Cologne - A City you Can't Miss

These were exactly the words of a German friend who adviced me not to miss Cologne during my visit to Bonn. The city of Cologne has a certain nostaligia around it and I felt it perfectly lives upto it. Cologne was founded by Roman settlers around 38 BC and ever since has emerged as an interesting center for culture. The Cologne University is amongst the oldest in Europe. During the World War II the entire city was flattened to earth and the only building that remained intact was the Cologne Cathedral. It was quick to spring back to shape.

When I travelled to Bonn for a few days I could manage to visit Cologne only once, for half a day. But I cherished every moment of it that I spent visiting the Cologne Cathedral and a walk by the Rhine river. And this was spiced up by an occassional chat with a citizen who always shared some story about the city.

The railway bridge in Cologne has a very interesting sight. All along the walkway you can see the railings lined up with thousands of keypads. I was informed that these locks are tied by couples who want to stay bonded for life. No one knows when and how this tradition developed but the delightful sight of the lockpads never fails to attract passersby.  

As night descended I headed back to Bonn. And just before I boarded the train back to Bonn I did not forget to pick up a small bottle of the famous 'Cologne' fragrance.

Bonn - A Cute Little City

Situated on the banks of the river Rhine, Bonn, the erstwhile capital of West Germany is a visitor's paradise. The city has the shine and glitter even while possesing a relatively relaxed everyday environ. Bonn is believed to have a history of more than 2000 years. In 1989 it celebrated its 2000 years of existence. Historical evidences, however, show the some settlement in Bonn dating back to as early as 4080 BC.

Bonn has several important historical sites and also has several world class institutions like the United Nations, Duetsche Welle, and the Bonn University, not to mention important German missions like the DAAD.

When I landed in Bonn I was wondering how to trace my hostel. Surprisingly it was only a 10 minutes walk from the main railway station. The centre of the city is small and is almost walking distance from residential areas. No wonder it makes for a great convinience for visitors. The city center has several interesting places to visit such as the Bonn University and Beethovan's House and the landmark Bonner Munster, an old 11th century Church. The river Rhine was also within 10 minutes walk from the city center and offered some great crusise boat rides.


Aerial view of Bonn (courtesy Wikipedia)



Innovative stone carvings outside the old Bonner Munster Church



With some scholars from the University of Bonn.



The bustling Bonn University campus



Beethovan's House in the city center



And quite flows the Rhine



The beautiful old town neighbourhoods in Bonn



Deutsche Welle - Amongst the Finest Media Organizations in the World

My recent visit to Bonn in Germany, fulfilled a long-cherished dream, of visiting Deutsche Welle. Ever since I was in school, I remember hearing a lot of conversations around Deutsche Welle (DW), from my teachers and seniors. Most of these conversations, as far as I remember, would revolve around the program content of DW radio and its knack for authentic and humanistic reporting.

I was in Deutsche Welle to interview professionals of the New Media department. My meeting was scheduled with Ms Julia Hildebrand of the New Media department who gave me a comprehensive understanding of DW. This, Julia followed, by treating me to a sumptous lunch in the Deutsche Welle canteen and a tour around the ship-shaped main DW building. As we strolled around I could see the radio and the TV studios and several groups of professionals inside glass rooms, engrossed in discussions. Must tell you I think I would love to be a part of DW someday, if ever I get an opportunity.

The Main DW Building in Bonn, Germany

With Julia Hildebrand of the New Media Department at DW




Warnemunde Beach - A Fine Pristine Experience

Warnemunde beach in the Baltic Sea is about 15 kilometers of Rostock. With a length that runs to about 5 kilometers the beach with golden sands is amongst the longest beaches in Germany. Although the beach is popular with tourists from Germany and other countries you will never miss out on a serene experience. When I visited the beach it was both sunny and windy. And I had a thrill photographing there.

On the Backwaters fom the Baltic Sea

Tribute to India from a beach in Germany

Chilling Out in the beach

The Light House at Warnemunde

Rostock -- The Cute Hanseatic Town

One fine afternoon I found my myself in Rostock. Located in Northern Germany, this small is very historic. The Rostock University was amongst the first University in Northern Europe. The town is small but laden with architectural marvels that are strewn all over the town.

The Rostock University established in the year 1419 is the oldest in Northern Europe

The Old town gate in Rostock.



The Rostock marketplace


 

Visit to Paris - Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum

My research work took me to Paris for about six days. While the city may evoke a certain nostalgia for many, for me, it was not a very pleasant experience. Paris is definately not what people believe it to be. Its hyped, its lawless and its darker side weighs way too much. The only two places worth visiting perhaps are the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. The rest are ordinary places that are being marketed well for global tourists. Add to it the attitude of the French speaking natives, Paris is a city many would never like to visit twice. I will publish a detailed analysis of Paris in the next post.

The Eiffel Tower

The base of the Eiffel Tower

The view from the top. The building seen on the other end is the French military headquarter



The crowd jostling for space at the top of the tower

The river Seine from the top of the Eiffel



Standing midway on the Eiffel Tower



Eiffel Tower at night



The Louvre Museum

Entrance to the Louvre through the glass pyramid




Inside the glass pyramid now famous after Dan Brown's book



Perennial crowd around the Monalisa. The Monalisa painting is small in comparison to the other paintings in the museum

One of the various rooms on Greek artifacts

One of the rooms displaying paintings of the 16th and 17th century. The painting section is exhaustive. Some paintings, I thought, were as good as, if not better, than the Monalisa.

Napolean Bonaparte's appartment in the Louvre.



Some artifacts of the Napoleanic era



The inner counrtyard of the Louvre