Europe String

Although not one of my very favorites, the Zurich Christmas market (known as the Christkindli Markt) does have a few things going for it.
Firstly, it is indoors (in the giant hall of Zurich’s main train station), making it fun to visit even when the weather outside becomes frightful. Secondly, it boasts a gigantic tree decked out in Swarovski crystals. And thirdly, the savory cheese pie you can buy there by the slice is absolutely delicious.
The Glühwein’s pretty good, too.

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Germany isn’t the only country which does Christmas markets well. Strasbourg, France, is the home to one of Europe’s largest Christmas markets (which is also France’s oldest Christmas market).
Strasbourg is a charming city worth a visit even without the Christmas market. It lies right on the boarder with Germany, and you’ll see a mixture of French, German, and a local dialect here. Important vocabulary: vin chaud is French for mulled wine (Glühwein in German).
The Strasbourg Christmas market is definitely one of Europe’s most popular (and commercial), and the crowds can get pretty intense. If you’re having a hard time finding …read more

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In Switzerland, Saint Nicholas is known as “Samichlaus” and officially visits children on December 6th, but he starts making appearances on the streets of Zurich several weeks before then. He is usually accompanied by Schmutzli (a dark-faced assistant who is ‘dirty’ from soot, according to the more politically-correct version of the local legend), and a donkey. Often there are multiple Schmutzlis per Samichlaus.
The Samichlauses you see on the streets of Zurich these days often hand out big handfuls of peanuts, oranges, and little chocolate candies (the same items he is rumored to leave in Swiss children’s shoes on the night …read more

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I love December in Europe. This continent really does the Christmas season well. Markets pop up in hundreds of cities in and around Germany, full of holiday decorations, handicrafts, seasonal treats and hot drinks. You’ll often find Christmas markets in multiple squares around a city or town, each market consisting of a cluster of small wooden huts selling various goodies.
The eastern city of Dresden hosts Germany’s oldest Christmas market. Dresden is one of my favorite cities in Germany, and it is worth a visit any time of year, but if you can make it during the month of December, you’ll …read more

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What if you got lucky in Verona and would want to spend a romantic evening out… where can you take her without having to spend a lot?
Here’s one suggestion of where you can go, with different options on what you can do:
Take her to Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre where they have opera performances.
If you’re both avid opera fans, I suggest that you buy tickets for unreserved seats on the stone steps. They’re a lot cheaper than the padded chairs below.
If the opera performance will just be part of the background to lend ambiance to your romantic evening, …read more

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Will the Colts quarterback Peyton Manning break his own NFL record this season? If he does, could this do the trick for the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts to be able to defend their title? Very unlikely, I suppose.
I guess, all we can do now is to speculate. And wait. But while you are at it, you could check out ESPN’s NFL predictions and compare it to your own speculations.
Interested in everything else that is NFL? Well, today, is your lucky day.

Jon of the DC Traveler lets you in on the secret of how to …read more

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Paris started it all back in 2002 with Nuit Blanche. Its success led to the organization of Operation “European Notti Bianche“. And now, 4 other cities are organizing their own White Nights in Europe: Rome, Riga, Brussels and Madrid.
What exactly can you expect during these White Night festivals?
It’s mainly a cultural event held between the end of summer and the beginning of Autumn. It starts at sunset and the party continues on until the sun rises the next day. Yes, it’s a whole night affair!
You can expect art exhibitions, music, theatre and performances. Restaurants, museums and shops …read more

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At 11am today, the Lord Mayor of Dublin officially opened Dublin Culture Night 2007 in a private party at the Hugh Lane Gallery.
This means that we’re in for one great night on (yup, you have to wait almost a month) September 14, 2007. It will be a night of arts and culture with over 80 Dublin-based arts & cultural organizations joining in on all the fun. So wherever you may be in Dublin, you will definitely find something fun and FREE to do.
You can also take this opportunity to visit local museums and all the other cultural …read more

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There is no better place to start an art lover’s tour than in Europe. Whichever class, form, genre, medium or style you may want to see, there is definitely no limit. Now, if you think that your budget will prevent you from taking an art lover’s tour, think again. There are ways around to it.
Here are just a couple of examples…
At the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, visit on a Wednesday so you only pay 3.50Euros (from 6Euros).
In Cyprus, Europeans can enter museums for FREE every Sunday.
In Rome, many big museums are FREE every last Sunday of the …read more

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