Living in Bavaria

The Germans recycle just about everything. If you are moving there from the U.S., one of the things you will have to get used to is the recycling. Here, in the U.S. the trash is picked up once or twice a week, and there is pretty much no limit on the amount, but in Germany, at least in Bavaria, the trash is picked up twice a month and there is a limit on the amount. Basically, about 2 1/2 kitchen trash bags worth. That's not much. So you learn to recycle. It isn't that hard really. There are recycle recepticles everywhere in Germany. It is mostly out of necessity, this recycling, because Germany is basically the size of the state of Montana, so they don't have the land mass for large landfills, but it would be good if all countries could recycle at least half as much.

Sundays truly are the day of rest in Bavaria. You see families outside on their bikes, couples strolling along on the sidewalks, and people quietly enjoying their time away from work and the stresses of the day. Loud noise is discouraged, so it is a beautiful and peaceful day. If you have shopping to do, get it done on the other six days, because nearly all places of business are closed on Sunday.

Go anywhere in Bavaria during the spring and summer, and you will see flowers everywhere. These people are very proud of their homes and yards and plant flowers all over the place! It is really quite beautiful and can be rather enchanting. It seems as if every house or apartment has flowers hanging or growing somewhere, and they are well taken care of.

You can't go far in Germany without seeing a castle or two nearby. It is just amazing, especially if you are from somewhere like the USA, where castles are something dreams are made of. I don't know how many castles there are in Germany, but it has to be hundreds!

So you want to drive fast, and I mean really fast? The Autobahn is awesome, and Germany is full of excellent drivers. Just make sure you know what you are doing, and above all, don't do anything stupid!

Not only is Germany full of good drivers, but very good drivers. A person has to be 18 before getting a license and then they have to pay a lot of money for the driving classes, which must be passed. By the way, just in case you were wondering, they drive on the right side of road, not the left as in Great Britain.

One more thing about driving, don't honk unless absolutely necessary, or you will get a ticket!

The most famous of festivals and known the world over. This is a must if you are in Germany, but only for adults. There are plenty of fests to take your children to, but it may be a good idea to get a baby-sitter for this one. There are things there you may not want them to see. Also, Oktoberfest is held in September.

There is a festival for almost everything in Bavaria. Everything from Cow Chip Fests, to Chocolate Fests. These people love to throw a party!

They sell beer at McDonalds, and delicious Cappuccino. Need I say more?

Go to a restaurant, and chances are, you'll see a well behaved dog sitting under a table or two. In Germany and other places in Europe, dogs are usually allowed. It was interesting to go to the local McDonalds, drink a beer, share a table with a polite stranger, and see a dog or two enjoying an outing with their family.

Yep, it is not uncommon for someone to share a bench with you or a larger table in a fastfood restaurant. It may take a bit of getting used to for some people, but it is rather nice, I think. They do not intrude and are polite, as they expect you to be.

Oh my goodness! I miss these things so much. The toys inside are amazing, and there are so many different ones. Many countries have their own version of these chocolate eggs except the USA, because of a law stating that non-edible objects are not allowed inclosed in edible ones. Such a bummer, because these are a collectors heaven! The toys in the German ones are coveted because they are of better quality than that of most of the other countries. They are not that expensive in Germany, but if you try to buy them from the U.S., ouch! Get some as soon as you can if you are going to Germany!(Usually not sold in the summer months).

The houses and apartments in Germany typically have no air conditioning, even many of the stores and places of business have no central air. They USUALLY don't need it. (Although I lived there in the freak heat wave of 2003 that caused the deaths of over 30,000 Europeans). That was rare, though, and being from Alabama, it wasn't that difficult for me.
The houses typically have no closets, but you have moveable wardrobes that come in handy.
I'm sure you've heard the you need transformers to use your appliances from the USA, it's true. I just left most of my appliances behind and bought used or new ones in Germany. The transformers are EXPENSIVE and you can't plug a lot of appliances in one, so you may need one for every appliance. It's not worth it.
Your NTSC television won't work in Germany, unless you plan to use it for video games only. You won't receive a TV signal. You need a TV that receives the PAL signal. You can find a few TV's that receive both.
Some houses and apartments come without light fixtures and the kitchen appliances you are used to, like stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, etc. In these cases, you are expected to supply your own fixtures and appliances. Find out what comes with your home in Bavaria when looking for a place to rent.

If you have a car that will not pass an agressive inspection, leave it behind! While you will see some older cars on the roads in Bavaria, they will have been kept up very well. If you plan to take your car, make sure everything works! Don't take that old car with the bumper attatched via wire and duct tape! Also, except for the Autobahn, the roads are much more narrow in Bavaria than in the USA, and the parking spaces even smaller, so the smaller your vehicle, the better!

If you do have to "junk" your car in Bavaria, it's not like in the USA where the junk yards will pay you for it, instead, you will pay to junk the car. The cost depends on the weight of the car.

On January 6th, three children dressed as the Three Wise Men came to our door and left a blessing. The frame over the door was marked with 20C+M+B01, which is the traditional Latin for Christus mansionem benedicat - Christ bless this house, with the first two numbers and last two numbers standing for the current year: 2001. Sometimes, the blessing will be with a K+M+B, which represent the names of the wise-men: Kasper, Melchior and Balthasar. It is customary to give a monetary gift as a donation for the local church. In some places in Bavaria, you may not see the Heilige Drei Könige, unless you request them.

I wish we had public transit like they have in Europe. You can go anywhere for a reasonable price just by hopping on a train, and they stop in just about every city, small town, and village. While it may take you longer to get to your destination, it is great to get up a group of friends and take a train to Austria or Italy. You don't have to worry about traffic or parking! Parking spaces are hard to come by in Europe.