Ulla Eisbrecher: Two Months of Bliss

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For those of you looking for a bit of noctural pep, Ulla Eisbrecher a.k.a. Arte Noah is the place to be. Gallery by day and club by night, Ulla's two-month long afterhour cultural program in January and February is the winter companion to Würzburg's Hafensommer and a surefire way to beat the winter grumpies. Initiated by Dominik Straub a.k.a. DJ Mistaa, this project is a welcome change from the norm and promises good times with musical guests, films, exhibits, and more. Tonight Bayern2's Zündfunk will broadcast live from the Ulla, something I hate to miss, but duty calls elsewhere. Doors open at 18:30 and airing will begin at 19:00, live music will follow the show until DJs Achim Bogdahn and Björn Szostak take over mixing at midnight. Stay tuned for more infos or check out the February programm on Ulla's blog or FB site.

Flea Markets in Würzburg

I swoon over flea markets. They clear my head and put a jump in my step. The beloved flohmarkt-saison is approaching us in good 'ol Europa and Würzburg has quite a few jems that deserve a drop-by. I wrote about the Talavera Flea Market a.k.a. Mainwiesen Flohmarkt here; it is one of my favorite stomping grounds and the first "event" that caught my eye when I moved to Würzburg in the late 90s. It takes place a couple times a year and is always jam-packed. The next one is planned for March 19. I found this site the other day where some of the big flea markets in and around Würzburg are listed. If you can't make any of these, there are some great stores with mini-flea market flare that are open year-round.

I didn't buy any of these, not one singlesolitary thing, and I'm still kicking myself!

 

Each of these shots were take at Krempeltempel in the city center. Everything is orderly and displayed nicely, but you still have to keep your eyes peeled or else you might miss something. One of my other favorite spots at the moment is Querbeet in Grombühl. This place is crazy full with.stuff.everywhere and it forces you to come with time which I love. Here, as with Krempeltempel, it pays to look...on the walls, under tables, in corners, and in the cabinets. Unfortunately I don't have pictures, but this jem of a store can be found in Brücknerstrasse 8 and is open on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 6:00pm, Wednesdays from 11:00am to 3:00pm, and Fridays from 11:00am to 5:00pm. This weekend I hope to check out an antique store near Ochsenfurt that I've had my eye on for a year now, but never had the time to stop. Will keep you posted! Until then...

Happy hunting!

Chinatown

Somewhat hidden, but so worth taking the time to find is the Asian restaurant, Chinatown. The owner recently told us that he'll be closing his doors in January, so I decided it was high time to recommend going to this hot spot. Every time we've gone, I swear I'm going to try something new, but always end up ordering the "Peking Ente". You have to call a couple days ahead and pre-order this dish, but be prepared...it's addictive! There are four courses and the whole shabang costs about 13 Euro, drinks excluded. Most associate duck with fatty dishes full of calories, but this isn't the case at Chinatown. Traditionally prepared, the Peking Ente is a culinary dish from Beijing that has been filling the bellies of the Chinese since the imperial era. It takes about three hours to get through all the courses and is definitely a must-do in Würzburg, especially considering that Chinatown is closing in January!

I noticed that another blogger in Würzburg also raved about this feast in 2008, so I thought a little reminder wouldn't hurt. Treat yourself before the holidays; it's an expierence you won't forget all too soon. December 6th is just around the corner and maybe you still need a gift? Look no further! Just remember to call ahead and reserve your duck: Barbarastraße 45, 97074 Würzburg. 0931.86942.

Ente gut, alles gut!

Amon - backen und mehr

My hottest hot spot is Amon - backen und mehr located in the heart of Würzburg's city center. This delightful little store in Herzogstr. 11 is a real gem and has pretty much everything a cook's heart desires.  Amon is no bigger than my thumbnail, but I have yet to leave it within thirty minutes; there are pans hanging from the ceiling, aprons draped from shelves, and endless packages of sprinkles covering the cashier's desk. Regardless of what I'm looking for, whether it be a cat cookie cutter for my son's presentation or a certain something for a friend's birthday, I never leave emptyhanded. Even if you're not a baker, which I for one am not, there's a vaste array of other treats for people who simply enjoying being in a kitchen and cooking. Two thumbs up for Anita Amon's backen und more store! Amon's is open Monday thru Friday from 9:00am until 6:00pm and on Saturdays from 10:00am until 5:00pm. If you have any questions, the ladies at Amon's can be reached under 0931.12340.

Happy Wednesday!

The cleanest free bathroom in Würzburg

While on the infamous road trip to Italy with my fam, my sister was quite surprised that they charge at rest stops to use the bathroom. I had to laugh. I guess it is kinda...quirky. Funny how your visitors make you question things that you've so readily accepted as a fact of life. Note to self: Question everything! I had long forgotten that in my home country, toilet usage is free. In Germany, the public bathrooms are usually so darn clean that I happily fork over the fifty cents while remembering prior bathroom experiences in France and Mexico where I didn't have to pay...the only world that fits these flashes from the past is grody.to.the.max. Yeah. So, as I was saying, free bathrooms can be a rarity in good 'ol Deutschland. Of course, kiddos always come in handy and people in bars, restaurants, etc. neverever question a mom with a little person holiding his crotch. Well, on those days you're out and about without a child, gotta do number one or two, for that matter, and just happen to be in Würzburg, I have just the place for you. I was so excited yesterday when my husband, all aglow knowing something that would knock my socks off, showed me his favorite bathroom in Würzburg. I heart him! Here it is, folks. Ta-da my newest hot spot...the bathroom in the Dom. The Dom is the big church in the city center. You go in the main door, take a sharp right, go through the doorway (see first pic below), down the ramp, hang a left, walk down the hall (see second pic below), go up the short flight of stairs, and wa-la...the cleanest, freest, holiest bathroom in Würzburg!

Happy Sunday! In celebration of men who find pretty potties for their ladies...

Antikladen Scheuring

This is one of my favorite places to go in Würzburg. This little gem of a store located in the city center (Pommergasse 3) near the infamous Weinhaus Stachel is jam-packed with eye candy. Everywhere you look, there's something to see. Enamel kettles of all colors hang from the ceiling, wooden spoons worn smooth over the years wait in ceramic pots to be re-discovered, and beautifully restored chests, chairs, and wardrobes house treasures behind closed doors. I'm a sucker for stores that silently bid their patrons to walk lazily down the isles, searching, admiring, time-travelling. There's no website, but the ladies can be reached under 0931.16387, Tuesday thru Friday from 11:00 to 18:00. You feel the love for the old and worn, the treasured and unique, the past and simplier times. Treat yourself and be transported...

Yoga Lounge Würzburg

In the summer, Yoga Lounge can be found every Sundays @ the Stadtstrand in Wü

One of my most favorite places to be on a Tuesday morning is at the Yoga Lounge, a great little studio nestled in the middle of the city on the third floor of the former Mozart Gymnasium. I happenened upon this gem of a place about a year and a half ago after one of my students, Patricia Purkett, said that she was thinking of getting a morning Pilates class going and asked if I would be interested in trying it out. The moment I walked in the door, I felt at peace. The colors were comforting hues of blues, browns, and cremes; the rooms were spacious with hardwood floors. Did I mention I'm a sucker for hardwood? Everywhere I looked, I noticed the small details that had been attended to. There were candles on the windowsills and books waiting to be read; there were mats and water just in case. Even the old bathroom around the corner was remembered with good-smelling soap and fresh flowers. You have to climb at least 80 stairs (oh hey mom), but once you arrive at the top, a sweet oasis of positive energy and strength greets you. Katja Seuffert, the owner, is a breath of fresh air and is pimping up the yoga scene here in Würzburg. She and select trainers have started offering donation-based classes. You heard right. Classes without a set fee; you donate what you feel it was worth. How's that for good karma??! If you don't have time to attend a weekly class, the workshops at Yoga Lounge are divine and designed to fit the needs of everysinglesolitary person regardless of the level he or she is at. In the fall, there're some great personalities coming: Julia Müller, Ralph Otto, Anette Alvaredo, and more. So, if you haven't guessed...Yoga Lounge and, of course, Patricia Purkett's Pilates Body Motion class is my fourth hot spot in Würzburg. Treat yourself!

Main Döner

It's a wonderful 35°C outside and getting warmer. It's too hot to cook (we don't have ac in Germany to blast in our face while the oven's on) and I just can't eat another salad, so the fam and I went out to eat for lunch today. One of our verymostfavorite places to go to right now is Main Döner. Here you find all kinds of Turkish delights: döner (shaved meat, lettuce, and veggies in pita-like bread), dürüm (shaved meat, lettuce, and veggies wrapped in an extra big tortilla), borek (feta and spinach or meat wrapped and baked in philo dough), and much more. I never had Turkish (fast) food before coming to Germany, but, in my opinion, it really is the best slow food served fast. I especially like Main Döner because: they make their own bread, is family owned, has a variety of freshly-prepared veggies, sauces, and salads, does not ever let the dürüm bread get crispy while being warmed in the oven, and, if you order the vegetarian dürüm, you get both feta and grilled eggplant in lue of meat (at most places you have to choose). I just started eating less meat and have fallen head over heals in love with the vegetarian dürüm at this place. Centrally-located in the Sanderau, Main Döner has shady sitting outside and ample sitting inside, a (clean) public bathroom, great "sandwiches" packed full of lots of healthy stuff, super friendly service, and their prices are more than reasonable. I have been eating döners in and around Würzburg (dare I say it?) for almost two decades and, Main Döner is, in my opinion, one of the hottest spots in town right now. Thus, I happily give it an "einsplusmitstern" and wish you all "guten appetit"!

Dallenbergbad

Our only option today: water! The last couple summers, we took the boys to Randersacker to cool off. This delightful little wine village lays on the banks of the Main River and has a small stretch of beach (a.k.a. the Franconian Riviera) that's absolutely perfect for small children -the first few meters of water aren't too deep, there's a Döner-Büde right around the corner, and the kids are always within eyeshot. However, this summer, both boys (adult as they are) refused to go to Randersacker, saying it was "too baby" and "everyone's at Dalle (Dallengbergbad)". Well, with no other choice but to bite the bullet, we decided to brave Dalle and, surprisesurprise, we actually kinda liked it. Granted, it's bigger than a couple soccer fields put together and you have to keep an eagle-eye out for your kiddos, but it has a baby pool, a small play area with sand, a diving pool with diving boards of different heights, two water slides, a middle-sized pool with a slight incline (with steps and a ramp), an enormous rope jungle gym, a beach volleyball court, an eatery with reasonable prices, lots of big shady trees, and, last but not least, the most amazing views. The views are really what got my two thumbs up for Dalle; I never noticed them before, but they are breathtaking. Just one example: walking up the pathway to one of the two water slides, you not only see the fortress peeking out from behind the trees to your right, but you see Dirk Nowitzki's house to your left (oh hey Dirk). Dalle is a bit elevated and its surroundings truly set it apart from the rest of the pools in the area. In closing, Dalle is my first einsplusmitstern hot spot in Würzburg: the admission prices are reasonable, the bathrooms are clean, the location is sweeeet, the amenties are awesome, annnd you can even earn 4 Euro at the end of the day (they pay those willing to pick trash up before closing). Tomorrow I'll be goin' back to Dalle and you??!

My Favorites: Hot Spots in Würzburg

Summer in the city! Yep. It's here and the town is all a flutter. People are smiling, birds are singing, and everyone has shed their winter gear. We weren't too sure if it would come, but it did, and over the next couple months I'm going to profile hot spots in and around Würzburg in celebration of S-U-M-M-E-R. Stay tuned for deatils. Until then, here're a few snapshots of a snow-free, blue-skied little town in southern Germany: