Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 28, 2011, 11:17 am
I was sorry today to learn of the death of Cheetah the Chimpanzee.  As most people know, all elderly Americans retire to Florida at some stage, and the well known actor from the Tarzan films was no exception, living out his twilight years in an old chimps’ home on the panhandle. What not so many...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Nov 25, 2011, 9:20 am
Over the past few weeks in most German towns, little wooden huts have sprung up on squares and along the main shopping streets. Behind shutters we heard scuffling and hammering, mysterious bags and boxes were unloaded, cables laid, lights tested… wafts of aniseed and cinnamon and ginger…  a gen...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Nov 24, 2011, 11:38 am
I was out and about in Duisburg today and I spotted these two beauties. First up, a red BMW motorbike with sidecar – not the newest but definitely oozing with retro-charm. Getting in and out of it might be a challenge… but who needs to wear a pencil skirt anyway? Must-have transport for the ag...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Oct 10, 2011, 7:29 am
You’ve got to love German marketing. Not content with a penchant for moist toilet tissue, the Germans are now marketing the aforementioned product with a delightful image of a lady in very close proximity to someone’s rear end. She appears to be conducting a bottom inspection. Possibly giving it...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Sep 18, 2011, 9:23 am
We spent this weekend in the hilly Vulkaneifel region of Germany, visiting the pretty town of Kaisersesch. The first thing we noticed was that something about the spire of the church next to our hotel didn’t seem quite right. Had the spire-builders been on the schnapps? In fact from below it lo...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Aug 31, 2011, 11:13 am
… and in the shops you can see amazing bright coloured cardboard cones everywhere. Like a Christmas stocking on the first school day These are essential accessories for every child starting school for the first time. Their parents fill the cone with sweets and little gifts (often school related,...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Aug 15, 2011, 10:02 am
I had to go to Aachen this morning.  It was a sunny day and lots of people were taking the opportunity to have a paddle in one of the local fountains, along with some statue-people. Real people and statue people enjoy the warm weather... I can't reach my toy boat.... Is that statue picking pocke...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Aug 13, 2011, 12:55 pm
I visited Moers this week. When I was there I came across the ruins of a synagogue in the shopping centre. There was not a lot left – it had been destroyed during the war. Actually, even the doorway which appeared to remain was a replica, rebuilt as a memorial on the site of the old synagogue, wit...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Aug 12, 2011, 6:06 am
I was in Viersen this week and I spotted plenty more interesting street art. To start with, there was this group of figures playing boule… A game of boule... Then there was a strange bee-hive which seemed to be home to a range of weird bugs. Beehive... or bug-basket? Then there was a bishop s...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jul 16, 2011, 10:34 am
I was out and about this morning in the part of Germany over towards the Dutch border.  You know… near that place that makes every Brit giggle as they pass the Ausfahrt on the Autobahn. What I found interesting around there, was the wide range of ways local communities choose to “decorate” t...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jul 2, 2011, 2:07 pm
Oh dear oh dear. This weekend, the German Women’s World Cup team are training a five minute walk away from us here in Meerbusch. The excitement in the town… indeed the whole region is palpable. There are Germany flags on cars, Germany flags on flagpoles, Germany shirts on kids and adults alike�...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 29, 2011, 2:33 am
To be honest, I haven’t done a lot in the garden this year. First the arctic winter dragged on… then there were dry spells which seemed to coincide with weekdays when I was working, but pouring rain and decidedly gardener-unfriendly weather on days when I could have got my wellies on. But never...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 26, 2011, 1:28 pm
The Women’s World Cup is taking place in Germany right now – and this week our town is host to the Brazil team. They were out training yesterday, only a five minute walk from us – looking none-too-impressed about the cold wet German weather. Decidedly colder than Rio... Ball skills with a to...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 25, 2011, 3:24 am
The problem with the German joke is that it stops being funny when it has to be explained, at length, over a period of days. (Assuming it was funny in the first place). This appears now to be Bild’s strategy this week in it’s response to the Sun’s original How German are you quiz, based on re...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 24, 2011, 3:24 am
After yesterday’s How German are you? quiz in The Sun, the Germans have responded. Today’s Bild is offering a test where people can check whether they are real Brits or not. Fortunately due to a broken link, there is currently only one question at the moment: What can you talk about for weeks ...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 23, 2011, 7:02 am
Oh dear oh dear oh dear. The annual anti-German summer filler from the Sun has arrived early, owing to a piece of genetic research in Britain which has established that half of all Britains are actually genetically partly German. It seems that the many Germans migrated to Britain in the fifth and si...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 21, 2011, 10:16 am
Today I was down in Düsseldorf, so I took the opportunity to pick up some groceries in the Altstadt. First stop was the bakery. As with all the best German bakeries, there was a baffling array of different types of bread, and of course I wanted to try them all. In the end I settled on the Senfkrü...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 18, 2011, 6:22 am
Düsseldorf and Köln are the Rhineland’s rival cities. Neither town has a good word to say about the other. At Karneval time the Kölner greet each other with the words “Alaaf!” while the Düsseldorfer shout “Helau!” During the rest of the year, the Kölner listen to the rock band “BAP�...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 15, 2011, 6:25 am
Every Whitsun our little town holds its Schützen und Heimatfest. The Schützen are the societies of local militias, who in former times would have protected the village from marauding invaders. These days they shoot for sport and drink a lot. And dress up in uniforms which frankly make some tin-pot...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jun 9, 2011, 3:08 am
It’s prickly times in our garden.  Frau Hedgehog has only produced one baby this year… but she’s certainly got her paws full with this one. It’s a non-stop squeaker when they’re out and about! Ooooh! Is this the big wide world? 'ere, Mama, who is the weird lady with the camera? Never m...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - May 18, 2011, 2:54 pm
…that Planet Germany has been nominated as on of the Top 25 Expat Mom (that’s spelled MUM in real life) Blogs. If anyone fancies voting for me… or checking out other expat Mum blogs, take a look here.
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Apr 5, 2011, 3:50 pm
While we’re on the subject of strange things Germans do at Eastertime, I should probably mention the tradition of rolling flaming wheels down hills. This one is a clip from Lügde in North-Rhine Westphalia. The idea is to stuff a wooden wheel with straw and set light to it as you shove it down a s...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Apr 4, 2011, 1:53 pm
One of the unusual events you can watch around Easter time is the strange sport practised in the village of Buldern in Westphalia.  It is known as Osterhasseln. It involves two teams, one from the East and one from the West of the village lining up in the street and hurling a wooden disk (known as ...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Apr 2, 2011, 10:03 am
Roll up ladies and gentlemen… for one day only a preview of Summer in Germany! 22°C and brilliant sunshine! Tomorrow will be back to chilly and rainy, so enjoy it now! On a lovely day like today, the best place to be is down by the river. In Meerbusch we’re lucky – we are right next to the R...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 28, 2011, 12:57 pm
Münster has a fair three times a year. They call it the Send - which apparently is a derivation of “Synod” and originated with some rather jolly get-togethers of clerics in the 9th century. When the Send is on, the city fathers hang out the Send Sword, or Sendschwert, on the town hall. This is...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 16, 2011, 2:58 am
Has it come to this? The Eurovision Song Contest being nobbled? Gott im Himmel! Sacre bleu! I give you the glorious Fascinating Aida’s advice for Lena for  Eurovision in Düsseldorf…. (or something) Surely that’s just not cricket!
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 9, 2011, 2:50 am
Does something strike you whenever you look at portraits of Germans through the ages? The truth is… the mullet haircut has always been in fashion in Germany. Johann Hermann Schein - early mullet wearer (and composer) Everhard Jabach - 17th century businessman - or mullet-head to his friends Un...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 8, 2011, 2:46 am
It’s been a hectic week in Planet Germany. Not only has the Rhineland been turned upside down with Karneval, but the fame of Planet Germany has been spreading. This week I was asked by Christoph Driessen of dpa why the Germans love the British monarchy so much. Of course that one is easy. The Bri...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 5, 2011, 3:38 am
Germany’s economy has always depended on creativity and innovation. This is not to say that every German invention is without its flaws, of course. Take the Berlin wall or the cuckoo clock for example. But the very latest in chic home accessories is the new must-have fragrance from Agrar Solutio...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 4, 2011, 3:27 am
We’re in the middle of the fifth season here in the Rhineland. The silly season. Karneval season. The normally sensible and dare I say, somewhat dull members of the local community will be dressed in odd uniforms, wigs, feathered hats and face paint for the next few days as they go about their no...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Mar 3, 2011, 2:29 am
Today is Altweiberfastnacht. At eleven minutes past eleven, the citizens of Meerbusch (especially the women) will be dressed in strange costumes and storming the town hall. They will emasculate the mayor (symbolically, I hasten to add, by cutting off his tie) and oust him from his seat of power. In...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Feb 27, 2011, 9:01 am
Next week will be Karneval in Germany – that famous binge-fest of doughnuts and beer.  (Look out hips… prepare for rapid expansion!) But once the five days of revelry are over, it will be Lent. Time for fasting and contemplation. Of course, German cuisine does not lend itself to fasting. At th...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Feb 24, 2011, 3:00 am
Great news for all regular Planet Germany readers! Young Germany is giving away a FREE copy of my book . If you haven’t already read it, it’s a great opportunity to pick up a copy for nothing. Swabians… take note!
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Feb 21, 2011, 12:45 pm
For those of us who grew up on the output of Pinewood studios, the last role you ever wanted to be cast in was the German soldier. They always ended up being outsmarted by the cunning but underdog allies.  Your last line was always something like “Gott im Himmel!” before you were taken out by a...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Feb 9, 2011, 1:32 pm
We are preparing for the onslaught. In 13 weeks and 3 days from now (there is, of course, a countdown on the official website) Düsseldorf will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest and the preparations are in full swing. The local football club, Fortuna Düsseldorf, is vacating its stadium and mo...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Feb 3, 2011, 5:09 am
Over the last month we have been navigating the quagmire of German mortgage offers. Not that we are moving house, you understand. We are merely moving mortgage, as our original 10 year loans are nearly up. To cut a long story short, having shopped around we finally found an offer which combined the...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 22, 2011, 12:26 pm
January has seen one of Germany’s most notorious serial killers back in action after a relatively long gap in activity. On January 13th a tanker carrying sulphuric acid overturned on the Rhine with the loss of two crew members. The incident happened at the infamous Loreley rocks… a previous sce...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 20, 2011, 11:18 am
Now that Christmas and New Year are over, the Germans are starting to look forward to Karneval. Karneval is all about drinking. Of course technically speaking, we are in the Karneval season already. It began on November 11th last year with the Hoppeditz Erwachen session. The start of Karneval involv...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 18, 2011, 10:30 am
We already had the German word of the year. Now it’s time for the un-word of the year. The Unwort des Jahres. German has a great way of adding an “un” at the beginning of a word to create a new concept, by the way. For example Kraut means cabbage or herbs… but Unkraut means weeds.   If you...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 17, 2011, 12:35 pm
One of the oddest stories from Northrhine Westphalia is the accident which befell Tuffi the elephant. In 1950 the travelling Althoff Circus arrived in Wuppertal, and with them their four year old circus elephant, Tuffi.  While the circus was setting up, the circus trainer had got into the habit of...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 16, 2011, 8:45 am
The latest victim of the dioxin scandal is Germany’s favourite snack of all time.  Readers, a moment’s silence please as we mourn the passing of the currywurst. As Germans abandon their normal diet of ham, bacon, pork, chicken and eggs for fear of ending up looking like Viktor Yushchenko, the ...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 15, 2011, 8:30 am
You have to hand it to the Germans. In an age where kids are obsessed with computer games and theme parks and shun more traditional leisure pursuits, they can still manage to make a visit to a traditional zoo sexy. How do they do it? Well… they exploit our obsession with celebrity culture. Berlin...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 6, 2011, 10:29 am
2011 promises to be a fun year in Germany. For a start, Düsseldorf will be playing host to the Eurovision song contest in May. Although the tickets for the main event sold out almost instantly, a whole programme of events is scheduled around the competition and there will be the beloved “public ...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Jan 5, 2011, 6:22 am
It seems as though every New Year spent in Germany follows the same pattern. This year though, there was one major difference. Instead of writing about Dinner for One, Bleigiessen and fireworks here, I posted about it on Birds on the Blog, where I also have a column. You can catch up with my New Yea...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 27, 2010, 7:01 am
As some of the snow starts to thaw on the roof, we’re getting an impressive array of icicles this year. I’m tempted to nip out with a pair of teaspoons and try to play Tubular Bells on them!   I’m not the only one who has spotted the potential play value of icicles. We’ve had icicle sword...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 27, 2010, 6:50 am
This year we actually did the proper German thing with the Christmas tree. OK, it wasn’t intentional. It was because of all the snow that we didn’t go out early and buy a tree. It was the 23rd by the time I managed to scrape the car free of ice and snow and venture out in search of food, last mi...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 24, 2010, 4:25 am
I’ve been watching the cats struggling through the snow (and we have had plenty of new snow overnight), and I am yet again struck by the sheer impracticality of those Germans who choose to keep a dachshund as a pet. Not too bad under the trees... If you only have the odd inch or two of snow it�...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 19, 2010, 7:01 am
Yet another load of snow has dumped over our region overnight. In the last couple of weeks I have acquired an Umlaut. I used to say: “Ooooh! Snow!” Now it’s more of a: “Öööööh Snow!” I can tell that I am becoming German though, because this morning, I found myself outside with a shov...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 17, 2010, 11:11 am
The German language has a body which oversees the development of it’s language. The German Language Society tracks down and documents new words which enter the German language. Not only that, every year they select a winner. Of course German is very prone to adopting new words. Not only are there...
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Cathy D. posted an article on Planet Germany - Dec 16, 2010, 10:57 am
Christmas is the time of year when you construct pyramids in your house.  I don’t mean a Valley of the Kings stone affair… I mean a wooden one with candles and a windmill on the top. Obviously. The Christmas pyramid is a sort of Heath-Robinson contraption which uses the convection current of h...
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