Thanksgiving and Two of Five Christmas Markets in Bamberg, Germany
Throwback Tuesday Post (TBTP) from 2010: Info and photos about Bamberg, Germany's Advent Christmas Market and the main one on MaxPlatz.
Mahrs Bräu Brewery and Biergarten in Bamberg, Germany
Information and photos about Mahrs Brau brewery and beer garden in Bamberg, Germany PLUS Karren Doll Tolliver's newest book, A Travel for Taste - Germany EXTRA.
Quark, DIY Fresh Cheese Recipe
I’m putting the final touches on my Bavarian travel/recipe book and it should be ready in the next few weeks on Amazon! I’m so excited to share it with everyone! It has accounts of my experiences here in Germany plus more than 50 authentic German recipes. And I tested and adapted all the recipes to ingredients easily found in the USA. I even converted those pesky metric measurements into the pounds and ounces.
Here’s a recipe lifted straight out of the book to give you a little taste, so to speak:
Old School Beer Education in Bad Staffelstein, Germany
Teaching English here in Germany affords me a lot of information about the local dialect and traditions that tourists wouldn’t normally discover. And that’s why I’m here.
Here’s a good example. Two of the groups I’ve taught consisted of IT team managers at Deutsche Telekom, the German equivalent of AT&T or Verizon. I came to know them a couple of years ago and met with them almost every week on Thursday at their office building. We all grew to be friends.In the course of teaching them English, I was privileged to learn about their families, hobbies, projects and opinions. And last June they invited me and my husband for a “short walk” to a well-known local landmark, Staffelberg. I included quote marks in the previous sentence because a German’s idea of a short walk is vastly different from an American’s idea of one. However, they took it easy on us and we had a grand time.I made a slideshow out of some of the photos I took that day. Peep it:
Excursion to Staffelberg Germany with ESL Group from Karren Tolliver on Vimeo.
The first song in the slideshow is called the Frankenlied, or the Franconian Anthem, which sings the praises of the glorious local land. The second song is called Es Gibt Kein Bier auf Hawaii, or “There is No Beer in Hawaii,” in which the singer says his fiance wants to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon and he doesn’t want to go because there is no (German) beer there. So that’s why they are not married yet, after 12 years of engagement! One of the lines in the chorus is “Hula hula doesn’t make your thirst go away.” They taught me about these songs at dinner after our walk.
Johannisfeuer Midsummer Celebration, Bischberg, Germany 2013
On the last weekend of June every year, Germans – at least the ones in Franconia where I live – get together to celebrate the first day of summer, otherwise known as midsummer or summer solstice. The focus of this fest is a giant bonfire which is lit after the sun goes down. This gives the populace time to enjoy the local beer, some bratwurst and accompanying oompah music from the local band. Check out the freelance article I wrote about the history and traditions of this festival.
Whatever its orgins, Bischberg had its Johannisfeuer on June 21 this year. My husband and I were invited by Alycja, who runs the flower shop downstairs from my apartment. Bischberg lies on the river, so the fire is held there every year.We walked the three blocks down to the river where the welcome banner had been strung across the entrance to the bike/walking path along the river. The entrance is actually an overpass; above it is a section of autobahn bypass:
Immediately on the other side of the overpass was the giant, unlit bonfire awaiting its fiery fate:
Bavarian Wine-Tasting at the Heckenwirtschaft, Latest Chapter
Franconia, a very specific area of Bavaria in Germany, features fall and spring wine-tasting rooms called Heckenwirtschaft. Here's my visit to one of my favorite ones, Heckenwirtschaft Rippstein.
New World Visitors – Part 2: Bamberg, Germany, Bike Ride and Boat Tour
Entertaining visitors from the USA in Bamberg, Germany, including a bike ride, wine tasting, Italian restaurant and more wine (Federweisser)!
Samba Festival, Coburg, Germany
The annual samba festival in a most unlikely place: Coburg, Germany. Here are lots of photos of the parade, including samba bands, elaborately costumed dancers and capoeira artists.
Erlangen, Germany, Part 2
Part 2 of my trip to Erangen, Germany, near Bamberg in Bavaria, featuring the beautiful Botanical Garden and Burgberg's scultpure garden.
Daytrip from Bamberg to Forchheim, Germany in Bavaria
Daytrip from my digs near Bamberg, Germany, to Forchheim in Bavaria, a small, medieval town with old-school Fachwerk (half-timber) buildings and all manner of old German sights. You'll see the new Bamberg Radhaus (bike garage) and learn some history of the area, too!