German 101 or 101 things we learned about Germany

Dark threatening clouds does not mean rain or thunderstorms.

Autobahn equals great speed.

So you want a bottle of water?  There are four kinds of bottled water in Germany: carbonated water, carbonated water with minerals, non carbonated water with minerals, and non carbonated non-mineral water.

Maps are harder to read in German.

Many Germans think all Americans have lots of money, that they are rich.

Bare-bones hotels don't provide soap or washcloths.

Bathrooms are for men, women, family, and children only -- kind of like a bathroom in training.

Very few people in Germany speak English.  When you ask someone if they speak English, they say very little and frequently speak very well but they are out of practice.

Germany is very green, not brown like the hills around the Palm Springs area where I live.

American money and MasterCard was somewhat useless in Germany.

Ich liebe dich means I love you in German.

Tea is pronounced Tay in German.

Uniklinkum means hospital.

Windmills, similar to those in Palm Springs, are being installed all over Germany.

Germany still is the home to many skinheads and there is much graffiti from them.

Many of Germany's minorities include Indians, Pakistanis, Afghanistanis and many Muslims.  I did not observe more than a dozen Asian or black individuals.

Germany has many brands of small motor homes and small cars.  Most of these brands we have never heard of in the United States.

The VW bug is not a common car seen in Germany.

German food tasted saltier even pizza was very salty.

Bread and cheese are served with every meal in Germany.

French fries are very popular as a midday snack.  They are enjoyed with mayonnaise or ketchup.  No ranch dressing was available for the snack.

Smoking is still very popular in Germany.  Some restaurants do offer a non-smoking section.  Some hotels have non-smoking rooms.

Like to drink iced tea?  You will find it difficult to find the ice for the iced tea.  Many restaurants, cafes, and bars do not have ice.

There are no Wal-Marts in Germany.

There is Starbucks, IKEA, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Burger King and Shell Oil in Germany.

Everyone carries baskets in Germany.  German stores charge for plastic bags, shopping carts, and parking.

People ride bicycles everywhere.  Old people, young people, and families all ride bicycles.

Radiators are much thinner and quieter than those I remember as a child.

Windows open at the top or are totally open.  Windows do not have screens.

Toilets have buttons rather than flush handles on the wall or on the tank.

Cologne has three spellings and three pronunciations:  Cologne, Koln, and Kohn.

American music is played in many restaurants and radio stations.

American sitcoms are very popular on television.

There are no right turns on red lights as is popular in the United States.

Hand dryers in the restroom are operated by inserting your hands into the dryer.  These dryers do not heat up the bathrooms.

I've come to the conclusion that Germans do not read in bed.  In none of the hotels that we stayed in was their appropriate light or headboards conducive to reading in bed.

Tights are very popular fashion wear for the colder weather.

There are very few free parking spaces in Germany.  Most street parking requires payment.

The trains are very confusing.  Three different systems all operate at the same stations.  People are very helpful to get you on the right train.

Many of the dogs in Germany have their coats cut down.

It was strange to see schipperkes with tails.

Street entertainers perform at outside shopping centers.

Internet was difficult to log onto in most hotels and restaurants.

Travel agents exaggerate distances, hotel qualities, and tour recommendations.  Do not take advice from a travel agent if he hasn't visited the area.

The long B in German words is equivalent to a double S in most words.

Graffiti is very colorful and is found on many buildings and freeway walls.

East Germany is older looking and has less restored buildings then West Germany.

There is no marker on the autobahn designating where the Berlin wall 1East and West Germany.

Hot flashes are described as flying heat!

Chooz is a friendly way of saying goodbye.

Jams, butter, nut butter and liverwurst all are served with breakfast.

Most German breeders do not warranty dogs' health.

The best map of Germany we used in Germany came from Barnes & Noble's in California.

Gummy Bears, not chocolates, are placed on your pillow at night.

Pillows are large and made of down -- there are no firm pillows and Germany.

Ausfahrt means exit.

Schmuck means jewelry.  I always thought it meant something else --

After 10 days we still could not find a souvenir T-shirt or hat of Germany.  Not like going to Orlando or Anaheim we are souvenir shops abound!

Light switches usually are located outside of the bathrooms.  No matter what you try to do you will flood the room with light if you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night!

We pronounce it Euro while the Germans pronounce it Ero.  Nonetheless the dollar was worth more when I went to Copenhagen years ago.

There are no mini pickup trucks except for commercial use.  We saw many vans and panel trucks.

Ambulances are orange and very loud.  The sirens are ear piercing.

Children's school bags and backpacks have orange reflective bands.

Cemeteries have little gardens with headstones.

There were signs on the freeway and on street corners that said WC.  This means water closet and not workers comp!

A Flat means an apartment and a Lift is an elevator.

Floral shops and bakeries are easy to locate.

Driving on the autobahn one sees corn, sunflowers, and hay growing.

There are no personalized license plates in Germany.

German stores have lotto games.  Germany has casinos as well.

There are only a few billboards advertising on the autobahn.

Many billboards in Cologne are digital and appear to rollup to display more than one advertisement.

German stores carry radiated milk.

Many buildings in Germany are built of brick.  I guess Germany does not have earthquakes.

From Cologne to Bonn on the Rhine River is lots of industry.

Google in Germany is www.google.de

Conny needs new boyfriend: Must Love Dogs!

If your cell phone, e-mail, Internet, charge cards, cash and pillow don't work, are you really on vacation?

Many German breeders' breeding dogs are larger than the standard.

Forest roads are narrow but beautiful; there are many one lane bridges and many switchbacks.

Germany has many different dialogs.

At the dog shows in the US we get wimpy ribbons but in Germany they received beautiful trophies

There are gorgeous dog beds in Germany but none of them would fit in my luggage (boo-hoo).

Cher sounds a lot better on my car's radio.

Most people in Germany use the 24 hour clock.

Dee