Family Ties

No snow, a lot of rain and wind, but the holidays this year were punctuated by family gatherings as warm as a summer day. The Lau family was introduced to Thanksgiving this year by two eager and nostalgic Americans who cooked their turkey for the first time in an oven that measured its temperature in Celcius. Other than a failed first pie crust attempt--"So that's what baking beads are for!"--the five course menu was a success and the happy hosts fell into tryptophan and cranberry induced comas that night.

Christmas Eve on the 24th with Mario's family was as beautiful as ever, with Jenneke's resolve not to buy a Christmas tree this year melting away as she looked at her one and a half year old granddaughter. The candles were lit, the carols were sung, the stockings were not hung by the chimney with care as St. Nikolaus comes on the 6th in Germany and fills your shoes instead, and the Weinachtsman--Germany's equivalent to Santa Claus--came as he does each year and loaded the area under the tree about two hours before we had dinner. Little Mia, Jenneke's first granddaughter from her oldest daughter Anna, received among other sure-to-be-passed-down hand-made gifts a beautiful newly sanded wooden rocking horse that used to belong to Mario when he was a child. After gifts, we all sat down to a hearty meal of rouladen with all the German fixings and finished up with a rich mousse au chocolat that Mario made.

Christmas Day started as relaxing as it ended. Santa Claus, the American one no doubt since many gifts were from the U.S., dropped by during the night and we opened gifts between forked mouthfuls of waffles and maple syrup. The afternoon was equally grueling with shifted sets between such classics as A Christmas Story on the couch and intense napping. That evening I made turkey and gruyere rouladen with a basil pesto cream sauce and Mario made his favorite buttered carrots. We played Scopa until our eyes grew weary and then we laid our little heads down for another long winter's nap.

The Monday after Christmas Day is also a holiday here in Europe and relatives migrated once again to Jenneke's. The candles were lit, the carols were sung, and gifts appeared just as magically as they did on Christmas Eve since the Weinachtsman put in a day of overtime. This time, dinner was raclette, that traditional holiday go-to involving a little broiler with pans on the table that I described in my New Years blog from last year. After dinner came another time honored tradition that many Americans also hold to after long holiday meals--Monopoly! And I actually won this year.

The icing to 2011's layer cake ended up containing a generous amount of alcohol as we endured a 19 hour bus ride into Poland to visit our good friend Ewa--pronounced Eva--and her family. We were shaken on the first day with vodka and song in equal parts with a more than generous amount of food. I can only describe Polish people through our experience with Ewa's family and friends, but from what I could gather from them they are a proud, hard working, warm and generous people who wear their hearts upon their sleeves and do not hesitate to welcome you into their home with open arms. Mario and I were treated like family and even better because Ewa had to do chores around the house and we didn't! Perhaps the old tradition of leaving an open chair at the dinner table during Christmas Eve sums it up best. The Polish do this each year as a celebration of their hospitality--or in some cases Baby Jesus--and an empty chair is always reserved in case unexpected friends, family members, or strangers in need of a hot meal happen to drop by. The bond of a Polish family is obviously tight, but not so tight as to exclude foreigners like us and with each song, each second, third helping of pierogi and shot of home-distilled vodka, Ewa's family drew us closer and closer to their inner circle. By the end of the trip the traditional Polish tunes were permanently stuck in our heads and there were already talks of a return to experience spring in Poland because the landscape shakes off its drab winter coat and reveals its inherently romantic plumage. Although we have to admit it will be hard to pull off since we already have so many other trips planned for 2012, it seems that when you've broken bread with a Polish family your place at their dining table will always be reserved, just in case.

Just in case.

Our 16 pound bird.

Belated Thanksgiving meal with the Lau's. Garlic rosemary mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn pudding.

Mario lays on the gravy.

Almost forgot about the homemade pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream!

Clever ornament wire hooks open with squeezing! Wish these were common in the US.

My purse hanger is my best friend. Here it is accompanying me on a train ride to Bremen.

The Bremen Christmas market had this cool little wine stand marketed as magical elixirs--what a great idea! Here's a potion for beauty and youth, actually a red wine.

Renaissance fair themed, people in costume were everywhere.

The cozy alleyways.

Our festive tree! No lights yet.

Christmas Eve at the Lau's is always special.

Little Mia got a rocking horse that Mario's dad had made for him.

Helping taste the rouladen.

Rouladen, red cabbage, meatballs and potatoes, always a treat!

And we have lift off!

Christmas day found us relaxing at home with our gifts from friends and family from the US. I made a turkey rouladen with gruyere cheese and a pesto cream sauce. Accompanying it are Mario's glazed carrots and an apple salad.

Look what Santa brought us!

Yes, I finally got one of those Christmas pyramids I've been lusting after for years!

The day after Christmas Day is also a holiday here and we got together again at Jenneke's for a repeat gift giving with her sister and extended family. Mia played Santa.

Helping Santa dress up for her trip home.

Playing our favorite game at Christmas time.

I actually won this time!

Our 19 hour bus ride to visit Ewa's family in Gorzyce, Poland looked like this pretty much the whole time. They played movies in English with a Polish guy who talked his way through the movie, that's the way they dub movies there.

Finally at Ewa's, her mom Christina feeds us borscht and meat filled croquettes upon arrival. Beyond delicious!

Christina, the powerhouse of the family.

She also made these cakes from scratch!

The Christmas tree that Ewa decorated came from their family's little forest not too far away.

This cake Christina also made is appropriately named Shrek!

Our first big meal is the day we arrive because it is Ewa's birthday celebration. We have potatoes, pickled red beets, and pork tenderloin so tender it melts in your mouth. This and about a shot of vodka every twenty minutes and you kind of get an idea where this evening is headed to.

There were also plenty of mayo infused salads including this tortellini one sitting in front of me.

Ewa's closest friends sit at a table restocked with a big helping of homemade organic cold cuts. Their family has friends with their own livestock and Ewa's dad and mom prepare the cuts to their perfect specifications. So yummy!

This is before we all started singing. For the true mood of the evening you'll have to watch the videos on my YouTube page!

Ahhhhh, pierogis! This has become one of my favorite foods and what's not to like? Potato and cheese mixed and stuffed into little ravioli like pastry discs and pan fried. To eat then like the Polish do you either salt them, dip them in Maggi, or ketchup.

Enjoying homemade vodka at Ewa's brother's house. The flavor of the vodkas are more comparable to smooth tequilas or whiskey, they have that much depth.

Daniel and Anette's kitchen reminded me of the all American kitchens back home.

Przeworsk, the closest big city to Ewa's home town of Gorzyce.

The old town area of Przeworsk.

We stop in for dinner at their local Italian restaurant.

I order the most non-Italian thing on the menu which is their pork cutlet with chanterelle gravy.

Pizzas are only €4.

The dragon of Krakow spits fire with donations to the castle it guards via text!

We make it to the other side to see what the dragon is guarding, and it's the Wawel Hill collection of cathedrals and the royal grounds for the neighboring Wawel castle.

The former beloved Polish president is buried here. Cool doors!

The majestic inner courtyard.

We're making peace signs but you can't tell.

Streets of Krakow's city center.

Thought this building was really nicely decorated.

On our way for some food. Guess where we're headed to?

It's McDonalds, istn't it? Yes, but in an old building that makes it look like we're eating in the medieval dungeon of a castle! So rad.

It's cleared up!

With Olka, Ewa's niece and my new homegirl as well as HUGE ACDC fan from Gorzyce.

Ewa and Olka--popular name--finagle us an entrance into the St. Mary in Krakow church. Here we are secretly entering the stairwell to the tower, which is supposed to be closed, but an overseer upstairs buzzed us in.

The stairs of my nightmares, and lots of them! They go really steep at times and coming back down was a head trip.

Beautiful Krakow at sunset.

One of the oldest cities in Poland, Krakow has maintained its inherent beauty quite well over the turbulent history it endured. Next time I return would be to explore the more infamous attractions--namely the Jewish quarter called the Krakow Ghetto and Auschwitz.

Warriors and heroes in their right.

Can I offer you some well trained children?

Ewa's brother Daniel and his lovely family.

St. Mary in Krakow from the outside.

An indoor market area for the holidays and beyond.

These were amazing little smoked and grilled cheeses.

They're chewy on the outside and taste like smoky mozzarella. You eat them with cranberry sauce!

Tasty local caramels that I wish I had bought.

The Polish answer to Ghirardelli's.

How does she do it? Street artists in Krakow.

Another of Ewa's favorite cities close by, Rzeszow.

We catch Mission Impossible in English in Rzeszow. They usually do the movies in the original version with Polish subtitles which I really prefer to dubbing.

Every year the local pastor comes to bless the house and the family prepares him a meal. I would have taken more photos of the finished product you see in these bowls, which is actually a delicious soup, but I didn't think it appropriate.

New years eve!! We go to a new restaurant that just opened the summer of 2011 to test out their NYE party package. It includes all you can eat food and non-alcoholic beverages. The vodka you have to bring yourself but as you can see we had no shortage of that beverage!

The feeling of the restaurant reminded me a bit of the Chinese restaurants back at home--a little disco with mood lighting.

Delicious pork chops and potatoes with red beets...

...plates of cold cuts, fried fish and chicken aspic up for grabs on the table.

Ewa's parents get down!

Their daughter follows suit.

We couldn't help but have a great time. The people were so friendly and love to sing.

At midnight they let go a few fireworks which we were on the wrong side of the building to watch...

...and then the kissing wars began!

Whether you're a friend or a stranger, no matter. The people draw you in for a warm embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

Last meal that we semi-remembered.

More dancing. The music was a mix of traditional Polish folk dancing songs and modern favorites, including Tina Turner.

At Ewa's sister Beatta's house.

Pork tenderloin with gravy, mashed potatoes, beets and egg salad.

Christina cooks us our last meal before we hop on the bus to leave Gorzyce.

Super yummy and super filling, these are sweet ricotta filled blintzes or crepes.

A last walk around the private little lake lined with the family pine tree grove.

In the summer the family does picnics on the shore and boat rides on the water. In the winter the family gets to harvest one tree per household for the holidays.

Walking around the forest area belonging to Ewa's father. We spotted wild pig prints in the mud.

Auf Wiedersehen, Poland! We'll be back.