Magdeburg

Magdeburg is a wonderful place to visit. It is easy to get to (90 minutes' drive West from Berlin, and it's on the main railway line) but do not go in February. There are plenty of things to see and do in Magdeburg, but mid-February is the wrong time of year to do it. We had a family birthday celebration there, but we really should go again at a better time of year. At this time of year, an icy wind blows straight off the Baltic, or Siberia or somewhere else not listed in holiday catalogues, bringing with it a temperature of -8 C. (or 18 F).

We stayed in the small town of Wolmirstedt, just outside Magdeburg. It has a railway station, a car-free shopping street, and a few hotels and restaurants. It's the kind of place where most people know each other. The hotels knew about our party, because they were all fully booked. The taxi company knew about our party because they had something to do.


There are some pretty amazing things to do and see in this area. One of them is the Water Bridge, the world's longest navigable aqueduct, which crosses the river Elbe. They completed this in 2003. During the separation of Germany, canal boats from West Germany to Berlin had a 12km detour from the Mittelland canal, down through some locks and a ship hoist (also pretty amazing), along the river Elbe, then back up the locks to the Elbe-Havel-Kanal. Most of Berlin's coal came in that way. We parked near the aqueduct and walk up to the canal level, which is 16m higher than the water level of the river Elbe. At the top we were greeted by the aforementioned Baltic wind, which cut right through us. We braved it for only a few minutes before descending into the shelter of the banks again. It's quite bizarre seeing boats on a canal so high up above the surrounding dead-flat land.

Apart from our party (we do some fairly awesome family parties) we also ventured into the centre of Magdeburg. Again, this would probably be really interesting during the summer. The tall buildings and straight streets shelter you from the wind one moment, then when you go round the corner, the wind funnels right at you. We lasted 2 hours in the cold before seeking shelter in a shopping centre. But in that time we did see the "Green Citadel" building, the last building designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It's supposed to be green because of the grass on the roof, which of course was white with snow. Nevertheless it is a stunning building, curiously positioned between traditional and other "modern" buildings, and manages to avoid straight lines in a Dr Seuss way, whilst still remaining practical.


Like all good short breaks, the long weekend was over too quickly. We drove back to Berlin (despite snow on the Autobahn, we made good progress), and struggled through the chaos that is the woefully inadequate Schönefeld airport: There is one restaurant (burger King) and one pub, serving several dozen gates, and water costs twice as much as it does on the plane! But we had a fab weekend that the kids will remember for a long time. We must go back in the summer.

Trainz Rediscovered

After a few years of absence, I rediscovered the computer game Trainz last week. It helps that I have a new(er) computer on which to run it. This is an old version of the software ("Trainz Railway Simulator 2004") but just as playable as the latest version.

My first challenge was to get it running on Windows Vista. There is plenty of chat in the forums on getting Trainz 2004 to run on Vista, some of it less helpful than others. The main problem is Vista's heightened security awareness, which prevents nornal users from modifying anything in the Program Files folder. There are ways around this, but after a bit of tinkering this is what I did to get it working:

• Run the installation program as Administrator. To do this, you have to right-click on setup.exe and choose "Run as Administrator". Don't just double-click on it.
• Do not install into C:\Program Files - instead install it into a different folder like c:\Trainz.
• Once it has finished installing, go into the Trainz/TRS2004/Bin folder and right-click on the main application. Then go to Compatibility and tick the box "Run as Administrator". 

I have also been reading the reviews on the newer versions of Trainz, to determine whether I should upgrade. Reviews are mixed. The hardware specs for the newer versions are beyond what I have at the moment, However, the Trainz Download Station is no longer free, and I am either faced with upgrading, or buying a subscription to be able to download additional stuff.

One of the interesting things about Trainz (and possibly other railway simulators) is that it allows users to create their own content. If you can use a 3D graphics program you can design your own rolling-stock and buildings. If you don't mind doing some programming, you can write your own code to enhance the way that the simulator works. This means you can create whole new industries, with wagons and loads and loading points to go with them. Very flexible.

There is plenty of user-generated stuff out there. One group called TrainzProRoutes has created some highly detailed railroad routes from around the world, including some that take 4 to 5 hours of real time to drive from end to end ! 

Now I don't need to build a model railway in the spare room ... I can build it all in the computer...  and it looks very realistic. Hours - maybe months - of fun are guaranteed.

My Beautiful Commute

Have you heard the silence on my beautiful commute?

Blackfriars on Bankside to Southwark Cathedral

Quiet time - under millenium bridge, the Olympic Poetry now silent. Past the Globe - the whispering water washing against the shore. A dustbin lorry whining in the streets behind the buildings. The tidal Thames talks to the pier as the water rushes to the sea.

Under Southwark Bridge - a siren, a heavy lorry, the noise of traffic soon far away - two people chatter under the arch.

Clink Street - the sound of steel wheels screaming against the track on the bridge far above

"Morning Gents - mine's a muffin" he calls, offering Big Issue and a conversation with everyone who walks by.

Oh, a taxi, slowly turning on the pedestrian path as we approach the Golden Hinde, resting before a pirate scares forty schoolkids with stories from the high seas.

Have you heard the silence of my beautiful commute?