For some reason i'm having all sorts of problems uploading larger emails, photos and blogs here. I think the router struggles with the data although things like Skype work well...frustrating
I have plenty of photos of Torino that will have to wait!
Firenze
Firenze
I decided the next stop was Firenze (Florence) and because the train line goes through Pisa, I stopped there too! There isn't a whole lot to Pisa other than a run down city that has a beautiful tower that the Italians didn't build too well. That being said, the place was crawling with tourists! Most I imagine were doing the fly by just the same as I was. The Duomo and tower are very nice. They have been looked after and stand out as a spectacular sight. I sat and watched hundreds of thousands of tourists doing all the stupid holding up the tower pictures and all of that! Con artists flock to drain more money from tourists wallets. There was no way I was going to wait 2hrs and pay 15 euro to climb to the top though. It was very funny and a good break on the way to Firenze.
For some reason all the Youth Hostel International hostels were located right at the edge of the towns. That means finding the right buses and trekking out there. It can't be a function of being cheaper because we met others who were staying right in the centre paying less at a better youth hostel! However, the hostel in its own right was pretty cool being an old villa with lovely gardens. The 500m trek from the front gate to the hostel meant the place was very quiet.
I met a Canadian and Californian as I arrived and we arranged to head into the city later that evening to meet some other friends for some beers. The friends turned out to be some Norwegians Stephen had met on his travels. This hostel was relatively new and bursting at the seams with young people (as distinct from the hostel we were at with lots of oldies and families!). We had a few beers on the roof and got some great views of the Florence skyline by night. We met plenty of Americans who were very good at keeping up their stereotypes sadly!
In Turin I had dinner with a group of people, one of which was an economist who now works in Washington, he always talked of Firenze as a Museum. I laughed every time because it was pretty much what I was feeling when there. Because I was avoiding paying for entry into museums and churches etc, Jon (the Californian) and I walked and saw all the sights. I felt hugely ignorant to so much roman history. Had I even a snippet of history it might have made sense. Travelling around with Jon was good fun. He would often stop for a beer while I would sneak in a few coffees! We found the central markets by accident. It was the first central market I had seen in Italy and it was suitably amazing! I had an animated conversation with the lady of a coffee bar asking about the differences between all the coffees. I ordered a Latte and shed delivered! After drinking crap coffee in France, this was heaven.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/archive-2/
[Got distracted writing!]
The last stop for the day was to the Piazza Michaelangelo. Here we witnessed an amazing panorama of the city as well as saw a bronze copy of the David statue in all its glory! Jon had insisted we carry beers around that he had bought for 1euro for later that night but instead we sucked on two 1L Morettis looking over the city we had walked through. After the feeling of constantly being trapped in the tight streets with thousands of people this was a great vantage spot. The photos worked out well looking along the river to the Ponte Vecchio.
Once back at the hostel, my mind was restless over so many issues. I threw on the runners and headed for the hills. Although I was pretty tired from wandering the streets, this was one of the best things I did in Firenze. I trundled up to Maiano and then across to Fiesole. I really should have spent a day in Fiesole. This was my first introduction into the real Tuscany. The old villas, the olive groves, the grape vines, the old restaurants etc etc...it was all there plus a magnificent view of Firenze from the back of the city. The colours were beautiful. Because I was running I didn't have a camera which was a shame. I ran back a lot happier than when I left. Sadly the Youth Hostel only served frozen food. I was starving and by the time I got back most places would have been closed. The poor lady running the bar was so embarrassed to pull it out of the freezer! It tasted terrible. I wouldn't have thought that could happen in Italy! Needless to say, I was happy to leave Firenze the next day...
I decided the next stop was Firenze (Florence) and because the train line goes through Pisa, I stopped there too! There isn't a whole lot to Pisa other than a run down city that has a beautiful tower that the Italians didn't build too well. That being said, the place was crawling with tourists! Most I imagine were doing the fly by just the same as I was. The Duomo and tower are very nice. They have been looked after and stand out as a spectacular sight. I sat and watched hundreds of thousands of tourists doing all the stupid holding up the tower pictures and all of that! Con artists flock to drain more money from tourists wallets. There was no way I was going to wait 2hrs and pay 15 euro to climb to the top though. It was very funny and a good break on the way to Firenze.
For some reason all the Youth Hostel International hostels were located right at the edge of the towns. That means finding the right buses and trekking out there. It can't be a function of being cheaper because we met others who were staying right in the centre paying less at a better youth hostel! However, the hostel in its own right was pretty cool being an old villa with lovely gardens. The 500m trek from the front gate to the hostel meant the place was very quiet.
I met a Canadian and Californian as I arrived and we arranged to head into the city later that evening to meet some other friends for some beers. The friends turned out to be some Norwegians Stephen had met on his travels. This hostel was relatively new and bursting at the seams with young people (as distinct from the hostel we were at with lots of oldies and families!). We had a few beers on the roof and got some great views of the Florence skyline by night. We met plenty of Americans who were very good at keeping up their stereotypes sadly!
In Turin I had dinner with a group of people, one of which was an economist who now works in Washington, he always talked of Firenze as a Museum. I laughed every time because it was pretty much what I was feeling when there. Because I was avoiding paying for entry into museums and churches etc, Jon (the Californian) and I walked and saw all the sights. I felt hugely ignorant to so much roman history. Had I even a snippet of history it might have made sense. Travelling around with Jon was good fun. He would often stop for a beer while I would sneak in a few coffees! We found the central markets by accident. It was the first central market I had seen in Italy and it was suitably amazing! I had an animated conversation with the lady of a coffee bar asking about the differences between all the coffees. I ordered a Latte and shed delivered! After drinking crap coffee in France, this was heaven.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/archive-2/
[Got distracted writing!]
The last stop for the day was to the Piazza Michaelangelo. Here we witnessed an amazing panorama of the city as well as saw a bronze copy of the David statue in all its glory! Jon had insisted we carry beers around that he had bought for 1euro for later that night but instead we sucked on two 1L Morettis looking over the city we had walked through. After the feeling of constantly being trapped in the tight streets with thousands of people this was a great vantage spot. The photos worked out well looking along the river to the Ponte Vecchio.
Once back at the hostel, my mind was restless over so many issues. I threw on the runners and headed for the hills. Although I was pretty tired from wandering the streets, this was one of the best things I did in Firenze. I trundled up to Maiano and then across to Fiesole. I really should have spent a day in Fiesole. This was my first introduction into the real Tuscany. The old villas, the olive groves, the grape vines, the old restaurants etc etc...it was all there plus a magnificent view of Firenze from the back of the city. The colours were beautiful. Because I was running I didn't have a camera which was a shame. I ran back a lot happier than when I left. Sadly the Youth Hostel only served frozen food. I was starving and by the time I got back most places would have been closed. The poor lady running the bar was so embarrassed to pull it out of the freezer! It tasted terrible. I wouldn't have thought that could happen in Italy! Needless to say, I was happy to leave Firenze the next day...
Genova
My last blog ended with the Cinque Terra and exploring the coast near Genova. It feels like an age away but i'll continue with this from Genova!
Genova
After having seen the beautiful northern coastline around Genova, I decided to walk inland. Luckily our Youth Hostel was pretty much the last building of the city so from the back car park I climbed pretty steadily up into the park. It was beautiful and lush and most of all relatively cool compared to the steamy hot city. I had been told that there were many forts up in this park. The Italians also spend much of their time sitting around in the parks, lunching, sleeping and enjoying the park.
As I was climbing upward my mobile rang: it was Kate! We had a great little chat. Gotta love technology. It made me really miss her and all my mates that's for sure. It is a little sad that all our close friends are scattering to all parts of the world but such is life I guess.
I found one of the forts, Forte di Betago and although I tried to walk in and have a look it turns out all the forts are inaccessible. I found this strange but later found out they are only used for raves and functions, not general public! It's a bit mind-boggling to think of a place that is 600 years old built by hand from local brick and that had survived numerous wars! These mind-blowing ideas of time were only going to begin now that I was in Italy!
I walked for much of the morning enjoying the wide panorama of Genova far into the distance. It is a smoggy city (like much of Italy) but great to escape the hustle and bustle for a while. The park was full of forts but after walking around and seeing a few, but not being allowed in, I decided to head back. I stumbled upon the Rhigi funicular (cable car) and caught it straight into the city! It saved me about 400m of descent.
The rest of the day I explored the harbour. I caught a ferry around to Pegli and saw the airport and the significant harbour along the way. I always like seeing things from the water! The Genova harbour is mainly lined with pleasure craft with some as large as we saw in Monaco. I keep imagining myself cruising the entire coast in the same manner!
The old city is directly on the harbour so it was easy to go and find some food in the back streets away from the touristy prices! Genova was a significant harbour but the military base was moved to Le Spezia and I think over time the sea freight has slowed meaning Genova has lost much of its marine connection.
The old buildings in the old city all have their own stories. They are all spectacular in their own right. Notwithstanding this, like much of Italy, it could do with a good clean! The Piazza Ferrari gives a good example of what the place could look like!
Not only was it a bit of shock to find myself backpacking unplanned but also living again on a shoe string! The Nice experience was certainly a treat! It is possible to live very cheaply but each day accommodation, transport and basic food all adds up. Luckily I didn't venture into the museums and other touristy things that all suck more money from wallets!
Travelling alone has its merits but equally it has its lonely times! Again, after having been with close mates in Nice, being alone was tough on the mind. It was good to meet random people along the way like the German girls, the crazy busker who was in my room in the Youth Hostel in Genova and I also met a British guy travelling as much of Europe as possible in 4 weeks! Because my travel plans were always different all my travel was along.
Genova
After having seen the beautiful northern coastline around Genova, I decided to walk inland. Luckily our Youth Hostel was pretty much the last building of the city so from the back car park I climbed pretty steadily up into the park. It was beautiful and lush and most of all relatively cool compared to the steamy hot city. I had been told that there were many forts up in this park. The Italians also spend much of their time sitting around in the parks, lunching, sleeping and enjoying the park.
As I was climbing upward my mobile rang: it was Kate! We had a great little chat. Gotta love technology. It made me really miss her and all my mates that's for sure. It is a little sad that all our close friends are scattering to all parts of the world but such is life I guess.
I found one of the forts, Forte di Betago and although I tried to walk in and have a look it turns out all the forts are inaccessible. I found this strange but later found out they are only used for raves and functions, not general public! It's a bit mind-boggling to think of a place that is 600 years old built by hand from local brick and that had survived numerous wars! These mind-blowing ideas of time were only going to begin now that I was in Italy!
I walked for much of the morning enjoying the wide panorama of Genova far into the distance. It is a smoggy city (like much of Italy) but great to escape the hustle and bustle for a while. The park was full of forts but after walking around and seeing a few, but not being allowed in, I decided to head back. I stumbled upon the Rhigi funicular (cable car) and caught it straight into the city! It saved me about 400m of descent.
The rest of the day I explored the harbour. I caught a ferry around to Pegli and saw the airport and the significant harbour along the way. I always like seeing things from the water! The Genova harbour is mainly lined with pleasure craft with some as large as we saw in Monaco. I keep imagining myself cruising the entire coast in the same manner!
The old city is directly on the harbour so it was easy to go and find some food in the back streets away from the touristy prices! Genova was a significant harbour but the military base was moved to Le Spezia and I think over time the sea freight has slowed meaning Genova has lost much of its marine connection.
The old buildings in the old city all have their own stories. They are all spectacular in their own right. Notwithstanding this, like much of Italy, it could do with a good clean! The Piazza Ferrari gives a good example of what the place could look like!
Not only was it a bit of shock to find myself backpacking unplanned but also living again on a shoe string! The Nice experience was certainly a treat! It is possible to live very cheaply but each day accommodation, transport and basic food all adds up. Luckily I didn't venture into the museums and other touristy things that all suck more money from wallets!
Travelling alone has its merits but equally it has its lonely times! Again, after having been with close mates in Nice, being alone was tough on the mind. It was good to meet random people along the way like the German girls, the crazy busker who was in my room in the Youth Hostel in Genova and I also met a British guy travelling as much of Europe as possible in 4 weeks! Because my travel plans were always different all my travel was along.
Nice - Genova
Nice:
It took me a little while to get into the Nice mindset. I think the fact that my Adventure to Ventoux was a little on the wild side meant my stress levels were up. Stress and Nice don't mix!
The boys taught me a few phrases of French which enabled me to integrate a little. Most days included some beach time, some swimming, a bike ride (both boys took my bike for rides which worked out well), time in the Flower Markets, time wandering the streets of the Old City and last but not least French Champage, French Wine and French cuisine.
Bike rides really enabled a sense of freedom and an escape from the tight streets of the old city. The options were endless. I did a ride around to Cannes via Antibes. It was absolutely spectacular following the coast. For much of it there were bike lanes on the roads. Many Australian riders call home Monaco and the south of France. Stuart O'Grady for examples chooses to live in the south due to it's close proximity to all the races he participates in, because it is great riding, the weather is always good and because he can get tax breaks!! As a result of the cyclist population, the drivers are very patient with bikes. Antibes is perfect to explore by bike. I rolled around the old harbour and then through the town following the coast around to Cannes. The Bottecchia wasn't a supercar but still looked good rolling around Cannes! I think Antibes and the Juan-les-Pins would be my favourite place to park a boat or live. Nice really grew on me, particularly because of the location of our apartment but I also enjoyed the serenity of the the places south along the coast. Monaca was just a little too extreme. Perhaps after winning the lottery it wouldn't seem too in your face!
The theme of Nice, according to Hannam and Hay was 'Let's get Serious' referring to living the French life as best they know how. Hay's local knowledge combined with the wine purchased by Hannam in Chateauneuv de Pap meant I was priveledged enough to join them in spectacular wine and Champagne. The cheeses were a combination of Hay's favourites including a goats cheese that was in fact a homebrand Chev but really delicious. To go with the wines and cheese, the mains were cooked in house with Hannam starting off with a locally sourced hand-made gnocci and ragu type sauce topped with fresh parmesan. The next night, Hay produced as french a dish as he could. In typical french style it contained only 6 ingredients but was mouth watering. As I learnt, all the best French food comes in a can. Hay prepared duck, pototoe cooked in duck fat and beans cooked with shallots, onion and red-wine vinegar. Really really good. The following night I opted to prepared dinner. The level was set pretty high! I was on the hunt for seafood as I had a craving for a spaghetti marinara however I didn't find a fish monger til I had bought some other things that took my fancy. My dinner theme became a 'taste of the old town' by finding recurring produce that was sold in all the stores, finding what looked like the best producer and buying it. In the end we had a series of French sausages (blood, chorizo style and feta, fennel and spinach beef), some stuffed vegetables (veal stuffing), olives, rotolo (pasta scroll with feta filling) cooked in a basic tomato sauce, a potato thing (!) and some sun dried tomatoes. All this was matched with some fresh baguettes and a bordeux red. So all in all, it was pretty bloody serious!
There has been much talk of our next French adventure. The general feeling is that one (or all) of us needs to make a squillion dollars pretty soon to get an apartment or yacht or both and do it properly. Til then, we just get as serious as possible and i'll remain a free-loader until I finish my masters and move up in the world again!
Plans I spent a little time hunting for work. There were possibilities to work at bars and it sounded like there were opportunities to work on boats. In the end a conversation with Trav culminated in he and his girlfriend offering their apartment in Torino to stay in for three weeks while they are on holiday in Greece. I accepted this offer on the grounds that I can get some time to focus on consolidating what I learnt at the Goethe, get some of the many new business ideas on paper and generally live very cheaply. All this wouldn't be achieved working in a bar only to be able to afford accommodation. As the Torino option isn't available til late next week I have taken the opportunity to travel around. I was hoping for some cheap flights to random places but on one day's notice this was a bit hard.
Genova
Feeling I couldn't top the French experience after Nice and because I have never visited Italy I caught the train to Genova on Thursday. I arrived after a long, hot and cramped train ride to the Genoa Principe Station only to realise I had no idea what I was doing in Italy, no plan, nothing booked and no real idea of what even happens in Italy. After waiting for the tourist office to open (not a whole lot happens around lunch time in the mediteranean!) I was given directions to the Youth Hostel and some maps. Luckily there were some spare beds and I dumped my stuff and headed straight back to the city. I wandered the city and learnt many things and conjurred up some focus for the remaining 5 days! I'm told that Genoa was the first european city to have a bank hence inventing the banking system, it was the birthplace of the Christoper Columbus and claim to have invented Ice cream. All bold claims...but there you go. I had my first pizza in Italy in the Piazza delle Erbe before wandering around the seriously tight streets of the old city. There is a lot to see here. The charm of the old buildings are starting to wear off a little although th Italians are certainly impressing me with their old architecture.
I don't know the exact political and financial situation of Italy but so much of the city seems worn down particularly public infrastructure. I'm guessing the government in struggling and property market is too.
Golfo Paradiso and Cinque Terra:
I met some Germans the day before and we planned to meet at 8am in the foyer of the Youth Hostel. They didn't show and so I went solo...my adventure was focused on the coast east of Genova, the Golfo Paradiso and Golfo . I took the train (which like every other train I have used in Italy was 10-40mins late!) along toward Le Spezia. I stopped at Santa Magherita for a little look around. It was a beautiful little fishing harbour with sandy beaches and lots of old buildings. It felt very comfortable! I found a little bakery that produced the best foccacia i've had to date. The foccacia is a lot better than their pizza here in Italy which I find funny. I guess it's just different to what we are used to in Australia. After waiting ages again for the train, I went to Riomaggiore to start the famous Cinque Terra walk. The walk is a coastal way that joins five amazing villages wedged into the side of the hill. The first two sections are very well travelled by millions of tourists but the last three are a little harder work and hence less tourists which was nice. The little villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are all very beautiful and as typically Italian / Mediteranean as you like. Each village had it's own beach and was very tourist focused. The walking was either along well made paths or goat tracks with plenty of stairs. Needless to say, due to the fact it was over 30 degrees I was sweating to the point when my t-shirt was saturated and I had sunscreen in my eyes and dripping everywhere. There were so many amazing views.
Next time, I reckon the way to see this part of the world is based on a boat and taking day trips onshore. There is nothing more annoying than these trains!!! But having no boat, I took the train back to Comogli. Again another gorgeous little village with a large beach and plenty of fine restaurants on the Promenade. There is an old castle on the headland splitting the east and west beaches which made for a nice spot to watch the sun set. Then I headed home only to run into my German friends, who apologised as they had slept in! We wandered the streets until quite late and then crashed out.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/Genova#
It took me a little while to get into the Nice mindset. I think the fact that my Adventure to Ventoux was a little on the wild side meant my stress levels were up. Stress and Nice don't mix!
The boys taught me a few phrases of French which enabled me to integrate a little. Most days included some beach time, some swimming, a bike ride (both boys took my bike for rides which worked out well), time in the Flower Markets, time wandering the streets of the Old City and last but not least French Champage, French Wine and French cuisine.
Bike rides really enabled a sense of freedom and an escape from the tight streets of the old city. The options were endless. I did a ride around to Cannes via Antibes. It was absolutely spectacular following the coast. For much of it there were bike lanes on the roads. Many Australian riders call home Monaco and the south of France. Stuart O'Grady for examples chooses to live in the south due to it's close proximity to all the races he participates in, because it is great riding, the weather is always good and because he can get tax breaks!! As a result of the cyclist population, the drivers are very patient with bikes. Antibes is perfect to explore by bike. I rolled around the old harbour and then through the town following the coast around to Cannes. The Bottecchia wasn't a supercar but still looked good rolling around Cannes! I think Antibes and the Juan-les-Pins would be my favourite place to park a boat or live. Nice really grew on me, particularly because of the location of our apartment but I also enjoyed the serenity of the the places south along the coast. Monaca was just a little too extreme. Perhaps after winning the lottery it wouldn't seem too in your face!
The theme of Nice, according to Hannam and Hay was 'Let's get Serious' referring to living the French life as best they know how. Hay's local knowledge combined with the wine purchased by Hannam in Chateauneuv de Pap meant I was priveledged enough to join them in spectacular wine and Champagne. The cheeses were a combination of Hay's favourites including a goats cheese that was in fact a homebrand Chev but really delicious. To go with the wines and cheese, the mains were cooked in house with Hannam starting off with a locally sourced hand-made gnocci and ragu type sauce topped with fresh parmesan. The next night, Hay produced as french a dish as he could. In typical french style it contained only 6 ingredients but was mouth watering. As I learnt, all the best French food comes in a can. Hay prepared duck, pototoe cooked in duck fat and beans cooked with shallots, onion and red-wine vinegar. Really really good. The following night I opted to prepared dinner. The level was set pretty high! I was on the hunt for seafood as I had a craving for a spaghetti marinara however I didn't find a fish monger til I had bought some other things that took my fancy. My dinner theme became a 'taste of the old town' by finding recurring produce that was sold in all the stores, finding what looked like the best producer and buying it. In the end we had a series of French sausages (blood, chorizo style and feta, fennel and spinach beef), some stuffed vegetables (veal stuffing), olives, rotolo (pasta scroll with feta filling) cooked in a basic tomato sauce, a potato thing (!) and some sun dried tomatoes. All this was matched with some fresh baguettes and a bordeux red. So all in all, it was pretty bloody serious!
There has been much talk of our next French adventure. The general feeling is that one (or all) of us needs to make a squillion dollars pretty soon to get an apartment or yacht or both and do it properly. Til then, we just get as serious as possible and i'll remain a free-loader until I finish my masters and move up in the world again!
Plans I spent a little time hunting for work. There were possibilities to work at bars and it sounded like there were opportunities to work on boats. In the end a conversation with Trav culminated in he and his girlfriend offering their apartment in Torino to stay in for three weeks while they are on holiday in Greece. I accepted this offer on the grounds that I can get some time to focus on consolidating what I learnt at the Goethe, get some of the many new business ideas on paper and generally live very cheaply. All this wouldn't be achieved working in a bar only to be able to afford accommodation. As the Torino option isn't available til late next week I have taken the opportunity to travel around. I was hoping for some cheap flights to random places but on one day's notice this was a bit hard.
Genova
Feeling I couldn't top the French experience after Nice and because I have never visited Italy I caught the train to Genova on Thursday. I arrived after a long, hot and cramped train ride to the Genoa Principe Station only to realise I had no idea what I was doing in Italy, no plan, nothing booked and no real idea of what even happens in Italy. After waiting for the tourist office to open (not a whole lot happens around lunch time in the mediteranean!) I was given directions to the Youth Hostel and some maps. Luckily there were some spare beds and I dumped my stuff and headed straight back to the city. I wandered the city and learnt many things and conjurred up some focus for the remaining 5 days! I'm told that Genoa was the first european city to have a bank hence inventing the banking system, it was the birthplace of the Christoper Columbus and claim to have invented Ice cream. All bold claims...but there you go. I had my first pizza in Italy in the Piazza delle Erbe before wandering around the seriously tight streets of the old city. There is a lot to see here. The charm of the old buildings are starting to wear off a little although th Italians are certainly impressing me with their old architecture.
I don't know the exact political and financial situation of Italy but so much of the city seems worn down particularly public infrastructure. I'm guessing the government in struggling and property market is too.
Golfo Paradiso and Cinque Terra:
I met some Germans the day before and we planned to meet at 8am in the foyer of the Youth Hostel. They didn't show and so I went solo...my adventure was focused on the coast east of Genova, the Golfo Paradiso and Golfo . I took the train (which like every other train I have used in Italy was 10-40mins late!) along toward Le Spezia. I stopped at Santa Magherita for a little look around. It was a beautiful little fishing harbour with sandy beaches and lots of old buildings. It felt very comfortable! I found a little bakery that produced the best foccacia i've had to date. The foccacia is a lot better than their pizza here in Italy which I find funny. I guess it's just different to what we are used to in Australia. After waiting ages again for the train, I went to Riomaggiore to start the famous Cinque Terra walk. The walk is a coastal way that joins five amazing villages wedged into the side of the hill. The first two sections are very well travelled by millions of tourists but the last three are a little harder work and hence less tourists which was nice. The little villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are all very beautiful and as typically Italian / Mediteranean as you like. Each village had it's own beach and was very tourist focused. The walking was either along well made paths or goat tracks with plenty of stairs. Needless to say, due to the fact it was over 30 degrees I was sweating to the point when my t-shirt was saturated and I had sunscreen in my eyes and dripping everywhere. There were so many amazing views.
Next time, I reckon the way to see this part of the world is based on a boat and taking day trips onshore. There is nothing more annoying than these trains!!! But having no boat, I took the train back to Comogli. Again another gorgeous little village with a large beach and plenty of fine restaurants on the Promenade. There is an old castle on the headland splitting the east and west beaches which made for a nice spot to watch the sun set. Then I headed home only to run into my German friends, who apologised as they had slept in! We wandered the streets until quite late and then crashed out.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/Genova#
Nice, Mont Ventoux and Monaco
Hamburg
After a short week at school and a few good byes it was time to leave Hamburg. On Wednesday evening I enjoyed a meal with Sarah and Philip. The last time we met in Freiburg they prepared Crepes. We reenacted this crepe session in their new apartment in Eimbuettel. It was great to then sit out on their balcony and enjoy the balmy evening over a glass of wine after before venturing into the Gruen Jaeger to meet Sabrina. On Thursday it turned out to be terrible weather so I spent most of the day at the apartment getting things organised. I promised Sabrina and Oli a cooking lesson before I left so we went together to do some shopping and then prepared a roast pork fillet dish. They were very good students! We ate like kings, including Sabrinas friend Sari and Olivers girlfriend Eliza. For dessert I surprised them with a dark chocolate parfait ala Table of Champions! Great fun...
Nice
After a very early start in Hamburg to get to the airport and heading via Copenhagen I arrived in Nice to meet James x2. Hay has out done himself and rented a spectacular apartment on the Promenade des Anglais. In typical European fashion the place looks very run down but inside it's very comfortable and provides superb access to the beach, to the markets in Old Nice and a great base for our adventures. Not being able to speak the language is really bugging me. My three words of French don't get me very far at the moment...
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/NiceMontVenouxAndMonaco#
Mont Ventoux
The original plan was to meet James Hannam and his brother in Caillavon on Saturday morning. Hannam had organised bikes but that had fallen through meaning he decided to come straight to Nice. I was still determined to head to the Tour and up Ventoux. With the car I had hired, my bike and supplies I left very late on Friday night and headed towards Sault. Aside from the massive mountain passes and unknown roads I managed to get there ready for the morning. I parked my car on the western side of Sault and began my ride very early in the morning. I had no idea what was in store, if the roads would be closed, if the climb was going to break me, if I could get supplied on the mountain or even really where I was (other than in the middle of the Provence). Being the pinnacle experience of bike riders, there were thousands of people thinking the same thing so by the time I got into Sault I was riding alongside people from all over the world. It was a lovely morning, sun shining and warm weather. The smell of lavender was wafting around the landscape. The Provence is a very baron area. It's dry everywhere. It's also very old. The buildings look very worn and are probably all older than white settlement in Australia! I could see Ventoux in the distance so headed off towards it with my pack of food and water.
The people management was a tribute to relaxed French authority. Cars were driving up the climbs and parking on the side of the roads and people walking / riding / mono-cycling up the roads! Campervans had been on the mountain presumably for some days. I rode up as steadily as I could. The road wasn't very steep and was constant. I had heard horror stories of the steepness and how tough it was. I found the climb quite comfortable. Half way up I met a British guy - Steve, who I ended up spending the rest of the day with. We climbed and climbed until getting above the tree line. Still people were everywhere. There were cars everywhere and there were campervans as far as the eye could see. The higher parts of Ventoux are like a moon crater with little vegetation. This is probably a function of how much wind is around and it was no different for us. While climbing we were warm enough but as soon as we stopped the wind cut straight through us. We climbed as far as we could to the top but weren't allowed right to very top as it was closed for the preparation of the tour. After a few photos it was time to head back down as it was just too cold and windy. We rolled down about 5km and found a spot in the sun out of the wind. This spot would be ours for the rest of the day pretty much.
Still people rolled up the mountain. Cars were being stopped earlier in the day but bikes and walkers streamed up the hill. Many coming down again because of the cold. It became a people watching game seeing what bikes people were riding and how they were handling the climb. There was the odd struggler pushing their bike and the odd trooper who was pulling a trailer with two kids in it and pushing the other son on his bike all while riding himself!
Promotional gear was being thrown out everywhere. Most of it was junk but got people excited. Unfortunately we had no idea what had been happening earlier in the stage so simply had to wait. Because I had started relatively early I slept for a little while and just hung out for the 6 hours before the cyclists were scheduled to come through. To keep us occupied a bush fire started in the valley below so we got to watch the fire bombers put it out. It was quite impressive watching five fire bombers strategically attack this fire.
As the cyclists got closer and closer the atmosphere got more and more exciting. More promo cars, more music and more people up on the mountain. We could see in the distance the helicopters following the riders so knew when things were about to happen. It wasn't long before we could see the cavalcade higher on the mountain. The choppers were all getting closer and the sounds of the car horns and people increased. Then came the lead riders who had attacked and were leading a second bunch which includes Contador and Armstrong. They were punching up this mountain. It was most impressive. Everyone was cheering and supporting. It was an amazing atmosphere. There were the odd groups of riders coming up. Then finally the peleton. It seemed as though the peleton was pretty tired and so were taking it pretty easy. Before you knew it, the riders had gone past and it was all over! The stupidity of the day - we spent hours preparing only to see them come through within minutes! But that's what it's all about!!
The chaos began going back. There is only one road on the top half of the mountain and two for the rest. I would estimate a couple of hundred thousand people were on the mountain all trying to get off it! People on bikes were wrestling with cars who were wrestling with campervans and people in between. We were moving at a snails pace. It became a bit of a game weaving in and around others and it wasn't until a third of the way down that everything freed up and were able to get some speed downhilling as a reward for climbing the mountain! I let rip and with Steve we flew down the last few kilometres! He headed off to his car and then back towards London and I made my way back to Nice. It was an incredibly exhausting day but equally memorable.
Monaco
After a giant sleep and taking the car back to the airport we (James Hay, James Hannam, Travis Hannam and I) went around to Monaco. The coast line is simple spectacular. All very old and yet somehow so beautiful. The roads here are pretty frantic but if you give as much aggression back as you get from the others you make it through ok. Monaco, is a place of lavish exhuberance like i've never seen. Every second car is a super car. All the boats out in the harbour end up looking normal. The photos don't give justice the scale of everything. It make us all feel very insignificant it! We wandered up to the casino and had a look around the city before heading back to Nice. The boys are out swimming and i'm about to catch up on emails and few things before joining them.
After a short week at school and a few good byes it was time to leave Hamburg. On Wednesday evening I enjoyed a meal with Sarah and Philip. The last time we met in Freiburg they prepared Crepes. We reenacted this crepe session in their new apartment in Eimbuettel. It was great to then sit out on their balcony and enjoy the balmy evening over a glass of wine after before venturing into the Gruen Jaeger to meet Sabrina. On Thursday it turned out to be terrible weather so I spent most of the day at the apartment getting things organised. I promised Sabrina and Oli a cooking lesson before I left so we went together to do some shopping and then prepared a roast pork fillet dish. They were very good students! We ate like kings, including Sabrinas friend Sari and Olivers girlfriend Eliza. For dessert I surprised them with a dark chocolate parfait ala Table of Champions! Great fun...
Nice
After a very early start in Hamburg to get to the airport and heading via Copenhagen I arrived in Nice to meet James x2. Hay has out done himself and rented a spectacular apartment on the Promenade des Anglais. In typical European fashion the place looks very run down but inside it's very comfortable and provides superb access to the beach, to the markets in Old Nice and a great base for our adventures. Not being able to speak the language is really bugging me. My three words of French don't get me very far at the moment...
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/NiceMontVenouxAndMonaco#
Mont Ventoux
The original plan was to meet James Hannam and his brother in Caillavon on Saturday morning. Hannam had organised bikes but that had fallen through meaning he decided to come straight to Nice. I was still determined to head to the Tour and up Ventoux. With the car I had hired, my bike and supplies I left very late on Friday night and headed towards Sault. Aside from the massive mountain passes and unknown roads I managed to get there ready for the morning. I parked my car on the western side of Sault and began my ride very early in the morning. I had no idea what was in store, if the roads would be closed, if the climb was going to break me, if I could get supplied on the mountain or even really where I was (other than in the middle of the Provence). Being the pinnacle experience of bike riders, there were thousands of people thinking the same thing so by the time I got into Sault I was riding alongside people from all over the world. It was a lovely morning, sun shining and warm weather. The smell of lavender was wafting around the landscape. The Provence is a very baron area. It's dry everywhere. It's also very old. The buildings look very worn and are probably all older than white settlement in Australia! I could see Ventoux in the distance so headed off towards it with my pack of food and water.
The people management was a tribute to relaxed French authority. Cars were driving up the climbs and parking on the side of the roads and people walking / riding / mono-cycling up the roads! Campervans had been on the mountain presumably for some days. I rode up as steadily as I could. The road wasn't very steep and was constant. I had heard horror stories of the steepness and how tough it was. I found the climb quite comfortable. Half way up I met a British guy - Steve, who I ended up spending the rest of the day with. We climbed and climbed until getting above the tree line. Still people were everywhere. There were cars everywhere and there were campervans as far as the eye could see. The higher parts of Ventoux are like a moon crater with little vegetation. This is probably a function of how much wind is around and it was no different for us. While climbing we were warm enough but as soon as we stopped the wind cut straight through us. We climbed as far as we could to the top but weren't allowed right to very top as it was closed for the preparation of the tour. After a few photos it was time to head back down as it was just too cold and windy. We rolled down about 5km and found a spot in the sun out of the wind. This spot would be ours for the rest of the day pretty much.
Still people rolled up the mountain. Cars were being stopped earlier in the day but bikes and walkers streamed up the hill. Many coming down again because of the cold. It became a people watching game seeing what bikes people were riding and how they were handling the climb. There was the odd struggler pushing their bike and the odd trooper who was pulling a trailer with two kids in it and pushing the other son on his bike all while riding himself!
Promotional gear was being thrown out everywhere. Most of it was junk but got people excited. Unfortunately we had no idea what had been happening earlier in the stage so simply had to wait. Because I had started relatively early I slept for a little while and just hung out for the 6 hours before the cyclists were scheduled to come through. To keep us occupied a bush fire started in the valley below so we got to watch the fire bombers put it out. It was quite impressive watching five fire bombers strategically attack this fire.
As the cyclists got closer and closer the atmosphere got more and more exciting. More promo cars, more music and more people up on the mountain. We could see in the distance the helicopters following the riders so knew when things were about to happen. It wasn't long before we could see the cavalcade higher on the mountain. The choppers were all getting closer and the sounds of the car horns and people increased. Then came the lead riders who had attacked and were leading a second bunch which includes Contador and Armstrong. They were punching up this mountain. It was most impressive. Everyone was cheering and supporting. It was an amazing atmosphere. There were the odd groups of riders coming up. Then finally the peleton. It seemed as though the peleton was pretty tired and so were taking it pretty easy. Before you knew it, the riders had gone past and it was all over! The stupidity of the day - we spent hours preparing only to see them come through within minutes! But that's what it's all about!!
The chaos began going back. There is only one road on the top half of the mountain and two for the rest. I would estimate a couple of hundred thousand people were on the mountain all trying to get off it! People on bikes were wrestling with cars who were wrestling with campervans and people in between. We were moving at a snails pace. It became a bit of a game weaving in and around others and it wasn't until a third of the way down that everything freed up and were able to get some speed downhilling as a reward for climbing the mountain! I let rip and with Steve we flew down the last few kilometres! He headed off to his car and then back towards London and I made my way back to Nice. It was an incredibly exhausting day but equally memorable.
Monaco
After a giant sleep and taking the car back to the airport we (James Hay, James Hannam, Travis Hannam and I) went around to Monaco. The coast line is simple spectacular. All very old and yet somehow so beautiful. The roads here are pretty frantic but if you give as much aggression back as you get from the others you make it through ok. Monaco, is a place of lavish exhuberance like i've never seen. Every second car is a super car. All the boats out in the harbour end up looking normal. The photos don't give justice the scale of everything. It make us all feel very insignificant it! We wandered up to the casino and had a look around the city before heading back to Nice. The boys are out swimming and i'm about to catch up on emails and few things before joining them.
Week 4 - Hamburg and Surrounds
After a couple of weeks touring around the north of Germany the last two weeks are focused on Hamburg.
Goethe
Studying German continues to go well. We were discussing as a class whether we felt we had been improving I found it hard to come up with answer. To me it all sounds the same and I still make millions of mistakes! However, I think we have all improved and I certainly feel more confident having basic conversations with people. I found myself in a random conversation at the bike shop last week, I think he thought I worked there but we were able to discuss bikes and I was able to handball him onto the actual shop owner!
For anyone thinking of a reason to go on holiday, learning a language at a language school is a great way to quickly integrate into a new culture, meet new people and also feel as though you've accomplished something. For many of my class mates they will go home this weekend and not speak German for some time. I have another year to practice!
Bike Riding
The highlights during the week last week were two large bike rides. This was in light of the realisation that I am planning to climb Mont Ventoux on the 25th and also because the weather was sensational!
On Tuesday I rode to Luebeck. I have already written about this http://ajoest.blogspot.com/2009/07/lubeck.html and then on Thursday I hopped back on the bike after school and rode to Ratzeburg. I hadn't heard anything about Ratzeburg but after looking at the map and judging that the distance was manageable and that it was surrounded by a lake and forests I decided it was a worthy goal. Again I rode along the main roads. They are not the fast Autobahns and not the Schnellstrasses but still major roads. Unfortunately I was still getting heckled by the odd riding but i'm getting used to that now.
It was a lovely 28 degrees with blue skies and no wind. Riding through the forests and over gentle hills was hugely enjoyable. Then Ratzeburg appeared! Ratzeburg is picture perfect. You climb a gentle hill and once you reach the top and get over the other side the Ratzeburg Dom (cathedral) appears behind a beautiful blue lake. I have a photo of it in my web album. Ratzeburg is located on an island in the middle of a pretty large lake. There were numerous boats out on the water including sailing boats, kayaks and I even saw the German National Team out training before the World Champs coming up over the next couple of weeks. I rode around the island over many cobbled stone roads! The old buildings are all in great condition with people taking real pride in growing flowers along the footpaths. Because I had arrived around 6pm I could see a few business men arrive at the marina, get on their small timber sailing boats and head out! What a life. After a coke and a red (cherry flavour in Germany!) powerade rode home. It's harvest time at the moment so I got to see plenty of harvesters working the paddocks. A very memorable ride. Here is the route: http://tinyurl.com/mshh4y and photos on picasa.
http://picasaweb.google.de/ajoest/RatzeburgByBike#
Airbus
Being the engineer at heart I took a tour of the Airbus Factory on the other side of the Elbe. This is actually a very popular excursion and it wasn't easy to get a spot.
The tour was of the facility at Hamburg and also explained how Airbus works across Europe. Airbus was actually formed over the past 30 years by initially combining German and French aircraft manufacturing companies and later British and Spanish companies. Each division was run separately as a state run company manufacturing parts that were then sent to Toulouse for assembly. Now Airbus is a fully integrated company taking on Boeing (US) and Embraer (Brazil) and is a leader in the manufacture of aircraft.
We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the A380 however most are manufactured in Toulouse. Only A380's purchased for the Middle East and Europe are commissioned in Hamburg but to date mainly Asian and Australian airlines have received A380's. Nonetheless A380 fuselage sections are made in Hamburg and ferried to the UK for further work before being ferried to Toulouse for fit out and commissioning. The logistics involved here are just as impressive as the actual manufacture. They have dedicated ferries shipping whole aircraft sections. They have modified A380's that are able to carry sections of the other planes. These 5 modified A380's make three (and sometimes 5) regular deliveries a day with parts between Germany, France, Spain and the UK. The whole manufacturing process is based around the Just In Time manufacturing methodology developed by Toyota meaning parts are made available at exactly the right time when they are required for the next manufacturing step. There is no inventory! Each country has various manufacturing responsibilities and within each country there are various plants. I think Germany has 5 or 6 plants. It's just incredible / impressive.
Sadly I couldn't take any photos of the Airbus facility. I don't think my camera would have given justice to the enormity of the facility. The sheds in which these planes were being built were each holding 8 or 9 planes and making the planes look small! They had a spray booth shed that could allow two planes to be painted simultaneously!
We are used to the A320's in Australia but they also build the long range A330 and A340s that are used in the US and Asia.
It takes 21 days for a plane to be built. However they have slowed the production process down due to the GFC so they finish a plane -from Go to Wo- in 25 days. However, if you want one and order it today you won't get one for 6 years they have such a long waiting list.
In each of the sheds, each manufacturing step is stationary however the plane gets moved along the assembly. Each manufacturing process is mounted onto hover platforms that are moved in and out of the way as required. Again each of these platforms are serious pieces of engineering alone. The last things to be installed before testing are the engines. We were told they cost roughly 20% of the plane!
Everywhere you look you see how much pride Airbus takes on quality. Each bolt has a method of being checked. Each hydraulic pipe is pressure tested. Every cable is tested. They are very rigorous. But at the same time they spend considerable effort on R&D and have developed many technologies that keep them ahead of Boeing. It's most impressive manufacture considering they expect a working life of each plane to be 30 years. 10years in Europe then sold to Eastern Europe and Asia before being sold onto South Africa and South America!
The three hours walking around Airbus was well worth the time.
Reeperbahn
Friday night was spent at a music and beer festival sponsored by Duckstein Bier. It was another lovely evening to watch a Spanish band on a floating barge stage and sink a few beers. It reminded me very much of the Fringe. We then met the others from the Goethe course and tackled the Reeperbahn. We found a few cool places and had a really great night. One of the other girls has met a guy with quite a loud mouth on him which inevitably meant he kept getting into fights. But just like going out anywhere else in the world!
Aussenalster
Imagine yourself sailing in a light breeze on a 4m restored timber boat in the sunshine! You are on a lake that is about 4km long and 2km wide. Surrounding the lake are trees and lawn areas and behind that architecturally significant buildings. In the background you can see oxidised copper (aqua green) roofs. You are on the Aussenalster in central Hamburg! It's just stunning. I ran around it on Saturday and upon getting home went back around with my bike to continue to enjoy it. On the water there are people sailing and paddling. On the banks there are people in restaurants, people sitting on the grass and on the paths plenty of people walking dogs, families walking around or punters running laps. The Aussenalster makes Hamburg a very beautiful and liveable city indeed.
Fischmarkt
The world famous Hamburg Fischmarkt is certainly a great establishment. Held from 5am every Sunday morning it attracts thousands of people. Its clientele include everyone coming in from the Reeperbahn after a big night to those coming in for their weekly shopping a little later. I met Megan, one of the Goethe students at 7 and followed the masses around the markets. One of the highlights is their system of selling goods off the back of a truck. It's quite a spectacle. The sellers are all very good entertainers and often through free stuff out into the large crowds that surround the trucks. You can also buy a bag and stand at the front at which point the sellers load up your bag with produce. For 10Euro people were getting a life time supply of pasta, or a week’s worth of fruit and veg or a year’s worth of chocolate! It was great. The other stands offered normal selling of fish, fruit and veg, niknaks and the other usual stuff. There is also an undercover section where bands play and people are sucking down beers! Fantastic. If I ever live in Hamburg the Fischmarkt would be a regular visit i'm sure.
Elbe Dyke
After the Fischmarkt and after taking my produce home, I hopped on the bike and headed along my favourite road, the Elbchausee. I was chased down by some guys and we ended up riding 100kms together to the west of Hamburg. It was great riding with them as they knew all the back roads. We also rode along the Elbe Dyke which was beautiful track alongside where sheep graze and people walk their dogs. The guys I met up could speak English which also made it a good meeting up. In fact i'm meeting them tonight to do a 60km training ride to the south. Pictures are up on picasa.
Dinner
On Sunday I invited Sarah and Philip to dinner. Sarah was on exchange at Saints back in 2001 while Philip, Sarah's boyfriends I met in Freiburg last year. Sabrina (my flatmate) also joined the festivities. I cooked up a storm! We had Broccoli soup with pistachio and feta. Main was a Lamb Shank Ragu while Dessert was a Bread and Butter pudding. It was great to sit down and enjoy a meal altogether. It was a long day but one of my favourite to date.
This week is my last in Hamburg. We finish school tomorrow and I will meet Sarah and Philip for Dinner before meeting the Goethe kids out later on. Sabrina has Thursday off and I promised to cook for her and Oliver (our other flat mate) on Thursday night. Friday I fly to Nice via Copenhagen before meeting James Hay again. Then the assault on Mont Ventoux begins!
http://picasaweb.google.de/ajoest/WeekendInHamburg#
Goethe
Studying German continues to go well. We were discussing as a class whether we felt we had been improving I found it hard to come up with answer. To me it all sounds the same and I still make millions of mistakes! However, I think we have all improved and I certainly feel more confident having basic conversations with people. I found myself in a random conversation at the bike shop last week, I think he thought I worked there but we were able to discuss bikes and I was able to handball him onto the actual shop owner!
For anyone thinking of a reason to go on holiday, learning a language at a language school is a great way to quickly integrate into a new culture, meet new people and also feel as though you've accomplished something. For many of my class mates they will go home this weekend and not speak German for some time. I have another year to practice!
Bike Riding
The highlights during the week last week were two large bike rides. This was in light of the realisation that I am planning to climb Mont Ventoux on the 25th and also because the weather was sensational!
On Tuesday I rode to Luebeck. I have already written about this http://ajoest.blogspot.com/2009/07/lubeck.html and then on Thursday I hopped back on the bike after school and rode to Ratzeburg. I hadn't heard anything about Ratzeburg but after looking at the map and judging that the distance was manageable and that it was surrounded by a lake and forests I decided it was a worthy goal. Again I rode along the main roads. They are not the fast Autobahns and not the Schnellstrasses but still major roads. Unfortunately I was still getting heckled by the odd riding but i'm getting used to that now.
It was a lovely 28 degrees with blue skies and no wind. Riding through the forests and over gentle hills was hugely enjoyable. Then Ratzeburg appeared! Ratzeburg is picture perfect. You climb a gentle hill and once you reach the top and get over the other side the Ratzeburg Dom (cathedral) appears behind a beautiful blue lake. I have a photo of it in my web album. Ratzeburg is located on an island in the middle of a pretty large lake. There were numerous boats out on the water including sailing boats, kayaks and I even saw the German National Team out training before the World Champs coming up over the next couple of weeks. I rode around the island over many cobbled stone roads! The old buildings are all in great condition with people taking real pride in growing flowers along the footpaths. Because I had arrived around 6pm I could see a few business men arrive at the marina, get on their small timber sailing boats and head out! What a life. After a coke and a red (cherry flavour in Germany!) powerade rode home. It's harvest time at the moment so I got to see plenty of harvesters working the paddocks. A very memorable ride. Here is the route: http://tinyurl.com/mshh4y and photos on picasa.
http://picasaweb.google.de/ajoest/RatzeburgByBike#
Airbus
Being the engineer at heart I took a tour of the Airbus Factory on the other side of the Elbe. This is actually a very popular excursion and it wasn't easy to get a spot.
The tour was of the facility at Hamburg and also explained how Airbus works across Europe. Airbus was actually formed over the past 30 years by initially combining German and French aircraft manufacturing companies and later British and Spanish companies. Each division was run separately as a state run company manufacturing parts that were then sent to Toulouse for assembly. Now Airbus is a fully integrated company taking on Boeing (US) and Embraer (Brazil) and is a leader in the manufacture of aircraft.
We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the A380 however most are manufactured in Toulouse. Only A380's purchased for the Middle East and Europe are commissioned in Hamburg but to date mainly Asian and Australian airlines have received A380's. Nonetheless A380 fuselage sections are made in Hamburg and ferried to the UK for further work before being ferried to Toulouse for fit out and commissioning. The logistics involved here are just as impressive as the actual manufacture. They have dedicated ferries shipping whole aircraft sections. They have modified A380's that are able to carry sections of the other planes. These 5 modified A380's make three (and sometimes 5) regular deliveries a day with parts between Germany, France, Spain and the UK. The whole manufacturing process is based around the Just In Time manufacturing methodology developed by Toyota meaning parts are made available at exactly the right time when they are required for the next manufacturing step. There is no inventory! Each country has various manufacturing responsibilities and within each country there are various plants. I think Germany has 5 or 6 plants. It's just incredible / impressive.
Sadly I couldn't take any photos of the Airbus facility. I don't think my camera would have given justice to the enormity of the facility. The sheds in which these planes were being built were each holding 8 or 9 planes and making the planes look small! They had a spray booth shed that could allow two planes to be painted simultaneously!
We are used to the A320's in Australia but they also build the long range A330 and A340s that are used in the US and Asia.
It takes 21 days for a plane to be built. However they have slowed the production process down due to the GFC so they finish a plane -from Go to Wo- in 25 days. However, if you want one and order it today you won't get one for 6 years they have such a long waiting list.
In each of the sheds, each manufacturing step is stationary however the plane gets moved along the assembly. Each manufacturing process is mounted onto hover platforms that are moved in and out of the way as required. Again each of these platforms are serious pieces of engineering alone. The last things to be installed before testing are the engines. We were told they cost roughly 20% of the plane!
Everywhere you look you see how much pride Airbus takes on quality. Each bolt has a method of being checked. Each hydraulic pipe is pressure tested. Every cable is tested. They are very rigorous. But at the same time they spend considerable effort on R&D and have developed many technologies that keep them ahead of Boeing. It's most impressive manufacture considering they expect a working life of each plane to be 30 years. 10years in Europe then sold to Eastern Europe and Asia before being sold onto South Africa and South America!
The three hours walking around Airbus was well worth the time.
Reeperbahn
Friday night was spent at a music and beer festival sponsored by Duckstein Bier. It was another lovely evening to watch a Spanish band on a floating barge stage and sink a few beers. It reminded me very much of the Fringe. We then met the others from the Goethe course and tackled the Reeperbahn. We found a few cool places and had a really great night. One of the other girls has met a guy with quite a loud mouth on him which inevitably meant he kept getting into fights. But just like going out anywhere else in the world!
Aussenalster
Imagine yourself sailing in a light breeze on a 4m restored timber boat in the sunshine! You are on a lake that is about 4km long and 2km wide. Surrounding the lake are trees and lawn areas and behind that architecturally significant buildings. In the background you can see oxidised copper (aqua green) roofs. You are on the Aussenalster in central Hamburg! It's just stunning. I ran around it on Saturday and upon getting home went back around with my bike to continue to enjoy it. On the water there are people sailing and paddling. On the banks there are people in restaurants, people sitting on the grass and on the paths plenty of people walking dogs, families walking around or punters running laps. The Aussenalster makes Hamburg a very beautiful and liveable city indeed.
Fischmarkt
The world famous Hamburg Fischmarkt is certainly a great establishment. Held from 5am every Sunday morning it attracts thousands of people. Its clientele include everyone coming in from the Reeperbahn after a big night to those coming in for their weekly shopping a little later. I met Megan, one of the Goethe students at 7 and followed the masses around the markets. One of the highlights is their system of selling goods off the back of a truck. It's quite a spectacle. The sellers are all very good entertainers and often through free stuff out into the large crowds that surround the trucks. You can also buy a bag and stand at the front at which point the sellers load up your bag with produce. For 10Euro people were getting a life time supply of pasta, or a week’s worth of fruit and veg or a year’s worth of chocolate! It was great. The other stands offered normal selling of fish, fruit and veg, niknaks and the other usual stuff. There is also an undercover section where bands play and people are sucking down beers! Fantastic. If I ever live in Hamburg the Fischmarkt would be a regular visit i'm sure.
Elbe Dyke
After the Fischmarkt and after taking my produce home, I hopped on the bike and headed along my favourite road, the Elbchausee. I was chased down by some guys and we ended up riding 100kms together to the west of Hamburg. It was great riding with them as they knew all the back roads. We also rode along the Elbe Dyke which was beautiful track alongside where sheep graze and people walk their dogs. The guys I met up could speak English which also made it a good meeting up. In fact i'm meeting them tonight to do a 60km training ride to the south. Pictures are up on picasa.
Dinner
On Sunday I invited Sarah and Philip to dinner. Sarah was on exchange at Saints back in 2001 while Philip, Sarah's boyfriends I met in Freiburg last year. Sabrina (my flatmate) also joined the festivities. I cooked up a storm! We had Broccoli soup with pistachio and feta. Main was a Lamb Shank Ragu while Dessert was a Bread and Butter pudding. It was great to sit down and enjoy a meal altogether. It was a long day but one of my favourite to date.
This week is my last in Hamburg. We finish school tomorrow and I will meet Sarah and Philip for Dinner before meeting the Goethe kids out later on. Sabrina has Thursday off and I promised to cook for her and Oliver (our other flat mate) on Thursday night. Friday I fly to Nice via Copenhagen before meeting James Hay again. Then the assault on Mont Ventoux begins!
http://picasaweb.google.de/ajoest/WeekendInHamburg#
Lübeck
I decided that today I would ride to Lübeck as small city 66kms north of Hamburg. It was a gorgous day in the north of Germany!
I'm still not sure how to take the motorists here. Most are great giving road cyclists plenty of room. Others have a real problem with cyclists on the road. I've been yelled at and shunted off the road a few times now. Was Amy Gillet riding in Germany when she was killed? I think the gripe is that there is a bike track nearly everywhere and bikes are meant to use them, however going considerably faster on a road bike than a town bike across rough roads, some gravel, I will stick to the road.
I'm learning what the native animals of German are. I accidently ran over a small snake, probably 30cm long. Oops. I saw plenty of flat squirrels and porcupines as well. I felt like dumb&dumber for parts of the trip as there are millions of flies and bugs when you ride past the fields. I was annoyed I forgot my sunglasses not so much because of the sun but from protecting me from being blinded.
Lübeck is absolutely beautiful in an old quaint kind of way. I was told that the council provides money to the building owners to restore their fachwerk houses. Although Lübeck was probably also bombed during the war, the buildings are in good repair and really give a great feeling. The cobble stone roads were a bit rough of the bike! The thought of the Paris-Roubaix kept me riding. I met up with Sarah and Philip briefly. I interrupted them this afternoon as they are currently madly moving house. I will hopefully catch them again on the weekend.
I'm still sure riding around is the best way to see plenty more of this great land. Perhaps I will ride to the Ost-See sometime this week also. A little longer but I definitely need the kms in the legs!
Photos are up on picasa!
I'm still not sure how to take the motorists here. Most are great giving road cyclists plenty of room. Others have a real problem with cyclists on the road. I've been yelled at and shunted off the road a few times now. Was Amy Gillet riding in Germany when she was killed? I think the gripe is that there is a bike track nearly everywhere and bikes are meant to use them, however going considerably faster on a road bike than a town bike across rough roads, some gravel, I will stick to the road.
I'm learning what the native animals of German are. I accidently ran over a small snake, probably 30cm long. Oops. I saw plenty of flat squirrels and porcupines as well. I felt like dumb&dumber for parts of the trip as there are millions of flies and bugs when you ride past the fields. I was annoyed I forgot my sunglasses not so much because of the sun but from protecting me from being blinded.
Lübeck is absolutely beautiful in an old quaint kind of way. I was told that the council provides money to the building owners to restore their fachwerk houses. Although Lübeck was probably also bombed during the war, the buildings are in good repair and really give a great feeling. The cobble stone roads were a bit rough of the bike! The thought of the Paris-Roubaix kept me riding. I met up with Sarah and Philip briefly. I interrupted them this afternoon as they are currently madly moving house. I will hopefully catch them again on the weekend.
I'm still sure riding around is the best way to see plenty more of this great land. Perhaps I will ride to the Ost-See sometime this week also. A little longer but I definitely need the kms in the legs!
Photos are up on picasa!
Week 3
As I come into my fourth week in Europe I have fewer stories to tell. Perhaps this is because I'm getting the hang of the place, perhaps I'm getting lazy.
Goethe
My German is improving! Slowly. However it has been really great meeting all the new people in the class. We all battle through our German. Often we lapse into English to get our stories across and add some humour to the discussion but everyone does their best to get back into the German groove where possible. Last week we all visited the local brewery - Groninger Beer- and had a meal. The beer was good and the meal, fantasticly German with lots of meat, sauerkraut and mustard! A litre beer is also a novelty and definitely required to help hydrate after all the salt in the meat! As I mentioned in my last email, we have people from all over the world so everyone has a good story to tell.
Hamburg
We had great weather in my first week here but last week it was pretty miserable. Luckily it wasn't too cold. This morning back in Hamburg it's a lovely 24 degrees and getting warmer through the week. I'll be able to get back on the bike again to keep my training going for Mont Ventoux!
Living in a share house has been brilliant. For starters Sabrina and Oliver are great value. Oliver is studying (History) at the moment and has his last exam of the semester tomorrow. Sabrina is a lawyer for Tesa (sticky tape and also owns Nivea). Whenever she heads out she lets me know and I can join her and meet her friends. Although I sometimes then forgoe doing my german homework, speaking with people teaches me far more anyway!
Germans
I'm developing a hypothesis that Germans are actually relatively lazy and this drives their appearance of efficiency. Very few shops are open on a Sunday. Banks and supermarkets have random opening times so that they can do stocktakes and maintenance in their work time not over-time. Due to continued pressure in the economy many companies are reducing the working week to 4day working weeks and reducing pay. The employees are surprisingly happy about this!
After a weekend at the Schutzenfest I am starting to develop a good knowledge of the cross section of people here. The contrast is not dissimilar to Australia: from the rich investment bankers who dine on the Aussenalster in Hamburg to the Double Denim wearers at the schutzenfest. It's great having time for people watching!
Hannover
Once again a visit to Hannover including catching up with Crissi, Gabor and Gunni. This time, although delayed by one day, James Hay came to visit. I played tour guide through the old part of the city before heading into the Schuetzenplatz. Although our photos don't do it justice (it had been raining and it was the last day) the Schuetzenfest is the biggest in the world and this year they broke their own record by have 1.6 million people come through the gates in 10 days!
The great bit about the Schuetzenfest is that there is a mix of people just there to drink beer. Grandmothers cruise around in groups of 4 or 5 going into each tent to drink beer. The Schuetzen-Vereins or Schuetzen clubs were also a novelty. Groups get together, organise uniforms and then luanch into the booze. Some uniforms look very formal with jackets and bling! Sadly we didn't see any lederhosen. They are probably more famous in the south of Germany. German genius organises things such that the kids would be off playing on the show rides while the parents are sucking down half litre beers with their mates.
When in Rome...
For James and I, there the games began! Our assault on the Schuetzenfest was really a tent crawl trying all the Franzikaner, Herrenhaueser, Astra, Gilde beers. In one tent we discovered a Hannover speciality the Dark Beer + shot of Corn spirit. There is a fine art to drinking this drink. You need to hold both in one hand and as you pour the beer into your mouth you have to pour the spirit into the beer such that is cascades down into the beer and into your mouth. Hay and I become professionals at this. It helped that we had made friends with the barstaff who ensured our table was never empty of drinks. Constantly we were being stood up by oldies smashing these beer shots or half litre beers around us. Hay and I were not game to tackle the show rides. They looked as though they could do some serious damage to a stomach full of beer.
Doing everything in traditional style, we ate Schnitzel and numerous wursts. A standard order of wurst gets you a sausage and a piece of cardboard to hold your sausage with. Mostly you get a piece of bread and some mustard but these are optional. I came hugely unstuck trying to tackle the many Wurst shops. The half metre wurst at the end of the night really put me in my place. Eyes were clearly bigger than my stomach. My poor stomach suffered all the way home and in class on Monday! James headed off to eastern Europe while I hopped on the train back to Hamburg for school. Bloody good fun and great to hang out with Jimmy.
Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Hannover_Weekend#
Food:
I've found a back street along which there are numerous turkish shops. The bread is magnificent, the meat is cheap and the fruit and veg is very good. So I usually am able to get once a week a good load of food for 15 Euro and have enough to last me the week. I'm getting the hang of cooking in a small kitchen but because Sabrina and Oliver don't really cook I have it mostly to myself. They eat their 'warm' meals for lunch and then snack in the evening. I'm still on the Australian eating regime!
This week will be relatively low key. I'm keen to ride to Luebeck and see the Ost See perhaps later this week.
Hope everything is going well wherever you all are around the globe!
Oest
Goethe
My German is improving! Slowly. However it has been really great meeting all the new people in the class. We all battle through our German. Often we lapse into English to get our stories across and add some humour to the discussion but everyone does their best to get back into the German groove where possible. Last week we all visited the local brewery - Groninger Beer- and had a meal. The beer was good and the meal, fantasticly German with lots of meat, sauerkraut and mustard! A litre beer is also a novelty and definitely required to help hydrate after all the salt in the meat! As I mentioned in my last email, we have people from all over the world so everyone has a good story to tell.
Hamburg
We had great weather in my first week here but last week it was pretty miserable. Luckily it wasn't too cold. This morning back in Hamburg it's a lovely 24 degrees and getting warmer through the week. I'll be able to get back on the bike again to keep my training going for Mont Ventoux!
Living in a share house has been brilliant. For starters Sabrina and Oliver are great value. Oliver is studying (History) at the moment and has his last exam of the semester tomorrow. Sabrina is a lawyer for Tesa (sticky tape and also owns Nivea). Whenever she heads out she lets me know and I can join her and meet her friends. Although I sometimes then forgoe doing my german homework, speaking with people teaches me far more anyway!
Germans
I'm developing a hypothesis that Germans are actually relatively lazy and this drives their appearance of efficiency. Very few shops are open on a Sunday. Banks and supermarkets have random opening times so that they can do stocktakes and maintenance in their work time not over-time. Due to continued pressure in the economy many companies are reducing the working week to 4day working weeks and reducing pay. The employees are surprisingly happy about this!
After a weekend at the Schutzenfest I am starting to develop a good knowledge of the cross section of people here. The contrast is not dissimilar to Australia: from the rich investment bankers who dine on the Aussenalster in Hamburg to the Double Denim wearers at the schutzenfest. It's great having time for people watching!
Hannover
Once again a visit to Hannover including catching up with Crissi, Gabor and Gunni. This time, although delayed by one day, James Hay came to visit. I played tour guide through the old part of the city before heading into the Schuetzenplatz. Although our photos don't do it justice (it had been raining and it was the last day) the Schuetzenfest is the biggest in the world and this year they broke their own record by have 1.6 million people come through the gates in 10 days!
The great bit about the Schuetzenfest is that there is a mix of people just there to drink beer. Grandmothers cruise around in groups of 4 or 5 going into each tent to drink beer. The Schuetzen-Vereins or Schuetzen clubs were also a novelty. Groups get together, organise uniforms and then luanch into the booze. Some uniforms look very formal with jackets and bling! Sadly we didn't see any lederhosen. They are probably more famous in the south of Germany. German genius organises things such that the kids would be off playing on the show rides while the parents are sucking down half litre beers with their mates.
When in Rome...
For James and I, there the games began! Our assault on the Schuetzenfest was really a tent crawl trying all the Franzikaner, Herrenhaueser, Astra, Gilde beers. In one tent we discovered a Hannover speciality the Dark Beer + shot of Corn spirit. There is a fine art to drinking this drink. You need to hold both in one hand and as you pour the beer into your mouth you have to pour the spirit into the beer such that is cascades down into the beer and into your mouth. Hay and I become professionals at this. It helped that we had made friends with the barstaff who ensured our table was never empty of drinks. Constantly we were being stood up by oldies smashing these beer shots or half litre beers around us. Hay and I were not game to tackle the show rides. They looked as though they could do some serious damage to a stomach full of beer.
Doing everything in traditional style, we ate Schnitzel and numerous wursts. A standard order of wurst gets you a sausage and a piece of cardboard to hold your sausage with. Mostly you get a piece of bread and some mustard but these are optional. I came hugely unstuck trying to tackle the many Wurst shops. The half metre wurst at the end of the night really put me in my place. Eyes were clearly bigger than my stomach. My poor stomach suffered all the way home and in class on Monday! James headed off to eastern Europe while I hopped on the train back to Hamburg for school. Bloody good fun and great to hang out with Jimmy.
Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Hannover_Weekend#
Food:
I've found a back street along which there are numerous turkish shops. The bread is magnificent, the meat is cheap and the fruit and veg is very good. So I usually am able to get once a week a good load of food for 15 Euro and have enough to last me the week. I'm getting the hang of cooking in a small kitchen but because Sabrina and Oliver don't really cook I have it mostly to myself. They eat their 'warm' meals for lunch and then snack in the evening. I'm still on the Australian eating regime!
This week will be relatively low key. I'm keen to ride to Luebeck and see the Ost See perhaps later this week.
Hope everything is going well wherever you all are around the globe!
Oest
Week 2 - Hamburg / Bremen
Weather:
Just to make everyone jealous, the weather in the North of Germany has been a lovely warm 28 - 30degrees all week. It's a little humid but happy to live with that.
Geothe Course:
I've been studying German for five hours a day at the German language and culture school. People from around the world are studying German here. There are people in my class who have lived in Germany for 10 years and still don't know the grammar! The group is diverse to say the least. There is a Korean elderly man who I found out is a Professor of International Law teaching in Korea. There is a Turkish school teacher who until now, aged nearly 40, had never been on a plane before. He had been teaching German in Turkey for 20 years but never formally learnt German so the Turkish government sent him. We have some Russian girls who seem to be collecting languages presumably to take over the world. Some can speak 6 languages! Then there is me struggling along trying to fix bad habits.
Hamburg:
Hamburg is beautiful and strikingly hugely diverse. Hamburg has everything from the rich suburbs of the bankers and merchants to the more alternative areas such as St. Pauli (The famous Reppebahn is like a super charged Kings Cross - also where the Beatles were first uncovered!). Walking the streets of the city you will see the finely dressed business men in sharp looking suits walking alongside punks that look as though they hadn't changed out of their clothes in months. The drunks that lie begging on the streets also like to take it to the next level by ensuring that they piss their pants to highlight their misfortunes. Hamburg has a certain energy that you won't find in Adelaide!
Photos:
As always my photos are posted here on my Picasa Album or on Facebook.
Reppebahn:
Worthy of a special mention, the Reppebahn really pushes the boundaries of vulgarity. Clearly i've lived a pretty sheltered life! After you have walked past the 50th sex shop and the 100th filthy bar along the Reppebahn, you can find a side street that allows only men to walk down it. Any female seen will be spat on, shouted at and promptly escorted away! Being a harbour city, the sailors wanted their private space away from the hustle and bustle of a male/female community!
Suellberg:
I'm not sure when i'll get tired of riding through tight knit fachwerk villages but again I was riding along the Elbe and found myself in such a village - Suellberg. It is home to Hamburg's biggest mountain; about 100m high! I climbed it a couple of times in training for Mont Ventoux! Suellberg is to Hamburg, what Victor harbour is to Adelaide; only probably twice as old as Australia!
Bremen:
This weekend I visited my Godfather David in Ottersberg, just out of Bremen. He had a busy weekend already planned so it was great to follow him around to see his folk band play (he plays the accordian), help him renovate his cellar and take his goats into the fields to feed. A very wholesome and typically German weekend!
Just to make everyone jealous, the weather in the North of Germany has been a lovely warm 28 - 30degrees all week. It's a little humid but happy to live with that.
Geothe Course:
I've been studying German for five hours a day at the German language and culture school. People from around the world are studying German here. There are people in my class who have lived in Germany for 10 years and still don't know the grammar! The group is diverse to say the least. There is a Korean elderly man who I found out is a Professor of International Law teaching in Korea. There is a Turkish school teacher who until now, aged nearly 40, had never been on a plane before. He had been teaching German in Turkey for 20 years but never formally learnt German so the Turkish government sent him. We have some Russian girls who seem to be collecting languages presumably to take over the world. Some can speak 6 languages! Then there is me struggling along trying to fix bad habits.
Hamburg:
Hamburg is beautiful and strikingly hugely diverse. Hamburg has everything from the rich suburbs of the bankers and merchants to the more alternative areas such as St. Pauli (The famous Reppebahn is like a super charged Kings Cross - also where the Beatles were first uncovered!). Walking the streets of the city you will see the finely dressed business men in sharp looking suits walking alongside punks that look as though they hadn't changed out of their clothes in months. The drunks that lie begging on the streets also like to take it to the next level by ensuring that they piss their pants to highlight their misfortunes. Hamburg has a certain energy that you won't find in Adelaide!
Photos:
As always my photos are posted here on my Picasa Album or on Facebook.
Reppebahn:
Worthy of a special mention, the Reppebahn really pushes the boundaries of vulgarity. Clearly i've lived a pretty sheltered life! After you have walked past the 50th sex shop and the 100th filthy bar along the Reppebahn, you can find a side street that allows only men to walk down it. Any female seen will be spat on, shouted at and promptly escorted away! Being a harbour city, the sailors wanted their private space away from the hustle and bustle of a male/female community!
Suellberg:
I'm not sure when i'll get tired of riding through tight knit fachwerk villages but again I was riding along the Elbe and found myself in such a village - Suellberg. It is home to Hamburg's biggest mountain; about 100m high! I climbed it a couple of times in training for Mont Ventoux! Suellberg is to Hamburg, what Victor harbour is to Adelaide; only probably twice as old as Australia!
Bremen:
This weekend I visited my Godfather David in Ottersberg, just out of Bremen. He had a busy weekend already planned so it was great to follow him around to see his folk band play (he plays the accordian), help him renovate his cellar and take his goats into the fields to feed. A very wholesome and typically German weekend!
The German Cowboy
Hi all,
I hope everyone is well. I'd love to hear news whenever you've got a second on the email / skype!
It was great to see everyone at the Saracen's Head only a week ago. It was fun month prior to that containing a million good-byes. All good times. Thank you.
Here are some updates from my travels in you're interested...see the photos on picasa or Facebook to help put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Don't carry bikes around the world:
I've been dragging my bike case around and it's as massive pain. I caught the train from the Frankfurt Airport to Mannheim and upon arrival would've just walked another 2kms to the Youth Hostel but instead chose to hire a cab even though due to the railways it would have been quicker walking. A pain at the time but having a bike in Europe is brilliant!
Bikes:
Speaking of bikes: they are ever where. It makes me happy! I borrowed one from the National Theatre and cruised the city and also rode to Heidelberg. It was an absolutely glorious ride. I have posted some photos on Facebook or MannheimHeidelbergByBike
Similarly, I joined a "fun" ride on the outskirts of Hannover today and did a 155km loop of the smaller villages and countryside. Rad Touren Fahrt. I rode with a couple of randoms that I met along the way. I might have hurt a few of the old guys who tried to tag along! Couldn't resist. Next time I will ride with a stronger group and they can inflict some Eric Zabel pain on me...
Germans:
- They design / build the most safety conscious cars and yet helmets are not required when riding a bike. In fact riders wearing helmets are very much a minority.
-They have a very expensive health care system and yet still you get to choose whether you want 'raucher' or 'nicht racher' accommodation, internet cafe etc.
- In Italy after a bike ride everyone eats pasta. In Australia after a bike ride everyone goes for a coffee. In Germany after a bike ride they eat Bockwurst and Weissbier...
Hannover
I've been to Hannover twice now and I really like the mix of old world architecture and the newer design work. They love their sculptures and pride themselves of the fantastic restoration of the city after it was bombed so badly that 90% was unrecognisable after the war. The Herrenhauser Gardens are of the old design yet they have a room of psychedelic art as part of it. I can't wait for Schuetzenfest in two weeks! http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/HannoverJune09
Business School:
I went to visit the MBS people and they offered the opportunity to sit in a lecture. I was taken the lecture theatre where the Head of the School Prof Homburg was taking a lecture on Marketing (his specialty) and in particular 'Customer Satisfaction'. This two hour lecture got me very excited about study in September; particularly after meeting some of the current students after the lecture over a coffee. Most of the class has now met on Facebook and already there is talk of catching up early to look into a few interesting Social Entrepreneurial projects.
Accommodation:
I'm currently staying in Hamburg in a share flat. I'll be here for a month to learn German. I've organised to rent a share apartment in Mannheim. My home from September will be Langstrasse 26, Neckarstadt. It's a very nice area not far from the top of the Quadrat and less than 10mins to the Uni by bike.
New Mobile Phone Number:
Best to get me on Skype ('ajoest') or email. I'm about to cancel my Australian number and now have a German prepaid card (+49151 2683 2288) in emergency!
Cheers,
Oest
--
________________
Adrian J. Oest
+49151 2683 2288
twitter.com/ajoest
ajoest.googlepages.com/home
I hope everyone is well. I'd love to hear news whenever you've got a second on the email / skype!
It was great to see everyone at the Saracen's Head only a week ago. It was fun month prior to that containing a million good-byes. All good times. Thank you.
Here are some updates from my travels in you're interested...see the photos on picasa or Facebook to help put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Don't carry bikes around the world:
I've been dragging my bike case around and it's as massive pain. I caught the train from the Frankfurt Airport to Mannheim and upon arrival would've just walked another 2kms to the Youth Hostel but instead chose to hire a cab even though due to the railways it would have been quicker walking. A pain at the time but having a bike in Europe is brilliant!
Bikes:
Speaking of bikes: they are ever where. It makes me happy! I borrowed one from the National Theatre and cruised the city and also rode to Heidelberg. It was an absolutely glorious ride. I have posted some photos on Facebook or MannheimHeidelbergByBike
Similarly, I joined a "fun" ride on the outskirts of Hannover today and did a 155km loop of the smaller villages and countryside. Rad Touren Fahrt. I rode with a couple of randoms that I met along the way. I might have hurt a few of the old guys who tried to tag along! Couldn't resist. Next time I will ride with a stronger group and they can inflict some Eric Zabel pain on me...
Germans:
- They design / build the most safety conscious cars and yet helmets are not required when riding a bike. In fact riders wearing helmets are very much a minority.
-They have a very expensive health care system and yet still you get to choose whether you want 'raucher' or 'nicht racher' accommodation, internet cafe etc.
- In Italy after a bike ride everyone eats pasta. In Australia after a bike ride everyone goes for a coffee. In Germany after a bike ride they eat Bockwurst and Weissbier...
Hannover
I've been to Hannover twice now and I really like the mix of old world architecture and the newer design work. They love their sculptures and pride themselves of the fantastic restoration of the city after it was bombed so badly that 90% was unrecognisable after the war. The Herrenhauser Gardens are of the old design yet they have a room of psychedelic art as part of it. I can't wait for Schuetzenfest in two weeks! http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/HannoverJune09
Business School:
I went to visit the MBS people and they offered the opportunity to sit in a lecture. I was taken the lecture theatre where the Head of the School Prof Homburg was taking a lecture on Marketing (his specialty) and in particular 'Customer Satisfaction'. This two hour lecture got me very excited about study in September; particularly after meeting some of the current students after the lecture over a coffee. Most of the class has now met on Facebook and already there is talk of catching up early to look into a few interesting Social Entrepreneurial projects.
Accommodation:
I'm currently staying in Hamburg in a share flat. I'll be here for a month to learn German. I've organised to rent a share apartment in Mannheim. My home from September will be Langstrasse 26, Neckarstadt. It's a very nice area not far from the top of the Quadrat and less than 10mins to the Uni by bike.
New Mobile Phone Number:
Best to get me on Skype ('ajoest') or email. I'm about to cancel my Australian number and now have a German prepaid card (+49151 2683 2288) in emergency!
Cheers,
Oest
--
________________
Adrian J. Oest
+49151 2683 2288
twitter.com/ajoest
ajoest.googlepages.com/home
Gold Medal
I got to hold Duncan Free's Gold Medal this morning. While it seemed pretty cool at the time, upon reflection the medal is a very humble gesture to acknowledge the supreme workload that has gone into being the fastest mens pair at the Beijing Olympics.
Duncan used quotes like: "Make pain your friend" which again don't do the effort justice.
I can only begin to imagine the many nights lying in bed being totally exhausted thinking: why am I doing this? Or is it all worth it? Or suffering a knock-back and needing to get back into it the next day. Obviously this is the strength of the human condition of these fine rowers.
And to think that after so many years, it took only six and half minutes to reach that goal. Incredible. I hope he can do it all again in London.
Duncan used quotes like: "Make pain your friend" which again don't do the effort justice.
I can only begin to imagine the many nights lying in bed being totally exhausted thinking: why am I doing this? Or is it all worth it? Or suffering a knock-back and needing to get back into it the next day. Obviously this is the strength of the human condition of these fine rowers.
And to think that after so many years, it took only six and half minutes to reach that goal. Incredible. I hope he can do it all again in London.
Wolfram Alpha
It is very interesting. I'm researching this at the moment for a presentation I want to do at work before I go - a parting gift if you like!
I watched a webcast on Web3.0 the other night by the guy that originally invented the internet.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/tim_berners_lee_on_the_next_web.html
The guy, Tim Berners-Lee is not a particularly good speaker however in my view he's a pretty incredible person to have invented the internet! No piece of technology has had so much of an affect on our lives in the last 50 - 100 years. He makes it sound so simple.
Other sites of interest (maybe only interesting to geeks like myself...)
He was presenting at TED how web2.0 is/was all about bringing people together (Facebook, MySpace etc). His view/prediction is that Web3.0 is all about bringing data together. That is making Data available for all to share and interpret. Obviously there are copyright issues, but its not to say that some data would be valuable to others and not create privacy issues. This Wolfram site begins to set up systems that might be able to make sense of all this data. I personally don't have a use for Wolfram at the moment so its irrelevant however I like toys so will be keeping an eye on it as it evolves. It is cool, that's for sure.
I watched a webcast on Web3.0 the other night by the guy that originally invented the internet.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/
The guy, Tim Berners-Lee is not a particularly good speaker however in my view he's a pretty incredible person to have invented the internet! No piece of technology has had so much of an affect on our lives in the last 50 - 100 years. He makes it sound so simple.
Other sites of interest (maybe only interesting to geeks like myself...)
http://anthillonline.com/the-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
He was presenting at TED how web2.0 is/was all about bringing people together (Facebook, MySpace etc). His view/prediction is that Web3.0 is all about bringing data together. That is making Data available for all to share and interpret. Obviously there are copyright issues, but its not to say that some data would be valuable to others and not create privacy issues. This Wolfram site begins to set up systems that might be able to make sense of all this data. I personally don't have a use for Wolfram at the moment so its irrelevant however I like toys so will be keeping an eye on it as it evolves. It is cool, that's for sure.
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