Alongside relishing delicious tapas, sunbathing, and swimming in the sea, I spent our two-week summer holiday in Andalusia last year reading “Tales of the Alhambra” by Washington Irving. Reading relevant books for the location is something I like to do - Henry James...
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Berlin
Relax Berlin! You Can Still get an Anmeldung
Frequently I see panicked posts from other expats. They are frantically looking for an Anmeldung Termin (registration appointment). HELP! I need an appointment for a burgeramt asap, please! What is an Anmeldung? The Anmeldung is a necessary - and usually pain-free -...
Expats at the playground – the fun of combining cultural observations
This blog post could start like a silly joke. A Yorkshire lass, a Scot, a Brazilian, and a New Yorker go with their children to the playground … But, given I'm still working on the punchline, let me provide the context. Today was beautifully sunny. The advent of...
Becoming seahorses: otherwise known as swimming lessons
Yesterday our children - both aged five and a half - had their first swimming lesson. That is more than I ever had: I love to swim but have little recollection of ever having learned how to do it. Until now we have relied on holidays to sunny places with nearby pools...
5 points of etiquette for sledging in Berlin
Snow, glorious snow. At last, winter arrived in Berlin and the streets were paved with white. That was two weeks ago - after an unseasonably warm December, the temperatures dropped and it snowed - for a day or two at least. Then it warmed up again and everything...
Celebrities Who’ve Called Berlin Home
For the past few days the world has been in mourning. David Bowie has died. And like the rest of the world, Berlin is laying claim to its adopted son. Bowie lived in Berlin in the 1970s, departing LA and Switzerland for something altogether more hedonistic. He was...
Döner Kebab and Deutschland
While on a recent college visit with some students from the US, the topic of German food came up. We'd already experienced many culinary delicacies on our way, and they wanted to know what my favorite was. One mainstay came quickly to mind: Döner Kebab. This got quite...
Changing places: 3 great Berlin buildings that used to be something very different (and more)
The stained glass in the grand foyer of the building where I work depicts factories and space travel, alongside striking workers and their families. On the wall in the second grandest conference room is a vast hammer and sickle mosaic. Next door, in the grandest room...
Healthy eating in the Hauptstadt
One of my favourite things about working on in Mayfair, London was that I was a stone’s throw from amazing health food shops and cafes. I loved popping out on my lunch break to pick up a sweet potato, pomegranate, and feta salad, or working my way through various...
Learning to Hate Deutsche Telekom
I had no strong feelings about German internet providers. Sure, I love TV and the internet, but how it got to me was of no concern. That is, til Deutsche Telekom screwed us over. First, the good news. We have a new apartment! After months (and months) of searching for...
Berlin Tip: Grand Opening of the Pfefferberg Theater Berlin
When I first came to Berlin in 2002, Pfefferberg was just about the coolest place I'd ever been to. Sitting out under the stars in the Berlin summer, drinking a good German beer, and listening to live music was for me the absolute height of sophistication. On the way...
Alexander von Humboldt: Why Do We Find His Name All Around the Globe and Even on the Moon?
The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World by Andrea Wulf Let's start at the beginning. There were several special reasons I wanted to read Wulf's Humboldt biography. I myself have many connections with the Humboldt name, but I did not really known...
Airbnb in Germany: The Debate Continues
Every year, millions of tourists flock to Germany, a number that has been increasing year over year for over a decade. Most choose to stay in traditional forms of accommodation, but an increasing number are renting rooms directly from locals through websites like...
Making a small contribution – refugees in Berlin
The situation is all over the news, it's what people are earnestly discussing over dinner, it has moved the country on a national scale - I'm talking about Europe's migrant crisis and the role Germany is playing. This is not the time nor place to be political. All...
Summer night at the Freiluftkino (open-air cinema)
A couple of weeks ago we had night without children (they were having a sleepover in the KiTa - worthy of another blog post). But what a rarity! Seeing a film was the obvious choice - prior to parenthood we went to the movies all the time. But it had been a beautiful...
It’s not quite cheese, it’s not quite yoghurt
I first heard of quark (such a wonderfully German name) 7 years ago in the "exotic" dairy section of a high-end UK supermarket in London. I was with my German husband. "Oooh" he exclaimed, with tangible excitement, "Look, quark - shall we get some?" I didn't have a...
Applying for a Wohnung in Berlin
When we found out we were pregnant, we knew a two-room (one-bedroom in American) apartment was no longer going to cut it. So we went on the hunt for a three-room, ideally with a balcony, high floor, a little class and great transportation links. Slowly at first, and...
Take my baby! Please? Applying to Krippe
About two weeks ago I found myself sitting in a school office with my husband and 4-month-old in her most respectable onesie. We were applying for a spot in next fall's class and doing our best to look like an upstanding family they would want in their KiTa. But -...
Moving to Germany: The Top 10 Things to Consider
Moving anywhere is a challenge. Even a short move across town can be problematic. An international move presents additional complications, but a little preparation will mean fewer hitches. Even if you are fortunate enough to be using the services of a relocation...
Berlin Suburbia: An Expat Guide
We decided against buying a fancy coffee machine when we moved to Berlin because right downstairs from our flat is a cafe which serves a good espresso; the coffee in the cafe two houses further is even better. At the end of our road is a gloriously big park and at the...
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