Bamberg (part four)

Today's a momentous day. What seems like several years of posting about Franconia is at last finished. Hopefully, some of you have found it interesting. I'm not sure I would have. I hate reading about other people drinking. Living vicariously just isn't me.


Fässla
Obere Königsstrasse 19-21,
96052 Bamberg.
Tel. 0951 - 26516
Fax: 0951 - 201989
Homepage: http://www.faessla.de/


After crossing the tracks from Abseits, I still had a little time before we met for an evening meal. As our hotel was just around the corner from Fässla, it seemed daft not to drop by.

Andy isn't keen on Fässla. "Full of alkies" was his comment. I decided to brave it anyway. I was pleasantly surprised to find it relatively quiet and with customers perfectly capable of walking unaided.

Fässla's layout - a taproom on one side and a drinking corridor on the other - has always reminded me of Yorkshire pubs. The dark wood lends it a genuinely aged air. My only criticism is that the barrels dispensing beer are now fake, concealing normal pressure pumps. On my first visit, they were still real.

I tried their Lagerbier, a deep golden beer of 4.8% ABV. "not bad at all" I recorded. Like most Franconian beers, it has a healthy dose of hops that balance out nicely its rich, malty fruitiness.





Rathausschänke
Obere Brücke 3,
96047 Bamberg.
Tel: 0951 - 208 0890
Fax: 0951 - 208 0890
http://www.rathausschaenke-bamberg.de/


Rathausschänke is located just over the bridge from the stunning town hall. Hence the name. It's as much a restaurant as a pub, though, sitting as we were outside, we didn't really notice. Another plus point, as well as the wonderful view.

Steve was well settled in before anyone else arrived. I suspect he may have been sitting there all afternoon.

My notes say that I drank Moraner Schwarzbier. But I can't find that anywhere on the web. I think my notes have failed me here. As I recall it was drinkable, though nothing special. [It must have been Meranier Schwarzbier from Kaiserdom, as anonymous was so kind to point out.]


Curry House

For our final meal (of the tour, I mean), we had a curry. The first non-German food I'd had for the whole trip. It would have been really nice, if we hadn't had to wait two hours for our main courses. Steve got find up and left about an hour before the food finally arrived on the table.

It could have been worse. We had the very decent Maisel Export to occupy us during the wait. No notes for this one, but I can't remember any complaints about its quality.



Spezial
Obere Königsstrasse 10,
96052 Bamberg.
Tel. 0951 - 24304
Fax: 0951 - 26330
Homepage: http://www.brauerei-spezial.de


We rounded off the tour with a final drink in Spezial. Everyone had enjoyed the beer and atmosphere on our visit earlier in the day. If anything the beer garden was even more pleasant at night.

Andy had a vague arrangement to meet Dan Shelton to discuss something or other. He didn't show, but we were much later than we expected after the long wait for our curry.

We'd had much discussion about beer warming devices throughout the tour. Andy managed to spot them in most of the pubs we visited. Little immersion heaters that are stuck in your pint to heat it by a few degrees. He was determined to see one in use. I volunteered to be the guinea pig. It was only fair. I had been banging on about liking my beer as warm as possible. The heater was duly bunged into my glass and left there for 10 seconds or so. I can't say that I particularly noticed any difference. Maybe it needs a minute or two to get up to room temperature. The process seemed to amuse Andy, who videoed it.

What was my final beer? The excellent Spezial Lagerbier, which I've already described in a earlier post. Oh, and a couple of Bierschnaps. Don't know when I'll be able to get that again (apart from the tiny 100 ml bottle I bought in Schlenkerla to go with the Schlenkerla schnapps glass).



Epilogue

And that was it. Just one more breakfast and a drive to Nuremberg airport to drop off Steve, Paul and Stonch. Then the long journey with Andy and Evi in the minibus back to Kaldenkirchen.

I hope that I've been able to capture some of the magic in these posts. It was undoubtedly one of the bests holidays I've ever had, full of laughter, beer and, beautiful scenery and friendly village pubs. I can't wait to go again.


More photos (including some I've borrowed) from Andy, who possesses a far better camera than me. Or maybe is just a better photographer.