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On the Road with Fast Eddie
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On the Road with Fast Eddie |
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| Guten tag Germany part 2... sandy beaches, AndyWarhol and the Beatles, the "Hole of Fear", hard-sell hookers, a garden paradise, and indecision in the face of watching a man's life slip away before my eyes... and more... (How's that for a catchy "lead-in hook", huh?) In a previous On the Road, I shared some of my experiences of traveling within Germany, including Heidelberg, Munich, Berlin plus Stuttgart and its nearby Black Forest area. I'll now expand on all that, first by returning to my current city of residence... Berlin. As I have alluded to before, Berlin is neither stunningly beautiful nor particularly easy to explore. Unlike, say Paris, Venice or Prague, where you can step out of the train station and be almost instantly "wowed", and where you can quickly grab a map and easily "take in the sights", Berlin has a very different character and layout. It does require some effort to find the pockets of interest here... the unique elements of history and culture. You must probe a little into the social fabric: the complex tapestry of aspects that make up this dynamic, fascinating metropolis of 3.4 million. Berlin is diverse, cutting-edge and world-class in what it offers, but it is also a bit spread-out and a city of extremes... in some places just plain butt-ugly! Berlin may shock you, but it can also intrigue and may even seduce you! By all means get a good map and don't be shy about asking for help. Despite a well-earned reputation for being a bit detached and less than outgoing, Germans are quick to be kind and helpful to visiters...at least in my experience. And if you engage them, you'll find that Berliners are exceptionally open-minded and progressive-thinking...and also very direct. To get oriented, I have mentioned before taking the #100 bus from the Zoologischer Garten train station (one of the two big ones here). You might also do a walking or bike tour with Berlin Walks or Insider Tour, or a canal tour with Reederei Riedel. The latter two take about 2 to 3 hours and cost around $10-12. The Wall, which brutally divided Berliners both physically and ideologically for 27 years is, of course, a great focus of interest for many visitors, as well it should be! Its horror and the heroic efforts of Berliners to overcome its divisive presence, is well highlighted at the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie. It is a must! Equally compelling, though quite disturbing, is the nearby Topography of Terror, which chronicles the history of the infamous SS. Along the same line, I recommend you stop at Bebelplatz on the Unter den Linden, where a poignant below-ground memorial marks the spot where the Nazis held their first official book burning on May 10, 1933. Almost directly across the street is Neue Wache, Germany's central memorial to the victims of fascism. I found its sculpture "Mother with Dead Son" to be incredibly captivating. Along the Unter den Linden are many fine buildings, as well as Museumsinsel, a tiny island with a cluster of first-rate museums, including the impressive Pergamon, which is filled with Greek, Babylonian, Roman, Islamic and Middle Eastern art and architecture. Go to Berliner Dom, a lovely neo-Renaissance cathedral where at 3PM you'll be treated to a free organ recital. West of there, you will walk under the remarkable (but unfortunately still draped for renovation) and famous Bradenburg Gate. After viewing the historic Reichstag, you should check out the Wall Victims Memorial (commemorating the 191 people who died while trying to cross the Wall) and the Soviet War Memorial. These are next to, or within, the Tiergarten, the huge city park which is worth spending some time strolling through and relaxing in, weather permitting. In the west of Berlin is Schloss Charlottenburg, a Baroque palace of the Hohenzollern royal family, which dates from the 17th century. It, and the Palace Garden behind it, display all the oppulence and grandeur you might expect. Of more interest to me were the two museums opposite the palace entrance. In the Egyptian museum is the stunning 3400-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti, along with lots of other stuff pillaged during colonial times. Nearby is the Berggrnen Collection in the West Stüler Building where about 85 paintings, drawings and sculptures by Picasso are on display, along with a collection of works by Paul Klee. Culturally Berlin offers just about anything you might possibly want. For instance, in a span of less than a couple of weeks, I saw an excellent Andy Warhol retrospective at the Neuenationalgallerie, attended a concert by the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and caught live jazz at a little club called the A-Trane. On the more bizarre side, I also visited a bustling underground club called Private Club (low marks for creativeness there!), where we were required to enter through the bathrooms of an adjoining restaurant! What I actually enjoy most here though are the funky little ethnically diverse cafes, clubs and restaurants that offer such unusual decors and collections of people. You will find them almost everywhere, but especially in Prenzlauer Berg (the current hip area) along with venerable Kreutzberg, a district where a large Turkish population is nicely mixed with anarchists, squatters and "just plain folk". Two areas highly touted for tourists are Potzdammer Platz and Kurfürstendamm. The first is a mammoth, modern development in an area once occupied by the Wall. It is seen by many as the victory of capitalism over communism, with its towering structures designed by famous architects... office buildings, entertainment venues, and a shopping mall. For me, it is the victory of garishness over good taste. The Ku'Damm, as locals call it, is a broad boulevard near the Zoo station dotted with trendy stores, restaurants and bars quite popular with tourist and upscale locals. Worth seeing is the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, or least what's left of it, as Allied bombing on November 22, 1943 left only the western tower of the church standing. But it is lovely to view, especially at night. Last summer I spent nearly a week relaxing at the Baltic Sea, or Ostsee as it's known here. My friend Heide and I opted to camp on Darss, a pennisula which is near the more popular Rügen Island. Along Germany's northern coastline there are qauint villages, sandy beaches, and small forested areas... it reminded me a lot of Cape Cod in New England. We enjoyed bicycle rides on paths through beautiful fir and fern laden parks, savored fresh fish dinners overlooking the water, and sun-bathed by the sea. Don't expect any privacy while camping, as sites are crammed practically on top of each other, but the price is right, as is the proximity to the ocean. Formerly part of the GDR, unification in 1990 opened up this area for all Germans and it has become a favorite destination for families on holiday. The Romantic Road is a series of picturesque towns in south central Germany (running north to south) that date from the 14th century. From Würzburg to Füssen, there are castles, walled cities, stunning churches, beautiful countryside and a glympse into both rural Germany and medieval times. The RR is marketed to draw foreign visitors who are also visiting Heidelberg and/or Munich, and Japanese and Americans abound. In peak season be prepared. But there is a reason why so many come in droves... it is not all hype... the three cities I visited are absolutely beautiful! The gem of the RR is Rothenburg... one can spend hours upon hours strolling the cobbled lanes past the half-timbered houses, ornately decorated buildings, towers, fountains and churches. It is a photographer's bonanza. The townscape is totally enchanting, and the appeal to tourism is done as tastefully as could be hoped for... at least none of those tacky t-shirt shops. Even the inevitable McDonalds is somewhat subdued... no golden arches there! You can and should walk at least part of the wall on its perimeter, and if you do, you'll be rewarded with an excellent view over both the city and the surrounding Tauber Valley. The Gothic St. Jakob's Church (1311) is impressive, especially the Altar of the Holy Blood which took seven years to carve from wood. I also suggest the Medieval Crime Museum, a gruesome but fascinating display of brutal implements of interrogation and torture. (All one would need to get the truth out of me is to play techno music real loud for awhile!) I was in Rothenburg with my friend Tina, and we were tipped off by locals to reserve a table for dinner at Altfrankische Weinstube, a cosy, delightful restaurant where we ate before an open hearth. That was a great tip! Heading south, and not too far away, is less visited Dinkelsbühl, similar to Rothenburg, but maybe a little less contrived. It is also walled, with 16 towers and 4 gates. There we stopped at the Museum of the 3rd Dimension, which is probably as close as one can get to simulating an acid trip. There are three floors of holograms and stereoscopic images...nothing medieval about this place! Farther south yet is Nördlingen, which I visited on a day trip from Stuttgart. Dating back 1100 years, it is a former Free Imperial Town and is the only city in Germany where the origional wall surrounding the city is completely intact so you can encircle it. As I walked it, I peered through the narrow slits along the parapet, imagining myself as an ancient defender desperately firing arrows against potential invaders. I often put myself back in time like that. You might say that I’m a sucker for anything really old. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I lived for so long in a country where anything over 100 years-old is turned into a theme park! A bird’s-eye-view of Nördlingen can be had by climbing the 350 steps to the top of the 90m high Daniel Tower, which is in the Gothic Church St. George (1417-1519), one of the largest in southern Germany. After working up an appetite climbing the tower and circumambulating the wall, stop at Cafe Radlos at Löpsinger 8 for a nice meal and/or some sinfully delicious kuchen and coffee. On the Danube farther south is Ulm. There are three reasons to go to Ulm. The first is that you love cathedrals and have a burning desire to climb the highest church tower in the world, which is Münster (dating from 1377) topping out at 161.6m. It’s only (!!!) 768 steps for a nice view at 142m, as well as one more thing to tell your grandchildren about. The second is that you are a big fan of Albert Einstein and want to visit his birthplace. There is a modest monument where his home once stood... too bad it’s within a few meters of a McDonalds! The third reason to go to Ulm (and the main one for me) is if you have a friend there you want to visit. A favorite part of Germany for me is Bodensee (Lake Constance). You might recall my earlier visit to Linden, where I gazed out over this large lake (272 km in circumference) to the mountains of Austria and Switzerland. During last summer I did a day trip to Konstanz where I boarded a boat for Meersburg and Mainau. “Meersburg is a picture-book romantic village, scenically perched on a rocky plateau overlooking the lake, and surrounded by vineyards and orchards. “ This according to Lonely Planet, and I totally concur. Within the old town is Altes Schloss, Germany’s oldest castle (7th century). It is truly the quintessential medieval castle, complete with drawbridge, ancient chambers filled with furniture, frightening weaponry, and a dungeon where one can look down into the “hole of death”, nine meters deep, where prisoners were lowered by rope and often just left to starve to death. It is all worth the $5 admission, and the cafe there is great for coffee, kuchen and an epic view across Bodensee. I then hopped back on the boat for Mainau Island, a huge garden paradise I totally enjoyed. It was like being in a 120 acre (45 hectare) Zen garden, with a brilliant display of lawns, trees, flowers, and fountains. Millions upon millions of flowers and birds are everywhere! There is also a Baroque church, arboretums, a hothouse, and a butterfly house you can walk through amongst the magnificent and varied butterflys. Konstanz, the cultural and economic center the region, is itself worth exploring too. $16 covered the three-way boat trip and entry onto Mainau Island. NEXT WEEK: Hamburg and Cologne, where we will pick up with "the Beatles, hard-sell hookers and indecision in the face of watching a man's life slip away before my eyes... and more..." |
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