Stories from my life and travels as an American immigrant in Germany!
My husband has wanted us to take a vacation to the North Sea coast ever since we moved to Germany four years ago. The closest we’ve been is Hamburg, which isn’t actually close at all. Like camping in my home-state of Michigan, however, it’s hard to find accommodations on the coast unless you book far in advance. So, he’d put…Continue Reading
Tierpark Hagenbeck is a zoo in Hamburg, Germany. It’s notable for being the first zoo to use moats, rather than barred cages, for their animal enclosures. It’s also known for being the filming location of my favorite German TV show, Leopard, Seebär und Co. I’ve been wanting to visit for a very long time. In fact, I’ve had tickets since…Continue Reading
The Hannover Zoo is the fifth-oldest zoo in Germany and contains around 237 different species. My husband and I, along with two good friends, recently had the chance to visit. There are several different themed areas, including the African savanna, the jungles of Asia, the Australian outback, and the Yukon. They also have an area called Gorilla Mountain, which houses…Continue Reading
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
The otters are (of course) the main attraction, but there are several other animals on display, including ferrets, stoats, weasels, martens, an American mink, and even an otter hound.
This past Sunday, I took my little sister to the Toledo Zoo in Ohio for her birthday. Zoos always make me feel a little conflicted, yet, never so conflicted as to not go, it seems. I do appreciate the conservation work that they do, of course, but is it really fair to these wild animals to live in such small spaces? I often…Continue Reading