Lower Saxony may be pretty, but I gotta say – the mountains are mere mole hills. Moving to central Germany from Switzerland is like having your parents replace your Halloween candy with broccoli – it’s harder to enjoy the healthy stuff after feasting on a steady diet of world-class alpine sports for a year. The good news for us is that we Continue reading Skizentrum Sankt Andreasberg, Skiing for Beginners
Zoos are something that always make me feel conflicted. While I hate seeing wild animals in captivity, especially if they seem agitated, I love animals. LOVE them! It’s unusual for us to even visit more than one zoo in a year, but during our recent trip to Berlin, we spent our last day in the city exploring the aquarium and one of the city’s two Continue reading Zoo Berlin, A Fantastic Attraction for Animal Fanatics
Boats are cool and hostels are cool, so a hostel boat must be the coolest, right? After a memorable three-night stay on board the Eastern Comfort Hostel Boat in Berlin, we’re definitely convinced. The timing couldn’t have been better either since our stay coincided with New Year’s Eve. Every year on December 31st, your typical Continue reading New Year’s Aboard the Eastern Comfort Hostel Boat
Until our most recent trip to Berlin, Travis and I had never gone on a guided walking tour of a city – paid or free. When we’ve gone on other kinds of guided tours, we’re always the slowest in the bunch, hanging back to take photos or read some obscure sign nobody in their right mind cares to read. Even when we know we might “get Continue reading SANDEMANs “Free” Berlin Guided Walking Tour: Yea or Nay?
Who doesn’t love German Christmas markets? Towards the end of November, they start popping up in towns across the country. It seems no village is too small to host their own festive extravaganza. In any given year, Berlin alone offers between 50 and 100 Christmas markets, though only a handful of them are sizable. Each market Continue reading Two of the Best Christmas Markets in Berlin
Munich is known for its Oktoberfest. Berlin has the Berlin Wall. Heidelberg is home to one of the prettiest castles in Germany. But what’s the deal with Hannover? We live just an hour south, yet other than the fact that it’s the local seat of government for our region of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), we know very little about Continue reading So what’s the deal with Hannover?
A dilemma of monumental proportions hit us a few days before Christmas. What the heck were we going to do for the holidays? Unless you count not planning as a plan, we didn’t have a plan. We didn’t even intend to cook a real dinner until Christmas Eve when we came across a cold case of comically tiny turkeys at the local grocery Continue reading Christmas Dinner: Deutsche Din-din vs Yankee Yum-yums
Bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to Europe’s Christmas markets. The smaller villages in Germany offer fewer crowds and a more intimate festival experience. This couldn’t be more true than in the town of Goslar just 75 km southeast of Hannover, Germany. Founded in the 10th century, the town owes its Continue reading Chugging Glögg at the Goslar Christmas Market
Legend tells that in the year 968, a knight was out hunting deer in the forests of Rammelsberg, a peak in the Harz Mountains. Stopping for a rest, he tied his horse to a tree. Restless, the horse pawed at the ground, unearthing a rich vein of silver. Thus began over a thousand years of mining history at the Rammelsberg Mine – or so Continue reading Touring the Historic Rammelsberg Mine
Somehow the holiday season snuck up on us this year. It’s probably partly because Thanksgiving – our festive American predecessor to Christmas – comes and goes without fanfare in Germany. Plus we don’t shop much and aren’t buying Christmas gifts this year, so we haven’t been down into the Goettingen city center for months Continue reading Highlights of the 2016 Goettingen Christmas Market
