to the Hofheim Wine Fest this weekend, but I just didn’t feel like it yesterday. My stomach was bothering me, and I didn’t want to upset it further with too much wine. We stayed home and hung out instead, which is always a pleasure. And… of course, I drank beer and wine, too. So much for babying my stomach, but at least I didn’t have to put on a bra.

The featured photo is the actual quarter we flipped to come to this preliminary decision… We’ll see what we actually end up planning, as even coin toss trip plans are subject to change… Heh heh… I said “change”! See what I did there?

Edited to add: After searching for a place in Esslingen, I ended up deciding to a book a hotel in Tübingen, after all. It’s one we’ve been curious about for awhile, as we’ve eaten in their restaurant a few times– Hotel La Casa. I got an apartment for three nights at a pretty reasonable rate.

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A glorious fall lunch at Villa im Tal…

I have to admit, I was kind of inclined not to do anything today. Bill and I started binge watching Squid Game on Netflix yesterday and we were kind of wanting to watch the last few episodes. But today’s weather is absolutely glorious, with agreeable temperatures and lots of sunshine. It would have been a crime not to get out of the house for a couple of hours. It had been awhile since our last visit to Villa im Tal, a wonderful restaurant in the woods on the outskirts of Wiesbaden. We’ve been several times, and have enjoyed every meal we’ve had there, but thanks to the pandemic, it had been over a year since we last dined there in person.

We decided to make a 2:30pm reservation at Villa im Tal, which was the tail end of lunch service, mainly because we weren’t ready to go out until about 1:45pm. Traffic through Wiesbaden was a real pain, especially for a Sunday, but then we turned onto the country road with limited access that leads to the historic building where Villa im Tal is… Every time I go out there, I miss country living, and having a horse. There’s a riding stable right next door, and many people go out there to ride horses, bikes or take luxurious hikes. The setting really makes me miss living next to a nature park, like we did in Jettingen.

Anyway, below are some photos from today’s visit… And as I share them, I realize that we really need to take a Saturday and do something besides eating in a restaurant. It’s time we went to a museum or climbed up to a Berg or something…

A lovely peek at the restaurant… Some horses were also passing. Made me wistful.
Bill checks out the menu…
Our waiter, who had been very busy, brought out some fizzy water and bread, with Spundekaese, a local cheese spread delicacy.
I started with my favorite soup, mango lemongrass. It’s vegetarian, and a little spicy, but so comforting. The curry chip is a nice touch.
Bill had a smoked salmon and avocado tatar with apples. I almost ordered this appetizer myself. I was pleased to get to try it.
A beautiful chilled, crisp Riesling accompanied our fish heavy entrees. This wine was an excellent choice!
I had grilled halibut with pureed parsnips and root vegetables. It was very hearty and buttery.
Bill had sea bass (Branzino/Wolfbarsch), which isn’t the same as sea bass in the United States, It was served with cauliflower puree, beans, and tomatoes. The chefs are wizards with these purees, which taste as rich and decadent as potatoes. Must be all the butter!
The digestive cart… we didn’t have one today.
For dessert, I had a chocolate creme brulee with coconut Raffello ice cream and fruits. The cookie was a delicious buttery phyllo creation that was just slightly sweet.
Bill had New York cheesecake with apricot compote and fresh fruits.

Service was very kind and professional, and our waiter was so gracious and friendly. He spoke excellent English and went out of his way to see that we had a nice lunch. I suspect we’re done eating for the day, but what a nice way to finish off one’s calories! I wish I could live out where the restaurant is… it’s just so beautiful and rustic, and it makes one forget that the city is not even two miles away.

Dog lovers will be glad to know that dogs are warmly welcomed and accommodated at Villa im Tal. We saw two canines enjoying lunch with their people at the restaurant. Our dogs aren’t quite well mannered enough to visit Villa im Tal, but I always enjoy the ones we see when we eat there.

We dined inside today, but there’s also have a really beautiful patio available. I saw some folks enjoying the outside area this afternoon.

This wasn’t a cheap lunch. With a generous Trinkgeld (tip) added, we spent 220 euros. Fortunately, credit cards are accepted. But it was well worth the money, and we left there smiling and happy. I hope we can visit again sooner. As long as the pandemic stays somewhat controlled, I don’t see why we wouldn’t. In fact, we need to go out more… and I need to get back to conjuring up our next trip, which I hope will happen within the next few weeks.

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