Cruising the Rhine – A Unique Music Cabinet Museum

9 January 2020 by Raul 2 Comments

Let’s talk about seeing a music cabinet – something I had never heard of before!

gramophone, musical cabinet, mechanical music instrument, rudesheim, germany

Rüdesheim am Rhein is one of those charming towns along the Rhine River in Germany that make you glad you spend the time traveling to new places. UNESCO agrees and, therefore, Rüdesheim and the region around it are designated as a World Heritage Site.

My December Christmas markets cruise made a stop there after passing through the scenic part of the Rhein earlier that day. Unfortunately, that only left us with the afternoon and early evening to enjoy Rüdesheim but I am not complaining (the scenic part of the Rhine is amazing to behold with the small towns and hilltop castles that grace the river banks).

Later that day we got to meet up with my college roommate and his wife with whom I went to Hamburg last year. They live an hour or so away so it was awesome that Rüdesheim was a stop for the cruise. We enjoyed glühwein with a shot of rum, laughed, and reminisced in a very festive environment at a small establishment in the town. I am not sure if it was the side patio of a restaurant or a pub or what; but we found a high table to camp at and hang out away from the cold wind!

Besides having walked the town center and see the Christmas markets, the other more cultural experience we had intown was to visit a music museum in Rüdesheim.

musical cabinet, mechanical music instrument, rudesheim, germany

It is not what I would have picked given a set of choices but I have learned in my travels (and life in general) to let myself just go with the flow. In this case, the flow being a short walk through town with a local guide arranged by the cruise. That walk was to end in the music museum where we would spend an hour or so led by a museum guide.

Siegfried’s Mechanical Museum

Maybe I am mistaken in calling it a music museum. The German name of the museum, Siegfried’s Mechanical Museum (Siegfried’s Mechanisches Musikkabinett), more appropriately calls it a musical cabinet museum.

The museum, family-owned for 3 generations for the last 50 years, is the home of different “machines” that play music. It could be a gramophone or one of those massive cabinets you may have seen at a circus or fair that play music but no instruments (or humans!) are visible. Usually, the instruments are hidden inside the cabinets. It seems fair to call them machines as no humans are intervening to play the instruments (other than cranking the machine or turning them on, I suppose).

Sample cabinet with several instruments

The instruments range from small hand-cranked card-readers to large armoires to massive cabinets for a festival or circus. The antique gramophones were the most “normal” of the machines on display.

This one played metal (not vinyl!) discs!!

My favorite was the cabinet that played violins (single-stringed, if I understood correctly).

The museum is spread over a few small structures in the property (that dates originally from the 15th century) owned by the family. An adjoining building was lost in WW II bombings (before the museum exited) but the main tower survived.

Today, the third-generation son and the second-generation dad take care of the machines. The third generation daughter helps take care of the business aspects.

Visiting the Music Cabinet Museum

I visited the museum as an excursion organized by the cruise ship so I had no idea of the entrance fee or other details. Note that opening times vary by time of year and that they may be closed altogether in January and February. Guided tours are offered in different languages and are worth it (and entertaining!). The cost, as of this writing, is 8 euros for adults and half for others.

Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Journal Tagged With: germany, mechanical musical instruments, music cabinets in germany, Rüdesheim, what to see in the rhine river

The Jewel of Lübeck: Church of St. Mary’s

17 September 2018 by Raul 5 Comments

Visiting the former Hanseatic League‘s capital, Lübeck in north Germany, is a feast for the eyes for the amazing architecture the city has. The city’s important rose in prominence before the Hanseatic League came into being. A town had been founded there in the early 12th century after suffering serious damage in an invasion. One of the buildings constructed in that era was the jewel of Lübeck: the Church of St. Mary (Marienkirche).

By Thomas Möller Roggenhorst – originally uploaded to de.wikipedia by author on 24. Sep 2004, self made by author, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110347

Gothic brick architecture

The Church of St. Mary is one of the prime examples of Gothic brick architecture in northern Europe. St. Mary’s was built between 1260 and 1350 on the site of a former wooden church built about a hundred years earlier. It influenced many other churches in the region, some number 70 other churches that took their inspiration in Germany and Poland from St. Mary’s.

Lubeck, Germany, Marienkirche, St. Mary's Church, Hanseatic League, brick Gothic architecture

Side entrance to the church is adjacent to a really cool building in the background

The architecture of St. Mary’s is very unique because it is one of the first churches built on the French Gothic style but with red bricks as the main construction material. It is really cool to see this twist on Gothic! It also possesses one of the highest vaults from the Gothic period.

Altar

WWII damages the Church of St. Mary…

However, it is important to note that what we see today is a reconstruction as WW II saw the ancient church structure destroyed in 1942. A broken bell from the belltower is displayed inside the church as a sad but lasting remembrance of the ravages war can bring about…

Broken bell, victim of WWIW

St. Mary’s is an active church of the Evangelical Lutheran branch. I happened to walk in a couple of minutes before the brief noon service. The attendants at the door (it is free entrance) asked my if I wanted to come later or if I was planning to sit through the service. I had no idea how long it would be but I said yes to the latter. It was a brief psalm reading and a short sermon. A local woman was trying to chide me when I decided to move pews because, as she saw my camera hanging from me, she thought I was touristing during the service. I was about to have a bad thought but remembered where I was, smiled, and moved on to the pew I wanted to sit at…

Make your way to Lübeck if you are visiting nearby Hamburg (an hour away or so). It is a phenomenal town and then check out the Church of St. Mary.

Filed Under: Europe, Germany Tagged With: brick gothic, german gothic architecture, germany, Hanseatic League, Lubeck, Marienkirche, must see Germany, st mary church

Images of Hamburg: A City in Photos

10 September 2018 by Raul 1 Comment

Having written some posts on what to see in Hamburg, I wanted to share some images of Hamburg that did not make it to those posts. Some are of Hamburg’s architecture or its setting, and some are a little more random. Hope you enjoy these images and that they make you want to explore this former Hanseatic League city!

The High Views in Hamburg

As you may have read in posts about Chicago, Sydney or my top 8 climbs in Europe, I like going high (not the same as “getting high”!) to soak in the vastness of a place and get my bearings. Well, Hamburg is no exception. I wrote about St. Nicholas Church where I got to see the city from up high. But there are more photos to share that I included in that post…

views of hamburg, seeing hamburg from above, hamburgo, germany

Looking towards the entrance to the old Elbe tunnel

Looking down to Speicherstadt and Hafencity

The Architecture in Hamburg

Like many city, really, Hamburg has great architecture. It is an amalgamation of styles from pre-World War II that survived to modern and post-modern and just frigging funky. You can see some more of these styles in my skyline photos in the Elbe Tunnel post, or in my unofficial guide to Hamburg covering places like Speicherstadt, Blankenese‘s stair district, the Concert Hall (Elbphilarmonie), and the Chilehaus. But here are some other photos of the architecture in Hamburg that I really liked.

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Neat tile work and handrail

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Lots of these statues atop doorways or along outer walls

Staircase at the Chilehaus

Along Speicherstad

Another cool building

Not sure what style this is but it looks very cool

The Eclectic in Hamburg

Hamburg, like any big city, will have its quirky quarters and scenes. Here are some images of Hamburg to help you visualize the eclectic side of Hamburg!

motorcycle, motorrad DDR, hamburg street scene, travel

Old school DDR

hamburg architecture, architektur, arquitectura, germany, travel

The building must be melting with the heat wave…

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Bottle caps as part of the curb

The Canals of Hamburg

Hamburg is a little like the Venice of northern Europe. The city center area is ground zero for the canals. I read somewhere that it boasts more bridges inside its city limits than any other city. Also, it is supposed to have more canals than Amsterdam or Venice – I find that hard to believe but not because I have any data or have studied the topic 🙂 So I will share a couple of images about the canals.

Pin this image of Hamburg to your board!

Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Journal Tagged With: Alemania, architecture, architektur, germany, Hamburg, Hamburgo, images of Hamburg

Hamburg’s Silent but Loud Witness to World War II

20 August 2018 by Raul Leave a Comment

Hamburg, as many German cities, was ravaged by World War II. You can see sometimes structures that pre-date the war and, then, lots of newer construction post-war. And there are structures that perhaps were not totally lost but repaired/re-constructed. But there are rarely any that remain as they were right when the war came to an end. Plain and simple record of how the city looked. St. Nicholas Church in the heart of Hamburg is one of those places that silently stand as a testimonial to the destruction of war, almost completely as it stood at the end of the war (minor repairs to the belltower). (Another example is Kaiser Wilhelm’s Memorial Church in Berlin.)

Hamburg, St. Nicholas Church, Germany, WWII ruins, Hamburgo, travel, Alemania

Tower from the front (L) and from what would have been the inside (R)

St. Nicholas Church and its short history

St. Nicholas Church was not an old church at the time of WWII. It had been re-built from a fire that destroyed the church as it existed on that site in the 1840s. The last church was completed in the 1870s and stood fully there until WWII – so it was about 70 years old until it was destroyed by bombs.

A remaining wall by the tower (L) and the opposite end of the church (R)

Detail of the foot of a column

In reading about the church, I learned that, for a couple of years after it was built, it was the tallest building in the world (taken over by the Cathedral of Rouen when it got finished in 1876).

After WWII, the St. Nicholas Church could have been re-constructed but it was decided to keep it as a memorial. Remaining standing outer walls were leveled years after the war. Some were not in favor of this as great architecture was lost. Attention was not paid to the site after that and it further decayed. That was until 1987 when it was prepared to serve as a place of remembrance.

Memorial

Great views of Hamburg and its history

Nowaways, one can ascend the tower (for a small fee) via an elevator installed in 2005 and take in views of this great city from 76m high (the tower is almost twice as tall). At the same time, the viewing area shows pictures of the vicinity as it looked at the end of the war.

Hamburg, St. Nicholas Church, Germany, Hamburgo, travel, Alemania, WWII ruins

Poor picture of one of the photos in the viewing platform showing the destruction around the church

As many cities do, Hamburg has many great corners to explore, such as the Blankenese district in its outskirts. St. Nicholas Church is one of those places that carries a lot of meaning and conveys it effectively without needing to over-dramatize, over-complicate, or over-explicitly-explain. Clearly, I highly recommend visiting the site AND going up. The images from the past and from today are well worth it. So, to wrap this post up, ere are some of the views from up high!

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View of other churches in Hamburg’s city center: St. Peter and St. Jacob

Hamburg, St. Nicholas Church, Germany, WWII ruins, Hamburgo, travel, Alemania, rathaus

Hamburg’s Rathaus and the Binnenalster “lake” in the background

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View towards the impressive Concert Hall and the Speicherstadt District

Check out Hamburg’s Unique Blankenese Stair District

12 August 2018 by Raul Leave a Comment

Hamburg, in northern Germany, is one of its largest cities. This normally would equate to crowded, polluted, and just endless. Well, it may be a little of those things but I only felt the latter. Hamburg is really a collection of many areas (as most cities are). Among the most charming parts of the city is the outer district called Blankenese, one of my 12 cool things to do in Hamburg. It is a former fishing village – now one of the most affluent neighborhoods of Hamburg. But its status as a wealthy place is not what makes me recommend it. Instead, it is its “stairs” quarter – its “treppenviertel“.

A friend’s recommendation in Hamburg

A friend who lives in Hamburg recommended heading out to the area west of Altona‘s city center to check out the quarter (“viertel“) where ship owners used to live back in the day. This quarter in Blankenese is in a very steep area leading down to the Elbe River. Houses were built on the hillside and, given the times, roads were not needed/built but stairs (“treppen“) were. And there are plenty!

We drove out from Hamburg passing incredible little mansions right by the Elbe River until we got to Blankenese. We had no precise instructions but, quickly, we realized we had gotten to the point in town in question.

Exploring Blankenese’s “Treppenviertel“

At first, we thought we were looking for one major staircase down to the river until we noticed all the big and small paths and stairs connecting all the hillside houses overlooking the Elbe.

The houses were charming partly due to their architecture, partly due to the views, and partly due to their charming gardens. It was neat to explore though, as we were heading out to Lübeck, we could not walk around too much. Suffice it to say, it was well worth the drive out to experience this unique district and also to enjoy the drive along the river passing all the magnificent houses along the way!

Nice path’s along the stair district – no paths for cars!

Glad this district’s buildings survived the ravages of war

The old hotel by the beach

In-and-Out: Munich, Bavaria’s Capital

15 December 2017 by Raul 2 Comments

Munich (or, München, in German) is a great city on many levels. Its location, the Bavarian cuisine, the amazing architecture, and the many things to see and do make it a perfect place to explore over a few days. However, my chances to spend time there seem contained to a day or so. My first time was in 1994 as I went from Frankfurt to Austria; the family I was traveling with had a relative there so we stopped somewhere on the outskirts of the city to have lunch and visit – a very short visit. Then in 1999, I went to Munich for a business trip that lasted just a few hours – not even an overnight and nowhere the near the city center. Eventually, in 2011, I finally got see the city center and stay overnight on a stopover as I returned home from a trip to Croatia. That time, I got to walk around Marienplatz at night and have dinner at a great local restaurant nearby but that was to be all.

Munich, Munchen, Germany, Bayern, Bavaria, travel, food, explore

Place I had dinner at in 2011

Landing in Munich again!

Fast forward to 2017 and another visit to Munich appears on my radar but – yet again – it is not going to be a long one: another overnight but, this time, with the chance to see the city center in the daytime!

On the final approach on the flight over from Amsterdam, it was neat to see the beautiful Bavarian countryside…

Upon landing, it was time to get the rental vehicle and drop the stuff at the hotel before venturing into the heart of the city (the hotel was close to the airport). The drive into town was easy – GPS and Google Maps took care of that. It was neat to finally see the city in the daytime!

Approaching the city center

Marientplatz – the place to be

We approached Marienplatz by crossing through a former’s farmer market, the Victuals Market (Viktualienmarkt), now selling fruits, meats, and ready-to-eat food across a hundred or so stalls/kiosks/cafés. Though it was February, the place was teeming with people – very lively place.

The Victuals Market

We entered Marienplatz after passing by Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Ghost) by the side where the Spielzeugmuseum (toy museum) is located.

Munich, Munchen, Germany, Bayern, Bavaria, travel, food, explore, Heiliggeistkirche

The Church of the Holy Ghost

Interior of the church

That places you seeing the Rathaus, or City Hall, from the side and at a little distance – it is so impressive to see!!

Munich, Munchen, Germany, Bayern, Bavaria, travel, food, explore, Rathaus, Marienplatz

The Rathaus upon entering Marienplatz

The Spielzeugmuseum – a toy museum – at one end of Marienplatz

The Rathaus (not rat house!), the key building in Marienplatz

Closeup of the Rathaus’ façade

Detail of a Rathaus’ entrance

Munich from atop the Rathaus

Whenever I have the chance, I go up! Climbing or riding up but I go up! At the Rathaus, you can ride up to the top to get great views of the city all around and to take a look down at Marienplatz itself. I highly recommend checking it out!

Looking down at Marienplatz from atop the Rathaus

Munich, Munchen, Germany, Bayern, Bavaria, travel, food, explore, Spielzeugmuseum

Looking down at Marienplatz from atop the Rathaus

Looking at the very top of the Rathaus from the viewing platform

View of the city from atop the Rathaus

From above, I want to explore all the corners of this great city: walk its streets, check out bars and restaurants, see its museums, visit its churches, etc. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm and I will get to spend a few days doing just that! Auf wiedersehen, München!

Pin any of the photos above or this one to your travel board!

Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Journal Tagged With: Bavaria, Bayern, germany, Marienplatz, Munchen, Munich, Rathaus, travel

The Livable Capitals: Santiago, Bern and Berlin

3 March 2014 by Raul 27 Comments

As I listed the capital cities I have visited, I kept thinking which would could be the “most livable.” Livable, for me, means not an intense place, not one with millions of tourists ruining summer months, with character, and some great redeeming feature (the ocean, the mountains, a great river running through it, an amazing spot in history, etc.). There were several candidates (and some definite ‘nevers’…) but the top three I landed on were: Santiago, Bern, and Berlin.

Santiago (Chile)

This may be cheating a little but I have lived in Santiago already. Twice. Sort of. I lived there for 3 months over 20 years ago staying at an apartment in the area called Providencia near Tobalaba. Then I spent a whole year traveling back and forth, spending 60-65% of the year down there (though this second time I stayed at a hotel, the awesome Marriott on Ave. Kennedy).

And I would happily do it again because Santiago is such a livable place. Traffic aside, it has everything I would want in a place to live. Quiet enough for a city, arts and culture, great food, neat things to do on day trips (beaches, skiing, wineries, hiking, etc.), friendly locals, interesting architecture and neighborhoods, and the magnificent Andes as a backdrop – my favorite feature of this city.

Andes, cordillera, Santiago, Chile, view, Marriott hotel, photo

A wonderful view to wake up to every day!

I would likely live in Vitacura or Las Condes: not too far from the city center towards the mountains but near the river, a nice mall, and close to many of my favorite eateries. I used to go running along Americo Vespucio towards the river then meander through neighborhoods.

Santiago, Andes, snow, winter, skiiing, Cihle

Granted, that was not the prettiest of winter days but imagine the great skiing further up in the Andes!

Hopefully, my job would be towards that part of town to avoid the pretty nasty traffic though – I commuted from that area to “el Centro” and that was, on a very good day, a 45-min commute each way.

Bern (Switzerland)

I am not as familiar with the next two cities as I am with Santiago as I have only spent all of a day in each – severely limiting knowing, for example, in what of town I would want to live in. In my one day visit to Bern its compactness and its location struck me. Bern is hugged by the Aar River (I wonder if so named to make sure it sorted first in lists of rivers….) and surrounded by hills that look down upon it. Its old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and this capital city of around 200,000 inhabitants has been included in the top ten best quality of life cities as recently as 2010 (do I choose them well or what??).

The Aar River along the old historic center of Bern

I think Bern would be a great place to spend a year or two, anchored in central Switzerland. It may not be an easy place to fly in and out of which would be a drawback for getting back to the States but nothing that a good connection in Zurich, Munich, or –heaven forbid- Charles de Gaulle in Paris wouldn’t fix.

I enjoyed walking its old streets, enjoying the architecture and its details, and sitting at an outdoor café sipping some good beer!

Perhaps the compactness of the town would get to me after some months but I think I could get used to it quite easily – plus there would be so many places to spend time visiting in a radius of less than half a day’s drive. A little more ambitiously, it would not be much of stretch to launch weekend trips elsewhere to places like Bavaria, Austria, northern Italy, and –for sure- the rest of Switzerland itself!

Berlin

Berlin is clearly a major city and those can be a little too much in terms of livability but, in my short visit there, I got a sense for the variety of neighborhoods and cosmopolitan vibe of the place. That, coupled with the deep and painful history this city has had, would draw me in as a place I could live in.

The iconic Brandenburg Gate – one of the many reminders of the city’s deep history

There seems to be a lot of turning over old areas into new districts to draw people in (I presume, a younger generation) and it would be interesting to see how Berlin continues to morph over the next 20 years.

Berliners seeking some sun by the river – OK, it isn’t the Caribbean but let ’em enjoy!

Newer and older residential buildings

Living in Berlin would give me ample time to explore its arts scene while also geeking out on its Cold War, WW II, WW I, and imperial history. Of course, German beer and food would not be far behind but that I could find anywhere in Germany too. I just hope I don’t become “ein Berliner” after eating all that food! (Thanks, JFK, for the idea.)

Filed Under: Europe, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: Andes, Berlin, Bern, capital cities, Chile, germany, photos, Santiago, Switzerland

Photo of the Week – Mainz, Germany

6 December 2013 by Raul 3 Comments

After taking a boat cruise down the Rhine to return to Frankfurt from Dusseldorf, we got off the boat at Mainz from where we would take a train into Frankfurt. We had no idea that Mainz was going to be so charming and beautiful. So we took a little longer strolling around (with our luggage!) until we finally made it to the Bahnhof. Here is a snapshot of the beautiful square we hit along the way with colorful architecture. This is a town I plan to return to and explore more in depth! Auf wiedersehen, Mainz!

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Square in Mainz

Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Special Photos Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, Europe, germany, Mainz, photo, plaza, square, travel

Crawling around Heidelberg

22 November 2013 by Raul 16 Comments

I have visited Heidelberg a couple of times and I have to say: it is a fun town. The second time I went, an expat living nearby took us into town to see the sights but also to sample all the beer styles on offer. A pub crawl for sure! I was invited by my friends Troy and Cybil to join them on this trip and I could not say “no” to go a second time (by the way, check out Cybil’s awesome photography at www.acybiloriginal.com).

Heidelberg sits on the Neckar River (which later connects to the Rhine) and its most famous sight is the Heidelberg Castle that overlooks the town and the river. Day or night, it is an impressive sight. But I like it the most at sunset. It is really in ruins since the 17th and 18th centuries (wars, fires and, yes, even lighting!) but it still is impressive in size and presence.

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Heidelberg Castle close-up, notice the tower on the right in ruins

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Heidelberg Castle in great sunset light

The town can be traced back a long way but it can mostly closely be tied to a 12th century monastery built in the area. Heidelberg University is quite old and its early 15-th century library is the oldest public library in Germany.

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Details of the Catholic Jesuit Church

The old town is mainly baroque and is quite lively due to the town being quite appealing to tourists. We first walked around town and made our way to the river proper passing the Old Bridge Gate. At the start of the bridge, we saw the famous mandrill (like a baboon) guarding it and took the obligatory picture… (tou-ristssssssssss!).

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The Old Bridge’s Gate as seen from the bridge

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Me with the mandrill guarding the Old Bridge

But all that was just interesting… the real fun began when our host started the pub crawl. He was a friend of one of my friends’ parents but he wanted to show us German beer. He did not call it a pub crawl but we visited pubs and restaurants and we almost had to crawl… After a large lunch of wurst and sauerkraut (the REAL stuff!) and a beer, he started taking us to places that offered different types of beers. By the early evening, I was so stuffed with beer that when we went to a Thai restaurant for dinner (!), I did not eat a bite.

photo, beer, Heidelberg, tourists, travelers

Cybil, Troy and I. And some of the damage along the way. The day was still young here.

But the night was not over. As the final spot, he took us to some bar that fencing groups hung out at – except they were nowhere to be seen that night. The other group there that night was a group of local ladies in their 50s and 60s clearly on a night out on the town, drinking and doing shots of I-don’t-know-what. They would look at us four and raise their glass in “cheers” mode, and drink away. It was a fun experience. To cap it all off, our friend ordered an Italian after-dinner potion called Averna which he claimed would help settle our stomach after all the eating and drinking. He was right, that stuff really helped soothe our busy stomachs, so much so, that when we returned to the U.S. months later, we hunted the stuff down!

A final note is that when it came time to leave, our host could not figure what the way out of town was. One of my friends and I had had a bit more to drink so we could not really tell anything. It was my other friend, the one that was pregnant and 100% sober, who first noticed we were going past the same spots over and over… We made it out of Heidelberg safely to our host’s house and I, for one, slept fitfully!

So don’t miss out on Heidelberg if you go to Germany just make sure you have a designated we-are-lost spotter in the group!

Filed Under: Europe, Germany Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, castle, German beer, germany, Heidelberg, Jesuit church, mandrill, Neckar, Old Bridge, photo, travel

Photos of the Week – Action in Munich’s Airport

29 May 2012 by Raul 2 Comments

In my recent trip from Rome to Dubrovnik, I had to connect through the excellent Munich airport. I had chosen a 3+ hr layover so I wouldn’t be worried about a tight connection. It was the right airport choice for a 3 hr layover!

Munich, as other airports in Europe, has a lot more going on than the average U.S. airport. Munich is one of the airports in Europe with the best setup for connecting through it. They say you can easily make very short connections. Though coming from Italy and going to Croatia, I had to go through immigration which had a line so I am not sure I would risk a 45 min. connection!

Soon after arriving I spotted a massage place offering from manicures to full-body massages. I decided I would take a back and neck massage for 30 mins to help me relax from an early start to my day (woke up around 530 AM!) and also since I was still sick with a cold. I figured anything that helped my body was a good thing – and it was.

After the massage, I sat down for lunch at a place offering typical German fare. I enjoyed wursts, sauerkraut, a pretzel with mustard, and, of course, a beer! Mmm!

Num-num

Goodness…

Then, with still some time to kill, and with no real sense of purpose, I snapped a few odd shots with my mobile phone camera (which I admit is not the best). But I sort of like the shots as they do give a sense of the airport movement or activity . Looking at these, I wish I HAD taken them with the real camera! I love the reflections on the shiny floor!

Filed Under: Europe, Germany Tagged With: airport, food, germany, Munich, travel

And Work Took Me Places…

15 July 2011 by Raul Leave a Comment

A lot of my international travels have been part of or enabled by work. Whether is being asked if in 24 hours I could leave for Helsinki to spend 3 weeks there in the middle of winter, or whether the miles accumulated by years of sometimes-weekly travel have allowed me to go out of the country for vacation, work has always been a key factor in my exploring. I would say it is second only to my zest for travel and exploring!

As part of this reflection, I thought it would be cool to capture where all have I been to related to work whether for a one-day meeting to year+ assignments. Here it goes!

GERMANY

In Germany, my discoveries were how great German food is (not just the ones I had known like wursts). Also, my colleagues made it a point of making sure they were showing me places like beer halls and good restaurants and that hospitality -no offense intended- took me by surprise, especially when compared to other countries where I had expected a warmer culture.

Sulzbach/Bad Soden (outside of Frankfurt, Germany)

Dusseldorf (Germany)

Munich (Germany)

FRANCE

I have been to a good bit of France but for work these two sites were it. In the Riviera, I enjoyed being by the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean and yet seeing the Alps at a distance, staying in Cannes or Nice, depending on the week and the mood! Paris, well, what can I say. An incredible city even if it was hard to develop social contacts due to the long hours at work and perhaps the language barrier (I spoke basic French then; medium after I left there and focused on learning the language).

Paris (France)

Sophia-Antipolis (France)

View from the terrace of the apartment building where I lived in Paris!

THE NETHERLANDS

Basically shuttling between client offices in both towns. I was amazed at how small the country is and yet how exotic it felt to me. Den Haag much more subdued than Amsterdam. Amsterdam, just phenomenally interesting. Getting to work with the Dutch allowed to see how their cultural traits are unique and how some of the stereotypes I had heard of showed up in work settings.

Den Haag (The Netherlands)

Amsterdam (The Netherlamnds)

OTHER EUROPE

The rest of the European work sites were of shorter durations than the ones above with the longest being 3 weeks. But they all allowed me to explore each of the places and/or visit with friends who lived in those places. Work definitely gave me a good opportunity to see more of Europe. How else would I have spent 3 weeks in Helsinki had it not been for work?!

Geneva (Switzerland)

Oslo (Norway)

Vienna (Austria)

Helsinki (Finland)

London (UK)

Madrid (Spain)

View of Oslo Fjord

LATIN AMERICA

My experiences in Latin America have been phenomenal. Perhaps the cultural affinity or the approach to life, especially in Brazil, but I have seldom been disappointed or failed to enjoy my stay.

Chile trumps all other places in L.A. by sheer duration of my work experience there (over a year). I had worked there many, many yrs before (check my other blog entries) and I got to see more of the country in that year. What a beautiful country!

In Peru, I got to explore more off the beaten path locations by the nature of the work assignment. I got to see many places the average tourist sees and many they would never get to. And, I got to enjoy the food of Lima which is just outstanding!

Brazil offered me good food and great fun besides the work. Spending weekends in Rio or going out for the nightlife of Sao Paulo, Brazil never disappointed.

Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Quito (Ecuador)

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Santiago (Chile)

Lima (Peru)

Cuzco (Peru)

Puno (Peru)

Huaraz (Peru)

Panama City (Panama)

Mayaguez (PR)

Church in Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

AFRICA

Here I definitely got to see some diverse places from Muslim and Arab Egypt, to deep Africa in Tanzania, to cosmopolitan cities in South Africa (I visited Cape Town too but not for work). I have enjoyed the unique experiences each offered whether it was visiting HIV/AIDS patients in the rural areas around Mwanza, to going for food in very local places in massive Cairo, to getting into the history of apartheid in Joburg.

Johannesburg (South Africa)

Cairo (Egypt)

Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Stone Town (Tanzania)

At the Apartheid Museum in Joburg

CANADA

I got to spend a LOT of time in Toronto and had a lot of fun with a great crew of Canadians whose key contribution to my skill sets was to have me start calling a puck “puck” and not “the thing”. I also learned that I needed better pacing drinking Canadian beer as it was stronger than the American variety. Finally, I learned how to curl (as in the game/sport).

Toronto (Canada)

Montreal (Canada)

What has been your most interesting and rewarding international work experience??