The Fastest Month This Year!

Between the Canons, 100-kilometer bike rides, cooking, touring with a boatload of engineers, and hiking, it was the fastest month of the year. I must be getting older because I am now sounding like my parents, “time just flies by at this age”.

The one thing I can say is I’m so glad I’ve documented what the heck I’ve done each month because I’m getting “OLD-TIMERS” brain. Oh, and thank goodness for the Apple TV screen saver with our past travel pictures scrolling. We test our brains each night to ensure we remember where we’ve been over the years.

We started the month off with a great visit from our dear friends, Dagmar and Peter. These two are great friends and traveled alongside us with their boat, The Black Pearl. It’s always fun to catch up and laugh about our adventures and hear their new travel plans.

Of course, I had time to cook between gigs, and one of the most wonderful advantages of living in Germany (or anywhere mushrooms grow wild) is mushroom season!

With this batch of pfferlinge mushrooms, I created some of our favorite dishes, as well as some new ones. Mushrooms and gluten-free pasta!

Mushrooms and pork loin with mashed potatoes.

Mushrooms and fresh fish from the market!

And of course, mushroom omlets!

I whipped up a few other dishes we love, like fresh Ahi bowls. The fresh fish stand had the deep red slices. By the way, the pickled red onions are a must-serve with this delicious meal. Simple and just added a spark to the combo of marinated Ahi, spicy sriracha sauce, and all the goodies. I was so excited to eat this that I forgot to add the avocados and edamame beans before the picture was taken.

I also made this curried coconut chicken with a jar of marinated lemons from Dagmar. This recipe is definitely a keeper and so delicious. I’ve seen marinated lemons in Trader Joe’s in the USA, but Dagmar made the jar herself, and seriously, this was just amazing and simple.

Of course, we had a few days of cold, rainy weather, and when this happens, I am ready for some real Mexican food! Pork Carnitas were the choice for the day! With homemade corn tortillas.

The minute the sun came out, so did we. One of the enjoyable rides we take is the train to Freudenstadt, approximately 35 km away by train. Then we ride home by bike, which ends up being about 50K. The town is something you should see in the Black Forest. Great hiking and biking trails, plus restaurants and lodging!

Our friend Michael joined us on the train. And no, Lutz and I did not climb up this tower, but Bravo, Michael!

Speaking of mushrooms, we had to stop while Michael uprooted this “mother of a mushroom”! I’m sure he and Angelica ate well for a few days.

We even got a chance to drive one of the rafts (Floß in German). However, it was on dry land! These rafts were used in the past to transport wood to the Netherlands in the 1700s and 1800s.

One sunny day, we took off for a 60 Km bike ride to Gengenbach. I’ve posted before about this cool little city and highly recommend a visit, especially around Christmas time. They have a super Christmas Market!

Oh, the way home, I was so excited to see an old friend of mine. My first car! I was 16 years old and my dad bought me this cool VW van. The same color, the same year. Dang, so sad to sell it, and I had it eventually painted red, don’t ask! That was the 70s!

We took a few walks and hiked to a small lake at the top of the Black Forest. I assumed (wrong) that we’d park at the top and cruise around the lake. Ha, not so. Parking was at the bottom of the mountain, and we headed straight up!

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We made the entire hike around the lake, and then came the worst part: the hike down with our bad knees.

One of the nice things about hiking in Germany is that there is always “eine Hütte”. These are wild refreshment stands that offer simple foods or drinks. “The Invisible Bar” happened to be self-serve!

The drinks were kept underground, and you had to crank them up and serve yourself! I found a perfect spot to enjoy the view. This landowner had two spots for campers, even!

I love my International friends. We were able to squeeze in another clothes exchange. A perfect opportunity to get rid of fall clothes and pick up some new ones!

Oh yes, about the canons. Lutz thought we needed a little more excitement in our lives; we needed to hike one more trail. This one was to an open-air theater that presented a very well-known play, Hornberger Schliessen. There is a German saying, “Es geht aus wie das Hornberger Schiessen”. Which means  “it ends like the Hornberg shooting”.

Basically, it is about the mishap in the small village of Hornberg, which was hosting a prestigious visit from a Duke. The town had prepared cannons to welcome the Duke, but during the preparations, the scouts, while waiting for the Duke to arrive, mistook others for the Duke, and all the powder was used when the Duke did arrive. The Hornberg Castle, located at the top of the hill, is a Hotel. It is here that my mother was awoken in the night by a knight. She swears by it!

There were more than 50 actors, and the costumes were incredible. It was in German, but I was able to follow along with the help of Lutz.

Click here to get the full effect of this show and the crazy boom of the cannons. It will wake you up!

Spending two days with a group of “old” engineers was quite entertaining. Lutz’s University friends meet each year, tour a city, and catch up with one another. Of course, they always visit an engineering plant, and this year we were off to an electric bike company, Riese & Müller.

There were incredibly diverse creations, each starting at between €3,000 and €10,000.

I found mine!

In addition, we took a tour of Darmstadt. I’m embarrassed to say I have never been there, and since I worked for DoDds, it’s even more embarrassing. We had several military bases there during the time I was employed with the Department of Defence. It was fabulous! We visited the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mathildenhöhe. I love Judgenstiel art and Bauhaus art, and this place was fascinating. We even had our own tour guide and were able to visit one of the MANY beautiful homes built for artists at the time. Here are a few photos for you, but the site has many more incredible artworks and designs to see.

One of the memorials in the gardens moved me deeply. It honored those who had deserted during Hitler’s reign.

Here is the sign that accompanied the memorial:

Like I said, it was the fastest month of the year for us. We blinked and it was over!

Thank you for following along and visiting my site. We will be heading to the USA for the winter holidays, and I’ll fill you in next month with more travels, recipes, and resources. Stay tuned! Until then, check out this delicious Mexican Side Salad. It is one of the simplest and easiest to prepare—a great accompaniment to any meal. Additionally, my dear friend, who has mentored me in many ways, has created an amazing classroom support system that empowers children. I actually believe that her ideas and principles could also benefit our home environments.

Fave New Recipe: Mexican Bean Salad

Delicious, easy, and feeds a crowd. Spicy with a hint of sweetness from the sweet potatoes and a powerful bite of flavor from the seasonings!

Fave Resource: The Curious Classroom

Kerry’s site on Teachers Pay Teachers is one of the most creative resources for the classroom and at home. Helping children (and adults) learn through inquiry. Woo, you’ve got to check this site out.