Europe

Hegland

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Jun 1, 2006
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Spent last week doing some testing starting in mainland Denmark and then Germany. It was my fourth time the continent, and I had visited both countries previously, so was fairly familiar with how to get around, ordering food, etc. I did take the weekend and drive over to Berlin, as that whole north-eastern Germany/Prussia area was the one part of Germany I hadn't really seen.

Baltic coast
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Also, I saw more livestock this time than on previous trips. :) Denmark had what I would consider to be the more classical roebuck, small-bodied and red color. This trip, as well as in the past, the only time I saw them was when I was clocking about 180 kph on the autobahn and unable to stop and take pictures. However, spending more time in northern Germany this trip, there were deer all over the place. I thought they seemed slightly bigger, and more tan/brown color similar to our odocoileus virginianus. It seemed every other field I looked in had at least a couple, even in the middle of the day. And wary; they were all out in the middle of a field or pasture where you couldn't get within a half-mile without being busted. Once we got down to the hills further south, though, I saw not another head.

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Being Lutheran, I stopped at the church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther nailed up his 95 theses in 1517, sparking the churn of what would become the Reformation. Dropped from there down to Leipzig, then across the A4 highway back to the Frankfurt area. Beautiful drive.
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There's always more that could have been accomplished, but all in all not a bad trip.
 
Great pictures, Hegland, and a great report of your trip. Thanks for posting. Were I to go to Europe, Germany would be one country I would want to visit, I should think.
 
I ate lunch in Wittenburg and spent half a quiet afternoon there one Saturday. Nice church and lots of history.
 
Very cool! I have flown or floated thru a few countries, like Spain, Germany, Ireland, Italy and a couple others, but never had enough time to really enjoy it all that much! Great pictures.
 
I lived in Frankfurt for 2 years and 1 year in Sandland getting 2 short tours outta 1 assignment but traveled all over Europe flying as a Dedicated Crew Chief on my C130 Hercules and never saw that much game but did enjoy the Brats and Beer and a couple boat rides with some side trips to a Castle on the way ! Great pictures and I would enjoy doing a road trip for a month or so myself as my wife has relatives in Stuttgart and Raunhiem and they would be great travel,guides as they speak German :) they also love to go on vacations!!
My last trip into Berlin we were too close to the corridor boundary and had a East German fighter jet do a in place turn around in my window just behind the pilot :( boy did he get our attention as we were on short final into Temppelhoff and boy does that place have some history!! This was just before the wall came down and all the trabaunt's started clogging up the Autobhan!! Fun times :)
 
I lived in Paris and worked there as an Engineer for a year. I also spend a year in Germany (Berlin) in the Army during the Berlin Crisis in 1962. Later on I spent nearly 3 years, working three weeks a month in Stuttgart, Germany, when I was Director of Manufacturing on a large project for special machinery that was designed and manufactured there.

I got to see much of Europe and later Asia while working in China and India for 7 years at the end of my career.
 
Fascinating stuff you guys, thanks for the stories! Hogwild, I spent a few days at our plant in Mannheim so was not too far from Stuttgart. You're right: most of what we learn about Germany in textbooks is concentrated on the 20th century, but there's another 800 years of very rich history that is, sadly, often overlooked.

Charlie, if you lasted a year in Paris, you're a better man than I am. Outside the city I've found the French to be courteous, hospitable, and generally easy to get along with. However, Paris sucks.
 
I used to make it a point to go to all of the older castles in Germany, especially he ones that were museums also. I have always been confused about the history of the Holy Roman Empire and of all the City States in Germany (Prussia) and in Austria-Hungary. Some of the towns in Germany, like Kempten are 1200+ years old and have a lot of lore about their history. I really enjoyed learning it.

However, Paris drove me crazy too and I spoke fully bilingual French then but with a Montreal accent (not good!).
 
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