Boy, you aren't kidding Germans walk! When we visited my ancestral villages a couple years ago, we were nearly walked to death. LOL I am overweight, and knee problems run in our family, so I have painful, arthritic knees, but not quite to the stage to have them replaced yet. Our German friends took us for a weeks trip around the former E. German area--Meissen, Dresden, Harz mountains, etc. Had 2 or 3 parks they wanted to show us, also, and these were LARGE walking parks. One was Hanza (sp??) Park. They were beautiful, and people walking all over on the footpaths thru the flowers and landscaping. but, I though I wouldn't make it! (they said, "We have a saying here--we walk in our parks, and Americans drive in theirs." referring to our large parks like Yellowstone, etc.) And, there were beautiful, old castles, etc, but the villages were ancient, so the streets were narrow, and they didn't tear things out for parking lots, as we do here, so to visit a castle, you parked down along the river somewhere, and climbed the hill to the castle, then climbed the stairs in the castle! Then back down over the cobblestones to the car (1/4 to 1/2 mile back again) The other couple we visited ther in Germany, a retired couple who had done some genealogy work for me, were even worse (re the walking). They lived in Magdeburg, and didn't own a car, because they walked to their garden outside of town, where there was a field of garden plots for rent. Everyone who wanted to rented a garden spot, and walked out and tended it. And, the wife had diabetes, controled by diet and exercise, and her diabetes Dr. was 7 miles, and they biked there together every 2 weeks for her checkup. He was 72, and she was 68, and they both belonged to an Alps hiking club, and he was the leader. The other members were in their 30's and 40's, and I will guarantee he could out-walk all of them. LOL It was a wonderful and beautiful trip, and the people were great, but by the time I got home, I had to up my knee medication, and try to recuperate! LOL. Judy In a message dated 6/15/01 11:59:57 AM, you wrote: <<Isn't it true that Germans, and most Europeans, get much more exercise than we do in the US?? Maybe that's why heart disease rates are lower there. It seemed to me that they did a lot more walking than we do here. That was in the 70's though, so maybe things have changed. Dorie>>

My grandfather was in his 80's and riding his bicycle, when he died--fell off the bike and hit is head on the pavement. They think he had a stroke, actually. I don't think I've ever seen an 80-year-old on a bike here in the US! Dorie ----- Original Message ----- From: <JudyMcKinn@aol.com> To: <GERMAN-LIFE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 9:17 AM Subject: [GERMAN-LIFE] Walking Germans! > Boy, you aren't kidding Germans walk! When we visited my ancestral villages > a couple years ago, we were nearly walked to death. LOL I am overweight, and > knee problems run in our family, so I have painful, arthritic knees, but not > quite to the stage to have them replaced yet. Our German friends took us for > a weeks trip around the former E. German area--Meissen, Dresden, Harz > mountains, etc. Had 2 or 3 parks they wanted to show us, also, and these > were LARGE walking parks. One was Hanza (sp??) Park. They were beautiful, > and people walking all over on the footpaths thru the flowers and > landscaping. but, I though I wouldn't make it! (they said, "We have a > saying here--we walk in our parks, and Americans drive in theirs." referring > to our large parks like Yellowstone, etc.) And, there were beautiful, old > castles, etc, but the villages were ancient, so the streets were narrow, and > they didn't tear things out for parking lots, as we do here, so to visit a > castle, you parked down along the river somewhere, and climbed the hill to > the castle, then climbed the stairs in the castle! Then back down over the > cobblestones to the car (1/4 to 1/2 mile back again) The other couple we > visited ther in Germany, a retired couple who had done some genealogy work > for me, were even worse (re the walking). They lived in Magdeburg, and > didn't own a car, because they walked to their garden outside of town, where > there was a field of garden plots for rent. Everyone who wanted to rented a > garden spot, and walked out and tended it. And, the wife had diabetes, > controled by diet and exercise, and her diabetes Dr. was 7 miles, and they > biked there together every 2 weeks for her checkup. He was 72, and she was > 68, and they both belonged to an Alps hiking club, and he was the leader. The > other members were in their 30's and 40's, and I will guarantee he could > out-walk all of them. LOL It was a wonderful and beautiful trip, and the > people were great, but by the time I got home, I had to up my knee > medication, and try to recuperate! LOL. Judy > > In a message dated 6/15/01 11:59:57 AM, you wrote: > <<Isn't it true that Germans, and most Europeans, get much more exercise than > we do in the US?? Maybe that's why heart disease rates are lower there. It > seemed to me that they did a lot more walking than we do here. That was in > the 70's though, so maybe things have changed. Dorie>> > > > ==== GERMAN-LIFE Mailing List ==== > Complaints: > Contact the list administrator at: GERMAN-LIFE-L-admin@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog