Germany Xmas 2006
I must admit this blog is not my own work...but since I couldn't have put it any better I will let Amy's work reflect our good times!! (plus I am lazy =p)
Thanks to Amy and JJ for making the trip to Germany filled with fun and laughter xxx
*****************************************************************************
Miz L the most democratic, flexible and adorable 'dictator' on Earth – with her mobile alarm resembled Alice with her clock in the wonderland. We spent the days executing the routes and sites she diligently researched and planned with JJ the previous night, while I was most probably sound asleep [blush-ing]…
Our trip started in Luebeck
Luebeck is known for its brick-built style architecture. We followed a city walk route found on the internet, which set us off at Hoisten Gate. Walking through a maze of narrow and picturesque alley ways, we popped into St Peter’s Church and the Cathedral en route. The architecture in Germany, in general, was not as appealing to me as those in some of the other European cities. The brick-style in old towns such as Luebeck gives me an odd shiver now and then (or arguably it was because I was genuinely cold), while the post-WWII constructions in Berlin appeared equally unfriendly. We also visited Huxstrase – Lubeck’s shopping street - where JJ bought a chick and a mummy chick in one of the small and cosy crafts stores.
Shopping and gastronomy (and of course the attractions ~) dominate much of my attention during travels to places. This time, Christmas Markets (“CM”), an attraction in its own rights, combines both shopping and gastronomy! How thoughtful!
Opposite St. Mary’s church is the Rathausemarkt square and the Town Hall. This is also where the main CM in Luebeck was. We (JJ and I) lunched on stirred fried mushrooms, hotdog and beef curry kebabs (Miz L on mushrooms and well, curry sauce -- my poor dear>.<).
Paying a visit to the world-famous Café Niederegger was of course a must for anyone visiting the hometown of Marzipan. All sorts of marzipan cakes and tempting warmth boosters, such as Marzipan cappuccino were available.
The Ice World event was probably the highlight of the trip for Miz L and JJ. My special comprising shamelessly of 3 leggings + knee-high ski socks + denim (vs. them single layer of denim) didn't last a mere 10 minutes in the extreme coldness that was approx. -8ºC. Miz L and JJ however managed to ante my 'fun' by almost an extra hour! Those animals in ice from Ice Age 2 gave me an icy look as I dashed towards the (relative) warmth of the outside. Even wintery Germany didn't feel so bad in comparison after my brief stint in the ice tent.
A short train ride away, we arrived in Hamburg in the evening of our first day in Germany.
We strolled through the centre and through a deserted CM – we could only imagine the buzz there must have been during the daytime. The three of us indulged in a mid-night dinner at a riverside restaurant with a beautiful night view. The food was tasty and generous in portions. JJ ordered what we later found out to be a Hamburg speciality called Labskaus – which was a mash/mince comprising of corned beef, potatoes, herring, onion and beetroot. This was fortunate, as had it not come with two eggs on the top, JJ would have blanked it on the menu entirely. The potato and shrimps soup I had was yum and restored much warmth in me. Miz L's camembert looked runny and delicious, though I was too occupied with the spinach to deprive her of having the lot.
Exhaustion set in as soon as food hit the stomach lining. Whoever proposed walking back to the hotel probably forgot all about it him-/herself. I don't think any of us stirred a bit that night, I certainly didn't.
Waking up to Hamburg in the morning of Christmas Eve felt refreshing. We tipped the cabdriver very generously on the way to the local fish market (huhhuh Miz L). Situated at a junction between rivers (Elbe, with Alster and Bille), the seafood in Hamburg was cheap and fresh, with 1kg of fresh salmon roe (called “Kaviar”) selling at €19.99 at the fish market. JJ breakfasted on some fried fish, me on a herring baguette and Miz L on air.
Took a quick walk around Hamburg and particularly the warehouse complex, being the second largest portal city in Europe, the parts of Hamburg we managed to see in this particular morning conformed to its portal and industrial image.
Before leaving Hamburg, we went to a Burger King situated in the city centre. We lunched on the most random assembly of foods the world has ever seen. JJ had burger stuffed with salmon roe. If our trip happened before the Selfridges' creation of the £85 Wagyu beef, Brie de Meaux, foie gras and black truffle mayonnaise sandwich, we ought to have patented our idea, quit our respective jobs, and start a top-end restaurant selling none other than such burger extravaganza. Then the stories continues…we all make a fortune, with JJ being knighted and marrying a fairytale princess (the nice and pretty type and not the bragging type), and Miz L and I happily marrying some tycoons (the kind and considerate type and not the womanising and pompous type, who are hopefully brothers) so that we can realise our dreams of spending our days feeding baby pandas finally…
Taking the high-speed train to Berlin – It was the best train ride and the most punctual I have ever been on. Train leaves and arrives on the exact minute as scheduled. Impressive.
Berlin Berlin!
We arrived in Berlin in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. Numerous pictures at the illuminated corridor of Movenpick later, we went for a church service at a very modern church – Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis-Kirche. I hit to the pillows much earlier than the others. Waking up intermittently in between dreams, I did hear the crisp clinking sound made by the cutlery from JJ's fine-dining over his remaining salmon roe.
Morning in Potsdamer Platz, walked round Kulturforum, coffee at Café Josty – a café established in 1793. According to the cute foldable map given by the Café – the Potsdamer Platz was the centre of Berlin 100 years ago. The Café is rather legendary due to the visitors who used to frequent there, among whom were the Grimm Brothers – who wrote Hansel and Gretel. The Cafe Josty was reconstructed at its present site at Sony Centre some two hundred metres from its original location.
Power walked to the bell-tower next to the Carillon to catch the bell which, according to the guidebook, was supposed to be striking at mid-day. Reached there a couple of minutes past the hour, the bell stood as silent as the Jewish cemetery.
Went to the rooftop at Reichstag having queued outside for approximately one hour. Before walking the spiral walkway on top of the roof, we lunched at the rooftop cafe. The roof itself is quite an interesting structure, which allowed a panoramic view of Berlin. JJ came up with multiple deeply philosophical interpretations of the mirrors on the centre pillar, but unfortunately I don’t seem to recall them now.
Gendarmenmarkt in the Mitte District hosts the most famous CM in Berlin. Against the backdrop of a few cathedrals, it was both scenic and festive. It was also the most expensive CM we visited, and they even charged an entrance fee for it. It had a live band and a good variety of stalls selling all types of crafts and market foods, even 'you2 bing3' (!!!), but served with sour cream and cheese on the top rather than in the Beijing way.
Our favourite CM undoubtedly was the Winter World market at Potsdamer, where we invariably returned several times during our time in Berlin.
Our second day in Berlin started at Alexanderplatz, which was a seemingly dead corner of the town with a bird picking on a dead mouse or other; a place felt too chilly to linger much around. There was a very tall TV tower, whose tip was obscured by the heavy fog that morning. We didn't bother going up there.
The next stop was the Pergamon Museum, one of the five museums at the Museumsinsel (Museum Island). We visited two of the three wings. The Classical one contained monumental architectural reconstructions as well as Greek and Roman sculptures. The history of all this is way beyond me, but to regurgitate what was in the guide: the main attraction here was the Pergamon Altar dating from 170 BC; and the row of sculptures on the wall around the hall depicts the Battle of Gods and Giants. The attractions at the Museum of the Ancient New East were the (very colourful) reconstructions of the Ishtar Gate and the Babylonian Processional Way.
Out of the Pergamon museum, we visited another CM at the Opernpalais Unter den Linden. Feeling peckish, I overloaded myself with meat (including currywurst), as well as a chocolate crepes with bounteous (upon my insistence) Nutella.
We could not say 'bye' to Berlin without paying another visit to our favourite Winter World market. Miz L's attachment to this place probably grew half-hourly during our stay. It was also the last opening day of this CM. Well, there is always another Christmas just around the corner~!
Thanks to Amy and JJ for making the trip to Germany filled with fun and laughter xxx
*****************************************************************************
Miz L the most democratic, flexible and adorable 'dictator' on Earth – with her mobile alarm resembled Alice with her clock in the wonderland. We spent the days executing the routes and sites she diligently researched and planned with JJ the previous night, while I was most probably sound asleep [blush-ing]…
Our trip started in Luebeck
Luebeck is known for its brick-built style architecture. We followed a city walk route found on the internet, which set us off at Hoisten Gate. Walking through a maze of narrow and picturesque alley ways, we popped into St Peter’s Church and the Cathedral en route. The architecture in Germany, in general, was not as appealing to me as those in some of the other European cities. The brick-style in old towns such as Luebeck gives me an odd shiver now and then (or arguably it was because I was genuinely cold), while the post-WWII constructions in Berlin appeared equally unfriendly. We also visited Huxstrase – Lubeck’s shopping street - where JJ bought a chick and a mummy chick in one of the small and cosy crafts stores.
Shopping and gastronomy (and of course the attractions ~) dominate much of my attention during travels to places. This time, Christmas Markets (“CM”), an attraction in its own rights, combines both shopping and gastronomy! How thoughtful!
Opposite St. Mary’s church is the Rathausemarkt square and the Town Hall. This is also where the main CM in Luebeck was. We (JJ and I) lunched on stirred fried mushrooms, hotdog and beef curry kebabs (Miz L on mushrooms and well, curry sauce -- my poor dear>.<).
Paying a visit to the world-famous Café Niederegger was of course a must for anyone visiting the hometown of Marzipan. All sorts of marzipan cakes and tempting warmth boosters, such as Marzipan cappuccino were available.
The Ice World event was probably the highlight of the trip for Miz L and JJ. My special comprising shamelessly of 3 leggings + knee-high ski socks + denim (vs. them single layer of denim) didn't last a mere 10 minutes in the extreme coldness that was approx. -8ºC. Miz L and JJ however managed to ante my 'fun' by almost an extra hour! Those animals in ice from Ice Age 2 gave me an icy look as I dashed towards the (relative) warmth of the outside. Even wintery Germany didn't feel so bad in comparison after my brief stint in the ice tent.
A short train ride away, we arrived in Hamburg in the evening of our first day in Germany.
We strolled through the centre and through a deserted CM – we could only imagine the buzz there must have been during the daytime. The three of us indulged in a mid-night dinner at a riverside restaurant with a beautiful night view. The food was tasty and generous in portions. JJ ordered what we later found out to be a Hamburg speciality called Labskaus – which was a mash/mince comprising of corned beef, potatoes, herring, onion and beetroot. This was fortunate, as had it not come with two eggs on the top, JJ would have blanked it on the menu entirely. The potato and shrimps soup I had was yum and restored much warmth in me. Miz L's camembert looked runny and delicious, though I was too occupied with the spinach to deprive her of having the lot.
Exhaustion set in as soon as food hit the stomach lining. Whoever proposed walking back to the hotel probably forgot all about it him-/herself. I don't think any of us stirred a bit that night, I certainly didn't.
Waking up to Hamburg in the morning of Christmas Eve felt refreshing. We tipped the cabdriver very generously on the way to the local fish market (huhhuh Miz L). Situated at a junction between rivers (Elbe, with Alster and Bille), the seafood in Hamburg was cheap and fresh, with 1kg of fresh salmon roe (called “Kaviar”) selling at €19.99 at the fish market. JJ breakfasted on some fried fish, me on a herring baguette and Miz L on air.
Took a quick walk around Hamburg and particularly the warehouse complex, being the second largest portal city in Europe, the parts of Hamburg we managed to see in this particular morning conformed to its portal and industrial image.
Before leaving Hamburg, we went to a Burger King situated in the city centre. We lunched on the most random assembly of foods the world has ever seen. JJ had burger stuffed with salmon roe. If our trip happened before the Selfridges' creation of the £85 Wagyu beef, Brie de Meaux, foie gras and black truffle mayonnaise sandwich, we ought to have patented our idea, quit our respective jobs, and start a top-end restaurant selling none other than such burger extravaganza. Then the stories continues…we all make a fortune, with JJ being knighted and marrying a fairytale princess (the nice and pretty type and not the bragging type), and Miz L and I happily marrying some tycoons (the kind and considerate type and not the womanising and pompous type, who are hopefully brothers) so that we can realise our dreams of spending our days feeding baby pandas finally…
Taking the high-speed train to Berlin – It was the best train ride and the most punctual I have ever been on. Train leaves and arrives on the exact minute as scheduled. Impressive.
Berlin Berlin!
We arrived in Berlin in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. Numerous pictures at the illuminated corridor of Movenpick later, we went for a church service at a very modern church – Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis-Kirche. I hit to the pillows much earlier than the others. Waking up intermittently in between dreams, I did hear the crisp clinking sound made by the cutlery from JJ's fine-dining over his remaining salmon roe.
Morning in Potsdamer Platz, walked round Kulturforum, coffee at Café Josty – a café established in 1793. According to the cute foldable map given by the Café – the Potsdamer Platz was the centre of Berlin 100 years ago. The Café is rather legendary due to the visitors who used to frequent there, among whom were the Grimm Brothers – who wrote Hansel and Gretel. The Cafe Josty was reconstructed at its present site at Sony Centre some two hundred metres from its original location.
Power walked to the bell-tower next to the Carillon to catch the bell which, according to the guidebook, was supposed to be striking at mid-day. Reached there a couple of minutes past the hour, the bell stood as silent as the Jewish cemetery.
Went to the rooftop at Reichstag having queued outside for approximately one hour. Before walking the spiral walkway on top of the roof, we lunched at the rooftop cafe. The roof itself is quite an interesting structure, which allowed a panoramic view of Berlin. JJ came up with multiple deeply philosophical interpretations of the mirrors on the centre pillar, but unfortunately I don’t seem to recall them now.
Gendarmenmarkt in the Mitte District hosts the most famous CM in Berlin. Against the backdrop of a few cathedrals, it was both scenic and festive. It was also the most expensive CM we visited, and they even charged an entrance fee for it. It had a live band and a good variety of stalls selling all types of crafts and market foods, even 'you2 bing3' (!!!), but served with sour cream and cheese on the top rather than in the Beijing way.
Our favourite CM undoubtedly was the Winter World market at Potsdamer, where we invariably returned several times during our time in Berlin.
Our second day in Berlin started at Alexanderplatz, which was a seemingly dead corner of the town with a bird picking on a dead mouse or other; a place felt too chilly to linger much around. There was a very tall TV tower, whose tip was obscured by the heavy fog that morning. We didn't bother going up there.
The next stop was the Pergamon Museum, one of the five museums at the Museumsinsel (Museum Island). We visited two of the three wings. The Classical one contained monumental architectural reconstructions as well as Greek and Roman sculptures. The history of all this is way beyond me, but to regurgitate what was in the guide: the main attraction here was the Pergamon Altar dating from 170 BC; and the row of sculptures on the wall around the hall depicts the Battle of Gods and Giants. The attractions at the Museum of the Ancient New East were the (very colourful) reconstructions of the Ishtar Gate and the Babylonian Processional Way.
Out of the Pergamon museum, we visited another CM at the Opernpalais Unter den Linden. Feeling peckish, I overloaded myself with meat (including currywurst), as well as a chocolate crepes with bounteous (upon my insistence) Nutella.
We could not say 'bye' to Berlin without paying another visit to our favourite Winter World market. Miz L's attachment to this place probably grew half-hourly during our stay. It was also the last opening day of this CM. Well, there is always another Christmas just around the corner~!
Labels: Germany
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