Spargel Time!

One of the great joys of living in Germany over the US is the seasonal foods.  We still have a little of that in the US, but by and large we eat everything year round in America.  Here in Germany, there are still many, many items that are tied to the season.  The foods are fresher, and the anticipation and short lived chance to enjoy them again adds to the enjoyment when they are around.

I'll add that the very first spring we were here, the kids and I decided that we must have bred taste right out of our produce in the US when we bred large, colorful, and blemish free in.  Even the "pick your own" places we have been to in the US do not produce fruit and veggies that taste as good as most of what we purchase here (though, I admit the "cardboard tomato" has crept in once in a while in the past two years, Ugh!)

We already had Berliner time: jelly filled donuts that are sold primarily in the weeks leading up to, and on the day of Faschings (Carinval).  But our first seasonal item from the farmers that is a really big deal is Spargel.

Spargel is white asparagus.  The method used to grow it was supposedly invented in this region (several towns claim to be THE first to grow it, including Schwetzingen just down the road from us).  It's only in season for about six to eight weeks every year, but when it is it RULES.  Every town is dotted with farm stands selling Spargel.  Every restaurant worth going to has a special Spargel item on the menu.  Friends and neighbors will have dinner parties featuring Spargel as the main entree (often served with potatoes and perhaps a salad to start--nothing else), called "Spargel Essens."  If you are honored with an invitation to such an essen, it is really pretty rude not to go--so be happy to be so lucky and go and enjoy.

David loves Spargel.  When we lived in the US he would try to adjust business trips to Germany so that he could travel in May and have Spargel.  So, we are always among the crowds of Germans at those first early Spargel stands.  Which, this year, showed up over the week end.  I did not have my camera with me, so here are photos of a "fancy" stand selling Spargel on the Pedestrian zone yesterday.  We bought ours from a farmer, right out of a small, dark, concrete store room on the side of his barn.

In the winter this same stand sells roasted chestnuts--it smells so good!  

Getting back to the springtime treat--in the second photo you can sort of see that the Spargel closest to the camera is thicker.  So far as we can tell, the taste is the same, but Spargel is always arranged and priced  by "quality."  Thicker stalks, straighter stalks and pure white stalks can cost twice as much as the thinner, bent, purple tinged ones.  

We are cheapskates who buy skinny, slightly purple tipped Spargel!

Spargel can be cooked all sorts of ways, but I served it last night in the easiest and most common way.  Simply lightly boiled (like normal asparagus,  but be sure to peel it first if you try this yourself--some American friends of ours did not know that!) and covered in Hollandaise sauce.  Sorry there is no photo, David was eating it before I could get my camera out!

Happy May Day to you all,

--Hadley

A Walk in the Wine

In spite of the return of cold and wet weather on Friday, we had a very nice day today.  Luckily, while the cold and clouds remained, the rain itself stopped.  Our plans involved being out of doors most of the day, so we were happy.

Today was the Panorama Wandern through the vineyards of Dittlesheim, including our very favourite one, Uwe Spies (if you are reading this from within Germany and ever have the chance, I highly recommend stopping by for some excellent wine at very reasonable prices!).

http://www.weingut-spies.de/index.html

The way the "hike" works is that the vintners get together and plan a route through the fields that makes a loop.  Each vintner has a tent or hut on their own property from which they serve wine samples and tasty treats.  There are small signs, or arrows to guide people on the walk, and everyone (of all ages) comes out to stroll out in the fresh air and enjoy delicious food and drink.

Today's outing included myself, David and Marika and along the way we picked up our friend Joachim.  We parked the car at the sport field in town, as recommended by the Spieses, and headed up the street to join in on the loop at the edge of town.  We knew we were on the right street when we found the first sign pointing the way (very necessary today as a section of the route was changed last night due the very wet weather, some of the low lying fields were nearly impassable).

We had only been walking about 10 minutes when the first tent came into view:

We started with our favourite--Uwe Spies Weingut, and had some wine and pretzels served by their son David.  

After about a half hour of good drinks and good company, we headed out towards the next tent.  This has been a cold spring and that means that the vines haven't greened up at all yet.  They are 3 or so weeks behind the norm this year (and I am sure this weekend's weather didn't help!).  It was still pretty out though:

Here we are some photos at the second tent, where we were delighted to find a wine we really enjoyed (enough that we bought a bottle to bring home), with the rather humorous name "The Womanizer."  Note that at 16 Marika is not breaking any laws at all drinking wine here (the drinking age in Germany is 16 for wine and beer and 18 for other alcohol).

The rest of the day was much the same.  Walk about a kilometer.  Stop for a drink and/or a snack.  Walk again.  Stop again.  Very relaxing!

All in all we walked about 7-8 Kilometers today, ate several delightful things (the plate of locally made cheeses shown above was the highlight) and drank samples about a dozen wines between us.  I only had a half a glass of "The Womanizer" and a few small sips of some of the others Dave tried; I needed to drive us home!  (Marika is old enough to drink here, but not to drive.)

There seems to be one of these walks at some nearby location just about every Sunday between now and late fall.  It is a fantastic way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon (and very much a family event, lots of young children were out today).  I imagine you will see me blogging about another one soon!

Happy Sunday to all,

-Hadley

On Strike!

(photo from the Mannheim Morgan newspaper: morganweb.de)

Last Wednesday and again yesterday and today all the local buses and streetcars are on strike.  

I have always been a huge proponent of public transit systems.  I was fortunate to grow up with the RTD system in Colorado--one of the better public systems I have ever seen in the US.  So well run, in fact, that I chose not to get a drier's license until I was in college and no longer living within the Regional Transportation District.

I like to think that i do not take the excellent public transit here in Germany for granted.  I am well aware of how lucky we are to have it.  We intentionally rented a home near the tram lines and use them heavily.  We only have one car, a huge money saver made possible by the ability to get virtually anywhere on trams, trains and buses   

Even though I know all of that, and even though we are lucky to have the car at home this week (Dave flew out for work), these last two days have still been a jolt to me.  

I often talk about how much I love that my kids have "freedom" to go places with friends or get to activities, etc without having to rely on Dave and I to get them there.  Yesterday, as I planned my day around getting Rio to school, Marika to the story hour she volunteers for, Rio home from school and to therapy and then Marika back home--it hit me that the public transit is just as freeing for ME as it is for the kids.  I have spent the last two days really missing the freedom to plan a day which does not revolve around my teens' busy schedules.  Wow.  

I fully admit I do not understand much about the issues behind the strike.  I know the workers are asking for a 2.5% pay increase.  I do not know when they last had a pay increase or what their current salaries are.  So, I cannot really say how I think it should end, but I do have to say I am really, really, really hoping that all sides reach a resolution now and that there are no more long days without that system that I have come to rely on so heavily!

--Hadley

A Spring Afternoon in Strasbourg

Today, David flew out from the little airport near Strasbourg, France.  I jumped at the chance to drop him of and have an excuse to spend a couple of hours wandering one of my favoutire towns.

The city of Strasbourg itself is large, and not all that beautiful.  It's always busy, which I figure must be related to being one of the seats of the EU parliament.  But, it is absolutely worth it to fight your way into the center, where the fantastically lovely church and old town beckon visitors year round.

I was hoping for the abundance of flowers that Strasbourg puts out in planters and small gardens all over town would be in full bloom.  I was too early for most though.  A few early blooms were lining the boxing on the many bridges though:

and local trees were in bloom:

Strasbourg itself lies very near the German border in the Alsace region of France.  It has, over the centuries, changed hands numerous times and this mixed history shows in the unique confluence of German and French architecture throughout "Petite France"  It is the type of town meant for wandering, soaking in the atmosphere and looking in shop windows:

When you start to get tired and want to wind the day down, head towards the centerpiece of town, Notre Dame of Strasbourg.  I suggest taking Rue de Merciere, which lets out directly in front of the cathedral.  Along the way, stop in La Cure Gourmande Biscuit shop (on your left as you head towards the church).  This little shop is as much a feast for the eyes as for the taste buds.  I love to pick up a new tin and a few cookies or candies whenever I am here.  The tins are great for storing teas, sugars, baking supplies, etc. and make a nice souvenir (not that the town is lacking in those!  This is a tourist mecca).  

and then finish off your visit with the breathtaking cathedral.  This one is so closely surrounded by other buildings that it is virtually impossible to get a good shot of the full exterior.  Here are the photos I was able to take for you though.  It is a lovely one:

It is the interior of Notre Dame that really takes my breath away.  I have been in many of the world's most famous churches:  Paris' Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, London's St Paul's, Rome's St Peter's, Istanbu's Hagia Sofia, . . .

ALL of them are stunning and every last one of them is worthy of a visit if you possibly can.  However, if the goal in building a world caliber church is to inspire a sense of spirutuality, a feeling of awe and wonder, of peace and beauty and the thought that such could not be created by Man alone, then surely no other architect has hit that mark nearly so well as Erwin von Steinbach in designing this one.  The feeling is only enhanced by the new addition of piping in organ and choral music (at a comfortable level).  I asked, and the music was a recording of the cathedral's own organ and choir.  Photos cannot capture the beauty, but here are my feeble attempts to share with you:

In the front, to the right side of the altar, is an astrological clock.  It is such an unusual occurrence to see such a scientific instrument in an old Gothic church.   A really unique feel, and a gorgeous clock:

As you can see, it was a lovely afternoon.  I do highly recommend that you drop by Strasbourg for a visit if you ever have the chance.

Happy Monday,

--Hadley