Third day in Germany and I am in a small town called Bad Herrenalb.
I arrived here yesterday after visiting the DG glider factory in Bruchsal. I hired a car from FF and drove Bad Herrenalb is in the Schwarze Walde and this particular town seems to be a health resort or similar. Lots of older people around. Later today I will leave for Freiberg, but I have to have a go in the hotel swimming pool
before I go. The hotel is an older one, but it is one of the few that have an internet connection.
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Friday, July 14, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
11/7/2006 - Frankfurt Hotel (City West)
The hotel is in an unusual district. The building across the
road is empty on all floors except the ground which has a
few entertainment places. Most of the ground floor
establishments in this block are taken up with bars or
“video centers” which seem to boast 300 different
videos, but I noticed they don’t seem to have the latest
Hollywood movies. There are also quite a few places which
appear to have ladies gymnastics clubs, although I
couldn’t read the signs. It appears that chaps, if they
want to, are allowed to go in and watch, but. I couldn’t
work out why the ladies wear so little. Probably because it
is summer and very hot, I suppose. There is usually a very
friendly guy at the door of these places, I suppose to keep
fellows with low morals out. They are so friendly that I was
almost pushed into the gymnasiums to see the show (on three
separate occasions). The nice man even said that I
wouldn’t have to pay the cover charge. Whatever that is.
Next door to the empty building there is also a place which
has lovely red curtains. At night time they are lit up which
gives the whole front of the building a lovely pink glow.
But it’s a little odd. It is called the “Sex Inn”, I
think that’s German for number 6 and there might be
another five somewhere else. But only blokes seem to go in
there. Probably tired after a days work and need a quick
rest I should think. Even during the middle of the day too.
The fellows seem to walk along in a determined straight line
then at the last minute duck into the doorway. Probably only
deciding they need a rest as they see the door and taking
the opportunity at the last moment. I haven’t seen any
ladies go in though. They probably aren’t allowed, it
would most likely lead to too much boisterousness.
The photo shows my hotel (my room is 5th floor. The leftmost
window at the top). You can also see “Babalu Bar” and
“Star Star”, one of those movie places. Also on the
corner next to “Star Star” is one of those gymnasium
thingies, but it is hard to see in the picture.
I am told by my friend Sabine, that this area is one of the
safest in the whole of Frankfurt due to the high
concentration of police. Isn’t that nice of them to patrol
this area specially :-)
road is empty on all floors except the ground which has a
few entertainment places. Most of the ground floor
establishments in this block are taken up with bars or
“video centers” which seem to boast 300 different
videos, but I noticed they don’t seem to have the latest
Hollywood movies. There are also quite a few places which
appear to have ladies gymnastics clubs, although I
couldn’t read the signs. It appears that chaps, if they
want to, are allowed to go in and watch, but. I couldn’t
work out why the ladies wear so little. Probably because it
is summer and very hot, I suppose. There is usually a very
friendly guy at the door of these places, I suppose to keep
fellows with low morals out. They are so friendly that I was
almost pushed into the gymnasiums to see the show (on three
separate occasions). The nice man even said that I
wouldn’t have to pay the cover charge. Whatever that is.
Next door to the empty building there is also a place which
has lovely red curtains. At night time they are lit up which
gives the whole front of the building a lovely pink glow.
But it’s a little odd. It is called the “Sex Inn”, I
think that’s German for number 6 and there might be
another five somewhere else. But only blokes seem to go in
there. Probably tired after a days work and need a quick
rest I should think. Even during the middle of the day too.
The fellows seem to walk along in a determined straight line
then at the last minute duck into the doorway. Probably only
deciding they need a rest as they see the door and taking
the opportunity at the last moment. I haven’t seen any
ladies go in though. They probably aren’t allowed, it
would most likely lead to too much boisterousness.
The photo shows my hotel (my room is 5th floor. The leftmost
window at the top). You can also see “Babalu Bar” and
“Star Star”, one of those movie places. Also on the
corner next to “Star Star” is one of those gymnasium
thingies, but it is hard to see in the picture.
I am told by my friend Sabine, that this area is one of the
safest in the whole of Frankfurt due to the high
concentration of police. Isn’t that nice of them to patrol
this area specially :-)
11/7/2006 - Frankfurt Tuesday
Today was a little less hectic. I finally went to the Art museum and saw the display "Die Eroberung Der Strasse" (The Taming of the Street) covering the development of the urban landscape over the last 200 years or so in Paris and Berlin. I found it particularly fascinating as the Paris parts were quite familiar from last year. The displays were a combination of painting by various artists (including Monet) and technical town planning documents.
I later met up with Sabine again as she had promised to take me to the FF university Observatory. Strangely I hadn’t seen it, but walked within 30 metres of it when I visited the natural history museum yesterday. Sabine had choir practice at 1900 so we went swimming at the Brentano Schwimmbads in the afternoon. This is basically a huge open air pool. Maybe 50m wide and 200 long. The shallow end is fenced off for the non swimmers and a sign is mounted on the fence to warn non swimmers not to go any further. However, it was round the wrong way, so it couldn’t be read unless you were on the deep side of the fence, and I would have thought most non swimmers were probably too young to read as well! It was not as crowded as I thought it might be, and that might be due to Germans not normally learning to swim as early as Australians do.
As we left to go to the rehearsal, the clouds were building up after 2 days of clear skies. I am not usually a listener to classical music, but I stopped in at a final rehearsal of the FF Uni Orchestra. On Wednesday (tomorrow night) they are supposed to be performing Mendelssohn’s Symphony 10 (Elisia?) and this was the first time the full choir and instruments had been together. Over the weekend they had been practicing, but as separate groups. Sabine thought it would take 1-2 hours, but in the event it took more than 2 1/2 . Especially toward the end, the conductor was getting quite aggravated with the soloists, the strings and as it ran so long a lot or the choristers would sit down while not required and then pop up again, just to sing! The conductor, a beefy bloke in a black tank top and trousers was very particular about what he wanted. Me being tone deaf couldn’t tell what was wrong.
One of the lady choral soloists who was singing just in front of me was made to go over a part of her piece a number of times and when the conductor was finally satisfied she gave me a look that said she didn’t know either. I think she half expected to be called back as she walked away. As the practice was drawing to a close, there was a bit of lightening anf thunder. I could tell the storm was getting closer. Just when we wanted to go to the cars, the rain came down. There wouldn’t be much hope of astronomy tonight.
We went off for tea in the hope that it would clear and went to the observatory, where I took some, not very good, night shots of FF skyline.
I later met up with Sabine again as she had promised to take me to the FF university Observatory. Strangely I hadn’t seen it, but walked within 30 metres of it when I visited the natural history museum yesterday. Sabine had choir practice at 1900 so we went swimming at the Brentano Schwimmbads in the afternoon. This is basically a huge open air pool. Maybe 50m wide and 200 long. The shallow end is fenced off for the non swimmers and a sign is mounted on the fence to warn non swimmers not to go any further. However, it was round the wrong way, so it couldn’t be read unless you were on the deep side of the fence, and I would have thought most non swimmers were probably too young to read as well! It was not as crowded as I thought it might be, and that might be due to Germans not normally learning to swim as early as Australians do.
As we left to go to the rehearsal, the clouds were building up after 2 days of clear skies. I am not usually a listener to classical music, but I stopped in at a final rehearsal of the FF Uni Orchestra. On Wednesday (tomorrow night) they are supposed to be performing Mendelssohn’s Symphony 10 (Elisia?) and this was the first time the full choir and instruments had been together. Over the weekend they had been practicing, but as separate groups. Sabine thought it would take 1-2 hours, but in the event it took more than 2 1/2 . Especially toward the end, the conductor was getting quite aggravated with the soloists, the strings and as it ran so long a lot or the choristers would sit down while not required and then pop up again, just to sing! The conductor, a beefy bloke in a black tank top and trousers was very particular about what he wanted. Me being tone deaf couldn’t tell what was wrong.
One of the lady choral soloists who was singing just in front of me was made to go over a part of her piece a number of times and when the conductor was finally satisfied she gave me a look that said she didn’t know either. I think she half expected to be called back as she walked away. As the practice was drawing to a close, there was a bit of lightening anf thunder. I could tell the storm was getting closer. Just when we wanted to go to the cars, the rain came down. There wouldn’t be much hope of astronomy tonight.
We went off for tea in the hope that it would clear and went to the observatory, where I took some, not very good, night shots of FF skyline.
11/7/2006 - FF
I spent yesterday (Monday) trying to get around to museums and places of interest, but sadly most places are closed on Mondays.
However, I went to Goethe's house (but he wasn't in).
Soccer is dying down over here, but even yesterday morning there were people wandering the streets shouting "italia", I even got a picture of the rubbish bin men with an Italian flag on their truck.
I spent a lot of yesterday on my feet, I woke up at 0400 (still on Australian time!) and went to try to organise a car to drive to France (that will be 480 Euro, I think I might be on the train instead!)
I bought a day pass for the public transport and then went to a part of FF called the Roemerberg. I think it had something to do with government (apart from being an old restored area). The Rathaus is there and an old church which was used (I think) for a parliamentary building in the past. There are also a lot of churches there.
The church is Alte Nikolaikirche (old Nicholas' Church), I spent the rest of the day walking around looking for places that might be open and walking along the river
(Main). They had sideshows and a live broadcast of the world cup final by the river, so there was a lot of packing up of tents and stalls and stages etc going on.
Shades of Terry Pratchett Dwarves, I also found a Hammer museum! It was above a shoe shop not far from my hotel.
At 1800 Sabine met me and we went for more walks to the Alte Oper (Old Opera House) through some gardens and to a new skyscraper called the Main Tower (I don't think it is the "most important" tower, I think it is named after the river).
We went for more walks along the river then we went to FF university to see if we could use the observatory. Sabine has the keys but they was no one to ask and we didn't want to use the observatory without permission, so Sabine will ask today. So we might be able to sneak in tonight and use their telescopes!
We went to a little village part of FF called Alt Ginnheim and had tea there. Although it was a German restaurant it only seemed to serve Chekoslovakian or "international" food. So I had a meat patty thing, I can't remember the name of. Because it was so warm we sat in the garden (along with most of the patrons).
It has been 30+ here.
However, I went to Goethe's house (but he wasn't in).
Soccer is dying down over here, but even yesterday morning there were people wandering the streets shouting "italia", I even got a picture of the rubbish bin men with an Italian flag on their truck.
I spent a lot of yesterday on my feet, I woke up at 0400 (still on Australian time!) and went to try to organise a car to drive to France (that will be 480 Euro, I think I might be on the train instead!)
I bought a day pass for the public transport and then went to a part of FF called the Roemerberg. I think it had something to do with government (apart from being an old restored area). The Rathaus is there and an old church which was used (I think) for a parliamentary building in the past. There are also a lot of churches there.
The church is Alte Nikolaikirche (old Nicholas' Church), I spent the rest of the day walking around looking for places that might be open and walking along the river
(Main). They had sideshows and a live broadcast of the world cup final by the river, so there was a lot of packing up of tents and stalls and stages etc going on.
Shades of Terry Pratchett Dwarves, I also found a Hammer museum! It was above a shoe shop not far from my hotel.
At 1800 Sabine met me and we went for more walks to the Alte Oper (Old Opera House) through some gardens and to a new skyscraper called the Main Tower (I don't think it is the "most important" tower, I think it is named after the river).
We went for more walks along the river then we went to FF university to see if we could use the observatory. Sabine has the keys but they was no one to ask and we didn't want to use the observatory without permission, so Sabine will ask today. So we might be able to sneak in tonight and use their telescopes!
We went to a little village part of FF called Alt Ginnheim and had tea there. Although it was a German restaurant it only seemed to serve Chekoslovakian or "international" food. So I had a meat patty thing, I can't remember the name of. Because it was so warm we sat in the garden (along with most of the patrons).
It has been 30+ here.
11/7/2006 - Frankfurt More
Weather has been quite good so far, 30-32 degrees which is warm in the sun but where ever there is a breeze it is quite cool. Have been drinking a lot, I was on my feet pretty much non stop for 14 hours yesterday. Was on top of the second tallest building in FF and the local weather man was doing his live broadcast yesterday evening.
Sabine has the keys to the FF uni observatory, hopefully we will be able to sneak in there and mess with their telescopes tonight! Full moon rises at about 2145, and the light pollution is so bad that this is probably the only thing worth viewing although some of the bigger planets may be possible.
Sabine has the keys to the FF uni observatory, hopefully we will be able to sneak in there and mess with their telescopes tonight! Full moon rises at about 2145, and the light pollution is so bad that this is probably the only thing worth viewing although some of the bigger planets may be possible.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
10/7/2006 - Frankfurt Still
Got up pretty early this morning and wandered around the place looking at the rail station for the car hire place. They hadn't opened yet.
Accosted by some people shouting out 'Italia'. Apparently there was a football
match or something last night :)
Saw some fireworks from my hotel window but I was too tired to
go out, still on Australian time a bit.
I will do some museum visiting today and maybe have tea with
Sabine tonight.
Just out interest, my hotel ia a new one near the main
railway station (Hauptbahnhoff) but this whole area was/is notorious as a redlight district. I think those sorts of business are being slowly closed out as the area is getting progressively businessised!
Accosted by some people shouting out 'Italia'. Apparently there was a football
match or something last night :)
Saw some fireworks from my hotel window but I was too tired to
go out, still on Australian time a bit.
I will do some museum visiting today and maybe have tea with
Sabine tonight.
Just out interest, my hotel ia a new one near the main
railway station (Hauptbahnhoff) but this whole area was/is notorious as a redlight district. I think those sorts of business are being slowly closed out as the area is getting progressively businessised!
Monday, July 10, 2006
9/7/2006 Arrive in Frankfurt
In FF at an internet cafe now. The hotel I booked because
they said they had wireless internet. Now I find it is
broken, so NBG.
It is quite warm here about 1530 local time and about
midnight Sunday in Australia. I got to the hotel and had a shower
and slept for another hour or so and I feel quite reasonable
now. I got some good sleep on the plane which helped a lot,
normally it is near impossible. The old granny next to me
was from Brisbane on her way to London for a nursing
conference, she was some sort of teacher from a Qld uni.
Resting for the remainder of the day and will look around FF
properly in the next few days. Then off to France, but I will
stay at a couple of places on the way. Most likely Freiberg.
they said they had wireless internet. Now I find it is
broken, so NBG.
It is quite warm here about 1530 local time and about
midnight Sunday in Australia. I got to the hotel and had a shower
and slept for another hour or so and I feel quite reasonable
now. I got some good sleep on the plane which helped a lot,
normally it is near impossible. The old granny next to me
was from Brisbane on her way to London for a nursing
conference, she was some sort of teacher from a Qld uni.
Resting for the remainder of the day and will look around FF
properly in the next few days. Then off to France, but I will
stay at a couple of places on the way. Most likely Freiberg.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
We were there!
Last Friday, Waltraud (my German teacher) showed a tape from SBS on the reopening of the Frauenkirche in Dresden (http://www.frauenkirche-dresden.org/ ). By strange coincidence the kids and I were there the day before and couldn't work out what all the cameras and activity wasuntil I spoke to some of my German friends a few days later!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Stuck in Berlin and crook
After arriving late from The UK on Thursday night and booking into the AO Youth Hostel at the Zoologischer Gartens Bahnhof we decided a quiet hotel would be better.
We moved to the Atrium Hotel on Motzstrasse, which is in a quiet little residential area with a small group of supermarkets and cafes nearby.
It is an almost idyllic spot (as far as that can be in a big European city). The nearest U bahn is Güntzelstrasse (<- look, a word mit umlaut off a German keyboard! :-).
Anyway, on Friday we all went to the zoo, and a big one it was too. We spent all day there.
Saturday we went to the Technical museum and Spectrum (Spectrum is like the SA Science Investigator Centre). The kids spent about 3 hours there and then we went to the museum proper. By this time Rhiannon was beginning to show symptoms of an approaching cold. I was too.
Saturday night we went to a German restaurant, with no menu. Rhiannon and I had the duck with red cabbage and -dumplings- (!). The duck was nice, but I really liked the red cabbage.
Sam had the sniffles for a few days previously but he got over it. Rhiannon and I got his cold in turn and it has hit us reasonably hard, Rhee especially. I could only do about 4 hours activity in a day. So Sunday I had to chase around after an Apotheke, which are generally closed (as is everything) on Sundays. The closed ones usually have a sign in their windows where to find an open one. So on to the UBahn again and a chase around Berlin. I finally found an open one.
Pity I hadn't got to the chapter on health yet in my German lessons :-( but I learnt a new word, "erkalten". After a bit of a rest I took everyones clothes to the laundromat and did the washing.
While there I found out that, sadly, Sabine can't put us up in Frankfurt so the plans have changed somewhat. Speaking to Heike we will go through the old east Germany when (if!) we leave Berlin and meet them at Zeigehain on the weekend. On the way back from the laundromat I bought some Chinese takeaway for tea, which we had in the hotel room.
This is an area which I have trouble with still because I although the same words are used the German pronunciation of the words is quite different and, try as I might, I can't say them the German way. Also Sunday night we watched a show on TV called(if I remember correctly) "Die Comedie Falle", The Commedy Trap. It was a little like a German Candid Camera. While it would have been much more funny if we could have understood the dialogue better, it was still pretty humourous. (There was one particular bit where an unsuspecting babysitter was convinced the house was haunted).
Monday we all just stayed in. It has been drizzling here since Saturday anyway. We went out for a bit of lunch and a little walk in the afternoon and then went to an Italian restaurant for tea.
Rhee says she is feeling better (I am still fairly snuffed up). So, if Rhee feels up to it we will go for a look around Berlin proper this afternoon, with a view to leaving for Dresden or similar on Wednesday sometime.
We moved to the Atrium Hotel on Motzstrasse, which is in a quiet little residential area with a small group of supermarkets and cafes nearby.
It is an almost idyllic spot (as far as that can be in a big European city). The nearest U bahn is Güntzelstrasse (<- look, a word mit umlaut off a German keyboard! :-).
Anyway, on Friday we all went to the zoo, and a big one it was too. We spent all day there.
Saturday we went to the Technical museum and Spectrum (Spectrum is like the SA Science Investigator Centre). The kids spent about 3 hours there and then we went to the museum proper. By this time Rhiannon was beginning to show symptoms of an approaching cold. I was too.
Saturday night we went to a German restaurant, with no menu. Rhiannon and I had the duck with red cabbage and -dumplings- (!). The duck was nice, but I really liked the red cabbage.
Sam had the sniffles for a few days previously but he got over it. Rhiannon and I got his cold in turn and it has hit us reasonably hard, Rhee especially. I could only do about 4 hours activity in a day. So Sunday I had to chase around after an Apotheke, which are generally closed (as is everything) on Sundays. The closed ones usually have a sign in their windows where to find an open one. So on to the UBahn again and a chase around Berlin. I finally found an open one.
Pity I hadn't got to the chapter on health yet in my German lessons :-( but I learnt a new word, "erkalten". After a bit of a rest I took everyones clothes to the laundromat and did the washing.
While there I found out that, sadly, Sabine can't put us up in Frankfurt so the plans have changed somewhat. Speaking to Heike we will go through the old east Germany when (if!) we leave Berlin and meet them at Zeigehain on the weekend. On the way back from the laundromat I bought some Chinese takeaway for tea, which we had in the hotel room.
This is an area which I have trouble with still because I although the same words are used the German pronunciation of the words is quite different and, try as I might, I can't say them the German way. Also Sunday night we watched a show on TV called(if I remember correctly) "Die Comedie Falle", The Commedy Trap. It was a little like a German Candid Camera. While it would have been much more funny if we could have understood the dialogue better, it was still pretty humourous. (There was one particular bit where an unsuspecting babysitter was convinced the house was haunted).
Monday we all just stayed in. It has been drizzling here since Saturday anyway. We went out for a bit of lunch and a little walk in the afternoon and then went to an Italian restaurant for tea.
Rhee says she is feeling better (I am still fairly snuffed up). So, if Rhee feels up to it we will go for a look around Berlin proper this afternoon, with a view to leaving for Dresden or similar on Wednesday sometime.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Berlin
First night here we flew in late from Luton and could only get a youth hostel near the Zoological gardens railway station.
That took us about 2 hours till we were settled in(about 0030).
While the two people we were sharing with were OK (a Portugese lady and an English bloke, who didn't turn up till 02:00!).
The place was just too noisy and smoky. There were a crowd of Dutch high schoolers there so the next day (Friday) we moved to a little hotel which is much nicer.
Spent Friday at the Zoo and today at the Technical museum,but nobody is feeling too good at the moment due to sniffles.
That took us about 2 hours till we were settled in(about 0030).
While the two people we were sharing with were OK (a Portugese lady and an English bloke, who didn't turn up till 02:00!).
The place was just too noisy and smoky. There were a crowd of Dutch high schoolers there so the next day (Friday) we moved to a little hotel which is much nicer.
Spent Friday at the Zoo and today at the Technical museum,but nobody is feeling too good at the moment due to sniffles.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
13/8/04 Marburg to Frankfurt.
Finally we have to push on to Frankfurt where I have to catch the plane out. Sabine wants to take me to some of the museums, but time has run out. We do have a little time though so she takes me through the city itself rather than on the ring road around it. I get to see (from the car) some of the museums and galleries as well as the Max Plank Institute where Sabine studied previously. Half hearted promises are made to come back so Sabine can show me the sights properly next time.
So we drop the car off at the airport depot and find our way to the correct terminal. I say my goodbyes to Sabine who tells me she will get the bus home. I find out later that she stays and watches the aeroplanes for a while too.
I had repacked my bag so I could get my toiletries out at Tokyo for a clean up. As I go through the metal detector the nice man asks me to discard my best pair of scissors. Doh, I can’t even get them back to Sabine because I am in the secure area now. I suppose someone ended up with them.
While waiting to board I can see the television monitors and the Olympics opening ceremony has begun. I see the Australians marching round the stadium. Just as I am boarding the aircraft I see the German team enter the stadium.
Pushback is at 21:14 local time and it is getting dark because of the clouds and spots of rain. In almost exactly 11 hours I will be touching down in Tokyo.
So we drop the car off at the airport depot and find our way to the correct terminal. I say my goodbyes to Sabine who tells me she will get the bus home. I find out later that she stays and watches the aeroplanes for a while too.
I had repacked my bag so I could get my toiletries out at Tokyo for a clean up. As I go through the metal detector the nice man asks me to discard my best pair of scissors. Doh, I can’t even get them back to Sabine because I am in the secure area now. I suppose someone ended up with them.
While waiting to board I can see the television monitors and the Olympics opening ceremony has begun. I see the Australians marching round the stadium. Just as I am boarding the aircraft I see the German team enter the stadium.
Pushback is at 21:14 local time and it is getting dark because of the clouds and spots of rain. In almost exactly 11 hours I will be touching down in Tokyo.
13/8/04 Ziegenhain, Amoeneberg and Marburg
Up in the morning and hopeful of one last flight in Germany but it was not to be. Rain and low cloud put a finish to that.
I have to get on the plane to go home this afternoon and Sabine kindly offers to take me to the airport. She leaves her own car at Ziegenhain at some inconvenience to herself and we go in the rented Peugot.
As it is a non flying day Sabine promises to take me to see some castles and we head out for a little place called Amoeneberg. Strange to a flat earth Australian, this little town is built on a hill which rises up out of the plain. The streets seem to go up at nearly 45 degrees to a cathedral and ruined castle at the top. I think Amoeneberg is a monastery or similar, but language difficulties make it hard to find out for sure.
We also stop off at Marburg. Sabine worked here for a while and says that it always rains due to the geography. That is certainly true today. Marburg has a castle also, but more in the lines of a Schloss than the fortress type at Amoeneberg. Once again, we drive up the winding narrow cobbled roads which are found in the old part of the town near the Schloss. The roads are so narrow that when a motor bike coming down the hill meets us going up, we both have to stop and find a part of road which is completely clear of bins or parked cars, so we have enough room to let each other through.
We and many other tourists wander round the Schloss, but aren’t allowed in. During a particularly heavy downpour, Sabine and I go into a “Camera Obscura”, a little cabin arrangement with a lens that projects an image from outside onto a screen. The man inside seems a bit disappointed when he finds out we have only ducked in out of the rain, but he gives us his tourist lecture to his two captive audience anyway. We later go to the old commercial part of town where we get dinner. It looks like a student run bar/restaurant but the building itself is 400+ years old.
13/8/04 Zeigenhain
One thing that is constant. Travel around the world to university gliding clubs and they do one thing in common.
They set fire to things.
Friday, August 13, 2004
12/8/04 Ziegenhain.
After eventually finding my way out of Hannover I got on the road heading south. The weather, which had been sunny for the great majority of the last 3 weeks, now starts to get a bit grey and misty. The Peugot really isn’t in the same class as the Audi Quattro so I am stuck with “only” 130kph. I am trying to get to where the Akaflieg Frankfurt (Frankfurt University Gliding Club) have their airfield at Ziegenhain. After some while of driving I decide to have a late dinner/early tea and pull off the Autobahn into the town of Goettingen.
This town has a link with aviation as it’s university did a lot of the early research associated with aeronautics in the early 20th century. So what do I get for dinner? A multinational hamburger. First time I’ve had fast food in Germany in the whole trip! Everything is the same as Australia except the language (and price).
Later in the day I turn off the Autobahn near Bad Hersfeld and proceed down the little country roads. Oberaula, Olberode, Asterode. How difficult it is to keep a list of these villages in my memory, which isn’t that good at the best of times. I have to stop every few km to make sure that the village I just passed through was the right one.
Eventually I get to the slightly larger town of Ziegenhain, where I drive around for ages looking for the airfield as my map isn’t really that clear at these small scales. Finally I drop in at the police station to ask the way and get half reasonable directions to the airfield. It’s about 9:30 PM when I finally roll up and of course the airfield is deserted. A quick call on the phone and Sabine tells me they are all at a private house where there is a party going on. It is a combined end of training course and two birthdays. So I walk back out to the road and Sabine picks me up. I remake the acquaintance of the two Chrisses and Tobias who were at Neuhausen way back at the start of my German holiday. I also meet Heike who has been to the Adelaide Uni Gliding Club in South Australia previously (but I never met her then). Not a bad party but I miss a lot of what is going on due to the language differences. I cause a bit of mirth by addressing the young (pre teen) daughters of the house as Gnaediges Fraulein (yes, I know that isn’t strictly done anymore, but I think I surprised the hosts that I even knew the expression at all).
After midnight it was back to the airfield and bed.
12/8/2004 Hannover
After missing (twice) the MIG17 on a stick pointing the way to the museum I finally get there.
It doesn’t appear to be such a big museum but once inside it is fairly packed. The curator/manager/whatever picks my accent (probably like being hit with a sledge hammer) and asks where I am from. They probably don’t get too many Australians here. After some general chatting I wander into the early aviation hall (ie pre WW2). Some interesting aircraft (mostly replicas I think) and a lot of good paraphernalia. Then into the more modern part, WW2 and later. While this hall has many fine aircraft, engines and other items, it is dominated by a Ju52 display as you enter. These bits were recovered from a fairly unusual place.
The story goes something like this…
In the early part of the Second World War, the fighting flowed, for a time, through Norway. During this time the Germans had the clever idea of re-supplying their forces using a squadron of Ju52s and flying them in to a ready made airfield. A frozen lake. A couple pranged on landing but most were OK. A long story short, they were abandoned there. Next spring thaw and all of the aircraft went straight to the bottom of the lake, where they quietly remained for the next 45 or so years. Come 1986 and the museum sets up an expedition to recover some remains.
Not only did they salvage virtually four complete airframes, they were in such (comparatively) good condition that within twelve months they had a restored, flying example.
While I was looking at the display, the curator/manager/whatever comes in and asks if I would like to go and see the restored original at a nearby German Airforce base. Damn, I can’t because of the time!
12/8/04 Gifhorn, Braunschweig, Hannover and Ziegenhain.
The Puegot 206 parked near the German Airministry.
(Wouldn't you go to the German Air Ministry on your holidays?)
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