Lilli finally showed up with tales of woe caused by American
Airlines and the Aeroports de Paris; she bore a few scars
and bandages from the experience.

An untaxing morning wander (I missed breakfast), and she
and I made the lengthy trek to the Meridien Nuremberg, where
at noontime our junior suite was not ready: the friendly
desk staff gave us (her, actually; she's platinum and I am
nothing) a coupon for a free drink. This was interpreted by
the friendly bar staff as a drink apiece. We got a Domina
(local red grape variety that dominates in these parts)
and a Beck's and then went on a haphazard walking tour
pointed vaguely at Die Hutt'n, said to have some of the
better Nuremberg Bratwursts in town. It's way up the hill
by the Durerhaus, and by the time we got there we were both
hungry and thirsty. She of course had the bratwurst, making
a special request for French fries instead of whatever
normally comes, potato salad and kraut I think. Used to
tourists, the waitress did not seem surprised at all.

I got the Krustenbraten plate, a good-size but not over the
top serving of crunchy-skinned pork belly with a very salty
smitane sauce that I'd never seen in Germany. On the side
the usual gluey potato dumplings and a vinegar-dressed
cabbage and dill salad. All were pretty good. Our drinks
were a glass of Domina and a Lederer, this being one of
the local brews. The Domina here was not so suave as at the
Meridien.

More random walk, up to the Durerhaus, back downtown, over
to the somewhat interesting, somewhat festive, and somewhat
overpriced Sommer in der City festival, where we got to
walk on sea sand trucked in from God knows where, watch
beach volleyball, and in general experience things that
one normally does not find in Franconia. We also had the
opportunity to do things that one normally does here, such
as drink beer. On the way we'd stopped at Hans-Sachs Platz,
which commemorates that eminent shoemaker and musician,
and St. Margaret's church, where the Meistersingers used
to meet and which stood for something like 500 years until
it was reduced to a shell by Allied bombing in 1945; it is
kept in that condition as a reminder of the horrors of war
and a rebuke to Anglophone tourists but is sometimes used
as a concert venue.

Back to the hotel, where it turns out we got not the corner
suite that we had coveted but an almost equal-sized one
overlooking a quiet side street; its most notable feature
was an enormous bathroom that could sleep four easily.

In the room along with our luggage we found another bar
coupon, which we happily used downstairs and used on a
Domina and a Lederer this time. We chatted happily with the
staff, and the coupon was well offered, as it primed the
pump for a pleasant evening of drinking. No food but some
peanuts, as we had eaten enough at Die Hutt'n to last all
day and then some.

Early to bed (very firm but comfy) because we wanted to go
to Bayreuth next day.