Fasching = Halloween + Donuts

Last Tuesday was Fasching (aka carnival aka Fat Tuesday . . . ) and I got to celebrate Munich style. While the best place to be for Fasching is actually Koln, Munich was fun too. There is a big celebration in the Marienplatz where everyone is dressed up in costumes and walks around drinking, eating, and throwing massive amounts of confetti, but mostly they are drinking. There are portable bars set up all over and not just beer but wine, Gluhwein, hard alcohol, and pretty much any other kind you'd want.

My favorite part is that the traditional food for Fasching is krapfen aka Berliner aka filled donuts. It is so nice to have an excuse to eat donuts all the time, and even though the US is the country known for loving donuts I have to say that Germany in general has nearly perfected the filled donut.

The costumes are great and let me just say that there are no holds barred. Everything goes. There were fruits, witches, Hello Kittys, tigers, police officers, and then people dressed as Mexicans, Arabs, Gypsies, and more. I found that a bit surprising and realized that in the US we don't typically dress in the traditional (or stereotypical) dress of major cultures. I don't know if it is good or bad. Anyway, Fasching was a great day and not just because we only had to work a half day!

Baby Steps into France

I finally had my first trip to France, even if it was only a couple of feet into the country. I'm almost kidding. I went with 2 other American ex-pats to Strasbourg, France. It is a very interesting town with lots of history. It has been French and then German and then French, etc. but the key is that in 2010 it is France and to tell the truth I could tell.

Once we arrived Friday night we headed across town to the hotel, but because of me it took about 3 times longer than it should have because I had to stop at every bakery and chocolate shop (which were all closed) and drool over the display. I mean they had macaroons the width of baseballs for heavens sake! The first morning breakfast sort of turned into brunch after searching for a place for a while. But it worked out well because I had basically a bruschetta with tomato spread, eggplant, and chicken and it was amazing. I think the best savory dish of the trip.

Then to the cathedral to watch the astronomical clock at 12:30. It was interesting and impressive that something built that long ago still functions as it should. Plus the cathedral was beautiful inside (aside from the part where they charged money for everything). I think I ate a salad for lunch, but all I really remember was the chocolate tart from heaven at the end of the meal at Paul.

That night we were trying to find a particular restaurant and when we asked this nice couple for directions they ended up just walking us there. They were so nice which is great because we would have never found it! Another point for France.

The next morning we woke to a beautiful snow covered Strasbourg and headed to the Tomi Ungerer Museum - International Center of Illustration which featured Tomi Ungerer (illustrator of tons of book including Crictor) and Saul Steinberg (known best for his work for the New Yorker). I think it may be one of my favorite museums of all time except for the basement, which I sort of regret encouraging us to explore. I should have let the mystery stay a mystery. Eventually we headed back to Petit France to explore again and take more pictures.

Luckily on the way to the train that night I was able to find one bakery open so I could get my long awaited macaroon. I proceeded to carry it all the way back to my apartment in my breast pocket (6 hours) without smashing it and man was all that work worth it! AMAZING!!

The worst part of the trip was the ride home on the train when a group of (drunk of course) soccer hooligans got on the train and made a game of who can get Beth to hit them first. Basically the one guy kept opening the door to the car and singing and talking to the group around us (of course we were all women so an obvious target). I did enjoy the part where since I was ignoring him while he asked what book I was reading he ended up calling me French. Awesome, but just goes to show how oblivious he really was as I was reading an English book called Independence Day with a big American flag on the cover. Oh well, I kind of like being called French, who'd have known.