Wimsener Höhle/ Wimsen Cave and Gasthof Friedrichshöhle

Mac and I had heard about a cave in Germany's Swabian Alb region.

This cave is the only cave in Germany that is visited by boat.

That sounded like a great adventure and we couldn't wait to

see what it was all about.

We drove to 72534 Hayingen-Wimsen on the GPS and parked by the

lovely little Wimsen Waterfall.

We couldn't believe our eyes at how clear the water was here.  Can you see the trout the kids are looking at?

We were very hungry and decided to eat at the Gasthof zur Friedrichshöhle

located  there by the cave.

We wanted to sit outside because it was such a beautiful day but, the waitress informed us all the tables were reserved.  However; there was plenty of room inside she said.

They showed us to  a lovely little table in the corner.

It was quaint and charming inside.

All the food here is organic and we thought it tasted excellent.

I had the home-made Spätzle with the wurst.

Underneath was the most incredible lentil dish

flavored with balsamic vinegar.

Mac had the Maultaschen with Grandma Josephine's potato salad.

He was supposed to have had some onion in a Juniper Berry sauce to go over the Maultaschen, but

since he's not exceptionally fond of onions, he opted not to have the sauce.

If you want more info on their organic food and restaurant here is the link for you.

Now that we were no longer starved, we headed over to explore the cave.

Our guide explained that the cave is not really called Wimsener Cave. It's actually name is

the Friedrichshöhle. (Fredrick's Cave) to honor Friedrich I. von Württemberg, who visited the cave in 1803 before he became King of Württemberg.

They do have a guide in English you may read before you get on the boat,

you have only to ask at the kiosk.

The entrance to the cave.

Our guide pointing out the formations and giving us the history of the cave.

You can only explore 70 meters of the cave and the rest is only accessable by

divers. The guide was speaking in heavy dialect but as far as I understand, twice a year

divers used to be permitted.  I am not sure if this is the case any longer.

We really enjoyed our visit to Wimsener Höhle and Gasthofs Friedrichshöhle. 

This is a definate, "Go and see."

Mac was excited when he found there are 3 more caves in the vicinity.

He says to tell you, "I'm going back to see the other ones!"

Onion Tart/Zweibelkuchen recipe and What is a Besenwirtschaft?

It's that time of year again in Germany.

Time for Onion Tart and New Wine.

Typically, to indulge in this autumn treat, you need only find a restaurant in your area.

However; Mac and I have found the most fun is to find a

Besenwirtschaft to have this treat.

What is a Besenwirtschaft?

Historically, somewhere around the year 800 Karl the Great allowed

winemakers to serve wine in their homes.

This tradition is alive and well here in

Swabia.

"Besen" means broom in German and you have only to look for a broom placed over or at the doorway of a private house or small local to sample the wines and specialties of Batten-Wurtenburg.

You never know what to expect when you enter a Besen,

perhaps you might be ushered into someone's living room or

they may have tables set up in their driveways. We love them because it's a chance to mix with the

locals and learn more about their culture.

Interestingly, these besenwirtschafts are to this day allowed to forego getting a restaurant or liquor license to sell directly to you as long as they limit their business to just four months of the year. 

Yes, you are eating homemade food at someones house, don't worry though, because by law here in Germany, health inspectors visit the Besens weekly.

Mac and I say, drive around and enjoy an adventure with the locals

at a besen this fall!

If you can read German,

www.besenkalender.de

is a good place to find a besen near you.

Now on to the recipe!

My favorite seasonal food at a besen is

Zweibelkuchen

or Onion Tart in English.

I am going to give you a recipe to try yourself if you don't live where you can try this

seasonal delight.

First cut up1 kg for you English cooks of white onions

For the Americans cup up 2 pounds of white onions.

Peel and cut onions into small pieces. If you are using bacon lardons instead of ham put these in the frying pan now with your onions, simmer slowly until cooked to a transparent consistency.

If you are using the diced ham use 8 ounces

227 grams for you Brits. and add it now. I like

a lot of ham in mine, but if you don't

half the quantity.

Of course, if you are vegetarian, leave the meat out!

Stir the ham in and warm it for a few minutes. Now stir in 1/4 cup of flour  into this mix.

Onions produce a lot of water so we want to thicken the sauce when it cooks by doing this.

In mixing bowl, mix together 16 oz. Light sour cream

For the British cooks, use 454gram of crème fraîche

and 4 large eggs.

Now add salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 teaspoon

caraway seeds.

Add 150 grams of Gouda cheese (about a cup of shredded cheese for you American cooks)

Combine the onion and ham mixture with the

sour cream, cheese and eggs.

Get a quiche or pie pan ready and place

ready-made pie crust in it.

(or your own home-made crust if you prefer)

Pour your combined mixture into the pie.

Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and bake for approximately 50 minutes.

Oma's Zweibelkuchen!

Enjoy with a glass of New Wine.

Mac gives this time of year in Germany

two thumbs up! 

Japanese Garden/Kaiserslautern

We visited our dear friends Helmut and Margit last weekend.

Their son and his wife live in Japan, so I had the "brilliant" idea of taking them

to the Japanese Garden in Kaiserslautern.

I had heard their was a special tea room where you could be part of  a

ceremonial tea.  As always, you may click on the pictures to enlarge for a better view.

Kaiserslautern has a twin or partner city in Japan called

 Bunkyo-Ku.

 When a delagation from this city visited in 1993, the idea was born for the Japanese Garden in

Kaiserslautern. 

The garden opened it's doors to the public in the year 2000 as part of the

State Garden Show.

This family was having fun feeding the enormous colorful

koi in the pond.

We were greatly disappointed when we reached the tea room to find it was closed.

One of the workers said that it used to be open all the time but, most guests refused to remove their shoes and socks to go into the tearoom as they do in Japan,

so they closed it.

HOWEVER; if you get a group of 5 people together and call them, they will book a tea ceremony for you.

Here's the kicker, it cost 350 Euro for 5 people which, the lady assured us was

extremely reasonable.

I didn't think so and since this was the main reason for my visit,

I was extremely disappointed.

Of course, being a Japanese garden you'll find

Buddha here.

Karesansui  rock gardens or waterless stream gardens are typically associated with Zen Buddhism, and often found in the front or rear gardens at the residences  of Zen abbots. The main elements in the garden are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by pebbles raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. The concept of this garden was interesting to me and I imagine

it's difficult to rake these stones in straight lines.

Pretty alcove in the garden.

If we had been able to go in and have the tea

ceremony we all agreed this would have

turned an "okay" visit into a

"good" visit.

Sadly, because the sign posts were not well marked for parking

or the entrance to the gardens, we wandered around for a long time trying to find it.

It's not suitable for wheelchairs and

there was no tea ceremony available for the visit.

For these reasons, this didn't make it on our list of places we'd go back to

or recommend to our friends.

If you'd still like to go

www.japanischergarten.de

will give you the information you need.

Dinosaur Park/Garden Show Kaiserslautern, Germany

A funny thing happened on our way to the

Japanese Garden in Kaiserslautern, we ended up at the

GARTENSCHAU

(Garden Show in English)

in the

Neumühle Park.

This park is fabulous.  You simply must go if you live in Germany.

Neumühle Park is home

to the largest open air dinosaur exhibition in Europe.

More than 80 life-like dinosaur replicas populate

this park.

The Garden show was featuring fairytales made from pumpkins in this enchanting park.

A babbling brook runs through the park and there are amazing play grounds

for the kiddies.

Here's the Pied Piper of Hamlin.

Just look at the little pumpkin rats following the piper.

Cinderella and coach.

I think this is Bel and the Dragon.

Click to enlarge this picture.

You'd think you were in Jurrasic Park.

What a fantastic "family" day out.

There is something for everyone here.

From the pumpkin sculptures and flowers to

the incredible dinosaur exhibits.

Many people had brought picnic's and made a real day out of it.

I was disappointed that they didn't have food on sale when we went, although

there were booths, they were closed.

If you climb to the top of the park

you get a view over Kaiserslautern.

You will also find a place to eat here

and you will  discover the

peaceful and lovely

Willow Chapel.

Mac says this day out deserves

his "two" thumbs up.

Let me just find him, and take a picture in front of one of the pumpkin

sculptures for you.

Mac?

Ah-oh. MAC!!!

 Gotta go folks, but go to

www.gartenschau-kl.de

and check out their information. 

The site is in English and German.

 This show will be on until the 31st of October so you still have

 plenty of time to visit!