23 April 2010

Too cold for a picnic


When we decided to go to Tübingen the other day, we thought we'd just pack a picnic and lunch in the town square.  The weather had been decent in the days preceding, so we figured it was a safe bet...until we got there and immediately changed our minds...it was downright cold.

And so we sought out a place to eat, stumbling almost immediately onto Alte Weinstube Göhner (Old Wine Bar Göhner).  Obviously a hangout for locals, it was small but welcoming.  And even though it didn't look like one, it reminded me of the 'mom & pop' diners I used to frequent as a child.  The owner greeted us with a smile and a hearty 'Grüß Gott'*.

The food was equally reminiscent of a diner, featuring regional Schwäbisch dishes. And although my Gaisburger Marsch (or what I affectionately call 'soup with meat and two starches') was not that great, the baked Maultaschen that my husband had was fabulous.  Plus, our son's schnitzel was really good, which is a gauge of a decent restaurant around here.  In the States, I measure a diner's worth with the quality of its hamburgers.  In Germany, I measure with schnitzel.

A far cry from the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we had packed, the Alte Weinstube Göhner was a welcome discovery on our little walkabout...and sometimes those are the best type of discoveries.



* 'Grüß Gott', or 'greet god', is the common greeting in southern Germany, rather than 'hello' or 'good day'.



18 April 2010

Not-so-blue skies


As my husband remarked during our walk today - is it a cloud or is it ash?  I tend to think it's the latter since satellite pictures show the Icelandic spew is over us now.


16 April 2010

Tübingen

Central Tübingen, April 2010


13 April 2010

Stopping for a drink

Refreshment break
Tübingen, Germany, April 2010



11 April 2010

All things western


I'm not sure why, but Germans seem to have an obsession with the culture of our American west.  Since we've moved here I've seen more allusions to the wild west and cowboys than in most parts of the United States.

Case in point...the above photo is my snack from last night's trip to the movies.  'Film Stars Little Sour Sticks'...with the said stick dressed in wild west garb.  Yes, it made me smile.

Fitting that I also heard Texas Lightning on the radio the day before.  A German country music band (recently split up), it doesn't get any better than that.


Related note:  Those are 3D glasses in the photo.  I  got to see 'Alice in Wonderland' last night...my first 3D movie experience.  Really enjoyable, despite moments of nausea as my eyes were trying to adjust.