been extolling the Dutch for their unparalleled 
cycling fortitude. They cycle in the sun, they cycle in the rain. They cycle when it's hot, they cycle when it's cold. But how about six inches of snow? Yes indeed.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Thirty-Nine: Snow Day
I've
been extolling the Dutch for their unparalleled 
cycling fortitude. They cycle in the sun, they cycle in the rain. They cycle when it's hot, they cycle when it's cold. But how about six inches of snow? Yes indeed.
been extolling the Dutch for their unparalleled cycling fortitude. They cycle in the sun, they cycle in the rain. They cycle when it's hot, they cycle when it's cold. But how about six inches of snow? Yes indeed.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thirty-Eight: Koln
Back to Koln for more Christmas fun. This year Amanda came with us. We wandered around downtown, did some Christmas shopping and had dinner at a 100 year old pub (sooooo German). We visited Dom Cathedral and three Christmas markets - including the big one at the Dom - unbearably crowded at night but very pleasant in the morning.
Really, the weekend can be summarized as follows: Bratwurst, gluhwein, curry wurst, spatzel, bratwurst, gluhwein, latkes, eierpunsch, hot cocoa & baileys, gluhwein, goulash, sauerbraten, beer, schweinebraten, beer and gluhwein!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thirty-Seven: Cake for Breakfast
After some preliminary research I knew what our 
weekend 
in Vienna would be about. Cake. Cake and possibly pastries. We flew in on Friday night. A voice identical to Schwarzenegger's greets us over the terminal's loudspeaker. We take the S-bahn (here's yet another comprehensive public transpo system - train, tram, metro,
bus, horse and
carriage) to our hotel on the edge of the Old City.
Saturday morning begins with topfenstrudel - similar to cheese blintz - and wiener melange (the Viennese version of cappuccino). Then random strolling. There are Christmas markets on practically every corner.
We drink apple 
punch and eat mohnstrudel (poppy seed strudel) at one, then meander down Kohlmarkt and Karntner Strasse - popular pedestrian fairways. We walk through Hofburg Palace to the Museum Quarter and yet another market. I really want to see the Lipizzaner's practice but they're on tour in Virginia
.
We sample the famous torte at Sacher Cafe (they've also got to die for topfenstrudel). We wait in line for standing room Opera tickets - Wagner's Gotterdammerung. For four Euros, we figure we can get just a taste then sneak out of the Five hour performance. We tie our scarves to the rail - per local
custom - to reserve our spot then wander off to admire the lobby and get a quick bite. When we return at the designated hour two women have commandeered our spots and will not move. We enlist the help of fellow standing-roomers and the hard-boiled Fräulein Usher, who moves them over just enough to wedge us in. Oh, but it's crowded; we're jammed together like cigarettes in a fresh pack. 
And it's hot. Looking back toward the exit I think, "we're not getting out of here anytime soon." Kim sisses, "what if there's a fire?" Oh great. Now I'm planning an emergency exit strategy and realizing my jeans are too tight to climb over the balcony like I'll need to... The lights dim and the curtain goes up. Shiver-inducing applause rises all around. I think, "Wow, we're at the Opera in Vienna!" Then the 'action' starts. Ummm. Yeah. Hmmmm. Well, they certainly can sing... What exactly is the plot here? Was that rotund man's wiggle move supposed to be a leap of some sort?
About 20 minutes in I begin to recognize the surrounding balconies as Dante's Levels of Hel
l, through which we are rapidly sinking. After an hour or so Kim whispers, "are you ready to go?" "Oh so ready" I reply. During a brief pause between numbers we elbow our way through the thinning crowd and past Fräulein Usher - our former hero - who "shhhhsh!"-es us emphatically.
The
air outside feels like... AIR! Beautiful, beautiful air. We wander. We bumble onto the spectacular Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz. Apple and orange punch! Fried dough! Potato pancakes! Fifty-thousand varieties of pastry and cookie! Sausage with cheese baked right in! Who the hell needs Opera?
On Sunday we have breakfast at Demel - cake and pastries. It's very, very good. We visit Klimt and friends at Belvedere - you know, Prince Eugene of Savoy's summer place. Then we return to the Rathausplatz market for lunch because we can't get
enough cheese-wurst. After lunch it's back to the airport and Amsterdam.
Next up; Christmas markets in Koln.
weekend 
in Vienna would be about. Cake. Cake and possibly pastries. We flew in on Friday night. A voice identical to Schwarzenegger's greets us over the terminal's loudspeaker. We take the S-bahn (here's yet another comprehensive public transpo system - train, tram, metro,
bus, horse and
carriage) to our hotel on the edge of the Old City.Saturday morning begins with topfenstrudel - similar to cheese blintz - and wiener melange (the Viennese version of cappuccino). Then random strolling. There are Christmas markets on practically every corner.
We drink apple 
punch and eat mohnstrudel (poppy seed strudel) at one, then meander down Kohlmarkt and Karntner Strasse - popular pedestrian fairways. We walk through Hofburg Palace to the Museum Quarter and yet another market. I really want to see the Lipizzaner's practice but they're on tour in Virginia
.We sample the famous torte at Sacher Cafe (they've also got to die for topfenstrudel). We wait in line for standing room Opera tickets - Wagner's Gotterdammerung. For four Euros, we figure we can get just a taste then sneak out of the Five hour performance. We tie our scarves to the rail - per local
custom - to reserve our spot then wander off to admire the lobby and get a quick bite. When we return at the designated hour two women have commandeered our spots and will not move. We enlist the help of fellow standing-roomers and the hard-boiled Fräulein Usher, who moves them over just enough to wedge us in. Oh, but it's crowded; we're jammed together like cigarettes in a fresh pack. 
And it's hot. Looking back toward the exit I think, "we're not getting out of here anytime soon." Kim sisses, "what if there's a fire?" Oh great. Now I'm planning an emergency exit strategy and realizing my jeans are too tight to climb over the balcony like I'll need to... The lights dim and the curtain goes up. Shiver-inducing applause rises all around. I think, "Wow, we're at the Opera in Vienna!" Then the 'action' starts. Ummm. Yeah. Hmmmm. Well, they certainly can sing... What exactly is the plot here? Was that rotund man's wiggle move supposed to be a leap of some sort?About 20 minutes in I begin to recognize the surrounding balconies as Dante's Levels of Hel
l, through which we are rapidly sinking. After an hour or so Kim whispers, "are you ready to go?" "Oh so ready" I reply. During a brief pause between numbers we elbow our way through the thinning crowd and past Fräulein Usher - our former hero - who "shhhhsh!"-es us emphatically.The
air outside feels like... AIR! Beautiful, beautiful air. We wander. We bumble onto the spectacular Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz. Apple and orange punch! Fried dough! Potato pancakes! Fifty-thousand varieties of pastry and cookie! Sausage with cheese baked right in! Who the hell needs Opera?
On Sunday we have breakfast at Demel - cake and pastries. It's very, very good. We visit Klimt and friends at Belvedere - you know, Prince Eugene of Savoy's summer place. Then we return to the Rathausplatz market for lunch because we can't get
enough cheese-wurst. After lunch it's back to the airport and Amsterdam.Next up; Christmas markets in Koln.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thirty-Six: Christmas, Dutch Style
The Netherlands are gearing up for Christmas. This means oliebollen 
and poffertje stands (yey!), lighting displays (yey! unless you're "green", in which case "booo!") and of course Sinterklaas and... Zwarte Piet. Last year Zwarte Piet totally freaked me out. I thought, "What??? How can this be OK?" There must be some sort of misunderstanding; I must be missing something.
Well, I've learned a bit more since last year's holiday season, and
this year I'm thinking..... "WHAT??? How can this be OK???" Apparently I'm not missing anything. This is exactly what it looks like. And it's totally befuddling considering general cultural themes and policies. I can only stack this in the growing pile of evidence indicating that the Dutch are not so much liberal as they are practical. But this is a very touchy subject here; protests, death threats to protesters, etc. One camp says it's '
tradition' and therefore absolved of malfeasance. The other camp thinks the first camp is off their collective rocker.
In related news, researching the links contained herein has resulted in a 25-30% downtrend in my opinion of the Dutch...
and poffertje stands (yey!), lighting displays (yey! unless you're "green", in which case "booo!") and of course Sinterklaas and... Zwarte Piet. Last year Zwarte Piet totally freaked me out. I thought, "What??? How can this be OK?" There must be some sort of misunderstanding; I must be missing something.Well, I've learned a bit more since last year's holiday season, and
this year I'm thinking..... "WHAT??? How can this be OK???" Apparently I'm not missing anything. This is exactly what it looks like. And it's totally befuddling considering general cultural themes and policies. I can only stack this in the growing pile of evidence indicating that the Dutch are not so much liberal as they are practical. But this is a very touchy subject here; protests, death threats to protesters, etc. One camp says it's '
tradition' and therefore absolved of malfeasance. The other camp thinks the first camp is off their collective rocker.In related news, researching the links contained herein has resulted in a 25-30% downtrend in my opinion of the Dutch...
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