Saying that, we have had some really good times, but the best has been to be with one’s family and especially being able to be “Grandparents” to a young one again. Hey Rob’s now you know you have “grown up”
Our first travel in Germany was a super train trip to Hamburg, why when we live in Africa is a train, travel something which we don’t even contemplate. (unless of coarse we could afford the Blue or White Train)
Hamburg is Germany’s leading port and its dynamic, multiculturalism and hedonistic red-light district, the “Reeperbahn”, all arise from its maritime history.It’s supposedly Germany’s wealthiest city.
We found it wonderful, with its old town quite medieval. The arcades of shops and café’s run alongside the canals and also on the River Elba. The beautiful red-brick neo-gothic warehouses lining the Elbe architecture south of the Alstadt once stored goods from around the world. Now the so called “Speicherstadt” merges into the “Hafen City” (harbour) an area where the old docks are being transformed into a 155 hectare extension of the city which when complete will house a new U-BahnStation, a university and about 5500 apartments.
We had a wonderful city tour of all the old buildings including two beautiful churches, St Michaels Kirche and St Nikolai Kirche, which was damaged during the war and restored and now is an antiwar memorial with some chilling photos of the then bombed out city, and we also had super views of the city by using the water-boats on the River.
The container harbour is huge, and this is where we collected our car & trailer. It was lovely to unload it, and it all became very real that we had actually reached Germany. Well trailer and car had survived its container trip with only two slightly flat tyres.Hamburg is quite famous for its music, and we were very lucky to see two shows while in the city, The Lion King and Holiday on Ice.
Of coarse a visit to the city could not have gone by without a walk down the main street, of the Reeperbahn. It apparently beats the Red Light District in Holland. (That’s what Wolf says!!!!)
On Sundays, there is a “Fischmarkt” Starts at 6am until 10am. The Market has been running since 1703 and started because all “Shops” are closed on a Sunday and fishing which still took place on a Saturday evening had all this fish which would be off if waiting for a Monday Market, hence a Sunday early morning market was established until 10am which would then enable the people to still go to church on Sunday.
Well it was really fun (not that I thought that at 5.30am on a freezing cold Sunday morning) It is like an auction, and only our video and pictures could give you an idea of what fun it was. Here was the “Markt Schreier” (seller) screaming and joking, so as to sell his fish above the next one. The fish, eel and any other fish that is caught in the North Sea is on sale. i.e. I have two eels, two salmon, one matjies, 5 salt herring, all for !!! 10.- Euros. Descriptions of what was for sale would equal any real good auction in SA. Then there are fruit stalls in baskets for “Euro Lots” you could drink “Gluwein” at 7am in the morning. It is quite usual for the locals to come straight from the Pubs on Saturday night to the Sunday Morning market. We saw and HEARD them.
We had fun, bought fish, drank Gluwein, and ate “Sausage” and “Fish Rolls before heading back on the road and driving home (the temporary one) with our Car and Trailer.
On the road back to Huckelhoven, we stopped over at Hamlin, “The Pied Piper” I am sure us oldies all read the book, as the story goes, when the city was infested with rats, the Pied Piper offered to get rid of them for a sum of money, after he had piped them to the river and they all drown, the city refused to pay him, so he piped all the way through the city calling the children behind him, down to the river they went. So as the story goes, there should be no rats and no children. However visiting the town is quite different, everywhere you look along the cobbled streets are fake rats and pictures of happy children. But it was super and there is a lot of 16th-18th Century houses restored half timbered houses. One of which has been restored into a “Pancake Restaurant” in which we had a super lunch. The Rattenfanger Glockenspiel (a carousel of Pied Piper figures and number of bells) which play at certain times during the day. It really was like a fairytale.
The next 10 days, we had our “poor car” repaired, The sad thing is neither Mitsubishi SA or Mitsubishi here could or would help us. But it’s all done now and seems to be in good shape, it has taken quite well to the roads towing our “new home” a 6 mt caravan.
We had a super weekend with Uwe and Rosie, friends who have been in SA with us and visited a very religious town of Kevelar with two lovely churches and many shops with religious artefacts. Many good evenings with our family, loving the time with our grandchildren.
We took off on the 23rd November, going North West through the Harz Mountains. This is a mini-Alpine region in the Saxony region. The medieval castles overlook the fairy-tale historic towns.
We visited Goslar, a stunning 1000 year old city with beautifully preserved half-timbered buildings. There is a reconstructed Romanesque 11th Century palace. Also a restored “Domvorhalle” which houses an 11th century “Kaiserstuhl” throne used by German Emperors.
We visited Quedlingburg which is a world heritage town and best known for its spectacular castle district perched on a 25m high plateau above its historic half-timbered buildings. Originally established during the reign of Heinrich1, between 919 and 936. The Renaissance “schloss” (castle) dates from the 16th century. The whole area’s mascot is a “Witch” so if you are into memento’s (Dawn) a witch of some sort must be on the list to take home.
We spent three days in the area visiting Blankenberg, Elbingerode and Wernigerode. The whole area must be even more beautiful in the snow. We visited the first of many, “Christkindel Markt” (Christmas Markets) in Goslar. These markets, for those who have never been to one, lots and lots of Christmas Decorations of all types, Beautiful Lights, Beautiful Cribs, lots of German Sausage Stalls and litres of Gluwein & Eier Punch drunk by all.
We made our way further south west, to Querfurt where Wolf’s cousin had invited us to his 70th Birthday. What a bash, will post some photos on the web, when you see the “kloppers” little bottles of Schnaps, called kloppers because you klop on the table, open the bottle and drink. Note we were only 19 people, 17 drinkers and beside all the normal wine, beer, “klap my vrou” 245 Kloppers were consumed. Thank heaven we were transported to the venue by bus. (People take drinking and driving very seriously in Germany, you loose your licence here very quickly with this type of driving) Had lovely music, dancing and really a super party. Showed the rest of the restaurant patrons how the old people enjoy themselves. Thanks Manno and Ursula.
Left for Dresden on the 30th November. This is a city on the Elbe River, famous before the war as “Florence on the Elbe” due to Italian artists, musician’s actors and master craftsman who flocked to the court of Augustus the Strong, bestowing countless masterpieces upon the city. But shortly before the end of WWII it was bombed and incinerated much of the baroque centre, a beautiful jewel like area dating from the 18th century. More than 35000 people died and pictures of this ruined city are unbelievable. It is famous for the restorations which were first started after 1950 and more so after the reunification. We visited this city in 2000 and at the time the “Frauenkirche” (Church of our Lady)was being reconstructed piece by piece. All stones which could be identified were marked and numbered and original plans were used to restore this beautiful church to what it was when built between 1726 and 1743 under the direction of baroque architect George Bahr. Originally when it was bombed the communists decided to leave the rubble as a war memorial and because of this it was able to be restored by the rubble still being there years later. After seeing it half complete in 2000, we were determined to see it finished. We arrived at the church to be very lucky to be at a time when a service was about to start and for one hour, we were treated to the magnificent organ being played. The sound cannot be explained. It was just so heart moving. Again another Chriskindel Markt, this one being one of the best in Germany. Again pictures on the web might give you an idea of how beautiful they are.
Dresden has other beautiful buildings, but we had seen them before so we just enjoyed the city and the Christmas feelings.
Left to go north and stopped over at an area called “Spreewald”. This is an area of lots of little rivers and channels running between beautiful, green farmlands. The area gives you a feeling of Venice, with lots of boats running up and down the rivers. While I would love to revisit the “Hartz” area in the Snow, this is a place you need to visit in the summer. With lots of little café’s and restaurants on the rivers edges, it must be absolutely beautiful. Also home to the biggest grown Cucumbers. We of coarse had to sample, all types of cucumbers, done in the most unusual ways. Brought home lots of Semp Gurkin, and types of Pickled Cucumbers. We camped on a super dam (excuse the pun, “dam cold”) But beautiful all the same.
We will go back in summer with the family.
Left then for the big city of Berlin. Spent 5 days visiting the city, and the surrounding city of Potsdam. Here the buildings, history of pre and post Berlin Wall really, really interesting. Did a city bus tour. (easier out of the cold) and lots of street walking. The main street, Kurfurstendamm, was lit ten up like a fairyland. The amount of Christmas Lights in the street and the decorated shop windows was phenomenal. The most memorable visits were to Checkpoint Charlie, the Museum-Story of Berlin, the Holocaust Memorial.
Potsdam is the home of ornate palaces and manicured gardens dotted around huge riverside park gardens. It was the royal seat of Potsdam and was definite the highlight for me. Fredrich Wilhelm of Brandenberg laid the ground for the town’s success when he made it his second residence in the 17th Century. But Friedrich II commissioned most of the palaces in the mid-18th century. In August 1945 the WWII allies chose the Schloss Ceciliehof for the Potsdam, Conference which set the stage for the division of Berlin and Germany into occupation zones. The most famous castle Schloss Sanssouci was built in 1747. Unfortunately it is closed on a Monday, and this is the day we chose (unknown) to visit the castle. Maybe another reason to revisit.
We return now to our “Second Home” in Germany to have Christmas and New Year with our family.
Had a wonderful “Christmas Weekend” with Uwe and Rosie again. A spread of Seafood especially shopped for in France (267km) done on the Saturday of our Christmas Dinner and was unbelievable. See the sights on the web. Once again thank you Uwe and Rosie, we hope to host you to the same unbelievable standard back in SA when we get home.
With our weekend (before Christmas) we were treated to our first snow. (How quickly I turned into a child) It was absolutely wonderful to wake up to a white, white outside. The snow stayed with us until Christmas.
Our Christmas and New-year to follow.
