Paris Jardin des Plantes

I had a lovely time in Paris this weekend, visiting the Jardin des Plantes, then mosying over to the rue Mouffetard (Muffensausen in German) for a spot of shopping.  When that palled we went to the Musee Monde Arabee, to the rooftop terrace for a drink and a bit if a rest.

We had nice weather, too!

There are lots of museums and institute in this area, but I refuse to spend time inside on a lovely day like this!

 See this bench with a plaque?  The Jardin des Plantes was the first park in France that sold spaces for people to memorialise their loved ones.  I used this information in my negotiations with the mayor of la Bourboule, when I wanted to buy my own plaque bench.  Plaques on benches are common in the US and Britain, but in France it is something of a rarity.  I noticed that the plaques are rather tiny and tasteful, as compared to mine, which is huge and brassy.

Not my fault - the la Bourboule Park & Recreation department had bought and installed a plaque about ten times the size of the one you see here.  It had to be replaced because it was too flimsy for my taste, but since I had to utilise the existing fixation holes I ended up with a 'dentist style' plaque on my bench.  Hey, I am not complaining- it is so huge it can be seen from every part in town, especially when freshly polished, which I do whenever I am on holiday there.

See that little brown rectangle on the front of the seat, left hand side?  That's the plaque ...

Lots of frogs in the park - they are half green and half brown!!!!!

Lots of statues, too

And on to the Rue Mouffetard ...

Outside a school entrance

This was rather far away, so excuse the fuzzy photo - kind of neat though, no?

NotreDame in the background

Visit to Hamburg

Landungsbruecken (Google suggests to translate this as Grandiloquence!) from the terrace of the restaurant where we partook of luncheon

I have been on a little holiday in Germany, visiting the family, and mooching around Hamburg, whence I hail from.  I didn't take too many photos, it being a family outing and all, but am posting what I have, if only to show what a wonderful place Hamburg is.  I am hoping to have a proper holiday there again one day, and shall take lots of photos and write loads of blurb.  Until then the photos below will have to suffice.

And no, I did NOT buy any scarves ...

We had a very nice meal at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg, which overlooks the Landungsbruecken - the first photo in this post was taken from the terrace where we sat.

Inter alia we also saw the Hamburg Dungeon, a pathetic and theatrical attempt to instill a bit of Hamburg history into an uncomprehending audience.  I became increasingly curmudgeonly as the tour dragged on, and when we were all supposed to point fingers at a supposed witch during a show trial I refused, saying that I did not believe in witches.  When told to shut up I said that it was my duty to speak out for the truth.  Then I got threatened with torture and burning myself, but proclaimed proudly that I was prepared to die for my beliefs.  I shouldn't have come ....

Cranz Neuenfelde, where we took the ferry

Landungsbruecken

Hotel Hafen Hamburg

The Michel, or Michaeliskirche, where I, like every true Hamburger, was baptized. I am glad the roof is looking greenish again, a few years ago they replaced the copper and it looked aggressively brown, which is not a good look for the Michel.

The Bismarck Denkmal, which holds very special memories for me, and is just a stone throw from the Michel

Near the dungeon ...Mind you, the Kaffeeroesterei where they roast and sell coffee was great!

Harbour from underneath a bridge

We arrived in Hamburg just before the Harbour Birthday on 7 May, when lots of ships visit

Blankenese, opposite Cranz whence we took the ferry - it's a suburb of Hamburg

Very hilly place, is Blankenese

Waiting for the ferry to return to Cranz

That pole is about 10 meters high!