TooGoodtoGo App review: some cheap fruit & veg in Kaiserslautern

Recently, I read about an app called TooGoodtoGo, which allows restaurants and stores to sell leftover food at a low price. It benefits consumers with a deal; benefits the store by selling something that otherwise might make it into the trash; and of course it benefits the environment, too, by diverting food from the trash.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that a few stores in Kaiserslautern participate. One was a fast food fish restaurant (Nordsee), which isn't for me because I don't like fish. However, the other offering, Real, a grocery store, was just what I had in mind: for 3,50 euros, I would receive at least 10 euros' worth of fruits and vegetables. Participating stores sell a limited number of shares but several were left at Real, so why not give it a try, I thought.

I downloaded the app, found the offer from Real, tapped buy, selected one portion, clicked buy, added my payment method, and received a receipt. Pickup times were between 1600-2000, so I tooled over to the store and went to the front desk and told the staff member I was there for the TooGoodtoGo pickup. After looking over my in-app receipt, she swiped it and told me to pick it my package in the produce department and then come back through customer service so she could buzz me through the gate. Easy enough.

I received about 8 different items, including: rucola salad, another container of some weird lettuce, some pale yellowish-orange carrots, cherry tomatoes, oranges, an apple, a head of broccoli, and a container of broccoli and cauliflower. Everything is still fresh enough to eat raw but I won't have high hopes for a long shelf-life since part of the purpose of the setup is to help the store move some of its older produce.

My treasure trove of fruits and veg

So, do I feel that it's worth it? Yes, I was happy with my purchase and I feel that I received even more than ten euros' worth. It is somewhat difficult as one person to use all this up so it might make sense to split the purchase with a friend, especially when it comes to the salad and fruit. I could make some vegetable dishes and freeze them though. For those who juice fruits and vegetables, it's a good haul. I think I'll even blend some up for a fruit smoothie of my own.

One downside is that the app is still gaining traction. In Kaiserslautern, there are only three participating locations, and even in bigger cities in the area, like Mannheim, there aren't a lot of options yet, but I hope that the app's popularity will grow and more stores and restaurants will participate.

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All opinions are completely my own. I received absolutely no compensation or consideration from the app or the store. I'm independent, yo!

Store Review: K-Town Cupcakes

K-Town Cupcakes

Richard-Wagner-Str.15

Kaiserslautern

Payment: cash only
Parking: paid, streetside

Need a sweet cupcake fix in Kaiserslautern? Until about last year, your only way to do so was to hope that one of the local bakeries made up a batch for fun, to place a special order for some from a bakery, or if you're in the know of the right Facebook groups, you could order a gourmet dozen from one of the military spouses in the Kaiserslautern area who bakes them up in her home (which I also totally recommend as there are some really talented bakers here!).

Last year, K-Town Cupcakes opened up a few blocks south of the K in Lautern Mall, on a side street.

It's a small, cute store with a few bistro tables and window seating. They offer both a display cabinet of cupcakes that can be eaten there or taken away, as well as custom orders.

 A variety of gourmet cupcakes are on display, as well as some meringue candies. Flavors when I visited red velvet, blue berry, strawberry, chocolate cake with cream cheese, raspberry, currants, and more. Additionally, vegan cupcakes are on offer, too. They're priced from 2,80 - 2,90 euros each.

So, on to the important information: are they good? Yes, they're decent. I find the frosting tasty but a bit crunchy/grainy as I don't think they have access to the same type of sugar that Americans use in our cupcakes. Also, since they have to refrigerate the cupcakes to keep them from melting in their unairconditioned store, they are not quite as soft as American cupcakes, but they're still good. If you're buying many cupcakes for a party, they can be a bit spendy, too.

All in all, though, they're good for a gourmet pick me up. Just beware that they don't always keep to their posted hours, which can cause frustration. If they sell out early, they close up shop for the day. This leads to unreliability but this isn't uncommon for small German businesses; call ahead if you're making a special trip.

Published - Galerie Wagner Review

My review of Galerie Wagner, a lovely gift store in Kindsbach, has been published in GermanyJa!

GermanyJa! review of Galerie Wagner

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 

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

Thrift Store Review: DRK, Kaiserslautern

DRK Store
Rummelstr. 1

67655 Kaiserslautern

Tel.: 0631 – 800 93 193                                

                

Monday - Friday      10:00 - 18:00

Saturday                10:00 - 14:00

 
One of my favorite thrift stores in addition to the Schatzkiste is the DRK in Kaiserslautern. The DRK is Deutsche Rote Kreuz, or the German Red Cross, and their charity shop benefits their mission.

The DRK thrift store is on a side street near the Stiftsplatz, where the weekly farmers' market is held. It is an attractively merchandised and clean thrift store. There is even a hot beverage machine where one can buy coffee and hot chocolate to go.

There are two floors. The first floor is men and women's clothing, coats, accessories, and jewelry. There is even new merchandise from Fruit of the Loom, usually in the form of t-shirts and sweatshirts. The dressing room is located in the back of the store.

Upstairs, there are children's clothes and shoes, adult shoes, books, knick knacks, a small selection of housewares, bathrobes, and sometimes linens.

DRK is a medium-sized thrift store. I've been pleased with the quality, selection, and cleanliness at the store. Items turn over quickly there so a good selection is on offer. Pleasant staff contribute to the positive experience, too. I recommend a visit for some moderately priced, nice items that benefit a good cause.

Store review: Vitamingarten, Kaiserslautern

Vitamingarten

Pfaffplatz 16

67655 Kaiserslautern

Near the Pfaffplatz, Vitamingarten is a grocery store with Turkish, German, Asian, and Baltic specialties. Many interesting and tasty delights await inside, and this store will be particularly of interest to those looking for wheat-free grains and flours.

There is a great diversity of products even though this grocery store isn't super huge (I would say that it's slightly smaller than the Rewe City). For those who are looking for alternatives to wheat flour, this store has plenty of offerings. I saw rice flour, cornflour, chickpea flour, and polenta, just to mention a few.

In addition to the different flours, there are many other dry goods including beans, spices, cornstarch, wheatstarch, and many other things. There are rows of canned and pickled vegetables. There is even peanut butter, available in both creamy and crunchy versions. It even has the American flag on it, so it has to taste good, right? Okay, I have no idea if it does or not.

Let's not forget the specialties from other countries. Here's some Turkish Delight, for example! I've tried some while I was in the US (maybe not the best place to sample it) and I don't understand why Edmund basically sold his soul for some in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but whatever.

Also on offer is a selection of fruits and vegetables with standards such as apples, carrots, onions, etc. as well as some slightly less common ones like cactus (would that count as a vegetable? I guess I don't know for sure). I've found the produce section to be a bit hit or miss; sometimes it's not the freshest.

In the back of the store there is a butcher's counter with meats and sometimes fresh fish. There are also olives and delicious cream cheese type spreads with herbs. Farther along the back wall there is a refrigerated section with dairy items and even huge vats of feta cheese. The freezer section has interesting items like lumpia, phyllo dough, Turkish savory snacks meant to be fried or baked (pide, etc.). Or, do you need 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of mayonnaise? It's available in that section, too!

There is a small selection of personal care items across from the giant buckets of mayo. Moving to the front of the store near the cash register, one can find different types of bread, including pita bread.

There is a little bit of everything here. A visit to Vitamingarten is an international adventure with many interesting things to buy and try.

December's Adventure: Day 6 Continued, Brussels

We left Valkenburg in the Netherlands on Thursday evening and drove to Brussels in Belgium. I purposefully arranged the schedule so we would arrive past rush hour; in this case, it was 7 p.m. However, it was still a mess with congestion and driving lanes that would converge with no warning then spread out again. The government in Brussels is actually considering closing down parts of the city to auto traffic because of congestion problems. It's recommended to take public transportation in Brussels and not drive, for sure!

We finally found our hotel and dumped the car at the underground parking at the hotel across the street. The parking was 23 euros per day, which seemed a bit steep after being in the other cities, but I was feeling so tired and frazzled by that time that I just wanted to be rid of the car so it was worth the convenience.

We checked in at the Hotel Villa Royale (more detailed review to follow, at some point). It was freshly decorated with small but comfortable rooms. Since it was still somewhat early, we headed out to the main part of downtown, the Grand Place. It took us about 20 minutes to walk downtown. Once we arrived at Grand Place, we enjoyed the Christmas light and music show. It's quite pretty.

Our next stop was to buy some chocolates. I've been to Brussels before so I suggested my favorite store: Corné Port-Royal. We each bought some delicious chocolates and enjoyed the rich, fresh taste, as good as I remembered it from my visit in 2008. The other wonderful thing about the store is where it is located, in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a beautiful 19th century shopping arcade.

We then went to visit Brussels's famous statue: Manneken Pis (literally "Little Man Pee). There are so many legends surrounding this small statue who is also a fountain, but the residents mostly love him (or roll their eyes). The funny thing is that the statue is quite small at about two feet tall. He was naked when we saw him but he does have a huge collection of fancy costumes to wear and even a city employee to dress him. To find him, Wikipedia.org instructs the curious to find him at "...Rue de l'Étuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat. To find it, one takes the left lane next to the Brussels Town Hall from the famous Grand Place and walks a few hundred metres southwest via Rue Charles Buls/Karel Bulsstraat." Getting tired after our Brussels fun, we walked back to the hotel.
 

 Delicious chocolates in a gorgeous 19th century shopping arcade? Check!

 Cheesy tourist attraction? Manneken Pis: check.

 My astute cousin D. pointed out this Cactguy after I told her the disconcerting story about the Cactguy I know.

Asian Markets in Kaiserslautern

As part of my walks through town where I check out all manners of stores, I came across several Asian grocery markets in Kaiserslautern. I don't know much about these types of stores or what constitutes a good one (sorry about that), but here are some pictures and information that I hope will be helpful.

Asia City

Pirmasenser Str. 22, 67655 Kaiserslautern

Hours: M - F 0900-1830; Sat. 0900-1800

This is a small store on the west side of the pedestrian shopping area. I saw a sign that they sell fresh tofu. I also found a container of coconut oil for 3.50 euros, which seems to be a good deal. When I'm ready to make soap again, I'll probably stop by to purchase some. 

Orient
Karl-Marx-Straße 6 67655 Kaiserslautern‎
Hours: M-F 0900-1900; Sat. 0900-1700

Toward the middle of town is Orient. I've stopped in before and bought wasabi peanuts. I guess that's all that I can say as I don't usually eat/buy Asian food :)

Tam Asia
Karl-Marxstr.20, 67655 Kaiserslautern 
M-F 0900-1800; Sat. 0900-1600
Close to Orient is Tam Asia. This store seems to be the brightest and the largest of the three.

Thrift Store Review: Lieblings, Kaiserslautern

Lieblings - Second Hand Laden Kaiserslautern
Richard-Wagner-Strasse 25
67655 Kaiserslautern
Hours: M-F 1000-1800; Sat. 1000-1300


I think that the tagline for my take on this store should be "Lieblings: I'm not lovin' it."

Actually, "lieblings" means "favorite." It's also accurate to say that this is not my favorite thrift store in town (my favorite is Die Schatzkiste, while we're on that subject). That's harsh, but it's how I feel.

Anyway, the store is reasonably large with a selection of men's and women's clothes (I don't recall seeing children's clothes and the sign didn't mention them so I don't believe that they carry them). There are also jewelry, shoes, accessories, some household items, and books.

Many of the items were name brands. The reason this store just doesn't do it for me is that I feel that the items are way overpriced. For example, there were t-shirts for 12 euros that I'm sure retailed for around the same price! Shoes with obvious wear were around 25 euros, and they weren't expensive shoes when they were new.

I think that the store may be a consignment store as I saw bags of clothes packed up with names on them. They also had tags with codes. I've consigned clothes before and it looks similar.

Either way, I don't recommend this store. It's just too overpriced.

This is more for your benefit: music store in Kaiserslautern

My previous store and restaurant reviews were all places that I was personally interested in and wanted to visit. However, last weekend as I was strolling through downtown Kaiserslautern, I had a thought: maybe I should give some information about stores that I am not personally interested in, but others might want to know about.

So, like a major weirdo, I quickly popped into some shops and tried to unobtrusively take a picture of the store and their opening hours. I peeked at some of the offerings too. I think these won't be so much of reviews as just informational pieces about the stores. If you find this helpful, please feel free to mention that in the comments :)

Here's one store:
Sound Check
Mo-Fr 11-19;  Sat 10-16
Pirmasenser Str.22
67655 Kaiserslautern
http://soundcheck-kl.npage.de/ueber-uns.html

It's a music store that sells mostly records. I actually didn't go inside; it's not my thing at all and I didn't feel like having any awkward German/English conversations about why I'd be in there if I wasn't remotely interested, so I just peeked from the outside. 

According to the store's website, they sell: Pink Floyd, Beatles, Doors, Hendrix, Beatles, Neil Young to Punk, Wave, Gothic, Electro, SKA, Surf and much more. If you need to get your vintage vinyl on, that would be the place to try.

Thrift Store Review: Victoria Second Hand Laden, Kaiserslautern

Grüner Graben 8
67655 Kaiserslautern 
Hours: M-F 1000-1800; Saturday 1000-1400

Tucked away in an alley on the western edge of the pedestrian zone, Victoria Second Hand Laden offers clothing, shoes, and accessories for men and women.

During my visit, I don't recall seeing any children's clothing. The store is well organized but a bit cramped. Prices were reasonable to moderate. There are winter coats, too, including some animal furs. Most of the clothes are up to date but there are some 80s style coats and other pieces so those looking for a vintage look might find some suitable pieces.

Review: Crazy Candystore in Heidelberg: Heidelberger Zuckerladen

Heidelberger Zuckerladen
Plöck 52
Heidelberg, Germany
www.zuckerladen.de

Mon - Fri: 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Sat: 11:15 am - 3:00 pm

Any candy store that features a window display of a mannequin in an old fashioned dentist's store is probably going to be a strange place. Heidelberger Zuckerladen certainly fits the bill!

 My friend, who lives in Heidelberg, knows I like weird and offbeat things so during the Heidelberger Herbstfest, she suggested that we stop in to the Zuckerladen. The store was really packed because of the festival, but the few things that I did see were definitely odd. The store is small, cramped, old, and of course, odd odd odd!

There were candy models of the mouth/teeth, creepy Barbie doll displays, rude Lebkuchen, and much more. You know those gingerbread-looking hearts with sweet sayings on them in German? Those are traditional Lebkuchen. This candy store had non-traditional Lebkuchen with sayings like a**hole (in German) on them. They would be good for a crude gag gift, for sure.

We didn't stay inside very long because the store was so crowded. I hope to stop again during a less busy time to get my fill of weird displays and naughty candy.

Store review: Ethnico, Kaiserslautern

http://www.ethnico.de/
Richard-Wagner Strasse 78, Kaiserslautern
Monday-Friday 2-6; Saturday 11-3

Where can a person buy an African mask, Indian furniture, vintage Chuck Taylors, and oh yes, some lederhosen?

Perhaps the previous question sounds more like a joke, but it's a (somewhat) serious question for which I have an answer: Ethnico.

This store, just down the street from the Kaiserslautern Hauptbahnhof, is a perfect companion to Dhyan (reviewed here) for an interesting shopping trip. I had walked by this store and had been intrigued by it but never seemed to be around when it was open.

I finally visited and what a treat it was! This store is completely crazy in its offerings of new, used, and vintage clothing. The new clothing is mostly organic or hippie style but there are some screen printed t-shirts for those who are less adventurous. Vintage clothing includes items that hippies might have even worn in the 60s and 70s, as well as a large collection of used Chuck Taylor shoes.

Even crazier yet was a selection of preowned traditional German garb! There are dirndls, lederhosen, the popular blue checkered shirt like those worn at Oktoberfest, and more. Prices were reasonable; for example, boys' lederhosen were around 20 euros. For those looking to "blend in" at the touristville that is München's Oktoberfest, a visit to Ethnico would allow for some cheaper outfits to wear. For something at the opposite end of the spectrum, there is even some leatherwear and Renaissance fair garb available.

Ethnico also offers home accessories and furnishings. The African masks weren't so much to my taste, but I had to drag myself away from the Indian coffee tables and cabinets. Prices were moderate on those, as well.

The guy who runs the store was friendly and helpful, both to me and to other customers. For an eclectic and pleasant experience, I would definitely recommend a visit to Ethnico.

Store Review: Dhyan (books, jewelry, gifts), Kaiserslautern

Dhyan
Richard-Wagner-Str. 67, Kaiserslautern
Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00; Saturday 10:00-3:00

When walking home from the train station, I passed a store that really caught my eye: Dhyan. I was drawn in, attracted to the colorful display windows brimming with Indian jewelry boxes (a personal weak spot) and other beautiful gifts. The store is only open until 6 pm (which isn't horribly unusual around here) so it was quite a while before I could return to shop.

I finally got my act together and walked to the store. The store is really quite fascinating and has a variety of gifts. Basically, it's a hippie gift store at the core but is diverse in its offerings.

There is a large amount of jewelry, mostly in Indian designs. There are books on yoga and New Age type topics. The requisite incense and incense burners were present, as is to be expected in this type of store.

My personal favorites were the Indian jewelry boxes, painted in bright colors and patterns, and the sun catchers. I ended up buying one of each. I was tempted by the Indian textiles, such as pillow covers and scarves, but I needed to stop my shopping spree at some point.

If this weren't enough, there is even a clothing section. I wasn't surprised by the cotton trousers and other handmade clothing. However, I was surprised that the store even offers Renaissance fair garb.

Even for the more traditional, Dhyan is still a pleasant store and it's very possible to find a gift for almost anyone. For those who are the New Age type, this store would be highly of interest. 

London trip: Day 3 (July 6), Camden Market

Day three saw quite warm weather for us as we prepared to visit one of my favorite places in London: Camden Market. How it has grown since the last time I was in town! Camden Market is located at the Camden Town Tube stop. It's a combination of stores, outdoor market, and an indoor market hall over the span of quite a few city blocks.

It was absolutely packed and quite hot in the sun. As we walked down the road from the Tube stop, we visited some stores. There are mostly knockoff clothes and shoes, though some real versions exist. C. found a really cute shirt for 10 pounds in one store. We then stopped by the open air market, which had even more knockoffs of different brands. Many of the vendors were selling the same design of shirts. Don't let that dissuade you, though!

Cross a side street but stay on the same side of the road along a canal, and there are more stalls as well as some food vendors. We stopped by an adorable little hut  that contained Mimi's Cupcakes. I loved everything about the little hut; I liked the kitschy, homemade signs (that looked like something made for a school project); the super tasty cupcakes; and even the business model: it is family run! The guy behind the counter is the son of Mimi, who bakes all the cupcakes at home. How sweet (hehe) is that? He was super friendly and happy to tell us about the cupcakes. We also had a nice chat about travel. C. and I bought some of the "fairy cakes," which I would just call mini cupcakes. I especially enjoyed the lime cupcake. Totally delish. It made me think of a bake sale at home, except with gourmet cupcakes. It's worth a stop and it's always nice to support family-run businesses :)

Opposite from the stalls along the canal and just before the traffic bridge, there is another block that contains food vendors as well as a market hall. The food vendors are superb and offer just about any type of food a person could want, from Indian food to Ethiopian food and everywhere in between. Plus, prices are rather reasonable for what basically amounts to street vendor food.

The market hall has some great vendors; most are selling hand-crafted items, such as bent wire jewelry, which was quite nice.

View of the market hall.

We had been visiting the market for hours, enjoyed some cupcakes and a spot of lunch. However, it was so hot and the crowds were getting to us so we decided to move on to the Tate Britain. Just as we were leaving, I saw a really cool store: Namaste. I've been wanting to buy some Indian textiles for my apartment since I like the designs and colors. This store had some great, inexpensive items so I bought a bed cover and some pillow covers. I was all set to buy the stuffing for the pillows since it was so reasonably priced, but then C. reined me back into reality and asked me if I'd have room in my luggage. One bag travel is great...if one doesn't buy too many things!

We finally dragged ourselves away from Camden Town and visited the Tate Britain Museum. We did a lot of sitting to enjoy the art...and to try to rest our aching legs and feet. After 3 days of non-stop walking and adventures, we were so exhausted. We decided to call it an early evening so we practically crawled back to where we were staying, had a quick dinner, and an early evening.

London trip: Day 2 (July 5)

Friday was the big day of our trip. By the end of it, we were dragging our feet; it was the typical American vacation in which we crammed as much into the day as we could and we were tired.

C. and I started our day by visiting one of my favorite London museums, the Tate Modern. Admission is free to most of the museum (as it is with many of the museums in London) and we were treated to a free tour of the "Transformed Visions" gallery, as well. Many of the museums in town offer free or cheap tours of the collections, so it's a great way to get to know the art better. The tour was very good; the guide was extremely knowledgeable as he highlighted some works from the collection.

After the tour, we crossed the river via the Millennium Bridge. The last time I saw this bridge, it wasn't actually usable because the new millennium had just occurred, the bridge was new, and it swayed too much as pedestrians walked across it. Since then, the bridge has been fixed and it has since reopened to the public. We decided to stroll along and see where our adventures took us.

The next thing we knew, we were inside Hardy's Original Sweet Shop and were oohing and ahhing over the huge selection of English, and even American, candies. C. had been looking for some jelly babies, which are gummi sweets, which she found there. Wine gums were also available; they remind me of Jujubes, those chewy, gummi-esque candies that always threaten to pull out fillings. The clerk gave us a trial of rhubarb/custard hard candies. I was hooked and bought some of those as well as some cherry cola bon bons and some other interesting flavors. I bought a small bag of candies for about two pounds. Prices were reasonable and I would have chosen some more of the interesting flavors but a line was developing and I'm sure my teeth appreciate a limit on the candy.

From there we continued on toward Kensington Park and were totally distracted by the Urban Outfitters store. I wanted to stop in to look at their gag gifts. Well, we got sucked into the vortex of the interesting books they had. After some time passed, we realized that it was very close to the time on our tickets for entry into the David Bowie exhibit at the V&A so we pried ourselves away from the books.

The exhibit, David Bowie Is, was very interesting, and quite busy, as well. It was necessary to pre-purchase tickets because of the crowds; we purchased our tickets the day before. I really didn't know much about Bowie except for some ancillary "knowledge" gained through listening to songs from Flight of the Conchords. I found the exhibit fascinating and I wanted to listen to more of his music. It's so strange to me that Bowie is a contemporary of my mom; I was joking with C. and said that they were about the same age but my mom hasn't done half the cool stuff that Bowie has done. We wandered through the exhibit for about two hours.

After that, we limped on toward the South Bank (we had just about walked our legs off!) for dinner and some cabaret at the London Wonderground, part of the Udderbelly Festival. We were tired and didn't feel like walking far, so we ate dinner at EAT, which is somewhat of a cross between a deli, a small bakery, and a coffee shop. Most of the food was in the cold deli section but some warm meals were available, too. I ordered sweet potato chili soup, which was smooth and filling with a hint of spice. C. ordered mashed potatoes with gravy and a steak pie. She said both were delicious.

With sore legs but full tummies, we hobbled over to the Udder Belly Festival for that evening's entertainment, the London Wonderground. I asked for some directions and was told to walk through the "dodgems." I was completely confused until I saw the area being referenced; the show was set up in what looked like a carnival tent in the middle of a wooden floor with (what I would call) bumper cars. The bumper cars, or dodgems, were actually seating for the bar area. How clever!  I love the set up of the whole thing; it was very old timey looking with wooden floors and old fashioned posters.

The cabaret show, Friday Night Freakshow, was fun. The MC started the show by singing Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana in a lounge act style, which actually sounded quite good. We were then entertained by international comics, a hula hooper, bawdy singers, and more. C. had suggested the show because she knew how much I enjoyed the Detroit arts and entertainment scene, which has many performances like this. I definitely appreciated her suggestion.

It had been a very long, but enjoyable day. We were quite tired and sore so after the show we took the Tube back to the homestay.

Store Review: Teehaus Elsässer

Teehaus Elsässer
Riesenstrasse 5, Kaiserslautern
http://www.teehaus-kl.de

Have you ever visited a store and thought, "wow, this place is nuts. I like it!"? Well, maybe you haven't felt that way, but that sums up my feelings about Teehaus Elsässer in Kaiserslautern.

Located in the eastern edge of the pedestrian shopping district downtown, the Teehaus is an adorable store that sells tea, gourmet foods and spices, gifts, and cards. The small store is stuffed to the gills with things that are tasty and cute. It's so stuffed that if there are more than about three people inside, it's a really cramped environment. This has happened often when I've been visiting because people really like the store and its staff. 

Oh, and the staff! I went shopping and asked a few things and found myself getting teased in German. I have no idea what the owner was saying but it didn't seem mean in any way, so I let him roll with it. I took a tour of Kaiserslautern once and mentioned the store. Our tour guide says she loves the store; the owner teases her too and feeds her chocolates. 

It's a strange but interesting little place and a good spot to find a gift for someone. In the food section, there are spices for meats and pastas, flavored vinegars and oils, and even some fine chocolates. In the gifts section, there are things like wind chimes, cute gnome mugs (guess who bought one!), small chest of decorative drawers, small sculptures, and more. Of course, there is a large selection of loose tea, as well.

So, if you want to buy some gourmet food or drink, or just get mocked in German, make a delightful visit.

Thrift Store Review: Die Schatzkiste, Kaiserslautern

http://www.naw-kl.de/e1545/e1570/
Die Schatzkiste
Second-Hand-Warenhaus
Pariser Str. 28
67655 Kaiserslautern
Tel 0631-4147401
Open Hours:
Monday - Thrusday 8:30 - 17:15;
Friday 8:30 - 15:45; Saturday 10:00 - 14:00

On to more thrift stores! I was excited to find Die Schatzkiste, which means "the treasure chest." Doesn't that sound like an exciting name for a thrift store? Like a pirate, the shopper can go on a treasure hunt for the best booty ever. Arr, mateys, I be lookin' for bargains!

Um, sorry. I'm not sure what just overtook me there. Ahem.

Anyway, this is a fun store to visit. It's very big with two floors full of secondhand items and merchandise turns over quickly there. In fact, that's sometimes to the store's detriment. There is quite a bit of secondhand furniture available, but browsing through it can be frustrating. It seems like every time I find a piece that looks perfect, I notice the sign on the item that says it has been sold and is just awaiting pick up by its new owner. However, don't let that deter you! It's a huge store and having that much selection in one place is a major bonus.

There is such a random of assortment of things for sale; want to buy a wetsuit or kitchen cupboards? How about children's lederhosen? No joke, this store has these items, as well as typical household items like furniture, kitchenware, home accessories, etc. There is even a small section of clothing for men, women, and children.

The store has a really random assortment of items, such as this, um, "interesting" painting. It sold, though!

Prices on the furniture tends to run from moderate to slightly high for thrift store prices, but also take my opinion with a grain of salt. I feel as if thrift stores both in the US and abroad seem to have really upped their prices in the last five years or so (don't get me started in this post about how Goodwill at home was charging the same, or more, as the discounted price that Target had marked on merchandise they donated!). At Schatzkiste, I saw a cheap Ikea folding chair. I had just bought a similar chair at Ikea for about six euros so I thought if I could buy this used one for a few euros, it'd be worth it. I asked, auf Deutsch, the lady working there how much it was and she said ten euros. Obviously I put it back! However, prices aren't too bad overall and it's possible to find a nice piece of furniture at a reasonable enough price.

This store is a really good place to pick up reasonably priced kitchenware. I have made it my goal to buy an ice cube tray every time I go there. So far, I have paid sixty cents and now have two ice cube trays. A girl can never have enough ice, especially when her German freezer compartment is "huge" (by German standards).

Upstairs, with lots of furniture and houseware.

The staff at the store are very pleasant. I've spoken my "I'm pretending that I actually speak German unless you ask me a question and the ruse is up" and it has been received pleasantly, even when I outed myself a few times when I had to switch to English. Don't worry if you can only speak English; they've been nice about that, too.

A bonus is that the store will even deliver purchases in the local area for a reasonable price! My friends bought some dining chairs and a small loveseat and had it delivered.

It's worth a visit (or many visits!) to Die Schatzkiste. Who knows? You might find a buried treasure.

Store review: A&B Secondhand Boutique in Kaiserslautern

http://www.mein-second-hand-aundb.de

A&B Secondhand Boutique
Richard-Wagner Strasse 1
Kaiserslautern

I love thrift stores and most of my clothes come from them or from garage sales. I admit that freely and happily. It's good for the environment to recycle items that are still in good condition and usable; it gives some pocket money back to the owner or helps a charity; and it helps to afford fun travel experiences. Who can beat that?

I've been on the hunt in Kaiserslautern for thrift stores. I came across A&B Secondhand Boutique, just on the very edge of the pedestrian shopping district downtown. Neatly arranged and merchandised, this store carries many name brand clothes. Prices are reasonable for name brands and all clothes are clean, in good shape, well-displayed and organized.

There are clothes, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children, though most of the clothes are for women. There are some plus-sized clothes for women but I didn't really see any for men, but I also didn't look that hard, either. There were also some maternity clothes for women.

Staff at the store are pleasant. I enjoyed that the store was clean and well-organized. I found the prices reasonable; I bought two nice shirts for work, a skirt, and a cute purse for 12 euros.

Getting a haircut at the "German" salon

Store/Service Providers Reviewed:

Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Salon
(in the Ramstein air base's mall)

Sandy's Hair Styling Salon

67663 Kaiserslautern
Leipziger Str. 150
Telephone: 0631- 90 606

http://sandys-hairstyling-salon.de/

I have a confession: I've only had my hair cut twice in the five months I've been here. Since I have medium-length shorter hair (if that makes any sense) with layers, that's not the best because my hair gets funky looking in a grown out state. Well, I think it looks funky, but that's probably just because I know what it's supposed to look like.

The first time I got my hair cut, I was being really lazy and just made an appointment at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center, which is the mall on the Ramstein Air Base. I was super lazy and just wanted to go where they're accustomed to dealing with Americans (as if places around town weren't already used to us - there are so many of here that it's ridiculous). Again, I was feeling lazy, but also a bit overwhelmed, since I hadn't completed all of the administrative bits of my PCS yet.

The salon at the KMCC isn't highly recommended, and I can concur with it. Well, it was okay and my hairstylist was pleasant, but she didn't cut too much of my hair and it didn't look super great. I can also appreciate, however, that she might have been cautious with cutting it because it's easier to fix something too long than something too short. The haircut was 16 Euros.

I needed another haircut and wanted to try somewhere different, so I made an appointment at Sandy's Hair Styling Salon in Hohenecken, which is quite close to Vogelweh, Pulaski, and Kapaun joint bases. I don't know if I can fairly call it a German salon, because the proprietor is English and most of the clientele is American, but the stylist I visited was most decidedly German and from the area (and I even heard her using the local dialect! I heard what sounds like "doe" and of course I can't remember what it means, but my German instructor mentioned this as a regional thing).

This place has been highly recommended in the American expat circles. One of my classmates goes there and her hair always looks cute, which is a good sign. She gave me a referral card which gave me 10% off the haircut and gave her 5% off her next service.

The stylist was very sweet. She (of course) said that she didn't speak English very well, but we had a very nice conversation so she just wasn't giving herself enough credit. When I told her I was studying German, she was thrilled and started speaking to me in German a bit, which I understood.

She asked when my last hair cut was and I told her it was about 6 weeks ago but the previous stylist hadn't taken much off. I liked this stylist's cut very much. She did a thorough job and cut a lot more hair off, which is necessary to make the natural wave in my hair come out and work for this style. She was also far more careful about making sure that the hair cut was even and balanced. I was very happy with the cut, which was 25 Euros (well, less after the 10% discount). I will visit Sandy's again.