Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, is reported to have said:
"I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse."
So I guess it didn't start with Isabel Werth and Klaus Balkenhol?
Those darn Germans. They've got the best horses, the best riders, the best beer, it hardly seems fair....
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Meh, they do unspeakable things to pizza, tho.
ReplyDeleteAnd what the hell is the deal with mayonnaise on fries?
ReplyDeleteOk, I'll grant you the German dominance in show jumping and dressage, but beer? Really?
ReplyDeleteI would rather share a brew with our English pals any day: porters, stouts, IPAs, brown ale, pale ale... 'nuf said. Ditto with the Belgians.
Yah, and there is only vone vay to do it!! *G*
ReplyDeleteThey have very strict breeding regulations, hence strong control over the kinds and quality of horses bred.
Not sure about the riders. *VBWG*
If you've ever ridden under a german teacher, or ridden a german trained horse....
ReplyDeleteLearning to speak german is the easy part! However the results are fantastic!
And the best cars, the best recycling/energy-efficiency plans, the best tack cleaners (I ♥ Effax!!) etc., etc. Those Germans know how to do things right!
ReplyDeleteI love mayo on fries, of course the southerner in me ads tabasco sauce to the mix. Of course I did pick it up from a German when I was in England =)
ReplyDeleteI like that quote it makes me smile.
Strict rules for beer brewing, too. Success by discipline.
ReplyDeleteyeah, "Pommes rot/weiss" (red/white) fries with ketchup and mayonnaise) a horse show tradition too. lol
ReplyDeleteBut the best fries and topping sure are from the Netherlands!
And the best bread! ;)
ReplyDeleteTrue, but strictness & rigidity come with a price. I have a German student, a recreational rider. When she came from Germany, she didn't want to take up riding again, because she thought she wasn't good enough. Then her American friends mentioned, don't you just want to ride for FUN? What a novel idea--giving up on her German ideologies allowed her to have a good time with her horses & not always worry about whether she was good enough.
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