Probably Didn't Have the Cable TV Back Then...

When was the last time you stayed in a hotel that was nearly 400 years old?  Here's where we spent Tuesday night, in the marvelous little city of Celle, in northen Germany, about a 5 hour drive from here.

Weihnachtsmarkt

In the post below, you see a typical Christmas market in France.  Now, here is one in northern Germany, in the beautiful little city of Celle, near Hannover.  If this doesn't make you feel like you're in Europe, nothing will.  By the way, they actually do have "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" here!

Marche de Noel



Today we visited the Marche de Noel, or Christmas Market, in Lille, the first large French city across the southern border of Belgium.  We've now visited markets in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and here and this one rates as one of the nicest.  It certainly did help that, for the first time in recent memory, the sun actually came out.
It's sad for us to realize that this will no doubt be our final European Christmas market.  They've all been a lot of fun and it's places like here where you really do recognize that "we're not in Kansas anymore."

Big Stomachs; Small Hearts?

A recent poll of Flemish (Dutch-speaking Belgians) living abroad included a question asking what they miss most from the Old Country.  Coming in a clear number one was "French" fries (which the Belgians, evidently correctly, claim as their own invention).  If you've tasted them here, you can see why this tops the list.  Among the top five responses were Belgian chocolate and beer (again, if you've tasted them, this comes as no surprise).  Finishing far back, in 8th place - even behind shrimp and bread - were family and friends.  Who needs people if you've got all the basic food groups covered (beer, chocolate, and fries)?

A Slow News Day...Very Slow

It must be hard for a newspaper to fill up every daily edition with meaty news.  Some days there just isn't all that much happening.  But hopefully there are always enough crises to at least make for an interesting front page.  I have to believe that it was the slowest day in history, judging by this story which made its way onto Page One of the Stars and Stripes just a couple of days ago:
"Sex With Animals Still Forbidden for Military"
I do have to admit, this one got my attention and so I read on.  Now I'm not sure which is sadder: the fact that S&S had to make this a front page item, or the fact that Congress is actually using its free time (read: Monday through Friday) to debate such things as part of the larger Defense Dept. budget proposal.
But, in case you're interested, bestiality is still a no-go for members of the armed forces.  Kind of makes you glad to be a civilian, right?

You Get What You Pay For...Hopefully

I just happened to notice the tuition fees at St. John's International School, an American-styped private school here in Waterloo.  This is the school where I helped out a couple of years ago in their youth production of The Canterbury Tales.  By all appearances, it is an excellent school with great facilities and staff.  And well it should be.
This year's tuition, for a high-schooler, is just over $40,000 per year.  If you'd like to tack on a bus ride to and from school every day, just within the town of Waterloo proper, it's another $3,780.  I wonder what Harvard and Yale are charging these days.  For parents with graduating seniors here in Waterloo, either of these might suddenly seem like a bargain.

Little Place; Big Differences

Just returned from a quick business trip to a small town in central Denmark.  It got me to thinking about what it must be like, being a Dane, and how very different our two nations are.  The most obvious difference, of course, is language.  Then there is size:  Denmark would handily fit inside all but the 8 smallest American states and its entire population is far less than the New York City metro area.
Let's face facts: Denmark doesn't have a lot to make it famous.  Today, there are no rock stars, athletic greats, politicians (alright, their former prime minister is now the Secretary General of NATO, but that's a stretch), writers, painters, or business leaders.  Actors Viggo Mortensen and Brigitte Nielsen; that might be it among folks still living.
On the larger political stage, it's more interesting.  Here I was, in a nation that no one often notices, expects to either be the world's policeman, or the whipping boy for trying to be the world's policeman.  Terrorism is an almost non-existent threat.  Militarily, Denmark is supportive of NATO and so, indirectly the U.S., but it's clout is, shall we say, rather dwarf-like. 
In short, the world has few expectations of Denmark, and I have to believe the Danes are quite satisfied with that arrangement.  They have a lovely country, with loads of wide open spaces, unspoiled nature, and a serious attitude toward everything involving the environnment.  Trying to put yourself, as an American, in the shoes of a Dane is not easy.  It's odd; it's very different; its...rather refreshing.

Autumn In Upper Bavaria

Taken in Garmisch and Oberammergau, about a week ago.

Looking For Work? Forget About Bulgaria!

Several European countries are debating their minimum wage laws these days, but the rates they are debating are certainly different than in the U.S.!  If you want to move to Europe and are looking for a career in, say, the fast food field, I'd strongly recommend you settle in Luxembourg (find it on the map; it's worth it!).  Minimum wage there: $14.25 per hour.  Sounds like a good time to bone up on the French and/or German skills; how much do you really need to know to work at McDonalds??
Now, there are several nations all with wages around the same, to include Germany, France, and Holland.
On the other hand, I'd strongly urge you to stay away from southeastern Europe, where things change dramatically.  In Slovakia, for example, the minimum wage is around $2.65.  But it gets worse.  Rounding out the list of European nations is Bulgaria.  I've been there and have actually seen a McDonalds in downtown Sofia, so I know that there must be some jobs offering minimum wage.  How much will you make?  A whopping $0.98 per hour.  It may not sound like much, but just think how much you'd get back from the IRS every year...

Lost in Thought

An old man has this small side street in Strasbourg, France, all to himself and his thoughts.

Bureaucracy Kills!

Euthanasia is at least in some form or another legal in several European countries, probably most notably the Netherlands and Belgium.  Apparently, a formal request for euthanasia must be submitted to the government, prior to approval.  Almost half of the requests (48%) ended up being approved here in Belgium last year, but, ironically, in 23% of the cases the patient actually died before the approval was given.  No comment.

Baby Talk

A whole month without a post here - my bad.  Too much travel and family goings-on.  I'll try to do better...
Here's an interesting new statistic just released in Belgium: nearly 70% of Belgian 10 year-olds have their own cell phone; nearly 100% of 12 year-olds do too!  The kids only make about 10 phone calls per week, but send over 90 text messages every 7 days. 
This seems a bit hard to believe and, since it is based on a survey conducted by a consumer organization, it might be simply wishful thinking on the part of a lot of 10 year-olds.  But, maybe not.

Hip to Be Square...Maybe

Over 30,000 users of the American social networking site Badoo.com have rated nations based on their "coolness."  Not at all surprisingly, the U.S. was voted coolest.  But at the opposite end of the scale, to me very surprisingly, is Belgium.  It's now semi-official: Belgium is the least cool place on earth.  Obviously, no one has checked out our weather this summer; otherwise, we'd be right up there with Oslo, Seattle, and maybe Minsk.
Actually, I'm surprised that 30,000 Americans could even identify Belgium.  Fortunately, they weren't asked to place it on a map prior to being allowed to vote.
A local Belgian newspaper has taken issue with the not-so-scientific results and has come up with several areas where Belgium truly is cool.   Among these "assets": Belgium has the world record for the longest stint without an elected government (something like 15 months, but this may actually be coming to an end!), and, my personal fave, Belgium can lay claim to having the world's ugliest city: Charleroi.  Evidently someone somewhere actually votes for such things.

Another New Label

Europeans are famous for labeling requirements on thousands of products, providing you everything from mundane figures for calories and fat in food to exhaust emissions per kilometer driven by new cars.  Now, Belgium has just passed a law requiring that all cell phone advertisements must include the device's "radiation value," which will range from 0 to 2 watts.  Doesn't seem like a very wide range there, but I guess it's the labeling that counts.  Or the passing of yet another new law...

Very Fitting

What do you call an obviously intoxicated jerk who makes a noisy, public spectacle of himself?
See below...

Actually, and this may say quite a bit about the Polish folks, signs such as this one loudly brag about their main product, all over the streets of Krakow, which we visited earlier in the week.

Twilight in Paris

Taken on Saturday evening...

The Scene of the Crime

Or, maybe more aptly put: where it all started.
This is my "school house," the university in Bonn, Germany, where a scared, young kid spent his junior year abroad.   The building is a 17th century palace and the school counts among its graduates and/or professors Karl Marx, Pope Benedict XVI, Nietzsche, Heinrich Heine, and Joseph Goebbels...
Hard to believe, but it's been well over 35 years now.  The school hasn't changed a bit.  I think the student has.

Why Do I Love Germany So Much?

                      Just one look, and I think you'll see...

Quiet Memorial on the Danube

This may be the smallest, most understated Holocaust memorial anywhere in the world.  It is nothing more than about 60 pairs of real shoes, perhaps "iron-ed" and then welded to the bank of the Danube in Budapest, only a few steps from their beautiful Parliament building.  Constructed just 6 years ago, it commemorates a fateful night in January, 1945, when dozens of Jews, whom Raoul Wallenberg had been attempting to hide/save, were rounded up and brought to the banks of the river.  Perhaps unwilling to dig a mass grave in the frozen earth, the Nazi sympathizers simply lined them all up and shot them, allowing the bodies to drop into the Danube and be carried off.   There are all kinds of shoes, including those of small children.  While there is a small plaque nearby, there are no other words, sounds, or markers.  The shoes simply speak for themselves.

A Storm For the Record Books

Yesterday afternoon's freak storm was the stuff they write about in books.  At least 5 attendees were killed at an outdoor concert about an hour east of here, as tents, scaffolding, and nearly everything else that wasn't somehow welded to solid earth went flying.  I've never seen anything like it in my 13+ years in Europe.  About 3 inches of rain fell in under an hour.
At 4PM it was nothing more than cloudy.  By 5PM it was torrential rain, with hail the size of large peas bouncing all over the trampoline out back.  I could look out the upstairs window and see the house next door...any nothing beyond it.  An hour later it seemed to be all over, but just one hour after that it was back again.  If they ever got tornados in western Europe, this would have been the time for one.
Just two days ago the weather forecast was for a week of sunny weather so Mr. Dumb here spent the $13 to get his car washed (the first time in months, thanks to our dismal early summer).  Not a wise move...

Catching a Flick, Belgian Style

Lucie and I went to see "Super 8" on Sunday at a large movie complex in Brussels. It had something like 20 screens, so you can imagine how busy the place was that afternoon. First off, there is no such thing as reduced matinee prices: tickets run $13, no matter when the show. But just buying the ticket is where the real problems begin. Unlike the U.S., where there are usually humans involved and an individual can buy a ticket in, say, 30 seconds, here it is almost entirely automated, with banks of ticket-vending machines resembling rows of slots in Vegas.

To choose which language you want the instructions in, then which card you intend to insert, then which movie, etc., etc., you can see how this takes about 3 minutes per customer. With 15 people in front of every machine, well, you do the math.

But the problems continue: humans are involved in the actual ticket taking. How many would you guess are on duty, to handle the hundreds of customers? A grand total of two. So, tack on an additional 10 minutes or so in line.

You make it into the auditorium where, I do have to admit, the chairs are about the most comfortable I've ever seen in a theater. Then come the previews and, more often, the commercials. Not just 10 or even 15 minutes-worth, like at home. Nope - here the pre-game show runs a full half-hour. Only after this string of ordeals can you sit back, relax, and hopefully enjoy the movie (which I didn't even like much: it seemed like Spielberg couldn't decide whether he was shooting for a remake of Stand By Me, ET, or War of the Worlds).

But I save the best for last: a trip to the potty. I would have thought that $13 ought to entitle me to, say, one free visit. Not in Belgium, my friends. Here, you pay yet again, for the privelege of a pee.

Boy, how I wish they had Blockbuster or Hollywood Video over here...

Sorry, Prince, You're Not Invited

As we all know by now, Belgium has more than its fair share of issues, attempting to be a modern, first-world, western European monarcy/nation. Besides having no functioning government for well over a year now (I don't think there's any African or southeast Asian nation which can boast the same...), even the monarchy seems to be disfunctional.
Not disfunctional as in the UK, where most royal dalliances seem to center on sex or divorce. Here, it's disfunctional as in the crown prince can't seem to keep his mouth shut whenever he travels and has now gotten himself onto a sort of internal national PNG list. Recent trips to the Congo and Libya turned into public relations disasters for him and it's gotten to the point where he is no longer allowed to travel abroad without first clearing the trip with the parliament (!). The parliament which, of course, was voted out of office over a year ago.
There are over a half-dozen monarchies in western Europe, but none seems to be plagued with royal issues as much as Belgium. The prince has become such a lightening rod for embarrassment that, at the royal festivities this week to celebrate Belgian Independence Day, the king formally dis-invited him to take part. Just as well - the prince was probably busy checking out Ryan Air flights on line, booking his next purchase to Morocco or somewhere in that area...

Not a Clue...

Since this was seen on the elevator in a 4-star hotel, I have to assume it's all above-board. That being said, maybe What Happens In Budapest, Stays in Budapest...

An der schoenen ?blauen? Donau

That's what Johann Strauss called it - the beautiful, blue Danube.
Having seen this river in 4 different countries now, I can tell you that 1) it definitely is the Danube; 2) it might just be beautiful; and, 3) no way is it blue!
I find it hard to believe it was all that blue even in Strauss' time; I'm wondering how much Austrian wine he had imbibed when he wrote the waltz.

Definitely Not From Here

Seen on a busy street in Budapest last week.
Admittedly, this is one of the busiest intersections of car, bus, and tram in the entire city. That being said, here's probably a good rule of thumb: if you start driving down a narrow street, notice no other cars on that same street, have no traffic lights or stop signs, and see that you are actually driving on streetcar tracks, it's probably a good idea to get off that street. Now. This guy has obviously made a poor choice (no doubt assisted by his GPS system, my favorite whipping boy, but that's another blog post). We didn't have the guts to stick around to see the outcome, although 10 minutes later we did hear lots of sirens coming from this general area...

Talk About Your Pampered Pet!

I didn't even know guppies had feet!

Your Guess Is As Good as Mine...

Seen on a t-shirt at the airport in Budapest today:

"All-Japan NSA-1975
10th International
Surfing Scotch Championship"


I dunno either, but somehow surfing and scotch don't seem to go too well together...

Not Your Average Motel 8

I'm fortunate enough to be able to travel to Oberammergau in southern Germany every so often on business and the hotel where I stay is worth taking a look at. I'd have to say that this is really just a typical, small Bavarian hotel; maybe their equivalent of our Motel 8 or even Holiday Inn. Well, maybe not...
This is the hotel and a couple of pictures taken from the small balcony off my room. You be the judge.

Any Guesses?

I'll give you a clue (alright, admittedly not exactly the most helpful in the world): it's almost a national symbol of Slovenia.
This is an example (albeit a very large and fancy one) of a hay-drying "shed," where the hay is slung over each wooden rack like towels in a bathroom, and then evidently nature does the rest. Most of the ones that we saw were much smaller and simpler, but this one (evil face and all) was worth a picture.

Croatian Sunsets

Heck, even the end of every day of our week-long vacation to Croatia was perfect! What a beautiful place, morning, afternoon, evening, whatever...

Why Water Slides Aren't Catching on in Croatia

I think the folks who run beach amusement areas in Croatia need to contact Disney or Six Flags to get some pointers as to how to make water parks appealing to customers. It seems clear that the locals near Dubrovnik are still missing a couple of key pieces of information. I don't predict record crowds at this particular park...

Livin' Large in the Sun

Jaspurr, our Norwegian Forest cat, now has "outdoors privileges." Like his brother and sister, nothing makes him happier than to sit in the sun in the backyard. For several days we let him semi-loose, on a leash, just to get acclimated. But in no time he let us know he was ready for the real thing, so now he spends every minute he can, soaking up rays, "unfettered." As sunny as it's been, I'm surprised he doesn't set himself on fire, with the heat on that jet-black fur...

How Expensive Are Things Over Here?

Today I got the oil changed in my Mazda RX-8 at a Belgian garage. I provided the factory oil filter and I provided all the motor oil. They replaced a tiny gasket and changed the oil. The cost? $96.

Spring Comes to Belgium

Even two weeks ago, when these pictures were taken near the Meuse River about 50 miles southeast of here, spring had definitely begun to spring. Amazingly, in the 14 days since these pictures were shot, the sun has shone every single day, with temperatures nearing 80 on several days. Around here they are talking about a drought. In most places, they'd simply be calling it a typical April. In any case, there's no denying that Belgium can be a beautiful place, if the sun shines and it's a bit warm. In other words, normally about a week a year. But evidently we are being blessed in 2011 and you'll hear no complaints from this side!

What Not to Do This Summer

Been planning that dream vacation to Europe this summer? Going to grab a rental car and see every sight from Berlin to Paris to Florence? You might want to rethink the plans, thanks to gas prices and the current exchange rate. While rising gas prices will surprise no one, you'll have to agree it's all relative. Thanks to the worst dollar/Euro exchange rate in well over a year, plus typically outrageous fuel prices all over the continent here, one gallon of regular gas most anywhere in central Europe will now cost you...drum roll please... just over $9 !! Maybe next year.

Norman Bates: Alive and Well... in Bavaria

Interesting street sign in Oberammergau, in Bavaria. First of all, "Ferien" means vacation. And "Wohnung" means apartment. So, as you can guess, in this little tourist village the sign is telling you there is an apartment nearby for rent. So far, so good.
It's the next line that's a bit discomforting. I guess if you're an optimist, you'd say that this is a killer place to stay. If you're a bit more easily frightened, you might wonder if Norman Bates has pulled up stakes and is now renting rooms to unwitting travelers in southern Germany...

Mid-Flight Musings

Just flew on Lufthansa from Munich to Brussels and continue to be amazed with the German airline. On this very brief flight (barely an hour), they still find time to feed you a snack and free drink (including beer or wine). In the Munich airport there is all-you-can-drink free coffee and a half-dozen kinds of tea. As well as over 10 English and German newspapers, all there for you without charge. Where have we gone wrong in America?
In the tiny john there was an interesting sign, in effect telling you not to throw newspapers, spoons, or bottles down the toilet. Newspapers? Harry Houdini couldn't get a Times down that downspout. As for spoons and bottles, I guess it's time to come clean: on those long flights where a full meal is served, I've often sneaked my "dinner" tray and drink into the john, always finding the dining arrangements there so much more cozy and intimate. But what to do with the silverware and bottle when I'm done? Well, I guess now I've been found out, so I'll have to resort to eating in my regular seat, like everyone else.
The Lufthansa magazine announced that as of next month the super-jumbo-mondo-massive Airbus airliner, the A380, will be flying non-stop from Frankfurt to San Francisco. I found it interesting how the classes are broken out on these planes: out of a total of 526 seats, guess how many are First Class. Only 8! Now, Business Class holds nearly 100 which seems huge, but that still leaves 420 folks flying in Peasant Class. I don't know what will be more interesting: the boarding or the waiting for luggage:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will begin boarding Cattle Class at this time, so we invite all heifers seated in rows 140 and higher to board at this time."
And, can you imagine the wait for luggage, just you and over 500 flight buddies? After a 13-hour flight. Where they don't even let you dine in the bathroom...
Finally, in Europe they generally do not board shorter flights by rows and, guess what, it doesn't seem to slow things down at all. Of course, this being Europe, even if they did attempt to get you to board by row it would never work. That would require patience, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to be Number Two, for just a minute. It just won't work on this continent, folks.

Maybe It's Not so Good to Be King

At least, not in this country. Things have traditionally not gone all that well for Belgian royalty. Going way back, the only daughter of Belgium's first king got married to a loony Austrian whom Napoleon III decided should do his thing in far-away Mexico. As Emperor Maximilian, he would be put to death. Wife Charlotte (later, Carlota) would be luckier: she'd simply go insane.
Jump forward two generations and more bad luck is waiting: the daughter of Belgium's 2nd king got married to Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, who would later commit suicide with his lover, setting the stage for a fellow named Archduke Franz Ferdinand to become heir to Austria-Hungary. And we know what happened to him. And Belgium. And Europe. And the World. Oh, by the way, that 2nd king of Belgium would be known as Leopold II, whose "achievements" in Africa speak infamously for themselves.
The eventual king of Belgium, Albert I, ended up falling to his death in a rock climbing accident near Namur in 1934. His son, Leopold III, married the beautiful Astrid of Sweden. But, only a year after his father's fall from the rocks, Leopold's car fell from the road near Lucerne, Switzerland, killing Queen Astrid. Leopold was driving.
I guess you'd have to say that things have improved over the past couple of generations, but not by much. Leopold's behavior in WWII led to a plebescite in 1950, to see whether Belgium wanted to retain this king. The pre-election decision was that anything above 55% in favor of the king meant he could stay. Leopold "won," with a resounding 57% of the vote...
His son, Baudouin, had his own problems, this time with the church. In 1990, Belgium's parliament voted to legalize abortion, which the king would then be forced to sign into law. The king and his wife were devout Catholics. So, what to do? Clever King B: he abdicated for a day, making Belgium a 24-hour republic. The law was re-passed, this time not needing any royal blessing, since there was no longer a king. A day later, after the vote, the king returns, law in place and his conscience intact.

Have I mentioned yet that Belgium is an odd place?

Bud in Belgium??

I had long believed that Anheuser-Busch, thank goodness, had not attempted to export its "beer" to Belgium. That would be much worse than carrying coals to Newcastle; it would be more like carrying Taco Bell to Guadalajara or Pizza Hut to Florence.
Now, if they did try to sneak some Bud Lite into the country, odds are good they'd have to invent a new name, in a crafty ploy to trick savvy Belgians.
Shockingly, I've just discovered a beer, supposedly from a brewery in the southeast corner of Belgium, that might just be A-B's plot to foist its "malted beverages" onto the Belgian public.
How do I know this? It's all in the name, my friends: I think there must be some truth-in-advertising law here. If this isn't a front for Bud Lite, then I don't know what is. Check out the label and you'll see what I mean. If you can't see it too well, the name follows, below.



That's right. It's "Pissenlit" ! Never a truer word was spoken...

Road Respect

Coming home from work today I came to an intersection where I needed to turn onto a fairly busy, 4-lane road. At the intersection there was a wide pedestrian crosswalk and two young girls waiting patiently to get across. Directly in front of me (the only car between me and the crosswalk) was a police car. As traffic approached the crosswalk from the left, one then another then another car sped right on past the girls, in clear view of the cop. I counted 12 cars go by without a reaction by the cop car in front of me. Do you wonder why the Belgian drivers would do such a dumb thing, taking such a crazy chance of a serious fine and just being damned rude and impolite? Simple answer in the form of a question: care to guess which car was the 13th to hurry across that pedestrian crossing, right in front of the girls? You guessed it.
The simple fact of the matter, as I see it, is this: put a Belgian behind the wheel - even a cop - and respect is simply a word that doesn't exist, not to be found in either the French or the Flemish dictionary.

Not Wanting to Brag...

but we've had sunny weather for 9 straight days now! I guess that's not so much a brag as a statement of total shock. Nine days of sun is about a month's worth around here. OK - that's an exaggeration.
It's about two months worth!
But it's supposed to continue for 2 or 3 more days still. Even the birds may have to start wearing sun glasses...

Home of the Good and the Bad

We recently visited Nuernberg (or, as we bastardize it: Nuremburg), in southern Germany. It's a city with quite a past, both very good and very bad. It's the home of famous woodcutters and the painter Duerer, the site of a marvelous ancient fortress, and it's the scene of the annual Nazi party rallies. Hitler considered this city very "typical German," whatever that meant. Nearly bombed flat in the war, many of the most beautiful sites have been carefully reconstructed. Oddly, one location which neither fell to bombs nor Allied dynamite at war's end is the huge reviewing stand, where Hitler would address hundreds of thousands of troops. It's still there and you can walk right up to the actual speaker's podium. Don't even think about making any stupid hand gestures here; the cops do not think this is funny and it will lead to immediate arrest.
Nuernberg is also famous for their tiny bratwurst, about the size of American breakfast sausages but infinitely more tasty. Probably the most famous place to get them is seen here, below the huge church. It even was mentioned in a spy novel in the 1970s; as I recall, it was a Len Deighton novel. The mini-bratwursts are that good!

For "Angels and Demons" Fans

You should recognize most of these places from the movie...

The one with St. Peter's in the distance shows the actual not-so-secret, above-ground passageway linking Castle San Angelo with the church.

Two Cool Guys of Rome

Charlie and Julius near the Roman Forum...

Warning! Toad Road!

And yet another installment of the "I Don't Think We're In Kansas Anymore" saga...
We just returned from a quick visit to our old stomping grounds: Boeblingen, Germany, where we lived from 1989-92. As if to welcome us back, what did we encounter on the small road leading out of town but the signs telling us we were on a Toad Road! Actually, if you really want to know, the sign says, "Schildkroetenwanderung." Now, aren't you sorry you asked?
What this is is the annual, huge "migration" of toads from one side of the road to the other. Why cross the busy road in the first place? Your guess is as good as ours. But cross they do. And so, squished they get. By the dozens. Or, at least that's the way it was until the local government invested in mini-Berlin Walls, running for about 3 miles along the side of this particular road. Can you imagine local governments in the U.S. using tax dollars to protect toads?
What the wall does is keep the travelin' toads from making it to the road. Instead, they are "channeled" to small tunnels which run under the street, bringing them safely to whatever it was that was so darned important on the other side!

And His Name Is...

We got plenty of great suggestions for a name for our newly-arrived friend, from the animal shelter where Lucie volunteers. At long last we've decided on a good name, which is certainly apt: he is Jaspurr ! We had several ideas about names involving the fact he has only one functioning eye, but decided to focus on a more positive trait: his amazing purr-motor.
So here he is, the latest marvelous addition to the family! As far as the other two cats are concerned, the jury is definitely still out on "marvelous." But at least there's no more hissing and they even brush by each other quietly every so often now.