Marks on a beer mat

Encountering cultural differences is one of the benefits of attending overseas events. When in Rome (or Palermo or Helsinki) and all that....

I've been fortunate to have that opportunity due to ERASMUS+ - I sincerely hope that the UK will reconsider the decision to 

One of the aspects of visiting cities is to explore them culturally.

Last week, I had the chance to go back to Europe to attend the Practical Pedagogies Conference. I've blogged more about that over on the LivingGeography blog.

These markings are important in German beer cellars. This one was called the Schreckenskammer.

The beers are served in small 20cl glasses with plenty of froth. As each one is placed on the table, a mark is made on a beermat. The glasses are called stange glasses.

Unless you say otherwise, a new glass will be placed on the table to replace any empty glass. Once you've had enough, place the beermat on top of the glass to signal you are ready to pay.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the beer you drink in Cologne tends to be Kölsch. There are various kinds of this type of beer, such as Gaffel or Fruh.

These can only be brewed in Cologne as they have Protected Geographical Indication status.

Since 1997, the term "Kölsch" has had a protected geographical indication (PGI) within the European Union, indicating a beer that is made within 50 km (31 mi) of the city of Cologne and brewed according to the Kölsch Konvention as defined by the members of the Cologne Brewery Association (Kölner Brauerei-Verband).