Germany: Where the parks aren't just for kids

Parks are pretty much the place to be when the weather is nice in Germany. This is something I remember noticing already on my very first trip to Germany way back in 2005. If the sun is out, you grab your sunscreen, a blanket and some friends and head out to the park. Which is exactly what Gemma and I did on my last day in Nürnberg. 

With sunscreen and a deck of cards in hand, we laid our blanket out among the groups of people reading, friends chatting, girls sunbathing, guys playing ultimate frisbee and soccer, little kids running around, and what seemed to be a school group testing some home made rockets. 

I'm kind of in love with the idea of just hanging out in the park. It's a great communal setting that's always full of people where you can basically do whatever you want. It makes me think about Memorial Park in Athens or even North Campus at UGA - you might pass other people going for a walk or bringing their kids for an afternoon, but how often do you see friends meeting up with to just sit out on a blanket or overhear people making plans to head to the park? This is definitely a bit of German culture I'll really miss next year - or perhaps I'll try to spread the joy to the sad, parkless Americans! 

Oh, and a perk of German parks that can't be brought back to Georgia? No open container laws. Because what could be better than enjoying an afternoon beer in that perfect weather with great friends?