Germany Adventure

We drove to the airport with a long day of travel ahead. Leaving home Friday around 11 AM, we arrived in Frankfurt Germany at 10 AM on Saturday morning, losing eight hours to the time zone. It was a pleasant flight, not overly crowded and after napping for a bit, it was nearly time to eat breakfast. The best part of the flight was seeing the Northern Lights. They were beautiful, like a laser light show with a spooky green tint.We left the US with thoughts of Katrina. Knowing that the hurricane had devastated the city of New Orleans and aware that all the television coverage had made Louisiana appear to be a third world country. It was a sobering thought that put international travel into perspective and now we were headed for Germany. 

Here would be a land of such vast history, Nazism and communism, allied bombings and murder, the Alps and great forest, all making up a unique landscape. We took an exciting taxi ride to the car rental location. As an employee of a large rental car company, things got a little interesting when the car we had booked was not big enough to hold the 12 pieces of luggage that the four us had. But after a search for a larger BMW wagon, we were able to cram our luggage into the back and be on our way. We drove east to the picturesque town of Eisenach. Every image of Germany came alive in this beautiful village. We checked into the Schlossberg Hotel in a town that was on the slopes of the Thuringian Forest. This town had been part of East Germany and with all its beauty; the remnants of communism were detectable.

We ate dinner at the hotel and managed to order some wine and the daily special. Because this area had been in the east, English speakers were especially uncommon. The meal was traditional style German food in the form of pasta. The sauce had a tinge of mustard sauce. I ordered a side of vegetables and found they came inside of a potato. We had some time to walk around this beautiful town and massive town square. The great composer Bach had lived in this town as a child and we visited the Luther house as well. Marsha began to enjoy the shopping opportunities that we experienced and Carol started taking photographs in earnest. At the top of a nearby hill is a very old castle, Wartburg. This massive structure was likely built in 1080 and just seeing a structure that old is impressive. The climb was a bit intense but worth it at the top. 

Being in a small town in Germany was surreal. Not being able to speak the language was harder than I had imagined, even though most Germans speak at least a bit of English. The castle tour was all in German but our friend, Eileen translated the highlights and it did give us a good feel for being in Germany for real. As we drove into Berlin for our next stop, we visited the childhood home of Eileen, a native Berliner. It was nearly midnight as we stood around a house that harbored so many memories, particularly of the bombing raids. Near the house was an apartment where she later lived. Today it is a very fashionable Berlin suburb but the ghost of WW II was alive as we envisioned how it must have looked while she lived there. 

Berlin is a hectic, twenty-four hour a day big city. It is diverse though not to the degree that I expected or that one would see in New York. We later walked through a large Turkish section, which makes up the majority minority. Prior to my arrival, I was wondering about the food. I don’t usually eat a lot of heavy, greasy food and a little sauerkraut goes a long way. But instead the food was an incredible experience. But as it is a fairly cosmopolitan city, there was a variety. We didn’t have to eat potatoes at every meal. In Berlin the feature meal was at a first rate Japanese restaurant, located inside the Europa Center. For a set amount, a five course dinner was served. It started with a radish pickle plate appetizer, followed by a tantalizing fish soup tinged with ginger. The third course was grilled beef, bok choy and two pieces of nigiri sushi that included the best salmon I have ever tasted in several years of sushi experiences. It was truly melt in your mouth good. The main course included a duck breast options as well as seafood, shrimp, and salmon. This was all done on the table grill, which is a mainstay in Japanese grill restaurants. And dessert came with a round of ice cream surrounded by papaya, pineapple, and a creamy raspberry sauce. 

The hardest thing to get used to was that nothing was cold. They were having a bit of a warm spell which made it more apparent but there is no air conditioning except in the most Americanized hotels and we were at one frequented by Germans. We left our windows open the first two nights. But the combination of jet lag, traffic noise, polizei sirens, fire trucks and ambulance as well as lights left use a bit sleepless. So finally, we became ugly Americans and begged for a fan so that we could close the windows and shut the curtains. On Monday morning, we were off on our first Berlin adventure. We bought tourist passes to the public transportation system and jumped on the U Bahn and headed out to Lake Wansee since our traveling companion was a native Berliner and had fond memories of the lake region. We transferred to the S Bahn and continued our journey. As we traveled on the narrow roadways on a double decker bus, we seemed to be trimming the trees. We had a bit of an excitement as a bicycler simply did not budge and bus had to slow down as we followed him for several miles.We returned from our excursion and had lunch next to our hotel in a chain place called Marche. It was an absolutely fabulous buffet where they grilled the salmon right before your eyes and salad options went on and on. Their were big ice buckets full of mineral waters and white wine varieties as well as lots of beer. Our first dinner was at an Italian restaurant where I ordered steak, just because I needed something more familiar and substantial. The travel and change had taken their toll. The restaurant was on a street that ended at the famous Memorial Church which was left in its bombed state while a new structure was built right next door.Breakfast was quite a treat. A smorgasbord offering included yougurt, muselix, granola, hamburger sausage, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed bread, lunch meat including salami, soft boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomotatoes, multi-vitamin juice, whole milk and rich coffee with rich cream. We found a consistency in the breakfast offerings throughout the trip.On Tuesday, we took a tour of the city in an air conditioned van. It was an English speaking tour led by our driver who was of South African. He had married a German which brought him to Berlin. There was a couple from Canada and we all shared some Bush bashing. Our hotel was located on the famous street that is called Ku'damm by Berliners so our tour began there.During the tour, we saw the famous sites, the Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, bullet scarred buildings, ornate architecture, statues in cornices. The symphony hall, reported to have phenomenal acoustics, was ugly on the exterior. We saw many embassies and the only one surrounded by security was our own, the American embassy which looked like a fortress. There is one of only two North Korean embassies in the world, located in Berlin. We drove by a Holocaust memorial of stones, and the Brandenburg Gate where construction had most of the streets blocked. We saw the Reichstag and Nollendorfplotz.After the tour, we had lunch at Ka De Ve on Tuesday. It is one of those magnificent shopping experiences, like Harrods in London (or so they say). There were plenty of expensive items but food prices were quite reasonable. We bought some wonderful cheese, crackers, sausage, and wine for a light dinner in our room.The food was on the top floor and provided every taste and scent imaginableOn Wednesday, we took a three hour river cruise. Enjoying a couple German beers on the top deck, this was the way to see the whole city, from the River Spree. It was quite relaxing and the boat was full of many older Germans enjoying a day out on the river. We were yelled at for drinking our own water so it was easy to switch to beer since they didn’t even serve water. After the cruise, we rode the train back to our hotel. It was getting a little steamy as we continued to experience a Berlin heat wave.We enjoyed a casual lunch that included grainy bread, egg and lunch meat, a Berlin standard. We ate at an outside café and saw a life size foosball table for playing soccer or football as it is more correctly called. We stopped into one of the many German apothekes which were wonderful and everywhere, like Wal Greens.Later that evening, we went to a women’s bar but they were having a business women’s night that was by ticket only. The very nice bar tender tried to help with directions but we gave up as we began to walk through a predominantly Turkish neighborhood as darkness began to fall. It was a little scary like the drug deal we saw go down behind the church a few nights earlier. Though Berlin is relatively safe, it is a big city and we were American tourists, so there was no need to be foolhardy. We made our way back and by the hotel, across from our ealier Italian restaurant, we had dinner at an Argentinean restaurant. I enjoyed lamb and we had a great night of talking and laughing.As we left Berlin, Eileen told of stories of her family bakery, the trips her mom made to the countryside, trading salt for food. After spending some time in Berlin, the experiences of World War II are more real than ever. The idea of our friend growing up during the city, experiencing the bombing, the food shortages, the challenges her mother and grandparents faced is quite sobering. She pointed out some nearby towns that she remembered as markers. When they heard the allied bombers had crossed over that town, they knew it was time to head for the bunker. Thursday, we drove to Rothenberg after a little excitement in getting the car started. The battery was dead after leaving the car parked for four days. Enterprise came through with a replacement car and this one had a navigation system that we named Heidi. She was indispensable.We arrived in the late afternoon and checked in to the GerberHaus Gastof. It was magnificent with some very friendly folks in charge. This was the place that had the most experience with American tourist. An American woman and her daughter, traveling with backpacks checked in while we were there. We ate dinner in their garden and tried to decipher the menu on our own but the host was very helpful. We had the stroganoff special and then walked down the streets of this amazing medieval town after dark. Carol took lots of photos of the miniatures in store windows. We had a glass of wine in a small outside café and the waiter spoke enough English to tell us what brought him to Rothenberg.Friday morning, we walked along the wall and got an incredible view of the town. After our walk, we had the best breakfast of our trip. The cream was right out of the cow and the presentation included fresh sunflowers. We shopped all morning and bought some postcards and a beautiful piece of authentic art, signed by the artist. He was a long bearded Frenchman with a quaint studio in the center of Rothenberg. He wore a paint splattered smock and though he didn’t speak a word of English, communicated that he wanted to sign the cardboard tube that held out artwork. From there, we drove to Augsburg and stayed at the Dom Hotel. It blended the very modern with a fifteenth century building. We arrived late in the evening and ate dinner at an Italian Restaurant. We were still experiencing that heat wave and without air conditioning it was quite warm. The food was very good though and already we could see that Augsburg was quite beautiful. A street car ran down the middle of this very old town. There was just something about this city, the history, the size, that made it so classic.Saturday morning, we walked in the rain. In the middle of town, we saw a performance of Stomp that appeared to be a consciousness raising about the environment and trash. We stopped at a gallery and saw the art of Louise Bourgeois, the sage woman. It was quite interesting and appealing women’s art. We tried to go the Augsburg museum that was featured in the guide book but it was closed for renovation. At least we saw some other great art long the way.That afternoon, the rain continued and we drove to Dachau. Almost as though our sub-conscious wanted it so, we forgot our rain coats and umbrellas. So we experienced a small fraction of the elements in a place were so many others experienced so much worse. There are no words to describe the impact of this visit. We took no photographs either and it simply not necessary as I will never forget. And that is of course, the main reason for the visit, to never forget.On a lighter note, we drove on to Munich and found the H&B Bier Hall, a famous site of Octoberfest mug clinking. But the festival didn’t start for another week so the hall was fairly quiet. We had the best beer ever. I had a half duck and spaletze that was fantastic and cheap, five euros. Dessert was the best of the trip, apple strudel with vanilla sauce. Carol had the traditional bratwurst and beer dinner. While we were eating, the music began downstairs and as you walked by the dance hall, a true German dancing festival was underway.On Sunday, we drove to Ludwig’s castle, near Fussen. We took a carriage ride to the top of the hill. From there we walked the rest of the way and did the castle tour. This one was in English. The woodwork in Ludwig’s bedroom was the most impressive. While we touring, someone asked if Ludwig was gay since he never married. The tour guide answered that if he was, he didn’t live it. But I guess we will never know. There was some sort of connection with the great composer, Wagner.By lunch, we had entered the Alps and ate overlooking a beautiful valley. I chose fresh deer. Carol had duck, Eileen had trout, and Marsha had pork. At the end of the meal, the band inside began to play and we heard some Bavarian tunes that finished off the ambience. There were cows on the hill and you could hear their cow bells as they grazed. In the valley was a lake that was filled with sailboats. The patio where we ate was surrounded by flowers whose fragrance graced our meal. It was picturesque beyond description. From there, we drove to the Alps, stopping in Bad Tolz for dinner. We ate at a health restaurant that was having a vegetarian buffet. For dessert, I had a raspberry and creamy custard that was quite interesting. We were running very late and had missed our seven pm check in so we had to get hold of a phone and call. They were so kind to let us use their cell phone. So we drove onward. We finally arrived at our B&B where our room overlooked a bubbling brook. It was called Quellenhof and it was dark when we arrived so it was great to wake up and see that we were surrounded by the Alps. We took an early morning stroll on the walking trails that surrounded the area, through the woods and next to other bubbling brooks. The mist was rising and it was finally cool. The heat of Berlin was now a distant memory. As we walked, we came upon some clay tennis courts, right in the middle of the woods.By now, we knew what to expect for breakfast. I finally braved a soft boiled egg and while we ate the Germans talked quite loudly and we knew they were talking about us. Though it seemed to be a conversation, it sounded like an argument, with the passion of the German language. That day, we drove to Salzburg Austria, expecting some sort of border crossing. There was none. We couldn’t find a parking place in Salzburg so we just left Austria but on the way out, we did stop for lunch. I had a cream tortellini with gorgonzola that was very good. We then drove on to Berchtesgasden and shopped. We bought a beautifully knit sweater, a Bavarian style plaid shirt and some great wool socks.Down the street, we picked up some cheese, sausage and wine which later became dinner on our porch. By then, it was raining again and coolly beautiful. We stopped in a café for some cappuccino and a latte accompanied by this interesting chocolate dessert shaped like the mountain. We went on to Lake Konigsee. It was late and so the next day, we went back for an awesome boat ride. We had a run in with a rude old Swiss man and for the first time really noticed that many Germans don’t use deodorant.The boat let us off and we ate lunch. I drank some buttermilk that was the freshest I have ever had, looking over the valley where the cows were grazing, again hearing cow bells. We walked the trail and enjoyed the coolness of the day in the Alps. On the way back, we stopped again and picked up more cheese and salami, adding schnapps this time to our dinner.As we checked out, there was a controversy about charges. We had enjoyed the ambience of this place, they had a big white dog named Cora and it was very authentic. But we could feel that they were not crazy about Americans. We drove across southern German and ended up in the Black Forest. There we stayed at the Hotel Sackman which exhibited classic European elegance. They were not use to American tourist either and only the nice guy at the front desk spoke much English. Dinners were included and the first night, we had our choice of Osso Bucco or steak. There was a grand buffet the second night. Their breakfast spread was quite impressive and included the best Muenster cheese that I have ever eaten as well as smoked salmon. The first morning, we actually had breakfast delivered to our room.The hotel was for wellness so we had a Swedish massage that was quite good but one had to forgo all modesty. They didn’t cover you like they do here in the states.It was Thursday and we drove to a nearby town. We had an incredible pizza covered with salami and kase. We did some shopping and this was where Marsha found the perfect cuckoo clocks.The next day, we walked through the Black Forest in the rain. There were some steep trails but memories of childhood fairy tales made it all worthwhile. We then stopped for lunch in a small town up the hill from our hotel. The restaurant was full, including a German couple with a big chocolate lab. All talk stopped when we entered and we managed to pull off our order in German but the proprieter brought an English woman down to interpret. She came down with her Irish Setter. The meal was quite good even though I got fish when I had guessed the menu said pork. It came with a side of potatoes and was quite good. It was Friday after all and southern Germany is very catholic. Carol was safer and ordered chicken cordon bleu. The salad was made with velvety Bibb lettuce and it also came with a bouillon soup. Carol’s pomme frittes were like French fries and they were very tasty and crispy. We finally managed a talk and learned he was a Berliner that came here five years ago because there were no jobs in Berlin.The next morning, sadly, it was time to leave. Though we had a wonderful trip, I do think we were all looking forward to returning home. With Heidi’s help, we drove back to Frankfurt and found the Enterprise branch. One of the employees drove us to the airport, which was a sobering place this time, full of German Polizei. We never did find out why they were there. We boarded our plane for a very long daytime flight back to the states. But it was good to be back home.

My article about this Trip