A very different mentality...

In trying to get work done on our apartment, we have been trying to get someone in to plaster. What is so funny is that 4 out of the 4 people that we have contacted to plaster are on vacation for 3 - 4 weeks. I know that this is the school vacation, and so most people do take their vacation now. It still surprises me though (and I love it, even though it is inconvenient) how everyone not only has vacation time here (the average is 6 - 7 weeks a year), but they also have the will, desire, and have also saved the money to take a true vacation. Even the local pizza shop is closed for the month, so that the owners can go back to Italy for vacation. It is not about money, but instead about quality of life.

Another case in point...For 5 days last week, Bamberg hosted a huge Jazz and Blues Festival. The entire city square turns into a big fest. Bands play for 5 nights straight, and there is absolutely  no charge to get in. It is completely free. The city does sell "pins" that you can buy for 2 euro in order to show your support. You are not by any means obligated to buy this pin, but almost everyone does, because the proceeds go to help ensure that the festival will continue each year. People don't buy them because they have to, but instead because it is "the right thing to do." The same goes for the big Sandkerwa festival that takes place later this week. The food and drinks are quite reasonably priced because it is not about a company or an individual making a killing. The mentality is that if it costs too much, people will not come, and that defeats the entire purpose.

*A funny thing about this photo... the table next to ours (the one on the left side of the photo), had 3 pieces of paper taped down, saying that the table was reserved from 7:00pm on for a birthday party. The funny thing is - there is no "official" way to reserve a table. Someone just put down the signs, and sure enough at 7:00 the birthday party group came in, and the other people sitting there, respected the signs and got up. Again, because it is the nice thing to do....