Category Travel
Tulip Time
My mother reminded me that the national Tulip Festival is on in Ottawa. If the schedule is like past years, it should be ending this weekend. Since I can’t be there, I thought I’d share a few photos from 2017. There was something different about the light the day I took these pictures. To me […]
Stuck in the Middle
I got caught in a stau and thought about writing this post during the delay. But I didn’t. It probably wouldn’t have been legal. Stau is the German word for traffic jam. This one seemed endless. In half an hour I drove a kilometre. Given that I usually walk at a pace of between four […]
The Test of Time
Last time I was in Freiburg, Germany, I noticed a different-looking church near one of the tram stops. It was modern architecture, which definitely makes it stand out in a country of old churches. (The church around the corner from our apartment is more than 1,000 years old.) I didn’t take a picture, or go […]
Pond Life
Wandering through Freiburg on Friday (I couldn’t resist that alliteration) and went for a walk in Seepark, a large park near the downtown. Discovered a small lake there (which is what gives the place its name, see being German for “lake.” Spent some time just looking at the aquatic and shore life. So nice to […]
What Market?
When it rains…no-one shows up. The Spring Flomarkt, or flea market if you prefer English, took place in the Sulzburg market square yesterday. Or a pale imitation of it. This is usually a big event. But the weather played havoc with the attendance. I had hoped for some bargains; instead I was underwhelmed. I was […]
Welcome To Maihock
It’s a holiday today in Sulzburg. Last year I was out of town and didn’t know what I was missing. I really don’t know anything about May 1 celebrations – we don’t have them in Canada, at least not that I have ever seen. When we signed the lease for our apartment in Sulzburg we […]
No Room For Hate
Whether it is killings at a mosque in New Zealand, church bombings in Sri Lanka or the mostly unreported violence against Christians in the Middle East, the attacks have a common theme. The perpetrators are motivated by hate. Maybe it is coincidence, but the Lutheran churches in Lippstadt, Germany (and elsewhere for all I […]
The Famous Pigs
What would a visit to Lippstadt be without the world-famous pigs? Never heard of them? Google “Lippstadt” and “pigs” and you’ll see what I mean. Some years finding the pigs on the Langestrasse (Long Street) can be difficult. They are mobile sculpture, and anyone who wishes can move them. I don’t know if there […]
Walking The Urban Forest
I have at times raved about Ottawa’s urban forest and the relaxing walking trails to be found, hundreds of kilometres of them. Ottawa though isn’t unique. On Saturday in Freiburg (Germany) we discovered a local forest, which, if not as extensive as Ottawa’s did give a nice respite from the sun on a very warm […]
Stumbling Stones
They are a common sight in German cities. So common they are easy to ignore. The weather was a little frosty Sunday, but that didn’t stop us taking a walk through the old section of Freiburg. It is an historic section of the city, with many buildings proudly displaying dates from five centuries ago. I […]
random thoughts from lorne 
Recent Comments