1936 On the Continent

on me, and I was even the moreastonished when I learnt that it is by no means one of the best or largest. Leipzig with its huge platforms, where twenty-eight lines enter the station, Frankfort with its very beautiful station, Stuttgart, modern and light, with a hotel attached (not so common in Germany as with us), take the lead amongst German stations, but the smaller and medium-sized towns also have railway stations which surpass our London termini in every way. One curious exception is Berlin, where the great international stations such as Friedrichstrasse, Anhalter station, Zoo, are not so pretentious as the provincial stations. I heard, however, that there is to be a lot of rebuilding shortly.
    In addition to the information bureaux of the State Railways and those of the Foreigners’ Travel Bureaux in the towns, of which I have already heard, everything is done to make the foreigner at home as quickly as possible. I should like to describe all the methods used, but it would take too long. It appealed to me very much that the railway stations in Germany cater so well for the satisfaction of our hunger and thirst. In every one is a large restaurant, often one of the best in the town. In addition, there are many buffets and wagons going round with cold food and drink, the beloved sausages and coffee.
Sausage!
    The eating of sausage in Germany is an experience. There are so many varieties, of which the “Frankfurter” has become world famous. Each district has its sausage speciality, as for instance the “Halberstädter” in Central Germany, the “Weisswürstchen” in Bavaria, the “Bratwürste” in Thuringia. Hamburg produces a garlic sausage, which though very tasty is not so odoriferous as its name suggests.
    The French, Austrians, Italians and Hungarians all joke about the German coffee, but we English have really no right to do so. I find it much better than ours, but I must say that our tea is infinitely better than what you get in Germany. It is one of the secrets of the world why better coffee is made from the same material in one country than in another, and tea tastes better in England than in Germany, although the same brand and the same quantity may be used. Many say that the water accounts for it,and I was told of a coffee-mad Turkish ambassador in Berlin who had water brought in casks from Vienna so that he could have his coffee as he liked it.
    Tea and coffee are not drunk at the same meals in Germany as with us, coffee being generally taken when we have tea and vice versa. Thus in the afternoon coffee is generally drunk, even when the shop bears the legend “Five o’clock tea.” I don’t know why on the Continent they think we always drink tea at five o’clock and always speak of “English five o’clock tea.” All my life I have drunk tea at four o’clock, and all my acquaintances do the same. My son certainly does not drink tea in the afternoon, but he is nothing to go by as he is a revolutionary.
    At dinner, coffee is very generally drunk with us, in Germany tea accompanies a cold supper. But taken altogether, much more coffee than tea is consumed in Germany. It is the German national drink, I think far more so than beer.
Coffee-houses
    In Cologne I discovered a number of coffee-houses round about the station. On the Continent these are the cheapest places for light refreshments, are usually well appointed, provide newspapers (including the best English ones), and offer all these conveniences for the price of a coffee costing 50 to 60 pfennig during a stay of two or three hours in the café. In all German towns there are good cafés, where ladies in the best society may go alone, although I would advise my wife to enquire as to the most suitable ones for her to patronise.
    In the afternoon and evening there is usually music in the cafés, and the habit of dancing is increasing annually. There are special dance cafés, excellently appointed, where young girls often dance with strange young men—all quite harmless and respectable.
    He however who wishes to smoke his pipe in peace and read the newspapers should avoid the music and dance cafés—there are plenty of quiet ones. For me it is a unique sight to see well-dressed men publicly playing chess or cards in a special part of the big coffee-houses. In Germany a game called Skat is usually played, whichwe do not know here, but our Bridge is becoming more and more popular on the Continent. I don’t think I am exaggerating when I