Moving countries and moving kitchens

When you move countries you have three choices. You can ship everything. You can pick and choose between essentials and sentimentals, or you can take very little. When moving to Germany we sat somewhere between the last two options. We took with us, two suitcases, two bicycles, five boxes and of course, the cat, Mr Pablo. That's everything-books (we took very few, sold most and digitized our favourites on our e-readers), clothing, jewellery, shoes, games, medication (I took 6 months worth with me), ornaments and bits and pieces.We digitised our books, movies and music months ago,  scanned all our documents and kept only the essential originals and had a exhausting amount of garage sales. We sold and donated so much stuff from clothing to food in our cupboards left over.  Most of the stuff  we bought with us besides the practicals, were small ornaments or gifts.

We had our bikes and boxes flown from Australia which cost a fair bit (I can't remember how much but waiting 3 months seemed rather impracticable, especially if we hated Leipzig and wanted to move. I'll ask Chris and edit this accordingly). The hardest thing was complying with the weight limit in each box. We ended up having to pay a little extra for extra weight. Flying our goods took about a week and we had to go to customs at the airport in Leipzig to receive them and pay a small fee. They were then delivered.

We knew we were coming to a furnished apartment but we weren't entirely sure what would be in it. For example, we found out during transit that there would be no towels or bedding as the tenant we were sub-letting off was taking them with him. It meant that were the first things we had to buy, but luckily we arrived in summer so it wasn't too much a hardship.

I cook a lot as most people know and I thought people might be interested in how I have coped with creating a kitchen in a new place. I also had a lot of equipment at home for Green Renters workshops like bowls, cutlery, knives, boards etc which was donated to community groups when we left. It's been a challenge, as finding some things in a new place can take longer, especially when you are used to them costing different prices in different countries! For example, finding affording bedding took ages as we didn't want to pay 60€ for a pillow so we ended up ordering a heap of stuff from Ikea. I used to laugh at Ikea in Australia as being a hell hole, here it's far more affordable than anywhere else as well as stocking some things that are hard to find elsewhere.

I want to outline a bit about stocking a kitchen so I've decided to include some links to items in case people like them or whatever. I cook a lot of different recipes at home, especially vegan recipes and recipes I am writing for events or workshops in the future. I've chosen Amazon links as it's generally accessible to every country. This is not a paid advertisement by Amazon, just stuff I like or have bought.

What was here when we arrived:

• cutlery and bits and pieces of cooking utensils
• small 3 in one blender
• 4 bowls
• 8 plates (dinner plates and bread plates)
• lots of glasses
• 4 mugs
• 6 wine glasses
• 2 ceramic baking dish
• 2 small mixing bowls
• tea towels
• fry pan and three cooking pots

What I brought with me

• Chefs knives
• Small wooden chopping board (a gift)
• Plastic chopping boards
• Cake tin x 2
• Some favourite tablecloths
• Cloth bags for shopping
• Pastry brush and spatula
• Ladle
• Pasta spoon
• Bottle opener
• Cake server
• Immersion blender
• Norpro 600 Jar Lifter (These are great for preserving things in jars)

• Norpro Magnetic Lid Wand

What I've bought here in Germany

• Plastic/tin plates and cups
• Ceramic plates and bowls
• An apron
• Storage containers for leftovers
• Can opener
• Wooden spoon
• Roasting tray
• Cake tin
• Potato masher
• Peeler
• Tongs (took me ages to find, ended up going to Ikea)
• Funnel
• Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer
• Rolling pin

I still need to buy:

• Sieve
• Cloth napkins -I used to get all mine in second hand shops back in Australia and miss having the choice of so many thrift shops. 
• Reusable lids for preserving  
• More wooden spoons
• Stock pot/big saucepan
•  Portable Burners. 

I found these invaluable when I did cooking classes in Australia and as I am keen to do some classes here they are essential, especially if I do some classes at home as our kitchen is quite small and couldn't fit more than two people. They are quite common here and really easy to find. It also means that I can cook without facing the wall and maybe do some videos!

• Stainless steel Mixing Bowls. I really miss having loads of these from cheap Asian shops. They just don't seem to be around all that much. 

• OMNI V Blender . I've heard great things about the Omniblend, especially it being a great affordable but quality alternative to the Vitamix at a third of the price. As I teach stuff like making your own nut cheeses, a good blender is a must, if not two.

Luxury items I want more than need:

  Camco 42803 Picnic Blanket  These kind of picnic blankets are great as they have a waterproof cover on one side, so are suitably for wet ground!

All In One Picnic Travel Backpack Plates Cutlery Set. Whilst these don't have the romanticism of a lovely wicker picnic basket, they are much easier to transport, especially when you don't drive and are cycling or using public transport.

  EasyLunchboxes 3-compartment Bento Lunch Box Containers . Seriously can you ever have enough containers? Many of the containers we had back home would be too big for our little fridge and tiny freezer here.

NutriBullet 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System ( I had a magic bullet at home and it was really useful for a small kitchen and also for travelling. I'd often take it to workshops in council chambers where there wasn't much of a kitchen). This is quite similar.

Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker

I've always wanted a crockpot. Chris has a strong aversion to them after a childhood of less than palatable meals but I'm hoping I can change his mind when I have the cash!

I wonder if people know about the experience of rental properties and kitchens in Germany? In many instances it is quite common for a property to be rented out without a kitchen. It will have a room for a kitchen but no actual kitchen. This means you have to bring (or buy) not only your own fridge and microwave as in Australia, but also a stove, benches and sink. Some tenants even remove the light fittings and kitchen flooring which the next tenant replaces. I still find it quite strange and am grateful for our contained kitchen!

Because of this (and the fact that many people live in apartments with smaller kitchens, portable stove tops and small fridges are quite popular. I really miss having a bit fridge and freezer, it's a definite lifestyle change, and I find myself needing to water bath preserves every time rather than just popping them in the fridge as there's no cold storage space. 

Moving to Germany: Greetings from Leipzig

I've been an absent blogger but this time, with good reason, I've moved countries! Chris, Mr Pablo and I now reside in Leipzig, Germany. We've been here just over 2 weeks, and it's certainly been a ride.

How's it all going? I'll divide into good and bad in dot point form to give you a wee snap shot. I've had a rotten lurgy so have been too unwell to explore much or cook much so my lens is somewhat limited to local haunts.

Bad (and some good)

• I left my mobile phone on the plane to Frankfurt. Despite contacting the appropriate authorities it was never handed in. And it's not worth much either. Luckily Chris sent a phone to his Dad in the UK which he doesn't use so he's posting it to me. Hence the lack of photos
• We had major dramas with the Lufthansa and Mr Pablo. In short, he was left in Frankfurt whilst we flew to Leipzig. I caught a train back the next day (four hours each way) and spent 5 hours in animal cargo/customs/animal cargo/ et al. All of these places were a fair distance from the main airport and required driving to each. Yes, neither the airline or pet travel company detailed any of this. Stressful, very stressful. I was very lucky to befriend a kindly cab driver who spoke English and really helped me out. In his own time for free. As we'd caused a bit of a rucus at Lufthansa the day before when we realised Mr P wasn't loaded onto the plane. I also had a lovely Lufthansa animal staffer called Armando helping me out. It's when you depend on the kindness of strangers that you really value goodness in people.
• I developed a rotten sore throat and ear infection and bad cough a couple of days after arriving. Probably the same lurgy that struck everyone back home. I needed to see a doctor and did a google for doctors who could speak some English. 

• Ah the joy of the German medical system. Appointments could only be made by an online form and the place was closed all weekend. Despite sending two requests for an appointment I received no reply. So went down to the clinic which looked like a weird hospital DDR style. The receptionist was dressed in white and didn't speak English (fair enough). We were all offered tea and coffee in the waiting room. Called in to see a student doctor perhaps in her 50's. Explained symptoms and asked how to say ear in Deutsch. She suggested holding my nose and exhaling repeatedly with my mouth closed. I explained I had tried this repeatedly and my ears have been ringing at a high volume for days and are extremely painful. Then her supervisor came in (wearing shorts and t shirt hehe) and changed the battery of the ear checker, digging it far enough into my ear that I screamed. He then showed the student comparable pictures of ear infections on google pics and pointed to mine. They decided that a nasal spray from the chemist would work and if it wasn't better in 2 days go back for a prescription for  'very serious treatment-' antibiotics. I'm cursing myself for not bring a pack with me from Australia. It's times like this I miss Brunswick Betta Health, as crap as it was. That said, the appointment was free and the nasal spray was 2€. It contains water and essential oils.  ( I returned for another visit and since my hearing is still impaired, I received a script for antibiotics and a referral for an ear specialist if the antibiotics don't fix it).
• The chemist was like going to a liquor shop with no booze on show. There were sweets and bandages but I couldn't see any drugs. If you are planning a trip to Deutschland bring all the drugs. Upon advice of other expats I took 6 months worth of my prescription meds with me to Leipzig.
• It's been really hot. 36c today which is of course, not as hot as Melbourne but there's no air con anywhere. Poor Mr P in his winter coat!

Things that are just a bit weird or different

• We only have one key for the apartment, for both of us. We are not allowed to copy the key. I am terrified of losing the key. When we next leave the country we will try get some copies made overseas. 
• Supermarkets are interesting. Each supermarket has at least three full aisles of booze and a comparative amount of meat. I have never seen so much meat in my life in all it's forms. I have bought some vegan bratwurst however. 
• You get charged a tax on any bottles (glass or plastic) that you buy. These can returned to the store for a refund. 
• Despite scouring supermarkets and health food shops, I am unable to find bicarbonate soda in quantities bigger than 50g, more than single sachets of yeast or baking powder, ice cube trays or shower puffers 

(these things) 
I am debating whether to wait until I go to the UK next or buy all of the above on ebay. 

• Sausages are hugely popular. Even when a sausage stall is located next to indian and thai restaurants for the same price, people will opt for the sausages. 
• Ice cream parlours are very popular, serving huge sundaes. I have enjoyed a few due to lurgy recovery. Great gelato!
• Downloading aka torrenting is heavily penalised. We have a proxy but I miss being able to d/l at whim.

The natural museum near our apartment . It currently has an exhibition about Australia, complete with posters of badly taxidermied kangaroos. 

The Good

• Despite speaking very little German I can generally get by. Chris is fluent and I am keen to do a proper intensive course once the schools reopen in August. I have done German lessons in Australia, it's just hard to remember! Unlike Berlin, most people don't speak English unless they are younger. 
• There's a fruit and veg market twice a week in the town square with lovely fruit, veg, bread, flowers etc.
• Booze at the supermarket is ridiculously cheap. When you go out, beer is the cheapest followed by wine, mixed spirits (like a gin and tonic) are expensive by Australian standards but the wine is good. 
• Buffet brunch is really popular here on the weekends. I love brunch! 
• It's great living in the city and being close to things. It's a walk to shopping centres, the town square, cafes and restaurants etc
• Our cargo arrived without any damage. 
• Yesterday I found the Leipzig version of Brunswick st/Smith st in Melbourne. A big second hand store like Savers where I bought a skirt, plenty of bars and interesting restaurants. It's 8 tram stops from our house, nice and close. 
• My ears are still blocked but my throat is better and hopefully I'll be well enough next week to get stuck into working on my book.

 We can attest the fire station is still in operation

Stay tuned for more pics once I have a phone again!

Food for thought: DIY (pic heavy)

There's something exciting about starting anew in a new country. There'll be some big shifts besides the obvious ones like language and culture, like living in an apartment. I've lived in a couple of ground floor flats but never an apartment in a multifloor dwelling with a lift! 

The place we are renting is small (55m square) by Australian standards but it's a good start for us. It's cheap, comes with all mod cons (even a dishwasher which I've never had and am looking forward to using for sterilising jars before preserving). 

It's a time of continual decluttering in preparation for small space living. We are of course, selling as much as we can to fund our travels (Mr Pablo's journey is more than ours). We've held two successful garage sales with at least another to follow. I've been selling off my art work including some of my own creations. 

These embroideries  are of lyrics of some of my favourite Smiths lyrics. I've exhibited these a couple of times at different exhibitions. Ive sold the others in the series and I'm selling these for $50 each. 

                          

                                     

   

                                      



So this post is not just a selling post of me hawking my wares, here's a few things from around that have been holding my attention.

How amazing is this property, featured on The Design Files? And compared to the before images it just floors me! 

Love this DIY repair of a delapidated wall. Reminds me of one of my favourite DIY jobs ever

                        

The image doesn't seem to be on Kelli's blog anymore but you can read about it still. I'd love to do this to a couch! 

This book by Gabrielle Galimberti featuring children and their favourite toys. 

"Serious reading takes a hit from online scanning and skimming, researchers say" by Michael S. Rosenwald, The Washington Post.

"When the French clock off at 6pm, they really mean it", by Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

Is Mr Pablo coming to Germany?

A lot of people have been asking me lately if we are taking Mr Pablo to Leipzig with us. The answer is, of course! We're in the middle of the process right now. He had his rabies vaccination this morning and a new microchip as his old one of 17 years is obsolete.  Once we move I'll write a bit about our experiences and how to move a cat from Australia to Europe.