The dimly lit Aachener Brauhaus outshone even Fleet Street’s Cheshire Cheese in ‘Old Man Pub’ ambience. We soon had towering glasses of weissbier before us, followed by schnitzel, knuckle of pork and a currywurst. A well-built lady with a sensible haircut tucked into a dark beer and a steak at the neighbouring table. A middle-aged couple sipped wine and slurped mussels. The roar of an American explaining that a bratwurst was ‘a kinda wiener’ could be heard over the clattering of dishes from the kitchen, but even this could not dampen Herr und Frau Pike’s spirits: we were in Brauhaus heaven!