Everyday Life in Germany — The Blog

How many grocery stores do you have in your city or town? If it's a bigger city, the answer may be "who knows?", but in a small town, it's probably only one. In Germany, the answer its "one on approximately every second street corner." It sounds like an exaggeration, but for an American who travels through Germany for any amount of time, whether they visit the downtown areas or go through the residential parts of a given city, the number of grocery stores is likely to be surprisingly high.

Public Restrooms Aren't Free

When was the last time you paid to use a restroom? The airplane on your overnight Transatlantic, expensive though it may be, doesn’t count. In Germany, public restrooms at train stations, rest stops along the Autobahn, and even some restaurants will have either a bowl with a stern attendant, or a machine with a coin slot that you need to feed 50 cent or 1 Euro coins in order to enter. Why?

Everyday Life in GermanyStephen EnosMay 14, 2018Restrooms, Coins, WC, MoneyComment

Why Are There So Many Apothecaries in Germany?

If you travel through Germany, and come across an apothecary, you may end up with the feeling after looking around, that you see nothing if not for many, many more around you. While some (mostly the people working in them) will claim that Germany has comparatively few versus the rest of Europe, it definitely seems that there's more than in the U.S.. How does this happen?

Everyday Life in GermanyStephen EnosMay 5, 2018Apotheke, Apothecary, PharmacyComment

There's About A Million German Children's Magazines With Toys

When walking by the magazine stand at a grocery store or convenience store in the U.S., how often have you noticed a stack of magazines for children there? Next to the fashion magazines? Maybe? No? Well, in Germany, the story is more than a little bit different.

Everyday Life in GermanyStephen EnosMay 4, 2018Magazines, Children, Newspapers, Toys, SpielzeugComment

Serious Question: Why Are My Oreos Cold?

If you've never been to a German train station, it may not have ever occurred to you that on your quest for a snack in the station, you might just end up with cold Oreos, chips, or obligatory snack sausage out of the same machine you got that bottle of Fanta out of. Why Germany? Why?

Everyday Life in GermanyStephen EnosMay 3, 2018Vending Machines, Refrigeration, Snacks, Drinks, Travel, Train StationComment

Where's The Still Water?

There's a stereotype that Germans, and Europeans more generally, are super into sparkling spring water. It's also said that you can't get tap water at German restaurants. Both of these are 1010% fact. Mineral water has been and continues to be a historical and cultural fixture of German life, so what is a non-fizzy water drinking person to do?

Everyday Life in GermanyStephen EnosMay 1, 2018Water, Mineral Water, Carbonated, Sprudel, Fizzy, Kohlensaure, PfandflascheComment