Ira,

wonderful so far and anxious to hera more.

An "adult beverage in a plastic cup" LOL and at such a bargain price, too.

Glad you enjoyed Herrenchiemsee; I wish more folks from the US had the opportunity to visit it.

Ira,

Sounds like a wonderful trip. Am eagerly waiting for more since we are planning for a trip to Austria, too. And co-incidentally, I rem'ber reading your Italy trip report and being influenced by it while planning for our Italy trip in 2005!
Most of the places you have mentioned seems to be in the Bavarian region and I havent heard much of them. Hope your trip report includes why you got interested in the places originally.
- Trippster

Wonderful start - I am looking forward to your report. I hope the fact that you have begun means you are feeling better.

Hi Trippster,

>Hope your trip report includes why you got interested in the places originally.

I hadn't thought of that. Basically 3 reasons: (1) My family background is Austrian and my Lady Wife's families are from Germany and Alsace, (2) we haven't been there before, (3) I couldn't go so close to Burgundy and not visit it, and (4) we are both interested in Art Nouveau, which began in Nancy.

I am really looking forward to your report on Beaune and Alsace as we leave to do that ourselves on June 24th. Any must sees or general impressions?

Thanks ira - We've been waiting for this one.
Interesting about the tip on the charge card. I wonder if that is common?

Ira and Lady Ira - are we related??!!

My family has Strassers (Strass, Strauss, etc) from Austria, though the rest of the folks are from Rheinland-Pfalz and Alsace. What a coincidence...

I just posted on that "Deja Vu" thread on the lounge about feeling a huge pull towards the Salzkammergut. Again, what a coincidence...

I can't wait to hear more of your trip - you're always a delight!

Hi Kate,

Re Beaune:
If you don't have reservations yet, I can recommend www.hotel-grillon.fr. "Le Verger" is a very nice resto on the property, but separate from the hotel.

The Marche' aux Vins is an interesting exhibit, but the wines aren't that good and pricey.

The Hospices de Dieu is well worth visiting

We motored to/through Autun, Saulieu and Bligny-Sur-Ouche and found them all interesting.

In Alsace we lodged in Kientzheim and visited Riquewhir, Ribeauville and other towns and villages. Nothing particularly spectacular, but very nice scenery and old towns. (Actually, some of them are old looking, as WWII caused a lot of damage in the area).

I'm sure that you will enjoy your visit.


Dijon is worth at least 1/2 day.

Ira,
Thank you for the info.
We are staying at a hotel just outside of Beaune in a village called Levernois. I am glad to hear that Dijon is worth 1/2 day and now will plan to add that in.
We are staying for three nights in a hotel by Ribeauville and will do some wandering. Have you been to Strasbourg?? I think maybe you went on another trip.
What did you think of Nancy?
Thanks for the restaurant tips. Any good ones in the Ribeauville area?
Thanks for your help.

Thanks Ira, I'm anxious to hear more about the location of the Am Moos and if you thought it worth the savings not to be nearer to the city centre.

Now I think It's good to be the king" is Mel Brooks line in The History of the World Part 1.

Ira,

This is has all the makings of a great report. I love getting all the essential details in such a straight ahead, concise manner.

I am eagerly anticipating the Nancy portion as it is on my list of places to visit - I have family who came from that area (to Canada) about four generations back.

Thanks for the read Ira.
The perfect luncheon accompaniment for my 'rawschinken mit brot und fruchte salat' !

I look forward to more of your entertaining writing for tomorrow's lunch.

Cheers,

M.

Ira, I had been looking forward to your report and so far it does not disappoint. Looking forward to the next segment.

Sally

>...I think "It's good to be the king" is Mel Brooks' line in "The History of the World Part 1".

Yup, and he was right.

Hi all,

Glad that you are interested in my offering.

..................
May 16 Weather: Beautiful

Breakfast at the Haus am Moos: A buffet of breads and rolls (my first real Kaiser roll in 40 years); butter, jams and jellies; yoghurt, cheeses and meats, fruits, 2 kinds of Muesli, and soft-boiled eggs. Coffee came with frothed milk. One could put on weight having that everyday, and I did.

Mrs Strasser apologized profusely, but not servilely, for having only instant decaf (Koffenfreikaffe), but it was quite good. The brand was Hag, which she assured me could be found at any market. Unfortunately, I could only find regular Hag at the markets I went to.

We bought two 72-hr Salzburg cards from Mr Strasser and took the bus (free) to the Hahnuschplatz in Salzburg. The bus stop on Moosstrasse is about a 3 min walk from the guesthouse. Travel time is 12 min. Buses run every 12-15 min from about 07:00 to about 23:30. Very convenient for getting into the Old City.

On the way, we stopped at the Augustiner Bräustüberl because I had forgotten that it didn’t open until 3:00. Had an interesting walk around parts the casual tourist rarely sees. My LW is used to going to places that the casual tourist never sees.

From the Hanuschplatz, we walked over to the Monksberg Elevator and took a free ride up to view the city from above. This is a big old fortress and people live inside its walls – not within, inside. Gorgeous views.

Came down and strolled the Getreidegasse (very tourist oriented), visited the Mozartplatz, the Domplatz, the Residenceplatz and the Altmarktplatz, heard the Carillon bells, took the funicular up to Hohensalzburg fortress and returned to the am Moos, pretty tired out. It was a very nice day in Salzburg.

After a short nap and some freshening up, we took the bus into the city and, after a short walk, were at the Goldener Hirsch for dinner only 10 min late.

The building was 600 years old in 2006, but doesn’t look a day over 350. The restaurant is in the former stables. It is a very pleasant, whitewashed room with groined, vaulted ceilings. Service is very smooth and very discreet.

I have a note that the bread plate was very fresh and very crunchy, but this might have been due to it’s being our first upscale dinner in Europe. Living in Madison, GA, one tends to forget what really good bread is like.

After an interesting amuse bouche of some sort of foamy thingy (foamy thingies are very big these days) we had Salmon Mousse for LW and Spargel for me (actually the spargel was meant for 2, but Roberta doesn’t eat asparagus, so I had to force myself to eat her share).

Mains were Prawns for Roberta and Lake Char for me, with accompanying veggies. Wine was an Alte Reben Gruner Veltiner- 2004 for 39E.

Excellent companion to the fish and the spargel – slight green tint to a golden color; aromas of honey, white peaches, pears and apricots; a slightly tart apple and citrus taste leading to a mineral finish.

Dessert, which we shared, was the “Rigo Janci” – hidden toward the bottom of the list beneath stuff with lots of whipped cream on it.

This was a square of flourless chocolate cake topped by two layers of chocolate mousse (dark at the bottom, light at the top), a thin layer of schlag and a trellis of dark and light chocolate. A really scrumptious, amazingly light, very tasty and completely uncloying finishing touch.

I suggested to the head waiter that this be made their signature dessert.

Coffee was excellent – 200E with tip.

A note on the Goldener Hirsch: Many have said that it is overpriced for what you get. I think much depends on carefully reading the menu. For example, pre-dinner drinks – one Manhattan and one Martini cost us 50E. In future, I shall stick to tap water.

Not having noticed that I had drunk a $30 Martini, I returned with my Lady Wife to the am Moos, by way of the convenient bus, and so to bed.

Ira, I'm enjoying your trip report. We were in Bavaria and Austria a few years ago and your report is bringing back lots of fond memories.

Tracy

Coffee was excellent – 200E with tip

And I thought 4E for an espresso was high...

Yes, give us more Ira. I am enjoying your expereinces. We followed spargel season from St. Remy to St. Gilgen to Vienna to Prague and finally to Rothenburg one year and loved it.

"....Not a day over 350.."

You crack me up Herr Ira !

By the way, whats a groined, vaulted ceiling ? Vaulted and groin in the same sentence sounds painful.

Thanks to the Two Fat Ladies, if I recall correctly, Rigo Janci was a Hungarian gentleman of dubious repute who had rather a way with the ladies. The desert named in his honour is traditionally short, dark and sweet and supposedly leaves you wanting more and more...at least amongst the ladies who eat it anyway !

Looking forward to the next chapter.

M.

Besides the Rigo Jansci desert to be found in the heart of Hungary just west of Budapest (!), I was referring to the 'dessert' of the same name in my post above

This is great, Ira. Enjoying your details! I was wondering the same thing, what's a groined ceiling?! Yikes. Do continue.

So I won't be called a lurker later (or a laker lurter), just letting you know I'm in the audience enjoying this bright travelogue. Trip reports and foreign films will be my Eruopean vacation this summer ... with absolutely no 3 hr waits on the runway.
TC

>Rigo Janci was a Hungarian gentleman of dubious repute who had rather a way with the ladies. The desert named in his honour ...<

Thank you, M. I didn't know that.

May 17 Weather: Cloudy, chilly, rainy
It’s Ascencion Day and the buses are running on a Holiday schedule – only 2/hr instead of the usual 4. Terribly inconvenient. OTOH, for the last 50 years, I have lived in the US without any buses at all, so maybe not so inconvenient.

After bkfst, we set off for Hellbrun Palace (free) by way of the Salzach boat (free). You’ll want to devote at least one-half day for this. You get tickets for the next boat (in this case the 11:30) at the ticket booth above the landing.

Having about 0:40 hr to kill, and never missing a chance to try a beer, I had a Zipfer at a local café. Nice head, slightly tart. Prefer Stiegl.

Onto the boat, which crawls agonizingly slowly along the river as you get to view the waterfront. Some nice old buildings. At the Hellbrun landing, we walk about 0.5 km and are transferred to a bus to Hellbrun.

The crowd is sorted into groups of 40, or so. As there are other tour groups, some of us get in and some have to wait about 10 min. Hellbrunn, a pleasure palace for one of the Prince/Bishops of Salzburg, is quite interesting. Another time that I said, “It’s good to be the king”.

The grounds are well landscaped and the water features vary from beautiful to comical. I think that in the Summer it would have been fun, but on a cold and rainy day being squirted with water, which the tour guides found hilarious, was not what we wanted.

There are nighttime, candle-lit evening tours in Summer.

Walked from the palace to the bus stop (about 1 km) and rode back to town. Had a light lunch at the Café’ Bazar across from the Theatergasse bus stop. Nicely done in a Jugendstil-inspired décor. Rost Bratwurst, Salat mit Pilzen und gebratenen Hendlbruststreifen (salad with mushrooms and roasted chicken breast), 2 glasses of house red – 24E.

Wandered a bit and took the bus back to the am Moos, where we warmed up and relaxed before dinner at Esszimmer.

This is a find. www.esszimmer.com

The restaurant is located just across the street from the bus stop for the Augustiner Bräustüberl. It is done in a modern décor, but the colors are warm and it is not unfriendly.

We were greeted and shown to our tables by a pleasant young lady, who was one of the owners. I told her that we had to take the last bus back to the Haus am Moos, and to please make sure that we were on it. She promised to do so, and was as good as her word. She paced the dinner so that we were not at all hurried, but finished our coffee, paid our bill, collected our paraphernalia and were at the bus stop with 5 min to spare.

Esszimmer offers 4 menus, which are changed monthly so that you can go there once a week and not eat the same thing. 3 menus are 5 courses, the Menu Andreas Kaiblinger is 7. With each menu you can have the wine pairing if you wish.

Prices are:
Vegetarian 46E Wine pairing 29E
Esszimmer 57E Wine pairing 30E
Fish 58E Wine pairing 26E
7 course 78E Wine pairing 35E

After accepting an offer of a glass of wine for an aperitif (Trocken Riesling for LW and a Riesling for me) we perused the menus. I chose the Esszimmer. My Lady Wife, whom age cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety, surprised me by going vegetarian instead of with her usual fish.

Mrs Kaiblinger inquired as to whether LW was a vegetarian, as the openers contained fish, and offered to change them if needed. Being assured that Roberta was just in the mood for veggies, she began the presentation.

Dinner opened with a trio of amuses-bouche: a frothed and foamy cream of asparagus soup, a tiny piece of broiled halibut with an eensy, crispy spring roll, a sliver of marinated perch in an herbed cream sauce. All were excellent.

The rest of the 5 courses went from delight to delight. Each course service was set by a white-gloved waitress. Each offering and wine was described by our hostess, who was knowledgeable enough about the pairings to answer my simple questions – in a foreign language, no less.

Highlight of evening. My LW, who insists that she doesn’t like “sweet” wine, refused her Beerenauslese (Martin Paisler, Jois – 2004), so I had it. Yummy.

The cheese tray was worthy of Paris. Wine Pairings with 5-course dinner for two 200E.

As noted, we were at the bus stop 5 min early. Hopped into our coach and were back at the am Moos happily satisfied. And so to bed.

I'm enjoying your report on Salzburg very much Ira! You're eating and drinking well

It's good to hear that using the bus to get to Salzburg isn't a problem. We'll be doing this in the snow but the BB's are a great value!

May 18 Weather: beautiful
After bkfst we drove down to Wherfen to visit Hohenwherfen. The fortress is dramatically perched on a steep hill above the town.

Our major interest was the raptor demonstrations, and we weren’t disappointed. For about an hour we were treated to displays of falconry with falcons, hawks and an American Bald Eagle. Them birds is BIG!

Note: The raptor display is in the outer keep of the fortress. It is a very steep climb down, and up, with few steps.

The fortress sells Kaiser beer – so, so.

Leaving the fortress, we drove to Berchtesgaden – nice town, but lots of tourist shops. Because of Roberta’s vertigo we don’t go up to high places to look down.
Instead, we took a boat ride on the Konigsee. Beautiful lake. Very long and narrow, and very deep. About half-way along, they stop the boat for the guide to play a few notes on a trumpet. Amazing echoes. Don’t tip more than 0.5 E. The town is, as you would expect, there to cater to tourists.

Returned to am Moos, where we relaxed on the balcony, watching birds catch bugs as the light changed on the mountain, until dinner time.

Dinner at K+K Wagplatz – an easy 5 min walk from the Hanuschplatz bus stop.

They have seating for about 500 people on four floors. However, it is divided into a number of small rooms, so that it seems very intimate. We were seated on the first floor at a window overlooking the Mozart Pl.

The menu is limited, but it is done well. Service was friendly, but professional.

Aperitifs of 2004 Zweigelt Reserve, Sepp Mosler – a very interesting red from the Neusiedlersee.

Openers of Prawns w/Arugula over linguini for me and an excellent leek and potato soup for LW.

Mains of Salmon with spargel and potatoes (I got to eat the spargel) for Roberta and Venison with knoedlen and lentils in elderberry sauce for me. 95E for 2.

A very pleasant experience.

After dinner, we wandered about, looking at the lighted sights, and took the bus back to the am Moos. And so to bed.

May 19 Weather: beautiful.
We bid farewell to the Strassers and headed off to Hallstatt. (Did I mention that this is about the best place for the price that we have ever stayed? Very highly recommended.)

Our route took us through Mondsee, St. Gilgen and Bad Ischl, all very pleasant towns on beautiful lakes. However, for sheer picturesque beauty, I ‘m glad we chose Hallstatt.

Except for taking the wrong turn in Hallstatt and driving half-way to Oertraun before I could turn around, our drive was uneventful. Arriving at Hallstatt, I came to the entrance gate (No autos allowed from 10:00-18:00 without a pass.), and looked about for some sign of someone or something that would let me in. Nada.

Being a resourceful Boy Scout, I drove to the Police Station. Using my limited German and the policeman’s (I don’t think that there was more than one that day) limited English, I was directed to return to the parking area where, “I would find a little house. Inside the little house is a little man. He will give you a pass”.

I found the little house. No little man. So, I parked in the bus stop.

In less than a minute, a not-so-little man arrived to shoo me away. Noticing the thick packet of parking passes in his hand, I explained that we were staying at the Gasthof Simony, and in minutes we were there. Unloaded the car, and parked about 2 blks from the Gasthof.

Fuel note: The Salzkammergut is the place to fuel up. Found gasoline for as little as 1.07E/L and Diesel at only 0.92E/L. Even in Hallstatt, it was only 1.12 for gas.

As I was walking back to the Simony, the XXXth convention of Tatra car owners came through town. Taking Roberta in hand, I headed off in pursuit as they worked their way to the top of the town. Very interesting automobiles.

Since we were at the top, we did some sight-seeing as we returned to the hotel. Had a snack and a beer at the Grüner Baum. Trumer beer – somewhat hoppy, but very smooth.

I also picked up a bottle of a HunschupfenGruner Veltliner, 2006 for 7.5E. This was VVG, when we had it on our balcony later.

Our room was quite large – actually a quad – with a balcony facing East, overlooking the Traunsee. The hotel had the appearance of having been refurbished fairly recently. It is a very old building, with appropriate squeaky floors, doors that are hard to open and close, and a variety of antiques scattered about – some of them not guests.

The local CofC offers Friday night candlelit boat rides and Saturday morning guided tours. We arrived on Sat PM and missed both. Oh well, next time.

Dinner was at the Gasthof Zauner. Service and food was OK, but nothing to write home about, about 75E for two.

Wandered around town after dinner, and so to bed.

What a detailed report! I can almost envisage your entire trip I am finding lots of useful info. Clicked on the "Reply" button just to say that I'm eagerly waiting for more!

- T

Excellent report. It brings back fond memories of Prien am Chiemsee and fantastic Gruner Veltliner.

Book Marking.

Excellent report. Very informative and entertaining. A slow day at work, so it is nice to escape to Europe for a few minutes.

<< ...underpowered, top heavy, softly sprung, gas guzzling machine ...
...Got about 30 mpg... >>

That's a curious assessment. 30 mpg is gas-guzzling? And yet you thought it should have more power? Are there vehicles with better fuel efficiency, with greater "power"?

Since you're being showered with so much praise, I had to find something to pick on!

As is the case with kate12, I too am waiting for the expanded Burgundy portion of the trip report (...to accompany the video!)



Best wishes,

Rex

Great report! I felt like I was with you on your travels! Next time I travel... I will consider being a bit more detailed.

Thanks Ira,
Natalie

The suspense is killing me.

Type fast, Ira.

<< The suspense is killing me.

Type fast, Ira. >>

Ummm... not to be a spoiler... but I think it's going to wrap up pretty much like the Sopranos. None of the main characters will die in the final installment.

Great report, loved your film debut.

You have recommended a car rental company/search that I think starts with "g" and I can't seem to find in with the search button...

Hey ira,
Enjoyed your report so far. Thanks for writing.
Oh, and as far as the Opel Meriva 1.6...we drove over the Grossglockner road in one last year. Underpowered is an understatement!

Paul

Susanna, I think you are referring to www.gemut.com.

Hi Rex,

>30 mpg is gas-guzzling? And yet you thought it should have more power? Are there vehicles with better fuel efficiency, with greater "power"?<

The Peugeot 307 HDI that we had on our visit to France was also 1.6L. It had much more pep and got 40 mpg on Diesel.

I could have done about as well with my Auto Transmission Vibe.

Addendum to May 19:
On the way to Hallstatt we made a detour to see the Gosausee. Our guide book (2000 Edition of Fo.....) described it as a beautiful, wilderness untouched but for a restaurant at the edge of the lake.

That was then.

Working my way slowly through the various parking lots that line the steep road up to the restaurant/lodge at the tip of the lake, avoiding tour buses as I went, I dropped Roberta off near the lake-view terrace and went searching for a place to put the car. Fortunately, a kindly gentleman who was about to pull out of a “No Parking” space signaled to me, and I was able to stop only about 100 m from the lake.

Something of a disappointment.

The Lake seemed to be 3-5 feet below its normal level. The color of the woods, water and mountains couldn’t compare to the other lakes we had seen on the way in, nor to other lakes we would see later. The Dachstein Glacier is so far away, that it was difficult to distinguish it from snow patches on other mountains.

Perhaps, we were there are the wrong day, in the wrong season.

Anyway, with my wonderful Canon S3 IS camera, I was able to adjust for exposure, etc and got some pix that make the place look much better than it was in person.

May 20 Weather: Beautiful and very warm. High about 28 C.
Arose early and took a few pix of the sun rising behind the mountains, then drove over to Obertraun to watch the sun rising on the mountains from the other side.

There is a particular traditional boat that is used on the Hallstattsee (and, I expect, the other Salzkammergut lakes) that is a flat-bottomed skiff with a large, upraised prow that is propelled by standing at the rear and sculling with one oar. It is not unlike a gondola, though by no means as fancy. I think it is called a “platte”. They also come in catamaran form, for large groups.

Well, there were about 4 of them out on the water this morning. Some fishing, others carrying goods across the lake. Very picturesque.

Electric motors are permitted on the lakes. Only the ferries and other authorized boats have IC engines. Very sensible.

After breakfast, the usual assortment of breads, rolls, pastries, cheeses, meats, yoghurt, fruit, we set off to tour the Salzkammergut.

Our route took us from Hallstatt to the Toplitzsee, hjust beyond Gosl, passing through Obertraun, Bad Aussee and Grundlsee along the way. The Toplitzsee was recommended by “Austria”, who hasn’t appeared for some time. It was very good advice.

I was concerned that LW would have problems with the steep road up to and down from the Koppen pass between Obertraun and Bad Aussee, but the trees blocked the precipitous route from view, and she was quite OK.

We drove up to Gosl, parked the car and hiked for about 2 km on a well-constructed path through a forest. Upon reaching the lake, we came upon the Fischerhütte, a restaurant/café/ice cream shop/theme park. We took a table under the trees to enjoy the view, the stillness (interrupted now and then by a bird call), and the general feeling of ‘Süß, nichts zu machen‘ (which my machine translator tells me is German for ‘dolce far niente’).

The Fischerhütte offers Gösser beer – good head, very good balance - and a wheat beer, which was too sweet for our tastes.

Not long after we arrived, a number of folks began to appear, mostly families – many in traditional garb – for their Sunday outing. We noticed that Austrians do like to dress up on these weekend excursions in various styles of dirndls, lederhosen and other types of traditional costume.

Finishing our beers, we left the merrymakers to their day while we, refreshed in body and soul, walked back to the car and on to Bad Aussee and the B145 East. Eschewing the 1000 m Phyrnpass, we followed the B146 beyond Liezen to the A9 going North – road construction and detours made this a little hard to follow – and the Bosruck tunnel. This is a very long tunnel for which you have to pay 4.5E toll.

Having invested that much in the road, and finding the exit to Spital closed, I stayed on the A9 instead of taking the byroad through the various towns and villages. This turned out OK, as the route is quite scenic, and we saved about 1 hr.

We transferred to the A1 going West, and exited back onto the B145 going South toward Gmunden and the Traunsee. This is one large, and beautiful lake. We stopped for a while to watch the boats on the lake (the sailboats were greatly enjoying the stiff breeze)before continuing on to Bad Ischl.

Despite Roberta’s certainty that we would merely get lost on some dead-end street too narrow to turn around in (I do that sometimes), I found a parking space (free on Sunday) on the Leharkai, less than 4 blks from Zauner’s famous bakery and Eiscafé.

Roberta had a dish of 3 scoops of various flavors (came with a thin waffle) and I had the Erdbeerbecher – strawberry ice cream with strawberries, schlag and a waffle cracker – 9E. Each order came with a glass of tap water – without asking.

Presentation was quite nice, service was very good, prices weren’t out of line with less fancy places.

Bad Ischl seemed to be a very nice town, but we didn’t have time to do more than look at it and move on.

We followed the B145 back to Bad Aussee and then up to Grundlsee again for dinner at the Post Am See.

This is a find.

We arrived about 7:10, washed up a bit, and had an aperitif at a lakeside table across the road from the restaurant. As the sun set behind the mountain and a cool breeze came off the lake, our waitress (flaxen haired, blue-eyed and brustige – looked great in a dirndl) ushered us into the dining room.

The resto is done in “contemporary/traditional” – it has the feel of being in Austria, but without all of the decorative touches of carved wood, beamed ceilings, paneling, etc that a traditional room would have. As I learned from speaking to various folks in the business, it is too expensive to build a traditional place that meets the modern codes.

The back wall is a large window that looks into the kitchen. I’m not sure why this is done, other than to assure customers that there is actually someone in the kitchen. OTOH, they could be faking it. Pretending to cook, while everything is actually microwaved in another room.

Post am See offers 4 menus, which can be had in 3 or 4 courses, or a la carte. Each menu has suggested wines. In addition, there are wine suggestions for each dish.

LW had the 3-course fish: Cream of lobster soup; Filet of Zander (pike perch) with Spargel (which I had), and whipped potatoes; Lemon tart with strawberries and pistachios.

I had the 4-course poultry: Breaded filet of rabbit with green salad; Cream of asparagus soup; Marinated duck breast with a ginger risotto and baby bok choy; fried spring roll stuffed with nuts and stuff with a Passionfruit mousse.

A trio of amuses bouche: A tiny cup of cream of leek soup, quail egg with lime foam, and an itty bitty knoedel with greben on sauerkraut.

The entire dinner, food, service, atmosphere, was first rate. With aperitifs and 3 glasses of local wines (sorry, didn’t write them down) with dinner – 100E.

Satisfied and happy, we returned to the hotel under a clear, starry sky; the Milky Way, forming a glowing ceiling above us. And so to bed.

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 !

bookmarking for weekend reading

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

sorry, that should be "they" don't...

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

Hi Ann,

Thanks for the info on Hag coffee.

I wish someone had told me that last month.

>Hag coffee
You didn't watch enough TV commercials, ira. Everyone here knows that it's decaf and "bekömmlich". (since 1906)

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.

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.

Thank you for the report, Ira. I'm enjoying it.
Judy

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!

Great report so far, Ira. Have been to Austria 3 times, all in winter, so this is interesting.

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...

Hi Betty,

>.. is Suzanna still running the Hotel Simony? <

I don't think so. At least not on a daily basis. The lady in charge was "of an age", and there were no Schneken rolls.

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.

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!

oh my goodness! I was not expecting that, Ira. But, as you wish! I will do my best.

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.

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.

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.

Hi Sue,

> I'm afraid to drive in Germany or Austria!

Off the Autobahns, it is almost exactly like driving in France. Road signs, directions, etc are uniform all over the EU.

Driving on the Autobahns is not something to fear, but it requires paying close attention when you want to pass.

Unless you are in a high-powered car, like a Benz or BMW, your car is likely to be underpowered, so you have to get ready fairly early to downshift, get up to speed, go around, get back in lane.

If you see a car in your left-hand mirror, don't pull out until you are sure that it is safe.

BTW, the mirrors in Europe give a much better view than those in the US.

I think that the worst drivers we encountered were in Alsace. They have the Germanic love of speed, coupled with a French flair for spontaneity.

Such a wonderful trip report, Ira!

"Their beer is Stiegl – excellent – a head like whipped cream, tiny bubbles and very good balance between malt and hops."

In 2003, DH and I spent a long weekend in Salzburg, your description of the beer is so good I can almost taste it!

Could do without the Hag, however, lol. DH and I both would have massive headaches from the lack of caffeine.

The food descriptions have made me hungry.

Thank you for taking me along on this journey with you, your report is a wonderful read!

May 23 Weather: Beautiful
Checked out of the Zum Hechten and headed ofr Linderhof Palace. Found the B17 with no difficulty. Took this to the B179 South, where my Viamichelin directions said to exit at Reutte. It didn’t mention that there is a Reutte North and a Reutte South. The South turned out to be the correct one.

We followed Krecklemoosstrass (love the name) to Germany, where it became ST 2060, with signs pointing to Linderhof. This is a very pretty road, especially the part that runs along the Plansee.

We both think that Linderhof is the best of Ludwig’s fantasy palaces. The Venus Grotto is well worth the climb up the hill.

We left Linderhof about 2:00 PM and arrived in Mindelheim (recommended by Budman as a rest stop) about 5:00 Pm, having passed through Oberramergau (pretty, painted buildings), visited the Wieskirch (well worth the detour), and traveled the byways around Steingaden, Ob, Thalhofen, Pforzen, and Lauchdorf, among others. Very pretty, bucolic scenery and some pleasant old villages.

At Mindelheim, we stayed at the Hotel Stern (www.hotel-stern.org), which is much nicer than its website depicts. It is actually a 3* - 70E/nite dbl with bkfst. We recommend this for a nice place to stop along the Romantic Road.

Their beer is Memminger – VG. The dunkle is much like a UK bitters, and the Premium is VVG.

We had dinner (32E) on their terrace (much more pleasant than depicted):
Spargel with Venison steak, Spinach crepes in tomato sauce, salads, and a bottle of Austman Zweigelt 2004 – a very pleasant red, not unlike a Beujolais.

After dinner, we wandered around the pleasant Old Town, and so to bed.

May 24 Weather: Hot high of 31
After breakfast - a very nice spread including lachs, many kinds of meats and cheeses, as well as the usual fare – we headed off for Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

We followed the B16 North to Donauworth, where we picked up the B2 to Treuchtlingen and then the ST2216 through Wassertrüdingen and Dinkelsbühl (along with little farm villages) before taking the B25 North to the A7 and RodT.

Scenery was very pleasant - prosperous farm country with rolling hills. We found Dinkelsbühl interesting (Michelin gives it a star).

Arriving in RodT, we easily navigated our way to the House Karin, missing the turn only once. (See www.haus-karin.de/engl.htm and www.bensbauernhof.com/hauskarinrothenburgodt.html)

Mrs. Karin Weiss is a very peppy, older woman who takes care of her guests with great joy. There is beer (she prefers Oettinger), juice and water in the fridge whenever you want some. Her breakfasts are substantial, and she is willing to prepare (within reason) extras for the guests.

We were given a mini-suite on the first floor. Queen bed, sitting area with couch and two arm chairs, a table that could accommodate 4 and a separate, private bath – 46E/nite dbl w/bkfst.

We very highly recommend staying with her. Before you leave, do be sure to return the guide book to RodT that she gives you.

House Karin is about an 8 min walk into the heart of the old town. Upon her recommendation, we walked over to the Altfränkische Weinstube for dinner. A pleasant place, with acceptable food, but nothing notable. Wandered about for a while in the pleasant evening (it had finally cooled down) before returning to Haus Karin, and so to bed.

May 25 Weather: Very hot High of 35C
After breakfast we visited the town in the relative cool of the morning. Toward noon, we stopped in at Käthe Wohlfart because it’s air conditioned, but found ourselves intrigued by the displays and the goods. (www.wohlfahrt.com).

Found a café with an awning for a couple of brews and a snack, but had to return to our room about 3:00 PM because of the heat. Mrs Weiss brought us two Kaffee Eis. Yummy.

As the sun began to set, and the temperature dropped to a reasonable level, we walked down to Mittermeir for dinner.

This is a find. www.mittermeier.rothenburg.de
Michelin gives it two red crossed spoons. I think that it is better than that.

The hotel has two restaurants: Die Blau Sau (The Blue Sow), an enoteca with an Italian menu (German translation), below the terrace, and the Gourmet Restaurant, on the terrace and indoors. The décor is subdued and very pleasant.

We were escorted to a table on the Terrace, with a view of the Wurzburger Tor, and offered aperitifs. We chose a Hoffman Rivaner (very dry) and an Alter Weingert from the house vineyard (fruity, but dry).

Amuse bouche: a little cup of horseradish mousse topped with a cassis aspic. Individually, the mousse was too hot, and the aspic was too sweet. Together, it was an excellent stimulus to the tastebuds. Excellent idea.

There are only two menus: 4 courses for 79E or 5 courses for 89E. Of course, you can mix and match or order a la carte, but if the chef has prepared a menu I think that one should give him a chance. So we took one of each.

To save time and space, I’m skipping the full description. Both menus are shown on the Mittermeir website.

It should be noted, that after dinner I worked with thr maitre d’ on converting his much-too-literal English translations into menu-English. For example, “with lemongras steamed dearsaddle” became “Lemongrass steamed saddle of venison”, and “souflée of low fat curd cheese” was turned into “Soufflée of farmer’s cheese”, which I think sounds much tastier.

In addition to wines mentioned above, I had 2005 Silvaner Spätlese – floral and woody aromas with tastes of Kräuterbutter (an herb blend); an unoaked Chardonnay from the family vineyards – just right; a very pleasant Pinot Blanc; a Trauberschwarz with the venison – light and fruit-filled, yet dry; and a Schmitt’s Kinder Rundersackerer Sonnenstuhl Scheurebe Auslese 2003 with dessert – Honey and herbs, good body and lovely color. All of the wines came from within 75 km of RodT. Best food we had eaten in almost a week. 250E with tip.

Very well satisfied, we returned to Haus Karin, and so to bed.

No, we didn’t go on the Night Watchman’s tour. It would have required having dinner before the tour (much too early for me) or after the tour (much too late for LW).

Great Report Ira!! Thanks so much for all the information and the great description. It's a pleasure to read your trip reports.

Excellent report, Ira. Love the Pepys sign-off; that always makes me smile. And of course thank you for all the mouth-watering descriptions.

Ira! Did you say 35c in Rothenburg in May? Say it wasn't so. Hoping, J.

Maximum was 30C on the 25th and 11C on the 28th. May was "not so good" except for the days Ira was here. Don't know, how he does it!

hi again, Ira,

I'm glad that your guess about what "brustige" means was better than your knowledge of makes of coffee.

"Hohenschwangau is interesting. Ludwig lived here as a child. It is possible that this is why he turned out to be somewhat weird."

if you have toured buck House, you may feel that it also explains a lot.

regards, nn

PS - my experience with my friends who live in the Pfalz is that the serve a particularly tasty potato slald with fish, not sauerkraut.

perhaps they just had a lot over from the day before?

May 26 Weather: Clear and sunny high about 22 C
After breakfast, we packed up and headed for Schwäbish Hall, taking the A7 South to the A6, and then West to the B19.

Arrived, just in time to see the last of the market stalls packed up and taken away. Oh well.

Schwäbish Hall is interesting, but I suggest visiting it before Rothenburg.

We took the B19 South to where it met the A7, and followed that to Lindau. The B19 was a pleasant rode to drive.

Arrived Lindau about 3:30. Got lost for a while, because I didn’t go far enough West to the train station. Reoriented myself, and found the Schrier very easily from the train station. (www.hotel-schreier.de)

Note on the difference between Austrians and Germans: When you are going the wrong way on a one-way street, Austrians blink their lights and politely tell you that you are going the wrong way, Germans blink their lights and then yell at you to turn yourself around, “mach schnell!”.

Note on cars: Lindau is a small, very popular, crowded island. There is little parking. The Schreier had 5 spaces assigned to it at a parking lot nearby. Other hotels’ reserved parking took up about half of that lot.

The Schreier is located on the Seepromenade at the Färbergasse. Excellent location opposite the harbor. The staff was very nice, the hotel is spotless, the room was large, with a garden terrace overlooking the lake and beautiful view of the Swiss mountains. We were greeted with chocolate and a half-bottle of wine in our room. My Lady Wife was very pleased.

We checked ourselves in and plopped down on our terrace to drink all of the provisions in the mini-fridge and watch the passing scene. About 6:00 PM, a small demonstration gathered outside the hotel. After the speeches, we were treated to an hour or so of ‘60s protest songs, jugglers and other entertainers.

The hotel manager suggested that we have dinner at Zum Sunfzen, for a traditional Bavarian meal. Since we had already done so, I complimented her on her perspicacity.

It pays to make reservations. It was the Whitsunday weekend, and everyone was on holiday. We, however, were given a table for 4 under an umbrella, with a real table cloth. Their beer is Meckatzer. The Weiss Gold was very good.

We had the Sunfzenglück for 2, which surprised me as Roberta doesn’t usually do sauerkraut with game and sausage. Zum Sunfzen gets its game from its own preserve, butchers its own meat and provides fish from the Bodensee. Very, very good, substantial, hearty fare and very good service. Dinner with a half liter of wine and a liter of beer, 55 E.

After dinner we strolled about before returning to the hotel. And so to bed.

May 27 Weather: Sunny and hot
Arising early, I wandered about taking pix in the quiet, almost empty town before returning to the hotel and breakfast with my Lady Wife.

This was served at the Eis Café. Hotel guests had a reserved section on the terrace, with table cloths and real napkins. Classy. The usual fare was served. Coffee was particularly good.

We checked out of the hotel, retrieved the car, and headed West on the E54. It was my intention to avoid driving in Switzerland, as I am too cheap to pay 35E for less than a day’s use of a ‘vignette’.

Beautiful drive along the Bodensee to the A81, and then onto the B31 heading West. This was a very scenic road. We followed it to Titisee, drove around the lake (avoiding tour buses as much as possible) and transferred to the B317. Here we ran into rain, wind and fog. The temperature dropped to 11 C. A very welcome relief from the heat.

Once again, we had no difficulty with mountain passes. The only time we encountered a possible problem, it was so foggy that Roberta couldn’t see the precipice. I couldn’t either, but had no problem tootling along at 20 kph.

Skies cleared as we approached Basel, skirted the city and enterd France. Here we picked up the D419 toward Altkirch and Belfort. This was a very nice drive through pleasant farm country.

At Belfort we took the A36 West until Exit 2.1, where we shifted to the N73, bypassed Dole and entered Beaune on the D973. This brought us directly the the Hotel Grillon.

Eagerly waiting for this portion our your report!

The Grillon (www.hotel-grillon.fr)is a pleasant old building situated behind a gated fence in a pleasant residential neighborhood near the edge of Beaune. It shares the property with a restaurant, Le Verger, and what appears to be a private residence. It was recently renovated.

Our room was of a reasonable size, with a full, modern bath, overlooking the back. Roberta says it should have had more closet space. You can also have a similar-size room facing the street (11-15) with shower only at a lower cost. It was about a 15 min walk into the center of town. We can readily recommend this hotel.

After checking in, I headed off to find one of the two local supermarchés that I had noted. Unfortunately, I left my maps in the room. I proceeded to get very lost. As storm clouds gathered, I got to see parts of the city that the tourist rarely finds.

The secret to driving in Beaune is to remember that the peripheral road goes counter-clockwise around the town. Don’t go through town. It’s all one-way streets going the wrong way.

Finally got back to the hotel in a pouring rain.

Never did find the supermarchés.

Dinner at “Le Verger”. This is a very nice room, done in the Art Moderne style. Service was peasant and very discreet.

After our aperitifs, white wine for LW, and a Campari soda for me, we had an amuse bouche of tomato juice made on premises and served in a graduated cylinder – an amusing conceit.

Roberta had the 25E menu – escargot en crooute, salmon fillet, ice cream. I had the 39E menu – marbré de foie gras, Bar (fish) with a slice of sausage and black rice risotto, 5 cheeses out of 12 offered, and a gaufre (waffle) with a scoop of ice cream for dessert. Wine was a Premier cru Chablis – 34E.

Before our coffees, we were given a small beaker of an infusion of herbs along with a tuile cookie that looked like a slice of salami, but wasn’t.

That night there was a birthday party, a table of 12 on a business trip, and 3-4 assorted couples. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. All of the men wore jackets.

A very nice dinner. 120E with tip (just round up – this is France)
And so to bed.

May 28 Weather: dreary and rainy in the AM, very nice in the PM.
Had a very nice bkfst, usual fare of rolls, croissant yoghurt, etc. If you like boiled eggs, you can cook your own to whatever doneness you like.

As we tried to decide what to do, the rain lifted, and we set off for a drive in the countryside.

We visited Autun – well worth a few hours, Saulieu – interesting, Bligny sur Ouche – charming, but the steam train wasn’t running and returned to Beaune.

We had a snack at a local bar – half pitcher of aligoté was very fresh, clean and fruity – and went off to the Marché aux Vins. The exhibit is arranged as a tour through a chateau’s cave. Wines to be tasted are set on candlelit barrels. You use a tastevin (provided with the admission fee) to taste each bottle. There are recorded guides to the history of the region and its wines along the route.

It was a pleasant experience. We thought that the wines weren’t bad. They were certainly overpriced.

Wandered about a bit, returned to the hotel to change and went off to “Le Pommard” in Pommard. I’d chosen this restaurant because of my original plans to spend the day touring Burgundy as far north as Tanlay and stopping there before oing back to the hotel, but decided that 8:30 hr on the road was not a good idea.

The resto is in the cellar of a wine shop attached to a vineyard. A narrow circular stair leads to a small, white-washed, vaulted room that is rather charming. Three local couples were also there. Service was good. Food was OK. Wines, from the vineyard, were OK.

LW was a bit put off, because the other diners kept staring at her. I explained that it was because they had never seen such a classy dame before.

If you are ever in Pommard, this is not a bad place to stop.

Returned to hotel, had a nightcap from room service, and so to bed.

May 29 Weather: overcast, chilly slight drizzle
After bkfst, we headed off to Dijon, where Coco had been nice enough to invite us along while she took Rob and Harriet to the market at Les Halles.

Took the byroads through various villages and arrived at the Pl Darcy garage. Took the ticket from the machine and entered. Followed the signs down, and down, and down, and down until we finally found a spot on Level L. It goes down as far as N.

All the way, it sounded as if our car had developed a major problem. Each time I turned to the right, there was a harsh squeal. Upon parking, I inspect the tirses, etc, but found nothing. Shortly after, another car came down the ramp, making the same noise.

It turned out to be the no-skid finish on the ramp surface.

We took the elevator up to ground level, called Coco to tell her we were running late, and arrived at our meeting place without difficulty. Coco was a wonderful guide. Her apartment is very, very nice, and well located. We had a terrific time. You can see the video at http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35015626

After saying fond farewells to our Fodorite friends, we walked some of the Owl Trail (They have little owl plaques embedded in the sidewalks.) and returned to the car. Remember to take your parking ticket with you, you have to pay at the automatic machines before you go back to your car.

We followed the wine route back to Beaune, stopping for a couple of sips along the way, and our hotel. There we spent a pleasent hour or so killing off a haf-bottle of Nuit St. Georges and some cheese that we had acquired along the way before going into town for dinner.

We parked at the Pl Madeline and walked over to Pl Carnot. La Gourmandin being full, we chose what looked like a reasonable resto with terrace seating, La Concorde, and had the Menu. This is a Belle Epoque restaurant, LW had the escargot, Sandre in lobster sauce, tarte aux Pommes. I had the roast chicken in tarragon. Half-pichet of rouge and 1/2 pichet of rosé, 2 large café crème. Reasonably good food, not unreasonable price – 50E.

As we walked back toward the car, She Who Must Be Obeyed developed a desire for a Cognac. We rejected the first two clubs – much too noisy – and chose a small bistro – Le Cercle – near the Pl Madeline. This was “a clean, well lighted place”. The coffee, Cognac, Armagnac and Eau de Vie were very good. Several regulars in the place spoke no English, but were having a great time bantering with the owner – sometimes about the tourists – a group of 4 Brits and us.

After the British folks left, a gentleman asked if he could sit with us. He was 1/2-French and 1/2-German, married to a Swede and living in Denmark. He was in Beaune on a business trip. Very interesting fellow. We bought each other a round or two, and headed to our respective abodes.

Back to the Grillon about midnight – Madam at Le Cercle reminded her husband that they don’t stay open all night – and so to bed.

Thanks for all the helpful info presented in an engaging manner. Your were kind enough, Ira, to reply to an inquiry of mine a few months ago and give your planned route from Salzburg to the Bodensee. Now that you have driven that route, would you change any of the "legs" of that plan? You mentioned one pass being fogged in. Would you have any hesitation about driving that route in late October? I am worrying some that we might have to deal with snow. If that is likely, I should probably opt to train across lower Bavaria. Thanks for any info any of you want to pass along. PJK

Hi PJ,

>You mentioned one pass being fogged in. Would you have any hesitation about driving that route in late October? I am worrying some that we might have to deal with snow.<

Sorry, I don't have enough experience on that route to know if you would have a problem with snow and ice in Oct.

You might want to post the question for a general response.

If you rub the stomach of the owl on the church, it is supposed to bring you good luck. Students at the Universite de Dijon do it before exams all the time. I took a summer class at the Universite de Dijon many years ago and have kept in touch with the family I stayed with ever since. My daughter visited with them when she did her junior year at the Universite de Montpellier.

I have to say I really enjoyed your trip reports, as I have visited many of the places you visited and driven all around the Bodensee/Lake Constance. I have done home exchanges in St. Georgen (Black Forest) and Scheidigg in Allgau (Bavaria). I am sorry you did not get to the Marionnettentheater in Lindau. What the Germans and Austrians do with marionettes is truly amazing. They do operas with them and you would swar you are watching an opera on TV the marionettes are so lifelike.

I am about to go off on another home exchange--this time in Vienna. We have reservations for the marionettentheater at Schoenbrunn! I will be seeing "The Magic Flute" for the umpteenth time with marionnettes, but my girlfriend (meeting me in Vienna for part of the trip) has never seen this, so I had to do it again!

Of the places you visited, I have been to Fuessen, Lindau, Titsee, Beaune and Nancy. I have never been to Salzburg and probably will not get there this trip as I am going to do a side trip to Budapest.

Thanks so much for the wonderful trip report and video!

Good to know you found a "clean well-lighted place." Good story from Papa. PJK

Hi PJK (sorry ira),
We've visited Bavaria, Austria and Dolomites, including many alpine passes, in mid to late October four of the last six years. Haven't encountered any snow, ice or any winter type conditions. Actually, the weather was quite comparable to here in NJ. My opinion, I wouldn't hesitate to drive if these are your concerns.

Paul

May 30 Very nice 7C in the early AM, high of 20C
Arose early, as is my wont, and thought to take a tour of Beaune before it became busy. Quietly tiptoed form our room, down the corridor and out the front door. Drove the car to the entrance gate and entered the pass code. Nothing.

Checked the code – correct number. Checked the front door – code worked. Retried the gates – nothing. Considered climbing the fence. Decided I was more likely to knock it over than to climb over it. There I was, trapped on the hotel grounds - a prisoner.

Went back in and read fashion magazines until about 07:00 when Mr Grillon activated the front gate.

Went into town and took a few pix, drove out of town and took a few pix, stopped off at an intermarché and picked up an almond and a chocolate croissant (just to have something different) and returned to the hotel.

After breakfast we visited the Hotel Dieu. Very interesting. “The Last Judgement” by Weyden is an amazing piece. The detail is so fine, that they have installed a large magnifying glass that traverses the entire painting so that one can be awed by it.

Spent the rest of the day following the Michelin town walk, wandering about and people watching. Took a 1/2 bottle of Vosne Romanée Premier Cru – 2004 (13E) and some cheese back to the hotel, where we spent the rest of the afternoon sipping, munching and reading in the garden. A very pleasant day.

As we prepared to go to dinner, rain clouds appeared. Even though we took our umbrellas, it rained. Intrepid travelers that we are, we drove the 6 km to “Les Paulands” anyway. (www.lespaulands.com)

Dinner was served in a pleasant, glass-walled room overlooking the garden and the vineyards. It was very pleasant watching the rain come down, while we were dry and comfortable. Although they advertise menus starting at 26E, all that was offered this evening were the 59 and 76E menus for two. Since we couldn’t agree on either, we ordered a la carte.

Amuse bouche: Liver paté on toast and a gougere.
Mise en bouche: A very good cucumber and horseradish soup.

LW had: an excellent gazpacho with a sorbet of pimento (fantastic) and crème fraiche, the Coq marinated in Chardonnay accompanied by a spinach soufflé and the 3-ice cream assortment (choose from about 6) – vanilla w/Bourbon, vanilla w/Marc and lemon sorbet – these were accompanied by various fruits.

Ira had: a very good foie gras, Red Snapper with fennel and assorted veggies, and “Le Crumble”, an apple crumble with various fruits and a tart lemon sauce.

Dinner was accompanied by a Ch. Paulands Puligney Montrachet, which was excellent.

Our waiter was very good: pleasant, helpful with the menu choices and wines and discreet. A very pleasant, quiet dinner. 145E with tip.

The rain stopped, just before we left to return to the hotel. And so to bed.

May 31 Weather: Clear with fair weather haze
After breakfast, we packed up and headed for Kientzheim (near Colmar). We took the A6/A31 toward Dijon, skirted Dijon on the A31 and took the D70 toward Vesoul, easily navigated through the industrial area on the outskirts of Vesoul (very proud of self) onto the N57 toward Remiremont.

We made a pit stop at the Ruchan Hypermarché in Luxeuil les Bains, and had lunch at the Sun 7 self-serve buffet across from the supermarket. I hope that these folks are successful. The room looks like a McD, but they offer hot and cold platters, beverages and desserts of good quality ant reasonable prices.

A cheese plate and bowl of fresh fruit, marinated herring with a roll and a pitcher of rosé cost 9E.

Fortifies and gassed up, we continued on the N57, and picked up the D417 to Gérardmer. I had intended to take the D8 out of Gérardmer and head to Kientzheim on the N415, but we missed the turn.

Rather than go back, we continued on the D417, which turned out to be very serendipitous. The road climbs up and over the mountains, but it was not so precipitous that it caused Roberta much discomfort. We saw Lac Longemer. Made a quick detour to La Roche du Diable. Drove through beautiful mountain scenery, and then came out of the woods above the Munster Valley. Absolutely spectacular!

We dropped down into the valley, continued on to the outskirts of Colmar, followed the signs to Turkheim, Ammerschwihr and Kaysersberg, and were in Kientzheim in no time at all.

Kientzheim is a small, walled village that looks very old, but isn’t. Although the town dates back to the VIIIth Cent (Conesheim), a major battle (Poche de Colmar) in the closing months of WWII destroyed much of it.

We stayed at the Hotel Schwendi (http://perso.orange.fr/schwendi/index.htm), a very nice hotel with all modern amenities housed in several old buildings. Our room was in the new Annex (a XVIth Cent forge), with a balcony overlooking a courtyard. We were very pleased. The hotel is run by the Schille-Giese family, who also have vineyards and a winery.

After settling in, we went down to the square, where we enjoyed several glasses of wine from the region before dinner. Dinner was good. Afterward, we took a bottle of Schille-Geise Reisling up to our balcony and shared it with another couple who brought along a bottle of the Pinot Grise. Both very good.
And so to bed

Ira,

Another great trip report!

You write so well. I know that you're a professor. Are you an English professor?

Ira,

Enjoying your report...reminds me of the first trip I made to Germany, which was also in May, the height of Spargel season. I can still almost taste the Spargelcremesuppe today!

Was hoping to see that you made it past Andechs for lunch, and what I think is the best beer I've ever had, made at the monastery there. If you've never been, put it on your list for the next time you're in Bavaria. Stiegl was also a highlight during my visit to Salzburg. I also seem to recall a particularly nice Dornfelder trocken Rotwein I had somewhere along the Weinstrasse.

Thanks for the time and effort in the details!

Hey, Ira! Looks like you were following us! Not only in Dijon, but in Alsace as well. We were on many of those same roads just a day before you. We passed through Kientzheim on our way back to Grussenheim on Wednesday May 30 and were back in Kaysersberg on May 31. Maybe we should tie a Fodors flag to our cars so we can recognize each other on the road!

I'm enjoying your report. Wish I could write as well as you.

Hi B,

>Are you an English professor?

No. I am an American Professor (ret) of Engineering.

That's funny. I didn't think about the double meaning of English Professor.

Hi Betty,

That explains the feeling of joy an well-being that I had on May 31.

Another Fodorite in the vicinity.

Thanks for all the kind words, folks.

Hi BM,

Thanks for the heads up. I have Andech down for our next visit.

good report, ira!

Hello ira,

Still following along with great pleasure!

I wanted to pass on a tip, Burg Colmberg, in case you and your LW are back in the Rothenburg obT area. RufusTFirefly and Tuck have mentioned it before as well. The castle is a very easy (only 1 turn!) 15 minute drive from the historic center of Rothenburg. The grounds are lovely and there are deer and wild boar in the park (you can easily survey most of the park from the castle). We had dinner reservations for 7:30pm and enjoyed a marvelous meal lasting about 2 hours. We were so far north that we still had daylight for the trip back to Rothenburg. We enjoyed Franconian wine soup, Franconian wedding soup, delicious and unique dumplings made with spinach and I'm not sure what else (but they were wonderful!), saddle of venison which was very tender, fresh asparagus dishes, and the most divine apple strudel. The wine list is very extensive. We had several bottles among our party of 6 and they were all quite good.
As y'all seem to really enjoy good food and unique dining experiences, I wanted to mention it for your next trip to the area.

Ira,
Great trip report!

As for getting the best airfare, my family hopes to travel to Europe in May/June 2008. You mentioned that you booked your fare the August before. Is there an efficient way to monitor the ticket prices so I can book when a "deal" is offered?

My daughter and I just returned from an extraordinary trip to Rome, Florence, and Paris, and want to return again next year!

As always, thanks to you and the many Fodorites for your excellent advice!

Thanks, Karen

Hi TA,

Thanks for the tip.

It's in my file.

Hi Bab,

> Is there an efficient way to monitor the ticket prices so I can book when a "deal" is offered?<

I don't think so.

From August through April our ticket price went up and then slowly dropped to about $30 more than we paid.

Then they had a 1 day sale for $200 less, after which it went up to $200 more than we had paid.

I'm loving this thread. Not only is Ira's report helpful, but I appreciate the additions several people have made, such as TexasAggie's recent post. I'll plan on visiting Burg Colmberg this fall when we are in the area. We don't typically spend much on food when we travel (my husband's reluctance to spend food money, not mine) but I am keeping notes. We are not beer drinkers, but when I do have a beer, I typically like the light-colored beers. (So sorry for the non-technical description.) Are any of the mentioned beers ones that you would specifically recommend for a novice beer drinker who generally seems to like light-colored beers? I must have a few beers while in Germany. PJK

Hi PJK,
For us "novice" beer drinkers (I usually don't care for beer)try a Radler. It's a mix of beer and lemon-lime soda I believe. Sounds odd but is very good.

Paul

Hi PJ,

Your light colored beer is "helles". Dark beer is "dunkle".

Wheat beers are somewhat sweeter.

I think that you will like Stiegl, a very well balanced helles.

June 1 Weather: Cool, light rain all day
After bkfst we hopped in the car and visited Kaysersberg (pleasant) and Riquewihr (crowded – we shall have to go back one evening), drove up to Haute Königsbourg and returned via a number of small towns. Very nice drive through the scenic valley.

Returned to the hotel, where we brought a bottle a Pinot Gris back to our room and watched from the balcony as the rain got heavier and heavier. Decided to have dinner at the hotel.

Roberta had the Guinea Hen, which she declared to be VVG. This was accompanied by a generous portion of spätzle, of which I forced myself to partake. This was what spätzle should be: German heartiness and French finesse. Dessert was a lemon sorbet with brandy.

I had the Mignon de Veau accompanied by a small portion of Ris de Veau – both VVG – and veggies. Fruit tart for dessert.

Our wine was Riesling for me and Gewurtztraminer for LW. 60E

After dinner, we spent a while talking with other guests, and so to bed.

June 2 Weather: Cloudy and cool
Saying farewell to the Family Schille-Giese, we headed off to Nancy via the N415, which was the road I had missed coming in. Very nice mountain scenery; nothing to disturb LW.

Transferred to the N59 outside St. Dié-des-Vosges. This has been upgraded to a 4 lane hiway and is very fast. Near Nancy, it becomes the A33.

Being ahead of schedule, we stopped off to see the Basilica at St. Nicolas-de-Port. (2* in the Michelin Guide). The town isn’t much to look at, but the church is interesting. We got there just in time for the 12:30 organ recital. A bit of a treat. If you happen to be in the vicinity, it is worth a stop.

Having found the road signage to be very dependable, I didn’t bother with my detailed route plan to the Hotel de Guise, but took the turn off to Nancy Center. Big mistake. (“You spent so much time researching the route, why didn’t you follow your own directions” was heard more than once.)

Anyway, we found the hotel (www.hoteldeguise.com). It is located on the Rue de Guise a small, narrow street in the Old City, close to the Porte de la Craffe, the Ducal Palace and Place Stanislas. The concierge showed me where to park the car in the courtyard and watched, with some concern, as I slowly backed into the one garage space. I’m sure that he was pleased that I didn’t move the car until we left.

The Guise is housed in a 17th Cent mansion, and has many interesting antiques and works of art. We had the “Jr suite Henri 1er de Guise”, a fairly small room with ensuite facilities. I think that what made it a Jr Suite was that the commode was in a separate space from the bathroom. It was acceptable. I think that the hotel’s location is its forte.

After settling in, we oriented ourselves to the neighborhood, picked up some info from the Tourist Office, had a snack on the Pl. Stanislaus, looked at some of the buildings on the Art Nouveau Tour (most are Beaux Arts) and generally calmed down from the drive to Nancy.

Dinner at Chez Lize, not far from the hotel, opposite the Porte de la Citadelle. This is a small, local resto recommended by the hotel. I suspect that there is a family/business relationship. We weren’t disappointed.

It is a pleasant room, done up as a traditional country inn. Roberta had the mixed salad with ham and fromage blanc – 10E. I tried the Tart flambée volonté – 14E. I didn’t realize that I had ordered the “All you can eat” special.

It was offered with Munster cheese, ham, onion or bacon. I had the onion.
It was good: paper-thin crust, delicious fromage blanc, sweet tasty onions.

The waitress then asked if I would like another. “Sure”, says I, “the Munster”. This was equally good.

The waitress then asked if I would like another. Not wishing to disappoint her, I had the bacon. It was very good, but I was sort of overstuffed by now. When the waitress asked if I would like another, I had to decline.

Two, more than sufficient, very tasty dinners, with wine and coffee – 38E.

Roberta, with some help from a passing stranger, rolled me back to the hotel, and so to bed.

June 3 Weather: Fair and hot
Awoke early and went off to take pix as the city came to life.

Down the street from the hotel, on the Grand Rue, a Sunday Market was being set up. Spent most of a pleasant hour perusing the knick-knacks, clothes, fabric and general stuff being set up. The food market was in a short side street, out of the sun. A foodies delight. Here I discovered that the mild cheese with holes in it that we had been given for breakfast in Kientzheim wasn’t Swiss. It was Munster. I assure you, folks, Munster cheese in Alsace/Lorraine ain’t at all like what it is at home. The same goes for the wine.

Picked up a croissant (0.75E) and a pain au chocolat (0.85E) for my Lady Wife at one of the 3 bakeries near the hotel. Every bit as good as Paris. We then went down to breakfast. This was the usual French fare, and was quite good.

Off we went to the Musée de Beaux Arts. It being the first Sunday of the month, it was free. The guard at the entrance, a very helpful gentleman, was having a difficult time explaining to several groups of English-speaking patrons that they didn’t have to pay. They kept asking, “how much”? He kept saying “libre”, they kept asking “how much”? etc.

Making a quick change into my Superman costume, at a conveniently located phone booth, I intervened. I was rewarded with a map of the museum, and free passes to the special exhibit.

The Musée de Beaux Arts offers some good works by minor masters, and some minor work by major masters. The highlight of the museum is the collection of Daume glass. This is a must for folks who like that sort of thing.

Since we were in Nancy for the Art Nouveau, we set off for the Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy. According to my tourist map, this was about 8 blocks from Pl Stanislas. The map lied.

About 1:30 hr later, very hot and footsore, we dragged our aching bodies up the last hill to the museum, plopped down in the shade in the garden and rested.

The museum is the former home of an Art Nouveau fanatic who had the house, its furnishings and the grounds done by some first-class artists and artisans. It is beautiful and overwhelming. In some rooms, it feels as if the house is going to enfold you.

The visit did reinvigorate us, but not to the extent that Roberta was going to walk back. I was prepared to call a taxi – not easy to find in Nancy on a Sunday, but one of the staff showed me how we could go by bus.

For those of you interested in visiting the Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy, take the no. 123 bus from the Pl Republique bus station (near the train station). It’s about a 10 min ride. Bus stops in both directions are about 1 blk from the museum.

From the Pl Republique it was only a 10 min walk to the hotel. We rested.

Dinner at the Excelsior. This is a Belle Epoque Brasserie, with all the bells and whistles: polished wood and brass, stained glass, waiters in white shirts and black jackets – our kind of place. It being our last chance for a good dinner before heading home – we splurged on the Plateau Royale – one each – and a bottle of Chablis Premier Grand Cru.

A plateau (or dome) is a very large tray covered with crushed ice on and into which are embedded oysters, clams, mussels, snails, shrimps, langoustines, periwinkles, and a crab. It is served with a mild and a spicy mayonnaise, the traditional vinegar and shallot “mignonette” sauce and a baguette.

The Excelsior has another version (same price for two) in which a Maine lobster is substituted for the crab and some of the oysters.

The folks sitting next to us, a German couple, didn’t think that we could finish it all. However, when it looked as if we were going to make it to the finish line still standing, they asked us about it. This led to a pleasant conversation over dessert, coffee and brandy.

A very pleasant evening – 170E.

Walked back to the hotel, and so to bed.

"...It's a mix of beer and lemon-lime soda I believe."

Also known in Britain and the ex-colonies as a 'Shandy'.

Ira : I'm still following as well and enjoying it all very much. Your dinner descriptions are causing me to add a few more kilometers to my morning run for all the weight I've gained from just reading them !

Looking forward to more enjoyable reading, and thank you for taking the time and effort in doing it for us all.

M.

Sorry Ira. I posted the above nor realising that you had in the meanwhile posted another installment. I knew we were near the end, and I;'ve enjoyed it all.

M.

Ira, We dined at the beautiful Excelsior, you loving Art Nouveau as I must have been impress. We also stopped at Lefevre-Lemoine famous for their Bergamottes of Nancy. They come in a red tin , the same one "Amelie"finds hidden in the wall.

www.brasserie-excelsior.com

Ira,

What a wonderful trip report! We are thinking of going to Austria next year and you have really helped us a lot!

We live in Florida, and usually fly in and out of Atlanta. We mostly fly Lufthansa. For Provence, we flew to Munich, then on to Marseille. What airline did you use?

I'm not even sure that Lufthansa goes to Munich direct...this last trip we flew out of Dulles, meeting up with friends in PA. and we did have a direct
flight to Munich, than on to Provence.

Thank you so much for all you info!!

Hi Maizy,

We flew Delta from ATL to Munich and from Stuttgart to ATL. Nonstop flights both ways.

June 4 Weather: drizzly until Strasbourg, clear to Stuttgart.
Had bkfst, packed up, paid bill and left Nancy without getting lost – just followed the signs to the Interstate. The A330 linked to the A33 to the N333 to the N4 – all pointing to Strasbourg.

Stopped in Sarrebourg to see the Chagall Windows. Found the Chapel with little trouble. Got there at 11:45. They close for lunch at 12:00, so we were OK. If you happen to be passing Sarrebourg, it is worth the visit.

At 11:58, just as the lady at the desk came in to tell us that the chapel was closing, a bus load of tourists arrived. Poor woman.

Headed toward Strasbourg on the D133 through Neuwiller and Bouxwiller (pleasant towns) and shifted to the D419 at Pfaffenhofen with no trouble. The A4 and the A35 took us around Strasbourg. At the D2, we crossed the Rhine into Germany. Very impressive.

We followed the D2 (becomes the L87) to the B500 and headed South. This is the Schwarzwald Hochstrasse. It is a very scenic drive through wooded mountains, but didn’t bother Roberta. If you take this road, do not plan on getting anywhere on time. Monster trucks verrrrry slowly grind their way up the two lane road – most of which is “do not pass”.

At one point, someone in a Porsche passed 5 cars and a truck going uphill on a blind curve. Since we didn’t come upon any wreckage, we assume that he/she got to where they were going.

At Freudenstadt, we found our way onto the B294 going North to Calmbach. We had expected to turn onto the B296 toward Calw south of Calmbach (as shown on the map), but the intersection turned out to be north of the town. (OR we might have missed the one we were looking for.) At Calw, we found our way onto the road to Sindelfingen, just following signs.

This whole route was a very nice, scenic ride up, along and down the mountains.

Beyond Sindelfingen, the roads become industrial and crowded as we approached Stuttgart and the airport. We hit the Autobahn at rush hour. This was not good.

1. Stuttgart is a very large city, and we are no longer used to driving in large cities.

2. Driving the Stuttgart beltway is as bad as driving the Atlanta beltway, except that the speed limit is higher.

At this point, our navigation system (Roberta) went completely on the fritz. There is some justification for this, as we came to a full stop, when a truck just stuck its nose out into 80 mph traffic and dared anyone to run into it. My LW, who seems always to look in the rearview mirror whenever it seems as if we will be hit from behind, dropped all of the map stuff, ducked down and didn’t come up until after I got off.

Luckily, although I was completely disoriented, I ended up on the B27 for Filderstadt, where a sign pointed toward the Ascot Airport Hotel.

WE had booked this traveller’s hotel simply because it was near the airport and the price was reasonable. We were pleasantly surprised. Very nice room, decent bar, helpful staff. Dinner was nothing to mention, but the breakfast buffet was superb. They even had bacon and eggs.

We had an 11:00 flight out. I suggested to LW that we didn’t have to repack everything that night (all the wine had to go in checked luggage), but could easily do it if we got up at 06:30. The TV had an alarm function, which I set for that time.

At 05;00, I was awakened by my Lady Wife, repacking the suitcases. (She likes to be early.) Fortunately, breakfast opened at 06:30.

When we were checking out, 1:30 hr earlier than I had planned, I asked the desk clerk to check my map to see if I had the right directions for the airport. “No map needed”, he said. “Go out from the parking lot, make a left turn and go straight until you get to the tunnel. After the tunnel go left. Very easy”.

Off we went, filled up the car, and followed the directions. After returning to the hotel. We found out from another clerk, that the “tunnel” was the overpass crossing our road, that we were supposed to go over the “tunnel” and make a right.

This time we found the airport. Returning the car was easy – follow the signs that say “Rental Car Return”.

Killed time at the Duty Free shops (no bargains) until it was time to board and took the Delta flight home. 1st/business class was full. Coach was more than 1/2 empty. Many of us were able to stretch out over 3 seats and sleep.

Arrived ATL at 15:00. Arrived at gate at 15:25. Arrived at at the baggage carousel at 16:25. Not bad for ATL. Usual traffic getting home – about 2 hr to do a 1-hr drive.

Thanks to all for your kind words.

Hope this report helps others plan their trips.

Now I can start planning for next year.

wow, Ira,

a "plateau royale" each.

i am very impressed.

regards, ann

Great report, both funny and useful. How wonderful to have a spouse with whom you travel so well.

I loved reading of your adventures.

Happy planning for next year!

Byrd

Congrats on and thank you for yet another wonderful trip report, ira.

So, what are the plans for next year?

my favorite watch phrase will now be 'and so to bed'!! excellent report - thank you

Thanks Ira.
I enjoyed your report and got a lot of good information that I will use on our upcoming trip. Thanks so much for sharing!

Marvellous, Ira.
Thank you.

M.
(and so to work)

Ira, you are not the only one who has had difficulty getting to the Musee Ecole de Nancy. I actually DROVE there (parked by the public swimming pool, which in summer took some doing). I drove around in circles until some French guy led me there in his car. Another kindness of strangers episode.

And, yes, the map showing it only a short distance from Place Stanislas LIES. Do not try and walk it. Follow Ira's advice and take the bus. After my experience with driving, I wouldn't advise that either. Personally, I enjoyed the Musee de Beaux Arts (not "libre" on the day I went) better than the Ecole de Nancy, but, then I am not so much into Art Nouveau.

Thanks again for taking the time to post your wonderful trip reports. It brought back memories--both of things pleasant and of being lost.

Thanks for the nice words, folks.

TA,

Roberta fell in love with Lake Constance and Alsace.

Our next visit will be:
Fly into Munich 2 nights, train to Lindau 4 nights, train to Strasbourg and rent car for a week, train from Strasbourg to Paris for a week.

That way, we won't have to buy any maps or guide books.

Ah, Lake Constance aka the Bodensee. I did a home exchange in the Black Forest once and was all over the lake. I almost drove into Switzerland without my passport! Opps! Did a quick turn around there.

Then a year and a half ago, I had a home exchange in Bavaria and saw some of the Lake again from the other end.

Can't go wait for this year's trip to Vienna and Budapest! Coming up soon! I don't think I will get into Germany this trip, but I will have a nice long exchange in Vienna and sort of beat that area to death with day trips--in addition to a 3 day excursion to Budapest. Budapest is an entirely new city (and country) for me. Can't wait!

Enjoy your visit, F.

I hope I have as much fun as you did, Ira. When I home exchanged in Bavaria, I learned a lot of German cuss words and words for car parts. I call that one my home exchange from hell. This was the first time anything like this happened in 33 exchanges. They left me a car that didn't run and the house was dirty. The piece de resistance, however, occurred on the first day when I tripped and broke my left ankle. Believe it or not, with all that going on, I did manage some fun on the trip albeit very slowly (in place fracture put in a brace not a cast) and via the bus not the car.

Stuff happens sometimes and you either sit there depressed for two weeks or try to make something of it. While I was in a small town, there were these bus day tours you could take and I sure did take a lot of them. I am really glad I saw the "Ludwig II" musical in Fuessen. It has unfortunately closed. While it may have not gotten the audience it merited, I thought it was terrific.

This time, I hope for nice weather, a car that runs and no trips to the emergency room. By the way, I learned a lot of German words for body parts as well and that German medicine is very good and very inexpensive if you don't have German insurance. I had 3 visits to the doctor in the local hospital, several x-rays and a brace. For the last visit, I looted my bank account and they presented me a bill for $160. I couldn't believe it. Then they said, "You can submit the bill to your insurer for reimbursement." I looked at them and said, "It would cost me more than $160 to have it translated." I said I was going to forget about it and I did.

If you ever get to Lake Constance again, be sure to check out the zepplin museum in Friederichaven. It is very state of the art and very interesting. Also, there is a marionnette theater in Lindau where they do marionette operas. Don't miss that either! Hobbling around, I saw two of those on the Bavarian exchange. I will be going to the marionnette theater for "The Magic Flute" at the Schoenbrunn Theater on the up coming trip.

I will try and give everyone a run down when I return. Hopefully, there will be no need for all the cuss words from last time.

ira, Good report. By the way, you missed in the last post Ira without the is not the ira I know. Wait I don't "know" you. Still, get your mojo back, Man. Unless you are trying to tell something (like the poor, pathetic guys who all of a sudden start growing beards because they are sleeping in the dog house!).

Ira:

Such a fine detailed report. Your mention of the Chagall windows in Sarrebourg triggered some shots I took their last spring. I don't want to step on your toes, so I hope I hope you don't mind my sharing these. The outside shot brings out the enormous size of the window.


Stu T.


http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/ChagallWindowsInSarrebourg2006

sorry...try this...for Chagall windows

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/ChagallWindowsFrance2006

Hello ira,

I have a couple of questions about Herrenchiemsee (and thanks for the tip about the parking lot at Prien!). Do you recall how often the boats leave Prien for Herrenchiemsee? Also, do you recall the approximate price of the boat ride and the parking fee?

Due to a work conference DH cannot miss, it looks like our plans for Greece next May are out so we are thinking long and hard about returning to Germany and Austria. Your trip report has been a great help in giving us so many ideas for places we have not yet visited.

Obviously I'm not Ira but you can view the boat schedule here

www.chiemsee-schifffahrt.de

Thanks for the schedule, Dukey.

Very helpful

Loved your report, ira...and all the added comments from everyone.

Question about Haus Am Moos...do they take credit cards or are they cash only? Just curious.

Great report, Ira.
1* Sorry that you seemed to miss out on Maximiliens at Zellenberg.
2* Did you eventually get to visit Riquewihr? Where there twenty+ coaches parked outside when you tried to visit?
3* I thought the Musee de l'Ecole in Nancy was the best 'specialist' museum that I visited in France, and Place Stanislaus might be one of the better town squares.
4* The cathedral at St Nicholas de Port was the first 'boomerang-shaped' church I ever visited. There have been others since: (Evreux, Quimper et al).
Someone must have stood on the builder's string-line!
5* We have also driven into Stuttgart, and did so three times, as the first two times we found ourselves heading out of town before we had actually arrived! Anyone who can understand the Stuttgart ring road is obviously a local of some duration!
Thanks again for the report.

Thanks for the tips, FSM.

Enjoy your visit.

Hi LMG,

I paid cash. They are too small to afford the CC charges.

Hi adeb,

>Hi adeb,

>Great report, Ira.

Thanks.

>1* Sorry that you seemed to miss out on Maximiliens at Zellenberg.

We shall go there on our next visit in May, 2008/

>2* Did you eventually get to visit Riquewihr? Where there twenty+ coaches parked outside when you tried to visit?

I drove to R at about 07:30 and had a look around. By 10:30, it was pretty crowded and the bus parking lots were nearly full.

Ira,

Thanks for all the hard work and time you spent on this report. Wonderful stuff. It's already filed. I enjoyed the photos portion also.

Glad you liked it, B.

Hello ira,

Just wanted to share with you a nice thing that has arisen from your trip report. DH and I were in Austria and Germany around the same time as you and your LW last year and we are returning in a few weeks for another 3-week trip in the area. DH will be turning 35 on said trip. He has always loved birds and has always wanted to see a falconry exhibit but the timing has never worked on prior trips. I was just re-reading your report this weekend and came across your description of the birds of prey exhibit at Hohenwerfen. I was able to rearrange our itinerary and we will be headed there on DH's birthday for a very special birthday surprise. I'm also using your Hallstatt restaurant recommendation info to plan a special birthday dinner. Many Thanks for both

Hi TA,

I hope that you enjoy your visit as much as we did.

Hello Ira,

I know you recommended Haus Am Moos for Salzburg, but they have been booked since the fall for our stay in May. Any other good ideas? If nothing specific, maybe recommend an area to focus on. We arrive May 17 and depart May 20 and it seems most hotels and B&B's are all booked.

Thanks!

Hi KM,

Other places we considered were:

www.amdom.at/index_en.html
www.berglandhotel.at/Infoengl.htm
www.blobergerhof.at/ueberuns-e.htm
www.ente.at/en-index.shtml
Top Hotel Mozart
www.stadtkrug.at/
http://members.eunet.at/weisses.kreuz/index_e.htm
www.salzburg-hotel.at/en-index.shtml

Good luck with your hunting.


PS Did you ask the Strassers at the Am Moos for a recommendation?

Thank you, Ira. It looks like The Blobergerhof is going to work out. I'm a little concerned about the location but it looks like an outstanding Guesthouse!

ttt