Franconian Switzerland in the Heart of Germany

Franconian Switzerland, located in northern Bavaria, can be reached by car from Frankfurt in three hours. In the summer, I imagine, it is overrun by tour buses, but we went there in late November, which made it perfect for us: few people, quiet, and no lines anywhere.

When you first enter the small town of Gössweinstein, you see its castle on top of the hill. The same castle, Burg Gößweinstein, is said to have possibly been the inspiration for Richard Wagner’s opera, Parsifal.

Gößweinstein Castle

We were there in late November, and it was quite foggy at times.

November fog in Franconian Switzerland

But nature also displayed its colors.

November Nature

This shepherd and his herd were a rare sight to see.

A shepherd and his flock

We also visited the town of Pottenstein.

Pottenstein

We spent most of our first day in Pottenstein, and the first sight next to the church was the Scharfrichter Museum (Executioner Museum). I was tempted to pay it a visit, but my husband didn’t want to. Instead, he dragged me to an antique shop across the road.

In Pottenstein, we also had lunch at a place we will never forget. I will not mention its name, though.

The restaurant floor was dirty, and the waitress immediately told us of her chore of sharpening the knives in the kitchen. She had just previously bought a Wetzstein (whetstone) on sale, and it was not working properly for her… She was going on and on about these dull knives, and how the owner could not dispose of them, because they had belonged to his dead wife. There were moments I thought either we are on Candid Camera, or next time the waitress comes out of the kitchen, she will appear as the witch from Hansel & Gretel.

Of course, I imagined another scenery too, from having read so many mystery and crime novels.

She was also the cook with black dirt under each fingernail. She talked to herself, or the knives, loudly in the kitchen. I really had doubts what kind of food we would get, but I did not mention this to my husband (he told me afterwards he had thought the same).

We promised each other not to leave one sitting alone at the table, not even for going to the loo. We ate very quickly, and agreed, that if that ever happened again, we would pay for our meal WITHOUT touching any of it. And we would leave immediately.

We finished our meal (decent actually, and we detected no other flavor…), and paid right away. The waitress kept talking and talking on our way out, and my husband just closed the door behind us in her mid-sentence.

We both took a deep breath when we stepped outside. This lunch-scare is starting to become a family joke, such as when the question comes up, where we should go for dinner next… 🙂

Visit to Idstein in the Taunus

During this fairly quiet week between the Christmas holiday and the New Year, we decided to visit Idstein. This little town is known for its historical Altstadt lined with many beautiful half-timbered houses. Idstein is also part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße (German Half-timbered Houses Road), which connects selected towns with historic half-timbered houses and buildings.

We were quite impressed with what we found – such a jewel close to home. From friends I also heard it is famous for its many micro breweries. For us it was a half-day visit, and we managed one beer.

Idstein/Ts.
Idstein/Ts. an der Fachwerkstraße
Idstein Marktplatz
Idstein/Ts.

We had a very good lunch at the ‘Alte Feuerwache’ (Old Fire Hall).

Idstein ‘Alte Feuerwache’ Brauhaus
‘Deutsches Haus’ in Idstein

The hotel/restaurant Hoerhof (in German: Höerhof) courtyard looks very inviting. I would like to try their restaurant.

Hoerhof courtyard in Idstein

Hessen has many beautiful little towns worth visiting.

Going to Barfleur, Normandy for the Sea Climate, and Sea Food

What attracted me first to Normandy was its summer climate. The forecast for July promised 17-19°C on most days. I claim any temperature past 23°C to be a total waste on me.

After an 11-hour drive from Oberursel near Frankfurt, passing the periphery of Paris in 42°C (108F) weather, we finally arrived. The French are knows for having late dinners, but just like last year in Cancale, we had to look around a bit to find an open restaurant at 9pm.

As usual, we rent a vacation home for privacy. I don’t like hotels, and I don’t care how many stars they have. I want space and time to visit myself. Our rental sat on the main road in Barfleur, but sat back a bit, so it was perfect. This view from the house shows some part of the outdoor seating possibilities. Every morning, I got to watch the sun rise sitting in that spot.

Vacation rental in Barfleur
Barfleur on a summer evening

There weren’t as many tourists as in Cancale last summer, and the sea food selection, in general, is a bit smaller as well, but just as good.

This is an old boat launch for life boats. The building now houses some kind of museum, and the launch now serves as a means for having some water fun.

Burgundy Food Specialties

In an earlier post, I had mentioned the La Grange eatery in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. They serve homemade cooking. Here we had roasted lamb with black lentils and sauteed zucchini. This place has many customers.

Lunch at La Grange

On morning, when the croissants were sold out, I ended up trying a local specialty. This is called a gougère and has a creamy cheese filling. Gougères are made of  savory choux pastry mixed with cheese.

This was my favorite place every afternoon.

This area was full of butterflies! Most of them were attracted to purple and burgundy colored blossoms.

What to See near Flavigny-sur-Ozerain

While in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, most of my time was spent resting in the garden. If I wasn’t reading, then I was dozing in my lounge chair underneath a canopy of leaves.

Some mornings, we drove around the vicinity and stopped in other villages for lunch. The best place to have lunch is right there in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain though. Visit the La Grange (open from noon – 6pm) for its daily specials.

One of those morning trips took us back to Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, where we had vacationed in 2003.

Châteauneuf en Auxois

There are busloads of visitors coming to Châteauneuf en Auxois, including students on field trips.

We also visited the Abbay of Fontenay one morning (entrance fee: euro 10 p.p.) In 2004, the gardens of Fontenay were awarded the National Label ‘Remarkable Garden’ by the Ministry of Culture.

I love trees, so was in awe when I saw the gardens’ gigantic bicentennial plane tree, which was planted in 1780 and measures approximately 40m in height.

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