If I ever get frustrated with German, I can now rely on Mr. Bean to lift my spirits (his pronunciation is not bad)!

I did have to look up the only English text in his skit, a reference to “Tomorrow belongs to me”. It’s from the musical “Cabaret”; a clip of the song from the 1972 film version is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs5bnVoZK4Q

Lately, I’ve been wading pool-side in 1960-1970′s musical films. I have never seen the film or the theater version and didn’t pay much attention to their existence. Maybe I’ll have a look. Ignoring (in this blog post) for a moment that the film illustrates the influences of the National Socialist Party or perhaps (from its lighter history) the fact that it won 8-Academy Awards, I’m more curious about the landscaping as it seems the film footage covers parts of Germany I have already seen. How has it changed?

That’s the founder of the family business and a genius when it comes to making up stories with his hand puppets. You will only leave smiling if you have an opportunity to view his demonstration in Munich until the end of December. The family is from Budapest and part of the business proceeds go to help social projects in Hungary and India. For more information their website is: www.bi-ba-bu.hu

We met for coffee (more like, ice cream and cola) before we headed to the cinema. As we sat under large umbrellas overlooking the fountain at Stachus, she admitted to me that she felt really nervous. I still feel bad that I didn’t catch on to the butterflies she felt. My mind was wound up over my study material and frustrations over US politics.

We met the boys later at the theater “City” on Sonnenstraße. The theater at 3 in the afternoon was hardly packed. Alex asked Eva, “What’s the film about?” Without saying too much, it is about Mord or murder. I asked: Why is the film included in the Fantasy Film Festival? Is there a unicorn in the film? Her response was no, but there is a crab. ah. crab. And with that the lights went down and the curtains opened.

I won’t give anything else away. But everything from cinematography, to the acting, the humor, and most of all, the story exceed my expectations. The film really reached the level of enjoyment I get from reading a book, which is hardly achievable with hollywood films. I’m not a big fan of modern films that show how people die (for that reason, I loath No County for Old Men), but this time was truly an exception. I left the theater filled with butterflies, having had the chance to be fully entertained by a brilliant murder mystery. I couldn’t thank my friend enough and tell her how proud I was of her brother.

It was shown only once at select theaters throughout Germany during the Fantasy Filmfest. If it comes out in your local independent, classic and international cinema it is a definite must see. Better yet, demand to see it.

Here is the plot summary:

“Forensic pathologist Tibor Malkáv is shy, grumpy, precise – and somehow charming. His mother has cancer, but its treatment is far too expensive for Malkáv’s means. Until he meets the Cyclops, a shady hoodlum, who promises to pay for the surgery if Malkáv kills an unknown person. Malkáv takes the job. Soon it turns out to be the greatest mistake of his life.” Hungarian Film Week

Here’s a video slideshow of our trip, as a present to Alex from his parents for earning his Doktor-Ing. Google reduced the quality, but also our camera couldn’t take the intense sunshine or we’re just unskilled, hobby photographers. One day, I’ll learn to edit better. But with this digital age, I’ve forgotten how to be more choosy. Enjoy.

Signs, Signs

Occasionally, you’ll find a few info signs written with a bit of English text, but one thing is for sure, every thing is written twice – in German or Italian. As we drove along, the languages on signs would flip-flop between villages. We figured if Italian was written on top, then Italian was the majority language for this particular village. In Kastellbell, where we stayed, German was on top. But it’s not like the German I know: ein bissel is süddtirolish for ein bisschen or a little.

Maxing the Mountains

Mountain biking here is insane. The day after we arrived, we attempted to ride up to St. Martin, an elevation difference of 1200 meters. I’m an out-of-shape flatlander, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from victory. But we didn’t make it. Blast the sun and somewhere an hour or so into the trek we realized we didn’t have any money with us. I was demoralized at the thought of having no beer at the summit. Good thing my bike is a dream, but demanded way more skill than I could muster. On the downhill trail, I fell off my bike because my tire got stuck on a pinecone. Geesus. A pinecone! Mr. Cube forgave me and luckily I live to tell the tale.

Alex had some really ambitious (he’ll hate that I said this because he things ambition is a negative word) biking plans that I went along with, with reservation. He’s awesome with the uphill battles where as I struggle with the lowest gear settings. There is some wacky coordination one must develop with peddling up hill or you’ll quickly tire yourself out. Oh but it was worth it to ride to Reschensee and back even if it took 8 hours and major butt pain. The car ride is only a tenth as beautiful.

Apfel Paradies

Miles and miles of apple orchards and none of them were for a’pluckin. My stomach growled for just a bite. The apples that were available for breakfast were crisp, juicy, and had no waxy feel on the skin. The Opa, owner of the hotel, explained that apple farmers don’t add wax to apples, rather apples produce the wax on their own as they age. I’m not sure if that’s true. So I took a fresh, wax-free, breakfast apple and I’m waiting to see if it produces wax. But farmers do gas their apples and we got to taste it as we rode past an orchard. *gasp* *pee-uuu* I got my yearly intake of pesticide in just 3 seconds.

Accommodations

We stayed at Bauhof, a three star hotel. It’s three stars because of the amenities they offer like a swimming pool, sauna, massage, etc. But if you don’t use these things I’d imagine any place in Vinschgau would be a pleasant stay because of the close-knit, family atmosphere and the fact that tourism is key here. The hotel is situated between to the main road and the S-bahn. Noise is not too bad because the straight flowing Etsch River blocks most of the sound. All rooms have breakfast included and for seven Euros more per night, per person, a five-course dinner is served at 6:30 pm. We weren’t used to so much food for 7 evenings straight and the quality is a just above cafeteria style. This is perfect for families and non-adventures taste buds who want a mix of continental and regional cuisine. If you like dinner time to be flexible, don’t eat as much in the evening, or don’t mind driving/riding outside of Kastelbell, I’d recommend evenings out in other restaurants that specialize in serving the regional cuisine.