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Limal

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    • TravelerNorthern Europe
      Day 20

      Buchholz and time with the Bulda family

      July 14, 2018 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

      We caught the train out to where Folke had parked his car in Hamburg, and then he drove the last part out to his family home in Buchholz, for us to spend time with the Bulda family. We had a wonderful time, and before we knew it, we had to head to the station to catch the train back to Hamburg. Fritz and Inka were wonderful hosts - Inka baked three delicious cakes - Blueberry, Cranberry with cream and a chocolate and walnut - all were excellent. We then had a cold supper or smorgasbord with wonderful German cold meats and cheeses and delicious grilled vegetables, the spread was reminiscent of what Helga would prepare for family gatherings. It is a pity we are so far away from so much of our family, we have such a small family on the Bulda side we need to ensure we keep up the contact which I will do.Read more

    • TravelerNorthern Europe
      Day 20

      Hamburg and Buchholtz

      July 14, 2018 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      We met Folke and his family - Meike, Fridtjof and Frederik - at the harbour at Baumwall, and headed out to check out some of the sights of Hamburg. We walked through the area around the harbour, got to see the participants in the Hamburg triathlon, and made our way to Elb Philharmonic, which has recently been completed. It has two concert halls and is a magnificent building. Meike told me that the acoustics are excellent - they were fortunate enough to attend a concert following its opening. We then wandered around the area, and again were able to watch the triathlon participants, first swimming and then some in the final running leg. We then found a lovely spot for lunch where we ate traditional food from the Rhine region, and it was excellent. We also saw many brightly dressed people who are participating on the Schlager Move event. This is a parade followed by many parties where they listen to 60s and 70s music, and lot’s of drinking and, I mean lots and lots of drinking - Aussies would fit right in!

      We then headed to St. Michael’s Church, which is one of five main Lutheran churches in Hamburg. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Hanseatic Protestant Baroque churches. It is dedicated to the archangel Michael, and it has an 132 metre high Baroque spire which is completely covered in copper, and which is clearly visible on the Hamburg skyline. It has been rebuilt several times - it was destroyed by a lightening strike in 1750, it caught fire in 1906, and again following bombing attacks in 1944 & 1945. It required extensive reconstruction work. We climbed to the viewing platform in the spire that gave us great views of Hamburg.

      We then made our way to the trains and headed to Buchholz for afternoon tea with Fritz and Inka (Folke’s parents), and Folke and his family. Buchholz is as lovely as I remembered, and they have the garden looking beautiful. We had a delicious afternoon tea - the blueberry cake Inka made was amazing. We were there for many hours and we had a wonderful cold supper of traditional German fare which I loved, especially the meat salad. The time went very quickly and it was comfortable and easygoing, before we knew it it was time for us to catch the train back to Hamburg.      Read more

    • TravelerNorthern Europe
      Day 19

      Berlin to Hamburg

      July 13, 2018 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Today we leave for Hamburg, but we have a few hours before we head to the central train station to catch our train. We had put off going up to the top of the TV tower - Berliner Fernsehturm - as it had been cloudy and wet yesterday, so this morning we were there at 9am. It is 368 metres high, and is the tallest building in Berlin. The viewing platform is at 203 metres and you get great views across Berlin - there is also a rotating restaurant, Sphere. We will try to go there for a meal next time we visit Berlin. This tower was built by the East German government to signify the triumph of their capital East Berlin.

      We then purchased a few mementos of Berlin from a souvenir shop, and went to the Ampelmann store, before heading back to the apartment to grab our luggage and make our way to the central station to catch our train to Hamburg. We found our platform, grabbed some lunch and waited for our train to arrive, and then it was a big scramble to get onboard and find our seats and somewhere to store our luggage. Once we settled into our seats we realised we had some Aussies sitting behind us, and we started chatting. It turns out the guy used to work with Ros Hore, who I knew when she worked for CSIRO - what a small world it is.

      The trip to Hamburg was pretty quick, and once we arrived we grabbed a taxi and headed to our Airbnb. Thomas, our host, was waiting for us and helped get us settled into the apartment, which was so lovely and in a very good part of town. What a host he is - the fridge was packed with goodies, as was the pantry, including a large bowl of fresh fruit. After unpacking and having a drink and snack, we headed out to scope out the neighbourhood and find somewhere to eat.      Read more

    • TravelerNorthern Europe
      Day 18

      Remainder of Thursday in Berlin

      July 12, 2018 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      After finishing at the Memorial for murdered Jews, we headed off for a late lunch and then onto Museumsinsel (Museum Island). Our plan was to go to the Pergamonmuseum, but unfortunately there was a two-hour wait to get in and, as the weather was bad and I had a head cold, we decided to try to get into another museum. We ended up going to the Neues Museum, where we saw some wonderful things including the Golden Hat, known as the Berlin Golden Hat. It is the best preserved specimen among the four conical Golden Hats known from the Bronze Age Europe. We also saw the Bust of Nefertiti, and the Xanten Youth and the Berlin Green Head, an ancient Egyptian statue head made from greenschist. It is considered to be the work of a highly skilled (though unknown) Egyptian sculptors, as well as one of the most famous and credited pieces of art from the late and Ptolemaic periods of ancient Egypt.Read more

    • TravelerNorthern Europe
      Day 18

      Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe

      July 12, 2018 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      “It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say”. Primo Levi, born in Turin, was a chemist. As a member of the Italian resistance, he was arrested in 1944 and deported to Auschwitz. He survived and began to write in 1945, directly after his return. In 1987, Primo Levi committed suicide. His stories and poems on the Holocaust today belong to world literature. Primo Levi’s story is just one of the thousands on display in this memorial.

      Another story that really affected me was this “After lunch the corpses from five vehicles were buried. From one vehicle a young women was thrown out with a baby at her breast. It suckled its mother’s milk and died. On this day we worked under the light from the searchlights until seven in the evening. Also on this day a vehicle drove so close to the pit that we heard the choked screams and desperate cries of the victims as well as the pounding on the doors. Before work had finished, six of the pit workers were also shot”.

      The following is a letter from an inmate of one of the camps. “We are now living through a terrible time. Thousands of people receive summonses - they are to be sent away to work. The people know well, however, what to make of this and they are scared. And yet one reassures them: It probably is to work. One would be happy if one knew that it really is work. And one hopes, because perhaps indeed it is […]. And one also is indifferent, because we are all tired and exhausted or the point of death.”      Read more

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