On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 21:35:45 +0100, Andy Hall
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 21:28:15 +0100, Mike Mitchell
wrote:



And Bockwurst. And Bratwurst at the weekly market with a dab of
mustard on the side and a fresh, crispy Brötchen served up by a busty
Mädchen. And Kartoffelklöße. And Spätzle. And Rheinischer Sauerbraten
with red cabbage with apple bits in. And Eisbein with Saukerkraut and
mashed potato.

Similar to Schweinshaxe?

Schweinshaxe is roasted, Eisbein is boiled. But it is the same hock
part of the leg. Eisbein puts a lot of people off because of the huge,
enveloping band of wobbly fat. But cut this away and the meat inside
is so tender, it eats itself. You don't have to chew. Pure heaven on
your tastebuds! Also, many British people think of Sauerkraut, and
immediately believe it can only be disgusting. It is an acquired
taste, sure, but can be delicious when boiled up with a tasty beef or
vegetable stock. Its tartness admirably offsets the richness of many
dishes.

And mayonnaise on your chips. And cheap wine and beer.
And shopping a third less than in Britain...and political awareness...
and Sundays still like Sundays used to be...


That I haven't noticed - please describe.

On Sundays in Germany almost no shops are open and millions of Germans
take their leisurely stroll after lunch through the local woods. As
there are woods and forests all over Germany, nowhere, except in the
centre of big cities, are you all that far away from a well-trodden
path through the forest, often to a glade in the middle where some
enterprising soul many years ago opened a cafe serving fresh coffee,
beer, ice cream, and a huge range of cakes and tarts with whipped
cream. There is not the hustle and bustle on German Sundays that is
commonplace now all over Britain. And people relax in their often much
larger gardens well away from the neighbours, as they prepare
themselves for the week ahead. We in Britain just allow the rat race
to continue 24/7/365. When I tell my German friends and relatives how
Tesco and Asda near me open at 8:00 am on Monday and *do not close*
until 10:00 pm the following Saturday (only to reopen again for six
hours on the Sunday) they think I must be exaggerating, as no one in
their right mind could possibly wish for such a state of affairs to
exist.

I do like the Christmas markets in the small towns in Bavaria.

They are everywhere, not just in Bayern. Yes, folks! Those who don't
know Germany might be surprised that the Germans have completely
different words for Cologne, Bavaria, Munich, Brunswick...


Bread's pretty good as well. Broad spectrum of beers.

I only started drinking beer when I moved to Germany. I loathe English
beer. It's disgusting. Not something like Samuel Smith's lager,
though. That is as good as any of the Continental beers.

I've never seen mayonnaise on chips in Germany - Belgium and Holland
yes (fritesauce).

Well, curry sauce, ketchup, yes, but mayonnaise, too. At least I have
had it frequently, both in Germany and in Belgium. Don't get me wrong!
I think Belgium does some fantastic food, too! Know how to drive a
Belgian mad? Put him in a round room and tell him there's a bag of
chips in the corner.

MM