Bacon Beer and Bishops (Bamberg, Germany)

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Sitting back in a quiet German beer-garden on a warm summer’s afternoon sipping on a browny-crimson colored beer called rauchbier (smoky beer), I thought how I’d almost missed this most remarkable small urban travel wonder. After all, I wasn’t really planning to go to Bamberg – just another nice German town with lots of half-timbered buildings from what I’d read – when someone in a hotel mentioned that it was home to ten breweries for a population of only 75,000! The beers included one that tasted a little like bacon. Better check that out!

Bamberg proved to be an architectural treasure trove of ornate palaces, numerous churches and narrow cobblestoned lanes, rich in history and relatively unspoilt by ugly modern buildings.

Over a thousand years old, Bamberg is sliced in half by the Regnitz River. Historically, one side of the river were inhabited by the deeply religious citizens and the other side by the non-religious middle-class merchants and workers. The picturesque town hall (Alte Rathaus) was built on the river between the two parties (see lead photo), richly frescoed and with its half-timbered building draped over the bridge most strikingly.

Bamberg was designated a bishopric around 1000 years ago, maybe for its site among seven hills similar to Rome and is spattered with historic churches and cathedrals. Indeed, it is often referred to as the Franconian Rome, being in the German state of Franconia. Two churches are notable and worthy of a quick viewing. Kloster St. Michael, perched on one of the hills is originally a monastery and has a ceiling painted with around 600 medicinal herbs and plants. A small garden includes some of these herbs and a superb panorama of the city of Bamberg.

The cathedral (Dom) houses the tomb of Pope Clement II – the only pope buried outside of Italy or France. Nearby is the 900-year old Bishop’s Palace with its courtyard encased in half-timbered buildings, the overhanging balconies draped in scarlet geraniums.

Further down the river is Little Venice (Klein Venedig), a row of small half-timbered cottages (originally for fishermen) sit perched on poles over the river with bright red blooms reflecting into the water below.

Walking in this grand town along the narrow streets and laneways seemingly uncovers glorious mansions, castles and palaces around every corner but tired legs will eventually steer you to a brewery or bar for a refreshing ale and some relaxation. I was driving so couldn’t avail myself of the self-guided beer-tasting tour (sold by the thoughtful tourist office) where you get to sample a number of mugs of local brews from the various breweries.

Oh, and rauchbier does taste a little of bacon, though I am assured that no pigs are harmed in the brewing process.

Photo of the Week - Bad Hair Day

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While riding on a bicycle, I quickly fumbled for a camera as I was caught by surprise. Two women emerged from a side road carrying huge mounds of dried grass carefully balanced on their heads.

New International Monopoly - Which Cities Can You Buy?

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The folks at Hasbro, the makers of Monopoly have announced the winners of their new 22 city International edition. This was done by a world-wide poll (over 5 million recorded votes) early in the year, where each person could select ten cities from an original list of 68. Two wildcard cities of Taipei and Gdynia (Poland) were selected outside of the original list and won the location of the cheapest properties.

The cities are:

Dark blue - Montreal, Riga
Green - Capetown, Belgrade, Paris
Yellow - Jerusalem, Hong Kong, Beijing
Red - London, New York, Sydney
Orange - Vancouver, Shanghai, Rome
Magenta - Toronto, Kyiv (Kiev), Istanbul
Light blue - Athens, Barcelona, Tokyo
Brown/Purple - Taipei, Gdynia (Gdansk)

Canada and China each contributed three cities, while Montreal won the valued prime location typically held by Mayfair (UK edition) or Boardwalk (US edition). Six of my votes made the final board. No South American city made the cut.

What cities do you think should have made it that missed out?

The Pink Pageant (Lake Nakuru, Kenya)

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With a rich supply of blue-green algae, the UNESCO-listed travel wonder of Lake Nakuru plays host to immense quantities of flamingos, one of the greatest bird pageants on the planet. From afar at vista points such as Baboon Cliffs, the vast flamingo numbers give the rich saline soda lake an appearance of candy pink stripes.

With the flamingos typically in the shallow shores of the lake, nothing beats sitting quietly near the edge (Pelican Point seems best - see map) and watching them methodically go about their business. Mainly feeding, they also spend time parading on their skinny angular legs, the pink straw-like legs reflecting in the deep blues of the lake. The fading afternoon light leaves a silhouetting effect against the background hills.

In places, baboons and hyenas pace the shores in hope of a meal but the briny alkaline water provides a natural protection for these mesmerising birds and frustration for these opportunist carnivores.

The flamingos feed busily but nervously, their heads bobbing up and down continuously. If one flamingo spooks a little and seeks the sanctity of the sky, suddenly whole flocks take flight with an ungainly savage flapping of their wings. Despite their take-off, they fly gracefully, their long necks craning forward supporting their strange beak. Unusually, they eat with their beak upside-down, using it to filter the lake silt from the small shrimps and algae that they eat and which gives them their vivid pink coloring (apparently caused by the same chemical that makes carrots orange). I wonder if that gives them good eyesight?

The lake is protected as a national park complete with the usual cross-section of African wildlife including giraffe, zebras, lions, antelope and leopards. The park is actively assisting in the breeding and protection of the highly endangered white rhinoceros. It is encouraging to see these elegant animals waddling along with their broad mouths hoovering up the grass, rarely lifting their head from the joyous chore of eating.

The wildlife of the extraordinary Rift Valley is one of Africa's most compelling experiences (I rate it as second in my African top ten). Whether at dawn or dusk, being in the live audience to nature's greatest wildlife show leaves lifetime memories.

The travel wonder of Lake Nakuru makes a wonderful couple of days only 100 miles from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Beyond the wonderful flamingo pageant, the likelihood of seeing the rhinos on the wide open plains makes it a wildlife experience to savour.

Travel Website with a Difference - Where the Hell is Matt?

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Where the Hell is Matt is a travel quasi-blog which has taken on a life of its own. In simple terms, Matt Harding has traveled the world recording a strange jig-like dance in front of some of the great travel wonders of the world. Indeed, there are recordings of Matt dancing in places as diverse as the Pyramids, Kuwait and Petra in the Middle East, Machu Picchu in the Americas and Iceland in northern Europe.

Matt Harding was interviewed on a leading Australian program called Enough Rope last night. A short video clip and the full transcript are available on the internet, which gives a view into the accidental nature of the whole creation and shows some of the down-to-Earth character of Matt.