Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that people who live in Hanover do for fun?

There are numerous activities in Hanover that locals enjoy, including surfing on the Leine River right in the heart of the Old Town district. A surfable wave has been created there by installing a hydraulically controllable system, allowing water sports enthusiasts to engage in ‘rapid surfing.’

During summer, the annual Maschsee Lake Festival transforms the promenades around the Maschsee shores into one of Northern Germany’s largest open-air parties, featuring various stages and a wide array of entertainment acts.

In the winter, locals and visitors come together and drink mulled wine at the Christmas market. There are more than 100 festively decorated stalls selling culinary delights, as well as local goods, such wooden toys from the Erzgebirge.

Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Hanover?

One lesser-known fact about Hanover is its status as one of Germany’s greenest cities. The capital of Lower Saxony boasts over 2,100 acres of public green spaces, including the ‘green lung’ of the city, the Eilenriede, which alone extends to about 1,600 acres in the city’s center, nearly twice the size of New York’s Central Park. The city center also features Maschpark and Maschsee Lake, along with historic parks like the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, which include a renowned baroque garden.”

A hidden gem of the city is the singing manhole cover in the city center. A Germany-wide unique piece surprises onlookers with unexpected music and adds a playful touch to the cityscape.

Question: What has Hanover contributed to the world?

Hanover has made significant contributions to the world, particularly in the realm of music technology. It is the birthplace of the first vinyl record, the production site of the first music cassette, and the location where the first CD was pressed. These innovations have played a crucial role in Hanover being designated a ‘UNESCO City of Music’ in December 2014, a title that celebrates the city’s ongoing influence on musicians and music technology.

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Question 1: What’s new with airberlin this year out of the U.S.?

Answer:

airberlin, Germany’s second largest airline strives to provide an extensive global route network for its flight guests in addition to convenience and flexibility by increasing efficiency in all areas of its operations. Berlin and Dusseldorf serve as the focal point of this route expansion and this year it strengthens its presence in the U.S. by offering additional service to Berlin from Chicago and New York. As of May 2014 airberlin operates ten weekly flights from John F. Kennedy airport to each of its main German hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf. It has also increased service from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from five weekly flights to a daily connection to Berlin.

The airline operates from a total of five U.S. gateways that include: Chicago, Fort Myers, Los Angeles, Miami and New York (JFK). Through its code share agreement with its oneworld® alliance partner American Airlines, airberlin also offers numerous connections from about 60 cities throughout North America to its five U.S. gateways. This provides additional convenience and seamless connectivity for all airberlin flight guests.

Question 2: Has airberlin made any changes in its flight service?

Answer:

New this year airberlin will equip the first aircraft with on-board Wi-Fi. This service will then be rolled out gradually over almost the whole airberlin fleet. In addition airberlin has completed a full refurbishment of its long-haul fleet offering guests optimum comfort in both economy and business class alike. The new airberlin business class configuration offers even more privacy providing direct aisle access from every seat. Each seat completely reclines into lie-flat beds and feature a power plug, a USB port, a 15-inch personal monitor and a massage function. Guests will enjoy state of the art on demand entertainment systems and comfortable seating in both economy and business class. In-flight service includes free beverage service throughout the entire flight and a selection of hot and cold meals.

Question 3: What does airberlin do differently from other airlines?

Answer:

One of the most important aspects of airberlin’s company philosophy has been the contributions made towards fuel effiency and developing measures that truly impact the aviation industry in the area of eco-efficiency. airberlin is working tirelessly to reduce its fuel consumption for the sake of the environment. airberlin has developed a comprehensive fuel efficiency program put together by airberlin experts, the airline is continually improving all the processes involved in flying and developing potential new areas of savings. airberlin’s team of experts has now come up with about 60 measures which offer potential savings. These concern areas such as flight planning, weight reduction, modernization of aircraft and flight operations. Through all the measures implemented last year, airberlin reduced its CO2 emissions by a total of more than 70,000 tons. That corresponds to around 4,700 flights from Munich to Palma de Mallorca. In the interim, airberlin aims to reduce its fuel consumption to 3 litres per 100 passenger kilometres. With its commitment to environmental efficiency, airberlin has received numerous awards over the past few years. In 2013 airberlin won the award, “Silver Eco-Airline of the Year” presented by the US industry magazine Air Transport World.

For more information on airberlin or to book a flight visit www.airberlin.com, or contact the call center at 1-866-266-5588 or your travel agent.

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Gingerbread houses, Christmas trees, caroling and concerts on board ships add extra spice to cruises on Europe’s rivers during the month of December. But the biggest incentive to don winter coats and hats is the Christmas markets in ports along the way. Almost every city has at least one filling municipal and cathedral squares in the weeks leading up to December 25 and almost every river cruise line operating in Europe extends it cruise season into December to take advantage of the holiday glow. I was aboard Viking River Cruises on its Danube Waltz itinerary cruising from Budapest, Hungary to Passau, Germany with stops in Bratislava, Slovakia, Vienna and Linz, Austria.

Each city’s Christmas markets embraced the festive season by selling decorations, holiday novelties, food and mulled wine to warm heart and soul under twinkling lights on cold December evenings. Some added musical entertainment and carnival rides. Can one be too old to climb aboard a carousel?

An infectious holiday cheer brought smiles to passengers and crew on board. One afternoon crew members donned Santa hats and reindeer headbands to lead passengers in a sing-along that ended with a conga line winding through the lounge. An advent choir boarded the ship after dinner in Bratislava for an a cappella performance. In Austria, costumed singers and musicians presented songs from “The Sound of Music” and ended the evening with Christmas carols — “Silent Night” in three languages.

Passengers participated in trimming Christmas trees, personalizing globe ornaments with markers. The pastry chef patiently taught us the art of gingerbread house-making and to my envious eyes some structures turned out quite good.

The kitchen crew made an extra effort to warm us up with a holiday glow. After a shore excursion one chilly afternoon the chef welcomed returning passengers in the reception area with cheese fondue spread on slices of fresh bread plus cups of hot chocolate with an optional splash of rum or amaretto.

Have holiday gifts to buy for family and friends back home? Bring an extra suitcase. Cities along the Danube offer shopping districts with brand-name stores as well as cute boutiques. And, of course, the Christmas markets present a bounty of items, some handmade.

Christmas markets bring out residents, especially after work and on weekends. If you’re game, you might interact over a glass of gluhwein. After visiting two or three markets, the next few might seem just the same, but be on the lookout for one-of-a-kind finds and local food specialties.

In Budapest, crowds filled two Christmas markets within walking distance of our ship. A Nativity scene with large, colorful figures stood in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica where a Christmas tree towered over an ice rink. Vendors in wooden huts sold Christmas ornaments, marzipan, Hungarian fried bread and steaming cups of mulled wine.

In Slovakia, sausages and potato pancakes simmered on stoves in a small market outside Bratislava Castle perched 300 feet above the Danube. Our excursion stopped for a view from the windy terrace then descended to the Old Town for a walk on cobblestones past warmly lit cafes to a Christmas market where cloth dolls in folk dress caught my eye.

In Vienna, I strolled past Rolex, Dior and Tiffany stores on Kohlmarkt Street on my way to Café Central where a glass case overflowed with pastries. A reindeer head made from gingerbread mousse and baked apple called out to me.

Christmas markets were scattered across Vienna, one by city hall, another at Am Hof where raclette oozed onto plates and flutes of Champagne bubbled on a wooden bar. Outside Hofburg Palace, a few vendors sold high-end goods. I couldn’t resist a jaunty made-in-Austria woolen hat. At my favorite market, outside St. Stephen’s Cathedral where Mozart married in 1782, I had to have two wooden toy trains in letters spelling my grandsons’ names.

That night, we boarded a motor coach to travel along city streets lit with holiday decorations to a small theater for a Mozart and Strauss concert just for Viking guests.

In Linz, Austria, streetcars streamed past Christmas market stalls on the Hauptplatz, one of the largest squares in Europe, but shoppers seemed so engrossed in the goods they barely noticed. My search for an authentic Austrian gift for someone back home yielded only apparel from distant lands — Peru, Nepal, China — so I left, disappointed.

In Passau, Germany, our tour group went to Café Simon for a demonstration of gingerbread making with samples of three flavors washed down with an orange and rum punch. Refortified, I made my way to the plaza outside St. Stephen’s Cathedral where bells sounding the hour reverberated around more than 70 rustic wooden Christmas market kiosks. Patrons stood around high tables snarfing down foot-long wurst sandwiches. I resisted the temptation of gluhwein stands to seek out something German-made for that someone still on my gift list. I found it inside a make-shift shop where a young woman was selling woolen hats and cute head wraps made by her German grandmother.

Just when passengers think they have seen their last Christmas market, those departing from the Munich airport find one more under a canopy between terminals. More than 40 market stalls and 450 Christmas trees set up here along with an ice-skating rink with skate rentals for those who want to do a few spins before their flight departs.

For once, I was glad mine was delayed.

Viking River Cruises: 800-304-9616

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Murdered by Titans, Dionysus/Bacchus was reborn. His worship generated irrational exuberance, frenzied revels by women, and much early theater and standup comedy. When condemned by Rome as a sinister source of vice and revolutionary unrest, the frolic was periodically rejuvenated by slaves and poor free men.

These traditions — celebrating man as a free being without hierarchy — blended easily with the various pagan rites of spring practiced by Germanic and other tribes. The Church tried to suppress carnival but ultimately decided if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, layering on compatible beliefs as they co-opted the locals. Carnival, or carne vale, comes from Latin, and means “flesh, farewell,” as Carnival heralds in the Lenten fast that leads to Easter. The mix with local and aboriginal beliefs creates an amazing array of traditions, extending to the New World and locales as far flung as India.

Most Americans know Carnival though New Orleans Mardi Gras, or through Rio or Trinidad, but the roots are firmly in Europe. Napoleon and Hitler banned Carnival. Its anti-authoritarian roots quickly grew back.

For years I’ve shouldered the task of chronicling carnivals across different cultures — sense of duty. With anti-authoritarian and satirical roots planted by the ancients, Carnival is a superb barometer of how people view the forces bumping their lives around, as well as of the U.S. image abroad.

One sojourn included sleepy towns in Portugal. In Torres Verdes, the centerpiece — not a float, the centerpiece — was called “Bushlandia.” Artfully rendered, five or so stories high, the sculpture offered up Bush as a primitive king in furs, wielding a jeweled club and a scepter with a golden skull. He wore a crucifix on which was a soldier. Bush sat within the jaws of giant skull beneath the crown of the Stature of Liberty, about which crawled wormy critters in turbans. Other heads of the coalition of the willing — old Europe, new Europe, always confusing — were in his court. Prime Minister Tony Blair fanned Bush with feathers and scratched his backside. On the sculpture’s flip side, a bearded fellow hauled a wheelbarrow of explosives. Beneath him a government minister struggled to feed the world’s poor children. Nuclear missiles flanked Bush. Penguins blew time-out whistles as toxic waste washed over nature. To the beat of Brazilian bands amid the samba gyrations of hotties, all revelers passed before Bush. A small town in Portugal made a colossal comment on U.S. leadership.

Carnival jabs are thrown throughout the world. My first carnival was in Cologne, Germany. Barely a month after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke in 1998; I nearly kicked my camera off my balcony, lunging for it as a masterpiece of German engineering rounded Koln Cathedral. A grinning Bill Clinton, big as a Mack truck, groped a peeved Statue of Liberty, followed by a padlocked White House atop which stood Uncle Sam throwing blood sausages to a crowd roaring approval.

They could take a joke even if finger-wagging phonies like Joe Lieberman and members of the pious press couldn’t. Germans couldn’t understand America’s mania over this fiasco as more pressing worldly concerns tumbled into the fire.

No one brought out the carnival knives like Bush. Some years back, despite German officials urging softer blows prior to a Bush visitation, a Cologne float had Bush shooting flames from a cross fashioned like a machine gun. On another, Uncle Sam bent over, trousers down, while the German Chancellor climbed a ladder up his backside, with nose a shade darker. In a later carnival, Angela Merkel fared better, portrayed as Elastic Girl, while Bush walked barefoot through bowls of fat labeled “Kyoto”, “New Orleans”, and “Atomic Conflict”.

A carnival in Dusseldorf once offered up Iran’s president as a rocket, caught by a United Nations net, (not, ahem, a U.S. net).

The greatest punches are thrown in Basel, Switzerland. This unique Protestant take begins in a blacked-out city at 4 AM the Monday after Ash Wednesday. Thousands of costumed pipers and drummers accompany huge gas-lit lanterns painted with satirical images of political figures and issues of the day. A carnival favorite, Silvio Berlusconi — likened to a hybrid of the Godfather and Benito Mussolini, running his media empire like an Orwellian villain — will no doubt once again be prominent. The Swiss miss Bush, another favorite — and boy did they work him over — but while Bush now keeps a low profile, Berlusconi offers up new material.

If small towns in Portugal can use Carnival to speak truth to power, why can’t Washington? The threat of ridicule at Carnival might rein in excesses, perhaps an invasion, a war without end.

A modest proposal: bring Carnival to Washington. The city may not have the religious roots of many carnival strongholds, but no place can fake religion like Washington. Imagine Carnival’s potential in the Nation’s capital. True, it’s a challenging venue where fewer people can take a joke. On the other hand, we’ve no shortage of folks willing to play the fool.

What richer vein to mine than the players of the 2012 election? Envision a float with Karl Rove and his super PAC backers shredding dollar bills into confetti blown from a cannon at the crowd, or simply tossing dollar bills in lieu of beads. Sheldon Adelson, the Vegas and Macau casino magnate reported to have spent $150 million in the 2012 election, could have a float shaped as a giant craps table, with potential suitors for his 2016 blessing throwing the dice. Or perhaps Adelson and his political entourage would burn an effigy, not of the carnival spirit, but of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Maybe Adelson could lend some showgirls, always welcome in Carnival. Newt Gingrich could appear as Dr. Frankenstein for hire, creating Palestinians as an invented people, after Adelson largess. And what else for Mitt Romney than a float with a dog driving a racecar with #47 on it, sponsored by Delphi Automotive, with Mitt strapped on top? Perhaps a float with debate podiums showcasing Joe Biden, made up as The Joker, debating Paul Ryan, made up as Eddie Munster.

From around the world, pickings are good. Kim Jong Un could ride astride a giant onion with a “Sexiest Man Alive” banner. Silvio Berlusconi on a float of a television news studio, surrounded by nightclub dancers, tax accountants and a frustrated jailor-in-waiting. Dedicate a float to the world’s richest communists, perhaps China’s princelings, or former KGB officials, certainly Putin. Portray Afghanistan officials emptying out the Bank of Kabul as warlords divvy up bribes for mineral rights. Pakistan officials sit in a toll booth for U.S. military supplies, or conduct a scavenger hunt for Bin Laden souvenirs. A Vatican float would put a butler at the helm. Castro could be Lazarus. The President of Egypt might do the King Tut Strut. Depict Bibi Netanyahu hiding his Romney/Ryan yard signs, or chasing the peace process with a drone. Hamas as the pirates of Never-Neverland; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a standup comic. A rogues gallery of dictators is easy enough. Taliban schoolmasters. Press intrusiveness into private lives could be represented by Rupert Murdoch wearing East German bugging equipment from “The Lives of Others.”

How about twin socialites in mink-trimmed camouflage guarding generals? An authoress at a book booth signing copies of “All In”?

Bankers, anyone? Where does one begin with bankers? Lined up at the “bailout bonus window”? Their lawyers? Their lobbyists? Captured regulators? Senators carrying buckets of water for them? A gilded revolving door between Wall Street and government appointments? Take a cue from writer Matt Taibbi: portray Goldman Sachs as “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money” — now that’s a carnival float ready to roll.

Perhaps a float showcasing the one percent on strike from job creation. A Wonderland Tea Party complete with the Koch brothers as the Mad Hatter and March Hare. President Obama as Don Quixote riding a giant lame duck into battle. Super PACs pouring money into funnels in politicians mouths — money being speech — while five Supreme Court justices take turns striking poses as the monkeys insistently oblivious to appearance of mischief.

Imagine Donald Trump as Rapunzel trapped in Trump Tower — or, soon, the Old Post Office tower — his strawberry-golden tresses braided with birth certificates from Kenya. Carnival’s long tradition of cross-dressing, poking fun at gender roles, might lend some style to the debate over same-sex marriage. A drill team of men wearing burkas would be a good extension. Undecided voters as whirling dervishes? Gerrymandered districts as Rorschach tests? Somewhere there’s a theme for WikiLeaks, climate change deniers, journalists recycling press releases, elected judges putting in the fix for contributors, Texas school board members challenging evolution, beset upon by giant Darwin finches. Congressional lemmings running over the Fiscal Cliff. The Internet as Pandora’s Box. The Electoral College throwing dunce caps to voters not in swing states. Drones flying overhead could make parades ever more exciting. Nominate Pinocchio as Carnival King.

Some things are not so funny — it’s a fine line between humor and pathos. Satire can only sustain so much tragedy before it turns sour. There’s not much to be done with Syria, for example, that isn’t pulled down by reality.

But consider carnival’s pagan roots, the rites of spring chasing the winter demons, to hopeful fertility, to planting anew. Carnival remains irrepressible despite authority’s many stompings over the centuries. When Carnival collided with the Church, it softened with themes of redemption and renewal. The carnival spirit, burned in effigy, departs taking the woes of the year, leaving all with a clean slate.

Has there ever been a city more in need of a do-over than Washington?

Read Skip Kaltenheuser’s Ode to Carnival Past and Future, Sadly Not Present

The post Carnival Beckons: A Carnival Musing for 2013 appeared first on Traveling Archive.

It is the Trabant, and I drove one. Or tried to.

What, you may well ask, is a Trabant? It’s the amalgamation of some sort of manufacturing process that produced a car for the citizens of East Germany in the years 1957 to 1990. And I drove one, or attempted to do it in Munich and Dresden, but NOT as an inhabitant of East Germany, but only when the lowly, “Tricky Trabant” became a tourist “Must-drive-one-magnet” after the Berlin Wall came down, and Germany became one country.

Auto buffs will tell you that it took the dubious title of “The Worst Car Ever Built.” There’s an old fairy tale about “Old Mother Hubbard” and when she went to the cupboard it was bare. The same might be said about the Trabant – one’s suspicion is that it left the place where it was assembled totally unfinished, because its interior is completely devoid of any decorations or design work. Yes, it IS  barren!

Along with a group of fellow American travel journalists on a press visit to (a now unified) Germany one of the first “things” we were shown in Dresden was a group of – as they are more commonly known – “Trabis.”

A reality that I found fascinating on this visit, was that whatever we were shown any sort of “tourist related temptation” (!) in what WAS East Germany, every single one was run, managed or owned by a West German! The Easterners had not got used to commercialism, or what was involved in making a profit.

I asked our West German tour guide to give me a briefing on some of the facts about the Trabant. He stunned me by noting that a 10 year wait was involved, because the  State was the only outlet that produced them, and – incredibly – there was no such thing as automobile showrooms. Once you actually got to order it, you were told there would be an additional wait of 13 years before it was delivered. A few moments later a colleague of our guide came over to me, and said “the nearer one lived to Berlin, would make the wait much shorter.” He never explained why. Weird!

I didn’t  have the courage to drive one in Dresden, so I was delighted to hear when we arrived in Munich, we’d get to drive a Trabant! There are many places and organizations where you can rent or drive a Trabi in Germany, and I highly recommend you go online and type in “Renting and driving a Trabant in Germany.”

Putting my courage in my back pocket I knew I absolutely had to drive a Trabant in Munich. However, as I gingerly eased and squeezed myself in, I noticed a huge lack of “Things.” Our entrepreneurial West German guide answered my query by saying, “The 1980s Trabi had (now get this!) no tachometer, no indicator for either headlights or turn signals, no fuel gauge, no rear seat belts, and no external fuel opening door.”

After hearing all this, I instantly realized I could not face the traffic in “Magical Munich,” and opted for the Trabant experience of just sitting in one, and looking at them, and finding out more about this strange and peculiar … car? Unit of machinery? Or even automotive joke?

Interestingly, many Americans after seeing and trying the Trabant, wanted to buy one which was – many years ago – another source of profits for West Germans to get involved in. However, locating an ever increasing LACK of original Trabis became a  huge challenge. During their lifetime (one can hardly say BUILT!) from 1957 to 1990, over 3.76 million were made. Or “Produced.” Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

The post When YOU Visit Germany, Here’s Something YOU Gotta Do! appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. Question: What are the fun “things” or activities that people in Hamburg do for fun?

Answer:

Stroll along the Reeperbahn, have drinks and see where the Beatles perfected their craft, playing 10,000 hours on this street from 1960-62. During the holidays, you can shop at Hamburg’s many famous Christmas markets.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Hamburg?

Answer:

Hamburg has more bridges than Amsterdam, Venice and London combined!

3. Question: What has Hamburg contributed to the world?

Answer:

The Hamburger: There are more than one theory and none is proven solely. Many believed the theory that the first hamburger originated in Hamburg as a circular cut of solid beef in a Kaiser roll with brown sauce, the so called “Rundstück warm.” Popular with sailors, they would request it upon arriving in Hamburg’s transatlantic port. When they sailed  back to other destinations they brought this simple creation with them, introducing it around the glove – which, of course,  included the U.S. After it went out into the world, it came back to Hamburg in a modified version, more like a meatloaf – similar to the hamburger today. Proof for this theory would be that in 1842 an American cookbook published a recipe of a ground beef patty under the name Hamburger Steak.

Nivea Crème (Beiersdorf): NIVEA is one of the world’s most trusted skincare brands. It all began in Hamburg in 1911, when the pharmacist and visionary entrepreneur Dr. Oscar Troplowitz recognized the potential in Eucerit, an emulsifier developed by the chemist Dr. Isaac Lifschütz. Eucerit made it possible to bind water and oil into a stable cream, and was first intended for use in the medical field. Dermatologist Prof. Paul Gerson Unna appreciated Dr. Lifschütz’s expertise in his field and introduced him to Dr. Troplowitz, who immediately recognized that the water-in-oil emulsion would make the perfect basis for a cosmetic skin cream. All it needed now was a name. To find it, Dr. Troplowitz didn’t need to look any further than the cream itself. Inspired by its snow-white colour, he called it NIVEA – a name derived from the Latin words nix (snow) and nivis (of snow). Finally, the years of research and creativity had paid off. In December of 1911, NIVEA was launched. Since then, Hamburg has always been the site of the headquarter of Beiersdorf and the biggest production site for the NIVEA crème.

Modern Television: Manfred von Ardenne from Hamburg came up with the idea of using a fast flying spot generated by the Braun tube for scanning images. On Christmas Eve 1930 he achieved the first all-electronic television transmissions with Braun tubes at the transmitter and at the receive. At the 1931 Berlin Broadcasting Trade Fair, Manfred von Ardenne presented his all-electronic television transmissions to the public. According to Walter Bruch, the inventor of colour television, that event was the world premiere of today’s TV technology with electron beams. The year 1931 marks the beginning of today’s electronic television sets.

Cruise Shipping: Hapag-lloyd is one of the largest container shipping companies with strong relations to the Americas. Hapag-Lloyd AG was formed 1970 as a result of the merger of Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (Hapag) and North German Lloyd (NDL). But the origins of these shipping lines go back much further: Hapag was founded in Hamburg in 1847 by local merchants and NDL in Bremen in 1857. The lines initially carried mainly European emigrants eager to start a new life in America. The relationship between Hapag and NDL was for a long time something special, for while they were competitors, from the 19th century onwards, they both repeatedly established joint ventures. Under its Director-General Albert Ballin (1857-1918), who is also credited with having invented the cruise, Hapag rose to the top of the world shipping sector around the turn of the century in terms of tonnage, while NDL became the shipping line carrying the largest number of passengers.

Tesa Film: Tesa’s success story begins with the unsuccessful development of an adhesive bandage. Paul C. Beiersdorf, a pharmacist, was at work on the bandage when Dr. Oscar Troplowitz took over the lab from the company’s founder in 1890. The bandage adhered excellently, but was irritating to skin. Troplowitz made a virtue of necessity and, in 1896, launched the first technical adhesive tape. Today Tesa is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of self-adhesive product and system solutions for industry, professional craftsmen, and consumers.

Mont Blanc: The start of the “modern” new century had a simulating effect on inventors and craftsmen. Ingenuity and imagination helped the fountain pen to make its technical and commercial breakthrough as a writing instrument. It was a Hamburg banker, Alfred Nehemias, and a Berlin engineer, August Eberstein, together who recognized the signs of time and decided to produce simplicissimus pens. After a short period of time, Wilhelm Dziambor, Christian Lausen and later Claus Johannes Voss took over the business and thus laid the foundation for the future internationally successful company Montblanc based in Hamburg.

Dynamite: Even though Alfred Nobel came from Sweden, he did the invention in Hamburg in 1866.

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My wife Brigitte, and our two daughters Michelle and Heidi, were part of the crowd at the base of the Kehlsteinhaus (more commonly known as the Eagle’s Nest in English-speaking countries) which was a Third Reich-era building erected atop the summit of the Kehlstein, a rocky outcrop that rises above the Obersalzberg near the town of Berchtesgaden, Germany.

As a longtime military aficionado, and having suffered under the Nazi bombing of my home in London in WW2, I’d frequently wondered about the Eagle’s Nest and how one actually got there. My knowledge was minimal and consisted of such facts as I knew it was used exclusively by members of the Nazi Party for government and social meetings.

Consequently I was delighted when a guide we encountered was, thank goodness, a talkative type, and I listened in rapt attention when he told us that Hitler had an everlasting fear of heights (wow, THAT was news to me!) and because the “Nest” was situated 6,017 feet from ground level, he’d only visited 14 times. Getting up there was, well, equally spellbinding – at least to me: I seriously doubted our two children were as thrilled as I was by how we got up there.

Just before we began our journey to the “Nest” itself, we stopped at a Kitschy sort of Gift Shop at the base of the mountain and purchased one of the outrageous hats on display. Curiously, there were no postcards of the place nor even the surroundings, but as we visited in the late 1980s I feel sure that now in 2019, gift shops are everywhere, with all hawking every kind of souvenir under the sun.

Getting to the top is by bus, and it travels along the one lane 4 mile road that circles around the mountain to the summit. At exactly the same time that our bus departed, another at the top left for the journey down and, typical for the Germans’, they both meet in the middle at the same time – where the “Down Bus” moved into a small turnout so our bus could continue upwards. Once you get THERE, you’ll see the entrance to a tunnel which leads to an elevator. As you enter the brick walled passageway it is eerily quiet and almost dark, and it reminded me of a scary Halloween ride I’d once taken. The walls (at least when we visited) appeared to be damp and glistened with droplets of water. It was right at that moment when it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks: Hitler had personally walked the very same passageway where I was now walking. It was chilling and yes, creepy, to acknowledge – instantly – WHERE one was, and WHO had trod this hallway all those decades ago.

This weirdness and indeed even fearfulness, was heightened as we entered the interior of an ornate gold hued, polished brass elevator where all 4 sides were Venetian mirrors encased in green leather. The apprehension one felt only increased when the elevator operator, in a very melodramatic voice said “This is THE elevator that Hitler used each time he came here.” He paused, then, almost whispering said, “Nothing has been changed.” It’s only a brief ride as it ascends the 407 feet to the top. We were informed that the Eagle’s Nest project took 13 months to build in the late 1930s during which 12 workers had died. The site is now a restaurant, beer garden and, of course, tourist site. Needless to say, the awesome scenic views of the surrounding mountainous scenery, are stunning.

In April, 1945 a fleet of British RAF bombers went there to obliterate everything as it was rumored that Hitler was hiding there. He wasn’t. However, due to the problem of distinguishing the ACTUAL target, the only thing demolished was the Berghof area. Given the infamy of the place there’s always been some controversy as to which of the Allies FIRST reached it. Among those claiming to have been first, were various units of the US Army; a French Armored division; and even some Spanish soldiers. My lengthy research indicates it was the US 101^st Airborne who were the first to get into the Kehlsteinhaus, and the town of Berchtesgaden. Either way, visiting THIS historic site was one of my all-time most fascinating experiences. I hope you too will find time to visit. CONTACT John:

jd******@gm***.com

The post It’s One of the “Must Visit” Places in Europe. Here’s Why appeared first on Traveling Archive.

From 1933 to 1945 it was a key airbase for the Luftwaffe, who used it as a training airfield for fighter and bomber crews. Its importance was highlighted on November 11^th, 1935, when Erhard Milch, the Secretary for Aviation in Hitler’s hierarchy, and fighter ace Ernst Udet, came to see it. Nearly 10 years later, on April 25^th, 1945 allied bombers demolished all the runways making them totally unusable.

Although it was used as a helicopter base by the US military after WW2, in 1981 it closed and the airfield and its surrounding buildings fell into disrepair. One of the most fascinating museums in Germany is the Deutches Museum, and in 1988 some of their far sighted officials saw the airfield’s historic value and decided to make it part of their famous aviation section. It opened in 1992, and it’s absolutely fascinating. When I visited they had over 60 aircraft on display, including helicopters, VTOL, jets, hang gliders, seaplanes, flight simulators, engines etc., and it’s an aviation aficionado’s heaven.

I’m intrigued by almost any WW2 aircraft, and there are four in THIS Museum that are spellbinding. A Fiesler Storch; a unique DC3; a VTOL aircraft; and a flying boat.  As a kid growing up in WW2 London, one of the Nazi bombers that bombed our City was the Heinkel 111 – and it transfixed me. It also terrified thousands of Brits during its many forays over the UK, especially those over London, and this Museum had one “under restoration.”  It’s the CASA 2, 111, and was built under license for the Spanish Air Force. However, after serving with them for a good number of years they discarded it in the early 1960s, and in 1968 it was what’s called “written off” as an active aircraft. But this airplane seems to have had an “inborn secret for survival” as she became a Star of sorts, because in 1968 she appeared in a British movie called “The Battle Of Britain,” as what she was – a WW2 Nazi bomber. Her life changed yet again in 1977 when the Deutches Museum purchased her. In 2000 it was decided to bring her it back to her full Spanish Air Force glory, and a massive restoration project began.

Any WW2 aficionado can tell you that any time the Germans needed any sort of battlefield overview of how things stood on the battlefield, they used a marvelous aircraft called the Fielser Storch. It was also used by many top Nazi officials and military brass – and is often seen in movies about WW2 – so it was enthralling to see a living copy of yet another classic airplane.

The Museum’s Dornier 31 was the world’s only VTOL fixed wing transport, and was built by the Germans for research and flight testing. Just 2 were built, after which the concept “died,” so it was another “Bonus Airplane Sight” to see one in this unique museum. When you first glimpse the Museum’s Dornier Do 24 T-3, you’re convinced it’s a classic Catalina flying boat – but no, it is not. Like the Catalina for the Allies, this German seaplane played a vital role in WW2 for the Nazis, who used it as a long range reconnaissance aircraft, troop transport and for air sea rescues. The Museum’s DC-3 is riveting, but for a reason you probably don’t even think about. The reality is that most folks instantly associate the DC-3 (or C-47 as the US military called it) with the Allies in WW2, so to see it in the colors of the modern German Luftwaffe came as a surprise and yes, a jolt to me.

For anyone with even the slightest interest in aviation, this is a MUST SEE museum. It’s easily accessible from nearby Munich by S-Bahn train service route S1 to the Freising Airport and Oberschiessheim station. Email them at

vi************@de**************.de

The post This Aviation Museum Near Munich, Germany, Is An Absolute “MUST See Attraction” appeared first on Traveling Archive.

A Compact Camera that Will Crush Your Smartphone

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

It’s a dilemma for many travelers: You want a better photo than you can take with your smartphone, but you don’t want to lug around a big camera. Sony’s Cyber-Shot RX100 VI solves your problem by putting a high-quality camera into a tiny, pocket-sized package. Upgrade your travel pictures without adding a big camera.

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Why Are These Hotels Famous?

Courtesy of  Shannon McMahon

You might already know these famous hotels by name, but do you know why they’re famous? Here’s what earned some of the world’s best-known hotels their prominence — and why you should stay there.

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Courtesy Ed Perkins

In a big win for Britain’s consumers, the British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told big online travel agencies that they must include any mandatory charges like hotel “resort” fees (which are often applied by non-resort hotels in big cities, as well) in the up-front listed price. It’s ok, says CMA, for hotels to break the full price into a base charge plus a mandatory fee, but all mandatory fees must be included in the initially displayed cost.

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Independent Traveler

With so many tempting possibilities, deciding where to stay in Germany can turn into a dilemma. Should you choose ultra-modern hotels or charm-filled historic properties? Should you dream away your nights at country inns, fairytale castles, or pampering spa resorts? Even if you’re on a budget, Germany’s lodging options include hotels, B&Bs, and hostels that are among Europe’s very best. Or, for a change of pace, you can spend a few days on a farm or a countryside vineyard. Can’t choose? The best plan may be to mix and match as you travel through the country, sampling some of Germany’s best accommodations.

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Allan Leibowitz, Skift

Overtourism, the result of having too many visitors show up to a place at the same time, is becoming such a problem for popular destinations that both the United Nations and the European Union have recently issued guidelines to reduce tourist overcrowding.

Cheaper international airfares, the growth of the cruise market, and the emergence of cheap accommodation options such as Airbnb are fueling the overtourism phenomenon. Europe, in particular but not exclusively, is feeling the effects, with cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Venice struggling to cope with the huge influx of visitors.

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Cunard Cruise Line Partners with English National Ballet

Courtesy Travel News Online

Cunard has announced that the world-renowned English National Ballet will join the Queen Mary 2 for a unique voyage from Southampton to New York from 11-18 August 2019. Guests on the seven-night transatlantic crossing will have the opportunity to meet the leading dancers from the British ballet company, including lead principal, Erina Takahashi, and first soloist, James Streeter, watch their morning ballet class and drop in on afternoon rehearsals.

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Courtesy Savi, Bruised Passports

The annual fee that needs to be paid for any credit card prevented us from getting one for a long time. But after much evaluation and chats with other traveler friends, we got a credit card and we’ve never looked back!

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Rio de Janeiro Named Must-Visit Destination in 2019

Rio de Janeiro was named one of the world’s five most cost-effective destinations for 2019. A survey conducted by British air travel website Skyscanner revealed, after analyzing flight and hotel offers, that in addition to being a great cultural experience, visiting the Americas next year could also be an excellent idea for those who want to save money. According to the study, the day rates in four-star hotels in Rio dropped by 20%. The website also bets on the drop in air tickets prices due to the creation of new direct flights from Europe to the city. We list five classic and unforgettable tours for those who arrive in the Marvelous City. Check out:

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The 13 Safest Places in Mexico for Travelers

Courtesy Ed Hewitt, SmarterTravel

“Is Mexico safe?” It’s a question many American travelers have asked themselves, especially in the wake of a sweeping security alert for Mexico issued by the U.S. State Department in early March 2018. Such travel advisories can be confusing, but this one is pretty clear and even includes a color-coded map revealing the most dangerous (marked in red) and safest places in Mexico (marked in white).

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Norway’s Best Kept Secret Revealed in 50 Degrees North’s New Signature Tour for 2019

Nordic Travel Specialist, 50 Degrees North, has introduced an innovative new 8-day tour for 2019: ‘The Western Fjords of Norway’. Although largely unknown to international visitors, the Western fjords are a rare gem: The landscape is pristine and exceptionally beautiful even by Norwegian standards! 

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How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

After paying $15 to have an awkward photoshoot in the aisle of a CVS, only to have my passport photos rejected twice (once for being too dark and once for being too bright), I decided there had to be a better way to take your own passport photo. Turns out, snapping your own passport photo is easier, cheaper, and much more convenient than going to a “professional” (a.k.a., the cashier at your local drugstore). Here’s a few tips:

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10 Emerging Places to Visit in Europe For a Crowd-Free Vacation

Courtesy Jamie Ditaranto

As the relentless crowds flock to major tourist sites in cities like Paris and Venice, travelers need to face the truth — we’re wearing each other (and the cities we’re visiting) out. It’s a struggle common across Europe, but that doesn’t mean all of Europe has been overtaken by legions of tourists. There are plenty of exciting destinations that may not be new, but they are emerging as exciting destinations worthy of a visit. Plus, the crowds haven’t gotten to them yet.

Vipava Valley, Slovenia

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10 Winter Outfit Necessities for Travel

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

These performance pieces will keep you warm from head to toe — but still look so good you’ll find yourself wanting to wear them no matter what the temperature.

Ministry of Supply 3D Print-Knit Sweater Dress

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Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

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The Worst Seats on a Plane (and How to Avoid Them)

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter

You’re crammed into a middle seat at the back of an airplane, with neighbors encroaching on your armrests and an endless chorus of flushing sounds from the lavatory nearby. Alas, you’re stuck in one of the worst seats on a plane, and you have to ask: How did you end up here, and how can you make sure it never happens again?

Seat selection can make a huge difference in how comfortable you are in flight, especially on long international trips. I interviewed an expert to help identify the worst airplane seats and explain how you can land yourself a better spot on your next flight.

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Happy Birthday, Liechtenstein!

In 1719 Liechtenstein was elevated to the status of an imperial principality. For Switzerland’s neighbor its 300th anniversary is not just an occasion for the inhabitants of Liechtenstein to reflect upon their own history, but is also attracting the attention of many tourists and visitors. To mark the occasion, the tiny landlocked nation officially launches the Liechtenstein Trail in May – a hiking and biking trail that connects all the country’s municipalities and features castles, cottages, villages and vistas.

Country Information – State Department Travel Warnings and Alerts

Learn About Your Destination

We provide safety and security information for every country of the world to help you assess for yourself the risks of travel. Each country information page contains a Travel Advisory, Alerts, and other important details specific to that country that could affect you.

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10 of the World’s Most Amazing Train Journeys

Courtesy Lonely Planet

There’s something magical about a journey by train. Sometimes the magic is inside – on a train you can meet people, while eating and sleeping with the sound of steel wheel swishing on steel rail beneath you. Sometimes the magic is outside, in the landscape the train traverses – an adventure, an experience, an insight into the heart of a nation.

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Courtesy Helen Sanders, Healthy Ambition

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A Common Mistake to Avoid When Visiting Hawaii

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Courtesy Dan Moore

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Cuban Cruise Arrivals Break Record in 2018

Courtesy www.caribbeannewsnow.com

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Courtesy Neil Gladstone

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Countries That Require Visas for Americans

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Watch Out for These Tourist Traps in All 50 States

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Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The post Crowd-Free Vacations, “The Brando” in Tahiti appeared first on Traveling Archive.

But that is not all the remarkably charming city has given us. It is Karl Lagerfeld’s birthplace, the home of Jil Sander, and corporate headquarters for Wempe Jewelers, Nivea face emollients, and Mont Blanc, makers of fine writing implements and luxury goods. The second-largest city in Germany, Hamburg is a verdant (bucolic parks weave through the city) and historic Hanseatic metropolis, and — you may be surprised to learn this — the city can claim more bridges than Venice.  Germany’s second-largest and arguably its wealthiest city has countless reasons to be on your bucket list.  Here are just eight:

The Extraordinary Elbphilharmonie:  The Elphi, sobriquet of the new, astonishing concert hall, opened January, 2017, after much Sturm und Drang.  Originally conceived in the early part of the century, it was to have been finished in 2010 at an estimated cost of €241.  Not. Construction concluded in October, 2016, at the cost was €789 million, but for my money (and, yes, I know, I am not a local taxpayer), it was worth every cent. Having visited it twice for two very different concerts, I found the acoustics remarkable, the design mind-boggling, and the experience overwhelming. The undulating, entry “tube” housing the longest escalator in Europe — nearly 300 feet — transports guests to the marvelously asymmetric, organically flowing hallways and tiers of the hall proper. Conceived by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron — and with rich sound engineered by acclaimed Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota — it is perched on the Elbe River, surrounded by a watery perimeter.

The lower levels are red brick, vestiges of warehouses that up until 1902 were repositories for cocoa, tea, and tobacco.  With both curvilinear and rectilinear lines in its silhouette, the panels of glass on the upper floors reflect the water and skyline. Inside, the main concert hall seats 2,100 (with a 4,765-pipe organ!); a smaller recital hall, 500; additionally, there are countless terraces for viewing the stunning panoramas, several restaurants and bars, and capacious open space.  The promenade is open to the public and it’s a wonderful spot to simply sit and contemplate the always busy harbor.

More Music:  Hamburg was a hangout and showcase for the shaggy-haired Liverpudlians in the early 60s (and there is even a Beatles music tour), before their famed Ed Sullivan appearance.  Today, it ranks third in the world, after New York and London, for musical theater. “Rocky” previewed here and currently, “Aladdin,” “Kinky Boots,” “The Lion King,” and “Mary Poppins” are huge hits.  The musical scene is rife with jazz clubs, alternate performance venues, the Hamburg State Opera, and after-hours boites.  And if ballet is your passion, the highly regarded Hamburg Ballet (along with its school, Ballettzentrum Hamburg – John Neumeier) should not be missed.

The Port and Waterways:  Hamburg is considered the third-largest port in Europe after Rotterdam and Antwerp, and its waterways, thanks to the Elbe River, are labyrinthine. Not to mention, there is also water, water, everywhere, thanks to both the Inner and Outer Lake Alster, which are both pleasant places for an afternoon sail. Nearly a dozen companies offer boat tours weaving around the harbor and the old warehouse areas, the Speicherstadt, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015; here, 19th-century red-brick warehouses, on the periphery of endless ribbons of canals, have been transformed into trendy boutiques and cafes.

An atmospheric “nighttime lights” tour at dusk is a delight.  If you are ambitious, the Fischmarkt is a Sunday morning (5 a.m. until about 9 a.m.) experience, featuring much more than fish — souvenirs, clothing, fruit, produce, and tschotschkes; it has been the go-to place for fish since the early 18th-century.  And, if you want a local souvenir — a woven market basket — you can buy ten Euros’ worth of fruit and it will be packed up in a handsome basket, with “Hamburg” spelled out on one side.

The Dahlia Garden (Dahliengarten):  What a hidden gem, with 14,000 blooms that grace the city from mid-spring until the October frosts. Riots of color have been exploding all over this People’s Park (Volkspark) since 1920. With over 400 species of dahlias, it is a photographer’s and horticulturist’s delight… and entry is free.

The Majestic Town Hall (Rathaus) and the festive Christmas markets:  Hamburg has several holiday markets, and its most charming is the Weihnachtsmarkt, in the shadow of Town Hall; if you have time for one market only, this should be your destination. Germany offers some of the most delightful Christmas markets in Europe, where the tradition of outdoor holiday fairs is more than four hundred years old.  Steeped in custom and dazzling in presentation — horse-drawn carriages ambling through cobbled streets, glittering lights, intoxicating aromas, engaging entertainers — Germany’s markets are worth a special trip and they usually start with Advent.

Museums: While the city can boast some 50 museums — including one dedicated to Johannes Brahms, one that showcases erotic art, another known as Spicy’s (a museum chronicling the global space trade), a children’s museum, and several port/maritime/naval/nautical museums — these two are a must:  Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (Museum of Art and Crafts) has extensive collections of everything from faïence to fashion, including period rooms, vast photography archives, and a world-renowned collection of musical instruments; Hamburger Kunsthalle is one of the largest museums in Germany, and covers seven centuries of European art with outstanding works represented  in every era (including Manet’s Nana), from the Middle Ages (countless, priceless Old Masters) to post-1950 Pop Art. Additionally, the BallinStadt Emigration Museum should also be on your hit list. Starting mid-19th century and lasting nearly a hundred years, some five million emigrants fled Europe from Hamburg.  In 1899, Albert Ballin became the CEO of the Hapag company (today Hapag-Lloyd, a freight shipper), and this museum reflects the many buildings he erected as an emigration community, where those departing Europe “killed” time, getting ready for their journeys.

Miniature World (Miniatur Wunderland):  Billed as the world’s largest model railway, this attraction (75,000 square feet, spread out on several floors) features nine different, intricate railway systems, including those of Austria, Italy, the States, and diverse German systems.  The longest train is nearly 50 feet, and in total, there are 10,000 rail cars on 50,000 feet of track. The topography is dotted with nearly a quarter-million “people.” The craftsmanship is heartbreakingly detailed requiring perspicacious study; periodically the room lights dim, so that the train tableaux can be illuminated with nighttime lights, rendering an entirely different scenic panorama of the models. Expect gaggles of children here, as it is really a museum for the young, but any curious adult, especially a rail aficionado, is likely to be delighted with these models.

Cafes and Shops:  Hamburg has no dearth of high-end luxury designers and internationally celebrated boutiques, but look for local specialty shops, like Läderach Chocolates with sheets of appetizing confections, sprinkled with nuts and fruits. Bethge Stationery has elegant papers, handsome writing implements, and stunning leather goods.

The Hilde Leiss Gallery is chockablock with fine crafts — a treasure trove of ceramics, jewelry, and one-of-a-kind wearables.  For an afternoon pick-me-up that leaves Starbucks in the dust, Cölln’s is a find — gloriously tiled from floor to ceiling in colorful designs, it offers victuals that measure up to the décor, with a groaning board of patisserie-style sweets.

Where to Stay

The Hospitable Park Hyatt Hamburg

Windows on the City: Westin Hotel Hamburg

Hamburg’s Atlantic Kempinski: A Lakeside Retreat

Additional info:  Hamburg Travel

The Hamburg Pass (turbopass.com/hamburg-city-pass and hamburg-card.de) is a valuable tool for visitors, providing free public transport, some museum entries, harbor and lake boat rides, and the hop-on/hop-off bus tour, among other benefits.  For information in planning a trip, check out Hamburg Tourist Information

© 2018  Ruth J. Katz  All Rights Reserved

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