Barbeque and holiday photos

We arose later this morning. When Steph and Felix returned home last night from their birthday party we sat up sharing a bottle of wine and some of those Swiss pralines we had gotten in Bern. So by the time we were all out of bed this morning it was about 11:00 am. Felix has made scrambled eggs and bacon (speck) for breakfast and we follow it with smoked salmon and horseradish cream on fresh rolls. Orange juice and fresh coffee finish it off and we are all happy to take our time.

I make the Banana Mango Salsa and Steph makes a Dessert with Biscotti, Quark, Cream, and fresh Red Currants to take with us later.
This afternoon we have been invited with Steph and Felix to visit Tanja and Deitmar in Stuttgart for a Hawaiian afternoon and to see their holiday photos of their recent three week honeymoon in Hawaii. We were met at the door with leis and either a Mai Tai or a Pina Colada - Tanja had even gone to the trouble of making Michael a non-alcoholic Pina Colada!

We met Kathi again (who had Thai with us on Thursday), her husband Josef and their daughter Josefine - who made us miss Izabella enormously - and Tina and Lars as well as catching up with Tanja and Deitmar. Everyone is very friendly and it is not long before Josefine is happy to come to us for cuddles and plays. At eight months old she is an absolute delight. I can't remember the last time that a baby playing horsey on my foot was so much fun - and every time I stopped she would grip my leg with her little ones and jump up and down.

Then serving a fruit and cream dessert and fresh fruit flans, we settle down to view the video that Deitmar and Tanja made. Deitmar has done a wonderful job of editing together footage taken during their stay showing the resorts, canyons, beaches and volcanoes as well as them frolicking in the water, on a catarmaran or watching Bottlenose Dolphins at play and amazing sunrises and sunsets. And Tanja has managed to process enough photos to have a really nicely sized photo book printed that supports the video. Added to this were some extra photos taken underwater when they went snorkelling showing turtles (Leatherbacks I think) and lots of fish - not as pretty as the ones on the Great Barrier Reef, but still pretty stunning.

They had a great three weeks and it shows in their pics for sure. They are keen to tell us all about the trip and the make it all sound ever so inviting.

After our virtual trip to the Pacific, Deitmar (and later Lars) disappear to cook the barbeque. There are vegetables, chicken, turkey, steaks and sausages and these are complemented with a range of salads. Great German Potato Salad, tossed salad, Italian Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil salad, Mediterranean noodle salad, plus my Banana Salsa, and two herb butters to spread on dense ciabatta breads. It was truly delicious. All washed down with a wine local to the village where Josef and Kati live.

So we talk about exchange students and home hosting and all our collective travels. Between them, the group gave us some great tips for places to see on our travels. And when all the others have left for home and there is only Deitmar, Tanja, Steph, Felix, Michael and I, Tanja makes another round of Pina Coladas for the road. Obviously Michael is driving home!

Minor bit of excitement as we leave - out in the street there is an ambulance, emergency doctor car and police car. Quite a few of the locals are out watching for action, although we don't see any while we are leaving - we suspect it is a heart attack or a domestic - there is certainly no sign of a crash.

So we are just finalising the condensation of all our gear into one smaller suitcase (leaving the other one with the unnecessary things for the moment here with Steph and Felix) and re-packing the car. All ready for the second half of our adventure!

So a very BIG thank you to our new found friends here in South Germany - and yes guys, we will be back at the end of the year and we promise to visit!

Back in Schorndorf . . .

We land back in Stuttgart on Wednesday about 15 minutes late due to a headwind for most of the trip over the Atlantic (which also made it a bumpier flight than I was really comfortable with).

Down the stairs to the SBahn for the train back to Weiler. It comes about 20 minutes after we arrive. The landscape is very different to what we saw on the outward journey. Now, the drabness of winter is covered by a thick and luxurious blanket of white and the fir trees (the only ones left with foliage), bend under the weight of their winter coats.

Steph’s cousin Anja has very kindly offered to collect us from the railway station as they have had some snow and very cold weather since and there is quite a lot of ice on the roads and paths. She invites us to have a meal with her but as we are feeling somewhat jetlagged, we beg off and head upstairs to bed. I am asleep by 10:15 am and Michael shortly afterwards. We are somewhat bemused when Steph called us and it was after 5:00 pm. By 7:00 pm we were downstairs at Anja’s house where she brought out the Cheesecake that Mutti has made for us (diameter 32cm!). It is as heavenly as the first one I tasted in 2006 and the one Steph made for us on her last visit to Australia. My delight in it was completed with Michael gleefully eating 4 large slices – much to everyones delight.

Yesterday we spent the day getting ready for the road – going through the car stuff and discovering that the large bottle of Nutella that Felix gave us and the three bottles of water we had in the car were FROZEN SOLID!

Today it was off to the Schorndorf Technical Museum which focuses on the industrial developments made in Stuttgart. Fascinating and a wonderful use for a former hospital bed factory. The displays use elements such as glass floors to ensure that the openness of the space is not impacted. Major foci were the automotive industry, the engineering background and links to aviation and printing industries.

In a side gallery there was an art display consisting of limited edition signed prints including Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso and others – quite impressive for a museum in a town the same size as Maryborough!

And then tonight were went to the Felden Besen for dinner. Besen translates literally as Broom! “What?” you ask. This is a Cellar Door but one like you have never seen in Australia. They are individual wine makers, selling their own wine and serving light meals. The only catch is that everything they sell, they must produce themselves. The setting also is different – you are actually in a room of their home – albeit a very large one. We eat such Swabian delicacies as blood sausage, offal soup and sauerkraut! Mind you, the sauerkraut was wonderful, Michael revelled in the blood sausage and Michael’s pork hock was sublime!

As we were leaving we were taking photos of the room and their advertising broom when the owner came to the door with two of the traditional swabian wine glasses for Michael and I. A quick conversation and thanks and the passing over of the card with the blog details before we leave. Steph walks down the icy road to get a photo of the broom that they hang out at the entrance to advertise that they are open.

In the company of Anja, Rudi, Olga and Steph, it is a great night!

Its Saturday and our last day in Schorndorf before we set off on the road.

Today we went to the Markethalle in Stuttgart - first time for Michael, second for me. It is a culinary wonder of all tastes and teases our plans for a deli SO much! We didn't take any new photos here as Michael believes that the 234 I took last trip still suffice!!!

Then off to buy gifts for our wonderful hosts before we make a detour to Lacra to buy Michael a new pair of boots. After only two months after a purchase at a large local retailer in Maryborough (think guys), the addition of a new pair of shoes laces yesterday resulted in the soles splitting within 10 minutes - guess that they were tired of all the walking and were determined to get a rest - well they now have a permanent one. Then to the supermarket for some staples - cutlery, grater for the wonderous Parmiagiano Regganio we will buy, coffee, tea etc before we come home to continue packing.

Tonight we go with Stephi and Felix to an African restaurant in Schorndorf 'Hanti Alem' where we shared the largest tasting plate I have ever seen. Absolutely sumptuous! Lentils, potatoes, okra, lamb, beef, hummus, spinach and the most pancake bread to scoop it all in to your mouth with. mmmmmmm Finished with fantastic coffee where they bring you the roasting beans to begin the ceremony. SOOOO good.

We leave tomorrow after breakfast with Olga and Rudi, Mutti, Stephi and Felix.

On everyones advice, we are not going to Italy yet as it would mean crossing the Alps after heavy snow and freezing temperatures have resulted in a lot of ice on the roads.

So we are heading west for southern France, hoping to stop in the Nimes area for a week or so including a day (or two) in Carcassonne! Then on to Spain and Portugal.

So dear friends, we will see you in another time and place.

Would we buy one if we could?

Hi all - we have had a busy couple of days doing sightseeing in Stuttgart and Schorndorf.

Yesterday we went with Steph, Felix and Marius (her nephew) to the new Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. This Museum was only opened in 2008 and is not overly popular with the locals as it costs 8 euros to go in (includes the hire of an audio guide). Supposedly, the old musuem was free. However, they don't know what they are missing out on because this one is fantastic.

We were there for about 5 hours but you could easily spend a whole day there. The museum is divided into two types of exhibits, the legends and the collections. The building is very spectacular, with each level descending in a double helix with the legends on the upper curves and the collections on the lower curves. However, instead of choosing one or the other, most people (including us) choosing to do both! The Legends Tour covers Pioneers - the Invention of the Automobile, Mercedes - the Birth of the Brand, Times of Change - Diesel & the Supercharger, Post-War Miracle - Form & Diversity, Visionaries - Safety & Environment, Moving the World - Global & Individual, Silver Arrows - Races & Records. The Collection tour has the following galleries - Voyagers, Carriers, Helpers, Celebrities and Heroes.

For us, the best thing about the Museum is not that it focuses on Daimler and Benz, but on the company in the community and history. There is as much social history and comment as there is about the development of the cars and the brand. This includes the use of their engines in aircraft (yay said Michael!!!!) and the changes made during the war years, about how the company supported the workers movements in the area and provided social benefits for their workers.

Marius who is ten was as enthralled as any of the adults and was a delight to have along. There are a whole heap more photos and when I get a chance, I will load them into a Picasa Album so you can see them all.

On our return to Weiler last night we joined Olga and Rudi (Steph's aunt & uncle) at Buergerstueble Restaurant which is next door to their place (how handy is that!!!). The hosting was superb and the food fabulous. We concentrated on ordering traditional Swaebian (Schwaebisch) food. Michael had rabbit (the other choice for him was offal ~ yuk) and I had sauerbraten (marinated beef with vinegar in a red wine gravy) and spaetzle ~ SO GOOOOD!!!! We finished with trio of dessert - nougat, panna cotta and marinated pineapple - yum yum yum. Girls, forget the diets! Then off to bed to sleep and dream it off.

Today we went into Schorndorf to spend some money on buying some more warm clothes - Michael got a really good jacket that you can take the inner jacket out. We got thermal underwear and fleece jumpers that are not bulky so we can walk around without feeling like the Michelin Man! Spend a total of 250 euro (about $500) but would have spent at least twice at home. Then off to the old town of Schorndorf. The market place is fascinating and lined by buildings constructed in the 1600s and 1700s. Michael did a Maria and went crazy taking heaps of photos. Again, we wil add some more to a Picasa Album sometime soon.

Prosterchen, mich kriegt ihr nicht ins Klosterchen

Cheers, you won't get me in the convent! This was the saying that I was introduced to many years ago by these two crazy girls visiting from Germany when we took a camping trip to Innisfail with them and our kids.

Tonight we rekindled this friendship with Steph's mate Rikki who had visited us with her in 1997. She is 6 months pregnant with her first child and looks positively radiant. We caught up with her for coffee and tea after we went to the supermarket in Schorndorf (where incidently you can buy a 750ml bottle of Frangelico for 13.95 euro!).

We had a quiet day today, not waking until almost 10 am - OK OK, you don't get it - it was still D A R K. Then down to Steph's for the obligatory breakfast of fresh, warm pretzels and rolls with parma ham and cheese. Chatting with Steph and Felix and showing him some of the photos from home - hey Hels, the pics of the Koalas in your yard are a real hit here!

Cooked a sate stir-fry tonight using a whole heap of veges - sorely needed after days of rich succulent German foods. And then opened the Gin I had bought on the boat over from England.
Tomorrow we are off to the new Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart and then to dinner with Steph's aunt and uncle at a local restaurant.

Christmas draws to a close - but the parties continue!

As we were leaving for Stephs last night after the drinks at Anja and Thomas place, there were a couple of ladies with kids walking down the other side of the street. This equates to the width of 1.5 cars, so they were quite close. We heard one say to the other, ‘this house across the road has some visitors from Australia too’. Well, there was an opening line if ever I heard one so I called out saying we were from Qld Australia. Turns out that one of the women is from Clear Mountain near Samford just north of Brisbane. She is in Weiler visiting her aunt who is a good friend of Steph’s cousin Anja. Small world isn’t it!

Christmas is drawing to a close. Mass was not celebrated in Weiler on Christmas Day but rather on Boxing Day. Michael and I arrange to go to Mass with Mutti, leaving from her house at 10:10 am for Mass at 10:30 am. As Michael cannot remember how to set the alarm on his watch (any clues please sons) we open the outside blinds in our bedroom. Without this, the room would stay dark until well after 9am and we would not have time to have breakfast with Steph.

As we woke, we could see that the day would be cold. There was little colour in the sky, no cloud cover and a brisk breeze. Just enough to make your nose want to sink deep into your face for warmth. The walk down to Steph’s place was done in quick march time!
Mutti was obviously excited that we were going to Mass with her as she couldn’t wait for us to walk up to her place where we are staying. Instead, she walks down to Stephs to collect us there. For 88 and walking with a cane, she did very well. Even though, the iced puddles on the side of the road present constant hazards.

The Catholic Church was full – young people, older people and families with kids. There are heaters under the seats so inside is very warm, yet no one takes off any of their voluminous layers! No one except Maria of course. While it is easy to follow the Mass, it is not so easy to transpose the English version over the German as the cadence is all wrong. However, Mutti was thrilled when I was able to sing along with the (very good) choir when they sang one of the hymns in English. She also got visible joy introducing us to all her friends outside the Church after Mass and Michael was kept busy giving out our cards – they are becoming something of a collector item locally! After Mass, we make a quick visit to the grave of Mutti’s husband Johann and her daughter Marika (Steph’s mum). Then back to Stephs.

This afternoon we went into the television tower in Stuttgart. This is a landmark and with viewing platforms at 150 and 155 m above the ground, you get a fantastic view of Stuttgart city and all the surrounding areas. The air is very clear so the view is good. The view is very different from that of my last visit to the tower in summer in 2006. Without leaf cover, the trees of the surrounding forest look very bleak – even from this height. But with the clear air comes cold and there was a wind blowing at the top as well, so it was some degrees below zero. Funny, I never feel too cold unless there is a wind. It is not long before Steph and I chicken out and head to the relative warmth of the restaurant below to await Michael and order some lunch. Michael follows not too long after. The cold is playing havoc with my hip today.

On the way up to the Tower, we called into the Santiago del Chile Platz – a small square on the hills above Stuttgart that afford some wonderful views of the city below. This is an area that Steph would love to live in – with old (sometimes art deco) buildings with fantastic views and a sought after address.
Once we finish our pasta and salad lunches, we drive into Stuttgart West which Steph explains is one of the most densely populated areas in Europe. The area was extensively bombed in WWII and there are many new medium and high density apartment blocks here. We go to Felix’ apartment block and await his return from Uni so he can come with us to Stephs. Parking is at a premium around here and we are lucky to get a spot close to the apartment.
Steph is driving a Renault Megane convertible now and it will be interesting to see the four of us fit into this car with four seats but really built for two! Nevertheless, we manage – thankfully though the trip is only 30 minutes.

Tonight Steph and Felix are making dinner for his family, Steph’s Aunt Olga and Uncle Rudi and Michael and I. In the end, Olga just visits for a little while as Rudi is sick in bed with a lung infection. Steph is cooking venison with apples and mashed potatoes plus a green salad. It is just divine – the meat is succulent and tender, the potatoes smooth and creamy and the sweetness of the caramelised apples balances perfectly with the rich meat. The field salad is made with a lettuce leaf that is only available in winter – I have never seen it before and discover that it is commonly called lamb’s tongue. Christa (Felix’ mum) makes a huge and wonderful trifle for dessert – rich with sherry soaked cake, lots of (fresh) berries, custard and decadently rich cream. The meal is accompanied by a local wine from the Fellbach and is a medium red called Acolon – a relatively new grape style. It is all followed by coffee and the most divine Christmas biscuits called Gutzle. Go try the lebkuchen from Aldi and you sort of get the idea – but these are all home made and just SO much better with styles that include shortbreads, macaroons, sugar cookies, nougat etc etc etc – go weep!!!!! We enjoyed them!!!!

One of the conversations turns to wine preferences and everyone looks very uncomfortable when I explain that I prefer European whites to Australian whites due to the use of preservatives. The penny drops when Steph explains that in German, a preservative is a condom!!!!! The German equivalent of an Australian preservative is Konservierungsstoff – think I’ll stick with the good old preservative – no matter which type!
All in all a great Christmas!

Christmas in Europe in winter

And so this is Christmas -
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young - John Lennon

The Germans celebrate Christmas on the night of the 24th. After a quiet day chatting with Steph, we wrap the last few gifts and make our way just before 6 pm to her cousin Uli's home. There is much excitement - especially from the nieces and nephews, as they await the visit of the Christ Child with gifts.
All the furniture has been moved to make way for 2 large tables to be joined so we all (14) can share raclette for dinner. For those who have never had this, it is fantastic. There are a number of burners placed on the table with lots of meats and cheeses and accompniaments and garnishes. Each person has a small pan to cook foods under the grill while raw meats and smallgoods are cooked on top of the grill. The closest thing we have ever had is fondue - and yet it is really nothing like it.

After we exchange gifts, we share a fantastic meal with much merriement around the table. The whole family laughs and jokes together and they make sure that we understand all that is being said. The wine flows freely, the food is plentiful and tonight all is right with the world from where we sit.

Back home with very full bellies and to bed.

Christmas morning comes and while it is cool it is not cold enough for snow. We walk down to Steph's (it is only a block) and start to try to phone everyone for Christmas in Australia knowing that it is late afternoon down under as we try. We finally get on to Gen, can only leave a message for Antony and James' phone just rings on and on and on. The two mums are unreachable as the landlines to Australia (or maybe out of Europe) are congested. I am sure they know that we are thinking of them today and we will continue to try to phone them in the coming days.

Today there is more eating drinking and being merry. We go to Mutti's place for lunch at 1:00 pm where today there is 15 people (Felix also joins us today). Mutti, at 88 years of age, can still cook up a veritable feast with some help from her daughter Olga and grand-daughters Anja and Uli. We are served roast duck with spaetzle (noodles), knoedel (bread dumplings), red cabbage and gravy that is balanced with a green field salad. All downed with Trollinger wine (a light red) and bottles of apple juice mixed with mineral water. It is all so delicious and we are gathering deli ideas all the while! (No photos today - we are all too busy eating!)

After lunch, we drive down to have a look at the Muzc family car dealership (Renault only). They are very proud of their business and it shows in many ways - the cleanliness (even of the mechanics bay), the layout and the careful attention to detail. After this we go to Anja and Thomas home for Sparkling wine - ah yes, like in Australia they know better than to call it champagne!

And still they ask if we want some dinner to eat - whew.

So now back to Steph's and the updating of the blog ...

We hope that you all have/had a wonderful Christmas shared with those you love, with enough food so that you are not hungry and a few nice gifts. It has certainly been a very different Christmas here and it was lovely to share the traditions of another family in another time and place.

Give each other a hug and a kiss from us and know that you are all in our thoughts and hearts from the other side of the world. Merry Christmas to one and to all.

Schorndorf - here we come - hope you are ready!

The trip down the autobahn is without incident. Michael is constantly fascinated by the wind turbine farms and likens them to something from the War of the Worlds. The traffic seems to fly past us travelling at 120 kph. There is supposedly a speed limit of 130 kph but I guess old habits die hard (from the days of no speed limits) as many of them are doing in excess of 150! We decide 120 kph is enough as the car is hungry enough at that speed.

The roads are well signed and it is easy to follow the autobahn and then the highways into Stuttgart. A little harder to find the road connections to the smaller communities. Finally at 1:00 pm we arrive in Schorndorf Weiler and a quick phone call to Steph to ask 'where the bloody hell are you' calls her to the balcony where we are parked below! She looks really well and happy to see us and there are many hugs all round.

We sit and chat and have pretzels for lunch - yu-um. I don't care how nice it is to have pretzels on sale in the markets at Maryborough, there is nothing like really fresh pretzels warm from a German bakerei! So pretzels and ham and cheese and chat - nothing like it!!! Following lunch, we go up to Steph's aunt and uncles house where we will be staying. Mutti (her grandmother) is keeping watch from behind the curtain and is outside waiting for hellos before we can get out of the car. It is lovely to see her again, although she is older and looks more frail than I remember her. We meet Aunt Olga but Uncle Rudi is not well and is in bed. You should see the rooms we have. They are on the second floor of their house and consist of a huge bedroom, a separate living room and a bathroom. Such joy after hotel rooms for the past couple of weeks. It is very obvious that they have all gone to a lot of trouble to get ready for our arrival and it is lovely to be welcomed so warmly into the family.

As tonight is the last night for the Christmas market in Stuttgart (that are known as the best in Europe) we had asked Steph if she would come with us. As parking will be painful in the centre of town, we catch a train in and meet up with Steph's man Felix at the station in Stuttgart. He has worked as a tour guide one summer, so knows all the information about the area that we are walking through and readily shares it with us.

The markets do not disappoint us. Lisa, Kelli and all of you need to come and see how a REAL Christmas market operates!!! Maybe FCRC can send you to investigate!!!

The stalls are a combination of food stalls, handicrafts and commercial goods. But all are themed and as it is now dark (of course!) everything is lit. We go to the Ratskeller Stall for Nuernberger Wuerschdle (Bratwurst) Rolls and Gluehwein. Talk about food fit for kings. After we finish, we spend the next couple of hours wandering through the markets, contemplating buying all sorts of traditional souvenirs and decide that we are not in a position to carry them all. Michael however does manage to get a fleece lined flannalette over shirt for 15 euros.

We finish our night at the Breuninger Department Store - a large store similar to David Jones that is only found in the Stuttgart area - they have 10 outlets for hot chocolate and coffee before returning to the Station via another section of the Christmas markets for the train ride back to Schorndorf.