Category: 2017-2020 Rhineland
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THE WUPPERTAL SCHWEBEBAHN
‘Whopper-what?’ I asked. My new German friend, Volker, tried to share his hometown with me. ‘Wupper-who?’ I just couldn’t pierce through his thick accent so I pulled out my phone and brought up Google Maps and let him zoom in. ‘Wuppertal!’ I finally realised. ‘Never heard of it.’ Volker explained it was one of the major cities of North Rhine Westphalia and near Düsseldorf. But I had to admit my knowledge of German geography was still limited. ‘It’s world famous for its upside down train,’ Volker said. ‘I will take you…
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WEBERT. OLBERODE. ANCESTRAL HOME.
‘What’s your mother’s maiden name’? How many times have I had to answer that question? ‘Webert,’ I answer. But for most of my life it was only a name. A name I knew nothing about. And a name my mother knew little about. A few years ago I got bitten by the genealogy bug and started researching the Weberts. I didn’t need to do much work because others – Ulrike, Dan, Lou, Jean, etc. – had already done it. I learned from them that the ancestral home of the Weberts is…
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ALSACE. GERMAN OR FRENCH?
One of the few things I remember from high school history is the story of Alsace-Lorraine. It’s a region in present-day eastern France that has been claimed by both France and Germany and as a result has changed hands several times over the past two centuries. Traditionally the people of the region speak a dialect of German known as Alsatian, so Germany felt it belonged to them. But France figured borders should be determined by natural features so they staked claim to the land east of the Vosges Mountains to the…
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A HOT PRAGUE IN JULY
In July of 2019, Padma and I travelled to Prague with our son, Joshua, and daughter-in-law, Shereen. I didn’t write a story or take notes and I hardly shot any photos. It was hot. And it was busy. And I vowed never again to plan a visit a European capital city in the height of the summer holidays. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time. We downloaded Rick Steves Audio Walking Tour of Prague and let him guide us through the city. It was an excellent way to visit the city at…
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AMPELMANNCHEN
Not much of East Berlin remained intact after reunification. The West invested billions to rebuild the infrastructure. But when the German administrators suggested that all pedestrian crossing signals adopt the signals used in the West, the East Berliners kicked up a fuss. There was no way they were going to give up the beloved ‘Ampelmann’ crossing signals. The signals were not only part of their cultural identify but also cleverly designed. The traffic psychologist who designed the Ampelmanns realised that many folks are colour blind and didn’t relate to a green=go…
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MORE CAMERAS THAN TULIPS
It’s tulip time and the bulbs are blooming in full force in Holland Zuid. So Padma and I set out to cure our spring fever and travelled to the land of tulips over the weekend. Our destination was Keukenhof Garden, a 32-hectare garden dedicated to all bulby things growing in spring. We first drove around on arrival and walked amongst the farmers’ fields and found we arrived at a perfect transition time – the early blooming daffodils and hyacinths were still in full bloom and shared the colourful landscape with the…
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SIX FLOORS, NO ELEVATOR, MOVING DAY IN PARIS
Joseph has lived in Paris for 13 months … and now in four homes. When Joseph announced he was moving in to a new place, Padma and I evoked that unwritten rule which says mom and dad will come with the station wagon to help the university student move. And so we drove to Paris, packed up his stuff in the old place in the south of Paris, braved the central Parisian traffic chaos and eventually landed at his new home in the north. OK. Joe didn’t have to twist our…
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TWELVE STATIONS OF THE CROSS. ONE SUNDAY MORNING.
Last Autumn, Padma and I hiked atop one of the Seven Hills at Petersberg on the right bank of the Rhine. We saw a couple stations of the cross and I wondered if there might be others. I later discovered on Wikipedia that the Petersberger Bittweg trail begins at the bottom of the hill and has 12 stations of the cross which were constructed in the 17th and 18th century. But Wikipedia only had photos of nine stations. So I made it my mission to one day photograph them all. Today…
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A STUMBLE WITH A VIEW
Padma and I went out for a late afternoon walk yesterday in the forest near our home. I was focusing on some distant views of Oberwinter with its Rhine backdrop and managed to get my feet tangled in the thick leaf litter. Clumsy as I am I took a roll and ended up on my back. Rather than jumping to my feet I lay there for a moment. Padma showed concern and thought I had hurt myself. But instead I was mesmerised by a tangle of trees looming over me –…
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