Germany Archives - Oddities and Ends

More Cultural Differences Between Germany and America

Posted on December 2, 2019October 12, 2021

Germans and Americans: surprisingly similar in many ways…and completely different in others. I’ve already covered several of the major cultural differences on this blog; from pay toilets and post-apocalyptic Sundays, to Christmas markets and produce-themed races. Here are a few more in no particular order. You Can’t Do that on (American) Television Germans (and Europeans in general) are much more…Continue Reading

Cycling Along the Rhine River in Germany, Part 2

Posted on August 6, 2018February 27, 2021

My husband and I recently completed a 5-day cycling trip along the Rhine River in Germany. This post covers the last three days of our vacation. If you’d like to read about the first half, which is full of castles and deadly toboggan rides, click here! Day 3 On our third day, we stopped to explore Stolzenfels Castle. Many important…Continue Reading

Cycling Along the Rhine River in Germany

Posted on August 3, 2018March 1, 2021

Cycling along the Rhine River is a popular Summer vacation here in Germany. So much so, that there are tourism companies dedicated to planning your entire cycling trip. They book all your hotels and transport your items, so you don’t have lug them around on your bike like some kind of peasant. Not sure where you’re going? No idea how…Continue Reading

Düsseldorf, Germany: Party Central?

Posted on June 23, 2018September 5, 2022

Two weeks ago, my husband and I met up with an American friend of ours in Düsseldorf, Germany. I’d never been there before, and neither had my husband. Now that Germany is my home, I’ve made it a goal to see as much of it as possible. We would have been excited to meet up with our friend even if he…Continue Reading

Strawberry Fields Forever in Germany

Posted on June 12, 2018September 5, 2022

A few weeks ago, we took our bikes to a nearby strawberry field where you can pick your own strawberries. All you have to do is bring your own container, which you have weighed before you begin picking. You also have the option to simply buy a container of strawberries from the shirtless man at the stand, but where’s the…Continue Reading

A Long Weekend in Leipzig, Germany

Posted on June 3, 2018September 5, 2022

A few weeks ago, we spent a long weekend in Leipzig, Germany. My husband wanted to go to Hamburg, but since we were already there in 2015, I picked Leipzig instead. Don’t get me wrong, Hamburg is great; I think it might be my favorite German city. I want to see as much of Germany as possible, though; so, if…Continue Reading

Visit to the Tierpark Essehof

Posted on May 3, 2018December 18, 2018

A few weeks ago, we visited the Tierpark Essehof in (you guessed it) Essehof, Germany. It’s basically like a petting zoo, if petting zoos were fun. Well, I mean; petting zoos are fun for me, because I will take any opportunity to hang out with animals. They’re better than most people, after all. So, I guess I should say “if…Continue Reading

Homesick in Germany: An American Expat Whines

Posted on April 24, 2018December 18, 2018

Feeling homesick: it’s like the flu, but worse. After a month-long hiatus, I’m ready to continue sharing stories and anecdotes about my life here in Germany. I’ve had plenty to write about over the past month but, if I’m being honest, it was hard to find the motivation. As the saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say,…Continue Reading

The Customer Isn’t Always Right

Posted on February 20, 2018September 10, 2018

If you’re preparing yourself for a move to Germany, or even just a visit, you may have come across complaints about customer service. Or, more accurately, the lack of customer service. I certainly did, which led me to dig a little deeper into the subject before our 2015 visit. Sure enough, googling “customer service in Germany” gets you a lot of results saying…Continue Reading

Whose Bike Path is it Anyway?

Posted on February 3, 2018September 10, 2018

My husband and I are planning to do a bike tour of Bavaria this Summer. It’s not my first choice for a vacation, but it’s a good compromise since I want to see Bavaria and he wants to cycle. So, I’ve been “training” for at least a half hour every day, with the intention of working up to longer rides.…Continue Reading

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.