The next day we headed toward Akumal to our new place that we called home for the next 13 days Organic Yoga. In the Mayan jungle this ecological resort offered us solitude while enjoying wildlife outside and inside our huts (get to that later). You could attend  Yoga 3 times a week along with trails to explore, birds, bugs, butterflies and lizards to photograph. One definitely needed a machete for walking in the dense jungle.  As I was not equipped with one and was not keen on getting lost I stuck to the main roads and paths. Taking pictures in this area was a challenge the density made it difficult at times to get a perfectly clear shot of the birds. And they almost always seemed to be in areas that were impossible to get through. All I could do was listen and imagine what the birds looked like. While hoping luck would be on my side to get a shot or two of some of the wildlife.

Had to be very stealthy to even get this shot of  the elusive  Blue Crowned Mot Mot.

Our  main road into our jungle paradise Steve called the butterfly freeway. Like cars on a freeway they went zooming past you however did manage to catch a snap or two. My favourite ones were the ones I dubbed tree bark butterflies you really have to look carefully to spot them. The best thing about where we were staying is that nature came right to your front door step. Many mornings I would be sitting in our screened in porch and hear a flock birds rustling in the leaves on the ground and in the trees.  To my delight it would be the brightly orange coloured Altamira Oriole.

These guys could be just as elusive unless they found a gold mine of seeds.

Learned during our time in the bird filled jungle that even when just reading a book to bring the camera along just never know what bird might drop in for a small snack. Seems I am not the only one who likes papaya. Though this is not woody-woodpecker he sure is a close second.  This hungry fellow is a  Golden-fronted woodpecker.

Before you think I have completely gone bird crazy I did manage to get a couple of green things in my wanderings. This particular guy I thought was a Humming bird because when it flies (yes flies) you see red wings. Otherwise known as a Differential grasshopper quite the appropriate name.

Next we have straight from the Mexican jungle Mr. Green Jeans himself who didn’t mind being photographed.

Where we were located involved about a 5-10 minute walk to the main highway. Upon which you stood at the side of the road and waited for a colectivo to pick you up. Mexico was smart in developing this form of transportation. It is  geared towards moving the population around Mexico’s vast labyrinth of roads and highways. Usually the colectivo is a mini-van. There are no specific stops you just flag them down where ever you are standing and the driver will drop you off at any spot on his route. Now if Ontario would only use this system for our suburb and rural areas. Instead of waiting for a high volume of people requiring transportation before providing a bus route with their monster buses. Just have  several colectivos going up down the back roads and then you would have a transit system that provides for everyone plus inexpensive to start up.

The colectivos we used fairly often in order to get into Akumal to do grocery shopping and hit the beach. There were 3 beach sites we walked to from Akumal. From the town it involved about a 20 minute walk under palm trees. The first one was a haven for swimmers, snorklers and Egrets. This place was wonderful for all level of snorkelers a few strokes out and there was plenty to see.

The second location was Half Moon Bay here the water was very shallow which made snorkeling tricky at times. But if you want peace and quite this is the place. As well if you are lucky you get to spot a sea turtle (we did) and you can find plenty of shells and corals.

The only thing that disappointed me here was the amount of plastic bottle caps and other garbage I found while searching for shells. After seeing that I am convinced we should be banning plastic bottles or at the very least charging a deposit. The only way you would get deposit money back is if the bottle is returned with the cap still on it (that’s my rant). Plus there was alot of  washed up oil from ships that flushed out their tanks.  It really was a sad sight.

The third site was called Yal-ku Lagoon here you did not even have to snorkel plenty of fish could be seen just off the edges of the rocky shore line.

Our other outing was to the Muyil ruins about 25 km south of  Tulum.  These Mayan ruins are not big this meant less tourists which we preferred. But there are a few interesting buildings and most importantly they are looked after by their descendents the Mayan people themselves. The entrance fee went strictly to the people and conservation needs of the area.

Most of the buildings on the site date back to 1100-1200 AD.

The Castle  stands 17 meters high making it taller than any of the buildings in Tulum or elsewhere on the coast.

The buildings are not far from the Muyil lagoon.  A board walk was built for easier access to the lagoon and to the look out tower.

An interesting climb up for those who have a fear of heights but well worth the steep, steep stair climb.

During our walk back on the board walk where you are canopied by the trees.

I again was very stealthy and managed to get this shot of a Toucan to my delight.

Another wonderful find was a short walk away from our huts in the jungle. It is a cenote. There are no visible rivers in the Yucatan Peninsula and as the area is a porous limestone causing caverns and caves to form where water would collect. The water is crystal clear and if  you arrive at the right time you will see the turquoise color.

The water was a very pleasant temperature which Katrina, Cheree and I discovered when we decided to have an impromptu swim minus some clothing.

If you are ever in Mexico the cenotes of  Yucatan are a natural treasure that you should experience it is well worth taking your clothes off for.

As I said before in my previous post to truly experience and see Mexico. One should rent rooms, condos or huts and eat out a the local eateries. Resorts have you locked in their world  with little opportunity to walk down the road and make a few discoveries of your own like I did on several occasions. Plus enjoying Christmas Eve dinner under the stars in the jungle with my family is memory no resort can duplicate.

Ferruginous Pymy-Owl   Yucatan Jay  These last two bird photos are of a Red eyed vireo and a Roadside Hawk.

Oddly enough I was on a small road heading to the cenote when I came upon this hawk.

Good-bye from the jungles and beaches of  Mexico  I hope you will join me on my next adventure where ever that may be.

Oops almost forgot this was some of the wildlife that we would find in our huts especially if the nights were cold. This guy I discovered on the day we left for home in the wee hours of the morning. I could hardly focus on it as it was still pretty dark and my eyes were still half shut. Needless to say after taking this photo my eyes were wide open and I made sure I was not bringing any Scorpions to Ontario.

Renee

Let me start by saying this is the last place I thought I would be spending Christmas with the family. However looking at it , it was most appropriate as Christmas is about giving and in our family we are trying very hard to give back to our mother earth. Which this trip did lend itself to.

Stephen was sponsored to go to Cancun in order  to report on the COP 16 summit as well do a workshop for aspiring young environmental journalists from South Africa. My son Derek along with his girlfriend Cheree we planning on travelling through South America starting in December. Thus I put forth the idea that we all meet in Mexico. Where we could meet other people from around the world and learn from their stories. While at the same time being able to have a family Christmas together. Everyone was on board, Katrina cracked open the Spanish books immediately.

Off we flew to Cancun and upon landing took a taxi to the lovely fishing village of Puerto Morelos.

The Original Lighthouse in Puerto Morelos was tilted over in 1967  by Hurricane Beulah. It has  survived Hurricanes Gilbert 1987 and Wilma in 2005. It has become the symbol for the this small fishing village. The new light house replacing the leaning Pisa is visible in the background.

Having experienced the Resorts of Cancun twice and now Puerto Morelos I truly believe  the way to experience Mexico is staying in small villages like Puerto Morelos. Guess what no food poisoning happened here. I am thinking the gastrointestinal problems are a resort issue. We  enjoyed many fine meals from the numerous food stands, restaurants and even from the back of a truck (that is another story) without having to rush to a doctor. Mind we did have to take Derek to a doctor as on our third day here he managed to step on a small Stingray and get stung. What a way to start our adventure by seeing how good the medical system is.

While Steve was off doing his workshop in Mexico City Derek, Katrina, Cheree and myself went to the Klimaforum 10 The People’s Climate Summit.

Here I heard the best comparison from a former British lawyer  Polly Higgins concerning Climate Change. She likened it to a mother who has a child which is constantly throwing up. Upon taking the child to the doctor she is told the child is allergic to milk. Whereupon the mother stops feeding it milk. The mother does not like in the case of  Corporations and Governments when dealing with CO2 emissions reduce the amount of milk she gives to the child and if the child throws up sweeps it under the rug.

Also managed to catch some cultural displays

while in Cancun to watch a documentary on the Inuit and the changes they see occuring to their landscape.

On December 7th there was a gathering of thousands to march on the main highway of Cancun leading to Moon Palace.

We also decided to add our voice to the Via Campesina (International Peasant Movement) protest march. 

The principal objective of La Via Campesina is to develop solidarity and unity among small farmers. In order to promote gender equality and social justice in fair economic relations. COP now a days seems very far removed in the concept of fair economic relations and social responsibility.

This creation aptly named The Hammer came all the way from Berlin which was created by Derek’s friend Jakub Simcik and artistic partner Artúr van Balen

Naturally Steve was busy interviewing people during the march. In this photo Steve is doing an interview with Tom Goldtooth Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

In all it was an amazing experience seeing and hearing the voices of many peoples being a united voice of action.

Needless to say we never made it to Moon Palace as there were police barricades  well before the palace.

The day ended with a pleasant surprise after taking a bus back into Cancun to find something to eat. In behind the Town Hall the Mayan Tropical Forest People were providing a feast and all were welcome. This where the meal from the back of a truck comes in. The best piece of meat I ever tasted. The cops enjoyed it to. It always amazes me that those who have so little give so much.

It goes without saying I was in my element in discovering all the different wildlife here. I was shutter bugging away.This little guy we saw everyday in the garden of the apartment we stayed in. It is an Anole Lizard

.

Cheree, Derek and Katrina were on the hunt for this guy.

Look what Derek and Cheree found!

A new species okay just kidding Katrina and Steve are just plain old beach bums not wanting to have their pictures taken. But here is the rest of my camera finds. Just click on the thumbnail image if  you want an enlarged photo to look at. P.S. you can do this with the other photos as well.

Butterflies are natures way of saying keep it simple.

The stories are in the eyes. This crab gives a whole new meaning to look in my eyes.

Another little    beach bum the Sand Piper

Of course what would a fishing village be without a Pelican.

The stunning  Needlenose fish which we had the fortune to see quite a few of. Their colours blew me away.

Christmas is not that far away and we are off to the jungles of Akumal. There will be no snow for us this Christmas but lots of interesting things to see and experience that I am certain of.  So good-bye from Puerto Morelos and Merry Christmas to all.

Oh yes and this guy says HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Adios from Renee

Historical Dresden is filled with titillating tales, religious discord, a long line of royalty that filled Dresden with culture and artistic splendor which later would be almost completely destroyed during a still controversial aerial bombing near the end of WW II.  The image below is the courtesy of  Dr. Torsten Henning who released it to the public domain. I thank him for this as it beautifully shows the Elbe river which splits Dresden into the “old city” and “new city”. Click on picture for full size.

The death of his brother from smallpox given to who him by his mistress  enabled Frederick Augustus to become the Electorate (ruler) of Saxony in 1694. Augustus became known as Augustus the Strong for his physical strength and iron rule, somehow I think it had more to do with his sexual stamina. He had at least 10 or more mistresses and the exact number of illegitimate children will probably never be known, 365-382 has been suggested. Yet Augustus did leave behind a legacy of castles, Meissen porcelain and as mentioned before culture and arts.

The most flamboyant of his castles was the Zwinger it’s open square   once lined with pavilions and arcade galleries that later would become exhibition galleries and library halls. After his death an Opera house was added to the square.  Much was destroyed during the aerial bombings or carpet bombing raids in 1945. Dresden’s dedication to restoring the Zwinger and the rest of it’s city is an amazing sight to behold.

Like many times before from ashes and rubble  history waiting to unfold and perhaps turn into something beautiful.

Does August 17th, 2002 mean anything to you? It does for the people of Dresden. It is the day flood waters from the Elbe river reached historic levels 9.39  meters or how about 31 feet. Derek is standing underneath a bridge where a broze plaque  marks the level the waters reached forcing over 30,000 people from their homes. It seems Dresden will always have a history of rebuilding itself.

Our last few days in Germany were spent in the great outdoors of Saxony called Saxon Switzerland. It is claimed that Swiss tourists in the late 18th century were the reason for this area’s name. The Swiss visitors would often comment that the beautiful landscape reminded them of their  Alpine region. Like the Alpine peaks this area is not rather it is a landscape of  lush green forests where one can find  sandstone peaks, rocky outcrops, hollows and caves a rock climbers paradise.

Saxony is considered to be the place of origin for free climbing when in the early 20th century “Saxon Rules” rules for rock climbing was established. Derek reveled in the opportunity to try his hands and feet in the art of free climbing I am became his director from below. Mind you I did a cave climb in the pitch dark with him and trekked across a rock peak which involved hanging onto rings that were slightly too far apart for me to grasp properly. For a split second dread ran through me then the big reach of Derek guided me safely to the other side.

Here we were to discover another wonderful cave where many a climber camped over night. As for Steve he decided to become one

with nature as heights his not his thing. This trip really tested his fear of heights watching Derek hanging by the tips of fingers was not exactly helping.The  four days we spent in Saxony  Switzerland involved no less than 9 or more hours of hiking per day. With Steve and Derek deciding which route to take we did not always stay on the beaten path.In fact one day  we found are ourselves in the middle of a cow pasture while trekking towards Königstein Fortress.This fortress sits on top of a sandstone peak many parts of its structure seems to melt into the peak. The first mention of a castle

in official documents is in the year 1241. It’s ownerships changing hands from Kings of Bohemia to the Dukes of Saxony. It was converted into a fortress in 1589 by Elector Christian  upon which its defences were continually being modernized.

Included inside Königstein is a Celestines monastery, a wine cellar which once held the largest wine cask (238,000 liters) seems August the strong had a big thirst. During its 750 years it  served many diverse purposes aside from being a defence stong hold. The Saxon sovereigns used it as a retreat, art and state treasures were kept safe here and later on it became a prison that few could escape from.

Königstein offers one other thing that many tourists enjoy even to this day a beautiful

and varied view of the Elbe River.

No truer words could  have been spoken for Steve “To go where no man has gone before”.  After a nerve wracking climb down a cliff  via a dead tree  that Derek found we guided Steve down safely. You guessed it we went off the beaten path again Steve almost kissed the ground once he touched down. Safe and sound for that moment Steve ventured onward to the next biggest challenge the Bastei.  Million years of water erosion created this rocky shelf  which was linked by wooden bridges in 1824 and  in 1851 the wood would be replaced with sandstone that still stands today.

Not only did walking across this wonder of nature take your breath away the view did all but stop you from breathing.

Be still, be still for in the silence there is beauty to behold. Steve did behold the wonder of this landscape and never regretted crossing the bridge.Once over the bridge we discovered the Small Bastei fortress seemed beyond comprehending that people eked out an existence here. Especially when you understood the physical labour involved to build the dwellings, fortifications and catapults in order to protect borders and transportation routes.

This top section of the stairway leads to where a catapult once stood. Little remains of the buildings that once stood here however with enough imagination you could be thrown back in time and be amazed at what it must have been like to live in those times.Our four days here was a splendor to behold and we hope one day to be captivated by its magic again.

Thanks for joining me in my 7 week journey now I must tend to my garden until the next big adventure.

These guys were our first encounter in our walk along a corridor  that had a least 20 built in terrariums housing different lizards, snakes and insects. The only thing missing was the opportunity to get close and personal with some of these guys.  Naturally some insects particularly the Stick Insects, were playing the game  hide and seek.  Their camouflage was fantastic we had a challenging time finding them, it was sheer delight when we did discover them.

We rounded the corner and beheld this beautiful sight, a small example of what we would soon encounter. Before going to the tropics we entered Darwin’s library (reproduction) and we were given a brief history of his life. Next elevator ride going down , doors opened….

Awestruck is what we were when we stepped through the door, for few minutes we did not move. We were taking in the beautiful flora and fauna in the Potsdam Biosphere while coming to the realization that this breath taking scene was achieved with 20,000 plants. To make the experience complete  rain began to fall along with clap of thunder and the blitz of lightening.

Coral reefs with all their splendor was our next visual delight.

Graceful and enchanting creatures beyond our grasp.  In dreams that  land gently upon my hand.  I watch these winged angels of the sky secretly wishing I could fly.

We were hard pressed to leave this tropical dome but there was still more to see that day. One the first things we saw as we left the biosphere was the sun. Making our next journey nice and dry.

Cecilienhof  was built for  Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern  and his wife Cecilia hence the castle’s name. It took about 3 years to build from 1914 to 1917 interesting is the architectural design used for this castle English Tudor.

It’s historical significance is what happened inside this building, Churchill, Truman, Stalin during  June 17th to 2nd of August 1945 met in the  halls of Cecilia Court Palace for the Potsdam Conference.  These men decided the fate of Germany and her people by taking steps to ensure post-war order through peace treaties, reversing all Germany’s annexation of Europe,  partitioning of  Germany  and the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.

Glienicke Bridge connects Postdam to Berlin after WW II it was divided into east and west. It became know as the Bridge of Spies during the Cold War as the United States and the Soviet Union used to carry out their exchange of captured spies.

Crossing the bridge over to Berlin we headed to a beer garden for refreshments. Good thing unbeknownst to us (Steve and I) we still had a fair walk ahead of us. You would think the last our son the Tour Guide would want to do is alot of walking on his day off. Lets just say Steve and I slept extremely well that night.  All that walking was just a prelude as to what lay ahead and that is another story.

Would you believe that this lovely iron work is part of a bridge structure? It is the wall or protective rail of the bridge, like Vienna there are many intricate things to see in Berlin and sometimes in very unusual places. Before I continue with our Berlin vacation, just thought I let you know we survived our train to Berlin. It was a good thing we packed snacks as the galley car was left behind has it had no electrical power. By the time we got off the train the only thing on our minds was food. Luckily where Derek lives there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. In fact having too many made our task more difficult in picking a place to eat. Finally decided on a Indian place and the food was great. The one thing we did not find was a typical German eatery. There are Indian, Chinese, Thai, Turkish and Italian eating places galore. The ethnicity around here amazes me. It is a far cry from what Hitler had planned for Germany.

To no ones’ surprise Steve and I naturally did a couple of Derek’s History of Berlin tours. I was intrigued and surprised by this statue, it is part of a larger monument/statue in on honour of Friedrich Schiller standing in front of the Schauspielhaus now known as the Konzerthaus.  Friedrich Schiller  was a philosopher, poet, historian and playwright. On all four corners of the monuments sits a woman, 3 are young contemplative as you see by the photo this one is not. In fact even her clothing is different from the other perhaps she wears the cloak knowledge  and awaits to impart the wisdom she has obtained from the past.

These stones mark where once the Berlin wall stood. The wall which had separated people from their families, their ideals and divided their Berlin. One has to remember not only was Germany divided into East and West so was the city of Berlin itself. Thus impact of dividing Germany was greater on Berlin. The wall completely encircled West Berlin separating it from East Germany and East Berlin. It stood for 28 years and some say resulted in the deaths of almost 200 people.Here where a part of the wall  still stands today. A bizarre thing  a protective fence as been put in front the wall. With Berliners wanting a piece of the wall when it came down and the thousand of tourists  scraping off a souvenir for themselves since that time,  it is now close to disintegrating. In another area of Berlin part of the wall remains in good shape due in part to the great graffiti on it.

However must inform you that this photo was taken to years ago and this painting no longer exists. The East Side Gallery is what they have named this section of the wall. The paintings have been scrubbed off the government has invited the original artists back to paint their pieces again in time for 20th anniversary on fall of the wall. I hope they all come back as the art work was great.

I have been to Berlin four times now and as mentioned before always do one or two of Derek’s tours. One photo I kept taking is that of the Holocaust Memorial.I am trying to take the photo that will give you a sense of what the architect is trying convey to the people who visit this site. This memorial site covers an area

of almost covers 5 acres, upon which stands 2,711 concrete slabs of different size. The ground you walk upon is not flat rather it flows up and down like ocean waves. The paths are straight in every direction however there are many to take which leaves with a sense that there is no way out.

The objective is to leave you with a feeling of confusion and hopelessness while walking amongst the perfectly shaped blocks. Walking around the perfectly shaped blocks one is compelled to ask how did humanity lose touch with itself. Sadly I think we are still seeing that we  have not regained our sanity.

Yet there were Germans during WW II who did not want what Hitler desired and these people thankfully are being remembered as well. Newly added in the courtyard of the Memorial to the German Resistance is the plaque that hangs in the square where German soldiers were executed for their attempt on Hitler’s life in 1944. Claus Graf von Stauffenberg will long be remembered due in part to the recent movie Valkyrie.

.

Each stone here represents a Reichstag member (legislator) of the opposition parties that were executed on Hitler’s order in 1933. Where would Germany be today if someone had listened to these 96 voices.

One of the unique things with Europe that Steve and I have discovered both in Vienna and Berlin. Is that

underneath the ground you walk history is waiting to unfold. Every construction dig comes with the question what lies beneath. I wonder what story can be told here.

The Communist Party during it’s 40 years worked hard on promoting themselves has being a positive. These photos show just a small part of a wall mural depicting the communist ideal.

The astonishing thing during this time in Germany’s history particularly East Germany is that they went from one horror to another THE STASI. These were the secret police of East Germany whose motto was “Shield and Sword of the Party” for the socialist (communist) state of German Democratic Republic (GDR). How the word Democratic could be used under the banner of communism is beyond comprehension especially after visiting the Stasi museum in  Berlin a former  headquarters of the Stasi.

From 1950-1989 to say insanity reined is an understatement, the horror of the holocaust seemed to impart no lessons here for East Germany. After enforcing their symbolic dreams of Germany through the suffering and deaths of the Jewish, the GDR would then protect their communist ideal through the suffering and death of their own people.

Between the secret police and paid informants it worked out that the Stasi had one spy per 66 East German citizen. All in the name of unearthing “enemies” citizens were kidnapped in the dark of night and brought to the Stasi headquarters and thrown into a cell.

Conditions in the beginning years were not the Ritz-Hilton, deprivation and physical torture of all kinds were the methods used to secure information.

Over the years such methods proved to be more effective in causing death than getting information and these dungeon cells which were in the basement of the headquarters were shut down.

New cells with more comfortable surroundings would become the new home of the prisoners, physical torture was replaced by psychological which proved to be more effective in retrieving information.

When looking upon it now, there were prisoners who were perhaps the lucky ones because they were executed immediately. Survival for the others would often come with a price later for some either through suicide or death by cancer caused by this.

Many prisoners were exposed to high levels of radiation under the guise of having their photograph taken. It is under investigation whether the Stasi did this intentionally but ask yourself this what was the purpose of having powerful X-ray equipment in room a used for photographing prisoners. This particular page in history has left me stunned and wondering will humanity ever learn from its past.

I cannot end this on a down note Germany and in particular Berlin now celebrates and shows off its many cultural differences. So here are some pictures from the day we went to museum island ( Berlin sits on a swamp.

On this particular day we enjoyed the music of a Mongolian Band.

From Mongolian we traveled to the United Emirates

here  a wonderful demonstration of their music and way of life. Plus I got a free Henna tattoo who could ask for a more perfect day.

The Berlin Bear and I bid you farewell will see you in the Tropical Rain Forest without leaving Berlin, ponder that one.

Our day started at 9:30 am with breakfast at our hotel, for the next 10 hours we walked, walked, breaked, walked, walked, dined, walked, walked and fell into bed around 9:30 pm. By the way we would highly recommend Hotel Absolut our room was spacious and clean as was the bathroom. Included in the cost was breakfast lots of bread,cheese, cold cuts, fruit, cereal and most importantly coffee. Location is great has it is only a four minute walk from the transit system which meant we were in the inner city in no time.

As our stay in Prague was short we decided to take a tour, picking a tour was not easy. It seems all the tour companies meet in the same area on mass. We arrived in The Old Town Square where about 15-20 sign waving, umbrella or bottle swinging as well as theatrical tour guides were trying to get the attention of the tourists. To say it was chaotic is an understatement it, took us about 15 minute to find a tour group we were aloud to join.

Unfortunately my son Derek did not talk to us for a few days as we informed him we took the Sandmann’s FREE tour (guides ask for tips later), which is the competition for the other tour companies around Europe where you pay for your tour. The free tour company was started by a young man who has an extremely rich father that financed all his tour companies. The idea being you have a free tour and then tip the guide whatever you want.

How does Sandmann make money you ask the tour guide has to pay the company 3 Euros per tourist that was in their group so you can imagine the guides want some big tips otherwise they could be left with making know money that day. Hence with the other companies guides get paid regularly and are not desperately begging for tips. Lesson when it is free there is always someone who has to pay.

Hoping before we leave we will be out of the dog house with Derek.

Taking the tour gave us some good insight on the history of Prague and the Czech people’s enduring patience in becoming a democratic country. Unlike Canada the cities and countries of Europe have history that spans over thousands of years. Even the Celts had settled here a long time ago before the Germanic people arrived and then they were replace by the Slavi people.

The main focal point then and still to this day is the Prague Castle. Steve and I had never seen anything so huge. As we were to find out it is one of the biggest castles in all of Europe. Unfortunately there was no time to take a tour of the castle inside. Just gives us an excuse to come back.

This castle was built in the 9th century, now jump ahead to the 1344 and the St. Vitus Cathedral is built right inside the grounds of the castle. This Cathedral is by no means small which prepares gives you an idea how large the castle and its grounds are. The Cathedral was build during the reign of Bohemian and Holy Roman Emperor CharlesIV.

During his time he ordered several things to be constructed including a bridge  and not surprisingly is named The Charles Bridge. The bridge is adorned with many statuesand presently is under repairs which is causing havoc with the                                      hundreds of tourists on the bridge and the numerous vendors makes for a tight  squeeze. Notice all the people on the bridge with this aerial shot. I will not dealve further into the history of Prague, suffice it to say that there were many battles                                won and lost to bring Prague to its present day.

Here are some other historical sights we saw during our three hour guided tour and touring around by ourselves for 4-6 hours. Prague Astronomical Clock which is in The Old Town Square mounted on the south wall of the Old City Hall.

The Old New Synagogue which is the oldest active Synagogue in Europe, it was completed in 1270

The  photo on top of this page is of the Tyn Church which was completed 1450.

Jan Hus Memorial erected 1915. Hus was a influential religious thinker, philosopher and reformer in Prague. His teachings did not go over well with the Vatican and was condemned by the Council of Constance and burned at the stake in 1415. Because the people of Prague had constantly been ruled by repressive regimes he became a symbol of strength (anti-Hapsburg) during the Hapsburg rule.

The Statue Of The Iron Knight built between 1908-1910 representing Emperor Rudolph II, have feeling George Lucas was here .

Jan Palach Memorial, Palach died after setting himself on fire in Wenceslas Square on January 16, 1969 in protest of the August 1968  Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia designed to crush liberal reforms of the  government during that time. He was one of group of students to sign a suicide pact if the reforms were defeated most of the others did not go through with the pact.

However his death was not in vain 20 years later on the anniversary of his death there began anti-communism protests in memory of him. These protests lasted a week later to be known as Palach week. The fall of communism in Czechoslovakia  happened 11 months later.

Statue of Franz Kafka a major fiction of the 20th century, his request that his books and unfinished works be destouyed upon his death was ignored. In death his books became one thee most influetial western European literature. Statue stands in the Jewish quarter where he spent most of his time. This statue does have you wondering what it represents, the small man riding on the shoulders of the huge shoulders of the headless man is Kafka. This scene appears in a book of Kafka’s Description of Struggle, is Kafka being guided blindly or does he have blind faith in his fellow man.

The house of the Black Mother of God or Black Madonna is an example of cubist architecture it was built between 1911-1912 . It now acts as a museum exhibiting works of Czech cubism. The Statue of the Black Madonna hangs outside of this building.

Coat of Peace this broze staute is in front of the Stavovske Divadlo (Royal Theatre) commerating that Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” had its grand opening on October 29th 1787.

As you can see by the many photos there was alot to see in one day. However it has confirmed for us that we do want to come back and see more of Prague, sounds like another Euro tour for next year.

Cheers!!

]]> http://greenquest.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/prague-longest-day-of-the-year/feed/ 0 Steve IMG_2498 IMG_2464 IMG_2524 IMG_2574 IMG_2573 IMG_2607 IMG_2470 IMG_2469 IMG_2466 IMG_2512 IMG_2645 IMG_2648 IMG_2529 IMG_2521 IMG_2505 IMG_2494 IMG_2495 IMG_2476 IMG_2622 IMG_2536 IMG_2503 IMG_2630 IMG_2628 http://greenquest.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/guitar-hero-and-gaudi-inspired/ http://greenquest.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/guitar-hero-and-gaudi-inspired/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:04:25 +0000 Stephen http://greenquest.wordpress.com/?p=392 ]]> For the young music lovers of Vienna there is a spectacular event that happens in summer, Die Donau Insel Fest or The Danube Island (Open Air) Festival. It is a 3 day all day music event where bands from all over Austria, as well as some international ones perform live. With 21 stages there is music for everyone, heavy metal, folk, country, jazz, old rock, new rock, indy and my favourite blues band Wiener Linien Blues Band.

Now you may ask how do I come to have a favourite band from Austria? I am a bit bias as my (3rd) cousin plays for this band, he is their lead guitarist. Boy can he play and the band makes sure he does a few solos this would get everybody moving. They did play one of my favourites Mustang Sally  which made it a great night for me.

Steve and I did listen to another band a female string quartet, were they different. They would play traditional folk songs with a bit rock, jazz and other music genres mixed in. Their music style was something we had never heard before,  enjoyed it so much  that we bought their CD.

The amazing thing about all of this is that this great muscial entertainment is for free and they do this every summer. Steve and will be checking our calendar to make sure the next time we come to Vienna we are here for the Donau Insel Fest.

Now from music to architecture, a few times the name  Friedensreich Hundertwasser  was mentioned to us as one of Austria’s famous architects.

Steve and I did not think much about it until one day while walking around we noticed some buildings, our first thought was Gaudi was here. If you remember from my trip to Barcelona I written about how our Gaudi day and posted pictures of his unusual, beautiful and modern architecture.

As you will notice from the picture Hundertwasser’s and Gaudi’s style are very similar. As Hundertwasser was born almost 70 years after Gaudi I would not be surprised to find out that he was inspired by the Spanish architect.

The building is a combination apartments and shops. Unfortunately for us people live in the apartments so there were no tours, we could only admire Hundertwasser’s work from the outside.

Though our time in Vienna was brief Steve and I were still able to discover something new. However something about Vienna that I found confusing was the intolerance by most Viennese of the Turkish people. If you look throughout the history books on this beautiful city it was a changing landscape of ethnic people. I would have thought over time this would make people more tolerant instead it seems to have had the opposite effect. The very same things I heard almost 40 years ago about the Yugoslavian people are now being applied to the people of Turkey. Yet over the hundreds of years each ethnic group has brought something to the city of Vienna that the Viennese now enjoy, lets face it coffee was not invented here. I had hoped with it’s history I would see more tolerance but like many other cities and countries around the world that which is not understood is misunderstood and thus seeds of distrust are sown.

Perhaps one day we will truly learn from history and the right seeds will be planted.

From the coffee houses of Vienna I bid you farewell, next stop Prague.

It was constructed in 1751 by order of Kaiser (Emperor) Franz I Maria Tersia’s husband. At the time it consisted of 12 enclosures inhabited by the appropriate sized animal.

About 20 years ago Steve and I along with our two little ones visited the zoo. We walked away feeling very sad for the animals especially the elephants (were chained). This experience left me wondering why the city of Vienna had not closed down the Zoo.

Fast forward 20 years Steve and I enjoy the surprise of our life. We had over the years heard that tremendous changes had occurred at the zoo and we should go see it. But our past memories kept haunting us, this time there was a hook. Artists had come into the zoo and constructed environmental messages within some of the enclosures.

(notice Canada tattoos on shoulder on ankle)

Naturally we had to see what this was all about, we walked through the gates with apprehension only to receive a wonderful surprise especially when we saw the enclosure for the elephants.

OUTSIDE ( Hut with snow on message Should There Be Snow in Winter?)

(Indoor enclosure for elephants it also as an viewing gallery from above, what a change!)

I recently checked the world ranking for the zoo, many sights have ranked it number one and not too far behind is the Berlin zoo ranked number 3. Looks like we maybe checking out another zoo.

Lions, tigers and bears oh my.

Trouble In Paradise

Shy Pandas, photo the right is of the little baby panda that was born two years ago at the zoo, the mother is on the left.

Steve’s favourite animal Rhino with it’s armor on.

Going to the zoo, zoo how about you, you, you!

I realized so often we take pictures on a broader scale as oppose to a small one the little details many times are missed.

Mozart Memorial

The photos below show a closer view of things from lamp posts in front of the Parliament Building to statues at schloss Belvedere

These guys are waited to be hoisted (schloss Belvedere)

Of course some floral and fauna is always nice where ever you go here is what caught my eye in the Botanical garden at Belvedere.

I could also go on about the less working hours for all concerned eg. hard to find stores open beyond 6:00 pm and the longer paid holidays. One could say leisure is more important than working 24/7 (so why can’t North America adopt this lifestyle?). Hence the reason why Steve and I are always seeing full coffee houses, restaurants and wine bars everytime we go into the city. Most of the people filling these places are the people of Vienna themselves.

Back to the Prater, the land where it stands was once hunting grounds in 1560 for Emperor Maximilian. In 1766, Emperor Joseph II donated the area to the Viennese as a public leisure center (even back then leisure was important). Where upon the emperor also allowed the establishment of restaurants and snack bars, thus began the birth of the Prater. The “better” class of people came here in horse-drawn carriages, Waltz King Johann Strauss performed here much to the delight of the Viennese people.

Now I wrote about this to tell you about a lesser known Prater. Around 1900 one quarter of the originally inhabitants of 10 district (Favoriten) in Vienna had come mainly from Bohemia and Moravia (now part of Czech Republic). Not only did they live in the 10 district the also worked for the largest local employer, the Wienerberg brick factory . Thus when a smaller version of the Vienna Prater came to be in the Laaer Woods about a 150 years ago it would be known as Böhmischer Prater (Bohemian Prater).

Steve and I enjoyed a pleasurable evening at the Bohemian Prater with family and friends. There was plenty of beer to drink and food to eat. An order of ribs meant you were getting two full rack of ribs. We also enjoyed an amusement ride as the owner (rides and booths are individually owned no entrance fee) was kind enough to open up for us (12), so we went around twice. After the ride we were about to discover a gem, the owner and her son are collectors of organ grinders of all shapes and sizes. To our delight she built a small museum of their collection which is not open to the public. Tours are only given by special invite and we were given one, good thing we did the ride twice.

There must have been at least 10 different ones, which my cousin and I were allowed to play one and she played the rest.

The amazing thing here is how back then they were to create these drums or rolls with precisely positioned nails and tacks. The different songs they were able to create was so beautiful to listen to. I was astonished to learn that the even had organ grinder festivals, one poster was advertising a Festival being held in Berlin.

Here is a link to a showing a organ duet performed 18 years ago in the Bohemian Prater and the lady playing is the lady who gave us a tour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTQBjzj2bYU

There is no history lesson so old that something new cannot be told. The reason why I will never tire from visiting the same city or country over and over again, as new surprise always awaits me.