Table etiquette

We want to share a fun tidbit from the weekend north. These likely will trickle out over the next few days ... a lot happens in four days. And don't fret; photos are still to come.

This was our first somewhat-lengthy stay with a German family, our friend's family. We valued the experience speaking with them and sitting down to breakfast each morning and dinner each evening.

Breakfast was typical and delicious: Brötchen (bread rolls) with butter, jam, honey and a couple other spreads, and coffee and tea.

Dinner was great fun, as we ate German home-cooking and drank the bottled bubbly water so popular here. We enjoyed meals of potatoes with ham, asparagus and butter. This asparagus clearly was peeled and tasted quite good. Much better than our first cooking attempt here.

The best dinner came the next night, when our host mother made the northern "Königsberger Klopse." This is potatoes with large meatballs and a gravy with capers. Delicious!

For dessert, we often enjoyed (in-season) strawberries with warm vanilla cream or ice cream with chocolate pudding (instead of Hershey's syrup or hot fudge).

As for the etiquette lesson, it's important in Germany to wait until everyone at the table is served before beginning to eat. When everyone has a full plate, everyone wishes the others a "Guten Appetit," or "enjoy your meal." Germans often ask us what Americans say before eating, and we have to admit Americans often say nothing. It's an interesting difference. This happens again before dessert.

Stay tuned for more stories from the north!