Hello…is it me you’re looking for? May 5, 2011

Greetings, all! It’s been a while since my last post, but happily my absence has been due to good things like vacations and friends visiting (yay!), not illness or apathy (boo!)

Since I last wrote, LOTS of things have happened:

1. I began my two-month long break from language class (hurray!), during which time I had planned to spend several hours a day EVERY day memorizing past lessons so I’d be totally ready for when class resumes in a couple weeks’ time. Well, apart from me answering basic queries in Spanish or French with my basic German (go me, right?!), not so much German has been practiced (uh-oh…).  I keep telling myself I still have a couple weeks’ time so all is not lost, but yeah…still not so much studying German so far. One thing I am feeling good about (but that was totally useless on vacation) is that I realized I actually do know waaaaay more German than Spanish or French. Every time somebody asked me something, I pretty much wanted to blurt out the answer in German or tell them I didn’t understand in German. Not particularly useful in France or Spain, but made me feel good all the same. (What also made me feel good was the Mr. was totally rubbish, too; he often said ‘oui’ in Spain and ‘Si’ in France.)  I’m starting to think there really might just be too many languages in Europe.

2. We went on vacation. Hurray! It was lovely. I think I shall write (a) separate post(s) as there is so much to say.

3. We celebrated Easter with the family. Hurray! I felt it went better this year as I did understand a bit more, at least when the conversation was nice and basic. I started drifting off and staring at ceiling cracks, however, when the conversation strayed into politics and I couldn’t follow. No bother; it was better, and that’s what counts.

4. We had good friends from Edinburgh visit us for a few days. Double hurray! A few days spent with friends and showing them the sights does wonders to help with homesickness, or in my case, more of a “friendsickness.” (I actually really enjoy living in Germany; I just wish my family & friends did, too.) Well, to be honest, I’m discovering that it somehow helps AND makes it worse all at the same time…because I’m reminded of just how much I miss having friends around.

5. I’m baking again. Hurray! (for my tummy, anyway, not so much for my waistline.) I baked American chocolate chip cookies again, and this time the Mr. helped as we only have a hand mixer and I find that once it gets to the “adding flour bit” my poor right hand (damaged from years of waitressing) can’t really cope. He kept asking me “when do we add the milk and water,” or something like that. To which I replied, of course, that you don’t add milk or water to chocolate chip cookies.  Now you need to imagine his snobby German accent: “What?!” he gasps. “You mean there’s only sugar, flour and fat in these things?! They’re like heart-clogging artery bombs! No wonder America is fat!!” Yeah, whatever. See if you get any of MY cookies, Mr. Poo-Poo Head. I seem to remember you scarfing down quite a bit of the last batch….That being said, this batch actually came out pretty flat and pancake-like, which really annoys me, especially as these are actually for guests. I’m hosting a sort of afternoon tea tomorrow and have baked the cookies and will shortly head to the kitchen to bake some cupcakes. The cupcakes should prove interesting. I bought a German cake mix in a box, so I’m going try and convert that to cupcake form.  Not sure how they’ll turn out, but at least I have the flat cookies as a back-up plan

So yeah…that’s pretty much the update. What’s new with you?

Tomorrow Never Knows January 1, 2011

It seems hard to believe, but 2011 has already arrived. And with the arrival of the new year, I’ve been reflecting on all that we experienced in 2010.

2010 was a year of some pretty big changes for us.  In February, we both quit jobs and moved from Scotland to Germany where the Mr. took up a new position. Mia took her first (that I know of) international flight and became a much more shy, more easily spooked kitty from the stress of the move (but also happier, I think, in her new home with huge windows.) We finally found a flat, which sadly still isn’t totally unpacked and lacks an oven, a cooker, a dishwasher and kitchen cabinets, but fingers crossed that 2011 sees us fully moved in and settled! I spent more time staying with my parents in Indiana than I had since before college, taking advantage of not having a job for the first time in a long time. And we’ve been able to spend considerably more time than with the Mr.’s family, too, now able to join in on the holidays and spur-of-the-moment get-togethers. Not everything that happened in 2010 was great (The Mr.’s appendix decided it didn’t like him anymore and had to go), but the good definitely outweighed the bad and I’m grateful for all of the wonderful things 2010 did bring to us.

Edinburgh has been on mind a lot, too. Yesterday, at midnight, I had hoped one of the radio stations might play a rendition of Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight. When I couldn’t find it, I turned off the radio and sang it instead.

In some ways, because of all that we’ve experienced, Edinburgh feels like another lifetime ago. And in other ways, it feels like we left only yesterday and that being here in Germany is only an extended vacation that has yet to end. I still think of our flat there as “our flat,” and cannot imagine it empty of our things, or (stranger still) with other people living inside. I miss my favorite shops and cafes, and being able to text a friend and get together to do something. There’s a sort of nostalgic sadness that lingers when I think of Edinburgh, but if I think hard enough I can also remember that our life there had its drawbacks, too.  There were reasons we took up the job opportunity here in Germany, and they were good ones.  And I have to admit – life here IS pretty darn good. Our day-to-day quality of living is much better for both of us for a number of reasons, so apart from missing friends, there’s little to complain about. In fact, despite the fact that there are people and things I miss back in Edinburgh, I’ve reached the point where I can say that moving here was the right choice.

What does 2011 have in store for us? Well, I’m not sure if it counts as a New Year’s resolution since I’ve already resolved to do it, but I’m kicking off the new year by beginning a German language course which I hope will help me feel more at home and confident in everyday life. And there’s talk we might try – kitchen expenses allowing – to fit in a bigger trip somewhere this year. The “big trip” was the carrot the Mr. dangled as incentive for leaving Edinburgh, so we’re working out what and where that might be. I’m pushing for Japan, but apparently the exchange rate right now is dreadful so that might not be the wisest trip financially. So who knows. More than anything else, I just hope that 2011 is as good to us as 2010 was.

Update: In a strange coincidence, after writing this last night, I went into the office where the Mr. was looking up property to buy in Edinburgh. (He just likes to look as a sort of hobby, mostly so that he can exclaim how crazily inflated the prices are there.) Anyway, at one point, I hear him gasp. Our former flat is on the market to sell. We looked at the photos they had with the listing, and it was so…weird. Apparently the only renovation they did was installing new laminate in the kitchen. Otherwise, it looks just like our flat, complete with the heaters, kettle and dish rack we left behind.  We had a good laugh over the description as they always try to make it sound better than it really is, but seeing it again – empty except for a few of  our things – made us feel a little sad.

The New Walk November 15, 2010

The Mr. in motion

I’ve never really been a “sporty” type of gal, but walking is an activity I’ve always loved to do.  Growing up in rural Indiana, it was tough to find good places to do this. We didn’t live in a neighborhood with sidewalks, nor was the road we lived on particularly safe. ( People basically drive like maniacs on rural roads in the midwest, just in case you ever wondered.)  So I think one of the most enjoyable, most liberating changes I ever had in my life was studying abroad in Edinburgh – a city – and discovering that I could walk everywhere. It was wonderful. Not only was I getting fresh air and exercise every day, but I was seeing the city in a way you never can from a car. I was hooked. It became clear to me that wherever I ended up living as an adult, I had to keep walking.

Fast forward years later to meeting the Mr., and I found a kindred spirit who also loved to walk as a form of exercise. We bonded over exploring different parts of the city on foot. But alas – we are creatures of habit. Over the years, the Mr. somehow started narrowing down the walks he wanted to do a very specific part of the city. We always headed north.

The Shore at Leith Harbor

Back in Edinburgh, we lived in Leith. For those of you unfamiliar with the city of Edinburgh, I’ll tell you a little bit about it. Back when I was studying abroad in Edinburgh in ’99, Leith was pretty much a no-go zone. Run-down and rough, it was the only part of the city center we were flat-out told to avoid. But time and investment dollars can make a big difference, so by the time I came back to Edinburgh in 2004, Leith had changed quite a bit. The harbor area was filled with new luxury flats, shops and restaurants. A new shopping mall had been built. Suddenly, Leith had become fashionable. And yet…not all parts of Leith have been gentrified. Council housing skyscrapers still loom in the sky today, as well as dodgy pubs you’d never want to set foot in, even in broad daylight (think Trainspotting…that story was set in Leith.) We lived in the south end of Leith closer to the city center, just off of the always interesting Leith Walk. It was an okay neighborhood, with a mix of all different socio-economic classes.  But I always felt more uncomfortable the further north we’d go into Leith proper. The harbor itself was fine with great restaurants and shops, but it was just about everything in between – from our neighborhood until the harbor – that always felt a little dodgy. And this was where the Mr.  loved to walk.

The Water of Leith...minus any discernible shopping carts or bikes

The beginning of the walk was always the same. We’d start going north through a very industrial part of the city with warehouses, vacant lots and occasionally a burned out vehicle. We’d walk along the Water of Leith, a little stream running through the city, which was sort of nice but was sadly always filled with all sorts of junk from shopping carts to bikes. You never knew what you’d see.  Then we had a choice to make: we’d either continue on to the harbor area, or we’d head northwest towards a posh part of the city called Trinity. We both loved walking around Trinity, looking at the huge stone homes with immaculate gardens and sea views. And the harbor was fun, too. We’d sometimes have lunch out or stop in our favorite delicatessen for some fresh bread. But the actual walk in between where we lived and the destination always depressed me a little. And depending on who we’d pass along the quiet, remote way, it would also make me a little uncomfortable. There are many things I miss about our life in Edinburgh, but I have to admit that I’m glad we have a new walk.

The view from our new walk

In about 15 minutes’ time, the Mr. and I can walk to a neighborhood with vineyards overlooking the cityscape. What’s great about it is that the entire walk – from our doorstep to the vineyards and back – is in a beautiful, safe area that I enjoy walking through. Yesterday we had just about perfect weather – blue skies and sunshine – and walked for a few hours around the vineyards, through the University of Wuerzburg’s campus and back home again. I do miss that we no longer have the sea to enjoy as part of our walk, but I figure I’m pretty happy to trade that for not worrying about being mugged or stabbed along the way.

Signpost from the 1600s

Good enough to pinch....

Getting Down to Business November 9, 2010

I arrived back in Germany on Sunday a year older (celebrated my birthday the day before) and definitely feeling every bit my age. For me, going over to the states is never as bad as coming back.

That looks about right....

Firstly, most flights arrive late in the day so when I fly over from Europe I usually only have to stay awake a few hours before hitting the sack. And secondly, my suitcase(s) are usually relatively empty so that I can load up on tons of stuff. At the moment, what I haul back is a combination of keepsakes, American foods I can’t find anywhere and this time lots of scrapbooking supplies, too. I always dread the trip back as I usually arrive early in the morning with a full day ahead AND hauling close to my body weight in luggage. I paid the extra $55 for a second suitcase which seems a rip-off (I remember the good ‘ol days of TWO free suitcases and seafood meals) but is still a better deal than shipping things by the US postal service. I did decide to go ahead and do that, too, and paid $53 for a box weighing about 17 pounds. So the airline prices seem almost cheap in comparison.

I’m happy to be back, but I have to say that the feeling is different from when I’d return to Edinburgh. Coming back to Edinburgh felt like coming home. It was a cozy, warm and comfortable feeling, almost from day one. I like Germany and it is growing on me, but there was something almost magical about flying in and looking at Auld Reekie from the air. Somehow Frankfurt just doesn’t have that same charm….and yet I am growing to really love and appreciate Würzburg. And I should be fair, too. Since we moved to Germany back in February, I’ve spent almost as much time in the states as here. So how could it feel like home? I’m so appreciative of the time I’ve had in the states, but I am ready to really focus on settling in.  I sort of feel like I’ve been living in limbo these past eight months, with “home” being some mixture of many places rather than just one.

Today in the store, the bakery clerk complimented me on my German and I had to laugh. I was able to tell her what I wanted, and understood a few basic questions she asked me, but I should be able to do so much more by this point. She probably wouldn’t be so quick to compliment if she knew I had been living here since February! So first on the agenda is language. Although I’m sort of dreading the commitment of a full-time intensive language course (especially doing it in winter – ugh!) I know I have to get off my lazy bum and just do it. And the other top priority is studying for and hopefully passing a written exam for a driver’s license here. The Mr. and I also have a lot more work to do on the flat. Six months have passed since we moved in, we still don’t have an oven, stove or kitchen cabinets. And there are still boxes everywhere. Part of the problem was moving into a completely empty flat with no kitchen or any closets and lacking lots of furniture, and part of the problem was being away so much. But I’m starting to go crazy looking at the chaos and not being able to cook pasta, so it’s time to kick it in high gear. The next few months are going to be busy ones, I think.

Das Boot September 3, 2010

As the chilly days of autumn seem to be settling over Würzburg, I’m reminded that for the first time in six years I will soon be experiencing several months of a “real winter.” I say “real winter” because Edinburgh doesn’t exactly have seasons; it’s pretty much just chilly and rainy year-round, with winter being only a little colder and more blustery than the rest of the year. Snow was rare, and if it did fall, it usually melted relatively quickly. Würzburg, on the other hand, will have a genuinely freezing cold winter with quite a bit of snow, as I understand it. And this means I need to be prepared.

Although I’m not looking forward to trudging my way through snow and ice, I am (per usual) having fun with the shopping necessary to kit me out so I can cope. My decision, however, on exactly which winter boots to get is becoming a difficult one.

Option no. 1:

I’ve had my eyes on these puppies from LL Bean from way back in December of last year. The Mr. thinks they look ridiculous and says “you’ll be the only person in Germany wearing them, no question about that.” (He says this like it’s a bad thing. I love originality!)  I’ve assured him that as strange as they may look to his German eyes, they are an American classic and no doubt warm and practical to boot (ha ha). I didn’t order them at the time because the waiting period for a pair was 6 weeks, I think, and we had to fly back before then. I never forgot about them, however….

Option no. 2:

Click on this link to have a look. We found these on a German shoe website yesterday, and I have to admit they are rather fetching. The Mr. likes them, too. They look like they would be warm as I think there’s some sort of a fleecy lining, and the sole seems solid and looks like it would have good traction.

Option no. 3:

What can I say about these other than fun, fun, fun! When I was eight or so, I had a knock-off pair of silver Moonboots. I adored them. At some point I outgrew them, but they’re one of the few pieces of clothing I remember from my childhood. Recently, I was elated to discover that THEY STILL MAKE THEM! And in a million varieties! I think my favorite is still the Silver Delux, however, a throwback to my childhood roots, er, boots.

What’s your vote? What do you think I should be wearing when I conquer the fierce Würzburg winter?

It’s the “Little Things,” Part 3 August 24, 2010

One of the things I really like about Germany (and that I’ll no doubt mention in my upcoming “I heart Deutschland!” post) is how green it is. Practically everywhere you go, you can find refuse receptacles divided into paper, plastic and garbage, giving you the option to recycle your newspaper instead of condemning it to a dump. We even have a “bio,” or composting container for the house where we can put coffee grinds, vegetable scraps, etc. that is emptied every week. This country is taking leaps towards making planet Earth happier, and I think that’s great.

So here’s what I don’t get, and I think it’s the no. 1 thing that bugging me about Germany right now: people don’t tend to drink tap water here, and they really think that you shouldn’t be, either.

Despite that fact that tap water in Germany is apparently considered “excellent” (http://www.thelocal.de/lifestyle/20100728-28789.html), many Germans don’t drink from the tap, even at home. Bottled water has, as of 2003, surpassed Germany’s per-capita consumption of beer . One might argue that this is a healthy trend of drinking less beer and more water, but I see the following problems with drinking such large quantities of bottled water: 1. it’s not very environmentally friendly and 2. it’s freakin’ expensive!

Still, I get it. Bottled water tends to taste better than the water that comes straight out of the tap here in Germany. I admit, I’ve struggled to adapt to how the water tastes in Würzburg as the water back in Edinburgh was absolutely superb – honestly, it was better than most bottled waters on the market. And there’s a lot of limescale here which is annoying the *%&$ out of me as it builds up on everything from the taps to the kettle (and I don’t even want to think about what it’s doing to our washing machine right now.) It also ruins a perfectly good cup of tea:

See the limescale "skin" on top? Yum....

But trust me, it could be worse. Growing up in rural Indiana, we had well water. As a kid, I didn’t particularly like drinking water but I also didn’t know that water could taste, well, good. The well water we had – while perfectly safe and healthy – always tasted and smelled slightly of rotten eggs. Nothing like a little sulphur smell to quench (or quell) your thirst!

Still, a Britta filter system goes a long way, in Germany or in Indiana, in helping water taste better. Not long after we moved here, the Mr. and I went out and bought a Britta. I won’t lie and say the water now tastes every bit as good as what you’d get from the bottle, but it is a big improvement both in terms of taste and I think even limescale reduction as my cup of tea seems to suffer less “skin” on top:

Limescale reduced!

Some limescale is still present, however, and no doubt bottled water would take care of the problem and lend itself to a more “perfect” cup of tea.  So…like I said….I get it. I do. Germany is a wealthy nation with a population that can afford “premium” water, so if that’s the choice that’s made, who am I to judge? I sometimes buy premium things when cheaper, more environmentally friendly options exist. I guess I’m making a similar choice when I go for the exotic fruit flown in from some far-flung region of the globe rather than the local apples, for example. So even if it’s not the best choice (environmentally or for the wallet), I can somehow understand and accept if Germans really want their bottled water instead of tap. But the biggest problem, and what does get my goat, is the reluctance to serve tap water in restaurants. Because then it’s not my choice to do something that’s more environmentally damaging; it’s forced on me.

Asking for tap water in a German restaurant is an embarrassing, nerve-wracking experience that probably won’t be met with an accommodating smile from your server. The social convention is that you order (and pay for, of course) still or sparkling bottled water – never tap. We’ve only asked for it (and only for me)  a couple of times since moving to Würzburg. I’ve heard in some cities waiters will flatly refuse to bring you a glass, and thankfully we haven’t encountered that yet, but asking for it so unpleasant that most of the time we simply cave and buy a bottle.

Still, there have been occasions when I’ve stubbornly asked for a glass out of principle. I mean, it’s water, for crying out loud! We all need to drink it, and if I’m already buying food, well, come on….The last time I made the Mr. ask was when we were having dinner at a Mexican restaurant in town. It had been a very, very hot day and I was dying for a glass of water. We had already spent quite a bit of money that day on food, drink, etc. and I didn’t want to pay for a bottle, so I had the Mr. politely ask for a glass. The waiter seemed surprised, but did eventually bring it. It was about the size of a shot glass. Two sips later, my thirst wasn’t really quenched. I was desperate for more, but there was no way in hell I was asking for another glass. Just before we left, I went to the bathroom and quickly filled my water bottle from the tap when no one was around. I guess that would have been even more embarrassing had I been caught.

So why this reluctance to serve from the tap? Well, firstly, and perhaps most importantly, there are economic reasons. Restaurants make a heck of a lot of money off of bottled drinks, and obviously bottled water is a big seller here in Germany. No one in the hospitality industry wants that to change. Secondly, you do pay for water by usage here, so technically that glass of water isn’t “free.” Still, if the restaurant simply tacked on a few additional cents somewhere else in the menu, that would undoubtedly cover any extra costs of giving everyone a jug of tap water. Economic reasons alone don’t justify why no one wants tap water, however. As best as I can understand it, apart from the thinking that bottled water tastes better, it seems to have become almost something of a class issue here in Germany. You don’t drink tap water if you are wealthy enough to do otherwise. Asking for tap water has the appearance of being “cheap.” But I think it’s a sad way of thinking for a country that prides itself on being so green and socially aware. There are a heck of a lot of people in other parts of the world that would gladly accept a glass of clean and safe German tap water.

So here’s my request, dear German restaurant industry: Please don’t make your customers feel guilty, or cheap, just because they’d prefer to drink something more environmentally friendly from the tap. Thanks in advance. (P.S. In the meantime, I’m going to work on caring less what you think and ask for it anyway.)

Update: The Mr. and I had lunch yesterday in our favorite restaurant. We ordered a glass of wine for me and a large Radler (mix of beer and lemon-lime soda) for the Mr. True to my promise, I had the Mr. ask for a glass of tap water to accompany my wine. The waitress responded (very politely, I’ll give her credit) that they had small or large still water (to buy, of course. She didn’t actually say it, but the understood implication was there.) I knew it had to happen sooner or later, I just wish it hadn’t been at my favorite restaurant…sigh.

It’s the “Little Things,” Part 2 August 20, 2010

Let’s be honest: I’m a fairly lazy person. I’ve never been a workaholic in any context (professionally or personally) and I have no problems having a (or many) lazy day(s) sitting around the house and faffing about. Sadly, these lazy tendencies also extend to my ambition in the kitchen.

I’ve never had much interest in cooking, even from a young age. I used to do baking projects in 4-H, but to be honest, it was more about getting to eat whatever my mom and I made rather than enjoying the actual process of learning to cook something. At some point, I realized why bother making it yourself when someone else can make it just as well (if not better)?

Of course, I’m not 10 anymore, and it’s a little pathetic that an adult of my age is so absolutely rubbish in the kitchen. The excuse I’ve used for the past few years is that I’m too exhausted to do anything in the kitchen while working full-time, which I guess is sort of legit only if I don’t consider that I have lots of friends who also work full-time and somehow manage to concoct culinary masterpieces in their free time. Now I no longer have that excuse as I’m a Hausfrau, but for a limited time I can trump the “full-time employment” problem with the “we have no oven or stove top” problem. And hey – THAT’S a pretty good excuse, isn’t it? I have ambitions that once we do have a real, fully loaded kitchen again I will have the time, energy and desire to do some more cooking, but we’ll see.

So here’s the thing…as someone who historically hasn’t done much cooking nor who can try to do anything more at the moment, figuring out what to eat is a challenge. We’ve been getting by with a rotation of bread, sliced veggies and cold cuts, or Asian noodles with added frozen vegetables. And that’s about it. Having a microwave and kettle is great, but there’s only so much that can be prepared with those things. And that’s where – historically – I would look to the wonderful world of take-out food to add some variety to life. Sadly, Würzburg doesn’t want to provide this for me.

My guess is that had we moved to Hamburg, I wouldn’t be lodging this particular complaint right now because there’s undoubtedly more options, but here in Würzburg, the take-out food options are very, very limited. The Mr. tells me that, in general, Germans don’t have take-out food the way that Americans and Brits do on a regular basis. I didn’t want to believe him until I googled it and discovered just how dire our take-out food options really are:

Option 1: Pizza Express

Before all my UK friends get excited for me, this Pizza Express is nothing like the one back in the UK. No, imagine instead that you can get just about every different type of food available (Italian, Asian, Mexican, etc.) all from under one roof. Sounds great, doesn’t it? And if the food was good, it would be. Sadly, this is not so much the case. It’s like they’ve tried to fill a gap in the market with every type of take-out food that is usually available, and as a result, none of it tastes particularly good. We’ve only tried a couple Asian dishes and pizza from this business so maybe the Mexican food is fantastic and we just don’t know it, but somehow I doubt this is the case….

Option 2: Other pizza places

There are two other take-out/delivery places in the city that have pizza. One of them is close to us (I don’t actually know whether or not they have delivery – we’ve always picked it up) and it’s so-so. The crust is pre-made and tastes a bit of cardboard, but if you put enough fresh veggies and cheese on top of anything it’ll become reasonably edible. The other joint, Joey’s, definitely delivers but we haven’t tried it yet. I don’t have very high hopes.

And that’s it, as far as I know.

Back in Edinburgh, I used to gorge myself at least once a week on Harvest Chinese food one street over from our flat (miss you, Tommy, and your delicious Prawn with Cashew Nut stir fry!), or get a green curry with tofu and vegetables from Silver Bowl a few blocks away. Or I’d go for Papa John’s pizza. We had TWO branches of Papa John’s pizza in the city – so delicious.

I’m trying to look on the bright side of what I’m feeling so far is a depressing discovery: that perhaps this lack of take-out food options will give me the swift kick in the you-know-what that finally motivates me to learn how to cook.

The Best Things in Life are Free August 13, 2010

In these tough economic times, it seems most people are tightening the belt and trying to cut back on spending. And while the idea of foraging for food is gaining in popularity, I’m surprised that most people still don’t take advantage of the tasty things growing for free all around them.

I’m not quite sure when it started, but a few years back I became interested in the idea of foraging. Truthfully, it was probably due in no small part to the fact that the Mr. is pretty good at being able to identify edible things growing in the wild and in more urban areas, too. On many of our walks in Scotland, we’d find wild cherries and blackberries and happily gather them up and stuff them into our mouths and pockets. Some of my best memories of walks that we’d done together involved discovering patches of brambles or cherries growing in the wild. And then a couple of years ago, I came across an article in the paper about a new book being released:

The book is written by two women who live in Edinburgh, and know the local area and all the various things that can be foraged from it very well. I bought the book and became very excited about the possibilities. The problem with trying to forage from a book, however, is that you better be darned sure you know exactly what you’re doing. Or else. So I got even more excited when I discovered on their website that the authors were starting up “foraging day tours.” The one the Mr. and I signed up for would be focused primarily on foraging for mushrooms, something I had always wanted to do, but had never had the opportunity.

It was a brilliant day out. We went up to Tentsmuir Forest, and spent the first half of the day gathering all mushrooms (edible or non-edible) we could find. We then came all together at a cafe and went over what we had discovered. The lesson I learned was that the more disgusting the mushroom appeared, the higher the likelihood it’s edible. I also learned that a single days’ worth of training wouldn’t be enough when it came to mushrooms to know what I was doing before I’d do it on my own and not die. So while the Mr. and I still aren’t skilled enough to be able to forage for mushrooms on our own yet, we are pretty good at identifying edible fruit and nut trees, which is much, much easier.

Here in Würzburg, we’ve become very excited about the plenitude of fruit and nut trees that we’ve discovered, and no one else seems to be harvesting. Some of it is growing on the street or in parks, and some of it is dangling over the fence onto the sidewalk (which as we understand, makes it fair game as long as you aren’t “reaching over” the fence onto their property). But it’s astounding because even the fruit that’s growing in private yards seems to be totally ignored and left to fall off or rot on the ground. (And that sooo pains me…I just want to knock on their door and ask them if I can have their fruit if they’re just going to ignore it). So far on our street alone, we’ve found cherries, plums, elderberries, Mirabelle plums (which we’ve collected and eaten), as well as apples, hazelnuts and walnuts (which won’t come into season until later).This was our bounty from a walk we did today, so we didn’t even bother to buy fruit at the store:

 

Plums and Mirabelle plums

There’s more of all the above growing near where the Mr. walks everyday to work, too. And in the city center a couple of weeks ago, we discovered a mulberry tree full of ripe, juicy berries – totally untouched. The Mr.’s plan is to mark all these places on Google Earth so we’ll know where to go each year, and at the right time of year.

Although it puzzles me why more people aren’t taking advantage of nature’s bounty, we’re perfectly happy to fill our bags and stomachs until things really do get desperate enough for people to start appreciating what’s growing around them for free.

Home Again, Home Again April 12, 2010

I’ve been living abroad for 5 ½, going on six years now, and it’s interesting how my idea of “home” has changed over the years. Initially, when I first moved to Scotland, home was the US and Indiana. And then slowly over the years, as my possessions overseas grew along with my relationships, home somehow also became Edinburgh. Now that the Mr.  and I have moved to Germany, the idea of home has become even more complicated. Can someone have three “homes”?

Indiana will always be one of my homes as long as I have family there. And in some ways, I still feel like Edinburgh is home, too. I suppose that feeling will probably fade the longer we are gone, but it was the city where I spent the majority of my adult life working and living until this point. And now Würzburg is home. Sort of. Some might argue it’s our only home as it’s where the Mr.”s job is, and although 95% of our stuff is in storage somewhere 50 km away at the moment, it’s where the majority of our possessions are kept. But what defines a home? Is it where your job and things are located? Or is it where your friends and family are? For now, I’m finding it a little difficult to think of Würzburg as home since we’re living a bit like nomads and we have no friends or family here. And yet, when we returned from Italy on Tuesday, it did feel in a way like we were coming home.

Living abroad or traveling, it’s not uncommon to be asked, “Where are you from?” as soon as it’s clear you’re not local. The response used to be that I’m from the US, the Mr. is from Germany and we live in Scotland. Now that we’re living in Germany and the Mr. is German we’ll probably get asked that question less, but somehow I feel torn when explaining where I’m from. Although I was born and raised in the US, I somehow also want to acknowledge that I’ve lived in Scotland for the last 5 ½ years and not the US. True, 5 1/2 years is not that long to live away from the US, and yet my outlook on life and the way I see the world has undoubtedly also been shaped by my experiences living in the UK. And yet to explain all this to someone who probably just wants a simple answer is not really possible.

Italy was beautiful. Although I was a bit worried about driving on the Autobahn to get there, once we got past Munich and into Austria it was less crazy. Thankfully Austria is a very sensible country with speed restrictions in place. Limone was absolutely gorgeous nestled in the mountains on Lake Garda and I couldn’t believe that it was actually as pretty as the images on the internet. Our hotel was very nice and very affordable considering the amazing views you get of the lake. Someday I’ll add photos I took of our room and the grounds. I have a feeling it’s probably pretty packed with guests in the summer, but we practically had it to ourselves which made it really peaceful and relaxing. The Mr. went swimming in the indoor pool every day and he had it to himself each time.  I wish I could say we had sunshine and blue skies every day we were there, but we only had two days of really good weather and one day that was absolutely dismal. We spent our time exploring a few of the towns around Lake Garda and also drove to Verona. We checked out “Juliet’s balcony,” or at least the balcony of a home that supposedly belonged to the Capulet family.

Casa di Giulietta Verona

It was tourist trap in many respects, but still fun to visit and the Mr. snapped a photo of me on the balcony (not me in the photo, however…I’m striking a dreamy Juliet pose, I believe!)  Our stay in Italy finished, we drove back to Germany to the country inn near Ulm where the Mr.’s family gathers each year for Easter. I enjoyed seeing his family, but somehow I always find it a little exhausting. The family meets over the course of three days, which is nice but is longer than any extended family gathering I’ve ever attended. Because they spend so much time together over these three days, I find myself getting frustrated and feeling a little isolated by the end as most of the conversation is obviously in German. It has gotten better as I can now understand key words here and there so I can often get a basic idea of what’s being discussed, but three days is still a long time to not really be part of the conversations happening. I hope that by next year I will have taken an intensive language class and the weekend will be more enjoyable.

And now we’re back in Würzburg. Well, Höchberg to be specific. Mia meowed quite a bit the evening we picked her up from the cat hotel and a little the next morning, but she seems to be back to normal. The search for a flat or house continues. While we were away, we missed out on a couple of things that potentially could have been good, but now we simply have to be very focused and not miss any other opportunities. Who knows…maybe “home” will feel more like home once we have a structural one of our own.

Hell Might Be Freezing Over March 13, 2010

Many of you have been asking how we’re doing now that we’ve arrived in Würzburg, so here’s the story up to this point….

We arrived a little more than two weeks ago to a city that was just as lovely as I had remembered it, but also discovered the rental market here is even more limited and frustrating than we had imagined. This is not Edinburgh where the “property ladder” means people are constantly shifting their flat or home and there’s a steady supply in the rental market.

In addition to the lack of choice, there are differences from the US or UK rental market that mean you as a renter pay big bucks. Most flats are found through property agents, and property agents in Germany make all their money up front for renting you the flat. This means that when you find something, you have to shell out not only the deposit but also usually 2.38 times your rent. So the agency doesn’t care whether you rent the flat five months or five years; they just made maybe 2,300 euros or so off of you, depending on the rent. Another difference is that in Edinburgh, for example, most flats to rent are fully furnished keeping your “start-up” costs low.  You can sometimes find unfurnished and partially furnished flats (we had a partially furnished one), but it’s by far easier to find a fully furnished flat as that’s more the norm. In the US, most apartments aren’t fully furnished but at least come equipped with a kitchen and bathroom fixtures. In Germany, most flats or houses to rent come completely barebones, just like you would find it if you were buying. No kitchen, no lamps, no bathroom vanity. Just the water and electric connections where you hook things up. The thinking is that this way you as the renter can always choose what you like. The absurdity, of course, is that as a renter you’d really prefer to not have to go out and spend 5,000 euros on a brand new kitchen which may or may not fit into the house you might wish to buy five years from now.

But before you can even calculate how much that new kitchen or vanity is going to cost you, apparently in Würzburg you first have to navigate the waters of finding something decent to begin with. And the first challenge in this and what has already cost us (well, me) floods of tears is finding a property agent or owner who won’t screw you over. Most of my family and friends already know what happened two weeks before we moved to Würzburg. But long story short, we had found a perfect flat that was lovely and large (the Mr.’s parents went to go see it and approved ), signed the contract for it and two weeks before our moving date we got an email from the agent that he had never signed the contract and the owner had found a buyer and was selling it. To be honest, this flat was partially what had sealed our decision to go to Würzburg to begin with. To lose it (and knowing that finding something else in this small city might be difficult) was devastating.

Then on Friday we hit a new property-hunting low.  We viewed a flat a 20-minute walk from the city center that had many, many positive things going for it. It could have been the one. A gorgeous yard complete with a cherry tree and herb garden, quiet, a lovely large lounge, a garage for a car…I could go on and on. In a nutshell, this is what happened: the woman who owns it is in the process of renovating it after her mother was recently moved to a nursing home. We met her yesterday and toured the home while she explained to the Mr. in German what she would change and renovate (sort of…and this was part of the problem). Then she basically wanted a decision from us immediately whether or not we wanted it. It had a couple of issues we weren’t 100 percent happy with; carpet would be installed in the lounge and bedrooms but neither of us is crazy about carpet, especially having the cat; the guestroom and guest bathroom were actually in a different part of the building and disconnected to the flat itself (not to mention hideous orange carpet in that room); and perhaps most importantly, the owner was uncertain of the exact move-in date because of all the renovations, but it would be at least May (and maybe later) before we could move in. Despite these drawbacks, the Mr. and I both liked it but told her we would discuss it and let her know later that evening. (We were most likely going to tell her yes, by the way….) But part of the reason we delayed saying yes immediately is because  I don’t really speak German yet and it’s impossible for the Mr. to translate everything that’s said during the course of a conversation. And of course the subtleties of a conversation are also lost in a quick translation, and there are things he has to wait to tell me in private on our own. (Like her pushiness and vagueness about exactly when the renovations would be finished were making him a little uneasy).

Anway, the Mr. told the owner we’d like to discuss it a bit more before making a decision. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? A matter of just a few hours. However, when we told her this she responded that she would now like to consider other renters as, basically, she thought we were being too picky about what we wanted. (I would like to say, just to be fair, that we are somewhat picky but she’s also charging a small fortune in rent and we don’t even know how most of the renovations will turn out!) So we had just spent the last 2 1/2 hours talking to this woman and seeing the house, all the time getting excited that it might be the flat for us, and in the last two minutes of our meeting she blindsides us with this. I couldn’t believe it.  Two minutes out the door I was bawling my eyes out in frustration and anger.  And nothing new has been listed online in the last two days. We check religiously. Sigh.

Life as an expat has always had its ups and downs, and I always knew that moving to Germany would present new challenges (and new opportunities, of course) allowing me to learn more about the world and myself.

Obviously finding a place to live is the first of those challenges.

We’re now considering buying something just to give ourselves additional options. For those of you who know the Mr. and his feelings towards buying property, the above statement might just mean hell has frozen over.