The Senate of Canada has finally passed legislation to make the Canadian National anthem, O Canada, gender neutral. It has only taken a couple of years (or decades, depending on how you look at it). It has been a much- debated topic, reviving around the use of the word “sons” in the anthem in use […]
Canadians love their coffee, especially the home-grown chain Tim Hortons. Forget Starbucks and other specialty stores, for most Canadians the day starts (and sometimes ends) with a visit to “Timmie’s.” It is part of the fabric that is Canada. At this point I must confess I have never tasted Tim Hortons coffee. Over the years […]
Judging from the signs I have seen, “flohmarkten” (flea markets) are a big deal in this part of southern Germany. Every weekend there seems to be one in a different town and everybody seems to go them. Maybe that is because there isn’t much else to do around here except walk in the Black Forest. […]
I remember a January morning, almost thirty years ago, when I discovered the true nature of winter. We were living in Liberia, and the harmattan winds were blowing from the Sahara. It was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity. Overnight low was about 20 degrees Celsius. That 68 Fahrenheit for you Americans. It […]
Just a few more pictures today of the church in St. Ilgen, Germany.
The town has a population of about 90, while the church looks like it will hold at least twice that number. I don’t know if that means the town is shrinking or whether the builders were optimistic. It was 16 Celsius and sunny when we walked to St. Ilgen. At the back of the church […]
There was a party going on, though I never did figure out what the occasion was. It did show me the difference between Canadian and German liquor laws. Actually, I’m not sure if there are German liquor laws. We took the train to Freiburg Sunday morning at 10;30. You would think that at that time […]
When I was a child there were no school buses in our neighborhood; we had to walk to school. My mother tells me I was insistent on walking alone on my first day of kindergarten. I had not yet turned five. Supposedly she trailed me at a distance to ensure my safe arrival. Unnecessary really […]
No snow in my area of Germany. Also no snowballs, as these pastries are known. I don’t know if there is a more formal name. I discovered them in Rothenburg almost a decade ago. Don’t ask me what they taste like – I didn’t try one. My wife did, and as I recall she wasn’t […]
I was expecting refugees. What I got was the United Nations. After trying German courses online for the past few months, I have now started a daily class to learn the language in a more traditional setting. Given all the publicity surrounding the influx of refugees into Germany in recent years, I was expecting to […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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