The water in Bamberg tastes like chalk, and this is not an exaggeration. See the image with the hardness chart. The soil around here is rich in Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and magnesium carbonate (MgCO3). As the water filters through, it dissolves these minerals and delivers them to unhappy visitors from the U.S. who are unaccustomed to water that sticks to your teeth. There’s nothing unhealthy about it, but it’s unhealthy if you avoid drinking water that has the distinctive aftertaste of concrete.
Most people in the city have water softeners in their homes, but not my hosts. They serve water with every meal and sometimes beer. If the beer wasn’t available, I gritted my teeth and drank maybe four or five ounces. It tastes so bad that I had started to avoid drinking it, relying on coffee and cola to get my H2O intake. This wasn’t a good idea, and I started feeling cranky, lethargic, constipated, and moody, but I didn’t realize what was going on. My stupid self finally caught on that I was straddling the line on dehydration. I may have crossed the line entirely. In retrospect, I’m not sure I could even see the line anymore
I started buying bottled water. I dislike buying plastic bottles, but they have an excellent recycling system here, and it may have saved my life.
I explained the situation to my hosts, and they don’t seem to be insulted by me bringing bottled water to the meals. I was worried I would about that.
Feeling better. Studying isn’t so difficult anymore. I don’t feel lethargic or constipated. Take it from the experts (of which I’m not) that hydration makes your life more fluid and comfortable.
