19. A Smoker's Paradise

After almost a decade of fresh air, when I came back to Germany, I had a violent reminder that smoking is a very popular habit here, even more than in France (it is in the stats of the "European Commission" and also just by observing and smelling in the streets).

My neighbours smoke so when I go outside on my balcony, which is quite rare considering the high level of pollution due to traffic and intensive agriculture, I always, really all the time, got the pleasure of smelling tobacco.

When I walk on the streets, when the exhaust pipes emission from the car for a short period clear I can smell cigarette smoke from either another rare pedestrian or from a house or apartment.

As the food is bad and expensive, I refrain from eating in a restaurant, but if one dares to do so, then, beware of the smoke on the terrace or even inside during Summer if the restaurant opens its windows/doors.

Inside, in a closed restaurant, shop, train, well, any closed space, you can also smell the stale tobacco, what a pleasure.

Where there are smokers, there are cigarette butts, thrown away on the ground and that you can see everywhere in Germany: streets, parks, car parks... What a pleasant view.