Unfortunately Monsieur Le Chic and I went down with a nasty bout of “Die Grippe”, (the flu), on our travels. Monsieur was probably at his worst in London, whilst I “fell over” so to speak when we arrived in Munich. We had very much been looking forward to our 9 day sojourn in Munich and Bavaria and a high fever, chills, cough and general malaise were definitely not part of the plan.
Germany, however, has wonderful “Apothekes” or pharmacies, which sell all manner of medications, tinctures and potions and we found the “apothecaries” a useful source of help and advice. Many of their products contained natural rather than chemical ingredients and we found they helped to pick us up relatively quickly. We made several trips to the local Apotheke as we seemed to develop a symptom of the day! Every time we left with a new product that seemed to work effectively. Most of the pharmacists spoke good English but Monsieur Le Chic did encounter one who spoke to him in fluent Russian for some unaccountable reason and spoke little English. Just in case, here is a list of useful words and phrases you may need if you happen to get the flu whilst travelling in Germany:
Die Grippe Influenza/the flu
Ich habe Halsschmerzen I have a sore throat
Ich habe ein Fieber I have a fever
Ich habe Husten I have a cough
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen I have a headache
Ich habe Schnupfen I have a runny/stuffed nose (ie the sniffles)
Ich habe eine Erkaeltung I have a cold
Mir ist schlecht I feel dreadful
Apothekes all have a distinctive sign with a red capital “A” on them and also a logo with a set of old fashioned measuring scales (no doubt to weigh and measure all the ingredients for their potions).
Additional measures we chose, were to spend as much time out in the spring sunshine that we could! Since we didn’t feel like walking around too much, on our second day in Munich we took a train ride out to the pretty Starnberger See, found a cafe by the lake and self medicated with hot soup, tea and large ice creams!
I’ll tell you more about the pretty Starnberger See next week. Bis dann!
Copyright © 2015 Rosemary Thomas Le Chic En Rose. All rights reserved
Le Chic En Rose 
Sorry to hear you were so sick…it is truly not fun to be sick while travelling but you seem to have made the most of it. Nice pics. (Suzanne)
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Thanks so much Suzanne – yes it was an unpleasant experience but we tried to keep going as best we could. Certainly Germany was a “good” place if that’s the right word to be sick great medical facilities! Also we only went to the lake as we weren’t feeling up to much else and it turned out to be a real gem! Hope you’re settling back into Montreal life well now 🙂
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We are settling nicely and with the return of warmer weather we have started exploring more. We do miss Paris very much but we knew it was only temporary. We are planning a return trip in the Fall…As you have seen, we have revived our blog with pictures of Montreal and other places as we start venturing outside of the city.
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Yes great to see you’ve revived the blog with a Montreal and surrounds theme! Good to know that you’re settling back in to life there. You must also be excited at the prospect of a Paris trip later in the year!
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Thanks Rosemary. Glad you are still enjoying the blog. Yes, we are very much looking forward to our trip to Paris (and London) mostly to see our very good friends.
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Sounds wonderful Suzanne – we were in London too to visit our younger daughter who now lives there. With the Channel Tunnel the journey to and from Paris is very convenient! 🙂
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I’m so sorry that you two ended up with the flu during your travels. That’s terrible in every respect. It looks like it worked out in part at least.
Looking forward to next week’s post.
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Thanks Jacqueline it was unfortunate as it really knocked us around for a few days (haven’t had the flu in years!). Never mind we amended our plans and by the last few days were well enough to enjoy sightseeing again. We only went to the Starnberger See as we wanted something very easy and relaxing to do without walking around and it was a beautiful place, which we otherwise wouldn’t have visited! Hope all’s well with you and you’re having a good weekend! 🙂
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That soup and those ice-creams look delicious Rosemary – mouth-wateringly good!! What a shame about your illness, just what you don’t want to happen on a much anticipated holiday. Still, like you said I think Germany is a good place to be ill (if there ever is a good place)!! Looking forward to hearing more about your Germany jaunt. Hope your jet lag is gone now and you have a great weekend.
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Thanks Joy it was fresh fish soup just what I needed (for some reason I felt so cold all the time) and warm seasonal berries with the ice cream – both delicious! I have heard of a few friends who went down with the flu on recent travels – I think being on the plane from Australia for such a long time isn’t good for the immune system but this was the first time I’ve had flu whilst travelling thank goodness! I’m going to write about the German leg of the trip first so it will be a “German Series” for the next few weeks! Just about over the jet lag and enjoying a lovely autumnal and sunny weekend here (though rain is on the way). Hope you’re enjoying a great weekend too! 🙂
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Hope the rain holds off!! We have a Bank Holiday weekend and the usual British Bank Holiday weather – rainy and cold….brrr….still at least it’s a day off!!
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Enjoy the May bank holiday! No doubt everyone is celebrating the arrival of the new Royal princess! Prince Harry was at the same football game (Aussie Rules) that we went to last night he is in Perth at the moment! I gather it has gone colder in the Uk again!!
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I hope you are feeling better. Nothing like yummy soup, tea and especially ice cream to make you feel better. Cheers!
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Thanks Lisa yes am feeling much better now thanks! Really one just needs to stay in bed with the flu but it wasn’t practical whilst travelling so we forced ourselves to do as much as we reasonably could. By the last few days we were enjoying things more!The warming soups and delicious ice creams helped and I drank gallons of green tea, which is said to be good for the immune system! Wishing you a lovely weekend 🙂
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Not the best souvenir from your trip to England!
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No it certainly wasn’t! We worked out Monsieur Le Chic picked it up on the train from Yorkshire to Somerset! At least I wasn’t actually sick in England apart from the last day in London!
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I apologise for the UK sending you off with a bug!
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I don’t hold you responsible Andrew! Par for the course when travelling – has happened to a few of my friends recently!
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I hate being unwell especially when I’m travelling. And based on my experiences so far it seems to be guaranteed every time I set foot in another country. Doesn’t put me off though!! And it seems like it doesn’t put you off, either. Great coping strategies
and handy tips for other travellers, too.
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Thanks Jill it does seem to happen when people travel doesn’t it? It really was a horrible flu but we are much better now – the problem is you just need to go to bed and rest with the flu and that’s not very practical when you’re travelling. Glad to hear that you haven’t been put off and neither are we though I must say Germany was probably as good a country as any to get sick in! Glad the coping strategies were useful and hope the German helps if you ever need it!!
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SO awful to be sick when you’re traveling!! It sounds like you made the best of it, though. My husband had bronchitis when we were in Northern Ireland quite a few years ago–and the pharmacist whipped up an elixir that was amazing!
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I think colds and flu are very common when travelling especially if like us you’ve come from the reverse seasons – it was the tail end of summer when we went into a coolish English spring (certainly to us!). Glad your husband found a magic elixir at the pharmacists too – they are definitely the best place to start often they have vitamins and minerals to boost up your immune system too and I can recommend plenty of hot tea!!
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So sorry you were so sick, but hey, at least you learned quite a bit of German 🙂 Nicely done! Have a lovely weekend!
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Thanks Lucy it wasn’t too much fun at the time but we picked up for the last few days in Munich and just carried on as best we could for the first few days. Am so glad I’ve been doing German classes for nearly 3 years now it really helped! Even though most people speak some English it’s just useful if you can explain yourself in German – often we had half and half conversations in German and English! Just getting back into the blog now too – our younger daughter is here until Thursday (to see her new niece) so maximising the time with her before she flies back to London again. Have a lovely weekend too! 🙂
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It’s so wonderful that your daughter came by! I’m sure it’s lovely to enjoy her company a few more days.
In Germany it’s kind of mandatory to speak German. Not many people speak English, so it’s better if you know a few words, in order to get along better.
I’m happy you had a pleasant time though. I can’t wait to hear more about your trip 🙂
Have a lovely day! x
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Thanks Lucy yes it’s been lovely seeing our daughter for the past month both in the UK, Germany and now in Perth but she has to fly back again to London at the end of this week 😦 Still we are having a great time catching up on everything (Skype isn’t quite the same as in person!) 🙂 I’m glad I can speak some German it really helps eg with announcements at railway stations I can understand way more now and it helps you to feel more confident in another country. I’m writing up the German part of the trip over the next few weeks then will do the Uk part! Have a great week! 🙂
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At least, you managed to discover another side of Germany 😉 How are you feeling now that you are back, jet lag is over ?
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Much better thanks Gin over the flu and more or less the jet lag too! Our younger daughter flew back to London last night so a bit wistful today but much to catch up on just working on a blog post now! Hope you’ve had a good week 🙂
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I hope you don’t feel too sad about the departure of your younger daughter 🙂 I have to post as well, but life is quite busy these days … 🙂
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Thanks Gin yes life gets very busy doesn’t it?! Sometimes you just have to take a break if you can’t post one week don’t stress about it. I did feel rather bereft today but have kept myself busy. She plans to come back at Christmas so that’s not too far away!! Thanks for your lovely message 🙂
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It’s more a problem of visiting other blogs than writing my own posts 😉 If you keep busy, your mind won’t wander, it’s a good strategy. And yes, xmas is not that far way. That’s what I will have to tell my mother in a month, when I’ll move to the uk 😉
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Yes I love to read other blogs and do comments too – the problem is that it can get time consuming so like you I can usually manage to get my own posts written but whilst I’ve been travelling and busy with my daughter here not to mention helping out with my new baby granddaughter, it’s been tricky to catch up on all the other blogs I love to follow! How exciting you’re moving to the Uk – didn’t you say you were going to Leeds?! My family’s neck of the woods and where I grew up. It’s hard for families – I’ve done it both ways moved away myself and now my daughter has done it herself! At least it won’t be a day’s flying for your mum to visit you!
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I remembered you saying that you went to the Royal armories in Leeds, and that you were from Yorkshire.
Yes, we are going to live in Leeds, near the train station (whitehall riverside).
No, it’s not a very long flight, we are quite lucky, it’s 1 hour long, plus train to and from the airport 😉 It’s not very time consuming, but it’s not the same as living in the same country.
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No of course it still means a plane and train journey and it still seems a long way away when you’re living in another country. Can you see the apartments from the railway line? There are a lot of new ones near the railway station – I see them when I come in and out of Leeds station! I still haven’t managed to get to the a Royal Armouries yet. Good luck with the move 😃
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Yep, it’s one of the relatively new buildings 🙂 Oh so you have to visit ! I remembered us talking about the Royal Armouries before, you must have told me you HAVEN’T been there then 😉 But we definitively mentioned that place once 😉
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Yes the reason I would have mentioned it is my family have recommended it but for some reason it’s never worked out to visit there when I’ve been in Yorkshire. Will have to go there next visit!
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Too bad to hear you got sick 😦 I hope you are good now…
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Yes thanks Hanne much better now 🙂 It was a horrible flu and really laid us low 😦 Fortunately we don’t normally get ill like that and the German Apothekes are great! We’re going into winter now in Perth so hopefully we’ll be immune from the flu this year!
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hahaha such a good idea to share some important phrases in German here 😀
I am glad that at the end you both got better and enjoyed the trip!
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Yes thought it might come in useful for anyone else who goes down with the flu whilst travelling in Germany! Wasn’t much fun at first but we really enjoyed the last few days 🙂 Hope to get back to Munich before too long we really loved it! 🙂
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Great idea!!!
Ohhh I am very happy to know that you both enjoyed Munich this much… I do hope you come back again someday 😀
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I would love to and not have the flu this time!!
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hahaha hopefully not 😀
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