Beer School Session 13: Taking Labor Day Off

Even though Labor Day — which is being celebrated in the states this weekend — isn't a German holiday, we did find ourselves at a barbeque this weekend. Despite this fact, Kevin really didn't try any new beers to report about this week.

Not too worry though. With plenty of trip planed and visitors coming, the fall promises to have some tasty brews to write about.

Wurst of the Week - 8/29

In Dublin I was a bit of a blogger slacker: I neglected to bring my camera to breakfast. That means that I didn’t take my own photo of the sausages and puddings served at the full Irish breakfast. Thanks to the Web site Rashers and Eggs I was able to find a picture of the wursts that we ate in Dublin. (The stuff in the back is blood sausage).

Bill Was Here

On the news this morning I heard an interesting statistic: If Germans were allowed to vote in the American election, over 75 percent of them would vote for Barack Obama. Indeed, everyone I've met — from friends and colleagues to shopkeepers and random people in my travel — tells me to vote for Obama as soon as they discover that I am American.

But still, there's another American politician that the Europeans enjoy talking about. Not W of course. They get angry when they talk about him. They get excited when talking about Bill Clinton.

What's interesting is that I rarely hear about Bill's policies or political legacy. Instead everyone wants to point out where Clinton ate, drank, slept, and partied. I'm not sure how many times he traveled to Europe during his eight years in office. But it seems that everywhere I go, Bill Clinton was there too.

Bill Clinton was in Berlin. Yup. He made a speech at the Brandenburg Gate. But I also saw were he had lunch. Of course he visited London and Brussels, but do you know what hotels he slept in? He even visited the small German city of Aachen. Naturally he had a snack there too.

In Lisbon I saw the cafe where he was serenaded by one of the city's most famous Fado singers. He ate pizza on the same piazza as I did in Naples. I also know where he had pasta in Rome. There's even a story about a coffee shop in Amsterdam where he smoke some hash with Christopher Walken.

As a matter of fact, from the balcony of my apartment I can see the Petersburg Hotel, where he stayed while visiting Bonn.

Most recently, this trend continued in Dublin. The tour guide on the hop-on, hop-off bus pointed out a restaurant saying, "Clinton ate a steak there." Later in the weekend, one of the locals at Sheehan's Pub wanted to take us to a place where, "Clinton drank a pint."

Seeking an Authentic Irish Pub

In just about every city I've ever visited — from Tampa, Florida to Bonn, Germany – there is an Irish pub. So, was only natural that while visiting the Emerald Island I needed to check out a few Irish, Irish pubs to see how the rest of the world compares. "Are dark paneling, stew, Celtic music, and Guinness on tap all you need to make an authentic experience?" I wondered.

Each night in Dublin Kevin and I visited a pub or two looking for an authentic experience. Surprisingly, this task was more difficult then you might think. Being new to the city, we found ourselves mostly on the beaten path. This meant that the pubs we visited on Friday and Saturday were filled with tourists, not locals. Hearing Italian on one side and German on the other — while making Dublin feel like a popular international destination — certainly did not create a sense of authenticity.

After spending two day walking around the cit we had a better idea of where to head on Sunday. It was our last chance to find the pub of our Irish dreams.

I'm happy to report: We found it.

Even though Sheehan’s on Chatham Row just off Grafton Street is not far off the beaten path, the place was filled with locals. We sat at the bar and made friends with two regulars and the staff while waiting for a table to eat our meal. Before we knew it, someone was buying us a round and we got swept up in an argument about which Dublin neighborhood was tougher.

We eventually got a cozy booth in the corner. Our quite meal was punctuated with banter between another couple we befriended and the crowd at the bar. We even got to meet an old-time Irish T.V. star who popped in for a drink between sets of his stand up act at a near by theater.

The cherry on our Sunday: Kevin was invited behind the bar to practice pulling a pint of his own!

Newgrange and Knowth

Kevin and I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning. Our plan: a day trip to Boyne Valley to tour two Neolithic monuments. Older then the pyramids in Egypt or Stonehenge, the megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth are certainly worth visiting.

Based on the difficulty finding information about how to get to the Valley, I'm assuming that most people either drive their own cars or take a packaged tour arranged through Dublin's tourist office. Convinced that I could get their on public transportation, one of the front desk clerks at our hotel* offered to help. She found and printed out all of the bus schedules that we needed.

Via Bus Eireann, Ireland's national bus service, we went from Dublin's main bus station to Drogheda. For four Euros per person, the express bus took about half and hour. On the east coast of Ireland, this industrial and port town is about 35 miles north of Dublin. From Drogheda, we planned to transfer to another bus, which was supposed to take 10 minutes to get to the Brú na Bóinne Visitor's Center near the village of Donore, in the County of Meath.

It was 9:00 AM when we arrived. The second bus, however, didn't start running until 10:15. We joined another pair of tourists — a very nice young couple from Naples — and took a taxi instead. The taxi was only 15 Euros for the four of us.

The taxi delivered us to the visitor center just as it was opening. This was a good thing for us. Since access to each of the monuments is by guided tour only, the number of visitors each day is capped. The number of expected visitors last Sunday was even more then usual since the admission fee was waved in celebration of Heritage week.

From Brú na Bóinne we took a bus to the site of Knowth a few kilometers away. At the site of Knowth is one large mound surrounded by a few smaller mounds. These mounds are over 5000 years old and were built by Neolithic farmers as tombs. Around the base of the mounds are carved curbstones and the top provides an amazing view of the valley. The tour of Knowth lasts about an hour, though I think the very interesting tour guide could spend an entire day showing visitors the site.

Next we took another shuttle bus to Newgrange. Built in 3200 BC, this kidney-shaped mound covers an area of over one acre and is also surrounded by curbstones. The most famous portion of this tomb is the 19-meter passage that leads to an inner chamber. The chamber's corbelled roof, which has never been reconstructed, is perfectly watertight.

The tomb is perfectly astrologically aligned. For five days around the winter solstice, the first rays of morning sunlight illuminate the passage and chamber. The dramatic event lasts for 17 minutes if the sky is clear. During the tour, visitors enter the passage and get to see a recreation of this amazing event. A lucky 50 people are selected by lottery to be in the chamber on the solstice. Applications are available at the visitor's center.

* Angelina from the Ripley Court Hotel was an amazing help. She went above and beyond for us!

Getting a Cultural Fix in Dublin

Back in college I claimed that a semester-long class on Ulysses was enough of Dublin's culture to last a lifetime. Yet, while doing some research before leaving I got myself excited to explore the city that was home to so many great artists and writers. William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw: the list goes on and on.

Saturday, which was dedicated to exploring Dublin's culture, started at the Huge Lane Gallery. The gallery is now home to the Francis Bacon studio. Bacon was born in Dublin and spent much of his early years in the city. The studio, moved here from London in 1998, was donated to the museum after his death in 1992.

The exhibit started with an interesting interview with the Bacon in which he speaks about his need to work in chaos. Next was a look at a reconstruction of the studio, complete with walls used to test paint colors, stacks of books, and used rags. The studio exhibit concluded with some photos of Bacon at work in his studio and a room with six original works. Overall the visit provided a wonderful glimpse into the artistic process. Entrance to the gallery is free and the visit takes about 30 minutes.

I had planned next to visit the Dublin Writer's Museum, which is directly next door to the Huge Lane. However, leaving the gallery the skies looked too nice to go back indoors. Instead I decided to walk over to St. Stephen's Green to see the Peoples Art exhibit.

Peoples Art 2008 is a chance for aspiring visual artists to show their work. Taking place over three weekends — one in June, one in August, and once more on September 19 - 21, 2008 — the gates around the park were lined with a variety of pictures. Mostly paintings were on display and they ranged from the safe (flowers and seascapes) to the abstract.

After wandering past the art that hung on all four sides of the park, I went in for a much-needed rest. My picnic was cut short, however, due to the downpour that started not long after entering the green. Thankfully, there was a shopping center on the corner of the green and Grafton Street. Here I found three book stores. That provided more then enough activity to wait out the rain.

The next stop on my Dublin tour was Trinity College. Founded in 1592, the college is the most famous Irish university. Alumni of the college include Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde. The Library is home to the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels and the New Testament. It is regarded as one of Ireland's national treasures.

I skipped the official tour and instead chose to wander on my own. My main intent was to find the theater's box office. Once there I purchased tickets to see Beckett's "Waiting for Goddot," which was being preformed by the AC Production. After a dinner of fish and chips, I returned to the college for the play.

Beer School Session 12: Guinness Rules

Our first stop in Dublin: the Guinness brewery. The tour gives visitors an overview of the ingredients used, the brewing process, and a short history of the company that makes and distributes this world famous Irish stout.

The Guinness Storehouse, which is the official name of the Guinness factory tour, received its name because it was the location on the company's fermentation original plant. Here is where the brewery originally stored the beer while it was fermenting.

In 1988 the building was re-purposed and the interior was remodeled to resemble a pint glass. The Guinness “experience” is a fun, highly designed, interactive museum that is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Dublin. It’s worth the visit — even if the 15 Euro entrance fee does seem a bit excessive.

Don’t expect an authentic brewery tour. This tour is nothing like seeing a working brewery in action. (For a great tour of a brewery in action, visit the Cantillon brewery in Brussels.) Instead you’ll learn about the beer’s production and history.

In the entrance space the 9,000-year lease that Arthur Guinness signed securing his right to the property is on display. The first exhibit shows visitors the four ingredients used to make Guinness: barley, hops, water and yeast.

Next is information about the brewing process. Followed by a history of the Guinness family and the growth of the company. And finally, the tour ends at the top of the building at the Gravity Bar where you get a complimentary pint. The Gravity Bar also offers a 365-degree view of the city.

Erin Goes to Ireland

Hotel reservation, check. Flight confirmation, check. Addresses for the Guinness factory, check. I just finished printing out all of the paperwork for our next trip. Now all I have to do it throw my rain jacket in a bag and I'm all set.

Tomorrow morning I leave for a long weekend in Dublin.

Since I only am allowed 13 pounds for a carry on bag (and I'm not checking any luggage) the computer is staying home. That means I wont be blogging for a few days. Expect lots of Irish inspired posts when I get back.

Tìoraidh!

The Problem With Biking Everywhere Is...

…Sometimes you get caught in the rain.

Today I left work just as the skies were darkening. Not long after mounting my biking and riding toward home the skies opened up and drenched me.

This really didn't bother me too much. It wasn't freezing cold out and I was headed to my house, were I could change into dry clothing.

What made me wonder, though, is how did every other person on their bikes (and in typical German fashion there were lots of them) know to have a full rain suit with them. They were all happily cruising along in their protective gear. Dry as a bug in a rug.

A Day in the Woods, But Skip the Culture

Back in March when my parents were visiting we took the cog railway in Königswinter to the Drachenfels (Dragon Rock) at the top of one of the peaks in the Siebengebirge Mountains. When we purchased our ticket for the railroad, we also purchased a ticket to enter the Schloss Drachenfels.

According the local tourist information site, it is "definitely worth seeing." My assessment though: don't go with high expectations.

Let me qualify my statement. I was slightly bitter toward the castle from the get-go. When we purchased our ticket in March, the attendant neglected to tell us that the castle wasn't open until April. (You'd think this was a key piece of information to share, right?) Fortunately, the tickets didn't expire, so when I found myself at home on a Sunday with no big plans, it seemed like a perfect outing.

Built by a wealthy stockbroker from 1882 to 1884, the castle sits directly below the Drachenfels fortress ruins. It was damaged during World War II, and soon fell into decay. In the late 60s, a new owner bought the property. He refurbished it and moved in. While still in residence, he opened the castle to the public in 1973.

After the owner’s death in 1989 the region's Institution for the Maintenance of Nature Protection, Homeland, and Culture took ownership. The castle is now considered a historical monument. It is currently undergoing renovations and only a few rooms can be viewed. You can also climb the tower, which offers lovely views of the river valley below.

The castle was our destination, but the day’s fun was in the trip there and back. Kevin and I road our bikes to the ferry, got shuttled to the other side of the river, rode to the base of the mountain, hiked to the top, and had a picnic on the castle grounds. On the way back we stopped in Königswinter for a gelato.

Schloss Drachenburg (Castle Drachenburg)
Drachenfelsstr. 118
53639 Königswinter
Telephone: +49 (0)22 23 / 90 19 70
www.schloss-drachenburg.de
Opening: April 1 through November 1, Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

The Rhine's Gigantic Flea Market

On Saturday Kevin and I biked over the Rhine Leisure Park to check out the once-monthly flea market. Held every third Saturday from April through November, the market, according to the Bonn tourist Web site, one of the largest of its kind in Germany.

Even though I had read this statement before attending the event, I was shocked at the size. Lining the tiered paths, the vendors rambled along a large portion of the park.

Unlike flea markets or antique fairs that I am used to visiting in the states, this had less of a professional feel. Each vendor seemed like individuals or families out selling their old stuff, as if it were one huge neighborhood garage sale. There was a lot of second-hand clothing, toys, and books for sale. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more furniture and large items for sale. But, after realizing that — since cars were left in the parking lots — vendors had to lug their wares to their spot, I quickly forgave them.

There wasn't much rhyme of reason to who set up where, and Kevin and I simply wandered through the park until we were tired. There was no sense in trying to see everything.

Not surprisingly, I overspent my 20 Euro budget. How could I pass up the covered beer stein that said "prosit" (German for "cheers"), the glass bowls with orange polka dots, or the 2 Euro blue wrought iron wine rack?

Beer School Session 12: Irish Stouts

Guinness — which will be featured next week since we are headed to Dublin on Friday — is the most famous Irish beer. Yet, there are other popular Irish stouts worth including in our hunt for the best beer in the world.

Irish stouts, also known as dry stouts, are very dark beers with low levels of carbonation. The characteristic toasted, coffee-like flavor comes from roasted barley and lots of hops. Rich with its iconic, creamy foam, Irish stouts are top fermented.

On Friday night Kevin had a pint of Beamish, which he quite enjoyed. It was full-bodied, but not too bitter. Stay tuned to see how it compares with what he is able to taste in Ireland.

Happy Forestburgh Day!

Today's post is not about life in Germany. Instead, it's about life back home. Today is Forestburgh Day!

Forestburgh is the small town in Sullivan County New York. It also just happens to be where I grew up. Every August (for the past three years anyway) the town gets together and celebrates, well, Forestburgh.

In the morning there is a 5K run/walk to support Hospice of Sullivan and Orange Counties. Then in the afternoon there will be a pioneer re-enactment, silent movies (the first silent movie was shot in Forestburgh), and a chicken BBQ.

Even though I an unable to attend the event this year, I wanted to let everybody back home know that I'm thinking about them.

Event Planing in Bonn

Since arriving in Bonn, most events that I've attended I've learned about through word of mouth. This has been pretty fruitful so far. I have heard about plenty of cool things this way, such as the Beer Exchange, Rhine in Flames, horse races, and soccer games.

Other events I've just happened upon by accident. Especially during Carnival season, which lasts from November through the beginning of February, it seemed like every weekend the public squares were alight with music, dancers, and of course beer stalls.

The problem is, these two methods leave me missing plenty of events that I’m sure I’d find interesting. I know, I know: I should be reading the local paper, practicing my German and finding out what's going on at the same time. But that's not a reliable method of information gathering yet.

Today, however I found a great English-language Web site that lists a calendar of events in Bonn. The Bonn Region tourist site offers a complete list of what's coming up in the area.

Tomorrow we're going to check out the flea market in the Rheinaue Park. Granted, I learned about the flea market through someone at IFOAM. But I found the new site all on my own while searching for additional details about the market.

German Lunch

When I was taking language classes, we often spoke about food. What and when people from different nations eat varied. In Korea they eat soup for breakfast. In Israel it's a salad. But, one thing that always left me wondering about was German's and their lunches.

According to what I've heard, German's have their main meals at lunchtime. That means meat, potato, a vegetable, and dessert. Even though people constantly told me that this was true, I couldn't believe it. The thought that people had big lunches in restaurants everyday didn't makes sense to me — especially knowing how sensible and thrifty Germans can be.

Supporting my belief was the lack of quick and easy lunchtime options. It’s clear that they are not obsessed with sandwiches like Americans are. Sure, you can get a sandwich at every bakery in town, but they are on small rolls, and are more like a snack then a meal. Kevin, for example, usually has to order two. Yesterday he ate three!

So, where do they eat lunch? I think that German office workers eat lunch at a corporate canteen. Most large companies have big cafeterias, which are open not only to their employees, but to the general public. Kevin's office is small, so they go to the canteen at Deutche Telecom. Where I volunteer, which is also a small office, frequents the canteen at the Deutche Post Tower.

I recently tried the Post Tower's cafeteria for the first time. It wasn't bad. There were lots of options, decent pieces, and the food was pretty good.

Banking in Germany

For me, banking and bill-paying in Germany fluctuates between love and hate. In the U.S., I paid all of my bills with a check or online. Accounts paid online were always attached to my credit card — and I paid each vendor on their site. Sometimes this is a hassle since each payment requires setting up online accounts, IDs, and passwords.

In Germany, you pay everything directly from your bank account to theirs. No credit card middleman required. No unique account for each bill to be paid. That's where the love comes from.

Some of my monthly bills are automatically deducted from my account. For others, I have templates set up in the bill-paying tab of the bank’s site. When I get the energy bill, for example, I simply log on to my bank account, pull up the energy template, and input the payment for that month. To execute the transaction and provide security, there are special "TAN" codes, which the bank sends you in the mail and you input at the end of the transaction.

Giving out your bank's code and account number is standard practice. Many companies have this information printed on the bottom of their letterhead. And, this method of payment doesn't stop at the business level. Let's say you lend money to a friend. They can then simply wire money back into your account.

All this is great, but, with so many account codes flying around, what happens when someone inputs the wrong number? Usually, if money is sent to the wrong account number, it is rejected by the recipient's bank and returned to your account. But, as is the case that we're now dealing with, sometimes that money just disappears. And, once the money has been removed from your account, it's difficult to track down. Especially when the recipient never received it.

Our bank had to send a formal inquiry to the other bank. Apparently, banks are supposed to have a lost-funds account, where money with incorrect account numbers is sent. We now have to wait a couple of weeks for the other bank to respond. That's where the hate comes in.

Visiting the Olympic Muesum

On Sunday Kevin and I decided to check out the German Sports and Olympic Museum in Cologne. Even though we couldn't read everything (the exhibit overviews and main attractions were in English, but descriptions of each individual piece were in German. Overall, though, I would say it was worth the trip.

We purchased the combination ticket, which gave us entry into the museum's special exhibit about the Beijing games. I don't recommend this portion of the museum unless you are able to read German or are visiting with children. (At the end of the special exhibit there is a section where kids can try out some Olympic-style events, such as jumping and climbing on ropes and mats with images of the bird's nest stadium in the background or wrestle with a life-sized dummy.)

The permanent collection is upstairs and covers the history of sports in Germany. On display are some interesting artifacts. My favorites were the "sports corsets" and a series of lockers that highlight famous German athletes. (Did you know the world-record holder for ultra-triathlons — among men and women — is a German woman?)

Special rooms covered the Berlin and Munich games. Both are pretty somber places. The Berlin room deals mainly with the Nazi presence, and the Munich room has a large black box with audio recordings of worldwide radio casts reporting the terrorist attacks on the Israeli team.

There were also a number of interactive exhibits, such as a boxing ring, a long jump, gymnastics’ horses, and weightlifting equipment. Also, on the roof there is a tennis court, basketball hoop, and small soccer field. Equipment is available for children’s use.

The one complaint we had was that since the museum is not air conditioned, parts of the museum were very stuff on a hot summer day.

Customs on Packages Mailed to Germany, Part 2

Last week I wrote about a package that I received with a very expensive custom's fee attached. What was in the package? A Florida thank-you package, including sunglasses, t-shirts, and magazines. The problem was that my very generous and honest friends documented what the actual retail value of the package.

According to German customs, any package with a value over $70 (40 Euros) is subject to a tax — even if it is a gift. My best advice is to reduce the claimed value of the items, and remove any price tag just to be safe.

Wurst of the Week - 8/11

“Droge Worsten” are regional dry sausages found in Holland. These particular wursts are from the Sunday market in Antwerp.

Beer School Session 11: What's in a Glass

One thing about drinking in Europe that continues to amaze me is that every drink is served in a different type of glass. What's more, these glasses are usually branded to match the brew that you're drinking. This phenomenon has forced me to wonder: it this all just marketing hype or does the type of glass really matter?

According to experts, using the proper glassware is important because it concentrates the foam, accents the color, and helps to heighten the olfactory experience. When the beer is poured, hidden nuances are highlighted and the type of glass helps to supply a better, more complex drinking, experience.

Here's a quick run down of which glass is best for which beer:

• Flutes: The long, narrow bodies reduce the speed of carbonation dissipation; they generally have shorter stems then champagne glasses; flutes can be used for some Bocks, Pilsners, and Lagers
• Goblets: Delicate or heavy, plain or adorned, simple or sculptural stems — the options for this type of glass are endless; what all beer goblets have in common is that they are designed to maintain the beer's head; goblets are used for IPAs and dark ales
• Mugs and steins: Big, sturdy, and heavy mugs — and steins, their older, stone cousins — have handles that allow for serious toasting (not to mention the development of the arms of waitresses who can upwards of five mugs per hand to thirsty revelers); mugs can be used for Lagers, Ales, and Pilsners
• Pilsner glass: Tall, thin, and tapered, these 12-ounce glasses are meant to capture the carbonation and colors of Pils while maintaining its head; sometimes they have a short stems; in addition to Pils, they can be used for Lagers and Bocks
• Pint glasses: Cylindrical, with a slight taper and wide-mouth, pints are either 16 or 20 ounces; they are designed to accommodate beers with large, crowning heads and are easy to drink out of; pint glasses can be used for Ales, Lagers, Stouts, and IPAs
• Snifters: These wide-bowled, stemmed glasses with tapered mouths are designed to capture aromas; with a range of sizes, beers served in snifters can be swirled to agitate the volatiles; generally used for strong Ales, Stouts, and Imperial IPAs
• Stanges: From the German word for stick, a stange is a tall, thin, cylindrical glass designed to bring out the hops and malt in delicate beers; better known in the Bonn/Cologne area as a Kölsh glass, they can also be used for Lambics, Pils, or Gueuzes
• Tulips: These stemmed glass capture the head in the top of the glass and the body in the bulbous portion; they are used for Ales, particularly Scotch Ales, and IPAs
• Weizens: These tall, thin-walled glasses showcase the beer's color and allows for large heads; most are 0.5 liters and are meant to lock in the aromas; used for wheat beers (Weizens)
  

To find out more on this topic, including a detailed list of which beers go in which glass, visit The Beer Advocate.

Cologne's Olympic Museum

In honor of the Olympic Games starting today in Beijing, I thought it would be a good time to write about the Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum (German Sports & Olympics Museum). I haven't been there yet, but (unbeknownst to Kevin) I think we should plan to visit this Sunday.

This museum displays all kinds of national, international, and Olympic sporting memorabilia. The current special exhibit, address criticisms of the Olympic games. Some of the topics it addresses, as defined on the museum's Web site, include:

"Totally commercialized, questionable decisions, megalomania, political bias: Criticism of the Olympics is diverse, particularly before the Beijing Games. But is it justified?..."

Among the permanent collection are interactive exhibits, which I expect will make the museum more interesting to those who are not necessarily museum lovers (such as my husband).

For anyone interested in visiting, here are the necessary details:

Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum
Rheinauhafen 1
Tel.: +49(0)221.336 09-0
www.sportmuseum-koeln.de

• Open: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, closed Mondays
• Admission: EUR 5.00, EUR 2.50 with discount, family ticket EUR 12.50
• Directions: S-Bahn or bus to Heumarkt

The Garden for the Blind

In the Rheinaue Leisure Park, which is along the river between the center of Bonn and Bad Godesburg, there is a garden for the blind. I noticed the sign a couple of time before, but never stopped in to see what this section of the park is. Today I finally decided to check it out.

Upon entering you are greeted by a statue of an elephant being touched by children. There is also a bronze slab near the entrance with a map three-dimensional map. Inscriptions on the map, obviously, are in Braille and German. There are also markers identifying the names of the plants in Braille throughout the garden's 2,000 plus square feet.

What's interesting about this garden is that everything that is planted here has a strong smell. That's what makes it a garden for the blind. Also, visitors are encouraged to touch and feel the plants. I especially liked that so many herbs were planted here.

Back to the Eifel

On Sunday Kevin and I went back to the Eifel National Park for a hike. Last time we were there we purchased a trail map, so we decided to see a different section of the park. On our first trip we entered through the Simmerath-Rurberg gate. This time we started at the entrance at Heimbach.

Heimback is a small town within the park. It has a train station and a few shops and restaurants. Though the park's Web site says that there are steep climbs from this portion of the park, and in fact recommends that children under 10 don't go on the R2 guided hike, we couldn't locate the difficult trails.

Instead, Kevin and I took a trail that wandered along both sides of a river and the local reservoir basin. Along the way we saw vineyards and farms with adorable goats and sheep.

My New Favorite German Things

While learning how to make Bavarian potato salad, I discovered some new German food items. I think the following, which I've never come across in the U.S., are going to be among the things that I long for when my time in Deutschland is over:

• Kressi Herbed Vinegar. White wine vinegar spiced with herbs and garden cress. It is made in Switzerland available mainly in the south of Germany, Switzerland, and (I'm guessing here) Austria. Bonners can purchase it at the Metro supermarket, a club store in Sankt Augustin. It has a mild taste and is excellent in vinaigrettes.
• Maggi Wurze. Also known as Maggi Seasoning Sauce, this dark sauce, upon first taste, is very similar to soy sauce. Made of water, salt, and wheat gluten, it doesn't actually containing soy and is a little less salty.
  

Wurst of the Week - 8/4

This week’s wurst is a mystery to me. Last week’s “wattwurm” lady (click to learn more about her) also sold these sausages. I Googled “white sausages,” but only found information about Bavaria’s white sausages, which are something entirely different. Does anyone know what these are?

Schnitzel Lessons

On Saturday night Kevin and I received lessons on how to make authentic schnitzel and Bavarian potato salad. To read about our adventures in the kitchen and get the recipe, visit The Apron Caper.

Beer School Session 10: German Cocktails

At most bars, restaurants, and beer gardens in Germany, the beverage menu includes:

• Beer and Coke
• Beer and Sprite
  

Throughout the winter and spring, my German drinking companions largely ignored these items. When I questioned them, I was told that, "It's good." But I doubted it.

I never was with anyone who order one of these concoctions, and only once saw someone drinking it. And that was during Carnival, so it didn't really count as part of "normal" German life.

Then, the weather turned warm and much to my surprise, beer-tails have turned into a popular choice. Made with a light, mild beer such as a kolsch or pils these drinks are supposed to be very refreshing and most often consumed in the heat. I've been told that it's a better way to drink a beer when you are sitting in the sun.

Kevin and/or I have yet to order one of these concoctions, but I think before the summer is over, one of us will have to give it a try.

(P.S.: Sorry this beer school entry wasn't posted on Saturday as usual. I totally forgot this weekend.)

The Travel Bug Returns

In July I came back to Germany — with trips to Spain, Morocco, and to the United States (twice) under my belt — happy to stay in Bonn for a little while and soak up plenty of my local atmosphere. But, I came to Europe with the intent to see as much as possible, and that means I can't sit back for too long.

This week I started planning my next round of travel. Here's what's on the agenda for the rest of the summer and the fall:

• In August Kevin and I are going to Dublin for five days. Our flight and hotel are booked. We know that we want to visit the Guinness factory — you can be sure there will be a beer school post — but other than that our schedule is open. If anyone out there has any must-see suggestions, please let me know.
• In early September Kevin has a conference in Athens. I will tag along; sightseeing while Kevin has to sit in meetings. Then we'll head out to another Greek Island for the weekend. I am thinking we'll stay in Santorini, but again, if anyone has a suggestion I'd love to hear them.
• In late September we've been invited to a wedding in Austria. The couple getting married is incredibly welcoming, warm, and fun, so we know the wedding will be a great time. With a traditional Austrian dress code (from which Kevin and I, as Americans, are exempt) it will also be a wonderful cultural experience. The venue is in the mountains outside Salzburg, so we are going to stay for the weekend and enjoy the town and all it has to offer.
• In October Kevin's parents are coming to visit and together we are planning a week in Paris. I've been to Paris a few times in the past, and am excited to share it with Kevin and his parents. I hope they come away loving the city as much as I do.
  

With all this traveling in my future, you can also be sure that I'll have lots of new material to write about on the blog!

Customs on Packages Mailed to Germany, Part 1

Receiving mail is one of life's little pleasures. Obviously I'm excluding all bills, notices, and official documents from this statement. When I talk about mail, I'm referring to notes, postcards, invitations, and of course the occasional package.

That's why, when the buzzer rang this morning and I hear "post" announced on the other end, I excitedly slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed my keys, and ran down the stairs to see what treat was in store.

You can image then, my shock and disappointment, when the postman said, "Sie haben 134 Euro zoll."

"One-hundred and thirty four euros in customs," I thought. "That's unbelievable!" At today's exchange rate of 1.56, to get my package I'd have to hand over $208.55.

Instead of taking the package then and there, I asked the postman to deliver the package to the nearest DHL location. I need to find out what could possibly be in the package that it merited such an outrageous custom's fee. (Stay tuned, I've contacted the sender and will post part 2 of this saga.)

In the meantime I also did some research about what's what in terms of customs fees on mail from the U.S. to Germany. We’ve had plenty of other packaged delivered since arriving here, including golf clubs for half of Kevin’s office shipped directly from an online retailer, and have never had to pay one cent in taxes or tariffs.

On the German Consulate to the United States’ Web page, I found the following information:

Packages to Germany may be mailed free of duty if their value does not exceed 45 Euros.

On Toytown.com, and expat message board, this is also a hot topic of discussion. They suggest that anyone mailing a package should make sure not to claim a value in excess of 45 Euros, or $70. That way, customs will not be applied. Also, they claim that it is best not to identify the package as a gift, but rather that you are sending personal items that belonged to the recipient before they left the states.

On the German Consulate site I also found a section that talks about duty-free personal effects. It states:

Articles intended for your personal use during your trip may be imported free of duties and taxes...If you are a resident of Germany, this exemption applies only to articles in your possession when leaving German territory.

Maybe it’s a long shot, but if I pay to duties now, can get reimbursed when I return to the states?