Guten Tag, Blogonauts!

Or should I say instead, "Bon Appetit!"

My title for today's entry is a Dickensian pun, not a whine. Some folks have wondered about my dietary adventures traveling around Germania. I've taken a few photos of my meals, and rather than spread the pics about willy-nilly, I've consolidated the entire lot into this blog post.

Let's say that the German diet is a lot like the traditional American diet: heavy on the meat and potatoes. Nonetheless, it is possible to eat a bit lighter, if you consciously insist upon it.

There is also an extraordinary emphasis on beer. The drinking age for beer and schnapps in Germany and Austria is 16. And anywhere you can wander with a dog or a bicycle, you can also cart along an open lager.

Now imagine this context: Munich police can arrest you for giving the Nazi "Sieg heil!" salute, but traveling about with a beer in your hand won't warrant a second glance. (That is, so long as you're not driving under the influence. That's still strictly verboten.) So although it is by no means a universal practice, it is nonetheless possible to see someone riding the subway, walking their dog, or riding a bike with a beer in one hand.

So enjoy the succulent snapshots. I've tried to describe each in its caption, but it's fair to say that potatoes and cabbage are in abundance.