Furry terrorists…

It would seem that we have a creature that frequents the car park below our building. It’s a common problem in this area of Germany. These little furry animals, called Martens, are about the size of a cat and apparently like cars. They particularly delight in getting under the hood and chewing on wires and insulation… It’s an annoying problem and one that we can really do nothing about. Other folks in the area have tried and failed to come up with a good remedy, and it’s against German law to kill these pests. So we are resigned to the fact that we will occasionally see little faint paw prints on our car hood and front window, letting us know we’ve had yet another visit…

Jogging and Yogurt's mysterious connection

As we remember from living in Europe before, yogurt tastes amazing here! We're not sure why it's so different from the U.S. versions, but it is REALLY good. When we began shopping for it the first few weeks we were here, we had to glance closer at the label because we noticed the German spelling is slightly different than the English. It is spelled Joghurt here. We pondered that a bit and then realized that it indeed does makes sense. Have you ever seen a smiling jogger? Personally, we've always equated jogging with pain and toil. And here, right on the label of a yogurt container in Germany, the truth was confirmed forever: Joghurt. Jog Hurt. Jog=Hurt. The things you learn in the grocery store...

BYOB

Shopping for groceries in Europe takes a little getting used to. The first time we went to the nearby store for groceries and paid, we realized, "Oh... WE have to bag all this stuff ourselves." But where were the bags? Oh... In Germany it's BYOB (bring your own bag). There is no giant plastic bag stack or dispense-o-bag apparatus at the end of each check out lane like in the U.S. With a determined shrug, we agreed, "We are back in Europe now! We will adjust to this." So we gathered up all our purchases in our arms and headed for the car, hoping we wouldn't drop or spill anything. Oh... Wait a minute... We didn't drive, we walked to the store. On the way home, as we juggled our purchases, we imagined a big flashing neon sign hovering over our heads that proclaimed, "FOREIGNERS!!" We've been good to BYOB ever since...

Not the arches we're used to...

McD's is everywhere and it's certainly all across Europe! There are two that we know of within a 20-minute drive of our house. You can instantly recognize the familiar golden arches here, sometimes accompanied by Mr. Ronald himself. Recently, however, on a trip to Freiburg, Germany, we almost didn't notice this highly contextualized and culturally-appropriate McD's.

Another interesting development: discounts are given to police officers (in uniform) who patronize McD's in Basel, Switzerland. It's apparently an attempt by the fast-food chain to provide a safer environment for families. What will they think of next?

Speed limits

Contrary to popular belief, Germany does have speed limits, except if you are specifically driving on the autobahn (or freeway system). Unless otherwise specified, speed limits are set at 50 kmh in town, 100 kmh between towns, and 120 kmh on highways. You don’t usually have to worry about the police pulling you over for speeding, but you do have to worry about electronic speed traps (equipped with a special camera) that are set up in various places, and then moved from time to time. We’ve been told a speeding ticket over here can be hefty (we’ve been careful not to get one so far!) and will usually arrive in the mail, sometimes 2-3 months after the incident.

What's a parade without...? (part II)

What's a parade without...? (part I)

The colorful Fasnacht costumes in the parade included clowns, demons, witches, bears, wolves, storks, pumpkins, snail princes, antelope-goat creatures, and of course, flaming thumb-head people. Very interesting...

Take me to Confetti City

In the Fasnacht parade, various clubs and community organizations sponsor floats, usually tractors or vans towing decorated trailers. All the club members get dressed up in matching garish costumes. Some play horns or drums. Some are armed with huge bags of confetti and candy to throw into the crowds. Some sneak into the crowds and surprise onlookers with a hug and a handful of confetti stuffed down the back of the their shirt. Watch the parade at your own peril! No one is safe from being showered with confetti, not even the Police (Polizei)!

Front Row Seats

Since we live in the middle of town, we had a great view of the big Fasnacht Parade. All related pictures were taken from our living room window. Included here are images from before and after the event. You might notice a little confetti on the road!

Fasnacht

We'll, we've experienced one of southern Germany's most celebrated holidays and lived to tell about it! We had heard all kinds of things as to what Fasnacht is and so we were a little unsure of what to expect. Many folks compare Fasnacht to Mardi Gras because it is celebrated at the same time of year. We've been told that Fasnacht is pagan in its origins, but is somehow tied to Ash Wednesday and Lent as well. Fasnacht is celebrated with the idea that one must revel excessively before Lent comes, and then at that point, and until the next year, it is expected that you'll behave with the proper level of German reserve. One of the main highlights of the Fasnacht celebration is the Fasnacht Parade.