comparative expattery

Not Scotland

Things you hear when you tell people you’re moving to Edinburgh

Not Scotland“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

Germany has lakes and mountains, too

On Sunday we headed out of Munich with some friends to do a little hiking. The drive there took us past some beautiful scenery including green pastures and clear, aqua-colored lakes. It was not long until snow-capped peaks could be seen in the distance. It was almost as if we were back in Switzerland. The … Read more

Definitive proof of Bavaria’s culinary dominance over Zurich

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… the cheesy pretzel. First, Zurich’s version:A dry, almost stale pretzel which has been sliced opened, buttered, and filled with a couple of cold slices of cheese (which, as you’ll notice, are nowhere near pretzel-shaped, leaving one with many bites that include only cheese or buttered cheese). And now the … Read more

Which country would you choose?

So our two possible destination cities are Limerick, Ireland, and Munich, Germany. We have made our choice, but it wasn’t easy. I’m interested in hearing what you guys would have chosen before I tell you what we decided. Munich has a lot of obvious benefits, including… Large, dynamic city with plenty of cultural activities and … Read more