This week I would like to share with you the best grilled fish in Bavaria (OK – ‘in my opinion’). I will also introduce you to one particular trout, Trevor, who enjoys good music and as a result gets protected status (from me). Finally I will describe with pictures how the Bavarians saw the last full moon in their official state colours – Blue and White.

While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:

or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:

I hope you find the article below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.

Let me start by setting the scene. The following couple of pictures describe the countryside around Bad Feilnbach where Bavaria’s best Steckerlfish restaurant is located. Steckerlfish are charcoal grilled fish which are rotated by means of a wooden stick (the steckerl) which is shoved up their bottom. The restaurant with its pretty beer garden is also conveniently very close to the V&LIUMM Alpine recording studios (another excuse not to bother doing any cooking!). If you want to see high resolution versions of these pics just double click on any of the photos.

Below is a foretaste of that Bavarian blue and white moon – the next two pictures were taken from my balcony looking east as the moon was just rising above the horizon on 31st July 2015.

Trevor features in the next picture and I will explain more about his ‘special’ status later in this blog (he will certainly not be getting a stick shoved up his bottom!).

The mountain stream where Trevor lives is in the next photograph. To the left of this picture is the path which takes you up this mountain stream past many waterfalls to the restaurant which is the main subject of this article. If you are in Bad Feilnbach you can find the path just to the right of the shoe shop in the high street (convenient if you have forgotten your hiking boots).

As you follow the stream (or ‘bach’) up the mountain you reach, after about 5 minutes, a sign for the restaurant Bärenstub’n (Bavarian for ‘the Bear restaurant’).

The reason this restaurant is featured here is because they serve excellent Steckerlfisch. Whenever possible I try and get early flights across from London to Munich on Fridays in order to be able to enjoy this local speciality (the Steckerlfisch are only served on Friday’s in the summer months). If you want to be sure to get your fish (demand can be very strong) it is a good idea to make a reservation in advance. Their website is here (they are also on Facebook).

Steckerlfisch is a speciality found in the Bavarian Voralpen region (Alpine Foothills) and Oberösterreich (Upper Austria). Generally it is prepared from white fish caught in the local Alpine rivers and lakes. Whitefish and bream are typical of the kinds of fish traditionally used. You can also find Steckerlfisch served in many beer festivals like the Oktoberfest. Due to the increased demand some places now also use farmed fish such as trout, char or mackerel

Good food needs to have a good setting to be enjoyed to the full. At the Bärenstub’n you can sit outside (weather permitting) in a beautifully laid out beer-garden benefiting from the local countryside and mountain views.

I had to take the following photograph quickly – the fish does not stay on my plate for very long. It tastes delicious – a perfect complement to some Bavarian Weissbeer.

Not surprisingly I am a regular here so it is not unusual to find my fellow international celebrity friends chatting away with the chef.

Once you have finished your meal you can also sample the local countryside walks. This is very pleasant on a long summer day, especially if you eat early. You can actually follow the mountain stream most of the way up the local mountain, the Schwarzenberg (‘Black Mountain’). It takes about an hour to get to the top but you don’t have to go all the way – the countryside is spectacular even if you just walk for a few minutes. If you like waterfalls you will not be disappointed.

At the top of the Schwarzenberg (in addition to cows) you will enjoy a panoramic view of this part of the Alps. If you decide to go early in the day you can take a picnic with you and eat it on the Schwarzenberg summit (there are seats at the top).

Now, getting back to Trevor. He has a favourite spot in the stream just below my recording studio window. In fact I think it is fair to say that Trevor was the TRANSFORMATES 變 Music Project’s first real fan. In particular he seems to like our e-Baroque music – if you look closely you can see him wiggling his tail when we play some Bach or Vivaldi.

If you would like to sample the e-Baroque music that Trevor enjoys just click on my You-Tube play list below:

Following my evening enjoying the delights of the Bärenstub’n I returned to the studio to do some more practicing and prepare a little nightcap. As I started to raid my fridge in the kitchen I noticed a fantastic full moon rising over the mountains to the East. I managed to capture this in the photo below.

This was the second full moon in this month (July 2015). As a result this second full moon is often referred to as a ‘blue’ moon. It does not occur very often and hence features in the saying ‘once in a blue moon’ which is used to describe some thing which happens infrequently.

The following picture is a close up shot (double click on it to enlarge the picture).

I have been so impressed by the full moon over Bavaria that I intend to use it on the cover of my forthcoming album – which should be available to download from all music suppliers in the next couple of months. Here is a sneak preview of the cover (with the full moon – this time as it was setting towards the west).

Finally – let me leave you with this weeks safety tip. If you do decide to walk up the Schwarzenberg keep an eye open for mountain bikers – they can often come down the mountain very quickly. Also don’t forget to give any cows a wide berth if they are grazing on the alm (mountain pasture) at the top of the mountain. A 77 year old German lady hiker was killed in the Swiss mountains this week when she disturbed a cow who feared for the safety of its calves (for German readers you can find an article here). Also make sure you dress suitably for the weather conditions (unlike the over exposed jogger in the photo below).

Have a great week,

Chris Duggleby

If you would like to read more about the Bavarian countryside (and see the stunning views) here is a selection of some of my other picture blogs about the area. Just click on any title below:

Spring arrives in the Alps, the snow returns (in April) – but real Bavarian ‘Men’ don’t let that stop them surfing in on the Isar River (Eisbach in Munich) – at night!

What a difference a week makes! Snow arrives in Bad Feilnbach

Schliersee: Calm and colourful scenery on an autumn day (Wunderschön auch im Herbst)

Schloß Neubeuern: A fairy tale castle in the Alps near the Bavarian/Austrian border

Achensee or Lake Achen: The largest lake in the Austrian Tyrol (and one of its best kept secrets)

Bayrischzell: Pit-stop on the way from the Deutsche Alpen Straße to the peak of the Wendelstein Mountain

Thiersee: a delightful Austrian lakeside walk surrounded by beautiful Tyrolean countryside (and some topless fun in a Merc SLK with Pink Lips and RISKKO)

Fungi: Max Planck scientist identifies their role in causing rain and fighting climate change in Brazilian Rain Forests (Photos of Pizza Trees in Alpine Forests)

If it moves ban it, tax it, or give it a fine (especially horses, cows, snakes and women)!

Up the Black Mountain (Schwarzenberg, Eingang zum Voralpenland)

Spring Mountain Trails and the Pedometer Challenge

Spitzingsee: A little wonder on the Deutsche Alpenstraße (even on a cloudy day!)

Alpine Forest Chapel: Small but Beautiful!

You can also see more pictures by visiting my Alpine Gallery using the link here.