Good Morning Passau!, Long Walk, Yummy Food X2 (Passau, Germany)

Passau view

Good Morning, my sweet Passau. 

I walked for many miles today…covered a huge chunk of this magnificent little corner of the World.  During my walk I did do a practical thing…. I found a long sleeve button up shirt that won’t show sweat for the Africa portion of my trip.  I know it sounds odd to hunt for a sweat hiding shirt but dude Africa be HOT!  Actually the heat in Europe right now is more intense than the Ghana temperatures I dealt with two months ago.  I also found a huge electronics store in the mall while trying to get to the train station.  A super helpful guy helped me find a SD card converter, a case that actually fits my dual Sim phone and a micro SD card for the dual Sim phone.  Quite successful housekeeping outing if I do say so.

Finally made it to the train station and scooped up a ticket to Vienna for tomorrow.  Hopefully I meet up with the family for a few minutes before I leave town.  I have no clue what time they dock in Passau so fingers crossed we can get some hugs and coffee in.

Tasty Salad

I ended up walking along the waterfront for quite a while to the University of Passau.  I discovered a lovely footbridge and decided it needed to be crossed but the smells wafting from a tiny café at the foot of the bridge lead me and my empty tummy inside to investigate.  Cappuccino to accompany my vegetable quiche and salad was a much-needed sidebar to my fantastic but hot day.  The quiche was absolutely amazing and the salad was picture perfect (8.80 Euro).

I took some great pictures as I crossed the bridge and a tiny nun with a beautiful smile said something wonderful to me in German.  No clue what she said but it made me very happy. 

Quiche Baby!

So, who knew, but the other side of Passau is just as picturesque as the main part of town but very few tourists cross over.  It always amazes me how quickly you can get out of the tourist mass even in the high season.  I managed to wander away two hours on the ‘other side’.   There are churches, a cemetery, gorgeous streets and a brilliant view of the main side of Passau. 

I headed back to the Wilder Mann to rest my toes after 4-5 hours of straight walking.  Rested up and hungry again I head back to the restaurant I visited on my first night here where Weiner Shnitzl.  Just to let you know Weiner Schnitzel is the national dish of Austria...I guess I had better eat some when I'm there eh?  Sat outside again to people watch and ordered a beer and Gulashsuppe (Hungarian Goulash).  I am almost certain it is illegal here to NOT have a beer with dinner and I like to follow the rules.  I often see people having beer with breakfast in Germany.  The soup was outstanding and I am quite certain that pretzel bread should be served at every meal.  Germany has made the short list as a top contender for favorite food destinations. 

Footbridge, Passau

I had the amazing

Marriage Carousel, Paussau or Bust, Another Late Train (Nuremberg, Germany)

Last Meal in Nuremberg

The family doesn’t leave until early evening and my train to Passau leaves at 14:00ish so we head off in search of the Marriage Fountain.  It’s actually called the Marriage Carousel or Ehekarussell in German.  This amazing piece was created by Jurgen Weber and erected in 1984.  It refers to a poem by Hans Sachs entitled ‘Bitter-Sweet Married Life’.  I spent 30 minutes walking around this fascinating piece checking out all the incredible details.  If you like sculptures then I would hunt this one down while in Nuremberg.  

Marriage Carousel

Marriage Carousel

ICE Goodies

Kissed the family goodbye until the next port and heading out on my five-minute walk to the train station.  As it turns out my train is running 40 minutes late.  The ICE staff brought us poor waiting souls water and popsicles to tide us over.  It did the trick.  I was so happy with my goodies on this hot day that I didn’t care my train was late.

The passing landscape was a combination of forests, countryside and small towns.  Well worth the four Euro extra for an assigned seat next to a window. 

Arrived in Passau an hour late and the taxi stand had more people than taxis.  It took about 15 minutes to grab one and as it turned out the couple waiting next to me were also going to the Hotel Wilder Mann…. love when you can share a cab.

Arrived at the Wilder Mann in less than 10 minutes.  Most things in the tiny town are moments away.  Just that short trip and the brief moment out of the cab I can tell Passau is a very special place.  Picture perfect at every turn. 

The Hotel Wilder Mann shares space with the Glass Museum, which adds to its castle like feel.  The hotel is very quaint.  My single room is on the fourth floor and up the cement-winding staircase I go.  It is a bit of a maze trying to get around this hotel, which I adore.  My room is very small but super adorable with a big window and decent bathroom.  It feels very ‘Passauie’ in this room.  Like the others the breakfast is included and I can’t wait to see what it’s like. 

One additional thing I noticed off the bat about this hotel and will see all over the city in days to come is the extensive flood damage sustained just months ago.  It was the worst in History, which dates back to the 1500 round these parts.

It’s getting late so I head out in search of dinner after a long walk along the waterfront.  The whitewashed buildings with pastel trim are absolutely adorable.  I want to decorate my next place like Passau feels.  I stop at a restaurant on the water for dinner.  Pork schnitzel for me and of courses a good sturdy German beer.  My extremely tall, blond server was particularly nice.  A thing I never knew back home is that schnitzel should be doused in with a good squeeze of a lemon to set off the flavors.  Delish!  (10.8 Euro)

Enjoyed the rest of my beer as the sunset and headed back to my cozy room for a good but hot nights sleep.

Trains, Family Reunion, Tasty Sausage, Lederhosen, and a Crappy History Lesson (Nuremberg, Germany)

Window Seat view, very sad!

The train ICE 27 to Nuremberg took 4 ½ hours and cost 86 Euro.  I do enjoy a good train ride but I reserved a window seat and got a wall (I will remember to double check the position of my window seat next time). 

I will meet The Family at the train station as the Frankfurt train arrives around the same time I do….well I assume anyway since we gave each other ISH times for our arrivals.  

 About two hours into the trip my train made a stop in Frankfurt and what to my wandering eyes did appear but two super cute Chinese girls heading towards the back of the train.  I sent mom a text and yes that was my beautiful little sisters I saw....we were on the same train.  Maybe because we have met up with each other so many times in the past we didn’t bother to find each other for the next two hours of the trip.  I mean, I did just see then four days ago in Colorado. 

The Family

Looks like a long trip for Cort so far!

When we got off I headed to the first class car and met up with My People.  Even though only a few days had passed since I left the States it was still cool to meet them there.  The hotel was just across from the train station in the old historic part of town.   I do love when you can walk to your hotel from the train.

Hotel Victoria is absolutely lovely but a bit too modern on the inside for my taste.  They do go a bit overboard with the orange color scheme but it rocks for comfort and amenities.  We have a family room, which has a double bed, two twins and they added a cot for little old late add-on me.  It is huge and there is  a massive balcony overlooking a square with a very active water fountain that kids can play in.  The bathtub is extra deep and right out in the open so if you want to take a bath all in the room will see you.  The shower is off set but no door so if someone in tub or at the sink they too would get a nice view of your bits and pieces. There is also a huge deck overlooking the square complete with tables and umbrella.  Can't wait to check out the included breakfast tomorrow.

It is insanely hot in Germany and most of Europe right now.  It would normally be in high 70-s-low or 80’s but it is in the high 90’s.  The fact that very few hotels in Europe have ac doesn’t help matters but luckily mom had requested extra fans.

After catching up and chilling for a bit we decided to wander the city a bit and grab a bite to eat.  Nuremberg is a beautiful, history city made famous throughout the world for the Nazi Occupation and the Nuremberg Trails. 

the deck at Hotel Victoria

Insanely quick Nuremberg history lesson skipping 80 % of it’s past:

Nuremberg is situated in the German State of Bavaria and lies on the Pengnitz and Rhine rivers.  Nuremberg played a major role during the Nazi Germany era.  Due to it’s relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and it’s central location the Nazi Party choose it as the site of the massive Nazi Part conventions also know as The Nuremberg Rallies.

It was also an important site for military production.  There was major devastation to the city during the war years. 

Nuremberg is probably best known for the Nuremberg Trails between 1945-1946 when German officials involved in the Holocaust and other war crimes were brought to trail before an international tribunal.  The Soviet Union wanted the trails to be held in Berlin but Nuremberg was chosen instead for several   Firstly, it’s location of the Nazi Party’s Nuremberg Rallies where laws that stripped Jews of their citizenship where passed.  Secondly because the Palace of Justice was very big and undamaged fro the war.  Lastly a compromised was made and Berlin would be the seat of International Military Tribunals. 

reasons.

Told ya, crazy quick history leaving out most of Nuremberg’s history.  Wikipedia is a good source for more basic information.

Anyway back to our first half-day.  As you know from my terrible history lesson most of the city was destroyed during the war but a massive effort was made to restore it to its former glory.  It is a beautiful city and we all enjoyed walking around even the touristy bits. 

Steak dinner

Found a cute cobblestone area with shops and restaurants geared to tourist but still wonderfully charming just around the corner from the hotel.  We sat at at a picnic like table at one of the traditional German eateries.  I had boiled Nuremberg Style Sausage with boiled onions and my sister Cortney got the grilled version with sauerkraut so we could share.  It was served with pretzel bread and mustard and a beautiful salad.  This was all served by a straight out of Sound of Music, lederhosen wearing server.  It was so crazy good that I would crave and eat it again before my departure.  From what I gather the Nuremberg style is small sausage the size of a Jimmy Dean at home.  You order then in 6 or 12’s.  My tummy is sooo happy right now especially since we washed it all down with a local beer.

Nuremberg Sagauge

What a great day.