I think I have to rename our blog to “Steve and Mary-Anne’s Culinary Weblog”. We drove from Pittsburgh to Hagerstown, Maryland, and the main event today was eating in the Schmankerl-Stube. Mary-Anne spotted the advert in the local guide in our hotel room, and we decided we had to try it. It is a real piece of Bavaria on the east coast of the USA! The whole place is true Bavarian style, including the waitress. The food was excellent; they import their bread from a German baker in Toronto, and sausages from a butcher near Chicago. I ate Münchner Geschnetzeltes, and Mary-Anne chose the restaurant’s specialty, Schmankerltopf, both with excellent Spätzle! Dessert was a home-made Apple Strudel, which tasted good, but the pastry was a little soft from being warmed in the microwave.
We also made another attempt to spend money at an outlet mall, this time successfully. Most of it went on books, but we even managed to find a shirt for me! (I am a reluctant clothes-shopper.) We also discovered a bank which, amazingly, refused to cash a Travellers’ Cheque for us.
Tomorrow, we head further south to our friends Ben and Esther Rosenbaum. We’re looking forward to spending some time with them.