I lived in Germany for a year, and even in the dead of winter, I spent every afternoon with my windows open. Don't get me wrong: it felt unnatural at first, but after a while, I realized why so many Germans swear by 'lüften' – the process of airing out your home.
I moved to the tiny Bavarian town of Bamberg at the end of the fall, and by the time I had unpacked my belongings, temperatures had plummeted. I can't say I was keen to be exposed to the elements – my bedroom overlooked the Regnitz river, and ice had begun to settle on the banks – but every German I met would swear by the mysterious 'lüften'.
