A German in York

 “Would you like to go to England for four weeks?” I said: “I would love to! But where exactly?”  

Hello, my name is Klaudia and I’m a 21-year-old girl from Germany 🇩🇪  doing my work experience in York right now.

So, come on lovely Yorkers, join my short excursion “How the Germans perceive York” .

The Britains and Germans are so different but also the same. 

On my first day here, it was a Saturday, my brain had to get used to your crazy driving style. Really, why the hell are you driving on the left? That is so confusing. Don’t worry though – Australia does it too.

Thank God I survived the first road crossings. I rushed into a historical pub called The Phoenix Inn, which is definitely worth a visit. You can enjoy many different craft beers, ciders and more either on their lovely terrace with the sun on your face while watching people walking on your city walls, or in the quaint rooms near the bar.

Once I realised that I wasn’t in Hamburg anymore, I started to adjust to your English flair.   

After the refreshing beer 🍻  I went to the York Food Festival in the city centre. Wow! So many food odours and food stations for every taste. It’s the biggest and the best celebration of Yorkshire food and drink. Chips with cheese, meatballs, Yorkshire pudding, fudge… I will definitely come back next year just for this tasty fiesta – and I bet the Yorkers will too 😋.

I walked through the streets and saw a store that looked familiar to me. Christmas tree ornaments, candles and a lot of reindeer… yes you’re right… Käthe Wohlfahrt. It’s so lovely inside and the perfect place to get all your decorations in time for Christmas. I talked to a staff member and she explained the history of “Catie Woolfahrt” to me very well.

I have to comment on how kind you English people are. I don’t want to blame us Germans but you are pleasant, attentive and selfless. I really enjoy the atmosphere here and I’m always smiling when I hear the people saying thank you to the drivers when they leave the bus. 

So let’s stay with the differences between England and Germany. I really love your tea with milk – not only with coffee! A wonderful place for the beloved tea time is the famous Bettys. It’s designed with beautiful interiors inspired by the Queen Mary ocean liner.

As you know, it’s very important to drink enough – and the right things. So on a Friday night I went out clubbing and had some cocktails – cheers! When I first heard someone saying “cheers” on the phone I was really confused 🤷‍♀️ In Germany we only say cheers when toasting. But yeah, now I catch myself saying it. I went to Turtle Bay that evening, which is THE place for amazing food, delicious cocktails and great dancing. The DJ plays very nice music and everyone inside gets the groove! Definitely worth a visit.

I’ve still got two weeks left to discover this amazing city!

And there are so many nice things to do and to see before I go home. I think I want to do the Private Ghost Tour of York because when me and a friend of mine had dinner in town, there was this group of people and they had to scare us. I must have looked quite funny!

Hamburg is also very famous for its cruises and their dungeon – that’s why I would love to take part in the York Dungeon City Cruise. It must be very nice and entertaining. The Captain and his team will keep you entertained by telling spooky stories.

York is such an amazing city in its own way – old fashioned and modern at the same time. 

In conclusion I can say that both cultures love to be in company, to have delicious food and drinks and are open for every type of entertainment. I will definitely come back – cheers!