Sunday 22 May 2016

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




Sunday 8 May 2016

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!