Deutschland,Deutschl and uber alles. Or is it?

My sister lives in a flat and has a garden with a hauschen, like UK allotment but pristine garden house and lawn and flower beds. The speed of traffic on the autobahns bothers me.

Son was driving on the day we had a hire car. He fitted right in.

sounds like swings and roundabouts to me.

Have to agree, my daughter and sil live in berlin they went for one year, eight years later they are still there and would not come back. They have had terrific medical care there, no waiting lists, the transport system is cheap and punctual, lots of people safely cycling, including carrying little ones on a sort of cart behind their bikes, but the biggest surprise is (mostly) they think that we, the brits, are wonderful and they know more about our royal family than we do.
I wish my daughter would come back here, but I dont think they ever will.
We go there, and Berlin, even after l0 or more visits, is a very interesting place to visit. Not particularly pretty given it was raized to the ground at the end of the war, but there is a lot there to see. Night life (apparently)
good, lots of cultural things going on, and a bit of a buzz. Would agree about the food, it does get a bit samey, but there are other places with menus to our taste, and doesnt it get samey when you visit most other countries, they all have their specialities, and tend to stick to them. Have travelled a lot in Germany, there are many beautiful places to see, with hardly any british visitors. Go and see for yourselves. You will be surprised at the welcome.

Forgot to say the one and probably only negative thing which really gets me in germany is the 'tap water question' when ordering a meal in a restaurant. They will try to get you to buy bottled, but on principle I wont do that.
With some persistence and debate I mostly get a glass in the end, usually very small and rather tepid, and never ever hear the words 'would you like ice and lemon with that?? '. I make a point now wherever I go to ask, its my own little campaign, and advise everyone else to do the same. Just watch their reaction. To be honest have had the same problem in other countries too, but never here thank goodness, nor in France for that matter.

I like the cycle paths down the centre of wide pavements, but the on-road cycling was worrying when viewed from the top of a bus. The taxi drivers seemed to have about the same level of concern for cyclists as ours do too.

Germany is my home so it was very interesting for me to read what other Gnetters say about it.
Just as London is not typical of the UK so is Berlin not typical of Germany.
In the UK I must keep myself in check and try not to wish that things would just function like they do here, and to remember not to say it!

After all these years, now with German children and Grandchildren, the British thing I most appreciate is Radio4 and the English Language.

Margaretx

Yes Margaret, I too would miss Radio 4 and the BBC generally. Also pretty country pubs, a cold drink on a sunny day sitting outside in the pub gardens; being able to get to the sea reasonably quickly, maybe renting a beach hut.
I know Germany, like France, have lots of open air pools with large grassed open space, plus lake and river swimming too, (and there is lots of that in Berlin, including Schlachtensee, and Wannsee, a spectacular sandy beach in the midst of a capital city) but for me you cant beat the sea, waxing and waning, having a paddle and finding shells. Germany does have beautiful beaches and islands in the north, but being so far north weather can prevail.

German people have far too much respect for authority!More than is healthy methinks.