Food on a European river cruise - questions, expectations and experiences

Minster large church to serve a monastery. Cathedral from the Latin for seat as in the Bishops seat. So some can be both and some not. See clear as mud but I suppose we grow up with it. Your so right all languages contain many anomalies in others eyes. Is there another Dom? English is a language created from many languages the route of some make interesting research.

I was once told that you cannot swear in German is this true?

CA:evilsmile:

Hofbräu is the brewery. So anyone who sells their beer can call his restaurant anything with Hofbräu. But Hofbräuhaus is the most famous Bavarian restaurant in Munich (and that name is protected by law). That´s now a franchise restaurant in the US but the state of Bavaria is selling the franchise.

 

steamboats

 

My parents had a painting in the living room of an old man, slouched on a bench, drinking an earth ware mug of beer, with an H and B together was the marking on the mug. He had a neat felt hat with a feather. My grandparents brought it over from Europe in the 1920's.

 

Years later I'm stationed in Germany, on a trip to Munich we stop in at the Hofbräuhaus for for a beer, which turned into singing whatever our new friends were singing and more drinking.

 

Finally dawned on me that the logo on my mug was the same as in my parents picture, which is now hanging in my house.

 

Good times, Germany is beautiful, my wife and I went everywhere on my motorcycle, lived in a small 400 person farming village. So much fun to go back with my kids years later to show them around....even the Christmas tree that we planted and now was about 30 feet high. :)

Minster large church to serve a monastery. Cathedral from the Latin for seat as in the Bishops seat. So some can be both and some not. See clear as mud but I suppose we grow up with it. Your so right all languages contain many anomalies in others eyes. Is there another Dom? English is a language created from many languages the route of some make interesting research.

I was once told that you cannot swear in German is this true?

CA:evilsmile:

 

Yes there are other "Dom" churches, like Fulda for example (worth seeing, as is the town), a true Dom church. Dom is used for important large churches with historical importance, but the term does not fully cover the term cathedral as the Petersdom in Rom is not a cathedral for example. Muddy, yes.

 

Talking of food: in Germany you cannot order "Schweinsöhrchen" (pig's small ears) at a butchers unless you specifically state that you want them for your dog to munch on. Schweinsöhrchen is a dryish pastry thing, so go to a bakers for it. :D

 

Swearing, verda..t, das können wir gut! (dam. we are good at that) probably better than at writing humourous stuff. ;) We have even decided to use an English variety (the one beginning with sh) although we have our own of that! I would happily complain with swearing at home if my food on a rivercruise was completely not to my liking. But not publicly...

 

Talking of Schweinsöhrchen, has anyone had a German pastry stuff/cake presentation on a river cruise, I mean apart from Black Forest cake (which I have seen in Britain called gateau) which we do not eat that much of around here in the Middle Rhine Valley. Frankfurter Kranz (cake) is a regional variety, but there are other standard ones that one could try. How about a true family-baker made Berliner?

 

 

notamermaid

notamermaid,

 

on the Danube river cruises the US river cruise lines usually do have a Apfelstrudel cooking demo. Being from Bavaria I regard this a Bavarian/German dish but you can also call it Austrian.

 

steamboats

... there were many other great things on the menu.

Then, however, I realized that, except for the Venetian liver and onions, I avoid organ meats--"brains and veins" I call them--that are a staple of Italian--and French, I believe--high end cuisine. The answer is to order something else.

From these boards and other sites, it is clear that the best river cruise chefs are conscious of their audience and largely serve local items adapted to customers' tastes. But with thousands of cruisers it is truly the case that "there's no accounting for taste"--in this case literally.

 

Thankfully there are choices, regional and familiar if you pick the right cruise lines. It is a shame, though that more cruise lines don't publish typical menus, and also identify the "always available" dishes.

 

I've traveled to 60+ countries for business and pleasure, and I always seek out regional choices.

 

I've had some surprises, though, too, due to improper translation into English. Veau rignon comes to mind...I got the veal part correct, but not the rignon part (kidney). I also dislike most organ meat.

 

While being offered lunch and dinner meals in Japan, Taiwan, and China, I asked my hosts to NOT reveal what I was eating unless I specifically asked. Sometimes when asked, I did receive incorrect translations of local delicacies. What I thought was eel in China was actually earthworms, and sea cucumber is not a vegetable. :D

 

These days, we have Google Search and translate to the rescue, unless blocked where you are visiting. Time to get familiar with alternate reference sources while traveling.

We had a menu in Spain once that offered a poultry item translated as "gelding." They meant capon -- technically correct, but far from idiomatic!

In case somebody wants to know:

 

The minster/Muenster, cathedral/Kathedrale and Dom discussion made me look up what the differences are.

Muenster is from lat. monasterium = monastery and used to be churches connected to a monastery. I know several that were never part of an attached monastery, all of them in southwestern Germany.

 

Cathedral is a bishop's church. Cathedra is Greek for bishop's seat.

Dom is from domus dei = God's house. In Germany, most cathedrals are called Dom, some are Muenster, but not all Muenster are bishop's churches. Less than a handful of German bishop's churches are called Kathedrale. There is at least one that is called Basilika which refers to its Roman style architecture.

 

All clear? :halo:

Wienerwald was founded in 1995 by Friedrich Jahn in Munich. That business crew pretty fast but in 1982 they had to file for bankruptcy. All restaurants had to be closed (including 880 in the US).

 

Thank you, that certainly explains it. I first saw one in the 1970's when I was living in Bad Kreuznach, and was pleasantly surprised to find one in midtown Manhattan later.

Floridiana, thank you for the explanation

 

In case somebody wants to know:

 

The minster/Muenster, cathedral/Kathedrale and Dom discussion made me look up what the differences are.

Muenster is from lat. monasterium = monastery and used to be churches connected to a monastery. I know several that were never part of an attached monastery, all of them in southwestern Germany.

 

Cathedral is a bishop's church. Cathedra is Greek for bishop's seat.

Dom is from domus dei = God's house. In Germany, most cathedrals are called Dom, some are Muenster, but not all Muenster are bishop's churches. Less than a handful of German bishop's churches are called Kathedrale. There is at least one that is called Basilika which refers to its Roman style architecture.

 

All clear? :halo:

 

Wellll, to further confuse everyone, may I elaborate on the word Basilika? Here goes: Basilika is indeed the name for such a church, but there is also the title of honour awarded by the Roman-Catholic Church to important churches such as the Basilika St. Kastor in Koblenz. The Konstantin-Basilika in Trier is not a church with such a title it is the architectural style there that gives it its name. It is actually a protestant church. Architectural experts say though that the title is wrong as the architecture is not exactly what would be required to justify the name. :confused:

 

Well back to food... One of my favourite experiences of foreign food encounters and menus is from a holiday in Normandy. On a land trip we stayed in a tiny village, I recall a church, the restaurant, ten houses and a boulangerie (bakers), that was it ;). We had a splendid meal and a tiny, nice room. On the quite small menu was something from a cow and after some gestures by the lovely lady host we figured it was calf's brain. We promptly smiled and declined politely choosing something else that was a bit more standard. :D

 

Oh, and there is something similar to the Scottish Haggis - which they say is a bit of a challenge - in the German cuisine. It is called Pfälzer Saumagen. Would love to see a river cruise company offering that while sailing in the Speyer area, as that is where the Pfalz hits the Rhine valley. Could be fun! :evilsmile:

 

notamermaid

Boarded Scenic Ruby today in Amsterdam. Buffet dinner tonight with two specialty stations: one making savory Dutch pancakes and the other tossing Cesar salad with sautéed shrimp. The buffet itself include carved to order beef tenderloin and butterfish with a great remoulde sauce. Also a selection of Dutch specialties: cheeses, a potato soup, herring and a dessert steamed dumpling. Lots of other vegetable, salad and dessert choices.

 

 

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Boarded Scenic Ruby today in Amsterdam. Buffet dinner tonight with two specialty stations: one making savory Dutch pancakes and the other tossing Cesar salad with sautéed shrimp. The buffet itself include carved to order beef tenderloin and butterfish with a great remoulde sauce. Also a selection of Dutch specialties: cheeses, a potato soup, herring and a dessert steamed dumpling. Lots of other vegetable, salad and dessert choices.

 

 

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The only time we were ever presented with a buffet for dinner was on Scenic. I was very disappointed. I was not expecting it and IMO it is not in keeping with the prices they charge and certainly not a hallmark of a luxury line. And it was over at 7pm! We did not board until 6:45.

The first dinner is a buffet the rest are not. So far I have never known one to finish by 7pm. I was told that it is easier for passengers arriving later on board, which is usually us Brits as the majority of intercontinental passengers arrive at least a day earlier. We are on Scenic Jewel from Amsterdam in June so I will see if this happens then. Mind you the selection of food sounded quite appetising. CA

Did not mind the first night buffet especially with the stations preparing food to order. Last nights offers included a scallop appetizer and beef tenderloin with a lobster medallion (1/4 cup size piece). Dessert was a duo of cheesecake and a warm chocolate mi-cuit.

 

 

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Pulled pork anyone? In FRA now, sitting in Hausmann's. On the blackboard is Gezupfter Schweinenacken mit pflaumen - BBQ sosse (no soft ess on my keyboard).

Hello CPT Trips,

 

thank you for the mention of Hausmann's in Frankfurt airport in a post a few days ago. I missed it to comment then. Hope you have a great time in Europe.

 

In Hausmann's you are in famous company (if he is there, which I doubt) that restaurant being owned by Tim Mälzer. He is a German celebrity chef: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_M%C3%A4lzer

 

Gezupfter Schweinacken mit Pflaumen (plums) und BBQ Soße sounds nice and hearty, good for this cool May day.

 

I wonder if the "ß" is hidden somwhere as an ASCII-Code for an English keyboard?

 

Weather not looking promising for great sunny days I am afraid.

 

I am sure you will have a splendid time, regardless.

 

notamermaid

...I wonder if the "ß" is hidden somwhere as an ASCII-Code for an English keyboard?...

ß ASCII code is supposed to be ALT+225 or ALT+0223. Each of those will work when using a number pad (generally to the right on a full keyboard) but I can't get them to work when using the numbers above the letters. All the IT people I have asked swear the keys to the right and the keys above function the same, but then have no explanation why one works and the other doesn't. I am currently on a laptop without a number pad and can't get it to work (that ß at the beginning of this post is a cut-and-paste from your message).

 

Thom

Whenever I need a foreign character like that, I usually just use my phone. The special characters are much more easily accessible.

 

You *can* do it from Windows but it's clunky. Go to Start-Programs-Windows Accessories-Character Map. You can browse characters in any language and copy/paste them. Note: This is for Win10. At some point, Windows renamed the folder "Windows Accessories" as it used to be called "Accessories" on some older versions.

 

Some German Letters: äöüß

 

Icelandic: ÞþÐð

 

Czech: ČŠ

 

But if I'm only using one or two, it's easier to write my post on the laptop without them, and then edit it from the phone app, rather than finding the character map and hunting for the letters. Or just do what Thom did and copy from a prior post.

 

The phone app is cool as well, because you can download foreign keyboards (at least with my Samsung Android phone) and also download foreign language spell checkers. They are automatic, so you can see in the screenshot below that I have the German keyboard pulled up, and it wants me to start a sentence with Ich or Die.

 

 

***

 

I was intrigued by the Pfälzer Saumagen. That actually doesn't look half bad. Here is a more detailed description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saumagen. The stuffing looks tasty and it might overcome the offal taste of the stomach.

 

It certainly sounds better than the Andouillette sausage that I tried in Beaune a few years back. That tasted exactly like what it was! :eek:

Edited May 5, 2017 by jpalbny

I looked at character map (it is also available in earlier versions because I have used it for years). I couldn't find the correct symbol. Once you get the symbol you can see the ASCII code.

I looked at character map (it is also available in earlier versions because I have used it for years). I couldn't find the correct symbol. Once you get the symbol you can see the ASCII code.

Yes, character map has been available since at least Win95, and probably even with 3.1. The particular folder on the start menu where it is located was called "Accessories" in older versions of Windows. In Win10, it's called "Windows Accessories" which is the distinction I was trying to make, so that someone with an older version like Win7 can still find it.

 

As far as finding ß, it is there, but there are so many characters that it's a needle in a haystack. If you click the checkbox for "advanced view" on the bottom of character map, a search box comes up. Search for "sharp" and it will be easy to find. It's called a "sharp s" so you can find it that way. I can still never find the € symbol without searching...

 

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All these special characters are much easier to find on a Mac. The main menu bar has a drop down for "Emojis & Symbols" that includes a section for Latin characters with the entire enhanced-ASCII set (ß is among the lower-case 's' options), another for Currency (€), lots of arrows, stars and other symbols (and of course all the new emojis). And once you use anything, it is automatically added to the "Frequently Used" section (or you can add it to the "Favorites" section). Since 1984, it still "just works."

I'm taking German lessons, and ß is now "ss". This was modernized for typing and texting.

 

Roz

Thankfully I have got ß and € readily on my keyboard. :) I had not realized how different British and German keyboards are. I mean, some letters and symbols are in completely different places!

 

Roz,

 

the ß is still around, but the spelling reform did eliminate them in some words.

 

The character I have not got is the cedille for French francais for example, hardly ever need it though, rarely write in French, never in Portuguese, etc.

 

Not much food in German is spelled with those funny things like ß, I mean there are not tons of them, Soße "sauce", an (in this case) annoyingly regular word, is though. Sauce is acceptable in most cases as the alternative spelling. Complicated.

 

Which reminds me, beware of false friends, real pitfalls when reading menus. A German pudding is always a dessert, a British one is not always one. ;)

 

 

notamermaid

Thanks for the information, Notamermaid. I'm in the beginning stages of studying German.

 

Roz

I've never looked at this when in the UK, but does a Qwerty keyboard in the UK have a pound symbol instead of a $ symbol over the 4? Just curious after all this talk about symbols on the keyboard...

I found the ß in char map. I'm not sure how I missed it before; it is near the top. To enter it directly from your keyboard hold down the Alt key and enter the numbers 0223 from the numeric keyboard.

 

Regarding UK keyboards, there are quite a few differences between the UK keyboard and the US keyboard. If you google keyboard layout UK you will get a number of hits that show the differences between the 2. The UK keyboard does not put the £ on the 4 key; there are other differences.