Category: Germany
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Snails, Wild Boar & Fairy Tales: Hiking in Heidelberg’s Enchanting Forest
The forested hills cradling Heidelberg’s Old Town have been one of my favorite settings in which to explore and escape for the past decade. Before I met my husband, Shawn, I often made the ascent there independently to ponder life goals or jot hand-written letters to family and friends. Sometimes, I’d take friends or my…
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Greeting Autumn at the Heidelberger Herbstfest
What a splendid day for an autumn fest on Heidelberg’s Hauptstrasse! With our bellies full with Neuer Wein (new wine), Zwiebelkuchen (onion pie), Bier, Bratwurst, and Thai fare, we’re now at home resting, watching all the Herbstfest revelry from our fifth-floor apartment.
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Photo du Jour: Sunset at the Heidelberg Castle
The Heidelberg Castle is bathed in soft light just before sunset. This world-famous ruin majestically overlooks the city of Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley. First mentioned in the early 13th century, the Heidelberg Castle (German: Schloss Heidelberg) served for over 400 years as the residence of the Palatine Counts and Electors of the House of…
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Buzzing About Bart: The “Bumble Bee” with a Fondness for German Gingerbread
When my husband, Shawn, moved to Germany last October, I welcomed him home with a traditional German indulgence – Lebkuchen, or gingerbread. It’s the kind of sweet treat that’s plentiful at Oktoberfest stands and German wine fests each fall. The messages piped onto this heart-shaped gingerbread range from mischievous phrases to sweet nothings. The heart I carefully chose for Shawn…
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Flowers to Wish You a Happy Day
I’ve always thought that those who work at ice cream or florist shops must have perpetually happy days. There’s something about a golden cone overflowing with heaping scoops of ice cream, or paper brimming with beautiful flowers from the neighborhood Blumen shop that just puts one in a cheery mood.
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Photo du Jour: Under the Rainbow – Heidelberg, Germany
Our visiting friends and family are both horrified and sympathetic when they learn that our circa 1762 apartment has 87 stairs, and dare I say, no elevator. I argue that the views of the Heidelberg Castle, church steeples and Königstuhl and Heiligenberg hills make the long ascent worthwhile.
