#Höfener Garten

[greenbagjosh]

Friday 15 November 2002 - ICE T to Stuttgart with Niles the Conductor - train to Nürnberg and a night at the M>1 next to Lorenzkirche and Christkindlmarkt

15 November 2002

EN  Hi everyone.  It is the end of my visit to Zürich and Switzerland.  I take a 9 AM train from Zürich HB to Stuttgart Hbf and another to Nürnberg Hbf and make my way to the hotel in the district of Höfen, almost on the city limits of Fürth, I do a bit of shopping and sausage sampling (for a fee), come back to the hotel, have supper with a Pyraser beer, and then dress up to go to the M>1 club next door to the Lorenzkirche U Bahn station.  And make it back to Höfen by the night bus.

DE  Hallo allerseits. Es ist das Ende meines Besuchs in Zürich und in der Schweiz. Ich nehme einen 9-Uhr-Zug von Zürich HB nach Stuttgart Hbf und einen weiteren nach Nürnberg Hbf und mache mich auf den Weg zum Hotel im Stadtteil Höfen, fast an der Stadtgrenze von Fürth, mache ein bisschen Einkaufen und Würstchen probieren (für a Gebühr), komm zurück ins Hotel, esse ein Pyraser-Bier und gehe dann schick gekleidet in den M>1-Club neben der U-Bahn-Station Lorenzkirche. Und mit dem Nachtbus zurück nach Höfen.

DK  Hej allesammen. Det er afslutningen på mit besøg i Zürich og Schweiz. Jeg tager et tog kl. 9 fra Zürich HB til Stuttgart Hbf og et andet til Nürnberg Hbf og kører til hotellet i distriktet Höfen, næsten på Fürths bygrænse, jeg shopper lidt og tager pølseprøver (til en gebyr), kom tilbage til hotellet, spis aftensmad med en Pyraser-øl, og klæde dig så ud for at gå til M>1-klubben ved siden af Lorenzkirche U-Bahn-stationen. Og kom tilbage til Höfen med natbussen.

SE  Hej allihopa. Det är slutet på mitt besök i Zürich och Schweiz. Jag tar ett tåg kl. 9 från Zürich HB till Stuttgart Hbf och ett annat till Nürnberg Hbf och tar mig till hotellet i distriktet Höfen, nästan på stadsgränsen i Fürth, jag shoppar lite och provar korv (för en tid). avgift), kom tillbaka till hotellet, ät kvällsmat med en Pyraser-öl och klä dig sedan för att gå till M>1-klubben bredvid Lorenzkirche U Bahn-stationen. Och ta dig tillbaka till Höfen med nattbussen.

FR  Salut tout le monde. C'est la fin de ma visite à Zürich et en Suisse. Je prends un train de 9h00 de Zürich HB à Stuttgart Hbf et un autre à Nürnberg Hbf et me dirige vers l'hôtel dans le quartier de Höfen, presque aux limites de la ville de Fürth, je fais un peu de shopping et de dégustation de saucisses (pour un payant), revenez à l'hôtel, dînez avec une bière Pyraser, puis habillez-vous pour aller au club M>1 à côté de la station Lorenzkirche U Bahn. Et revenez à Höfen en bus de nuit.

Guten Morgen!  Good morning!   Today would be my last day to visit Switzerland for the year, though I would return in early August the following year, in time for Lake Parade in Geneva and Street Parade in Zürich.  I would have to take a 9 AM train from Zürich HB to Stuttgart, and taking the 12 PM Intercity train to Nuremberg Hbf, so that I could be there by 2 PM or so.  Would I make it in time?

I woke up about 6:30 AM, took a shower, packed up my suitcase, and went downstairs for breakfast.  I did not eat too much, but had at least three cups of coffee, from the espresso machine.  I checked out and walked to the bus stop to catch the line 33 bus to Morgental to change to the line 7 tram.  I arrived at HB about 20 minutes later, and it was around 8:10 AM.  I had about an hour to spare before the train would depart.  The train I would ride, would be a short ICE T train.  I boarded the train about 8:50 AM.  I was in the first class cabin with 2 x 1 seating.  The conductor looked very much like David Hyde Pierce, the man who played Dr. Niles Crane, Frasier's brother.  The train left Zürich HB about 9:00 AM, pretty much on time.

The ride seemed to go fine, at least up to when the train crossed the Rhine and entered Schaffhausen, the last station in Switzerland.  The weather was starting to get worse, as soon as we arrived in Schaffhausen.  At Schaffhausen, since in 2002 the Schengen Agreement did not include Switzerland, there was a passport and customs control by the Grenzpolizei.  They did not ask me much of anything, so it was okay.  The train left around 10 AM for Singen (Hohentwiel) and Tuttlingen, and the weather became worse after crossing into Germany.  From Tuttlingen to Horb, the section is mostly single track, except at stations.  Along the way, there was a tree that fell on the tracks as a result of the high winds.  I think it would have been close to Rottweil, when the train stopped.  The train was stopped for about a half hour.  I remember asking the conductor if we would make it to Stuttgart in time to catch the 12 PM InterCity train to Nürnberg Hbf.  He replied a bit sing-songy with an irritated mood "Ich würde Ihnen das sagen, wenn ich das wusste".  I just left it at that.  After leaving Horb, the weather "improved", even if it just stopped raining.  The temperatures remained in the upper 30s, or +3 C.

The train arrived in Stuttgart Hbf about 12:15 PM, and the Intercity train to Nürnberg had already left.  There would be either an InterCity train at 2 PM, or I could take the RegionalExpress at 1 PM, and maybe arrive at 2:30 PM.  In 2002, I never even knew about the "Stuttgart21" project, which would have the head rail station tracks replaced with an underground through station.  There were many travel stores open, including newsstands, bakeries, sandwich shops and similar places for takeaway food.  It was chilly and damp outside, so it was a good idea not to go anywhere outside the rail station.  

About 12:55 PM, I boarded the train for Nürnberg Hbf.  It was a Regional Express train, with kind of semi-private compartments of six to a compartment.  You could see into the other compartments, even in first class.  Its route was eastern Swabia and western Franconia, basically going through Backnang, Schwäbisch Hall, Crailsheim - last stop in Baden-Württemberg, Feuchtwangen in Bavaria, Ansbach and Nürnberg Hbf.  Along the way I listened to my newest CDs.  "All around the world" by ATC that also has "My heart beats like a drum", "Embrace me" from Fragma, the same group who did "Toca's Miracle" in 2000, but this one did not have the Duderstadt remix of "Embrace Me", I bought the single the following August, and "Kuss" by Natacha.  Also "No Broblem" from Aargauer comedian Peach Weber and "Achtung Almi kommt!" from Almi.  Quite a good collection.  This was from a time long before Youtube and live streaming.  My Siemens S40 phone could not store any music and it did not even have any headphone jack, the 3.5 mm one.  Bluetooth was a really new technology then.  

I arrived at Nürnberg Hbf, went downstairs to the U1 platform, and bought a day pass.  Day passes are good for the daytime during regular operating hours, generally prior to 11:30 PM.  I boarded the U1, that went to Lorenzkirche, Weißer Turm, Plärrer, and Maximilianplatz.  At Maximilianstraße was the bus transfer to Höfen.  Back in 2002, there was no U3 connection, and even in 2022 the closest connection is in Großreuth, and Maximilianstraße still remains the closest U Bahn station.  I took the bus to somewhere in Höfen but I think I alighted too soon.   I should have taken the bus to Lenkersheimerstraße, which was the closest.  I had to call the hotel for directions, and they told me to follow along Höfener Straße to Sigmundstraße.  Eventually I found the Höfener Garten hotel, where I had reservations for four nights, including breakfast.

I checked into my room, which was in a second floor room, that did not have stairs.  In Germany, the second floor is what is known in the USA as the third floor.  My room was ensuite, it had a shower and a toilet, as well as a sink.  I left my wheeled bag in the room, left the hotel, and walked to the Lenkersheimer Straße bus stop to take bus line 38 to Maximilianstraße to take the U Bahn into downtown.  I took the U Bahn to Lorenzkirche and looked for the doors to the M>1, and saw that the club would open about 8 PM that night.  I walked to the Karoliner Straße to see if I could find somewhere to buy some Nürnberger and Lebkuchen.  November is about the time when it is appropriate to start selling Lebkuchen.  Karolinenstraße, Königstraße and Kornmarkt are the major shopping areas of Nürnberg.  The Handwerkerhof, across the street from Hbf, is the best place for handmade products, also it is home the Bratwurstglöcklein (fried sausage bell) restaurant.  I went back to the hotel around 6 PM, so that I could have supper and change into my white shirt, tie and black trousers, and black oxfords.  At the M>1, it is important to dress to impress.

At the hotel, I had a beefsteak supper, with potatoes and a salad.  Their local beer was Pyraser, so I had a 0,4 Liter glass of it.  It was nice.  I had the supper charged to my room.  I left the hotel, looking very nice, and I returned to the Lenkersheimer Straße bus stop to board the bus to Maximilianstraße and the U1 to Lorenzkirche.  When I arrived, the doors were not yet open.  There was a line to get in.  I think it was a 20 Euro fee to enter.  As soon as I entered, I paid the entry fee, and was given a page of coupons for discounts on drinks.  The M>1 was a really nice place.  There were two different rooms for music.  One was pop music and the other was underground house and techno.  I went between the rooms and paid for my drinks each time.  I even had a couple of Red Bulls, they were okay.  They tasted like gummi bears.  I do not remember the beer I had, probably it was Tucher.  The bathroom was strange.  It had frosted windows for walls, and a grate for the floors.  

I enjoyed myself until about 12:30 AM.  The club was not ready to close yet, but I was getting tired.  I left, walked to Plärrer because the U-Bahn had stopped operation for the night.  Then I found the bus at Plärrer which would go Höfen and Leyh.  I had to pay an extra € 3,00 for the single fare.  The bus ride was crowded, even in a bendy bus, called a Lenkbus in German.  The prerecorded next station announcement was working fine.  It had funny animations on the displays.  About 1:30 AM I was back at the hotel, and went to sleep.  It was quite a lovely time, and a similar function would happen at the M>1 again the next day.

Please join me again, when I have a nice relaxing Saturday walking through downtown Nürnberg and see a bit of Fürth, the neighboring city.  Frankfurt am Main and München will be day trips the following days, and the 19th will be when I fly home.  

Gute Nacht!  Good night!