[finnbow]

Sorry to step back a little late for the conversation about the Old World. As is clear to most here, I'm a big fan of Germany, though my fondest memories are from 3 years in the early '60's and eight years from 1978-1986. In many ways, I'm more comfortable there than here, though I have not a drop of German blood in me, but speak fluent German.

There's a lot to like about Germany. It's clean, honest and difficult to find a poor meal, shoddy goods, and lackluster service. Morever, the beer's great and the women are lovely. Though many aspects of its culture aren't all that foreign to Americans (and this becomes more true year after year), it successfully merges a vibrant economy with a very easy lifestyle. I love the place and would probably rather live in the alpine foothills south of Munich than pretty much anywhere else on earth.