It’s a band. On a motorcycle. In Russia

by Grant Martin on

We all knew that Russia is the place for opulent indulgence and incredible feats, but this video might take the cake. Youtube user tigfinger posted this amazing video of an entire band playing in a motorcycle and sidecar speeding down the Russian highway, happily playing along as if nothing were amiss.

The story gets even more interesting when you translate the title of the video, Бременские музыканты. Наши дни into English: Town Musicians of Bremen: Today. It turns out, the Town Musicians of Bremen is a folktale from the Brothers Grimm in which four traveling musicians set out on a long journey to Bremen only to never make it to their destination.

How that applies to this group one can only guess — but it’s a great storyline for this video.

Bierfest brings the spirit of Oktoberfest to London

by Jessica Festa on

While not everyone can find time in their busy schedule to make it over to Germany for Oktoberfest, those in London from October 5-7, 2011, can still experience the spirit of the festival. London will host their annual Bierfest at Old Billingsgate Market, which will be transformed into an authentic-style Oktoberfest celebration with traditional German food, unlimited steins of beer, live music, and servers dressed in costume.

Bitburger will be the official beer supplier for the event, featuring brews such as:

  • Bitgburger Premium Beer, a hoppy beer with a dry-finish that is made in accordance with Germany purity law.
  • Bitburger Drive, an alcohol free, fully-fermented, low calorie beer option.
  • Licher-Weizen (Light Wheat Beer), a refreshing beer brewed out of wheat and “blessed by the sun”
  • Kostritzer Schwarzbier (Black Beer), a barley malt with a mild-hop flavor.

As for food fare, expect options like Bavarian spiced chicken, cold meat & cheese platters, salted pretzels, mini Gherkins, BBQ ribs, and more.

Tickets must be purchased in tables of 10, so get your closest friends together and experience the spirit of Oktoberfest in London.

Photo of the day – Wine shop window

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Some things look exactly the way they’re supposed to look. Take this wine shop window snapped in the town of Beaune in the heart of Burgundy, France. This is serious wine country, and this wine shop window is straight out of central casting: the row of wine bottles; the various discarded crates; the exterior trim; the cursive stenciled into the window. Flickr user Lobelia48 shot this image in June of this year.

Got some photos in your archive that capture the fantasy of a place admirably well? Upload said images to the Gadling Group pool on Flickr and you might end up seeing one of your own photos featured as a future Photo of the Day.

Sweden building world’s largest indoor ski resort

by Kraig Becker on

Swedish architects at the firm of CF Moller have unveiled plans for a massive indoor ski resort which, when built, will be the largest in the world. Dubbed Skipark 360°, the new resort would ensure plenty of powder, even in the worst of winters, and could enable year-round fun on the slopes.

Thanks to its main slope, which is 2300 feet in length and has a drop of 515 feet, Skipark 360° will be the only indoor ski resort capable of hosting a World Cup event. That means skiers and snowboarders will have an impressive slope to shred 365 days of the year. The perpetual winter fun doesn’t end there however, as the resort will also feature more than two miles of cross country ski tunnels, a biathlon arena, ice hockey rink, and a separate rink for figure skating. Visitors will also find a hotel, spa, multiple restaurants and shops, and even a conference center. In short, everything they need in one self contained environment.

The architects have designed Skipark 360° to be environmentally friendly as well. The resort will get its electricity by a combination of solar, hydro, and wind power, and it will incorporate geothermal heat sources to keep the place warm. The goal is to use 100% renewable energy sources to limit the carbon footprint.

Construction on Skipark 360° is set to commence in 2013 in Balsta,which is located a short drive from Stockholm. It is estimated that the resort will cost about $290 million to complete.


Why you should visit Germany this Christmas

by Jessica Festa on

For those looking to have an authentic experience that really makes you feel like you’re in the Christmas spirit, head over to LutherCountry in eastern Germany to sip Glühwein (mulled wine), partake in a piece of Stollen (traditional German cake with fried fruit), listen to carolers, and purchase wooden toys while taking in the smells of cinnamon and pine.

Erfurt, Thuringia Christmas Market

Here you will find over 200 wooden stalls sitting in the Domplatz, with an intimidating cathedral guarding the square. Don’t be afraid to enter the building, however, as the crypt beneath houses the 24 Advent scenes and a floral tableaux created by locals. Outside in the square, the big draw is the nativity scene, which includes 14 almost life-size figures that have been carved by hand, a large wooden pyramid, and a Christmas tree that towers at 80 feet. At night, the entire scene is lit up by candles.

November 23, 2011- Devember 22, 2011

LutherstadtWittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt Christmas Market

History buffs will love the half-timbered homes, small courtyards, and Christmas stalls, as well as the church where Martin Luther once preached. Popular Christmas items include roasted almonds, mulled wine, toys, and holiday decorations.

November 25, 2011- December 21, 2011

Halle, Saxony-Anhalt Christmas Market

While this market includes the usual Christmas market fare of decorations, carvings, and mulled wine, it also offers cuisine from other areas of Europe including Finland, Hungary, France, Austria, Russia and the Netherlands. And, for the first time ever, this market will feature a 275-foot tall Advent Candle!

November 23, 2011, December 23, 2011

Wartburg Castle, Thuringia Christmas Market

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is almost 1,000 years old and once served as a a refuge for Martin Luther as he translated the New Testament of the bible into German. A feeling of being in the Middle Ages overcomes visitors as they visit candle makers, glass blowers, and wooden-toy makers all dressed in Medieval fashion. Sample the sugared almonds and juicy Thuringian-style sausages.

November 26-27, 2011 and December 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 2011