Back in 2007, I got a job as an IT contractor for NICE Systems, an Israeli based software developer and worked in their Southampton UK office.   I didn’t plan on doing this, even though being interested in Israel and technology they do, I was just looking for work, and happy to work for any employer that has a pleasant working environment.   A recruiter called me up and offered me this back then.

I supported their staff in UK and Europe by phone and email and sometimes chatted to the teams in the headquarters in Israel.

Bus from Munich to Friedrichshafen, which goes all the way to Zurich.

It was while working there I felt I should do some volunteering in Israel which lead to me leaving a normal career and flying out to the Holy Land in 2009 and started blogging about some of my favourite things, bible places and travel.

Israeli hi-tech business NICE Systems has two offices in Germany, in Frankfurt and Friedrichshafen and also in Switzerland close to Zurich.  I believe they bought out several companies based in Europe.   I’m not in contact with them now, but I chose to visit Friedrichshafen on this trip before I got to Switzerland as its an ideal place on my onward journey to Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

With all the big mess with Brexit right now, I thought it is interesting how companies operate in different countries to get the chance to fish for talented people in different places, which can be done spanned over multiple countries and continents, not limited to the EU either.

Rolls Royce the British luxury motorcar maker, and still is British with vehicles built in Chichester UK, but owned by BMW group (see part 2.)  but also Rolls Royce who make engines for planes and aircraft who are a different company altogether, I was surprised to see has a research and development place here in Friedrichshafen, and are doing a big recruitment drive (March 2018) now.

I’d like to think that modern Germany no longer has antisemitism and hostility to Israel and has learned lessons from dreadful mistakes from the Nazis getting in power.  But this sticker I saw on a sign says otherwise sadly.  On the upside, this may be instrumental for Jewish people in Germany and the rest of Europe to encourage them to move to Israel as per the Bible’s promises.

Here’s another surprise I saw in Munich.   This is an electric Jaguar, yes a British car, being used as a taxi.  In Germany!  I’ve only seen one of those up close back in the UK as I think this is a very new model vehicle, being a credible competitor to Telsa.   Despite Germany’s formidable reputation as a maker of premium automobiles, I don’t think BMW, Mercedes or Audi have an equivalent vehicle in an SUV type form factor yet.

GERMANY 1. Dachau concentration camp – 2. BMW museum – 3. BMW World futuristic showroom – 4. Neuschwanstein Castle – 5. 1972 Munich Olympics village – 6. Tourism and going out in Munich – 7. Deutsches Museum – 8. Business in the UK, Germany and Israel – 9. Friedrichshafen, a pleasant German town on a lake

SWITZERLAND 1. Trying to do ‘cheap’ Switzerland – 2. The town of Grusch – 3. Clever Swiss made things – 4. Train from Grusch to Zurich – 5. Zurich, the more liberal Switzerland – 6. Swiss dinosaurs

LIECHTENSTEIN 1. Plans – 2. Getting into this tiny nation – 3. Motorbikes, cars and kebab shops in Vaduz, Liechtenstein – 4. Small country topography – 5. Road up to the castle – 6. The Prince’s castle and vineyard – 7. bars, shops, Olympics – 8. Tiny country, big output – 9. Vaduz church – 10. Government buildings and museums