Germany

In late August, 2010 I had the opportunity to travel around Germany with a friend.  Our ten-day tour covered five major cities and myriad cultural landmarks.  Spending no more than two days in each city, the pace of our venture tested equally our mobility, stamina, and digestive systems; an indulgent vacation mindset in beer mecca only compounded the not-so-subtle transition from Israeli salads to German bratwurst.  And although our efforts to curb lodging expenses with overnight high-speed trains (ICE) were ultimately offset by the cost of delirium after each sleepless night, I cherished every minute.  What impressed me the most about notorious German precision was not the interplay of modern and classic styles in its architecture or its predilection toward fast luxury cars, but rather its civil engineering: the public transportation systems are as reliable as they are socially progressive.  Imagine a government that trusts its citizens enough to disregard turnstiles!  I think the US has much to learn from the German system (this means you MTA).

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