Category Archives: Europe

In our hometown of Portland, Oregon, we have a local plumbing supply store icon, George Morlan, otherwise known as “The Water Heater King”. So, we were intrigued to discover an old town nestled in the countryside of Hesse called “Bad König” … Continue reading →

Idstein is a pretty little town about 20 minutes by car from Wiesbaden. It is charming and appears to be a very popular location for the construction of upscale condos, providing residents with an easy commute to Frankfurt. The new … Continue reading →

Jay is a linguist at heart. He loves words, especially those not of his native English. He loves the funny ways he can pronounce them and give them meanings that are most likely only funny to him. Tanya says he’s a geek. She’s right, of course, … Continue reading →

In our ongoing quest to find worthwhile “under the radar destinations” or UNRADs, we recently uncovered a cute little gem of a town just 14 km south of Stuttgart. While little Esslingen was once a major trade center in the … Continue reading →

Fasching, Karneval, Fastnacht…different regions of Germany have different names for these annual days leading up to Lent. But the overall concept is the same…partying, costumes, drinking and parades. Wiesbaden had its own parade last Sunday and while the crowds seem … Continue reading →

A few weeks ago, I was walking down the street in beautiful downtown Görlitz, the easternmost city in Germany. I saw this vehicle parked along the curb and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Could it be? Was it … Continue reading →

Görlitz is not usually at the top of “must see” lists in Germany. But Rick Steves covers it in his Germany guidebook (even though he completely ignores Leipzig) so we decided to check it out last week. What we found … Continue reading →

Christmas Eve service featuring the St. Thomas Boys Choir is a special experience. This is the second time we’ve spent Christmas in Leipzig to hear the choir, which has been in existence for over 800 years. The choir started in … Continue reading →

For about four weeks every year at this time, towns throughout Germany celebrate the Christmas season with Weihnachtsmarkts. Two years ago, Tanya and Jay went on a Christmas Market frenzy and tried to visit as many markets as we possibly could. … Continue reading →