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Wiesbaden’s Mix Markt and a Greek lunch at Phaisto’s

The weather has gotten kind of crappy again.  It’s a bit cloudy today, although the temperature isn’t too cold and there’s been no actual rain.  Although I’m itching to visit Mainz and some of the other interesting areas around Wiesbaden, the weather kind of didn’t allow for it today.  So we decided to visit Wiesbaden’s Mix Markt, a grocery store chain that caters to Russians and people from other countries in Eastern Europe.

We discovered Mix Markt when we were still living near Stuttgart.  One of Bill’s former co-workers, who reads my blog, had mentioned that this was a store that carried products from Russia and former Eastern Bloc countries.  Because I spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Armenia, a former Soviet country, I was interested in seeing what they had there.  Mix Markt has locations all over Germany and in several other European countries.  I’ve been to the ones in Böblingen, Nagold, and now, Wiesbaden.  Each has been a bit grubby and crowded, and each has had a very interesting mix of clientele.

The markets in Nagold and Wiesbaden are pretty tiny, while Böblingen’s location is somewhat larger and has more selection.  Parking at all three of these markets is a challenge, too.  But if you like ethnic treats from Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, or any of the other formerly communist countries, it’s well worth visiting.  Bill and I like to go to there because they carry Georgian wines and Armenian brandies, as well as a number of excellent vodkas and other spirits.  And sometimes, it’s fun to remember things I used to be able to get easily.

Here are some photos from Wiesbaden’s location.  This market is in a rather “socialist” looking area.  There are lots of cookie cutter apartment buildings, although they’re all painted instead of drab grey.  It actually reminded of me of living in Armenia, although Armenia’s buildings were all made of tufa and none were painted.

Parking was somewhat challenging, although there was no charge to use the lot.  It was better than both Nagold and Böblingen, but still kind of tight.  In fact, the store was really busy today.

Every Mix Markt I’ve been to so far has had an impressive candy aisle, stocked with Russian chocolates.  There is also always a sunflower seed aisle.  Sunflower seeds are very popular snacks in formerly Soviet nations.

Beautiful cakes.  Armenia had the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen, but most of them tasted like sawdust, at least in the 1990s.  They may be better now.

This was what we came for…  Lovely Georgian wines!  Böblingen’s location has a bigger selection, but we were happy just to find a few bottles today.

And Armenian brandy, which is world class… some would say even better than French cognac.  Josef Stalin used to keep Winston Churchill flush with Armenian brandy because he loved it so much.  It really is good, although the brandy carried at Mix Markt is universally Proshyan, which is not as popular as “Ararat” brandy.  I usually have to order Ararat from Master of Malt.

They did have some fancy Armenian brandy bottles, though.  These make really nice gifts.

They also had Matryshka dolls…  I was tempted to get a set, since the ones I have are of former Soviet leaders and are still in storage.

Russian dominoes.

We decided to try this Turkish flatbread, but it wouldn’t fit in the bag.

It looks a lot like Armenian “Matnakar” bread, so I want to try it to see if it is like Armenian flatbread.

Lots of booze… 

And lots of people in line, with signage in four different languages.

I got a kick out of the vodka at the registers.  They even had some in “jelly jars”.  Actually, if I’m honest, it looked more like urine specimen jars.

You’d think we were going to go home and take communion.

 

On the way back into the city, we happened to notice a Greek restaurant that appeared to be open.  It was called Phaisto’s and had a very generous parking lot with free parking.  We arrived at 2:10pm, just fifty minutes before their pause began.  However, we were warmly welcomed and offered a nice table for two in the charming dining room.

Bill anticipates lunch.  We were both hungry.

I liked the fresh bread they brought out with red pepper spread and green and black, garlicky olives.

We both had salads to go with our meals.  I enjoyed the dressing, which was a nice herbal vinaigrette.  I actually ate most of the salad.  

Bill had the Kotopulo, grilled chicken breast on spits with Mediterranean vegetables– basically peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms.  We also had “patates”, which were like homemade potato chips, and t’zatziki.  If this hadn’t had mushrooms, I would have preferred it to my dish…

Gyros… again.  What can I say?  Sometimes, I just want slivered pork with onions.  I have had better gyros in other Greek places, but for some reason, it seems like there aren’t as many Greek restaurants up here in Wiesbaden as there are near Stuttgart.  I was just happy to have Greek food, to be honest.  But I have had better.  This was a little dry.

I couldn’t finish all of the gyros, so we had the leftovers wrapped up and enjoyed house shots of ouzo.  Then, we paid the 42 euro bill and went on our way.  I thought the service was good and the people who were running things today were very pleasant.  Next time, I’ll have to try the dorade.

This is a nice restaurant.  Even has a play area for kids.  When the weather is regularly nice, I’m sure the outside area will be teeming with people.

The parking lot is a good selling point.

It’s a very large building, too.

On our way back home, we drove through an unfamiliar part of Wiesbaden with interesting looking houses.  Wiesbaden has some really nice architecture.  It doesn’t look at all like Stuttgart, but it’s uniformly elegant.  I just wish this area had the same gorgeous scenery Baden-Württemberg has.  Wiesbaden is prettier than Stuttgart is, but the area around Stuttgart is prettier than the area around Wiesbaden is.

 

Bill will be away for the next two weekends, so my travel blog may get a little boring… perhaps even more boring than usual, unless I come up with an idea for something to write while he’s gone.  Tomorrow, I’m sure we’ll have an exciting trip to the commissary so I can be stocked up for the duration.  I suppose I could venture out by myself, though.  Maybe I will… but I probably won’t.

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Baden-Württemberg, former Soviet Union

Mixing it up at Mix-Markt– your source for products from the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe!

Recently, one of my husband’s colleagues told him about a grocery chain called Mix-Markt.  Mix Markt specializes in foods, wines, beers, and spirits from the former Soviet Union and eastern European countries like Poland and Romania.  Bill’s co-worker knows how much we like Georgian wines and Armenian brandies, so he hooked up Bill with a link and an idea for today’s excursion.

There are 297 stores all over Europe, though the chain was founded in 1997 in Örlinghausen, district Lippe in North-Rhine Westphalia.  Locally, Mix-Markt has outlets in Böblingen, Stuttgart, Tamm, Reutlingen, and Nagold.  We live very close to Nagold, but decided to visit the Böblingen store because we figured it would be more convenient to most of my regular readers in the Stuttgart area.  We were also hoping to try a new restaurant for lunch.  Below are some pictures from our little field trip.

The Mix Markt is in a rather busy area of town.  Right next to it is a Turkish market that we didn’t explore.  The Mix Markt has a lot of Turkish products, anyway.  Parking is a bit scarce in the area and the store is in what looks like a weird German incarnation of a strip mall, only instead of it being a strip, it’s more like a doughnut… shops in a circle with a small courtyard in the middle.

Impressive selection of beers from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic.  Sadly, I didn’t see any Kotayk, which is an Armenian beer.  But we came for wine and wine we found!

Mix Markt has a lot of Georgian wines, which are uniformly excellent!

And they also have Armenian brandies, although none by Ararat, which is probably the most popular Armenian brandy.

They even had Polish bison grass vodka, although I don’t think this is the stuff you can get in Poland, which actually has a blade of grass in it.  Many places, including the United States, don’t allow authentic bison grass vodka because the grass contains trace amounts of warfarin, which is a blood thinner.  This vodka was probably artificially flavored.

Armenian brandy can be purchased in fancy bottles.  You’d see these in Armenia, too.  They make interesting gifts.

Ukrainian Sekt.  I haven’t tried this, but I do remember Russian bubbly to be very sweet and cloying.  I doubt I’d enjoy this… but I might try it sometime.

Russian candy!  You can mix your own!  I never got into Russian chocolate when I lived in Armenia because I preferred the occasionally smuggled German chocolate.  But there must be Russians in Germany who miss it very much.  It smelled delicious.

Want some fish?  Mix Markt has you covered with lots of salmon and smoked fish.  You can also buy meats and sausages there.

And there’s even Uzbek canned meat called Plow.

Sausages galore, from all over…  Next to this case is one full of pretty cakes.

And there’s also Russian pop music for your collection.

There’s an entire aisle devoted to sunflower seeds, which are a very popular snack in former Soviet countries.

You can even get glass AK-47s full of booze– Polish vodka or Armenian brandy!  This might make a fun white elephant gift for your next Christmas party.

I found this candy bizarre…  It appears to be a gummy type confection, but it’s supposed to look like burgers.  Weird concept.  Who wants to eat a gummy candy that tastes like a cheeseburger?  I’m sure these are actually fruity… but maybe burgers are more fun than fruits are.  Reminded me of Bubble Burgers from the late 70s.

 

This wasn’t in the Mix Markt– I just remember these from when I was a kid.  Bubble Burgers were bubble gum “burgers” that came in little plastic cases.  I don’t think I ever tried one, but they probably didn’t taste like burgers, either.

They even had melons from Uzbekistan…

And brochures about trips to Russia.

This is just across the breezeway, if you’re wanting more Turkish choices.

 

After we picked up our haul, we headed to downtown Böblingen, parked at the Marktplatz, and had lunch at the Seegärtle Restaurant-Cafe-Bar.  This eatery overlooks the manmade lake in Böblingen.  It has a nice Biergarten, which was open today, but we decided to eat inside because it was a little chilly outside.

Bill looks at the menu, which mostly consists of burgers and sandwiches.  They also have soup, salad, and a few Swabian specialties.

There’s a bar and they played VH1 Classic videos, which I really enjoyed.  I’d rather see that than football.

I had a pastrami sandwich.  It was pretty good, with its pastrami, cheese, kraut, lettuce and “special sauce”.  I was full after half, though, since this also came with some excellent fries.

Bill had a cheeseburger.  It was supposed to be made with 100% beef, but he said it was “gemischtes”, meaning it was beef mixed with pork.  I was glad I didn’t order the burger, although he said it tasted fine.

The fries were the bomb, though.  Service was fast and friendly, too.  Total bill was 32 euros.

Outside…  

If it had been slightly warmer, we would have enjoyed outside dining.  I was liking the 80s era videos, though… at least until Kiss played.  Gene Simmons and his flickering tongue aren’t exactly appetizing.

As we were headed back to the car, we passed this Croatian “Feinkost”.  It’s maybe two doors from the restaurant.

We went inside and bought three more bottles of wine, this time from Croatia.  They had some interesting liqueurs, too.

This is the rest of the store.  There’s not much to it, but the lady who rang us up was super friendly.  I was glad to give her business.  They also had Croatian football fan gear.

This was today’s haul.  Lots of wine, some brandy, juice, and some mustard from Russia…

I can’t wait to see Bill try this.  I have a feeling it’s going to blow his brains out.  I once gave my Armenian neighbors quite a laugh when I tried Russian mustard for the first time.  It’s extremely hot stuff that will clear out your sinuses.

 

I’m looking forward to seeing the Nagold Mix Markt.  There’s also one located in our new location of Wiesbaden, so we should be well set with Georgian wine when we move north.  If you live in Europe and want a little something different, you should drop by Mix Markt for a visit.  You might find some new treats!

     

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Baden-Württemberg

Russian lunch at Veranda Restaurant in Holzgerlingen…

This morning, Bill was occupied bottling his latest homebrew, while I was occupied by a nap and a nightmare.  When I woke up, it was early afternoon and there were a lot of clouds in the sky.  Bill asked me what I wanted to do today.  I took a look at the clouds and decided today was the day to try Veranda Restaurant in Holzgerlingen.

The sign out front.  On Sundays, there’s plenty of parking.

Although today was the first time we’d ever tried this restaurant, we have actually eaten in the venue before.  In May 2016, Bill and I went there when it was called Ocean’s First.  It was a seafood restaurant in those days and boasted a very nice looking terrace.  Since it’s on the third floor of an office building, it has kind of a nice view of a rather industrial part of Holzgerlingen.  Ocean’s First abruptly ceased operations a few months after our visit, though, much to our chagrin.  We really enjoyed our one dinner there.

A few months ago, my German friend Susanne alerted me to the restaurant’s new incarnation.  Veranda Restaurant specializes in Russian cuisine…  Well, if I’m honest, it’s more like cuisines of the former Soviet Union.  There are Russian, Ukranian, Georgian, and even Uzbek specialties on the menu.  During the workweek, it appears that they also offer some choices that are more for German businesspeople.  I checked their Facebook and noticed that they are open on Sundays from 11:00am until 10:00pm.  Since it was getting a little late for lunch, I suggested that we visit.

Come on in!

We arrived at the restaurant at about 2:30pm or so.  There were a few folks there, including one guy who used to work in Bill’s office, but was later moved.  It was a little awkward when we first walked in.  A young lady was sitting by a computer and seemed surprised to see us.  Then an older lady who didn’t speak any English came out of the kitchen.  They both encouraged us to get the brunch buffet, which runs 23 euros and is all you can eat, complete with drinks.  But I looked at what was on the tables and decided I’d rather order off the menu.

The older lady seemed a little concerned at that, although it was permissible.  I think she was worried we wouldn’t understand the menu, although they had one in English.  Then she handed us the barbecue menu, which is offered at certain times during the week (after 2:00pm on Sundays and after 5:00pm on weekdays).  I said, “Shashlik!” and her eyes lit up.  She asked if I speak Russian.  I don’t… only a few words, mostly consisting of curse words I learned in Armenia.  I learned Armenian in Armenia, which even seemed to confuse Armenians, who wondered why I’d learn Armenian when Russian is so much more portable.  But I do know a few words of Russian… and it turned out that made a difference.

So we sat down inside, only because it looked like it might rain.  I probably would have preferred to sit outside, since they were playing manic electro dance music in English that lent little to the ambiance.  If it had been Russian dance music, maybe it would have been slightly more authentic.

Bill makes a decision… the menu is quite extensive, with all kinds of choices.  They had everything from Russian to Uzbek specialties.

 

I’m always a little nervous about new restaurants, especially when there are a lot of selections on the menu that include the dreaded mushroom.  I figured I was pretty safe with pork BBQ (shashlik), which came with lavash (flatbread, kind of like very thin tortilla) and raw onions.  I got a side of shashlik sauce to go with it (extra charge of two euros).  Bill went with a Georgian chicken dish that came with a spicy pepper sauce.  He also got a side of roasted potatoes, which we shared.

We also split a bottle of Spanish red wine and sparkling water.  I was a little surprised that they didn’t have any Georgian or Armenian wines on the menu, but then they can be kind of hard to get and probably wouldn’t sell that well anyway.  People in the west are only now learning how good Caucasian wines are.  Because Bill was chatting with his former co-worker, the proprietor had me try the wine.  She lit up when I said, “Spasiba” (Russian for “thank you”).

It took awhile for lunch to be ready, but it was well worth the wait…

This was a complimentary “amuse”.  Basically like a very fancy style tuna salad, with potatoes, carrots, peppers, fish, eggs, and a very light application of mayonnaise.  It was very good, albeit a little filling.  

While we waited for our main courses, Bill and I discussed a possible trip to Armenia soon.  A friend of mine has been visiting this week and has me all excited about how much Yerevan has changed since I lived there from 1995-97.  My former Peace Corps student is now a director at Peace Corps Armenia and my very first Armenian teacher is now in charge of language training for the new Volunteers.  Naturally, I want to go back and see them, but I also want to see how much Yerevan has changed… and maybe show Bill where I spent two difficult but worthwhile years in my youth.  Maybe we will be able to go in October.  We’ll see.

Bill’s delicious Georgian chicken… it was perfectly roasted, very moist, and so different!  And the sauce that came with it was delightful!  The roasted potatoes were extra, but worth the addition, especially since we shared them.  

My shashlik… I saw the chef take the pork out on the veranda to grill it.  It was plenty of pork, perfectly cooked and juicy.  If I’d wanted to, I could have ordered pork with vegetables, barbecued chicken, lamb or beef.  They also had barbecued vegetables.

 

There were a few tempting looking desserts on the menu, but I was too full to consider them.  Also, by the time we finished eating, we were the only ones left in the restaurant.  Our total bill came to about 62 euros before the tip, but one can certainly get in and out of there for significantly less money.  Prices are very reasonable.  I do hope more people discover this gem in Holzgerlingen.  The food is good; the service is attentive and warm; and it’s such a nice change from Greek, Italian, and German food.

I think Veranda might have a better chance at staying in business than Ocean’s First did, mainly because Ocean’s First was selling fish and didn’t have freezers; therefore they depended on what could be delivered locally.  The food was very good–especially the huge lobster I had there– but I think it didn’t offer enough different stuff to attract people from all over and business was too slow.  Veranda is truly different because it’s Russian/ former Soviet Union food.  That makes it unique and, perhaps, gives it more of a chance at long term success.

If you’re looking for a change and don’t mind a drive to Holzgerlingen, I would highly recommend Veranda.  And if you speak a little Russian, you will score points!  The proprietor lit up again as I said “Do svidaniya!” on the way out.  I may have to add to my vocabulary besides Russian cuss words.  Incidentally, the young lady we saw behind the computer waited on us and spoke some English, so really, language should not be a barrier!  I just think maybe that restaurant doesn’t get a lot of Americans… yet.

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Baden-Württemberg

Samowar: Offering delicious Russian food in Weil der Stadt!

My dog, Zane, had surgery on August 10th.  Because he was recovering, we decided to keep last weekend’s activities low key.  This weekend, we decided to make up for last weekend.  I asked members of Stuttgart food and wine lovers what restaurants they’d like to see reviewed.  A few ladies offered up suggestions.  The first suggestion came from group member, Stephanie, who lives in Weil der Stadt and often frequents a tiny Russian restaurant called Samowar.

A shot of the front of the restaurant.

Some readers may know that I lived in the former Soviet Republic of Armenia.  Armenian food is not necessarily like Russian food, but they do like their borscht.  I happened to live there from 1995-97, which was just after the Soviet Union fell.  Russia was still pretty heavy in the culture there–  for all I know, it still is.  I haven’t been back since I left, though I do hope to visit sometime very soon.

Bill poses outside the King’s Gate in Weil der Stadt.  Looks like a cool town.  We need to explore it more.

Anyway, I thought Samowar would make a nice entry to this blog as well as an exciting change of pace for Bill and me.  There’s only so much excitement one can muster for Italian, German, and Greek food on the regular, as much as I love all three cuisines.  Every once in awhile, it’s fun to try something out of the ordinary.  Out of the ordinary is definitely how I would characterize Samowar, especially in these parts.

Because the restaurant is tiny, we took Stephanie’s advice and booked ahead for a table at 1:00pm.  This time of year, there are also a few tables outside, but it was a little chilly today (so strange to say that in August).  We arrived about fifteen minutes early and were warmly welcomed.  The dining room is, indeed, very tiny.  However, there were only a few people dining, so there were plenty of tables to choose from and a reservation wasn’t necessary after all.

We took a seat at a round table at the back of the restaurant, right next to the very interesting toilet.  I will explain why it’s interesting later.  For now, I want to focus on lunch.  Samowar offers a lot of Russian delights– everything from stuffed peppers to blinis, with soups, salads, and sides that will suit the discerning Russian palate.

A terrible side shot of Bill.  Sorry.

 

This is about half of the dining room.  It’s small.

 

This is most of the other half.

 

Cute Russian touches abound.

I took a look at the drinks list and was delighted when I noticed they offered a few wines from the Republic of Georgia.  Georgian wines are fantastic and I haven’t found any locally, so it was great to order a glass of Alte Tiflis (Old Tbilisi), a smokey and slightly sweet red with an interesting dry finish.  Bill ordered a Russian beer, which turned out to be rather bland and ordinary.  Russia is not known for its beer, but Bill wanted to try one.  It wasn’t terrible, but he might have been happier with a German brew, some Georgian wine, or even better, a shot of vodka.

Yummy Georgian wine!  This alone was worth the trip!

 

Russian beer is rather unremarkable as a whole, but it was fun to try it anyway.

For lunch, I went with today’s special, an avocado and shrimp salad.  It sounded really appealing, even if it’s not particularly Russian.  Also, I noticed a lot of the choices on the menu included mushrooms, and I hate mushrooms.  I didn’t want to risk a bad impression on the first visit.  Bill decided to have stuffed peppers, which came with a side of bulgur wheat.  Both dishes came with fresh bread, which tasted like honey wheat.  It was very hearty.

My salad, which was absolutely beautiful, came out well before Bill’s stuffed peppers.  I dug in while he waited.  I don’t usually go for salads, but this one was delicious.  The shrimps were warm, surrounded by perfect slices of avocado, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, rucola, radishes, corn, and a zesty dressing.

This salad was so good.  Not only was it delicious, it was so pretty!  I almost hated to destroy it!  This was priced at 11,50 euros.  There were plenty of shrimps to go with the perfectly ripe and flavorful avocado.  And no mushrooms were to be found!  

Bill’s dish consisted of two peppers, one red and the other green, stuffed with ground beef and rice and smothered in a tomato vegetable sauce.

Bill enjoyed his stuffed peppers.  So did I.  When I was in Armenia, I did try stuffed peppers a couple of times, but in the 90s, the quality of beef in Armenia wasn’t very good.  I shied away from beef while I lived there, though I did enjoy chicken, fish, and pork.  These stuffed peppers were authentic and tasted great.  The bulgur wheat was a nice touch.

After we finished eating, our waiter, who spoke perfect English once he realized we weren’t Germans, asked if we wanted dessert.  Bill was too full, but I decided to try a blini.  I went with a half portion filled with quark and covered with chocolate sauce (probably Hershey’s).  There were a few other varieties available, including apple filling with vanilla sauce or cinnamon and sugar.  And then… another pleasant surprise…

This is a “half portion” of dessert blinis.  It was plenty.  The quark tasted a little like cream cheese with just a hint of “barnyard”… you know, that tangy sharpness you might taste in raw cheeses or milk.  It was just the right size.

And this was my favorite part of the meal… Armenian brandy!  I was super impressed to find it on the menu.  It comes in .2 or .4 cl sizes.  I went with a large and Bill went with a small, since he was driving.  The brandy came with chocolate.  Armenia is well known for its brandies, but it’s not necessarily easy to find them outside of the country or areas where there is a large Armenian population.  I was very excited to find out that this little restaurant had Armenian brandy available, although I got the sense they don’t sell much of it.  The waiter had to come back and ask us which sizes we wanted.

Now for a word on the bathroom.  Samowar’s WC is a tiny affair.  There’s a little unisex room with a sink and two stalls, one for the guys and one for the ladies.  When you open the stall door, a little bear with a speaker in its belly says something in German.  I didn’t understand what it said, but I did get it on video.  Check it out if you’re curious.

I’m sure someone can enlighten us all…

 

Bill also alerted me to the presence of this sign in the men’s stall…  😉

And there’s a toilet with a pump on its tank… I don’t know what this is, but I was intrigued.

 

All told, we spent a little over fifty euros for an absolutely delightful meal.  If you’re tired of the usual fare at local restaurants, I highly recommend trying Samowar.  You might want to make a reservation, especially if you’re going for dinner.  The dining room is very small and I get the feeling this is a popular place.  If it’s not, it really should be.  And if you like brandy and have never tried any from Armenia, I recommend trying some at Samowar.

A few shots of Weil der Stadt I took before we headed home…  We will definitely have to go back and see more of this very charming and unique town.  I can see why so many Americans love it.

 

Weil der Stadt is also home to an enormous and very nice Edeka.  We stopped in to pick up some beer, wine, and stuff for breakfast and dinner.  While we were in there, I noticed a few interesting things for sale.  I get a kick out of finding stuff in German grocery stores.

 

Dolls with bags of noodles for heads…

We were accosted by a very persistent wine saleslady, who got us to buy a bottle of her rose after having us try some.  We also found a couple of Belgian beers and some locally produced IPAs.  Bill loves IPAs and is always game to try them, even if they’re made in Germany.  While we were waiting to pay, I got a load of the packaging on cigarettes.  I know I have mentioned this phenomenon before, but today I actually got pictures of some of the labels.  The Germans don’t mess around with their warnings.  If you buy cigarettes here, you WILL know that smoking is deadly… although I notice plenty of people still smoke.

Yikes!

Tomorrow, we have plans to have Turkish food for lunch.  Turkey is another country with which I became familiar and managed to visit when I lived in Armenia.  Stay tuned!

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