We pull in to Hamburg. I’ve found a single seat for Pauline, without a reservation. At least she’s sorted. It’s a bit like musical chairs - as the train pulls away I spot a reserved single with no-one it it. I make a beeline for it and it’s mine. Ok, we’re not sitting together, but the sign of a healthy marriage is having a bit of quiet time on your own, isn’t it? Pauline buys me a coffee so no hard feelings - I just got out of that one by the skin of my teeth. Next international train perhaps I’d better book some seats…
Interesting observations as we travel through the German countryside at over 190kph. The signs on the train remind us just how much CO2 we’re saving by not flying, and as I look out the window I continually see wind farm after wind farm, with the odd solar farm thrown in for good measure. Sure the German economy demands much more energy than ours, but the Germans aren’t lax when it comes to rapidly proliferating renewable energy generation. Again I think how far behind NZ is, and how our nimbyism stalls a lot of wind farm initiatives. Yes I’m worried about changes to the RMA, but if it helps get wind farms built, I’m all for it.
We settle in to our apartment close to the railway station and handy to everything. This time our hosts are Jeremy & Celine, a Singaporean couple from California, if that makes sense. Jeremy’s a writer, while Celine, who we don’t meet till later, is a biochemist completing her PhD. Interesting the people you meet through AirBnB, and I’m more convinced this is a better way to go than using hotels.
Berlin’s had both a romantic and troubled past. Think Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate and you’re taken back to the era of Prussian royalty, a victorious Napoleon, and in the 1930s
columns of marching SS troops.
The Reichstag is a spectacular monument with its newly
constructed glass dome. It’s sobering to think that back in 1933 Hitler used a fire in the building as a pretext to crush the communists in his rise to power, replacing democracy with dictatorship.
But it’s the remnants of the Berlin Wall that are the most poignant reminders of Berlin’s most recent pain. Built by the DDR in 1961 to stop the flood of East Germans fleeing to the west, it wasn’t until 1989 that it finally came down. I remember watching the scenes on TV in awe, thinking that finally the world saw its way past totalitarian dogma and oppression. We’re slow learners - now the cycle is starting all over again with
the dogma and oppression of religious fundamentalism.
There are constant reminders of the wall’s (former) presence. Checkpoint Charlie is perhaps the most obvious, but periodically you’ll stumble upon remnants, sometime cutting through the middle of a cemetery.
But it’s the remnants of the Berlin Wall that are the most poignant reminders of Berlin’s most recent pain. Built by the DDR in 1961 to stop the flood of East Germans fleeing to the west, it wasn’t until 1989 that it finally came down. I remember watching the scenes on TV in awe, thinking that finally the world saw its way past totalitarian dogma and oppression. We’re slow learners - now the cycle is starting all over again with
There are constant reminders of the wall’s (former) presence. Checkpoint Charlie is perhaps the most obvious, but periodically you’ll stumble upon remnants, sometime cutting through the middle of a cemetery.
The white crosses?
A memorial to those killed in no mans land while trying to flee to the West.
And every now and then in the middle of bustling Berlin you’ll
find a double row of inlaid bricks. Yup - that’s where the wall went.
Our accommodation is actually in the eastern zone, and while our block is modern, there are plenty in the vicinity that are drab reminders of the uninspiring Soviet-era architecture. Another reminder are the Trabants - poor quality East German cars that belched pollution from their 600cc 2-stroke engines and could barely pull the skin off a rice custard. They’re status symbols now, of course. We were just settling down into our table at a cafe when half a dozen immaculately restored ones went past in convoy. Still belching smoke though - there’s a limit to how you can contain the emissions from a two-stroke engine.
But its the Soviet era motor bikes and scooters that really catch my eye.
Completely by chance we wander a side street with a bike museum - I don’t give Pauline any choice on this one. I’d tried to book in to the BMW bike factory tour in Berlin, but sadly they were closed for maintenance during our stay. This is the next best thing.
But its the Soviet era motor bikes and scooters that really catch my eye.
Hmm - a picnic box. I’starting to get a few ideas for enhancements to the DRZ. I’ll be the envy of my
adventure riding mates if I show up with one of these. Even more of an envy if I show up on the bike itself!
But the highlight of the museum? After fruitlessly scouring
Denmark for a troll, I finally find one in Berlin! I’ve heard trolls are pretty strong, and this one’s no exception. Despite being 50 years old, he still has the power of 9 horses. Better not aggravate him.
Finally, you can’t go past an East German bike museum without
acknowledging that the dirt bikes and riders from that era were actually pretty good, with MZ winning the majority of the International Six Day Trial events in the 60s (hope I got that right, John!).
Our final wander in Berlin takes us through Alexanderplatz. The highlight for Pauline is a department store where she can finally buy a decent hat. Berlin’s a lot colder than Denmark, and her woollen
scarf just doesn’t cut it. With a jaunty European style, she looks like one of the locals. I, on the other hand, just look like an out of place old curmudgeon. Aggravated by the fact I’m sporting a head cold, I manage to embarrass Pauline by loudly exclaiming, “I need drugs!” in the middle of the store.
I do manage to score a coffee plunger, though. Surprising how many of our stays don’t have even the basics of coffee facilities.
It’s Neptune’s fountain in the middle of the Platz that has me intrigued. I’d just finished reading a TransportBlog article about how Auckland could do with more water features. After seeing this, I can only agree. Big open spaces, water features, surrounding shops and cafes - they’re a magnet for people. All we seem to want to do in Auckland is build in our open spaces, and run cars through what little’s left. We’ve still got a lot to learn about liveable cities.
Berlin’s still got a bit of grunge. There's a bit of rebuilding to do, for a quarter of the city at least, but it’s a great place to visit. Both the people and the temperature are cooler, traffic is faster, the cycle facilities not as well developed, but it’s showing promise. I could live here, but looking back on our travels to date, the Netherlands is still hard to beat.
It’s Neptune’s fountain in the middle of the Platz that has me intrigued. I’d just finished reading a TransportBlog article about how Auckland could do with more water features. After seeing this, I can only agree. Big open spaces, water features, surrounding shops and cafes - they’re a magnet for people. All we seem to want to do in Auckland is build in our open spaces, and run cars through what little’s left. We’ve still got a lot to learn about liveable cities.
Berlin’s still got a bit of grunge. There's a bit of rebuilding to do, for a quarter of the city at least, but it’s a great place to visit. Both the people and the temperature are cooler, traffic is faster, the cycle facilities not as well developed, but it’s showing promise. I could live here, but looking back on our travels to date, the Netherlands is still hard to beat.
Our final day in Berlin will be spent in the south-western suburbs. Why? Next post...
No comments:
Post a Comment