Abhy in Europe!

Frankfurt [Jul 24, 05]

2005-10-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt Am Main is a small town, which can be explored on foot with very little transporation required. But, still its famous and thats due to its Airport and Banks.

This is the European Central Bank, the seat of the unified currency EURO!

and ofcourse, Frankfurt was home to Goethe ...

Like the above, public art is a common thing here at most of the squares & gardens ...

The city is rich in architecture with more of a roman touch ...

and this is just magnificent ...

That's the city centre and Catherine's Church..

Churches are a common sight. Quite obviously ...

But, the main cathedral stands out ...

and thats the inside ...

Another popular attraction here is the river Main which distinguishes "Frankfurt Am Main" from the other Frankfurt in Germany!

And then, there are the skyscrapers which coexist with the historic monuments of the city ...

The skyscrapers, mostly banks, are confined to a very small area of the town on one side of the river Main ...

In contrast, the skyline on the other side of Main is ...

Finally, the magnificent skyline of Frankfurt Am Main which gets it the name Main-hattan.

Munich [Jul 31, 2005]

2005-10-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

Munich of Germany (Munchen of Deutscheland) is one of the most interesting of all places in Europe and when you are so closeby, the temptation to visit the city becomes irresistible!

Henry The Lion founded Munich in 1157/58 and sometime back 500 plastic lions were placed all around the city to probably add a tourist attraction to the city. Here is a pair ...

and here is another ...

This is Alter Peter (Church of St. Peter) - the oldest parish church in Munich.

Its ornate interiors have been decorated with old masters from 6 centuries. Here's one...

The Olympic Tower as seen from the Twin Tower ... both of them are landmarks for Munich - the historic & the modern!

and that's the city from the Twin Tower with the New town hall (Neues Rathaus)

The Neues Rathaus: Built from 1867 - 1909 in Flanders Gothic style; its facade is over 300 feet in length and its 260-foot tower has a beautiful carillon.

And this beautiful public art in front ...

Below is the Bavarian State Opera - the Classical opera house with an impressive exterior and a magnificent interior. The State Opera seats 2,100 people.

Check out the stone entrance ...

A bride walks on ...

The Englischer Gardens ... a 900-acre park with shaded paths, brooks, ponds and swans...

The Eisbach is the small river which runs through the English Gardens and makes the place much more pleasant ...

Munich skyline as seen from the Englischer Gardens, more specifically the dome above ...

The Nymphenberg Palace ...

Next, we head for the Olympic Park ...

Over the bridge leading to the Olympic Park ...

and then ofcourse there is the Olympic Tower ( 951 feet) ...

BMW Museum is the first thing from the top that catches one's eyes, with its distinctive architecture in the shape of a four-cylinder engine and the futuristic silver bowl ...

Another landmark building in making ...

The indoor sports complex of Olympic Park ...

and the football stadium ...

Also, there is a ROCK Museum on the top of the Tower and here is the most popular exhibit there ... Elvis Presley for you!

and these are some panoramic views of the Munich city from the highest point ...

Time to get back to Frankfurt, we rest in a lounge as my ICE readies for departure at the Munich Hauptbahnhof ...

On board ICE 270, in an empty cabin, my tired self waits for the Frankfurt Hbf, while Jagjit Singh gives me company ...

Stuttgart [Aug 7, 05]

2005-10-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday, another City ... the saga continues! And yesterday it happened to be STUTTGART!

Soon this city will be famous all over the world for this reason ...

However, that's not all. Stuttgart is famous enough being home to the Mercedes Legacy, and it shows everywhere, right from the central railway station - the HauptBahnhof ...

The best part of the city is just outside the Hauptbahnhof, complete with historic monuments, modern plazas, picnic spots as well as the parliament !!!

But, to get there, first we take the Konigstrasse - Germany's longest pedestrian precinct with 1,100 metres is Stuttgart' s experience mile, which invites to shopping, coffee drinking and meet street artists from all over the world.

Here's one such artist; this "man with the parrot" is almost a tourist attraction in Stuttgart!

The Neues Schloss or New Palace is a U form building, that was built during the period 1746 to 1807. Today the Palace house the council for Baden-Würtemberg...

The Schlossplatz or Palace Square ...

This lake adds charm to the entire vicinity ...

And isn't this place a perfect picnic spot as well ...

Closeby, the Great House is one of the few buildings in Stuttgart that were not damaged during the air raids of the Second World War. Now, serves as the Stuttgart State Theatre.

After all those buildings with imposing facades, here is a simple one nearby. Only, in appearance though, as this happens to be the state parliament!

We move on to the Rosenstein Park -

which houses this wonderful public art, which is otherwise a rarity in Stuttgart ...

A trip to Stuttgart is not complete without a trip to the Mercedes-Benz Museum ...

August 29, 1885. Gottlieb Daimler registered his Reitwagen ("Riding Carriage") with a "Gas or Petroleum Engine" as patent DRP No. 36423. The "Reitwagen" is the world's first motor cycle.

The daughter of Mr. Daimler, who became immortal once her father decided to brand his cars with her name - MERCEDES!

The first Mercedes with the now famous MERCEDES INSIGNIA and "electric lights" ...

The majestic Merc for the japanese Emperor ...

and the contrasting modern Merc ... choice of colours changes too!

Then, we headed for the Messe...a beautiful lush green place, which has a tower that allows us to capture the city in its entirety and from where we can see the expanse of the city ...
zooming in on a seemingly interesting site ...

on our way to the next destination - the TV Tower.

As my hosts prepare the delicious dinner for me ... :-)

Back to the Hauptbahnhof ...

Time to get back to Frankfurt, thankfully in the comfortable ICE 180 ...

Amsterdam [Aug 14, 05]

2005-10-09T03:51:00.000-07:00

Well! This saturday I decided to venture out of Germany and the destination had to be AMSTERDAM! I am-sterdam!

As always, we (Ketan & me) headed for the tourist info centre but the long queue put us off ...

However, we got to meet a nice Sikh couple there, who had come from Belgium and from then on, we explored Amsterdam together with Kamal & Simran. And yo! we also feasted on the Aaloo-Paranthas, that they had brought along!

Amsterdam is called "Veniceof the North" in Europe and that's more because of the canals in the city which provide an alternative to travelling by road. We explored the canals on a cruise ...

in such boats ...

Equivalent of a multi lane highway ...

and there are the narrow streets! :)

The cruise offers a good view of the entire city and its architectural marvels ...

When on road, bicycles are the preferred mode of travel; Here's a huge bicycle stand ...

Now, on foot ...

Towards DAM Square, the busy Amsterdam, humming with tourists ...

Many street artists can be seen in strange getups, ready to be clicked for a few cents ...

The Royal Palace ...

The DAM Square has many architectural beauties,

Not many are aware that Amsterdam also houses the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. But, fortunately it does ... In fact, this one is all the more special as it also offers an insight into the History of Holland ...

in a dramatic way through a talking Man ...

and a thoughtfully designed exhibit with enough of technical wizardry ...

ofcourse the wax statues depicting the life of Holland ...

and its important people like the famous artist Van Gogh ...

and ofcourse, there are the celebrity statues ... Let's start with Madame Tussaud herself ...

Followed by the beautiful lady Diana ...

Hey! I don't think I need to tell the names ...

Every Saturday is a festival!

Exploring the city further...

Some landmark buildings ...

Another tourist couple helps us in finding our next destination - the Anne Frank House. We asked, thinking them to be natives ... LOLz

We finally reach & queue up for entry to the ANNE FRANK HOUSE, thats the place where Anne & her family went into hiding for 2 years dodging the Nazis, and here itself was written the ANNE FRANK DIARY!

In a plaza ...

where , we bid Kamal & Simran "Good Bye!" as we had an early train and ofcourse, we did not want to go shopping ! ;)

and explore some more of ...

the old city charm,

and the festive evenings,

and,

As evening takes over, we walk back through narrow lanes, but still there's enough art around!

towards the Railway Station ...

And we are onboard ICE International 223, headed back to Frankfurt Hbf ...

The colourful COLOGNE passes by and I decide that it is going to be a destination soon ...

Sommernite in Bad-Soden [Aug 20, 05]

2005-10-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

We did not have the Saturday off, but still some respite came in the form of a lively sommernite fest at Bad Soden, near our hotel. Here are a few shots of the same ...

The highlight was a brilliant fireworks show ...

Cologne [Aug 22, 05]

2005-10-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Cologne is the oldest and probably the most beautiful city of Germany - so they say, and so I feel having visited most of the "Magic Cities" of Germany!

Cologne Cathedral (Dom) with its two spires 157 m. in height, has been the city's most famous landmark for centuries and the most well-known architectural monument in Germany.

It took 632 years until construction of the largest German cathedral was completed. The beautiful interiors are beyond description ...

and the stained glasses appear mush more beautiful due to their size ...

The relics of the Holy Epiphany found their last resting place in the cathedral. The Sarcophagus of Epiphany (dating from the 13th century) surpasses all comparable golden sarcophagi in Western Christendom, in terms of scale and magnificence.

I even climbed the stairs to the 157m spire, thats the Bell of the cathedral tower! Appreciate my smiling face, even after climbing 100m in a narrow & dark circular stairway ...

and finally, I make it to the top. Well, almost! The view from the top ...

No doubt, the artwork inside has to be inspiring ...

After spending 2 hours, we come out towards the Cathedral Square ...

Pope was here in the city till yesterday on his first foreign visit ...

River Cruise on Rhine is a very pleasing experience and offers scenic views of the city and its buildings with a variety of architecture ...

The modern ...

The bridges ...
However, the Dom, is the most impressive of them all and looks beautiful from all the angles ...

The roman and medieval cologne ...

The city gates ...

and the City Wall ...

Prayer time at a roman Church ...

Cologne - the Museum City ...

Chocolate Museum ...

The green Cologne ...

The Park ...

Having seen all this, if you are wondering why you hadn't heard of this city till now, then think again ... This is the city which lends its name to the famous perfume ... "Eau de Cologne" . Now, who doesn't know that ?

Bonn [Aug 22, 05]

2005-10-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Bonn was the capital of West Germany, but as such it is not a big city and even shares its airport with Cologne. Hence, my visit to Bonn was of only a few hours which I saved when I was touring Cologne.

The market in evening ...

A popular square ...

The world famous "Bonn University" ...

The Bonn University Film Fest was showing "Dil Se" !!! Check out the Shahrukh picture postcards on display ...

But, the university campus is really inspiring ...

And then I headed back to Cologne to see the city in night!

Cologne in Night! [Aug 22, 05]

2005-10-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

Cologne-Frankfurt is connected by the fastest train service (peaking at 330 kms/hr) in Germany and hence, I was able to stay in Cologne till it was dark ... and capture the stunning beauty of the city at night!

The "Dom" (Cathedral) seen from the other end of Hohenzollern Brücke ...

On this end of the bridge ...

The city ...

Night cruises are the best way to see the city at night ...

The Koeln-Messe ... the industrial side of modern Cologne ...

The city centre ...

And the great Dom's facade ...

And finally, the central railway station - the Hauptbahnhof ...

Hamburg [Aug 29, 05]

2005-10-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

The "Free and Hanseatic City” of Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest metropolis with one of Europe’s biggest ports. Elegant and cosmopolitan, Hamburg is now a city of palatial office buildings, magnificent promenades, international musicals, extravagant shopping malls – and the famous Reeperbahn and St. Pauli.

Like the Lions of Munich, this is the figure that can be found at every nook and corner in the heart of the city ...

The Rathaus or the Town Hall - Parliament is a wonderful place both from the outside as well as with its rich ornate interiors ...

The Phoenix ...

Extensive artwork adores the walls ...

and expensive chandliers dot the roofs ... this one is 1500 kgs!

Finally, the seat of the government ...

Two large artificial lakes add a distinct charm to the city centre and the lake cruises offer a good look at the city ...

The magical aura of faraway places is still alive in the old warehouse quarter and the little canals.

Hamburg is also Germany’s greenest city, with many spacious lawns and lovely parks. Thats the StadtPark ...

with the world's most modern Planetarium ...

and with a lake again ...

Next comes the Miniature Wonderland ... a place with Layouts of Modern trains at the most wonderful locations in the world ... and the trains actually run with set schedules and day-night simulations are part of the game! Check it out ...

and all this is managed through this control panel ...

Then, ofcourse, Hamburg is known for its harbour ...

That's the Museum Ship ...

Another amazing place is the Elbe Tunnel ...

which runs across the River but under a few metres of water !!!

From the other end of the tunnel & the Elbe River, city skyline is visible clearly with its landmark - the St. Michael's Church ...

Because of water all around in the city in the form of canals, lakes and river ... the city looks great from air and Sightseeing tours from flights & hot-air balloons are common ...

and FYI ... Hamburg outnumbers Venice & Amsterdam combined when it comes to the no. of bridges in the city over the canals ...

Vienna [Sept 6, 05]

2005-10-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

Churches as usual are all around, but to find the best one in a city is a tough task ...

This time we tried something different and headed for the House de Meers - an aquarium kind of place ... Here, are some of the most wonderful creatures present there ...

The highest Church of Vienna, which for long prevented the construction of higher buildings in the city ...

The majestic Hofburg Palace ...

Horses, are in fashion here ;-)

The BurgerHof Theater ...

and the Park opposite of the Parliament ...

The same statue can be seen all around the city ...

See! Now, in Gold ...

Here's the Rathaus - city hall!

and The Parliament of Austria ...

We stop our fast paced trip across the city for a quick Indian lunch ...

Next, we reach the Schonbrun Palace and Gardens ...

On an island!

The beautiful "Donau Insel" island ...

Finally, at the Prater - with the Giant Ferris Wheel ... a city landmark!

Where, we tried a special effects show at the SENSORIUM ...

See, a highlight of laser-work ...

And then back to Frankfurt !

Berlin [Sept 20, 05]

2005-10-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

It was my last week in Germany ... and a landmark General elections were about to be held on sunday, so I thought why not BERLIN! With Berlin, I complete my tour of Germany having covered all the big cities of Germany ...

The most important landmark in Germany is the TV Tower ... 300+ metres in height and the second highest building in Europe after Moscow's Tower.

This ball has an observation platform and a revolving restaurant ...

and this is how Berlin looks like from the top ...

and the next big thing of Berlin - the Berlin Dom!

and our next destination ...

Needless to say, it has to have beautiful interiors as it wa made to rival nothing less than the Rome!

The organ ...

And here is my candle for World Peace! :-)

The crypt of the cathedral is the resting place of around 100 members of the royalty ...