Deb Wants Inquiring Minds to Know 10-31-15

Another set of random thoughts from Deb, this time from Berlin, Prague, Cesky Krumlov and Vienna.

*My gosh, the Germans are tall! I know I'm getting even shorter as I age, but there were high school girls half a head taller than Warren. Made me long for my far-away days of being a tall blonde in India...

*Besides being beautiful architecturally, with one charming building after another, Prague (Praha) is so clean. It was a pleasant change to not have to watch so carefully where one walks, or would have done had the cobblestones not been so challenging. Made me wonder how my dear friend Charla got around in this, her favorite city. She has a fair amount of foot trouble, and has earned my eternal gratitude this year for having introduced me to Arcopedico shoes in time for this year of non-stop walking.

*My impression is that sausages are to the Germanic countries the way cheeses are to France. In our travels here we've eaten dozens of kinds, in varieties of preparations. Just in time for World Health Organization to state that preserved meats contribute to cancer. But Warren maintains that enough beer will kill any possible cancers. (I'm not sure he doesn't have a hidden agenda.) I do wonder, though, if preserved meats are so bad, why cancer isn't rampant in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic? Wonder if they put the same things in theirs? Don't know.

*It's fall now and all sorts of mushrooms are appearing in the markets, most of them new to me. I'll be trying more of them and probably preparing them incorrectly, but, hey, how bad can any mushroom be sauteed in fresh butter? Saw some today called "Trumpets of Death", just in time for Halloween, which, by the way is very popular in France. Don't think those mushrooms are likely fatal, but I could check by taking some to our local drugstore. Pharmacists in  France identify mushrooms for safe consumption. It's an especially important protection this time of year, when the woods are full of people meandering with baskets and long walking sticks, stalking the wily, wild mushroom.

*We had virtually no sunshine on our Berlin/Prague/Vienna trip, but loved seeing the beautiful rolling countryside from our trains. The damp fields are being turned and plowed for new winter crops. Some of the plots are newly green with vibrant new growth.  I have no idea what the plantings are, and my language skills in this part of the world wouldn't have allowed for an explanation anyway. Noticed the large size of the fields in the Czech Republic compared to Germany and Austria and wondered if it reflected the communist history. There were hunting blinds all over at the edge of the frequent forests, and their object, some lovely smallish deer, could be spotted out unrepentantly pillaging the fields. Also spotted from the trains: hawks of various colors, crows with varieties of grey markings, a huge swooping owl  and more domestically, flocks of pudgy white turkeys, grey geese and multicolored ducks and chickens.Often a cat in a field of grass, scowling at the train and slurking away disgustedly from a disturbed hunt.

*Those who learned to read in the early 1950's might recognize the phrase "Cookies, cookies, cookies, said Susan." a phrase that became a joke in my family when, after having to read that
sentence aloud,  I solemnly told my parents that my first grade reading texts were for "morons", a term I'd picked up from my college-aged brother and sister. Nonetheless, I developed quite a sympathy for old Susan while on our trip. Only the objects were dumplings. Dumplings, dumplings, dumplings, said Deb. Dumplings in every shape and type, and with every meal. Sadly, most were too subtle, bland and heavy for my taste. I longed for my decadent baguettes. France has corrupted me.

*Warren shone with his language skills on this trip. His rudimentary German got us around quite nicely, and kept me from ordering a variety of regrettable choices. And his few Czech words were an instant hit every time he used them. He would get a grin from the grumpiest looking shopkeeper with his greeting, and couple of polite phrases. Czech is hard! I only managed a couple of words (although please and thank you are arguably the two most important in any language). Warren cleverly got our cute little waitress to write a couple of phrases for him, which he then trotted out on appropriate occasions to certain applause. Good on Warren!

*It was a culture shock to once again be in an area where I could not pick up any hint of meaning in overheard conversations, and where written information conveyed nothing to my ignorant mind. One gets complacent, being able to parse out meanings from romance languages, however undependably. It's disquieting to be back where not even the exit signs are recognizable. Good for humility though.

*Speaking of writing, I once again recognized being outdated when I noticed that the dynasty I had always referred to as "Hapsburgs" is now being more widely referred to as "Habsburgs." A little research found that both spellings are historically valid, and that the family itself even occasionally signed as "Haburgs." Makes me less embarrassed over my own faulty spelling.

*Everywhere there is the feeling that winter is coming. Those northern folk are hardy souls though, and continue to enjoy eating outside. The restaurants had not yet limbered up their outdoor heaters (it was, after all, above freezing) but most provided lap robes for the lily-livered among their customers. In Munich, I used two of the blankies while huddling around warm Munich white wursts, served in a bowl of hot water, and roasted potatoes. Warren downed several types of beer to stay toasty.

*While we were in Berlin we missed a lovely invitation from Kathy Hancock, a childhood friend of my brother's family, who is living in Berlin with her family for a year. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet. I sense a kindred spirit since she commented that she's going with a daughter to Poland for a weekend "just because we can." Cannot think of a better reason. You go, girl!

*Had an interesting train-conversation with a couple of young women travelling with their little daughters to Prague. One of the moms was a white-blond, the other Asian and their conversation was conducted partially in English and also in an unidentifiable tongue. The Asian mom spoke Mandarin to her daughter. On their apologizing for their little ones' noise, we got into a conversation and found out that the blonde was Finnish and that the Asian was originally Chinese from Chendu, who had lived in Finland for over 10 years and had just moved to Germany.  Each spoke several languages and had travelled widely. They were having a little mini-vacation together while their husbands were in the US, driving Route 66.

*In Vienna, the "Imperial Capital that isn't anymore" we took the opportunity to see the famous Cellini salt celler that the Renaissance sculptor made for Francois Premier of France. This is yet another of those world renowned objects that so richly deserves its fame. Luxuriously, we had the time to look at it undisturbed by any other viewers. The detail and symbolism and execution are just magnificent. Cellini was a rascal, a brigand, a braggart and a self-confessed murderer, but after all, who doesn't have some faults? His artistry redeemed much if not all.

*Similarly, I had wanted to see the Ishtar Gate in Berlin ever since a high school art class. Some fragments at the Louvre just increased my interest. It is amazing. So much bigger and more colorful than any of the pictures indicate. No wonder Babylon was the wonder of the ancient world. What a privilege to get to see treasures like this, and even poignant when others are being destroyed in their home countries. Perhaps the "theft" of archaeological treasures and their dissemination isn't an unalloyed evil.

*Small issues assume greater importance when travelling like not knowing when daylight savings changes in your locality. Luckily, I'd had the foresight to send myself a calendar message on my Ipad. Time and trains wait for no confused tourists. We also learned more about various train systems. The German DBahn trains were lovely, clean and modern. And, contrary to my cultural stereotypes, often late. I was so impressed that, in contrast, to the more "flexible" French SNCF train system, DBahn lists the platform on their train tickets. I was less impressed when I found out that they weren't always accurate. If Warren hadn't had the sense to check a TV monitor as we ran frantically from a late train to our TGV connection, we'd have missed our connection to Paris. I was so convinced it would be where it said on the ticket. Silly me!