Signs of the Times

In Europe, as in the United States and anywhere you travel, there are signs to tell you where to go, what is available in the store, warning signs, signs that you may not understand, signs to assist you, etc.

Well, I have put together a collage of signs that I have run across.  Some you will recognize, others, well they have to be explained.

First, we have beverage signs: Duff Beer, Schöffernofer Weizen (wine), along with advertisements for wine products: Spillavino – a handy device you put in the top of your wine bottle and by using a pump, pour wine out without tipping the bottle!

Then we have instructional signs: “Im Notfall” which was a sign at the top of a stairway in Berlin (on the 56^th floor) warning you to be careful on the stairs so as not to fall!  There is a fire hydrant with no sign and, hopefully you will recognize it even if it doesn’t look like the ones you are use to. Then there are always traffic signs and signs telling you where you are! 

You will find signs telling you what is for sale at a particular establishment.  Of course, some you may not be able to figure out: Chewing Gum is a men’s suit store, Gelateria is an ice cream shop, Corona’s Café does not sell beer but ice cream, Stilnova sells ties and even offers drawings of a tie demonstrating how to tie one!  "Twenty-one" sells clothing (as does Miss Sixty but I lost that photo) and the Tutto sign is an ad for socks (sorry about that husband dear!).  U-Boat, well, I don’t know what they sold as I didn’t go up to the shop, just snapped a photo.

We all know what "The Disney Store" sells and I guess no matter where you go you will find one of these shops, which should make my daughter very happy!

The little jars at the top of the picture are for holding various items of necessity (?), Viagra, Marijuana, Arsenic,  and a variety of other things that I could not translate! 

If you need help, there is always the Polizei.  There are clocks everywhere to remind you of the time and if there is not a clock, don’t worry, many towns have several church towers that ring bells on the appointed hour.  In Germany, I found one sign which was very interesting and helpful.  Many homes and buildings have the date the building was erected and some even tell you the date any refurbishing or reconstruction was done.

In one church, so you would not forget, the Ten Commandments were in stone on a wall.  However, they were in an ancient language, Glagolitic script, so if you didn’t have them memorized you were out of luck.

Signs for food markets are everywhere and even if they weren’t, it was quite obvious what they were selling.  In the Roman Coliseum there was a menu board done in mosaic tiles which showed pictures of the food you could buy.  It had been removed many, many years ago and was on display in a museum.

Of course there was the usual Karoke sign (mis-spelled but you could figure it out) and I am sure that my friend, Joe, would have loved the “Wife on Board” sign.

So, as the last sign says this is

of this blog!