Boog's Blog

More from Hamburg but first to answer Dee's questions.

We have not so much spoken to the herrings as consumed them. Last evening, during the France Italy game, a very rough one, we went to eat at a portugese restaurant.

First course was fried sardines. It was only on the bob translated menu. QB also loved them but would not eat the heads. They were prepared perfectly.

I had their chippino, caldiara I think. It was translated as Fishentopf. Would have been far better if they had not removed almost all of the hot spices. Discussed this with the waiter who confirmed that the German want everthing bland. He said to tell him next time to make it like they eat it.

QB likes the non wet herings. Dry and without the added sauces. I like some of both. Naturally many types here. As a side note Matjas means young girl in Dutch.

Eintopf, as Bob has pointed out, is pale from white cabbage, potatos, and overcooked celery. It will be a far better fish when Yasmine makes it (how do you spice it?) and when Bobby serves it to Judi and the sacking Krewe.

We decided to take an extra day in Berlin, will leave Fri. Good to rest the legs before the next phase, basically down the Wesel from Bremerhaven. Should be good fish area.

Michelle will like this part. Discussed staying another day. What can you offer for price? Same high price. Can you discount that? (cannot hurt to ask). Well, holidays, and on and on why it is difficult. I said nothing. She then dropped the price by 50 euro.

Rented a big European city bike to spend the day touring. They are designed for cobbles and curbs and smashing through crowds. Our little bikes get no respect. Saw the harbor, the many areas and ethnic neighborhoods, and lots of people. Unlike Berlin this city is lively during the day. Weather was perfect. The previous day we had all weather including hail.

Today will do this clasisic tourist item, a boat tour around the harbor and a Rothko exhibit at a museum. That and a walking tour of the old town.

Dinner should be clear.

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as seen.jpg

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15 June

Morning walk to the botanical gardens; the roses were spectacular. A pleasant shower and a late brunch at a Raddisson just outside the park. Ate an extra herring and a herring fishball, not clear if I liked it.

Being Sunday it was a goupd day for a roundtrip boat ride on the ALSTER Sea. Lined with beautiful houses on one side and parks on the other. The side canals house the really wealthy, of which there are many in this city.

planten und bloomen.jpg

alster view.jpg

typical house.jpg

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14 June

Biked a while longer along the Elbe and then decided to take a train for the last few kms to avoid the outskirts and hard part of city entrance.

Yasmin recommended to QB that we try an eintopf, pictured and a hearty thanks to Yasmin.

Bob, suggest you plan this for our impending visit.

I have been to Hamburg before. Many years ago when I could barely afford a public campground for maybe 2 Marks a night. All I really saw was St. Pauli and other parts of the red light district.

This is a beautiful city! Worth repeating for those considering to come here.

George: Berlin is in many ways similar to Kopenhaven and Stockholm. Similar scale, similar herrings and lots of canals. Not sure about the antiques.

bikes on train.jpg

eintopf.jpg

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13 June

Mostly on dike, a short shower which we missed while having coffee in a bistro.

Still on the stork road with many sightings and pictures to come.

Will get to Hamburg tomorrow with fine accompdations once again by Michelle.

Bleckede is at year 799 and will have its 800 celebration next year.

Dinner of fried hering and other sardide goodies. Getting closer to the Bremerhaven I so well remember from trips past.

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thatch excellent.jpg

ferry 2.jpg

more elbe.jpg

anno 1600.jpg

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12 June

Easier ride today, also along dike, but far less wind and pleasantly cool.

No camel today but did see his habitat. Many storks.

Turns out that the area from Lauenberg to Havelberg is the "stork street". German spelling of course.

Hotel is not where we expected it to be. Book said on bikeway. In fact up a big long hill well off bikeway that we plan to ride.

Turns out that this is the 750 year celebration for elthe town. We got the last room or so they said.

Naturally a welcome celebration was arranged for the Boogs. Even a carnival. It is also the 396 th guild annual shooting competition and king and queen crowning. A double! See outfits.

This town is on the border of the former DDR. We are now, for the first time in quite a while in the western Lande. Will be interesting to see if the road surface changes. The DDR has a lot of cobbles and poor surfaces.

desert.jpg

Boog on bridge.jpg

hitzacker.jpg

hat.jpg

mid way.jpg

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11 June

Got to Wittenberge and did not find it intreating so we pushed, almost literaly as we had a 20 plus km direct Headwind. QB had high calorie cake with her schinken sandwich for extra ergs.

Then the wind picked up and got quite gusty while it rained. Actually took out rain gear.

Nice ride all day into Headwind but right along river.

Gusts to 50km per hour. Ugh!
Then it cleared and more big wind and when we thought the day had it all, QB has many stork pictures, baby sheep, cows, female, with large horns, no idea about breed, sheep on road, a camel!

Got to Lenzen and found that the castle, with Tor, has been renovated and has nice rooms.

sheep on road.jpg

dramatic weather change.jpg

path on Elbe.jpg

never know what one will see.jpg

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10 June

Many windmill farms on the road today. Large ones turning rapidly. Would have been more charming if we were seeing them from the other direction.

Stoped for a beer and tried to order from the menu some Pommes Frites. "sorry but those are for children". Could not seem to get an adult portion without causing them to change their proccedures.

Highway route includes ferry as no bridge.

Hotel am Hafen, friendly with a fish restaurant and a gray view of the harbor.

roadside watchers.jpg

roadside beer.jpg

ferry elbe highway.jpg

elbe route.jpg

Hafen from hotel.jpg

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9 June

Wandering day. This town is pure middle ages. I asked at hotel if there are any other good towns on the Elbe that we should be sure to visit.

" Can't think of any".

This place has too many photo ops for this cell phone. QB has taken a number of pics and I have put them up on flickr. They will follow these pics.

Spent part of afternoon just sitting on a park bench, one in the Schloss park where the Elbe and Tanger meet, with a gray view, gentle breeze, and a few bugs to keep us company.

other end of town.jpg

1618 built.jpg

QB sketching in park.jpg

berner rosti.jpg

salad with fowl.jpg

spargelfritta.jpg

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8 June

Back to the Elbe.

Whille riding to Havelberg QB saw a road sign to Tangermunde. We pulled out a map and headed due West. Herr Muller mentioned this small city to us and said it was worth a detour.

Herr Muller if you are reading this, once again, Danke.

Nice old town, long but not wide, all cobbles of course. Insanely cute according to QB.

There is a Ringhotel at the Schloss. Excellent place overlooking, of course, the Elbe. They have garden rooms with attached bike garages. And, best of all, a very good kitchen which seems to feed a few restaurants.

Organ concert in the Gothic church, St. Stephen. Outside it is 30 or 31 C. Inside a very nice 18 C. The concert was, however, not to be.

A Boog Story:

Today is Sunday.

Samstag is Saturday

Sonntag is Sunday.

Abend is evening

Sonnabend is Saturday in the dialect.

So, no concert but a cooling sit and visit to a good Gothic with time to look around and ponder the many arches that are still standing, as if only a diety could keep them up in a way that violates intuition.

We like this hotel and the city which is mostly closed as it is Sonntag. Decided to stay an extra day.

back to Elbe.jpg

Schloss hotel.jpg

Elbe route from Schloss.jpg

rouladen aubergine.jpg

trout.jpg

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7 June

If it is not one thing then it is two things. Took a couple of minutes to
figure this one out. Am traveling with a mini mouse, convenient for the
eeePC as it has a multi-function trackpad. Well, seemed like the eeePC got
permanently hung. Could not left click with mouse. Could not open email or
change windows. Rebooted etc. Looks as if the left mouse button no longer
works. Scroll wheel fine as is the right mouse. Weird. If not one thing
then two things.

Back to the main point.

Last evening we stayed in a small Gasthous, 12 rooms, with a nice kitchen.
The Gasthous is run by a family as they usually are. Family Muller
http://www.hotel-stadt-nauen.de/

We had a good dinner and clearly Herr Muller prepared the dinner himself.
Frau Muller served us the several beers (QB finished a large beer on her own
to give you an idea of the thirst level of riding in the heat). Hers, BTW,
was a chicken breast on a bed of noodles with a wine reduction mushroom
sauce. Mine was a salad that contained, in addition to the usual, chicken
breast and two properly fried eggs.

We got to speak to both of them, their English is OK and my German
understanding is improving. Both seemed far too qualified, education wise,
for what they were doing. He knew of the eeePC and price immediately and
they both spoke with an educated authority and very pleasantly.

I asked them if business was terrible as we were the only ones eating
dinner. Nope, about normal. 12 rooms with 5 occupied, about normal they
both agreed. No one eating dinner? Ah, no one has any money and no one
just stops to eat from the street. Everyone has a family BBQ. "We do OK
with family dinners". Clearly satisfied with their lot but clearly not
getting rich from it.

At breakfast Frau Muller went off to the tax department where she holds a
second job as she takes care of the maintenance of the Gasthaus. Herr
Muller does the cooking and that question let to a discussion of the DDR.

I asked if things were much better since 1989 and he, immediately, said no.
One item to be very clear on is that he is not the least bitter about the
changes and could discuss the changes without rancor.

"I was born in 1948 so I always lived in the DDR. Before we did not pay
much for rent or anything for water or public services such as power.
Now, everything is expensive. Before we never locked the doors and now we
must keep them locked. Before the family was the center of the life, now
all are dispersed working in different areas." He has four now adult
children. Now there is a lot of unemployment, no jobs, all gone to China
and Japan, just like the US.

"I am a diploma Economist and worked in the party administration, as under
secretary. There were 4500 people employed. One day after the
re-unification someone came in and said you can now all go home. Today
3800 are from the West running what we ran"

The implications were clear. The Westies moved in and took over. The
schools are much worse now, his children did not get, by his estimate, a
good education. Before everyone worked so there were many teachers. Now
you can make money but all is expensive and the family has fallen apart.

"I had no job and needed to eat and feed my family. A relative offered me a
job as a cook and of course I became a cook."

He accepts his lot and thinks that his associates who hope for a return to
the old order are foolish. He is not intellectually challenged and this is
clearly a real problem. He has not traveled like his friends rather
keeping the funds to buy his house or apartment in another part of town.

Tried to discuss the concept of freedom and if the new freedom was of
value. "It was not a problem before" and so nothing has changed. For him
and his family what has changed is family life and a consumer society not
really to his liking. "I do not need all this much money".

Clearly one person's view of the DDR but, to the boogs, a very interesting
discussion.

Brought to you by Tip Top Tea, the tea that refreshes: try our seaside
blend, bit of wind and a few protein bugs but worth a few swigs.

Tscheuss

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