Tag: Augsburg

Environment, Tourism, Travel

Thurso to Bucharest and back- the summary

Posted on by insightndes

The journey

The map taken from the Interrail app shows just how far the journey was, but misses the far north line and the detour to Oxfordshire.

From the Interrail app: 5784 km distance

15 trains on the Interrail ticket, 20 in total.

Seven countries.

Weather

Sunny almost throughout, but a big variation in temperature. Highest ,around 14 centigrade in Augsburg, lowest -10 in Bucharest.

Food

The food was good, but had to get creative in the meat centric countries. I had my first experience of a Lebanese restaurant in Bucharest, the very good Coin-Vert Libanez.

I had to fight through the snow and ice to get to it. A week later I had my second Lebanese restaurant experience in Paris.

Plenty of good food on this trip.

Hotels

I stayed in three Premier Inn plus rooms, three varieties of Ibis: budget, styles and no moniker, a Radisdon Individuals Schiller Park in Linz and Ramada by Wyndham in Bucharest.

Best bed:Premier Inn plus

Best shower: Premier Inn plus

Best view: Ramada by Wyndham

Best location: Hotel Schiller Park- in central location near the railway station.

Best breakfast: Ramada by Wyndham

Best rooms: Premier Inn plus

Most expensive: Premier Inn St Pancras

Best check out times: Ibis / check out by noon.

I like the simplicity of the Ibis Budget.

Locations

Both Augsburg and Linz were amazing places to visit. Smaller and not as busy as Vienna but interesting buildings and history. Bucharest lacked the beautiful buildings but the lake was beautiful.

Travelling by train emphasised the change in landscape and buildings. Farmhouses are tiny and ramshackled in Romanian but huge and well maintained in Austria and Germany.

People

As well as meeting the natives of each country that I visited I was surprised to meet people from so many other countries. I had conversations with Qataris, Russians, Albanians, Norwegians, New Zealanders, Moldovans, Canadians, Taiwanese and probably more. Talking to Austrians in German with their local accents was a joy, including a woman in her 90s from Vienna,

Cycling

Cycling was awful in Bucharest, but faster than cars. Driving in Bucharest also looks awful. Paris cycle way provision is good in Paris, but blocked by vehicles on the Sunday. Vienna was busy, Augsburg pleasant. I heard a tram hitting a car in Vienna and saw the massive crumpled side of the car, the tram just drove off. The closest I came to an accident was Inverness, where a car was being driven at 60 mph in a 30 zone, as I was turning right. The bike gave a good way to cross cities between stations and to get to hotels. It was also a great luggage trolley.

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Tourism, Travel

Exploring Augsburg and on to Wien

Posted on by insightndes

Having never been to Augsburg previously but having heard a lot about Augsburg and particularly the Fuggerei I had high expectations. I set off on foot as check out time was noon.

Some interesting nooks and crannies
Breakfast

Stopped for breakfast at the local market.

There are trams. Anti-antisemitism poster in the background.

I

The Main Street of the Fuggerei

8 Euros to explore the Fuggerei. The place is fascinating.

One of the key requirements of the Fuggerei is the Catholic faith.
There was a victim of the National Socialist even in the Fuggerei.
Stolperstein

The Fuggerei was flattened by British bombing towards the end of the Second World War. Augsburg was a major centre for manufacturing weapons including fighter planes, and therefore a prime target. The Fuggerei was rebuilt.

Lech

On the way back to the hotel I discovered that the river is channelled through the city next to roads and houses.

I also walked along a street with loads of school children playing in the road. I asked the policeman what was happening. The police had blocked the street in preparation for a demonstration. An enterprising sports teacher used the moment to get the children out for a bit of fun.

Police blockade

After checking out I went back to the Augsburg Altstadt

Ausburger Wasserfahrrad
Kaffee und Küchen
It’s warm- eating outside in February
Time to head to the station

Augsburg exceeded expectations, beautiful city, but substantially rebuilt after the war.

Change at München

Leaving München
Mountains in the distance
Bernau am Chiemsee
Traunstein

What is interesting is that the German regional train runs from München to Salzburg, requiring cross border cooperation. This happens quite frequently on this trip.

Change at Salzburg
Near Salzburg
Full luggage rack
Sun setting
Wien HBF
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Travel

London to Augsburg via Paris

Posted on by insightndes
It’s a grey morning.

A short walk to St Pancras station. As ever border control seems chaotic and the waiting area is packed and too hot.

St Pancras platform
Leaving St Pancras
Lunch under the sea.
Arriving in Paris
Gare du Nord
It’s not far to Gare de l‘est
Boarding at Gare de L‘Est
Heading out of Paris
The suburbs
The TGV is fast. It reached 319kph.
Supper
Arrived in Augsburg

Time for a quick late night tour.

Am Fischertor
Der Dom
Ibis am Hauptbahnhof

A pleasant but long day. Also confusing language wise. German, French, English (and some Polish) being spoken on the train. French bartender spoke to me in French until I hesitated ,then he switched to German.

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