It was my 40th birthday last weekend. 40! I have no idea how that happened. I’ve not been one to panic about it though: I’ve fully embraced my the white hairs infiltrating the blonde, remain unbothered by my wrinkles, and am rather enjoying feeling worldly and wise. (And I finally truly grasp how relative this all is: I’m still being told I’m a young whippersnapper by anyone over 50.)
In any case, I had what I honestly believe was my best birthday ever. After a fabulous Friday at a Parmigiano Reggiano workshop (*invite) in Frankfurt followed by lots of wine there with new friends, I started my Saturday as usual with a trip to the Wiesbaden market to buy fresh fruit and vegetable for the coming week. Late Saturday morning, my husband took me out for a ride in the forest on my brand new – first ever – mountain bike, and after stopping to enjoy the sunshine and a bottle of very good sparkling Riesling in a bright green grassy field, we settled on a nearby trout farm-cum-German-Austrian restaurant for lunch.
A trout farm the Waldrestaurant Fischzucht might be, and one with a fantastic selection of trout dishes on the menu at that, but on my birthday, I decided to indulge in my first white asparagus of the season instead of going with the fish. I ordered my Spargel the most classic way of all, with butter, potatoes and ham, and it did not disappoint. I didn’t drink any wine alongside in the knowledge I was going to have to cycle home again afterwards – and we’d just drunk that entire bottle of Sekt. It was just as well really, seeing as on the way back into the forest in a field full of naked men I lost control of my brand new bike and careered straight into a bush. I can’t imagine a better start to white asparagus season, or indeed the next decade of my life. Here’s to 40!
We ate at:
Waldrestaurant Fischzucht
Address: Fischzuchten 1, 65195 Wiesbaden
Website: Waldrestaurant Fischzucht (German only)
