Monthly Archives: September 2011

Zwiebelkuchen

Just like many an American who shops in the German stores close to base, I have been looking at this sign next to the supermarket off the Opel circle for years now, and every time I’ve seen it, I’ve said: … Continue reading →

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The other night, my husband almost ran over an Igel who was out foraging at night. Yesterday, completely by coincidence, my daughter bought an Igel as a pet. What is this mysterious little animal? Here’s a hint: just about every … Continue reading →

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Wandering among the Vines

Last weekend, Joe and I visited Freinsheim along with Rainer and Heidi and some of their good friends. Freinsheim is a picturesque little town surrounded by vineyards and orchards just off the Deutsche Weinstrasse, and this was the weekend of … Continue reading →

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Die Tat is a deed or an act, and if it’s done by der Täter, it’s probably a criminal act. Der Ort is a city, locality, place, or site. Put them together, and you have der Tatort, the scene of … Continue reading →

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The Last One Standing

It wasn’t the prettiest medieval castle on the Rhine, or the biggest, or the richest, or the most famous. But the Marksburg is the only castle in the whole middle-Rhine region that didn’t get destroyed. All the others had to … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, German history, Tourist destinations | 2 Comments

Today’s German word comes with a photo: Der Schimmel is a white horse (also mold, but that’s another post). Das Amt is an administrative office. Put them together, and you get der Amtsschimmel, the dreaded beaurocratic mess we Americans call … Continue reading →

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Learning German with Lucky Luke

I don’t just sit around and watch television all day. Sometimes I read books. Comic books, that is–and my favorite is Lucky Luke, the man who shoots faster than his shadow. Television is a great way to learn a foreign … Continue reading →

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In a cartoon skit by the famous German comedian Loriot, two grown men compelled by fate and a confusing hotel layout to share the same bathtub are having a genteel conversation (if marred by a certain amount of passive-aggressive behavior). … Continue reading →

Posted on by Clare Dunkle | 2 Comments

My Morning Jog

Jogging through scenery like this does more than tone the body. It heals the soul. I took this photograph today on my morning jog. Now, lest you think that I jog for miles, let me set you straight. The entire … Continue reading →

Posted in Daily life, Recreation, Rural scenery, Texas, Village life | 7 Comments

English just has yes and no, but German has ja and nein … and doch. If ja means yes and carries the idea, “I agree,” then doch means “I know you don’t agree with me, but yes!” Doch is one … Continue reading →

Posted on by Clare Dunkle | 2 Comments