I was confused as to why my then manager was laughing as I shared my weekly updates with the team. "No one can understand your accent," he, a fellow Brit, explained as I then realised that although everyone could speak English, my thick Souf Lundon accent wasn't going to fly with my predominately German teammates.... Continue Reading →
Along with Beer, Pretzels and the Autobahn, Germany is well known for it's 'Ordnung', often translated as 'order'. However, when exploring the assumed order, organisation and efficiency of German culture, there seems to be more than what meets the eye. Before delving into the topic, I feel a definition is appropriate: Rumour: "An unofficial interesting... Continue Reading →
It's only natural that you want to know more about the person behind the blog posts - I'm exactly the same! After years of sharing my experience of living in Frankfurt and being in touch with so many of you, I've put together your FAQs, so that the answers are all in once place 😊... Continue Reading →
Sharing a bed is great for a cuddle until the other person rolls over and yanks the cover off you, leaving you with two options: Freeze Learn to strategically pull the cover back, and sleep in a way that reduces the risk of you losing it again. What happened to that peaceful 'people-don't-move-one-centimetre' sleep that... Continue Reading →
Seligenstadt is a pretty town, southeast of Frankfurt, located on the River Main. If you also like the tranquility of typical German towns, Seligenstadt is a day trip worth doing! Arriving in Seligenstadt Seligenstadt is easily reachable from Frankfurt. Ideal for a day trip, I arrived in Seligenstadt around midday and headed back to Frankfurt... Continue Reading →
Frankfurt: a summary Google "Frankfurt" and click "images." You'll see hundreds of photos of: The skyline Then google "What is Frankfurt like?" You'll find loads of websites that tell you: It's international; You can get by without German; Something about banks; Which will lead to a comparison to London; Oh, and Apfelwein. These are all... Continue Reading →
One week into the corona lockdown in Germany and I was struggling. In fact, I just couldn't wait for lockdown to be over. After eight weeks of being at home, the restrictions have been eased and I feel absolutely no excitement. Like nada. Zero relief. Different countries are at different stages One reason for the... Continue Reading →
I went Schneeschuhwandern (snow shoe hiking) in the Black Forest and it's an experience I'll never forget! It's a great idea for if you want to get out of the city and see some snow but don't quite fancy skiing. Here's what I got up to: Setting off at 8:30am, we drove from Frankfurt to the... Continue Reading →
As I always take visitors to enjoy the view of the skyline, I thought it would be worth sharing on my blog too. Home to the River Main and Germany's only skyline, here are my favourite places to view the skyline in Frankfurt: Eisener Steg Frankfurt's famous Eisener Steg bridge is located close to the... Continue Reading →
I visited Wiesbaden, a small town located just outside of Frankfurt, when some friends came to visit. It was the perfect day trip for exploring more of Hessen without having to venture too far. Getting to Wiesbaden You can reach Wiesbaden from Frankfurt in less than an hour, just take the S1, S8 or S9... Continue Reading →
Before moving, I told myself that I'd live in Germany for a minimum of three years. I gathered that three years would give me enough time to really improve my language skills, become familiar with Frankfurt and build strong relationships with those around me. What I didn't consider, is that after three years of giving... Continue Reading →
I ventured south of Frankfurt to the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) and have created a small itinerary for if you fancy getting out of the city on your next weekend away. Where to stay I would recommend staying in either Altglashütten-Falkau or Titisee. Altglashütten-Falkau if you fancy a small guest house or apartment in a quiet... Continue Reading →
I hadn't thought twice about the fact that I didn't even know of any German furniture stores before I moved into my unfurnished apartment. I'd assumed I would buy everything from Ikea however, it turned out that Ikea is great for some items but not so good for others. I found myself having to look... Continue Reading →
I love spoiling my friends on their birthdays: making them feel extra special as they celebrate one more year of life. I love giving thoughtful gifts, writing nice messages in cards and making sure the person who's birthday it is gets spoilt. So yes, I was very surprised to find my friends buying me drinks... Continue Reading →
The stare I received as I quickly tried to get to the other side of the road in Germany in 2012 was so piercing that I've not forgotten it until this day. And it took a few of these unwelcoming stares for me to realises that I was being frowned upon for crossing the road... Continue Reading →
"Zusammen oder getrennt?" Together or separate asks the waiter/ess as you finish a meal with friends and request to pay the bill. If you're wondering what is meant by this, in Germany you are literally asked if you want to split the bill between the table or if one individual will be covering everyone. Honestly, I think... Continue Reading →
Alisa Jordan Writes 