An American (Holiday) in Germany

So, I did it again. I made Thanksgiving happen in yet another country. Apparently, I am spreading the seed of Thanksgiving spirit everywhere I go. Well it is my favorite holiday of all time, and I just couldn't let a year go by without a day dedicated to eating, drinking, and being merry.

So I organized and I planned and I organized again - yeah I know what you are thinking, Brittany, planning and organization just don't go together, but I guess when the motivation is right, all bets are off! Then I shopped shopped shopped and I cooked cooked cooked ... and cooked some more. And after three days, it went off without a hitch.

Of course this success was not without it challenges and obstacles. We first had to figure out where to get a whole turkey, where to get canned pumpkin (and in the end we didn't, we steamed it ourselves), how to make 8 courses in an european kitchen in an european apartment, with limited supplies and cooking space, and how to get just the right people to food ratio. But in the end we made it all work somehow.

There were 8 of us there, 6 germans and 2 americans...and on the menu, two turkeys (a 6lb-er and a 3.5lb-er), mashed potatoes with shallots, sweet potato mash with goat cheese and lime zest, apple-pecan stuffing, spicey cranberry sauce, gravy, green beans, and of course pumpkin pie, all entirely made from scratch and all delectably scrumptious... so much so, that I surprised even myself :-) Or rather, the more surprising part, was that it was all ready and enjoyed before midnight!! However this little tidbit I credit to my friend Birgit, who was my righthand through it all, and without whom my pension for disorganization would have been allowed to take control and complete chaos would have ensued. But, the point is that I resisted the urge to let stress overwhelm me, and instead enjoyed every minute of it. I embraced the challenge and basked in the uncertainty of it all. And when things got a bit rocky, I rode the wave, played it by ear, and trusted my instincts. In the end, it is this I realize that is the secret to any kind of success in life, and, as was proved tonight, especially in the kitchen.

All in all, it was a great evening, great in its simplicity. It was a night dedicated to the three crucial C's: company, conversation and cuisine. It was about friends, new and old, gathering to enjoy a meal and each other. And I believe that no matter where you are in the world, whether you are american or kenyan or chinese, it's nights like this one that make you stop and realize what it is you have to be thankful for.

(One more thought: Until this time I never really fully appreciated just how much work and time and effort and mental energy goes into Thanksgiving. I have to hand it to grandma [and all the other moms and grandmas who do it], for making Thanksgiving happen year in and year out, for 15 - 20 people at a time...truely a great feat. Thanks grandma!!)

It's the Little Things...

Over these past few months I've come to realize that it is indeed the little things in life that make it beautiful. Being here in Munich, in a situation that for my personality and character is not always ideal, these very minute details of the day have helped me to see past the gray skies, to turn my mood a complete 360, and to altogether reset the day at a more positive pace.

So thought I would share with you guys some of those little things that have been making me happy:


1) The Dodos - My newest favorite music group. I was introduced to them recently by my good friend Birgit. And I absolutely love them. I think I listen to them at least once a day. And we're going to their concert on the 2nd of December, at the music club 59:1. Can't wait!!

2) Opa Heinz - This is Robert's father, "Opa" meaning grandpa. He and Oma (grandma) Traudel came down - from Rosstal, near Nuernberg - this past weekend to help me out with the kids, as Lilo and Robert were off to Sevilla in celebration of their 10th anniversary. As I really have grown fond of both of them the last couple times I have seen them, I was quite looking forward to their visit. Sure enough, this time like all the others was great! One of the highlights of their visit, would have to be the conversations I had with Opa Heinz. He actually, as far as temperament, reminds me alot of Grandpa John. So obviously I immediately took to him. But what we really put him on my list of favorite people, were the talks we had about his adventures; the many bike tours he has done in his life - to southern France, to Venice, to Spain, and so on-, the post-graduation motorcycle trip that he and a friend of his did down through Italy, Sicily, then through Tunisia, and over to Egypt (and this mind you was in the 60's), and a two-week backpacking tour in the english countryside. Not to mention, he still does a weekly bike tour with a group of friends of his, that is typically anywhere from 150 to 200k. Besides the biking, he is also an avid gardener. He and Traudel, survive mostly off what they themselves grow in their backyard. So needless-to-say he is an inspiration and definitely a kindred spirit.

3) The Isar bike and foot paths - The Isar is the river that runs through Munich. But unlike most urban-bound rivers, the Isar is left very much untouched by human construction (excluding the part that is in the very center of town). In most areas, if it weren't the amount of people around and the occasional glimpse of a tall building or church, it would be easy to think that you were in the countryside somewhere. But what it is exactly that I love about the Isar, is just how essential it is to life in Munich. During the summer, people gather on its banks during the evenings (any day of the week) with friends and loved ones for a BBQ, beer, frisby and other games, or just to sit and chat. There is honestly nothing like whiling away a warm summer's eve with a cold beer in hand and good friends around, having fun, joking, conversing, all the while the river's soft hush in the background. And during the rest of the year, as it gets just too cool for spending whole days or evenings by the river, people spend hours strolling, running, or biking along it, on the many bike and foot paths that line it on either side. It honestly is one of my favorite spots in Munich, and has a way of just setting things right when it seems all is wrong.

4)Uncovering Munich's Best Hidden Watering Holes - Maroto, Cafe' Pini, Weinhandlung/bar in the Gaertner Platz area, Trachtenvogl, Garibaldi Weinbar, Flaschenbar, Schwabinger Sieben, Excess, Schall & Rauch...

5) Virginia Woolf and her book "The Waves" - It is one of three or four books I am currently reading, and it honestly blows my mind. This is my first introduction to Virginia Woolf and her writing style, and I have to say I am profoundly impressed. I have NEVER read anything like it before. It's just so human. Her use of a constant first person perspective for 6 different characters and the stream of consciousness style of writing really gives life to her characters in a way that the audience understands perfectly who they are. I am currently 2/3 of the way through and already have the next book of hers that I want to read on my list... "A Room of One's Own", which comes highly recommended from a good friend of mine.

6) Autumn Skies - I love love love those days in fall when the air is so clear and crisp that there is literally nothing between you and the sun. Everything takes on a frankness and a tangibility. The skies are as blue as can be, and the clouds look as if they've been painted on in soft strokes. The trees are somehow 5-dimensional and their branches seem to be reaching out to you. And everything just everything is alive...

7) Doggy Encounters - Any and all kinds will do, though my favorite is a Bernese Mountain dog that lives in my neighborhood and that I often run into trottng alongside his owner as he rides his bike. They are indeed quite the pair!!

10) Finding out that the green space in munich is truely neverending - Just when you think there could be no more...

11) European Christmas - The start lights are strung and other decorations hung throughout town, the smell of gluehwein (mulled wine) is wafting through the streets, the ice skating rink is in full swing, and it truely feels like Christmas is coming.

12) Unexpected Emails (or even better, letters) of Love from Long-Lost Friends

13) Riding My Bike- In fact one of the highlights of my day is definitely picking up Martin at kindergarten and our bike ride back home together...

14) Good Meals and Good Conversation - I'm especially excited for tomorrow's Thanksgiving in Germany party!! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all time and I love introducing foreigners to this lovely tradition!!

15) Getting in Touch with My Innerchild - Martin and I every now and again have a dancing session, which entails us spinning around in a circle as fast as we can, hands linked, until eventually he pulls up his feet and I keep spinning until my arms give out. Or as we did yesterday (this is a recent development mind you), I sit on the floor, we hold hands and he runs around me in a circle and I help him along a bit, using my heels to propel me along. Basically it's the best dance in the world. And if you've had a bad day, and you need to find a way to turn it around, or even if your day's been just fine, do try this at home! Other possible options are, jumping on a trampoline or rolling down a hill. They are all equally effective and awesome!

16) Fooling Around on the Guitar and Makeshift Drums

An Alpine Send-off ...

Our Fall here in Bavaria was often unpredictable, at times disappointing, and altogether too short. However, all things considered it was gorgeous. And I believe after my muenchner fall it's settled that fall is officially my favorite season of the year...along with spring and summer ;-). But of course my seasonal preference is also highly dependent on the setting and location, as what defines spring, summer, fall and winter is relative.



In this case, fall would be defined by a pleasurably, refreshing climate infused with a cool crispness, colors that were to die for - electrifying yellows and golds, rust oranges and firey reds lit up the trees against the deep azure backdrop of the sky everywhere you turned-, the smoke of daily fires burning in the wood ovens filling the air, the comfort of sipping a warm cappuccino or some hot tea while bundled up safe and warm inside, and the crunch of leaves under your feet, or bike tires for that matter, as you made your way home. And perhaps what I like best of all about fall is witnessing the whole process of change, for fall is really a period of transition, from summer to winter. One can't helped but be struck by the trees, as they go from bright green to tinged yellow, to gold or orange or red, sometimes with the green still lingering a bit until eventually the leaves stiffen and hover to the ground and the branches are left baren and stolid, paving the way for the stark and solemn grays of the impending winter. Then the sun starts to scamper away earlier and earlier, and you recognize the nights lengthen and the days shorten, until all of the sudden daylight is a distant stranger. And not only can you see the change around you, you can feel it. The temperature gradually and slowly becomes colder and more frigid. And as the physical world around you transitions, you can't help but feel that it is somehow mirroring your own experiences. You start to become aware of the change going on inside of you. As I have said before, the only constant in life is change, and fall more than any other season is a manifestation of exactly that. And soon it will come to its natural end.




In honor of the impending departure of my new love, my friend Birgit and I took the decent weather prediction for Saturday, as a calling to do the last hiking of the year. So a little later than planned, due to an alarm fiasco on my part, we caught the BOB - not sure what it stands for but it's a train that takes you south of Munich towards the Alps - to Bayerischzell. And there we climbed a mountain...to the top! And the views it afforded, in addition to the kick-ass Schnitzel and Weissbier, made it more than worth it. Not to mention the fact that we met what is now one of my favorite dogs of all time.



I don't know his name, but I believe his story is one to tell. He is a swiss mountain dog, so black with large amounts of white and brown on his face, chest and paw areas. His owner was man that we deduced works on the mountain, maintaining the ski lifts year-round. And this dog follows him up and down and around the mountain. He runs off in all different directions, sniffing, listening, tasting and discovering just about everything. He's also quite the speedy climber, as we witnessed firsthand. From what I can tell he is a free and wild spirit, and he lives in just the right setting to do that. He leads a great life, and I was lucky enough to convince him to leave one of his many explorations to come over and let me pet him. And that I did gladly, for as long as I could hold him, which was for a grand total of ten minutes. Then he was off again!!



After our encounter with "the dog", we soaked up the last bit of day's sun, took in the most of 360 degree view from the mountain's peak, then started our meander down the mountain, through the little village and back towards the train station. Then a short hour and a half ride on the BOB later we were back in the city, back in the hustle and bustle....for better or worse. Regardless, we will always have the memories of spending one of fall's last days in a gloriously peaceful escape atop a mountain...wandering, climbing, chatting, gorging ourselves on a schnitzel and beer, and absorbing the astounding view from above. Life cannot get much better :-)