Category Archives: Travel
Day two
Today we visited the Monde Arabe. It is an interesting building by architect Jean Novelle. The windows, inspired by Arabic tile work, can change to adjust changes in the light during the day. Except for functionality it is beautiful as well.
Notre Dame. Paris
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Mont Saint Michel
There are a few names of special places that conjures up magic in my brain. Names like Casablanca and Zanzibar. Mont Saint Michel sound like dreams come true to my ear. As a child I read about this island stronghold surrounded by sea, only reachable at low tide. According to the story the tide came in at the speed of a horse at full gallop. This sounded like true science fiction at the time. I was surprised to learn that the difference between high and low tide can be as much as 14 meters here. From the ramparts one can watch the process of the tide coming in. Over the wide sandbanks one can see the ocean streaming in. Continue reading Mont Saint Michel
Auswitch
A few years ago I visited the Auschwitz concentration camp, close to the Polish city of Cracow. This was part of a network of German Nazi concentration camps where Jewish people and other ‘undesirables’ were exterminated.
These extermination camps were built and operated by the Third Reich, outside German territories, like this one in annexed Poland.
Do not take Life too serious
I tend to take life too serious. On a visit to Florance the art and architecture of that beautiful city tend to be overwhelming! If I were to be one of that city’s artists the mere quality and quantity of art there would totally inhibit my creativity.
One of the city artists must have felt the same. He (or she) took out his frustrations in traffic signs of the central tourist area. It must have been fun. We ended up following all his crazy art works!
It just shows that one do not have to be to serious to be noticed.
Museum of Musical Instruments, Berlin
A visit to Berlin, for me, must include a visit to the holy shrine of music: the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, home to the Philharmonic Orchestra, both closely associated with two of my musical hero’s; Beethoven and Karajan. After a second visit and two evenings of heavenly music I still was drawn to the place. Close to the Hall we discovered a museum for Musical instruments.
