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August 2021

Germany

A 15-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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    August 13, 2021
    skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelGermany

    Rüdensheim

    August 14, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    I'm back on the road at last. First stop is the Rhine Valley. Rüdensheim is one of two small, picturesque German towns along the river that I visited. (See also the post for Bacharach.).
    The pictures are all around the town. I've seen many pictures of towns in Germany that seem to have a certain character. I can now say first hand that the towns along the Rhine Valley do have that character.Read more

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    On the Rhine

    August 14, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    A boat ride on the Rhine, it seems, is a part of most trips to Germany. The Rhine is known for having many castles, and this short stretch of the river is no exception, as 3 of the pictures show. The 1st picture is a look downriver from the boat in what is called the Rhine gorge. The 2nd is a look at Bingen of Hildegard fame.
    The last picture is Lorelei Rock. This is the tallest rock along the Rhine at the deepest and narrowest point on the river. And this is about the sharpest bend in the river: a formula for lots of crashes.
    Tradition says a young woman named Lorelei committed suicide by jumping from the top after finding out about an unfaithful lover. She is said to have become the first siren, luring sailors onto the rocks.    Read more

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    Bacharach

    August 14, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Bacharach (no, not Burt) is the other small town. This one is an important wine town in the middle Rhine wine region. The area produces some of the best Riesling anywhere. I did taste some, and it is very good.
    The 1st 3 pictures are of the town. The 2nd set of 3 pictures is inside the main evangelical church in town. I was taken by the section of wall that appears to have been uncovered, perhaps during renovation work, and left as it was. That is the 5th picture    Read more

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    Köln Cathedral

    August 14, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Köln (in English, it's Cologne) Cathedral is one of the most recognizable buildings in Germany. It dates to the 13th century, although it wasn't feeling bushed until the 19th century. Amazingly, this is just about the only building left standing in Cologne after the bombing in World War II flattened pretty much everything else. I didn't take pictures of the town as it is all basically new since 1945.
    The cathedral is known for the relics of the Magi that are kept in the golden shrine. These are said to be the remains of the gift bringers to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
    The 1st picture looks at the towers that were the tallest structure in Europe up until the Eiffel tower was completed. The 2nd looks down the length of the nave. 3rd is a sample of the stained glass there. 4th is a statue oh Jesus carrying a child. 5the is the "Magi Reliquary" and the last looks across the transept.    Read more

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    Hameln

    August 15, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    If the picture of the statue of the Pied Piper doesn't tell you, Hameln is Hamelin in English. Yes, this is the town in the tale of the Pied Piper, and the town makes a big deal out of that. In the 2nd picture, look closely at the top of the bridge structure. That's a golden rat up there.
    Hamelin is a pretty well preserved and rehabbed old German town, as pictures 3-5 show. The 5th picture is the front of the town hall. Above the brown square in the center is an exposed carillon.
    As to that brown square, everyday at 13:05, the bells begin to play, the brown square doors open, and the Pied Piper legend is shown. The 6th picture is of the second part of the story when the children of the town are being led away because the town leaders refused to pay the piper, literally.    Read more

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    Hamburg

    August 16, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Hamburg is the 2nd largest city in Germany (after Berlin).
    The 1st picture is of the Rathaus or city hall. (No comment about reading the name in English together with political humor.) The 2nd picture looks down the street to St. Peter's Church, said tho be the oldest in Hamburg. The 3rd looks over Alster Lake, a manmade lake in the center of the city. The final 3 pictures are examples of sights in the cityRead more

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    Hamburg harbor

    August 16, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The port of Hamburg is the 2nd busiest in Europe (after Rotterdam). It is built on the river Elbe on the lowlands near the mouth of the river at the North Sea. It is also an old port. Hamburg was part of the Hanseatic League, the medieval merchant organization.
    The 1st picture looks oner the port from the top of St. Michael's tower (see another post for the church). The 2nd is for the Hanseatic history of the port. The 3rd and 4th are of the old port, reminiscent of the canals of Amsterdam. The 5th is an example of architectural adaptation: the lower, brick portion is a Hanseatic era warehouse, while the upper is new and looks like waves. The last picture is of the new port and dry docks    Read more

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    St. Michaels Church, Hamburg

    August 16, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    St. Michael's was built during the Hanseatic period as a baroque style Lutheran church. I can say that this is the first time I've encountered a protestant church built in this style.
    The 1st 4 pictures are all in the nave. The 5th is of bells in the tower. The last is of a mechanical timer and device connected to the bells.Read more

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    Lübeck

    August 16, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    The headquarters city of the Hanseatic League. Lübeck is famous for gothic brick architecture that is typical of the Hanseatic era.
    The 1st picture is of the city gates. This is the only remaining part of the medieval city walls. The 2nd picture is of the Rathaus or city hall where the merchant members of the Hanseatic league would meet. The 3rd picture is the market square right outside the Rathaus. I had one of the bratwursts at that stand in front. It was very good.
    The final 3 pictures are in examples of the Lübeck architecture and the look of typical city streets    Read more

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    Marienkirke, Lübeck

    August 16, 2021 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    The Marienkirke or Mary Church of Lübeck was begun in the 13th century and has the tallest brick vault in the world. It was built by the secular Hanseatic merchants as a statement that they wanted to be free from control by the church As many as 70 churches around the Baltic region follow the design of this church.
    The 1st picture is of the nave looking towards the altar. There are many carvings around the church in both wood and stone. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are examples of carvings located in the ambulatory behind the altar.
    The last picture is of the astronomical clock. The originals bal dated from the 1560s but was destroyed during the bombing if World War II. The current replica was built in the 1960s.    Read more

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    WW II Berlin

    August 17, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Most of Berlin was leveled by the bombing during the war. So not much is left. The 1st picture is of the bell tower of the Kaiser Wilhelm Church. The rest of the building was destroyed. The tower remains as a reminder.
    The 2nd picture is a beautiful villa overlooking the lake that has a dark history. This is the site of the Wansee Conference where Heydrich laid out the plans for the "Final Solution" for exterminating the Jewish population.
    The last picture shows the foundation walls of the former Gestapo headquarters. I'm told that Stalin ordered all vestiges of the Nazis be destroyed. So, what the bombers missed, the Soviet army eliminated. Hence, not much remains.    Read more

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    Cold War Berlin

    August 17, 2021 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    This is what most of us grew up with when we heard about Berlin. Most of what's here was familiar in name only. Seeing all this brought so much back.
    The 1st picture is of a section of the Berlin wall that has been preserved. Most of us have heard of Checkpoint Charlie between the American (West Berlin) and Soviet (Easy Berlin) sectors. That's the 2nd picture.
    The 3rd picture is the bridge of spies where cold war spies who had been captured were exchanged. The most famous from the US perspective was Gary Powers, the U2 pilot who had been shot down. The 4th picture shows the marker on the bridge deck denoting the border between West Berlin and East Germany. This is the point where the exchanges were made.
    The last picture is one of the aircraft used in the Berlin airlift that supplied West Berlin when East Germany (and the Soviet Union, of course) tried to cut off and starve West Berlin by blocking the roads in an attempt to get the allies to abandon West Berlin to the Soviets    Read more

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    Berlin

    August 17, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Berlin is a beautiful city with an extraordinary history. At the risk of absurd understatement, I cannot begin to capture this place in a brief post or two from a one day visit. So I will be back for a few days next week. In addition to this post, I am preparing posts on a bit of world war 2 and on the cold war. Expect to find additions next week. Because of the intense bombing during world war 2, very little remains of the pre-war city.
    These pictures are of the Brandenburg Gate at night and by day, the victory monument from the 19th century, the Reichstag and Kufürstendamm, often referred to as Ku-damm. This is a major shopping district.    Read more

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    Dresden

    August 18, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Beautiful former capital of the Saxon rulers. Most of what is here are restorations as the city was destroyed by the bombing and firestorm in 1945. Many of the treasures were removed for safekeeping and have been return to their restored homes.
    This is another city that demands a longer visit as there is a lot of significant art here. This short visit allowed time to see some of the important buildings, but not the collections housed there.
    The 1st picture is the palace of the crown prince of Saxony. The 2nd picture is of a portion of the Procession of the Princes, a wall mural now made of porcelain tiles. The porcelain tiles are original as they were able to withstand the incredible heat of the firestorm from the bombing. The mural depicts all the rulers of Saxony.
    The 3rd picture is the opera house, said to be one of the best in Europe. The 4th picture is of part of the main church adjacent to the residential palace, while the 5th shows both the residential palace (where the ruler resided) and the church.
    The last picture is within the Zwinger. This was originally a kill box between the outer and inner city walls. It became a parade ground and event space. The buildings around the Zwinger are now some of the museums.    Read more

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    Leipzig

    August 18, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Leipzig is the largest town in Saxony and is a major arts and education center. On addition to musicians mentioned in the Thomaskirche post, Goethe studied at the renowned university here, too.
    While Leipzig was bombed during world war 2, it was not as heavily damaged as other cities. So there are more pre-war buildings here. The 1st picture is of the old Town Hall along one side of the market square. The 2nd picture is a better look at the market square. The 3rd and 4th pictures are looks at a couple of streets scenes.
    Another thing Leipzig is famous for is the "passages" throughout the city. These are covered and enclosed walkways through buildings. There are a couple dozen of them. The most well known is the Mädler Passage which is shown in the 5th picture.
    The last picture is another nod to the artistic and musical heritage of the city. This is a display of baroque period musical instruments.    Read more

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    Thomaskirche, Leipzig

    August 18, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    St. Thomas Church in Leipzig is almost a pilgrimage site for musicians. Johann Sebastian Bach served here for 27 years as organist, choir master, composer, etc. Pictures 3, 4 & 5 are all Bach: his organ, his statue and his crypt. The first 2 pictures are of the church: outside and in the nave.
    There are more musicians associated with Leipzig. Mozart is known to have played the organ. The last picture is a statue of Felix Mendelssohn who is connected here, as are Richard Wagner and Robert and Clara Schumann.    Read more

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    Weimar

    August 19, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Many consider Weimar to be a cultural center of Germany. This relatively small town has an outsized reputation. It was here that the first constitution was proclaimed, creating the Weimar Republic after world war 1 and the collapse of the imperial government. That occurred at the theater building in the 1st picture. The 2nd picture is the Rathaus located on Markt Square.
    Part of the importance of Weimar are the famous people who lived here. Picture 3 is Schiller's house. Picture 4 is Franz Liszt's house. Picture 5 is Bauhaus University. The Bauhaus movement was begun here by Gropius. Other important residents include Nietzsche, Goethe, Herder and more.
    The last picture captures a glimpse of the big city park, Park an der Ilm.    Read more

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    Coburg Castle

    August 19, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    This might be the castle in the best condition in Germany due to extensive restorations. This is the seat of the Saxe-Coburg family. Queen Victoria's Prince Albert was a Saxe-Coburg.
    The 1st picture looks up at the gate. The 2nd picture is in the entry courtyard. The 3rd looks up to the wall from another courtyard. The 4th picture is of the hunting room. The room is full of hunting scenes both painted and carved. The 5th picture is in the banqueting hall.
    The last picture is 2 portraits of Martin Luther. Luther stayed here for an extra extended period. It is said that he translated the Bible into German while in residence.    Read more

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    Nürnberg

    August 19, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Nuremberg, in English, is generally well known as the site of the war crimes trials after world war 2 and of the grounds where the Nazis held huge rallies (see another post). While Nürnberg is considered a center of the Renaissance in Germany, it is an older association that was the basis for the Nazi connection. Nürnberg was a major political center of the Holy Roman Empire. So it was of central importance for Hitler.
    The 1st picture is the restored Schönner Brunner fountain dating from the 14th century. The 2nd picture looks across the town square to the Church of Our Lady, the main church of Nürnberg. The 3rd picture is part of the Nürnberg Castle, and the 4th picture was taken through the portcullis into the castle courtyard as we arrived after it closed for the day.
    The 5th picture looks over the city from the castle battlements. The last picture is taken from one of the bridges over the river.    Read more

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    Zeppelinfield, Nürnberg

    August 20, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    This is the site most of us saw in the documentaries about the huge Nazi rallies with thousands of marchers carrying flags and torches with Hitler making his speeches. The size of the place is mind boggling, and these picture capture only a small portion of the site. The map in the 1st picture shows the entire site. The Zeppelinfield is the small rectangle in the center right. This is the site of the rallies. I hope you can get a sense of the scale of the Nazi vision here.
    The 2nd picture is taken from the top of the central structure overlooking the place where Hitler stood to addressed the rallies. The 3rd picture looks along the length of the grandstand which is between 400 and 500 meters long. The 4th picture looks up to the speaker's platform from the parade grounds, and the last looks out to the parade grounds from ground level.
    Much of what had been planned for this huge site was never finished, and much of what was built was bombed. Yet even these remaining ruins show the scale of the Nazi vision.    Read more

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    Rothenberg ob der Tauber

    August 20, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Well preserved medieval town in the Franconia region of Bavaria. The town is located on a bluff high above the river Tauber. It is also a few hundred meters from where 2 major medieval trade routes crossed. The original castle was built up on the bluff in the 11th century but was destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th Century. The last picture is of the Castle Gardens located on the former castle site.
    The 1st picture is of the market square. The 2nd is also on the square but catches the glockenspiel on the hour that remembers the legend that tells of the mayor (in the right hand window) during the 30 years war who chugged a gallon of wine to get the general (in the other window) to defend the city.
    Rothenburg o d T has one of the few in tact (restored) city walls. The 3rd picture looks along the covered walkway on the wall. The 4th picture was taken from the top of a tower along the city wall. You can see the wall with it's covered walkway.
    The last picture shows some of the typical buildings in town    Read more

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    St. Jakob Church, Rothenberg

    August 20, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    St. Jacob's is the main church in Rothenberg ob der Tauber (see another post). This church is known for its extensive and fine wood carving. Building began in the 14th century and continued into the 15th. This is also a church on one of the many pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.
    The 1st picture is of the nave, looking toward the main altar, and the 2nd is a detail of that altar known as the Twelve Apostles Altar. Also, the wings of the altar depict the way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela.
    The 3rd picture is in a side chapel. The 4th picture is the pulpit. (This preacher couldn't resist.). The 5th picture is another chapel, located upstairs from the nave.
    The altar in the 5th picture is famous as it is said to have a drop of the blood of Jesus, making this a significant pilgrimage site in its own right.
    The last picture is called Christmas Boat and is a traditional carving in ebony from Tanzania. It is a gift from a partner church there.    Read more

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    München Zentrum

    August 21, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The center of Munich is around the Marienplatz. The 1st 4 pictures are all at the Marienplatz. The 1st picture is of the Church of Our Lady or Notre Dame or Mary for whom the square is named. In the 2nd picture you will see a column in the middle of the square. On top of the column is a gilded statue of Mary. 3rd is another look across the plaza, and the 4th is of the city hall. In the center of this building is the glockenspiel (see another post).
    The last 2 pictures are just off the Marienplatz. The 5th is the opera house, and the 6th is the farmers market. The market is far more extensive than one picture can capture.    Read more

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    München

    August 21, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Munich is the 3rd largest city in Germany and capital of the state of Bavaria. It is also known for the Oktoberfest that has been canceled for the 2nd year in a row. (Although I can attest that the beer is still good.)
    Until after world war 1, Bavaria was ruled by kings. The 1st picture is of the summer palace. I don't have a wide angle lens. So I ask you to add about 300% to what you see to get a sense of scale. The 2nd picture is of the Residence Palace near the center of Munich. The 3rd picture is a city gate of the same design as the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The 4th picture is the main shopping street.
    The last 2 pictures were taken from the bus. The 5th picture is of one of the facilities for the Olympics of 1972. You may recall that this was the Olympic games with the terrorist attacks. The last picture is a glimpse of the Löwenbräu beer hall.    Read more

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