I’m not sure anyone noticed this blog went quiet over the last two years—but I did. Like most people, I was stuck inside my (thankfully two-bedroom) flat, rebooking travel, studying Covid restrictions, debating the ethics of international travel… and still trying to get those most out of life during the pandemic pause. We were lucky…
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Until this week, I couldn’t have told you why November 9 is a kay date in German development. But it marks a turning point in German history not once, but twice. Kristallnacht, or Night of the Broken Glass, and the fall of the Berlin Wall, both monumental turning points in German history, happened not just…
Read MoreNovember 9, 2019, marks the 30-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Thirty years since a wall divided the city; when the fall came, Berliners said this day was more important than “Christmas and New Year’s combined.” To mark the occasion, the Berliner MorgenPost put together a series of interactive sliders that spotlight places along the wall, comparing how they look now to how they looked then. Check them out here:
https://interaktiv.morgenpost.de/berliner-mauer-damals-heute/
Coming from San Francisco, I wasn’t expecting to have a huge array of good options for Asian food in Berlin. Lo, to my surprise, there are some incredible Asian restaurants in this city. The trick, however, is finding them. Search Google, and you’ll get an Asian restaurant on every corner. Some are true gems. But…
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German culture is deep into fitness and wellness of all kinds, so finding options for working out in Berlin won’t be a problem. (A good thing, considering all the options for food in Berlin!) With everything from hula hooping to spin classes to personal training programs, there’s something for everyone in this diverse city. Working…
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If you’re on one of those new-fangled Kindle gadgets, this post is not for you. I’m an old school book lover, and lucky for me, Germany is old school in just about everything. (See exhibit A: cash-based society) If you’re into stocking up on ye auld paperbacks, here are some of my favorite cozy English…
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If you’ve been to Berlin recently, you’ve likely spotted little fleets of bright red bikes on every corner. Fairly new to the Berlin bike scene, JUMP Bikes are a great way to get around this highly bike-friendly city. And they’re not just limited to Berlin. Cities across Germany, Portugal, the U.K., and now the U.S.…
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Summer in Berlin is unparalleled, and the best place to spend a gorgeous bright weekend is at one of Berlin’s many biergartens. While they might not be a classic as the ones down in Bavaria, Berlin’s biergartens have a uniquely urban appeal. Like the capital itself, they marry old and new to provide an experience…
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Berlin is a busy city. And if you live here, chances are high you’ll be busy too. Tim and I both have crazy jobs that take us away from home (and each other) for the bulk of the week. So last year we decided to institute a weekly date night. We reasoned it wouldn’t just…
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Newsflash! On April 10, I became an official permanent resident of Germany! If you’re the holder of an EU Blue Card, you know that one of this visa’s top benefits is the early eligibility to switch from employment-dependent residence permit to permanent residency. So, here’s how to get your German settlement permit. Blue Card holders in Germany who…
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Up and Gone 