How Germany changed me #3

The years in Germany are punctuated by festivals and celebrations. Always something to look forward to, always something to talk about and always reliably prompt. After Christmas comes Silvester (New Year’s Eve), after Silvester comes Fasching (carnival), after Fasching comes Easter and so on and so on. The comforting regularity of having something to look … Continue reading How Germany changed me #3

Shopping in Germany – #2 Milk Machines

Coming from the UK I am used to drinking fresh pasteurised milk, I wrongly assumed that milk in Germany would be the same. It's not. Here the long-life (langer haltbare) and ultra heat treated (UHT) milk are kings, and until I found the one local supermarket that sold real milk I was having to consider … Continue reading Shopping in Germany – #2 Milk Machines

Shopping In Germany – #1 Vending Machines

Sunday and public holidays in Germany definitely took some getting used to. The apocalyptic silence, the lack of people around and zero bustle of a normal working day still sometimes take me by surprise six years on. And yes, I too still get caught out by those days when Germany is closed. Let me introduce … Continue reading Shopping In Germany – #1 Vending Machines

Shopping In Germany – A series

I got to a point, maybe a year ago when I had settled down and wasn't exploring as much as I usually like to. A lot of time got taken up by a new high maintenance furry household member who shall remain nameless and this blog got put on the back-burner. In an effort to … Continue reading Shopping In Germany – A series

One year ago…

..today was probably one of the most fabulous days. This was the day we adopted our dog, our third musketeer, our ball of fluff, equal lover of cuddles and all things edible. We adopted him from a local Tierheim (animal shelter), if you are interested in doing the same I have some useful information for … Continue reading One year ago…

A beverage paradise

When you spend four years of your life in Franconia, it's safe to say that you'll become a lot more picky about beer. Though I think the same is true for most people that live in Germany for any length of time. Not that the beer in Baden-Württemberg or anywhere else in Germany is bad, … Continue reading A beverage paradise

Adopting a dog from the Tierheim

So as you may have seen, MrC and I adopted a dog from our local Tierheim (animal shelter) last October. Since we had no friends (German or non German, that we knew of) who had adopted an animal from a shelter here we did a lot of googling to find answers to our many, many, many questions. Putting … Continue reading Adopting a dog from the Tierheim

Schiller Week 2016

I'm guessing that most people have heard of  of Friedrich Schiller. One of Germany's favourite literary sons, friend of Goethe, was born right here in Württemberg (before it got joined to Baden) on this day in 1758 in the pretty town of Marbach am Neckar.In celebration of his life a few events are happening this week, and on … Continue reading Schiller Week 2016

Annafest – The forest beer festival you’ve probably never heard of

In Catholic Bavaria many festivals have their roots in traditional feast days and Annafest is no different. The celebration of St Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, means 11 days of beer and celebration, in a forest, on a hill. Where? Forchheim, Bavaria. Known as the gateway to Franconian Switzerland, this pretty half timbered town … Continue reading Annafest – The forest beer festival you’ve probably never heard of

The last night of Bergkirchweih

Germany loves ceremony. Every event I've ever been to, from the opening of a farm shop for the season, to a concert at the Town Hall is preceded by long speech during which everyone in the world is thanked (in great detail) and the assembled audience waits patiently and claps with gusto (to wake those who … Continue reading The last night of Bergkirchweih