Posted Dec 7, 2010, 4:37 pm
Posted Dec 7, 2010, 4:55 pm
Mom and Dad drive school buses for the city, and Henrietta has even been to work with them! She loved greeting all the children as the headed off to school!
Soon Henrietta will be on her way to a new place and although she will spend Christmas away from home for the first time, she is looking forward to an exciting trip.
Posted Jan 10, 2011, 3:43 pm
I had intended to spend Christmas in Germany but winter in Central Europe started very early and I had to face a few delays and cancelations. Fortunately, a few other TV's had got stuck with me on the airport, so at least I had nice company.
Anyway, I'm glad that I'm finally here and I was received by an impressing welcome committee. Don't worry about the pirate, mom. The police-teddy is taking care of me.
Kalliope loved the postcards. Many thanks from her. I'm very tired now and will go to bed and try to get some sleep.
Posted Jan 15, 2011, 12:37 pm
Kalliope has not yet removed all the Christmas decoration and the tree is still standing, too. It's a real one, not made from plastic and it's decorated with red and white balls, stars and other stuff made from straw as well as some little wooden figurines. The area where Attendorn is situated is called 'Sauerland' and, besides being known as "the land of the thousand hills", it's also famous for the Christmas trees growing there.
On one of the pictures you see me with a traditional Advent wreath. On each Sunday in Advent another candle is lit. The branches are a little dry already, but I don't mind. I also learned a German Christmas poem:
Advent, Advent,
Ein Lichtlein brennt
Erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier
Dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür
- - -
Advent, advent
A candle is lit
First one, then two, then three, then four
And then the Christkind knocks at our door
I learned that here in the area the Christkind (Christ Child) brings all the Christmas gifts for the children - the good ones only, of course - and Santa Claus sort of helps it. The three Magi arrived on January 6th. On that day children dressed as such go from house to house, sing a traditional song and ask for a donation for the needy. And this is what they write on the door: 20 + C + M + B + 11 (Christus mansionem benedicat).
We're waiting for some sunshine in order to go for a walk in the city center.
Posted Jan 24, 2011, 5:08 pm
Some of the yachts were HUGE! Can you see me?
Posted Jan 28, 2011, 1:02 pm
This photo is taken from Kalliope's patio. From their house they've got a fabulous 180° view of the valley. It's lovely - probably even more in summer.
Posted Jan 30, 2011, 9:44 am
Posted Jan 30, 2011, 5:11 pm
We took a walk through the winterly forest and it was soooo beautiful. I think, winter could become my favorite season, if it wasn't so cold and gray most of the time.
Posted Jan 31, 2011, 6:28 pm
Posted Feb 5, 2011, 9:32 am
Posted Feb 12, 2011, 4:38 pm
There's a traffic free zone with a few shops, coffeehouses and an Italian ice cream parlor, which you can probably find in every German city. The spire of the catholic church St. Johannes Baptist - also called "Sauerländer Dom" (Sauerland cathedral) - towers over the city. The tower of the church is about 800 years old, but the baroque roof dates from 1634 only. The nave is gothic.
The old townhall accomodates the museum of local history "Südsauerlandmuseum". The building was renovated only a few years ago. It is not far from the church, on the other side of the old market square "Alter Markt", where a market is still held twice a week.
Posted Feb 12, 2011, 4:55 pm
The catholic parsonage dates from the Middle Ages, but in 1783 it was destroyed by fire. The building you can see now was largely constructed in 1786. I especially liked the solid wooden door with the beautiful ornament above. The lettering says "Pastorat" (parsonage).
The other little timbered house is called "Schultenhaus" and it accomodates a restaurant.
Posted Feb 12, 2011, 5:04 pm
Posted Feb 20, 2011, 1:41 pm
This morning we took a walk along the lake. The weather is lousy: -1°C (30°F) and grey, but it feels like freezing -10°C at least. I'm sure that it's so much nicer in summer when the trees are green. You probably can hardly see it, but on the little hill on the left side there's the ruin of the Waldenburg castle, the origins of which go back one thousand years. This is what it must have looked like.
In order to keep warm, I dabbled in free climbing. I was very tired afterwards and relaxed close to the water. Have a nice Sunday!
Posted Feb 20, 2011, 1:50 pm
Posted Feb 20, 2011, 5:52 pm
The 'Bieketurm' (Bieke tower) and the 'Powder tower' (Pulverturm) are two of the twelve defense towers that remain of Attendorn's medieval fortification from the 13th century. It was destroyed in 1812. In the 17th century the Bieketurm was used as a prison, later as a storage room for ice. It's now a museum of the local gun club.
The yellow building accomodates one of the local high schools (Rivius-Gymnasium). And on the last photo you can see the "new" town hall.
Posted Feb 27, 2011, 10:22 am
Kalliope said that next weekend we'll celebrate carnival - similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. All the eople along the Rhine, especially in Düsseldorf, Cologne and Mainz, dress up and do crazy things during the "fifth season" as they call it. Attendorn is one of the carnival strongholds in southern Westphalia. A little hansel: 'Weiberfastnacht' in Cologne.
Posted Mar 5, 2011, 6:59 am
Posted Mar 5, 2011, 7:20 am
Until the 1970s or 80s the Hönnetal used to be a paradise for climbers, but nowadays the rocks are protected. You may go for a hike and enjoy many romantic views. You can also traverse the valley by canoe on the river Hönne, if it carries enough water.
Posted Mar 6, 2011, 8:52 am
Posted Mar 6, 2011, 9:05 am
I especially love the Confetti Berliners - the ones with frosting and the colored chocolate lentils - and "Beschwipste Krebbelchen", pastries filled with a mixture of custard and eggnog and covered with sugar. Yummy!
The ones covered with cocoa and sprinkles from white chocolate are called Cappuccino Berliners. They're filled with coffee cream.
Posted Mar 7, 2011, 3:21 pm
Here are a few impressions from the carnival procession in Menden. By the way, the sweet girls in the red and white dresses are called "Tanzmariechen" (little dancing Mary's). Oooh... oops! It's raining candy down on me...
Posted Apr 9, 2011, 8:17 pm
Posted Apr 15, 2011, 1:21 pm
Posted Apr 27, 2011, 8:34 pm
The sandy beach with its yellow roofed wicker chairs was deserted. I think these chairs are typically German. Kalliope said that you can find them everywhere at the beaches of the North and Baltic Sea.
It was low tide and you could see the mud flats. The little waves of sand are created by the water. I didn't dare to go for a walk because the visibility was less than 100 meters (110 yards) and wafts of mist billowed around like ghosts. It was a bit eerie! Instead I decided to test what sunbathing in the sand would be like.
Posted Apr 27, 2011, 9:15 pm
Of course, "Kugelbake" has nothing to do with 'baking', but the wooden tower is a signal for the ships. Similar towers have stood there since the early 1700s. Allegedly approximately 40,000 ships pass it each year. They are so close, you can almost touch them.
At this time of the year the 8-meter-high dyke, which is to protect the land, is covered by dandelions. It's SO beautiful! The little red train goes all along the coast connecting the beach and the harbour.
Posted Apr 28, 2011, 9:23 pm
I didn't feel bored a minute just watching all the ships passing by: huge container ships from all over the world, the cute fishing cutters and shrimp boats. I was particularly impressed by the huge coast guard ship - the one with the yellow crane and a mini submarine on board.
On the last photo you can see the historic fire boat "Elbe 1". Construction at the Meyer dockyards in Papenburg started in 1942. Nowadays it's a museum and you can also get married on board. Ship ahoy!
Posted Apr 29, 2011, 1:27 pm
There's a beautiful warm and sunny weekend ahead of us - my last weekend in Attendorn before I'll go to the Netherlands. My next "stop" will be Rotterdam.
Posted Apr 29, 2011, 5:24 pm
Imagine, there are little piles of spaghetti everywhere on the ground! Kalliope explained that they are produced by the lugworms that live in a U-shaped burrow in the sand. They dig their way through it similar to a mole throwing up little hills of sand everywhere. And the little hole that you can also see on the picture is the "front door" of their home so to speak. Awesome!
Posted May 1, 2011, 8:27 am
Posted May 1, 2011, 8:55 am
The "Hamburg Lighthouse" is very nice, too. The lighthouse has got four floors and its walls are more than one metre/yard thick. The Latin inscription above the entrance from sandstone says: „Nautis signum / sibi monumentum erexit / respublica hamburgensis / Ao MDCCCIII (A sign to the seafarers this monument was erected by the state of Hamburg in the year 1803).
Isn't the cat cute?
Posted May 1, 2011, 9:10 am
and take one last sunbath. Can you see the kite-surfers? I counted more than 40 out there. And now: Bye-bye Cuxhaven!
Posted May 25, 2011, 5:40 pm
I arrived at Toolakha and Munen's house late this afternoon. They have been anxiously waiting for me for tomorrow morning we will travel on to Ireland. Yippieyee...it will be the first time Munen and I will see Ireland. Toolakha has been there about 13 years ago, yet she's very happy to go there again.
But first things first....I first had to give Toolakha the special presents that Kalliope's has asked me to hand over to her. They are birthday gifts for Toolakha was celebrating her 4x11th birthday just last weekend. She loved the presents very much. The bread basket will come in very handy and the book of Karen Kingston "Clear your clutter with Feng Shui" will surely come in handy. Toolakha seems to have a way with collections
Posted May 25, 2011, 6:08 pm
We walked to the tram stop and there we were waiting for the tram to arrive. See me waiting and see me inside a Dutch tram for the first time...woooheee! At the back of the tram there was plenty of space for our suitcases and it gave me a good view of the streets we passed.
When we arrived at the train station we had to walk to the platform and there we hopped on a train to Schiphol. I loved looking outside at the scenery.
Can you see the other train passing us by? The trip to the airport was pretty pleasant, even though it was early. We had to be there 2,5 hours before we'd actually would fly off. So we first checked in our suitcases. Then we had to show our passports at the custom authorities. Toolakha and Munen had to take off their shoes and belts, like most of the other travellers. Since everything checked out to be okay we then could go shopping. I did see some nice Dutch souvenirs at the airport, but also shops with perfumes and alcoholic drinks. It helped us to pass the time in a very nice way. And there were also places where you could have a drink or a bite but I must say I found it very expensive there 
Still since we had not eaten any breakfast at home we decided to grab a bite and have some juice and a sandwich, which tasted good.
And then finally we were ready to get on board of Air Lingus..the Irish airline company. I was happy that I could also sit next to the window here. It was pretty clear to look outside. Funny is that from Rotterdam we had to travel up North to Schiphol Airport and then we flew nearly over Rotterdam. We passed Munen's sisters house so we could wave at his little nieces...you could almost make out their new home from here. At least it was a good view on Hoek van Holland...which is the entrance gate for the Rotterdam harbour. All boats going to Rotterdam will have to pass here.
Posted May 25, 2011, 6:51 pm
Toolakha was going to drive first but she had to get used to the fact that this car did not have normal handbrake but a button called P. Then she had to get used to use the gear-shift with her left hand. In Ireland cars drive on the left side of the road (like they do in the UK) while in the rest of Europe everyone else drives on the right side.
Posted May 25, 2011, 6:57 pm
After this we took a stroll in the lovely surrounding park, enjoying the fine weather and having a good time. Then we sat down for a "latte and a brownie".
When we felt we had seen it all we went back to the car and drove over to our first "bed and breakfast" at The Blue Horizon in Kinsale. We had a great night over here and the hosts "Jimmy and Mary" were very kind to us.
Posted May 25, 2011, 7:20 pm
Then we arrived at Skibbereen where we visited The Skibbereen Herritage centre . There they had "The Great Famine Commemoration Exhibition" which commemorates the tragic period in the 1840s that is known in Irish History as the Great Hunger.
It was a beautiful trip from Skibbereen (where we forgot to take pictures) to Killarney. So we stopped at the side of the road and took some beautiful pictures with spectacular views.
Posted May 25, 2011, 8:15 pm
In the morning we enjoyed our "Irish" breakfast.
Today we decided to do do \"The Ring of Kerry\". This was a nice drive with great views. We went to Valentia Island because we wanted to visit The Skellig Experience Centre. Unfortunatly the weather wasn't good enough so there were no boats out to the Skellig islands. It would have been very interesting to visit Skellig Michael. This is where, on the steep sides of this rocky and very remote island, a monastery was built in the 7th century. From Valentia Island you could look back at Portmagee as the picture shows.
Posted May 25, 2011, 8:32 pm
Posted May 25, 2011, 9:07 pm
We then took a boat out to Innisfallen Island. Innisfallen Abbey, one of the most impressive archaeological remains dating from the early Christian period found in the Killarney National Park. We had a nice walk around the island before we had to take the boat back to the mainland.
Munen and I had not seen the famous Gap of Dunloe which is a narrow mountain pass between Macgillycuddy's Reeks (west) and Purple Mountain (east) in County Kerry, Ireland. It is about 11 km (7 miles) from north to south. Within it are five lakes: Coosaun Lough, Black Lake, Cushnavally Lake, Auger Lake, and Black Lough (north to south). These lakes are connected by the River Loe. Between the first two lakes is an old arch bridge called the 'Wishing Bridge' so named because it is said that wishes made while upon it are destined to come true.
We walked just a little bit up the Gap but never as far as the Whishing Bridge....
Posted May 25, 2011, 9:36 pm
We arrive at our new bed & breakfast Barr na Sraide Inn. We will stay here for only one night. So after a walk through Dingle, we visit the Diseart Institute of Education and Celtic Culture which is situated in the former Presentation Sisters' convent. In this former convent we find The Chapel of the Sacred Heart, which is a neo-gothic gem, in which architect J.J. McCarthy (1817–82), son of a Kerry family that settled in Dublin, drew on the nineteenth-century revival of medieval architectural styles and infused them with Irish overtones. More than that, it is a sacred space, illuminated in the artistry of its stained-glass windows. The chapel was refurbished in the 1920s under the direction of Mother Ita Macken, and completed with the installation of Harry Clarke's windows, which Mother Ita commissioned at a cost of £1,000 in 1922. These beautifully crafted windows illustrate the life of Christ from his birth to his resurrection. The windows are really beautiful.
Then we stroll into town but it seems the clouds over Dingle become heavier. So we decide to take the car and drive up to the Celtic and Prehistoric Museum which turns out to be very interesting too.
Posted May 25, 2011, 10:35 pm
Then we move on to Talbert where we will take the ferry to go to Kilimer. It is fun to be on the ferry. We are parked in the first row and we're happy we're safe and dry in the car. The waves splash over the front of the ferry and soak our car as well as the biker who is standing next to us.
After we reach the main land we continue on the coastal route. When we pass Quilty the weather is great and the sea is rough. We decide to park our car and get out for a walk along the beach.
We then continue our route and plan to visit the Cliffs of Moher. We love being out there. It's very windy but sunny. So we struggle against the wind to get to the top of the cliffs where we find O'Brien's Tower, which was built in 1835 by local landlord Cornelius O'Brien as a viewing point for the tourists that even then were flocking to the Cliffs. The wind was so strong today that we could not access the tower. We then walked over to the other side of the cliffs for a view from a different angle. We loved the fact that the waves were smashing against the rocks.
After this beautiful view and the feelling of having caught the breezes we head on to our last bed and breakfast the Wild Honey Inn in Lisdoonvarna.
Wild Honey is owned and run by the McGrath family. Chef proprietor Aidan McGrath has been accepted in the Michelin Guide 2009 and also the Georgina Campbell Ireland Guide 2009. His wife and daughter run the b&b as well as the restaurant. Wild Honey Inn has become the first pub in the country to be awarded a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand
Posted May 25, 2011, 10:55 pm
We follow the coastal route which once again gives us the most spectacular views. Then we search for the Poulnabrone dolmen. It is a little smaller in reality then we expected it to be but never the less it's beautiful to see.
We then continue on our route and go for The Burren Centre in Kilfenora. There is so much history in Ireland and it has so many interesting places to visit.
We end this day with a trip to Ennis where we go shopping. After this we head back to the Wild Honey Inn for another delicious meal and a good nights rest. Tomorrow we'll be driving out to Dublin where we will take a plane back to Rotterdam.
Posted May 25, 2011, 11:11 pm
Now we'll just board the plane, wave goodbye to Ireland, take a last look at it and hope to arrive safely in the Netherlands.
I was happy that Munen and Toolakha took turns in driving and both of them were telling me all about Ireland that they new. And I can tell you they have learned a lot more about it too.
We had a bit of a delay going back home....maybe because Queen Elizabeth has been visiting Dublin these past days too. We arrived at Schiphol around 21:30 and then we had to wait for a train to take us back to Rotterdam. In Rotterdam we just missed the tram so we had to wait about 15 minutes for the next one. We were happy we reached Toolakha and Munen's house so that we could all relax from this long day. But it was a fun holiday and I'm looking forward to my next trip with Toolakha and Munen. I would love to see more of The Netherlands and they have also promised to take me on their trip to the Belgian Ardennes. .....more to come........
Posted May 29, 2011, 4:15 pm
It was great to see the Kurhaus Hotel. The history of the Kurhaus Hotel dates back almost 200 years, to the year 1818, when Jacob Pronk opened a bathing establishment. The bathing resort was so successful, that in 1826 it was replaced by a stone building, this bathing house was owned by the local government. To transform Scheveningen into an upmarket sea side resort, the decision was made to breakdown the bathhouse in 1884.
Within a year, on the exact location, the Kurhaus was build by German architects Johann Friedrich Henkenhaf and Friedrich Ebert. The Kurhaus opened her doors on 11 July 1885.
After we had a delicious meal in a restaurant on the boulevard we went to the Circus Theater which has hosted performances for over 100 years. Toolakha and Munen had tickets for a show by a Dutch-Surinam Comedian called Jorgen Raymann. I found it difficult to understand for my Dutch isn't that good but I'm picking up a few words now. But I had a great day anyway and it gave me a chance to see a little bit more of the Netherlands.
Posted May 29, 2011, 4:38 pm
Last year he had hoped to receive Kapla, building blocks for a present. But he never got any. Since it was his wish this year again, we decided to put some cash together (we all jumped in to donate some cash to buy him this present, me, his grandparents, an aunt and uncle and Toolakha and Munen). The total amount of cash collected enabled Toolakha to buy him a huge box with many blank and coloured blocks. He was thrilled to finally receive it and together with a friend he immediatly started playing with it.
Then we all had some delicious cake ....after he had blown out all his candles.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 12:12 pm
The weather has been up and down....sunny days and a lot of rainy days as well. I'm still waiting for all the exciting things to happen, even though it has been great to relax a little for a while too after all the travelling I have been doing lately.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 12:25 pm
Haiku was thrilled to arrive at the house and find me welcoming her there too. At least we will have some fun together and discover some new things before I'll be off on my way.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 12:33 pm
We first went to the gnome park. Then we went to the zoo, there we watched the wallabies and also the lama and emu.
After this we climbed the watch tower which is normally closed. But for this special evening it was open. So we had a great view on the skyline of Rotterdam. See all the pictures of Haiku and me having fun.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 12:39 pm
Can you see us having fun?
In the end I wanted to take a picture with the big kangaroo that was there in front of the entrance/exit.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 12:44 pm
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 12:53 pm
Ahoy for the Studio 100 zomerfestival. Munen and Toolakha took Munen's niece of nearly 4 y.o. with them to see the cartoon characters she likes so much. They were all there "Piet Piraat", "Bobo", "Mega Mindy", "Bumba", "Samson and Gert", "Kabouter Plop" and off course "K3". It was a wonderful experience and there were so many young children with their mummy's and daddy's, aunts and uncles or grandparents.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 1:21 pm
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 1:31 pm
Baraque de Fraiture is with 651 meter (above TAW) the third highest top of the Belgian Ardennes. Baraque de Fraiture lies in the northern part of the Belgian province Luxembourg nearby the Belgian province Luik (Liège), north east of the village La Roche-en-Ardenne.
It has one of the few Belgian skipistes, which will be open at an average of 20 days per year.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 1:49 pm
The sanctuary of Saint-Antoine ( Manhay) is one of the oldest places of pilgrimage of Belgium. According to a legend it al started when a shepherd, lost in the large forests of the Ardennes, called upon Saint Antoine of Padua in order to find his way back. At acknowledgement he built a small chapel. From that day on more and more pilgrims came to this place for prayer.
After we have burnt some candles in the chapel and said our prayers we wanted to continue our trip back to the camping when we came across this old timer. I also wanted to have my picture taken with it. It seemed like there had been some kind of festival in the area for when we went back to Rotterdam sunday evening we passed a lot of old timers on our way home.
Posted Jul 4, 2011, 2:03 pm
Munen and Toolakha have a caravan at the camping called Grand Bru. Toolakha's family has been a visitor of this place for many, many years.
It is very nice to be at the camping for it is so relaxing. I enjoyed listening to all the birds, like the great titmouse, the bluetit, the sparrow (who was feeding his kids, which was a fun sight) and many other birds.
I was also lucky to meet the owners pet, a cat called "Rooie" or Red as it translates in English. He came to greet me too.
Posted Jul 13, 2011, 5:51 pm
We first sat down for a drink and a talk to catch up on the past year. The friends meet once a year and then they like to go on a sight seeing trip somewhere in the Netherlands. I was happy that this time Haiku and I were invited to join them this time.
After the chat we went for a walk through the city. Then we decided to go for a nice sandwich and we found a great "hidden" place at [url=www.tuizentuin.nl]Tuiz and Tuin[/url] which is a flower shop but they have an outdoor cafe in the garden at the back of the building. It was a secured garden with just a few seats, very peaceful and very tranquil.
We then went back to the "Grote Markt" where we were going to meet our guide. Toolakha's friend had arranged for a guide to take us on a tour through Haarlem. We were meeting him in front of the City Hall.
Posted Jul 13, 2011, 6:18 pm
The word 'hofje' just means small garden, because the hofjes are generally small houses grouped around a community kitchen garden with a water pump. Often they were attached to a larger field for bleaching linen or growing orchards, but today those fields have been long used for city expansion and only the central gardens can still be seen.
You see pictures of me in front of the hofje of Bakenes and in a narrow street. Together with Haiku I am modelling in the Lutheran hofje and in the Brouwershofje. But we did get to see many more locations.
It was such great fun to see all these special places. The most remarkable thing was that the city center was very busy and crowded. But these hofjes (which were also situated but hidden in the city center) were peaceful and tranquil. We had never expected there to be so many in Haarlem.
Posted Jul 13, 2011, 6:30 pm
So Haiku and I were excited to model at the station as you can see.
Posted Jul 13, 2011, 6:38 pm
Posted Jul 13, 2011, 6:49 pm
There were so many animals out there. The little ice bear called Vicks was outside, playing with his mummy. The little new born hyena was sleeping with his mum. We had to look very carefully to see him for he was lying in the shades. The elephants had fun in the sun. The pellican was spreading his wings. The giraffes where out there and we have been observing several type of monkeys.
Posted Jul 13, 2011, 7:51 pm
Posted Jul 28, 2011, 8:56 pm
The Efteling can be compared to Disney but then it's the Dutch version. It started out with it's Fairy Tail Forest where you can find the fairy tails of the Brothers Grimm but it has expanded to a theme park which is interesting for young and old.
We had so much fun there. They had predicted a lot of rain but we didn't have much of that (only when we were planning to go home it started to pour....so at least the umbrella's did come in handy).
We were lucky for although it was high season it wasn't busy at all (probably due to the weather forecast). So we could do and see all the things we wanted to, without having to wait in long cues.
See Haiku and me having fun. In Haiku's log you'll see some other pictures of the two of us.
Posted Aug 8, 2011, 7:55 pm
Posted Aug 8, 2011, 8:07 pm
Posted Aug 8, 2011, 8:10 pm
Posted Aug 8, 2011, 8:42 pm
From here we walked towards the Erasmus bridge, also know as the Swan. When you're on this bridge and you look back in the direction you came from you see the Luxor theatre on the right. On the left there is another red building. This is the Court of Justice of Rotterdam.
When you walk on the bridge you can also get a good look at "de kop van Zuid", the head of the South. This is where you'll find Hotel New York. It's an old building surrounded by new buildings. It's quite historic for this is the location where people used to go on board of the big steam ships to go to the States.
It's hard to find the building in our picture for it's closed in by Montevideo skyscraper of 140 metres high (459 feet) and the World Port Centre which is 138 metres high (452 feet).
At the end of the Erasmusbridge you have a good view on "Boompjes", the street where many offices (tall buildings are situated), but also on the "red" Willemsbrug, the Northern Island and in the far back, the old railway bridge.
Posted Aug 8, 2011, 9:08 pm
Then we continued our trip through the Leuvehaven. There we saw some old boats, but also an old locomotive.
When we crossed the street we found one of the few remaining historical buildings from the 17th century in the neighbourhood of the Coolsingel, that remained intact during WWII. The Schielandhuis is a beautiful buidling. It now harvests a museum. Munen and Toolakha say that the building looks beautiful from the inside too.
Posted Aug 8, 2011, 9:31 pm
We got the chance to see the Cube houses from the outside. Toolakha and Munen told me there is also a hotel who rents out rooms in the cubic houses. That should be a treat to spend the night in such a special location.
The other interesting buildings were the Library, with the yellow tubes. Or the apartment building they call the Pencil...hard to understand why. The "ufo" looking thing is the entrance of subway station The Blaak.
From the Blaak we also had a good look on the Sint-Laurenskerk. They are busy restoring this church.
We then walked towards het Witte Huis which we have been able to see from the Erasmusbridge. But close by it looked a lot more impressive. And after this we went back home. We had an interesting day and I was happy to see some of Rotterdam's highlights.
Posted Aug 16, 2011, 6:50 am
We arrived by ICE train at Berlin Central Station. From there we took the S-line to Charlottenburg and from there we decided to walk to our hotel to see how far it was. It was a pretty hot day and the walk took a little longer than we expected. But we finally arrived and had a stay at this wonderful hotel.
After we checked in, unpacked and freshened up we decided to take a stroll into town. We ended up at the famous Kurfürstendamm. It was great to be there.
Posted Aug 16, 2011, 7:49 am
We went there by S-line and U-line and had our pictures taken at some of the stations. Then we arrived at the Reichstag which is an interesting building. We saw whereAngela Merkel the chancellor of Germany speaks to the parliament. We had a great tour through the building and then we visited the Dome.
After this we walked towards Brandenburger Tor. It was the 50th anniversary of the built of the Berlin Wall. So there were many, many people to remember this terrible event.
Posted Aug 16, 2011, 8:02 am
We walked over the street called "Unter den Linden" towards the Berliner Dom. But since it was so busy with long queues waiting to see inside the Dom we decided to continue our way to the Fernsehturm (television tower). We got up there and had a great view on the city. We took many pictures up there.
What was impressive too was the fact that on one side it was sunny and bright and on the other side of the tower you could see a very heavy rain clowd entering the city. So we experienced some rain while up there (but when we got down most of it was gone).
Posted Aug 23, 2011, 7:42 pm
It was very crowded at this point due to the ceremonies held to mark the anniversary. So we walked down Zimmerstrasse and came across an original piece of the concrete wall. It was really impressive to see it up close and to imagine what it must have been like, living in a city divided by a huge concrete wall.
We then followed our route towards Potsdamer Platz. This area has been destroyed by the war and it has been remarkably changed since the fall of the wall. Here we found another piece of original wall.
We ended up at the Brandenburger Tor. On this side of the gate it wasn't as crowded with a stage as it was on the other side.
Haiku and I really liked Berlin. Toolakha and Munen did too. It is a very interesting city with much to see and do. Time is just too short and we all hope to get the chance to come back one day.
Posted Aug 23, 2011, 8:15 pm
The bus took us to several palaces like the New Palace, Castle Sanssouci (but we forgot to take pictures here) and then we also went to Schloss Cecilienhof. Cecilienhof was the location of the Potsdam Conference between 17 July and 2 August 1945. Here it was decided how Germany was to be divided between the allied.
After the bus tour we took a boat trip. Our feet were sore from all the walks we did in Berlin. When we were on the boat it started to rain heavily but we remained dry. After all we had a great couple of days in Berlin and we loved seeing the highlights of Potsdam.
Posted Aug 25, 2011, 5:14 pm
The cave is divided into two parts. The first part we walked and for the second part we had to take the boat. We walked through a chamber that has been inhabited by Palaeolithic hunters about 8.000 years ago. Then we passed a big chamber called "the Cathedral" and from here on we went deeper and deeper into the descending caves.
In the second part the boat slowly navigated over the curves of 600 meters (or 1968 ' and 6.04 ") long subterranean river Rubicon, (which created these caves) passing objects to get back to the starting point.
In the cave there are beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, created by the calcium enriched water. The temperature in the caves is between 8-10 °C (or 46.4-50°F).
It was pretty difficult to take pictures inside the cave so we only have one.
Posted Aug 25, 2011, 5:48 pm
On our climb walk through the forest we came across many different kind of beautiful fungus. We had to take a picture here to show you all. Then we climbed further to see the famous "Pierre Haina".
According to the legend Pierre Haina, the Stone of the Ancients the rock seals an entrance to the center of the earth.
From up here we had a nice view on the surroundings and even the walk back down was great. Once again we have had a lovely day.
Posted Aug 25, 2011, 6:26 pm
Today Toolakha found a surpise in her mailbox (or actually it was deliverd at one of her neighbours). A package from my mummy in the States. She surprised Toolakha with a box full of cows. Toolakha was very delighted with her unexpected gifts. And I was happy to hear from my mummy for although I am having a lot of fun over here, I do miss home...am I getting homesick? I have been travelling so much lately...maybe I should start planning to go home soon.
Posted Sep 20, 2011, 7:12 pm
It was great to see Kalliope again and Toolakha and Kalliope recognized each other instantly although it was the first time they meet. We all had made reservations to visit the Royal Palace but we had to pick up the tickets first. So we walked through town and on Dam Square we came across a barrel organ festival so naturally I wanted my picture taken with some draaiorgels or barrel organs.
Our walkabout also took us to the flower market where they were selling lots of colourful flowers, plants and even souvenirs. Then after we picked up the tickets we went for a drink at Rembrandtplein.
We did do a lot more this day...a visit to the Jewish Historical Museum, a visit to the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, we went for a walk through the Vondelpark and we had dinner at a Greek restaurant at Leidseplein.
Somehow the day seemed to pass by quickly and we all had a wonderful time. We simply forgot to take more pictures but we took in all the new impressions. It was a wonderful sunny day in the company of some wonderful people. Thanks all for this beautiful day.
Posted Sep 20, 2011, 7:52 pm
Bomal is a village in the municipality of Durbuy, Belgium. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Ourthe and Aisne. It was a pretty steep hike, up to 210 metres (or 688 ' and 11.71 "). But we all managed and up at the cross we had a great view of the area.
Posted Sep 20, 2011, 8:30 pm
We first arrived at the Grote Markt where we had a good view on the town hall. And if we turned a little to the right we had a view on the Church of Saint Nicholas, the church hall and the Ciperage (former prison). We then walked towards the hospital where mum's aunt has been working. Then we walked to find the house of some friends of mum's family and finally we went into the parc where the Walburg Castle is situated. Mum used to go there to listen to the bell tower. It was interesting to see where Toolakha's mum had been to when she was a young girl.
Posted Sep 20, 2011, 9:44 pm
Then we walked towards the Gravensteen castle.This is a beautifully renovated castle in the city centre. It was a pleasure to walk around the estate and see all of it, the main hall, the chapel, the dungeons. Haiku and I even felt like two princesses sitting in the royal chair.
After the castle we passed the statue of the Wise Man and the Brewer of Ghent, Jacob van Artevelde who is pointing in the direction of England. From here on we continued our route towards the Belfry of Ghent. We climbed all he way up to the bell tower (and were able to skip some floors going up for we used the elevator
). Then we walked down and came across the gilded dragon which once used to be on top of the tower. Then we were a bit exhausted so we relaxed with a cup of coffee.
Finally we visited the Great Béguinage or Saint Elisabeth béguinage. We were amazed at how huge this béguinage was. Still it was very tranquil and peaceful out here so it was a great way to end our trip.
Posted Sep 20, 2011, 9:55 pm
So Toolakha has packed all my things in my suitcase, my teddybear, and my guardian angel souvenir from Ireland. She also gave refreshments like mummy did when she send me on my way. So I now have a few tins of coca cola and a hamburger to satisfy my appetite on the way home. When we visited the Efteling I have bought my mummy a Laaf....(a gnome) and I'll be bringing him along too, as well as a nice scarf and an orange wuppie to keep me company. Hope mummy likes it.
I hope my trip back home won't take me as long as it did for me to reach Germany and then Holland. I'm now on my way.........
Posted Oct 2, 2011, 8:47 pm
Her two hosts, Kalliope and Toolakha, have been wonderful and she has thoroughly enjoyed visiting their countries and getting to know their families. She arrived home ready to show off all the lovely gifts and souvenirs that Toolakha helped her pick out.
Looking forward to a much needed rest, Henrietta will be staying home for a while... just in time to enjoy the holidays.
Posted Dec 31, 2011, 1:41 am
She left Round Rock this morning to visit her new friend ravenmist and is looking forward to seeing the sights and experiencing all that Australia has to offer.
Have fun and safe travels, Little One!
Posted Jan 6, 2012, 4:55 am
Tomorrow we are going to visit Jen's family and I can even go on a boat! I also get to meet LOTS of family pets (Momma there's so many!)
Next week I'm going on a train to Sydney and to a birthday party with games and toys!
Posted Jan 10, 2012, 3:08 am
I got to see their boat, but we couldn't go out in it, because i'm too little for their life jackets
I met their goldfish in the pond - they were very friendly and didn't tip me off my lilly pad. I didn't get wet, Momma.
I met some of Jen's pets too. I ddidn't meet the dogs because they might eat me - Jen says they are naughty. I met Coco the ferret, Bella the cat, Wally the galah and Cheeky the cockatiel.
Next weekend we are off to a friend's 30th birthday party. There's going to be balloons, party food and pirates!