Hey, guess who's back from good ol' Deutschland? That's right, your good pal Nick. Wot-wot.
Started off by driving to the airport with my brother, dad and granddad (neither my mother or grandmother had any interest), flew over to London, then flew over to the city of Lübeck. We stayed in a lovely little hotel that night, then spent about four hours the next day on the Autobahn driving to Flensburg to pick up the boat we had hired for the week. Sailed the boat to the marina, docked her, and let the holiday begin.
What can I say? Well, it was just awesome. I'd never been to Germany before, but my dad - who spent eight years there long before I was born - assured me it's a wonderful place. It really is. Everybody was so friendly and welcoming. We arrived in the middle of a steamboat festival, and it was crowded along the docks. Strolling through the crowds, the smell of sausages, waffles and who knows what else from the stalls were a feast for the senses (if you pardon the cliche).
Sailing was fun. We went out late in the mornings and came back in the afternoon. We crossed over to Denmark a couple of times, but we never really docked there. But it was good anyway.
The food was...well, it was oustanding. We were lucky enough to find our way to Hansen's Brewery, a tavern and restaurant with some of the most delicious food I've ever tried in another country. Wild boar sausages, prime beef burgers, enormous spare ribs and other meaty treats were the order of the day, with gratuitous amounts of salad, seasoning and enough potatoes to feed a whole party. And the portions were big enough to fill even the mightiest appetite. And every evening we'd take a stroll around the town and relax outside the cafe nearby. I helped myself to a scrumptious bowl of Rote Grütze every time we visited: mashed fruits and berries with a layer of vanilla custard. Yum! Oh, and the service was exceptional. If you wanted something at a cafe or restaurant, you just asked the staff and they'd oblige quite happily. We had visited the Brewery so often that a couple of the waiters practically greeted us every time we entered. There was never any hassle at all - my brother accidentally knocked a glass off the table once, and we all said sorry for it, but the waiter who served us just said, "It's no problem" and told us not to worry about it. Another incident that stands out was the time when my grandfather dropped his fork - almost immediately, at least four of the staff rushed over to our table with a new knife without us even saying a thing. And at another restaurant we dined in before coming home, the waitress - a very kind woman - was more than happy to tailor our food to suit our tastes, and the chef very nicely cooked me and my brother a fantastic spaghetti carbonara, which wasn't even on the menu. We could easily engage with the staff in conversation as well, since most of them had fairly good English too. Everything was neat and tidy and, above all, efficient. No hassle, no worries.
So, all in all, it was a great trip. I'd gladly return there some other time!