Bavarian Easter

I can honestly say that I feel as if I were spending Easter in Europe. This is because we are now in a village, which is famous not only for beautiful mountain surroundings, but also for its quite unexpected Bavarian-like architecture. Better yet, it is only a two hour drive from Seattle.

One can eat here typical German dishes, however food connoisseurs can enjoy anything from savory crepes to delicious authentic Danish. It is not difficult to spot Wilkommen signs around; waiters are often dressed in Lederhosen or other Bavarian costumes.

From the city hall’s website, I learned that the complete makeover of Leavenworth  was a last gasp effort to save the region; the gamble paid off.  Each year, over 2 million tourists vist the region. Interestingly enough, Austrian tourists outnumber Germans.

In October, they can participate in the local version of the Oktorberfest festival . Some time ago, Good Morning America featured the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Local displays are not abundant in Easter motifs.  Maybe because in the U.S., simple  Easter egg hunts  are more popular. I did however see figures of Mickey Mouse and Star Wars characters for sale. If needed, gifts from Russia also lure customers.

I must admit  that I haven’t Christened the traditional Easter basket . I was almost certain it will be doable when I saw a Catholic church, right next to our pension. Unfortunately, it turned out that it is closed and now serves as a interior for guest rooms. 

Our Sunday breakfast will unfortunately not include homemade tartar sauce, but we do have with us Polish horseradish.  In the afternoon we will start preparing pisanki.

Tomorrow night we will already be heading back to Bellevue. For Americans, Easter Monday is not a day off. Nevertheless, I will try to discreetly remind Dean why in Poland it is called Lany Poniedziałek…

Dear Readers , I wish you all colorful , tasty and sunny Easter! :) Frohen Ostern!

H.

                                      

Polish version and more photos!

Mudslide in Oso

The very same day that my Dad arrived, a huge landslide north of Seattle swept away dozens of homes in the small town of Oso. They disappeared from the earth’s surface in just a few seconds. Everyday newspapers showed photos of the fatalities.

In addition to the scale of the devastation, I was surprised by two facts:  first, apparently the tragedy could have been prevented. And second, unlike the way it would have been in Poland, there was no official mourning period. The governor, however, ordered a minute of silence to commemorate the victims.

I learned that in the United States official mourning is rarely proclaimed. The last time, it was imposed on a national scale was after the shooting at Fort Hood military base in 2009. Perhaps we may this this happen again.

The absence of such a decree did not discourage residents from voluntarily showing their support. In one of the press pictures of the landslide, I noticed a half –mast American flag. I later read that it had been found in the mud.

Private citizens in a gesture of solidarity have organized local events, such as concerts to raise money. Neighbors prepared meals for survivors and created small altars with flowers and candles. I also saw the information about joint praying vigils. As part of the official Washington’s month of poetry, one can also submit entries supporting those affected by the disaster.

And another community initiative: during the press conference, representatives of the well-known Indian tribe Snoqualmie offered a large donation to their distant neighbors. We are all mountain folk, and mountain folk stick together - donors commented on their generous gesture.

A few days ago, President Obama called the landslide as a major disaster. This declaration allows families to qualify for the receipt of government assistance.

Seeing in the news every day, how volunteers offered to search the devastated area, one can be assured that the local authorities and neighbors will not abandon the community of Oso.
                                                 

H. 
Ps. 22th of April President Obama came to see the mudslide in Oso.He found personal time with the victims families. He also reassured that the government help is promised. This is..what America is all about. When times get tough, we look out for each other.We get each other's back. And we recover, and we build, and we come back stronger- were some of President's words of support.