An Inauspicious Start

First we missed the train from Braunschweig to Frankfurt - got the time wrong. However that was just an expensive mistake.

Second: the taxi ride from our hotel out to the airport was a bit of a nightmare. We got caught in a traffic jam in a tunnel and the driver had to try a couple of alternative routes to the airport. That was probably expensive too. Plus the heavens opened just as we were reaching the airport and there was a major downpour with hail, thunder and lightning.

Thirdly: the incredibly heavy rain resulted in water coming through the entrance ceiling like a sprinkler, the whole doorway was flooded and Barry slipped over. A bit embarrassing and he got wet.

Then finally Barry got stopped at the security scanner when he walked through it, plus they went right through his pack.

Let's hope our flight is not delayed because the airport shuts down at 11pm and no flights go out after that. Our flight is due out at 10.10.

I think I'll have another wine !

Bye bye Bike, Hello Suitcase

We had a particularly yummy cheese cake at Barry's farewell afternoon tea except I don't think it had any cheese in it. The middle layer was made from yogurt cream elderberry and gelatine and the top had real strawberries in gelatine. Very light and yummy!

Last of the Sight Seeing

With our departure day fast approaching it was time to knock off the last couple of things I wanted to see in Braunschweig. Namely the remnants of the city wall (I have a fascination with city walls) and viewing the 'Quadriga' from the viewing platform on top of the old Palace.

There is only 1 small section of the original 5m high city wall still standing which was built in the 12th/13th century.  Most of the wall area has now been converted into parks.

The palace was heavily damaged in the war and was actually pulled down in 1960, then rebuilt as a shopping centre in 2004 using the original facade.  They also re-made the 'Quadriga', 4 horses pulling a chariot with the Goddess Brunonia at the reins.  It is cast in copper, stands 9m high and weighs 25.8t and is the largest in Europe.

Braunschweig had a rough time during the second world war and was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany, because of the armament factories here.  It was bombed 42 times, with the last bombing in 1944 when 233 bombers dropped their loads destroying 90% of the city centre and causing a fire that burned for 2-3 days.  Because of the fires, the 23,000 people in 5 of the 6 bunkers nearly died because they were running out of oxygen, but the fire fighters managed to create a water alley and only 1 group of people in the 6th bunker didnt survive.  It took them 17 years to clear the rubble.  The city was rebuilt rapidly but a lot of the original medieval city was cleared away to make room for cars, creating a 'second destruction'  of Braunschweig.

Today Braunschweig still has some amazing buildings but it has a lot more very ordinary buildings as a result of the fast rebuild and limited amount of money.

 

 

Apps for the iphone

There is nothing like travel to make the most of the apps on your iphone!

I have apps for the public transport in all the major cities we have been to: Frankfurt, Marburg, Braunschweig, Berlin, Paris, Hamburg and Dusselfdorf (although only Barry ended up going there), which allows us to find when the next tram or bus runs, which one to catch where, how much the ticket costs and even allows you to buy tickets; and also one for DB rail and Thalys for all the intercity rail trips.

I use 'Camera+' for all my photographs; I communicate with family and friends via skype, viber, facetime, snapchat, facebook and email;  I learn german from duolingo and have a german/english dictionary; I have an airNZ app for my flights; BNZ for banking; Strava for mapping the cycling and walking I do and to figure out where I am and where to go to; trip advisor to give advice on things to do, restaurants and to book tours; find friends and find iphone to keep track of me and my phone; cycle routes in germany - although the circles denoting all the coffee shops blocks the streets which makes it a bit useless in towns where you really need an app to show where you are and how to get somewhere; booking.com to book accommodation; and today I downloaded 'Tunein Radio' so now I am streaming "More FM Manawatu" - couldn't seem to find Radio NZ.

And I have found a use for the gaps between our beds!  (not an app though).

A Warm Sunday Afternoon

28 degrees here in Braunschweig so I did what all good germans do when it is sunny.  Go to the park and lie in the sun and read a book.  I didnt bother with the coffee and cake though!

Descent from the Harz Mountains

Clausthal-Zellerfield is at just under 600m with the highest peak of the Harz Mountain range (the Brocken) being 1100m. The Harz mountains and the Brocken are famous for their myths and stories of witches on broomsticks and Goethe wrote "Faust" based on this area.  The East-West german demarcation line also ran through the Harz with the Soviets having a spy station on top of the Brocken.  The removal of lots of little towns on the east german side of the line resulted in the ability to create the Harz national park after reunification.

The Harz Mountains are a skiing mecca in winter and a popular area for hiking, swimming and mountain biking in summer.  Being Saturday I passed hordes of people in the forest out nordic walking (with 2 poles), hiking and mountain biking.  There were also big groups of motor bikes passing along the busy highways that pass through the Harz region.

Once again I was on an old railway line but that soon changed to a four wheel drive forest trail down and around the very steep sided gullies on the hill side.  The area was made rich with mainly silver mining and you can still see the channels and dams cut into the hill side to direct the water to the mines.

I have to say I find it a little nerve wracking cycling through gravel tracks in dense forest for 30min or more never being 100% sure that I am on the right trails and hoping that when I pop out of the trees there will be a signpost and recognizable land marks.  Further down there were dam-ed lakes which aid in flood protection and also provide water and hydro power.  To fish there you apparently need a health certificate!

Old railway bridge

Cycle path over old railway bridge

Water channels in the side of the hill

Lake Sösestau

Ascent of the Harz

I still had a bit of the Weser-Harz-Heide cycle ride to do so thought I would knock off the Harz section before we went home.  That would mean I would have completed 309km of the 414km ride and as I had cycled along the Weser river I wasn't over-fussed about doing that section.  Also I am a bit over trying to navigate my way through towns and it is much harder when you are not following a river.

So caught the train to Goslar, then spent half an hour trying to navigate my way out of Goslar (ended up back at the railway station so never got lost).  Finally headed up hill and then discovered the small front chain ring on my bike wasn't working which made it pretty tough on the hills.

A lot of the trail was either next to a busy road or an old train track that used to go through the Harz mountains. The final part was a 3.5km climb up through forest on a gravel road where I had to resort to pushing the bike. I emerged out of the forest at the top and lo and behold there was a camping ground with semi permanent caravans and playgrounds.  I had arrived at Clausthal-Zellerfield in the middle of the Harz mountains and climbed 500m to get there.

Cycle way along old train track

Church in Clausthal-Zellerfield

Clausthal-Zellerfield

Countdown!!

Two days back here and now we are into our last week before returning to New Zealand.

Another Day, Another Train Ride, Another Town

 
This time Göttingen.
Göttingen is a famous university town with many famous alumni.  Its statue of the girl with the ducks is also famous (Gänseliesel) as all the graduates give her a kiss when they graduate.
A couple of the old timbered buildings were being repaired and it was interesting to peer up inside them and and see the mud/straw mix that used to fill the gaps between the wood.

Paul & Bettina

Our trip to Munster was actually to catch up on Paul and Bettina, science friends of Barry.  We had a lovely night with them in their very charming little house in a village about 20km outside of Munster.  They built about 10years ago on approx 400sqm of land but its actually 3 stories, with the bottom level semi underground, and they have a lovely outlook over farmland.

Munster has taken on a very large number of refugees - far more than many other areas. They are housed in the old English army barracks which were only vacated about 3 years ago by the English military.  (The american military still have a presence down in the south of germany which we gather is not popular with the germans).  The refugees have not been at all noticable in our time here, but when you talk to the people they are certainly very aware and concerned about them.  It must be tough for the refugees as they are in limbo, as Germany has said they will be sent back to Syria as soon as the fighting is over.

A garden show at a castle outside Munster

Cycling around Munster

Occasionally I manage to coerce Barry into a cycle ride and today he was keen to head out on a look around Munster - the cycling city of Germany. Despite some rain and even hail, we managed a lovely loop though a bird sanctary and a very pretty little town.  However the trip home didn't go quite so simply and Barry discovered that it wasn't actually that easy following maps.  We got fouled up on a couple of bridges trying to cross the canal and then it was very stop and go as we came back through Munster continually checking our phone map to see where we were and where to go.

A small section of bikes at the railway station.

Riot Police for the Soccer Hooligans

The police here totally gear up to make sure there is no trouble.  We passed through a railway station today where there were about a dozen police all with full riot gear, although they were just holding their helmets.  They were ensuring that soccer hooligans, who were on our train, were behaving themselves after a football match.

The End of the Short Weser

The Weser flows from Hann Munden right through to Bremen and out to the North Sea.  Bremen, approx 100km from the sea, is a port, just like Hamburg.  So the "Short Weser cyle ride" does half the length of the Weser finishing at Minden.  And that was far enough for me too, as the further north you go the more industrial it becomes and the more populated, and trying to navigate through towns is not much fun.  Today just 42km.

A "beach" being built on the edge of the Weser

Minden house

Pied Piper of Hamlyn

Bodenwerder to Rintel (68km).  The bike trail passed through Hamlyn, of Piped Piper fame, but apart from a giant golden mouse on the bridge, there was nothing much to attract me here.  There are many more attractive towns.

A castle 6km off the trail beckoned, but please remind me never to go on another german speaking tour again, even with an english print out!  An amazing entrance hall, however, with deer antlers all around and I do love their huge ceramic water heaters for heating the rooms.

   ,,

Maunchausen Country

Beverungen to Bodenwerder (68km).  A long day with a head wind a lot of the time.

There are lots of camp grounds beside the Weser which look idyllic until you look at the state of the Weser.  I cant even imagine paddling in it let alone swimming.  There are lots of small groins along the edge of the Weser so I imagine flooding is quite a problem.

The valley is now flatter and wider and there are lots of little ferries to cross the river - big tractors with loads of silage, cyclists and cars all crossing from one side to the other.  The town I arrived in just before lunch (just in time for a coffee and a butter almond bretzel) - Hoxted - played Twinkle twinkle little star on the church bells amongst other tunes at midday.

Bodenwerder is the town of Count Mauchhausen fame and there are money statues commemorating his stories.

  

Silage Making time

Hann Munden to Beverungen (52km). A pleasant valley to cycle down. Very rural!

Lots of canola fields in full flower with the heavy smell of pollen in the air.  The valley is quite wide with fields stretching up into the forested foothills.  The grass is now quite long and in many places it is being cut and made into silage.  There are  some lovely villages with semi wooded houses and beautifully decorated woodwork.
 

Where the Fulda meets the Werra

The Fulda and Werra rivers meet at Hann Munden and become the Weser.  The Weser itself is not an attractive river - very dark brown and muddy, although the Fulda seems relatively clear.

A beautiful evening here in Hann Munden with views out my bedroom window to the forest covered hills. I am a couple of km outside Hann Munden so with no bike as yet there was no chance to look around the town.

Hopefully the weather stays fine over the next 4 days as I cycle down the Weser river to Minden.

A Relaxing Day in Braunschweig

Still lovely weather so Barry hired a bike and we had a lovely afternoon cycling around a nature reserve and forest on the edge of Braunschweig with lunch at a lovely old restaurant which I think just opens for the weekend wanderers.  Lots of people out walking and cycling.  

Belvedere on the Pfingstberg

The Belvedere on the Pfingstberg is yet another Potsdam palace built by yet another German king in the 1900's but unfortunately never finished. Amazing views from the top looking out towards Berlin.

We nearly didn't manage to get on the train to come back to Braunschweig as it was absolutely packed full of young revellers on their way to a Blossom Festival in Werder, the next station from Potsdam.  We had to push our way on and force a path for ourselves up to first class and they were even spilling into first class.

The weather has been so gorgeous the last few days - almost in the mid twenties.  Such a contrast to last week when it was around 6-8 degrees!
 

Park Sanssouci

There are not one but four palaces in Park Sanssouci plus a church, ruins, Roman baths, Chinese tea house and a couple of other amazing buildings. Most were built in the 1800's by Frederick the Great. It really is the most gorgeous park!

Neue Palace

Palace Sansscouci

 

 

Ruinberg - artificial ruins built by Frederick the Great in the 1800's to surround a water reservoir.

Pretty Potsdam

It's a public holiday today and also Fathers Day (Mothers day is this weekend), but it is celebrated rather differently. Lots of groups of youths travelling around, singing and drinking. Often they have a little trolley with them loaded up with a small BBQ and picnic paraphernalia or casks of beer. I saw 1 trolley with at least 3 casks of beer on it.  It's one thing you notice here: lots of young people carrying glass bottles of beer, drinking in public places like the town square or waiting to get on the tram. There is also an awful lot of smoking and inevitably lots of cigarette butts lying around. However there are now also a lot of non-smoking areas.

I had a nougat almond croissant yesterday - so yummy. Will have to look out for them.

Potsdam is really pretty with all its little lakes. We went cycling with Barry's German ex post doct who now lives here with her family, along with zillions of others. Everyone is out on their bikes!  They have a caterpillar in their oak trees which if touched can cause a severe allergic reaction. Nasty!  Their parks are quite unkept looking to our eyes but the nice thing is they don't use nearly the amount is sprays that we do.

This little church by one of the many lakes was right on the boundary of the Berlin wall with the demarcation line going through the grounds of the church and the wall actually using the tower as part of the wall.

Berlin wall - 1961 - east on left, west on right towards Berlin

1844 church (Heilandskirche) on edge of Lake Sacrow

Lake from church

Braunschweig Canals

The canal systems in Germany continue to astound me.

The Mittelandcanal goes right past Braunschweig - in fact Braunschweig has a small port on it - it connects to a second canal at right angles which feeds past another area of Braunschweig.

Mittelland canal

The port of Braunschweig

The Mittelland canal connects from here to Hanover and out to the Rhine on the west and connects to the Elbe-Havel canal in the east, so you can essentially go from one side of Germany to the other just using the canal system, and they are not small.  Very large barges travel down them.

Back to rain and to Braunschweig

Well I guess the sunshine couldn't last.  Last year we only had a couple of days of rain during our stay - this time it looks like it will only be a couple of days of sunshine!!

Marburg wasnt quite so appealing in the rain but we still enjoyed a coffee at Cafe Vetter before catching the train back to Braunschweig.

Lots of memories of the fun times I had with sister Dot, while staying there last year.

Sunny Marburg

I was quite excited about returning to Marburg - it was a bit like going home (in Germany).

AND we finally got some sunshine and some warm weather (23 degrees) - I was actually too hot sitting up on the balcony of Cafe Vetter drinking Radler (shandy), eating one of their fabulous salads (with deep fried camembert) and then finally gorging on a walnut and caramel icecream covered in cream.  I had to waddle down the stairs after all that!!

But at least I had done one of my favourite walks before hand - from where we lived round to the Spiegelust tower overlooking the city.  The leaf was now out on all the trees and it was gorgeous.

The view from the castle on top of the hill was equally spectacular the night we arrived - and I just love the winding medieval streets winding up the steep hill with all the half timbered houses.

View from Spiegelslust

Marburg Castle

A Night in Braunschweig

One night back in Braunschweig after returning from Hamburg and heading off to Marburg.

We had dinner at "Mutter Habenicht" which was a typical german type bar/restaurant.  Very cosy and lots of people so sat at the bar and enjoyed watching the staff pour lots of beer, Jagermeister, and a specialty there - schnapps with a puffed potato dumpling on top of the glass.  We had an "Oma and Opa" meal - a meal suitable for grandparents and it was just right (1/2lb fresh white asparagus, salted boiled potatoes, pork schnitzel and hollandaise sauce).

The lion of Braunschweig

Dom tower

Town Hall spire beyond the Dom

T