milchautomat: a hidden delight

While living in a small, rural town like Büsingen has its ups and downs, one definite advantage is the milchautomat that dispenses a pint of milch for two euros just five minutes from the main road! Now, I am not a fan of milk; I don't actually like milk unless it is eaten with cookies --preferably double-stuffed Oreos and even then only skim will suffice; in fact, I don't even buy it anymore since I switched to almond milk two years ago, but that doesn't lessen the overwhelming excitement I experience every time I pass the local-fresh-from-the-cow-in-the-backyard milk dispenser tucked away in my little village. If you didn't know what you were looking for, you would probably miss it out right.

So, when my friend, Sarah, came to visit, I of course, brought her to the coolest place in town, and lo and behold, we had to wait in line; I guess we weren't the only ones who could appreciate such a treasure. I really felt as though I was giving Sarah a taste of the local culture as no guide book could, and that I was beginning to blend in with the locals --well, until I posed for several pictures next to this cow's head as if to say, "Check out this guy. He looks used and abused." And as a permanent guard standing at attention over a machine that supplies fresh cow's milk 24/7, I would imagine he was. Perhaps the PR for the milchautomat is a bit lacking; however, I can't fault the owners, but maybe I will leave a post it next time and suggest a new mascot like a fox or camel --both of which are, respectively, emotionally removed from the entire situation and common fixtures in the area (another story for another time).

And of course, we had to pose once again after we filled up our container. It was certainly a moment that needed to be well documented. Once we were home, we heated up the milk right away and made two gigantic cups of authentic-swiss-hot chocolate. And while the amount of cream and the movement of the thick liquid made me gag a bit, and the end result wasn't anything spectacular, it was one of my top five favorite hot chocolates of all time because one essential ingredient came from my backyard in a steel box propped in a little wooden alcove in a neighbor's driveway as a haggard and slightly annoyed cow remains vigilant over the milchautomat, and for my askewed sensibilities, it doesn't get much better than that --only in Büsingen.