Salzburg 12 December 2024 to 2 January 2025


Mirabell-Christmas Market
 

Filzmoos

   
sleigh ride to Unterhofalm
 

 

Berchtesgaden - Königssee

 
 

 
New Year's Eve party
 



 
Hotel Gastagwirt in Eugendorf

 
concert at the festival theatre on 1 January 2025
 
   

 

 

The Adriatic Sea and Greece

 

 

 

 

 


 


Corfu


 


Santorini

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

 

Bad Zwischenahn, 23 June - 27 June 2024

 

 


 


 


 


 



 



 



 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

Manchester, VHS, 16 June - 20 June 2024


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


St Mary's, the Hidden Gem
 



 



 


 

  


Viaduct in Manchester

With a cruise liner  to the Canary Islands including Morocco and Madeira,
7 January to 21 January 2024

     
  		 

 		     

 
  Agadir  
  La Gomera  

 
  Teneriffa  

 
  Lanzarote  

 
  Madeira  

Salzburg, 30 November-04 December 2023

 

       
     Hotel "Gastagwirt" at Eugendorf
                nr.Salzburg		    
 		       
                        St. Wolfgang
              
              Wolfgangsee  		         
                St. Wolfgang


 		            


       
                
           
               Hll. Rupert and Virgil
                     in Salzburg		             
 
      
       Festival Theatre in Salzburg		    
 		      
 

 

 

 

 

Husum, Shrimp days, 13-16 October 2023

 
 		    
 		      
 
       
       Sylt, Westerland, Friedrichstraße
 		          
 
 		    
              Hindenburgdamm		     
            
           
 		             
 
           
            Marienkirche, Husum
 		   

           		                

 
 
           Friedrichstadt		    
 		      
 

 

Norderney, 24-28 September 2023


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

Hamburg, Invergordon, Seydisfjördur, Akureyri, Nuuk, Ilimanaq,
Reykjavik, Shetlandinseln, Orkneyinseln, Bremerhaven
8 July - 29 July 2023
 

   

 

 

                      Größe/size/superficie

              Einwohner/inhabitants/habitants
 
Hamburg 755 km2 1,8 Mill
Invergordon 40 km2 4008
Island 103000 km2 357700
Seydisfjördur 213 km2 685
Akureyri 138 km2 19893
Grönland 2166000 km2 56653
Nuuk 690 km2 19000
Ilimanaq 124 km2 50
Reykjavik 273 km2 122850
Lerwick 3,51 km2 6958
Kirkwall 4 km2 8740

 

                                                    nach, to,  à

Hamburg Invergordon 1045 km
Invergordon Island 1102
Island Seydisfjördur  
Seydisfjördur Akuryri 422
Akuryuri Prinz-Christian-Sund 1622
Prinz-Christian-Sund Nuuk 856
Nuuk Ilimanaq 726
Ilimanaq (Qaqortoq)  Reykjavik 1280
Reykjavik Lerwick 2796
Lerwick Kirkwall 233
Kirkwall Bremerhaven 972

     

 


Start in Hamburg


 


Invergordon, Schottland



 


Seydisfjördur


 


Prinz-Christian-Sund-Passage


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Nuuk


Guide


 


 


 




 




 


Ilimanaq

 



 



 



 


Reykjavik


 


Haus des Präsidenten


 



 


Kathedrale in Reykjavik


 


 


 


 


Shetlandinsel


 


Windjammerparade, Orkneyinsel


 


 


 


 Italienische Kapelle


 


Auftritt des Gästechores
   

 

Bad Zwischenahn
 14 May 2023 - 18 May 2023

 
 Intermediate Sea at Bad Zwischenahn
 

 

 
my running track
 

 
 St. John's Church at Bad Zwischenahn
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 
St. Petri Church at Westerstede
 

 
 St. Petri Church at Westerstede
 

 
St. Lamberti Church at Oldenburg

 

 

 
 

 
St. Nicolai Church at Apen

 

 
 

 

 

Malta, VHS
 11 February - 19 February 2023


 Traditional glass of red wine

 
 Malta from above
 

 
 
"our" brewery

Upper Garden
 

St. Paul's Co-Cathedral
 

 
Mosta
 

 

 

Marsaxlokk

 

 
Cliffs of Dingli
 

 
 
From the top of Waterfront

 
 On our way home		  

 

 

Bad Zwischenahn
 27 December 2022 - 2 January 2023



 



 




 


St. Johannes-Church at Bad Zwischenahn


 



St. Johannes-Church at Bad Zwischenahn



St. Johannes-Church at Wiefelstede
 


St. Nikolai-Church at Apen


New Year's Eve party 2022
 



 



 



 



 


St. Marien-Church at Bad Zwischenahn
(Catholic.)
 


 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

River Cruise on the Rhine
with stopover in Holland and Belgium

day 1: Cologne - Amsterdam, via Rhine, Amsterdam-Rhijn-Canal           300 km
     
day 2: Amsterdam to Lelystad to Hoorn via Markermeer                     Hoorn to Rotterdam über Markermeer, Amsterdam-Rhijn-Canal,
Lek and  New Maas		   42 km u. 30 km
150 km
     
 

day 3:

 

 Rotterdam to Willemstad via New Maas, Old Maas, Noord,
Dordtsche Kil, Hollands Diep (Waal)                                        
Willemstad to Gent via Hollands Diep, Grevelingermeer,
Oosterschelde, Kanaldoor Zuid-Breveland, Westerschelde,        
Gent-Terneuzen-Canal  		  80 km

160 km
     
day 4: Gent-Antwerpen via Gent-Terneuzen-Canal. Westerschelde 120 km
     
day 5: Antwerp-Nijmegen via Westerschelde, Schelde-Rhine-Canal
Hollands Diep, Waal                                		120 km
     
day 6: Nijmegen-Cologne via Waal, Rhine 200 km
     
  altogether: 1300 km

 

  

 



departure from Cologne

 



 


our cabin (state room)


 



Amsterdam
 


one free space for your bike
 



 



 



 


Canal tour
 



 



 


Hoorn
 


Rotterdam
 


indoor market
 


Rotterdam
 


cube houses
 




 


 


 


 




 





 








 

 
 
 

Antwerpen
 
 
Nijmegen


Cologne again

London
13 June to 17 June 2022


shortly before landing at Heathrow
 


our hotel


 


Hyde Park
 


Trafalgar Square
 


Soho
 



 


Piccadilly Circus
 


 


 


 


 


Globe Theatre
 


Southwark Cathedral
 


 


Westminster Cathedral
 



 


 


Westminster Abbey
 



 





 


St. Paul's Cathedral
 



 


Brighton Pier
 

 

Bad Zwischenahn
8 May - 15 May 2022

The "Ammerland" was first mentioned in the 10th century. The word is believed to derive from Ameri, which is an old word meaning "swamp". In the time of Viking raids small ring-like castles were built in order to protect the defenceless hamlets.
For many years there was little interest in this swampy region. In the 14th century it be The "Ammerland" was first mentioned in the 10th century. The word is believed to derive from Ameri, which is an old word meaning "swamp". In the time of Viking raids small ring-like castles were built in order to protect the defenceless hamlets.
For many years there was little interest in this swampy region. In the 14th century it became part of the County of Oldenburg. The counts established strongholds in the region, which was the frontier against the lands of the untamed Frisians. The district was established in 1933 in the rough borders of the historical region.
Ammerland is characterised by a very flat countryside, many fens and swamps, and many windmills. The latter are a symbol of the district, which calls itself sometimes the "land of windmills".
The central point of the district is the Zwischenahner Meer located near the resort town of Bad Zwischenahn, a lake with an area of 5.5 km2 (Meer is the German word for "sea", but in the local Low German, as in Dutch, it means "lake"). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia


 


 
 
 





 

St. Nikolai, Edewecht
 

 


 
 

 

 
St. Petri, Westerstede


 

Usedom
18 September - 25 September 2021

our hotel: Bansiner Hof

 




 


 


 
concert square
 

 


 

 
pier at Albeck
 


 

 
pier at Heringsdorf
 




 
Bergstraße in Bansin



 
Hotel Preußenhof in Zinnowitz
 

oldest church (13th cent.) in Koserow
 

 

 

 

Norddeich
21 August - 01 September 2021

 


 


auf dem Deich
 


Marienhafe, Störtebeker's Teestube
 


 Störtebekerturm, Marienhafe
 


Gretsiel

 


 


 


 



 


 


Norddeich


Norddeich
 


 


Bensersiel
 


 


 


 


Norden



 


Ludgeri-Kirche

 


Dornum, Schloss

 


 


 


Dornum


 



 

 

Bernkastel-Kues
4 July - 11 July 2021


 


 


 


 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

                                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

Hohwacht
6 September - 13 September 2020


 


 




 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Bad Zwischenahn
4 July - 11 July 2020



 



 



 



 

 

 

Apulia
24 September to 1 October 2019



 


Relais Masseria Caselli, Carovigno
(the hotel, view from our room)
 


 


 


Martina Franca


Basilica San Martino



 


 


 


 


Ostuni
 


 


Castel del Monte

 


View from Castel del Monte
 



 


Polignano a Mare


 


Altamura, Bread Museum


Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta
 


 


Matera
 


 


Castellana grotto
 
Alberobello, town of Trullis
 
 



Lecce, town of baroque buildings


Basilica di Santa Croce

 

Highlights at the Arctic circle

June 23 to July10, 2019


2 continental plates
 


 


 


Gullfoss waterfall


 


Spitsbergen


 


 


 


Hammerfest


 


Tromsö


 


 


 


Wikingermuseum


 


Bergen
 


 

 

 

Malta
5 February - 9 February 2019
with my English class


 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

Bad Zwischenahn

27 December to 1 January2019

                                                          
                                                                                         crib exhibition


 


 


 


 


concert at the assembly room at the health resort
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Novo Santi Petri, Andalusia

12 September to 26 September 2018


 
 
 

Gibraltar
 

 

 

 

Main Street
 
Doris' birthday
 

Cadiz
 

 
the largest ficus in Europe
 

 
 

 

 

Donau-Romanze: Passau-Budapest-Passau
3 August to 10 August 2018


"our" river boat


 



 


Melk Moastery


 


Heldenplatz


Hunderwasserhaus, Vienna


 


Budapest


Indoor Market


Fischerbastei


Parliament, Budapest


Esztergom


Bratislava


Parliament


National Theatrer


Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionhearted
was arrested


Collegiate Church, Dürnstein

 

 

 

Visiting friends at Jonchery nr. Reims

23 May to 25 May 2018


 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 

2018

"The Magic of Flowers on Madeira"

 05 May to 12 May 2018

Madeira, a beauty spot in the Atlantic

Day one:   Flight from Düsseldorf to Madeira, arrival at Funchal at 17.35 h.

Day two:   Walk along the Levada (aqueduct), 6 km, through a pristine forest;
                flowers everywhere; visit to a basket-making firm

Day three: On a full-time journey across Madeira to Porto Moniz, the northern-
                most town; we drive over Paùl da Serra plateau (1000 m).

Day four:   A half-day trip across Funchal and an extensive walk through the
               capital with stops at the Cathedral, a wine-tasting session, and the
               market; what a variety of flowers and fruits.

Day five:   Journey to the Valley of the Nuns and Monte; the ride on a sledge is
               great fun. In the evening we enjoy a typical Portuguese meal and
               some dancing and singing.

Day six:    We are taken to the east of the island over another pass, Passo do
               Poiso (1400 m), to Pico do Ariero, second highest mountain of
               Portugal. We admire the small Madeira houses (thatched) in Santana.

Day seven: A day at our disposal. We walk down to the harbour and stroll
                through the old town and finally to the CR7 Museum opposite the
                Santa Catarina Park. We have an ice-cream as a reward for the
                tiring walk on the pavement.

Day eight:  Another half-day at our disposal. Soon after lunch a shuttle bus
                takes us to the airport. Flight to Düsseldorf: 2798 km, arrival:
                22.30 h.

 



 


view from our balcony
 



 



 


walk along the aqueduct
 



 


 


 


 


 


 


 



 


the pride of Madeira
 



 


 


 


 



 



 

 


 


 


 



 


in the market
 



 


tuna fish
 



 



 


 


 


 


Valley of the Nuns
 


Charles I
 


on a sledge in Monte
 


 


 


thatched Madeira house in Santana
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

After Christmas concert in the Protestant church of St. Remigius at Mengede on Jan 14, 2018


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
 


the program

  

 

 

2017

A short break at Bad Zwischenahn at the end of the year


our hotel


famous mill in Bad Zwischenahn

 


Max Beckmann exhibition at
Kunsthalle Bremen


 


 

 

 

 

Concert at the St. Antonius church, Ickern, on the first Sunday in Advent 2017

 
 		  

 

 

On a cruise through the western part of the Mediterranean Sea

1 October, Majorca

In Palma, the twisting roads and alleys invite the visitors to go on a tour of discovery. The cathedral La Seu, the castles and huge manor houses exert an irresistable charm on the tourists.


 


 


 


the cathedral " La Seu"

 

3 October, Ajaccio

We enjoyed the beautiful landscape on a bus tour. Napoleon's birthplace is a must to see in Ajaccio.


 


Lac de Tolla
 


 


 

4 October, Civitavecchia (Rome)

We had a walk on the city wall and visited a few churches and cathedrals.


 
 
 

5 October, Salerno

Again wonderful baroque churches and a typically Italian atmosphere in the old town. 


 




 


 


 


 


 



 



 


Giardino della Minerva
 


 

06 October, Messina

The beach is supposed to be the nicest of all Reggio Calabria. We visited the cathedral and admired the largest belltower in the world.
 


Dom von Messina
 

 


 
Campanile del Duomo
 

07 October, Malta

365 churches  wait for the visitor to be visited and prayed in, one for each day. The Grand Master's Palace is a must to see. Happy memories of earlier visits come back.


 


 


 


Auberge de Castille, seat of the Prime Minister


 


Gand Master Palace


 


Republic Street

08 October, Palermo

We enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere in the city despite the many tourists.



 

 
the cathedral
 

 

 

09 October, Cagliari

The capital of Sardinia is a mixture of a modern city and a medieval town. From the citadel you have an excellent view of the lagoon and the salt lakes.


the cyclist
 

 
 

11 October, Ibiza

We enjoyed the picturesque old town and climbed up to the castle. Needless to say that you have a wonderful view of the island.


 


in der Altstadt von Eivissa
 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

Bonn, 21 July to 23 July 2017


 


Remagen
 



 


Drachenfels
 


 

 

Majorca, June 06 - June 30, 2017


our hotel: Playa Esperanca
 


 




 


 


Can Picafort
 


 


Palma
 


 


 


 

 

 

 

2016

Bad Zwischenahn - December 27 to January 1 2017


 


 


 

 


 

 

Soest and Bad Sassendorf on Dec. 16th,2016


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

Christmas Markets on the Rhine with stops at
Bonn, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Wiesbaden, Mainz
6 to 9 Dec., 2016


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 


 

 

 

Namibia, Oct. 19 to Nov. 4, 2016

 

Welcome to Windhoek, Namibia, at Hosea Kutako Airport, on Oct. 20. A shuttle takes us to the Safari Court Hotel. Later in the day we have a look at the shops in town and enjoy the warm weather.


 


 


Court von Francois


Christuskirche

 

Oct. 21

We start our journey heading north to the Etosha National Park which was declared a game reserve by the German Governor von Lindequist in 1907. The Etosha pan is at the heart of the park. Our accommodation: Mokuti Lodge; distance: 530 km


 


 


 

 

 

 

Oct. 22

Today our main aim is to observe various species of the animal kingdom and and their habitats and to get to know different landscapes. We see lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, giraffes and varous kinds of antilopes. Our accommodation: Etosha Village; distance: 200 km


 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

Oct. 23

In an off-road vehicle we are take to the park again and observe animals at their watering places.

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Oct. 24.

We continue our safari through central Damaraland with its varied landscapes. We stop at the petrified forest for a walk. These tree trunks are over 260 mill. years old. We admire the Welwitschia plant - Welwitschia Mirabilis - , which can reach an age of 2000 years. It is the oldest desert plant. We visit  a Damara village. The Damaras and the Bushmen have lived in Namibia for thousands of years. The the rocks with its drawings at Twyfelfontein are Namibia's first world cultural heritage site. Our accommodation: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge; distance: 300 km


 


 


 


 


 


 

 


 

 

 

Oct. 25

Our destination today is Swakopmund,  Namibia's popular seaside resort. Before we get to the seaside town we stop at a Herero market and buy a few things. Swakopmund is also called the most German town in Namibia. Its buildings, road signs and  architecture in general - Art Nouveau -  remind the tourist of a time long past. They still give the town an attractive atmosphere and leave its indelible mark on the  visitor. Our accommodation: The Delight Swakopmund; distance: 260 km


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

Oct. 26

We have the day at our own disposal. We walk through the shopping precinct, past the Woermann House and visit the museum of local history, which vividly presents the time when Germany was the colonial master of the country. We had a most interesting talk with the lady who sold us the tickets and another member of staff, both speaking excellent German without any accent.


 


 


 



 

 

Oct. 27

We leave Swakopmund and drive through the Namib Naukluft Park, through Kuiseb Canyon and across Gaub Pass. At times the vast gypsum plains are interrupted by imposing hills. In the afternoon we reach our destination. Our accommodation: Namib Desert Lodge; distance: 300 km


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Oct. 28

In the morning we drive to Deadviel und Sossusviel, a huge depression of clay soil which is surrounded by the highest sand dunes in the world also called Namib sand ocean - Namibia's second world heritage site. Mountain zebras, oryx, springbok and ostriches are animals which have perfectly adapted to the desert. Our accommodation: Hammerstein Lodge; distance: 280 km


 
 


 


 

 



 

 


 

Oct. 29

After breakfast we leave the central Namib desert heading down south towards the brim of the of the Namibian plateau. On our way we have a chance to see some wild horses (the Namibs) probably sent into the desert by former German officers before they had to leave the country. Before we arrive at Lüderitz we stop at the Diaz Cross which was errected by the Portuguese centuries ago. Our accommodation at the cliffs: Nest Hotel Lüderitz; distance: 420 km


 

 
 
 

 

Oct. 30

After breakfast we visit the ghost town of Kolmanskuppe, where, in 1906, diamonds were found. They were lying like apples under an apple tree. No wonder that the find attracted many diggers. Some houses are still intact such as the butchery, the bakery, the plant where ice was made, the gymnasium, the bowling alley, the theatre. The first X-ray apparatus in Africa was to be found here in the hospital. We drive on towards the Fish River Canyon. Our accommodation: Canyon Lodge; distance: 420 km


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Oct. 31

We head for the Fish River Canyon. This canyon is one of the most important venues in southern Africa. It is only second to the largest canyon, the Grand Canyon in the US. Our accommodation: Canyon Lodge; distance: 40 km


 
 
 

 		  

 

Nov. 01

After breakfast we drive to Keetmanshoop. On the way there we stop at the particular place where aloe trees grow. These plant have the ability to store water for a long time. We see also dolorites - stone formations which are called giants' playground. After an hour's stay we drive on to the  Kalahari desert. In the evening we are again on the lookout for animals in the desert. We enjoy a rich buffet on the dune after sunset. Our accommodation: Auob Country Lodge; distance: 420 km


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 


 

Nov. 02

In the morning we drive through the flat savanna to Rehoboth and the on to Windhoek. South of Rehoboth we cross the Tropic of Capricorn. In Windhoek we go on a tour of the city and stop in front of the station for a photo. Our accommodation: Safari Court Hotel; distance: 360 km


 
 
 
 
 		  

Thank you Michel for a great tour

Nov. 03

The last day in Windhoek is  at our disposal.  We take the shuttle into town and buy souvenirs for our grandchildren. In the late afternoon we are taken to the airport. Distance: 45 km, altogether about  4300 km

Arrival in Frankfurt at 6.30h the next morning, arrival in Castrop-Rauxel at lunchtime.

 

Ellenz, Mosel, July 18 to July 2016


our hotel
 
Mosel valley
 
 

outing through the vineyards
 
Basilica  in Trier

Trier Castle
Trier Cathedral
 

 

Porta Nigra
Idar-Oberstein
where precious stones are cut

 

Maikammer, in Rhineland-Palatinate, a short holiday of our Rome-group from 25 - 29 May 2016

 



 


 


 


Dom in Speyer
 

Travel diary

AIDAdiva - the Caribbean  - March 5 to March 20  2016

March 5 Arrival at La Romana, in the Dominican Republic: this is where Columbus landed in 1492 on his first journey to the New World.
 



 


 


 

 

March 6
 		  a day at sea; walk on the cruise ship
 


 


 


 

 

March 7 Oranjestad, Aruba: the capital of the island - a wonderful climate and many beautiful buildings. The island offers a rich legacy of colonial Dutch architecture; first bike ride (35 km).
 


 


 


 

 

March 8 Willemstad, Curaçao: you feel as if you were in the Netherlands. We booked a trip to the north coast of the island. We visited a local museum and a national park. We enjoyed the cliff view on the west coast.
 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

March 9 Kralendijk, Bonaire: second bike ride; pink flamingos were waiting in the salt water in the south to be seen. A stop  at a bathing beach. Good entertainment in the "Theatrium" (compositiom of theatre and atrium = big hall, latin) in the evening.
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


extraction of sea salt
 



 



 

 

March 9

a day at sea; a strong wind (wind force 5); reading time on deck 5.
 


 


 


 
 

 

 

March 11 Kingstown, St. Vincent: town of arcades. They are everywhere as the heritage of colonial times. Unfortunately they need some care (paint).
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 


 
 
 

 

March 12 St. George's, Grenada: a third  bike ride (very demanding indeed, as we had to climb several mountains (sorry hills). Nutmeg is an important industrial product. Nevertheless the island has more to offer as we could see on our tour.
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

March 13 Bridgetown, Barbados: the island has kept a mixture of British tradition and Caribbean way of life. We booked a trip on which we visited an orchid farm, a sugar cane plantation and a distillery .
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

March 14 Fort de France, Martinique: in 1796 Napoleon married Joséphine de Beauharnais who was born on Martinique and made her Emperess. Martinique is known as the flower island, very clean, a beautiful landscape. We strolled through the town and did some shopping for our grandchildren.
 


 

 
St. Louis
 

Schoelcher Library
 
 		  

 

March 15 Roseau, Dominica: Columbus landed on the island on a Sunday (Spanish: domingo), therefore its name. We  booked a trip on which we admired the beauty of the island. As we were in the rainforest we experienced a heavy rainstorm.
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Hurrican David, August 29,1979


Hibiscus-Waterfalll
 



 

 


 

  

 

March 16 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe: we booked a trip called "Pointe des Châteux". Francette showed us her island. It rained heavily (liquid sunshine), a big surf on the west coast. It stopped raining at lunchtime so that Doris had a chance to go swimming. Fantastic beach.
 

 
 
 


 


Francette


 
 


 

  

 

March 17 St. John's, Antigua: allegedly  365 beaches, one for every single day in the year. Arnold booked another bike ride,  this time an e-bike as we had to climb several steep hills. The history of the island sounds interesting: the English Habour in the South was the biggest naval base in the Caribbean in the 18th century.
 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

March 18 a day at sea; reading time on deck 5, smooth sea,  we cooled ourselves down in the pool on deck 12.
 



 


 


 

 

March 19 La Romana, Dominican Republikc: final view of the cruise ship and the coast.
 


 


 


 

Flight home from La Romana to Düsseldorf

 

 

Our Journey to Malta with the VHS-group

Jan 31 to Feb 05 2016

Our program:

Jan 31

Arrival in Sliema, Malta; walk along the promenade; welcoming drink at a pub (Happy Hour); evening meal at Le Malte, a Mediterranean style restaurant
 
Feb 01

Bus ride to the terminal in Valletta; the New Parliament; Lower and Upper Garden created in 1775; this public garden is one of the most beautiful parks in Valletta and was originally created as a recreational area for the Knights of St. John; the view of the Grand Habour is breathtaking; we walked through South Street and Republic Street with nice shops; then we visited St. John's Co-Cathedral ( the order of St. John was founded under Pope  Paschalis in 1113; the knights offered protection to the pilgrims; in 1291 the order was beaten and had to leave Palestine; they settled in Rhodes and later, in 1522, in Malta; their aim was to defend Christianity and to make wholehearted efforts  to nurse sick people; the grand masters built forts all around the island to protect Malta against attackers; today their dedication to nursing and humanitarian engagement is known worldwide; Malta became independent in 1964; it has been a member of the EU since 2004; Malta joined the EURO in 2008;  in the evening we had lunch at the Ta‘ Kris (Maltese Cooking and Mediterranean Cuisine.

 
Feb 02

Bus ride to Dingli, a long walk along the cliffs of Dingli in good weather; lunch at a restaurant which serves fish and other specialities of the island; later in the day we went to Rabat/Mdina (Mdina is a medieval walled town served as the island's capital until 1530; this predominantly pedestrian town displays a mix of Baroque and  Norman architecture; we had a drink at the Fontanella Tea Gardens.

 
Feb 03

We had a bus ride to Mosta; the  Rotunda, the Mosta Dome, is dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady; it is currently the fourth largest unsupported dome in the world and the third largest in Europe; it was built in the 19th century modelled on the Pantheon of Rome and was thus round in shape; afterwards we went to  St. Anton, a beautiful park and seat of the President; the strongest members of the group visited "The Malta Experience", which gives a good overview of Malta's history; we used the ferry to Sliema; in the evening we had a meal at the Ta‘ Kris.

 
Feb 04

We booked a day in Gozo (Gozo Channel Line); first we visited the Gigantija (an archaeological museum); we learned about the temples built 7000 years ago (before the pyramids were constructed); we were taken to the Blue (Azure)Window, which is an enormous natural limestone arch; afterwards we visited the citadel in Victoria (Rabat) and walked through the alleys of Victoria.
 
Feb 05   Flight back to Düsseldorf    

    


 
 
 

St. John's Co Cathedral
 
Upper Garden

 
Dingli
Mdina

 
Mosta
the dome

St. Anton
 
 

Gozo, the temple
 
the Blue Window
view from the fortress

 

2015

At the turn of the year in Bad Zwischenahn
Dec. 27 to Jan. 01, 2016

 


 


 


 


 



 



 


Lamberti church in Oldenburg
 


Oldenburg Castle


Westerstede in May


 


 


Meyer shipyard in Papenburg


 






 


 





 

a welcoming drink
 


our table
 



 



 


my favourite drink

 




 


fireworks display


 





 


 



 


 



 

 

Advent and Christmas concert in the castle church at Do-Bodelschwingh on December 19, 2015

 


 

  

 

Journey to Erzgebirge and Dresden - 13 to 16 December 2015


Bergkirche in Seiffen
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 






 


narrow gauge railway



 


Dresden
 


Semperoper
 


Zwinger
 


 


Der Fürstenzug


August der Starke


 


 


 


 



 


Konzert der Bergmannskapelle im Hotel
 

 

Concert of the church choir of St. Antonius and MGV Frohsinn Bodelschwingh on November 20, 2015

 

 

Visit to Grand Canary, September 9 to September 23, 2015

After 16 years we thought it was about time to visit the island again. There were so many happy memories connected to the stay in October 1999, such as running along the beach at seven o'clock every morning with the sun rising, a swim in the pool afterwards and then a leisurely breakfast in the hotel garden. We had a similar procedure in mind when we booked the holiday this time. But times are changing. The hotel, a different one, was still facing the beach, a beautiful view from our balcony over the beach and the dunes of Maspalomas. Doris and I were looking forward to a quiet holiday celebrating her birthday. Well, we had a good time, but it was not so quiet as we had dreamed of as there is no end of season; if fact Playa del Inglès it is a holiday resort for twelve months of the year. We enjoyed the good atmosphere, the excellent and rich food, the hot weather, the beautiful landscape. We made a trip through the centre of the island, through various valleys over steep mountain roads with fantastic panoramas. We visited Puerto de Mogan, a historic fishing village known as the "Little Venice of the Canaries". This place is definitely one of the most picturesque and sunniest spots in Grand Canary. Enjoy the pictures! 



 


Dunamar hotel
 


 


 


 


 



 


the dunes of Maspalomas
 



 


 


trip into the center of the island (Fataga valley, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Tejeda, Artenara, Valleseco, Teror, Arucas: the cathedral)
 


 


 


 


 




 


Arucas
 



Las Palmas
 

 


Arucas


 


Puerto de Mogan
 



 


 





 


view from our room


 


sardines with  mojo potatoes
 


Playa des Inglès
 



 

Visit to Vienna with our travel group, July 20 to July 25, 2015

Vienna was our third European capital we visited this summer after Paris and Edinburgh. Vienna was our third European capital we visited this summer after Paris and Edinburgh. Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria with a population of about 1.8 million. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, including the United Nations and OPEC. The city lies in the east of Austria and is close to the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Along with nearby Bratislava, Vienna forms a metropolitan region with 3 million inhabitants. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from being regarded as the City of Music because of its musical legacy, Vienna is also said to be "The City of Dreams" because it was home to the world's first psychoanalyst: Sigmund Freud. We enjoyed the atmosphere in summer so much as it was terribly cold last time six years ago. Here are some impressions of this wonderful city of music.


 


St. Stephen's Cathedral


 





 


our hotel
 




 


Plague Column
 


Imperial Palace (Hofburg)
 



 



 


refreshment near Hofburg
 


 


Spittelberg




 


wine of the latest vintage at Nussdorf

 
boat trip on the Danube


at Figlmüller's


 


Schönbrunn Castle
 



 



 


Café Central
 



Church of St. Charles Borromeo
 


on the market (for those with a sweet touth)
 


Musikverein
 


Opera House
 


on the way to "Alte Kaisermühle"
 



 


 
   

 

Journey with my English class to Edinburgh, June 20 to June 26, 2015

 Edinburgh was our destination this time. We stayed at Masson House, which belongs to the University of Edinburgh. A bit out of the way, but excellent connections to the city centre. Pat and Keith were our permanent guests, native speakers and tour guides. Keith knew where to dine and where to enjoy a pint of good ale. On Sunday we went on the "Hop on, Hop off" bus (Line 33) and had a first idea of what Edinburgh is like. We got off at several places and boarded the bus again after having some refreshment. On Monday we bought a train ticket to North Queensferry and admired the Forth Bridge, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since July 5, 2015). On Tuesday, we had booked a trip to the Western Highlands, fantastic scenery, good tour guide, very entertaining. On Wednesday, we thought we should see the Queen at Holyroodhouse and say hallo to her. She might invite us to tea. But she was not at home. She was in Germany on a State visit. The castle was closed nevertheless to visitors on that day because it was prepared for a big garden party the following week. Really a pity! We visited the Scottish Parliament instead (opposite Holyroodhouse) and listened to "question time" in Parliament, interesting, but difficult to follow. Needless to say that Steffen I jogged twice around Holyrood Park (5,8 km each time, steep hills, tiring , but beautiful view from the top).
Thanks to Pat and Keith, who relentlessly talked to my students, for a wonderful time we had together. Thanks everybody for an excellent atmosphere on our journey to Scotland.
 

 

Approaching Edinburgh
 


Welcoming Pat and Keith
 


Our meeting point: Waverley Bridge


The Scott Monument
 


Our pub in the evening


 


Edinburgh Castle


Our accommodation
 

 
 

 
 

Forth Bridge, UNESCO World Heritage Site
since July 5, 2015
 






 


 

 
 

Trip to the Western Highlands
 
Doune Castle
 

 


 

 
Inverary Castle
 


 

 
Viewpoint: rest and be thankful
 

 
 

Palace of Holyroodhouse
 
The Scottish Parliament
 

 

 


 

 
Chamber
 

 

 
Last meal (on Wednesday night)
 		  

 

    

 

Weekend in Paris - 8 May to 11 May 2015

 


Notre Dame
 


 


 



Hotel de Ville

 


les Bouquinistes (bookstalls at the Seine)
 


at the  Seine
 


 


Le Louvre
 


 


 


 


 



 






 



 



 



 


Palais  de Chaillot
 


 




 


 


Sacré Coeur



 










 


 








 


Place du Tertre

 




 


 Arc de Triomphe

 


Champs Élysées

 



 

 


 


Place de la Concorde
 


Versailles


 


 


 


 



 


 


 
 


 


 
 




Hôtel des Invalides

 

Pre-Christmas concert in the church of Bodelschwingh Castle on December 14, 2014

 


 


 


 
 
 		  

 

 

Visit to Christmas Markets in Alsace, Nov. 27 to Nov. 30., 2014

Thu., Nov. 27: journey to Strasbourg - visit to the oldes Christmas Market in France - evening meal at the hotel in Kork, nr. Kehl

Fri., Nov. 28:   journey along the Alsacian wine route to Kaysersberg, birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, - visit to the Christmas Market - continuation of the journey
                      to Riquewihr, visit to the Christmas Market there - then wine-tasting at Zellenberg

Sat., Nov. 29:  journey to Colmar - walk over the Christmas Market - guided tour of the town

Sun., Nov. 30: Farewell to Alsace - return journey home


Strasbourg
 



 


 


 


 


 


 


Kaysersberg
 


 


 


 


 




 


 


Riquewihr

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Colmar
 


 


 


 


 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Panama Canal, October 18 - November 11, 2014

Our cruise: The Norwegian Star 

Passenger Capacity: 2,348 (double occupancy)
Gross Register Tonnage: 91,740
Overall Length: 965 feet
Max Beam: 105 feet
Draft: 27 feet
Engines: Diesel Electric
Cruise Speed: 22.5 knots
Crew: 1,083

Before we boarded the cruise we stayed in Miami Beach for two days to visit the town. On a Hopp on - Hopp off Tour we saw some of the sights of the beautiful seaside town getting off at several places to take pictures. We stopped twice at Little Havanna for coffee (the best one we had for a long time). On Monday morning we were taken to the cruise and settled down in Stateroom 5656.
After a day at sea we stopped at Cartagena, Colombia, for a couple of hours. We had booked a toor of the city and saw La Popa monastery, San Felipe de Barajas Fort, San Pedro Claver Monastery and the colonial part of the Old Town.
The next day we sailed through the canal. The Panama Canal is the result of a saga of human ingenuity and the courage that goes back to the early XVI. century when the Spaniards arrived on the Isthmus. Since then the idea of building a route that would join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was conceived. The first effort to build a canal through Panama began with the French in 1880, but it failed. After its independence in 1903, Panama negotiated an agreement with the United States for the construction of the Canal, which the States finished on August 15, 1914 and then managed the waterway until 1999. Since then it has been managed by the Panama Canal Authority.
Our next stop after passing through the Panama Canal was in Costa Rica. We admired the beautiful landscape , particularly the costal area. Unfortunately we could not get off the bus, because - not surprisingly - it rained heavily. We were in the rain forest.
After the stop in Costa Rica we sailed to Mexico where went on land in Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco, and Cabo San Lucas. On the 16th day of our cruise we arrived in Los Angeles from where we flew back to Frankfurt enjoying the jetlag for some days.


Miami, Courtyard by Marriott, Beach
Ocean



 



 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Grand Atrium


 


 


Cartagena, Colombia


 


Panama canal, first lock


 


Deck 12


Lake Gatun


 


 


Costa Rica


 


 


Puerto Chiapas


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

'
 


 


Halloween


 


Burton/Taylor, 1. marriage


our stateroom, 5656


 


 


 


after the hurricane


 


 


 


tender


 


 


4671 sm = 8650,69 km


 

 

Journey of my Adult Education Class to Jersey - 14 June to 21 June 2014

After our trips to London and Dublin we decided to fly to Jersey in 2014. Keith as our native speaker has become our constant companion and advisor. Patiently and tirelessly he answered all our questions. My students gained a lot from his extensive knowledge. As the most experienced expert and authority of the island Bob Le Sueur took us around Gorey Castle and La Hougue Bie. Thanks to his extrordinary presentation of details we enjoyed the tour of Mont Orgueil Castle as well as a short visit to the 7000-year-old grave-mound enormously. Thanks to both travel guides for giving us such interesting tours. We will keep a lasting memory of the time we spent with them.

Sat 14 June

Flight from Düsseldorf to Jersey; bus to St. Clement, Rue de Samares, Rocqueberg View; Walk to the beach; evening meal at Shakespeare Hotel

Sun 15

St. Helier; Portelet Inn; St. Brelade's Bay; Fishermen's Chaple

Mon 16

St. Helier; Elizabeth Castle, Demonstration of shooting exercise(!); Shopping Precinct; Howard Davies Park; Keith's arrival, welcoming drink at the Shakespeare Hotel

Tue 17

Tour of Gorey Castle; La Hougue Bie; Barbecue at Rocqueberg View

Wed 18

Corbière Lighthouse; Gros Nez Castle; Petit Plemont Beach; Indian Restaurant

Thu 19

St. Helier, Shopping; Good-bye to Keith; Jersey War Tunnel (Underground Hospital); St Brelade's Bay, Watersplash, White House;
St. Helier

Fri 20

Cliff Walk: Bonne Nuit Bay - Bouley Bay, Picknick near the beach

Sat 21

After breakfast bus ride to the airport; flight to Düsseldorf at 11:45 h


 




Approaching Jersey Airport
 


Corbière Lighthouse



 


Shakespeare Hotel



 




on the way to Portelet Bay



 





 


Portelet Inn
 


morning pint at Portelet Inn
 

Portelet Bay
 



 



 


Portelet Bay
 



 


Fishermen's Chaple
 


 St. Brelade's Bay
 



 


Fishermen's Chaple
 


Shakespeare Hotel, Keith
 




 



 




 


Elizabeth Castle




 


 


 


 


"our soldiers"
 


on the way to a shooting exercise


 


Howard Davies Park


 




 


Bob's tour of Mont Orgueil
 


Gorey Castle
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


La Hougue Bie
 



 


Corbière Lighthouse
 


 


 


 


Groz Nez Castle
 






 


Plemont

 


 


 


 


 


Shopping in St. Helier


Jersey War Tunnels
Th Underground Hospital


The White House
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Barbecue at Lucille's
 


 


 


 


 
 



 

   
Jogging through Samarès Manor
 


Samarès Manor, rose garden

 


 
 

Brakel - 19.05.2014

Short visit to family home in Brakel

  

 

 

Alain and Jeannine in Castrop - 16.06. - 18.05.2014

What a great joy to welcome our guests from Reims - Alain and Jeannine - in Castrop! We have been friends since 1963 when we met at Arras. Needless to say that we are very proud of our close relationship. On Saturday we visited the exhibition in the gasometer at Oberhausen "Der schöne Schein"  (The beautiful appearances), which we really enjoyed. Later in the afternoon Claus, Steffi and Jonas came to our apartment to say hello to Alain and Jeannine. On Sunday Catrin and Tim greeted our French friends before "our children" drove to Gelenkirchen where Tom had an important tennis match. For next year we are planning to spend two weeks in Alain's and Jeannine's apartment in Bandol at the Côte D'Azur. What a great idea! We are full of expectation.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

Höxter - 02./03.05.2014

50 years after the final exams at KWG (forms OIa und OIb) in Höxter

Program: Welcoming party at Strullenkrug (restaurant)
                 Guided tour through our former High School (KWG)
                 Organ concerto at the Kiliani Church
                 Visit to the Prinz museum
                 Guided tour through Corvey

 


 

 


 

 

Malta - April 20 to - April 27


our hotel


view of Sliema


view of Valletta


St John's Co-Cathedral


 


Grand Master's Palace


Upper Barracca Gardens


                          Gozo


Ggantija Tempel, Gozo
 


Azure Window


Robert Vella (Comenius Project)


Mosta


Mdina


 

 

Höxter - May 2 -3, 2014

meeting after 50 years, form OIa and OIb in Höxter

Program: Official welcoming at Strullenkrug
                 Visit to the former KWG (High School)
                 Organ Concerto at Kiliani Church
                 Visit to the Prinz Museum
                 Guided tour through Corvey

 


 

 


 

 

 

Jonas  in March 2014

 

 

New car on 11 March 2014

 

 

70th birthday, Family and friends, Jan. 11, 2014

 

Famly reunion in Paderborn on Dec. 27th, 2013

 


 


 


 

 

Christmas presents for the little ones

 

 

Concert of MGV Frohsinn Bodelschwingh in the Protestant Church of
Bodelschwingh Castle on Dec. 15, 2013



 



 



 

 

Lisbon, October 23 - October 29, 2013

What a marvellous city Lisbon is. On a 6-day discovering tour through the city of seven hills and all its typical quarters we visited Bairro Alto, Alfama, Chiado and Downtown, Estrela and Lapa. We found the history of Lisbon and the main part of its monuments: St. Jorges's Castle, "Sè de Lisboa, "Basilica da Estrela, Commerce Square, Rossio, Belém Tower, and the Monument to the Discoveries. We visited Jerónimos Monastery and the tomb of Vasco da Gama among other symbols of the city.. We travelled to Sintra and climbed up to Pena Castle. On Sunday we spent a glorious day at the seaside enjoying the strong wind at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe.

 


in the train
 


to Duesseldorf Airport
 


in the hotel lobby of  Sana Reno
 



 


Elevador de Santa Justa
 


before the sightseeing tour
 


 


the church of Sao Domingo


 


 



the ruin of the  Carmo church
 


view on Lisbon from one of the seven hills



 


line 28
 



Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Portas do Sol
 


Praça do Comércio (big square)
 


Hieronymus-monastery


 


Hieronymus-moastery


monument of discoveries


 


Ponte 25 de Abril
 (huge bridge across the Tejo)
 


Torre de Belém



 


Praça do Comércio
 


Miradouro da Graça



 


Curch of Sao Vicente de Fora
 


Church of Sao Vicente de Fora


Funicular Railway
Elevador da Bica
 


 


at the beach at Estoril


 


a refreshing drink (Sangria)


the promenade at Estoril
 


Pena-Palace near Sintra


 


 


 


 


 


 


the westernmost tip of continental Europe


 


Storm at the Atlantic coat
 


Cascais


 


a final drink

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tenerife, August 28 - September 09, 2013

To recharge "our battery" we booked a week in Tenerife. We stayed at a hotel near Los Gigantes, the highest cliffs in Europe. The ocean, the beach, the white houses, the volcanic landscape, the palm trees, the view of the Teide and the island of La Gomera offered a fantastic spectacle. We tried to visit La Gomera, but  in vain. The booking went wrong. So there must be a next time on this beautiful island of Tenerife.

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

 

Dublin, 15 July to 19 July

Dublin is one of Europe's oldest and greatest cities, one that retains its historical and cultural charms. But it is also a wonderfully cosmopolitan city that offers trendy bars, elegant restaurants and stylish shops and hotels. Throughout Dublin City and County there is an abundance of fabulous visitor attractions to discover and explore, from majestic museums to breweries and distilleries. Whether your interest is sport, history, art, literature or traditional Irish music sessions in Dublin's famous Irish pubs, Dublin is packed with interesting things to do.

Thanks to everyone in the group we enjoyed our stay thoroughly.

.


Cologne/Bonn Airport


our hotel, 7 Parnell Square East, D1 Dublin


on the way to Trinity


Bank of Ireland, former Parliament


Trinity College


and Long Room


Molly Melone


in the evening


wise statement


Temple Bar


inside the former Parliament


"Walking Tour" through Dublin


Dublin Castle


Gendalough, Wicklow Mountains


Browshill Dolmen


Killkenny Castle


 Jameson distillery


St. Patick's Cathedral


Tinity College, library, Long Room


Long Room

 

Baltic Countries - June 27 - July6, 2013

The Baltic countries (also known as Baltic States) is northeastern region of Europe containing the countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia on the eastern shores of Baltic Sea. Baltic countries have its name for being bounded on the west and north by the Baltic Sea. Baltic countries usually are referred to the territories east of Baltic Sea which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I. 

The republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which became constituent republics of the former Soviet Union in 1940, regained their independence in 1991.
 


Senat Square, Helsinki


Alexander Newski Cathedral, Tallin


Tallin
Tallin


Gauja, National Parc, Turaida Castle


Turaida Castle


Riga


Riga


Singing Festival in Riga
Mountain of Cosses


Mountain of Cosses


Thomas Mann House on Courland Spit


the Italian View


Kurische Nehrung (Courland Spit)


Kaunas


Vilnius
Seat of the President in Vilnius
 


Castle Trakai


Sensburg, Masuria


Hl. Linde,basilica


Posen


Posen


Posen

 

 

Holy Communion of Tim on May 9, 2013

 

The wedding ceremony of Ambre and Thomas at Le Châtelet/Neufize/Jonchery on May 4th, 2013

Wonderful days in France at Le Châtelet, Neuflize and Jonchery

 

The civil wedding of Steffi und Claus on March 1, 2013

 


Before the registrar


Exchange of rings


Happily married

The married couple and their parents

l

Kirchberg, Feb. 2 - Feb. 8, 2013

What a fantastic skiing area! We remembered from last year how much Claus and I had enjoyed the days in the snow - despite the fairly low temperatures (-26° C). For a year we had dreamed of going there again in 2013. Well, a more or less spontaneous decision was made towards the end of 2012 to book a hotel room in Kirchberg. Marcus, a friend of Claus', had recommended Hotel Metzgerwirt and it was a good recommendation. We were extremely happy there. Everything was perfect: room, food atmosphere and service were excellent. The five days were very harmonious, good skiing facilities, piles of snow, not too cold and sunshine on three days. What more do you want?


Our hotel


Piles of snow in one night


The routes


Lunchtime break in the sun


The Schroll mountain hut


 


What beautiful view!
 

 
 Crystal bar on Pengelstein

 

Leipzig, Dec. 30 - Jan 2 2013

Leipzig with more than 530,000 inhabitants, is the largest city by population (the second largest being Dresden) in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Leipzig is situated about 150 km south of Berlin at the confluence of the Weisse Elster, Pleisse, and Parthe, rivers at the southerly end of the North German Plain. Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing. After World War II, Leipzig became a major urban centre within the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) but its cultural and economic importance declined[, despite East Germany being the richest economy in the Soviet Bloc. Leipzig later played a significant role in instigating the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, through events which took place in and around St. Nicholas Church. Since the reunification of Germany, Leipzig has undergone significant change with the restoration of some historical buildings, the demolition of others, and the development of a modern transport infrastructure. Leipzig has many institutions and opportunities for culture and recreation including a football stadium which has hosted some international matches, an opera house and one of the most modern zoos in Europe. In 2010 Leipzig was ranked among the top 70word's most lovable cities by consulting firm Mercer in their quality of life survey. Also in 2010, Leipzig was included in the top 10 of cities to visit by the New York Times.

Naumburg Cathedral 
(from Wikipedia)

The Naumburg Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, located in Germany, is an important architectural work of the Late-Romanesque as well as the Early- and Late-Gothic. Especially interesting are statues of the twelve cathedral founders (Stifterfiguren) and the magnificent Lettner of the western choir, works of the Naumburg Masters. The church was erected with the transfer of the Episcopal See from Zeitz in 1028 next to an old Parish church. Thus it is the proto-cathedral of the former Catholic Diocese of Naumburg-Zeitz. After the Reformation in 1542, it became the see of a Protestant Bishop, Nikolaus von Amsdorf, until 1548, then the Catholic Bishop, Julius von Pflug, returned, but when he died, in 1564, it lost its function as Episcopal see and fell under the control of the Electorate of Saxony. It remains an Evangelical church today.

Magdeburg Cathedral
(from Wikipedia)

One of Magdeburg's most impressive buildings is the Lutheran Cathedral of Saint Catherine and Maurice with a height of 104 m (341.21 ft), making it the highest church building of eastern Germany. It is notable for its beautiful and unique sculptures, especially the "Twelve Virgins" at the Northern Gate, the depictions of Otto I the Great and his wife Editha well as the statues of St Maurice and St Catherine. The predecessor of the cathedral was a church built in 937 within an abbey, called St. Maurice. Emperor Otto I the Great was buried here beside his wife in 973. St. Maurice burnt to ashes in 1207. The exact location of that church remained unknown for a long time. The foundations were rediscovered in May 2003, revealing a building 80 m (262.47 ft) long and 41 m (134.51 ft) wide. The construction of the new church lasted 300 years. The cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice was the first Gothic church building in Germany. The building of the steeples was completed as late as 1520. While the cathedral was virtually the only building to survive the massacres of the Thirty Years' War, it nevertheless suffered damage in World War II. It was soon rebuilt and completed in 1955. The square in front of the cathedral (sometimes called the Neuer Markt, or "new marketplace") was occupied by an imperial palace (Kaiserpfalz), which was destroyed in the fire of 1207. The stones from the ruin were used for the building of the cathedral. The presumed remains of the palace were excavated in the 1960s.

 


Thomaskirche
Naumburg, Nietzsche-Denkmal

Rathaus
Dom

Sylvester
Gewandhaus

Oper

Magdeburg, Dom


 

 

 

Madrid

 

October 07. - October 12, 2012

 

Madrid  is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.5 million. It is the third-largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-largest in the European Union after London and Paris. The city spans a total of 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi).

The city is located on the Manzanares river in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain.

Madrid's influences in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, Iberia or Repsol. Madrid is the most touristic city of Spain, the fourth-most touristic of the continent, and is the 10th most livable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2010 index. Madrid also ranks among the 12 greenest European cities in 2010. Madrid is currently a Candidate City for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Madrid houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), belonging to the United Nations Organization (UN), the SEGIB and the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). It also hosts major international institutions regulators of Spanish: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Cervantes Institute and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (Fundéu). Madrid organizes fairs as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI  and the Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week.

While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; a large number of National museums,] and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums.

In the years the Cibeles Palace and Fountain have become the monument symbol of the city.

 

 


Puerta del Sol
 
Reminder of last year's journey to Santiago
Plaza Mayor


Two toreadors in Plaza Mayor
Opera House
Palacio Real de Madrid

Catedral de la Almudena
Palacio Real, the Courtyard


Cathedral
Opera House

"our" small bookshop
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor

Plaza de Oriente, the travellers


Puerta del Sol

Madrid versus Barcelona


Edificio Metrópolis
Fuente de Cibeles


Plaza de Cibeles


Plaza de Cibeles
Parque del Retiro


Atocha Station


Goldsmith's art in Toledo


Entrance door


Entrance door


Goldsmith at work


Cathedral

Catedral Santa Maria

 
San Francisco el Grande


San Francisco el Grande
     

Green Madrid
Estadio Bernabeu
The next opponent
The German players

 

 

London

 

August 22 - August 26, 2012

 

There is no doubt that London is worth a visit. When my students from the adult education centre asked me whether I would take them to the British capital I did not have to think a long time about it. The only problem was to find a date for such an adventure. We finally did. Then it was our job to decide what we wanted to see. An extensive program was set up. I mentioned the trip to Keith Melling, my Doncaster friend. He suggested that he would come to London to show us around. He added some brilliant ideas to our program where we could go during our five-day excursion. We had a great time and enjoyed our stay thoroughly with Keith as our guide, food and drink expert, planner, organizer, appropriate walker (not too fast for the German teacher). Thank you Keith for your help. You are a great friend!

 

Keith writes:

 

 

Dear All,

 

It was very nice to meet you all and I was sorry that I could not spend more time with you. I hope that you all enjoyed the rest of your time in London and had a good journey home. I travelled home on a Hull train and was home just after 7.30pm. I then left the house at 7.00am on Saturday to collect my friends before driving on the A1 and M1 roads to Wembley where I joined the other 80,000 at the Rugby League Cup Final. It was a very enjoyable but tiring day and Sunday was a real day of rest. I was pleased to be in the stadium when the thunder, lightning and heavy rain arrived and admired the players for playing excellent rugby in terrible weather.

I hope that you enjoyed your introduction to good beer, if you return to Britain you will always find a Wetherspoons pub in the town ( The Old George in Croydon ) and each of them have different beers each week but always good coffee and a good menu. I also hope that you enjoyed the Indian meal, they are very popular in Britain and every town has more than one.

I hope that you did not buy too many items in Harrods, I like to look at their food hall and toy department but they do not deliver to Doncaster so I am forced to go to cheaper shops.

It was a pleasure to help you see London and I hope that I have the opportunity to meet you all again in the future, either as a group or as individuals,

Best wishes

Keith

 

 

 

The Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea,

 

June 17 - July 01

 

The Mediterranean and the Black Sea

What a fantastic cruise! We sailed from Antalya along the Turkish coast. We saw relics of the ancient world and modern architecture, churches and mosques, crowded beaches and markets (bazaars). We listened to most interesting lectures (on board) on Ottoman history and culture. In Sotchi, where the next Olympic Winter Games will take place, an enormous amount of work is still to be done before Putin can welcome his guests. In Yalta ( on the Crimean peninsula) we visited the historic places where, at the end of WW II, decisions on the future development of Europe were discussed and taken. Odessa and Varna can boast of magnificent churches and buildings (Art  Nouveau). Surprisingly enough there was time to relax on board and read before we reached Thessaloniki (Greece) and proceeded to Samos and Rhodes, two charming islands with a lot of history (a²+b²=c² - Colossus of Rhodes, Grand Master Palace - you know what I mean?). I went on three bike tours, 35 km each, not too long, but tiring nevertheless (35°C). Have a look at the pictures and enjoy.

 

 

First day: arrival at  Antalya

 

 

 

Third day: Ismir

 

 

     

 

Fourth and fifth day: Istanbul

 

 

                                     

 

Seventh day: Sochi

 

 

 

Eighth day: Yalta

 

 

           
     

 

Ninth day: Odessa

 

 


Opera house
     
       
                            Cobsa player

 

Tenth day: Varna

 

 

 

                                                                                                     
  Ruins of Roman Bath                                                                      Ascension of Mary Cathedral
 

 

Twelfth day: Thessaloniki

 

 
Galerius Arch

 

 

Thirteenth day: Samos

 

 


Agios Spyridonos Church
         

 

Fourteenth day: Rhodes

 

 

         

Street of the Knights

 

 

Fifteenth day: Return to Düsseldorf and Castrop-Rauxel

 

 

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern  13.05. - 16.05.2012

Plau am See   

 

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, also known as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin. The state was formed through the merger of the historic regions of Mecklenburg and Vorpommern after World War II, dissolved in 1952 and recreated prior to the German reunification in 1990.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the sixth largest German state by territory, and the least densely populated one. The coastline of the Baltic Sea, including islands such as Rügen and Usedom, as well as the Mecklenburg Lake District are characterized by many holiday resorts and pristine nature, making Mecklenburg-Vorpommern one of Germany's leading tourist destinations. Three of Germany's fourteen national parks are in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in addition to several hundred nature conservation areas. The University of Rostock (est. 1419) and the University of Greifswald (est. 1456) are amongst the oldest in Europe.

Major cities include Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, Greifswald and Wismar. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was the site of the 33rd G8 summit in 2007.

13.05.       Castrop-Rauxel/Herne - Schwerin - Plau am See

14.05.       Plau am See - Rostock, Warnemünde

15.05.       Plau am See - Waren (Müritz)

16.05.       Plau am See - Wismar, Heiligendamm, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel


           Castle, State Parliament		  


                    Orangery
Orangery


 Market and Cathedral
Schwerin Cathedral

                Schwerin Cathedral


 Pau am See


           "Our Hotel",Strandhotel
      Rostock/Kröpeliner Straße

          Market und Marienkirche		      
       Organ in Marienkirche
                        High Altar
                   Waren/Müritz

     Marienkirche in Waren		  
    Gorgenkirche and Schulstraße
             Park in Waren

Heiligendamm (G 8 Summit in 2007) Assembly Rooms at the health resort

          Wismar, St. Nikolai
       Wismar, St. Nikolai
   
Wismar, St. Nikolai

Wismar, St. Nikolai
   

 

Kirchberg/Kitzbühel    01.02. - 05.02.2012

 

Kitzski calling

 

It was a spontaneous decision -  more or less. I did not know whether I was able to ski after more than two years.. It turned out to be great. Everything was perfect. The weather (although it bit cold: -24° C) was marvellous, the slopes were in in excellent condition, not too many people skiing. We knew every slope, the steep ones as well as the soft ones had I trained my school groups in the area. My skiing partner: Claus. I had not wished to go on my own. Doris did not fancy walking on the steep slopes. As everybody knows Doris does not ski anymore after two knee operations. So Claus gladly accepted the invitation to go skiing with me. We were a good match. We got up early every morning being the first skiers on the slopes enjoying the calmness of the landscape and virgin snow. A first teabreak at about 11.00 and a nice glass of something after the last run. We have to repeat that in the near future was our joint commentary. Well, perhaps next year.

 

   

 

 

Salzburg 27.12.2011 - 02.01.2012

 

Salzburg  Dec. 27 - Jan 2, 2012

 

It was a good decision to spend a few days in Salzburg between Christmas and the new year. We had been looking forward to it for a long time. Salzburg is an international city in small format.

On our first day in Austria we were  taken to centre of the city and left on our own to walk wherever we wanted. We walked through the Mirabell Gardens, - beautiful weather as the pictures show - through the Getreidegasse, where the Mozarthaus stands, to the Cathedral and then we climbed up to the Hohesalzburg, the fortress that overlooks Salzburg. The view from is unsurpassed.

On the next day we travelled through the region. An expert guide told us about the history of the country and the importance of salt, which made Salzburg and the House of Princes rich and powerful. We visited the beautiful baroque church at Mondsee and walked through the towns of St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang.

You cannot leave out a trip in winter through the snow. We went to Filzmoos the following day. There three huge sledges were hired which brought us to a chalet (Oberhofalm). No doubt we needed a tea break having a sugared pancake with raisins or some good Austrian sausages.    

On New Year's eve we were free to organize our own program. We used the municipal bus to go to Salzburg. We visited the Residenz, the official residence of the Salzburg bishops. Wonderful building where young Mozart as a five-year-old boy presented his first concerts. After that we went to the Panorama Museum and looked at the paintings showing scenes from daily life two hundred years ago.

Two highlight were still to come. The next day - after a short night - we set off at quarter to nine for the cathedral. We attended mass with the cathedral choir singing Mozart's Coronation Mass. In the afternoon another unforgettable experience. We were taken to the festival theatre and listened to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Look at the picture. I am sure you will be amazed.

On Jan. 2, we went home. We arrived at Castrop at about seven in the evening. Great holiday! 

  


Mondsee


Silvesterempfang


Neujahrskonzert im Festspielhaus