All posts filed under: germany

Feeling Festive at the Berlin Christmas Markets!

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Berlin is one of the most culturally diverse and artistically relevant cities in the world and there is so much to say about this global capital, but we are gonna save all of that for later… because right now we need to focus on the Christmas markets! This city takes its holiday festivities very seriously, and there are a wide range of Christmas markets for every taste.  We visited a few of the markets, and our favorite is the WeihnachtsZauber at the Gendarmenmarkt, located between the famous Konzerthaus and the French Cathedral.  Our most feverish holiday expectations were met with joyous Berliners occupying pristine stalls selling Glühwein (hot mulled wine), handmade ornaments, gourmet holiday treats, and everything Christmas and Hanukkah themed.   Make no mistake, Santa Claus is definitely coming to this town! ^^^The holiday spirit abounds at this magical marketplace, and we were delighted to see so many festive wares on display in the square.  We spent the entire afternoon perusing the stalls and checking out the goods. ^^^We took a break for lunch …

Frankfurt Photo Tour

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Frankfurt is a huge city.  It’s a major transportation hub, hosting one of Europe’s busiest airports and is the largest financial center in continental Europe.  Frankfurt’s famous skyline comprised of high-rises is often referred to as “Mainhatten” and has a rebuilt Old Town that is impossibly cute. It is extremely affordable to visit with easy public transportation, cheap beer, good food, trendy art galleries and street markets. Plus, there are so many old dudes here that LOVE blasting Rammstein while driving down streets packed with pedestrians, and I’m obviously really into that.  With so much to offer, Frankfurt hardly makes it onto any travelers list.  Most just pass through onto the next destination.  Why?  Frankfurt’s charm and attraction is not so obvious and requires a little digging. We ended up in Frankfurt after accepting a house-sitting gig there for two weeks, and were initially planning to take it easy and use our time to regroup after a solid 2 months of backpacking through the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.  Our idea was …

Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival!

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What’s the best thing about fall?  Pumpkins of course!  You know this, we know this, even Starbucks knows this… so what happens when an entire town of people know this?  The Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival! Ludwigsburg is a charming little city that knows how to throw a serious pumpkin-themed party.  To enjoy all the fall festivities we took a quick day trip here from Frankfurt.. a journey which took about 2 hours each way by train. The festival is held each year at Blühendes Barock in the city center of Ludwigsburg.  The grounds are stunning; this paradise of pumpkins is located directly behind the Ludwigsburg Palace.  Finally, pumpkins are getting the royal recognition they deserve! Sculptures made completely of pumpkins are scattered across the festival grounds!  The theme this year was “pumpkins take flight” (because that’s not random at all) and many of the massive sculptures reflect the concept. And let’s not forget about the festive fall treats!  Pumpkin pie, anyone? There is an annual pumpkin carving contest, and some of the entries are insanely detailed …

A Portrait of Oktoberfest

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The most popular attractions at Oktoberfest are undoubtedly the beer tents.  We had so much fun walking around and exploring each one; they all have their own unique decorations and beer brewed specifically for the festival. ^^^Chris gets excited to have a drink in his favorite tent: the Hofbräu Festzelt. Upon leaving the tents you are met by the massive fairgrounds.  Here you find yourself in the midst of a maze of carnival rides and games which are shared by children and extremely drunk people alike. ^^^This animatronic skeleton is a brilliant feature in one of the carnival rides; it pops out and sprays a stream of pee on people as they walk by.  Needless to say, this ride usually has a huge line of people waiting to be urinated on by the living dead. When we first visited Oktoberfest a few years ago, it was difficult to find a decent vegetarian snack other than a pretzel… but now the festival has several stands offering vegetarian and vegan foods!  Veggie schnitzel?  Yes please! ^^^The veggie schnitzel …

Get Festive at Oktoberfest!

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The world’s largest beer festival is held annually in Munich, Germany during the end of September/beginning of October.  This gathering of six million people is called Oktoberfest; a 16 day Bavarian extravaganza including hotdes of visitors sporting their finest lederhosen and dirndls.  The festival is overwhelmingly Bavarian, so there are some fine examples of the traditional Southern German dress on display.  We were feeling quite festive as we joined in on the fun. ^^^The lederhosen worn by the man and dirndl worn by the woman are common examples of the outfits worn to the festival.  I feel festive just looking at that guy! ^^^Jaime wore her hair in milkbraids, a popular Oktoberfest style.  After all, you can’t have your hair getting in your beer! ^^^Of course you need to accessorize to complete the look, and what better accessory than Lebkuchen, a gingerbread cookie necklace?  Jaime’s necklace says Ich Leibe Dich, or I Love You. ^^^Now that everyone’s all dolled up, it’s time to celebrate! Dressing up is a major part of the fun at Oktoberfest, and next …