A sailor with a rifle slung over his right shoulder stands under foliage on the edge of the Cemetery of the March Revolution (Der Friedhof der Märzgefallenen) in Berlin’s Friedrichshain district. Like the cemetery as a whole, the bronze sculpture is somewhat hidden yet a monument to tumultuous, formative times in Germany and Europe.
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Germany is renowned for its beers but in and around Frankfurt apple wine is traditionally the most popular tipple.
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Seef bier (pronounced ‘safe’) was a popular style of beer in and around the Belgian city of Antwerp prior to the outbreak of World War One. It was known as ‘the Champagne of the poor people’ yet its production died out and for many years the recipe was lost.
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Spray is kicking up from the surface of Lake Brienz in Switzerland. I'm combining sightseeing with an adrenalin burst during a trip jet boat tour with Jetboat Interlaken.
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Mértola sits on a wedge of rocky land at the confluence of the Guadiana and Oeiras rivers less than 15 kilometres from the Spanish border. In Portugal’s Alentejo region, an area known for its distinctive cuisine and heavy red wines, this quiet walled town has a rich history.
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The site of De Vleermuis had long been utilised as a carpark. During the installation of the fountain, which recycles water, 50 human skeletons were unearthed. Archaeologists have dated them to the Middle Ages and have concluded the location was previously a cemetery. Further excavations of the site are planned.
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One of my favourite dishes on the menu is Soljanka, a soup with Russian origins. Friends tell me that occupying Soviet troops introduced the soup to eastern Germany. To most residents of Saxony it proved more palatable than the presence of a foreign military power. Soljanka has remained popular following German reunification.
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Members of bobsleigh teams in the Winter Olympics tend to be muscular sprinters who push their sled then jump aboard once it’s moving. We, by contrast, get comfy before being given a helping hand by the man who just explained we must keep our hands inside of the soft bob as we travel along the track.
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“I don’t use sulphates, so instead of taking about seven months to make a wine it takes me between one and two years,” he says adding that his lilac wine won a national award in 2017, ahead of 95 others from across Latvia.
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I travelled to Antwerp for a day out with two friends. We were all within arm’s reach of Jean Til as he began speaking. They confirmed they’d also heard the line. It was genius. Sheer brilliance. We all commented to that effect in the immediate aftermath of our two-minute encounter.
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