The five BIG BAVARIAN foods you need to eat

The five BIG BAVARIAN foods you need to eat

Bavarians don’t just eat beer.  They also eat food.  And it is some of the heartiest, earthiest, heaviest food in Europe.  Heavy in a good way, like an anchor that keeps you from floating away from the beer garden.  Here to make your mouth water, are 5...
Tower or Dungeon?

Tower or Dungeon?

Where would you rather be, in a tower or in a dungeon?  Well if you travel to Germany’s Rothenburg ob der Tauber, you can certainly try both.  Rothenburg o.d.T. (not to be confused with numerous other Rothenburgs in Europe) is a quintessentially Bavarian town,...
Discovering Great Art With An Emotional Punch

Discovering Great Art With An Emotional Punch

Art can speak to us in profound ways, moving us emotionally, intellectually, and even spiritually. Europe is filled with countless artistic masterpieces worthy of your time and attention. Part of the joy of exploring Europe’s art is discovering those pieces that...
“You don’t even have a tan”

“You don’t even have a tan”

Upon return from one of my trips to Europe in 2012, a neighbour asked me, “So what do you do when you’re over there?  I mean, you don’t even have a tan.”I actually did have some colour from hiking under the warm Italian sun in the...
Christmas in Europe: German Christkindlmarkt

Christmas in Europe: German Christkindlmarkt

 Nobody does Christmas like the Germans, and for good reason.  All over German speaking Europe, but especially in Bavaria, the tradition of the Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) goes back 700 years.  In town squares throughout Germany right now, local...