It's the little differences...

As I leave Germany for fours days to go to Prague I want to highlight the little differences I have noticed between our nations...I not saying they're better or worse just different.

Bars; They don't really have as many pubs as we do in the UK.Most of them are cafe bar type affairs.In the ones that are just bars without food then smoking is allowed,indeed it seems to be actively encouraged as everyone seems to smoke!

The waitress service takes a bit getting used to for us Brits I think as we're used waiting at the bar to be served.I say waitress Service because from what I have seen in the many bars I have been to the women do all the work while the men talk shit at the bar with their mates...and boy barmaids in Germany work bloody hard!

Having a bar tab is handy too,at least you don't go home with £17.36 of change in your pocket after a night out.but keep an eye on it as it's easy to get out of hand...Stimmt so is also a nice thing for the bar staff too.It's basically a keep the change scenario but you get to stipulate how much change.If your bill was €6.40 and you wanted to round up to seven you say " Stimmt so sieben" and hope  the ravishingly beautiful barmaid will see you're a man made of the right stuff and take you home for a night of unbridled passion...sorry,drifted off for a bit there,where was I? Oh yea stimmt so is good as all the staff share it out at the end the day or week.

Another thing I noticed in all the bars is no glass washing machines.They have a washing sink,a rinsing sink and a drying area.I can see the advantages as glasses are readily available when the bar is full and staff & punters alike don't wait for the bloody two minute cycle to finish before putting your cold beer into a glass that's about as hot as the sun...the downside of course is it's more work for the staff and gives the ravishingly beautiful barmaid less time to talk to her customers..." sigh"

Cyclists...yea let's talk about those horrible gobshites who take liberties with their holier than thou sanctimony...as I'm one myself I find it interesting how they're treated abroad.Well in Germany they're gods & goddesses I can tell you.Riding on the pavement at will and even given their own lane on this pavement( I was furiously " belled" by one in Hamburg whilst walking on it) they even get their own little toy town traffic lights!

The spoilt brats...

Finally the traffic lights...yes there's the jaunty little Ampel man who brighten up everyone's life.But jaywalking is taken seriously in this land and I can see why.Nobody jaywalks. I have seen men who look like they've just cooked their mothers entrails in the microwave wait paitiently for the little green Ampel man to do his stuff even though no traffic was in sight...I even caught the bug the otherday in Wannsee.I found myself  bridling with righteous indignation as a couple strolled across the road despite red Ampel's obvious displeasure.Bloody foreigners...

Anyway I'm in Prague for a few days before going back to Germany.No pesky cyclists here.Hills & cobbles not a good combo for my breatheren...

Tschuss!