A Bob by any other name would still be as spongy

When my younger brother, dad, and I visited Paris several years ago, my brother and I were lazing around the hotel room and watching French tv. We happened upon what we would call SpongeBob Squarepants.

We were delighted to learn that his French name is Bob L'eponge (Bob the Sponge). Doesn't that sound fancy yet descriptive at the same time?

I just learned his German name. Leave it to the Germans to come up with a name that sounds vaguely threatening or like a disease: Schwammkopf (Spongehead).

The menu of Eiscafe Rialto, Kaiserslautern

I took a photo of the menu from Eiscafe Rialto in Kaiserslautern (read my review here). I would have to say it's been my favorite ice cream store for how delicious the ice cream is.

When I order, though, I always get a little bit of the "no soup for you" vibe from the lady who works there. Just like Elaine, I don't care and order anyway.

Enjoy the menu. Writing the title of this blog made me think of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which has absolutely nothing to do with ice cream.

The Easter camel at Cafe Krummel

I had brunch with some friends last week at Cafe Krummel in Kaiserslautern. As I was paying for my meal, I saw a traditional German baked good, in the shape of an Easter lamb. I was curious what it was made of; I wanted to try it. I had been speaking German to settle my bill but couldn't think of how to ask what it was filled with. My German friends with me, D and Cl., were cute; they chimed in and asked about it in German.

I was trying to pay, order, and concentrate, so all I heard was "lamm" and giggling as an answer. C had apparently asked what the Easter camel was filled with. The clerk told her lamb. I selected one and as we were leaving, I asked what I had missed, giggling too when I realized that Cl. had called it a camel and not a lamb, and it was not filled with any kind of meat. At 8 euros, it was quite expensive baby "lambel."

I told my coworker this story and it made us wonder: what do baby camels look like? Was C way off? Apparently she wasn't! According to Professor Google, baby camels' humps don't immediately stand up so the Easter lamb pasty could have very well have been an Easter camel baby.

The most important thing? The baby whatever-it-was tasted good; it was like the lovechild of a doughnut and cake, with a vanilla-y taste.

The traditional German Easter...lambel?

My week: April 5 Easter ed.

This was my week "off," i.e. with no classes and no language cafe.

-I met with my tandem partner. To practice English, we watched the episode with President Obama in Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis. I didn't realize just how many idioms that we use in everyday English until I spent quite a bit of time explaining what the speakers meant. My friend also started watching the Ellen Degeneres show to help with her English. She made a good choice; the show is generally upbeat and the level of English is not too high. Plus, Ellen speaks Standard American English (which is or is not a thing, depending on what linguist you ask, I suppose).

-I hung out with some friendly dogs. I forgot just how slobbery dogs can be but was amused how they like to "smoosh" me like Moo the Cat does (i.e. sitting on me companionably).

-My friends who live in Neustadt came out to visit. I took them to the Ramstein Air Base because C had a hankering for Taco Bell. K never had eaten it before but liked it. They continued on to Saarland and to Luxembourg while I worked on some things at home. Later, they returned for dinner and we ate at Safari, an Ethiopian restaurant in Kaiserslautern. They agreed that it was excellent and we stuffed ourselves silly. I introduced them to the concept of a "food baby," where one eats so much that one feels pregnant.

We waddled back to my house; they were staying for the weekend because we were going to spend Easter together. I told them that they could allow Moo to stay in their room or not. They chose the Moo option and laughed about the experience the next morning. Apparently he purred in their faces as they were sleeping; walked on them; stood on C, stabbing him with his paws and trying to fluff C's side up like a pillow before sleeping on him; and laid on their feet. This is standard Moocat behavior and part of the reason that I don't let him stay with me when I sleep (the other half is that I'm too allergic to him). Despite Moo's demanding behavior, C and K were totally taken by Moo and are new members of his informal fan club.

-I cooked an American-style Easter breakfast of bacon, eggs, and French toast casserole (based on this recipe). K, who is Romanian, was curious about the French toast since she makes a version too. Her version is more savory, with bread soaked in egg and a pinch of salt and then fried in a pan. That got us wondering: is French toast even remotely French or is it just a name that was tacked onto it? Are French people out there, rolling their eyes? (I know that I roll my eyes at the German take on "American" sandwich spread, which they imagine as a tube of mayo streaked with ketchup, something we don't do.) Either way, C and K loved the casserole. I joked that we were going to have food baby twins.

-K shared a story about a Romanian Easter tradition, prevalent in Transylvania. On Easter Monday, the women clean their houses really well, dress up, and welcome male family and friends to drop by. The women prepare cakes and eggs. When the men arrive at the front door, they spray the women with perfume and give greetings. It has something to do with keeping the women from "wilting" and is refreshing for them, to bring luck. The women give the men cakes and eggs. K said it's amusing to see grown men going house to house, carrying their baskets or bags of eggs and cakes. It seems like a cousin of trick or treating!

Apparently the men used to pour water on the women but after much consternation on the part of the women, the men started using perfume instead. As someone who has allergies, I could imagine that could be overwhelming to be doused in perfume!

-After lunch, we hiked from the technical university to the Humbergturm, in the southern woods bordering Kaiserslautern. It's a nice, reasonably easy hike that takes about 45 minutes one way. C was teasing me, noting that we could have just driven to the Bremerhof restaurant and hiked from there, which is shorter. It never dawns on me to go that way but I like the added 10 minutes of hiking from the uni.

As we were walking through the woods, we were struck by the damage from Hurricane Niklas earlier in the week. Usually this area of Germany doesn't have severe weather but for several days, it was pummeled by rain and wind storms. Trees in the woods were snapped in half and the forestry service had been busy clearing the aftermath, as evidenced by the stacked rows of cut trees.

Large tree snapped in half, near the Bremerhof.

We reached the goal of hiking to the Humbergturm. The trails were quite busy; many locals were out enjoying the pleasant, sunny weather. C and K climbed the tower, took pictures, and we hiked back. I saw this cool wolf painted on a tree on our way.

We said goodbye after the hike and I wished them well on their journey home. It was a pleasant and relaxing Easter spent in good company.

Restaurant Review: Pizzeria Venezia, Kindsbach Germany

Pizzeria Venezia
Kaiserstrasse 58
Kindsbach

I've almost given up the search in Germany for pizza that I enjoy. Most pizza here just isn't to my taste; the crust is often bland and too salty, the sauce tasteless. Once in a while I sample pizza in hopes of finding something tasty. This week, I was passing through Kindsbach, which is just west of Kaiserslautern. I read reasonably good reviews of Pizzeria Venezia so decided to give it a try.

I was warmly greeted by the waitress and picked a seat. As I perused the menu, I noticed a typical range of Italian dishes, including salads, soup, pasta, meat, and pizza. I decided on the bruschetta pizza and insalata mista (mixed salad).

As I waited for the pizza, I looked around the restaurant. It's located in the ground floor of a hotel. The entry way features a bar area and tables; additional tables are in the back. Outdoors is a garden area for dining during better weather. Parking is available in front of the restaurant.

The mixed salad was large, with fresh, varied types of lettuce accompanied by shredded carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It was covered in a vinaigrette that has a touch of a mustard-taste. It was a decent salad, though the dressing was a bit thickly applied (which isn't uncommon in Germany; ask for the dressing on the side if you prefer a thinner application).

I had asked the waitress how big the bruschetta pizza was and she told me it was large, but when I received it, I was still struck by how big it was; I'd say it was about 14" or so. It's composed of a somewhat thin, wood oven cooked pizza crust topped by a thin layer of pizza sauce and then with tomatoes in a sauce of vinegar, olive oil, and herbs. The tomato topping is added after the pizza bakes so it's room temperature.

I was very impressed by the crust; I think it's the best I've had so far in Germany. Coming from a wood fired oven, it was flavorful and the right combination of crispy and chewy. The sauce was a bit more sweet than I usually prefer but it was still decent. The bruschetta topping was very fresh tasting.

I would probably visit again; I'd be curious to try an actual pizza there as the bruschetta pizza appetizer was quite good. I paid 10 euros for the large meal. The waitress was friendly and efficient. If you plan to visit, do allow extra time for the meal as the wood stove takes longer to cook.

The Osterbrunnen of Kindsbach

I saw several signs in Kindsbach (a suburb of Kaiserslautern) for the Osterbrunnen, or the Easter fountain. The Rosenverein decorated the fountain with eggs and greenery. Fancy, huh?

Signs you've gone native in the Pfalz

Expats moving to the Pflaz region of the Rheinland-Pfalz state in Germany might start out with one set of expectations when moving here, but as they become more native, they realize what's really up.

Here are some signs that show you've gone native:

1. People ask you about the beer in the area and you tell them about the wine.

2. You might have a dirndl or lederhosen to wear in Bayern, but you know it doesn't really have a place here.

3. You know that with the slightest excuse, there will be a gemütlich wine festival.

4. You say "jo" instead of "ja."

5. You know that Saarland is not the most awesome vacation place ever, as much as they'd like to think it is.

6. You giggle when you think of Helmut Kohl making foreign dignitaries eat Saumagen.

7. Heck, you've eaten Saumagen yourself (even if you may or may not be vegetarian).

8. You know that Flammkuchen is where it's at.*

9. You know that closing down the local highways during the summer means two things: wine + bikes.

10. You and the Pfälzerwald are besties. You might even have nordic walking poles just to prove that (even though you're more likely to use them on the flat paths).


*Even though it's grammatically incorrect.