Germany - My Travel Journal Part - 1

I went to Germany in march to stay with my daughter. In few months of stay I had an amazing opportunity of visiting few cities and town to explore Germany. Germany is a country that has been at the heart of Europe for centuries. From the unique culture shaped from historical influences, amazing cuisine, and architecture, there is so much to enjoy during a trip to this country.

 

First I landed in Frankfurt where My daughter stays. My son-in-law, my daughter and my grandson who is two years came to the airport to receive me. I was very much excited to see all of them after a very long time.

 Frankfurt  is a city that has some interesting contrasts, unlike Mumbai, when you are out of the airport you can breathe fresh air and there is no pollution. Temperature is usually low.

 With the financial powerhouse of the country being home to an amazing range of skyscrapers, there is also a great range of historic architecture and and mentally-stimulating attractions. There is a great exhibition hall one of the largest in the world  and several science museums to check out.

 As Frankfurt has the reputation of being a concrete jungle, travelers are invariably pleasantly surprised when they realize how green the city actually is. Apart from numerous tree-lined boulevards, Frankfurt is punctuated with lush green parks and gardens, many of which also have playgrounds. We take a look at the best green stretches in Frankfurt to escape from the hustle-bustle of the city.

Germany has open-minded and tolerant society. The country has a high literacy rate, great freedom, high standard of living and world class education that enable them to deal with challenges. Punctuality is very important for Germans and they follow rules very strictly. Social life in Germany can be quite interesting; you can see theatres, orchestras and museums everywhere, even in small towns. There are various exciting adventurous destinations that can be explored using bicycles.
 

Germany is a densely populated country and has a very good transport system. The roads in Germany are well built and well maintained with proficient road signage. The construction areas were well marked. Germany is well known for its AutoBahn and the traffic on these moves fast with no speed limits for normal traffic. The German Autobahns (the no speeds limit highways that connect the whole country by roads) are world famous. Apart from roadways, Germany also has very good railways and waterways. S-Bahn (suburban railway) and U-Bahn (underground railway) are very common in cities in Germany and help you in reaching destination quickly and comfortably.

 We ran into this a lot in construction zones; it was typical for the two-lane highway to split off into a construction zone into two different directions but then connect back together once we were though the construction zone.I travelled in Tram, U-Bahn, Bus S- Bahn and Bus Like Mumbai it is not crowded I enjoyed  the trip.

Shops are closed on Sundays in Germany. Do not save your shopping for Sunday. It was surprising how whole towns shut down, even in tourist sections. Only some tourist restaurants and bars would be open.
 

You can find grocery stores throughout Germany. Stores like Rewe, tegut,Lidl, Netto, Penny and Aldi are popular among locals and have a great selection of goods. They are well stocked with anything you could want for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We easily cut our food bills in thirds by shopping at local grocery stores.My daughter Purchased things from Tegut and Rewe

Having lunch packed we could easily pull off anywhere, we found local parks, rest areas and lookouts were our favourite places to enjoy lunch.

If you are travelling to Germany you need Health Insurance. The German health care system specifies that every person in Germany is required to have a health insurance. Even those who will stay in Germany for a short time must be health insured, otherwise requests for visas will not be granted.

Statutory health insurance providers in Germany are legally bound to insure everyone, regardless of their health, age, income, employment status, and more. You can also sign-up for any health insurance provider of your choice. Once you’re insured, you’ll get an electronic health care card, which will cover things like doctor visits, prescriptions, and more. All you need to do is present it to your provider and they will automatically bill the health insurance company.

The people, language, and traditions are what make the German culture unique. Germans are very friendly people. They usually greet each other by saying "HALLO". It has had a key role in the history of Europe, and not only. English speakers call it Germany, Germans themselves call it Deutschland. Germany is known as the country of poets and thinkers.

 German dress is typically western. Both men and women wear dark simple suits and shirts in business context. However, each region of the country have their own traditional costumes, which differ a bit from one another. But, in the state of Bavaria, the traditional costume for men is leather trousers that end just above the knee, while for women it is a dress that incorporates a bodice, blouse, full skirt and an apron. You can see people wearing these costumes, especially during carnivals or festivals

The German cuisine is also rich with different types of delicious traditional foods, as well as vegetarian and vegan. In Germany you will always have a lot of choices on what to eat and drink.
 
 German cuisine includes numerous varieties of cheese, which include tangy and hard cow's milk cheeses like emmentaler and tilsiter, which are especially good for melting and grilling.

 As for bread, there is a long tradition of bread-baking of which Germans take pride in. There are breads with different shapes, black and white, with different tastes and names, sweet, soft, plain with all types of seeds you could think of. There are lots of ethnic restaurants offering vegetarian food in Germany. But if you want to try traditional German food, you also don’t have miss out as a vegetarian. There are enough traditional vegetarian German dishes for you to try. 
One popular vegetarian dish is Spargelcremesuppe (asparagus cream soup). Be sure to give it a try, if you happen to be traveling to Germany during white asparagus season!my daughter love this soup.
 

In three months of stay in Frankfurt my daughter's friends and Son In law's colleagues invited me for lunch/ dinner.  My daughter's Family friends showed their love and affection. I feel honoured. They cooked Indian Food. Indian Grocery is there in Frankfurt. They use Pressure cooker and mixer. Similar like India. Their Kids are going to German school Some are going to International Schools. Kids are having so many extracurricular activities.

 There are so many Indian Restaurants in Germany.
The country has gone through a tumultuous history, the signs of which are evident in its rich and diverse architecture. Its palaces, castles, cathedrals and monuments best tell the story of Germany. Night and day, rain or sunshine, there are people on bikes, people running, parents playing with their kids, old people taking the dog out for long walks. Everything here feels normal, human, with emotions. Not everything is transactional. We like Germans and Ifeel like we are somehow very similar to them. Germany is also a practical place to visit, as the transport system is modern and few of the people speak English.

Had a great time in Frankfurt for couple of months. Visited many places in and around Germany. Will share my experiences in my next posts..