Nettlesome Spring
‘Annoying’, ‘vexatious’, ‘irritating’, ‘teasing’—Spring this year is all of these things. After a few glorious weeks of forsythia, daffodils and crocuses, came the rains,...
One perfect day on the Bodensee
Last Saturday, I packed sunscreen and a camera and joined an organized group outing to Mainau Island, Germany's "flower island" on Lake Constance (a.k.a....
Berlin’s Kaffee Kultur
Sunshine. Coffee. Newspapers. All three were mine, as soon as I stepped through the door of Blaues Band, in Berlin’s Mitte district. I chose...
More Pho Bo in Berlin than Currywurst?
My personal, random survey of Berlin's food scene happily reveals at least as many Vietnamese eateries as Currywurst stands. This may or may not...
Buddy Bears are holding hands across the world
Berlin is bear-intensive. Think Berlin's coat of arms, or Knut, the Berlin Zoo's polar baby sensation who charmed the world in 2006. For four...
Berlin’s East Side Gallery–Thank you GDR
See more works by Birgit Kinder
The art to be found in Berlin's old eastern quarters is the stuff of legend. The venerable museums on...
Venice in Basel
Any time of year, I look forward to the newly fresh produce on offer at local markets. I recently learned that all of the...
¡Buen provecho!
What does one do when her best friend leaves town for an exciting year-long adventure in Southeast Asia? Send him off with a Mexican...
Fasnacht for a foodie
Four days ago before dawn, Basel's carnival opened with a bang. More than any other event on the city calendar, Fasnacht, called "the three...
A starry night in Germany
Douce Steiner was born to good cooking, and has a Michelin star to show for it. Last night, at the Restaurant Hirschen in Sulzberg,...