Think Germany, think Hitler? NO!!! Think Germany, think GLUDWEIN!!!! Welcome to the new century of decadence and ridiculous bushy politics.
Flying into small town Friedrichshahafen's airport, I wasn't entirely sure if I had entered Germany, Austria or Switzerland. My dear friend Shujun just instructed me to fly into this airport and she will be there to pick me up. So I did, without checking. I am here in Germany to visit this dear old friend of mine who is (right now) busy painting Easter eggs for god knows who(???) and eating scrambled eggs for breakfast every day(???). She works in the birthtown of MAGGI(u know that yummy sauce?) and it is in the south of Germany, near to the Swiss and Austrian border...hence, my confusion. Pardon me.
Driving towards Radolfzell, the small, warm and charming town that she lives, I was a tad disappointed with the dreary weather...rain and gloom shadowed us all the way back to "home". Radolfzell is where "home" will be for the next 1 week while i rest my poor swollen ankle(be careful of the treacherous steps in NYC's Phantom of the Opera Theatre...they are wicked!!!) and gear up for another 2weeks of backpacking through Eastern Europe with my easter egg painting friend. Giddyup, girl!!!
Little did I know that a whirlwind of events had been lined up for me before I could barely even master "Dankeshen"(thank you in German). In Germany, it is a crime to NOT drink. Soon, I was downing cinnamon favoured tequila shots with strangers and crashing onto my make shift bed in egg painter's boyfriend's house in an unfamiliar room with no internet. The next day, I was treated like a queen to a royal breakfast spread of rolls, hams, german mett(raw pork marinated with spices...yumz!), sausages and GOOD WEATHER! Next on the itinery is a walk on the frozen Lake Bodensee (fronting Shujun's house), across to the other side of the lake. This lake spans across Germany and Switzerland and is HUGE. To walk across the narrow stretch of the lake took us 1hr. As we were halfway through, we kept hearing sounds of "Toom! Toom!" and guess what? It is the sound of ice cracking beneath our feet. The lake is starting to break up. Gulp. We hurried across to the finishing line and only with a cuppa warm gludwein in our hands did we then relax. FYI: Gludwein is a warm wine mixed with some spices and usually drank over christmas period. It is February now but who the hell cares. We just want to drink. It is still cold. Brr.....
During the course of the week, we crossed to Switzerland to a friend's house to have dinner and watch Coupling, a UK copy of Sex in the City(yawnz...). I wanted to see the gnomes of Europe so I took a train to the town of Constance and was sadly disappointed by the disappearance of ALL the gnomes!!! Where have all the gnomes gone to? Instead, I got pacified by quaint shops meandering along cobbled walkways(mind the ankle!) and painted historic buildings with folklores and what nots. Sorry, I am not very descriptive here cos it was a bloody freezing day with rain and sleet and not a good day to be out and about at all. Only warmth I got was from a strong cup of hot chocolate(milk or bitter chocolate, madam?) at the Aran Cafe, an institution all by itself.
We ended off the week with a nice dinner of dunneles at this restaurant that serves only dunneles! For 15euros per person, you get to sample all the dunneles in the house, all freshly baked from the oven. Sort of like a pizza but on a very thin and light crust and no tomato base. Yummy! Of course, it tastes even better with a cuppa gludwein in hand. :)
Off to ski in the Swiss Alps next!
(except that I cannot ski and I can't ski. Damn ankle.)
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