Return from England - rambling thoughts.

We have been to England for nearly four weeks!

I like England and I can see why people do.  Before I rabbit on about stuff we did I must first make my observations on comparing England and Germany. I like them both and it's difficult to compare, but here are my thoughts . . . .

• English peas are far superior to German peas.  I have no idea why but Birds Eye peas are fab.  The frozen ones here are mushy and tasteless.
• I actually don't like English supermarkets as much as I used to believe I did.  Too much choice and too much spending.
•  The weather . . . .  such an English topic.  But I like the way the weather is "busy".  Always something happening in the sky and much more bracing and cold than the warm air here and the clouds that just kind of creep up and happen.  I like the nice warm weather coming back here and the different dry warm air.  I like the way summer is summer here and in England it might get to be summer for a few days but not much.  
• I like the scenery.  It's so much smaller and quainter than here which seems vast and broad.
• I like milk in England better, and fish and big joints of meat.  

It was funny, as when we got to the other side and stopped for dinner, where I had the nice peas, Katie commented on the fact that everyone was speaking English.  It was cute.

And we are "encouraged" to move back. But although I would, if we found our perfect house in the countryside with some land, I really want to stay here for a while longer.  Why?  Well a few reasons really:

• I love wearing a dirndl
• I love bear drinking
• I love thigh slapping

Oh ok, they are not the main reasons . . . .

Actually, for me, the main reason is now that Katie is in kindergarten, I love the fact that she is speaking German. For me this is a wonderful gift - to be bilingual - in any language, but if we move back now she will lose it and I want her to have German and Alex too and then it will be so much easier to learn another language, something Matt and I struggle with.

It's also a privilege to have the lifestyle we lead here.  The fact that she can ride a bike and we can cycle all over the place is great.  The fact that we can go skiing and do stuff in the mountains is great too.   I like the relative safety and easiness of bringing up children here. 
 I like it here.  Oh except I get hay fever here and not in England.

But then I like the countryside in England too and the beach.

It's tricky but for now I want to stay right here even though I like to visit England and family and the chance for the children to see their cousins.

Bavarian dudes at Jon and Rachel's wedding last Saturday.

Next post - what we did in England!