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Bombs away! The WWII gift that keeps on giving
30 July 2022 One of the punctuality challenges to the Munich train system, as noted in last week’s post, is unexploded bombs buried in the ground. Yes, you read that correctly. There are so many bombs in the ground that when one is found, rather than panicking, passengers simply groan, “Oh no, not another one!” […]
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If this is punctuality, my watch is broken
Germany has the reputation of being punctual and reliable. But recent snafus in city planning are putting a big dent into that image.
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The ladies, the rest home and the bombs
The oldest residents of a rest home suddenly developed mild illnesses. They all shared a trauma from the distant past that had suddenly been revived overnight.
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The 10 kilometers that triggered Acute License Plate Trauma
The small Munich suburb of Zorneding may not be famous, but harbors a few surprises.
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I tried to escape the Oktoberfest. I failed.
15 October 2021 For the second time, the Oktoberfest has been canceled due to corona. But Munich refuses to skip the occasion and is celebrating in restaurants anyway. And Berlin, which knows no greater joy than poking fun at Bavaria, is nevertheless full of Lederhosen and Dirndl-sporting Oktoberfest fans. Any self-respecting Dirndl, the corset-style traditional […]
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Grave Thoughts Indeed – Part 4 – The Oktoberfest
26 May 2021 (Click here for parts 1, 2 and 3) Munich is known first and foremost for its annual Volksfest that attracts six million visitors from around the world, a number that makes you question its “folksiness” – but whatever. Tracing its roots takes you back to – where else? – the Alter Südfriedhof […]
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Grave Thoughts Indeed – Part 3 – Royal rollicking and frolicking
The Alter Südfriedhof dates to the 14th century, but most of its graves tell the tale of Munich’s movers and shakers from the 1800s, a time when the city’s population doubled. More people meant more buildings, streets and institutions. But this was also an era that saw one of Munich’s most famous scandals involving its […]
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How war shaped the Alter Südfriedhof
Grave Thoughts Indeed – Part 2 Small German towns have monuments to the dead of the two world wars, sometimes combined into one, with all the names of the locals who died. The Alter Südfriedhof has no such monuments or graves. But war left its impact nonetheless, beginning with one that came centuries before. World […]
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Grave Thoughts Indeed
The Alter Südfriedhof in Munich is more of an open air museum reflecting the history of both the city and society.
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From Munich to Philadelphia with love
A chat group of expat Americans provides moral support during a days-long chat leading to Biden’s victory.
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Italiano – no problemo for meo
I walked into Italian class and saw a room full of pensioners. But I didn’t expect it to be so hard…
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Spectators turned spectacle
Corona’s surprising effect on an evening at the theater 21 October 2020 My favorite small theater has reopened after months of lockdown and we are attending a two-woman show called Primacomedy. I return here with mixed feelings. Would it be full? How will they deal with the social distancing inside the theater?