Munich’s Christmas Markets: Residenz

Christmas markets everywhere! They are all starting to blur together in my memory, to be honest. Must be all those hot alcoholic beverages (like the Heisse Oma – a potent eggnog-like thing – that Em made me drink last night). The market in the courtyard of the Residenz has a fairytale-like theme going on, complete … Read more

Munich’s Christmas Markets: Tollwood

Tollwood is more than just a Christmas market. It’s a winter festival! At least that’s what the marketing materials call it. The winter Tollwood (there’s also a summer Tollwood) takes place at the Theresienwiese, and it’s definitely the largest of the markets Munich has to offer this time of year. And probably the wackiest. In … Read more

Slumming through the world of German reality TV

Germany loves reality television, especially when it has to do with houses or food. I can’t bring myself to watch most of it (except for when it has to do with singing – those shows are pure awesome), but recently Headbang got us interested in a show called Mein Restaurant. The premise is simple – five couples each get to open a restaurant in their hometown (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, and Leipzig) based on a concept they have developed. Once the restaurants are up and running, they get eliminated one by one, until only the winner restaurant is left. Upon each elimination, the losing couple has 15 minutes to clear out and close down… forever (imagine that said by a spooky voiceover guy).

Read moreSlumming through the world of German reality TV

Munich’s Christmas Markets: Schwabing

Next stop on our tour of Munich’s Christmas markets: the Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt. As we all know, Schwabing is Munich’s tragically hip neighborhood, and naturally they throw a Christmas market that lives up to the reputation. The lights and other decorations were whimsical and creative. The food on offer was more diverse than that at the … Read more

Here it comes!

Little wooden huts are being constructed all over the city. All over the country, really. The huts are being filled with Christmas kitsch of every kind. They will open for business at the end of the week. I can’t wait! The snow and cold weather this week have more than put me in the mood … Read more

Two days down, 14 more to go

Greetings from Oktoberfest 2008! We are still alive and well. The city is awash with drunken tourists and locals alike, most of them wearing some kind of tracht, or at least funny hats (note to self: take more photos of funny hats). Many precious memories are in the making here, I tell you, and we … Read more