Tag Archives: Rheinland-Palatinate

memories, Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz, Sundays

Another short visit to Bacharach… a special German town to me…

Yesterday, I was lamenting to Bill that I wanted to get out of the house for awhile, and remember why we moved to Germany in the first place. Unfortunately, I’ve reached a stage in my life in which I don’t really feel like going out as often as I used to. Part of the problem is that our house is very comfortable, making it harder to leave. Another issue is that I’m getting older and less impressed with things. And then there’s the weird weather for this time of year. It’s chilly and a bit overcast today, although we did see glimpses of the sun.

Originally, Bill suggested that we visit Mainz and go to the Gutenberg Museum, a place we have yet to see. Then he thought maybe we’d go to an Armenian/Greek restaurant downtown. But I like to save museums for when the weather is cold. I really kind of wanted to visit the Rhein River… or perhaps a waterfall or a cave. I was really in the mood to do something outside, in spite of the weather. I suggested Bacharach, a beautiful town on the river that also has the distinction of being the very first German town I ever visited.

Back in the summer of 1997, I was finishing my Peace Corps service in Armenia, planning for a month long Eurail trip. I read Europe Through the Back Door, by Rick Steves. He constantly mentioned how adorable Bacharach is. I was to be alone for that part of my trip, so I decided that once I got off the plane from Yerevan, I’d get on a train at the Frankfurt Airport and head for Bacharach for a couple of nights. When I finished my service in August of 1997, that is precisely what I did. When I landed in Frankfurt, I took a couple of trains to the beautiful riverside town of Bacharach. It was a great place to start that trip. I never dreamed I’d be back ever again, let alone live about 45 minutes away.

In late May 2014, just weeks before Bill finished his active duty Army career, we took a “Space A” hop from Baltimore to Germany. We spent most of our time in France, but then flew back to Frankfurt from Nice, and took a train to Landstuhl to work on getting our Space A flight back to the States. We weren’t able to get out the day we wanted to, so we had an extra day in Germany. I suggested that we visit Bacharach. Bill had never been before, and I remembered it to be a lovely town. So we went from Landstuhl… and it took a couple of hours to get there. The town was just as quaint and inviting as I remembered it.

Bill and I happened upon a Biergarten made of an old carousel. We stopped in for beer, and there were a bunch of drunk guys in there. It was Father’s Day, and they were all celebrating. When one of the men heard us talking, he asked if Bill was in the Army. Bill said he was, and the guy told us that American soldiers had saved his family from being stuck in East Germany. He got quite emotional and thanked Bill for his service. It was at around that time that I told Bill that I had a feeling that we were going to be moving back. Sure enough, six weeks later, we moved back to Stuttgart. The rest is, of course, history.

We also visited Bacharach in 2019, or thereabouts… around the time we moved to Wiesbaden. I had wanted to come back again after that visit, but we couldn’t do that easily because a bridge that connected Wiesbaden to the Rhein area was deliberately destroyed and rebuilt. It took a long time. And then, of course, we had the pandemic… and after that, we got out of the habit of enjoying weekend outings.

In any case, you can see photos and read about our previous visits. In 2014… and in 2019… I wrote this about my 1997 trip in 2013.

Below are some photos from today. The weather wasn’t the greatest, although we did stop by the Kleines Brauhaus at the Rhein Theater again. That’s become a tradition for us in Bacharach! It looks like they changed the canopy since we were there in 2019. Also, they don’t have wait service anymore. Now, it’s self-service, which is fine. We both had schnitzels and fries today. Bill had his with cream sauce. I see that the sun is now out, too… SIGH.

Where I stayed in 1997.

We passed by the little hotel/B&B where I stayed in 1997. I remember it was no frills, and I was asked to pay in advance, which I did in Deutsch Marks. A lot of people were walking around Bacharach today, but it wasn’t teeming with people, probably because the weather wasn’t that great. But it remained a lovely place to spend a few hours, watching river cruise ships pass by on the serene Rhein, and a cute little dog in a tiny carrier, hanging out with its people. I wouldn’t have minded having coffee and cake, or maybe some wine in another establishment… but I feared that if we sat down somewhere, we’d stay longer than we should. So we decided to head back after a couple of hours. It was long enough to remind us of why we wanted to move back here so many years ago.

I didn’t get any premonitions today… which I take as a positive sign. Bacharach remains a favorite German destination for me. We should visit more… In fact, we should go to more adorable German towns on the Rhein. I just have to get my ass off the couch or the bed and get to it.

Unfortunately, when we got home, I found out that the rivet securing the strap on my purse broke. I bought the purse in Florence back in 2022. It’s served me well, so I ordered another one from the same shop in a different color. Maybe we’ll get the strap fixed on the one I have now. It just needs a new rivet. I also need to clean out my bag!

Well, I think I’ll close this post and go enjoy the rest of the evening with Bill. Hope you had a lovely Sunday.

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churches, Sundays

Mainzer Dom and lunch at Caleo…

Bill and I never made it out yesterday, mainly because the weather is starting to change. It was rainy off and on yesterday, and we just didn’t feel like going out anywhere. So we stayed home, ate takeout, listened to music, and enjoyed some libations on the patio.

Today, we had nicer weather. Bill wanted to go out. I was still kind of inclined to stay in, because I have become a slovenly old battleaxe over the course of the past 18 months or so. However, it’s really not good for my mental health to stay home, nor is it particularly good for my physical health, since I tend to sit around and drink. So I let myself be convinced to go out. We could have gone to the Frankfurt Dippemess, which is going on until next weekend. But there’s no parking at the fairgrounds, and Bill and I don’t ride the rides or anything. I mean, I probably would, but Bill doesn’t like to.

I had mentioned yesterday that I wanted to go inside the Mainzer Dom (Mainz Cathedral). Somehow, despite living in Wiesbaden for almost three years, we never bothered to go inside the cathedral, which is massive and gorgeous. So today, we decided we’d go. Below are some photos from today’s visit. The Mainz Cathedral dates from 975, and has been renovated many times during its long history. I was very moved by how massive and beautiful the cathedral is. There are so many gothic accents and beautiful windows. There are also new stained glass windows, which were made by the glass artist Johannes Schreiter and installed in 2004.

The Dom costs nothing to visit, although donations are gratefully accepted. It’s open to visitors outside of service times Monday through Saturday from 11:00am until 4:00pm. On Sundays, it’s open to visitors from 1:00pm until 4:00pm (although Google says it’s open until 6:30pm).

As is his habit, Bill bought a candle for his father, who died in November 2020. He wasn’t able to go to his dad’s funeral, thanks to COVID-19. So, now when we enter cathedrals, Bill usually lights a candle and says a prayer. I have been to a lot of cathedrals since we’ve been over here. I think Mainz might have one of the most architecturally impressive ones I’ve seen yet. It’s really beautiful. I would love to hear the organ.

After we took a quick tour of the Mainzer Dom, we walked around the area so I could get more photos. I actually have a bunch of pictures from around Mainz, but the flower gardens are always changing. Plus, Mainz is just one of those cities that seems to pulsate with life and energy.

We were feeling a little hungry and needed to visit the restroom, so we went searching for food. I found Caleo on my trusty iPhone, indicating the restaurant was open all day with no pause. So we headed for there, first taking a detour to the river, so I could get a few photos.

  • This isn’t too far from the “beach” on the Mainz side of the Rhein.
  • Someone left a book leaned against a building.

We were kind of impressed by Caleo, which boasts an innovative menu with some interesting menu choices. There were some exotic items on the menu. Bill ended up ordering a crocodile steak, for instance. I went with a Spicy Wagyu Burger, which came with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onions, chili mayo, and lettuce. I have a feeling Bill would have liked the spicy burger more than I did. But it was definitely better than last week’s burger in Wiesbaden.

  • We started with chocolate stout beers from Yorkshire, England. They were definitely chocolatey, and a little bit sweet. But they were a nice change from the usual.
  • The door to neighboring Heiliggeist, where Bill and I ate a few weeks ago.
  • Our beer coasters.
  • We have some of this beer at home.
  • Fresh bread with krauterbutter.
  • Bill loved his crocodile steak, which came with sesame encrusted potato croquettes.
  • My burger with an optional side of fries. The fries were fabulous. They reminded me of Belgian frites. The burger was good, but served rarer than I’m used to.
  • Another shot out front.
  • We sat on the balcony, under the awning. Glad it didn’t fall on us.

Service at Caleo was professional and friendly. Our server mostly spoke German to us, but did know English pretty well. I was flattered that she didn’t immediately peg us for Yanks. I guess all of these years in Europe have rubbed off on us. I was impressed by the food and the menu, which definitely offers some exciting choices. They had bison, for instance, and their vegetarian burger has a bun made from jackfruit. They also had a burger called “zebra”, made of zebra meat. I wasn’t about to try it. I think zebras are gorgeous. Sigh… I probably should be a vegetarian.

The weather today has been fabulous— sunny, and about 75 degrees during the afternoon. It was nice to get outside and walk around. And I was delighted to finally visit the Mainzer Dom, which is as stunning on the inside as it is on the outside. It made for a nice Sunday afternoon activity. I’m glad we went. Hope we continue to have such great weather.

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Our Heidelberger Birthday Holiday! Part three

After our walk, I decided to take a cold shower. I noticed the generously sized tub had jacuzzi jets. Alas, the stopper didn’t work properly, so taking a bath was impossible. I know we should have called for maintenance, but I decided it was just as easy to take a shower. Afterwards, Bill took his turn washing off the sweat and dirt from our walk and we put on nice clothes. It was my first time in something other than shorts and a t-shirt or a nightgown in ages. I probably should have taken a selfie, since I even wore makeup and curled my hair… which is due for another homemade whacking.

While we were relaxing before dinner, Bill found these books in the desk. We had the New Testament in German and English, and The Teaching of Buddha!

When we got the dining room, we ran into the barman, a friendly young man we got to know better after dinner. We were told when we booked that the outside area was fully booked, so we were expecting to sit inside. After some confusion– they apparently couldn’t find our reservation– we took a seat in the dining room. The menu was pretty fancy. If I’m honest, it was probably a little too fancy for me, since I am kind of a picky eater about certain things. Like, for instance, I don’t like fungus– no mushrooms or truffles or morels for me. Unfortunately, nice restaurants often use fungus a lot. They also had lamb and veal, which I also don’t eat. Bill, on the other hand, loves both. They did have the ever popular asparagus with Hollandaise and optional add ons. I thought about ordering that, but realized that I don’t love asparagus as much as many Germans do. And I like green asparagus more than white… either way, it makes my pee stink!

Fortunately, I did manage to find a couple of delicious items as we enjoyed aperitifs– champagne for me and a Campari with soda for Bill. Service was impeccable. The staff was friendly and professional, rather than stuffy. And the highlight of the evening was the sommelier, who talked Bill into ordering the Rhein equivalent of a Grand Cru Riesling. Our waitress noticed we ordered the Rings Riesling and also commented that it was a favorite of hers, too.

  • I got a kick out of the video flame. It reminded me of the Natural Bridge Hotel in Virginia, which my uncle managed for many years. The flames there were always real, though.
  • A shot of the bar. It was very inviting for old codgers like us.
  • Bill chooses dinner…
  • Then tastes the 120 euro Riesling…
  • Good thing he liked it.
  • I have to admit, this was a very interesting wine. It started off flinty and mineral, then opened into something extraordinary…
  • Delicious bread, butter, and homemade cream cheese.
  • Bill had the Vichyssoise. It was presented elegantly, with the setup in the bowl and the cold, green soup poured over it.
  • I had cheese risotto with a king prawn, asparagus, romaine lettuce, and carrots. I really enjoyed this dish.
  • My main dish was the roasted cod, with gnocchi, and seasonal vegetables. Again, beautifully presented and prepared, and not too much.
  • Bill had veal two ways, with truffles, broccoli, and potatoes.
  • For dessert, I had creme brulee, which came with a side of chocolate ice cream with cherries and crumbles.
  • Bill had mascarpone cheese with raspberries and raspberry sorbet.
  • Another view of the bar area.
  • The piano… no doubt played when COVID-19 isn’t a thing.
  • After dinner libations. I had a strawberry mojito, made with Bacardi rum.
  • Bill enjoyed a Japanese whiskey. Looks like maybe the alcohol was catching up with me, judging by how blurry this is!

Total damage for dinner was about 312 euros, which is not the most we’ve ever paid for a meal, but comes pretty close. About a third of that was because of the Rings Riesling from the Pfalz. Naturally, you pay a premium for wine in a restaurant, and that bottle would not have been so expensive at the winery, even though it was a special, limited edition bottle. I was glad we ordered it, though. It was not the usual… I enjoyed how the flavor changed as the wine was exposed to oxygen and the ambient temperature. And it was a special occasion– our first gourmet meal in a sit down restaurant in many months. Boy, how we’ve missed dining out! I think we made the sommelier’s night, too. But as nice as Friday’s dinner was, Saturday’s was even better… and it cost significantly less.

After dinner, we stopped by the bar. It was empty, although the friendly young barman was there. He made me a strawberry mojito and poured a Japanese whiskey for Bill. We got to talking and found out that he was born in Germany, but spent the first thirteen years of his life in New Zealand. Then, he came back to Germany and hailed from– Freudenstadt! Bill and I lived near Freudenstadt when we lived in Jettingen, so we know that town pretty well! It was nice to talk to bartender again… yet another reason why we were so prepared to spend money. Anyway… there are pictures of Freudenstadt in this blog, because we visited there more than a few times when we lived near Stuttgart the second time (2014-2018). I liked going there, and just hanging out in the Black Forest in general. I miss it.

After our nightcap, we came back to our room to find the turn down fairy had visited and left us chocolates. That was a nice cap off to our first day outside of Hesse on a leisure trip since last summer. Onward to part four.

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A drive to Kallstadt…

Recently, I read and reviewed Mary Trump’s book, Too Much and Never Enough, a scathing expose about the Trump family, particularly her Uncle Donald Trump. I read in Mary’s book that the Trumps originated in Kallstadt, a wine producing hamlet located about an hour’s drive from where Bill and I currently live. Because we had nothing better to do today, and we’ve spent far too many weekends at home since the pandemic struck, Bill and I decided to drive to the village of Kallstadt to check it out.

A German Facebook friend wrote that she lives close to Kallstadt and that if we visited the cute little wine town, not to mention Trump. Apparently, the locals aren’t all that pleased to be associated with the current U.S. president, even though remnants of his family remain in the area, especially in the cemeteries.

The Inside Edition’s take on Kallstadt.

We had the best intentions of actually getting out and walking around there once we arrived. Unfortunately, parking was in short supply today. We also brought Arran with us. I did get some photos, though, and we took a drive through nearby Bad Dürkheim, a nice looking spa town that’s a bit bigger than Trump’s grandparents’ stomping grounds. If we’d wanted to, we could have spent time trying and buying different wines produced in the area.

Kallstadt is currently in Rhineland-Palatinate (or Rheinland-Pfalz, if you prefer). When Trump’s grandparents, Friedrich and Elisabeth Trump, were living there, back in the 19th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Looking at a German map, it’s surprising to see just how far north Bavaria stretches. I guess I’m used to being down near Stuttgart, which is a couple of hours’ drive from the closest Bavarian border. Up here in Wiesbaden, we’re close to several other German states.

The weather didn’t turn out to be the best for walking around today. We’re about to reach Fall, which can be glorious in Germany, but can also be a bit “iffy” in terms of the weather. Anyway, I did get some photos, although that was pretty much all we got on today’s journey… I would definitely be up for another visit when the sun is out and maybe if we didn’t bring Arran. There are many Weinguts to try in the area, plus some tempting looking restaurants.

  • There are plenty of Weinguts…
  • And hotels…
  • The scenery is pretty, although I think Ingelsheim am Rhein is even prettier.
  • The main drag approaching tiny Kallstadt. There isn’t much to it, although there is a lot of wine…
  • This is the town that produced Trump’s ancestors.
  • The main attraction–
  • We parked near a Weingut, but it wasn’t the best place for walking.
  • Still, it’s very pretty country!
  • The next town.
  • I was a little enchanted by this narrow street, although walking on it would have been difficult.
  • Many people were walking through here, wine glasses in hand.
  • We should have stopped.
  • Bad Dürkheim had a ferris wheel and a market going on.
  • And more places to walk.
  • I was pleasantly surprised by the rest stops.
  • They were fairly clean, and they even had shower trailers for truckers.
  • But all in all, they’re very no frills. I think American rest stops are nicer, although German Autohofs are alright– you just have to pay to pee.

I truly meant to write more about this. I hoped we could walk around and see a lot more of the area. It just wasn’t the right day to explore Trump’s grandparents’ stomping grounds. We’ll have to go back and spend more time… and at least taste a few of the products of the region. I’d like to know Kallstadt for the products it can truly be proud of, rather than our current leader. Kallstadt is a really cute little town, though. I can see why people visit.

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Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz

From Wiesbaden to wine, women, and Worms…

We had nice weather today. It was the first nice, warm, sunny day in about a week. Or, at least the day started out nice, anyway. We have clouds right now. At about 11:30am, I asked Bill if he’d like to go do something. He said he would. I’d been wanting to visit Worms, a well touristed city in Rheinland-Palatinate, maybe an hour’s drive from Wiesbaden. So we beagle proofed the house, got in the trusty Volvo, and headed to the city of slimy critters.

Crossing the Rhein River into Worms… this is the  Nibelungenturm, built by architect Karl Hoffman’s, whose handiwork can be spotted all over the city. It’s pretty cool!

By the time we got to Worms, I was hungry. It was about 12:45pm when we parked, and then because Bill parked in an outdoor parking spot at Das Wormser, he only got an hour. It was long enough for me to take this photo of yet another one of Germany’s provocative ads. Well, it would be provocative in the United States, for sure…

Netto is a discount market… I guess the wardrobe budget was cut for this ad. 😉

So we made a quick trip to the Wormser Dom, the big Catholic church where Martin Luther was condemned as a heretic. More went on there, of course, but since I am neither a Catholic nor a student of history, I can’t write authoritatively on the cathedral, except to mention that it had a lofty history before it was reduced in status to a parish church. When you come to Worms, you’ll see it easily on the horizon, and it begs a visit. I got a few photos, which I noticed made Bill tear up.

You can see a “dragon” in this photo. My German friend says Worms has a bunch of dragons around the city. They’re very cute.

And a few shots of the other side, which is where the main entrance is.

Quite a sight… especially in person!

After we took a walk around the cathedral, Bill moved the car into the inside of the garage at Das Wormser, and we headed back into the city in search of lunch. By that time, I was pretty hungry and getting a bit grouchy. But I still managed to take a few more pictures, which because of Apple’s latest update, Catalina, are a bit of a pain in the ass to upload.

There were lots of people in the city today…
This looked like an interesting barber shop. I wonder if they give happy endings there.
I snapped this photo next to a big group of Africans, some of whom appeared to be members of the clergy. I zoomed in to give them some privacy.

Finally, we ran across a restaurant that was still open, even though it was about 2:00pm. Die Pfälzer stays open for lunch until 2:30pm and they were able to help us out with some tasty, high quality food. I was definitely feeling better after a healthy lunch of salmon, spinach, and boiled potatoes washed down with wheat beer, although this restaurant is known for its wines. Bill had grilled wurst with sauerkraut and fried potatoes. There was a table full of Americans in there and I was reminded of how loud my countrymen can be. But overall, it was a nice, economical experience…

This place hit the spot!
My handsome old fart, Mr. Bill…
The Lachs Filet is a good bet…
But so is the Wurst…
This was about 36 euros worth of food. Well worth the price!

After lunch, we headed back toward the Marktplatz and stopped into the Evangelische Kirche– that’s the protestant church in town. It was impressive on the outside, but looked a bit refurbished on the inside, circa 1960 something.

Nice, but not so soul stirring as the Dom…
I dug the pipe organ, though.

We walked out of the church to discover a wine bar set up outside. Naturally, I couldn’t resist a glass for the road. I drank most of Bill’s too, since he was driving. I love this about this part of Germany. You can go to any town and find neighbors socializing over wine. I don’t remember seeing this in the Stuttgart area. Down there, it’s more beer and less hanging out… but I like Stuttgart too, for many other reasons.

Lots of convivial people enjoying wine on a Saturday…
And this was right outside the protestant church…
No one cared about the wine near the church.
And there’s Bill, always a provider.
I thought that deserved a cuddly selfie.
I guess this was the source of all the clergy.
On the Dom… we spotted a nun here, too.
Walled city…
The gate on the way out.
The mighty Rhein River.

Last night, we went to our neighborhood wine stand. I got a few photos of that, too. We ended up chatting with our neighbor, Uli, who speaks English fluently and has a horse and a cool dog named Levi that she adopted from an American soldier who went to Iraq. I love Levi… and Uli says if we’re ready for another dog, she can help us get one. Something tells me we might not be a three member family for the rest of our time here.

Photos from last night’s fun… one of our neighbors who had seen us at earlier wine stands came over, welcomed us in German, and said it was wonderful we were hanging out with them. Americans could learn a few things from Hessians.

No, it’s not a urine sample. A neighbor makes apple wine. This five liter bottle, which included the bottle, was six euros.
Arran loves it when Bill is home.
I will miss the wine stands…
And the Spundekaese, which I learned to love at them.
Wine stands are a great social lubricant.
And you can’t go wrong with any wine up here.
The Breckenheim church.

I really hope I get the hang of Catalina soon… or they do something to fix the many glitches in the new system. Otherwise, future posts might be lighter on photos. But so far, our holiday weekend has been good. It’s hard to believe a year ago, we came to Wiesbaden for the first time to look for a place to live. Time flies when you’re still having fun!

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