While I haven't been listening to The Cure a lot, similarly, what I have written hasn't been worth sharing

nce again, I've let time (and creativity) get away from me. I blame a deep spring funk resulting from dreary weather, chick drama, the epic failure of our second major kitchen appliance (my beloved oven!) and the consistent refusal of our new internet service to actually provide working internet - not to mention a few days of illness, thrown in for good measure - basically a bunch of crap I would rather not have to deal with. The two other entries I've started in the last month remain abandoned in my Blogger draft files; my heart just wasn't in them. And so here I am, hoping any and all possible readers haven't assumed I'd fallen off the face of the earth.

With the forecasted sun and break in the rain expected to start tomorrow, I'm optimistic that things are turning around. Additionally, we had a lovely outing with friends last weekend, despite the alternating sun and downpours, and are enjoying a nice four-day holiday weekend now. Sure, we're still going to be out a huge chunk of change to replace our kitchen appliances (just loving being a German renter right now), but at least the other big chunk will come out in the form of shoe shopping in the states next month. *squealing with delight!* Hope this year's holiday is still in the cards too...

I swear I'll post something more promising soon. In the meantime, I'll stick to the kind of funk I prefer - my girl Nikka Costa. Hey spring funk, get off my sunshine!

*Darren Booth for Daily Drop Cap

That's right - I rode a bike & I didn't die! 

(Mom, aren't you proud?)

msterdam was amazing - so much more than I thought it would be. I promise to post more on our trip, but first, I must gush about the bike culture there. I'm sure this seems silly to most, but being the most uncoordinated person on earth, I dreamed of biking stylishly through this town as if I were in a photo from The Sartorialist (who happened to be in Amsterdam the very same weekend!). Not only had I not been on a bike in many years, but I had a rather embarrassing incident involving a scooter (I didn't make it much further than the driveway before having an 'accident'). Needless to say, I was very scared about the reality I would encounter trying to bike with perhaps the most experienced casual bike riders in the world.  

1st stop after getting bikes - Espressofabriek in Westerpark for latte and Dutch apple pie. Boy, did I need this to muster up my courage to bike into the center of town!

Before even arriving in Amsterdam, I read a very enlightening article via Joanna Goddard and felt immediately better about how much safer it is to bike there than in the U.S. After my dad and brother had to help a man on a bike a few years back that was hit by a car (that then drove away), I was (& remain) convinced biking in the states is just too dangerous. If only U.S. cities would prioritize better bike lanes and drivers were better... The double bike lanes, the bike traffic lights and all other traffic (trams aside) that allow bikers the right-of-way make for the perfect biking city.

We biked to gelato on the far side of the city - Pisa ijs - best in Europe, no doubt (we went 3 times)!

So I had convinced myself that we should bike along trails out of the city, perhaps for a picnic by the sea, to avoid all the traffic in the middle of the city. What I learned after our first day with the bikes is that the city is so well catered to bikes, it's really hard to be scared or put yourself in any obviously dangerous situations (as long as you follow proper biking etiquette!). I also learned that after one day of biking around, my knee - and bum! - hurt so bad, there was no way I would make it on a two-hour trek to the sea. Instead, we biked around the city on Saturday, which was much less crowded than I expected, perhaps even less so than during the week.

Finding a spot to lock one's bike up is challenging, to say the least

While I wasn't the mess on a bike I expected myself to be, I certainly lacked the grace of the locals. They could perfectly time their passing of cross-traffic and always did so looking incredibly chic, women complete with the high heels that biking allows. The tourists were easier to spot in their chunky athletic shoes and complete disregard for the rules of the biking road. One of my biggest pet peeves while traveling is people who don't try to understand any of the rules or cultural norms of the place they are traveling to (If I read one more American's review of a European restaurant saying it took too long to be waited on, I may scream. Note to these Americans: Europeans take time to enjoy their food. It is not a race. Someone constantly leaning over your table is considered rude.).

As scared as I was in the first place of biking, I made sure to read up on how to be a safe biker in this city, both for myself and those around who would be subjected to my lacking bike skills. Saturday meant less people in general in town, but it meant more tourists on bikes - tourists who would stop right in the middle of the bike lane to scream at someone half a block away, rather than pull out of the path and avoid causing a pile-up of bikes. By the end of two days of biking the city, I had caught on well enough not to cause any damage - and to already be cursing the tourists. I suppose that's one of the side effects of being an expat, as my friend Jen so poignantly explained - I don't identify with the American tourists, but I'm not quite a European either. It's both a blessing and a curse to live in the in-between, but I suppose I'm finding my way.

Enjoying last afternoon with the bike with a picnic in Vondelpark 

& the best ham & cheese baguette ever 

courtesy of De Kaaskamer

As good as our drivers are here in Germany, I'm not sure I'd be up for biking through a busy city here without those wonderfully wide bike lanes and special traffic lights just for bikers. In Amsterdam, bikes reign as the preferred mode of transportation and are treated as such. Perhaps one day we'll live there and I too can live the bike lifestyle and wear my stylish heels around town. Until then, I guess we'll just have to visit more (darn).

More of Amsterdam to come...

 
*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

very time I think we've got a lull in local festivities, I'm proven wrong with the recently-acquired knowledge of yet another enter-the-name-here fest, usually centering around wine. This past weekend we learned from our friends who live in the Rheingau (kind of the German Napa) that it was the final days of Rheingauer Schlemmerwochen, translated as "Rheingau's Gourmet Weeks". While we didn't find much in the way of gourmet food or entertainment or art, just walking through the vineyards, making stops at various wineries to enjoy a glass or two was enough to feel like a celebration - even though we could do this every weekend, if we so desired.

For our first stop of the day, we hiked nearly to the highest point in Geisenheim and enjoyed wine and snacks overlooking the valley. Not that it's unusual around here, but we noticed as more patrons came, we were the only ones there that didn't qualify for senior citizen status. In fact, it became quite the joke because first they were just older, then came ones hobbling in with canes and as we left, a woman in the parking lot was being helped into her wheelchair. I sure hope I'm still touring the wineries at their age!

It was another one of those perfect outings where the weather was warm and sunny, the scenery was beautiful and the wine was delicious. I wonder at what point I'll be able to stop reminding myself 'I live here', but I'm certainly enjoying the feeling of being on a permanent vacation in this wonderful new country of ours!

The view at our first stop of the day

Even the bread is shaped like grapes at the winery

Our jug of wine, surely poured fresh out of the barrel

Ample pathways through the vineyards makes it easy to walk from winery to winery

Ahh, glass of sparkling Rosé overlooking the vineyards...

Grow baby grapes, grow!

Prost to an amazing day!

More festivals full of wine in the months to come...

But next up - Amsterdam! Weather is looking to be not terribly warm, but at least the forecasted rain appears to be pushed off till the day we leave. European roadtrip - here we come!

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

The deeply intense hues from German dye kits

nce again, I've let time get away from me. In my defense, I was fighting a bit of stomach flu last week (or maybe it was residual Easter waffle coma...) and didn't do much at all. Either way, I'm back now and ready to report on the spring holidays.

Our waffle brunch that could've fed a small army

Now, I'm not a religious person, but the holidays (Easter, Christmas, etc.) always meant time with my family and comfort food. Being over 9,000 kilometers away from them now, friends have become our family and time spent with them helps ease the realization that we're so far away. The food helps too.

With a four-day weekend to work with, we ended up at a BBQ hosted by friends whose patio overlooks the Rheingau vineyards that Friday and for the big day, we hosted a waffle brunch that turned into hanging out all afternoon and everyone joining us for dinner. The glorious weather was a perfect accompaniment to the festivities. 

The amazing vineyard view from friend's patio

Still wanting to wish my parents a happy Easter, I called them only to discover they had to be back at work the very next morning. I couldn't believe they didn't have Monday off. I guess I often forget about America's prioritization of the bottom line over personal time. 

My mom's shop is her own, but after helping her there in the year before I came over to Germany, I know first-hand how snippy (some) people could be whenever she decided to close early one day or go away on a holiday - which was been a total of four weeks in the three years she's owned it. It's in such stark contrast to the mindset over here. I can't tell you how many times, usually in August or January, we'll walk to a restaurant or shop only to discover that they're on holiday, often for a whole month or longer. People take holidays extremely serious - and why not? Downtime is important for one's sanity and I love that Europeans recognize that.  

Collage put up by amazingly creative office around the corner from us (must improve German, just so I can work there) - love that they ate Fish & Chips and the guy fake-crying at the bottom. Don't they look like a fun bunch?

Later that week, there was another 'holiday' of sorts (at least for the British) - the Royal Wedding. I admit I wasn't overly interested in it when I heard, but all the television coverage sucked me in and felt like all those Brits cheering for their new princess/duchess/ style icon. Since Kate and I have the same name (in entirety, save the new last name and royal title, of course), it was kind of nice to daydream about becoming a princess. The amazing fashion wasn't too bad either.   

Ah, British style...

I knew the British had a thing for hats, but I had no idea how serious this was until watching the wedding coverage - they seemed to get more attention than any of the dresses. The few women who decided not to don Philip Treacy on their heads looked next to naked. I definitely had some favorites - Camilla's and an un-named young royal's teal side-hat - and some that left me wondering. Poor Princess Beatrice it seems will never live down her avant-garde hat choice for the event, but I must admit, if this is how young royalty experiments with fashion, I much prefer it to the dyed-black hair and pierced faces of America's youth. At least she was buttoned up from chin to knee and looked proper. 

Forget the Beckhams (money does not make you royalty, after all), I think Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece was the clear fashion winner among the guests, hat and all. Her hat was not stapled to her forehead and she wore a gorgeous embroidered Chanel (sigh...). Her hair looked so lovely I'm almost tempted to go back to blond (almost). Tell me this isn't the picture of perfectly fashionable royalty:

It's times like this I truly wish I were European. The royalty, the formality, the tradition. But most importantly, congratulations to Will and Kate! I hope they have a long and happy life together. 

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

I adore this short film 'Catch a Tuesday' by Oliver Peoples featuring Zooey Deschanel - & it's glasses. So classic!

ast year, I made the decision to correct my very fuzzy vision with glasses rather than my usual - and quite expensive - contacts. In addition to being easier on the single-income-couple's wallet, it meant I was already adapting to the glasses-wearing German culture. Seriously, there are eyeglass shops on every block. Sometimes two.

For my first pair of glasses A.M. (After the Move overseas), I went with the classic "Nerd-Brille" - the bigger, heavier, '50s-throwback frames that have been popping up all over the fashion-conscious for the last few years. Since the height of fashion around Wiesbaden are the ubiquitous furs on the senior set and the Louis Vuittons slung on the arms of the nouveau riche (not sure what statement they're trying to make, considering LV's checkered past), I'm mostly alone here in my attempt to be on-trend. You just can't tear Germans from their metal-framed, architectural specs.

This year, I knew I would need some prescription sunglasses once the sunny season stared, naturally, as I would now need to shield my eyes from the headache-inducing rays AND see at the same time. Since the gorgeous weather has started early, I enlisted the help of my amazingly multi-lingual friend (fluent in four languages, like any good European) last weekend in ordering a pair of Persols I had been coveting for years - my first prescription sunglasses ever. I realize it's somewhat cheating to take a translator, but after my husband finished having his coronary upon finding out what it costs just for his wife to be able to see, I wasn't about to take any chances.

I have found that in circumstances such as this, where there are a lot of technical words involved - and especially when a lot of money is going to be spent - it is critical to understand every last detail. In my defense, my first trip to the same store to ask a few questions ended up with a little English, some broken German, and no one really understanding any of it. I call this an all-or-nothing situation - either my German is good enough to communicate and understand everything, or I need to find someone fluent in English. Since I hate to make anyone here cater to my native language, I took some insurance that there would be as little room for confusion as possible, and even understood a lot of what was said. At least I handled my first German eye exam in German  (and at least she knew what I meant when I read the über line when she asked me to read the unter line). It's all about the little victories in these situations.

So while I will not be embracing the severe, designer-obsessed frame trends so popular with the Germans, I'm at least embracing the German way of using eyewear as a style statement rather than just a functional necessity. I am so inspired to see the comeback of glasses in my country of origin as well, whether through super-cool short films from the likes of Oliver Peoples or the creation of companies like Warby Parker, which not only offers great frames that won't break the bank, but also donates a pair to someone who can't afford it for every one sold (I plan to get at least a pair or two when I'm back in the states this summer!). Since my husband first asked me out when I was wearing my glasses, I'll take it as a sign that Dorothy Parker was indeed wrong - men DO make passes at girls who wear glasses.

Here's one more short film that single-handedly proves that glasses can be sexy:

Devendra Banhart at the Rainbow House - Director's Cut from Oliver Peoples on Vimeo.

Of course the glasses, the music and the architecture (oh, that house...) are amazing, but I love how it shows the simple sexiness of being at home, reading and black winged eyeliner. I would just like to crawl in and live in that video (and in those amazing Myriel sunglasses - be still, my heart, maybe I could sell a kidney...). Perhaps I'm on my way once I get my new frames... and some better black liner.


*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

'm kind of obsessed with this song right now, but can you blame me? Here in Germany, the media and advertisers pick up on new songs and use them like they're going out of style. I've only heard this on the radio or seen it on VIVA once or twice, but ads and televisions spots are promoting with it like crazy. Needless to say, it's gotten stuck in my head and I can't get it out.

American media does this with new music as well, but as of late, they tend to get stuff that's really under the radar and use it in really awesome and fitting ways. I don't think Germany's marketers are quite so savvy. Case in point: Right now, ProSieben television station is using Rihanna's 'S&M' song to promote it's line-up of programming, including The Simpsons and Two and a Half Men. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with sex or s&m, even on daytime television, but I'm left wondering exactly how it relates to these programs. 

It's like German marketers listen in on their teenagers, hear whatever song they're listening to and slap it into a promo. C'mon guys, it takes a little more work than that! Perhaps I need to fast-track my German language skills, if only so I can get a job in marketing (which is what I did in a previous life in America) and show these folks how it's done. 

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

y husband first told me about the existence of this t-shirt and now I've found where I can buy one for my very own. I'm sure there isn't a German who would be caught dead in it, but for this expat, I find it tremendously funny. For those of you who don't know Döner kebap, it's an amazing Turkish/German specialty that is rather like Germany's version of fast food - and yes, there's one on nearly every corner. And I say 'Turkish/German' because, much like the American-created burrito, the Döner kebap was created in Berlin. 

Even though we haven't tried too many local kebap places, we have quickly discovered our favorite - a tiny little shop in Idstein with the best pita-like, sesame bread and tasty meat that's not too fatty. The fact that the guy makes killer Pommes as well only adds to its appeal. Mmm... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. 

The tee is also a play on words - 'Donnerstag' is the word for Thursday. Kind of like 'Thai-day Fridays' at my husband's office, Döner kebap lunch runs often occur on - you guessed it - Thursdays. I think I'll put in a request for my own Dönerstag Donnerstag for dinner!

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische