An Evening in Appleby

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Hector

Hector has been passing through Appleby with increasing regularity over the last few years.  The Railway may connect Carlisle to Settle, but for Hector it goes on to Bradford.  On Craig’s 50th Birthday Bash, some of the Chaps alighted here for two hours so as to visit the Midland Hotel.  It was time for Hector to take advantage of a lengthy drive south and make this a Friday night stopover.  This was a new venue for Marg too.

The Bongate House proved to be an excellent choice of B&B, although Mein Host’s recommended Curry House turned out to be a major disappointment.  He did know his Ale and so had warned me that the Midland Hotel had now changed hands.  Other venues would therefore be sampled too.

The Royal Oak was only minutes away from the Bongate.  More of a dining facility in the evening we were crammed into the relatively small bar with a crowd of Bikers – as in Cyclists.  Three Taps only – two of them Black Sheep.  Hector spotted the Hawkshead (Staveley, Cumbria) Bitter at 3.7%.  On pouring the pint, it immediately went off.  Somehow my pint was then deemed fit to drink.  A Friday night, no Ale since last Saturday… this was bland, too thin, and nothing like as impressive as the new Hawkshead Pale which should really kick this into touch.  Nothing over 4%, time to go.

Walking the loop around the Castle, we took in the sights of Appleby.  The Bridge over the river is a planning disaster.  The Castle is hardly visible, from anywhere.  What is going on?

The Golden Ball was next door to the Curry House we should have gone to.  Banks’s Sunbeam (Wolverhampton, Staffordshire) was a refreshing change at 4.2%.  This had oodles of flavour compared to the predecessor.  A Golden, Hoppy Ale, things were looking up.

Alas things took a turn for the worse when we went for the Curry.  Thereafter we climbed the hill to the Midlands Hotel opposite the Station.  Could a May evening be any colder? Not knowing how it had been before refurbishment one can only conclude that the choice of Ale was better.  Two Ale Taps and a Cider Tap does not a party make.  The Eden Gold at 4.2% (Penrith, Cumbria) should have made a better impression, unfortunately this was as bland as the Curry.  So Marg and Hector rolled back down to the best place in town, the Golden Ball.

The Golden ball is currently the local CAMRA POTY, and why not.  Dave behind the bar became more welcoming when I flashed my CAMRA membership to claim the 10% discount.  There was Live Music by now, a Birthday.  The Sunbeam had gone off, well of course it would.

Old Hooky at 4.6% (Hook Norton, Oxfordshire) came to the rescue.  An Amber Ale may not be my first choice but at last I had something to savour.  On the sweet side of the ideal, this turned out to be the companion Ale for the final part of the evening.

So, Appleby has been visited, perhaps Staveley across the M6 may be the next local attraction.

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Zurück Nach Traben-Trarbach

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Hector

Saarbrücken is in Saarland, Traben-Trabach is in Rheinland-Pfalz, one Landeskarte permits two to travel across these regions, a great saving, thank you, DB.

It is ten years exactly since Marg and Hector first arrived in Traben-Trarbach.  We stayed at the Altstadt Café, we have stayed here ever since.  This is very much a homecoming.  We wished Frank, Mein Host, a happy birthday (same age as Hector – last week).  Frank gave us Room 5 for a change, moments later we were out in the sunshine walking along the banks of the Mosel.

This town, or paired towns, is a stunning location and only fifteen minutes from Hahn Airport.  In September Hector returns with the Chaps for the Wolf Wine fest but not via Hahn, no suitable flights.  Today we hear that Mr O’Leary may pull flights from Edinburgh to Hahn.  He has never been to Traben-Trarbach, he would not do this to Hector.

Apfelstrudel at the Brücken-Schenke is a Hector ritual, Marg has not been here for a couple of years, we think.  The View from the Bridge is total relaxation, the food and even the Bier here is sound.  Trarbach has a single Shopping Street, enough for Marg to go Shopping (again). Crossing over to Traben Hector led Marg to the Türmchen where Franziskaner Weizen (Spaten, München, Bayern) has been the attraction over the years.  Mein Host was alone, smoking, ah yes the drawback of this locus. The smoking ban does not apply to the Bars of this settlement.

I asked for Franziskaner, a Weizen was poured into an Erdinger (Erding, Bayern) glass, oh no…  At least he now has Früh Kölsch (Köln, NRW) on sale for the next visit.  Marg went down to the river bank to read her book whilst I tried to enjoy this most inferior of Wheat Biers.

We went for a stroll down the Left Bank beyond the limits of previous walks.  Two more hotels were discovered.  There is a lot of accommodation but much of it is pricy.

Café Balles is where we had our first Traben experience ten years ago, we had to return.

The Last Supper

Dinner at the Golden Traube is a must; the Mosel Menu is great value, an evening in the company of Richard and Mariliese Allmacher always a pleasure.  Alas, no more.  Richard phoned a few weeks ago to tell me he had sold out.  It was time to retire.  There was no guarantee the place would be open this evening but a sign on the door promised the restaurant would be open, the hotel remains closed.

The Dining Rooms looked bare; the personal items that have adorned the downstairs have gone.  The Menu had been stripped down too but at least was still affordable.  Marg ordered Schnitzel, Hector the Schweinesteak.  The traditional Bread and Fat was given as an entrée, I hope this survives.  A Bottle of Weissburgunder felt like an appropriate accompaniment.

Halfway through our meal Richard made an appearance, he was not in his traditional white shirt.  He disappeared, returned to talk to the couple opposite and then sat with us for about half an hour.  He told me the full story as to why he has sold the business.  Two companies are now responsible for the running of the business and intend upgrading the rooms before the hotel re-opens. We reminisced about the wonderful evenings we have had over the last ten years and all the groups that have been over to T-T with Hector.  I showed him my page on Bier-Traveller dedicated to the  Golden Traube.  The photograph here may well be the last we ever have taken together at the Golden Traube.  These were emotional moments.

Bier Time

Across form the Traube is Hami’s Bar.  Again a smoker’s paradise but a place with great atmosphere.  Gaffel Kölsch (Köln, NRW) is the Bier of choice, Hector’s third favourite Kölsch.  There was a warm welcome from Hami himself.  Marg had a Baileys but was more excited by the presence of a Bull Terrier.  She played with the dog, I chatted with Niels our fist taxi driver from ten years ago.

It was time to visit Frank.  As ever the Altstadt Café has the larger room devoted to the non-smokers as is required by the local laws.  Why the ashtrays are out remains a puzzle.  It would be better for Frank’s business if he could restore the Bar to the former location in the large room and make the inner room the non-smoking one.  More Baileys for Marg, Hector had the first Reissdorf Kölsch (Köln, NRW) of the evening, his favoutite Kölsch.

We were entertained firstly by one of the locals then by Frank himself who can now call up any music one can think off, usually with video too. Frank likes Prog; he knows the German bands which Hector grew up listening to: Grobschnitt, Eloy and then somehow he found the Cosmic Jokers, Klaus Schulze, and from the UK: – Demon and Nightwing.  The time flew by, one or two Biers more were consumed, this is what a night in Traben-Trarbach is all about.

Restaurant, Cafes and bars visited today:

Altstadt-Cafe  –  Mittelstraße 12,  56841 Traben-Trarbach

Brücken-Schenke  –  Brückenstraße 33,  56841 Traben-Trarbach

Türmchen  –  Bahnstr. 49, 56841 Traben-Trarbach

Cafe Balles  –  An der Mosel 20,  56841 Traben-Trarbach

Zur Goldenen Traube  –  Am Markt 8, 56841, Traben-Trarbach

Hami’s Pils Stübchen   – Weiherstrasse, 56841, Traben-Trarbach

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One Day in Saarbrücken

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Hector

The rain was chucking it down, still as we exited the back end of Saarbrücken Hbf to check in to the B&B Hotel.  This is decent accommodation at a good price and the chain has been experienced before at Flughafen Hahn.

The walk down the hill from the correct side of the Hauptbahnhof reminded Hector of the walk from Traunstein Hbf, that day it was snowing, today just rain.. Did I mention it was raining?

Lunch/Breakfat was required, so was refuge.  The Café Schubert is Marg’s sort of place, Cakes, Coffee and other delights.  I spotted Spargel, it is the White asparagus season, a must.  Marg ordered Quiche and the Doris said there were no Vegetables. We tried the meat version, the same repeated.  Marg ordered Soup but then spotted someone being served with Quiche.  Doris was led to the counter and the Quiche was on display.  ‘Nur gemuse’ was apparently what she was trying to say… idiot, her or me?  A Vegetable Quiche was ordered.

The Asparagus and Ham was perfection, Real Men don’t eat Quiche.

How could we resist the Ice-Cream?

Continuing along Bahnhofstrasse we were comforted by the colonnades that protected us from the elements, why do more cities not design their shopping streets in this manner? Having found the Rathaus and the Star of India we headed towards the Saar itself and the imposing Palace on the opposite bank.  This revealed yet another Rathaus the original, the former being technically in St Johann.

Shop, shop, shop

The Kaufhof is always an attraction for Marg and Hector, we indulged ourselves.  Then we realised that the huge stone building we had passed near the Station was the largest inner city shopping mall Hector has ever encountered the Europagalerie, impressive. It was dry inside.  More self-indulgence.

The Bier

Having found Zum Stiefel earlier in the day it was no problem heading straight back there after the Curry.  Taking a seat at the only table without cutlery, we conveyed the fact that we were here for the bier.  Bert promptly invited us to leave and showed us Der Stiefel across the back courtyard.  The former was the Ausschank of the Bruch Brewery, the latter was the same Brewery’s Micro.  This meant I was now limited to experiencing the Bier of one outlet only.  What a stupid set up.

The Stiefel Brau Hell at 4.5%  was nothing remarkable.  Served in a 0.4l glass one is reminded that one is not in Bayern.  The unfiltered nature of the Hell makes one wonder if the Brewers in German Hausbrauerei know how to clear a Bier.

The Osterbrau at 5.2% was their Seasonal Bier.  An Amber Bier, again unfiltered, this certainly had more of a kick and was more flavoursome.  The Malt was not too overpowering, a decent balance with the Hops.

This was a decent venue; food was available here as one would expect. Pity I did not go for lunch at the partner outlet through the wall, but did they have fresh Spargel?

Restaurant and Brewery visited today:

Café Schubert  –  Sulzbacher Strasse 2, 66111, Saarbrücken

Star of India  –  Johanistrasse ,66111, Saarbrücken

Der Stiefel  –  Am Stiefel 2, 66111, Saarbrücken

 

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Colmar, and the last night in Strasbourg

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Hector

Peter, of Les Freres, had recommended Colmar as a place in Alsace to visit.  It was just over half an hour on a rather expensive train.  The Ticket Office was closed, if there was a better ticket on offer, it was not offered by the machine.

The Station was a hike to the Vielle Ville.  Marg had suggested we go to the Zoo today, Hector got out of Gaol.  There was Spring Fair on, various Poultry had been caged and some found this interesting.  Marg was one of them.  In the heart of the Old Town stalls had been set up, there was much for Marg to amuse herself with.  Hector finds wandering the old streets to be reward in itself.  That people live in these places remains fascinating.  Without Tourism where would they be?

There is a building on most Postcards of Comar, could we find it?  One suspects The Planners may have had something to do with this.  Was it behind scaffolding?  Had it been relocated?  Was it now a Car Park?  We shall never know.

It was time for a Bier.  There was quite a few impressive looking Brasserie, I chose: Les Tanneurs. The MeteorPils (Hochfelden, Alsace) was recommended by Mein Host as being one of the last local Breweries.  It was not Kronenbourg.  The Bier was cold, yellow and fizzy.  Once could expect little more.

Marg had a Glass Of Wine – qu’est ce qui s’est passé hier?

The train back to Strasbourg was a farce.  A two Carriage Unit that was already full when it pulled in to Colmar.  Standing room only for the wedged throng.  It is a strange thing that there is a mass transit of people in the final hours of a Holiday Weekend.  SNCF have not impressed, Hector likes DB.

After a brief WLD, it was out on the town again.  At Bar Exils the Happy Hour was under-way.  Mein Hostess from last evening served us: the traditional Mystic Kwak (small) and a pint of Delirium Tremens.  The latter of course is one of the best Blond Biers around.  How an 8% can be this dry remains a mystery.  The due respect required for this Bier was shown, else the follow-up Kwak may have had a detrimental effect.   Having taken it easy, even Marg had two Krieks, we decided food was now highest on the Agenda.

We did not walk far, Aux Armes de Strasbourg was around the corner.  Shrouded in scaffolding it may not have been as busy as normal.  A wonderful Bert greeted us, sat us, fed us and poured Milk over Marg’s Jacket.  Hector must be stuck in Curry or Veal mode, Schnitzel in a Creamy Sauce and Pan Fried Potato faced off against Marg’s Meatballs which looked and tasted like Frikadelle.

There was an Ice-Cream follow up which kept Marg amused whilst I finished my Aperitif: a glass of Pelforth Printemps (Mons-en-Baroeul, France) Such restraint, and what happened to my follow on as this indeed was offered as an Aperitif? Well it turned out to be another Heineken buyout- Affligem (Brouwerij Affligem,Opwijk, Belgium) an all time classic and thoroughly enjoyed.

We were enjoying Strasbourg.  It was still to early to retire, it was Marg who suggested a return to Bar Exils.  A standard Kwak was the ideal way to bring this stage of the holiday to a close.  Mein Hostess re-appeared from her break: ‘Are you still here?’.  Are we now Regulars?  She stayed with is   long enough for me to be made aware that people this far south in France do not need to fly.  She assured us that it is better to take the TGV to Paris then the Eurostar onwards to London than mess about at Airports.

The final part of our Trip is really about getting home.  The last night will be in Traben-Trarbach, our second home, and a night in Saarbrücken just to break up the journey.   Saarbrücken has not been visited before, it has at least one Brewery and a Curry House.

Bars, Restaurants and Brasserie visited today:

Les Tanneurs  –  3 Petite rue Porte Rue des Tanneurs,  68000, Colmar, Alsace

Bar Exils  –  28, Rue De L’Ail, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Aux Armes de Strasbourg ‘Zum Stadtwappe’  –  9, Place Gutenberg, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

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Day 2 in Strasbourg

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Hector

The Sunday of Pessach and also the second birthday of Curry-Heute, there would be Curry later

Today we would be Tourists, the weather was dry and occasionally the sun appeared, so one or two decent photographs would be possible.  Strasbourg indeed has an atmosphere that is infectious.    This is a far more impressive settlement than Freiburg which had not lived up to expectation. With an improving familiarity of the layout of the town we headed in a different direction away from the Station initially, before crossing over the River Ill and on to Le Petit France.

The postcard views were now discovered in their full glory.  The half timbered buildings, the canal locks, all very picturesque.  It was lunchtime, our Ibis deal did not include breakfast so Hector had worked up an appetite.

The restaurant Au Pont St. Martin looking the part from the outside.  We were given a table alongside a German couple.  Now that the smoking ban is understood and accepted in most places this is no longer an issue. Salmon on Pasta made Hector a Happy Chap, Marg was able to stomach Fried Camembert in Sesame Seeds.  How?

It was only on our departure that I managed a glimpse of the Blond Fraulein I had been sitting beside, she was the double of Emilia Fox.  Marg never said a word throughout the meal.  A Photo opperchancity missed.

After further wanderings and a Coffee we found ourselves in what felt like a stationary queue for the Boat Trip.  We caught the next departure, just and somehow ended up in the front seats.  Two Locks negotiated and we were further north than we had walked.  Here was the European Parliament/Court Buildings and the headquarters of Arte.  Fortunately The Planners had located these modernistic buildings away from Le Petit France thus maintaining the skyline and architectural style of the urban core.  I like French Planners.

By some reason that could be down to total chance, the Boat Ride ended at 17.50 at a place which was exactly ten minutes form Bar Exils and the probability of the Happy Hour.  Mein Host must have been stressed and not realised the time, standard issue was still under-way.

I asked for a half litre of Paulaner (München, Bayern) plus a Mystic Kriek for Marg and the normal price was charged.  The thought of two pints of Kwak had entered my head, but somehow sense prevailed.  Mein Host departed and Mein Hostess took over.  A pint of Kwak it was then, Marg got the raw deal with a the standard fare for her modest second Kriek.

It was then Curry time at Le Penjab across the way.

Abstemious? It felt like it.  Having located the Academie de la Biere earlier in the day it should have been easy to find.  Once the bearings were sorted it was, but Strasbourg does take you round in circles.  The Academie is a small venue, only one table was free and Hector squeezed himself on to the bench seat.  Who designed this.  A Chap came over and asked what we wanted, the Bier List of course!  What is this, are we meant to be Physic (sic)?

There was nothing on draught that made me want to drink it, the choice was poor.  I asked for Andechs Weizen Hell from their list of Bottles.  They didn’t have it.  A large bottle of La Chouffe then.  He went away, a Doris came over, they don’t have any Chouffe.  I studied the list again and spotted Morte Subite Kriek at €5.00 for a 0.2l bottle.   It was all they had, this was produced and consumed in no time at all.  I decided we had better leave before I told them what I thought.  Like the similarly named outlet in Athens, this venue was Overpriced and Understocked.  I do not recommend anyone visits this, the fun is in town.

Bars, Restaurants and Brasserie visited today:

Au Pont St. Martin  –  15, Rue des Moullins, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Bar Exils  –  28, Rue De L’Ail, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Academie de la Biere  –  17 Rue Adolphe Seybouth, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

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Off to Strasbourg – That’s in France!

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Hector

It takes two trains to reach Strasbourg from Freiburg im Breisgau. The first was a double-decker RE to Offenburg, fine. The second was a local unit across the Rhine which was wedged. At least we had a seat for the half hour journey, those arriving at the last minute were caught out. Fancy people going for a Day Trip on the Sunday of Pessach?

The Strasbourg Gare is most unwelcoming, the twin brown canopies have seen better days. The exterior of the station is a big glass bubble which has been built to cover the original building thus extending the entrance vestibule. Like Perth, but done properly.

The Ibis was across the Place de la Gare, we were checked in instantly even though I thought we were too early, success. This was not a custom built Ibis but a conversion of an original turn of the last century building.

Le Petit France is the name given to the Island on which the Mediaeval part of Strasbourg stands.

A complex of Canals and the River Ill gives the outline a distinctive pattern which in theory should aid navigation. In the heart of this lies the Cathedral which the Dutch band, Focus famously (?) paid homage to on their album Hamburger Concerto. So why La Cathedrale du Strasbourg?

The Grenadier was the first venue that looked appealing as we may our progress along the Grand Rue towards the heart of the city. It is Sunday lunchtime, a certain football match is under-way back in Glasgow in which the Undesirables will win the Tainted League. Mein Host places a bottle of Eau Gazeuse before the Hector, you couldn’t make it up…

The Lasagne improved my spirits and we made our way onward to the magnet that is the centre of the Island.

The Cathedral is truly impressive, better than Paris I would say. There is a restaurant on the corner of the Square which looks like the tail end of an old Spanish Galleon, well that is how it looked to my eyes. This fascinated me more than the stone-masonry in many ways. On this and subsequent walks through the Square I tried to get a photo with decent illumination. Conditions remained cool and overcast , not much luck then.

Marg was in her element, Souvenir Shops, Biscuit and Chocolate shops, Fish in the Canals, time for a Coffee. La Stub met with our mutual approval and Hector’s first French Bier for some years was on its way. The Fischer/Pecheur Tradition was served in a 0.25l glass, a size I reckoned I would have to become used to. It was Blond, cold, yellow and fizzy. There was no taste to speak of, but it was not Kronenbourg, and that felt important.

We were on our way again and found ourselves at the north end of the Island. Heading back revealed a wonderful discovery, La Village de la Biere. This had a huge selection of Fine Biers, even Scottish. Marg bought me Boon Kriek, a splendid action. At least I had seen good Bier and now had one in my possession, Strasbourg would not be a Bier Desert.

Passing through the Square yet again we took a different route out. The Rue de Tonneliers proved to be a significant discovery. Les Berthom advertised decent Bier but was closed, Le Penjab Curry house was discovered and whilst Marg went into a Creperie for some reason or other, I walked the few paces along the street to Bar Exils which also had a decent range of Bieres au Pression.

Les Berthom was still not open, even as the Bells for their 16.00 opening time rang out. A small group of Desperados had assembled, finally.

A young Chap appeared behind the bar and asked what I would like. A menu was my reply. Come on. La Chouffe on draught was available, I asked about Lambic Biers, just in case, he pointed out Lindemann’s, no chance, Chouffe it was. The young Chap managed to be quite annoying. By now I had been in Strasbourg long enough to realise that speaking English is the most honourable way for us to communicate. ‘Zvei Cafe, s’il vous plait’ just does not work and it is too easy to get the languages mixed up having just crossed the border. Every street sign is in French and German, this is either very international of them or they are waiting for the German’s to take Alsace back again. Maybe they have already.

La Chouffe on draught in France is always a treat. In Aberdeen at The Harbour (a regular source) it is tasteless, why? Strasbourg was getting better with every sip.

Bar Exils had a board outside advertising the Chelsea v Wigan match at 17.00. Marg declared that she fancied watching this as we had seen no TV in the previous days. I was up for this. The game was not live but on an hour delay. Philosophical point: when Music is advertised as ‘Live’ the band are in the pub, when football…

Draught Kwak had been spotted, served in the traditional bulbous glass with wooden stand, it was Hector’s turn to be in his element. Marg does not drink Bier, with two exceptions: she in in the Hofbrauhaus, or I convince her there is a Kriek so sweet and weak that she will love it. Mystic Kriek ticked these boxes, the session was under-way.

It was approaching 18.00, the menu said Happy Hour at six. The Cathedral Bells rang out, a bell in the pub dinged! 500ml of Kwak would now be served at €4, as would all their draught Biers. I phoned Robin to ask permission to drink Kwak from a non-Kwak glass, under the circumstances this was approved. Marg’s Kriek refill came in a 500ml glass too, she was horrified. Tracey texted to ask why Marg was allowed to drink Kriek in this quantity when I had told her some time back that this does not work with Kriek, it becomes too sickly. By decanting into the original 250ml glass, everyone was kept happy, it was Happy Hour!

Free wi-fi gave the possibility of an even Happier Hour, it must have been to do with where we were sitting because the signal was so poor it was a waste of time.

We had to leave. Staying would have been madness. It was time to eat. We headed off in what seemed a wise direction in search of the classic Bistro. On reaching the Canal Perimeter, I knew if I crossed it we could end up anywhere. We walked along the Canal Bank and came across Le Bistrot des Copains, this was indeed charming.

I was determined to ensure that my meat was not bloody. I was served raw Duck in France two trips back. Our waiter’s English was as poor as his French, well that is my conclusion when man fails to communicate with Hector. A Romanian Chap was appointed to look after us, he was great fun. Six Snails were ordered to share, Marg was appalled, well almost, she ate one.

My meat was Veal so the blood risk was minimised, it was stuffed with Cheese, the portion was huge and somehow I had been given a bowl of Pommes Frites, moi? I cannot eat more than four Chips. Marg’s Chicken with Penne in a wonderful Garlic, Mushroom and Cream Sauce, was so good a version will make an appearance at Hector’s House one day soon.

On our departure we continued the walk along the Island Perimeter. The classic Postcard View of Strasbourg with the Towers guarding the entrances to the three canals was metres away. Ironically, so was the street back to the Gare and the Ibis. Flushed with success there was a call to celebrate. A glass of Leffe Blonde at Brasserie Le Dix, which had free wi-fi polished off the evening.  Chaps, Leffe Blonde is sweet!

Bars, Restaurants and Brasserie visited today:

Restaurant Au Grenadier – 112, Grand Rue, 6700, Strasbourg, Alsace

Les Berthom – 18, Rue de Tonneliers, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Restaurant La Stub – 4 Rue du Saumon, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Bar Exils – 28, Rue De L’Ail, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Le Bistrot des Copains – 12, Quai Finckwiller, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

Brasserie Le Dix – 10, Place De La Gare, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace

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An afternoon in Basel – and The Third Evening in Freiburg

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Hector

Basel  –  Much Travel, No Bier

The Chap at the DB ticket desk congratulated me on my communication skills (I bet his English was better than my Deutsch) and no doubt knowledge of how the Deutsche Bahn ticketing system works. In no way should one buy two return tickets to Basel from Freiburg im Breisgau, there is a Landeskarte, chances are the Badem-Wurtemeberg Ticket would be valid across the Rhein to Basel SBB. It was, total savings @€40. This would pay for tonight’s Curry. Having changed at Basel Bad to an S Bahn, I kept my eyes open for the Pillar in the middle of the river marking the borders of the three nations.  Today I did not see it.  In 1980 I did, so it must be from the French station that one crosses at this marker. Grun 80 was in full flight when I last set foot in Switzerland, or Schweiz as it is easier to write. Such a small country does not deserve too many syllables. Grun 80 was some sort Environmental or even Garden show, I was underwhelmed. I do remember taking sandwiches from Freiburg so as to avoid the Swiss rip-off prices. Today I was determined not to buy Francs and be left with the excess. A reminder of just how wonderful the Euro is. I wish we had joined at £1 = €1.75 like I said at the time, but Economists obviously know more than the Hector.

I have often speculated what it must be like for a tourist to arrive in Glasgow at 08.00 on a Sunday morning. This is how Basel felt today, it is Pessach. Following the clearly marked signs for pedestrians to the Munster and Market areas, we found the more interesting parts of the city with ease.

The first Croque Monsieur of this Trip was consumed in a Café at Rathausplatz. Marg had Asparagus Soup, always a winner. We paid with plastic and used the facilities, 2-0 to us. The Rathaus was visited and some Chap who has a statue with no obvious name stood proudly looking over us. Snap away. From the Munster (partly shrouded in scaffolding, of course) we spotted a Ferry crossing the Rhein. It was heading towards us on the south bank so down we went and timed it to perfection. Deutschland was on the other side, so was a very conveniently located Hausbrauerei.

We wandered the North Bank and then narrowed our search for the home of Euli Bier. Two adjacent premises were listed, both were closed. The main outlet did not open for another two hours.

Suddenly it felt like a Sunday morning in Edinburgh, you’ll have had your Bier! Being no more than a five minute walk from Basel Bad Bf and fifty minutes to the next train, we decided to retrace our steps to the Swiss Station. Like Venezia where all the signs point towards the major sights, the Station is not regarded as being one. Road signs took us on to the Ring Road. We went round in circles, there’s a surprise, and missed the train by two minutes. Being a holiday, it was a fifty eight minute wait to get back across. The facilities were used once more, I have flown for less than this, 2-2! Marg pressed buttons to buy a Coffee at a kiosk, half a cup of Milk and a dribble of Coffee for €3.50?, we walked away. 3-2. So much for Basel.

Minimal Travel, Some Bier

The Friday of Pessach can be a very quiet night in some parts of Deutschland. The strategy was to have Curry this evening. Changing Trams with wonderful efficiency we were almost taken to the door of Panjab. The place was stowed so we booked a table for later and retreated back to the main street and visited Der Kaiser. This building had the layout of an old traditional brewery in a compact building as say Frischheisen in Kelheim. With two rooms, the larger to the right, we went left and sat in view of the Bar.

The Hefe Weizen of Ganter had to be tried. The Waiter repeated Weissburgunder. Now how many syllables is that? Hector wants Bier, not Wine. Marg ordered an Apfelsaft and was still offered Apfelschorle. Pay attention, Dear Chap. The Weizen tasted a bit thin, had a slight acid flavour with a reasonable Banana hit. It was simply not a distinctive as the Urtrunk. We went back to Panjab for a Curry.

Being expert on the Tram network by now, we then jumped on a Tram back up to the Centre and walked the final metres to the Munsterplatz and the Ganter Ausshchank.

Two staff were on from last evening and we gave mutual nods of recognition. The Doris came over and served us as if we were regulars. The Urtrunk was again impressive. Very near closing time Doris asked if I wished another Bier, as if…. There were only two customers left apart from us, it would have been ill mannered to order another and be last out by half an hour. The Hector would never do that. And so back to Martin’s for a final Bier in Freiburg. Last night’s waiter intercepted us with the order: ‘A Baileys and a Dunkels!’. He was corrected and for the final time, maybe ever, I asked for a Pils in Germany. Due to the minimal intake today, the Pils once again impressed as it had done on the first evening.

The Olives had to be re-sampled too, I still do not know what the Sauce was, but it is highly commendable. The Bier Saga of Freiburg im Breisgau now ends. Tomorrow it is Strasbourg, France, the home of the Kronenbourg Brewery, well, Man was born to suffer…

Breweries and Bar visited today:

Der Kaiser –  Günterstalstraße 38,  79100, Freiburg im Breisgau

 

Ganter Brauereiausschank – Munsterplatz, 18-20, 79098, Freiburg

 Martin’s Hausbrauerei – Erste Freiburger Gasthausbrauerei, Kaiser- Joseph- Str. 237, 79098, Freiburg.

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Freiburg im Breisgau – Three Breweries In One Day

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Hector

Hector had next to no sleep. A combination of a lack of air in the room, a continuous heavy downpour and Chaps moving Barrels early in the morning. I heard it all but still I was not a grumpy old Hector, I am on vacation!

Daytime on holiday with Marg is very much letting her think she is setting the pace. How many Coffee Shops can we visit, how many Shops can we go into that sell the sort of crap, sorry interesting trinkets which Ladies enjoy perusing. Hours of endless fun interspersed with moments of Kultur like the interesting Architecture, Historic Buildings, and when is the first Bier?

We took Tram 1 from our Hotel, the Bischofslinde, to the Ganter Brewery, it was an advertised stop. The largest of the Freiburg Breweries, it was certainly factory-like, the Ausschank was located in the Zentrum, Hector would find it, soon. We crossed the river and found the Panjab Curry House, and kept going. Hector has not been kidnapped by Aliens, there is a plan.

The first purchase of the day was a Panda which Marg felt matches her eyes, well they do at present. This gave way to a lunch of Soup. By now, in the persistent drizzle, Hector had realised that Freiburg im Breisgau is not that interesting in terms of German Architecture. I only had a vague memory of the previous visit and one photograph of a red building adorned with flowers. I found the likely candidate in the Munsterplatz adjacent to the Ganter Brauereiausschank, serendipity once more. The Market was being held today in the Munsterplatz, with the continuing Drizzle, not a lot of fun.

By 15.00 the Bier was calling. The Hausbrauerei Feierling was in a modern building metres beyond where we had our Night Cap last evening. We chose a table upstairs overlooking the Coppers. Doris approached and asked what we wanted to drink. Having no idea I asked for the Karte. A seasonal Bier, the Fruhlingshopf was advertised on the table, this sounded ideal. No Doris, eventually she presented and took the order, promising to return soon. We saw a lot of her in the next ten minutes, Faffing here, Faffing there, but nothing for us.

Eventually the drinks arrived, the Fruhlingshopf was darker than Amber, not quite a Dunkels. Hops really? Fruit was evident. This was the most Banana flavoured Bier I have encountered in a long time. Had I been blindfolded I would have easily mistaken it for a Weizen. The only drawback was the killer home-made Yeast after-taste, however it was almost  masked by the Bananas.

Trying to get the Bill was a continuation of the above Saga. Marg eventually gave up and stood at the till, still it took an age. This young lady would fit in well in any Wetherspoons.

It was Marg’s turn for fun, Ice-Cream was calling. The Eis-Cafe Capri was in our path, Mein Host was still on duty. He gave us the warm welcome associated with faces he recognised, we have that effect on people. One of us had a Banana Split, the other a Cognac Becher, you decide.

Freiburg has many Museums, the Augustiner was the one which we considered possibly worth a visit. Augustiner, now would be be Bottles and Barrels or Statues and Bleeders? We left, ten seconds after crossing the threshold.

Our Tram Stop was seconds away, it was at this point I realised that the five Tram Lines all have their vehicles converge simultaneously at the central point of the City enabling people to change if necessary and continue their journey as required. Five Tram Lines, luxury. Joined-Up-Transport, unheard of in the UK.

After a much needed WLD it was back out on the town. The Ganter Brauereisausschank was the venue in Hector’s mind. The Market had been dismantled, we entered Ganter. Every table was occupied, we were offered a raised seat until one became available, by the time it did we felt at home on our Dais.

The Bier

The Urtrunk was an unfiltered Helles, the dryness was perfect, there was even a Citrus flavour, this was s superb and remained the Bier of choice. In the past I would have tried the Dunkels and the Export, but not tonight. The Urtrunk was so good I had negotiated the purchase of the Polo Shirt before I had finished my first.

The Food

As neither of us were flying tonight, we both had Fish. Marg had the Tuna Salad from Hell which soon disappeared into the Abyss. Hector cannot resist the Zanderfillets, when available. This was the best Fish I have had apart from Yadgar, in some time. Great Bier, great Food, Great Service. Marg even had Schwarzwald Kirchetorte, or Black Forest Gateaux as some may call it.

As the venue was closing by 23.00 we decanted to Martin’s a few minutes walk away. We resisted the Olives, but Marg could not resist another Baileys, two on one trip? The so-called Pils was the night cap. Interestingly, it did not impress as much as the Urtrunk, however, two fine Biers in a town of this size? Some people have all the luck.

Breweries and Bar visited today:

Hausbrauerei Feierling – Gerberau 46, 7909, Freiburg

Ganter Brauereiausschank – Munsterplatz, 18-20, 79098, Freiburg

Martin’s Hausbrauerei – Erste Freiburger Gasthausbrauerei, Kaiser- Joseph- Str. 237, 79098, Freiburg.

 Eis-Cafe Capri – Gerberau 30, -79098, Freiburg 


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Three Nights in Freiburg, via Basel

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Hector

The Travelling

The departure gate at Edinburgh Airport for the Basel flight was quite chaotic this afternoon caused by a combination of strange decisions made by the easyJet staff and the most bizarre set of would be passengers Hector has encountered in some time.

Passengers were invited to check-in their hand luggage at the gate free of charge as easyJet somehow believed there would be an excess of hand baggage on board. It was not quite a frenzy at Gate 3, but the semblance of queues for Lines 1 and 2 was now disrupted. ‘There will be two queues’, Doris then informed us pointing to where we should assemble, I counted three. Doris repeated her offer, this time with Speedy Boarding as the Carrot. A bigger frenzy, almost. I now counted five queues by the time she separated those with children.

An attempt at restoring order

We were then informed that passengers should only have one piece of hand luggage and those with more than one would have to check it at the gate and pay the extortionate fee which in the case of Ryanair, one might think becomes the staff bonus, such is their manic enforcement of this rule. But not easyJet, and certainly not today as nearly every female, except Marg had a hand bag (!), hand luggage and maybe even a polybag too. Not one person was challenged. Which part of one piece of hand luggage do people not understand?

Aboard the ‘plane, the emergency exits were free so Hector secured his usual seat. The people in front nearly panicked when the Swiss Steward told them they might have to open the door. During the safety Demo, some stupid female stood up and started waving too, very strange. But not as strange as Basil Airport.

Basil-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport is located in Basel, most of which is in Switzerland, or France. The Airport website gave no information I could find about getting directly from the Airport to Freiburg, our destination. Instead, it was made clear that one took Bus 50 to Basel SBB and then a train back north. EasyJet normally offer transfers from Airports to the named destination, but not Freiburg.

On arrival in the baggage hall there were signs as to where to buy the tickets for Bus 50, good, so no need to purchase Swiss Francs. There were signs too of a bus to Freiburg, yee ha! One can exit the baggage hall in two ways, to Switzerland or to Germany and France, yes both, or is that all three?  There was a bus due to take us to Freiburg, at €23 each not cheap, but it saved an hour. We checked in to Hotel Bishofslinde and were back in the Zentrum by 21.00.

The Bier – at last

The Martin’s Hausbrauerei was discovered right beside the Martinstor, how sensible. This was the first example of simplicity in practice observed today, but this is Deutschland.

We found the only comfortable seats beside two young Chaps who were drinking what looked like a Pitcher of Unfiltered Helles. When Bert brought the Karte it turned out to be a Pils. I checked with the Chaps and they confirmed that indeed they were drinking Pils. Hector does not drink Deutsche Pils, it is an unspeakable Bier on a par with any Euro-Fizz and usually tastes of Perfume. The sign above the tanks said ‘Bottom Fermented’, this suggested Lagering had occurred. Instinctively I took the chance. Just as well, this was cool, refreshing, tasted dry and hoppy and is by far the best Bier I have tasted since the Bradford Beerfest in February. Marg had an Apfelsaft, or two. I have not been kidnapped by Aliens.

 Time to Eat

On my last visit to Freiburg in 1980 I was treated to a mass of Pork. This was significant having spent five months in Israel. A Pork Fest indeed. As a tribute to that memorable evening I ordered two Schweinesteak with Bratkartoffeln. Marg, who fancied nothing too heavy, had the local version of Liver – Cheese with the same Side. The Pork was minimal, but the Krauterbutter made it a worthwhile experience. I ended up helping Marg finish her German Spam.

Then there was the Olives

As a Nibble we ordered a portion of Olives. These came, small but excellent Black Olives with a coating of nothing we could identify. Whatever it was it made the meal. Neither, dry nor sweet, not Spicy either, something new and we have no idea what it was.

Time for another Bier

Enjoying the Pils so much, there had to be more. I then turned to the Export Dunkles, this was excellent too. A dark Bier Tony would hate, still dry, hops to the fore and like the Pils absolutely no sign of the home-made Yeast flavour that can spoil the Micro-Brewery experience.

 Time to move on

We went a wandering, found one or two places that Mr Google had suggested, dismissed these, then finished the evening in grand style at the Eis-Café Capri. An Ice-Cream Shop, perhaps, by day and a Jazz Café at night. Time for Marg to have a Baileys. They had another new Bier for Hector, but only in bottles and it was served on the warm side.

The Alpirsbacher (Alpirsbacher, Baden-Wurttemberg) at 5%(?) was advertised on the bottle as Hoppy. Sadly it did nothing after the splendour of the Martin’s experience. What made the visit was Mein Host who discussed Jazz Artists of my era, the 1970s and 1980s. He knew about Terje Rypdal, Weather Report, Rainer Bruninghaus, Eberhard Weber, Charlie Mariano, the peopleI grew up listening to. I pointed out that back then people looked back to the 1940s and 1950s as the great days of Jazz. I was doing the same thing from a now perspective. I also had to accept that since the rebirth of Progressive Rock, I have not been an active explorer in the Jazz scene. Curry and Bier, I think I do well.

We promised to return for an Ice-Cream.

En route to the Tram was an opportunity to sing the National Anthem, which of course we did.

 Brewery and Bar visited today:

Martin’s Hausbrauerei – Erste Freiburger Gasthausbrauerei, Kaiser- Joseph- Str. 237, 79098, Freiburg.

Eis-Cafe Capri – Gerberau 30, -79098, Freiburg


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The Larbert Ale Fest

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Hector

March Madness was how Scotrail described their offer which let our group of mostly Glasgow CAMRA members take the 15.18 from Glasgow Queen St to Larbert at half price.  We need more discounts like this in our fair land.  We hoped that somebody in the group knew where the Ale fest was being held.  The Dobbie Hall turned out to be a five minute walk from the station, perfect.

CAMRA members were allowed entry at 16.00, one hour before the general public.  There was a bit of an annoying wait at the door for The Casketeers, we were two minutes early, nobody was there to process us.

Yvonne had her personal snack of Sushi, well somebody has to support this strange industry.  More importantly she had Communal Olives and had also brought along a fresh bottle of Tabasco, a wee kick.

George, The Duke of Hamilton, sat on Hector’s right, Howard was on my left with Robin, and [Stan.TB] was squeezed  in the corner so that he could be a the spill over table behind us too.  Alan and Dr Robin were opposite with Craig and Yvonne. Mr Boyd and Jonathan propped up the end of the table.  We were assembled, time for the off.

The Ales

The first half pint of the day was a guaranteed cracker, Dark Star’s (Partridge Green, West Sussex) American IPA at a surprisingly low abv of 4.7%, ticks all the boxes.  Gold in colour, dry and well hopped, this could easily be regarded as a good session Ale of for the Fest, but that is not the true spirit of attending such days.  So Hector had to give this pleasure up and consult Robin, the Guru, and the others to find which way to go next.  Harveys (Lewes, West Sussex) Sussex Best Bitter at 4.0% was a step down in flavour.  This Amber Ale was dry but did not pack the flavour or punch of its predecessor.  As Robin said, it is rare to see Harveys Beers in Scotland and so it was worth the try.  It also meant that it was time to text Lord Clive of Crawley who was most certainly at work and knows these first two ales well.  It is not enough that we enjoy ourselves; the motto has always been ‘Others must suffer.’

How come Robin always gets a larger half pint than everyone else?

Clive took the opportunity of booking a room at Hector’s House for March 2015 when there will be a total eclipse visible in the Faeroe Islands.  There must be a direct ferry from Clydebank to the Faeroes, or maybe there will be by then.  Strangley this is the second time in my life that Solar Eclipses and Larbert have been connected.

By now the cry was we should all be tasting Crouch Vale’s (South Woodham Ferrers, Essex) Amarillo at 5.0%.  Back in the true style of Gold, dry and hoppy this indeed is a fine brew outdone today only by the American IPA, so far.

This was the Larbert Ale Fest so it was certainly time to try the Ale from the local Brewery, Tryst.   At 5.5% the Raj has had its praises sung in the past.  The Ale did not feel as if it had the body of a Beer of this strength, dangerous, but it was only a half pint.  Although pleasant and in our preferred style, it did not compete with what had started the day.

A few years back at an Alloa Ale Fest, the William’s Bros (Alloa, Clackmannanshire) Joker at 5.0% won us all over and became the session Beer of the day.  Hector has not regarded as being that outstanding in sampling since then.  That the keg version that is popping up everywhere is an abomination.  It was worth a try and so I took the plunge.  Sweeter than what we look for these days, but not excessively so, this full bodied Ale won me over once again.  Singing its praises I decided to try their Seven Giraffes at 5.1% which of late has been drier than the Joker.  Today it was declared sweeter, everything is the wrong way around.  By now, Howard and Craig were on board with the Joker and this remained our tipple until the end of the day.   Meanwhile, George, The Duke of Hamilton, was extolling the merits of the American IPA.  At the Glasgow CAMRA table, these were the two Ales of choice at Larbert.

My New Bestest friend

George spent the afternoon scoring the Beer whilst I updated the Bier Database on the trusty HTC.  Good crack.  We were joined by one of the staff whose white beard matched Mr Boyd’s, we had CAMRA stereotypes in abundance.  By 20.00 the table was thinning out, Robin had gone, Alan must have gone with him.  We were joined by two Chaps in matching tops, what’s going on?

The Music

Mein Host that we know from the Alloa Fests came over for his usual chat welcoming us and appreciating the fact that we travel en masse to support their events.  He promised us no music today, so why did a disco start playing by 18.00?  And did the light show really enhance the taste of the Ale?  Again I wonder why we have to endure this nonsense at British Beer Festivals, the music is irrelevant, takes money straight off the profits and annoys the majority of the attendees.  Is it to get women to go along?

The Food

The Pork Pies with Black Pudding, not in the Todmorden style, and Mushy Peas were going down a treat.  Dr Robin had to eat his with two knives; Howard returned baffled to find he had two forks rolled in his napkin.  I am told the food was good, but the queue was always longer than I would wait.  In time the idea of a Larbert Curry was bubbling up in my mind.  The Gulnar Tandoori it would be…

As ever, this was a good event run by the Forth Valley Branch of CAMRA.  It remains a pity that the Glasgow Branch cannot organise anything these days.

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