Category Archives: _Europe_

Mining Weekend

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A long weekend with friends was ahead of me (the group as for my Basel or Vienna trip); this time we had picked the Ruhrpott – a former coal-mining region along the Ruhr river – today comprising a metropolitan area of more than 5 million inhabitants – and a strong industrial history. With one of us from Essen (one of the cities comprising the Ruhrpott), we had a great program ahead of us – putting together the must-sees of the region.

I left home Friday morning and made my way to Düsseldorf; with some time to kill, I made my way to the K21 art collection – a museum of 21st century art – this included some time in orbit. As things happen I met two other from our group in the museum and we made it back to the train station – just to meet the next two – for our journey to Essen. We stayed in the Parkhaus Hügel, the former executive and manager canteen of the Krupp company right next to Lake Baldeney.

On Saturday we had a full program – starting with a visit of the Hügel (hill) Park and the Hügel Mansion – the headquarters of the Krupp company and the residence of the Krupp family. This was quiet impressive and must have been intimidating back in the days, when the Krupp company was the largest company in Europe, specializing in steel and related products – from vehicles to plant engineering).

From here it was to a change of perspectives, as we made our way to the Zeche Zollverein – a former coal mining facility and coal processing plant (complete with coal washing and coke ovens). During a guided tour we could get a glimpse of the process and a feeling of what must have been the (inhuman) working conditions here.

A visit to the German mining museum completed the view – now with a focus on the activities underground – with a small mine rebuild under the museum, complete with machinery and equipment from various periods and good explanations around that. From underground a lift got us up the conveyor tower for good views of the Bochum area.

Of course we also had plenty of time in between, to catch up, share a drink or two and have some incredible food – overall a great weekend to a region, I’ll definitely have to come back to.

 

 

Las Palmas – Final Impressions

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Today was the final day of the trip – we still had time in the morning for some final exploration around Las Palmas. I had a latish breakfast and took my time for that; after that I did a bit of walking around town and a final visit to the beach.

As the weather had changed – cooler and windy with the occasional shower – I opted for a museum visit and decided for what turned out the weirdest museum in a while – the Elder Museum of Science and Technology. I guess, it did not help, that I got here on the opening day of a dinosaur exhibition – with the dinosaurs put in with other exhibits (as in T-Rex next to a fighter jet). Well – it served its purpose, I stayed dry and it kept me busy enough.

In the afternoon it was back to the airport, onto a plane – and with a slight delay, we made it back to the November-cool of Germany.

Overall this has been a wonderful trip – the islands did not disappoint, plenty of amazing hikes, a great variety of activities, nice food and drink – plus the best weather possible (unusual for the season), superb guides (a special shout-out to Steffi from “Teneriffa KreAktiv”) and a good group. Also this must have been the trip with the biggest selection of buses.

Overall it is thumbs up here. I am sure, I’ll be back to the Canary Islands – especially as there are still some more islands, to explore and discover. ¡Hasta la próxima!

From View Point to Sea

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Our next stop (still on the bus) was at the Cruz de Tejeda with its viewpoint and an opportunity for a light lunch. After lunch and a Kodak moment at the viewpoint, we continued on to the next viewpoint, the Mirador Astronómico de Pinos de Gáldar. From here it was a short drive to the trailhead for our 2km walk to Fontanales, passing through a eucalyptus forest.

The bus was waiting for us at the church of Fontanales – and a quick drive got us down to the coast at Charco de San Lorenzo – for views of another set of natural swimming pools and a (for me) a final touch of the Atlantic Ocean for this trip.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – First Impressions

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We made it into Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the late afternoon – a quick bus transfer got us to the hotel. After a bit of freshen up, I got out and made my way to nearby Las Canteras Beach for a walk along the promenade and into the sunset.

Hiking to Tegueste – and on to Bajamar

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Our picnic lunch closed with mango and a speech, to give a big Thank You to our tour guide; after that we engaged into a short hike down to Tegueste.

The bus (actually yet another one) was waiting for us at Tegueste’s Iglesia de San Marcos Evangelista; from here it was down to Bajamar and its natural swimming pools – for a refreshing dip into the pool (with the waves crushing in) – followed by a coffee or a drink (non-alcoholic beer for me, to get that salty ocean taste out of my mouth).