Mom Visits! Weekend Trip to Strasbourg & Heidelburg

My mom came for a visit in May 2014, her first time visiting the Fatherland with me in it, and stayed for about eleven days with us altogether with an additional five days in Switzerland. A weekend trip to Strasbourg and Heidelberg were planned, two cities that would have been on her tour itinerary if she had found a friend to join her on one of those asian all-inclusive-a-city-a-day tours she's such a huge fan of. I convinced her to ditch the tour and do the weekend trip with us instead. Mario and I promised we could do better and inject some drool-worthy meals into the trip between the sight seeing. Food complied, weather did not, but we managed to have a really good time regardless and got some shopping in to boot! After this weekend trip my mom headed to Switzerland to visit a friend of hers before returning and hanging out in Hannover with us and seeing the sights. We got in a trip to Herrenhäuser Gardens to catch yet another one of their amazing fireworks shows during the summer, ate a döner together, and before I knew it, I was already tearing up at seeing my mom's little leopard print covered body make her way through the security line at the airport to catch her flight home.

The usual introduction to German food starts at the Bavarium: schnitzel, bratwurts, and schweinshaxe as well as the Bavarian breakfast favorite, weißwurstchen. The last was my mom's least favorite although it's one of mine and she declared that the schweinshaxe was not as good as she'd had it before in Munich.

Döner!! Kid tested, mother approved.

In case she missed this during her 2009 Germany trip with her friends, I introduce my mom to the Wurst Basar, a chain of butcher shops and a paradise of pork products. They sell a lot of cooked foods to-go as well. This pork Braten sandwich was phenomenally good. The bread was fresh and crispy too, so my mom ordered a second one for the road. 

For dessert, Efendi Bey cafe in Hannover for my favorite Künefe fried cheese dish I've been so eager to share with her. Momma liked.

Just checked into the Hotel Régent Contades. Mario and I went for a walk with Truffles to stretch our legs after the long car ride and explored the city a little before heading to bed.

Eglise Saint Paul right across the street from the hotel, built in the late 19th century for Lutheran members of the German garrisons stationed in Strasbourg.

On the banks of the Ill, nightlife is jumping! Late into the night, locals get first class views of the town and river while dining al fresco in the mild spring temperatures.

The beautiful jeweled skyline along the banks of the Ill.

As usual, I am reminded by how American private and public architecture, planned communities or theme parks try to recreate European charm when I see nighttime scenes like this. 

Like a page right out of a fairy tale, Disneyland and Vegas have nothing over the real thing.

View from our hotel room the next morning.

Once again, the Eglise Saint Paul.

Making our way to the Unesco Heritage site of the Grand Island.

That's my mom, never one to blend in. 

In the Alsace region bordering Germany and France, this now French city has influences from both countries as well as Italy reflected in the architecture due to the flip flopping of ownership between the three countries throughout history.

Place de la Cathédrale

The iconic Kammerzell House in the background. 

Dubbed the Notre Dame of Strasbourg, you can't help but see the similarities between the Strasbourg Cathedral with its more well known predecessor.

In front of the sixth tallest church in the world. When the Sagrada Familia, our favorite church from an aesthetic perspective, is finished it will surpass the tallest church in Ulm, Germany.

Built with sandstone from the nearby Vosges mountains, this towering Roman Catholic cathedral is actually more gothic in style.

Our little devil's advocate. 

Girls that always be texting.

Finally inside the church, we get a gander at the decidedly gothic features. Most churches in northern Germany look like this inside due to the influence of Martin Luther and the Protestants--not as gilded as the Catholic churches.

The beautiful organ inside.

Stained glass windows salvaged from the previous Dominican church. The Strasbourg church contains many elements from the previous buildings that sat in its place but were destroyed.

Could that be the sun?? Dispersed showers and drizzles punctuated my mom's stay but she still kept her sunglasses with her just in case.

This looks pretty French though!

L' Epicerie, a casual bar and cafe that served regional bites and beverages.

We get a selection of tartines which are basically a cross between German Brötchen and French open sandwiches. This one in particular had melted brie cheese with acacia honey and toasted almond slivers on top.

Tartine of duck liver terrine with cornichons.

Best coffees ever and served in the cutest crockery around! 

Foreground: Tartine of corned beef with a nut mustard--the perfect marriage of tanginess and heartiness.

Dessert consisted of a selection of the local sweets, a tartine with chocolate sprinkles and creme fraiche, a rich chocolate mousse and a caramel pudding, all homemade except for the sweets.

On to the next meal?

Nope, first a little more exploring.

And a little shopping.

Walking over the bridge to the Grand Island.

This house is in a pretty amazing location in the middle of the river!

Not yet weary travelers...well, except for the dog.

It's starting to look pretty beautiful already.

Wedding photos here must happen pretty often.

View across to the historic Maison des tanneurs in the tanners district.

Like Venice, people can get from house to house via boat if they like with entryways right next to the water like this one.

Oh to have breakfast on this patio! 

Maawage!

Église Saint-Thomas

Crossing the bridge back to the city center with all the shopping.

You are now leaving the Grand Island.

One last look at the architecture before we dine and night falls.

A marinated lentils amuse bouche at Le Table de Christoph in Strasbourg, traditional Alsatian fare with a modern twist. As usual, hearty and delicate at the same time.

It was like eating in a friend's living room.

Snails with an airy leek and potato cream foam accentuated with flowers.

Light and sweet, this was the taste of spring incarnated if you were to have a garden being devoured by snails.

My mom ordered the seafood plate with scallops, seared tuna in the same cream foam, and asian marinated root vegetables with cous cous.

Foie gras, my kryptonite. Pan seared two ways with a tangy apple goose schmalz puree and balsamic.

Rabbit with root veggies, simple but perfect.

Heidelberg again! Love this pretty city.

Crashing Sunday service in the Catholic Church of the Jesuits.

You might not be able to tell but it's incredibly windy! 

Someone's taking a date up to the castle.

Always looking up. Love this woman! 

Yes, it is the sun!

A quick mother daughter moment before the sun leaves us again. We wanted to go down to the Neckar river finally and get a good look since we didn't get to it during our first trip, but it was so windy and cold we never made it this time either. Just another reason to come back!

Here's that same castle that does all those weddings!

Heidelberg Castle's famous wine keg--largest in the world.

Fauna sculpted into a doorknob in the menagerie on the castle grounds.

There's that wind we were talking about!

It's good to be king.

Not as sunny or warm as my last trip here but twice as nice with my mom there to share the experience with me. 

Of course my mom requested more snails "if possible" for her next meal at the Schnitzelbank in Heidelberg. These are done the traditional way, drenched in butter and fresh herbs with bread for dipping.

I order the baked maultaschen, or large spinach and mince meat raviolis typical of the Swabian region of Germany.

My mom orders her other favorite, Schweinshaxe, or pig knuckle that is boiled and then fried with a gravy on top.

Jägerschnitzel with Spätzle, or schnitzel with a mushroom cream sauce and buttery egg noodles.

The cozy atmosphere at the Schnitzelbank.

A taste of mediterranean cuisine at Selale in Hannover before my mom leaves in two days. Hummus and salad to start. As I've explained before, a high population of Turkish immigrants means we always have amazing Turkish food here in Germany.

The meat plate has a taste of the chicken and lamb kabobs as well as the lamb cutlets. The meats are cooked to perfection and sit atop a tomato bulgar salad with yogurt and a spicy pepper sauce to dip.

We reunite my mom with old friends, Georg and Vincent, since they've stayed with my family before when visiting the US in 2004. We threw a karaoke party back then where Mario's sister who was studying in L.A. came up with her boyfriend and my dad bought a twenty-four pack of Heineken for the "Europeans."

Raphaela, who my mom called, "just lovely."

A visit from my mom wouldn't be complete without her cutting somebody's hair! She taught me all I know and I still cut Mario's hair to this day.

On top of the hair cutting, we buy ten pounds worth of beef bones so my mom can make the stock for her famous pho soup that is one of her signature dishes. It takes hours to cook just the stock but it's sooooo worth it.

Thin slices of raw beef filet get cooked with the boiling hot soup while it sits atop rice noodles and onions. Add sweet Thai basil, cilantro and green onions on top and a grind of black pepper and you've got a dish that's perfect for the cold days in Germany or even the occasional hot ones.