So all in all my last week was pretty low key, but still fun. After travelling every weekend for three months straight, I was ready for some low-key adventures.
And now I am back home. While I had an amazing time and would gladly go back again, I am happy to be home with my husband and my pets. However, if I could take them with me, who knows how long I could stay in Europe.
Anyway, I don't know what I will end up doing with this blog. Keep it as it is to chronicle my trip to Germany? Or maybe I will keep writing about the places I visit in America. I will see.
I suppose I will end with some final thoughts and tips about traveling in Germany.
Language barrier: You can definitely get around Germany without knowing German, especially if you stick to really touristy areas. That being said, the more German you can speak, the less stressful life in Germany is, especially if you actually are living there and not just visiting. I learned enough to get by (i.e. buy groceries and figure out trains and buses and stuff), but if I were going to stay longer than three months, I would definitely try to learn a lot more. It would just make everything easier and less anxiety-ridden.
Public transportation: soooo much better in Europe than in the States (other than the few big cities that actually have good public transportation, like New York or Chicago), and it is pretty easy to figure out even if you don't speak German (the ticket machines in the train stations all have several language options). Learning the different driving laws and finding parking and dealing with the narrow streets seems like much more of a hassle than taking a bus.
Dogs: are everywhere. And German dogs are super well-trained and well-behaved. They go to restaurants, on trains and buses, in stores, almost anywhere. Anytime I saw a "no dogs allowed" sign I would think how strange it was. So if you are allergic to dogs, be sure to bring lots of allergy medicine to Germany.
Credit cards: are not as popular in Germany as in other countries. Obviously you can use them for larger purchases, such as hotels and rental cars and whatnot, but most restaurants and smaller/cheaper shops won't even accept them. The grocery stores I went to all accepted them, but they often had a cash only line.
Food: The food typically contains a lot of meat and potatoes, and usually deliciously simple. German food is typically not very spicy, so unless you go to a restaurant that is actually run by someone from a country that uses a lot of spices in their food, don't expect anything to be very spicy, even stuff with "curry" in the name. oh, and "scharf" means spicy, but even if you ask for something spicy, that will probably only mean it has little kick to it.
Beer: This section might be a little controversial. If you live in Michigan, Oregon, or anywhere else with a decent craft beer scene, don't expect much. The beer in Germany is good, don't get me wrong, but because of the German Beer Purity Law, there are about 4 kinds that you will see. Personally, I really like Hefeweizen, so Germany is a great place to go for that, but it does get old after three months of it. I need some variety, so I am glad to be back in Beer City USA.
If you usually drink some sort of American macro-brew like Bud or Miller (if you can even call Budweiser American - ask me about the original Budweiser in Czech Republic), then this is what you need to know about German beer: OMG IT IS SO FLAVORFUL AND STRONG!!! THEY HAVE BEERS WITH MORE THAN 5% ALCOHOL! WOOOWWWWW!!!!!
Not that I'm making fun of you, really. But that's what it will seem like.
Wine: Germany also has some really good wines. Especially in the Rheingau area, which is where I was living. They make mostly whites, and mostly Rieslings, but they also have reds. Trocken means dry, halbtrocken is semi-dry, lieblich is either sweet or semi-sweet, fein herb is somewhere between dry and sweet, and suss is really sweet.
There is obviously a lot more I could talk about, but I can't think of it at the moment. So if you are planning a trip and have questions, feel free to shoot me an email or something, I am always glad to help.
