Lufthansa Stories.

On her last day of work before the Easter weekend, our intern...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:43:51 +0200

On her last day of work before the Easter weekend, our intern brought this very special hand-made Easter egg to the office. And now you found it! Isn’t it nice?

Happy Easter to all of you!

They call her the Queen of the Skies – Boeing’s 747-8 is a...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:50:00 +0100

They call her the Queen of the Skies – Boeing’s 747-8 is a graceful giant, a fast-moving monument and a record holder in quite a few disciplines. These days, we’re adding another Queen to the Lufthansa Queen Fleet: Our fifth 747-8, coming straight from the Boeing factory in Everett, is getting ready for its inaugural flight to Hongkong.

At this point you may know many things about this plane. You may be well informed, and you may have seen many pictures. But we believe that there are a few questions about this kind of delivery that are not often asked, but may produce interesting answers. For your delight and information: our OAQs – Occasionally Asked Questions – about 747-8 delivery.

Where does the new 747-8 come from?

It comes straight from Boeing’s Everett factory in Washington, USA.

Is it delivered free to the Lufthansa hangar?

No, it is not delivered at all. It is picked up ex works by a Lufthansa team.

Is it delivered fully fueled?

No, it is not delivered at all.

I’m sorry. Is it picked up fully fueled?

It’s partly fueled for the transfer flight. Full tanks would increase the plane’s weight – and therefore its fuel consumption. Since we’re picking up the plane ex works, we’re also paying for the transfer fuel.

Is the plane’s first long-haul flight already a commercial flight?

No. Its first long-haul flight is always the ex-works transfer flight. At this point, the plane is not licensed for commercial flights yet. Hence, only the Lufthansa acceptance team are its first passengers – a maximum of fifteen people.

Is there a technical delivery and acceptance? Are tests being run during the transfer flight?

There is a technical acceptance process that lasts one week and takes place in Everett, with the acceptance flight stating the technical delivery and acceptance. There are no more tests during the flight.

Will there be a ceremonial reception for the new plane?

No ceremony, no reception, no brass band. Immediately after arrival, the plane is handed over to the technical department for fittings, furnishings and installations. Since most of the plane’s interior is not included in Boeing’s product, it needs to be installed during a two-week process.

When will the new plane be christened? Who gets to decide its name?

Planes in our fleet bear the names of German cities or federal countries. Cities can apply for partnerships, and the respective city’s mayor often attends the christening.

For the new Queen of the Skies, however, there will not be a special event, since she will bear the name of an older plane that has been taken out of service. We’ll reveal its name in the coming days.

Who gets to fly it first?

This honor goes to either the Technical Captain or the Director of the 747 fleet.

Where will the new member of the Lufthansa royalty go on its first commercial flight?

The new 747-8 will fly from Frankfurt to Hongkong on Sunday, March 31. You can still get a ticket. Hongkong is an amazing place.

They are so much more than just a cosmetic addition: Our new...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:58:00 +0100

They are so much more than just a cosmetic addition: Our new A320 comes with Sharklets, wingtip devices that help increase aircraft efficiency by reducing lift-induced drag. But of course, they also look really good and they make for an excellent photo opportunity.

Following last week’s introduction, we’re happy to be able to present more photos of the new A320 with Sharklets, this time from Felix Gottwald, pilot and excellent aviation photographer. Be sure to take a look at his works at http://www.felixgottwald.net. Thank you, Felix.

All photos © Felix Gottwald – http://felixgottwald.net

If you happen to be swimming and you see two shark fins to your...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:11:00 +0100

If you happen to be swimming and you see two shark fins to your left and right, you’d be right to be very concerned indeed. But if you’re on an airplane, shark fins are in fact great news! Let us introduce you to our new Airbus A320 with Sharklets. Sharklets are shark fin-like extensions of the plane’s wings and have been in use since the last century, though mostly on small aircraft. But following a successful testing period, the new Airbus A320 will now be incorporated into the Lufthansa fleet.

This is not the first time we look to fishy predators for inspiration and innovation. Just last month we told you about our testing, together with Airbus, of a material that mimics sharkskin that would be embossed in the paint of the aircraft. This fantastic meeting of nature and technology focuses on the riblets found in the skin of sharks, which work to reduce surface resistance when moving at speed. Applying this concept to an aircraft would mean greater efficiency and lower operating costs.

Which is precisely the name of the game when it comes to the sharklets on the wings! But how exactly do they work? Well, when it comes to aircraft, it’s all about reducing the lift-induced drag, which, to explain in its entirety, would involve a dazzling array of formulae, diagrams, charts and probably a physics professor. Simply put, it’s basically a force that occurs whenever a moving object has to redirect the flow of air coming towards it. The focal point of this type of drag on an aircraft is at the wingtips, where circular patterns of rotating air, called wingtip vortices, form while the aircraft is in flight, and these vortices come hand-in-hand with induced drag. By reducing drag and vortex effects, we can make our planes more efficient and make flying an even safer affair.

So, just how much benefit do you get from having sharklets on your wingtips? Aircraft fitted with them reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5%, and that’s a lot when you consider the resulting CO2 omissions – an annual reduction of around 1.000 metric tons per aircraft! That’s roughly the equivalent of the annual emission of 200 cars. And the benefit of these wingtip devices doesn’t stop there – they also result in an increase of over 100 nautical miles in range, and an improved takeoff performance, as well as the 2% savings in engine maintenance costs due to the lower levels of thrust required, all thanks to the sharklets.

Also, they really look sharp, don’t they?

She’s small, she’s sweet, she’s soft, she’s in love with...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:25:00 +0100

Hello. I am Alinga. I would say more, but you’re not reading this text anyway. You’re only wondering what my fur feels like.

Maybe if I close my eyes and think about new friends really, really hard…

All these tasty leaves… and no one to share them with.

What’s all this noise on the other side of the curtain? And do I smell eucalyptus?

Just a liiiiittle more to the left, my human friend.

Please stop that. I’m not smuggling anything and the eucalyptus is… for my own personal use.

I really hope none of these eerie beings is Yabbra.

She’s small, she’s sweet, she’s soft, she’s in love with eucalyptus. The whole world adores her kind. And yet, she’s without a mate – on Valentine’s Day! This needs to change.

Which is why yesterday, on the day of St. Valentine, two-year-old Alinga left her home in Duisburg. She boarded a Lufthansa flight LH077 in Düsseldorf, flew to Frankfurt and took the connecting flight to Edinburgh to meet her new friends Goonaroo and Yabbra.

Whether or not sweet Koala romance ensued, whether or not she really did #fly2love – we’d prefer to be very discreet about it.

Alinga’s trip to Scotland is part of a European Koala breeding program coordinated by the Duisburg zoo. With natural Koala habitats threatened and disappearing in many regions, breeding programs are an important part of the conservation of this possibly endangered species.

It’s a day for love. It’s a day for lovers and flowers and a day...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:06:00 +0100

It’s a day for love. It’s a day for lovers and flowers and a day for catching even the most cynic know-it-all off-guard with a simple gesture of kindness. We wish you all the best and we hope you get to spend the day with your loved one.

Of course, you don’t get to cloud nine on foot. You don’t take the subway and no boat can take you there. So surprise your loved one with a boarding pass for your flight to ♥. It’s easy – all you need is a Twitter account.

Just tweet this: #fly2love @yourtruelovestwitterhandle

Of course you will use your true love’s actual Twitter handle – which may not be “@yourtruelovestwitterhandle” for everyone.

A sweet little surprise is in for you. Just the right thing for this day.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Lufthansa!

It’s that time of the year again, friends! It’s time to...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:43:00 +0100

Photo: J. Rieger, Cologne / Festkomitee Kölner Karneval

Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / Leandro's World Tour

Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / Leandro's World Tour

Photo: J. Rieger, Cologne / Festkomitee Kölner Karneval

Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / Leandro's World Tour

Photo: J. Rieger, Cologne / Festkomitee Kölner Karneval

Photo: J. Rieger, Cologne / Festkomitee Kölner Karneval

Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / Leandro's World Tour

It’s that time of the year again, friends! It’s time to celebrate! It’s time to ignore the gothic cathedrals and the statues of Cristo Redentor, the beauty of the Rhine and the majesty of Sugarloaf Mountain for a while. It’s Karneval, Carnaval and Carnival all at once.

Carnivals go way back to ancient pagan winter solstice celebrations, later adapted by Christians. Fast forward to 1823, past French and Prussian occupations, and the city of Cologne had established the organized carnival we know today.By then, the characters of the virgin, the prince and the farmer had become a regular fixture.

Of course, Carnival is not unique to Cologne – readers of these pages will remember when we wrote about the world famous Rio Carnival. Coincidentally both Carnivals peak at the same time – last weekend and today! And there are more similarities between the two than you might think…

Temperature in Rio is high at this time of year, so it’s no surprise that costumes in wintry Cologne are not quite as revealing as their Brazilian counterparts. But both have a big fancy dress element that plays a big part in the event. In Rio your costume is a reflection of the themes of the samba school you’re parading with. In Cologne brighter is better. You still see many people dressed in traditional costumes of the town crier or the officer of the guard, but many modern homemade outfits, too.

Where there is a party, there are drinks, and while the Brazilians are sipping on their caipirinhas, our fellow Germans in Cologne also have a specialty. It’s Kölsch, Cologne’s traditional beer specialty. It has its own culture, which fits well with the carnival atmosphere: It’s encouraged to be drunk by groups of men and women with mixed social standing. Exclusiveness is very much frowned upon by Kölsch culture.

You have the audience, you have your drink, now you need music. In this department, though, Cologne and Rio could not be further apart. The hypnotic pulse of the samba rhythm is Rio’s bread and butter, but the people of Cologne have their own folk songs, too. Local bands really know how to get everybody singing together in glorious unison. Expect to hear some favorites such as ‘Viva Colonia’ and ‘Rut und Wiess’ several times a day – plenty of opportunities to fine-tune your dialect!

People on opposite sides of the world love to party, but they do it on similar terms, just with small cultural differences. The underlying themes are universal: a street carnival should be a celebration put together by the people, for the people. So when Rio and Cologne sealed a city partnership in 2011, it was in part to celebrate a universal idea. Let’s join in on the fun!

All Cologne photos: J. Rieger, Cologne / Festkomitee Kölner Karneval
All Rio photos: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / Leandro’s World Tour

This is not an IRREG announcement. Don’t be alarmed. The sound...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0100

This is not an IRREG announcement.

Don’t be alarmed. The sound you are hearing is our sigh of relief. The sun has come to Germany to resolve our most pressing problems. Last week, Germany’s main airports Frankfurt and Munich were in the grips of winter. Due to the unforgiving sleet, more than 600 flights had to be canceled. Train tickets and replacement flights had to be booked, camp beds were set up, sandwiches and water were given out and our social channels became a news outlet for IRREG announcements – postponed flights, cancelled flights, disturbances.

“Wait a minute,” you say. “What’s so IRREG about winter? It does come once a year – that seems rather regular to me.” You’re right. And the airports are well prepared for regular winters – they know their way around snow. But they can’t be prepared for every worst-case scenario. What Frankfurt and Munich would have needed to prepare for a situation like Monday’s: a complete backup airport up their sleeves, complete with favorable weather conditions.

We’re not exaggerating. Monday had no precedent in the age of mass air transit. It took thousands of liters of hot water and deicing solution to prepare planes like the A380 for takeoff – up to six times the usual amount. Still the deicing teams were often forced to abandon their efforts. In addition, many flights got cancelled because the planes supposed to leave Frankfurt had never arrived there in the first place as the airport had to be closed off on Sunday due to the bad weather.

Since we could not avoid cancellations, we worked hard to reduce their impact. We’d like to thank the staff in Frankfurt and Munich for providing service and assistance – and we’d like to say thanks to all our passengers for being patient and understanding.

If the sun alone could not resolve your IRREG problems, contact us and we’ll do our best. Should your baggage not have arrived yet, please check the online tracer or get in touch with us.

All photos: © Fraport AG

Fashion Week Returns to Berlin

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:57:00 +0100

It’s perhaps no surprise that twice a year the great and good of the fashion world choose the city of Berlin to descend upon in order to hold their celebration of chic. Berlin has long been seen as ‘poor but sexy’, undeniably a Mecca for unbridled creativity and adventure, virtues essential to the constant innovation required at the top level of fashion design.

The marriage between Berlin and Fashion Week has actually only existed for 6 years, since 2007, so it’s not as well known or well established as the ‘big four’ (London, Milan, Paris, NYC). Still, Berlin offers a platform to many young and exciting designers flourishing here, and for that reason it stands out and garners a lot of attention. In this spirit, Fashion Week features a young international talent and a ‘Designer for Tomorrow’ award, adjudicated by a jury containing non other than Marc Jacobs, among others.

The main event, so to speak, takes place on the beautifully historic “Straße des 17. Juni”, right in front of the Brandenburg Gate. A packed and exciting schedule is in the offering, and you can find all you need to know about what’s on at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week website.

But there are all kinds of other exciting events taking place, and Lufthansa is very proud to be involved. Bread & Butter is an internationally famous and hugely important trade fair for street and urban wear, which takes place at Tempelhof airport – a location with its own unique history and a breathtaking building in its own right. Bread & Butter has been going since 2001 and has since become one of the main events on the fashion calendar, with world-famous designers and fashion houses singing its praises. It’s a piece of heaven on earth for lovers of style and trends, and if you’re in town, it’s not to be missed!

Take a look at the ‘flights’ section of the Bread & Butter website and you’ll notice that Lufthansa is proud to be the official airline partner of the event! If you’re interested in travelling to Berlin for this fantastic coming together of designers, brands and fans of fashion, Lufthansa is very pleased to be able to offer special flight deals to participants, visitors, invited guests and exhibitors all making their way to the German capital. So be sure to take a look at the website if you’re planning to make the pilgrimage to fashion heaven!

And where there’s fashion, there are, of course, parties! Last night’s Bread & Butter opening party set the bar for the coming nights with performances by punk icon Nina Hagen and techno pioneer Sven Väth. Now the city’s most reputable nightspots are getting in on the party, and you can expect to see some of the world’s greatest DJs and other acts in the world’s greatest clubs. Berghain will be running its Klubnacht on Friday night (18th Jan) with special guest and toast of the electronic music world Joy Orbison, while on Saturday night they welcome DJ royalty Âme and Nick Höppner in the Panorama Bar. Weekend club is holding its own Fashion Week opening party on Wednesday the 16th. The official Bread & Butter party hotspot, however, is another icon of Berlin chic and style: West Berlin’s legendary Big Eden. So bring your dancing shoes and expect a night out like you’ve never experienced before!

Even if you’re just remotely interested in the ever-changing world of fashion, this is most definitely the place to be! So let Lufthansa chauffeur you to Berlin and become a part of the citywide party that’s not to be missed! Let’s go, darling!

Show photo © Mercedes-Benz Fashion
All other photos © breadandbutter.com

2012 - It Was A Very Good Year…!

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:15:36 +0100

As 2012 draws to a close, let’s take a look back over a great year, and pick our favorite travel destinations and tips that we talked about over the last 12 months. What was your favorite trip of the year? Did you discover somewhere new that really changed your life? We certainly hope so, and we hope to keep broadening our horizons for many years to come!Perhaps the biggest event of the year was the London 2012 Olympic games, and what a games it was! We suggested that you enjoy London like a real English gent, and make time between sporting events for a nice and relaxing stroll through one of London’s many beautiful parks. As the coverage of the Games rolled on, you might have noticed that, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t rain in the UK all the time, and taking in a bit of afternoon sunshine while you amble around Hyde Park, for example, is a great way to get a feel for a great city. But London is a fantastic place all year round, there’s so much to see and always so much going on. So if you weren’t lucky enough to get to London this summer, there’s always next year!We also welcomed a little spice of India to our somewhat unreliable Berlin summer, in the shape of the fantastically colorful Holi Festival! It was the first time Berlin had hosted its own festival of colors, and despite the rain here in Berlin, it was still a feast for the eyes. The Holi festival is originally a Hindu festival to welcome in the spring by way of throwing colored powder on each other, and it’s great fun. You can experience the real deal by flying to Delhi around the beginning of spring (the exact date of the festival changes every year). Alternatively, a trip to Berlin in the summer is always a good idea! As many people know, Berlin really comes alive in the summer. The winters are very cold indeed, and when the longer daylight hours and warmer weather finally start to arrive, the change in personality of the city is very noticeable. A similar situation exists in New York, and we also recommended seeing the big apple come alive for the summer months. An amazing and breath-taking city at any time of year, New York has captured the hearts and minds of millions the world over. But during the summer, this city really is like no other. We suggested the fascinating USS Intrepid museum on the Hudson River, the Taco Truck in Brooklyn, a ferry trip to see the iconic Statue of Liberty, and so, so much more! A fantastic place with so much to offer, New York was, and probably always will be, one of our very favorite places to visit. When the summer began to fade away, we started thinking about how we could stretch it out just a little bit more. The solution? Go to the southern Hemisphere! Another favorite of ours, South Africa is a remarkable destination that has something for everyone. Whether you’re on a journey of musical discovery in Johannesburg, or keen to learn the incredible story of South African Apartheid at the Apartheid Museum, or maybe see for yourself the stunning landscape and amazing wildlife of the Kruger National Park, it’s easy to see why South Africa left such a huge impression on us. Good news for football fans: next year the African Cup of Nations will be hosted there! So if you’re suffering from a bit of winter blues, it’s a great time to cheat Mother Nature and get some southern hemisphere sunshine! A little closer to the spiritual home of Lufthansa, we told you about the delights of the Bavarian capital and suggested you meet us in Munich. Yes, everybody knows about the world famous Oktoberfest, but we were keen to show you the other facets of this great city in southern Germany. We love the architecture of Munich, and also its vibrant nightlife scene, but we’re also very fond of its cultural offerings, like the Ingvild Goetz collection and the ‘Kult-Kino’ of the Museum Lichtspiele. And, of course, we couldn’t resist a nod to Germany’s most successful football team, FC Bayern Munich, and their stunning home ground, the Allianz Arena. A city that is as rich in culture as it is in heritage, Munich will always have a place in our hearts, and is always a great place to visit. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we loved telling you all about Rio de Janeiro, and in particular, the carnival! What a spectacle! What unbelievable fun! The parade, the balls, the dancing, the colors, the music… What a fantastic city! But we didn’t just love the carnival; we loved the landscape of the Cidade Maravilhosa, or marvelous city, the breath-taking view from the statue of Christ the Redeemer, and we really loved the beaches! But most of all, the laid back atmosphere of the Rio and its citizens is what we’re most fond of. Rio really is a truly special destination that captivates anybody lucky enough to pay a visit.

What a year it has been! All corners of the globe have something unique and special to offer, and it’s so hard to pick our favorites. We hope we’ve given you that spark of inspiration to embark on a voyage of discovery and experience what this remarkable world has to offer. And wherever you’re planning to go next year let Lufthansa help you along the way. We wish you a 2013 full of inspiration, of magical experiences and incredible journeys.

It’s All About the Spirit!

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:01:58 +0100

During the Olympic games, the message was very much about participation and inclusion, and not so much about winning. As it’s Christmas Time, however, we decided that participating in something is, in fact, even better if you win a prize. So we thought about a competition for the people of Birmingham that was fun and, at the same time, gave people a good chance to win one of many prizes. All they had to do was accurately pronounce a certain German word. To make it at least a bit of a challenge, we decided not to choose the easiest of German words, but instead use some old-fashioned Christmas related ones. And much to our delight, it ended up being as much fun as we’d hoped. But before you click yourself through the German Christmas Language School, Lessons 1-6, make sure you also take part in our Twitter Raffle, because we also have a few goodies to give away for all of those who don’t live in Birmingham. We’ve explained how it works at the end of this article.

Lesson 1: Adventskranzkerzen

Lesson 2: Gewürzspekulatius

Lesson 3: Räuchermännchen

Lesson 4: Rostbratwurst

Lesson 5: Lebkuchenherzl

Lesson 6: Vanillekipferl

Now here’s how you can join in the fun: Tweet us on our International Twitter Lufthansa Channel (@Lufthansa) using the hash tag #lhxmasuk with the best, most interesting and, most importantly, longest German word you know – we’re asking a minimum of 8 letters, so that should get the ball rolling nicely. Each participant will be entered into a prize draw, and you could win round-trip tickets from any UK airport served by Lufthansa to any Lufthansa destination in Europe of your choice. There are snowboards to be won and many other goodies to be given away, too. The Twitter prize draw will take place from 28th November until 20th December.

Terms & Conditions apply

Christmas Time Around the World!

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:58:12 +0100

Christmas really is the most special time of year, and it means many different things to many different people throughout the world. Even though it is an integral part of the Christian calendar, it has become a holiday celebrated by people of different religions, and indeed people of no religion, across the globe. So it’s fair to say that the core values of Christmas can transcend any religious connotations, and allow for many people to concentrate on a spirit of giving, of togetherness, and perhaps most importantly, a focus on being with the ones you love, however far you have to travel to be with them, which is something people from any background or culture can appreciate.

So what do people do in other parts of the world at this special time? Well, even though December 25th isn’t officially recognized as a national holiday in many countries which are not majority Christian, the big day is still observed by billions of people, and some countries seem to have developed some traditions that sound quite strange to us…We all know how Santa Claus came to be dressed in red, right? Well, although it might be true to credit the popular image of Santa dressed in red and white because of Coca Cola’s advertising campaigns of the 1930’s, it’s not entirely true that the soft drinks giant was the first to put jolly old St. Nick in the team colours. Santa had appeared in red and white in many images of Puck magazine decades before Coca Cola used him, and they weren’t even the first soft drinks company to appropriate his image – that honour falls to White Rock Beverages, who used Santa (in red and white) to sell mineral water in 1915.If you think that the Christmas season starts too early, and mid October is not yet time to see seasonal displays and shopping offers, then you should be thankful you don’t live in the Philippines. One of only two predominantly Catholic Asian nations, they boast the longest Christmas season in the world, where you can expect to hear carols sung as early as September 1st!

All this coming together of families can occasionally result in the odd booze-fuelled family argument, but members of the Chumbilbilca community near Cusco in Peru have taken it one step further. On Christmas day they come together for a huge party in which any members of the community who have grievances with one another settle their scores with a bare-knuckle fight! The fights are refereed, and the event is said to strengthen bonds within the community, and is actually a very effective way of settling any divisions within the group. At the end of the day, once the hard feelings have been set aside, the whole event is wrapped up with a big festival and celebratory dance.And if one Santa isn’t enough for you, how about moving to Iceland? They have thirteen! The “Yule Lads” or “Yulemen” were traditionally part of Icelandic folklore, but in modern times have become a kind of modern equivalent of Father Christmas. This merry band of pranksters ranges from pesky door-slammers, to full-on homicidal monsters that eat children. They supposedly come to town for the last 13 nights before Christmas, and they come in their official order, starting with the relatively harmless “Stekkjastaur” who is said to harass sheep, but in a cruel twist of fate, he only has stiff peg-legs that impair his movement.A peculiar tradition for Catalans in Spain is the Tió de Nadal, or the Christmas log. It’s more popularly referred to as the Caga Tió, which, erm, you’ll have to translate yourself, but be warned, it’s not pretty! The idea is that every household has a small, hollowed out log, which is fed a little something to eat every night after 8th December (the feast of the immaculate conception), and it’s covered with a little red blanket, a miniature of the traditional Catalan barretina, to keep it warm at night. Then, on Christmas day, this poor little guy is beaten with sticks and ordered to “Caga!” while songs are sung. And what comes out the other end? Presents, of course!

It’s not surprising, in this case, to learn about another Catalan tradition, a small character found in the Nativity who is called the “Caganer”. He is usually tucked away in the corner, far away from Mary and Joseph, because he needs a bit of privacy. Why? Well, his pants are round his ankles, he’s squatting down… he is, of course, defecating! There are many explanations about the origins of this uninhibited little chap, but the genuine reason is unknown. Nowadays this figure often resembles contemporary celebrities!What about you? Do you or your family have any strange Christmas traditions? What’s the most unusual Christmas you’ve ever had? We’d love you to share your stories with us, just visit the Lufthansa Facebook page and stick them up on our wall. We can’t wait to read about your own way of celebrating, and wherever you are, however you celebrate, we wish all you the very best for this wonderful time of year!

L.A. - The City of Angels

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:46:34 +0100

If you’re going to go to Los Angeles, you might as well travel like a film star – and now, with Lufthansa, you can! Starting on December 10th, you can fly to L.A. on the majestic Boeing 747-8. But if you’re not there to pitch your next screenplay or audition for your next big role, what else has the City of Angels got to offer its visitors?

L.A., California’s most populous city, has graced our screens for so long now, that even if you’ve never been there, you kind of feel like you know it a bit already. It’s forever immortalized in our collective psyche, the make-or-break town that, over the years, has made dreams come true for many an aspiring star. Ok, we all think we know what makes L.A. tick, but in reality there’s so much more to this city than wannabe actors schmoozing around Tinseltown. In fact, the whole of the greater Los Angeles region is so big and so varied that you’ll soon forget about star spotting and Hollywood.First things first, though – as with many other American cities, the public transport system, despite the fact that L.A. has an ever-expanding metro service, leaves much to be desired. The city and sprawling metropolis is so big that it’s practically impossible to find a service that reaches all the nooks and crannies, and if you do, you can bet that it runs too infrequently or stops altogether in the evenings. You can find all the information you need on their website. If possible, you’d be better off renting a car, which would also allow you to explore some of the other highlights outside of the city area (and you could even drive on Route 66!). But if you do choose to journey into the city using the train, try and incorporate Union Station into your journey. A fabulous building that’s referred to as the “Last of the Great Railway Stations”, it’s well worth a visit, even if you’re just passing through.

If you really want to get your fix of Hollywood super-stardom, by far the quickest and easiest way is to get yourself on one of the many tour buses. Most of them, thanks to the all-year warm weather, are open-top buses that allow for great views of the city’s immortal streets, and many tour operators offer a hop-on hop-off service, so you can use the buses whenever and wherever you like. They’ll give you all the juicy gossip and tell you the best stories, and they even guide you through the elite neighborhoods of Beverly Hills and Bel Air, the areas that countless megastars call home. If you happen to have a car, then the best thing to do for movie fans would be to have a cruise down Mulholland Drive. This long road is the setting for so many on screen kisses and cuddles, and offers great views of the city. How romantic!

There are, of course, a multitude of ultra-cool bars and restaurants where you can hope to catch a glimpse of your screen idols, but one of your best bets would be lunch at the Ivy, located at 118 North Robertson Boulevard. Aside from the fact that it’s a beautiful restaurant with a great reputation and a homely cottage feeling to it, it’s simply the place for celeb spotting. A-list guests in the past have included Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, John Travolta… the list goes on and on. No surprise, in that case, to see the semi-permanent camp of paparazzi stationed across the street, lying in wait for a famous face. However, a reservation is a must, and don’t expect it to be the cheapest restaurant around town.Aside from the silver screen legacy, perhaps the best thing L.A. has going for it is it’s dramatic landscape. There are so many excellent ways to enjoy the panoramas over the city, but in the interests of killing two birds with one stone, why not pay a visit to the Getty Centre, located atop the Santa Monica mountains. On the one hand you’ve got what is regarded as the USA’s finest art museum, home to some of the world’s best works (the pick of which would have to be Vincent van Gogh’s Irises), and on the other hand you have a spectacular view over the L.A. Basin and the Pacific ocean, while you amble in the sunshine through the center’s beautifully designed and well kept gardens and unique architecture.

If you’re still thirsty for panoramic views, Griffith Park offers a similarly breath-taking lookout, but from the other side of Beverly Hills. Located in the Loz Feliz neighborhood, it’s one of the biggest urban parks in North America, and is sometimes referred to as the Central Park of L.A., although it is actually much larger and far less maintained and more left to nature than its east-coast cousin. A great place to have a stroll in the sunshine, this former ostrich farm is also home to a Greek-style amphitheater where you should definitely try and catch a show under the stars, if there’s something on you’re interested in. Have a look at their website to see the upcoming events. While you’re there, the Griffith Observatory is definitely worth a visit. Aside from the excellent scientific exhibits, it provides the visitor with a view that is simply fantastic.Another great thing about L.A. is its location in relation to surrounding towns and cities. You can very easily get down to San Diego, only about two hours away by car. Even warmer than L.A., San Diego is also on the coast and has much to offer its visitors, particularly if you like surfing or even just lounging in the sun, the beaches of San Diego’s coastline and surrounding towns are great. And no matter what time of year, you can expect temperatures more than warm enough to merit a bit of sunbathing.If you feel like a trip that will take a little longer, about 4 ½ hours away, across the Mojave Desert, lies the ultimate sin city, the entertainment capital of the world – it’s Las Vegas, of course. You can also get there using the train, in which case you should take the Amtrak Southwest Chief from Los Angeles. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, a popular saying which demands a high level of fun from its visitors. Shows, great restaurants, amazing shopping and, of course, the casinos all make Las Vegas a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone. If you’re already in L.A., it would be a shame not make the short journey into Nevada and have some fun!

The Christmas season has begun.

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:42:00 +0100

Birmingham Christmas Market - Photo: © John James

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And it wouldn’t be Christmas without a heart-warming Christmas market! Just think of all those cosy things to get you in the Christmas spirit – a tasty snack of gingerbread or a freshly baked Stollen, a Glühwein to keep you warm, the sound of Christmas carols floating through the cold wintry air, and not forgetting all the wonderful handmade crafts, decorations, toys and games, all on offer in the terraces of the quaint wooden huts, their twinkling lights piercing through the nippy night-time dark.

Even if you’re not from Germany, the chances are you know what we’re talking about. Christmas markets have become one of Germany’s finest exports, and nowadays are synonymous with the Christmas season in many cities throughout Europe and even further afield. Of course, they’ve been a stable part of the German tradition for many hundreds of years now. People tend to associate them with southern Germany, Bavaria in particular and also Austria, but one of the oldest markets has taken place in Dresden ever since 1434, and these days attracts well over 3 million visitors a year! In the Austrian capital, the Vienna December market, a kind of pre-cursor to the Christmas market as we know it now, dates all the way back to the 1200s!Birmingham Christmas Market - Photo: © Edward Moss Photography

Those of you that are either already well and truly in the Christmas spirit or would like to be, will be pleased to hear that there is, in fact, a fantastic and very authentic German Christmas market in Birmingham! The second city of England has welcomed the Frankfurt Christmas Market to its central Victoria Square for eleven years in a row, and it has easily become a firm favourite, not just with the locals, but also with visitors to the city, from the UK and wider Europe, who flock to the city in the Midlands to see the beautiful picture-postcard twinkling lights on the wooden stalls right in its center. Birmingham has been the twin city of Frankfurt for more than 40 years now, and the traders are a mixture of both local craftsmen from the surrounding areas, and the traditional German stall-holders, selling fine hand-crafted goods alongside some of the great German traditional food and drink you would expect to see at a traditional Christmas market. It takes place every day from 15 November until 22 December, starting from 10 in the morning until 9 at night. As well as great food, drink and crafts on offer, you can expect to see live music every day on the bandstand, a Christmas tree bigger than you can imagine, and, of course, kids can even pay a visit to Santa Claus to make sure that they’ve been ‘good’ throughout the course of the year. The atmosphere is fantastic and you can easily spend an entire afternoon or more strolling through this festive German-Anglo market.Birmingham Christmas Market - Photo: © Edward Moss Photography

And here’s something you may not expect at the Birmingham Christmas market - Lufthansa will be there, too! You’ll even have a chance to win tickets with Lufthansa throughout the time of the Christmas market until 22 December. You will find details of the competition at two stalls, the Almhuette and the Advent Calendar stall. And in addition a Lufthansa team will be located on New Street/High Street in Birmingham on Saturday 1 December and Sunday 2 December. They’ll be offering even more prizes! Think of them as Santa Claus’s little helpers, dressed in blue instead of red! They’re not just giving goodies away, and all you need to do is complete a little fun challenge and get involved with the special Lufthansa Christmas language school, the “Weihnachts-Sprachschule”! Great if you can attempt to pronounce dazzlingly long word, because you’ll be tested by the Lufthansa team. Strictly for fun, of course!

Yes, one of the curiosities of the often-bewildering German language is the size of some of the words. “Weihnachts-Sprachschule”, when broken down, simply means Christmas language school, and that’s exactly what’s going to be happening on New Street/High Street right by the Birmingham Christmas market. You can have a go at pronouncing some other pretty tricky German words too, and to make it even more interesting, you’re going to be saying it with a Bavarian accent! All the words will be based around the things you can expect to see at a traditional German Christmas market. The bilingual team of Lufthansa “teachers” will be on hand to explain the definitions and, crucially, award points and prizes for your excellent pronunciation! You could win round-trip tickets from Birmingham Airport to any city in Europe with Lufthansa! You can also win snowboards, an iPad as well as goodies for all the participants who will give the team a taste of their linguistic skills.Birmingham Christmas Market - Photo: © Edward Moss Photography

And if you can’t get to Birmingham any time soon, don’t worry! There’s also a Twitter prize draw to take part in, and it’s easy to get involved. All you have to do is tweet us on our International Twitter Lufthansa Channel (@Lufthansa) using the hash tag #lhxmasuk with the best, most interesting and most importantly, longest German word you know – we’re asking a minimum of 8 letters, so that should get the ball rolling nicely. Each participant will be entered into the prize draw, and you could win round-trip tickets from any UK airport served by Lufthansa to any Lufthansa destination in Europe of your choice. There are snowboards to be won and many other goodies to be given away, too. The Twitter prize draw will take place from 28 November until 20 December. It’s a lot of fun, so be sure to take part!

So, if you’re going to visit the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham just look out for Santa’s little helpers - the Lufthansa team on Birmingham’s New Street/High Street - and take part! And if you can’t make it to Birmingham, don’t forget to send us your tweets using the hash tag #lhxmasuk and impress us with your ridiculously long German words! We can’t wait to hear your pronunciations and read your tweets! And all that remains to be said is “Frohe Weihnachten” and a Merry Christmas to you!

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Getting Ready for Next Summer

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:14:58 +0100

It’s beginning to get colder, the nights are drawing in, the days are getting shorter… yes, the shadow of winter is looming over us, as the memory of summer seems to slip further and further away. But don’t let it get you down! Now is a great time to start planning your adventures for next summer. It’s never too early to start thinking about your travels next year, so banish those winter blues and let your dreams of a fantastic summer trip take a step closer to becoming a reality!

To help you out, Lufthansa has already opened its bookings for next summer’s tourist flights. Furthermore, there are new destinations to choose from, too - not forgetting the already-serviced popular holiday destinations that are already on offer, of course. And, as you would expect, passengers will benefit from the full service of a scheduled airline when they fly with Lufthansa. You can choose to fly business class on all European flights, and leisure passengers can therefore enjoy selected meals, more free baggage allowance, and also board the plane before their fellow travellers, thanks to priority boarding.

All that’s left now is to decide where it is you’d like to go! To help you make up your mind, why not have a little look at some of the new destinations on offer in Lufthansa’s summer 2013 flights?

The Welsh capital, Cardiff, is a modern, lively and dynamic city. Its industrial history has, over the course of the last few decades, been left firmly in the past to make room for a city that boasts a much more cosmopolitan attitude to city living. With large areas given over to pedestrians, summer festivals, al fresco dining and shopping are very much the orders of the day. Its ever-growing reputation as a tourism hotspot is also largely due to its rich sense of history – often referred to as a city of castles, Cardiff has no less than five within its surroundings, the largest and most prominent of which is, of course, Cardiff Castle. It started life as a Roman fort, and it’s open to visitors who might be interested in looking around the central fort, as well as the Welsh regimental museum. But the real drawing point of this castle, however, is that was once the residence of the Marquis of Bute. The décor, dating from the early 1900s, is pretty unique to say the least. Filled bottom to top with artistic works, it really is a must see.

Photo: © Robert Rivett

What Wales is really famed for, however, is the breath-taking scenery. Even though you may be in the city, it’s not at all difficult to find yourself about 40 minutes away, whether by car or by train, in the stunning Brecon Beacons national park. This is the epitome of dramatic, sweeping Welsh mountain countryside, great for hiking or simply to drive through and take it all in. You can fly with Lufthansa direct from Düsseldorf to this gem of the south Wales coast.

If you’re maybe looking for something a little more meteorologically reliable than the famously changeable British weather, then perhaps the Balearic Island of Minorca is more your cup of tea. Unlike some of the other islands in this group, Minorca is not such a well-known tourist hot spot, and is consequently nowhere near as overrun, and still has a tranquil and unspoilt feel. Yet it is just as beautiful as its more famous neighbors. The capital city, Mahón, is built atop the cliffs that look down to its most beautiful feature, the harbor. You can expect to find top-notch restaurants and bars, and a quaint old city consisting of mostly 18th century Georgian architecture.

As with Cardiff and Wales, the magic of Minorca by no means starts and ends with the city, though. The entire Island is a European and UNESCO Biological Reserve, and is a great place for observing, amongst other rare wildlife, the last turtles of the Mediterranean. Taking a trip to Monte Toro is well worth you time, as it is the island’s highest point and offers a spectacular view over the whole of Minorca. Also highly recommended is a walk around La Mola Fortess, a magnificent example of a 19th century fortress set overlooking the harbor of Mahon. Lufthansa is offering direct flights from Munich, Berlin, Hamburg and Dusseldorf to this beautiful and relaxed Island.Photo: © Silvestre Vivo

There are lots, lots more travel options for you to peruse while thinking about your summer holidays, and many more new destinations on offer, too, from the beautiful resort of Varna on the Black Sea, to the historic Andalucian city (and birthplace of Sherry, we should add!) of Jerez de la Frontera, located in the Spanish holiday region of the Costa de la Luz, and pretty much anywhere in between or even further afield! So wherever you decide to broaden your horizons next summer, for as little as 99euros you can fly there in comfort and style with Lufthansa. Click here for more details.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder.

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:36:21 +0100

The nature of the modern working world means that a long-distance relationship isn’t particularly uncommon. Logistically, at least, it’s something that can be managed a lot easier than perhaps a few decades ago. Coping with it emotionally, however, is a different matter. It can be extremely difficult for couples to maintain a certain degree of closeness when you have so many miles between you. So how do people do it?Ray and Anja are a couple from Germany who were both offered job opportunities that they couldn’t refuse, despite the fact that it means one of them lives in Hamburg and one in Boston. That’s quite a distance – nearly 6000km separate them, but they hung in there and, using a variety of different tricks, tips and regular trips, they manage to maintain a healthy relationship.

Primarily, it’s very important to make the effort to actually see each other! “We try to manage every six to eight weeks for at least a week” Ray and Anja tell us. No fleeting weekend trips where you barely spend any time together, then. Eight weeks does seem like a long time to go without seeing your loved one, but if you know you’re always planning the next visit, it can make the wait pass by a little easier. Ray and Anja also don’t plan to keep it up forever – a long distance relationship can work well for a certain period of time, but it’s by no means a long-term solution. “We have a pre-set maximum period of time, after which we will definitely move back together”. So it’s also important to recognize that it’s not something you can do forever if you want to share your lives with each other.One thing that has made life easier for Ray and Anja is the ease of which you can communicate using modern technology. Gone are the days of waiting for letters to arrive and expensive long-distance phone calls. “Phone, Skype and various smartphone applications such as Whatsapp and Voxer are indispensable to us. We leave text and voice messages for each other about what is going on in our day while the other is asleep in their time zone”.

If you do find yourself in a long-distance relationship, you better get used to a lot of travelling! And, as it is with Ray and Anja, if it happens to be a very long distance, you better get used to flying pretty frequently! But never fear - our lovely couple has some words of advice in this department too. “We try to schedule flights with short layovers and arrival times that provide an easy transition into local time. A long flight is always strenuous, so it’s helpful if one arrives in the late afternoon or evening and can get rest soon”. There’s no point arriving in a different time zone at 4 a.m. when you only have a few days together, otherwise one of you will be sleeping while the other is going about their day, and vice-versa. “On long flights, we wear comfortable clothes, and I always bring earplugs and an extra pair of very warm socks. I like to take off my shoes on long flights and still have warm feet”. When you do finally arrive in the arms of your darling, it’s no fun if you’re irritable and tetchy from a long flight, so take a tip from a seasoned traveller and make yourself as comfortable as possible for the duration of your journey! And if you are booking a lot of flights to see your partner, look on the bright side: at least you might fly enough to enjoy frequent flyer status!

Lastly, when you are finally together, it’s important not to place too much emphasis on your visit. “…Spend the time you have as normal as possible with little highlights included. There is some risk of over-engineering the time you have together, which builds up a lot of expectations and even some sort of pressure for everything to be perfect. If then something turns out different, the disappointment will probably spoil the joy of being together after such a long period of time.” Part of the beauty of being in a relationship with somebody is sharing your life with them – and that means sharing you everyday, normal life. Just relax in each other’s company and don’t try to make a kind of song and dance about it, and you’ll soon settle into the rhythm of your relationship.Thanks to Ray and Anja for their words of advice, and if you find yourself in a similar situation, of course it can be tough, but if you make the effort with each other, it’s really not so difficult to manage a long distance relationship and make it work. And for a pleasant and stress-free journey, let Lufthansa help you to spend some quality time with your loved one, wherever that may be.

Do you want to read more stories about couples living in a long-distance relationship? Or do you want to tell us your own story? Check out our all-new Love & Care App on Facebook. It is worth it – because Lufthansa and NIVEA will re-unite you. Share your relationship story - no matter if you are in love, engaged, married, good friends or relatives. With a little luck you can win a flight to the person you miss!

Some Great News From Lufthansa!

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:33:16 +0100

To keep up with ever-increasing demand, we’re extremely pleased to announce several expansions to our services, not only to our flights within Germany, but also to international destinations!

Starting this winter, we’ll be offering hourly flights from Frankfurt to Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. And vice versa of course. But that’s not all: At peak times in the mornings and evenings, we’re even offering twice-hourly services on some routes to make sure you can be where you need to be on time, with a minimum of waiting around for a later flight.Furthermore, the response to new flight destinations from Berlin has been so great that we’re planning to add three more destinations this winter. Since September this year, passengers have been able to fly non-stop to the wonderful Moroccan capital Marrakech, as well as Funchal, the capital of Madeira, a beautiful Portuguese island and popular holiday destination (both destinations are also served by Düsseldorf, by the way).For the enthusiastic skiers among you, you’ll be pleased to hear that from mid-December, we’re going to be flying three times a week to Innsbruck, the Tyrolean capital in the Alps. What’s more, Lufthansa will now transport your equipment for free! All passengers (except those travelling to the US or Canada) with a ticket issued on or after 1st June this year are allowed to take a pair of skis or a snowboard with them, free of charge (as well as their free luggage allowance). Lufthansa already flies to a multitude of alpine ski destinations, including Nice, Turin, Geneva, Zurich, Milan, Verona and Salzburg – and, of course, Innsbruck.We’re also introducing an extra connection to Tel Aviv! You can already fly there from Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin, but from 1st November, passengers can also fly direct to this second most populous Israeli city from Düsseldorf, too. That means we now offer a total of twenty-three connections from Germany to Israel and back.

Passengers wishing to travel to Holland are no longer restricted to only Amsterdam – they can now fly to Rotterdam from Munich. This is another new route for Lufthansa, offering customers a quick and convenient service to the Dutch port city and the important surrounding economic area of The Hague.

Our other big new route that we’re so happy to announce is our service from Munich to Vancouver. Another first for Lufthansa, from next year we will offer a non-stop flight from Munich to the western Canadian city of 2.3 million people, a fantastic city popular not only with business travellers but also tourists and holidaymakers. From 16th May next year, this new route to British Columbia’s largest city will be served daily by an Airbus A330. This means that by next summer Lufthansa will now be able to offer direct flights to ten major cities in North America from our Munich base.Lastly, we’re always pleased to be able to see more of the “Queen of the Air”, the Boeing 747-8. And that’s exactly what we’re doing – alongside the three aircraft of this kind already in service on routes from Frankfurt to Washington, Bangalore and Dehli, we’re also going to offer the 747-8 on flights to Los Angeles. Additionally, Business Class on this young member of the Lufthansa long-haul fleet is equipped with convertible lie-flat beds. There are already six aircraft from our long-haul fleet fitted with these great seats, and we plan to have the entire fleet kitted out with them by 2015.So there you have it – a whole host of improvements and extensions to the Lufthansa flight plan, so whether your trip is for business or you’re off for some alpine adventures, or you need some relief from the cold in a warmer climate, there’s now even more flight possibilities to choose from in order to make your journey as easy and convenient as possible.

Morgens im Bett in Berlin, abends im Stadion in München

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:48:00 +0100

Markus Herrmann beim Spiel des FC Bayern München gegen den FC Kaiserslautern

Markus Herrmann aka Herm bloggt auf www.hermsfarm.de normalerweise über Musik, Comics, Reisen in alle Herren Länder und eben auch über Fußball. Wir haben Markus zum DFB-Pokalspiel FC Bayern gegen den FC Kaiserlautern nach München geschickt.

Das Cover der aktuellen „11Freunde“ Ausgabe ziert ein junger Reinhold Beckmann im besten 90er Dress. Titel: „20 Jahre Moderner Fussball“. Lustigerweise ist genau dieser Reinhold Beckmann mit aufgeplustertem Pullover, Föhnfrisur und markant runder Brille eines der bleibenden Bilder meiner fußballverrückten Kindheit in den 90ern. Das Dasein als Anhänger des FC Bayern München wurde mir von meinem Vater quasi in die Wiege gelegt. Wie sagte Nick Hornby so schön wie passend? „Den Verein sucht man sich nicht aus, der Verein sucht einen aus“. In meiner Thüringer Heimat gehört es irgendwie zu den normalsten Dingen der Welt, Fan des FC Bayern zu sein. Keine Ahnung, woher das kommt. Erst als ich später andere Ecken Deutschlands erkundete, wurde mir bewusst, wie viele Menschen den Verein meines Herzens nun so gar nicht leiden können. Und das ist noch nett ausgedrückt. Trotzdem änderte das natürlich nichts an meinem Dasein als Fan.

Zwischenzeitlich war meine Fußballbegeisterung für ein paar Jahre etwas eingeschlafen. (Heute unvorstellbar!) Zwei Fußballverrückte Freunde brachten mich in meiner Studienzeit wieder auf den rechten Weg. Was mir damals aber auffiel: Wir hatten eine vollkommen andere Fußballvergangenheit. Während die beiden in NRW in jeweiliger Stadionnähe wohnten und Live-Bundesligafußball zum Normalsten überhaupt gehörte, wurde mir mein Lieblingsverein von Reinhold Beckmann in aufgeplusterten, grell farbigen Pullovern näher gebracht. Natürlich nicht im Stadion, sondern im Fernseher. Zwischen Thüringen und meinem Lieblingsverein lagen also immer etliche Kilometer, heute, wo ich in Berlin wohne, sogar noch mehr: Man stelle sich knapp 600 Kilometer vor! Viel zu weit für meinen Geschmack. Eine Lösung für dieses Distanzproblem musste her!

Oh guck mal, ein Flugzeug! Ha! Ein Flug von Berlin nach München dauert nur ein klein wenig länger als eine U-Bahn Fahrt von meiner Haustür zum Berliner Olympiastadion. Wenn man dann also in München ist und es noch richtig praktisch haben will, kann man auch den Lufthansa Shuttle Bus benutzen, der direkt vom Münchner Flughafen in Richtung Stadion fährt. In nur 25 Minuten. Und was dabei noch viel toller ist: Man fährt auf der Autobahn an der Allianz Arena vorbei. Wie schön sie doch dort steht. Erst recht, wenn sie im Dunkeln rot erleuchtet ist. Eigentlich ja eine komische Idee, so ein Schlauchboot-Raumschiff-Entwurf für ein Fußballstadion. Dafür aber umso einzigartiger. Für mich gehört es ja zu den wichtigsten Momenten beim Stadionbesuch überhaupt, das Stadion vor dem Spiel in der Ferne zu erkennen und dann gemeinsam dorthin zu pilgern. Hach!

Jetzt aber: Der FC Bayern München gegen FC Kaiserslautern! Da war natürlich schon ein wenig vorprogrammiert, dass es nicht die größte Pokalschlacht des Jahrhunderts werden würde. Der FC Bayern ließ fleißig rotieren und trat gegen den FC Kaiserslautern nur in der B-Elf an. Was im ersten Moment vielleicht nicht sonderlich toll klingt, aber immer noch heißt, dass dort neun Nationalspieler auf dem Platz standen. Die dann auch vier Tore geschossen haben! Ein Fußballabend erster Klasse also, erst recht wenn man extra dafür eingeflogen ist. Das schöne an der derzeitigen Form des FC Bayern ist ja, dass sich ein Besuch fast immer lohnt.

Zwar war der FC Kaiserslautern zu Gast, konnte aber nicht so richtig viel zum Spiel in der kalten, wie auch schönen Allianz Arena beitragen. Mich begeistert neuerdings übrigens am meisten, dass es dort elektrische Ketchup- und Mayonnaise-Spender gibt. Srrrrrt! Srrrrrrt! In den Momenten der Halbzeitpommes kann man dann auch einmal kurz innehalten und darüber nachdenken, was für eine tolle moderne Welt es doch ist, in der man morgens in Berlin aufwacht und am Abend am Spielfeldrand des deutschen Rekordmeisters steht. Sehr zu empfehlen. Erst recht, wenn man ein wenig Glück hat und bei der Anreise vom Flugzeug aus die Alpen sehen kann.

Wir sind „Official Carrier“ des deutschen Rekordmeisters FC Bayern München und fliegen das Team zu allen Bundesliga- und Pokalspielen und zu den Partien der UEFA Champions League in ganz Europa. Und wenn Sie auch einmal wie Herm zu einem Spiel fliegen möchten, gibt es bei uns spezielle Konditionen für Fans auf www.lufthansa-fanflug.de.

Kein Grund für Trübsal: Ein regnerisches Wochenende in Stockholm

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:02:00 +0100

Stockholm, 8°C, Dauerregen! Bloggerin Elisabeth Rank hat sich davon nicht abschrecken lassen und ging für ein Wochenende auf Entdeckungsreise:

In der kurzen Nacht vor dem Abflug träumte ich von tanzenden Zimtschnecken, sommerlichen Temperaturen sowie handzahmen Elchen. Die Realität sah beim Weckerklingeln um 5 Uhr morgens dann jedoch etwas anders aus, stockfinster und kalt schnupfte Berlin herum, während wir uns von einem Taxi nach Tegel bringen ließen. Nach drei Kaffee schaffte ich es sogar, mir eine Zeitung für den Flieger auszusuchen. Woher dieser Optimismus kam, ich würde im Flugzeug wach bleiben und dann auch noch lesen können, weiß ich aber selber nicht mehr so genau. Mit einer Süddeutschen Zeitung und meinem im Halbschlaf murmelnden Freund bepackt bestieg ich dann die Lufthansa Maschine.
Das Schöne an Flügen am frühen Morgen ist ja, dass alle leiser zu sein scheinen als sonst, auch bewegen sich Menschen langsamer, sie drängeln nicht und sind seltsamerweise sehr nett und höflich zu einander. Noch schöner als die allgemeine Puscheligkeit ist aber einerseits der kleine Schokoladenbär aus der Lufthansa-Frühstückstüte und der unvergleich großartige Blick, den man auf den Sonnenaufgang hat, wenn man nicht wie ca. 80% der Passagiere einfach schläft. Morgens halb neun begrüßte uns Stockholm dann nach einer guten Stunde Flug mit Nieselregen, Temperaturen um die 8° und WLAN im Airport Express.

Die nächsten 40 Stunden hörte es nicht auf zu regnen, dies tat der Zauberhaftigkeit von Stockholm jedoch nur bedingt Abbruch, meine Strichliste für konsumierte heiße Schokoladen füllt nun beinahe ein ganzes Notizbuch und wirklich, man sollte seinen Stockholm-Besuch nicht vom Wetter abhängig machen. Die Highlights unserer 40 Stunden in der schwedischen Hauptstadt habe ich hier für euch nun zusammengefasst:

Top 3 - Essen & Trinken

Hermans: In einem kleinen Wintergarten auf Södermalm kann man sich ganz wunderbar den kalten Bauch mit warmen Köstlichkeiten vollschlagen. Einmal fürs Buffet bezahlt, sind dem vegetarisch und veganen Appetit keine Grenzen mehr gesetzt. Und obwohl man schon einen ganz wundervollen Blick auf den Hafen von Stockholm sowie den Vergnügungspark Gröna Lund hat, schieben einen die liebevoll verzierten Kuchen und Törtchen noch ein Stück näher an den Himmel heran.

Chokladkoppen: Und wenn man dann schon einmal auf Södermalm ist, kann man sich die Füße in Richtung Altstadt auf der kleinen Insel Gamla Stan vertreten. Direkt um die Ecke von Nobel Museum und Königspalast findet man das winzige Café Chokladkoppen, dessen weiße, heiße Schokolade nicht umsonst berühmt berüchtigt ist. Vorsicht, Suchtgefahr!

Pärlans: Man kann ja auch nicht alles selber essen, denn dann könnte man sich sehr bald nicht mehr bewegen und das wäre bei einem Kurztrip nach Stockholm wirklich sehr unpraktisch. Deswegen schlage ich vor, sich das gute Essen alternativ einfach nur anzuschauen bzw. den Liebsten zuhause mitzubringen. Das geht besonders gut nach einem Besuch von Pärlans, einer Süßigkeitenmanufaktur im Herzen von Stockholm, die ganz im Stil der 30er und 40er Jahre gehalten ist und wo man live zugucken kann, wie Bonbons gemacht werden.

Top 3 - Kulturelles

Fotografiska: Natürlich kann man auch bei Regen und Wind durch die Stadt wandeln und sich von den tollen Fassaden und kleinen Gassen verzaubern lassen, macht dabei aber eben manchmal auch nur halb soviel Spaß. Deswegen empfehle ich einen Besuch der Fotografiska, einem wundervollen Ort für Fotografie-Ausstellungen direkt am Wasser (und nahe am Hermans). Die aktuellen Ausstellungen findet man auf ihrer Website. Wichtig: Bringt Zeit mit.

Spritmuseum: Die Anzeigen zum Spritmuseum werben mit dem Spruch „Museums or drinks? Why choose?“ und bringen damit auf den Punkt, was das neu eröffnete „Schnapsmuseum“ zeigt. Auf der kleinen Insel Djurgården beheimatet, informiert das Spritmuseum in interaktiven Installationen und einer ausführlichen Ausstellung über Wein, Schnaps, die Beziehung von Schweden zum Alkohol sowie die Historie der Getränke.

Vasa Museum: Ebenfalls auf Djurgården befindet sich das Vasa Museum, das vor allem Fans von Schiffen und maritimer Geschichte begeistern dürfte. Sein Hauptbestandteil ist nämlich das auf seiner Jungfernfahrt leider untergegangene Kriegsschiff Vasa, in das man hineingehen und allerhand erfahren kann.

Top 3 – Shopping

Dass die meisten Schweden sehr gut angezogen sind, weiß man ja. Und warum? Weil es an allen Ecken und Enden tolle Klamotten und Dingelchen zu kaufen gibt. Zum Beispiel bei:

Grandpa: Bei Grandpa kann man Stunden verbringen. Und bei Regen auch ganz ohne schlechtes Gewissen. Von Klimbim über Kleidung bis hin zu Möbelstücken gibt es alles, was Auge und Herz begehren. Schwedisches Design und guter Geschmack kommen hier in einer Kombination zusammen, die einen den Laden mit 98%iger Sicherheit mit mindestens einem Teil verlassen lässt.

Sneakersnstuff: Ein Muss für alle, die ein Herz für Turnschuhe haben. Bei Sneakersnstuff findet man Sondereditionen und die Standardsammlung von sportlichem Schuhwerk sowie Streetwear und Accessoires für den Herren und die Dame von heute.

Whyred Outlet: Stockholms Hausmarke in Sachen Fashion, obwohl der Chefdesigner ja aus Göteborg kommt. Da sehen wir aber mal brav drüber hinweg und shoppen uns im Outlet um Kopf und neue Kragen.

Solltet ihr vorhaben, aus eurem Stockholmbesuch einen Kulturtrip zu machen, besorgt euch unbedingt die Stockholm Card. Damit kommt ihr in sehr viele Museen umsonst und könnt auch kostenlos die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel benutzen. Und wenn ihr euch vor eurem Trip schon einmal musikalisch auf die Stadt einstellen wollt, hört ein bisschen Those Dancing Days, Eskobar, Friska Viljor, Hello Saferide oder Robyn. Denn die kommen alle aus Schwedens Hauptstadt. Und: Mit Musik auf den Ohren eine der vielen Dampferfahrten mitmachen, lohnt sich, denn man muss die touristischen Guide-Ansagen nicht mehr hören und hat gleichzeitig einen viel besseren Soundtrack für die Stadt. Pro-Tipp für Paare: Es gibt auch Kopfhörerdoppelstecker zu kaufen, damit beide zur gleichen Zeit dasselbe Lied hören.

Und jetzt: Viel Spaß in Stockholm!

No Need to be Glum: A Rainy Weekend in Stockholm

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:19:00 +0100

Sweden can be rainy sometimes, but that doesn’t effect us. We’ve sent blogger Elisatbeth Rank to Sweden to spend a weekend there and to explore Stockholm’s charming autumn.
During the all-too-short night before my flight, I dreamed of dancing cinnamon pastries, summer temperatures and tame Elks. The reality, as I woke to the sound of the alarm clock at five in the morning, looked pretty different. The darkness and cold sniffed around the streets of Berlin as we got into a taxi to Tegel airport. It took three coffees until I could just about manage to choose a newspaper to read on the plane. With an unexplained bout of optimism, I decided to stay awake during the flight so that I could read. With my “Süddeutsche Zeitung” newspaper and my half-asleep, mumbling friend, we boarded the Lufthansa plane.
The great thing about flying early in the morning is that everybody seems to be much quieter than usual; the people move slowly and don’t push and shove. Considering we’re at an airport, they’re uncharacteristically nice and polite to one another. Even better than the general mood of sleepiness is the chocolate bear from the Lufthansa breakfast pack and the incomparably amazing view you get of the sunrise, if you can stay awake, unlike around 80% of the other passengers on the flight. At half-past eight, after an hour-long flight, Stockholm greeted us with drizzling rain, temperatures of 8°C and WLAN in the Airport Express.It didn’t stop raining for the next 40 hours, and so the magic of Stockholm was somewhat limited. My tally of hot chocolates drunk was a page long, and I guess you could say that you really shouldn’t make a trip to Stockholm and depend on the weather. The highlights of our 40 hours in the Swedish capital have been complied for you here:

Top 3 – Food & Drink

Hermans: In a small conservatory in the Södermalm district, you can remedy that cold tummy with some excellent warm delicacies. Once you’ve paid for the buffet, the vegetarian and vegan appetite knows no boundaries. Even though you already have a beautiful view over the Stockholm harbour and the “Gröna Lund” theme park, the lovingly decorated cakes and cupcakes are step even closer to heaven.

Chokladkoppen: If you’re already in the Södermalm area, you can stretch your legs in the direction of the old town on the small island “Gamla Stan”. Just around the corner from the Nobel museum and the royal palace is the tiny café “Chokladkoppen”. They have a white hot chocolate that’s very famous, not for no reason. Warning: very addictive!
Pärlans: If you were to eat all the great looking food you saw in Stockholm, then before long you wouldn’t be able to move, and if you’re on a short trip to Stockholm, that would be very impractical indeed. Therefore I suggest you exercise a little restraint when looking at all the wonderful food on offer, or perhaps you could take some of the very best back home with you. This applies especially well if you visit Pärlans, a sweets manufacturer in the heart of Stockholm that still looks like it did in the ‘30s and ‘40s. You can also watch the candies being made.

Top 3 – Culture

Fotografiska: Of course, even if the weather is bad, you can still wander around the town and enjoy the great building façades and winding streets, but in the rain it’s only half as much fun as it could be. Therefore I suggest you pay a visit tot he “Fotografiska”, a wonderful place for photography exhibitions, situated on the waterside, and close to “Hermans”. You can find information about the current exhibitions on their website. It’s important to allow yourself enough time to have a good look around, though.

Spritmuseum: The advertisements for the Spritmuseum ask the questions “Museums or drinks? Why choose?” and with that, they hit the nail on the head as to what exactly the newly opened museum of schnapps has to offer. Situated on the small island of Djurgården, the Spritmuseum informs its visitors by way of a wide range of interactive installations and extensive exhibitions about wine, schnapps, the relationship Sweden has with alcohol as well as its history of drinks.

Vasa Museum: Also on the island of Djurgården is the Vasa Museum, something that will excite any fans of ships and maritime history. It focuses on the doomed maiden voyage of the warship Vasa, something you can learn everything about with a trip here.

Top 3 – Shopping

Everybody knows that most Swedes are very well dressed people indeed. Why is that? It’s because you can find great clothes and accessories for sale on pretty much every street. For example, try these out:

Grandpa: You could spend hours at Grandpa, and if it’s raining, you can wile away the time here without feeling guilty. From odds and ends to clothes, even furniture, here you can find everything your heart desires. Here, Swedish design and good taste come together in such a potent combination that 98% of its visitors leave the shop with at least one purchase.

Sneakersnstuff: A must for anyone who has a passion for trainers. At Sneakersnstuff you can find special editions and collections of sport shoes, as well as fashionable accessories for the modern man or woman about town.

Whyred Outlet: Stockholm’s house brand for fashion, even though the head designer actually comes from Gothenburg. But we get over that fact fairly easily as we shop ‘til we drop at this outlet.

If you’re planning to make a cultural trip to Stockholm, make sure you investigate the Stockholm Card, with which you can get free admission to a lot of the museums, and it also serves as your travel pass fort the public transport, too. Perhaps if you want to acquaint yourself musically with the city, try checking out a bit of Those Dancing Days, Eskobar, Friska Viljor, Hello Saferide or Robyn – all of these great acts come from the Swedish capital. Keeping your earphones on, it’s worth taking one of the many boat trips on offer. Why sit through the voice of the dreary tourist guide when you can have your own, much more fitting soundtrack of the city? Pro-tip for couples: you can buy headphone plug-splitters, so that you can both listen to the same song at the same time.

And now: Have fun in Stockholm!