Happy New Year

from a place where East meets West and Old meets New.

It's been almost 23 years since the reunification of East and West Germany. Berlin the old, new capital of Germany was once divided, but the scars of the Berlin wall, the monument of the cold war, are now hard to find. Yet, they are still there. For New Years Eve we went for a nice stroll to get some unusual views from the places where once East met West. Today hundreds of thousands tourists meet at the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate, Silvester, as it is known in Germany. There are spectacular midnight fireworks, plenty of champagne, and live music performances to entertain the masses at Brandenburg Gate. It symbolically marked the separation between East and West, and has been the focal point for New Year celebrations in Berlin since the early 1990s. Five million people welcomed the new millennium in this area of Berlin. Potsdamer Platz is about 3/4 mile south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. It was totally laid waste during World War II and then left desolate during the Cold War era when the Berlin Wall bisected its former location. Today Potsdamer Platz has been completely transformed into a futuristic, urban hot spot. On and off the tourist path there are still signs of the transition to be found. Berlin is a great place to stroll around, review the past year and think what great things the future may bring in 2012.

Tis the season

I am not a big Christmas person. After my father died, the Christmas spirit was gone. It was not the same anymore.  At the age of 12 I spent 4 weekends in a row in overcrowded shops on my own in order to find Christmas gifts. I think during this time I started hating Christmas. As a teenager I always dreamt that I could escape it all and simply could spent Christmas with friends. I dreamt we would cook, eat and drink together. We'd play some games, listen to some great music and just enjoy each other, instead of staying at home doing the usual Christmas stuff. Well, I am almost at an age where I can do this now. These days there is even more overdosis of everything at Christmas, starting with the decoration of houses right after Thanksgiving.  I think I am with the anonymous writer of a letter to his neighbors in Michigan, who describes the phenomenon as a pagan ritual.

A little bit of Christmas decoration is OK, though. I use the Christmas light chains to decorate my windows inside, and I actually use them all year round. It gives my house a great festivitive character - I love it. I also made peace with the Christmas shopping burden, I order almost everything online. In this respect, great times we are living in. This year I was looking for some new Christmas decoration. I replaced some of the China-made Christmas crap with a lovely pyramid, bought and made in Germany. I also found a Charlie Brown Christmas tree in the shops. Just the type of Christmas tree I really like. Although as a child I have seen the peanuts on TV, I couldn't remember the special 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. I looked it up on Amazon, when I ordered the DVD. It was highly recommended for Christmas by some parents. They said it is a real must to watch with the children to teach them what Christmas is really about. So this Christmas I will watch the Charlie Brown Christmas story with my kids. We will cook, eat and drink together. We'll play some games and listen to some great music and just enjoy each other. Merry Christmas!

What makes your life good?

Life has been good again for quite a while. After a divorce one feels down, even if it may have been the right decision ... nightmares, guilt, fear, the feeling of failure and worthlessness creeps up. Only after a long while that great feeling of freedom and happiness slowly comes back. Wow, all these things one can do and say and nobody is there to complain about anything. Why did one ever wanted to be in a self-chosen social prison. One still wonders, though, why one was't able to simply live a life which accommodates all our basic needs and integrates some mutual respect. Well, I'll take all the blame. Some people just are different and don't fit into the typical social constructs our society has to offer. We just do need a little more space, a larger slice of tranquility, and a bigger breeze of freedom, which is sweet balm for our souls. Not everyone understands these needs, but everyone should be able to accept them. When we grew up we were all brain washed by watching 'The Waltons' and 'A little house on the prairie', but not everyone fits into the Walton family life style, and there is no need to. Only because there is a majority of people in our society apparently happy with such a concept for their life, it doesn`t mean that a minority needs to adopt to this prevailing lifestyle. There are alternatives, and with almost 40% of marriages ending in divorce, may be it is time for a new thinking. The Waltons lifestyle concept was replaced by the concepts in 'Seinfeld' and by 'Friends' on TV and in life, at least for the more progressive parts of the country. In the South one still does not get invited to every party and one often feels awkward in certain social settings, such as the famous corporate Christmas parties. No problem, there are workarounds like simply having your own parties. The ring on the left hand is some magic entrance key for certain social circles, but hey, I don't plan to run for president (and couldn't anyway) or live in MtBrook anyway. What many Southerners don't know is that other cultures wear their wedding rings on the right hand and the left hand is used for the engagement ring or fashion rings. So the easy workaround is to just wear a nice ring of your choice on the left hand, and if your are asked, blame your European heritage and family traditions. That little ring keeps overambitious husband-seekers at distance, and it seems to make people feel much more at ease, for reasons only real Southerners may fully understand. For the rest of us, life is goooood once we figure out what really works for us, how we can still fit in down here in the beautiful South, and if we dare to be different.

Birmingham's 29dreams - and how dreams never die

A guy had a dream. He bought 29 acres of land tucked away behind a ridge on  beautiful highway 25 one hour away from Birmingham and built a  motorcycle country club and motorcycle resort on it. After I moved to Birmingham it took me a while to find this hidden jewel, and then it became my dream too. Finally I found the right 'country club' for myself (even though I am not a hard core biker or own a Harley or like country clubs). It was one of my favorite getaways on my old Honda for the weekend. Just 1 h away from Birmingham and some of the most beautiful roads leading to it. There was always a warm welcome, some good food and a drink, live music, some interesting motorcycles to look at and the stories of their riders waiting at the weekend. Every once in a while I would make the little expedition to 29dreams and come back totally happy after being away from Birmingham for 3-4 h. Last spring the place closed suddenly. A shock, what had happened?  All kinds of rumors. The dream had ended with divorce, bankruptcy and so forth. Sad memories slowly creeping up - statistically, 50% know what I am talking about. It made me actually really sad - not only his (and her) dreams had died. I felt really sorry for the couple and also that my dream destination was now gone. I was contemplating to move away from Birmingham on to a place where there are still happy bikers, but where would that be? Well, it took almost 1.5 years and then there were rumors 29dreams is re-opening. What, really??? - a silver line on the horizon. A couple of weeks ago I went for a ride to see what this was all about, and yes, someone had bought the place and had re-opened it as Courtyard25. I stopped and talked to the owner and to the manager. They had plans to have it all re-open again, even the camp ground. The new owner is a motorcyclist himself and is running 2 other restaurants in Birmingham (Courtyard Oyster Bar & Grill), so he should know what he is doing. Man, was I happy!!! It turned out to be even better than before, very very friendly crowd with great service (no, I don't hold shares). Now I have a new, old favorite destination and went already 4 times in the last 5 weeks. A dream came back to life, and something I would like to share. Here is a description how to get to the place of your own dreams :-) It is a 60 miles round trip from Birmingham South Side and should take between 1.5-4h depending on how often one stops and of course on how long one stays at Courtyard25. If you are from abroad it might be a great trip while visiting Barber's Motorsport museum with its vintage race cars and 600 motorcycles on permanent display (a total of 1200 motorcycles from the beginings to current models).

Well let's start at 20th Street South and famous South side of Birmingham, or better lets have a quick look at downtown Birmingham up from Red Mountain and look at Mr Vulcan.

Here you can have a view on the sweet sides of Birmingham. Down the hill into Homewood and then to the neighbor city of Mountain Brook (are these really cities, seems to me these are just the affluent suburbs, which found a way not to support the "ugly" rest of Birmingham. But what does a (legal) alien - who of course always carries his ID - really know about the cities of Alabama.)






In Mountain Brook the scenic drive start already when we follow a little creek besides Cahaba Rd and Mount Brook Parkway.

We take a right to Overbrook Rd and follow the golf course of the MtBrook Country Club.

Then there comes a long straight road, Old Leeds Road, which brings us to Grants Mill Road, where we take a right and cross I-459 to go down the hill into Cahaba River valley. One can stop at the Cahaba River Trail, for a walk along the Cahaba river. When there is high water, it is also a popular take-in-/out for kayaks and canoes.

When we follow Grants Mill road further we hit some twisties (from the Urban dictionary: The beautiful winding curves certain country roads hold, that provide an unparalleled thrill to all true motorcyclists through a godlike combination of road, momentum, man, and steel). The road passes over a nice little hill and wind down to a small Grants Mill bridge over Lake Purdy. The Lake is actually the main water reservoir for most of Birmingham and quite beautiful to see. It offers picnic areas, fishing, boat or even pontoon rental.

Once we reach highway 119 or Cahaba Valley Road we can go a few miles to the right and enter a little road (Boat launch RD) which brings us to a boat rental and fisher shop. It is always nice to stop and watch some fishermen on the lake.

Following highway 119 to the left brings us closer to the twisties of highway 25. Along the way we pass several horse ranches, and it is a beautiful view with many horses in chorals. Heathermoor Farm has more than 50 horses and they offer riding lessons for kids and adults.

After a view miles on 119 we take a right turn onto Elliot Ln, which is a short cut to highway 25. Now it is time for the real twisties. There are some very nice and challenging twisties ahead of us. The road is nicely paved and marked and has numerous switchbacks and horseshoe curves, nice up and down hill grades with straight-aways to enjoy. Highway 25 is also called Alabama's mini dragon. Dragon or Deals Gap is a stretch of US129 at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line is considered as one of the world's best motorcycling and sports car roads. There can be quite a few motorcycles and sports cars on the road in high season. Sometimes there are also slow cars in front - not a good thing, sometimes there are fast trucks behind - not a good thing either, but hey - its Alabama. Key is to find the right time when highway 25 is empty. It turns out that Saturday lunch time, when everyone is at the mall, is just perfect.

Then we reach the top of a ridge where we park and let our eyes come to rest on the smooth hills of Alabama. These ridges are part of the Ridge-and-Valley region at the end of the Apalachian mountains. In the far we can see Mount Cheaha, the highest elevation in Alabama (2,413 ft), surrounded by the Talladega National Forest, another beautiful destination in Sweet Home Alabama.

Finally, we arrive at our destination Courtyard 25 in Vandiver. Here a few impressions of the place:

A couple of fellow riders enjoying a cigar after some fabulous burgers or A dozen oysters:

Then it is time again to hit the road. Back on  highway 25 north-bound.

Some go back Co 55 or 41, all leading to US280 and then into Birmingham. I prefer to go back via Grants Mill or Rex Lake Road, but this time not following Grants Mill to I-459 but continue Rex Lake RD onto Sicard Hollow Road, another fantastic road with lots of twisties, which eventually ends on US280 near the Summit to head back towards Birmingham.

One guy had a vision and a dream, which became a dream for many. I am glad that somebody followed up. We all need such a place we can dream about and look forward to go to all week long. It is a little habit to go there, it is like a little shrine, like a home away from home .... and sometimes even  better. The road clears our heads and brings freedom to our minds, and when we return we are ready for another week. For me this is motorcycling at its best, and  I really appreciate the efforts of all those who keep the dream alive for us. Ride safe!

Fall colors

Isn't it just beautiful outside? I haven't seen such gorgeous fall colors here in Alabama in a while. This is the time of the year when I want to be out in nature the most, for instance for a little walk near a creek on Sunday morning.

That's where one can recharge the batteries, think about this years harvest and what we still need to do to complete the year.

Southern pea soup with bacon

It is this time of the year again: the days are getting shorter, its getting a little colder and the foliage outside on the ways home is just gorgeous. In these dark fall evenings one feels a little tired and one wants to stay at home and snuggle in front of the fire place. Well, I know we are not completely there yet, but I can see it approaching. So it is time to fill up the shelves with some nice wine for the fall evenings at home, and may be come up with some new recipes for cooking. I love soups in the fall, and hey, what about some cool soup-wine pairings. I actually had a craving for pea soup for quite a while, actually since that nice lady on the CBS morning show,who wrote a book about her mom and who's name I can't really remember, told about her mom's pea soup recipe, or may be it was on NPR? Anyways, I googled a little and went shopping today and bought a Cabernet, a Pinot Noir and a Merlot, and olive oil, red onions, peas, bacon, carots, chicken broth and celery (forgot the garlic :-(). It took me about 30min and the soup was ready and served with a nicely buttered piece of crusty bread.

Just what I needed. I tried it first with the Cabernet, that didn't go too well, the next bowl of soup came with the Pinot Noir, yes, this is a match. I think I am having a weekly soup-wine pairing now! Next will be potato soup, then cauliflower and also broccoli is on my agenda.....

.....but hey, what's this...someone else was interested in my cooking...did it really smell that good?? Looks like, won't you think...

Eat, Drink, Read and Write

Awesome, awesome, awesome.... I did attend Bard & Brews poetry slam, featuring emcee Brian "Voice" Porter Hawkins and Food Stories at Woodrow Hall. It was an amazing experience even without the food. Woodrow Hall is a little jewel in the rough, and I am hoping to return for more events. I can't wait for next years festival which I probably will attend the whole week.

Eat Drink Read Write is the inspiration of librarian Haruyo Miyagawa and food blogger Shaun Chavis

Expedition Old World

Great company, great wine, great bread, great cheese, great people, great country - a dream!

Stay tuned for more...

Isn't it amazing. Bread, and I mean good bread, is so important that the French even sell it in vending machines.

East coast, west coast - what's the hype?

 I was always opposed to living on the East or West coast, nice for a weekend visit, but not for living there for a prolonged period of time. Too crowded, too loud, too unfriendly. Well, I think I changed my mind a little. I was attending a conference in New Jersey the other week, which was located in a hotel just on the other site of Manhattan. It was one stop with the Path subway or with the boat over the Hudson. I decided to go already on Friday, so I had the weekend to visit New York city. This time I mostly went up to Central Park and visited the Metropolitan and Guggenheim museum. I always knew of course, that NY city is culturally very rich, but this time I was surprised that there are also so many nice and quiet places, just a few steps away from the major tourist paths. One can experience a little local color when visiting a street festival near Park Avenue, or walking a block away from Wall Street towards Hudson River Park.

At the conference I spoke with a couple of colleagues from San Fransisco about city life in New York and elsewhere, and then I was boasting about how nice Southern life is in sweet home Alabama, at least in Birmingham as a little creative bubble in Alabama. One colleague told me something, which made me thinking. He thought as well that Birmingham would probably be a great place,  if one comes here and gets a nice, well-paid and permanent job. He said, the problem starts, if you want or have to get away again..... just east coast arrogance or might he be right. In ay case I suddenly felt the isolation I have experienced in Birmingham.





I have lived in a big city before I came to Birmingham, so I know the pros and cons of city life. Yes, it is very nice in Alabama, beautiful country side and you can live your own life, but where is the creative atmosphere, the new and clever ideas,the critical concentration of smart people, and the great job opportunities (if you loose your job) . You can think freely, but not too loud and the decisions made are very conservative and made by the good ol' boys.

New York is a vibrant, mad and extravagant city - very smart, but may be just too big. May be places like San Fransisco - where Steve Jobs lived and the Google founders, where new ideas constantly brew in Silicon Valley and the biotech hubs, and from where green technology will hopefully revolutionize the country -  would offer more than a nice country side, but also a place where your spirit is at home?

The invoice is missing - cycles of life

My mom lives far away. I left home and my hometown when I was nineteen, which was just the right thing for me to do. My brother still lives nearby. Well, I have to say a good distance sometimes helps to keep a good relationship with family. Still, I try to be a good son and phone my mom every Sunday, and try to visit her once a year, if possible. Her birthday is coming up in late summer, and I wanted to send her a nice present. On the phone she told me her adventure of getting a new memory card for her digital camera at the local electronic shop. So I thought I send her one of those nice digital picture displays, which she can use for the old memory card from her camera. These days it takes about 2-3 days and your gift gets already delivered - thanks Amazon! However, I made one fatal mistake, somehow I missed the 'send as a gift option'. Bad mistake. Three days later I get a phone call from my mom: "Thank you for the present... it is much more expensive at the local electronic shop, but the invoice disappeared----- the invoice is miiiisssiiiing."  What?  It turns out the neighbor brought the parcel, because she was not at home during delivery. She did not have her glasses at hand, so the neighbor looked at the bill and figured out the secret about the mysterious parcel, and that the invoice had been paid. But after he left, the invoice was gone. "The invoice is gone. Do you think he took it?" If so, thank you neighbor, because it should not have been in there in the first place. "The invoice is gone. Do you think he took it?" No mom, you probably just threw it away with the package. "The invoice is gone, but I found it at the local electronic shop and it was really expensive." Sorry mom, the invoice should not have been in there. "It is gone, that never happened to me. Did he take it to order one for himself?" No mom, it is not important anyway. Mom, did you like the present? "Yes, wonderful, but the invoice is gone'. ... it was too much now. I said, mom, if you are so much more excited about the invoice, I will send a few next time. After  a while I was able to get off the phone. ...JEEZ, I was glad that I did not have to listen to that the whole day... old people. I was also glad to learn from a friend that her mom is just the same. Well, my mom is approaching her late seventies, and it just seems to be part of the normal cycle of life. After a while I thought, I better get used to it. I am sure it runs in families and probably I will be just like her in 30 years. Poor kids, though. Well, I guess I am going to phone her again on Sunday to find out whether the invoice is still missing. I am sure she wants to tell me that exciting story again, and I will be good and listen again to the story. After all, it is my mom.

.. talking about healthy soul food!

The South is known for its delicious food, no doubt. Unfortunately, the Deep South and diabetes and other so called diseases of civilization are synonymous as well. However, I think the rise of these diseases is caused by a combination of overuse of sodas, the cheap sugar-enriched and highly processed food you can buy in every grocery store these days, and lack of exercise caused by changes in lifestyle (my neighbor drives with his SUV to get his post from the postbox, no comment :-). There is one other, sort of cultural, factor: everything is of course bigger in the US (sorry, I had to). When I recently moved I had to buy new dishes. I ordered the simple beige dished from Crate & Barrel and I was amazed about the size of those new plates and bowls. I used these bowls a lot for instance for my favorite desert: pecan pie tarts with vanilla ice cream and a bit of bourbon whiskey on top (it can be flambed!!!) I would kill for it!  Well, after a couple of month I noticed that I had developed a little ring at a place, where other people proudly grow a beer belly. Oh my god!  More exercise and no more ice cream helped with that issue, but I am missing my treats. Ever since then I am on the lookout for ice cream without tons of sugar and fat (according to wikipedia 10-16% fat, 12-16% sugar, 9-12% proteins and carbohydrates = energy bomb). A couple of weeks ago I found it... an ice cream with only one, natural ingredient: banana ice cream. It really works, it tastes like real ice cream and think about all the healthy potassium you are getting in addition. If you like bananas this is the best thing since sliced bread. I just put some nice and ripe bananas in the freezer and will experiment later with adding some peanut butter to the recipe................................Bon apetit!