Germany
Jun 15th, 2001, 07:27 AM
#3
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Jan-Erik: Spent 25 days touring Germany by auto in 1998. Wonderful trip. The history, architecture, medieval villiages, castles, beautiful countryside, exciting cities, very friendly people, fantastic wines, the Rhine and Mosel areas especially and, yes, even most of the food were wonderful. Germany is an interesting, exciting, vibrant, beautiful and fun Country to visit. Thank you for being good hosts to this traveler for sure.
Jun 15th, 2001, 07:54 AM
#4
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I lived in Germany several years and can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. Even though I arrived no speaking one word of Germany after several weeks I felt a sense of it being my true "home away from home." If I believed in reincarnation I would say I had lived there in a former life. <BR>I realize that this reply in no way answers your question but . . .
Jun 15th, 2001, 08:53 AM
#5
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Jan-Erik, I lived in Germany for 7 years a long time ago. I loved the villages, the food, the friendliness of my German hosts. I spent 5 of the most fun days of my life over Weinachten in a village (I think it was Heigerloch) in the Swarchwald. I loved taking a picnic lunch out on Sundays and visiting and exploring a new castle. <BR>There was a tread like this started 2 years ago by a lady named Miriam from Frankfurt with a lot of responses. You might want to look it up.
Jun 15th, 2001, 12:36 PM
#6
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We just got back from another trip to Germany a few weeks ago. My husband (who is Israeli born and Jewish BTW) loves every visit we have made to Germany. We've been to Austria several times but he much prefers Germany. He'd say he likes it so because of the language (he's fluent in German), the food, the clean villages with so many flowers, the beer, the music, the people who are 95% friendly everywhere whom he loves having long conversations with. I enjoy the historical buildings, small towns,hiking/walking paths and seeing new places. When we traveled in Europe for almost a year in 1990 we ended up spending a great deal of our time in Germany for everytime we left Germany my husband would moan about how he missed it and we'd go back to another part. He says he feels at home in Germany...something I have never heard him say in the USA where we live.
Jun 15th, 2001, 01:08 PM
#7
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I absolutely loved Germany the 6 short months I lived there. Here's my short list of what I loved about Germany: <BR> <BR>1. Flowers at almost ever window sill of every home. <BR>2. The wonderful trails through the forests <BR>3. Rolladens (sp?) - those WONDERFUL window shades. <BR>4. Seeing families walking together on Sundays. <BR>5. Bavaria!! <BR>6. Fried potatoes that I can't seem to replicate here in the United States. <BR>7. Windows that open one way and can be opened another way to become a door. <BR>8. Castles all along the Autobahn. <BR>9. Quaint villages. <BR>10. Kindereggs! <BR> <BR>I'm going back to Germany in 5 weeks for a short visit and can't wait!!
Jun 15th, 2001, 01:45 PM
#8
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Jan-Erik... I, like many of the posters above, lived in Germany for 7 years and have the opportunity to frequently go back on business and pleasure... thank goodness! I loved Laura's answer and second every one of her answers. I love Germany for its culture - not just the arts, but the way you live. Many Americans believe Europeans in general enjoy their lives more than their work, which is backwards for us. I love life in your small villages, appreciate your cities, am fascinated by your history, and can be lost in the forests, meadows and mountains of the many beautiful regions of Germany. I am awed by the concerts held in your cathedrals, the <BR>Gregorian chants I've heard in small churches, and the happy enjoyment of a Heimatabend I've been privileged to attend in several towns. Germans are honest, friendly, and happy in their own skins. Wish we could be so...
Jun 15th, 2001, 07:09 PM
#9
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Dear Jan-Erik <BR> <BR> <BR> We just returned from Germany 2 weeks ago. We wanted to visit Germany because my husbands great-grandparents were from Germany. We loved the food, the beautiful clean towns, the beautiful trees, the people, history in each town, and the great food. We felt welcome there.
Jun 16th, 2001, 12:00 PM
#10
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My wife and I were introduced to Germany when I was sent there in 1970 as an Army draftee. We lived there for two years and we fell in love with the country, the cleanliness, the beer, flowers and the people. <BR> <BR>We still get back to Germany frequently and enjoy going in the winter during the Christmas fests as well as the summer and fall. Bavaria is fantastic, but the area of Hamburg is also great. Now you have me planning another trip. Gotta get back!
Jun 16th, 2001, 03:23 PM
#11
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I agree with Ann and Laura! Also the cleanliness. My father was of European descent and he too would would sweep the street in front of our home - not something you usually see in America. And the fact that stores are closed early on Saturday, and not open on Sunday! Forced relaxation. I wish I could live there another couple years!
Jun 17th, 2001, 12:15 AM
#12
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I still recall the time we were staying overnight in a small German town in 1992 and I happened to look out the window in the early evening and saw a older woman washing the steps and *sidewalk* in front of her house on her hands and knees. She even washed the gutters!....I didn't stay in the room late enough to see if she washed the street too.
Jun 17th, 2001, 05:49 PM
#13
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My most lasting impression is much like Fanny's: One winter as we were driving through the German Alpine Road enroute to Berchtesgaden, we got caught in a heavy snowstorm. Snow plows were out clearing the roads almost immediately (here in the East Coast it takes hours til they come through). In seemingly remote areas there were workers shoveling snow from the gutters and markers by the side of the road. Here the plows just pile the snow up on the side. When the snow thaws, it melts on to the road then refreezes in the middle of the street. The Germans seem to do so many things more efficiently than us. Like the windshield wipers on their headlights and the little garbage can on the breakfast table.
Jun 19th, 2001, 01:11 PM
#16
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My father was in the Army stationed in <BR>Germany Permissen (sp) in the 1950's. <BR>He wanted to show us where he was stationed and what a great country it is. We got lost almost every day, but <BR>had a wonderful time. Germany was beautiful. I wish we could go back every year. While in Regensburg,the first day,I drove on a bridge used for <BR>buses and taxis. That was scary. We almost were ran over by a bus. Driving <BR>on the autobahn was a lot of fun.
Jun 20th, 2001, 01:34 AM
#17
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Just back from Germany today -- stayed in the Black Forest for three nights. The scenery was breath-taking even though we had mostly clouds and rain. The food was incredible and reasonably priced. We stayed at a small hotel and had dinner there each night. It was so wonderful there was no reason to dine anywhere else for dinner. The small towns are charming. I hope to go back to Germany.
