Offbeat Seattle Attraction: Salumi Artisan Cured Meats

I spent many hours dreaming of Salumi's before I ever stepped foot in the place. At this point, I've only been there twice but it is still somewhere I feel confident recommending.

Salumi was founded by Armandino Batali (Principal Salumist), the father of New York chef Mario Batali. Armandino actually retired from Boeing to focus on meat and it is still family-run. Like Rogacki in Berlin, this place is Anthony Bourdain reviewed & approved.

Offbeat Seattle Attraction: Archie McPhee

Do you like the tacky, the bizarre, the tasteless, the incredible? No?! Suck it up because when you are in Seattle, a trip isn't complete until you've visited Archie McPhee.

I'm Going to Miss this Place...

...the time is finally nigh - we're home in the States! No, not permanently. Don't be crazy Berlin, you haven't gotten rid of us yet. But we have returned to Seattle for a visit. We love Berlin, but we also really MISSED HOME (you like that parents?).

Tegel Airport

Männertag & Mother's Day

Vatertag or Männertag is celebrated on Ascension Day, or the much more fun to say "Christi Himmelfahrt". The holiday has been at least partially absorbed by young, not-father guys in an excuse for groups of males to get together and be manly over beers.

Wikipedia reports on the possible historic path this holiday has taken:

Eating Blutwurst in Berlin

Overall, I embrace German food. Sure I miss my Mexican food, but expat life has a way of making you a mad scientist in the kitchen. I am far from an expert cook, but I have learned to whip together a bunch of things I always used mixes for in the States, or only bought when I ate out. A random list of some of my proudest cooking moments:

The start of PB

• Biscuits & Gravy
• Enchilada Sauce
• Mexican Rice
• Poached Egg
• Pico de Gallo& Salsas
• Peanut Butter
• Refried Beans
• Salad Dressings galore (Honey Mustard, Ranch, Raspberry Balsamic,Caesar)
• Croque Monsieur

Europa-Park: EuroTrash Disneyland

I love roller coasters. I always liked them as a kid, but kinda let them fall to the background as I became an adult (kinda. I'm getting old so I better start thinking of myself as a REAL PERSON). But a fortuitous trip to Disneyland when we were back living in the States re-ignited my roller coaster fire. I wanted to feel the wind on my cheeks, hear children scream, and have Ian clutch my hand like a little girl on the biggest, baddest roller coasters we could find.

On the way to the park

Skiing for the 1st time in Europe

Now that it has finally gotten warm in Berlin, I am waxing poetic about our time in the snow. Go figure....

It sounds so bourgeois to say "the first time we went skiing in Europe", but it takes it down to about the right level when you hear it was actually in a discount resort town of Liberec, Czech Republic and it was our first time skiing ever so we fell...a lot.

Visiting Dead People in Berlin

Before I called Europe home, I had only visited cemeteries for funerals. Impersonal, manicured parks... they didn't necessarily inspire return visits, even if thoughts of its residents did. Once we arrived in Berlin, I saw the ancient and modern beauty of family plots, trails of ivy and the essential peacefulness a cemetery offers. Our apartment in Neukölln picturesquely overlooked a nice one.

David Hasselhoff Visits the Berlin Wall

I had never really given much thought to David Hasselhoff. I certainly never expected to see him perform.

But that was before I moved to Germany and my American friends eagerly insisted that Germans love David Haselhoff. It doesn't appear that many actually do, but Americans seem pretty sure.

Testing Out the U-Blau

What to do on a Saturday night? 

What to do?

What to do?

What to do?

What about a drinking tour of the U-Bahn? OK! Let's call this an art project so it doesn't sound so...alcoholic.

I am skeptical about how this day will go