What’s it like to meet a waitressing robot? Well, if you’ve never seen one, come to Leverkusen to Pagode Wang for lunch or dinner. You will enjoy their delicious buffet, and then, all of a sudden, a cute, round, smiling robot with big eyes will roll over to your table and bring you your drinks!!…
What’s it like to visit Schloss Burg in Solingen? Which little boy or girl doesn’t like to play knight and princess? The name “Schloss Burg” is an oxymoron, for in German, “Schloss” refers to a representative building (castle) and “Burg” to a fortification (fortress). This building has been remodeled many times and is still under…
What’s it like to ride the suspension monorail in Wuppertal? Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Today was my son’s first ride on the suspension monorail in the…
What’s it like to visit the Galileum in Solingen, Germany? Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Has your child ever visited a planetarium? The Galileum is a modern…
What’s it like to keep a Mainland Chahoua gecko? Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Rhacodactylus chahoua are commonly known as the mossy New Caledonian gecko, short-snouted New Caledonian gecko, or mossy prehensile-tailed…
What’s it like to visit a dripstone cave? Today, it was wet and cold (4 degrees C). Where could we go for an outing? Got it — somewhere warmer and drier — a dripstone cave!!! We picked up grandma and drove to the city of Iserlohn to visit the famous “Dechenhoehle.” It is the only…
What’s it like to go to the Dortmund Zoo? Well, Lyons Cub has already been at the Nashville Zoo, the Wuppertal Zoo, the Duisburg Zoo, the Aquazoo in Duesseldorf, the Cologne Zoo, the Fauna Park in Solingen, the Solingen Bird and Animal Park, and the Reuschenberg Animal Park in Leverkusen, so he had something to…
What’s it like to find a huge spider in your basement? First of all, stay calm. Then, don’t hurt the spidey. It’s not its fault that it’s cold and rainy outside, and it would rather be in your warm and safe basement. Then, take a fun picture with your kid (who is not afraid of…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This momma noticed quickly that it’s no fun running along next to her son’s Hudora stunt scooter that he got for his…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. What’s it like to celebrate a kid’s birthday in Oki Doki? We were sure that this time, we would celebrate it at…
What’s it like to celebrate carnival in Germany? Well, we’re not living in one of the prime destinations for carnival celebrations, such as Cologne or Mainz, but even small cities and towns have parades and celebrations for the kids (and adults alike). So even if it’s not Carnival in Rio or Carnival of Venice, German…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. A couple of months ago, Lyons Cub and mommy went to the Hugodrom in Remscheid, where he tried out an orange stunt…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. What’s it like to go to judo class? It was Lyons Cub’s second day at the judo course, because the tryout was…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. It’s that time of the year again — we missed it during our time in the U.S., but in Germany, we don’t…
Guest post by Maria F. PART I You know how they say that, once you’ve reached a certain age, you should have a mammography every two years? At least that is the standing recommendation in Germany, and it is also what health insurance will pay for, no questions asked. Well, when I was 50, I…
What’s it like at Family Paradise in Leverkusen? First of all, this is not an indoor playground like the others we have visited so far: GeckoFun in Burscheid, Hoplop in Cologne, Okidoki in Langenfeld, Trampolino in Hilden, Tiki Kinderland in Solingen, and Hugodrom in Remscheid. The others have trampolines, inflatables, climbing structures, bungy jumping, mini golf, and a…
Are you traveling to or living in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany? If you have kids between the ages of about 2-12 who like to climb, slide, and jump, we have seven recommendations for indoor playgrounds in the region for you here. We’ve tried them all out and will tell you our honest opinion (from young and…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. What’s it like to go to the Hugodrom in Remscheid? Well, it’s like a huge, empty hall with toys and attractions in…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. For Christmas 2022, mommy gave Lyons Cub a new Hot Wheels set for his city: A shark garage. Last year for his…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. For this year’s Christmas, Lyons Cub received his older cousin’s hand-me-down Playmobil knights’ castle. Although some parts were missing, he had a…
What’s it like to go to Tiki Kinderland in Solingen? Well, we discovered yet another indoor playground in North Rhine Westphalia. We already know GeckoFun in Burscheid, Hoplop in Cologne, Okidoki in Langenfeld, Trampolino in Hilden, and Hugodrom in Remscheid. This one here has a specialty that the other ones are all missing: Water! It…
We have been to several Christmas markets already, in Langenfeld, Monheim (including an ice-skating rink), and Leverkusen; however, they all had food booths and modern stuff, such as my son’s Pikachu hat with lights. I longed for a medieval Christmas market with old-fashioned, handcrafted items, tents, torches, camp fires, and a castle. We found a…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. The Christmas Market in Monheim, which you can reach in ten minutes by foot from the Nature Adventure Trail and the splash…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Lyons Cub found an exciting light-up Pikachu hat with movable ears at the Christmas Market in Opladen: At first, we used the…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Lyons Cub had a visit from Santa Claus on December 6th, 2022. He brought him many a treat, because he had kept…
What’s it like to watch the cranes fly south? Lyons Cub has seen the Canada geese and the Siberian geese fly in formation, but this time, while we were at a playground with his little friend Giuliana, we watched a flock of cranes fly to warmer regions. They were right over our heads in arrow-like…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. For Halloween this year, Lyons Cub visited his big cousins, and besides admiring each other’s disguises, eating cake, and having a barbecue,…
When Lyons Cub was 1.5 years old, we visited the Aquazoo in Duesseldorf during our summer trip to Germany. This fall, we came back. As a 4.5-year-old, Leander could appreciate the animals and especially the interactive learning stations much more already. Except for the parking situation, which was a hassle, and the many visitors, we…
This was Lyons Cub’s fourth Circus visit! First, he went to Circus Liberty; then, to Circus Proscho; and finally, to Circus Florida. Each one was an exciting event for a preschooler, and each one contained specific attractions that were phenomenal. This is a short comparison of what the four circuses we have been to so…
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. My son has been to Cologne a couple of times already, once to visit the Chocolate Museum, see the Gothic cathedral, and…