Ira Visits Europe - May, 2007
Jun 15th, 2007, 06:32 AM
#41
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The reporting - like your dinners - are first-rate Ira. I'm enjoying them immensely (the reports, that is, sadly not the dinners), and even moreso now that I know who you and LW are.
Keep it up. I look forward to more.
M.
PS - Not familiar with 'brustige' - but I bet I know what you mean !
Jun 15th, 2007, 07:33 AM
#43
hi, Ira,
great report as ever. I've always found teh food in austria, and germany come to tyhat, much better than it gets credit for, and the wines are good too.
for your future information, cafe Hag IS decaffinated - the don't, so far as I'm aware, make it with caffine, so that's why you cou;d only find "regular".
regards, ann
great report as ever. I've always found teh food in austria, and germany come to tyhat, much better than it gets credit for, and the wines are good too.
for your future information, cafe Hag IS decaffinated - the don't, so far as I'm aware, make it with caffine, so that's why you cou;d only find "regular".
regards, ann
Jun 15th, 2007, 08:18 AM
#45
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May 21 Weather: Bright, clear, hot high of 32.5 C, except when it rained.
Note on our room: It was no. 14. No. 12, next door, shares the same balcony, is smaller, but quite adequate for a couple. I can’t recall if it has ensuite facilities.
After bkfst, we packed ourselves up, bid farewell to the Simony staff and headed for Füssen via Gosau and the B162. LW had no trouble with the 1000 m Gosau pass, which had concerned me. The B162 turned out to be a very pleasant road.
Outside Golling, we took the A10 toward Salzburg. About 10 km S of Salzburg, we came to an immense parking lot, that seemed to stretch all the way to the city. After 10 mins of sitting, we followed the lead of other drivers and got onto the shoulder. About 1 km further on, we exited toward Hallein. Following the yellow diamonds that indicate “main road” we somehow got to the old, familiar Exit 8 on the A10 headed West.
After crossing into Germany (gas prices go up about 30 cts/L), we took the B20 toward Berchtesgaden and then the B21 at Bad Reichenall. This we followed to the B178 and stayed on that to the A12, exiting at Imst. From here we took the B189 to the B179 for Füssen. All went swimmingly, until we came to a halt a few km South of the Fernpass. Heavy rain and fog had closed the pass.
After waiting about 0:20 hr, listening to the sound of cowbells as the cows came down to investigate what was happening, traffic was allowed through. I don’t know if the Fernpass (about 1200 m) would have bothered LW. The fog was so thick that you could hardly see the road, let alone the scenery.
We were supposed to get off the B179 at the B17 and come into Füssen from the South, but I missed the turn, and we went through the tunnel. Unperturbed (well hardly perturbed), I pulled over at the B310 interchange to check my maps. My eagle-eyed navigator noticed a sign saying “Füssen”, so we took that.
This turned out to be the Kemptener Strasse – main drag – which led us to a small plaza, with a “Do Not Enter” sign. Having no choice, I turned left and came upon a large sign painted on a wall – “Hotel Zum Hechten Parking”. Well, that was easy.
We parked, checked in, unpacked and then the rains came. They lasted well into the night.
Went down to the bar and had a few beers while LW drank white wine. The Zum Hechten has Augustinbekirk (sp), which was good, and König Ludwig wheat beer – dark and light which I found so,so and Roberta didn’t like at all.
Since we had signed up for the half-board special, we ordered from the tourist menu – soup, salad, choice of 6-7 mains, dessert. Good, but not notable, except for one thing: Is sauerkraut usually served with fish?
Our room (no 33) was in the new part of the building. It was large, modern, bright and airy with a balcony facing Hohe Füssen Castle, which is lit at night. The hotel is close to the buses to Neuschwanstein, shopping and various sights in town. We would stay there again. And so to bed.
May 22 Weather: Occasional light rain and overcast
While my Lady Wife arranged herself for breakfast (usual fare), I went up to the Hohenschwangau to pick up our tickets for the tour. I also drove the B17 to find out where I had gone wrong yesterday. It was a simple error, anyone could have missed the turn.
After bkfst, we wandered the town a bit and took the bus to the Castles. Both the 78 (leaves on the :30), and the 73 (leaves on the :00) will get you there. Having a while to wait, we had a beer at one of the cafes (Paulaner – very good) and souvenir shopped until the horse carriage was ready to leave. There was room for 6 in the carriage. There were 5 of us. The driver waited until he got another fare before starting off. Unfortunatley, he started off on a 15 min journey, 15 min before our tour started. The original 5 were somewhat upset.
Dashing up the last 100 m, or so, to the entrance I found out that our group hadn’t been called yet. Apparently, the driver knew that the tours were running late, but he didn’t tell us. (A little bit of Germanic humor, I think.)
Hohenschwangau is interesting. Ludwig lived here as a child. It is possible that this is why he turned out to be somewhat weird. All of the interior walls are covered in scenes depicting the marvelous heroic exploits of long-dead ancestors. The art work is excellent, but the propaganda gets tedious.
We walked down the hill to the other horse stand for the ride up to Neschwanstein. The last 150 m after you get out of the carriage is steep (very steep). Also note, that there is a lot of climbing of stairs here.
One more time to utter, “It’s good to be the king”.
Heerenchiemsee was a fantasy based on “The Sun King”. Neuschwanstein is a fantasy based on Wagner’s view of German mythology. The parts that are finished are exquisitely done. The location is perfect. On any day, there is a good chance that mists will be swirling about the mountain and the towers. Ludwig could easily pretend that he was Lohengrin, Tannhäuser or Siegfried. The visit was well worth the cost.
We did not go up to the Marienbrücke. Roberta saw it from the castle, and wouldn’t consider going near it, as I expected.
As we rode the bus back to Füssen, the weather cleared, so we stopped off at the Tiroler Weinstübe (off the Brotmarkt on Franziskannergasse) for a wine tasting (all wines about 3E/glass):
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) 2005: Very dry, full-bodied and flavorful – white grapes, apples and raisins – slight fizz.
Gau-Weinheimer Kaisergarten: (a Müller Thurgau/Silvaner blend) – dry and light – not as fruity as the Kurfürsten.
Gau-Weinheimer Kurfürsten: (a Müller Thurgau/Muscat blend) – demi-sec with good body and mild flavor. Floral and fruity with a slight taste of apples.
Blauer Zweigelt: Light body, but a very deep red with a pink blush at the edge. Very floral with the scent of honey on the nose.
Spent a pleasant hour speaking to a gentleman who asked to share our table. He introduced himself as Anton Kirchmair, an artist, currently enthralled by charcoal sculpture, who was visiting a friend in Füssen. You can view his work at www.antonkirchmair.de.
Dinner at the Zum Hechten was much improved over the night before. A few tips do a lot of good.
And so to bed
Note on our room: It was no. 14. No. 12, next door, shares the same balcony, is smaller, but quite adequate for a couple. I can’t recall if it has ensuite facilities.
After bkfst, we packed ourselves up, bid farewell to the Simony staff and headed for Füssen via Gosau and the B162. LW had no trouble with the 1000 m Gosau pass, which had concerned me. The B162 turned out to be a very pleasant road.
Outside Golling, we took the A10 toward Salzburg. About 10 km S of Salzburg, we came to an immense parking lot, that seemed to stretch all the way to the city. After 10 mins of sitting, we followed the lead of other drivers and got onto the shoulder. About 1 km further on, we exited toward Hallein. Following the yellow diamonds that indicate “main road” we somehow got to the old, familiar Exit 8 on the A10 headed West.
After crossing into Germany (gas prices go up about 30 cts/L), we took the B20 toward Berchtesgaden and then the B21 at Bad Reichenall. This we followed to the B178 and stayed on that to the A12, exiting at Imst. From here we took the B189 to the B179 for Füssen. All went swimmingly, until we came to a halt a few km South of the Fernpass. Heavy rain and fog had closed the pass.
After waiting about 0:20 hr, listening to the sound of cowbells as the cows came down to investigate what was happening, traffic was allowed through. I don’t know if the Fernpass (about 1200 m) would have bothered LW. The fog was so thick that you could hardly see the road, let alone the scenery.
We were supposed to get off the B179 at the B17 and come into Füssen from the South, but I missed the turn, and we went through the tunnel. Unperturbed (well hardly perturbed), I pulled over at the B310 interchange to check my maps. My eagle-eyed navigator noticed a sign saying “Füssen”, so we took that.
This turned out to be the Kemptener Strasse – main drag – which led us to a small plaza, with a “Do Not Enter” sign. Having no choice, I turned left and came upon a large sign painted on a wall – “Hotel Zum Hechten Parking”. Well, that was easy.
We parked, checked in, unpacked and then the rains came. They lasted well into the night.
Went down to the bar and had a few beers while LW drank white wine. The Zum Hechten has Augustinbekirk (sp), which was good, and König Ludwig wheat beer – dark and light which I found so,so and Roberta didn’t like at all.
Since we had signed up for the half-board special, we ordered from the tourist menu – soup, salad, choice of 6-7 mains, dessert. Good, but not notable, except for one thing: Is sauerkraut usually served with fish?
Our room (no 33) was in the new part of the building. It was large, modern, bright and airy with a balcony facing Hohe Füssen Castle, which is lit at night. The hotel is close to the buses to Neuschwanstein, shopping and various sights in town. We would stay there again. And so to bed.
May 22 Weather: Occasional light rain and overcast
While my Lady Wife arranged herself for breakfast (usual fare), I went up to the Hohenschwangau to pick up our tickets for the tour. I also drove the B17 to find out where I had gone wrong yesterday. It was a simple error, anyone could have missed the turn.
After bkfst, we wandered the town a bit and took the bus to the Castles. Both the 78 (leaves on the :30), and the 73 (leaves on the :00) will get you there. Having a while to wait, we had a beer at one of the cafes (Paulaner – very good) and souvenir shopped until the horse carriage was ready to leave. There was room for 6 in the carriage. There were 5 of us. The driver waited until he got another fare before starting off. Unfortunatley, he started off on a 15 min journey, 15 min before our tour started. The original 5 were somewhat upset.
Dashing up the last 100 m, or so, to the entrance I found out that our group hadn’t been called yet. Apparently, the driver knew that the tours were running late, but he didn’t tell us. (A little bit of Germanic humor, I think.)
Hohenschwangau is interesting. Ludwig lived here as a child. It is possible that this is why he turned out to be somewhat weird. All of the interior walls are covered in scenes depicting the marvelous heroic exploits of long-dead ancestors. The art work is excellent, but the propaganda gets tedious.
We walked down the hill to the other horse stand for the ride up to Neschwanstein. The last 150 m after you get out of the carriage is steep (very steep). Also note, that there is a lot of climbing of stairs here.
One more time to utter, “It’s good to be the king”.
Heerenchiemsee was a fantasy based on “The Sun King”. Neuschwanstein is a fantasy based on Wagner’s view of German mythology. The parts that are finished are exquisitely done. The location is perfect. On any day, there is a good chance that mists will be swirling about the mountain and the towers. Ludwig could easily pretend that he was Lohengrin, Tannhäuser or Siegfried. The visit was well worth the cost.
We did not go up to the Marienbrücke. Roberta saw it from the castle, and wouldn’t consider going near it, as I expected.
As we rode the bus back to Füssen, the weather cleared, so we stopped off at the Tiroler Weinstübe (off the Brotmarkt on Franziskannergasse) for a wine tasting (all wines about 3E/glass):
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) 2005: Very dry, full-bodied and flavorful – white grapes, apples and raisins – slight fizz.
Gau-Weinheimer Kaisergarten: (a Müller Thurgau/Silvaner blend) – dry and light – not as fruity as the Kurfürsten.
Gau-Weinheimer Kurfürsten: (a Müller Thurgau/Muscat blend) – demi-sec with good body and mild flavor. Floral and fruity with a slight taste of apples.
Blauer Zweigelt: Light body, but a very deep red with a pink blush at the edge. Very floral with the scent of honey on the nose.
Spent a pleasant hour speaking to a gentleman who asked to share our table. He introduced himself as Anton Kirchmair, an artist, currently enthralled by charcoal sculpture, who was visiting a friend in Füssen. You can view his work at www.antonkirchmair.de.
Dinner at the Zum Hechten was much improved over the night before. A few tips do a lot of good.
And so to bed
Jun 15th, 2007, 10:47 AM
#48
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Ira, is Suzanna still running the Hotel Simony? She was pretty old when we stayed there a couple of years ago. I know a lot of people in town felt that the Hotel would never be updated as long as Suzanna still owned it. I do remember that she made homemade Schnecken (snails) rolls every morning for breakfast and they were delicious as well as the hot chocolate.
Jun 15th, 2007, 12:21 PM
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Hi ira,
Thanks for yet another wonderfully detailed trip report. We stayed at Haus am Moos for 3 nights at the beginning of June and also loved both the hotel and the Strasser family. We were fortunate to chat with Walter every morning at breakfast and very much enjoyed his intellect and insight. So happy to hear you enjoyed the hotel as well.
Thanks also for the info on your hotel in Hallstatt. We spent several hours there and DH and I have vowed to return and spend a few nights there the next time we visit Austria.
Thanks for yet another wonderfully detailed trip report. We stayed at Haus am Moos for 3 nights at the beginning of June and also loved both the hotel and the Strasser family. We were fortunate to chat with Walter every morning at breakfast and very much enjoyed his intellect and insight. So happy to hear you enjoyed the hotel as well.
Thanks also for the info on your hotel in Hallstatt. We spent several hours there and DH and I have vowed to return and spend a few nights there the next time we visit Austria.
Jun 15th, 2007, 12:48 PM
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Hi Ira
Loving the report. Thank you. You've been so helpful to me on my last two trips so I'm happy to hear about your newest experiences.
And this is the reason I haven't written a trip report
, I am daunted by the detail and care that you and others put into yours, I could never write as well!
Loving the report. Thank you. You've been so helpful to me on my last two trips so I'm happy to hear about your newest experiences.
And this is the reason I haven't written a trip report
, I am daunted by the detail and care that you and others put into yours, I could never write as well!
Jun 15th, 2007, 01:30 PM
#53
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Loving your report!
Let's talk wine...
when dining, do you make your own wine selections? or...do you ask for waitstaff (or sommelier?) to suggest? or...do you read ahead of time about local vintages? or what...
Let's talk wine...
when dining, do you make your own wine selections? or...do you ask for waitstaff (or sommelier?) to suggest? or...do you read ahead of time about local vintages? or what...
Jun 15th, 2007, 01:42 PM
#55
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Hi G,
>And this is the reason I haven't written a trip report, I am daunted by the detail and care that you and others put into yours, I could never write as well!<
You will turn in your homework before June 22, or I shall send a signal to your computer that will fry your motherboard. No excuses.
>And this is the reason I haven't written a trip report, I am daunted by the detail and care that you and others put into yours, I could never write as well!<
You will turn in your homework before June 22, or I shall send a signal to your computer that will fry your motherboard. No excuses.
Jun 15th, 2007, 01:48 PM
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Enjoying your report, Ira. Would love to do a trip like that, but I seem to stick to motor trips in France. I'm afraid to drive in Germany or Austria!
Enjoying your dining descriptions. Before going to Alsace I thought I wouldn't like German-type food much, but found it delicious!
Enjoying your dining descriptions. Before going to Alsace I thought I wouldn't like German-type food much, but found it delicious!
Jun 15th, 2007, 01:56 PM
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Hi Mom,
>Let's talk wine...
Very good question.
At home, where I know the restaurant and the wine buyer, I usually ask if there is anything new that's interesting and make my own choices.
It's different when I am abroad, especially visiting places like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and Bavaria.
If it's just a minor lunch or dinner, I ask what the house offerings are and usually choose by varietal (or flavor as one of our local wine shops puts it).
For a major outlay, I ask the waiter or sommelier for suggestions from the wine list and choose among several selections. They'll all be reasonable (usually).
My palate is not so refined that I could discern a significantly enhanced accompaniment to my Wienerschnitzel if I chose A insted of B or C when all three wines differ in price by less than 7E.
For example, at Esszimmer Mrs Kaiblinger offered LW a Gruner Veltliner and me a Riesling, when both of us were having dishes that would have gone with either. Her response was that I was going to have a Gruner Veltliner with my next course, and she wanted me to have a variety of tastes.
Hope I've answered your question.
>Let's talk wine...
Very good question.
At home, where I know the restaurant and the wine buyer, I usually ask if there is anything new that's interesting and make my own choices.
It's different when I am abroad, especially visiting places like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and Bavaria.
If it's just a minor lunch or dinner, I ask what the house offerings are and usually choose by varietal (or flavor as one of our local wine shops puts it).
For a major outlay, I ask the waiter or sommelier for suggestions from the wine list and choose among several selections. They'll all be reasonable (usually).
My palate is not so refined that I could discern a significantly enhanced accompaniment to my Wienerschnitzel if I chose A insted of B or C when all three wines differ in price by less than 7E.
For example, at Esszimmer Mrs Kaiblinger offered LW a Gruner Veltliner and me a Riesling, when both of us were having dishes that would have gone with either. Her response was that I was going to have a Gruner Veltliner with my next course, and she wanted me to have a variety of tastes.
Hope I've answered your question.
Jun 15th, 2007, 05:38 PM
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Sue, no need to be afraid to drive in Germany and Austria. It's no different than driving anywhere else. On the Autobahn in Germany, there are some fast drivers, but everybody's much better about staying to the right unless passing than they are in the US. The roadways are well maintained and the signage is good.
Just familiarize yourself beforehand with common road signs like you would anywhere else and you'll be fine.
Just familiarize yourself beforehand with common road signs like you would anywhere else and you'll be fine.
Jun 15th, 2007, 07:21 PM
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As always, a wonderful report Ira. You are making me feel guilty for not writing great trip reports but, like others, reading a great report like this makes me feel I could never meet expectations.
Now, type faster please.
Now, type faster please.
