Where and why Lecce? One of the reasons was that it doesn’t attract most Americans. Most have never heard of the city. Two, we will get to explore a part of Italy that we’ve never traveled – the southern section. Three, we will be able to travel by train, something not typically done in the states. Plans were made and set. Transportation routes were purchased and accommodations were booked.
Before leaving the U.S., Eric received an (Italian) email that there was a problem with our route as a portion was involved with a landslide/washout. Not much we could do at this point but wait until we got there. By the time of our departure, the train had been re-routed and while it was going to be a longer trip, no other problems with our booking. Whew!
There are two main sources of agricultural income in his point of Italy: wine and olive oil. We saw some amazing olive trees along the train route.
We arrived safe and sound! Lecce was the end of this route that started in Milano earlier that day.
It was an easy walk to our place, less than 10 minutes from the station. We can do it. Figuring out all of the instructions to get in, took a bit more time. Ha!
Two bedroom, two baths and a kitchen with this one having a working washing machine.
Bedrooms were above the living room.
Please notice the stairs, more on that later.
What we needed at this point (maybe ‘wanted’ was the better word) was some libations. Walked a block down the road and found a place that was open, only for drinks.
We were literally sitting behind the church at this point, the Lecce Cathedral. It was originally built in 1144, rebuilt in 1230 and restored in 1659. The facade is a masterpiece of Baroque art. One reason that Lecce is called the ‘Florence of the South’ because of the rich baroque architecture that abounds in this city.
We purchased multi-day tickets for our church visits during our stay. Not going to start our visits until the next day. Something that was rising to the top of our list……….dinner. This spot was highly rated and very close to our apartment.
We were one of the first to be seated, that’s us the American early bird diners, at 7pm.
We started with two similar appetizers. Nice presentation and very tasty.
This was said to be more typical of southern Italy. Still had the buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes, but a different type of mixture and herbs. This one was sitting on some Lecce bread, which was covered up by the cheese and can’t really be seen until you cut into the mozzarella cheese..
Next appetizer was soooo amazing, we had it several times during our stay: hummus with fava bean puree and local grilled mussels. O.M.G.
We only needed two entrees for the evening. Eric ordered a meat dish that was composed of beef, pork and horse cooked in a tomato sauce. He enjoyed it.
Adrienne ordered their grilled seafood platter. She was very happy. They both let me have a few bites from their selections. That was all I needed at this point.
Until it came time for dessert. Once again, we ordered two items but shared them all.
tiramisucitrus cheesecake
Before turning in we went back to the Lecce Cathedral for an evening shot.
What is a visit to Rome without stopping at a few churches. We had walked past both of these earlier in the week and this day we stopped in.
Interesting exterior, a few details added to make a statement when the worshipers came to services.
I did find out that S. Andrea della Valle is a minor basilica in the neighborhood of Sant’Eustachio. It was considered one of the great 17th century preaching churches. Once you go inside, you don’t know where to look since there is so much going on everywhere! My shot below is the main alter area then part of the ceiling. I suppose you could stare at the ceiling for years and continue to find new things.
A small chapel displaying the Madonna & child was roped off for anyone wanting to pray in peace.
Looking up when exiting the building, their organ could be seen above with a small part of the half-dome apse in my photo.
As we continued walking the city a few steps away was the Church of the Gesu, it is the mother church of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The facade is described as ‘the first truly baroque facade’ and served as a model for innumerable Jesuit churches all over the world especially in Central Europe and in Portuguese colonies.
Their design is such that there is no entrance or vestibule to linger, rather a visitor is projected immediately into the body of the church. The Jesuits relied heavily on the acoustics of the church having a single nave and dome. They wanted the faithful to clearly hear the words of the sermon.
Turning to leave I could see the organ pipes above the exit. Wow, that is a small organ. Reading later I discovered that the two ornamented walls on either side hide a great deal of it. Now that makes more sense.
Okay, only been to two churches and they are starting to look alike. Let’s do some more walking. We walked past the other side of the Forum and noticed a number of Julius Cesear statues. In case you didn’t notice, Adrienne and Eric are in the background.
We saw something odd on the next statue……….maybe rubbing the foot is good luck? Not sure about that, but guess what? We rubbed it. Ha!
Putting together ruins is much like putting together a puzzle, with really heavy pieces. These were well organized.
Eric had been given the name of a restaurant near the Coliseum. That’s where we were headed. Had to grab this photo. This was a site we visited on our last trip so no need to go inside again.
By the way………it is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built and is the largest standing amphitheater in the world. Good to know.
Our locale of choice for eating lunch. It was recommended by someone Eric worked with. Although it was in a ‘touristy’ region, it was still very good eating.
I’m sure you can guess which one is my drink. 🙂
We started with the buffalo mozzarella. This was the best we’ve had thus far. Okay, well this is only our second full day. 🙂 The mozzarella was very ‘fresh’ tasting.
They both chose pasta, while I had the pizza. That was a recurring theme. Eric could tell you that I’m always ready to eat pizza!
I was able to get a different shot of the coliseum on the way to our next destination.
Our destination was Circus Maximus: ancient Roman Chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome. It was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire. It could accommodate 150,000 spectators. It is now a public park. Adrienne said she is going to run around it one of these mornings when she is out and about running before most of us are up.
Even at the height of its development as a chariot-racing circuit, the circus remained the most suitable place in Rome for religious processions on a grand scale. The photo below is where the spectators used to sit. They were trying to shore up some of the buildings as age and weather were taking a toll.
After the 6th century, the Circus fell into disuse and decay. The lower levels, ever prone to flooding were gradually buried under waterlogged soil and accumulated debris so the original track is now 6 meters beneath the modern surface.
It was nice to get out, walk the streets of Rome and stretch our legs. We had beautiful weather! Before we left home, the weather forecast showed a number of days with rain. So far, they were wrong. In the evenings we usually needed our jackets but the days were gorgeous.
Reservations had been made for dinner at Il Gabriello. They have continued a long family tradition, now with the fourth generation at the helm for over 30 years. Eric talked with the chef (father) as we were leaving telling him how much we enjoyed the food and the experience.
Upon arrival, we all had a déjà vu feeling, especially walking down these stairs.
Yes, we had been there before. Our hotel had made the reservations on our first trip for this place therefore we didn’t know the name. Even more ironic……..we were seated at the same table!
We started with the seafood crudo and octopus. I enjoyed both, but the grilled octopus was my top choice.
We had a variety of entrees.
Adrienne – black spaghetti with seafood Ginny – ravioli with ricotta & spinachEric – grilled prawns
Desserts were enjoyed before closing out the evening.
So ended another day in Rome. They called us a taxi to get us home. This was our last night of the first days spent in Rome. We started packing for the next leg of our Italian journey – Lecce.
We read about a new bagel place that was becoming very popular. Sorry, the lighting was odd and the photos turned out a wonky color. The everything bagel was tasty and easily big enough to share.
Eric had wanted this Icelandic pastry: Kleina, sweetened fried dough occasionally topped with icing. He was happy.
A well-known bakery called Braud, carries these marvelous cinnamon buns. That has always been my bakery of choice.
It’s easy to find, just look for the place with all of the graffiti. You can just barely see some of their breads in the window.
Weekends was the only time this local flea market was open. It was a cool place to hang out, kill some time and get warm. They had a small bar in one of the corners with seating.
A variety of treasures could be found like this wall of local paintings available in all price ranges.
Icelandic wool sweaters:
And yes, a section of the building was typical flea market booths. Had to take a photo of the stall with used books.
One corner also had food items packaged to bring home.
Oh yeah, never shared any photos of the place we stayed – in the heart of everything. Our place was the second window from the top, right side of the building.
One bedroom, kitchen & dining with some seating for relaxing.
Our last meal in Reykjavik was a splurge – Grill Market.
Eric started with a cocktail, made just for him – bartender’s choice. Our waitress asked what spirit he wanted in his drink, then a preference for sweet/bitter or any flavor he wanted to add. The result is pictured below.
We realized we had not ordered any lamb on this trip and got the lamb skewers as a starter – delicious and cooked perfectly.
I had not eaten any steak yet, and grilled meat was their specialty. So the filet mignon was my choice that came with fries – perfectly seasoned none were left. The vegetable medley in the upper corner………..very little was eaten – just saying.
Eric chose another steak that is not available in the states. He had it one other time in Iceland when we drove the ring road. It was tasty then and this night was no exception. Horse, 220 g, cooked medium rare only.
Naturally, Eric chose ice cream for his dessert, which was accompanied by fruit.
My choice was chocolate, a chocolate sphere with mascarpone mousse, warm caramel and coffee ice cream.
Oh, and I didn’t realize there was a bit of ‘showmanship’ with my choice.
It was absolutely delicious. It was a very enjoyable evening and a fitting way to end an excellent week away from work. This was not our typical vacation for us. Usually, we are rushing around to hit a number of spots, checking things off of our list and crashing at the end of the night. We both had time to unwind and slow down – it was kind of nice. 🙂
The only thing left to do was get to the airport. We had both been hoping for some snow during this break from Florida. All the locals said they were waiting for snow also. Didn’t happen………….until we arrived the airport and was past security. We saw this as we were waiting to board our flight. Really? Really.
It really was a great trip. Yes, it was another visit to Iceland. Yes, we had a few repeats of stops and local sites. Yes, some of these meals were our best yet enjoyed in this country. But we were relaxed, slept waaaaay longer than we ever have at home and enjoyed a city and country together.
Food, glorious food. Eric did a lot of restaurant research prior to arrival. A few places he made a reservation before leaving the states. One evening original tour plans fell through so it was time to check his restaurant list. One that kept coming up during conversation was Lola.
It was easily walkable and near the harbor. First impression was solid.
While the bar was empty, most of the tables had individuals seated at them. While looking at the menu, we both got this deja vu feeling. We had been in this building before! It has a distinctive look and curved walls – yep we’ve been here during our first trip in 2019. It was casual dining at that time, while this was the total opposite.
We started with this appetizer: Parmigiano Fritto with fire roasted bell pepper dip. Nice.
I ordered two small plates and was happy with both of them.
Sicilian Sashimi – fish, scallops, langoustine with capers, onion and fennel.
Chili Prawns with garlic, chili, tzatziki, lime and mint.
Eric’s choice was Bacalao: cod with romesco, almonds, lime and caper leaf.
It left enough space for dessert. O.M.G. My dessert was one of the best I’ve eaten in years. I seriously wanted to lick the plate. The photo below gives you a hint of what to expect, but it was unbelievably awesome. It was called Lola’s Banana Business: banana semifreddo, sticky toffee pudding and Dolcey butterscotch. When it arrived, I thought it had a banana on top of the toffee pudding. Nope, the texture was all wrong. I had to research what exactly was ‘semifreddo’? It’s a class of frozen desserts prepared mainly with egg whites, sugar and cream. It differs from ice cream in that it is frozen in molds, not churned and lighter in texture.
Eric went with his typical selection of gelato or ice cream. Flavors were raspberry, lychee and rose topped with Greek yogurt.
Our waiter encouraged us to explore an adjoining room. We found a small movie theater with three options available for viewing!
For an unexpected free night, it was a delightful meal. Bundled up for heading back to our place that night.
Another day we had a lunch reservation at Seafood Grill.
It’s described as a unique dining experience in a cozy environment. Their chefs focus on using the freshest ingredients available and combining them with amazing spice blends.
This was one of the few places where bread (warmed) and butter was brought to the table. We devoured this. The butter was topped with various Icelandic salts – yum
One of their starters was ranked a top item in the city: Deep Fried Langoustine Tacos. The parmigiano ribbons on top of the tacos and red onions was a perfect pairing.
Eric ordered their fish of the day which was Ling, sitting on a bed of bok choy and roasted bell peppers.
My selection was Shellfish Pasta with langoustines, scallops and tiger prawns. Quite frankly there was so much seafood on top of the pasta, you can’t see the pasta. It was a well-constructed dish but ultimately, I sought out the seafood and left the remaining pasta.
One of my favorite things on their menu……………..coca cola! The vast majority of restaurants served pepsi.
A restaurant recommended by some of Eric’s new beer buddies was this spot:
A bread basket arrived with Icelandic butter and a bowl of granola mix. Hmmmm, interesting. It definitely worked.
It was followed by this tuna dish.
My choice was lobster soup. Man! it was delicious, hot, smooth and velvety. Probably not your typical food descriptors but it was definitely comforting.
Eric’s selection was reindeer carpaccio with puree cepes, blueberry compote, hazelnut and foie gras.
Their raw fish was so good we had to have some sushi. One of their selections was available for two to share. Got it.
It was a filling meal – no dessert needed.
This was such a relaxing trip, a few times we stopped in for a drink. One afternoon, we went into an Irish pub. An Irish coffee for me, thank you. Eric stayed with his Guiness.
Eric also found a few cocktail bars – it’s getting to be a thing. Yes, this place is called Tipsy.
This stop turned into a favorite with us visiting seceral nights: Gilligogg.
My selection was one of their specialties: Garpur! It was composed of banana rum, strawberries, whey, balsamico and lime. Described as ‘short, fresh, fruity’. It was delicious. I could have easily ordered a second one.
One more post and this Iceland trip will be finished.
We travel for food and culture, usually in that order. This trip was no different. The five hour time difference messed with our eating schedule. After a nap upon arrival, we walked to a nearby food hall for lunch(?) or dinner (?) or whatever our schedule is on.
While not everyone enjoys food halls, I like them since each of us can pick a different type of food. Shockingly, I felt like sushi and ended up with a poke bowl.
Eric wanted fish. HIs entre was Ling, similar to cod. Then he added the fries for us to share. 🙂
Most cities we visit we start with a food tour early on. This trip was no different. In 2025 it was rated #1 Food Tour in the World – pretty high recommendation! We scheduled this for our first full day in the city.
First stop on the tour was at Fjallkonan, translates to ‘The Women of The Mountain’. They combine Icelandic tradition with international influence. Essentially three buildings along the street are owned by them and are different food/drink stops: gastropub, lunch/dinner restaurant and a cocktail bar. We were in the middle spot for the tour.
We were served two tastes from their menu: slow-cooked lamb & flatbread with a carrot puree, red onions & horseradish and arctic char blini on a chickpea flatbread, roe, horseradish and popping lentils. I liked the lamb tasting the best. Iceland was the reason I started eating lamb. Only problem……………I only like Icelandic lamb, and we can’t find it in the states, yes we have tried.
Something a bit different on this tour was that drinks were not included – I’m fine with that. We had to add a bit of time at the end of each stop to pay for any drinks ordered.
The second stop was Messinn – a place we had visited several times in the past. Our guide, Dave, is talking about one of the dishes we will be getting which is their specialty: fish pan, with arctic char, butter roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Did you now they grow tomatoes in Iceland? With all of the geothermal heat, it has been channeled into heating greenhouses. During our travels in the past we also saw greenhouses growing banana plants! I couldn’t find any history about Messinn but every tour guide has always commented, this was a place their families stopped in years ago and it remains a consistent spot for family gatherings.
We had another pan that was smashed fish with mashed potatoes – but alas, no photo. I got the photo of the arctic char fish pan with crispy potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Oh yeah, and a coffee to warm me up.
Our third stop was another repeat for us – Baejarins Bezto Pylsur hot dog stand and yes, it’s outside. We had no problem with this being a repeat. If a food tour didn’t stop here…………..I would question their integrity – just saying. Pretty much any time of day there is a line, day or night, cold temps or snow. It doesn’t matter; this was the original spot for Icelandic hotdogs. Their business began in 1937 with lamb being the primary meat but also includes a small portion of beef and/or pork in the mix. Please note, this is one of the few places that serves coke products! The largest beer distributor has the largest soft drink distribution – which is Pepsi. Bummer. The few places that sold coke product, I ordered a second round.
I didn’t get a photo of our hot dogs, but found this one on the internet. Icelanders like their sauces and their hotdog has a number of them. If you get one ‘all the way’ it will have fried onion pieces (yum – who knew), fresh cut onions, sweet mustard, Icelandic ketchup (sweetened with apple cider – yuck) and remoulade.
Three stops down, two more to go. Next up was Islenski Barinn. Since 2009 this family-run gastropub is where Icelandic home-cooking meets a modern twist.
The main event was the lamb soup and local beer, GULL. BTW – they are the ones that have the largest drink distributorship in Iceland.
There was another ‘event’ during our time at this stop. Fermented shark was a subsistence food that has now become a tourist attraction. It stinks, it has a weird texture and the taste lingers on long after it’s gone. Nope, I’m not doing it. They cut it in small square chunks and keep it in an air-tight container. Tradition dictates after eating said shark, it should be followed with a shot of Brennivin.
Brennivin is considered to be the country’s signature distilled beverage. It is distilled from fermented grain mash and then combined with Iceland’s very soft high-pH water and flavored only with caraway. The steeping of herbs in alcohol is a long-held folk tradition in Nordic countries. It is typically drunk chilled.
Okay – back to the food.
This was also the stop where I got a group photo. The guide was in the middle of the table, left side, wearing a baseball cap. Our group was composed of individuals from California, Massachusetts and two couples from United Kingdom – all Iceland rookies.
Our final stop, which will be dessert and coffee – Kaffi Loki.
In the past we’ve eaten here for breakfast and it was touted as a traditional Icelandic breakfast.
But this was our sweet treat for the food tour: rye-bread ice cream with chocolate chips, rhubarb syrup and whipped cream. It must be growing on me. I’ve had it a few times and made a token effort to try it. This time, most of mine was gone. Coffee or hot tea was included.
One evening, we wanted something different and Eric suggested pizza. Really? Really! He had been looking at some You-Tube videos for bloggers in Iceland and after checking their website, this stop was one of their favorites. FYI – this was the same place we had a breakfast snack the day we arrived. They obviously can create a variety of items – great!
Started with a little wine as we settled in.
Seems like we were a tad bit hungry that evening. We ordered their garlic bread – O.M.G! it was excellent. Just the right amount of garlic & salt and not swimming in butter. This would be a definite repeat if we’re back in town.
Perfect timing for the pizza to arrive. When the utensils were brought to the table, we also got pizza cutters – interesting. Now we see why. The pizza doesn’t come to the table cut.
A few evenings we stopped in for a night-cap. The Einstok Bar was one we visited. Eric was looking for a cocktail and this one struck his fancy. I had a sip. I will agree it was pretty good.
Me, I wanted a beer.
Finally time to end this post and curate my photos and geothermal experience for the next post!
We took the train back to Amsterdam before flying home.
We’re staying at a different hotel then earlier in this trip: Ambassade Hotel.
It was one of the nicer hotels for this trip.
Loved seeing these bicycles on the bridges over their canals.
During our return, we stopped back in a few places we both enjoyed. Eric looked for cheese………
……………and I wandered the flower market.
We walked to the ‘Red Light District’ – just to say we were there. Yes, down some of the alleyways there were ladies in the windows at street level – scantily clothed – even at 11 am in the morning.
Being so close to the sea, Eric found a popular (yet affordable) restaurant that we stopped in twice before leaving Amsterdam.
Of course, we had to get a version of their ‘seafood tower’. Let me see, I believe this is a fairly complete list of the items below: two different shrimp species, cockles, clams, razor clams, oysters, snow crab legs, stone crab, sea snails, mussels and crab salad (which we enjoyed the least).
What drove us (read – Eric) back for our second visit was their oyster happy hour. Between the hours of 3pm – 5pm, these tasty bivalves were available for a great price. So naturally, we needed 2 dozen between us to share.
I couldn’t pass up a chance to try their grilled octopus, with slices of fried potatoes – delicious!
I needed more for my evening meal. The mussels from the previous seafood tower were so good, that’s what I requested, also adding the frites. 🙂
One last shot of the restaurant we so enjoyed………..The Seafood Bar.
We thought we were full, until I saw the ice cream shop across the street. We needed some ice cream to ‘fill in the cracks’. Even with the chilly temps, ice cream hit the spot.
We had such a good trip, we were trying to find a way to end our time in Amsterdam. Found it!
After a short walk to our boat departure, we were ready for our last adventure. Random art installations followed a set pathway due to the number of vessels.
So glad Eric didn’t book the ‘boat tour’ below. The photo is a little dark, and yes, that’s a kayak. We saw several that had strung Christmas lights along the top of the hull.
Interesting thought……..
This one was interesting. The lights were on a cycle, looking perfect initially, then slowly crumbling down upon itself.
These birds commanded a lot of attention. Some of the installations were easily seen along the canals while the one above was in the port area.
Our cruise was a notch above the rest, complete with food, drink and a bit of history.
While this last post is way overdue – like most of my final trip posts – it is finally finished. We really loved Amsterdam and visiting the Christmas markets. Hopefully more Christmas markets will in our future.
That church we saw when we stepped off the train………it was time for a visit.
A bit of information about the Cathedral:
~Construction began in1248, then halted in 1560. Work was ultimately completed in 1860 after funding in the 1940s, literally off and on for 632 years. The completion of Germany’s largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880.
~The Cathedral is Germany’s most visited attraction for tourists and pilgrims and one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites in Northern Europe.
~It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and the third tallest church in Europe. Being built from different types of rock which weather to varying degrees, rarely is the cathedral seen without scaffolding.
When American troops entered the city on March 6, 1945, one of the only buildings standing was the Cologne Cathedral. The twin spires were an easy navigational touchstone for the Allied bombers. It endured 14 bomb hits and was heavily damaged, but key parts remained standing.
Immediately after the war, building materials were procured for repairs needed to bolster the Cathedral. Repairs were competed in 1956.
Walking up, the entranceway was imposing.
A number of prophets also line the entrance; here was Moses with the 10 commandments. Hmmm, my photo looks a bit weird and makes Moses have a shortened statue. Yep, the angle wasn’t the best. Next time…………..
One visit there was a service going on and we had a chance to hear one of their two organs.
As noted above WWII saw a lot of destruction……………………some of the windows were saved and are traditional.
A more recent addition is this modern stained-glass window – interesting. Not really sure how I feel about that.
I did like the colors as they hit one of the cathedral’s walls.
This church was built to hold relics from the ‘Three Wise Men’. Sharing ‘relics’ was big business in medieval times. Parts and pieces of important religious figures were shared amongst a number of parties. Back in the day…………………it was a big business to have ‘relics’ for the masses to make pilgrimages to honor said relics. Pieces and parts of individuals were divided up for multiple religious sites for the people.
Whenever we’re in churches, I try to look for things that most miss, like these burial sites that most visitors walk right over. Loved the intricacy of the designs.
Exiting the cathedral this greeted us. Okay, I’m sorry, this might seem sacrilegious…………….but I took this photo right in front of the cathedral. Oh my goodness – not a good likeness. ☹
Actually, I was going to start this post with our evening brewery tour then I remembered the church. I have to talk about the church. I’ve always loved walking into the European churches since most are older than the U.S. has been a country.
Originally, we had a food tour scheduled for Cologne, but Eric got an email that it was canceled. He found this brewery tour at the last minute.
It was a large group and ultimately had 2 tour guides, so we were split up. Our guide was interesting, that’s all I’ll say. Not the best guide, but we needed to lower our expectations. It was advertised that we would be stopping at five breweries, but only beers at the first three were covered. The last two stops we needed to pay. Eric forgot to read that tidbit of info and we were pretty low on cash with barely enough to cover.
The first three stops were Brauerei Zur Malzmuhle, Sunner & Whale and Peters Brauhaus.
Sorry, this photo was the only one from the second brewery. Yes, that is a depection of a while, hence the name.
No photo for the next stop as it was at a mini convenience store – everyone covered their own expense. I didn’t deem it photo-worthy. The last spot was Fruh Brewery, also a restaurant and after most of the group left, we stayed to order food. Let’s talk about the beer.
This is how your kolsch beer arrives. The tray is called a ‘kranz’. The slender .2L glasses are called ‘stange’.
Kolsch was defined as an ‘easy-drinking pale ale’. Most breweries have one single beer on tap and you know that place focused on their beer and care about their product.
One important piece of the Kolsch-drinking culture was the coaster called a ‘deckel’. The coaster was marked with tallies to keep track of how many glasses of Kolsch you drink. Glasses will continue to arrive until you put the deckel over the top of your glass. Take the deckel to the cashier and payment was based upon the number of tally marks. You always have a fresh and cold beer in front of you. Okay – I like that.
I’m closing with a (unplanned) fabulous photo of the church. I sent this to some friends back home and they wanted to know what I did to enhance the shot. Nothing. I just got lucky with the angle of the sun.
One more full day in Cologne and a chance to find the remaining Christmas markets in the city.
We’re here for the Christmas markets, but also for the food. I had a request when we got to Strasbourg………………a repeat visit for a tapas restaurant we visited earlier. Eric made the reservation.
One advantage to a larger group, more items can be ordered and shared. We had plenty, but only needed four for the two of us. First two: foie gras and quiche with goat cheese.
Local sausages and pickled vegetables.
Pork roll in a delicious broth.
Naturally we ordered dessert – which was also a repeat and just as good as my memory: toasted kougelhopf cake, marinated pears with a local fruit puree and a scoop of ice cream. Yum, yum delicious. Not a drop was left on the plate. 🙂
It was a good meal at a repeat location – thanks hon.
Let’s get back to the Christmas decorations. Later in the evening, this wall also had some projections they added.
Now this was a large advent calendar, counting down the days until Christmas. All the numbers were represented, even if you can’t see them in my photo.
Decorations didn’t have to be over the top, sometimes simple and classic is best. Here’s Eric waiting patiently (not!) for my photo.
This was one of my favorite photos. In May, we had dinner at the restaurant in the background.
Several displays had giant bears in their windows.
This was seen on a side of a church, subtle but nice.
Those glasses I mentioned in the previous post?
Before coming, I read that collecting the Christmas market mugs was a ‘thing’. In Strasbourg, it was all about these (plastic) glasses. After getting your chosen hot beverage, a euro was charged for the cup. You bring back the glass, you get back a euro. Let’s just say that we are coming home with a collection. I convinced Eric these plastic glasses were much better (and lighter) than mugs for packing. We were on a hunt to not repeat a glass – we succeeded.
During our wandering, we came across some oysters – Eric needed some. And, maybe just maybe, I had a few of them – very salty.
Another ‘snack’ was a raclette sandwich – O.M.G. Their line was so long, Eric stood in line to pay for the sandwich, while I waited in the other line for pick up. Here was one of the many ‘burners’ melting the cheese before it was scraped onto a bun. You could add a protein and we got the ham.
Oh, and some gherkin pickles was the finishing touch. There was plenty for us to share with the one sandwich. We only needed one.
I needed one more photo of the cathedral while the sun was setting. I didn’t enhance this photo but the beauty of the church was stunning.
These last few photos were show some whimsical shots of Christmas I saw while walking around.
Final photos and experiences in Strasbourg before heading to Paris.
One morning Rich and I got up before the others to walk the streets early morning. There was something going on……………..
We discovered there were multiple races occuring simultaneously, various lenghts and ages. We made the way to the finish line and this gentleman picked up his daughter about 20 feet before the finish line – very cute.
Walking the historic center, I curated a number of photos. A number of bridges exist for walking or driving. It seemed like all those we crossed had ironwork, nice.
I really don’t like the locks, but I see them everywhere – even in Iceland. Really? Really!
A few city or neighborhood parks were sprinkled throughout the downtown area.
Another use for a tub. This one had a few vegetable plants along with herbs sprinkled amongst the flowers.
One afternoon several of us walked to the University’s botanical garden.
Some of the flowers were similar to those seen at home.
And one I didn’t know……………
I r.e.a.l.l.y liked this insect house we came across in the garden. Hon? Can I have one of these? Can you build me one?
All too soon, our time was up in this city.
We grabbed a ride to the train station before looking to eat somewhere. This place was 1 block away – serving really good food, Restaurant D Steakhouse. I’m sure there are bad restaurants serving bad food somewhere (chains maybe?) but no complaints for the meals thus far.
A meat & cheese plate and duck foie gras were the starters we shared.
A nice goat cheese salad was all that I needed.
Veal cordon bleu (left) along with veal scallops (right).
What is a meal without desserts?
We enjoyed our time in this lovely city. Eric and I visited with friends in 2005 and I remember very little of that time. This visit was an excellent experience. Who knows, maybe we will be back. One last group photo in front of the cathedral.
Our first night of dining was absolutely amazing. Rich found a tapas bar that specialized in regional food and this was one of the top rated: Restaurant les Chauvins. They welcome you in a modern and warm setting in preparation for discovery of the flavors of Alsace. Their mission is for their diners to rediscover the authentic taste of fresh quality products, including organic farming and the know-how of local producers. The owners make it a point of honor to work with fresh products grown on Alsatian terroir.
Days into our trip and we were still talking about some of the food from that night. The first thing to arrive was ‘tarte flammbee traditionnelle’, a lovely thin-crusted item with a special cheese base, thinly-sliced onions and bacon pieces. Truly, it is the only thing I remember from our trip in 2005.
Next three items to arrive were: foie gras de canard (duck), aslacian pork and mini-burgers.
We still wanted more food: white asparagus, rolled meat & herbs rolled in egg pasta and hot dog aslacian.
This item was liked the least: escargot in mushroom cap.
Desserts? But of course. Eric ordered ice cream……..raspberry and citrus flavors, with sparkling white aslacian wine poured into the glass. It was pretty good.
However……………..this is the dessert we talked about the remainder of our time in France: Kougelhopf pain perdu with ice cream and a v.e.r.y tasty sauce. Most similar to French Toast – only better.
The kougelhopf was a local specialty of the Alsace region. It is a yeast brioche cake with raisins and almonds although googling recipes found a multitude of fruit and/or nuts that could also be added. I am going to make this at home! Don’t think I’ve mentioned yet, but at the point this photo was taken, I had been up 32+ hours. Yikes – I’m too old for this.
Walking through the historic area, one gets hungry. Lunch was at Au Petit Bois Vert, outside on the terrace around the foot of the oldest tree in Strasbourg.
While not a tapas place, we continued to share and taste each other’s selections. Never going to be a bad meal when sitting next to water – just saying.
No surprise, I got another tarte flambe with plenty to share.
All shared the homemade duck foie gras and the assorted venison meat & cheese platter.
Eric chose the traditional choucroute garnie (sausages, pork and sauerkraut).
While Rich and Hunter had the ‘wild game (boar) from Alsace. The presentation wasn’t exactly what they were expecting, but enjoyed their selection.
The guys all got dessert with Eric choosing raspberry glace (ice cream) and cafe gourmand for the other two.
So far so good our first few days in Strasbourg. Next up, Strasbourg Cathedral.
Darden Travels 