Last Adventure in Bremen

 

The Schlachte

It's been a couple of weeks since I returned to Victoria.  The jet lag lasted much longer than expected.  I was also busy getting back into my usual routine.  Now, I'm making some time to write about the last evening in Bremen.

I'd been going nonstop since I got to Bremen.  On my last day, I decided I'd stay in to have naps, get clothes packed, have a shower and just relax before leaving Bremen the next day.  Around 4 pm, I went out to visit a district of Bremen called the Schlachte.  I wanted to have one last great schnitzel and fries.  To do that, I was going to splurge and go to a restaurant in that district.  I caught the bus and was off.  It was a beautiful evening.  It felt like summer which was wonderful considering all the rain I'd been experiencing.

The Schlachte promenade is in the heart of Bremen and runs along the Weser river.  It was established in 1247 and was a trading route that was the driving force behind the city's emergence as a proud Hanseatic centre.  Today, the Schlachte is an area about a mile long of restaurants, beer gardens and a sea wall with places for people to sit to enjoy the views on the river.

**Note:  Not my picture.  This shows you people sitting on the seats along the sea wall.

 

There are ships that add to the seafairing feeling.  They are now restaurants.  One ship was featured in a commercial for Beck's beer.  It is called the Alexander von Humbolt.  I looked for the Beck's commercial but couldn't find it.

Alexander von Humbolt

Admiral Nelson (a replica of a frigate which sailed under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson).  It's a restaurant that specialized in Dutch pancakes.

The staff at the restaurant all dress as pirates.

 The following pictures give you an idea of what the entire walking area was like.  Nice not to have to deal with cars.  I didn't even have to watch out for bicycles.

 

One restaurant had the right idea.  There was TV screens on each side of the entrance.  Two different soccer games were on.

Before I left my room, I had already picked out the restaurant I was going to have dinner in.  The entire time I was away, I only had dinner in a restaurant once.  Well, twice if you count my first night in Copenhagen where I paid a fortune for pizza that was terrible.  I chose the Paulaner Restaurant which was about the third restaurant along the strip.  I wasn't eating outside.  While it was nice, I don't like my food getting cold or having to deal with bugs.

 

Paulaner an der Schlachte

Before I went into the restaurant, I asked a server who was working outside if I could sit inside to have dinner.  He said "Yes".  In I go all happy with the knowledge that I can do that.  A waiter inside meets me and asks if I have a reservation!  What the heck is it with reservations and finding out after I think all is well.  Remember my experience at Miu in Amsterdam?  I tell the server I don't have a reservation.  He says okay we can get you a table.  He takes me to the back of the restaurant behind a half wall which means I can't see outside to enjoy the view.  Once again, I get the feeling that I'm the poor relation they don't want anyone to see.  I wonder if I didn't have my backpack with me if I would have been given a different table to sit at.

It isn't long before a waitress comes over with a menu.  I ask her if she has a menu that is in English.  She points out that it's written in both German and English.  Oops, guess I should have looked at the menu before asking?  Hah, who does that when you assume it'll be in German?  She asks if I'd like something to drink.  I decide I'm going to have a small beer.  Whenever I take trip to Germany, I have a beer at least once when I have a meal inside a nice restaurant.  Tonight was that night.  I ordered a small Paulaner.  It was a good tasting beer as beer goes.  I open my menu and start salivating.  There is so much to choose from.  Do I want to ditch the schnitzel and have a pretzel, bratwurst or a fleischsalat?  The pictures in the menu don't help either.  Everything looks and sounds so good!

 

On the menu is also my favourite dessert to have in Germany - Kaiserschmaarn.  I had it at the Ischa fair but I just knew it would be so much better at this restaurant.  I go with a salad, schnitzel and fries as well as the Kaiserschmaarn.  I ask my waitress if it's possible to order a half order of the dessert.  The answer is "No, it's made to share.".  I tell her I'll take it anyway and that I'd like to take my leftovers home.  She says that's no problem.

My salad and main course arrive.  I dig into the salad expecting to taste the type of salad my Tante Jola used to make with an oil/vinegar/sugar dressing.  Had I been by myself, I'd have spit the salad out.  I have no idea what was on the lettuce but it was awful.  I push the salad aside.  I'm not eating that!  It's kinda neat how the table had three beer steins on it - one for the utensils, one for the ketchup & mayo and one with a napkin and the fork to use to eat my dessert.

 

My schnitzel and fries arrive.  Before my waitress leaves, I ask her to take a picture of me with my food.  She must be used to this kind of request because there was no hesitation.  She just did it.  I did make her laugh when I pretended to cut it up like a barbarian.

It came with one of those lemon squeezers too!

I knew I had dessert coming and needed to save room for it so I only ate half of my schnitzel.  Dessert arrived.  I was not disappointed!  This was well prepared not like at the fair.

As much as I would liked to try to eat the dessert, I got the point where I was having trouble swallowing air.  I was so full.  The waitress packed my food up for me and even put it in a bag for me to carry.  Nice touch.

 

I paid my bill and saw a sign for the washroom.  Remember my tip - if you see a free washroom, you go whether you think you need to or not.  Loaded with my backpack and bag of leftovers, I squeezed into a stall.  Learned it was a good plan to be there.  Finished, washed hands and went back into the restaurant.  I heard a woman's breathless voice say "Miss?  Miss?".  I turned around to see my waitress bent over at the waist and breathing heavily.  Between breathes, she lifted her hand.  In it was my phone!  She had been outside running up and down the street looking for me.  I had left my phone on the table.  Thank goodness for going to the bathroom and the waitress for looking for me.  The weird thing is that for the past 28 days, I had a routine I did every time I left a store or used my wallet or phone.  I would check to make sure I had my wallet, the wallet that has my credit cards and that my phone was in my coat pocket.  I would double check.  The night in the restaurant, I remember checking for the wallet and credit cards.  I remember thinking put your phone in your pocket.  Instead, I picked up my bag of leftovers and left the phone.  Again, I thank my guardian angel, Uncle Gus, for looking out for me.  I am pretty sure I would have realized my phone was missing when I went to use Ms Google to figure out which tram to take back to my room.  I'm glad I didn't have to retrace my steps.

My last view of the Paulaner an der Schlachte restaurant.  I love fairy lights.  Don't you?

 

I catch the tram back to the Central train station without any trouble.  Each time I've gone out the back of the station to start the walk back to my room, I've noticed homeless people milling about.  I decided to give my leftovers away.  I stood back looking for someone who might be in need of food.  When I saw a young fellow start going through the garbage can, I approached him to ask if he would like to have some dinner.  The answer was yes.  I learned that he hadn't eaten all day.  I said I hoped he liked schnitzel and Kaiserschmaarn.  He said they were his favourites.  He told me I'd made his day.  I left feeling much better than when I tried to give leftovers to a guy in Amsterdam.  Why?  Because I learned he wasn't homeless or needed food!  He was just standing in an alley waiting for the rain to stop.  The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." is so darned true.

Back in my room, I do another check to make sure I have everything organized.  I set my alarm for 5:30.  My plan is to be at the train station early just in case something changes.

Steps that day - 15,675