Memorable Weekend Trips from Frankfurt in Germany

On September 15, 2021September 15, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Germany2 Comments

During our time in Frankfurt, we were able to jump on the train and enjoy many different weekend trips to various cities around Germany. We also took several trips outside of Germany, but Frankfurt was a great hub to explore Germany itself from as well. We would often sit at our favorite little restaurant on a Thursday night and pull up the Deutsche Bahn app and just look at what places we could get to within a few hour train ride and just pick one as our destination. Often times the time on the train was as interesting as the destination because we could sit in our compartment, have a glass of wine, and watch the scenery as we traveled through the German countryside. These are a few of the places that we were able to visit by taking a quick trip out of Frankfurt.

Würzburg – One of the weekend trips that we took when we were in Frankfurt was to Würzburg. Although we had only been living in Germany for a little over a month, this particularly getaway made us feel as though we were becoming locals. It is a short train ride from Frankfurt to Würzburg and we arrived right around lunchtime. We found a tiny little restaurant that obviously catered to several regulars who were chatting with one another, reading newspapers, and simply relaxing. The owner offered us a seasonal beer, which of course we had to try, and we had an appetizer platter with blood sausage, potatoes, and cheese.

Heidelberg – One of our first weekend getaway from Frankfurt was to visit Heidelberg. Heidelberg is the location of the oldest university in Germany and has a wonderful old town area. Because the Heidelberg University has been considered one of the finest universities in Europe since it was built in the 14th century, it has attracted scientists, philosophers, and literary figures throughout its history. Located on the Neckar River, the scenery is absolutely stunning, especially in October, which is when we visited.

Hochheim – Located just couple of hours outside of Frankfurt, we visited Hochheim for a quick day trip from the city. It is a small town surrounded by vineyards and still retains its medieval charm. It was early November and the town was holding its annual festival and market, so it was a lot busier than it normally would have been, but that also made it fun for us. It was a quick train ride from Frankfurt and since we had monthly passes for the train, we simply had to pay a little extra to get to the nearby town.

The German Corner Where the Rivers Meet in Koblenz

Walking Around Schloss Stolzenfels Outside of Koblenz

Koblenz – Taking a train from Frankfurt to Koblenz was one of the most memorable trips during our time in Germany. The city spans both sides of the Rhine River and is situated where the Rhine meets the Moselle River. There are many sights to see when visiting Koblenz, but the highlights are the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, the German Corner, and Schloss Stolzenfels. There is also an interesting statue that depicts the 2000 year history of the city, but even without all of these places, just walking along the Rhine would make visiting Koblenz worthwhile.

Nuremberg – We took the train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg during the first week of January during our time in Germany. It was more or less a spur of the moment trip, so we hadn’t researched anything about Nuremberg before deciding to go there. We loved living in Germany as we would pull up the train app on a Thursday and book a trip for Friday and away we would go. It was a quick trip and very cold at the time, but we had a wonderful time there. As with any trip, just relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere of the city is the most important thing, but there are a few places that should not be missed when visiting.

Each of these trips were very memorable in their own ways. Germany has so many interesting locations to visit that these are just a few. We would love to go back soon and see even more of the places that we didn’t have time to get to. Between the architecture, culture, and food, it is certainly one of the places that we could go back and visit many times.

Delicious Roast Duck with Gravy and Bread Dumplings

On May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Roast Duck with Gravy and Bread Dumplings

We enjoyed having different styles of duck in many different locations throughout Europe. Although we often will pan-sear duck to render off the fat, roasting it with the skin pricked is another way to cook that provides a crispy skin. Whether you use the pan drippings or happen to have duck stock as we did, serving it with a gravy enhances the flavor. Another side dish that we had in several places was bread dumplings, which is a cross between a savory bread pudding and stuffing.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 30

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: German

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

1/2 Duck
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Fresh Sage chopped
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Onion finely chopped
1/4 cup Carrots finely chopped
1/4 cup Celery finely chopped
4 Eggs room temperature
3 1/2 cups Milk room temperature
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
1 pinch Fresh Nutmeg grated
4 tbsp Melted Unsalted Butter
14 oz Stale Bread (about 1 loaf) cut into 1 – 2 inch pieces
1 cup Duck Stock
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 tbsp Flour
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Dried Sage
Salt and Pepper to taste

Equipment

Oven
Bundt Pan
Skillet
Small Sauce Pan

Method

Prick the skin of the duck with a fork and brush it with a the olive oil. Season the duck with the fresh sage, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the duck on a lined baking sheet and let the duck come up to room temperature.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
Mix the milk and eggs in a large bowl with the nutmeg and add half of the bread pieces. Let this sit for 30 minutes to fully let the bread soak up the custard mixture.
Heat an oven to 350 degrees. Coat the remaining bread with melted butter and place in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the bread has toasted lightly.
Coat the Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons of softened butter, even if it is a non-stick pan.
Add the toasted bread, sautéed onion, carrots, celery, parsley, salt and pepper, and thoroughly fold everything together. Poor into the Bundt pan.
Put the bread dumpling mixture into an oven heated to 325 degrees and cook for 90 minutes. When done, remove and set aside.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and then add the duck and let roast for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, turning the duck every 10 minutes so that it cooks evenly and the skin gets crispy. When done, let the duck rest for about 10 minutes.
In a small sauce pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Stirring constantly, slowly whisk in the duck and chicken stock. Add the remaining teaspoon of garlic, dried sage, salt and pepper. Simmer until the gravy has thickened.
Cut the duck and serve with gravy and slices of bread dumplings.

Hearty Salisbury Steak with a Mushroom and Onion Gravy

On May 12, 2021May 12, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom and Onion Gravy

Like many recipes that are considered to be traditional American dishes, this recipe is actually a variation of Hamburg Steak that comes from Germany. Although it could be served with something else, mashed potatoes are the natural accompaniment, especially with the rich brown gravy. It s an inexpensive way to feed a crowd, but that doesn't mean that it isn't packed with flavor and something that people will truly enjoy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, German

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef
2 tbsp Bread Crumbs or Panko
1 large Egg
2 cloves Garlic minced
10 oz Mushrooms sliced into quarter-inch slices
1/2 Onion sliced thin
2 cups Beef Stock or Broth
1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

Equipment

Skillet

Method

Combine the bread crumbs, ground mustard, paprika, and 1 minced clove of garlic in a large bowl
Add the egg and hamburger to the bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly combined
Make four oval patties, about one-inch thick, with the meat mixture
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then brown the hamburger patties, cooking them about 3 to 4 minutes per side
Transfer the patties to a plate, they will finish cooking in the gravy
Turn the heat down to medium, add the thyme and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes
Add the butter, onions, and remaining minced clove of garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes
Whisk the flour into a 1/4 cup of the beef stock to make a slurry
Add the beef stock, flour slurry, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high in order to bring it up to a slow boil to allow the sauce to thicken
Nestle the patties into the mushroom and onion sauce and cook until the hamburger is fully cooked, about 10 minutes
Plate the individual patties and spoon the mushroom and onion gravy over the top, serve with mashed potatoes