Wednesday, June 22, 2016

One Day In Germany






So on Saturday we drove to Dusseldorf, to visit some relatives of mine. Above is the cake they baked for us (guess which sort it was?:)

Below are some pictures:





By the Rhine, that's how high the water stands.





Media Haven









Watching football in a local pub (don't worry, my beer was alcohol free:)




Germans were celebrating Midsummer

















Rhine boulevard









That's about all.
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15 comments:

  1. Preoteasa AlexandraJune 22, 2016 at 4:03 AM

    White Linzer cake? Or marzipan cake? We had as a wedding cake a beautiful marzipan cake with white chocolate covering. Nice memories...

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  2. SanneJune 22, 2016 at 5:03 AM

    Carrot cake with marzipan carrots on top:)

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  3. Preoteasa AlexandraJune 22, 2016 at 12:05 PM

    I saw the carrots, sweet thing. But are real carrots good in cakes?

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    Replies
    1. MiriamJune 23, 2016 at 1:59 AM

      If grated finely, you don't even notice carrots in a cake. You just enjoy the sweet treat :-)

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  4. SanneJune 22, 2016 at 1:43 PM

    Well, personally I have a great carrot cake recipe...

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  5. Will S.June 23, 2016 at 1:09 AM

    Looks like a nice trip! :)

    The best thing about carrot cake, of course, is the cream cheese icing. ;)

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  6. Will S.June 23, 2016 at 1:09 AM

    So why do Germans celebrate 'midsummer' when the summer has only just begun?

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  7. MiriamJune 23, 2016 at 1:57 AM

    'Midsummer' is because of summer solstice.

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  8. Will S.June 23, 2016 at 1:59 AM

    How curious, then, because it's just the beginning of summer, not the middle. I know, I shouldn't expect people to always be rational, but Germans usually are very rational and logical! :)

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  9. Preoteasa AlexandraJune 23, 2016 at 3:57 AM

    Sanne, Miriam, you made me curious. I'll give it a try...

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  10. SanneJune 23, 2016 at 4:13 AM

    Will, yes, celebrating Summer solstice is an ancient Germanic tradition, since pre-Christian times. I know it's widely celebrated in Scandinavia but until now I had no idea that Germans did as well. Officially it's the 21st of June, the longest day of the year, but since it was on Tuesday they decided to celebrate the weekend before:)

    As to why it is called Midsummer, I'm not sure about Scandinavians and Germans, but I know that Celts, at least, had their winter begin in November, so summer then began in May. I know that here we have a mid-Winter fair somewhere in mid-December, so it all kinda makes sense.

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  11. SanneJune 23, 2016 at 4:14 AM

    Miriam, do they celebrate Midsummer in Finland?

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    1. MiriamJune 23, 2016 at 9:15 AM

      Yes they do, and here in Estonia, too.

      It is not called midsummer though, but Juhannus in Finland and Jaani in Estonia, which have something to do with John (St./the Baptist?) The folkloristic traditions are quite similar in Finland, too.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_Day_
      (Estonia)

      In Finland Juhannus is always celebrated on Friday Eve/Saturday around summer solstice, and it is actually just heavy drinking preferably in nature (camping) or in a cottage next to a lake.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_Day_(Estonia)

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  12. SanneJune 23, 2016 at 4:15 AM

    Alexandra, I'll try and bake a carrot cake soon and then post a recipe. It's from an American magazine and it really tastes delicious.

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  13. SanneJune 23, 2016 at 9:59 AM

    Miriam, yes, it has to do with St. John the Baptist because Catholic Church tried to Christianise pagan traditions.

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