Saturday, June 25, 2011
Flower Market Time!
In Utrecht on Saturday mornings there is always a food market. There is also a flower market. I snapped these photos in between downpours of rain. I was able to capture the flower-sellers, their soil-laden hands bundling flowers in paper, while they puffed on cigarettes. People of all ages walked away with flowers (sometimes several bunches, as you will see) sandwiched under their arms.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Winter to Summer in Ten Lines
Lost in the city; bike stolen; scam artists.
I can finally navigate my way home…
The mailwoman skids through the snow on her bike delivering packages.
In winter I love walking along Stockholm’s ice-flecked harbor, talking to boats.
My mittened hands grasp mulled, spiced red wine at the German Christmas Market in Cologne.
Hot crepes spread paper-thin and tossed over; I love Parisian food!
Popping open my umbrella: rain, sun, rain; I did not know Holland had a monsoon season!
Queen’s Day and the streets are crammed with carousing Dutchies wearing orange head to foot.
I watched sun flood stained glass windows in a Barcelona church, birds singing outside.
“Hello duckling in the canal, bunny, gosling, wind-swept beach at the Hague; hello thesis.”
I can finally navigate my way home…
The mailwoman skids through the snow on her bike delivering packages.
In winter I love walking along Stockholm’s ice-flecked harbor, talking to boats.
My mittened hands grasp mulled, spiced red wine at the German Christmas Market in Cologne.
Hot crepes spread paper-thin and tossed over; I love Parisian food!
Popping open my umbrella: rain, sun, rain; I did not know Holland had a monsoon season!
Queen’s Day and the streets are crammed with carousing Dutchies wearing orange head to foot.
I watched sun flood stained glass windows in a Barcelona church, birds singing outside.
“Hello duckling in the canal, bunny, gosling, wind-swept beach at the Hague; hello thesis.”
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Germany--yum
Here are some more reflections on Germany, mostly food-related.
1. Food
To say that German pastries and bread are great is an understatement. Germany makes over 600 main types of bread and 1,200 pastries, produced in over 27,000 bakeries, according to my research. Darker rye-type bread is most popular. (Germans would probably be aghast at the white Wonder Bread that passes for bread in America…)
The bread is good; the sweets, epic. Back in September I spent my birthday with a good friend in Germany. One of our first stops was to a bakery. The choices for cake were mind-numbing. I’m convinced that no person ever walks out of a German bakery with one slice of cake. We left with two slices: a triple-layer fruit tort slice and piece of dark-chocolate-almond meringue cake. I like to wash down my German food with apfelschorle--my new favorite soft drink. It is merely carbonated water and apple juice, but it tastes much better in Germany than when I attempt to make it at home...
2. Christmas Markets
Germany is known for some crazy festivals; carnival (where everyone dresses up) and October Fest are two of the better known ones, but small fairs happen all the time (think West Virginia.) For example, when I was in Gottingen with a friend there was a great little fair with loads of street food (mostly of the meat variety, hard for a vegetarian), soft pretzels and beer—of course. There were also musical troops. I listened to two forty-plus-looking women in bell-bottom white stretch pants with long blond and brown wigs, rock to Abba in front of a huge crowd. I also crouched down with some six and seven-year-olds to get a prime view of a swell German puppet show going on.
However, my favorite German festival happens in winter: Christmas Markets. There is nothing like holding a mug of hot, German mulled wine in your mittened hands on a freezing cold night, spiced steam wafting around you, surrounded by twinkling market lights and stars.
What: Christkindlmarkts are large craft and food markets that last the entire month of December. This tradition dates back to the Late Middle Ages in Germany and Austria; there are now Christmas Markets all over the world.
Where: In many towns and major German cities.
When: It lasts the month of December, day and night, though it is most fun to go in the evening when vendor’s stalls are illuminated with lights.
Who to Go With: I went with a German friend (Sabrina!) My friend showed me how there were two markets within close proximity to each other. One was made mostly for tourists, she said, the other for locals. The one for locals was much cooler. For example, the food was more authentic and all the crafts (leather belts, wool hat, candles, etc.,) were handmade.
Purchases: I bought mostly food items (marzipan logs, gingerbread hearts) and a little wood carving of an owl perched on an open book.
Eat and Drink: Roasted chestnuts that come out piping hot and are served in a paper cone. They are incredible and taste a bit like really sweet meat. I also ate a pfannkucken (a large crepe-esque pancake) smeared with hot apples and delicious nut and berry-stuffed stollen (a sweet bread.) A lot of people were eating meat on skewers by the fistful. However, the hallmark item is gluhwein! This spiced wine is laddled piping hot into your mug. It is flavored with lemon rind, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla pods, though these ingredients are not found in your cup. The drink can be made with red and white wine, but is more popular with red. At a Christmas Market you are given a pottery collector’s edition mug for your gluhwein. You pay about three euro for your first glass (replete with mug.) Then, every glass after that is about a euro. At the end of the night you can return your mug for a two euro refund, though I kept my mug (as some people do) for souvenirs. Gluhwein is delicious and keeps you warm all night. Prost to that! (Cheers in German.)I hope to go back to visit another Christmas Market someday.
1. Food
To say that German pastries and bread are great is an understatement. Germany makes over 600 main types of bread and 1,200 pastries, produced in over 27,000 bakeries, according to my research. Darker rye-type bread is most popular. (Germans would probably be aghast at the white Wonder Bread that passes for bread in America…)
The bread is good; the sweets, epic. Back in September I spent my birthday with a good friend in Germany. One of our first stops was to a bakery. The choices for cake were mind-numbing. I’m convinced that no person ever walks out of a German bakery with one slice of cake. We left with two slices: a triple-layer fruit tort slice and piece of dark-chocolate-almond meringue cake. I like to wash down my German food with apfelschorle--my new favorite soft drink. It is merely carbonated water and apple juice, but it tastes much better in Germany than when I attempt to make it at home...
2. Christmas Markets
Germany is known for some crazy festivals; carnival (where everyone dresses up) and October Fest are two of the better known ones, but small fairs happen all the time (think West Virginia.) For example, when I was in Gottingen with a friend there was a great little fair with loads of street food (mostly of the meat variety, hard for a vegetarian), soft pretzels and beer—of course. There were also musical troops. I listened to two forty-plus-looking women in bell-bottom white stretch pants with long blond and brown wigs, rock to Abba in front of a huge crowd. I also crouched down with some six and seven-year-olds to get a prime view of a swell German puppet show going on.
However, my favorite German festival happens in winter: Christmas Markets. There is nothing like holding a mug of hot, German mulled wine in your mittened hands on a freezing cold night, spiced steam wafting around you, surrounded by twinkling market lights and stars.
What: Christkindlmarkts are large craft and food markets that last the entire month of December. This tradition dates back to the Late Middle Ages in Germany and Austria; there are now Christmas Markets all over the world.
Where: In many towns and major German cities.
When: It lasts the month of December, day and night, though it is most fun to go in the evening when vendor’s stalls are illuminated with lights.
Who to Go With: I went with a German friend (Sabrina!) My friend showed me how there were two markets within close proximity to each other. One was made mostly for tourists, she said, the other for locals. The one for locals was much cooler. For example, the food was more authentic and all the crafts (leather belts, wool hat, candles, etc.,) were handmade.
Purchases: I bought mostly food items (marzipan logs, gingerbread hearts) and a little wood carving of an owl perched on an open book.
Eat and Drink: Roasted chestnuts that come out piping hot and are served in a paper cone. They are incredible and taste a bit like really sweet meat. I also ate a pfannkucken (a large crepe-esque pancake) smeared with hot apples and delicious nut and berry-stuffed stollen (a sweet bread.) A lot of people were eating meat on skewers by the fistful. However, the hallmark item is gluhwein! This spiced wine is laddled piping hot into your mug. It is flavored with lemon rind, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla pods, though these ingredients are not found in your cup. The drink can be made with red and white wine, but is more popular with red. At a Christmas Market you are given a pottery collector’s edition mug for your gluhwein. You pay about three euro for your first glass (replete with mug.) Then, every glass after that is about a euro. At the end of the night you can return your mug for a two euro refund, though I kept my mug (as some people do) for souvenirs. Gluhwein is delicious and keeps you warm all night. Prost to that! (Cheers in German.)I hope to go back to visit another Christmas Market someday.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Jewish in Europe
It is strange being Jewish in Europe. There are not that many Jews here anymore.
Being Jewish and living in Europe seems different than being Jewish in America. In the U.S there are lots of cultural symbols to affirm one’s identity: popular tv shows, movies and songs that reference Jewish culture. Many of us have Jewish friends and some window displays sport menorahs and “Happy Chanukah” in addition to “Merry Christmas.” This is not so in Europe. As any student of history knows, and as someone now living here can attest to: most of the Jews are gone. I am told that there are Jewish populations in the bigger cities. Maybe.
That being said, my Dutch friends enjoy me teaching them a bit about my culture. For example, during one night of Chanukah I lit a menorah with my Dutch roommate. I said the prayer over the candles; I think she liked it.
The only Jew I have met here was my professor that lead my class trip to Berlin. His father was the only Jew to survive in his Dutch town. It so happened that he was away (perhaps playing at a friend's home)the day the village was evacuated.
At the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam I asked to see a book that catalogues the names of all Dutch Jews killed in the Holocaust. I was able to look up a few family member’s names. It was eerie.
I am reminded of my Jewish history everywhere, particularly in Berlin. Three of the four branches of my family tree stem from Germany (the other from Russia.) And all the branches are Jewish. Fortunately, most of my family moved to America, many to West Virginia, in the late 1800’s. In West Virginia they helped build Charleston's first temple (Jewish places of workship can be called both synogogues and temples.)
My grandmother Marian, my mother’s mother, arrived in America in the early 30’s as a three-year-old. Her parents had incredible foresight. If they had waited any longer to leave, the borders would have been closed. Short story: I would not be here. I am so grateful to the prescience of my ancestors.
Before the war, my great-grandparents Helmut and Hildegard lived in Berlin in a beautiful home. They had many friends and nice things. Helmut was a professor and violinist in the orchestra. Hildegard (who I called Mimi as a child) was a singer in the Berlin Opera. Helmut starting speaking out against Hitler in the university (a no-no.) He was either told to be silent or fired (I forget which). But, at that point, he had a premonition; he knew things were going to get bad. How did he suspect so early? I do not know. And so, Helmut and Hildegard and their little girl, my awesome grandmother, left behind everything and came to America. They would always crave their life in Germany and everything left behind.
So, when walking around Germany, I think of these things. This is one of the reasons I am ambivalent about Berlin and sometimes Germany.
Certain things make me ponder. One example was the time my class visited an exhibition in Berlin on the Third Reich in the winter.The thing that got me was an enormous bolt of cloth stamped with yellow stars that said Jude (Jew in German.) By law, the stars were to be cut and worn by all. The stars were intended to be a badge of shame associated with Judaism. It was compulsory in the Middle Ages for Jews to wear such a star and then it was brought back by the Nazis. For some reason that bolt of cloth, with the edge cut in a jagged line, meaning that fabric had been used a lot, struck an emotional cord causing me to hurry through the rest of the exhibit. The rest of my classmates took their time.
My visit to Berlin made me think more about this sad past. Another thing that fueled my reflection on the Holocaust was being around adults and students on my Rotary trip. I wish I could say that the adults and students were different...I caught a few of the trip leaders (not all) and the bus driver, as well as the students making countless hurtful and prejudiced jokes and comments. The bus driver, for example, called gays "pedophiles and sub-human," he was being serious. Such violent thoughts lead to violent actions, I believe. There happened to be a gay student on the trip with us. The adult Rotarian, leading the trip, listened to the bus driver and said nothing. Later, the trip leader made sweeping generalizations about Mexican-Americans that I found horribly offensive. Ironically, at the same moment he was asking me about whether I agreed with what he believed was a fantastic idea to build more walls on the Mexican border to keep others out, we were at the sight of the old Berlin Wall....
If you are wondering how the above comments relate to the Holocaust...The lesson of WWII is that large-scale persecution begins with people being treated differently at a small level. I believe that words are as poweful as actions and have the ability to become actions.
The Holocaust did not happen overnight. It started with the government whittling away freedoms. For example, at one point Jews had a strict curfew when they could go outdoors, they could not ride trams, own bikes (this would have been a big deal in Holland); they could not visit Christians, date Christians, go to the cinema or swim in swimming pools. And, it wasn't that long ago (during my parent's childhood) in America, when both Jews and African Americans were forbidden to swim in many private swimming pools....
The point of this post is two-fold. First, it is to tell a bit about my family history. The second point is to help us see connections between the injustice of the Holocaust and today. We must be on the lookout for inequity in our own backyards, whether it is the earth being destroyed, or schools that do not teach reading and writing early enough or wages that are higher for men than for women, or not high enough period. It is a reminder for us to have the courage to say something when we hear destructive remarks made about people. Even when it is unpopular to do so. We adults need to serve as positive role-models for young people. And, it is never too late to give up prejudices. Also, by giving what we can to charities and groups, volunteering, and being on boards and in organizations (like Rotary, the American Civil Liberties Union or Amnesty International, for example)we do our part to create the world we want to live in. A just world. A world worth fighting for.
Being Jewish and living in Europe seems different than being Jewish in America. In the U.S there are lots of cultural symbols to affirm one’s identity: popular tv shows, movies and songs that reference Jewish culture. Many of us have Jewish friends and some window displays sport menorahs and “Happy Chanukah” in addition to “Merry Christmas.” This is not so in Europe. As any student of history knows, and as someone now living here can attest to: most of the Jews are gone. I am told that there are Jewish populations in the bigger cities. Maybe.
That being said, my Dutch friends enjoy me teaching them a bit about my culture. For example, during one night of Chanukah I lit a menorah with my Dutch roommate. I said the prayer over the candles; I think she liked it.
The only Jew I have met here was my professor that lead my class trip to Berlin. His father was the only Jew to survive in his Dutch town. It so happened that he was away (perhaps playing at a friend's home)the day the village was evacuated.
At the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam I asked to see a book that catalogues the names of all Dutch Jews killed in the Holocaust. I was able to look up a few family member’s names. It was eerie.
I am reminded of my Jewish history everywhere, particularly in Berlin. Three of the four branches of my family tree stem from Germany (the other from Russia.) And all the branches are Jewish. Fortunately, most of my family moved to America, many to West Virginia, in the late 1800’s. In West Virginia they helped build Charleston's first temple (Jewish places of workship can be called both synogogues and temples.)
My grandmother Marian, my mother’s mother, arrived in America in the early 30’s as a three-year-old. Her parents had incredible foresight. If they had waited any longer to leave, the borders would have been closed. Short story: I would not be here. I am so grateful to the prescience of my ancestors.
Before the war, my great-grandparents Helmut and Hildegard lived in Berlin in a beautiful home. They had many friends and nice things. Helmut was a professor and violinist in the orchestra. Hildegard (who I called Mimi as a child) was a singer in the Berlin Opera. Helmut starting speaking out against Hitler in the university (a no-no.) He was either told to be silent or fired (I forget which). But, at that point, he had a premonition; he knew things were going to get bad. How did he suspect so early? I do not know. And so, Helmut and Hildegard and their little girl, my awesome grandmother, left behind everything and came to America. They would always crave their life in Germany and everything left behind.
So, when walking around Germany, I think of these things. This is one of the reasons I am ambivalent about Berlin and sometimes Germany.
Certain things make me ponder. One example was the time my class visited an exhibition in Berlin on the Third Reich in the winter.The thing that got me was an enormous bolt of cloth stamped with yellow stars that said Jude (Jew in German.) By law, the stars were to be cut and worn by all. The stars were intended to be a badge of shame associated with Judaism. It was compulsory in the Middle Ages for Jews to wear such a star and then it was brought back by the Nazis. For some reason that bolt of cloth, with the edge cut in a jagged line, meaning that fabric had been used a lot, struck an emotional cord causing me to hurry through the rest of the exhibit. The rest of my classmates took their time.
My visit to Berlin made me think more about this sad past. Another thing that fueled my reflection on the Holocaust was being around adults and students on my Rotary trip. I wish I could say that the adults and students were different...I caught a few of the trip leaders (not all) and the bus driver, as well as the students making countless hurtful and prejudiced jokes and comments. The bus driver, for example, called gays "pedophiles and sub-human," he was being serious. Such violent thoughts lead to violent actions, I believe. There happened to be a gay student on the trip with us. The adult Rotarian, leading the trip, listened to the bus driver and said nothing. Later, the trip leader made sweeping generalizations about Mexican-Americans that I found horribly offensive. Ironically, at the same moment he was asking me about whether I agreed with what he believed was a fantastic idea to build more walls on the Mexican border to keep others out, we were at the sight of the old Berlin Wall....
If you are wondering how the above comments relate to the Holocaust...The lesson of WWII is that large-scale persecution begins with people being treated differently at a small level. I believe that words are as poweful as actions and have the ability to become actions.
The Holocaust did not happen overnight. It started with the government whittling away freedoms. For example, at one point Jews had a strict curfew when they could go outdoors, they could not ride trams, own bikes (this would have been a big deal in Holland); they could not visit Christians, date Christians, go to the cinema or swim in swimming pools. And, it wasn't that long ago (during my parent's childhood) in America, when both Jews and African Americans were forbidden to swim in many private swimming pools....
The point of this post is two-fold. First, it is to tell a bit about my family history. The second point is to help us see connections between the injustice of the Holocaust and today. We must be on the lookout for inequity in our own backyards, whether it is the earth being destroyed, or schools that do not teach reading and writing early enough or wages that are higher for men than for women, or not high enough period. It is a reminder for us to have the courage to say something when we hear destructive remarks made about people. Even when it is unpopular to do so. We adults need to serve as positive role-models for young people. And, it is never too late to give up prejudices. Also, by giving what we can to charities and groups, volunteering, and being on boards and in organizations (like Rotary, the American Civil Liberties Union or Amnesty International, for example)we do our part to create the world we want to live in. A just world. A world worth fighting for.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Berlin
A note on the trip: I am back from my trip visiting many places in Europe. It was great fun. The kids were a handful and the sights, sounds and smells of Europe were glorious and will stay with me forever. I will get some of the poor moments out of the way now, so that you can enjoy the remainder of my blog posts without thinking about these aspects. While traveling by bus had its ups (I could see the landscape elegantly change through my window)it also had its down. For example, it's a bus. And, we had to stay on the bus, sometimes eight hours at a time to reach a destination. The trip was around 16 days. And then the engine would over-heat (several times.) And we had to stop, get out and wait. And we had to sleep on the bus sometimes on overnight drives (not my favorite place to nap.) And the children were the most ill-mannered and spoiled 18-year-olds I have ever met (one got drunk and threw-up on me in the middle of the night...) That aside, it was a great trip. Europe in summer is amazing, as you will see from the next several posts I will soon compose. Enjoy. -Paula
BERLIN
The next few write-ups will be about Germany. I have visited Deutschland (a border country to the Netherlands) more than any other country this year besides Holland. I still haven’t hiked in the forests of Bavaria in southern Germany, something I have been wanting to do, but I have seen other nice locales: Berlin, Cologne and Gottingen, a university town where my friend lives.
When I wrote about Berlin in winter I described it as austere with lots of concrete—it seemed like an unfriendly city. In summertime, the city’s harshness is helped by more greenery, but it still feels like a jumble of concrete. These thoughts aside, Berlin has some lovely attributes.
There are three activities I suggest if you visit Berlin (not counting eating out a lot, which is cheaper than in the Netherlands. Oh, and consume lots of yummy pastries…)
1. The Berlin Philharmonie (Philharmonic Orchestra)
The best six euros I spent in Germany. All I can say is go to a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Whatever is playing, you will not be dissapointed. And tickets can be purchased right before the show. I have gone twice (neither time did I know ahead of time what I would be listening to) and have been amazingly pleased. Always ask for student discounts. Though they are not always advertised, they are often available (particularly at museums.) This time, I was treated to a swell concert performed by the children's chorus from the Berlin Opera. I must admit, I was skeptical, however, my doubt was insanely misplaced. My jaw was open for nearly an hour and I had a hard time closing it. The children had big talents and their director was magnificent. The group filled the small concert hall with aurias and crescendoes in German, French, Italian, Latin, English and Japanese. It was a highlight of my trip. Sometimes I have to be convinced to appreciate classical music; no convincing was needed with this concert.
2. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
This new memorial is powerful and worth seeing. The architecture is effective, a bit like the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C in its ability to provoke thought and introspection. The memorial consists of hundreds of plain concrete blocks and towers that one has to navigate through. You can climb up and sit on some of the shorter blocks. The land beneath the blocks is tilted. And so you become lost when walking in a grid-like maze of memory, cold air and shadows (and ice in winter.) It is worth seeing and definitely worth walking through (though not in winter.) It makes you think.
3. Tour of the Reichstag Building
Security is high at the Reichstag building and reservations may have to be booked in advance, but the reward--a 360 degree vista of Berlin--is worth it. Climbing a very high ramp in the building’s dom, one gets a great lookout point. This view improved my perspective of the city. First, I visibly saw how endowed Berlin is with historical and cultural resources—the myriad museums, monuments and institutes for history, culture, science and art attest to this. Secondly, from the heights of the Reichstag Building I saw a pleasant mix of green and brown, which is not always visible from street-level. I liked seeing the many green spaces and parks from the air.
A note of history: The Reichstag building was designed to house the German parliament in 1894 until 1933 when it was damaged in a fire. During the Nazi era meetings were no longer conducted in the building. In 1990, the old building was given a glorious facelift. It has an old base with a stunningly new glass dome on top. This architecture mirrors the buildings of the whole city, which combine new and old at every turn. Today, the German parliament, the Bundestag, meets in the building.
German phrases of the month:
Good morning: Gutten morgen
Good afternoon: Gutten tag
Good night: Gute nacht
BERLIN
The next few write-ups will be about Germany. I have visited Deutschland (a border country to the Netherlands) more than any other country this year besides Holland. I still haven’t hiked in the forests of Bavaria in southern Germany, something I have been wanting to do, but I have seen other nice locales: Berlin, Cologne and Gottingen, a university town where my friend lives.
When I wrote about Berlin in winter I described it as austere with lots of concrete—it seemed like an unfriendly city. In summertime, the city’s harshness is helped by more greenery, but it still feels like a jumble of concrete. These thoughts aside, Berlin has some lovely attributes.
There are three activities I suggest if you visit Berlin (not counting eating out a lot, which is cheaper than in the Netherlands. Oh, and consume lots of yummy pastries…)
1. The Berlin Philharmonie (Philharmonic Orchestra)
The best six euros I spent in Germany. All I can say is go to a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Whatever is playing, you will not be dissapointed. And tickets can be purchased right before the show. I have gone twice (neither time did I know ahead of time what I would be listening to) and have been amazingly pleased. Always ask for student discounts. Though they are not always advertised, they are often available (particularly at museums.) This time, I was treated to a swell concert performed by the children's chorus from the Berlin Opera. I must admit, I was skeptical, however, my doubt was insanely misplaced. My jaw was open for nearly an hour and I had a hard time closing it. The children had big talents and their director was magnificent. The group filled the small concert hall with aurias and crescendoes in German, French, Italian, Latin, English and Japanese. It was a highlight of my trip. Sometimes I have to be convinced to appreciate classical music; no convincing was needed with this concert.
2. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
This new memorial is powerful and worth seeing. The architecture is effective, a bit like the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C in its ability to provoke thought and introspection. The memorial consists of hundreds of plain concrete blocks and towers that one has to navigate through. You can climb up and sit on some of the shorter blocks. The land beneath the blocks is tilted. And so you become lost when walking in a grid-like maze of memory, cold air and shadows (and ice in winter.) It is worth seeing and definitely worth walking through (though not in winter.) It makes you think.
3. Tour of the Reichstag Building
Security is high at the Reichstag building and reservations may have to be booked in advance, but the reward--a 360 degree vista of Berlin--is worth it. Climbing a very high ramp in the building’s dom, one gets a great lookout point. This view improved my perspective of the city. First, I visibly saw how endowed Berlin is with historical and cultural resources—the myriad museums, monuments and institutes for history, culture, science and art attest to this. Secondly, from the heights of the Reichstag Building I saw a pleasant mix of green and brown, which is not always visible from street-level. I liked seeing the many green spaces and parks from the air.
A note of history: The Reichstag building was designed to house the German parliament in 1894 until 1933 when it was damaged in a fire. During the Nazi era meetings were no longer conducted in the building. In 1990, the old building was given a glorious facelift. It has an old base with a stunningly new glass dome on top. This architecture mirrors the buildings of the whole city, which combine new and old at every turn. Today, the German parliament, the Bundestag, meets in the building.
German phrases of the month:
Good morning: Gutten morgen
Good afternoon: Gutten tag
Good night: Gute nacht
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Returning to Holland
I shall soon fill you in on details from my trip around Europe. First though, a brief post on my return to the Netherlands (NL). Having now traveled to a half-dozen European countries, I feel qualified to come up with an adjective describing my host country. The word I have chosen is: Simple. The Dutch do not excel at exciting food like Italy or Spain (their national dish is mashed potatoes with greens mixed into them...)The Dutch love their potatoes. On market day old folks fill giant bags with their favorite variety of potato for the week. Goodness knows what they will use so many potatoes for! They do not like difference (dress like everyone else and you will be okay.)Houses are plain--many thatched roofs--and small. Towns and cities lack the glitz and ornamentation of Vienna. There is not the historical monumentality of Rome. Even the land is simple: flat and human-made. There are no undulating Italian mountains, no wind-swept French hillsides and there are barely any castles! (Unlike England or Germany.) Holland is plain, harkening back to its strict Calvinist roots. This country does not have the vibrant architectural creativity of Barcelona, Spain (think Gaudi, the genius Spanish architect.) Shops close early. And so, when I returned to the Netherlands yesterday I did very Dutch things: simple things. Man I miss Parisian crepes. And the wind over canals in Venice. But the simple pleasures of Holland make me smile, too.
Today I.... posted a letter, went to the Tuesday farmer's market, studied in the library and then went to another farmer's market! I bought more food. At six, tired of studying, I packed away my books and biked and walked for two hours in the surrounding woods. Then I returned to my studies. Now I am writing this post. Soon I will light a candle, read a book for fun and go to bed before 12. Enjoy the lovely pictures summarizing my day in the Netherlands, enjoying the simple things in life. Remember, sometimes the most plain things—a West Virginia summer tomato, an ear of corn, a walk after dinner when the sky is clear enough to see stars—contain a certain grace.
The first stall when you enter the market, you guessed it--potatoes!
Today I.... posted a letter, went to the Tuesday farmer's market, studied in the library and then went to another farmer's market! I bought more food. At six, tired of studying, I packed away my books and biked and walked for two hours in the surrounding woods. Then I returned to my studies. Now I am writing this post. Soon I will light a candle, read a book for fun and go to bed before 12. Enjoy the lovely pictures summarizing my day in the Netherlands, enjoying the simple things in life. Remember, sometimes the most plain things—a West Virginia summer tomato, an ear of corn, a walk after dinner when the sky is clear enough to see stars—contain a certain grace.
The first stall when you enter the market, you guessed it--potatoes!
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