You can pay lots of money and sit in the civilized, non-awkward environment of the train where you can go to the bathroom whenever you want (even if it is a mite stinky now and then), or you can save your money and be crammed into a car with college-age strangers and alternately hurdle and crawl on the Autobahn. The choice is yours. Lately, I have been trying to save by taking the crammed car method-- this Friday, I made a quick trip to Frankfurt (2 hours away, 100€ with the train, 25€ with the ride-share) in order to see a show of my friend Brian Novatny's paintings in Galerie Schuster (their website is a little wonky right now).
On the way from Cologne to Frankfurt, I arranged a ride with a guy named "Jens" in a silver Saab. Because I stink at reognizing cars (although I now know that the Saab hood ornament conveniently says "Saab"), I was asking every guy with a Silver car if he was Jens. This is especially embarrassing if you do it 5 times. Anyway, the real Jens finally showed up and I was stuffed into the car with 4 other people. The first 5 minutes pass and nobody speaks to anyone else. The silence is oppressive, so I turn to the girl next to me and ask her name. We strike up a little conversation (in German-- yay! I still can't get over being able to speak) because she used to study ballet at lot, etc, etc. We chat off and on during the 2 hour ride, but we are the only people talking in the car. There was also a girl sitting on my other side in the car, but I never spoke to her because after about a half an hour it seemed too weird to strike up a conversation.
Frankfurt is beautiful-- although I only saw the area around the river:
On the way back, I was in a car with only two other people (a different car, you book each way separately) who apparently took quite a shine to each other. I have really never felt more invisible in my life. But that was ok-- I sat in the back and worked on my knitting, and they dropped me off right outside my house.
It is finally kind of hot here in Cologne-- oooh! 80 degrees! So, inspired by my beloved Thalys meal, I made a Salade Niçoise:
I make it in the simplest way possible-- boil the potatoes and then use the same water to cook the beans, buy hardboiled eggs from the grocery store (I have gotten over my aversion to purchasing already boiled eggs), chop up the other veggies, dump the tuna out of a can, and make a quick vinagrette. OK, so it does require a lot of steps, but just look how pretty!
And Jeremy ate it all up.
Our bountiful harvest has begun-- just look at those precious little 'maters.
3 comments:
You have a regular little park growing on your balcony- all that green and colors, too! our garden is not doing very well- being enveloped with jewel weed. We have some tomatoes, and thom has an upside down plant, but it isn't doing anything. Niehter are the pepper plants. oh well...
I am sorry, but your transportation choice, while creative, makes me shiver! I guess i am old fashioned....
Glad to hear it was successful, though. Ingenious for those with cars!you have had an eventful couple of weeks, sarah. how is jeremy? nice to see a picture of him (since he doesn't answer emails!)
Thank you, Steeler Mom, for saying out loud what I've been thinking! I must be old fashioned, too.
The garden looks terrific. What is the little purple flower next to the fuschia? The black-eyed susans have flowered so my garden is all yellow right now.
I was just going to write to Kathy that my parents feel the same way about the car-sharing, when I saw my mom's comment! Yeah, ok, I know-- when the train charges a reasonable rate, I will take it again!!
The purple flowers are glocken ("bells"). They love the shade!
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