Travelog for: MuhKuh

Hi Mummy,

today we visited an arboretum in Wuppertal, the "Staatsforst Burgholz". An arboretum is a collection of trees, sort of a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study. We went to "Staatsforst Burgholz", a woodland area which is situated in both urban area of Wuppertal and also the urban area of Solingen, but only a small part of it.

When World War II was over, there were nearly all trees felled for rebuilding of destroyed city areas and also as firewood.

Searching for fast-growing forest species trees from foreign counties were planted than in this area to study their growth in local weather conditions. Plants from North America, South America, Asia and Europe were planted.

There are several walking paths through the arboretum, of course we chose the longest of them, about 6 km long, displaying a variety of trees from Europe, America and Asia. At the parking lot we found a map of the arboretum area.







We decided to walk along a path showing trees of Northern America. In the background, along the slope different kinds of conifers were planted.



This is the sign we had to follow.



You can find informations about the foreign trees.



The path was covered with clover.







Our path is meandering through the forest. Look how good "Chief" Emma Squirrel was looking!



Finally we saw sequoia trees.





This was a very interesting trip.

Bye
MuhKuh

Hi Mummy,
today Katja helped to me broaden my knowledges in baking. We made bread today!

Our ingredients were whole spelt flour and wheat flour, yeast, salt, sugar, lukewarm water and a little bit vegetable oil.



We mixed each 500 g wheat flour and spelt flour, added about 1 1/2 spoonful salt and  a little bit sugar. We crumbled two lumps of yeast onto this mixture.



We added about 650 ml lukewarm water and made a smooth dough. It took us about 3 minutes with the electirc mixer.



Ready. Now the dough had to rest for half an hour. We covered it so it would not dry out.



In the meantime I peeked under the lid ... it was raising high ....



... and higher!



We had to knead the dough once more and divided it into three parts which we put on the baking tray.





While baking (220°C for about 40 minutes) the breads grew once more.



Enjoy!



Bye
MuhKuh

Hi Mummy,
today we made a fantastic trip to Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr area. We visited a zoo there, the ZOOM-Erlebniswelt.



This zoo is specialized in animals from Alaska, Africa and Asia. The whole area is divided into three parts. We started our adventure in Alaska.



Nobody has to starve here.



We saw several bears here: Grizzly bears, Kodiak bears and polar bears.



The bear was separated from the visitors only by a thick glass panel.



We entered Africa  than!



It is so cold today that I prefer the comfort of a heated apartment to those huts



I met Ankole-Watusi cattle here. 





The lionesses were very lazy behind their glass panel.



Zebras and antilopes were much more agil than the dozing lions...



... as well the giraffes.



We entered Asia than.



Here we also found a typical hut.





We had a lot of fun with those monkeys, gray langurs. They were playing endlessly in their enclosure, chasing each other and climbing and jumping from their ropes and nets.



What a fantastic trip!

Bye
MuhKuh

Hi Mummy,
we had almost two weeks with really ugly weather. It was cold als also raining the whole day. Today it was a bit better, so we took a walk in the city centre when our host had her lunch break.

First stop was the city hall, originally built in 1906, than partly destroyed in WW II and rebuilt afterwards in a more modern style.



There is a pillar on the large place in front of it, showing a lion, the heraldic animal of Remscheid.



This is the theatre,



The shopping street ...



... and the central bus station.



We went towards the central station, here several larger buildings were built in the last ten years.



The whole station area was rebuilt from 2007 until about 2010.





Back in the city centre Katja showed us this funny fountain.



This is the main entrance of the shopping mall with the tower of the city hall in the background.



At the end of the pedestrian area you can find this statue, two large forceps. They are a symbol for the tool producing industry here.



There is a water tower close to the city hall. The silhouette of Remscheid with those two towers close together is visible from all the surrounding cities.



On the right side of the next photo you can see the parking and loading zone of the shopping mall.



We had to return to the work place than.

Bye
MuhKuh

Hi Mummy,
today it was time to say good-bye to Remscheid. Katja helped  me to pack my things (passport and baking book). Of course we filled in the cake and break I learned to bake here.



I am on my way to Italy now

Love
MuhKuh

Hi mum,
I'm in Italy!!!
More pictures soon!
Love,
Muhkuh

Hi mum,
last saturday it was my host's birthday so we decided to prepare her a birthday cake! Oh, well, I have to introduce ou my TV friends: Graham, Finn, Shesh, Leooo and Doofus.
I'll write down this recipe in my recipes book!
Look how good I'm in making cakes!!!
Love,
Muhkuh

Hi mum,
here I'm at the "Sforzesco" Castle! It's quite interesting being here if you think that it was built in the Middle Ages...since yesterday it's possible to see the ceiling of a porch that has just been renovated: look at the red sun painted on it!
Love,
Muhkuh

Hi mum,
it is getting cold here and we have to do something fot all the plants on my host's terrace: we built a greenhouse where they can spend winter!
It seems that they'll be fine here!
Bye,
Muhkuh

Hi mum,
my friends and I are tasting a typical Italian pizza!!! It looks good...!
Love,
Muhkuh

Hi mum,
did you know that Bresso has an airport? It's a small one fo private planes (if you have your own plane!) and there is also a school to learn how to fly. Maybe I'll decideto try!
Bye,
Muhkuh

Hi mum,
I'm having a walk to the park, look how red the leafes are!
My host and I are ready to start decorting for Christmas so I'll send you some more pictures soon.
Love,
Muhkuh

We're ready for Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas mummy!!!
MuhKuh

Hi mum,
I wish you a very happy 2013!
Love,
Muhkuh