Pass the health warning, please

It’s a German law that most shops must stay closed on Sunday, which in theory is nice because it promotes a family-togetherness day, but in reality, with such a high unemployment rate, it might give a few poor people some work.

Anyway, one of the places that may stay open is a café. So on Sundays everyone and his dog either lounges outside in the sun (summer) or squeezes into a smoky table (winter) to sample an all-day brunch.

I like the brunch buffets here because I enjoy eating in general, and it’s also great to have many helpings and eat what you want. Some buffets are better than others, of course, but it’s a great way to spend a Sunday and catch up with friends.

If I had any complaint it would be the smoking. Lots of people here smoke, but when there’s no air inside and all you can smell is the smoke and it seeps through your clothes…not so appetising. But cigarettes here are pretty cheap and no one seems too worried about fatalities. Just go into a cinema and watch the ads. They range from the funny to the downright cheesy (men in silk dressing gowns surrounded by adoring women). And you can’t forget the Malborough Man, who rides off on his wheezing horse into the lung-cancer sunset (well, the original Man did, this is his replacement).

But I’m willing to brave the fog of a hundred cigarettes for that last slice of apple strudel. After all, the best things in life are generally bad for you, I’ve learned.