Tag Archives: Germany

The Waiting Room

There is a feeling of hope in the room. Fear also. What is going to happen next? On a rainy Friday morning it seems like there are a couple of hundred people waiting in the corridors of the Landratsamt (that’s District Office in English), waiting for their number to appear on the screen, waiting to […]

Meet The Uncommon Meat

  I didn’t even look at the prices – I am sure they are outrageous. But the sign outside the butcher shop in Freiburg definitely caught my attention. As a carnivore I appreciate variety from time to time. Especially since I am living in Germany where the go-to meat is pork; not very tasty pork […]

Burgruine Neuenfels

After a couple of visits to this abandoned 13th century castle, I am left with a lot of questions. And that is without getting into the unsolved mass murder of the last people to live here in 1540. I wonder why someone decided to build on this hill as opposed to any of the others […]

Top Of The Hill

It is a couple kilometres hike to the top, depending on your starting point. The view from the ruined castle is worth it though. You get a great view of the valley below. From the remaining ramparts of Burgruine Neuenfels you can see the neighboring towns. Badenwieler and Britzingen are closest, but over there is […]

Cold Case

You would think an unsolved multiple homicide would be the subject of considerable police attention, but that’s not the case here. This one is for the historians. Eight people murdered in their home, and never a hint of who did the deed. No wonder no-one has lived here since 1540 – people probably thought it […]

Another Sunset

It was back to the Blauen Tuesday night. It is one of those places you take guests – not too far from home and the view is great, even if it was a little misty. I am a natural city dweller. I thrive in an urban environment. I will admit though that the beauty of […]

Happy Canada Day

It is July 1 already. Half the year is gone. Do you need any other reason for a party? Canadians celebrate their country today, which has me thinking about patriotism. We think we have the best country in the world, but citizens of other countries might disagree. I won’t list all the good things that […]

Visions of Sunset

Made an unexpected trip last night to the top of the Blauen, which is the second highest mountain in the region. Got there just in time for sunset. I’d been here before, four years ago on a trip to visit friends. It never occurred to me then that we would someday be living in the […]

What World Cup?

A year ago Germany was awash in patriotism as the nation cheered on the national team in the World Cup. It was like hockey in Canada only more intense. Business came to a halt during games. Church services were canceled. There were flags everywhere. Large screens were set up in public places to allow communal […]

Something Different…

My friend Bruce used to fill his blog with a lot of videos. If he didn’t have anything profound to share on a particular day, he would share a musical gem he had found on YouTube. Bruce’s extensive music knowledge was such that he was a frequent contributor to Wikipedia , desiring to preserve things […]