The alphabet has been good to me:

I've been reading and writing for most of my life. I've received nourishment from the alphabet in both cereal AND soup form. One of my favourite television programs growing up, Sesame Street, was almost always brought to me by particular letters of the alphabet. And...

I got to Munich’s Hauptbahnoff (central station) at 11 pm. Just in time for screaming Germans in Liederhausen and Drugens madly stumbling around the station. Pointed felt hats and half empty stolen steins were strewn across the ground and Bavarians danced and yelled and fell on the ground in...

When planning a 4 month trek round Europe, I and two of my friends had many grand ideas. One was New Years in Berlin. It seemed a great idea, Berlin is known for its clubs, raves and general mayhem. But the clubs, raves and general mayhem were nothing how we imagined…

Who knew that the word Saga  comes from the Icelandic language? Who, other than Icelanders and those already in the know! Thus, my above encompassing title for our Icelandic blog post summary is very appropriate.

In this summary...

She’s a breast cancer survivor, 65 years old and had never left the south-east corner of Australia.

World traveller material?  I didn’t think so either. 

But after two years of gentle persuasion, my mum decided to brave the 20-plus hour flight to visit her English-teacher son in...

I've wanted to learn German, just for fun, no particular reason. As an absolute beginner, I thought what better opportunity then to spend two weeks in Munich, learn a little German, but also get to know the city as well. I signed up online with A2Languages (aka Spanish Abroad) who set up the first two...

You walk through the gates and see a line of knights.  Looks like they’re getting ready for something, maybe a fight?  Then you shuffle along to find a place for the parade: fire-eaters,  freaks on stilts, looks like anything goes here! You watch a medieval rock concert while...

Living in Berlin demands that you actively seek out it's hidden haunts and break barriers. The city's penchant for blending the bizarre within the ordinary makes it the perfect place for curiosity-seekers and non-conformists. Concealed within the lush greenery of the Treptow Park and barred by a...

Setting: Garmisch, Germany. Near the Austrian border.

I stood at the base of the Alps and watched the sun disappear behind a snow covered peak. The air was crisp and the aroma of pine brought back memories of my childhood. The sound of packed snow beneath my feet sent chills down my spine. The sky...

Every February, hundreds of thousands flock to Brazil for the largest Carnival celebration in the world. In September, hundreds of thousands more head to Germany for the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the world....

Wrote this city profiles some time ago, but it may be interesting for those of you traveling to any of these cities. 

Berlin:

Berlin is THE zeitgeist for the 21st century. This ever-changing city seduces the senses, nurses your creativity, and makes you yearn to unearth the city's many secrets. Its...

Packing for a trip will take longer than throwing things in a suitcase or backpack the night before. Having all the essentials purchased and packed a week or so before your trip will take the stress out of making it to the airport and last minute goodbye phone calls. In fact the first thing one has to...

My friends and I were on the beginning leg of our spring break, backpacking through eastern europe. Already, we were sleep deprived and delerious, and we were only four days in. Living by cheap flights, we found a cheap German airline to take us from Amsterdam to Berlin. The catch--it left Amsterdam...

Germany is cold but I've got friends. That's the good news.

Believe it or not, I ventured all the way to Germany in the fall without a coat. Our plane landed in Cologne at 7:00 in the morning. The sun was just peeking its way over the trees and I could see ice on the wings of the plane. I was wearing...

Oktoberfest is a two week long celebration that takes place in Munich, Germany. It starts the second to last weekend in September and ends the first weekend of October. I think they plan it like that to throw off the tourists!

I am on my third Oktoberfest and let me tell you... it is still a mighty workout....

My wife and I came to Germany from England in June. We have come here to live with our daughter, and her family. I suppose you could call it semi-retirement, a sabbatical whatever. We wanted a new experience after many years in England, and felt like a change. My wife is from Holland, and has lived with...

Rothenberg, one of the jewels of Germany's Romantic Road.

One of my favorite places in all of Germany is a quaint little medieval walled
town known as Rothenberg Ob Der Tauber. The name "Ob Der" in the name
is actually a shortened version of "oberhalb der", which in
German means "over the".  As...

I fell in love with the absorbing charms of downtown Trier the moment it downloaded and showed in the preview screen of my laptop. My husband had arrived in Germany a few months before me, and it was at this moment that I felt my first true pang of jealousy. It looked so alive and active, with groups...

I can admit to being narcissistic; it's an almost cute quality when you have no level of notoriety.

My wife will beg to differ--she's sick of watching me stare at myself as I flex my muscles in front of the bathroom mirror.

So I [url=http://thetravelerspen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=37]submitted...

People who want to eat good sushi, are definitely right at "Kuchi". It's not the cheapest place to eat, but it's also not THAT expensive compared to some other places. (if you are looking at your wallet and checking the money situation, go and eat sushi somewhere else, there are also lots of cheap...