Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Freiburg im Breisgau is a beautiful town in the south of Germany, very close to the border to France. I stopped here on my way to Marseille and got and returned a rental car here. Freiburg dates back to the year 1008, has about 220.000 inhabitants and is located at the river Dreisam.
French people admit that going through Paris, France by car is hard work – but it’s not top of the list. Marseille is the worst of all. Located at the Mediterranean coast and with 1.8 million inhabitants a big city you should really think about driving in there – I was pretty exhausted when I finally managed to get my car into an underground car park in the city center.
Maybe the most beautiful building in Avignon, France – the palace of the popes. At the beginning of the 14th century Avignon became the seat of the Catholic popes for about 70 years (because Rome, Italy wasn’t secure enough). Therefore a palace vast in size and strongly fortified was built which was home to seven popes and five antipopes.
“Sur le pont d’Avignon,
L’on y danse, l’on y danse,
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse tous en rond.
Les beaux messieurs font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse tous en rond.”
– French folk song
I guess everyone has heard the chanson “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” before. Today the Pont Saint-Bénézet in Avignon, France isn’t a real bridge anymore – it is only a ruin, a stub leading on the river Rhône. But it is still the landmark of the town. It was built in the 12th century and was 900 meters long – making it the longest bridge in Europe by that time.
The Pont du Gard is a famous Roman aqueduct crossing the river Gard or Gardon close to the city Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France. It is an impressive building from the 1st century CE and was part of a 50 kilometers long system transporting water to the city of Nîmes. It is 49 meters high and is surrounded by a very good touristic infrastructure.
When Germans think of sushi & co., they always think about high class food and restaurants. But in fact – sushi is some kind of street food in Japan. Ishin reflects this as a plain restaurant, decorated at a minimum level, long tables where might get to know someone new; and of course: absolutely great sushi and bento boxes. Try calpico, a strange looking but tasty soft drink.
Continue reading “Ishin Japanese Deli”
When I was looking for a seminar in contract and IT law I decided for a course in Köln, Germany – and was booked in at the Hotel im Wasserturm. It was the conference hotel and I wouldn’t have accepted it otherwise. It is a four-star hotel beyond the level of exclusivity I like. It is beautifully located in the old water tower in the southwest of the city center – next to the Agrippabad. Continue reading “White gloves”
The Kulturzelt in Kassel, Germany is an institution. Starting nearly 30 years ago every year a tent is set up in summer time at the Karlsaue, close to the river Fulda. Over some weeks different national and international music acts play there – sometimes with a free space for dancing and sometimes with chairs to relax with a bit more quiet music.
Continue reading “17 Hippies and a tent”
The Capitol is my most favourite concert site in Hannover, Germany. I’ve seen different bands playing here like Kettcar, but the best event was a party with Billy Talent. This evening was like a sports event and everybody went home soaked with sweat – even the tramway windows became like frosted glass.