To Market

The sun vanished again, and the streets are dirty-slushy with sand and gravel and salt and old snow.

We hung around the house until about 2, then took the tram to into the center of town. Stopped off at a bookstore where I picked up a few Christmas presents for friends here.

Then to the Naschmarkt, the big public marketplace. Had a goulasch and a beer in our favorite cozy spot, a place filled exclusively with men except for B, and the lady who served us. B explained that most ladies would prefer a nicely lit place serving tea or cakes, rather than the dark, wood-paneled, rather rustic place we ate.

Hence a crowd of regulars like these guys, below:

regulars at the goulasch place at the Naschmarkt

another stolen image captured at the goulasch place.

A lady's tea room it ain't, but the food is really hearty.

Then a stroll around the Naschmarkt, gathering food for the upcoming holiday (and for my Tom Yum soup, a Thai specialty I enjoy preparing.)

Stopped at Kaseland for some more cheese, and once again were served by the very friendly and knowledgeable Franz Kammer (the guy with the beard, if you look at the pics on their site.) And, once again, he was generous with the cheese samples AND gave us a little wedge of a special cheese he likes, before bidding us a Merry Christmas.

B stopped off at a microscopically tiny shop where they sell specialty meats and cheeses--and, this time of year, there's warm wine or Punsch to drink inside. I watched outside through the windows and the two guys serving the customers, and the six or eight people crammed elbow to asshole in the place, laughed and joked and enjoyed themselves in there. Wondered what all the hilarity was about, and when B came out she told me about the drinking, so it all made sense.

Barely room to breathe in this place, but more than enough room to stand around drinking while trying to decide what meat or cheese you want to buy!

Then we stopped off for a warm cup of wine, then took the subway home in the dark.

Planning Book

I went to the store. I bought a new planning book.

The cashier asked me: "Do you have lots of plans for 2010?"

"My main plan was to buy this planning book. Now that I have," I said, holding the book up with a sense of pride, "mission accomplished!"

Now I have some free time to kill.

It pays to plan ahead.