Tag: history

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Bad Gastein, Austria – Böckstein Hike

Yesterday, since the weather was definitely improving, we decided to take a walk or hike to Böckstein, another town along the river that feeds the majestic Gasteiner Falls.

To get there you can hike the Kaiserin Elisabethe Promenade, which is for the most part paved and relatively flat. It is probably important to remember to bring water, since there is not much wind in the valley and the sun can make it quite hot without any shade or clouds to protect you.

Böckstein

Located a bit more than three kilometers south of Bad Gastein is Böckstein, a small hamlet of houses at the nexus of the Pallner Bach and the Naßfelder Ache.

The town center has some historical buildings and items of interest, and of course a museum that was not open. Check the times, because like many other businesses in the area, they are probably only open from 15:00 – 18:00. However, if you do get to visit, definitely stop, I heard the museum is quite interesting and well presented.

Within the park there is an old mining train on display. The Elektrische Grubenlokomotive, or electric mining train, is part of the Montanmuseum of Böckstein and a very interesting find for train enthusiasts.

Restaurants

The unfortunate thing about Bad Gastein is the lack of restaurants. There are about a handful of them that are owned by the same entity that owns our hotel, therefore the menu in each becomes rather predictable. Our hotel does have the Ritz restaurant, however it only offers a five-course meal at a fix priced. Which is in and off itself okay, but the quantity of food sometimes is just too much.

Angelo Pizzeria

Located on Karl-Heinrich-Waggerl-Straße, Angelo Pizzeria is actually part of the group that owns the Salzburger Hof hotel. It is usually open from 15:00 to 20:00 and has fairly good pizza. The soup was actually quite good, I had their tomato soup with creme fraiche and it was very tasty.

Their mixed salad is a typical German gemischter Salat, where everything is actually not mixed, but placed next to each other. So all of the grated carrots, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes line the bowl. Moreover, on the bottom of your mixed greens, you will find a surprise of traditional coleslaw or chopped cabbage, beans, sliced beets and German potato salad styled potatoes.

Wirtshaus Jägerhäusl

This restaurant does not belong to the chain mentioned above and offers a happy alternative to the same menu. The decor is appealing and it is also in a quiet area, away from the Silver Bullet Bar that plays loud music.

Here you can actually find a Minestrone soup and other dishes that are well prepared and taste great. We both ordered the soup, I ordered the chicken sandwich and Patti ordered the chicken schnitzel. With a bottle of water it all came to 57€, which we found reasonable for the area.

Today it’s off to the top of the Stubnerkogel and a day on the mountain.

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Bad Gastein, Austria – Gasteiner Falls

We left Turin early in the morning on the 5:50AM train, in order to catch the FrecciaRossa from Turin to Milan. Of course, due to the early hour, we used the Wetaxi Application and ordered a taxi for 12€ to take us to Porta Nuovo, the main train station in this part of the city.

Our connecting FrecciaRossa, took us from Milan to Venice Maestre, where we picked up our Austrian ÖBB train to Villach, Austria. Luckily, all of our connections, and there were four, worked without issue.

An hour train north of Villach, Austria you can find the small health spa town of Bad Gastein. Though a shadow of its former self, when dignitaries and other luminaries used to visit for its waters and mountain air, it is still worth a visit, if not only for the aforementioned reasons.

Bad Gastein

The town runs at a slower pace than other mountains towns we have visited. Perhaps it is more difficult to capture tourist monies with a waterfall and health resort as the primary attractions, as opposed to say a very large mountain or a large ski resort complex.

There are parts of the town center that appear to be in eternal repair. Though there is work going on here and there, it does not appear to have progressed much in the last few years. The thermal water fountain building and the old Kurhotel of Austria appear permanently closed. Unfortunately, there are no signs posted explaining the reason, so we were just left to ponder what might have happened.

Hotels

Hotel Salzburger Hof

We stayed at the Salzburger Hof, a very large hotel close to the train station with all the amenities. It appears to be one of the better kept establishments in Bad Gastein, with two pools, three restaurants and a health spa. Apparently host to Count von Bismark and other dignitaries, including many American personalities.

The rooms are very spacious and well appointed. The hotel seems proud of its tradition of important guests, there are photographs of everyone who has visited hung throughout the hotel and in the rooms.

Gasteiner Falls

The main attraction in the center of town now are the falls. The great Gasteiner Waterfalls are indeed impressive, especially after the storm that has just passed through this region of Europe. Since a video is worth a thousand words, here are a few.

It is easy enough to get a glimpse of the waterfalls by walking the main road through town and stopping at the bridge.

After taking in their beauty from the bridge, there are also other vantage points from which the falls may be enjoyed. But, that requires a bit of climbing and some hiking, all of which can be done with modern sneakers, not equipment necessary.

There is a section above the falls where they were purposely redirected some years ago by a dam that was built by a member of the clergy. This forces all the current water down a single corridor within the rocks.

Hiking Trails

There are numerous trails for walking, hiking and biking around town. For our first day our we chose the one that visited the Upper Gastein Falls and then descended towards lower Bad Gastein.

Restaurants

La Pizzeria Napoletana

A very small Italian pizzeria stuck in the back of a another building right next to the Gasteiner Falls is the La Pizzeria Napoletana.

Their tomato and mozzarella pizza is thin and very tasty. This restaurant has a minimal menu of pizza, beer, soft drinks and some wine, there is little else to choose from if you are really hungry.

The pizza is authentic, right down to its crust. The prices are very reasonable and emblematic of what you would expect in a small town or city in Italy.

Orania Stueberl Restaurant

A restaurant that is almost always open, it is a good go-to place when you have few if any options. The food is good, but rather predictable, but that could be said for the rest of the cuisine in this small town.

The interior is adorned with numerous sacrificial animals that were ostensibly killed locally and now inhabit this restaurant’s walls. I guess I never understood if this practice was supposed to be in honor of the animal that was killed, or in spite of it. In any case, it appears a bit overdone.

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Malmö, Sweden – Viking Impressions

On a lighter and more promising day, weather-wise that is, we took a day trip from Copenhagen to its sister city across the Øresund, Malmö. This was actually quite easy to arrange using Omio, the phone application, and the cost was very reasonable.

It should be noted however that the trains between these two cities are quite active and full of passengers going in both directions, so plan accordingly. Off times are usually better than the earlier and later hours of the day, due to their fair share of commuter traffic.

Malmö

Malmö, a large city on the edge of Sweden was actually a Danish possession until the early 1700s. Its name was ostensibly obtained from a maiden that was ground up by a millstone in the town’s square. However, less violent sources have the eponym coming from a gravel pile or sand heap. Since there is a millstone in one of the squares, I am leaning toward the maiden tale.

Gamla Staden and the Södergaten

The center of the city, of Gamla Staden, is entered as soon as you walk over the bridge for the canal the separates the Central Train Station from the island. Within two blocks you are in the Stortorget Square and the Charles X Gustav monument, which to our dismay was decorated.

The main street of town is called Södergaten and is where most of the shopping is done. While we were here they were setting up for another day of the Malmö Festival, which apparently runs for a week in August.

The festival actually caused me to scale back on the number of photographs I took, only because you cannot get a real sense of the city with all the flags, banners and other paraphernalia hanging from monuments and lampposts.

Gustav Adolfs Torg

The Gustav Adolfs Torg or square, is where the end of Södergaten opens up. It is large and contains a few fountains and monuments.

The Rest

The city has some very good examples of the old style timber buildings and some that are a bit more modest. It also has a very old cemetery within its limits and a casino. We were informed that the library would be interesting to check out, but it actually does not compare with others that we have seen, so it might be something to drop from your itinerary.

The following slideshow displays some last interesting shots from other places within the city we visited.

Slottsparken

A very nice park to the west of the center of town. It is sparsely populated with trees, fountains and monuments. It has a canal and other waterways that divide it in many places, making it necessary to use on of the many bridges to navigate its interior.

Malmö Castle

The Malmö Castle was our destination as we walked through the park. It is surrounded by a huge mote and there is only one point of entry, for those interested in seeing yet another castle on their tour. Fortunately, we just enjoyed the view from outside and continued our journey toward the dock area.

Västra Hamnen and the Docks

As you leave the castle area and head north, you can enjoy what’s left of the city’s old fish market, which still appears to be in operation.

The island that makes up the Västra Hamnen area contains what was until recently, Sweden’s tallest skyscraper, the Twisted Tower. Again, owing to Swedish architecture, it stands out and is both elegant in its form as it is ugly in the way it fits in with its surrounding.

The docks do not have much to see, aside from the occasional piece of art. We wander through them on our way back to the train station and Copenhagen.

Restaurants

Since we only stayed for the day, we only had time to try one restaurant for lunch, which was chosen out of about three that we researched before leaving. One thing is for sure, the food is not as expensive in Sweden as it was in Denmark and Copenhagen. That is perhaps why most Danes like to visit Malmö on the weekends, if only for a decent inexpensive meal out.

Lilla Torg Steakhouse

We selected the Lilla Torg Steakhouse in Lilla Torg for lunch. Our impressions were, that it tended to serve trendy and fusion types of food. The menu for lunch was rather sparse, but they did have some daily specials.

The food was good, though a bit on the salty side. I also found the pasta to be overcooked and very mushy, which frankly I am not a fan. Patti’s salad also looked overly complicated, but she insisted, aside from the salt, that it was pretty good. Neither of us finished our dish and I guess after twenty minutes of us sitting there not touching our food they got the hint.

Finally, when they collected our dishes, they were interested in what we thought and we honestly told them – back off the salt a bit. We tried to explain, that we were just there for the day and they should probably worry more about what their Swedish and Danish customers say, but she was still apologetic and insisted they cared. Kudos, I guess.

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Copenhagen, Denmark – The City and More

Below are some final meanderings about the city, several other places that we ate and a few places that we saw, that just didn’t fit in any of the former entries.

Copenhagen

Some final thoughts on the city and its location. The weather when we were here was borderline terrible. So if you plan on visiting, you should check the extended forecast prior to packing. It was August and we dealt with temperatures in the 50-60°F range with rain. After the first few days, we just had to ask someone if this what the weather is always like. We were told that the weather is extremely variable and they have even seen snow in the middle of summer! Again, be prepared. We packed both long and short pants and shirts, along with raincoats and glad we did; but only because we knew the forecast had low temperatures and rain.

Our Canal Tour

Touring a city such as Copenhagen, which has plenty of canals and waterways, would not be complete without a canal or boat tour. There are plenty to choose from and you can visit the Information Center to find our more or the city’s website. Make sure you prepare properly for the weather, few boats on the canal tours are covered and those only leave at certain times of the day, so plan accordingly, they do go in the rain.

They also go in extraordinary high tides as well. Our tour was modified because the tides had come in extra high, leaving little space under the bridges. Therefore, we could not go down some canals and I think our tour ended up a bit longer that it probably should have been.

Trinitatis Kirke

Trinitatis Kirke, or Trinitatis church, is a church built in the seventeenth century that is connected to The Round Tower. It was initially built to support the university, since it was part of the overall Trinitatis Complex. The Library Hall, which is built over one of the church’s naves dictated the size of the church when it was originally constructed. In any event, the church has a baroque look and feel to it which may be of interest to some and the organ is certainly something you should see.

The Round Tower

The Round Tower is actually an odd building for several reasons. At first I thought it was a shot tower, where they used to make gunshot or ball bearings. It just did not make any sense to me to build such a structure with a central column and a ramp for horses, unless it had some manufacturing purpose. Moreover, the rebus on the building has been loosely interpreted as Lead, God and The Correct Teaching; which also initially reinforced my belief that it had some military purpose; the telescope and Library Hall being repurposed after other ways to make ammunition came into vogue.

I surprised to find the edifice was built with a ramp inside so that the horses where able to bring the heavy equipment up the tower for the telescope installation. The central column was later intentionally used as a toilet by the staff who found it arduous to walk down the ramp to go to the bathroom.

The telescope installation was built on top of the tower some time after that was completed. The Library Hall was initially used as a library and has now been repurposed as an Art Exhibition hall.

There are also a few astronomical oddities to see, if you look up while you are waiting for the light to change to ascend to the observation lookout. They are a map of the solar system and a zodiac timepiece.

Restaurants

Some last insights into food and some places to go or avoid.

Nebbiolo

Essentially a wine bar serving Aperitivo, or charcuterie and other small items to eat while you enjoy their wine. Since we were not particularly hungry one evening, we tried this place which happened to be right next door to the Chinese restaurant we visited.

Dong Yuan

A very good Chinese restaurant right around the corner from our hotel. The place is always busy, but it does take reservations. The prices are reasonable, considering the prices in the rest of Copenhagen. They also have half-bottles of wine at a very good price, I would commend a Bordeaux.

Taste

A lunch establishment with very limited seating, so show up early if you want one. We sat inside, since the weather was intolerable and the outside seating had little, if any cover. The food is good, but a bit oily. The grilled sandwich I ordered could not be picked up, so I had to cut it into pieces using a knife and fork.

Bistro Verde

This was a quick find before we left Copenhagen for Turin. This restaurant offers a Sunday Brunch at a decent price, the only problem was, it was a vegan dish. So we just ordered a pair of normal cappuccinos and croissants and enjoyed the beautiful Sunday morning before leaving.

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Alba, Italy – Piedmont’s Wine Center

Our trip started at Turin’s Porta Susa train station. For a little over 12€/person, you can purchase a one-way commuter ticket on Piedmont’s Sfm4 line to Alba, which takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get there, going through Bra first, which can also be a stop on your itinerary.

Alba

Anyone serious about wine or truffles has to visit Alba, Italy. Located an hour or so south of Turin, it is a bustling center for both, especially in the Fall when both of these products are harvested. Our whole intent on visiting the town was a wine tour we had booked for Barolo and Barbaresco (covered in my next post), but we decided to grab a hotel and enjoy an extra day just to explore.

The town is rather self contained and almost in the shape of a loose hexagon, owing to its ancient Roman ancestry as a fortification no doubt. There are several places where these ancient ruins are evident and demonstrate how the town itself is constructed upon them, using them as a foundation. There are also underground caverns and tunnels that can be explored, but arrangements have to be made ahead of time in order to visit them.

The town has numerous towers and it was once known as the town with a hundred towers. These were most likely constructed as lookouts and were defensive in nature.

There are also numerous churches, as is true of most Italian towns and cities. The cathedral, or Duomo, occupies a central place near the town’s marketplace and between the Piazza Duomo and Piazza Rossetti. The interior is typical for its size and function.

Other churches, including the Church of the Maddalena, actually have more interesting and elaborate interiors. One, the Church of Saint John the Baptist, looks more like a provincial library than a church inside.

Hotel Dellatorre

A three star hotel, which is actually more of a converted Bed-n-Breakfast, than a real hotel. It is more like a cafe/bar that has added rooms and tries to call itself a hotel. All the rooms are separate and there is no main structure with hallways, they all have external doors.

The owner runs a cafe or bar as well, and although we stayed here for one night, we did not use her cafe for breakfast, since we had learned that the beverages were a bit over-priced. Again, we are not sure whether that is in fact the case, but we did notice that there was no menu or price list anywhere. While we travel we have a general rule that if the prices are not listed, we tend to avoid the establishment.

The room was spacious enough, quiet and comfortable for the most part. The bed was very hard, so if you prefer that kind of mattress firmness, this place might be for you.

Restaurants

Conterosso

For lunch we ate at Conterosso and chose two of the local dishes. Patti had the Agnolotti with truffles and I had the veal with a barolo wine sauce, both were excellent dishes.

Gusto Madre

A contemporary dining place that makes excellent pizza. Located in Piazza Michele Ferrero, it is just on the edge of town.

Since Patti was not feeling well, I ate alone and just ordered a simple Pizza Margherita which was drizzled with a pesto, it was actually quite good.

Map of the City

Below is a map of the city.

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Stresa, Italy – Borromeo Islands

Borromeo Islands

Of the five Borromeo islands that make up that small group in Lake Maggiore, three have ferry service to them, one is uninhabitable, but has a beach you can visit, and the other, not far off the coast near Pallanza, is small and not frequented by visitors.

One should note, at least for our CMA ferry service, the islands are visited in an order, as presented below. Altering this order is impossible, if not very difficult, so plan accordingly.

Isola Bella

Isola Bella is probably the most frequented of the three. It has an ostensibly renowned italianate garden, which you have to purchase tickets for of course, but they do include access to the palazzo and the other gardens on Isola Madre.

The Palazzo

The entrance to the gardens is via the palazzo, you cannot just walk into them. We walked through the old fishing town thinking there were multiple entrances to the gardens, there are not. There is only one, through the palazzo and after the ticket counter.

A walk-through of the palazzo is provided in the below slideshow.

The gardens are accessed from the palazzo through what is called Diana’s Atrium, a small sub-garden with stairways to the garden. There is not much to see here and it is probably meant more as a meeting place, than any important adjunct to the gardens, so we ascended to the gardens almost immediately.

The Gardens

The gardens do contain some interesting species, especially the old Camphor tree that was planted there in 1819 by Vitaliano IX Borromeo. It also houses a peacock and peahen, which will provide the necessary background noise in the gardens for any videos you wish to make.

Apparently the pride of the gardens is the Massimo Theater. A rather odd assemblage of opulent statues and finished by Carlo IV, it probably points to the decedent past these properties enjoyed.

Isola dei Pescatori

Even though its proper name of Isola Superiore belies its size, Isola dei Pescatori is the smallest of the three islands. Its main attraction is the small fishing town that stretches from three quarters of its shoreline.

There is only enough room here for restaurants, cafes, shops, boat docks and the odd park on the northwest side of the island. So, casually walking its streets and narrow alleyways is, more or less, the only thing to do here, aside from eating of course.

Isola Madre

Isola Madre is the largest of the three and for the most part is an island with a garden and palazzo on it. The garden is entered first, after turning right off the boat and taking the a long garden path walk around a third of the island.

Once you pass the entrance, where a person will scan your tickets, the garden begins.

The Garden

I found this garden quieter, more casual and more enjoyable overall. It has a few different sections, including a jungle environment which is very wet and grows ferns and other jungle type plants.

The Palazzo

Immediately outside the entrance to the palazzo is a huge Cashmir Cypress tree, that was once blown over by a tornado on the island and later saved. It is indeed a magnificent specimen.

The interior of the palazzo is very interesting and a bit disturbing as well. It contains a lot of desiderata, so the displays can often appear disjointed and not themed well. However, taken as the idiosyncrasies of its creators and owners, it is perhaps more understandable. I found it enjoyable though confused at times, in its own way.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day visiting all three islands. Though it is a lot to see in one day, it took us about five hours, it is manageable. It might be more difficult if it is hot outside, since all of the gardens are outside and the palazzos do not appears to have any air-conditioning in them. However, there are plenty of places to buy water on each of the islands, so staying hydrated should not be an issue.

Restaurants

Though there are restaurants and cafes on all the islands, we ate on the island of Pescatori because it was in the middle of our day boat trip to all of the islands, and at around half past one, it broke the trip up just about right.

Trattoria Ristorante Imbarcodero

The Trattoria Ristorante Imbarcodero is on the small island of Pescatori. In fact, most of the good restaurants of the three islands are probably here. It has a wide variety of Italian dishes that one can choose from the menu. For lunch, we kept it simple, since we were both not feeling one hundred percent and already had a substantial breakfast at the hotel.

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Stresa, Italy – Quiet Lake Retreat

Stresa

Stresa is a small lake-side tourist attraction on Lake Maggiore, Italy. It is frequented by Italians, Brits, French, Germans, Asians and the odd American. It is only a tiny strip of about a few kilometers, where there are a dozen or so hotels. It is not very busy, unlike the Mediterranean coast, so it is very laid back and relaxing – a quiet retreat.

View from hotel room – Hotel Regina Palace – Stresa, Italy

The area is know for its three Borromean islands, Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori (also known as Isola Superiore) and Isola Madre. More on these later.

The town is rather simple, but it has ample restaurants and other types of shopping. There is also an amazing AgriGelateria at Corso Umberto I, which has excellent gelato with all natural and authentic flavors, a must stop, especially when it is really hot outside.

Lungolago di Stresa

Stresa also has a wonderful boardwalk area stretching from Stresa along the lake front and becoming the Passeggiata del lago di Carciano, which is directly across from Isola Bella. It’s a bit over a kilometer and will take about a quarter to half of an hour to walk, depending on your pace.

Hotel Regina Palace

In its heyday, this four star hotel must have been a place to see and enjoy. However, aside from its opulent structure, this hotel is a solid three-star hotel than what it’s advertised.

The issues we had while here for our short five day star were as follows:

    • Our room was not vacuumed for our entire stay.
    • There was no Hair Conditioner nor Body Lotion in the bathroom.
    • The plumbing is old, requires repairs and updating, some things leak continuously.
    • The walls in the rooms are paper-thin and the painting is dated.
    • Room service does not fill everything you would expect, e.g. tissues.
    • In the dining area – they do not replace things unless you request and even then you might not get it, e.g. syrup for your pancakes.
    • In the dining area – you may have to seat yourself, the concierge is not very attentive. I know it’s Italy, but most of the time half of the staff is standing around doing nothing.

The hotel is in a very strategic position along the coast, it is both very close to the islands and the town, this was one of the reasons we selected it. So, if you visit this hotel, be aware of the aforementioned issues and go in with your eyes wide shut.

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Braunfels, Germany – Altstadt and Castle

An hour’s drive by car north of Frankfurt above the Taunus mountains you will find a small, quaint and often overlooked little town called Braunfels.

Panorama of Braunfels below – Braunfels Castle – Braunfels, Germany

Braunfels

The town of Braunfels in the Lahm valley in Hessen and on the famous German Timber-Frame Tourist Road. All of the houses in the Altstadt are of this type construction and most are fairly old, sixteenth and seventeenth century.

The Altstadt lays to the east of the castle by the same name. Since it was built on the side of the same hill as the castle, some of the roads are pretty steep. Most are paved with cobbles and there are several signs, mostly if not exclusively in German, reminding visitors that the stones are uneven, slippery when wet, and the town and castle are not liable for any injuries, so watch you step when you visit.

The castle may be reached through the town via the Schloßstrasse, or on the other side of the hill via the Burgweg (this is where we parked).

Kratzsteine

If you ever wondered why old towns such as Braunfels had these many corner stones, or Kratzsteine; the following sign explains it. The interesting thing here is, that although these are very common throughout older German cities and towns, you will not find many examples in Braunfels; making one wonder why someone posted a sign above an example of one, when there are so few throughout the town.

The above can be translated loosely in English as the following.

The medieval cities had very narrow alleys, which were only meant for pedestrians and mule drawn carts. When horse drawn carriages came, they had difficulties trying to make the turns without slowing down. The hubs of the wheels or the side of the wagons would damage the buildings. In order to prevent this damage and the high cost of repairs, the home owners had to come up with something. They decided on giant house stones, or Kratzsteine, which were partially buried on the corners of the house. This forced the driver to avoid and swing their carriages wide, so they didn’t risk their wheels getting damaged from these strategically placed corner stones.

Castle Braunfels

Christian Christmas Tradition

In Germany there is an old religious custom on the twelfth day of Christmas, or what is more properly known as the Epiphany. On the evening of or the day of Epiphany the front door of the building is chalked with the pattern “yy * C + M + B * YY”. The CMB is short for the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat, or in English, May Christ bless this house. The YY are the year divided up appropriately.

Castle Innards

The courtyard of the castle is fairly large and surrounded by three walls and towers. The inside of the castle is typical for one of this period. The slideshow below finishes our tour of the castle and our visit to this very nice little town in Hessen.

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Luxemburg, Luxemburg – Expensive Gem

Probably one of the most clean European cities you will come across is the city of Luxemburg in the country of Luxemburg, or as they prefer to spell both, Luxembourg. The people here speak many different languages, including their own. They have to, they are wedged between Belgium, France and Germany and are frequented by tourist from English speaking countries as well.

Looking north – Luxemburg, Luxemburg

Luxembourg

The city was created on its rocky perch during the Roman times, most likely due to its excellent defensive qualities. Then later in the tenth century a count acquired the rights to the land and started to build the family’s kingdom. From modest beginnings, the Kingdom of Luxembourg grew from here and became very important because of its strategic position.

The city has fortifications and remnants of them on three sides. Some are in better condition than others, but you can at least enjoy the ones that follow the river Alzette.

There is also a wonderful weir on the river between the Plateau du Rham and the City Center. From here the water flows over a set of rapids making for a very relaxing and shaded place to walk. There is even a bridge that crosses the river here where you may also enjoy it.

Casements of Luxemburg

The casements of Luxemburg city are underground facilities were originally built as passages and storage areas for the former castle of Luxemburg. During World War II, they were used for various purposes by both sides, including shelter during bombings. The one that was open while we were there was called Casemates de la Pétrusse, named after the river Pétrusse. Unfortunately, they were all booked the day we came for the entire weekend, so purchase your tickets early, if you want to go below and enjoy the guided tour of this unusual exhibit. It is located under the Monument of Remembrance.

The other casement is Casements du Bock which currently is temporarily closed. When it opens, tickets can be purchased for a guided tour and this one is located on Mount de Clausen near the Casement Memorial.

Church of Saint Michael’s

The church of Saint Michael’s has a beautiful set of windows to enjoy. Built in the tenth century and originally named Church of the Redemption, the new and colorful windows were installed after much of the city was destroyed during the war and the new church was reconsecrated as the church of Saint Michael.

The other point of interest in this church is the old church turret clock.

The city does offer other things to see and do, for those who are so inclined. However, for a short weekend stay, I thought we enjoyed a fair amount of what the city had to offer and enjoyed ourselves immensely. The people are very friendly and fluent in many languages. The city is clean, well cared for and vibrant and there is plenty of history to be found walking among its streets. Being only a few hours drive from Frankfurt and other cities, it is well situated for a weekend trip. Going by train is a bit longer, since there is no direct route and flying is an option, though an unjustifiable cost given the destination and the amount of time one has to spend in airports these days to get anywhere.

Restaurants

One thing that can be said about restaurants in Luxemburg is, eating out is rather expensive. Our opinion is, it’s more in line with eating out in Switzerland or at an expensive restaurant in the United States.

Trattoria Il Riccio

This is a cozy, but expensive little Italian gem on the Rue Beaumont.

We had an excellent and delicious meal here, complete with two bottles of fairly expensive wine (56€/ea) and the total for four came to 450€. Of course, we all had an appetizer, primi and secondi.

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Mainz, Germany – Stadtbummel And Lunch

Though we have been in Mainz at least several times, it was before the beginning of this blog. Therefore, after a brief visit to the city to meet our friends and have a walk or stroll throughout the city (also known as a Stadtbummel), a quick mention here seemed almost required.

Day Trip To Mainz

This week we met our good and long time friends Karl Heinz and Isolde in Mainz for lunch and a customary Stadtbummel, if only to see some of the sights Patti has never seen.

To get there, we had to take the RMV S8 line from the Marktplatz in Offenbach to the Römisches Theater in Mainz. Unfortunately for us, there a typical issue which held the train up for forty-five minutes after we boarded and only went for two stops. Apparently something fell onto the tracks and tripped the signal on the line.

Mainzer Dom

Once the item was removed from the tracks, there were no further difficulties and we reached Mainz with plenty of time before lunch. We toured the Mainzer Dom and the Marktplatz, which are side by side, while we enjoyed the exceptional weather we were having for Germany.

Saint Ignatius Church

One of the more colorful churches inside is Saint Ignatius church. Though rather plain from outside the inside is definitely worth a look. The baroque style and paintings are impressive.

Saint Stephan’s Church

A must stop is Saint Stephan’s church, if only to see the famous church windows designed by Marc Chagall. Once inside, the eerie blue glow that occurs inside a bright sunny day is indeed a treat for the eyes.

Almost totally destroyed during World War II along with the rest of Mainz, the church was rebuilt in the late 1950s. Marc Chargall created a number of stained glass windows from 1978 and 1985 depicting scenes from the Bible.

Restaurants

Since we did not actually stay in the city we only had time with our friends to try the following restaurant for lunch.

Hof Ehrenfels

For lunch we ate at Hof Ehrenfels, a stone’s throw away from the Mainzer Dom on Greberstraße. It is actually a three star hotel that also has a very good restaurant with a garden. The four of us ate outside in garden and had Wiener Schnitzel.