Deutschland Über Alles

We arrived in Germany at the Frankfurt Flughafen and right away realized 'we're not in Kansas anymore'. Here in Germany everything just hums along. The Autobahn is even faster than we remember it. We went almost 200 Kms per hour and barely noticed it. We have fallen in love with all the different kinds of transportation here. The trams, the subways, the trains, and especially all the bicycles. People pedal everywhere and a trip to the next town is so much more fun along a beautiful pathway through the hills. And everything is so efficient that if you only have eight minutes between trains, it's no problem. We have been staying in Heidelberg with my cousin Ron and his wife Frieda who spend each spare minute exploring every nook and cranny in the German landscape. We were so surprised at how much of Germany is countryside. There are forests everywhere and endless trails to take you into them. Heidelberg is a gem in that it has the tourist sights, such as the Heidelberg Castle and the Alte Bruecke, as well as lots of things to do because it is a university town with tons of international students. We visited many of the local highlights but also took the time to travel to neighboring cities such as Ladenburg, Weinheim, and Spyer. Quaint doesn't begin to describe these places. Somebody just kept on hitting the charming button and copied it all over the place. Everywhere we turned there were cafes that beckoned us to come and while the hours away. The colors of the different houses were so varied that it made us forget that beige is the color of choice back home. Church steeples rise above red roofs on almost every other street corner. And everybody seems to be outdoors. Germans head for the river bank, the street corner, the cafe, the park, or any other place where they can get some fresh air and meet others. Many people here also have little gardens with a hut on the edge of their town where they can grow something and get away from their apartments or homes. We have never walked or biked as a family so much in our lives. We think all this outdoor activity by German people might have something to do with needing to burn off all the incredible baking and beer they consume. There is a bakery on every corner and you don't dare go in unless you are prepared to walk for the rest of the day. Beer is drunk everywhere and the glasses are humongous. Anyway, enough analysis. We have thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves into the German way of doing things.