Did you know that some of the buildings in the suburb of Hannover I’m staying have double doors? Keeping out the winter elements (such as snow) is built into the architecture. Looking closer, the units in each building don’t have numbers, but are differentiated by the names of their inhabitants, which are clearly marked at the street level.
Once we get inside, recycling is divided into four or five categories, including food scraps, packaging, paper and glass. Ar least one of the Germans I have met has waxed lyrical about this system, which is an improvement on the methods most nations are using.
Back outside, there is a regularity with which I meet graffiti with antifascist themes that is worth remarking upon. It almost feels like wherever the good old ‘street art’ can be found, a portion of it will be dedicated to antifa expression!
If I should decide I need a taxi, there is a sheet of plastic separating the front and back seats, with the passenger encouraged to ride in the back. I almost always rely on the well-organised tram system, where I could hypothetically make use of a ‘multi-purpose area’ if I had a bike, baby carriage, wheelchair or some other reason to take up more space than the average passenger.
If I should emerge on a typically spacious sidewalk, significant parts of it will be reserved for bicycle lanes, demarcated by red lines and a slightly different colour on the ground. I am told they are too close to the cars that park on the side of the street, which can sometimes result in casualties when their doors are flung open without warning. Nevertheless, the extensive network of lanes has been successful in encouraging the residents to use this green form of transport. It can’t hurt that this part of northern Germany is topographically quite flat.
While it’s the done thing to wear a neutral expression in public, I can’t help but smile when I notice a Hannoveraner*innen grinning into their ‘handy’ (mobile phone), or when my gaze meets groups of friends basking in each other’s company. There are many things to enjoy about this city, and I’m so glad I can be here.
