A Castle for this Queen... Kassel, Germany!

What a glorious day we had yesterday!  We walked miles and miles... no exaggerating here, up to the Hercules statue.  Someone counted over 500 steps and that did not include a mile or more of just plain trails we hiked.  The place was called, Bergpark Wilhelmshohe.  It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I've been to so far in Germany.

This park is totally landscaped and climbs up a slope to lay claim to being the largest mountain park in Europe.  And, over 150 years ago, this park and it's palaces were summer homes to kings and emperors.  Stunning views from above but as usual, I love the roads getting there even more.

Winding lanes with mossy trees lining each dirt path or road that led to our last castle took my breath away.  Reminiscent of our time in England almost one year ago, I was taken back as I could see the kings riding through the fields in front of me with men and horses flanking each of the sides.  The horses steady with sweat and mist rising from their worked bodies carrying royalty home after whatever adventure a king would behold.  Back to reality and absorbing our surroundings, what a gorgeous place.

I posted the photo of the castle doors above to Pinterest last night and not surprisingly there were many "likes" and "repins!"  That always makes me feel good of course but to know that I am not the only female to dream because each of us wants to be a princess waiting for our prince or in my case... I just wanna be the Queen!  But, truly... there's a little romance in each of us that enjoys that winding tree lined lane that leads to our castle in hopes that our king is there to greet us just beyond the opening of these castle doors!

A girl can dream!

Germany... the halfway point!

It's been almost a week since we have arrived in Germany.  We've enjoyed our time in Wiesbaden where Ray's mom was born, raised and swept off her feet by his dad soon after the Korean War.  They married in Wiesbaden and sailed to the United States where they raised their family.  Wiesbaden as it turned out, was just as I had imagined.  Quaint city centers, pastry shops, chocolates, cobbled roads and walkways and full of history.

We just arrived in Kassel today after spending three nights in Munich where we were overcome with awe after visiting the old city center and seeing the square in all it glory.  An amazing city again with history abounding and oh man... the food... so good!  Italian seems to be the big deal here and I'm so glad we all love it so much.  I think I've eaten pizza every day and since it's my favorite, I'm fine with that!

Kassel is the perfect city for some winding down time between big cities.  We go to Nurnberg in a few days then on to Berlin to end our trip.  So, I am looking forward to even more walking tomorrow and miles and miles up to the park to overlook the city, visit museums and learn more about the Grimm Brothers.

The owner of the restaurant where we had our dinner this evening was English and asked why we chose Kassel since most of it had been destroyed in WWII.  I told him that I had read that but I seriously love mid-century and enjoy a place to catch my breath and to meld with the locals and to enjoy a beer at a table on the sidewalk while laughing with my family and watching the people go by.

It's been an awesome trip so far and the weather has been perfect. Looking forward to the rest of our time here in Germany!

Oregon to Germany... a gastronomical search!

"Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine. One who is well versed in gastronomy is called a gastronome, while a gastronomist is one who unites theory and practice in the study of gastronomy."

I have searched for tours, booked us an eight passenger mini van to drive the Romantic Road out of Munich, packed my swim suit for Wiesbaden aka "spa city," and have my running shoes and work out clothes tucked neatly inside my rolling duffle.  I've downloaded a few "food" documentaries on to my lap top as well.  So, I think I'm ready to go!

Now it's time to think about where we're going to eat!

We're very spoiled here in Oregon.  We are so used to the good food that when we travel, we have goals set in finding the best tasting and highest quality cuisine we can possibly find.  I loved that our trip to SoCal earlier this year took us home to find a restaurant called The Salted Pig.  You can't get more "Oregon" in California than that!  So now... it's off to Germany in search of not only the best sights and hikes and castles to see, but also to find the best cuisine as well.  

"Scotch n Soda" in Wiesbaden has the option below on their breakfast menu along with huge breakfasts typical of what you would find in Ireland, England, or even America.  Offerings of Salmon and Goat Cheese were also found and added to that feeling that maybe we won't be very far from home actually.

Healthy Option / Wellness Frühstück Fruit salad, muesli, butter, honey, marmalade  1 Obstsalat, Muesli, Butter, Honig, Marmelade  


I don't worry much about the food when I travel abroad but I want to make sure I've done some research so I know what to expect.  I had some friends tell me one time that when they travel, they sometimes have struggles to find things to do in-between eating. So glad that someone else thinks the way I do! 


We will rely a lot on what the locals tell us too.  And, with German restaurants becoming even more popular than some of the restaurants in France, I think we'll be on to something good!  Finding Very Fat Pork Knuckles served with sauerkraut will probably not be found on very many menu's in Germany today however, I won't be surprised to find these on a menu somewhere:


Sauerbraten mit Rotkohl
Beef, pickled in buttermilk and then roasted in a tangy gravy sometimes with added raisins. It is mostly served with sweetsour Rotkohl (red cabbage).


Schweinebraten
Pork roast in a rich gravy. Served with boiled potatoes, Knödeln (dumplings) or Spätzle in Swabia.



Kartoffelsuppe
Potato cubes soup with onions and bacon. Cooked in a beef broth. Served with pieces of Bockwurst (thick vienna-like sausage).


It may be a little harder for me to find some vegetarian options in Germany but as always, I never seem to have a problem finding really good food or a beer that I love!  And, like many other countries, restaurants in Germany are following the desires of their many patrons that travel the world.  Lucky for me France isn't that far away, so bring me the baked Brie's, the fresh fruits and all the bread along with German desserts of Beesting Cake, the Mozartkugel and Apple Strudel!  And yes... I will post pics!

The Old Parkdale Inn... Mary's Poached Pears!

Mary at the Old Parkdale Inn in Parkdale, Oregon invited us to come for a visit this month.  We have always wanted to try snowshoeing which we did with Mary, her husband Steve and their dog Tilly.  I enjoyed the outing but man oh man, next time I'm going to work the stair master to prepare a little better before I go.  So, when Mary wanted to make this recipe of Moscato Poached Pears the next morning, it sounded a lot less painful!

No Moscato in the house so we gladly changed it out with a local liqueur from Clear Creek Distillery in Portland.  It was a Loganberry liqueur and added such a gorgeous color to our syrup and made the poached pears look so rich and of course they were delicious!

By the way... here's the link for the recipe:  http://fifteenspatulas.com/2012/01/12/moscato-poached-pears-wrapped-in-puff-pastry/

Mary's kitchen is awesome!  Room for two or more, we worked together and had fun wrapping the poached pears with our puff pastry.  I had never made these before either so it was kind of like playing with my food which is always fun.  Mary took the left over pastry and shook a little cinnamon and sugar over it and baked it along with the pears.  The baked triangles of puff pasty came in handy for dipping in the left over liqueur syrup.

The best part about this recipe and making these poached pears was eating them of course but the photograph afterward... amazing!  They looked gorgeous and were so easy to make.  I can see this not only as a good breakfast accompaniment but also a great addition to a scoop of Tillamook vanilla ice cream! 

Thanks Mary, Steve and Tilly for your hospitality at the Old Parkdale Inn.  Thanks for the awesome views on our snowshoeing adventure and mostly... thanks for a delicious dinner and the breakfast of these Poached Pears!

Find Mary at the Old Parkdale Inn:  http://hoodriverlodging.com/

Refined, Outdoorsy and at times... a lady!

My friends and family that "know" me are probably laughing hysterically after seeing the title of this blog.  I am probably neither refined nor outdoorsy but a lady can try can't she?

I have tried to behave on numerous occasions and mostly I have succeeded but there are moments well, let's just say, there are moments when the devil takes hold and I just can't help myself!  I looked up the definition of refined and this is what I found:

With impurities or unwanted elements having been removed by processing.

Elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste.

My friend Patty took the photo above at a Pink Ribbon Tea we both attended yesterday.  I also took a few photos of her as well but she would kill me if I shared them.  The tea raised money for breast cancer research and helps women in our community get services and treatment they could not otherwise afford.  So, you see... I can behave and act like a lady when there's a good reason to! 

And, as far as those "definitions" of refined go, those so called impurities or unwanted elements are what make me who I am so I'll keep those and save refined for someone not near as much fun as I am.  And as for elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste...  elegant and cultured is highly overrated unless I'm describing a perfectly tasty wood fired pizza and my favorite beer!  

Outdoorsy... what a funny word especially when I'm in the mix!  I have never been outdoorsy till Oregon creeped in to my bones.  Now I can't seem to get enough of it!  The trails call my name till I submit to the hike, the horses hit the soil with their hooves and snort till I jump on board for an awesome ride through wine country, the snow chills me to the bone till I don my winter apparel and heat up while trekking up the mountain and the sweet sweet city scape's take my breath away until I've explored them all one step at a time.  

So, you see, I am purely a lover of everything Oregon and, I am not afraid to say that if I am called to behave like a lady, I will do my best to rise to the occasion no matter what!

From Crater Lake to Portland and all the goodies in the middle!

You are so lucky to be spending two weeks here in Oregon!  I am the AskOR Willamette Valley Ambassador so I will tell you why I love it here!

First of all, I love Crater Lake.  I went for the very first time about a year and a half ago and it's so breathtakingly beautiful and you will be awed and amazed!  When you've had your fill and you are ready to hit the road again, you can't miss Eugene!  It's on your route heading North toward Portland!  I was recently a guest at a new boutique hotel there called, Inn at the 5th.  You can check out this blog for more info and some photos:  http://www.whitebreadandjam.blogspot.com/2012/02/inn-at-5th-sweet-spot-in-eugenes-fifth.html

The hotel is located in best place and has a wonderful restaurant attached as well as a spa and wine bar.  You'll see for yourself with the blog I listed.

Now if you are in to hiking, please check out our hundreds of miles of trails here in the Willamette Valley.  One of my most favorite places to hike are the forests near Oregon State University.  Here is the link for that area:  http://www.cof.orst.edu/cf/forests/mcdonald/  You will see amazing things while hiking there.  There is an "Old Growth" area that still amazes me and I've been told some movie parts have been filmed there.  You'll be in Corvallis, OR while hiking there so be sure to try and hit the Farmer's Market.  It's huge and wow... the locally grown food and goodies are delicious!  The link to finding out about market days is here:  http://locallygrown.org/home/

I could go on and on about our wineries and our hazelnuts and our delicious food found here in the valley but it would turn in to a book instead of a quick email.  So, please let me know if I can help you further and I am happy to do so.  You can also skim through my blogs to read about my experiences in Oregon and I can elaborate on those as well at www.whitebreadandjam.blogspot.com!

Thanks so much for your question and enjoy it all!

Debbie

Travel Oregon AskOR Willamette Valley Ambassador

Wildflowers at Mary's Peak and lunch at Gathering Together Farms

Another answer to one of our AskOR questions about where to go hiking in Oregon to find wildflowers this June!






Thank you for your question about where to go hiking and see wildflowers here in Oregon in June!  

Hiking is my most favorite outdoor activity so you have come to the right place.  My favorite place to go hiking to see wildflowers, is Mary's Peak.  It is located in the Willamette Valley and I have included this website so you can further read about the area:  http://www.summitpost.org/marys-peak/195308 and one more here:  http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Marys_Peak_Summit_Hike and one more for the road that includes Pocket Guide info on wildflowers:  http://www.maryspeakwildflowers.com/  This guide can be purchased at many places in Corvallis just east of Mary's Peak as you can see on the website.

Also, may I suggest you check out Gathering Together Farms for lunch when you are finished with your hike.  Using all local and homegrown ingredients, they are the most natural choice for a meal all grown and prepared right here in the Willamette Valley.  I have enjoyed their wood fired pizzas and potato donuts myself many times.  Here is their link as to provide you with directions and hours they are open:  http://www.gatheringtogetherfarm.com/

I hope this helps and please let me know if you would like further information as I know of a few hikes that include guides that teach about wildflowers along the way as well.

Thanks again for your question!

Debbie

Travel Oregon Willamette Valley AskOR Ambassador

AskOR question answered by this Willamette Valley Ambassador!

Thank you for your question about where to spend your 9 days in Oregon this summer!

If I could choose a month for you to visit Oregon this summer, it would be June!  I must admit though at this moment, I am sitting with my friend Mary who just happens to have a B & B in Parkdale, Oregon.  I wish I could tell you to come right now and not to wait!  The snow is awesome here and we just spent several hours snow shoeing.  We are spoiled in Oregon, it's always the perfect time to be here!

It sounds like you have plenty of time this summer to see so much here in Oregon and I will just say that you really need to spend a few days in our Willamette Valley and June is the perfect time to do so!  The weather is great that time of year and it's light well in to the evening so all those "outdoor" activities will seriously fill your days and nights.  

My most favorite thing that I've done since I've moved to Oregon is ride horseback through wine country.  I have included this link: http://whitebreadandjam.blogspot.com/2010/09/back-in-saddle-againin-willamette.html

I have to say if this is all you time for, it's totally worth the ride especially if you love wine and horses!  

Many of our small towns and villages in the Willamette Valley are amazingly full of very cool things to do.  Wineries dot the roads and rolling green hills along with breweries and award winning restaurants.  Some of the best chefs in the world live right here!  Please check out Matt Bennett at Sybaris Bistro:  www.sybarisbistro.com to see an example of what our chefs here do with their Oregon bounty.  

One more suggestion for the Willamette Valley, is that you must go hiking.  There are hundreds of hiking trails where you will see things that you cannot believe are real.  Here is a link to the trails I hike:  http://www.cof.orst.edu/cf/recreation/trails.php

So, as you can see, your days will be full and you will be well rested and well fed here in the Willamette Valley.  Please let me know if I can help you further with an itinerary including more of my favorite things to do here!

Debbie
Travel Oregon AskOR Willamette Valley Ambassador

My Southern Oregon weekend!

A friend and I took off for a little weekend get-a-way to Southern Oregon this past weekend.  We had made plans to stay at Bybee's Historic Inn but I also had plans to do a few inn inspections while I was there in the area.  Those of you that know me pretty well know that this "inspecting" I do is a perfect job for me.  I don't have to park or drive by at night to see if the lights are on and the windows are open to sneak a peak, I just get to walk in and tell the innkeepers that I'm here to snoop and the funny thing is... they still let me in!

I am working hard to get most of the inspections for the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild up to date in my area for 2012 before summer hits us in the Willamette Valley.  I have said it before and I'll say it again, the Willamette Valley is the best place to be in the summer and lucky us, most folks know that!  The days are somewhat temperate, the nights are cool and the grass is just a tad greener than anywhere else in Oregon.  But, I have to say, some of Oregon's "other" regions are growing on me the longer I'm here.

Southern Oregon reminds me a little of where I grew up in California.  Don't be a hater, I'm not comparing because there is no comparison and seriously, I don't do heat but I did enjoy the sunshine and the little dry in the air this past weekend. Makes me miss where I lived just a wee bit but there is most definitely a difference in all the regions here in Oregon.  They all have their awesomeness about them and they have this little draw that makes me want to explore even more.  So, whenever nature calls so to speak... and whenever I need a little get-a-way, all I have to do is drive a few hours in any direction from my home and I can be in another world.  I can walk along the sea where I can watch whales blow and dive or on the top of Mt. Bachelor riding a snow mobile and taking the turns way too fast.  I can be in Portland where I always eat way too much delicious food and spend way too much time in Powell's or in Southern Oregon where I can enjoy the scents of spring and wildflowers in early March.  Lucky ducks we are that live here!

If I've tempted you just a little to take that weekend get-a-way, then I've done my job.  Check out the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and see Bybee's Historic Inn or the Touvelle House B & B in sweet Jacksonville or Oak Hill B & B in artsy Ashland or any of the other 80 plus inns on the list in Oregon!

Oregon's Willamette Valley...

I perform inn inspections for the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and I love it!  I get to not only visit and see the most beautiful inns in Oregon, but I get to experience everything on the roads that take me to them.

Today was no exception.  My whole day of inn inspecting was so very carefully planned out around where we were going to stop for lunch and an afternoon coffee and sweet.  Thank goodness those gorgeous inns along with the best food in Oregon can all be found in the Willamette Valley where I live!

The Blue Goat Cafe in Amity is probably the best spot I have found in a long time and I have to admit that I did not just come across it on my own.  Calling a couple of friends recently, I had unintentionally interrupted their lunch of burgers, pizza and beer at the Blue Goat.  Well geesh... excuse me and, why wasn't I invited??? I got you back today Rod and Kate!  I devoured a whole delicious wood fired cheese pizza all on my own. Actually I shared and gave one very small piece to my friend who was thoroughly enjoying her burger and fries as much as I was enjoying my pizza. I loved the fries too by the way and the best part... everything is made from scratch and served up fresh from the beef they ground themselves to the pizza dough they toss.

Dessert consisted of this carrot cake frosted with some kind of thin delicious icing that was a perfect accruement making this whole mad package complete!

I highly recommend the Blue Goat Cafe but only if you invite me along!

Today I made my second trip to the Red Hills Market in Dundee.  It was fairly new when I went about a year ago so I was anxious to see it again.  The Facebook admin of Red Hills Market has been evil in tempting me to come in again so I made sure this stop was a priority on my itinerary!  At the end of my busy day in the valley, I enjoyed a latte and yet another sweet consisting of part of a coconut macaroon and a good portion of a chocolate peanut butter cookie.  Full bellies and whining about eating way too much really good food, took us home the long way.

You really can't help but take the side roads in the Willamette Valley.  The small towns and villages that dot the green rolling vineyard and hop covered hills are like a dream.  A dream you don't want to ever wake from.  All the lovely wine you can drink, the best food and beer that could ever possibly be found in the world and how lucky I am to have it all in my very own Oregon backyard!

Anyone wanna play?  I'd love to send you out to play with my itinerary.

(my perfect ending... a book at a latte')