Only in Germany

Only in Germany...

• Can I go to the university library cafe at 9 in the morning, and see the girl in front of me buying a beer to drink with her morning pastry.
• Can my friend cross an empty street before the pedestrian light turns green and get called "criminal" by an old lady, screaming that jay-walking is "illegal.
• Will you recieve an 80 euro fine for riding a bycle at night without a lamp, even though your crappy old bicycle only cost 20 euro
• Is it possible for you to park your car in residents only parking on the side of the street at night, and not ONLY recieve a fine but have you car towed away by the police even if you were only parked for 5 minutes.. and have to pay up to 500 euro to get it back.
• Will everyperson buy a ticket on the tram, even if they are going one stop and despite the fact that there are no ticket checkers.. whereas in Australia people consistently fail to buy a ticket for the train even thought there are always train guards/ticket checkers every time.
• Is it impossible to find normal custard in cartons - rather there is an abundance of "vanilla pudding" which you make from a packet, like jelly, and taste's disgusting.
• Is it difficult to find sweet-chilli sauce (which is considered as important as tomato or bbq sauce in Australia.)
• Are there no sausage and egg mcmuffins at Macdonalds.. the only yummy thing at mcdonalds!
• Is there wayyyyyyyyy too much pig products (ham, bacon, pork) and very little cow or sheep - beef costs an arm and a leg.
• Can you drink beer pretty much anywhere (in the streets, on the tram, etc) and smoke everywhere.
• Is there a mini bar with gambling machines in the local supermarket.
• Can you buy beer for 60 cents a can ($1.10? AUD)
• Are dogs allowed everywhere - on buses, trains, in the cafes, in university, in shops - even expensive department stores, heck even the beggars have masses of dogs.
• Will some, at 1 am in the middle of the night, in a small city (200,000 ppl) wait on the side of an absolutely dead-silent deserted street, with noone in sight WAIT UNTIL THE TRAFFIC MAN TURNS GREEN before crossing.
  Is there a lack of good coffee in local cafes. I think good coffee is a sin, right next to jay-walking!

Only in Freiburg: A city of 200,000 in South-West Germany, near the borde of France and Switzerland. It has a high student population, is a wealthy city and is very innovative and environmentally friendly.

Only in Freiburg ... are there more bicycles than people

• Is there a nightclub in the middle of the forrest
• Is there a nightclub at the main train station.
• Do they hold a giant pillow fight in the middle of the night in the middle of the city.
• Are the neighbouring apartment blocks actually part of a hippie commune which has some special autonomy from the government. Said “apartment blocks” are effectively highly decorative, colourful, rubbish-filled giant houses.
• Is the hippy commune next door filled with giant trucks, camper vans, caravans, some of which are attached to make-shift tree houses and to the permanent buildings. They are overrun with children and dogs – none of which seem to belong to anyone person.
• Will you see a tall, punk with a Mohawk and various spiky black leather clothing out walking a goat on a leash. Another neighbour from the hippy commune. (P.S for those of you who complain of neighbours with noisy pets, and dogs that bark- trust me, the goat is worse.)
• Is there an-honest-to-God tepee (like the sort American-indians live in) in your backyard.
  
  

Above:the Tepee, and various trucks/vans

Below a large trcuk parked in front of the building, and a broken ship forming a play area for children in the background.