oh, the choices! adding another to the collection and filling a whole in my heart with the German Bread Bakery and their fabulous teilchen (pastries).
sprechen sie deutsch?
the few years i lived in Berlin i managed to not only pick up a little german but a giant appreciation for their lovely lovely pastries as well. okay, maybe not just their pastries more like ALL of their food in general but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.
due to my dad's job growing up my family and i traveled every few years moving from post to post living on different continents in different countries around the world. I got to see and experience so much and although it was hard to pick up and go every 3ish years it was how my siblings and i were raised, it was our norm. Berlin was my dad's last post before his retirement, he and my mom did a full circle with Germany since Bonn was their very first post when it was just the two of them. managing to raise 3 children with consistent moves and still keeping relatively sane is pretty much a job for super heroes. i can't thank them enough for taking on the feat and giving me one crazy great childhood!
thanks parents, you did good.
the first couple of months in any new city can be a bit overwhelming and a teensy bit traumatizing at times so i say again.
pastries. help.
they do! sure maybe you'd think you'd want to dive right into that touristy checklist but sometimes the first thing you do is walk down to the nearest bakery. even if that bakery is located inside a grocery store of which the name you cannot pronounce and so what if your ordering process is more pointing and noises than actual words. it's all good, it needed to be done.
desperately needing a fix of all the pastries i grew to love in Berlin, i was over the moon when the German Bread Bakery opened. hearing all the german chatter of customers waiting to buy their pastries and bread i knew this place had to be the REAL deal. with their variety of yummy carby german goods you'll be sure to find something you love, choose from freshly made pretzels, strudel, bear claws, danish, poppy rolls, grain and rye breads!
something i've realized is that food speaks more loudly to me than just filling a hungry belly, it's a moment to relive a little happiness with a fond memory. these pastries remind me of that first awkward Berlin grocery store bakery visit with my dad and how i found such comfort in those sugary breads. these pastries remind me of friends, picnics by the sea, mind blowing visits to the edible floor of Ka De We, and my favorite family members.
does food speak to you too?
anything almond is pretty much a win in my book of pastries so it's no surprise it makes up 50% of my order. the almond horseshoe is my favorite of the bunch, marzipan rolled cookie covered in sliced almonds and dipped in dark chocolate. can we take a yum moment?
yuuuuuuummmmm!
don't worry you can also find these decadent horseshoes at Trader Joe's for decent substitute if you can't find your way to the German Bread Bakery.
lessons learned?
eat a pastry, make a memory and remember to be happy.
tschus!
rita
