This entry is PART 2(5) in my A Month In Europe series. If you haven't, check out PART 2(4) here.
Hallo!
It was my last week in Germany. I had been pretty much settled into life as a student living in Giessen, even not really looking for other places to go visit while I was there. Of course, I still wanted to go see other places and do more things but I was honestly just putting my focus on finishing the paper we had to submit soon before I left. Dr. Bianca really wanted me to see as much as I could while I was still around and I guess because of that she decided to take me to Kassel. So, on my last Thursday in Giessen, Dr. Bianca and I took the earliest possible train (using a Hessen ticket) to Kassel, which was about one and a half hours away from Giessen.
Our plan for the day was to spend as much time as we could at Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a pretty huge landscape park on the Karlsberg mountain slope, before Dr. Bianca had to leave to go back home. The park is definitely an amazing attraction in Kassel with the majestic Hercules monument atop the mountain, which also overlooks the whole city. A water feature is designed to run down the whole slope of the mountain, producing beautiful cascading waterfalls. Unfortunately, the cascading waters, or "water games" only operates on select days of the week (Wednesday and Sunday), so we couldn't see it for ourselves. It wasn't too much of a deterrent, but the awful weather took out much of the park's grandiose appearance. Plus, the major constructions and maintenance going on throughout the park didn't really help in making the place as spectacular as it should be.
It would've been a breathtaking scene; just being able to look over the whole city of Kassel from the top. Plus, it would've been even more magnificent to be able to see the cascading water going down the mountain.
Even so, the fact that it was an off-day with terrible weather in the off-peak season meant that the park was pretty close to empty. It would have been a totally different situation if it were on the days where the water games were on as there would be hoards of people running up and down the park to see the cascading waters and also the large fountain located at the bottom of the mountain.
Dr. Bianca and I took our time checking out the whole place, working our way down the mountain while stopping to take photos and to just enjoy the unfolding view of Schloss Wilhelmshöhe (Wilhelmshöhe castle) at the foot of the mountain. The park was picturesque, tranquil and smelled of morning dew.
On our way down from the Hercules monument, there were also some statues of human-like figures, but sculptured in a way that identifies them as some sort of significant figure. There was one right underneath Hercules that looked suspiciously sinister. After thinking about it, I'm pretty sure that the figures signified the other God's of Greek mythology, and the one right underneath Hercules, almost secluded, was his Uncle, Hades - God of the Underworld.
It wasn't just Hades. There were also other notable Greek Gods with their own respective landmarks in the park. The other one that I noticed was a statue at the pond at the end of the cascading waters.
Zoom in and you can see that this figure was sitting in a shell and holding a trident. I proudly exclaimed, "NEPTUNE!!!". But then I paused and thought about... "Or is it Poseidon? Hmm...". Since I was shamelessly talking to myself out loud, Dr, Bianca stepped in said, "They are the same. Neptune is Roman, Poseidon is Greek."
We went around the park a bit more but it was getting close to 1PM and Dr. Bianca already had to leave to go to the train station to catch her train. We parted ways and I stayed behind to enjoy my leisurely stroll around the park/
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe was a cool place to see. People can climb or hike up or down the mountain, cycle, jog or even take the bus to the summit (like we did) and walk down. There was still a lot to see and I didn't see everything at the park but I was getting hungry and wanted to go to the Kassel city center.
I took the tram from the park that went straight into the city center. In great contrast with the park, there was actually a lot of people around.
At the city center I didn't do much. For a few hours I walked around, looking at the streets and the people. I had my lunch, chilled out at a Starbucks where I had this unpleasant Banana S'mores Frappucino, took some photos of the city and did some window shopping. Kassel was a pretty cool city but it didn't seem all that modern. Not as modern-looking as Frankfurt, at least.
That was pretty much my time in Kassel. Took the train back to Giessen and called it a day.
Kassel was the last city I visited before going back to Frankfurt on my way back home. As much as I liked visiting another new city and hanging out with Dr. Bianca, I was so ready to just go to Brussels for a couple of days and then to Paris and Abu Dhabi before finally reaching home.
Thus, the Kassel trip concluded my time in and around Giessen.
The next day, Friday, I was to return my room keys to the house manager and return my office keys to the PhD student at the institute. I had everything packed and ready for my trip back home. However, come the next morning, I would be struck by the one thing I prayed to God didn't happen to me.
More on that in my next entry.
Hallo!
It was my last week in Germany. I had been pretty much settled into life as a student living in Giessen, even not really looking for other places to go visit while I was there. Of course, I still wanted to go see other places and do more things but I was honestly just putting my focus on finishing the paper we had to submit soon before I left. Dr. Bianca really wanted me to see as much as I could while I was still around and I guess because of that she decided to take me to Kassel. So, on my last Thursday in Giessen, Dr. Bianca and I took the earliest possible train (using a Hessen ticket) to Kassel, which was about one and a half hours away from Giessen.
The view from the large lake in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
Our plan for the day was to spend as much time as we could at Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a pretty huge landscape park on the Karlsberg mountain slope, before Dr. Bianca had to leave to go back home. The park is definitely an amazing attraction in Kassel with the majestic Hercules monument atop the mountain, which also overlooks the whole city. A water feature is designed to run down the whole slope of the mountain, producing beautiful cascading waterfalls. Unfortunately, the cascading waters, or "water games" only operates on select days of the week (Wednesday and Sunday), so we couldn't see it for ourselves. It wasn't too much of a deterrent, but the awful weather took out much of the park's grandiose appearance. Plus, the major constructions and maintenance going on throughout the park didn't really help in making the place as spectacular as it should be.
I don't normally travel with long range zooms so this was the closest I could get of Hercules
Breakneck photography (featuring awfully blown-out sky)
The view from the summit
Aside from the ugly crane, you can also see the whole stretch of the main road
It would've been a breathtaking scene; just being able to look over the whole city of Kassel from the top. Plus, it would've been even more magnificent to be able to see the cascading water going down the mountain.
Even so, the fact that it was an off-day with terrible weather in the off-peak season meant that the park was pretty close to empty. It would have been a totally different situation if it were on the days where the water games were on as there would be hoards of people running up and down the park to see the cascading waters and also the large fountain located at the bottom of the mountain.
This would've been the best view
Dr. Bianca and I took our time checking out the whole place, working our way down the mountain while stopping to take photos and to just enjoy the unfolding view of Schloss Wilhelmshöhe (Wilhelmshöhe castle) at the foot of the mountain. The park was picturesque, tranquil and smelled of morning dew.
Team red jacket or team blue jacket?
Dr. Bianca taking photos of everything
Water would cascade into this pond
Schloss Wilhelmshöhe at the foot of the mountain
On our way down from the Hercules monument, there were also some statues of human-like figures, but sculptured in a way that identifies them as some sort of significant figure. There was one right underneath Hercules that looked suspiciously sinister. After thinking about it, I'm pretty sure that the figures signified the other God's of Greek mythology, and the one right underneath Hercules, almost secluded, was his Uncle, Hades - God of the Underworld.
Another statue underneath Hercules
I might be wrong, but this would definitely be a Hades in my book
There is someone in there
Zoom in and you can see that this figure was sitting in a shell and holding a trident. I proudly exclaimed, "NEPTUNE!!!". But then I paused and thought about... "Or is it Poseidon? Hmm...". Since I was shamelessly talking to myself out loud, Dr, Bianca stepped in said, "They are the same. Neptune is Roman, Poseidon is Greek."
We went around the park a bit more but it was getting close to 1PM and Dr. Bianca already had to leave to go to the train station to catch her train. We parted ways and I stayed behind to enjoy my leisurely stroll around the park/
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe was a cool place to see. People can climb or hike up or down the mountain, cycle, jog or even take the bus to the summit (like we did) and walk down. There was still a lot to see and I didn't see everything at the park but I was getting hungry and wanted to go to the Kassel city center.
I took the tram from the park that went straight into the city center. In great contrast with the park, there was actually a lot of people around.
The trams go through the city
At the city center I didn't do much. For a few hours I walked around, looking at the streets and the people. I had my lunch, chilled out at a Starbucks where I had this unpleasant Banana S'mores Frappucino, took some photos of the city and did some window shopping. Kassel was a pretty cool city but it didn't seem all that modern. Not as modern-looking as Frankfurt, at least.
Kassel city council
Trams just fascinate me, I don't know why
That was pretty much my time in Kassel. Took the train back to Giessen and called it a day.
Kassel was the last city I visited before going back to Frankfurt on my way back home. As much as I liked visiting another new city and hanging out with Dr. Bianca, I was so ready to just go to Brussels for a couple of days and then to Paris and Abu Dhabi before finally reaching home.
Thus, the Kassel trip concluded my time in and around Giessen.
The next day, Friday, I was to return my room keys to the house manager and return my office keys to the PhD student at the institute. I had everything packed and ready for my trip back home. However, come the next morning, I would be struck by the one thing I prayed to God didn't happen to me.
More on that in my next entry.
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