No Such Thing As Too Much

No, I have not yet had my first ice cream this year. But I have seen a few people with cones in their hands, indulging in the cool sweetness, despite the weather.

In my humble opinion, ice cream is an all-year-round thing. To be enjoyed at all times, in all season. 

Of course, there are those who believe, ice cream is a summer affair, something to look forward to, something that comes round once a year like Christmas or Easter. Fools, I say. Ice cream never goes out of fashion or taste and why in hell would I want to wait until Summer?! The pleasure of ice cream cannot be spoiled. It is always at least as great as the last time, even if the last time was just an hour ago.

And yes, we can add that to my list of sins. I am a glutton for ice cream. There were times when I would have ice cream for breakfast on Sundays. I forget the name but it was vanilla with a layer of home-made raspberry jam on top. Courtesy of Eis Christina, of course.

Why am I remembering this? Because it stems from a time when I was very foolish. Not so much where my eating-habits were concerned, but my taste in men. 

And the memory of that particular brand of bad taste does not seem to go away. No matter how many times I try to cleanse my palate, there is always this slight bitterness at the back of my mouth. Did I say slight? Nonchalant, but inaccurate. That whole sorry chapter of my life just lets me wonder again and again where the hell rational thought and sanity were hiding out during that time. 

I said last month I would like to cut out that part of my memory and basically make the whole thing undone. 

And I still feel that way. I regret not being stronger and walking away sooner from a coward of a man, a silly and selfish human being unable to share, unable to be honest, unable to speak their mind or even speak UP, a weak and sorry figure that I should never ever have allowed into my life in the first place. 

But I also wonder what I may have learned from that experience. Apart from hating that person's guts and being a little worse for wear, apart from the usual anger.

I have no idea. I am lost for words. And that is saying much coming from a verbose person. 

I refuse to believe that Eis Christina is spoiled for me now. That eating ice cream is spoiled for me now, too. 

Well, if it comes down to that then so would be A LOT of things. And then I might just as well just give up and die. 

Ah, but I can't. 

There is still so much more venom to be spread.


P.S. If I was ever made into a comic book heroine I want to go by the name of Bitter Almond and if I had a choice, my gal pals'd be Miho and Maya.

Need I Say More

All is well. Eis Christina is open again.

Number 1

Ha, I just remembered.
On my way back home just now I did indeed see a 1 - one lady walked up to Eis Christina and tried to peek inside and then she checked the sign informing us all that they will re-open in February.

So that is my 1 for the day. And she seems to be as impatient as I for the ice cream parlour to open its doors once more. She, too, may be counting the days. She, too, cannot wait to go up to the big window and place her order like a kid. And then like a kid enjoy the smooth, cold texture of chocolate or vanilla or whatever flavour your heart may desire.

Makes me smile just thinking about it.

Er Ist's

Einen jeden Frühling wieder kommt mir Möricke in den Sinn, seines Frühlings luftiges Flatterband, der "leise Harfenton"

Und ja, vergangenen Samstag war's mir, als würde auch ich ihn leise, leise vernehmen können.

Ein herrlich beschwingtes Gefühl überkommt einen dann, man lächelt in sich hinein, man blinzelt in die Sonne und stellt sich vor, wie alles sein mag, wenn das erste Grün in den Bäumen schimmert. Man kann es kaum erwarten, ist selbst wie ein Knospe, zum Bersten voll mit Vorfreude.

Ein sicheres Zeichen, dass Lenzens Ankunft nicht mehr lange auf sich warten lassen kann, ist die jährliche Wiedereröffnung der "Eis Christina", einem Eis Café auf der Eckenheimer Landstraße an der Ecke zur Wielandstraße. Wenn sich nach der Winterpause die Jalousien heben und die Tür und das Verkaufsfenster wieder geöffnet werden, ist es egal, wie kühl oder regnerisch es noch sein mag, dann ist es als ob Hoffnung in Überzeugung übergeht.

Das Eis der Eis Christina gehört in den Reigen der Dinge, die jährlich wiederkehren, die uns ein wenig Gewissheit und Ruhe schenken im Trubel, im Rausch, dem wir, zu oft, folgen sollen, müssen. Ihr Schliessen im Herbst hat immer etwas Wehmütiges. Und das Warten darauf, dass wieder Eis verkauft wird, ist genau wie das Warten auf den Frühling. Man ist versucht, die Tage zu zählen, man hofft, man schaut täglich nach, ob sich schon etwas getan hat, man schleicht an der Café Tür vorbei in der Hoffnung, ein Zeichen zu erhaschen, dass es bald so weit sein möge.

Eis Christina gehört in diesem Viertel fest in den Jahreslauf. Ihre Süße, ihre Kühle, ein kräftiger samtiger Espresso, das Sonne-Aufsaugen auf dem Bänkchen vor der Tür - all das ist Sinnlichkeit in ihrer schönsten Form, und sie durchströmt einen und lässt einen zufrieden sein und glücklich.

Hier kommt der Frühling... mit einer Eiswaffel in der Hand.