Hello dear internet community, it is always difficult for me to find a reasonable beginning for a new article.
This time not only that is a challenge, but the whole article, or more precisely what I want to write about it.
To be honest I have to apologize that I haven’t shared anything for such a long time, this year was quite eventful.
But I would like to start with a jump back into the year 2018.
Lindis Pass [NZ] on the way Christchurch to Queenstown.
Queenstown from above.
In one of my few posts from the past I had already reported about my trip through New Zealand, more precisely, about the wide range of public toilets.
I had lost my heart to a woman in New Zealand and when I was there for the first time, the country also enchanted me. I’ll shorten the whole thing here, because this article shouldn’t be about “this” past, I will come back (just as the Paris trip of which I still owe a sequel) to it at the appropriate time.
The time between 2017 – 2020 plays a big role in what I do, since we (felt) all constantly live in a state of emergency (pandemic, war, energy shortage, inflation………).
Leap in time to 2022 back in Germany
Apart from that I have a new job in another place, in close proximity to Lake Constance.
View from “der Homburg” over Radolfzell at Lake Constance, to the lake below with the (Mount) “Säntis” in the distance.
On a bike ride to Constance, below the Birnau Monastery.
The bicycle [e-bike] symbolizes something that has changed for me, it represents movement and exploring.
On this day, I explored my new home, on a 40km or so, loop around and across Lake Constance.
I would have liked, and have also taken several attempts to share much more of what I have done this year.
But, as the saying goes, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” by which I mean that on my trips to Lucerne, Bern, Basel, Munich, Tübingen, Bad Wildbad, the Säntis…and on my vacation in Denmark, I took many pictures and have lots of impressions to share.
The will was there and some reports lie unfinished in my folders, but when you work 40 hours a week, and spend your weekends on the road it is not easy to find motivation in the evenings. There are enough other distractions. You can guess what I mean.
Anyway, I would like to share with you once again what I have done over the year.
Sigmaringen
I would like to start in February in Sigmaringen….
A view, unfortunately not barrier-free, of Sigmaringen Castle and the Danube valley.
Castle entrance… – According to the website, the visit of the castle with a wheelchair is unfortunately not possible,
https://hohenzollern-schloss.de/startseite/kontakt/
https://en.hohenzollern-schloss.de/startseite/general-information/
Luzern
Further into April…
I’d already visited Lucerne once in October 2017, but not too many memories had remained from this trip.
So, I decided spontaneously to visit this beautiful place on the long Easter weekend, again.
Here are a few impressions…
Lucerne’s landmark the Chapel Bridge is accessible with stair lifts at both ends.
A EuroKey is required for the use, which can be purchased at many locations in the city.
e.g. main station
Wine market – unfortunately it was a bit overcast on the first day.
So much for now about Lucerne, I have a separate article in the works for this trip.
Neun Euro Ticket Tour
A jump to the end of July,
With the help of the 9€ ticket, valid at that time throughout Germany (in local traffic), I took a round trip, by train, from Singen to Basel, on to Freiburg im Breisgau and via the Black Forest and Villingen back to Lake Constance to Singen….
Basel…
Basel Alt Stadt – Beautiful, but due to topography and age rather not barrier-free.
Continue to Freiburg im Breisgau…
Freiburg im Breisgau
Ride with the train through the Höllental in the Black Forest. A very nice picture I think… only the cell tower is a bit out of place.
München
The next stop was a business trip to Munich, on 2.8.2022 in midsummer heat.
Although I only had one overnight stay, I didn’t miss the opportunity to take a walk through the city center.
In 2001, I worked in Munich for eight months and was curious to see what had changed.
To my surprise, not much had changed.
My opinion is, progress is good, but I’m not sure progress needs to be forced constantly.
In fact, I would like to see the downtown S-Bahn stations get an overhaul, because they need it, they exude the flair of the 1970s when they were built for the Olympics.
When I think of Munich, I can’t help but think of an encounter I had with a wheelchair user that made me think about what it means to use a wheelchair and have a spinal cord injury.
Let’s see when I’ll come to Munich next time… for now, here are a few pictures from this year.
Hofbräu Haus, famous all over the world, like the (true) Oktober Fest, but for my taste, overrated.
If the weather is nice, better pay a visit to the Englisher Garten.
The Isar with Bavarian weather, blue sky with white clouds.
Blue and white like the Bavarian coat of arms.
Quelle: Bayrischer Landtag
Bern… Day 1 of 3
Short time, after the quick visit to Munich I have allowed myself a long weekend and visited the Swiss capital Bern.
With Bern it was like in Lucerne, I have been there before but have seen nothing of the city. In the case of Bern this is even more true, as I had only spent the night there and visited the blue and yellow Swedish furniture store located there. But that’s another story.
So, I used this year’s visit to take a closer look at the city.
I can only say, it is worth a closer look, with its centuries old Alt Stadt located on the steep banks of the “Aare”. If I trust my source (Wikipedia) Bern was first mentioned in 1191, which means that this year it celebrated its 831st birthday.
Both factors, the age and location, in the valley of the mountain river Aare, lead to the fact that it is not in the best of circumstance regarding its accessibility. I am always a bit ambivalent, because I would like to have as few barriers as possible for everyone, but fear that the special charm of the places will be damaged, not to mention that the monument protection has a word to say. A map is available at the tourist information (in the train station), with a wheelchair suitable, sightseeing tour through the old city and the public transport is, in my opinion, quite barrier-free.
Zytglogge UNESCO World Heritage
Nydeggbrücke with a view of the Aare
Nydeggbrücke seen from the bank of the Aare
