Tag Archives: Wiesbaden

Hessen, holidays

Easter lunch at Villa Im Tal, 2024…

Pardon me while I bask in the afterglow of yet another delightful meal from Villa Im Tal, one of our favorite restaurants in Wiesbaden. A few days ago, I asked Bill if he wanted to do anything for Easter. He was up for it. Then I noticed that Villa Im Tal was having a special Easter menu that looked good. I proposed it to Bill, and, as usual, he was game. So, I made us a 1:00 PM reservation for this afternoon on OpenTable.de.

I decided to wear my new earrings and wrap from Novica.com. The rest of my get up was probably pretty casual by most people’s standards. I thought I might like to wear a dress, but it was still a little chilly earlier today and I don’t have any hose. So I wore pants, with the all important elastic waistband, and a bright turquoise colored top, which went with the earrings, the wrap, and my Italian leather purse, which is a lovely Baltic blue/green. I’m glad I mostly stick to similar shades.

On our way to the restaurant, which is in a wooded part of Wiesbaden, I was still going off about an unpleasant interaction I had with someone last night. You can read about that here, if you are so inclined. Bill looked a little stressed and I asked him what was wrong. He said he was focused on the fact that the weather was nicer today. The sun was out; the temperature was up; the trees and flowers are blooming; and it wasn’t raining.

I said, “And you’d like me to just calm down and shut up before you reach over and pull my seatbelt a lot tighter to redirect my attention, right?”

Bill busted out laughing… because, boy, do I know him well! Then he said, “I’d like you to calm down and relax.” He should know by now that it never helps to tell someone to calm down when they’re aggravated. But I do understand that it’s tiresome to hear me going off about something he can’t fix.

And I said, “I’m sorry, Bill. I’m just really pissed off, and I’m tired of scared little weenie ass men who hate that women can vote. Fuck that guy for telling me I shouldn’t vote! He’s lucky I’m not within striking distance of his balls.” (I’m kidding… although the sentiment was definitely there. I would never risk going to jail for a small-minded guy like that. However, if he happened to publicly rack himself somehow, I wouldn’t stifle a laugh. How DARE he tell me not to vote, simply because I won’t vote for the orange guy?!). It’s better, though, that I thrash him with my words instead of a well-aimed kick to the crotch.

We pulled into the parking lot, pleased to find plenty of parking spots available. We made our way to the restaurant, and I was absolutely delighted when we were warmly welcomed by the maitre d’. And then, an even bigger pleasant surprise came from a waitress who has taken care of us on multiple occasions. She gave us a huge smile and said, “The Crossens!”

Let me just say, she scored mega points from me for addressing us by name. I was genuinely surprised and delighted by that. It set the tone for the meal, which was fantastic, as usual.

Since it was Easter, they had a set menu. Everyone got Adamstaler spring bread from Bäcker Klein exclusively for the Villa Im Tal bread with butter and herb spread. And everyone got spring herb and celery foam soup. There were three choices for the main course:

Anglaise fried loup de mer (Sea bass/Branzino)
Mediterranean vegetable and pearl barley risotto | Basil oil

Sirloin steak fried pink in one piece at a low temperature,
spring leek and carrot vegetables | lightly truffled potato gratin

or, for the vegetarians…

Elderberry kohlrabi with truffle savoy cabbage
spinach | Tomato and walnut pesto | grilled asparagus

For dessert, everyone got:

Raspberry rhubarb compote
almond brittle | Chocolate crumble | homemade bourbon vanilla ice cream

This menu was priced at 78.80 for the meat/fish menu, and 68.80 for the vegetarian option. We ordered the house cocktail while we perused the menu. I had the alcoholic version, while Bill went without booze. I’m pretty sure the only difference between the two was prosecco. I could be wrong, though. Our waitress had brought us menus in English, too… not necessary, but a very thoughtful touch.

I went with the fish because I don’t eat truffles. Bill went for the meat. Have a look at the photos of this sumptuous repast. It was quite a wonderful meal, and by the time we were finished, there were endorphins coursing through my body. I had mostly forgotten about the unAmerican asswipe from my hometown who had me fuming earlier in the day.

A lovely Italian red from Tuscany…
The garlic herb spread was divine. So was the butter from Normandy.
I always love the soups at Villa Im Tal. This celery and herb foam creation was no exception.
Expertly prepared fried branzino with a barley risotto with delicious tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and onions and basil oil.
Bill enjoyed his perfect sirloin with truffled potatoes au gratin and vegetables.
Finally, there was the delightful dessert of strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, bourbon vanilla ice cream, almond brittle, and chocolate crumble. It was so good!
A look at the dining room.

Once again, we enjoyed a wonderful, luxurious, lingering lunch near a fireplace. I was reminded once again why I love living in Europe. This was such a lovely meal! We definitely should go to Villa Im Tal more often. The service is very professional and competent, yet relaxed. The food is always superb. And the atmosphere is so beautiful in its bucolic setting. Best of all, parking is NEVER an issue. They have plenty.

We left the restaurant smiling, relaxed, and happy, and now we might have to go outside and enjoy some time in the newly improved weather. Next weekend, we will be in the Schwarzwald, having a quick rest. So the blog will definitely pick up with some fresh material, as I’ve chosen a very new and apparently very nice hotel in a town called Horben.

For those who are curious about my Novica wrap and earrings…

Someday, we will have to stop by the Ring Kirche and have a look…

All told, we spent about 250 euros today, before the tip. It was worth every euro cent. I would definitely recommend Villa Im Tal anytime you need a special meal for a celebration, a holiday, or just to calm down after one of your countrymen advises you not to vote in an important election. 😉

In other news… our village just erected a new free library schrank in our Dorfplatz! I might have to offload some English books.

Love this!
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Hessen

One last winter blasting…

Well, true to the nature of weather in Germany at this time of year, the weather has sucked today and yesterday. We had a brief hailstorm yesterday that gave way to thunderstorm warnings. Today, it’s cold, wet, and blustery. Consequently, we’re holed up at home. Bill is making roasted garlic bread, and I’ve just reviewed Charles Spencer’s latest book, A Very Private School, which has made me glad I wasn’t born to British nobility.

I will be doing something travel related today, though, as we got confirmation that Noyzi has a spot at the Hundepension for April 5-9. That means we’re free to go away for a few days. I’ve been trying to decide where we should go, as there are so many places to choose from. I originally thought maybe we’d go to Switzerland… and maybe we still will. We do need to make a choice soon.

For now, I thought I’d share a few pictures of yesterday’s icy weather. It never fails. German weather in the early springtime is always very strange. We’ll get a couple more weeks of this weirdness until spring arrives for good.

This video may or may not work eventually. It’s just fifteen seconds of sleeting.

Anyway… hopefully, next weekend’s weather will be nicer. I am wanting to get out of the house and have some fun for a change.

Edited to add: Just as I posted this, the sun came out… but if today is like yesterday, it will soon disappear again.

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Hessen

I survived another winter in Wiesbaden…

I don’t have much to write about today, as Bill is on another one of his TDYs to Bavaria, and I’m here alone, pondering the future and whether or not I want to be part of it. I have come to hate March in Wiesbaden, because it pretty much means I’m going to be alone for a good portion of the month. The weather tends to be psycho, too… although today, we have very nice temperatures and sunshine.

I decided to take some photos around the neighborhood. It usually cheers me up to see the beginnings of spring, as the first flowers start to bloom. One thing I do love about life in Germany is that so many people are great at gardening. I love to see the vibrant colors and smell the fragrances of fresh blooms. Pretty soon, we’ll be in the thick of nice weather again, and hopefully that will improve my outlook on things. But for now, I do still at least have the pictures.

Below are some neighborhood shots I’ve taken over the past few days, hence the different skies. Notice the local church is celebrating a birthday. I like the daffodils; they remind me of my hometown, an unofficial “Daffodil Capital of America”.

Eleven more days of this solitary lifestyle. Hopefully, things will be more exciting then.

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Hessen

Our first visit to L’Osteria in Wiesbaden…

Happy Presidents Day. It marks the end of our current long weekend. The sun came out briefly, prompting Bill to invite me out to lunch at L’Osteria, a pizza restaurant chain here in Germany. I’ve seen several of these outlets in our recent travels, and I guess Bill was curious about them, too. We had never been to one before today, although they seem to be everywhere we’ve been lately.

The local L’Osteria opens at 11:30 AM for lunch. The door was wide open as we approached and the outside was set up for those who preferred to eat outside. It’s February, but unusually warm– about 54 degrees or so– so eating outdoors isn’t out of the question. Especially for Germans, who are big believers in bundling up for the weather.

As I approached the door, I caught a whiff of a local sewer, which wasn’t the greatest first impression… but they can’t help it if they’re near a sewer, I guess. We walked in and were welcomed to sit anywhere we wanted. I chose a spot near the impressive bar. There were menus on the table, so I started looking. It was very quickly apparent that this chain is all about pizza, although they do offer salads, appetizers, and pasta dishes.

I like pizza, but not so much the kind one finds in Germany. For one thing, sometimes it doesn’t taste like they use mozzarella cheese. For another, they seem to make them for one person, even though they’re always way too big for one person to eat. I opted for tortellini with ham, while Bill had a pizza with prosciutto. We shared a half carafe of Montepulciano and a big bottle of San Pellegrino. More people started to come in for lunch while we waited…

Did I lie about the pizza? It’s very thin crusted, though.
The tortellini was good, and there wasn’t too much of it. I did kind of struggle to finish, but Bill ate two of them for me.

We enjoyed the wine and conversation over the food. I noticed another couple sat near us and shared one pizza, which, frankly, I’ve never seen before in a German pizza place. The barman/waiter had cut it in half and put it on separate plates. I think if I had to do it again, I would have liked to have shared a pizza with Bill. He brought half of his pizza home with him.

The food at L’Osteria was good. The restaurant’s ambiance was not too fancy, and very family friendly, with pop music playing. I noticed the Uber Eats guy came in several times while we were eating. He was doing a brisk lunch business.

I was feeling pretty good about our visit, but then I visited the ladies room… and just as I was about to relieve myself of some processed wine and water, I realized there was no toilet paper in the stall. I went to the other stall, where there was an almost empty roll. There was just enough for me and maybe one more person, if all they needed to do was pee. So, after Bill used the restroom, he asked if I was ready to go, as he’d already paid our tab. I told him we needed to let the barman know that they ladies room needed a restock of toilet paper. The guy had disappeared into the kitchen, so Bill popped his head in and informed him that the restroom needed attention.

Other than that, I enjoyed our visit to L’Osteria. I would go back, although I probably would prefer a restaurant that isn’t part of a chain. Still, it did the job of filling us up and was convenient and reasonably priced. Most everything on the menu was priced between 12 and 16 euros. And now my curiosity is satisfied. Next time, maybe I’ll brave ordering a pizza.

The restaurant, by the way, also appears dog friendly. I noticed a doggie bowl in the foyer as we were exiting.

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Uncategorized

Our wine barrel bar gets accessorized…

A couple of years ago, Bill and I decided to buy a wine barrel bar from a craftsman from Alsace, France. The craftsman, name of Bijan, is married to a German woman and has run a studio about ten minutes’ drive from our home in Breckenheim. He’s a member of my Facebook wine group, because besides making furniture, he also has a long history of selling wine, particularly at AAFES (our military store). When we bought our wine barrel bar, we noticed that someone else had ordered stools to go with it. Bijan told us he’d be happy to make us stools, too. We just had to let him know when we wanted them.

Within the past couple of years, Bijan had an accident that caused a significant injury, so he’s decided not to make furniture or sell wine anymore. Instead, he makes jewelry. We bought Bill’s daughter a couple of bracelets from him, back in September 2023. Bill has run into Bijan a few times at AAFES, and at some point last fall, he mentioned that he’d love to order stools for the wine barrel bar. Bijan said he’d be happy to make them for us. Yesterday, Bijan let us know the stools were ready. Today, we went to his studio to pick them up.

They look beautiful, but I’m kind of afraid to sit on them! Also, they’re a little tall. Like the bar, they are made from a wine barrel.

I was surprised when we got there, because Bijan’s studio has been turned into a LP/CD shop. Bijan said he was renting out his retail space to a German guy who sells music. I am a big fan of music, as most of my friends know. I could see myself spending time shopping for rare CDs at that place sometime, even though it seems like kind of a strange place to have such a business. Bijan’s studio is just outside a charming little village, which doesn’t really seem ideal for a music store. But what do I know?

Anyway, Bijan had the stools ready, and they looked beautiful. We chatted with him and his American friend, who helps him with his business. It’s too bad he won’t be making more furniture, but we’re glad to have a few of his handcrafted pieces for our home.  

Bijan gifted us a bottle of French dessert wine from 2011. When Bill’s mom comes to visit us next weekend, I’m sure we’ll give it a try. The stools cost 280 euros– actually, he said they were 290, but he charged us 280. Bill gave him cash and offered a VAT form (which lets us avoid paying local taxes, since we’re Americans). Bijan already had a VAT form. So, once we paid and loaded up the stools, we headed to Globus, our “gargantuan” superstore. I wanted to check out the liquor section to see if they had any fun liqueurs. For the record, I didn’t find any… but we did get some wines. Then we picked up a few food items for the weekend.

I actually kind of hate Globus, because it’s so huge that I find being there exhausting. It’s usually pretty crowded on Saturdays, too, as everybody prepares for Sunday, when most places are closed. However, it had been a long time since my last visit, so it wasn’t a bad thing to be reminded as to why I’d rather stay home when Bill goes shopping on the German economy. I usually go to the neighborhood Rewe when I need something and Bill isn’t home. I can walk to the Rewe, although I usually don’t. Globus is absolutely enormous! It makes the Real in our previous town, Jettingen, look positively petite!

I got some photos from my outing, which will probably be the only one I get this weekend. Bill has to go to Bavaria again next week. I hate that, too… but at least it will give me a chance to teetotal. 

Every time I go to Globus, I’m shocked by how humongous the store is. It’s so big that it’s overwhelming. You either leave with too much food, or get too overwhelmed to find what you need. Give me an Edeka or Rewe any day!

English is everywhere.
Undergarments and coffee in the same area.
Very German food!
The colored eggs are hard boiled for kids. They keep them at room temperature, because refrigeration of eggs isn’t necessary in Europe.
Forbidden eggs in the USA…
Gross smoking warnings. They don’t seem to make a difference.
And now you can pay in more ways than ever!

  

  

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Sundays

Another fantastic lunch at Landhaus Dierdert!

A couple of days ago, I told Bill that it had been too long since our last outing. And it really had, for me, been too long. Until today, I hadn’t left our neighborhood in weeks. I wanted to go out and do something. The problem is, the weather in Germany this time of year tends to really suck. It’s also been very cold lately.

Bill decided we were due for another Sunday lunch at Landhaus Diedert, one of our favorite Wiesbaden restaurants. So he made a booking for 1:30 PM , and off we went today… And, as usual, it was a great time! Service at Landhaus Diedert is uniformly wonderful, and while the offerings definitely aren’t cheap, they are always prepared with great care and thought. The presentation is always on point, and the food and beverages are always served with panache. 

Below are some photos from today’s visit. When we got there, the dining room had some tables available, although the parking lot was full. Bill dropped me off and parked on the street outside of the main lot. 

Bill started off with the vegan curried red lentil soup with a vegetable dumpling. I had an avocado and mango, salmon tatar, with roasted sesame, lemon zest, wasabi mayo, and miso. Both starters were delicious. We also had a round of aperitifs– prosecco for me, and a cherry non alcoholic fizz for Bill. I probably should have had what he had. It was excellent and refreshing.

For our mains, Bill had the fried Skrei fish– kind of like a sea bass filet, with kimchi, wasabi peas, and pumpkin gnocchi. I had guinea fowl (Perlhuhn) breast stuffed with sausage and served with roasted red peppers, fregola sarda (a type of Sicilian pasta like couscous), and salted leeks. I couldn’t finish my main course, so I’ll be enjoying it tomorrow.

We both decided to go for the “quick dessert”, which is a small creme brulee with a side of espresso or a cup of coffee. I had wanted the apple crumble, and Bill would have ordered the blueberry “pudding” with fresh berries… but it was getting late and we were the last ones to leave. We didn’t want to hang around for too long. Besides, we had a lovely local white wine to finish. 

Total damage was about 187 euros before the tip. That’s a lot of money to a lot of people, but I have yet to have a bad meal at Landhaus Diedert. We are always welcomed when we arrive, and well fed when we leave there. So, I always recommend this restaurant to folks local to Wiesbaden who need a “nice” restaurant for a special occasion or, maybe just a very nice Sunday lunch!  

Non alcoholic for Bill… at first.
Bread with pumpkin spread and butter.
Salmon tatar with avocado and mango.
Red lentil curry soup.

I think it was time and money very well spent today… 

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Hessen, holidays, trip planning

Waste not, want not?

Here’s a quick photo dump of some scenes around my neighborhood this week. It’s been bitterly cold, so Noyzi and I didn’t take a walk on Tuesday, even though the sun was shining. It was just too cold and windy for me and my old bones. However, we did go out yesterday, because the wind had stopped. I took a few photos…

It’s time for everyone to get rid of their Christmas trees. I have never had to do this myself, because I have never had a “real” Christmas tree. My mom was a “no fuss” type, when it came to our personal Christmas decorations. We always had a fake Christmas tree, and as soon as I was old enough, it was my job to put it up and decorate it. I used to enjoy doing that. 

We didn’t even have stockings for most of my growing up years. I remember having them when I was very young, but they were made of felt and sized according to family rank. As the “baby” of the family, I kind of got screwed. My stocking was the smallest. I don’t remember my mom ever filling it, anyway. Ironically, she knitted stockings for Bill and me when we got married! I put them out every year, although we don’t always fill them. My stocking got damaged by Zane, the wonder beagle, when he was still basically a puppy.

Anyway, because I never had a real Christmas tree, I wouldn’t know how to take care of one. So we have fake trees. But our neighbors don’t. Behold…

People have dumped their trees in the Dorfplatz.
It’s freezing cold!
I would hate to fall in the creek.
Cat was watching us.
Forsythias are showing up…
It’s a little early.
Kind of sad… how long did that tree grow before it was chopped down for a couple of weeks in someone’s living room?

I’m glad Christmas is over, although this time of year is pretty bleak, and Christmas decorations at least make things look festive. We have had some rare sunshine this week, though, which is nice. And the backyard is frozen, which makes picking up Noyzi’s poop easier.

We’re still deciding about exactly where we’re going when Bill’s mom comes here next month. I’m half tempted to cancel our tentative plans to go to Bamberg and nearby cities, and just go somewhere sunny and warm. But we’ll have sunny and hot weather before we know it, so we might as well stick to Germany. I wish we were going somewhere for MLK weekend, but Bill has been working in Bavaria all week, and we never got a chance to plan anything. He will be home tonight, though, and says he’s taking tomorrow off. Maybe we can go have lunch or something. I feel like I haven’t left the neighborhood in weeks.

This is kind of a boring post. I used to write more interesting stuff, but I feel like I get diminishing returns lately. Maybe I’ll be more motivated later. Nine years in Germany causes the novelty of being here to wear off somewhat. It’s actually kind of bizarre. Germany feels almost as familiar as home, while the USA is becoming a place I no longer recognize, nor do I feel welcome there. And yet, I don’t speak German worth a damn.

SIGH… maybe that should be a New Year’s resolution.

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Hessen, holidays

Happy New Year, 2024!

This is not going to be a very long post, as I don’t have a lot of exciting things to tell you about last night. It was basically like every other New Year’s Eve we’ve had in recent memory. Or, really, it was like every other evening we’ve had in recent years. Bill and I listened to music, had dinner, enjoyed libations, and then, when it was time, watched fireworks. 

A still from last night’s video!

Bill made a couple of new things. First, he made khachapuri, which is a Georgian cheese bread with egg. I first encountered it in Armenia, but have since seen it in other places. It’s absolutely delicious. Bill’s version turned out great. Then he made an Iranian chicken dish that was somewhat less successful. Still… I was pretty satisfied with the khachapuri! I ended up buying a Georgian cookbook. Georgian cuisine is absolutely delicious, and it pairs so well with their equally delightful wines!

Before he added egg.
This was a hit!

I didn’t try to take still photos last night, because they never seem to come out well. I did take some video, though, and the shorter one was the most exciting of the three videos I made. So, below is the scene at our house last night, just before and just after midnight. Our neighbors put on a hell of a show! Noyzi handled it pretty well, and the Germans were polite enough to wrap things up by about 12:30AM.

This was pretty much the climax of the show! Wish I’d used the iPad instead of my phone.

We enjoyed a very nice Cremant from the Loire Valley, and slept well until about 9:00 AM. That’s very unusual for us. I turned on music in my office and lit up all my fancy lights. Then I started shopping for a custom made neon sign, which I might or might not buy someday. ;) 

All in all, it was a very pleasant evening. And now, I will have to take down all the decorations and dive into January. I hope y’all had a nice New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. May we all have a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year! We can always dream, can’t we?

Time to get to work on planning our next adventure!

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holidays

What Santa brought… (so far)

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! I thought I’d write a very quick post about our Christmas morning. It’s been kind of funny.

You see, I don’t like seeing the tree with few presents under it. I tend to buy a lot of gifts for Bill, although a lot of them are actually for both of us. He, on the other hand, doesn’t have the time to do a lot of shopping, and he hasn’t really got a clue what to get for me. I tend to buy myself whatever I want when I want it.

He did buy me a new guitar last week, which I love. And he says there are a couple of guitar accessories that are coming when they are no longer backordered. I got a brand new Apple Watch, too… the 9 series, which I understand Apple has just pulled over intellectual property issues. He also had Mary Basmajidian (aka Vartoush Tota) make me a Christmas greeting video. That was a hit. And he bought me a couple of pairs of nice alpaca socks.

He bought me women’s t-shirts with beer demands on them in German– you know, the kind that are really close fitting, with little cap sleeves? I don’t know if or when I’ll be wearing those. They don’t tend to look so good on short, squatty, busty women with massive beer guts. And he got me a v-logger camera stand, which could be useful. However, I already have one, and I haven’t used it yet. I might use it if and when I ever want to film myself singing and playing guitar at the same time. 

Meanwhile, I got him a lot of books– three new cookbooks (two Persian cuisine and one that has ancient recipes) and three Jungian psychology books, including a small version of the Red Book. He already has the really big version, but that one is in storage. 

I also bought him a book about H.R. Giger’s art, since I know he’s a fan. We visited Giger’s museum in Gruyeres a few years ago. I bought him a Moka Pot, espresso cups, cheese graters/zesters, coffee beans, an electric milk frother, a pastry scraper, new steak knives, six shirts, two pairs of socks, a small Le Creuset baking pan, bags for the sous vide, and a knife sharpener. A new belt is on the way, too. I think that was everything, anyway… I will probably buy him a new bookshelf for his psychology books.

We can use most of the stuff I got for Bill. I look forward to trying some coffee drinks. It’s probably time for us to do a purge, too… We have a set of nice steak knives we bought at Williams-Sonoma back in 2010 or so, but they’re kind of dull. The new ones are made by Wusthof.

Yep… our Christmases tend to be kind of lopsided. I sit there and watch Bill unwrap everything. But he more than makes up for it over the course of the year. I just like to shop, even if I don’t enjoy wrapping presents.

Today, he’s planning to cook a nice dinner. It’s kind of rainy and gross outside, so maybe we’ll have a fire. That’ll probably do it until next year. I also played some of my best Christmas music… I have a huge library of music, and quite a lot of Christmas music is included. But I don’t actually like listening to Christmas music for more than a few hours total every holiday season. Go figure. 

I guess I’ll play my new guitar now. I think in spite of the tiny pile of gifts in the photo, Bill wins in the big spender category! I’m glad we got through our fifth Christmas morning in Wiesbaden!

Below are a few photos…

My pile…
Ugh… this one is a little blurry. Sorry.
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holidays, markets

Santa brought me a new guitar!

Yesterday, Bill and I went to Wiesbaden again. Bill wanted to buy me a new guitar for Christmas. Poor guy has the hardest time figuring out what kinds of gifts to buy me at this time of year. Noticing that I’ve made some progress in my guitar skills, Bill decided it was time I upgraded my instrument. So we went to Wiesbaden to pay a visit to Musikinstrumente Matthias Petroll, a music shop in the market square that we’ve passed many times, but never actually shopped in before yesterday.

The Christmas market is still going on, and parking was pretty scarce. It actually worked out in our favor, though, because instead of parking at the theater, where Bill usually likes to go, we found a spot at the Market Square garage. It was a lot closer to the music shop, which was open until 6:00 PM.

The shop is pretty small, and I noticed that the proprietor didn’t have a huge range of guitars. I was thinking I’d like a fairly good step up from the Fender Malibu Classic I’ve been playing since 2020, but the available guitars were mostly of the cheaper kind. However, the salesman– probably Petroll himself– could see that I would like a smaller instrument. He picked out a few and I fumbled with them a bit. None of them had straps, so it was hard for me to play decently. 

The sales guy, of course, could play beautifully… and it wasn’t long before he convinced me that I wanted a Breedlove Pursuit Exotic Concert CE Earth. It was priced at about 1100 euros, which is more than it would have cost in the United States or online. But, it’s a nicer guitar than my Malibu Classic, if only because it will be easier to string, and it has a cut out, which makes it easier to reach the lowest frets. It also has a much nicer onboard tuner. 

We decided to get the guitar and he took about a half hour to set it up for me. Bill and I, meanwhile, went to BrewDog for a late lunch/early dinner. By the time we came out of there, the sun had gone down, and we had a view of the lights! But there were so many people there, that it was very difficult to make our way back to the music shop to pick up my new toy. Breedlove is based out of Bend, Oregon, and has an environmental focus, even though their cheaper guitars (like the one I got) are manufactured in China. I look forward to getting used to my new guitar. If I ever get decent enough at playing, maybe I’ll make the leap to a nice Martin or Taylor. But that’s down the road…

Below are some photos…

Cluck Norris and a side of mac n’ cheese for me. Bill had a roasted chicken and sourdough bowl.
And a couple of craft beers…
My new guitar!

 

 

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