I have to admit, on my first trip to Germany I was not impressed. I first visited in April and it was cold, gray, and dreary. I visited Northern Germany and felt that it lacked charm and character. Now in its defense, I did visit the part of Northern Germany that was mostly destroyed in war so instead of the typical old European architecture, I saw a lot of big grey concrete boxes. Not pretty at all. And my only exposure to Germans was our cranky distributors that are never happy. Nothing ever seems to be good enough for a German.
When I returned to Germany a few years ago, I did not look forward to it. I only went because biking was involved. There is a lot to be said for not having expectations. I expected to dislike the country and instead I adored it. Southern Germany is like a completely different country. I loved everything about it – the scenery, the people, the food (OK, I am referring to the bread, pretzels and gummy bears). The place was beautiful and the biking was spectacular.
Today I’ve made new German friends (that still own a house in Munich) and they are delightfully friendly people. I would love to return to Southern Germany for another visit. I have also come to the realization that the reason our German distributors are often cranky is because they are accustomed to excellence – and apparently it’s hard for us Americans to measure up. Nothing made this more apparent than driving my Mini to work today after spending two days behind the wheel of the company Prius. Night and day difference. Nobody can build a car like the Germans!
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