Farewell Lovely Leipzig, Hello Stuttgart

Saturday – Although the alarm was set for 07:00 Andreas arrived early with our morning coffee. We didn’t stay in bed for long and joined our hosts for a breakfast of bread rolls, cheese and ham. While Sylvie was in the bathroom, I packed my computer and did a final cupboard check. The trip to the railway station was subdued but very quick and with time to spare we stood and listened to a band playing Christmas music. Once on the train we were informed about connection issues from Frankfurt to Stuttgart. Our only choice was to stay on the train to Mannheim and then take a local Inter City Express (ICE) to Stuttgart. Currently the ever-efficient German railways are a disorganized mess. Railway control is slack, nobody checked tickets and people sat where they wanted. Seat allocations mean nothing. On arrival at Stuttgart station Martin was waiting on the platform looking anxious. Dinner tonight with Diana, Angelika and dog Lolik. Lovely meal and great company. We left and walked home at 23:30. A decent sleep tonight.

One of the most beloved foods in Germany that tourists go home talking about is Spaetzle, the famous German egg noodles from the Baden-Württemberg region of southwest Germany. This area is also known as Schwabenland, or Swabia. Swabia is home to some of Germany’s best food and many will argue it’s home to the best food in all of Germany. Swabia is known for its soups, sauces, meats, wursts, and salads, to name a few. It’s also home to some unique varieties of pasta including Spätzle, Schupfnudeln and Maultaschen. Spätzle, a Swabian specialty is also enjoyed in Austria and Switzerland. Spaetzle is a special type of egg noodle that is enjoyed with sauces and gravies as well as incorporated into a variety of different dishes. One example is Käsespätzle (a cheese spatzle casserole with crispy fried onions). Where did the name “Spätzle” originate? It comes from the German word Spatzen, meaning “little sparrows”, because that’s what they were thought to resemble when they were traditionally made by hand.Read more