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The Haslacher Hof…

So many times over the past year, I have passed the Sporthalle Gastatte Haslacher Hof.  This is a German restaurant in a sportsplatz, which is a very common thing around here.  I noticed that the parking lot for this restaurant is always pretty full, which usually means the food is good.  I wasn’t in the mood for our third Hello Fresh meal this week, so I told Bill we should try this restaurant, which we had been meaning to do for months.

Nice shot of the outside.  Parking is free and plentiful.

We arrived at about 6:00 or so.  A few tables were set, along with what appeared to be a table for a large party.  We got a few curious glances as we came in.  I got the sense the staff at this restaurant is used to regulars and as first timers, we attracted attention.  The food served at the Haslacher Hof is distinctly German and the beer they serve is Hochdorf.

Given my mycophobic nature, I was a little horrified by the mushroom art.  They were otherwise decorated for Halloween.

 

I settled on the schweineschnitzel rather quickly.  It came with a side salad and a side dish.  I chose pommes, but there were several sides offered.  Bill went with the gypsy schnitzel.  As we waited for our food, I looked around and was kind of reminded of a fellowship hall at a church.  The dining room was very functional, complete with folding room dividers, views of the surrounding countryside, and music from a local pop radio station.

This salad was interesting.  There were little mounds of vegetables within it.  A mound of potato salad.  A mound of minced carrots.  A mound of radishes and cabbage and green beans.  I didn’t care for the dressing, which was a little too yogurty for me.  I’m not a fan of milk and if I’m not careful, the taste of it will turn my stomach.  Bill loves milk, so he liked it.  And if I had wanted to, I could have taken what was left of my salad to go.  That was a favor offered, not requested.  Loved the cucumbers cut like waffle fries.

My schnitzel.  It tasted very good and was a manageable size.  The pommes were also good.  

Bill loved his dish, the Ziguenerschnitzel, which he chose over a turkey schnitzel.

This particular restaurant apparently specializes in cakes.  I didn’t see any slices offered on the menu, but you can order them whole.  Though neither Bill nor I needs any calories from cakes, we might just have to do that sometime because the pictures on their Web site look good.  A children’s menu is also available.

We left as the party was cranking up.  Looked like people were going to have a good time and I could tell that this restaurant enjoys a regular clientele who visit frequently.  Our bill was 37 euros.  Bill bumped it up to 40 and now we’re home, enjoying what is left of our Saturday.  I’m thinking about going to bed early.

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Beer and Fucking Tour… Hangry on the way to Lermoos…

The drive to Lermoos took a long time.  Our side trip to Fuckersberg took us off course.  Then we had to stop for gas and a potty break, happily at a truck stop instead of on a snake’s nest.  We got back on the autobahn and headed west.  The route took us through Munich.  I was getting hungry and suggested that Bill just park somewhere so we could eat.  He was in a hurry to get to Lermoos, though, because he had a paper due for an online class he’s taking.  The slow Internet at the Moorhof, and the beer spa, had sort of distracted him, and he needed to get to our next hotel so he could get his work done.

As my blood sugar dipped, I became more fatigued and annoyed.  Bill could tell.  He looked at me and could see my facial expression darkening by the second.  But we were stuck in slow moving Munich traffic; then he made a couple of wrong turns.  I commented that Munich reminded me a little of Charlotte, North Carolina, for some reason… not that I think Charlotte and Munich look alike.  It was more the traffic than anything else.

Anyway, the Munich traffic sucked.  My mood was souring.  Bill was nervous and irritated.  He programmed the GPS to find us a restaurant.  He got off at some exit not far from Munich and the first gasthaus he got to was closed.  In frustration, he started cussing, which for some reason annoyed me.  I guess I don’t mind when he does it casually, but when he’s annoyed and swearing, it bothers me for some reason, especially when I’m “hangry”.  So I told him I’d just eat chocolate… or he could find me a McDonald’s or something that doesn’t close on Sundays or have a “pause”.

Then, just as he was about to turn onto the road taking us back to the autobahn, I spied a busy looking Italian restaurant called Ristorante Il Brigante.  What a God send that place turned out to be!  Bill pulled into the parking lot.  We walked into the restaurant and were immediately seated on the very busy covered terrace outside.  The people next to us had little kids and while I normally like kids, I was in a shitty mood.  They were playing Uno and I was secretly hoping I’d either get some wine and bread pronto or they’d finish up and move on.

This was waiting for me when I got back from the bathroom.  Bill rocks!

By the time I got back from the ladies room, Bill had ordered a half liter of primitivo and San Pellegrino.  The folks with the urchins had left and I tried to figure out what I’d be having for lunch.  I might have chosen one of the specials had I had the chance to read the whole board, but as it turned out, I had spaghetti carbonara.  Bill had pizza.  All the waiters were Italian and the one who took care of us was very charming.  He walked around singing.

Heart attack on a plate!  But it was delicious!  I probably should have had something with more protein, though.

Bill enjoyed his pizza.  I have to admit it was very good.  

I took this picture wanting to capture the cows in the field right next to the patio… I caught something else instead…

 

If you look at the above photo over Bill’s right shoulder, you might notice an interesting looking man.  I didn’t see him at first, until I had gotten over my “hanger”.  The guy sitting behind Bill is apparently a Buddhist monk.  He was with a young German woman who seemed absolutely enchanted by him.  I watched the people at the table give him a pair of what looked like hand knitted green socks.  He bowed and smiled and, I have to say, he had the most peaceful and gentle countenance I’ve seen on a person in a very long time.  Just looking at him put me at ease.

I mentioned it to Bill who explained what he knows about Buddhism.  I still don’t know much about it, but I was really moved by his presence and how kind and decent he seemed to be.  It’s not often you run into someone with such a peaceful and pleasant aura.  He seemed like a very special person just by his manner.  I didn’t even speak to him, but his body language said enough.  I forgot my initial annoyance and relaxed, truly inspired by just watching the monk interact with his companions.  He left before we did, with the German woman who seemed so enchanted by him.

Edited to add…  My German friend, Susanne, says that the monk is Toyoshige Sekiguchi from Japan. He is rather famous and is currently a guest at a farm in Hohenschäftlarn, which is the town where the restaurant where we had lunch is located.  It turns out the reason I thought the monk was so peaceful is because his life’s work is all about promoting peace and nuclear disarmament.  Of all the places we could have eaten…  How amazing.

After lunch, we had a round of espresso and some heavenly tiramisu…

 

Bill paid the check and we got back on the road.  I put the top down on the Mini and we headed south.  I love watching the Alps as they rise on the horizon.

First awe inspiring look at the Alps…

 

As we continued driving, the beautiful weather turned to clouds and the temperature dropped.  And… I had to pee again.  So we pulled off the road and I found another wooded spot.  We put the top back up and headed into Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is every bit as pretty, touristy, and crowded as I remembered from our last visit in 2009.  We passed the Edelweiss Lodge and got on the beautiful road through Tirol that we used to drive on the way to Edelweiss.  Lermoos is really not far from Garmisch, so we were soon at the Zugspitze Silence Sporthotel, a very quaint and traditional hotel offering great views of the mountains.

The view from our room…

Bill enjoys it…

I took a bunch of pictures because the mountain kept changing as the weather did…

Horses grazing peacefully outside the window…

I entertained myself taking pictures while Bill worked on his schoolwork.  Later, we had beer for dinner in the hotel restaurant.  It was then that I noticed yet another tourbus in the parking lot.  The hotel was hosting a large group of seniors, one of whom was having a birthday.  The very organized leader of the group led everyone in a German birthday song that I had never heard before.  It was kind of cool.  They all seemed to be having a great time, though I did feel a little like I had stumbled into a Hoveround convention.

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Beer and Fucking Tour… massages and crashes…

Saturday morning, Bill and I got up and had a typical breakfast of fresh bread, fruit, boiled eggs, and cold cuts, then took a short walk through the countryside.  It was interesting to do that without the dogs with us.  Austria has lots of nature trails and we enjoyed walking through the woods without having to worry about our dogs going nuts.  I liked that there were helpful signs about the nature we might see during our walk.  My German is getting decent enough that I could understand some of it.

Breakfast…

They had a nice spread at the Moorhof.  I liked that the waitresses, almost everywhere we went, wore dirndls.

On the wall of the hotel… Dorfibm is actually the village where the Moorhof is.

It’s election time.

Cute little sign asking people to keep their dogs on a leash.  I translated the sign faster than Bill did, because I understood “deathly afraid”.  My dad used to wonder why I was “deathly afraid” (his words) of mushrooms when I was a child.  Blame my sadistic sisters.

The beginning of the trail.  Curiously, someone apparently lost their shorts.

Old Maypole.

We had massages scheduled for 11:00 and 11:30, so we made plans to stay close to the hotel.  Bill had some homework to do for his class.  One complaint we had about the Moorhof is that they use a “code” system for their Internet.  They give you a temporary code good for 24 hours and just one device.  It made things tough for us, because I am an Internet junkie and Bill had work to do.  But when he asked for an extra code, the hotel proprietor was fine with supplying one.  That was nice.

At 11:00, I went down to the “wellness area” in the hotel, which includes a pool with jets at one end, a solarium, sauna, steam room, and of course, the beer bath.  The massage therapist was finishing up with the younger lady we’d seen at dinner the first night.  When I went in for my massage, I was a little nervous, partly because Aunt Flow was in full swing and I was feeling a little icky.  Also, while I really do enjoy massages, I get nervous when people I don’t know touch me.  But since it was part of the package, I took off my shirt and laid down on the table.  The therapist was very good at her job.  She mentioned that she was just helping out over the weekend and works in Salzburg as she made my neck crack a few times.

Bill said that when she gave him his massage, she immediately found the area where he has arthritis in his shoulder.  She said it was very hard, though she worked to loosen it a bit.  I wish I had brought some euros to tip the therapist because I think she was expecting a tip.  Unfortunately, I never know what the etiquette is for this kind of thing in Europe.  In the US, it’s a given that you always tip service providers, but it’s not always like that here.  One time in Poland, I got a massage and seemed to insult the therapist by trying to give her too much.  But anyway, we got through the massages and were pretty relaxed… but then we got in the car and went in search of a store so I could pick up some essential Aunt Flow supplies and we could find lunch.

We finally found a Spar (Austrian grocery store) and I bought chocolate, wine, Godiva liqueur, and feminine hygiene supplies.  I almost beaned Bill while standing in line because he was being annoying and, let’s face it, I was crabby.  I would get crabbier as the day wore on and we started looking for lunch.  Although there are a few places in the area around the Moorhof, it really is pretty rural and sometimes parking is a challenge.  Also, I can be pretty indecisive about some things.

We drove around and Bill annoyed some Austrian drivers, who all seemed to have somewhere important to go and needed to pass us post haste.  The GPS kept sending us to places that were either closed or located on very narrow country roads.  At one point, we drove up a steep hill and literally almost crashed into a wedding, complete with a full brass band.  But then we passed the church and stopped at an abandoned gasthaus, which overlooked some truly beautiful countryside…

Wouldn’t I love to own land like this someday?

I knew we needed to find lunch soon, because on one very narrow country lane, Bill dodged one speedy Austrian driver, then was confronted by a large tractor pulling a trailer.  He exclaimed “Oh shit!” just as the tractor made a last minute left turn.

I suggested we head back to the hotel.  On the way back, we ended up in a little town called Handenberg.  As we drove down the main drag, we noticed a little hotel and a couple of guys sitting in the biergarten.  There was plenty of parking, too.  We pulled in and sat outside, enjoying the marvelous weather and a couple of beers.

Yet another dirndl clad lady at the Gasthaus Scharinger brought us this… I had tagliatelle with shrimps, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes.  Bill had pork again.  He likes swine.  This was a delicious lunch!

While we were sitting outside, several guys showed up wearing uniforms.  I had spotted one in the hotel lobby as I was on my way to the ladies room.  He had a tuba.  I correctly surmised that they were part of a band.  After they had lunch, they practiced and warmed up.  Several older men in different uniforms showed up; they looked like maybe they were military guys.  And then, after we had some apple strudel, Bill paid the check.  I’d swear we ran into the same wedding party whose wedding we almost crashed.  But I’m not certain about that.  I would have liked to have stayed and listened to the music.  I could see that the staff was setting up for an event and the folks who were gathered outside the hotel were all dressed up.

Austrian apple strudel.  It tasted kind of eggy

We had to get going, though, because at 5:00, we had a date with the beer spa!

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Baden-Württemberg, Tübingen

A quick trip to Bad Urach to see the waterfall…

Since it’s Labor Day weekend and we didn’t make any travel plans, I really wanted to try to do something different today.  Sadly, after last night’s indulgent dinner and wine excursion, Bill and I got off to a slow start.  Finally, around noon, I got dressed and Bill asked me what I wanted to do.  I said I wanted to visit Bad Urach.

I actually wanted to see the town of Bad Urach and, perhaps, drop by their thermal baths.  But Bill determined that we needed to hike up the famous Bad Urach waterfall.  We set off from Unterjettingen at about 1:00 after I had a brief OCD moment worrying whether or not I had shut the door firmly.  Bill had thought to pack me a bag of peanuts in case I got hangry, but I had a better idea.  I said we should stop in Tübingen and have lunch.  Bill agreed, and we ended up having a really nice meal at Die Kelter, which is a very cool restaurant on the main drag coming away from our favorite parking garage near the university clinic.
We last dined at Die Kelter last time we lived in Germany, though we have since been in there for drinks.  Die Kelter has a very unique atmosphere and very good food.  In fact, today when we had lunch, I couldn’t get over how great the place smelled… kind of like fresh bread and Mom’s Sunday roast.  
Bill looking bored…  It’s time to order him some new clothes.
We  sat at one of the big tables on the main floor and a friendly waiter who spoke perfect English took care of us.  I had the New York pastrami on focaccia with a salad.  Bill had the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and fried potatoes.  He had mint iced tea and I had a beer.  But before lunch could begin, I had to hike to the ladies room.  And when I say hike, I mean hike.  You have to go up two or three flights of stairs (I lost count) to get to the toilet.
There are several of these signs to help you in case you lose your way…

Here’s a shot of the restaurant.  I took it on the way back down to our table.  Cool, huh?

Nice Baisinger beer.  Locally brewed and I think it’s Die Kelter’s brew of choice.  The bread was very fresh and yummy.

My delicious pastrami.  Seriously, this was very good, and at 13 euros, not too pricey.  The pastrami was cool to the touch, with a toasted focaccia bread bottom.  It was served with a nice mustard sauce on the bread.  The salad was delicious, especially because of the dressing.  I don’t usually eat a lot of salad, but I could eat this every day.  The dressing was like crack.  And the cherry tomatoes were sweet and almost like candy.

Curiously, Bill’s sandwich (which the waiter said was a good choice) was advertised on the “small hunger” part of the menu.  It was also very good.  I enjoyed helping Bill eat the potatoes.

Bill is waiting for the bill…

A couple more interior shots.

Well worth a visit!  We’ll be back again.  

With our hunger satiated, we went back to the car and watched as a nervous woman tried very hard to get out of her parking spot.  I guess she and her man were teaching a young guy with them how to drive.  We were stuck behind them for awhile and it was a bit hair raising.  But soon, we were out of the city and the countryside turned pretty.  I told Bill I wished we’d gotten an earlier start because I knew I’d want to see more than the falls…

First glimpse of the trail to the waterfalls.  There is a train station located very close for those who’d rather ride the train than drive.  Plenty of parking is available, too.  You have to pay to park, but the pass is good all day.  There is no charge to see the waterfall.

By the time we parked and Bill got his parkschein, I really had to pee.  Sadly, there were no public toilets to be found.  There was a restaurant nearby, but I figured there would be something near the falls.  I was mistaken.  

Though I badly needed to find a toilet, I tried to focus on the natural beauty of the Bad Urach area.  Clouds were rolling in and it made for some very dramatic photography.

But then we came upon a swiftly rushing brook… just what my aching bladder needed!  

Castle ruins in the distance.  We weren’t up to hiking there today.  Perhaps another time.

There were many people at the waterfalls today.  With no bathroom in sight, I was hoping to be able to pull off the trail and find a bush.  Unfortunately, the opportunity didn’t present itself and even if there had been a good bush to duck behind, the throngs of people made it difficult to do so discreetly. Just as I was about to lose hope, I spotted what looked like a deep dry creek bed with lots of tree cover and a convenient overhang.  I sneaked down into the creek bed, found a private spot, and took a glorious whiz away from the glare of onlookers.  It’s a good thing I did, too…  It would not have been fun to hike up the falls needing to whiz.

We reached the base of the falls, where a sign warned us against drinking the water.  It looked cool, clear, and clean, but apparently it’s been known to cause waterborne illnesses.  I’ve had giardia before.  Don’t need a repeat experience.

We started the walk up the falls, which mostly consisted of taking some steps up the side.  I’m pretty slow going up these things since I’m not very thin or fit, but there were many fearless kids running down as if the steps were nothing.  There are no handrails.  I did my best mountain goat impression as I made up way up.  I was sad to see that some people had thoughtlessly left trash in the area.
The roots on this tree reminded me of a horde of fighting monkeys.

About halfway up.


At the top…  I am told that there’s usually more water, but we didn’t have much rain over the summer.

The view off the top of the falls.

People making their way up.

I managed to annoy several people behind Bill and me because I took my time going down.  Like I said, I’m not as fit as I’d like to be and the last thing I want to do is break my ass coming down those hard steps.  They finally made a move to pass just as I was putting out my hand for balance.  One of them said, “Hallo.”  I stepped aside, let them pass, and asked Bill if there was anybody else.  He said no, then got in front of me and let me steady myself by putting my hand on his shoulder as we descended.  Oh, how I miss the days when I was a kid and hadn’t yet fallen on my face in public.

Dramatic shots of the castle ruins.

On the way back to the car, Bill decided to pull off at the same place I did and relieve himself.  Of course, when he did that, he attracted the curiosity of a couple who were wondering what they were missing.  I wanted to say that all they were missing was my husband taking a whiz.  You can see that on the side of the autobahn anytime.  The same couple was ahead of us and I had a good laugh when someone walking the other way inexplicably said “Hallo!” in a cheery tone of voice.  She laughed as she passed and the male half of the couple turned and stared at her with a confused expression on his face.  I guess random people don’t go around saying “Hello!” so enthusiastically in these parts.

While Bill peed, I distracted myself by taking a photo of this tree.

An adorable and friendly golden retriever took an extended dip in the creek.  Bill almost got a shower when the dog came up and shook off the excess water in front of him.

Another shot of the dog playing fetch in the water.

We left Bad Urach after our short visit, vowing to come back and see more sometime soon.  On the way back to Unterjettingen, we decided to see the Mad Scientist at Agais in Entringen.  We didn’t really need to eat, but we knew he needed the business and it’s always fun to see him.  So we dropped in at just before 5:30 and had a nice Greek meal.

Beer instead of wine…

A small salad…

I had grilled turkey.  Bill had souvlaki, which I didn’t photograph because he’s had it before.  I have had the turkey before, but not since we moved back to Germany.  It was a nice change of pace.
When we got home, Zane and Arran went absolutely nuts.  They showered me with beagle kisses after they ate their dinner and had a potty break.  They had a brief play session.  Now, I suspect they’re asleep.
We had a really good day, despite starting off with a hangover.  Next weekend will be even better because we’ll be in Austria while everyone else is back at work!
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A visit to Taverne Mykonos in Nagold…

Bill and I had been wanting to try Taverne Mykonos in Nagold for a long time, but never managed to get there until last night.  The weather was perfect and, as usual, I was game for Greek food.  Taverne Mykonos is very close to another of our favorite Nagold haunts, Osteria da Gino.  The weather was so nice I was almost tempted to just go have dinner with Gino last night.  But I pride myself on trying new places, so we stuck with the plan and had yet more Greek food.

The outside of the restaurant is nice…  

The inside is even nicer.  Bill looks at the menu.

 

When we arrived at about 6:30, Taverne Mykonos was hopping.  The biergarten appeared to be pretty full and so was the main dining room, which is where we were seated.  Service was a bit slow, likely due to the large influx of people, some of whom had to wait at the door or get takeout.

I decided on dorade, so Bill ordered me a glass of white Athos.  It was fine, though nothing really eye opening.  He had the red version of Athos to go with the lamb filet he ordered.  He had wanted lamb skewers, but they apparently were out of something.

I snapped this shot as they opened the blinds.  The sun wasn’t quite down, so I was temporarily blinded by the light.

Salads took awhile to get to us.  We each had a different kind.

Mine was lettuce, kraut, corn, carrots, cucumbers, a slice of tomato, and some kind of green garnish that had no distinctive flavor.  The creamy dressing was nice.  It reminded me a little of ranch dressing.

Bill’s salad was a little more Greek, with cubes of very red, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, a sweet pepper, an olive, and feta cheese.

 

Our main dishes also took awhile to reach us, but they turned out to be well worth the wait.  I generally expect dorade to take awhile, anyway.

This dorade was served with a fish sauce and lots of oven baked potatoes.  It was very nicely done and completely cooked, which is more than I can say about the last dorade I had in a restaurant.

But Bill’s lamb was absolutely amazing.  I don’t even usually like lamb, but I would happily eat this dish.  The filets were extremely tender and not gamey at all.  The beans were lightly seasoned with herbs.  The t’zatziki was also good, made with plenty of lemon juice.

It took awhile longer for our plates to be cleared and the check to be brought.  The hardworking staff at Taverne Mykonos was working hard last night.  But we parted with a 45 euro bill and a couple of house shots of ouzo.  After we ate, we went over to Gino’s and picked up a bottle of primitivo to enjoy at home.  The weather was perfect.  I almost felt like strolling by the river, but Bill wanted to get home.

All in all, we enjoyed our first meal at Taverne Mykonos.  I suspect we’ll be back, though I still think I like Taverne beim Griechen’s version of Greek food the best, at least in our area.

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Eating African style at Jambo in Ludwigsburg…

I’d like to dedicate this post to fellow Stuttgart area resident and new Facebook friend Jennifer, who recommended Jambo African Restaurant to me.  She told me about this great place in Ludwigsburg months ago.  Bill and I kept meaning to go, but we were never in Ludwigsburg at the right time of day.  Except on Sundays, Jambo is only open for dinner.  We go to Ludwigsburg every couple of months or so, but we’re usually there closer to lunchtime because we mostly go there specifically to buy beer at Heinrich’s drink market.  Since Jambo typically opens at five o’clock for dinner, we’re usually long gone by the time they start dinner service.  And we don’t usually go to Ludwigsburg on Sundays because the drink market isn’t open that day.

The sign is easy to spot on this main drag.

We had big plans to go to a local market yesterday, but the weather was kind of cloudy and we got up later than usual.  By the time we were finished with breakfast and our Saturday chores, it was kind of too late to hit the market.  I always like to do stuff on Saturdays, because that’s the one day of the week most things are open and Bill is not working.  But by two o’clock, I was starting to think our Saturday might be a bust.  Then I remembered Jambo and Jennifer’s suggestion that we try it.  I suggested it to Bill, who was definitely game.

We made a reservation online for six o’clock, but that turned out to be unnecessary last night.  When we arrived at Jambo near six o’clock, no one else was there yet.  We had our pick of generously sized two top tables.  We selected one in the back of the dining room, right by a window where I could see Jambo’s small outdoor area.

Bill checks out the menu.  It was entirely in German, but I had already checked it out online using Google Chrome.  There are also many pictures, which makes it easier to choose.

 

A quick shot of the biergarten.  I noticed the proprietor putting up a large umbrella for a few folks who sat out there.

I was really getting into the festive African music playing over the sound system as I decided what I wanted to order.  The restaurant’s decor is also very authentic.  There are carvings, paintings, and photos all over the walls.  I enjoyed the lighting, which was somewhat dim and kind of romantic, though the music made it seem more like we were at a party.

We ordered a lovely bottle of South African shiraz.  This one was priced at 18 euros.  It was very fruity and jammy and it went great with our meals.  Had we wanted to, we could have also tried some African (or German) beers.  There were three advertised at our table– mango, pineapple, or banana. If I had seen that before we ordered the wine, I might have given one a try… probably the mango one.

Originally, Bill asked for springbok, which he had once tried and loved on a trip to London.  Jambo did not have any springbok last night.  There was a note in the menu that Bill missed.  What they did have was ostrich!  Bill’s first taste of ostrich (Strauß) was at the Schwartzbach Sportsplatz near Vaihingen when we lived here last time.  The ostrich at the Schwartzbach wasn’t that great.  The next time he tried it was at 10 Degrees South, an African restaurant in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.  That time, it didn’t disappoint!  Bill decided to try it again in Germany, this time prepared by people whose kitchen was putting out aromas that told us they could cook.  The ostrich was 17,50 euros.  I took a look at 10 Degrees South’s menu and they’re selling ostrich medallions for $40.  I think you get a better deal in Deutschland!

I opted for the Sierra Leone Teller, which could be prepared with chicken or beef.  I ordered it with chicken.  It was priced at 12,50 euros.

Bill’s delicious ostrich!  At first, he didn’t know how to eat it.  The proprietor came over and explained that the rather spongey rolled up bread is meant to be torn.  Then you pick up pieces of ostrich with the bread.  

My Sierra Leone plate.  The chicken was prepared with peanut sauce and lots of peppers.  It came with sides of rice, spinach, beets, and fried bananas.  The menu said they were bananas, anyway… to me, they tasted more like plantains… bland and a bit starchy.  They went well with the peanut sauce, though.

Bill finally eating the ostrich correctly.  It was delicious!

I had to take a photo of the back of the bottle of wine.  It was imported through Great Britain, which is famous for its nannyish signs…  

 

We finished our meals with a round of single espressos.  We wanted to try the African coffee on the menu, but it wasn’t available last night.  I also didn’t see any desserts offered, though that was no big deal.  I didn’t have room for dessert anyway!

I had to take a picture of the vehicle parked across the street.   It looked like a speed boat on three wheels.

 

Although we were the first to arrive at Jambo last night, the place filled up quickly.  Service was leisurely, but professional.  Everyone appeared to be having a good time and I could tell the place is very popular with locals, including several kids.  We were the only Americans there last night.  If you plan to go on a weekend, I recommend making a reservation, though again, it wasn’t totally necessary for us last night.  There is a lot of street parking near the restaurant.

Our bill came to 55,10 euros.  It was worth every euro cent.  As we were about to leave, the kindly proprietor asked us how we liked his restaurant.  In a very typically enthusiastic American way, I said we loved it and we’d definitely be back!  Thanks again to Jennifer for the recommendation!  I am very happy to spread the word about this great place for eastern African food in southern Germany!

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Uncategorized

Rainy Friday night at Taverne Beim Griechen…

I wanted Greek food last night, but we had a big storm and that would have made walking to our local spot too wet and messy.  We hadn’t been to Taverne Beim Griechen since Mother’s Day, so we decided to go there instead of Taverne Bei Dimi, which is maybe a five minute walk from where we live.  Actually, we could also walk to Taverne Beim Griechen if we wanted to, but it would be more of a hike for us.  I thought about going to Nagold for dinner, but determined that it was easier to go to our local sportsplatz.  Parking is free and easy there.

The restaurant was somewhat quiet when we arrived.  We picked a table and sat down.  A friendly waitress brought us the mineral water and bottle of wine we ordered, along with ouzo…

The red was a new one for us… dry, yet fruity and satisfying.

I gave thought to having Dorade or perhaps the Wolfsbarsch, which I learned is sea bass (yum!).  But Bill wanted to go simple with gyros, so I had my trusty korfu platter.  I have to admit, I think Taverne Beim Griechen’s food is the best Greek in the area where we live, though Dimi’s is also good and closer to get to.  Taverne Beim Griechen also has a bigger menu, though, and is a little better equipped.

My Korfu platter.  I had it with rice last night instead of fries.  The rice was nicely seasoned with tomato.  Bill’s gyros platter looked the same as this did, only without the souflaki.  Unfortunately, as I was easing the meat off the metal stick, a piece shot to the floor.  I picked it up in under five seconds, though.

I think it’s funny that I come to Germany to learn to love Greek food.  I think I could eat it everyday.  There are still a couple of places I want and need to try, including a place in Nagold and one in Vaihingen.  I am never in Vaihingen at the right time of day to enjoy Taverna Olympos.  Oh well… I’ll get there sometime.

I had been craving sweets all day and we had none in our house (for once).  So Bill and I decided on dessert.  We usually don’t bother with it unless we are on vacation or want to waste time.  I’m glad we did last night, ‘cuz yum…

This was mine…  It was called Galaktobureko Eiercreme in Blätterteig und einer Kugel Vanille.  Basically, it was like a dense, spongy, flourless buttery cake with a layer of phyllo on top.  It was lightly drenched in syrup and liberally sprinkled with cinnamon.  The ice cream and whipped cream were a nice touch.  

 

I really enjoyed the above dessert.  It was delicious.  I won’t lie.  It really hit the spot.

Bill went with vanilla ice cream and warm raspberries with cream…

And we had another house shot of ouzo with the check…

We paid about 54 euros for a very nice meal (topped up to 60 euros with tip).  Once again, I am pleased to recommend Taverne Beim Griechen.  The food is excellent and there’s plenty of room and parking.

I will eventually get to a new restaurant.  In the next town, there is another sportsplatz that is always busy.  They serve German food, but specialize in cakes.  I’ll get there someday…  maybe even next week, while Bill is in Africa.

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Baden-Württemberg

A summer dinner at Pizzeria da Piero in Jettingen…

Last night for dinner, Bill and I decided to walk to Pizzeria da Piero in Jettingen.  We had only eaten at this restaurant one time prior to last night, but because it’s so close to where we live, we have gotten take out from there many times.  In retrospect, we might have been more comfortable getting take out last night, but I really felt like going out.  We took the twenty minute walk uphill in the heat and arrived in the thick of dinner service.

Though the restaurant has a nice Biergarten with a shade, we ate inside by the bar.  Oddly enough, right next to the bar is an area for kids to play in with toys and everything.  A couple of girls were taking advantage of the chance to play while their parents sat in the dining room on the other side of the restaurant.

A lucky obligatory shot of Bill…

Because it was really hot last night, despite a brief afternoon rainstorm, I told Bill we should have some white wine.  He ordered a pinot grigio and, after ten minutes or so, a waitress came by with an electric wine opener, a bottle of pinot grigio, and the handy wine chiller pictured below.  I was impressed enough by the electric wine opener.  That would have come in handy when I was a server and struggled with opening bottles at the table.  Of course, I am a pro at wine opening now.

No, the white part is not ice.  It’s made of plastic and can be chilled.  It’s a lot less messy than a wine bucket.

 

Since we were having white wine and I wasn’t in the mood for pasta, I decided to order shrimp.  I considered a zander filet or salmon, but ultimately I made the right choice…

Five big shrimps!

And a salad with a light vinaigrette.

Bill had the zander filet.  Though it was really good, the vegetables that came with it were loaded with mushrooms, which as you may know, are of the devil as far as I’m concerned…

The bread tasted homemade and was delicious.

The hardworking servers at Pizzeria da Piero were very busy last night, so our meal was a bit leisurely.  We had good conversation.  Then, an older couple tried to sit in the booth behind us and opted to move, potentially because I might have said the f word too loud…  or maybe I’m just paranoid.  Anyway, it was no skin off our backs…

Empty bottle…

 

I considered ordering dessert, but decided I’d rather have a beer.  It was just sultry and nasty last night…

This went down easy as we paid our 59 euro check…

Nice biergarten.  We really should have sat out there last night.  I’ll be so glad when the summer temperatures mellow out a bit.

  
I like this restaurant well enough, especially when it’s not really hot outside.  I noticed they had ceiling fans in there, but for some reason, they weren’t using them last night.  I wasn’t as hot and uncomfortable as I have been in other restaurants during the summer here.  The wine helped.  Pizzeria da Piero does a very brisk take out service and lots of people were picking up food last night.

Somehow, in the course of the evening, I also lost an earring that I bought in Greece.  Guess that’s a good reason to plan a trip back there.  For now, I’m looking at Switzerland.  Bill has a hankering to see a certain weird museum in Gruyeres.

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anecdotes, Sundays

More Greek food… and a lovely Sunday walk!

Yesterday, Bill made a beautiful lunch of steamed cod with vegetables.  We had wine with the lunch and soon it became clear that we didn’t have anything decent on hand for dinner.  Because of the wine, we didn’t need to be driving…

Bill even broke out my china for yesterday’s lunch!

Arran loves the table.

A little Kessler Sekt and strawberries for dessert.

So we walked to Taverne Bei Dimi for dinner.  I might have gone to Tommi’s Bistro, but they’re closed for most of August.  The sweet lady who runs Taverne Bei Dimi was there last night after her time in Greece and was so happy to see us.  She and her brother shook our hands as they welcomed us.

Wine, water, and ouzo…

More salad…  My body was liable to go into shock.

Since Bill and I also had Greek food on Friday night, we decided to try something different last night.  I had calamari and Bill had bifteki.

Mmm… fried squid rings…

And beef with cheese in it…

It was totally dead when we got to the restaurant, but had filled up by the time we left.  I was glad to see them getting some good business.  I think we are now official regulars.

This morning, we decided to go back to Wurmlinger Chapel and try our hike once again, now that my mom is back in the States.  Today, we were successful.  We brought the dogs with us and all four of us enjoyed a walk to the top of a large hill.

The way to the chapel… it’s a steep hike.

Map of the area.

So many pretty views as we ascended.  I was huffing and puffing as my out of shape body carried me higher. 

I always take pictures prematurely as I walk up hills.  It doesn’t occur to me that there will be even better views as I go higher.

Lots of grape vines.

200 meters to go.  I was way out of breath!

I can see our old village in this photo.

Finally, we got to see this chapel up close.  When we lived in Germany the first time, I saw it every day from our backyard.  I even have a small painting of it in storage.  

This shows you where all the points of interest are.  I love that scenic places in Germany have these.

The crypt is very cool.

The caretaker was an older German lady who drove up to open the church.  She told me there was water for the dogs.  That was about all I could understand as she kept talking to me.  I tried telling her I didn’t understand, but she was undaunted.

Blackberries ripening on the way back down.

The dogs enjoyed the view, too.  

Sheep grazing.

Dogs have to stay out of the courtyard.  Bill and I took turns having a look.

Zane enjoyed himself and the ride back.

I’m so glad we finally got to see Wurmlinger Chapel.  It’s a very pretty little church and the views are just lovely.  Today was a great day to hike up there.  It wasn’t too hot outside.  My mom would not have been able to make it up the hill, but I think we could have driven up there.  It is discouraged to drive and I certainly needed the exercise.  I did alright for an out of shape fat chick, though.  Just as a reminder, there is a bathroom in the parking lot for those who need the facilities.

I took this photo in 2008 from our old house in Pfäffingen.

We might have to go back before it closes for the winter.  I bet it’s lovely in the fall.

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 8

On Thursday, Bill said he thought he’d probably be done with his conference early.  I decided to go to the pool, where I started reading another fascinating book.  This one is about a guy who has visited every single country on the planet.  After a suitable time allowed for the housekeeping staff to clean our room, I did some blogging.  I got tired of fighting with the terrible internet in this hotel, so I decided to go have some lunch.

This duck was fantastic… I actually had to sit and bask in the afterglow after this meal.

I had given some thought to walking back to the Centrum and maybe picking up a souvenir or two, but it turned out to be chilly and windy and I was afraid it might rain.  So for the third time this week, I went to De Heerlijekheyt, the delightful restaurant next door to the hotel, where the male waiter on staff– who bears a passing resemblance to a young Kirk Cameron (before he turned into a religious wackjob) immediately recognized me from Sunday night.  I was seated at a nice window table and enjoyed a delicious duck entree with vegetables and a couple of glasses of wine.

When I got back to the room, I felt strong enough to fight with the Internet again.  I finished my blogging.  Bill got back at about 3:00.  We enjoyed one of the bottles of wine we brought and watched TLC as Bill told me about the conference.  Then, at about 6:00, we visited De Bon Vivant, a local French inspired place that didn’t seem all that French to me.  I had been curious about it since our arrival, but we finally got around to visiting last night.  Apparently, asparagus is a specialty.  They even had asparagus inspired desserts.  We made a reservation for six o’clock, but that wasn’t really necessary.

Bill checks out the menu.

 

Bill tried the asparagus soup with smoked salmon while I had a soup called Grandma’s Sorrow, which was mustard based with smoked salmon.  They looked identical, but had wildly different flavors.  Both were excellent.

I had steak and asparagus.  Bill had a game stew.  Our waiter made our eyebrows raise when he said the game was fresh because it was just shot on Monday.  Good to know.  We also had frites and spinach with boiled eggs on top.  My steak came with a small dollop of mashed potatoes and Hollandaise sauce.  It was all a bit much, though very tasty.

We weren’t going to have dessert, but were talked into it… I had an Irish coffee and Bill had a D.O.M. coffee, which was made with some liqueur whose name escapes me right now.  I think it might have been B&B.

 

A very pleasant female waitress came in a little later than her colleagues and talked to us.  She asked if we were there for business or pleasure.  We explained that we were in Apeldoorn on business and headed to Haarlem and Amsterdam for my birthday.  She said Apeldoorn will seem rustic in comparison.  Not so many trees as you head west.  I am very impressed by how pretty Apeldoorn is.  It’s been a nice place to spend the week.  I wouldn’t mind coming back.

Outside the restaurant.

The tree lined main drag.

I guess some Dutch folks don’t like the police, either.

Before we go to Haarlem, we will stop by Apenheul, which is a primate zoo park where monkeys walk freely among the masses…  should be fun.

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