2025 Wiesbaden Christmas Market photo dump!

Yesterday afternoon, it was cloudy and damp, and the skies were kind of dark. I wasn’t really in the mood to venture out, but changed my mind when I realized that it had been ages since I last left our neighborhood. I had considered going to the Globus, but realized how huge and overwhelming that place is, even when it’s not days before Christmas. I thought about going to AAFES to pick up some skin cream, but Bill also mentioned going to the commissary to buy groceries, which I really didn’t feel like doing.

So, although the Wiesbaden Christmas Market pretty much looks the same every year, we decided we’d go there and get some photos… We did that, and also visited BrewDog for a late afternoon lunch. Below are some photos from our outing. The sandwiches we had at BrewDog were good, but I see that I didn’t even take photos of them, which is a rare thing for me!

I wore a heavy coat, which I didn’t need to do. I thought it was colder than it was, because there was a stiff breeze at our house in Breckenheim. But, as you can see in the photos above, there were people who wore short sleeves and shorts. One guy, which I got a photo of, even took off his shirt. I noticed him making a hasty exit as a group of stern looking Polizei got close.

I’m glad we went to the Christmas market. It was very pretty, especially when it got dark outside at around 4:30PM. I saw a lot of nice looking things– some of which were very cute and creative– and I might have been interested in buying some of them, but it’s hard for me to shop when there are hordes of people around. I guess the grandchildren will get an Epiphany box, instead of a Christmas box. But Bill already sent a box of stuff we picked up on our latest travels, so they’ll have something to unwrap on Christmas day.

We might end up going to AAFES today… Lord, give me strength. I would like to go to Globus, too, but it’s Sunday… Maybe next weekend, when it’s sale time. The market was crowded yesterday, but I’ve seen it worse. At least we didn’t have to hunt too long for a parking spot.

Hessen, Saturday night

Our first dinner at Landhaus Diedert…

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you might know that Landhaus Diedert, a beautiful restaurant in a former Kloster, is a relatively frequent setting for elegant Sunday lunches. Over the past few years, this restaurant on the outskirts of Wiesbaden, has become a favorite place for Bill and me to enjoy German style comfort food. Service is always professional and usually very friendly.

A couple of nights ago, just after Bill returned from his latest business trip, I suggested that we go out and do something this weekend. But we couldn’t decide where we wanted to go… Did we want to visit one of our favorite places, Villa im Tal? Or perhaps Little Italy, in downtown Wiesbaden. Or Landhaus Diedert, which never disappoints? Our answer was dinner at Landhaus Diedert on Saturday night, and lunch today at Villa im Tal. It’s currently “Spargel” (asparagus) season, so both restaurants have a special “Spargel Karte” on their menus.

Below are some photos from the walk in. We parked on a street a block from the restaurant/hotel, because they were busy last night! They have a lovely play area for kids, and when the weather is good, a beautiful outdoor sitting area under huge oak trees.

Bill and I have never had a bad experience at Landhaus Diedert, and last night was no exception. My asparagus soup with herbed ham, for instance, made me stop in my tracks with its burst of flavor. It was followed by Perlhuhn (guinea fowl) with sausage, asparagus, wild garlic gnocchi, and the zestiest cherry tomatoes I have ever tasted, along with a savory sauce. Bill had fried dorade (fish) with cauliflower, barley corn, and rhubarb. Then for dessert, there was chocolate cake with fruit and for him, and New York cheesecake with raspberries and pistachio ice cream for me. Bill’s dessert also came with ice cream, but it was an interesting flavor that neither of us could identify.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the sommelier, who noted our reservation and showed us to a table in the middle of the dining room. Almost every table was taken, with a couple of tables decorated with “Happy Birthday” candles.

*The usual delicious fresh breads with butter and hummus.*

I’m getting to an age at which three courses are a challenge. Not only do I not need the calories, but I find that it’s very hard to eat that much in one sitting. However, I didn’t want to miss the soups… and I’m glad I didn’t. It was hard to choose between the asparagus soup and the wild garlic soup… They also had a tomato soup that looked appealing.

*I LOVED this soup… I’d love to learn how to make this and turn it into a meal.*

And then came the hearty main courses, which almost put us over the edge. I thought about taking some home, but by the time I got to that point, I only had a few bites left. So I finished… but it was a delicious challenge!

Although we were full, we decided to have dessert… I know we probably shouldn’t have… but it’s hard to go out to such a nice place and not enjoy a sweet ending. I had the cheesecake, and Bill had the chocolate cake. I would have gone for the chocolate, except I’m not a fan of lava cakes.

*Dark chocolate cake with an oatmeal cookie, pistachios, berries, and some kind of ice cream that was light orange. Maybe it was persimmon?*

Dinner took about two hours and ran a couple hundred euros… but it was so nice to get out and have some really good food. On the way out of the restaurant, I took a few more photos of the Biergarten area.

And on the way home, I got a few pictures of Wiesbaden, which is such a gracious, posh, opulent city. I feel lucky to live here. Someday, we’ll visit the Ring Church so I can see what it looks like inside!

It’s great to have Bill home again, and I’m so glad we ventured out for dinner. Stay tuned for a post about Villa im Tal later, and lots more photos! This is quite the weekend for “Hessen Essen”.

Hessen

Framing, French food, and Fruity wines…

Today, Bill and I decided to go into Wiesbaden and visit Kunst-Schaefer to get more picture framing done. We had several paintings/prints that we’ve had for years that needed to be framed, a wooden carving from Bulgaria that needed a hanger, and a photo of Bill’s daughter’s family that needed proper presentation. So, late this morning, after a hearty Saturday breakfast, we loaded up the Volvo and headed downtown…

*Bill makes use of the art sleeve we bought in Yerevan.*

The same guy who always helps us– son of the proprietor, I think– came over and spent some time deciding which frames would go best with our art. One piece– a Van Gogh inspired painting– is getting special treatment, complete with matting. It, along with two other drink inspired paintings, was done by a military wife who ran a wine and painting class in Stuttgart. She was leaving in 2014, just as we were arriving, so we bought three of her paintings from the courses she taught. I bet she’d be surprised by the custom presentation her Van Gogh painting is getting. I don’t remember how much we paid for the paintings. I don’t think it was much. The framing will probably cost more.

Below: I noticed a memorial on someone’s upper window. The tent below was a fest sponsored by a local Mosque. The food smelled wonderful!

Funny thing about our picture framing excursion. When we showed the guy the picture of Bill’s daughter’s family, he said “Wow… lots of people.”

I said, “Mormons…”

The guy laughed, and then he realized I wasn’t kidding, and seemed momentarily flustered! We made it clear, though, that we aren’t LDS ourselves. One of our paintings is of a martini glass, and the other is of a beer glass. We told him we hang those in the room where we do most of our drinking. 😀

The guy’s mother is brilliant at matching colors. I think she might have irritated her son, though, because he was trying to figure out how we were going to frame the Van Gogh inspired piece, and she offered her opinions. I noticed a flash of impatience as she was making her case. The guy’s mom is really good at what she does, but so is he… I am sure it will turn out beautifully. I have some other pieces they’ve framed that I am delighted with. They are also very friendly, especially to those of us with VAT forms, and by now, they even know our name!

We spent about an hour or so deciding on our framing, and by the time we were finished, it was lunchtime. So we decided to try Les Deux Messieurs, a French bistro/boulangerie/patisserie on the market square. It serves all day breakfast until 7PM, as well as salads, sandwiches, quiches, and tarte flambees… I see on their official site that they’re a chain, with locations in Munich and Wiesbaden. We sat outside to enjoy the lovely weather, but it was a bit chilly because of the wind. Lunch was very good, and reasonably priced. It was just enough, too. Maybe some other time, we’ll try their eclairs!

Below are some photos of our lunch. At one point, a lady sitting behind us went and got an ice cream cone from another business and the wait staff told her she couldn’t eat it at the table, because they don’t sell ice cream there, and if other people saw it, they’d expect them to have it. Later, an older gentleman sat with us, and Bill had to help him with the menus that he didn’t see… Good thing he speaks some German! I tried to get a new selfie for my Facebook page, but wasn’t so lucky. I need to fix my hair.

*I had Quiche Atlantique with smoked salmon and spinach. Bill had a Croque Mademoiselle, with chicken, Gruyeres, and Dijon.*

After lunch, we headed to the pet store to pick up new food for Charlie and Noyzi. I bought them some pig ears, which they’d never had before. Once they figured out what they were, they were happy to experience them! We sent their taste buds on a journey! We also got some new food that I’m hoping won’t make Noyzi stink, like the food with salmon does. Lately, he’s been smelling like a kitty litterbox.

Finally, we went to the hardware store to get some supplies for Bill’s tomato plants. He needed stakes to support them and some fertilizer. On the way out, we bought some fruity wines from a lady selling strawberries…. Maybe we’ll try it later. We got dry strawberry wine, and sweet raspberry wine. Yes, our favorite hardware store as a slide for kids and a coffee station!

All in all, it’s been a busy and productive Saturday. I am cutting and trimming the grass and doing laundry as I write this. I may not bother with a main blog post today. The weather is so delightful, I think I want to go sit outside and get a dose of Vitamin D.

Ciao!

Hessen

An impromptu Saturday lunch at La Fonte…

Bill and I are now mostly over our sicknesses. I hadn’t been out of the house in ages. I asked Bill if he’d like to go have lunch at La Fonte, an Italian restaurant in Breckenheim that is in the local Sportshalle and right next to the town’s brand new school. We’ve been to La Fonte a few times. It’s notable for its covered terrace with the retractable roof, smoking area, and very dog friendly dining rooms.

Bill had band pasta with Gorgonzola sauce. I had black tortelloni with lobster sauce, scallops, shrimps, and sugar snap peas. We also enjoyed chilled Pinot Grigio and San Pellegrino. The only thing that marred our lunch was the smell of cigarettes from the smoking area. For some reason, they left the door to the smoking area open. Oh well. Once you’ve lived in Germany awhile, you get used to smoking… even though I am allergic to cigarette smoke. Service was, as usual, friendly and competent. We should visit more often.

Below are a few photos:

La Fonte is a nice neighborhood restaurant. On a nice day, we could easily walk there. It wasn’t that nice yesterday, weather wise, although the temperatures are coming up, slowly but surely. Days are getting longer.

Today is Election Day in Germany. I hope like hell that Germans don’t vote for the far right AFD party. It’s scary how the world has changed in the last month.

On another note… Valentine’s Day, I got a very small bouquet of sweetheart roses. It lasted just two days before I needed to toss it. On that same day, the florist sent Bill an email claiming they sent the wrong bouquet, and I’d be getting a new bouquet this week. Personally, I think they probably ran out of flowers, because it took a week. But anyway, the real bouquet was much nicer…

*They bring cheer… I’m trying to keep the faith.*

Today, we’re going to Wiesbaden to have lunch downtown. I’ll probably write about it later today or maybe tomorrow…

Stay tuned for that exciting entry. 😉

Hessen

American cuisine in a Germany based restaurant owned by Iranians…

The weather cleared up nicely this afternoon, so Bill and I decided to go to Wiesbaden. I read there was going to be a festival there, starting at 3PM. So we fired up my neglected Mini Cooper, put the top down for the first time since last year, and drove to town.

We actually got to Wiesbaden at about 1:30. I watched a lot of people walking around in costumes. Bill said there was some kind of Cosplay event going on… Glad he explained. I might have thought Let’s Make a Deal had made it to Germany.

We walked around a bit, enjoying the beautiful, warm, sunny weather. We passed a new looking wine bar that appeared to be inviting. But when we got to the end of the street we were on, we ran into what looked like an anti-vaxxer demonstration. We turned down another street and soon passed a new restaurant called Godfather. Bill said he’d just gotten a Facebook ad for the place, which opened on July 17th.

Since we didn’t have any other big plans, we decided to give it a try, even though I’m not always impressed by American style restaurants in Germany. The first thing I noticed when we went inside was the music. It was a bit loud, and consisted of a single female singer doing covers of somewhat recent hit pop ballads that mostly sounded like the same type of emotional song. The singing certainly wasn’t bad, but the tempo was a little depressing, especially for a burger joint. I heard the playlist at least twice through during our visit. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it or minded if there had been a mix, rather than just the one singer doing covers of songs like Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.

I looked on the wall and noticed there was an “Uber Uns” (about us) statement hanging on the wall. It read that the people who owned the restaurant were from Iran and had come to Germany because the husband was getting an education in engineering. They decided to stay in Germany and open a restaurant. The wife is a singer and a writer. Hmmm… sounds like we have something in common. I also used to live just north of Iran, in neighboring Armenia.

The restaurant offers burgers, fries, quesadillas, pizzas, snacks, and a full bar. Bill and I decided to have a round of beer, and I had the Philadelphia burger. He had a quesadilla. I got a choice of what kind of bun I wanted, as well as the type of patty. The waitress also asked if I wanted everything on it, which in the case of my burger was “salad” (lettuce), tomato, avocado, guacamole, Godfather sauce, and there was supposed to be cheddar cheese (although my burger didn’t have cheese on it).

Bill’s Washington Quesadilla had beef, mozzarella, cheddar, tomato sauce, corn, pico de gallo, avocado, and their version of Ranch dressing.

We also had a round of pommes (fries) which reminded me of what we might find in Belgium. We couldn’t finish those and took them home with us.

Overall, I thought the food and service at Godfather was very good. The staff was friendly to us, and the serving sizes were ample, as well as reasonably priced. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the music, which I found a bit sedate and a little too loud. They did change it to something peppier as we were finishing up.

I thought the presentation of the food was very nice, and noticed there was a lot of fresh vegetables. I think my burger was also hand formed, which is excellent. One thing I don’t like about German burgers is that a lot of times, they’re very tightly molded, so they aren’t juicy or flavorful. Not so at Godfather. I had to eat my sandwich with a knife and fork, because it was a bit messy!

I think we’d go back to Godfather. We had a good experience. I do wish they offered some Iranian food, since there are plenty of places to get burgers in Wiesbaden. I noticed they had a burger called the Tehran Burger, though. Maybe they’ll come up with some interesting twists of their burgers with Iran in mind… even though Godfather is meant to be an “American” restaurant. I won’t get the Tehran burger, because it has mushrooms on it, although I guess I could ask them to leave them off.

Below are some photos from today. We really enjoyed the weather. Wiesbaden is such a pretty town!

*Someday, I’m going to go in there and buy a new guitar.*

As we were leaving, the car ahead of us had trouble getting out of the newly refurbished garage. Bill was getting irritated by that… but then we ran into traffic due to the breaking up of a football (soccer) game. It was fun to watch all the men walking down the street with their plastic cups of beer.

We never did make it to the fest that prompted us to go out. I was thinking about hitting a wine stand or something, but decided I’d rather just come home and hang out with Noyzi. It was good to go out for awhile, though… especially since there were so many people celebrating life.

Maybe tomorrow, we’ll do something truly different. We’ll see…

Uncategorized

A day in a parrot paradise– Vogelburg

A couple of weeks ago, I joined a German Facebook group that offers ideas for fun day trips in and around the German state of Hesse. Actually, I joined an American run version of that group, but decided to join the German version when I noticed the group admin was mostly just reposting whatever was shared in the German group. He was adding very little original content or even a US perspective as he was resharing the German group’s content. So I decided I might as well join the German group, since locals often add information that Americans don’t have.

I know I recently mentioned that I would like to take this blog back to the way it was from 2014-2018, before we were dealt the double blow of a lawsuit with our former landlady and COVID-19. In 2019, we were new to Wiesbaden and trying to get used to our new town. Then, everything shut down for a long time, so that prevented us from exploring the way we would have, otherwise. For now, we are allowed to travel freely, but it’s taken time to get back in the mood to take day trips. Part of the reason I decided to go out today is because the weather was nice. It was sunny, but not too hot. Also, I needed to take my mind off of a threatening, harassing, message I got this morning on my now defunct Overeducated Housewife Facebook Page. One of the best ways to get me to temporarily forget about trouble is to visit animals.

Someone shared a post about Vogelburg, a sanctuary for rehomed parrots, parakeets, macaus, and cockatoos in the German Facebook group. I was intrigued, since I’d never heard of it. I showed Bill the official Web site, noted that it was open today, and we made plans to visit! The sanctuary is just north of Wiesbaden, on the way to Limburg, which is where we visited a few weeks ago. We probably could have gotten there in about 40 minutes, if not for a horrific pile up on Autobahn 3. We counted at least fifteen ambulances passing us, along with cop cars, fire engines, and the doctor’s car. The Stau held us up for about an hour, as we watched people exiting their vehicles to pee on the side of the road. It was quite frustrating, as I was also a bit hangry. However, once we got to the park, it was well worth the wait.

We paid eight euros each to enter the facility, bought some sunflower seeds, and made our way around, feeding the gentle and beautiful birds, watching them preen, listening to them communicate, and enjoying their antics. We saw one pretty cockatoo sitting on a girl’s shoulder while she petted it. Others were talking, hanging upside down, or begging for food. At first, I was nervous about feeding the birds, since there were picture signs warning about bloody fingers (see my photos). But I soon got the hang of things, and really enjoyed giving the birds treats. Quite a few of them really knew how to pour on the charm, as you can see in the video below.

Listen for the cuckoo bird!

After a couple of hours enjoying the birds, who came from all over the world, we decided to have a quick lunch at the park’s restaurant, which serves things like wurst, Frikadelle, potato salad, and cake. Bill and I both had bratwursts with potato salad. I could not finish the huge serving of potato salad, but did enjoy washing everything down with a cold Weizen beer. I did notice that the facility looked like it had been around a while and could use some refurbishment (ETA: it dates from 1981). But the birds are well cared for and very entertaining. They also have a Parrot School, which I guess is a program where visitors can learn more about the birds (ETA: My German friend says that the school is for the parrots). All of the signage is in German, though, which makes me think the “school” probably is, too.

We both left Vogelburg smiling, and I decided that we need to spend more time in this part of Hesse, which is quieter and less built up than Wiesbaden is. It reminded me a little of the lovely rural areas near Stuttgart we used to enjoy regularly when we lived down there.

This is a great activity for young children, although strollers may not be the best idea there, because there are cobblestones. They even have a cool slide at the top of the hill that kids can slide down and land in a sand pit. Plenty of adults were enjoying the park, too, as the birds are very social, healthy, and friendly! On the way out, there’s a gift shop. We didn’t stop in. This park opens every year on March 15th, and the season runs through October 31st. It’s open daily, from 10am to 6pm. Parking is free!

I’m happy to report that the drive home happened without incident– no wrecks or Staus. That’s always a plus in Germany!

A hellish Stau. We counted at least 15 ambulances.

All in all, it was a great day! I’m so glad we went to see the beautiful birds of Vogelburg today. They really helped me enjoy the day, and forget my troubles for awhile.

Hofheim

Lunch at Momenti di Vita Italiani in Hofheim!

We had pleasant weather yesterday, so Bill and I decided to take a quick trip to the nearby city of Hofheim. I really just wanted a change of scenery, but it was also time for lunch. We parked at our usual venue, the indoor lot at the Chignon Centre, which is an indoor shopping mall. It was kind of weird walking through there maskless. A few people still wear masks indoors, but for the most part, that custom has been abandoned… at least temporarily.

We looked around at some of the places where we’ve previously dined, as well as places we’ve wanted to dine, finally ending up at Momenti di Vita Italiani. This restaurant is right in the middle of the town, along the main drag. Though there weren’t a lot of people sitting inside the restaurant, the outside area was bustling. In retrospect, we probably should have eaten inside, if only to avoid the smokers and flies. But at least we could people and dog watch, which I did.

This restaurant has a very extensive menu. They had specials on a large easel, as well as on a smaller one on the table, plus they had the usual pizzas, pasta dishes, and Italian dishes found at most Italian eateries in Germany. Bill and I both decided on specials that were on the smaller, table easel. He had a glass of Pinot Grigio, while I had a Lugano to go with my dorade filet with wild garlic and asparagus pesto. Bill had linguini with sundried tomatoes, black olives, and mascarpone cheese.

Near us was a large table of English speakers. It sounded like three Brits and an American. They were talking about politics. Across from my was a couple who brought their two dogs. One was a very sweet and well-behaved Bulldog. The other looked like a very fit Rhodesian Ridgeback, who was barking at every dog who passed. We spent a couple hours on our leisurely lunch, and spent about 60 euros with the tip.

Below are some photos from our brief outing. It was brief, because the dogs weren’t that pleased that we were going out, but sometimes, I need to get out of the house without the dogs for my mental well-being.

I asked Bill to take the “back way” home, rather than the Autobahn. I like to be reminded that there are some pretty areas near us. Thanks to the pandemic, we haven’t explored this area as much as we should have by now. I’ve been wanting to go on some weekend outings, like we did in Stuttgart. Hopefully, we’ll get around to that again, soon.

I’m not sure what we’ll do today. It’s a bit cloudy outside. I might just give the dogs much needed baths and work on reading my latest book. I’m glad we managed to get out yesterday, though. It’s always a pleasure to visit Hofheim. We should do it more often.

Uncategorized

Wiesbaden is ALIVE again!

In celebration of our fully vaccinated and certified status, Bill and I decided to visit Wiesbaden yesterday. It was my first visit to the downtown in almost a year. I hated the COVID-19 rules so much that I just stayed home, where I could do my own thing without having to worry about confrontations, dirty looks, or judgments from other people. I realize that attitude was probably prompted by news articles and social media posts I was reading on the Internet about how things are in the United States. I read so many accounts of people getting into altercations about COVID-19 that it just turned me off of interacting with other people. So, visiting Wiesbaden was kind of a big deal. I guess our Heidelberg visit last weekend was a reminder to me that life is still going on where we live, too.

I took some photos of what was happening in Wiesbaden yesterday, as well as our visit to Scotch N’ Soda, an Irish pub and popular American hangout. We stopped in for lunch and got treated to a little concert by buskers… guys I’ve seen before in the city. They rove around town with their instruments. One guy has an upright bass violin. We saw him lugging it around before he met his buddies for their session. I was so happy to see and hear them that I tipped ten euros. One of them rewarded me with “twinkling eyes” (he squinted and smiled affectionately– I used to see this in Armenia all the time) and a hearty “Danke schoen!”

Politics… as we were leaving, this truck was parked in the walkplatz. A table was set up with Schwag, and there were cops everywhere. Looks like a rally!

As we were enjoying beer and lunch at Scotch N’ Soda, the buskers played “my song”. It’s not my song in that I love it– although I do. It’s my song because I’ve sung it so many times that the lyrics are burned on my brain and I can’t mess it up. I’m the same way with Patsy Cline’s version of “Crazy”. I don’t actually do those songs very often anymore, because I’ve done them so many times. But people who know me and know my songs, know those are perennial favorites from way back!

Another one of our funny experiences in a Biergarten.

On our way out of Wiesbaden, a young woman with a child asked me in German if I had two ten cent pieces for a twenty cent piece. I was surprised when I understood her without having to think too hard about it. I guess seven years in Germany is finally rubbing off on me. 😉

I think we may head out again today… take my Mini Cooper convertible, which has suffered mightily from disuse during the pandemic. We had to replace the battery two or three times because it went dead from lack of driving. Finally, we bought a battery charger and an air pump for the tires, which also were going flat from temperature changes and lack of use. Normally, during the summer months, we use my car all the time!

I would like to drive to the Rhein– maybe to Eltville or Bacharach. I’m not sure how successful that would be, though, because Die Salzbachtalbrücke, which is a bridge on A66 is falling apart and will have to be blown up soon, because it can’t be repaired. That means a traffic nightmare for the next fourteen months or so, or at least that’s what the paper estimates. I’m pretty sure we usually go over that to get to those areas… and there are other places we haven’t been recently that need our attention. Maybe we’ll hit Hofheim today, instead. We’ll see… it’s just so nice to finally have the option to go out and be relatively free to be normal.

Wiesbaden was almost back to normal yesterday. They didn’t even do contact tracing at Scotch N’ Soda yesterday… no need to use the Luca app for checking in, like we did in Heidelberg last weekend. I hope the trend continues, although everybody is a bit worried about the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

I think now it’s time to plan for a vacation… and a trip to Stuttgart for dental hygiene purposes.

Baden-Württemberg

Just another Saturday morning in Unterjettingen…

I’m writing a second post this morning because Bill is out of town and I need to fill up my time doing something constructive. I thought I’d write a quick post about some of the shopping in our town. I know some people read my blog for information about daily life in Germany, as well as the “contractor” lifestyle.

Jettingen is blessed with a Real, as well as several other handy stores. We needed to visit the pet store yesterday because our dogs’ beds were falling apart and we wanted to replace them. Jettingen has a pretty nice pet store and we managed to find what we needed. But while we were waiting, I caught myself reading the signs.

I was impressed by everything the store had. They had a great line of premium dog foods, as well as pick and pay dog treats.

I learned the word for collar, which kind of makes sense. “Halsband” literally translates to “neck band”. That describes a collar perfectly.

After we bought the new beds, some treats, a couple of new toys, and shit bags, we went to the Real, where I was shocked to find an honest to God Coinstar!

This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but I know we always have a huge load of coins at our house. I’m glad to see this handy machine in Germany, at long last!

I kind of got a kick out of the “quiet zone/rest area”. Basically, it’s a wooden bench in the middle of the bustling, big box store. It has a water cooler, a trash can, and someone’s discarded package of toilet paper. I don’t go into the Real very often myself. It’s too crowded for me.

Someone’s graffiti on the Waschstrasse sign. Bill says that’s been there for a couple of weeks already. It’s not quite as funny as the word “penis” that was painted on a sign on A8 a couple of years ago, though. I wish I’d gotten a photo of that. What can I say? I have a very juvenile sense of humor.

The dogs are enjoying their new beds. One is a very fancy leather trimmed one that is quite well padded and comfortable. The other is one that allows burrowing. I’m not sure my dogs will get the hang of it, but they’ve already tested them out and seem to approve of the new bedding. Of course, that doesn’t stop them from sleeping in our bed at night.

Sundays

Afrika Fest in Böblingen, 2017

Once again, Bill and I were confronted with a weekend and no plans. After checking out the Stuttgart Area Events and Celebrations Facebook group, Bill and I decided we should check out the Afrika Fest in Böblingen. It started yesterday and continues through tomorrow. There’s a bouncy house for kids, lots of exotic things to eat, live music, and shopping galore. Bill and I usually don’t buy a lot at these fests, but we made an exception today. We came home with a few things for the house, coffee, and products for my skin. Here are some photos and anecdotes…

After parking in a garage near the Hendl Haus (the bibliotek), we had a short walk to the fest. The first thing we encountered was the bouncy house.

Next, we came across the first of many places to buy African clothes… I am always afraid of humiliation, so I rarely stop to look at the clothes.

I did end up buying some olive wood here… after we did some other shopping.

The food at the fest was excellent. There were several stands selling food from Ghana, West Africa, and East Africa. It all looked and smelled wonderful and was a nice change of pace. Bill and I shared a plate for two that included chicken, turkey, shrimp, rice, and coconut sauce. There was also a really delicious slaw included (which I usually don’t like). It was delicious.

If you want mixed drinks…

or smoothies…

Before too long, we found ourselves at a stall where cosmetics featuring argan oil were being sold. We came away from there with soap, oil, and a lovely smelling face cream. The salesman was very astute and managed to get us to part with plenty of euros.

Bill says this is a much prized oil in Morocco. We’ll see what it does for me.

Plenty of seating for eating and enjoying the festivities, which includes live music and impromptu dancing from kids and adults.

We made a stop at this table with beautiful silver and pottery from Morocco.

My sister was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, so I recognized a lot of the stuff and liked it…

I was tempted by the shiny silver and then realized I’d have to clean it.

Very cool toys for kids. Made me wish I had one so I could buy stuff…

We sat next to the fake lake for lunch.

Our yummy shared lunch. We didn’t wash this down with African beer. Instead we had our ever present suds made by the Schonaich Brau. That chicken was so tender it fell right off the bone, but I was most surprised by the slaw.

The band was coming…

After lunch, we headed for the bank for more cash and went on a shopping spree. It was handily located right across the street.

Lots of pretty things to see.

After a few passes through the market, we decided to walk around the lake. It was our first time doing so, despite living in the area for a total of five years, off and on.

I got a kick out of this sign, especially since a little girl was feeding the ducks.

Those ducks are well fed, despite the signs prohibiting feeding them.

A pretty view from afar.

I did not know that the fair city of Böblingen has a rose garden dedicated to the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. I know this verse from a choral piece I learned in college. That was before I realized how much Scottish heritage I have… or how much German heritage, for that matter.

The rose garden dedicated to Robert Burns.

Something strange happened at about this time. I was standing at a table, waiting for Bill to bring us some beer. It was pretty loud because there were drummers on stage beating their skins. A woman came up to me and said in halting German, “Ist hier frei?” I was so taken aback that I took a moment to respond and shook my head. She moved to the empty table next to ours. I felt kind of bad about it, but then again, no American has ever spoken German to me. I must be fitting in. If that lady happens to read this, I sincerely apologize. I was genuinely shocked.

Here’s the loot… We got two bars of heavenly smelling soap, some skin cream, and lotion from Morocco.

A new stool for my kitchen because I’m short and the dog looks like Arran. It was only 25 euros. I hope I don’t break it.

The elephant plant stand and the beautiful Moroccan bowl on top of it… The plant stand is from Thailand and is nice and heavy.

Coffee and a little olive wood container for nuts and such.

Because I have a foul mouth and a raunchy sense of humor, I was really tempted to buy a baseball hat with the word “Fuck” written on it in ghoulish florescent green letters. I didn’t do it, because I knew I’d feel too self conscious to actually wear it in public. But even as I was considering buying it, I saw a guy with three young kids wearing a wife beater shirt that said “Fuck, tomorrow is Monday.” It made me realize that language really is a relative thing. Germans don’t seem to care that much about the word “fuck”. Still, as an American, I do have some shame. Besides, I almost never wear baseball caps. It was kind of funny, though. I saw several Germans wearing shirts with German swear words on them. Made me wish I’d worn this shirt…

Maybe next time.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Saturday outings

2025 Wiesbaden Christmas Market photo dump!

Our first dinner at Landhaus Diedert…

Framing, French food, and Fruity wines…

An impromptu Saturday lunch at La Fonte…

American cuisine in a Germany based restaurant owned by Iranians…

A day in a parrot paradise– Vogelburg

Lunch at Momenti di Vita Italiani in Hofheim!

Wiesbaden is ALIVE again!

Just another Saturday morning in Unterjettingen…

Afrika Fest in Böblingen, 2017