While on an artist’s residency at Arte Studio Ginestrelle, I’m getting to know the town of Assisi a little bit more. December seems to be a lovely time of year to do this.
Read moreAssisi in December: bonfires and Christmas markets and things to eat
Year: 2012
Moving from Germany to Scotland via Italy and Japan
Because moving to a new country isn’t complicated enough, we decided to spice it up a little. OK, not decided exactly; things are just working out that way. While Scott is home in Munich watching the contents of our apartment get packed up, I’m in Assisi experiencing my first stint as an artist in residence.
Read moreMoving from Germany to Scotland via Italy and Japan
Richelbräu: Munich’s basement microbrewery
One of the first things you learn living in Munich is that the city has six big important breweries (Hofbräu, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu, and Spaten). These breweries own most of the beer gardens and beer halls, their beer is served in most local restaurants, and they are the only breweries allowed to sell beer at Oktoberfest. All this local beer pride seems a little silly once you realize
Things you hear when you tell people you’re moving to Edinburgh
“Scotland? Cool! Have you seen that movie Waking Ned Devine?”
(Actually, that’s Irish.)
“But it’s so cold there!”
(Winters are a lot milder in Edinburgh than in Munich. We see that as a downside – we like snow.)
“Why would you want to do that?”
(This one comes mainly from Scottish people who live outside of Scotland.)
“Are you going to learn that kind of dancing where they only move their legs?”
(That’s Irish, too.)
“Do you like whisky?”
(Yes, very much. Can’t wait to visit Islay.)
“Have you found a place to live yet?”
Read moreThings you hear when you tell people you’re moving to Edinburgh
Watching American and British videos in Germany
[This post gets a little long and technical. To sum up the juicy middle: we’ve recently come across some good solutions for watching blocked internet videos. If you’re also an expat interested in watching British and American television online from other countries, read on. Otherwise, skip this post and go work on your Oktoberfest dance moves or something.]
As native English speakers who spend most of our time outside of the US and the UK, we are often looking for ways to watch American and British TV shows and movies on the internet. Unfortunately, most of the websites that work well in their home countries block visitors from abroad.
We have a VPN account that we can use to access these websites, but it isn’t always the best experience. Using a VPN will slow down all of your internet traffic, sometimes so much so that you can’t stream the video you were trying to watch.
Oktoberfest tips for introverts and agoraphobes
Heading into our fifth (and final) Oktoberfest as locals, I’m starting to feel like quite the reluctant expert. Although I’ve had tons of fun at the festival each year, I’ve also had a couple of panic attacks (and more than a couple near-panic-attacks) at the wiesn. I absolutely hate crowds. With more than 7 million people attending Oktoberfest each year, it can be kind of tricky to avoid them. Over time I’ve learned how avoid the parts I hate, and enjoy the parts I like.
Northern Italy Road Trip: Bassano del Grappa
I’m really stretching this trip out, aren’t I? Let’s see, last time we had just spent two wonderful days in Ferrara before getting on the road again to Bassano del Grappa.
Looking for stuff to do in Munich during Oktoberfest?
So, you’ll be in Munich for Oktoberfest, and you’re wondering what else there is to do in this very beery city. No problem! I invite you to come check out a little art show that will be going on not far from the wiesn from September 20th through October 12th, 2012. Little Munich will feature, as you might have guessed, small artwork depicting scenes from Munich and Octoberfest. There will be paintings, drawings, photography, and mixed-media pieces on display.
On Saturday, September 29th, we’ll be having an open house all afternoon, where you can come hang out, meet the artists, and listen to a couple local writers read (in English) some fun little stories about Munich. Full opening times and other details below:
Read moreLooking for stuff to do in Munich during Oktoberfest?
Documenta 13: Kassel’s art offerings
Last weekend we headed north to visit Documenta 13, Kassel’s big contemporary art spectacle. Started in the aftermath of World War II, when Germany’s creative scene was looking for a way to recover from the snoozefest that constituted approved Third Reich art, Documenta takes over this city every five years for 100 days.
Northern Italy Road Trip: Ferrara
Alrighty, back to the road trip before I forget all the delicious details. When I left off we had just stopped off at the Castello di Torrechiara on our way from Parma to Ferrara.
