Word of the Week: der Dudelsack

This is not a particularly German instrument, but the word appeals to my sense of humour. Literally, ein Dudelsack is a tootle-bag, an instrument very popular in Scotland but common throughout Europe.

Word of the Week: die Klassenfahrt

This does not mean what you think! It is quite innocently a school trip. When I worked in Austria I went on some great school trips. One of them lasted a week and was really a Skifahrt to the Alps. Another very memorable Klassenfahrt was to Windischgarsten, high up in the central Austrian mountains, where we visited a sword factory in the morning and spent the afternoon on a Sommerrodelbahn, a summer toboggan run.