Full speed to Bayreuth!

One reason why they drive so fast in Germany is that the places they are going are just so gosh-darned yummy that they can't wait to get there! So it was with Bayreuth and once Carol had plugged our destination- Eduard Bayerlin Strasse (Street) I put the pedal to the metal and the Jag, sensing my excitement squealed his Michelins and yelled "Yi-haw" and we were off.

Only 37 miles away and we ate them up fast and were soon on familiar streets as this was our 4th visit to the town but only our second with opera on the menu. We were checking in at 7.30 p.m to our digs for the next 4 days-the familiar Arvena Kongress Hotel where we had first stayed in 1999 with a follow-up stay in 2003 when we toured Germany in my new car, fresh from the BMW factory.

The hotel thrives in the 6 week Festspiele season and draws us back for their hospitality and an amazing breakfast/brunch buffet spread each Festival morning.

They have drinks and snacks for the guests each afternoon before the Operas, which start at 4 p.m.
Then they offer a shuttle to the theater, with pick-up afterwards in this cute little bus

Outside the hotel this year they had a little Wagner figurine, something we would see all over the town during the next few days as some sculptor had made a huge batch.

Unfortunately he took up half the bench. This became my smoking bench while waiting for Carol during the week.  Wagner was an occasional smoker and then only after dinner. Dinner? Yikes! we hadn't eaten since breakfast (Fruhstuck) at 9 a.m. Ye Gods!

We had to unpack first but the juices were flowing at the thought of our next meal and there was only one restaurant we had in mind...Weihenstephan-the oldest brewery in the world. They've been dishing up great beer since 1040 A.D ! No- not 20 minutes to 11...I mean over 1,000 years!
As it was (and I imagine, still is) only half a mile away I suggested we walk as it was a balmy August evening and walking meant I could drink more beer as the German penalties for DUI are pretty severe.

The streets of Bayreuth are quiet. Little shops, mostly antiques and hairdressers are closed for the day. We pass by a garden, part of a Greek restaurant and people are out there digging in to some of my favorite ethnic food-but I am in Germany so no Greek food for me! Give me German or give me Death!

I already know what I want-a Weiner Schnitzel (Vienna Schnitzel which began life as Veal Milanese)
but which I remember from my early days in Nuremberg 1972.  Basically thin filets of veal, fried in breadcrumbs. I'll include my can't fail recipe for it one of these days in one of these blogs.

Of course we wanted to sit outdoors on the street, even though it is mighty cosy inside. I asked a roving waitress if we could. She explained that all the outdoor tables were reserved for 9.15 when the Opera crowd would descend after a particularly rousing Opera called "Tannhauser". Then she told us we would be welcome to take a table as long as we were gone by 9 so she could prep the table for the Opera-goers. Deal!!

Mochten sie etwas zu trinken? Hell yea! Ein bier , bitte! (always say please (Bitte) in Germany as they all do. They are very polite and considerate. In a trice we have our drinks and the kitchen gets to work on yet another Schnitzel.  I ordered Pommes Frites (French Fries) as I had a craving.

The things atop the lemons are anchovies which I gave to Carol as she loves them. 

Afterwards a cigarette and a chance to just sit still for a moment after a day of moving. I have been here before and am very excited in my own quiet way to be here again. 

A leisurely walk home on darkened streets, no fear of mugging. As we entered the hotel I saw a familiar face I hadn't seen in 10 years-Herr Hemmel who was our Tunisian waiter in the hotel restaurant in 1999 and was someone who was still working there in 2003 when we stopped for the night on our tour in the new car. He caught sight of a familiar face as he walked quickly through the lobby and turned and smiled as he saw my grinning face. Manly handshakes were exchanged. He was now the bar manager and after we got over reminiscing I asked him to keep an ear open for spare tickets to the Festival as I had a lifelong friend joining us from his home in Lyon, France the next day.

In the hotel they do have a notice board where people who have extra tickets or tickets they can't use, put them up for sale at face value.There were none for this week but Herr Hemmel would ask around.

The German word for pillow is Kopfkissen....head kisser and at the first kiss I fell into a deep sleep.

Tomorrow, Tuesday would be our first opera "The Flying Dutchman" which was something to anticipate  and after that I had arranged for my visiting friend to meet us outside the theater before heading back to Weihenstephan again where we now had a reservation. So, much to look forward to!