karenanne

In a perfect world, we all would have learned to cook from our Mothers or Omas. Standing together in the kitchen, wearing a practical apron, watching to see how to develop those delicious German flavors that came so effortlessly to them. Cookbooks and recipes are fine, but there is a missing element. Those little hints, […]

As many of you know, I’m always on the lookout for new places to order our favorite German Foods…. Quark, Sweets, Cheese … those familiar items that we grew up with or remember from Oma’s house. It’s not always easy. Happily, this week the igourmet.com company sent me a box of German goodies to try […]

It’s travel season, so I’m getting a lot of questions about money exchange in Germany. Cash is still king in Germany! Around 80% of all transactions happen with CASH,  so you will need to get used to walking around with bills. Changing money used to be a hassle… long lines at money changers who charged […]

When I learned I was going to Bremerhaven, I was a little bit concerned. After all, Bremerhaven has a reputation for just being a working class city with a big port. (Sort of like Oakland, California). Many years ago I visited Bremerhaven, and at the time, it didn’t leave much of an impression (unless you […]

With the rise in popularity of craft beers, there has definitely been an uptick in the number of Biergartens around the world. But are they Biergartens? Or Beer Gardens? Exactly what is a Biergarten? and what makes them so special? For 200 years Biergartens in Munich been a welcome place for everyone, regardless of age […]

When I was growing up in Southern California, my mother would make a wonderful “beat the heat” meal…Chilled Fruit Soup also known as Kaltschale. This wasn’t dessert… it was the meal. And so refreshing.  The past few days we’ve experienced a heat wave in my part of the world, and started craving this cold and […]

Our Daily Bread: German Village Life, 1500-1850 Most history books give you plain facts… you learn about wars, you learn who was king, and where the borders changed. What you don’t usually get, is what was it LIKE to be a peasant and have battles raging around you? To actually struggle to feed a family? […]

Unfortunately, the St Paulus Dom Münster seldom makes it onto anyone’s must-see bucket list. It’s just not very big (compared to the Cologne Cathedral, it’s downright small).  And, it has a lot of competition in Münster! As churches go, it takes second place to the much more famous Lamberti Kirche. (Face it, cages hanging off […]

Father’s Day in Germany is proof that fathers in Germany have it figured out. Think about it… on Mother’s day, you get a card, a messy kitchen, and some flowers. In Germany, Fathers spend the day walking around in groups drinking while pulling a Bollerwagon full of beer, wine, schnapps and grill-able snacks! And! Since […]

Because we have readers on both sides of the Atlantic, this special guest post is full of Tips for Germans on Buying and Renting Property in America.  Moving to America as a German poses many new challenges. There are many American ways of doing things that take some getting used to. Differences in taxes, tipping, […]