Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
At the north-eastern end of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain a path leads to the summer palace Generalife. As water is an important part of Moorish architecture this palace and its gardens are really worth a visit – at day and at night. It was a good place for the kings of Granada to recover he from governing because the Alhambra was so close that he could return easily to his daily business if necessary. Continue reading “Summer breeze, night & day”
The Alcazaba is the fortress and military wing of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It has always been standing in the shadows of the more beautiful Nasrid palaces close-by and as it has been destroyed to some extent it isn’t that spectacular – but it offers wonderful views on the city of Granada. After passing the Puerta del Vino (where wine could be traded interest-free) you’ll first see the massive Torre del Homenaje and can then enter the Alcazaba through the Puerta de las Armas.
Continue reading “Fortified walls”
Going from Málaga to Granada could by pretty easy on the motorways connecting the cities. But you would miss a lot, like the city of Salobreña located on a rock close to the Mediterranean sea. The castle was once a summer residence of the rules of Granada and was later on used as a prison. Getting up there is tough work as the streets of Salobreña are very, very narrow (which doesn’t keep the citizens from parking their cars there). Continue reading “Narrow streets, a castle and the sea”
Nerja is a small city located approximately 50 kilometers east of Málaga, Spain. It offers a lot of beaches and the most favorite part is a land tongue reaching into the Mediterranean sea: the Balcón de Europa. It is said that from here you can see the African shore but this is maybe only a legend. Nonetheless Nerja is a good stop for lunch and enjoying the sun at the promenade.
Schloß Berlepsch is a castle in the no man’s land surrounding Witzenhausen, Germany (close to Göttingen and Hann. Münden). Situated within the hills along the river Werra it can be seen from near and far. It has been built from 1369 on and has been invaded by several armies crossing the country during the centuries. Today it is a well preserved castle still owned by the family that once built it.
The Festwiese is a festival ground in Leipzig, Germany. It is located close to the soccer arena (Zentralstadion) in the West of the city. It is 41.000 m² large and offers enough space for up to 75.000 people. It is used for big outdoor concerts and U2, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones already played here. If you are lucky you can get there by streetcar – elsewise it is a 35 minutes walk from the main railway station.
Did you ever want to skate on an airfield? Use a runway for a long relaxing walk? Or are you in need for a barbecuing area? The area of the old Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany has been converted into a very large park. Lots of people go there to do sports, there is a spot for urban gardening and of course the impressive building of the old airport.
Continue reading “Tempelhofer Freiheit”
The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and has been destroyed nearly everywhere. You can see some remains including the border zones at the Berlin Wall Memorial at the Bernauer Straße. Or if you like street art – you can visit the famous East Side Gallery between Oberbaumbrücke und Ostbahnhof. This part of the wall is 1,3 km long and has been decorated by 118 artists from 21 countries.
Continue reading “East Side Gallery”
Between Reichstag and Potsdamer Platz – close to the American embassy in Berlin, Germany – you can find a highly controversial discussed memorial. 2711 steles made of concrete placed on an area of 19.000 m² serve as a monument for the victims of the Holocaust. They have different heights, some are slightly bent, they are protected with graffiti resistant coating and there is an information center underneath.
Haifa hasn’t many sights and the towns landmark belongs to a religion I have never heard before: the Bahá’í. It originates from Iran where the members were prosecuted for turning away from Islam. In Haifa you can’t overlook a temple situated on the foothills of Mount Carmel: the shrine of the Báb – dedicated to the founder of the religion.