Hungarian Parliament
03 Thursday Dec 2015
Posted in Budapest, photography, photowalk, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
03 Thursday Dec 2015
Posted in Budapest, photography, photowalk, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
26 Thursday Nov 2015
Posted in Amsterdam, art, photography, random, Travel
Tags
art, museum, Netherlands, photography, random, Travel, urban
22 Sunday Nov 2015
Posted in Frankfurt, photography, photowalk, photowalking, random, trains, Trains & Transit, Travel, urban
21 Saturday Nov 2015
Posted in Berlin, Germany, photography, photowalk, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
This is one of the retro symbols of Germany.
Ampelmann is the name given to the “walk” symbol from pedestrian traffic lights in East Germany during communist times.
The figure was so beloved, there was an uproar when officials tried to replace it. As a consequence, they remain an active holdover … and it wouldn’t be shocking to find them in parts of Germany that were never behind the Iron Curtain.
Above, a more-than-life-size Ampelmann spotted in Frankfurt’s historic square; below, an Ampelmann in action in Berlin.
20 Friday Nov 2015
Posted in Amsterdam, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
04 Wednesday Nov 2015
02 Monday Nov 2015
Posted in architecture, art, design, Frankfurt, Germany, photography, photowalk, random, Travel, urban
Tags
architecture, art, design, Frankfurt, Gernamy, photography, photowalk, random, Travel, urban
01 Sunday Nov 2015
Tags
Bacharach, Deutschland, Germany, photography, photowalk, random, Rheinland, Rhine, rural, Travel
Germany is a well-connected country on mobile, generally speaking.
That being said, I found myself limited to 2G EDGE Internet or less in many parts of the town of Bacharach in the Rhine River valley.
It was mostly a blessing to be relatively disconnected … but if you really need to get something resembling high(er)-speed mobile Internet on 3G, it is possible in pockets of town, including a lookout tower along the town’s string of wonderful hiking trails (top photo) or in the courtyard/patio of the town’s youth hostel (second photo), reachable by an even windier hiking trail — or by road if you have a car/bike.
Your search for mobile connectivity will give you a great workout from the vertical ascent … and reward you with a fantastic view of Bacharach and the Rhine River (photo below).
31 Saturday Oct 2015
Posted in Budapest, Hungary, photography, Travel
This is a sight you haven’t seen in Budapest-Keleti since September: A Euronight train waiting for passengers to board.
Indeed, my visit there coincided with a brief period when international rail services were running as normal despite the migrant/refugee crisis.
There continue to be some disruptions because of temporary border controls relating to the flow of migrants; do check with your operator — and alternatively, see this list of service disruptions from Eurail — if you had planned to use rail services in this region.
If you are in Budapest and need help, the international ticket office on the ground floor (near the taxi stand entrance) is the better option. The domestic ticket office on the lower floor doesn’t always have staff on duty who are able to speak English.
Although the Eurail link above refers to a business lounge at Budapest-Keleti doubling as an aid office for Eurail ticket/pass-holders, that part of the station was under renovation, with the lounge out of service as of September. Perhaps the situation has changed since then but do be aware of this possibility anyway.
28 Wednesday Oct 2015