So, before I left for Germany, I was talking big about how I usually manage to lose some weight when I'm overseas.  This is partially just because I get more exercise, and in part because I try to mainly eat salads and stuff like that while I'm here.

But this time, I'm sure that I haven't lost an ounce, and I place the blame solely on "The Mensa", which is the cafeteria here at the University of Cologne.

Mensas are a strange tradition in Germany (and, I guess, in other parts of the world, too).  Basically, somehow, somewhere along the way, "nearly free food for college students" because some kind of government entitlement program.  I guess it is a good idea, as college kids probably would just eat junk food all the time if they weren't provided with cheap, nutrious food. So most universities have a Mensa. 

The University of Cologne is huge (roughly 50,000 students), so the Mensa is huge, too.  There are actually six cafeterias in the Cologne Mensa.  When you come in through the door, you see the display case shown in the above picture.  Samples of all of the dishes are shown under glass, with directions as to which of the six cafeterias are serving that dish.  (There isn't much food in this particular picture because classes weren't in session on the day I took this shot.)

This is just a shot of the inside of one of the dining rooms.  I was seated in a corner, so you don't get a sense of how big this room is-- I would guess that you only see about 5% of the dining room in this picture, and keep in mind that there are 5 more dining areas in this building!  I told you the place was big!

So, let's see what was on the menu today.

So, here was my tray.  I've got two fried pork chops with mushroom and onion gravy, a bowl of roasted potatoes, cucumber salad, and bread.

And what did this whole feast cost me?  1.70 euros, or about $2.10.

Soooo.... now you can see why I haven't been very good about cooking or eating salads at my apartment.  It's pretty hard to get motivated to buy groceries and cook when you've got access to cheap food.  And it's not bad, although I've got to say that the Mensa can find more "brown" and "tan" and "beige" foods than you would have thought possible.  :-)

I figured that I was the only person ever to bring a camera into the Mensa to take pictures of his meal, but, of course, there are lots of similar pictures and tours of Mensas on the internet.  I particularly enjoyed this picture someone sent in to Wikipedia-- a slab of livercheese with a fried egg and french fries.  See, when that's on the menu, I go for the salad bar!

And somehow I'm not losing weight...  It's a mystery.

I really really really wanted to get some pictures of how you return your plates and trays when you are done, but I chickened out.  As you would probably guess, there is a conveyor belt where you place your tray, but everything on the tray has to be in exactly the right position and order.  And there is a lady in a white nurse's uniform with a hairnet and a white paper hat standing there, and her job is to shout at you when you don't do it right.  And I never do it right, apparently.  :-)  You can't stack any of your dishes on your plate, and your silverware has to be stacked on top of your plate.  There are separate, special recycling bins for your napkins, any packaging (like milk cartons), and bones (there's almost always something on the menu with bones in it).  I've been told that the reason why the rules are so specific about how to place the plates and silverware is because the trays and dishes are actually cleared and cleaned by a machine-- no human hands touch the dishes, apparently.  I'm not sure I believe it.