Rambazamba: Indoor playground

Rambazamba: Indoor Playground

Ramabazama is a fun filled paradise for children of all ages and an indoor playground that parents enjoy going to as well. Located in Mainz, Rambazamba is perfect for when there is inclement weather, for a special fun day in the summer and a great place for a child’s birthday party.

From a kids point of view, Rambazamba is a giant room that they can run free, climb, jump on trampolines and roll around on air filled castles. From a parent’s point of view, Rambazamba is a safe, enclosed, padded, no exiting, place for kids to have fun (burn energy!) and still be able to have a cappuccino while watching. Parents of course can join the younger ones through the huge climbing frame, but when they get a little older… they feel really ‘big’ doing this on their own!

There is a massive climbing frame that almost reaches the ceiling. Inside they have ball pits, obstacle like hallways and also an air gun that shoots out balls like you were a pirate on top of a ship.

 

  

Soccer fans can play inside the soccer cage without having to worry about the ball being kicked out. And there is the ever popular crocodile! The children craw up into his mouth when it is open and then on a timer, he closes his mouth. You have to hang on to his tooth or something or else you slide down his throat back to the ground! It is common to walk by and see a random kids dangling from the crocs mouth! My daughter is too scared to go in, but loves watching it and also likes the idea of going in once she is bigger and braver!

There are fun dinosaur go-karts on in its’ own track. But remember to bring some 1€ coins or you might have a very disappointed racer on your hands!

 

Another thing to remember to bring is socks. All kids and all parents must wear socks inside. If you do forget, they sell them for 2€. When you walk in there are cubbies for your shoes and bags. There are no lockers, so leave anything of value in the car or at home. I suggest to bring a small wrap around purse or keep everything in your pocket.

 

 

Children under 2 can still have fun and they are also free! There is a small play area for them with a climbing frame, slide which lands in a ball pit and big foam building blocks.

There is a kitchen and they serve warm food and sides. They have a great selection of drinks and also a freezer with ice creams.

Birthday Parties

 

 

Having a party here is a blast and also that means no cleaning your house afterwards! You book a nice long table and the birthday boy or girl sits in the head chair of royalty. They have special packages for the entrance fees for the young guests. It is normal that the parents would pay for their own admission at the door. You are allowed to bring in your own cake, but other food must be ordered there or bought with their meal and drink packages. They provide the table decorations, cups, plates and napkins. They also have their own cakes for sale as well. The standard size is 9,50 €, and the double size 14,50 €. Last but not least, they take the VAT form!

Booking a party: online http://www.rambazamba-mainz.de/?page_id=149&lang=en

Phone: 06131 5701770 or by e-mail: info@rambazamba-mainz.de

 

Entrance fees

Children from 2 years 8,50 €

Children under 2 years: free

Adults (18+) 4,00 €


Address:

Mombacher Str. 76a
55122 Mainz
Telephone: +49 (6131) 5701770

Have fun and really savor that cappuccino! ;)


About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Eltville Sekt Fest

Eltville Sekt Fest

Surrounded by vineyard’s and the Rhein River, Eltville is a beautiful town in the Rheingau region which celebrates with a Sekt Fest each year. Sekt is German sparkling wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While some would call all sparkling wine champagne, that version of sparkling wine comes exclusively from the Champagne region of France.

 

The Eltville Sekt Fest takes place on the banks of the Rhein River so you can sit and enjoy your sekt while watching the slow moving boats and soft wave of the river. The fest overall has a very relaxing and charming feel to it. The fest goers truly sample and sip their sekt while enjoying a meal from one of the many food vendors. One of the main entrances to the fest is through the courtyard of the gorgeous Electoral Castle. You walk down to the castles rose garden then enter the area of the fests’ main stage.

  

We started in the main area and saw that the main act was getting set up so we decided to wander more into the fest. Along the river there were food stands with local specialties and also international delights. Of course the main attraction of the fest is that you can sample the sekt from different vendors. Each sekt producer has a unique taste to their drink and it is really enjoyable to discover these different flavors.

  

  

  

I was surprised by how many vendors were there and that they had really nice items for sale. They had stands that sold handmade jewelry, baskets and even clothing. The items for sale were a good reflection of the relaxing and artistic feel from the entire fest.

  

We saw 3 stages and decided to head back to listen to the musician on the main stage. His name is Rick Cheyenne and he is well known in the Rheingau and Wiesbaden area. I have seen him play before at the café Lumen in downtown Wiesbaden and also at other winery parties, so I knew he would be great entertainment. He played some Blues, Soul, Rock’n Roll Country and Pop. He plays in this area quite a bit and he is definitely worth checking out. You can find his tour dates here: http://www.rickcheyenne.com/tourdates/tourdates.html

  

So we then bought one of the specialty dips from the Northern state of Hessen: Spundekäs. This dip consists of two parts cream cheese and three parts cream cheese (German Quark), then seasoned with salt, pepper and sweet paprika. It is so delicious with pretzels and often served along with grapes. It is a great compliment to Rheingau wine and sekt!

  

The Eltville Sekt Fest was truly a wonderful experience and definitely stands out from the other fests in the area with its relaxation, beauty and class.

  

Spundekäs Recipe:

500g low-fat cream cheese (Magerquark), substitute: Philadelphia (German Frischkäse)

250g plain yoghurt or crème fraiche

1-2 onions (diced)

2-3 table spoons paprika

1 tea spoon salt

Preparation:

1) Mix all ingredients well together.

2) Serve with soft or hard pretzels.
Guten Appetit!

Fest Address: Burgstraße 1, 65343 Eltville am Rhein, Germany


About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Electoral Castle in Eltville: Kurfürstliche Burg

Electoral Castle in Eltville: Kurfürstliche Burg

Located in the Rheingau wine region, on the Rhein River, is the enchanting Electoral Castle which looks like it is right out of a fairytale! Surrounded by wine vineyards, timbered framed houses, rose gardens and slow moving boats going up and down the river, the 14th century Electoral Castle is a delight for your senses.

 

History

Eltville is the oldest town in the Rheingau region, receiving its’ town status in 1332. The castle was built in 1330 by Balduin von Trier, and completed in 1350 by Heinrich von Virneburg. The castle gets its name from from 14th and 15th century when the archbishops and electors of Mainz lived there. During the Holy Roman Empire, the princes who had the right to elect the German kings were called ‘Electors’.

 

In 1635, the entire castle, except for the tower, was destroyed by Swedish troops. The tower that I walked up has a Gutenberg memorial inside which pays tribute to the famous inventor of movable type for the printing press and letterpress printing. The famous inventor was officially honored here in 1465, the only time during his life. Still today visitors of this breathtaking castle get to learn firsthand about Gutenbergs’ accomplishments.



 

Visiting the Castle

I truly enjoyed my day walking about the castle grounds and it is one of the most beautiful castles I have been to in Europe. You first arrive in the courtyard and in the middle is a picturesque well. My daughter asked for a penny and made a wish! The courtyard was inviting and also cool in temperature even though it was over 100 degrees outside.

 

Then I walked into the Gift Shop and Tourist-Information which is at the base of the tower. The room of the gift shop used to be the recreation room for the castle servants. The shop offers a very nice selection of souvenirs, books, prints, gifts, wine samples and more. There you buy your 3 euro ticket to walk up the castle tower. The staircase is a winding stone staircase and along the way they have rooms with displays inside. I appreciated these rooms because I got to catch my breath at each room!

 

The 360 lookout room on top was a remarkable experience with a fantastic view. On one side you see the beautiful vineyard hills and the other a view of the Rhein River. The old lookout posts where the men would stand and look out the thin windows ready to shoot their arrows at any invaders still were intact. I liked to look out and try to feel how they would feel looking at the very same scenery but many many years ago.

 

Outer Courtyard and Rose Garden

After leaving the tower, I headed to the rose garden. I had to go into a wooden covered bridge so well preserved, it looks frozen in time. The garden was so gorgeous that pictured hardly do it justice. The sea of flowers with intoxicating smelling roses made me feel like I stumbled upon an area from my favorite childhood book, ‘The Secret Garden’.

  

Would you like your very own castle for a day?

I was so surprised to learn that you can rent the castle for any private events such as weddings and family celebrations. There are halls for rent and also the rose garden is available to rent. Sounds like making a fairytale party come true! Contact the tourist-information for more details: touristik@eltville.de

Hours and Admission
Opening hours of the inner and outer courtyard and rose garden:

October through March: Daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

April through September: Daily 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 pm

Free admission.



Opening hours of the Tourist-Information and Gift Shop in the castle tower April through October:

Mon, Tue, Thur 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (closed in the morning)

Friday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.



November through March:

Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (closed in the morning)

Saturday, Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.



Place to Eat: Gelbes Haus

Right before you enter the castle grounds, there is a beautiful restaurant called the Gelbes Haus, the Yellow House. They are also a traditional wine bar and serve seasonal local dishes. The picturesque building from the 17th century has a covered terrace which is situated right above the vineyard overlooking the Rhein. What a romantic setting to have dinner after exploring the incredible Electoral Castle! 

Castle Address: Burgstraße 1, 65343 Eltville am Rhein, Germany



About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Wiesbaden Schlachthof: Music, Café, Sports and Culture

Wiesbaden Schlachthof: Music, Café, Sports and Culture

The Schlachthof is tucked away 500 meters behind the main train station with a cool vibe of its own in Wiesbaden. It is a hidden getaway if you want to listen to music, eat, drink, play or just chill out!

History

In German Schlachthof means slaughterhouse, and it was one since 1884 and it closed in late 1990. Then in 1994 they kept only two buildings of the original slaughterhouse and also the impressive water tower. Here arose the culture center and the large hall was now used for concerts and music rehearsal rooms.   

Concerts

The concert hall is literally walking distance from the housing area and PX. What a great and rare opportunity to have such musical cultural so close! The musical guests are so diverse, everyone is bound to see a genre they like!

Each year hundreds of bands come to play at the Schlachthof. Widely known bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, Motörhead , Apocalyptica , Dropkick Murphys , The Fantastic Four , Bullet for My Valentine, Simple Minds, and The Hives have played there. However great local bands play there annually, like Wiesbaden’s own Pink Floyd cover band, Interstellar Overdrive: The Pink Floyd Experience.

The listing of upcoming concerts and be found here: http://www.schlachthof-wiesbaden.de/termine.html

Sports

What’s so great about this area is that you can come there with your group of friends to play a sport or you can show up alone and get a pickup game. They have a volleyball net with sand, a skateboarding park and lots of grass to play your own games on. We love to bring a badminton net out there and play!   

All year round they have a section in the park where they play Pétanque. The game (which goes back to 6^th Century BC) is played by throwing hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel and it is mostly played in public areas in parks. I have seen them in the dead of winter when it is too cold to even have your hand out of your glove and I have seen them in the hot sun of the summer! (Yes all two weeks of it!) What I like about watching the game is that there are people of all ages and backgrounds playing together. It is a great sport to learn and come play at the Schlachthof if you want to meet new interesting people.     

There is extensive graffiti all around the area, but it is allowed and considered and preserved as art. It is ever changing and interesting to see the layers and layers of great colorful art that people put such time into.

Café ‘60/40: Bar Food Music’

The restaurant 60/40 recently moved into the historic water tower and I was really glad to see that it got quite an upgrade from the last location.

Tony is an American chef working at 60/40 and for the summer he is grilling outside! On Wednesday’s and Friday’s at 6pm to 11pm, Tony is grilling up American style burgers right along the path of the park. What a better alternative it is to going to the McDonalds in the train station that is 500 meters away.

The new restaurant is really beautiful inside and very unique to all other restaurants in Wiesbaden. With a retro-industrial feel inside, it is a very cool place to go for food and drinks. They have a great bar with so many unique cocktails and organic juices for good prices. As the night goes on the music gets louder and they have DJ’s come in a spin some records. They make a very funky and chill atmosphere!  

An option that they have, which I really like, is the personal pizzas. You receive a card with all of the options and you check off what you want on your special pizza. The pizza is delicious!

The card where you pick your items on the pizza.

Ta-da! My creation with all of my favorite toppings. 3-5 toppings are the same price so we always pick 5. 

Address:

Murnaustr. 1 
(ehemals Gartenfeldstraße 57)
65189 Wiesbaden

Free parking is available on the road and also lots behind the Schlachthof.  

About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Yours American Sports Bar in Wiesbaden

Yours Sports Bar

I have heard so many raves about Yours American Sports Bar in Wiesbaden, so I had to check it out for myself. It is truly a place to go if you are feeling homesick for being in a Sports Bar in the States! Having a meal at Yours isn’t just having a meal, it is an experience. If you aren’t up for the hour drive to Ramstein Airbase, then this is a great place to get your ‘American fix’ with an American burger and an American sized drink in Wiesbaden!

The Restaurant

The wait staff are so friendly and of course speak English. They serve you with the typical American attentive service that many people miss from the German restaurant culture. Our waitress was very kind to my daughter and brought over toys, crayons and coloring books for her. The bar staff seemed to be all American the day we were there. During our meal we heard an array of fun lively music like the Ghostbusters theme, Michael Jackson, 90’s dance and Queen.    

The inside is covered with all types of sports memorabilia from football to baseball and boxing. Sports fans can also enjoy watching the big games on their TVs with their sports coverage from around the world. They also have a big Super Bowl party every year.

The restaurant has a lot of light coming through the big glass windows and you also have a beautiful view of the central Schloßplatz and especially the Marktkirche.

Marktkirche is Wiesbaden’s main Protestant church. The neo-Gothic church was built between 1853 and 1862.

The Food

I asked our server what are the top three most popular items that are ordered. She told me the ribs, the BLT and the Yankee Beef Salad. Sounds good!

Also notable is their famous John Wayne burger. I had to ask what was inside a John Wayne burger and she said it is double beef with an onion ring inside.

If you don’t know which day to go, perhaps the daily specials will help you decide! All you can eat wings on a weekday is a great deal, and also on the weekends they have all you can eat buffets set up.

Paying and Parking 

Yours conveniently takes credit cards and they also give a 10% discount for anyone with a military ID. You can make reservations online for even the same day before 4pm.

The ‘Markt’ parking underground garage is right next to the restaurant for easy access.

Address for the GPS

Wilhelmstraße 36-38, 65183 Wiesbaden, Germany

+49 611 9101201

Yours is a little piece of America in the center of Wiesbaden! Guten Appetit!

About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Wiesbaden German/American Friendship Festival 2015

Wiesbaden German/American Friendship Festival 2015

I feel that the German American fest is like the ultimate high-five with our host nation in the form of a fantastic summer festival! 

It is hard to believe that the location of the festival this year once was our PX parking lot and now it is completely transformed into pure exciting and fun experience for all ages! The fest this year takes place from June 26 to July 4. The great turnout it had its’ first weekend is a testament to what a successful festival it is.

This is the one time of the year where we open part of the base to the public. When I was stationed in Mannheim everyone looked forward to the German American fest each year.  Now luckily we have our own here in Wiesbaden!

  
Filled with rides for the little ones and also for the thrill seekers there is no shortage of things to do.

Great fun for kids!!

For more brave thrill seekers…or hot shots!

Come with your appetite to enjoy American carnival food favorites (i.e. Hamburgers and American ice cream) mixed with German fest food (i.e. Bratwurst and Schweinesteak). My personal favorite are the Dutch Fries with garlic sauce at the ‘Fritten’ stand! Yum! They offer a variety of entertainment with DJ and bands and the fest ends with a bang with 4^th of July Fireworks.  

The fest has done a great job of marketing and there are signs all over Wiesbaden. Also they have an informative website with a list of bands/schedule of events and a Facebook page with live updates.

Website: http://wiesbaden.armymwr.com/europe/wiesbaden/wiesbaden-events/german-american-friendship-fest-2015/?eID=206685

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wiesbaden-GermanAmerican-Friendship-Fest/525610747461986?sk=timeline

You can find parking in a reserved fest lot at the arena across the street and then walk over the overpass into the fest or you can park in a non-reserved spot in the housing area and walk down. Also if you want to enjoy some alcoholic beverages there are taxi waiting for customers at the gate.  

Address for the GPS:

2015 Wiesbaden German/American Friendship Fest

Friday, June 26 at 12:00pm

Washington Strasse 1, 65189 Wiesbaden

About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.