We spent a lovely weekend in Nurnberg to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Can it be 35 years ago that I sat beside my father on the way to church in a golden Rolls Royce and listened to his technical discussion with the driver about the damn thing’s engine? You would have thought that for one day he could have forgotten about his beloved cars and concentrated on me! Well, it was the only time he ever rode in a Rolls, bless him, so I forgive him.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel in Nurnberg, which really is grand. They gave us a bottle of champagne when they found out it was our anniversary, which I thought was pretty classy. Then we had dinner at Aumers le Vie, a restaurant new to us and a real find (for us, I mean. I think it’s quite famous). I’m not a food snob. If there were Michelin stars for greasy spoons I’d give Dave’s Diner in Battersea, London, 3 stars with enthusiasm. But if I’m dining, as opposed to eating, I want a chef who is an artist and who surprises me. We opted for a la carte because the set menu was rather fish heavy and I can’t eat fish. There were a couple of surprises from the kitchen to start which were delicious as well as a generous basket of different breads served with butter, olive oil and sea salt.

Vegetarians, look away now! We had quail breast to start, a few tiny but delicious bites with crisp little vegetables. Then came the soup. Wow! this was soup on a whole different level. On the menu it was simply described as rabbit broth with ground almonds. What we got was a delicate glass globe on a driftwood stand. Flaked, not ground, almonds had been swirled inside. Then the waiter poured about a cup of intense, steaming bouillon into the globe at the table. This could have been the highpoint but then we had a medley of suckling pig, perfectly roasted with crackling, and rib meat rolled into a kind of sausage with a delicate barbeque sauce. For dessert my other half chose cheese. He always does but I think it’s a boring option. Cheese is cheese and although in a restaurant of this quality you know it will be the best of its kind, it is still just cheese! Now I had a tiny roasted apple on a sourdough base with a froth of something white and creamy, but it wasn’t cream and….drumroll….fennel ice cream. Yup, fennel. No, I wouldn’t have thought it either but it was amazing.

Breakfast at the Grand was included with the room, as was parking and internet access. The breakfast was very good with the usual cheese, meat and fruit as well as various pastries, hot, freshly prepared, egg dishes and pancakes with maple syrup. Complementary champagne also, but frankly, we couldn’t face any more.

We arrived home to sunshine and lunched at our favourite beer keller on top of a mountain. 

I have a theory that life is a necklace of beads on which you occasionally have to string a pearl. This weekend was a ‘pearl of great price.’