Things you rather like about this country

[Andy in Germany]

road users giving the palm as thanks for a road favour.
Maybe happens in other places - don't know.
used to drive a foreigner now and again who told me i was being stupid/somehow subservient for doing it.
As a cyclist these days (car gone) I still thankfully quite often have reason to give the palm to drivers.

It's almost unknown in Stuttgart, and indeed I've also been told off for it there, but very common in the Freiburg region.

 

[slowmotion]

Queuing patiently.

{ Sorry, Audi drivers should ignore this }

 

[Blue Hills]

Queuing patiently.

{ Sorry, Audi drivers should ignore this }

Yep - I've also been told brits are stupid for doing that

edit - after peering at your post more closely - I used to drive Audis.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Libraries - though am all too well aware that they are under terrible/previously unimaginable threat these days.
I love the fact that in many towns/areas the library is often one of the most impressive and central buildings.

Good shout! They're also heated, so in winter helps to keep home heating costs down. I would often call in and spend the morning reading the papers.

 

[Lozz360]

It’s separated from the rest of the world by a fair bit of water.

If not for that we’d all be Nazis by now.

We could have been occupied and governed by Nazis, but not necessarily “...we’d all be Nazis”. Not quite the same thing.

 

[Jody]

in the past a fair old bit there ming.

Not round here it isn't. T'owd lass still serves the best chips in yesterdays newspaper.

 

[bitsandbobs]

English church music
Jonathan Meades (although he chooses to live in France)
Youth culture
Summer pudding

 

[Ming the Merciless]

In the same vein, public footpaths. I don't know of any other country where so much of the country is so accessible to anyone with a functioning pair of feet.

Think it’s about 169,000 miles of rights of way. Least I remember that figure from years ago.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The churches are just great to visit and look inside as well. A place of solitude and meditation whether you are religious or not. Plus such a variety of styles. Shame some aren’t open during the week.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I like it that there are no wild animals or insects likely to kill me if I go wild camping or bivvying.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I like it that we are for the most part a tolerant lot. Though looking online you’d begin to wonder. Certainly in the flesh, most are welcoming and celebrate and / or show curiosity about our differences.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Libraries - though am all too well aware that they are under terrible/previously unimaginable threat these days.
I love the fact that in many towns/areas the library is often one of the most impressive and central buildings.

That is one thing I miss: dropping into a library and getting interesting books to read without having to push through the language.

 

[Blue Hills]

That is one thing I miss: dropping into a library and getting interesting books to read without having to push through the language.

can't really blame the germans for not having english as a first language though can you? Many many of course excellent at it as a second one.

 

[Blue Hills]

I like it that we are for the most part a tolerant lot. Though looking online you’d begin to wonder. Certainly in the flesh, most are welcoming and celebrate and / or show curiosity about our differences.

yep - god forbid an alien (or just foreign bod) should look at NACAs for their impression of britain and the brits.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I like our use of irony and sarcasm and often our cousins over the pond not getting it.