Germany Blog

Stories, tips, and reflections about life, travel, and culture in Germany.

  • Punctual German Rail = Great Time

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    Those with the travel-bug most likely love anything that has to do with planes, trains, and/or cars. Am I right?

    I know I do. Yet, this isn’t about planes or automobiles, really. It’s all about the trains.

    Germany’s network of trains is exceptional; offering a handful of choices for your train travel needs.

    Suppose you’re in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, or Belgium; and you got this burning desire to come to Deutschland? By the time you’ve gone through airport security, managed to get your clothes & stuff back on, and sit on the tarmac for umpteen hours—you’d have already been there if you hopped on the ICE Train (these babies do 300 k/h or 186mp/h, so they’re really, really, REALLY fast).

    Um, that’s the Inter-country rail line; but, not the only one. Express service of the ICE will take you nonstop on intra-German lines (like Berlin to Frankfurt, Hamburg to Duisburg, you get the point).

    Don’t want to kill a day traveling? Use the Night Train (called the DB Nachtzug). Oh, this is a gem of a line—with sleepers, couchettes, and women-only compartments with routes taking you to/from Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, and Prague (to name a few). There’s even room for your bicycle onboard.

    Already in one of Germany’s big cities, and want to head out towards the suburbs? You won’t need the night train or the ICE—you’ll take the S-Bahn. No women-only compartments needed since most travel is within a 60km radius of any major city. They’re quick, they’re convenient, they’re punctual, and they’re affordable.

    Better than having to fight your way to the center of town from the airport, I think.

    Even better that just about everything runs on-time in Germany. Being punctual is of the utmost importance to us! ;-)

    It’s also important to easily buy your ticket, too. Most of Germany’s train tickets can be bought on Bahn.de as well as at the stations themselves, even on the trains (with a small surcharge).

    Wow, what a great (easy, affordable) way to see the German countryside and the best of its cities, no?

  • German Dog Breeds

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    I’ve learned one lesson on my four decades on this Earth. That is, dog people shouldn’t marry cat people, or should they?

    Yes, I’m quite serious—but joking at the same time. Oh, maybe I just started a debate here (my debate coach from high school would be proud, don’t ya think?).

    So, this got me to thinking about dogs. More specifically, German dogs.

    Sure, breeds like the German Shepherd and Pomeranian have made the cut. But, have you ever heard of the Bavarian Mountain Hound (needs acres and acres to wander). Or, the Affenpinscher (a dog so small it weighs less than a newborn baby)? What about the Hovawart (a medieval estate dog)?

    Even if you are a cat person (like I am), you may be bound to fall head over tail for some of these German breeds.

    Dachshund

    Known as the “hot dog,” this short, stubby fellow is famous for digging, and being stubborn. These guys will chase just about anything and everything, making for hours of fetching-fun. This breed’s been around so long, Kaiser Wilhelm II owned one; as well as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and E.B. White.

    German Shepherd

    You know this loyal, protective, guy was gonna be here. These dogs are so smart they’re often used for search & rescue missions, trained as seeing-eye dogs for the blind, and police dogs (I guess their 238 pounds of force on their bite have something to do with it).

    Large Münsterländer

    Called the Großer Münsterländer in German, this Black & White hunting dog is quite affectionate and really great with kids. They’re not all that big, weighing in at an average of 30kg.

    Mini Schnauzer

    This doggy is a cross between a poodle, affenpinscher, and a standard schnauzer—giving you a smaller version (around 5-9kg) with all the intelligence, friendliness, and playfulness of the bigger variety.

    Pomeranian

    Hmm, this is one little pup. I have a cat that weights more than this toy breed (average 3.5kg). Queen Victoria of England was a fan—she owned one.

    Poodle

    Called a Pudel in German, these canines are said to be smarter than the German Shepherd (believe it or not). Hypoallergenic, playful, and a willingness to be shaved into geometric shapes makes this breed a winner with many dog lovers.

    Great Dane

    Talk about massive—and popular. Think Scooby-Doo and Marmaduke. Either way, in TV or reality, the Great Dane is friendly, friendly, friendly. And even has a totally cool Blue colored coat (amongst others).

    Leonberger

    I saved the best for last. This gargantuan beast originally bred in Leonberg (males average 150lbs.) is loyal to the end, just like the lion it resembles. They’re a great family pet and loves to swim (it’s got webbed feet). I don’t care that Otto von Bismarck owned one; once you get a look at this fuzzy creature—you’re hooked for life.

    Hey, the Leonberger converted some folks from being a cat person to the Leonberger dog lover. So this is some dog.

    I can’t wait to hear about your favorite dogs. Hopefully they’re a German breed! ;-)

  • Book Fairs In Germany

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    Although I used to be somewhat old-fashioned in that I refused to read books electronically, once I got my Kindle a couple of months ago things have changed dramatically…

    I started to throw books away just to purchase their respective Kindle version in order to enjoy an easier and a much more comfortable reading experience.

    Don’t believe me?

    All I can say is, get one (bought or loaned) and see & feel for yourself. ;-)

    Either way, back to the topic of this post…

    Authors and writers (they’re not the same thing, BTW) are held in high esteem in Germany, so no surprise to me that you’ll find a bunch of book festivals held throughout the year. Perhaps this is why Germany is one of the “leading book nations” in the world.

    And the types of books don’t really matter, either. Many book lovers appreciate the written word whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

    Now, I don’t know if I should start or end this with the Frankfurt International Book Fair, an event that’s been taking place for nearly six centuries. Every October a quarter of a million book enthusiasts, publishers, authors, and writers flock to the city all in the name of books (400,000 of them during last year’s event).

    While the Frankfurt Book Fair is this week (Oct 12th – 16th), the Leipzig Book Fair falls every Spring in March. Oh yeah, at least you don’t have to choose which one to attend—but the game remains the same, it’s books, books, and more books.

    Hamburg’s festival is known as the Harbour Front Literature Festival; and held every September. You’ll find it all, historical fiction; women’s literature, biographies, and my favorite—the whodunit.

    Not to be outdone, Berlin gets in on the book reading action; that’s a September staple around the capital city. Sorry, it’s called the International Literature Festival Berlin, to be exact.

    I don’t care what it is—just as long as it’s somethin’ to read. What do you think? :-)

  • After Bach Came Milli Vanilli?

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    German Music is a funny, funny thing. Germany is a land that’s given us Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, Stauss, and Milli Vanilly. Milli Vanilli?

    Oh yeah, I sure did get a hearty chuckle of this. What isn’t so funny is when you under-25 folks ask me, “who’s Milli Vanilli”?

    You cheeky young ‘uns, I tell ya. ;-)

    Anyway, this all got me to thinking about other famous singing sensations that came from the land of Bach and Beethoven.

    I’ll start with Milli Vanilli since I already mentioned them. These two guys (Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus) were found dancing around a Munich nightclub — and seemed liked the perfect frontmen for songs like Girl You Know Its True.

    Problem was, this duo weren’t the actual singers — losing their Grammy because of the deceit.

    Another famous singer from Germany was Marlene Dietrich. Yeah, Black & White movie lovers might know her as a glamorous Hollywood movie star. But, she started out singing Cabaret in Berlin. Her sultry, raspy voice singing Das Lied Ist Aus is legendary.

    Another German singer that’s managed to cross the Atlantic to America is Xavier Naidoo. Born in Mannheim, Naidoo has been globetrotting, singing, and song-writing for both the American and German music market. And while he’s a two-time MTV Europe music award winner, he’s yet to win a Grammy.

    Too bad, his voice is smoother than a well-aged Scotch. Listen to his song Sag es laut with a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

    Chances are you might never have heard of Tangerine Dream, but watch the 1980’s flick Risky Business; and you’ll hear them. They started performing in the 1960’s — yet gained fame for doing soundtracks. Whatever, a paycheck is a paycheck.

    FYI, a Cannabis Cup winner from Amsterdam was also named Tangerine Dream in their honor. I don’t know this for certain, I only read about it in High Times. ;-)

    Because I got to be a teenager in the 1980’s, I got to give it up for the Scorpions. Yes, I’ve sang Wind of Change and Rock You Like A Hurricane into my hairbrush way too many times.

    It must have been all the hairspray that made me a bit loopy. ;-)

    Anyway, the Scorpions (from Hanover) had been performing their heavy metal and hard rock genre since 1964 — and believe it or not, they’re still performing.

    A bit harsher is the music from Rammstein. This is a metal band from Berlin (they started performing in the 1990’s) — and chances are if you ask anyone under 35 to name a German band, these guys would be it.

    Going back to the 1980’s for a minute, Nena is another singer and band from Germany; and you might have heard of them without knowing their name. They sang 99 Luftballoons (the German version) or 99 Red Balloons, that’s the English version. It went around the globe.

    Now, don’t go expecting an exact translation of this Cold War protest diddy — the English version was changed a bit — but either way, this is quintessential 80’s music if I ever heard it.

    The song’s still popular, having shown up in movies like Austin Powers Goldmember and in Euro Trip to name a couple.

    If I’ve missed any that I should have mentioned — let me know. I’ll be smokin’ some Tangerine Dream — I mean, listening to Tangerine Dream. ;-)

  • A Laundry List Of Famous Germans

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    I think it’s pretty apparent at this point that German engineering is on top of its game. There are names that have been synonymous with it for decades, like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.

    So, I started to think how many other famous (or not so famous) German folks have changed the world of engineering, science, art, music, sports, and politics.

    Just so you know, Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, and Ferdinand Porsche have made the list. What would be the point in mentioning two of the best automobile companies in the world if they didn’t?

    It wouldn’t be fair to leave out Rudolf Diesel. Name sound familiar? Sure it does — he’s the inventor of the diesel engine.

    For any of you out there who do accounting work, thank a German. Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468) to be exact, he’s the father of modern accounting.

    Like your jeans? That would be Levi Strauss. Your coveted ADIDAS sneakers were the brain child of Adi Dassler, another German. Brand names are great; and German natives Hugo Boss (my favorite, born in Metzingen) and Karl Lagerfeld (born in Hamburg) deserve to be mentioned.

    Designer clothes deserve to be worn and German supermodel beauties Heidi Klum (born in Bergisch Gladbach) and Claudia Schiffer (born in Rheinberg) know all about it.

    Ever seen the space shuttle lift off? That’s all the hard work of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. But long before there was space exploration ordinary men went to the skies in regular old airplanes; men like Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen of World War I fame.

    Who else came from Germany? A long list of composers, that’s for sure! You’ve heard of Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, I’m sure. Then you’ve got Richard Wagner, Strauss, and Händel.

    Traveling around Germany on the German Fairy Tale Road, then you’ve heard of the Brothers Grimm. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, right?

    I’m sure I’ve missed just about a bazillion other famous Germans. But, maybe the next time you see a Benz or a Porsche — you’ll think about the three great inventors behind the engines.