Midwestern Road Trip: Michigan

June was not the only month of travel for the Tamander household.  The international part of the Blue Lake International tour wrapped up after the first week of July, but there was still the mini-tour in Michigan itself.  The mini-tour is a chance for the band to bring their concert to one of the students' hometowns as well as back to the camp.

Arrangements had been made long ago that Mike and I would drive to the first destination in Michigan (with a pit stop in Chicago), stay in a hotel for the two days of the tour there, drive to Blue Lake on the other side of Michigan, meet up with the Herths who decided a year ago to take their family vacation in Michigan during the mini-tour, finish up the tour duties, and spend a few days with the Herths and Zeislers before heading back toward home.

We left Tuesday afternoon.  Except for a bit of heavy rain leaving St. Paul, the drive went very smoothly.

We stopped for a little snack in Wisconsin.

We reached Chicago around 8 pm, thankfully missing the heavy after-work traffic.  Our friends Sutina and Will graciously let us stay in their apartment in the city for the night.  It already being so late and we needing to leave rather early in the morning, we were only able to visit for a very short time.  The four of us would spend more time together on the return trip.

The remaining five-hour drive to Tecumseh, Michigan the next day was monotonous (Indiana, you know), but went by quickly.  Tecumseh is a small town in the south-eastern corner of the state with an Arts Center that could host the Blue Lake International Northern Winds Band.  As soon as everyone and everything (percussion equipment and such) arrived, Dennis ran the group through a short rehearsal.  It was also a trial-run of the concert program for me, as I had to fill in for the parts of the German percussionist who was not flying out to Michigan for the mini-tour. 

Afterwards, we took a walking tour of the city before heading off in our separate ways:  the kids to their host families, us to our hotel, and the Zeislers to their son's home in Ypsilanti.

A couple of the boys in the band left Mike a nice note.

One of the host families held a barbeque at their home for the campers and counselors, but other than that, our next obligation with the campers was not until the next evening to play the concert for the community.  Mike and I had to entertain ourselves in small-town Michigan!

Our hotel was in Dundee, a village about 20 minutes east of Tecumseh.  Fortunately, there were a few things to check out in the area:  a Cabela's store, an outpost of St. Julian Winery, and a Russell Stover store.  We especially enjoyed the wine tasting at St. Julian's.  The people there were very friendly and helpful and we bought a few things to enjoy back at home.

For dinner, we stopped at the local Big Boy restaurant to pay homage to our friend Kurt.

The concert that evening went fine.  In the percussion section, I made fewer mistakes than I had at the rehearsal the previous day.  The last thing everyone did before heading off was load the truck so that all of the equipment could be brought back to Blue Lake for the final concert.  The truck is normally driven by Mike, but because he drove to the tour this year, the responsibility had been passed onto one of the other counselors.  Unfortunately, when the camp rented the truck for the Northern Winds, they were given an unusually large one.  So large that the original counselor driving it might have had an incident involving a fence and some handicap signs when backing out of camp to go to Tecumseh.  And said counselor decided not to drive the truck any more.

As a result, Mike (who was originally supposed to ride on the bus with the kids while I followed in our car) got to drive one of these to the other side of Michigan.  And, no, a 22-foot long truck is not necessary to haul percussion equipment.  It was hardly 1/4 full with everything packed away.

It did mean, however, that Mike and I could leave before the rest of the Northern Winds group the next morning.  It worked out quite well because we could then check into our hotel in Muskegon, Michigan (about 20 minutes away) and unload our things before the final portion of the tour.

One of Mike's responsibilities after each international tour is to run the buses into camp upon their arrival carrying flags.  When the campers were getting close, we headed back to Blue Lake where I dropped Mike off with other counselors at the end of the long drive.  Because of some confusion with two different groups arriving at camp at the same time, Mike actually got to run twice (actually 1.5 times because they only went back half-way for the second time).  It was a lengthy distance!  But the Northern Winds kids enjoyed and appreciated it.

Hannah and Mike a bit winded after so much running.

 Once the kids unloaded the bus, everyone headed to the outdoor performance shell and got set-up for the final concert of the tour (this involved Mike driving the giant truck through narrow, winding paths and backing up the truck down a dirt hill without running over campers, counselors, wooden posts, and buildings).  We had a short rehearsal (even fewer mistakes the third time around for me!) and then the kids had dinner while Dennis and I drove out to the RV Camp Grounds where the Herths were staying to pick them up for the evening concert. 

After the concert (which went quite well), everyone said their goodbyes, packed up their things, and the kids headed home with their families.  The Herths, Zeislers, Kayla (another counselor), Mike, and I had a nice dinner together before we went our separate ways.  Kayla headed home (near Chicago), but the rest of us had plans to spend the next couple of days together.

Most of Saturday was spent at the Blue Lake camp grounds.  Annette, having hosted Blue Lake groups three times now, was very interested in the facilities.  I also had never been to the camp grounds where Mike had spent so many of his summers.

The camp is huge.  Even after walking all day, we had only covered half of the camp's area.  Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp models itself after a camp philosophy of sheltering young people from the outside world so that they can concentrate on their areas of study in a natural setting that encourages creativity.  My favorite sight around was various instrument cases stored all around camp at the base of trees.

One of the most impressive sites we visited at the camp was The Rose Theater, a newly built theater built in the style of Shakespeare's Globe.

The Rose from the outside.

View of the stage from the lower lever seating.

 Benjamin and Carol put on quite a show for Jo, Dennis, Mike, and me.  First, there was Romeo and Juliet.

 A nail-biting sword fight.

An important announcement!

The king has arrived!  Or is it really the court jester?

 Buccaneer Benjamin makes Carol walk the plank.

 An action-packed fight scene between Batman and Carol!

And they take their bows.

After touring Blue Lake, we had a little time to rest before having a very nice dinner at a place called Hearthstone in Muskegon.  We sat at a table that circled a fireplace (fortunately not turned on that night -- Michigan got all of Minnesota's extremely hot and humid weather) and had locally caught fish for our meal.  It was a lovely evening.

We checked out of our hotel on Sunday and met up with The Zeislers and Herths in a nearby harbor town called Grand Haven, Michigan.  Our group spent the morning walking the boardwalk towards the lighthouse where the Grand River meets Lake Michigan.  When we hit the beach, Mike and Benjamin went for a swim while the rest of us enjoyed the sunshine.  It was a peaceful way to spend our last day together.

Mike helped Benjamin ring one of the many bells along the boardwalk.

After having a last meal together and saying our goodbyes, Mike and I took off for the last leg of our journey:  westward bound towards Chicago!

A 15 Course Celebration

In early June we decided to go out for dinner to celebrate Mike signing his second contract at Minnetonka and my getting a full-time position in Maple Grove.  Feeling adventurous, we decided to head up to Robbinsdale and see what Travail Kitchen and Amusements would have in store for us this time around. 

Though we were mentally prepared for being very patient, we were fortunate enough to have absolutely no wait time to be seated having decided to take our seats at the counter looking into the kitchen.  We had an unobscured view of the chefs working and could wonder at their ingredients.

Like the last time, we opted to go with their ten course tasting menu for two.  Their menu is always changing, so we knew there would be plenty of surprises. 

 

To start, we ordered some prosecco.  It was a celebration after all.

Dinner started with an amuse of white cheddar soup.

Then course number one came:  Beet salad with compressed strawberry.  A variation of our salad from our last dinner and still very delicious.

For course number two we had sugar snap pea agnolotti with crème fraiche, preserved lemon, and carrot on the side.  (Some courses, like the one above, came as one plate to share.  Others, like this and the amuses, came with two individual portions.)

The next dish was a very curious sounding creation:  beef tartare pizza.  It included olives, sweet onions, and arugula amongst other ingredients.  Not necessarily a favorite (the tartare was good, but the crust of the pizza too crispy), but definitely interesting.

Following the pizza came another amuse:  Date and speck relish with sweet potato chip.  Mike was a fan; I, not so much.

Course number four brought amazingly tender octopus to our plates again.  This time our dish was siracha and honey glazed octopus with compressed apple, and Shashiko (twisted) pepper with pickled radish and horseradish puree.

Here is an up-close shot of our yummy friends.

Even the little guy wanted some apple.

Soup at Travail is absolutely amazing.  Our next course consisted of orange, cherry, and pumpkin seed with cauliflower soup. 

Now at course six, we had agnolotti filled with goat cheese with charred cauliflower, capers, olives, pine nuts, tomato broth, and garlic aioli turned into foam.  Both agnolotti were top contenders for my favorite.

Another amuse:  pickled green bean with Pachillo pepper.  Heavy on the pickled.

Mike called course number seven a homage to Top Chef:   pea puree, oyster mushrooms, brussel sprouts, risotto, and scallops.  Three of those components had been the cause of major drama on our beloved show.  

At this point, we already felt satiated.  But the meat courses were still on their way!  The eighth course:  chicken presse with sausage in the middle, zuchini, fried polenta, caper jelee, pickled okra, and lemon.

Thoroughly stuffed at this point, we pressed onward to our next course:  kielbasa with butter whipped potatoes, fried potato skins, leek puree, caramelized onions, and a soft poached egg fried.  This reinterpretation of breakfast was one of Mike's favortie dishes of the evening.

The egg that had been first soft poached and then fried was pretty awesome and impressive.

Mike is enjoying this late breakfast.

We didn't know if we could eat any more.  Full beyond belief, we prepared ourselves for the tenth course:  roasted beef cheek with baby bok choy, ramps, parsnip puree, and Raclette cheese ravioli.

We had decided many courses earlier that we were going to forgo the the dessert sampler.  There simply was not enough room in our bellies.  Perhaps because it was the beginning of the week or maybe they just had extra, the staff decided to treat us to dessert anyway.

Dessert number one (yes, there was more than one):  brownie, lemon bar, and green apple Dippin' Dots with orange broth.

The "Dippin' Dots" were in the shooter glasses with the orange broth.  We took those first.

I have to admit that the second dessert was quite heavenly, even if I could barely squeeze in any more food.  I know I have a weakness for lemon/lime desserts, but doesn't lemon tart with blackberries, blackberry puree, sugar cookie crumble with shattered lemon ice, and lemon segments sound amazing?

Including the three amuse bouche and two desserts, we had fifteen courses to digest.  Some of the dishes were forgettable, but others were wonderfully whimsy and delicious.  We had a great time dining at Travail and were able to make our way home overwhelmingly full and satisfied with our trip.

Treffen in Wolfsburg

By the time of my departure date for Germany, Mike had been away with Blue Lake for two weeks -- the longest we've been apart in years!  So, not only was I greatly looking forward to spending some time in Germany and seeing old friends again, but I was also very anxious to see Mike.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous, never having traveled abroad alone before.  Of course everything went smoothly and turned out fine.  Last year we always flew from Chicago to Munich before going back north to Hanover (we'd then take a taxi to Wolfsburg), but flying with Delta I had a flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, making the trip seem almost short!  The weirdest thing about Schipol Airport was their many announcements.  First they'd say it in English, which was fine.  Then they would repeat it in Dutch, the unfamiliar sounds confusing me.  It was always a relief when they would repeat the announcement a third time in German.  From Schipol, I had a short flight to Hanover, but by then I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.

My first destination after landing in Hanover Airport was to my friends Christel and Alberto's new home in Wolfenbüttel, Germany.  Wolfenbüttel is about an hour southeast of Hanover and half an hour southwest of Wolfsburg.  Their new home is absolutely adorable and beautiful.  After settling in, I helped them hang artwork they had just bought for their walls.  Handling giant frames and drilling into brick and concrete is an adventure!

That evening we went with our friend Chisako and her twelve-year-old daughter Akari to the center of Wolfenbüttel.  Basically untouched by the Second World War, the town still has many of its original buildings that date back hundreds of years.  Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of the picturesque sights, so I took a couple off of the internet.

Wolfenbüttel originally housed the Dukes of Brunswick because Brunswick (Braunschweig) and Wolfenbüttel were part of the same territory.  Today, the ducal library is famous for having the largest and best known collection of ancient books in the world, including bibles, printed texts from before 1501, and books from the Reformation. 

We spent our evening having dinner at a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant.  Good food and lovely company.  Lovely multi-lingual company.  One of the attributes of my "German" friends that I've always greatly appreciated is the multitude of languages we use to communicate with one another.  We certainly were a curiosity for the waitress as our conversations were a fluid mix between English, German, and Spanish (Alberto is originally from Argentina and met Christel while she was living in Spain) with some Japanese (Chisako and Akari) on the side.  I was even more amused when we told the waitress where we are all from because none of us are from Germany!

The next day turned out to be a beautiful day for enjoying good company, sunshine, and warmth.  I was so pleased to sit down to a leisurely and wonderful German breakfast of breads, spreads, cuts of salami and meat, and pâté.  Alberto had planned to barbeque this day, so Akari had stayed the night and his daughter Michela joined us in the morning.  Before grilling, we hung up one last giant picture frame -- this time in the stairway of the house.  It took all five of us, a lot of shifting, adjusting, and sweat to get it in place.

Then it was time to prepare our meal.  Mmm... lots of German meat!

 Alberto is working his magic at the grill.

The house also had a lovely pond in the back with beautiful water lilies.

Christel and Akari are picking gooseberries from the many trees of fruit and berries.

 Father-daughter love.

Akari and Michela are ready for desserts of berries and cream and Christel's experimental apple-gooseberry pie later on in the afternoon.

Monday morning I went with Christel to school as she still teaches some French classes at the Waldorfschule-Wolfsburg.  It felt surreal to drive by our old apartment and walk the grounds of the school again, but it was very nice to see and chat with some of my old colleagues as well as meet the new English and music teachers.  It was also fun to talk to former students and marvel at how much they've grown and changed in a year.  I met up with Annette there (she served as chair person for organizing the Blue Lake visit again) and the two of us prepared for the arrival of Blue Lake (and Mike!!), who were coming from Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. 

Finally they arrived (Annette and I had staked out two entrances, not knowing at which their double-decker bus would stop) and a sea of blue clothed teenagers began making their way towards the school, loaded with instruments and luggage -- all led by Mike.  It was wonderful to be swept up into his arms for a few moments before joining in on the task of helping the forty-some-odd students and the staff haul equipment and luggage in and settling down for lunch.

After lunch and before the kids went off with their Wolfsburg host families, two parents from the school had organized an art project for some of the German kids and the Blue Lakers to complete together.  They were to trace outlines of each others' bodies and fill this "frame" with images and words that shared impressions of their homes and the home of their foreign counterparts.  The finished product would be hung up for all to see during the school week and for the concert Blue Lake would play for the community Wednesday night.  As they worked, I enjoyed getting to know some of the Blue Lake kids and the staff as well as spending time with Mike.

Here are some of the finished posters.

Once all the kids had left with their host families, we went home with ours.  Mike and I as well as the band's director, Dennis Zeisler, and his wife Carol were all hosted by the Herths.  Back at the house, we spent the evening barbequing, drinking German wine and beer, and talking late into the night.

Someone... had scheduled an 8 am rehearsal for the band the next morning, so we returned to school bright and early.  Afterwards, the group was scheduled to meet the mayor of Wolfsburg at the Rathaus.  We all loaded the double-decker bus driven by their very kind driver Sven and headed downtown.  I'm sure it was quite a sight for the Wolfsburgers to see a mob of uniformly dressed students make their way into town hall.  

Blue Lake Northern Winds being photographed with the mayor.

After a short speech, we sat in the chambers where the political party members meet to watch a video about Wolfsburg.  The mayor then handed out a book about Wolfsburg to every member of the group.

The mayor and the Blue Lake Northern Winds staff holding their Wolfsburg books.

As a thank-you, the Blue Lakers sang the closing piece of their concerts, May the Lord Bless You and Keep You.  Mike gave their their starting pitches before joining the tenors/basses.

There was a bit of free time afterwards, so we took the kids to our favorite ice cream place in Wolfsburg, a little kiosk inside the City Galerie (the mall).   While the kids roamed for a while, we adults went out with our ice cream and walked along the pedestrian area of the city center.  Germany is the host for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, so there was soccer paraphernalia and soccer related activites everywhere.  In the center of the pedestrian mall the city had erected a huge temporary "sports bar" where people can watch the soccer matches on television screens outside while having something to drink or eat.  When there are no matches going on, there are live music groups playing on a small stage.  

One of the activities was a giant white soccer ball that people passing by could paint.  Carol and Kayla, one of the other counselors, decided to get in on the action. 

Their lovely artwork.

After joining up with the kids again and waiting for them to load up the bus, Mike and I stole away to have some lunch at one of our favorite Italian restaurants downtown.  Our caprese salad and pizza were excellent and it was great to have some time for ourselves.  We rode the bus back to school using bus tickets that I still had from last year and arrived just in time for the next big activity with the Blue Lakers of the afternoon.  

The last group activity of the day was heading down to Wolfsburg's Allerpark, which is a huge recreational area that includes the Volkswagon Soccer Arena, an indoor swim park, an outdoor wake board park, ropes courses, sand dunes... the list goes on and on.  One of the families at the Waldorfschule is on the board of the Rowing Club there, so they opened up the club house for Blue Lake and Waldorfschule students use.  We all spent the remainder of the afternoon swimming in the Allersee (Aller Lake) and soaking in the sun on their sand beach.  Our evening was spent having an incredibly huge dinner at Annette and Jo's favorite Greek restaurant. 

Wednesday's schedule was filled to the brim.  It began with sightseeing some major historical sites in the area.  I hadn't bothered to take any photos because Mike and I have visited both Hötensleben and the Kaiserdom in Königslutter many times and taken photos, so unfortunately, there are no current photos of either sites.

Our first destination was Hötensleben, a village that is situated on the former border between East and West Germany.  There, the "Hötensleben Border Monument Association" has preserved 300 yards of the original ten foot high wall that divided the east from the west for over twenty years.  All of our pictures are on Mike's camera, which is currently still traveling with him in Europe, but if you click here, you can watch a ten-minute video someone put together about the area as well as our next sightseeing spot. 

Nearby Hötensleben, there is a ginormous "hole" that is miles long and deep where the Germans have been mining brown coal for years.  We stopped at a viewing platform to see it (these pictures are also on Mike's camera).  At the stop, there was a large field of wild poppies.

From there, we went back north to Königslutter, which has a large Romanesque cathedral completed in 1170.  Annette and Jo are both tour guides there, so Mike and I have toured it and even attended its grand re-opening when all of its renovations were completed last year.  Annette gave us some history and we spent time looking around the beautiful building.  Click here for photos from their website.

Before leaving they sang The Lord Bless You and Keep You inside the cathedral.  You can view the video here.  

We arrived back in Wolfsburg late into the afternoon.  Between arriving and the concert that Blue Lake would perform that night was a few hours of free time as well as a barbeque put on by the school.  The downtime was nice and the food was delicious.  Soon everyone was getting ready for the performance.

Mike in concert dress.

Kids warming up on stage.

Annette gave the welcome and introduction to the audience that included school families, community members, and even a government official.

The opening piece of the concert was written by James Sochinski, an American composer and professor at Virginia Tech.  He just happened to be friends with Dennis and also just happened to be visiting Germany at the same time.  We were able to spend time with him and his wife over the week.  

Here is Jim conducting his piece for the concert.

There was a fervent request that Mike MC the concert.  He did an excellent job introducing all the pieces in German.

Soon enough, Stars and Stripes Forever was played and the audience gave the Northern Winds a standing ovation.  Their clapping and hollering for an encore was rewarded by the kids singing The Lord Bless You and Keep You, which surprised and amazed at least the audience members around me. 

After the concert, everything but luggage was loaded up onto the trailer of the bus.  Everyone went home and we had one final night of wine and snacks (Mike was gracious enough to accept the role of slicing serrano ham with a rather dull knife) with good company.  Before long, it was very late and time for the guests to leave.  Mike, Dennis, and Carol had to pack up their things before going to bed.

The next morning was hectic as we had to arrive at school extra early and make sure everyone had their luggage and belongings.  Once everything was ready for Blue Lake to take off, everyone headed back into the school for one last gathering.  A recorder choir (with flutes and violins) played a song for the group.  Then Frank, a good teacher friend of ours from last year, brought his class (now class 7) up to sing the school's traditional "goodbye song", Möge die Straße.

This beautiful song is an Irish blessing that essentially wishes the traveler(s) safety and luck while they are away.  This video is quite close to what we heard that morning.  Music, words, and translations can be found here. 

Following that were tearful good-byes and hugs as we saw them off to their next destination.

Although Blue Lake had left Wolfsburg, I was still in town for another two days.  I spent the remainder of my time staying with Chisako and Akari.  Chisako, who taught in the Waldorfschule-Wolfsburg last year, still has an apartment in the center of the city.  While she and Akari were at school during the day (Chisako in Hanover and Akari in Wolfsburg), I caught up on sleep, reading, and wandering our old city.  Of course I had to hit up some of our old favorites.

Oven-baked pasta from another local Italian restaurant.

San Pellegrino (gotta have the bubbles in Germany).

A cappuccino from Cadera.

Strawberry cake.

Besides the coffee and cake from Cadera, all of my meals and treats on the entire trip thus (besides breakfast) far had been non-German.  Asian, Italian (ice cream from our kiosk and Spaghetti Eis from an Eiscafe), and on Friday evening I knew we were going out for sushi.  So, for lunch on Friday afternoon I decided to seek out some German food -- actually surprisingly difficult to find in Wolfsburg. 

In one of the smaller side streets there is a little German cafe.  Looking at the menu, I saw that they had Bratkartoffeln, so I said, "why not?"  I was rather proud of myself thus far for getting by on my German skills.  I ordered a dish that included the potatoes and what I thought would be a lightly fried fish.  

This is what came to my table. 

The potatoes were correct (though I've had tastier), but along side of the Bratkartoffeln were two large pieces of cold pickled herring. 

It was alright though.  Thanks to a visit to the Gasthaus in Stillwater, MN with Mike and his parents, I've had pickled herring before and it's not so bad.  I like it in small amounts, anyway, so I had a good portion of my meal.  I also had a nice chardonnay afterwards as I read my book and it made for a nice afternoon.

Akari and I spent a lot of time together since she usually got home before her mother did.  We played games that tested my very limited knowledge of German geography, played Monopoly on a Japanese board, colored together, went grocery shopping, and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the Johnny Depp version).  She also had me listen to her practice violin (though not the clarinet, because it is apparently far too easy to practice).  

Chisako had a presentation to give on Japan in school, so she dug out one of her old kimonos that now fit Akari.  She looked lovely in it.

Friday night we had sushi at a restaurant in Braunschweig.  The actual sushi itself hit the spot, and I liked my miso soup as well.  I also got myself a beer since I figured I should have at least one German beer before going home.

It was also another "international" gathering of my "German" friends.  Celine, a French teacher at the Waldorfschule picked up Akari and me.  We met Christel, Alberto, and Chisako at the restaurant.  Since Celine and Christel are both French and Celine is married to a Spaniard from Italy, there was even more French and Spanish flowing with the mix of English, German, and Japanese with an occasional slip of Italian.  

It was a lovely way to spend my last evening in Germany.  We had a great time together laughing and eating.  

The next morning went pretty smoothly.  Chisako, Akari, and I went out to the farmer's market in the city center to get some groceries for them and breakfast for us.  I also made a last stop at our ice cream kiosk making it so that we had ice cream with our breakfast (I couldn't help myself... it's too good to pass up.)  

My taxi to the airport came late because of traffic, but the driver definitely made up for lost time going back.  The flight to Amsterdam was easy enough.  I was a bit nervous about getting my connecting flight, as my layover was just an hour, which meant they were already supposedly boarding the second plane when my first one landed.  But, except for a little bit of hurrying down the length of Schipol Airport, I made it without a problem. 

It was a very nice trip to Germany and I was so glad to see Mike and our old friends again.  To quote our beloved Schlusslied... "Und bis wir uns wiedersehen, halte Gott Dich
fest in seiner Hand."