Author Archives: Clare Dunkle
The other day, a television vet was called out to examine a young Waschbär. What kind of “bear” is this? It’s the kind known for waschen–washing its food. Der Waschbär is a raccoon. Wild raccoons don’t ordinarily wash their food, …
The Grandfather of Comics
My friend Heidi recently loaned me her childhood copy of the Wilhelm Busch stories. Wilhelm Busch created Max & Moritz, the devilish duo who came on the scene in 1865 and inspired the modern comic book. Combine the morbid satire …
Last night, I was watching one of the many World War II documentaries that appear on German television. This one concerned the battles in north Africa. An old British soldier stated in voice-over German that although things looked bad, General …
A Fish out of Water
Art from life
I took this photo from my hotel balcony last weekend on the evening of our arrival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We stayed at Hotel Schatten on the Partenkirchen side, and I heartily recommend it. The church you see is Pfarrkirche Maria Himmelfahrt, …
The other day, I was walking down a fairly steep hill when two little girls swept by me on tiny bicycles, wobbling along and picking up speed. Behind them trotted their anxious mother, shouting, “Bremse! Bremse!” Die Bremse, of course, …
An Afternoon Walk around Rodenbach
The town I live in is like Grandma’s cookie jar: I never know what I’ll find when I shut my front door and walk outside, but I can be pretty sure I’m going to love it. There are lots of …
In honor of the end of Oktoberfest in Munich, Bavaria, today’s word is die Maßkrugschlägerei. It’s a compound word, and sometimes hyphenated. You’re not likely to find it in your dictionary. Nevertheless, it’s a very handy word to know. Der …
As American as…
The other day, I caught a few minutes of a Bavarian cooking show. Six Landfrauen were sitting down to a dinner prepared by a seventh Landfrau. Beautiful table. Elaborate menu. Strong, confident women who looked good in dirndls and who …