Pottery and Wine

Our trip to Alsace, France was very nice; we began our tour in the small town of Soufflenheim, known for its pottery, and watched a potter demonstrate his trade. It was very interesting to watch*, and we even bought a few pieces:


Plate


Espresso cup


From the side

We happily explored the area afterwards, though I must admit we have become extremely sensitive to warmer temperatures. The day began with the usual slight chill, but by the time we got back on the bus (a bit before noon), Dan and I had taken our coats off. I think the temperature may have reached the high 70s/low 80s; if that was enough to make us breathless, I don't know how we'll manage back in the States!

Our next stop was to the town of Wissembourg; we walked around, then ate lunch-Dan and I both had a flammekueche, which is a thin "pizza"-style dish without tomato sauce. Dan has eaten them before, but I never did...until then. I ordered mine with tuna, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and lots of cheese; Dan had bacon, onion, garlic and cheese on his. The salad wasn't very good (in my opinion), but we were both very satisfied with our main dishes, and I was very happy to hear that there is a flammekueche booth located in close proximity to our apartment.

We ended our trip with stops to a winery in Cleebourg (complete with a tour and wine tasting-we got to keep the glasses), and the German Wine Gate (Deutsches Weintor).


Souvenir glasses


Cleebourg wine

All in all, it was a great trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
*Check out our YouTube page for the pottery video.

Light

I began noticing this strange phenomenon about a month ago: when I wake up in the morning, the sky is already bright, and by the time I leave the house at 5:45, it has begun to lighten significantly. Also, the sun doesn't set until after 9pm, which is both fascinating and annoying, in our opinion.

Fortunately, the weather (temperature-wise) has been pretty stable: it's been pretty warm lately (in the high 60s/low 70s), which makes me happy.

THE BIRDS, THE BIRDS!

During my last semester of college, while I was barricaded in my house, studying for my comprehensive exam, I noticed that there was one bird that seemed to hang right outside of my window and tweet its heart out all day long.
I think that bird has followed me to Germany, and brought a few of his friends with him.

UPDATES

Trips- Our wine-tasting/pottery trip to Wissembourg, France is next week, and Dan and I are really looking forward to some time off together. Everything has been a bit hectic here lately; our schedules haven't meshed too well, but hopefully that will change in the near-future.

Food- I checked the mailbox at our apartment and found a menu for a "fast-food" restaurant right down the street. It specializes in German, Turkish, and Italian cuisine and is open Monday to Saturday, until 10pm; we decided to check it out last week - I had Tortellini alla Panna (tortellini with ham and cream sauce), and Dan had Currywurst and beer. Yum!

Strange Happenings

For as long as I can remember, my brother has been the only individual able to beat me in Scrabble (over the years, he has been the one person consistently willing to match wits).
A few nights ago, Dan and I decided to play; I should have known the game wouldn't end well when the first few words I came up with were informally contested:


(Me: Saner, Yaps, Fauna / Dan: Trinity, Ox, Jew)

In my defense, it was 10pm when we began playing. Strangely, that didn't faze Dan at all, and, for the first time in the history of our relationship, he succeeded in beating me at Scrabble (by 23 points). Incredible!

Soap and Sightseeing

Dan and I went to Heidelberg on Wednesday; I specifically to shop, he for the sights. The particular store I sought, Lush, was recommended by Heidi; she formally introduced me to it in Switzerland, and I have been craving their products ever since:


Sugar Scrub (wrapped), "Avobath" Bath Bomb, "Olive Branch" Solid Perfume

We managed to visit a handful of other places in town as well: namely, the Heidelberger Schloss (the Heidelberg Castle), and the Old Bridge, plus a few very interesting (and very old) churches. We also walked around the library at Heidelberg University; the buildings here (Europe in general) are absolutely amazing.

Not much else to report from the trip, except I tripped down a mountain, ran across a road, and nearly disconnected my knee from the rest of my leg. The result:



Oh, well. Overall, the outing was incredibly fun, and we are still planning on visiting Wissembourg at some point in the future...

The Marathon

LAST WEEK:

As many people know, I am a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Thankfully, my friend Heidi is also a "Lordie," and agreed to lend me her special edition DVDs - approximately 12 hours of non-stop LOTR action. When I told Dan of my plan to spend an entire work-day watching the films, he suggested - much to my surprise - that we undertake the mission together, with treats and scheduled breaks to successfully endure our ordeal. Naturally, I agreed to this plan.
We began the marathon late, at 10am, and finished approximately 15-20 minutes past midnight, but it was worth every second:

HOURS 1-3 1/2: Fellowship of the Ring
Lessons Learned: Hobbits have a very high quality of life; I have begun to implement their eating habits into my daily schedule: First Breakfast, Second Breakfast, then Elevenses and Afternoon Tea, to be followed by Lunch, Dinner, and finally, Supper.

Short Break

HOURS 4-8: The Two Towers
Lesson Learned: Do not buy Campbell's "Vegetable" Soup, as there are no vegetables in it.

Dinner Break

HOURS 9-13 1/2: The Return of the King
Lessons Learned: Dan cannot sit still for 12+ hours at a time. Also, we are both complete nerds.

THE FRUIT THAT WASN'T

Dan has grown quite fond of sampling the local delicacies: he often brings home new and unusual treats: lots of pastries, yogurts, vegetables, noodles, and such, to try in various German-themed recipes. Usually these culinary ventures are much applauded.
Thus, when Dan purchased a small carton of gooseberries a few weeks ago, I was very excited. He explained that they were small fruits; I ate a few, and said they tasted familiar. He said they did, too.
Last week I found another batch in the refrigerator, and ate a few again. A couple of days ago, however, he approached me and mentioned that the gooseberries were, in fact, not actually "fruit-fruit," but small tomatoes.

RENT

I was watching Rent when Dan came home today, and he sat down to watch it with me. I had something else to do, though, and left him alone, expecting him to put something else on. A few hours later we were talking, and he nonchalantly quoted a scene from the movie.
I was flabbergasted, but quite pleased.