Blogs from Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Europe - page 4

So I am not sure if it is just certain people or everyone. Since I like to assume a lot, I will just assume Germans are party poopers when it comes to Halloween. We are having a costume party. Says it all in the title, right? So why would people jump for joy when you are having a party and hoot and holler when they have to wear a costume. I hope better heads will prevail and I will get to see a lot of costumes that people would normally wear for Mardi Gras. Now that is one party people will dress up for. Look for photos to come of the Halloween party. Hopefully by then I will have internet!!! I have been camping out at various places that has internet, including this cafe, and watching ... read more

When Germany gets behind something, it gets behind something. Bio (the German buzz word for organic) sells Bio everywhere. There are bio stores, bio sections in the supermarket, and even bio restaurants. The Germans are sticklers for organization. Every trash barrel has a place for regular trash (Restmüle), bottles, and paper. It´s funny but in 1997, they claimed they were phasing out smoking in public places but I didn´t think it would be a reality. Only just recently has the idea of going to the gym become popular. They eat a lot of cheese, bread, and drink a lot. So why should the life expectancy be longer than ours? (The average German woman lives into her early 80s). The biggest difference is what goes in their stomachs. While preservative free seems to be a fad in ... read more

After a decent but exhausting nightime flight stopping in Dublin, I made it to Mannheim Germany. No time to rest as I am now just arriving in Munich for Oktoberfest!! More to report soon with photos from the last day in Essex plus great pics and videos from Oktoberfest!! Travel Tips for Americans on a budget: They have a lot of people who post on the internet if they need or are willing to provide rides to places around Germany. It is called Mitfahrzentrala- Look it Up! ... read more

To start off my entry, I have a creepy anecdote. The other day, I was riding to a soccer game on the S-Bahn. It was really cramped and more people were getting on on every stop. I was stuck up next to this homeless lady and had to be pressed against her. This was bad enough, until I glanced down at the baby carriage she was pushing. The inside where the baby would have been was covered in blood. It kind of freaked me out, but I didn't want to do anything, so I just waited and prayed to god she wasn't going to force me at knifepoint to play "family" or some other creepy thing. She got off soon and I was relieved. The german lady next to me seemed to be happy, too. Weird... ... read more

I finally am in Germany and settled down. I'm staying with a very nice family. The parents are Indian, which adds to the cultural learning that this trip is all about. I have pictures, but no way of uploading them at this second, so you'll have to wait. The plane was delayed about an hour, but everything went smoothly and nothing bad happened. I only got about 2 hours or so of sleep, so I'm about to pass out. I'm looking forward to viewing the city through rested eyes! I'm also very happy that my guitar made it through baggage check and so on. Pictures tomorrow... ... read more