Blogs from Oberstaufen, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

This site is just so cool... I just spent like an hour looking around some truly inspiring blogs, I would tell you all to go look at my favourites but then you would never come back to my little un-inspiring blog now would you? ;) But seriously, massive snaps to the guy who started this Ali, just some dude who took of traveling and wanted a site where all his family could read about his travels - so cool how some things just start from not much at all. Like my tutor last semester was wanking on one day about the beginnings of the internet, when it was only code geeks who could get around. Anyway, these two code geeks would keep a list of every site that they found online, and when their bosses or ... read more

So... Yet another morning of pain. I don't think I have ever loved water quite so much... water, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, apfelschules... if it was liquid, I was so into it. Oh... but no champagne... I drew the liquid acceptance line there. Christine and her friends had organised a brunch over at Anna's house since all her 'gang' - I guess - were home for the holidays. There was so much food, so much liquid!! Stuey and I tried our first Weisswurst - this breakfast sausage which is white and you eat it with bretzeln and a sweet mustard. It has a skin which you have to peel off... I liked it. Apparently there is a rule about not eating it after midday - but I think that was before the age of preservatives. ... read more

Before I came on this trip my mother would tell me about all the awesome things I would get to do with Warren and Christine - I had been to visit before, but only for one day in 2006 - an awesome one day - but only one day nonetheless. She always brought up skiing, saying - ooh you'll be able to go skiing!! To which I was like - well... yes, and I might even be able to travel around europe for my second month with a broken leg, now THAT will be fun. Suffice it to say that I was not THAT into the idea of skiing - don't get me wrong, it seems really cool, I would love to be able to do it... there is just something in my genetic code that ... read more

Merry Christmas everyone!! So in Germany, there are two celebrations that take place in December, and neither of them involve Santa Claus. Early in December Nikolaus visits the kiddies and leaves lollies and presents in their shoes, and then on Christmas eve, at around 5pm, the Christ Kind, or Christ Child comes into the house and decorates the tree and leaves more presents for the kids. So on Christmas Eve we woke up and decorated the tree with Doris and Hugo before having gluhwein with Anna and Ralph before heading out for a nice walk to the Glasshouse for a couple of Christmas Beers (special beer that only comes out at Christmas). That brought us up to around 4pm - the magical hour when the Christ Child comes along... So we wandered home. Apparently it's a ... read more

Leaving Amsterdam and heading to Oberstaufen, Germany would be my first experience with train travel, but definitely not my last. In fact, as I would later learn this trip consisited of quite many train rides. I feel that riding a train is probably the easiest and most hassle free form of ground travel in Europe. Nothing makes trevling go by quicker than having a few beers in the cafe and speaking with some of the other train passengers, if that fails there is usually always some table space for solo card games. Another nice aspect of train travel is that, while you may not stop in at many of the places you travel through, it can be easy to pick up the vibe or abmience of the cities. This way you can get a good idea ... read more