What the Blog?

The other day I had it. I threw up my hands in frustration. Why didn't we just get real tv already? Why does Chromecast give me such a headache? (clarification: it's usually not the Chromecast, but either our network or more often, our macbooks) Why can't I just turn on the news for a minute? Thus, the list below. I'm already enjoying a livestream of Sky News and the option to flip over to a marathon of That '70s Show. Ah, the familiar background noise of tv...  We use a (paid) VPN service to access delayed tv, and there are a lot of livestreams available as well; here's the list so far:  Live Channels: ABC Live Click2Houston  (Channel 2 Houston News) MSNBC Live Al Jazeera Live Sky News   (off VPN) CNN   NDTV India Reuters TV   Deutsche Welle English France 24 English Bloomberg   Washington Post Live Comedy Central  Fox CBS News BBC USTVNow  - the free version is good, the paid / HD version is re...

Ah, the Palatinate Forest... it doesn't quite roll off the tongue like Bordeaux, France, but it was a truly hidden gem just 90 minutes from Mainz. Therefore it made for the perfect weekend getaway with kids! Day 1: We stayed at the lovely Villa Maria in Hinterweidenthal. For about 100 euros / night, we had a huge room, giant bathroom, and breakfast. The hotel also had a big garden outside and indoor sitting area (with wine and beer that could be purchased). It was so relaxing and I couldn't help but think what it must have been like living here when it was originally built. Across the street (a bit noisy, even at night) there was a daytime market with yummy fresh fruit, and just 900 metres away is the Teufelstisch ! We spent at least 3 hours at the playground here the first day, and 2 more the next. The walk all the way to the top is not as hard as it looks, and there is an amazing, giant slide that anyone above the age of 6 can take down. Naturally, we ditched the kids ...