Germany Getaway: Beer and Walking by the Rhine River

Three things that Deutschland is famous for are bread, sausages, and beer. Remember I mentioned that we had an early dinner on the day that we arrived? I forgot to mention that Dad offered Hubby a bottle of Paulaner beer, which of course he accepted without hesitating. But for this particular beer, there’s a way to enjoy it, and here’s how it’s done:

1)  After removing the cap, pour the contents of the bottle down the side of a tall glass while holding the glass at an angle until there’s only a small amount left.

2)  With the remaining beer in the bottle, roll the bottle between the palms of your hands.

 3)  Pour the rest of the contents into the glass, bring the glass to your lips, and enjoy the beer!

Hubby had another beer for lunch the next day, and another one for dinner, another for lunch the following day, that night, and, well, you get the picture. He had at least one bottle of beer every lunch and dinner during our entire stay! Not to the point of getting drunk, of course. He was just doing what the Germans usually do =) And it wasn’t always the same kind; they had a stock room of all kinds of alcoholic beverages so they always offered us something new to try at each meal.

Nakakabilib ang mga Germans because even though they drink beer every meal time (except breakfast), they are still responsible drinkers.  They don't drink and drive.  Galing!

Anyway, on Sunday afternoon after lunch, the 4 of us (Mom, Dad, Hubby and I) headed towards the Rhine River. Dad parked the car near a church, then we walked for about an hour and ended up at a hotel where we rested a bit at its restaurant, had some drinks, and enjoyed the view.   

 

 

the view of the Rhine River and a boat from our table

After some time, we walked back the same path to the car for another hour.

You might think the walk was pretty boring, but it really wasn’t. Having gotten used to Dubai and the countless buildings and construction going on everywhere, the scenery that welcomed us was such a beautiful change. Everywhere we looked, there was lavish greenery. I saw a lot of dandelion seed heads and couldn’t help picking a few to blow. Parang bata lang =)

Occasionally, we would see rabbits hopping along the fields; and passing by some farms, we saw goats and horses, and even some cows grazing nearby. It was so peaceful!

We even got to see a farmer drive his machine on the land, gather dried grass, and pack them into bales of hay within minutes. Naturally it was Hubby’s and my first time to see it and we were so amazed! Ang galing talaga!

As we walked, there were several other people either walking, jogging or riding their bicycles. If they were coming from behind us and we were in their way, they would just ring their bicycle bell once and we would walk out of their way. And even though we didn’t know any of them, I noticed most of them would look at us and say “Hallo!” as we crossed paths or when they passed us by. Sobrang nakakatuwa ang pagiging friendly nila!

So you see, aside from being good exercise and allowing us to breathe in clean, natural air, the walk gave us an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate nature’s beauty in all it's German glory.