The Kale Walk or Kohl und Pinkel

Same song, different verse.  How many of these have we had now?  I don't know, but it is long enough to be a tradition.

There aren't many new things to report regarding our annual Kohl und Pinkel Fahrt.  There's minimal change of the order of business.  Klaus and Johanna are the hosts.  We first have coffee and talk. Then the walk.  We have some schnapps along the way, and greet others who are doing the same. 

And there are always sweets.  Werner prefers the Lakritz Schnecken - you know - little ropes of licorice rolled up to look like snails. Personally, I prefer the Riesen, chewy caramel covered in chocolate, so hard it will take your crowns off if you don't let it warm up enough before really biting down. But, oh, it tastes so good!  Childhood memories of trying to find the caramel in the Whitman's Sampler....


But I digress.  The idea is to walk and work up an appetite for the hearty meal to follow.  We wandered through Knoop's Park and as tradition demands, paid homage to Magdalene, a locally famous author.  Anonymous folks always place something fresh in her hand.  This time of year, holly is appropriate.

There was no snow, but it was plenty cold, and we did work up an appetite!

And so, we ate.  Johanna was deeply disappointed in the Grünkohl this year and we spent a little bit of time trying to "correct" it, but once we started eating, it was just Grünkohl and it was all yummy, just like always.

After dinner (but before dessert) there was a short TV pause.  It seems that most years Werder Bremen is playing on the Saturday we have our Kohlfahrt, and that was true again this year.  As there are some serious fans among the bunch, we had to watch the highlights of one of our not-often-enough wins!  They were tied till the last couple of minutes, then we scored and held them off till time was over. Yea, Werder!

Dessert, coffee, schnapps, more talk and finally it was time to leave.  Needless to say, we don't drive on such occasions!  Ursel drove us to the corner and dropped us off and we took another walk, about 20 minutes back home.

Thank goodness there will still be plenty of Grünkohl to be had when we return from the US.  And we'll make it at home, minus the schnapps but plus cornbread!