My birthday went well. It started off with a nice brunch with my man and some gifts. Then we headed to Germany...which is just 20 minutes away. :) Unfortunately, everything was closed due to the holiday...All Saints Day or Holy Day..or something along those lines. So we came back to Switzerland and went to the carnival for a very competitive round of bumper cars. I think it's safe to say that it ended in a tie. Bryan got me as bad as I got him and we smashed a couple people along the way as well....which did wonders for my road rage. After that, my man showed off an impressive display of his strength...which won me a stuffed heart. Wahoo!
Since it was pretty cold out, we warmed up with some hot chocolate and good conversation at a cafe nearby. There was some time to kill before our dinner reservation and we walked around for a little while until we couldn't take the cold anymore.We discovered a great place along the way...I can't even
remember the name of it. It had comfortable couches to sit on and the ambiance was great. So we got comfortable and hung out talking about our process as artists.Before too long, it was time for dinner.
Bryan took me to this one restaurant that I've been wanting to check out for a while now called "Blindekuh".
It is the most unusual dining experience I've ever had.
Basically, you eat completely in the dark and your server is a blind person. I wasn't exactly too sure how it was going to work and felt intrigued by the concept and how provocative it is.Before you are seated or even led into the main dining room, you are given a menu at the front desk and are told to choose which items you would like to eat and to remember them. You are then assigned a locker to place your jacket, purse, wallet and cell phone in. The front desk then tells you who your waiter will be and you wait in the lobby until he or she comes out. They encourage you to use the well lit bathroom before you are seated.
Our waiter's name was Moritz. After a few minutes, he came out to the lobby and asked for us. He told us that he would lead us to our table. The three of us walked in a line...my hand on Bryan's shoulder, Bryan's hand on Moritz's shoulder while Moritz led the way in complete darkness....and we're talking COMPLETE darkness. Where it's so dark, you can't see your hand in front of your face....you literally can't see ANYTHING.
Once we reached our table, Moritz placed our hands on the chairs we would be sitting in. From the sound of it, the place was packed with people. It is a little unnerving to hear, smell and feel the environment around you, but not be able to see it.
"This dining room could be the most ugly cheap looking dining room, but you'd never know it." I said to Bryan.
We felt around our table area and discovered where our silverware, glasses and napkins were placed, along with the appetizer bread basket. :) For the first little bit, the darkness felt a little claustrophobic to me and then my eyes were playing tricks on me. I kept thinking I was seeing a faint hint of light when I wasn't really...it was like blindspots dancing in front of your face. After a while, though, I became pretty comfortable and not so bad about judging distances between my place settings, the bread basket and Bryan.
Moritz came to our table and took our order. He brought us some wine and sparkling water. I'm very please to say that I didn't spill on myself once! And that's a big deal for someone who's as clumsy as me and who as Coincidental Misfortune Syndrome (CMS). The italian red wine was fantastic and before we knew it, our food had arrived. I had a delicious steak with sauteed vegetables and some risotto with this incredible rosemary garlic sauce. Best risotto I've ever had! Eating in the dark was a little bit more challenging, but I was still able to pull it off without spilling on myself. I know...unbelievable!
Moritz was the perfect server and I was amazed at his ability to serve us and bring us our food without any problem at all. He was effortless and charming.
For dessert, I had a chocolate mouse with gingerbread crumbs and red wine fig leaves. AMAZING!
It really was an incredible dining experience and gave me even more respect for people who are blind as well as a glimpse of what it's like to be in their shoes.
After we finished, Moritz led us out of the dining room and back to the main lobby. The light was harsh on our eyes and we were squinting for a little bit.
The whole experience felt a little surreal. I highly recommend it!
Like I said, my birthday went well. :)
