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Back in the land of yummy, cheap, plentiful beer

Whew, that was fun! Our trip to Norway went very well, despite my ridiculously disorganized last-minute planning. It is an insanely gorgeous country, full of more natural beauty than you can shake a stick at. We covered a whole lot of ground, sleeping in eight different beds (two of which were moving) in 10 days. … Read more

Kick the baby

Hi there! Having a fabulous time in Norway, but spending less time with internet access than expected. All in all my last-minute trip-planning frenzy seems to be paying off splendidly, although sometimes the best moments are those that one cannot plan for. Such as the country western festival we just encountered in a remote little … Read more

The worst travel planner in the world

OK, there, my secret’s out. I am a horrible travel planner. Dreadful. Borderline incompetent. Obsessive, compulsive, indecisive, lazy, whiny, and just plain bad. Hard to believe, given how much traveling I actually do. I should be an old pro at this by now, right? Alas, no. While I love love love the actual traveling part, … Read more

Dear neighbors,

In the future, please remember to turn off your alarm clocks before leaving on vacation. Especially your high-pitched, annoying, beep-beep-beep-beep alarms. Like the one that I’ve been hearing since this morning. Thanks in advance, Jul

Cologne: a city full of beer pansies?

While I admit that nearly 8 months in Munich has possibly skewed my perception a bit on such things… doesn’t 2 dl (less than 7 oz) seem a little too small to be considered a ‘beer’? (Note the fork I placed in the photo to the left, so you can appreciate just how ridiculously diminutive … Read more

Back soon…

I know, I know, I have been somewhat neglectful of the blog this week. That will change by next week if not before. I promise. Don’t go away. In the meantime, why not revisit some of my classic Japan posts from the archives? They’re even more fun than ass service and smurf gelato combined…

Are tomatoes supposed to have noses?

Cute, isn’t he? Our balcony garden is still amazing and delighting us. In exchange for a little watering now and then, it continues to offer up edible delicacies. The zucchinis are still producing (though slowing down a bit as they outgrow their pots), and tomato season is in full swing. I’ve harvested about 50 so … Read more

10 things to do in Munich for less than $5

Oh, that pesky dollar, more and more worthless every day (currently around $1.56 to the euro). I know, I know, I feel your pain – I have earned the wrong currency at several points in my life. At any rate, for those Americans still hoping to enjoy a European vacation this year while exchanging their … Read more