Coming events: Munich Creative Group’s Pop-Up Gallery

If you’ll be in Munich this Saturday, February 11th, please stop by and see some of my paintings at Munich Creative Group’s pop-up gallery. In addition to artwork from a variety of artists, there will be drinks, snacks, and live music. And door prizes! And entry is free! And it’s all indoors where there’s heat! (This last point is actually pretty key given the crazy cold snap we’re having here in Munich.)

I hope to see you there.

Tags: art, Munich

Ski trips from Munich: Mayrhofen

A typical ski day for a Münchner starts with a painfully early wake up. Well before dawn, you toss on your ski clothes and haul your gear to the ski bus, or if you’re lucky, the car. Grab some coffee and a pretzel from your nearest bakery (the only thing open at this predawn hour) and hit the road.  » Read the full post

Tags: Alps, Austria, day-trips from Munich, skiing, snow, travel, winter

Christmas in Charleston

And now for something completely different.

Tiring of our glamorous European lifestyle, we decided to hop across the pond for Christmas in the Deep South. It’s possible that our decision was swayed by the generous invitation of my parents to join them there, but in the end we found Charleston to be a most pleasant place to spend a few days (lack of appropriate Christmas weather notwithstanding). » Read the full post

Tags: Americana, art, Christmas, holidays, restaurants, travel, USA

Flying through the Dolomites

Ever since we did the flying fox across Munich’s Olympic Stadium, I’ve wanted to do another zip line. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s got all of the outdoorsy fun of an adventure sport without any of that pesky physical exertion. » Read the full post

Tags: Alps, Christmas, Christmas markets, Dolomites, Europe, Italy, snow, South Tyrol, sports, Südtirol, travel, winter

The Lag

Ah, here we are back in Germany after spending the holidays in the US. We’ve made the transatlantic journey dozens of times by now, and while I still dread the long flights, at least I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with jet lag (although people who have repeatedly watched me fall asleep in my first-night-in-the-US dinner might disagree). Given that I’ve never been good with sleep deprivation (even in college I couldn’t swing all-nighters), I’m feeling rather accomplished.

There are many approaches to jet lag, but mine is a simple one: you need to be overtired going into your first night in the new time zone. That way, when you finally fall into bed, you’ll sleep for a a good solid night and wake up at a reasonable time the next morning. After that first night, you’re most of the way home.

Traveling from Europe to the US » Read the full post

Tags: travel, USA

Snowy Christmas fun in Brunico

When in doubt, go to Italy for the weekend. The Dolomites are just a few hours away from Munich by car, so you really have no excuse not to. Last weekend we set out for Brunico (Bruneck in German), a small town in the Puster Valley. Normally the drive should have taken less than three hours, but thanks to the weather it was closer to four. I didn’t mind at all, given the snowy paradise that presented itself upon our arrival. » Read the full post

Tags: Alps, Christmas, Christmas markets, Dolomites, Europe, Italy, South Tyrol, travel, weekend trips from Munich

The most wunderbar time of the year

It’s time for my annual I-love-Christmas-in-Germany post. The Christmas markets opened last week, looking much as they do every year. I’ve noticed a couple new stands here and there, but for the most part everything is in its place. Now if we could just have some snow to make them even cuter, I’d be in heaven.

I’ve written several posts about the markets over the years, such as this one about the best Munich Christmas markets for pretty much everything (or you could just view all my posts about Christmas markets). One stop I haven’t talked about yet (but is worth a mention) is the Alpen Wahn, a cozy little stand outside Der Pschorr serving red and white glühwein until 11pm each night (which is later than most of the other markets are open). Look for it at the north end of the Schrannenhalle, just off the Viktualienmarkt.  » Read the full post

Tags: Bavaria, Christmas, Christmas markets, Europe, German culture, Germany, holidays, Munich

Creative Austria: cheese and more in Schlierbach

Recently I had the opportunity to go on a press trip with Creative Tourism Austria. We spent the first day in the lovely little town of Schlierbach. I am pretty familiar with the Alpy part of Austria, and the Viennese part of Austria, but I think this was my first visit to the gently-hilly part of Upper Austria. We were assured that the landscapes and views are lovely in this part of the world, but alas, heavy fog kept us from enjoying them with our own eyes. No matter, as we found plenty to do indoors at Stift Schlierbach, a monastery full of activities that don’t require the least bit of chastity or charity.  » Read the full post

Tags: Austria, cheese, Europe, travel

Guest post: back to school with the German Schultüte

A short time ago, children all over Bavaria headed back to school for the fall term. Some of them (specifically, the first graders) were carrying unwieldy cardboard cones that were almost as big as the children themselves. I asked my friend eNVie, who recently made a Schultüte (literally: “school cone”) herself, to explain what these things are all about. Parents in Germany, take note. Here’s what she has to say: » Read the full post

Tags: German culture, Germany, guest post

A spin around Cologne, with bloggers

Alaaf! This year’s WEBMU (Whiny Expat Blogger Meet-Up) took place in Cologne. Our hosts Resident Evil on Earth, Cheap as Chips, and Futile Diatribes did an excellent job of putting together a fun-filled agenda for all of us.  » Read the full post

Tags: beer, bloggers and the people who love them, Cologne, Germany, restaurants, travel