On the whole, the British don’t like to complain. They’d prefer to rub a dirty knife on a napkin rather than ask the waiter to bring a clean one. So, imagine what happens when they come face-to-face with a sub-par translation, peppered with awkward phrases and dodgy expressions. Do you imagine they continue reading? The answer is: probably not. At a recent language conference I attended, I heard that 85% of people leave a website when they see a language error. That is a h

The Bürgerhaus (Burgher House) is the oldest brick building in Buxtehude. There's no knowing its age for certain but it seems likely it dates as far back as the 13th century. In 1548, Marcus Möller - the town mayor at the time - commissioned an extension in the courtyard and the date along with a coat of arms are carved into a beam in the courtyard. The entrance is similar to many found in Lübeck but is the only one to be found in Buxtehude.

The old market hall and former brewery in Buxtehude was built in 1912/13. It used to brew two different types of beer - the Buxtehuder Pilsener and the Buxtehuder Dunkel - until the brewery closed in 2011. Musical events often took place in the large hall and winter garden while guests could quaff beer or other beverages and dine in the restaurant. I've been to a couple of events held here and the atmosphere was fantastic. Such a shame it had to close.

A lot of people in Germany think that Buxtehude is a fictional place, especially those down south and are always quite surprised to find it does actually exist. Well, to prove to those naysayers Buxtehude isn't just a figment of my imagination, I did my own mini Instawalk in the old town last week. It was a very cold and miserable day today so I was amazed to see the number of people out and about in the town. My fingers got quite numb from waiting until they'd passed by befo