October 15th, 2003 | The lowdown by Jara Gatti

A Beer for all Seasons

If you come to Germany right now, you?ll find lovely clear blue skies, endless fields of green, and densely packed forests of vivid red and orange and gold-topped trees that stretch on for mile upon pristine mile, casting shifting shadows over winding trails, benches and tempting piles of leaves. Electric pink and neon orange ivy crawls up the sides of brick and half-timbered buildings. A slight breeze disturbs the crisp air, carrying the smell of woodstove fires from the tiny villages that dot the rolling hills, and showers of shockingly bright leaves rain down around you. Blackbirds flutter overhead, hedgehogs peek through the heavily-laden branches of berry bushes, and horses on pasture nicker in the distance. Then you step away from your window and head outside for a hike.
You?re nearly blown over by a gust of wind as it howls past, ripping your front door from your hands. The sun?s weak white rays convince you that it?s much more than 93 million miles away. Your eyes tear, your ears freeze solid, and your lips shrivel and chap. No matter how bright and cheery the day looks from your perch at the breakfast table, once you step outside, you learn the truth: this country is bitingly cold! (And this coming from the girl whose hometown has four seasons: flurry, blizzard, white out, and melt.) But I?m adapting, and you can too: with a hooded jacket, thick gloves, a scarf wound around your head, face and neck, and sturdy shoes (all of these articles waterproof, as it rains off and on all day, even when the sun?s shining!), you too can enjoy Germany in the fall.

The rainbowed trees are amazing (although the omnipresent rain and mud dispelled any romantic notions I had of jumping into piles of leaves), the air smells like wetness and wild flowers, and there are lots of hardy little animals and birds around to be observed. No matter where you are in Germany, you?re never far from forests and hiking trails, which are always well-kept and well-marked. The views from the tops of hills over little orange-topped villages and church steeples and rolling fields are beautiful and not something you?re likely to find in the states. And when you?re done with your nature walk, you can follow the locals to the nearest Kneipe (pub) to enjoy a hearty Pilsner vom Fass (on tap), a Flaschenbier (beer in a bottle) or split a Krug (pitcher) with your friends. A handy bar expression that?s easy to remember is vier Bier hier! (4 beers here), and don?t forget to say bitte and danke (please and thank you).