The Questura di Torino, is let’s say not the most inviting place, for it would remind one, for those old enough to remember, of their local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) back in the 1960’s. Having been here only once to obtain an appointment, which by the way took two hours, I re-entered with some trepidation.
This week, on May 15th, we returned for my Permesso di Soggiorno (permission of stay.) After reading all the print-outs that were taped on all the walls, my wife and I decided to take a more direct approach and just go inside, behind the green barred protected area, and stand in line, directly in front of BLUE window number 1, as indicated on my appointment sheet.
WRONG!
Within five minutes we were yelled at and sent back, along with almost everyone else loitering there, out to the waiting area. It turned out, the scoreboard there read out one’s number along with the applicable window to go to when called, nonetheless I remained confident.
My calm, cool exterior – They don’t scare me, his show was for the other illegal immigrants, not me
As my appointment time drew closer, I started to get more anxious as to whether or not we actually understood what they actually told us. Do I have all the correct documents?
Hmm, what if they find something irregular, I could be arrested, nah.., they would never do that. I’m American
Finally, three minutes after three o’clock in the afternoon, with them just returning from lunch ????? , my number was called.
That’s my number, window six, I will probably be alone tonight in a four foot concrete cell eating croissants and drinking water
Actually after the lady remonstrated a couple for being in front of us, since their number was NOT called, we reluctantly approached the window. We didn’t have everything she wanted, but she spoke English very well and we were able to explain or provide proof to all her questions and satisfaction. After my finger printing we left with my temporary permesso and it all took less than an hour..! In Italy no less, go figure.
A belated append for Mother’s Day, spent at Valentino Park. Patti and I decided yesterday on taking a nice leisurely stroll down to the medieval village, approximately a mile walk from our apartment.
Valentino Park, Turin
The park itself is pretty expansive. It contains many paved paths with some roads going through it. Several boating club houses dot the river bank. The river Po borders it along its eastern side where on this day it was hosting a boating race regatta.
Patti outside the Medieval Village
Medieval Village
The village was built in the 19th century as an authentic reproduction of an actual medieval village prior to its demise.
Entry to the Village
There are of course several shops and demonstration stations. There are some light tourist things for sale, including the ever popular Harry Potter paraphernalia, wands and such.
Inside the Village
The buildings are characteristically very close together and include the customary trenches for waste water, which were thoughtfully dry.
Interesting Paintings
The colonnades have the traditional colors of the builders and there are several paintings or remarks in the stones.
An old hand operated Printing Press
There is even an old printing press with demonstrations strategically placed behind a sample of the wall mosaics of that time. The only thing missing here are medieval people, their animals and probably all the smells that go along with them. ?
Architectural details
We ended our Mother’s Day walk by visiting the arboretum or Giardino Roccioso.
Venture far from Sachsenhausen or Süd-Frankfurt, or a short stop on your way to Hanau (for whatever reason that may be), you will find the small city of Offenbach. One can say it’s one of those towns or cities that most resembles the new Germany, pluralistic, cosmopolitan and apparently an up-and-coming place. Our daughter lives here and has re-acclimated herself to the bigger city life, than she was used to when she lived in Kassel.
Marktplatz
Though we have no photographs, mostly due to a certain ambivalence on my part, one can say this is where the action is. It has many modern stores, a main pedestrian zone for shopping and several trendy, economical and interesting places to eat. There is a U-Bahn stop here, which can be easily reached from Frankfurt’sHauptbahnhof or main train station.
Other Areas
Around Offenbach’sMarktplatz, are many different areas for business and residential with the train station for the city slicing right through it. Though we use the Offenbacher Hauptbahnhof regularly, we have never considered looking for a place to eat near it. We were surprised to find a culinary gem not too far away!
ShauMAHL Restaurant
On a chilly, rainy evening with reservations for the Frankfurter Botschaft, we started our restaurant adventure on the Offenbacher Hauptbahnhof platform waiting for a DB train that would never arrive (perhaps another DB störung, they are famous for them as one of our previous blog articles describes; more on this in a later blog entry.)
ShauMAHL front entrance
Dismayed, we quickly canceled our current reservation and began a search for something comparable in the immediate area. We found ShauMAHL.
Patti and Erick, with view of the bar
One would say a rather expensive restaurant. However, as the saying goes (and we are technically on vacation, even though retired ?), “in for a penny, in for a pound!”
Tristan and Ericka before enjoying their meal
They offer a fixed-priced menu which provides a very round selection, from fish, fowl to meat.
Ericka’s veal confit dish
I selected the rabbit dish with green sauce which was excellent. Rabbit, rabbit meatballs, barley, ummmm, good.
Erick’s Kannichen (rabbit) dish
For drink, I selected a nice regionally (Württemberg) produced red, Graf von Neipperg, merlot, 2015 (€79), very nice (I think I used the word ‘okay’ while trying it, much to the dismay of the waitress.) It has all the qualities of being a really good wine. But lest I go into wine snobbery, my bar (bar as in a high-jump bar, a bar to get over) is a 1986 or 1989 Chateau Lynch Bages, need I say more?
Expresso and flaming Sambucca
For dessert we chose whatever we were more inclined to eat, Erick the Apfelstrüdel, Patti and Ericka the ice cream and Tristan a coffee. Erick and Ericka still ordered an expresso with Sambuca straight-up.
For a rainy evening, an expensive (€410), though extraordinary find for a dismissed place like Offenbach.
After a beautiful evening in Heidelberg, Zeus decided it was time to change the weather on us.
Heidelberg in the evening
Hence, when we woke up that morning, we were greeted by a driving rain. Nothing like the downpours we would get in North Carolina, but a steady, bone-chilling, 48 degree shower on our vacation (we’re calling it that now, not to feel too much like retirees.) That’s not too bad, the last time I visited, it was in the 20s and snowing!
Hans Thoma Platz the stop closest to our Gasthof
After our hotel hostess provided breakfast it was off to the Altstadt and the Heidelberg Castle.
The Altstadt
The Altstadt of Heidelberg is now essentially an outside mall, commercialized with all the latest trendy stores from all over the world. Its nothing the way I remember it from years ago.
The beginning of the Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg
Some of the restaurants look the same but there are many new coffee shops, cafes and contemporary stores that fill the Hauptstrasse. It begins with the Kaufhaus right after exiting Bismarkplatz.
Along the Hauptstrasse
And after walking over a kilometer or so, ends with a church or two or three and the castle.
The Heidelberg Castle
The Heidelberger Schloss, or castle, sits atop the hill overlooking the city.
Heidelberger Schloss atop hill
From the Hauptstrasse it is a formidable structure. There are two ways to visit the castle. One may walk the serpentine street that has a number of switch-backs.
Its raining and I’m cold, two tickets for the train please!
Or one can pay the €8.00 fee to ride the funicular train up the hill which is better choice when it’s raining out, plus admission to the castle is included.
The castle looking towards the pharmacy museum
The castle contains the usual large room for the storage of goods in case the town was attacked. It also houses a pharmacy museum and the largest wooden wine cask in the world, able to hold 58,000 gallons of wine.
The largest wine cask in the world
The cask was used back in the day when the town produced its own wine label.
The smaller cask holding 300 liters of wine
Recently, an effort was started by a local vitner, Jörg Clauer, to restart the production of a Heidelberg labeled wine using the smaller cask that is shown in the ante chamber to the largest one. In it, they have stored 300 liters of Pinot Noir, reviving the wine making tradition here.
Heidelberg Overlook
From the castle one gets a great view of Heidelberg and its environs.
Heidelberg looking west
To the west and north looking toward Weststadt and Bergheim.
The old Heidelberg bridge
Then the old Heidelberg bridge and the last part of the Altstadt.
Heidelberg is still a beautiful little city, full of shopping and some interesting things to see. Though I was a bit disappointed in some of the old shops that are missing, I still think it is worth a look, especially for those who have not experienced its charm yet.
Weinwirtschaft Alt Hendesse
Our second and last night here we ate at the Alt Hendesse restaurant which ostensibly is a Weinwirtschaft.
Weinwirtschaft Alt Hendesse
It could be the establishment used to be part of some wine production at some point in their history. But there is no evidence of any label or production by them on their current wine list.
Patti and Ericka waiting for their Aubergine dishes
However, the food was very good and satisfying. I can only say that for the short time we were there between 8 and 9 PM they were turning people away constantly. They actually somehow made room for us shuffling some locals around to other tables.
Our last day in Munich completes itself with a trainride to Heidelberg via Stuttgart. Taking the inter-city IC trains was a snap using the trainline-eu phone app.
Munich HauptBahnhof
Munich Hauptbahn is my favorite train station, leaving it behind is both a memory and an auf wiederschauen.
Munich Hbf platforms
We arrived on time and took streetcar 24 to Mühltalstrasse and the Gasthaus zum Deutscher Kaiser hotel.
Two tickets to Handshuhsheim
A quaint, newly renovated, nothing to speak of personally owned hotel, with breakfast included.
Gasthaus zum Deutscher Kaiser
Our Gasthaus is situated one mile as the crow flies from Heidelberg altstadt.
A view of Handshuhsheim from our hotel rooftop window
Since I have been here several times, I asked my family what their first impressions of Munich were and their response was, they thought it to be a very livable city. Clean and vibrant with a very cosmopolitan population.
From the Innere Ludwigsbrücke (bridge)
For one, the Isar runs directly through it adding to its luxuriant greenspaces and parks. So it is a very green city.
From Ludwigsbrücke am Gastieg (Rosenheimer Strasse)
The city itself, like many other European cities of this age, is comprised of an older inner (alt stadt) city, surrounded by the more contemporary version of itself. Our hotel, the Hilton München City on Rosenheimer Strasse, is situated in the perfect spot just outside the old city to enjoy the use of its mass transportation system (which is extensive by the way) and of course walking.
Isartor
Walking over the Ludwigsbrücke from our hotel we meet the Isartor, the eastern gate to the old city. It no longer protects the old city from tourists and vagabonds, but once was a stalwart against unwanted invasions.
Neues Rathaus with famous Glöckenspiel
The Altstadt
The city core is comprised of numerous catholic churches, kneipes and bräuthauses, somehow proving the proverb that faith and beer are somehow strongly tied together. In fact everything in Munich is tied to beer.
Glöckenspiel in Marienplatz
The famous Glöckenspiel of the Munich Rathaus still works, but now its on a specific schedule. You must consult the working hours in the front of the Rathaus for specific play times.
The Frauenkirche frontal view
Other points of interest include the famous Frauenkirche with its dual towers and cupolas. The church inside is nothing special, I myself preferred Saint Peter’s from what I could see. Taken for granted that we attended some of the Latin high mass on Easter morning at Saint Peter’s, which may have swayed my opinion a bit.
The cupolas and towers of the Frauenkirche
The cupolas of the Frauenkirche from a different perspective.
Tristan, Patti and Ericka in front of the Theatinerkirche am Odeonsplatz
The Deutsches Museum
We ventured around on foot a bit to discover the two famous hofbräuhauses and the Odeonsplatz. We also took the time to visit a few museums, including the Deutsches Museum, which we highly recommend, especially if you have any kind of mining background. The mining display is extensive.
Tristan investigating mining exhibit equipment
It is also very dark and there are numerous crags and unlit crevasses where anything creepy can hide.
Erick having some fun…
The museum has many other exhibits including naval, airplane and electronics (our personal favorite).
IBM System 360
They even have a System 7501 and System 360 from IBM, as well as a Cray and numerous early PC models.. Two tickets anyone..?
Two Tickets to the Deutsches Museum
So that just about does it for this whirlwind blog entry about Munich.
Nothing says München Hofbräuhaus or Munich like beer.
Not beer as it’s served in the states, but serious beer, always draft, helles or dunkeles, in mass quantities. Let’s just say after one of these babies, you shouldn’t drive. After two, you may need an alternate form of conveyance.
Zwei und ein halb Mass Bier
The Hofbräuhaus epitomizes large quantities of beer, brought quickly and consumed readily. Tristan, Ericka and I recommend the original which has a nice clean bitter taste that refreshes one’s thirst after a long walk.
Mustard – our two tickets to pretzel and beer heaven
It also goes well with one of the large pretzels that you may buy separately (about €3) which taste especially good with the mustard. The pretzels are so big that four can snack on them easily.
Tristan enjoying a liter (Mass) beer at the HB
The atmosphere inside is the typical bräuhaus arched ceiling that one would say gives it that special Bavarian gemütlichkeit. A German word used to express cozi- or hominess, or when one is warm and comfortable. That along with the 5-member brass ompa-band only adds to its charm.
Ahhh, good to the last drop, noch ein bitte!
The food is also very good. I tried the mixed salad, a Bratwürst on sauerkraut and potato salad and all were delicious.
Ericka translating the menu for her mom
Ericka and Patti tried the Bratwürst too, but with the mixed season vegetables and were pleasantly surprised when there was no meat in them.
We would consider the Hofbräuhaus a very tasty and necessary stop for anyone visiting Munich.
Given the fact that it is perched atop a rocky outcropping with sheer drops on three of its four sides, the castle is indeed a sight to see.
King Ludwig’s II retreat from the world
The castle Neuschwanstein was actually called Hohenschwanstein a hundred or more years ago until King Ludwig II of Bavaria switched the names of the two.
The surrounding area from this castle’s aerie is breathtaking, especially when looking at the German and Austrian Alps toward Schwangau. Schwangau is the larger and more proper town of the two which includes Hohenschwangua, the latter of which essentially acts as a tourist trap and jumping off point for the 1.5 kilometer trek up to the castle.
Overlook with Schwangau and the Alps
Unfortunately, you cannot take photographs inside the castle and the face of the entrance and some rooms were under renovations while we were there. However, though the tour is kind of short, around 20 minutes, it is still worth it.
From Hohenschwangau
There is also a path to a footbridge that affords a better view and perspective for photographs. Unfortunately, it was jammed with other tourists who instead of climbing the hill took the bus up and were dropped off right in front of the path to it, creating a long line for which we lacked the time to stand in due to our castle tour time slot.
Hohenschwanstein castle
The other prominent landmark in the area is Hohenschwanstein which is where King Ludwig grew up. Less ostentatious and functional, right down to its painted walls, it remains more of a curiousity than a tourist destination. The history of Ludwig’s upbringing is very interesting and his separation from his father during his childhood is shown in the very design of this castle. Whereby the children lived on the right side as shown in the photograph above, and the King ruled on the left.
Ericka, Tristan and Patti along the Alpsee
Luckily the spring weather was great and made for a most enjoyable day.
Today starts Ericka’s vacation and we are on our way via train to Munich, Germany.
This starts out with our tickets to the main train station, Frankfurt Hbf, using the regional line. Once there we had a quick bite to eat and jumped on our ICE train (high speed, hmmm, er not quite) to Munich.
Patti and Ericka relaxing
Patti and Ericka settling in for the three hour ride. Ericka was actually on her phone more than reading that book! ?Well at the moment we have run into a bit of a problem, after Aschaffenburg a fire somewhere ahead has broken out and delayed our train. In the meantime they have backed our train up a bit and stopped at Laufach, so that we may stretch our legs.
Laufach unscheduled stop
Yeah, its not Würzburg or Munich.
Our doomed ICE 623
While outside we had some time to enjoy the beautiful Spring weather.
Train tracks at Laufach, direction Würzburg
Our stay at Laufach was just around an hour long.
The gorgeous countryside just outside Lohr am Main reminds me a lot of Copake and the Berkshire mountains. The Main river down here reminds me more of a stream than a river. The one thing I did forget was how many tunnels were on this line when I last took it five years ago..!
Well we have to switch trains in Nürnberg, thank you fire.
Nürnberg Hbf platform, was expecting a roof at least
Though technically not the one they told us to take. It is an ICE train and it’s headed to München Hbf!
München Hbf
Finally, after five and a half hours, München and the promise of a hotel room and beer!
The passed few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity finding an apartment in Turin and moving in. There were not only the customary contractual things to take care of, but also cleaning and furnishing the place to our liking. Luckily, we found something that mostly fit our desires while still being in the central part of town (Via Giovanni Giolitti.) However, it took several trips to IKEAand other sojourns to bring it to a point where we could move out of our AirBnB.
Just this past Friday, fairly exhausted, the three of us, Patti, Tristan and I left Turin for Frankfurt, Germany, after finally getting the apartment halfway straightened out and liveable (there will be another blog entry on that later once we have it completed.) The trip from Turin to Milan was more or less uneventful, although happily very fast and on time, thank you FrecciaRossa!
Leaving the Swiss Alps behind as we enter Thun
As we have in the past, we decided on taking the train from Milan to Frankfurt instead of flying. A seven hour journey between the two points (perhaps two hours more than flying), but relaxing in first class with its beverage service and other amenities, made the trip all that more enjoyable. Riding through the Italian and Swiss Alps, especially after the recent heavy snows, also made it a memorable site-seeing trip.
Train platform at Thun
Though of no particular importance as an attraction, the platform sign for Thun is shown above.
My fascination with this train stop has more to do with the John Le Carre’s 1982 BBC series “Smiley’s People“, than with any real, first hand experience of the place. In the movie, a soviet diplomat assumes another identity while in Thun, to remove money from a bank account setup by his Soviet operatives. Since I had never heard of the place, I became curious about its location and then subsequently surprised when one day a train that I was taking actually passed it! I guess it demonstrates just how small the world really is in a way.
Oberschweinstiege Restaurant and Blockhutte
After spending a relaxing weekend with our daughter Ericka, we decided to visit one of the restaurants that we enjoyed immensely on our last visit. After having snow flurries that morning, and a very intolerable forty something degrees that evening for North Carolinians, we took the regional train from Offenbach am Main to Frankfurt Süd, and subsequently Strassenbahn 18 to the park. Unbeknownst to us, Strassenbahn 18 dropped us some 2 km distant from our objective, which forced us to walk for an additional twenty minutes through the park.
Trails in the Naturpark in Frankfurt am Main Süd
The Oberschweinstiege, nestled in the naturpark in Frankfurt am Main Süd, sports a long tradition of local cuisine. It is also repleat with local history and traditional, which anyone can find and read with a proper internet search.
Tristan and Patti’s Rumpsteak vom Argentinischen Rind with vegatables and grilled potatoes
As can been seen by the photograph above the rump roast was thick, juicy and tender. Complimented with a Pauliner Hefe or local wine, an enjoyable meal anywhere.
Oberschweinstiege-Pfanne
I, on the other hand, decided to go with the establishment’s main dish. A hot frying pan of rendered pig with spaetzle!
Rinderroulade nach Großmutters Art
Lastly, Ericka had the grandmother’s roast beef roladen with red cabbage and spaetzle.
Of course, no meal is complete without dessert. But this of course was nothing special since each went to their own comfort food. I chose the apple strudel, Ericka chose creme brulee and the others chose ice cream. All in all, a great evening of eating, compounded by our success getting on Strassenbahn 17, the correct train, which picked us up, but a few hundred meters from the restaurant’s door, instead of a mile away..!
