Puerto Rican Spanish: the Influence of Andalucía

This post has been moved to our NEW website: OpenWideTheWorld.com

Puerto Rico: the Taíno and Tibes

This post has been moved to our NEW website: OpenWideTheWorld.com

Road Trip Geography Fun! (a freebie)

As summer vacation gets closer, it almost feels harder to wait for it... so we haven't! We've been out hiking and camping for a few weekends already, which has really gotten us in the mood for our summer road trips ahead.

On yesterday's drive home, we saw cars from so many states out on the roads, we realized we weren't the only ones who couldn't wait for summer vacation to begin our summer travels. It seems everyone is already on the go. Which is why I created this super fun new FREEBIE:

The Road Trip License Plate Tracker

Just click the image to get to my TpT store and download yours FREE before your next road trip.

Happy Travels!

The Joys of Domestic Holiday Travel... Really!

Yesterday we left the Midwest to spend Thanksgiving week in California with Kam's family; our first flight since our trip to Europe this spring.

Previously, I would have preferred to remain home-bound rather than face O'Hare International Airport during the holiday season. What is it about ORD that is so disenchanting in the winter? The Chicago weather delays? Or maybe the fact that bad weather anywhere on the continent will somehow delay flights out of Chicago? I don't know, but whatever it is, I have spent far too many hours in lines at gates in ORD, waiting and hoping to get a coveted remaining seat on a back-up flight for my back-up flight.

And then yesterday arrived. I was prepared for anything as we headed toward ORD, just days before the busiest travel day of the year.

Prepared for anything, that is, except a pleasant and enjoyable journey. Just minutes into the airport, it hit me: no matter what the issue, everything is easier to face in domestic travel. In this, our first trip since our travels in Europe,

I realized how many things I love about domestic travel:

• Being able to read the signs. All of them. Without thinking. Without using context. Without wondering what the symbols mean. I just love to be able to look up at a sign have instant access to the information I was seeking, especially in an airpot.
• Understanding the queuing system. I won't try to say the North American way of lining up in a neat and polite manner that respects the time and space of fellow queuers is better than other -ahem- systems. No matter where you're from, it's just easier to line up with people whose method matches yours.
• Clean restrooms. Okay, admittedly this experience will not be shared by all who travel domestically, depending on where your domicile is... but here in the States, it would be on rare occasion that I would cringe at the thought of a public privy. All the more important when traveling with a child!
• And my newfound favorite part of domestic holiday travel: TREATS!

Treats? Really? Now, I'm not one of those people who sneaks around the big box mega discount stores, trolling for free samples... but I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised to be met, not by weather delays at ORD, but by this happy scene, courtesy of American Airlines, and featuring apple cider (not just apple juice, but apple cider!) and Starbucks coffee, with a little sign offering holiday greetings from the American Airlines family, and three of the happiest airport personnel I have ever encountered!

Not to be outdone, the ubiquitous Starbucks in the world infamous LAX had an employee actually walking through the baggage claim area, offering little cake bites to holiday travelers. In all my years of flying during the holiday season, I have honestly never experienced anything remotely close to the hospitality that met us in our travels yesterday. (And for those who caught the news yesterday, I should say that we consumed our treats and claimed our bags just early enough to miss the LAX shut-down last night... or this might have been a completely different post!)

So thank you, American Airlines and Starbucks, for the pleasant entry to not just the airports, but to this holiday season!

Anyone else who loves world travels find that you love the logistics of domestic travels just a little bit more?

der Brückenaff of Heidelberg, Germany

Despite already being back home for several weeks, we're only now finding the time to go through all the digital thumbnails of our Europe pictures. (At 900+, it is a daunting task!) In doing so, I was reminded of a funny statue we stumbled upon in Heidelberg, Germany.

Remember when we were discussing good luck superstitions from around the world, and all the -ahem- "body parts" of various statues that get rubbed for good luck? Well, upon arriving in Heidelberg, unpacking our bags, and looking out our window onto the Neckar River, we found hordes of tourists surrounding a strange looking statue. And they appeared to be somehow getting inside of it. What on earth was this thing? And why was everyone so fascinated by it?

We eventually learned that our beloved neighborhood brass icon is "der Brückenaff," or "the bridge ape." It is said that those who rub his outstretched fingers will return to Heidelberg, touching his mirror brings wealth, and touching the nearby brass mice ensures many offspring.

der Brückenaff on the Neckar River, Heidelberg, Germany

As best as I can recall from our walking tour of the city (we're crazy for walking tours, btw!), there has always been a monkey on the bridge in this location, although not this monkey or this present-day bridge. (The bridge has been rebuilt 9 times after loss to various floods over the centuries.) The original Brückenaff was placed and oriented to make a political statement, a sort of middle finger to... someone... if only I could remember to whom. 

Today's monkey continues to make a statement to the world. A placard next to him says, something like, "Why are you looking at me? Haven't you seen the monkey in Heidelberg? Look around and you will probably see - more monkeys like me!" Another popular translation is less literal, but perhaps more accurate in intended meaning: "As you look at me, don't laugh too quickly because if you were to look at humanity, or even into a mirror, you might see something as funny as I am."

Well said, der Brückenaff. Well said.
Now when can I cash in on my finger rub?

Have you run into any funny statue superstitions in your travels? 

I'd love to hear them!

Fortress at the Crossroads

Yesterday we visited the city of Strasbourg (whose name comes from Germanic origins meaning "crossroads" and "fortress"), in the Alsace region of France.

 Strasbourg boasts many interesting tidbits of trivia, both past and present:

Originally named Argentoratum, Strasbourg has been the site of permanent settlement since the year 12 BC.

When Strasbourg's Gothic cathedral, constructed of red stones from the nearby Vosges mountains, was completed in 1439, it surpassed the pyramids of Gaza in height to become the tallest construction in the world. The spire remained the tallest in Christendom until the 19th century.

The German Johannes Gutenberg exiled himself to Strasbourg, where he lived at the time of inventing the printing press. Somewhat related, the world's first public newspaper was printed in Strasbourg.

The French national anthem, La Marseillaise, originally entitled "The War Song for the Army of the Rhine," was composed in Strasbourg at the request of the mayor of the city.

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament.

Here are a few shots from our day in this amazing city (where, yes, we got rained on, again):







We have spent these recent days touring the major cities of Alsace. However, it was a tiny Alsatian village that we called home at night. Baldenheim is so small that it has no restaurant of its own. However, once a week, a traveling restaurant comes to town, parks in front of the mayor's office, and offers made-to-order pizza to anyone with 6€ to spare.

Here is our little village street, rue de l'Eglise, complete with 2 churches (thus the street name), and a boulangerie 3 doors down, followed by Baldenheim's favorite, and only, restaurant:






Il ne reste que trois jours, puis nous rentrons chez nous.

Tschüss!

Alsace, my Fatherland

Today we had the pleasure of visiting Colmar, in the Alsace region of France. Alsace is interesting in so many ways, not the least of which is its shared German and French heritage. Founded in the 9th century, and French for most of its recent history, Colmar was under German control from 1871 to 1918, and again from 1940 to 1945. (It also did a brief stint under Swedish rule in the 17th century.)

Today, traces of all eras of Colmar's history are evident in its food, architecture, language, and culture. Also of special interest to Americans, Colmar was the home of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty, and many other works throughout this city. Such a delightful city to visit!

Before sharing a few of our favorite snaps of the day, I have to vent my weather woes yet again: Colmar boasts the driest climate in France, thanks to the protection of the Vosges Mountains to its west... But guess what? We got rained on! All day! Yes, snowed on at the Eiffel Tower, and almost frozen out of Disneyland Paris and even my sister's wedding, and now rained on in France's driest region. Quelle surprise! But a wonderful day, nonetheless. See what a charming city:








A quick look at my family's Alsatian history: my great-grandfather grew up in Alsace. There was a significant difference in age between my G-G and his brothers, enough that my G-G grew up speaking German and eventually emigrated to the United States as a German speaker, while his brothers' formative years were under French rule, thus when they eventually moved to the US it was as French speakers. Perhaps this split language family history contributes to our on-going fascination with languages. Peut-être...

Un jour de plus en France, puis on rentre encore une fois à Deutschland. À la prochaine...

eine Hochzeit in Deutschland

We have been without Internet our whole week in Germany. I am looking forward to taking some time soon to write a little about the Mosel River Valley region. In the meantime, though, I wanted to post a few wedding pictures for any family and friends at home who are waiting for a quick look at the big event... and for anyone else interested in having a peek at a German wedding.

And so, without further ado, I give you Herr My-Bother-in-Law and Frau My-Sister:

(If you are just joining us, I should say that the reason this wedding is in Germany is that my BIL is from Germany. He and my sister met in and live/work in England.)

German weddings, as is many countries, require a civil service to take place before the church wedding, in order to be legally recognized. Here is the signing of all the official government paperwork, which was done in a special civil service room at the reception site:

Although the civil service generally precedes the church wedding by at least a day, and often even by weeks or even months, my Sis and BIL made special arrangements to hold both on the same day, due to the number of guests coming in from other countries, including France, the UK, Scotland, and of course the US. Here we are, shortly after the civil ceremony, heading to the remote abbey where the wedding mass was held. (Yes, it was as chilly at it looks. And as beautiful, too!)


Here is a shot inside the abbey. You might notice there is no bridal party, just the bride and groom. German wedding couples have no bridesmaids or groomsmen. However, I was fortunate enough to be a "Trauzeuge," or witness. That position allowed me the honor of signing a fair number of forms, as well as front row seats at the civil ceremony and mass. We did inject a small degree of American tradition by color-coordinating my scarf with the groom's tie and flower girls' sashes, but that was as far as it went. How different from the extremes of a typical wedding in the US! Oh, and you might notice that my sister is wearing a jacket with her gown... there is no heating system in a remote, centuries-old German abbey, and it was only about 40 degrees indoors and out. Youch!


A glimpse of the reception. The wedding dinner included an impressive buffet of regional and national specialties, wines and cheeses. We have found, surprisingly, that German food surpasses all expectation, with the wedding feast being the pinnacle. We are surprised that we have preferred German food to French cuisine. I know, a shocker!
(Admittedly this is not the best photo of German food, but I did want to include a shot with the gorgeous background of the low mountains of the Region of the Eifel, as you see out the window.)


Another favorite moment was the first dance, which was a Viennese Waltz. My BIL had been a competitive ballroom dancer in the past, so their first dance was beautiful to observe. Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of that yet today. Also worth mentioning was my father's toast, which he worked on diligently for weeks to present in German. Some of us with lesser German skills are still waiting for release of the official translation, but it appeared to be very well received by the host nationals.

And finally, one of my favorite pictures of the day: Mag and her new French cousins (the daughters of my sister's French "sisters" of the family she lived with in France, many years ago) They look so French, n'est ce pas?!



And now, packing to head back to France, this time the Alsace region.
Tschüss!

Une Aventure Dangereuse... Évitée

A dangerous adventure... averted

Today's projets (plans) included one of Paris' "newer" sites, new being a relative term, of course. Having been constructed in the 1880s, Sacré Coeur is indeed centuries younger than most popular destinations in the City of Light. And standing almost 400 feet above sea level, glimpses of the white basilica had been peeking above many of our other stops all week. So we were very excited to head up to the 18th arrondissement and finally visit Sacré Coeuron this, our last day, in Paris.

Now we knew the 18th had some rough areas when we headed up there this morning. But both Kam and I have some background in rough neighborhoods, so we know how to conduct ourselves to detract attention. And besides, we were heading there in the middle of broad daylight, on a major tourist holiday, with a higher than usual police presence. So nothing to worry about, right? We had no sooner snapped this shot...


... than we witnessed a man being mugged by 4 types (guys), while being surrounded by another maybe 6 or so of their gang. Done and done! We were so out of there! There is nothing interesting enough about Sacré Coeur to make me drag Mag through that mess, or myself for that matter.

We high-tailed it back to le métro, and suddenly found ourselves with a few free hours. We decided to head back to le Centre Pompidou, as it had been Mag's favorite spot of the week, besides Disneyland, of course. At 6 euro for the 3 of us to ascend, and a much shorter line than our first visit, it was a great - and safe! - impromptu morning.



After Pompidou, we swung over to the 6th arrondissement to see the 17th century Jardin Luxembourg, which Parisians affectionately call "le Luco."



I believe, along with le Jardin de Tuileries, that le Luco is one of the parks in which you see children floating sailboats in the fountains. (You've seen that in photos, n'est pas?) Well, we were either at the wrong fountain, or the boats are only available in warmer weather. In either case, Mag was sad to miss it. But we stopped at le Quick, France's fast food joint, after le Luco, and then picked up some famous macaroons at Dalloyau, so no one was sad for too long.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in la flânerie (wandering & dawdling) around our neighborhood, St. Germain des Prés. Here are a few snaps of the street where we are renting an apartment...



... and our quartier, which we decided will probably be our home base again the next time we're fortunate enough to visit Paris again.



And demain (tomorrow), off to Deutschland (Germany).

Enfin...Je Monte la Tour Eiffel!

Finally... I ascend the Eiffel Tower!

You know, I have been to Paris a handful of times, even been to the Eiffel Tower on several visits, but I've never been up La Tour. On one visit, the weather didn't permit ascension. On another, the wait was too long. I can't recall why I remained at the foot of La Tour on the other visits; knowing France, the employees of La Tour were probably staging la grève, thus disallowing an ascent. (France is famous for "la grève," or strikes, of all sorts. You name it, and someone is upset about it, stirring up the masses in protest. Don't be surprised if, upon visiting France, you can't take le Métro, or buy stamps, or ascend the Eiffel Tower, or whatever, for a day or two. If you're here for any length of time, you're going to hit a strike.)

So today, almost 2 decades since my first visit to Paris, with several subsequent attempts, I finally ascended the elusive Tour Eiffel! That's not to say the weather cooperated this time... in fact, it actually started snowing while we were on our way to La Tour. But from sheer determination to finally do it, and great enthusiasm from Kam and Mag, we ignored the snow and pushed forward, or upward, as it were. Fortunately, the snow did not last, and some of our photos even show a hint of sunshine peeking through.

I should say for the record that we didn't get all the way to the top, as we decided against the "lift tickets" in favor of the stairs. The stairs do get you to an impressive height of 377 feet, though, so I don't think we missed too much. And climbing those 1,665 stairs was a great way to earn a dessert crêpe!

I could write a journal full of impressions on this pivotal moment... but instead, I'll let the pictures capture the moment:







Of course, wherever there is a major historical and cultural landmark in France,
there will be a playground to make a backdrop of it:


Here are a few interesting tidbits on la Tour Eiffel, most of which I didn't know before today:

• Annual visitors : almost 7 million, 75% of whom are foreigners


• Tall : 324 meters / 1062 feet (with its antennas)


• Weight : 10,100 tonnes / 11,113 tons


• Sparkling lights : 20,000 bulbs (5,000 on each side) glitter for 5 minutes every hour on the hour, from nightfall until 1 a.m.


• Number of antennas : 120 antennas


• Number of steps on the East staircase : 1,665 steps


• Number of lifts : From the ground floor up to the 2nd floor: 5. From the 2^nd floor up to the top: 2 sets of 2 Duo-lifts.


• Kilometers traveled by the lift : The combined distance traveled of the lift cabins is 103,000 km a year (2.5 times the circumference of the Earth).


• Surface to be painted :250,000 m² of surface to be painted during each painting campaign, every 7 years. 60 tonnes of paint are needed

Need a FREE Eiffel Tower coloring page? 

Crayola has a cute one here.

Stats from La Tour Eiffel Tourism Page

Il était une fois...

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a land far, far away, I had the opportunity to visit a newly opened, up-and-coming little theme park just outside of Paris. Il s'appelait "EuroDisney."

Now 20 years later, that new park on the block, which has been renamed "Disneyland Paris" (why, oh why, didn't I save my Euro Disney t-shirt? I'm sure it's worth thousands to collectors!) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Since we just happened to be in the neighborhood, we decided to swing by and see how it has changed since my last visit.

Well, of course the biggest change was coming with Kam and Mag. We had decided to surprise Mag with this day trip, so she wouldn't be distracted by anticipation and miss the rest of Paris. Her look of surprise was only the beginning of many magical moments throughout the day.

But, as with much of this trip, there is no use spending keystrokes to tell a story much better imparted through pictures. Here are some of today's highlights.

Mag at the entrance of Disneyland Paris, just after realizing where she was

in front of le chateau de la Belle au bois dormant

one of my favorite rides

making pirate faces in front of Pirates of the Caribbean

outside Mag's favorite ride

the pinnacle: meeting Blanche Neige

Lest you think we won the Lotto, or that my TpT sales broke new records allowing us to take this expensive day trip, I should tell you that EuroDisney, er, Disneyland Paris, can be significantly more affordable than its American counterparts. You just have to know where to look. "Francebillet," France's answer to our "ticketmaster," offers great deals, scoring us tickets close to half-off! Doing it inexpensively makes a day in the parks even more enjoyable... and allows you to leave early without guilt when you just can't take another moment of the frigid French spring weather!

And now, as we begin Day Quatre (four), we're off to la Tour Eiffel. À toute à l'heure!

Un Changement des Projets

(Accent mark update: I received great instructions for accessing foreign accent marks on the iPad earlier today. Unfortunately, while I can now view the marks, I am still unable to select them to type them. So forgive my Americanized writing for another day. But merci infiniment, Jen, for the help! I'm moving in the right direction.)

Today's itinerary included a long list of stops in the 13th and 14th arrondissements, with a much anticipated visit to le quartier chinois, which I have not previously visited. By l'heure du dejeuner (lunchtime), however, it became clear that a change of plans was necessary. With more than 2 weeks of travels still ahead, it is best not to force the itinerary, and just roll with it, n'est pas? (right?)

So this is how the day evolved:

We began with a good walk from the top of the 6th to the bottom of the 5th arrondissement. Around every corner, amazing views just seem to pop up without notice. It is impressive what the locals must think of as quotidian, while we travelers stop to admire and photograph the very same vistas:

a random church that impresses us tourists, but is just part of the morning walk for the locals

Such a very long walk merits a worthy treat!

one of the fancier boulangeries we have visited

After exploring rue Mouffetard, a market area in the 5th, for the morning, another surreal playground break presented itself for Mag. My Midwestern expectations will always be amazed at finding modern playground equipment set against medieval backdrops. Not sure if Mag notices that, but I'm sure she'll remember the fun she had playing with des amis francais (French friends).

today's playground stop in the 5th arrondissement

When the chill of a spring day in Paris got too unbearable, we ducked into a neighborhood library and explored the children's section while we warmed up. Sort of a random way to mix with the locals, and get a feel for the community. Below you'll see that Kam has been enjoying the challenge of the new language enough that he actually "read" some French books to Mag, which was fun to see... and to listen to!

warming up in a neighborhood library

Following lunch in a typical brasserie, and a short metro ride, we were back in the 1st, having scrapped the plans for the13th and 14th. This unexpected re-route allowed us the time for a visit to Sainte-Chapelle, which I believe we would otherwise have missed.

Sainte-Chapelle

"Wow!" Is there anything else one can say upon entering Ste-Chapelle? There truly are no words, in French or English, to express the sentiment that accompanies the first sight of the 15 stained glass windows of the Upper Chapel of Ste-Chapelle. While the three of us weren't terribly wowed by Notre Dame (I may have just visited far too many churches in far too many cities to be objective anymore), none of us wanted to leave Ste-Chapelle today. If we hadn't so desperately needed to get back outside into the warmth of the sun (warmth being a relative term!), we would probably still be there now.

But now, once again it is time to faire dodo (sleep), as we have some BIG plans for tomorrow!

Bonne nuit!

Getting Your Bearings in Paris

At first glance at a map of Paris, you might feel like you're looking at the scribbling a of a toddler. The streets are a mess of intertwining, winding lines everywhere, often seemingly leading nowhere. You will see none of those nice, orderly grids of NYC and other major North American metropolises. Nope. Just generations of urban development from centuries before urban planning.

How to get your bearings and navigate in such a antiquated, albeit breathtaking, labyrinth?

Once you discard your North American notion that streets should run north/south or east/west, and that blocks should be somewhat uniform in spread, you are free to embrace the genius of the arrondissements.

Technincally, arrondissements are administrative districts, each with its own mayor. We foreigners tend to think of an arrondissement as a group of neighborhoods, and each arrondissement is further divided into 4 smaller neighborhoods, or "quartiers" (similar to New Orleans' French Quarter).

Take a second glance at a map of Paris, and suddenly it appears perfectly organized. The 20 arrondissements form a clockwise spiral around the very center of Paris. That first arrondissement is called... what else, but the First Arrondissement, or "le premier arrondissement." From there, it continues in a fairly obvious fashion.

Map by permission from PlanetWare.com
We have used the concept of the arrondissements extensively in our trip planning. From choosing where to stay (as each arrondissement has its own character, and often a corresponding name), to deciding which sites can be visited in the same day, arrondissement awareness is as essential as an 112-page map for any stay in Paris.

Vive l'arrondissement!

I Love Paris in the Springtime!

After something like 15 years since my last visit, I finally find myself in Paris again. Like each of my springtime visits, once again, it is unseasonably gloomy and chilly. I'm beginning to think there's nothing "unseasonable" about this weather at all. But hey, it's Paris, so ça ne fait rien!

I will be sharing some pics of the City of Light* over the next week. But for this, our first day, I thought I'd link to a fun, FREE printable that Mag enjoyed on the plane ride here.

Check out this adorable miniature paper Paris, courtesy of Made by Joel.

Made by Joel

Such a cute little activity for kids... but there's also a larger version if you just have to have one for yourself, too!

Okay, I'm off to faire dodo after a long night on the plane...

A bientôt!

* Did you know that Paris is "the City of Light" - not Lights?

Here's the short Wiki explanation:
Paris was nicknamed the "City of Light" originally because it was a vast center of education and ideas during the Age of Enlightenment. In 1828, Paris began lighting the Champs-Elysées with gas lamps. It was the first city in Europe to do so, and so earned the nickname "La Ville-Lumière" or The City of Light.

Glossary:

Ça ne fait rien (French) = It doesn't matter.
Faire dodo (French) = baby-talk slang for "sleep," similar to "going night-night"
A bientôt (French) = See you soon.

Filling the Spare Suitcase

Only one of my sojourns in Paris - and the shortest of my visits - has been as a tourist, the others having been as a resident of the country, a holder of the beloved "carte de séjour." Because I have generally been remaining in the nation when leaving its premier city, I have never occupied myself with amassing tokens of my visit.

Suddenly, however, with this trip, I feel obsessed with accumulating as much memorabilia as possible, just in case this many years pass again before my next visit.

No, I'm not talking about bringing home a case full of miniature Eiffel Tower replicas, berets for all the neighbors, or a year's supply of frog leg soup. Yes, there are many things I know I won't be bringing home, but I love imagining what we will find...

Now, I'm sure that as soon as I'm back in the City of Light in a few days, I will have no difficulty filling a spare suitcase with de vrais trésors français. We are sure to discover many! Nonetheless, I thought it might be fun to ask:

What have been your favorite souvenirs to bring home from France?

Leave me your great finds in the comments! It will be fun to see which we can find!

Glossary:

de vrais trésors français (French) = some true French treasures

la Semaine Sainte à Paris, and a FREEBIE!

We are furiously getting ready for an upcoming trip to Europe, which will include both a stay in Paris during Holy Week, and spending Easter week in Germany. Being abroad during the pinnacle of Church year will be an exciting opportunity to experience the mingling of foreign culture and religion.

Because of the timing of our trip over Holy Week and Easter, and because of the true purpose for our trip - my sister's wedding! - we are certain to attend at least two church services in each country. To prepare to participate, albeit minimally, in services in a foreign language, I have created some "cheat sheets" of the Lord's Prayer in French and German. (I have also included Spanish, in the hopes of future travels. Kam has long dreamed of visiting Spain, and I anxiously look forward to returning there, as some of my best times living in France were actually spent visiting Spain. But those are stories for another time...)

If a trip abroad is in your near future, perhaps you can make use of these multilingual prayer sheets. No need to wait for a trip abroad, though. Any time is a good time to learn a new language. And to pray!

The Lord's Prayer in French, Spanish, and German!

To download this FREE resource, head to my store at TpT.

What is TpT? How much do I love it? Why should you join? 

Read all about TpT and its 80,000+ free resources here!

Happy praying!

Glossary:

la Semaine Sainte à Paris (French) = Holy Week in Paris

Luck 'O the Irish, and Everyone Else

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought it would be fun to check out some signs of good fortune from around the world.

In Germany, touching a chimney sweep's brush is considered good luck. 
I wonder what the chances are of seeing any chimney sweeps when we're in Germany this spring?

In Italy, among other places, a bird pooping on you is good luck. 
I actually had that happen to me in Italy... not so lucky, though, since I was waiting for an overnight train when it happened, and wouldn't get to shower for close to 24 hours. There's only so clean hair can get in a train station restroom. Yuck!

In England, brides consider it good luck to find a spider in their wedding dress.
Not sure if I'd prefer that, or the "lucky" rain of a Hindu wedding. Hmmm. (See a few more international lucky wedding traditions here.)

There are also about a buzzillion statues around the world whose toes, noses, tummies, or -ahem- other parts, get rubbed for good luck.

Et vous? 

Have you stumbled across any good luck signs, statues, or traditions in your travels? 

These luck symbols are an excerpt from National Geographic Kids Magazine, pg. 12, March 2013.