From the Edge of the Envelope: Weekend Adventure's Part I

So there was a crazy weekend full of new and exciting things. I will say that I made it..... early in the month too ! I went to another country well another new country for me. So happily I am 2 for 2 on my new year's resolution. Coming soon posts about Austria. Before Austria I have to begin with Africa. See a theme last month it was country's starting with S this month A.

Sam has a friend and co-worker named Moses. Moses is a great person and one who is always up for adventure and trying new things. Conversations are inviting and interesting, Moses comes from Morocco and speaks French, Arabic, Spanish and of course English. Moses is a translator and I always love to chat with him because you never know where the conversation will go. For two Friday's Sam and I have given up date night to go off on some adventure with Moses and his collection of friends who are always as interesting as his conversation. I am so happy we are considered his friends, because that means we are interesting :)

Last week it was a jazz club in Stuttgart named BIX ( shout out to Aunt Nancy for the BIX Lives festival I always loved to go to near her house!) It was good wine and music the musicians were from Nebraska, New York, and Detroit which made for an interesting collection of songs.

This Friday we where whisked off to an African restaurant here in Stuttgart.

I haven't eaten African food in over a decade, for those of you in Milwaukee there is a great African restaurant ( I recommend the peanut soup and the ginger beer) Near the river between Benihana's and Maders.....

Moving on so I thought why not? rumor had it the owner was from Ethiopia, and with Sam along I wanted to be sure to find out if I was having an "authentic" experience. Sam has been to Ethiopia. Tonight's group included some new friends from right here in Germany, they are German's from Stuttgart. I had to laugh Biatta was wonderful and answered all of my pressing questions about German places, customs and things that make you go "huh ?" with a smile and lively explanations. Our table was small, the restaurant hot, and the food arrived 2 hours after we sat down and ordered ...which is very German. I loved the eclectic collection of artifacts, the decor was wild and this tiny restaurant had so many things to gaze upon.

Sam tried crocodile for the first time.... I had tried it when I visited Dave and Liz at the Mall of America ( age 18) I thought then it tasted like clam ( now this was crocodile in Minnesota at a sports bar) Moses swears it takes like a pork chop and Hasan thinks we are all crazy, Biatta thinks it is like chicken.... Sam looked at us all like we were crazy and just ate his crocodile. Sam says he never saw crocodile on the menu in Africa......I loved the fish I ate it was delicious... however I have to smile and laugh because in the center of this delightful african fish dish what did I find..... yes, you guessed it a typical German potato dish. I have no idea what the name of this dish is it is a dumpling cross sticky cross ball like thing that you have to cut with a knife. I know it is potato and it has a sweet vinegar after taste. There was the potato ball as I call it smack in the center of the dish..... Did I mention it sticks to the plate..as in you won't get it off it could be glued. The meal was good and Sam said it had African vibe with a commercial presentation. Wonderful for an African restaurant in Germany. The food was good the friends were better and the laughter was priceless. Biatta knew the owner, which came out during dinner. I met the owner a very nice man who indeed is from Ethiopia..... you just never know what will happen on a Friday night in Stuttgart.....

The best part of the whole evening however was the trip to the bathroom. I feel like I am channeling from the Tongue and cheek blog between bathroom sinks and taking pictures of bathrooms at tourist sites. It started when friends went there and didn't come back for close to 25 minutes. When they came back there was excited conversation about the tiny and I mean tiny little room with the roses..... I just had to see for myself ....so off I went and wow was it worth the trip. The bathroom was my favorite part of the restaurant. The bathroom itself is the size of a tiny closet in the US...no exaggeration. Packed into this tiny space is a ray of happiness and a delightful sink the size of a dinner plate that makes you stare.