Germany with Scott 2008; 26 Apr 2008

Boeing 777's rock!

We ended up in "Hospitality" which is Air Canada's euphemism for economy, but on this aircraft, despite having about 350 seats, the comfort level is quite high. The seat pitch does not make you feel too crowded, and one can recline enough to sleep. The lighting when darkened is somewhat lurid - pinkish and purplish, think bordelo - but otherwise, very comfortable.

We arrived early in FRA, cleared immigration with the usual no hassle (by the time you actually arrive at the booth with a German "Grenzschutzdienst" officer inside, they have gone over the aircraft manifest, which was sent to them as soon as we pushed back, with magnifying glasses, so the casualness with which your passport gets stamped is pretent; if you are a bad guy, they will be much less casual! )

Then on to the baggage hall (free carts - Toronto YYZ please note!!!), get our bags, go through the green line (nothing to declare) and we are out in the arrivals area, following the signs (very clear) for the car rental desks - probably a 500 metre trek.

No problem at Avis, but the charming young man behind the desk, taking a look at our luggage, suggests we might want to go up one size on the car I had booked, at not much more cost, and we agreed. Handed the keys, and directions to the car in the FRA multi-story car park, it'a about another 10 minutes, and we are putting our "stuff" into a C series Mercedes Benz station wagon (diesel). I am sceptical-not knowing much about diesels-but, what the h.....

And so, we are off! But first we have to find our way.

I know how to get from FRA to the Autobahn south in the direction of Nuernberg, but we have brought Scott's Tom-Tom GPS, which has maps for Germany on it. So, following it, I miss the first turn - which becomes a common theme - you either follow the directions from the GPS, or your own knowledge, but don't argue internally, because you will miss a turn. (This happens all the time in Canada, when I am following my own [Garmin] GPS, and just know that the directions I am being given are wrong - actually that I know something about the suggested route that the GPS doesn't, like too many lights or stop signs.) Suggestion for travellers using a GPS: if you don't know the route, follow the GPS directions; they will get your there! If you do know the route, follow your own instincts; the GPS does not know about local traffic conditions, or construction, or anything else that is not permanent.

Eventually, we are headed southwards to our first destination, which is the Hotel "Gruener Baum" in Pommersfelden, near Hoechstadt an der Aisch, the town my father (Scott's grandfather) lived the last decades of his life, and where he , and my stepmother Frida (Friedl), are buried.

And, as we hit the Autobahn with unrestricted speeds, I discover that our car will go like snot! I loose my nerve at about 180 km/h, but am still being passed! We eventually settle to a max of perhaps 150, which is slow for some of the natives. And, with all of that, the fuel consumption, indicated on an in-dash display, settles at about 6.5 l/100 km - and in Gemany diesel is still cheaper than regular gasoline!

But first, we go off the Autobahn in the direction Sulzfeld am Main, south of Wuerzburg, for a walk-around, and a lunch of their famous 1 metre sausage. Sulzfeld is a pretty little wine village, well worth a walk-around, even without the sausage, with lots of "fachwerk" - meaning half-timbered - buildings, lovely gardens, and little alleys worth exporing, and at most of the pubs in town you can get a lunch of the famous sausage, sauerkraut, potato salad, and/or green salad, at very reasonable prices - we actually went for the half-metre sausage, with kraut, salad, and a half-litre of the local beer; all of it excellent and sufficient.

From there we went off the main route cross country. First to Iphoven, another pretty wine village, with a beautiful parish church, and, again, streets and alleys worth exploring. Then, along the "Steigerwaldhochstrasse" in the direction of Hoechstadt an der Aisch, through Castell, another wine village. Then on to Hoechstadt and Pommersfelden, to check-in.

About the Hotel "Gruener Baum." It has been in the little village of Pommersfelden, nestled up against the wall of Schoss Weisenstein, the local residence of the Schoenborn family (owners of vineyard, producers of the Lord Bishops of Wuerzburg, and more) for almost 575 years (that will be in 2011) all in the ownership of the Hofmann family. A very pleasant place to stay; recently modernized, and the Hofmann's, four of them, the older one's in their 80's but still helping out, and the present owners in their 50's, very friendly and pleasant folk. We had an "apartement" which was a very large living/dining room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom and toilet. Nicely furnished, and with Ethernet connection!

After checking in, we returned to Hoechstadt, and drove around; visiting my father's former house, now painted an attrocious green, and his grave (and that of my step-mother-no evidence of rolling-over because of the green paint on the house!). Then, dinner at Weberskeller, the local pub that my father used to love, and where we had a reception/dinner following his funeral in early March 2002. We ate outside, overlooking the wide and beautiful Aisch river valley, notably eating a white asparagus salad (at a seeming unreasonable price, like about $1 per spear, until you work out what it takes to get that one spear to your table.) The owner of Weberskeller, after I identified myself, remembered my father, and the reception/dinner we had had there, about six years before.

After that, back to the "Gruener Baum" in Pommersfelden - we should have gone to bed immediately, but we stayed up far too long.

[A note on German prices: Unlike in Canada, German prices as listed on price tags, are what one pays; that is the tag is the total cost to the consumer, including the usually 19% value added tax. In restuarants, the menu price is what one pays; it includes the value added tax and a service charge, what we would call a tip. When the bill comes, it is customary to round it up to next Euro. Thus, while menu prices seem high, relative to Cananda, one needs to increase the Canadian price by about 30% for comparison, and when one does that, the prices are relatively equivalent. And, the service in Germany is usually much better than in Canada; to be a waiter in Canada is usually a way to earn money while in university or college, even high school; a waiter in Germany has been through training at the equivalent of our community colleges, and is highly skilled.]