Western European yard art, we've discovered, seems to consist mainly of dwarves or gnomes. Since many Europeans don't really have a lawn to decorate, their yard art is usually displayed on or around their front doors or balcony areas. These two pictures were taken in Germany and Switzerland.
The picture shows a case of beer in a very cold stream coming from the glaciers in the Swiss Alps... We witnessed this when we were attending the Cow Fighting tournament (see "Mad Cows in Switzerland"). It surprised us that this kind of refrigeration actually happens outside of beer commercials. Glacier water must be a very practical way to keep drinks ice cold for those who have access to it!
When we lived in Belgium years ago, we were visited by Amy’s brothers and brother-in-law who have a particularly strong attachment to a certain kind of soft drink: Dr. Pepper. We knew that the grocery store we frequented in Belgium carried Dr. Pepper, and we decided to pick up a six-pack or two. Long story short, the Dr. Pepper we purchased tasted nothing like what they were used to in the U.S. In fact, it tasted rather bad… So bad, that “European Dr. Pepper” became the brunt of many family jokes.
Germans love dogs. And many Germans have adopted one into their family. So you can imagine our surprise to discover this particular difference between living in Germany and living in Belgium: how much cleaner pedestrian walking areas seem to be. A large part of this unexpected phenomenon can likely be attributed to the German system of cleaning up dog “waste.” The little doggie waste bins (pictured here) come with a stash of little plastic bags and a sealed off place to dispose of the mess. The bins can be seen scattered here and there, particularly in parks and places where people tend to frequently walk their dogs. It has been satisfying to be able to walk on various trails and sidewalks and not have to worry about accidently stepping into and then carrying home a nasty, smelly surprise. Germans think of everything!
You’ve probably heard of Mad Cow Disease, and how it was originally linked to England. Well, last week we witnessed a few mad cows who were not diseased and who were living in the alps of Switzerland. We were staying in Saas Grund, Switzerland for a retreat related to our work, and we happened to be there the same time that Saas Grund was having its annual Cow Fighting contest. We were fortunate (?) enough to be able to witness this very interesting event. Here’s how it worked: Around 40 cows were chosen to participate. They were all painted with varying numbers (so that they could easily be identified) and then enclosed in a large pen where they could just go at it! For you animal lovers out there, it was really just a horn-locking and shoving match. A few brave referees were also in the pens with the animals to ensure that only two cows fought at one time and no cow could come at another cow from the side. At the end of the day, the winner was the one who did not back down from any of her adversaries (these are COWS, not bulls!). The owner of that particular animal – which turned out to be #38 – has bragging rights for the year. For more on this, go here.
In these last few months, we were reminded again by how “into” soccer Europeans are. Of course, soccer fever heightened to a barely-controlled frenzy in our area when Germany made it through the semi-final round of the Euro2008 soccer games to play Spain in the final round. This tournament, which comes around every four years, is bigger here than the Superbowl is in America. We marveled at the number of car windows sporting small German flags. Houses were decorated to the hilt with German flags and banners everywhere. We saw a dog spray-painted with yellow, black, and red. Even the Germans themselves were dressed in Germany’s colors – sometimes with hair to match – for every soccer match in which Germany played. Unfortunately, despite all of its fans’ enthusiasm and excitement, Germany was not able to pull off making the needed goals to win the final game. And so the flags and colors have been put away until the next tournament.
When we lived in Belgium, it was pretty common to hear about various strikes happening when workers were unhappy with their working conditions. We remember one particular instance when all of the truck drivers in Belgium went on strike. They protested by driving their semi trucks together in packs across the width of a highway very, very slowly, causing all kinds of traffic headaches. That strike was resolved within one day probably because it was so annoying and impacted so many people!
Germans really like their greenery and flowers. Now that the weather has warmed up a little, window flower boxes have sprung up everywhere! We’ve even “branched” out a bit and have our own little balcony planter with a variety of pretty flowers. (Being completely inept at keeping plants alive, we hope they’ll make it through the summer!)
We are blessed to live in an area that is surrounded by the beautiful Black Forest and its trails. We often go out for a long walk (or hike depending on the terrain) after dinner now that it’s staying lighter later. Recently we discovered an old cave that has been sealed off except for a very small hole near the top of the door. The sign next to it says that the cave used to be an “ice cellar,” but it is now used for bat hibernation and the hole allows the bats to come and go as they please.
And we thought that the Smart car was small! We recently spotted this oddly shaped car wanna-be and marveled at its diminutive dimensions. It is electric with three wheels and has enough room for its steering wheel and exactly one person. To get in and out, the whole top half of the vehicle "clamshells" open. Top speed: around 25 mph. Comparing it to the medium-sized scooter gives you an idea of just how little it is!
As you drive along the countryside of southern Germany, you will, on occasion, see a field of tulips or daffodils with a large sign and stand next to the field. Upon closer inspection, you’ll discover (if you read German), that the flowers in the field are for sale. Pick 1 tulip for .45 Euro and put the money in the little box on the stand. It’s all on the honor-system, but it seems to work here… and how fun that you get to pick your very own bouquet!
One thing that you will learn about Europe if you ever have the chance to visit is that a large percentage of the population smokes. Amazingly, in Germany, they recently instituted a law that prohibits smoking in restaurants. This used to be our biggest excuse not to eat out (now our excuse is it’s too expensive!). To make it easy for those folks who just can’t live without their cigarette during the times that the grocery stores are closed, you will see that there are cigarette dispensers strategically placed in town. Where we in America would have soda machines, Germans have cigarette dispenser machines. Insert coins, out comes a pack.
Parts of southern Germany are known for their cherry orchards, and about this time of year, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The locals celebrate cherry blossom season each year on a Sunday afternoon by going on long walks through the beautiful orchards. Afterwards, they enjoy a traditional bratwurst and wash it down with German beer. We took some time that Sunday to explore the orchards with some good friends. I think we walked about 5 miles that day!
This isn’t just a German feature. In a lot of the places we’ve been in Europe, you’ll often see houses with a number above the front door. These numbers usually represent the year that the structure was built. It’s not uncommon to see buildings from the 16- or 1700s. The one in this picture is labeled 1667. We’ve even seen one as old as 1291!
"So how big is Germany compared to my state?" you may ask. We wondered, too. So here's the show-stopping answer. We chose (seemingly at random) 3 familiar states and put them head-to-head with Germany in the arena of size. California: 163,707 square miles. Colorado: 104,100. Kansas: 82,282.
For a few days this week, we were privileged to host John’s sister and her husband and their two kids during their spring break trip to Europe. We got to see and do several fun things together, but we think that the kids particularly liked exploring castles with us (even more so when they were given the freedom to run and climb everywhere). They had fun imagining what it was like to live in one of these HUGE fortress-like castles with nooks and crannies everywhere you turned. The kids loved to climb up and down the amazingly high castle towers (again and again)!
If you come from a part of the US where white asparagus is common, this entry won’t be news to you. White asparagus is a specialty in southern Germany in the spring. As you drive along the roads between villages, you’ll often see white tarps spread out in the fields as the asparagus ripens for picking. What we’ve been told is that for the asparagus to become “white,” it must be covered up to keep it out of the sun. So my question is, if it’s not a green vegetable anymore, are all the vitamins gone? In other words… do I have to eat it?!
One fine day as we were driving back from language school, we noticed that a peculiar road sign had sprung up where there hadn't been one. And then we saw something else that was new: little green barriers along the road. When we finally asked about it, we were given this answer. The area is known for its high population of frogs. Germany has strict environmental laws in place for saving these poor, helpless critters. The road sign tells us to slow down between the hours of 8 pm and 6 am (apparently a frog's favorite time to leap unsuspectingly across the road). Meanwhile, if that's not enough, the little green barriers will keep the road from turning nasty colors. We agree that there's nothing very heart-warming about having frog goo all over your tires...
Like McDs, this other American icon is popping up all over Europe. There are two within walking distance of our language school! But as you might guess, the prices for a cup of coffee (or a chai tea latte, which we prefer!) are considerably higher than in the U.S. After discovering that one grande chai costs nearly $6.50, we decided that homemade chai tastes just as good!
One of the very popular things to do on Sunday afternoons in Germany is to enjoy the outdoors by going for a long walk on the nearby forest trails. It seems like most of the townspeople are out, and often you will hear the traditional regional greeting, “Grüss Gott” (Greetings in God's name), as you pass someone. On one of these walks several weeks ago, we discovered a fortress castle ruins about 3 km away from where we live. It is high up on a hill that overlooks a valley with small villages scattered all around. If you’re brave enough to make the steep climb inside the ancient castle tower on a clear day, you will be treated to a breathtaking view of the Swiss Alps!
We’re not really sure what to say here except that we liked the look of this sign. “The Snail Hotel” seems like an interesting place to stay… You’re all invited! J
