Alongside

It’s fascinating to learn while the world rushes by your window. Here are some impressions from my latest travels.

In the past five weeks, I’ve traveled about 2.500 kilometers. That’s equivalent to traveling from Stockholm, Sweden to Venice, Italy—or twice from London to Paris and back. I covered most of that distance by train, with only about five percent by bus or taxi. Riding the rails is still my favorite way to travel. You get to know places and people instead of just driving past them. Of course, there are also plenty of opportunities to learn about food. This time, I took a closer look at the backside of making, eating, and selling food. There is a lot of unwanted gray matter in that area.

During my journey, I first stopped in Bamberg. It’s a lovely town in Franconia with many remarkable cultural highlights. Some are even part of the UNESCO-designated human cultural heritage. I stayed in a small hotel. It was a family-run place with a reception area under a historic wooden staircase, a miniature atrium, and an old bush in front of my room window. Despite its old-world charm, it had all the modern appliances you would want. I had been there before. In fact, it’s one of the few places where I actually enjoy the breakfast served. The breakfast room is small and faces the river. The buffet is tiny but fully loaded with carefully selected goodies (standard, gluten-free, plant-based, low sugar, etc.). Everything is of a very high quality and cleverly arranged with perfect use of space. Since the breakfast area is small, you must choose an hour-long time slot for your first meal of the day. This means that the buffet is filled up three times a day to its modest dimensions (it is very clean and constantly maintained). I like that because it minimizes the chances of leftover food.

At my second station, a ten-day retreat in Lower Bavaria, close to the Austrian border, I stayed in my own rented apartment. This meant that I was in charge of shopping for and preparing food. I also had to avoid wasting food myself. Here, I tried a new approach. I went shopping at a large store a little out of town and bought basic supplies, such as salad and vegetables. This way, I got to use my Nordic Walking gear on the way there and back. I also got special items from a small, family-owned health food store in town for basics like bread, pasta, and pesto, as well as from another family-owned shop in town where I bought everyday necessities.

After that, I only bought items that I had used up. I skipped some of the usual ingredients that I normally would have considered irreplaceable and improvised using plain ingredients. For example, you can replace olive oil in a salad by adding avocado and using grape juice instead of vinegar. I kept things as simple as possible and stuck to a meal pattern: Hoppidge with banana for breakfast, salad for lunch between my treatments and workshops, and vegetable soup in the evening with yogurt for dessert.

If I had time, I went to a lovely little café located in the local public library. They had another clever concept: They partnered with the best local baker, who simply made a little extra for them (the cake was excellent). This way, they did not have to provide a room, time to prepare, or ingredients for the cake. The baker had everything he needed anyway.

About two or three days before I left, I assessed what was still there and started improvising and planning. Improvising meant creating new dishes from leftovers. One result was the sauce from last month’s ingredient specials recipe (see [King of Spears]). Planning meant using up everything except the ingredients I needed to prepare my travel food. For this, I used up any leftover vegetables (precooked), feta from when I made salads, and pasta. For a dressing on my opulent noodle salad, I mixed pesto with oat yogurt. These provisions were very delicious and satisfying, and they got me one or two jealous looks on the train.

At my last station, I stayed at a hotel in Frankfurt. I had to go there for a conference. While attending the conference, I learned about some clever practices for catering good food while avoiding waste. For example, during tea breaks, there was always a small buffet with pre-cut cake, but a large bowl of fresh fruit that was constantly refilled (unlike the cake). At lunchtime, they offered an attractive assortment of salads, a variety of breads (fresh pretzels and croissants, gluten-free bread!), and a selection of tasty spreads in small, refillable bowls. The ingredients were preferably sourced from organic, local farms, as a sign on the tables said. Finally, they placed paper bags at the buffet and asked everyone to take home any leftover food. Bravo!

On my way back, I used one of my old tricks. I packed rolled oats and buckwheat flakes in a sealable container, and I put a large yogurt in a sealable bowl. I had brought both containers from home to carry my provisions for the ride down. This way, I could simply pour the crunchy mixture into the bowl of yogurt and enjoy it. I also bought a salad from one of the two places in all the major German train stations that sell freshly made food with high environmental standards. It came in a paper bowl with a paper cover and a wooden spoon. Standard.

Overall, I have definitely come a long way and have seen many good examples of how to enjoy food while treating it with respect and not leaving any litter behind. I hope your next travel experience will show you other smart ways to create a good journey into the future for everyone.

Happy travels!

After that, I only bought items that I had used up. I skipped some of the usual ingredients that I normally would have considered irreplaceable and improvised using plain ingredients. For example, you can replace olive oil in a salad by adding avocado and using grape juice instead of vinegar. I kept things as simple as possible and stuck to a meal pattern

Side Notes

• As I mentioned earlier, the last recipe was delayed because I twisted my back while traveling. It was entirely my fault. I took too many things with me, and my suitcase was too heavy. They were things that I might have needed, but I could have easily left them at home if I had thought about my travel needs in a more modular way. For example, instead of taking a special item, I could have combined others to replace it, as I did with my ingredients at the apartment in Lower Bavaria. Well, no pain, no gain, as they say. Next time, I’ll be smarter. 😉
• The image above depicts a common sight along the river in the picturesque city of Bamberg.