Back in Germany

Back in Germany for the first time since leaving in March, I'm thinking ... how could I have put up with the smoking here for 8 months?

I don't remember it being all that bad, but maybe now after living in relatively smoke-free Ohio it seems worse. I was at a trade show this past week, and at every entrance from one hall to the next, or any doorway leading outside, you had to run the gauntlet of smokers. I swear my clothes smelled like smoke by the end of the day.

My teammate Tris had sent me an internet link about the problem of obesity in the US. He said Americans are eating themselves to death. Looking at the people here in Germany, the contrast is pretty stark. While the Germans may on the whole be thin, they are perhaps smoking themselves to death. I'm not sure which is worse.

It's especially disturbing to me to see the young people smoking in such large numbers.

At some point, the smoking restrictions we now have in the US, and that are present in many other countries, will eventually come to Germany. From my perspective, that will make Germany a better place.

***

At the moment I'm in Nürnberg. I stayed here after the trade show because they have one of the biggest Christmas markets in Germany, and it seemed worth checking out. Unfortunately because it is such a big event it draws a huge crowd.

After a day of walking around the old part of the city, I went down to the opening of the Weinachtsmarkt. Imagine trying to fight the crowd rushing to the men's room at halftime of a football game. Couple that with live cigarettes in peoples' hands, which becomes quite deadly in close quarters.

The atmosphere is wonderful -- food, spiced wine, people in a festive mood. If there were only about 1/2 of those festive people it would be great.

An hour's worth was enough for me. Craving a little peace, I found a nice Italian restaurant on a quiet side street, where I had one of my favorite meals: beef carpaccio, pizza with prosciutto and mushrooms, and a couple glasses of wine. Guess I'd had enough German for the day.