Hochheimer Market

On November 7, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany3 Comments

We didn’t go far this weekend since we needed to take care of some much needed shopping while the stores were open, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a good time over the weekend. As we have mentioned before, all of the stores in Frankfurt are closed on Sundays, so if you need anything, you have to buy it during the week or on Saturday, therefore we spent Saturday taking care of buying a few things for our new apartment. On Sunday, though, we took a short thirty-minute train ride to the town of Hochheim to visit a market that one of our new friends here in Germany had told us about.

It is one of the oldest markets in Germany having been established in 1484. Based on the crowds, it is also one of the most popular, we can only imagine what the Christmas markets are going to be like once they start at the end of this month. There are stalls selling sausages, hot mulled wine called Glühwein, nuts, popcorn, and candy galore. There are also rides and carnival games, but it was hard for us to see much of anything through the wall-to-wall crowds.

Bratwurst, Currywurst, Rindwurst, and More

We had some of the Glühwein and enjoyed a wonderful bratwurst as we scanned all of the crafts on display for sale. We even found a nice children’s book as a souvenir, but we did not take a photo of it to share. We shared a German market from Denver last year, but clearly it did not prepare us for the size of this market. They even jammed the use of cell phones so that there was no risk of anyone detonating anything with all of the large crowds. It was a quick trip, but definitely a fun one, but the size of the crowds made it a little difficult to enjoy everything that the market had to offer. We look forward to many more festivals and markets during the months ahead.

Heidelberg – Idyllic German City

On November 4, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany18 Comments

It was special for us to visit Heidelberg a couple of weeks ago because our youngest daughter spent three weeks there a little over a year ago. To be able to see the places that she had seen and compare opinions and the things that we both had seen was a wonderful experience. It isn’t that often that we travel to a destination at different times and get the opportunity to share them, even if not at the same time. We already shared the Heidelberg Castle (Schloss Heidelberg), but there was a lot to see than just the castle. It was only a forty-minute train ride to Heidelberg from Frankfurt, so we expect to go back again, so we weren’t worried about trying to see it all in a single day’s visit, but we definitely enjoyed what we did get to see.

It is very much a tourist destination, so expect crowds, even if off-season, as well as shops catering to those visiting from around the world. Honestly, we didn’t mind for once, it wasn’t too crowded and we were able to pick up a couple of Christmas decorations to display in our apartment in Frankfurt, when it is time. There are plenty of restaurants with local beer and food, but you can find other options as well if you desire. Unlike Frankfurt, Heidelberg was not destroyed during WWII, so it is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the historic architecture of Germany. Obviously there are statues and town squares, but one of the main sites is the Old Bridge, which will take you across to the Philosophers’ Road. It is supposed to have incredible views of the city, but we had already done our fair share of walking, so we decided to leave that to our next visit.

Like many days in Germany, the day started cloudy, foggy, and cold, but as the day progressed, the sun managed to make an appearance and it truly brightened our day in all respects. Walking the streets of the old town was a relaxing experience. Life slowed down, people weren’t in a rush to get to the next tourist spot, and it made for a completely enjoyable day. We continue to enjoy everything that Germany has to offer and Heidelberg is definitely a highlight of our relatively short time in our new home.

The Food of Heidelberg

On November 2, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Recipes19 Comments

Every region in Germany seems to have local favorites that are unique to that area, while everyplace seems to have schnitzel and sausage. We were only in Heidelberg for a day, so we didn’t eat a wide variety of food, but we took a chance and ate what was deemed to be a specialty of the region. It was listed on the menu as “Pork Stomach”. Needless to say, we weren’t sure at all as to whether we should order it since it didn’t sound particularly appetizing. It actually turned out to be pretty tasty and we have some assumptions as to how it is prepared.

Basically the pork stomach is pork meat, potatoes, and vegetables that we assume are stuffed in the stomach lining and then cooked. The result is something that looks kind of like a giant sausage or for those who are familiar with it, a slice of Spam. The texture is a little difficult to describe, but with the brown gravy it was served with, it was very good. We probably won’t order it again, but at least we gave it a try.

Obviously there was local beer and we also had a very nice goulash with noodles. We have had this particular style of noodles a couple of times and they too are a little difficult to describe. They a soft and chewy, nothing like most pasta that we have had. It is a good thing that we have been walking a lot because the portions here have been very large. After almost every meal, we are asked if we didn’t like the food because we couldn’t finish the whole meal. We have done a lot of reassuring because it has been good, we just can’t eat that much.