A few weeks ago Soenke asked me “hey babe, what do you think about Graz?” I paused for a moment, scrambling for my mental map of Europe, and replied hesitantly “ummm, you mean the Graz in ….uhhh… Switzerland?”

“Honey, you think EVERYTHING is in Switzerland. It’s in Austria.”.

“Ohhhh, you mean THAT Graz. Right, right. Never been there.”

“Well, it’s a beautiful town and I have a day off there between flights. The airline puts us up at a five-star hotel in the center of town. Would you like to join me?”

The next thing he heard was the sound of the phone hitting the floor and the zipper of my overnight bag being ripped open…

* * *

In my brief flurry of Graz due-diligence, I learned that my very own governor, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was born in Graz (ok, 10 km away… close enough). So I sort of imagined Graz to be this town of big, muscular Austrian bodybuilders. This wasn’t quite what I found.

What I did find was the most charm per square meter in all of Europe. I mean, maximum charm, minimum walking. My kind of town. (FYI - the ‘old town’ in Graz is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.)

Lufthansa is kind enough to put up its crew at Arnold’s preferred hotel, the deluxe, 5-star Grand Hotel Wiesler. I thank them for their generosity, and especially enjoyed some of the high-quality photographic art exhibits along the hotel hallways (nice touch!)

Being the high-altitude guy that he is, Soenke suggested a trip to the top of the Schlossberg, the small mountain plopped right in the center of town. Rather than tackle the 260-step stairway, we opted for the foot-saving funicular that takes visitors straight to the top. We lunched on the ramparts overlooking the famous red roofs of the city, with selections which included pumpkin crème soup and an array of local Styrian meats and cheeses (Styria being the province of which Graz is the capital). A short stroll took us to the Belltower and the eye-catching Clocktower, which apparently has been around since the 1200s. We learned that Napoleon wanted to blow up both the towers during his rampage through Austria, but the good citizens of Graz smartly ransomed them for a pretty penny.

A spookily-lit, James Bond-like glass elevator took us through a small rock-blasted vertical corridor back down to ground level, but we were still in the heart of the mountain. We had to run surreptitiously through about 100 yards through dark tunnel, wearing our head-to-toe, black Mission Impossible outfits and night-vision goggles, rappelling off walls with tension ropes before we emerged back into the daylight. I was then happy to put away my spy outfit & get to some serious shopping.

Sackstraße is Graz’s shopping mecca, with art galleries, restaurants, jewelers, clothing boutiques, antique and junk stores (including a peculiar store which seem to sell nothing but ancient electrical components). In addition to window shopping, we checked out some mysterious passageways and casually trespassed into private courtyards.

We emerged on the über-charming main square of Graz (Hauptplatz), filled with little food stalls selling, among other things, God’s gift to gourmets: pumpkinseed oil. I can assure you, this stuff takes salads from ‘yum’ to ‘OHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYY GAAAAAWWWWD’ in about 1 teaspoon. I, of course, have my own bottle now…

No trip to Graz would be complete without a visit to the royal bakery (Hofbäckerei Edegger Tax). I was duly impressed with the fancy neo-baroque exterior, but was more interested in the pastries. There was a bowl of “Sissibusserls” ((little chocolate hazelnut cookies with marmalade) sitting on the counter, to which I helped myself to a big handful. Turns out they weren’t samples, and the lady behind the counter quickly whisked them away. I must have looked disappointed, because she suggested that we sit at one of the café tables and order something to eat. Well… ok.

One Graz peculiarity that caught our attention was the large number of Scots around the city. How did we know they were Scottish? Because they were fully decked in kilts, feathered caps, and the occasion bugle (trumpet). Our curiosity was intensified when we strolled by a side street that nearly exploded of loud music, beer, and Scottish people. Further inquiry alerted us that a soccer game between Austria & Scotland that night had prompted the kilted invasion.

From an architectural standpoint, the history and quaintness of Graz is loudly confronted by some new modern structures in the city. Our eyes were first assailed by a decidedly unquaint, giant amorphous structure which turned out to be the very contemporary Kunsthaus, or art museum. It seems to resemble a giant blue human heart, with arteries popping out on top. We also were startled to spot a silver, fish-like structure ‘floating’ in the center of the Mur river, attached to each bank by a walking bridge. Apparently this ‘island’ was built as an outdoor amphitheatre during the city’s Cultural Festival in 2003. To its credit, I learned that it houses a totally chic underwater restaurant and bar.

For dinner, Soenke took me to the Lufthansa crew favorite, the Altsteirische Schmankerlstubn (don’t ask me to pronounce that), where we dined in a small geranium-lined courtyard under the stars. Even being forewarned, I still was totally alarmed to find a big, dead fish on my plate. Yes yes, it was local trout, a big specialty, fried with polenta & herbs, but it was looking at me & I didn’t like it. In retaliation, I decapitated the fish, then Soenke demonstrated how to dissect it. That was just loads of fun, and it tasted good too.

Everything was feeling GREAT until the 4 a.m. wakeup call the next morning. That’s the price you pay for 5-stars on someone else’s dime. But it was worth every minute!

Some photos follow:

A snack at the top of the Schlossberg:

Checking the time:

Looking for high-altitude shopping:

Ground level shops are just as good:

A charming church:

No rats in this Rathaus:

Graz-style surfing:

And since I couldn’t manage any decent photos of the modern architecture, I borrowed a few:

The Kunsthaus:

Mur “Island”:

My American friend Sally and I decided to have a ‘Girls’ Day Out’ here in Hamburg, a day which is otherwise defined as ‘shopping without men’.

The excursion marked my first trip on Hamburg’s metro system. There are two primary systems, called the “U-bahn” (below ground, but not all the time), and the “S-bahn” (above the ground, but not all the time either). To further complicate matters, there are also some regional systems called the “A-bahn” and the “R-bahn”.

For starters, we scoured an centrally-located indoor mall right near the Gänsemarkt metro stop, then headed with purpose down some great outdoor shopping street, including the popular Monckerbergstrasse. Our initial shopping interests were cooking stores, as I continue to stock my Hamburg kitchen. I acquired an eclectic assortment of items including a mortar & pestle, a pepper grinder, some multi-colored glass votives, a bud vase and a foot reflexology board. Sally got a nice baking dish that I hope she uses to make me some more brownies!

One of my particularly favorite experiences of the day was a visit to the hoity-toity Alsterhaus department store. I was surprised to see a genuine crown jewel exhibit on the ground floor. Pieces from the collections of Queen Victoria, King Edward II, Queen Elizabeth II, and many Russian monarchs were on display. I picked out which crown “I would wear” and snapped a photo for future reference. I think some Japanese tourists were trying to buy the crowns, but I couldn’t be sure…

Up in the linens’ department, I was astonished to come across my *favorite* French brand of tablecloth, Garnier Thiebaut. These are priced for royalty, but worth every penny. The fabrics, designs, and color combinations are totally exquisite. I had to leave the department quickly or risk leaving a lot of euros behind.

The top floor of the Alsterhaus has a gourmet food department, a well-stocked wine bar, and a very upscale cafeteria (surely there must be a lingual upgrade to a 5-star word for ‘cafeteria’). Many of the products are imported from France and Italy, presumably because Germany does not seem to have any gourmet cuisine of its own. We checked out the vinegars, olive oils, sauces, olives, pates, etc., and settled on a risotto-and-wild-mushroom mix for 5 euros.

The eye candy in the cafeteria’s inner dining room is the jaw-dropping, multicolored stained glass window covering the ceiling. It is a modern representation of the constellations and can really give you a crimp in your neck if you stare too long.

Although the cafeteria’s selection was very tempting, we weren’t particularly hungry yet so settled on some iced tea and pumpkin slices. We lounged in the outer dining room overlooking the Alster lake, where we could view some crew exercises (fitness boating) in progress as well as the usual flat-bottomed tour boat cruising by the big central fountain.

Following our brief refreshment we headed for Sally’s favorite shoe store, passing over a bridge spanning one of the many canals feeding the lake. We paid tribute to Hans Hummel (whose wildly painted statues are everywhere in central Hamburg), greeted the ever-present swans, then had our photo taken in front of the Rathaus by an Armenian passerby.

After a satisfying 45 minutes at Roland shoe store, we emerged 3 pairs of shoes richer. Our appetites were substantial by now, so we took the Ubahn (or maybe it was the Sbahn.. who knows?) back to the car and set off past the Hauptbahnhof and across the Alster to the university district for dinner at a popular Turkish restaurant called “Arkadash”. The plate of mezzes and the lamb and vegetable main courses were totally delicious!

I dropped Sally at home then headed to the airport smelling like a Turkish garlic factory, just in time to greet Soenke upon his return with a big kiss !!

Photos of our day:

Sally loiters outside the Berliner Tor U-bahn/S-bahn station:

Strolling down one of Hamburg’s many shopping streets:

The Crown Jewel exhibit at the Alsterhaus:

My own personal crown:

A French table linen (the photo doesn’t do it justice!):

The ’stellar’ ceiling in the Alsterhaus dining room:

A view of the cafeteria itself:

Hello to Hans Hummel, the city’s legendary watercarrier:

Passing in front of the Rathaus:

Greetings to Hamburg’s swans: