Dinner and odds and ends....

We ended up in downtown Garmisch at a Steakhouse!  The inside was filled with all kinds of cowboy memorabilia including pistols on the ceiling and cowboy hats all over the place.  I ordered a 200g beef steak with potato wedges and herbed butter and it was awesome.  Dave ordered a rib eye with whiskey sauce, baked beans and a side salad.  The rib eye was huge and he said it's the best steak he's had since he's been in Germany.  The baked beans are served in a unique manner -- heated in the can!  Why not?  And he ate every bite of it.  Good thing he works out and is able to stay in shape or he would weigh 300 pounds.
Couple of things I keep forgetting to mention.  Here in Germany everything, and I do mean everything, is subject to a VAT - value added tax -- in the amount of 19%.  Sometimes it is added on and sometimes it is already in the price you pay.  The taxes are used to pay for highway upkeep as well as many other things that I don't know about.  The highways are in incredible shape considering the harsh winters that they have here.  One thing that they do NOT do in the winter is spread salt or do a lot of plowing.  They leave it up to the traffic to take care of the snow.  I remember that from when I lived here and slid around on the cobblestone streets while driving.  What fun! 
Also, down here on the way to Garmisch-Partenkirchen we drove through a 2.8 kilometer tunnel which had to have been built prior to WII.  During that time it was used by the Germans to construct  messerschmitt airplanes.  After they were almost finished, they shoved them out of the tunnels, added the wings and took off.  They were able to assemble many fighter planes before the allies were able to figure this out.  Very clever and innovative people here.
The Germans are very much into recyling and conservation of natural resources which is great.  The zoning in Bavaria is such that you are not allowed to make any changes to your property without specific permission and that doesn't happen often.  The object of the city planners is to keep the land as it is now and not change the ambience of the community and countryside.  I think it's a great idea and that is why the country never changes in major ways but only in small subtle ones.
Beer or bier is definitely the national drink and is served at breakfast, yes, breakfast, and throughout the day.  It is nothing to see a breakfast of white sausage and wheat beer being consumed.  In spite of that, I have yet to see a skunk drunk German here but I have seen a few (?) Americans who can't handle the strong German bier.  Drinking on a daily basis is the way of life here and there does not seem to be the stigma attached to it like in the States.
Tired so hitting the sack for the night.  Hopefully it will be clear enough to go up on the Zugspitze tomorrow so we can see the view from 2,962 meters up.
Later...