Week 10 | Wine exhibition & Frühlingsfest in Stuttgart

Mittwoch, 6 Mai 2015

Walking at random places after class. 

I think it's impossible for me, not to post something scenic. This place had loads of them. Anyway, I have a lot of free time actually because I don't really attend to classes and basically, the ones that I'm attending is the German classes. 

The other day when I went to Luca's, I discovered a very scenic route but I didn't have the time to stop and take pictures. So, I figured I would take my camera with me some other day and walk around after my class. Sadly, I think the pictures do no justice because in reality, it is more magnificent.

Spring flowers, they are everywhere!

I could see the castle from this spot, but it looks so tiny in the picture.

And then I felt a little more adventurous and took a random route that I have never walked before, not knowing whether it will take me home or not.

And it seems like I made a good choice, else I wouldn't experience this. Standing in the centre of a railtrack. 

There's a lot of wine farm of some sort (I think) in Offenburg. Wherever you go, you'll find them. I think everyone has their own plot of land by this point. I don't know, I just speculate.  

Samstag, 9 Mai 2015

Attended the Weinmesse Offenburg.

Amanda found out about the event and told us about it. Knowledge of German is limited but I guess it's some sort of wine exhibition. You must be wondering, why would I go to a wine exhibition even though clearly, I don't like alcohol (namely beer and wine). 

Well... if I don't like something doesn't mean I should not try it. Right? Who knows, maybe I'll find something different in German or French wine, and maybe I'll change my mind. 

But sadly, after this wine tasting thing, I still don't like them. However, I like cocktails. Sweet cocktails. Baileys or a Dirty Harry would be really good too. Okay, enough about cocktails. Now, let's try some wines! 

14 Euro for the entrance fee and we can try ALL THE WINES! Okay, let's not get that crazy yet. 

A lot of stands

A lot of people

and of course...

A lot of wine!

Amanda testing her 7th wine (no, I'm kidding, I did not count how many we tried. But you get the jizz)

Out of all the alcohol I've tried. This one took me by surprise. I've never heard of "egg liqueur" before and this will be my first time tasting it. And apparently, it's a popular thing during Easter! You can guess why. I was curious when I saw the colour of the liquid, it isn't clear, transparent, nor red. It looks milky. Then, I saw one gentleman holding a really small size cone dipped in chocolate. At first, I thought it was a cup really. A small shot cup, but there's no way it is an ice-cream cone. I was wrong of course, it is a small ice-cream cone, dipped in chocolate too! They serve the egg liqueur in it! It taste really sweet and for me, it was kind of nice. But of course, I like the cone better. HAHAHA.

Some random grape plant in the middle of nowhere

There's not only wine of course. There's a few food stands in there too. Most of them goes really well with wine I guess. 

And what better way to enjoy them with cheese! Of course, you would find so many kind of cheese here in Europe. I'm not a big cheese lover myself, because I've only tasted like cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. These are the ones that I'm familiar with. We don't really have much cheese interest in Malaysia. But this though! I don't know what it's called but It's called "Comte de Jura" and the one that I tried, it has aged for 18 months! And it taught me something. Every kind of cheese taste different. Well, actually, I know that from long before but this cheese is kind of sweet and it smells really different and it was really good! Hah! You never know unless you try them aye? 

But for this, I have no idea what it's called but it originated from France. I don't like it, it just tasted a bit weird for me. Hahaha.

A lot of different mustard and vinaigrette for testing. Me and Amanda were trying a lot of them with breads. To think that they are mustards, I thought some were jams. They have sweet mustards! The more you see, the more you learn aye. 

And I got this random gifts they have for everyone. A very cute mini pot for your own "garden" and a gummi bear packet! 

And I ended up buying anything but wine! HAHAHA! I bought myself two jars of mustard and some chocolates! WHICH ARE REALLLLYYY GOOOOOODDDDD.

Don't say I never recommend good things okay.  The chocolates are called Goufrais chocolate and they just melt in your mouth and even gives off a cool sensation. A MUST BUY and TRY if you're in Germany!!! I'm not sure where they sell it but keep your eyes open in supermarkets (maybe Edeka, the higher-end supermarkets). One of the best chocolate I've ever taken!

Sonntag, 10 Mai 2015

Fruhlingsfest in Stuttgart

I was so up for this trip because we never have "Spring festival" in Malaysia (as it is summer all year long, forever). Uty told me about it, and when she was explaining, it sounded like something I really have to go see. Apparently, it has been going on about a month, and we decided to go on the last day of the festival. I plan to stay until 9.30pm to see the fireworks but sadly, we couldn't because there is no train back to Offenburg after 9pm, which sucks.

Me, Marta, and Alvaro was the only one who went there. We started our journey at 8am. The journey there was kind of chaotic. Train strikes were going on, and some of the trains were cancelled. Originally, if everything was fine, we could have reach Stuttgart in 2 hours, but instead it took us 3 hours. Apparently, there were many routes, we didn't know which one to take of course but luckily there were a lot of people in the traditional costumes. Obviously they were heading for the festival. "I will follow you~ Follow you wherever you may go~". Following a crowd always help, and also asking for directions too. 

We're there!

The traditional German Spring costumes! (?)

TOYS!!!

My nightmare.. The horror house

but this is awesome. It's not everyday you get to see Death playing violin

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from a "festival" but it looks more like a carnival or a fun fair to me. I really like how it all looked though! I was really grand and the food, wow, popcorns, candies, chocolate-covered fruits, wurst, and many many more. THEY ALL LOOK SO DELICIOUS. There goes my diet, again.

The German traditional clothing is very cute, I think. But it is too busty. Most of the time, I find myself staring at cleavage rather than the whole dress. HAHAHA. I know, I'm a girl, but still.. you can't miss it. It's like they are staring back at you. The guys' outfit is very adorable too I have to say. I also can't stop staring at some of them.... :X

Please see the photos of #frühlingsfest on Instagram.

Many eye-candies for everyone. 

My lunch. I think this is smoked pork with bread. I think. HAHA

Marta trying German beer

The most important place in Stuttgart during fruhlingfest

Beers, dance, beers, girls, beers, music, and more beers! People were drinking till their faces are red, and then they stand on the bench to dance. Yeap, that's how they do it. There were so very happy!

Of course, we have to ride the ferris wheel. Unfortunately, it's a very short ride and it cost us 5 Euro. 

Ants!

Chocolate necklaces

Candied nuts

Candies

and of course, caramelized apples. 

I always see them in TVs, but that day I manage to try them in real-life! 

Very happy with our snacks!

Next ride, roller coaster. Haven't been on one since idk when.

I think I'm too old for this sh*t. Somehow, most of the rides didn't appeal to me. So, the roller coaster ride was the only one I took. I wanted to try the "slingshot ride" but I didn't want be alone. And for Marta and Alvaro, it was too much too. HAHAHA! We were all walking and watching the rides. All of them looked so dizzy, so in the end, we just walked around. 

Then, we got bored. LOL. There's actually nothing much to see but I guess it would be more fun for us if only all of us likes to drink beer. Then, maybe it would be a very different experience for us. Since it was still early, we decided to walk around the park which was near the festival. 

The bridge to the park

Welcome to Rosensteinpark

Friendly ducks and pigeons

And that was it. We went back home at 5pm, and reach at 8pm. Was hungry throughout the journey. Luckily, the train route was quite scenic so it wasn't that boring and also we were talking a lot. I am still so not used to the sun setting after 9pm. It's so weird, my insides feels very funny whenever I see the clock and then to the sky and wondering, why is the sun still up. Okay, enough of my random babbling. 

That's it for Week 10!