Wherever I am traveling, you can be sure there will be a visit to a local market.  I love to see the array of colorful products, how they are put on display, how the locals interact with the market vendors and more.  Back to Zurich from my recent travels, I went right to the market here to see what had changed.  And there it was, the newest addition, telling me that the holiday season is truly not far away.  Mistletoe is back, and Christmas decorations are soon to follow.  A perfect way to follow the seasons and the holidays, taste your way around the market (and the world), discovering products you may not find at home, wherever your home may be…

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You have just gotten a small dose of Berlin’s history and culture here, reading about the Berlin Wall and the little green Ampelmann, as well as the sheer magnitude of museums you can visit.  But you’ve got to eat too!  Aside from the obligatory currywurst you’ll grab at the city’s omnipresent stands, there are tons of restaurants serving up traditional German cuisine, regional specialties, or spots where chefs are bringing in a bit of creativity – and perhaps lightening things up a bit in the process too.

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I hope you have all been able to catch some of the coverage on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, either from the links from the previous post or on television.  Certainly no shortage of the latter.

For those of you planning a trip to Berlin, if you like museums, you’re in luck.  There are almost 200 in Berlin, satisfying your interests in art, culture, history and/or religion, among other curiosities.  Below you’ll see just a few highlights from my short visit to the city, plus one museum that is a must, if only for the fact that you won’t find it anywhere else in the world other than Berlin.  Any guesses? Read the rest of this story >>

If you turn on the television or glance at a newsstand in just about any city lately, it would be hard to miss the coverage on Berlin.  This month marks the 20th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall.  It was on November 9, 1989 that the wall came down. A wall that was put up by the GDR (German Democratic Republic) to stop East Berliners from escaping.  They were fleeing by the thousands per day, trying to go from Soviet-controlled East Germany to the West, which was then occupied by the Americans, British and French.  I was lucky to visit Berlin and learn about the history up close – stand in front of the last remnants of the wall, watch select artists make their statements and especially follow the parallel lines of cobblestones that trace where the wall was.  To me that was a powerful sight. Read the rest of this story >>

Since the beginning of the Jewish New Year last weekend, when I made light, chewy fig and pistachio nougat, I haven’t stopped dipping apples in honey and even made a second batch of nougat.  The tradition is, we wish each other a sweet new year.  I think I’ve got that covered.  I put that extra batch of nougat in the freezer, as it was a bit soft, and eating it straight from there, I was quickly reminded of frozen Charleston Chew bars we used to have as kids.  Remember that candy bar, yellow wrapper and all? Takes me right back to my summer camp canteen.  Just wait until I dip those nougat squares into chocolate and put them back in the freezer, now that will be good! Furthermore, the official opening date for Ladurée in Zürich has been released – October 14th, in less than 3 weeks!  This coming year is sure to be sweet!  I have my usual line-up of adventures ahead, each one with a whole new set of pastry shops, chocolate shops and markets to visit, always fascinating people to meet and local customs to learn about.

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Talk about alliteration: my latest adventure was to Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest for the thermal baths, beer, Black Forest cake and bretzels galore !

South Germany’s Black Forest was surprisingly close to Zürich, just an hour and a half north of here.  This deep green woodland area stretches north from Basel in Switzerland for about 160 km up to Pforzheim in Southwest Germany, with its western edge at the Rhine, extending east for about 40 km.  Our main destination was near the northern limits of the forest, in Baden-Baden.  No, not to see Obama, Sarkozy and Merkel; yes, for the thermal baths!  We stayed at family-run Hotel am Markt, a really great find (with a delicious and generous buffet breakfast) on a small, charming square, our window looking down at the Stiftskirche (Baden-Baden?s first parish church) and the Roman baths just a short walk away, along the pedestrian cobblestone streets. Normally a very peaceful spot too.  That is, if there aren’t 500 police officers on the square – Obama happened to be arriving the very day we left, on that very square!  If ever you find yourself in the city of NATO’s 60th anniversary, here’s a word of advice: don’t go anywhere without your passport as well as some paperwork from your hotel.  I will admit feeling rather special though, being escorted to our hotel each time we came and went!  The presence of police officers was truly impressive.  We were almost the only 2 people in the city not in Germany’s green police uniforms.

But back to those baths… Baden-Baden is the ultimate spa town, the name itself, baden meaning bath in German.  People come here to spend hours in the thermal baths, the healing waters coming straight from the mountains - natural springs rising from depths of around 6,500 feet.  In the baths, the water temperature ranges from 32 to 42 degrees Celcius / 90 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit.  Take your pick between the ancient Friedrichsbad (Roman-Irish Bath) and the more modern Baths of Caracalla.  The former opened 120 years ago, in elegant surroundings to pamper the rich and famous. It was my first choice from the photos alone, but take note: nudity is 100% obligatory, men and women together.  And so it was, the modern yet also beautiful Caracalla Therme for us, with its marble columns and turquoise pools, both inside and outside. Also half the price of the other.  What to do first?  Hot and cold rock grotto, bubbling whirlpools, waterfalls, counter-current pool, massaging water jets, aromatherapy rooms, steam rooms, saunas… It’s all mixed, male and female, bathing suits on the main floor, but fully naked upstairs for more saunas, some even outdoors in little log cabins. Sorry, no photos to document all of that.  

All that sweating worked up an appetite.  To the local beer garden it was for a typical – and very seasonal – snack.  Beers in laughably large mugs turned out to be the minimum size you could order, and baskets of soft, doughy pretzels emptied fast.  Best of all, platters of plump white asparagus were on almost every table.  Baden-Baden is not only on the Black Forest Spa Route, but also along the Baden Asparagus Route!  Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of the most productive asparagus regions in Germany, and the harvesting has just begun. You can’t go to a single restaurant during this time of year that’s not offering its special Spargel menu.  Do take advantage.

If you’ll be passing through this region in Germany in the next few months, definitely check out the numerous asparagus festivals, asparagus peeling competitions and fun asparagus-themed events all around.  I’ve already got Asparagus Day on my calendar for May 2010!  Perhaps a stop at the baths on the way…

Hotel am Markt
Markplatz 18
76530 Baden-Baden
Germany
+49.7221.27.04.0
www.hotel-am-markt-baden.de

Tip: this hotel (and many others in town) offers discounted rates for both thermal baths, so buy your tickets when you check in!