Walking down cobbled streets next to red-brick houses covered in ivy and German restaurants offering the best sausage, it would be easy to assume you were in a village somewhere in Germany or an English suburb.
We were in a German village, but this one happened to be a suburb in Columbus, Ohio.
The narrow streets and historic properties immediately took me back to my British roots. It was a refreshing change from the large, overcrowded cities that are all too popular in the United States.
Away from the large communities where every house is identical, German Village offered a unique perspective where every home is different.
Dotted around the streets were independent delis, restaurants and coffee houses. German Village was unique in that it offered the quality of suburban living in the vicinity of a thriving city.
Thankfully we still had our American fix by indulging in ice cream from Jeni’s. Jeni’s offer unique flavored ice creams: everything from ham and egg ice cream to Wildberry and Lavender. I wasn’t adventurous enough to try the more wild flavors, but I’d recommend the Salty Caramel.
Away from German Village is Ohio State University: home of the Buckeyes. As tempting as it was to wear my blue and orange Gator gear from head-to-toe, I refrained in an effort to make new friends. I won’t be wearing red anytime soon, though.
Florida and Ohio have closer ties than one might think. Ex-Gator coach Urban Meyer is now coaching at Ohio, which I was constantly reminded of these last few days. As lovely and welcoming as Ohio has been to me this week, I will be restricting my visits purely to the summer time. A new Floridian cannot handle Midwest winters.
"German Village, Columbus, Ohio" by Vasenka Photography, used under CC BY 2.0
