Posted Aug 6, 2013, 1:32 pm
This is my first entry into my very own travelog! At the moment I am at my daddy's house in Saarbrücken and I'm together wir my older brother Hotte. He's always teasing me
! But together we're never alone and together we are waiting for my first big adventure! Only 6 days to go!!! And then little Hanne will check out the Carribbean Sea, Cuban culture and drinks 
! My daddy told me that Cuba is famous for its wonderful and tasty rum - I hope that a little girly horse like me gets the possibility to taste it !
I'll keep you informed!
Hugs and kisses,
your Hanne
Posted Aug 30, 2013, 11:23 am
Eventually I’m on my very first big trip to discover the world! After a very long flight I’ve arrived in Cuba together with my brother Hotte and my mom and dad! We arrived at about 12 am at our very nice hotel – unfortunately it was too late to jump into the pool! But now I have enough time to do so and to see a lot of Cuban culture! Our first cultural stop was the Buena Vista Social Club! Then we checked out Varadero and Al Capone’s villa! Of course we didn’t go by a normal vehicle, we decided to take a pink Cadillac ;-)! Then we relaxed in a park with a wonderful Mojito - the first cockail I've ever tasted - soooo goooood!
Love, Hanne
Posted Sep 3, 2013, 11:31 am
The Cuban people are so creative! They make art by folding towels into animals and things! They even use wonderful pink flowers to make it even nicer! I’m absolutely thrilled! So I persuaded my big brother Hotte to make some pictures with me :-)!
Posted Sep 3, 2013, 1:20 pm
All in all it was a day I will never forget!
Posted Sep 3, 2013, 3:28 pm
I will definitely come back!
Posted Sep 3, 2013, 5:38 pm
Lying on my sunbed and enjoying the Carribbean sun is something I could do for the rest of my life :-)!
Posted Sep 3, 2013, 7:40 pm
Even our chambermaid said goodbye by creating another towel-greeting which included another beautiful flower!
Goodbye Cuba, I'll see you again :-)!
Posted Sep 4, 2013, 9:25 am
finally we are back home, what a flight! 10 hours are just far too long for me little girly horse – but it was definitely worth it! For the next couple of days I’m enjoying my hometown and my home-food! I really missed my Nutella-toast and a proper cup of coffee!
Hotte is already on his way to Sardinia, which would be much too stressful for me, I need a short time off! Hotte is used to travelling a lot and I hope that this will also happen to me! So I’m looking forward to my next adventure and hope to get it started very soon!
See you!
Love, Hanne
Posted Sep 24, 2013, 8:15 pm
today I packed my bags to get ready for my first trip on my own - I'm a big girl-horse now :-)! My destination will be Switzerland - "Heidi-country" (my parents were always thinking about calling me Heidi, but finally it was Hanne ;-)!).
But before I was wrapped into my travelling envelope, I had to get to know another Hü-family-member: Hansi! Maybe we will see him again as a little TV here...
So now I'm ready to go... I'm leaving on a jetplane, don't know when I'll be back again! BUT I LOOOOVE TO GO!
Bye Mommy, bye Daddy, see you sooooon!
Love, Hanne
Posted Sep 26, 2013, 6:57 pm
I arrived safely in Switzerland. For dinner, I was too late but I do not starve.
Now I'll look around a bit and then go to bed.
Until tomorrow
your Hanne
Posted Sep 28, 2013, 8:31 am
I wanted to write already yesterday but we had big problems with the pictures upload. Now everything is okay again.
I slept wonderfully during the first night.
Did not hear the thunderstorm and did not notice the other TV's.
When I woke up on Friday morning Jasper was already to work. I looked around a bit and discovered a large cat sleeping in a little basket.
Her name is Runa and she is very friendly.
I looked out the window.
Still somewhat cloudy but many meadows and forests.
I found beautiful flowers.
Jasper loves orchids.
Then I met the other TV's. They were sitting in their own living room, waiting for me.
All welcomed me warmly.
A little later I was able to see what some of them do when Jasper's not at home.
Frederik played Bottleship.
Twixx did bungee jumping on the balcony
and Yuma was riding a quad.
I like it here.
That's it for now.
Bye mommy and daddy
Hanne
Posted Sep 29, 2013, 10:42 am
yesterday I had a funny encounter. Jasper and Dotti picked mint from the small balcony garden. Because the mint smelled so good, I stuck in my tender little nose.
Suddenly, a little ladybug crawled from a leaf on my nose.
This tickled.
I'm fine, hope you are well too.
Hanne
Posted Oct 2, 2013, 10:08 am
yesterday we said goodbye to Yuma. After a short stopover our little friend continues his journey.
With a big hug and many good wishes we let him go.
Now we wait for good news from Finland.
See you
Hanne
Posted Oct 2, 2013, 11:05 am
it's me again.
Yesterday there was a Swiss specialty for dinner - cheese fondue.
Hungry I waited until Jasper brought the melted cheese.
Then I had to stuck a piece of bread on a long fork, and thus stir in the melted cheese.
That was funny, especially because I stirred so wild that Jasper was afraid I might fall into the cheese.
After a short wait - the cheese was so hot - I enjoyed my first bite.
Very yummy.
In between a sip of white wine made the meal perfect.
To empty the pot was not a problem.
Now I am looking forward to raclette.
yours
Hanne
Posted Oct 3, 2013, 2:28 pm
Yesterday I visited the small town of Lichtensteig.
Lichtensteig is first mentioned in 1228 as Liehtvnsteige and has since the Middle Ages, the city - and markets rights.
The municipality has a medieval old town («city»). The oldest houses, which are also part of the city walls, are dated on the first half of the 15th Century.
The Town Hall.
This building was a few years ago the county jail.
This poor, ugly man stands in front of the bank building.
The UBS branch in Lichtensteig, founded in 1863 as Toggenburg Bank, is the origin of today's biggest bank in Switzerland.
In 1992, the UBS branch bought the artwork "Lost Shadows" and let up before their home business. A naked man moves out from under a blanket and looks shocked at the sky.
The sculpture immediately became an moral nuisance in the town. The figure was transferred back and turned so that her nakedness is no longer visible from the main alley.
Well, we live outside.
Through this gate we came to a place called "Goldener Boden"
Formerly a marketplace, it is used as a car park.
Many beautiful houses are here.
Through the "Hintergasse"
we came to the "Schmalzhaus".
"Gall'sche Offizin" on the ground floor is a hand typesetting and printing with antique pleadings.
A wise saying on the wall.
Here you see the old town hall.
The main street with the arcades.
The Löwen Gasse
with the restaurant - Löwen.
The district building with its bay window.
Again, the main street - this time from below.
Looks a bit sad, in this weather.
From here you can see the station.
I found still a few flowers.
In the background is the railway bridge over the river Thur.
Lichtensteig seen from the station bridge.
Everywhere is dug and built.
The main street from above.
On our way home, I saw again the bank building,
Flowers
and the veterinarian. Good to know.
This is the evangelical church.
The last roses.
This is the old weaving.
Today, a Oldtimer Museeum and the model railway club housed therein.
Kägi, the famous waffle maker.
Just 200 meters from home. In certain wind conditions you can smell at home when they melt chocolate or make waffles.
My last visit was to the St. Loreto Chapel.
Small but beautiful.
Every day at 11am and at 4pm we hear the bells ringing.
That was our walk in and around Lichtensteig.
It was beautiful but cold. Time for warmer clothes.
Bye bye and kisses
Hanne
Posted Oct 7, 2013, 11:32 pm
at the moment I would like to spend the whole day in bed.
The weather is lousy. Since I'm here, I've never seen the sun. Only fog and rain.
On Thursday we go on holiday. Wish me luck that the weather is better then.
To improve my mood, I tried on my new winter clothes.
What do you think?
Hugs and kisses
Hanne
Posted Oct 9, 2013, 3:24 pm
Today I packed the suitcase because we leave tomorrow for the holidays.
It's just a short trip - but holiday.
Getting up at 3:30. Much too early but we need to be at the airport at 6.00 clock.
Where we travel is still a surprise.
The suitcase is too full. By joining forces, we have closed it.
And now - ready for take off
On Tuesday I'm back.
until then
Hanne
Posted Oct 15, 2013, 10:44 am
I'm at the airport in Zurich and wait for the departure. It's still dark outside and it's raining.
Last check - our flight will start on time.
Boarding and goodbye Switzerland.
Above the clouds
- and -
Hello Vienna
Here we say goodbye to Ismaya.
He will leave us. His new host lives here in Vienna. Not many TV's have the opportunity to reach their new place in such comfortable way.
Goodbye dear friend and enjoy your new adventure.
Bye for now mommy and daddy. See you again later.
Hanne
Posted Oct 15, 2013, 12:41 pm
it's me again.
Our first trip took us to Schönbrunn, the summer residence of Empress Maria Theresia.
The exceptionally large Castle (1441 rooms) is built in baroque and rococo style.
It served as the residence of the imperial family, but also for representative purposes.
The Neptune Fountain was built in 1776-1780.
The Palm House.
In the huge park countless gardeners were busy prepare the beds for winter.
The Gloriette.
In front of the castle we met "Mozart".
Then I had a conversation with a Fiaker horse.
It looked tired. I think to be a TV horse is much funnier.
But hey, I met a real horse.
A bit later we drove to the hotel. It was a long day.
That's it for now.
Bye, love you
Hanne
Posted Oct 16, 2013, 2:44 pm
after a long sleep and a good breakfast we started in the second Day. The Naschmarkt on the program. The weather did not look promising, but that could not stop us.
The Naschmarkt is Vienna's most popular market. Located at the Wienzeile over the Wien River it is about 1,5 kilometers long.
The Naschmarkt has existed since the 16th century when mainly milk bottles were sold (As Milk Bottles were made out of Ash (Wood from an Ash-Tree), "Asch"(German for "Ash")led to the name "Aschenmarkt"). From 1793 onwards, all fruits and vegetables brought to Vienna with carts had to be sold here, while goods arriving on the Danube were sold elsewhere. Nowadays, you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world, exotic herbs, cheese, baked goods such as bread, kaiser rolls, and torte, meats, and seafood. There are also a lot of small restaurants which offer e.g. sushi, kebab, seafood, traditional Viennese food such as Kaiserschmarrn or Palatschinken (compares to rolled up crepes) and stalls which offer clothes and accessories.
We strolled through the market and admired the offer.
The traders are very friendly. Everywhere you can taste the goods.
Once the market run up and down and you are full.
Of course, we enjoyed a glass of wine.
Then came the big rain and everyone was looking for a dry place.
After dinner (no pictures, it was just too full) we were on our way home.
We walked past to the Hotel Sacher,
took a look in the Kärntner Strasse (the famous shopping street)
and saw the brightly lit Opera House.
A day with many impressions came to an end.
bye
Hanne
Posted Oct 16, 2013, 8:13 pm
lots of sun and a bright blue sky lured us outside. The Hundertwasser House was our first destination.
The Hundertwasser House in Vienna is a building designed by artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser in Vienna's 3rd district. The extraordinary building was constructed between 1983 and 1985.
The colorfully decorated exterior façade of Hundertwasser draws attention to itself almost magically. Anyone who lives in the Hundertwasser House also has the right to decorate the façade around the windows entirely to their own taste.
More than 200 trees and shrubs on the balconies and roof terraces make the Hundertwasser House a green oasis in the heart of the city.
A tram took us then to the Prater.
The Prater is a large public park in Vienna's 2nd district (Leopoldstadt). The Wurstelprater amusement park, often simply called "Prater", stands in one corner of the Wiener Prater and includes the Wiener Riesenrad.
The Ferris wheel was built in 1897 and is 65 meters high. In 1916, it should have been demolished. Due to lack of financial resources it survived.
We boarded a gondola and enjoyed the view of the gigantic structure, the Prater and the city.
(In the gondola before us a marriage was consummated.) We wished best of luck!
Afterwards we strolled through the park and wanted to try everything.
Unfortunately, we were for most things either too small or too young.
Nevertheless we had a lot of fun.
Curious, what would bring us the next day we drove back to the hotel.
Greetings from your happy
Hanne
Posted Oct 18, 2013, 6:02 pm
this day started on the banks of the Danube Canal.
Through countless small streets we came initially to Jewish quarter with its beautiful houses,
the Lessing monument
and the memorial to the Jews who were murdered during World War II in Austria.
We went on and came to the Parliament.
The next building we saw was the Town Hall on the Ringstrasse.
Built between 1872 - 1883 it has 1575 rooms , 2035 windows and 5 towers . The tallest tower measures 103 meters - with Rathausmann . Emperor Franz Josef I decreed that any new tower should not be higher than the tower of the Votive Church , which was 99 meters high. The architect designed a 98 meter high tower and put the Rathausmann on it to make it appear higher.
Directly opposite the town hall is the famous Burgtheater.
These are the towers of the Votive Church.
We walked back past the Burgtheater,
- I saw some more Fiaker horses -
to the Volksgarten (People's Garden).
Between thousands of rose bushes , we took a short break.
Then we went to the Hofburg (Imperial Palace).
The various tracts that make up the Imperial Palace , were built between 13 and 19 - 20 Century. In the entire history the Imperial Palace was home to some of the most powerful people in Europe. Currently, the castle serves as the official residence of the Austrian president.
In addition, it is home to numerous museums, the Spanish Riding School and a convention center.
On Heldenplatz outside the Hofburg.
One of the many internal courtyard with a monument. I do not remember to whom.
The monument to Empress Maria Theresia.
Museum of Art History. The Natural History Museum is directly opposite.
The Spanish Riding School.
Unfortunately, there were no tickets. :-( (
But I had a bit of luck.
Mommy & Daddy - I saw real Lipizzaner horses. In this machine, they make her walk during the stall is cleaned.
This is the St. Michael's Wing of the Hofburg.
At St. Michael's Square.
Here we stand on the terrace in front of the Albertina and look at the Sacher Hotel (from behind).
The Albertina houses one of the largest and most important collections of - 50,000 paintings and 900'000 artistic works ranging from the late Gothic period to the present.
Albertina Place
Then we reached the Stephansplatz. First we saw the Haas Haus,
and then St. Stephen's Cathedral.
The cathedral has been restored several times, rebuilt and expanded.
The massive south tower is 136 meters high and the construction took 65 years.
The construction of the North Tower was stopped because of the Gothic architectural style went out of fashion.
The roof is covered with 230,000 colored tiles and really spectacular.
Because our hooves, paws and claws ached slowly, host dad decided to go Fiaker.
A lady drove us with the carriage through Vienna.
We saw many beautiful houses.
Take pics was a little difficult. It bounced heavily on the cobbles.
This is the Peter Church.
A big thank to our Horses. They made a good job.
Then we took the subway to the modern part of Vienna - Danube City. Near the site of the International Garden Show (1964 ) - today Danube Park with the landmark of the area, the Danube Tower - Uno City was built.
Also the tallest building in Austria - the DC Tower
(250 meter roof height) - and many banks ,
insurance companies and the Vienna International Center you can find.
The Danube Tower (252 meters with antenna) we had to visit .
There is a cafe and restaurant that rotates .
From the observation deck we had a magnificent view over Vienna.
Kaisermuehlen with the old Danube.
And then the new Danube , the Danube and the Danube Canal .
Much Danube.
At the end of the day we drove to Grinzing wine taverns .
The dinner we had earned it honestly .
After a few glasses of wine we saw everything a little blurry -
Jasper also .
It was an exhausting but wonderful day .
See you soon
Hanne
P.S. A little nightcap on the way home.
Reminds me of Cuba.
Posted Oct 18, 2013, 7:27 pm
last day in Vienna, and still so much to look at . After breakfast we made our way to the Belvedere Palace.
At the turn of the 17th and 18 century Prince Eugene of Savoy has bought a huge plot of land near the Rennweg and let there first build the lower Belvedere. He used it as a summer - residence. The Upper Belvedere should be much smaller , but he had apparently too much money, and so he let built a castle, which was much greater than that in which he lived .
A beautiful French garden
and large pools of water are also included.
Because it is autumn , most beds are cleared and the pools have no water .
The city park is well worth a visit. We admired the opulent Johann - Strauss monument
and sat at the city park bridge that crosses the river Wien .
We looked at the Charles Church
and drank " Sturm" ( freshly fermented grape juice )
Then it was time to say goodbye to Vienna . The train took us to the airport .
Boarding in Jasper's bag
The rest was sleep sleep sleep .
Good night my dear ones .
Hanne
Posted Oct 19, 2013, 10:44 am
for every TV comes a time that he has to travel further. Next travel means goodbye to dear friends.
After a long time together, we had to say goodbye today to Frederik and Panda_Lilo.
Many big hugs and best wishes will accompany them on their way.
And of course some chocolate against boredom.
Although, they travel together, there should arise no boredom.
With a heavy heart we watched as they climbed into their envelope and left us.
Goodbye - have a safe trip.
Hugs and kisses for you mommy and daddy
Hanne
Posted Oct 31, 2013, 9:00 am
sorry for the long wait. Jasper was sick and we had a lot to do to get her back on her feet.
Today a nice packet has arrived.
From Alaska. The first thing we saw were two big, splendid teeth and a giant mustache.
Aiviq called our new friend and he's a walrus.
He looks soo funny.
We hugged him and gave him a warm welcome.
He showed us his gifts
and told us about his trip and Alaska.
He's a nice guy, we will have lots of fun together.
See you soon
Hanne
Posted Oct 31, 2013, 10:34 am
Today we took a little walk. Because Jasper is still not fully fit we ran just a bit through the forest. Not spectacular but the fresh air felt good.
To go into the woods we had to cross a pasture.
The cows were curious but friendly.
The forest looked very wild.
During last autumn storm some trees have fallen.
The loggers have a lot to do now.
The foliage invited to play. Unfortunately, it was too wet.
We saw large withered fern fronds.
So we walked and walked,
enjoyed the peace
and occasionally we saw " art " created by nature.
In the soft moss we rested a bit.
The result of diligent work -
and still plenty to do.
And then - you will not believe it - we suddenly heard grunting boars .
We wanted to see , but Jasper found it safer to turn back.
On the way home we bought pumpkins.
One in TV size for each of us.
Tomorrow we will carve pumpkins - for Halloween.
Hugs and kisses
Hanne
Posted Nov 3, 2013, 10:07 am
Today is Halloween and I am very busy. I have to carve my pumpkin.
First, cut off the lid. Not so easy - and even a bit dangerous with the big knife.
Then, remove the seeds and slimy stuff. Disgusting.
And now scrape out the pulp with a spoon. Whew, quite exhausting.
Thank God we have small pumpkins this year. Jasper does not want to eat again pumpkin soup until Easter.
Now I'm going to start with carving.
Meanwhile it is evening and we decorate the table.
Our pumpkins glowing spooky.
We will tell scary stories, and eat sweets.
I get goosebumps already.
Hugs
Hanne
Posted Nov 12, 2013, 2:25 pm
I had two intense weeks. The whole family was sick. Only care was announced. Then - on Friday - Jasper was fit again and we had beautiful weather. Get out into nature ! We drove to Nesslau, a small town at the foot of the Churfirsten - great for walking . As we sat down in a pose for the first pictures came the disillusionment. The battery of the camera was empty. What a frustration. After the initial disappointment, we still enjoyed our walk - but sorry, no photos .
The Saturday started with rain and storm . Wind gusts with speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour - and so we had to stay at home again. On Sunday it snowed a little bit.
Because we were all so boring , Jasper took us on Monday to work.
We helped in the office.
I worked on the computer.
I was the boss.
Here you see us on the big scale.
Then we checked the big warehouse.
Enough bath towels available ?
I liked this one especially.
Aprons okay?
Over 200 gift packs are not yet done.
The shelves are filled
and the supply is piling up to the ceiling.
Hours later: one last look,
and then the work was done.
I hope the boring days are over.
Bye for now.
Hanne
Posted Nov 27, 2013, 12:27 pm
Today we went for a walk. In the first snow. After many, many days with fog (Jasper can not remember such a misty autumn) it was glorious.
Warmly dressed, we trudged off.
The view was great.
We enjoyed the sun and the fresh air made us cocky.
We played in the snow
and were soaking wet after a short time.
Back at home, Jasper wrapped us in a warm towel
and brought us a hot tea.
What a beautiful day!
Bye for now, love you
Hanne
Posted Nov 28, 2013, 2:23 pm
Today we visited the capital of Switzerland - Bern. The weather was not on our side but we did not care.
Bern was first mentioned in documents in 1208. To date, the city has retained its old world charm. So we strolled through the streets,
admiring the old buildings
and arcades.
Many beautiful fountains adorn the cityscape.
This is the Käfigturm (Prison Tower).
The House of Parliament.
Today there were no guides - it was voting Sunday.
This is the view from the terrace on the Federal Palace in a district on the river Aare.
The National Bank.
On the Federal Court,
where I stands now, a large, traditional market will be held tomorrow - the Zibelemärit (onion market). All shops are closed, the students do not have school. A really big thing. Around 50 tons of onions, most braided into elaborate braids or wreaths are made available for sale. And at 16.00 clock, there is then a wild confetti battle.
Too bad we can not take part.
The old casino.
A bear as an art object.
The bear is an important part of the city. I do not know why but in the arms of the city a bear is shown and Jasper told us that on the banks of the Aare live bears.
November mood.
Another object of art. It stood in the middle of the street.
A famous building in the city of Bern -
the Zyytgloggeturm. ( Clock Tower )
We saw festively decorated shop windows,
churches,
the town hall
and small and charming neighborhoods.
Then we came to a small road whose paving stones were all marked with a name.
Jasper told us why: A few years ago, when the bear pit was converted for animal welfare reasons, cost a lot of money. They came up with the idea to sell stones. Anyone who bought a stone or donated money for the reconstruction was immortalized by name. The road is long and the Bernese Bears have now a large park on the banks of the Aare.
We had to look long before we discovered it .
In the old bear pit you can learn about the lives of animals now.
This is the Berner Munster.
From the cathedral terrace you have a beautiful view of the old town and the Aare.
This is the city theater.
A chocolate manufactory. Unfortunately on Sunday the store was closed.
On the way to the station we saw the Hotel Schweizerhof.
Now it was time to think on the way home. We had 2 1/2 hour train ride ahead of us.
Something wet we warmed in Jasper scarf.
For a short time we looked out the window but then we overcame fatigue.
I hope you like my trip to Bern.
Hugs and kisses
Hanne
Posted Dec 1, 2013, 7:26 pm
I should get up earlier. Look at these pictures.
Jasper enjoyed this sight today early in the morning. Later clouds came but that did not bother anyone. We had something else to do - bake Christmas cookies.
First, we opened the first door of our advent calendar.
Then we helped Jasper to decorate the Christmas cards.
Very important that they arrive on time. Some have a long way to go.
And then we baked Christmas cookies with host brother.
They taste wonderful.
In the evening we lit the first candle on the Advent wreath.
We all look forward to Christmas.
I hope you had a nice day too.
Love and miss you
Hanne
Posted Dec 6, 2013, 2:09 pm
today it was my turn to open a door.
A sled.
While we have snow but not enough for sledding. As a consolation, I ate a few Christmas cookies.
Bye for now
Hanne
Posted Dec 6, 2013, 3:04 pm
Our calendar shows us that Christmas is coming closer and closer. Twixx opened his door
and Dotti also.
Tomorrow comes Santa.
We have hung our socks and wait eagerly if Santa fills them.
Obediently we always were. Mostly - Jasper says so!
This is our TV Christmas tree.
We will decorate it with red balls.
I am looking forward.
I wish you a beautiful Christmas season.
Hanne
Posted Dec 13, 2013, 2:45 pm
last night was the surprise big. We found our socks well filled.
It looks as if Santa satisfied was with our behavior.
In the dining room was still a great bag waiting for us.
We carefully opened it and many delicious things came tumbling towards us.
We had a very enjoyable, fun night out.
Thank you Santa and bye bye.
Hanne
Posted Dec 13, 2013, 6:26 pm
Yesterday I was in Basel and visited the Christmas market.
Early in the morning we took the train.
We saw a beautiful frozen landscape.
When we arrived in Basel
it was so cold that we had to drink something warm.
Therefore we visited Starbucks and drinking latte macchiato with caramel.
Yummy.
Then we went on. Near the Elisabeth Church and the theater we admired the Carnival Fountain by Tinguely - a well-known Swiss artist (1925-1991)
Tinguely was a painter and sculptor of the New Realism and was known primarily for his mobile, machine-like sculptures.
Then we had a first look at the Christmas market.
We saw many beautiful things.
This is the cathedral.
On the cathedral square, we strengthened ourselves with a Swiss specialty - raclette - melted cheese (like Heidi got it from her grandfather, the Alpöhi.)
It was sooo good.
Then we admired the view from the Muenster Terrace.
On has a wonderful view of the river Rhine.
The City hall of Basel is also very nice.
The red color and the paintings in the inner courtyard and on the facade make it special.
Time for a coffee. This time cappuchino with a loving decoration.
We enjoyed it.
Slowly it became dark and the market showed up with its festive lighting.
After a final strengthening -
we were constantly hungry, it always smelled so good - we made our way home.
It was a beautiful day.
Hugs and kisses
Hanne
P. S. The sausage was by the way 1/2 meter long.
Posted Dec 22, 2013, 8:26 am
yesterday came a great package. We were all very curious about what is in it. Maybe Christmas gifts? When we opened it, we saw first a lot of colorful paper.
Then a colorful beings came to the fore. It smiled at us and greeted friendly.
I must admit, for a moment I forgot my good upbringing. The curiosity was stronger. So I looked for gifts without welcome the new arrival.
And there were lots of presents.
A little ashamed, but even more warmly, we welcomed our new friend Cherry Lola.
She showed us her gifts
and told us the special story of the angel.
We were very impressed.
Finally, remained a question - who is Paul?
Our mysterious little lady told us that Paul was her former Hostdad.
And in this paper his Sinterklaas gift was wrapped.
I like Cherry Lola very much - but I love you!
Until next time
Hanne
Posted Dec 22, 2013, 9:01 am
A new guest has arrived today. It is Laika, a cute little dog. We gave her a warm welcome and hugged and cuddled her.
She brought a beautiful Christmas card. Thank you very much Rike!
We still had a lot to talk while enjoying the last rays of sun.
Kisses and see you soon
your Hanne
Posted Dec 22, 2013, 9:20 am
it was my turn to open the next door.
Not many left!
Love and miss you
Hanne
Posted Dec 25, 2013, 6:31 pm
our calendar told us, today is Christmas Eve.
Jasper has bought us a small tree that we decorated. The fairy lights gave us a bit of effort,
but together we have made it. With the red balls and golden ribbons it looks beautiful.
Pride of place was the little angel.
In memory of Cherry Lola's mom Kate.
And now we wait impatiently for what is to come.
First we will eat delicious - with Jasper's dad and her brother - who come to visit.
And then we hope to have many gifts.
All my loved ones at home - I wish you a wonderful, peaceful Christmas.
Big hugs and a thousand kisses
Hanne
Posted Jan 4, 2014, 6:22 pm
This morning we opened our gifts.
I got something small, sparkling
- you know - Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Hope you also got a wonderful gift.
With lots of love
Hanne
Posted Jan 5, 2014, 9:27 am
the last days of the old year were not so funny. Host dad had a few days to the hospital to re-adjust his diabetes. Even our trip to St. Moritz has been deleted. Here it was raining, but in the mountains was so much snow that the rail lines were closed due to avalanche danger. Pity but perhaps arises later an opportunity to go there. I would like to play in the snow, unfortunately, it is at the moment much too warm.
Yesterday I was looking down on dinner. Jaspers family eats traditional cheese fondue on New Years Eve . Yummy!
We all helped with the preparation . I cut the bread into small pieces. I had to look that every piece has a crust.
The piece of bread then holds better on the fondue fork. If you lose it during stirring in the cheese, you have to drink a brandy. We have peeled and pressed garlic and added to cheese.
And then we had to stir, stir, stir until the cheese was melted.
In between, we have set the table.
And then we enjoyed a creamy, seductive fragrant fondue and a glass of white wine.
Unfortunately the rain prevented the fireworks. Nevertheless we had a lovely evening.
All the best for the new year - love you
Hanne
Posted Jan 16, 2014, 5:04 pm
I'm very excited. Tomorrow I will travel with Jasper for her daughter's wedding.
But, the most exciting is: I was invited to the honeymoon! And the journey goes to - haha Florida.
I can not believe my luck.
Now I try new hairstyles.
I have to look cool.
Bye for now, you will hear from me.
Hanne
Posted Jan 16, 2014, 5:10 pm
Happy Hanne greets you still a bit tired from the Zurich airport.
The wedding was wonderful, and now we are waiting with a farewell champagne for our departure.
Florida here I come!
Hanne
Posted Jan 16, 2014, 5:14 pm
I feel great. We started on time. The seat looks comfortable
and the entertainment is not bad either.
Sorry if the pictures are a little small. Jasper gets them by e-mail.
Greetings from happy Hanne
Posted Jan 16, 2014, 5:17 pm
I arrived in Florida.
Here you can see me with a welcome drink.
I think I'll have a lot of fun.
Kisses
Hanne
Posted Jan 21, 2014, 12:23 pm
a small appetizer from Key West.
Little Hanne and a large plate Seafood - Yuuuummy!
Now I'm on the way to Naples.
Enjoy Florida, see you soon!
Hanne
Posted Jan 27, 2014, 7:25 pm
A short greeting from Fort Pierce. Here I had an encounter of a special kind.
I saw manatees (Seekühe).
These gentle animals live in both salt - as in fresh water and can be up to 60 years old. They eat 6-8 hours and then sleep for 8-10 hours. What a life ;-))
Here I also met a new friend - Mani the Manatee.
He will accompany me home. Does'nt he look sweet, I love his blue eyes.
I'll be back soon.
Kisses for both of you
Hanne
Posted Feb 5, 2014, 3:33 pm
27 degrees and beautiful weather. Time to visit the beach.
This is our hotel in South Beach.
The day ended with a glas of champagne.
Kisses
Hanne
Posted Feb 5, 2014, 3:39 pm
after a hearty breakfast,
I visited Key Biscayne. At the port , I read everything about Florida.
Then we were off to Key West.
I love honeymoon.
Hanne
Posted Feb 5, 2014, 3:48 pm
arrived in Key West, we checked into our hotel. Of course, the honeymoon suite.
A wonderful view from the balcony.
Later I took a walk on the beach - Cuba was not far.
Unfortunately, Florida was hit by the cold snap . A drop in temperature of 10 degrees made swimming in the sea impossible.
I like it anyway.
The famous Key Lime Pie has comforted me.
Love
Hanne
Posted Feb 5, 2014, 3:53 pm
Next day , next adventure.
Today I slept long and missed the breakfast.
So I treated myself to lunch tacos with fish.
Yummy!
Then I went to the bar that Ernest Hemmingway always visited.
I could feel his mind - or alcohol ?
Regardless, I feel happy .
Greetings
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 6:59 am
a small snack in Key Largo before I visit the Everglades.
I enjoyed a Pastrami Sandwich.
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 7:11 am
Today I'm writing from the Everglades. The Everglades are a tropical marshland in the south of the U.S. state of Florida. Part of the Everglades is protected as Everglades National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Everglades, however, one should not only look as wetland, but it is a prairie, which is flooded the greater part of the year and only in the winter is dry. On a long walk through the swamps and mangroves
I saw many alligators.
Lazy they lay in the sun - but I was careful.
They can be very fast and I did not want to end up in her mouth.
What a great landscape.
Love
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 7:36 am
in Naples, I let the honeymooners a bit alone. I looked at a big fire truck
and played billiards.
Kisses
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 8:09 am
I started my day at IHOP ( Internatiol House of Pancakes ) with a very tasty breakfast.
Then we drove to Fort Myers. One of the most famous attractions of Fort Myers in southwest Florida is Edison Ford Winter Estates. This is a Museum and Botanical Gardens at the same time. Thomas Edison was one of the best friends of the automobile manufacturer Henry Ford who both spent the winter in the warm south in Florida. They were neighbors and had a winter home there.
A particular highlight of this museum is the laboratory where Henry Ford tried out new experiments which he then realized the auto industry.
At this workshop by Henry Ford has to this day nothing changed. It has been left as it once was.
Such a Banyan fig tree was given to Edison.
A car that Ford built.
A little refreshment for Hanne.
Later, I was enjoying an aperitif,
a great dinner
and a wonderful sunset.
Big hugs
Happy Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 8:45 am
with a few small purchases
and a snack,
we left our hotel and made our way to Orlando.
Here I visited Disney World.
Unfortunately the weather was very bad.
Our hotel was much nicer.
In the evening I attended a basketball game of the Orlando Magic against the Atlanta Hawks.
Orlando lost out.
xxx
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 9:09 am
Today I visited the Kennedy Space Center.
Very impressive.
I grabbed a rocket and wanted to take off - it was unfortunately connected.
Later, I spent a few relaxing hours on the beach.
For swimming it is still too cold. Sounds strange here in Florida but it is not 20 degrees.
Hugs and kisses
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 9:53 am
Here I visited the Flagler Museum
and the Henry Morrison Flagler House.
Mr. Flagler was a railroad magnate and built the first railroad from Miami to Key West. This track was destroyed shortly after its opening by a hurricane and then replaced by a road.
The house, also known as Whitehall, is a marble palace with 55 rooms. It was a wedding gift to his wife.
Love and miss you
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 10:16 am
my last days in Florida. On the way to Miami we visited Fort Lauderdale. Here I took a water taxi and marveled at the villas of the rich and beautiful
and enjoyed a big pizza and good wine.
Bye for now
Hanne
Posted Feb 6, 2014, 10:56 am
our room on the 25th floor offered us a wonderful view.
Here we let fly the balloon, who accompanied us since Key West.
I attended another basketball game,
played on the beach
and rummaged through the Art Deco neighborhood in South Beach.
Then it was time for the flight home.
I slept most of the time.
The train took us from Zurich to Bern.
In the hotel bar of the Bellevue Palace we said goodbye with a Müntschi beer.
(Müntschi is bernese dialect and means kiss)
I had a great time and have seen many interesting things.
Tamara and Stefan - many, many thanks for allowing me to accompany you on your honeymoon.
Mommy - Daddy, Hanne is back in good old Europe.
Love you
Posted Feb 13, 2014, 1:12 pm
I'm back to Jasper and my friends.
I was cordially received.
Of course, I brought gifts and my new friend - Mani the Manatee.
After I had introduced Mani,
we celebrated a welcome back party.
Florida was great, but it's good to be back.
Greetings and kisses
Hanne
Posted Feb 13, 2014, 4:04 pm
Today, we sat together, all listened to my holiday experiences and nibbled the last biscuits.
Something was strange. We felt observed.
Suddenly we heard a fluttering and a small bat landed in the biscuit pot.
Stoker called the little Batman and is our new guest.
We welcomed him warmly in Switzerland and shared our biscuits with him.
He's so funny - I like him.
Yours
Hanne
Posted Feb 15, 2014, 8:20 pm
been a few days since I reported the last time. Jasper was very busy - a presentation for a textile fair had to be prepared.
But today was time. We wanted a walk in the snow - so we had to take the car first. Here is no snow - lousy winter. Jasper is frustrated. She loves winter.
So we went to Alt St. Johann and walked a while along the Thur.
The Thur is here still small
and in winter the cross country ski trail runs along the shore.
We watched a bit of cross-country skiers - they were not very fast.
On an old stone wall we rested a bit. It was warm - 15 degrees.
Then we had to decide - we take what way? Not so easy.
We walked straight on and came to the valley station of the Iltiosbahn.
This funicular takes you to 1339 meters above sea level.
On our way we saw this sign.
Did I tell you that Simon Ammann grew up in Alt St. Johann ?
Oh, a campsite which is also used in winter.
This glass tent is an apres ski bar. Unfortunately, she was not yet open.
So we were on our way home. Tonight we look at ski jumping on television. Let's see who wins.
That's it for today.
Bye, bye
Hanne
Posted Feb 20, 2014, 4:57 pm
once again bad weather. It's exasperating.
Jasper made us "good mood muffins"
and after a few bottles of Sour Apple, we had to laugh a lot.
On weekend, we make another trip - the weather prospects are good.
The destination is a secret. We only know the city name starts with "M".
We all are soooo curious.
Hugs
Hanne
Posted Feb 27, 2014, 1:24 pm
you wonder why I speak Italian? Jasper promised us for this weekend a trip to a city that starts with "M".
We started early and ended up in - Milano ( Milan )
From the station
we walked to the Castello di Sforzaresco.
The Castello is home to the largest museum complex in Milan with nine museums and art galleries. Michelangelo's last sculpture - the Pieta Rondanini, and Leonardo da Vinci's " Codex Trivulzianus " a collection of valuable manuscripts are exhibited here. Unfortunately photograph is strictly prohibited.
So we went on and came to the Arco della Pace - a triumphal arch in Piazza Sempione.
He should remember the European peace of 1815.
A few streets away, we saw the "new Milan". On the old Fairgrounds - Fiera Milano City - built diligently.
The new district will be called "CityLife Milano".
On our way we saw this posh house entrance.
It belongs to the "Casa di riposo by musici " a retirement home for musicians. It was founded by Giuseppe Verdi who lived here and is buried here.
Directly in front of the house is his monument.
The Piazza Piemonte and the Theatro Nazional.
By typical Milanese streets
we came to the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on one of these walls - we do not know which - painted Leonardo da Vinci his famous painting "The Last Supper".
And again, we were not lucky to photograph a famous work of art. We were not even near him. Because of the large number of visitors tickets are limited. And yes, you're right - they were sold out. No exception, not even for ToyVoyager .
A bit grumpy we looked at the building from the outside
and found in a small tranquil courtyard our good mood again.
We went on
and came to the Palazzo Litta, a magnificent palace which is now used by the railway administration.
We passed a small memorial service for the victims in Ukraine, and held in for a moment.
A magnificent monument - I do not remember for whom.
A work of art.
Then we reached the famous Opera House - the Scala. I had somehow imagined more glorious.
This is the statue of Leonardo da Vinci in Piazza Scala.
The entrance
to the magnificent shopping mall "Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II".
All well-known brands can be found in this cross-shaped passage.
When we left the Galleria, an imposing sight showed us.
The Cathedral of Milan.
Huge (in terms of area, the third largest church in the world) and beautiful he is on the Piazza del Duomo.
We were not the only ones who enjoyed this wonderful day here.
Amo Milano e ti amo mamma.
Ciao ea presto.
I love Milan and I love you mama and daddy.
Bye and see you soon.
Hanne
P. S. because Milan is known for its fashion and just because it's Fashion Week your little girlie horse could not resist and had to buy something.
What do you say? Does it look good?
Posted Mar 2, 2014, 6:27 pm
Jasper told me yesterday that you have found a new host for me.
Time for a bath - one wants to make a good impression.
I enjoyed the bubble bath
and the warm towel.
My wonderful tail but looked miserable.
Jasper comforted me and after a few minutes with the hair dryer,
he was magnificent and fluffy as ever.
My Cape I have also washed.
Now I am ready to travel further.
Bye
Hanne
Posted Mar 4, 2014, 4:15 pm
yesterday we had a farewell party for Laika and me.
With a big cake
and other goodies we celebrated our friendship.
We had a lot of fun.
After some time it was said goodbye.
With a big group hug and many good wishes sent us our friends on the trip.
I climbed into my jacket and made myself comfortable - but not without my flower hat.
Bye bye friends -
Then the sticky tape came down and I was gone.
Bye bye mommy and daddy - I'm writing from Finland.
Hanne
P. S.
Jasper sends you greetings - she's a bit sad that I'm leaving. She liked me very much and will miss me.
Posted Mar 14, 2014, 12:14 pm
Hello
I arrived to Turku on Friday. Here I met two other ToyVoyagers, Gozer and Emil and Teddy, who's a kind of a host here. Today Mr. Moose came home. We all gatherd to eat the sweets that I brought with me and to tell stories of our adventures.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Mar 14, 2014, 3:07 pm
Hi!
It was time to go to explore Turku again. Mr. Moose said that he was still tired after traveling, so he chose to stay at home with Teddy. Emil, Gozer and I went to the town center by bus and then started to walk around.
There isn't a part of Turku that'd be known as Old Town, but there are many old buildings here and there. Here's one of them.
Opposite of that building there's Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum. It's a part of the town that survived the Great Fire on 1827. The wooden houses are still on their original places and are built on late 18th and early 19th century. In the museum you can see how people lived a long time ago and crafts from pre-industrial era are also presented there. Unfortunately the museum isn't open at this time of the year, so we couldn't go there.
There are two open-air summer theaters in Turku. Here's one of them. It's located on Vartiovuorenmäki near the Handicrafts Museum. The shows here are usually mostly for children.
There's quite a big park on Vartiovuorenmäki and we wanted to walk there for a while. It was quiet now, but it's a popular place for picnics on summer.
On top of the hill is the old observatory. It's built on early 19th century, belonged to the Academy of Turku and was also one of the buildings that survived the Great Fire. After the fire the Academy was moved to Helsinki, astronomy followed a few years later and after that this building hasn't been used as an observatory.
A nice view over the center of Turku.
This old air defense cannon is a memorial for all those people who volunteered to defend their homes in Winter and Continuation Wars on 1939 - 1944.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Mar 21, 2014, 6:37 pm
I'm sure we'll have fun here.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Apr 4, 2014, 4:21 pm
Hello
Today we went to the beach for a walk. It was wonderful. The ocean is awesome and I liked the black sand and the lava rocks. Of course I enjoyed the warmth and sunshine, too.
Warm greetings,
Hanne
Posted Apr 5, 2014, 1:47 pm
Hello
Guess what? I've completed another life mission.
We rented a car and drove to Teide National Park which is also UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was fun and very interesting. Now we've seen El Teide, a volcano which still remains active and is the highest point of Spain. How awesome!
Here we're taking a short break on our way up.
Look, we're already above the clouds.
I really liked the canary pines and lava rocks here. Look at those pine cones, they're bigger than us.
We stopped to watch the view near the cable car that goes from the roadside to most of the way to the summit. The view was awesome enough here, so we decided not to go any further.
We stopped to take some photos on our way down, too. Here you can see El Teide behind me.
Here's another awesome view.
I really liked these flowers. I think their colour suits me very well.
Love,
Hanne
Posted Apr 7, 2014, 2:50 pm
Hello
Today we drove to Las Americas. Part of the group wanted to go to Siam Park and another part wanted to go shopping. We wanted to do neither, so we decided to go to the beach instead. It was fun.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Apr 13, 2014, 12:32 pm
Today we walked to Puerto de Santiago to watch the town and do some shopping.
On this photo you can see Acantilados de Los Gigantes, the high cliffs after which the area has been named.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Apr 13, 2014, 12:46 pm
Hello
It's one of the lazy days, when we did nothing but enjoy the sunshine at the pools and balcony. Very relaxing.
Best wishes,
Hanne
Posted Apr 13, 2014, 1:01 pm
Hello
It's our last day on Tenerife, so we wanted to go to the beach one more time. The waves were huge and we sat for a while watching them.
Here I'm enjoying the evening sun at the balcony. Tomorrow at this time we'll be on our way back to Finland. By the way, here you can also see the neighbour island, La Gomera. Maybe I'll travel there one day, who knows?
Warm greetings,
Hanne
Posted Apr 18, 2014, 1:57 pm
Hello
We were walking peacefully in a forest, when suddenly we noticed a monkey peeking from a hollow stump of a tree. He seemed friendly, so we went to talk to him. It turned out that he's Qah and he's a toyvoyager too. We invited him to join us.
It's spring in Finland, too. Look at these flowers. They're growing here and there in small groups among all the old, fallen leaves. Beautiful.
Huge old tree had snapped in two and the upper part had fallen down. The damage seemed to be quite recent, although the tree is very old and hollow. Perhaps the tree had finally gotten tired of standing still.
Unfortunately it started to rain and we had to rush back to jinxed's before getting soaked.
Best wishes,
Hanne
Posted Apr 18, 2014, 2:15 pm
Happy Easter for those who celebrate it and happy spring for everyone.
Hanne
Posted Apr 23, 2014, 4:32 pm
Hello
It's one of the warmest days of this spring and sun is shining, so we decided to go to the riverbank for a walk. There are very nice walking routes following Aurajoki (joki = river).
The river on this photo is Vähäjoki, a smaller river that flows into Aurajoki. It looks like we're on the countryside, but actually we walked only a couple of kilometers away from the town center.
Soon after crossing that bridge we arrived to Koroistenniemi. Here's a sign telling something about the area. This is a historically notable area: an old trading post and a church, where the diocese of Finland was located before Turku Cathedral was built. The diocese was then moved to the Cathedral on year 1300 or so.
A view towards Vähäjoki.
And a view of Koroistennimi. The white cross marks the place, where the church and the diocese were located. The river on this photo is Aurajoki and you can almost see the place, where Vähäjoki joins it. If you look carefully, you can see the tower of Turku Cathedral, too.
There isn't much left of the buildings anymore. You can seen some remains here and there, though.
Mr. Moose and Teddy arrived later and we gathered on a big stone that's probably been one of the foundation stones of the church.
We talked a lot, enjoyed the nice weather and had fun, but nothing lasts forever and soon it was time to say good bye. It's time for Gozer to continue his journey.
Best wishes,
Hanne
Posted May 5, 2014, 4:01 pm
Hello
Tomorrow is the first of May, which in Finland is called vappu and we're going to celebrate it. The celebrations start tonight, even the shops are closed earlier than usually and tomorrow is a national holiday.
The roots of vappu can be found from pagan spring celebrations and later it became the worker's holiday. Whatever the reasons for celebrating are now, the Finns gather their friends and/or families and do something fun. Like going out for a picnic and probably getting drunk, too.
Silly costumes are a part of vappu, too. Unfortunately we didn't have any, so we took some silly photos instead.
The weather isn't that nice, so we decided that jinxed's balcony is a good enough place for our picnic. So, that's where we went with our balloons and serpentine. Teddy brought us some traditional vappu snacks: crisps, funnel cake, doughnuts and mead.
We ate and drank a lot, maybe a little too much.
But who cares, we had fun.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted May 7, 2014, 5:40 pm
Samppalinnanmäki (mäki = hill) is one of the seven hills of Turku and there's a nice park, too. That's where we went for a walk today.
This old cannon is a memorial for the cannoneers, who were in the Winter and Continuation Wars on 1939 - 1945.
Hey, look. It's another memorial. This one is for all the veterans of Winter and Continuation Wars.
This statue is a memorial for G.A. Petrelius, whoever he was.
Here are some nice views to the town center.
The building here is restaurant Samppalinna.
This one's for the independence of Finland.
Here you can see a small part of Aurajoki (joki = river). The red building is Pharmacy Museum and Qwensel House. It's the oldest surviving bourgeois home in Turku, dating back to the early 18th century. Turku is a bilingual town and Åbo is its name in Swedish.
Here's a view from Aurasilta (silta = bridge). The nearest building is the town hall.
There's a nice cafe in Qwensel House and we decided to go there.
Then it was time to say goodbye. Emil won't return to jinxed's with us, he'll start his journey towards new adventures instead.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted May 11, 2014, 12:50 pm
Today it was time for some flowery fun - a trip to the Botanical Garden.
First we went to the greenhouses. So many plants to see there. I really loved all the wonderful flowers.
Then we went for a walk to the garden outside of the greenhouses. Of course it's still spring, so most plants haven't reached their full glory yet.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted May 14, 2014, 5:59 pm
It's a nice and sunny day, spent outside at riverbank. This time we walked towards the sea.
Here's a view towards the town center. The building is theater and there's Samppalinnanmäki behind it. Seems to be a bit greener than last week.
Another view, but to the different direction. Here you can see the windmill. The building in the front of it is the Museum of Wäinö Aaltonen. He was a Finnish artist and sculptor, who lived on 1894 - 1966.
If you're following the Aurajoki (joki = river) towards the sea, Martinsilta (silta = bridge) is the last bridge that crosses the river. Here's a view from the bridge.
Here's Ukkopekka, a steamboat that makes day and evening cruises to the archipelago on summertime.
This boat is Rudolfina, she makes dinner cruises to the archipelago too, but I think her cruises are shorter than those of Ukkopekka.
The bow on the right belongs to Esposito, one of the many restaurant boats that you can find in Turku. The orange ferry is called Föri and she transports people over the river for free.
Between Rudolfina and Föri, we had wandered off to Kakolanmäki. I think it's better to write about that on another post, otherwise this one's going to be horribly long.
Anyway, here's Sigyn, one of the museum ships that are docked near Forum Marinum. the Maritime Center, where you can find the national special maritime museum and the Finnish Navy Museum.
Sigyn is the last of her kind, the only remaining wooden-hulled barque which has transported cargo in ocean traffic. She was built in 1887.
Here you can see Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland). She's one of the museum ships, too. Suomen Joutsen was built on 1902.
This one is Keihässalmi, a museum ship, too, although not as old as Sigyn and Suomen Joutsen. She's a minelayer / minesweeper and was built in 1957.
This ship is Bore. She isn't a museum, but serves as a hostel, a restaurant and a cafe.
From here we continued our way to Linnanpuisto (linna = castle puisto = park), but that's another story, too.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted May 15, 2014, 5:25 pm
While walking on the riverbank, we decided to go to explore Kakolanmäki (mäki = hill), too. Again, it's one of the seven hills of Turku.
Here we are climbing up the hill. On this side of the hill, it's only a serpentine road going between trees, grass and walls, heading towards the gates of Kakola.
The building on top of the hill is an old prison, which is known as Kakola. It was known for holding the worst criminals. Kakola was built on the mid 19th century and was in use until 2007, when the prisoners were moved to the new prison located in Saramäki. The reason to build a new prison was that the old buildings of Kakola became too small, too old fashioned and they also are in need of renovation.
After the prisoners left, there were some sightseeing tours in Kakola on a few summers. It was also a filming location for a reality TV-show, where teens that were in a risk to become criminals were put there to try a life in a prison. Now, the buildings just are there and it seems that no one really knows what to do with them. The old buildings are protected, so they can't be demolished either.
We didn't go to the other side of the hill, because there seemed to be somekind of a worksite. They're building new apartments nearby.
If the prison was still in use, some of these areas that we visited now, would've been out of bounds for us.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted May 15, 2014, 7:01 pm
When you've followed Aurajoki as far as we did today, you'll be near the place where the river flows into the sea. You can't walk on the riverbank further than Bore, so from here it's only natural to continue walking to Linnanpuisto.
Look at this old tree. I wonder how old it is.
And here's the reason for the park's name. Turun Linna (Turku Castle) towers over the area. Here's the main entrance to the castle.
Turku Castle is one of the most notable historical buildings in Finland and it's also the oldest surviving medieval building in Finland. The castle was founded in the late 13th century and it's located near the mouth of Aurajoki and the Port of Turku. Originally the castle was built on an island, but the ground has ascended during the centuries so much that the island is fully connected to the mainland.
The castle has been through a lot during it's long history. It's been built, burnt, rebuilt and extended many times. The latest major damage was caused by an incendiary bomb that hit the Medieval keep on 1941, when Soviet Union was air raiding Turku during the Continuation War. After that the castle has been renovated and restored to its 16th century glory. Now the castle is one of the most popular museums in Finland. It's also a popular place for weddings.
The castle can be divided into two parts: the Renaissance bailey and the Medieval keep. Here we are on the outer courtyard, the white part of the castle is the bailey.
Here's an old well. Maybe there's still water in it?
Here you can see the eastern tower of the Medieval keep and the smaller entrance tower in the front of it.
A view from the entrance tower to the courtyard. Look how thick the walls are.
Entrance to the castle and to the inner courtyard.
That's where you go, if you want to take a tour in the castle. We didn't go there this time, not much to see beyond that door without buying a ticket. Maybe we'll go there one day, who knows.
Here's the coat of arms of House Sture. Sten Sture the Elder was a castellan here on the 15th century.
Here we are on the inner courtyard. You can see the western tower of the Medieval keep, too.
Here we're going back towards the entrance.
Back in the park again. Here's the only round tower of Turku Castle.
Here it's easy to see the two different parts of the castle.
It's forbidden to climb on the walls, but we did it anyway.
And here's the western tower again. This is the part of the castle that you see most often in postcards and other pictures. It's also known as a symbol of Turku.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 13, 2015, 2:40 pm
The weather was nice and sunny, so I went outside to enjoy the spring.
It was fun to climb the trees, the flowers are so beautiful.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 13, 2015, 3:32 pm
It's another beautiful day and another walk in a park. This time we went to Puolalanmäki (Puolala Hill), which is one of the seven hills of Turku, again. On top of the hill are Art Museum and Puolalanpuisto (puisto = park).
Puolalanmäki is located in the town center, only a short walk from Kauppatori (marketplace) which is the heart of the center. Here's a view towards Kauppatori.
Here we are in the front of the Art Museum. It's one of the many old buildings in Turku.
We decided to sit down for a while and enjoy the sunshine.
Here's an interesting looking building near the park.
A view from the top of the hill.
This is statue is for the friendship between Turku and Leningrad. Yes, Leningrad is Saint Petersburg now, the statue is obviously old.
I like these swans and the fountain, too. We decided to sit for a while here, too, before walking back to Kauppatori.
One more picture of the Art Museum after walking around the park.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 14, 2015, 3:03 pm
Yet another beautiful summer day spent outside. This time we decided to go for a short trip to Ruissalo, it's one of those islands that belong to Turku.
Here's a view towards the Port of Turku.
Ruissalo is a protected area and belongs to Natura 2000. Besides beautiful forests, fields and beaches, there's camping area, botanical gardens, spa and golf course. We didn't go to any of those places, we just enjoyed walking on the promenade.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 19, 2015, 8:06 pm
After quite a long journey I've arrived at my wonderful home, so I can celebrate Christmas with my loved ones :-)! I brought some candy with me, and my mom and me liked them a lot - THANK YOU JAY!
I had such a wonderful time in the last couple of months, and I'm so grateful that I was allowed to be with my amazing hosts. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!
As soon as I entered my home, I was welcomed so warmly by my brothers, they've missed me a lot I think ;-)!
Of course I also brought my lovely straw hat home, I will never go on a journey without it. It suits me so well, whenever my mommy looks at me she has to smile!
Lots of love from the best place in the world - HOME!
Yours, Hanne
Posted Jan 22, 2015, 4:30 pm
Today Qah and I wanted to go for a walk to one of the nearby forests. This time we got to climb some huge and high rocks, too.
After a longish climb we wanted to rest for a moment, so we sat on a rock and enjoyed the sunshine.
Then it was time to continue forward.
I climbed to a tree, too. It was fun.
After a while we left the rocks behind and the forest became greener again.
Then the path became rockier again, but we decided to follow it anyway.
There seemed to be something interesting on top of the highest hill of this forest.
It's the old and abandoned aerial beacon, which was built on 1930's when the airport of Turku was located in Artukainen. On 1950's the airport was relocated to it's current place. After that, the old airport served as a racetrack and now it's a location for HK-areena (also known as Turkuhalli) and the Fair and Congress Center. HK-areena is known as the home of TPS, the ice hockey team of Turku, it has also hosted the world championships of ice hockey and various other events.
The aerial beacon is sealed, probably for safety reasons.
Here you can see the rooftops of HK-areena and the Fair and Congress Center.
Look, how beautiful flowers I found.
We chose a different path to follow, when we left the forest.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 22, 2015, 9:34 pm
There's Medieval Market at the Old Great Square (Vanha Suurtori) on this weekend and Qah and I wanted to go there. Mr. Moose decided to join us. Old Great Square is located near the Turku Cathedral and it's the old town center.
First, we met another toyvoyager on the bank on Aurajoki (joki = river) near the Old Great Square. ZeeZee Zebra had arrived to Finland only a few days ago.
The red building is Katedralskolan (Katedraalikoulu in Finnish, Cathedral School in English). It was the first school in Finland and was established by Catholic monks in the Middle Ages. Of course the building itself isn't that old, it was built after the Great Fire on 1827. In the Middle Ages Katedralskolan was mostly for educating priests, now it's upper secondary school for those who speak Swedish. (Finland is bilingual country with Finnish and Swedish as official languages.)
A quick view towards Aurajoki and the Handicrafts Market on the other side, before we went to explore the Medieval Market.
Here we are at the Old Great Square. Merchants are selling their "medieval" products - different handicrafts, paintings, ointments, food, etc. Then there are actors - mostly amateurs and hobbyists - dressed up as medieval people. They have a partly trained and partly improvised show going on for the duration of the market. Although the actors aren't the only ones who have dressed up, some regular market-goers and hobbyists do that too.
This building is the Brinkkala Mansion. It has a long history, beginning on the 16th century. The building was badly burnt on the Great Fire and then it was renovated to become the Town Hall. Now the Town Hall is located on the bank of Aurajoki near Auransilta and Brinkkala Mansion is best known for the traditional proclamation of Christmas peace, which is proclaimed from the balcony on Christmas Eve at noon.
Porthaninpuisto (Porthan park) is right next to the Old Great Square and the masters of medieval crafts are showing their skills there.
There were some sheep in the park, too.
Then it was time for a break. We went back to the river bank with some traditional confections and the program. Mr. Moose translated it for us, so we found out what's going on and where.
Then we went to explore the market again and watched a part of the show, too.
Later we went to watch a tournament by Rohan Stables. It was probably the most exciting part of the day.
After the tournament it was time to leave the Middle Ages and return to our own time.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 24, 2015, 3:15 pm
Guess what? Our medieval adventure continues.
During the market weekend there's usually a medieval day at the castle too. Of course the castle is medieval all the time and you can go there whenever the museum is open, but the medieval day is a bit different. There's more activity and medieval people than usually and it's also possible to go to some places which are normally closed.
First we went to the inner courtyard and found out that this door was open. Now we can see a room that's usually closed. It's the oldest room where people have lived in the castle.
After that we decided to enter the Medieval Keep. On a way there, we met the gatekeeper's bear.
Inside we sat down for a moment and admired the thick walls and big windows.
In the gatekeeper's chamber we saw paintings from the 16th century. There was also an old saddle, which seems to be quite small and possibly very uncomfortable.
In this room you can see scale models of the different building phases that the castle has gone through during it's long history.
This room is the Nun's Chapel. Katarzyna Jagiellonka - wife of Johan III, who lived in the castle on the 16th century when Johan was the Duke of Finland - used this room for her prayers.
This picture is from the scribe's chamber.
These stairs lead to the top of the western tower. The uppermost floor is usually closed, but not today. The stairs are very steep with high and worn steps, not the easiest thing to walk on.
Here we are, on the top of the western tower. We wanted to take a photo in the front of an open hatch because the view is beautiful, but there were too many people and we didn't want to risk falling down either. These hatches are built for cannons, so no window glass there.
Here we are on the Renaissance floor, it's the uppermost floor of the castle, if you ignore the towers. This floor was built on the 16th century for Johan III and Katarzyna Jagiellonka. The chambers where they lived are located here.
Then we continued the tour to the Renaissance Bailey. Here we are in the prison of Erik XIV. Erik was Johan's brother and the king of Sweden (at that time Finland was a part of Sweden, too). He was held as a prisoner here after he lost his sanity and Johan became the king.
It's said that Erik spent so much time watching out of the window that his elbows left marks on the windowsills. We're sitting around one of those marks on these photos.
The paintings on the wall show Erik XIV and probably his wife Karin Månsdotter.
Later the castle served as a prison too. The last convicts were moved out of the castle on 1891, when the building of Kakola was completed.
We had a great day in the castle.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 24, 2015, 6:22 pm
Hello!
We spent a couple of weeks at the cottage enjoying the sunny, warm and lazy summer days on the countryside.
It was fun, quiet and very relaxing.
Best wishes,
Hanne
Posted Jan 24, 2015, 7:04 pm
After relaxing at the cottage it's time for a trip to eastern Finland. Our destination is Eno. It's a village in Pohjois-Karjala (North Karelia) that has been a part of the town of Joensuu since 2009.
Here we are on the road, somewhere near Pieksämäki.
In Finland the distances can be long and the roads are built in a way that you don't need to drive through towns and villages. So, it's possible to drive hours without seeing anything but forests, lakes and occasional farms.
These photos are taken at Ylämylly, when we had a short break at this lay-by. A beautiful place with a very popular beach.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 24, 2015, 7:41 pm
Today it was sunny and hot day, so we spent most of it in the garden. The kids here like us a lot and we played with them for a while, we even got a ride around the house on a kicksled. Kicksleds are usually used on winter, but it seemd to work well enough on grass, too.
Then we climbed on a blackcurrant bush...
... and sat on a huge rhubarb leaf.
Later we went to sauna. This is an old sauna. First you have to carry the water inside and then boil some in the big cauldron by burning wood under it. The sauna stove is heated by burning wood, too. There's no showers either. You're supposed to wash yourself in the sauna by mixing boiling and cold water in a wash basin. I think this kind of sauna is more atmospheric than the modern ones.
You can see a part of the sauna stove in the corner and a part of the big cauldron in the front of it.
Then we sang karaoke. It was fun.
After that it was time for us to go to sleep.
Good night,
Hanne
Posted Jan 24, 2015, 8:22 pm
Today we drove about 50 kilometers to Ilomantsi. Just for fun and a little sightseeing, too. We saw lots of forests again.
Ilomantsi is the easternmost municipality in Finland and also the continental part of European Union. So you can't go much further east without crossing the border to Russia.
First we went to the water tower, which is now known as Hermannin viinitorni (Hermanni's Winetower). There's a coffee bar at the top, where you can also get some local wines.
Beautiful views from the top of the tower. I wonder if we could see all the way to Russia, too.
Then we ate apple pie with vanilla sauce and juice. It was yummy.
After we left the tower, we went to see the Orthodox church. This Prophet Elijah's Church is the largest Orthodox church in Finland. It's very beautiful, too.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 26, 2015, 4:57 pm
I had a wonderful time at home, but now it is the time to hit the road again :-)! I was invited to visit Russia, I'm so excited to go there!
So I packed my bag with my straw hat, some gifts for my host mom and said goodbye to my brothers.
Hotte gave me gummy bears and I gave him a very big hug. Hansi gave me a mini-Twix and Lucky gave me one of his lucky charms of course - a chocolate ladybird (nothing can go wrong now I hope ;-))!
I took a last good breath into my favourite flowers - orchids - and looked once more out of the window into the sky!
See you soon in Russia - I'm so excited!
Yours, Hanne
Posted Jan 26, 2015, 9:36 pm
After a hot and sunny day spent shopping in Joensuu, we went to the beach.
Pielinen is the biggest lake of Pohjois-Karjala and this body of water here is Pielisjoki, a river that begins at the southern end of Pielinen and flows through Eno and all the way to Joensuu. Joensuu actually means river mouth, a logical name for a town that's located at the mouth of Pielisjoki.
We noticed something interesting nearby. These huge stones are a part of Suomen Salpa (Finland's Bolt) which is also known as Salpalinja (Salpa Line, Bolt-line).
Salpalinja is 1200 kilometers long bunker line that goes from the Gulf of Finland to Petsamo in northern Finland, although Petsamo is now known as Pechenga and it belongs to Russia. Salpalinja is also one of the most notable fortifications of the World War II. Now it's possible to do some sightseeing along Salpalinja and there are several museums on the way.
Salpalinja was built on the eastern border of Finland during the Interim Peace between the Winter and Continuation Wars. It was meant to be a defence line against the Soviet Union and these huge stones were meant to stop tanks. In the end the Soviet Army was stopped before it reached Salpalinja.
Anyway, it was a beautiful evening and we really enjoyed our time at the beach.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 26, 2015, 10:08 pm
Today it was time to travel back to Turku.
This time we had a short break in Central Finland, more precisely in Vaajakoski, which is a part of Jyväskylä. We chose to stop there because of Panda, which is a candy factory that produces licorice and chocolate. They have a factory outlet there and that's where we went.
The mascot is kinda cute, so we wanted to pose with it.
About 600 kilometers and 7-8 hours in car on a hot summer day... We were very tired and happy, when we finally reached Turku.
Greetings,
Hanne
Posted Jan 29, 2015, 5:12 pm
Yet another warm and beautiful summer day. This time we decided to spend it on the cliffs of Kuuvannokka, Ruissalo.
We found a little bit of history again. This sign is a memorial for the Finnish War in 1808 - 1809 at sea. This war was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and Russian Empire. Until that war Finland was a part of Sweden and after the war it became the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire.
More specifically the sign is a memorial for the Battle of Punkinsaari (saari = island) on 4th July 1808. It shows the positions of Swedish and Russian ships between the islands (from left to right: Ruissalo, Pukinsaari, Hirvensalo).
During the Finnish War Russians built some artillery batteries in Ruissalo and this is the location of one of those and that's why the memorial sign has been located here. Of course the artillery is long gone, but the mark on the cliff still stays.
It was fun to sit on the cliff, watch the sea and enjoy the sunshine.
This little pine tree has found an interesting place to grow.
There was a small bay between the cliffs. The beach there was covered by small rocks. I also found a feather, most likely a seagull's.
Hey look, there are flowers, too.
One more look towards the sea before going back to jinxed's. It's been very fun day.
Best wishes,
Hanne
Posted Mar 18, 2015, 8:59 am
Finally I am in Russia! The way took me much time, but I arrived safe and sound as well as my suitcase and all the sweets
The host mum was very glad and she sends many thanks to you, my friends and Mum
I was very hungry, so the first thing I did here - it's having some pelmeni with sour cream.
I met these sheeps. They seem to be nice guys
Everything is great, I'm looking forward for new adventures!
Love and hugs,
С любовью!
Hanne
Posted Apr 28, 2015, 3:55 pm
I'm having good time here in Tomsk. Sorry for not writing for so long. We weren't able to use Internet
Now, all is ok and I can tell you how Mia and I spent the time.
On Sunday there was an orthodox Easter. We decorated the eggs with the red paint and ate 'kulich'.
Letters XB mean 'Христос Воскресе!', which means 'The Christ is risen' in Russian. They say it instead of 'good morning' on Easter day.
Posted Apr 28, 2015, 4:12 pm
This is my hosthouse
This house stands right opposite.
There are lots of old wooden houses in Tomsk. They were built in 1880-1920 years, and people still live there!
Look at these huge icicles. Beautiful, but dangerous!
Tomsk has a lot of graffities, too.
Yeap, there is MUUUUUCH snow in Siberia!
We stopped to have a lunch - a puncake with a ball of ice cream.
Hanging a lock on a handrail and throwing a key to the river is popular wedding tradition in Russia. See what it does to the handrail...
Somebody's love was REALLY BIG
The river Ushaika.
The City Hall.
The river Tom'. These black points on the ice are fishermen
The momument of famous Russian writer Chekhov.
When we became tired, we cought a tram and went home.
Posted Apr 28, 2015, 4:13 pm
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I captured some flowers in my host's flat there
The window view.
In May, we will have more time and I'll show you the city. It's great!
Posted Apr 28, 2015, 4:24 pm
That's what I captured during the way to the univercity with my host.
Posted May 10, 2015, 8:34 am
Dasha took Miia and me to the historical center of Tomsk.
This is the house next to our's...
Just a beautiful roof
Kids are playing
The river Ushaika.
The bridge through this river.
A Catholic church.
Finally we reached the Voskresenskaya hill - the place where Tomsk started its life. (I'm a bit out of the photo...
)
On the left there is the first City Hall, and on the right there is the first church built in Tomsk.
We went inside it...
The monument of Russian rouble
Something strange is on the opposite wall %)
It was a really nice day
Posted May 10, 2015, 8:42 am
But everything went wrong.
There was no Monstration because of political problems in Novosibirsk. We had to return back to Tomsk.
Although, we are going to visit the capital of Siberia again and have a great fun!
Posted May 18, 2015, 4:29 pm
We went to Novosibirsk again to visit one amazing event which I will tell later
This time, we managed to walk all the day and to see almost half of this large city.
In some places it looks a bit like Tomsk.
In fact, it is capital of Siberia and the third biggest city in Russia.
This is a symbol of Novosibirsk, the Opera and Ballet Theater.
Of course, there stands Lenin, as in any other city center in Russia
The railway station.
This was a hot day. We stopped to have some ice coffee in Pervomaiskiy square.
The flags of Russia and Novosibirsk on City Hall.
The river Ob'.
Old drink machines of USSR times
Then we went by the bridge...
In evening, we visited... the concert of Scorpions! That was wonderful, they rocked us like a hurricane
I need a rest after such a tiring day, so don't worry if I will keep silence for a while!
Love,
Hanne
Posted Aug 13, 2015, 1:20 pm
I travelled a bit in Russia with Miia and my host! That was great.
First we took a plane from Novosibirsk to St Petersburg.
We visited Peterhof, a residation of XVIII century of Russian emperors. It is famous for its gorgeous fountains.
We saw the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic sea and Neva.
No photo can tell you about real beauty of St. Petersburg; it is impossible. Everyone must come and see it with his own eyes
Posted Aug 13, 2015, 1:23 pm
And planted some beautiful flowers near it, how did they know I love them? This place in St.Petersburg I liked the best.
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Posted Dec 17, 2015, 8:57 pm
I m in Poland with my new host Anna.
Today I visited Cieplice. Cieplice it s a very nice part of Jelenia Gora
I saw very nice building here :-) The palace in Cieplice (previously: Bad Warmbrunn) was erected between 1784 and 1788 as a residence of the Schaffgotsch family. Now the palace in Cieplice is in very good condition. Some of the original, Classicist elements (floor, paneling, plafond) have survived to this day in some of the chambers on the first floor. The palace right now is used as an Off-campus Educational Unit. The inside of the palace may be visited by prior arrangement with the University authorities, but it is not generally open to tourists. One can also attend an academic event or an exhibition mounted in the palace.
I like it very much.
Posted Dec 17, 2015, 8:58 pm
Posted Jan 3, 2016, 10:08 am
and I visited Berlin.
I really like this city.
We saw Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Fernsehturm, Berlin Cathedral and Humboldt University of Berlin
After visiting some tourist attractions I had very nice surprise. We went to Christmas Market :-)
Posted Jan 3, 2016, 10:08 am
Wroclaw is the largest city in western Poland.
In 2016, the city will be the European Capital of Culture.
We saw Wrocław Old Town Hall. I like it very much.
I also saw very nice monument It s Boleslaw Chrobry. This man was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025, and the first King of Poland in 1025
It s very, very cold today. So we were unable to visit Centennial Hall, but I hope I will be able to see it next time.
Very interesting way to explore the city is seeking out Wroclaw dwarfs. There are over 300 dwarfs spread all over the city. We found one of them :-)
Posted Jan 20, 2016, 4:44 pm
Karkonosze mountains are really amazing. But...very cold here. We had a very nice time here.
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I gave her a hug. And then a bunch of other TV's came to greet me.
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She took me upstairs to a wonderful bunk bed at the window.
"Sweet dreams, Hanne," said Hollandia.
And sweet dreams to you too, mum! I will... zzzzzzz
Posted Mar 7, 2016, 10:46 am
Next day, when I woke up, Hollandia brought me breakfast in bed! Isn't that great? I had a pancake with nutella (yummy!) and a mug of milk. After that, Hollandia took me for a walk in the neighbourhood park.
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! I hope the dikes will prevent us from flooding. Otherwise we'll have to call Hansje Brinker
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Anyway, let Emjay have her fantasy...
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Emjay had to bring her car to the repair shop and I went with her. Traffic was very slow, although the road wasn't slippery.
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We saw an interesting poster of a girl, sitting among TV size furniture. And we met Mr. and Mrs. Swan again
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On the wall I see some historic Delft persons, like The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Willem van Oranje (the anchestor of King Willem Alexander) and Hugo de Groot.
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A beguinage is an architectural complex which formerly housed beguines, lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. I've looked it up in Wikipedia
There used to be a hospital in this yard. That's where Emjay was born!
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Bye for now, mum & dad.
I love Delft!
Posted Mar 9, 2016, 9:58 am
Have fun and say hi to dad and mum for me.
Love,
Hanne
xxx
Posted Mar 9, 2016, 11:35 am
This one is my favourite: it warns drivers to watch out for crossing toads! Toads are protected animals in the Netherlands. There are special groups of volunteers that helps toads across the road in their breeding season. They collect the toads, put them in a bucket and carry them to the water.
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We went to a special place today: The Cuddly Toy Hotel! Here's the entrance.
Posted Mar 15, 2016, 11:50 am
Emjay came here to pick up her bear Suus. Here he is. He has a name tag, just like me.
Posted Mar 15, 2016, 11:52 am
While Suus was greeted by Emjay, I had tea with the night nurse. I had strawberry tea and she drank pepper tea. How exotic!
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We went to the garden center today. As soon as we were in, I was surrounded by bears and other animals! The bears were friendly though (phew!) and sang a song to me.
Posted Mar 25, 2016, 7:43 am
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The windmill wasn't actually for sale. I imagined for a while that I lived there and that the tulips were real...
Posted Mar 25, 2016, 7:51 am
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The concert was in the Old Church. A friend of Emjay, who is an opera singer, was first soprano. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the concert, so this one was taken afterwards.
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That's it for now, mum & dad!
Big hug,
Hanne
Posted Mar 27, 2016, 2:16 pm
Happy Easter to you! I wish I could share these chocolate eggs with you. Or... maybe not
Miss you!
Love,
Hanne
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In the second picture you can see the New Church behind me.
Posted Mar 31, 2016, 8:23 am
At the end of the canal you can see the towers of the East Gate.
Posted Apr 1, 2016, 8:53 am
I'm very happy today, because one of my life missions is fulfilled! Emjay takes me to see a musical in Rotterdam!
When you go to the theatre, you dress nicely. So I put on my hat.
We arrived at Central Station and right away I saw some of Rotterdam's modern architecture.
Posted Apr 1, 2016, 8:55 am
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In the eighties he did three shows with Leen Jongewaard, who was his opposite in many ways, but also a kindered spirit and they inspired eachother.
So here you go: now you know a bit about the story.
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This wasn't a big, lavish production like "Billy Elliot", but a great musical with just three people on stage and a live band of four musicians.
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Here I am again! Did you miss me?
We went to The Hague (or Den Haag in Dutch) today. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, but Den Haag is the political capital. Maybe we meet the prime minister or the king! Who knows.
Anyway, this is a bench dedicated to the constitution of the Netherlands. It's engraved with the words of the first article.
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A duke lives in The Hague and his son is called Jantje.
When you ask: "Where does your dad live?"
He points with his little hand.
(In Den Haag daar woont een graaf en zijn zoon heet Jantje.
Als je vraagt: "Waar woont je pa?"
Wijs hij met zijn handje.)
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Posted Apr 26, 2016, 6:50 pm
This weekend we went to Strasbourg, France! On our way there we came through Belgium and passed the racing track of Spa Francorchamp.
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This is the Petite France quarter with pittoresk buildings and narrow street. A lot of streets have a French as well as a German name.
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It was built in the 15th century. Nowadays it's a restaurant.
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Remember when I was in The Hague the other day? Well, their symbol is also the stork. Maybe they can become sister towns!
Posted Apr 26, 2016, 7:33 pm
In front of the pavilion are lovely flowerbeds. The tulips are for you, mum!
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Posted May 27, 2016, 10:36 am
We're going to the vet today. Don't worry, I'm not ill. We're just going to buy some catfood for Emjay's cats.
On the way there, we walk through I nice park. I'm gathering a few flowers, in case I get hungry. The big yellow flower, looking like a miniature sunflower, is called "Horseflower" in Dutch
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Posted Jun 15, 2016, 3:08 pm
Guess where I am...
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Windmills used to be very important in the Netherlands. Especially water windmills. The mills pumped water out of the polders and prevented them from flooding. As you know a large part of the Netherlands lay beneath sea level.
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Posted Jun 25, 2016, 10:19 am
I'm at Emjay's work now. She works as a volunteer at the Rietveld Theater. I'm in the dressing room, trying out this ancient telephone (which is a prop) and pretending that I'm a STAR
Posted Jun 25, 2016, 10:22 am
A lot of actors and singers left their autographs and little notes on the wall. Even famous people like Douwe Bob, who represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest this year.
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Posted Jul 28, 2016, 1:24 pm
I have exciting news! Guess where I'm going?
Posted Jul 28, 2016, 1:29 pm
Here I am at our apartment Cavo Bianco.
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)
Here we are at the small lighthouse and we have a glimpse at the sea.
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Posted Jul 29, 2016, 7:35 pm
Today I'm saying goodbye to Annie and Emjay. I'm coming home! I had a wonderful time in Delft, Strasbourg and in Greece. But sometimes even a ToyVoyager needs to go home. I'm sharing the last of my Greek sweet with Annie.
Posted Jul 29, 2016, 7:36 pm
I'm coming home and I'm taking my sunglasses with me! See you soon, mum & dad!
your Hanne