After all of the Christmas tree and Christmas market excitement, a little Sonntagsruhe* is just what the doctor ordered. If you have never had the pleasure of personally experiencing a “Quiet Sunday” in Germany, then you are missing out. Imagine for a moment a world so quiet and still that it could be Thanksgiving or Christmas. A world with no lawn mowers, no vacuum cleaners, and no table saws. A world where the stores are closed and you have no choice but to relax. A world where the loudest sound you hear is the occasional car driving by. A world with such an ultimate respect for a neighbor’s peace and quiet that you could slumber in your yard for hours, or read a book by an open window without having to re-read a single sentence. Well this world exists, and it’s one of the things I miss most about Germany. Now don’t get me wrong, it is nice to be able to run to the home improvement store or catch up on yard work on a Sunday in the States. But I prefer how the Germans do it, and I think Americans could all benefit from a little more downtime.
After we thoroughly enjoyed our quiet afternoon, it was time for a family dinner at my sister-in-law’s house complete with roast, Semmelknödel, Feldsalat*, and mashed potatoes. Man do I love German cooking. I especially love Feldsalat, which is a super delicious green leaf lettuce. We have not been able to find any in Idaho and I can’t understand it for the life of me. Once dinner was complete, it was time for a good Germerican sport evening that started with Bundesliga soccer and ended with NFL football, and rounded it with a few Stubbis (Stubbis made possible by the kindness of my sister-in-law who drove us). It’s funny how good it is for the soul just to chill with friends and/or family without some big event. The perfect ending to a peaceful day. Bis zum nächsten mal!
*Glossary:
Sonntagsruhe = Quiet Sunday
Semmelknödel = Semmel Dumpling
Feldsalat = Corn Lettuce
Germerican Denglish 