2011 - Lili on the Loose

12 12, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Mugs from Munich’s Medieval Christmas Market

By Lili|December 12th, 2015|Categories: Drinks, Geek, Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, deposit, ein Pfand, Europe, Feuerzangebowle, Germany, Glühwein, Holy Grail, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Last Cursade, Mead, Medieval, Medieval Market, Middle Ages, Mittelaltermarkt, Movie, mug, mugs, Munich Adventsspektakel, Odeonsplatz, Pfand, renaissance festival, rum, Warmer Met, wine, Wittelsbacherplatz|0 Comments

There are hundreds of Christmas Markets in Germany during the Christmas season. A of the unique one that I visited was in Munich, and it was a Medieval themed Christmas Market. Found in Wittelsbacherplatz, a short walk from Odeonsplatz it is called the "Adventsspektakel und Mittelaltermarkt" (Advent Celebration and Medieval Christmas Market). Since Christmas Markets in Munich date back to the Middle Ages, it is easy to get in the mood here, with the stalls decorated like a mini-renaissance festival. You'll see people in period dress and they play their roles well. You may also be treated to dancers or musicians for entertainment. The stalls

28 11, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Ulbricht Night Watchman Nutcracker

By Lili|November 28th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, Christmas Museum, decoration, Europe, Germany, Käthe Wohlfahrt, night watchman, Nutcracker, Rothenburg, rothenburg ob der tauber, Ulbricht|0 Comments

As I've written before, I really enjoyed the "Night Watchman" tour in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. On my last day in Rothenburg I stopped by the large Christmas store Käthe Wohlfahrt to get some souvenirs. This location is their head office, and actually spans multiple buildings and has its own Christmas Museum on site. One item that caught my eye was a wooden and leather mini Night Watchman Nutcracker made by Ulbricht. It stands a little less than 5 inches tall, but is beautifully crafted. He carries with him a traditional symbols of his job: the halberd and a lantern. I'm glad

23 11, 2015

Travel Missteps: Bag full of Mugs

By Lili|November 23rd, 2015|Categories: Buying Guide, Drinks, Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2011, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, Cristkindlmarket, deposit, ein Pfand, Europe, Feuerzangebowle, Frankfurt, Germany, Glühwein, Heise Schokolade, hot chocolate, Kinderpunsch, Mead, mit Schuss, mug, mugs, Munich, Pfand, rum, Warmer Met, Weinahtsmarkt, wine|0 Comments

People Making Merry at the Frankfurt Christmas Market Staying Warm at the Market with the Best Christmas Drinks Christmas Markets are the perfect place to meet and socialize. Many stalls will have places to sit, or standing tables to gather around. But the trick to stay warm for this winter pastime? Drinking hot beverages! Here are the traditional drinks you may find: Glühwein is the most popular of the holiday drinks. It is made with mulled wine, usually red wine, but you might see versions that are made with white, rosè, or fruit wines. It is mixed and heated

14 11, 2015

The History of the Christmas Nutcracker

By Lili|November 14th, 2015|Categories: Buying Guide, History, Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Alexandre Dumas, Austria, buying guide, Christmas, Christmas in Germany 2011, Christmas Market, decoration, E.T.A Hoffman, Europe, Fuchtner, Germany, guide, history, Nutcracker, Salzburg, Steinbach, The Nutcracker, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Ulbricht|0 Comments

Nutcrackers at a German Christmas Market. Nutcrackers in some form have been around since ancient times. However, they were much different in design and from from what we consider the Christmas Nutcracker. Those didn’t appear until the mid 1700's when many Germany mines had shut down and the workers had to figure out other sources of income. They turned to the abundant forests and their woodworking skills to craft dolls, toys, Christmas Pyramids, angels, and nutcrackers. The first nutcrackers were made to look like authority figures such as kings or soldiers. These “nut cracking” officials symbolized the

3 10, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Tasty Memory

By Lili|October 3rd, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Apple, Candied Apple, Candy Apple, Caramel Apple, Carmel Apple, Girl’s Weekend, Las Vegas, Nevada, North America, Sugar Factory, USA|0 Comments

During a Girl's Weekend in Las Vegas, I stopped into Sugar Factory and fell in love with their myriad of candy and caramel apple options. It took forever to decide on which one to get. It being a quick trip, I completely forgot to eat it until I got home. And it was delicious. Sadly, Sugar Factory closed their location in Las Vegas but they often have small kiosks at various locations and airports, so if you see be sure to check it out! Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

21 09, 2015

Museum Monday: Fayum Portrait of a Young Woman

By Lili|September 21st, 2015|Categories: History, Museums, Travel|Tags: 2011, ancient egypt, Christmas in Germany 2011, Europe, Fayum portrait, Frankfurt, Germany, Liebieghaus, Mummy, Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus|0 Comments

The Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus in Frankfurt, Germany doesn't just have statues, it also has a few beautiful Fayum Portraits. These portraits were often painted during life on wood, and were placed over the mummy upon death. Portrait of a young woman Read more about Fayum Portraits here. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

14 09, 2015

Travel Missteps: No See Ums

By Lili|September 14th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps, Travel Tips|Tags: 2010, 2011, beach, bites, bug bites, bugs, Caribbean, itchy, mosquito, no see ums, ocean, paradise, rum, sand, sand flies, snorkel, snorkeling, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, USVI, vodka|0 Comments

The US Virgin Islands are full of amazingly beautiful sandy beaches. And those beaches are often infested with small biting and blood sucking insects sometimes called No See Ums, Sand Flies, as well as many other names. They are almost invisible but their bites can swell up and look like mosquito bites. They can also carry/transmit diseases. They are also not fast, if you are moving quickly into the water, you'll likely not get bit, but its when you walk back through the sand, sit on a towel, or have stand sticking to you or your shoes that they can hitch

16 07, 2015

Gondola Ride at The Venetian Las Vegas

By Lili|July 16th, 2015|Categories: Activities, Travel|Tags: 2011, Girl’s Weekend, Gondola Ride, gondolier, Grand Canal, Las Vegas, Nevada, North America, ride, The Venetian, Travel Thursday, USA, Venice|0 Comments

Me and my friend Heather enjoying our Gondola Ride. Las Vegas gets a bad rap of being gaudy and fake. But that is actually part of its charm and you have to enjoy it for what it is. Take for instance the Gondola Ride at The Venetian hotel. You are serenaded while being ferried around the waters of The Venetian hotel. The start of the indoor route. The inside route is a facsimile for Venice's tight waterways, and you'll float below bridges, shops, and cafes while the fake sky looms overhead and tourists gawk and take

15 06, 2015

Museum Monday: Athena

By Lili|June 15th, 2015|Categories: History, Museums, Travel|Tags: 2011, ancient greek, Athena, Christmas in Germany 2011, Europe, Frankfurt, Germany, goddess, Liebieghaus, Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus, statue|0 Comments

Today's feature comes from Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus in Frankfurt, Germany. It is a statue of Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. I was struck by the detail the folds of her dress and her helmet. This ancient greek statue would have been painted. Athena goddess of wisdom and war. Close up on the detail of her helmet. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

28 05, 2015

Las Vegas Budget & Cost Analysis

By Lili|May 28th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Budget|Tags: 2011, American Storm, analysis, budget, bus, Canyon Ranch Spa, cost, dolphins, Fremont, gambling, Girl’s Weekend, Golden Nugget, Gondola, Las Vegas, Massage, Mirage, Nevada, North America, pool, ride, Secret Garden, Southwest, Spa, Stripper101, The Venetian, The Venetian's Canyon Ranch Spa, Throwback Thursday, tipping, Titanic, USA, Vegas, VIP Lounge, white tiger|0 Comments

Consider this my "Throwback Thursday". I'm slowly moving over posts from my travelpod blog, this is one I did breaking down my costs for a 4 day trip to Las Vegas, NV in April 2011 for a friend's bachelorette party. Las Vegas at Night Originally I wanted to go to Las Vegas after seeing deals on bookit.com but when we actually were ready to book, they didn't seem to have the best deals. I was lucky in the fact that my friend Heather has arranged travel for government agencies and quickly and easily helped plan a good deal