What to do in winter : There it was again, the rolling laughter of the upstairs neighbour’s girlfriend. It came every night. She laughed. Something hilarious was happening up there. I use it to tease my poor husband. “Man, he sure must be a funny guy.”

If you're regularly on the hunt throughout Stuttgart for a good novel or two, you've probably spent some time in the English section of Wittwer (ground floor, at the back).View map

Newly on the scene is the Hugendubel, a mammoth and grandiose* shopping extravaganza for bookworms everywhere, located at the bottom end of the Königstraße. With it's inviting cafe and comfy sofas, you'll be ever so slightly reminded of browsing days in Waterstones (UK) or Barnes and Noble (US).

Both these have a good selection of bestsellers along with more popular business titles, pop science, culture, autobiographies and economic tomes. However these books often carry a premium price.