Germany

Had We But World Enough, And Time

~ travelsandtomes ~ 9 Comments

Our power must have gone off yesterday.  The two electric clocks we have in the house were inexplicably set to zero in the afternoon.  And that got me to thinking about time.  Well, that and the shock that June is almost upon us (where did April and May go?).  And the real live cuckoo bird who is nesting somewhere in the neighborhood and sounding for all of the world like my clock, but “going off” at random times.  And the son who appears to grow by inches on any given night.  And the beloved dog and best friend who passed away last week.

Time engulfs us and confounds us. We decorate our towers and homes with it, wear it on our wrists, celebrate its high holy days, and mourn its passing.  Time heals all wounds, but steals all souls.  And if we respect it and appreciate all the fine gifts the years bring us, we still fear it.  We don’t understand it at all.

So, today, I offer a few photos and let time speak for itself.

Giant Cuckoo Clock on the Rhine River in Germany--looking out on new shops and very old castles.
Giant Cuckoo Clock on the Rhine River in Germany–looking out on new shops and very old castles.

 

Victoria Clock Tower, which stood by our house in Ripon, England
Victoria Clock Tower, which stood by our house in Ripon, England. On a personal level, a very special reminder of 4 great years in our lives.

 

 

The fabulous Corpus Clock in Cambridge, England--revealing less of itself in the gleaming sun and more of a reflection of King's College.
The fabulous Corpus Clock in Cambridge, England–revealing less of itself in the gleaming sun and more of a reflection of King’s College…because, after all, time is a canvas for the things of life.

 

 

Sienna, Italy
Siena, Italy–Town Hall and Clock Tower standing tall over the historic piazza.

 

South Gate Clock, Chester, England
South Gate Clock, Chester, England– is it a coincidence that clocks so often mark thresholds like this?

 

An 1820 Longcase clock from Leyburn, England stands sentry at our door.
An 1820 Longcase clock from Leyburn, England stands sentry at our door.
The Best Friend we loved and lost
The Best Friend we loved and lost. At 15 years old, she had lived a long dog life . . . but not nearly long enough for those who loved her.

 

The past came alive at a history fair at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire
The past came alive at a history fair at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire. And why is it that little boys always want to grow up to be soldiers?

 

Having fun with the past at Tweetsie Railroad in NC many years ago.
Having fun with the past at Tweetsie Railroad in NC many years ago.

 

And so, time marches on. . .

They are young one day, and all grown up the next.
They are young one day, and all grown up the next.

*”Had we but world enough, and time” is the first line of Andrew Marvel’s poem “To His Coy Mistress”

This Old House: Enveloped

Image ~ ~ travelsandtomes ~ Leave a comment

DSC_0720With the advent of spring, a few weeks back, the flowers began blooming and the ivy began creeping.  As the season gains momentum, so does the ivy.  It’s fresh and bright . . . it’s waxy green and shiny . . . it’s a little bit sinister as it creeps toward the door.  We are being enveloped!

 

 

Achtung! Es ist Hexennacht!

~ travelsandtomes ~ 2 Comments

DSC_0019And, as my dog knows, this means trouble!

Tomorrow is May 1st, and May Day is still celebrated in Germany (and most of Europe, as best I can tell).  The beginning of May is observed with a Tanz in den Mai (“dance in to May”)– streets fairs, maypoles, festivities.  Schools are out and celebrations are afoot.  And so, you know, is mischief.

The evening of April 30th is Hexennacht (Witches’ Night), and tricksters are out in force.  We’ve been told to hide our trash and recycling cans, bring in our potted plants, and garage our cars (really?  have you seen the state of my garage?)

I will try to do all of the above, and hope that the tricksters are kept at bay by rainshowers.  But still, I’ll brace for ketchup, mustard, and toilet paper on my house or cars or shrubbery.  Our neighborhood is quiet, but not lacking in youthful tricksters!

The origin of this mischief lies in medieval and pagan lore.  The Queen of Spring was set to enter the county come May 1st, but evil ghosts and spirits (and their cold and dark) would try to keep her at bay. (And barring any success at that, apparently they liked to toilet paper cars and turn over garbage cans to show their displeasure.)

©2014 Ann G. Stephenson
©2014 Ann G. Stephenson

 

 

 

Faux Pas Friday*

~ travelsandtomes ~ 9 Comments

Freudian Slip *Brought to you by Dr. Freud and “Thought I Said One Thing, But I Said Something Entirely Different Thursday.”

Every expat blog should offer an occasional thought on the faux pas, because it’s what we strangers in a strange land do best . . . or at least most regularly.

So I’ll open the conversation with my misstep of the week (so far).  Yesterday, I was in my German language class, plodding along and trying to learn a few things.  By the way, I’ve changed classes: no more sitting by Paul Newman’s twin (so sad), but I do really like my new teacher (a very elegant older German man). We were reviewing some useful phrases for eating out–something I fancied I knew a little about.  The teacher asked what the word for appetizer was. I boldly hollered out “Vorspiele!”  What I meant to say was “vorspeise”–  the word for appetizer literally means before (vor) the meal (speise).

But my teacher nearly fell off the side of his desk laughing. . . and I knew, immediately, what my mistake was.  Instead of “speise,” I said “spiele.”

“Spielen” means “play.”

Yep, I’d enthusiastically shouted out “Foreplay!”

All in a day’s work for an expat.

More thoughts on the art of faux pas next week, but for now just remember that, despite what Freud says,  sometimes an appetizer is just an appetizer .