“Bavarian Holiday”

October 29, 2007,

Aschaffenburg, Germany (Day Off)

This morning we pulled into the Klingerhof Land Hotel. The view from the top of the hill was unbelievable. Sort of Napa-esque.
The Klingerhoff is a hotel/spa and due to a mix up at the reservations desk, we have no room for the night. However, on the lower floor of the hotel is a spa complete with a pool, sauna and showers. The hotel will allow us to use this area for the night. Before going to dinner I decide to shower up. The place is very clean and towel are provided. After undressing and wrapping a towel around my torso, I walk to the shower room and attempt to locate the mens shower. I search for the word “Herren” (men) and I search for the international male stick figure, to no avail. I walk up and down the common area, looking for the door to the men’s shower. As I open the door to the sauna, I am floored by the site of a 65 year old man making his exit, . . . completely naked, who casually strolls into the common area, dragging his scrotum behind him. It finally dawns on me, . . . there are no separate facilities. Germany is co-ed, and unabashedly so. Brian discovers this fact later on, when a grey haired woman that reminds him of his grandmother, enters the co-ed shower area in which he is showering. He is traumatized for life.




Later that afternoon Steve, Dave, Static and I head into town to get a close up view of the castle in the middle of town.
As we walk the streets of the village, I am struck with one impression . . . I LOVE Aschaffenburg. This town is a beautiful Bavarian village, complete with winding narrow streets and beer hauses. Upon a recommendation of the taxi driver, we head over to the Zum Fergerer, a local dining establishment.
Expecting an all meat menu, I am presently surprised by the sophistication of the fare. And with the lovely Tove Marie (a native of Norway) and Julia (don’t pronounce the ‘J’, a true Bavarian) as our waitresses, our meal was seasoned with good company.
Speaking of the meal, I had a wild pig and venison dish that matched or exceeded any meal in San Francisco. My compliments to the chef for his flavors, as well as his presentation. Anthony Bourdain could do a whole hour of Aschaffenburg on his “No Reservations” show.