I've seen quite a lot of interesting things and have neither the memory
nor the time to report them all, but here are some more thoughts.
Danube apricots: while visiting in Bavaria, they gave me some apricot
juice to drink and explained that it was a great Austrian specialty from
along the Danube. They said that the fruit was huge (and used hand signs
to show something the size of a small apple), picked at perfect
ripeness, non-shippable because of delicateness, and absolutely
incredible in flavor. Because it has to ripen on the tree, and because
ripe ones don't pick and don't last long, they must be picked and the
right time and processed (or eaten!) quickly. The apricot juice/nectar
flavor was really good. I would love to try the actual fruit, but
Austria is not on my schedule. But there are good articles online and
google images has pictures:
http://www.waldviertel.or.at/tiscover/pressecorner.asp?medium=PCN&sprache=d&archiv=&id=55478&tt=PCN_R19
(English search)
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=wachau+apricot&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 (German search -- better pictures, but text is German)
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=wachau+Marillen&btnG=Search+Images
Carpathian Walnuts: these are everywhere in Germany (that I was), lots
in Switzerland and some in France. The German generic word for nut tree
(Nussbaum) refers to the Carpathian walnut. Some of the trees are very
large, compared to anything that I've seen. I took some pictures of
trees taller than a 4-storey building. Don't have time to upload
pictures now, but I'll try later.
I saw a 2-storey elderberry (sambucus ?): I went back and took pictures
and ask locally about what it was and the answer was elderberry (don't
remember the German name right now, begins with an 'H'). Really amazing
to see it that big.
There is a mulberry in London with leaves the size of my hands. The
fruit is redish, very juicy, and about the size (length and width) of
the last two segments of my index finger. I don't think it was totally
ripe. Have pictures, will try to post later.
Last (taxi is about to arrive), I saw a whole bunch of cedrus ? in
Switzerland. Altitude was about 800-1000 feet. People appear to be very
fond on them and use them abundantly in landscaping. Some are blueish
(color of a blue spruce) and some are more the color of the cedrus
libani that I've seen. Didn't get to ask about the variety.
-- sb
[NAFEX] Another report from Europe,
Stefan Brandle, 07/23/2008