Category Archives: Germany

Rolling blog. Innotrans day 2…

21 Wednesday Sep 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Innotrans, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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10:45.

German railways let me down again this morning. My inbound train was 25 mins late so I didn’t get to Innotrans until way after 09:00. First job was to check in with my clients and find out what’s happening today. Luckily their presentation (which is on another stand) is literally next door – I was fearing it’d be in a hall on the other side of the Messe!

Next port of call was the press centre where I’ve bumped into a large chunk of the UK trade press. Tips and gossip swapped and pictures downloaded it’s time to hit the halls…

Another busy day beckons…

13:10.

Finally, a chance to sit down for a few minutes before the next gig. The problem with Innotrans is that there are so many launch or other events you’re always running from one to the other. I had Hitachi Energy unveiling a new transformer back to back with Talgo hosting the Spanish transport minister who was having a look at one of their new coaches for DB. Next I have a joint UK-Saudi signing. Still, it’s kept me occupied. Here’s a few phone pictures

Here’s one of two UK pavilions. This one has a Welsh flavour and a plan of the new £250m test track that’s under construction
It’s not just trains either. Transport needs to be integrated (and green). Here’s a new electric bus with a 450km range.

The countdown nears its end as Hitachi Energy prepare to unveil their new transformer that’s lighter and greener.

Don’t worry, there’ll be more trains soon!…

22:11.

Yet another day where my step count is getting silly! Right now I’m sat on the (late running -surprise, surprise) RER train to Frankfurt (Oder) after another great day. I still haven’t seen anywhere near enough of Innotrans but then I’ve been busy with various assignments. Then there’s the amount of people you bump into at random or by design. Innotrans is such a seminal event in the rail industry calender that almost everyone is here. It’s difficult to explain just what a vast event it is. A map doesn’t do it justice as it doesn’t give away the fact these huge exhibition buildings have several floors. I ended up recce’ing how long it would take me to get from one stand to another in a completely different building so that I knew I could do certain launches – hence one of the reasons for my step count.

We’re half way through the event so now I’m listing the trains/stands/people I’ve still not seen. Thankfully, my work calender should thin out a bit tomortow.

This evening I bunked off before the show closed as a bunch of us UK rail people had arranged to meet in the city centre for beers and food. The beers weren’t sobering but the reminiscing could be when we counted down the time and realised we’d been involved in group trips to Europe for 17 years – and I have the website pictures to prove it!

It wasn’t all a trip down memory lane, we had some new people join us which swelled our group to 13. It wasn’t a bad place to eat and drink either. It’s a bar in the railway arches West of Alexandetplatz that brews its own beer.

Rolling blog. Letting the train take the strain…

19 Monday Sep 2022

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13:30 (European time).

Apologies for not blogging before but it’s been a busy day and I didn’t want to start anything until I was on the train to Berlin.

It’s wonderful to be back in mainland Europe. I realise now how much I miss my time this side of the channel – for a whole host of reasons. It’s cleaner, the infrastructure’s modern, prices are cheaper and it just feels more relaxed.

Arrival…

The ferry trip from the UK was great and having a cabin felt very luxurious – a far cry from my old backpacking days when I’d have just curled up in a corner for a few hours. We arrived on time at the Hook of Holland, a place that’s changed hugely since I was last there. There’s no international trains anymore. In fact, the railway station has been made redundant. It houses a Japanese restaurant but no trains. Now the line’s become part of the Rotterdam metro but the new station’s unfinished. Instead there’s a temporary one which is a good 10 minute walk – which is ironic as the ferry stops right opposite – but then you walk down a very long gangway to get off and pass through customs and immigration to get questioned on the purpose of your visit and get your passport stamped (thanks for nothing, Brexiters).

The trip into central Rotterdam’s painless, if not particularly fast. It takes around 40 minutes. That said, it’s fascinating to see all the traffic in the docks as you pass. I bailed at xxxx station and elected to walk to Rotterdam Centraal which took me about 12 minutes. I calculated it because of my return trip where timings are tight. I now realise they’re too tight so plans are going to have to change.

Rotterdam was a doddle that time of day as the place hadn’t really woken up yet. Centraal station surprised me as it has a ticket gateline – something I’m used to in the UK but not in Germany. Otherwise the station’s typically European with a long subway lined with shops and eateries which provided me with a cheap breakfast.

The station architecture’s modern and quite striking. I’d several hours to wait for my train so spent the time wandering with the camera. Even though I had a suitcase in tow I still managed to get my daily step total in before I left. Those long platforms soon eat up 12,500 steps!

Big yellow taxi – my train from Rotterdam to Amersfoot to connect with DB’s Intercity train to Berlin.

My Dutch train left at 12:35, heading for Amersfoort Centraal. Travelling overland rather than flying was a lovely experience as I had the opportunity to appreciate how many waterways this part of the Netherlands contains. Homes backing onto a canal isn’t too unusual where I live in West Yorkshire but then I’m spoiled. Here everyone seems to have access to water. You even see blocks of flats on stilts that are surrounded by a lake. Plus, there’s not the scenes of dereliction so common back in the UK. Here, everything feels better maintained or renewed.

I did have a momentary feeling of ‘oh, shit’ when my train to Amersfoot was signal-checked and ran late. I had a 5 minute cross platform connection with the Berlin train. As it was, the pair of trains arrived at exactly the same time and the coach I had a reservation in pulled up almost opposite me!

Now I’m on IC147, a loco-hauled intercity service to Berlin Ostbahnhof where we’re due to arrive at 19:34 local time.

International intercity travel, old school German style.

16:10. (German time).

The trip was going really well (apart from the heavy showers, but hey – I’m on a train!) until we got to the Dutch/German border station of Bad Bentheim where we swapped locos and crews. Dutch engine 1765 was replaced by a DB ‘lok’ of unknown heritage. Well, for now anyway. The crew also changed nationality. The whole operation is meant to take seven minutes but with DBs crumbling edge of efficiency it took far, far longer, meaning we left 25 minutes late. No announcements were made either, we just started pulling away.

This delay means my connection at Berlin Ostbahnhof will be tight. I should have had 30 mins to connect with my train to Frankfurt (Oder) but that’s looking dodgy now. Never mind, I’m not going to let it worry me or spoil the trip.

Now we’re over the border Covid facemasks are mandatory on trains. It feels a little odd wearing one again but people are more relaxed about them than they were. Right now as well as enjoying the scenery I’m people watching. There’s a table opposite me containing four middle-aged women with a fifth friend behind. One of them has been to the restaurant car (at the back of the train for some reason) and stocked up on Bitburger beers! They’re now making merry but not messy…

16:33.

We’ve now left Osnabruck which has a large railway yard full of car transporters moving VW cars and vans around the country. There’s even a hump for sorting and shunting wagonload traffic – a sight that disappeared in the UK in the 1980s…

18:00.

We’ve now pulled out of Hannover and made up quite a bit of time. I was surprised to see that most of the occupants of my coach bailed out here but I’ve no idea why. Fair play to DB, I was wortied about the delay but they send you emails to keep you updated about connections. The latest one tells me we’ll be seven minutes late in Berlin which gives me plenty of time to make my connection. Thankfully, that connection will be made undercover as the weather’s gone to ratshit. We’re running under stormy skies and patches of heavy rain.

This rail trip highlights the great difference between the UK and Germany. Germany still makes stuff – hence all the railfreight yards I’m passing. The UK has become a service sector – which makes Brexit even more stupid. What tangible exports we had (mostly food and drink) are now hamstrung by red-tape. Germany? They have all of Europe and the world whilst we just posture.

19:00.

I tempted fate, didn’t I? I praised DBs emil system that let’s you know if your connections are up shit creek. Almost as soon as I’d mentioned it we came to a stand in the midfle of nowhere for no apparent reason. The latest helpful missive tells me we’re now running 40 mins late and my connection’s up the Swannee. Ho hum…

21:20.

Today’s been a long day! My express finally arrived into Berlin Ostbahnhof 50 minutes late, adding another hour to my schedule as my next onward train wasn’t until 21:04. I’m noow on another loco-hauled service made up of a rake of Double-Deck coaches. Even this train’s running five minutes late! I reckon I should get to my hotel around 22:30 and frankly, I’ll be quite happy to just crawl into bed and get some kip. The next few days are going to be hectic to say the least so recharging the batteties now whilst I can seems an eminently sensible idea.

Oh, a little aside. I’ve travelled all the way across Germany without once having my ticket checked..

22:50.

Finally! I’ve made it to my hotel care of this beastie.

I must admit, I wasn’t expecting a suite. Shame I’m not here longer, I could get used to this!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

7th July picture of the day…

07 Thursday Jul 2022

Posted by in Germany, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, Railways, Travel

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I’ll bet that surprised a few of you! After today’s political events in the UK you’d expect me to be in full splenetic flow, eviscerating the shit-show that passes for Government and the lying bag of custard that’s meant to be our Prime Minister.

Don’t worry – it’s coming. I have the same view as many commentators about Johnson, the resignation and the Tories who’ve suddenly found a sense of morality and ethics (from God knows where) in order to turn on him in the hope they’ll save their seats or satisfy their own personal ambitions. But as the old saying goes – revenge is a dish best eaten cold. I’m saving that particular pleasure for tomorrow.

Instead, you’re going to be treated to another picture from my German trip. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to spend a few hours watching the world go by in Braunschweig and also to gather pictures of their rather unique tramway. Braunschweig trams use a unique 1,100mm gauge, whilst most networks use the standard 1,435mm (standard) gauge used on railways around the world. A few stations do have isolated pockets of dual-gauge track as at one time back in the late 2000s a tram-train network was proposed for Lower Saxony.

Braunschweig possesses some beautiful buildings that make a great backdrop in pictures – such as this one.

Here’s tram 1955 in front of the Residenzschloss which was the grand residence of local Dukes in the 18th – 20th centuries. Nowadays it’s a museum. Tram 1955 is one of the later Tramino vehicles ordered for the network which runs AEG/LHB GT6Strams from 1995, Alstom NGT8D’s from 2007, Solaris Tramino GT8S from 2014 and Stadler Tramino IIs from 2019. Braunschweiger Verkehrs-GmbH ordered seven Tramino II trams from a joint venture of Stadler Pankow and Solaris to complement the 18 Traminos they bought in 2014.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Germany, the main event…

05 Tuesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Air Travel, Germany, Railways, Rolling blogs, Siemens, Travel

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07:00.

In starting what’s going to be a busy day here in Germany. Right now I’m preparing to head down for breakfast and a caffeine booste before we all meet up for a trip to the Siemens signalling factory here in Braunschweig. The company have got a full programme planned for our visit, but I should still have time to blog about what we’ll be seeing and learning. The world of railway signalling is constantly developing in the digital world. As one colleague described it – signals were all about keeping trains apart. Now they’re about getting them to run as close to each other as is possible. Here’s today’s agenda.

Then later this afternoon we head back to Hannover for our return flight to the UK. I won’t be back in England until late so I won’t be home until tomorrow, but hey ho…

Keep popping back to see what we get up to. But right now – it’s coffee time…

08:41.

The day begins…

10:30.

We’re just about to come back after having a coffee break. It’s been a really interesting morning so far which kicked off with a wide-ranging presentation on the company’s plans and aspirations from Siemens Mobility CEO, Michael Peter.

There’s far too much to describe here but some of the points touched on included how intelligent software and monitoring systems can lead to 100% fleet reliability and save time and money on traditional cyclic maintenance – both on trains and assets themselves. Cloud based interlocking was also discussed with some fascinating examples given about Norway, where the entire rail system is controlled from Oslo – including diagnostics.

Next up was a presentation on Digital solutions from Johannes Emmelheinz, CEO of Customer Services. One point raised was how trains and infrastructure need to work hand in hand and how digitalisation can enable this.

The third presentation was from Bart van Munster, CEO of Squills, a company that’s become part of Siemens. Squills provide ticketing services across the UK and Europe.

13:20.

After another really interesting series of presentations (I’ll tell you the story about passenger journey tracking and the Berlin Depech Mode concert later) we broke for lunch with some fabulous food prepared by the staff of the Siemens canteen.

18:00.

The afternoon was a very enjoyable as we enjoyed a rare tour of thee world’s biggest signalling factory. The site is involved in some cutting edge projects which I’ll be talking about in another blog. Here’s one, the complete resignalling of the Norwegian rail network which will be controlled from Oslo.

Our day came to an end after the tour and a final presentation on cloud based interlocking. Then it was back to the real world. Our small UK contingent (all three of us) decided to catch the 16:54 back to Hannover, only it was cancelled due to an incident on the line. The station was packed and we were looking at all sorts of possible plan B’s when the stock for the 17:20 rolled in, so we jumped on that. It was soon packed as other trains had been cancelled or were running late.

It got us as far as a place called Peine, where we’ve been sitting for the past 15 mins with no information on what’s happening. Ho hum…

18:15.

We’ve now sat at Peine for 30 mins – with absolutely zero information about what’s going on. Not a single announcement has been made.

19:00.

We were on the move shortly after after my last update – some 40 plus mins late. The service to the airport is hardly clockface and it’s only hourly so we abandoned plans to eat at Hannover Hbf and caught the next service to the airport – the 18:57, where we’re enjoying a mostly empty train with good a/c. Upstairs on a packed double- deck coach (our last train) is not the place to be on a sunny day like this.

21:40.

My final German update. A few of us are now relaxing at Hannover airport before our flight arrives. I can’t say it’s my favourite airport. Much of it is closed or deserted and what isn’t closes early! There’s one food outlet in our terminal and the sole duty free shut at 21:30. Still, the glider’s a nice touch…

23:17. (UK time).

I’m back in the Sceptic Isle having bid goodbye to my colleagues on the plane. The flight was quick and passing through Heathrow terminal 5 was quite painless. Everything worked perfectly.

Shame I can’t say the same for the rest of the UK as it seems I’ve returned to a political shit-show. The Chancellor and Health Minister have both resigned, along with a bunch of lesser political functionaries. It wouldn’t surprise me if more go as despite this, Johnson will do everything he can to cling to power. New lackeys will be appointed in their place and the whole rotten edifice will continue in the same lying, delusional vein whilst the country’s economy continues to fall apart. I see the FTSE 100 lost 2.86% today, continuing its awful spiral, having lost 6.74% in the past month, leaving a lot of people poorer and pension funds looking rocky. If only I could have stayed in Germany…

Is this country ever going to wake up and shake off the delusion that the Tories can be trusted with the economy? They’ve done little but wreck it ever since the Brexit referendum.

After such a positive couple of days It’s deeply frustrating (and embarasding) to return to the kakistocracy that the UK has become under Johnson and his Cabinet of the incompetents. It’s painfully obvious that the only reason Sunak and Javid have resigned is political survival and a crack at Johnson’s job as PM. They’ve no more commitment to the country or public service than the man they hope to replace. But how many Tory voters will fall for it I wonder?

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Outward bound…

04 Monday Jul 2022

Posted by in Air Travel, Germany, Rolling blogs, Travel

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05:30.

It’s an ungodly hour here at Heathrow but I have coffee, so things aren’t too bad. I arrived late last night and bedded down at the airport for a few hours. As I’m flying from the modern Terminal 5 that wasn’t too bad. There’s plenty of space, I had a bottle of beer which helped make the floor softer and I’d also packed a small cushion in my suitcase to use as a pillow which made all the difference as I got a decent night’s sleep – saving myself silly money on booking an airport hotel room which I’d only have occupied for a few hours anyway.

06:30.

I’m now airside. Checking in and the baggage drop was pretty painless, as was security which was busy but the staff were both polite and efficient. One thing I did notice was the number of people who’re wearing masks again. Not only has Covid not gone away but cases are rising – something our Government and the media seen strangely quiet about. Despite this, it’s good to see how busy Heathrow is now that life is returning to some sort of normality – although with everything that’s going on in the world right now I’m not entirely sure what ‘normal’ is anymore.

Heathrow terminal 5 at 06:30 is not what you’d call quiet…

I’ve an hour to kill before my flight to Hannover boards so I’ll spend the time people-watching, catching up on some work – and blogging. I’m not a great fan of airports. I’d rather have caught the train to Germany but as I’m someone’s guest I have to go with the flow. Even so it’s interesting as I love travelling and the Pandemic years severely clipped my wings. This is only the second time I’ve left the septic isle since 2019 – and both trips have been to Germany. I’d love to get back on the road again but with everything that’s going on I can’t see that happening for a while yet. Still, I can’t complain. I’ve a busy schedule these next few months with lots of interesting things to keep me occupied – like this trip. Funnily enough, whilst writing this I wondered when it was that I was last in Hannover. A quick look at my Zenfolio website brought the memories flooding back. I was there 10 years ago for the recreation of the British Military train. This was the service that ran to Berlin during the cold war and an old friend – the late Major John Poyntz – was OC at one time. You can find the pictures from that event here.

17:00. (German time).

And relax! The flight wasn’t bad – only 90 mins and I managed to get some shut-eye which was useful. As I disembarked I bumped into another colleague. Chris Jackson from the Railway Gazette was on the same flight. The two of us hooked up for the onward journey to Hannover by rail, then on to Braunsweig. Siemens had sent me a rail ticket confirmation which no-one (including a couple of very helpful locals) could get to work in the ticket machines! Instead, I bought one of the month-long 9 euro rail passes that Germany is offering people to encourage people to get back on trains. It makes the UK’s ‘great rail sale’ look positively limp in comparison.

Having checked into our (very nice) hotel I had to do a quick bit of writing for a living, then headed out to explore the town which has a great little tram system and still has the odd vintage vehicle out in service. Here’s one passing the Rathaus earlier.

Right now I’m relaxing in the square outside the Rathaus and enjoying Konig Ludwig weissbier whilst I watch the world go by. We all meet up for a meal at 20:00 but I’ll probably try and get an hours kip in beforehand.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Another adventure…

03 Sunday Jul 2022

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Well, what can I say? I wasn’t blogging yesterday as we were having too fab a time. *Caveat* I don’t always blog just because I’m not – honest! Our happy trio went to see Paloma Faith perform at the Piece Hall in Halifax last night and all agreed she was absolutely brilliant. Her two hour set flew by. Admittedly, the three of us had made a day of it and enjoyed a decent Italian meal and a few drinks beforehand, which added to the sense of occasion. Oh, and the stories I could write about the people watching!

Today’s a different ballgame – ish. After a late night Dee and I had a lazy morning before heading off into Halifax once again for a couple of drinks as I’m on my travels again. The town centre was buzzing with people as tonight it’s Paul Weller’s turn to entertain. The Piece Hall concert season is really putting Halifax on the map – and it’s lovely to see. Here’s a pic from last night – taken on a mobile phone as I couldn’t take my kit inside for obvious reasons!

But for me now, it’s a change of tempo – and country. Right now I’m heading down to London as I’m a guest of Siemens in Germany for the next couple of days. I’m part of a press trip – more of which will be revealed later. First, I’ve got to get to Heathrow…

20:00.

Having bid goodbye to Dee I caught a busy Northern service to Leeds via Bradford. Passengers were flocking off the train to come and join the fun in Halifax at yet another sell-out gig which meant I’d no problem getting a seat to set up the laptop, log on and start blogging. Right now I’m on LNER’s 21:45 service to Kings Cross. It’s another busy train but coach C is unreserved and I’ve managed to blag a table. The evening’s following a familiar weather pattern that’s been with us for a while now. The days may be crap but later the skies clear, leaving us with some stunning evenings.

21:30.

What a pleasant trip this has been. A quiet carriage and a lovely evening outside. What more could you ask for? The one interesting aspect is how many more people are wearing masks again. Despite the Government pretending, Covid has never gone away. The opposite in fact. Clearly, some people trust the medical profession and not our shambolic Government. My camera bag has a stash of masks as we’re expected to wear them in Germany – and sensibly so.

18th May picture of the day…

18 Wednesday May 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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Today’s been a catching-up sort of day but also a long one. The pair of us were up early, Dee because she had work stuff to sort out on-site rather from home and me because I’d lots of picture editing to plough through whilst I still had the time – because tomorrow the pair of us head South to Surrey for a few days.

Whilst the day’s been busy the sunny weather did tempt me to venture out for more than my daily constitutional, so much so I’ve nearly 10 miles under my belt today as I wandered down into Sowerby Bridge to pick up some shopping then meandered back along the canal and tarried in the local woods before hitting home. The Calder Valley looks glorious this time of year and the views should be savoured. Much as I miss Asia, days like this are a form of recompense. Sitting outside the house in the sunshine whilst sorting out paperwork certainly beats being holed-up in a claustrophobic office.

However, tomorrow’s all-change. I’ve my regular appointment over in Milnsbridge tomorrow which will see me out and about. Afterwards the pair of us will be travelling to Surrey for a few days whilst Dee fills in for her brother to be there for her nephew and niece whilst he’s away. I’m coming along too to offer support and because I’ve things I can do in that neck of the woods. Have camera (and laptop) – will travel! Expect a few rolling (and not so rolling) blogs whilst we’re away – and many more the week after as I’m going to be doing a lot of travelling.

In the meantime I’ll leave you with the picture of the day which is one from our recent trip to Berlin, Germany and that encapsulates the country’s torrid history in the 20th Century.

In the foreground is the ‘Topography of Terror‘, a museum documenting the systemic atrocities carried out by the Nazi regime before and during World War 2. The museum is on the site of the former Gestapo HQ where so much of the terror was organised from. In the background bordering Niederkirchnerstraße is a large chunk of the former Berlin wall. It’s not an easy place to visit. There’s something spine-chilling about the way the Nazis turned the extermination of millions of people into a bureaucratic exercise, as if it was a normal inventory, not a mass slaughter.

The fact the site is bounded by one of the largest fragments of the Berlin wall that still exists in the centre of the city adds another dimension.

I have to admit, I love Berlin as a city, even if its history can sometimes be uncomfortable. It’s shaken that past off now, although reunification still causes echo’s and ripples. I’m looking forward to going back later this year for business rather than pleasure – although visiting the city’s always a pleasure!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank You!

Rolling blog. Berlin – the return…

10 Tuesday May 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Photography, Rolling blogs, Travel

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04:50 (German time).

Ach – is it that time already? We’ve had a fabulous few days here in Berlin, which is why I’ve not been blogging. There’s been too much to see and do rather than sit down and write especially as the weather’s been so glorious, but right now it’s time to head to the airport for an early flight and return to the sceptic isle, which means I’ll blog about how our trip goes. Our German friend is rather critical of the new Berlin airport as she has to use it regularly for work. For us it seems like a breath of fresh-air after our experiences at Manchester (which we’ve all sworn we’ll never use again if we can possibly help it) so we’ll see what it’s like this time…

I’ve been so busy I’ve not even downloaded any of the pictures from my camera yet, so here’s a mobile phone picture from my solo travels yesterday when I left the rest of the group to their own devices so I could explore some places I’d not not explored before – and some that I had.

Right now it’s time to top up the caffeine levels before catching our ride to the airport. Back soon…

08:15 (German time).

We’re now sitting air-side waiting for our flight to be called. This airport is a breeze compared to Manchester. The Ryanair check in in Terminal 2 was fully staffed – and with happy proactive people who actually offered to help rather than waiting to be asked. The self check in machines all worked and so did the conveyor belts (with hand-held scanners so you could register your luggage). We were through in minutes. Security was equally efficient and the fact that my camera bag was held for a manual check (it nearly always is) didn’t slow us down.

Right Manchester, THIS is how you do it…

My only complaint was the shopping area isn’t fully open so the choice of eateries was very limited. Still, we managed coffees, croissants and sandwiches so all’s well with the world. Now we’re plane-spotting with grandstand views of the runway.

09:45 (German time).

Our ride home’s arrived!

15:30 (UK time).

Home again! This time, getting through Manchester Airport was relatively painless, even if the weather was almost as wet as when we were here last week. We weren’t detained at immigration or baggage reclaim so made it through pretty quickly. The bus pick-up worked well and we soon in Aubrey’s car for the drive through to West Yorkshire – although conditions on the M62 were wet (to say the least). Now the pair of us are back at Bigland Towers getting used to the sudden change in temperature after balmy Berlin! This isn’t the end of the journey for me as tomorrow I’ll be in London at the Infrarail trade fair and I have stuff planned for Thursday which will keep me blogging on another favourite topic – the HS2 railway, but until then I’ll bid you auf Wiedersehen!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank You!

Rolling blogs. Berlin day 1…

07 Saturday May 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Food and drink, Germany, Photography, Rolling blogs, Travel

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09:30.

We’ve had an easy start to the day due to arriving so late last night. We’d not made any plans for our first day anyway but whilst we were en-route I was in contact with a German friend and colleague who lives here in Berlin. Ellen has arranged to meet us for lunch. I’d suggested the group might like to try somewhere traditionally German, so we’re off to Sophieneck in Hackescher Markt.

The weather here in Berlin is gorgeous and such a contrast to rainy, gloomy Manchester. It’s warm and sunny and ideal for a walking tour of the city. I’ve been coming to Berlin regularly for many years now but Dawn (who used to live in Germany many years ago) hasn’t been for 20 years and the rest of the gang are city virgins. It should make for an interesting day…

23:30.

Well, that was a pretty crap rolling blog, wasn’t it? We’ve had such a fun time and seen so much that blogging was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I’ll flesh this out in the morning as I’ve a bit of time before we meet to head out and explore on day 2. Instead, I’ll leave you with a picture of the day – from today).

To me decent, energy efficient and user- friendly public transport is the epitome of a good city. Here’s one of Berlin’s modern low-floor trams which are exactly that.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank You!

Rolling blog: the Viennese whirl, part 2.

29 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in Germany, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Siemens, Travel

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05:05.Oh, the joys of early starts. Here’s Heathrow terminal 2 as I wait for Austrian airlines 06:00 flight to Vienna.As airport terminals go T2 is one of the better ones, even if it can be a long walk to your gate. I’m flying from B47, which is a long way from the main terminal. To get there you disappear deep underground and cross a large chunk of the airport via travelators.05:48.Having bumped into another colleague at the gate we’re now on board and waiting for take-off. The musak on the plane is the Viennese waltz used in “2001, a space odyssey” when the Pan-Am space shuttle is docking with the space station. Hopefully, my flight will be less problematic. Next stop, Vienna!09:32We had a pretty good flight, although much of mainland Europe was covered in cloud. Ironically, this made the numerous power stations we passed even more obvious.Now we’re stuck in our chauffeured limo which has taken 25 mins to move 200 metres! The queues to get out of the airport car parks are horrendous!10:03.We’re still in the limo. Having finally escaped the airport we’re now enjoying a tour of industrial Vienna (docks, chemical plants etc) en-route to the hotel.10:33.Finally, we’ve arrived at the hotel. Nice!11:27Journalists from various EU countries have all gathered at the hotel, now we’re being bussed to Siemens HQ for lunch.12:33Chance to eat before the hard work starts. The foods very good and beats the sandwiches that are a staple of so many UK events.13:00.The presentations are underway. The first one I’m attending is on autonomous trams. Siemens have one test system running in Potsdam, but (like the concept of driverless cars) it would be many years before a successful system could be developed and rolled out – if at all. The concept is far more suitable for closed systems rather than unpredictable streets. Think of Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester!The second presentation is an interesting one on ‘digital solutions for seamless transportation’. How technology is allowing people to access the information they need to choose integrated transport options.The mining and analysis of data from peoples travel plans is fascinating! I’ve now learned that the band Depeche Mode has a strong following in the former East Berlin because the band gave a concert there before the wall came down and this fan base can still be seen in data today!15:11.The third and final session of the day is “Seamless digital chain in material supply – the easy spares app”. How a mobile phone app can identify parts of a vehicle, find the spare part number and order it for you – amongst other things!