Yummy Black Forest

My Favorite Black Forest Cake

So I do love my black forest cakes, but did I ever imagine having the authentic black forest cake in Black Forest, (Germany)?? No!!!


My authentic Black Forest cake adventure had a mystical feel to it... The Black Forest is so called because it does remind one of the middle ages, when the forests and woods literally were everywhere. There is a spooky feel to the whole atmosphere; and the view from the road was anything but ordinary. But apart from the place, the whole exciting reason for the trip was the Black Forest cake. It was really one of the best I have had. And here, it doesn't cost a bomb!   

On the way to the Falls

We booked the car one late October weekend, and  were off to Triberg Falls in the Black Forest by eight in the morning. This was the first time we were hiring a car in Europe, so we were a little jittery. Surprisingly we got a free upgrade and got a Skoda with integrated GPS (and thankfully the car was automatic)! Now came the nervous part of driving on the right hand side, which I literally kept reminding Tushar at every turn. Even negotiating the round abouts with the right hand rule was a struggle, but then we approached the Autobahn, which had no speed limit! So we stuck to the right most lane while Tushar gradually gained his confidence, and cars zoomed at 200 kmh on the fast lane. Ouch!

Road leading to" Little Red Riding Hoods" Grandmas House!

Black Forest, where the trolls live

After we got over the initial driving hitch, we realized that we were already driving along the Black Forest, with  its dense dark colored coniferous trees around us. The forest gave a feeling of some fairy tale place where the trolls lived... After about half an hour on the autobahn, we turned into one of the state highways which was a breathtaking view. There were little cottages along the road, where 'little red riding hood' would have stayed at one point, and the far away forests might be home to the clever Wolf!


Then we finally reached the Triberg Falls after a drive through fairy tale land neighborhood. The falls were nice, though not magnificent! We did reach  almost to the top of the falls and had a pretty view and surveyed all the scenery from there.

Triberg Falls

What attracted me the most was the pretty town surrounding the falls, a souvenir shop with a large cuckoo clock, with a big bear climbing up and down its facade. The walk to the falls was great, through a lot of hanging wooden bridges, which added to the excitement of the day.

Souvenir shop with bear cuckoo clock

After an hour of walking, we headed for some black forest cake in one of the nearby restaurants. It was light and yummy and one slice of the cake filled up the entire plate!!!

Next stop was the largest cuckoo clock in the world, the size of a single storied house! It was hardly a 15 min drive from the Triberg Falls. There were a thousand types of cuckoo clocks and all had different alarm tunes. Some of the clocks cost more than a 1000 EUR, but this was the region where the cuckoo clock originated as well.  After the cuckoo clock experience, we headed off to Lake Titisee, which was an amazing sight, even on a misty day! The ducks on the lake were specially interested in our grapes, so we shared some with them :) What I do remember is one green goose that almost never managed to get to one of the grapes; while its friends all grabbed its share. Poor thing... but I guess the geese there are more the 'cake' eating types!

Worlds Largest cuckoo Clock

Sharing fruits with ducks at Titisee

Lake Titisee

A great place to visit over a weekend. And there is the more picturesque Black Forest High Street to Baden called the Route B500 for the more adventure types. It is the most scenic route and definitely worth a visit during the fall season to view the truly dramatic Fall Colors and of course, pictures to die for!      

My First Snow

We had a white weekend in Basel this time!
Entire Basel was covered in the season's first snow. and boy, did it look pretty!


There was an absolute white sheet of snow everywhere, and what added to the the beauty was that Basel was lit up in Christmas lights as well. Oh, what a cute li'l town this looks now. The streets by my window, the by-lanes of the old town and the main town square near Clarastrasse Shopping area were all decked up.  The snow was everywhere... almost 3 inches of white fluffy pure snow. 

The First Snow

Everything in White

And I made lots of snow balls and threw them on Tushar. And also picked them from the bushes and benches. Also got my snow boots and I was all decked up for my snow trip. With all the protection, I was ready for my saunter around town... and was it exciting!


This Thursday, the 25th, Basel Christmas market opened up. This is a month -long festival culminating with Christmas, just around the 23rd Dec. Across Europe everywhere Christmas markets are a big craze from the 25th Nov. till around 23rd Dec.

The extremely attractive and atmospheric Basel Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkte) is located at Barfüsserplatz square in the middle of the city centre. Vendors and artisans from the region and from all over Switzerland display their wares and their crafts in over 130 brightly-lit stalls and tiny wooden huts. They peddle home made stuff like angels, Christmas decorations, lightings, well, just the entire cottage industry.

At the Basel Weihnachtsmarkte

Anyone who takes a stroll through the Old Town and sees the lovingly decorated houses and the festive decorations in the shop windows will be enchanted by how delightful the atmosphere around  this time of the year is. The oldest Christmas market in Switzerland as well as outstanding cultural offerings make a visit to Basel an unforgettable experience. 


You must also taste the Raclette, Fondue and the Gluhwein. It is a unique Schweiz gastronomic experience. Raclette is a mix of tons and tons of Swiss cheese, while fondue is bread mixed in more of the cheese and accompanied by a unique German wine, Gluhwein. This is a warm kind of wine made by mixing red wine with some honey and some more -- honey. Well, Tushar has already bought 2 bottles of the same to do more research on its contents. I will sure update you once I know.

Basel Weihnachtsmarkte

Have a look at the Munster and the Cathedral all draped in snow... And imagine walking through an old town with the trams along the Mittlere Brucke... and now imagine the Rhine river and the view of the city. Well, you can capture the views all here.  

Munster Cathedral in snow

Anyways, if you want to visit Switzerland and Basel, I would suggest to definitely make it around this time... during  Christmas and New Year.

A Parisian Weekend

Weekends cannot be more 'non-relaxing' if you are planning a trip to Paris over an extended weekend! With the Versailles to the museums and the endless metro commute, it is a roller coaster ride best undertaken in favorable  weather conditions. Our journey was an extended weekend affair - the next Monday included.

Our journey started on wet, gloomy Saturday in the mid of November 2010. The unexpected rains had already forced us to deviate from the plan for the day, which Devrupa, the wife, had made diligently. In fact, she had plans for all the 4 days we were in Paris. She had done an absolutely amazing thing, given it was our first Paris visit and she only had information over the internet to plan the itinerary.

She had zeroed  in on the 14 places to visit, grouped them in clusters, noted down the opening and closing hours and found the point to point travel plans for each of our destinations. This was a huge planning exercise, because of the fact she had a contingency plan B for unexpected!   

Place de la Concorde

13th November 2010:

Anyways, on a wet, rainy Saturday, we took the TGV from Basel to Paris and landed at Gare de l'est at 13:45. The tourist information office was close by and we took the trip passes and reached our hotel by 14:45, which was the best we could do. And by 15:45 or so, we were at the Place de la Concorde. The view was grand, to say the least. Eiffel, Champs de Elysees, Eyptian obelisk were vying for attention; however the most grand view was of the grandeur surroundings. If the rain had not played spoil sport, we might even have spotted the Guillotine somewhere. But more of that later. Now, back to the search for Eiffel tower. We were spoilt for choice. Madeleine or Champs de Elysees or Arc de Triomphe or Eiffel.



Sparkling Eiffel!

The evening spectacle of Eiffel Tower won. It is a spectacular sight; especially from a distance. The glittering lighting and the spectacular view from the top was amazing. However, the top was closed due to heavy wind. So we decided to come again the next evening for the climb to the very top. At 13.10 EUR per person, we decided to save it for the best. By the way, the Eiffel replicas being sold just below by the South Asian migrants are a steal - if you are ok with haggling a bit. You can get a souvenir with lighting as well- for a steal. 

Towards the end of the evening, we had the Bateaux Parisiens cruise for an unearthly view of the city along the Seine. All the historic places do look quite different from the river cruise, and the lighting gives you an idea why Paris is known as the City of Lights. The river cruise was the perfect beginning to an exciting stay.

Notre Dame from the Bateaux Parisiens

And then dinner at Palais de Raja Maharaja. It was truly an authentic Indian dinner. The taste reminded us of food from back home. The spiciness, the aroma - yes this was truly an Indian place - and that includes the garrulous owner thrown in for special effect! It was a treat from our friend who was celebrating his first anniversary in the most memorable and possibly the most practical way - by being away from the wife!

The grand Châteaux de Versailles
(pic of Hall of Mirrors)



14th November 2010::

Start early was the crucial thing - for we had the Palace of Versailles in our plans. Early morning train plans were thrown into nought as we got our RER and metro mixed up; but thankfully after some of my fabled resourcefulness combined with a total disregard for the rule of law, we managed to catch the RER C line to Versailees Rive-Gauche. The approach was a little of a scare as some uniforms boarded the trains asking for tickets, but we managed a cool getaway there as also at the Versailles station.

But nothing can prepare you for the palace view. Starting from the Louis XIII and XIV and all his wives in the counting, he constructed a fabulous palace. I keep on thinking of the maintenance effort required. But the Hall of Mirrors and the welcome room and the paintings are truly worth a visit. Then there is the Marie Antoinette's palace and the Grand Triannon to savour. Do not miss the gardens and the Petit Train around the massive grand place, even if it costs EUR 3.5 per trip - we somehow managed to get the same for round trip. And Hot Chocolate at one of the Versailles garden cafe is another must. It was by far the creamiest and yummiest hot chocolate Devrupa has ever had...that is her belief at least!

But by 2:30 pm we forced ourselves to start back to Paris.

Rodin's Thinking Man in Rodin Museum

Rodin Museum and Hotel d'Invalides were the remaining museums in our plan for the day. Rodin was quite ok, but the Musee d'arms was spectacular. A must visit - and that includes Napoleon's tomb. It includes the history of french wars, including Napoleonic wars and World wars. What you can also do is grab a Napoleon pistol or  a cannon. Truly collectors items - both of them.

Then the ride to the top of the Eiffel tower. No visit to Paris can be complete without a view from the top of Eiffel. Agreed, this is just a view - same as what you can get from the top of Notre Dame or the Arc de Triomphe, but the ride to the top of Eiffel on the 2 floor lifts is really worth the EUR 13.10 per person. and the view of Paris from the top is breathtaking. You can see the entire city laid out - like a decorated marriage pavilion. The Sacre de Coeur with its magnificent basilica looks absolutely inviting.

Anyways, we ended a tired 2nd day with another fabulous Indian dinner - again at the Raja Maharaja. Thankfully the garrulous owner left us to our elements today - he had managed to get another patron today!

15th November 2010:

Louvre was waiting, but we decided to complete Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame before; and make a dash for Louvre museum by 12 noon. Saint Chapelle is a must see; especially the upper section. The 15 stained glass windows with depiction of Biblical images are a certain revelation. The colourful depiction of the history, the priceless relics and the Gotich architecture certainly took our breath away.

Saint Chapelle

On to Notre Dame across the street (I must again thank Devrupa for the meticulous planning). Notre Dame with its 422 steps and massive gargoyles are a must do in anyone's itinerary. The view from the top of Paris is one to savour, and the 13 ton bell is an engineering marvel. Have a look at the mutiple shades and faces  of the gargoyles, and you will know why Paris was referred to as the second capital of Europe in its prime - after Rome of course.

Gargoyle in Notre Dame

Now on to Louvre to be really really amazed. This museum houses the Mona Lisa, but that is just another painting when you actually start exploring. Probably the entire history of humanity, or at least 

its known part, is captured in some nook or corner of the Louvre. A week is probably not enough, but we had 4 hours at the maximum. We did not do justice to the visual masterpieces in there, but we did just enough to tickle the brown cells.

Louvre - A grand Museum

Rush to Montmarte and Sacre de Coeur - these were the last must see places in our itinerary. Montmarte and Moulin Rouge is where the painters and the original Paris is settled in. The funiculaire de Montmarte is a wonderful romantic way to reach the Basilica.



Sacre Coeur - spectacular Basilica!
 (no pics allowed inside)

The authentic food in there - this was our first French food in Paris- was really worth the trip. The owner was again a wonderful warm person from Tahiti and French parents, who insisted on calling the wife Spanish. A nice compliment actually. And the food he suggested were really interesting - not to mention the framed photos of Nehru and India in his small restaurant.

The Basilica - from the inside - is quite a sight. Overall you are awe inspired and feel overwhelmed. This city is for the connoisseurs.



Do your souvenir shopping here for some bargain deals.

Life does come a full circle, and so did our trip. By 6 p.m. in the evening, we managed to hit the roads for a last view of the places we had started off our Paris tour with.

Place de l'Concorde, Elysees d'Champs and Arc de Triomphe. The walk from Concorde to Arc de Triomphe is nothing spectacular, at least not in the 1st week of November, though the view after 284 steps of Arc de Triomphe is worth the trip.

By 9 p.m. we were ready to retire; we had a 6 a.m. train back to Basel. Nothing like a chocolat mousse (at McDonalds!) - but our Paris adventure was a hectic affair. Our bodies were so tired, that an Aspirin was the bare minimum to get everyone out of their beds by 4:30 am the next day.

Arc de Triomphe

A Weekend  in Paris - my suggestion: Extend the trip by atleast 3 more days. 5 days is a bare minimum to do justice to Paris. But do keep in mind that many museums and crypts are closed on Mondays, so do make plans around that limitation. 

And don't forget the all inclusive Paris Visite passes, Museum passes, and the Bateaux Parisiens cruise for an absolutely unforgettable experience.



My Cinderella Adventure

There were 2 travels that I really really wanted to do after I reached Basel on the 1st Oct. 

One was to taste the authentic Black forest gateau IN Black Forest, and own a cuckoo clock. I will share details of the Black Forest adventure in  my next blog.

The magnificent Neuschwanstein Castle in fall colours 

The other was visit the castle which inspired castles in the Disney movies Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Yes, there is a real castle on which the movie castle has been based on. And it is in a place called Schwangau in Bavaria, about 3 hours drive from Basel. This is a part of 3 castles built by Ludwig II or was it III? But anyways, it was the stuff dreams are made of ... pure romanticism at its height. The pictures themselves were so majestic. Was I excited or was I excited!!!

Tushar surprised me with  Neuschwanstein castle travel plans to me one Friday and on the Sat'day next, 23rd Okt., we were all ready for my Cinderella adventure. Europcar, our favourite rental car agency (favourite as it was the only one within 2 km distance from our home in Basel!) was ready with my favorite car, Hyundai i10. And off we started at exactly 8 o'clock.  But then we realized that the car was a manual one, in which Tushar had to negotiate both the gears and the right hand side driving rules!!!

Bavarian Houses with paintings

However, it was a pretty drive passing along side Zurich, St. Gallen and then finally reaching Bavaria just after noon. Now Tushar did struggle with the manual 'shift' car  - and there were a few anxious moments around quite a few round abouts. But the more worrisome event was when we just about entered a ferry on the way- across Lake Constance. (This was since, we had no idea the GPS had an option for including ferry rides on the way) Now, we had not quite bargained  for a ferry ride  with the car; so we had to re-set the GPS to 'avoid Ferries'.     

HohenSchwangau Castle

Once we reached there, you have to see the view. Actually there were 2 castles - Hohenschwangau Castle and the New Hohenschwangau Castle  - now called the Neuschwanstein castle. We took our entry tickets from the counter, and set off for the closer Hohenschwangau castle initially. Because of time shortage, we could enter only the Neuschwanstein castle, and could therefore view the HohenSchwangau castle gardens and the exterior. But they were damn good. Yes Definitely! 

Gardens of HohenSchwangau Castle

Neuschwanstein from HohenSchwangau

Gardens of HohenSchwangau Castle

It was a slightly uphill ride, and the way down was much easier - if only because of the eagerness to visit  Neuschwanstein castle.

However, Tushar decided to walk uphill for  30 min. against the easier option of taking the horse buggy. Was it tough? Not really, it was hyped in the brochure that its a tough 30 min walk, and we covered it in 20 mins. And we saved a fiver! Anyways the 20 min uphill walk gave us time to think - about the Bavarian region (visit here for more information), and the Allstadt region and life in the period of German romanticism and the romance in our lives and while we are at it, the exciting times we have in Hyderabad... and then reality dawned. I mean Neuschwanstein castle zoomed into view. Man, Was it pretty!

Even prettier was the view from Marien Brucke. You really have to see this place to understand why this was the castle chosen by Walt Disney for the Cinderella flick. Agreed that was a cartoon, but here we were witness to a real castle. And as castles go, this was one of the finest. Just a view from the outside can make you drool. Well, that is also in part because you cannot take snaps of the interior... so you better do with the exterior view only. However, I have a few snaps taken on the sly of the interior..in my private collection. Maybe I can show you a few, provided you beg... hehehe :) 

First glimpse of the Castle

Surroundings of the Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle from Marienbrücke

The 20 min walk to Neuschwanstein Castle

Marienbrücke from inside the Castle

Anyways, during the castle tour, that we could undertake, we were informed that this Ludwig II, died pretty much during the construction and could not live in it. What a tragedy, but on the other had, I think this castle is relatively new because of this! I mean, like a house, which you buy almost new instead of it passing through generations - this castle is never been lived in, although it has been decorated like a new bride. A view of the carpets, the tapestry and the halls bear testimony to the grandeur of this place. 

And Not to forget the view from the top! I must admit that the phrase 'Room with a view' is quite inappropriate the way we use it in daily usage. Anybody should see this snap for a 'Castle with a view'. Magestic. Awe-inspiring. Stupendous.

After the castle closed at around 5 p.m., we went to the Marion Brucke for  a picture perfect view. This place can even inspire you to start poetry. A view of the Bavarian landscape scenery is a joy- especially if undertaken during the season of the fall colour.

A wonderful trip, and thanks to weather gods for holding out on the rain, though the fresh snow carpet added so much to the breathtaking view. 

My tip: You can pass the inside trip of the Hohenschawangau castle, but do not miss the Neuschwanstein and Marien Brucke for all the money's worth (EUR 9 - EUR 17 for combined)

Also, there is a third Ludwig castle in Herrenchiemsee, which is near to Munich. Now, I have to get Tushar interested in that one - maybe when we go travelling again to  the Christmas markets in end-Nov till end-Dec.