Chris and Bernd prepared delicious Swabish meals for us including fresh pretzels from the bakery. They are so yummy--Chris tells me that she must have 365 pretzels each year or she cannot survive! I'll post some of the pictures of what we had to eat in their home along with their gorgeous table settings.
We shopped in Stuttgart one day which included spending time at a well-known flea market. I bought a set of antique porcelain dishes for 60 euros which was a real bargain. Bernd packed them for me and I've already mailed them back to Burbank.
There was a huge demonstration going on while in Stuttgart. Here is a picture of a large indoor market which sold every food item imaginable! And also a picture of Bernd checking out the soccer schedule for USA! We enjoyed a German sausage sandwich in between shopping sprees.
Sharon and I stayed in a local hotel about five minutes from Chris and Bernd--so German that I expected beer with breakfast. Both pictures are taken from the second floor hotel room window--one of the office/restaurant and the other is a view "up the street."
On another day we went to the new Mercedes Museum which was state-of-the-art, but what else would you expect from Mercedes? And to our surprise, we were fortunate enough to hear the Mercedes choir singing. This is quite common to have a corporate choir. And guess what - Bernd's brother is singing his heart out in the back row!
Here's a bit of history on the museum:
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is an automotive museum housed in Stuttgart, Germany. Stuttgart is home to the Mercedes-Benz brand and the international headquarters of Daimler AG. The current building, which stands directly outside the main gate of the Daimler factory in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, was designed by UN Studio. It is based on a unique cloverleaf concept using three overlapping circles with the center removed to form a triangular atrium. The building was completed and opened in 2006. Previously, the museum was housed in a dedicated building within the factory complex and visitors had in recent decades been transported from the main gate by a secured shuttle.
The building's height and "double helix" interior were designed to maximise space, providing 16,500 square metres of exhibition space on a footprint of just 4,800 square metres. The museum contains more than 160 vehicles, some dating back to the very earliest days of the motor engine.
Are you familiar with the "broom" restaurants? Each time I visit Chris and Bernd, we go to the "broom." My mouth waters just thinking of a visit to a Besen* in southern Germany: homey food, a cosy atmosphere and a full stomach.
They live in an area similar to Napa Valley with vineyards surrounding them and naturally there is local wine available in the restaurants. They advertise this by placing a broom (Besen) outside. Usually you'll eat the traditional inexpensive Swabish food in the owner's dining room sharing a table with others. The new wine is served by the Viertel (1/4 liter glass) or by the pitcher. It will be either red or white depending on the winery. Quite fun!!! After finishing dinner you will leave saying goodbye to your new lifelong friends with whom you've been singing (beer drinking songs - Ein Prossen...) or chatting with throughout the meal.
*What’s a Besen?
The origin of these small restaurants is a lovely story. Usually found in vineyard areas like south-west Germany, they were run by families who had some time to spare in between different phases of the grape-growing and wine-producing seasons. They would take a room of their house, clear out all the normal furniture, sweep out the room, add some tables and chairs for eating and then hang their broom up outside so that passers-by would realize their besen was open for business. Then, they’d cook for the visitors delicious homestyle meals, served, of course, with some of their own wines. In German, the word Besen means broom, so that’s where it all comes from.
What hasn’t changed is that Besens usually have seasonal opening times (one might close for two weeks, open for another two, close for three weeks, and so on), and they still serve traditional food and local wines. Typical food includes Maultaschen (sometimes described as Swabian ravioli – they’re filled with a mix of mince, spinach and onions), Zwiebelrostbraten (an onion roast) and side dishes of Spätzle (best explained as a kind of pasta, very common in southern Germany). And the wine is delicious!
I must get a picture of my darling friend, Chris, in my blog. Here she is with Barry, their sweet dog!
Can't you tell I've been home all day by the length of my blog? Well, there was a lot to write about on this special visit to Germany! Can anyone tell me that they've read this???
For all you Laker fans--GO LAKERS!!!
Judy
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