What do your Sundays (Sonntag) look like?

In Germany most stores are closed on Sundays. Sundays are designated as a day of rest. This tradition has been lawfully protected by labor unions and churches in Germany.

Sunday hours are not listed window signs

Each state (Bundesländer) can decide how may Sundays stores may be open each year. It ranges from 4 to 8 per year. Its hard to believe isn't it? Coming from the US, Sunday is a day to finish errands before the week starts up again. When we first arrived in Germany I felt antsy on Sunday. There was first a sense I was missing or forgetting something, which transitioned to, I am falling behind in getting stuff done, which transitioned to, what in the world should we do today?!  Luckily it just took two Sundays till I too was enjoying the serenity of Sundays.

Join a remote control boating club with Sunday meetings

If you urgently need to buy something you can go to the larger main train stations where the stores are able to remain open, otherwise cafes, museums, gyms, churches, gas stations and movie theaters are your options.

So with all this time, what do Germans do with their Sunday of solitude? Sundays are days to meet with friends and family, visit over Kaffee und Kuchen, go for walks, bike rides, church and enjoy the scenery.

If you are feeling a bit of shopping withdrawal you can always stroll through downtown and admire some pretty architecture and shop windows with your family.

Pretty store windows to help the weekend shopper

Stroll through romantic alleys

You can do all sorts of things with your free time EXCEPT mow the lawn or use loud power tools that may disturb your neighbors tranquility or hang up your laundry outside.

You can always go for a whirl on the Autobahn!

During winter be sure to visit a frozen lake and watch ducks walk on water. They do look a bit out of place.

-Enjoy your Sonntag-

References:
http://www.verkaufsoffener-sonntag.com/verkaufsoffene-sonntage-in-den-einzelnen-bundeslaendern/
http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/03/20/zzzontag-sunday-is-germanys-ode-to-silence/

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everywhere you go......

I have been humming this tune a lot the past week. The town has been busy! The shop windows are looking festive, the city has lights strung across the downtown pedestrian shopping areas, the Christmas trees are up and the smells in the air from the Christmas Market are just starting! Deeeelicious

Fudge Stand

Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) Stand

Every year in Germany the Christmas Markets spring up in the city center squares and consist of a garden variety of stands. You can find all sorts of great gift ideas from local businesses and delicious traditional and regional cuisines. Yummmmmm...

A sausage stand

You can add toppings from the topping station

The Christmas Markets in Germany should definitely be on your bucket list. The markets begin in late November and continue everyday till Christmas eve.

Activities for kids

Cafes join the fun with blankets and outdoor heating  

Strung lights make the evening atmosphere magical

Once you're chilled and need a tasty, steaming beverage to warm up with, remember to sip some Glühwein (mulled wine) with a friend :) Here is a recipe link in case you can't wait that long!

Glühwein- http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20538/gluehwein/

Frohe Weihnachten! 

My Porsche

This is my Porsche :) 

I feel so happy riding my bike to, around, from and through town. It gets me everywhere I want to go. I have no traffic to consider in planning the ride. I can spend 30-45 mins going to my destination and feel it was time well spent.

If I ride 60 minutes total per day zipping around town I can get so many errands done and have an awesome workout done for the day! I even get the best parking spots right next to the front door every time!

How many of you have parked this close to the mall before? Especially with Christmas around the corner? Awesome, huh?

Biking is popular here. The paths are great in and around town and there are people of ALL ages and stages of life riding.

Today I was leaving a cafe and found I had a flat tire. I felt a certain type of sadness I haven't felt before for a mode of transportation. My second baby was not doing well.  I took my bike to the bike shop per bus and sat like a worried mother in the waiting room. The bike technicians in the shop found the culprit, a small shard of glass. Hooray! My bike was in excellent shape again and felt like a new car. Vrooom!! Vrooom!!

When I gripped the handles my smile and happiness returned and I was on my way again.

Doesn't she (Sweet Pea) look great with a baguette in the basket :)

Teeny Tiny Things

"The refrigerators are smaller,” remarked my dad during a recent visit. Sooooooo much is smaller. The houses, refrigerators, food packaging, cars and toiletries, just to name a few, are all smaller.

Here’s our fridge all shiny and new and there is our fridge after going shopping. 

This makes grocery shopping interesting, charming and entertaining. There are teeny-tiny packages of so many products. Even the bands at the registers where you place the food to pay are smaller.

Here is a photo of some baking soda. It’s a teeny tiny package with about 3 teaspoons in it. But that’s all you really need when baking a cake or loaf of banana bread, isn’t it?

Baking Soda

Here is a photo with some other baking supplies: 2.2 lbs of flour (Mehl), peanut butter (Erdnusscreme), baking soda (Natron) and baking powder (Backpulver). 

Small packaging makes it possible to fit the food in the teeny-tiny fridges. 

We are considering upgrading our current fridge to a larger fridge. Here are some of the options. I think that’s all we really need. One of those big beauties would be juuuust right :)

Refrigerators (Kühlschränke)

Smaller packaging may also be a way to reduce food waste. Food waste is a concern in Germany. Some buffet style restaurants are considering adding fees for food left uneaten. One restaurant in Stuttgart (a city in Southern Germany) implemented a 1 Euro fee (approx. 1.10 USD) to customers that don't finish everything on their plates. (1)

Here is an interesting food waste factoid published by World Resources Institute:

We estimate that if the current rate of food loss and waste were cut in half―from 24 percent to 12 percent―by the year 2050, the world would need about 1,314 trillion kilocalories (kcal) less food per year than it would in the business-as-usual global food requirements... (2)

Wow! By reducing food waste we can ensure adequate food supplies for so many years on a global level!

Wouldn’t it be nice to reduce household food waste by 30%? This would reduce the impact on the environment due to packaging, gas in transporting and production, energy in producing the food and potentially cut your grocery bill by 30%!!! It’s nice to contemplate.

Here are the sliced teeny tiny meat packages, delicious cheese options and a teeny tiny 1 Liter (approx. 0.26 gallon) of milk container. 

Gruyere cheese, sliced meats, cheese spreads, sliced cheese 

Teeny tiny milk container

Aren’t they cute? Isn’t it time you visit Europe, peruse the grocery aisles and try out 10 different cheeses???

 Guten Appetit :)

 References/ Links

1. http://www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/wirt-erprobt-strafen-fuer-nicht-aufesser-a-1107888.html

2. http://www.wri.org/publication/reducing-food-loss-and-waste 

Good old Mickey D's to the rescue!

We are almost completely moved into our home. Unfortunately during construction of the building the internet cable was damaged so there is no internet available until its repaired. There are limited stores offering free WiFi (WLAN) in Germany but we have discovered a place offering 3 free hours per day. McDonalds! Good old Mickey D’s :) 

This gives me a chance to write about the differences of the US based global franchise in Germany.

The arches are still golden, the signage appears the same; however, there are some regional adaptations.

The décor has a modern flair with a nice color palette.

You can either place your order with a person or order from an XL iPhone 007 shaped computer and choose if want to pick up at the counter or have the food delivered to your table.

The menu offers some regional specialties McDonalds style.

Fried breaded camembert rounds :) 

Nürnberger sausages in a German style bread roll

The café with barista is really nice addition too. 

Look at that Latte Macchiato and Milchkaffee! They are delicious.

The toys included in the Happy Meals are also fun.

Thank you McDonalds for offering free WiFi and AC in the summer!  

Translation: "My M. I love it"