From Anna Nagar Tower to Berlin Tower

This is a story of a small, innocent boy who grew up in a humble locality of Anna Nagar in a simple city called Chennai., who went on to do..........................

Well, what did he do? He typed in this blog post.😁

I have now gone from here-

Anna Nagar Tower, Chennai

to here-

Fernsehturm, Berlin

So, here we are, in Berlin. The capital of Germany. City on Spree, The city leaves you on a spree of amazement. The size, the monuments, the people, the cuisines, the modern architecture, the rivers and canals, the parties, the list goes and on and on. Visiting all the places on this in-exhaustive list will leave you exhausted. But at this time of the year, the most important and fun places to visit in Berlin are the Christmas Markets. Boy, they are aplenty!

Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin is at the Konzerthaus flanked by German and French Churches on the sides.

Disco lights at the Konzerthaus.

A Christmas Carol

The Konzerthaus

The French and German churches

The mandatory Rathaus click. A Christmas Market in the foreground

Spoils of war

Berlin Siegessaeule or The Victory Column

Statue of Helmuth von Moltke

Reichstag, the Parliament building

Up closer

Brandenburger gate

Brandenburger gate and Victory column in perfect alignment

After visiting the gate, we ventured into the memorial built for the fallen Jews during the World War 2.

How can I not take a photo of a colourful car? 😅

Christmas fever at the Mall of Berlin

Remnants of the Wall of Berlin, Potsdamer Plaz.

Europe's first traffic signal, Potsdamer Platz.

Berlin Museum

Berliner Dome

Anywhere I turn, there is this Towering structure

As most major cities in Europe, one can take a boat ride around the city

One of many Christmas markets in Berlin

Finally, a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Hannover to Hamburg: A Lower Saxony Diary

Ever since I landed in Germany, most of my peers have been confused regarding the Hauptstadt, or Capital, of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). Hamburg is a big and major financial hub of the country, which was carved out of Lower Saxony and given a status of city state (a la Delhi), while Hannover is the economic powerhouse and the capital of the state. Both medieval cities, risen from ashes of many a war, pulling the German and European economy with them. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit these centres of history.

Hannover
The biggest and capital of Lower Saxony, erstwhile part of the Duke of Brunswick-Lueneburg, Hannover is famous for three major things- The Rathaus lift, artificial lake and Hannover fair. Since, the Hannover fair is not happening till next year, I took a privilege tour of the Rathaus and the city instead.

The Rathaus

A Model of Hannover from 17th century. A small settlement around the river Leine.

Hannover today. Totally unrecognisable! 

The devastation of war

Hannover rebuilt after the war.

The building is equipped with a lift that goes up but not straight. A unique lift which travels at an angle of 17°.





The view from the Rathaus is just a treat for our eyes!

Hannovere Skyline

The Hannover 96 stadium

View of the artificial lake, Maschsee.

The exit from the lift

Humans are humans, wherever they are.

Through the alleys of churches

Inside a church

Outside the church.

Hamburg
The port city is the second largest city in Germany. The river port is situated on the Elbe and has been a centre of commerce since medieval times. It is the city of bridges! Yes, you read it correctly! It has more bridges than Amsterdam! Hamburg has the biggest town hall (Rathaus), with close to 647 rooms. Overall, Hamburg is a cosmopolitan city, with lovely boat rides to enjoy the day.

The Main station entrance.

From taxis to busses to trains to ferries, one can get around Hamburg in a jiffy. The Art museum can be seen in the background

Clock tower of St. Michael's church

Statues of former mayors, Ditmar Koel and Simon of Utricht.

Time for a ferry ride

hmmmmm..😐😐😐

A view of the docks

Green energy generation

Docklands!

Radars everywhere!

The museum of Rickmer Rickmers

The Rathaus

The statue of Heinrich Heine

Practice for a Dragon boat race in progress

As I said, city of bridges

A view of the Dancing Towers from a bus

A few tips:

It is better to get a day ticket or a schones Wochenende (beautiful weekend) ticket while going around for a city tour in Germany. One can use any mode of transport with it.

Also, for Indians, there are many Indian shops in both the cities. In Hannover, the best place to eat is Makthalle. I would recommend Bei Cuneyt for a quick yet filling lunch. As for Hamburg, one can find an Indian restaurant, Manju, in Hamburg main station (Hauptbahnhof). Other cuisines and cafes are aplenty!

Next up, next month- Berlin ;)