marcielsims.com Blog

Beautiful Asian Flowerpots, Cache

My husband, Hal and I, Ilona were searching for an Asian Flowerpot, in fact for a pair. We talked about it again on Friday evening, having another glass of wine after dinner. We decided to drive to our favorite place to look in Vancouver, B.C. this weekend.

Saturday early we started out on a very beautiful, sunny morning going north. Not too much traffic on the I-5 freeway. We arrived in Vancouver around eleven in the morning and drove directly to our hotel, “The Hotel Vancouver” where we had made reservations for two nights. Monday is going to be a holiday in the States. We can drive home in plenty of time. We had a beautiful, sunny suit on the 7^th floor, overlooking the bay. After we rested a little and freshened up, we went downstairs to the dining room for a leisurely lunch. We had a taste for a fine wine and maybe some crepes or a souffle from the menu. The crepes were filled with chicken or small shrimp in a white wine sauce. With it we will try a crisp, mature Burgundy. After lunch, we could walk over to Robson Street to our favorite jade shop and we hoped we would find what we had in our minds for a while.

As we entered, no other customers were in the shop, and we had a chance to have a nice conversation with the owner of the shop. She remembered us, of course, all the times we had been good customers. She brought a big thick catalogue out and let us leaf through to give her an idea what it is we wished for. After a while, she excused herself and told us, she would be back shortly, while we were looking through more of that catalogue. She came back with a big smile on her face, holding a big box. She revealed what was in the box, still smiling. We could not believe what she took out: Square sided pots, celadon green, beautiful finish, a pristine sculpted dragon wrapped around all four sides, a nice size Cache! How beautiful and such a surprise! The lady will find a miniature bonsai tree for us to put on my Hal’s rosewood desk. On our next trip to see my sister, Friedl, we will take the second Cache and gift it to her. She has a lot of house plants, a green thumb and will love it.

As we were sitting in the dining room in a beautiful hotel on the Stanley Park side of Vancouver, we still could not believe our luck finding the exact flowerpots we had envisioned. They are beauties. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner of beef filet mignon with “potatoes Anna” and green, buttery and crisp asparagus. Hal ordered a bottle of a mature Bordeaux from France. A rare, full-body red, a symphony! A wonderful memory, lovely time together with my Hal.

Sunday, we slept in and went for a champagne brunch at the dining room of the Vancouver Hotel. After, we went for a walk, it was a bright, sunny afternoon to visit a garden café for ice coffee and a piece of “Black Forest Torte,” with my beloved Hal across the table from me, what could be lovelier?

On Monday morning, we stopped by the lady in the jade store and as promised she had the most beautiful bonsai azalea tree in bloom for my Hal’s Cache. He was extremely happy, and of course, so was I.

Our Friends, Ruth and Kurt Pieper

We met the Piepers, Ruth and Kurt, through our dear friends, the Kolosars, Marilyn and Richard. Ruth had in their home in Somerset an art gallery. Mostly lithographs and etchings of beautiful German and French cities, and awesome country sites.

My husband, Hal, had to go for his job to meetings on the East Coast, and is often not at home on weekends, like this one. We received an invitation from our dear friends, the Kolosars to join them to visit Ruth’s art gallery, she had in her home in Somerset, Bellevue to see some new art works displayed and she would have a short lecture about the artists. Hal encouraged me to go. Richard and Marilyn picked me up and we looked forward to all the great artwork Ruth Pieper will display. She also showed some beautiful oil paintings, by a German artist, Wilie Bauer. My Hal and I remember seeing these oil paintings at Frederick and Nelson’s Art Gallery “White.” We liked the style, much like Impressionism and the way this artist applied the oil paint. He used his pallet knife instead of brush. Beautiful paintings! A wonderful variety of stone lithographs and some etchings of nudes by “Edna Hibel.”

I enjoyed spending some precious time here. Ruth and her husband Kurt were good hostesses, serving a glass of French champagne or a refreshing German Riesling while Ruth gave the lecture. While I was enjoying a glass of Riesling, I had the opportunity to meet the Host and Hostess. Ruth was a charming lady and very knowledgeable of all the art and artists. Both Piepers came from Germany. Kurt worked for Boeing, Airplane manufacturing Company in Seattle, Washington. After the lecture I talked with them and they told me that their plan was after Kurt retires, they are going back to Germany and they already had purchased a little condo in Karlsruhe, the city they both grew up in and lived in before they went to Canada and then came to the USA.

We had become good friends with Ruth and Kurt Pieper over the years. When my Hal and I were thinking about our retirement (in quite a few more years), we talked of purchasing a little condo in Germany close to my sister and family and stay six months in Europe and six months here in the USA. But as the time moved along, it turned out to be a problem. Where to spend the summers and where to spend the winter months? It came down in the final plan, to four weeks. We so enjoyed our home here, a beautiful condo on the Eastside of Seattle. Our life and our friends are all here, so a few, two to four weeks in Europe would be sufficient. My sister loves to visit us here too. We would not need a condo for such a short time. We will enjoy our friendship with Ruth and Kurt while they are still here and we could always visit them, while at my sister’s. In the meantime, we will visit Ruth here at her home and her gallery. There is so much more to look at, admire and purchase some of her awesome art. Edna Hibel, Wilie Bauer, the Casamires and the Eidenbergers, the last two have an endless selection of stone lithographs and etchings. Edna Hibel is an American artist and Ruth carries some beautiful etchings by her in sepia color, I fell in love with.

We had a great condo here with an awesome art collection, a library with walls of books for my Hal. Who would be so short sighted and leave all that behind here in the US to live in a little condo in Europe? We will make an effort, when we visit my sister, to visit the Piepers in Karlsruhe. In the meantime, we will add to our art collection here at Cougar Hill condos in Bellevue.

So much food for heart and soul right here!

A Summer Visit from my Sister Friedl

That summer day my Hal and I were driving to SeaTac Airport to greet my sister who was visiting us for three months from Germany.

I cannot believe that she has been here with us for 4 weeks already. But we have been very busy, so the time passes fast. Before my sister Friedl arrived, I had contacted the manager and sales lady at I. Magnin’s “Designer Room” to inquire when they would receive their leather coats, full length coats. She told me that usually they arrive in September, sometimes in late August. I had that call on Wednesday evening and so far, there are five full length coats, soft leather, in different style and color in this shipment “and they are beautiful” she added.

I did not tell my sister Friedl what I had planned for her, it was to be a surprise by my husband Hal and me. I wore for my trip to Germany in 1957 a beautiful, soft, cream color leather coat, my sister Friedl fell in love with. This is now my opportunity to gift Friedl one also and let her pick it out. Today, Saturday is my day with my sister to go shopping downtown and have lunch and a style show at the tea-room at Frederick and Nelson.

When we arrived at I. Magnin on the second floor, the sales lady recognized me and came toward us with a smile. I noticed some hangers right by the dressing room with beautiful leather coats, even a white one. Stunning! After the introduction and a little conversation, I went with Friedl into the dressing room. Soon my favorite sales lady came into the dressing room with several coats over her arm. I knew right away that my sister Friedl would not be interested in any of these. It was the color Friedl would not wear. Two brown ones and a red one. O NO! The sales lady noticed the rejection right away and admitted that these would not suit Friedl. She left and came back with two more. A black one, but a bit too sporty in style. Now, for the “piece d’resistance” a stunning soft, with flared back, white leather coat!

Friedl’s face showed a smile and tears in her eyes. She tried it on, and she looked elegant, stunning and happy. No gift wrap needed just a garment bag with hanger. I went with the sales lady to the counter to pay, while Friedl waited and then two happy ladies, after saying thank you and goodbye, left the store and walked across the street to the parking garage to securely put the garment bag in the car trunk and left for Frederick and Nelson’s tearoom for lunch and a style show.  

The lunch was very tasty, and we enjoyed the beautiful big shrimp in a cognac sauce, but there was not much conversation. I knew that Friedl was thinking about her awesome coat, so I kept from talking. I do believe that the time was wasted when we “watched” the style show, our attention was not on the beautiful clothing. But the coffee and delectable dessert, we would not want to miss.

Friedl planned to wear this gorgeous coat on her return flight back to Germany. But that day will come much later. We still had more plans to fulfill, more scenery to see and more friends to meet.

It was to be a wonderful time together with the two people I loved so dearly.

A Day Journey to the Pike Street Market

It was Easter Saturday during another visit by my sister Friedl. My Hal had to go to his office that day. We had planned to drive to the Oregon coast, Otter Crest, right by the ocean on a high cliff for the weekend. We have to reschedule it for another time. Friedl and I planned to stay home and enjoy the deck with sunshine, a glass of a beautiful white Burgundy and a marvelous lunch, like a cheese soufflé.

But, what to do when the sun gets too warm, the delicious food and the wine are gone? Well, we decided to get dressed up and drive into the big city of Seattle and visit the Pike Street Market, browse the wonderful deli store, DeLaurentis, the French Patisserie, the kitchen store Sur la table and have the wine and food tomorrow, when Hal will be home to share it with us. We found a parking spot right in front of Starbuck’s, parked and started walking. There we spent a lot of time, first looking and admiring and then, picking cheeses, Paté of duck, duck confit, sweet butter and baguette, everything necessary to make a delicious meal tonight, when Hal gets home from work.

From there we walked by all the flower stands until we found the lady, I usually find my beautiful flowers. This Saturday she had a great assortment of tulips. The heads on the flowers were very large and looked like they were dipped in wax. So beautiful! I got two bundles of yellow and one of white. It will make a stunning bouquet. From there we went across the street to Sur la table. It was of course more interesting to me than to Friedl, since all their merchandise was not available when I came to the USA. My sister had to mail it to me. It is so nice to see all this appearing slowly now. From there we wanted to stop one more time at the French Patisserie/Bakery. I hoped they still had one pastry left, a Paris-Brest ring filled with rich patisserie crème. We were very lucky, they had several of them and one with coffee crème, that is what I wanted. These rings had their beginning by honoring the winners of the Paris to Brest and back to Paris bicycle race, many years ago. I purchased some Brioches for tomorrow’s breakfast, I will heat them up and serve them with sweet butter and raw honey.

This was such a wonderful day for me and for Friedl, she seemed to be very happy, one could not make it any more fun or more perfect, if one spent several hundred dollars more.

We were walking to the car and had planned to drive home, set a beautiful table, pick a wine from my Hal’s wine cave and make up a scrumptious dinner with all the goodies we had purchased. Yellow table linens with yellow and white tulips and my beautiful cobalt blue dinner set.

As we arrived by my car, I noticed right away that the parking meter had expired and then I saw the ticket on the windshield. Friedl wanted to know what this all means, and I explained it all to her, while reading the ticket.

Someone somewhere heard my thoughts about spending or not spending an additional two hundred dollars, even though this could not make this day any nicer.

This is not for real!

The ticket was $240.00. Oh, well.

Another Summer Visit from my Sister Friedl

Today was the day my Hal and I were driving to Sea Tac to pick up my sister Friedl who was arriving with Pan Am from Germany. This is the visit we will go shopping to replace her pretty dress. We were not able to find a replacement during the last visit.

What we have to realize is that styles have changed, and we are of course older now than when this all happened (stubborn berry stains on our dresses). I put feelers out before Friedl arrived and found something she would really love.

My Hal will join us too, he took his vacation this time, the two weeks Friedl will be here and so did I. After a day of rest for Friedl, due to Jet lag, I called my sales lady at I. Magnin that all was set, and we could come. We arrived at the second floor and when we saw the sales lady we decided to greet her, and introduce Friedl. Hal and I sat down in comfortable chairs right by the dressing room. Janet, the sales lady left and came back with several beautiful silk blouses and slacks. All by Armani. Friedl came out of the dressing room giving us a little style show.

The first one was a bit sporty I thought, and I could see on Friedl’s face she was not too thrilled either. Oh, the second one was beautiful and Friedl was happy, I could tell. The white, silk blouse had a Russian look, it closed to the side with a standing collar, long full sleeves with French cuffs. The slacks, also white, were light-weight wool in a beautiful fit with belt. We had to agree that this was very elegant and made for Friedl. While Janet saw to it that it was put into a garment bag, we went to the shoe salon and found a beautiful pair of white high heel sandals.

All three of us were happy with the purchase and ready to have a wonderful lunch. We picked up the car in the parking garage and drove to the Old Olympic Hotel parking garage and walked across the street to the Olympics Georgian room, where we had made reservation.

My Hal ordered a bottle of fine champagne for our little celebration. We thought one of their seafood salads with green goddess dressing, made in their own kitchen would go very good with that champagne and would allow us some of their delicious desserts with an espresso.

When we arrived home, we packed our little suitcases, so we could start our journey to the Oregon Coast right after breakfast. We had this trip planned on one of Friedl’s visits, but had to postpone it because Hal had to work. By the time we arrived at our first destination, Lincoln City, The Spanish Head Inn, we enjoyed a walk on the beach first.

The air was awesome, so was the sun going down and the scenery. We will enjoy the sound of the ocean during the night with the window open. It was time to get a table by a window, candlelight and a wonderful dinner with a fine wine. My Hal would have no difficulty finding one in the “Captain’s Wine Menu.” After enjoying two days of walking along the beach, good food and relaxation we were on our way to the “Otter Crest” Condos. They are sitting high on a cliff above a beautiful cove. Hiking down a path it is beautiful to see the old pine trees, sculptured by winds and weather to have the look of Bonsai trees.

We stopped on the way and did shopping for our dinner, so we could have a relaxing evening in our condo with a fire going in the fireplace. I set a nice table with two big candles, I purchased on the way and started dinner in the kitchen, while my Hal and Friedl listened to music and rested.

I had purchased a piece of beef tenderloin, which I browned on all sides in clarified butter and then put into the oven to finish. I made in that roasting pan a beautiful brown, shiny sauce with Jack Daniels Whiskey. On the side I made a nice salad of greens, tomato and cucumber slices with a Ranch dressing and grated parmesan. I served the tenderloin in nice slices and put them on a bed of my delectable sauce and the salad on the side. My Hal brought from home in his attaché case a bottle of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Private Reserve. It was time now to call my loved ones to dinner.

                                        Bon Appetit!  

Our Life-Long Desire, Collecting Art

After a visit to the Behm Gallery in Bellevue, we decided to take our vacation in San Francisco this spring. We remembered an Art Gallery near the Ghirardelli Square with a very nice sales lady we shall visit, after we stopped at the Café right by the end station of the trolley to get one of their famous Irish coffee’s. The reason for this trip was not only art, but something we were not able to accomplish at home and will try our best here. We saw at the Behm Gallery a beautiful etching called “Snow in Normandy” but this etching we wanted was shown in a set of three and the sales lady told my Hal that they will not sell only this one.

We entered the art gallery and saw the lovely sales lady coming toward us and we received a warm greeting and welcome.  She asked if there was a certain piece we were looking for and we told her our story and described the etching. She lead us to the section with beautiful lithographs and stunning etchings and here my eyes caught Delacroix’ etching “Snow in Normandy” the center one in a set of three.

Molli, the nice sales lady told us right away that they will sell us just the one we want. That they always let their customer decide and they would sell them individually instead in a set. They will change the glass to plexiglass that would not shatter and air ship it to our home.  We thanked her for her kindness and asked if we could look around the gallery. She, of course, said yes and offered us an espresso.

My Hal and I were delighted to take a stroll through the rest of the gallery. We remembered how many beautiful pieces of fine art they had, from our last visit. We suddenly came to a section with striking pencil sketches. And there my eyes stopped by a lovely pencil sketch of my favorite Impressionist “Camille Pissarro.” It was beautifully framed, and I could see already it was coming home with us. Molli, the sales lady thought this a good choice and wrapped it in bubble wrap. After a sincere thank you, we went on our way. We are able to take this parcel in our luggage on our flight home.

Now would be the perfect time to do some celebrating. We drove to our hotel, stopped at the desk and inquired where we could order room service. We ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon, a lobster salad with French bread and sweet butter on the side and French triple cream cheese with a dallop of fig paté as dessert.

The next morning after breakfast we went into the city to I.Magnin. They always carried “Escada” silk blouses. I was hoping that I could extend my blouse collection and find another Escada blouse. They are a treasure to own.  

After that we will be on our way to Carmel. We cannot visit San Francisco so near, and not visit Carmel. We are looking for a wonderful lunch at our favorite French bistro and a visit with the French owner. It is always a pleasure to visit with her. We heard that Mr. Balyon has his own gallery now and is not represented by Simic any longer.

Our pleasant, good news was two-fold. The lunch of very tender and tasty veal with a fine cognac sauce, rice and green asparagus was excellent and the dream of a Mosel Riesling together with a visit with the French lady was something not to forget. For our flight home we had another little parcel for the other suitcase. A beautiful oil on wood painting by Balyon. It will be a good partner to the ones we already have.

Now that was not only a vacation it was an outstanding shopping trip to fulfill our desire.

A Bouquet of Flowers

This has been a month filled with beautiful tulips which are my favorite flowers to bring into my home. Though I had never seen them put up like this before. I received them in big glass, cylinder vessels without any soil, just the bulbs in water.

The first ones my dearest friend and generous Marcie brought, when she visited me for a wonderful luncheon, she always brings flowers. The second big glass cylinder vessel I received from my dearest friends Karin and Karl, who moved to Chelan from here, but visit often. Those tulips are gorgeous, pure white with just a little soft green inside and at the tips of the pedals. They are quite large and have ruffles like parrot tulips.

Today, my sweet neighbor, Janet gave me another glass cylinder with beautiful lavender tulips. I have a wonderful spring garden of tulips here and I am blessed with wonderful friends. All this what surrounds me here brought to mind, how much flowers are able to communicate and speak for us so clearly.

It was December of 1953. I had gotten married to a wonderful American soldier in Germany. I worked for General Eisenhower at his command Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany and there met Halvor Legrand Cole, we fell in love and after we got permission from the state department and the army we got married in November.

Distance did not permit the parents of my Hal to be here for the wedding. Mrs. Cole therefore was not involved in planning or giving any input and opinion. So, to make a bridge between Hal’s parents and myself, I ordered one dozen long-stemmed, red roses for Mrs. Alice Cole to be delivered on Christmas eve day. That should break the ice. Hal was already back in the USA for Christmas and after I received my visa and entry permit the end of February 1954 I arrived in Seattle in the State of Washington where my Hal and his family resided.

Another important time, where I let the beauty of flowers speak, was Mrs. Alice Cole’s sixty- fifth birthday. It is such an important day, not necessarily a happy one, but I wanted to make it one, she would always remember the flowers and not the years. My Hal and I ordered sixty-five long-stemmed red roses for his mom to be delivered on that special day.

Hal’s mother truly enjoyed the gorgeous bouquet of roses, communicating love between two women when flowers are the language to use, rather than conversation. If not love, then respect and appreciation for the mother of the husband, because after all, if it were not for her, I would not have the greatest, most wonderful husband, her son, my Hal.

I always believed that beautiful flowers can speak and communicate what we, as people, are not able to convey. Flowers are a loving way to convey one’s feelings, flowers have no strong opinions, they do not care who it is who buys them, who takes them home or who admires them.

In a bouquet they all are equally beautiful, and the sender is loved for this deed.

Gathering Blueberries in West Seattle

It was summer of 1963, a beautiful day and my dearest sister Friedl was visiting us here in the USA for three months from Germany. Hal and I had split our vacations to do some fun things with Friedl because for this length of time my sister would be alone a lot. But I also had a lot of offers from friends who wanted to do fun things with Friedl on the days we were working. To take drives with her, the ocean, or an Island in the Puget Sound, or take her shopping in Seattle or Bellevue or to some of the interesting restaurants we have for a tasty lunch.

We had some very dear friends, Coleen and Bob, we went dancing with them often to the officer’s club. Hal and Bob both worked for AT&T and both had joined the Airforce reserve for two years. Coleen would leave a note on my kitchen counter to tell me the approximate time when they would get back and where they would go. This beautiful, sunny day while at work I knew, that my Friedl had a fun day with Coleen.

I was looking forward to this evening. Hal my husband will bring Bob home with him and Coleen, when she arrives with Friedl will also stay and we will have dinner together. Coleen and Friedl arrived at the time I came home from work and entered the garage. Shortly after Hal arrived with Bob. Behind Bob and Coleen’s house in West Seattle was a large, wooded area between their home and a church.

The ravine was sloping downward and growing blueberry bushes. Friedl and Coleen picked a big basket of berries, I was delighted to get them and planned on making a galette for dessert. I always have buttery crust in the refrigerator, brought it out and while I prepare dinner, the galette can bake.

I noticed that Friedl looked very crisp and clean, no marks or stains of ripe berries on her white eyelet cotton lace summer dress nor on Coleen either. How did I manage that long ago, picking huckleberries in Germany to mess up my dress so bad, that even the cleaners could not rescue the dress?

Later that evening, as I went into Friedl’s room I noticed her dress over a chair. It did look about as bad as mine did. I will take Friedl shopping next week. The dress will not survive. Not washing it, or not even drycleaners could get mine clean so I had them dye it navy blue and I purchased a navy blue silk slip. But I am sure my Friedl does not want this dress dyed. I will look for a dress, same material, next week and if they have some I will take my Friedl with me to work and at lunchtime we go and she may pick one. This store has very beautiful and unusual material summer dresses for ladies and it is right next door to the bank where I work.

Our dinner was a success. I had made Porterhouse steaks with a large mixed green salad, crunchy warmed Baggett with sweet butter. My Hal opened a wonderful Mondavi Cabernet. For dessert we enjoyed the fragrant blueberry galette and coffee.

The taste of the blueberry galette was definitely worth all the problem with berry stains, Friedl’s, mine long ago, and as we found out later also Coleen’s. She redressed at her house before they came back to our house. It ended up a perfect sunny and fun day with family and friends.

Huckleberry Hunt in the Odenwald (Ode to the Forest)

It was a beautiful sunny day. The year was 1953 and I had met a very sweet and special American soldier at Headquarters of the US armed forces, General Eisenhower’s Command in Frankfurt/Germany where I worked as secretary to the communication officer since 1948. Being such a fine day, we made plans for a drive through the beautiful Odenwald (Ode to the forest) a serene forest to admire, take in the sunshine, have a picnic and relax.

My dear friend Hal had purchased a car from a buddy who was going home to the US after his three years of occupation duty in Germany. This forest is the area where Richard Wagner staged most of his famous operas and one could easily imagine high up in these old oak trees his powerful music while lingering a while or walking along these paths. We had parked the car (no cars allowed on the beautifully groomed walking paths.) We were looking for one of the many gazebos to get settled and have our wonderful lunch my sister Friedl so lovingly prepared for us.

We started our conversation with: “When we get our permission from the state department and armed forces for getting married.” All the preparation we still need to do. What is our next step? As we were enjoying our delicious lunch, we noticed that all around us were Huckleberries growing, low on the ground under the aging oaks. After we had enjoyed the last bite and the last of our coffee, we took some of the bowls Friedl had put different salads in, wiped them clean and got up to gather berries to take home to Friedl, so she could bake a berry galette and how surprised she would be over our effort. We filled our bowls full of these plentiful, big, ripe and juicy berries. We came back in our gazebo, sat down and admired our work, thinking how delicious this galette will taste especially for my Hal, he loved American pie, he had told me. Sitting down, I noticed a couple of big stains from the Huckleberries on my white eyelet cotton lace dress. I shall take care of this, when we arrive home at Friedl’s.

When we arrived at Friedl’s and her husband Georg’s home my Friedl was so delighted, and Hal and I got big hugs from her. But when she saw my stained dress, she remarked that these berries were very expensive. I changed my dress, and I will soak it, while we have dinner. Hal was invited to stay for dinner and of course for dessert. Friedl prepared the galette and while it was baking, she made dinner. A beautiful, fragrant galette came out of the oven, while we had a lively conversation during the fabulous dinner of Duck l’orange and all the trimmings. We also enjoyed one of Georg’s fine Burgundy wines.

Other than my dress disaster, it was a wonderful, lovely day in the Odenwald and joining my family for dinner and an awesome huckleberry galette.                                                               

                                                                 … exactly ten years later…

A Beautiful Ski Resort in the Alpine Mountains “Garmish Partenkirchen”

It was to be a cold winter this year and my Hal and I had made plans to be in Germany at the same time as our good friends who went on skiing trips almost every winter to Germany, Switzerland or Austria. We made plans to meet them in the beautiful village of Garmish right in the Alpine Mountains. My Hal and I are not skiers, but meeting our friends there, enjoying the superb Restaurants, going shopping in this great village and sight seeing sounded good to us and we wanted to explore this opportunity.

We flew into the Airport close to Munich and contacted our friends after we arrived at our Hotel. We set a time to meet with them in the restaurant in our hotel to have lunch together and make plans for the three days my Hal and I were there. When they arrived at our table and after the big hugs we got ready to order lunch. We found out from our waiter that we still could have breakfast and that their chef makes French toast from Brioche/raisin bread and serves it with heated honey, a slice of Jambo (French ham) accompanied with a mélange of berries. A wonderful fragrance arose from the coffee pot as the waiter was pouring it into our cups. The breakfast was to behold, it was tasty, and our plans were put on hold. Our attention was given entirely to the food in front of us.

We also were discussing dinner for tonight. Richard suggested we have dinner in the Chalet way on top of the mountain and described the beautiful dining room in the chalet. But if we want to get a glimpse of the awesome surroundings, this should be for lunch and not dinner I thought. It is getting dark by five o’clock. Everyone agreed and we made reservation for the next day for lunch. And dinner reservation for tonight at this fabulous hotel. Richard told about the awesome dining room and the breathtaking view and there are gondolas taking the non-skiers up to the chalet. Richard and Marilyn left to take in a few more runs skiing and we went to our suit to unpack our suitcase to get out some warm clothing and our boots. Dressed nice and warm we thought to walk leisurely through town, look into some shops or just “people watch.”

My Hal was wearing charcoal gray slacks with a gorgeous Missoni sweater, his gray shearling coat and his boots. I wore my cream color cashmere slacks with a plum color cashmere sweater and my cream color cashmere coat and boots. We were dressed nice and warm, just not in ski fashion.

Garmish has a lot of American Army personnel and their families living there. They had built a large Hotel with PX and a commissary outside of town for the American families to shop. Our friends stayed in a Motel with the ski group from Boeing. Our hotel was right in town, had a beautiful appointed lobby and was two stories high. We had a suit on the second floor with a separate bedroom and in the bathroom a huge bath tub. Breakfast or a late snack were offered as room service. A very nice and spoiling touch.

We had a lovely dinner that night with our friends. My Hal ordered a bottle of an aged red Burgundy, a symphony on ones tongue and tastebuds. Our two gentlemen ordered filet of venison with an awesome sauce, spaetzle (pasta)and white asparagus on the side. Marilyn and I ordered Chateau Briand for two, very delicious! For dessert we four ordered the same crème bruleé and a delicious espresso. Our friends invited us to join them to a club for music and dancing. But we declined, since we had our long flight from Seattle behind us we preferred to go upstairs to our suit and relax.

Today is Saturday and it is very cold, but sunny and no fresh snow. It seems that today again our agenda is “eating.” Lunch at the Chalet. Looks like that is all we do. The gondola ride up the mountain was spectacular and the scenery breathtaking. As we came out of the gondola one felt uninhibited and free. In ones lifetime to see this surround is a tremendous gift. Never to be forgotten. The scenery inside the chalet, especially the dining room was also awe inspiring. Beautifully furnished, beautiful vessels with flowers on every table and soft, pleasant music throughout. We were seated by a big round table right by a window. The white linen on the table was bright with the sun coming through the window and the white fresh snow was glistening in the sunshine and everything looked so pristine. One could order from a menu or partake from the plentiful buffet. Marilyn and I ordered from the menu, like our breakfast yesterday and our two gentlemen went to the buffet. We had a wonderful assortment of food, good aromatic coffee and a lively conversation and the time passed along fast. The few hours left of the Saturday were used to purchase some beautiful cards with photos of this town and this beautiful surrounding area. We will treasure them along with photos my Hal took of Garmish and our friends and places.

Tomorrow, Sunday we will make the rounds to art galleries and the art museum. We found some lovely pencil sketches in one of the art shops. Something for the soul and emotion. They too need to be fed. Monday morning my Hal and I will take the Bullet Train to Darmstadt to spend the rest of our vacation with my sister Friedl and her husband Georg. We will take home some beautiful purchases and awesome memories.