Memories of Germany

Our travels through Germany

Trains that leave exactly on time – to the minute!

Many people ride bikes and Germany is well set up for it. There are designated areas on footpaths for bike riders as well as separate bike paths and bike sections on trains. There is even one day in the year when the close down nearly the whole town in Berlin to allow people to ride their bikes through the city!
Water in restaurants is not free and beer and wine are cheaper. Most Germans drink sparkling bottled water (sprudel) and call still water “flower water” (water that you put in a vase and not to drink).

It is cheaper for many Germans to go on holiday in Spain than stay home and heat their houses during winter.

Fruhstuck (breakfast) consists of brewed coffee, a boiled egg, assorted crisp bread rolls (brotchen), a variety of cheeses, cold meats, and sometimes fish as well as jam, honey and NUTELLA!

We’ve eaten a lot of food starting with B – bread (rye and black), brotchen, boiled eggs, bretzels, beer, bratwurst, buttercake, beesting cake, bananas, biscuits, bonbons (German? word for lollies)

Many wind turbine farms even some now being built off shore.
Colours - everything looking very green as it is spring, red roofs of houses and grey slate tiles.

Pretty little villages

Cobblestone streets in the old parts of the cities

The autobahn- travelling in a car at 200km/hr!!

The ICE (Inter City Express trains) travelling at 250km/hr and not even realising.

Many old buildings that were destroyed during the war rebuilt as close as possible to the original.
Getting to meet some of Liane’s many cousins, aunties and uncles.

Amazingly ornate buildings that were still the original. Decorations include Bible scriptures and depictions of scenes from the Bible mixed with pagan scenes and some quite bawdy scenes.
Marvelling at how early the sun rises and how late it sets.

Thinking it would be fun to live in the Middle Ages but deciding we like our comforts of today too much.
Everything looks very clean and tidy – streets, stores, parks.

Germans strive for excellence in keeping things well maintained and restaurants well presented with tablecloths, bio (organically grown) food is very important to most people.

Petrol is 1.4 Euro ($A2.30) per litre
Coffee is 2.7 Euro ($A4.50)

We have stayed in Hotel Paris in Frankfurt, Hotel Italia in Munich and eaten Irish, Asian, Turkish, Greek and lots of German food (as well as Pizza Hut, Burger King)

“Quatch” = rubbish

It’s ok to say “Blumen” = flowers
We really enjoyed our time in Germany and hope we can come back for another visit some day. At first we thought 4 weeks was plenty but we ran out of time and still have many more places we would like to explore.

Smoking is very common in restuarnts and trains. You can buy cigarettes on the street (as long as you have a credit card)

Tips for travellers
You can stay in a small hotel near the main train stations with buffet breakfast and FREE internet for the same price as staying in a youth hostel in a room for two (about 70 Euros per room).

If you go to checkpoint Charlie near the Brandenburg gate in Berlin take your passport as you can get a stamp put in it.
A visit to Goslar to see old buildings and churches is definitely worth while as the buildings are original.
A Eurail pass is very worthwhile as you can travel in reserved seats and in first class comfort with waiter service – just make sure you know which wagon your seat is in.

Dangers of drinking beer (Click to enlarge picture)

A road sign you won't see in Australia