The Freinsheim Rotweinwanderung

On Saturday, a group of us boarded the train and headed out to the Freinsheim Rotweinwanderung, or red wine hike. It began on Friday night with a torchlit hike through the vineyards just outside of town and continued until Sunday.

From the train station, it was about a 15 minute walk through town to the vineyards. Various restaurants and wine makers set up along the path and offered regional wines and food. At the beginning, there were covered, long wagons where people could enjoy wine with friends. One wagon was rocking as the jolly inhabitants were singing and (presumably) dancing as much as is possible in such tight confines.

The wagons on the right offer a respite from the snow and a place to eat.

The event began at 11:30 a.m. and lasted until 6:00 p.m. By the time we arrived just before 3, people were in high spirits and quite merry, despite the chill in the air and the sleety snow falling. Our group perused the various food offerings, sampling the Flammkuchen (delicious) and hearty soups such as potato and pumpkin. We also saw Reibekuchen/Kartoffelpuffer/latkes, plenty of wurst, and of course, the regional specialty and Helmut Kohl's favorite thing to foist upon unsuspecting foreign visitors, Saumagen.

The hike took us up the vineyard hill where we found more stands. We availed ourselves of the Glühwein, a hot, mulled wine that was perfect to take away the chill. 6:00 came too soon for us as we reluctantly headed back to the train station.

The Rotweinwanderung is a wonderful way to experience the specialties of the Pfalz and to live like the Germans do. In other words, it means enjoying the outdoors, even though it might be snowy and cold. Dress warmly*, bring some friends, ride the train, and drink some wine. It's all part of the good life!


*If you really want to fit in with the Germans, wear Jack Wolfskin clothing ;)

My week: January 25 ed.

-I returned from Munich on Monday. Since it was a work holiday, I moseyed back from the train station and stopped at Dyan and Ethnico. I was pleased to find a super comfy, hippie-influenced shirt that still looks fine for work and bought it for a reasonable 15 euros (on sale) at Ethnico.

-I then bought a new back pack for traveling. I already have an old Eddie Bauer small daypack that folds into itself, as well as a back pack with a logo from one of my schools. However, both backpacks are a bit small for my three-day weekend trips. The Eddie Bauer one is getting a bit "long in the tooth" (old, in other words). Although a wonderful friend has repaired it for me (and made it look even cooler than it did in the beginning; she's a wizard of awesomeness!), it was never meant to really be used for anything of substance as it's made of thin material. I took my chances and stuffed it with three days' worth of clothes (and my textbook) this past weekend but I was really pushing it.

On a whim, I stopped by the sporting goods store and was delighted to see that most items were 30% off. Since I can avoid paying VAT (tax) with a special form, I could save almost 50% off the backpacks. Well, I've been searching for a backpack for a while now and the best price for a used one that I thought was rather decent was about 40 euros. I'm frugal but not (usually) to the point of being stupid; if I could buy a brand new backpack for a bit more, I certainly would. I picked out a 30 liter backpack and took it to the counter to ask if the employee would hold it for me so I could run home and grab the VAT form.

She was flipping through some paperwork and didn't acknowledge me. I waited. I waited some more. She pointedly ignored me, not even saying something like "one moment, please." I was getting pretty disgusted by then and was about ready to put the bag down on the counter and walk out. However, I had been working on buying one for a while and was determined to get a new bag that day. I rearranged myself mentally to project a good attitude, smiled, and said politely: "I would like to buy this bag, please." The store clerk harrumphed and scowled at me. I decided to kill her with kindness. I asked if she could be so kind as to hold the bag for me while I quickly ran home to get the form. She was still grumpy about it but acquiesced. When I came back with the form, I told her that it was very nice of her to hold the backpack for me. She softened a little and rang it up. I told her thanks again and left.

I told my German colleague about the experience and she said she would've walked out of the store. I had gone into my super stubborn mode and was not to be dissuaded. This is not the only time that I've experienced or heard of such an interaction here. More often than should be, I've found myself waiting and waiting for the store clerk to acknowledge either myself or a customer in front of me. They'll get to helping the customers when they're dang good and ready, it seems. I understand that it can be difficult to stop in the middle of some tasks, but one could at least have the courtesy to acknowledge the customer and ask for a moment to finish the previous task. Plus, if one is working at a register or as a store clerk, the primary responsibility is to sell the store's goods; other tasks are secondary. I'm approaching this as someone who's worked in one form of customer service or another since the time I was 14, whether it was working in the front lines of a pizza shop or providing in-house support to other employees who provide service to the public. So, this write-up was more about the customer service than the dang backpack. Sheesh.

-German lessons were followed by two nights of much-needed time at home.

-On Saturday, a group of us went to the red wine hike in Freinsheim. It was lovely! Fat flakes of snow tumbled out of the sky as we enjoyed some wine and tasty regional dishes, such as Flammkuchen, potato and pumpkin soups, etc.

-I took a trip to Miramar, a water park and sauna complex near Mannheim, with some friends. It was very relaxing (and waterlogging!).

That awful Mark Twain

Since I live in Germany and since I enjoy literature, it seems to be a no-brainer that I'd read about some of Mark Twain's experiences here and during his travels, right? After all, he wrote about The Awful German Language and captured, in quite a funny way, the mental knots one must tie oneself to properly speak German.

I thought I'd continue with his travel classic, The Innocents Abroad, and read about his adventures throughout Europe. I checked it out as an eAudiobook, dutifully transferred it to my USB, and plugged it into my car. I got through about an hour of it before abandoning that project in disgust.

Mark Twain is, as many put it, a product of his time. As the middle class developed and means of transportation improved, the idea of tourism and leisure travel grew. Twain capitalized on this idea and wrote about his trips so that armchair travelers could follow along and maybe even make the same journey themselves. This aspect of the time is not bad at all.

The part that bothers me about Mark Twain being a product of his time is that he is racist and bigoted, at least with a modern reading. Sure, at the time, the Americans and Europeans were kings of their domain and, in their minds at least, so much more "developed" and "sophisticated" than the indigenous people or racial minorities that they encountered, whether in their own communities or during travel.

Friends have told me that I shouldn't read Twain with a modern mindset; after all, he wrote more than a hundred years ago. At the time, he wasn't writing in a way that was unacceptable. I get that part. However, just as he was a product of his time, I am a product of my time, and I can't get past what I find is quite distasteful. Do I think that Twain should be banned? No, absolutely not. Will I choose not to finish reading his book? Absolutely. That is the glory and the power of freedom of press and freedom of will. I am thankful for both.

The Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz Reisemarkt

ReiseMarkt Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz website

Two weekends ago, I had a case of cabin fever but not a lot of desire to plan a big trip. Instead, I decided to do something fun, local(ish), and informative: I visited the Reisemarkt Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz. The event is a travel fair where local and not-so-local tourist associations, travel vendors, and associations set up booths at the Maimarkt location in Mannheim (next to the SAP Arena).

It was an enjoyable and easy day trip. A friend and I took the train from Kaiserslautern to Mannheim, getting out at the Maimarkt stop just past the city's main station stop. We then walked 10 minutes (straight ahead) to the fair location. There is also a tram that will shuttle people back and forth but we didn't feel like waiting for it. Another option would be to drive and park in the lot across the street from the market; parking is one euro per hour after the first (free) hour.

We paid 6,50 euros a piece for the tickets and headed over to the exhibition hall. Inside, we wandered through the booths, picking up literature and dreaming of vacations to take. The majority of the booths were from tourist and travel associations, including those run by local governments. There were plenty of free informational fliers and maps. I would guess that about half of the travel destinations were within a couple of hours from Kaiserslautern. The other part included farther parts of Germany, Europe, and even some travel agencies selling trips all over the world.

How about being transported to another country in the movie-showing geodesic dome?

In addition, some booths were run by hotels and other businesses. Other businesses were selling goods, including a bicycle store, a winter clothing store, and some others. A motor home dealer parked one of his vehicles inside but it looked miniature in comparison to the luxury travel coach on the other side of the building!

There was an area for kids, with comfy seating, a slack line to try, and a table to make wooden houses for bugs (for a fee). Those who worked up a hunger could eat at a Schwarzwald (Black Forest) themed cafe or stop by some food carts for a light snack. There were various stage presentations; during our visit, we saw karate students performing and and then a travel agency highlighting some deals on tours.

Presentation of travel deals

Ginormous Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake) - this one was just for display

It was a very enjoyable trip and was a great way to pick up travel ideas, maps, and tourist information to help plan that next trip. It is especially useful for those around Kaiserslautern as destinations within a few hours from there were plentiful.

Dog parking at Elisabethmarkt in Munich

I saw this cute dog "parking" spot in the Elisabethmarkt in Munich. There are small buildings for the various food vendors and dogs aren't allowed inside. Instead, one can "park" one's dog outside, as indicated on this sign. I've seen similar things in Kaiserslautern, Heidelberg, Vienna, and more, just to name a few.

This driver made me do a double take

As I was walking around one day, I passed this car and did a double-take. I felt as if someone had been looking at me. I slowed down, peering into the car and not trying to be downright obvious about doing some (cough cough, German) staring.

I started giggling when I realized that the "driver" was some sort of animal (no idea which one) balloon. I'd love to know the back story on that one!

Oh hai, I recognize you

When I was in Traben-Trarbach, I saw this poster in a window. Oh, Harald, how nice it was to see you again in all your weirdly wonderful splendor!

I first "met" Harald soon after I moved to Germany. We "ran into" each other as I was walking down the aisle in Rewe, a grocery store, and wondered who was this fabulous man wearing over the top clothing on a chocolates box. I found out that he is a fashion designer.

So, it was like seeing an old (and very ostentatious and fab) friend again when I saw this poster. Apparently he's making dog couture. Hmm, Moo is very dog-like, so I'm tempted to get him some sparkly outfits!