Category Archives: Germany
Ukrainian Tears
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Berichts. It’s been two years since I visited my friends Yaniv and Nastya in Odessa. Because of Covid, we hadn’t had any chance to meet since, but this spring we wanted to make it happen. In … Continue reading
A Postcard from the Teutonic Knights
These days, I am finally finding the time to write and mail the postcards promised to supporters of this blog. I know that some of you have already been waiting for months. But, as so often, it turns out that … Continue reading
Walking from Castle to Castle
Hiking in this part of Germany, you don’t need a map. The castles, towers, fortresses and ruins will guide you just fine. Continue reading
Schöntal and Berlichingen
“The name is a bit of a show-off,” I thought, as the train pulled into Schöntal, which translates as “Beautiful Valley”. But, stepping out of the station, I had to admit that the name of the village was not wholly … Continue reading
Winter is no Excuse not to go Outside
In a week of nothing but cold days, yesterday was supposed to be the least cold one. So I left home, early enough to catch the rising sun behind the forest, for my weekly walking ritual. From Oberstenfeld, I climbed … Continue reading
Last Sunset of 2021
And thus, the sun set on a year in which I achieved almost nothing of what I had set out to accomplish. But then, I wouldn’t have had time for most of it anyway. Links: This sunset was the culmination … Continue reading
New Year’s Eve Walk
Just a few photos from today’s walk in the area of Baden-Württemberg, in which I am currently house-sitting. Today was my weekly “secular Shabbat walk”, the day chosen not because it was the last day of the year, but for … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago, the Digging began – December 1921: Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
Zur deutschen Fassung. The whole world is making fun of Germany, because it took us over 20 years to build a new airport for Berlin. There is a podcast about this, aptly named “How to fuck up an Airport“. Malicious … Continue reading
A Shortcut through the Nuclear Power Plant
Zur deutschen Fassung. The Neckar in southwest Germany is a lovely little river. Not as boisterous as the Nile. Not as artificially straightened as the Panama Canal. Not as raging as the Zambezi. But also not as boring as the … Continue reading
“Slow Trains to Venice” by Tom Chesshyre
Whether I cross the Canadian prairie with old-order Mennonites, steam to Stockholm in a frenzy of unconnected connections, or whether I am dreaming of “the big one”, train journeys are quite popular on my blog, it seems. Apparently, publishers are … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 