Kids of the Trainingsgruppe Sturm of Thüringen practicing for Nordic Combination. They are racing down the Junior ramp in Oberhof at 80 km/h to fly into the abyss.

Descending on your $12 elevator ticket into the cave reveals a scene right out of a Dutch Renaissance painting. Bustling, pushing, shoving, complex overtones of Mongolian throat singing, wafts of rotten fish, fierce seas washing away the muck.

 

 

 

 

 

Behind the scenes:

Sea Lion Cave from Cranky German on Vimeo.

The night of November 22nd, 2009 on the Rua Horácio.

Regardless of whether it was invented in Hamburg or Berlin one of the culinary highlights of a visit to Germany is the Currywurst. Experts find a good Currywurst at a restaurant that has few other menu items. Really the only choices should be 'Currywurst' or 'Currywurst Scharf'. The distinction being extra curry powder sprinkled on top of the mystery sauce. If the carbs provided by the standard issue role, 'Brötchen', is not sufficient, you may opt for french fries with ketchup and mayonnaise. Don't skip the mayonnaise unless you want to be outed as Müsli-eating health nut weakling.

Having friends in Berlin is the best reason to travel to the home of Germany's most delicious Döner Kebab.

1. Photo: © Katja

Ignoring the fact that the price of a cup of coffee in Oslo will cover a meal for two including a 2000 vintage Bordeaux elsewhere, it is a fascinating city. Every casual tourist will stumble across and be amazed by the Vigeland Sculpture Park. A city commissioning an artist to spend years to create some 200 sculptures examining the human condition and thus a world class destination? Those crazy socialist Europeans ...