Visit to a Winery and Flowers

Out with Christoph on Sunday, a rather dull day after a storm the night before so we concentrated on Lunch! Not a bad thing to do. We went to Gasthof Krone in Friesenheim, Kaiserstuhl where they do a very good spargel (white asparagus)  lunch, remember the dome from last year? Well we had to sit inside this time, we wanted to sit out but wait staff didn’t want to come out if it rained, can’t blame them. Inside is cosy and noisy, food is a long time coming. We realized later they had put on set menu for French Mother’s Day and there were many French people there. Also there were many old varieties of cars, antiques some of them in the villages we passed through and a wine fest at Ihringen which we took the backroads through coming back. 

Clematis in our neighbourhood

We went downtown to get a couple of specific items. Our plane travel agent had worked with me for flights in the summer, then we went to the train agent, and we’ve booked everything by train, more on that later. So the plane agent didn’t get paid for her time with me and I didn’t think that was fair. She’s a cat lover and has one so I put together a little package for her in thanks for her time. Cat treats, card, Swiss chocolate in a gift bag that had cats on it, natch! Thankfully she wasn’t there and I could drop it on her desk. Bruce learned a while ago while in Japan that the person receiving the gift never opens it in the presence of the giver. That’s in the case if the receiver is disappointed and it shows, the giver doesn't see. Some would call that denial.

After we went to the Munster market and walking by a stall we had many many times before, but today is a spring day and the cacti are in bloom. This lady has been selling there since the first time we went three, no four years ago, and we’ve never really taken it in. Bruce is a self confessed cacti lover and his birthday is tomorrow so I asked him if he wanted one for his birthday. Face lit up and he chose one. 

It’s called a Mammillaria woodaii, common name is old lady cactus, is small, fuzzy, spiny, with pink flowers. The lady uses forceps to pick up the pots, wrapped it carefully in newspaper and a plastic bag and we toted it home. Found a place for it that Lexi can’t get at, don’t want spines in her nose, and decided Ms Cacti needed a name, Maggie it is! Why we’ve determined she is female I haven’t a clue but she is pretty. All this fuss over a cactus, I know, but Bruce is very pleased. Just a little bright spot in a week where it’s been cold and raining mostly. 

I found cards in a store that turn into mini jigsaw puzzles. You write your message on the back and then dismantle the pieces, put them in the envelope and let the receiver put them together. While dismantled they are a bit lumpy so not a good idea to mail that way but I do appreciate the unique idea. At least I think it is, do they exist in Canada?

Walked through streets in our neighbourhood we don’t often see, it’s not all that big a place really but getting to the back roads is interesting due to the multitudes of flowers blooming right now. Judging by the buds we saw, we’re just at the beginning of the season. There are several green spaces here between the box like apartment buildings and many of the areas between sidewalk and road are planted. 

Even the palm tree is flowering.

Bruce wanted Indian food for his birthday so took the long way there. Note to self DO not go through the school ground again, especially at lunch time! How to make a person feel really old and the need to dodge both running kids and balls. Well, this is their playground and I have no right to say a word, I’m the one in the wrong place and time.

At the Shalimar, while waiting to bring home the food I had a pakora, (like a small fried dumpling) expecting one but it was an appetizer dish of several vegetable ones with a couple of lovely sauces and a bit of salad. Also had a mango lassi to drink which was very tasty. They make what Bruce thinks is the best lime pickle ever, they just seem to use whatever vegetable they have, carrot, zucchini, bean and put a lovely sauce on it. He’s bought lime pickle before from the standard Indian spice jars available in grocery stores, I hate it, but this is good. We’ll go back and see if they won’t sell us a jar. What a delight to have good Indian food, of course India is such a large country that the food varies as it does in all countries, we’ll have to find out which part of India these folks are from. This is the sister/brother restaurant to the downtown one that has great reviews. A good birthday for Bruce I think he would say.

These next comments are a bit risqué but I do want to include them due to how well the campaign is done. It is one against AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, done with humour in cartoon like characters. Website www.liebesleben.de (if you use Google Chrome there is a translate button) and what they are doing is educating people to use condoms. The website indicates personal support available, size of condom, disease recognition, information for heterosexuals and homosexuals. Well I won’t go on, but it’s a great campaign in my opinion, funded by the German Federal Government with health care partners. Until we figured it out we were a bit shocked to find the ads everywhere in all the tram stations, amused, but shocked because we are Canadian, eh, and I doubt we would see such a campaign in Canada. The way it’s presented, informative in a humorous way, it’s a great way to get an important message across to the public and perhaps even save some lives. Sorry, did go on.

Saturday and we visit Landerer winery for the third year in a row. Sadly the male owner passed away earlier this year from a heart attack but the family, wife and son and daughter seem to be handling everything well. 

Little grapes, I used some zoom, they were tiny!

There was a bus tour there so they were busy but we weren’t forgotten about and had seating in our own room away from the noise. Their offerings of wine seems to have expanded quite a lot with 37 offerings, some being hard liquor made from fruit. Looking around the walls they have displayed many of their winnings at fairs, one gold in Vienna! Prices for their wines have not increased, or if they have, very marginally. 

I wondered about the shells and then saw the slugs attached.

The slug "house" I think is to keep them happy and away from the grape vines. I do like going to this winery, it's a family run business and they are hard working with good attitudes it seems and very welcoming.

Then on for lunch in Opfingen at Gasthausblume (flower). We have been there before but it’s been along time ago now and it was really good. The fellows had schnitzel and Christoph said it was great so I asked him what makes a good one. Apparently really pounding the meat to tenderness, a good breading and properly fried so it doesn’t come out greasy. Then a good amount of lemon makes it taste even fresher.

All for now, Cheers, Bx2 and Lexi Cat