The Rain in Spain...

...Fell mainly on the plane.

Friday was rainy and we experienced a lot of on the flight here. We landed at the Málaga airport and took a taxi 60 kilometers or so southeast to Marbella. Luckily, by the time we arrived at the hotel, the rain stopped.

Even if it had continued to rain I don't think it would have mattered too much. Kevin and I were preoccupied catching up with our friends who traveled from the U.S. to join us in Spain for the week.

Heading to Spain

No time for a proper post this morning. Kevin and I are headed to Spain.

Revenge of the Speed Demon

Germans are fickle about their speed limits. When there is no limit you truly can go as fast as you want. When there is a limit though, you'd better watch out.

Proving this point, I recently received my first speeding ticket...ever! Here a cop doesn’t stop you, instead a camera tracks your speed and you receive a wonderful picture of yourself on a ticket a few weeks later. The cameras are all over and you know you've been busted when you see a bright red flash.

The really infuriating part is that my ticket is for going 3 miles per hour over the limit. That's right I was going 36 km in a 30. (In miles, that translates 22 miles per hour in a 19 miles-per-hour zone.) Honestly, I ride my bike faster than that.

Sports in Cologne

Here's an interesting fact that I recently learned: Cologne has the greatest variety of professional sports teams than any other city in Germany. (Berlin has more teams because they have two soccer teams and three volleyball teams.)

As someone who has never been to a professionally basketball or football match in the U.S., it's amazing that I've seen all these teams — with the exception of ice hockey. I turned down my chance to watch them since, I went to hockey matches in the States and didn't find them all that interesting. In retrospect I probably should have gone. The fans in Cologne are awesome and probably would have made the game more interesting.

Here's a list of all the teams and their Web sites. I recommend attending a game if you can.

• 1.FC Köln – Fußball/Soccer
• Kölner Haie – Ice Hockey in German
• VfL Gummersbach – Handball
• Köln 99ers – Basketball
• Köln Renn-Verein – Horse Racing
  

Excess Baggage

Everything is bigger in the U.S. Highways are wide to accommodate large cars, refrigerators are gigantic to accommodate family-sized products, and apparently the baggage compartments on American-owned jets are more spacious to accommodate all of the luggage that we're allowed to travel with.

The major U.S. carriers — including Delta, American, and United — all have similar luggage restrictions. Passengers are can check up to two bags with a combine weight of 50 pounds (22.3 kg). These same carriers define carry-on luggage as one personal item and one bag weighing up to 40 pounds (18 kg). Even the discount airlines in the States adhere to similar baggage standards.

In Europe, things are very different, especially on discount carriers. This weekend I am flying on Ryanair. When I purchased the ticket I had to select whether or not I'd be checking any luggage, and then was charged 25 Euros for the suitcase. The suitcase must weigh less then 33 pounds (15 kg). Only one carry-on item is allowed, which must be less then 22 pounds (10 kg). And one means one. You can't get away with one plus a purse.

The traditional European airlines don't charge extra for baggage and have more reasonable guidelines, though weight restrictions are still less than what Americans are used to. One interesting point to note: despite limited baggage, you're allowed to bring skis for all flights on Lufthansa to Switzerland.

Wanderen in the Lahn River Valley

On Sunday Kevin and I wanted to participate in a Volksmarch, 5, 10, and 20 K organized Nordic fitness walk. Taking place in forested mountains, along rivers, or through picturesque farmland, Volksmarches are a way for us to see places in Germany that we otherwise wouldn't.

Kevin and I went to a bunch of Volkmarches in the fall, but haven't been to one for a while so our stash of fliers announced old events. We found a list of events on the Stars and Stripes Website (a news outlet catering to American Service Personal stationed in Germany) and picked an event in Villmar.

Villmar is in Hessen, a German state to the east of us. All of our road trips so far have been to the west and/or south, and this seemed like a great opportunity to see a new part of the country. However, when we got to the town, no Volkmarch was to be found. (That's why I didn't include a link to the events on Stars and Stripes.)

Instead we parked the car near the river and found an awesome path that seemed to go on forever. Turns out that Villmar is one of a number of towns along the Lahn River connected by a nearly 150 mile path that runs from Feudingen in the East to Lahnstein near Koblenz. Bikers frequent this trail and riding the entire thing usually takes about 4 days.

Beer School, Session 5

Budweiser tops this week's taste test. No, not that Bud. We tried to original Czech lager. This beer was actually recommended to us by an Austrian friend who claims that it's his favorite beer. It may not be our absolute top beer so far, but it was quite good.

Other beers that we tried include:

• Hacker-Pschorr, an unfiltered Double Bock from Munich. This beer was okay, but too sweet for our taste.
• Zischke Kellerbier (cellar beer) from Koblanz. Kellerbier is yet another type of beer available here. Unique because it can be top or bottom fermented, it is unclarified, unfiltered, and unpasteurized. It is sold in bottles or served directly from the barrel at beer gardens and contains more yeast then most other types of beer. Dispite all that, we found this beer to be watery.
  

German Health Insurance

I was woefully uneducated about Germany before moving here. Take, for example, my perception on healthcare. I thought that all countries in Europe had government-run universal healthcare. Watching Michael Moore's Sicko shortly before leaving the States did nothing to shatter this assumption.

I believed that — unlike in the U.S. where health insurance comes with high premiums and is only available to people with decent jobs — in German healthcare was free and wonderful and available to all.

Yes, less then .2 percent of the German population is uninsured and the nation's system is rated higher then the U.S. by the World Health Organization.* What I didn't realize was that people working in Germany have to pay for half of their insurance. (This is particularly interesting when I consider that I my employer in the U.S. paid 100 percent of my health insurance costs.) Furthermore, you have the option of public or private insurance and have to pay a co-pay when you visit a doctor.

* Germany is ranked 25th and the U.S. 37th. France is on top of the list and Canada is 30th.

In May It Must be a Holiday

Ten public holidays? Not for us. Lately it seems like Kevin only has to go to work four days a week.

Okay, in defense of the Germanys, that may be overstating things a bit. But in this year in May alone there were three public holidays.

The first was May Day. Then came Pentecost. And today is Corpus Christi. (It's interesting to note that in the States Pentacost and Corpus Christi don't even qualify as Holy Days of Obligation.)

Since this is my first year in Germany, every time a holiday comes up it's a surprise — and a little treat.

Springtime in Germany

Yesterday I bought a book called Springtime in Germany, subtitled Or How I hearned to Love Lederhosen. I'm very interested in reading it because it touches on a topic that I have experienced but I've never discussed — and certainly one that I've read anything about. It is why people don't really want to travel to Germany.

I'll admit that — except for the fact that I have German roots —Germany was never on the top of my must-see list. The country's dark history hangs heavy, but I am impressed with the way the nation deals with it. It is never too far from their memory. There are small plaques with people's names in front of homes from which people were deported, every history museum includes a section on the rise and fall of the Third Reich, and visiting a concentration camp is mandatory for all German students.

Since living here I've also discovered many wonderful things about German people and German culture. This is — hands down — the most environmentally conscious country that I have ever been in. The people are quite progressive politically. The crime rate is very low. And the food is way better then I expected.

After I finish reading the book I’ll update you with any other interesting observations.

Urban Gardening

I have a long, thin terrace with nice deep windowsills, which is the perfect place to put in a little garden. Even though I've never had any luck with houseplants, I can't shake this urge to try to grow something.

I know I might be a little late in the season, but the garden has emerged slowly. In January my tiny, potted Christmas tree ended up out there. This spring I planted a few flowers. I had intended to keep them in the house but moved them outside when they wilted and looked like they were going to die. Now they are thriving.

Instead of selling cut herbs, often they are available in pots in the produce section of the grocery stores. I've added a few to the windowsill as I've needed them for a recipe. First it was basil, then parsley, thyme, chives, and rosemary.

Most recently I purchase a few flats of lettuce that I plan to plant in boxes hanging along the railing. Cherry tomatoes are next. I can't wait for the mid-summer salad harvested right outside my door.

Wurst of the Week - 5/19

Here’s a whole new take on the boil-in-bag: In Munster you can get sausages with sauerkraut and pork vacuumed sealed and ready to go.

Playing the Ponies in Cologne

For Kevin and I, Sunday was a day at the horse races in Cologne. The Galopprenbahn Köln-Weidenpesch, the cities racetrack, is open from March through November with races taking place once or twice per month. Admission is 5 Euros per person — more to sit in the grand stands, less for kids — and all of yesterday's proceeds where donated to a charity that helps orphaned children in Cologne.

Thankfully for us, we attended the event with German friends. Without them I don't know how Kevin and I would have puzzled our way through placing a bet. And really, what fun is going to the races if you don't put some money on the line.

Though none of us hit it big, both couples came out ahead for the day. In my book, that's a very successful afternoon.

Beer School, Session 4

Top vs. Bottom Fermented Beers

While reading about different types of beer for the Beer School posts I keep coming across two terms: top fermentation and bottom fermentation. Usually this is one of the first facts given about a beer. Before I get further along in my quest for the world's best brew I need to understand these terms.

All beer is made from the same basic things: water, malt, hops, and yeast. Fermentation is the key process by which these ingredients are turned into beer. During fermentation the yeast breaks down the carbohydrates and produces alcohol. The byproducts of this process are what give different types of beer their unique flavor and characteristics.

There are two main varieties of yeast used in beer making: lager and ale. Top-fermentation happens with ale yeast. It was used to create the first beers since fermentation takes place in warmer temperatures. As the name indicates, the yeast acts on top of the brew. Top fermented beers often have higher alcohol concentrations then bottom fermented varieties and a fruity, sweet taste.

Bottom-fermentation, which used lager yeast, happens at lower temperatures. The yeast settles to the bottom of the brew and more sugars are fermented. The resulting beer has a crisp, clean taste.