Bavarian Vegetarian: Meat-Free in Munich

I have just returned from my honeymoon, the first leg of which included a stay in Munich. Ahhh....Munich in the spring! We visited a castle in the Alps; caught the Dutch Masters at the Alte Pinekothek Museum; and, of course, dined in many fine biergartens. Well, it was a bit cold, so we were technically dining in the restaurants and not the actual beirgartens, but I digress.

When one thinks of Bavarian fare, the image will probably include many types of German sausage. The kraut-sausage combo was the main reason my husband Chris wanted to visit Munich. Becoming more and more vegetarian, I was truly worried about how much I'd enjoy eating during this leg of the trip. I shouldn't have been so narrow-minded! I was guilty of condensing an entire culture into the singular category of sausage fanatic (when that's really just the German to whom I'm married). I knew I wouldn't starve, but I was happily surprised at the true Bavarian flavors I could enjoy sans meat.

Our first stop was - inevitably- the legendary Hofbrauhaus. The appetizer was easy: a beer and pretzel. Any of-age traveler (which I most certainly am) should indulge in these specialties while in Munich as an homage to the region. While I had no idea what I was ordering from the vegetarian section (we didn't know they had English menus available at first), I ended up falling head-over-heels for some divine noodle dumplings in an outrageous mushroom gravy. The food, drink and oompah band combined as the perfect antidote to my jet lag.

Later we branched out to explore less-touristed biergartens like Chris' favorite Augustiner Keller. My extensive travel website research had produced nothing but great reviews for this place. Located in the financial district, Augustiner Keller offered a decidedly more subdued crowd of business people and locals. While Chris raved about the suckling pig (gross), I had a fantastic potato and broccoli au gratin with a tomato sauce. The combination was different, but quite comforting.



Our last stop was the Lowenbrau Park-Cafe, unassumingly tucked into the city's Old Horticultural Garden. The quaint Bavarian building belied a truly urbane and chic interior. We entered into a warehouse-like space containing a hip lounge/restaurant with chandeliers and ambient lighting. See the golden couches which greeted us at the door. The crowd appeared to be stylish young professionals. We were kiddie-corner from the Munich Conde Nast offices, so I shouldn't have been surprised. The menu was a mix of traditional and international bistro. I decided to follow suit with a dill cream cucumber salad (just like my mom would make in the summer), and a spinach, onion and goat cheese flat bread. Both were delicious; Chris even finished off my flat bread.

While I tried my best to stick to my veggie guns during this trip, a local sharing our table one evening let me know that there are a lot of meat-free Munichers, but they always cheat just a bit. I must admit, I may have transgressed with of a bite of wurst or two from Chris' plate. I guess that means I am a true Bavarian vegetarian.

Trans-Europe Express: Byron the Train Angel

Maybe it's just me, but has anybody else been totally confused and daunted by the Rubik's Cube which is European train travel? Perhaps I'm the only one who's been escorted by a overly-protective grandfather-type back to my hotel after asking him which train takes me from downtown Naples to Pompeii. My friend and I weren't exactly sure what he was saying as he spoke no English and we very little Italian, but I managed to make out "American" "girls" "alone" and maybe "bad." Naples, while fantastically rich in culture and kind inhabitants, has some very rough areas, particularly around the central train station - and this assessment is coming from a Detroiter! Add to that the epic garbage strike creating trash mountains in the city that day, this sweet, elderly man would not have us wandering the streets without a clear sense of direction. So, with a box of Christmas Panettone in hand, he made us get on a bus with him. I'm pretty sure he told the front desk staff to not let us wander out again.

After the Pompeii fiasco, I vowed the next time I traveled to Europe I would be a veritable train expert. Well, perhaps not an expert, but I certainly am not flying by the seat of my pants during my honeymoon from Munich to Rome (occurring as you read this). As soon as my husband and I settled on a multi-country itinerary, I knew I would need help negotiating the train companies from one country to another. Though hopping on a train just as it pulls away may seem romantic, there is a decided lack of romance in a conductor kicking you off at the next stop because you didn't realize you had to reserve your seat in addition to purchasing your ticket.

After a bit of Google searching I came across Budget Europe Travel Service.

 "Hmm...I'm going to Europe, I'm on a budget and I deifintely need some service concerning my travel," thought I.

I called and was connected with Byron. Byron is a train travel genius and has the patience of a saint! He steered me in the direction of the most budget-friendly multi-country pass, and didn't try to up-sell me on any frivolous extras. He warned me that I would have to purchase a $5 supplementary ticket for a 10 mile part of my train ride through Austria which would occur on my Munich to Zurich leg. If my husband and I didn't, we'd be ticketed and out an extra $100 by the end of our journey! How the heck was I supposed to know that on my own?

Byron is truly fantastic, and has come through on the multiple times I've called him for advice and guidance. He even told me exactly where to find the Naples-Pompeii platform within the Naples station, so I wouldn't be grandfathered away from the Villa of the Mysteries yet again. I received my train tickets, my necessary seat reservations and a complimentary train schedule book from Byron in the couple weeks he said I would get them. So, if your idea of awesome Euro-tripping is not worrying about anything train-related, talk to Byron at 800-441-2387, from 9-5 EST. I'll probably call him and tell him how much fun I had when I get back!

Ciao from Roma,
Beth

Patricia Patterson in the L.A. Times!

Our current exhibition "Patricia Patterson: Here and There, Back and Forth" received an awesome write-up in the Los Angeles Times this weekend! We had an excellent immediate response from it, including visitors all the way from L.A. and Riverside counties making their way down to the museum to see the show this past Sunday. (And, I'm sure there will be more where that came from!) If you haven't seen Patterson's work yet, come on in! It will be up 'till June 30th. Until then, please enjoy this article and get a glimpse at what we have going on here, right now, at the Center Museum. Thanks to Leah Ollman for such a great article!

x Carissa

Los Angeles Times Article: 'Here and There' with Patricia Patterson

Museum Hours:
Tues-Saturday, 10a-4p
Sundays, 1p-5p
Closed Mondays

For more info:
Call- 760.839.4120
Web- artcenter.org/museum

The Cardiff Kook does Van Gogh

Really quick! This is a little after the fact, but it’s a local happening that I thought should be recognized on our blog nonetheless. If you hadn’t seen it in the news already, the “Cardiff Kook” was recently (artfully) re-vamped to celebrate Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday (3/30/1853). The Kook statue has been a common target for public art projects, but next to the shark attack project last summer, I think this is one of the best! Thanks to local, Carlsbad artist, Bryan Syder for sharing his art with the entire community! Can’t wait to see what else he has in store, and who targets the Kook next.

Check out more of Bryan's art projects after the jump!

x Carissa

Guerrilla Gardening: Dig It!



Image: http://ecosalon.com/broke-20-fun-things-to-do-without-spending-a-dime/



The term "guerrilla"  conjures images of revolution and anti-establishment movements .....or all the alternative guys in middle school wearing Che Guevara t-shirts. Well, maybe that last one is just me. The guerrilla spirit of revolutionary change is what's driving our Art-In-Action: Guerrilla Gardening event on Saturday, April 16.

According to my very scholarly research (Wikipedia) guerrilla gardening refers to a range of green-thumbery from the overzealous planter who leaks into his neighbor's yard to the politically-motivated activist who utilizes a plot of land the owner of which has abandoned or neglected. The latter touches on issues of land rights and ownership. "Guerrilla gardening" is believed to have been first applied by Liz Christy and her Green Guerrilla group in New York City in 1973. Christy and company transformed a dilapidated neighborhood lot into a beautiful garden still thriving today.

Our Art-in-Action: Guerrilla Gardening experience is a great chance to be involved in this act of beautification. In true clandestine fashion, our location in-need-of-TLC will be revealed at the event; and we will commence creating a lush landscape of native plants, succulents and other water-wise varieties. We are still seeking out gardening implements such as shovels, pitch forks, hand tools, gloves, etc. So, we invite you to bring your own to use or to share. The details are below; we hope to see you there!!!

Date: Saturday, April 16, 2011
Time: Choose a shift : 9 am - 12 pm or 12 pm - 3pm
Place: Meet at the Center Museum at 9 am, and we will then walk to location
Tickets:  Free to Center Members; Non-members $8/person or $15/family; call the ticket office at 760-839-4100 to reserve your place
Extras: Water and snacks provided, but please bring your own sack lunch; dress in comfortable clothing you don't mind getting dirty and bring any gardening implements you like

Need more info? Contact Arts Education Manager Brian Gibson with any questions.


Later,
Beth

Kitsch Vs. Americana: Leslie Hall's Gem Sweaters



Image: http://www.lesliehall.com/

 

 There are many trends in which we may regret having participated through the years, and others in which we may deny having participated. There is, however, a point at which a sense of nostalgia overtakes our desire to wretch when we think of some special trends and phenomena. A certain lapse of time somehow softens the lens of our critical eye and kitsch can become something about which we reminisce with joy, affection, and even a sense of pride. It can become regarded as something uniquely American: Americana.


  This is what artist Leslie Hall has achieved with her popular website celebrating, amongst other things, gem sweaters. Gem sweaters: we've all seen them, we may have owned them, and we may know people still sporting them.  Hall discovered her first gem sweater over a decade ago in an Iowa thrift store, and was immediately taken. She began collecting the sweaters and decided to share them with the world via the Internet. Hall has an extensive gallery wherein she photographs herself modeling the sweaters with a dead-pan countenance and more than a hint of Grant Wood's American Gothic. Not content to simply offer her sweaters virtually, Hall has a Mobile Museum of Gem Sweaters housed in an RV which she takes on tour with her hip-hop band, Leslie and the LYs.


  While Hall's sweater crusade can be appreciated as the height of irony, her painstaking efforts to preserve, document, share, and even name these sweaters and the web community's  enthusiasm for her efforts show a clear transcendence of these gemmed beauties from kitsch to Americana. Clement Greenburg be damned!  Hall does not archive these sweaters to be hip and clever (though she is), rather she wants to share this expression of the American aesthetic with the world. Her earnestness is refreshing. Best sweater name: "Route to My Feelings."


Later,
Beth

Maui Wowie!

Sorry for the delay, folks! As you should know by now, I'm addicted to trippin' and my latest adventure was to Maui, HI. I bought a ludicrously cheap plane ticket (under $300/roundtrip) back in December and my best friend and I decided to go visit my cousin who lives out there with his girlfriend. [Cheap ticket and a free place to stay? Yes, please!]While I've been to Hawaii before, I've never been able to experience it quite like this. The last couple times I went I was 15 and 18 years old-- with my parents and without a lot of freedom, so naturally I was chained to the resorts and houses they'd rented while we were there. This time, that was NOT the case! My girlfriend and I were able to borrow my cousin’s car and we were let loose to explore the island with fervor reminiscent of Thelma and Louise. Every day we were exploring a new nook and cranny of that island. We left no waterfall, bamboo forest, beach, or crater unseen. We stand-up paddle boarded, snorkeled, body surfed, hiked, baked in the sun and hung out with the locals. The people there are just as colorful as their surroundings and it is truly a paradise I can’t begin to describe. Whales are as common as house cats, sea turtles do not shy away from you, and if you want to catch the best show in town, all you have to do is pack a cooler and go down to any beach (they’re all around you. . . it’s an island!) and watch a sunset. AND, if you really want a good show, I recommend Haleakala Crater for a sunrise above the clouds at 10,000 feet. Its freezing cold up there with gusty winds, but it’s totally worth the goose bumps and the lack of sleeping in. When you’re done, just do what we did and pass out on a warm sandy bed and let the wave’s lull you back to sleep.

 A while back I previously posted a blog about noticing the art of nature around you every day, and while in Maui this thought struck me everywhere I looked. It’s an overload of color combinations that would inspire even the dullest of human beings who lack any inkling of creativity. Maui is a magical place, full of vibrant color and vitality and it has reminded me that life is too short to get caught up in superficial, wanton, aspects of the day-to-day that we’ve created in our own minds. Rather, we should place more importance on the beauty that surrounds us naturally, everyday. I’m looking out the museum windows at Grape Day park and the orange groves and jacaranda trees that surround it, and likewise looking at the beautiful paintings that Patricia Patterson has done of the landscapes that have captivated her, and it makes me realize how much our surroundings can influence us and at the same time how often they go unnoticed.

Needless to say, when you’re in a place as wonderful as Maui, it’s hard to look the other way. I had a great time there and came back with not much more than a wicked tan and a strong urge to go back ASAP! J

Enjoy some of these photos from my trip. . .

x Carissa

Haleakala Crater at Sunrise

Natures creativity at its finest, Rainbow Eucalyptus trees on the way to Hana.

A whale of a tail!

The Venus Pool in Hana