Thursday, February 12, 2009

War Gate: not just a good name for a bad movie


The sign translates roughly as "Do not feed the invasive animals" on which someone has scrawled, "Humans are the invasive animals." I had no idea water rats were literate, let alone able to reach that high.

Our friend Victor arrives tomorrow for a brief visit, and I also need to prepare for an interview in which I will be asking a theoretical physicist how he determined the mass of a proton. It involves gluons and quarks, and I'm terrified.

So, only a quick post, on the "Strasbourg's hidden wonders" theme.


I kept waiting for the aliens to pop out, but none did. Presumably, they were awaiting contact from the dominant Earthling species, namely, a water rat.

This is in the "Kriegstor" park - "The War Gate" - left over from the enormous, fortified ditch the Prussians built around Strasbourg prior to the First World War. Despite the name, and gun emplacements, it makes for a nice stroll in the daytime. It is filled with the gardens of local greenthumbs, who, in warmer weather, will use their allotted plot as a proxy backyard, hosting barbecues and playing badminton with the neighbours.

During the night, from what I understand, it's the place to go if you're looking for the kind of pharmaceuticals your doctor won't prescribe. But you didn't hear that from me.

3 comments:

Qi said...

Since I don't need any medicines that my doctor wouldn't prescribe, I will visit in day time. Haha

David Beeson said...

No good waiting for aliens to pop out of the flying saucer. It was aliens who built it.

Your translation of the sign about 'ragondins', which are certainly not water rats, leaves a little to be desired. As for your translation of 'honee' - talk about artistic licence!

strasmark said...

They're not water rats? I figured it was either that, or mutant beavers.

The other script I was referring to isn't really visible in the photo - you can see reddish marks in the lower right hand corner of the sign, but you'll have to take my word for what it said.

(I hesitate to ask what honee actually means - my computer refuses to translate it).