everyday life

These are some photos of daily life in Oberemmel. We discovered a game at the local bar called "hammer and nails". This is the game: nail a nail with the claw end of a hammer, into a stump. Yes, real tree stump, in a bar. I asked Herve, our winemaker, homeowner, guide, etc, if we WWOOF'ers could have a stump and some nails so that we could all become really good and "hammer und nails" and then win all the games at the bar. Cause its certainly easier to practice that than foosbal.

This is some cake that Bridget gave us today as snack in Oberemmel. 

our sign

this is not ketchup

A NOTE ABOUT KETCHUP: in Germany, ketchup is not ketchup, is not ketchup. This is a classic example. Sometimes, at restaurants, Germans do not think of the difference between curry ketchup and reg ketchup. This is shown in this photo from the grocery store here. Here are some more ketchups:

Also, salsa here is called "mexico sauce". Yeah...

Herve special ordered for me some "black beans" so I could make mexican food for dinner next week, after I come home from Munchen. This is the conversation:

"I need black beans and cumin, and corn and smallish tortillas of course" (to make enchiladas)

"So the beans. They are totally black?"

"yeah...?"

"I have never seen those. We have cumin."

"Well, I guess I could use kidney beans...I mean, people in CA would kill themselves before using kidney beans. We hate those."

"So they are not peas, like black-eyed peas?'

"no, not at all'

"okay, I see what i can do. And these tortillas? Not like hard tacos?"

"No..no not at all. Maybe i just make "AMERICAN NACHOS?"

"NO no, i ask at the markt"

Because its silly, but I would like them to try some better mexican ish food. They don't believe me that much that TEX-MEX is not MEXICAN food. Not even that one is more "authentic" just that they are different. I guess that would be like here, telling me the German food is different from region to region. I would just say, but its all just schtzinel, right?! Just kidding. Its mostly cheese-bread. Running joke in the household. 

hazelnuts in the raw! JUM!

Local beer. Das ist gut. 

Bonn and Oberemmel (home)

On Friday we went to Bonn, which is the 19th largest city in Germany (thanks wikipedia) and was also the capitol of the west until 1998. Bonn is pretty big, especially compared to the town which we came from, Rech, which is really small (and 80% wine shops?)...

Bonn was about a 50 minute train ride on the DB Bahn train, which is the major train line around here. They are much much nicer than any american train lines I have been on. After we got off the train, I was able to buy a cell phone that you just add money too. Thank God for my new friend here who speaks fluent German! or else I would be doing a lot more pointing and waving and charades to get things around here. 

Bonn's main attraction, or claim to fame as it were, is the Beethoven house. Its where Ludwig lived until he moved to Austria, and then never was able to return to Bonn again. Its a old apartment-type thing with extremely squeaky floors, but it is well worth the student price to get in (always have your bruin card!). You even see his death mask! Ooo.

Milena waits for me to stop taking photos

After that, we had a meal that I can't really compare to anything else I have ever had. I think the words "German Mexican Restaurant" really sum it up. 

 

I think "Quesadilla Caprese" "Mexican Pizza" are the warning signs. Also how is there a taco pizza?...

Veggie "burrito" (read: wrap with beans)

On our way home to Rech, we made a quick pit stop in Oberwinter, which is just a really small town with no particular qualities, except that you can buy champagne in a can, and then watch the Rhine river which flows next to it (guess what we did...) Then it was back to Rech, which was having a little festival/community wine tasting "fete". We sampled a few, and then bought the cheapest bottle (americans!) and then it was time to go back to Oberemmel. 

The next day we worked on the vineyard in Oberemmel, which is home base. The vineyards here are really steep! I was told this was normal, and I said that in California if the land isn't perfectly level, we either make it level (more dramatic) or just let it go and have our normal sage bushes grow all over it (more lazy/normal). So at first this made me a little wary, but it makes for really great views while working!