Week 6: Germany
Our last week in Hannover. We leave for Berlin on Saturday.
Sunday
We rented a car and had our first Autobahn experience. I didn't realize we were on one at first. Then a car flew past us and I looked at the GPS. Yep, found one!
Our destination was a small town in the Harz Mountains called Goslar. The Brocken, the highest mountain in North Germany, was also on the list. Goslar is interesting because it was preserved during the war. There was a Prisoner of War hospital there so it wasn't bombed. A visit feels like stepping back in time.
Goslar is the home of the Gose beer.
Monday
The heat wave continues. It's in the upper 80's here this week. As Americans we aren't used to living somewhere with no air conditioning. The heat in the apartment is pretty bad during the day. After the sun goes down things cool off a bit. Fans aren't very common here either. I found one at the Saturn store near the train station. Saturn is a lot like Best Buy. I bought a small oscillating fan for €30. In the US, it would have been $10. Totally worth it though.
Tuesday
Gotta drop off our plastic at the REWE. Germany has an pretty cool system for plastic recycling. When you buy a plastic bottle, you pay pfand. Pfand is a "pledge" that you'll return the item for a credit. It's like the deposit system in some US states. Most bottles have a €0,25 pledge. You bring your empty bottles back to the store and pop them in to the ATM for plastic. It spits out a receipt that you can use for a credit at the cash register.
Wednesday-Friday
Super hot again. We just hide in the apartment on these crazy days. It's unbearably hot for us American wimps. After the sun goes down, we sneak out for a break in the evening breeze.
Saturday
Moving day. We're off to Bestensee. It's a little town about 45 minutes south of Berlin. We pack the car and start our first German road trip. Rest areas on the Autobahn are almost exactly like the ones in America.
Before we leave Hannover we stop to visit the Herrenhausen Gardens. They were a big hit with everyone. I never would have guessed that to be the case.
