Hamburg

/
Hamburg

Almost as quickly as it began, my time in Europe was coming to an end. My time in France was done and I had only a few days left in Germany. I did however have one weekend left and I had booked in a to visit a good friend whom I had met in Paris who now lived in Hamburg. Other than a recent trip to Berlin, I had not spent much time in the North of Germany. Moreover, there is not much (German) cultural overlap between Berlin and Hamburg, but I had heard many good things about the city. It often appears on list of "liveable" cities, basically meaning that they are excellent destinations for highly-paid expats usually at the cost of the local population, but that would not stop me from going and visiting my friend the expat and having a great time.

Read More

Swabia: Augsburg and Neuschwanstein

/
Swabia: Augsburg and Neuschwanstein

One of the most visited attractions in Germany and by extension, Europe, is the fairy tale-esque castle of Neuschwanstein. It is nestled in the Bavarian Alps in the south of Germany and sees scores of tourists flocking to the area to visit the thoroughly modern castle. The castle was built in the mid-19th century when castles had essentially lost their military value but were symbols of wealth and power. Ludwig II, the then king of Bavaria, commissioned the construction of the castle as his personal residence and was inspired (in part) by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's restoration of le Château de Pierrefonds. In any case, with my time in Germany coming to an end, this was one big-ticket item that I was keen to see. It would turn out to be quite a mission for just a weekend trip, but ultimately a worthwhile mission.

Read More

Berlin

/
Berlin

Integrating the time that I had spent in Germany, it was somewhat of a black spot on my record that I had not been to Berlin. I would say that it is not all that surprising, given my interests are in the outdoors and not generally in cities, but Berlin is cool. So cool in fact, that all the Bohemian people that I knew - and going to a fancy private school meant I knew plenty of them with much disposable income - had lived there at one point or another and said how it was the "most ah-mazing place". Floating my boat is more the city's importance as the a capital, especially during the Kingdom of Prussia. But perhaps the most persuasive element was that leaving Germany without ever having visited the capital, especially as most other people that visit Germany make Berlin stop number one, would be setting myself up for many fruitless conversations in the future. So with no expectations, I would head north for the weekend and hang out with the cool kids.

Read More

Nordrhein-Westfalen: Aachen, Düsseldorf and Köln

/
Nordrhein-Westfalen: Aachen, Düsseldorf and Köln

I had some friends I wanted to visit in Köln, but as I had been there previously, I wanted to profit from being in the area and see something new. The nearby town of Aachen had always held great interest for me, so I formulated a plan to spend the Saturday there and then make my way to Köln on Sunday.

Read More

In and around Paris, part II

/
In and around Paris, part II

Paris and its surrounds provide no shortage of things to see and do. Indeed, this is my second post of things in and around Paris. In addition to the sights one might expect, I also visited the Musée Jacquemart-André, a beautiful residence showcasing the life collection of Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart. I also took a trip to the fairy-tale Chateau de Pierrefonds and explored the medieval town at the end of the line, Provins. I later found out that Provins is an exceptionally popular place for grandparents to take their grandchildren, a trend that was well observed on my visit. But perhaps the greatest trip was saved for my last weekend in Paris: Versailles. Arriving bright and early I was surprised to see a line already formed some 30 minutes before opening, albeit quite a small one. Once the doors opened, I did not mess around and got to the front of the group, ensuring that I had every room in the palace to myself for at least a short time. I rushed though first in order to have the place to myself and take photos, but once I was done I went back to the start and took things more slowly. I loved every minute of my time in Paris and will sorely miss living there.

Read More