Dinner Party.

Last night we went with Mark's coworkers to a nearby restaurant to celebrate the end of Mark's internship. It was a farewell party of sorts.

The restaurant we went to was really good! It's a type of restaurant that is owned by a wine company/family, and when the grape season is over, they open a restaurant to sell cheap food and wine. We were really surprised at how affordable the food was; most dishes were about 6 or 7 euros. For a European restaurant that is really affordable, considering that the price includes the tax and the tip. Hooray!

I ordered a "Grosser Salatteller" which basically is the German equivalent of the "Big Salad" (which was pretty funny to me, as a Seinfeld fan). OH MY. I've never had such a good salad in all my life. First off, the plate was huge. Then on top was salad greens, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Then underneath the greens was a potato salad, rotkohl, carrot salad, radish* salad, and cucumber salad. I really wish I would have taken a picture but I devoured it before I really could. I used to eat a lot of salads back in the U.S., but for several reasons I haven't really eaten them over here. Needless to say, the salad hit the spot and I'll never forget it. YUM! Okay, I'll stop talking about it now. Mark ordered the schnitzel, which came with a potato salad. He said it was really good. The potato salad over here is really simple, but is so delicious. I'm not sure of all the ingredients, but it seems like it is covered in a lemony, creamy vinaigrette and a few spices. Really, very tasty.

They also had fresh grape juice that we could mix with carbonated water to make our own Traubenschorle (carbonated grape juice). We had a great time and I could tell that Mark really enjoyed some of his last hours with his coworkers.

Here's everyone at dinner! The couple in the front are the Yanceys, who are over here from USU for a Bosch internship as well. Then across from Mark is Alex, Mark's boss. Sitting next to Mark is Steffi, another coworker, and across from her is Katja, who is from a different department at Bosch but still came. Then at the end of the table is a lady who used to work at Bosch. We didn't know who she was, but were glad she was there to celebrate with us.

After we ate our main course, Alex ordered desserts/small appetizers for the whole table. He ordered a salzkuchen (salt cake--kind of like a thin quiche), apple cake (don't know the official german word for it), and two cheese platters. They were a perfect way to end the dinner, and each dish was delicious.

From the top left is the salzkuchen, followed by the cheese platter next to it, then at the bottom of the picture is the apple cake.

Mark and Alex. :)

I had to get another picture of them outside the restaurant together. I'm so glad that I remembered to take my camera so I could get a picture of Mark with his boss. Mark has really enjoyed working for Bosch, and a lot of it had to do with Alex. He was really kind to Mark and really respected him as a worker and intern. Mark really liked that he had a sense of humor and liked to joke around with him. He appreciated his kindness and patience in teaching him just how a business works. I know he'll always be thankful for Alex, and that he took him as his intern.

The dinner was so much fun. We had such a good time chatting with each other. We've had several of these dinners with Mark's coworkers as various interns have come and gone, and each time we always have a blast. His coworkers always make me feel comfortable and like I am part of the crowd, even though I don't know them and work with them everyday.

We've had fun lately getting used to the cooler weather and watching all the Christmas decorations get put up around the city. The Christmas market in Waiblingen starts this weekend, and the one in Stuttgart started earlier this week. We are so excited to see them both and will update soon on our trips to them. In the meantime, we've been enjoying the Christmas treats on the stores around here, especially this:

Behold, the beloved quark. Mark loves this stuff and I've really come to like it, too. This flavor is "baked apple." It has cinnamon and bits of cooked apples, with other spices. Quark is really hard to explain, so I won't attempt to do it. Instead, I'll just send you here. If I had to simplify it, quark is similar to cream cheese (although, don't say that to a German) not in taste, but in the fact that it is a soft, fresh cheese that is used in savory and sweet things. This quark that we eat is like a super thick yogurt. I think it's mixed with cream and fruit. It's almost indescribable, but trust me--it's delicious! We're definitely going to miss it, like we will with a lot of German foods.

Tomorrow is Mark's last day at Bosch. Next week, we will fly home!

*I think it was radish, made from a daikon. If it was, it was pretty tasty and I don't even like radishes. :)