I spend so much time talking about all of
my very interesting (read: crazy) encounters, annoyances and strange events
here; it's just now occurred to me to spend more time thinking about the things
that I absolutely love about Germany. So, without further adieu, I will present
to you five things that I love about my adopted Fatherland.
1. My
husband. Well, he's German. This counts.
2. The
Landscape. There are so many gorgeous regions throughout the country, and
I've only seen a small fraction of them. I do hope to remedy this in the near
future. It all depends on what you love to do. I tend to gravitate towards more
cosmopolitan areas, but believe me, the German countryside is absolutely
breathtakingly beautiful in the summer, fall, and winter; it's still wonderful
in the spring, but it may be a bit wet. In any case, if you're ever in the
country, be sure to have your camera ready.
3. The
Baked Goods. I know, this sounds so stereotypical, but facts are facts.
German bakers know how to make delicious bread. It's torturous if you have a
sensitivity to gluten, but guess what? More bakeries are noticing a demand for
gluten-free or gluten-reduced breads… at least in my neighborhood. Just around
the corner, I have the choice between fresh baked Brötchen made from 100% rice flour or from spelt flour at one of my
favorite bakeries. My husband, of course, has a smorgasbord of breads to choose
from, including tons of pretzel breads, pastries, cakes, and marmalade-filled
donuts (known as Berliner, in honor of JKF after he famously said, "Ich bin ein Berliner." What says
"American" more than a jelly-filled donut?), cookies and more.
Germans don't know what "pies" are the way we Americans know them to
be - rich buttery, flaky crusts encasing fruits or nuts; however, they still
make pies, calling them either Kuchen
or Torte depending on the recipe. For
the USA version, I've had to learn to bake my own from scratch. A pretty handy
skill, but the inconvenience of it has probably saved me from gaining 20 lbs.
4. Public
transportation. It doesn't matter where you are, more likely than not,
you're going to have access to affordable and (generally) reliable public
transportation throughout Germany. This is absolutely AMAZING. No matter what
your level of income, using PT is almost treated as though it's a civic duty
here – which is a good thing. It's environmentally friendly, it lets you take
care of things while someone else is driving, and especially on the weekends or
late nights, provides a safe way for people to get home who could have
otherwise been in a position to harm others. The German trains are most
prevalent, but there are trams (trollies), buses and also opportunities to
register share bicycles and cars. Of course, taxis and rental cars are also
available everywhere.
5. The
architecture. Some of the most beautiful buildings are right under your
nose, so to speak. When you go about your day-to-day activities, it's very easy
not to notice the beauty that surrounds you. I don't care where you live -
there is always something new for you to discover and appreciate. You just have
to take the time to do it, and look at your environment in a way that you
usually wouldn't. I call this living
like a tourist. I can always spot a tourist miles away because he or
she isn’t looking straight ahead or around like locals do. They are always
looking up and around. This was especially true in New York, where you could
recognize immediately who was used to the skyscrapers and who wasn't. The same
thing happens here in Germany. There are so many edifices that are literally
centuries old, and they're absolutely beautiful, and it's worth remembering
that as you walk around. Germany, France and Spain have done such a wonderful
job of preserving historical buildings by restoring them and often also
incorporating modern architectural works –usually in a tasteful and artistic
manner. In my opinion, France has done an exceptionally wonderful job of
balancing the historical with the modern, most specifically, in Paris.
I originally wanted to write the top TEN
things that I love about Germany, but I don't want them to get a big head or
anything. ;-) I hope to have more opportunities visit this subject again later –
maybe I'll even incorporate a few pictures.
Have a great rest of the week.
xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse
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