Tag Archives: Texas

German lifestyle, Hessen, United States

Photos from last night’s wine stand, and the last thing I have to do for my driver’s license…

Today, we have to go to Ramstein and visit the optometry store, so I can get one last requirement for an updated Texas driver’s license fulfilled. For some reason, Texas is now requiring people to get peripheral vision tests. I have never, in the 38 years I’ve had a driver’s license, had to get this particular test done for a renewal. I’m not even sure if every Texas driver has to do it now. But anyway, the local optometry clinic can’t do that test, so we have to go to Ramstein. Hopefully, we’ll get it done; I’ll pass (which shouldn’t be a problem); and my new license will soon be on its way.

This week, we sent the people in Texas a properly filled out form, and proof that I’m a Texas resident. That also turned into a bit of an ordeal, because I never got my updated voter card, which is the one other document I have that proves I vote in Texas and am, therefore, officially a resident. I think things got messed up when I tried to vote in the primaries, earlier this year, and unwittingly changed the address on the paperwork to our old house in Texas, rather than my mother-in-law’s apartment. So, although Bill got his voter card, I never got mine. It probably went to our old address.

Fortunately, I was able to prove my status because I could go to the Texas Secretary of State’s Web site and find myself listed as an active Texas voter. BUT– in order to do ANY of this shit, you pretty much must use a VPN. It’s like the people of Texas have forgotten that there are a lot of military affiliated people who reside in their state and need to stay in touch with state officials. They don’t ever mention needing a VPN, so you kind of have to figure it out for yourself, which can be pretty annoying.

I often forget about the need for a VPN, so it can be frustrating trying to get stuff like this done. VPNs also typically cost money. I don’t understand why they have to block people from foreign countries, since anyone can get a VPN to circumvent that shit, anyway. People with nefarious purposes will certainly be doing that, or something worse, to get at that boring bureaucratic data.

Anyway… after breakfast, our plan is to head to Ramstein so I can get that last bit accomplished and maintain my legal right to drive. Updating my license has been more of a pain than usual; that’s for sure! I needed new photos, money to pay for the license, an expanded eye test, paperwork, and proof of residence. Phew… but at least I didn’t have to stand in line at the actual office.

Moving on…

Last night, our village had a wine stand. It was hosted by the fire department, and was very well attended. I got some photos, and we had a nice visit with people in our neighborhood, Gabby and Boris. They are always so nice to us, but they don’t speak much English. We had to ask their names again, because we don’t see them often enough to remember… although I never forget their kind faces, and I also remember that Gabby’s birthday is in June, like mine is!

The wine was the usual stuff… Rieslings, Cabernets, Feinherbs, and a few non-alcoholic choices. We stayed for a couple of hours, and by the time we left, it was really busy! I love these wine stands, and the sense of community that I feel here. It’s a great way for people to mingle with their neighbors, and prevent loneliness. We feel welcome, and it’s such a blessing to know that no gun nuts are going to show up and be violent… which is more than we can say for our homeland…

I never noticed this tree blooming before. How pretty!
Flashy fire department van!

Well… I’m sure we’ll have an interesting experience in Ramstein today. Please wish me luck on getting this last bit of my driver’s license saga accomplished! I look forward to having one last thing to worry about on a long list of things to worry about…

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Health, Hessen

Italian delicacies from Celpro Italian Supermarket…

This week, I had a very unpleasant exchange with an Amazon seller, who failed to send me Sperlari Candies I had ordered from Italy. I don’t want to get into the story of what happened in that situation on this blog, because I like to try to keep this space somewhat upbeat, when I can. If you want to read that story, click here. Suffice to say, I didn’t get my candy, and the seller was miffed that I left a low seller rating.

That situation made me remember visiting the Celpro Italian Supermarket, back during the height of the pandemic. I wondered if maybe they had some Sperlari goodies. I told Bill I wanted to visit, so off we went. We were definitely not the only ones who had the idea of shopping for Italian treats today.

It had been so long since our last visit, I had forgotten how small the market was. But for being such a small market, they offer a lot of Italian goods– everything from laundry detergent to fresh meats and cheeses. I couldn’t stand to be in there for too long, though, because it was pretty busy and crowded. We did manage to spend about 127 euros. It would have probably been more, if we could have gotten close to the meat counter!

When we got home from Celpro, I looked to see if there were any other markets nearby. I found one called Fornara, which is a small chain. Apparently, they are near the train station in Wiesbaden. They have another location in Taunnustein. I think we might have to visit there, too… although maybe not today, since it’s already getting close to 2:00 PM, and the store closes at 4:00. It looks like a much bigger market, though– at least the one in Taunnustein does. At the very least, we’d probably find more wines!

Yesterday was May Day. I completely forgot about it. I was too busy thinking about Bill coming home from his latest TDY trip. We had beautiful weather, though, and it’s pretty today, too. It’s also finally getting warm.

I got an email from the driver’s license people in Texas. Naturally, they need more stuff from me. I have to go get my eyes checked at an optometrist’s office, because they need a field of vision test (this is a new thing– never needed that in previous years). I also have to send a copy of my voter card, and complete a couple of items of the form that got overlooked.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the communication I got. The lady provided everything I needed– from the information as to what documentation is acceptable to prove Texas residency, to the spots I missed on the form. I feel pretty confident that by June 20, which is my birthday, I will have an updated license. Kudos to Mary, handling the out of state driver’s licenses. She’s a professional. I just wish they’d make it easier for people in my situation to find them. It would cut down on a lot of stress and confusion.

I need to go see the eye doctor anyway. I need a new prescription, and perhaps to get myself some bifocals. It’s a pain to have to do it, but it does need to be done. I think we’ll go to a different provider this time, though. I didn’t like the place I went in Wiesbaden, last time I had my eyes checked. I just hope the person I see doesn’t piss me off. 😏

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Charlie and Noyzi, crime

Ducks, dicks, and degenerates… He did it again. 🤬

In my last post, I wrote about an unfortunate encounter the dogs and I had with a pervert who is helping to build a new home on our street. That experience freaked me out a bit, and I hoped it was a “one off”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Yesterday, I walked Noyzi and Charlie again. It was a relatively pleasant day, although it was a bit cooler and more overcast than it was on Thursday. I was taking the dogs out later, because I got busy on a music project and had technical difficulties that delayed me. So, it was around 1:45 PM when the dogs took their walk yesterday. I was relieved to see several people working on the house yesterday when I passed it. There were even a couple of teenagers doing some work there.

My usual route takes me over a bridge that spans over a creek. I was happy to see the ducks in the creek, so I took a few photos. The ducks usually seem to come out more at this time of year, which results in some very nice photo opportunities.

As I passed the house again, on my way home, I looked up on the balcony, and there was that guy again. I wasn’t sure it was him at first, but he smiled at me and said “Hallo.” He had his pants up, much to my relief.

I said a curt “Hallo” and hurried home. I took a shower, changed into something more comfortable, and ate lunch. As I was cleaning up the lunch dishes, I noticed the trash receptacles were stinky from salmon packaging Bill threw in there. So, even though the bins weren’t full, I decided to empty them. As I was walking back to the house, I looked up, and I saw that worker, once again, very confidently lower his pants while standing on the unfinished balcony.

My jaw dropped as, once again, I witnessed this man apparently urinating up there, his junk on full display for everyone to see. Across the street from our house is a home with a balcony. The male half of the couple living there was on the balcony putting up a shade. He was fixated on the shade, and apparently didn’t notice what was going on across the street.

I watched the worker for a minute or so. He was not at all in. a hurry or worried about who would see him. As I passed the house yesterday, I confirmed that anyone could see him standing there with his private parts hanging out. There is no solid barrier to block the view.

I looked outside again a little while later, to see if he was still exposing himself from the balcony. I didn’t see him then, but when I went out on our front balcony, I looked over to that house and took a photo. I looked down, and the guy was there by his car, looking up at me. I wonder if he thought I took a picture of him. I didn’t… but below, you can see what the balcony looks like from our house, and from just under it, where I saw the man’s genitals.

From my house’s front balcony. There is no barrier preventing anyone from seeing on the balcony.
This was about where I was standing when I saw the man peeing. He was between the two far left pillars on the balcony. The scaffolding did not block the view.

I told Bill about what happened, and I’m considering filing a police report. I don’t want to invite trouble, but that house is right next to a school. There are kids and elderly people who live in this neighborhood. Above all, I DON’T WANT TO SEE THIS PERSON’S PRIVATE PARTS! It’s annoying, creepy, shocking, and disgusting. I shouldn’t have to tolerate that shit. It’s a CRIME.

We did have a good wine stand last night, even though it was a bit chilly. That very friendly elderly German couple joined us last night, and we tried to speak terrible German with them. I showed them some pictures from our wedding, and a few from my horsey days. The lady saw a photo of my mom and asked if that was my sister! I’ll have to tell her about that. It will make her day! I got a couple of photos of a plane passing, too… We’re right on the flight course to Frankfurt.

Today, I have plans to go on post, get an eye exam and a passport photo, and pick up a couple of items I need. Texas has told us we can renew my driver’s license by mail, since we’re still living out of state. That’s a relief, because I don’t want to have to go back to Texas just to update my license, and I don’t particularly want to trade my license for a German version. Let me just say, it was a real PITA to get a live person in Texas to tell us this was going to work. AI is a pox on customer service. But at least I’ll still be legal to drive after my birthday in June.

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Hessen

The winter doldrums…

I don’t have much to write about life in Germany this week. It’s been cold, dreary, snowy, icy, and just all out yucky. We had snow and cold temperatures every day until Friday, when the temperature shot up about twenty degrees and everything suddenly melted, except for the water in the barrel in our backyard. It rained all day, and there was all of that melted snow, so the backyard was like a sloppy sewer, as I uncovered soggy piles of dog shit laid bare after the snow disappeared.

On Monday, the village’s Christmas tree was still up. It looked so pretty with the snow on it, so I got a photo, which is today’s featured image. The next day, the tree was gone, and there were several naked formerly living Christmas trees lying in the Dorfplatz, ready to be hauled away. It was a little sad, especially since there was dirty snow, ice, and remnants of fireworks lying nearby.

A yearly ritual… disposing of formerly live Christmas trees…

This time of year in the northern hemisphere pretty much sucks on many levels. The holidays are over, so everything is kind of blah… The weather tends to be grey, cold, dismal, and depressing. People’s moods are grim. Nights are long; days are short. Summer seems a long time away, although summer has its problems, too.

Sitting here in Germany, at the behest of my homeland, I’m watching with shock and dismay as tensions boil over and people get killed by so-called government officials. It’s distressing to watch, and embarrassing on many levels… And I know all too well that even though we are far away from home, we’re also here because of home. It really is enough to make me want to burrow under the covers and wait until things are “better” somehow.

I have been getting some enticing ads for travel possibilities. I’ve been researching the more interesting places, wondering if it’s even practical to plan for a visit. There’s no telling what the future will hold, as tempers flare and our leader does unthinkable things. So I continue to take one day at a time… and look forward to my next trip, which will be to the Stuttgart suburb of Waiblingen. It does look like a charming area, and the place where we’re staying has a very nice restaurant. We’re going there so we can finally get our teeth cleaned. It’s long overdue! But I’d like to be going somewhere more interesting.

Bill will take an online course or two from the Jung Institute while we’re down there for his new degree program. His analyst has said he should double up his hours in analysis with her, so he can quickly get the quantity of hours needed before he can take exams. I think she has noticed he’s a natural, and he’s not getting any younger. Neither is she. And we don’t know what the future holds. As we tragically found out this week, tomorrow is never promised to anyone.

I need to get a new driver’s license at some point in the next six months. I have one from Texas, but I might have to go back there to get a new one, since I renewed by mail last time. Or, maybe I’ll just trade it in for a German license. Or maybe we’ll finally move. 🥲 I really don’t know what’s going to happen. I sure don’t want to go to Texas.

The dogs also need dentals in a big way. Maybe that will happen next month.

One interesting thing I did do this week was try purple potatoes for the first time. Bill went to the Denn’s Biomarkt near where he buys our dog food for Noyzi and Charlie. A few years ago, I wrote a post about Denn’s, which is a chain market that sells organic food. Bill picked up the potatoes, thinking they were the usual white ones. He was surprised when they turned out to be the color of eggplants…

We had pan seared Japanese sea scallops, green beans, and purple baked potatoes…

I didn’t mind the purple potatoes. They tasted a lot like white ones, and are supposedly very healthy. I was reminded, though, of Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss, and how when I worked as the cook at a summer camp, some of the counselors would cook eggs and ham over a hire and dye them with green food coloring for a fun and educational activity. I guess it’s not exactly the same thing, but I was still reminded of it.

Anyway… I’m hoping this week will be better on all levels. Bill has to go on a business trip and will be leaving this afternoon. At this point in time, he still has a lot of work to do at his job… but again, things can change on a dime with Trump’s whims. We have very sunny weather today, but it’s extremely cold outside. I think I heard the rain and snow will be back tomorrow, too… 🫣

Ah well. Such is life. This too will pass.

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Iceland, United States

Charlie’s first week as a Deutscher Dog…

As of today, our new rescue dog, Charlie, has been here for a week. Charlie has been spending his first week in Germany with Noyzi and me, because Bill had to go to the States on business. He was in Texas for a few days, and now he’s in Utah with his mom, visiting his daughter, son-in-law and their four children.

This is a pretty special visit for Bill and his mom, because they had little to do with Bill’s daughter or her older sister after Bill divorced their mother in 2000. His absence in their lives was not because Bill didn’t want to be their dad. It was because their mother decided to punish him by alienating the children and telling them multiple lies about him and the nature of their divorce. Through it all, Bill faithfully paid $2550 a month– $850 each for his daughters, and $850 for his ex stepson, who was also estranged from his father, who didn’t pay child support. Ex also has two more children with her third husband.

Maybe it seems wrong for me to mention this stuff on my travel blog, but I never miss the chance to have Bill’s back. People love to blame men when marriages fall apart. It pisses me off that his ex wife denied him access to his children, especially since I would have loved to have been able to have children with him. That couldn’t happen, though, for a few reasons. So here I sit… a dog mom to many and barely qualifying as a stepmom. I have only met Bill’s daughters in person once, and that was in 2003. The older one is still estranged, but the younger one came around a few years ago. Fortunately, she’s a lot like Bill. It’s a pleasure to know her, if only by courtesy of the Internet.

I decided I didn’t want to go to the States with Bill on this trip. I had a few reasons for not going. First, and foremost, I really felt like Bill needed more time to bond with his daughter without me around. He saw her last in March 2020, just as COVID-19 was messing up the world. That visit was just for two nights; it was the first time they’d seen each other in person since 2004. Just after he came home from that trip, everything shut down. Since then, she’s had two more children and moved to a new home.

I also wanted Bill’s mom to visit her. She lives in Texas, and hasn’t seen Bill’s kids since the late 1990s. Bill’s ex wife despises her, and cut her out of the girls’ lives in favor of Bill’s dad and stepmother. So this trip is the first time my mother-in-law is able to see her younger granddaughter in about 25 years. I thought it would be best, given that the trip would be pretty short, that they have some time together.

There’s also a much more selfish reason why I didn’t go. I didn’t want to sit on a plane for many hours just to sit in Killeen, Texas all week. I haven’t been to the USA since November 2014, and I want my first trip back there to be about seeing people I love. I don’t love Texas, even though I still vote there. My decision to stay in Germany turned out to be a good thing, given the recent computer SNAFUs in the US. Bill ended up being stuck in Detroit for hours after he landed in the United States. I’m glad I wasn’t involved with that.

My decision to stay home also means that I can be here with Noyzi and Charlie. It saves us money, and helps Charlie assimilate. However, Charlie really hasn’t needed any help assimilating. He’s fit right in and, aside from a few marking episodes, he’s even managed to be about 95 percent potty trained. He’s picked a spot to sleep in, and is now even using the expensive dog bed we bought in Jettingen for Zane and Arran that barely got used.

Charlie is quiet, cute, enthusiastic, and always super friendly. He was even adorable a few nights ago, when he slipped out the front door and started running down to my neighbors’ row houses. Fortunately, those houses are fused together, so I managed to corner him before he slipped through a crack in a fence near their garage. I wasn’t wearing shoes or street clothes when this happened, but luckily no one was any the wiser.

None of my neighbors have met Charlie yet, and he doesn’t yet have his Tasso tag. It could have been a real disaster if he’d gotten away. Somehow, I think he would have found his way back, though. He’s a street dog, and they are smart and resilient. He wasn’t scared or trying to escape. He was just curious and wanting to explore.

Every day, we’ve taken walks around the neighborhood. He’s getting to know his new environment, and he and Noyzi seem to get along fine. They aren’t total buddies, but they don’t fight or bother each other. Noyzi stays in his room, and Charlie hangs out in my office. I can’t believe he’s only been here a week. It feels like he’s been here a lot longer.

There have been a few very short play sessions. I think Noyzi’s getting a little arthritic, though. He’s been a little gimpy all week, although he does seem to be slightly better than he was a few days ago. We’re going to have him examined by the vet, probably at the same time we get Charlie checked in with a well visit.

My big plan for today involves going to the grocery store. I don’t often go, as Bill usually picks up stuff on his way home from work. So, even though I can walk to the store from our house, going there still manages to be kind of a production. I’ve really fallen into a pretty boring lifestyle lately… It’s kind of stormy and rainy today, anyway.

The good news is, we now have firm plans for Iceland. Bill has already wired the money for our bespoke tour with Iceland Luxury Tours. I booked business class seats on Icelandair a few days ago. So, from August 29-September 7, we’ll be visiting a place I’ve never seen, and Bill only got to see on a very short business trip in 2008. The trip is paid for, and we’re just waiting for the big day to arrive!

I thought about flying on Lufthansa, so we could score more frequent flyer points, but the flights available were significantly more expensive and operated at a less optimal time. Icelandair isn’t in the same rewards system Lufthansa is… but the good news is, it is in Air France’s program. And although I’m in Air France’s reward program, I don’t have any points! It’s been ten years since I last flew on Air France– and that was to go home to Virginia for my dad’s memorial service. So here’s a chance to try a new airline to me, and to score some Flying Blue points.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Iceland. I’m sure it will be enchanting! I can’t wait to take and share the photos. I also have a feeling I’m going to enjoy the people. This tour is costing a bundle, but so far, it’s not as expensive as last year’s Scandinavian extravaganza… That was a longer trip with more people, but less personal attention than what we’ll be getting in Iceland. The tour company gets really outstanding reviews, so I’m sure we’ll be in good hands!

Well… that about does it for today’s post. I look forward to later in the day, when Bill wakes up and tells me about his first day seeing his family. I look forward to hearing from his mom, too. I’m sure she is absolutely delighted!

Edited to add: After I went to the store, I took the boys for a walk, and they met Isabel, our very young and pretty neighbor. Noyzi absolutely ADORES Isabel, and Charlie was happy to meet her, too.

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Sundays

Mexican food with a San Antonio touch in Mainz!

ETA in 2025: Unfortunately, this restaurant is now closed.

A couple of weeks ago, when we were still in Czechia, a friend of mine who lives near Ramstein Air Force Base posted about a really good Mexican restaurant near where he and his family live. Among the comments on that post was also a suggestion for Mexico Lindo, a Mexican restaurant in Mainz, which is a college town about 20 minutes from where we live (which is not near Ramstein).. I made a note of the restaurant and when Bill invited me out to lunch today, I suggested we try out the Mexican place in Mainz. I heard it had a San Antonio flair, as if maybe the owners were of Mexican descent and came from San Antonio, Texas.

We had reservations for 1:30 PM, but we really didn’t need them. The restaurant was relatively quiet, save for the Mexican music and the sound of quiet chatter from the mostly German clientele. I do know this restaurant is known among the American community, but I didn’t see evidence that we were among a lot of our countrymen today.

I started our visit off with a visit to the ladies room, which was reasonably clean, albeit in a downstairs location. After we took care of essential business, Bill and I decided on what we’d be having. I was really tempted by the fajitas, which are available in all beef (with peppers and onions), all marinated chicken, or a mix of chicken and beef, and come with rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, and the usual vegetables, but it seemed like too much food and attention.

I ended up going for the Super Taco, which was a large flour tortilla with beef chunks, gravy, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, fresh cheese, and guacamole. It was 16 euros; I finished half and brought the rest home. Bill went for the barbacoa, which was very tender beef in tortillas with spicy pico de gallo, rice, and refried beans for 16,50. I think I liked Bill’s dish better than mine, although both were good. The issue with my Super Taco was that the cheese wasn’t melted, which weirded me out. Also, the cold toppings cooled off the beef rather quickly.

Bill had a Dos Equis beer, while I had a Kristalweizen. His beer came with a lime wedge; mine came with lemon. Next time, I’ll have to try one of their Margaritas, which I hear are very good. They’d have to be pretty good to beat Bill’s! A full range of cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks are available.

Service was friendly and relaxed, and we had a bit of a wait before we had the chance to ask for dessert. We split an order of Fried Ice Cream, because Bill had never had it before. I hadn’t had it since the late 1980s. It was pretty good, but quite sweet and gooey. I’m glad we split it.

Overall, we enjoyed lunch very much. It was very good, especially for Mexican food in Germany. Although the Mexican scene has improved a lot in Germany since we first moved here, restaurants can be hit or miss. This one is a good one, especially for Germany. It was nice to get out of the house, even though it’s pretty gloomy outside today. The restaurant is located near a shopping mall, so parking in a garage is convenient. You may also be lucky enough to score a street spot.

Below are some pictures from today’s outing!

Front of restaurant…
Atmosphere
El Guapo himself.
Beer and chips with salsa.
Super Taco!
Barbacoa
Fried Ice Cream
Pay for parking.
Moi!

I think the total was about 40 euros or so for the food… We had the option of paying by card or with cash. Bill paid in cash. It was well worth the trip. I think next time, I’ll go for the Fajitas or maybe a Chimichanga. I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those. And there will definitely be a Margarita next time, too!

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anecdotes, dental

Stuttgart, Germany… it’s as lovely as ever in the springtime… part one

Twenty-four hours ago, I was in downtown Stuttgart, lying on my back, as our trusty German/American dentist, Dr. Blair, was applying a dental dam to my mouth and telling me about his ancestry. It was the first time in a long time since I’d had any fillings done. And I don’t remember any of my previous dentists using a dental dam when I did have them done. I think previous dentists were more likely to only use them for crowns.

I knew this drama was coming. Six months ago, when Bill and I last went to Stuttgart to see Dr. Blair, he said he didn’t like the looks of the filling in my last remaining baby tooth, on the bottom left side of my mouth. I’d last had it filled in 2013, when we first moved to Texas. The tooth above it– also a baby tooth– had a cracked filling, which the Texas dentist repaired. She said she believed the other baby tooth needed a new filling. I was worried, in 2013, that the baby tooth wasn’t going to survive another repair, but my previous dentist assured me it would make it through the procedure. She refilled the tooth. I thought it would be for the last time, since it’s a baby tooth.

One year later, we moved to Stuttgart, and the top tooth that had the cracked filling promptly abscessed. It had a fractured root. I didn’t have pain, because there was an exit for the infection. However, this wasn’t a condition I wanted to let go for too long. Once Bill had dental insurance again, we visited Dr. Blair for the first time. He eventually pulled the abscessed top baby tooth, and in 2016, I got a spiffy dental implant, which has worked perfectly. I know that eventually, I’ll need another implant. Hopefully, Dr. Blair can do that one, too.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was worried about the baby tooth surviving yet another filling, because it’s 50 years old, and was never meant to work for so long. But after 45 minutes in the chair, the work was done. About 45 minutes after that, my teeth were clean and smooth, although my mouth was still numb for about four hours. Bill also had to have a little work done, but his work didn’t require any novocaine.

Lately, I’ve been choosing to pair our visits to Dr. Blair’s office with excursions to places we haven’t yet been. For instance, we’ve done two Black Forest trips and a trip to a part of Alsace, France, we hadn’t yet visited. We decided to stay in Stuttgart this time, because we weren’t just having cleanings done. Next time we see Dr. Blair, unless there’s a problem, we’ll probably go somewhere else relatively nearby that we haven’t been to yet. Maybe my German friend, Susanne, will finally see us visit her hometown of Freiburg. I’ve been trying to arrange a trip there for years!

The trip to see our fabulous dentist was the main reason we went back to Stuttgart over the weekend. However, we had other reasons for going back “home” (Stuttgart has been “home” for us for six out of twenty years of marriage). The fact of the matter is, Stuttgart is a pretty nice place to visit. We made a valiant attempt to see a lot more of it during our most recent four year stint living there, but there are still a lot of places we haven’t been. There are also places we wanted to see again.

Over the weekend, we managed to visit a couple of new places, as well as a place we hadn’t seen since 2008, when we lived in the Stuttgart area the first time. We stayed in the Wald Hotel, our favorite Stuttgart area hotel, albeit in their “suite”, which we’d never tried before. I believe it was our fifth stay at the Degerloch four star accomodation, located near a sports complex and the famed Fernsehturm (TV tower).

We ate good food, drank lots of libations, experienced just about every kind of weather, bought a new rug, met new people, listened to music, picked up souvenirs for Bill’s grandchildren, and spent plenty of euros. I got pictures, too. So I hope you’ll come along with me on my latest jaunt to our old stomping grounds… Maybe you’ll learn something new… or just be entertained. Or maybe not.

I’m just happy my smile is bright again, and my tooth is fixed. Turns out it wasn’t as bad as Dr. Blair thought it was. Stay tuned for part two!

Featured photo is yet another 3D city model… I just saw the one for Wiesbaden a couple of weeks ago. Now I seem to see them everywhere. 😉

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Uncategorized

Natural Bridge and Lexington circa 1957

As seen on my main blog…  Sorry for the rerun, but this blog is read by different people than the main blog is.

A very interesting film made in 1957 about my family’s American home… Special thanks to my friend, Joann, for posting this fascinating video about Natural Bridge and Lexington, Virginia.  

 

I have mentioned before that I come from Virginia. My family has been in Virginia since the early 1700s.  The earliest relative I’ve found in Virginia was a man named Johann Tolley, who came to Virginia from Hamburg, Germany.

Johann Tolley evidently fathered the people in my family who eventually settled in Rockbridge County.  Rockbridge County is kind of in the west central part of the state, in the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains.  Although I have been visiting Natural Bridge and its environs my whole life, I did not grow up there myself.  I was born and mostly raised not far from Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia, clear across the state.

Because my dad was an Air Force officer, the family he made with my mother was nomadic.  My parents spent the first 24 years of their marriage moving to different towns, mostly in the southern United States, but occasionally in other countries.  I was born during their fourteenth year of marriage, so I missed a lot of the moves and didn’t have any sense until the bitter end of my dad’s military career.

The one place that has always been a constant in my life has been Natural Bridge.  I’m pretty sure my family has lived in the same creekside house since at least the 1940s.  I’m not sure what’s going to happen when my aunt and uncle pass on.  I hope someone in the family will keep the house.  It’s a special place that is mostly full of wonderful memories.

Granny’s house… where my dad grew up.  There is a creek that runs in front of the house and another one that runs perpendicular to it on the left.

Down by the creek…

After a rare November snow in 2014… when I last visited.

Another shot up the hill.  I pray this house never leaves our family.  The street it’s on was named after my grandfather.

My family as of 2014.  Sadly, a couple of the people in the photo are no longer with us.  I think we’re missing about twenty people, too.  The Mormons have nothing on us.

 

The family church, High Bridge Presbyterian.  This is where we held my dad’s memorial service.

 

Many of my relatives are buried here, including my dad, who was moved about two years after he was initially buried at Granny’s house.

 

Goshen Pass, which is very close to Lexington and where Bill and I honeymooned…  It’s also kind of where we fell in love, the weekend before 9/11.  That’s another story, though.

My friend, Joann, who originally posted the above video, lives in Lexington, Virginia.  Lexington is about ten miles from Natural Bridge.  It has sort of a special place in my heart because not only is a super cute town, it’s also where many of my family members went to college or worked. It’s also where Bill and I got married in 2002.  Before the area was taken over by transplants from up north and out west, it was mostly settled by Scots-Irish Presbyterians.  According to 23 and Me, that is surely enough the lion’s share of my genetic makeup.  I was raised Presbyterian, too.

The video is interesting viewing for me, since my parents who are/were both from that area got married the year it was made.  Mom was 19 and Dad was 24.  They had lived in Rockbridge County their whole lives.  My dad finished his degree at Virginia Military Institute in 1956 and immediately became an Air Force officer.  The following year, he married my mom and they left the area for good, only to come back for visits.  My dad is now buried in the graveyard at the family church.  Originally,  he was buried on a hillside at the house where he grew up with his eight brothers and sisters, but my mom had him moved.  I guess she realized that house might not always be in family hands.

Another reason why that video is interesting is because it basically reflects the ethos of the 1950s.  The story is told from the Natural Bridge’s viewpoint.  It explains how the area used to be populated by “red men”, also known as Native Americans.  The Bridge explains that it tried to explain to the natives that it was created by God.  Alas, they worshiped the Bridge as a Pagan God, even though the Bridge tried to explain that it was the Christian God who created it.  The Bridge sounds almost grateful as it explains that white Christian settlers eventually moved into the area in 1737.  The white Christians “got it right’.  (I’m being facetious, here.)

Based on the video, a lot of great people came from Rockbridge County.  Even Sam Houston, who eventually went on to be the namesake of Houston, Texas, was born in Rockbridge County.  I never knew that.  It’s actually pretty interesting, given the impact Sam Houston had in Texas.  In fact, reading about Sam Houston is uniquely fascinating, given his family history in Scotland and Ireland.  I was just in Northern Ireland a few months ago and we stopped in Larne.  There is a plaque there commemorating the history of the Houston family before they moved to Virginia.

Sam Houston also moved on the Maryville, Tennesee when he was fourteen years old.  I have not been to Maryville, but I do have a couple of friends who attended Maryville College and one who moved back to the town after she retired from teaching at my alma mater, Longwood University.  I also lived in Texas for a year… and Bill spent several years there and graduated high school in Houston.  I’m amazed at how all of these places are interconnected with Rockbridge County, which even today is still pretty rural.  Although a lot of new people have moved there, there is still a core of people descended from the original settlers.

I’m not sure why, but somehow when I was growing up, I never realized or appreciated the deep connection my family has to Virginia, especially Rockbridge County.  I think it’s because I was a military brat, even though I spent most of my growing up years in Gloucester County.  Gloucester is another one of those places where people settled and stayed, much like Rockbridge County is.

There were several last names there that would always come up at roll call in school.  A lot of them were the children of people from England who had stayed after the Revolutionary War, which was won in nearby Yorktown.  In the early 80s, Gloucester was still so rural that people who moved there were “come heres” and never really got the sense of community that the locals had.  My parents owned at house in Gloucester for about 30 years, but it still doesn’t seem like home, even though it’s probably the one place in the world where I feel sure I could get help immediately if I ever needed it.  I still have a lot of friends who live there.

I didn’t appreciate Virginia when I was younger.  I used to fantasize about moving somewhere else, where the people and the scenery were different.  Now, as much as I like Germany, I’m starting to think about going “home” to Virginia.  Maybe I would only go there to visit, though… I’m not sure if I want to die in my home state or even if circumstances will allow it.

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In Germany now…

We arrived in Frankfurt at about 8:30am local time.  It’s now 6:00pm.  Bill and I arrived in the Stuttgart area (Mohringen) at about 1:30 or so…  I was intensely irritable, tired, and hungry, even though our flight was pretty decent for a transatlantic on a commercial airline.  It took us awhile to get our bags, though the dogs were waiting for us in baggage claim like last time.  They were locked in their carriers, which were reinforced by zip ties.  Since we didn’t have access to anything sharp at that point, I had to leave them in there while they cried a bit.

I gotta hand it to the dogs.  They were very good at both the Houston and Frankfurt airports.  In fact, they were utterly charming in Houston.  In Frankfurt, they whimpered and whined a little, raising the eyebrows and the concerns of a few passers by.  They were nothing like Flea and MacGregor, though, who accompanied us on our last German tour.  Flea, in particular, was very vocal at the airport.  Come to think of it, MacGregor was good…  he just happened to be accompanying the very loud and obnoxious (yet lovable) Flea.

We had no issues whatsoever going through customs.  We were told we’d have to pay a fee, but when the customs people heard we were from the United States, they told us just to come on through.  Awesome.  Also, we thought we’d have to pay $800 for the dogs, but it turned out we only paid $400, because they went by their weight instead of the size of their carriers.  So things are off to a good start.  Incidentally, I have to hand it to the Houston Airport TSA, for being so good to our pups, and to Lufthansa Airlines, for just being way better than any American carriers I’ve been on.

After securing a car, which wasn’t quite large enough for our luggage and the dog carriers, we took off from the airport, then stopped at the first nasty rest stop off the autobahn.  I let the dogs pee and Bill took apart their carriers, which were eating up a lot of space.  No one at the car rental place bothered to help him set the GPS, so he was trying to fiddle with that.  I got increasingly bitchy as we rolled down the highway because my blood sugar was in the basement and I was struggling to stay awake.  Although Lufthansa’s food wasn’t bad for airline fare, it was still airline fare.  I didn’t eat much of it, so I was hungry.

We are at Hotel Flora, which is a small place in a residential area of Mohringen, the town nearest to Kelley Barracks.  That is where Bill will be working.  Last time, he was in Vaihingen, which is where Patch Barracks is.  I am familiar with Patch and Panzer (everyone is), but Kelley is pretty new to me. I think I only went on there one or two times when we were in Stuttgart.

After we checked into the hotel, I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and crashed for about four hours. I was awakened by the sound of a family playing together after Sunday dinner.  I guess that’s preferable to the sound of a hysterical woman screaming into her cell phone, which is what Bill heard when were at the hotel in San Antonio.  It’s hard to believe we’ve only been in Germany for ten hours and we were just in Texas yesterday.

Tomorrow, Bill goes to work for the first time since April.  We also start our housing hunt.  Wish us luck!

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Another outstanding meal at Saveurs 209…

Yesterday, I was really bored and wanted to go out to dinner.  I thought about all the new dresses in my closet and how badly I needed a new Facebook profile picture.  I usually replace my profile photos when I put on makeup and look presentable.  Bill came to my office and asked if I’d be okay with burgers for dinner.  I blurted out, “I want to go out!”

Bill looked a little chagrined.  I think he was thinking about the cost of a nice meal and the fact that he’d pulled the ground beef out and didn’t want it to turn.  Bill asked where I wanted to go out and I said I wanted to go downtown… perhaps to Saveurs 209.  I saw Bill cringe as he considered the traffic involved with going downtown.  Then I said, “I want to put on a dress.”

Bill and me, dressed to the nines…

Bill relented and made reservations.  I got all pretty.  We went downtown and much to my delight, when we stepped into the restaurant, were immediately recognized!  The last time we went to Saveurs 209 was for Thanksgiving!  I told our host, Sylvain, that we’d been meaning to get back to their restaurant.

We were seated and proceeded to enjoy a wonderful authentic French meal for the third time in San Antonio.  Here are some photos from our delightful dinner!

Bill peruses the menu…

I had a glass of champagne– Piper Heidsieck, to be exact.  Bill ordered a very nice chenin blanc to go with our seafood heavy meal. The wine had a strong mineral taste, kind of like a chablis.  It was a good choice.  We enjoyed very fresh baguette bread with equally fresh butter…  

A velvety smooth chilled gazpacho amuse– avocado, green pepper, green onion, cucumber and, I would swear lime, though I didn’t hear that mentioned in the list of ingredients.   It was very refreshing!

My asparagus salad.  It was served with Parmesan cheese and San Daniele Proscuitto.  I love how this salad looks, but it also tasted very good.  The asparagus was firm and flavorful and the Parmesan and prosciutto added a delicately salty flavor.

Bill was eyeing a fish soup, but I talked him into the Comte cheese soufflé, which came with a small salad with walnuts and vinaigrette.  I would have ordered this myself, but cheese is kind of a hit or miss thing with me.  Very strong cheeses are a turn off.  I’m happy to report that this starter was delicious… not too strong and very comforting.  I would order it if it’s available during our next visit (but I bet it won’t be– they change the menus frequently!)

For dinner, I had lobster with green peas, tomatoes and mint pesto.  The lobster was very generously portioned and delicious…  It was garnished delicately with roe.  The mint and peas complemented the lobster very well.  I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes, but the two included with this dish were flavorful and succulent.  They also added a dramatic dash of color to the dish, making it look like a work of art.

Bill had halibut with asparagus and roe…  I tasted the halibut, which seemed delicately poached.  It was tender and moist, cooked to perfection.

Dessert!  Bill ordered for me while I was in the restroom and I ended up with a dreaded lava cake…  Actually, it was a nice dessert, served warm with vanilla ice cream.  I have nothing against lava cake, except that everyone is doing that now!  I was hoping for a chocolate biscuit with raspberry ganache and chocolate chips.  Oh well… I didn’t refuse the dessert!  Bill had a very interesting streusel with strawberries and pistachios.  

 

Bill and I finished with a round of espresso.  We basked in the afterglow of a delightful meal.  Afterwards, we chatted a bit with Sylvain, telling him how much we love Europe and that we hope to be there next week.  Where exactly we’ll end up is still “up in the air”, but there’s a good chance we could go to France.  If we do, this meal will make an excellent kick off to our vacation.  In all, our meal cost just under $200.  It was definitely worth every penny.  Bill tipped 20%, which brought our total to about $240.

I also told Sylvain that if Bill doesn’t get a job soon, I might have to approach him for a job waiting tables!  I was half kidding.  His eyebrows raised when I told him about my experiences working at The Trellis, restaurant that for over 30 years, was owned by Marcel Desaulniers, a French American chef who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.  I told him how stressful it was to work in that place, because we learned how to serve food properly.  It took me a long while to get it right, but I finally did… and now, thanks to Marcel, I appreciate good food and good service.  And thanks to Europe, I appreciate the fantastic unhurried experience one can have at Saveurs 209.  If we can’t live in Europe anymore, we can at least enjoy European people.

I think Saveurs 209 is probably the only authentic French restaurant in the San Antonio area.  It is also the only “nice” restaurant Bill and I have visited three times.  And if we don’t move out of the area, we’ll definitely be back.  If you are inclined to dine on French cuisine and you happen to be in San Antonio, I highly recommend Saveurs 209.

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