Getting Started Again in Burghausen

 This is a picture right before we left Chattanooga.  What a wonderful picture of my parents!

 ...and a great picture of my daughter!

 If you look on the right side, you can see some snow.  This was one of our first trips to Kaufland (kinda like a small WalMart).

 I love seeing dogs in restaurants.  This friendly chap just wanted to say hello and welcome us to town.  You see dogs almost anywhere you would find a human. Maybe someday this will be the case in Chattanooga. 

Our new buggy.  We have a Nissan Quashqui.  Big enough to seat 4 in comfort and small enough to fit in a German parking space. 

 

Posted by Billy. 

On Returning to What We Thought was Past

It was exactly 4 weeks ago that we returned to Bavaria. In some ways, it seems like several months ago.  In so many ways we feel we were never back in Tennessee for those 10 months. Everything here feels so normal. We never missed a beat in falling back into our German life.
 

 The weekly outdoor market in Burghausen--rain or shine.

Cooking by weighing ingredients instead of measuring in cups and spoonfuls.

The charming look of the old houses along with the crispness of the new ones.

Traveling by train to watch the beautiful landscape pass by.

The sounds of the church bells tolling the hours and the regional train passing by with a shrill whistle... doesn't seem strange. The smell of the spicy wood smoke in the air and people standing WAY too close to me in the stores feels totally normal.
So many of the little things: The cobblestones, working to stay out of the bicycle lane when walking, hearing nearby conversations and only understanding 1/2 of what's being said, and spending 2 hours and more at a restaurant during a meal... not odd at all.

It's a mixed bag of gratefulness and a tugging sense of longing that fills our days.

 



Coffee at Florian's

We met a great family that lives down the street and around the corner from our apartment in Burghausen.  This is Christa, Thomas and Florian Meisinger. They have lived in and around Burghausen all their lives.  Billy and Florian work together at Wacker...he's a great guy with a great set of parents...and a younger sister. They were kind enough to invite us over for Sunday afternoon coffee on January 8th. (I'm behind on my blogging!) We were able to see their beautiful Christmas decorations before they took them down...they were putting them away the next day. Their home was lovely, warm and inviting. Yes, Christa and Thomas are Florian's parents..but they look too young!

Christa said she had learned how to make this beautiful Black Forrest Cake from her mother! It looked like it was professionally made and was SO delicious.  The slices on the left are a poppy seed torte that had a very different sort of flavor.  Billy and I both loved it.  They also had an out-of-this-world coffee machine that made the BEST cup of cappuccino.

The conversation was so much fun.  There were lots of smiles and laughs and we really did some damage to the cake.  A bottle of natural Austrian wine was brought out at the last and Thomas said it was something he often picked up in Austria at a place the vinyard delivers directly to. Maybe I can find out where...it was wonderful!
We are hoping to see them again soon.  Maybe we can cook them a dinner of chicken and dumplings, garlic mashed potatoes, fried okra and banana pudding at our place sometime soon to give them a taste of Tennessee cooking!

Christmas in Vienna - Part 5 - The Naschmarkt

The Naschmarkt in Vienna is 1.5 kilometers of amazing fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, clothing, teas, liquors, breads, nuts and spices.
The market has existed since the 1500's and had many restaurants and eateries. It was mid-morning and rather cool when we got there. After the sights and smells made us crazy starved, we stopped at a cafe with a few tables right off the main walkway.
Billy and I opted for a late breakfast of cheeses, breads, butter, coffee, eggs, fruit juice and champagne.
It was only a short walk to the U-bahn underground through the Stadtpark
and a couple of stops up.

Those were our two stools on the left.  It was a perfect place to watch people do their shopping and was definitely an highlight of our trip.

Fast Food in Burghausen

 OK...We've been here twice.  The first time was out of curiosity and the next time was when Billy was needing a blast of American comfort!  It's all really very close to what we can get back in The States.

This is the "McCafe" counter that is a separate place to order coffee and desserts. They have the traditional cakes, pastries, and tortes the Germans love so much.  They are beautifully displayed and very fresh. You have to make a special request to have it served on anything but a nice china plate. The coffee is in china also and made by the individual serving. 

This is the only place we've found where ice is automatically served with the drinks! Most drinks are served cool or at room temperature here. I didn't notice how many of the locals opt in for the ice. Though the food is very close to the American version, one major difference is that ketchup is EXTRA!  It's about .20 per packet ...and Billy LOVES his ketchup!

Potato Dumplings

Back of dumpling box showing a German potato farmer

The circle says the potatoes used are 100% German.

Last night I made potato dumplins for supper. They came in a box and they looked like little bean bag chairs in miniature!  You cook them in boiling, salted water for 15 minutes then run them under cold water and cut the bags open to serve them.  They came in different flavors but I used the plain. I've made dumplings at home in Tennessee from scratch and they were pretty time consuming to prepare. These were easy and tasted great!  In a large skillet, I fried some brats and added a package of red cabbage with apples when they were done. It was fast and delicious. All was put on a plate with mustard from a tube (that looks like a tube of toothpaste to me...) and that was our meal.

Mustard in a tube!

Most kitchens here have glass induction cooktops.  It is very different to use these from the electric eyes or gas burners I've used at home. When something boils over, you have to take a single edge razor blade and scrape the glass surface afterwards.  You'd think this would scratch the dickens out of it, but it comes out pretty and smooth. Then there is glass polish you can put on...this is suppose to add a protective layer to make it easier to clean the next time. Taking care of the equipment and appliances in a German home has been something I've had to learn. Many things are very different.
Soon I'll post about about doing laundry!
Deede