Author: Cong Shan Graduated from the French Department of Xi'an University of Foreign Chinese, he has worked in the Chinese Embassy in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Embassy in the Gabonese Republic, the Embassy in the Republic of Congo, the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, and the Embassy in France since 1985.
Foreword In August 2011, when I was stationed at the Chinese Embassy in France, I used my vacation to sign up for a tour group organized by the Chinese travel agency in Paris to travel to Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and France, covering more than 4,000 kilometers and lasting 9 days and 8 nights. This is a diary that I have written all the way to the flowers, recording some of the journey and hearings, and now take it out for everyone to enjoy.
August 20 (Sat)
When I met in the morning at the entrance of The McDonald's on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, I found that the tour guide of this Eastern European tour was the same tour guide when I last went to Provence in southern France.
Admire the idyllic scenery of northern France along the way, where there are almost endless fields. You can imagine why it was so easy when Germany invaded France, because there was no danger at all. This is one of the reasons why the French built the Maginot Line after World War I?
Endless fields in northern France
(Courtesy of the author)
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the car crossed the border between France and Germany, and because it was also a Schengen country in the European Union, there was no one on the border at all.
The group of 36 people came from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the French Overseas Provinces, the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as Paris, France. Everyone introduced themselves one by one in the car, and the distance was shortened at once.
After a long journey of more than 600 kilometers, we came to the first stop of this tour of Eastern Europe, Heidelberg, Germany. A small city of only 150,000 people, located about 80 kilometers south of Frankfurt, it is a famous historical and cultural city and university town. The famous Heidelberg University was founded in 1386, and as early as the 16th century, it became the center of European science and culture, and the famous philosopher Hegel studied and worked here. The poet Goethe also stayed here.
It is said to be the youngest city in Germany with the youngest average age, and one-fifth of the city's population is student. The beautiful Neckar River flows through the city and meets the Rhine in Mannheim, 20 km northwest of here. The city's famous attractions include: Knight's House, Heidelberg Old Town, Heidelberg Old Bridge, Philosopher's Path, Market Square, Bismarck Square and so on. There are ancient buildings with white walls and red tiles, full of charming colors. On the hill, the green trees are verdant, and heidelberg castle looms in it. It's a great stroll through the town. The poet Goethe said, "Leave your heart in Heidelberg." Mark Twain says Heidelberg is "the most beautiful place he's ever been."
Heidelberg Old Bridge
(Courtesy of the author)
During World War II, Heidelberg was fortunate to escape allied bombardment, and legend has it that there were graduates of Heidelberg University in the Allied high-rise, and the city's buildings were preserved. After the war, it became the headquarters of the European and American armies.
bridgehead
(Courtesy of the author)
When I visited the huge oak barrels in the castle, I remembered that as early as 1993, when I first visited Germany, I had come here under the leadership of a German friend.
Large oak barrels
(Courtesy of the author)
Stayed in a 3 star hotel 21 km from Heidelberg in the evening, the room was big, but there was no air conditioning, and the grade came down at once.
August 21 (Sun)
Depart at 8:00 a.m. and cross Germany to the Czech Republic. The moment you cross the border into the Czech Republic, it feels like you've crossed a slice of history. The Czech Republic was originally a socialist country in Eastern Europe, and you can see the imprint of that era along the way, and matchbox-style buildings abound. Although it has joined the European Union and Schengen, it is still underdeveloped, and there are many wastelands on both sides of the road, overgrown with weeds.
The Czech Republic was originally a more industrially developed country, and its arms and automobile manufacturing were world-famous, such as the Czech machine gun that we are familiar with in film and television works. Later, due to its liberation by the Red Army after World War II, he joined the Warsaw Pact, which affected its development.
Czech light machine gun
Today's first stop is Maria Spa, a famous Spa town in the Czech Republic. In the distance, beautiful peaks and pure European architecture reflect each other, and the city's ancient St. Bartholomew Church and the old town hall show the historical style.
The city is also unique in that the mineral water gushes down the streets. The musical fountain attracts tourists from all over the world to stand there and feel the charm of the musical fountain. You can taste mineral water in all flavors. It is said that beauty and treatment can be treated, and many celebrities, dignitaries and royals from all over the world have come here to recuperate.
Musical fountain
(Courtesy of the author)
After the tour, we will drive to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. We stayed at the lbs hotel near the old town. There is a large supermarket next to the hotel, so hurry up and replenish your supplies. Prices here are said to be the cheapest in Europe. Bread is only 0.1 euros a piece. And the same bread, Paris for 1 euro. Inside, it even sold canned Merlin lunch meat exported from Shanghai, China, which was equivalent to only a few yuan in yuan, which was much cheaper than in China.
Although the Czech Republic joined the European Union, it did not join the eurozone and used its own currency, which can be exchanged for 23.80 Czech koruna for 1 euro.
August 22 (Mon)
According to European law, drivers can work a maximum of 6 consecutive days and must take 24 hours off before they can return to work. There must be enough rest for 11 hours a day, and every 2 hours of driving should stop and rest for half an hour, so as to ensure that drivers have sufficient rest time and strengthen safety. Every truck has a driving electronic record disk, and the police will conduct temporary spot checks. If a violation is found, a fine of more than 3,500 euros will be imposed and points will be deducted, or the driver's license will be revoked. We should also implement such laws in China to ensure driving safety. Today the driver rested, and we took a tram ride to start visiting Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
The first to visit was Prague Castle and the Presidential Palace, and the guards at the door were reminiscent of the image of "Good Soldier Shuaike", just as a handsome guard came over and quickly grabbed a photo. The Czech Presidential Palace is located in Prague Castle, and tourists casually walk by it. There is a world of difference between government agencies that are heavier than ours. The tour guide told us that the flag flying on the roof of the presidential palace told everyone that the president was working inside, and if the flag was not hung on a day, it was to tell everyone that the president was either visiting or not in the capital, going out to visit or taking vacations.
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic
Known as the Architectural Museum and the Capital of a Thousand Towers, Prague is a patch of red and yellow at a glance. The Vltava River, which originates in Bohemia, runs through the city and flows into the Elbe when it reaches Germany. We took a boat trip to the scenery on both sides of Prague, where we also tasted the Czech national dish "sauerkraut meat", roast pork knuckle and Czech beer. Since the water level in the river is high and low, we also pass through the locks twice and lift and lower. After getting off the cruise, we visited the Dvořák Opera House, the Powder Tower, the Old Town Square, the Town Hall and the Astronomical Clock. The astronomical clock, made in 1410, is hundreds of years old, but it still goes exactly. Whenever the bell rings, the small window above the big bell opens, and the 12 believers of Jesus walk out one after another, never stopping. We were there waiting to see this. It is said that when the clock was built, the king sent someone to blind the engineer's eyes, afraid that he would build the same clock for others. In this way, this large astronomical clock becomes unique in the world.
An astronomical clock made in 1410
Finally, I returned with the help of the Soviets, which was similar to the Style of the Beijing Subway, but the elevator was fast enough. Older, legs and feet can not fall can be careful.
August 23 (Tue)
Depart Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and head to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, passing through Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, on the way, saying place names that are not so smooth. In fact, Czechoslovakia used to be one country, and in 1993 it was divided into two countries. According to reports, Slovakia is a country dominated by agriculture, and its religious beliefs are different from those of the Czech Republic, and the two countries have been separated many times in history. As it is said in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, "a long time will be united, and a long time will be divided." These days the sun is shining, there is no bit of shelter, the temperature is as high as 40 degrees, the greening is not good, or you can see the gap with Western European countries.
The capital of Slovakia , Bratislava
Bratislava was built on both sides of the Danube River, and the construction of the city was a matchbox-style building at first glance. Some of the sculptures in the old city are quite distinctive. Navigating the scorching sun is no easy task. Kutná Hora Old Town, Bratislava Castle, Michal Gate, Central Square, Paparazzi Bars are all good.
Pipe repairman sculpture
It was only during a visit to Bratislava Castle that he was stabbed, and the last bathroom cost 0.8 euros, which was the most expensive bathroom along the way to Eastern Europe. It's equivalent to about 6-7 yuan to pee, and the tour guide said that the last time he came, he didn't charge it. Arbitrary charges are the same in many countries.
In the evening we arrived in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and checked into the Ibis Hotel near Heroes' Square.
August 24 (Wed)
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, has always been a place I yearn for, and this time I finally came here to see it. The beautiful Danube Divides the City in Two, with buda on the left bank and Pest on the right, which together form Budapest.
When the famous film actor Chen Qiang visited Hungary that year, he was inspired to give his own child a name of Chen Buda, and the other was the famous Chen Peisi, and also made a name for Budapest.
Hungary also has some historical ties with China. Everyone knows the Xiongnu, due to the defeat of the war with the Han Dynasty, part of the Xiongnu assimilated with the Han, the other part became the ancestors of the Mongols and Koreans, and the other one went all the way from Asia to the west, hit rome, the capital of the Western Roman Empire, Hungary was also occupied, and part of the ancestors of the Hungarians were the Huns. Many Hungarians are of mixed Eurasian descent, not blonde, but black. Former French President Sarkozy's father was Hungarian and his mother was Jewish, so it is not known whether he had Hun blood.
Listening to the introduction of the local escort fan director who arrived here in 1990, it is another version. Many of the ancestors of the Hungarians come from Xinjiang and Gansu in China, and the Yugur people in Gansu are their distant relatives, and there are about three or four hundred words pronounced the same, and some ancient folk songs, you sing the first half of the sentence, they can sing the second half according to the tone. Currently, 68% of people agree with this view.
The capital of Hungary, Budapest
Regarding the name of Budapest, Fan Dao also told a small story. When the Hungarians decided to establish a capital, the entire city was formed by the merger of Buda, Pest and another small city, initially called Pest-Buda. But since the royal nobility lived in Buda, Pace was inhabited by commoners and merchants. In the end, the imperial power defeated the commoners, so they had to put Buda in the front, and Pace was squeezed to the back, so he kept calling.
We first visited the castle hill in Buda and then took a boat trip to see the scenery on both sides of the Danube River. The Buda Palace, Fisherman's Fort, and Matthia Church have all left a deep impression. 1896 was the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Hungary, coinciding with the World Expo being held in Budapest, and the construction of the entire city was laid at that time. Basically a street modeled after the radial construction of Paris, France, it is very wide and is still in use today. The design of that year is still outdated, which is really a century-old plan. The only difference is that because the Danube River often floods, in order to prevent floods and discharge floods, many dark rivers and floodways have been built in the city. Heroes' Square was built in 1896, and the sculptures on the square reflect the joint founding of seven tribal chiefs 1000 years ago, and it is very interesting that the weapon they held in their hands was a machete, unlike the long knife used in Europe. The four groups of statues in the back represent production, war, peace, and hope.
Fisherman's Fort
There is also a group of sculptures on the banks of the Danube made of 60 pairs of iron shoes of varying sizes, documenting a dark history. In the last century, some 600,000 Jews were killed in Hungary, and the perpetrators threw their bodies into the Danube, but their shoes were left behind and taken to the black market to sell for money. In order to remind people of this history and to warn the world, Hungarian artist Bauel Gyolo created this group of sculptures to commemorate those who were killed.
Shoe sculpture on the Danube
Hungary was one of the more developed countries in Eastern Europe at that time, and when you arrived there, you found that the buses running on the streets were very shabby, and the trams were very long, which is said to be the longest in the world. The overall level is still very different from that of Western Europe.
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Author | Cong Shan
Image | Cong Shan, Network
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