Blogs from Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Europe

Gestern habe ich von meinem Projektapartment im Main-Taunus-Kreis einen weiteren Ausflug in die Region unternommen. Und zwar habe ich an einer kostenlosen 2-stündigen Führung durch die Gebäude des ZDF in Mainz teilgenommen. Dazu musste ich leider etwas früher aufstehen als an anderen Wochenenden, da die 14:00-Uhr-Termine ausgebucht waren bzw. mit den Spielen des FC Bayern kollidierten. Das Gelände des Fernsehsenders habe ich problemlos gefunden und einen der wenigen Gästeparkplätze ergattert. Dann bin ich zum Sammelpunkt für die Führung und diese hat nach einer Weile begonnen. Während des gesamten Aufenthaltes habe ich an diesem Samstag wenig Mitarbeiter gesehen. Wir sind zuerst zu einem Modell des Geländes und einer Nachbildung des Nachrichtenstudios. Wir haben auch einen Informationsfilm angesehen. Danach sind wir zum Hauptgebäude aus den 80ern, an dessen Eingang sich eine Computervire... read more

Apologies for the rather slap dash first entry - I have undertaken to be more detailed this time round. The title of this entry refers in part to a particular feature of the Rhine Valley which we have just entered - being renowned as a UNESCO world heritage area with many dramatic ridge top castles scattered on both sides of the Rhine river valley. The Rhine river, unlike the rather sleepy and quaint Lahn river, is a broad, fast flowing and busy river with long barges which take passengers and cargo in either direction. The castles are more frequent, bigger and better fortified than their Lahn cousins. In fact so plentiful are they we are able to sustain a day long game of spotto castle!! Being here and seeing the Rhine River makes you see how ... read more

Geo: 49.9957, 8.26768 GUN 7 GUNLERDEN PERŞEMBE Erken uyandık ve derhal bavulları hazırladık . Bir haftayı geride bırakmışız su gibi geçti zaman. Kahvaltımız her zaman ki gibi çok güzel. Franco özenmiş yine. Otel parasını nakit ödeyince gözlerinde küçük bir kıvılcım yandı söndü... Bizi daha çok sevdi. Şaka bir yana Franco adeta çocuğumuz gibi Calabria'dan kopup Almanya 'ya çöken bir Italyan.. çok iyi bir ahçı ve burayı iyi çeviriyor. Eşi Myra Ukraynalı ve ahçılığı Franco yaparken O da lokantayı yönetiyor.. Birbirimize akdeniz usulu sarıldık ve veda fotoları çektik. Bu günkü etabımızın ilk durağı Mainz. Gutenberg Kenti Mainz, Almanya Federal Cumhuriyeti'nin iç kesimlerinde, Ren Nehri kıyısında yer alır. Rheinland-Pfalz eyâleti... read more

Was not nearly as hung over this morning as I thought I might be, which is pretty good, although I seem to have done something to my foot - and have some mysterious bruises that are probably from bumping into benches in beer halls and the like (one particularly nasty one right at shin level I think I owe to the bench at the Hofbrauhaus...), but having said that, I get mysterious bruises when perfectly sober, so whatever. The foot is not a mystery - I actually injured it on the 2nd, I think - I was getting off the escalator at the Munich HBF, and felt something in my left foot... not snap, precisely, but there was definitely something that moved in a way it shouldn't have, and there was a major pain for a ... read more

Dear Friends and Readers: I have started and not finished several editions of this travel blog in the past few months. It is my hope to resume writing about my beloved Switzerland in the near future. With the Christmas season once again upon us, I have had a lot of time for reflection on the past. I want to bring you a taste of an experience I had a couple of Christmas' ago. In Germany Christmas festivities are celebrated during the whole of Advent which takes place through most of the month of December. Each city celebrates "Adventzeit or Weihnachtsziet" in their own way. Many have a little market, ( Christkindlmarkt or Christ child market), composed of stalls that are built in the main public area, often in the courthouse square or the Cathedral square. Each ... read more