Pamper Me

On Friday I got to spend some time with one of my sisters and her daughters. And, what better way to kill of few hours with the girls then to get pedicures?

My feet were long over due for a little pampering too. I know that you can get a pedicure in Germany, but I have yet to get one there. My five-year-old niece was excited for her first pedi, which she described as, "so relaxing."

Entertain Me

Last night I went to the movies for the first time in over 10 months. There are English movies in Bonn — right around the corner from my house in fact — but the time never seems to work with my schedule. So instead I waited until I returned to the states for a flicks fix.

I saw the Sex and the City movie. It wasn’t as good as the series, but the movie was fun and entertaining — kind of like visiting old friends that you haven’t seen in a while.

Tonight I am going to the summer theater where I worked throughout high school and college. The show is Gypsy, which I’ve never seen before. And, of course, after the show we’ll go to the cabaret, for the post-show review and coffee.

I haven’t been to a show here in years and years. I wonder how it will live up to my memories.

A Whirlwind Weekend

Since arriving in the states last Thursday, I've had every moment scheduled, maximizing my time here to see family and friends, sampling my favorite foods, and stocking up on supplies you just can't find in Germany.

My father picked us up at the airport and took us directly to Tony's Pizzeria in Middletown, NY. I have been eating pizza here for as long as I can remember and was happy to share the experience with Kevin. Kevin was just happy to have a good pie, since he was talking about getting a slice for dinner long before we touched down.

Even though pizza is popular throughout Europe, I haven't found a place yet that serves up true American pizza. We ordered a large pie with mushrooms and happily ate the big, ol' slices. We ate with our hands, something the Germans don't do, and enjoyed not sticking out in the crowd. (In the picture Kevin isn't eating pizza with a knife and fork, he's trying some of the meatball sub that we also ordered.)

The next morning, we made a stop at the Woodbury Commons. On multiple occasions while abroad, I've had German friends and acquaintances tell me about the "gigantic outlet mall," when they learn that I grew up in upstate New York. I was reminded of these tourists when I heard German announcements just moments after parking the car. And indeed, throughout the morning there was plenty of German for me to practice ease dropping on.

Next, we headed down to Spring Lake, NJ for a wedding of one of Kevin's close friends. The ceremony, which took place on the porch of a Victorian hotel on Ocean Avenue, was lovely. The reception that followed allowed us to catch up with tons of friends. After dancing the night away, we were happy that our hotel was right next-door.

The inn were we slept included a yummy breakfast on the porch, which also overlooked the ocean. Then it was only a quick trip across the street to get to the boardwalk. I trained for two marathons along this stretch of ocean, and my morning walk made me home sick for the Jersey Shore summers of my past.

But there was no time to get nostalgic for Kevin and I had some more old haunts to visit. We had lunch on at the Columns in Avon, Kevin's old stomping grounds. And then, even though I was filled to the gills with Buffalo chicken, drove to Bradley Beach to get smoothies from Fin's.

Armed with a Jersey Girl smoothie, which includes strawberries and peaches, it was time to get back on the parkway. Four hours later, with a sampling of D.C.-area traffic, we arrived in Rockville, Maryland for a visit and dinner with my uncle.

By the time we arrived at Kevin's friend's house in Fredrick later that night we were both exhausted. Thank goodness it was the summer solstice, because Kevin and I really maximized the length of the day.

Sunday, though more relaxing, was deceptively busy again. I went to the lake to play in the water with the kids while Kevin and his friend had some time to go fishing. Then everyone went for a ride around the lake on the boat before heading home for lunch. That's when Kevin and I got back in the car to drive a few towns over to have lunch with his brother and parents. The whole gang then headed back to Fredrick for a barbeque with more of Kevin's high school friends.

Monday morning we left Maryland and headed north to Scranton, PA were we met Kevin's grandmother for lunch. Grandma Helen is an amazing. At 80+ (she made me promise not to tell anyone her real age) she still lives on her own, walks to church everyday, meets her girlfriends for coffee (not Starbuck's, she'd never spend that much for a cup of coffee), and knows how to shop the sales. She's also feisty and funny and is a great role model for how to keep active and fit at any age.

Wurst of the Week - 6/18

This is a Krakauer sausage. (As in the city in Poland.) It's similar to the beef wurst that we had at the Christmas market in Munich, but smokier and a bit chunkier.

New York, New York

Tomorrow Kevin and I are headed back to the states. That means that I wont have time for a post tomorrow. The visit is all about catching up with family and friends. Here's a list of some of the little things that I am looking forward to (in no particular order):

• Real New York pizza and bagels
• Going to Spring Lake, NJ
• A Jersey Girl at Fin's in Bradley Beach
• Paying in dollars
• Stocking up on basics (i.e. fresh white t-shirts) from Target
  

Germany Moves on in Euro2008

In recent months I've written a few blog posts* about the fact that I am becoming a football ... err ... soccer fan since moving to Germany. This phenomena has only intensified in recent weeks as all of Europe becomes enthralled with Euro 2008.

Every four years UEFA hosts the European Football Championship. Through some sort of qualifying process that I don't fully understand, 14 teams are selected to participate in the event. The winner is automatically qualified for the World Cup, and gets bragging rights as the best team in Europe.

Germany played a critical match last night again Austria, and will now advance to the quarter finals. What has really struck me as interesting is that this is the first time that I have seen Germans express a sense of patriotism. The German flags, which are not really common sites, are everywhere. The streets are quite during a game, and then erupt with shouting and honking horns when a victory is grasped.

* Other soccer posts are: Cologne Soccer is Fantastic and Soccer Burgers.

One Day at Superbike Week

For months, it seemed that every outing Kevin and I went on meant we had to drive through the Eiffel. The A1 passes near the town of Nürburg, and posted along the highway was a sign for Superbike Week coming to the Nürburgring.

"Superbike Week" we'd chant. It sounded like so much fun. The Germans are mad for their motorcycles, and what better way to see these vehicles performing at their peek then at an international motorcycle race? Topping off the excitement was the chance to go to the Nürburgring, one of the most famous racetracks in the world.

Understand, I arrive at this frame of mind only after hearing Kevin talk about the race. My initial reaction was that it sounded like a terribly noisy day. But, I figured, Kevin is always willing to go wherever I want (the ballet, endless museums, antique stores) that this was the least I could do.

Turns out, I was right. Though we had a pleasant day being outside and hanging out with friend, Superbike Week didn't live up to our expectations. Not only were the races noisy, they weren't very exciting either. Each section of seats only allowed us to see part of the track and they didn’t have monitors to see what was happening when the race wasn't in front of us. The announcers spoke in very fast German, so that didn't help us to follow the race either.

Beer School, Session 6

Cervesa 101.

While in Spain the beer of choice was San Miguel. Though this was a decent Pale Pilsen, there is a reason why Spain is not one of the world's most famous beer-drinking nations. My tip: order the sangria instead.

Insurance Gap

Here's a strange quirk of my German health insurance: I am covered everywhere in the world, except in the United States. Why this is totally baffles me. The insurance company said it had something to do with the fact that I am a U.S. citizen. But that serves to clarify nothing in my mind.

Anyway, I'm going back to the U.S. next week for a scheduled vacation, so I headed to ACDC, Germany's answer to AAA, to purchase traveler's health insurance.

Though this wasn't the most exciting trip, what amazed me was that I did the whole transaction in German — including turning down the sales pitch to become a member and holding firm to getting exactly what I expected.

Home Again?

After five days in the states, I came back to Germany on Tuesday morning. What really surprised me was that on Tuesday night, sitting on the sofa with my husband and cat, I said that I was glad to be home.

When did Bonn become home? I don't really know, but I'll take it.

Wurst of the Week - 6/9

We picked up this supersized Spanish Chorizo at the grocery store.

Not Too Far Away

Due to a family issue, I had to fly back to the states unexpectedly. While it was too bad to leave my vacation early, it was extremely comforting to know that I'm really not that far from home. I can leave Europe in the morning and be with my family before dinner.

A Day in Morocco

On Tuesday we drove to Tarifa, the southern-most point in Europe and took a ferry across the Straight of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco. I was surprised to discover that you can actually see Africa from the coast of Spain. In fact, the Straight is only eight miles wide and took just 35 minuets to cross.

Despite its physical proximity, as soon as we stepped off the ferry we knew that we were on a different continent. The Arabic signs, the women in kaftans, tile mosaics decorating doors, and minarets piercing the skyline all help to create the city's atmosphere.

We decided not to go on an organized tour, thinking that it wouldn't allow us to explore the Medina. Instead, we hired one of the guides outside the ferry port to show us around. Since there were six of us, including two guys, we figured there was safety in numbers and we were clear with him up front about where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. For a mere 3 Euros per person he navigated us through the narrow streets, took us to stores selling what we were interested in, showed us the Kasbah, and recommended a good place for lunch.

Shopping was the main activity of the trip, and it wasn't long before each one of us was negotiating like a local. The best tactic we found was to state your price, then walk out. Most of the time the shopkeeper would follow you to the street and finally relent.

Other highlights included seeing the snake charmers, visiting a traditional pharmacy that sold homeopathic spices, and eating lunch.

Granada Day Trip

On Monday we took a day trip to Granda. The city, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was the fathers in land that we planned to travel on our trip. About two hours north of the cost, the ride gave us a chance to see the countryside, which was a stark contrast from the green forests of Germany. Very dry, the mountains and hillsides were covered with olive groves.

The main tourist attraction in Granada is Alhambra, a series of Moorish palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th Century. We didn't want to book a tour through the hotel, which only visited the castle and didn't allow visitors to see the rest of the city. And, despite the advice of the hotel's concierge, we decided to go without booking tickets in advance.

The number of visitors per day is limited to protect the monument. Since it wasn't high season, we thought it wouldn't be a problem to get in. However, when we arrive we discovered that there we no tickets to be had for three days.* Instead we choose to wander through the old city, have a lunch of tapas in a square near the cathedral, and walk to the Sacromonte district.

Sacromonte is also known as the Gypsy Caves. Though they look like regular houses at first glace, upon further inspection you see that these house are actually caves in the side of the mountain. At one time a large gypsy community inhabited these caves, and today is home to many Flamenco shows.

* Reservations can be made online at or by calling 902 22 44 60. For more information about the monument, visit www.alhambra-patronato.es.

Mijas Pueblo

After spending almost 100 Euros in taxis on Saturday, the group decided to rent a car for the week. Since there were six of us, we needed something big enough to accommodate everyone. We got a standard mini van for under 500 Euros for the week. Best of all, this gave us freedom to explore as much as we wanted. Mijas Pueblo, one of Andalucia's white villages, was the first town we set our sights on.

Throughout Southern Spain are the Pueblos Blancos, which have their roots in Moorish settlements from the 13th through 15th centuries. Many of the town were built primarily as defense and have ruined walls and castles. Mijas is home to a wall that visitors can walk on to enjoy views of the Mediterranean below.

The town also has winding streets filled with shops, cafes, and tapas bars. At the top of the hill is a bullring. And though we didn't want to watch the bullfights, I did enjoy seeing the Matadors ride through the village and horse drawn carriages with the fight's Queen.

Exploring the Costa Del Sol

On Saturday morning I headed to Nueva Andalucia to one of the street markets. The market was a bit of a disappointment. Many of the items for sale could be found on St. Mark's Street in New York. But the weather was nice and I had a delicious lunch at a little cafe in the middle of all the hustle and bustle.

The afternoon was spent lounging at the beach and swimming in the indoor heated pool. (The Mediterranean was too cold to go for a dip.)

For dinner the group decided to check out Puerto Banús. Though this town is known as the nightlife and party center of the region, we were a bunch of early birds and headed out before the sun set to wander down the strip and check out the luxury yachts and window shop in the high-end stores.

We had a seafood dinner in one of the many restaurants that line the road along the water. The paella was by far the stand out dish with gigantic prawns and rich and creamy rice reminiscent of risotto.

After dinner the strip was hopping, with people from all over Europe decked out in their club-going finest. For our part, we got cones of gelato before taking a taxi home.

Wurst of the Week - 6/2

Behold: Chicken sausage. It took over six months to find it, but alas the land of wurst didn't let me down.