When I lived in Germany (back when I met DH, in the '70s) I lived in a major city, not the country, but shopping every day or two was, for me, quite fun. We had no car, so everything bought was carried home in a bag or basket. Going to all the little shops - mostly quite close together, and on one street - was so different from what I had known in California that I enjoyed the daily outing. Stop at the bakery for a loaf of bread; and then at the butcher's for a chop or two for dinner; and then at the other butcher next door for sausages and cold cuts; and then, if needed, stop at a third butcher, 2 doors down, for poultry or game. On the way home I went by the old city gate, and the green grocer's cart, and picked up veggies, fruit and herbs. There was a supermarket nearby as well, but I only went there for things I couldn't get at the smaller shops. This was my routine during the time I wasn't working, but even when I was working it was a fairly quick way to shop on my lunch hour or on the way home. Got to practice my German with the shopkeepers as well. My kitchen, for part of the time I was there, was quite large for a small apartment, but still I didn't have a lot of space. (I suppose I should add that I was quite young, and this was the first opportunity for me to run my own kitchen; so it was also a learning experience in many ways)