Autumn becomes wintery

I have been neglecting the blog lately, mainly because things have been progressing without anything meaningful to report! But I felt that I had to update it with some happenings and perhaps a small observation.

Autumn is closing to an end here in Esslingen. The autumnal colours of gold and red are still present in most of the trees, but there has been a noticeable drop in temperature. During the October half term I managed to get home for a week to see close friends and family and surprise an unsuspecting girlfriend! During my time back in Blighty, Stuttgart and the nearby area was covered in a blanket of snow; a phenomenon that I was assured is quite rare for this time of year! Unfortunately, since then the sun has decided to desert the region and the days are becoming shorter and colder.

But with the end of autumn comes the promise of little wooden huts, handmade decorations such as nutcrackers, stars and angels, brilliant little wooden 'smoking men' (incense - nothing stronger!), Glühwein and the sickly sweet smell of German Christmas markets. They are still (just about) an 'unknown' gem for British tourists and have to be one of the best ways to get even the grumpiest of Scrooges into the Christmas spirit! The Germans just don't do Humbug!

Sad though it may be, I'm already counting down the days until I have my trio of visitors, heading from Bath, to discover all that Germany has to offer in the Christmas break department! As a nation I feel that we are, all too often, quick to disregard the 'Vaterland' as a holiday destination, perhaps due to the history that goes with the country, this coupled with Britons' firm belief that Germans still behave as they did in the 1930s and 40s! The truth is that Christmas time in Germany can be one of the most magical places, particularly when the possibility of snow is far greater than back at home! All that needs to be added is... bring on the Christkindlmärkte!!

Willkommen im Autoland!

Contrary to the belief of maybe some people, I do actually have to do some university work while I am here! Because I am splitting the year between a teaching assistantship in Germany and a work placement in Italy, I have to write a 'special study'. This is a 6,000 word essay in a language of my choice about any relevant topic.

One of the main reasons for choosing Baden-Württemberg was because I wanted to write something about the influence that the automobile industry has had on the area. Now, young men or women who are interested in cars have either one interest, or two. All of them like to admire the beauty of such machines; each with his or her own view on what is good and what their dream car would be. Some like to know how everything works. They take stuff apart and put it back together again; always striving to understand 'why' something is needed. Among these types of people is my dad, forever tinkering away in the garage, repairing and replacing a forever growing list of things on his beloved, mid-life-crisis (no doubt I will receive a berating for that) 'investment' - an early 90s Porsche 911 (964).

For those that really know me, any attempt to fully explain the workings of a car would be pointless. In fact it is a family joke that if somebody asked me for a screwdriver, I would pass them a spanner! Nevertheless I remain fascinated by the idea of the car and it is because of this that I find myself (rather fortunately) in what is often known as the birthplace of the car.

On my doorstep are two of the best automotive museums in all of Germany and it wouldn't be right to research such a topic, without a visit to both!

The Mercedes museum (or Daimler-Benz Museum to locals) is a historical journey, from the first ideas of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, to the 21st century and Mercedes' production of greener cars. A ridiculously low entry fee of €4 (yet again) and I was discovering some brilliant pieces of mechanical engineering and automotive design. Rather than explain it, I thought it was best that you saw some highlights for yourself! 

 

The museum tour was finished with a trip to the shop, where I bought a brilliant book to help me with my studies and shocked myself silly at the price of some of the die cast models!

After the experience of the Mercedes museum, it was time to rub salt into the wounds of my dad! He has long expressed a desire to visit the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and that was exactly where I found myself on a wet and windy day last Friday. The museum resembled more of a space ship than the resting place for some motoring greats! Once again a student entry fee got me into the exhibition for, more or less, nothing. As I walked through the history of Porsche, moving from one important model to the next, I could imagine my dad's parrot becoming more and more ill! Once again, below is a collection of some of my highlights.

Unlike the Mercedes museum, which is interesting for everyone, the Porsche museum was definitely a place for enthusiasts and admirers. Rather than tracking exactly what the company had done for the industry, the collection in Porscheplatz showed the development of the cars, from Ferdinand Porsche's famous Volkswagen to the modern day 997.

Doubtless is it to say that both museum trips had the desired effect and research is going along smoothly! As for my dad, well the hope is that he will come and visit me in February, so he will have his opportunity. Perhaps if I can organise a factory tour early enough, I might even get to sit on the drivers' side of the 964! I am quite confident that only when hell freezes over, can I even suggest it!