Spargelzeit….the asparagus season. Discovering White Asparagus was on our menu for today. Our meal last night featured this German delicacy and our trip today was filled with visual tidbits. Germans love this spring dish and it was available at pretty much any German restaurant.
How the heck do you get white asparagus? Coat each stalk with sun screen? Well, first you peddle from Heidelberg to Worms (a German town in this case) and stop when you see a Spargel farmer. He explains that the crop is covered with plastic, thereby eliminating exposure to sunlight and continues to grow a creamy white stalk. After harvesting it is loaded into trucks and hauled to market.
Even bronze sculptures are part of Spargelzeit.
Besides discovering asparagus we had a lovely day pedaling our 45 km. to the Asgard Hotel in Worms. ‘Con trails’ lighting up the sky and an autobahn full of parked semitrailers waiting for some unknown traffic eruption to disperse were evidence of the busy German economy.
Lunch, coffee and market stops filled some non-pedaling time.
I really tried hard to avoid this picture but the 9 year old child in me was too much to ignore. Especially when the translation from German is ‘Exit’.
Gas prices seem to consume many people as we fight to find the cheapest outlet. Try this on for size realizing that today’s conversion is 1 Cad. $ = .66 Euro
5 Comments
I have been following you all on this wonderful journey and though the food looks so amazing I am able to enjoy it visually without having to “wear it”! You must be some of the most fit Canadians as you continue to wow us all with your biking adventures! I agree – that sign was made for 9 year old boys to snicker and snort at!!
It looks like just an incredible trip together and I have looked forward to your daily blog. Weather seems to be wonderful for the most part, except for the misty castle at the beginning – seemed fitting though!
No white asparagus on the prairies just yet (or ever) but the asaparagus people are at the market so there is hope! Looks like you are having a marvellous trip. Very much enjoying travelling with you on your journey. Embrace that child within! We all know some kidlets who will love that exit sign.
You reminded me of one spring conference in Germany where white asparagus was on the menu in one form or another twice a day for 3 days. Think spears, mousse, foam and soup. Way too much Spargelzeit!
This trip looks amazing. Thanks so much for the updates. Germans pay very close to CAD$1 per litre of gasoline in excise taxes alone plus 19% value added taxes on top of that. I guess this is how they can afford such nice cycling infrastructure. I find it amazing that they drive those fuel guzzling machines at such incredible speeds on the autobahn.
We don’t have white asparagus but should be eating some green asparagus, from the patch at the back, later this week. Must make some hollandaise sauce to accompany it. What an abundance of vegetables available. Makes my mouth water just looking at them but will have to wait until late June or July. Once again thank you for letting us be voyeurs as you travel.
Mel and Sharon