Pubs, Cafes and Coffee Shops

One of my favorite things to order at a pup at home is a Schnitzel sandwich. With crispy, crackling bread, and mustard. Yet, usually the description is better that the real thing. So as I departed for Germany, Bavaria in particular, I could not wait to sink my teeth into one, sure it would be the best on I have ever had. Now the schnitzel was everything I dreamed of. We had both pork and veal varieties. Although veal is the only "real" schnitzel according to the locals I met. We had some the size of a medium pizza at Pizza Hut. We had some stuffed with sausage an liver. We found good ones at famous places like Augstiner (pictured) and tiny places in Shwabing. What we did not find was a sandwich. Not on the menu. I even asked at one place and I believe I offended the waiter. But we really did not see sandwiches of any kind on the lunch menus. People came in sat down and had a full meal complete with beer. Not just tourists but locals. I kind of liked this. They lingered and ate and drank beer at reserved tables. And we did the same. We did find one on a menu at the bar in the airport hotel in Frankfurt. It was just like the pathetic schnitzel sandwiches back home. I had the hamburger.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I know it is touristy. I know it is across from a Hard Rock. But there is a reason tourists go there. It is historic (Hitler spoke there), it is the largest beer hall in the world and there is this:

This may be the most important photo I took in Germany. On our last day in Nuremberg it was raining. We wandered into the place pictured above. It was an average looking place but had seats buy the windows (pictured above) overlooking the river. We spent the afternoon drinking beer and reliving our travels. We saw nothing but the inside of that bar and the view from those windows but it was perhaps the most fun we had on the whole trip. So I snapped a photo on the way out. We stopped at five or six more places as we wandered the charming old town and I did not snap any more photos. Upon returning and looking through my photos of bridges, castles and churches, I came upon this photo. It made me think, "what if I had taken a photo of every place we enjoyed a beer?". The best times we had were in beer halls in Munich, small beer gardens in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and pubs like this one. Those are the memories I cherish. Yet after you are home a while you start to remember through your photographic record. I mostly have photos of the things that you think you should take pictures of. While I cherished seeing such things the little moments of chatting and drinking and laughing in wonderful cozy places were what I will remember most fondly. What if in Paris, I had a photo of every café we went to. The better part of our December trip was wandering different neighborhoods and warming up in cafés. Yet most of my pictures are of the monuments you can find in millions of books.

It also gives you a record, a way to find this place upon your return. As we left the pub picture above, a couple of Englishmen came in and ordered. They were brought a wood plank with thirteen beers on it ranging from dark to light. We were so jealous we did not know about this. At that moment we said "when we come back we are going to do that!" Now, if and when I return I have more than a fading memory to rely on. So, on my next adventure I will record the name and photograph every where I eat drink or just want to remember. But at least I know there are thirteen beers in Nuremberg with my name on it.

As I made way across the German country side and through the big cities, I experience many, many great things. But last weekend I found something SO German I just smiled. A German beer infused with smoke called Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. I swear to God, it smelled like sausage! YES! It tasted (and smelled) wonderful and gave me one more reason argue why Germans make the Best Beer In The World!

Ok. I know they are famous for their beer, but after a week of beer I was salivating at the thought of a night of kicking back and sharing a few bottles of good red wine. So, we tried this in Munich. And then we tried this in Prague. The conclusion we arrived at: order a Spanish red. The German and Czech red wines lacked body, acidity and flavor. They were weak with no finish. German white wines are just fine. But as they say "When in Germany, order Spanish wines."