I went to the graveyard today...

Re: I went to the graveyard today...

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Gee Conger, for a second I thought that you might of been writing to us from "beyond". ;~)

Good haul on the stone slabs. amazing how another mans trash can be another mans treasure eh?

what kind of stones are those that you flattened? They look loke big un's. Waterstones?

Now than, some translation is required

The box on the right is the hedgehog diner. GHQ is the neighborhood Hedgie Lady.

Hedgehog I know as a wild rodent, Diner, to me translates in a trap to catch the rodent. GHQ, and Hedgie Lady I have no idea about. 'splain eh.

Todd O.

Re: I went to the graveyard today...-OT

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>The sharpening stones are waterstones from NORTON in the USA... normal size, perhaps the picture distorts them.

Hedgehogs (rodents?) are protected by law here in Germany; one of the side affects of too many BMWs! GHQ (Master of the Feral Folk and Those Things Gardening) has set up a feeding center, and a motel, for the prickly pears. She feeds them peanuts in the summer and mozzarella in the autumn to fatten them up for the winter. I have often spent a summers evening in my garden tippling the vino and watching the antics of the porcine friends.

Hedgehogs are plagued by fungal infections and lice. This picture shows a hog which has visible fungal attack. GHQ catches the hogs and bathes them to rid them of the the plague. Note the slug in the picture; you think the 'hog would grab it? No way... the peanuts are much tastier! Hedgehogs have to coat slugs in earth before they can eat them.

BTW... my 'garden' is all of 25' by 25'; in the city. We have so much wildlife.... amazing what a little care can encourage! No pesticides, no artificial fertilisers... all 'green'. We get great crops of gooseberries and blackberries (what they called in the colonies?). We get fresh herbs. We have an oak, and ash (Irish mountain ash) and a sycamore... all raised from seed. We have a 'pond' with lillies and dragonflies and waterboatmen. We also have the squirrels... see the previously reported debacle.

Greetings from the urban jungle... -g-

Re: I went to the graveyard today...-OT

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Gooseberries and blackberries are called just that here in the hinterlands - of course, that assumes we're talking about the same berry types, and not doing one of those football/football language things.

From the pictures (never seen one in real life), hedgehogs are possibly the cutest feral animals in the world. I am reminded of them every time I look at our tailless princess cat, except she's softer.

Re: I went to the graveyard today...-OT

Adrian

>Hi Conger,

congratulations to your "urban jungle". I lived in Munich for 30 years, but I never found such a place at an affordable rent. So we moved 90 km east to M�hldorf. Here we have as much feral beast as one could wish for, hedgehogs included. BTW -they are omnivores. They stink, did you know that? And here I can get as much wood as I can wish for. So: if you are still in trouble getting wood, just let me know.

Good idea with the stones (where did you hear "steinbeisser"?)!

Cheers

Adrian

Re: I went to the graveyard today...-OT

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Steinbeisser... was the name of a colleague of mine. The name always appealed to me (stone biter). The correct title in german for a stone mason is of course 'Steinmetz'.

Concerning wood... I may well take you up on that!

-g-

Photos from abroad

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Hi Conger,

The content is very interesting, but I also just wanted to thank you for the photos from Germany. It's nice to get a feel for a distant place. Makes it less distant.

Wiley

Re: Photos from abroad

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>That's so true isn't Wiley. I enjoy so much seeing photos of distant lands, especially the ones of everyday life.

Long story short"Back in '82 I walked into an Army recruiters office and said "Send me Germany" He said "O.K. fine off to Germany you go" What a lyin' sack of shi, er, er, manure he turned out to be as I wound up in Korea. Whilst Korea was alright, I wanted to go to Germany. Joined the Navy and begged to be sent to Europe, Navy said "No can do" and sent me to Japan. I fiqure one day I'll use my retirment travel Space "A" benifit and get myself to Germany since I can't trust Uncle Sam. I'd like to see Ireland and Wales too.

Keep the pics coming Conger. I like them.

Todd O.

Re: Photos from abroad

Dave Anderson Chester, NH

>Now Todd, you aren't implying that military recruiters would lie ,are you? I told my Marine Corp recruiter I wanted to see the world and he sorta got it right. Through a rifle sight.

Faraway places, with strange sounding names - OT

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Hi Wiley and Todd,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I have repeatedly posted here and noticed that my postings have frequently acted as thread terminators. That put me off - a bit, but as you can see it did not really deter me.

My childhood on the 'dark and mistly island' (JFK) made me naturally inquisitive about faraway places and people. In betweentimes (nearly 50) I have travelled to over 30 countries (not too difficult here in 'yurp') and am glad to see how my children have benefitted.

If I may digress with a story; while in Sri Lanka, my 9yr old was approached by a 'filthy beggar' with no legs (he hopped about on a sh1t encrusted mat). The beggar stretched out a 'begging' hand and smiled at my son. My son shied away and asked his Dad what he should do. I said that he should shake his hand (my son did not show any evidence of having cash... and the beggar had not approached me). My son smiled, reached out and shook the beggars hand, much to the amazement of the assembled 'rabble'. The beggar was delighted; he touched my son on the brow and 'blessed' him.

Yes, travel and the knowlege about 'faraway places' really does bring the 'feared foreign' into the scope of the 'trusted familiar'. Perhaps we all need more of that.

rgrds from a still cold and miserable Munich, -g-

>>>>This is a pic of Marienplatz in Munich, from this evening. On the left is the town hall with the 'glockenspiel' (aninated clock). As you see the good citizens are in bed!

But where are the hedgehogs?

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>or are you counting them in the "good citizens" category? Thanks for the nice pic. I sure hope LOML and I get to Europe before we're too old to move.

Conger, I've never felt that your posts were thread terminators, always like seeing your name on a thread, and appreciate your contributions. Someone has to be the last, as this restless crowd moves on to adding to or hijacking other threads. There have been several times when yours was the last word - nothing more needed to be said - which is quite different from shutting down conversation.

Agree

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>

Nothing wrong i see

Dennis

>I for one enjoy the "across the pond" posts we get and Conger brings us some really good information and insight. Threads come and go and some just die like Bill said.

Dennis

remove nospam for email

Re: Faraway places, with strange sounding names -

Adrian

>Hi Conger,

thanks for the story of your son. Though it has nothing to do with woodworking, I am really thankfull for sharing, whether earnest or fun.

.. and stop moaning about munich. Another two weeks and you can sit in Englischer Garten at Chinesischer Turm and drink a Ma�. I miss that ..

Adrian

Gee Conger....

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>I thought that I was the thread terminator king. seemed that way for awhile, but I think in reality I was getting to the party late as usual.

I remember back on Badger Pond you had disappeared for quite awhile and I for one missed you. I just fiqured that you had gotten lost in the Black Forest or something. I always look forward to your post.

Thanks for the beautiful pic, it looks like a sort of storyland fairy-tale kinda' place. What's up with the Animated clock that you mention, is it some world famous thing that I know not of?

Todd O.

Re: Gee Conger....

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>T,

The 'animated' clock ('Glockenspiel') is a series of figures (installed in 1908) that move and re-enact a tournament that took place on the Munich Marienplatz in 1568 at the wedding of Duke Wilhelm 5th and the beautiful(?) Renata princess of Lorraine. The clock has 43 bells that play different tunes (published on the city of Munich site - sadly only in german).

The highlight of the 'show' is when the knight gets lopped off his 'hoss' by a lance. This generates a buzz in the audience of tourists. Sadly the Yanks (tourists) are now less (damned wars)... the Japs are taking their place!

Btw... down the back of the town hall is the 'Feldherrnhalle' where the flags of the more recent dictator were hung and the 'good citizens' had to show alliegence as they walked by (remember Adolf came to power first here in Munich). Beside this building is a little alley now nicknamed 'Shirkers Alley'. The less conform citizens used to avoid showing alliegence by escaping down this alley... where the boys of the SA used to stop and scold them.

Damn... this place is so full of history. I came here for 6 months... and that was 25 years ago!

Tonights picture of Munich - OT

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>..shows Munich center as seen from the east.

The church at the top right - the one with the two large domed spires - is called the Frauenkirche ('Womens Church').

I will give a lollipop to the person who can say why it is called 'womens' church --- hint - the DOMED spires are beautifully rounded on top! Germans can be earthy - especially Bavarians - after all, it was the Irish who civilised them!

-g-

Liebfrauenkirche

Adam Cherubini

>Conger,

I don't claim to be a fluent German speaker, but I think your translation and commentary is a bit off. A better translation for "Frauenkirche" is "The Church of our Lady". This is an obvious reference to Mary the Mother of Jesus.

The magnificent early gothic twin onion domes, suggest a byzantine influence, possibly the result of the "cultural exchange" present at the time (either through trade or crusade). We see similarly arabic and persian features in Venice, possibly for similar reasons.

One would hope, viewing a roman catholic church decorated with strong middle eastern features, would conjure nobler thoughts than those you eluded to.

Adam

Remember Adam

Bob Hackett

>You`re talking to an Irishman here.;^)

Mainely,Bob-Who`s forefathers came from those islands and thinks the fellow who played in Braveheart did a fine job of portraying the Irish frame of mind.

PS-As most of you know,I`m infantry.My regimental affiliation is to the 69th.

Re: Liebfrauenkirche

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Of course Adam... your explanation is conform. If anyone takes my description seriously, I will promise to pray for him.

What would a 'Paddy' be without a sense of humour... like a fish without a bicycle.... awful thought that.

Allow me my sense of humour, and I will honour your ability to be able to enjoy it.

;-)) -g-

Re: Liebfrauenkirche

Adrian, Bavaria, Germany

>Hi Conger,

isnt it funny. There�s always somebody who cant recognise a joke if he bumps into it. At least this seems to be just like the same on both sides of the atlantic.

Please dont tell any Adolf-storys to them anymore. I been driving taxi for more than 4 years in Munich and I used to tell the Yanks that Munich was there long before him and will be there for long after him. BTW there is hardly anything "old" in Munich. The Yanks bombed it into ashes. 90 % of the houses were down or badly damaged. What was left was destroyed by the town planning in the 60s. I know that nobody wants to hear this less romantic story, but that�s more to reality. And reality in Munich is romantic enough, espacially in summer - in the Englischer Garten - at the Eisbach.

I thought I love the english humor, now I think of a trip to Ireland.

Cheers Adrian

For what its worth

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Okay, okay you guys. You can make fun of me if you want.

But for what its worth, I think clever, cynical jokes about religion and war don't translate real well over the internet. My advice is either to invite me over for a pint, or stick to On Topic woodworking stuff.

In case you don't believe me: Here's an example: After showing my friend Hans (lives in Heilbron) my size 48 birkenstocks(13-1/2), he told me this old german joke: He said "If your shoes were any bigger, they'd be a child's coffin!"

See? Not funny.

Adam

Re: For what its worth -- OT

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Adam,

The 'pint' (actually, in the land of the hun [small 'h'] this is a 'Ma�' - theoretically 1 liter) is in the barrel, waiting for you. Munich is the 'City of Beer' (title used by our City Fathers).... come on over.

The one about the coffin... cool. The German book of humour is not laaarge... and as I said earlier, germans are earthy. Recently I posted, on the German WW forum, a reference to the 'finger plane' that was on 'bay -- remember?? the plane cap that was being flogged as a 'finger plane'?? My post contained smileys, and 'har har' and 'hee hee'. One of my fellow woodpeckers (German) sternly corrected me --- this was NOT A PLANE! See... some do and some don't!

Now... that name 'Cherubini'... shades of Michaeli Angeli? Cool name. I guess with big feet like that you really do not qualify in the 'cherub' class?

-g-

Re: Liebfrauenkirche - a little sensitive and OT

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Hi Aidhan(!),

Concerning the bombing... in my two 'pictorial' postings about Munich, I thought it politically better not to 'mention the war' (quote from John Cleese in Fawlty Towers). The fascade of the Town Hall still bears the scars of 'pinpoint' bombing... and , as I recall, so does the Frauenkirche. Marienplatz was devastated, as can be seen in the current post-war architecture. Long may these mars be on the landscape to teach us all about what war leaves behind.

To state my position... I am merely an observer who is here as a 'transient' (25 years!)... and I like the sense of richness of living culture based on history that I find here. There are few countries that can compete.

-g-

Fawlty Towers

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Oh my gosh, what a gas that show is!! I've seen all 12 of them at least a dozen times each and still laugh out loud while watching them. Sat. nights is British comedy night here on PBS and I never miss them. I do wish they'd show some new ones as I've seen all of "Keeping up Apperances" and "Are You Being Served" about 4 times each episode. I really like "Coupling" it's a real riot. Good news is that they have started showing "Last of the Summer Wine" again on Sunday morning. :~)

Todd O. Wondering what Manuel is called in German