Imagine our glee when, clicking about the Munich tourism office’s website, we stumbled upon their list of Munich-based webcams! Among the list of live feeds from Munich were several devoted entirely to the Christmas market at Marienplatz. Ready for a quick (virtual) visit? We grabbed the images below at about 5 PM Munich time today. Click » Read more

Christmas market in Brussels, Belgium-photo by Ipoh 7 ‘Tis the season to visit the European Christmas markets, Cheapos! The Christmas Market Tradition Europe’s holiday market tradition began in Germany and Austria. Today, many well-known markets, like those in Nuremberg and Munich, draw record crowds. Heck, there’s even a company that specializes in European Christmas market tours around » Read more

A yummy leftover turkey sandwich. Photo by tobym. After a cheerful Thanksgiving vacation that took Cheapos to Tennessee, Amsterdam, Virginia, Connecticut, and even to adopt a weiner dog, we’re happy to be back in the office.  And what a week it has been!  We’ve caught up on our reading, planned several upcoming trips, rid ourselves of Beaujolais nouveau headaches, » Read more

Photo of a lace display in Bruges, courtesy of LinksmanJD You simply can’t leave Bruges without strolling along the canals, stopping at a chocolate shop, and of course, paying tribute to the ancient tradition of lacemaking. Tracing lace Many believe that the history of lace can be traced to Egyptian times, but the material was likely first » Read more

Seville’s Cathedral is free on Sundays Although Seville is a fraction of the size of Madrid and Barcelona, the southern Spanish city is packed with attractions. Seville boasts world-class art museums, historic palaces, picturesque neighborhoods, and an awe-inspiring cathedral. Conveniently, most of these attractions are located in the city center, within walking distance of each » Read more

Photo courtesy Berlin International Film Festival BERLIN—The 2009 Berlin International Film Festival, the “Berlinale,” will take place February 5-15. The event celebrates its 59th year in 2009 and boasts an impressive lineup, with some 350 film screenings on deck (most of which are making their debut). The festival is both an international industry event and » Read more

Approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Madrid, el Escorial still functions as a monastery, school, museum and royal palace. The sprawling historic site first broke ground in 1563, led by the architects Juan Bautista de Toledo and later Juan de Herrera, under the reign of King Phillip II. The architectural project set King Philip’s » Read more