Author Archives: Andreas Moser
Bratislava – First Impression
On my journey to Kremnica, I had to stop in Bratislava for one night. I was not in the mood for writing those days, hence just a few photos: Although I only had time for one afternoon walk and one … Continue reading
The Secret Space Program of Yugoslavia
Zur deutschen Fassung. After my brother and I unexpectedly and rather accidentally discovered a secret Yugoslav submarine port in Montenegro (please read that story first, otherwise this one won’t make any sense), we were still completely excited and out of … Continue reading
Mobilization in Russia
After the Russian government’s call for mobilization, many Russians, especially young men, spontaneously discovered their patriotic urge to become very mobile indeed. Considering that mobilization kicked off World War I, this is a bit disconcerting, though.
Naughty Towns and Sin Cities
Have you also been wondering why some towns in Germany have to put a “Bad” before their name? Well, this happens when a town misbehaves. If they are found to have done so, they need to put the “Bad” before … Continue reading
I am not a spy, I am just curious
Zur deutschen Fassung. Recently in Albania, three people were arrested as they tried to enter a former arms factory. The intruders from Russia and Ukraine said that they were bloggers and liked to photograph old buildings. People who have seen … Continue reading
Learning German with Hamlet
I am always impressed when someone manages to learn German. It’s not the easiest of languages – though not the hardest, either – and every 50 kilometers or so, it is pronounced in a completely different way. Even I, as … Continue reading
Montenegro, where Laziness is Olympic
Zur deutschen Fassung. In Yugoslavia, there are certain prejudices about each of the republics, most, if not all of which are now independent countries: Slovenes, they say, are so snobbish that they don’t even consider themselves part of the Balkans. … Continue reading
King and Peasants discuss the British Monarchy
The following clip from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) is still one of the best contributions in the debate about (not only British) monarchy: I found the following transcript of the dialogue: [ARTHUR and PATSY riding. They stop and … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago, they were looking for the Center of Brazil – September 1922: Brasília
Zur deutschen Fassung. As you know, I am currently searching for the geographical center of Europe, which, over the next few months, will take me to obscure villages from Ukraine to Sweden, from France to Belarus, from Estonia to Belgium. … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago, Sweden almost gave up on Booze – August 1922: Prohibition Referendum
Zur deutschen Fassung. Before I went to Sweden last summer, I received a lot of well-meaning advice from friends in Germany who had already been to Scandinavia: “Take enough beer with you, it’s prohibitively expensive in Sweden!” “As an EU … Continue reading