We arrived in Baden-Baden at 4:20pm Wednesday and faithfully following Rich Steves's Book Germany and Austria 2006, the bus just outside the train station took us to the center of Baden-Baden. High School had just gotten out and with our luggage we sat at the back of the bus, so of course that is where all the teens joined us. And in every group of teens, there is always one. The one was surly and threw his gum wrappers on the floor. Made it a point actually to do so. Was the first we had seen in an area that is very clean. But at least we know one thing - kids are kids everywhere. Someday, he will be an adult and scold his own child for doing the same thing he once did.
We are staying at Hotel Beeg. You enter into the Cafe and they direct you to the locked side entrance. They don't ask your name (but have a form for you to fill out later) and said "we trust our guests" - Of course we gave them our credit card over the phone, but the attitude was the same I had found everywhere. We were walked to our room. Shown the way to the spas from our window, asked about our needs, given instructions for breakfast (all in flawless English - a first for this trip) and it was a great experience. Rick Steves said they can be a bit "chilly" and so far they have been kind and warm at this hotel. So 4 thumbs up. The room is excellent. And we have a TV with CNN. We went off to explore. Mind you that walking to the hotel we passed Hermes, and all sorts of very high end shops, so I think shopping is out for the most part, but the town was charming. Very large and well decorated. We went to the Roman-Irish Spa, Just amazing to think the Government will pay for people to go every 2 years to a spa because they are stressed and need it as part of their health insurance. We found the Christmas market which led to the steps of the Casino.
We went in to the basement (no dress code there). The upstairs is all table games and Alan would have to rent a coat and I would have to get better dressed. (Maybe visit the Hermes shop with a credit card). Well, there were slot machines I recognized. The Frog Prince, Double Dolphins, Geisha and the trains Progressive. The prices made us gasp. And so after sticking a 5 euro bill in repeatedly. (And it giving it back repeatedly), I made the machine give an excessive bill warning. The man came by and told me... no 5 Euro notes.. only 10, 20, 50, 100 bills accepted. And get this, the machine miniminum bet is .50 cents (Euro) per line, which is like .65 cents US. so a 15 line machine, to just bet one per line costs a fortune. We played a little bit, but decided our money was better spent elsewhere. I watched a guy next to me stick a hundred in (About $120 US) and go through it in 10 minutes playing what we consider a penny machine in the US. So, we wondered what the attraction was and wandered through alleyways out to the city street. By the way, in the Rick Steve's book, he says there is an alley where Russians who had lost their fortunes here killed themselves, (called Suicide Alley). At these prices, I can see why they lost fortunes and so fast.
Found an Indian Restaurant for dinner. Very good too I might add. Then back to the hotel for bed. Another fitful night sleep and in the morning I woke up feeling battered (I hate these beds and Alan loves them).
Off to Karlsruh for a ride and walk around and back to Baden-Baden. Karlsruh is a really big city. At the train station they had some statutes - a giant chair made out of logs and rope, and a sculputre of half man/half beast.
But instead of a head at each end - there was the bottoms. Very strange. But interesting, I guess... Alan kept saying "I can do this" everytime he looked at the modern art and funky paintings. I just laughed at him and we moved on.
We are now off to the Carcella to swim. It will be interesting. Waterfalls and such. Ireland is reporting high winds and delays all week so looks like I may be in for a wild ride Friday from Frankfurt to Ireland and then from Ireland to Home Saturday. But delays or no delays, Home I come.
We are staying at Hotel Beeg. You enter into the Cafe and they direct you to the locked side entrance. They don't ask your name (but have a form for you to fill out later) and said "we trust our guests" - Of course we gave them our credit card over the phone, but the attitude was the same I had found everywhere. We were walked to our room. Shown the way to the spas from our window, asked about our needs, given instructions for breakfast (all in flawless English - a first for this trip) and it was a great experience. Rick Steves said they can be a bit "chilly" and so far they have been kind and warm at this hotel. So 4 thumbs up. The room is excellent. And we have a TV with CNN. We went off to explore. Mind you that walking to the hotel we passed Hermes, and all sorts of very high end shops, so I think shopping is out for the most part, but the town was charming. Very large and well decorated. We went to the Roman-Irish Spa, Just amazing to think the Government will pay for people to go every 2 years to a spa because they are stressed and need it as part of their health insurance. We found the Christmas market which led to the steps of the Casino.
We went in to the basement (no dress code there). The upstairs is all table games and Alan would have to rent a coat and I would have to get better dressed. (Maybe visit the Hermes shop with a credit card). Well, there were slot machines I recognized. The Frog Prince, Double Dolphins, Geisha and the trains Progressive. The prices made us gasp. And so after sticking a 5 euro bill in repeatedly. (And it giving it back repeatedly), I made the machine give an excessive bill warning. The man came by and told me... no 5 Euro notes.. only 10, 20, 50, 100 bills accepted. And get this, the machine miniminum bet is .50 cents (Euro) per line, which is like .65 cents US. so a 15 line machine, to just bet one per line costs a fortune. We played a little bit, but decided our money was better spent elsewhere. I watched a guy next to me stick a hundred in (About $120 US) and go through it in 10 minutes playing what we consider a penny machine in the US. So, we wondered what the attraction was and wandered through alleyways out to the city street. By the way, in the Rick Steve's book, he says there is an alley where Russians who had lost their fortunes here killed themselves, (called Suicide Alley). At these prices, I can see why they lost fortunes and so fast.
Found an Indian Restaurant for dinner. Very good too I might add. Then back to the hotel for bed. Another fitful night sleep and in the morning I woke up feeling battered (I hate these beds and Alan loves them). Off to Karlsruh for a ride and walk around and back to Baden-Baden. Karlsruh is a really big city. At the train station they had some statutes - a giant chair made out of logs and rope, and a sculputre of half man/half beast.
But instead of a head at each end - there was the bottoms. Very strange. But interesting, I guess... Alan kept saying "I can do this" everytime he looked at the modern art and funky paintings. I just laughed at him and we moved on. We are now off to the Carcella to swim. It will be interesting. Waterfalls and such. Ireland is reporting high winds and delays all week so looks like I may be in for a wild ride Friday from Frankfurt to Ireland and then from Ireland to Home Saturday. But delays or no delays, Home I come.
Love to all.
Lorene and Alan
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