Imaginary Travel Brief // GERMANY
When folks say “a trip to Germany” the common mental image is castles swathed in mist, lush evergreen forests, and raucous beerhalls. But after living there for some of my formative years, I can safely say that that is just the tip of the berg.
Summer in Germany is particularly special to me - it’s the season when we arrived the first time when I was 6, and the season when I moved away for the last time at 18. Summer is all about savoring long days and following the sun around the patio in a lounge chair with a book and a bottle - and Germans are quite good at all of those things. From the Maifeier celebrations straight through to the parade of Schultütes in September, Germans know how to appreciate the warmest season.
This week, let’s pretend we’re over there somewhere. In my mind, it’s always the south-eastern part of Germany because that’s where we lived the longest. So conjure up some rolling green hills with vineyards, white buildings with red tile roofs, silvery rivers and settle in.
Keep not standing, fix’d and rooted - briskly venture, briskly roam.
- Johannes Wolfgang von Goethe
WEAR
Breathable fabrics are the name of the game. It’s hot, it’s muggy, it’s landlocked; you’re going to sweat, so embrace it.
Eschew sleeves, but not shoes. Open-toed shoes like flip-flops or sandals are only worn on the very hottest days or when going to the schwimmbad; slip-on shoes or clogs are just the ticket.
EAT
Huge salads made with spicy, bitter greens, a creamy citrusy dressing, and a variety of pickles. Bratwurst with mustard, always. And cherries, lots and lots of cherries. (These are from our yard when we lived in the Rheinland-Pfalz region in 2006. That summer we could pick a bucket or two from the tree every day!)
“To be an artist means: not to calculate and count; to grow and ripen like a tree which does not hurry the flow of its sap and stands at ease in the spring gales without fearing that no summer may follow. It will come.” - Rainer Marie Rilke
DRINK
Biergartens are a fantastic place to hold court on a summer afternoon since they’re often in the shade of an ancient oak tree or surrounded by tall hedges.
Sip a mineral-y, dry Riesling that tastes like a sun-baked igneous rock was dropped into a grape cask to cool down.
Or a radler - which is beer mixed with a citrusy soda, but the Sportheim near our old house refused to be so limited and also served beer + cherry soda, grape soda, or banana soda.
Or an apfelsaftschorle - that’s apple juice with mineral water. My favorite ratio is about 1/3 juice to 2/3 mineral water. Skeptical? Trust me, when the temperatures creep up into the high 20s (Celsius), light and refreshing with just a hint of sweet is just what the doctor ordered.
LISTEN
A peaceful afternoon cannot go wrong with Mendellsohn’s Leider Ohne Worte (Songs without Words).
Or for a more modern vibe, try Fazer (Munich-based 5-piece jazz group).
Or try Truck Stop, maybe? (Germans have a surprisingly deep love of country western music.)
DO
Germany is on the 40th parallel, which is further north than any of the contiguous states. This means that it stays light outside until 9pm or later in the summer, and they savor every minute of it. Take your furniture outside and make yourself a little stay-at-home biergarten or cafe.
Eat meals outside, and if you can, cook them outside, too. (Big fans of grilled meats, the Germans.)
Go for long walks (spazieren) and bike rides - ideally with gelato or spaghetti eis at the terminus, but we’ll make do with what we can during this time of self-isolation.
Pickle every vegetable that comes within arms length.
Read some Rilke aloud to people you love.
One of these days, we’ll make a grand tour out of it, but for now, we’ll just play pretend. Let me know if you try any of these escapes!
