Destination: Germany

Photos: Northern Germany

Fri, 27 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Photo Gallery

The Ruhr Valley

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [1808]

Essen is Germany’s version of Pittsburgh.  Coal processing plants provided fuel for the electrical plants and steel mills from before WW II until the 60s and darkened the skies for miles.  That was then.  Like PBH of today, the skies ... Read more >

Silent Night in Cologne

Wed, 25 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [693]

The scent of votive candles and incense perfumed the air as the organ pumped out something by Bach.  The Christmas Evensong service had begun.  Even if you aren't Catholic . . . even if you don't understand German . . . even if you don't speak ... Read more >

Aachen

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [614]

Charlemagne is lucky.  He is buried in the Aachen Cathedral and didn’t have the hassle of finding a place to park.  Aachen sits in western Germany on the Dutch/Belgian/German border.  Interminable holiday traffic and “Besetzen!”... Read more >

Heidelberg

Sun, 22 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [574]

Rick Steves doesn’t think much of Heidelberg, Germany’s one time capital and home to the oldest university.  It isn’t worth a single day, he says, in the typical three-week holiday in Germany.  And if you have only three weeks, ... Read more >

Photos: Central Germany

Sat, 21 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Photo Gallery

Munich

Sat, 14 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [588]

After a surprisingly comfortable night in the Oslo airport sleeping hobo-style on a restaurant banquet, we continued on to Munich.  Our hotel was conveniently near the Bahnhof, giving us the option of walking or taking public transportation around ... Read more >

Ludwig's Legacy: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschangau

Wed, 4 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [1451]

We scored a cozy apartment on the Hopfensee just outside of Fussen.  It was the most affordable option in the area with free WiFi and parking and it came with the bonus of a kitchenette and fantastic views.     A room with a view ... Read more >

Dachau

Mon, 2 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [574]

Before we are overcome with gemütlichkeit we should remember that the Germans also gave the world the concentration camp at Dachau. Compared to Auschwitz the Dachau of today is sanitized.  There isn’t really much to see.  Only ... Read more >

Germany's Romantische Straße

Sun, 1 Dec 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [1532]

Die Romantische Straße lives up to its billing even for old farts like yours truly.  It isn’t necessarily the “I can’t wait to get you to our hotel” carnal meaning of romantic but something more ethereal.  The ... Read more >

'Tis The Season

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [777]

We could scarcely hear anyone speaking German among the crowd at Nuremburg’s Christmas fair.  Of course this was the day after Thanksgiving, just another day at work for the locals but a holiday for US servicemen and their families taking ... Read more >

Affairs of the Heart

Fri, 29 Nov 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [451]

Connie first noticed an irregular heartbeat, palpitations, while we were in Tunis.  Rather than take a chance with the Tunisian hospital she decided to wait a few days until we were in Europe, hence our visit to Ramstein Air Force Base and the US ... Read more >

Photos: Mostly Bavaria

Thu, 28 Nov 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Photo Gallery

The journey to begin the journey (part one)

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 | By nicolapearson | Views [252] | Comments [1]

After a short flight south to Munich, I boarded my second flight, to Abu Dhabi. At check-in back in Hamburg I'd been pleased to bag myself an exit row window seat for this flight - the holy grail of economy seating. Now I wasn't so sure. 'Ah, I think ... Read more >

Road Trips

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 | By vagabondstoo | Views [602]

Neither of us speak more than a few words of German yet we feel almost at home here in Deutschland.  Everything is neat, clean and orderly.  There is a perfect mix of new and classical, contemporary and quaint, urban and rural, good food ... Read more >