German food is funny to me because it's exactly what I imagine people eating back in the early 1000's. It's like - Germany decided upon its favorite foods way back in the days of mead and Royal Hunts and hasn't added much to it since. So you eat meat on sticks with bread with beer.

All over the beer gardens today people were eating Cornish game hens, ribs, animal organs in the shape of sausage, whole fish on skewers, and all of it went right along with a plate of assorted condiments (including pickled beets and sauerkraut) with bread and beer. It's just so rugged and . . . I don't know, so different from Californian food.

I've been describing Californian food to people on the trip as "The best of Mediterranean food, but polished, and with a glop of avocado on the top." I know that's so snobby of me, and I don't know if that even covers it all, but in these German countries it's what I am fondly remembering of food at home - which is of course the opposite of German food.

My stomach is hanging in there for now, but food - and wine!- from home is definitely something I am starting to miss.