From Wiesbaden to Horben: The first day’s discoveries…

Saturday morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. The sky was perfectly clear and blue, and the temperature was warm. I thought it would be a good day to visit the nearby city of Freiburg. But first, we’d have our first breakfast at Luisenhöhe. After our first dinner, I knew breakfast would be an unusual experience.

A smiling waitress, who ended up taking care of us every morning of our visit, led us to a table on the other side of the dining room. We had a view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Bill looked at the waitress’s nametag and got the sense that maybe she hails from Ukraine. She spoke excellent English that was charmingly accented, and she seemed genuinely friendly and service oriented as she offered us coffee. As she poured it, and brought me cream (rather than the usual milk), I realized that the coffee at this hotel was some of the best I’ve ever had, anywhere.

Just as it is at dinner time, breakfast at Luisenhöhe consists of small plates of different things which are brought to you at your table. They offer cold cuts and cheese that you can help yourself to, as well as juices and water. During our visit, they also offered fresh fruits and vegetables and smoothies, with a different thing offered every day. For example, on the first morning, they had vegetables. On the second and third, they had the smoothies. On the last morning, it was fresh fruit. Then after we had our four small courses, we were offered a “sweet” selection. On the first morning, it was a waffle.

Another server brought a big basket of bread, and we chose the pieces we wanted, which ended up being one of each kind. Bill likes hearty full grain breads with nuts and raisins and such. Much to my shame, I like refined white breads. It was no problem. They had several different varieties, all of which were impeccably prepared and very fresh. We had a small “globe” of butter, and jams were available. Below are photos of the first breakfast.

I enjoyed the first morning’s breakfast, although the French toast was made with Bergkäse (mountain cheese) that was too strong for me. It was too bad, too, because I really liked the idea of a savory French toast made with cheese. I’d like to try it at home, only I’d use a much milder type of cheese. It’s not even that the cheese they used was that strong. I just have very sensitive tastebuds when it comes to certain flavors. The musty, barnyard flavors in certain cheeses and other foods make me gag, and if I’m not careful, I will vomit. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t become a chef! Anyway, I think we’ll try to find a recipe for savory French toast and use cheese that doesn’t make me puke.

After breakfast, I decided I needed to get some photos of the surrounding area. It was a good thing I did, since the skies weren’t nearly as clear the rest of our time there. Below are the pictures I took on the biking/hiking trail near the hotel.

We decided to try out the heated pool after our walk. I had a feeling it would be a good time to do that, since the weather was so nice. I figured people would be out and about. I was right about that, as we would find out after our swim. Below are a few photos from the spa area. We did not have any treatments or use the saunas, but if we go back, I’ll make a point of doing that. One thing I hope this hotel will eventually have is a hot tub or two… I’m sure it’s just a matter of time, especially at their current price point.

*This was a kind of rain shower, which took a moment or two to figure out.*

I have a feeling they use heavily vanilla scented products in the spa. I came to that conclusion on the first night at dinner, when a young woman sat near us and smelled really good… of vanilla. I thought maybe it was perfume, but then noticed she looked like maybe she’d been at the spa. When I later smelled someone else with that same scent, I realized that was a spa product. I loved the scent, although it did kind of obscure the smell of the food in the dining room. I’m not sure that was the proprietors’ aim.

After a swim, and trying out the massage functions in the pool, we got cleaned up and headed toward Freiburg. I took more photos on the drive there. I was excited to see the city… but alas, the parking garages were all FULL! And there were long lines of cars waiting to park in them. Bill made a couple of wrong turns and we soon found ourselves in “Walkplatzes”, where people were giving us dirty looks and making gestures at Bill. We didn’t know Freiburg was such a “green” city, so unfriendly to cars. The GPS sent us to the wrong part of the town, which was positively TEEMING with people who were walking and on bikes.

Here, I want to make a statement to anyone reading this, thinking it’s helpful to shoot dirty looks and make gestures at people who end up driving into the wrong place. We KNOW we’re in the wrong place, and we’re trying our best to rectify the matter. We don’t need you to add to the situation by wildly gesturing, giving us dirty looks, or shouting at us. It just makes you look like assholes. And before anyone points this out, we know that being in the wrong places makes us look like assholes. But, unlike you, we’re trying to fix the situation, rather than engaging in shaming and ridiculing people who simply made an honest mistake. What? You’ve never made a mistake? It must be nice to be so perfect. /sarcasm

Anyway, we did finally get out of that mess, although any relaxation gleaned from the pool was now totally gone. Bill was trying to figure out where we could go with the car. I looked around at what was admittedly a very cool looking city, and I realized that all of those people were a huge turn off to me. So I suggested that we go to France.

“But I forgot to bring my passport.” Bill fretted.

In almost ten years of living in Germany, no one has EVER asked for our passports at the French border. Of course, there is a first time for everything. But what was the worst that could happen? We get sent back to Germany?

We headed to the border, even though Bill didn’t have his passport. Before we knew it, we were driving over the Rhein… and I realized, we were passing Breisach again! As I was getting my bearings, Bill said “I really need to pee.”

I looked up and noticed a “welcome center”. Bill wondered if maybe there was a public restroom there. He pulled into the parking lot and found the place boarded up. Then he turned his head and saw a sign for a “Piscine.”

“Piscine!” he exclaimed. “Perfect!”

Naturally, I had a good laugh at the joke. Yes, we know that “piscine” is French for pool. But it does sound like one could “piss” there. One probably can, if one pays the entrance fee. I had noticed the pool from the German side of the river the day before. As we were trying to escape the parking lot, we were confronted by a bunch of confusing road signs advising us not to make a left turn. Left was where we needed to go to get out that area.

After a few minutes, we found ourselves being funneled into a parking lot where there were RVs, and then we saw a hotel… and they had the patio open for lunch! As it was almost 2:00 PM by then, I suggested we stop for lunch. Bill could use the potty while we were there.

The waitress asked us if it was okay if we had salads. Yes– it was fine. We were still kind of full from breakfast, anyway. We sat down at a table in France, at Hotel Le Caballin, with a view of Breisach, Germany. We had tarte flambées (Alsatian pizzas) with beer, as I marveled at how we ended up in Vogelgrun, France for lunch.

*I’d like to get a closer look at this building in Freiburg…*

I said to Bill, “I am fascinated by borders. It’s so cool to be sitting in France, listening to people speaking French, as I gaze at the German border town we visited yesterday…”

Bill said, “That’s true. Whenever you’re near a border, you gotta cross it!”

And I said, “Especially if it’s the border of good taste…”

We headed back toward the hotel, thinking maybe we could take the Schauinsland Bahn… but there was no parking to be had. Not surprising, given how beautiful the weather was. So, we went back to the hotel and hung out on the patio before dinner. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon…

And then we had dinner, which was, once again, a stunning experience. My one complaint was that we ended up sitting at the big communal table, which meant climbing up on a stool. However, because people didn’t want to sit in the middle seat at the big table (just as they wouldn’t on an airplane), we ended up with a slightly more private dining experience on Saturday night. As you can see in the menu, they had mushrooms on the menu, and I can’t eat mushrooms. I substituted a delicious wild boar dish for an upcharge of 13 euros. It was worth the extra money.

Bill selected a Sylvaner wine to go with our dinner. The sommelier praised his choice. Bill told him that we’d visited Würzburg in February and visited a winery that specialized in them. Much to our surprise and delight, the guy said “Weingut Am Stein?”

Yes! That was where we stayed, and we had a wine tasting there. It turned out the sommelier knew all about it, and in fact, they had some wine from Weingut Am Stein on their wine list. That was a pretty cool moment.

Bavaria

Ten things I learned in Würzburg and Bamberg…

Although I’ve been to Bavaria a few times over the years I’ve lived in Germany, I haven’t spent that much time in the Franconia area of the state. The one exception is when Bill and I went to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, back in January 2018. We had a great time on that trip, in part because we had a really nice rental house in town. Rothenburg is a very touristy town, even in January, which is definitely the low season. Würzburg and Bamberg are not nearly as touristy, but they’re both well worth seeing– in part, because they’re not so touristy!

I like to write ten things I learned posts to wrap up my trips. This one is no exception. So here it is– ten things I learned in Würzburg and Bamberg.

10. If you like Rauchbier, you must visit Bamberg!

I realize that not everyone has had the chance to try Rauchbier (smoked beer). And those who have tried it, might not like it. Personally, I really enjoyed Rauchbier made by the Aecht Schlenkerla Brewery in Bamberg. It reminded me of a more flavorful Guinness. And it’s even better when it’s on draft.

9. Sylvaner wines are popular in Franconia.

As we learned during our visit to Weingut am Stein, Sylvaner wines are not as well known or popular as, say, Rieslings are. But they are a very lovely grape varietal, and Würzburg is a great place to try wines made with them.

*Sylvaner wines are easily explored in Franconia…*

8. Bamberg is a very doable day trip from Würzburg… or vice versa.

I had been wanting to visit Bamberg, but since we were going to be bringing Bill’s mom, we needed accommodations beyond a hotel room for two. I decided to book the guest house in Würzburg, because we like our wine, and because the cities aren’t far apart. Yes, we could have driven to Bamberg, but the train offers a very convenient mode of transportation. I just wish we’d had better weather.

*It’s so easy to take a train to Bamberg or vice versa.* *They run hourly.*

7. February weather makes visiting Franconia kind of iffy…

Okay, so I knew the weather might be a problem. Years of living in Germany will do that to you. At least it wasn’t freezing cold, as it very well could have been. But we had a lot of rain, which made visiting in February less pleasant. On the other hand, it also meant a lot fewer tourists.

6. Würzburg is a great town if you love architecture and churches.

Every day, I was amazed by the many beautifully designed buildings and landmarks in Würzburg. Our vantage point at the guest house really made for some awesome views. Once again, I want to go back when the sun is shining! It’s also a place to see ramps made of Legos for a good cause!

5. The Würzburger Residenz is a must see… and that’s another reason why I want to return.

We never did get a chance to tour the Residenz, other than its massive parking lot. Our wine tasting guide told us that it’s an hour or two well spent. English tours are available. Next time, we will make a point of going inside and seeing all of the riches of the impressive Residenz in Würzburg.

4. And so is the Rathaus in Bamberg…

I really feel badly for not giving Bamberg more time. Its old Rathaus is not only adorable and unique, but it also has a porcelain museum that I’m pretty sure I would have liked to have seen. But at least I got a couple of stormy shots.

*So beautiful! And there’s more to see.*

3. There’s something to be said for family time, too…

Bill knows his mom won’t be around forever, so time with her is precious. We’re fortunate in that she is still very healthy and vibrant, and she gets around well. It’s an honor to spend a few days talking to Bill’s mom… and celebrating a new baby’s birth with her. Especially if you know our complicated history with Bill’s daughters…

2. We’ll do better next time we visit…

I really think our timing was off for this trip. February isn’t the best time to visit anywhere in Germany, unless you’re going skiing or something. And nowadays, even that’s kind of an iffy proposal. But February is when Parker was able to come over here, so there we are. Maybe next time we see her, my stomach will be better, too.

*Vineyards, beautiful buildings, historic attractions, Lego ramps, and shopping…* *we have reasons to return!*

1. Franconia is only 90 minutes away from where we live, and it’s different…

I think we should try to visit there for a day, if we can’t do another trip. It’s harder to do long day trips with dogs, but Noyzi’s easy enough. He likes the Hundepension, but he also likes road trips. On the other hand, if all goes well, he will have a buddy soon. So we’ll see what happens. I do think that anyone reading from Stuttgart or the Rheinland Pfalz areas should consider doing a quick trip to Franconia. I think it would make a great girls’ weekend location.

That about does it for this series. Thanks to everyone who followed along with me! Time to go pack a bag for our overnight trip to Stuttgart.

Bavaria, churches, dental

Italian food in Würzburg… part four

Featured photo was spotted in Würzburg… but it could apply to a number of other things… like my stomach after a big meal.

Thursday morning, we woke up to more rain in Würzburg. I was thinking maybe it would be a good day for us to visit the Residenz. However, we never got around to committing to that plan. I think it was because we were all a bit distracted by that big “issue” I mentioned at the beginning of this series.

My husband’s younger daughter was pregnant with her fourth baby, and she had elected to induce labor on Thursday, February 8th. She had hoped the labor would occur naturally, and because her other three babies had come early, she assumed this one might, too. I believe her due date was actually February 14th, but for whatever reason, she and her doctor decided that the baby needed to be born sooner than that. So naturally, we were excited about the new arrival– a baby girl– who would be joining two brothers and a sister.

We were sitting around talking about the baby, who hadn’t been born yet. Younger daughter lives in Utah, so she’s eight hours behind us in Germany. I think I was also getting a bit grumpy. Physically, I wasn’t feeling particularly well, and although I truly do love Bill’s mom, I’m not used to being around people anymore and was feeling a little company “fatigued”. So, because of that, my mood was a little bit off kilter, too. And then there was the incessant rain!

The upshot is, by the time we left the guest house, it was getting close to lunchtime. Parker also wanted to shop for souvenirs for her friends in Texas who hadn’t already benefited from her shopping trip in Bamberg. We drove back to Würzburg intent on having Italian food at Le Candele, a restaurant Bill found that was in another area of town.

I was looking forward to having some Italian food. I love German food, too, but we ate a lot of it during our trip to Bavaria. It can be kind of heavy, and since lately my stomach has been giving me problems, I thought I’d prefer something else. Le Candele did offer good food and rightfully earned their high ratings on Google. We had a nice, long, leisurely lunch…

It was a really nice lunch. Service was professional; prices were fair; and everything tasted good. The only thing I didn’t particularly like was the pop music that was blaring from a speaker over my head. But that’s just a personal quibble of mine. Le Candele appears to be yet another local gem in Würzburg.

The only problem with such a luxurious lunch is that it can lead to indigestion and having to go to the bathroom, which can be problematic in public places. And, sure enough, shortly after we left the restaurant, I needed to go to the toilet. Parker wanted to buy some fridge magnets, so we went into the Euro Shop, which looked kind of like a store on par with The Dollar Tree in the US. We found some magnets for her friends back home, and noted the the weather, which was getting worse.

I started to feel like I’d rather just go back to the guest house, put on something comfortable, and be near the bathroom, since I figured I’d have some “processing” to do, plus I kind of wanted some peace and quiet. I tend to be kind of introverted, and sometimes I need a little alone time. This is especially true when I have an upset stomach. I don’t blame this on the restaurant, by the way. I have been having some stomach issues for awhile.

I told Bill he should just take me back and he and his mom could go out and do something together. But Parker didn’t like that idea… She also wanted to buy some soaps for her friends. So we headed back toward the Old Main Bridge, where I remembered there was a public toilet.

I was actually a little scared to go into the public WC. It was underground and didn’t look particularly clean. And, truth be told, the area around it was pretty gross. It looked like there was a pile of something right by the door, along with trash. Fortunately, the toilet itself was clean, if not kind of akin to the free roadside toilets on the Autobahn. At least I didn’t have to pay to use it.

Once I had gone to the bathroom, I felt a little better, so Bill went to the Edeka to pick up some snacks and wine for the evening. Then we decided to head back to the car. Parker was reassuring me that she could just buy soap at the airport. But then I noticed a shop that had homemade soap displayed in the window. I told her she should go pick some up for her friends. She protested– obviously not wanting to inconvenience me– but I was getting annoyed, because she had mentioned wanting to buy soap more than once, and there it was, right there! I’m afraid I got a little short tempered and snapped, “Just go get the soap! It’s right there! It’s not a problem for me to wait a few minutes.”

Bill and his mom went to buy the beeswax/honey soap while I took a few more photos of the Neumünster. I considered going in there for a few photos, while Bill and his mom were picking up souvenirs. I noticed people were going in and out of there, so it was obviously open. But then I thought I shouldn’t do that, because then they’d come out and wonder where I was.

So I waited, and Bill and Parker came out with the goods. We went back to the car and drove back to the guest house. I was a little sad… because I would have liked to have done more. I was just feeling icky… both physically, because of the big meal, and mentally, because I felt a little like a third wheel, and because I just needed a couple of hours to relax by myself.

When we got back to the house, I decided to close the door to the bedroom take a nap, which helped my mood. I appreciated that the rooms in the house had thick doors, so it was very quiet in the room. By the time I woke up, I felt better in all ways. I joined Bill and his mom for wine, snacks, and German television shows about the police and paramedics.

We enjoyed one last night at the guest house, and on the morning of February 9th, awoke to the news that Bill had a brand new granddaughter who weighed a respectable 7 pounds 12 ounces! The baby was born at 4:15 PM on February 8th and is very beautiful and healthy.

Friday morning, we packed up, and Bill went to check out of the house. He paid for the wine we enjoyed, and bought a six pack of wines to enjoy at home. Kudos to the wine tasting guide, who remembered that we prefer wines that are less sweet. He replaced the “halb-trocken” wine in the pack with a Riesling.

All in all, we enjoyed our time in Bavaria. I would love to go back to Würzburg and Bamberg when the weather is better. I think next time, maybe Bill and I would stay in a hotel in Bamberg… although I also truly enjoyed Würzburg. You can’t really go wrong in either place; they’re both very nice cities.

This trip was marred mostly by the German weather which, unfortunately, tends to suck in February. Also, the guest house’s location wasn’t conducive to being able to walk downtown easily. That last day could have been saved if I could have just gone to a hotel room for a short rest while Bill and his mom walked around some more. But Bill didn’t really want to drop me off and then go out again… and his mom was very worried about inconveniencing us. If we’d had more sunshine, I think it would have been a better visit… but then, that kind of goes without saying. And the fact that we were anticipating a new family member also kind of added to the stress.

I was eager to go home, too, because I missed Noyzi. He’s my baby. He had to go back to the Hundepension again today, though, because we’re going to Stuttgart today for an overnight. It’s time to see Dr. Blair for a dental cleaning and exam, after we missed him in October. We might have stayed two nights, but Bill has a big work project going on, and frankly, Stuttgart isn’t all that exciting in February, either. Ah well… at least we’re staying at the Wald Hotel, which is my favorite Stuttgart area hotel.

Anyway, so ends another series… Time for my ten things I learned post.

Bavaria, churches, holidays

A glimpse of Würzburg… part two

On our first morning in Würzburg, we woke up to clouds and rain. It wasn’t a surprise, since it’s February in Germany. I was kind of sad about it, though, because I don’t enjoy walking around in the rain. Fortunately, we had a wine tasting scheduled for 3:00 PM, so that kind of limited our time in the great outdoors.

We enjoyed a breakfast of locally made Brötchen and pastries from the bakery. Bill said the lady at the bakery was kind of a character. He’d order something and she’d prompt him to buy more by saying “Und?” after he made a request. The bakery also had eggs for sale, so Bill bought a few and cooked them for our morning repast.

After drinking coffee and sharing our opinions about the morning news (King Charles’s cancer and Toby Keith’s death), we all piled into the Volvo and headed for Würzburg. Bill easily found another spot at the Residenz, and we retraced the path we’d taken the night before, when we had dinner at Wirtshaus am Dom.

I smelled pizza as we rounded the bend into the center of Würzburg. It was already late morning, which meant we’d be having lunch soon. I did mention that this was a leisurely trip, focused more on time spent with Bill’s mom in unfamiliar surroundings, than actually seeing a lot of tourist attractions. I pulled out my phone to take some photos and immediately noticed a bright, colorful ramp at a business.

On closer inspection, I could see that the ramp was made entirely of Legos! I’d never seen one of these before, but apparently they’re a thing. There’s even a firm that builds them for businesses and cafes in the city. The organization that builds these Lego ramps are trying to bring attention to the many physical barriers that still exist in public spaces, making it difficult for people who have disabilities. According to the link I provided, ten Lego ramps were built from August 2020 until January 2022, with the help of local primary school children! I had no idea, and I think this is a great project to help bring awareness to the needs of people with disabilities. I love how the people of Germany are so community minded toward everyone!

*This ramp isn’t just cool looking. It serves an important cause!*

As we continued down the main drag, I took note of the colorful trams that were providing service into the inner city. Then we made our way to the Dom– a Roman Catholic cathedral that dates back to 1075, and is dedicated to Saint Kilian. This cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg, and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of years.

After helping Parker climb the steps, we got some photos of the interior– full of art and colored white and gold. I always marvel at the beauty of cathedrals, and notice how no two are ever the same. I am not a very religious person myself, but I do enjoy the beauty and craftsmanship that God inspires in the people who build holy places.

Just down the street from the Dom is the Neumünster. I wanted to go in there, too, but there were a number of steps to reach it, and it appeared to be closed when we were visiting. I did get a few photos of the outside, though. The Neumünster is a former collegiate church that dates from the 11th century. If we manage to visit Würzburg again, I’ll make a point of venturing inside and taking my own photos. For now, Internet pictures will have to suffice!

We rounded another bend and found ourselves at Maria Chapel, another Roman Catholic church on the Marktplatz in Würzburg. The Maria Chapel is a Gothic church that dates to the 14th century. It’s considered large for a chapel, but is named such because it doesn’t have a parish. I’m not Catholic, so I don’t know much about the ins and outs of Catholic church structures. I just like to see the insides of the churches– especially the windows and the pipe organs. My mom was a church organist for over 50 years, so organs are kind of special to me. She didn’t play pipe organs, but I’ve grown to love the sound of pipe organs.

*The door under the stairs to the Neumünster*

Bill’s mom, Parker, needed some more euros, so she and Bill went to an ATM, while I took a few more pictures of the Marktplatz and Maria Chapel. We walked past the Rathaus and over the Old Main Bridge, which offers great views of the Marienberg Fortress. The Old Main Bridge crosses the Main River, and was built in the 16th century. It was built in a combination of Gothic and Renaissance styles and completed in 1543. There are rows of statues on either side of the bridge, which reminded me a bit of the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Realizing that we had a three o’clock appointment, we decided it was about time for lunch. We headed back toward the Dom, passing a few restaurants that looked cozy and inviting. Then I noticed a cool looking building and a sign that read Sternbäck. Although I was kind of thinking maybe we’d have something less German for lunch, I couldn’t resist the charm of this “Würzburger Original”. As soon as we walked in, I could tell it’s a very popular spot with the locals. It’s actually lucky that we arrived when we did, as the place filled up soon after we sat down.

It looked like they were doing some renovation, perhaps to the kitchen area. I noticed the waitress kept going outside to pick up her orders. There was a food truck parked next to the restaurant, and I could see craftsmen hard at work from where I was sitting. But the location of the kitchen didn’t affect the excellent quality of the food we ordered, which happened to be the special of the day– Bratwurst with either potato salad or sauerkraut. We enjoyed local draft beers and really excellent music, too. The prices were very reasonable, and the service was friendly and competent. I would definitely go back! Maybe I’d even bring Noyzi; as you can see, it’s also a dog friendly place!

After a leisurely lunch at Sternbäck, we started to make our way back to the car so we could be back at Weingut am Stein in time for our wine tasting at 3:00 PM. The wine tasting also turned out to be surprisingly interesting, as Weingut am Stein specializes in Sylvaners. I mentioned in part one that it was our first time trying German Sylvaners– a type of grape that isn’t as popular as, say, Riesling.

The guy who did our tasting spoke perfect English and came from Hamburg. We really enjoyed learning about the wines offered at Weingut am Stein and just chatting about life in Germany… and of course, American politics. We tried a whole range of wines, each one better than the last, and surprisingly different. We had Sylvaners, Rieslings, and I think we might have had a Pinot… but my memory is a little fuzzy.

After the tasting, we went down to the room where wines were being aged in egg-like structures that were based on Georgian qvevris. Having spent two years in neighboring Armenia, I am delighted to see how Georgian winemaking is catching on in Europe. In that room, there is also a beautiful table that was made from an old tree on the property. I was really admiring it.

We learned more about the history of the winery, including the construction of the degustation room and the guest house. They were built 20 years ago after an architectural competition. I really liked the design of the tasting room, which offered beautiful views, as well as interesting sunlight through the slatted windows. Our guide also told us that most of the vineyards by the winery don’t belong the winery, but are actually owned by the city. I noticed a lot of people walking around in them, and the guide said it was because that was the closest thing to a nature park in the area. It’s definitely not too shabby of a “nature” area for walks!

The wine tasting lasted about two hours, and by then, we were ready to call it a day. So we offered our thanks to the guide and went back to the house for some rest and relaxation. The next day, we were planning our day trip to Bamberg. More on that in the next post!

Bavaria, holidays

A few days in Bavaria… part one

Over the past week, Bill, his mother, Parker, and I have been hanging out in Würzburg, a beautiful town in the Franconia region of Bavaria. When Parker comes to visit us from Texas, we typically spend a few nights at home, then go somewhere for a few days. It gives Parker a chance to see more of Europe, and me a chance to write some content for my travel blog. Since we moved back to Germany in 2014, Parker has visited three times. The first time was in 2017, and we took a “blind booking” flight to Berlin from Stuttgart. The second time was in January 2020, and we went to Alsace, France. This time, it was Würzburg.

I had originally meant for us to go to Bamberg, another beautiful town in Franconia, known for its architecture and Rauchbier. It took a long time to come to that decision, only to change my mind, because I couldn’t find the right accommodations. I could have booked two hotel rooms at one of Bamberg’s hotels, or I could have booked an apartment. But most of what I found during my searches had some major drawbacks, such as a lack of parking or lots of stairs. Parker has had both hips replaced, so it’s not ideal for her to have to climb a lot of stairs.

I thought maybe we’d do better in Nuremberg, a city I’ve never seen, but Bill and Parker had both visited in the 80s. But then I realized that I’d get bogged down in Nuremberg, as there are a lot of museums there that I thought we’d want to visit. I really wanted to visit Bamberg, even if it was just for a day.

Then, I noticed Würzburg mentioned on a travel Web site. Located roughly halfway between Nuremberg and Frankfurt, it, too, has a lot to offer. The city, which is the third largest in Franconia, is also located relatively close to our home of Wiesbaden. It only takes about 90 minutes to get there from Wiesbaden by car, if traffic isn’t too heavy. There’s also an easy train connection from Frankfurt.

When I saw the winery, Weingut am Stein, offering a rental house on the edge of a vineyard, I decided to book it. For about what I would have paid for four nights of two hotel rooms, breakfast, and parking, I got a 1100 square foot house with a fireplace, kitchen, parking, and a beautiful view of the city. Adding to the appeal was the included wine tasting in the winery’s degustation room. With Bill’s approval, I booked the house through Expedia.com, and was delighted when the transaction went through smoothly. As I’ve discovered over the years, booking lodging sometimes results in fraud alerts on my credit cards.

I would have probably chosen to go further afield, but again– I needed a special place to stay. I also would have preferred to visit during a different month, but February was when Parker could visit us. I’m sure Würzburg is even better during the other seasons, when the weather is much more agreeable than it was during our visit.

Bill, Parker, and I set off for Würzburg on the afternoon of February 5th. It was sunny and mild, and Bill had already taken Noyzi to the Birkenhof Tierpension, which is one of his favorite places to visit. It would have been nice to bring Noyzi with us, but he takes up the whole back end of our Volvo, and the rental house didn’t allow pets. We stopped at a rest area to have lunch at Nordsee, and arrived in Würzburg at about 3:30 PM, right in line with the 3 PM check in time at the house.

*Seen in the ladies room at the Rastplatz… if your pee burns, there’s a medication that can help.* *I’ll keep this in mind… along with the word “Pippipausen”.*

A strikingly pretty young woman greeted us and showed us the house, then booked our wine tasting, which was included in the rental fee. Then she invited us to come back to the tasting room for a welcome glass of wine. Weingut am Stein’s tasting room is very impressive, and the winery itself is on a hillside, which offers arresting views of Würzburg’s many landmarks. Bill and Parker tried Sylvaner wines, while I enjoyed a Riesling. We later found out at our wine tasting that Weingut am Stein specializes in Sylvaners, which is a somewhat less popular style in these parts. Bill and I had tried them before at wine tastings when we lived near Stuttgart. But those Sylvaners had come from France, not Germany.

Below are some photos I took after our arrival. Unfortunately, the weather was not nearly as nice during the rest of our stay in Würzburg, but we made the best of it…

I forgot to take photos of the two bathrooms in the house. Both are located upstairs. Only one of the bathrooms has a shower. The house also has a basement, but there was nothing in it but firewood for the small fireplace, which we never got around to trying. The fridges were stocked with Gerolsteiner water and a variety of wines from the winery. There were a couple of reds, several whites, and a couple of sparkling wines, all of which could be purchased and paid for at checkout. I think the water was complimentary.

Located nearby is a bakery, that Bill said also offered some basic incidentals like eggs, jam, and milk. He had to walk up and down stairs to get to the bakery. The train station is very close, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to walk there from the house, as it’s near a rather busy roadway without sidewalks. I would recommend having a car if you wish to book this house. The winery is very close to downtown Würzburg, but it’s not very safe or convenient to walk there from Weingut am Stein.

I spent about $1700 four comfortable nights at Weingut am Stein’s guest house. We did not have to pay a deposit or any other fees, other than for the many bottles of wine we consumed over our four night stay. The house was also fully equipped with sheets, towels, and other basic essentials.

After we got settled at the guest house, Bill, Parker, and I went into Würzburg for dinner. Bill found a restaurant called Wirtshaus am Dom, which is located right next to the cathedral. Although the restaurant is listed on OpenTable.de, Bill decided to just walk in, after we parked at Würzburg’s impressive Residenz.

As you might have guessed, Wirtshaus am Dom specializes in hearty Bavarian fare and beer. Right next door is L’Ostreria, an Italian chain restaurant, for those who would rather have pizza or pasta. Or, you could just keep walking, where you’ll encounter lots of other restaurants. There are lots of choices in Würzburg, and plenty of young people, as Würzburg is a college town.

We sat down at a comfortable table and enjoyed a delicious dinner, consisting mostly of pork… and excellent Bavarian draft beers. Below are a few photos. We all agreed the highlight of dinner was the dessert, which we all shared with Parker, as we were too stuffed to each order desserts for ourselves. I think Bill spent about 90 euros for the three of us. The entrees each ran around 20 euros, give or take a euro, plus we had four beers, two espressos, and dessert.

*I had pork with a crispy crust, dark beer gravy, and potato dumplings*

After dinner, we walked back to our parking spot at the Residenz. I was struck by how majestic the building is, and how much went into building it. This city is impressive, day or night…

Not only is the Residenz incredibly beautiful, but it also offers convenient parking near the downtown area. I wish I could tell you we toured it, but we never got around to visiting the Residenz, partly because we were preoccupied by other major life events, which I’ll explain in a forthcoming post. Anyway, Bill and I live somewhat close to Würzburg, and I think we’ll visit the region again. I hope we’ll have a chance to tour the Residenz then.

Bavaria, blog news

Yes, I spell like an American… Have you got a problem with that?

Today, Bill’s mom is coming to visit us for a week. Bill is about to leave the house to go pick her up from the airport, as her flight will arrive in about an hour. Her last visit was in 2020, so it’s been awhile. I genuinely like Bill’s mom, so this should be a good time.

Monday, we’re going to be heading out of town for the work week, but we’re not going far. I’ve booked us a rental house at a winery in Würzburg, which is only about a 90 minute drive from Wiesbaden. But we will be in Bavaria (Bayern), rather than Hesse.

I don’t have a lot to report about this trip right now, except to say that we’re probably also going to take a day trip to Bamberg, which is an hour away by train. Or, maybe we’ll drive there. I would have liked to stay there, but the lodging in Würzburg is better suited to bringing along a guest. We could have gotten two hotel rooms for the same cost of renting a small house. Both cities are noted for their beautiful architecture. I expect we’ll enjoy some Rauchbier (smoked beer), too.

Today, I want to very briefly address something I noticed when I was dumping the (very full) spam folder this morning. Someone with a British Web (spam) address left a spam comment that they “enjoyed my content”, but it’s “rife with spelling errors” that makes it hard for them to read. My guess is that this person didn’t read much more than the title of the blog, which is indeed, spelled correctly with just one “l” in “traveling”. Why? Because I am an AMERICAN, and I spell like an AMERICAN. Or maybe this person just wants to be an asshole.

Do not criticize my spelling. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’m just not a British subject. You cringe when you see me leave out letters and use a z instead of an s. I cringe when you use an s instead of a z and use more letters than you really need. It is what it is. If you don’t like my American spelling, you’re free to read or SPAM a British person’s blog. I don’t mind criticism where criticism is warranted. But there is nothing wrong with an American person using American spelling on a personal blog. In fact, if my American spelling really makes it harder for spammers to leave annoying trash comments, so much the better. ;)

And please don’t spam my blog, either… because it’s a complete waste of time. :D

That’s all.

Bavaria, booze tourism

With a mere flip of a coin…

Yesterday, Bill and I decided where we will be visiting next. Bill’s mom, Parker, is coming to visit us during the first full week of February. As is our habit, we are taking her on a short trip. Last time she visited, we went to Alsace, in France. The time before that, we were in Berlin. When she visited during our first Germany tour, we went to Oberstaufen, near the Austrian border…

This time, we decided we wanted to go to Bamberg, a Franconian city in Bavaria known for its smoked beer and fabulous architecture that wasn’t ruined in World War II. I had heard a lot about the town over the years, but never got the opportunity to plan a visit. But, we have four nights… and Bamberg isn’t a big town. A lot of people spend a weekend there and are good with it. So I thought maybe it would be better to go to Nuremberg, which is about a 40 minute train ride away from Bamberg… I started looking for properties that would accommodate us.

Then I realized that Nuremberg might be overwhelming. It has a lot of fabulous museums, and a beautiful downtown area. But a lot of its original buildings were destroyed in World War II. I also figured that if we went to Nuremberg, we might never get around to Bamberg.

So then I thought maybe we should visit Würzburg, which is also a well-known Franconian town in Bavaria, with lots of history, beautiful buildings, and wine! Würzburg is about an hour train ride from Bamberg. At that point, we decided to take Nuremberg off the table for this trip and focus on Bamberg and Würzburg, which is only about a 90 minute drive from where we live.

I spent several days agonizing… because I really wanted to see Bamberg, but the more I read about Würzburg, the more I figured it was worthy of a visit, too. And then I saw a very attractive rental property, which I thought would be great for us. Weingut Am Stein is a functioning winery that has a guest house next to the vineyard. It’s very close to the train station, offers parking, and we’d have separate bedrooms. I went looking for something similar in Bamberg and, although I found a couple of appealing hotels, I found that booking two hotel rooms in a nice place would cost about as much as the house would.

Still… I wanted to be fair, so Bill and I flipped a two euro coin. Heads for Bamberg– tails for Würzburg. Bill flipped, and we got tails. So I booked the guest house for four nights. Truth be told, I’m not surprised it worked out this way. The minute I saw that property on Expedia, I had a feeling I’d end up booking it. Although the idea of staying in a cozy hotel with a nice restaurant is very appealing, it’s not so practical. I also heard that Bamberg is best when you just want to relax and take in the atmosphere. February isn’t exactly Biergarten weather, but I could totally see us holing up in a wine bar. The guest house is right next to the Weingut, which has a wine bar and a restaurant (which I hope will be open).

We will visit Bamberg on this trip, and if it’s as enchanting as everyone says, Bill and I will plan to visit it properly at a later date. I do like the smoked beer… have had it before, but it would be nice to try it fresh from the brewery. We can do that on this visit. We’ve already been to Rothenburg, which is another Franconian town that is very tourist friendly. But my German friend, Susanne, says that we should visit Bayreuth, too. Sigh… yet another town to add to the list of places to go!

I did watch some videos to help inform me. And I look forward to writing up this trip and collecting a lot of photos. Both towns are notably beautiful, and not actually that far from Wiesbaden. So stay tuned!

I like this guy’s channel. He’s done some great videos about German towns!

And one or two about Würzburg…

It sure is nice to have this problem. We’re definitely spoiled for choices as to where to go on short breaks. I wish we had another day or two, so we could properly do both towns. I did consider booking hotels for two nights each in both towns, but the house at the vineyard just seemed too appropriate. I don’t like booking a house for two nights, either. Anyway… it’s bound to be a blast! I think it will go down as a great trip… but then, most of our trips are awesome. I may not be the world’s most successful person, but I have managed to have a lot of fun in Europe with the best travel companion, ever!

Special thanks to Christian Horvant on Wikipedia for allowing public domain use of his photo of the Marienberg Castle in Würzburg. I look forward to taking some of my own photos when I visit, but I doubt we’ll have such pretty weather!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Würzburg