Top 5: Stuttgart Surprises

Here is a list, in no particuar order, of some things that have most surprised me so far:

1. Smoking. While there are more non-smoking spaces than there used to be, the scene isn't changing nearly as quickly as I had expected. So far, I have found one restaurant and one cafe where I can actually breathe. Cigarette vending machines are still on the streets, as well as at the check-out counter in the grocery stores. The check-out counter is just poor design. People have to reach over one another to get to the awkwardly placed machine and inevitably end up delaying the line. None of this seems to deter smokers, not even the large-print health warnings on the outside of the packages.

2. Kehrwoche. Apparently this is a Schwäbische thing, Swabia being the region in which Stuttgart is located. Apartment residents are expected to take turns cleaning the communal areas, including the basement, steps, and entryway, as well as the street and sidewalk directly outside the apartment building. Um, what?!

3. Steps. I already mentioned the steps in my previous entry. They are everywhere in Stuttgart and sometimes quite steep. You don't always have to use them to get to your destination, but they usually reduce the walking time considerably. Of course, if you are traveling a long distance, taking the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, or your personal car is probably a better option.

4. Supermarkets. My experience in Germany and Austria up until this point has been that grocery stores are small, offer one or two brands of each product, and rarely ever carry everything on your list -- sort of like ALDI's, which originated in Germany. I don't know if this is just the case for Stuttgart (and maybe major cities like Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin), but there are grocery stores everywhere now, and most of them are really supermarkets with a wide range of produce, milk products, deli, prepared foods, and of course the bakery. On Friday, I even stumbled across a small, reasonably priced, German version of Whole Foods, called "basic", which made me extremely happy. The only downside to this variety is that you're not forced to buy traditional German or European products. Heck, I've even seen peanut butter here. I still prefer the smaller stores, but it's nice to know that if I'm looking for something decidedly not-German, I might have a chance at the larger supermarkets.

5. Structure of the weekend. This one might sound silly compared to the others, but it did surprise me.   My flatmate asked me if I wanted to go out Thursday night with some friends. I was really tired and wasn't feeling that great, so I declined, and we agreed to definitely do something together next time. Friday came and I was feeling great, so I thought I'd go into the city and maybe to the art museum. Ha! The city was deserted. Everyone apparently goes out on Thursday night, not Friday. On Saturday people go shopping and on Sunday, when everything is closed, people stay home and relax. While I was out yesterday (Saturday), I picked up several cultural events calendars, so I can start planning some weekends more carefuly, including a few train trips to visit other cities.