This last week I was in training in the town of Oberammergau which is deep in southern Bavaria. The class went well, better than I had expected. The location was fantastic although the weather was not great. Oberammergau is very near to the Bavarian Alps, and is a beautiful place. The weather however, prevented me from getting any pictures of the mountains, but I did get several photos of the town. I will post pictures from this trip when I get home in about a week.
The hotel we stayed at used to be some sort of physical rehabilitation and rest clinic. It still has some of these functions, but they also rent out rooms. There were about 50 of us in the class, and it seemed as though the rest of the people in the hotel were octogenarians (at a minimum). After I checked into the hotel I tried to get in line for the elevator. I was behind the walker brigade. I quickly realized it was going to take too much time to get on the elevator, so I took the stairs. I know this sounds like I was just being lazy by trying to take the elevator in the first place, but I did have three bags with me and had to go up three flights of stairs.
On the last day, at breakfast, I was trying to get a glass of water, and I couldn’t get near the water pitcher because of this group of folks that were hovering around the feeding table like geriatric piranhas in a chum frenzy. I finally just gave up and decided to come back later after the blood had cleared.
Friday was a highlight for my viscera eating campaign. In the afternoon we were at the Weissesbrauhaus (the land of milk and honey), where I had a Schneiderweisse Original and an Aventinus Weizenbock alongside some saured schweine kidneys. Not saured as in soured, but sauered as in marinated for a couple of days (like sauerbraten). The kidneys were very good, and although they did taste “organ-y” they did not have the faintest trace of urine to them. I think that may have been the first time I’ve ever used the terms Organ and Urine in the same sentence when speaking about food.
Friday evening we were at Der Pschorr (which is the beirhalle for the Hacker-Pschorr brewery). When we got there I saw that they had a menu page devoted to innereien (which is the German word for viscera or guts). Since it was Friday the 13th, I was feeling lucky and decided to test my luck against getting mad cow disease. I had been considering the beef heart, but finally ended up going with the Kalbshirn or calf brain. It was sliced, breaded, and pan fried and was served with some sauce and a very nice potato salad. The brains themselves were surprisingly good. They were extremely creamy, and had a very subtle flavor. They didn’t really have too much taste, and were sort of like what I imagine a bland fried flan would taste like.
It was the second time I’ve eaten kidneys, but the first for brain.
That night I dreamt of eating grass, and literally had some brain farts the next morning.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
It's pretty obvious that you're easy to please when it comes to chow.
- Steven.
Easy to please? How dare you?
How easy do you think it would be to walk into a restaurant within 50 miles of where you are right now and order up some pan fried calf brains? You make it sound like these are not great things.
I am slightly offended that you act as if I am getting all worked up over a can of Hormel Vienna Sausages.
T.
The good news just keeps rolling in at Casa Grigsby. Jessica called us last Friday and said that she and Mike wanted to come up and "talk to us". Our first thought was, they are going to set a date for the wedding. But no, but no - they are "thinking about" moving to Puerto Rico next month. Hold on thar Bobba-Louie, I says, I'll do the thinnin' around here.
So we met for supper Saturday night to discuss this "idea" like adults. Donna and I expressed the opinion that, if you're moving out of country together, you ought to get married before you go. (And, no splitting hairs about Puerto Rico being a U.S. territory.) In fact, Donna and I were down right adamant that, if you are moving out of country together, you ought to get married before you go.
Well we went back and forth about them getting married now or getting married next summer and Jess leans over and whispers something in Mike's ear. Mike says, "It's up to you." So Jess turns around and says, "We're already married."
WTF???!!!???!!!??? I didn't get an invitation???!!!??? Of course, on the plus side, I didn't have to pay for the wedding. But, WTF???!!!???!
Anyway, when they bought their house last year they got a VA loan. Mike couldn't qualify for the loan on his salary alone so they had to include Jessica's salary. The VA said, "It don't count if you aren't married." Which seems peculiar to me - but good for the VA. So they got married at this little bed and breakfast last August. They didn't plan on telling anyone, they were just going to have a big family wedding in 08/10 and no one would be the wiser.
So now the plan is to move to Puerto Rico for two years and have a big family wedding in Ohio in 08/10.
Mike will be working as a bank auditor for the FDIC and Jess will be doing whatever she can find.
Just another day in paradise.
W
Does calf brain come with fries or mashed potatoes?
PMG - Potato Salad
Wilhelm - Holy Crap!
So, what are they planning on doing with their house while they are in PR? And are they still expecting you to spring for the big wedding in 08/10? I would think that your financial responsibilities for that kind of thing are pretty much over. Isn't there some kind of statute of limitations on that kind of thing?
You know, I'm just one man talking here, but I'll bet that you and the missus could realy put that wedding money to better use. Like say... oh, I don't know ... perhaps a trip to Oberammergau? Perhaps a side trip to Munich in conjunction with that?
Good luck.
Tony,
They have enlisted the services of a "property manager" to rent their house whilst out of country.
Another "amusing" wrinkle sprang up this last weekend. Mike drives a new Ford Escape. When he got the thing, the car salesman convinced him that leasing was the way to go. So, even though Mike has a business degree and worked as a financial analyst (at Ford for crying out loud)for several years, he took the sucker deal and leased the his Ford Escape. (I can't be too hard on the boy, I once leased a car my ownself.) Anyhow, the lease company told Mike, "You ain't taking our car out of the country (and no splitting hairs about Puerto Rico being a U.S. territory - hey, where have I heard that before)".
So they ask me if I want to take over the lease. I says, "What's the monthly payment". Jess tells me it is something along the lines of $350 bucks a month. I'm not the least bit interested. So now they want to park this Ford Escape in my basement for the next two years which means that Kellie, who really wants a Ford Escape will be pestering me for the next two years to let her drive the Ford Escape which means I'll wind up buying the friggin Ford Escape.
Happy times my friend, happy times.
W
Wilhelm,
You know I may be talking out of turn here; but, I would think that your taking that lease off of their hands would constitute one helluva wedding present. And if you could get your youngest one off of your back at the same time, everybody wins!
Post a Comment