Before driving into Poland to visit our Silesian roots on a recent family trip, we stopped to catch our breath for a few days in Görlitz. Why visit Görlitz? The city has been high on my to-visit list for a while because of the Silesian museum and the beautiful old buildings. For my husband, it’s the film location of…
Author: karenanne
A Tale of Two Schalmei – What is a Schalmei?
In our Saturday German School, we sang the same verse over and over, overlapping in far from perfect harmony, while our teacher jumped back and forth across the front of the classroom, pointing to groups when it was their time to join in the round. “Es tönen die Lieder…” Es tönen die Lieder Der Frühling kehrt wieder Es spielet der…
German Herb Pancakes with Asparagus and Ham -Kräuterpfannekuchen mit Spargel und Schinken
I love when my visit to Germany falls into Asparagus Season. Germans take White Asparagus very seriously, to the point where you might consider it mania! Restaurant menus offer special Spargel Karten (Asparagus Menus), and you can taste it prepared in dozens of dishes. When I tasted Kräuterpfannekuchen mit Schinken und Spargel (Herb Pancakes with Ham and Asparagus) in the…
Burg Maus- The Perfect Setting for a Mystery! Guest Post by Rachel Selle
Thanks so much to Rachel Selle, author of “Mystery at Castle Mouse” for writing this guest post to share the fascinating history of Burg Maus on the Rhine! (I do love when someone does my job for me). Enjoy the post… and then check out Rachel’s book series “The European Adventures” available in English AND German. Rachel gave a reading…
Underground in the Erzgebirge- An Abenteuer Bergwerk Mine Tour
sI’ve avoided dark underground spaces like caves and mines for most of my life. (The walls feel like they close in… brrrr) So why was I suiting up in a slicker and hard hat to tour a mine? Because THIS special mine is in the Erzgebirge. In previous posts, I’ve written about the Christmas decorations and toys, like Pyramids, Nutcrackers,…
The Nebra Sky Disc & the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle
The Nebra Sky disc captivated me the first time I saw a photo of it. While it looks like a simple blue disk with golden circles and crescents, the bronze disc reflects the heavens in a very specific way. I had the opportunity to see it in person at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle, Germany. Fabulous. The breathtaking…
Wartburg Castle Tour- Wartburg Castle in Eisenach Germany
The Venn Diagram of reader recommendations and travel plans overlapped neatly this year, meaning I could put the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach on the itinerary. And I’m so glad. The Wartburg Castle Tour takes you on a journey through history from the 11th century to the end of the 19th. There are rough and ready rooms for knights, as well beautiful…
What is a Kaffeeklatsch? Therapy with laughter and Coffee
Americans missed out on a good thing by not adopting the “Kaffeeklatsch”. Honestly, meeting friends at Starbucks for a sippy cup of coffee on a tiny table just isn’t the same thing. Kaffeeklatsch… friends coming together for coffee… maybe some cake… and good conversation, is such a lovely way to spend a few hours. In Germany, the concept of Kaffeeklatsch…
Burning Beethoven: The Eradication of German Culture in the United States during World War I
I get messages all the time from people lamenting the lack of German shops and Restaurants, worries from readers because the German clubs are getting fewer, sadness from people wondering why German isn’t taught in their schools, regret that they never learned the language from parents or Grandparents, and that it was even “forbidden” in the home. I understand it’s…
Spreewald Kahnfahrt and a Visit to the Open-Air Museum in Lehde
South and slightly east of Berlin you’ll find one of Germany’s more unusual UNESCO sites, the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve. Formed during the last Ice Age, this inland delta of the Spree River, crisscrossed by 200 water channels and streams through bog land, forest, and meadows, is home to a group of traditional Sorbs or Wends, whose families have been making…