When we think of the internet today, we imagine a network that connect people, ideas, knowledge across the globe. In the 16th century, however, a different but equally informative network emerged in Europe: the printing press. For the first time in European history, texts could be reproduced quickly and distributed widely, connecting scholars, merchants and religious communities across borders.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Europe
10 Ways to Stay Cool Naturally During the Summer
When temperatures climb too high, staying comfortable can become a challenge. People living in hot climates developed clever ways to cope with the heat. From Southern Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and tropical regions around the world, people learned how to work with nature rather than against it. Many of these traditional solutions […]
Continue reading
Travelling with minors in Europe
If you travel with children in Europe you need to know that in case you are the only parent or adult taking a train or plane with your minor child or the minor child of a friend or family member, you should let the other parent or the parents fill out an authorisation form for […]
Continue readingEinen guten Rutsch!
When your German friends wish you a “Guten Rutsch!”, “Einen Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!” or say “rutsch guet übere” (Swissgerman), they don’t want you to “slide” or “slip” (rutschen=to slide; (aus)rutschen= to slip). They simply wish you a smooth start into the New Year. Can’t they just say “Gutes Neues Jahr”? Yes, they can […]
Continue reading
Dutch and German: what do they have in common?
Learning a new language is always very exciting. Especially when the new language we’re learning is similar to one we already know. These similarities can be at different levels (phonetical, lexical, syntactical etc.). The Dutch language belongs to the West-German branch of the Indoeuropean languages and is actually close to German (and Swissgerman). [The simplified […]
Continue reading