Public Transportation: Buses and Trains

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Matt

When you want to travel between cities in Germany your best option could be going by train.  Usually this is a great cost effective alternative to using the Autobahn.  Especially if you are heading to a large city where parking can be at a premium.  Although sometimes using the public transportation system does have its disadvantages.

Traveling by Train

Traveling by Train

Before coming to Europe I only used public transit once while visiting Washington D.C.  We used the subway and bus system to move around the city.  Every other city I have visited outside of Europe was just easier to see by car.

One of the first things I wanted to do in Europe was ride the train.  I am trying to recall why I was so excited about using the trains.  Just yesterday I ran into a group of Americans and I suggested they should ride the trains if they get a chance.  It is an exciting experience the first couple of times, but after the new wears off it just becomes another way of getting around.

Riding the train does not come without its problems though.  It seems like every third trip I take something happens which delays or postpones my trip.  Missing a connection is the common culprit. I am not sure how many times I have missed connecting trains forcing me to wait 20-60 minutes before the next connection.  Especially when riding the cheaper regional trains.

I was recently in Hamburg and the last thing I needed was to have problems with my trip.  Unfortunately, luck was not on my side.  On my way to Hamburg my regional train was delayed and I missed a connection by a couple minutes.  Forcing me to wait an hour for the next train to come along.  Then, when I made it to Hamburg I misunderstood my friends direction and ended up turning a 20 minute subway trip into a 60 minute tour of the city.  A pretty minor problem to have and is a lot better than being suck in a traffic jam on the Autobahn.  I just wish my return home had went at least that well.

Traveling by Bus

Traveling by Bus

When I tried to come home everything seemed to be going fine at first.  That is until I found out I would have to ride the bus because the tracks were being worked on.  The first bus trip was not that bad actually.  Everyone moved from the train to the bus relatively quickly and I did not have to wait very long before we were on our way again.  The problem came when we reached the next station.  I waited over 30 minutes for the regional train to get going.  I had already missed my next train and as the day progresses the fewer options there are for later connections.  Overall it took me an extra two hours to get home.  After riding five trains and two buses I was pretty tired of using the public rail system.

Fortunately my experience that day was a bit unusual.  Even though the “new” has worn off from riding the train I still enjoy it.  Especially the InterCity and InterCity Express connections.  Cursing down the tracks well in excess of 200 kph (125 mph) is a quick way of getting to where you want to go.

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Because it makes me happy

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Matt

I like photography because seeing what the camera captures makes me happy. For me, remembering what I see is much more important than the sounds or smell. There is just something about the visualization that rings a little truer than the other two categories.  Which gives me a strong connection to photography.

Speicherstadt (Original)

Speicherstadt (Original)

Speicherstadt (Cartoon)

Speicherstadt (Cartoon)

Speicherstadt (Pencil)

Speicherstadt (Pencil)

Recently several people have made some very positive comments about my photography. One person even suggested that maybe I should change my career path. I still have a lot to learn before I could consider myself a professional photographer. For now I will just consider myself the happy amateur photographer who takes an interesting picture every once in a while. I really appreciate the positive feedback. Especially when the images people like the most are those that I feel really captured the scene as I witnessed it.

Continuing with my Hamburg theme, I have inserted three images on the right from the Speicherstadt in Hamburg.  The first picture [Speicherstadt (Original)] shows the scene as I saw it at the moment. In many ways I like this form the best.  It gives a better perspective of the moment then the other images can.

The other two images are just fun takeoffs of the original. I felt like the sky in the original was a little to bland and detracted from the picture. My favorite of the two is the Pencil version.  It makes me think of some 1880′s black and white photograph. With some modern day cars and cranes thrown in.

To celebrate the positive feedback I have received, I decided to add a photography section to the website. There is a new category at the top of this page titled Photography.  There you can find a selection of my images from Flickr.  Enjoy!

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Hamburg (Speicherstadt)

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Matt
Speicherstadt Walkway Stonework

Speicherstadt Walkway Stonework

I have truly enjoyed my limited experience with the city of Hamburg. Having lived most of my life in small town USA, big cities are not usually my favorite place to visit.  I like seeing forests, fields, wild animals and experiencing that relaxed lifestyle which comes with country living. Large, densely populated cities do not usually reflect simple country living.  Normally, when I think of a large city, I picture busy places filled with busy people.  And, Hamburg pretty much fits that image to a T.

Speicherstadt Canal

Speicherstadt Canal

Something that sets Hamburg (and Bremen) apart from most Midwestern cities in the USA is its harbor.  Hamburg has a long history of being connected with the outside world by ship.  No need for a history lesson here.  I think it is safe to assume there has probably been a harbor in Hamburg since the beginning.  One of my favorite highlights form this trip was the time we spent in the Speicherstadt (Warehouse District) section of Hamburg. The picture to the left (Speicherstadt Canal) shows one of the water canals stretching through this section of town.  Goods would be moved along the canal to be stored in these warehouses.  Spaced at intervals were cranes that connected with openings for each floor of the warehouse.

 

Speicherstadt Street View

Speicherstadt Street View

Between the buildings runs a street where products could be moved out of the warehouse and transferred into the city.  You can see an example of this in the picture on the right (Speicherstadt Street View).  Apparently, in more recent history these buildings were virtually abandoned until the city decided to convert them into apartments and storefront areas.  Not somewhere this country boy would want to live, but the historic value of the area make it a hard place to stay away from.

While walking through the Speicherstadt I had the opportunity to see a container ship leaving the port.  It is inspiring seeing something so massive moving through the water.  It made me wonder what the builders of these warehouses would think of modern transportation.  How far have we come from the days of wooden sailing ships, and how far humanity will have progressed by 2150.

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Spargel a.k.a. Fat Asparagus

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Matt

Two weekends ago we did something very German.  We went on a bicycle trip to a restaurant to eat Spargel (a.k.a. fat asparagus).  I say it is very German because it seems like a popular thing to do, at least here in northern Germany.

Spagel on a plate (Source: Wikipedia)

Spagel on a plate (Source: Wikipedia)

For those of you who do not know, Spargel is the German word for asparagus.  Someone I know on Facebook was recently in Europe and found out about Spargel while visiting Germany.  Their wall status seemed to reflect a little disappointment when they found out it was just “fat asparagus”.  Yet, Germans seem to love the stuff.  So much so, you can find booths for it on street corners.  Similar to fireworks stands around the 4th of July.

Soon after arriving in Germany last year we went on a bicycle trip for Spargel.  There were around a dozen people riding 10-15 km to eat Spargel.  Being new in Germany, it was my first experience here with both Spargel and riding a bike that far.  I had a great time doing it and I was exited when Anni asked if I wanted to make another trip this year.  Especially since I can actually ride a bicycle this year and I had an idea of what I was getting into.

I think I enjoyed the trip even more this year because I knew what I was getting into.  I cannot say that about everything in Germany, or just generally about life.  Some things are just more exciting the first time they happen.  For me, events like meals and trips are usually better when I have an understanding of what is going to occur, or where I am going.  Plus, knowing what I was getting into left me excited about the possibility of going again.

I enjoyed the green asparagus I had growing up.  At least that is what my memory recalls. Probably, at the time I thought it was horrible.  Like almost all kids who hate to eat their vegetables.  A Spargel dinner here consists of several courses.  First comes a round of soup made from Spargel, than (for us) came several trips to a buffet table containing Spargel (of course), fried pork, two different types of ham, boiled potatoes, a sauce for the Spargel and a butter sauce for the potatoes.  I made several trips myself.  It was a great treat, especially with a beer to wash it down.  Afterward, they offered several desserts.  I picked a chocolate pudding which was great.

After dinner, all stuffed from eating and a little bit intoxicated from drinking, we rode our bikes back.  It was a great day overall.  I had a sore butt for the whole next week, but it was well worth it.  I am looking forward to next year.

The image of Spagel on a plate is used under creative commons rights and is sourced from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spargel_sauce_hollandaise.jpg
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Bad Blogger

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Matt

Sadly, I have been very quiet around here lately.  I sat down a couple times to write entries, but no words seemed to flow forth.  I have been thinking about a lot of things though.  Like, how to write cover letters and resumes on top of my usual interest in web development and all things technical.  Unfortunately, most of that does not pertain to my life in Germany.  I guess finding a job is relevant, but is not really part of the theme I usually write toward on here.  Spring is in full swing though, and the itch to write has returned recently.  I have been winding through my thought in comparing several topics between Germany and the United States.  You will just have to stay tuned to find out.

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