Willkommen in Deutschland!

After our visit in the city of romance we cross the border to Germany, particularly Berlin.
We arrived at the Tegel Airport, the only major airport that is still in the city. Berlin had originally three airports but one of them is outside the state and the other is closed.

We saw it immediately, Berlin is a busy but beautiful city! There is for everyone something to see or experience. Architecture and history but also contemporary culture and a wonderful zoo.

I never was the best of the class in geography so I looked it up for you : Berlin is located in eastern Germany, and is an enclave in the state of Brandenburg. The state is also very close to the border of Poland.
In the city you can easily travel by train and trams. We were advised to buy a Berlin Welcome Card, so we can travel for free and get many discounts.

The Wall of Berlin

And of course, everyone knows him : the famous Wall of Berlin. Once, Berlin was divided by the Berlin Wall. But now the wall is demolished and Berlin is again one beautiful city, the capital of Germany. In the center of the city you still can see a part of the wall. This piece is a memorial for freedom and is decorated with more than 100 paintings by artists from different countries. It was really wonderful and colorful to see!

The Zoo of Berlin

When we walked through the city, we saw many images of a bear. Very strange, so we informed us by the local people.  They told us that this bear is the mascot of the city. The bear is also reflected in the arms of the city, monuments and in the zoos of the city.
They also told us that we definitely had to bring a visit to the Berlin Zoo, so we did. This zoo is known for the birth of Knut, the polar bear. They also have an impressive aquarium with a beautiful underwater world. On cold days you can take a stroll with penguins, which is also very special.

The city of Berlin

And of course very important for us, women. You can shop in many large modern shopping centers.  And while we shop, the men can enjoy the many terraces in the cafes or bistros.

There are many different festivities, such as the famous Christmas markets, but also numerous fairs and sporting events. In the evening there is in some beautiful streets lighted trees, giving it a romantic atmosphere. 

Now I'm going to enjoy of this great and romantic atmosphere. I'll see you in Norway!

Sources: 

- http://www.wereldspotter.nl/europa/duitsland/berlijn

- http://innovatie.de/het-turbine-landschap-van-berlijn-brandenburg-bloeit/

- http://www.wegenwiki.nl/Berlin

Copenhagen: Wonderful for so many reasons!

Last time but one, we have visited a city. We were in Denmark. The country did not attract my attention. Next to that I also did not knew a lot about it. So which city do we have to choose than? We saw no other idea than going to Copenhagen, the famous capital of Denmark.

I will tell you how we experienced the people and the tourism over there.

Copenhagen has a lot of parks and cemeteries. Besides the city has also a lot of attractions, museums, buildings, shopping places, and so on. The most famous thing of Copenhagen is  the statue of the little mermaid.

Something you can also do is buying a map, within which stands a lot of daytrips. This is always nice to do.

There is a large number of restaurants and bars. Even the nightclubs you find over there, they are open until 5 or 6 in the morning.

We could easily relocate ourselves, by the large network of transport. You can take the metro or the S-train. We also made use of the Intercity and the Express trains. We also hired a bike, because it is for certain that this city is known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world.

You even have toll-free motorways. This economizes already a lot of money.

The Quay Bridge

Maybe good to know: Copenhagen is one of the most environmentally friendly cities.

The city dwellers speak Danish of course, but they understand English as well. That is quite handy, because none of us speak Danish and English is the language we speak the best, after our mother‑tongue. 

We found the people really friendly and helpful. Denmark is called the country of “the happiest people in the world”, and I have to admit that all the people over there seem to be happy.

Unfortunately we did not go a few weeks later. From the 17^th until the 19^th May there will be carnival. It is one of the major events of the year. I really regret we could not have experienced it. But you cannot want everything in life. See you one more time and then… then I will tell you about Norway.

Sources:

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_language_do_they_speak_in_Copenhagen_Denmark 
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen
• http://www.copenhagenet.dk/cph-events.asp
• http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/
• http://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/tourist-frontpage
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/07/copenhagen-really-wonderful-reasons
• http://www.investindk.com/Why-Denmark/A-great-place-to-live

„Berlin combines the culture of New York, the traffic system of Tokyo, the nature of Seattle and the history of, well, Berlin“

Hello bloggers!

Guten Morgen Berlin! Which means as much as Good morning Berlin! I’m so excited to get to know Berlin, since I’ve heard so many excited thing about it. The thing that attract me the most is that Berlin has established itself as a centre of youth and popular culture in Europe. So the city is basically full of young people. I really like the atmosphere here, it keeps me young! They call an inhabitant of Berlin, a Berliner.

Nightlife and festivals in Berlin are one of the most popular attractions for young people. I mean, Berlin’s nightlife is one of the most diverse and vibrant of Europe. Eastern and Central Europa made Berlin’s club scene the most important nightlife destination in Europe. Clubs are not required to close at a fix time on the weekends, so the party can go on till the morning.

The buildings that were destroyed due to the fall of the Berlin Wall were illegally occupied by young people who rebuild it for underground gatherings such as Techno-music nightclubs etc. One of the clubs that is very popular in Berlin is for example Berghain. To illustrate that the buildings are indeed rebuild after the fall, I can tell you that this club is located at a former power station. As I told you that the parties can last till the morning, Panorama Bar has its name of the bar that opens its shades at daybreak which allows party people a panorama view of Berlin after dancing through the night. The city also has a huge number of gay clubs and festivals, such as Easter fetish week.

Berghain

Panorama Bar in Berghain

I found something very weird. They say Berlin has a very young population but on the other hand the birthrate is one one of the lowest in the world? I’m not really sure how they can explain that. The most logical thing I could come up with is the fact that there is an increasing number of foreigners that have been settling in Berlin due to loosened immigration laws and easier citizenship requirements. A lot of Turks, Russians, Poles and others came to live in Berlin. Okay, there are a lot of different cultures in Berlin but the official language is still German.

If someone is interested to visit Berlin, I suggest to go through the PDF-document that you can find on the last link I’ve put at ‘sources’. It’s a very good guideline!

Sources:

Titel quote: Hiroshi Motomura, UCLA Law Professor, 2004

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin#Culture

http://matadornetwork.com/nights/the-10-wildest-places-to-party-in-berlin/

http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Berlin-People.html

http://www.curso24.de/images/berlin_colour_teaser.pdf

Facts and figures in Berlin

In Germany, we have visited the capital city Berlin. Berlin is the biggest city in Germany and it is the second big city in the European Union (EU). The city is situated in northeastern Germany.

Below you can see, on the basis of history and pictures, what we have visited during our stay in Berlin.

The Berlin Wall separated, from 1961 until 1989, west- and east-Berlin. The Berlin Wall was well-known during the Cold War. There we have visited “Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie”. This museum was built in 1962, after the construction of the Berlin Wall. It was dedicated to the Wall but, principally to the escape possibilities.

The Brandenburg Gate is highly recommended. This Gate stands on the outskirts of the old city. Most remarkable is Victoria, who is driving a chariot by four horses. 

The Postdam Square was something I really wanted to see. This is one of the most important places in the center of Berlin. Next to it, it is also the most important junction. Over there we went for shopping. Something you really have to do. The area is really beautiful in the evening.

 

When you hear Berlin, some of us  think about Charlottenburg Palace. It is the largest palace in Berlin. It is built by order of Frederik I, at the end of the 17^th century. During the World War II the palace was seriously damaged. After the war everything was renovated.  The park around the castle was built after the example of the Gardens of Versailles.

The Kaiser Willhelm Memorial Church is located within the Charlottenburg district. There is a church which is damaged in the World War II due to bombardments. It was built in 1891-1985 by the architect Franz Schechten by order of Kaiser Wilhelm II, to remembrance of Wilhem I. The church is now only 71 meters high, normally it was 113 meters high.

                                                               

One of the most controversial constructions is the “Gedenkstätte für die Opfer des Holocaust”. It has a surface of 19.000 m² and consists of 2.700 concrete blocks. Those blocks are from 20 centimeters until 4,5 meters. Between the rows of the blocks, there are narrow paths. The designer, Peter Eisenmann, wanted to express the symbolism during the Nazi-regime. The building is accessible from all sides, so there is no central entrance. Under the monument there are guide tours. The price for this in only € 5,00.

I really want to come back, for the well-known “Berliner Bierfestival”. This takes place in August. Every year another kind of beer stands central.  More than 600.000 people go to it, and I really want to experience it.

The city Berlin is certainly worth to visit. See you next time.

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall
• http://www.berlin.de/mauer/index.en.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkpoint_Charlie_Museum
• http://www.berlin.de/orte/museum/haus-am-checkpoint-charlie/index.en.php
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate
• http://www.berlin.de/orte/sehenswuerdigkeiten/brandenburger-tor/index.en.php?lang=en
• http://www.funtouristattractions.com/a/potsdam-square-berlin-germany/2635
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdamer_Platz
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlottenburg_Palace
• http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Attraction_Review-g187323-d242760-Reviews-Charlottenburg_Palace_Schloss_Charlottenburg-Berlin.html
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/charlottenburg.html
• http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/kaiser-wilhelm-memorial-church
• http://www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de/KWG/dateien/englisch/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Wilhelm_Memorial_Church
• http://www.carnifest.com/carnivals/The-International-Berlin-Beer-Festival-Berliner-Bierfestival.asp

The Berlin economy / Wirtschaft in Berlin

Today, we are in Germany, in Berlin to be more specific.

To start, Berlin is the capital of Germany, so you can imagine lots of economic activities are situated here.

The Berlin economy has been affected several times by the city’s changing political fortunes. In contrary to what some of you may think, Berlin still has one of the lowest per capita income of all metropolitan regions in Germany and one of the largest state debts.

Berlin is one of the most well-known cities in Germany, so I find it logical that the tourist industry is experiencing a growth. These growth rates are even higher than any of the other business sectors  in Berlin. The number of overnight stays sets a new record each year.

Another fact about Berlin is that it is Germany’s start- up capital. With this I mean that it is the city where the most companies are started.

So now I’m talking about companies, I’ll tell you something more about “famous” companies situated in Berlin. I’m not going to bore you with lots of details concerning employment, I just want to say that Siemens has its headquarters in Berlin.

But, did you know that among the 20 largest employers in Berlin is Daimler, Bayer Health Care, BMW motorcycles and Air Berlin? When I read this information in my brochure, I didn’t really believe it. Those are all companies I know by name and I didn’t even expect they were situated in Berlin, except Air Berlin of course.

So now, I’m coming back to something more interesting, tourism. Berlin has 781 hotels, with over 125 thousand beds (June 2012). Just to give you a better view on the number of tourists, I’ll give you some facts:

·         20.8 million overnight hotel stays in 2010
·           9.1 million hotel guests in 2010
·         135 million day visitors a year

The large number of visitors puts Berlin on the third place among the most- visited cities in the European Union.

Berlin is also in the top three convention cities in the world, which contributes to the large number of visitors. Several large-scale fairs are held annually in the city, which attracts a significant number of business visitors.

As last point I would like to tell you something more about the creative industries in Berlin. These sectors consist of music, design, fashion, publishing, video games,… The creative industries have contributed about 20% of Berlin’s gross domestic product in 2005.

I have to say, I knew Germany was an important economic country, but I didn’t expect Berlin an important city. This was my second time I was in Berlin and I have to admit, I didn’t really pay attention to the economical aspect of the city.

Now that we have visited several companies, I think there could be very positive business relationships between these companies and our company, fingers crossed!

 

 

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Berlin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin

http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/wirtschaft/berliner_wirtschaft.en.html

Why is Germany important?

Today I am writing my blog in Germany. We are in Berlin and I am very excited about it because I have never been here before. The weather is beautiful and the sun is shining so what do you want more?

Germany has the largest national economy in Europe and the third largest in the world after US and Japan. I will tell you something about the German trade because this is very interesting. The total value of exports is $1.337 trillion. This is larger than the German import ($1.12 trillion). The primary exports and imports are machinery, chemicals, metals and manufactures but the biggest German export are vehicles. In 2009, Germany produced more than 5 million cars and was the world’s largest car producer and exporter. The most popular brands are Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Opel and Volkswagen.

The primary export and import partners are France, USA, UK, the Netherlands, China, Belgium…

A lot of world’s largest companies are headquartered in Germany especially some brands we all know: Siemens, Metro, Bosch, MAN, Aldi, Lidl, Henkel, Puma, Adidas, Deutsche Bank, Nivea…

There is a difference between the southern and the northern ‘Bundesländer’. The states in the south such as Bayern, Baden Württemberg and Hessen are economically stronger than others. The best economical region is the Ruhr area in the west between Bonn and Dortmund.

Germany does not possess a lot of natural resources except for lignite and potash salt. About two thirds of the energy (oil and natural gas) is imported from other countries.

Germany is also the leading manufacturer of wind turbines and solar technology in the world. You can visit the largest international congresses and trade fairs in Hanover, Frankfurt and Berlin.

I hope you have learned something more about our economical strong neighbour. I didn’t even know that some companies we know are German.

The next country is Denmark and I am looking forward to it!

Sources:

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/germany-country-profile.html

http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/germany/export-import.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Germany

Paris: La ville de l'amour

Right now, we only have to visit three more cities. It all went so fast! The last city we have visited was Paris. Like they say in French: “La ville de l’amour”.

But, I am not going to talk about love, but about the business etiquette over there and besides a little about the financial particulars of that specific city.

So, first of all you have to shake hands when you meet someone. It is very good when you speak a little of the local language. If you speak English, try to be patient and speak slowly. 
It is really important that you are friendly, whether in professional settings or in social settings.
Some examples: When you go for shopping, always greet with a “bonjour monsieur/madame” and “au revoir”.

When you ask the way, always start with: “excusez-moi de vous déranger, madame/monsieur”.
If you always do this you will see the people over there will also be very friendly.
I am going further about how you have to behave during meetings, and so on.

You never speak to someone by using his/her firstname, this is ‘reserved’ for family and close friends.
As present you can always give a bouquet flowers. It is better not to give a number of 13 flowers, because that is considered as unlucky.
Furthermore you can also give wine. Make sure that the wine you give is one of the highest quality.

To finish the business etiquettes I still have some meeting tips:

• You always have to be on time
• Appointments should be made at least two weeks in advance
• Do not try to arrange meetings during the vacation period: July and August
• Always dress elegant and stylish
• They like it when you wear some accessories.

To end I would like to give you some information about the financial particulars. More specific: the enterprises located in France (Paris), the main import and export of France and the trading partners.

On the 21^th July 2008, was Paris ranked at the second place of the world’s largest corporations.

There are a lot of big enterprises of which the principal seat is situated in Paris. We have Carrefour, BNP Paribas, Peugeot, Renault, France Télécom, Danone, Air France, Axa, and so on.
Next to that there are also a lot of other big enterprises which are situated in France. I think about L’Oréal Group, Michelin, and much more.

The trade in France is one of the largest in the world.

The main export in France, in 2010, was principally:

• Machinery and transportation equipment and aircraft
• Plastics, chemicals and pharmaceutical products
• Iron and steel
• Beverages.

The top three export trading partners are: Germany (14,3%), Spain (9,3%) and Italy (8,9%).


The main import is chiefly:

• Machinery and equipment
• Vehicles and aircraft
• Crude oil
• Plastics and chemicals.

The top three import trading partners are: Germany (17,9%), Belgium (11,7%) and Italy (8,3%).

Sources:

• http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3925.html
• http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/france-country-profile.html
• http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2008/cities/
• http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/france/export-import.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Paris
• http://www.paris.eu/information/background/economy/
• http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/major-world-cities/paris-economy.html

Politics in France

France is a semi-presidential representative democratic republic. So that means that there is a President that is head of state and a Prime Minister that is head of government. As in many countries the executive power is exercised by the government.

The duties of the President aren’t very different of the ones we have: heading the armed forces, appointment of the Prime Minister, power to dismiss the National Assembly, chairing the Council of Ministers, appointing the members of the highest appellate court etc. The official residence of the President is the Elysée Palace, which you can find in Paris of course. The palace is obviously heavily guarded and protected so no one can come in without permission! It’s actually a very impressing building, too bad we’re not allowed to go in there.  I think it would be super fascinating. Too give you an impression of how it looks like on the inside, I’ve looked up some pictures for you guys!

So as you can tell, the president has a lot of power. He serves for seven year terms, which is different from the most other western European countries, they only serve four year terms. Since France is a democratic republic, he is directly elected by the general voting population of France. 

The thing I found really weird is that the Prime Minister and the President do not always come from the same political party. Therefore there exists an agreement where the Prime Minister takes prime responsibility for domestic issues while the President serves as head of the state so on  international issues. But as I already illustrated, the president has a lot of power so he can always dismiss the Prime Minister if there are any problems.

I have to admit I’m not really into politics but it was very fascinating to find out some more about France like this. I mean, it’s so much easier to understand the culture and the population of France if you dig a little deeper into the politics. Thanks France! You gave me the desire to know more about politics in different countries.

Talk to you later bloggers!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_France

http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Frenchpoliticalsystem.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lys%C3%A9e_Palace

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/france/Government-Politics-in-France/544

Paris, the epicenter of the economy

Welcome in France, the land of bread, wine and cheese. And now as a real Frenchman : “du pain, du vin et du boursin”.

And who hears France, automatically think of Paris and his famous Eiffel Tower. This major city is the most populated region of the euro zone and has the strongest regional economy in Europe.  Even at world level, the region is placed on the third place.

The French industry is well established and includes sectors that France is a world leader in, such as nuclear energy, high fashion, perfume, wine, cheese and nuclear energy.

France is known for its “Haute Couture” and the associated large fashion houses. And as a woman I am certainly interested in high fashion and perfume! What else did you expected?  

Everyone knows the most famous fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Gaulthier, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Ralph Lauren and many more.
The famous Fashion Week in Paris is perhaps the best known fashion event in the world.

But now enough about fashion! There are other important economic issues to talk about for example BNP Paribas S.A. This is one of the largest banking groups in the world and the headquarters of this bank are based in Paris.  

If we look beyond the trade in Paris, we also see that a large part of France consists of agriculture and a lot of people get their income from this.

Many important agricultural products come from France. The French farmers make the most of beef, veal and poultry in West - Europe. Other important agricultural products are milk, eggs, sugar, cereals and wine.

There are made ​​more than 300 different kinds of cheese. The best known species are Camembert, Brie and Roquefort. You can buy them anywhere in the world. I have already tasted them myself and they are yummy!

See you next time in Germany!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_France

http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/france/structure-of-economy.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_imports_and_exports_of_France

http://www.toutdefrance.nl/tf_main.php?thema=17&status=2&onderdeel=312

Beautiful Italy!

Good morning beautiful Italy!

I wish I could wake up like this every day with the sun on my face and a little breeze of air. I’m happy that it’s not that warm as it was in Djerba. I know it’s kind of weird to wish for it to be colder but the warmth was sometimes too much to take.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Let’s enjoy the scenery of Italy today! Before arriving in Italy I had already looked up some places I really wanted to visit. Rome, Tuscany, Firenze, San Marino, Milan and the romantic Venice.

All the cities looked a little alike but I can’t get over the fact how beautiful the St. Peter’s Square is in Vatican City. I particularly liked the construction and style of the buildings.

Rome attracts so much tourist because it’s being adjudged as a romantic and rich place that everyone would love. If there is one thing you should name if you think of Rome, it must be the various coliseums which have different ancient and artistic designs. Those designs were made years ago by famous architects in Rome. If you want to you can also take a glimpse on the Catacombs. There you can find underground burial sites of Christians in Rome. Maybe you’ll think that a morbid place, but it’s very fascinating once you’ve seen it!

If you are a hiker go to Tuscany! Because of the amazing landscape you will have an experience you will never forget. You will see amazing hills with vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields, cornflowers etc.  You can also choose to go by bike although sometimes the hills can become tiring if you’re not used to ride a bike on a daily base. Tuscany is also a very attractive place for people who like to play golf! Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing: wine! Nowhere else in the world the culture of wine is as large as in Tuscany. I’ve tasted so much wine there I can’t believe I was still standing up. I would love to go back someday.

Firenze is the Italian name for the city of Florence. Of course I would love to tell you everything I saw in Florence, but I guess I would be sitting here writing all day long. I’ll just tell you about the most fascinating building I was over there. The Florence cathedral is the main church of Florence. The ‘Duomo’ as they call it over there, was begun in 1292 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio. I really love the exterior of the basilica! It has such a beautiful Gothic style with pink borders by white.

I could keep on writing about all the beautiful things I saw in Italy. But I guess you guys are already waiting for my second visit: Paris!

Talk to you later bloggers!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome

http://ezinearticles.com/?Rome---Best-Tourists-Scenery&id=3435902

http://EzineArticles.com/3435902

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence#Main_sights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral

How to do business in Italy

After visiting the beautiful Djerba , it’s time to discover something about the land of romance : Italy.

But not only romance runs rampant in Italy, also the business life runs smoothly! And with my diploma office management in my pocket, I am very curious about the business life and business etiquette in this beautiful country.

To learn more about this subject I have a meeting with Peter, manager of a Belgian company based in Italy.

When I saw him, he shook my hand firmly and looked me in the eyes. He told me when I’m introduced during a business meeting, I have to shake hands with men, women and children. But not all meetings are formal , friends may greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks. The same as we do with friends.

As each country , also Italy has his own rules. In a first business contact Italians find a personal introduction very important.

The Italian does not excel in language skills, although young people are learning more and more English. The older generation Italians had French as a foreign language at school, so they manage these language better than English.
Because Peter has lived a long time in Belgium, he talks still fluently Dutch. But my knowledge of French and English will certainly be useful during a business meeting in Italy.

After our introduction Peter started talking about Italy. That surprised me but he told me this is normal. During a business meeting it is important to have patience and not move too fast to business. There are many topics you can talk about : family, sports, tourism and gastronomy. Also a compliment about his country is very much appreciated by the Italian.

Even though it was very hot that day, Peter was dressed in a costume. I asked him about this he told me that appearance plays a big role in the Italian culture. Wearing casual clothes such as a combination of blue jeans, a jacket with net shirt and tie is not desirable during business meetings. The Italians like clothes of good quality.

To make a good impression on your business partner can offer a business gift. But if a gift is offered, it must have a certain look. An original gift in a nice packaging speaks more.

It’s also a custom to take your business partner to a restaurant. At lunch and dinner they drink usually wine, also before the meal they drink an appetizer.

After this "business meeting" I said goodbye to Peter. I do not know many Italian but goodbye in Italian I do know: arrivederci and I see you in Paris!

Sources :

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/italy-country-profile.html

http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/italy.htm

http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_it.htm