Two Weeks in Germany: Erlangen & Day Trips

Friday, May 25
After sleeping in a bit following my quick tour around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Stefan said that he and I were going to visit Bamberg. He described the town as a traditional medieval town, and it helped that it was just 40 minutes away from his home.

There was not a lot to see in Bamberg, so we did not arrive in town until around lunchtime. We saw the unique city hall, which spans the Regnitz River. The structure was built on an island in the river because of the division in the town between the ecclesiastical and secular sections of the city. Along the banks of the Regnitz was a section of town called Little Venice because it was originally built on stilts, like Venice, Italy.

We also saw the New Palace (a.k.a. Neue Residenz) and the Imperial Cathedral (a.k.a. Kaiserdom) along with the Old Palace (a.k.a. Alte Hofhaltung), which were clustered together in a square. The Rose Garden at the New Palace was quite striking and provided an excellent view of the city.

Personally, I liked the Imperial Cathedral the best. It was interesting to see a baptism occurring when we entered the building. It was neat to see that a building built nearly one thousand years ago is still being used for one of the simplest and most beautiful ceremonies of the Christian faith. It was also exciting to see a burial site of a pope (Clement II) and a German emperor (Henry II).

Upon returning to Erlangen, we relaxed at the apartment for a few hours before heading to Bergkirchweih. Bergkirchweih is Germany's second-oldest beer festival, after Oktoberfest. It has been held in Erlangen since 1775 and I've heard stories about it from Stefan ever since I met him in 2001.

Hilke, Stefan's girlfriend, was originally going to join us this evening but had to cancel because her allergies were bothering her. So he and I ride a bikes down to the festival, which was scary as heck for me since I hadn't ridden a bike since I was in eighth grade. I had one close call riding on the street with cars, but managed to get to the festival grounds safely.

We quickly found Stefan's parents, meeting them for the first time. His mother, Renata, shock my hand rather vigorously while his father, Otto, was a little more subdued in his greeting. Renata also offered me a drink of their beer. I initially declined because I knew I'd get a drink later, but she insisted. So after taking a sip, Stefan and I leave and walk around the festival grounds.

Following a brief walk, Stefan and I get a bite to eat and a drink. We sit near a stage and enjoy our meal while listening to some music. After eat, we move towards the stage to stretch our legs and dance a bit. After finishing my drink, I get another one and return to dancing in the street. The band was playing a mix of German-language songs and some '80s pop hits.

I don't remember all the songs the band played, but I sang along to most of them even if they were in German. It was a great time because I wasn't paying attention to anything or anybody, I was just relaxing and having a good time. Eventually a little redhead cozies up to me and stands in front of me dancing. At some point she turned to me and spoke in German. Unfortunately, Stefan wasn't around to translate and I barely mutter in broken German that I don't speak Deutsch. She didn't seem to understand me, so I looked at her quizzically and said, "Ja" as we toasted.

When the band starts playing Paul Simon's, "You Can Call Me Al," the gal turns to me and say something about me speaking English or being an American. I really couldn't understand her because of the noise, but she did speak English. Stefan and I left for his apartment shortly after her revelation, but she seemed a bit pissed as I left.

Now, the adventure really began. I had to ride a bike about 15 minutes from the fairgrounds back to Stefan's apartment. Since he did not have a light on his bicycle, we had to take several back roads. Even though it had been several years since I last rode a bike, I managed to navigate the streets OK right until the end. When we were two minutes from Stefan's apartment, I had a little trouble turning left and scraped my knuckles on a fence.

Saturday, May 26
Before heading to bed the previous night, Stefan asked whether I wanted to visit Regensberg or Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Both are well preserved medieval towns and not too far from Erlangen. After looking through my Frommer's guide, I was unable to make a decision. Stefan suggested I flip a coin because the towns were very similar, so I did and we awoke today prepared to visit Rothenburg on the Romantic Road.

The three of us (Stefan, Hilke and myself) arrived in Rothenburg around 11 a.m. and walked into the city to learn that it was hosting its annual historical festival. The festival recreates a siege during the 30 Years War when Count Tilly, leader of the Holy Roman Empire's forces, tells the residents of the city that he will spare the town if anybody is capable of drinking a large tankard that contained approximately six pints of wine. The mayor said he could drink the tankard, which he did and saved the town.

It was really neat seeing people walking around in costumes and getting to see various encampments around the town, especially seeing the Swedish knights.

Sunday, May 27
Today was one of my most relaxed days during the trip. Stefan was a little worn out from our travels and suggested we just relax at the apartment. That was fine with me because I getting a bit sick from late nights and early mornings, so it was nice to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely day.

After a traditional continental breakfast, the three of us just relaxed at the apartment. I watched some TV and got to see "Road Trip" in German. Even though I didn't understand what was being said, I could still enjoy the jokes because I've seen the movie enough times in English to remember what most of the characters were saying.

Hilke left early in the afternoon to see her sister, who attends the local university and lives in the dorms near the Bergkirchweih festival grounds. Stefan and I eventually rode our bikes through downtown Erlangen, which gave me the opportunity to see the city hall and the main shopping district where we stopped to get some ice cream.

As we rode our bikes down to Imke's dorm the chain fell off my bicycle. Somehow I didn't fall off the bike and walked the last bit down to the building. After meeting Imke and Hilke, the four of us waited for a friend of Stefan's to arrive near the festival grounds.

Eventually he arrived and we headed to Bergkirchweih for another night of fun. I had a steak sandwich while Hilke and Imke rode one of the festival's crazy rides. It was a nice change from having a sausage of some sort.

Tonight's revelry was a bit different since 1. FC Nürnberg had defeated VfB Stuttgart the previous night in Berlin for the German Cup (a.k.a. DFB Cup). The championship was FCN's first championship in 39 years (winning the Bundesliga in 1968) and the club's first German Cup since 1962. So numerous fans from Nuremberg drove up to Bergkirchweih and several supporters from Erlangen were proudly wearing the club's colors.

Since Monday was a public holiday, the festival had a larger than normal crowd. It was difficult to find a spot near the same stage Stefan and I gravitated toward on Friday, but eventually we made it there. Again, the music was great and so was the beer and the company.

Monday, May 28
It was raining when I woke up and after a leisurely breakfast, Stefan suggested that he and I head to Nuremberg to visit the German Railway Museum (a.k.a. DB Museum). It was one of his favorite museums as a child and he said it had a really neat model train display.

Thankfully the museum was primarily indoors, although there were a few train cars and engines outside. We got to see one of Germany's first rail cars, which ran on a track between Fürth and Nürnberg in 1835. The museum also had rail cars used by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

Eventually we went outside and got to see some engines, as the rain moved on. I got to see one of the engines I grew up seeing in Germany when my family lived in Italy during the 1980s. The museum also had a subway used by the East Berlin subway system during the Cold War.

Stefan fixed stir fry for dinner as Imke came over for the meal. Later that night Stefan and I watched the German version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" which was rather funny to see since it was a celebrity edition of the show.

Tuesday, May 29
As Stefan had to return to work today, he prepared me to visit Nuremberg and the German National Museum on my own. The previous night he wrote down directions for me to take a bus into downtown Erlangen where I would catch a regional express train to Nuremberg.

I made it to Nuremberg around 10:30 a.m. and eventually made it to the museum around 11. I spent about two hours walking around the museum and drying out after getting soaked walking from the train station, although it was barely a 15-minute walk.

Although I did not recognize many of the artists in the museum, there were still plenty of interesting pieces in the collection. I saw some sculptures removed from the city's Beautiful Fountain (a.k.a. Schöner Brunnen painting, ") and Philipp Veit's Germania." I discovered "Germania" by accident, but it was awesome to see such a beautiful piece of work that embodies the German spirit.

After stopping for lunch, I walked to Albrecht Dürer's House. It was closed when Stefan and I originally visited Nuremberg, but I knew it would be open today. I spent about an hour touring the home, listening to an audio tour. Unfortunately the house did not have any of his original works, but I got to see some prints and one of the pens he used.

When I left this morning, I had hoped that the rain would clear before too long and that I'd get to enjoy at least a peaceful afternoon in the city. Unfortunately, my wishes were unfulfilled as it rained all day long. It was never a hard rain, although there were some wind gusts, but it was still difficult to stay dry.

After touring Dürer's house I spent the rest of the afternoon moving from church to church and souvenir shop to souvenir shop simply trying to stay dry until meeting Stefan and Hilke for dinner. We had planned to meet around 6 p.m. to eat at an American-style diner that he said served excellent hamburgers.

Eventually the three of us met and had a nice dinner before returning to Erlangen. I struggled to decide on what burger I wanted, but eventually chose a blue cheese hamburger instead of the Toby burger.

Wednesday, May 30
I had set my alarm for 5 a.m. since I wanted to shower and be clean before spending an entire day traveling. When my phone alarm rang, I quickly shut it off and dozed off for just a few minutes before Stefan woke me up again.

While my originally plane ticket was booked from Frankfurt to Atlanta, I still had to get to Frankfurt from Erlangen. I could have taken the train, which would have cost approximately €40, or I could take a flight from the Nuremberg Airport (a.k.a. Flughafen Nürnberg) for approximately €100. A few days ago I opted to take a flight since it would be a little easier to move gates at the Frankfurt airport instead of moving from the train station to the terminal.

In order to catch my 7:30 a.m. flight, I had to leave Stefan's apartment around six to reach the Nuremberg airport by 6:30. We stopped at the corner bakery and I got a small bite to eat before we hit the road to Nuremberg. Although there was a long line to check in at the Lufthansa counter, I eventually got my ticket and headed to security.

I said good-bye to my friend and headed to the gate. I had a quick and simple flight to Frankfurt, but encountered a few issues when trying to get my boarding pass to Atlanta. For some reason, the agent at the transfer desk had difficulty finding my original reservation and was unable to give me the assigned seat I had reserved several months ago. Thankfully she got me on the plane, but was unable to put me in an aisle or window seat. So I had to get a new assignment when I reached the gate.

It took about 30 minutes to move around the airport and clear security, but I succeeded in getting an aisle seat. However, the time it took to reach my new gate and get a new seat assignment cost me the opportunity to get something more substantial to eat before my 10:40 a.m. flight.

Regardless, we boarded our plane in a timely manner and we were quickly in the air. The flight was relatively uneventful except for the numerous Indians on the flight who allowed their young children to roam around the plane relatively unattended. I do not fault the child, but it is aggravating when a parent lets a young child run around unsupervised.

Thankfully the flight arrived in Atlanta about 30 minutes early. After clearing immigration and customs I had to wait for my suitcase at baggage claim and was unable to catch the 3:00 p.m. shuttle back to Macon. However, I made sure I was one of the few people who found a seat on the four o'clock shuttle and I made it to Macon around 5.

Even though I got two meals on my flight, I was still hungry because I basically skipped breakfast. So I ordered a pizza and unpacked my suitcase. Today was a very long day, but it felt great to unwind and relax at my home. It was also a wonderful feeling to sleep in my own bed.

Despite the ups and downs of my travels, I had an awesome trip and an experience that I would not trade for anything else in the world. It was great to see a close friend and to finally meet his lovely girlfriend. It was also exciting to visit a place I had been before, but had changed so drastically since my last visit. Hopefully I will return to Germany and see my friend in the near future instead of having to wait nearly 20 years between visits to the Fatherland.

Two Weeks in Germany: Bavaria & Baden-Baden

Monday, May 21
After arriving in Erlangen to spend a few days with my close friend Stefan, he took me down to Nuremberg for the day. I had no plan for the day except to see the city and talk with him about our plans for the next few days.

Before arriving at the city center, we stopped at the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds on the outskirts. The building was to serve as a congress hall for Hitler, but was never completed during his reign. The facility has now been turned into a museum documenting National Socialism in Germany, and especially the party rallies held in Nuremberg. It's quite amazing to see the designs for an entire complex (never completed) to create a fervor amongst the populous.

We then went to the Old City of Nuremberg and walked by the Germanic National Museum and the Street of Human Rights, which stands across from the new entrance to the museum. I saw Nuremberg's three most important churches: the Church of Saint Lawrence (a.k.a. St.-Lorenz-Kirche), Church of Our Lady (a.k.a. Frauenkirche) and St. Sebald Church (a.k.a. St.-Sebaldus-Kirche). We also walked through the marketplace (hauptmarkt) and past Nuremberg's most important landmark, the Beautiful Fountain (a.k.a. Schöner Brunnen).

After grabbing a bite at an imbiss and a quick drink at Starbucks; yes, I actually said I went to a Starbucks in Germany. However, I counter-acted the drink at Starbucks by having a traditional Franconian lunch of bratwurst, except that Nuremberg is known for small, white sausages that are not served elsewhere in the country.

Following the tour of churches, Stefan and I headed for the Imperial Castle (a.k.a. Kaiserburg) where we would get a view of the city and surrounding area. The view was amazing, too. We then walked to the house of famed painter Albrecht Dürer, or at least I've been told that he's famous. I'm not very familiar with his work though, but it didn't matter as the house was closed because most museums in Germany are closed on Mondays.

After having a drink in a beer garden, we headed back to Erlangen to have dinner at Stefan's apartment and finalize our travel plans for the next few days. After eating we discussed things and decided to head to Munich for a day before heading to the Bavarian Alps to see Neuschwanstein, one of elaborate castles designed by Bavarian Kind Ludwig II. From there we would stay overnight on the road en route to Baden-Baden, where some of my family hailed from before coming to the United States.

Tuesday, May 22
Stefan and I arose and headed to Munich, about two hours south of Erlangen. We arrived and checked into our hotel before heading to Marienplatz, which is the heart of the Old City (a.k.a. Altstadt). We saw the glockenspiel performance at noon at the New City Hall (a.k.a. Neues Rathaus). The show is sort of overrated, but still neat.

A day in Munich is not sufficient to get a great feel for the city, but we still covered a lot of ground. We then made our way to the Isar Gate, one of the major entrances to the old city. We also saw the Residenz, which was the palace of the Bavarian royal family, and the National Theater (home to the Bavarian State Opera).

We also toured Munich's two major churches: Cathedral of Our Lady (a.k.a. Frauenkirche) and Saint Peter's Church (a.k.a. Peterskirche). Following a brief walk through the English Garden, we headed to the Olympic Park. We viewed Munich and Bavaria from the observation level (190 meters up) the Olympic Tower. It was awesome to see the snow-capped Alps.
Stefan and I were both worn out from our day, so we took a nap at the hotel before heading out to dinner. We had previously stopped near the world famous Hofbräuhaus, as I bought my standard Hard Rock Cafe "City T-Shirt" and a cordial shot glass. During our earlier visit I got my photo taken in front of the Hofbrähaus, but Stefan swore that he did not want to eat at what he called a giant tourist trap. That was fine by me, as I knew my friend would direct us to a suitable restaurant.

As Scottish poet Robert Burns once wrote, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Burns was right about our dining options, as Stefan reviewed the menus of various restaurants in the area he discovered the the Hofbrähaus had the widest selection. However, he insisted that we eat outside in the beer garden and not inside in the beer hall with all the "oompah" music. We had a great meal and were quite entertained by two American sitting near us who had drunk too much beer and were yelling and arguing about some of the stupidest topics I have ever heard.

Wednesday, May 23
Before departing Munich, we made a brief stop at the Nymphenburg Palace. From there we headed to Metzingen to do some quick outlet shopping en route to Neuschwanstein and our overnight destination, Ulm.

I had hoped to find some items at the adidas outlet, but was unsatisfied with the selection so we spent about an hour at the outlets as Stefan found a few things he wanted. Before we arrived at Neuschwanstein it had started to sprinkle, which continued until we arrived at the castle and purchased our tickets for the next English-language tour. Thankfully the skies cleared up and we were able to enjoy some good weather for the rest of the afternoon in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.

The castle was amazing, even from the Marienbrucke (Mary's Bridge) across the Pollat Gorge. The bridge provides tourists one of the best views of the castle. It was quite funny that a Japanese tourist turned to me and asked in German if I spoke English. He seemed stunned that I responded very quickly and with an American accent that I spoke English. Apparently his tripod was not tall enough to allow him to take a picture of himself with the castle in the background, so I took the picture for him.

Stefan told his girlfriend, Hilke, later in the day by phone that he blended in quite well with the tourists but neglected to tell her about my encounter. She got a good laugh after we returned to Erlangen and I related the story.

The castle, which was never completed, was quite amazing. It was odd to see such an extravagantly decorated place taken to the nth degree.

We arrived in Ulm around 3:30 p.m. and headed straight to downtown to do some quick sightseeing. According to my handy Frommer's guide there was not much to see in Ulm except for the towering Ulmer Münster. We walked around the canals near the Danube River before walking to the city center and visiting the Münster and climbing 768 steps to the top observation deck.

Stefan and I made the journey up, but I think we were both tempted to quit along the way. However, I think we both had resolved to reach the top after getting dizzy from going in so many circles. After an awkward climb we finally reached the top and were rewarded with an outstanding view of the city and the Danube River.

Thursday, May 24
This day was one of the most anticipated days on my vacation, as I would finally see the town where my German family had left in the 1860s. After a standard continental breakfast at our hotel, Stefan and I hit the road for Baden-Baden.
We arrived in town shortly before lunchtime and walked into the city center. We visited a few churches and walked through the main square, but were unable to find any information about my family roots.

While in town we visited the casino, the drinking hall (not for alcohol, but the soothing, mineral-rich waters) and the Lichtentaler Alley (a.k.a. Lichtentaler Allee) along the Oosbach River. The view along the Oos was outstanding and one of the most serene moments of the day.

Following the traditional German coffee and cake (a.k.a. kaffee und kuchen), Stefan and I headed back to Erlangen.

Two Weeks in Germany: Berlin

I've recently returned from a two-week vacation in Germany and while I've spoken with some friends about what I did and saw while there, I thought it may be easiest to start my blog with a monologue about my travels to Deutschland. Since I spent nearly 14 days in Germany, my entries will be lengthy but I will also try to break them into segments to make reading easier.

Wednesday, May 16, and Thursday, May 17I was due to depart from Atlanta, Ga., on May 16 for Newark, N.J., and then fly from Newark to Frankfurt, Germany, before changing planes and arriving in Berlin at 3:55 p.m. on May 17. Unfortunately, severe thunderstorms throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast closed the Newark airport and I did not arrive there until 9:50 p.m. That was also the same time my flight from Newark departed for Frankfurt, so I spent the entire night at the airport scrambling and trying to change plans.
The next day, I was able to talk with somebody at the Lufthansa ticket counter who could saw that my reservation had been changed and that I was being charged extra for my new ticket. She asked what happened, and after explaining my story she said that I should not be charged and that she would get me on the first flight out. After sweating it out on the waiting list, the supervisor told me that I had a seat on the flight and to check in my bags.
Friday, May 18
The flight was delayed leaving Newark, but I was at least able to get on the plane and know that I would soon be arriving in Germany. Due to our departure delays in Newark, my time between flights in Frankfurt was cut from 1:15 to 30 minutes so I had to run through the airport and change terminals to make my connection. I luckily got to the gate 10 minutes before departure and arrived in Berlin at 8:55 a.m.
After checking into my hotel, showering and taking a short nap I went on a walking tour of Berlin offered by a company called Berlin Walks. I had a great guide, who is originally from New Zealand and has been living in Germany's capital city for almost six years. Most of the sites I saw were located in the former East Berlin. I saw segments of the former Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the TV Tower (Europe's second tallest structure), the Berlin Cathedral, the Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murder Jews of Europe (sometimes called the Holocaust memorial) and a host of other sights. Following my tour in the afternoon, I ate dinner at a small Italian restaurant before returning to my hotel and falling asleep around 10 p.m.

Saturday, May 19
With my bearings pretty settled in Berlin, I left my hotel with a plan to visit the Berlin Zoo and see one of the world's most popular polar bear cubs, Knut. The cub made international news a few months ago after his mother rejected him and would not nurse the newborn, which caused an uproar from animal advocates arguing about whether or not he should be hand-raised. He is now five-months old and quite a handful. I saw a lot of the zoo, but missed several other animals because it was a priority to see this cuddly cub.

Following my time at the zoo, I visited Museum Island Museum and will remain there until the . In the former East Berlin (now called Berlin-Mitte) Museum Island is home to some of Berlin's best known cultural attractions. I visited the Altes Museum, home to the Museum of Antiquities and the collection of the Egyptian Museum. Most notably, the colored bust of Queen Nefertiti is currently housed at the Altes while the Neues Museum's renovation is completed in 2009. I also toured the Pergamon Museum, which contains the Pergamon Altar, Babylon's Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate, and the Market Gate of Miletus.

After finishing the museums, I toured the Berlin Cathedral (which is actually a Protestant building). It's dome provides wonderful views of the Berlin skyline while the dome's ceiling has some exquisite paintings. The church also contains the crypt of the Hohenzollern family (Prussia's ruling family and later the first emperors of Germany).

After a brief nap at my hotel, I headed out for a bite to eat and do visit a few sights in the early evening. Following a small dinner at an imbiss (German eatery that serves just about any type of food for people on the go). After having a hamburger there, I took some pictures of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It was built to honor the first German emperor, but suffered immense damage during Allied bombing raids in World War II. I also stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe to buy a "City T-Shirt" before heading to the Reichstag, Germany's parliamentary building. I had hoped to view the capital from the top of the building's glass dome, but even at 9:30 p.m. there was a long line going outside the building. So I called it an evening and returned to my hotel.

Sunday, May 20
I had considered trying to see Charlottenburg Palace and perhaps the Olympic Stadium before going out on my tour of Potsdam, but decided the night before that I needed the extra sleep. So I awoke Sunday going on yet another tour with Berlin Walks - this time with the owner of the company (an expatriated Brit).

After boarding the S-Bahn for Potsdam, I quickly met a stunning, young tour group leader from Intrepid Travel. The young lady spoke amazing English, but with an Australian accent. We chatted some during the train ride and more upon arriving in Potsdam and I learned that she is Norwegian, yet attended university in Australia. She was a very pretty young lady who sparked my interest, but alas I did not act upon my thoughts.

A friend related to me after my return, I was like George in a "Seinfeld" episode when a very attractive lady invites him upstairs to her apartment for coffee after their date. He responded with, "No thanks. It keeps me up at night."

Back to the palaces though, we first walked across the "spy swap" bridge from Berlin into Potsdam and the former Soviet zone. As we walked toward the New Garden and the Cecilienhof Palace, we saw a Norwegian-inspired boat dock. Eventually we reached the Cecilienhof Palace, site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference which shaped the face of post-war Europe.

Following our time at Cecilienhof, we headed towards Sans Souci but first had a lunch break. Eventually we arrived at the Palace of Sans Souci, which is quite stunning. The park surrounding the palace is beautifully sculpted and the building is quite amazing as it overlooks the gardens below.

As the tour wrapped up around 3:30 p.m., I could not explore the palace and its grounds any further as I had to return to Berlin and prepare for my train trip in the evening to Erlangen.

I successfully managed to get on the train at Berlin's main train station, although I did not get on the correct passenger car at first. I eventually navigated the high-speed train as it quickly moved through the German countryside. Around 11 p.m. I arrived in Erlangen (just north of Nuremberg) where I met my friend Stefan.