http://mygermanyonline.com An insider's look at travel, work and play in Germany. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:52:38 +0000 en © tauralstravels@gmail.com () tauralstravels@gmail.com() 1440 An insider's look at travel, work and play in Germany. tauralstravels@gmail.com No no http://mygermanyonline.com/wp-content/podcasts/profile.jpg http://mygermanyonline.com 144 144 http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-16-reflections-on-going-back-to-the-us-and-overnight-train-trips-in-germany/ http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-16-reflections-on-going-back-to-the-us-and-overnight-train-trips-in-germany/#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:40:29 +0000 Taural http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-16-reflections-on-going-back-to-the-us-and-overnight-train-trips-in-germany/ http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-16-reflections-on-going-back-to-the-us-and-overnight-train-trips-in-germany/feed/ 22:30 Yes it's been awhile, but I'm glad to finally be able to bring you another episode of the myGermany podcast. This time I'll be reflecting ... Yes it's been awhile, but I'm glad to finally be able to bring you another episode of the myGermany podcast. This time I'll be reflecting on my experiences of being back in the States for the first time in more than 3 years. Sometimes it's the not so obvious things which can sneak up on you and make you realize that "you're not in Kansas anymore,Toto" to paraphrase Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz. Also wanted to let you know about the overnight sleepers that the German train company (Deutsche Bahn) has in operation. These are a great alternative to the typical train services and can really be quite comfortable and pleasant way to travel...you also save on hotel costs :-) ! And I was going through Amazon and found some cool stuff that you might like to have. Just browse the carousel and if you're interested, click on the product. Amazon.com Widgets And for those of you interested in finding out a little more about what it's like moving to Germany for the first time, check out NewFrank's blog. There's lots of good articles and it is most certainly well worth a visit. Big thanks to Haywood and Vanessa for the recent comments! Culture,,Podcasts,,Travel tauralstravels@gmail.com no No http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-12-10-safety-tips-for-driving-on-the-autobahn/ http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-12-10-safety-tips-for-driving-on-the-autobahn/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:02:32 +0000 Taural http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-12-10-safety-tips-for-driving-on-the-autobahn/ http://mygermanyonline.com/episode-12-10-safety-tips-for-driving-on-the-autobahn/feed/ 25:30 Back again for another "cracking" episode of the myGermany Podcast! Well...perhaps "cracking" is a bit exaggerated. It is a pretty good one, though. In this episode ... Back again for another "cracking" episode of the myGermany Podcast! Well...perhaps "cracking" is a bit exaggerated. It is a pretty good one, though. In this episode I give you 10 tips for driving safely on the famed and, in some cases, infamous, German Autobahn. Plus there's a few interesting facts about driving in Germany in general: like how long can you drive with your national driver' s license before you are compelled to get a German Fuerhschein, what to do when getting into an accident, what kind of vehicle documents are needed, etc. I know that I said in the last episode that I was going to be putting out shorter episodes, like about 15 minutes. But somehow I'm still at about 25 minutes with this one. Didn't realize that I had so much to say did ya? At least 3 of those minutes are taken up by a really cool German New Wave (neue deutsche Welle, 80's music) song called "Ich gib Gas, will Spa?" by Markus (roughly translated: "I floor it, 'cause I wanna have fun"). It's about driving fast, and I though that it was fitting for this episode. Last but not least, many thanks to: Vanessa, for her comment on episode 11, Kristie for her comments (check out her blog here) and for milo for making such a groovy WordPress theme for me! ?:razz: Podcasts,,Travel tauralstravels@gmail.com no No http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-6-mayday-in-germany-an-intro-to-hamburg-music-by-fettes-brot/ http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-6-mayday-in-germany-an-intro-to-hamburg-music-by-fettes-brot/#comments Sat, 05 May 2007 14:15:06 +0000 Taural http://mygermanyonline.com/?p=26 http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-6-mayday-in-germany-an-intro-to-hamburg-music-by-fettes-brot/feed/ 00:01:01 This episode of the myGermany podcast deals with my recent experiences in celebrating Mayday in Germany as well as giving you a taste of Hamburg. The ... This episode of the myGermany podcast deals with my recent experiences in celebrating Mayday in Germany as well as giving you a taste of Hamburg. The coat of arms forthe city-state of Hamburg The City of Hamburg is a very exciting place to visit, with lots of nordic and nautical charm. Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and with Hamburg Harbour, its principal port, Hamburg is also the second largest port city in Europe, no. 9 in the world-ranking of ports and the largest city in the European Union which is not a national capital. The city of Hamburg lies at the junction of the river Elbe with the rivers Alster and Bille and the city centre is beautifully set around two lakes, the Binnenalster ("Inner Alster") and the Aussenalster ("Outer Alster"). Three Places to vist whilst in the city of Hamburg: The "Speicherstadt" (Storehouse City) was built in 1885-88, as part of Hamburg's newly created freeport. All storehouses here have direct access to transport barges approaching on the channels at their waterfront side and land street access at their other side. The "Speicherstadt" also houses many museums and event locations: the "German Customs Museum", the "Speicherstadt Museum", the "Spice Museum", the "Afghanistan Museum", the "HafenCity InfoCenter", the "Miniature Wonderland" with the largest model railroad layout in the world and the "HamburgDungeon" with its historic reenactment adventures. Location: south of Hamburg's town center, opposite of the "Zollkanal" Hamburg's "HafenCity" (Port City), with its modern building lines and historical ships, its pontoons and walkways at the "Sandtorhafen" and a buzzing cosmopolitan street life, is a shining beacon of international urban development. Efforts to revitalize derelict port areas are undertaken in quite a number of towns all over the world: e.g. London, Rotterdam or San Francisco. Nevertheless, Hamburg's "HafenCity" project is quite unique. Location: The "HafenCity" InfoCenter (Accessibility) lies on the route of the Hamburg City Walk "Storehouse City Promenade". The "Reeperbahn" is Hamburg's most famous street. It derives its name from the "ReepschlAtilde;curren;ger", who between 1600 and 1880 used the erstwhile tree-covered area north of the present street to manufacture long ship ropes made of hemp, so-called "Reep", on long-stretched tracks called "Reeperbahn". In the 1960s, the "Reeperbahn" and the adjacent "GroAtilde;?e Freiheit" streets became the mecca of rock music. In clubs like the "Top Ten" or "Starclub", the Beatles or the Searchers and many more famous rock bands from all around the world were performing. In the 1970s and 1980s, brothels, striptease clubs and peep shows dominated the red-light district. Nowadays, many "normal" restaurants, music clubs and theaters, such as the "Schmidt" or the "Operettenhaus", have made the "Reeperbahn" once again a popular attraction for the average Hamburg citizen and tourist, too. Location: south of the "Speicherstadt" (Storehouse City), which lies south of Hamburg's town center. Also, we rasied the Maypole this year in our village and it was a lot of fun. Though I was aware of many of the political implications of Mayday, I had never really had the chance to experience some of the more rural traditions. Our Maypole and the village festivities Send me a mail and let me know if you have any ideas for shows or if there is anything in particular that you would like to hear about. The featured German band in this episode is Fettes Brot from Hamburg, one of the first German pseudo-rap bands to have some success in the 90's. Fettes Brot Now-a-days, German rap has definitely followed in the footsteps of their American gangster rap breathern, but Fettes Brot never went that way. Always fun and most certainly a party band, they never went for that image. The song is called "Schwule Maedchen" and it was a big hit a few year back. Hope you enjoy it! Thoughts Aside: A flight centre is the b... Culture,,Podcasts,,Travel tauralstravels@gmail.com no No http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-4-an-introduction-to-the-state-of-bavaria/ http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-4-an-introduction-to-the-state-of-bavaria/#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:23:16 +0000 Taural http://mygermanyonline.com/?p=20 http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-4-an-introduction-to-the-state-of-bavaria/feed/ 29:26 the Bavarian Coat of Arms In this podcast you will find out all about Bavaria, including the four major travel regions in Bavaria, some special places ... the Bavarian Coat of Arms In this podcast you will find out all about Bavaria, including the four major travel regions in Bavaria, some special places to visit like Nuremberg, the wine growing region Franconia and the lovely medieval walled citry of Rothenberg ob der Tauber. And I tell you bit about the Bavarians and how they are actually a lot like Texans. a mountain scene from southern Bavaria In this podcast I have also mentioned some of the best resources which I have discovered as a fledgling podcaster: Jason Van Orden's podcast called the Podcasting Underground Gigavox Media's podcast called the Podcast Academy And lastly, I think that you should check out the great podcast, Italy From the Inside, a similarly minded travel podcast about Italy. Happy listening! Podcasts,,Travel tauralstravels@gmail.com no No http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-3-working-with-the-germans-and-an-introduction-to-the-state-of-baden-wuerttemburg/ http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-3-working-with-the-germans-and-an-introduction-to-the-state-of-baden-wuerttemburg/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:18:35 +0000 Taural http://mygermanyonline.com/?p=12 http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-3-working-with-the-germans-and-an-introduction-to-the-state-of-baden-wuerttemburg/feed/ 27:28 Three Tips for Working Successfully with Germans, Travel to Baden Wuertemberg, Music by the Boss Hoss In this episode of the myGermany ... Three Tips for Working Successfully with Germans, Travel to Baden Wuertemberg, Music by the Boss Hoss In this episode of the myGermany podcast, I will be discussing a business topic, working with the Germans and I will give you three business characteristics that you should be aware of and know how to deal with if you want to be successful in working with them. #160; #160; The Crest of Arms for Baden Wuerttemburg And for all you travelers or students of Germany, I will also be starting the first of 18 installments describing the 18 Federal German states. In each upcoming episode of the myGermany podcast we will be talking about one of these states. Today's State is Baden Wuerttemberg home to the well-known cities of Stuttgart, Baden Baden and Heidelberg as well as the Black Forest Region of Germany. If you would like to read more about this state, have a look at the state government's website. Today we are featuring music by the one and only, the Boss Hoss! #160; the Boss Hoss It is a rare sort of band that can cover songs by rappers (like Eminem and Nelly) and pop-icons (like Brittney Spears) and turn them into something new. The catch here is that the Boss Hoss is a German band that covers such songs in an old school country-western style that you'd expect to hear in a spaghetti western film. Sounds weird? Yeah, maybe a bit, but they are really really good! Listen in to hear why this is one of Germany's hottest indie bands. Thoughts Aside: Getting reservations on flights to germany is so much more complicated than for flights to india. Even the fact that the latter constitute international flights, does not change anything. You will find this much and more from the flight center. They also have information on the latest flight arrivals as well as departures. Culture,,Podcasts,,Travel tauralstravels@gmail.com no No http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-2-trains-busses-and-trams-the-world-of-public-transportation-in-germany-part-1-trains-music-by-leave-earth/ http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-2-trains-busses-and-trams-the-world-of-public-transportation-in-germany-part-1-trains-music-by-leave-earth/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:06:33 +0000 Taural http://mygermanyonline.com/?p=11 http://mygermanyonline.com/mygermany-podcast-episode-2-trains-busses-and-trams-the-world-of-public-transportation-in-germany-part-1-trains-music-by-leave-earth/feed/ 18:59 In our second podcast I deal with a travel topic: Trains, Buses and Trams, the World of Public Transportation in Germany. Germany's Fastest Train - ... In our second podcast I deal with a travel topic: Trains, Buses and Trams, the World of Public Transportation in Germany. Germany's Fastest Train - the ICE 3 Listen to find out about the 3 different types of trains you can take and to help you decide which train (and price category) is right for your trip. You'll also hear about the 4 ways in which you can buy your tickets, with a short description of some tips and tricks for each one. Here is the link to the exceptionally useful DeutscheBahn (German Railway) website - in English, where you can do some really detailed planning about your trip in Germany and to most other European countries as well. I'll also give you some real insider tips about: where to sit if the train is full what to do if you are running late for your train and you have not bought a ticket how you can be spontaneous and get off to visit a city that interests you even if you haven't reached your main destination Music for this show is, once again, from the band Leave Earth and the song is called the Magic. Do go visit their website if you enjoy the song and check out some more of their music and their videos. #160; Leave Earth #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; Podcasts,,Travel tauralstravels@gmail.com no No