German trip

Make sure you don't get a 'free' passenger on that bike of yours!!

 

Your experience is not surprising to me at all. I've been on a few euro-wide trips myself, including just last year passing through France, Germany, Czech Rep, Austria, Italy and Iceland. Every time I go I watch and talk to the people and try to get educated on how Europeans think as a sort of living history lesson. One thing I noticed is that throughout europe, the Brits are especially well liked and well tolerated. More than pretty much any other nationality from what I could see. And to be honest, I saw my share of pretty obnoxious drunk Brits carousing the streets and pubs in Prague, Brussels, Rome etc. It seemed to me they, at times, were behaving the way I had always heard the "ugly Americans" acted while overseas. But despite their sometime obnoxious pub behavior, Europeans overwhelmingly like and respect Brits.

I'm not a historian, but I'm guessing the reason Brits are so well liked and respected is because they have this peculiar position of being on an island that, historically, was (1) just out of reach of the European bad guys and (2) they had a first class army with colonial backup, if necessary (i.e. they were not easily bullied or f*cked with). The Germans never made it across the Channel, the Soviets never did either. And during WWI, the Brits could have remained out of it, but jumped in head first to help the "innocent" nations - for their trouble they sacrificed nearly a million men. For a country of that size and population, that is simply an incredible sacrifice. To today's standards the flesh and blood they put forward is just mind boggling. And again, France really had no choice but to fight, but the British could have remained aloof on their island. A similar situation again took place in WWII, although Churchill used a little more deftness to let the Soviets absorb the bulk of the cannon fodder phase of the war, so common to all sides in WWI. And again, the UK was able to pull its ex-colonial cousin into the allied efforts as well, an important factor in liberating the occupied countries and driving the final stake into the heart of the nazi beast.

So in my opinion, I think Britain is thought of today in europe proper as its protectorate. Really, it's hero and savior. Without the UK and its actions throughout the 20th century, where would Europe be now? Scary to think of it. The UK is Europe's big brother that saved it twice in a century and also was instrumental in staving off Soviet progression any further west. People throughout Europe are understandably grateful, even if they didn't live through any of it themselves. And I think it's something people in Europe think without consciously thinking about it - it's just understood. I think that's why those Swedish ladies rolled out the red carpet for you the instant they realized you were British. I also think that's why those Dutch people I spoke to on the Calais Ferry so enjoyed visiting London, but would never venture to Germany.

As to the young Germans today, I feel a little sorry for them. They have this sort of unstated/inherited monkey on their back they had no role in whatsoever. I was in Munich last year and visited Dachau KZ camp (on the outskirts of the town). While walking through the facility you could see German kids on what I was told were mandatory field trips to the camp. The German school teacher was sitting up on a bench lecturing them about what had happened there with presumably cautionary notes on how not to repeat history. Although I guess this is a good thing, unless you believe the Germans have a genetic propensity for attempting to enslave the world, I think it may be time to consider Germans as whole/normal democratic citizens now with no residual nazi baggage. In fact, this politically correct "walking on eggshells" sentiment in Germany may actually cause a return of German nationalism if they don't start allowing serious and robust internal debate and discussion about how many millions of refugees are allowed to enter their country, mostly based on the grounds of "inherited sin."

 

how many did you get in there then?

 

Thanks bikerman. And apologies to the OP, honestly wasn't trying to hijack the thread with my blabber mouth. But after touring through europe on trains and airplanes, I couldn't help but envy those who do it on motorcycles. Especially with England as a jumping off point. Cheers...

 

I assume the ground shown by the trees is "lumpy" because that partially eroded pock mark contour is what remains a century after the artillery barrage that razed the town? If so, wow.

 

Good lord, that's about 2 booms per second every second for 9 months non-stop. Not a place anyone would want to be. I'm guessing one of the reasons the town was permanently abandoned, other than many/most inhabitants being killed, was that no farmer or builder dare lay his plow or shovel into that pre-tilled ground for fear of hitting UXBs, of which there must be many left over, even today. Another aspect must be a severe lead abatement problem. Don't think I would enjoy vegetables or livestock grown on that land.

Thanks, great pics and interesting travels.