#munster

#munster

The aim of this anthology is to give the non-specialist or general reader a taste of this range of shorter narrative literature in the German tradition, including but by no means restricted to fabliaux-like tales.

The financial accounts kept by the fabrique for Girona Cathedral provide exceptionally detailed records, allowing historians to calculate the total number of workers and the average employed per year.

Travelers often overlook tiny European countries, but, as I discovered on a recent trip to Luxembourg-Europe's seventh-smallest nation, with a population of just 699,000-there's much to discover in these hidden gems. Last summer, I visited my aunt, who has lived in Europe for over 20 years, with stints in Paris, Vienna, Zug, Switzerland, and now, Luxembourg. We spent three days touring the historic city nestled between Belgium, Germany, and France. It's built on a rocky plateau overlooking deep gorges, a sweeping canyon, and surrounding countryside.

In Germany, for example, St. George's Day, April 23, became the traditional day when all brewing stopped for the warm season—a 16th-century Bavarian trade statute made it illegal to brew beer between April 24 and Sept. 29. That made bock beer culturally important. The first bock beers were most likely brewed by German monks during the winter, then laid down or aged for several months to prepare them for a special time of the year: Lent.

It's hard to name the best cities in Europe-there are so many great bustling hubs (not to mention charming small towns) spread across a relatively small continent, making it more a question of what you're looking for. Sure, some travelers just beeline to the best-known landmarks, eager for the chance to cross Rome's Colosseum or Paris's Eiffel Tower off their list. But we're in favor of taking a step back and asking yourself what you're most interested in.

The most recent final resting place for 91 members of the family is Berlin Cathedral's crypt, which opens to the public this weekend after a €29m, six-year renovation. Sonja Tubbesing, the cathedral official responsible, describes it as the church's biggest building project since its post-war reconstruction.

In Italy, the most common topic mentioned as a source of national pride was culture and the arts. These were cited by 38 percent of respondents, more than any other place. An Italian woman who took part in the survey said she was proud of 'the works in the churches, paintings, sculpture ... most places in Italy have something beautiful.' An Italian man said that 'Italy is an open-air museum.'

Whether it's called Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day or Mardi Gras, many countries choose to celebrate the last day before Lent by indulging in something sweet or fatty. In the UK and parts of the US, this usually means a big plate of pancakes in the morning. In Denmark there are special buns known as Fastelavnsbolle, Whether you celebrate it for religious reasons, or just because of a love of pancakes, it can be a real treat during these winter days.