German Food: Snacks and Dessert

Over the past couple of weeks, I've managed to blog about delicious German breakfast, as well as typical German lunches/dinners. Now that we've gotten through the main meals of the day, let's focus on snacks and dessert! :-9

First up: marzipan. It's made of sugar and almond meal, and I really don't know how to describe it except to say: go to your local Cost Plus and get some. Now.

Marzipan comes in a variety of forms, including the regular bars (both plain and chocolate-covered), or shaped into things like bread or potatoes:

... or fruits and vegetables (cute!)

... or babies (creepy!)

... or, my favorite-- currywurst with fries! It looks very realistic. We actually bought one of these at KaDeWe in Berlin, and have been reluctant to break into it to eat it, it looks so cool!

Next: chocolate. Good chocolate isn't exclusive to Germany (Belgium and Switzerland produce some amazing chocolates as well), but in general, European chocolate is far superior to anything you can find in the US. You might be familiar with the Ritter Sport bars you see at Trader Joe's. That is but a small, meager sampling of the varieties of chocolate available in Germany! When I came home from active duty, I shipped over a Xerox box full of chocolates along with my household goods :-9

Ritter Sport Store

Milka is another favorite brand. Regardless, they all make Hershey's taste like crap (it IS crap, isn't it!?)

You might have heard of Kinder Surprise-- hollow chocolate eggs with a little toy inside. They are banned in the US, ostensibly because of the safety hazards of the small toy. Not kidding!  The chocolate itself is okay (still better than Hershey's!), but the fun of it is the little toy surprise. Kind of like Cracker Jacks, when they used to give out decent prizes.

Finally, one of my favorite desserts is Rote Gruetze. Again, this really has no English language equivalent. The best approximation is a kind of berry compote, minus the spices and other additives. It's typically berries cooked in sugar, with a slightly gelatinous texture. It is best eaten with vanilla sauce. Perfect blend of sweet (vanilla) and sour (the Gruetze).

Hmm... I really shouldn't blog about yummy German food during my lunch hour. It's making me hungry, and really making me pine for the delicious eats usually found only in their country of origin! :-9

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Muenster: Then and Now

The picture below shows one of the "landmarks" of the apartment complex where I used to live in Muenster. On the right is 4-year-old Helly playing on the pole of the laundry lines in our backyard. To the left is 21-year-old Helly by that same pole, in the same backyard. Time flies, but some things still remain!

1998 and 1981

Of course, when we went to Muenster this summer, one of our destinations was that very same apartment building! Here I am again, this time with family. This shot has us a little closer to the street, but you can still make out the laundry pole behind me, and the same brick and concrete building to the right:

August 2014

Here's another shot of us, with me hanging on to the exact same pole, only taken from the other side. When I lived there, the metal stairs were NOT there. There was only a balcony. And as you can see, the wire fence that was next to the laundry line in 1981 disappeared by 1998, only to reappear, this time as a white wooden fence in 2014.

August 2014

At least the big trees in the very background seem to be consistent all throughout the years. As are the laundry poles!! Funny how some things evolve while some things remain the same. Ah, the memories...

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Eco-friendly Germany

One of the things that impressed me the most about Germany was how eco-friendly the whole place is, even more so than Southern California, which is probably more environmentally conscious than the rest of the United States.

Obviously, public transportation, which I wrote about last week, plays a big role in reducing the number of cars on the road. And if you do drive, public parking isn't cheap. Additionally, in many bigger cities, you actually have to purchase a special "environmental sticker" for your car to be allowed to drive there.

In Muenster especially, bicycles are a prominent form of transportation as well. There is a saying that goes something like "Every person in Muenster is born on a bicycle", a testament to the number of bikes in the city. I remember borrowing one and using it to get around during one of the first times I visited our old family friends there:

1998

Then there's recycling. Germans really take the concept to a new level with not just separating general trash from recyclable goods, but divvying up the various recycling categories, as well. Typically, the division runs like this: one bin for bio-waste that can be used for composting, one bin for regular waste, a bin for paper, a bin for plastics/packaging, and a bin for glass (which, even then, can be further subdivided according to color of glass).

It can be dizzying, but it's pretty impressive! We could stand to learn a thing or two from our neighbors on this little planet! :-)

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

German Bed and Bedding

As is often the case with most couples, Allan and I have different heat tolerances. This is especially evident at bedtime-- back when we were sharing the same blanket, as most American couples do, it was rather trying. I'd either be too cold or he'd be too hot.

So we hit upon a solution: do blankets German-style, that is: each person has his/her own blanket (or. more accurately, duvet). Allan got a thin one, I got a thick one, and voila! No more problems at bedtime!

Now, the Germans don't just have separate blankets. They also have separate twin-size mattresses pushed together, like so:

Often the two mattresses are enclosed in one big bed frame, like so:

I like having separate beds and separate blankets. When your partner moves around, it's less likely to disturb you, because your shared space isn't as connected (single blanket that will move, single mattress that transmits motion to your side). There's a clearer delineation between your side and my side, which limits bed hogging. And blanket hogging is a thing of the past when you have your own!

I also like the concept of the duvet and duvet cover. Unlike American blankets, which are protected from your skin by flimsy flat sheets, duvets are encased in a cover, much like a pillowcase. When it gets dirty, it's a cinch to pull off the cover and throw it in the wash. And you don't have to worry about all those pesky layers of sheets and blankets getting tangled up. AND it's MUCH easier to make your bed-- fluff out your blanket, fold it neatly, and you're done!

Of course, Allan and I took this concept to the next level with completely separate DOUBLE beds (rather than twin beds) pushed together, creating the effect of one gigantic bed that still doesn't take up all of our master bedroom:

See? Plenty of room for our myriad of stuffed animals! :-D

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Nostalgia 2: Living in Mannheim

Yesterday's post got me a little misty-eyed, recalling the "ruins" of the US Army bases in Mannheim where I used to live and work. So today I thought I'd write a little more about what it was like living there.

I was stationed in Mannheim from January 1998 through September 2001. I had come straight out of college, so this was my first real job, and my first time away from home. Unlike many of my colleagues, I elected to live on post (officers, senior enlisted, and enlisted folks with family had the choice of living on post or living on the economy and getting a housing allowance for it), which kept me in closer proximity to everything you might need, especially work!

The military base at Mannheim was one of the larger ones in Germany. It was spread out over several barracks (Kaserne) throughout various parts of the city, and constituted a microcosm of sorts. You could conceivably be stationed in Germany for years and never once interact with a German, learn the language, eat the food... You were surrounded by fellow Americans and everything you needed was on post: the PX for general shopping needs, the commissary for groceries, a theater, bowling alley, schools for your children (from elementary through high school), a university, a library, barbershop, a Burger King (LOL) and various nightclub-type spots-- including one featuring weekly karaoke! :-)

Of course, most people didn't limit themselves to on-post activities (I really don't know why you'd want to!) Unlike most military bases in the US, we didn't have distinct Officer's, NCO and Enlisted Clubs. Most of us were busy hitting up the local bars in downtown Mannheim (most memorably, O'Reilly's Irish Pub, where my hair once caught on fire!). And I rarely shopped on post-- at the time, the dollar was so strong that it was cheaper to shop on the local economy. Not to mention you had a bigger, better variety of goods, especially groceries!

One of the things I remember with the most fondness was the close relationships between the American troops and the local Germans. Many of our civilian employees were local nationals. Several of my soldiers had German families. And every year, in Benjamin Franklin Village, literally right across the street from my apartment, we held an annual German-American Volksfest, where Germans and Americans alike gathered together in giant beer tents to eat, drink, and make merry. It was kid-friendly, too-- lots of carnival rides and games outside the beer tent.

 

It goes without saying that living in the heart of Europe made it amazingly convenient to travel to neighboring countries. From cruising the river Seine in Paris to ferrying across the channel to the UK, from skiing in the Swiss Alps to sunning yourself on Spanish beaches, from venturing through the red-light district in Amsterdam to visiting World War I historical sights in Belgium, it was all easily accessible.

I don't think I fully appreciated how fortunate I was to be able to live there, while I was actually there. Since I'd never lived on my own before, I really didn't have anything to compare it to. Looking back, I wish I'd made more use of travel opportunities and learning the language. But I'm glad I got the chance to experience living there, to meet the many people I did, and to be very small part of the history of Americans in Germany. For many of us who were stationed here, it is indeed our "second home".

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Nostalgia: Abandoned Army Barracks

When we went to Germany this past August, one of the first things on my itinerary was to visit where I was stationed in Mannheim from 1998-2001. I had fond memories of a big, bustling military base, spread out over several barracks, and friendly relationships with the local Germans. Imagine my surprise when, a few weeks before the trip, I discovered that a few years ago, the US armed forces in Mannheim had departed, turning the bases back over to the German government. I found city planning websites that detailed their plans for Benjamin Franklin Village, where I had lived, and Taylor Barracks, where I had worked. I knew I HAD to visit the places one last time before they were razed down or repurposed.

First thing we did after arriving at the Frankfurt airport and getting our rental car was to drive the 45 minutes south to Mannheim. The boys were tired and jet-lagged, but I was eager to see my old haunts. When we got there, I was filled with nostalgia. Everything was fenced off and abandoned. Weeds grew rampant. Just being back there brought back a flood of memories. I could close my eyes and practically see and hear the hubbub of daily life. But when I opened them again, all I saw was a ghost town.

I thought I'd take you along my little trip down memory lane with a few pictures.

Here I am just a couple weeks after arriving in the country. I had just gotten my car (shipped over from Georgia) and settled into my apartment on post. Snow had fallen and I was trying out my new ice/snow scraper. My car is parked right in front of my apartment building.

January 1998

Here is my old apartment building today, fenced off:

August 2014

Rear view of my apartment building. My apartment's windows (in the yellow square) are mostly obscured by the tree, but you can make out the different sets of windows-- the first 2 windows (right side, closest to the edge of the building) are my living room, the small center window is my bathroom, and the 2 windows to the left of it are my bedroom.

August 2014

Through my windows, I had a view of the PX (Post Exchange), where many soldiers did their shopping. Here I am in front of the fence guarding the PX, where the overgrown weeds really add an air of abandonment to the shot.

August 2014

After touring where I used to live, we drove down the street to Taylor Barracks, where I used to work.

Here is a shot of the main grassy area during a battalion change of command ceremony:

June 1998

Those same grounds were home to some fun times, like Org Day 1998, with tug of war:

July 1998

... and the Commander's litter race:

July 1998

We didn't just play, though. We worked hard. Here's the 268th Signal Company command team in our motor pool:

(L-R) XO, CO, 2nd PL, 1st PL (me)

And here is Taylor Barracks today. This is the back entrance through which I drove to work every single day. I'd show my ID card to the soldier in the little brown guard shack, drive past the grassy area where we held COC ceremonies...

... past the motor pool...

... past the dining facility and dormitory-style barracks where the soldiers lived...

... and to our offices.

It made me really sad and wistful to see the place where I'd spent some of my formative years lie abandoned, overgrown, neglected, and blocked off. It was such a stark contrast to the thriving community that began after World War II and remained until just a few years ago. But, such is life, I suppose. You cycle through various transitions from one stage to another, always growing, never remaining the same. Still... the fond memories of what used to be will always last!

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

German Food: Lunch and Dinner

My favorite mealtime in Germany is clearly breakfast, as I wrote about last week. But some of the more uniquely German dishes that comprise lunch and/or dinner are worth noting, too!

First up: Bratwurst. I'm sure most people are familiar with this quintessential German food. The delicious, fatty, salty sausage that just melts in your mouth and goes well with a piece of Broetchen fresh from the oven. Most people will eat it with sauerkraut and mustard, but as I'm not partial to either, I prefer mine plain. A lot of the time, the spices in the sausage make it so tasty, you don't need to detract from it with condiments!

Next: Schnitzel. Typically pork or chicken, hammered flat and tenderized before being breaded and fried. My favorite is schnitzel smothered in a brown mushroom sauce, with big pieces of mushroom in it. Delicious!

Most Schnitzel is eaten with (as pictured) french fries, but I prefer mine with...

Spaetzle! This is a noodle made of eggs, so the consistency isn't quite as "tough" as normal pasta. The shape is puffier, and the texture is softer and a little reminiscent of scrambled eggs. It's often served coated in cheese (Kaesespaetzle), but I enjoy it plain, too.

Frikadellen are another favorite that my mother used to cook from time to time. They are basically meat patties, where the ground meat is mixed with egg, chopped onions (my mom's version includes chopped potatoes) and bread crumbs before being molded into balls, flattened slightly, and fried. They're a little more akin to flattened giant meatballs than to hamburger patties :-) But they are infinitely more delicious than either :-9

This next dish is one I've only eaten at our local (now closed) German restaurant, Brummi's, where its owner hailed from East Berlin and provided the best eats: Kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancakes. The closest American equivalent might be hash browns, except that the potatoes are grated to a much finer scale than with hash browns. The outside is fried brown and crispy, leaving the inside soft and mealy. They're best served with a little side of applesauce!

Looking back at my list, I realize that just about every single food item here is fried. Probably not the healthiest to eat frequently, but soooo delicious. Maybe the arteries won't approve, but the taste buds do, and with gusto! :-)

What are your favorite foods?

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

The German Language

Though I grew up in the United States, my first language was actually German. I was born there, and came to the US when I was 4 years old, so I'm not exactly fluent in German, but have enough of a basic background to pick it up again fairly easily.

As I grew up, besides learning English, I also picked up a little bit of Spanish and some high school French. And I've learned one thing: in some respects, German is an easy language to pick up, and in other respects, it's one of the most difficult.

It's easy in the realm of pronunciation and vocabulary. There are set rules governing the pronunciation of German words (they are similar to Spanish), and if you follow these rules, it's fairly easy to pick up spelling and pronunciation. Contrast this to English, where there are more exceptions than rules when it comes to spelling and pronunciation ("i before e", anyone? And how about pronouncing through, enough, plough, cough, and dough?)

In terms of vocabulary, it can be a little tricky to pick up at first, but after a while you start to notice something: those super-long German words? Are easily deciphered by breaking down the individual words. German is pretty literal: the word for something generally describes exactly what it is/does.

Now, when it comes to *grammar*, on the other hand, German is definitely harder to pick up. English is actually pretty easy because we don't have gendered nouns. Languages like French and Spanish, with their masculine and feminine articles for nouns, are a little trickier, but still manageable. Then along comes German, which adds a THIRD (neutral) article to the mix, and somehow dealing with 3 different articles makes the corresponding grammatical rules exponentially more difficult.

Aesthetically-speaking, I've heard non-German-speaking friends tell me they think German sounds harsh and guttural. Not to me. Maybe it's because I'm used to it, but it actually sounds very smooth and clean and... open to me. It's hard to describe except to contrast it to English, which I feel involves more "swallowing" of words and rolling the tongue backward to properly pronounce. A little bit like French, but on a smaller scale. With German, I feel like my tongue and my lips are more... free! It is certainly a language I love :-)

What are your takes on other languages?

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Pay Toilets

When Mother Nature calls, I've come to take it for granted that there are readily-available restrooms everywhere, especially in places like shopping malls and gas stations. And while that is also true in Germany, there's one key difference: you pay to use the toilet.

The only exception I've seen is restaurants where you are already a patron. But general public toilets in shopping centers, gas stations, and other random spots? They all come with a price tag.

It isn't terribly much-- in the range of 50 to 70 Euro cents. And in some of the larger gas stations that partner with Sanifair, one of the more prevalent restroom-sanitation companies, you get a voucher for 50 cents off any purchase in the attached restaurant or convenience store, making the net cost of going to the bathroom only 20 cents.

Still, it certainly takes a bit to get used to. It's something you have to actively plan for when you travel-- make sure you have enough coins in your purse to cover the cost of toilet fare. And when you're traveling as a family, it really starts to add up after a while!

At first, I found it a bit annoying. I had to actively keep track of coins, and since I wasn't quite used to the various coin denominations, I ended up hoarding coins whenever I could (including 1 Euro and 2 Euro pieces!), which really weighed down my wallet. And just the idea of paying for something that's so freely available in the US took a bit of an attitude shift.

Then I realized what the money was (in theory) going toward-- keeping the restrooms clean and sanitary. "Gas station restroom" typically conjures up images of dank, grimy, smelly, disease-laden pits of hell, but in Germany they were quite nice. One of the neatest things I discovered? Self-sanitizing toilets. There's no need for paper toilet cover seats when this happens at every flush:

After a week in the country, we'd gotten accustomed to paying for toilets everywhere we went. We planned around it-- from paying for wares with certain bills to ensure we got coins back in change, to making sure to take advantage of "free" restrooms in the restaurants where we were dining. And in the end? I actually kind of liked knowing that the restroom I was about to enter was likely cleaner than the average public restroom in the US!

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Historic German Churches

For a country as secular as it is today, Germany sure does have a lot of beautiful, old churches, built in various styles and filled with a rich history. Here are some of the ones we visited during our August family trip (note that some of these photos were taken from the web, since our camera ended up being full of close-up shots and very few far-away shots that captured the entire building!

St. Lorenz Church in Nuremberg
Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lorenz,_Nuremberg

Frauenkirche in Dresden
Photo from http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruf_aus_Dresden

Berliner Dom

St Johannis (St John's) church in Lueneburg
Photo from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/34435079

St. Mary's Church in Berlin (Alexanderplatz)

Steeple of St. Mary's Church with TV Tower in the background

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Berlin)

Lambertikirche in Muenster

St. Paul's Cathedral in Muenster, right after the weekly Saturday market closed

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

Public Transportation

In the sprawling metropolis that is Southern California, it's difficult to imagine getting around without a car. Public transportation is woefully lacking here, as it is in most parts of the US (except maybe NYC). Especially compared to places like Germany. And given how idiotic so many drivers seem to be, maybe increased public transportation would be a good thing :-P

When I moved to Germany as a recent college graduate, I brought my brand new Plymouth Neon with me (the Army shipped over my car). It's a compact car that easily gets dwarfed by the SUVs and trucks that seem to dominate the American landscape. But in Germany, it felt huge. Nothing makes your little zippy car feel big like winding through narrow cobblestone streets or trying to squeeze into a parking spot. It really gave me renewed appreciation for how plentiful and vast the public transit system was, especially in large cities.

There was a streetcar and bus station right outside the building where I lived, so it came in very handy after spending a night out on the town with friends, and making it home safely. Whenever I made a trek up north to Muenster to see family friends, I alternated between driving and taking the train. There's nothing quite like zipping along the countryside on the ICE trains! I even got a BahnCard for further discounts on my train ticket purchases.

During our recent summer trip to Germany, we opted to rent a car. We were going to be city-hopping on a daily basis, and it's just easier to have a car when traveling with a kid. It was quite a reality check to realize how expensive it can be to drive in Germany-- between the gas prices (more than twice the US average) and the cost of parking, it really added up. However, in Berlin, the only city where we stayed 2 nights instead of one, we opted to take advantage of its public transit network. From subways to trams (streetcars) to buses, we had it all at our disposal. It was so convenient, and we loved it! Todd especially liked his first ride on a subway :-)

Of note was the "poor man's tour bus", or Bus #100, a double-decker that has stops along many of Berlin's famous tourist sights. And while it certainly made it convenient for us to get from attraction to attraction, we quickly learned that it's a popular bus! At around 5:00pm, when everyone was getting off work, the buses were jam-packed!

I remember coming to Santa Barbara after finishing my active duty tour in Germany. One of the things that UCSB student fees pay for is a bus pass, so I would often ride the bus to school. However, there was only one bus that went by the stop nearest my house, and it only ran every 20 minutes! What a contrast to the bustling lines of German cities, where something came by every few minutes. Made me miss it even more!

You can't easily get by without a car over here. In Germany, I don't see how you can get around anywhere without public transit! :-)

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

German Drivers

One of the things I appreciated most about Germany was its drivers. Many people envision the stereotype of a German driver zipping down the speed-limit-less Autobahn at 100+ mph, but that's rarely the case. You see, in contrast to American drivers (especially those in Southern California), Germans actually respect the road and KNOW how to drive.

I'm sure I've ranted about this before, but my biggest pet peeve when it comes to driving is cruising in the passing lane. Those "slow traffic keep right" signs are there for a reason, people! The left lanes are for passing-- once you've passed the slow car(s) in front of you, you MOVE BACK to the right lane. But Southern Californians seem to think nothing of hogging the left lanes and merrily cruising at the same speed (if not slower!!) as those in the right lanes. What really irks me about this practice is that most So Cal highways, especially in the more populated areas, consist of 3-4 lanes on each side! So there is really no excuse for cruising in the left lane!

Germans, on the other hand, take this very seriously. Most German highways are only 2 lanes on each side, possibly 3 in bigger cities. And they're very conscientious about using the left lane ONLY for passing. You pull out, quickly overtake the car(s) you're trying to pass, and then pop straight back into the right lane. This keeps traffic flowing smoothly. If you make the mistake of cruising in the passing lane, irate drivers will not hesitate to let you know! The only times I've come up on someone doing that was when the car bore plates from another country. Never a German car. Driving along the long stretches of open German road was actually quite refreshing and relaxing!

Fast-lane cruisers have always annoyed me in So Cal, but after coming back from our trip last month, and having driven on the glorious Autobahn with its more-considerate drivers, I've found myself even more annoyed by these same awful driving habits here at home.

Another annoyance is traffic circles. In all fairness, roundabouts are such a rarity in So Cal that I don't blame many people for being unsure of how to correctly use them. But here in SB, they are starting to become more numerous, and I love them! They're really good for keeping the traffic flowing... IF people use them properly. I've lost track of how many times I've had to honk at someone IN the circle who tried to slow down to let people outside the circle in. That's NOT the way it works, buddy!!

In Germany, traffic circles were definitely more commonplace, and I loved them not only for traffic flow, but for an easy way to make a U-turn. Drivers go in and know what they're doing, and where they're doing (it does help that German roundabout signs are more clearly marked and a little more idiot-proof than American signs). Case in point: the huge, multi-lane roundabout surrounding the Siegessauele (Victory Column) in Berlin. Great opportunity for confusion, but Germans take it in stride!

The #1 thing I miss about Germany is the food (as you've seen from my previous post on breakfast, and as you'll see about upcoming posts on other German foods). The #2 thing is the driving/drivers. If we could import even half the common sense of German drivers into American drivers, we'd really cut down on the road rage that runs rampant! 

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

German Food: Breakfast

Ask just about anyone to name something unique and memorable about Germany, and the answer usually revolves around food and drink. From bratwurst to beer, I could probably go on for days about German food, but today I'll focus on one thing: breakfast.

On our most recent trip to Germany this past August, one of the things I most looked forward to was a good, filling German breakfast. I made sure to book only lodging that offered breakfast buffets. And they did not disappoint!

What constitutes a good German breakfast?

Well, the main staple is bread. And I'm not talking that white Wonder bread crap. I'm talking freshly-baked Broetchen and hearty Vollkornbrot. Soft and warm on the inside, crackling and crispy on the outside, a good bread just begs to be spread with butter and and topped with your favorite "toppings".

As far as the "toppings" go, your options are practically limitless.

In the mood for something sweet? Try wild honey, a number of different fruit preserves, or Nutella.

In the mood for something savory? Try various cheeses-- both sliced and creamy, sliced meats like ham and salami, or various liverwurst spreads.

You can then top off your breakfast with more typical American fare, such as cereal with milk, boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and yogurt. And of course, coffee, tea, or fruit juices.

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. By German standards, I'd say that's true. And what better way to start it off than with some really hearty fare? :-9

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!

31 Days of Germany

Well, hello, blog. How have you been? Long time no see! 
After well over a year-long absence on my part, Tabitha has once again inspired me to begin writing-- with one of those month-long challenges, no less!

This month, as part of the October 31-day challenge, I'm going to delve into 31 daily posts on a specific theme/topic. My chosen topic? The lovely country of Germany! 

Why Germany? Because it's one of my favorite places to live and travel. I was actually born in Germany (my parents were students at universities there), and came to the US when I was 4 years old. After graduating from college, I was commissioned into the US Army and spent the next 4 years stationed in Germany. After that, I only had a couple of subsequent visits -- a week with my grad school advisor, collaborating with his colleagues in Berlin, and a week traveling with my boys this past summer, doing a whirlwind sightseeing tour as well as visiting old friends.

For the next 31 days, I'm hoping to write more about the country I would call my second home if I were to uproot from sunny Santa Barbara. Things I enjoy about it, things I don't like about it, anecdotes about my own time there-- as a child, as a young adult, and as a wife and mother, photo dumps, anything that catches my fancy!

I'll also be using this post as a landing page to collect the entire series' worth. So check back and check often! :-)

Day 1: this post. Haha! ;-)
Day 2: German Food: Breakfast!
Day 3: Drivers: the Good and the Bad 
Day 4: Public Transportation 
Day 5: Historic Churches and Cathedrals
Day 6: Paying for Restroom Usage 
Day 7: The German Language
Day 8: German Food: the good, the fried and the fatty
Day 9: Nostalgia: Army Days, Then and Now
Day 10: Nostalgia 2: Living in Mannheim 
Day 11: German beds and bedding
Day 12: Eco-friendly Germany
Day 13: Muenster: Revisiting my old childhood home
Day 14: German Food: Snacks and Desserts
Day 15: Tuition-Free Education
Day 16: Berlin in Pictures
Day 17: Militaries all over the world
Day 18: German Houses
Day 19: Rothenburg's Medieval Crime Museum
Day 20: German Drinks: bring on the fizz!
Day 21: Dresden in Pictures 
Day 22: German Food: Traditional Holiday Treats
Day 23: Historic German Castles
Day 24: A Mobile Shop on Every Corner 
Day 25: The German language, in full force and full hilarity! 
Day 26: Sit to Pee: Standing is verboten! 
Day 27: Different Hotels in Germany, and all family-friendly! 
Day 28: Oh, wie schön ist Panama, aka one of my favorite childhood books!