Rosemary Ginger Lemonade

One of my very favorite restaurants in all of Munich is Daylesford Organic. The food is fresh, seasonal, and organic. I also believe they have the best chocolate cake in the city.

Nearly every time I visit I get the Rosemary Ginger Lemonade. It's spectacular.

Here's how I make it at home: It's easy to use fresh ginger since the blender takes care of it and sieving it removes the fibery bits or stop by the Asian grocery for some in a jar that is great to have on hand for cooking and baking, too.

The restaurant doubles as a shop with various spices, sauces, wines, and seasonal products. Additionally they have rosemary scented cleaning products, which are biodegradable and make my kitchen smell lovely.

Ethnic Restaurants

It's been way too long since I've written about places in Munich. These are a few restaurants worth checking out if you live here or are passing through. They all have a great ambiance and unique, but delicious food.

Milagros • Pavesi Picnic • Nomiya

Looks like I'll have to take Stefan out for a date night! It's difficult to decide if we should visit something new or a familiar favorite.

creative outlet

Nearly every time I feel as if I am finished going through travel photos I see something else and feel inspired.

I love paint, watercolor, and the juxtaposition when combined with photography. Without delving too deep into art and art history (which is my background) it's the dichotomy between photographers using light to 'paint' their images and with painters creating with nature that really fascinates me. They are such different mediums, but can be united in striking ways.

There are quite a few creative projects going on for me and many more brewing... these are a small sample of some of the things I've been working on.

Art is just so therapeutic. My Mom always said people need a creative outlet and I whole heartedly agree - especially when I can combine it with my loves: art, travel, and Stefan.

nero

I can't believe I haven't shared this one. We went here to celebrate after we purchased our around the world tickets. That's definitely cause for a celebration.

nero is a great little restaurant tucked away near Isartor. Their wood fired pizzas are definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. Some days I simply cannot stop thinking about them (like today).

The restaurant itself is very modern and has a great community feeling to it with the long bench tables.

If you're a tourist, my bet is that you'll be the only one among locals - and that you won't leave disappointed.

Gärtnerplatz

This is one of my favorite places in Munich. It's such a colorful tranquil place that beckons you to take a few minutes of your day and let out a sigh as to how wonderful life truly is.

Even though it was a rainy day, I really appreciated the drops of dew on the flowers and watching little ones enjoy playing in the drizzly weather.

The flowers in this area are all so mesmerizing, but if I had to pick a favorite I think I'd pick the ruffled ones that seem so festive.

Another thing that I love about Gärtnerplatz are the characters. If you're really lucky, you may even see the Bavarian Santa doppelgänger who typically wears very small lederhosen shorts. He always seems to be between this area (including today) and Viktualienmarkt.

He's the type of guy that legends are made of, and alas - once again he escaped without me photographing him. Looks like you'll have to make a trip yourself and keep an eye out for him, but so far many of my visitors have also been fortunate enough to be graced with his presence.

Blueberries

Stefan and I have been anxiously awaiting blueberry season and finally it's here. Fortunately we also had the weather on our side, for once, and were able to go bright and early to pick some blueberries.

The fields seem to go and on - and there are certainly plenty of berries to be picked. We did our best to help with that, which is really rather effortless.

Stefan beat me in filling up his bowl since I was taking photos here and there and trying to avoid the random spider web. There were several small children who were also picking berries and they were having such a great time. It was so sweet.

Once again we probably picked too many (8 Lbs / 4 Kilos!), but they never go to waste at our house. I'm already considering all of the options of what I can make with them.

We had some for lunch and I was excited to also try our new ceramic knife. It's very sharp and cuts the most delicate slices, plus it never needs sharpening. Another interesting effect from using ceramic knives is that fruit doesn't oxidize as quickly.

If you live in Munich you can check out nearby fields that offer blueberry picking. (There are also locations for Strawberries and Raspberries as well).

Pretty Reminders

I'm a firm believer in doing little things to make yourself and others happy.

Simple notes tucked into pockets, or into luggage, are bound to bring smiles to people's faces. I also think it helps to surround yourself with beauty - people who radiate happiness and make you feel good, as well things that brighten up life.

Being away from home makes me appreciate my friends and family so much more and to realize just how fortunate I am to have them in my life.

My family knows me so well and surprised me with the most thoughtful gifts for Christmas and my birthday. I would even go as far as saying it was one of the best and most memorable holidays for me. It was so nice to be home and have time with everyone.

A few of my favorite gifts that make me smile and think of everyone at home are a shopping basket, the classic style cafeteria trays, and further fueling my wanderlust is 'The Europe Book' by Lonely Planet.

My shopping basket makes grocery shopping that much more enjoyable and the reactions to it are priceless. The cafeteria trays make me think of cookouts and gatherings, plus they are eco-friendly. And I'm already reading up on Rome for our upcoming trip... and the smallest country with the lowest birthrate in the world - The Vatican.

And what do you know - as I was unpacking I found notes in my own luggage. What sweet reminders of home.

Dream kitchen

As of now, we're definitely making the most of the city life. We live small, we live simply, and we live well below our means. It's really quite nice. It also means we must be very particular about the things we decide to fill our small space with and I am always thinking ahead.

Slowly we've been working on updating our apartment to make it more of our own place. I absolutely love looking at inspirational images and wondering where life will take us. In the meantime I often gather things that are meaningful to me. Some we are able to incorporate now - like our new fridge that arrived this morning!, and other things we'll have to hold off on... like a subway tile back splash in the kitchen.

I also love the fact that Stefan continually is commenting how much he loves our refrigerator.

Not only do I want my dream kitchen to have a subway tile back splash, but I want the entire kitchen to have a very slight subway undertone. I have a cookie jar, à la my Grandma, that my sister gave me a few years ago. It is a London underground sign. She also recently showed me the beautiful Parisian subway dish cloth, which I have added to my wish list.

Isn't it lovely to surround yourself with things you enjoy and to look forward to?

Here are bits of the master plan...

The subway tile kitchen belongs to Genifer Goodman Sohr, who is a well known stylist. I saw these images on her equally talented friend, Sara Hicks Malone's blog Party Perfect, and I can't quit thinking about them. They also match our table and chairs that we recently purchased.


I promise I'm not on a French kick, but I also love the work of antoin + manuel, a French design duo. And continuing on the subway theme, they have a lot of beautiful pieces including one aptly titled RATP (Parisian Metro), Carte Intégrale, 2005. Their website is a real treasure trove for design lovers.

In other things French... I was overjoyed yesterday when I was in town shopping for a few things and found two things I have been dreaming about. Originally I had see them on uncommongoods and the Moma Store, but today I found them here in Munich.

I really love Revol French porcelaine - it's minimal, very resistant, and simply elegant. Some of their pieces are quite classic, while others - like the the things I bought today, are slightly comical. They keep things interesting.

They have an entire line called the Recycled collection. I love the curving ruffle lines of the 'pommes frites' dish - and the crumpled tumbler is just cute and fits so nicely in my hand.

The best design advice is to surround yourself with things that you love and I can really attest it adds to my happiness.

Dyrhólahverfi

As we drove along we weaved around green hillsides filled with sheep grazing dangerously close the edges, large glacier covered mountains, and finally to our intended destination - the black sand beaches. We were also surprised how close the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Isles) appeared from the coast.

When we arrived in Dyrhólahverfi (Vestur-Skaftafells), a bird watcher's paradise, we took our trusty little rental car on some extremely bumpy roads. I still have no idea how Stefan managed to get this thing to the top, but the views there are really striking.

We stood on top of the 120 m headland for quite a while. There is a beautiful arch, which is naturally made, and really demonstrates the strength and beauty of nature.

Also in view from the headland are Reynisdrangur Sea Stacks, which are basalt formations. If that wasn't enough, directly behind us we could see Mýrdalsjokull Glacier. Inside the Mýrdalsjokull Glacier is the Katla Volcano, which erupts on average every 40-60 years. The last eruption was in 1918.

Surrounding the shore line down below are the Mýrdalssandur Sands - the black sands that I was so excited to see. The contrasting colors in the landscape made me stand in awe.

We drove down to some of the beaches, and walked along the shore. It was very quiet except for the sound of the crashing waves. The shoreline had smooth pumice stones, fine black sand, and beautiful craggy caves and columnar basalt.

Stefan saved the day by finding my sunglasses in the tide. They must have fallen out of my pocket as I was running to join one of our self timed photos. Coincidentally, they were a replica of the sunglasses I lost in Barcelona. He asked if I always want to leave something behind in the places that I love. I am so happy he found them.

After taking all of the scenery in we drove to Vík í Mýrdal, which is so very tiny. I think Dyrhólahverfi takes most of the credit for beauty in this area.

Iceland had yet one more treasure in store insuring that it would leave us with something to remember - another stunning sunset for our last evening. The entire drive back to Reykjavik was draped in pinks and purples.

A common theme of this trip is probably complete bewilderment. I know that nature is extremely incredible, however I've not been somewhere that so much is packed into one small place.

If that's not reason enough to have fallen in love with Iceland in the book I was recently reading (Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner). His book has piqued my interest in Bhutan, but what he has to say about Iceland is very interesting as well. In his chapter title, 'Happiness is Failure', he suggests that Iceland has so many people involved with the arts because it doesn't see failure as a bad thing.

It goes along the lines of my ceramics teacher that I have written about before. You make a lot of junk before you really make impressive things. In Iceland, that's OK and even encouraged. I think it's a combination of the natural beauty and the 'live and let live' carefree attitude that easily makes this one of my favorite countries. It probably also helped that we visited on a cusp season - day light hours were still reasonable long, and there weren't tons of tourists, but even so, I think Iceland has a permanent calmness about it.

I also love that it has a blank slate feeling to it. The people don't seem to be in a major hurry to change that, which is so nice. They choose to live with nature and preserve what a beautiful country they have.

There are plenty of things we didn't do during this trip - see Puffins, visit Vestmannaeyjar, go to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, visit the Kerið crater, see the aurora borealis, and I am sure many of other things I don't even know about yet.

I will definitely make it back to Iceland. It has so much beauty it just moves me to tears. What an amazing world!

New York Times does Munich

According to the New York Times yesterday, Munich is 'Germany's Hot Spot of the Minute'.

I found it funny that they open talking about Zerwirk, a vegan restaurant - considering Bavaria loves it's meat. It also happens to be on my list of favorite things in Munich.

However I must comment once again, that the food there is quite delicious. We celebrated New Years Eve 2007 there. It's the kind of place that you might feel slightly strange walking into if you are wearing leather shoes and not wanting to offend those that live the Vegan lifestyle, however I wasn't openly looked down upon for wearing my leather shoes.

It has a homey feel complete with a little dog scampering around and is cosy with clean lines and bright open rooms. Yes, I do realize that I wrote about the dog before, but I never get tired of seeing dogs in places where my American upbringing tells me they should be 'verboten'.

The photo above is of dessert, which was a marzipan ice with pistachio cream and kumquats. Don't ask me how they make a cream without using dairy products.

It's ironic that the restaurant is in the building of an old butcher. As of the first of February the restaurant has changed slightly by now also including raw foods and adding the 'Saf' moniker. It looks like Stefan and I will have to visit again sometime soon... especially with their new Thai curry, which sounds amazing.

We also need to check out the Anish Kapoor's (of Chicago's Cloud Gate fame) instillation at the Haus der Kunst.

Sounds like a great date night this weekend!

Life is too short

When you are a lady of leisure with idle time to burn, much like myself, you often consider things that you could or should be doing. I'm not talking about the household chores, but all of the possible career paths and life choices. The things that make life interesting. The difficulty is not knowing how long we will be living here to know how much of myself to invest in these endeavours... not to mention crossing the language barrier in a foreign country.

Being in an international marriage means that at least one of us, at all times, will be the foreigner. Right now Stefan has a different kind of battle, considering he's an international business man and speaks English and German fluently (on the down side he works crazy hours, but he is passionate about his job). I, on the other hand, have plenty of interests that I would consider sinking myself into, but have other obstacles to conquer along the way - namely the German language, social system, and the political and bureaucratic games that are unique to every country. Granted, these are the same things that make me appreciate the opportunity to live in a foreign country and really challenge myself.

The unfortunate thing is that even with so much time to ponder what I want to be when I grow up, the secret is I am still quite clueless. I've had a number of jobs in my life to know things I am not interested in doing, but I am excited for the time when I am able to do something great. Sure I love being a tour guide - it's probably the best job I've had to date, but I yearn to do more.

I was thinking about this today for a variety of reasons... Spring is a time of new beginnings, Stefan and I have major life changes in the next few years, and I finally entered Geobuch - the book store located at Rosental 6. The reason I list this travel book shop is because to me it contains a wealth of possibility and experiences. The glowing globes in the windows draw me in and the collection of books inspire me.

I love life and the possibility of it. I'd probably even come back for another one if I was able to. With as many interests as I have I think I would need several more lifetimes to accomplish everything. There is one common thread that I notice with my interests- they make people happy. And here is a sampling:

Art - I love art history, archeology, architecture, art education, and museum work, which are all visual communication that people from every walk of life are able to take in. I love the link to the past and understanding how old societies did things, as well as modern works that the people of today will be remembered for. Let's hope it's not another strip mall! All people are creative and I think it's really essential to have some form of a creative outlet. Hence my need to take zillions of photos and make arty things as shown to the left.

Travel bookshop owner / writer- While I'm nearly finished with my second self published children's book, I would like to write a real book. If I lived in a city long enough I also think it would be great to have a shop like Geobuch or Globe Corner Books. Did you notice the graffiti monkey?


Florist - my grandparents owned a massive greenhouse before I was born and I wish someone in the family would have taken over it. Being surrounded by color and beauty all day sounds like an alright life to me. Especially if I could make visually stunning arrangements.



Non-profit work - I'd love to do any kind of work that helps people for the greater good. Perhaps that is due to my benevolent side.






Letterpress stationer - sure it may be an archaic title and job, but for me it's deeper than that. I appreciate hand written correspondence and the personal nature of it, as well as the tactile quality. I never met someone that didn't love getting mail - so why not make it high quality mail? Having the space and finding a Vandercook press is another obstacle.

Pastry chef - while I don't want baker's hours, I love beautifully made desserts that are elegant and delicious. People always love cakes and cookies. I'm also a big fan of various interesting chocolates, like those at Vosges.




I definitely have an interesting adventure ahead of me and I'm enjoying life as it happens.

These are a few of my favorite things: Munich

Since there isn't too much excitement lately, besides all of my doctor's appointments, which I will spare you the details of, I was thinking about my favorite things here in Munich.

There are the obvious - beer gardens, Viktualienmarkt, Englischer Garten, and the view from Alte Peter for example. And then there are my little hidden secret places such as chocolate shops, cafés, restaurants, and what makes Munich home for me. Since I am so kind, generous, and giving, I will let everyone in on my favorite places around town. Perhaps if you visit you'll want to stop at a few of them and feel like a local yourself... or if you visit me I will drag you around to the various places. These chocolate shop owners should really start paying me a commission!

These are listed in no particular order...

Gärtnerplatz
As my gay friends say, this is 'boys town'... and while you will see the rainbows flying by random store fronts, there are many great little cafes and restaurants - however, I come here for the gorgeous flowers. In the spring they put so much attention and care into the flowers, then several months later they will replant things for summer. Just riding the bus through always begs me to get off and sit on one of the benches under the sun and read a book. I usually give in. And as a bonus, there is the occasional straggler with a few beers to watch for entertainment... these are the kinds of people I share my day with.

Viktualienmarkt
Ok, so this is an obvious, but the market is great particularly when the weather is warming up. They always have a great selection and I often buy berries there, which are seriously inexpensive. But be sure to shop around... the prices vary greatly. Also check out the honey shop - you have never seen so much variety... avocado honey, lavender honey... it goes on and on. This is also the place to go for flowers, various oils, and fresh truffles.

Memo
Once again, I particularly love it when the outdoor seating area is open, but that calls for warmer weather. I believe this was the first restaurant I went to where I was not disappointed. The food is just terrific. The menu is quite varied, but every single thing I have had there is delicious. Brunch is also great. In late summer and early spring they even put blankets out on the chairs, which is a great little touch. Nearly every visitor we've had ends up making a trip to Memo.


Stancsics
This is my personal gem of a chocolate shop. I still recall walking past during my first visit to Munich and seeing a woman with white gloves meticulously putting chocolates in the display case. Stefan and I walked back to peer into the windows. Low and behold, when we got engaged Stefan used this chocolate shop in combination with our 'circle journey journal' to propose... he had scratched 'Will you Marry Me?' into the back of a chocolate bar. Obviously that was kismet! They have a tremendous variety and great samples.

Preysingstraße + Garten
This is one of the sweetest streets in all of Munich (at least in my experience). It has an old town feel, but it's in the middle of Haidhausen. I'm always a sucker for old world charm like that. The Preysing Garten restaurant at the end of the street also has a delightful outdoor area.

The Isar 'beach'
This is a bit bizarre, but people hang out down by the river. The smooth stones and glistening water are great on a warm day. I love coming to watch the ducks waddle past and the dogs frolic about or play fetch with their owners. I should give the word of caution, you may also come upon the random nude sunbather (insert here about how they are always the last person you'd like to see nude).

Bernard + Bernard
When I am in the mood for something French this is where I go. It's so cosy and perfect for a romantic rendez vous or night out with girlfriends, which Stephanie and Michelle can attest to. We had a wonderful evening chatting with the bartender, who kept the wine filled all night long. If you'd rather have the beer garden experience you can still enjoy their crepes at the Hofbräukeller Biergarten, where they usually have a stand.


Delgado Chocolate shop at Max Weber Platz
If you need a hot chocolate or brownie this is the place. Last time I had the coconut hot chocolate and the brownie was the best I've ever had. I think it had fine sea salt on the top, but it is ridiculously good. They also sell chocolates, fresh truffles, and coffee or tea, as well as a huge assortment of hot chocolates.

Stolberg Schokoladen
What this shop lacks in sleekness, it makes up for in variety, and tourist locale. Walking down the cobbled street from the infamous Hofbräuhaus towards Tal / Isar Tor is this great chocolate shop. If you are interested in a picking up an exotic bar of chocolate this is the place... shiitake + white truffle chocolate, red pepper chocolate, or another interesting variety. (photo courtesy of Stolberg)


Fünf Höfe
Ok, so this is our downtown mall, but it's really a beautiful place and has great shops to top it off. My mother in law and I went to the art gallery, which is on top of the mall, to see the Rodin exhibit a while back. They have a cute café above the mall as well. The name literally means 'five courtyards' and it contains some wonderful shops and restaurants including Muji, Alessi, Camper, Butlers, Hugendubel books, Vapiano, and Kaimug Thai restaurant to name a few. Be sure to walk around a bit if you appreciate architecture. Each entrance is a bit different.


Vapiano
As listed above... it's fresh made to order Italian food. This is a German chain that's reaching out to the US. Weather permitting check out the courtyard -it's really beautiful. I also love that they have fresh herbs on the table that you can simply pull off and use on your salad, pasta, or pizza.

Surfers at Eisbach
If you are ever riding the subway and notice someone in a wet suit or with a surf board they are probably heading to the Eisbach wave. We are blessed to have an interesting wave that leads into the English Garden. Surfers gather and entertain spectators, although I am sure they go for their own enjoyment.


Zerwirk
This is a Vegan restaurant, which ironically is housed in an old butcher's shop. During a visit there was a little dog scampering around which made it feel like you were having dinner at a friend's place. The food does not make a carnivore miss meat. It was very elegantly prepared and delicious. There is also a cafe and small grocery underneath the restaurant.

Paulaner am Nockherberg
You may be the only tourist here, but don't let that discourage you from coming. It's a great place that is nicely shaded and we love riding our bikes over. We were unexpectedly there when the 'Abendszeitung' (evening newspaper) awarded them with favorite beer garden of Munich... so we aren't the only ones that love this place!

Kunstareal / Königsplatz
This is the area with all of the art museums. I really enjoyed the Neue Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne, because I am more into modern art... but there is something for every patron of the arts in these wonderful collections.

Schuhbeck's Eissalon
Schuhbeck is a famed German chef and he definitely keeps patrons of his ice cream shop guessing with flavors like chocolate chili, lychee pepper pistachio, and rose petal. They also have the generic sorts, but try something exotic! Definitely check out the photos on the wall too... they are rather interesting. You can stop here after walking past the Hofbräuhaus in the Platz'l.

Tea House
Because this is one area Germany doesn't lack variety it's a great gift to bring home. You can buy nearly any flavor of loose tea you can imagine... blueberry muffin, apple strudel, blood orange... again the list is endless.

Ganesha
I have written about this great Indian restaurant before. I've tried many, but this is still my favorite. The food is delicious, the workers are amazing, and the lunches are incredibly inexpensive.



Servus Heimat
This is the place to go for modern tourist wear or interesting Bavarian goods, such as rubber ducks in lederhosen. You can click here for a video tour of the shop.

I'll post photos for the remaining locations in the near future!