The week between Christmas and the new year beginning is often a 'no man's land'. No one knows what day it is or what to do as normal service is out of sync. It's not helped when you're driving between different locations, unpacking one day and re-packing the next....
The GW Expat Blog
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Expat issues
The Bavarian Breakfast
A recent wave of visitors, thanks to snow topped, Glühwein filled Christmas in Germany meant that a few big breakfasts needed to be made. As much as I love the full English or the full German meat, cheese and all the bread there is usually one which is either...
Days Off
I assume our family is not unusual in using the few days of peace and quiet between Christmas and New Year to start planning our holidays for the coming year. In this uniquely pleasurable endeavour, our predictable starting point, as for many working parents, is...
Finding a Hebamme in Germany
Living abroad has thrown me a lot of curve balls, and never more so than when I navigated my first pregnancy in Germany. That's right - first. As in... I am having another baby in Germany! We are now 5 months in and even though I helped compile a full guide for other...
A British Weihnachten
For the past three Christmases whilst living in Germany, my partner and I have spent the big day back in the UK. They say Christmas is the time of year for family and friends, and that is where the majority of them are and so that is where we shall go. Except this...
The highlights of winter in Germany
Whilst Christmas itself can get you through December with magic twinkling lights, cookies and copious quantities of warming booze the rest of winter can seem a bit bland, cold and uncomfortable in comparison. Short cold days that seep into long freezing nights,...
Visitor Observations of Germany
My parents are visiting us in Berlin for their...sixth time? We are lucky that they have visited so many times and come to (grudgingly) love our city and our place in it. But even after all of these visits, there are still things that throw them off. There are still...
Lessons from new expats
Earlier this month I had a lightbulb moment. I realised that when you move to another country you really do need to put yourself out there to meet new people, make friends and widen your social activities. You're probably reading this thinking 'well, duh!' and you'd...
How not to get fined in Germany
Short answer – Don’t break the rules. Long answer – Know the rules. When moving to, or travelling in a country different from your own it is important to acquaint yourself with the basics. Ignorance is no excuse and your mistake could end up being very costly. From...
Turkish Markets in Germany
Berlin’s grocery stores can be a chaotic introduction to life in Germany. Discounters like Aldi and Lidl skimp on presentation for bargain-basement prices. Fancier chains like Rewe and Edeka have recently upped their games with fancy salad bars, fresh sushi, and even...
How to spend an autumn in Germany
We've experienced an amazing summer season in Northern Germany. The high temperatures continued for weeks resulting in lots of evenings spent by the Bürgerpark lake swimming and having BBQs, many glorious days lazing in the park and a long rain-free weekend camping at...
Don’t throw away your cash: How the Pfand system works
When a group of foreigners get together in Germany there are a few topics of conversation that you can practically guarantee will come up. The top ten frustrations and annoyances will almost always include the topic of recycling. The systems can be overwhelming and...
The 5 Questions I Always Get Asked About Germany
I have been slowly transitioning from my homeland to Germany, with baby steps that started with holidays a couple of years ago and evolved every time I came back getting more and more permanent. This means I have had the chance to come to Germany and then go back to...
How to Pay Berlin Transport Fines
When I first arrived in Berlin I scrapped by, stretching one ticket to its full 2-hour limit. Then I learned the wonders of the 4 ticket (4-Fahrten-Karte) which offered slight discounts by buying 4 at a time. Finally, I caved and bought the 10-am ticket which offers a...
Finding greeting cards in Germany
Valentines cards, anniversary cards, confirmation day cards, get well soon cards. In the UK there seems to be a folded piece of decorated card available to send to a recipient and recognise any and every occasion. The public invests in to whatever the greeting card...
Uber’s Very Bumpy Road in Germany
Ride-Hailing Services in Germany: From Allygator to Uber Is the Uber ride-hailing service available in Germany? The German answer to that question is jein – yes and no. Although Uber is completely banned in several European countries, it's not entirely missing in...
More German Everyday Expressions You’ll Never Learn in School but Will Help You Blend in
Trying not to sound excessively formal in a foreign language requires practice and attention. It can happen that in your aim to sound colloquial you will pick up words and phrases that you think are everyday material you can use with your colleagues at work, in a...
What’s Up with Wasps in Germany?
I forgot it was almost August until I walked up to the KiTa (daycare) where my husband teaches, and saw the sign on the front gate: Achtung! Erdwespen auf der Wiese. (Caution! Wasps in the meadow/garden.) Aw, yes. Just like the seasonal Eis (ice cream) stands and the...
Top five summer music festivals in Germany
Whilst living in Germany, we've developed a bucket list of things we'd like to do whilst here. One activity on our list was to go to a music festival in Germany to see what it is like and how it compares to those back home in the UK. The first step was choosing which...
Eat yourself cool in a hot German summer
Whilst the mercury stays steadfastly in the thirties (centigrade) and the German summer is bursting with events like Breminale, weinwanderungen (wine walks) and freiluftkino (open air cinemas) it is easy to find the heat somewhat oppressive when you're crushed between...
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