As always, my holiday in Germany was filled with rest and relaxation, but during this springtime season of the year, I enjoyed the added bonus of virtually endless white asparagus and strawberries.
My Beautiful Springtime Journey To Southwest Germany
If a picture is worth a thousand words, I think the picture above says it all…a beautiful sunrise on the morning of our departure. Our time in Germany’s southwest corner included beautiful sunsets and sunrises nearly every day.
Late springtime in Germany is the season for the freshest, juiciest, sweetest locally-grown strawberries and delicious white asparagus, two food items I enjoyed each day just as much as my coffee. After eating German strawberries, you really cannot go back to our pesticide-laden strawberries in California…they are just not the same.
Of course, every trip in Germany includes plenty of great coffee (I have my favorite two spots in Lörrach and do not deviate from them) and plenty of ice cream, particularly Spaghettieis, a German ice cream dish made to resemble a plate of spaghetti with vanilla ice cream extruded through a Spätzle press, giving it the appearance of spaghetti. It is then placed over whipped cream and topped with strawberry sauce (to resemble tomato sauce) and white chocolate shavings (to resemble parmesan cheese).
And no trip to Baden-Württemberg would be complete without dinner at my favorite steakhouse, Höllsteiner Hof, in Steinen. I sneer at the snobs who look down on filet mignon and will be happy to argue that it is a far better cut of meat than ribeye. We tried chicken, fish, and ribs as well…the food here is great, the atmosphere tranquil, and I love the playground to keep the kids occupied.
One night we tried a Vietnamese restaurant and also had more ice cream…
There was plenty of home cooking during this trip as well, and the avocados (from Spain) were also very good.
We did do more than eat or drink. There were nightly walks and many runs through the forest.
We visited the castle ruins of Rötteln and window shopped in the city.
It has become somewhat of a tradition for the kids to buy new shoes while in Germany (though with the EUR having strengthened so much against the USD this year, I’m not so sure about next time).
Like the USA, Germany has “Coinstar” machines as well and Augustine and I took a bucket of small-value coins Heidi and I received for our wedding that had been sitting in her room for 11 years, and we traded them in for bills.
We brought home a piece of artwork that had to be very carefully wrapped and we picked up some packing supplies at Bauhaus, the German equivalent of Home Depot or Lowe’s.
All in all, another good trip to Germany…they all are, but this one was particularly delicious.
“I sneer at the snobs who look down on filet mignon and will be happy to argue that it is a far better cut of meat than ribeye”
I always felt it was the other way around? Like filet mignon who looked down on ribeyes…
Given the location, do you guys ever take advantage of your it and vist places close by for day or overnight trips, like Strasbourg? I know you go to Basel but was just curious if there were other places you visit as well.
We LOVE overnight trips, but usually are so tired in Germany that we just “recoup” at my inlaws.
Autumn time, now, I’m sure brings out the beer and colourful leaves on the trees.
So I will make a confession. When I first read the title to this post, my mind went to the main musical number in Mel Brooks’ The Producers.
I will show myself to timeout now for the inappropriate reference…
I had to Google it.
You’re excused. 😉
Regarding buying shoes in Germany, unless it is a brand that you cannot get in the US, I find it is usually much cheaper to buy the shoes here. Last year I was in Zurich and a few American co-workers decided to visit the On shoes HQ. When we got to the place there was a huge store selling everything they make. I am used to the brand and started observing my American co-workers going crazy about the shoes there. They asked me why I wasn’t buying anything. I smiled and said I did not need new shoes. So, while they were trying different models and colors, I pulled my phone and went to Dicks website in the US. I typed the exactly same shoes and colors they were buying and sure enough they were between 40% and 50% cheaper in the US. Also, there was another big advantage, I did not need to carry shoes made in Asia, purchased in Swiss Francs in my carry on back to the US.
Switzerland is a *bit* more expensive than Germany.
Sure! So just for fun, I looked at the same On shoes in the US, Switzerland, Germany and UK. Note they are all made in Vietnam so exact same model and color, just shipped and sold into a different country.
USA: $160
Switzerland: CHF190 = $240
Germany: €160,00 = $190
UK: £160 = $218
Yes, and only less than 20% more expensive than the US, which for some might be worth it if it’s a style that isn’t available in the US.
Sure, Switzerland is more expensive. The rest just look like the difference is VAT. In most states those shoes are going to have additional sales tax added, while the other quotes are probably VAT-inclusive.
And of course the important difference in my case is that Oma is paying for the shoes! 😉
As I said on my original post, it makes sense to buy shoes from brands or models not available in the US. Otherwise, it is better to buy here. You can exchange if needed, you don’t need to carry from Europe and usually it is cheaper (in my state I have zero sales tax for shoes and apparel). I buy Italian or British made shoes when visiting those countries, mostly from local manufacturers that you can’t buy in the US. Now, anything made in Asia, you can get here cheaper.
Why did you post the check you got in the restaurant? To show you are a big spender – how expensive things are vs years ago – …..?
Goodness, it was certainly not to boast. I like to post restaurant bills just for transparency but the discussion at the table was about how inflation has hit Germany as well.
So agree on the strawberries. Here I try to buy only local, in season.. Yes they are small, but so much more flavorful, making the best preserves.
I was in Bavaria in May and also love the asparagus and strawberries in season. However, I’m pretty sure that most everyone agrees that filet mignon is the best cut. That said, I’ve never had a steak anywhere in the EU as good as a filet mignon at the better US steakhouses. I don’t think that lean and tender are what they are used to. I rarely order steak there, instead sticking with the local specialties.
Every time I do a steak review, I have condescending people saying that they are disappointed I would choose filet or that they expected better from me…
€16.80 for four waters is pretty brutal. Especially when the entrecote is only €23
That’s how German restaurants make their money. I find it disgusting, but I’m not going to fight the system.
I fight the system by adding a few ingredients to the water, but only the ones allowed by the Reinheitsgebot.
That is sometimes said by people who like fatty steaks that are not very tender. They do taste different, and I’m sure there are people who prefer them, if only because different people have different tastes. Just as there are people (I’ve run across some) who prefer UA’s onboard Polaris food to that in AF La Premiere, or who are appalled by caviar.
you live in LA matthew…i’d encourage you to find a store that sells Persian Deserts and try Fallodeh if you haven’t already, or at least allow your kids too. Its frozen noddle like desert with rose water and depending on your tastes persian ice cream (again made with rose water)…absolutely delicious.
Loving this Switzerland is expensive commentary. The CHF hit $1.27 this week.
Your kids eat some fine foods! Probably better than me! Haha