Goslar und Wernigerode

Posted on July 1, 2024 by borysSNORC

It’s Monday, in Europe… and you know what that means! Everything is closed!

So as much as was possible, we arranged for today to be a transit day between Hanover and Berlin with some drive through visits to a couple of small towns in the Hartz Mountain areas for a bit of a sticky beak knowing that we’d get to these villages and likely nothing would be open. All good – day of scenic driving it is.

First stop was the town of Goslar, which is mostly known for its super cute medieval altstadt (old town) and its half timber houses. There is also an Imperial Palace here with historic murals (Monday: closed) and a cool church St. Cosmas and Damian with some fragments of 13thC stained glass windows (Monday: open). The area is also known for its silver and copper mining in the Rammelsberg Mountains which have been operating for over 1000 years in the area (which does my head in, because *nothing* is that old at home!), and there’s a Mining Museum in the area (Monday: closed), and a cool underground railway with waterwheels and stuff (Monday: closed), but most of that will just have to wait until I come back and visit the area at some time in the future. Which I totally intend to, because this place must be so fairy-tale cool during December when the Christmas Markets are on.

The Altstadt was really beautiful – perfectly preserved, beautiful brick and timber buildings with slate roofing, and pretty little turret windows everywhere.

Most of these buildings are restaurants with small holiday accomodations above.

The cobblestone streets and squares are gorgeous to look at, but not a lot of fun when you’re having problems walking. Stupid fucking knee; can’t wait to get it sorted.

There’s civic art and then there is this ‘thing’. It’s right outside the tourist information office and beside the old church – but with no placard or explanation whatsoever. It seems really out of place. It is apparently called the “Goslar Nail Head” and no one is quite sure what it means, but I have a feeling it’s nothing good!

The market church in Goslar is a Protestant Parish church called, St Cosmas and Damians. It is named after those two saints who were early Christian doctors believed to have performed many miraculous healings of sick people in the Asia Minor region in the 3rdC AD. The two saints are considered to be the patron satins of the sick, as well as doctors and pharmacists. The church itself is first mentioned in historical documents from the 12thC but the construction of the existing church is predominantly 14th-15thC work.

This guy started playing the organ not long after we entered the church – it’s amazing listening to these enormous instruments filling the space as you visit.

These are apparently 12thC stained glass panels from the original church – which would be super impressive if I hadn’t just been in Saint Chapelle in Paris just a few weeks ago! I’m so lucky!

It is a very pretty little church to explore, but compared to the majestic cathedrals of most cities in Europe, it is a fairly quick visit.

I would definitely like to come back here in winter for the Christmas markets – the more you wander through the town centre, it has a really lovely atmosphere and every street has a beautiful old world medieval feel to it. It’s a gorgeous place.

I was remarking to Angus on how the Cologne Cathedral was built across a period of over 600 years with the same design and architecture, but spanning over generations of people all sticking fastidiously to the plan even though they would never be the people who would see the project completed… and I compared it to the difficulty you have these days getting even five people to agree on what a bus shelter should look like?! Well, apparently in Goslar they don’t have that problem – someone/s here have decided that a throne is integral to superior bus shelter design! 🙂

This cute little hotel is called the Romantix Hotel Alte Münze – and I took some pics of it because it is the perfect location and exact amount of quaint I will require for my next visit! 😀

This little train runs tourists around the town to see all the old buildings… bit Disneyeque imo, but no doubt some with young children would enjoy it.

As we were getting ready to leave – there was a parade coming through the town. We have’nt been able to ascertain what exactly it was to celebrate/honour, but there was a drummer and lots of flautists and a fair bit of prideful pomp and costume.

Love me some good heraldic banners!

After this it was back on our scenic route to Berlin via Wernigerode.

We passed many ‘unsightly’ windmills that were no doubt killing birds and upsetting whales or whatever the fuck that ridiculous orange-cockwaffle keeps saying about renewable wind energy equipment. :/

We also went through loads of beautiful countryside with corn fields, wheat field and (because, Germany and beer!), fields filled with hops!

Wernigerode is another village which has a fabled timber housed old town, including a cool medieval Town Hall or ‘Rat Haus’ (Monday: closed) and a well known, leaning old Crooked House. There’s also the Wernigerode Castle (Monday: closed), and a wee musuem (Monday: closed), which has views to the town, but we didn’t drive up as everything is shut up there. You gotta be somewhere on a Monday when you’re travelling and being on a drive may as well be it, but it’s sad to be so close to lots of cool stuff and it’s shut. We did see the Drei Annen Hohne train station, where the Brockenbahn steam trains run to Mt. Brocken, and this was open, but we didn’t really have time to go tootling around on steam trains for the entire afternoon… not when we were chasing some food, having skipped breakfast, and still had to make it to Berlin (and preferably before peak hour!). 🙂

This fountain was a little hard to decipher – apparently that is the Branch of the Past which has witches and Roman gods on it (there were witch trials held in the Hartz Mountain areas, so there are witch motifs all over here and Goslar – on food labels, on souvenirs, everything), and on the other side is this weird dude who represents the future and he has a frog apparently, though Lord knows why? Might need to dig into that a bit later at some other time!

The Marktplaz… and (closed) Rat Haus.

So many restaurants to choose from – but as you get closer to them, you discover most of them are cake and coffee shops, designed to sit and watch the world go by. The ‘world going by’ was notably rather quiet today – because MONDAY!

The very empty town square which must get extremely busy in full Christmas season also.

We ended up at the Wernigerode Brauhaus for lunch – and we got a very quizzical and confused look from the publican when neither of us ordered a beer! Upon looking around, everyone was sitting in front of a large stein of something. Oh well… neither of us particularly like beer, so it’s all so thoroughly wasted on the two of us. Instead, it was schnitzels and burgers for our main meal of the day, and skipping dinner tonight I think. I can’t seem to order a meal without pommes frites so usually ended up sending back a plate full of fries.

This is the tourist information office in Wernigerode. What a cool little building.

I like these – I think Brisbane needs one. Wait, we might have one somewhere, I’d never know! Never played tourist in Brisbane because I think of it as somewhere ‘with no cool shit to see’. 😛

The castle overlooking the town with an ominous sky… after a brief wander around and a stop for lunch we hit the road to head to BERLIN!

Berliner Dom – I’ve been here before, but it’s on the agenda for Angus to visit tomorrow.

Berlin is a very beautiful city full of gorgeous old buildings – which never fails to boggle the mind when I consider how heavily bombed the city was in WWII. The efforts and funds involved in rebuilding are phenomenal. Because we are here for three nights, have work to do while we are here, and I felt we had probably had enough of the pokiest of pokey hotel rooms in the Altstadt s for a while – I had booked us a larger room at the Radisson Park Inn. Seems to have been a good call. We have a proper desk to work at and a couch space for a change so no need to sit on the bed and work on laptops.

View front he 35th floor – very cool. This is the only really tall building around for some reason…? Tomorrow we hunt out security and infrastructure overlay information surrounding the EuroCup and then hopefully hit up a museum if we have time.

Aachen

Posted on June 26, 2024 by borysSNORC

Aachen was I think originally a spa town? It is mostly known now for the stunning Aachen Cathedral and its Domschatzkammer (treasury). I’ve wanted to see both for years now, so was glad of the opportunity to break up our drive to Cologne with a stop through Aachen.

On first inspection, the cathedral looks pretty ‘normal’ on the outside, but the interior is unlike any other medieval cathedral in central Europe.

Charlemagne began the construction of Aachen Cathedral in approximately 796 AD. The design and construction is credited to Carolingian architect Odo of Metz. The date it was finished isn’t exactly known, but it was consecrated by Pope Leo III in 805 AD. Charlemagne was buried in the chapel in 814. The chapel has a storied history of pilgrims, and damage… including significant damage during a Viking raid in 881 and subsequent restoration in 983AD.

The Aachen Pilgrimage is one of the great Christian pilgrimages – comparable to those of Jerusalem, Rome and the Santiago de Compostela. Four significant relics are believed to reside in the Aachen Cathedral, which ave drawn pilgrims since 1239AD… including, the swaddling cloths of the baby Jesus, the loincloth of Jesus, a dress worn by the Virgin Mary and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist! That’ll get them medieval tourists a running!

The mosaic ceilings in here are incredible!

During World War II, Aachen and the cathedral were heavily damaged by allied bombing attacks and artillery fire. Thankfully most of the cathedral’s artistic objects had been removed for more secure storage during the war, and the underlying basic structure of the building survived the bombings. Large parts of the 14thC choir hall and altar were destroyed beyond repair. A reconstruction effort was undertaken and over the next 30 years, an estimated modern day €40 million was spent to restore the cathedral.

The octagonal central nave of the cathedral was erected as the chapel of the nearby Palace of Aachen. It was built c. 796-805 and was modelled on other contemporary Byzantine style buildings – like the Little Hagia Sophia in (then) Constantinople. The design influence is very recognisable. The span and height of the Charlemagne’s chapel remained the largest of its kind in Northern Europe for over 200 years.

The intricate mosaics are simply breathtaking!

In the centre of the octagonal chapel hangs the Barbarossa Chandelier, which was made c. 1165-1170, on the order of Emperor Frederick I and his wife, Beatrice. The chandleries was a sacerdotal offering from these patrons in honour of Mary, Mother of God, and simultaneously represented a tribute to Charlemagne.

Looking up from the floor through the Barbarossa Chandelier…

This cathedral isn’t as large as many other grand cathedrals, but everywhere you look there is intricate mosaics and gorgeous designs adorning the walls, ceilings and even the floors. It’s visually quite arresting.

The Cathedral’s main chapel with its Golden Altar piece – known as the Pala D’Oro, which was built in 1020.

The golden Pala d’Ora today forms the antependium of the high altar and has 17 gold panels with reliefs completed using repoussé techniques. The centre has Christ as the centre of the world, and he is flanked by Mary and the Archangel Michael.

The Marienschrein (the Shrine of Mary) is the primary reliquary in the centre of the main chapel. It was bestowed upon the Cathedral around 1220 and consecrated in 1239. This is where we are told the objects believed to be ‘contact relics’, are housed – the swaddling clothes of the baby Jesus, the loincloth of Jesus, a dress of Mary’s and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist. The Marieschrein is one of the most important goldsmith’s works of the 13thC and records indicate it became an object of great interest and pilgrimage almost immediately. The casket has been variously handled by many pilgrims, and used in many processions sustaining quite a bit of damage over the centuries… it was refurbished in 2000 and has been en vitrine ever since (bar a yearly inspection and cleaning).

The fabulously golden pulpit is called the ‘Ambon of Henry II’. It is in a shape built by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor and is heavily decorated with antique bowls, ivory carvings, chess figures, reliefs of various evangelists. The ambon was moved from the octagon to its present place in 1414. It is considered a significant artwork of the Ottonian period. I love it when there are lots of information plaques about – you can learn so much, but it does make me wonder how much I’m missing at sites with less info.

So shiny! And stuffed full of large gems.

The Shrine of Charlemagne is located in the rear of the main cathedral. Ever since 1215 this shrine has held the mortal remains of Charlemagne (who karked it in, like, 814 and was canonised in 1165). The emperor’s bones are surrounded by depictions of 16 of his successors.

Everywhere you look there are beautiful motifs and decorations… pelican. 🙂

St Nicholas’ Chapel built c.1474 – it is two stories high and contains a large rosary window.

Stepping outside the cathedral, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the light – and also there’s a slight disbelief that this outwardly innocuous building could contain such amazing decorative arts. It’s somewhat surreal.

Around the corner (literally) is the Aachen Domschatzkammer – the Aachen Treasury, where all their lavish and famous artefacts are housed. The Aachen Cathedral Treasury houses one Europe’s most renowned church treasuries – a unique collection of precious works collected across the long history of Aachen Cathedral. There are objects from the late classical period, the Carolingian, Ottonian, Saturnian and high gothic periods.

Left: Charlemagne with a miniature of Our Lady of Aachen Cathedral, Rheinland, Aachen c.1460., oil on wood. With the rise of heraldry in the 12thC, Charlemagne is depicted wearing the heraldry of France and Germany, even though such devices would not have been in use during his lifetime.
Right: Charlemagne, by Wilhelm Schmitz, Aachen 1886, painted wood sculpture. Wearing Frankish clothing, a crown, orb and sword – this figure originally adorned the Altar of St Peter.

Charlemagne from the Ambon of Henry II, Master goldsmith Franz Anton Cremer, Aachen 1816/17. The relief is designed on a copperplate engraving from 1632 after the original Ottonian Ambon was damaged during French Occupation (1794-1814).

Vessel for Holy Water bearing designs of ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries. Ivory, precious stones and gilded silver, silver and bronze. West German/Lorraine, c.1000 with later handle added in 1863.

Golden Book Cover, depicting the Virgin Mary with Child and scenes from Jesus’ life. Ivory panel Byzantine, 10thC. Rhineland production – gold, precious stones, enamel, antique engraving, gems and ivory.

Winged Altarpice, with the Mass of St Gregory flanked by saints and the Virgin Mary and Child.
Central Shrine of oak, sculptures lime or poplar. Hildensheim, c.1525.

Cope brooch depicting patron saints Anthony and Mark. Gilded silver, pearls, precious stones, enamel.
Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen, prior to 1520.

Ostensories. Guilded copper.
Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen 16thC.

Reliquary, guilded silver and rock crystal. Hans von Reutlingen c. 1515.

Chalice and Paten. Silver-gilt and engraved. Aachen, 15thC.

Monstance, gilded silver, with diamants. Hans von Reutlingen, Aix-la-Chapelle c.1520.

Winged Altarpiece depicting a Passion of Christ.
Master of the Aachen Altar, Cologne, c.1515-1520. oil on oak.

Pouring Vessels – aquamantile in the shape of a lion. Cast bronze, Rhein-Meuse region, c. 1170-1180

Pouring vessel – aquamanile in the shape of a wreathed bust. Case bronze, gilded.
Aachen, c.1170-1180.

Altarpiece depicting the Crucifixion of Christ and a kneeling benefactor, Count of Sayn.
Master of the Legend of Georg, Cologne, c.1460.

Enamel panel with Christ in his Majesty. Guilded copper and enamel.
Meuse Region, c.1180, converted into a Cope Brooch with he addition of filigree work in 1870.

Crux Gremmata- Cross of Lothair.
Wooden core, gold, gilded silver, precious stones, pearls, enamel.
Rheinland – possibly Cologne? – last quarter of the 10thC. Pedestal added later c.1370-1399

Relief Panel with Jesus’ birth, baptism in the River Jordan. Ivory, Meuse region c.1100.

Chapel Reliquary with the Virgin Mary and child, Charlemagne and St Catherine.
Silver, mostly gilded, pearls, previous stones and enamel. Aachen mid 14thC.

Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne with Crown. Contains a piece of the skullcap of Charlemagne.
Partially gilded silver, precious stones, antique engraved gems, enamel crown.
Crown: Possibly Prague (?) prior to 1349.
Bust: Aachen, after 1349.

Chapel Reliquary with Christ together with the Saints John the Baptist and Stephanus.
Gilded silver, precious stones, enamel. Aachen c.1370-1390.

Arm Reliquary of Charlemagne – contains the ulna and radius from the right arm of Charlemagne.
gilded silver, enamel. Lyon, France, 1481.

Hunting Horn of Charlemagne – signalling horn.
Horn: Ivory, gilded silver. Egyptian 11thC.
Carrying Strap: velvet with stitched-on device. 14th & 17th additions.

Dagger – Hunting Knife of Charlemagne
Knife: pattern-welded irony, wooden handle with brass fittings. Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian 8thC
Sheath: leather, gold, previous stones, glass, 11thC.

Reliquary Pendant – Pectoral Cross of Charlemagne.
Gilded silver, precious stones and pearls. Liege, Belgium, 12thC.

Lucas Madonna, pilgrims token – casting stone and cast. 17thC.

Proserpina Sarcophagus – depicting the abduction of Proserpina.
Marble, first quarter of the 3rdC AD.

Capps Leonie – Cope and Coronation Robe.
Silver velvet, silk, gold and silver thread. Gilded silver rosettes, 100 silver bells without clappers, pearls and precious stones. Location unknown, constructed prior to 1349, altered 1520.

Chasuble of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux – Priest’s Garment.
Blue silk, pearls, embroidery, gold/silver embroidery. Aachen c. 1170/80. Ground fabric renewed 17thC.

Cupboard Panels c.1881-1918. Oil on timber.
Left: Saint Victorious was a Roman military offical – depicted with a crown sceptre and imperial orb.
Centre: Saint Wenceslas (903-935) promoter of the church and consolidated Christianity in Bohemia.
Right: Saint Leonardus, lived c.500AD. Depicted as an abbot with a tonsure, chasuble and crosier.

Silk embroidery – Virgin of Mercy, depicting benefactors of Mary of Burgundy and Emperor Maximilian I of Austria. Silk, gold and silver embroidery on linen. Brussels before 1473.

Crown of Margaret of York. Glides silver, pearls, enamel, precious stones. England. C.1461.

Icon, Virgin Mary with Child. Tempura on wood. Andreas Ritzos, Crete, early 16thC.

Statuette Reliquary – Virgin Mary with Child, silver, partially gilded, amethyst. Aachen c.1280.

Cope Brooch, with the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Gilded silver. Aachen early 15thC.

Adoration of hate Child Jesus in the holiday night.
Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1520, oil/tempura on wood.

Cope Brooch with the Annunciaton to the Virgin Mary and the Saints Christoper and Cornelius and kneeling benefactor. Gilded silver, pearls and enamel. Aachen or Cologne – c.1360-1370.

Life of the Virgin Mary of Aachen – Eight panel paintings with depictions of the life of the Virgin Mary.
Master of the Life of the Virgin Mary of Aachen, Cologne, c. 1485. Oil on oak.

Ornamental Necklace.
Necklace: gilded silver, enamel, pearls. Pendant: gold, enamel. Paris or Burgundy, c.1400-1450.

Altar of Fralkenstein – winged altarpiece with Virgin Mary and Child, the saints Mathew, Erasmus, Mary of Egypt and on wings, benefactors Kuno and Werner of Kalkenstein being commended to Saints Peter and Paul. Tempera on canvas covered wood. Aachen, early 15thC.

Enthroned Virgin Mary with Child, wooden sculpture – oak with 19thC painting.
Rhine-Meuse region, early 14thC.

Reliquaries : rock crystal, precious sonnets, antique sardonyx, cut onyx, translucid enamel
All from Prague, c.1360
Left: Reliquary for a Girdle of Christ
Centre: Reliquary for a Girdle of the Virgin Mary
Right: Reliquary for the Scourge of Christ.

Disc Reliquary with relics and scenes of the Passion of Christ.
Gilded silver, pearls, rock crystal, precious stones, translucid enamel. Vienna c. 1340-1350.

Simeon Reliquary – Reliquary with the Presentaiton of Jesus at the Temple.
Gilded silver, precious stones, enamel, stone cuttings. Aachen, c.1330-1340.

Shring of Saint Spec – Relic Chest with relics of Saint Spes/Speus. Wooden chest, ivory, gilded copper, gilded silver. Southern Italy c.11th-12thC. Metal straps: Aachen, c.1165-1170.

Shrine of Saint Felix – relic chest with relics of St Felix.
Wood, silver, enamel. Italy, 11thC.

Reliquary of Saint Anastasius- Reliquary for the skull of Saint Anastasius.
Partially gilded silver, niello. Antioch, c.969-970.

Heraldic Chest of Richard of Cornwall – Wooden chest with 40 enamel medallions.
Cedar with red glaze, gilded copper and enamel medallions. Limoges, France, c.1258.

Chalices, gilded silver, filigree, corals. Hungary, 16thC.

Koormantelgespen – Cope brooches. Silver, gilded silver, and silver enamel. Hungary, before 1367.

Reliquary Chalices, gilded silver, filigree, corals. Hungary, 16thC.

Painting in gold work frame. Virgin Mary with Child in an Eastern Orthodox style.
Painting: Tempura on wood. Frame: Gilded silver, enamel and previous stones. Hungary, c.1367.

Wow, Aachen sure delivers on the fine medieval decorative art pieces. I loved every bit of it… yes, I am aware no one else is going to want to read through all this, but one day I’ll go back through it all.

Bastogne – War Museum

Posted on June 26, 2024 by borysSNORC

The Bastogne War Museum is a World War II museum focusing on the Battle of the Bulge, located a few kilometres northeast of the Bastogne city centre in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. We were looking for somewhere to break up the afternoon drive, and this feel like a culturally useful stop… gotta smash some history into your STEM students any which way you can!

Out front we encountered what appeared to be some select pieces from Berlin’s East Side Gallery, including some very colourful painted Trabants.

According to the interwebs – ‘the musuem is located on the former Bastogne Historical Centre Site and was opened in 2014 after four years of work. It features a highly interactive audio tour walkthrough which takes about two hours and showcases many artefacts from the events leading up to and the battle of Bastogne itself. It has three immersive films and follows the story of four fictional characters involved in the battle. The main exhibition progresses chronologically and presents a timeline before, during and after the offensive’… which kinda sounds okay? Until you get there!

OMG it’s a massive swing and a miss from me on the audio tour nonsense. Most of the displays are full of text – lots of maps, written explanations in four different languages, info about different artefacts and objects, and all the while you have these four fictional characters babbling in your ear trying to make the experience somehow personal and relatable. I had to shut those fuckers up so I could read and actually absorb something!

I know these sorts of things are probably designed for people who are unaccustomed to steady reading, or are only used to having their history totally spoon-fed to them, but I don’t know how anyone could possibly follow the narration of the tour *and* absorb the chronological timeline and details that are right in front of them. Especially given the narration is done very emotively with music and/or the sounds and noises of war running through the entire soundtrack. :/

I took some photos here and there, but am so not going to hash over the day to day of the build up to the Battle for Bastogne. I am certain there are any multitude of documentaries available on this particular engagement on Netflix at any given time, and if your patience doesn’t run to an hour long documentary, I am sure there are some TL;DRs on YouTube you could find for a 20min run down… failing that, go watch ‘Band of Brothers’ and you can have a expertly dramatised version of the events as told by US soldiers who lived through it.

Hitler wrote Mein Kampf while in jail after WWI… not sure why it made me think of Trump’s Project 2025 manifesto, but it currently does. 😐

DM notes when inflation went crackers post WWII.

I find Nazi memorabilia morbidly interesting; at the time it was probably no different from any other type of orangised group of people in society plonking their symbols all over their badges, flags, crockery, cutlery etc. But now? With the historical context, seeing a swastika anywhere (that isn’t a Japanese temple) is just so… jarring.

Youth passport.

Typical items of kit.

A portable printing system used by the Resistance.

Map of the European and Pacific theatres.

Paratroopers very high tech kit… oh dear god.

The Pacific Theatre – just like in Japan, there is ZERO mention of the ANGAU troops and the engagement in Milne Bay in PNG that dealt the Japanese army their first defeat in the region. I mean, I would probably know nothing about it if it weren’t for the fact that my grandfather served in the 25th Batallion there in WWII. I find it interesting that even here, there is plenty about the US and Midway and Guadalcanal, but not a peep about Aussie chokkos repelling the Japanese.

I had expected far more vehicles and even aircraft in this museum – the air support was integral to holding Bastogne against the Germans once the Allies were surrounded. But not so much.

How to talk, children and not give away plans to the enemies.

I’m unsure what sort of tank this is… but it does look far to clean and shiny for this purpose.

The restored state of these vehicles seems unnecessary. In Gallipoli, nearly everything looks aged, distressed and ‘like it’s been through a war’. A lot of these displays feel… sanitised.

One of the video presentations, complete with fog machine and voices of a German LT, and an American solider talking about the days waiting for Patton from either side of the engagement.

Another dirty big tank, that looks clean and brand spanking new with a fresh coat of paint, in spite of the enormous hole in the side of it?

Local artwork made in the years following the war – repurposed brass to make lanterns, reliquary type objects, an umbrella stand and even a little wishing well.

Newspaper front page after Hiroshima is bombed…

There was another section of the Musuem called, the ‘45 … which had some enormous dioramas made up. This was weird – there was no context given for this area of the museum. Just cleaned up cars and staged scenery for them.

Outside there are some monuments to the 75,000 American soldiers who lost their lives in Bastogne at the Battle of the Bulge. The offensive was integral in turning the war in favour of the Allied forces. The German army suffered over 100,000 casualties. These monuments have a very ‘Thank you, America!’, feel about them. In fact, the entire town of Bastogne has that vibe, with plenty of American flags and actual ‘Thank You!’, signs visible in shops etc.

The major monument dedicated to the American servicemen who came from all parts of the US.

Much like Waterloo, which I visited a couple of months ago, it is a strange feeling to look out onto such peaceful countryside and know that the ground was once soaked with the blood of so many young men killed in war here. The noise of the aircraft, tanks and artillery couldn’t be further away as you listen to birds and leaves rustling in nearby trees.

Popped into a cafe in Bastogne with Angus because Belgium equals… WAFFLES!

And later – some traditional pommes frittes with mayo on our drive.

Heidelberg with bonus Castle

Posted on June 22, 2024 by borysSNORC

Heidelberg! Such a cool little town in southwestern Germany on the Neckar River. It is mostly famous as a university town. Heidelberg University was founded in the 14th century and the place, unsurprisingly, has a real student hangout kinda vibe. Lots of cafés, a bit of street art, and I understand they have amazing Christmas markets here. There is also a Literature Festival happening here at the moment, which is adding to the student ambiance – lots of people sitting in cafes reading a book of all things! The red-sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a noted example of Renaissance architecture, stands on Königstuhl hill and we plan on checking that out if time allows.

The European Cup is on at the moment and everywhere is football mad. There are bus loads of football tourists everywhere. It’s largely the reason why we are in Germany for this trip – where there is sporting events, there is event transport requirements, which is huge part of what we are doing with our US clients for the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics – study tour ahoy. The Fan Zones are really interesting study in the logistical management of inebriated patrons!

Anyway, Saturday, so sightseeing at the Heidelberger Schloss.

The ruins of Heidelberg Castle dominate the skyline over the town. It has only been partially rebuilt since it’s near total demolition in the 17thC and 18thC. It is about 80m up the northern face of the Königstuhl mountainside and you can’t miss it from the Altstadt.

The earliest part of the castle construction was started back in 1214 and was later expanded into two large castles to hold an ever expanding court in 1294. In 1537 however, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle (photos of the split tower of the upper castle are below), and the present structures were then expanded from that time until 1650. The castle copped more damage from the Palapatine Wars and other fire incidents, and would you believe it? Another lightening bolt struck the caste in 1764, this time hitting a gun powder store, which utterly obliterated much of the rebuilt sections.

All of which is to say, that the castle is in various parts, ruins, and a hodge-podge of architectural styles from the different periods through which it was originally built, and then rebuilt after destructive events.

I love these big old fortification doors – with the itty bitty door to let people in and out without opening the whole thing.

Above: an obviously older part of the original castle.
Below: the later period Ottheinrichsbau courtyard…

Also inside Heidelberger Schloss is the Deutsche Apotheken Museum – a historical examination of the apothecary’s trade, place of work and products. It follows chronologically through from, traditional medicinal treatments to including a small glimpse at modern pharmacology. At the entrance is a showcase of this beautiful baroque pharmacy interior from the former Benedictine Abbey of Schwarzach (from Rheinmünster in nearby Baden). Beautifully preserved.

As someone with obsessive traits, I absolutely greatly appreciate and adore the orderliness of the apothecary’s store. Everything has its place and it is neatly labelled in delightfully matching jars!

Oooh… *shudder*.

The second elegant pharmacy set up was from the Kronen-Apotheke in Ulm and was built around 1820. The pharmacy owner at the time, Christoph Jacob Faulhaber (1772-1842) had a fondness for fine timber and very precise labels too – bless his cotton socks.

Around the corner from this is a Renaissance room with beautiful support columns that has the Germany Pharmacy Museum (a sort of museum within the museum) that houses an impressive drug collection full of drugs and botanicals. The walls are covered in large display cases that were made in the 1950s, and this part of the museum shares a history of the animal and plant extracts, roots, leaves, herbs and tinctures that were used to treat various ailments throughout history. Every cabinet is stuffed full of secret herbs, mysterious tonics or even poisons!

It was very interesting to look through all these old ‘medicines’ and see just how many of them were substances that we 100% now know to be utterly toxic to humans.

Part of the Drug Museum, had some rather more later period objects – most thanks to the German Bayer pharmaceutical company. Including some early penicillin etc.

The pharmacy below came from the Ursuline Monastery in Klagenfurt (modern day in south-west Austria). It was from 1730 and is an excellent example the extremely popular gold-framed baroque aesthetic of the time. The shelves are full of typical pharmacy vessels, all very colourfully decorated and coming from all different regions – faience and majolica pieces are everywhere. There are also pewter hot water bottles, and a wide variety of pharmacy equipment: scales, horn spoons, spatulas, mortars and weight sets etc. So orderly!

The canisters are beautiful!

The Herbist’s workshop/Herbarium.

Below is a pharmacist’s workshop, which is well fitted out with equipment and vessels. This installation is an example of an 18thC pharmacy, but this style was used well into the 20thC. The table in the centre of the workshop has a slot in the top, which money can be put into enabling drawers to be opened – which somewhat implies that it was potentially ‘self-serve’ in part? Or perhaps that workers were not trusted to openly access all medicines at any time, maybe?

I particularly noted the narwhal tusk (which must have been over 6’ tall/long) and was presumably kept as a novelty of natural history – and hopefully wasn’t used as a medicine?

Who doesn’t like a good taxidermied (or maybe more correctly, it’s tanned?) puffer fish. Which started a wee debate about how cool puffer fish are (FUGU!) and Angus had to educate me on the intricacies and ‘how amazeballs’ a puffer fish skeleton is. You learn something new everyday!

Below is a homeopathic pocket pharmacy from 1836… homeopathy fucking with allogenic medicine for that long – who knew? I always thought it was a recent hippy dippy, ‘I don’t believe in vaccinations’, kinda thing.

Above: a German microscope c.1869 and various lenses in a kit.
Below: early microscope slides with specimens

Benzin petroleum as a medicine… from what I could make out, it was used to clean wounds and cuts, and was also good at removing ‘fatty tissue’ >.> which is a bit vague. Additionally, it was good for cleaning out wounds that had had maggots in them… Yeuck!!

Below is the Augsburg travelling first aid kit that first belonged to a 17thC general. It is made from Ebony and fitted with finely crafted silver furniture, and filled with glass and silver vessels all containing various treatments.

The courtyard of the Schloss.

After exhausting ourselves inside the caste, we took a walk around the gardens and ramparts, getting to see first hand where the destructive lightning strikes had destroyed one of the caste’s towers.

The view back over the modern town of Heidelberg.

Back in the town centre, trying to decipher the civic art. Yep, I had nothing.

Dinner! How surprising to find schnitzel on the menu… I have a feeling this will be the first of many jagerschnitzel dinners this trip.

At the centre of the Altstadt is the enormous Gothic, Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit). It stands some 41m tall and towers over the cafe-lined Marktplatz. The belfry is so tall, and the buildings of the square are built so close that it is impossible to get back far enough to take a photograph of the main facade… though photographic composition was probably not a huge consideration when the build was started in 1398 and finished in 1515.

Inside is a beautiful, but somewhat austere interior. It was originally built as a burial place for the Electors (princes) of the Palatinate, and as a primary place of worship for the residents of the Palatinate city. The various Princes’ graves were devastated during various Wars of Palatinate Succession, so now, only the grave of the builder of the church’s choir remains in the church – Rupert I, who was a German King in charge at the time the choir was built or something? Info can be hard to come by when there are language barriers. The most interesting thing about this place was that from 1706 to 1936, it was divided into two by a dividing wall… the nave was used for Protestant services, and the choir end was used for Catholic services. Fancy that!? Protestants and Catholics sharing like proper neighbours for 200 years! Since 1936, the whole church has belonged to the Evangelical Church of Baden.

The Catholic end…

I saw this striking armoury of heraldry, presumably belonging to notable local families. A little investigation relevance that they belonged to, wait for it… “The Society With The Donkey!” Yeah, I didn’t make that up. It was also called the ‘The Donkey’, ‘Zum Esel’, ‘Ober-Esel’, ‘Turniergesllschaft zum Esel’ and ‘Nieder-Esel’ – because every Donkey Society needs a bunch of secret handshake nomenclature. I’m just totally WTF’ing at this, in case you haven’t noticed. The Donkey Society dates back to 1387 and was like a knights’ association – it actually reads a bit like a union or guild (more that than a chivalric order), and it included members of the high nobility who were important during the reign of King Rupert (1400-1410). This frieze was only discovered in 1936 when the church reverted back to Evangelical ownership. How BIZARRE!

Top left is St George and the Virgin, which are a little hard to make out.

There are lots of cute little squares dotted throughout the Altstadt which no doubt were used as market spaces initially, and house public water fountains etc.

There are loads of huge and gorgeous waterfront properties on the Neckar River, just alongside the famous Heidelberg Bridge. I wouldn’t even want to hazard a guess as to real estate values just here.

Near the Old Heidelberg Bridge is the legendary Heidelberg Monkey – according to the myth, the monkey is meant to remain people who cross it from other side to look over their shoulder at where they have come from. Whether a person is coming from within the city or living outside the city, it was supposed to remind everyone that all were equal and no one is better than their inner city/outer city dwelling counterparts. Sounds much like a ‘Northside/Southside of Brisbane’ thing to me; so I’m sure the monkey had it’s work cut out for it because, as we all know, Southsiders are far better! Represent!

This current statue – depicts a monkey holding up a mirror to passersby, and was only placed here in 1979, but apparently there has been a monkey statue at this spot documented back to the 15thC… the original one was said to have been clutching it’s butt at people, but it sadly disappeared around the Palatinate War of Succession (1689-1693). You can stand under the head of this monkey and have your photo taken with your eyes showing out from above his huge cheeks… which seems to be something every man and their dog is trying to do; it’s quite the feat to snap a pic without some random tourist standing under the monkey’s face.

Reckless and Unlawful people – watch out!

Loved Heidelberg… didn’t realise until it was too late, that I missed the Tun by a bee’s dick! Next time.

L’Hôtel in Saint Germaine

Posted on April 28, 2024 by borysSNORC

Sadly, we couldn’t stay at George V for most of our stay in Paris; two reasons really… primarily because it’s far too costly for us for an every day stay, but also because it’s in not an arrondissement that I feel represents Real Paris™️, overly well. So we moved across to Saint Germaine to a cool little boutique hotel called, (simply enough!), L’Hôtel on the Rue des Beaux Arts, near the Musée D’Orsay and a bunch of really cool and well known cafés and restaurants.

L’Hôtel claims to be the world’s first boutique hotel, and is the ‘epitome of French style’. It was also the last home of Oscar Wilde and has a restaurant and bar named for him on the premises, with an impressive cocktail list, and a huge wall displaying all the famous people who have stayed here. I chose it because it sounded like staying in a quaint little piedaterre with it’s own story.

The street frontage is super discreet… no noticeable signage at all, our cab driver nearly missed it entirely.

The concierge, Antonia, and I became fast friends as she complimented me on my Rammstein t-shirt and was so excited to be seeing them in concert this year. Her eyes went the size of saucers when I told her I came to see them in 2022 – all the way from Australia! She was really nice and welcoming. Our room is a ‘chic’ room on the fourth floor of the building. The lift is so tiny, that it fits two people or two pieces of luggage – but not both! 🙂

A couple of the small waiting areas near the reception…

The Wilde’s Lounge… which has a spectacular, and ever changing cocktail list. We’ve noticed that there are a more French people staying here than foreigners, and it seems to be a favourite hang out of businessmen meeting over drinks. There is a definitely French ambiance permeating the entire hotel.

Some of little cosy nooks in the Wilde’s Lounge.

The view down into the stairwell is a little daunting…

Et voilà! Our chambre for the remainder of our stay; it’s called the Mata Hari room, though I am not sure why.

It’s filled with antique furniture and has fabric draped on the walls (to tone the pink down to a dark aubergine, one assumes), the decor is definitely not the style of your run of the mill chain hotel – bit of a minimalist’s nightmare, and not a piece of IKEA furniture in sight! But I think it will do very well for us for the rest of the week.

Beautiful pink orchids, and a wee gift it would seem… macarons from Richarts? Don’t mind if we do!

Richart’s is just around the corner and is on my list for a stop on the way out the door on Sunday to try and take some home.

I wonder if Mr K will go into some Pepto Bismol induced trauma by the end of the week.

The restaurant is cool little brasserie space that opens out onto a terrace and small garden in fine weather.

The one upside of staying at the Georges V? Everything else seem super affordable. Eggs Benedict for breakfast for €14? Sure!

We’ve been out and about in the neighbourhood quite a bit already, and have found this little landmark (/piece of graffiti?) to be the coolest indicator that our street, Le Rue des Beaux Arts, is the next right! It’s a cute little tiled piece. 🙂

The days have been full of work, meetings in the CBD (which is nothing like the rest of this beautiful historic city and looks like the downtown of nearly any modern city in the world really – boring towers of glass office blocks.

So in between meetings, we have been trying to catch an hour here and there to see some of the sights, and have purchased a few French champagnes that we’ve not seen at home to try. Gods help us if we like any of them, they probably won’t be available at home at all! This Nicholas Feuillatte Grand Reserve Brut was €43 (just for my future reference), bought from a local grocery store. Really delicious bubbly, with a strong but not overpowering flavour and slightly leaning towards that creaminess I like.

We chose to have breakfast at the hotel again – as we had to set out early for meetings. The eggs Benedict was so good, I opted for the salmon version this time.

Definitely can’t do this every day!

Time for another champagne interlude – this bottle of Alfred Rothschild was €34… very nice indeed. Crisp and light, not as brut de brut as some that are so dry you wonder if you are drinking, but lacking that creamy texture that I’ve come to really enjoy in my bubbles.

The rounded hallways keep throwing me off… maybe it’s the sheer amount of wine being consumed with most meals!

L’Hôtel has another unique feature that we thought we’d check out – a ‘hammam’ in the cellar! I was looking forward to this! Guests can use the hammam an hour a day free of charge, just need to schedule in private use of the space. There are showers, toilets, toiletries, massive plush towels and bathrobes available for use. A sauna and a plunge pool!

Which looked sooooo inviting….

… until I discovered the water temperature was about 20°C! Jesus titty fucking Christ! Who wants to get in and have a soak in that. 😐 We did wonder if it was here when Oscar Wilde and his ‘friends’ were living in the hotel; if these walls could talk!

Either way, this is clearly for those Northern European polar bear types. Managed to get my feet wet for a while before beating a hasty and sensible retreat – like any self respecting Queensland’s would do!

Decided on a soak in the decidedly 19th century tub in our room instead… fabulous.

The next evening’s champagne interlude: a Pierre Mignon Grande Reserve Brut – €35 from the Cave de Chat. Well rounded and a bit more brut de brut than some of the others we have tried this week. Really nice though. Don’t suppose it’s acceptable to come home with a AUD$70 a day champagne habit, is it?

Tomorrow, we check out and start the transit home. But before we go… one final glass of Jean Josselin champagne in the lovely restuarant while we wait for our car.

I ❤️ Paris and could totally get used to the, ‘You walked across the road? You got out of bed? Champagne!’, lifestyle. 😀 It’s been a lovely stay, we got heaps of work done and gleaned so much useful information, and I feel like we smashed in as much fun and sight seeing as we could between meetings, visiting transport venues and seeking out transit operations.

We are looking forward to seeing how the Paris 2024 Olympics and Para-Olympics pans out in the transport sectors and see what we can learn to make sure Brisbane 2032 does it better… I have made a bunch of contacts with locals to follow up with them after the games, so it’ll be interesting to see what non-transport industry people make of how things go. At the moment, they all sound like they want to flee the city and rent their houses out. 🙂