I really needed an outing today.  So, after a walk in the woods and a laundry session, Bill and I decided to go to Tübingen.  It had been awhile since our last visit.  I meant to take my niece there when she was in town, but the opportunity never presented itself.

When we go to Tübingen on a Saturday, we usually end up rushing somewhat because we want to hit Vinum before everything closes at 4:00.  Though we love visiting our favorite wine and booze store, today it wasn’t a priority.  We came home boozeless.

In fact, when we got to town, I was hungry.  It was about 2:20 pm, which can be tricky in Germany.  Some kitchens finish lunch at 2:00pm.  Fortunately, Bill and I remembered a restaurant our very first German landlord took us to in 2007.  We have been very lucky with our German landlords.  Both times we’ve lived here, we’ve had very hospitable folks hosting us who have been proud to show us the best sides of Germany.

We passed the Stadt Museum, which is featuring an interesting exhibit.

The Wurstkuche, which is very near the Bucherei…

Bill and I looked around for a bit near the small mall in Tübingen until we finally found the “Sausage Kitchen”.  Bill and I first went there on Thanksgiving in 2007, when our first German landlord took us there for dinner.  We went one other time when we lived in Germany the first time.  While we liked the food and ambiance, we didn’t go back repeatedly.  That was a mistake.  The food there is delicious!

I had two “Natural” beers in a stone mug…

Bill contemplates what he wants to eat.

Charming interior.

 

It took us some time to decide what we wanted.  I ended up trying the housemade bratwursts with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.  Bill had a delicious pork roast with potato salad and spatzle.

This was my dish.  My sausages were good and the potatoes were especially good.  But if I’m honest, I liked Bill’s selection even better.

Bill’s lunch… God, this was GOOD.  The pork was fabulous.

Bill’s pork slices were so succulent and tasty.  I had to help him finish. Next time we visit, I will order pork.  The sausages are good, but they really have a way with pork.  Service was friendly, efficient, and competent.  Our final bill was under 40 euros.  We don’t have kids, but I noticed that the restaurant is very kid friendly.  I think I even saw crayons at the table, though I can’t swear to it.  Suffice to say there were several young ones there and they all appeared to be very happy.

The cuisine is very Schwabish– lots of meats, potatoes, kraut, and spatzle.  Portion sizes are very ample.  There are plenty of interesting local beers and wines, and even they even have a grappa made in town.  The restaurant is very cute and authentic and the food is excellent if you like hearty Schwabish fare.  The menu has an English translation.  The wait staff switched to speaking English as soon as they saw Bill and me.  Maybe it’s Bill’s haircut that tips them off…  😉

I took a photo of the wall near where we were sitting because there was a picture of the sausage kitchen in Regensburg.  We were just there a few weeks ago!

 

By the time we left the restaurant, it was about 3:50pm and stores were starting to close.  We didn’t go to Vinum like we usually do.  In fact, we didn’t do any shopping.  Instead, we just enjoyed strolling around the city while I broke in one of two new pairs of German clogs.

Fun graffiti near the restaurant.  Not sure what’s up with the anti police sentiment in German cities, but I do find it interesting to note.  

We stopped by this Italian restaurant near the Neckar River just to see what was on the menu and check out opening times.  Last time we lived here, we visited a few times.  The food was always great.  We will have to visit again sometime soon when we need an evening out.

Now this is MY idea of a Riverwalk.

Scenes from Tübingen.  After lunch, it was about 4:00pm, which is when a lot of German stores close on Saturdays.  We headed for the Neckarmuller to see if the biergarten had opened.  It hadn’t, though quite a few folks were hanging out there with beer mugs.  In a couple of weeks, I suspect the tables will be out and the crowds will be around to enjoy the sights, sounds, and beauty of Tübingen.  I can hardly wait.

These two mallards turned out to be very entertaining.

 

This mallard appeared to be king of the river.

 

He was very concerned with protecting his territory, which appeared to be the area around the biergarten.  I bet he can’t wait until the place opens up again in the spring.

Bill reacts after I say something nasty.

Bill and I enjoy an afternoon brew at Neckarmuller.  The guys next to us were deep in conversation.  The one wearing shades spoke German with a thick American accent.

A couple of swans drift by.

Piercing anyone?

A shot of the biergarten without tables.

Love how pretty Tübingen is.

An ad for a place to live.  

Naturally, after all the beer drinking, I needed to pee.  So we stopped by Agais (aka The Mad Scientist’s place) for a potty break and a small dinner.

Bill waits for his gyros…

We had a nice leisurely dinner, long enough to process some of the afternoon’s excesses.  It’s always a pleasure to see our friend and his wife.  We were last at Agais a couple of weeks ago when my niece visited us.  I never get tired of visiting.

As we were driving around today, Bill and I were marveling about how it seems like the past six years feel a bit like a dream.  It’s almost like we never left Germany after our first time here.  It really feels like home and we are so happy to be back here.  Hope we can stay longer this time.

We got home by 7:30pm.  The dogs were delighted to see us.  There were no unpleasant surprises.  I am over my cabin fever.  Mission accomplished.

Info on Wurstkuche…

Location and Contact Information

Address: Am Lustnauer Tor 8, 72074 Tubingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Phone Number: 07071 9275