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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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 Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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I had the pleasure of living in Berlin (and Bremen) with my German partner. We only travelled past Munich - because it was expensive - and the Northern Germans (my lady was from Bremen) don't really get on with southern Germans.
This was a few years ago now, but.....Berlin was fantastic. We were poor (had been travelling for many years - hitching around Asia etc), and yet we had a wonderful time. Lots to see and do, very multicultural (hardly anyone spoke German in our suburb), great pubs (but expensive), fantastic cycling. We lived in Karlsburgh (sp?) (I think?). We were near the Wall - so there was heaps to do and see.
We hitched a lot - Germans will pick up any traveller, even if they look like drug addicts (absolutely mad scary going 220km down the autobahn: "Puutt ze seat belllttt un"). You have to wait at the entrance to the autobahns, and line up with the drug addicts also waiting on a ride. Many drivers will pick you (and the druggies) up: "Zey neeed ze ride 2." You may need a local to help you find the best hitching places.
You can also get locals to get you organised hitch-hiking rides through an agency (small fee involved).
Met some great people, ate some great food, beer was divine, and so were the locals (although I failed miserably in my quest to get a German policeman to smile). Germans seem to have two faces: a very unfriendly stern 'street' face - and a really homely, welcoming 'at-home' face.
Travelling down south, we hitched and camped in the trees between the autobahns. Noisy, but cheap. Take heaps of money. Germany is not cheap.
Bremen was nice and quiet - but, ultimately, boring after the first 20 bike rides through the countryside.
Great times. Enjoy Germany. I did, but it was boring after a while - and Africa beckoned.... |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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You probably mean Kreuzberg...the Turkish district and the birth-place of German punk. Fun part of town along with Friedrichshain. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
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You probably mean Kreuzberg...the Turkish district and the birth-place of German punk. Fun part of town along with Friedrichshain. |
Sounds familiar. A while ago (and a lot more countries since then). You're sure right about the Turks. Somedays we could go a whole day without hearing German spoken. My lady's twin sister used to wear these neat little mini-skirts, and it wasn't uncommon for the really old Turk guys to spit at her.
Forgot to mention the Techno Parties in the disused factories. Awesome, but I suppose it's another kind of music, these days.
Don't forget to check out the fraulines. Best women on Earth. |
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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Location: ples bilong me
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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Really? My Frau turned out to be a bit cold. She was into fashion and class level status so back in the day when I was wearing your classic backpacker getup we weren't a good fit. Still, I'll take one over a K-gal any day. Bremen is a nice little city for a while, but I guess I was a bit young and stupid to get the most out of Europe back then. I prefer the villages and towns to the cities but in general I'm not a fan of Germany, it just didn't feel right. I'll take Austria any day or better still Denmark, the Danes are a fantastic race of people. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Kurtz wrote: |
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Really? My Frau turned out to be a bit cold. She was into fashion and class level status so back in the day when I was wearing your classic backpacker getup we weren't a good fit. Still, I'll take one over a K-gal any day. Bremen is a nice little city for a while, but I guess I was a bit young and stupid to get the most out of Europe back then. I prefer the villages and towns to the cities but in general I'm not a fan of Germany, it just didn't feel right. I'll take Austria any day or better still Denmark, the Danes are a fantastic race of people. |
I've lived in Germany twice - both times with my ex lady. Good fun - but not enough adventure for me. I'd be there now (with my lady) if I could see myself just 'existing' there (living in an apartment, urban environment, no adventure, conforming to all the 'rules' etc).
Still, good times, good beer, lovely ladies - and not bad for a holiday (if you have money).
PS: How were you living in Bremen of all places. Did we have the same lady????? |
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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Location: ples bilong me
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| oldfatfarang wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
^
Really? My Frau turned out to be a bit cold. She was into fashion and class level status so back in the day when I was wearing your classic backpacker getup we weren't a good fit. Still, I'll take one over a K-gal any day. Bremen is a nice little city for a while, but I guess I was a bit young and stupid to get the most out of Europe back then. I prefer the villages and towns to the cities but in general I'm not a fan of Germany, it just didn't feel right. I'll take Austria any day or better still Denmark, the Danes are a fantastic race of people. |
I've lived in Germany twice - both times with my ex lady. Good fun - but not enough adventure for me. I'd be there now (with my lady) if I could see myself just 'existing' there (living in an apartment, urban environment, no adventure, conforming to all the 'rules' etc).
Still, good times, good beer, lovely ladies - and not bad for a holiday (if you have money).
PS: How were you living in Bremen of all places. Did we have the same lady????? |
Met her in Thailand over a decade ago. One of those travel romances that should have stayed a travel romance. I had a WH visa for Holland (which I later used sorting out tulip bulbs in the north of Holland), but I ended up working for her brother painting boat trailers in a small village called Runkel which is near Koblenz. I stayed with her for some time in Bremen. I went to see a Werder Bremen match, hung out in the old quarter, went to some good pubs but like I said, I was a bit young and didn't appreciate it. Europe was also a culture shock being a suburbs boy from Melbourne and spending a few months in SE Asia beforehand; Germany felt very sterile and clean and the grey skies didn't help either.
I'd like to return to Europe and do a cycle tour possibly including Germany. They can be pretty zaney the Krauts. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Kurtz wrote: |
| oldfatfarang wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
^
Really? My Frau turned out to be a bit cold. She was into fashion and class level status so back in the day when I was wearing your classic backpacker getup we weren't a good fit. Still, I'll take one over a K-gal any day. Bremen is a nice little city for a while, but I guess I was a bit young and stupid to get the most out of Europe back then. I prefer the villages and towns to the cities but in general I'm not a fan of Germany, it just didn't feel right. I'll take Austria any day or better still Denmark, the Danes are a fantastic race of people. |
I've lived in Germany twice - both times with my ex lady. Good fun - but not enough adventure for me. I'd be there now (with my lady) if I could see myself just 'existing' there (living in an apartment, urban environment, no adventure, conforming to all the 'rules' etc).
Still, good times, good beer, lovely ladies - and not bad for a holiday (if you have money).
PS: How were you living in Bremen of all places. Did we have the same lady????? |
Met her in Thailand over a decade ago. One of those travel romances that should have stayed a travel romance.
spending a few months in SE Asia beforehand; Germany felt very sterile and clean and the grey skies didn't help either.
I'd like to return to Europe and do a cycle tour possibly including Germany. They can be pretty zaney the Krauts. |
How scary is that. I met my frauline on a ferry between Indo and Malaysia - and we fell in love travelling Thailand for 3 months. We spent 10 years together - 8 of them hitching around the world - and travelling just about everywhere. Inseperable, but..... all good things must come to an end. In the end, she was "German' and had to go back to work (sob). I could never have lived in Germany - just too Old World for me.
"Mai pen rai" (nevermind), it's better to have loved and lost, than not to have loved at all."
My brother did a cycle tour of spain to Morroco - and really enjoyed it.
Good luck travelling. |
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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks again for all the responses.
Anyway I have settled on Berlin. When I lived in Germany (elementary school) the wall was still up. Plan on visting some cold war museums/sites.
Now I'm just deciding if I want to go in the Summer or wait for Octoberfest.  |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| catman wrote: |
Thanks again for all the responses.
Anyway I have settled on Berlin. When I lived in Germany (elementary school) the wall was still up. Plan on visting some cold war museums/sites.
Now I'm just deciding if I want to go in the Summer or wait for Octoberfest. |
Summer in Berlin is nice (if you can see the grass in the parks for all the Turkish families having picnics).
You should know that many Germans are completely embarrassed about October Fest. It used to be a right of passage (probably still is) for young Aussies and Kiwis to go to October Fest, and get completely drunk off their butts, and ............... However, not really my cup of tea, and not something you'll want to be mentioning to other Europeans when you get a little older.
Good luck. It's getting cold up there now. It's minus 8 in my lady's little room in Berlin (she only has a gas stove to warm the apt.). |
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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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I'm going to be in Berlin the last week of September. Not worried about cool weather (I'm Canadian). Sure it will be lovely.
Definitely going to spend a day in Postdam. Just got done looking at some beautiful pics.
By the war, is Rothenburg ob der Tauber really that much of a tourist trap? I'm planing on going there the week after Octoberfest is over so it shouldn't be as crowded as during the height of tourist season. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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| catman wrote: |
By the war, is Rothenburg ob der Tauber really that much of a tourist trap? |
Not so sure about recently, but it used to be a real magnet for Japanese tour groups. It's 20 years since I lived in Germany, mind you.
Probably still true though, as I noticed when I was living in Japan that pretty much every single package tour to Germany would include it on the itinerary and it invariably came up in the answers of Japanese students when I asked where in Germany they'd been to.
All that said, I'm sure it'll be less crowded with tourists from anywhere at the time you're going.
Incidentally, I too visited Berlin a couple of years ago having previously been there when the Wall was still up and the DDR still (well, just about) going strong. I actually like Munich more than some others above seem to, but that particular perspective definitely gave Berlin an extra fascination and I think you've made the right choice between the two. |
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