Monday, December 17, 2007

Eine bratwurst und ein glülwien mit apfelzimt, bitte

O my, what a trip. I can safely say that this past weekend has been one of the best in Europe.
After running across Paris in order to catch the last train (22h 05) back to Rennes with a good 15 pounds of spiced German wine strapped to my back, it feels great to be back in the apartment.
***

So, the above blurb was written almost a month ago.
Timeliness is something that needs to be worked on. On verra, c'est possible avec la Nouvelle Année.

Right now I'm in Barcelona. It's a few minutes before 7 in the morning here. I've been awake since 3:30 a.m. Suffice to say that the internal clock is a bit messed up. But with this ample time on my hands, since no one else is awake, a nice flood of posts and pictures (from Bremen, London and New York City) is on its way.


Hasta pronto, amigos!

P.S. Thanks to the people who've been reading this blog. Turns out that there are more of you than I thought. I'll keep that in mind when I start to slack off on the posts. Ciao!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Listen up, Jungan und Mädchen

It's the last minute dash do grab all the supplies needed to spend the weekend in Stadtgemeinde Bremen. :-)

Stuff to see:

-The
Marktplatz (Market square) is dominated by the opulent façade of the Town Hall. The building was erected between 1405 and 1410 in Gothic style, but the façade was built two centuries later (1609–12) in Renaissance style. Today, it hosts a restaurant in original decor with gigantic wine barrels, and the wine lists boasts more than 600—exclusively German—wines. It is also home of the twelve oldest wines in the world, stored in their original barrels in the Apostel chamber.

-In front and to the side of the Town Hall stand two statues: one is the statue (1404) of the city's protector, Roland, bearing Durendart, the "sword of justice" and a shield decorated with an imperial eagle. The other is Gerhard Marcks's 1953 bronze sculpture Die Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians) which portrays the donkey, dog, cat, and rooster of the Grimms Brothers' fairy tale.

-
Beck's Brewery, tours are available to the public which include beer tasting. (One of the many beers to be sampled)

Prost! (for beer)

Zum Wohl! (for wine)
Auf Schottland! (for whiskey)
Auf uns! (for everything else)

On-beergardens-on

Monday, December 3, 2007

Dance craze alert!

To participate:
1) Be 18 years or younger, preferably in middle school
2) No inhibitions

3) Can listen to a whole song (harder than it sounds since they can go on for, what feels like, hours)
4) Be prepared to dress like this guy --->


**

After getting a dose of Yves Jamait, I'd like to give you a taste of TECKTONIK. This uniquely French dance is the love child of hip hop and techno music and dance. I've run across so many groups of kids getting their dance on in the middle of the town squares.

***

Here's a sneak peek:



Anybody want to put on their dancing shoes and give this a whirl? Just remember the requirements. I'll just sit back, watch and laugh a little bit.

Ciao et bises!