The Modern Nomads

We had a two week break planned in our scheduled travel agenda to head to Germany to visit some friends that live in Cologne. They planned several things during our two weeks and it was literally the trip of a lifetime!

We took several days during our visit to do some sightseeing in cologne and what an amazing city. We learned a little about traditional German culture and food. We had several home cooked meals which was really appreciated since we had been on the road for the past 6 months. A huge thank you to Marcus and Antje for hosting us for a couple of weeks!

Cologne (Köln in German)

Cologne is a beautiful city! They love their soccer and of course they love their beer. And the beer that this city is renown for is Kölsch. And if you walk into any bar or brauhouse in Cologne, Kölsch is what will be on tap. It is a clear, light and crisp lager. Kölners are extra proud of Kölsch because similar to the Champagne from France, there are German regulations that state to be officially called a Kölsch, the brewery must be within a 30 mile radius of the city and be brewed according to the German purity law.

Kölsch is a culture not just a beer and you realize this when you walk into a Kölsch Brauhause. So if you aren’t familiar with how these establishments work let me break it down for you:

• Your Kölsch servers are called Köbes and are professionals and good at what they do!
• Kölsch is served in small .2L (6.8 US fl oz) glasses called a Stange – These are smaller glasses and this is purposeful so that you will always finish you beer while it is still cold! (Also, always cheers these glasses from the bottom and not the top as they are narrow in design and have thinner glass at the top)
• The never ending refills – as you near the bottom of your glass your Köbe (server) will be by to replace your empty glass with a full one automatically. To track your beers they will simply put a tally on your coaster. This process will continue until you have put a coaster over your glass to indicate you do not want anymore.
• Kölsch serving trays – unlike the iconic German Beer Steins from Bavaria that have large handles – Stanges are very think narrow glasses and to help the Köbes serve their many tables they use special tray. This tray has a carousel like design with a large handle at the top that allows it to be held with one hand and as full beers are served the empty glasses take their place on the tray.

There are many different Breweries and Brands of Kölsch and one very popular thing to do is a pub crawl to find your favorite. We didn’t do a pub crawl but we didn’t miss visiting a few and one of the first places we visited was Gaffel am Dom, a brew house and pub located in the “Deichmannhause” on the northern side of the Cologne cathedral. Founded in 1302, Gaffel is Cologne’s oldest breweries of Kölsch beer.

Another brewery we visited was Früh. This is a very popular brauhause in Cologne. Since we weren’t having dinner and only wanted a beer it is customary to have your beer standing in the bar area and not at a table. The service is done in the traditional fashion with Köbes serving your beer in a Stange and refilling until you indicate you are done.

Another must do in Cologne is to walk across the Love Lock Bridge. The Hohenzollern Bridge (German: Hohenzollernbrücke) is a bridge crossing the river Rhine and is where lovers from all over the world come to secure a lock as a symbol of their love. It is estimated that there are close to 350,000 locks secured to the Love Lock Bridge.  

Culinary delights!

We were given a full overview of everything German during our visit. From the bread to the meats, the cheeses and everything in between. I can honestly say we have a better appreciation for for all things German when you are referring to food.

German breakfast is very different than a US breakfast. They might have an egg but if they do it is typically soft boiled and served in an egg dish (Eierbecher) with an egg spoon (Eierloeffel). And the type of spoon is very important – we always had a plastic egg spoon as opposed to a metal spoon which may give your egg a slight metallic taste when you scoop it out. Most German breakfasts consist of local meats, cheeses and bread. I can say we were not complaining because while in Munich I had one of the best soft pretzels of my life for breakfast (yes, for breakfast and US street food ain’t got nothing on a good German Pretzel!)

Some of the other culinary delights we really enjoyed were

• Potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer)
• Bratwurst and sauerkraut
• Potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel)
• German Scnapps (Schnäpse)
• Leberkäse (think of a huge hotdog made in a loaf pan)

Restaurants worth noting were: Haus Scholzen, a great traditional tavern and restaurant in Cologne. We also ventured outside of Cologne to Düsseldorf to have diner at Saittavini. We had an amazing Italian meal and their wine cellar had over 1,000 different wines. But the bet part of this meal was being able to enjoy it with friends!

The Cologne Cathedral during the day is beautiful but the view at night was something special as well. The Cologne Cathedral is famous for holding the shrine of The Three Wise Men, a holy relic brought by Archbishop Rainald von Dassel back in the mid-12th century.

This calthedral is massive and the stained glass is beautiful throughout but there is one window that stands out. The Cologne Cathedral Window was designed by Gerhard Richter to replace one of the cathedral’s original windows that were destroyed in the Second World War. The new design is an abstract composition of colored squares which is not a typical design and was controversial at the time but still remains a beautiful piece of art in the cathedral today.

We took a stroll through the old part of Cologne and met these two guys. Tünnes annd Schäl. These characters were invented by Johann Christoph Winter who owned a puppet theatre. The characters have been memorialized in these bronze statues which can be found across from the great St. Martin Church. If you ever visit the city and find Tünnes and Schäl don’t forget to rub their noises for good luck!

The Alt St. Alban is one of Cologne’s oldest churches. This church was bombed during WWII so what is left is the skeleton of the original church. You can view it from the street and if you look close enough you will see statues of the “Mourning Parents”. The shell of the building was left to memorialize the history and show you just a small bit of the devastation that cologne went through.

Next we had a week planned to jump in the car and drive through the Italian Alps. What made this even better is that we would be driving fancy sports cars which made this much more fun!

1st stop Munich

Our first stop was Munich. We stayed at this lovely hotel called Hotel Freisiger Hof. We had dinner at their restaurant the evening we arrived on their beautiful patio and courtyard. Dinner was great and we really loved this beautiful hotel.

There is something that might surprise you about Munich. Don’t be surprised if you see someone walking around Munich with a surfboard. There are several rivers that run through Munich and the waves on the Eisbach river at the entrance to the Englischer Garten (park) is where you will find surfers and onlookers year round to see the Eisbach Wave. The spot is famous throughout the world for being the largest, best and most consistent city centre location for river surfing.

Marienplatz (square) has been at the centre of the city since Munich was founded by Henry the Lion in 1158. Located in the center of Munich it is one of the best places to start a tour of the Bavarian capital. The New City Hall on the north side dominates the square-shaped plaza and in the tower you will find the historic carillon (glockenspiel) that sounds twice a day. It is quite a spectacular as the square fills with people standing shoulder to shoulder to watch the show.

And no trip to Munich is complete without a stop at the world’s most famous tavern. The Hofbräuhaus is the cradle of Bavarian tavern culture. Whether you sit inside in the historical Schwemme (bar) or sit under the age-old chestnut trees in the Biergarten (beer garden) you will enjoy Bavarian ambience and hospitality. And don’t leave with trying the Hofbräu Original.

Next stop was Austria

The first thing that comes to mind as you drive through the countryside is the lyrics from The Sound of Music. The hills are alive! The rolling hillsides with carved our farms seem to go on for days and honestly my favorite countryside landscapes I have seen to date.

Our first stop in Austria was Salzburg. We stayed at Gasthof Bransträtter which is a beautiful quaint hotel with all rooms overlooking a beautiful courtyard located just a little over 2 miles from the pedestrian and historic Center of Salzburg.

In the historic Center is where you will find lots of shopping and some other interesting sites. One being Mozart’s Birthplace. And speaking of Mozart, you can’t come to Salzburg without trying a Mozart ball. Now, while many refer to them as balls, locals prefer you refer to them by their proper name, Mozartkugel. Mozartkugel is a sweet treat that is made of pistachio, marzipan, and nougat that is covered with dark chocolate that is wrapped up in a ball of goodness.

Next stop is Mirabell Gardens. And for those musical lovers this in deed is where The Sound of Music was filmed. During the film, Maria and the Von Trapp children sing “Do, Re, Mi” while dancing through the Mirabell Gardens.

Perched up on Festungberg Hill overlooking the city is Hohensalzburg Fortress. There is a cable car that will take you to the top but we decided to walk up. And if you plan on doing this you want to wear good walking shoes! And on a side note, included with your entrance fee is a ticket to ride the cable car back down.

For dinner we had reservations at St. Peter. Tucked in on the rock hillside, this restaurant has been here since 803 A.D. and was the perfect location for our last night in Salzburg!

The Ennstal-Classic

Our final stop in Austria was Gröbming to see the Ennstal-Classic. This is a car event like no other. What makes it so popular and special is the mix of events. Drivers from all over the world come to participate and they bring their classic cars with them. This rally, so to speak, has a spectacular car show, evening events and of course the best part is the competition itself. More than 200 motorists will drive classic cars through the mountainous roads of southern Austria while being cheered on by spectators.

The three-day event is setup to provide a motoring experience “like 50 years ago”. Only cars built before 1972 can take part and electronic devices are not allowed, only mechanical ones to measure speed and distance. And it is not about finishing first. It is about measuring speed and staying under the set limits and those that come closest to the mark will make the leaderboard!

During our time in Austria we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast style hotel called Hotel Kollerhof. It was a beautiful setting on a hillside and had wonderful old charm

Northern Italy

We were now headed into Italy. We had a few stops but the highlight was of course the road trip itself. Northern Italy was absolutely breathtaking. The landscape of this part of the country was somewhat of a surprise to me as most of what you see in regards of travel to Italy is usually the coastlines. While those are spectacular and we will visit that area next month, no trip to Italy should be without seeing the glorious Italian Alps.

Our first stop in Italy was Cortina. Cortina d’ Ampezzo is a small ski resort town set in the middle of the Italian Alps. Located in the Ampezzo Valley, it is surrounded by the scenic peaks of the Dolomite mountains. This is also has been home to the Winter Olympics as well as the World ski Championships. We stayed in Hotel Franceschi where we had amazing mountain views from our balcony.

Next we stopped in Bolzano. We stayed at the Stadt Hotel Cittá which is located in the heart of the city. This was a beautiful hotel and has been renovated to give it a very cosmopolitan vibe. Just around the corner was the Bolzano Cathedral which is a must see if you come to this city! We also stopped by the Parkhotel Laurin to have a cocktail in their garden and this hotel and patio area was really beautiful. It would be worth checking out if you ever make it to Bolzano!

We then headed to Lake Garda where we spent 3 nights. Lake Garda sits just outside of Verona.

We stayed at the Locanda San Verolo which is just a few miles from lake Garda and a short drive from Verona. It was the perfect setting for the next few nights. We had a beautiful suite and the restaurant on site was fabulous. Even if you don’t stay here it is worth coming to have a nice dinner.

During our time here we spent a little time in Verona. This is a beautiful old city and lots to see and do! There is a wonderful pedestrian area with tons of shopping.

Verona is where you will also find Casa di Giulietta – the house of Juliet. Imagine the romantic exchange between Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s love tragedy in this beautiful courtyard where this balcony stands. While this is not an event that actually happened here, the city of Verona turned this house into a museum and Juliet’s balcony was born!

The movie Letters to Juliet was inspired by the walls of this courtyard. Visitors from all over the world come here to leave their own love-note either by letter or graffiti on the wall. Some even leave their love-note written on their chewed gum stuck to the wall!

The highlight of the trip was watching La Traviata Opera in Verona at the Verona Arena. This Roman Amphitheatre is in the heart of Piazza Bra. Built in the first half of the 1st century A.D. and one of the largest in all of Italy! It was beautiful and we thank Marcus and Anjea for planning such an amazing event for us.

Then back on the road to head back to Germany!

But wait, we can’t stop before we talk about the whole purpose of our trip over the last week. The drive through the Alps in 2 amazing sports cars! This was truly a once in a lifetime adventure. The fun started immediately on the German Autoban. Although disappearing over the last few years, there are still sections of the Autoban that have no speed limit. Nothing gets the blood pumping like pushing the accelerator to the floor in a Porsche 911. We hit a top speed of about 224 KM/Hr which is about 140 miles per hour! The drive through Austria was beautiful, but the majestic Mountain View’s started as we made our way into Italy. Over the next 3 days we navigated snow capped mountains, rolling hills, and amazing switchback roads along the mountain side. This was one of the most amazing drives we have ever been on.