Autumn Is Here! And So Are Seasonal Tours!

It’s the first official day of fall, which means for me personally, I can start getting excited about Halloween. While I love summer for the warm, endless days, as someone who’s always had a taste for the macabre and a fascination with tales of the paranormal, the fun and spooky atmosphere of Halloween has always been my consolation prize for the cooler temperatures and reduction in sunshine. I make a list of scary movies to watch with my husband, get a kick out of the Spooked! podcast (but not when I’m alone at night!), and I revisit favorite spooky books.

So of course I do a Halloween tour, how could I not? I developed the “bones” of this tour several years ago for the USO, and after a year off due to the virus, the tour is back, new and improved in partnership with my tour guide colleague, Tom Hale of Esslingen City Tours. This is why I became a tour guide in the first place - because I’d be seeking out these historical stories, myths, and legends anyway, so why not share them with others?

This 90 minute tour through the darker side of Esslingen, a city dripping with over 1300 years of history that in some squares looks virtually unchanged from how it appeared 500 years ago, after night has fallen, is an experience you won’t soon forget! I do want to highlight that this tour is designed to be chilling for adults, so please be responsible when choosing to bring your older children. Graphic descriptions of torture and executions as they really happened is part of the dark history discussed on this tour.

I expect this limited tour to sell out, so please email thomasleytonhale@gmail.com to reserve your spot!

Meanwhile, the wine harvest is just about to begin, which means amazing color in the vineyards won’t be far behind! Autumn is the best time to take a Vineyard Wine Walk tour, because it’s never too hot, the scenery is at it’s best, and especially as harvest draws to a close there’s an almost celebratory atmosphere as the winemakers get to relax a bit and enjoy the fruit of their labor, so to speak. I will be doing public tours most Saturdays unless a private group reserves first - so better to reserve your spot now. I can provide private tours any day of the week, and a private tour for 5 people is the same as the cost for 5 on a public tour. Get a few more people and you’re really saving money!

Hope to see you in the vineyards! Zum wohl!

It's Time To EXPLORE!

Hey everybody! Looking at my last blog entry from 10 months ago, even super-cautious types like myself didn’t see the last 8 months in Germany shaping up to be quite as rough as they were. But I’m thrilled that the strictest aspects of lockdown are in the rear-view mirror and like everyone else, I can reopen!

Just…not yet.

As soon as I was vaccinated, I had somewhere I had to go first - home, to California, to visit my much-missed family. So while I regret not being able to provide tours as soon as possible, rest assured that I will be reopening on the 4th of July - how’s that for freedom?

This July, I’ll be providing Vineyard Wine Walks, my most popular tour, most afternoons. I often have repeat guests on this half-day stroll through the vineyards, which varies based on the month. This is less a formal tour and more like spending the day with friends who happen to know all the local spots for great food and wine that might otherwise remain hidden. Along the way, I’ll give you the tools to revisit some of these wonderful places and to explore new areas!

Maybe you’re one of the folks who PCSed during the pandemic and you’ve managed to travel a bit but haven’t fully explored your surroundings? My Stuttgart City tour is perfect to learn all about your new home, including opinionated (but fair) recommendations on the best places to eat, shop, and play and tips about how to best get around and which local events are really special.

Like everyone else, I have a lot of travel planned, so tour availability this summer will be limited to most of July, the last two weeks of August, and the last two weeks of September before going into the fall season which will see the shuttering of the Vineyard Wine Walk for the year. For this reason, it’s best to reserve early so I can accommodate your preferred dates! Hope to see you soon!

Yes, We're FINALLY Open!

Whew, first blog post of 2020 and it’s nearly August! What a strange year, huh? I hope everyone has managed to find a bit of fun outdoors as summer weather heats up! At Stuttgart Steps I am thrilled to announce that we are opening for a brief summer season (July 31 - August 29), and we may reopen again after September 15th depending on how the whole global pandemic thing is shaping up.

Because customer safety and reducing the spread of the Corona virus is my primary concern, we have implemented some minor changes:

• All tours are private. As a result I am reducing my hourly rates to make private tours more affordable for everyone. Using my existing tours as a template, private tours are totally customizable, so I can deep-dive on a particular interest, meet your group where you choose (with supplemental costs outside of the city center), or even combine tours for a full day of exploring the area.

• Tour size is limited to 6 adults. Children are welcome on the tours as well. With 6 adults, private tours are cheaper per person than my public tours were, so get some folks to join you and make it a group event!

• Payment is entirely online now via PayPal and GooglePay.

• Of course, tours are only available to those who comply with hygiene and social distance regulations on the tour, including maintaining 1.5 meters distance from non-household members, frequent hand washing, and wearing masks on public transit and indoors. On tours involving dining experiences, all meals will take place outside. If weather prevents this, tours can be rescheduled at your convenience.

• And finally, I'm offering a 10 euro discount on the entire price of a private tour for newcomers to Stuttgart. Despite the pandemic, it's still a great time to get outdoors and learn all of what the Stuttgart region has to offer!

Please check out the various tours we offer - Stuttgart City, Historical Esslingen, the Vineyard Wine Walk and remember that all these tours can be customized to fit your needs! You can taste wine in Esslingen, enjoy a traditional Swabian meal in Stuttgart, and more! I can also provide guided experiences in Stuttgart Nord, West, and Bad Canstatt, all great options to get off the beaten path and enjoy Stuttgart as the locals do. Please contact me for more information. I suggest reserving early, due to the limited season I expect spots to fill up quickly! Happy August!

The Harvest is Here - and YOU Can be a Part of It!

The beginning of autumn is a special time in the Stuttgart region. As we enjoy sunny days and mild temperatures, a chill creeps in at night. This contrast in temperature leads to a new sight - farmers, up in their vineyards, inspecting their grapes, trying to find the exact right time when the balance between the naturally-produced sugars and tannins will lead to the best possible wine.

The vineyards above Esslingen are beautiful in the autumn!

Then suddenly, with very short notice, it's time to harvest! Here in the Württemberg region of Germany, the majority of wine grapes are grown in smaller family plots. The farmers enlist friends and family, hopefully with flexible schedules, to spend a few days laboring on the steep hillsides picking grapes, enjoying glorious views and camaraderie over lunch (and wine, of course).

I've talked to many people who travel long distances and spend a lot of money to take part in a wine harvest in Italy or France, not realizing that the opportunity to do so exists right here, in nearby Esslingen. For the first time this year, Stuttgart Steps tours is partnering with Ellen Thomas of Esslingen Tours, Tastings, and More to invite you to have an immersive experience harvesting wine grapes in Esslingen starting, well, any day now!

This could be you!

This is not a guided tour like my other offerings, but an activity. You'll drive or take the train to Weingärtner Esslingen cooperative winery, which you may know from the Esslingen Wine Walk. After parking at their newly-renovated facility, you'll then meet the grape farmers and your fellow workers.. You'll be transported into the vineyards and spend the morning picking grapes (and of course, snapping pictures!). This will be followed by a break for lunch prepared by Oma (with plenty of wine) and then returning to the vineyards until that day’s plot is finished.

This is real physical labor, not a tourist wine-tasting experience, with sharp shears on sometimes muddy hillsides - you will be tired when you’re finished! But in addition to the hearty lunch, you'll be rewarded with a bottle of wine for your efforts and memories that will last a lifetime. You’ll get a chance to bond with other English-speaking workers and German-speaking locals laboring side-by-side with you to finish the harvest. This is best thought of as a cultural experience and a way to meet interesting new people! It is important to note that if you reserve to work a shift that you take the commitment seriously - any missing pair of hands is more work for everyone else.

We are waiting on the winegrowers to find out how many volunteers are needed and on what days. It's expected the first day will be between 19-21 September, and there may be up to 7 days needed after that. Some shifts will fall on weekdays, and others on weekends, through the 2nd week of October.

To find out more information and get on the list for a shift once they’re announced, please join the Esslingen Tours, Tastings, and More, where I am administrator and will be coordinating the harvest shift schedule largely by Facebook Messenger. Please contact me if you do not use Facebook to discuss alternative means of communication. Please note there is a $10 (USD) fee payable in advance to reserve your space on a shift. This fee is to compensate myself and Ellen for the very time-consuming effort of coordinating many people and shifts, as well as advertising the opportunities.

This is a really unique experience that I've been recommending to my tour guests on my Vineyard Wine Hikes and Esslingen City Tours for years, and I'm really excited to be a part of it! See you in the vineyards!

Lunchtime!

Canstatter Volksfest Part 2: Surviving a Tent

So, you’re committed to experiencing the whole enchilada at Volksfest or Oktoberfest - spending several hours in a beer tent. This guide will tell you everything you need to know for having a great time and not getting into (too much) trouble.

Dress:

You can wear whatever you want. It has become increasingly popular to wear "tracht" or traditional costume (i.e. "lederhosen", leather shorts, and "dirndls", a dress) over the last 10 years. This gets a little complicated.

Tracht is worn by normal people all over the neighboring state of Bavaria for all sorts of occasions such as weddings, christenings, or just drinking at the biergarten on a Sunday. This is because Bavaria is…unique. 20 years ago, no one wore traditional dress in the Stuttgart area, to fest or otherwise. It helps to think of Bavaria as the Texas of Germany and lederhosen as a cowboy hat and boots. Normal in Texas, kind of weird in Los Angeles.

This all changed with "Germany's Next Top Model" hosted by Heidi Klum (you might of heard of her). Every season there was an episode where the contestants modeled Dirndls, and not traditional ones, but souped-up sexier versions. Suddenly, this traditional Bavarian dress was en vogue and festivals all over Southern Germany were a good excuse to wear one.

Typical modern fest tracht

And why not? They are fun and flattering. Older local folks will say, “Why would I wear this Bavarian costume?” but the Swabians under 30 aren't listening. What does this mean for you as an expat or visitor?

It means you can wear tracht if you want but you shouldn’t feel obligated. And don’t worry about “cultural appropriation” - The Swabians in Stuttgart are already appropriating it from the Bavarians, and I’ve never heard anyone suggest it’s anything but fun for people from other countries to wear it, too.

But what to buy? My personal advice is go big or go home. That is, either invest in good quality and yes, expensive tracht (a full outfit for a man or woman of decent quality will be at least $200 and can go much higher) or just wear normal clothes. You can buy cheaper tracht at stores like C&A but the quality isn't great and they wear out quickly.

The basic dindl consists of a dress, a small blouse, and an apron. Pay attention to which side you tie your bow to show your relationship status (pre-Facebook!) For lederhosen, it's the leather pants and a checkered shirt.

There are lots of accessories, but you don't need them to put together a great look. For women, black flats or low heeled shoes are traditional, but you can also wear any matching color flat and brightly colored Converse are trendy with the youth. Guys can also wear Converse with their lederhosen, or other leather shoes, although regular sneakers aren't as popular.

Whatever you do, don't wear a "beer maiden" costume from a Halloween shop or vinyl "lederhosen." That is embarrassing.

If you want an in between of feeling a little dressed up without going full tracht, many men wear checkered shirts with jeans, and there are cute women's checkered blouses available at places that sell dirndls for women that are flattering and a LOT cheaper than going for a full getup. Add cute braids and you've got a fun casual look without spending hundreds of dollars.

What is this "Schlager" you mentioned?

Schlager has a set definition, but overall fest music is weird. Really weird. It's part 70s rock, part homegrown German cheese, part Top 40, all performed by largely terrible cover bands (and occasionally, some with serious talent).

The strangest thing for Americans new to Germany is the affinity for "Country Roads" and other rock-counry hits. 25 year old Germans will know every word to that song. "Sweet Home Alabama" is another hit you'll hear at any German beer fest.

Some songs, however, are literally written for fest. Others are hits from the Cologne-based Karneval, and yet others are from the slopes of Austria's "Apres-Ski" scene. These songs tend to be simple, even childish, with rousing choruses meant to be shouted at fests. Songs in this category include "Furstenfeld", "Fleigerleid", "Schatzi Shink Mir Ein Photo", and "Traum Von Amsterdam".

There's also a more poppy and somewhat more sophsisticated version of schlager that is a lot closer to international pop music. Helene Fischer's "Altemlos" is a good example of that.

But you'll hear everything from 50s and 60s classics to the Village People and ABBA to current pop hits. Think of a wedding DJ gone mental, but also German, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect.

It doesn't hurt to memorize the classic drinking song "Ein Prosit" because you'll hear it 20 million times and be expected to sing and cheers with it every time.

That's all great, but you promised me survival strategies!

It's a shame this is at the end of my post, because this is the most important part if you're spending the evening in a tent.

-If you are new to Germany or a visitor, write the address of the place you're staying on a peice of paper then use a safety pin to affix it somewhere on your person. When you are incoherently getting in a cab later and you can't remember or pronounce German street names, this will be invaluable.

-Tipping 80 cents per item (beer or food) is mandatory in the tents. Don't nickle and dime these hard working servers. Just tip them a euro per item, which means, bring plenty of cash (or if you only have bills, cover the tip of your friends). If you want really good service, which can make of break a night, tip your server more at the at the beginning (depending on the size of your group). It makes a difference.

This is heavier than you can imagine. Do not get in her way!

-Learn to recognize the words "Vorsicht!!!" and "Achtung!!" Servers are often carrying literally door-sized platters of food or 10 liters of beer at a time. Jump out of their way just as you would if you heard a bicycle bell coming behind you.

-Just pay for a bottle of water (or 3). Yes, it's ridiculous that this country charges you an arm and a leg for water but you're already spending a lot to be here . Order some water and drink it.

-Eat the chicken. Even if you're not hungry. Eat the chicken. Or eat something else. Trust me. Eat.

-Bring a big trash bag. Once seated, everyone's coats and bags goes into the trash bag, which is sealed up. No one's stuff gets beer and god knows what else on it. And your friends will think you're a genius.

-Ignore the shot girls. Pick you posion and stick with it. Obviously, generally it's beer. People who don't like beer can get a weinschorle (wine and sparkling water mix). Pick one or the other and stick with it, and hydrate with water periodically. I've been through at least 14 fests and I know what I'm talking about.

-Do not wait until the last minute to go to the bathroom, have plenty of small change to pay the 50 cent fee, and don't try to cut in line.

-Do not mess with security. There is a "fest jail". It's not fun, it's an non-contested 350 euro fine if you get thrown in, and if you're US military personel that will get reported to your command. Don't be that guy. Stay chill and don't get offended if other drunken partygoers bump into you, instead diffuse the situation. Don't try to exit the tent with a beer mug. German security is unobtrsive but they are watching you so don't do anything stupid.

Finally, if this all seems too much for you, you could just take one of my public Stuttgart tours (or hire me for a private one), which as the option of finishing the tour at fest FOR FREE in which I'll tell you all my hard-earned knowledge, show you where the most delicious food is, take you for a spin on the rotating bar, and did I mention this is an extra 45 minutes of my time FOR FREE that you can enjoy for just signing on to a Stuttgart City Walking Tour, or hell, even an Esslingen Tour? That's kind of an amazing deal. Contact me today to reserve your spot on a tour!

Prost and good (and smart) festing!