Dec 5, 2022

What is There to See in Franconian Switzerland

On our three-day trip to the Fränkische Schweiz (Franconian Switzerland), we got to see and do quite a bit of everything.

Pottenstein

Pottenstein is always worth a visit. There are many shops along the main road, but some were closed during this off-season.

Pottenstein main road

We also went to our first Christmas market of the season. This one was in Ebermannstadt (25km southeast of Bamberg). What a lovely small market it was. We bought many things such as mulled wine, Bratwurst, Christmas cookies, Gin&Tonic jam, and much more.

Prices are still lower in that part of Germany, so spending money is more fun.

Ebermannstadt (near Bamberg)

After the Christmas market, we entered one of the restaurants located at the market square. This one, Brauereigasthof Schwanenbräu Ebermannstadt, is one of the finest restaurants I’ve ever been to.

Our view reminded me a bit of looking out at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, also in November of one year.

Service was outstanding (very quick and with a smile each time), and my husband and I both had one of the local specialties. He had breaded carp, and I had a small order of Krenfleisch (boiled pork or beef) in a horseradish sauce with a dumpling.

In my hometown area of lower Franconia, this dish is also known as Fränkisches Hochzeitsessen (Franconian Wedding Meal), and is always served with Bandnudeln (ribbon noodles).

Once I posted a photo of this kind of meal with ribbon noodles on my Facebook page Fränkisch für Ausländer (Franconian Dialect for Foreigners), and this caused quite a stir. Some readers insisted this can only be served with potato dumplings, or boiled potatoes. In my 40+years of cooking and eating out, I had only seen this dish served with noodles.

Then there it was on the menu – with a dumpling! From now on, I will only eat this version. The small white strings you see on the outer part of the plate are radish strips.

This dish is always served with Preiselbeeren (lingonberries).

Krenfleisch with potato dumpling

And yes, we got a six-pack of dunkles Lager to take home.

Visiting Franconian Switzerland means eating and drinking well. At least, to me.

For a mini lesson in the upper Franconian dialect, learn how to say “Of course!”:

“No freili!” The literal translation would be: Ja, freilich = Yes, of course.

So if someone asks you whether you wanted another beer, “Möchten Sie noch ein Bier?”

“No freili!” is the perfect response.

Dec 6, 2019

Eating and Drinking in Bari, Italy

I had the chance to tick off every item from my personal list of things to eat and drink while in Bari.

Panzerotti are a popular street food, and the light filling of some tomato/light cream mix surprised me. What looks like a calzone is actually a deep-fried turnover.

Panzerotti

Passing through the market area on any day was a colorful feast for the eyes.

artichokes

I also got to try the region’s famous Arancini (stuffed rice balls, coated with bread crumbs, and then deep fried).

arancini

This drink, Negroni, was a recommendation by a contributing editor of The New York Times. Negroni is a concoction of Gin, Vermouth, and Campari. We had it with our lunch, and afterwards I felt as if the sun shone a bit brighter. 🙂

Bari, we had mostly blue skies and sunshine in late November.

Our rickshaw tour guide had recommended this Espressino freddo, which is a combination of espresso, cocoa powder, and milk. This was very nice.

Espressino freddo

Last, but not least, I tried the famous Focaccia Barese, which is like a slice of pizza, but without any cheese. This is a great snack!

Focaccia

Dec 4, 2017

What to Do in Helsinki, Finland in November

The first notable thing we saw after getting off the Tallink Silja ferry at Helsinki, while walking from the West Harbor towards downtown Helsinki, was this statue. A bit grotesque, but I’m no art critique either.

This Bad Bad Boy is 8.5 meters in height, and his face shows surprise and shock, as if caught while urinating. It was part of the Mutatis Mutandis exhibition, which finished in October 2016, and since then, the statue has been moved to the city’s West Harbor (just outside the building housing of the Helsinki Computer and Game Console Museum). The artist Tommi Toija created this Bad Bad Boy statue.

In its new location away from the port, we walked about 5-10 minutes before we spotted him.  Again, I’m no artist, and I’m glad I don’t make my living from writing art critiques.

Bad Bad Boy in Helsinki

A more pleasant sight were these colorful seals, with a herring in their mouths.

Seals at the West Harbor Helsinki

More art and modern design is presented here. This is a wall of hundreds of tiny plaques, which you find walking from the West Harbor to the eastern shore of Jätkäsaari. The art project is called Horisontti, and bears the names of donors to the Keep the Baltic Sea Clean campaign.

After what seemed an endless walk trying to find the old part of Helsinki (good luck), or the modern downtown shopping area, we struck on the Stockmann department store. It was a nice warm place after a good 25-minute walk, especially being around the port area of Helsinki in November.

Stockmann shop window in Helsinki

Next, we looked for one of the Christmas markets. We found one in front of this white Lutheran church (construction was 1830- 1852).

Lutheran church in Helsinki

At the Christmas market, my friend and I shared a reindeer kebab. I had my share with all the extras a kebab can have – chili peppers, red onions, and sauce. The taste of game and the meat texture will make this a unique experience, and …remain unique.

We took another stroll through the lit streets of Helsinki.

Speaking of lit – most pubs were full by 5pm on Saturday. We could not leave Helsinki without having a pint, so we had it sitting outside.

Helsinki is a cool place to visit for a day – there are some good museums (which we didn’t go to) to visit, but we were more interested in shopping for souvenirs, its people, and the local culture.

Dec 2, 2017

What to Do in Tallinn, Estonia in November

Tallinn is known to experience its second-wettest month of the year in November (after June). Well, we were in luck. It was a bit rainy in the mornings, but it usually cleared up towards noon.

We had flown from Frankfurt via Stockholm to Tallinn. When we arrived at the Tallinn Airport, I learned my suitcase was still in Stockholm. Oh well. This was nothing a good local beer could not fix.

This was the first sight we saw entering Old Tallinn.

Old Tallinn entrance

We stayed at the Baltic Hotel Vana Wiru, where they have a very fine restaurant. More about that and Estonian food in a different post.

By midnight, we checked into our hotel, and then went to a pub. By the time we got back, my suitcase had arrived at the hotel too. It was a bit damp from having been out on the tarmac for a while, I’d suppose.

The next day, we hit the Christmas Market several times. Old Tallinn is not that big, so you are bound to cross the market again and again on your way around. We tried different sorts of Glögg (the Baltic version of mulled wine). Interestingly enough, it was often offered in three content levels: 0% alcohol, 11% alcohol, and 21% alcohol.

Glögg’s the word!

 

Christmas market tree in Tallinn

There are many tourist shops selling their knickknacks, shops featuring amber in any possible form, and there are many cafés, pubs, and restaurants.

Amber jewelry tree

This amber jewelry tree would set you back by € 4950 – in case you were wondering.

I had read somewhere Tallinn would not be so crowded in November. It seems they still have their fair share of tourists during that time of month, especially with the start of the Christmas market.

 

In my opinion, a full day in Old Tallinn is enough. We had one and a half days, which was plenty. Well, and then, there is always more Glögg.

Feb 25, 2014

Saturday Market in Suresnes, Paris

I could not find a boulangerie open on Saturdays (!), so I bought some day-old croissants at a small supermarket. And yes, I gave up quickly.

I am sure there are plenty of boulangeries open for business if you’re willing to search in an unknown neighborhood, but I was too hungry to continue looking for one. I thought about asking one of the locals on the street, but knowing how this would end, ” à droite…. à gauche…. encore à droite….”, I chose the easy way out.

Around 11am, we went to the nearby market to buy roasted chicken with potatoes, seafood, and cheese for lunch. Here are some impressions of a French market on a Saturday morning.

What looked like cantaloupe from a distance was actually 36-month old Dutch cheese called Mimolette. You could have fooled me. Even when wearing my glasses.

Aged Dutch cheese - Mimolette

Aged Dutch cheese – Mimolette

Of course, the two Marylanders (my husband and his brother, a veteran Paris expat) had to get seafood for lunch.

Market in Suresnes, Paris

Market in Suresnes, Paris

And yes, the French do eat horse meat. The stand offered chevaline (horse meat) and it looked pretty much sold out at 11:30am.

Horse meat at the market

Horse meat at the market

 

At home, the big boys enjoyed their seafood lunch, while I had poulet rôti and potatoes for lunch. Can’t get the farm girl out of me.

seafood lunch

So we saw some unusual cheese, the boys splurged on seafood, I stuck to the familiar poulet rôti, and horse meat was sold out. I love Paris.

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