Europaplatz and Speaking English in the Buergerpark.

Flags of the EU Member States at Europaplatz.

The flags of the European Union Member States flutter in the wind outside the Volkswagen Hall in Braunschweig, and a furled Union Jack can just be glimpsed at the end to the right.  The huge VW Hall holds 8,000 visitors, was built by the company for the people of the city, and opened in September 2000.  It holds events from tennis and boxing, to pop concerts and conferences, and is the home of the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig Basketball team.  I have yet to go inside, everything I'd like to see happens to be on later in the autumn when I'm back in Devizes.  The building is oval in shape, and although not particularly attractive, is a very popular venue.  Davis Cup Tennis was played here in 2001.

The main entrances to the VW Hall in Europaplatz.

Today I met some friends here for a walk in the park, and for them to practise their English.  We met at the main entrance, and I arrived early of course, and found that there are no seats on which to sit!   Eventually I found a circular bench around a tree trunk near the bank of the River Oker, and perched there in the chilly wind until my friends arrived.  We wandered along the riverside walks and over the many decorative bridges, until we came across this classically styled folly. 

A classical folly in the Buergerpark.

Built in 1805, this portico was added to the facade of an earlier building of 1730. Its columns are in the Doric style.  It was badly damaged in the war, but later reconstructed here, and forms a nice feature in the green landscape beside the river.  A slow amble is more tiring than walking 10 miles, so it is a nice cuppa and early to bed for me tonight.