green living, smart spending
Beer is an integral part Germany’s culture and history. It is estimated that Germans drink an average of over 100 liters per person yearly, much of it consumed at annual Oktoberfest celebrations each fall, including Munich and Stuttgart, where the two largest Oktoberfests are held. Oktoberfest in Munich (my mother’s hometown) is the largest and
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The automobile was born on August 26, 1885. That is the day Gottlieb Daimler filed a patent for his ‘riding car’, the world’s first vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The world would never be the same, and more than 100 years later, engineers and designers are still tinkering with the size, power and performance
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Christmas Markets are a centuries-old tradition in Germany, taking over town squares with colorful booths filled with handmade gifts, holiday decorations, food and entertainment that includes concerts and puppet shows. After a two-year Pandemic pause, the festive outdoor markets are back, including some that are bigger and better than before. Here are some of the
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Although I’ve been to Germany dozens of times over the last few decades, my first post-pandemic trip showed me how much things changed – and how much they haven’t. These Germany travel tips are what I learned on an excursion to the regions of Bavaria, Franconia and Hesse. I traveled everywhere by train, subway and
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Just in time for summer and fall travel, Condor Airlines, Germany’s leisure airline, has expanded its schedule between Frankfurt and several US cities. Condor, which has been serving the American market since the 1970s, first as a charter airline, offers new, non-stop Frankfurt (FRA) routes from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX) and
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Every year, Europe’s Christmas markets light up historic town squares and castle courtyards from Denmark south to Spain. The biggest and best are in Germany, where you’ll find traditional hand-made folk art crafts and home-baked goods, along with holiday performers in traditional handmade costumes, even Medieval dress, in every city, town and village. With international
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The Canstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart is a smaller version of Munich’s gigantic Oktoberfest, although the suds-fueled merry-making is just as raucuous. When some 5,000 people get together in a tent with mountains of food, rivers of foamy brews and a band encouraging sing-a-longs, it is just not possible to sit quietly for long. Okay, I’ll
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The first Porsche sportscar arrived in the USA in October, 1950, and Porsche is celebrating its 60th Anniversary in America with a contest to find the oldest Porsche in America. If you own and can officially verify the age of your Porsche 356, 911, 912, 924, 928, 944, 968, Boxter, Cayenne, Carrera GT or Cayman,
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Germany is justifiably famous for its great beer and wine festivals, which start in late summer or early fall and focus on regional wines, beers, and culinary specialties. The most famous is the Munich Oktoberfest, the world’s oldest and largest beer festival , which celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2010. Festival dates this year are
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