Deutschland,Deutschl and uber alles. Or is it?

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

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.

Margaretx

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.

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.

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.

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.

sounds like swings and roundabouts to me.

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

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.

Their ambulance drivers are not Paramedics so cannot administer strong medication, they are going to be trained by UK. A lot of Germans live in flats/apartments so no gardens. There are very few service stations on the autobahns.

However it is a spotless country, there are no drunken louts, even at Bierfest time the security guards escort any troublemakers out of the tents. The trains run like clockwork, they are cheap and are well

They've still got C & A's.

Hey - we do cheap stuff better than they do?

I agree Kiora, I think the Germans get it right. They still manufacture quality products. All my bedroom furniture is German, my kitchen and appliances are German. I even have a German car. When I needed a new mattress I got a German one and then had the bedding sent over too.
I do think their TV is poor and I buy British TV series DVDs for my sister to watch instead.

The NHS. Always worth a shot.
Creative industries generally, including film and special effects.
Shakespeare.
Race relations? more inclusive/diverse?

I think Germany is like any other country, there are good and bad points to it. I definitely think there transport system is far superior to ours and their parks are superb and well maintained. One of my DSs lives in Germany and is married to a German girl and so one of my DGs is half German and they see good and bad there. Sometimes when we visit places we only see the good points but it can change when you live in the same place.

My DS and DGS live in Berlin, it seems nice and clean, people are helpful, and public transport is great, housing rent seems very cheap as well, given it is a city- they pay 700 euros a month for a large two bed apartment with balcony, which includes all utilities.
Architecture a bit grim though !

We stayed in the Nikolai Quarter and it was completely different from the rest of Berlin. It was really lovely. Small and friendly. Loads of outdoor places to eat too. If I go again I don't think I would stray far from that area.

I would love to go to Germany. I learned (learnt?) German at school and it was the ONLY thing I was good at. My uncle married a German lady and she used to get me to write to her in German and she would send my letters back corrected, so I cheated a bit but I really enjoyed learning the language and can still remember some of it.

Love the food! Kaffee und Kuchen, Currywurst, Matjes Heringe, Bockwurst and Sauerkraut, Schnitzel etc etc etc - what's not to like? Trains are clean, fast and frequent as well as punctual and the streets are clean and litter free. We could learn a lot. Oh and public loos may cost ypu 20 or 50 cents to spend a pfennig but they are pristine and usually have an attendant to keep them immaculate.

Brenda

I visit Germany regularly as I have close friends near Frankfurt. In my opinion their train and bus services are much better than ours, and the roads are in a better state of repair. The whole country seems to be better run, somehow. And most people are lovely.
It's simply not true that the Germans have no sense of humour, they most certainly do, and are generally warm hearted and welcoming.
The only downside is the food; beer and sausages can get a bit tedious after a while! But some restaurants do serve a better range of food.
(don't ever eat the herring-burgers, they are horrible!)

When my DH was a pilot he was queued up on a taxi way to take off. A Lufthansa plane was also on another taxiway queuing. They jumped the queue and took off. When my husband commented on that the Lufthansa pilot said " but we put our towel on the runway last night".

On the traffic lights that is! They are marching. Very sweet.

I do like their little green men.