Hurray! Sun in Regensburg!

Even though this native of Texas has now been living in Regensburg for three years, some things still manage to surprise her.

Fire up your grill! Call your friends! Get into your swim suit, and make your favorite potato salad because it’s spring time! The citizens of Regensburg have endured enough of the long, cold, wet dreary days of the winter, and I’ve never seen people adapt so quickly. I never knew so many people existed in Regensburg until the sun started shining. The streets come to life as restaurant owners transfer their inside bars to outside patios, girls walk around town in their white, knee length dresses they bought at H&M, and people migrate to areas where they can absorb the most sun.

I’ve also seen how the shining sun can change attitudes! As an American, customer service is number one. At Netto, the workers have to wear name tags that say, “I am friendly”. But now that the sun is out, I’ve never been treated better! Instead of getting my sandwich meat tossed over the counter at me, I hear, “Have a Nice Day and Happy Easter!” Then I think… wait… did I really hear the guy right? I think he was being nice!
Heck! I’ve never been happier to buy a “Semmel”, in my life! Now, you’d think I’d know all the names of the million different breads and pastries by now, but uh, I don’t. And the place that I go to doesn’t have the little signs in front of the pastries. So it begins like this, “That one?”, “No, that one.”, “That one?”, “No, that one.”

By the time we are finished, either the money or the bread comes flying my way. But on one sunny day, the bakery assistant was so nice and helpful, that I literally floated out there! Ordering a “Semmel” couldn’t have been more pleasant! Why can’t it always be like that! “That’s what I miss about Texas!” Yeah ok, we have the death penalty, but we’re really nice people!

The only other time I remember people being so overtly friendly, was when the Pope visited Regensburg. His Holiness shined his light on Regensburg! And boy it must have been something, because the butcher at Edeka spoke to me in English. That never happened again. There’s just no place like Regensburg on a beautiful, spring or summer day, Pope or not. Get out there and enjoy the sunny weather while you can. According to a Texan, it doesn’t last long.

7.05.09 - online redaktion