I just came back from a short trip to Germany (November 6 to November 16). I’m still a little jet-lagged. I think my jet lag has been getting worse with each successive trip =(. Any suggestions for preventing jet lag? Please write me. My head is in such a funk now =(. Anyway, here are some suggestions that I have should you want to visit southern Germany….. BTW, though we missed Oktoberfest and were just shy of the Christmas Markets; we still managed to have a nice “off-season” trip. Fall is pretty there- typical Fall season colors and green in some parts of their southern expanse. If you are price-tag-conscious– this was a reasonably good time to go. <\/p>\n
Frankfurt:<\/strong> Baden-Baden:<\/strong> Freiburg in Breisgau:<\/strong> Short walk around the Black Forest area; unfortunately did not get to hike due to our strenuous schedule. European trips tend to get crazy when you try to fit everything in and you know you can’t fit everything in =P. I prefer slow and lazy island holidays.<\/p>\n Lindau:<\/strong> Munich:<\/strong> Ingolstadt: <\/strong> Nuremberg:<\/strong> Muhltal & Darmstadt:<\/strong> Frankfurt: <\/strong> Airlines: <\/strong> Typical German Breakfast & Meals:<\/strong> *Not really that different from a typical American breakfast but their meals are heavy on meats and starches. Apples are widely used to make e.g. apple juice, apple cider-seltzer, apple wine, apple beer, streudals, pies, etc. Other Info:<\/strong> The Germans were generally polite and helpful. Most could speak enough English so directions and ordering off the menu was no problem. They tend to be a little reserved when you meet them but they can be quite friendly. They take their cooking very seriously and seem to be a little concerned when there’s any food still left on the plate. I would like to visit Germany again someday but with a more relaxed itinerary than this time. Would also love to spend more time in the Black Forest region, maybe rent a “chalet” or cabin, have short frequent hikes on trails, and see the Volkswagen Factory. I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting Freiburg again and would also love to see Schallstadt. They have really nice flea markets with the cutest knickknacks. The hybrid roses and dried wildflowers in Germany are esquisite.<\/p>\n *Please see my other upcoming posts on Southern Germany*<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I just came back from a short trip to Germany (November 6 to November 16). I’m still a little jet-lagged. I think my jet lag has been getting worse with each successive trip =(. Any suggestions for preventing jet lag? Please write me. My head is in such a funk now =(. Anyway, here are … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[389,395,387,393,390,388,382,392,386,394,385,391,396,383,384],"class_list":["post-1397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trips","tag-baden-baden","tag-bavaria","tag-black-forest","tag-darmstadt","tag-frankfurt","tag-freiburg","tag-germany","tag-ingolstadt","tag-lindau","tag-muhltal","tag-munich","tag-nuremberg","tag-swartzwalder","tag-trip","tag-vacation"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1397"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1449,"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397\/revisions\/1449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nycupcake.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHessischer Hof Hotel (my fave hotel in Germany so far because the service was great, the refrigerator goodies were not at extra cost and replenished daily =), it had really nice breakfast buffet, and the room was cozy and comfy; all the things a weary traveler could ask for)
\nFichtekranzi Restaurant (Dinner- Excellent traditional German fare)
\nHaus Wertheim in Romerberg for Applestreudal, Apfelsaft, & Eisbock Beer (awesome end to the evening)
\nHistoriches Museum (German Historical Museum)
\nMueseum Fur Moderne Kunst (Takashi Murakami Exhibit- too bad I was such a zombie from the jet lag)
\nCafe WeidenWeber (Great for sandwiches, drinks, and dessert)
\nCafe Libretto (Had a really nice Farmer’s Breakfast here; they even open early Sunday mornings and that worked out great for us)<\/p>\n
\nNo doubt a really posh place to shop but we arrived on a Sunday when everything was closed and it was a little drizzly. Still I had a wonderful time walking around. Sorry, no extravagant shopping experiences to share =(.
\nThere’s a big casino there but we did not go in.
\nRelais Dessert International (awesome baked goods- loved the macaroons)
\n? Capri Cafe (really great pumpkin soup and black tea)<\/p>\n
\nRinghotel Zum Roten Baren (translated to: At The Red Bear Hotel). We only spent a night here but I was still pleased overall. I wish the mattresses in Germany were a little less stiff and the toilet paper softer. Other than that all the hotels were pretty good- clean, nice staff, good breakfast buffets, quiet atmosphere.
\nHotel & Restaurant Lowen (a couple of paces away from the hotel; really awesome Bavarian food)
\nWalked around the romantic and charming village of Freiburg. I will share pictures of it soon. It’s like an artisan colony.<\/p>\n
\nHotel Cafe Ebner (overall nice hotel- no complaints)
\nWalk around Lindau Island (gorgeous oriental rugs- wish I could have sent a few back home)
\nRost Bar (had German version of pizza, sort of like a thin-crust pizza called Flammkuchen… pretty good and just about the only place still open after 10:30 pm ;)… boo, we missed dessert)<\/p>\n
\nDerag Hotel Karl Theodor (overall decent hotel- no complaints)
\nWalked around Marienplatz (Munich’s Central Square)\/ Maximilian Shopping area… LV, Bogner, Prada, Escada, Valentino, etc.
\nDoll Museum (Teddybear 100 Years Exhibit)… like walking up a mini Leaning Tower of Pisa but I love teddy bears so it was worth it.
\nSchloss Nymphenburg (humongous drop dead gorgeous palace; I wish I could live there)
\nMunchner Stadtmuseum\/ Town Museum of Modern Art (Puppetry, Walt Disney, and Photography Exhibit)
\nBratwurstherzl am Viktualienmarkt Restaurant (Dinner- Excellent traditional German fare)
\nHundskugel Restaurant (Dinner- To-die-for Bavarian home-style cooking)
\nCafe Bar Restaurant Glockenspiel (good food but a little greasy, I actually ordered gnocchi with pesto here)<\/p>\n
\nAudi Factory & Museum (any lover of cars should not miss this, though I would have preferred going to the VW Factory- maybe the next trip…). Just about step-by-step creation of an Audi from pressing sheets of metal to rolling out the finished product. Sort of cool to see a car start up and drive for the first time in its life.
\nAudi Restaurant Cafe (good selection of food and sweets- no complaints)
\nI got to sit in the driver’s seat of a Q5- how awesome is that?! (not available in the United States yet). I love my car but I’m lusting for the Q7. <\/p>\n
\nNestor Hotel Nuernberg (overall decent hotel- no complaints)
\nS-Bahn (sort of trolley-like) to Kaiserburg
\nSpielzeug Museum (doll\/toy museum)- very impressive from a miniature lover’s point of view. Comparable to the doll museum in Manhattan NY.
\nZirndorfer Restaurant (Excellent traditional German fare; we came here for lunch. I ordered Kasespatzle (German egg noodles with cheese- maybe like a Mac Cheese) and a side salad with a mustard-type vinigrette. Really good but slightly on the greasier side. My stomach survived =))
\nBlack Bean (great coffee, sort of like Starbucks)
\nCucina Italiana Ristorante (I just ordered a tomato salad because I felt a little under the weather =()<\/p>\n
\nMet my husband’s friend, Jens (Flickr friend)
\nVeste Otzberg Castle ruins (yummy homemade desserts and apfelsaft)
\nCastle Frankenstein (great pumpkin soup at the Restaurant)<\/p>\n
\nThe Pure Hotel (we only stayed overnight but it was a nice hotel, very modern and stylish in its furnishings)
\nMet my husband’s friend, Steve
\nDie Klaane Sachsehauser, Manfred Wagner (Excellent traditional German fare, much like the first restaurant we dined in in Frankfurt)<\/p>\n
\nSingapore Airlines (very good service- no complaints except I wish I had a little more leg room- not that they were any worse than any other airline)<\/p>\n
\nBread, including pretzels =)
\nCold cuts
\nOrange yolked eggs, sausages, bacon
\nFresh fruit
\nDanishes, croissants
\nYogurt
\nCoffee, tea, juice<\/p>\n
\n*I would describe German food as “comfort food.” The more traditional restaurants have a “family-style” seating. My fave dishes were broiled beef and broiled pig knuckle with sauerkraut or red cabbage. Their “green sauce” is definitely worth a try; I was told that it’s a seven herb mix (one of which is parsley) with a yogurt-like texture. It was “okay” but not my fave. I also loved their kasespatzle (cheese covered egg noodles fried in butter) with green salad on the side.
\n
\nFave Beers:<\/strong>
\nEisbock & Weiss<\/p>\n
\n*If you need to call back home to the States, one of the cheapest ways is to get a “Go Bananas” account or international phone card at a subway magazine stand. The “Go Bananas” is simply dial for outside line from hotel+ PIN number+ 001+ the number you are trying to reach.<\/p>\n
\n
\nRecommended Books to Familiarize Yourself with Germany:<\/strong>
\nMunich, Bavaria, & The Black Forest<\/em> by Andrea Schulte-Peevers, Catherine Le Nevez, and Kerry Walker
\nGermany<\/em> by DK Eyewitness Travel (I actually highly recommend any of their travel books)
\n*I wish we had purchased a mini foldout map\/walking tours like we usually do. These maps highlight the most popular destinations*
\nGerman Phrase Book & Dictionary<\/em> by Berlitz Publishing
\nWhen in Germany, Do as the Germans Do<\/em> by Hyde Flippo<\/p>\n