Ever since my traumatic adolescence, I’ve made a point of trying to celebrate Valentine’s Day. When I was a young, frisky thing, I was almost always ignored on cupid’s big day. At my high school in Gloucester, Virginia, every Valentine’s Day there was a dreaded list read at the end of the school day. It consisted of all the students– naturally all girls– who had received flowers and needed to pick them up in the office. My name was NEVER on that list, although I do think one year a friend took pity on me and brought me carnations at home.
Anyway, for many reasons, I’m a lucky lady now. I married a sweet guy who likes to spoil me and enjoys eating out in restaurants. We decided to go out for Valentine’s Day this year. Originally, we were going to try a new to us place in Pliezhausen, but then I started seeing ads for Hotel La Casa’s Valentine’s Day event on Facebook. Bill and I dined at Hotel La Casa’s Refugio restaurant last year and we were very impressed with it. So we cancelled our reservations at the first place and booked a table at Refugio.
This was the ad that attracted me…
Normally, reserving at the hotel’s restaurant is very easy to do. Just use OpenTable.de! But because the hotel was running a special dinner complete with a musical guest, we had to call directly for tickets, which were 69 euros a piece and included everything but beverages. They mailed us the tickets, which arrived a day after we ordered them.
Last night’s program consisted of Swing and Jazz Romance hits from the “Golden Twenties”, which isn’t as old fashioned as it might sound. Virtuoso pianist Duncan Galloway and a male singer whose name I didn’t catch were playing classic hits like “I’m Confessin'”, “Witchcraft”, and “The Girl from Ipanema”. It was quite enjoyable if you like that sort of thing… and I do.
Our view of the festivities. We were at Table 1. I was glad to see they had a full house!
The dinner consisted of four courses. They had a vegetarian/vegan option and a meat option. Bill and I opted for the regular meat option.
Bill takes in the scene.
There were candles and flowers and hearts everywhere…
I started with champagne. Bill wanted a bottle of wine with dinner, but they brought him a glass.
Then they brought out the amuse… a curried shrimp with red cabbage and pesto.
Next came cod with pureed Jerusalem artichoke and spinach, topped with champagne sauce.
Crustacean soup! This was delicious, with its clear, briny broth and two shrimp filled raviolis.
Then came the meat course. This was veal with a medley of Italian vegetables. I don’t actually eat veal very often, but I will admit this course was very nice. I gave some of my veal to Bill, who has fewer moral objections to eating it.
A well satisfied date!
Finally, we had dessert, which was white chocolate mousse with hibiscus. I probably would have preferred chocolate, but this was a nice, light ending.
Hotel La Casa is a beautiful place and I’m hoping someday we can spend a weekend there, sans dogs (because they aren’t allowed). The spa alone is tempting, but the restaurant is also excellent. The food has been beautifully presented and delicious on both of our visits and the service is friendly and very professional. I definitely recommend it for a great date night, especially if you like design. The dining room is very stylish.
Yours truly, whispering sweet nasties in Bill’s ear.
I asked my Facebook friends if I should go for pretty or cuddly. They all said cuddly, but Bill wanted pretty… so I went with pretty.
Anyway, this was another successful Valentine’s Day celebration. We had a great time and those traumatic memories of my youth have been successfully buried for yet another year. I hope your Valentine’s Day was just as enjoyable!
For the past couple of years, Bill and I have taken advantage of having a good Greek restaurant within walking distance of our house. Taverne Bei Dimi was a great standby when we weren’t in the mood to cook. Granted, we hadn’t visited in the past few months, although we did try recently, only to find the place closed. We thought maybe Dimi had gone to Greece for Christmas or something.
Last night, we decided we’d try to go to Dimi’s for dinner. We made the familiar short walk from our house. As we approached, I noticed that the vibe of the place seemed off. I could see there were lights on in what looked like a downstairs dining room. Dimi never had those lights on. The small parking lot was full of cars. I could see a few people in the back area of the dining room, where Dimi had video gambling. That part of the restaurant allowed smoking and Dimi usually had it closed off from the rest.
I noticed the front door wasn’t open the way it usually was and I could see a strange looking bald man in the kitchen. Then, when we opened the door to the dining room, we were almost bowled over by heavy cigarette smoke, a TV, and bright lights. I looked around and saw that there were different tables, a drink fridge, and all of Dimi’s art was gone. I did notice that Dimi’s signs were still up.
The proprietor welcomed us to sit down, although he said there was no food available. The proprietor was polite, but had the air of a eastern European Mafioso or something. It was creepy. They were only serving drinks. I’m not sure, but it sounded like they were working on hiring someone to cook. I won’t be back, though. That place was just full of acrid smoke and appeared to be taken over by a bunch of compulsive, chain smoking gamblers. I remembered they used to annoy Dimi, because they didn’t want to GTFO in a timely manner.
I don’t know what happened. My guess is that Dimi wasn’t getting enough business in his location. I also think it’s possible that he might have had some health problems. I do remember many times seeing him looking flushed and diaphoretic as he cooked and served his customers. Ah well. After a week of exhausting political dramas, I was looking forward to ouzo. Guess we’ll have to go somewhere else.
Bill and I ended up going to Tommi’s Bistro last night. It had been awhile since our last visit there, too. Unlike Dimi, it looked like Tommi might be thriving. He changed his plates and it looked like maybe he had someone else cooking. Most of the tables were reserved last night, too. We ended up sitting at a very large table and were later joined by several Germans. I was glad to see business booming for the best steak house in the area.
Bill is ready for beef.
I had a two hundred gram entrecote with wild potatoes and dip. I don’t really like sour cream, but I have to admit the dip on those potatoes is awesome. It’s got a little garlic in it.
Bill had a two hundred gram rump steak with pommes.
I noticed Tommi has personalized some of his tableware, too.
Tommi’s Bistro is right next to a music club. I love visiting Tommi’s when the club is rehearsing, like last night.
I snapped a photo as we were walking out.
It’s too bad Dimi’s appears to have gone the way of Burger Chef. I hope he’s alright, but I take heart in knowing that sometimes these unexpected closures turn out okay. Case in point. When we lived here last time, the restaurant we now all know and love as The Auld Rogue was a Greek restaurant called Taverna Faros. I had my very first dorade there. Bill and I went several times when we were stuck living in the Vaihinger Hof for six weeks as we waited for our housing to be ready.
Sometime after we moved into our house, Taverna Faros went under. One day, we decided we wanted to eat at Taverna Faros and discovered it had become City Club. We were very sad about that, especially since City Club looked rather sleazy.
Now, of course, City Club is no longer and we have the wonderful Auld Rogue to go to for good food, fine whisky, Irish suds, sports, and live music! Although I doubt my neighborhood haunt will turn into anything as awesome as The Auld Rogue, hope springs eternal. And, if we don’t end up being thrown out of Europe due to our new president’s antics, maybe someday we’ll get to enjoy it.
On Saturday afternoon, Bill went out and bought wine. I didn’t go with him because frankly, the gloomy weather makes me want to hibernate. I had already slipped into my nightgown by the time he wanted to go. I also wanted to do some writing. So he went into town and bought twelve bottles of local wines from vintners in Ribeauville. He got to taste the wines before he purchased them and both wine sellers spoke English and told him about the wines he was buying. In retrospect, I really should have gone with him. If and when we go back to Ribeauville, I will have to hold off getting into my jammies until we’ve bought some wine.
Sunday morning, we had a nice breakfast of locally made croissants. There are two bakeries very close to the apartment where we were staying. One is also a chocolatier, although we didn’t come home with any chocolates this time. One of the bakeries was also selling a locally popular cake that looked like a small bundt cake. I wanted Bill to get one to bring home with us today, but they didn’t have any ready when he went to the bakery this morning.
On Sunday, we basically did the same thing we did Saturday. At about lunchtime, we ventured out for a meal. Only a few places were open, since it’s vacation time. We ended up eating at Caveau de l’Ami Fritz, which was very close to our apartment. I noticed it smelled good, which is always a good sign.
I read in Trip Advisor that this restaurant is typically very busy, even though it’s is relatively low ranked. When we arrived, there were several tables open. I was enchanted by the interior, which is like a wine cellar. There’s a large fireplace in the front of the restaurant and it’s very attractively lit. Our waitress spoke slightly more English than the one at Chez Martine did, which I found helpful. The menu also had translations in German and English.
We ordered another local wine, one that was made by one of the vintners Bill bought from on Saturday, but not one he had purchased. I settled on roasted chicken with fries and salad. Bill had veal with mushroom sauce.
Bill checks out the wines…
and settles on this very pleasant local wine with essences of honey.
The menu had warned the roasted chicken would take 25 minutes. It was not a big deal at all, although I hadn’t been expecting a game hen! This was a delightful change of pace. Nice, simple, perfectly cooked chicken that wasn’t too dry. A small salad with a light, creamy, and savory dressing. The fries were pretty standard issue, but good.
Bill loved the veal and mushrooms, two foods I don’t do… His dish came with fries and salad. I noticed he ate the whole thing with gusto and even mopped up the gravy on his plate!
I saved room for profiteroles… We really should have shared this. It was basically vanilla ice cream sandwiched between eggy pastry that wasn’t at all sweet. Warm chocolate sauce and whipped cream rounded out this magnificent creation. I almost went with chocolate mousse, which would have probably been slightly less huge.
Bill had a piece of the tart of the day, which yesterday was blueberry. It was very good… not too big, not too sweet, and just the right thing after veal.
I stole a shot of the back of the dining room. You’d have to see it to appreciate it. It’s very cozy and unique. I have eaten in other retired wine cellars and am always delighted by them.
Bill waits for the bill. It was about 70 euros and our waitress offered to let us pay with a card. We used cash instead. In case anyone is interested, this restaurant is dog friendly. We didn’t bring ours with us, though. The manager smiled at me when I made it clear that I enjoyed the meal.
The outside.
And yesterday’s specials.
I see that this particular restaurant isn’t that high ranking according to TripAdvisor, but we liked it and would visit again. It’s hard to have a bad meal in France.
Ribeauville is pretty quiet right now. Many of the locals have left town for vacation. Consequently, a lot of the restaurants and a few stores were closed. The weather was pretty gloomy during our visit, so we mainly hung around the apartment and ventured out for lunch a couple of times. Even though the town is fairly dead right now, it’s still very beautiful and quaint. There’s still plenty of wine for tasting and buying. And if you’re sick and tired of schnitzel and pork knuckles, you can have something decidedly French in Ribeauville. I know I did.
Ribeauville is tres cute.
The first restaurant we went to was Chez Martine, an adorable little bistro on the main drag through Ribeauville. It seems to be a place most popular for lunch. When we arrived at about 1:00pm on Saturday, the tiny dining room only had a few open tables. A very friendly waitress invited us to sit where we wanted. She didn’t speak much English, which I found very refreshing. And she was smiling and helpful. I was very charmed by her as she very carefully explained that they were about to close for their vacation, so they were out of some items on the menu.
I decided to have Quiche Lorraine, which is basically made with bacon or ham and cheese. It came with a salad and bread. Bill chose a salmon tart, but they didn’t have it. So he went with lightly breaded fish– I think it was flounder. It, too, came with a very nice salad. We shared a bottle of Alsatian wine and no one gave us the fish eye for drinking during the daytime.
No, I wasn’t drinking when I took this. The expression of Bill’s face just reminded me of Squidward’s.
A little better.
A very nice locally produced Riesling, which went great with our lunches.
My delicious Quiche Lorraine. This was so good. Just what I needed on a cold, gloomy January day in France. And such a nice change from the fare one usually finds in these parts. The salad had carrots, green beans, radishes, and fresh greens. It came with a light mustard vinaigrette as well as super fresh bread.
Bill was equally happy with his flounder. It came with the same salad my dish had.
Our waitress talked us into dessert. I had a cherry tart, which was delicious and just the right size.
Bill enjoyed a pear and chocolate tart. Again, it was the right size and very fresh. I was marveling that we only live a couple of hours away, but the food is so refreshingly different. We will have to come back for that alone.
A shot of the front. In warmer months, there are tables available for outside.
Our bill came to just over fifty euros. Bill made the waitress smile by giving her a generous tip. A friend of mine who lives in France says that tipping isn’t really a thing in France. More than a couple of euros isn’t necessarily expected. I could tell that our waitress appreciated it, though. And that meal was enough that we didn’t really need anything else for the rest of the day. We went back to the apartment and enjoyed some wine from the local grocery store while we watched the flurries come down. Ribeauville definitely did not get the snow that Stuttgart got.
Now that we’ve finally been to a Block House location, it’s time to write about my favorite steak joints in and around Stuttgart. I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time. Bill and I are fans of good beef, even though we’d probably be better off avoiding it! Unfortunately, good beef is not something Germany is well known for having in abundance. When we lived here the first time, from 07-09, we pretty much gave up on beef. This time, we’ve sought out good steaks, mainly because our town happens to have a really good, and very reasonably priced, steakhouse.
Here’s my list of favorites, so far. This post will also include a quick and dirty rundown of my overall impressions. I know there are probably more places to get good steak in Stuttgart and its environs, but in the interest of keeping the length of this post reasonable, I’m starting with this list of seven.
Abacco Steakhouse Abacco Steakhouse is an interesting restaurant located in downtown Stuttgart. The concept basically involves having customers cook their own steaks. They bring out the steak cooked to rare on a hot stone. Then you continue to cook it to your desired level of doneness. We had a good experience at this restaurant, although I’m not too hot on the idea of having to cook for myself when I’ve gone out to eat. They do bring out several sauces to go with the steak, which I like. Service was also good and the concept is unique.
Steak at Abacco Steakhouse.
Ampulle
A very cool gin bar that specializes in steak. We enjoyed a nice meal there in July of this year. My only complaint about Ampulle is that people smoke cigars in their bar area and it can get rather smokey for non smokers. Also, keep in mind that first courses at Ampulle are very ample! If you want more than one course, I recommend pacing yourself. I also recommend taking the train and walking to the restaurant because parking could be a challenge.
Ampulle is a great place for those who like beef and gin.
Maredo
Very reasonably priced chain restaurant with two locations in Stuttgart. Has a little something for everyone, as well as surprisingly good steaks. Besides having something for everyone, this restaurant runs all day. It’s a good bet for when you don’t want to spend a whole lot of money.
Bill and I were able to enjoy a nice lunch at Maredo for about 44 euros.
Block House
Another chain restaurant with two locations in Stuttgart. The Block House specializes in beef and, unlike Maredo, seems to focus only on meat dishes. It was a bit more expensive than Maredo, but the food quality and service were very good. I think it would appeal a lot to Americans, too. It kind of has that American vibe to it! There’s a wide variety of cuts to choose from and you get salad and sides included. Fair warning to mushroom haters like me. The salad that comes with the steaks has them included. Next time, I’m telling them “Ohne Pilze!”
Steak at Block House.
[M]eatery
[M]eatery is another popular steak place in downtown Stuttgart. It’s a little more upscale than the restaurants I’ve listed so far, although it, too, is a chain location. You can drop a lot of cash at [M]eatery and, frankly, I was a little puzzled by the service we got there. The food quality is good, though, and I hear their burgers are fantastic. Be prepared to pay for everything pretty much a la carte, although I see that I did really enjoy the sides (that we paid extra for).
[M]eatery’s rib eye.
Christophorus
I debated whether or not to make Christophorus number one on this list. I think this restaurant at the Porsche museum in Zuffenhausen probably offers the best steak in the area. However, I put it in second place because reservations are a must and you will spend a whole lot of money there. If you have a need to impress someone or want to celebrate, Christophorus is a very good bet for outstanding beef. All meat at Christophorus is USDA prime– that is, from the United States. The service is impeccable, too. But bring lots of cash and be prepared to book well ahead. We spent well over 200 euros for our dinner for two. Fortunately, the steak was well worth it. Other options are available for those who don’t want steak.
Fantastic steak at Christophorus. Excellent service, too.
Tommi’s Bistro (now closed, but the owner has opened a new place in Nagold called Bahnhof 1872)
So far, my favorite steak joint in the Stuttgart area is Tommi’s Bistro. It’s located in my town of Unterjettingen, which makes it inconvenient for a lot of people. I still like it because the food is very good and extremely reasonably priced. An added bonus to Tommi’s Bistro, besides the fact that we can walk to it, is that they offer a lot of live music events. On the second Thursday of every month, they host a live jam featuring a band from Calw and anyone who wants to join them. I have been known to jam with them myself a few times. We went to Tommi’s last night for the jam. I didn’t join them on stage, but we did have a couple of great steaks and enjoyed some fabulous music. And… for all of that fun, we got out of Tommi’s for a mere 50 euros (including a generous tip, which really excited our waitress)!
The one drawback to Tommi’s is that the restaurant is pretty much only open on the weekends now and sometimes closes for private events. If you do plan a visit to Jettingen to try Tommi’s Bistro, be sure to consult the official Web site to make sure it’s open. As of right now, the restaurant is closed Monday through Wednesday, but that sometimes changes. It’s also only open for dinner– lunch is not served there. Some Saturday nights, they host concerts that cost extra. If you choose to come out for one of the shows, I recommend making a reservation.
My rib eye last night. Looks like Tommi has changed up his style a bit. Side dishes cost extra, but they are also reasonably priced. Service is good and they give you a house shot of sherry, too.
Bill had a rump steak. You can get either Irish or Argentinian beef. One mark against Tommi’s is that they don’t offer a whole lot of choices that don’t involve beef. Also, there are no burgers at Tommi’s. But if you like a good steak at a reasonable price, it’s a good bet. They also have a children’s menu.
A photo of the jammers…
And a sample of last night’s music. Good stuff! This, by the way, is a free event, though tipping is encouraged. Reservations are also a good idea if you’re coming to one of the musical events.
So there you have it. These are my picks so far for great steaks in and around Stuttgart. May your next steak dinner in or around Stuttgart be stellar!
So Bill and I recently noticed that the restaurant at the Alte Post seems to have changed names. What we thought was the Alte Post restaurant is called the Luz Bistro Bar. I looked at their Web site and it appeared that the Alte Post is a more formal restaurant, while Luz Bistro Bar is more casual. They are run by the same people.
After our quick trip to Switzerland on Sunday, we were in no mood to cook. So Bill and I went to Nagold and had a lovely dinner outside at the Luz Bistro Bar. The weather was perfect for sitting outside. We have actually eaten at this place at least three times and have enjoyed it each time. But now I see we may have to go back and try what appears to be their nicer restaurant.
As for Sunday’s dinner, this is what we had…
Bill had a sauvignon blanc and I had a riesling…
Then he had a lovely grilled skewer with beef, onion, bacon, and a baked potato.
I went with a beautifully prepared rib eye and pommes. The steak was outstanding, though the pommes were rather ordinary.
A lot of people were enjoying a pasta dish with truffles, which I could easily smell from several tables away. I was tempted by the dorade, though I eat fish all the time. Service was relaxed but professional. English menus are available.
As we were leaving, I caught sight of the Vodaphone hot air balloon flying overhead.
I love living near Nagold. I’m so glad we got to come back to the Stuttgart area and get to know more about what this part of Germany offers. It’s great to be here. I hope we can stay awhile longer. And now that I know there’s more to the Alte Post, I will have to make a point of visiting so I can write a proper review. It appears the Alte Post is only open Thursday through Saturday nights. Luz Bistro Bar is open daily. We’ll have to make plans!
Last week, after fruitlessly trying to get the pet smells out of our cheap AAFES rugs, I told Bill that I wanted to go to Robinson Barracks to see if we could find new ones to replace them. We were unsuccessful on our trip to RB. Since it was after 2:00pm and we were hungry, we needed to find a place for lunch with a kitchen that was open all day. Bill told me about Wirthaus Garbe, a biergarten very close to Kelley Barracks where he and his colleagues have had lunch.
We parked in a private lot near at a business college near the hotel/restaurant. I’m not sure if we were technically allowed to park there, but we had no issues. The sun was trying to peek through the clouds, though it was a bit chilly. It’s hard to believe I was running our air conditioner yesterday.
The Wirtshaus Garbe has a very nice biergarten with large tables, benches, and plenty of trees. They offer beer on tap and typical local delights like Schweinebraten, Wiener Schnitzel, Flammkuchen (which are huge), and plenty of salads. I was definitely ready for something hearty.
Bill checks out the menu. You order your food from a server and get your drinks from a stand.
Bill got me a mas krug of the Kaiser keller beer. He had a half liter of Paulaner Dunkelweiss. You pay for your drinks when you order them and pay the wait staff separately for food.
The proprietors of the biergarten had brought out a large TV so people could watch football over beer and food. I had my back to the TV, but could hear the game between Ireland and France. Bill and I decided to split a Wiener Schnitzel and a Schweinebraten. Both dishes came with cold potato salad and were priced at 12,90 euros.
Bill heads back to our table from the loo.
A picture of the food, which was very good! We ended up splitting these dishes, so I can say with authority that both were just what I needed after our disappointing shopping excursion. The menu is simple and includes items for children, too.
The biergarten even has a fountain. It’s a nice place to enjoy a beer or two or a good lunch.
A picture of the front. Indoor dining is also available, most likely when the weather is bad or during regular lunch and dinner hours.
Bill says this establishment is popular on weekends, though there were plenty of tables open this afternoon. It made for a good stop on our way to Panzer, where we did end up buying three new rugs from the Turkish guy outside of the PX. I think we may have been his only sale in days, so he was pretty happy after we left. And I finally got to remove the stinky cheap rugs from the house. Hopefully, my dogs will be gentle with our new rugs.
My German friend Susanne says this restaurant is near a park as well as a museum (free entry).
Bill and I decided to go to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on Saturday. We correctly surmised that there would be many day trippers coming to Lake Bled on Saturday and it would probably be a madhouse. As we left Bled Saturday morning and observed the long string of cars coming into the town, we could see our hunch was right. Making matters more complicated was the road construction going on. Bled has a two lane road going through it that is currently being worked on, probably in time for what promises to be a busy summer season.
Ljubljana is only about an hour from Bled, so we got there at about noon. Bill found expensive parking in a garage at a galleria. There was a Spar grocery store there, which we made plans to visit on the way out. We’re always looking for interesting wines and beers. After we parked, we made our way into the main drag in the old town. It was very festive this past Saturday. There was a market going on where people could buy all manner of fresh produce, gifts, arts, and crafts. Lots of musicians were busking on busy corners and most of them were skilled. The air smelled of cheeses, meats, and fruits.
One of the first things we happened upon was a bunch of Hare Krishnas dancing to a young woman’s surprisingly lovely vocals. Bill and I stood and watched; it was happening right where the boat tours start and some woman asked me if we wanted to take one. I declined at that time, since we’d only just arrived. Really, what I wanted was lunch. As we rounded the corner, we were delighted by the sight of bubbles everywhere. Some guy was blowing them by the dozen and kids were chasing them in the sunshine. It made for quite the whimsical scene.
Raw footage of the Hare Krishnas and the boat tour we took in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
One thing I always do when I check out new cities is look down alleyways and in alcoves. I try to get out of the tourist drags, especially when I’m looking for a meal. I find that a lot of the better restaurants aren’t necessarily in the thick of the action. Not only do the out of the way restaurants tend to have better food and service, they also tend to have more reasonable prices.
We rounded a corner, where I heard the majestic sounds of a flute, a violin, and a harp. Three young ladies were playing beautifully as we passed and I noticed a tiny wine shop that I made a mental note to visit later. We got to a corner of a cafe that promised food, beverages, and speedy sewing jobs (it seemed to be paying homage to Singer sewing machines). Then I spotted an open door, wine bottles, and corks. I headed across the street, well away from the tourist action, and spotted where we’d be having a leisurely lunch.
I see that according to TripAdvisor, Spajza is ranked ninth out of 407 restaurants in the city. Having chanced upon it Saturday, I can agree that the food at Spajza is indeed excellent. So is the service. When we arrived, we were among the first there for lunch. We were ushered to a two top in the restaurant’s charming terrace area. I could see several large tables set up and knew that the peace and quiet wouldn’t last. Clearly, there were going to be a couple of big groups joining us.
Spajza has a number of dishes that might seem exotic to the average American. They serve “young horse” there, which I would never eat for many reasons. At a less American friendly Slovenian restaurant, I saw the “young horse” billed as “foal”, which is even creepier to me. I didn’t see any bear on the menu as I did in other Slovenian restaurants, but there was also rabbit as well as a host of seafood dishes. I wasn’t feeling too adventurous and the beef dishes mostly included mushrooms, which I don’t eat. I ended up having a couple of starters and Bill had a shrimp salad. Bill and I started with three scallops au gratin, which were served in the shell. Then I had a shrimp and asparagus risotto. We also enjoyed the awesome rolls and fish paste amuse that came with our meal, which we washed down with two bottles of local wine and sparkling water.
We might not have stayed as long as we did, but I got a kick out of one of the groups. It was a large group of guys who were obviously bonding over good food, beer, wine, and cigars. They were fun to watch. I think the waiter was surprised when we ordered more wine… and maybe even more surprised that I didn’t fall out of the chair.
After we enjoyed lunch, we stopped at the tiny wine shop– seriously no larger than a closet– and bought a couple of bottles from a guy with excellent taste in music. He was blaring Dire Straits and every time I hear certain Dire Straits songs, I’m reminded of a wonderful long weekend Bill and I enjoyed in Barcelona back in April 2009.
Further into the tourist district, I saw a sign that read “Beer”. Not being able to resist such an advertisement, I followed the sign into a little craft beer shop. The very friendly and enthusiastic lady who was running the store chatted with us about beer and nodded approvingly when I picked up a few Belgians I haven’t yet tried. Next, we picked up some Slovenian honey at the farmer’s market.
We pressed on to the parking garage and entered the grocery store, where we found a few more bottles of wine and a bottle of chocolate liqueur. Then, something funny happened. A couple of weeks ago, an acquaintance introduced me to a hideous disco song called “Lady Bump”…
Penny McLean, who was a member of the Euro disco group Silver Convention, sings “Lady Bump”. Turns out she’s from Klagenfurt, Austria, which we passed through on our way back to Germany.
I happen to be a serious music nerd and I especially enjoy crappy music from the 70s and 80s. But I had never heard of “Lady Bump” until my friend introduced it to me. Sure enough, while we were wine shopping at the grocery store, that song came on! It was kind of surreal. After we bought the wine, we dropped it off in the car and went back to the boat tour dock. Bill needed some time to sober up and it was a really gorgeous late afternoon.
The lady who sold us the tour was trying to chat us up and coming off as a bit disingenuous, especially when her machine malfunctioned and she had to handwrite us tickets. But we got on the boat and enjoyed a lovely little cruise, especially when we ran into a regatta! A bunch of kids, no doubt learning how to sail, were having a race on our route. You can see the footage in the first video I posted. They were pretty awesome.
Ljubljana is a great town and I’m glad we visited. I’m actually glad we stayed in Bled instead of the capital city, since I have a feeling parking can be a challenge there. However, if you want to go shopping or eating, I think Ljubljana is a great bet. I hope we can visit again, if only because I want to find more awesome restaurants and visit the castle. We spotted it as we drove into the city, as well as the handy funicular that takes people up the hill. Had we arrived a bit earlier, maybe we would have toured the castle, although we were both a bit tired of tour groups by Saturday and we knew the castle would probably be teeming with them.
Farmer’s market!
Hare Krishnas
Bubbles!
This is why I always check alleys… really cool art here.
A church near where we had lunch.
Food and sewing…
Graffiti.
Our spot for lunch!
Bill’s tiger shrimp salad with delicious wasabi dressing…
My risotto with shrimp and asparagus…
Scallops and mild cheese.
Awesome bread and amuse.
Our first bottle of wine…
The terrace before things got busy!
A good spot for beer!
Our boat cruise.
I snapped this shot of the mural on the building. It must have taken forever to do that…
On the way back into Bled, we saw yet another stream of cars. They were headed in the opposite direction. Yep, day trippers! I recommend for those wanting to visit Bled, go somewhere else on Saturday. Take a trip to the city to avoid the crowds! Saturday is fun in Ljubljana!
Last night, Bill and I decided to go to Taverne bei Dimi’s for our Friday night Greek fix. It turned out to be an interesting evening, mainly because there were more English speakers than Germans there. In fact, we noticed one German couple sitting between our table and a large table of Germans and at least one Brit. Everyone was speaking English.
The waitress was one I hadn’t seen before. She seemed to be German and was very pleasant. Dimi was happy to see us, too, and offered a wave as he served lots of food.
Bill and I decided to have something different and ordered a sampler platter for two…
We got two of these beautiful farmer’s salads. I was enjoying filling up on the vegetables until I got an unusually hot pepper! I could have used some yogurt!
This was our platter. It came with Dimi’s yummy fries, bifteki, souvlaki, gyros, and pork steaks, as well as plenty of t’zatziki. We managed less than half and brought the rest home. This was a pretty good deal, too. For two people, it was 27 euros.
While we were eating, an older black gentleman and his son and daughter arrived. I knew he was an American immediately because he wore a wedding ring on his left hand. He sat down with the group of Germans and their British friend, but I noticed he kept looking over at us. He eventually came over and introduced himself. It turns out he and his family live in Oberjettingen. His wife is German and he is a government civilian who wished to become a contractor because he’s about to be rotated out of Germany.
So he and Bill talked and it turned out he was trying to score an interview with Bill’s company. Bill, being a “pay it forward” kind of guy, promised to talk to his boss. I’m kind of a big believer in fateful encounters. As I mentioned last week, I have a knack for running into people I used to know. I also have a knack for doing things that end up benefitting others.
When I was in the Peace Corps, I helped out a beautiful young Armenian woman who was hoping to go to college in the United States. I didn’t know her, but had noticed she had posted an ad in the Peace Corps office looking for people who had attended certain private east coast colleges. She needed to be interviewed by alums in order to be accepted. I happened to know a couple of people who had gone to the colleges she was interested in attending, so I took her number and passed it on to my friends. They both talked to her and were very impressed. She ended up getting a full scholarship to Bowdoin College. She also got accepted to Hamilton College, which was the other school she wanted to attend.
I know about this because I ended up meeting her one night while visiting another friend. She was dating an American teenager who was the son of a professor who worked for the US Department of Agriculture. When she found out what I’d done, she thanked me profusely. The Peace Corps does attract a lot of graduates of small, private, liberal arts colleges, but the odds there would be two local alums available in Yerevan was pretty slim. Fortunately, someone noticed her ad and knew two people who could help her.
I am certainly not responsible for her success. She was a very bright and engaging young woman who impressed my friends, who were alums. All I did was help set the conditions for her success. I’m thinking that maybe Bill can do the same thing for the man we met last night. I think it’s a good way to foster positive karma. I don’t know how my Armenian acquaintance’s story ended. I’d like to think she enjoyed four years at a very exclusive school. But I didn’t even know her well enough to be able to Facebook stalk her. I only remember her first name.
Anyway, this guy we met last night has very good reasons for wanting to stay in Germany. His son is in high school and plays football. If they have to move, it’ll be to Fort Polk, Louisiana. Granted, I haven’t been to Fort Polk, but I have heard it’s not exactly the greatest place to be. And if you are a civilian, there’s no telling how long the government will keep you in an assignment stateside.
So, I’m hoping things work out for our new friend. In any case, it’s nice to know we aren’t totally alone out here on the edge of the Black Forest.
Last night, Bill and I decided to go to Entringen and see our old friend The Mad Scientist at Agais. The last time we saw him and his wife, it was Halloween night. I had been meaning to get down there sooner than the New Year, but life got in the way. When Bill asked me what I wanted to do for dinner, I said I wanted to see our old friend. Bill cleared some of the snow that hadn’t melted from my car and we headed down to Ammerbuch-Entringen, which is very close to where we lived the first time we were in Germany.
We noticed the parking lot where Bill usually parks was full of construction materials. Looks like they’re putting up a new building of some sort. It didn’t matter, though, since there was still plenty of street parking last night.
When we went into the restaurant, The Mad Scientist and his wife were in the side dining room, watching TV. They greeted us as we took our favorite table. There was no one else in the restaurant. Bill decided to have lamb and I had swordfish, two of the pricier dishes on the menu. I think our old friend was happy about that.
We enjoyed a leisurely dinner.
A photo of Bill in his favorite winter shirt… I may need to get him another one if this cold weather keeps up.
Fresh salads. Our old friend remembered that Bill is not a fan of onions and I am not a raw tomato fan.
Swordfish steak with oven baked potatoes and t’zatziki. It was pretty good, though the portion was a little small.
Bill really enjoyed his lamb. I am not a fan of lamb.
It felt good to see The Mad Scientist and his wife again. Their college aged son also visited; we saw him in the kitchen. Bill later told me that he confided to him that business had been very slow. He blamed it on the weather. At one point, Bill said he almost looked teary eyed. I felt badly for him, though he was as charming as usual. I just remember that only a few years ago, he was healthier and spoke English so well. He talked about politics and sports. Now he speaks German to us, which is not such a bad thing. At least I get to practice. I don’t know when we’ll get down there again, but I’m going to make a point of visiting whenever we get the chance. One of these days, I’ll have to ask him what his name is. He knows our names.
Bill is going away this week so I will probably be pretty bored. Hopefully, we’ll get out tonight and try a new place before he takes off for Africa.
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