Well, today's excursion to the Wochenmarkt was a huge success! It was really neat, first of all, to see the main city on a Saturday, when things are still open. It is like a huge flea market or festival or something. There are little booths all over the city where people come to set out their wares; people selling jewelry, or flowers, or knick-knacks were everywhere.
The market, which is in a sort of secluded part of the city, was also very cool. They had all sorts of things; meat, cheese, bread, fruits and veggies, fresh herbs, eggs, pretty much anything you could think of. I ended up buying apples (about 5 and a half pounds of them!), eggs, and some tomatoes. (Unfortunately, I then had to lug all of that stuff back with me. You don't realize how heavy something is until you have to carry it for a fairly long distance).
I think the poor kid at the apple stand thought that I was crazy or something. I guess I was just being quiet, or maybe he asked me a question that I didn't respond correctly to, but he kept staring at me like I was nuts. It was funny. The ladies at the stand where I got the eggs were both very nice to me. I asked them how much the eggs cost, and they told me, but it took me a second to convert that back into English (I'm still at the stage where everything has to be translated back into English before I can process what it means. Hopefully that will change someday.) So anyway, I apologized and told them that I didn't speak very much German, and I had to think about what they were saying. They were very sweet, and promptly started telling me all sorts of things that I didn't really understand. I did catch that one of the ladies said that German is a very difficult language to learn. I, of course, agreed, and wished them both a good weekend before I left.
All in all, the market was really pleasant, and very affordable (all of those apples only cost 3 euro!) so I will definitely be going back.
All in all, the market was really pleasant, and very affordable (all of those apples only cost 3 euro!) so I will definitely be going back.
I still needed a few more things from the regular grocery store, though, so after I had gotten back and put away all of my purchases from the market, I went out to the Penny Markt. I got all sorts of cool stuff. More bread, some butter for cooking (I know, I know, terrible for me, but I couldn't find any vegetable oil), some lunch meat (VERY EXPENSIVE!), cereal, milk, and a few other things. I got home and had a bowl of cereal, and it was fantastic! Their milk is all 3.5% (at least, that was all I could find), and as bad as it probably is for me, it is deeelicious.
After that, I came home and took a really long nap, and then got up and made some dinner (I had eggs! Oh, they were wonderful even though I forgot to buy salt to put on them!)
And that has been my day. Now I'm going to try to go to bed, even though I'm not really tired because I slept for about 3 hours this afternoon.
Love you all!
Well that is just the best thing ever! 5-1/2 pounds of apples for only 3 euro! I had to laugh when I read your shopping list--I would have bought the same things! And yep, eggs for dinner if I felt like it! I eat VERY differently when Dave is away. He has to have his meat, you know, and doesn't want to eat alone. But when he is away, I'll either eat just one big thing for dinner-like a big bowl of jasmine white rice with BBQ sauce, bacon ranch dressing and chipotle tobasco sauce on top, or I'll eat a tiny bit of a variety of different things, like flax cereal, some fresh-baked bread and a fruit or veggie.
ReplyDeleteI am having SO much fun "visiting" Germany through reading of your experiences! I wonder what was up with the kid that kept staring at you. Can you imagine how it must be for those who have NOT opted to study the language before going to a foreign country? I just can't comprehend that! (No pun intended! tee hee!)
So glad you got some more food! And good stuff at that. It's so funny - whenever you mention not having something (like salt, cereal, milk)I just want to run out and get it and mail it to you! Do not worry about the high fat content of the butter and milk - walking as much as you do will burn it off quickly, especially when you have to carry all those groceries a long way home! And this is not a life-time change,just 2 months. And I think maybe that young kid just stared because he realized you were American and everybody knows that Americans are a natural curiosity! Either that or he was stunned with your beauty!
ReplyDeleteCraig and Riss and boys came yesterday and brought Dad's Father's Day gift - a Stihl chain saw! Dad was both overwhelmed by his children's generosity and stricken with guilt that you all spent so much for that gift! Bless Craig's heart
he said "nothing but the best for my Dad!" Dad was so pleased to have it though because he really needed it with all the trees around here.
Craig showed it to Gary Saturday when he and Dad were down there because it is a STIHL and it's better than anybody elses but he wouldn't let Dad see it yet. Dad asked Gary "is it a chain saw?" And Gary answered "I stand behind the 5th!
(Amendment). Riss gave Dad the DVD GRAN TORINO with Clint Eastwood which we promptly watched last night. Good movie but not for kids. We ordered Sam's pizza for dinner while Craig was here. They went bike/ATV riding for a little while. They really love having all this room up here to do that. But Craig keeps fussing at Riss for "laying her bike down" which really means she turned it over. Craig spends alot of time making repairs, but that is a rough trail back in the woods. They all usually come back mud covered! Jess is supposed to come today for a little while. It has been a great week-end! And I'm so glad yours has been, too! Love you!
Wow!! All those apples for only 3 euro!! Amazing!! But, if Brian and I go to some of the little produce stands around here on Saturday, we can usually get stuff a lot cheaper than at the grocery store. I'm glad you're having fun. I agree with mom -- you were "curious" because you're American, or he was overwhelmed with your beauty. :-) Yum! Eggs for dinner! Miss you!! Love you!!
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