More pictures of food and fun!

So I thought I would post some pictures I have taken both in Chicago and Europe of food and fun that had not made it to the blog yet....

(Above: Random fountain on the streets of Cologne; Below: Cake that we bought at a local bakery when we traveled to the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich)

(Above: Kwak served in this interesting glass- you hold it by the wooden part; Below: Amazing gnocchi/ bread with olive oil and salt at a Munich wine bar)

 

(Above: Cold day pictures at Cloudgate (the bean) in Chicago; Below: Apple Strudel at Ayinger Brewing in downtown Munich)

(Above: Giant hamburger and french fries that we shared at Kumas too in Chicago; Below: Nate playing with the fun dog at our favorite dive bar in Chicago)

Now I am all caught up on the picture posting- we hope you enjoyed them! We are headed to the land of vampires and gypsies on Monday the 29th for the month of May- more posts about life in Bucharest and Brasov Romania (should be crazy) to come!

Germans with Heart+ Kolsch= Cologne

                                                 ( A pub in Cologne that serves Kolsch- I loved the glass holder in the middle!)

Cologne (or Koln) Germany is located on the Rhine river in north western Germany near the borders of both Belgium and the Netherlands. Because of its location, Cologne is known for its international atmosphere, its "heart" and its Kolsch beer (Kolsch can only be brewed and enjoyed here.) Nathan has been on a two week tour of European breweries, brewing equipment manufacturers, brewing engineering facilities, pubs, and beer towns with the other guys in his program. I flew to meet him on his weekend break in Cologne to catch up and enjoy the city. As soon as I arrived, Nathan warned me that I would really love this city and he was right! After spending a month in Munich, I was pleasantly shocked at how friendly and laid back the Germans of this area were! We headed out to explore the city as soon as we settled in. We walked along the Rhine river from our hotel to the lush green park where there were hundreds of young people on skating on long boards, jumping on trampolines, swinging in hammocks, and enjoying the nice spring weather. We also explored the giant and elaborate Cologne dome and walked around Old Town.

      (Above: inside and outside of the Cologne Dome; Spring has sprung in the parks of Cologne- I loved the blooming trees! Below: Old Town buildings)

After taking an afternoon nap, we headed to the Belgian District, where there were many bars, discos and restaurants. We ate real beef hamburgers and Belgian frites for the first time since being in Europe. We headed to the main square we had heard about in the area after grabbing some Kolsch in a drink market. After some confusion, we found the square in front of a church and drank our beer with the hundreds of other young people who crowded the "platz" and spilled over onto the streets. (I love how in young European cities, where drinking on the street is legal and the drinking age is 16, young people seem to gather publicly and party in the open.) The vibe was so relaxed and fun- there was a really great feeling in the area- probably my favorite European social experience to date. After finishing our street beers, we decided to go downtown and drink Kolsch in the traditional fashion- at a big beer hall. We ended up at a Gaffel located near the Dome. Kolsch is traditionally served in small cylindrical glasses on top of coaster with the establishment's logo. As compared to a stein that gets warm before you finish it, the Kolsch in your small glass always stays cold and fresh. The servers promptly bring you a new 0,2 L glass of Kolsch every time you finish the one before, until you signal you are finished by putting your coaster on top of your glass. Not only is the beer amazing, but the traditional service is also fun to be apart of. Our server even sat down with us and told us about his life in Cologne. He said servers there do not make much money, but that life there was good. He claimed that the international community there was very welcoming to foreigners (he himself was from Albania) and that the city was more liberal and relaxed as compared to Munich- that "they had more heart".

On Sunday, we contemplated heading to Dusseldorf, a city very close to Cologne that brews famous Alt Beer. Cologne and Dusseldorf are both beer towns that have a healthy sense of competition- Dusseldorf is more conservative and Cologne more liberal. But from what we heard, the one thing in common is that the beer flows like water here and people love to party! You can only get Alt beer in Dusseldorf- not Cologne- much less anywhere else in Germany. Nathan was headed there Tuesday on the tour though, so we decided to save our money and just relax. We explored more of Cologne, watched street performers, ate excellent Indian food, and relaxed in Old Town with friends. I really loved our experience here!  (If you are into Museums there is also a famous Chocolate museum and the Ludwig Art Museum there as well- we passed them up due to limited time and money.)





Honestly, I am really happy I made the trip because it was really refreshing to see a different region of Germany. Germany is a really big European country and it makes sense that Germans have different regional identities. I would highly recommend Cologne on your next German holiday!

                             (Above: Nathan enjoying his Kolsch; Kolsch drinking in Old Town on the nice patio! Notice the coasters and 0,2 L glasses)

Life in Munich, Bavaria

I recently read an article about memory that said when you are making new memories and are being exposed to new things- life seems to move slower. So, it would make sense that we have only been here in Munich for three weeks but it feels like 3 months! For some reason I was not expecting living in Europe to be such a change, but it is! Like I have written before, we live outside of the city center therefore you can really end up giving like a local. 

 I have noticed a number of small yet obvious differences between German and American life.

 For example:

*You have to pay to use any public restroom (up to 1 euro) or to use a grocery basket at the grocery store

*You also have to pay to carry your stuff home grocery bags at the store- they do not give them to you for free (or you can bring your own- I take my rolling carry-on suitcase to the store haha )

*They only sell spray deodorant- no solids available

*They take reuse and recycling very seriously- you get paid for recycled plastic and glass bottles-which they not only recycle as in America but clean and reuse again

*Not only do they have different power outlets but the voltage of their appliances is also different- Nathan’s razor and my hair straightener both will not work here (so it was pointless to bring them)

*The door knobs do not turn- it is hard to describe but it is weird and you cannot leave a door unlocked- all doors automatically are locked from the outside when you leave (I had to ask a neighbor how to open the door with my key one day!)

*Windows do not slide open- but you can prop them open from the top (its cool!)

*Lights in hallways and outdoor areas are not left on- and they only stay on for a few minutes after you press the large buttons lining the walls in the hallway (scary/confusing at night)

*Apartments/ flat are not numbered- apartments are named by their owners- ours is ”Dr. Holz”

*Most apartments have a washer- but no dryer- just a drying rack

*From what I have seen and read, Europeans live in smaller spaces and have fewer “things”- the lawyers I work for live in a modest two story flat without a lot of "crap"

                         (Above: Munich church on the Marienplatz; Below: Gockenbockvirtel- hanging by the river in downtown Munich)

My favorite thing so far is that the city is really beautiful, easily accessible and it is so easy to get around on public transportation here (plus the trains and buses are so clean and efficient!)   My main complaint is that Bavarians are not particularly friendly to foreigners. They do not smile when passed on the street and some seem to have a slightly smug sense of nationalism (and I thought Texas pride was bad.) I have heard that Bavarians believe Americans give their attention/affection too freely- that we are "fake"( while they claim their interactions are more genuine?) It is an interesting thing to think about, and they may be right. Yet, especially after a decade of working in the service industry, (where you are paid to be as "friendly" as you need to be) this change is hard for me to get used to! Between the language barrier and this indifference, it is harder to connect with strangers than anywhere I have traveled before. Of course, there are exceptions- and you cannot help but think it is special when you do make a connection. (For example: we tried to speak German at the Subway near our apartment, the girl noticed we were obviously struggling and offered to speak English. She laughed and asked where we were from. When we answered Texas, she seemed shocked and said with a big smile, “Wow, I never imagined I would ever meet anyone from Texas!” I then proceeded to drop Nathan’s sandwich on the floor, which made a huge mess. She laughed, offered to clean it up and made us a brand new sandwich for free. It was refreshing to have a nice human experience after doing something embarrassing.)

P.S. They also have white asparagus in Germany called Spargel. The kids I babysat said they like it more than the green....

( Above: Traditional German Pork Loin served with both warm potato salad and mashed potatoes; Below: Spargel- the white asparagus available in Germany)

Doner Kebab

When it comes to eating out in Germany, we have tried some authentic German food, have been to Chinese buffets, but mainly have eaten Doner when looking for something easy (plus it is easy to order in any language). Doner Kebab cannot be missed here in Munich! It is an obvious favorite for Europeans who are looking for a fast and inexpensive meal because there is a Doner Shop on every corner. They serve the classic Doner Kebab sandwich, pizza, wraps, veggie wraps, etc.  There is one located under our apartment building as well, so we eat this stuff often. For those of you who have never had this “Turkish hamburger”, it is a sandwich made from seasoned veal, or beef mixed with lamb  (or the cheap chicken version) that is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and cut in front of you from the inverted meat cone when it is ready to be served.  It is then topped with a spicy yogurt sauce, tomato, red onion and lettuce. It is similar to a shawarma (the Arabic version) or a gyro (Greek version) but I think I might like this sandwich best.  The meat in the Doner is a little thinner than other versions, the sauce a little richer and the bun is cooked in a pizza oven until crispy. When it comes to fast food- it sure beats the hell out of McDonalds!

Lebensmittelladen (The Grocery Store)

So- in America- I love to go out to eat! I love everything about it. I pretty much live to go out to eat!
Yet, here in Germany, things are a bit different. Most of the German restaurants serve sausage, pretzels, weird other meat products, sauerkraut, etc. I can only eat so much of this before my body craves variety. Also- eating out is taking several risks. First of all, you never know if the hostess or server is going to speak any English (very few people speak good English in our area). And then, if the menu is not in English, you have to risk ordering something you do not like!

For example: Nathan and I went out to lunch on Sunday (nothing is open on Sunday- no grocery stores or markets- so finding something is difficult and when they are open these restaurants are expensive). We ended up at a nearby Chinese restaurant that was open- and serving a "brunch" buffet. The man that greeted us did not speak English and spoke to us in German. We felt safe enough eating there because it was a buffet (even though we had no idea what the man was saying to us). We ordered water (wassau) in German and then answered yes (ja) in German to a series of questions (I thought we were saying yes to sparkling or still water). When we came back to the table, we were shocked because the man had left us these weird shot glasses of sweet wine/liquor/brandy (still unknown). We laughed and drank them but it was so strange- what had we ordered? We just agreed this must be a ritual (like Americans drinking mimosas for brunch) either in Asia or here in Germany. hahaha

P.S. We met some Swiss girls in Prague who had never had a mimosa- and they kindly admitted they thought they tasted nasty after they tried some of mine!

So- to avoid this (and to keep busy) I have been cooking a lot! For some reason, I initially thought the German grocery store would be like the American grocery store. Boy- I was shocked when I got there and everything was in German. (Of course it is in German- I just did not think about it!) Since then I have done my research and can translate some of most important words when shopping- chicken (huhn), vegetables (gemuse), etc. The hardest parts are distinguishing what makes all the creams, yogurts, cheeses different from one another. I finally broke down and asked one of the young girls that worked there if she could tell me which cream could was used for cooking. Also- the eggs and milk are not kept refrigerated- which still kind of freaks me out. Anyway- I am getting more comfortable in the store- and in the kitchen! Here are some pics of what I have made the last few weeks with the ingredients I can find.

I hope to find some cheddar cheese or Mexican food ingredients soon- it is pretty hard around here! But when I do, it is going to be so exciting! haha

Bohemian Holiday

Germany pretty much shuts down for Christian holidays, including Easter, which was celebrated Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday of last weekend. Seriously- the only store open until Tuesday was Subway! So, I am happy that we took this opportunity to head to Bohemia- the western region of the Czech Republic-for the weekend. We stayed in Prague- which they call the "Amsterdam of the East"- and for good reason. It is hard to escape the fun that Prague has to offer. You can drink in the streets, meet young people from all over the world and dance until 6 in the morning. We had been here before to explore its beauty, but this time we had 20 male friends under the age of 30 along with us, so as you can imagine- it was a very different experience.

                                                         (Above: the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic- so beautiful!

We took the bus into Prague on Friday afternoon, which was only a 4.5 hour drive (going 100km/hr).  It was a really cool trip through eastern Germany and into the Czech Republic. We just happened to drive into Germany's hop region- where they grow most of the hops for the German beers made here- which was very exciting.  

                                                          (German hop fields on our way to Prague)

Our first night there we checked into our hostel, and took the opportunity to spend some together- just the two of us (our friends got there earlier in the day and were already out and about when we arrived.) We walked around an Easter festival at the Old Town Square. The buildings here are so old, ornate and beautiful that they cannot even be described. 

(Left: Me drinking unpasteurized Pilsner at the Lokal; Right: up close look at the steins and the drink cards showing what you need to pay for before you leave!)

Then went headed to a bar called the "Lokal" where they served foaming glasses of unpasteurized Czech Pilsner in steins. (They were only serving one type of beer-which was delicious! The servers simply walked around the huge drinking hall asking patrons sitting at long tables if you wanted a beer, then they hand you one off of their tray, and mark it on your ticket. Then repeat until you are finished and pay your tab. It was such simple hospitality- it was perfect). Then we went to another random bar and I tried a elderflower cider from Switzerland (very good) while Nathan drank more Pilsner. We got a little lost on our way home (the tiny streets are very confusing) and then witnessed a huge street brawl (like straight out of a movie) between some young Spanish or Italians and English guys. It was a crazy spectacle but I guess it can be expected when so many different cultures are stuffed into bars and clubs and fed alcohol all day. It did not last long and they broke it up themselves, which is good because the police did not arrive until at least 15 minutes later (we finally heard sirens after we had made it all the way to our hostel.) 

                                                       (The train station in Plzen= Pilsen, Czech Republic)

 After a good nights sleep, we met with our friends and headed west to Pilsen on the train- the home of the legendary brewery Pilsner Urquell. We toured the brewery- where they brew the delicious Pilsner using an ancient triple mash recipe- in large copper kettles. We also toured the packaging hall, and the ancient cellars where they historically lagered the beer. Once again, we got to drink a free glass of fresh and unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell. It was so good- unlike anything you try at home- rich in Saaz hop character yet light and drinkable with a perfect foamy head. The brewing guys were geeking out the entire tour, while I just enjoyed the beer and the company.

(Top: Gate built at the entrance of Pilsner Urquell Brewery; Right: the fermenting vessels; Left: oak barrels filled with Pilsner in the cellar for lagering)

After the tour, we headed to the center of Pilsen- where they were holding an easter festival of their own around the old church. It was a great cultural experience because unlike the square in Prague during that weekend, most of the people here were locals. We tried different sausages, local bread, weird pasta, hot spiced wine, and danced to Czech music from a live family band (I have no idea what they were singing about- but it was interesting!)

                         (Above: Easter festival in town center in Pilsen; Below: Pilsners, warm wine, bread and sausages we had at the festival)

We laughed and joked on the train back to Prague, ate more pizza for dinner (seems to be the only cheap food you could get on the street in Prague beside weird sausages) and got ready for our night on the town. 

Our (mainly single) friends and some Swiss girls from our hostel decided they wanted to go to a giant disco tech (it had five differently themed floors with different music). We seemed to enjoy the European electronic music floor the best. There were crazy Czech go-go dancers, weirdly dressed models and lazers lights. There were people meeting people. There were cheap beers and jager-bombs. It was crazy! We danced and laughed, lost each other and found each other. It was definitely an experience- and as we get older I feel these experiences happen less often, so I am happy to have the memories-blurry though they might be. 

After one more bar and (mom do not read this part) some urinating in the street (bathrooms are hard to come by and you have to pay to use them), we headed home to our hostel. What a night!

The next day we ate weird McDonalds food for lunch and rested. I remembered loving the castle the last time we came to Prague, so Nathan agreed to set out to explore it again, even if it was cold and snowing. We walked around, over the beautiful bridge, around the castle grounds and finally made it up the 1000 stairs to the castle. We thought it was closed because we were the only ones there! It was perfect- it was so peaceful and calm that I could not help but feel like it was special-  almost magical. 

                                                       (Above:The Prague castle from the river at night; Below: Prague castle close up)

Then, to finish out our weekend we dined at a traditional Czech restaurant near the square. It is hard to eat indoors in eastern Europe because smoking cigarettes inside is the norm- and very popular! After being there all weekend, we got a little more used to it though. We shared beef goulash, and weird gnocchi with bacon. It was okay- the Czech Republic is not known for its good/healthy food but Nathan seemed to enjoy it more than me. 

(Czech Goulash- beef and local bread)

The next day, we took a train back to Munich and back to reality (a funny European reality). The train/bus ride itself is a gorgeous trip- small villages, rolling hills, mountain forests.....a little bit of everything. It seems like Prague is a destination for those around Europe who love history, art, architecture or just love to party. If you ever get the chance to take a trip here- I highly recommend it! 

A lot of beer, little sleep and unfamiliar places.....

The last few days have been kind of a blur- lots of beer, little sleep and unfamiliar languages will do that to ya- but now that we are finally settled in in Europe, I thought I would start by recapping our adventures so far.  I do not have phone service and our internet is a bit skittish so this blog might be the best way for me to communicate about our fun to family and friends at home!

( Above: German Hefeweizens- my favorite beers available here- they are traditionally drank before noon because they are easy to drink!  You can buy them at the grocery store for less than 0,79 euros, which is really cheap!)

So I finally arrived in Munich on Donnerstag nicht (Thursday night) around 20:00 (Europe uses military time). Both Kitty and I had not really eaten or slept much, but we were so happy to get into Munich safely. The cat did really well- besides one period of crying- she behaved perfectly. Iberia airlines were really accommodating, they even gave me an extra seat on the plane to Spain for the cat, and many English speaking people on the plane made a point to tell me that they were impressed by her cuteness and patience. And when we arrived in Europe, they did not even check her expensive and seemingly important animal immigration paperwork (I do not think the Passport officers even noticed I had a cat with me)!!

Leaving Chicago, we had an 8 hour flight to Madrid- where we waited for our next flight for 8 hours (I am very impatient so this part was the hardest). I bought an hour of internet for 10 euros and attempted to stay awake with Coca-cola. (I apologize for my last blog post- I wrote it during my limited airport internet time-after not sleeping or eating for 24 hours- I was not in the best mood or it was not my best work! haha) Also, I ate a really really bad ham sandwich- my first taste of weird meat oriented European food induced by a language barrier.

On our last flight from Spain to Munich, I sat by a fun German girl named Doris and we talked the entire time about the differences in German and American culture. She told me some very interesting information (most Germans are very precise, take their studies very seriously, the drinking age is 16, they eat butter pretzels for breakfast, etc.) She was a really nice girl, and invited me to come visit and stay with her at her German university located outside of town. Maybe I will take her up on the offer?

Once we finally arrived in Munich, I took a (Mercedes) taxi on the Autobahn to our apartment. I make a point to mention this because it was the first time I have ever been in a car going that fast- around 120 km/hr! ( The driver told me there is no speed limit in this area- most drive 120 km/hr on the highway and 100 km/hr in town.) It was a crazy- but a shockingly smooth- ride! Nathan met us at our apartment, where we shared a beer in celebration.

I was obviously exhausted but was too excited to go to sleep, so we decided to head into downtown Munich.  (It takes 5 minutes on the rail into downtown from Laim where we live). In the train station, some really nice young people stopped us and offered us beers that were too heavy for them to carry (they bought too many) and invited us to an electronic music dance club. We drank the beer (people here drink openly in the street) but passed up the invite to party with them at the club due to my lack of sleep.

Instead, we ate pizza and we headed to the Euro Youth Hostel downtown- where they speak English and have delicious/ cheap German beer. It was really fun international bar -they let Nathan tap the oak firkin of Oak Aged Helles beer with a large wooden mallot- it was soo good- and gave us free pints for his help! haha

After the long day of travel and the night of fun, I had the best night of sleep in my life (it helps that the bed in our apartment is really comfortable). I needed the rest- for our adventures in Prague over the weekend were pretty exhaustingly fun- pictures and posts coming soon!

After hearing the people of Germany are pretty serious (they do not get excited in response to tourists or visitors,) I have been shocked at how friendly and nice everyone is!! I am so excited to get comfortable, learn more of the language and spend more time here.