Background: As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
July 17th 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony » Dresden At a workcamp in Frieberg (which is actoully about 40 minuets away from Dresden). Its been quite rainy and cold. Some days are good and others not so good. The festival is from July 25-27. Will st ... [full story]
June 21st 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony » Dresden Hello all! I finally made it to Deutschland =) Dresden is absolutely GORGEOUS, and highly under-rated. I’m posting this late because I don’t have internet access, however have found that c ... 15 photos[full story]
May 20th 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony Got up and had about 500 more K’s for breakfast and arrived at Colditz—the computer got it fairly wrong and we ended up going down some very narrow roads, but no mirror clipping this time. ... 3 photos[full story]
April 20th 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony » Leipzig After a fairly sporadic training schedule interrupted by university and work commitments, trips home and a holiday (involving more food and beer than is really good for me) the big day of my first hal ... 11 photos[full story]
May 30th 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony We picked up the campervan on Monday afternoon. Very relaxed place - just had a few campers that they were hiring. Ours is a brand new Fiat Ducato with just over 1800km on the clock. We were able to s ... [full story]
December 23rd 2007Europe » Germany » Saxony » Dresden It got mighty cold last night but by staying under my fluffy down comforter I stayed warm. I just hope none of my appendages were sticking out as I slept. I don't need a repeat of last year's brain- ... 74 photos[full story]
March 4th 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony » Leipzig Right guys...I thought that it was probably about time for a bit of an update seeing the last entry in the blog was in October!!!! As most of you know i'm still studying in Leipzig and to be perfectly ... 15 photos[full story]
February 3rd 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony Today was another amazing day in the city! I got a late start (SOMEONE woke up late...) and Joe came over around 11:30, 12. Bryan was waiting for Mike who was just gettin in the shower, and I had alre ... 29 photos[full story]
June 8th 1997Europe » Germany » Saxony » Dresden I've seen them before. Hundreds of times. But only in movies. Hans und Helga, the two arrogant, brusque, German customs officers. Riding alone, undisturbed in my coupe all the way from Prague to Berli ... [full story]
January 26th 2008Europe » Germany » Saxony » Dresden Well the easy days of an extended visa are over, gone, done away with by politicians. Gone are the days when all we had to do to get a 90 day extension was to ride the train to Dresden, or Vienna or S ... 6 photos[full story]
Map of Germany
Germany's Flag
