Vienna Part II

During our 2 week and a bit stay in Vienna I took over 400 pictures. No, I won't bore you with them all, just a few of the highlights. I've put them to an abbreviated version (sorry Strauss) of Johnann Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz, a piece of music that is synonymous with Vienna; a piece that I've always loved and was thrilled to hear it preformed live at the Schönbrunn Palace during our stay. 

Here for your enjoyment...

Vienna

A walk through Vienna is a walk through time. Its earliest settlers date back to the Stone Age, then the Celts and the Romans and into the Middle Ages. Gothic churches, Renaissance portals, Baroque everywhere. Hardly a street is without an example of an era past.

Across the famous River Danube the 21^st century is marked with glass and steel buildings including a United Nations headquarters; one of four in the world.

The astonishing array of monuments, palaces, museums, and churches left us awestruck. We toured imperial palaces and meditated on a pew in centuries old churches. Visited art galleries that had rooms full of Ruebens or Rembrandts or Picassos, and one of my favs Dürer.

Strolled through the Naschmarkt (literally snack-market) with its intoxicating smells and vibrant colours. 

And when our feet got sore, or our brains too full of input, there was always a tranquil park with blossoming tress and lawns sprinkled with colorful crocuses or tulips to rest in.

When our tummies rumbled we enjoyed Wiener Schnitzel or Wiener Würztchen. For dessert, or just because, there was always Kaffee und Kuchen to savour. Vienna is famous for its coffee houses; they have been an essential part of Viennese life for centuries. Not just frequented by tourists but lots of locals seem to use them as a meeting place or as refuge from city life. They are more than just a place to go to drink coffee and have a sweet treat. They are somewhere to linger; an oasis of gemütlichkiet.

I’m not sure what I was expecting about our trip to Vienna. We had been to Salzburg a couple of years ago and I think I expected Vienna to be sort of like it. It’s not. It’s less kitchy touristy. It has elegance and grandeur that isn't pretentious. The people we encountered were warm & friendly, kind & helpful. From the wait staff that were attentive without hovering, to the transit ticket seller who told us about a better deal, to the shop owner in the Naschmarkt that came out after us with free glasses of wine and chatted with us. We relished every moment of our visit and look forward to visiting there again one day.

Up next....a video "highlights reel" of our visit.

On the road/rail again

As I write this we are riding the rails again. Today we’re on our way to Vienna, Austria.

It’s a chilly Sunday morning. Spring and winter are having it out again just like they have been the last month or so. (From all reports this is the coldest spring/longest winter in Germany since they started keeping records over a hundred years ago. Joy.) But even the grey skies can’t take anything away from the idyllic scenery running past my window. I’m gazing out at the rolling hills of southern Germany at the foothills of the Alps. Villages nestle in the valleys, farms and greening meadows in between, ribbons of country roads. Perfect time to “just be."

We left Frankfurt last Sunday for a return visit to Nürnberg for a few days. During our Christmas season visit there we experienced its quintessential charm full on. But, Erwin’s area of research presents a different side . The stuff that has become synonymous with this city; the Nürnberg rallies of the 1930’s and the post-war trials a decade later. This follow-up visit enabled Erwin to further his research and get a first-hand look at the sites and exhibits where it all took place. It turned out it be a very sobering experience.

It wasn't all doom and gloom though. 

On one of our walks we discovered Pachelbel’s grave. The German baroque era composer of that wonderfully soothing piece of music Canon in D.

...on a walk in a park we came across these expats (being typically polite Canadians) and letting the swans go ahead.

….and this rather odd sign.

There was also time for another quick day-trip. This time to Munich a city that neither one of us had been to before. Unfortunately we couldn’t have picked a worse day. The city that is known for its plentiful and lively beer gardens was shivering its way through a bitterly cold spring day. The beer gardens had chairs and tables stacked up in corners and we sought refuge inside for bowls of soup hot beverages. Brrrrr.

So.... we spent the better part of our time visiting two absolutely fabulous art galleries. The alte (old) Pinakothek with art for the 14^th to the 18^th centuries and the neue (new) Pinakothek with art from the 19^th centuries. Ruben’s and Rembrandt’s, Picasso’s and Van Gough’s. My favorite was Van Gough’s Sunflowers. I have a copy of this one as a framed poster hanging over my desk at home at home that I bought years ago. Thrilling to see the original.

The other highlight was listening and watching the clock tower in the Neue Rathaus (new town hall). The gothic style building is famous for the bells and life size figures that go round in its clock tower for fifteen minutes, three times a day.

We’ll be in Vienna for the next 2 ½ weeks, a city famous for its classical music and cafés. Another new city to explore and experience. .. and enjoy spring.

Day Tripping

One of the best things about living in Germany or being in Europe for that matter is how “close” everything is relatively speaking. For a couple of prairie kids like us where everything is so spread out, spending a few hours in a vehicle or a travelling a few hundred kilometers is no big deal; just a Sunday afternoon outing in fact. So since we've been here, we've have made the most of that “closeness” and enjoyed the guilty pleasure of day-tripping.

Depending where in Germany you are of course dictates to some extent where you can go and return in a day. But, no matter what charming city you’re in at the moment, there’s another equally, or even more charming city a train/plane/bus ride away.

Here are just a few of the day-trips that we've taken.

Last August when we spent a month in Heidelberg I took a trip to Strasbourg France with my school group. The city sits right on the border with Germany, and really mashes/meshes the two cultures. Its claim to fame is its 14th century Cathedral that’s missing its second steeple because the builder ran out of funds. Still totally stunning though.

Another school trip took me to the Hohenzollern castle. This 11^th century castle sits atop a mountain towering nearly 1000 ft. above the town below at the foothills of the Alps.

Also during our time in Heidelberg, Erwin and I spent a day in Worms. Yes that’s the name of a city. It’s where Martin Luther took his brave stand against the Catholic church and was therefore declared a heretic.

Once we got to Berlin we took day-trips to Potsdam and Köpenick, towns that are virtually sub-burbs of Berlin, yet have their own unique qualities. Castles and cathedrals, coffee shops and cobblestone pedestrian only zones. Great places to while away a few hours.

Another day-trip took us to the port city of Hamburg. The moment I stepped off the train onto the platform I smelled something familiar. Sea air; I was momentarily homesick for The Rock. It has a Harbour Drive like in St. John’s except it goes on for miles and miles. The city is also home to the Reeperbahn, its tawdry red light district. So many people know the city for this zone which is defined by the metal modesty walls erected during Hitler’s rule. And of course the Beatles got there first paying gig in this city. That story is told in the Beatlemania Museum.

We've continued to take day-trips from our new temporary home base now in Frankfurt.

First up was Köln (Cologne). You can see the best of Köln without leaving the train station. That's because World War II turned most of the city into crumbs, leaving only the Dom upright. The Dom is the Gothic cathedral that thunders over you when you step through the glass doors at the station. That's all there really is to see in Koln, historically at least. We still enjoyed it. We were due for a bit of exploring outside of Frankfurt and at just over an hour away it was a nice quick get-away too.

Last week to celebrate the 36^th anniversary of the day we met we went to Amsterdam, Netherlands. (I learned that Holland refers to the province it’s located in, news to me.) Known for its tulips and a canal system that’s supposedly larger the Venice’s, the city is renowned for the prevalence of sex, drugs, and general liberalism … so we could hardly resist going. The Rijksmuseum is the other must-see in this city. It has been mostly closed for extensive renovations for the last decade, but they've kept out the best-of-the-best works of art for public viewing. Among hundreds of other works of art, it features the 'Night Watch' (1642), the best-known painting by the leading Dutch painter of all times, Rembrandt van Rijn.

As I said at the start of this blog, everything that we've read about or seen on TV at home is practically on our doorstep here; all the “must-sees” and the “must-tries.” It’s so easy to be swept up in the opportunity for adventure in different cities and different countries, or even doing it just so that you can have bragging rights – I went to this city and that city and then here and then there. That’s great. But when you say you “went” there, how much can one really see and take in? It’s better to spend time actually exploring instead of being cooped up on a high speed train with scenery whizzing by at 200km an hour waiting for your arrival.

We've learned to fight the temptation to cram too much into any day-trip by trying not to visit more than two or three sights. The city will always be there. We can come back, or not, that’s ok. We linger over lunch, always sampling local goodies of course, and leave time for aimless exploring and people watching, cameras ever at the ready.

Frankfurt am Main

We've been living in Frankfurt for a couple of weeks now. Aside from a few Facebook status updates, l haven’t actually blogged about it. Unfortunately this is the only way a few of my followers, who aren't on Facebook, can keep up on our adventure. To you I apologize.

There are probably a few reasons for this:

-coming down off of our high from our trip to Cambodia,

-settling in & figuring out what’s where in a new city

-weather is yuck, so I sit inside and read or surf the net…

….but I think those are just excuses. The real reason, is that I’m really, really missing Berlin. T and I were discussing this during her birthday visit with us last weekend. She told me it was obvious that I don’t like Frankfurt very much. Then she said “…get over it, you’re in Frankfurt now Mom.” Kids. Got to love ‘em. 

BTW...it was nice having her and Johnathan come for her birthday, I blew up some balloons, had Sacher Torte (with funky sparklers), pretty napkins...been too long since I've done something like that.

My baby girl. A grown woman.

Honestly though, the adjustment to Frankfurt has been harder than I thought it would be. I've been trying. Really. But, then I remember that we’ll probably only be here until the end of March, so why bother. So it goes in a circle.

Frankfurt am Main (because there is another Frankfurt in Germany, and because it straddles the Main river) is a very different city from Berlin. To be honest, there is no real comparison between Berlin and Frankfurt, they are just worlds apart. One is an amazing city full of culture, history and bustling with activity …and the other is not nearly as exciting. Erwin says it's soulless. Perhaps fitting for the birthplace of the author of Faust who sold his soul to the devil.

Frankfurt is business and money, Germany's financial centre for centuries. No-nonsense. Button down. Sometimes referred to as Mainhatten, although it’s probably about 100 high-rises short of its American namesake. It is one of the few cities in Europe and the only city in Germany that allows high-rises to be built in its downtown area. It even has its own twin towers, the head offices of Deutsche Bank nicknamed debit & credit.

It is home to a number of major banks and brokerages including the headquarters for the European Central Bank.

There are statues of the two symbolic beasts of finance, the bear and the bull, in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, one of the largest in the world. Serious business here.

I read in the Welcome Book, yes book, that we were given when we registered as residents, that one in three residents of this city does not have a German passport. So I guess that makes it a multi-national city as well. Berlin had tourists all the time everywhere clogging up the streets.Frankfurt hardly any. They have guys/gals in suits with phones attached to their ears clogging up the streets. It seems people go to Berlin to play and to Frankfurt to work. Maybe that’s it.

We've explored the sights a little, but there’s not a whole lot of them. And like I said above, after two weeks in the tropics, coming back to temps hovering around zero have kept me in. From what we've been led to believe Spring is late here this year, even the locals are complaining about it. But the fact that a season called Spring even exists here is fantastic. (That’s a joke that only my Newf friends will appreciate.) When I have gone for walks it’s obvious to see that Spring is indeed just around the corner. Trees have buds, and flowers are poking up…the sun feels warmer.

I've made it through a winter without having to shovel snow, scrap a window, or plug in a car. Life is good.

Cambodia Third (and final) Installment - Sihanoukville

From Phnom Penh we headed south 240 km. by road to Sihanoukville for some beach time. Sihanoukville is a city located on a small peninsula with beach resorts, tropical islands and a commercial port. A trip that in Canada, especially on the #1, would take just over two hours took four. It’s not the traffic so much, but the road conditions and having to share the road with all manner of transportation. Including oxen.

It was a great opportunity to see rural Cambodia. About 80% of Cambodia’s population lives in rural communities, most eeking out a living working rice fields. As our trip was during their “cool” dry season, there was very little farming going on, just emaciated looking water buffalo or oxen grazing yellowed fields/patties. With virtually no rains during this time of year and no irrigation systems the farms lie idle.

I took pictures during that road trip, they would have been great here but....my camera ate them. ARGGGGG!

The highlight of our stay in Sihanoukville was a visit to Ream National Park. It was established in 1993 to protect a threatened environment. The park encompasses 200 km² of mangrove forests, tropical jungle, and bird life in abundance. Our guide for this day was a park ranger. He began our visit with a boat trip that started at one edge of the park and wound its way through the tranquil waterways for 1 ½ hours.

A few families are allowed to live and fish in the park. All activity is carefully monitored for environmental impact.

A little girl came out of one of the huts to wave as we went by.

After 1 ½ hours we were at the mouth of the river where it empties into the Gulf of Thailand and the location of a tiny fishing village. We watched people going about their daily lives... a woman mending a fishing net....

a child and her pet.

There was even a one room school house. Class was on lunch break so our guide showed us inside the sparse looking facility. I noticed a world map on the wall and thought I should show him where we live...and that we live by the water as well and that fishing is/was an important part of life there too.

He then led us on a 1/2 hour trek through the jungle, pointing out various fruit trees, birds, geckos...and just telling us about the park, the people and their life in it. I learned a lot, for instance, that bananas are considered an invasive plant. And that cashews grow on trees and are not just a nut. Who knew!?!

At the end of trail was this beautiful white sand beach. The only sound was the waves hitting the shore and the birds in the trees. I rolled up my pant leg and waded into the water, it was bathtub warm. Heaven.

A couple of children from the village had tagged along with us on the trek, and at this point asked us for a hand-out. But not for money or treats. They asked for pencil or pen or paper. The guide told us that those items are in very short supply at the school. I wish I had known. All I had in my shoulder bag were two mechanical pencils. They wouldn't have done them any good. I felt so bad. I ended up giving them my Canada and Germany flag button. Note to self, travel with spare pencils & paper to give away.

Again we have AboutAsia to thank for arranging our room at the fabulous Sohka Beach Resort. Because after a day of walking around in blazing heat and high humidity, it was great to get back to the hotel, our air conditioned room,  jump into the pool and enjoy some nice refreshments. Erwin, being the professor, did student advising with the bar-keep at the swim-bar, who happened to be a university student. Wish I had a picture of that. Dr. Warkentin on a bar stool in the pool, drink in hand, talking to student about their career beyond bar-keeping.

Our final two days in Cambodia were free & easy. I worked on my tan. Read. Swam in the ocean. Erwin didn’t spend quite as much time in the sun. I tan quickly and easily, he not so much. We relaxed. Went on moon-light walks with only the cicadas keeping us company.

We went into town and browsed the market one morning. Fascinating multi-sensory place again…just like all the other markets had been that we’d visited, but I love going to them. That's me near the bottom left. Lot's of fun shopping...by the way, the currency used is the US dollar.

Some random signs we saw along the way.

We tried to as much as possible to soak-in the Cambodian culture during our two week trip. For the most part we ate, aside from breakfasts which came with the room, outside the hotel/resort compounds.We never felt afraid or threatened when we went for strolls, and in contrast to other developing countries that we've visited, we were seldom asked for hand-outs. Tuk-tuk drivers were another story, but even there a polite “no thanks, we enjoy walking” was enough to stop them. So polite.

My sweetie, on our last evening there.

The next morning we got up early to watch the sunrise and say good-bye to this beautiful place.

We were sad to leave Cambodia because as the days went by we were captivated by the spirit of the place. The Cambodian people and their gentle, quiet & respectful nature will forever remain in our hearts.

To all our guides and drivers, and the many others who touched our lives and had a hand in building our memories, our most heartfelt “awkunh ch'ran” (អរគុណច្រើន).

Cambodia Part Two - Phnom Penh

After our five night stay in Siem Reap we flew (30 minutes) to Cambodia’s capital city Phnom Penh.

On our drive from the airport to the hotel we quickly realized that Phnom Penh is a very different city from Siem Reap. First of all it’s bigger, about double the size, but less touristy, no tour buses lining the streets like in Siem Reap. It’s dirty, it’s loud, the poverty more in-your-face, the traffic at best is organized chaos.

It’s gritty…a city with an edge to it. 

But there’s something compelling about it too…we were eager to learn and explore.

Our first afternoon was spent touring by traditional transportation method, the cyclo. It afforded us a gentler pace, albeit a little scarier, way to soak up the scenes and discover this city outside the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle. It turned out to be quite enjoyable.

Our guide was a local architecture student (arranged by AboutAsia). Weaving through Phnom Penh's colourful city streets bustling with activity and wizzing motos, he showed us some of the hidden gems of this multifaceted capital. The fusion of past and present and it’s juxtaposition of old and new, a city of contrasts; French colonial, Chinese style, and Khmer. All crammed together.

Ritzy hotels stand side by side with abandoned derelict buildings and elegant temples. 

Tiny hole-in-the-wall shops and North American style fast food outlets that the average Cambodian could never afford to eat at.

You can see that it’s a city still recovering from decades of colonial rule, from civil strife, and most recently from the genocide perpetrated during the Khmer Rouge regime. Glass and steel towers rise beside shanty town shacks. The infrastructure is in shambles while the economy  is rapidly trying to play catch up. In addition corruption is rampant, so we were told, which makes getting ahead even harder.

One of the sites that the guide took us to interested us in particular. It is their main library. Only  it's not a true library at least not in our (western) definition of the word. They have so few books that they do not lend any out. Students have to come in and read the book they require for class at one of the few tables and then only for a short while, because someone else needs to read that book too. Too sad.

This is the inscription on the wall in the portico. Translated to English it means, "Force binds for a while but ideas bind forever". Very fitting for this country and in particular a library.

Ever the professor...talking to our student/guide...comparing notes on their university system and ours.

The following day Cambodia’s tragic past was presented to us in living colour at the Killing Fields (chillingly depicted in the movie) and Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. Our guide that day was a local gentleman whose father had been a victim of those horrors. His emotional pain still obvious, but he told us that showing us and talking about it was therapeutic for him. I vaguely remember learning about the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot in high-school, but was reminded again how people (men, women, and children) often for no particular reason were rounded up and systematically executed. It was impressed on us that artists, intellectuals, academics were especially target. 

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum hasn’t been changed much since it served as a torture prison and we were able to walk around the whole site. The prison cells still had the original beds, chains and even blood stains on the floors and ceilings. The instruments of torture were still present along with signs and pictures showing how they were used. Seeing pictures of the victims made it all too real.

Both sights are heartbreaking and hard to take in, as the brutality of the regime is portrayed in very graphic detail. But I think it is important to have this somber eye opening experience… Lest we forget.

This same guide also showed us some of the beauty that Phnom Penh has to offer. In the form of the Royal Palace with its beautiful Silver Pagoda (no pictures allowed)  and the adjacent National Museum which house the world's foremost collection of Khmer art. The grounds were a peaceful retreat, filled with flowers, topiary and art. Our guide noted that our interest in art and flowers meant that we were peaceful people. Cool.

As always we had time to explore on our own. We walked the dusty streets both during the day and at night....constantly being asked if we needed a tuk tuk. We people watched, or they watched us since we're the ones that stand out. We ate street food, browsed the markets and relaxed at our oasis of a hotel.