the Berlin Wall fell.
This world-changing event was for me one of the most emotional events I had witnessed on TV at the time. I sat in front of the telly in the tiny sitting room of my London flat with tears streaming down my face as people sat and danced and walked on top of [...]
Filed under: Germany, Politics on November 9th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
On Friday evening, I finished the last of the Rumtopf (which is not strictly speaking a Rumtopf because I make it with brandy). I made a mental note to look out for cherries on my next trip to the greengrocers to start the next one off.
In a case of perfect timing, I found cherries for [...]
Filed under: Food, Germany, Seasons on May 12th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Whilst Christians are focusing on Holy Week this week, Jews are celebrating Passover. The BBC’s nod to the festival is a 30-minute programme remembering the Kindertransport of 70 years ago. Gentle readers will be familiar with the story of 10,000 German and Austrian Jewish children who were sent to the UK to escape the ever-increasing [...]
Filed under: Austria, Culture, Germany on April 7th, 2009 | Comments Off
Flags are flying at half mast today in many towns in Germany following a troubled young man having run amok with a gun in his former school and surrounding areas.
A school has lost seven pupils and three teachers. Seventeen people, including the gunman, died in the mayhem. RIP. There will be more than just one [...]
Filed under: Germany on March 12th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The Ancient Roman City hosts a German Christmas Market for two weeks at the end of November/beginning of December. If you visit in the evening, it is particularly atmospheric with the little white lights on the chalets sparkling and twinkling in the darkness; the smell of Glühwein, Lebkuchen and Wurst drift on the air and [...]
Filed under: Culture, Germany, Seasons on December 4th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
While we were off line at the beginning of November, the time I would probably have spent blogging was profitably used attending a few German films which were part of the town’s annual film festival.
Emmas Glück (Emma’s bliss) was about an independent-minded young woman who continued to manage the family’s pig farm on a shoestring. [...]
Filed under: Films, Germany on December 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off
I’ve just finished an assignment – it is well past the witching hour – but I had problems with the wretched software which meant that I had to print off my original translation and then type it out again. Grrrrr.
So as I am now wide awake, I will catch up on some of the posts [...]
Filed under: Books, Germany on November 27th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
So there I was at Lincoln College following signs through the courtyards and corridors to find the designated room. When I arrived I managed to find one of the very last free seats – which involved squeezing past a lot of very intelligent looking under/postgrads.
It occurred to me that I hadn’t a clue if Dr [...]
Filed under: Germany, Königswinter on November 25th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
and apologies for keeping you in it – suspense, that is. I seem to have been rather busy of late.
My mystery dinner companion was Norbert Lammert.
I know his name is not particularly well known in the Anglo-Saxon world but allow me to prevent your having to google him. (As I mentioned in my own comment [...]
Filed under: Germany, Königswinter, Politics, Professional development on November 24th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
You will never guess who I had dinner with yesterday evening….
Filed under: Germany, Königswinter, Professional development on November 19th, 2008 | 10 Comments »