Bamberg

This historical town is touted as Little Venice because of part of the altestadt, (the old town) is between the river Regnitz and the Main-Donau canal (the same canal that passes by my appartment), and there are several bridges crisscrossing on both sides.

The town is about 30 minutes from my place by train and cost me 10 bucks for a day trip. I carried my bicycle along on the train (at 4 euros extra). The day was forecasted to be cloudy as most of this summer is turning out to be. But since I was bored of being at home, I took the risk.

As I cycled through the town, the fragrance of flowers was very refreshing. And the cloudy weather actually helped because it made cycling more pleasurable.

The town was abuzz with activity – typical of a summer afternoon in a European town I think. People were out and there were a lot of tourists. The market was choc-a-bloc with people and roadside restaurants had spilled on the roads which, as usual, are blocked to automobiles.

After parking my bike by a church, I explored the town on foot – the famous Alterathaus is perched atop the island between the rivers and is quite a sight with one wall painted in Renaissance style. Someone actually got ingenious and sculpted a painted cherub’s leg out from the wall. See pictures below.

The main church – The Imperial Cathedral or the Kaiserdom, has been in place since the eleventh century and has been rebuilt several times. It seemed like a typical German Catholic church to me. But I saw a cavalcade of leathered motor-bikers wearing their “don’t-mess-with-me” attitude gathering around the church. Later, the priest of the church had a service for them – outside the church. I wondered if the bikers needed the service more or the souls of the bikes themselves. Some of the bikes were antiques and some straight out of Fast and Furious!

After a strenuous climb, I reached the St. Michael Convent. The tiny windows of the nun’s cells appeared like boxes piled up on top of each other. Also, since its on top of a hill, the rose-garden next to the Convent gives a good view of the town of Bamberg.

After ice-cream and coffee in a nice café, I covered the St. Michael church and also the St. Stephan’s church. The latter is a Lutheran church and is different because of its Protestant style. Seemed more modern to my untrained eyes and I liked it.

After the pilgrimage, I realized that the town can indulge you in more worldly pleasures – Orgasms and Blow Jobs are available for as little as 2.90 Euros! See pictures!

I enjoyed my (still) vegetarian meal of grilled fetter cheese with lots of olives and started the journey back. Just then, the rains started!

Paused

Plans
Procreation
Passion

Trips
Thoughts
Tales

Ambition
Amour
All strangely paused
As time passes by….

Dev D

One of the oldest Bollywood tales told in a very contemporary style is Dev D. Interspersed with numerous frescoes of a not-so-distant take on the original drama, this one has several twists in the tale.

I found it very enjoyable – it tugged at my heart, and it tickled me. It made me cry and it made me want to hug. It made me sad and it made me hopeful.

The educated yet rooted, rustic Paro who moved on when she realized that Dev was stuck up with himself, is played out well by a newcomer. The turn of events that turned Lynet into Chanda seemed a bit far-fetched but was inspired by truth. Abhay, who conceptualized the movie, plays Dev convincingly. The eternal loser keeps on losing and inspires disgust and fondness – you feel like reaching out to him and set him right while he keeps on dithering between life and loss.

The movie has a feminist angle – may be not intended but very subtle. The way the two women are strong about their feelings and make choices is rarely visible in cinema. Paro puts Dev in his place. She seems to derive a devout pleasure by straightening up his mess, reeking of unfulfilled desires; or did she craft an invitation to pull Dev and then push him away, avenging the rejection? Chanda checks his feelings and doesn’t make tall claims when she is told that the feelings are not for her.

And Dev finally gets his act straight, leaving me with a smile at the very end.

Good enjoyable cinema. Good audio track as well.

Paris. My Trip. Paris.

Dreams, Disneyland, Paris.
The Eiffel, the Mona Lisa, Paris.
Cafes, Bars, Cabarets, Paris.

Fashion, Fireworks, Fountains, Paris.
Museums, Paintings, Palaces, Paris.
Romance, Lovers, Paris.

Never ending, meandering Metro stations.
Kaput transport passes, jumping the turnstiles.
Hostel room, cramped loo, expenses.

Tired companions, irritations.
Eccentric French, eager tourists.
Maps, maps, maps.

Ice creams, Coffees, Indian restaurants.
Spring, flowers, cool breeze.
Queues, Cramps, Cruises.

Touristy, hectic, return promises.
My trip, Paris.

Dachau

The Nazi Concentration Camp that became the proverbial hell is just outside of Munich. This was the first concentration camp that came into existence immediately after Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1932. It was used as a prison for all political opponents and Jews, but went on to serve as the basic model for all concentration camps that were created across Europe during the Second World War. It was also the only camp that lasted all through the Nazi years, till it was freed by the US forces in 1945.

Today, the camp has been converted into a museum and a memorial for all that went wrong. The museum is very informative. It describes in detail, through visual aids, how the post World War 1 Germany was, what conditions augured so well for Hitler and his Nazi followers, the propaganda that they used to get the masses hooting for them, the atrocities that they carried out once in power.

Some of the artifacts leave you chilled to the bone – the pictures of skeletal prisoners, the details of the experiments conducted on human beings, the methods used by SS guards to earn brownie points – leave you wondering how could this have happened to ‘civilized’ people.

My trip left me more informed about a subject that I am getting more passionate about – the History of the two world wars. I try and understand how the ‘democratic’ Germany of post world war one went into recession and utter chaos and how Hitler used his charisma to lead otherwise ‘cultured’ people into such hitherto unheard acts of hatred against their fellow citizens; and I try and draw parallels of how could this happen elsewhere – may be in India where current political leaders use similar tactics to herd massive support.

I reckon India is too divided and too massive for any one issue to unify the country for such acts of hatred. Plus the leaders are not as charismatic any more – but you never know!

Salzburg

This tourist attraction, which lies in western Austria, right across from Germany, derives its name from Salt (= Salz in Deutsche) – a commodity that was very important in the medieval times and the town turned to be important on the trading route.

My trip was fairly impromptu and I was driven to the city by friends from Munich. The drive was about an hour. After a comfortable stay in a neat hotel, the Saturday morning was started with a traditional Austrian café. This café had wood paneled walls, a high roof with that was decorated with very European motifs. It was lively as all tourists had a relaxed brunch over newspapers and coffees. The newspapers were held together with wooden frames – something that I had never seen.

The Mocha coffee was strong and nothing like the chocolate syrup sold at the cafés in India. The delight of the morning was the numerous pastries and cakes presented on heavily laden trays carried by maids around the tables. How could one resist those absolutely delicious looking desserts presented right under your nose! So, I helped myself to several pieces of sweet sins.

Having fortified thus, I started off to the fort (a castle, really). On the way, I saw the majestic Dom Cathedral with ornate designs on columns, walls and the roof – a classic example of baroque architecture. The church is huge and sits right in the middle of the south part of the town. The castle overlooks the cathedral, and is reachable by a train ride of two minutes and 10.5 Euros. This price includes the guided tour within the castle. I think the castle can be reached even on foot though I am not sure if that gets one to inside the castle. But one can still climb up the stairs if one wishes to look at the town down below.

Once up there, I got a good view of the meandering Salzach on which the rafts had once transported the salt. And then my fingers froze as I was clicking the pictures. It was freaking cold and I had happily forgotten my gloves back home. So, off I ran into this Marionette Museum housed in one of the rooms of the castle. It was cold still but protected me from the wind.

The tour itself took about 30 minutes and we were given hand held devices so that we could listen to commentaries in a language of our choice. Sadly, the tour took me to the very top of the castle and hence to freaking freezing weather again! But anyhoo….I survived to tell the tale.

Back down, I have had enough of sight seeing for one day – a sentiment felt by my friends too – and off we went to yet another café and to several hot cups of coffee and more desserts. Later, dinner was corn ricotta on vegetables. The waitress insisted that it was traditional Austrian fare but I thought it seemed more Mexican. But it was delicious.

Later we had a walk out in the town while it snowed but was a bit warmer than the morning, and I got good glimpses of the town with all important buildings lit up.

The next morning was yet another café, the Mirabell Palace gardens, and two other churches – one in baroque and the other in Gothic style. The latter had actually been destroyed in the Second World War and they rebuilt only part of it – minus the spires.

On the journey back, we stopped at Chiemsee – a vast lake back in Germany. The lake has two islands – one of which is a palace and the other is a women’s monastery. We didn’t visit any of those but there is a promising weekend get away for the summer as it is about 30 minutes drive from Munich. The Alps overlook the lake and it’s a very beautiful sight!

Thus ended my trip to Salzburg – the town where Mozart lived, the castle that never fell in battle and the location of the movie Sound of Music.

Here are the pictures. Click to go to the web album:

More from the Budha of Suburbia

Her father had died at the wrong time, when there was much to be clarified and established. They hadn’t even started to be grown ups together. There was this piece of heaven, this little girl he had carried around the shop on his shoulders; and then one day she was gone replaced by a foreigner, an unco-operative woman he did not know how to speak to. Be so confused, so weak, so in love, he chose strength and drove her away from himself. The last years he spent wondering where she’d gone, and slowly he came to realize that she would never return…

Death just leaves so many questions unanswered, so many emotions unspent, so much incomplete!