Liver dumpling soup...yummy?

Yesterday Doris and I took a short walk from Bad Hofgastein up into the mountains .  Since we arrived, Doris has had a craving for liver dumpling soup so on the way back we stopped at the Grubhof  (farm restaurant) at Jausenstation and Doris ordered liver dumpling soup.  Now before my vegan days I loved liver so for me I could see the reason for the craving.  Doris found the liver dumpling soup good but it did not live up to the expectations of her memory.  I sometimes think that we remember food in emotional contexts with friends or family, an intense personal experience, etc., but when we try to regain that moment through remembered food, the food often does not have the same intense flavor either physically or emotionally that we found in the context of that particular moment.  The Grubhof did have a particular panoramic view of Bad Hofgastein and the mountains – it’s a shame that the liver dumpling soup did not live up to the view.

The Grubhof is part of a family farm and on the day that we were there it was run by the teenage children of the family.  I have noticed at these farm restaurants that the children of the family are often working in the restaurant.  Also, as we hike through these mountain farms, we can see children working with their parents in the fields.  This is similar to the life I experience as a child on a farm – everyone pitched in the get the work done.  Earning a living was a family effort – everyone worked.  I’m sure that this is not prevalent in the more urban areas of Austria but it does reflect a simpler, more agricultural society where survival was more obviously familial and communal than exists today.  I’m not advocating necessarily a return to the “good old days” since much about the “good old days” was simply wrong, but I wonder if a little more “work time” as opposed to “play time” might be better for children in the long run.  It’s would seem that “responsible children” would tend to grow up to be “responsible adults”.  I was listening to the speech at the UN by the 16 years girl who had been shoot by the Taliban because she advocated education for girls.  On one hand it is a shame that children have to advocate for their own rights and freedom but on the other hand, since it appears that the adults aren’t doing it for them, necessity demands that children must get involved if they want change to happen.  She is an incredibly brave and “responsible” young woman.  She is an example not only to children but to the adults, especially politicians, who have failed in their responsibilities to children all over the world.

Other than our hike, yesterday was a lazy day.  We ran some errands in town, did some much-needed laundry and napped.  Later we went into town to catch up on our email.  Doris had quite a bit of email – mostly professional that she had to catch up on.  We have found a particularly good hotspot so everything went smoothly except it was too slow for me to attach some photos to my blog when I did an upload to the web site.  On the way back, we stopped at the Café Schwaiger for some cherry strudel – delicious and then a relaxing evening back at the apartment.

Last night we watched a movie with Senta Berger whom I remember as a boy.  She must be in her 70’s now but she is still a strikingly attractive woman.  It was a light, romantic comedy with a slight, unexpected twist at the end.  I was surprised at how much of the dialogue that I could understand.  It some ways Austria and Germany are beginning to feel like “home”.  Doris and I were discussing how long we had been in Europe – it turns out yesterday was the 8^th day since we flew into Frankfurt and the 9^th days since we flew out of Atlanta (USA).  My life in American is almost like a distant dream – it seems like forever since I left.  Is it distance and the intense immediacy of new cultural experiences that makes my “life in America” seem so distant in my emotional memory?  It is only my friends and family that still seem real and close from my “former life in America”.  But, it is interesting that so short of a time can have such a profound impact on perception and memory.  I wonder if it is only me or do other people have the same reaction to life in a new country and culture?  Europe is a soft landing – it can only intensify once I reach Morocco.

As I sit here on the balcony, listening to the river rush by and the birds singing in the trees, I find my new world at this moment in time and place not a bad place to be.  I do wonder what life in Morocco will be like – so different in culture and language?  We are now on vacation removed, except for emails, from the demands of everyday life with work and both personal and professional obligations so it is easy to enjoy the now in the little paradise of Bad Hofgstein with it’s beautiful mountains, perfect weather and time for Doris and I to be alone together.  But, still I must admit that I’m looking forward to the final move to Morocco with all the new experiences and challenges that it will bring.  But, the best of my new life is sharing it with Doris.