Germans and their food obsessions. We are getting deep into Spargel season, but I am still stuck on the last seasonal mania, Bärlauch. Alternatively known as Allium ursinum, ramsons, bear leek, or wild garlic - all of these names meant nothing to me before coming to...
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Tips, advice, suggestions
How to tell when Germans are really being rude versus just being German
If you want to confirm the fact that the internet is not improving people's IQs, just type "rude Germans" into your favorite search engine. Boom! You'll get over 1.9 million results, most of which were written by morons. (But "rude French" pulls an amazing 39.1...
Spring has sprung, officially
There may be a forecast for snow for next week but the spring equinox means the days are now longer than the nights. Easter is just around the corner and with it one of my favourite traditions. In addition to these five favourites from Chloe, the Osterbrunnen (Easter...
German Toilets
There are two kinds of toilets in Germany: (1) the old-fashioned shelf or platform type (Flachspüler) and (2) the newer non-shelf types (Tiefspüler). In older homes and flats you are more likely to encounter the shelf type. In newer residences or places that have been...
Why Don’t Germans Refrigerate Their Eggs?
Two Different Egg-Handling Philosophies After writing about German tea in my last post, my mind has been on food in Germany and how different it can be than food in the USA. Like the eggs I have stored in my pantry. That's right, my unrefrigerated pantry. I've talked...
Things You Won’t Find in Germany
Things We Miss (or Not) in Germany Updated: February 2020 There are many things that expats miss when they leave Germany. I wrote about that in 10 Things Expats Miss After They Leave Germany. But today we want to focus on the reverse: things you won't find, or rarely...
An Afternoon in Berlin’s Botanic Garden
An impossibly high greenhouse, all glass and steel arches, rises up against the first blue sky we’ve seen in February. Surrounding it, the vast landscaped garden seems austere with its winter branches but a few proud evergreens scatter touches of dark green at least....
The Apotheke Way
It wasn’t until I came down with my first cold in Germany that I realised the remedies I usually buy weren’t available at the supermarket check out or the corner shop. More surprisingly they weren’t available at the Drogerie (drugstore/chemist) either. I’m not simply...
Life and Customs: Germany versus Sweden
Expats living in Europe have a unique opportunity to travel and visit interesting places in many countries. Traveling from Berlin to Stockholm, for instance, is only a 75-minute jet flight – about the same time as flying between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the...
The Mysterious World of German Tea
I just tried to close my kitchen cabinet - thunk. Tried again - harder. Thunk! Sighing, I opened it to have an armload of tea rain down upon me. It's just that time of year. My husband works as an Erzieher, and one of the funny little perks of the job are the...
Auto Factory and Museum Tours in Germany for Car Buffs and Car Buyers
Tours: From Audi to Volkswagen Audi | BMW | Ford | Mercedes-Benz | Opel | Porsche | Volkswagen LAST UPDATED: 7 July 2022. Seven major automakers manufacture automobiles and trucks in Germany. The automobile is a German invention, and the auto industry in Germany is...
Those little things
Whilst the hard and fast legal rules of German society can be easily found and obeyed, like the red man and riding your bike in the bike lane for instance. Unwritten rules can be hard to pick up for foreigners in Germany and although you won’t be arrested for...
Long-Distance Grandparenting
It is that time of year where our latest visiting family member is on their way home (bye Opa!) and we are reminded how very hard it is to have a baby abroad. We have no one to call about a sickness in the middle of the night, no family at her birthday party, and nary...
It’s not all about the fireworks – 4 other New Year’s traditions in Germany
I’ve written about the German obsession at New Year’s with pyrotechnics for this blog before. This year Berlin was the same as always - air thick with smoke, sky alight with brilliant explosions of colour, and our ears filled with the constant cracking of bangers....
A small festive treat
Plätzchen It would appear that Christmas has been very well covered here on The German Way. Check out the A-Z Guide to Christmas Traditions and the interactive Advent calendar of Christmas facts if you don’t believe me. So between you and me, I was a little stumped...
New Laws in Germany for 2017
As the new year approaches, many new laws and regulations are about to take force in Germany in 2017. Some of them are welcome changes (no more cell phone roaming charges in the EU), while others don't make a huge difference (a modest minimum wage increase) or really...
5 Things I Can Do with a Kid in Germany that I Can’t in the USA
I get asked about my experience having a kid and raising her in Germany a lot by my American family and friends. But the truth is, I have nothing to compare it to. Unlike fellow GW contributor Jane, I never had a child in the USA. However - as an American - I can...
How to Dress your Kid for Winter in Germany
How to Avoid Getting a Lecture from the Kita Teacher When writing my post on "How to Dress for Winter in Germany", I felt like I could complete another full post on "How to Dress your Kid for Winter in Germany". Germans take winter clothing seriously and double down...
Keeping it clean
As a Brit I was brought up with many cultural stereotypes about Germany and its people. Germans are ‘lederhosen wearing, straight talking, rule following, tidy people’ and since I initially landed in Bavaria, I can definitely agree that stereotypes are born out of...
Picking the Right Äpfel
Apples are one of those marvellous foods which fulfil all requirements – at once delicious, nutritious, versatile, and practical in form. Boiled eggs, though slightly more fragile, are similar. It is unsurprising then that apples form and have formed a staple part of...
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