The year 2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, Leopold Museum and Albertina are all staging major exhibitions dedicated to the work of this great turn-of-the-century modernist pioneer.
The Leopold Museum will be staging an exhibition titled “Gustave Klimt: A (time) Journey,” from February 24 to June 11 which will focus on the museum’s collection of hundreds of postcards, photographs and letters written by Gustav Klimt for over two decades to his partner in life Emilie Flöge. Among them there are art cards designed by the Wiener Werkstätte, tube mail, and telegrams as well as the correspondence that Klimt conducted with his friends and family in Vienna while enjoying his seasonal summer retreat at the Salzkammergut, at the Attersee and in Gastein or during his journeys that led him all across Europe to Italy, Paris, Brussels and London.
From March 16 until October 6, the Albertina Museum will celebrate Klimt’s 150th birthday with the exhibition “Klimt – Drawings” that will present the majority of the museum’s 170 drawings, as well as other items on loan. As a center for research on Gustav Klimt’s drawings, the museum will present pieces from all phases of the artist’s work. The focus will be on the unique drawing talent of Gustav Klimt, whose way of thinking and working is revealed in numerous figure studies and the precisely told allegories.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna will hold a special exhibition from February 14-May 6 focusing on the 13 major paintings completed by Klimt for the grand staircase of the museum and the sketches they were based on. In 1890 Klimt, together with his brother Ernst and Franz Matsch, were entrusted with creating spandrel paintings and other narrow pieces to fill the spaces between the columns lining the grand staircase of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
While Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch kept to a more conservative style, the first signs of Art Nouveau symbolism can be clearly seen in Gustav Klimt’s pictures. These key paintings set the stylistic tone for Klimt’s world-famous work from about 1900 onwards.
In 2012, Munich and Upper Bavaria are celebrating an old Bavarian tradition. The 200th anniversary of the edict which permitted beer brewers to sell retail quantities of their own beer in their beer cellars from June until September and to serve beer and bread to their guests will be celebrated this year. The city and the breweries of Munich will offer numerous events in local beer gardens.
MUNICH – THE WORLD CITY OF BEER Big city, high-tech atmosphere mixed with rural charm, art treasures and traditional customs create a very special “Munich mix” which has helped the capital of Bavaria to achieve world renown. But what adds the final touch to the city’s popularity is the drink associated with Munich throughout the world: beer.
BEER GARDEN ETIQUETTE Bavarian beer gardens fulfill an important social function, as they have always been considered to be a popular meeting point for a wide spectrum of the populace. Visitors should not hesitate to take a seat and start up a conversation with their neighbors at the table. Munich’s beer gardens and the beer gardens in Upper Bavaria are the epitome of Bavarian Gemütlichkeit – the uniquely Bavarian atmosphere of good living, warmth and comfort. And it’s been that way for 200 years.
BRING YOUR OWN FOOD Bring your own food! A special element of visiting a traditional beer garden in Munich is the fact that guests can bring their own food with them. A perfect Brotzeit, as a beer garden picnic is known, might contain the following: Obazda (a delicious and very Bavarian soft cheese dip), Emmental cheese, radishes, freshly-baked pretzels, butter and salt and pepper. A table cloth is also important (preferably a cotton red and white check), as are wooden boards to eat from, a sharp knife, cutlery and napkins.
But those who come unprepared don’t have to miss out on a Bavarian Brotzeit. Most beer gardens offer a range of typical treats, such as Wurstsalat (finely sliced sausage, dressed with vinaigrette and onions), Leberkäse (Bavarian meat loaf) or Steckerlfisch (barbecued whole fish, normally mackerel).
In a Bavarian beer garden, self-service is the rule, unless it is clear that tables have been readied for service. Typical beer garden drinks, such as beer or Radler (a mix of beer and lemonade or lemon soda), are generally only served in one liter steins. Alcohol-free drinks, such as Spezi (a mixture of cola and orange soda) or Apfelschorle (a mixture of apple juice and mineral water), are normally served in half-liters.
The most important rule when toasting with others at your table is to do it as often as possible, so creating a sense of community and giving you the chance to make contact with your new friends. But don’t forget to look your drinking partners in the eye as you touch steins.
The reason horse chestnut trees can be found in every “real” Bavarian beer garden is a matter of history. According to a decree from the 16th century, brewing beer was banned in the summer months, due to the increased danger of fire. Therefore, beer that was brewed in spring for summer was made with a higher alcohol content to help preserve it. In order to keep the beer cool, beer cellars were constructed close to the breweries, but because Munich has a high groundwater level, deep cellars were out of the question, meaning that those that could be built had to be protected from the sun. And that is why trees which provide a lot of shade, such as horse chestnut trees, were planted above them.
BIER UND OKTOBERFEST MUSEUM, BEER TOURS & MORE Munich is the capital of beer – with six breweries, the Hofbräuhaus and the Oktoberfest. Interested in the story of beer? How German beer effected the monasteries and the purity law? Why is the quality of Munich’s beer so unique? Did you know that Oktoberfest was established as the national festival for the wedding of King Ludwig I with Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen? Visit the Bier und Oktoberfest Museum for the answer to these questions and a lot more.
For the millions of RMS Titanic lovers around the world, April 15 is a very significant date. On that day it will be exactly 100 years since the tragic sinking of the ship that changed so many lives and sparked one of the most captivating stories in human history.
On March 31 the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction, Titanic Belfast, will officially open its doors, thrusting the ship’s physical and spiritual home firmly into the global spotlight.
The striking $152 million piece of modern architecture stands majestically at the head of the very slipways where the Titanic first glided into the waters of Belfast Lough.
Inside, nine walk-and-ride-through exhibition galleries equipped with the latest 3D, CGI and video technology uncover the true Belfast story of the Titanic, from its conception and construction in the Harland & Wolff Shipyard to its famous maiden voyage and subsequent place in history.
A host of experiences are offered—a thrilling ride through the shipyard with the Titanic under construction, or an exploration of the sumptuous luxury and superb craftsmanship of its interiors.
You can be drawn deep into the stories of the passengers, crew and the heroes of the day or re-live the drama of its tragic end and visit its resting place in the North Atlantic in a unique Ocean Exploration Center with live links to contemporary undersea exploration.
Easter celebrations are among the oldest, most traditional and unique celebrations in Germany. A myriad of differing regional traditions, Easter markets and special celebrations start weeks before the four-day Easter weekend from April 5 to April 9. Many of the American Easter traditions, including egg decorating, Easter trees, Easter egg games and, of course, the chocolate Easter bunny, were brought to America by German immigrants.
In preparation for Easter, towns decorate their fountains and trees with eggs and wind crepe paper around the branches. On the Easter Eve, bonfires are lit celebrating the new and getting rid of the old. Easter markets throughout the country exhibit Easter eggs and spring-themed local arts and crafts in surroundings from historic cities and castles to landscape parks. The markets last either a few weeks or a weekend and are a favorite leisure time activity for locals and tourists alike.
Easter decorations
EASTER MARKETS Being one of the oldest Easter markets in Germany, the Haeferles Market in Nuremberg in Franconia is the first major event of the spring season. With over 80 stalls in the middle of the historic city center, this market offers everything around the Easter holidays, from hand-painted eggs to wooden decorations (March 23 – April 9). Further to the north in the charming town of medieval Wolfenbuettel, about two hours from Frankfurt, the Easter market takes place in a royal surrounding. In the courtyard of the 18th century residence castle of the Guelphs in the city center, over 60 artists and craftsman from the region display their works on the weekend before Easter (March 31 – April 1). Then, on Easter Saturday a huge rabbit emerges from an enormous nest and distributes candy to the children.
Lady in Sorbian costume handcrafts traditional Easter egg painting using wax-resist techniques.
EASTER DUCK RACE The festivities are closely followed by a duck race where the ducks are thrown into the river and race to the other side. One of the largest Easter Egg Fairs in Germany takes place in the beautiful landscape park Luisenpark in Mannheim from March 31 to April 4. The International Easter Egg Market at Mannheim’s Baumhainhalle hosts over 40 artists from Germany, Russia, France, Switzerland and Hungary.
St. Wendel fountain decorated for Easter
KREUZTRITT WALK PARADE A very special Easter culture exists in eastern Germany near the border with Poland. The Sorbs, a Slavic minority that has lived for generations in this area called Lusatia, celebrate Easter with a parade called the “Kreuztritt” (Cross Walk) on Easter Sunday. The men of the village dressed in traditional costumes of black jackets and top hats, ride horses in a circle from town to town announcing the resurrection of Christ. The Sorbs also are masters in the art of Easter egg painting. Sorbian artists from all over the region exhibit their skills during the Lenten season. The Egg Rolling and colorful Easter Market on Easter Sunday are wonderful highlights during the Easter weekend, April 7 and 8.
Dining in the Dordogne most certainly brings opportunities to pair wine with the other specialties of the area: foie gras, strawberries, walnuts and truffles.
In fact, the Perigord is known for producing the very best black truffle, an aromatic fungus resembling a small black potato. To experience this local treasure, I spent a delightful morning at Truffiere de Pechalifour, the truffle farm of Edouard Aynaud, learning the art of truffle hunting.
Truffle farmer Edouard Aynaud
After meeting the high-energy Edouard, we entered a glass-doored, yellow stone building, where Edouard snaps open the lid of a large plastic bowl holding several black truffles, and thrusts it in my face. “Smell this,” he says in French, insisting that once you have this scent in your head, you’ll never forget it.
Edouard’s truffle-sniffing border collie
The valuable black truffle, sometimes called the Black Diamond, can command 1,000 Euros per kilogram, since the demand is always greater than the supply. Our host holds up a kiwi-sized truffle and we play “how much is this truffle worth?” My husband wins with his guess of 10 Euros, when the small scale records the truffle’s weight as 10 grams.
Now the lesson begins: truffles grow at the base of oak and hazelnut trees. The spores of the truffle form a web of mycorrhizal filaments that permeate both the soil and the roots of the trees. These filaments help the trees obtain nutrients from the soil, and in turn, the trees provide the truffle with needed sugars. Once this network spreads, there is a telltale brown circular area around the base of the tree called a “burn.” In the wild, this symbiotic relationship occurs with luck.
Here on the 10-acre Pechalifour farm, Edouard’s father planted his first trees in 1968. Today new tree seedlings with truffle spores grafted onto their roots are planted in the hopes of increasing the truffle crop. Edouard holds up a 2-foot-tall oak seedling to illustrate, and tells us that you must plant it and pray, and maybe in several years (3? 6? 10?) the telltale “burn” will appear. He explains that sadly, not many young people are getting into this business because it requires so much patience and optimism.
Edouard, however, personifies optimism and joy, explaining his craft in rapid-fire French (admirably translated by our local guide) and punctuated with animated facial expressions and gestures worthy of Marcel Marceau.
Once the “burn” is identified, there are three methods to locate the truffles beneath it:
With a pig. Grinning, Edouard holds up a Cracker-Jack-toy-sized pink plastic pig to illustrate. Furthermore, he continues, it must be a female pig. Why? Because the truffle scent mimics that of a male pig sex hormone.
With a stick. Now he whacks a slender willow stick several times across the length of the table. Tapping a stick around the area of the “burn” disturbs a little brown fly that likes to lay its eggs on a ripe truffle, so that its larvae can feed on the nutrients. A short video illustrates that the fly’s brown color renders it invisible at rest. But once disturbed, the fly will rise up and then return to the location of the truffle, which must be harvested before the egg-laying, larva-eating process begins.
With a dog. The dogs must be trained while they are very young to recognize and search for the truffle scent. For that, Edouard uses the plastic film containers used before the age of digital photography. He pokes holes into the container and fills it with cotton that has been moistened with truffle oil. Then for one week he plays fetch with his canine student, rolling the container a little distance away, and rewarding the pup with treats and love when the prize is returned. The next week he hides the container in corners or behind something, and again rewards its return with treats and praise. The third week he buries the container outside under a little bit of soil and waits three days so that it no longer carries his human scent, but only the scent of the truffle, before sending the dog to find it. At the end of three weeks, with lots of praise and treats, the dog is trained.
Suddenly we are aware of a yellow labrador and a young black and white border collie snuffling around our feet, obviously eager to get to work. Edouard grabs a basket, some dog treats and a digging tool, and assuring us that he did not hide truffles ahead of time for us to find, we begin our spirited trek though the trees.
Pointing out brown fly in “burn” area where truffle lie
Walking slightly ahead of us, Edouard sees the telltale “burn” around the base of a tree, and gives his dog the command. Within seconds, the dog sniffs and puts his paw on a spot. Edouard scoops up a handful of the moist soil and sniffs it, crowing gleefully when he detects the scent of the hidden truffle. He pushes into my hands the special two-sided truffle-digging tool: pointed pick at one end, flat scraping blade at the other, and tells me to dig — but gently! We’re not digging up potatoes!
Tree with signs of a truffle underneath
Soon my delicate poking isn’t fast enough for him and he rakes his fingers through the mud until he isolates the prize. After pointing to exactly where I should look, he lets me make the final discovery. Voila! There it is — and it’s tennis-ball HUGE! But, alas, it is spoiled inside because of the recent unfavorable weather. Edouard rewards his dog with a treat and a cuddle, and then crushes the truffle with his fingers and reburies it on the spot, so its spores can sprout again.
The best months for harvesting ripe truffles in the Perigord is December, January and February, and then only if the weather conditions have been favorable — too much rain and they grow too fast and don’t ripen at the right time. All in all, it’s a business that needs luck — and lots of dog treats. www.truffe-perigord.com
European Traveler 