Skip to main content

Trains, Castles and Beer

That sums up the vast landscape for tourist adventure that is Germany.  Below are some snapshots of what I experienced on our recent and first visit..

Each region is proud of their own heritage and you will hear the locals welcome you and ask to enjoy Dusseldorf or enjoy Baden Wuttemberg while only few might say 'have a good time in Germany'.  Ironically the only time in history Germany was really united was under Hitler's rule but otherwise in the past ages and again today a sense of regional identity is strong.

It is evident in their language, culture and their beers.  Every one has their local identity - north different from the south - even when it is not that big a country.

Here then are some vistas of the land that stretches from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps in the south.

Deutsche Bahn Express leaving Frankfurt

Along the Rhine heading north

Floor art inside Cologne Cathedral

 
Our journey took us north west from Frankfurt -

Doorway to Cologne Cathedral - this sculptor must have been busy


on the Main river to Cologne where we traipsed around the oldest cathedral in the country which to this day is being renovated and maintained (they all need a lot of TLC and donations) then caught the summer lights along the Rhine.

Then 'train'ed our sights on the capital and largest city Berlin in the far eastern corner.  A visit to the heart of it all is to see one of a handful of prominent Tors or Gates - the one below is called Brandenburg Gate where Reagan in Hollywood style told Gorbachev, then the figurehead of the eastern block to tear down the Berlin wall.


 
 
Berlin sits on the river Spree - the pic above is a film shown outdoor on government buildings that sit on cool real estate - river banks - about the journey of German people from the Reichstag (monarchy) to the Bundestag (of the people)



Reichstag Dome where the public can view the working of the Federal Government moving on a motorized walkway - Berlin Federal Government building or Reichstag.
Designer - Norman Foster.

 Leaving Berlin behind we further moved north on to the port city of Hamburg. This is the third largest port after NY and London and sits on the river Elbe.  More on that and further meanderings later...
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
2 comments
Read more

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...
2 comments
Read more

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...
Post a Comment
Read more