3rd October is the Day of German Unity

[Colin, Germany]

Tomorrow is a public holiday in Germany. A few politicians will be celebrating the takeover of East Germany by West Germany into Germany. Many people will take a long weekend break away from home. Most will just enjoy a day off.

 

There is a wave of East Germany nostalgia at the moment in Germany, although many people in the East never stopped telling everyone what they thought was better in the 'old days'. West Germans are less likely than many other people to rant on about how things used to be better. This makes for a nice contrast!

[Big J R]

Which all goes to prove, Colin, "You can please some of the people some of the time............................."

[Little Miss Urchin]

Why are you in Germany? Relocation? Like blonds!? <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/chloe.gif" alt="" />

[Mr Happy]

Cheap beer?!

[Colin, Germany]

I wanted to learn German and earn more money. I prefer the beer in England, but I prefer the bread (loaves) here.

[Little Miss Urchin]

My bro worked in Frankfurt for 3 months. Rather a nice Christmas market. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

[Colin, Germany]

The cities all seem to have nice Christmas markets. The best one is supposed to be in Nuremberg, but I've never been there.

[Jeff]

I lived in Rostock for six months in 95/96 - it was bloody cold!

Hamburg rocks though!

[Little Miss Urchin]

I went to Stasburg (1. I know it's not in Germany, 2. I know that's not how you spell it) while I was there. Preferred Frankfurt.

 

Also, if you find yourself there look out for the naked man. Apparently he's allergic to material and has a pardon from the city coincil that allows him to wander around starkers! A couple of questions pop into my mind...

1. Where does he keep this note?

2. Not being the warmest place in the world, what happens when it gets really cold? (As in does he move south?!!!)

[Colin, Germany]

There's always been a lot of live music in Hamburg, but at the moment, I'm only there at the weekends.

 

I've never been to Strasbourg.

 

I prefer a number of German cities to Frankfurt. Frankfurt has rather a strong American influence, but still seems to have very little going on in the centre late in the evening.

 

I've never looked for a naked man, but Germany has a more open attitude to nakedness than I seem to remember in Britain.

[Little Miss Urchin]

Oh yeah, as major cities go Frankfurt has to be one of the dullest.

 

<img src="/images/graemlins/sleeping.gif" alt="" />

[The Invisible Man]

I spent a couple of days/nights in Cologne some years ago, on a worky thing.

 

Got a little woozy, darlings, on the first night.

 

Rather more than a little, actually.

 

Tell you what though, those guys like their food don't they? Meat, especially. Whole herds werre served up for dinner.

[CANV EFM]

german unity would have been a lot smoother it they had converted the old east german money into deutchesmarks at the real value at the time.. about 5 to 1 i think.. instead of one to one.. east germany was priced out of manufacturing for the richest country in europe overnight.. the problems caused by this single move are still evident today.. meanwhile poland chezh' etc reap the benefits instead

[Jeff]

East Germany was totally knackered when I lived there.

They opened a shopping centre in Rostock and the people were totally overwhlemed with it.

It did have a good record shop though <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

[pabird]

The Nuremburg Chrisfest is brilliant

[Colin, Germany]

I completely agree with CANV's posting. East Germany got and is still getting huge subsidies which are being wasted because East German industries were not given the chance to restructure. In addition, all the state monopolies were merged with the West German monopolies although it was clear at the time that many of them would soon have to be opened up for competition.