Today I learned a very important German phrase: "Ich bin ein vielfraß." ("I am a glutton.") It derives from the name for a wolverine, and refers to the way some people eat like a rapacious animal. How kind of them to coin this term for me.

Willow and Camilla (who shall be named, henceforth, by the celebrity-couple moniker "Camillow") took us hiking all over Hinterzarten today. (Notice Willow's Kate Beaton shirt.) It's a beautiful part of the Black Forest, with lovely rivers, cliffs, trees, and sawmills. The community is very proud of its sawmills. Each year they have a day to celebrate them.

At lunch we stopped by a hotel restaurant where I ordered a radler (beer-lemonade combination), but the guy brought me a regular beer instead. I don't like beer, but I dislike complaining even more. (Sometimes.) So I just drank it. The cheesy noodles were delicious, but there were too many of them. I took the leftovers home, which is rare in Germany (and other European countries).

Talked about everything with Camillow, from Wikipedia and our dearly departed colleague Adrianne to the insane demands of teaching to the power of music and dead languages to soothe the soul. Also toured the Schule Birklehof, where Willow teaches.

She took us to dinner (Camilla had another social engagement) at a lively Italian restaurant in the village, hosted by an ebullient and gregarious gentleman who insisted on hugs upon arrival and departure. Commiserated about the vile racist sexual predator in the White House, and shared some great stories from back inna day.

We've got an early train in the morning, so we turned in at a decent hour.

Camillow's garden

Schule Birklehof

Trees and a river

Cheesy noodles for lunch

Stacking rocks is the new graf tag

Arch support

Dinnertime