Friday, November 20, 2009

Hummer at the Holiday Inn…

For those with potty-minds, it’s not what you’re thinking. Hummer is the German word for Lobster. During some grueling meetings at the Holiday Inn in Walldorf this week, I noticed that this time a year they have an all-you-can-eat Lobster buffet. For 44 Euros per person, you can stuff yourself to your heart’s content on this delectable crustacean and its little cousin the shrimp.

Now, any fool knows one should not head out to a Holiday Inn looking for fine dining. We were mildly amused to see folks dressed to the nines having dinner there. Some couples looked like they might have been celebrating their anniversary.

After having eaten at least 2 kilos of crustacean, I can offer no more than a tepid endorsement for this outing. Some of the shrimp and lobster seemed fresh, some did not. For that kind of dough (fairly expensive for this area), one can do much better in terms of quality if not quantity. The carpaccio looked like it had been cut with a chainsaw. To the Mrs. and me, carpaccio aficionados that were are, carpaccio that you literally can’t read through is not fit for consumption. I ate a little anyway. As they say: live and learn.

By the way, I noticed that the Holiday Inn site says that it’s 3.5 kilometers from the old city (Altstadt). They’re not clear about which Altstadt, but rest assured it’s not Heidelberg’s. Weird exaggeration, no?

The Heidelberg Crêpe Guy…

I can’t remember ever going to Heidelberg’s Altstadt in daylight hours without seeing the “Crêpe Guy” on duty, serving up all kinds of crêpes, sweet and otherwise, to ravenous tourists and locals alike. Robert is fond of the Nutella variety. I wasn’t familiar with Nutella until we moved here. For those who, like me, don’t get out much, it’s a hazelnut flavored chocolate “spread” that is mildly addictive.

See for yourself the culinary stylings of the famous Heidelberg Crêpe Guy. WARNING: Do not watch this clip if you’re hungry and nowhere near Heidelberg.

Go fly a kite…

This video says a lot about why I love the fall in Germany, particularly the area around Heidelberg where we live. If the clip doesn’t make the case, I’m afraid mere words can do no better.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

"Spellbinding!"

"Provocative", "A startling interpretation of an important work", "A fresh take on an American classic"

These quotes have been attributed to
Robert's profound yet sensitive treatment of a classic of American fiction. Enjoy and grow.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Happy All Hallow’s Eve!

Yesterday we celebrated Halloween with an attempt at traditional trick-or-treating and a little get together for the adults. Halloween is far from being unheard of in Germany, but has a ways to go before it’s mainstream (something I predict will happen in the next decade or so). The Chinese Maple in front of our house was definitely in the spirit of the day (I don’t remember its being so orange last year).IMG_6251 (2) (1024x683)IMG_6271 (1024x683) The girls went as witches. Not exactly overachieving in the creativity department, but they looked cute anyway, no? As Robert decided not to don his vampire costume until zero hour (when it was already dark), I didn’t get any good stills of him. Will post some video later.IMG_6264 (683x1024)The plan was for some folks with kids to come over early so all our progeny could trick or treat en masse. A few other families came later to have a bit of grub (pumpkin soup) and a few drinks. IMG_6274 (1024x683)At 18:30 or so, we ventured out into the Walldorf night with a pack of 6 kids (Emily spent the night at a friend’s house). I was a bit surprised at how few houses were giving out candy. Most identified themselves with a jack-o-lantern, but there were probably fewer than 10 of these houses within reasonable walking distance of ours. It felt a little bit more like the underground railroad than full on Halloween.IMG_6266 (682x1024)IMG_6268 (682x1024)IMG_6270 (683x1024)We finally decided to pack them all into a van and head to the “younger” part of Walldorf, a target-richer environment where they collected  more candy than they’ll need for a long while.    IMG_6272 (683x1024) IMG_6273 (1024x683)  We had fewer than 10 gangs of kids that came by our house, but we saw more than I expected on the street, a good omen I think for future Halloweens in Deutschland.