Where to donate clothing, furniture, food, & cleaning supplies in Kaiserslautern

With so many people constantly moving into and out of the Kaiserslautern area, there's a real need to know where one can donate extra items from around the home. Whether you're Marie Kondo-ing your place or PCSing out, here is a list of where you can donate and what the places will take. Be sure to check opening times and holiday or COVID-related closures ahead of time for the most success in dropping off donations. 

-Updated January 2023 - DRK store in Kaiserslautern has moved to Landstuhl and Schatzkiste isn't open on Saturdays any more. Bummer!

Wertstoffhof Kaiserslautern

Daennerstrasse 17

67657 Kaiserslautern

Website

Pros: open six days a week, to include one evening; this is one of the city's recycling centers and is generally open even when other places have to be closed because of COVID restrictions. You can donate household items and clothing that are still useable; in the middle of the center there are shelves that are labeled with types of items. All items are free to take so you might find something useful for yourself, too. Since this is a recycling center, you can also bring actual items to recycle too. Drive in but make sure to leave room for others to pass you.

Cons: not all items are accepted and there isn't a huge amount of room for many large items. Upholstered furniture shouldn't be brought here.

Fairness-Kaufhaus Kaiserslautern
Beethovenstraße 56
67655 Kaiserslautern

Website  Facebook

Pros: open six days a week, to include evenings and Saturdays; non-profit organization that supports the community; courtyard where donors can drive in to drop off donations; accepts non-expired human and pet food, cleaning supplies, and health/beauty products as part of the Foodsharing project
Cons: Limited space for accepting furniture; paid streetside parking for shopping (though usually it's not too hard to find a spot)
Notes: this is my favorite thrift store in the area. Although it's not the biggest, there's a decent selection of homewares, clothing, and furniture (keep in mind that the furniture sells quickly though; if you see a sign on it that says "verkauft," that means it's sold). Even better yet is that Fairness is a pick-up/drop-off point for Foodsharing KL, which is free for everyone to use. You can bring or take unexpired food (even for pets!), as well as cleaning supplies and health/beauty items. When you're PCSing, don't throw away all those cleaners; bring them to Fairness instead. Currently the Foodsharing drop off area is located by the door to the courtyard. When you walk into the store, walk straight ahead, past the cashier, and there's a cooler. You can put items in the cooler or on top of it.

Schatzkiste
Pariser Strasse 28 67655 Kaiserslautern

Website
 









Pros: open five days a week, to include evenings; non-profit organization that supports the community; good, free parking directly in front for easy drop-off of donations; large store with room for lots of furniture.
Cons: none that I can think of.
Notes: Schatzkiste is a huge warehouse near the mall in downtown Kaiserslautern. There is always something new to see or buy, but keep in mind that the furniture turns over very quickly.











Stadtbildpflege donation bins around Kaiserslautern
Website
Pros: open 24/7; any clean clothing, bedsheets, purses, belts, blankets, and shoes can be dropped off in a plastic bag, even if it has holes or broken parts (it will be recycled into something else); various locations throughout the city and one can normally park directly in front of the bins
Cons: only accepts the items above; sometimes the bins are full

The Dutch get in on getting American food wrong

"American" week at German grocery stores evokes strong emotions for me, including the desire to laugh, cry, be sick, or when I'm feeling adventurous, maybe even try it sometimes. There are usually very few things that I do want to try, though, because it's either food I wouldn't eat even when I'm in the US or it looks disgusting. I had yet to participate in "American" week shopping in another country, though, so during a trip to the Netherlands this winter, I perused their display for their take on what we eat.

This one landed a solid nee (no) for me: some sort of "American" sauce for fries.

Based on my non-existent knowledge of Dutch, but with the ability to somewhat decode the ingredient list based on my knowledge of English and German, I determined that it has canola oil, mustard, something from corn (a thickener?), vinegar, sugar*, and lots of preservatives in it.

Is this typical American food? Well, the preservatives would almost have me thinking so but as far as what it would probably taste like, I can give a resounding no. And thank goodness for that!

--

*I would like to continue ranting a bit. Yes, American food and condiments add sugar. However, for German food, I'm always shocked/disgusted by just how much is added. I can't even eat most of the commercially prepared sauces, soups, or spaghetti sauces here because they taste almost as sweet as candy does and it's very off-putting for me. I am wondering if this Dutch sauce would be as sickeningly sweet as the German ones?

Dutch stuff: the international food aisle in Michigan

Earlier this summer, I went home for an almost one month-long vacation. It felt surreal to take so much time off but it was excellent!

In addition to traveling to Boston, seeing old friends and coworkers in Michigan, and eating dang good Mexican food, I stopped by the local stores to bask in good ol' products that I can normally get in the US but not in Germany (which, ironically, usually entail ingredients from other countries or hippie foods -- think all of the wonders of Trader Joe's, because I am not into typical American food).

I took a gander at the foreign food aisle in Meijer, a giant superstore with groceries, and had a gander at the Dutch goods. Having been to the Netherlands, I can say that these products are familiar and similar to what they have in bigger grocery stores.

There are King mints, Hagelslag (my mom's side of the family eats this but I think it's not palatable - sprinkles on toast), and of course, the ultimately unpalatable drop (salted black licorice).

Souvenir roulette

If I buy myself a souvenir, usually it's something consumable because I have already enough stuff. My choice is usually to buy something interesting at the locale's supermarket, preferably either something I've never tried but read about in a foraging book or a foreign cookbook, or something that I have no idea what it is and even better yet, can't read the package. This purchase from Poland fits the bill nicely:

tea! I love me some herbal tea.

In this tea purchase, I bought some fennel tea, which I've had in some other mixtures before. There is also aronia (chokeberry) tea, which I recognize from books about foraging but have never tried before.

The last tea is chiang mai flower and I have no idea what that is so I thought, why not buy it to find out? Usually it's fun to buy things that are unknown. The only time it didn't work out was when I bought a mix for Hungarian goulash in Macedonia and couldn't read any of the various languages on it to find out how to make it and also realized that it probably involved using meat, which is not my thing. D'oh!

What 11 euros buys at Aldi

First of all, this isn't a sponsored post for Aldi. I can't imagine that the company would agree to sponsor some of the (true) things I'm going to say about it. So there's that.

Anyway, above is a photo of what about 11 euors (technically it was 10.79) buys at Aldi. It includes: 2 packages of Muesli; two one liter packages of milk (not actually for the Muesli, for the record); a package of onions; 3 Pink Lady apples; and a 3-pack of garlic.

I thought it might be interesting to share how much it costs to shop on the German economy. Even though I can shop at the Commissary, I try to avoid the produce section there at all costs. I've bought items there that went bad the next day. Even worse was when I bought a packet of produce and the majority of it was already bad. I could've taken it back, I guess, but I didn't want all that work. Instead, I know better now and buy fruits and vegetables "on the economy," as people here say. They're fresher and often cheaper than buying them from the Commissary.

Anyway, the fruits and vegetables I bought on this shopping trip were a good deal. The more expensive part of the trip was the Muesli. However, as Edith Piaf said, I regret nothing.

I wanted to illustrate how Aldi in Germany is very different from the Aldi (of the past) that was in the U.S. When I grew up in Michigan, I visited Aldi several times, but it wasn't a store we'd really use for shopping. At the time, Aldi was, well, gross. I don't mean that the store was dirty or anything; I mean that the food offerings weren't palatable-looking.

The majority of the goods were composed of frozen, low-quality convenience food. For example, there were tons of sketchy-looking frozen pizzas, frozen fried potato concoctions, etc. The non-frozen food was mostly packaged junk food of low quality. Plus, there was the weirdness of bagging your groceries yourself and not being given grocery bags. Aldi just wasn't for us in Michigan.

When I moved to Germany, I was pleasantly surprised by Aldi. Yes, one still must bag one's own groceries and pay if one doesn't bring her own bag, but that's better for the environment, allows one to pack the groceries as one wishes, and the food is so much better here. It's one of the cheapest places to buy decent produce. The store's offerings are basic, but I can usually find what I need there. Weekly specials sometimes offer gourmet food from other countries.

When I was back in Michigan last summer, I wanted to buy some inexpensive wine and we were near Aldi so we decided to stop by. I had heard that Trader Joe's and Aldi are now part of the same company in the US, and was pleasantly surprised to see what that means for Aldi now. The store is still basic but the food offerings are things that I actually would -- and did -- eat. There were organic, gluten-free, and Basic White Girl offerings (read: hummus). Plus there was plenty of fresh produce. Good for you, Aldi, for not being so gross any more!

--

I showed great restraint as a Michigander and did not call it "Aldi's."

Thrift store shopping gets dead weird at Kaiserslautern's Schatzkiste

On Monday, I was enjoying the magic of the American Labor Day holiday. It's lovely and a bit surreal to have a day off when the Germans don't; it almost feels as if one is playing hooky from work because one can actually get stuff done since the stores are open. With my free time, I made a trip to some local thrift stores, which turned into a strange excursion.

When I visited the Schatzkiste (I reviewed it previously here), I came across a display of...merchandise?

Don't badger me! I'm dead n' stuffed!

Decorations?

We're just chilling next to an overpriced, second-hand lamp.

Dead animals?

Don't be such a weasel. C'mon, buy me!

Mackelmore might've bought a fur coat but you can buy the whole dang animal at the Schatzkiste. You could even make your own taxidermy zoo with their impressive collection.

I lost all composure when I saw this sign under the menagerie.

"As much as you need."

I tried to smother my giggles as I pondered just how many taxidermied animals that one person could possibly need. I also considered: who buys second-hand taxidermy animals? Is that a thing?

Pfennigbasar (giant rummage sale in Kaiserslautern) starts Friday!

Don't forget! The Pfennigbasar starts tomorrow morning. Find some great deals, whether they're in clothing, household goods, or toys.

It's especially useful for those looking for 220v appliances. Cakes, snacks, and drinks are available for sale.

March 4-6 2016,

11 am-6 pm Friday, 4 March
10 am - 5 pm Saturday and Sunday (5-6 March)
Pfennigbasar at the
Veranstaltungshalle (Banquet Hall)
Gartenschau
An der Kalause 9
67659 Kaiserslautern

Store review: Galerie Wagner, Kindsbach - gift store

Are you looking for a lovely and traditional gift that's actually made in Germany? In Kindsbach, a suburb of Kaiserslautern, shoppers can find just that at Galerie Wagner.

Galerie Wagner, Kindsbach, street view

It's a delight of German handicrafts with everything from cuckoo clocks to doll houses inside the store. The highlight there is the selection of traditional German Christmas items. Räuchermännchen (little smoker men, which use incense inside so they appear to "smoke"), Christmas pyramids, ornaments, Schwibbögen, nutcrackers, and snow men line the shelves. Some items come from the Erzgebirge, a mountain area in Germany known for its handmade wooden figures.

Räuchermännchen (und Frauen!)

Mini Christmas pyramids and holiday scenes

Beyond that, there are paintings by German artists, Black Forest cuckoo clocks, pewter steins, music boxes, and Easter decorations. Everything is tidily packed into the store, making effective use of the small space for a large selection.

Pewter items for sale

It's not just the items for sale that make a store worth a visit. Friendly and knowledgeable service is important too and Frau Wagner, the store keeper and namesake, offers just that. I've visited the store twice; the first time, just to look, and the second time, to purchase gifts. I never felt rushed or pressured to buy anything; I actually enjoyed my shopping experience.

Frau Wagner, fluent in English, is happy to answer questions about the products, make suggestions, and explain German traditions and how the pieces in her store relate to the traditions. She has operated the store for forty-five years and takes pride in offering quality items that have been actually made in Germany. She told me that items marked "Germany" were probably not made there; items marked "Made in Germany" were produced in-country, which is a requirement to receive that stamp.

Guided by Frau Wagner's helpful advice, I bought some really nice gifts for my family. I felt that prices were fair and very much in line for handcrafts actually made in Germany and I was happy to support an independently owned local business.

VAT forms are accepted
Galerie Wagner
Address: Kaiserstraße 35
67862 Kindsbach
Free street parking is available directly in front of the store or behind the building.
Phone: +49(0)637115144
Website: www.wagner-galerie.de 

********
Note: these opinions are entirely my own, based on my shopping experience there. I received no compensation from Galerie Wagner for this review.

My week: October 4 ed.

I realized I haven't written an update on my week for a while. I spent most of September preparing for, and conducing, another huge staff training. It took up so much of my time, energy, and mental effort that I didn't want to do a whole lot beyond that.

-Anyway, I had my regular tandem speaking meeting and was able to have my tandem partner explain Indirekte Rede a bit more, which was definitely appreciated. I've started up Volkshochschule classes again and had learned it there but didn't fully grasp it. It's wonderful to receive extra tutoring from my tandem partner!

-We had a going away dinner for one of our colleagues from another department and found it funny when we all showed up wearing black. It looked as if we were either mourning his leaving or we were part of some sort of mafia.

We then had a hilarious, bawdy conversation. If you get the vapors at such a thing, skip the next two paragraphs. We met J's friend, whose name also starts with a J and will be the focus of the story. J #2 has a pet hedgehog so of course I had tons of questions for him. He was sharing anecdotes about these unusual pets. There was a Youtube video of a new owner petting his new hedgehog. Suddenly J stopped the story, worried that it might offend us. Of course I had to hear the story then but I can appreciate his wanting to be polite with new acquaintances. Anyway, experienced hedgehog owners saw the video and just about died. The person in the video was surprised at how much the hedgehog liked having its belly rubbed. Well, a male hedgehog's, um, male bits are on his belly and the new owner was inadvertently petting everything, without realizing it. (That gave me pause but it makes sense, given all of the quills on the rest of the 'hog.)

J took a sip of his beer and peered at us, trying to ascertain if we were offended by the story. I asked, "So, did he at least give the hedgehog a cigarette afterward?" and J spit his beer out in surprise and laughter. Obviously the story didn't offend me and I learned an important thing: I don't want to pet any hedgehogs!

-On Saturday, I planned to attend a housewarming party that my friend was having in Saarbrücken. Since I wanted to maximize my time in the area, I also decided to visit Forbach, which is a French town on the border. I wanted to see the tourist sights, if any, and go shopping at Cora, a megastore with extensive grocery options.

I had a dickens of a time finding things to do in Forbach. Their tourist information website isn't translated very much and it wasn't playing along with Google Translate. I finally decided that I'd visit Schlossberg, a castle ruins and I'd decide on further sights after stopping by the tourist information center.

I was so bent on doing all of this because I've visited Forbach before and found it quite depressing. Since it's so close to my friends, I wanted to see if there were any redeeming features about the city for future visits. Considering that the city was damaged heavily during WWII, and it was a mining town that saw the major employer, the mine, close, it's not too surprising that the town isn't exactly beautiful with its out-of-place modern buildings, commercial area, and traffic-heavy vibe. Honestly, it reminds me of my visit to southern New Jersey.

My first stop was the tourist information center. I had researched its hours and thought it should be open. Well, if it were still September, it would have been, but it's not open on Saturdays in October. D'oh. I decided to walk around downtown and walk up to the castle hill.

Downtown is strange. The main road through town is congested and ugly. There are some abandoned-looking 60s buildings, the tourist office (in a worn out historical building - late Baroque, I think), and a hideous 60s-city administration building. I crossed into the downtown shopping district and it was a bit better but still a weird mix of the new and the old.

A prettier section of the pedestrian zone - unfortunately, not so much of it was this nice.

This guy was taking a nap in the window of the hair salon.

This guy was vacuuming up leaves with what amounted to a giant vacuum.

I continued up the hill to the Schlossberg, which is a city park located at the base of a castle ruins. Ah, this was more like it, with a forested area of paths leading up to the castle. For a two euro fee, one can climb the tower, which is the main section remaining of the castle that's been rebuilt multiple times (including the tower itself). I didn't do that but did pick up some tourist brochures.

Schlossberg, Forbach

After that, I fetched my car to join the madness of shopping at Cora. It was the German day of unity so all the Germans* left Germany since its stores were closed and headed to Cora in France for some groceries. It was complete madness there and I had not only my normal feelings of crankiness from shopping, but added crankiness because it was hard to move around. A German guy tried to cut in front of me in line at the cash register and I gave them a look that my horse would give before squealing and kicking at another pestering horse. The dude backed off ;)

It was a relief to load up the car and return to Germany. I met one friend for a decent TexMex dinner at Cafe Especial in Saarbrücken. I've eaten at this and the Cologne location. It's somewhat expensive but reasonably close to TexMex and it doesn't have any curry in it so that's a plus.

I then made my way to my friend's housewarming party that she was hosting with her boyfriend. I didn't bring them bread and salt, which is a traditional German housewarming gift. Instead, I bought her boxes of macaroni and cheese, Doritos, and peanut butter cups. There is flour and salt in the mac n' cheese so I figure that's close enough to the German gift. Plus, she really likes these American snacks, so why not? My good friend R and his girlfriend S showed up so it was a happy reunion for all of us. I drove home around 4 a.m. I haven't been out that late in ages. I must be getting old ;)


*well, not all of them, of course!

Buy and sell used bikes in Kaiserslautern on May 9!

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Bike Sale is 1100-1300
Sellers drop off bikes from 0930-1045
Located in the courtyard of St. Martin's Church

Spittelstraße 4

67655 Kaiserslautern

(courtyard is behind the church)
 Website with more information

The annual Terre des Hommes Fahrradmarkt (bike market) is coming up on May 9 in Kaiserslautern.  Individuals can drop off bikes and the organization undertakes the task of selling the bike, eliminating the need for the owner to stay all day. In exchange, the organization receives a percentage of the sale. Shoppers have the opportunity to shop among used bikes in one location. It's a winning situation for everyone!

Sellers and those who would like to take the bikes for a test ride must bring their IDs. There is a 2.50 euro fee to consign the bike and if it sells, the seller gives 10% of the selling price to the organization.

 

Everyone was excited about the new mall opening

It's been almost a month since the new K in Lautern Mall opened in Kaiserslautern. It was surprising how busy everything was, and how busy everything has remained. I took some pictures during the grand opening night, when the mall was open late and the shopping district offered special events.

The visiting researcher I hung out with last weekend said everyone at the university was talking about the opening too. She asked if there were anything particularly special about the mall. I can't say whether there is or not, but I can say that not a ton of "exciting" things happen around here normally so it provided a lot of excitement during its opening.

One of my favorites was the world's largest shopping cart (or so they said it was). It's one of those things that makes a person say, "whyyy?"

K in Lautern Mall entrance, Fackelwoog Strasse

(Supposedly) the world's largest shopping cart.

I recognize that light fixture from the Bad Dürkheim wine hike!

This sculpture had me rolling my eyes.

The Beate Usha store, which faces the mall, cracked me up. This store sells, um, things for adults. The mannequins were curious about the new mall, too!

My week: March 29 ed.

As usual, it was a busy week, made even more "exciting" by the opening of K in Lautern, the new shopping mall in downtown Kaiserslautern. I have mixed feelings on it but I see it as mostly positive as it is a reuse of an existing space.

-I had German classes two times this week. We're reviewing Subjunctive II, which always gets me tied up in knots (for whatever reason, my mouth never wants to say "würde"). As the German About.com page notes, "Despite their nicknames, it is important to understand that the subjunctive (in English or German) is a verb mood, not a verb tense. Both the so-called "past" and "present" subjunctive forms can be used in various tenses in German." Knowing that it's a mood and not a tense makes things so much easier, but the whole verb mood thing is still a bit weird to me. We're reviewing Subjunctive II in order to form subordinate clauses, which flip around the verb order, to introduce another layer of mind-blowing German rules.

-Some colleagues and I tried out restaurants in the new mall. We weren't too excited about the food at any of them. I visited Primark and bought a rain coat and reflective coat for bicycling for 22 euros total. I've been looking for both a while a now, especially the rain coat, since it folds up neatly when not in use for travel. The mall was a complete madhouse, especially the day it opened. It's been a major deal around here. I always say that Kaiserslautern is a small big town so it's almost like local yokels getting all revved up for the county fair (I would be one of the yokels).

-I took my German tandem partner to Ancho's Eule in Erfenbach for dinner. It was quite good; I hadn't been expecting that at all since it's a small restaurant in an out of the way suburb of Kaiserslautern. I ordered an enchilada, which ended up being more similar to a burrito filled with super fresh and deliciously seasoned veggies. Even better yet? The enchilada sauce was homemade, delicious, and NOT sweet like so many other places make around here. The absolute best thing? There was NO curry powder in it, for the win! My friend had a chicken sandwich and liked it too. A more involved review will follow.

-I met up with the language cafe people and ran into a lady from another one of the German classes when I was on the way. It's such a small world!

-I met up with some friends for a Sunday brunch at Cafe Krummel in Kaiserslautern. Dang, does that place have some fantastic cakes and such. It's another place that needs a review.

-My blog post showed up in Young Germany. The funny thing was that I clicked on their blog roundup because there was a posting about learning German. I always enjoy reading about that so I clicked on the link and laughed when I saw that it was my own dang blog!

Initial restaurant reviews of K in Lautern mall, Kaiserslautern

Today, some colleagues and I joined the insanity that was the grand opening of the K in Lautern mall in Kaiserslautern. It was jam-packed with people, to the point that it was difficult to use the escalators since people would disembark and then just stand there, letting the people behind tumble into them.

As we jostled our way to the food court, we split up and made different culinary decisions. I'll give a basic review of the four places where we purchased food. Spoiler alert: none of them were good.

Mexican Cabana
I opted to eat here. I should have known better. I ordered a plate of what turned out to be lethargic enchiladas, beans, and rice, served with a side of tortilla chips and salsa for 10 euros. I added a virgin strawberry frozen daiquiri for an additional 3,25 euros.

The presentation of the food was unappetizing, slopped onto the plate, and I found that the food itself was unappetizing too. The beans and rice had hardly any taste at all, other than tasting vaguely salty. The enchiladas were covered in what tasted like pizza sauce, not enchilada sauce or even salsa; it was somewhat sweet and I swear that I detected a hint of oregano. The enchiladas were barely warmed and were not appealing.

The daiquiri was drinkable but reminded me of a more expensive version of a 7-11 Slurpee. With the addition of the drink, my meal was more than 13 euros and not worth it, especially considering that it's a food court take-away place. I would much rather spend the same amount of money (if not less) and visit one of the sit-down Mexican restaurants around Kaiserslautern for unauthentic Mexican food that at least tastes decent enough and is presented in a more appealing way.

Manju Indian Express
J ordered daal and rice and only ate a small amount of it; he didn't find it to be good. I tried a bite of it and proclaimed that it tasted like "salty nothingness."

El Chico Taqueria
E ordered three tacos, two of which were in hard shells and one which was in a soft shell. He received what looked like a salad thrown on top of some tacos. He said that there was hardly any meat in the tacos and even after eating all of them, he was left unsatisfied and hungry.

Ciao Bella Italian Food
Since E was still hungry after the disappointing tacos, he bought two slices of pizza and was astounded at how expensive they were; he paid 4,80 for them. He admitted that he wasn't sure if he was overcharged or not. When I asked him what he thought of the pizza, he said "it's better than Anthony's Pizza" on base. I wouldn't take that as a vote of confidence, though, as I've eaten Anthony's pizza once and will not do so again.

--
None of us were impressed by what we ordered. We went to the food court without high expectations; after all, it's a food court with offerings that are not indigenous to the area. However, we didn't expect that some of the things that we ordered would be unappetizing enough that we wouldn't even finish them. I'm not writing off the food court overall, until I've tried some of the other offerings, but I can say that I will not be in a hurry to return to any of the restaurants that we sampled today.

K in Lautern: one more day until the mall's opening

Website for K in Lautern shopping mall
Hours: Monday - Saturdy 0930 - 2000
Downtown Kaiserslautern

Kaiserslautern's citizens are all abuzz about the grand opening of K in Lautern, the new mall in the center of town. It's set to open on Wednesday and there has been a big to-do made of it with lots of advertising. I even saw signs for it in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse this weekend.

The big to-do within my group of friends has been more related to us being smart alecks. It's hard for us to believe that the mall will be ready in time; the area around it is still very much a construction zone. On Saturday, I took the following photos of the progress, knowing that there were only two more work days before the grand opening (they couldn't work on it on Sunday, per German law). The stores looked as if they were under construction too. Even the mannequins in the windows were missing clothing!

As someone who's worked in fast food and who has trained employees, I also wondered how on earth the stores were going to have personnel trained in time for the grand opening when the stores weren't even fitted out yet. I speculated that experienced staff from other stores would come in for the opening or that new staff members were trained at existing stores. I'm a bit nosy about this; I imagine that I'll find out the answer to this eventually.

I walked by the mall tonight and saw through the windows that the stores seem to have really come along; the mannequins are naked no longer and many of the stores have goods in them. The outside, however, is still under construction. My curiosity will be satisfied on Wednesday when the mall opens to the public!

 

Pfennig Basar 2015: Clowns, marionettes, and...marionette clowns?

I love the Pfennig Basar, the annual rummage sale the first weekend in March that's hosted by a local non-profit women's club in Kaiserslautern. It's a huge sale and benefits the community.

At this year's sale, I noticed a theme. It can be a slightly disturbing theme, depending on how one feels: there seemed to be an unusual number of marionettes, clowns dolls, and clown marionettes for sale. I don't know at what point it becomes creepy to see clown dolls, but my threshold is set to one. This year's sale had quite a few; I'm wondering if someone had donated a collection?

Is that a clown parachuting in?

A box of clowns and marionettes

The clowns scared this teddy bear and made him cry.

Boo!

Though the clown dolls might have given a few people a fright, the rest of the sale was much fun, with many deals to be found and delicious cake to be eaten.

Kaiserslautern in bloom 14-15 March: shopping and events

This upcoming weekend (14-15 March) is the annual event,  "Lautern blüht auf," which means something along the lines of "Kaiserslautern is blooming," is "in bloom," or is "blossoming." It is coordinated by a business association in Kaiserslautern and is a weekend meant to bring shoppers and citizens downtown for store specials, children's activities, performances by local groups, and more. There's even the special event of shopping hours on Sunday, when the stores would normally be closed.


My 2014 visit to included performances by Renaissance pirates; read more here.

2013 was all about a muppet kitty marching band and chasing down the Easter bunny; read more here.

Who knows what 2015 will bring? I'll find out and report.

If you want to attend, here is this year's flyer with the schedule and more pertinent information.

The Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz Reisemarkt

ReiseMarkt Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz website

Two weekends ago, I had a case of cabin fever but not a lot of desire to plan a big trip. Instead, I decided to do something fun, local(ish), and informative: I visited the Reisemarkt Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz. The event is a travel fair where local and not-so-local tourist associations, travel vendors, and associations set up booths at the Maimarkt location in Mannheim (next to the SAP Arena).

It was an enjoyable and easy day trip. A friend and I took the train from Kaiserslautern to Mannheim, getting out at the Maimarkt stop just past the city's main station stop. We then walked 10 minutes (straight ahead) to the fair location. There is also a tram that will shuttle people back and forth but we didn't feel like waiting for it. Another option would be to drive and park in the lot across the street from the market; parking is one euro per hour after the first (free) hour.

We paid 6,50 euros a piece for the tickets and headed over to the exhibition hall. Inside, we wandered through the booths, picking up literature and dreaming of vacations to take. The majority of the booths were from tourist and travel associations, including those run by local governments. There were plenty of free informational fliers and maps. I would guess that about half of the travel destinations were within a couple of hours from Kaiserslautern. The other part included farther parts of Germany, Europe, and even some travel agencies selling trips all over the world.

How about being transported to another country in the movie-showing geodesic dome?

In addition, some booths were run by hotels and other businesses. Other businesses were selling goods, including a bicycle store, a winter clothing store, and some others. A motor home dealer parked one of his vehicles inside but it looked miniature in comparison to the luxury travel coach on the other side of the building!

There was an area for kids, with comfy seating, a slack line to try, and a table to make wooden houses for bugs (for a fee). Those who worked up a hunger could eat at a Schwarzwald (Black Forest) themed cafe or stop by some food carts for a light snack. There were various stage presentations; during our visit, we saw karate students performing and and then a travel agency highlighting some deals on tours.

Presentation of travel deals

Ginormous Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake) - this one was just for display

It was a very enjoyable trip and was a great way to pick up travel ideas, maps, and tourist information to help plan that next trip. It is especially useful for those around Kaiserslautern as destinations within a few hours from there were plentiful.

Get your Ball in Box

At Cora*, a French supermarket, C and I saw these "Ball in Box" in the frozen food section. They are little ham and potato balls, and, as the box notes, there are +/- 28 balls. It's strangely descriptive, isn't it?

*To read more about the shopping trip to Cora, click here.

Kaiserslautern is getting a Primark

I came across an interesting sign while I was out and about walking around with the copious amounts of free time I now have during the break from German lessons. I walked by what will be the new K in Lautern, a mall that's being built/reconstructed from the former Karstadt building, and took this fuzzy picture.

Primark is coming to the new mall. Now we can all buy sweatshop inexpensive and fashinonable clothing in a warehouse-style environment similar to Old Navy.

Multitasking in Amsterdam

During our 4th of July trip in Amsterdam*, we tooled around the city and came across this interesting store. One can get a haircut and/or buy skateboards and clothes. I'd love to know the backstory on that one!

Shortcut & Hardware, Amsterdam

*uh, I'm behind on writing about everything and am just now sorting through pictures on my camera.