The Grand Tour

Froehe Weihnachten!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

It's been a packed couple of days - we've been very short on time and short on sleep, but never lacking for pleasant company, interesting conversation, or delicious food. Henni and Peter continue to spoil us with delightful sights and sounds (Peter's a big music afficionado), as well as yummy things to eat. Every morning starts with a large German breakfast - at least three kinds of bread, four kinds of cold cuts, six kinds of cheeses, and yummy European yogurt. If you haven't had yogurt here, you're really missing out - it's a little bit thicker, but the taste is so light. There's none of that sour-ish aftertaste in American yogurts - we sound like snobs, but it's one of the few things where you can taste the difference right away.

After breakfast, there's usually some sightseeing, a stop at a nearby bar or beer garden (where Toli enjoys an alcohol-free "Kinderbier" - literally, children's beer) then a large sumptuous dinner, and then conversation until at least 1 or 2 in the morning.

Anyway, on the 23rd, Toli and I went to nearby Recklinghausen (via U-bahn subway and a regional train) to visit Sven (an old friend of Christine's) and his wife Franka. It was nice to see the lifestyle of a couple our age in Germany - they're not as established as Henni and Peter, and they have two small (and very sweet) children as well. We had breakfast together, visited Sven's office at a small architecture firm, and then spent a relaxing afternoon at their house. They decorated their tree with real candles (they have these special weighted holders to balance them on the tree) which is a very unique sight.

One thing we've noticed about life here is that most people rent rather than own their homes. Buying is really expensive, and even though salaries are good, it's still hard to save up for the down payment, mortgage, and interest. Rents are comparatively more affordable, plus a lot of people don't like worrying about the upkeep of their property and would prefer to leave it to a landlord to handle. It's a different kind of attitude - home ownership isn't as much of an end-goal as it is in the U.S.

So, after spending the afternoon with Sven and Franka and sharing a gluhwein (a sweet mulled wine) at their local Christmas market, we came back to another gut-busting dinner at Henni and Peter's. At one point in the evening, Henni walked over to Mykonos (the local Greek restaurant we mentioned before) to drop off a gift for Simela. When she realized that Henni came alone, Simela promptly held Henni hostage until the rest of us came to visit and share a drink. The evening quickly took a wild turn, as there was a large Greek Christmas party in attendance - with plenty of food, alcohol, and loud Greek music to go around. And then (this shouldn't be a surprise to you if know Greeks), the dancing started. A la Zorba-style.

Unfortunately, we had left all our cameras at home, so there's no photographic evidence, but it was a big surprise to see Toli partake in all of the dancing - since he'll have nothing to do with Greek dancing at home. He performed rather well, demonstrating (with an empty glass, of course) how to dance around an ouzo glass and how to properly drink while dancing. He was soon outshone, though, by several other dancers who clearly get a lot more practice. The most impressive dancer, though, was an old Greek truck driver who demonstrated some slow, old-fashioned dance steps. Then we followed with some ouzo-drinking and a lot of laughter - according to Henni, it was the first time in about twenty years that Simela had ever toasted and shared an ouzo with them. We managed to get away after midnight and promptly collapsed. Opa!

We spent Christmas Eve in a comparatively mellow manner - woke up late, turned breakfast into brunch, and puttered away until the afternoon. Henni and Peter took us along to visit some of their friends nearby - they live in this fabulous flat that is completely modern in style. They have a pet snake, and we got the chance to see it devour a mouse (already frozen - don't think we could stomach watching the mouse get killed) for Christmas Eve dinner.

Then, it was back for our own Christmas Eve dinner - rouladen, another traditional holiday dish. It was an enormous dish, and we ate until we could eat no more. We then chatted the evening away, sharing pictures and stories. The Germans open their gifts on the night of Christmas Eve instead of Christmas morning (no waiting!), so we exchanged gifts that evening.

Which brings us to today! We woke up late again and had a delicious Christmas brunch, with lox in addition to the usual yummy spread. We then spent the afternoon visiting Duesseldorf, where Christine used to intern at the government ministry. We visited her old office building, walked along the Rhine promenade where Christine used to jog (back when she was fit), explored the beautiful Altstadt (old city quarter), and then finally the Koenigsallee. Koenigsallee could best be described as the area's Rodeo Drive. Impossibly expensive jewelry and haute couture in every shop window, as well as women in diamonds, furs, and little dogs strolling by. Walking along Koenigsallee to window-shop and people-watch was one of Christine's favorite pastimes.

In an attempt to return some of the generosity we've experienced here, we spent the evening cooking a Greek meal for Henni and Peter. Soutzoukakia meatballs, horiatiki salad, and tzatziki sauce. We had superior ingredients - real Greek feta, Turkish yogurt, this fabulous extra-virgin olive oil from Tuscany, and freshly ground beef from the local butcher. The meal seemed to go over pretty well, though it will take a few such meals from us to compensate for everything we've received.

Well - this entry has gotten long enough! If you've read this far, then we wish you and yours a warm and wonderful Christmas holiday. May you be surrounded by kindness, generosity, and the love of friends and family.

Posted by Christine at December 25, 2003 03:17 PM