My amazing boyfriend (aka, “Il Ragazzo” translation: “The Boy”) surprised me with a trip to Germany! He works at a Barolo producer, which means cool perks. We enjoy tastings with producers, amazing wine parties, sample wine bottles, and now a trip to Germany. Milano to Munich takes one hour by plane – it takes longer to get to Chicago from Denver (and that doesn’t even factor in O’Hare/United delays). Yeah, I’m gonna like this living in Europe thing. Our stops: two nights in Nuremberg, an evening in Bamberg, and two nights in Munich. Take a trip to Germany with me in this week’s photo stream!
Day 1, Nuremberg
We stayed at Hotel Rottner, about 2 miles from the city center. The hotel’s acclaimed restaurant, Gasthaus Rottner, features the region’s Franconian fare of heavy, cream-based dishes. Delish! Our meal included a traditional Franconian watercress salad (with lobster), duck (for Il Ragazzo) and lamb (for me), paired with an amazing Franconian red (pinot noir).
Try it! Gasthaus Rottner, Winterstrasse 15-17, 90431, Nuremberg, Germany, www.rottner-hotel.de.
Day 2, Exploring Nuremberg
I headed into Nuremberg with a walk to the city center via the courthouse where the Nuremberg Trials took place. There is a museum, but I was fine passing the courthouse for a pic of the memorial site.
Market in Old Town Nuremberg on Kaiserstrasse.
Peaceful, flower-filled Nuremberg graveyard.
Day 2, An evening in Bamberg
On our second night we went 45 minutes outside of Nuremberg to beautiful Bamberg. The city center is a UNESCO world heritage site. I was feeling sick when I woke up that morning and my day walking around cold, wet Nuremberg didn’t help my cause. But, as a Rammie (GO CSU!), a Colorado girl, and effectually a beer lover, I had to have at least one brew. Il Ragazzo’s importer raved about a little old brewery in town, “since 1405”. Bamberg’s specialty is schlenkerla (smoked beer) – light or dark, take yer pick (love that about Germany)! The beer maintains tradition, tapping directly from the wooden barrel. It’s run by the 6th generation of the Trum family.
Try it! Schlenkerla, Dominikanerstrasse 6, 96049 Bamberg, Nuremberg, www.schlenkerla.de, open daily 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The biergarten has been around since 1405.
Kayakers enjoying the Upper Franconia Regnitz River.
Day 3, Munich
After Nuremberg we had a few days in Munich. Since I was still illin’ I took it easy the first day. I hit the pharmacy (Apotheke) for meds, grabbed a steaming bowl of noodle soup from an asian place (what I wouldn’t have given for Pho!), napped it out, and was ready to hit one of the city’s best Italian restaurants for dinner.
Not Pho, but a close substitute!
Coupla notes on adventures with my wine guy: His business trips mean meeting the wine importer’s clients. As a Barolo producer it means most meals happen at Italian restaurants, so he doesn’t always get to experience the local fare, but since they are high-end restaurants he rarely complains! The Italian restaurants we went to in Germany had a staff of about 95 percent Italians. Not crazy, considering it’s all of an hour away. But, to this American girl, very cool.
Try it! Hostaria Fratelli, Steinstrasse 9, 81667 Munich, Germany, www.hostaria-fratelli.de, Reservations: 089-20 35 47 67.
Day 4, Exploring Munich
I did a bit more exploring by foot on our last day in Munich, spending much of my time in the market area of MarienPlatz.
Lil guy’s mom kept pouring him beer. Love diff cultures in action!
Fountain Scene in MarienPlatz, Munich.
Munich beer options: big and bigger, light or dark. You can’t go wrong.
St. Peter’s Church, MarienPlatz, Munich.
Day 4, Munich Curry Dinner
We finished off with dinner at a Thai restaurant known for its wine list (Thai + global wine list – who knew?). The owner decanted Il Ragazzo’s Barolo, drank some with us, and paired it with a special menu. A cool thing about traveling with a wine dude: special menus!
Try it! Rueen Tha Restaurant, www.rueen-thai.de, Kazmaistrasse 58 80339, Munich, Germany, Reservation Hotline: 01720-8090119
We got a tour of the owner’s “ready-to-drink” wines (think Petrus, Château Haut-Brion, Grange Reserve, and more). Our new friend stores more than 200,000 euros of wine. It seems surprising to think of Thai with these amazing wines, but he explained that when patrons order the good bottles, he prepares a meal to match it – like he did for us, pairing the Barolo with a special menu that featured a decadent seafood curry. Can’t beat that!
And, that’s what I got for ya today!
Song Pick! On the Road Again, Willie Nelson
http://youtu.be/1TD_pSeNelU Auf Wiedersehen/Good-bye! V-dawg OUT!
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