Nick’s gigs can take us on small adventures where we visit new towns, meet generous, interesting people and do something we haven’t done before.
A long weekend in June meant it was the Casterton Kelpie Muster.
It takes equal measures of dedication and madness to buy a run down country pub and bring it back to life. Around 200 people came through the doors to check out The Harmaniax and the newly opened pub.
Staying upstairs we had the perfect view of the Kelpie Muster parade.
From our base, in our gorgeous apartment on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, we ate and cooked our way across Barcelona.
There’s the genius of Gaudi…
When in Rome…. find the most highly rated Roman barber and present your hirsute features for an Italian makeover.
This was very serious business… as the photos show.
Nick’s verdict: Best barber ever!
Max and Jo Barber Shop.
So let’s be clear… the whole reason we made this trip to Europe was to celebrate Sally’s 50th birthday in a villa in Tuscany. Pour me another glass of Chianti to toast Sal and the good fortune that makes it possible for us to come together and live this dream.
And the villa wasn’t too shabby either….
As you know I love doorways. Here’s a selection from Siena, Valletta and Barcelona…. starting in Tuscany…
Then Valletta; the city built for the Knights of St John in the late 1500’s… oft-quoted as ‘the city built by gentlemen, for gentlemen’. More fortified stone town, than city, it’s faded elegance and painted doorways survived the most sustained bombardment of any place in WWII. The English sign-writing speaking to the last of Malta’s many overlords.
Barcelona; Art Nouveau delight…
One of the things I ached for in Berlin was open, wild space. There are lots of popular lakes and forests on the outskirts of Berlin – we visited a couple, but didn’t really get to know them. Thanks to generous Berliner friends however, we were lucky to have a couple of beautiful excursions out of the city.
It’s easy to forget that Germany is not Berlin. Germany truly is made up of lots of small Brothers Grimm villages, most with their own brewery. Note to kids: We are not on the set of Shrek – this is all really, really old. And real humans live here.
There is a magical story to share later about a double bass… But part of the story’s magic is the fairytale village of Bad Münstereifel, near Köln (Cologne).
We made some wonderful friends in Berlin, including Jens, Sofie and Daphne They generously lent us their ‘barn’ on the outskirts of Rhüden, near the Harz mountains. A joy to watch the Autumn storms roll across the fields and to collect windfall apples.
Exploring the nearby Harz mountains, we visited the UNESCO world heritage town of Goslar.
Food is core to all cultures. The growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing of it. The regional flavours, traditions, recipes and festivals.
In Berlin we lived a block away from Marhieneke Markthalle, a fabulous fresh produce market, where each deli has it’s own small cafe, serving great value meals. I cried when I visited Berlin recently and the two man-mountains in line before me took the last two serves of Bratkartoffeln. Didn’t they understand I’d travelled all the way from Melbourne just for potatoes fried with bratwurst? And I don’t even eat bratwurst…. usually.
Unlike Melbourne, the seasons in Berlin arrive confidently and with them celebrated foods.
Spring = Spargel
Germans love this white asparagus. Huts appear on street corners. Kids miss school to help harvest the spargel and be Spargel King or Queen in the local spargel festival. Restaurants adapt their menu to include spargel in every dish, cooked every possible way. There was really no way to avoid this pale, phallic vegetable.
So I put on my best German Hausfrau apron and grilled, steamed and pureed spargel. It was a bit bland and boring really – which I mostly blame on my cooking. I think the real joy of spargel is that it heralds longer, warmer days ahead.
Summer = Strawberries
German strawberries have ruined me. I’m doomed to never enjoy another strawberry; fresh, on a tart, in jam… they just cannot compare to the sweet perfection of German strawberries.
In summer huts appeared all over the city selling large balsa punnets of freshly picked strawberries. Easily located by following the fragrance.
I made the best strawberry jam… ever!
Autumn = apples
We were lucky to stay at our friend Jens’ barn near the Harz mountains. This 3 storey barn (with indoor pool) is on the edge of a village. Nick and I walked through the fields after a storm passed. Windfall apples covered the ground where old, solitary apple trees stood between the rows of corn.
Winter = Weihnachtsmarkt
There are so many special German Christmas foods… most include marzipan, so let’s leave those ones out. We discovered that each of the Weihnachtsmarkt in Berlin had their own specialities and flavours. This was true in Hamburg too, where we sampled delicious deep-fried battered cauliflower (German pakoras).
It’s very convivial to sit on stools around a large fire/open air kitchen, where a half dozen men cook a dozen varieties of sausage. Matched with an equal range of condiments. Meeting friends. Buying kitsch glass Christmas ornaments and drinking gluhwein. The night air below freezing. Enormous Christmas trees looking right at home. All under sparkling lights.
Yes, I’ll have another gluhwein danke… after all, I’m taking the uBahn home.
Still puzzling over this one.
