German Words In Several Countries - Placenames And Memorable German Words Similar To English

 

Where can you use German? In Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland.

Also in parts of several other countries. 

Belgium (co-official language in the German-speaking Community in the east.

Liechtenstein (official language)

• Luxembourg (co-official language alongside Luxembourgish and French)

Also Recognized & Spoken In Regions 

• Italy: Recognized as an official regional language in the South Tyrol (Alto Adige) region.

• Namibia: Recognized as a national minority language (due to its colonial history).

• Minority Communities: German is also spoken by recognized minority populations in parts of 

• Poland, 

• Czech Republic, 

• Hungary, 

• Romania, 

• Slovakia, 

• France (Alsace and Lorraine), 

• Denmark, 

• Russia (Volga Germans).

Some words you might spot when travelling. 

Austria

Innsbruck

The word Bruck means bridge as used in the Austrian city of Innsbruck.

Salzburg

Salzburg in Austria means salt city.

Germany

Frankfurt

Furt means ford, as in the German city of Frankfurt.

Dusseldorf

Dorf, like the English word thorpe, means village. You see that is German towns like 

Dusseldorf, and in the English attraction, Thorpe Park. 

German - English

Bus - bus

Film - film

oft - often

Maschine - machine

English - German

bus - Bus

film - Film

machine - Maschine

often - oft

-ends-

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Perfect and Vital Photos of Holiday Resorts, Business, family, friends, clubs

A welcome sign can be used to open a slide show or blog.
 

You can take photos on travels, whether on business or holiday, either for a purpose or as a backup.

These are the photos I take

IN ADVANCE - TICKETS & LUGGAGE & PEOPLE

If you forget, take luggage in transit or as you check-in at an airport.

Suitcases showing colour, style (hard side), size and brand, for identification in case of loss. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

1 TICKETS

Tickets and reservations. They may be on the internet but the internet could go down. They may be on my phone but the phone might need charging or not get a connection to show them.

The hotel, plane, or tour or restaurant might not recognize you. Your reservation letter would reveal that you are at the wrong branch of a Holiday Inn. Of an Asian hotel has listed your first name as a family name. 

2 BAGS

Photos of luggage. In case I need to search, send others to search at baggage claim, or fill out a form. If you lose luggage they ask the colour and brand. If you have eight items it is hard to remember, and if there is a query, or language problem, you can show a picture.

3 PEOPLE

Photos of your companions are useful. Lose your husband at an airport or meeting. In a large shop? Lose a child? Show the photo to an official or bystander.

DESTINATION

4 Destination photos. PLACES. 

First I take my hotel. If I get lost, I can show the picture to a local person. Even if I can't speak the language, or the cannot understand my accent, they can lead me to the end of he road and point to my nearby, yet seemingly elusive hotel.

Hotel Imperial, Valladolid. Spain. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

5 PEOPLE

Photos of people on business, or friends. Take a photo to add to your contacts. If you have six people called Marie, or Patel, or Ali, you will be able to identify the person who you promised to send the photos of the three of you at an event.

6 FOOD & DRINK

Photos of wine bottles, labelled food at a buffet, so you can ask for it in a local supermarket to take home as a souvenir or gift.

7 Photos of yourself. For a passport photo or visa or ski lift pass. Or in action to show your credentials as an expert, as a chef, of speaker, on a TV show, with the book you are selling.

8 YOUR FAVOURITES AT HOME

Photos of books or goods or restaurants you want to sell of recommend.  If you live in a well known place such as New York or Rome, you might meet somebody who says they are going there, so can you recommend a restaurant or hotel. Take your favourite hotel or restaurant or museum photo just before you go, so you can show it, and WhatsApp it to the person who asks you.

9 LOCATION NAMES

A name, phone, signpost, welcome design of each city or hotel. This helps you to identify cities, landmarks, churches, temples, people, hotels, every picture taken on holiday. Date each picture in the caption, with the country. It's obvious at the time. Three years later, it won't be.

10 WEDDINGS

Weddings. Photograph the invitation showing the names of the bride and groom, and their parents. Then the main people at the top table. Add those at the table where you sat. Any person you spoke to. 

Record the name of the caterer or photographer, if you wish to do business with them later. The official photographer might take only those at the top table. Ignoring your family, your best friend, or Auntie Sally from overseas who dies so you have no happy photo of her for the obituary because nobody else took a photo of an old lady, only of the teenagers dancing.

11 VIP Conference Speakers

 At a conference, photograph the speakers, people you meet, those given awards. A video of a speech if its brief and not using up too much of your camera or phone memory. Sometimes people are very grateful to have a record.

Remember to get your own speech recorded. And a photo of yourself being presented with an award. This is handy in years to come, including an end of year party for a slide show of members, or a celebration of a hotel or restaurant or club at the end of the first year or after ten years or twenty.

Birthday picture of Angela. If a photo is blurred, it can later be edited. Some software programmes which you can buy or get free will do this. I was offered a sharpening of photo service on one of the websites like ancestry com and 23 and me. In Jul 2024 my Samsung Galaxy phone started offering to save photos in higher resolution, which would take up more space on the phone because of increasing pixels if you did it for lots of photos. An alternative is to save special photos in the cloud or on a remote disc, on another phone, on another family member's phone. Or take more photos, checking which are blurred and saving the better ones.

A birthday or anniversary picture can be used to send to family overseas, or a montage of pictures for an anniversary, a screen covered by photos, the birthday of an 80 year old or somebody reaching 100 years old. A happy picture can also lift your spirits at a funeral.

12 DRAMAS

Accidents and dramas. Your photo could help with an insurance claim.

13 LANGUAGE

Learning languages is aided by photos of signs, menus, even laundry lists.

VIDEOS

You can also take a video of your walk from a hotel to a nearby shop or railway station. Then reverse it to find your way back, or to tell another family member or business associate or club member where to find you and the venue

PHOTO TIPS

Photograph food from displays, but not through glass.

Photograph yourself smiling. Unsmiling for passport photos. 

Without glasses and hats which obscure eyes. 

Cut or pin back fringes covering eyes for passport photos.

Unfold arms to look more welcoming for PR for yourself or a company. People think folded arms look more important. No. It just looks like you don't want to get involved with others. Or you have something to hide. Norwegians are serious people. The USA, UK and Europe go for the friendly smile.

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RUSSIA - why you cannot visit it right now

 

 Most people try to get out of war zones, for their own safety. And all the tourist destinations are likely to be closed. There are people going to war zones, mostly escorted by soldiers, delivery foood parcels, or medicines or reporting news.

However, even for the bold and fearless traveller there are good reasons for not going.

1 Number one is restricted travel. I looked at the UK advicor on travel by chance, because I was ressseraching the Russian Language for my club on learning languages. Up popped assorted travel guides, and the UK government warning. It said there were no direct flight. You could get there indirectly, via a couple of countries which fly to Russia. 

However, apart from any moral reasons for not going, the practical considerations are the restrictions on travel. The warnings are, 

1 that it is dangerous. 

2 You might not be able to get transport back home again. 

3 If you get into any trouble, the embassy of your country may not be functioning or not be willing able to help you.

4 What's more your insurance is likely to refuse to pay out. 

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A tour of towns, cities and resorts in Albania - for city break in Tirana or a beach holiday on the Albanian Riviera

Tirana Airport

Albania map from poster in Albania.

CENTRAL ALBANIA

Airport Area

We flew to Albania's capital, Tirana, on budget airline Whizzair. To take advantage of the cheapest fare you have to cut down on your luggage. A friend of mine did just that, with one linen blouse which she washed out every night and it was dry by next day. 

The full name of Tirana's main airport is Mother Teresa airport, Meme Teresa. Her statue is on the roundabout at the airport exit. 

Half a dozen hotels are a short walk around the perimeter if you want to stay overnight, because on your return flight you are leaving from the airport early.

We hired a car from Whiz Cars, which has a hut office outside the perimeter fence. But in June 2023 the airport was being rebuilt without correct car park numbers so we wasted half looking for our Whiz Car office. We should have asked for a map of it first. They said it was next to a hotel, but there were four hotels in sight on the right, and two other airport staff sent us in other directions including the obscured left.  

Tirana's Delights - walking

Tirana

Tirana, the capital, highly recommended, has many multi-storey international hotels overlooking tree lined squares. We indulged by staying a couple of night in a fabulous luxury hotel, The Crown Hotel, with a marble staircase with  a wide marble bannister. The bedrooms had clockwork curtains. We could not get the clockwaork to work, but it was just the idea which was so exciting. The dining room's last night treat was a tasting menu of seven courses for fifty pounds each would have cost twice that in London. We also had drinks in their rooftop restaurant.

Crown Hotel Rooftop drinks and dining in Tirana, capital of Albania. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Crown's indoor restaurant had a tasting menu  of several courses for about 50 pounds sterling. Also a private jacuzzi and sauna and power shower which you had to book.

The bedroom had

The markble bannisters and light fittings with millions of fairy lights were amazing, impressive. The curtains oeprated from a switch. It didn't work, but we were impressed.

Delightful Tirana

Day 1 We walked to one of the half a dozen many attractions, The House Of Leaves, the museum nearest our hotel.

It is a private museum and did not take Euros. All about methods of surveillance during the time when the country was cut off from the world under dictator Xhosa. (Proouced Hoxer).

Our next stop was Bunk Art 2, a dome over a staircase leading to a labyrinth of underground rooms, all about torture in the bad old days. It ended with a room of music and abstract art.  Much friendlier to tourists. Took Euros. .Lots of discount options such as family tickets and student tickets and press tickets or at least if they were not available.

We could not find Bunk Art 1, a drive to the north.

Walking, however, was very pleasant. We started at the street of restaurants and shops in the ground floor alley of the old castle. 

Owner of Cobo winery, at his restaurant in Tirana, restaurant called 

We ate in a wine owners restaurant. It was good to meet the owner.

The Pyramid

The next day we walked to the Pyramid. it looks like a modern artwork. It was originally designed as a museum to celebrate the achievements of Hosa, designed by his daughter, an architect, three years after he died. The structure was later made into a conference centre. After assorted changes, clashing parties had different ideas. 

But those defying threats to demolish it had it turned into a tourist attraction which you could climb. You can photograph yourself on the steps, yourself on the top, and the view from the top.  

Our last stop was walking to the Holocaust Memorial. Misleadingly signed from the map at the park. Ask the attendant in the car park.

Languages, Menus, Translations

I took with   a translator which I cut out from a Lonely Planet Eastern European guide.

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NORTHERN ALBANIA

THETH

The far south and north both of the country have tiring and scary if you are easily scared, long drives up and down mountains. The Balkans in the north to Theth for hiking were remote. We had rain. 

Things to see that way, not much. 

Meme Bridge, Side Trip from  Theth

Hike to the Blue Eye water

Hike to the waterfall

One picturesque old bridge, Meme. One ruined hilltop castle.

The road out of Tirana going north passes numerous multi story car and tyre show rooms and wedding dress boutiques and isolated wedding venues like white Disney castles. 

Once in the mountains, the hiking trails were not marked. 

Lots of cheap guest houses. Power went off in the two restaurants by the bridge, and staff in the supemrket disappeared when we wanted to pay. Our hotel at Theth has a Jacuzzi in the indoor pool and a sauna. Made a great birthday cake for 40 dollars. No toilet roll holders and small rooms. Lovely owner family. 

We visited one winery, Medaur, which was a bit slow in replying, but did a tasting for a small charge including cheese, bread and salami.

Next door is an aromatic herb factory, lavender and sage.

LAKESIDE

Restaurant Syri i Sheganit

The Schkoder lake has a lakeside restaurant with ducks. I loved the ducks, but was not thrilled by the food.

The big hotel is the DeLuxe with an outdoor pool. on the plain by the motorway and near the prison with high walls and towers and around the outside in English motivational mottoes.

The Motorway North

The buildings are all multi coloured and every building different. Looks like six students designed every building, orange on the left and yellow on the right, or all window frames different colours, or oblongs on the ground floor circles on the middle floor and waves on the balconies of the top floor.

The same goes for the hotels going south along the Albanian Riviera. 

On the way back we drove inland to see Berat, a hillside town with a hilltop ruined castle. I had read so much about the town with a thousand windows that I was disappointed in Berat. Few places to eat for those in a car. Worth seeing but not worth going to see. 

SOUTH OF TIRANA

Berat's Wineries

Berat has two major attractions are two wineries geared up for coach parties. In the centre of town is Luana, a huge hotel with coaches outside a small lobby and a huge dining room the size of a wedding hall with everybody eating the same white dessert  is a glass. 

We went to small, quaint, traditional Cobo Winery on the road into town, having met the owner's family at their restaurant in Tirana. It is an old rustic house with beams. 

Much more life in the south in the Riviera.

What to eat? They are across the sea from Italy and you get pizza everywhere and ice cream.

THE FAR SOUTH WEST

Dhermi

We stayed at La Brisa hotel, which opened to fanfare in 2022. 

We had breakfast included at adjoining Arthur restaurant. The owner is Arthur. It is Thai style. A model elephant in by the beach bar. Rooftop pool.

A kosher hotel, Solomon's, was up the hillside, nooky and full of vintage items and stained glass. They are builign a rooftop swimming pool for next year, 2024, hopefully.

Vlore, en route, a coastal strip with skyscraper hotels in colourful and varied styles. Hard to park.

Further South

Sander, sloping, character, remote so less expensive.

Isak Winery, loved it. Saw the fruit and vegetables as well as wines. Fig jam.

........................

Porto Palermo bar restaurant, cliff top coffee stop. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Porto Palermo, clifftop restaurant, on the z bend road was a coffee stop, cliffside on the road (cross the road on foot to see the view on foot), large orange-red flowers arched over the windows in June.

Useful Websites

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

American, Australian, British and Worldwide English - how to understand and be understood

American flag

Have you ever been misunderstood? I asked for a rubber in an American department store. 

The assistant told me, "We don't have any."

I found one. "What's this?" I asked. I gave her the polite smile, which says, "This dear, sweet, store assistant is doing her best, although she has the brains of a shoelace."

She looked at me with the polite smile, which says, "This customer might buy, if she can decide what she wants, although she has the brains of a sock."

She enlightened me. In America it's called an eraser. I asked what she thought I meant when I asked for a rubber

Oops. A rubber is a contraceptive. Take a look at these lists to avoid embarrassing and confusing moments. Watch out for pants.

 American - British

bangs - fringe

bellhop - (hotel) porter

broil - grill

diaper - nappy

eraser - rubber

fall - autumn

fanny pack - bum bag

frosting (on cake) - icing

gas - petrol

gas station - garage

math - maths

night stand - bedside table

outlet - power point/socket

pants - trousers

parking lot - car park

realtor - estate agent

row house - terraced house

sidewalk - footpath

truck - lorry

underpants - pants

vacation - holiday

Australian - British

barbie - barbecue/BBQ

doona - duvet

foyer (French) - lobby

g'day - good day/good morning/good afternoon/good evening

outback - back of beyond/remote area/in the wilds

Sheila - female

thongs - flipflops

Angela Lansbury wearing a Union Jack cap. Selfie photo.

British - American

duvet - comforter

garage - gas station

petrol - gas

Power point/socket - outlet

rubber - eraser

turn right - make a right

British - Australian

barbecue - barbie 

drawing pin - thumb tack

clothes - togs

duvet - doona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_English_vocabulary

flip-flops - thongs

Mac/Mackintosh - raincoat

pavement - footpath 

pushchair/pram - stroller/pram

lobby - foyer

sandwich - sarnie

sleeping policeman - speed bump

village - station/town

Wellington boots - gumboots

British - New Zealand

sheep farm - station/sheep station

New Zealand - British

station / sheep station - farm / sheep farm

Useful Websites

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

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10698283/American-expat-Sophia-living-Sydney-reveals-slang-terms-refuses-use.html

A few words of the Malay language from a Singapore banner

 

I looked at this poster and saw that the Malay language was used. I spotted one word straight away. Denggi. That must be dengue. I took another look. Kes was case. I know anda is your.

These are the words translated in order

terdapat - be found (there are)

atau - or

lebih - more

kes - case

denggi - dengue

di - at

kawasan - area

kejiranan - neighbourhood

anda - your

Now I shall arrange them alphabetically in both Malay and English

Malay - English

anda - your

atau - or

denggi - dengue

di - at

kawasan - area

kejiranan - neighbourhood

kes - case

lebih - more

terdapat - there are /be found/(we have) found

English - Malay

area - kawasan

at - di

case - kes

dengue - denggi

more - lebih

neighbourhood - kejiranan

or - atau

there are /be found/(we have) found - terdapat

your - anda

Useful Websites

DENGUE

www.nea.gov.sg/dengue

twitter.com/NEAsg

Downoad app myENV 

1-800 Call-NEA

1-800 2255 632

facebook.com/Stop.Dengue.Now

LANGUAGE

Facebook polyglots

translate Google

wikipedia Malay language

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places,  landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.

Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.

About the Author Angela Lansbury

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President  Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

BHA

Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on 

bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha . 

Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is  the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.

Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)

Themes and word of the day are tentative

2021

JULY - JUBILANT JULY

Theme/WOD Jubilant

WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)

1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)

2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Wed July 7th 

Saturday 17th

July 4rh American Independence Day.

2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST

1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches

2 Evaluations

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER

Wed 1st

Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS

Humorous Speech Contest

Table Topics Contest

2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER

Wed 3rd

Sat 20th Wed

Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.

Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.

Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.

2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER

Wed  1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)

Sat 18th

Speech on 

JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY

Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past

Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)

2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY

Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year

Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)

Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)

Sat 19th

2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH

Theme

Wed 2nd

Sat 19

March 1st is Christian Pancake day. 

2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.

Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April

 16

2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE

Wed 1st

Sat 18th

Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

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