Any Excuse to Travel

Stories from travels in

Germany

Hamburg, Germany

I wasn’t in Hamburg long enough to do it justice. I literally had a few hours to get a taste of what seems to be

Framed photo on a while wall. The photo is of a wall onwhich is written Und hier war einst ein KZ (and here was once a concentration camp)

Neuengamme, Germany

In the German hamlet of Neuengamme, a short drive from Hamburg and Geesthacht sits a sobering reminder of man’s inhumanity to man – a concentration

Sign - black letters spell Geesthacht on a white background - beside a railway track with a redbricked train station in the background to the left

Geesthacht: Germany’s Little Moscow

When a change in the course of a river splits a town in two, it leaves something special behind. No one told me that. I

Geesthacht: Germany’s powder chamber

Watching the Netflix series Transatlantic I was surprised to hear someone say that they hadn’t met since Geesthacht. Until recently, I’d never heard of this

Buildings in Berlin

One of the many things that make Berlin interesting is the juxtaposition of old and new. Streets in the city are lined with alternate old

Which Way is East?

Before last week, what I knew about Berlin would have fit on the back of a milk carton. Think Berlin – think the wall. Visiting

Berlin Markets: Todelmarkt and Mauerpark

It’s a testimony to German efficiency that a market spanning two city blocks can be set up and taken down every day. The transition from

A Tale of Two Cities

It seemed as if there were two cities. One that I could touch and feel. Another that I only caught the occasional glimpse of. A

Bumping into Beethoven

I doubt there is anywhere in Bonn you can go and not see a picture of the man himself. And credit where credit is due…if

From Budafok to Bonn

Apart from the fact that I’m having an increasingly hard time imagining sweet nothings whispered in German actually sounding remotely romantic, I was quite taken