Marvellous Medlar Restaurant in the King's Road, London

The King's Road was the private road created in the 1670s to take King Charles II from St James's |Palace to Hampton Court, Kew and west London. Only royalty and a privileged few who carried copper tokens or metal passes with the monarch's initials could get past the gatekeeper. Charles II was called the Merry Monarch, known for the restoration of the monarchy after puritanical Cromwell.

In  1830 the road was opened to everybody in the reigns of King George IV and William IV.

Landmarks include at the Eastern End, the Peter Jones department store, a grade II listed building on Sloane square, and the Saatchi Gallery on the Duke of York Square. 

A few steps from Medlar restaurant is 430 King's Road, World's End fashion boutique established by designer Vivienne Westwood. You can see outside the clock with a 13 hour dial (remember the clock which struck 13) and the hands rotate ani-clockwise at disconcerting speed, turning back in time, representing counter-culture.

Medlar Restaurant

A medlar is a fruit used for making jelly. The fruit was popular in medieval times. It has multiple seeds at the centre, like an apple, a feature known as a pome, and like the apple tree has abundant flowers, white flowers. 

Why did it fall out of favour? At one time it was uniquely useful in being picked when hard, then ripening to soft eating quality in mid-winter. Now that we have other fruit food available in winter, the medlar has lost its advantage. 

Also in its heyday it was ripened at home. It turns to mush when transported, so not suitable to be stocked by supermarkets in modern times.

At the back of the restaurant is a secluded spot attractively arched by white flowers on branches. I admired that at the time, but it wasn't until I got home and researched the medlar tree that I realised that the decor reflected the name.

I had been warned about the stairs, and the toilets are downstairs, whilst we ate in a group together in a private room at the top, three flights up from the ground floor, passing a cute little bar.

Our room had a view down over the busy King's Road, with pedestrians and buses. At the back on this level is a mural of London.

The host of the event, my husband had chosen food to match his wines. Once reason for choosing Medlar is that you can bring your own bottles of booze, paying corkage.

We started with two kinds of bread, white sourdough with a sprinkle of seeds, and a darker bread, plus butter. (A good start. I much prefer butter to oil.) The butter was soft enough to spread. Everything was just perfect.

The other guests had a shellfish starter. From the online menu I had selected an quail's egg tart. The egg was on top, like a fried egg, the size of a normal egg, not the teeny quail's egg I had anticipated.

The main dish was pheasant, a very pleasant variation on chicken, chunky, solid yet soft and not stringy, tasty. I liked the potatoes sliced into thin overlapping strips.

The most memorable dish for me was the dessert, the creme brulee. Crisp burned sugar on top but not so hard as to crack your teeth. The presentation of the dessert was as a large version, nut the usual deep, small muffin size, but a proper dessert plate size. Not a limp one either, but solid and creamy.

A nice touch was the chocolates which came with the coffee which we ordered. 

Despite the fact that we were isolated at the top of the building, the service was attentive, neither too fast, nor too slow.

We started at around noon, and finished after their advertised lunch end time of 3 pm, still keen to talk, especially those who had travelled up to London for the day. 

Our friends had no trouble finding a local place to continue socialising. We walked past the reversing clock.

But I had a meeting in the evening so we waved goodbye. After agreeing that Medlar would be on our shortlist of places to return with the group, after a year or less.

PS

The Pheasantry

On the bus back to Sloane Square station, we passed the Pheasantry, at 152-154 King's Road, a Grade II listed building, with a memorable arched entrance. The name comes from a business back yonks ago, breeding and selling pheasants. 

The visual appeal comes from two caryatids, meaning carvings of stone women, or pillars, holding up the roof. The name caryatid is after a temple of that design in a Greek town of a similar name. You can see one of the original caryatids in the British Museum, as well as many more around the world, as well as the example on The Pheasantry. 

In the 1960s and 1970s the basement of The Pheasantry was a well-known club. People who went there included Humphrey Bogart, Germain Greer, and the band Queen. Plus numerous other famous and soon to be famous people. 

In August 2026 it was a restaurant with a sign for Pizza Express. The venue still has live music, jazz and cabaret. Another attraction is the bottomless brunch on Saturdays.

Down the road at Medlar, lunches are cheaper than dinners, with options for one, two, or three courses. As well as the private dining room upstairs.

My lunch at Medlar was an entertaining time with friends, with fabulous food. As a result of my visit I also learned about the medlar fruit, the King's Road, a reversing clock, and famous people visiting The Pheasantry. Food for the body, and food for the soul.

Useful Websites With Information on Medlar Restaurant and Places In The King's Road

Information from Ask Gemini, Wikipedia

https://www.medlarrestaurant.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Road

www.londonmuseum.org.uk

https://www.davidconnordesign.co.uk/worlds-end

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pheasantry

https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/the-pheasantry-chelsea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryatid

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Where To Put Your Hands At Table In England and France

Angela Lansbury with her Union Jack umbrella acting as a parasol on a sunny day. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Hands Off The Table In England

We discussed hands on the table. In England you don't put elbows on the table, nor your hands. You might be tempted to extend your arm. Why not? Firstly you obstruct the view of the VIP at the head of the table, their speech, or the person toasting them. You exclude the person on your right if your right arm is on the table and you are half turned with your back to the person on your right. You don't include them with your eyes, or see if they open their mouth, trying to speak and join in. 

You might also get your sleeve in your soup, the butter, or anything else on the table. You might talk with your hands and knock over a glass.

Flag of France.

Hands On The Table In France

The French, on the other hand, prefer hands on the table. To be sure a gentleman is not feeling the thigh of the lady beside him. Upsetting her. Or exciting her and making his wife jealous. Or slipping silver spoons into his pocket. Or concealing a knife to stab the host, or an enemy - just as shaking hands was to show no weapon in your hands.  

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Quick way to learn German Quickly And Easily

 I am learning German ready for a trip to German speaking Switzerland next year. Their accent is different from German speaking Germany and Austria, but I hope to understand German speaking tourists in my group and to read signs. I should be able to understand local people speaking Swiss German by asking them to speak slowly, or by using my mobile phone to help out. Goodness, that's a modern change in the English language. When I was a child you helped. Nowadays you help out. What is the difference?

Never mind that. I must stick to the subject of how I am learning German effortlessly.

Every morning I take a pill. Thyroxine. I have to wait half an hour before eating breakfast. As a distraction, so that I am not tempted to shorten the time, I do a couple of Duolingo lessons in German. That reinforces what I have already learned, and keeps me either ahead or on par with others in my league who are getting points in the games of being paired, or competing in the 30 person weekly contest.

By the time I eat breakfast, I have already ticked one item off my to do list and feel in charge of my day. Duolingo done.  And I have taken my pill at the right time. Two wins. Breakfast, number three. 

How about some words for what I have done? Start translating my everyday thoughts. I shall type out my thoughts and translate them using Google translate. You can do the same. Next time I shall translate my blog into German. After reading it in English, you can read the translation and see how many words are the same.

I shall make a list of my thoughts, and conversations first thing in the morning. I shall translate them at odd moments through the day.

German  

LEARNING GERMAN - ENGLISH THOUGHTS TO TRANLATE

I am learning German. 

I am winning.

I am doing well.

You are winning.

You are doing well.

This is what I do.

Please speak slower.

I can help you.

Let's call it a day

German translation of  everyday thoughts

Ich lerne Deutsch.

Ich bin auf der Gewinnerstraße.

Ich mache mich gut.

Du bist auf der Gewinnerstraße.

Du machst dich gut.

Das ist es, was ich tue.

Bitte sprich langsamer.

Ich kann dir helfen (My memory aid is, 'I can help you, dear')

für heute Schluss machen

However, Duolingo translates 'Were you able to call it a day, then,' as

Konntet ihr (can you plural) dann (then) Fierabend machen.

(I shall have difficulty saying this but might recognize it if somebody says it. I can now put the two phrases into AI and ask it to explain the difference. You could also ask QUORA, but I used QUORA a lot and then they started asking me for money, so I stopped. Maybe after a hiatus the system will let me join for free, or let me search for previous answers to similar questions.)

BREAKFAST

Have you had breakfast?

What time is breakfast?

I have had breakfast.

TO DO LIST

You can do the same.

 I have a lot to do today.

I have started.

I have finished.

I have already started.

I have already done it.

THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES

What next?

Where shall we go?

What shall we do, today?

Have you any suggestions?

What are your thoughts?

EATING OUT

Let's go out.

Let's have lunch in a restaurant.

Can you suggest a restaurant?

Any preference?

That sounds good.

Tell them one o'clock.

I have already booked it.

GROUPS

Who else is going?

I don't know.

I don't have a list.

I have a list.

How do you know?

They told me.

Our friends.

Nobody we know.

Nobody you know.

Nobody I know.

I like meeting new poeple.

ALLERGIES

I am allergic to shellfish.

I forgot to tell them.

I'll tell them.

I'll phone them.

Thanks.

Looking forward to it.

See you later.

Goodbye.

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  Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

German words which are like English

 

I am learning German on Duolingo. I reached the top of the top league. That means I need to put in more hours than anybody else.  Any time I want a brief break, I do an exercise.

Easy German-English Words

Chefin - boss

Dokument - document

frustriert - frustrated

Hunger - hunger

Job - job

Kollegin - colleague

perfekt - perfect

die Situation - the situation

stressig - stressful

und - and

  Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

German easy, confusing, and unusual words

I am learning German on Duolingo. I reached the top of the top league. That means I put in more hours than anybody else.  

Easy German Words

aktiv - active

Band - band

Bank - bank

cool - cool

elegant - elegant

enden - end

Jazz - jazz

Kamera - camera

Modem - modem

online - online

Party - party

Picknick - picnic

shoppen - to shop

singen - to sing

sitzen - (to) sit

vegan - vegan

Yoga - yoga

  Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

Seating at Large Meetings, Events and Conference Halls

Seating Position At Meetings

I sit in the front row at most events. I am short so I don't want to sit behind somebody taller who blocks my view of the slides and the speaker.

Sitting at the front

I sit at the front to hear better. At the front you can also lipread. I am not an official, trained lipreader. But, like most people, I can recognize a few well known words. 

For example, if you were in a car, you would recognize another, angry drier mouthing F... O..f  The teeth on the lower lips show the letter f. Both words are one syllable. The head nods to emphasize.  The head goes forward aggressively. The eyes are open wide, but the mouth is not smiling.

In the same way, you could recognize from a distance, a child or adult shouting Bye, bye, as they wave goodbye.

And the lip movement helps you to guess other words. 

Watching the speaker makes me concentrate. I am easily distracted by my own side thoughts. Watching the speaker helps me to pay attention.

 

 

Writers Summer School - what I learned about seating in dining rooms

 

The Writers' Summer School was originally set up to bring together writing circles from around Britain so they could share their knowledge and writing and books. It is still the case that some people from writing circles arrive in cars in pairs, or in groups.

The net result is that a newcomer is a loner. So is an old timer who is not part of a writing circle. (Mine in Harrow disbanded, after some people moved overseas, others went too professional to need other amateurs when they had publishers to give feedback. Others grew ill, retired, died.

In a large group at a table, the pairs or foursomes are people who already know each from back home. 

Pairs Of People

One pair is a mother and daughter. Another are father and son. Another pair is a husband and wife team. Two others work together. 

Two more are a same sex couple. The talkative one eventually tells me proudly that they are 'partners'. They were very nice and friendly. The larger, chatty, dominant one, instantly talked to me. But her thinner partner never took her eyes off the partner, never looked at me. So the large women was the pivot between us. 

On another occasion, I went up to join a woman who had been very friendly to me in the comedy group. But she was now with another person who she worked with. They were engrossed in the practical arrangements for their next event, another conference overseas, the hotels, travel arrangement. I was left out. For me, the end of that arrangement, what had seemed like a potential friendship.

I have been thinking about the etiquette of joining groups. It is better to select who you will sit with before entering the dining room. Even if it means jumping the queue for food in order to get served at the same time looking for a seat. 

An alternative is to sit in the same place, the same table, with the same people, every meal. But I like to change tables and meet new people. I sometimes walk through the dining room, glancing at each table, until somebody smiles welcomingly. I sit next to them.

Sometimes I sit alone. I look around at those walking in. If somebody stands, hesitating, looking at me, I smile and beckon.  

Personality Types In Conferences And Life

 

Personality Types

I bring to any event my previous knowledge. As a teacher, on the Myers Briggs personality type, I have four letters which are the initials of characteristics. I am an ENFP.  A typical teacher is an E for extravert. Wearing bright colours and chatty, loose clothes. 

Then N, basically an academic, a reader rather than a doer. So I have a kitchen full of cookery books but don't cook. 

F for feeler, making decisions based on feelings rather than logical judgement. An accountant, looking at declining sales figures in November, would dismiss staff. A feeler would say you can't do that just before Christmas. 

Finally, P. I use the word Procrastinator. Always late. Busy with a creative task. Arrives late and stays late, talking, then late for the next event, the last of which is going to bed. 

What I learned at Writers' Summer School About Writing, Describing Yourself, meeting New People

 The alarm woke me at 7 am even if I went to bed gone midnight. By 8 am I was in the room where a volunteer was giving us our writing task for Lift Up Your Pens. We had four of those sessions, Sunday to Wednesday. I attended every one. The summer school now costs somewhere near a thousand pounds for the short week, starting Saturday tea time, leaving after breakfast on Thursday.  Five nights of accommodation, all meals, and coffee and cake or biscuits for elevenses and tea-time.

You can sell books, giving 15% to the Hayes. You can buy books from other authors, mostly getting a signed copy. 

For me the week had two highlights. What I learned, and what I did.

What I Did

I had a bit part, about four sentences, in five minute comedy written by the Vice President for 2026, Maria Hemmings. She always tells a rude joke to end her introduction to the evening's proceedings for everyone in the large hall called the Main Conference Centre. She is the queen of comedy. 

This year her comedy, one of three good comedies, was voted the best comedy.

What I learned

What did I learn? That you can establish a character in only one sentence, or two. 

Gestures

That a gesture can emphasize the character. You can show a lot on stage just by pointing at someone else, or yourself, or a part of yourself.

Descriptions

You can describe yourself or somebody else in three words. Try to describe yourself in three, complimentary words. Then ask others to do so.

The next event will be August 7-12th 2027 at The Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire.

Useful Websites

https://www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk/contact-us

The Eclipse in August 2026 - and Preparing & Storing Solar Glasses For The Next Eclipse

 

Sharot family photo from a cruise ship.

My own photos of the eclipse are eclipsed by those from other people. The eclipse in August 2026 started conveniently early evening in the UK and Europe.

We were warned not to look at it directly because it can damage your eyes. Instead look through special glasses.

 Or see the reflection in a bowl of water

 Or create a reflection by creating a pinhole camera by making holes in two pieces of white paper, one held in front of the other. You stand with your back to the eclipse and the sunlight should shine through the pinhole in the nearest piece of paper. Creating a picture on the further piece.

I plan to check Wikipedia and Wikihow on creating a pinhole camera ready for next time.

 My whatsapp and Next Door apps were full of messages from people asking where to buy glasses enabling you to see the eclipse safely.

I am awash with eclipse photos from family and friends, in the UK and overseas, from all the people on a conference, everyone in my street whatsapp group. Including photos from my extended family from a cruise ship near Spain.

If you attend an event at a hotel or restaurant or cruise ship you are likely to have access to distributed free or on sale items. Or enough people for one of them to share instructions. Or to let you look through their glasses for a moment or two.

Alternatively, you can prepare for next time.

The next one seen in the UK will be in August 2027.

You can get a list of future eclipses seen around the world from websites such as time and date.

Please follow my blogs on travel, dress, and comical poetry which I update daily. I have other intermittent blogs such as those on my winning and successful speeches. 

Share links to your favourite photos and posts from my blogs on travel, clothes, and comical poetry. You can also read my past posts on learning German and Spanish and other languages. And look at my books about etiquette, speeches. quotations, comical poetry. And how to write poetry. 

My latest book is Embarrassing Moments which includes language misunderstandings around the world. If you buy one of my books I will sign it for you when we meet, eg at a Toastmasters International Speakers Club meeting.

|The Wikipedia article goes into detail about fake eclipse glasses, some reassurance about Amazon, how to identify a fake, and links to sources of information.

Is it worthwhile ordering glasses for the next eclipse so as to allow time for rearch and delivery, and not miss out, and to have them with you even if you are away on holiday where you cannot be sure of delivery?

Only if you can remember where you stored them. Possible solutions. Tape a packing list behind your wardrobe door. List on that the location of vital items such as passports , first aid kits, insect repellent, sting relief, and eclipse sunglasses. Email yourself a note. Keep one top or bottom drawer for foreign coins, passports, eclipse sunglasses. Keep one suitcase clearly marked and labelled, with labels which won't fall off, the contents, written large in felt tip pen. 

Check on the location of this suitcase the first or last weekend of every month, in case somebody else decides to put the suitcase in a top cupboard, to empty for a trip, store in in the attic, garden shed, garage, top cupboard, under the bed, behind gloshte s in a wardrobe, or in a store room.

Useful Websites About Solar Eclipse Sunglasses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_viewer

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=amazon+solar+eclipse+glasses

Off to Oxford

So much to see in historic Oxford. Not just for academics and those who love architecture. Events which benefitted the entire world, like the discovery of penicillin.

 Oxford has a park and ride scheme, about £2.50 for the day, 16 hours, meaning you can't park overnight, cheaper than using a city car park, which is about £7, though you might risk hoping to find a street space.

Park and ride terminal building with toilets, which ran out of toilet paper at 11 a.m. but were fine at 4 p.m.

Not all buses go into the city centre. Some go back to London! We caught the 400 into Oxford. The route is not non-stop. Several stops into the city. Check your phone to find your most convenient stop.

Saturday 15 August 2026 the city was abuzz with people and busy cafés. Historic buildings of every era. Little nooky places in narrow pedestrian side streets selling souvenirs. 

Hop on hop off City Sightseeing bus Oxford. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Then huge impressive buildings with giant columns. The colleges with famous names.

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Celebrity Cruises celebrates anniversaries

 

Indian Independence Day

 

Wine tasting lunch promoting Saint-Emilion wines was wonderful, but what else could organizers add?

Cheese and biscuits.

We enjoyed a wonderful wine event at an Oxford college. 

Why would I offer feedback? Because it was not free, I paid to attend. 

Amazon and Ebay ask for my feedback on goods I buy. Tripadvisor wants feedback. Restaurants have signs asking customers to give feedback.

I am used to giving feedback. So why not give the organizers the benefit of my free feedback? What could they add?

1 Parking Directions Are Needed

Firstly, give those attending information on parking.

2 Leftovers Containers Are Needed

The food was wonderful. But I am on a diet. I am a small person. I could not eat all of the food.

The drink was wonderful. But my husband was driving. He could not drink all of the glasses of wine.

So, secondly, provide take home doggie bags for food, plus capsules for leftover drink. In the USA restaurants routinely provide doggie bags which advertise the restaurant name. In Spain in the Canary islands this year, 2026, the paradors, government founded hotels, issued texts on menus asking customers to take away food and contribute to combatting wastage and pollution.

3 Spell the Names of Guests Correctly

Everything else was wonderful. What was great? 

Champagne outdoors on the lawn. A chance to walk around in the sunshine displaying our hats, and meeting people.

Seating Plan

No chaotic free seating. I have been at other events where cliques sat together ignoring newcomers. Husbands and wives could not find two seats at the same table. Latecomers who could not find the room, felt doubly foolish, sat alone at tables with empty chairs.

At today's wine tasting lunch, guests were placed alongside people they knew, or had something in common with. A newcomer was placed alongside a chatty person.  

A printed seating plan we could photograph to remember the names of the people we sat next to.

Coffee And Chocolates

Foil-wrapped mint chocolate was offered with the coffee. 

Thanks

A short speech at the end thanked the organizers. 

I recently attended another dinner and asked a regular guest, 'Who is going to give a vote of thanks?' 

He replied, 'We don't usually do that.'

I replied, 'Why not? If you are not going to do it, I will.'

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Useful Websites

https://bordeauxwinevacations.com/bordeaux-wine-tours/

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Barbecues Are Banned In Britain - Even Your Doormat Is A Danger!

 I got a high pitch buzzing warning on my mobile phone.  The text was a warning from the government to not start barbecues or any flames outdoors, since the smallest spark could set off fires, endangering homes, businesses, people, and emergency responders. The warning mentioned a ban on fireworks and firepits.

I remember in previous years on the last night of our Writers' Summer School at the Hayes Conference Centre up in the cooler Midlands (cooler than London where I live) on the last night there was a sing-song around the firepit. They used to toast marshmallows. I enjoyed the songs, although I was wary of being bitten after dusk by midges, mosquitos, whatever.

However, this year the event did not take place on Wednesday August 6th, the last night. Only when I got the warning from the government, today, Friday August 8th, two days later, did it occur to me that the event was probably discontinued for safety reasons.  

This follows reports of fires.

Temperature 30 degrees Centigrade in London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

A kitchen clock with the day's date, the time co-ordinated with British summer time from a signal, and the temperature, is one of our most successful 'modern' purchases.

The temperature is 30 degrees centigrade in London, which is 82 Fahrenheit. But not humid like Singapore (where we lived for 30 years, on and off 1993 to 2024) which is sticky heat.

Elsewhere in Britain temperatures reached even higher. Homes were destroyed by wildfires. One woman lost 100 years of family photos. I have many of mine shared on social media, on WhatsApp, and in blogs.

Emergency Evacuation Suitcase

The Japanese keep a suitcase by the front door containing identity documents, food, clothes and more. A small sleeping bag would help if you wanted to sleep elsewhere.

Home Protection From Wildfires

1 Move away from your doors any inflammable items such as 

doormats, or 

plastic wheeled bins, or 

pot plants. 

They could set fire to your front door or back door.

2 Clear leaves and debris from gutters.

3 A wooden side gate can catch fire. A metal gate is safer.

4 Embers can fly in through vents under the house or in the roof. These need to be covered in small fireproof mesh. It can be done professionally, or DIY.

If asked to evacuate, do so. Leave while you can. Smoke can turn day into night so you cannot see to drive. 

AI told me

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+save+homes+from+wildfires&oq=how+to+save+homes+from+wildfires

Useful Websites On Alerts & Fires

gov.uk.alerts

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16052031/UK-heatwave-wildfires-trains.html

German - easy words and confusing words for English Speakers

  Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

German - English Confusing words

eine Pause (machen) - (take) a break (not a shorter pause)

Easy German - English words

Job - job

komisch - (funny/comical) strange

das klingt - it sounds (makes a clinking sound)

das kollegin - colleague

recht - right

reparieren - to repair / fix

schuh - shoe

schwer - difficult (so difficult that it makes me swear) 

stressig - stressful

suchen - search for/look for

tippen - to type

dr Urlaub - vacation (urge to lay up on a beach)

I am learning German on Duolingo. The main languages, such as English, French and German, have had an upgrade. There are now exercises, in speaking and listening.

Useful English-German websites

duolingo.com

https://wikitravel.org/en/German_phrasebook

translate.google.com

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Learning German For English Speakers - easy and confusing words

 Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

German - English Confusing words

The German word Chef is not a chef but a boss.

Chef - boss

das ist kein - that is not (not that is small which is klein)

klein - small

Strand - beach (not street, unlike The Strand street in London and La Strada which is street in Italy)

German - English Words With Similar Spelling or Similar Sounds

Remember that nouns start with a capital letter in German

(eine) Banane - (a) banana 

braun - brown

das Dokument - the document

frustriert - frustrated

hier - here

Idee - idea

kollegin - colleague

laut - loud

oft - often

das Projekt - the project

das Shampoo - the shampoo

schwer - difficult (makes you swear)

Spinat - spinach

suchen - to search for / look for

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English - German Words With Similar Spelling Or Similar Sound

a banana - eine banane (remember to change the final a to an e as in eat)

brown - braun 

colleague - Kollegin

difficult - schweg

the document - das Dokument

idea - idee

loud - laut (the letters t and d sound similar and involve the same movement of your tongue)

often - oft

the project - das Projekt

shampoo - das Shampoo

shoe - schuh (add the letter c like see, and other h, for a pair of shoes)

small - klein (If you know anybody with the name Kleinman, that means small man. Calvin Klein, fashion designer. Naomi Klein, psychoanalyst.)

spinach - Spinat

vegan - vegan

Useful English-German websites

duolingo.com

https://wikitravel.org/en/German_phrasebook

translate.google.com

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