Alternate Universe

We've already talked a lot about how Italy and Germany are different from the US, like in these links, but here are a bunch of more mundane differences.  These apply to both Germany and Italy, except where noted.

• When people ask for your name, they mean your last name.
• Germans and Italians often don't have middle names.
• People in Germany wait for the light at crosswalks, even if there are no cars coming.  In Italy anyone (pedestrians, cars, mopeds, bikes) goes anytime it is physically possible.
• The recycling is divided differently (compostable things, paper of all kinds, plastic and metal, glass bottles), and they recycle more things, so you have less normal trash.
• Riding buses is normal.
• The metric system.
• Commercial breaks in Germany are longer, but there are about 1/3 as many.
• Europeans seem to know a lot about other European countries.
• Electricity costs more, but appliances and buildings are more energy efficient.
• I have not found central heating or AC to be common, even in newer houses.  Germany doesn't have or really need AC, and Italy just has it in larger stores.
• Most beverage bottles and cans in Germany have a deposit, so when you return them, you get your deposit back.  Or you sometimes find them on the street and then you get 8-25 cents.  Wine bottles don't have this, for some reason.
• Foreign movies and TV shows are dubbed.  They get most of the big-budget American movies and popular TV shows.  I'm told that the most famous actors usually have the same person doing the voice.  So, there's a German Julia Roberts voice, for example.  The countries also make their own movies and TV shows.
• You don't have to pay for incoming calls on cell phones.
• Health insurance is mandatory.  In Italy, they have a state-run system, so, as long as you go to public doctors and hospitals, you don't have to pay for anything (just the premium).  In Germany everyone has to have private or public insurance, and there are laws about what insurance has to cover.  The only thing I've found that I have to pay for are dental cleanings (the check-up and x-rays are covered).
• Prescription drugs are much cheaper (5-10 euros, ~$6-13), but over-the-counter drugs cost somewhat more, since there aren't any generics.  Also, over-the-counter drugs are sold only at pharmacies, and pharmacies sell only drugs (and things like band-aids and thermometers.  but no shampoo or cosmetics or whatever).
• Soccer is popular.  They have several different league levels, so that any tiny town has a soccer team.
• There are no school sports or school music programs.  In Germany, to play a sport or in a band, you join a club in your area. I'm not sure how it works in Italy, but I think it's similar.
• Handball exists.  It's broadcast on TV sometimes (at least in Germany).
• Sometimes what I consider winter Olympic sports, like luge or ski jumping, are broadcast on TV.  Not just during the Olympics.
• Germany has the term "black" music (they say black in English).  It's played in clubs, but I don't know exactly what it refers to.
• Some bands that sing in English are more popular in Europe than in the US.  For example: Queen, Dire Straits, the Eagles, Genesis/Phil Collins.  People know more than one song by them (or more than 3 songs by Queen).
• They have all different car models.  Also different car companies (Peugoet, Fiat, Opel, Renault, e.g.), but Toyota or Ford or VW have different models here.
• Libraries have an annual membership fee.
• Refrigerators are smaller for some reason.
• In Germany, it is standard to put your birthday, place of birth, and marital status on your resume.  Also to include copies of your diploma, degrees, any other certificates you have, and reference letters/certificates from former employers when you apply for a job.  In Italy, I have read that resumes are usually verbose and not bullet-point-oriented.  Like, 5 pages long.
• German and Italian don't use serial commas.
• DVDs from England often cost less, even considering the exchange rate.
• When buying or renting a house or apartment, in Germany at least, the kitchen usually doesn't come with appliances or cabinets.  People buy all that and then take it all with them when they move.
• Built-in closets don't exist.  You have to buy wardrobes.
• Renting apartments is not common in Italy.
• They have butchers and bakeries that are separate from grocery stores.  And people go to them.
• Outdoor markets, like farmers markets, are more common, and the produce usually costs less than at the grocery stores.  That is where a lot of people buy their produce.
• They observe or celebrate Catholic/Christian holidays, like Three-Kings Day (Epiphany, Jan 6), the Ascension, Carnival (Mardi Gras), and All Saints Day (Nov 1).  Though, not all German states observe all of those.  Also May Day (May 1) is a holiday.
• In Germany, in small towns or residential areas, you have to yield to the driver on your right at all intersections.  Also, those streets are often not wide enough for 2 cars, but they are for driving both ways anyway.  I'm told that is intentional, so people have to go very slowly.  And many parts of the Autobahn have speed limits.
• People drink carbonated water as though it were regular water.
• Tissues are 4-ply.  They're like napkins.  
• Toilet paper is rougher, even expensive kinds.  I can't figure out why.  Also the rolls are slightly thinner and the squares are slightly longer.
• I don't think light beer exists.
• Titles on the spines of books and DVDs are printed bottom to top (American ones are top to bottom).  It's just as easy to read when they're standing up on a shelf, but if they're lying flat, the words are upside down.
• Computer keyboards have some letters and symbols in different places, like the @ symbol or y and z are switched, and they have letter keys with accents and umlauts.
• Italy has bidets.  They exist in Germany as well but are not common.
• The bathrooms in Germany are sometimes split into one room with a shower (and sink) and one room with a toilet (and sink).
• Grocery stores don't give you plastic bags.  You have to bring your own or buy them there.  A lot of people have trolleys or baskets instead of bags.  Trolleys are particularly useful if you can walk from your house to the grocery store or market.
• Movie titles are often completely different from the original titles, not just translations.
• Glass cleaners (Windex) don't have ammonia in them (in Germany, at least).
• The school systems are a little different, but not worth getting into.
• The recycling symbol is different.
• Milk is sold only in 1 liter containers (nothing bigger).

Fall Trips

We had the opportunity to use Ben's parents' car for a few weeks in the fall, so we took some weekend trips.

First was Bodensee (Lake Constance). We started in Lindau. It was kind of rainy and windy, but the view from the shore out to the lighthouse and lion statue was still nice. We also walked around the nice old town area. Next we drove along the coast to Wasserburg, which is more of a summer vacation town. We walked around the shore there and past a lot of charming B&Bs. Then it was on to Friedrichshafen, which is one of the larger cities on the lake, but one of the newer, more industrial ones, and is known for zeppelins. They have a nice promenade along the lake, but it was rainy and foggy when we were there, so there wasn't much of a view. All of the many cafes along the way were full anyway. We then drove on to our hotel in Meersburg. We had originally planned to stay in Friedrichshafen, but could only find a hotel in Meersburg, which turns out to be a good thing, since Meersburg is much more picturesque (also touristy). Our hotel, the Gasthof zum Baeren, is centuries old and right in the old town. The city has a medieval castle, so we went there first. Most of the rooms have medieval decor, but some have furniture and such from later centuries. After the castle, we walked down to the waterfront area. It was the time of year for "new wine" (known by many different regional names), so we went into a wine shop/bar and had a glass. The next day we moved on to Konstanz, the largest city on the lake. They, too have a nice waterfront promenade and a weird rotating statue on a pier. Next we saw 3 old churches on Reichenau. Our last stop on the lake was Ueberlingen. The weather was much nicer that day, so we stopped at one of the many crowded cafes with outdoor tables on the promenade for the popular coffee/cake combo and some more new wine (you have to drink it while you can, since it's not around long). On the drive back, we stopped in Ravensburg, of puzzle fame, and walked around the old town.

The following (extended) weekend we headed north to Franconia and Thuringen. First stop was Bamberg. Bamberg is a very nice city, and consequently popular with tourists. We were also there during Oktoberfest, so we think that was a popular day trip from Munich. First we saw the cathedral and surrounding old buildings, and got some lunch with more new wine, even though the city has famous smoky beer. Then we headed up the hill to Michaelsberg Abbey, which has over 600 medicinal plants painted on the ceiling. There was a new wine festival happening on the premises. Then we walked along "Little Venice" and saw the old town hall on the river. Next we drove to Bayreuth, which is where the annual Wagner opera festival takes place in the summer. We saw the old opera house, which we were lucky to see, since it closed for multi-year renovations 2 days after we were there. It is filled with elaborate wooden decorations. We had some of the local specialty, Klöße (dumplings, often potato dumplings), for dinner. The next day we saw the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which was built under Wagner's supervision and is used exclusively for his opera festival. We also saw the graves of Wagner and his dog Russ. We then drove to Coburg and saw the old town, then headed up to the large, attractive Veste (fortress/castle). Finally we drove into Thuringen to its capital of Erfurt. You wouldn't know Thuringen was part of East Germany, except for some remaining Ampelmännchen and occasional Soviet street names. We walked through part of the old town and the Oktoberfest carnival happening in the cathedral plaza, and saw the Bernd das Brot statue next to the Rathaus (town hall). The next day we went to Goethe-central, aka Weimar. Weimar was also home to a whole host of other famous Germans (see list), the Bauhaus art movement, and the Weimar Republic. Unfortunately the Goethe museum and the Anna Amalia library were closed (Mondays), but we saw many other historic locations and monuments. Weimar also has several streets with art nouveau houses, which are very nice. The next day we saw more of Erfurt, including the cathedral, paintings in the Rathaus, and Krämerbrücke (like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence or Rialto in Venice). Then we drove to Eisenach. Aside from being the birthplace of J.S. Bach, the main attraction there is Wartburg castle, so we walked up there first. Parts of the original medieval castle remain, and the rest was continuously updated. Inside, where we couldn't take pictures, are several impressive romantic-era mosaics, the music hall that was the site of a medieval minstrels' contest and the inspiration for Wagner's opera Tannhäuser, and the room where Martin Luther hid out for a while. After the castle we saw the old town, including Bach's birthhouse and one of the houses where Luther lived. Our hotel was a villa on a hill next to the city, which had many other cool villas. If it wasn't already known for Wartburg, I would consider Eisenach the City of Villas. The next day we drove home, stopping in the half-timbered town of Schmalkalden and then Meiningen.

Our last weekend, before we returned the car, we went to Burg Hohenzollern. It was originally medieval, but was mostly destroyed twice, and the current castle is mostly from the romantic era, in the gothic/medieval style. It's pretty neat.

Donaufest

This post is overdue. In July we saw some bands perform as part of the Donaufest, which happens every two years. A lot of stands with food and handcrafts are set up along the Danube ("Donau" in German), representing all the countries along the river. We saw Safran, a European folk music trio, one night and Ensemble Zengö, which plays Hungarian music, the next night.

Ensemble Zengö performing on an "Ulmer Schachtel" (boat)

We also saw the Balkan Brass Battle, a "competition" between Fanfare Ciocarlia, from Romania, and Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra, from Serbia.

Donaufest at night

Things You Don't See in the U.S. #11

Notice that an unexploded bomb from WWII is going to be defused. It was near the train station, so trains can't go there while they're working on it.

9:40 pm

American Italian Food

I don't think I ever mentioned this before, so here are some things:
1. Fettuccine alfredo isn't on menus in Italian restaurants.
2. Italians don't eat spaghetti with meatballs. They have meatballs and they have spaghetti with tomato sauce, but they don't put the two together.
3. In nicer restaurants, Italians eat pizza with a knife and fork.

Japan

There hasn't been much activity on the blog recently, since we've gotten settled in Ulm and the weather in the winter here isn't that great for taking trips. Maybe no one is even reading this anymore. :-)
Anyway, we went to Japan on vacation for two weeks at the end of March/beginning of April. That worked out quite well, because we were able to take advantage of the Easter holidays in Germany and catch the cherry blossoms in Japan. Actually, due to the long, cold winter in Japan, the cherry blossoms were about a week behind schedule compared to the average, so we only saw them towards the end of our trip (in Kyoto, we kept saying to ourselves how impressive this must look with cherry blossoms...). We covered quite a lot of ground in those two weeks: We flew into Nagoya, then stopped briefly in Okayama to see the famous Koraku-en before continuing on to Hiroshima and the famous floating torii at Miyajima. We then backtracked to Kyoto, where we spent several days, taking small side trips to Uji and Hikone. From there it was off to Nara, before heading to the Japan Alps, where we stopped in Matsumoto and then visited the snow monkeys and hot springs in Shibu Onsen. We then traveled to Tokyo with a brief stop in Nagano. Tokyo was again our base for several days, with a side trip taken to Nikko, before flying back home.
We had a fantastic time, and I'll let the pictures do the talking instead of commenting on everything. Unfortunately, I did manage to fracture my ankle after getting out of a hot spring in Shibu Onsen, which meant that I was on crutches the entire time in Tokyo. Therefore, we didn't see as much there as we would have liked to, though on the bright side, that means that there's a definite reason to go back in the near future!