What I miss about Germany

Some of my friends were upset when it was time for them to move away from Germany. Due to a few different circumstances, I was ok with leaving when we did- it was nearly 5 years living in Germany. In addition to the reverse culture shock when we got settled in, I am noticing some things that I really miss.

I never took a photo of a good German salad. Instead, this is the library in our new town (USA)!

Salads in German restaurants were nifty! I need to figure out how to get the right flavors and make them at home. Basically, a small pile of several different ingredients were put on the plate like an artist’s palette, with good lettuce (NOT iceberg) and fantastic light yogurt dressing. For example, most restaurants included a small pile of shredded carrots, thinly sliced marinated cucumbers, shredded pickled beets, a small pile of corn, and even a dollop of potato salad as part of a "regular" salad!

What could she POSSIBLY be looking at???

Bread that doesn’t make my stomach gurgle. I heard this from several people- the bread in Europe, even if it is not gluten free, is made so that people with gluten sensitivity can eat it. There were few to no preservatives in the bakery bread, such that if you didn’t finish the loaf in a few days, it would get moldy, even in the fridge. I’ll take the mold as a reminder that this fresh German bread doesn’t have preservatives.

um?

Traffic circles instead of traffic lights save time! I have a billion traffic lights between me and the grocery store (well, 5 or 6, depending on which grocery store), so it’s a good thing I have 80’s on 8 to entertain me while I sit at the traffic lights. It took a bit to get used to all the rotaries in Germany, especially near Ramstein, but they sure get the job done.

thanks for the "help" (?)

Classical music! I have not been able to find a community choir for singing, and I really miss it. I guess I got an overdose of classical choir music for 5 years, but I look forward to singing again. Apparently there are fall rehearsals here for December concerts each year, but no rehearsals over the dark and dreary winter months (just when I need them, despite the snow & icy roads). I will have to be content staying home and warm, listening to CD’s that my previous choirs produced. 

really miss the fields of flowers, to pick and pay, or just to admire their wild growth

I really miss walking along fields and among trees and flowers. Both places we lived in Germany had immediate access to walking paths in nature. There was a short route, a long route, and delicious smells, sights and sounds of plants and animals along the way. I can walk along a paved sidewalk in front of our new house, but we have to drive (or bike?) to get to a more nature-filled walking area.

Perth & St. Andrew’s, Scotland

Our final location in Scotland was Perth, which we used as a base to visit St. Andrew’s on a day trip. The tour dinner in Perth included the option of haggis, which I passed on. Others at our table said that the way it was presented made it taste like shepherd’s pie (not too bad). The “Haggis Ceremony” included a bagpipe march around the room with a chef carrying the platter of Haggis, and a reading of a poem about haggis.

St. Andrew’s was chilly and windy but beautiful. I missed the ocean while living in Germany, so it was wonderfully sentimental for me to see sand and waves. The golfers in the group were thrilled to see such an elegant golf course and could have played as guests for 200 Pounds. 

There were lots of souvenir shops and thankfully a lovely used book store. If you have time for an extended tour of Scotland, I would recommend a day in St. Andrew’s.

Sticky Toffee pudding in Edinburgh

Perth was an interesting city. We got a tour of St. John’s Kirk, which blended the ancient stone walls with useful and pretty wood additions inside to subdivide the space. We passed interesting shops and cafes but did not have time to go into any of them.

Smoked Fish Stew on Iona

Overall, the food on the trip was good. Some was better than others, but it was no hardship dining in Scotland. There is an increase in vegetarian restaurants and understanding in traditional restaurants. Some of the dishes had unusual-to-me flavors, but it's more than worth trying something new.

Inverness, Nairn, and Culloden, Scotland!

The natural beauty of Scotland is remarkable. I couldn’t capture the photo I really wanted: dozens of wooly sheep on acres of green hillsides, wandering around to their hearts’ content. Maybe I can find a calendar of sheep grazing on the hillsides of Scotland.

After departing the Isle of Mull for the ferry to Oban, our bus was off to the highlands! Our first stop was at the interesting visitor center in Glencoe. We learned of the history of the area and had outstanding mac’n’cheese made with local dairy.

We continued on to Inverness, where we had a few hours to walk around and have dinner. Both the vegetarian places were closed for dinner, but we lucked out with a table at Mustard Seed and enjoyed a delicious and healthy meal. I wish we had more time in Inverness, but that is the hazard of taking an 8-day tour of a beautiful country including 2 islands on the west coast.

We stayed overnight in Nairn at my favorite hotel (except for the segregated/pathetic breakfast there, just for our tour group). The hotel room was huge and the bathtub was huge and there were 3 resident “hairy cows” on the property! We couldn’t find them in the morning on the meadow, but lucked out as we were returning to the hotel: 2 other group members had bought a basket of hay to feed to the cows, and the hotel staff told them where the cows were likely “hiding” (sleeping), and we tagged along. Adorable (IMHO) photo above.

The Highland Folk Museum was comprehensive and interesting! There was a sign asking guests to please keep the door to a house shut because the chickens liked to go inside. As I was admiring the chickens, someone else opened the house door and this is what happened (see video). Guess where the chickens were going?

Culloden was a sad battlefield that felt somber. Always good to learn about political conflicts that end in bloodshed- why do we keep repeating history? A short presentation by a highland clansman warrior was interesting and entertaining. The museum was comprehensive and the gift shop yielded us our Christmas cards!

We continued on to Perth… stay tuned!

Off the beaten path in Scotland: Isles of Iona and Mull, Oban

There are many islands off the west coast of Scotland, and we were thrilled to have the chance to return to Iona. Our tour itinerary had us depart Edinburgh in the morning, stop in Glasgow for the cathedral and a rest room/café, and then continue on to the port of Oban. 

The cathedral in Glasgow was lovely! I wish we had more time in the city, but by the end of the day, I understood why we had moved on so soon.

After enjoying a hot chocolate made with oat "milk" at the Oban ferry terminal, we boarded a car ferry along with many passengers who were bringing their groceries and small pieces of furniture onto the ferry! They left all their bags and wheelie carts in the lobby of the ferry without concern.

We stayed at a hotel on the Island of Mull for two nights. The first morning we rode the bus across Mull to another ferry, which brought us to Iona. Spending part of a day on Iona is quite a different experience compared with being there several nights. However, it was a lovely experience, and for some tourists might be the only way possible. 

We strolled along the lanes and made some new discoveries. A wonderful smoked fish stew hit the spot for one of us, and we learned that there is now an Iona tartan pattern. I asked the clerk if I had simply missed it 20 years ago, and she honestly replied that it had been created since then.

I wish we had been able to participate in a service or group meditation/prayer/song, but we did that at other times, not on Iona. Another hot cocoa and a glimpse of our first “hairy cows” of Scotland completed the day. We returned on the short ferry to Mull, and took the bus back to our hotel.

The following morning we rose early for the ferry back to Oban, then off to the highlands!

Scotland in several parts: Edinburgh to start and finish

We flew to Scotland for our final European farewell trip before moving back to the USA! Edinburgh is a crowded city with amazing architecture and lots to see. We had a friendly and chatty cab driver from the airport, and our hotel was well located on “Cowgate”, one of the ground level streets at the bottom of the hill of old town, just a few minutes walk from the Royal Mile. 

Our walking tour brought us past the café where J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books, but we didn’t have time to go in, plus there was a long line of people. Behind the café is a cemetery where she strolled and looked for names on tomb stones as inspiration for characters, including Tom Riddle.

St. Giles Cathedral was beautiful, complete with a thundering organ for hymns, and the most amazing choir stalls I have ever seen- seriously, check out the photo above: each singer had their own music stand built in with a light! The evening concert there included orchestra music for kids, and I have never seen so many listeners under 12 years old at any concert (Peter and the Wolf, Harry Potter music, Frozen, etc.).

The architecture is amazing, and although we were chilly, it was interesting wandering the streets and shops. The National Museum was terrific, complete with a history of Scotland, along with a science/animal life/outer space section and a transportation section for kids and adults alike. The lower level café had a yummy smoked fish stew!

We highly recommend Edinburgh to all travelers with good mobility. There are cobblestones, hills, and stairs everywhere. There are elevators and taxis, too, and new town doesn’t have the same architectural charms/challenges as old town, so be aware and prepared in order to enjoy all the city has to offer.

Thermal pools from Stuttgart

After 4.5 years in Germany, we continue to enjoy our favorite thermal pools and try new ones from time to time. When we lived in Rhineland-Pfalz (near Landstuhl/Ramstein), our go-to place was the Saarland Therme. We haven’t been there since moving to Stuttgart but have new experiences and recommendations.

No photos of the thermal baths to share with you, due to privacy and courtesy inside. German “thermalbads” are usually built over natural hot springs, the oldest of which are located in towns starting with the word “Bad” = bath. Before moving to Stuttgart, we had already been to Baden-Baden, where we went to the thermal pool WITH BATHING SUITS. The famous Friedrichsbad is “textile free” so we did not go there. The Caracalla pools in Baden-Baden are not as large compared with other locations, but they make for a nice break if you want to keep your bathing suit on. There were a lot of kids when I popped in for the 1.5 hour ticket to warm up during a day trip from Stuttgart for the Christmas markets. It was sooooo cold that day, and it was glorious to warm up in the water, watching the steam rise from the outdoor pool, which you can get to from the indoor pool by swimming through a short passageway with plastic flaps over the exit.

Our favorite close-to-Stuttgart place is in Beuren, about 45 minutes down the A-8 towards Munich. The Panorama Therme has LOTS of pools for bathing suit clad people, and also a sauna area for textile-free. There are 3 indoor pools, one of which has massage stations around the sides where you stand for a minute or so and jets are aimed at your legs, back, etc. There are 3 outdoor pools, one of which is COLD, but that makes some people happy. With your bathing suit on, you have a choice of 3 steam rooms, 2 with a fragrance in the air, 1 salt steam. 2 saunas and 2 relaxation rooms complete the choices (with bathing suits). I don’t use the heat lamp room and the whirlpool is too hot for me except on the coldest winter day, but they are there for you. The restaurant is being renovated, but the snack bar has a few hot lunch/dinner choices and many Germans bring a picnic to be consumed in the picnic room. There are loungers out on the lawn, with umbrellas or without. There is a nice restaurant on the other side of the parking lot with the best home-made ice cream in Germany, according to Jeff.

We also recommend the Franken Therme, a sold 2 hour drive north-east from Stuttgart, near Rothenburg ob der Tauber. You can do it in a day, but it would be a nice weekend, too, either at a hotel next to the baths, or in Rothenburg or Nuremberg, another 30 minutes or so further. The Franken Therme features salt water pools, several of which offer a foam flotation device to put around your neck so you can float freely and gaze at the sky. What an amazing experience! Two of the indoor pools are lightly salted and slightly floaty, one of which has massage stations. One outdoor pool is very salty and under a clear, rounded canopy, with plastic flaps to the outdoor salt pool. There is another slightly salty outdoor pool, a restaurant, and a textile free sauna area. We got the 4.5 hour pass for 15 Euros, and when you purchase at least 9 Euros of food while inside the pool area, you get an extra 30 minutes in the pools for free. There are plenty of chairs outside, a good number inside, and a pleasant relaxation room that is supposed to be quiet (excepting those relaxed souls who are snoring!). Lots of folks brought picnics and ate bakery items right on the indoor lounge chairs. 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany (ON the beaten path)

How is it that I’ve been to Rothenburg 3 times in the past 4 years but haven’t written a post about it? Another time as a kid, but no digital photos in the olden days. The first time in Rothenburg we were on the way “home” from Vienna, and stayed for one night. We walked around the following morning, then completed the drive to Kaiserslautern. Last year I attended a women’s Bible study retreat, and didn’t take many photos, though the experience was wonderful.

This year I returned for the same retreat, and participated in a guided city tour. Learned some new things, so the tour was worth it despite the SNOW in May. There were tons of tourists (ourselves excluded, since we live in Germany) all 3 times, so Rothenburg is absolutely a popular place to visit. The typical cobblestone paths are surrounded by walls you can climb on and walk along.

There are still some hotels with antique features, and a good German common-sense umbrella holder in the room!

Restaurant food is standard German fare; plenty of shops are filled with toys, books, clothes, Christmas ornaments, and souvenirs. I didn’t care for the “snowball” desserts, so cannot recommend them.  

The cathedral is beautiful, and I’m glad that I participated in a daytime tour. Just keep exploring the little alleys and make interesting discoveries as you stroll around.

Life around Suttgart, Germany

Sometimes things aren’t too exciting, and that’s ok! I’ve written about an ordinary week last year, as well as the year before. This week I went to a bulk food health store in downtown Stuttgart, and look forward to going again! Check out these gorgeous (well, to me!) Portobello mushrooms

It’s asparagus and strawberry season here, and people just LOOOOVE their white asparagus. It’s like in Forest Gump: asparagus with hollandaise sauce, asparagus with ham, asparagus with potatoes and on and on. I just LOOOOVE green asparagus and was happy to find an assortment of fresh fruits and veggies at the bulk food store.

Earlier in the week, I got 500 grams (a decent sized container) of local strawberries for $1! Anyway, you can either bring your own containers or buy reusable containers to buy your bulk products. A scale weighs your empty container and spits out a small sticker so you only pay for the food items when it is weighed upon purchase, not the weight of the container.

I got dried peas, roasted peanuts, almond flour, and several other items. Parking is tough on Saturdays, but allegedly better during the week, and public transportation is always an option! Schuettgut will see me again soon- this is not a sponsored post (I wish)!

In other news, handbell choir is done for the season. I ended up being the director this spring, after the previous director got very short notice orders to move. Bible study is coming to an end, and travel season will soon be here. Yoga will be on break, though thankfully German choir keeps going until after the summer concert. Thinking of trying new things, like the swimming hall nearby, which has a large outdoor summer splash park attached.

The "pick your own flowers" stands are in full swing. Daffodils are gone, and tulips are blooming nicely. Peonies are already growing. The honor system seems to work ok: a sign lists the price per stem, and you put your money into the cement-encased lock box.