Destinations

Exploring Ft. Lauderdale Antique Car Museum

Posted on March 30, 2012
Fort Lauderdale - Antique Car Museum

I have been kind of surprised at how difficult I have been finding it to fill the time in Fort Lauderdale. Today I had one thing in mind that I wanted to do and eventually added a second to the list after much research. I am slightly surprised at how little there is to do in the area, or maybe I am just looking in the wrong places.

Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop

The Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale is one of the places that I visited last time I was here for a day. That was a part of my Panama Canal Cruise in 2011. I was with friends and had only a small amount of time on that occasion so wanted to return and explore a little more.

But just getting to the Swap Shop turned out to be a bigger mission than I expected. I had put in the time to research the bus routes last night and had it all worked out. However, while I found the right bus stop I still had to wait over 20 minutes for the bus. Which then took around 40 minutes to get to the destination.

Fort Lauderdale - Swap Shop

To be honest, even though I found the Swap Shop to be kind of interesting last time it did not capture me as much as time. I found there was a lot of table, luggage, perfume and electronics available. While some of this interested me most of it was not what I wanted to find. Plus there was a rather large area that seemed to be more of trash and treasure than anything else. I was able to pick up a couple of new ties and a cheap roller bag to help get onboard the ship.

Swap Shop Cars

One of the fun things to look at was the collection of high-performance cars. They included some different manufacturers including Ferrari, Mercedes, Corvette and Porsche. There are a couple of photos below, but there were also plenty of people around looking so was not able to get a lot of pictures. Two that caught my eye along with everyone else were the Ferrari F40 and Ferrari Enzo, which I could not get photos.

Fort Lauderdale - Swap Shop Porsche 911 Fort Lauderdale - Swap Shop Mclaren by Mercedes

Fort Lauderdale Public Transport

The public transport system in Fort Lauderdale seems to be a big challenge for me today. Although I had the information for the bus stop and a general idea of the area from the maps. I still found that the reality did not match the information.

Where I believe the bus stop was supposed to be, there was nothing but a grass verge on the side of the road. I waited in the area for about 30 minutes without a single bus passing. So I decided to set off in the direction I knew my next stop was, which turned out to be a lot further than expected.

Eventually, I found a McDonalds with free wifi and was able to get myself back on track. I found another bus stop which soon had a bus arrive heading in the direction I wanted to go. But it seemed like a mission to figure this out in the end. I must say there is something I love about centralised cities with good public transport systems.

Ft. Lauderdale Antique Car Museum

My original plan for the day was to visit the Ft. Lauderdale Antique Car Museum. However, I got started quite early, and it was still a couple of hours before they were to open. So I visited the Swap Shop first. Returning after lunch time and I was able to take a look around.

Fort Lauderdale - Antique Car Museum

Personally, I am not a big car fan. While they will often catch my attention on the street, that is about the extent of my interest. But I am rather happy that I made this stop has it gave me some great insight into some very nice looking antique cars.

I think almost all the vehicles were from the same manufacturer, Packard. The cars on display ranged between 1900 and 1950, and all are still in running order. The majority of the cars have been fully restored and even two that are completely original still in running order.

Fort Lauderdale - 1931 Packard model 845 Fort Lauderdale - 1948 Packard Model 2201 "Woodie"

I spent a couple of hours walking around the museum and reading about the different cars. I am sure for the right person with a keen interest in older cars could easily spend a full day if not more here.

Other Pieces On Display

There is a range of many other pieces on display in the museum. There is a collection of hood ornaments, gear nobs, and such. Along with an extensive collection of different cigarette lighter knobs, part of which is pictured below. The museum is worth a visit whether you like cars or you are just looking to fill in a little time.

Fort Lauderdale - Automotive Cigarette Lighter collection

Shopping

I finished the afternoon collecting the last few things that I had in mind I needed on the cruise. There is bottled water, and a few other things that could be useful with eight days were at sea.

But this does leave me with a dilemma, just what do I over the next two days. I am sure that I will find something to fill the time even if it is researching for the weeks after the cruise in Europe. I have all the hotels and flights booked, but I would like to see if there are any interesting tours. It is something that I need to get done now before heading off on the cruise. Primarily due to lack of fast and free internet access while on the cruise. Once I am back in Europe it is going to be fast paced and minimal time for research and planning.

Destinations

Exploring Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Posted on March 30, 2012
Fort Lauderdale - Fort Lauderdale Beach

As a city, I have been having some trouble finding much if anything to do in Fort Lauderdale itself. So today I am getting out to see the few things that I could find that might be interesting.

Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi

I decided to start with a trip on the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi this morning. It operates through 12 different stops heading north up the intercoastal waterway. Many of the stops did not seem to have too much exciting to offer. So I opted to travel to the furthest stop where you can find the Las Olas shops.

Las Olas Shops

Fort Lauderdale - Welcome To Las Olas Shops Fort Lauderdale - Las Olas Boulevard

The area does not seem to be your typical shopping area with the majority of the shops along here being a little more high end. There were also some galleries in the area. About the only positive I found for me in the area was a shop with some excellent ice cream. But I soon found my way back to the Water Taxi to try another stop.

Fort Lauderdale - Las Olas Watertaxi Stop

New River Area

The next stop did not provide much more of interest and was in an area known as New River. Even though the area did seem to cover a lot of space, a large number of the shops were either closed or closed down. I settled on having lunch at one of the restaurants here and took a rest from walking.

One interesting thing that I noticed from here while having lunch was the nearby drawbridge. Although there are quite a few drawbridges around Fort Lauderdale, due to the canals and size of boats. The drawbridge here was a little different as it is for the train line.

Fort Lauderdale - Drawbridge for trains

Fort Lauderdale Beach

The last time I made for the day was to take a look at Fort Lauderdale Beach. I think I might have shared a picture from this beach previously when I visited Fort Lauderdale as part of my Panama Canal Cruise. However, here is another photo as it did look like quite a nice beach day.

Fort Lauderdale - Fort Lauderdale Beach

In the end today I spent a lot more time getting between places than seeing much if anything. However, the time spent on the water taxi was quite nice, but most of what you are seeing is quite flashy big houses. Along with all variety of different boats and yachts. I did also manage to find one or two shops to get some more clothes for the cruise which I was happy with.

Destinations

Exploring New York City, New York

Posted on March 27, 2012
New york - Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Skyline

Last night I put together a rough plan for the day, I figured it would be the best chance to see everything that I wanted to. It turned out to be a very good idea, especially being able to get around the public transport. Which to be honest New York would be a nightmare to get around walking and see everything I wanted to today. But with a plan at least I know what my next destination is and no wasting time trying to choose.

Saint John the Devine

Over the past couple of weeks in Europe, I have visited many churches. However, it was not until the tour guide mentioned a church on my tour the other day that I thought about the churches of New York.

I decided to start the day by visiting one of the world’s largest Anglican cathedral and church. There is some dispute between the Cathedral of Saint John the Devine and Liverpool Cathedral which is larger. Construction started on The Cathedral of Saint John the Devine in 1892 with the laying of the cornerstone.

From the outside, the Cathedral is a rather dominating structure and is the largest church I have seen. The inside is a rather beautiful building, with large stained glass windows. One of the stained glass windows contains over 10,000 pieces of glass.

New York - Saint John The Divine Cathedral New York - Saint John The Divine Cathedral Interior

Wall Street

You will note when I opened this post I mentioned a plan. Unfortunately, it was not the best plan. My next stop this morning was Wall Street, almost the opposite end of Manhatten. The Cathedral of Saint John the Devine is located near 111th Street, while Wall Street is almost at the southern end of Manhatten. Some 12 km (7.5 miles) if I was to walk, or around 35 minutes by subway.

Wall Street itself is not quite as impressive as you might think. The street itself is fairly short and covers just a few blocks. However, it is potentially home to the most financially powerful market in the world. Of course, the most important building for many on the street is the New York Stock Exchange.

New York - Stock Exchange

While on Wall Street I just happened to find the second church to visit today, Trinity Church Wall Street. The building is much smaller than the first church, but due to the location is much harder to photograph. Inside there are some stunning stained glass windows. I just happened to arrive at the right time to enjoy a choir recital that was in progress and open to the public.

New York - Trinity Church Wall St New York - Trinity Church Wall St Interior

The last thing that I wanted to find while on Wall Street was The Bull of Wall Street. It took a little hunting because it is not actually on Wall Street, but is not too far away. It did take a little waiting to capture a photo between people. The fences are in places to allow for people to line up to take their picture with the bull to make it a little more orderly.

New York - The Bull of Wall Street

East River & Brooklyn Bridge

At the bottom of Wall Street, I discovered you could catch the ferry from Manhatten across to Brooklyn. I had on my plan for the day to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. So to save some time I decided to take the ferry across the Brooklyn and walk back across the Manhatten. The walk does seem very popular with a lot of other people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.

New York - Brooklyn Bridge

From the bridge, you also get quite a good view of the Manhatten Skyline. Both the southern end of Manhatten and towards the uptown end of Manhatten Island.

New york - Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan SkylineNew york - Brooklyn Bridge Midtown Skyline

New York Churches

After arriving back in Manhatten, my list of specific stops for the day was complete and I caught the subway back to midtown. Where I came across my third church for the day, St Patrick’s Cathedral. So far it seems that the churches of New York at all somewhat unique buildings with three very different styles. However, the thing they have in common is the beautiful stained glass windows.

New York - St Patrick's Church 5th Avenue New York - St Patrick's Church 5th Avenue Interior

Not too far from St Patrick’s was my fourth and last church for the day. St Thomas Church again looked rather different from the outside. Inside there was not quite as bright and open as the other churches. In fact inside it was very dimly lit, and a lack of windows limited outside light as well.

New York - St Thomas Church New York - St Thomas Church Interior

New York’s Highline

I had tentatively added another stop for the day, depending on time and distance to get there. Located on 14th street, it is a relatively new park area that makes use of an old elevated railway line. Called the Highline the area creates a beautiful park and walking area with some fun and interesting features.

New York - Highline Park

Empire State Building

The very final stop for the day turned out to be one that I had planned not to do. However, being that I was in New York City and that I did have a little spare time I found it hard to say no. I decided that I would go and take a look at the Empire State Building Observation Deck. My timing was rather good in the end, just in time to catch the sunset and see the city transition to night again. I am happy that I did visit, but in hindsight, I would not go again for a couple of reasons.

New York - Empire State Building Sunset

My biggest problem with the observation deck here is far too many people in too small an area. You are swimming through the crowds of people to get around. It was made worse with half the outdoor area closed due to high winds.

If you take the first line as an indication of how busy things are going to be you get a false sense of security. As it turns out there are four lines to get up and at least two more you cannot avoid getting back to ground level. Going up you need to line up for your ticket, security and two separate elevator lines. While on the way back down there are two elevator lines and then a line to enter the gift shop.

At the top, as you can see the view is not bad, if not a little bit cold from thw wind. At this specific time the Empire State Building is currently the tallest building in New York. However, once the new One World Trade Center building is complete it will be taller.

New York - Empire State Building Night View

New York It’s Been Great

So after three full on days, two exploring New York and a tour to Washington D.C. my time in New York comes to an end. The last three days have been outstanding but I am not sure how I would have approached more time in New york honestly. There is a wealther of things to see and do, but it is just how to put it together into a day.

Tomorrow I continue my journey and board a plane to fly south to Fort Lauderdale. In just a few days I will be boarding the cruise ship for my Transatlantic and Mediterraean cruise, which is quite exciting.

Destinations

Exploring Washington DC In One Day

Posted on March 26, 2012
Washington - United States Capitol Building

When I start to plan this trip I had looked at options to stay for a couple of days in Washington, DC. However, the cost of doing so seemed a little expensive, and I figured I could do that another time. But then I found that I could take one day out of my time in New York and take a day to Washington, DC. It is never an easy choice to take a day away from one place to visit another, but I am very glad I did.

New York To Washington

It is never an easy choice to take a day away from one place to visit another, but I am very glad I did. There is a lot of hassle this tour solves, and I get to see most of the famous sights. The tour is a rather early start leaving New York at 7.00 am in the morning, for the four-hour drive to Washington, DC. The tour takes you through five different states or districts including New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

There is a good portion of the trip that is rather uninteresting. After you pass through Newark the following hour and a half is pretty much just highway. About halfway there is a stop made to stretch the legs at a rest stop. Before continuing onto Washington. There is some lovely scenery along the way, but to maximise the day, there is just the one stop on the way.

Washington Memorials

The first stop in Washington is made at a relatively famous memorial, the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial was built for the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Washington - Lincoln Memorial

Nearby is the Vietnam War Memorial, built to remember the 54,000 lives lost in the 20-year war fought in Vietnam. Alongside is also the Korean War Memorial for the 3-year war fought in Korea to remember the soldiers lives that were lost.

Washington - Vietnam War Memorial Washington - Vietnam War Memorial

Washington Monument

From the Lincoln Memorial, you have a good view of the Washington Monument. The monument is an Obelisk which was built to commemorate George Washington, the first President of the United States.

Washington - Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool (under repair)

Between the Washington Monument and the Reflection Pool (currently undergoing renovations) is the World War II Memorial. I had to walk quickly but was able to make a short visit there while at this stop.Washington - World War II Memorial

It was while at this stop we got to see a surprise daytime fireworks display. The display was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese Flowing Cherry Trees.

Washington - Cherry Blossom Tree

The While House

The next stop was at possibly the most recognisable house in the world, The White House. In real terms, it is virtually impossible to visit inside The While House. But you do get a much better view from the fenceline anyway. The first thing you notice is that it does not seem anywhere near as big as it is portrayed in movies or on TV.

Washington - White House

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

To a great extent, I tend to avoid the overly touristy sites. In all the countries and cities I have visited I have never visited something like Madame Tussauds Was Museum. However, since it was included as a part of the tour here in Washington, I figured why not check it out.

In the end, I did not mind visiting the wax museum at all. It did have a heavy focus especially on US Presidents, which considering we are in Washington, does make sense. Looking at many of the models the realism is rather impressive, in fact, some it was different to tell they were just a wax model.

Washington - Madame Tussauds - Harry S. Truman Washington - Madame Tussauds - Barack & Michelle Obama

Air And Space Museum

Another interesting museum visit was to the Air And Space Museum. The stop here gave time for a look around and lunch, albeit just an hour to split between the two.

Washington - Moon Rock

There were many interesting exhibits, and I did get to see a lot of them. Although due to fitting in lunch as well, I did not pause at any for too long. Included are numerous different aircraft from the last hundred years, spacecraft, a lunar lander and a piece of space rock (pictured above).

Washington - Saturn 5 Rocket

Us Capitol Building

The last stop for the day in Washington is at the US Capitol Building. The building stands in a direct line with the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument which we visited this morning. The building itself does hold a commanding position where it is. I would say the picture does not do the building justice in size or presence, though.

Washington - United States Capitol Building

Returning To New York

The tour today turned out to be an excellent choice, allowing me to see many of the landmark buildings in America’s capital city Washington, DC. While also getting to hear a lot of the history as well. It made a lot more sense than the couple of days that I had been trying to squeeze in to stay here. Even though I enjoyed the tour, I doubt I will be rushing back to spend more time soon.

Tomorrow is my last day in New York City. I do have something of a plan for the day, and hopefully will be able to fill the day without having to waste to much time.

Destinations

Exploring New York City In One Day

Posted on March 25, 2012
New York - Statue of Liberty

Today is the first of two full days that I will be spending in New York. Even though I am technically here for three full days, I have booked a tour to visit Washington D.C. for one day. I started the morning walking some of the streets in New York and finished the day 67 floors above the city. In the middle, I managed to fit in a tour and a cruise on the Hudson River.

New York Morning Walk

I started the morning returning to Times Square again, which I shared a picture of in yesterday’s post. However, having walked through the area in daylight this morning, my photo did not capture the quintessential point of view. The photo below might be a little more what you are familiar with especially including all the advertising.

New York - Times Square

Midtown New York

I headed off from Times Square taking 7th Avenue to 50th Street. Just to get a feel for where I needed to go to meet the tour I had booked this afternoon. With some time to spare I headed across to 5th Avenue.

Walking along 5th Avenue is I guess what you might expect, with some of the big name boutique shops lining either side. Although to be honest the shopping did not have any real interest to me at all. Arriving between 56th and 57th Street is one of the landmark buildings of New York, Trump Tower. Both the exterior and interior do have a distinct and impressive look to them. An interesting fact is that Trump Tower was completed on the 30th of November 1983, making it just one month older than me.

New York - Trump Tower New York - Trump Tower Foyer

Central Park

Just two more blocks heading into the area known as Uptown, you arrive at Central Park which starts at 59th Street. When you look from above, the park is one very extensive area of green amongst the skyscrapers. Here is a photo that puts it a little more in perspective from the Top Of The Rock Observation Deck, which I visited later in the day.

New York - Central Park View From Top Of The Rock

Once you are in Central Park it is a great change from being surrounded by the greyness of the rest of the city. The brick, stone and pavement all tend to blend, and then you find the colours of Central Park quite pleasing.

New York - Central Park

New York City Tour

I slowly work my way back from Central Park to the meeting point for the tour. Along the way, I found something to eat for lunch and end up arriving early for the tour. It seems everyone for the tour arrived early and we got away slightly early as well.

The tour, which is named “New York In A Day”, turned out to be one of the most comprehensive city tours I have taken. There were quite a few stops along with a 1-hour ferry cruise on the Hudson and East Rivers.

Strawberry Fields

The tour made the first stop at a special area in Central Park. The area named Strawberry Fields covers an area of around 2.5 acres. It has been specially landscaped as a place of remembrance for John Lennon. Strawberry Fields is located near 72nd Street, directly across from the Dakota Apartments. The location where John Lennon lived in his later life with his widow Yoko Ono. Yoko Ono paid for the installation of the memorial and still lives in the apartment nearby.

New york - Imagine Mosaic

Rockefeller Centre

Rockefeller Centre seems to be quite a centre for a lot of activity. There appears to be a lot that happens in the area from television studios, a skating rink, an observation deck (which I will visit later today). Although one of the highlights for me was visiting my first Lego store. Although I didn’t buy anything, it was fascinating to see.

There was a photo stop at the Empire State Building. However, the view of the Empire State Building is much better from the Top Of The Rock Observation Deck.

River Cruise

The second last stop on the tour was at the South Street Seaport. The stop is also where the next part of the tour starts, a one-hour ferry ride on the Hudson and East Rivers. It was a part that I was happy to find included as I had hoped to do the river cruise anyway.

There are some sights that you see from the cruise. The first which is pointed out is where the new World Trave Centre tower is being built. Next was a look across at the New Jersey Skyline before the ferry headed a little closer to Ellis Island and Liberty Island.  Finally a look at the Brooklyn and Manhatten Bridges, before heading back to the Seaport.

New York - Statue of Liberty New York - Ellis Island

World Trade Centre Memorial Site

The last stop on the tour is the World Trade Centre Memorial site. Although the visit is a spot very nearby that looks over the site itself. It is not practical on the tour to visit the site due to the security checks and time involved. However, we did get to see the memorial from another building which overlooks it. It was also possible to see the progress on the rebuilding which is underway.

New York - World Trade Center Reconstruction

Top Of The Rock

After the tour, I had planned to finish the day at the Top Of The Rock Observation Deck. It is located on the 67th floor of 30 Rockefeller Centre, which is also the home o the NBC studios. Even though it sits roughly 20 levels lower than the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building, there are some benefits.

The biggest advantage I found was no lines waiting to get up. There were still security checks and such, but you pretty much went straight through. Plus in reality, you are still above almost everything else with I think a better view. Especially since you have a view of the Empire State Building itself.

The view from 67 floors above the city is quite amazing. Some buildings are taller, but they do not impact your view at all. A view that stretches for miles in every direction, looking out over Manhatten, Jersey and Brooklyn. The timing was perfect, arriving in time for sunset and getting to see the city by day and night.

New York - Empire State Building New York - Top Of The Rock Evening

What A Day

It is hard to believe that I have only just scratched the surface of what New York has to offer today. It was a great time and very much a fully packed day of sightseeing. The only problem is that it leaves me with far too many ideas for how to fill my second day in New York.

But for tomorrow the scenery will change a little as I have managed to book myself on a day tour to Washington D.C. I could not justify booking specific days in Washington so went with the next best option. So that will be another big day tomorrow, I will be looking forward to the sea days once I get onboard the cruise in about a week.

Destinations

Travel Day Manchester to New York

Posted on March 24, 2012
New York - Night Lights

Tonight will be a rather short update since there is not a lot to share with you. The last two days I have spent in transit from Berlin to New York where I am now. With an overnight stop in Manchester, combined with some flight delays.

In the past two days, I have essentially been through five different airports, on five different planes. The total distance travelled is somewhere around 7,000km since departing from Berlin and arriving into New York this afternoon.

The Flights

The two flights today were far from the best flights I have ever taken. It started with the flight from Manchester to Reykjavik where I requested an aisle seat. At check in the clerk could only offer a window seat with extra leg room, which seemed to be ok. However, once we boarded it became apparent he had outdated information or wrong information. The seat had no extra leg room although the view turned out to be quite good. In the end that is not a big deal as the flight is not that long.

I had a much better seat on the second flight from Reykjavik to New York. But it was on this flight we experienced some of the worst turbulence I have experienced on a flight. For a period of about five minutes, even the air hostess got caught off guard and hanging onto anything they could trying to keep the trolleys in place. The worst for me was end up with a cup full of Pepsi half on me and half in my meal.

Arriving In New York

Even with both of these little hiccups, I am happy to say I am now in New York City. It took some time as you can imagine with New York Traffic in the last afternoon to get to the hotel. But once I had checked in and got everything sorted in my room I popped out for a look at Times Square by night. Only about three blocks from the hotel so not too far. I must say walking into New York is definitely a different experience to earlier today walking into the all but empty airport in Reykjavik.

New York - Night Lights

So I hope that you can wait until tomorrow for a little more of New York. I can say for sure there is going to be plenty to share.

Destinations

Travelling From Berlin To Manchester

Posted on March 23, 2012
Berlin - Panoramapunkt View

I started today exploring a little more of Berlin, before a later flight to Manchester, England. On reflection, my time in Berlin has just been too short and can say for certain it is a city I will return to one day. There is just so much more to see and discover, both in and bear to the city.

Best Laid Plans

There would some plans that I had made for the morning. However, they really did not work out, since the sightseeing does not seem to get started until 10 am. The result was making a choice between options before heading to the airport, rather than being able to fit in all that I had planned.t.

Berlin – Spree River Cruise

The option I decided on was a short cruise on the Spree River. Although this did not bring me to any particular new sites, it gave me a different view of the city. Along with a commentary that gave me some good interesting information that I would not have otherwise got.

It was an excellent opportunity to get some photos of a couple of places I had missed in walking. While also a lovely relaxing way to spend a little time here.

Berlin - Lock on the River Spree Berlin - Buildings along the River Spree Berlin - Cafe's and stores under train line

Panoramapunkt

Something I have come to like visiting in different cities is the lookouts. I visited the primary lookout in Berlin a couple of days ago the TV Tower, which is pictured below. Even though Panoramapunkt is not high by most city standards, the general low height of buildings in Berlin allows a rather good view. Today was a better day for taking photos of the view and it is also beneficial that you are able to walk outside here.

Berlin - Panoramapunkt View Berlin - Panoramapunkt View

Earlier In The Week

Since I had a flight to catch I had to find my way back to the hotel and onto the Airport. So I just wanted to also share some of my images from earlier in the week.

The first is a fountain which is located at Alexanderplatz, not far from the TV Tower. The fountain is called the Neptune Fountain. It depicts Neptune the god of the sea in the middle, with found beauties around him. These four female statues represent the four rivers which flow through Berlin.

Berlin - Neptune Fountain Alexandraplatz

On my way back to the hotel last night I passed across what is called Museum Island. The Island is home to four different Museums. One that caught my eye with the lights on at night was the Bode Museum. The Der Deutschen Kunst (House Of German Art) also has something of a different look, but not quite as eye catching.

Berlin - Der Deutschen Knut Museum Berlin - Bode Museum

A building that has a rather interesting look to it is the Rathaus (City Hall) which is located on Alexanderplatz. It is a red brick building and does have quite a distinctive look to it.

Berlin - Rathaus (Berlin City Hall)

The time that I spent in Berlin was interesting. Now that I have visited the city it would have been good to allow a little more time. However, that just means that I have a good reason to return to the city in the future.

Travelling

The trip from Berlin to Manchester did not turn out quite as planned. The flight was to leave Berlin at 4.30 pm and arrive in Manchester at 9 pm, with a short stop in London.

Well, we did depart from Berlin at 4.30 pm as scheduled and arrived in London around 5.45. The flight from London was due to depart at 8 pm. However, after boarding and waiting around 45 minutes on the plane, they announced there was a technical problem and that we would need to change planes. Eventually, we departed London around 9.30 pm and arrived in Manchester around 10.05 pm, just a little late.

Delay’s like this are the reason why I had booked a hotel for the night in Manchester. It is not a problem when you have connecting flights booked with the same airline. In these cases, they will arrange your onward travel. However, when you book onward flights with different airlines, I find it is better to be safe and give yourself plenty of time between flights.

So this post is going up a little bit late. I am also unsure if there will be a post tomorrow, it will depend on a number of factors, such as arrival time in New York and ability to access the internet.

Destinations

Exploring The City of Berlin, Germany

Posted on March 22, 2012
Berlin - Berliner Mauer (East Side Gallery)

Today was my second and last full day to explore Berlin. If there is one thing I would have changed about the trip having experienced it now is to give myself more time here. Berlin has a lot to offer for the tourist looking to experience something. But you have to have the time to fit it all in and two full days is just not enough.

I spent a little time this morning working out what would make the best use of my day. Since in the afternoon I had arranged to meet a friend who lives in Berlin for coffee. The biggest challenge I faced in deciding what to see and where to go is the two sides to Berlin. On the one hand, there is the museums and memories of the war and division the city has faced in the past. While the other hand is seeing where the city has worked to build a beautiful place to live and move forward from the past.

Berliner Mauer

I decided to start with a site that does look back to the past of the city at the Berliner Mauer (East Side Gallery). The gallery is a 1.3km section of the Berlin Wall that remains standing. There is an excessive amount of Graffiti on the wall on one side.

Berlin - Berliner Mauer (East Side Gallery)

However, the other side of the wall is an extensive collection of more specific artworks. Some of the artwork is visual depictions of the wall coming down. While other pieces on the wall are no so easy to interpret what the artist was trying to convey. 118 artists from 21 countries have created the artworks that make up the Berliner Mauer.. Before 1990 when they created they would never have been allowed in the west of Berlin.

Berlin - Berliner Mauer (East Side Gallery)

Berlin In Miniature

In the past, I have visited some different miniature displays or villages. There was exhibits in Victoria BC and a model village in England (Babbacombe Model Village). However, neither have been created to the size and scale and accuracy of Berlin In Miniature.

Berlin - Berlin Miniature Display

It ‘s hard for me to picture everything around the city because I have seen very little of the city so far. But there are a large number of monuments and buildings that are recognisable from my visit so far. I would say it is well worth the time to visit if you are in Berlin. Even with the large display that is already here, they are working on a large expansion right now.

Berlin - Berlin Miniature Display

St. Marienkirche

After visiting so many churches in Vienna recently, I have been looking to visit some here in Berlin. St. Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) is close to the TV Tower which I visited yesterday.

From the outside, it is easy to see a difference in construction between the tower and the rest of the building. The result of being damaged in World War II and repairs being made in 1950.

Berlin - Marienkirche (St Mary's Church)

When you go inside the church, it is rather simple, especially compared to the churches in Vienna. However, I have found that the more simple a place is, the more pleasant it can be as well. One of the main features that caught my attention is not quite as simple. It is the rather beautiful pipe organ in the church. Alas, I will miss being able to visit and hear a performance by just one day.

Berlin - Marienkirche (St Mary's Church) Organ

Berliner Dom

On the way to meet my friend, I decided to stop at one more church. The largest church in Berlin, Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral). From the outside, the building is rather grand and dominates the skyline from the nearby open square. Once you get inside the building seems even larger than from the outside.

Berlin - Berlinerdom (Berlin Cathedral)

The View

I appear to have this magnetic attraction to buildings that require you to use stairs to access the best view points. You have the ability to climb the stairs here to an excellent view of the city. The stairs take you to a walkway that completely encircles the bottom of the dome. The only mistake I made was going to Crypt first, so I had to walk up all of the stairs in one go, about 298 in total.

Berlin - View from Dome of Berlinerdom over Spree River

The Altar

One of the primary things that I have noticed with all of the different churches I have recently visited is the alters. Even though they are all very different and someone unique to the church, they all seem to be able to depict the same symbolism. Below is the main altar in Berliner Dom, it is a rather decorative and ornately designed.

Berlin - Berlinerdom Alter

The Organ

Another rather unique and individual feature of each church is the pipe organ. Some like the one in Berliner Dom are rather ornate and a very prominent feature. While in other churches they are not so prominent.

Berlin - Berlinerdom Organ

A Great Day

After spending a couple of hours catching up with my friend it was time to head back to the hotel. All up though I am happy with what I managed to fit into the day. There is still more that I have to share from yesterday though, which I will hopefully put together while waiting at airports tomorrow.

Destinations

Exploring The City Of Berlin By Bike

Posted on March 21, 2012
Berlin - Brandenburg Gate Nighttime

Today is the first of just two days that I have to spend in Berlin. There is no doubt over the past century Berlin has seen a great deal of pain and suffering. While the memory of this is still strong in Berlin, there is also a desire to move into the future as well. But many prominent reminders remain around the city.

Berlin Tour

I wanted to see and experience a little more of Berlin than a what a traditional bus tour might offer. I wanted to see the city from the ground at a slower speed you could appreciate all that you could see. Even now many years on from when the Berlin wall came down there is still many reminders. The bullet and shrapnel markings the guard towers and remnants of the Berlin Wall.

So in doing my research, I found a bike tour of the city that would visit many of the interesting sites. In the past, I had not considered bike tours, but it seemed like a great way to see Berlin and its history. The tour is something of an easy pace and gives you the opportunity to see the city.

TV Tower Observation Deck

With the tour starting later in the morning I had time for one other stop first. It was right next to where the bike tour departed from as well, so made a lot of sense. You might have noticed in previous posts how much I like to visit observation decks. In Berlin they have a couple around the city, but here in Alexanderplatz is the TV Tower Observation Deck. It is the highest observation deck in the city and gives some great views from 203M above the found.

Berlin - TV Tower Oberservation Deck

The view is rather good, but there were a few issues with getting good photos. The first problem is there was a layer of fog or smog over the city. While the second issue is the windows were not so clean. Either way, I will share one of the photos I got from the top.

Berlin View from TV Tower Observation Deck

Berlin City Bike Tour

The tour was stop after stop of some rather interesting and historic places. The first stop was at Berlinerdom (Berlin Cathedral) somewhere I knew I would find my way back to later on. Even though this church is designated as a Cathedral, by the true definition, it is not an actual Cathedral. To achieve a Cathedral designation a church is supposed to be seat of a Bishop, which Berlinerdom is not. Never the less it is a rather impressive building.

Berlin - Berlinerdom (Berlin Cathedral)

Bebelplatz

The next visit was a square now known as Bebelplatz. It is in this square that public book burnings took place. They were organised by student associations for “Action against the Un-German Spirit”. It is now the site of a memorial, but there were too many people around to get a photography.

Checkpoint Charlie

The next stop is one that probably brings back more memories of what was than any. The checkpoint is one of the points where it would have been possible to pass from east to west. It is now part of the Allied Museum and not in the original position. It is now a tourist attraction with places for photo opportunities and gift shops nearby.

Berlin - Checkpoint Charlie

Not too far away is one of the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall. Due to visitors seeking a quick souvenir, it is in a rather poor state. However, it is now a protected monument along with two other reasonable sized sections.Berlin - Remaining section of Berlin Wall

Old Guard Tower

I was surprised to find how close the tour was to my hotel at the moment and how close the next stop was. As we passed my hotel and turned a corner to arrive at this abandoned guard tower. I would never have known it was there if I was not to go this way.

It is one of the original guard towers which allowed for monitoring the area between East and West (No Man’s Land). Ensuring that no one attempted to cross the space illegally.

Berlin - Berlin Wall Guard Tower

Holocaust Memorial

One of the most terrible outcomes from World War II is the loss of life. Estimates put the total number somewhere between 50-70 million people. It is estimated approximately 6 million of these people were Jewish, in what is known as the Holocaust.

Like many other cities in some area’s of Europe, Berlin has a memorial to recognise and remember those lives lost in the Holocaust. If covers almost an entire city block and is quite abstract in its nature. However, the important aspect is that it is a place to remember these people.

Berlin - Holocaust Memorial

Brandenburg Gate

At one point in time, the Brandenburg Gate is a monument built on the site of the former city gate. In the past, it has been a site for major historical events. But today it stands more as a symbol of the turbulent history of Europe and Germany, but also of European unity and peace. I passed here twice today, the first time on the tour during the day, and returned later in the evening for the second photo.

Berlin - Brandenburg Gate Daytime Berlin - Brandenburg Gate Nighttime

Victory Column

The tour continued into an area known as Tiergarten and to Großer Stern (Great Star) where Victory Column is located. The column was moved to the current location as pictured below in 1939 by the Nazis. However, was officially inaugurated in 1873 in front of the Reichstag. The move could have saved this column as during the war the original location was destroyed by American Air Raids in 1945.

Berlin - Victoria Tower

Reichstag

The Reichstag is the German Parliment Building. It is a rather interesting building itself and was the last hold out of the Nazi’s in World War II. Of course, the building did not come through the war undamaged. The glass dome that now adorns the building was no originally made of glass and was not even originally a dome shape. However, in some ways, this highlights the fusion of new and old in Berlin.

Berlin - Reichstag (German Parliament Building)

Further Exploring

Although from here the tour was complete and we returned to the starting point. I was still ready to keep going and explore a bit further. But will leave it here for today with too much more to share to keep going. I will either include some in tomorrow’s post or write up another post in the next few days while I am travelling.

Destinations

Travelling From Vienna To Berlin

Posted on March 20, 2012
Berlin - Landwehr Canal

I started my day in Vienna, Austria and finished the day in Berlin, Germany. I was up around 6 am to get ready and get down to breakfast at the hotel. Before starting the journey to the Airport around 7 am. As it turns out I did not need to be quite so early. I arrived at the airport with over two hours until my flight would depart. At this time of the morning, there are no lines or holdups so found myself with 90 minutes to spare at the gate.

My Vienna Experience

When I think back over my time in Vienna, it is an interesting introduction to the European Continent. There was a range of challenges that I faced along with a healthy dose of positive experiences as well.

Lacking Information

I found a significant lack of information once you arrived into the city of Vienna. Some of it might have been on me not looking for the information earlier in the process. However, when I arrived at the CAT station at the airport and in the city, I could not find maps, guidebooks or anything helpful. Even just a simple map on the wall showing the underground stations would have helped.

But not to worry, even though it took considerably longer and much more searching than planned I did make it to the hotel.

The Underground

Of course, once you have managed to get a map and understand the Underground system it is the best way to get around. Even though I had access to a car for 4 hours a day as part of my hotel booking, I did not need it. The Underground station was less than one block from my hotel.

Trains were running every 3-6 minutes at any time of day I wanted to be out. So walking from the front of my hotel to being in the centre of the city was rarely more than 10-12 minutes. Even with a wait for the train, there was no other quicker way to cover the 3kmto the city centre.

How Long To Stay

Vienna has long been a place that I have wanted to visit so I may be a little biased. However, I find the question is not whether you should visit Vienna or not, but how long you should stay.

I stayed in Vienna for nine nights, and I could have happily continued to find more things to see and explore. If I had visited more in the summer months, there are some close by local tours that would have been running. There are some day trips to other cities close by such as Salzburg, Prague or Bratislava.

First Time To Vienna

If you are looking to plan a visit to Vienna, I would highly recommend trying to give yourself at least a week. You would also want to look at making it within the summer months if you want to see everything. Through some of the winter months and shoulder season, there are many things that are not open or operating. If you aim for early April, most things should be operating, and you might still be just ahead of the crowds.

Berlin, Germany

The flight from Vienna to Berlin is rather short, right around 50 minutes. The flight was reasonably good, except for some significant turbulance towards the end. However, I made it to Berlin ready to see the city over the next couple of days.

Walking Berlin

I arrived at the hotel around lunch time and since the room was not quite ready, so set out for a walk nearby. There looked to be some interesting areas that I could explore later today or tomorrow. One that especially caught my eye was a church named Kreuzkirche (Cross Church).

Berlin - Kreuzkirch (Cross Church)

Berlin Wall

After getting checked into the hotel and taking a little time to get myself sorted out, I headed out again. I headed for an area called Sony Centre fand walked around a few of the streets in the area here. I found a small display including some of the Berlin Wall. Before taking a look at some options for dinner.

Berlin - Parts of the Berlin Wall

Ready For The Next Few Days

I took the afternoon quite easy so that I am ready to get out and explore the city over the next couple of days. There is also the fact that I have a city bicycle tour tomorrow and did not want to double up too much on what may be included. So You can expect a bit more to come tomorrow so be sure to check back.

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