Tuesday, 29 April 2008: Donaueschingen and Zürich Airport

Yesterday: Freiburg im Breisgau

Up early this morning to pack and check out of the hotel. We'll go down to Zürich this afternoon after Paris gets off work. Spending the night there makes it a lot easier to catch the next morning's flight.

The Fürstlich Fürstenbergische Brauerei is one of the bigger operations around here; you can find there beer just about everywhere in Baden-Württemberg. Their "Bräustüble" ("little beer room") is a large and well-appointed bar, restaurant, and gift shop, an easy 400-meter walk from the train station.

Fürstenberg's "Bräustüble" as seen from the Danube River

Juliana cheerfully pours a Pilsener

They offer 100mL tasters of their draft beers for €0,90 each, so I had all eight.

Fürstenberg Frei

Fürstenberg Export

Fürstenberg Pilsener

Fürstenberg Edelbräu Josef Münz

Fürstenberg Riegeler Felsen Pils

Hoepfner Porter

Fürstenberg Schmucker

Fürstenberg Hefeweizen Hell

I had missed my train by this time, but they had four bottled beers on the menu, and I figured there would be another train later this afternoon. I asked for a Bock, but Juliana said that it's only available in the fall, so I had a Riegeler Landbier instead.

Fürstenberg Riegeler Landbier

Lunch was a massive Schweineschnitzel, served with a dark-beer gravy, bread, and a salad from the buffet.

I got back to Konstanz before Paris got out of the office, so I had a Rothaus Pils at the Bahnhofgaststätte while I waited.

The fifth stop on the IC 2132 (which should have been named "Die heulende-Kinder-Express") was Zürich Airport, and we arrived just after 5:00pm. The shuttle bus took us to the Mövenpick Hotel, where we were told that they couldn't find our reservation. There was a youth soccer tournament in town, and the only room they had available was a smokers' room for CHF279-. Free wireless access costs four bucks per hour. At least they gave us a free glass of champagne when we checked in, and the bar has good Hefeweizen.

We fly home tomorrow — a 22-hour adventure every time — but already I can't wait to come back.