Matera Sassi is the area, where people until the fifties lived in caves carved inside the rocky limestone land. This is one of the Unesco heritage areas and this year 2019 Matera is also one of European culture capitals.
Our room here is also in a cave, it looks rough outside, but inside all is nicely renovated. It was a bit difficult to find this place in the old town, but a friendly reception boy came to fetch us after the dark.
To me Salerno is the best place to explore Amalfi coast, because
During one day we hopped on and off buses and boats along the Amalfi coast. The scenery during the boat rides were of course great, but the bus rides with the local buses were more exciting when the bus was climbing up the narrow mountain roads with a view to the sea down. We first took a bus to Cetara, which is a fishing village, with peaceful and clean beach and more serene atmosphere than the next famous towns, Amalfi and Positano. they are beautiful but full of tourists even in October. Our final goal was Sorrento, where I once had a best pizza of my life. Although we could not find that place, the pizza was good. On the way back to Salerno with train the small problem was that Pompei station, where the train from Sorrento stops is two kilometers away from that Pompei station from where the train goes to Salerno, so taxi was needed as it was dark already.
When heading south we staid couple of nights in Bologna, the food capital of Italia. To us it also looked as a capital of stylish people, porticos along the streets, colors of okra, big piazzas and a hidden canal under our hotel.
Men had stylish, well cut hair and beards. He is the man from the reception proud of his gramophone.
Over the Alps along the Albula and Bernina route. Instead of the Bernina express we used the regional train with our Interrail tickets. Not much text is needed, let the photos tell.
The main reason I wanted to go to Hamburg was the youth hostel am Stintfang. From the breakfast room and bar you have a magnificent view over the harbor. You can easily also reach the new Hafencity by walking along the Landungsbrucken walking path by the seafront. In the train we got a hint from a friendly boy to climb up to the plaza of the new Opera and concert house Elbphilharmony. From there it was a great scenery to the skyline of the city and the harbor. In total Hamburg is still kind of challenge to me, I do not quite understand that city, probably I need to go back once more.
After Hamburg we made a 6 hours train journey to Augsburg. In this train there was a restaurant car with white table cloths and proper food. Six hour’s journey was not feeling long when we could enjoy a nice meal with desert and coffee.
In Augsburg we staid at local youth hostel, which was also a good one. It is near the old town and very peaceful. Every room has even its own balcony. During our two night stay, we had to use one morning for finding a laundry for washing the cloths and the rest of the time looking around the city. Suddenly I also realized that I had been in this city during my working time at a paper mill Haindl Papier, currently owned by UPM. During business trips you hardly see the town, it is often that you arrive in the morning and fly back the same day.
Augsburg is hometown for Bertolt Brecht. He was born here as his father worked for the Haindl Papier. Later I also learned that Walter Brecht, who is famous among the paper makers, and was a professor of paper making at Darmstadt university, was Bertolt’s brother. During this journey I have first understood that not only the Jews but also the artists had to flee from Germany during Hitler’s time. Bertolt was in exile for 14 years.
Augsburg is also famous for is its water supply system. Part of it was first built already during the Roman times, and since the 15th century it has been used. It has recently received a Unesco heritage status. The town is surrounded with three rivers, Lech, Wertach and Singold, which get their waters from the Alps. Several canals are crossing the whole city area, so you can hear the sound of water where ever you go in the town.
Although school history has been wiped off my brains I knew that Luebeck is an old Hansa town, maybe best impressions of Hansa time in my head come from the novels of Indreke Hargla and pharmacist Melchior who solves the crimes in those novels. However, the European Hansa museum in Luebeck opened up that era a lot and woke up new ideas and thoughts of current trade alliances. The museum is modern and very well organized and illustrated, really worth a visit.
Except being center of Hansa Luebeck has been hometown to many famous people. Thomas Mann, Gunther Grass and one Herbert Frahm, later known as Willy Brandt were from here. I had at least seen films based on Thomas Mann, and Gunther Grass, but surely will be reading the Buddenbrooks in the future.
Blechtrommel, also a film based on Gunther Grass’s novel.
We also spent time in Willy Brandt’s house. His life opened up In a New way. It was ashtonizing how quickly the Nazi time developed, and hehad to flee to Osloand later Stockholm. His time in power was the cold war time. Again I could imagine the situation based on Le Carre’s novels, when one of his close coworkers was a spy of DDR and he decided to resign as a chancellor.
Luebeck is also a town of several churches. In one of them we were participating the Vesper with Orgel music and short speeches of the pastor. He talked about Picasso, who said: Ich suche nicht aber ich finde. I do not search but I find.
The life on the streets on Saturday was lively. Students were celebrating with funny hats and cloths their one week before the university starts. On the market place there were bands playing and people dancing. Rain showers wetted us, a couple of times, but dry socks were found from one Euro shop.
Luckily we were wise enough to take our umbrellas and warm clothes when leaving home. Europe seems to have cool days with showers the coming week. After Alps warmer and dryier weather is forcasted.
Starting the railing again, this time together with my dear husband. This year we are heading towards Matera in Southern Italy, but before that we plan to travel in Germany, Switzerland and Northern Italy. We started by making a shortcut over the Baltic to Copenhagen in order to reach the southern Italy and not to need to hurry too much. However, for personal reasons I feel better after compesating that. Autumn Copenhagen had a nice atmosphere now that less tourists were around. What is not so nice there is the high price level.
In Copenhagen before starting the interrail we visited the Danish National museum. When wandering among those riches, I really understood how big the difference between the history of Finland and Denmark really is. They have a great history and close connections to rest of the Europe.
