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The reason we drink beer in September and call it October (Oktober)

September 3, 2018 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

Beer at Oktoberfest munich, Germany

It is all very confusing for people who do not understand the story of Oktoberfest.  We have an October festival in September.  Are we confused? Drunk? Little of both?  Maybe, but that isn’t the point.  The festival is more than just a bunch of people sitting around drinking.  There is history that you should know so you can impress people sitting at the beer table with you.

First let’s clarify something – Germany calls it Oktober.  If you speak English it is October.  Same word, different spelling.

On another note, Germany does not call itself that either.  It’s Deutschland, but I digress.

The Wedding

So take yourself back in time to October the 12th 1810.  Then Prince Ludwig was being married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen (or Therese of Bavaria to be easier to remember).

Their wedding was the very first Oktoberfest.

The reception was in the fields of Bavaria renamed Theresienwiese (“Therese’s Fields”) to honor the Crown Princess.  Everyone was invited to celebrate the occasion – “Wiesn”.  It is still held in these original fields (although more of a fairground than a field now) and as tradition remains, free and open to all people.

The Confusion of Dates

There isn’t really any confusion once you understand.  Germany can get really cold come mid-October. So rather than starting Oktoberfest on Oct 12, it gradually started moving back to September.  The tradition now is that it is two full weeks (16 days total) where the last weekend is the first weekend of October or October 3 (whichever is later).

The Beer

Back in the day, beers were stored in March and not processed during the hot summers.  So, the beers that are opened during Oktoberfest are referenced as March Beer – or Marzen or Marzenbier.   This beer is traditionally stronger than an average beer (6%) and is richer and fuller.

You can get Oktoberfest shipped out to other parts of the world, but only Oktoberfest beer (Marzen) is sold at the fairgrounds.  Well that and some wines, but I digress again.

So, now that you have some basic history, you can enjoy your LITER of beer and know that you are carrying on a tradition from 1810.

Prost!

The open gates in 2012
The open gates in 2012
Beer at Oktoberfest
The waitress carried all of these in one trip!! WOW.

Filed Under: Adventures, amusing, Europe, Festival

Paris Overview – Everything you need to know in one place

February 27, 2018 by Notourguideneeded 2 Comments

Paris Seine

Paris is one of my favorite places on Earth. The history, culture, food and wine!  On this page I am going to cover basics.  Feel free to email me if you want more information or have questions.

First, you need to think about what kind of Paris vacation you want to have. We have been there for three days and for more than a week.  We have done all of the tourist options and on other trips did none.  Do you want to see all the museums, or spend time sitting at a cafe absorbing the view (Highly recommend).

These are my favorite things to do in Paris.  There are many so they didn’t fit here.  Not sure if something is worth the time – just ask me!

It is worth the steps to see the city from a different view point.
It is worth the steps to see the city from a different view point.

When to go…

I went to Paris once in July.  NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN.  It was so crowded with too many tourists. The staff at the hotels had clearly had enough and it was just busy everywhere. This is not the Paris I know and love.

There are two good times to go: May and September.  Both of these are close enough to summer that you might get a few warm days but kids are in school so much fewer tourists.

There is one other time to consider: Christmas.  The holiday shopping is wonderful and while it is cold, not too bad.  There are a lot of people, so you have to be prepared for the crowds.  The lights and Christmas displays though are like nothing you will have ever seen. Take NYC Christmas x 10!

DSC01141You should always take appropriate clothing as it probably will rain at some point while you are there.

Where to stay…

Unless you have a lot of money or a ton of points, you probably will not be staying on the main street – Champs-Elysees.  It is the main shopping avenue in Paris and the most tourists you will see in one spot. It is convenient though, especially if it is Christmas time.  You step right out of your hotel and there is Paris.  Well, the shopping touristy part anyway.

I have a few favorite spots to stay.

Le Meridian is in a spot that is near the metro, but not in a crowded area.  There are enough eateries that you do not have to leave your hotel very far.  Plus the hotel is big, which means they have a good bar, and lots of room in case you are rained in or just too tired to go out.

The Marriott Renaissance by the Louvre is excellent too.  It is small but is very nice and in walking distance of many attractions.

A small boutique hotel called Duret also was a good bet.  It is a little out of the way but if you are going for a relaxing time, I highly recommend.

People pay a lot of money for hotel rooms to be near landmarks.  I will say it over and over.. consider how much you will save in cab rides if you spend a little more to stay close.  However, keep in mind that you will get a lot of tourism if you are in the wrong spot.  This could be good or bad.    If you are near a metro, you probably are ok.  Le Meridian is kind of far, but the metro is right there (and not a lot of tourism) makes up for the 10 min metro ride.  Plus, sometimes it is cool to be on the metro in another country.

Planning your trip…

There are thousands of websites that give you an overview of Paris and what you should or should not do.  It is really a crap shoot. What is good for one person isn’t for the other, but had they gone on a different day would have been spectacular.  My advice is to think about what you want to do and why, then adjust.

For example, if you want to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower to see the city, there are MANY better views.  If you want to go up just to do it, then that is another thing.

There are three excellent views that do not usually make people’s lists:

1.  Arch De Triumph – you can take the really narrow stairs to the top.  It sits at the top of the Champs-Elysees so you get a really cool view of the trees that line the street.

2. Pompidou – Take the escalator that is on the outside of the building up to the top.  That is cool in itself.  The view you get is of the Eiffel Tour and the city.  This is one of my favorite views.

3. Sacre Couer – Going up to the church is a cultural event in itself.  The good thing about this is that it is free, so if you are on a budget, I recommend doing this one.  If you aren’t, do it anyway 🙂

Sacre Coure

In addition to seeing the city from a bird’s eye view, you also want to make sure you at least see a few of these:

1. Musee d”Orsay – even if you aren’t into art, go here.  You will recognize things you have seen before, I promise.  Check out the website before hand and make a note of what you want to see.  Last time I was there they had a big visit of Van Gogh.  I wished I would have checked before so I could have had more time.

2. Eiffel Tower – like I said before, there are many other ways to see the city, but the park around the Tower is cool.

3.  Notre Dame –  Go at an odd time.  Go to mass if you can.  Otherwise the lines can be long to get in.  If you see the line, go have a coffee and come back.  If you are going for mass they let you cut the line (but you must go to mass!).  I also have a funny story about going to mass.  Read it here. You never know what you will see!

4.  Montmartre – spend at least have a day roaming these streets.  The shops are tourist traps but you were going to buy that scarf anyway!

5.  Le Marais  – if you like shopping, this is another good spot.  There are some newer stores and it isn’t as crowded as other areas.

6.  Louvre – Even if you are not going to go inside, the building itself is just awesome.  Its on the river so that whole area is just beautiful Paris!  Hint: don’t go in main door.  Go through the subway entrance for a shorter line.

7. Saint Michael and Latin Quarter – just cool spots.

There are a ton of books that list things to do.  I like Paris Pocket Guide (affiliate) because it is easy to handle.  You will see a lot of these type of books in my posts because they are small, yet handy.

Eating and what to know

There are so many cafes and little restaurants that it is fun just to walk around.  Many people sit outside so you can just walk by and see what people are eating.  Here is another thing to consider.  If you sit at a cafe, especially outside, service will be slow.  Take your time – you are sitting at a table in Paris!  That is the experience.   If you don’t know what to expect, here is an extreme, but realistic timeline of what you can expect.  (Of course not all places are like this but you need to know this so you don’t get frustrated).

Here we go:

You see a cafe that looks good.  You look around to have someone seat you.  No one is around.  Just sit. If you sit in the wrong spot, they will tell you.  Once you start to sit, magically a waiter will probably appear. Or not.  You might wait 5 minutes.

Sometimes they visit each table in order of the table.  Not when you are ready.  Watch for this as it will save you frustration.

They ask you what you want.  You do not yet have a menu.  ORDER YOUR DRINK NOW.  Most likely these are your choices:  water (tap is fine.. do not pay for water unless you want gas in it), beer, wine, latte, espresso… you see, generic.  I have seen people say “I think I want a beer, what kind of beer do you have”.. uh oh.  Now you will wait for the menu.

Wait.

Menu arrives.  You pick, you order you wait. Wait.  Now, had you ordered the beverage when the server came first, you will be waiting with a nice beer that you have no idea of the name (but it will be good).

Anyway, you get my point.  Waiting in Paris is the past time.

Where to Eat

There are so many good places.  Read here for my favorites.

There are so many things to experience in Paris that you can make each trip very different.  Take your time, slow down and enjoy the city.

What did I miss?  What are your favorite places?

Filed Under: Europe, Favorite Places, List as FEATURE STORY, Paris

Instagram Summary: Versaille

December 19, 2017 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

Versailles

Here is a summary of my Instagram Posts on Versailles.  See more of my photos on IG here:

INSTAGRAM

Getting to Versailles

It was a rainy morning in Paris so we thought it would be a good day to take the train to Versailles. Very few people had our idea and we avoided the horrible crowds you hear so much about. ⠀
⠀
Here is the train decorated all fancy! There is no mistake at which city you are heading!

 

Versailles

The Train Ride to Versailles 

The Rooms in Versailles

The palace has 2,300 rooms spread over 63k square meters. ⠀
⠀
Many of the rooms on the tour look just like this – full of history and paintings. There is an audio guide that explains everything to you as you move along. It truly is an extraordinary museum. ⠀
⠀
I have heard stories that you get shuffled from room to room because there are so many tourists. As you can see, we had the place to ourselves since it was storming outside!

 

Versailles

 

The Gardens of Versailles⠀

I highly recommend going on a rainy day to avoid the crowd. It also gives you an extraordinary shots of the gardens without the big crowds, and bit of different perspective. The muddy ground contrasting with the beautiful landscape is breathtaking!⠀

Versailles Versailles Versailles
⠀

Filed Under: Europe, Instagram

Morocco: Kindness and Olives

December 17, 2017 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

As part of our cruise in Spain, we headed down the north west part of Africa to the Canary Islands.  In the area, the ship stopped off in Casablanca, Morocco.   I had mixed emotions. First there isn’t really much to do in Casablanca.  Since going, anytime I tell any Moroccan that I went to Casablanca, they consistently look at my funny and say “why?”.   Marrakesh is a four hour drive and while we had time, I had no desire to get in a bus and sit for that long.  We decided to relax and we would come back another time when we can do Marrakesh right.   However, I was excited to be in Morocco and able to check Africa off my continent list.

Things to do in Casablanca

I did extensive research on Casablanca.  I had maps, addresses, etc and researched places to eat and things to do.  Then on the ship, there was a an advertisement for an excursion that took us to the Mosque and a City tour.  At first I was a little annoyed with taking an excursion because I had (thought) I did my research.  Well, let me say this… if you think you are just going to walk around Casablanca and check out the sites, you might find yourself very tired, lost and frustrated.

(read more on our cruise here)

I am glad we took the city tour because we had this wonderful woman tour guide.  Tours are essentially made or broken by the guide and she was a star!  A spunky woman who carried a cane around with her and I swear she was ready to use it.

Anyway, we drove around the city and stopped at the Mosque and a few spots in the city.  The Mosque tour was fabulous and was one of the highlights of the whole trip.  However the city tour was really just of the city.

Kindness and Olives

As we were walking around the city with the tour guide we were really getting frustrated as it was just a city.  I started regretting that we didn’t go to Marrakesh and do some serious shopping.   Then we walked in the area of the market where there were tons of vendors selling the most amazing olives I have ever seen.  The variety and smell was overwhelming.  I was in heaven seeing this.

The currency for Morocco is dirham.  We had none.  We took the tour because everything was included so we wouldn’t have to exchange money.  This area was a proper market where it was cash only.

We asked one of the sellers if they would take credit and he didn’t speak English or Spanish.  The tour guide was leaving.  The hubs and I really wanted to experience these olives.  We showed him Euros.  He didn’t take them.

Then this gentleman did something so kind I will never forget it.  He grabbed a bag and filled it up with olives for us.  We tried to explain that we didn’t have money to pay and he clearly understood.  This was his gift to us.

I’ll never forget the experience.  Us trying to fully appreciate the culture and he understanding what we wanted.  We didn’t need words.

He gave us enough that when we finally found our bus (and a slightly annoyed tour guide) we were able to share the experience with those around us.

And those olives were like nothing I have ever tasted here.

Now, when I think of Casablanca and people ask me “why?” I reply “have you had olives there?”.

Filed Under: Adventures, amusing, Cruise, Europe, Favorite Places, NEW POST

Going to Copenhagen via a Train on a Boat

May 21, 2017 by Notourguideneeded 2 Comments

Canals in Copenhagen

A few years ago we went to Berlin and were looking for a second place to go on this leg of the vacation. My husband wanted to go to Copenhagen and I was rather indifferent.  Since that trip, Copenhagen has become one of my favorite cities and I cannot wait to return.  Getting there was worth the trip itself.  We took a train up to Hamburg.  Then the train to Copenhagen.  But wait – how did the train go over the water?  The train got on a boat.  

 

Logistics of the Train on the Boat

Well, it is actually a ferry.

Think about a ferry that one would take normally.  You park your car and get out and the ferry takes you across.  It is basically the same concept.

The cars and pedestrians are loaded first.  Then on the next level the train follows tracks and boards the ferry too.   Once the train comes to a stop, the passengers are asked to leave the train and go to the ferry.

A gentleman sitting next to us said that we need to remember which doors we go through because sometimes there is more than one train on the ferry and people get lost.  I’m glad he gave us this tip, because there was in fact another train and coming back down was a bit confusing.

 

The Ferry to Copenhagen

The ferry seemed to be like a very small cruise ship.  There were shops to buy clothes or random items. There was a duty free store with candy and liquors.  The cafe sold food cafeteria style and it was a good stop for a snack.

The time on the ferry is about an hour, so just enough time to stretch your legs from the train ride.

 

The Route

The route from Hamburg to Copenhagen is roughly five hours.  You will start in Hamburg and then take the ferry from  Puttgarden in Germany to Rødby in Denmark.   Once the train disembarks the ferry, you will then travel along to Copenhagen.   Check the route for which stops there are between.  This site here will give you some good information too.  Also review what Seat61 has to say about the route.

 

I highly recommend taking this option if you have the chance.  Anyone can ride a plane, but not many people can say they rode a train onto a boat!!

 

Canals in Copenhagen
Canals in Copenhagen

 

Filed Under: Adventures, amusing, Europe, NEW POST, Travel tips

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