Like to eat delectables, walk a few miles (or kilometers)
breathing fresh, country air, and sloshing down some smooth-as-silk local wines? Not talking about your backyard BBQ, or the shady
park down the street. I’m talking out in
the fields where the buffalo roam…or at least a herd or two of cows, under a
blue sky, with temps in the 80s Fahrenheit or the high 20s Celsius.
On such a beautiful day, it’s time to stroll and concentrate
on: Good wine. Good food. Good company.
Germans are some of the most social people you’ll ever find. And to prove it, they organize weekend walks
that take you up and down hills, through fields and small towns, over bridges,
even in the rain and not so rain, always with an over abundance of Food, Wine,
and Beer! On this particular afternoon,
there were stops every half-mile or so, to take a breather from hiking, slack
the thirst and gnaw some solid fixin’s. Like
what? Grandmother’s pancakes slathered with
vanilla-cream sauce.
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| Grandmother's Pancakes |
Barbecue pork that
would made this southerner weep with joy.
Blackened chicken sandwiches with ancho mayo, better than anything I’ve
tasted in New Orleans.
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| Blackened Chicken |
Succulent,
planked salmon, with dilled sauce. Big chunks of grilled steak on a stick. And,
oh my goodness the libations! White, Rosé,
Red, Sparkling, mixed. Prost!
All of this cast against the splendor of endless, emerald
green, rolling fields, bright blue skies, puffy white clouds, and the blessing
of golden sunshine. On this day, there
were eight stops, each offering wine from different vintners and mouthwatering
foods from culinary artists. Like your
wine dry? No problem. Sweet?
Ditto. Maybe you prefer a wine
watered down with fruit and soda, or a fresh mint concoction called a Hugo.
Make your own Hugo: Muddle a few fresh mint leaves in a glass, add sparkling wine and elderberry syrup to taste. Fill 'er up with ice and garnish with a slice of lime.
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| Hugo! |
Add to that, the serendipity of meeting friends, and spontaneous
conversations with strangers who rapidly become new friends. Met so many people! Interesting conversation with the owner of
Big Boys of Germany barbecue company.
“You must try some of my pulled pork.”
“Sure, but I warn you, I’ve had barbecue from all over the
south.”
“Come with me and look at this.” He leads me to the rear of the stand, where
his grill (the size of a small tanker truck) must have had five or six hundred
pounds of steaming pork. He lifted the
side and I marveled at the rotating shelves of foil wrapped roasts.
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| Only one of the two huge chambers |
Then he explained, “I wood-smoke my meat for
six hours, then I wrap it and steam it for another fourteen hours.”
“What kind of wood?”
“Cherry.”
Naturally, I can’t back away from the challenge. Oh my goodness! As tender and succulent as your first girl
friend! Well, maybe I over stated it a
bit, but nevertheless… I told him it was
the best pork barbecue I’d ever tasted.
Full flavor of pork and seasoning, the meat falling apart, without a
touch of dryness. This was pulled pork
exactly as it should be.
The glory of these wanderings is something that makes Germany
a wonderful place to live. These Volksmarches,
or Wanderungs, are a German
institution. From early spring to late fall, there are a few every weekend, and
no matter where you live in Germany, you’ll find one nearby. This one was a Kulinarische Wanderung, or
Culinary Walk, but even if Culinary is not in the name, there will be plenty of
wonderful delights to eat and drink.
It’s no secret, as a group, Germans like to get out and wander
the forests and fields. The weather doesn’t matter much. No matter where you live, if there are
forests, there are walking and biking trails. I’ve seen elderly Germans,
pushing walkers as they trek through snowy drifts. As the saying goes, wherever you find two or
more Germans with similar interests, you’ll find a club. On the organized walks, when you add food and
drink, the club goes public and gets ebulliently large.
Ah, these are the splendid days that make you wish the day
would never end, but when it does, the sparkling memory makes you look forward
to tomorrow!
