Glossy Cherries

The apple - the world´s most ancient cultivated fruit - is steeped in folklore, myth and symbolism. In folklore apples foretell of death, life and love, in fairytales they reveal beauty and good health and in religion they signify temptation and the dangers of magic and ancient wisdom. Think of all the sayings and customs such as apple bobbing or praising the health benefits of apples and you can understand the universal appeal of this fruit cultivated almost 8000 years ago in Eurasia. Sadly, nowadays old varieties, especially of cooking apples, are under threat and Nell`s Travel Kitchen supports projects to catalogue and preserve old varieties of apples. You will find plenty of projects all over the world, look out for one near you.

Picturesque Bamberg may only a small small town in Frankonia (Germany), but it looms large on the UNESCO World Heritage stage. An imperial seat in the Middle Ages, Bamberg was an important political centre as can still be seeen in the former palace and the sizable cathedral, which also houses the city`s famous artifact - the Bamberger Reiter. The cathedral´s position amongst seven hills gave rise to the name of Frankonia´s Rome. Surrounding it are the beautiful historic old town and the tanner and fishermen´s quarters along the river Regnitz now more poetically known as little Venice. The star of the show is the medieval Rathaus which spans the river and features beautifully painted facades.

Advent is the time of baked apples, mulled wine, hearty game stews and afternoons spent with a book. For me as well as for many Danes and Nordic folk is it as time for some Braendende Kaerlighed - some burning love. A warming, nurishing potatoe mash straight from the heart. It may be a humble dish of potatoes, bacon and onions but with the addition of cream & butter and lots of love it becomes a meal fit for king. Together with some pickled vegetables such as beetroot or pearl onions this dish epitomises why the Danes are the happiest people on earth.

Is it time for plums yet? Find out at https://youtu.be/aYAaO1Z0NkY

Going to the Baltic states is always magical. The Hanseatic red brick buildings of old, the astounding Art Nouveau Architecture that abounds in the town and also the calm and relaxing walks along the Baltic coast. It´s like a long summer holiday. Food is just as amazing with fruit and mushrooms everywhere. The bishop of Bremen who founded this city definitely knew what he was doing. After you have checked out the beach and went shopping in the large market halls of the Central Market, why not try this dish - memories of a summer evening. https://youtu.be/K2oajC5pEFY

On the second of July 1900 something extraordinary took place in the lakeside town of Friedrichshafen in Southern Germany. The 128-metre long airship called LZ1 rose from its moorings. Dreamed up by by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a German general and inventor, the Zeppelin was an odd looking thing. Like the bumble-bee it looked incapable of flight but these blue-gas powered airships became a huge success story in its day. Zeppelins were first flown commercially in 1910 by The Deutsche Luftschiffahrts AG, the world´s first revenue airline. By mid-1914 it had carried over 10,000 paying passengers on over 1,500 flights. The German military also made extensive use of Zeppelins as bombers or scouts during WWI. Count Zeppelin died in 1917 just before the Golden Era of his aircraft. Then on 4 March 1936 the LZ129 Hindenburg (named after a former President of Germany) made its first flight. The Hindenburg was the largest airship ever built and by this time Zeppelin was used as a propaganda tool by the rising Nazi party. It had been designed to use non-flammable helium, but as the only supplies of the rare gas were controlled by the United States, which refused export it, decision was made to fill the Hindenburg with flammable hydrogen instead. The rest, as they say, is history. On landing at Lakehurst on My 6th 1937 in the US after a successful transatlantic flight, the tail of the ship caught fire, and the Hindenburg burst into flames within seconds, killing 35 of the 97 people on board and one member of the ground crew.

The ancient port of Marseille, founded by the Phoenicians, has fascinated and appalled in equal measure. Rich in history - both culinary and maritime - it has also been known as the gateway to France from Northern Africa for centuries, bringing with it social pressures and notoriety as a city rich in criminals and social unrest. As France´s second largest city these issues are par of the course but they are just one side of the coin. The amazing beauty of the old town, the fortresses along the harbour, the stunning coast and the isolation of the islands make for a wonderful visit. Admiring the sprawl of the city from the vantage point of the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica at sunset must be one of the most beautiful view on the Mediterranean.

It´s the 1st of August today - Switzerland is celebrating its national day amongst thunderous clouds and downpours after a week of hot and sunny weather. Yesterday, farmers were busy getting the last of the hay in which had been drying on the mountain slopes. This year has been a challenge due to the insistent bad weather which has caused a lot of landslides in the mountains, overcrowding of hiking destinations by tourist has kept mountain rescue very busy and a number of bathers have underestimated the ferocity of the water in rivers, lakes and near waterfalls. Like everywhere in Europe nature is under pressure from climate change and overtourism - the first protests have reached normally law-abiding Switzerland. The tourism industry needs to welcome a debate and engage in managing incoming visitors better before a crisis point like that in Spain and Greece is reached. Nature is fragile, especially in the Alps. Let´s protect it, by managing access and distribution of tourists, by informing and educating visitors and especially by debunking social media posts.

In my book Einladung nach Balkonien (available as eBook & paperback in bookshops & Amazon) I am taking the reader on a walk through smaller towns which are often just as interesting and beautiful as its larger, more famous neighbours but always less crowded. I do the same in my food videos which give a tour of the place to whet your appetite.

Today I am going to tell you about the perfect no-cooking recipe, food that you can enjoy with a cold drink and some hearty rye bread sitting at the beach or on the balcony watching the sun go down over the sea. It´s no frills, honest and simple fare - delicious in its own right. I am talking about smoked fish, and of the tiny, golden Kieler Sprotten in particular. These small fish (sprats) were smoked in Eckernförde, a small seaside town in Northern Germany, an named after the larger, neighbouring town of Kiel. The smokeries used to be ubiquitous but sadly just one remains at the time of writing. Hopefully there will be a revival so future generations can enjoy this treat after an energetic day at the beach. You will find this recipe on You Tube www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHRlW21FpIk along with a stroll through small lanes lined with tiny houses and a look at some other delights of bygone days such as the sweet factory.

In these days of over-tourism is it still justifiable to point visitors towards Lucerne, the beautiful central Swiss city founded by the Abbey of Murbach in the Alsace before 1178 and one of the parties of the original medieval Eidgenossenschaft? It was even once considered as the first choice for a Swiss capital. Today is one of the most heavily visited places anywhere in Europe due to its historic town centre and ts breathtaking location amongst some of Switzerland´s highest mountain-scapes at the edge of the Vierwaldstätter See. Having lived here for some time I am not going to pretend that hordes of tourists clogging up the city, its roads, busses and trains is making for a pleasurable visitor or resident experience. Therefore I would urge those that want to visit to do so in months were there are no holidays and therefore less mass tourism. The lake doesn´t freeze over, the mountain tops can be accessed all year round, and of course, any of the indoor attractions will be there to be enjoyed whatever the season. So please, consider visiting us at times when you and we will enjoy your visit.

Sauce Bearnaise - the weapon of choice for all lovers of steak - has actually no connection to the Swiss capital. Often called the Child of the Hollandaise Sauce, one of the five `mother sauces´ of French cuisine it has been refined and made world famous by French chef August Escoffier in the 19th century. It is actually named after the French region of Béarn even though it wasn´t invented there, either. So, we reckon we may just enjoy our food after a stroll around the capital of Switzerland - which again is not so much a capital as it´s first city.