Friday 31 August 2012

The Fountain Court at the "Zwinger Palace" in Dresden.

 
Last year this part of the Zwinger palace was being renovated, but now that it is finished, I was able to sit beside the fountain on a very hot day and feel cool and comfortable.  It was nice to sit and ponder about the lives the the people fortunate enough to enjoy this palace and its sumptuous surroundings.   Once again, I have run out of words to describe the Palace and my visit to Dresden and Meissen, photos will have to suffice.

 
The Fountain Court above,  and below, a general view of the "Zwinger Palace." 

 
 
 
 
 

Thursday 30 August 2012

A Day in Meissen.


I arrived back from my lovely few days in Dresden and Meissen without a hitch, only to travel on the last leg of the journey on the M5 tram that was hit by a car.  The car caused the accident, but we all had to get out and wait for a later tram to turn up!  I thought everything was going just too well.  The weather was hot on Tuesday for our visit to Meissen, although in the famous porcelain works it was cool.    We watched  a video about the history of  porcelain manufacture, its establishment here in the 18th century, and a chance to see how the fabulous work is produced by highly skilled craftsmen and women.    The photo above shows Meissen Cathedral with the castle in the background.
 
Having been a potter for most of my life, I recognised all the techniques used to produce the exquisite models and painted ware.  Porcelain is a specially produced material, and not easy to work with.  If handled too much, it dries out very quickly and is impossible to mould.
 
 
Note the difference in size between the modelled figures.  The smaller of the three is the one that has been biscuit fired, and has shrunk in size.  Here the lady is demonstrating how flowers and roses are made.
 


Each colour is painted separately, this lady is drawing the pattern on the plate, and painting in the red colour.   This is "on glaze painting," the plate having been biscuit fired, then glazed fired, painted, and then needing another firing the fix the colours.  It's skilled work, and the painters and modellers within the company take years to train.

Sunday 26 August 2012

Housework and Suitcase Packing.

My flat is looking very clean and tidy, as this morning I launched myself  into hectic cleaning, dusting and floor washing, activities I have neglected for the last five months, as I'm no fan of housework.  I travel to Dresden on Monday morning, and will visit Meissen on Tuesday, and hopefully take a boat trip along the River Elbe on Wednesday.  I hope the weather will be good for the visit, and B, my email partner in the city, tells me it will sunny.   I'm in the process of packing two suitcases at the moment, the small one for Dresden, and the big one for my flight home on Sept 3rd, which is lying on the floor and gradually filling up with stuff to take back, and  I must remember I can only take 20kgs. 

This is my last blog entry until I return to Timmerlah on Thursday August 30th, when I will post all the Dresden and Meissen news.  It's not a very nice day here today, with heavy rain this afternoon and a strong wind.  The autumn has arrived and the leaves are turning brown.
 
 
The skyline of Dresden, with the rebuilt Frauenkirche to the left, the Town Hall centre, and the Semper Opera to the right.

 
The Meissen skyline, with the River Elbe, and the Cathedral and Castle to the right.
 

Saturday 25 August 2012

Out Drinking Again on Friday Evening.



I'm afraid I have to report yet another occasion on which it was necessary to drink beer.   (sorry G.)  With only nine days left of my trip, I'm having to say "Aufwiedersehen" to friends, and we have to say "Cheers, see you next year" whilst imbibing beer.   On Friday evening I met M and R in "Mutter Habenicht" a cosy little pub/restaurant in the centre of the city,  first established by Friedrich and Christina Habenicht in 1870.  This is the closest it comes in Braunschweig to a pub with an English feel, and we all enjoyed an evening of yet another currywurst, salad and chips, washed down with Braunschweiger Mumme, a type of beer brewed in the city since the late middle ages. The photo shows us celebrating my return in 2013 with glasses of the amber liquid!
 
 
The compostion of the beer gave it a long shelf life, which meant, that in former times, it could be shipped around the world and became one of Brunswick's main exports.  Although originally a non-alcoholic drink, an alcoholic version has been brewed here since 2008, and very tasty it is too.  The photo right shows the outside dining area of the pub, but as the evening was cool, we decided to sit inside in a cosy corner.   M and R had never eaten here before as it is always  too busy,  but M had booked a table for us, so we enjoyed a really good last meal together.  By the time we left, every table, both inside and out was full, and it really is a lovely place in which to dine.   Below you can see three glasses of the beer, which were followed later by another three, and then later by an ice cream, just to finish off the evening.   Today it's bread and water all day I'm afraid.  Shame!


What a lovely sight, three glasses of Braunschweiger Mumme.

Mutter Habenichtwww.mutter-habenicht.de/



Friday 24 August 2012

Here, There and Everywhere on Thursday.

In spite of the weather forecast saying that it is cooler, yesterday seemed just a hot as ever.  I did some early morning shopping, using the bus both ways, and treated myself to some very tasty tomato flavoured Italian rolls, which I filled with cheese, green salad and garlic sauce, and enjoyed for lunch.   I later went into the city and caught the 480 bus to Walle, to meet M, E and R, three choir members, for an  afternoon sitting in a beautiful garden, chatting and drinking beer. (beer improves our singing.)  The photo shows M's garden, with a Swiss chalet style house at the bottom of her garden.  We had a good time talking and laughing, and later enjoyed currywurst, before we drove back to Gliesmarode Turm for our choir practise.  I love singing and like to sing in German, but my choir likes to sing in English too, and last night we practised, "Once in Royal David's City" to be sung at Christmas in English.   Hearing this carol reminds me of my 45 years of singing in choirs and church Christmas services, and  as soon as the words of the first verse are sung, I always suffer  pangs of warm remembrance.   I'm sad that I won't be here to sing at Christmas, but instead I shall be "singing my socks off" somewhere in Devizes.
 
 
When writing a blog, it is a good idea to have a repeated theme that gives the daily blogs a thread to follow.  It has been pointed out to me by G that my theme seems to be beer, which I do like drinking, but only in small quantities I might add.  The photo right shows alcohol free beer, which I do not drink, but which looks more respectable that the 4.9% version I usually imbibe.  Two friends had to drive to choir practise, so they drank the alcohol free version, while R and myself drank the real stuff.  Our practise went well, although we are now singing in a smaller, ground floor room at Gliesmarode Turm, which catches the setting sun, and was really too warm for comfort last night.   The choir is happier singing in the larger room upstairs which costs more to heat in the winter months.  A vote was taken, and the choir decided to sing upstairs again, with everyone paying an extra Euro to cover the costs.  I will not be here to pay, but I will come again next year to make my contribution and sing with the sopranoes.

Thursday 23 August 2012

Undiscovered Corners.




I thought I was familiar with most corners of Braunschweig, but today I came across these decorative columns set into the pavement opposite the Botanical Gardens. I think they must be new pieces of street art, if not, I just haven't noticed them before. The stone columns and stained in blue and red, with scraffitoed lines scraped through the stain.  At the moment I can find no information about this work, but I rather like these stratified posts. I met J in the Botanical Gardens, where we sat in the shade near an olive tree and enjoyed the tranquility of the gardens. It was supposed to be 23c today, but it felt more like 28c, and we both wished it would cool down.   We later enjoyed a stroll into the city along the bank of the River Oker, and made our way to Cathedral Square, where we sat, enjoyed people watching and where J pointed out an interesting courtyard that I had never noticed before.   I had noticed its arched entrance, but was not aware of the lovely courtyard hidden behind.
 
A ginko tree, the biggest I have ever seen, stands in the courtyard's centre.   Autumn is coming, and we both collected some green and yellow ginko leaves as a keepsake.  These trees are living fossils, and their leaves have such a distinctive shape.
 
 
 
We strolled in, and found the magnificent half-timbered building of the Craft Worker's Guild and former apprentice centre, where the insignia of the various craft workers of old Braunschweig hang from the side of the building.   Above you can see several of the hanging signs, forged in iron and painted in black and gold.  One bore the locksmiths' insignia of crossed keys and a lock, and another the smithies tools of trade, complete with  hanging horseshoes.   This area was severly damaged in the war, and these buildings have been faithfully reassembled and restored from photographs of the pre 1940 city. 




The half timbered, ornately wood carved former Craft Worker's Apprentice building, with hanging insignia. 

Tuesday 21 August 2012

"Raindrops Keep Falling on my Window"

Raindrops on the window and a flood in the road.
After several days of scorching heat, at long last  the thunder, lightning and heavy rain has arrived, and once again it is lovely and cool.  Thank goodness, I can now begin to feel my normal self, and today  I had a good walk, the first for several days.  The day has been quiet after  yesterday's drinking of wine,  eating of  crisps and saying goodbyes.  I did some shopping and also popped into town and bought a book about German history, written in German, and which will take me some time to read.  It is full of interesting pictures, and I do like a book with lots of coloured pictures and photographs.  I will start to read it tonight after I've watched a programme about  Africa's Rift Valley and the animals and people who live there. 

I watched tennis  from Cincinnati last week, but this week everytime I check Eurosport, lots of young women are chasing a white ball around a football pitch.   I'm not keen on football regardless of whoever is playing, but I have a friend who likes to watch the women play, just in case they exchange shirts at the end of the match!

The storm is passing over, and the rain is so heavy that Weststadt has disappeared into a mist,  ohhh, just had a big flash of lightning, and I'm waiting for the bang!   Rumble! Bang!!   It's time now to make a cup of tea, and watch the elephants dusting themselves in the hot sand beside and an African lake.

Monday 20 August 2012

"So Long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye"

There were "auf Wiedersehen" parties at the English groups this morning, as today was my last visit of the year.  I took plenty of snacks, bottles of wine and water, and as it was impossibly hot, we sat in the shade  in the garden and hoped that the gentle breeze would cool us down.  It has become very cloudy and humid, and tomorrow the temperature will be down to 28c with storms and heavy rain forecast.   Thank goodness, as living in a heatwave is my idea of hell.   I had to drink a toast in all three groups, only a small glassful, but I now feel merry and sleepy.    The photo shows us sitting on the terrace outside the community centre in Gliesmaroder, and on the tables can be seen the remains of our party.  None of us felt like doing any work, so we chatted, drank wine and had a good time.  

It's Tuesday morning and I have a slight hangover.   Serves me right!

Sunday 19 August 2012

Some Like it Hot in Timmerlah. (not me)

Gathering the hay in the blazing midday heat.  Farmers must be tough skinned!

Today was the hottest day of the year, only 35c in Timmerlah, but hotter in western Germany, with up to 38c near Cologne.   I went out this morning before 9am, hoping to get a walk in before the real heat arrived, but by 9.30am it was already too hot to be in the sun, so I came home and prepared to stay all day. 

The time has gone quickly. I completed two evil sudukos, but still have a third I simply cannot solve.   I've resorted to logic, with an initial guess at a pair of numbers, which will probably prove themselves wrong with only three squares left to complete.  Never mind, my well used rubber can obliterate my attempt in a matter of seconds, and I will have another go, as I'm determined to solve the evil puzzle before dusk.  

I watched a couple of history programmes, and also a programme about Janpanese fishermen and their battle against giant jellyfish.   These creatures fill their nets leaving no space for small fish, and an attempt has been made to cook and eat the jellyfish as a delicacy.   The film showed that, unfortunately, most Japanese people preferred not to eat giant jellyfish, and by the look of the pale, rubbery flesh, and even when disguised with an ample green salad, I tended to agreed with them.

There is open-air tango dancing in a park in BS this evening, and I was invited to go along, but I will give it a miss in this heat and that is a pity, as I missed the dancing last year too.  The ladies tennis semi-final from Cincinnati is on tonight, and I shall watch that with the minimal amount of activity and while drinking tea.    Tomorrow it will only be 32c, ahhh a little cooler!


Saturday 18 August 2012

Avoiding the Heat in Braunschweig and Timmerlah.

The weather forecast was correct for today with a temperature of  31c and whispy cloud, which felt humid, but not as unpleasant as full, hot sunshine in a cloudless blue sky.  I went out early to avoid the heat, and took my seat in the cathedral for the 12noon organ recital, which is part of Saturday's 30 minute service.  Today  was  a    celebration of the  music  of  Juan Bautista Cabanilles, a  Spanish composer and organist who was born near Valencia in 1644 and who died three hundred years ago in 1712. Two of his works were performed by Cantor Ruediger Wilhelm, the organist from St Andreas Church, the Passacaglia No. 1 and Tiento No. 7, both of which I have not heard before. 

The third work celebrated the birth of Frederick the Great in Berlin in 1712.   We listened to "Ricercar No. 6"  BWV 1079, a late Renaissance or early Baroque instrumental  form, composed by my friend Mr. J.S Bach.   The term "Ricercar" means to search out, and the work wandered from a central theme, exploring the notation, and taking it in different directions, before coming to a highly decorated and flourishing conclusion, with some very deep bass notes on the organ, which made the Cathedral walls vibrate.   I have heard this work somewhere before, but the music of Cabanilles was new to me.

I bought myself a double fish and salad baguette for lunch, (do you remember P?)   It was very tasty, and I finished it off on the tram coming home, ready for the tennis at 2pm.    Is anyone else watching the matches from Cincinnati?   The final is on Sunday, and with a temperature of 35c forecast, I think I will be watching and not going out anywhere,  except to sit in the garden with a good book, the newspapers and a beer!

Friday 17 August 2012

"On Seeing the First Spider of Autumn."

The shadow on the wall that I innocently thought was the shadow of my reading lamp, turned out to be a 50p sized, black, nasty house spider, the first sighting of a big spider this autumn.  I'm afraid I had to despatch it spider heaven, although it wasn't keen to go and escaped down a hole in the skirting board.  The exciting photo right, shows the corner minus the spider, and I suppose he/she will pop out again sometime to frighten the living daylights out of me.  I think I need some  "love Mrs Spider" therapy.  They are so small, but they figure so largely in my life as I hate the damn things, and I will catch it eventually. 

Tonight I went to the singing group, where we relax and move, use our voices as instruments and sing canons and mantras.   As a group we stand around the room, and produce sounds that harmonise with other voices, to produce a free flowing rythmn.  It is interesting to listen to the way our individual sounds formulate into a unity,  and eventually come to a harmonious end.

The creeping plants around the barred window.
We sing in the "Louise Schroeder House", in a small room that has two small barred windows. It has been described as a prison, but I do not see it like that because both windows are surrounded by creeping plants, which look very refreshing.  The  LS House, is a community education centre, rather like our U3As, where people with individual skills and interests can run various groups for the older generation.   This year I have started an English speaking walking group, which meets on a Wednesday afternoon in the Buergerpark.


Louise Schroeder, 1887-1957, was a German politician in the Social Democratic Party.  She was the first female member of the Weimar National Assembly during the Weimar Republic. As an educator and activist she was active in the "Workers Welfare Institution,"  and came under the scrutiny of the Nazi Party during the 1930s and 1940s for her socialist stance. After the division of Germany following WW2, she served a deputy mayor of West Berlin, the only woman to have served in this position.   Her photo shows the face of a warm,  understanding woman, and I think I would have liked her.

Thursday 16 August 2012

Escargot/Schnecke in Timmerlah

There are some very large snails in Timmerlah, and I photographed this one today crossing the pavement, a 5 cent coin is beside it for scale.  It poured with rain early Thursday morning, I think it was the same low pressure system that crossed the west of England on Wednesday, and it bought out all the snails for a drink of water.  By lunchtime the cloud had cleared, and we are now into a heatwave again, with a temperature of 23c today, 27c tomorrow and 32c and 33c over the weekend, and with more to come next week.  This afternoon I went to our reading group in a friend's house, where we read another of Roald Dahl's short stories entitled "Lamb to the Slaughter."  


Mr Dahl manages to write really creepy stories in a few simple sentences, and can conjure up horror in a few words, how very clever.   We sat in the garden, and taking turns, read the story whilst drinking cups of tea and eating M's  really  tasty cherry cake.  It was a lovely afternoon. The photo  shows G hiding behind a vase of flowers, with cups of tea in the foreground and the cherry cake and biscuits waiting to be consumed.  We left around 18.40, and J and G took me to the nearest tram stop where I caught a tram to choir practise in Gliesmaroder Turm.   For economies sake, we now have to practise in a smaller room, and last evening it was very warm and the piano was suffering from the heat and a little off tune. 

In spite of the heat we sang a mixture of English and German songs very well, all in preparation for our next sing out on Sunday afternoon, September 2nd, the day before I fly home again.  I shall shed  tears of regret!

Wednesday 15 August 2012

A Hot Afternoon in the Cool of the Buergerpark.

There's a sudden touch of autumn in the air, and in the Buergerpark this afternoon, some of the trees have the faintest tinge of brown on their leaves.  Oh dear, the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us again. (thank you John Keats.)   Today it was very warm at 25c, but comfortable for walking in the dappled shade beside the lake in the park.  I met H outside the VW Hall at Europaplatz, and we wandered around the many paths in the park, and sat on a shady bench and enjoyed the quiet.   The canada geese quacked, and a lone moorhen paddled past, and we both decided that this was one of the best places to be on a hot day in Braunschweig.    After our stroll, I walked to the cathedral and listened to the organ music that accompanies the  ten minute service everyday at 5pm,    and sat in the airy nave and enjoyed the coolness.  After the service  I had to come out again into the heat, and the lowest photo shows Cathedral Square with the city museum to the left, and two reconstructed, three storied half-timbered houses in the background.  

I've suffered a few pangs of sadness and regret today at leaving Timmerlah and Braunschweig in 19 days time.  This year has been the most interesting visit to date, and although the weather was not good at times, it has not prevented me from visiting some of the most interesting cities in Germany.   I've still one more trip left at the end of August, and that is a two day visit to Dresden to see my friend who lives in the city near the "Blue Wonder" Bridge over the River Elbe.  During that time I hope to visit Meissen and the famous porcelain factory.   I need a cup of tea!


The canada geese and mallards swimming on the lake.


Cathedral Square with the city museum left, and half-timbered buildings in the background.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Bone Idle in Braunschweig.

Today I've done nothing much except  walk to Weststadt to do  some food shopping,  catch the bus back to Timmerlah in 25c of hot sunshine, watch tennis from Cincinnati and ponder the niceties of an idle life watching telly, drinking tea and sitting in the garden in the warm sunshine.   I answered some neglected emails and also sorted through my many photos, and found these two most amusing ones.  The one on the left from Leipzig station reads, "Hands free peeing is forbidden," and the other from Vienenburg station, where the sign means, "do not walk any further down the platform,"  someone has named the figure "Uwe."   I don't know what happened to July, I had so many interesting visits during the month, that 31 days of my life shot past in a flash.   I can now sit and reflect on my good fortune at being able to live in Lower Saxony every summer, I am very lucky. 

The weather here is hotting up, and I read that over the weekend the temperature is expected to reach 30c.  I think Sunday will be an "indoors with the blinds down watching tennis and drinking tea" day.   I have one more visit at the end of August, and that is to meet my friend in Dresden for a visit to Meissen and the porcelain factory.  On my return to Timmerlah  I'll have three days to pack my case, find the vacuum cleaner and do some very necessary house work!


Uwe, the "don't walk any further down the platform" sign at Vienenburg station near Goslar.

Monday 13 August 2012

Back to Normal Today!

Up the steps to my front door.
After three hectic weeks of visits, it was back to a normal week today, with a visit to the English groups in Gliesmaroder.   It was nice to see everyone again after a three week absence.  The second group today cooked a lunch from an English recipe, which tasted really good.  It consisted of large, hollowed out mushrooms, stuffed with hazelnuts, the chopped up mushroom stems, chopped herbs and melted butter, all baked in the oven and covered with melted cheese.   We each drank a small glass of wine, sat at tables in the sunshine and had a good time together.   Next week is my last visit before I fly home in early September, so I will take wine and snacks for a "Goodbye Party"  with the groups, and say a tearful, "Aufwiedersehen, see you again in 2013."

The photo above shows my front door with phlox growing in the garden, and looking out towards the harvested cornfields in Weststadt.  It has been warm today, and this afternoon I visited J and G in Querum, and we enjoyed a lovely walk through shady woodland and beside the rivers Wabe, which rises in the Elm Forest, and the river Schunter, which joins the Oker at some point and flows through Braunschweig.   J had made a tasty cake which we ate with a good cup of English tea.

On Tuesday I shall do nothing much except a bit of early morning shopping before the day gets too hot.   The weather forecast predicts 26c and getting hotter throughout the week, so it will soon be time for me to hide from the sun again.  I do hate really hot weather.

The last of the corn is being harvested tonight.





Sunday 12 August 2012

Goodbyes at Hannover Airport


After a lovely week of visits, walks and having cups of tea made for me, P went home to Salisbury today.   We caught an early bus and train to the airport, and arrived in plenty of time to have lunch and a drink.  The plane was on time, and we said our goodbyes as P went into the departure lounge and duty free shop to buy a few presents for her family.   I came home alone, and there was no one here to make me a good cup of tea!  I shall miss my friend.  We had a good week together, thankfully in cool weather, as neither of us would have been very happy if the temperatures had been too hot. 

On Saturday we visited friends in Bortfeld, and walked along the towpath of the Strichkanal-Salzgitter from Timmerlah to their house and back, a total distance of 18km.   We walked at a gentle pace, and fortunately my left ankle, which can cause me pain at times, was no trouble at all.  The sun shone and it was a good way to end a lovely week. 

I checked the flight arrivals at Southampton Airport at 19.00 CET, and P's plane had landed safely at 17.52 GMT, a few minutes ahead of schedule.  Later I shall watch the closing ceremony of the Olympics on Eurosport, and I will now have to make my own cups of tea.

Saturday 11 August 2012

Thursday in Braunschweig, Friday with JS Bach in Leipzig.

On the right is the "Alte Waage" the five storied, jettied, weigh house in Braunschweig.  This reconstruction was completed in 1992, as the original,  built beside the St Andreaskirche in 1543, was completely destroyed in the last war.  We met J in the botanical gardens and the three of us started our city walk with a wander along the bank of the River Oker, passing under the beautiful bridges, and passing the  theatre and  art museum, and then wandering through the St Magniviertal with its lovely church and street cafes.  We walked back to "Graff" my favourite bookshop, where, in the cafe, we drank coffee and nattered.  A good time was had by all!   On Friday morning we had an early start when P and I went to Leipzig by train for the day.   The journey took 2.25 hours, and passed through beautiful, flat countryside and interesting old towns which once stood in the former DDR.  We passed through Magdeburg, with its two steepled Cathedral, one clad in scaffolding for major repairs.  We arrived safely at Leipzig station, the biggest railway station in Europe with its bustling travellers and shoppers.  The station is on the upper level, but on the two lower floors are shopping malls, cafes and fast food outlets.  The main entrance hall is large enough to be a concert hall holding a full orchestra and audience, a very impressive place indeed.  

We had a wonderful day, visiting both churches where Bach worked as cantor, and also got a flavour of the city, with lunch in a very pleasant cafe, sitting outside in the fresh air under a huge, square umbrella.  A nearby statue of Goethe kept an eye on us both. We arrived back in Timmerlah at 9pm, with both of us gasping for a good cup of English tea.


Johann Sebastian Bach stands outside the Thomaskirche.


Bach's tomb, with the 15th century, gold covered triptych altar in the background.

Thursday 9 August 2012

A Visit to Goslar in the Harz Mountains.

Oh what a lovely place is Goslar, a small town that nestles at the foot of the Harz National Park.  The River Oker rises in these hills, and starts its long journey, that takes it eventually through Braunschweig.  We wandered beside the river, sat in the square eating ice cream and watched the world go by.   A horse drawn sightseeing carriage clip-clopped by, the glockenspiel figures danced the hours, and we sat for half an hour in front of a former watermill, and watched the overshot wheel slowly circle under the pressure of the gently moving water.  It was a lovely day, which was rounded off by a meal of curry wurst and chips for me, downed with a half pint of beer, and a sensible turkey salad and red wine for P.   The photo above shows part of the riverside walk, with tightly packed half-timbered houses bordering its edge.  The town is a UNESCO "World Heritage Site," and has many fabulously decorated, beautifully preserved, half-timbered buildings.   This is how Braunschweig must have appeared before the bombing of 1944, only on a very much larger scale.


We sat in one of the large squares, and while eating cherry and walnut ice cream, watched the horse drawn carriage of visitors go past.  The day was sunny in parts, and really comfortable for wandering around and enjoying ourselves.

Goslar travel guide - Wikitravel wikitravel.org/en/Goslar



Unfortunately we assumed that a train to Braunschweig would run every hour, but we arrived too late for the 18.10 and the next direct train was at 20.59.  We decided to do part of the journey, and took a train to Bad Harzburg, where I photographed the above attractive stained glass window at the station, and almost lost P, when she ventured into the town for a whistle-stop tour and to buy a litre of milk!    After a forty minute wait, we took another train to Vienenburg, which is the oldest, (built in 1840)  original, still standing railway station in Germany. 

We visited a small, open-air railway museum here, and had time to wander around the old locomotives, carriages, goods wagons, signal gantry, station signs and indication boards.  We eventually arrived in Braunschweig at 21.36, ran for the M5 tram and managed to catch the 22.15 bus home to Timmerlah.   Next time we check timetables for the return journey home, lesson learnt!

Wednesday 8 August 2012

With Friends at the Old Border between East and West Germany.

My friend from Salisbury is staying with me this week, and on Tuesday, which happened to be her birthday, we paid a visit to Hoetensleben, the old border between West Germany and the DDR.   The day was comfortable for a good walk around the site which included an intact section of the wall and a line of defensive "dragon's teeth."   The old concrete trackways for vehicles  that patrolled the inner section of "No Man's Land" can still be seen, together with the strip of clear ground that marked the footsteps of anyone wanting to escape, and also another wall closer to the village in the DDR.   The photo right shows G, who drove us there in his car, talking to Pamela about the site, with an old watch tower to the right.   The many information boards gave a potted history of the division of Germany, some in English and German.   I visited this place last year in a heat wave during the Mayor of Bath's official visit to Braunschweig.    It was then so intensely hot, that none of us ventured past the first information board.  Yesterday it was good to explore the whole site in cool, cloudy weather.

En route back home we stopped for coffee and a beer in Schoeppenstedt, and then travelled to Querum for more tea and cake with J and G.   The blackberry and apple cake was particularly tasty, so thank you J for the cake, and G for the ride in your car.


 The main wall fronting West Germany to the left, with a line of  "Dragon's Teeth."   In the centre was  "No Man's Land."    A grey wall can be seen to the right, near the houses that stood in the former DDR.


Pamela looking at this interesting "Installation,"  which depicts a globe of barbed wire, with photographs of aspects of life in the DDR enclosed inside.  Around the black base, written in white paint, are details of each photograph, with words and sentiments about everyman's right not to be imprisioned, but to be free to lead a contented life.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

The Cathedral at Fulda


After a final hearty breakfast, we left hotel "Gasthof Hirsch" in  Rothenberg for the journey back to Timmerlah.  I stayed in one of these rooms with a balcony, which enabled me to wave to my friends every morning, just like Queen Victoria!  The first part of our journey took us to Fulda with its magnificent Baroque cathedral, the burial place of St Boniface. 

This week a friend is staying with me, and I seem to have run out of words to write.  We're busy here with visits, talking and generally enjoying ourselves.



The Baroque Cathedral in Fulda.


The beautiful organ in the Cathedral.


Monday 6 August 2012

A Boat trip to Heidelberg Through the Neckar Valley.

After Wednesday's hearty breakfast of fresh fruit, followed by two wholemeal rolls, one with strong cheese and the other with marmalade, a glass of fruit juice and two cups of tea, and a visit to Concorde in the Sinsheim Museum, we travelled on to Neckarhausern where we climbed aboard the "Schloss Heidelberg" for a cruise, which involved passing through two industrial sized locks.  The river and canal network of Europe is a major thoroughfare used for the transportation of goods on mega sized barges.  The afternoon was hot, and we sat in the boiling heat while a barge, which had arrived ahead of us, passed through the lock.  Only one lock was in action, the other being closed for repairs, which caused a delay.  That, however,  gave us an extra half hour on the boat, and  I drank yet another beer en route, well I have to drink and keep up my fluid intake during hot weather.


Cruising through the Neckar Valley towards Heidelberg. The onboard, pre recorded guide gave us a commentary in German, English and French, pointing out places of interest with some historical detail.  



Passing though the first lock, with the second closed for repairs to the left.  At the next lock another cruise ship went in ahead of us, the lock being large enough to accommodate two cruisers.  What a trip, what a day, and what a good pint of German beer!

Sunday 5 August 2012

Wednesday's Trip on Concorde at Sinsheim Technical Museum.

After Wednesday morning's hearty breakfast, (all German breakfasts are hearty) we travelled from the Hotel Hirsch in Rothenberg to the "Technical Museum" in Sinsheim.   What a place, with a wonderful collection of historic vehicles and aircraft mounted on high pedestals, and with visitor access.  I headed straight for Concorde, and as you can see, she is mounted at a steep angle, and when I walked inside, the balancing mechanism in my ears became rather confused.   A Tupolev TU-144 supersonic aircraft is  displayed beside the Air France Concorde, and this is the only museum in the world to display both aircraft together.   I walked inside both aircraft and looked at the flight decks, the furnishings and read the information about how both aircraft were transported to the museum several years ago.  Both flew  to an airport as near as possible to the museum, and then having had their wings clipped, were brought by road and river to the museum.   I went inside most of the aircraft, even a "Vicker's Viscount"  a similar aircraft to one on which I travelled to Malta in 1962.  Below is a "Junkers" plane from the 1920s with a German "not sure what" behind!   It is impossible to write about all the things I saw, but the photos below give a taste of the museum.   The historic, highly polished German cars were very interesting, especially those displayed with photos of them in use during the 1930/40s.  The entire collection of vehicles must be worth millions.

An IMax 3D cinema is on the site, and we had inclusive tickets to see a 3D film that afternoon.  Unfortunately a technical problem meant the cinema was closed, and I for one, was rather disappointed.  I have never seen a 3D film, and my choice of "The Wonders of the Deep" with sharks swimming towards me, and octopus tentacles half strangling me would have been terrifying experience but all good fun.   Shame! 


A Junkers and a JU 52.


This is the largest fair ground organ in the world.  I like fairground organs, and this one cost 1 Euro a time to play, and what a great, joyous sound it produced.   For each of the 5 Euros I fed into the machine, I heard a  different, jolly tune, and at one point several of us stood, sang and danced to the music.  Ahhh,  I want one.

A collection of cots, cradles, baby and child playthings are displayed in the foreground.  The little boy seems to be searching for his potty!