is what I thought when I ordered this sandwich while in Gimmeldigen.
Except, it isn't even close. In fact it's probably the furthest thing from an all American burger you could ever taste.
This is a Rhineland-Pfalz specialty - grilled (over an open flame) saumagen on a Kaiser brotchen. It was delicious.
was our first wine fest of the season. Mandelblüte, or Almond blossoms are one of the first flowers of Spring.
The festival was the end of March in the tiny village of Gimmeldingen, on the Deutsche Weinstrasse in Rhineland-Pfalz. No, March is not a typo. Timing was perfect. The trees were in full bloom; a beautiful pink against the clear blue sky. The weather was actually nicer that day than it has been recently!
The village was closed to car traffic and parking was outside of town, forcing visitors to walk through the vineyards and along the almond tree-lined streets to get to the fest. In keeping with good German tradition, you didn't have to walk very far before you found something to eat and drink. On all approaches to town, the first opportunity to sample the local vintage was in the vineyards surrounding the village.
A very German way to welcome Spring!
That's what we did this year. Instead of celebrating the "fifth season" in Germany, we decided to take advantage of discount fares on Lufthansa and see how Carnaval is celebrated in Madrid. The concept is the same, the execution is, as you would expect, somewhat different. Since drinking alcohol in public is illegal, we didn't encounter any of the associated problems, which sometimes can make Fasching in Germany no fun.
Friday night the events kicked off with the typical speeches by local officials, dancing and a small parade of elaborate human-animal creatures. It was followed by a very bad Cirque de Soleil knock-off show.
Saturday night was the main parade. It was a combination of ethnic dance groups, small floats and lots of mythological creatures that were more creepy than fanciful. I was surprised by the number of people that showed up; five or six people deep along some parts of the route. It seemed like the whole city was there; everyone from babies in carriages to senior citizens. It was difficult to take photos, so I found these to give you taste of what it was like. The first one is a quick look; watch the second one if you want to see more.
After the parade we watched the rich and famous walk along the red carpet of the historic Madrid Casino on their way to the masquerade ball.
I first blogged about this interesting dish, here. It's popular at Christmas markets, and after a recent visit to the Wiesbaden market, I've had a craving for it.
Monika, at Country Living in the City, posted her grandmother's recipe (in English) and DH found a quick version, thanks to Germany's Betty Crocker, Dr. Oetker.
With fresh fruit, fruit compote, applesauce, or just plain powdered sugar, it sure beats plain ole pancakes.
Frühschoppen is a word that's difficult to translate. In fact, when I first looked it up in my favorite German/English dictionary it said "morning pint" (as in beer). And, it is, sort of. It's true it usually starts in the mid-morning, hence "früh," meaning early, but can often last all day. And, of course, it includes beer, but sometimes schnapps, depending on the location. It's also sometimes called brunch, because there's usually lots of food. And, there's usually some kind of live music. Mostly, though, it's another excuse to gather with friends and have a good time.
The friendly folks in the Murtal invited us to join a Frühschoppen in conjunction with a local youth group celebrating their 60th anniversary. We weren't sure what to expect, but we thought it was worth checking out. It was everything described above and more.
is the Colonial Williamsburg of the German state of Hessen. It is a living museum of old buildings removed from their original location and rebuilt as a new town for visitors. It's a half timber heaven.
At the entrance is a recreation of a village square with modern shops and restaurants. Inside the park buildings from throughout Hessen have found a new home. There are barns, churches, school houses, and a variety of different homes. Most are open to visitors and filled with something interesting -- exhibits, craftspeople, artisans, or a peek into the way life used to be.
The park was celebrating the harvest season this past weekend when we were there. It was one of the numerous festivals held througout the year.
was last weekend in the vineyards near Oppenheim. Billed as a "gourmet" walk, it featured federweisser/neuer wein and a variety of treats to accompany this unique European drink. The drink is completely unheard of in the United States. I'm sure it would be banned by the USDA/FDA because it is unpasteurized, unfiltered, full of active yeast and who knows what else and for some people, it may not agree with your system.
Federweisser is one of the names given to the liquid from the first crush of wine grapes. Literally translated federweisser means "feather white" and refers to the milky white color of the newly crushed white wine grapes as they start to ferment. Also known as "neuer wine" or new wine because it literally is the newest wine of the season.
Federweisser is only available for a few weeks in the fall, after the first grapes are picked and crushed. It is definitely a seasonal item and it isn't for everyone. I used to think I loved it. I never tried one I didn't like. This season, however, I've found more I didn't like than I did. I guess it's like any wine, some you like and some you don't.
We spent about three hours wandering through the vineyards, eating, drinking and enjoying the summer-like sunshine.
And we even got to spent some time with fellow blogger Frau Dietz' relatives.
is now in full swing. If the store windows in Landshut are any indication, the dirndls will be brightly colored and/or checked. Unfortunately we won't get to check it out personally, but fellow bloggers at Schnitzelbahn have lots of photos of the fun.
or the closest thing to it, was also this past weekend. In conjunction with the four day Bartholomäusmarkt, the town of Bad Ems hosted what the promotional brochure says is the largest floral parade in Germany with over 1.5 million Dahlias and nearly 300,000 cut flowers.
It doesn't quite compare to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California or the Bloemencorso that travels from Noordwijk to Haarlem in The Netherlands but what can you expect from a small town in the middle of no where? There were 46 parade participants which included local entries, corporate-sponsored floats and some of the best marching marching bands we've heard in Germany.
A special treat was the advance party of old horse-drawn carriages that walked through this once famous spa town that was frequented by royalty such as Kaiser Wilhelm I, Tsar Nicholas I and Tsar Alexander II.
was held the last weekend of August in Frankfurt. A huge festival along both banks of the Main River, it has something for everyone. It combines live music, international and local foods, handicrafts, art, and a variety of informational displays, all for free. You can also buy a 4 Euro button that gives you unlimited visits to participating museums throughout the weekend. The only thing that was missing was a parade.
You can read more about it (in German and in English) and see the marketing photos at the festival website.
Even though the weather didn't always cooperate when we were there, when the rain came down either the umbrellas went up or it was time to visit a museum. We were there most of Saturday yet only managed to make it into three museums and we spent nearly all our time on just one bank of the river.
This definitely ranks in the top five fests we've been to in Germany. Next year, we plan to spend more time and maybe even stay for the fireworks on Sunday night.
