No Bad Weather

They say in Germany (and most of Europe for that matter), “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”. We could learn a lot from this saying in Australia, particularly over our winters. It doesn’t matter how cold or wet it is in Germany they don’t let it stop them from going out and enjoying life (even outdoor activities). As soon as the weather drops below 20 degrees celsius in Australia we seem to immediately go into hibernation. It really comes down to the fact that many Australians don’t dress appropriately for cold weather, we seem to be unhappy if we’re not in shorts, t-shirt and thongs. It’s been refreshing to see a European winter and how life goes on here. Perhaps winters in Australia don’t have to be so dull and grey.

Public Holidays in Germany

Everyone loves a day off for a public holiday. In Australia the public holidays vary from state to state, with the extent to what businesses close depending on the state. In Victoria there are very few days when all the shops (including supermarkets) completely shut. We had been told that Germany takes their public holidays far more seriously (think 1980’s Adelaide). If you are travelling around Germany over Christmas you really need to take this into account. Over the 25th and 26th of December you will find only a few restaurants open and reduced public transport. The usual fast food options are available at the stations but that is about it. From a sightseeing perspective you will be limited to viewing everything from the outside as everything will be closed (on a side note virtually all museums in Germany are closed on Mondays so keep that in mind when planning your visit).

If you find yourself in Munich over Christmas (as we did), with some planning you can get by and if you get stuck just head to the Hofbräuhaus, it’s open 365 days a year from 11am till midnight. You can get great food and plenty of beer with a great atmosphere to keep you fed and entertained.