After breakfast in our hotel all three of us headed out for another ride on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. We disembarked at the Romer or Old Town Square for Jochen to have a look around. We then took the HO-HO bus to the Main Tower where we took the elevator to the 54th floor for a panoramic view over the city. The skies were clear so the view was quite spectacular.
We then walked to the Opera House and took a walk down the pedestrian avenue to find a spot to have a drink and rest. It was a religious holiday and shops were required to be closed so only cafes and food stalls were open. In comparison to our walk in the same area a couple of days earlier, the streets were very quiet.
After a stop for a drink we continued our walk and stopped for a bratwurst sausage at a small shop.
Back at the hotel we met up with Johannes and his girlfriend Vanessa. Johannes was a student who was in the Tutor-Mentor program in 2010 at SDSU. They took us to a museum café along the waterfront for a coffee before heading to the oldest section of town that survived the WWII bombing for dinner. This section of town is known for its apple wine. We dined in the patio behind the restaurant and had very typical German food.
For an appetizer they ordered a local cheese that is covered with chopped white onions and a light vinegar. The cheese is put on sliced bread with butter and soaked in the vinegar. Not bad. For our meals we enjoyed things like beef sausage, sauerkraut, pan fried potatoes and schnitzel with a green sauce made with seven spices. We also had a pitcher of apple wine served with bottled sparkling water, mixed about half and half.