We visited Rüsselsheim and Oppenheim over the weekend…

Since I run a food and wine group on Facebook, I try to keep an eye on relevant food and wine events going on nearby. Not that people really care if I go to these events, mind you… My Facebook group is actually pretty dead these days. But running it does give me a reason to get out and see things, instead of giving in to the temptation to stay home and sit on my ass.

I noticed an ad for a wine tasting event in Rüsselsheim, which was going on Saturday and Sunday. The event required tickets, which could be bought for 10 euros ahead of time, or 12 euros at the door. I found out about it from a Facebook ad, and since Rüsselsheim is so close to where we live, we decided to check it out. It was our first time in Rüsselsheim, although one of Bill’s colleagues lives there.

The Wine Messe, as it was called, was held in, the Festung Keller, which is a rather cool venue. It was hosted by an outfit called Wine-Crew. On Saturday, the event ran from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Sunday, it went from 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM. We got there at about 3:00 PM on Saturday, managing to find parking at a garage a couple of blocks away from the venue. I was actually pleasantly surprised that there was plenty of parking at the garage. We were going to take a cab so Bill could enjoy the event more, but none would accept the fare.

The 600 year old Festung is right next to an art museum, which appeared to be closed on Saturday. The museum has a parking lot, but it was full, and probably not intended for winos. I think I would like to attend more events at that venue. It’s really nice, and because the walls in the cellar are so thick, one can’t spend all their time on their phones.

We met some very pleasant people, including a young couple who ran a winery near the French border and operate a holiday apartment. They were so nice that I might consider visiting them for a weekend and having a tasting. They brought their young son with them, which was kind of nice to see. He had on the winery’s polo shirt. Another representative cracked us up with his energy and enthusiasm, especially for a certain Feinherb wine that he described as “sexy”. Another vintner was curious about us, as Americans, living in Germany. I recognized still another vintner as one who provided a truck for our village while the winestand kiosk was being rebuilt last year. We bought some of their wines.

Below are some photos from the Wine Messe. We came home with about 15 bottles of wine, none of which were particularly expensive. Bill had to ferry the wines over a couple of trips back to the car. It was good for him to do that, because it prevented him from drinking too much wine.

Then yesterday, we ventured to the very fetching town of Oppenheim, which is right on the Rhein River and is home to a lot of Weinguts. They were having a spring city fest. The fest featured crafts, wines, street food, and live music. Or, so that was what was advertised. The event took place over a “mile”, which consisted of stations around the town.

We never did find the wine or street food, but I will confess we didn’t look for that long. We both got hungry, and decided to have lunch at Royal Maharaja, an Indian restaurant by the Zentrum. I don’t usually go for Indian food, so this was a real treat for Bill, who loves it. Actually, I really enjoyed our lunch. I probably ought to be braver about eating Indian food.

I really enjoyed visiting the churches in town. The Catholic church was pretty plain, but the Evangelical church (St. Katharinen) was beautiful and very historic. I loved the beautiful windows, as you can see from my photos.

Below are some photos from Oppenheim, which I thought was a very charming place. I’d like to go back and see more of it, and the surrounding villages. It looked like there were quite a few wineries and interesting buildings, plus it’s right by the river. In fact, I noticed yet another Viking cruiselines gangway in the town of Nierstein. We do live in an area where people vacation, after all!

*A guy carried his adorable pooch in the carrier on the back of his bike.*

As we were leaving Oppenheim, I heard live music. A man and woman were playing guitar and covering songs by Norah Jones and Carole King. I thought they were very good. Of course, the singer was no “knotty”… 😀 (kidding, of course. She had a lovely voice.)

A very short video catching the vibe. I was looking for the source of the music.

Now that we no longer have pandemic restrictions and the bridge is being rebuilt out of Wiesbaden, maybe it’s time we spent more time visiting the charming Rhein towns that are so close to us. Oppenheim is about 30 minutes from where we live, and yet it has a totally different vibe. It might help me develop more affection for Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz. I think people here are friendlier, but I do really miss the beauty of Baden-Württemberg. The extraordinary beauty of BW helps ease the pain of some of the awkward interactions I’ve had with a few of the locals. 😉

Anyway, that about does it for our second weekend of April 2024. It was great to go out and see some of the area where we’re so privileged to live. It’s time to get back in the groove of enjoying Europe again.

short breaks

Turning 50 in Antwerp… Part three

I got sort of a rude awakening at about 4am, on Saturday morning, as I tried to roll over. My left calf suddenly seized up in a hellacious cramp. I was still sort of asleep when it happened, so I just started whimpering pitifully. I wasn’t quite conscious enough to let out the scream that I really felt brewing. That cramp hurt like a mofo! But I was still kind of out of it, thanks to still being half asleep.

Bill woke up and asked me what was wrong. I somehow told him the back of my calf was cramping. He very calmly and gently reached over and put his hand on my spasming limb, which was healing enough. Then, he slowly forced me to stop pointing my toes. The cramp gradually went away and I was left amazed, and with a sore lump where the muscle bunched up. Yes, I know it would have gone away anyway, but there’s something about Bill’s touch that is very comforting to me. He’s very good at making my pain and discomfort vanish.

I managed to doze for a bit longer, until it was time to get up and face the day. We had told the night receptionist that we’d have breakfast at 8:00am. Breakfast at De Witte Lelie does not come with the room, and costs 30 euros a person. I suppose it’s not mandatory to have breakfast there, since the hotel is so close to the old town, but we found it convenient. The first morning, we ate outside, since it was sunny and warm outside. The manager, an Australian lady, brought out a basket of bread, fresh pressed coffee, and a bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice. I was delighted by the orange juice. That’s one thing I’ve noticed in Belgium and the Netherlands; they have great orange juice. Even if you get it at the gas station, it’s likely to be fresh!

Aside from the bread and juice, there’s also a small buffet with everything from Belgian cheeses to vegan charcuterie. I helped myself to some smoked salmon and avocado, and Bill had a ginger shot. We also had eggs and bacon, although we only did that on the first day, since it was a lot of food that neither of us needed.

As usual, we didn’t have any big plans. We almost never plan specific activities on our trips. Our style is more about going places and letting stuff happen. There are exceptions, of course. When we were in Florence a couple of months ago, we did plan to visit the Uffizi ahead of time. That was necessary, because of COVID and the number of people who want to go to the art gallery. But we didn’t have big plans for Antwerp. It didn’t find it to be the kind of place that requires a lot of planning.

We started out by heading toward the Grote Markt, which is the main attraction in Antwerp. We saw the couple who run the Brewers’ Kitchen, who were recovering from Friday night! The chef told us that he was born and raised in Antwerp and offered some tips on how to see the city. I was especially glad we stopped in to his restaurant on Friday.

Before we had a chance to explore the Grote Markt, we stopped at the Handschoenmarkt, which is where an adorable statue of a boy and his dog are located. I didn’t know anything about the 19th century novel, A Dog of Flanders, which is the heartwarming and tragic story about a little boy named Nello and his dog, Patrasche. The story, which was written by English author, Marie Louise de la Ramée, is well-known, especially in Japan, so the powers that be commissioned a statue to please tourists. The statue was created by Batiste Vermeulen (‘Tist’) and is absolutely adorable.

A clever card. I should have bought this.

We went into Cathedral of our Lady, which is a huge, beautiful church in the middle of the city that dates from 1352 (with earlier churches dating from even earlier), but was consecrated in 1521. If one isn’t a child under 18 or a resident of Antwerp, there is a 12 euro charge to visit this church. We didn’t mind paying, though, since the Cathedral of our Lady is full of beautiful art, and is very much akin to a museum. We spent some time walking around, taking in the tremendous beauty of the vast cathedral itself, and the wonderful paintings and sculptures within it. We also visited the crypt, where we could see examples of the tombs buried under the church. Burials were allowed within the church until the 18th century, so as you walk through the cavernous interior, you are passing graves of people who died many years ago.

*This glass crown was made by a Spanish artist in 2011. I thought it was very beautiful.*

After we walked through the cathedral, we decided to visit the bistro. Yes, this church has an actual bistro, where you can get coffee, cake, and beer. We initially went in there to use the restroom (very handy), but later came back to try the excellent beer out in the courtyard.

On Saturday, we also made our way to the Scheldt River, which flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands. I wouldn’t say the Scheldt River is a particularly beautiful body of water, but it is what makes Antwerp an important port city in Europe. Next to the river is a huge ferris wheel called The Big View. I didn’t know this at the time, but our ride on the ferris wheel was Bill’s very first, ever! He’s going to be 58 years old next month, and he just now took a ride on a ferris wheel. We got three turns, which allowed us to mug for photos and get pictures of the Steenplein (Stone Square).

Bill says he had never been on a ferris wheel before Saturday, because he’s afraid of heights. He probably felt okay on the wheel in Antwerp, though, because it was completely enclosed. I wished we had an open car so I could get better photos, but this is probably a year round attraction. I’m sure enclosing it makes it usable in bad/cold weather. After we got off, Bill said he’d do it again. It always amazes me the things Bill is doing for the first time with me.

It turned out on Saturday, there was some kind of festival going on in the Grote Markt. It was quite the blowout. When we were passing at one point, an opera singer with an absolutely beautiful voice serenaded everyone. She was dressed in shorts and a short sleeved blouse, enchanting everyone with her dulcet vocals. After her first song, she was inexplicably joined by a beatboxer, who was also pretty good… although personally, I preferred her solo performance. I got some video of her singing, which I added to my first post about Antwerp. It made me cry. We also saw a guy balancing three beers on his head while riding a bike!

By the time the ferris wheel ride was finished, it was time to look for lunch. More on that in the next part, since this post is loaded with photos!

churches, Rhein, Sundays

Heavenly windows by Marc Chagall and heavenly eating at Heiliggeist…

Last month, when Bill and I went to Zürich, we visited the Fraumünster church. That church is famous for having beautiful stained glass windows created by the Jewish French-Russian artist, Marc Chagall. I wasn’t familiar with Marc Chagall before we saw his windows in Switzerland last month. After I posted some photos on social media, a German friend told me that I could also see Chagall’s work in Mainz, at The Collegiate Church of St. Stephan. We live close to Mainz, but before yesterday, we hadn’t been there in a long time. Not only did COVID-19 keep us away, but there was also some construction being done on the bridge over the Rhein River which made crossing over there problematic. The bridge connects our home state of Hesse with Rheinland-Pfalz. I had actually forgotten that going to Mainz means leaving the state!

I think the last time Bill and I went to Mainz, it was to see my old friend, C.W., who is an American learning about German wines. I worked with C.W. in Colonial Williamsburg, back in the late 1990s. C.W. moved to Washington, DC and worked in a succession of fancy restaurants. He later decided he wanted to work in the wine industry, so he’s been getting educated. In the fall of 2019, he came to Germany to work at a winery as part of his education. He came back in the spring of 2020, just before COVID shut everything down. We weren’t able to see him on that visit, and we didn’t visit Mainz again last year or this year. That means that yesterday’s visit occurred almost two years after our last one! We had a good time yesterday. We’ll have to visit Mainz more often, now that we’re vaccinated. It really is a neat town with much to discover.

After looking at the location of St. Stephan’s Church, Bill decided he’d like to go out to eat. He found Heiliggeist Restaurant (Holy Spirit) on Open Table and decided that its status as the oldest citizen hospital in Germany fit nicely with our church theme. He made reservations for 3:30pm because, apparently, there weren’t any earlier ones available. I’m not sure why that is, since there were plenty of tables available when we were there yesterday. But anyway, the church was open for visitation from 12pm until 4pm, so the late lunch/early dinner time slot worked out fine. We took my neglected Mini Cooper, since the weather was fine and I could put the top down. I had forgotten how different the atmosphere is in Mainz, compared to Wiesbaden. It’s a refreshing change of pace.

After parking at the theater garage, we trudged uphill to the church. It was about a ten minute walk from where we parked. I hadn’t realized the church wasn’t in the old part of the city and was kind of unimpressed with the neighborhood that surrounded it. From the outside, St. Stephan looks like so many of the other churches in Germany. That’s not to say it isn’t a beautiful or impressive structure. It is a very lovely church, especially compared to many American churches. I’m just saying that compared to a lot of churches in Europe, from the outside, it didn’t look any more or less spectacular.

On the way out of Mainz-Kastel, there are many impressive murals on buildings. This is one.

But then we went inside, and my mind immediately changed about the beauty of St. Stephan… I was overcome by the cool, soothing, incredibly beautiful, and peaceful mood cast by the extraordinary blue windows… The entire inside of the church is bathed in a blue glow made by Chagall’s windows, the first of which was installed in 1978. Chagall was 91 years old in 1978, and he lived until 1985, which only goes to show you that when it comes to great accomplishments, age really is just a number.

As I took in the azure splendor of the great artist’s work, I realized that I much preferred Chagall’s windows in Mainz to Chagall’s windows in Switzerland. A bonus is, it costs nothing to visit this church. In Zürich, we had to pay five Swiss Francs each admission to see a few of Chagall’s windows.

Of course, I might have loved these windows more because my favorite color is blue. I also just loved the way they all worked in concert to give the church an overall mood. I donated some change to the church while Bill lit a candle for his father, then he purchased a CD of the organ and some postcards at the gift shop. He says he’s going to try his hand at picture framing. Since my dad made his post Air Force living framing pictures, it’s a shame he’s no longer around to show Bill the ropes. The CD is, of course, for me. I am more moved by music than visual artistic endeavors. My mom was a church organist for over 50 years, so I probably have more of an appreciation for organ music than a lot of people do. However, as I listen to the music now as I compose this post, it occurs to me that if I could have been listening to it while touring the church, I probably would have been overwhelmed. I definitely am glad we took the time to visit St. Stephan and see these gorgeous windows! The church itself has an incredibly long history, having been established in 990. It is the only church in Germany that has windows by Marc Chagall, and I must say, the windows dazzled me! What an inspiration!

It took about ten or fifteen minutes to walk from the church to the old town. I needed a restroom, but we had about an hour before our reservation at Heiliggeist, so Bill and I decided to stop at a cafe. I took some more photos on the way down. Mainz really is a nice town, and there’s still a lot we haven’t seen or done there.

I still have yet to visit the inside of the Dom.

At last, it was time to head to the restaurant. Thanks to COVID, everybody was sitting outside. I was a little disappointed, because I wanted to see the interior. I did get a few shots of the inside of the restaurant, but I would have preferred to eat indoors. Actually, I prefer eating indoors most of the time, as the seating is usually more comfortable; there’s no smoking; and we don’t have to contend with insects or other creatures. But the weather was good yesterday and it wasn’t too hot outside, so aside from uncomfortable chairs, I can’t complain too much.

Heiliggeist serves “fusion” food– Asian inspired and “new German”. They have a full bar, and a summer “carte”, as well as menu staples. Bill had the “Lachs Bowl”, which was very “Asian inspired.” I had the cold roast beef, which was more of a European thing. We both really enjoyed the food and the service. Prices are reasonable. Both my dish and Bill’s were priced below twenty euros each.

The outside of the restaurant. It used to be a hospital. As we approached, a grandfather was chasing his little toddler granddaughter back and forth. It was a charming scene.

After about two hours at Heiliggeist, we headed back to the parking garage, which was about fifteen minutes away by foot. I took a few more images. All told, we walked about 2.5 miles. At least, that’s what my iPhone tells me.

We got back to the house at about 6:00pm. Arran and Noyzi were very happy to see us and gave us joyful greetings. We went to bed feeling pleasantly tired by the day’s activities. I think we need to spend more time in Mainz. It really is a nice town, and it’s so different than Wiesbaden is on so many levels. I feel fortunate that we have this chance to live in another part of Germany besides Stuttgart, and experience how different the regions are. I continue to be grateful that we can live here and see so much.

And here’s what St. Stephan’s organ sounds like… Heavenly! Wish I could have heard this majestic organ as we were gazing at the beautiful windows.

Hebridean Island Cruises

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part ten…

On Friday morning, we had plans to visit Londonderry, the second largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth largest city in Ireland as a whole. Although the city is officially called Londonderry, it is popularly known as Derry and that is how it was tagged in my iPhone photos.

Prior to our visit, the only thing I had ever heard of regarding “Londonderry” was the song “Londonderry Air“, otherwise known as “Danny Boy”. I have sung that song many times, but never thought I would one day visit the walled city known for its architecture. The cruise officials had arranged for us to meet the mayor, who was presented an award by Hebridean Princess. We had a brief tour of the Guildhall, a gorgeous building that houses a very impressive pipe organ. Too bad my mom wasn’t on this trip, since the guide asked if anyone played organ. My mom was a church organist for over fifty years, although I don’t know if she played a lot of pipe organs.

Derry’s Guildhall.

The gorgeous pipe organ in Derry’s Guildhall.

Stained glass was everywhere!

After a coffee and tea break, we took a tour of the city given by a local guide who wore a bright yellow jacket. Our guide’s surname was McCrossan, which made Bill perk up. For all we know, he could have been a relative of ours. Local guides can be hired for four GBP and Hebridean Princess hired one for our benefit.

Derry is right next to County Donegal, which is where Bill’s people are from. It’s very close to the border of the Republic of Ireland and, in fact, our guide pointed out where the border was. He also explained that Harvey’s Bristol Cream, a favorite sherry of Bill’s and mine, had a connection to Derry.

I learned a bit more about religion in Northern Ireland, too. Prior to our tour, I had no idea that there were so many Presbyterians in Northern Ireland. I was born and raised Presbyterian by a family full of them, so that part of the tour was especially interesting for me.

A charming block of shops near the Guildhall and the Bishop’s Gate.

David Indge presents Londonderry’s mayor with an award.

A kid unwisely walks by the fountains, which I observed to shoot geyser like sprays of water at random intervals!

Part of Derry’s famous wall.

These jets randomly sprayed water.

This was a settlement of the city inhabited by Catholics. The ground was very marshy, which the guide described to us in detail. In the distance, you can see the Catholic church. We learned that back in the day, poor Catholic households in Northern Ireland could only be represented by one person when they voted. That was one reason why they were so oppressed. It wasn’t until 1968 that this rule was changed.

A very famous Presbyterian church in Derry. The history surrounding this church was very interesting. I wish we could have gone in for a look.

I seem to recall taking these pictures because they reminded me so much of Lexington, Virginia, where my dad went to college and Bill and I got married. I felt as if I were standing there. It was kind of eerie.

Bishop Street Within… meaning it’s within the walls of the city. There’s also a Bishop Street Without, I believe.

I wish I could have taken some photos inside of this church, but you had to pay a fee… which I would have done, except we were running short on time. The guide recommended we come back and get a proper tour of Saint Columb’s Cathedral. It really is beautiful. He also told us a funny story about a woman getting married there when they had turned on the floor heating. As she was passing the grate in the floor, a gust of wind blew up her dress, Marilyn Monroe style. Now, when people get married, they make sure to turn off the heat.

A couple of shots of Bishop’s Gate.

And a pretty rainbow in Larne, after our drive back to the ship.

I would like to visit Derry again sometime, perhaps not while cruising. It appears to be a very charming city with plenty to see and do. I would have liked to have had lunch there, but the ship had arranged for us to eat at a golf resort about a half an hour away. To be very honest, I probably would have preferred lunch on the ship.

Our buffet lunch consisted of a bowl of vegetable soup, which was good, and a side of soda bread, also good. We also had wine. The main courses were Irish stew with beef, which I skipped because I was afraid of the dreaded fungus. There was also a chicken dish that was loaded with mushrooms. They had pasta and salad, mashed potatoes, and chips, too. I avoided the meat and liked the dessert, which was either chocolate lava cake or apple crumble with warm vanilla custard. I love a good crumble, so that pretty much made the meal for me.

By the time lunch was over, it had started raining. We were supposed to visit a house and some ruins, but it was mid afternoon and people were tired. Our intrepid purser arranged for a small bus to take some of us back to the ship. Bill and I decided to take the short bus rather than visit the ruins and the house. It turned out we were smart to do that, since the ground was really messy at the ruins and they didn’t stay long anyway. It gave me an opportunity to come back to the ship, relax, and try a few more local beers… and other boozy delights.

This appears to be a smoked salmon roulade starter.

Sole for me at dinner.

And Bill had veal, which I know was tasty.

A snifter of brandy…

And more dessert.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: stained glass

We visited Rüsselsheim and Oppenheim over the weekend…

Turning 50 in Antwerp… Part three

Heavenly windows by Marc Chagall and heavenly eating at Heiliggeist…

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part ten…