Germany - The Second Month July
25, 2001
Bavaria, though interesting and
very scenic, is not so different from home. Of course folks here speak
German, making even the mundane, like watching TV or reading a newspaper, challenging. Following up on an
earlier piece, here are some more glimpses into Germany:
- Germans are truly enamored of
flowers and
gardens. Beautiful, colorful
window boxes are
common in Bavaria. This flower-bedecked house is not atypical of those
in many small Bavarian towns. Even some city folk and apartment dwellers
have gardens. Whenever time permits, they head a short ways out
of town to their Schrebergärtens. These small plots of land are named after a
Leipzig professor who lived during the industrial revolution. He
established playgrounds outside the dark, industrial towns where children
could enjoy the sun and fresh air. Schrebergärtens
today are more like private yards. They're maybe 100 sq. m. or less and typically include a small, one-room
structure, a flower and
vegetable garden, and a table with chairs for sitting in the sun: a little
home away from home. Along the S-Bahn, the local train into
Munich, garden colonies line the narrow tracts
between suburb streets and train fence. Even though it's easy
to get to, you wouldn't think that adjacent to the tracks was the best
location for a little bit of heaven. But for many Germans, just owning a
garden is a
dream come true.
Small
gardens are also popular at cemeteries. Each grave is individually
planted with bushes, flowers, grass, and lovingly tended by relatives and/or
gardeners. Many cemeteries are located in woods-like settings, making
them an attractive place to come for a visit.
- When you go to a market in
environmentally-conscious Germany, remember to bring along your shopping bags;
they not provided, not even those flimsy plastic ones. Since
there are
no grocery packers, you pack your purchases yourself and you'd better do it quickly -- before the next customer's items get mixed
up with yours. After more than a month, the two of us together just barely
manage to pay and pack. Lately, we've just been putting our purchases back
into the shopping cart and doing the packing at the car.
- Stores and shops are closed on
Sundays, and many close on Saturday by 14:00.
At
8:00 Saturday morning shoppers are waiting in line for our local bakery to
open. Apparently, people get stuff done early, and then RELAX.
There are no 7-11 stores or all-night supermarkets. This may account
for the lone cigarette machines sitting on street corners or tacked onto
the sides of buildings. In recent years, gas station mini-marts have caught on and
become the "whenever" shopping spot. Our BP station
bakes fresh bread, croissants, rolls and large pretzels every day, with a
rapid turnover on Sundays.
- Germans seem
to prefer Italian food, at least based on the many Italian restaurants
around. (Just like home, no?) Prosecco, an Italian Champaign-equivalent, is
IN. It's a popular upscale drink at cafes, sipped by the ladies of my Thursday golf
group, and the perfect accompaniment to after-dinner conversation with our
neighbors.
Beer gardens are commonplace
and fun. Sometimes there's music, but usually the idea is just to have
a relaxing afternoon or evening drinking outdoors under a tree. Here,
as elsewhere, beer is the preferred beverage, not only because it's a
"beer" garden, but also because beer is as cheap on a volume basis
as soda or water (which are usually served tepid and without ice)!
Typically, there's only one or two brands of beer available. I guess beer connoisseurs
are selective about their beer gardens.
- City trains work on the honor
system. You're supposed to buy a ticket, which you machine stamp
when you get on. If you're caught without a properly stamped ticket, there's a fine (about 10
times the fare) and you're totally embarrassed as they remove you from the
train. So far in 12 trips using 18 trains in Munich, our tickets haven't yet been
checked. How many
people cheat? I don't know, but in
the Berlin subway we did get our tickets checked by two roving conductors.
Everyone near us had a valid ticket to show!
- Dogs, dogs and more
dogs. Dogs are permitted just about everywhere and are
rarely
kept on a leash (unlike this American dog). People take them
to the golf course, bike
riding, and to restaurants and hotels,
though some hotels only allow "small" dogs. They're permitted on buses and
trains. On the Munich train system, the regulations state: One dog per customer is
free; a
second dog requires the payment of a child's fare, unless the dog is in a small basket or
a handbag. Why are dogs allowed everywhere? I think it's because
they're so well behaved. About 90% of dogs (and of course their
owners) go to dog training school. Consequently, German dogs
listen and usually respond quickly to their owner's commands.
- As my friends might guess, I
love German bakeries and Konditorei's (confectionaries.) Breads are full-bodied, dark, heavy, and chock full of whole grains;
rolls are light and airy, baked crisp and crunchy with seeds on the outside; cakes
and strudels abound, and most can be purchased by the slice. Those containing whipped
cream (schlag), raspberries, almonds, dark chocolate and/or sweet cheese are my favorites.
(With so many "favorites," I can always find something I
like!) The cakes look marvelous and oftentimes are.
Since the European sweet tooth is less sugar-tolerant or sugar-dependent than the American
counterpart, "flavors" other than just "sweet" linger on
the palate. Dick prevents me from stopping at every bakery we
pass, but only our regular treks around the golf course are keeping me from
becoming a round little cream puff.
Home
window boxes are
common in Bavaria. This flower-bedecked house is not atypical of those
in many small Bavarian towns. Even some city folk and apartment dwellers
have gardens. Whenever time permits, they head a short ways out
of town to their Schrebergärtens. These small plots of land are named after a
Leipzig professor who lived during the industrial revolution. He
established playgrounds outside the dark, industrial towns where children
could enjoy the sun and fresh air. Schrebergärtens
today are more like private yards. They're maybe 100 sq. m. or less and typically include a small, one-room
structure, a flower and
vegetable garden, and a table with chairs for sitting in the sun: a little
home away from home. Along the S-Bahn, the local train into
Munich, garden colonies line the narrow tracts
between suburb streets and train fence. Even though it's easy
to get to, you wouldn't think that adjacent to the tracks was the best
location for a little bit of heaven. But for many Germans, just owning a
garden is a
dream come true.
Small
gardens are also popular at cemeteries. Each grave is individually
planted with bushes, flowers, grass, and lovingly tended by relatives and/or
gardeners. Many cemeteries are located in woods-like settings, making
them an attractive place to come for a visit.
At
8:00 Saturday morning shoppers are waiting in line for our local bakery to
open. Apparently, people get stuff done early, and then RELAX.
There are no 7-11 stores or all-night supermarkets. This may account
for the lone cigarette machines sitting on street corners or tacked onto
the sides of buildings. In recent years, gas station mini-marts have caught on and
become the "whenever" shopping spot. Our BP station
bakes fresh bread, croissants, rolls and large pretzels every day, with a
rapid turnover on Sundays. 
Beer gardens are commonplace
and fun. Sometimes there's music, but usually the idea is just to have
a relaxing afternoon or evening drinking outdoors under a tree. Here,
as elsewhere, beer is the preferred beverage, not only because it's a
"beer" garden, but also because beer is as cheap on a volume basis
as soda or water (which are usually served tepid and without ice)!
Typically, there's only one or two brands of beer available. I guess beer connoisseurs
are selective about their beer gardens. 
rarely
kept on a leash (unlike this American dog). People take them
to the golf course, bike
riding, and to restaurants and hotels,
though some hotels only allow "small" dogs. They're permitted on buses and
trains. On the Munich train system, the regulations state: One dog per customer is
free; a
second dog requires the payment of a child's fare, unless the dog is in a small basket or
a handbag. Why are dogs allowed everywhere? I think it's because
they're so well behaved. About 90% of dogs (and of course their
owners) go to dog training school. Consequently, German dogs
listen and usually respond quickly to their owner's commands.