SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY 2012

Germany & Switzerland -Day 1

April 18, 2012 

Onward to Germany and Switzerland! I am with my BFF Dolores for our next annual adventure.

But this time I get a treat and fly first class to Frankfurt.  The word  “spoiled”  now takes on a new meaning.  Immediately upon sitting in my wide comfortable seat, I am asked what wine selection I would prefer!  And dinner is served! -seafood, rice, collard greens, bread, ice cream, the list goes on. I am too full  and too tired to talk.

However, I do sleep a bit and before I know it, we are in Frankfurt on  bus number 61 platform 16 outside the terminal. It’s a pretty  quick 45 minute ride  and then a short walk to our hotel Maingau.

We are given a good map and directions by a passerby. Voila, we arrive! Since we are unable to check into our hotel,  we stroll the  cobblestone streets instead, admiring the churches and numerous  beer gardens and pubs. We find a supermarket café and enjoy a sandwich and a cappuccino.

After crossing the “Main” (river), we find a cool square with lots of pubs and churches. (Dom Romer)- so much to see!

 

 

Later in the day we have dinner in Klaane Sachsehauser ( Old Town) at Dauth Schneider. I am loving the  homemade noodles with salad and asparagus soup. Dolores opts for spareribs and sauerkraut.  Frankfurt rocks!.

To wrap up the day, we have a nightcap nearby and enjoy chatting with  the bartender who speaks nine languages.  He is only about 22 years old..How does a person know 9 languages at such a young age? Impressive.

Soon enough it’s time for bed! More streets to walk tomorrow.

Marketplace and Irish pubs- Day 2

April 20, 2012

Up early for a great breakfast in our hotel then we are off to Aldi‘s for some provisionals. Crossing  the bridge to Dom Romer we wander some more and make a  stop at Die Kleinmarkthalle where they sell fruit, veggies, spices, food and soaps. Lots of shops to check out and then we enjoy a glass of wine and pretzels in the square. 

Dinner tonight we spend at a tapas bar near our hotel. A bottle of wine, calamari, cheese, bread and potatoes. Yup, life is good.

Afterwards, We cannot pass up an Irish pub on the way to our hotel it’s noisy but Irish coffee always hits the spot.

It’s late and I need sleep and earplugs.

The Train to Munich Germany- Day 3

April 21, 2012

9:30 AM

Train to Munich!

We get our tickets at Deutsche Bank. It’s a combo for the train to the main train station and the train to Munich. Unfortunately, we did not realize that buying them three days in advance cuts the cost considerably. Live and learn.

So we pay about €95 each for one way. It’s a three hour trip second class. The train is great and there is a  café bar. Easy to find the train track and our car number 22. I am a bit train sick but I push through and carry on!

Our hotel- The Trip Hotel-  is around the block from the train station.  Pretty nice. It’s  nap time for me while Dolores checks out the town . We go to the carnival and the Froehling Fest. Fun stuff. Riding on a merry-go- round that serves beer! They don’t have these in NJ!

There are two large beer halls and they are extremely full.  We were unaware  that we  needed reservations, so we are unable to get in. But the weather is fine so we move outdoors. I have beef matzah ball soup and Dolores has pork .

A bit later we do get into the beer tent. I have never seen such a crowd. It’s actually scary!  Everyone is wasted,  dancing on tables and spilling beer. We somehow manage our way in to listen to the band. A good time is had by all and we are still alive without being trampled to death.

Time for bed again! I’ll take a Tylenol and some ear plugs. Thank you good night

The famous Hafbrauhaus, Germany- Day 4

April 22 2012

An early lunch today at Augustine Keller . Excellent meal. About a 15 minute walk from our hotel.  Beautiful grounds.Soup and salad for me and duck for Dolores.

It’s raining so instead of walking to the museum in the rain we decide to go and get  our train tickets to Fussen ( 40 euros for both of us) and also to Frankfort. (113 euros )

As I write this now we are in the famous Hofbrauhaus having huge mugs of beer. The walk from Old Town was beautiful with lots of churches. We meet two nice gentleman from Austria and share a few mugs and have a nice chat. We actually had so much fun we forgot to eat so of course this calls for a falafel sandwich at 

11:30 PM. Nighty night.  

Eat, Drink, Shop and Be Merry- Day 5

April 23, 2012

Lunch today after shopping is at the Viktualienmarkt in Munich, an outdoor area with long tables. Nice place to get a fish sandwich on a roll and check out all the goodies to eat and buy.

Of course, we cannot leave Germany without going on the carnival  merry go round again. The test is trying not to spill your beer. Later in the day we go to the Hippodrom Tent which is the beer garden. We eat chicken and noodles and once again drink giant mugs  of beer.

Dolores is pulled onto the dance floor by an old German gent who refuses to take no for an answer. She is forced to dance. It’s hysterical. She dances like Elaine on Seinfeld.

On the way home its time to go to the Carnival!

We also check out the beautiful churches take a look inside to calm down!

Also a good ides to say a few  prayers that we will not have hangovers the next day. Once again it’s a late night in time to hit the sack.

Fussen, Germany- Day 6

April 24, 2012

Today we take the train around the corner from our hotel at 11:15 AM.  We are on the way to Fussen, Germany.

We buy cheese, olives, ham and French bread for the train ride today. This time I am not “Krank”( sick ).

Even though it is April we noticed snow on the ground during the train ride to Fussen!

At 2 PM we arrive at our Hotel Fantasia. It is a lovely old building. The decor is mostly purple walls and tables etc but modern with a large lounge and dining area with free Wi-Fi . Our room has two twin beds and a Tempur-pedic mattress. Probably the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on.

We gather information about our next days trip to the castle from the hotel clerk who is very helpful. Out for short walk to check out the shops and I am glad to find a shoe store. I got a bit freaked out when I saw the snow and realized I was wearing sandals. So I purchased hiking boots for €50 -it was a good deal and worth the money.

After dinner at our hotel we walk the streets again for photo ops. It’s golden hour and I am able to get some great shots of this picturesque town..I’m in heaven! (and even catch a rainbow!)

There is a beautiful river and mountains but the highlight of the day it’s our visit to an Egyptian shop.It smells like incense inside and it is owned by a Muslim gentleman. He is very excited that we have stepped into his shop and he offers coffee lattes, cookies and figs, which are amazingly tasty!  He speaks to us of politics, Bin Laden, Al Qaeda etc. He tells us he loves the American people but does not like our government. We are about to leave when suddenly he decides to dress us all up in robes and scarves and take photos with him. What an experience!

Of course we feel obliged to purchase something from his shop so we decide on a bar of soap. However one bar was €10. Ha ha, obviously the coffee was not free! But he was a good man and we had an unusual experience to say the least. Well worth it!

It’s always a good idea to get a little silly too!

Onward. We check out a wine bar and bakery store. We meet a cute bartender looks like a movie star. Later on we indulge in some Thai food and then head back to the hotel to pack up for the next day and the castle!

Ahhhh…sleep!

The Famous Neuschwanstein Castle-Day 7

April 25, 2012 Wednesday

Today we will visit the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. It’s a short bus ride from our hotel and as we wait we meet a lovely woman,  Katherine,from Canada who is about our age and backpacking by herself for seven weeks.

 

The castle tour is about 30 to 45 minutes and it’s quite a task to get to it. The bus takes us to the ticket booth which is a 10 to 15 minute ride and then we choose a horse and carriage ride up to the main entrance.

Lovely. It’s a beautiful sunny day and we are actually warming up. The rules are that you get in line according to your ticket number. We take a guided tour and learn a lot of history then visit the restaurants and souvenir shops in the castle. After the tour we walk up the hill to Marien bruche For a breathtaking view of the other side of the castle.

There are other hikes too if you wish to explore further.  After a sandwich we are back on the bus headed to Fussen. In a couple hours we will be catching the 4 PM train back to Frankfurt. We have a good seat for the 5 Hour ride and then spend our last evening at the airport Sheraton. Time for dinner at the Sheraton tavern and then bed- again a late night at 2 PM.

First Class- Day 8

April 26, 2010

Our first class flight awaits!

Back to the real world, back to New Jersey and the Turnpike!

Germany will be missed!

I even got to see Santa Claus- guess he was doing some early shopping early and needed a nap!