Incoherent Scribblings

Germany: N-Z

Boy, this list wasn’t easy! But I am done and so I present for your reading enjoyment… Germany N-Z!

N is for Neuschwanstein

Even if you have never visited Germany, you are sure to be familiar with “Mad” King Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein. It was the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella castle.

O is for Oktoberfest

Actually taking place during the last two weeks in September, Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest is annually attended by around 6 million visitors, who drink around 5 million liters of beer.

P is for Pope

On April 19, 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church and is now known as Pope Benedict XVI.

Q is for Quiet

Quiet Time (”Ruhezeit”) is almost sacred in Germany. Beware of blasting your stereo, drilling, hammering, mowing the lawn or throwing a party between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday. You will be sure to draw a complaint and maybe even the police, whom Germans are quick to call because of noise.

R is for the Rhine

At over 800 miles, the Rhine River is one of the longest rivers in Europe and has been a vital navigable waterway carrying trade and goods since the days of the Roman Empire. Some of Germany’s best wine valleys and most beautiful medieval castles are along this river, making it a popular tourist destination.

S is for Spargelzeit

Being as I am a carnivore, I don’t really understand it, but the Germans have such an obsession with “Spargel” (Asparagus) that each year from about April 15 to June 15, the stuff is literally everywhere… from the smallest booth at the market square to the fanciest German restaurant!

T is for Turks

Almost 2.5 million people of Turkish origin call Germany home, making them the largest minority group in Germany. In fact, the 132,000 Turks living in Berlin make up the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey.

U is for U-Bahn

While Germans love their cars, traffic jams and parking problems make the U-Bahn (subway) in large cities the preferred method of transportation.

V is for Volkswagen

Associated with everything from Nazis to hippies, Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest car companies and maker of some of the most popular cars in Europe.

W is for World Cup 2006

For the third time in its history, the German Football Association (DFB) has been awarded the honor of staging this major international tournament. In 2006, some 32 teams will line up at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to play soccer. In 2002, Germany was the runner-up. What will happen this time around?

X is for the eX-DDR

The Berlin Wall may have fallen in 1989, but in the last few years films like “Goodbye Lenin!,” TV shows, and memorabilia have kindled a sense of nostalgia for the former Deutsche Democratische Republik.

Y is for Yellow Bags

As recently mentioned, yellow bags are a symbol of Germany’s recycling initiative.

Z is for Zeitungen

“Roughly 370 newspapers (”Zeitungen”) are published in Germany, but any German will tell you there is only one national daily tabloid, The Bild. Other daily and weekly national papers, most prominently Die Welt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Frankfurter Rundschau and Die Zeit are committed to an exceptionally high standard of journalism and are opinion shapers within the political sphere. But while the combined daily circulation for the above newspapers totals about 1.6 million, The Bild alone has a daily readership of 4.4 million.”

– from Germany Info