Happy Monday!
Good morning to you! Now that we're on the other side of the holiday season, how are you feeling about it? Did you have a nice restful time or are you a bit tired with full bellies? I'm doing very well, I tried Glögg for the first time yesterday which definitely helped clear my head cold! Have you ever tried it? Mine was perfect, served hot in a mug outside of the train station under bright blue skies.
I also baked a lovely traditional German cake called Gugelhupf and got to use my new baking form that I found at a market here recently. I modified the traditional recipe with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and then spiked it with 1/4 cup of rum so it was perfectly moist and wonderful with all of the new The o dor teas that I ordered from Paris a few weeks ago. Doesn't my cake look like a large donut, perhaps a French cruller? I just love the form I baked it in. Germans are big on bake forms, cookie cutters, you name it -- it's big business here and when you living in a country that has a traditional "coffee and cake" time at 4pm each day, you can understand why they take their baking so seriously.
I also hit a lovely indoor antiques and vintage market that was held for two days downtown and found a few pretty things, one is this gorgeous German globe made in Berlin in the 1950's with a gorgeous oak base. The colors of the globe are stunning. I've been looking for a globe exactly this size on a clean and modern wood base for a few years already so I was pleased to discover this beauty. Have a look... Do you like it?
Oh I do... I like it very, very much. The last globe I found was on eBay from the 1930's, back a few years ago (blogged here), but when I got it I never really fell in love with it. I didn't quite like the base and well, it was a bit too yellow for my taste. I've been looking for the perfect globe for my kitchen shelf ever since so when this beauty screamed from a small table as I walked by it... well naturally I glanced to see where all the yelling was coming from and it was this little globe dancing around in place declaring, "Pick me! I'm the one you've been after! Pick me!" and well, I did. I lifted it from the table as proudly as I imagine I would an Oscar, and as I looked it over I thought, "I bet this is expensive". So when I inquired of the price and the seller said only 10- euros (about $14 US) I nearly jumped out of my boots. Sold. The little globe let out a sigh of relief, I opened my wallet, and we both went home happy.
So tell me, how was your weekend? I want the full scoop. And after I read your comments today I'm off again until Tuesday as I'm really trying hard to stay away from the internet so I can relax a bit more on this small, yet lovely, vacation I'm taking.
(images: holly becker for decor8)