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Half a World Away
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Half a World Away

Here we are based in Hirschberg, with Daniel! Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 22, 2024
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    2Daniel's house from the orchard
    Looking across Daniel's lawn to the orchardDaniel's lawnThe orchard and vineyard above Daniel's house, which is down on the left, below the pear trees.Hirschberg villageEntrance to the SilvermineTunnels of a silvermine

    Germany - arrival at Hirschberg

    May 22, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We left Istanbul and flew to Frankfurt today, then we took a bus and a train to meet Daniel at Weinheim. It was a warm day and a chance for beer and pizza and to see his new house, finally. We are now in wine country along the Main and Neckar Rivers, which flow into the Rhine near here. The hill range (Odenwald) that Daniel's house and nearby vineyard back onto are beautiful and covered with forest (the Bergastraße) that has pigs and many deer. The hills also contain old tunnels from the silvermines.
    Hirschburg is a pretty village with lots of very old and half timbered houses, in a small valley surrounded by forests. Daniel's house is very light and flows outdoors, through a 'wintergarden' or conservatory, to a private suntrap of lawn which then leads out to the neighbouring orchard and vineyards.
    We are loving the good German bread!    Read more

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    At Hohensachen (a neighbouring village)
    In Hirschberg, we pass this most days while going to the supermarket or to catch the tramAlleyway in Hirschberg, this is on our walk to the tram stopCobbled streets in HirschbergAlleyway in Hirschberg with Evangelische Kirche on rightHirschberg, in the middle is a hops or tobacco drying building.St. Johannes Baptist church in Hirschberg-LeutershausenBorough of LeutershausenBorough of Großsachsen

    Exploring Hirschberg (my hometown)

    May 25, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We have been exploring around Hirschberg, where Daniel lives, it is a very sheltered village at the foot of the Odenwald (mountain range). It is a small town, with an agricultural history, mainly tobacco growing, it has many medieval half-timbered houses, churches, farmyards, barns and tobacco drying buildings. Now it's predominantly vineyards, some orchards and strawberry fields, along with the old and new town buildings. The buildings are very well looked after, which is no mean feat, as in the old town they are about 500 years old.
    There is a tram line at the bottom of the gentle slope which the village of Hirschberg is on, the tram usually runs every 20 minutes, and travels North to Weinheim and South to Heidelberg. Daniel works at the beginning of Heidelberg and his vineyard is on a slope halfway between Hirschberg and Heidelberg.    Read more

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    1Daniel's vineyard on his left and above him with the white shade shelter.
    Daniel, Leonie and Nika at the SchlossparkBeginning of the Gruffalo WalkMore Gruffalo WalkEnd of the Gruffalo Walk, just below Windeck CastleWe found the Gruffalo.The view over Weinheim from the beginning of the Gruffalo WalkWeinheim old town from the Windeck Castle

    Weinheim and Daniel's vineyard

    May 26, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The first weekend we were here we met up with Leonie, and took a tram to Weinheim which is quite a big town and has really good rail connections. We admired the beautiful historic old town and the castle park and garden's (Schlosspark) before climbing up to the ruins of the Castle of Windeck. Built in 1100 it has panoramic views over Weinheim, there were preparations within the castle courtyard for a wedding that afternoon. The walk up to the castle includes the Gruffalo Walk (a childrens book) as the translator of the book is from Weinheim.
    We then spent the afternoon helping at Daniel's vineyard at Schriesheim (since he has a fractured arm!)    Read more

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    Marketplatz in Ladenburg
    St. Sebastian's Chapel, the city wall and an ancient wellOld City Walls in the Royal CourtAlleyway in LadenburgAncient well near the Royal Court.Alleyway in LadenburgSt. Gallus ChurchSt. Gallus ChurchThe Witches GateRoman ruins in Ladenburg

    Ladenburg - a market town

    June 7, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We visited Ladenburg today, a very picturesque town about 9km from Daniel's. It is on the Neckar River and has a lot of Roman history going as far back as 74 AD, they just go to build a new house and woops, we found some Roman remains! After stopping at the marketplatz we wandered around the cobbled alleyways, one of the most impressive buildings (and a city landmark) is St Gallus church, built in the 13th century partly on top of old Roman foundations.Read more

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    2In front of Temple of Apollo
    2The entrance to the gardenSculpture 'Schwetzinger Spargelfrau' (Asparagus Woman)Sculpture Gluecksschwein, of an unpopular historical Lord (The lucky pig, or on the pig's back).Sculpture 'the silent clap' a political statementThe path leading to Temple of ApolloThe Palace looking back from part way down the gardenThe Turkish Mosque, in a corner of the garden1The Turkish Mosque

    Schwetzingen and Spargel

    June 8, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Today we visited the town of Schwetzingen the "Spargel Capital of the World", in the Rhine-Neckar region and about 1 hour by train from Daniel's. It is a popular destination during the asparagus (spargel) season, especially in April when they have a festival of white spargel and white wine. We had a look around the market platz admiring a collection of sculptures including the famous 'Spargelfrau' . We then spent most of the afternoon in the formal castle gardens (Schloss Schwetzinger) which includes a large Turkish Mosque, several Roman temples, a massive orangerie and a museum of old horticultural and agricultural equipment. It is a very well kept and classically designed garden with lakes, statues, toparies and long vistas, clearly it is popular for wedding photographs and receptions as we saw at least 3 wedding parties that afternoon.Read more

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    2Looking up at Heidelberg castle from the town
    Heidelberg is full of beautiful views like this.One of the interesting old buildings (and a large dog!)Die Tiefburg. The lower fortress. It even has an old moat and a new restaurant inside.The Neckar River at its highest level for a few years, there were floods near Munich.Marketplatz, Church of the Holy Spirit, walled in half for 300 years to share congregation spaceEvangelistic church (Friedenskirche) in HeidelbergSome leaf pruning done.1Local Heidelberg beers, pilsner and wheat, and a cute little dog!Bakery deliciousness: curry chicken snack, citrus tart, and cherry nut cake

    A taste of Heidelberg

    June 16, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We have visited Heidelberg a few times: for sightseeing (the day after torrential rain in the hills), for a function at Daniel's work, and to go to a festival last weekend. We have also spent a couple of afternoons living the dream working in a vineyard with a beautiful outlook, watching paragliders pass overhead and eating a picnic lunch. In the evenings we have been enjoying the long warm summer evenings relaxing in Daniel's green and peaceful backyard, squirrel spotting and watching fireflies dancing in the dark. Daniel's arm injury is healed and he almost back to full duties.

    The first time we visited we walked up the side of the swollen River and back down the main street. Everywhere you look there are amazing buildings and some of the people look like really interesting characters, especially given that it is a University city. We saw a new University building being constructed inside of an historic fortress.

    It was great to meet Daniel's friends and colleagues and to see where he works, the function was a presentation by two of Daniel's friends AJ and Kiki who recently got married back in India, it was a great glimpse into what Indian weddings are like, and there was some good shots that included Daniel! They also made us Indian street food snacks, yum.

    The festival was a carnival when we went to it on Sunday morning, with vintage carousels, games, candy floss and food carts. If we had gone the night before there would have been a DJ and a very different crowd! It was in the Handschuhsheim district which is a high end part of the town. We enjoyed a snack (Heidelberg wurst in a crusty bread roll, potato on a stick, Hungarian fried Làngos - no photos sorry it all got eaten too fast) and a local beer, while enjoying the atmosphere. We walked back to the tram along a track past a group of allotments that included childrens playgrounds and social areas as well as orchards and gardens.

    We have yet to get to a few of the main Heidelberg sights: the castle, the old bridge and the philosophers walk, we will be back! Bonus that the bakeries are great in this part of Germany!    Read more

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    Avebury Henge
    Stone at Avebury Henge3Silbury HillWiltshire countrysideCorsham CourtCanal boats outside Honeystreet MillCaen Hill locksChurch at Avebury

    England - visiting friends in Wiltshire

    Jun 19–22, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We are on a brief trip to England to visit our old friend, flatmate and Geoff's best man, Pete, who we haven't seen for many a long year. He and his very lovely wife Helen live in a beautiful area which is near Bath in Wiltshire, at the south western edge of the Cotswolds.

    We flew into London City Airport on Tuesday and took the train into Central London, before taking a bus out to Corsham where they live. It is an official area area of natural beauty and certainly stunning. Their village, Corsham, was used as a set in the Poldark movie.
    Corsham is also where Dickens wrote the book The Pickwick Papers.

    We then drove to Avebury Henge, it is similar to, larger than, and arguably better than, Stone Henge. Both are part of a set of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial sites, and are part of a world heritage site. We timed it a little wrong again as it was a day away from the Summer Solstice and the site was very busy, some of the people looked super intense too. The stones are all huge and stand on their ends in a circle, surrounded by a wide ditch (henge) and is a hugely impressive area which dates back to about somewhere between 2850 BC and 2200 BC!! After that we drove past Silbury Hill, another mysterious ancient site (mound) before lunch.
    We had lunch at Honeystreet Mill cafe which is by a canal and has Longboat moorings beside it, a very eclectic place. We then visited Caen Hill locks, in Devizes, the longest straight flight of canal locks in the country (29 of them) completed in 1810. It is an amazing feat of engineering that was needed to carry coal, via canal, up a hill to London. The area is also extremely peaceful and tranquil, although probably not so tranquil when it is busy, as this series of hand operated locks would be very tiring and potentially frustrating.    Read more

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    Castle Comb village
    1Pete and Geoff at Castle Combe villageCastle combe villageHotel in Castle Combe, used to be the ManorSt. Andrew's church at Castle CombeLacock village which has been used as a movie set2Lacock villageThe Flemish Weaver pub by nightA thatched roof cottageRepairs!

    Wiltshire and the Cotswolds, part two

    June 19, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Here are some more sights we saw!
    We visited a village that has been part of several Harry Potter movie sets, the town of Lacock, just outside of Bath, is owned by the National Trust, its newest buildings were built in the 18th Century! Hogwart indoor scenes were filmed in Lacock Abbey (as was Downtown Abbey and Pride and Prejudice) and the old shops in the town were the shops in the Harry Potter movies. One of the houses in Lacock was also used as Harry's parents house in The Philosophers Stone.

    We also visited a beautiful 13th Century village in the Cotswalds named Castle Combe. This village is made from Cotswold stone, and has also been used as a film location for several films including Spielberg's War Horse. The village is insanely picturesque and there is also an amazing hotel there with park like grounds which we walked through. Stunning.

    We saw many impressive houses with thatched roofs in the Cotswolds, they really take a lot of maintenance, we saw one house were a couple of tradesmen were pulling off the old thatch and replacing it. As we drove around there were miles of drystone walls, and swathes of rolling hills divided up by hedgerows, the country lanes were lined with wildflowers and brambles. Super.
    In the evening we walked down to Corsham Village for dinner at a cosy traditional old pub named The Flemish Weaver - lamb shanks and game pie.    Read more

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    !! Who dese guysLlanthony Prior

    Picnic lunch in Wales

    June 20, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We went to Wales today with Pete. We drove through amazing rolling hills and crossed the Prince of Wales Bridge to Wales. Driving through Herefordshire in Wales there are many wooded valleys and hills, the houses, churches, and villages tucked into the landscape look very peaceful. Pete took us to a favorite place of his near Skirrid, he and his family used to rent a house here for holidays and now he often camps in a field here by a stream.
    We had a very English picnic and a snooze.

    After lunch we drove along the Vale of Ewyas in the Black mountain area in the Brecon Brecons National Park, and went to a ruin - Llanthony priory, an Augustinian monastery built originally in 1100 then added to later around 1180- 1220. The remains stand mighty in the stunning surroundings, some of the priory was destroyed by Henry the VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. It has also gradually subsided and collapsed over the years.    Read more

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    A view from the Sky Garden
    Sky Garden, Tower Bridge in backgroundThe Monument to the Great Fire of London, at Monument metro station.Tower BridgeOn Tower Bridge, Tower of London in backgroundThe Thames, Tower Bridge and Tower of LondonPieday Friday, Borough MarketFrom the Sky Garden

    A view of London city

    Jun 21–22, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We left Corsham this morning and took a bus back to Victoria Coach Station in London. Pete had recommended the view from the Sky Garden, which is a 35 story building with a restaurant, bars, and public viewing platforms at the top. There are free tickets that are ordered online 3 weeks in advance, or you can try your luck on the day to see if there are any no-shows. We were very lucky and basically skipped the long line and got let straight in. The view is 360 degrees of London and the Thames, it was great!
    We then looked around the Tower of London and Tower Hill before heading over the Tower Bridge to a very packed Borough Market for a late lunch, pieday Friday, Blue Moo (beef and stilton), and Free Ranger (chicken, bacon and vegetables), parmesan crumb topping on the pastry. Excellent pies.
    We stayed the night at Finsbury Park (home of Arsenal FC) probably not the flashest suburb in London. Close to St Pancras Station though for catching the Euro Star tomorrow.
    It has been much easier this week not to get lost, signs and directions are much easier to understand written in English.    Read more

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    Canal at Bonifacius Bridge.
    Canal scene in BrugesDe Burg Plaza, Basilica of the Holy BloodMichaelangelo's Madonna and ChildMichaelangelo's Madonna and ChildDaniel and Leonie in Makt SquareBeer Flights in BrugesA strong blonde.Church of Our Lady.5Brunch Sunday in Markt Square

    In Bruges

    Jun 23–25, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We are lucky that the forecast for Belgium for the next 5 or so days is glorious! We arrived last night after crossing under the English Channel on the Euro Star and taking the train from Brussels to Bruges. Daniel and Leonie arrived a few hours later from Germany, so we have 8 days of exploring together.

    This morning we went out to brunch and then had a bit of a look around the Dukes Palace, the main square (Markt), and also De Burg, the older plaza, with the City Hall and Basilica of the Holy Blood in it.
    We then walked up Blind Donkey street to the picturesque old covered fish market and the Tanners Square. Just around the corner is Bonifacius Bridge and a wide section of canal which is the the most photographed spot in Bruges. As we were walking we came upon a city garden with statues of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and an large orchestra playing, it was quite lovely. We carried on and went to Church of Our Lady to see Michaelangelo's Madonna and Child, which was bought back to Bruges by the Allies' Monuments Men from the salt mines in Austria. The Church also has the highly decorated tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold.

    We had a bit of a break while Daniel and Leonie carried on exploring, on the way back we passed the Markt square and there was a band of drummers leaping, kicking and drumming in unison, it is a very vibrant town square. Then we met up at the Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres for a tasting flight of beers to finish the afternoon.    Read more

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    Le Trappiste Brugge, a bar in an old cellar
    Makt Square from the BelfreyBurg square from the belfrey6 tonne bellSt. Salvators Cathedral, one of numerous stained glass windowsSt. Salvators CathedralSt. Salvators CathedralMinnewater Lake of LoveMinnewater Lake of LoveMinnewater Lake of Love Bridge

    In Bruges - Take 2

    June 24, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Another sunny day, this morning we started out with some exercise- walking up the 366 stairs to the top of the Belfrey in the Markt Square. A fantastic view overlooking Bruges, it can be very loud though as every quarter hour it rings, with 47 bells, the biggest 6 tonnes and over 2m wide, and also many chimes, to play 4 tunes ( one tune is 'over the rainbow') on repeat.
    Later on we explored Bruges some more we went to Minnewater or The Lake of Love, which is a beautiful spot where the canal ends, and which used to be a ship dock. There is a traditional area for tending to horses at one end, as the horses used to take the freight from there, there is even a horse fountain for their water.
    We also visited St Salvators Cathedral which has an amazing amount of art, tapestries, marble, silver, and the most stunning stained glass windows. They have so much art they can barely fit it all in! The church was built in 1360, destryed by lightning at some stage, then later rebuilt and then later again there was an sizable addition. So there is actually two layers of stained glass, external and internal. Around 1990 they discovered that it was built on top of a 12th Century Roman portal.
    That evening we visited a trappist bar in an underground cellar with vaulted ceilings, and 27 beers on tap, a very atmospheric venue.    Read more

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    View of Church of Our Lady at night
    Pilots building on Antwerp Harbour2Building on Antwerp harbourAntwerp marinaView from our rooftop terraceAntwerp Railway Station, stunningSpot Daniel and LeonieFloating Lighthouse, it was anchored out at a sand bar for yearsHarbour Masters Building, old bottom, new top2Statue of the former Mayor, and friend, Antwerp marina

    Antwerp Diamond Day 1

    Jun 25–27, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We managed to catch a train from Bruges to Antwerp today in the blazing heat. After some Vietnamese food and a rest we walked around the port district looking at the sights before retiring to a pub on the waterfront (it was very, very hot OK!) Our accommodation here has a rooftop terrace so we had some great views throughout the evening.
    BTW Antwerp is a famous diamond trading centre.    Read more

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    In the treasury of St. Pauls church
    James Ensors 'Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise'Outside of the Het Steen, pretending to be giantsThe statue of Brabo throwing away the giants hand in Grote Markt AntwerpGrote markt.St. Pauls CathedralReubens painted this altarpiece whilst he was a parishioner at St. PaulsNello and Patrasche statue outside the Cathedral, in which they sheltered in the story.Antwerp Opera House,2Sculptures in Antwerp Botanical Garden

    Antwerp Diamond Day 2

    June 26, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The days are so long here, sunrise 5.29am sunset 10.02. This morning we set off, more prepared for the forecast 31 degrees. We first went to a fortress near here, Het Steen, the building has been reinvented many times over the years, but was first built in the 11th Century. There is a legend here about a mythical giant (Antigoon) who used to demand merchants paid their shipping taxes, those that refused he cut off a hand and threw it into the river. Until the Roman soldier
    Barabo killed the giant and cut off his hand and threw it in the river, after that Antwerp flourished due to free trade, so the story goes. There are numerous statues and references to this legend around the city.
    One other famous statue is of Nello, the boy, and Patrasche, the dog, in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady (from 'Dog of Flanders ' book), it is a a very sad story, but a cute statue. The Cathedral of Our Lady is beside the historic Grote markt (square) which is surrounded by tall terrace buildings in the Belgian style, and Antwerp City Hall. We had some lunch there, waffles with chocolate sauce and strawberries, and a crispy fish taco. No photo, disappeared too fast!
    After lunch we went to KMSKA The Royal Museum of Fine Arts. A great collection of Old Masters (including a collection of Reubens paintings). We ended up at an James Ensor exhibition (another Old Master) where we were asked to describe the painting 'Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise' to a blind man, hard work, especially as it turned out he knew more about the painting than us! An interesting experience.
    We then raced to St. Paul's church before it closed (near our accommodation) it is packed with paintings and sculptures and made from massive amounts of different colored marble. The white marble and dark carved wood combination was especially striking. There was also a treasury there, and being in Antwerp the crowns and other precious items had plenty of diamonds on them, usually 600 or so plus other precious gemstones.    Read more

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    Ghent scenery
    The Thinker in Ghent,A typical Ghent street viewScenery across the canal at Ghent4Scenery across the canal at GhentGraffiti StreetSpires or turrets anyone?Monument commerates Van Eyck brothers, sculptors who made the altarpiece of St. Bavos CathedralInside St. Michaels church

    So much Ghent

    June 27, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We took the train to Ghent today, expecting a sort of not so pretty Bruges, well we are loving Ghent, it is amazing, so much to see!
    Our hotel is in the old town and all we have to do is walk through the alleyway on the corner and we are in an amazing square, the next street on is the canal, lined with grand turreted buildings, castles and churches. On repeat.
    Ghent is an ancient city at the confluence of two rivers, there have been remains of settlements found here from the Iron and stone ages. The city was plundered by Vikings 851 and 879. After this the city recovered and became one of the largest and richest cities Northern Europe with a healthy textile industry. Ghent is now a University town, and is very vibrant and lively.
    We went for a walk around when we arrived about lunchtime, through the main square and along canals, took heaps of photos and visited a couple of churches and the Castle of Gerard the Devil then we recuperated in a couple of bars to sample the local Belgium beers.    Read more

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    Ghent at night
    St. Michaels church at nightGhent at nightGhent at nightGravensteen castle at nightMystic Lamb altarpieceGhent Cathedral (St. Bavo)Ghent Cathedral (St. Bavo)Ghent Old Town from Gravensteen CastleGhent from Gravensteen Castle

    More Ghent

    June 28, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Last night we went out to look at the city lights, it looked beautiful and there were a lot of people out and about. The sustainable lighting plan was installed to highlight architectural features, statues, monuments and squares and starts at sunset and ends at Midnight.

    This morning we had some time before we took the bus to Aachen, Germany. We first went to see the Ghent Cathedral St Bavo, it has a very famous altarpiece (also known as the adoration of the Mystic Lamb) which is a very sought after oil painting with 12 panels. The altarpiece has previously been stolen, and there is still a panel missing and there is a copy on display instead, there are also some very spectacular sculptures, marblework and chapels.

    We then toured Gravensteen, the Castle of the Counts, that dates from 1180and was built by Philip of Alsace on the site of an older fortification, it has a moat fed by a river. After it ceased to be the residence of the Counts of Flanders it fell into disrepair but has subsequently been bought and restored by the city of Ghent. The audiotour that guides you through the castle was filled with stories that bought the history to life.    Read more

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    Aachen Cathedral (Charlemagne remains are in the rear gold shrine)
    Aachen Cathedral, spot Leonie, Daniel and KateMosaic ceiling in Aachen CathedralRosary window in St. Nicholas chapel inside Aachen CathedralA tiny square in Aachen, with the Aachen Cathedral in the backgroundPart of the ancient Roman hot bathsThe oldest pub in AachenAnd the oldest bar had some interesting beersA very old and exclusive bar on the side of the town hallCharlemagne statue and fountain in front of the town hall

    Charlemagne's Aachen

    June 29, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Aachen is a German City in the centre of the action, near Belgium, near France and very near the Netherlands. In fact we were in the Netherlands long enough to eat our afternoon tea on the bus (37 minutes).
    Aachen is a University town now, and is also a popular town for conferences and, this weekend, the World Equestrian Festival, the biggest horse jumping show in central Europe. The biggest employer here in the 1900's was a needle factory. Historically it was a Roman Bath town as it had hot springs here.
    Charlemagne was King of the Franks and the Holy Roman Emperor. The Cathedral here was first built in 800 AD, he died in 814 and his tomb is here. 30 Kings and 12 Queens were anointed, crowned, and enthroned here in this Cathedral during the middle ages. So the Aachen Cathedral (The Church of Charlemagne) is very fancy.

    This afternoon Jana a friend of Daniel's from Berlin, who is a local here, gave us a tour of the old town. It was great as we got all of the local history, favorite restaurants, pubs, bakeries and pizzerias. After the tour we all went for a drink in the oldest pub in Aachen (where Janas parents met and where her sister had her wedding reception) then we went for a pizza. We had a local craft beer from Bahkauv Brew, named after a beast that is rumored to live in the Aachen sewers.
    The town is super busy as tonight Germany is playing Switzerland in the football UEFA football championship knockout round.    Read more

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    As Daniel said 'they really rolled out the red carpet for you! Rathaus in background
    Cologne CathedralDom high altar with the Shrine of the Magi (Gold encrusted)Altarpiece of St.ClareStained glass window 'Nativity of Jesus 'Padlocks on Hohenzollern BridgeThe Rhine River bank in front of Cologne2Braised pork with beer and mushroom sauce, smoked and roasted pork knuckle with sauerkrautMore Kolsch in Gaffel BrauhausDom from Hohenzollern Bridge

    Cologne - a city on the Rhine

    Jun 30–Jul 2, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We arrived in Cologne yesterday (Sunday) and Daniel and Leonie went back to Hirschberg and Heidelberg.
    There are football games playing here for the UEFA 2024, Spain vs Georgia tonight, and earlier England vs Slovakia in a town north of here, there are so many football fans in town, they are everywhere.
    The weather has cooled down a bit so we went out for a traditional German meal at a brewery/restaurant in the Alter (old) Market, Peter's Brauhaus which still brews its own Kolsch beer. The food was hearty and the beer good!

    There are Canal cruise boats tied up right along the Rhine River in front of Cologne, even the foreshore is heaving with people.
    We started this morning walking over the old Hohenzollern Bridge (the bridge of love, which is covered in padlocks), this also gave great views of the Dom (Cologne Cathedral) which is where we went next. This impressive Gothic church was begun in 1248 and took 632 years to complete, although there were previous churches on this site dating back to 313. The most notable item in the Dom is the Shrine (relics) of the Magi, who were the Three kings in the nativity story.
    We then found the Rathaus (town hall) another notable building.

    We spent the rest of the afternoon searching the beer halls and pubs for, and tasting, Kolsch beers for which Cologne is famous. Kolsch has to be made within 30 miles of Cologne. The beer is served in 200ml glasses by waiters (supposed to be humorous but also grumpy) called 'Köbes' who bring the small glasses around, carrying them in a circular holder (a kranz). You sit there and they just keep bringing them until you cover your glass or ask to pay.    Read more

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    Ouzo toasting ("yamas ")
    2View of the Neckar River from the Castle, with the old bridge (1788) in viewViews over Heidelberg and the plains from the castleRuins of Schloss HeidelbergerObservation turret in Schloss HeidelbergerObservation turret in Schloss Heidelberger, and that guy again!The Powder Tower which was blown up by French troops in 1693Kate in the courtyard of Schloss Heidelberger (Friedich's Wing)The castle from the garden terraces2Kate at entrance to the Old Bridge (Karl-Theodor-Brucke) at Heidelberg

    Heidelberg Castle

    July 5, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today we visited Heidelberger Schloss, we took the tram to Heidelberg and met Daniel for lunch near his workplace, we then walked through the town and took the funicular (cable car) up the steep hill to the castle. The castle really is the jewel in Heidelbergs crown, it looks amazing up on the hill above the town and river. We enjoyed the castle especially the views from the terraces and the sprawling gardens.
    Most of the castle is in ruins, it was built before 1214 and had bits added afterwards, it has also been hit by lightning a couple of times, and blown up and burnt a couple of times by the French in about 1689.
    There are massive Park like garden with beautiful old trees, huge lawns and high terraces, with views of the Neckar River and the old bridge below. It was supposed to be landscaped in the formal Italian style but was never finished.
    It is used these days as a concert venue, tourist attraction, and also as a public park for anyone who walks up the hill.    Read more

  • ThistledomeHalf a World AwayThistledome
    Looking over the Neckar River to Heidelberg Castle with the funicular on the right
    2Looking across the Neckar river from the philosophers walkLDaniel's back yardAuerbach summer residence groundsThis cute little building was the bathhouseWalking up to Staatspark FurstenlagerThe view from above the summer residenceAuerbach township, half timbered housesThere was a wedding in the gardens when we were there

    The Philosophers Way and Auerbach town

    July 13, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Earlier this week we went back to Heidelberg, and followed the philosophers walk up the hill, on the opposite bank of the Neckar River, so there were different views of Heidelberg Castle. It was a very peaceful walk up above the university, with fantastic views all round. The walk also passed some expensive houses and some very sought after allotments with a warm microclimate.
    On Saturday we took the train up to Auerbach (on the way to Frankfurt), another charming town full of old half-timbered houses. We had lunch at an old mill, now a beer garden, the original mill on the site was built in 1475. After lunch we walked on up to Staatspark Furstenlager, which was a grand park where Dukes and Counts had made a summer residence in a valley, based on the design of an English country village. There is a spring where they built the summer residence that was thought to have therapeutic properties.
    Tomorrow we are going out to the vineyard to have a BBQ with some of Daniel's friends before for we fly out the next morning to our stopover in Singapore.    Read more

  • ThistledomeHalf a World AwayThistledome
    BBQ at Daniel's vineyard
    Art installation in a parkChinatown marketSri Mariamman TempleThe famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice and XiaolongbaoAt Maxwell Hawkers market in Chinatown, where our chicken rice came from, delicious 😋Marina Sands light showMarina Sands light showSingapore at nightNight time in Singapore

    Homeward via Singapore

    Jul 16–19, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    On our last night in Germany, Daniel put on a BBQ/working bee at his vineyard, it was great to catch up with Leonie and his friends again. We then had an early start the next morning for our flights from Frankfurt to Dubai then a night flight onto Singapore. We were pretty knackered when we arrived but had a long sleep in the air-conditioned hotel room. 31 degrees day, 27 degrees night here in Singapore.
    Today (after we woke up early afternoon) we went and explored China town, we explored a couple of food markets (eating in the markets here is amazing, and cheap) had a beer at Clarkes Quay, and then walked down the river to see the Marina Sands light show from across the bay. Singapore is not crowded, safe, very clean, humid and hot.    Read more

  • ThistledomeHalf a World AwayThistledome
    Botanical gardens
    Orchid collectionBotanical gardensOrchid collectionA brave squirrel in orchid gardenDumpling soups with egg and spinachSuper TreesGarden RapsodyGarden RapsodyGardens by the Bay

    Singapore Sling

    July 19, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    After another long, much needed, sleep in we took the metro out to the Singapore botanical gardens to see the national orchid collection. First stop was Adam Road Hawkers Market for lunch, then across the road to the gardens. Suburban Singapore is also extremely clean and has beautiful plants.
    The botanical gardens were tropical and lush, and the orchids well tended and gorgeous.
    We finished the day by traveling back to the city to see another light show in the Gardens by the Bay, Garden Rapsody at the Super Tree Grove. We got back to our hotel late and are heading back to NZ tomorrow night, but I pretty sure we can fit in another Hawkers Market tomorrow before we leave!
    The public transport system is super efficient and clean, and the toilets are ALL clean!!!    Read more

  • ThistledomeHalf a World AwayThistledome
    The Merlion, a Singapore welcome to visitors
    You know you are in Singapore when you see the Marina Sands Hotel on Fullerton BayLau Pa Sat Hawkers marketSome of the foods we didn't haveDim SumDuck on noodles

    Singapore Slung

    July 19, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Our last day here (only half a day actually) we left our luggage at the hotel and had lunch at Lau Pa Sat on Raffles Quay, this is a very popular, historic and recently refurbished Hawkers market. This was the busiest, biggest, and the market with the most choices of food (unfortunately a lot of it was very offal based). After lunch we walked down to the waterfront to see the city, and walked through The Fullerton Park to see the iconic Merlion.
    We then headed to Changi Airport and to home via Melbourne    Read more

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