On the Road in Canada – Sussex, New Brunswick

Along the way to Sussex, after leaving Bar Harbor, we visited Acadia National Park in Maine and the fee for the car pass was USD 20.

As there were also many other tourists, it was difficult at times to find a place to park along the road. We drove through the park in one hour and then headed on to our final destination, Sussex in Kings County, New Brunswick, in Canada.

Sussex, New Brunswick

Along the road outside of Sussex, New Brunswick

My friend, who became unable to host us last minute, had booked us into the Pine Cone Inn. This is a small motel on the outskirts of Sussex, with views over the dairy country.

Pine Cone Inn, Sussex

Pine Cone Inn, Sussex

The innkeepers, a Korean couple, were most accommodating by letting me do laundry there, which is not part of their service. They also provided us with some snacks, again, just out of kindness.

Korean dinner in Canada

Korean dinner in Canada

My Korean friends had dropped off the Kimbab ahead of us. The innkeepers supplied the Ramion. We were well taken care of.

The room was small, but clean. The fee at CAN 67 for a room for four people is quite reasonable. If you are looking for simple accommodation, then this is the place to stay.

The area is beautiful. Next door, there is a club with a swimming pool, and from what I have been told, guests at the Pine Cone Inn have permission to use it.

Because Sussex straddles the Kennebecasis River, 70 km northeast of Saint John, it is not only a major dairy producer in the province, but also a haven for mosquitoes and black flies.

The black flies loved me and bit me more than ten times. I ended up going to the emergency room in Sussex, just to rule out anything worse than what it looked like.

welts and sores caused by black fly bites

welts and sores caused by black fly bites

The bites were located close to the ear, nape, and scalp. The trip to the ER cost me C$ 574 plus the C$ 36 for the prescription of antibiotics.

The doctor told me, “They are getting worse every year.” Mind you, I was the only one bitten out of four. I did spend more time outdoors than the others, but other guests did not have any black fly bites either. They especially liked me, for whatever reason.

After the hospital visit, we then proceeded on our road trip. Our next stop was Hopewell Rock, a famous sight around the area.

Oberursel and its Twin Cities

Oberursel’s Twin Cities

The city of Oberursel has several twin cities such as Epinay in France, Ursem in the Netherlands, Rushmoor in Scotland, and Lomonossow in Russia.

There is a regular exchange of official visits, respective vendors attending our seasonal markets, among some other activities.

In 2011, the city had to cover these costs: € 175.250,00 for Städtepartnerschaften (twin cities). This is a lot of money considering visitors have to pay their own travel fare and are often accommodated for free.

Page 479 of the budget book claim € 81.900 for Sachkosten (cost of materials/non-personnel costs) as well as € 38.850 for subsidies.

Public Relations do have a hefty price-tag.

Getting a Costly Driver’s License in Germany

A couple of years back, I had written about this topic, when are son turned 17 and the first neighborly inquiries were made about whether he was getting his driver’s license soon.

Coming of age in Germany means getting your driver’s license. And of course, this is the case for most other industrialized countries too. But in Germany, the average cost is between euro 2.000 and 3.000.

Almost prohibitively expensive, I’d say. So when I read the ad “Sparen für den Führerschein” (Saving for the driver’s license) with the capture “Originelles Weihnachtsgeschenk” ( fancy Christmas gift idea), I had to chuckle a bit again.

The ad goes on saying “… by saving money now, you can help fulfill the young one’s dream of getting the driver’s license or car… save 15 euro monthly, earn 0.5% – 1.7% interest and after 18 years of saving, you can afford going to driving school…”

Wow. I got my U.S. driver’s license for US $ 20 and so did my husband. Our son (U.S. American and German citizen, born in Japan) now resides in the U.K. where he is not likely to get his driver’s license while going to college.

Germans, on the other hand, are quite eager to get this six-month Fahrschule started and done with. Life would seem incomplete without the Fahrvergnügen and Führerschein.

We are more keen on getting his “Collegeschein” (I’ve just made this one up) and be able to pay for it till the end… at a much higher cost.

Germans love their cars and some recycle old ones into furniture, see recycled Trabiant Sofa.

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