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WTF?: The Backwards-Ass AIB Card Reader
Here in Ireland and throughout most of Europe, contactless credit cards are the norm. Chip technology is so 2007. My Leap card, which is what we use here for all public transit payments, is contactless. I can even put the card against my smartphone and use the Leap card app to top up my account in less than 10 seconds. It’s pretty amazeballs. So imagine my surprise when I tried to send our landlord our first rent payment a couple of days before it was due. I had all her bank account details and was ready to initiate the transfer online. And then I got this message: WTF is an…
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Explore: Christmas Markets in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, and Esslingen, Germany
Experiencing a real German Christmas market has been high on my bucket list for years. This past week, we got to visit three in the Baden-Württemburg region: Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, and Esslingen. They all lived up to my lofty expectations. Lebkuchen hearts dangled from stall awnings, the smoky scent of grilled sausages wafted in the air, and red and white glühwein flowed freely. In a word, the markets were “magical” and I would love to somehow make a trip to Germany a Christmas tradition. Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt The first market we experienced was in Stuttgart’s city center. It’s one of the largest in all of Germany and it’s renowned for the elaborate decorations…
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Word of the Day: Doorstep
At first, I thought this was just a goofy name for this specific brand of bread. Turns out, “doorstep” refers to the thickness of the bread slice (and other brands, like Hovis, use the term, too). Here, it typically represents the thickest slice available (think similar to Texas toast back in the States).
