Frankfurt, Food and FACTS

So, Ive had a lot of time to just relax and fall back into place in Germany. Ive really got to re-experience all the delicious food that I had remembered from the first time around. German food is so much more that just Sausage, Potatoes, Sauerkraut and Beer - contrary to popular belief. I suppose now would be a good time to talk about stereotypes and misconceptions - yeah, there are a lot of them.

Outside Shopping Areas

I have yet to do all that much traveling, but I did recently go to Frankfurt despite the extreme cold (coldest European winter in recent history, people are literally dying). Anyway, it was cold and somewhat sunny, then randomly snowing, but regardless, Frankfurt is a cool city with great Museums and restaurants, home to a good college or two. I would almost compare it to my hometown Indianapolis - the only difference being the amount of public transportation available there. We rode trains, subways and a couple of streetcars just to get around.


So, true false time. Play along. The answers will be at the bottom :)

True or false?

1. German beer is sometimes cheaper than water
2. Germans drink their beer warm
3. Only Munich celebrates Oktoberfest
4. Everyone in Germany wears Lederhosen
5. There is no speed limit on the Autobahn (Interstate)
6. German trains are always on time
7. The German language is very throaty (i.e. lots of hacking and coughing sounds when speaking)
8. Many Germans speak English
9. Germans' sense of humor is dull, or nonexistent
10. There are more than 250 German dialects

Graaaaaains, I want Graaaaaaains!

Alright, enough of that. Hope you did well! So yes, food. Each region of Germany has their own spin on a type of dish. They have their own original beer, their own original flavor of meat or dish that others in Germany might not even know about. Meat, especially sausage and sliced deli type meats are very popular, being eaten for breakfast and such. Most meats can be purchased from the local butcher (and no, not the ones in the supermarket, actual butchers). There are so many types of cheese, you might get a brain tumor thinking about it. There are cheeses from Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland to name a few. And what do you put all that meat and cheese on? ---Delicious, delicious fresh baked bread from the baker. When I think about bread choices in America, I feel annoyed. "Hmm, white bread, or wheat bread....". I know there are other breads, but even those dont compare to the delicious choices here. Dont get me started about their rolls. WOW.

Imported fruit. I had never seen some of this before.

So German Karnival (Called Fasching, Faasend Fastnacht depending on where you are) is starting. Its the equivalent of our Mardi Gras - but with less breasts, beads, random street sex and police. Its a tradition that I have recently learned is more than 5000 years old. People celebrate for a week every year with festivals, parades, parties, and so much more. I'll be making some plans to explore and take some pictures. Expect another entry thereafter.

SO! I know how delightfully excited you are about the answers to the random stereotypical pop quiz. Let me know how many you got right.

1. True. Germans drink sparkling water or Mineral water that is usually somewhat expensive. If you go to a restaurant, thats what you get. No free water from the tap, thats pretty much unheard of. 
2. False. I'm not sure where this idea came from, but they like their beer COLD. Yes, there may be people who drink it warm, but Id rather not associate my beer with piss.
3. True- with exceptions. The major event, the entire Oktoberfest is held in Munich, Bavaria where it has over 6+ million visitors each year. Although, throughout Germany smaller local Oktobefests are held with concerts and a few parties, but nothing compared to the original.
4. False. Lederhosen (leather pants, as well as those German style beer wench dresses) arent worn by everyone. Nowadays they are hardly worn by anyone aside from parties, Oktoberfest and such. Older people both men a women still wear the traditional garb in southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. There are many shops that sell original hand made dresses (Dirndl) and Lederhosen. 
5. False. Sorry need for speeders. There are many speed limits on the Autobahn, but dont worry, there are still sections of the autobahn that are indeed, limitless, and people DO go as fast as they want. It mostly depends on the surrounding areas, if it crosses through the city or highly populated areas. 
6. False. Well, I know a LOT of Germans who wished this were true. The German train system, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) has numerous delays and cancellations. They do their best to be on time, and it is usually reliable. 
7. False. I say this because I find Dutch (spoken in Holland) is much more throaty and harsh, and even some French words. German can be associated with the rolling of R's especially in certain dialects.
8. True. Some Germans even begin learning English from the 1st grade, while other begin in the 5th grade.
9. False. They are humorous people with a few good comedians. I enjoy a German political satire show similar to Americas "The Daily Show".
10. True. Dialects, which are alterations on the base language, can vary from town to town. Think about that. Plus, German is spoken in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Luxemburg, Holland and a few other places all with influence from the neighboring country. For example, there might be an Italian influence in Switzerland, or Luxemburg, located between Germany and France has very interesting dialects.

Alright. Have a great Valentines day all, and for those singles out there - maybe next year?