Oberaberüberoberammergau

When I was a child, we were frequently taken on very long car journeys across Europe. We amused ourselves by singing (yes, we were practically the Von Trapp family), sometimes along with tapes our parents provided (for example, courtesy of something they picked up at an Italian motorway stop, we all know the lyrics to Miiiiiicrosuperman!, and Carletto, the classic Italian song about the boy who wets the bed - seriously) and sometimes with songs my mother dug up from her wide repertoire.

It’s because of this that I have what I call the singalong reflex: I like to sing songs that match themselves to my circumstances. Or, in today’s post, blog songs that match themselves to my circumstances.

Sing along with me if you know the tune!

Last week, on our way from skiing in Austria to Munich airport, we stopped in Oberammergau for a few hours.

Heut’ kommt der Hans nach Haus, freut sich die Lies’.

Oberammergau is a very pretty, typical Bavarian village, famous for the passion play it puts on every ten years.

Ob er aber über Oberammergau

We strolled through the streets and looked in the windows of the shops selling wood-carvings and dirndls (they get many, many tourists here).

Oder aber über Unterammergau

And we had a lunch that consisted of about twelve kinds of meat at the Hotel Post. Oh, and apfel strudel afterwards because, really, it had to be done.

Oder aber überhaupt nicht kommt

There was still snow on the mountains and it was a chilly day, but there were some signs of spring.

Ist nicht gewiss.

You sing the song as a round, so it goes on more or less endlessly.

Heut’ kommt der Hans nach Haus, freut sich die Lies’…