The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the centre of Berlin is a stark reminder of the horrors of war. This church was built between 1891 and 1895 in honor of the then Emperor Wilhelm II’s grandfather. But during the extensive bombing raids of 1943 the church was virtually destroyed. The only thing left standing was the belfry. Between 1951 and 1961 a new church was rebuilt next to the ruins, and the ruins were kept intact as a reminder of the destruction of war. The church was actually opened on the same day as churches rebuilt after war damage in Conventry England and Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Russia as a symbol of reconciliation between the three countries which were once at war.
The worlds biggest event starts today in Munich, the 174th Oktoberfest. The celebrations will commence with the traditional tapping of the barrel by Munich’s Lord Mayor at 12 PM making way for over 6 million visitors to the festival over the following two weeks. Over six million litres of fresh German beer will be drank along with quarter of a million pairs of sausages, half a million roast chickens, plus paddocks of oxen and more pretzels than you could point a stick at. There are over 12,000 staff employed over the festival with 1600 waitresses, some can carry a dozen full litre beers at once. The huge tens seat over 100,000 people in total at any one time and with all the beer and food the site needs over 1800 toilets.
The Eurostar is the famous train that takes passengers from Waterloo Station in London to Paris’ Gare du Nord as well as to Brussels South. Travel time between London and Paris has been around 2 hours 35 mins in the past but recently by using a new high speed track in the UK a new record has been broken at 2 hours and 3 min. Previously once the train hit the UK the trains had to slow down to use the British rail network along side other trains. Now the new high speed track brings the trains to a new terminal at St Pancras at the same speed as the French side, proving the British can be as good as the French! If you need to get from London to Paris go the train instead of the plane, its the quickest way to get from the centre of one city to the centre of another. Read the rest of this entry »
With Oktoberfest starting in Germany in only a couple of days we thought we would start the festivities a bit earlier here at Tripandom. We found this great sausage restaurant in Nurnberg in a city which is known for the world’s biggest Christmas market and remembered it’s nasty past where it was the birthplace of the Third Reich- but probably its biggest call to fame is the home of the Bratwurst sausage. There’s probably no better place to try one of these tasty morcels than at the Bratwursthausle. The restaurant cooks their bratwursts in three different ways- you need to try all three – they have roasted ones called the Brat and poached ones in a hot vinegary wine sauce with onions which they call saure zipfel they aslo do a rauch which is a tasty smoked variety all covered with Nürnberg senf which is a delicious mustard then wash them all down with a couple of litres of Nurberg’s best beer and have you got a great dinner on your hands. Read the rest of this entry »
Check out this video of the Absolut Ice Bar at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarv Sweden. The whole complex is made out of ice like a giant igloo. Located at one of the northern most points of Sweden it not too far from the south pole (and possibly Santa’s house) you can stay at the hotel for about 200 euro a night where you sleep in a ultra warm sleeping bag on top an ice bed. With temperatures around -6 deg C there is no need for a mini bar in these rooms besides you will want to warm yourself up with a drop of vodka from their Ice Bar. Also note the glasses sitting on top of the bar, if they look a bit odd to you, it’s because they are made of ice. Read the rest of this entry »
Situated on the beautiful Lake Constance with and surrounded by the Alps Fridrichshafen is one of the more senic harbour towns in Germany. It is also home to the Zeppelin Museum which has over 43,000 sq feet of exhibition space and is quite worthy of a visit. The lovely art deco building was once the Harbour Railway Station and now houses a huge array of artifacts, artwork and memrobilia of these magnificent giant flying machines. There is a very faithful reproduction of a 33 metre section of the LZ 129 Hindenburg which is open for exloration. The museum features a very comprehensive history of the airships for both military and civilan use. The centre has a very good archive section, library, speical exhibition space and of course a giftshop where you can buy a multitude of Zepplin souvenirs including publications, models, toys and the like. Friedrichshafen is in easy reach of Stuttgart and Munich being only a few hours drive from both centres and also easily accessble from Zurich or Innsbruck in Austria.
Situated in Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam Madame Tussaurds Wax Works is one of the city’s most popular attractions. The exhibition is quite large and is spread over four floors including an entire floor dedicated to Dutch History. There are plenty of famous faces on display including all your favorite Hollywood Movie Stars and pop starts. Plenty of politicians, sport stars and other famous people in history. Although the Amsterdam centre only opened in 1971 Madame Tussaurd’s dates back 200 years and now has several places around the world including London, Las Vegas, New York, Hong Kong and Changhai. The company also has interests in Lego land, several sea parks and other tourist parks around the world.
It is estimated that 30 million people visit Paris every year making it the world’s tourist hot spot. Tourists will stand in long queues for hours to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa at th Louvre or take a picture on top of the Eiffel Tower but there city has so much to offer. The best way to see this amazing city is on foot using Paris’s extensive subway to get from place to place. There is so much to see and explore on street level. Cafe’s botiques, along the wide boulevards and the quaint little cafe’s and markets along the lanes and alleys make it an experience to remember. Athough it is easy to spend all you have, you can have a great time in Paris on the cheap, there are plenty of places to get fresh and cheap food, look for bakeries for the best baguettes and pasteries many not more than an Euro. Counter cafe’s also offer good value dining. Read the rest of this entry »
For over 600 years the Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River has been one of the main focal points of Prague has held battles, processions and even executions and since the fall of the Berlin Wall it has became increasingly popular with film directors who what to add some beautiful scenery to their latest blockbuster. The construction of the bridge dates back to 1357 and has been an important trade route in and out of Prague over the centuries. Built from Bohemian sandstone the bridge is an amazing engineering feat being 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide resting on 16 huge arches. The Gothic tower and city skyline is a favorite of the artists who paint on the bridge. It is best to visit either early morning or late in the day as the bridge can get chaotic with people. There are some 30 statues most depicting religious stories, these are all now reproductions, the originals stand in the Lapidarium of the National Museum for safe keeping.
The Flame of Liberty or Flamme de la Liberte is an actual full size replica of the flame held by New York’s Statue of Liberty. This beautiful gold leafed statue was erected in 1987 while the New York statue was undergoing restoration. The flame was given by the International Herald Tribune newspaper to mark its Centennial. Today the flame has become a focal point and shrine to Diana the Princess of Wales who died along with lover Dodi Al-Fayed when their Mercedes Benz crashed in the nearby Pont de l’Alma Road tunnel 10 years ago today.
Although not an official monument to the Princess, visitors flock around the world to lay flowers and messages to the much loved and remembered Princess, the Flame has become one of Paris’s most visited monuments.
It is estimated that 30 million people visit Paris every year making it the world’s tourist hot spot. Tourists will stand in long queues for hours to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa at th Louvre or take a picture on top of the Eiffel Tower but there city has so much to offer. The best way to see this amazing city is on foot using Paris’s extensive subway to get from place to place. There is so much to see and explore on street level. Cafe’s botiques, along the wide boulevards and the quaint little cafe’s and markets along the lanes and alleys make it an experience to remember. Athough it is easy to spend all you have, you can have a great time in Paris on the cheap, there are plenty of places to get fresh and cheap food, look for bakeries for the best baguettes and pasteries many not more than an Euro. Counter cafe’s also offer good value dining. 
