Trip To Trier

Sep 29, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Trips

It is not big, this age-old city. In two half days I probably got the most of its sights in front of my camera. The summer ticket of the Deutsche Bahn offered 2 more rides and I surely made use of them with this little trip.

Meanwhile I got quite good at traveling. The packing list is simple, the preparation almost a routine. My plan? Capture the city in pictures, eat something tasty, have one (or three) cups of coffee and to experience some culture on the side.

I walked quite some steps in this short time and enjoyed all the old buildings. The share non-Germans was quite quickly noticeable. As far off and historic, you wouldn’t expect as much cultural diversity there.

For shame the dirty train windows wouldn’t let me take pictures, as the way to Trier is especially exceptional. With more time at hand I would have looked at a number of villages on the way, for sure.

As I often do, I will make it easy for me and let the imagery talk the load. When traveling alone, they hold the lot of the memories. Usually it is the fellow travelers. But this time, I had none…

Heftily stands the cathedral.

The Porta Nigra, landmark of the city and the best-preserved Roman city gate in Germany.

(Translation: Everyone is an apprentice.)
So am I.

Is it a blunt thing to say that I love eating burgers the most? 😀

It seems that food photography makes a great part of culture these days. I will gladly share in it. 🙂

The opera had a premiere to show on Saturday and I had the chance to get a whiff of world class theatre air. Smells funny…

On Sunday I got up early and revisited some places once more. Only with the somewhat younger light of the day. The night had been a little struggle, as because of the TV behind the door and a roommate who deemed it a good idea to unpack her bags at 2am in full illumination I had trouble to keep my eyes closed, despite some healthy tiredness.
But well, hostel life you know…

Ha, so many impressions of a Sunday morning you can put out there without a comment. I was blessed with luck, weather-wise.

I couldn’t act otherwise than to order some more coffee. But this time in one of the cafes with in-house roasting. I don’t know how you guys celebrate moments in your lives, but a cup of coffee wouldn’t do any wrong…

 

 

On the way back I had a stop-over in Cologne, because the summer ticket lets me, and took a photo of one more monuments of our country. The Cologne Cathedral.

 

 

 

 

This was a little trip out of my tightly knit everyday life, being the apprenticeship, theatre rehearsals, my little nephew, much music, and my online freelance work. And a whopping chunk of longing for New Zealand and all the comes (came) with it.

Open Spaces in Stuttgart

Sep 14, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Trips

The greatest thing about traveling is to win friends. What luck to have them live not very far. Or at least close enough to come together for a wee weekend…

We chose Stuttgart and after a long time, Elena an I met again.
Back in the day, pretty much one year ago, I left her in Wellington as the last au pair of the group and set out to the South Island.

Now we went on a discovery tour once more. This time in a German city.

The view from our window presented us with the sunset over the city.

As I left my camera inside the room on the first day, the pictures are of the second day. That one was equally sunny and thus, we just visited the ‘photo worthy’ corners again.
But all good days start with breakfast. 🙂 And we couldn’t have eaten more royally!

 

 

When walking through Stuttgart, you quickly notice how often you encounter open spaces. The same I captured in my picture series. Besides, it is ever more fascinating how much history Germany holds. You only notice that to this extent, after living in a country where the oldest buildings are from 1840…

 

 

This mall is special. Not only because of its variety of shops, but also because of its decoration.

 

 

Despite the scorching heat and the short time span at hand we had a pure blast!
You can always travel and it is good for you! Especially when sharing it with friends. Even more so with those you met traveling…

Weekend with Friends

Aug 27, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Trips

That not everybody could make it to the first big reunion was inevitable. But only the fact that we were sitting down again. Us, not at all strangers to each other anymore. In one room. Talking. This fact made this meeting with us friends just complete.
Just like back then in Wellington, when we shared the ‘au pair fate’, we spent a little time together…

I didn’t fully realise at first, just how elementary important friends are in life. Looking back, my heart fills with wonder and awe, thinking about the wonderful persons I had the chance to get to know.
But you know that. Every single heart I have taken to my own knows this. I hope. 🙂

 

 

 

 

After we were reunited from the different corners of Germany, we had a calm night around the campfire.

Hamelin is an old city full of tradition. Those days, some great city celebration was taking place and thus, the streets weren’t empty at all.

The traditional figurine show we had the chance to witness. Not a funny story, the one with the Pied Piper…

Weeeeell, you won’t see something like this in New Zealand. 😀

A golden specimen is worth a picture for a rat sympathiser like me!

Vast.

I would love us all all living around the area. Like the old days.
But like this, every other meeting of us characters is very special and one not to be forgotten easily.

 

 

 

 

On top of the Hohenstein.

 

 

Next to a demanding apprenticeship (code-word rise early again) and some more smaller or bigger projects on the side, there are these small islands you want to stay on but a little longer.

A whole lotta Hamburg

Aug 14, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Trips

A weekend in Hamburg with all the great attractions. That was the plan.

The set time for this undertaking fell on the weekend after the first week of the apprenticeship.
The same was a highlight in itself, raising high hopes for the life at work to come.

After my friend Christina and I were reunited, we went towards the train.
We didn’t count in all tosses and losses of the train wreck of the German train connection and after a chaotic 6 hour long odyssey we arrived. Luckily, our Airbnb host was a very helpful and generous one and thus, the day ended well after this uncalled for adventure.

In the beginning everything appeared sunny…

Our schedule included 3 main attractions: ‘Dialogue in the Dark’, ‘The Lion King’ and the ‘Hamburg Dungeon’. We went more or less well rested through the Speicherstadt and experienced a Dialogue in the Dark.

A plain recommendation!

Not to tell you too much beforehand: Dialogue in the Dark is a very well carried out guided tour by blind people. To put it lyrically, you learn to see the world with different eyes.

Next to historic buildings, Hamburg offers a rich architectural palette.

Having some coffee: CHECK

What impresses my fond-of-music self deeply, is the Elbphilharmonie.

That night it was time for the musical experience. Either price you pay, you can’t leave disappointed. A perfect show with a perfectly aesthetically crafted stage design and musically brilliance, which made me leave to the utmost heights of my emotional receptiveness.

 

 

Before, again not as much well rested, we went to the Speicherstadt to learn about the horrid side of Hamburg history, we visited another Hamburg attraction: The fish market.
Pitchmen, bargain chasers, tourists (like us) and real Hamburg people created a colourful and sometimes quite tight crowd.

 

 

The Speicherstadt is an incredible work of masonry, especially coming from New Zealand and unable to think of anything comparable…

 

 

 

 

In the Hamburg Dungeon we learned, less off horror than of entertaining episodes, about the more unpleasant chapters of Hamburg. Maybe one day I might sign up with them and make use of my acting talents to scare and teach others… 😀

After a short, but most invigorating weekend we stepped onto the train and were let down successfully for another time. This time it was masses of soccer fans, which didn’t fit the capabilities of the wagons. That way, the way back was not of ease standing up more than sitting down, but we arrived. And that counts for something. 😉

Back at work I have some more memories to spook my head next to CSS and HTML. Moving weeks these are, but it doesn’t get boring…
At least! 😀

Clear the Decks!

Jul 31, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Updates

I love to begin new chapters of my life on a clean slate.

I have tidied up my room, re-organised my folders of paperwork and even decluttered a little. 😀

The projects I wanted to finish ‘before the apprenticeship’ are all done and I am feeling quite ready.
Two and a half months have passed since my homecoming and not many major things have happened. But that is not bad at all, as sufficient things have been going on. Sufficient things to sound the bell for a new era of my working life and sufficient things to have accustomed to the German way of life.

But everything I say now, I say looking back on my previous life. I am curious for the changes, after the August commences… 😉