Being back in Canada after having lived in Belgium and traveled Europe for over two years, I’m happy to be presenting and sharing my experiences at the University of Alberta’s International Week today. Looking back at the photos of all the places I’ve been made me realize that I took a LOT of pictures and […]
History of the Christmas Market in Europe
I did a guest post over at the lovely Marcia Richard’s blog on the History of Christmas in Europe. Here’s just a taste of what I write about: In many towns in Germany and Austria, Advent (coming of Christmas) is usually ushered in with the opening of the Christmas market or “Weihnachtsmarkt”. In southern Germany and […]
Aachen, Germany: It’s in the details
First impression: clean. Coming from Brussels and entering Aachen, there were some things that struck me immediately. Number one it was very clean and cheerful. The city has bright colored buildings in welcoming pastels. For a while I felt like I was a doll walking around in a city of doll-houses. Some of the doors […]
Cologne in Germany
Cologne. That word sounds familiar. Cologne is a city and Germany and it is known for its cologne (perfume). Although, I didn’t venture into the stores to check out the scents, I experienced the Christmas outdoors in this amazing city. I have to admit that my first stop in Cologne was to Starbucks. I know […]
The Trade off: European Lifestyle
So while living in Europe and being all domestic and stuff, I’d have to say there are some definite positive trade offs. There are moments when I must enjoy being in Europe to the fullest. First of all there is the convenience of traveling. It takes about three hours to drive to Paris and about […]