Germany Archives - Living in Stuttgart

A guide to celebrating the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany

Mellivinginstuttgart — Sun, 07 May 2017 13:11:00 +0000

You might have heard about the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC already and that it is a biiiig thing in Germany. If you want to understand this event and get the most fun out of it as possible, you should check out my little guide about celebrating the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany:

First of all – and to avoid mails from my German readers 😉 – of course not EVERY German loves the Eurovision Song Contest. But a lot of us do, me included 🙂 So let me explain what the contest is about :

Eurovision Song Contest in Germany – Waht is all the fuss about?

The Eurovision Song Contest is in fact the longest-running annual international TV song competition. It started back in 1956, can you belive this?! So forget about trends American Idol and such! 😉 Singers from counties that are part of the European Broadcasting Union can participate – so don’t be confused to see countries that are not part of the European Union in the competition, those are two different things!! Since 2015 even Australia is taking part, simply because the contest is such a big thing over there, too. 😀

After preselections of the songs – in the member countries themselves and by a jury afterwards – every participating country submits a song. On ESC-night, those songs will be performed live on tv. This is obviously the best part of the show :-).

Afterwards the voting part begins. The people of all the member countries can vote for the song they have liked the most – just not for song from their own country. There is also a professional jury in every country that casts their own votes. Each country has one or more representative(s) who announce the points live on television. This part always takes veeeery long. Finally, the country with the most points wins the contest. The winning country will also be the host of the contest in the coming year.

Eurovision Song Contest in Germany- Why is it such a big thing?

Well, this question is tricky. In my opinion, the Eurovision Song Contest is loved in Germany mainly because it is such a fun event! When do you get the chance to listen to songs from so many different countries? And a lot of artists put on a show which makes watching their performances even more entertaining. For me, the Eurovision Song Contest manifests what Europe really is about: being different and celebrating this difference! Plus, it’s all about music and who doesn’t like a good song, right?! 🙂

Eurovision Song Contest in Germany- How to make it an even greater event!

Moritz and I have come up with a very fun tradition: Each year we try to put together a buffet that consists of food and drinks from as many participating countries (or countries that could participate – in case I didn’t want to wait till the results of the semi-finals to find out which products I should buy :-)) as possible. Thanks to this tradition we have tried things we would have probably never considered taking from the shelf in the supermarket if not for this event. Believe me, it is a lot of fun trying all the different food and drinks from this All-European-And-Beyond buffet!

So here’s what I found in the supermarket for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017:

Eurovision Drinks

representing Switzerland: rivella Lemonade
representing Australia: Bundaberg Ginger Beer
representing Hungary: Balaton Red Wine
representing Portugal: Antonio Lopes White Wine
representing Denmark: Carlsberg Beer

Eurovision Buffet

representing Germany: Swabian noodles (Spätzle) with lentils
representing The Netherlands: Old Amsterdam Cheese
representing Greece: Dolmadakia Stuffed Wine Leaves
representing Spain: Spanish Olives
representing Poland: Cwikla Beet Root relish
representing France: French Onion Soup
representing Austria: Vienna Sausage with mashed potatoes
representing Bulgaria: Djuwetsch Mixed Vegetables
representing Italy: Bruschetta

Eurovision Dessert

representing Belgium: Waffles
representing Bosnia and Herzegovina: Eurocrem Chocolate Dessert
representing Iceland: Skyr Yogurt

Eurovision Snacks

representing Serbia: Munchmallows
representing the Czech Republic: Karlsbader wafers
representing the UK: Salt and Vinegar Crisps
representing Croatia: Domacica cookies

21 items representing 21 counties! Not too bad! I 2016 I only had 13 different products.

Real pros don’t buy stuff from the convenient food section in the supermarket of course but prepare everything themselves. ;-P Due to a lack of cooking skills and time I became a huge fan of the international food shelf in our local EDEKA supermarket :-)!

Next to the buffet, we always have a list of all the participating countries and play jury ourselves. The artists get points for their songs, their performances and their dresses. Usually, we come up with a very different result, compared to the one from the voting procedure. 🙂

I hope you have as much fun watching the ESC as we do! If you organize an Eurovision Buffet, too, please sent me a picture! 🙂

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A relaxing getaway to Bad Wörishofen

Mellivinginstuttgart — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:13:16 +0000

Hi guys! I never told you, but now it’s time that you know: I hate February. It’s true. I just hate this grey, cold month. Not that February has ever done anything to me, no. It’s just the way he is, his appearance, I just can’t stand him at all. Sorry February, I know, I am unfair. But that’s how it is. In order to make the most of this horrible month, Moritz and I have decided to go on a few weekend trips. So last weekend we said our goodbyes to Stuttgart on friday evening and hopped into our car in order to drive to Bad Wörishofen in the Allgäu.

Bad Wörishofen is a spa town in Bavaria, more precisely in the Allgäu (remember, I wrote about another town in that region, Füssen, a little while ago in my article “A romantic place for a weekend getaway“). It is famous for its water-cure, developed by Catholic priest Sebastian Kneipp in the second half of the 19th century.

After a two-hour delay because of a huge traffic jam up the Eichelberg, we arrived at Hotel Sonnengarten at 8:40 pm and just before their restaurant closed. But they kept their kitchen open just for us! We were so happy because the food they serve is one of the main reasons why we like this hotel so very much! 🙂

As it was a long and – due to the heavy traffic – very exhausting day, we well into our beds with full stomachs and slept like stones. The next day started with a few snowflakes and sunshine. What else can you ask for?? 😉 After a huge breakfast, we headed outside. Bad Wörishofen has a small town center with a pedestrian zone leading along very special – and expensive – shops…

…where you are meeting exactly the tourists you would expect in a Bavarian spa-town…

…wearing fur coats and leather trousers. 😉

We went into the “Kurhaus“, something like a cultural center, where the tourist information is located and where they have a winter garden.

And there we found a basin, designed for Kneipp treatments. ‘Awesome’, I thought, ‘here we can try an original Kneipp treatment for free!’ Well, you should know that the idea of Kneipp was that ice-cold water is good for the body. One can debate whether sticking your arms in icy water on a snowy day in February is fun or folly, but we were brave and tried it!

OK, maybe not all of us were equally brave…

But still, we did it! 😀

After we had spent half of the day in the town center, we walked into the “Kurpark” (spa gardens). We have never been in Bad Wörishofen during summer, but I can imagine that the park must be lovely. They have a rose garden for example, a bare foot path and at various places you can try different Kneipp treatments. But it was also nice walking through the snow!

After we had walked around the park for a while it got really cold and we decided to go back to our hotel in order to try their pool and jacuzzi. And then, out of the sudden, it was time for dinner again 🙂

On Saturdays, guests of Hotel Sonnengarten are invited to a candlelight dinner including 4 or 5 courses, depending on what they have booked. So when we came to our table, a candle was already waiting for us and the menu had our names on it. Very cute 🙂

We started with a salad from the huge buffet.

I loooooove their salads. What you see on the picture is only one-third of the buffet. And believe me, ALL of the salads taste wonderful. I would not mind eating only a huge plate of salat for dinner – wouldn’t all the other courses taste amazing as well… 🙂

I really had to control myself not to overload my plate because I know too well that the next three courses are so good as well, that I do not want to be full after the salad…

As the second course, they offered white (!) tomato soup. A dream!!

And then the main course followed. Moritz and I both had chosen chicken with noodles and a creamy mushroom sauce. And what can I tell you, OF COURSE I was already so full when my plate arrived. But what can you do, you just HAVE TO eat, because it looks and smells so tempting…

And last but not least, the dessert arrived. We’ve had the choice between a selection of cheese and a selection of sweet desserts. We went for the sweet alternative and did not regret it 😉

OK my friends, THIS is a mini black forest cake, a mini apple strudel with vanilla sauce and homemade walnut ice cream. Y-U-M-M-M-M-M-M-Y-Y-Y!!!

We left the restaurant with VERY full stomachs but also VERY satisfied 🙂

On Sunday – after an extended “Champaign breakfast” – we had to check-out and leave this relaxing place again. But we will definitely be back!

There is one more big attraction in Bad Wörishofen which I do not want to withhold from you, just because Moritz and I were too lazy to go there this time: the new thermal spa! They have huge pools with apparently “healing water”, surrounded by palm trees. It is really worth going!

More information about:

Bad Wörishofen (change to English at the bottom left of the page)

Sonnengarten Hotel im Allgäu (only in German)

thermal spa in Bad Wörishofen

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Bring back the German 80s!

Mellivinginstuttgart — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:00:52 +0000

Hi guys! It was “someones” birthday this weekend. And as this “someone” was born in the 80s, she decided to organize an German 80s revival party. So today, I would like to use this post to give you some advise for your own German (!) 80s revival party – and if you’ve never thought of planning one, these pictures will convince you that life without it is just not worth living… 😉

1.) Fashion

Many different styles existed. You could come as a punk or a popper, you could dress like Madonna or Nena (the girl from 99 red balloons) or you could just look horrible by wearing this:

Let’s talk about the details quickly: You want to look sporty, so you use comfy trousers as Moritz does. Especially beautiful is a mix of all colours that exist. You can also show your sporty attitude by wearing a wide sweater, a headband or sweat band. Again, the more colourful the better! Then denim is always a good choice – of course in light blue and washed optic. When it comes to jewelry, you pick everything that’s made out of plastic and that is pink. But most important is, of course, the hair! Here, the mullet is a MUST. In German it’s called “Vokuhila” which is short for “Vorne kurz, hinten lang” (short in the front, long in the back). And as Moritz demonstrates here very nicely, it just suits everybody! 😉

2.) Decoration

You need some original posters from the 80s. If you don’t have some in your basement, you’ll find heaps of them on eBay. Just pick some celebrities, everybody loves, like Kylie Minogue…

…or David Hasselhoff.

What do you mean by saying, nobody loves him? Didn’t I mention it’s a GERMAN 80s revival party?! 😛

You could also organize some original magazines from the 80s. It’s fun reading them and your guests can compare the dresses of each other with the pictures of celebrities. A famous magazine for teenagers in Germany is and was Bravo. Again, you’ll find Bravos of all decades on eBay.

Last but not least, you can buy some fun 80s decoration, like napkins, tablecloths, balloons and so on in online shops.

3.) Food and Drinks

Bowle (punch) was famous in the German 80s. One of the most loved ones was “Schlammbowle” (“mud punch”). And after having tried it, I can only confirm that it tastes really nice!

Here’s how it’s done:

You need:

1 bottle of Vodka

2 bottles of passion fruit juice

1 glass of cherries

1 small pack of vanilla ice cream

One night before the party, you put the cherries into the vodka. On the day of the big event, you simply mix the vodka and cherries with the passion fruit juice and put the ice cream on top of it. When the ice melts into the Bowle, it starts to look muddy. But believe me, it tastes delicious.

It’s also a good idea, to provide a non-alcoholic Bowle for everybody who has to drive. Here’s what “someone” offered to her guests:

It’s a juice Bowle which is very easy to do, too.

You need:

1 honeydew melon

1 glass of litchies without stones (you can use fresh ones too, of course)

1 glass of peaches (again, fresh one are great, too)

1 bottle of orange juice

1 bottle of pineapple juice

Simply cut the melon into small pieces, mix the other fruits and pour the juices over it. Et voilà, you’ve just created a very tasty non-alcoholic Bowle! 🙂

If you want to present some typical food for the 80s, just prepare a “Käseigel” (cheese hedgehog). You need a polystyrene ball, toothpicks, little cubes of cheese and some olives and grapes.

4.) Music

In Germany, the 80s were the time of the “Neue Deutsche Welle”, the German version of punk and new wave. Famous artists and songs were:

Joachim Witt, Der Goldene Reiter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9q9eD1rzTA)
Peter Schilling, Major Tom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6NXyxEtCR8)
Extrabreit, Hurra, hurra die Schule brennt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyd5HAzxqg)
and of course Nena, 99 Luftballons (99 red balloons) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQMNG86Tlvg)
and many, many more… 🙂

That’s how you can bring back the German 80s for one night 🙂

And by the way, this “someone” who came up with the crazy idea of asking her friends to dress up horribly and who served all this strange kind of food and drinks was actually -you would NEVER guess it 😉 – me. 😀

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