« Britta update | Main | Tourist/local »

December 5, 2005

Weekend in Germany

I just got back from a weekend in Germany and I've had to loosen my belt a notch. I highly recommend visiting a foreign country with a native. I met up with Andrea, a German exchange student from my high school and she was able to tell me things like, "I've never seen a half meter of bratworst like the one you're eating." Or "that potato thing you're eating usually isn't floating in as much grease. You did the right thing getting it with the applesauce to dip it in, that is very German." She ordered a drink of half Fanta and half Coke and said, "now this is really German." I'd never heard of such a drink.

Besides the food insight I also had tons of history lessons into the foundation of Germany (it was the fraternities that lobbied to unify the country) and a native German speaker was nice even if most people do seem to speak English.

The Christmas markets in Dusseldorf and Cologne were great. I have a new found appreciation of German handicrafts. The toys, nutcrackers and wood carvings were all beautiful. I had never felt the need to own a nutcracker until this trip -- although I didn't buy one!

Saturday night I got to see where the beautiful people of Dusseldorf hang. A group of Americans, Brits and Germans working for ABN AMARRO obviously had the inside scoop on a trendy night club in an obscure part of town that I never would have found alone.

Andy and the kids survived without me (sort of.) When I left the kids and the house were clean and the fridge was stocked. Britta was still kind of sick so I didn't know what to expect on my return but kudos go out to Andy for keeping it together. Click here to read Andy's account of my little trip. I think he has a new appreciation for what I go through when he's gone!

Posted by jana at December 5, 2005 2:07 PM