Eurotrip2011: Day 13

Landkreis Straubing-Bogen

...and yet another day in our little village. At this point in our travels I was starting to go a little stir-crazy. Up until this point, my beloved was still largely confined to bed and, while I have no problem with the company of older people, I was really itching to get out of the house and explore the town. Sadly, the residence in which we were staying is located many kilometers from the nearest village and the family was without their spare car, so this option wasn't really a possibility. Nonetheless, things could have been much worse - when unwell, staying with friends is a much better option than resting in a hotel. We really received exemplary care from our "second family".

Indeed, this care was so wonderful, that my beloved's health improved significantly by lunchtime and, as luck would have it, a neighbour was heading into Straubing for the afternoon and offered to take us with her. I jumped at the opportunity and promised my other half that our activities there would be subdued. Subdued they were! We shuffled along the streets, admiring the Spring blossoms...

...picked up a pair of Birkenstocks (when in Deutschland!) for my beloved and tucked into a slice of Agnes Bernauer Torte (well, I did!). This cake is only available at one cafe in Straubing - Konditorei Krönner - and commemorates the death of fifteenth century daughter of nobility, Agnes Bernauer. Bernauer fell in love with a commoner (gasp!) and was subsequently accused of witchcraft and drowned in the Danube. Charming, yes?! Only in Germany could such an awful story be commemorated with cake....but I'm glad it is - it's darn good cake! Almond-nut-meringue mixture, mocha butter cream, roasted almonds and nuts features in this rich, but oh so good sweet treat!

The health of my beloved had improved so markedly at this point that, upon our arrival home, he felt well enough to head out for a family dinner. I tucked into an excellent pork schnitzel (left), but, not wanting to tempt fate, my beloved opted for a vegetarian dish - celery schnitzel (right). While a deep friend option is not typically recommended for sensitive guts, the celery schnitzel was quite the taste sensation and is certainly something I would like to emulate at home.

Our last night with the family was low key, but we all enjoyed our opportunity to bond and reminisce over a few beers.