Leipzig 2017

     This is my third night in Leipzig.  I have been staying at the Hotel Fuerstenhof.  It is a 5-star hotel and lives up to the rating.  I booked a deluxe double.  It is a large room with a desk and an armchair.  It has an entire wall of closets in the entry hall and the bathroom is large and well done.  The large double bed is one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in, no kidding.
     On night #1 I ate at Paulaner and it was just what you would expect from a Bavarian Beer-hall restaurant.  I had tafelspitz and beers.  Night number 2 I ate at Romanushof.  Again, it was german food and I had schweinbraten.  I had 3 wines with it.  Tonight I went to a pizzaria I passed today and had pizza, water and coffee.  All 3 were just fine and I would go back to any one of them but they were not anything special.  I did some wine drinking at a place called Spizz last night.  It is in the Barfuss Gasschen and very popular.
     The only site I went to was the art museum.  They have a large collection and if you are here it is worth going but it is not a spectacular collection.  The only other thing I really did was walk around following the walk in my Marco Polo book.  Of course it has rained the whole time, except for tonight.  There has been so much rain in Germany for the last week that towns have been flooded.  One of them was Goslar so the trip there I had thought to make is not happening.  After walking the tour today I came back and went to the indoor pool and spent an enjoyable afternoon there.  I did find underwear.  In Kasrstadt I bought a package of 5 shirts and a package of 3 pants for 16 euro.  I also bought 5 pairs of socks today for 4.16 euro.  That alone makes the trip worthwhile since I was unable to this anywhere else.  So the rainy weather did me a favor by making me want to be indoors, thus the shopping.

Kassel 2017

  A huge disappointment in Kassel!!  After a lovely day at the art museum and a great lunch at the art museum cafe, followed by a walk in the garden,  I returned to the hotel at about 3:00 pm for a nap.  The room was very hot even though I had set the thermostat at 18C the day before - as low as it will go.  I tried to sleep but did not.  When I returned after a great dinner downtown at a Turkish restaurant called Pamsukkale, my room, at 9:00 pm was an oven.  I went down to tell reception and the man told me he was sorry but my room gets a lot of sun and takes along time to get cool.  I asked "the whole day?".  Of course all of this was in German so it is nice to know that I can be intimidating in German as well as English.  I had to sit outside because the room was too hot.  I uploaded all my photos and began working on labeling all of them.  At some point I notice something is odd and then I realize that I am not connected because I am sitting on the terrace of the hotel and I am "out of range"!!!!.  All of my photos are lost, not to mention the work I did.
     I decided to leave in the morning.  The next day, today, I ate breakfast, packed my bag and went to check out.  At first the same woman who checked me in said, " but you are booked until Friday."  I said'" yes I was booked for 4 nights but I am only staying 2."  She looked at the computer, gave me my bill, I paid and left.  She never asked me why and never asked how was my stay.  I am willing to bet I never get a follow-up email asking me my opinion of the stay.
     I arrived back here at about 2:00 pm and came home, had something to eat and took a nap because I was exhausted from not sleeping well for 2 nights.   I went to Sachsische Hof for dinner and had the Rostbraetal with Bratkartoffle and salat.  I had 2 "alt" beers.  Now, obviously, I am home.  While I was gone Herr Mueller-Lang had someone clean.
     I had wanted to make other short trips these two months but now I must remember, as we reach the hot part of the year, to specifically ask about the AC.

Kassel 17 July 2017

     I am on my first "small" trip from Weimar.  I arrived in Kassel, Hesse Germany today.  I walked down to the bus stop at about 09:20 and the number 5 was there so I got on and we left.  5 minutes later I was at the train station waiting.  They said the train would be 5 minutes late and it was.  But the trip to Gottingen was quicker that expected and we were early.  I left the train on the number 8 platform and went to the number 10 and there was a train so I got on it.  Then I realized we were early and I panicked.  I started pushing the "Tur geoffnet" button but it was too late.  So I thought that I would just turn around at the next station.  But then I read the travel plan and saw the next stop, in 14 minutes, was mine!  So I arrived  at the hotel early.  My room was ready and up I went!
     It was about 13:00 and I was hungry so I went to the restaurant.  Not a good idea.  They only serve the regular dinner menu so I had a gazpacho soup and a goat cheese salad.  Also one dunkles hefeweisse.  It cost me 30e!!!   I had dinner and 3 beers and 2 fernets at Schwarzburger Hof last night for less!!  I noticed a cafe on the map they gave me and then I noticed the building right next door.  So I walked over and had a hefe for half the price.
     A bottle of champaigne was included in the price of my room and delivered not long after I arrived so I had 2 glasses before dinner.  The rest waits.  A free dinner in the restaurant was also included in the room cost so I went for that.  It was buffet style and there was plenty and it was good!!  They made me pay for an Aperol, a glass of grauburgundin and a coffee.  Now I am outside having a beer.  I am very tired and I do not know why.  After the lunch and the beer I had a nice nap.
     Well tomorrow I will go to one of the museums I came to see and I will eat downtown.  I will also post pictures of the hotel.

Weimar 12 July 2017

     I have been in beliebte Weimar for 12 nights now.  Everything is like always, except of course for the loss of the Ratskeller Kiosk.  I have eaten at all my favorites - Texas, DiNapoli, Sashsaches Hof and Versilia.  I have made plans to travel to Kassel on Monday. I will be there 4 nights and I am staying at the Wilhelmshohe Schloss Hotel.  A resort hotel that is in the park where all the museums that I want to see are located.  According to what I saw on the Deutsche Bahn site it should take about 2.5 hours to get there with one umsteigen in Gottigen.  I will buy the ticket tomorrow or Friday.
     The weather has been erratic here.  Today was cold and overcast and rainy so I stayed in and watched Wimbledon tennis all day.  It was the Men's Quarterfinals.  Murray and Djokovic lost and Roger won!!  The wine fest begins tomorrow night and runs till Sunday.  I hope the weather improves.
     I must state again,  if you are middle-aged or older and thinking of going out of the house in capri-length pants, sandals of any kind and a fishing vest or any of these items individually - DON'T!!!

Weimar July 3, 2017

    I arrived in Weimar on 1 July after a very easy trip from Berlin with the Bahn.  I told Herr M-L that I would meet him at the apartment at 13:30 and I did, exactly.  I paid, got the key and he left.  I went to REWE for some supplies.  It was cold and rainy so I needed to eat inside.  Texas was full so I continued up the street to Napoli.  I sat at my usual table next to the mirror wall.  The same peoplework there and the older lady recognized me.  I had a new dish for me after the Caprese salad.  A penne dish with grilled vegetables and tomatoes. It was really good.  I also had 2 delicious Krombachers.
     After I walked around to Markt and to my horror the Ratskeller kiosk and the outside tables were gone!!!   I walked across the square and it was closed and there was some flier posted on the door.  This is a huge disappointment.  Where will I go for my  newspaper and beer on a sunny afternoon?  I walked,shocked, to Schwarzburger Hof and it was closed!  On a Saturday night!!  It was too much so I came home and had the wine Herr M-L gaver me.  A very nice Spaterburgunder.
    Sunday was also cold and wet so I went to the park just to walk my usual route.  I bought a paper and went to Theatrer Cafe which is now called Pomodoro.  The inside has been totally done over.  But it was nice enough to sit out.  I had 2 Hefeweiss and a water and read the paper.  I went next door to City Doner and bought one to go.  I ate it at home and then took a long nap.   At a little past 7 pm I was ready to go and walked up the street to Schwarzburger Hof.  I don't know why it was closed on Saturday but it was open and I stayed to watch Deutschland win the final of the Conference Cup.  We were all inside because of the weather but it was a lot of fun.  I had a bowl of Soljanka and some beer.
     Today I went shopping.  I had to go back to REWE for what I had forgotten.  I went to the vegetable guy and I bought a wash cloth and brush at Muellers.  I can not find underpants and undershirts!  All I found in one store was a pack of 2 Calvin Klein underpants for 40 euro.  No.  I ate lunch at home very late and then watched Wimbledon on my BBC app.  Today was day 1.