This week, the topic of Germany, drinking water, cafes, and Americans came up on social media.
So this discussion circled around an American traveling around Europe....in the heat, and finding that cafes won't serve the lady just plain 'tap-water'. The waiters would respond....if you want water....then buy the bottled stuff. The American grumbled about this situation.
I've traveled a lot around the world, and will offer five obsrevations:
First, the taste of water differs....even if you are discussing bottled water, or just plain tap-water. Some of the worst tasting water I've ever had was in Tucson, Arizona. After six weeks of living there....I basically quit drinking tap-wter, and went to bottled water. The best tasting water I've ever had? Highland Springs...coming out of the Scottish highlands. For about eight years....the commissary at Ramstein carried the brand and I was addicted to it....then one day....they refused to stock it.
Today? I'm a Evian (French Alps) water guy. In Germany, it's premium bottled water. Funny thing...just across the border in France....it's about 50-percent less on cost and absolutely NOT premium water. Yeah....I do make 2 drives a year across the border to bulk-buy quarter-a-pallet of the stuff.
Second, I had a older German comment once....while he considered German tap-water safe to drink....his confidence level wasn't 100-percent. He was willing to 'boil' water for his coffee or tea....but beyond that....he just wasn't that confident.
At least once or twice a year....one of the public TV shows on health will take up the discussion of safe German water, and Doctor-so-V-so of such-and-such university will swear on some town's water being 'safe' to drink. I suspect if you asked the general public on this....they will all agree, but state their position...they buy bottled water.
Third, the amusing thing for me is the difference at the store....where you have regular bottled water (the cheap stuff for 79 Euro-cents for a 1-liter bottle), and then the premium stuff (1.10 to 3.0 Euro). The cafe offerings? Oh, they will only stock what you consider ultra-premium....meaning you won't get a 1-liter bottle for less than 6 Euro (last week, I paid 8.50 Euro for such a bottle).
Fourth, given a choice on a fairly hot day (say 35 C)....most Germans will select beer as their hydration method (not water). My own advice....order a small bottle of water to start, and drift over to beer next.
Fifth and final....with all this deposit bottle crap now existing in Germany....on a really hot day, you probably lug a half-liter bottle around with you. At some point in the journey....you've sipped all of the water and you are lugging the empty bottle around for the remainder of the day....to get the stupid deposit back at some point.
To sum it up....I can understand what the American tourist is talking about....and I'm pretty peeved as well if I have to pay 4.50 Euro a half-liter of premium cafe water. But I'll pay the 4.50 Euro.
2 comments:
I've traveled the world and can safely say the best water in the world is in Iceland. You can actually hold a glass under a waterfall and drink. The best milk would have to be New Zealand, never had better. Beer, naturally Germany. Whiskey, Scotland although Canada runs a close second. The wife and I lived near Cologne and the water is quite good. (Hopefully not pumped out of the Rhine) We live now in Lower Saxony and the water has a peculiar smell. Kind of musty.(Or maybe it's me, I am getting older)
Oddly, I agree. On my one-week trip to Iceland....between the tap-water and locally-bottled water...it's 5-star. But I think it's run-off from glaciers. Same trend for Alpine and Highlands water.
From my local village (resting on a hillside)...town-water comes off a dozen springs with higher elevation to the village. I'd give thumbs up on the quality. From Wiesbaden city-water....it has a slight negative taste....not sure where it's pumped from (maybe the Rhine).
Post a Comment