the cherry tree.

When we first moved into our home, our landlady told us we had an apple, plum and cherry tree in our yard. She said they only bear a great harvest every two or three years. Boy, was she right! Last year, our cherry tree was slim picking, and by the time we realized the cherries were fully ripe, the birds had stolen much of the fruit. 

This year, however, it was impossible not to notice the cherries. They are bright fire-engine red and there are TONS of them. Together with our friends, we have been picking buckets full and snacking on them for three days and there is still no shortage! We also have wild strawberries peppering our yard - a delicious treat! 

Here are the pictures I took of Iris picking cherries last year!

a little taste of summer.

Summer in Germany is punctuated by an abundance of fresh fruit. I don't mean to say that the markets are stocked with fruit (although that is usually the case.) The fruit relevant to this post is grown right in our own backyard. Most yards and other open grassy areas boast at least one fruit tree. 

Our home has three fruit trees growing out front - yellow plum, apple and cherry. It's really quite a wonderful feeling to pick fruit that grows right outside your door. The convenience of supermarkets has taken that simple pleasure away from many of us and it feels good to get back in touch with nature. It was especially nice to show Iris exactly where fruit comes from - she loved this experience!

We even picked these on the side of a back road in our town!

a slice of Germany - Brauhaus Kloster Machern

I am getting a bit behind on my Slice of Germany posts. Perhaps I should spend more time blogging and less time devouring German food and drink? Doubtful! Anyway, several weeks ago we visited the Brauhaus Kloster Machern. We arrived a bit too late to see their museum and gift shop and also had a bit of a time taking photos in the low light, but it was a really enjoyable trip nonetheless. There was a restaurant, an ice cream shop and a small wine shop and cafe, all of which we indulged in. 

We dined on plates of sliced pork with sauce, bratwurst and homemade sauerkraut, then moved next door where Iris had an ice cream and Mama and Papa had glasses of delicious house wine. The area also had a small built-in playground which we shared with Iris before leaving. Brauhaus Kloster Machern was a lovely place to spend a relaxing evening.

A fountain outside the main restaurant.

The wine cafe.

A look inside the wine cafe.

View of the vineyard from the patio.

House wine.

An antique which we think was a pump of some kind.

Enjoying the wafer that came with her ice cream.

She loves her ice cream!

a slice of Germany - Wittlich Pig Fest

"Legend has it that Wittlich was once a walled fortress constantly under attack by invaders. One evening a guard charged with locking the gate to the besieged town couldn't find the peg to secure the fortified door. All he could find was a large carrot to wedge in the door. Later, a pig ate the carrot, the gate opened and the enemy came in. After the enemy ransacked the town, the angry townspeople herded every pig into the town's market square and roasted them. Since then, the town of Wittlich has been known as the town of the pig burners."

The Wittlich (pronounced Vittlich in German) festival goes on for four whole days. We went on Sunday and it was over 30ºC, without a breeze to be had. It would have been pure misery if not for the delicious pork sandwiches, cold local brew and excitement going on all around us. A large portion of the town center is closed down from traffic, leaving it free for carnival style rides and games, and even a stage for musical performances. All of the restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors spread their tables and chairs into the streets and food vendors set up their wares. Most notable of course, are the pigs roasting on an open fire! We had some of the 43rd pig that was roasted that weekend.

We wandered around for about an hour after eating and drinking, but it was difficult to shop the homemade goods because it was just so hot. Iris was feeling very rambunctious and somewhat grumpy, so we didn't stay for very long. Before we left, we stopped at the toy vendor and bought Iris a couple of beautifully made wooden toys. We definitely enjoyed the experience and look forward to going again next year! 

 

a slice of Germany - Schloß Café

I've decided to introduce a new feature to my blog - A Slice of Germany! I plan to document and post all about the beautiful and interesting places we visit during our time here. I'll likely mostly feature restaurants, as enjoying food is something of particular interest to me! I hope not only to share a bit of our life here, but also to document our experiences for us to look back on. 

The town of Malburg is a short 30 minute walk from where we live. It's quite a workout to walk anywhere in our town or near it, as we are located in the base of a valley, thus lots of hills! I admit that lately I've found myself to be in the best shape I've been in years with all the uphill walking both ways I do every day! We initially had planned to walk into the next town over and then return home, but I decided we should walk around a bit to see if we could find a restaurant our landlady had recommended to me. 

We ended up at the peak of a steep hill, atop of which is the castle of Malburg, which we didn't visit that time around. However, sitting right below it was a small café and we decided to check it out! They had a fairly simple menu with appetizer type plates of meat and cheese, small sandwiches, cake, ice cream and all sorts of refreshments. It looked like the sort of place that people of the town frequent after church, as we were there on a Sunday and it was full of well dressed people when we arrived. 

Since we'd already eaten lunch, we ordered some of the most divine cake I have ever tasted. It was so light and yet full with the flavors of chocolate, cherries, sweet liquor and whipped cream. On a similar note, I should mention that Marius and I are self-professed beer connoisseurs and it's quite an intense hobby for us. We ordered a beer called Kasteel Donker, a quadruple style which is brewed in Belgium. The name Kasteel, which was world-class delicious albeit sweet for our palates, also translates to "castle" in Dutch. The staff were lovely and helpful and I am simply amazed that we live just a 30 minute walk from a place like this. I will never tire of the simple pleasures of Europe. Since moving here, I've been bombarded with requests for pictures of our new home - those will be coming soon! For now, enjoy the photos I took of this wonderful little café in the town next to us, Schloß Café. 

The sign translates to "Castle Cafe. Coffee + Cake. Beer Wine ice Cream"

look alike.

One of the first restaurants we visited in Germany was a place that's locally named "The Truck Stop." However, it's really as far as you can possibly get from what Americans would think of when they think "truck stop!" There are huge indoor and outdoor dining areas, a brand new playground for the kids, and pastures all about the area where deer are raised! (Unfortunately, some of them do end up on the menu, but at least they are pampered by visitors until then...) Marius ordered a schnitzel, while I experimented by ordering something completely new to me - sauerbraten! Iris shared from our plates, and was most interested in the fresh pasta that came along with my meal. 


I snapped a few quick pictures of her eating, and of her and Marius playing with her new lacing toy. I laugh every time I see these photos because the two of them look alike so much, and even wear  identical expressions in each photo!

After we finished eating, Iris got a huge kick out of watching and feeding the deer! 

This has been such a lovely summer so far!