On Sun, 09 Feb 2003 12:25:47 -0600, in rec.travel.europe, erilar
arranged some electrons, so they looked like this
    :

... In article ,
... [email protected] (* *) wrote:
...
... > The comforts of home, for me, are Diet Coke, Kleenex with lotion, Wet
... > Wipes,...your basic Walmart supplies. I hear they have Walmart there
... > now. Regardless of one's feelings about american sprawl, my plan of
... > attack on arrival is to go shopping and fill the trunk of the car with
... > supplies for 10days. Given my addiction to caffeine, the Diet Coke is
... > essential. Are products like this readily available? Do they have the
... > plastic pop bottles with screw on lids that carry so well in a purse
... > after having been opened?
... >
... Why go looking for a Wal-Mart? You can load up on the kinds of things
... you mention without leaving the airport!!

Why travel at all ?...

======
Where are we going to and why are we in a handbasket ?

Moin,

In article , [email protected] says...

    > Ahh, but romance is the reason we want to travel there. :-)

You are alright :-). I just finished my fourth Spanish course
to be able to talk at least a bit to the people of Cuba in
their own language (it is an even better idea to go there after
the close relation between Cuba and Germany is revealed now ;-).

I hope you will have lots of fun at Germany. If you have
problems, feel free to write email.

Chris.

[email protected] (* *) wrote in message news:...
    > The comforts of home, for me, are Diet Coke, Kleenex with lotion, Wet
    > Wipes,...your basic Walmart supplies. I hear they have Walmart there
    > now.

If I may bring up a point often overlooked by travelers, it's actually
possible that something you buy off the shelf in another country may
actually be found to be BETTER than what you're used to. That's one
of those underrated benefits of submerging yourself in another
culture. Travel is about perspective and what better way to maximise
that trip than to temporarily abandon familiar products while learning
how the locals have managed to get by so spectacularly for a thousand
years without Walmart....just my opinion, I could be wrong...have a
fun trip

[email protected] (* *) wrote in message news:...
    > Thank you for your replies--sounds like I won't go into withdrawal :-)
    >
    > The language difference doesn't intimidate me nearly as much as the
    > unforseen, unplanned on factors. Another comfort of home is a shower in
    > the morning-when camping I would willingly drive 20miles in the morning
    > in order to have that shower!. I understand I want to ask for "ein
    > Zimmer" but how do I word the "mit" part for shower?

You won't find many rooms without shower.
Pronounce "mit" just as it spells.
Don't worry about German. Learn some if you like, but you don't have
to, since every person older than 10 speaks enough English to get
along.

Walter

markfromsf wrote:
    > If I may bring up a point often overlooked by travelers, it's actually
    > possible that something you buy off the shelf in another country may
    > actually be found to be BETTER than what you're used to.

Best not to tell people. I've developed dangerous dependencies on everything
from toothpaste to fruit juice found in faraway places, and now the stuff I
can get at home just isn't good enough anymore.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

markfromsf wrote:

    > If I may bring up a point often overlooked by travelers, it's actually
    > possible that something you buy off the shelf in another country may
    > actually be found to be BETTER than what you're used to. That's one
    > of those underrated benefits of submerging yourself in another
    > culture. Travel is about perspective and what better way to maximise
    > that trip than to temporarily abandon familiar products while learning
    > how the locals have managed to get by so spectacularly for a thousand
    > years without Walmart....just my opinion, I could be wrong...have a
    > fun trip

For example, German apple juice could be a improvement on Coke :-)

(Generally speaking, German consumers are among the most careful in the
world to the quality/price ratio, so there is a reasonable probability
that items you buy in a Bavarian supermarket are better than items
bought at home.)


-- -----------------------------------------------------
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: [email protected]

In article , [email protected]
(Dave Smith) wrote:


    > To say that Germany is quite civilized is an understatement. In three
    > trips to
    > that country, I had only one meal with which I was disappointed.

To add one little point there: I've found that German hotel restaurants,
at least the more upscale ones, are usually *very* good -- which is not
necessarily what one expects when travelling from the UK or North
America, where the hotel restaurant is often the safe, bland and
overpriced choice.

In article , [email protected] (Luca
Logi) wrote:

    > markfromsf wrote:
    >
    > > If I may bring up a point often overlooked by travelers, it's actually
    > > possible that something you buy off the shelf in another country may
    > > actually be found to be BETTER than what you're used to. That's one
    > > of those underrated benefits of submerging yourself in another
    > > culture. Travel is about perspective and what better way to maximise
    > > that trip than to temporarily abandon familiar products while learning
    > > how the locals have managed to get by so spectacularly for a thousand
    > > years without Walmart....just my opinion, I could be wrong...have a
    > > fun trip
    >
    > For example, German apple juice could be a improvement on Coke :-)

And I became addicted to Bananemilch over there. There's an imitation
here in the US, but it's so sugary I have to cut it with skim milk and
it still doesn't taste as good as what I drank over there.

    > (Generally speaking, German consumers are among the most careful in the
    > world to the quality/price ratio, so there is a reasonable probability
    > that items you buy in a Bavarian supermarket are better than items
    > bought at home.)

And there are neat things you can't GET in the US. I have discovered
products appearing here years after I first "met" them in Germany 8-)

--
Mary Loomer Oliver(aka erilar)


Erilar's Cave Annex:
http://www.airstreamcomm.net/~erilarlo

[email protected] (* *) wrote in message news:...
    > Thank you for your replies--sounds like I won't go into withdrawal :-)
    >
    > The language difference doesn't intimidate me nearly as much as the
    > unforseen, unplanned on factors. Another comfort of home is a shower in
    > the morning-when camping I would willingly drive 20miles in the morning
    > in order to have that shower!. I understand I want to ask for "ein
    > Zimmer" but how do I word the "mit" part for shower?

You would request "ein Zimmer mit Dusche" (a room with shower) or "ein
Doppelzimmer mit Dusche" (doubleroom with shower) you might also
prefer to substitute Dusche with "Bad" (bath) If you're calling
around you might ask, "Haben Sie ein Zimmer mit Dusche frie"? Do you
have an available room with shower? hope this helps

erilar wrote:


    > And there are neat things you can't GET in the US. I have discovered
    > products appearing here years after I first "met" them in Germany 8-)


Austria and Switzerland seem to be in the same commercial distribution
zone as Germany for most products. When I am in Milan, I try if possible
to go to Chiasso (only 50 km. from Milan) where, being in Switzerland, I
can find a lot of interesting German-like things not found in Italy.


-- -----------------------------------------------------
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: [email protected]

SÃ¥ndor, the Gypsy Baron wrote:

    > You may not find a Wal-mart everywhere, but you will be able to find all
    > the products you mentioned--either American brands or German equivalents
    > (unless you look for American processed cheese-food, peanut butter or
    > grape jelly.) Hard to find is "good" orange juice--not from
    > concentrate. (Elvita brand OJ is good)
    >
    > You do not have to fill your trunk upon arrival because there are good
    > supermarkets everywhere.
    >

BUT watch out for the limited opening hours at the weekend.

Boy, I bet it is a dream to travel with you.


"* *" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > The comforts of home, for me, are Diet Coke, Kleenex with lotion, Wet
    > Wipes,...your basic Walmart supplies. I hear they have Walmart there
    > now. Regardless of one's feelings about american sprawl, my plan of
    > attack on arrival is to go shopping and fill the trunk of the car with
    > supplies for 10days. Given my addiction to caffeine, the Diet Coke is
    > essential. Are products like this readily available? Do they have the
    > plastic pop bottles with screw on lids that carry so well in a purse
    > after having been opened?

A dream to travel with me? Now, there is an interesting new thread for
this group :-)

Travel partners:
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

(Please don't begrudge me my Diet Coke-caffeine withdrawal is not a
pretty site!)

    >(Please don't begrudge me my Diet Coke-caffeine withdrawal is not a
    >pretty site!)

Ah now I understand why so many americans spend the day with a coke
bottle welded to their hand. Caffeine withdrawal could strike at any
time )

    >> For example, German apple juice could be a improvement on Coke :-)
    > And I became addicted to Bananemilch over there.

And I dream of pannekocken