Europe String

Visitors to the German-speaking world this time of year might wonder about all the signs advertising Spargel that they will inevitably see. White asparagus is revered and celebrated here like you wouldn’t believe. Some market stands (such as this one) are exclusively dedicated to selling the spears, and many restaurants have special asparagus menus in the spring. There are even asparagus festivals. If you’re a fan of asparagus, you won’t want to miss springtime in Germany.
Photo credit: personal collection.

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The city of Nuremberg, Germany, is full of great fountains, but the most entertaining one has to be the Ehekarussell, or Marriage Carousel. This giant fountain depicts various scenes from a “bitter-sweet married life” as described in a poem by Hans Sachs. I had a hard time finding any “sweet” scenes…

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Berlin is one of those cities where you could spend a month and still not experience everything it has to offer. In addition to plentiful monuments, a rich and exciting history, and countless neighborhoods worth exploring, Berlin has many excellent museums. One of my favorites is the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), which I had the opportunity to revisit on my recent trip to the German capital.
I love this museum. The emphasis of the collection is on 20th-century European painting, with good representation from the Bauhaus, Expressionism, Cubism, and East German art.
Entry is 8 euros for adults, and includes a …read more

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We spent a beautiful day in Nuremburg this past weekend. It’s a quick train ride from Munich, and definitely entertaining enough to be worth a day or more. Trip highlights coming up over the next few weeks!

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Back in November I spent time in Munich looking for an apartment. While here we stayed at a couple hotels that we really liked. The first was Hotel Uhland , an adorable old art-deco place a couple steps away from the Oktoberfest Wiese. It’s also just one subway (U-bahn) stop away from Munich’s main train station, which is pretty convenient if you want to wander around the city, see the sights, or day-trip to somewhere else.
We found the staff to be friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was on the good side of average for hotels in the area and …read more

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Stepping outside in Munich today, you’d never guess that just last week we were still seeing snow here. The sidewalks are full of tables, and I joined the many folks dining outside for lunch today. Beer garden season can’t be far away now!
Photo source: personal collection (taken this morning at Sendlinger Tor, Munich)

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I’m mean. Every time I take someone to Berlin, I make them try a Berliner Weisse mit Schuss. This is basically bad beer with a shot of fruity syrup, and can be ordered rot (red) or grün (green). The red syrup is usually raspberry flavored, while the green is Waldmeister, or woodruff (not that I have ever heard of woodruff in English), a flavorful herb.
To add insult to injury, this sweet, colorful beer is consumed through a straw. When someone orders one of these, the appropriate response is to point and laugh. But if you’re a first-time tourist in Berlin, …read more

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Every day at 11:00 and 12:00, tourists gather in Munich’s Marienplatz and gaze upwards at the Glockenspiel. This mechanical puppet show features life-sized figures dancing, jousting, and milling about with no discernable purpose.
While I’ve never gone out of my way to see it, I have coincidently found myself at Marienplatz just as the show was beginning on more than one occasion. While it’s mildly amusing, I wouldn’t place it high on my to-do list if I only had a few days in Munich. For example, you could be drinking beer instead (11:00am beers are completely acceptable here)…
Photo source: personal collection

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In honor of Tavern Day, here’s a little post about drinking in Munich. (I know what you’re thinking… “There’s drinking in Munich ?” I was shocked, too.)
This weekend we partook of the annual Munich Strong Beer Festival (or Starkbierfest), a fabulous Bavarian tradition. Each year for a few weeks during Lent, the local breweries open their banquet halls and cellars for this festival celebrating Starkbier – a heavy, sweet, dark brew thought up by fasting monks who wanted some nourishment (but weren’t so interested in sobriety). These days each brewery produces its own brand of Starkbier, with names that usually …read more

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The beautiful palace of Nymphenburg in Munich, Germany, is a dazzling example of how the ruling class lived in the 17th and 18th centuries.

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