Tag Archives: Germany
First Class
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 […]
I Don’t Speak German…Really I Don’t
One of the challenges for me the past few months has been trying to get by in a new language, that I don’t speak. Though it is getting better. I’ve been trying to learn German online the last couple of months, with mixed results. My vocabulary has improved, but I have no confidence when it […]
An Interlude
Went to church in Freiburg yesterday. But that’s not what I am going to write about. After church we had a wait for the next train home. So we wandered through the old section of Freiburg. At least I think that’s what we did – I didn’t consult a map or guidebook. Originally, I had […]
Freiburg Cathedral II
I talked about the Cathedral yesterday. Today I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Freiburg Cathedral I
It was a grey Saturday when we were in Freiburg last month, but we visited the cathedral anyway. I’m not sure if that was the right move. Certainly the building is impressive from a distance, and just as impressive up close, even surrounded by the stalls of the Saturday farmers’ market. Inside though it felt […]
No Respect
It was a quick visit to Freiburg and we decided to climb the hill, Schlossburg, in the centre of the city. In the Spring we’ll go back and explore, as we didn’t see the lake or any of the ruins I read about online. It was just a nice place for a Winter walk with […]
Christmas Is Really Over
Went for a short walk yesterday and noticed it was Christmas tree pickup day. I guess that, not Epiphany, signifies the real end to the Christmas season. In Ottawa disposing of a Christmas tree is a casual affair. Yard trimmings are accepted every week (unlike garbage which is collected every second week). In Sulzburg, if […]
The Tower
While walking from Dottingen to Heitgersheim a couple of months ago we saw what looked like a scenic lookout on the ridge. At that point there wasn’t time (nor energy) to investigate further, but I promised myself we would return to see what the view was like. This past Sunday afternoon we went for a […]
Cultural Differences IX – Holidays
It was Friday night, getting late, and our hostess casually mentioned, “of course, tomorrow is a holiday.” Nobody told me. I knew Saturday was January 6. I knew in the church calendar that is Epiphany, the dated celebrated for the arrival of the Magi. But I’m from Canada; it never occurred to me that the […]
Look At The Elk!
My wife and I are city-bred. Wildlife there is generally on the order of a skunk, squirrels or raccoons in our backyard. I was a Boy Scout though, and paid attention in school. I know a little bit about animals. I should have realized Sunday was going to be a bad day for observing nature […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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