Holiday

Bavarians treasure their catholic holidays, so we got with a day off today (3 Kings' Day, go figure...) we took a trip to the country. Went to the Fischmeister restaurant by Lake Starnberg (the one we took "Onkel Ritz" to a few weeks ago). We had some amazing food (a few menu items is everything that's traditional about this place, it's actually quite hip, especially the kitchen). Afterwards we had a stroll down the pier and went to the beach for some pebble throwing. With serious sub-zero weather we did get to explore what water looks like in it's frozen state, but we also decided that taking a nice holiday cruise kinda beats the whole walking and hiking thing, so we toured some of the nicely powdered Bavarian landscape, before venturing to the great indoors with some cake.

Starnberger See

Having a guest from New York is of course always a great opportunity to do all the things Munich's famous for and you don't really get around to. Like driving out to the Fischmeister restaurant out on Lake Starnberg. I had the very best roast pork ever, Rich had a pheasant pate and pasta with wildboar ragout and Karl snacked himself through a wide variety of our and his dishes. We also ran into Luisa, who was happy to join an experiment on balance and statics on a self-constructed slide made out of beer banks. Her father is an architect after all. Although the experiment did draw some tears. The real draw of course had been the prospect of feeding the ducks, who were nowhere to be seen. Luckily there was a beach full of pebbles to throw, which Karl did with gusto. Nap was taken on the highway again, on the way to the Sammlung Brandhorst, a museum for the collection of super-rich, lawsuit-happy Udo Brandhorst who spent all of his late wife's money on expensive, but very decorative American art. Karl had to do damage, but security there is kinda commando style, so he didn't get to wreck anything, like last time at the Alte Pinakothek.

November Sunday

November Sundays are a tricky affair in Germany. With the whole country coming to a pious standstill on every seventh day of the week it tends to get a bit eery in the cites anyways. But while during summer at least the parks and riverbanks are filled with crowds, a drizzly November Sunday can make you believe you landed a role in one of those post-apocalyptic movies (minus the Emmerichesque fireworks). So it's time to get that social calendar kickin'! No more slacking off at the Isar, no more loitering around the playgrounds. Karl got to go on a little tour of Bavaria today. First stop - Schnitzel! With Anna (left) and one of her Kindergarten friends (Anna's in grade school now, but her friend's still in Kindergarten). Karl enjoyed all the female attention and mistook their mothering smothering ways for something else. He got real macho and started to read his books to them. Which they took graciously and made him feel like a million dollars, even though his two-word-sentences are kinda hard to decode, if you don't know the books.



After the Schnitzels at the inn (formerly country, now posh inn) Karl witnessed a dog in a dress. Not like one of those wintery leather coaty things, a real dress. He was as puzzled as I was and we both started giggling, which the dog's owner didn't really appreciate that much. We hung out at Albert's (Anna's dad) for a while, where we were served hot beverages and cookies and Karl got carried and rolled around, womanhandled, squeezed, kissed and showered with toys to try out. After a few rounds on the designer-chair-turned caroussel Karl started to look all drowsy, so he got to take a long mid-day nap in the car on the various highways and byways to....



....Seeshaupt, home of Opa his wive Maria and Karl's auntie Milena. First we had to go down to the lake though and check on the ducks. There was a whole flock of them floating on the water, but I guess they were kinda cold-stoned, because Karl couldn't even lure them in with all his charms and cookies.



So we hung out at Opa's, where Karl was treated to a first visit to my late mother's childrens' book library, which is quite extensive, since she was a photographer specialized in childrens' advertising, so she needed all those books to keep restless models busy.

Finally we arrived back home again, where a long bath was in order. Because Karl better look spiffy tomorrow, because tomorrow is Mom's birthday! I sure hope he remembers all those songs and poems I made him memorize.

Touring Bavaria (Friends And Family Edition)

As you might have noticed: no blogging this past week. Why? I lost my camera! I only noticed it half way through the week, since I always thought I had just forgotten it at home. Stuff like that usually doesn't happen to me, so I'm really annoyed. Anywhateverways, blogging has to go on so I got myself a new one. Just in time for the two excursions Karl made today.



This morning we drove out to see Opa in Seeshaupt. The weather was perfect and Karl was taught some badminton. Also, a swing has been installed just for him.



In the afternoon we finally made our way out to Jessi's new place near Augsburg. They got themselves a lovely house with a beautiful garden. Ferdinand, Julian and Karl thoroughly enjoyed running around like crazy people, while Magnus who apparently couldn't remember his old buddies was a little cofused by them taking over his territory. He got used to it after a while though and maybe he'll even have us over again some time?



Because it is more fun to scream at passersby when you're twice as loud, isn't it?

Beer Garden Culture

A good beer garden will always feature a good oompah band, so if you happen to be in Munich during season and there's not a healthy helping of brass with your beverage, they sure brought you to the wrong place. One of the best beer garden bands is the one playing the Chinese Tower in the English Gardens, because they don't succumb to the lure of easy tips by playing beer tent faves. They have a more classic early 20th century dance hall repertory that's a bit easier on the sober ear. Once in a while they come down from their tower bandstand and play for the drinking crowd below. Which mostly ends up being a great thrill for the kids. Like Karl.

Dandelions, Lakes and Icecreams

Temperatures were soaring again, so Fred took her boys out for another treat. Her friend Tina's gonna get married in this restaurant in a lakeside villa this summer. Karl got to run around the terrace overlooking the lake and loudly point out low flying small aircraft (heh!), various sailboats (huh!) and passing canines (bow!) to staff and other guests. Fred and I exercised our rusty sarcasm reflexes by observing a table with a confirmation party that reinforced a lot of stereotypes about white protestants (think "the Bunt cake scene" from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" multiplied by Germanness and tightly closed ties on a hot summer noon). After watching the paddle wheel steamer float by we went down to a meadow full of dandelions ready to blow. Karl tried very hard and even got a few seeds to take off. Although he soon recruited his parents to do all the dandelion blowing. After that it was ice cream at some local lido. Definitely the last time I'll buy him a kiddie ice cream, because he made me switch and I had to eat a really boring milk stick, while he devoured my fantastic nuts-and-chocolate-cone (which got him really food-stoned and was this weekend's reason for an outdoors wardrobe change).

Touring Bavaria (food info)

While it can be taxing to come up with a balanced and fun diet for children past the porridge age, a Bavarian beer tent is definitely a good start. Especially if you go for the classic Bavarian late morning snack consisting of white (veal and herb) sausage, sweet mustard and a pretzel. You got all your important kiddie food groups (meats, doughs, sugars and salts) plus the added fun of experimenting with the various ways of eating a "Weisswurst". Technically speaking there are only two ways. You either skin the sausage and cut it in little pieces you soak in the mustard with a fork. If you want to rough it like the locals though, you suck it out of the skin, dipping the increasingly disgusting looking sausage into the mustard with your hands. No hard guess, which version had more appeal for Karl. Which is also the version with numerous ways of experimenting with technique. To be true to tradition you have to wash it all down with a wheat beer, which gives you a nice morning buzz. But although Bavarians tend to start drinking very early in life, giving beer to kids under the age five is generally frowned upon. So it is perfectly fine to share an "Apfelschorle" or a lemon soda (although anything fancy like Coke, Fanta or Mountain Dew is about as OK as having ketchup with your pastrami).

Touring Bavaria VII

Now after showing you all the images of idyllic summer serenity we should remind ourselves that Karl is indeed what the Bavarian term of endearment "water rat" quite literally describes. No, he ain't no still water. Karl sure likes his liquids in a more maelstromish state. After a brief period of getting acquainted with a body of water as large as the Ammersee, he soon found a way to turn an innocent walk on the beach into a soaking inferno (note to ourselves - next time don't just bring a change of clothes for Junior).

Having gotten a taste of the joys of mischief Karl next turned to a traffic sign marking a small construction site. He was quite surprised that he could topple such a big and colorful thing with his bare baby arms, producing a loud and metallic noise heard by quite a few patrons of the nearby beer garden. Ever since when shown this photo he's voiced his joyful memories of the moment with a hearty "Bumm!"

Touring Bavaria V

Today we continued our quest to tour Bavaria. Since we had trouble leaving the house bright and early we picked a closer place to explore this time, the beautiful Ammersee. First we checked out the Perger Hoffest with tons of food stands where Karl could finally discover his love for weisswurst (which as a Bavarian he is apparently born with). But they were trying to sell a whole lot of other kitschy stuff as well and our son proved once again that babies have a very particlar taste. He totally wanted us to get him one of those pigs. I swear. Or maybe he just didn't know that weisswurt is made out of veal.



Later we went for a walk on the lake where my two favorite men in the world took some time to throw pebbles in the water.

Touring Bavaria IV

Of course you can't escape HIM when you're touring God's country, so Karl had his first encounter with HIS son right across the street from Winkler's Residenz. He couldn't get over the trippy prayer diorama, which was actually flanked by a life-sized crucifix. When Karl couldn't make up his mind, which of the two versions of HIS son is trippier, Fred explained to him, that it was actually a before-and-after-depiction, which immediately cleared up Karl's confusion over all those grand gestures of pain and pathos. Of course there was also the mandatory baroque church in town, where Karl found out that faith has a lot to do with rules and regulations. Some of them even in writing. While enforcing aforementioned rules and regulations, we took advantage of the highly godly situation and hammered home the fourth commandment, explaining to him that any form of rebellious behavior from the terrible twos to puberty is always punished by lightning striking the bad, bad child. Since Karl doesn't really understand us yet, he just smiled coyly, so we might have to postpone the combined fear instilling and guilt tripping the Catholic church's so good at until he's got some understanding of simple verbal communication. Since he was really good though anyways, he got to ride a horse-drawn carriage in the coach box, where he madly fell in love with the girl driver, trying his best blue radar gaze to put her under his spell.

Touring Bavaria III

There was still a bit of a chill clinging to the sides of the mountains when we reached the Königssee ("King's Lake"), which is not only Germany's cleanest lake, but also it's most impressive. Situated right on the bottom of the infamous climber-devouring Watzmann (the mountain fading into the clouds), it is as clear as a pool full of Evian. Hitler and his genocidal maniacs liked this area a lot. His Eagle's Nest and his Berghof are just a few miles away. The area is milking that part of it's past a bit too proudly for my taste, selling loads of Hitler DVDs and soldier song CDs in the kiosques by the landing of the Königssee boats that take you to the pilgrim's church at the far end of the lake, which otherwise can only be reached in a five hour hardcore mountain hike. Luckily none of the dubious nostalgia is touted on board the old-fashioned electric cruise boats. Instead mid-course they stop to demonstrate the power of the mountain echo with a Fluegelhorn. We skipped the nostalgia part altogether and instead skipped stones across the pristine surface of the lake, which Karl got a kick out of.



Later that night Fred indulged her boys and spent quite a few of her hard earned designer Euros to take us to the Heinz Winkler Residenz. Winkler is one of just seven German cooks awarded three Michelin stars. His restaurant is in a palatial building from the 1400s, decorated in an outrageously funny 1980s baroque (think Tony Soprano meets the Da Vinci Code). Karl quite liked our spacious suite, which was literally double the size of our old Brooklyn apartment. Since we selfishly didn't want him to disturb our eight course extravaganza he got served his own three star kids menu (custom order from Mr. Winkler) consisting of gnocchi with spinach and an orange cake which was as fluffy as an Upper Eastside lady's poodle. I think he could get used to the lifestyle. One more reason to excel in whatever you wanna excel in, young man!

Touring Bavaria II

Touring Bavaria I

Okay, I'm planning on making this a series: Touring Bavaria. We just got back from an overnight trip through southeastern Bavaria and it was – yes – beautiful. There's more pictures to come, but I couldn't resist posting this one right away. I mean, come on, I know there's a couple of proud parents out there reading this blog, but can you really top this amount of cuteness? I didn't think so.