Happy Name Day!

It's Thursday, May 29th and you know what that means....

It's Erwin's name day!

I decided that in honor of my name day, I would do something incredibly German.

I'm not talking about standing 1cm from the next person in line at the supermarket. I'm talking about riding my bike to work! Picture me, Er(w)in, on a man's mountain bike in a skirt and heels. It's an akward picture, I admit, unless you are one of the many German men who tried to look up that skirt. It was a great ride straight through the English Garden. I even crossed the path of a nicely dressed couple holding hands, the woman carrying a bouquet. I asked myself, who walks around like that at 8:55 a.m. Thursday morning? Answer: People who get married at 8:42 a.m.

Announcing my name day to my co-workers resulted in quite a few questions ("But, when is your REAL name day?"), some strange looks (Wolfgang) and a few congratulatory remarks (Eva and that Eisbach waiter). Erwin's day was celebrated in style with my colleague Antonia, my own private princess, over a rhubarb spritzer. I know what you are thinking....Rhubarb juice? Yes, it does exist, but apparently it is bad for your gums (Wolfgang).

I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my name day watching Germany's Next Top Model. Now, I just have to find my way back home on the bike!

Climb ev'ry mountain!

Well, at least ev'ry mountain with a restaurant on top.

We ushered in this year's hiking season with an easy tour in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It actually seemed more like a pub crawl with a mountain caught in the middle.

The parking lot in Garmisch was completely full and I probably should have expected we would be accompanied by 500 of our closest friends (not to mention Russian tourists) when the woman in the car next to us nonchalantly handed her husband the book "Mountain tours for Late Risers".

After walking through the Partnach Gorge, we headed towards Eckbauer where we took a break for a lunch of BabyBel, Landjäger and bread. Of course, ev'ryone knows the best part about hiking is the Brotzeit!

Last stop was for a drink in a restaurant in Wamberg, an idyllic mountain settlement, desperately clutching to its fame as "highest village in Germany with a church" after its disappointing demotion from "highest parish in Germany" in the 1970s. Please don't mention this to the locals.

I'm already looking forward to our next hiking tour. I have the strange urge to spend a night in a mountain-top cottage, dreaming of mountain goats and alpine flowers under red and white checkered sheets.

Spring Breake

"Spring Breake" (not to be confused with its distant cousin "Spring Break") is the newest American craze to invade your local, mountainous Bavarian village.

Thanks to brother-in-law Mathias whose eye for detail (mostly in the lower right-hand corner) discovered this most interesting poster.

Please note, contents have been edited for my American readers.

Why is my name Erwin?

That's the question I keep asking myself!

Germans call me Erwin all the time....

Most are unfamiliar with the name Erin (despite all the hopes I placed on the movie Erin Brockovich to spread truth and justice in this world) and they must think Erwin, a male name, is close enough. Every time I hear Erwin, I cringe a little inside. Just one pesky letter carefully placed between r and i has the power to transform me instantly into a 47 year-old man from Dresden with a moustache and a mullet - vokuhila for German insiders.

To my horror, Erin and Erwin are not as different as I thought. Both can be traced back to the Celtic root "eirin" meaning peace. But, Erwin can also be derived from the Old German words "heri" (army, warring people and warriors) and "wini" (friend). Hmmm....War AND peace. I know I've heard that before.

Well, I have decided to come to some inner "peace" and embrace my new identity as Erwin. If you can't beat them, join them! Actually, I just need a name day, there being no St. Erin. (But of course a St. Florian!).

Other random facts about Erwin:

• Famous Erwins include the head of CSU, the leading political party in Bavaria and the mascot of Schalke 04, a football team in North Rhine-Westphalia. Any resemblance to me here?
• It's a township in the Upper Peninsula, population 357, that I might have driven through on my way to a Yooper wedding from Chicago.
• It's an "American Cafe and Bar" in Windy City that I've always wanted to visit.