Coffee. Best for breakfast or with cake in the afternoon. Served on Villeroy & Boch china. Only recently to go. SAP is known for its coffee corner culture, where informal meetings are held and employees have a chance to meet their colleagues over a cup of free coffee or tea.
Powerful, mostly new cars. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar – I never cease to be amazed at the overwhelming majority of brand new vehicles on the road. But the next item is partly to blame:
The autobahn. In 1974, Kraftwerk dedicated an album to the ribbons of highway that crisscross the country. Tourists visit Germany just to drive the autobahn. At peak season in the summer, traffic jams of up to 79 kilometers are reported. My top speed: 190 kph.
The forest. From my observations, most Germans have a strong, even romantic connection to nature. A hike in the forest is for many families part of their Sunday ritual. The paths in the Odenwald above Heidelberg are made for walking or biking, and centuries-old roadmarkers guide the hikers. Today I stopped for water at a well built in 1701 that attracts pilgrims in want of fresh well water for their coffee or tea.
I am clearly becoming German because I love #2 and #5. Cars and health aren’t big on my list of things that are worth talking about, but there’s always room for change!
Dear Charlotte
I am a coffee addict too, but we have progressed from the brewed to espresso lattes over the years. My next investment: a new coffee machine.
Hello Thomas
This topic really deserves a lot more attention, since so many of our Landesbrüder seem to suffer from a collapse of the Kreislauf. And even after years of living in Germany, I am not accustomed to people avidly discussing their digestion. My mother-in-law (God rest her soul) used to leave the breakfast table with the words, “Need to lay an egg!”
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I am clearly becoming German because I love #2 and #5. Cars and health aren’t big on my list of things that are worth talking about, but there’s always room for change!
re 1. the kreislauf. I still cant find mine.
re 4. Did you know your car had more than 3 gears !-)
re 5-The forest thing is big, and infectious. I have even started quoting Goethe forest poems on my blog.
Great to see you blogging subscribed!
Dear Charlotte
I am a coffee addict too, but we have progressed from the brewed to espresso lattes over the years. My next investment: a new coffee machine.
Hello Thomas
This topic really deserves a lot more attention, since so many of our Landesbrüder seem to suffer from a collapse of the Kreislauf. And even after years of living in Germany, I am not accustomed to people avidly discussing their digestion. My mother-in-law (God rest her soul) used to leave the breakfast table with the words, “Need to lay an egg!”
Thanks for stopping by!
With regards to the coffee machine, that is worth a least a post or two.
http://theotherthomasotter.wordpress.com/2007/03/30/simplicity-elegance-and-the-java-bean/