One Week In...

But, not much to report.

I wrote a very lengthy synopsis of my trip out here to Germany.  However, as I read, and re-read it, it had so little to do with brewing that I didn't think it appropriate to post here.  That said, I may start a secondary blog which is geared more toward my personal experiences, where this blog will remain focused on all things beer.

Anyway, there are a few things which you may find interesting.  First off, the area we are living in is a lot like the Holy Hill area.  Lots of high, rolling hills.  There are pockets of agriculture along side thick pine forests.  Weather is similar to Milwaukee.  No snow yet, but high winds and rain almost daily.

We live in a tiny village and the next biggest village is about a mile down the road.

All of our furniture, as well as all my brewing gear, is scheduled to arrive around January 6th, and I can't wait to get started brewing as the water is delicious here.  I don't have a water quality breakdown, but I can tell you that it's a little hard, based solely on the fact that our shower head tends to spray water in several directions other than where you'd like it to go.

I make most purchases on the Air Force Base, as they are on the dollar and prices are reasonable.  Once you get "out on the economy", a dollar will get you $0.75 Euro, so not only is everything 25% more expensive, but you have to pay VAT and local tax on top of it.  The value of the dollar is trending in our favor, so hopefully our buying power will improve over time.

This past week, and the next couple will be spent getting acclimated to my new surroundings, while ensuring that things are running as smoothly as possible at SFB.  Once we can function a little more independant of each other, I'll be out exploring and learning a little more.  In the meantime, I welcome any questions you may have about Deutschland.