One of my greatest linguistic surprises was to find that in German nightmare is 'Alptraum'. I looked at some part of the Swiss Alps on most days for twelve years living near Zurich & Bern and could never work out what made them so nightmarish, since they were generally white. Now I'm back in England and have so many black nightmares related either to age, condition or medication, I know not which that I could do with the Jungfrau, Eiger or Moench riding into my dreams from time to time......!!
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