Strawberry Cake

Apparently this glorious dessert is a typical German strawberry cake. I had hiked all day in the Alps with a friend and he kept mentioning that we should stop for coffee and strawberry cake. We finallly stopped for this mystery dessert in a town called Mittenwald. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the bakery but it was lovely. A spelt flour biscuit crust, a layer of strawberry cream, and topped with with fresh strawberries embedded in a strawberry jello-like substance. the crust was nutty and satisfying and the toppings were sweet but not too sweet. A perfect end to a great day.

The Banks of the Isar

One of the most amazing places I have been here in Munich has to be the banks of the Isar. It has recently been restored to a more natural meander just outside of the city. It's just what we hear about in school. It's "performative infrastructure" at its most elegent. It is flood control, habitat, biking/jogging area, and flexible open space for people. There were people picnicking everywhere. Picnicking is huge here which seems really endearing and innocent. Couples just laying in the sand on a blanket or playing a game of badmitton. Appropriation of a flexible space. It is unprescribed and can be anything. Wonderful.

Munich Germany

I have been living now in Munich Germany for about a month. This blog was initially started to catalogue my experience in graduate school but I got too busy of course. So now it is going to follow me on my travels in Germany. I was working at a firm called Terrain (www.terrain.de) and will now start the travel portion of my summer. I will be traveling through the industrial Ruhr area to see landscape projects there then I go on my Penny White Grant study of port cities. I'll go to Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, and Hamburg. That will be coming soon but now I'll go back and give you some of my impressions here in Munich. It is really a wonderful city. Very bike friendly. I have become a bike commuter and take lots of long rides in town and down the Isar. I'll try to pull out some of the most interesting aspects and post them seperately.

During our first week of studio we went on a ferry ride to the Boston harbor Islands. See http://botanybaystudio.blogspot.com/ for more info as the studio progresses
I just wanted to let all of you that I dont get to talk to on a regular basis know how I'm doing. School has been great so far. My brain hurt the first week but I think I am adjusting. I miss NY/NJ and all my friends there!