Author Archives: erinmaglione

This post is just mushroom pictures

In the parks, hidden beneath the undergrowth and seeping out of old stumps, are mushrooms (Pilz). These fungi grow anywhere soggy and muddy, and come in all sorts of shapes and colors. In fact, Germany is known for its mushrooms and consumes the most amount in Europe (2.9 kilos per person annually). There’s even aContinue reading “This post is just mushroom pictures”

The Cologne Cathedral

Always Lookin’ Up The trains coming into the Cologne train station take the scenic route, crossing a bridge over the Rhein, cruise ships floating below.  Along the river are modern, attractive skyscrapers.  If you’re nose deep in a book, or sleeping in your seat on the train, you might miss one of the most spectacularContinue reading “The Cologne Cathedral”

A Weekend in Mainz

Mainz on the Rhein A short train ride from Frankfurt sits the ancient roman city of Mainz (pronounced like “mines”).  When my parents came to visit, we started our vacation here, with a weekend on the Rhein, exploring Mainz and neighboring river villages.   The funny thing is, when we told our German friends our plansContinue reading “A Weekend in Mainz”

A Weekend in Amsterdam

Dam Tourists Last week my parents came to visit.  It was their first time in Europe, and we tried to do and see as much as possible in the short time frame they were visiting.  One of the destinations: Amsterdam, Netherlands.  I had never been to Amsterdam before, and knew little about it.  The onlyContinue reading “A Weekend in Amsterdam”

Germany Travel Bingo Printable

Travel Games Growing up, our family vacations involved road trips throughout the west. Traveling up the Pacific Coast Highway, or making our way through the desert to Nevada and Arizona.  My sister and I loved these trips, but we also had strict rules: We each had to have our own row of seats in theContinue reading “Germany Travel Bingo Printable”

6 weird things about visiting the doctor in Germany

I visit the doctor often.   Annual appointments, dental visits, eye exams, etc.  I am the doctor finder and appointment scheduler for my household.  So, when we moved to Germany, it was no different.  I mean, a doctor visit by any other name would still smell like disinfectant.  While this is true, there are some glaringContinue reading “6 weird things about visiting the doctor in Germany”

Bielefeld Botanical Garden

Bielefeld’s Secret Garden A great thing about living in a cold, wet, place is that when spring comes, everything blooms–especially at the botanical garden in Bielefeld.  Trees grow leaves and blossoms, flowers pop out of nowhere, and even people grow smiles.  Bielefeld’s Botanischer Garten is open year-round, but likes to show off during spring.  It’sContinue reading “Bielefeld Botanical Garden”