Germany 1: Overall
I just got back from over a week visiting Kristine and Javier in Weisbaden Germany. While I was there, we did a lot of sightseeing, I went to Oktoberfest at Stuttgart, the Black Forest, Heidelberg, toured castles on the Rhine and visited Cologne. I can't possibly fit everything into a single blog entry, so I'm going to try and take my trip day by day and update the blog when I can. This first entry will be a sort of dumping ground for random things I found interesting but which don't quite fit into any of the day trips.
Driving:
First and foremost, Germans seem to take a few things seriously. One is driving. True to its legend, the Autobahn (basically any German highway) does indeed have sections where the suggested speed limit is 130kph but there's no penalty for exceeding said speed limit. Cruising at 150kph (~93mph) will still get your ass passed pretty regularly.
They put care into things we don't, too. For example, ever get blinded by the spray off an 18 wheeler? Not in Germany.
Hunds:
I know we're all familiar with German Shepherds. (Yes the dogs, not people in robes.) I swear, half the dogs I saw in Germany were German Shepherds. Here's the first one. I was so excited I took a picture.
Windows:
Another thing I liked was the windows. Almost every house appeared to have the same ones. At first glance, it looked like a pretty normal window.
Turn the handle sideways, and it opened.
But turn the handle UP and it let the window tilt in.
Even the big door's out to Kristine's balcony did this. Pretty neat.
No Hand Holding:
Yup, its true. The Nazi party may be gone (much to some people's surprise I didn't see any while in Germany) but Germans really hate hand holding. I saw these signs when I left any urban pedestrian zone.
What did that say?
As with any foreign country, humor regarding odd translations is readily available.
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