Remember when I marveled that German trains are ALWAYS on time? Ok, not completely true. As soon as I finish writing the last entry, the announcer says something about the train being delayed. I can hardly understand her English over the intercom, so I don’t know why. By the time my train gets into Frankfurt, it is 5:33p. My connecting train to Aschaffenburg is supposed to leave at 5:34p. Lucky for me, I encounter not one but TWO rare delays in Germany, and make it to the next train with a minute to spare (picture time!). Whew.
On the regional train, I immediately notice that Germans dress much more conservatively than the French, especially the men. Gone are the tight pants marking every contour of well… everything, and tight pastel v-neck shirts. Here the outfit of choice seems to be khakis pants and a button up shirt—short sleeved for the summer months. I get to Aschaffenburg, my friend Karen is already waiting there with her husband. We hop in the car and drive to their house. On the way, the rolling green hills remind of the Oregon coast.
Before going to their house, we stop by a supermarket to pick up a few more ingredients for dinner, and to my surprise, an ice cream/coffee shop. MmmmMmmmm. I wolf down a dessert that has espresso poured over ice cream. There’s something crunchy in it too. I don’t know what it is and can’t remember the name, but it’s amazing. My constant desire to take pictures of EVERYTHING is embarrassing. But come on, I AM an Asian tourist, so I succumb to the urge.
We get to their house. It sits at the foot of a hill with a patch of woods behind. I hear birds chirping. The air smells so fresh and clean. Karen’s husband goes off to the kitchen to prepare an authentic German dinner, while Karen shows me her fascinating hobby of post card collection. I finally understand what she was asking for in a post card from Paris. Alas, I didn’t get it right.
Soon, dinner is ready. We eat in their backyard. The sun is setting, a small breeze chills the air, yet the brick patio under our feet is warm from being in the sun all day. Everything smells amazing. The asparagus is huge—it must be a different variety than what I’ve seen in the U.S. And the meat—ostrich steak. Wow. We toast to friendship with delicious wine from Milan, and the feast begins! The Asparagus is served with a generous serving of Hollandaise sauce, and the steak, I’m pretty sure, is cooked with a touch of magic. Everything tastes amazing—I am salivating as I write this. At the end of the meal, I use bread to soak up the sauces from the plate and eat every last drop. Karen is quite the chef herself, but she is one lucky girl to have a husband blessed with culinary talent.
After dinner, Karen teaches me how to make tiramisu. She is great at baking, and even better at teaching. I hand-beat the egg whites for the full experience. I wish I had taken photos of each step, but making tiramisu requires my total attention. Here is the almost-finished product. After refrigerating overnight, we will add cocoa powder before serving it for dinner tomorrow.
We’ll be touring Aschaffenburg tomorrow, known as “Bavarian Nice” for its mild climate. Ah yes, bring it on, vacation, I am ready for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment