What's Different?

When we first arrived in Germany I was overwhelmed with how different everything seemed to be. Life was, as Jessica likes to say .........up-a-side-down! Gradually the pace of life has settled down and things that surprised me when we first arrived, seem everyday to me now. I realize they are still different, I have just gotten used to them. Here are a few things that are "different".......................

If you were to get married in Germany, your wedding announcement might look like this:















If you are in need of a pack of cigarettes,
no need to go to the store, here you do not
have to go far in any village to find this:








Most houses in Germany and in the surrounding Netherland area, come equipped with Rouladins on the windows. These are shades that when "drawn" closed will pitch your house into total darkness. This feature is VERY handy on those long summer nights when at 10:00 pm, the sunset is still a long way off. The shades can be partially closed to let in a little bit of light, or closed all the way for black as night. I have heard many people say how easy it is to get much needed sleep if working off shifts or a quick and easy solution to jet lag! Here are two pictures, one with the rouladins closed and one with them partially opened:










Of course the bike paths, which I talked about in a previous blog, are amazing, I don't think I need to say much more, just a picture to remind you...........



And a few items of interest:

• It is a law that all cars carry a first aid kit, failure to comply will result in a fine.



• It is a law you must stop and provide first aid if you see an accident, failure to stop could result in fines and possibly jail time! See rule above.



• Everyone takes their shopping carts back to where they belong. In order to get a shopping cart first you must pay, when you return the cart, your money is refunded.



• On average a drivers licence costs about $4,000.00 Euro, which today translates to $5,600 American dollars. Lots of people ride bikes!



• You can pretty much park your car anywhere-if you are driving down a street and there is a parked car in the street, you must yield to oncoming traffic before proceeding.



• Europe is on a 24 hour clock, funny to see your digital clocks read 1630 etc..



• You bring your own basket, boxes or bags for shopping, if your really good, your own egg cartons for eggs.



• Stores are not open on Sunday.



• Mon thru Saturday, most stores close by 1800, a few grocery stores stay open til 2000 .

And last but not least............... average prices in Euro

• a gallon of gasoline 5.00


• a bottle of water 2.00


• a glass of coke 1.50


• a glass of beer 1.00

love and miss you all