What better time to go to Germany than mid-January, right? I was offered the chance to give a talk at a very good research institute, so I was happy to visit in January.
I quite liked Bonn - reminded me of Lexington (KY, where I lived before moving to Ireland), but bigger. It doesn't have much industry (recall that it was the capital of West Germany, as well as unified Germany, until 1999). Although I had several meetings and received useful feedback on my talk, I was also able to do a bit of sightseeing (as my flight back to Dublin wasn't until nearly 9pm).
So, what did I see? Well, the research institute is near the University, so I walked by the University:
Then I walked along the Rhine. Germany has lots of off road biking / walking paths. I could see an enjoyable few days spent cycling along the Rhine. Wine country is nearby. Just not sure who will watch the kids!
The old town is compact and pretty, with lots of shops and places to walk. I particularly liked the old town walls:
I quite liked Bonn - reminded me of Lexington (KY, where I lived before moving to Ireland), but bigger. It doesn't have much industry (recall that it was the capital of West Germany, as well as unified Germany, until 1999). Although I had several meetings and received useful feedback on my talk, I was also able to do a bit of sightseeing (as my flight back to Dublin wasn't until nearly 9pm).
So, what did I see? Well, the research institute is near the University, so I walked by the University:
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| University of Bonn |
The old town is compact and pretty, with lots of shops and places to walk. I particularly liked the old town walls:
and the old city hall
as well as an old fort perched above the Rhine
I spent the bulk of my time at a museum of Germany history since the end of World War II. Although only 20 percent of signs had English (in addition to German), it was fascinating. I learned a lot, although I skipped a lot of the stuff on politics. Probably the coolest bit was seeing a piece of the Berlin wall (although I did have to put up with a few noisy and obnoxious Russians).
Surprisingly, there was no bit on how the current insistence on austerity is hurting all of Europe (and even the global economy), although Germany is not alone in this stance. Paul Krugman has some very good articles on this topic.
But I digress. I also enjoyed the food in Germany. Lots of sausages and potatoes (and a bit of beer to wash it down).
All in all, a good trip. I have enjoyed both my trips to Germany so far, and I look forward to the next trip.
