tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60515283975410134512024-03-19T09:18:41.306+01:00Ich bin Hamburger(in)In August 2015 my husband got a new job and we moved from San Francisco to Hamburg. These are my tales about the experience.Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-46397988615377664672017-03-21T11:06:00.001+01:002017-03-21T11:06:40.617+01:00All The Things I Never Told You - aka Final Post, Part TwoSadly, our time in Hamburg is rapidly drawing to a close. Larry's company has had two big layoffs in the past six months, and he was caught up in the latest cuts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJrIvabl9ii4Mo1xhKZop3g9lgxgHbxGbHM573vHNGzIWkSvaIRX8Em81qY9cshdnv8C2TLVN4iBpsYXFHAIglbTYiPvxpCqdp-vjt3CPgNBcV-4rIG7r7maXg_5tKYESnlSWcoKjE-g/s1600/IMG_6459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJrIvabl9ii4Mo1xhKZop3g9lgxgHbxGbHM573vHNGzIWkSvaIRX8Em81qY9cshdnv8C2TLVN4iBpsYXFHAIglbTYiPvxpCqdp-vjt3CPgNBcV-4rIG7r7maXg_5tKYESnlSWcoKjE-g/s200/IMG_6459.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After 16 ½ wonderful years </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">with Prometheus, we </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">are </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">now adjusting to being </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">a one-cat household.</span><br />
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Even sadder, in the midst of the recent madness, our dear sweet Prometheus succumbed to old age/kidney disease. To say that it was difficult slogging through a long winter, work uncertainty, and losing our boy would be a supreme understatement.<br />
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But Larry has a new job, and we are refocusing our energy on the adventure ahead. Next stop: Munich!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sn7Vzllr22ApNvC9BBtR7T9m5CvHemFZOzGsyqZo7tZdap_OPm4_1ocHl6InVF6S21nfU3rnj_T0G0suuNNJBMaZ1uGLt7dVYXuHt-XlSR753UJGSjtQLnNNiMVdJB-R6F15GRyl9jE/s1600/PMD-Munich_20121002134728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sn7Vzllr22ApNvC9BBtR7T9m5CvHemFZOzGsyqZo7tZdap_OPm4_1ocHl6InVF6S21nfU3rnj_T0G0suuNNJBMaZ1uGLt7dVYXuHt-XlSR753UJGSjtQLnNNiMVdJB-R6F15GRyl9jE/s400/PMD-Munich_20121002134728.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munich! Larry is very happy we'll be closer to the mountains.</td></tr>
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Naturally, this will mean a <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://munichmellon.blogspot.de/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>new blog</b></span></a><b> </b></span>to capture my assorted adventures in and around Bavaria.<br />
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Before moving on, however, I wanted to leave you with some updates and last reflections on my time here in Hamburg. (<span style="color: #990000;">Buckle up & grab a beverage, this is a long one.</span>)<br />
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<h2>
<b>Around Town</b></h2>
This may be the pre-nostalgia talking, but I'm continually amazed at how lovely and interesting Hamburg can be, even along routes I travel all the time. These are just some more images of things around the city that caught my attention.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkxzxJsh-AvZbu9Ugoo3IekrpZIzKjQq5JpDz5RywLms61YyUkKswSvu2QMLSjxYqLKeCQPpybxTY-LMCRG6GxxkDeGpWupytvpvaAqnFLrCxHjT6IUmwhSEjAQwEo86XGF_auuWbz70/s1600/IMG_8387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkxzxJsh-AvZbu9Ugoo3IekrpZIzKjQq5JpDz5RywLms61YyUkKswSvu2QMLSjxYqLKeCQPpybxTY-LMCRG6GxxkDeGpWupytvpvaAqnFLrCxHjT6IUmwhSEjAQwEo86XGF_auuWbz70/s320/IMG_8387.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing my obsession with rooftops, this place<br />
has what looks like a miniature house on its roof.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32SyZhdUi-xmlxmVTAiilqqZFaA7qcbjApkJuss9oU4ekceObxNdtzW1Cuxk2qk6O22NmjSndh1aKouCmRZvCvL6aJWiPdndhPDPPboVMrWkRjMu0yBaBQw8SltRuA-Dxug0OnLrEVQo/s1600/IMG_6012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32SyZhdUi-xmlxmVTAiilqqZFaA7qcbjApkJuss9oU4ekceObxNdtzW1Cuxk2qk6O22NmjSndh1aKouCmRZvCvL6aJWiPdndhPDPPboVMrWkRjMu0yBaBQw8SltRuA-Dxug0OnLrEVQo/s320/IMG_6012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more modern part of the city, across the Elbe and to the south.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc-q4Q87QGd7xBT5PHoWqNFtHqHimjF_dM8KOwCytPkzvdvkEM5ca8JMOGKJ5OBqo0ODlU2QvjwLMmtpCwF5mQXafuO4Tez3jMeHZRJvrhSSY1g9pSfIbwKMXYBOrQhhtsSKQltIRvTg/s1600/IMG_6034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc-q4Q87QGd7xBT5PHoWqNFtHqHimjF_dM8KOwCytPkzvdvkEM5ca8JMOGKJ5OBqo0ODlU2QvjwLMmtpCwF5mQXafuO4Tez3jMeHZRJvrhSSY1g9pSfIbwKMXYBOrQhhtsSKQltIRvTg/s320/IMG_6034.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This modern area is big on eco-innovations, <br />
including this building that uses the water <br />
in those panes of glass as an insulator.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGglAtcB5q32kEa4aevo3HU-LnKyZv9cJ1_xBPRMdM_JK8_WUwCX0uUqGBt4nuWS-0DgXWwNhoLJxXEqfMWfHA0BNtgM0McFYC5nOGC50AY7wYG8A-lAyzdd32Aq15HCbE7ErKLlK8IsE/s1600/IMG_7541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGglAtcB5q32kEa4aevo3HU-LnKyZv9cJ1_xBPRMdM_JK8_WUwCX0uUqGBt4nuWS-0DgXWwNhoLJxXEqfMWfHA0BNtgM0McFYC5nOGC50AY7wYG8A-lAyzdd32Aq15HCbE7ErKLlK8IsE/s640/IMG_7541.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of those scattered moments when winter is magical. The rest of the time it's dreary, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">with a bone-chilling, wet cold. Oh, and that unnecessary wind. Brrr.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudhsXteSU_88KILT6wSEEN6DzgKjU2klxb1BIJRbb13Ui-pfbW-US3b6zYbVswYTXnPPU8Y_aCuMftujcp00jTvpjDIzmnVywCBCcERtAjBc8R4ijUCLn_k4FROAJLpwnf_3fkAPhBHA/s320/IMG_8490.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our neighbor down the hall recently added a Miss Piggy </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">decoration </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">outside her door. T</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">hat in itself is just awesome. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But then I saw this--turns out there was just enough room </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">for a jokester delivery guy to leave a package </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">in care of Miss Piggy. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxFJJRiZyLOBC3LrS77oTIrDjDi0cAjIW2fXN3Y1Xyue_cR3xqm7dLZRPninw5e6jPVQuIBiQ7Z96YWaa8EWvcuqS-NrlDCd3JJt4ZfwugbQg00SaN5PFbdiGGdE6xuitF8A_rzJRGYE/s1600/IMG_6051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxFJJRiZyLOBC3LrS77oTIrDjDi0cAjIW2fXN3Y1Xyue_cR3xqm7dLZRPninw5e6jPVQuIBiQ7Z96YWaa8EWvcuqS-NrlDCd3JJt4ZfwugbQg00SaN5PFbdiGGdE6xuitF8A_rzJRGYE/s320/IMG_6051.JPG" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved this limited-time <br />
sandwich playing on the <br />
fact that Nuremberg is famous <br />
for its mini bratwursts sold <br />
in counts of 3, thus <br />
the "burger" from Nuremberg.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudhsXteSU_88KILT6wSEEN6DzgKjU2klxb1BIJRbb13Ui-pfbW-US3b6zYbVswYTXnPPU8Y_aCuMftujcp00jTvpjDIzmnVywCBCcERtAjBc8R4ijUCLn_k4FROAJLpwnf_3fkAPhBHA/s1600/IMG_8490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fCUdnbeQ8GdoqSb2Zn1T0agJJjwPsPShpaajYjGGiZ8FxhLFTgL-0rO_BwO5xGZBO-ED35518vaNeGvNLKiWfVgsCFvm8f4qc68eSN8_ZsVlJK9ggb6jmkX2NJBbEBR7WnAqK8MHoyk/s1600/IMG_5345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fCUdnbeQ8GdoqSb2Zn1T0agJJjwPsPShpaajYjGGiZ8FxhLFTgL-0rO_BwO5xGZBO-ED35518vaNeGvNLKiWfVgsCFvm8f4qc68eSN8_ZsVlJK9ggb6jmkX2NJBbEBR7WnAqK8MHoyk/s320/IMG_5345.JPG" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to a secret dressing room for Wilhelm II</td></tr>
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<h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eV8hzfagTILBXkb_o3wJOtM_c9Y6K-tXCPTI4iuB4kX-HWYY3zC78zI5YHyjbkyL1nicnlxqL3VqMAXjeWgk9repPwKuClMrqYccd2NIdbDrgP6zDMWI3nKOMrj3HNGVawtr3W7l7rk/s1600/IMG_2824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eV8hzfagTILBXkb_o3wJOtM_c9Y6K-tXCPTI4iuB4kX-HWYY3zC78zI5YHyjbkyL1nicnlxqL3VqMAXjeWgk9repPwKuClMrqYccd2NIdbDrgP6zDMWI3nKOMrj3HNGVawtr3W7l7rk/s320/IMG_2824.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Old archway in <i>Planten un Blomen</i> park.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MSfmof7IST02oPKck0uU_s-KahXABjGLYXrwx0ivHBwpjCoBI6P1ss19J0lxPCTe-PDlIfEeli04eZA48zSIvJhPFlBT9EHdsi-aj_xBJrLvhRGua1eXsmNVH9Hh3QCsFc9WsIeo8GY/s1600/IMG_5282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MSfmof7IST02oPKck0uU_s-KahXABjGLYXrwx0ivHBwpjCoBI6P1ss19J0lxPCTe-PDlIfEeli04eZA48zSIvJhPFlBT9EHdsi-aj_xBJrLvhRGua1eXsmNVH9Hh3QCsFc9WsIeo8GY/s200/IMG_5282.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">With handlebars positioned like<br /> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">these, no wonder riders<br /> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">have such great posture!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELrtHjXoVcMLPhYyQgsJLT9oNK77yMy618mWfAkrZJlZG4fTl7UPe9rk9g0bxJq0LkDpQFUE2mrh1j8CGey-KXyt0qMAuko61Hv0m_QyTGqkNH4saYWPqefUSfsSphvbGqg8APM8ENKc/s1600/IMG_5614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELrtHjXoVcMLPhYyQgsJLT9oNK77yMy618mWfAkrZJlZG4fTl7UPe9rk9g0bxJq0LkDpQFUE2mrh1j8CGey-KXyt0qMAuko61Hv0m_QyTGqkNH4saYWPqefUSfsSphvbGqg8APM8ENKc/s320/IMG_5614.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ship-shaped Dockland building sits right on the Elbe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER7vMlqG27_6hqLMHN0LXDOTeTip_-4CR_-2mya7WWJibndez_2I_zubB4VBr1vRDk7tQUoypXP7qPjYwq-NbGFSCNKNu61YnbxSLkLDsthNhmDNBboA-VGV2P6VEIR-tuIJckgqwn0A/s1600/IMG_5863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER7vMlqG27_6hqLMHN0LXDOTeTip_-4CR_-2mya7WWJibndez_2I_zubB4VBr1vRDk7tQUoypXP7qPjYwq-NbGFSCNKNu61YnbxSLkLDsthNhmDNBboA-VGV2P6VEIR-tuIJckgqwn0A/s200/IMG_5863.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a 7-story office building with outside <br />stairs that are open to the public.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tjG9uDj9QXlKjy_GMrd4YBv_u_LzomzDg4TPteUp5jftAZw2cZAAemhAcWEU95XpMZY7N3tXr8ggi98CAAXJw9FwwjW6tlaeFRgvQVF-aQPzAp6gVASN504vjiRant6x7mnkUPySBVs/s1600/IMG_5875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tjG9uDj9QXlKjy_GMrd4YBv_u_LzomzDg4TPteUp5jftAZw2cZAAemhAcWEU95XpMZY7N3tXr8ggi98CAAXJw9FwwjW6tlaeFRgvQVF-aQPzAp6gVASN504vjiRant6x7mnkUPySBVs/s400/IMG_5875.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So of course I climbed it!</td></tr>
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<h2>
<b>Out & About</b></h2>
After exploring so much of Hamburg in my first year here, I was finally able to drag Larry out to see parts of Europe other than Amsterdam. 😉<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFK4c5FcAWTl1Dn1txheahYJW2pO31Qvuyxdqn_ElBQkf1QAem2hvi48PwLbeOacdp8mdBV74CDsIKkqyIiQgIu9ifOsgHxSEf0rMlYXrwLC0XJNDHr3mwS_cZU2gTNwGMTJx06R_Fs0/s1600/IMG_7145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFK4c5FcAWTl1Dn1txheahYJW2pO31Qvuyxdqn_ElBQkf1QAem2hvi48PwLbeOacdp8mdBV74CDsIKkqyIiQgIu9ifOsgHxSEf0rMlYXrwLC0XJNDHr3mwS_cZU2gTNwGMTJx06R_Fs0/s320/IMG_7145.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copa Pescadisco tournament <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">on Mallorca. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We had seven countries represented on our team.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That's right, playing frisbee in mid-October </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">on a warm beach in Spain. Heaven!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQGJ21GJv8eLUkvvwhfwBs-DTmElViNq_c-1Tyn7avsRcCvGFwBaxBeV6kBEvWKqMlYHoSBn8aBnnDoTCSNQkBpt5wgwzAWFsNywux6xYNUNp0VI9_RaDAAymbxvHDmnPKiu-_G2S9gU/s1600/IMG_7232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQGJ21GJv8eLUkvvwhfwBs-DTmElViNq_c-1Tyn7avsRcCvGFwBaxBeV6kBEvWKqMlYHoSBn8aBnnDoTCSNQkBpt5wgwzAWFsNywux6xYNUNp0VI9_RaDAAymbxvHDmnPKiu-_G2S9gU/s200/IMG_7232.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different weather story for our trip to <br />
Switzerland in late October. Still, <br />
we had a lovely time in Zurich... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioorBGLsy7LaiDnFrc8mROWO1hpgXHrN7czhy9BTEL8Lqlsj9d_bCv49NiLqgtP6QRTK6whLdxnNrcs2w7l-i07qr9n9oCw_sfMxdUrs4Lthi0oVBQ2O_M0zfzYhG17OLDJGZBswhQLUA/s1600/IMG_7522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioorBGLsy7LaiDnFrc8mROWO1hpgXHrN7czhy9BTEL8Lqlsj9d_bCv49NiLqgtP6QRTK6whLdxnNrcs2w7l-i07qr9n9oCw_sfMxdUrs4Lthi0oVBQ2O_M0zfzYhG17OLDJGZBswhQLUA/s640/IMG_7522.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and Lucerne! Zurich was a bit too modern for me, but I fell in love with Lucerne <br />
as soon as we stepped outside the train station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Afterwards, I found out my parents had visited Lucerne (without us kids) when we lived in Germany oh-so-many years ago!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtZ38XTudzw_Imp9rA2WERCdNQ-Ace5lJRKTTMtxNzn1KPWVRyQNva-GXQ_fnQj34y9Hllm_0iSkRk2FYQYIIuJ8gp3dYlCEvW-3BpabRwwCbtwy7WLXwI3EwgB2CrvYUBi3HMxR4txk/s1600/IMG_7349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtZ38XTudzw_Imp9rA2WERCdNQ-Ace5lJRKTTMtxNzn1KPWVRyQNva-GXQ_fnQj34y9Hllm_0iSkRk2FYQYIIuJ8gp3dYlCEvW-3BpabRwwCbtwy7WLXwI3EwgB2CrvYUBi3HMxR4txk/s200/IMG_7349.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the Kapellbrücke, fall 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnKTNLFM2PQZ1yU7jVcqY-Fl9kkmv9o0Lg_y-dsE_wl_B52BVGX3pbitBwNJWljUa5xwOylgPvhnlyJ2EgFhwntf6rqkFzxyii3001IodWxedVGcidz-B55HNQulaYNR4V7q-vWxqo3I/s1600/Switzerland+Vacation+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnKTNLFM2PQZ1yU7jVcqY-Fl9kkmv9o0Lg_y-dsE_wl_B52BVGX3pbitBwNJWljUa5xwOylgPvhnlyJ2EgFhwntf6rqkFzxyii3001IodWxedVGcidz-B55HNQulaYNR4V7q-vWxqo3I/s320/Switzerland+Vacation+%25286%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">My dad in front of the Kapellbrücke, summer 1977</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW5X-6UEqXX6y0051WGSyKCJ5XoGQe99NPA6AS6gA2EYgwAW5Wi6BCHrusmBo6kxARh-GIiZ_2gMjiowUXsY9lNoQJfdjCwhl7u42D4oqd958RRbRxBCOSMwoeXVgmN65yqMlw0lQ5Qs/s1600/IMG_7476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW5X-6UEqXX6y0051WGSyKCJ5XoGQe99NPA6AS6gA2EYgwAW5Wi6BCHrusmBo6kxARh-GIiZ_2gMjiowUXsY9lNoQJfdjCwhl7u42D4oqd958RRbRxBCOSMwoeXVgmN65yqMlw0lQ5Qs/s200/IMG_7476.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the top of Mount Rigi, fall 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoj_3d9CXQ_TX412rOElg4mcLETtKOq56G2GWydkMZEKyB8yQVX_rPdGhSgns4NyuaGjTc9YwB7izWw-xtcORzBbCKeLy7IZU63HMlR3H02CZQLmi9UYGVtcBxa2HkqDWgPWn2GYhvKY/s1600/Switzerland+Vacation+%252818%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoj_3d9CXQ_TX412rOElg4mcLETtKOq56G2GWydkMZEKyB8yQVX_rPdGhSgns4NyuaGjTc9YwB7izWw-xtcORzBbCKeLy7IZU63HMlR3H02CZQLmi9UYGVtcBxa2HkqDWgPWn2GYhvKY/s200/Switzerland+Vacation+%252818%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom at the top of Mount Rigi, summer 1977</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">After the brisk beauty of Switzerland, Larry and I made a warm-weather getaway in November to Lisbon, Portugal. Sunshine, castles, port wine, and a sunset sail on the river made it hard to come back.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkd1RzxQ7gBgxs9h3vHWeCi-lp545OZS-Dyv_wK_cM6iKbMwhzsySixut31XG3RY4ajTCyx33mA7-EZNiWNegRMiIGPqegsovxnpQjJkSRN96lphIvjQ_jYg1i3Y0Xf8E1TqsGaFoXPk/s1600/Alfama+view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkd1RzxQ7gBgxs9h3vHWeCi-lp545OZS-Dyv_wK_cM6iKbMwhzsySixut31XG3RY4ajTCyx33mA7-EZNiWNegRMiIGPqegsovxnpQjJkSRN96lphIvjQ_jYg1i3Y0Xf8E1TqsGaFoXPk/s640/Alfama+view.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view from the plaza near our Airbnb apartment in the Alfama neighborhood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, the subsequent return to reality was helped a bit by indulging my <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2015/12/around-town-christmas-in-hamburg.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Christmas market obsession</b></span></a><b>. </b></span> This time, I visited the markets in Hanover, L<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ü</span>beck, L<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ü</span>neburg, and N<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ü</span>remberg.<br />
<br />
Although N<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ü</span>remberg was the most organized of all the markets I've visited to date, L<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ü</span>beck was the winner this year for me for overall atmosphere.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw15j5cdMrKSB-LuY4ZvxHnED3DrZkYDniHCGocYSr48aTNwZ74hzCrg4LkjUPD-ji-ZRwq9P90OqO4jHUd2gdMOog2CsHpqPnN1I_idyjKNLdI3YdL-bGMKMlyxwMSyNN9MiwlfIUpWI/s1600/IMG_8013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw15j5cdMrKSB-LuY4ZvxHnED3DrZkYDniHCGocYSr48aTNwZ74hzCrg4LkjUPD-ji-ZRwq9P90OqO4jHUd2gdMOog2CsHpqPnN1I_idyjKNLdI3YdL-bGMKMlyxwMSyNN9MiwlfIUpWI/s640/IMG_8013.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The world-famous N<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;">üremberg <i>Christkindlmarkt</i>. They also have an international market </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;">in the next plaza over, with around 20 countries represented. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";">N</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;">üremberg </span>was a marathon travel day: 4.5-hour train trip each way!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<b>The Little Things</b></h2>
There are a bunch of things I see now that I just take for granted. But at some point I was still making notes about the tiny everyday differences I saw between Hamburg and the U.S.<br />
<br />
Here are a random few:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9od3vTCvR2kbRDs0_P4utEsCTg752w8RAWp3VbP6rGX3j6VouInUltzQ4EiQ_VY23LHmRzhbDdbWLtwtossQCboQcZU3erWS382_geyW8XkpKeErt8ku5fJbrXG2tVZX6pP4B1EYJSE/s1600/IMG_5525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9od3vTCvR2kbRDs0_P4utEsCTg752w8RAWp3VbP6rGX3j6VouInUltzQ4EiQ_VY23LHmRzhbDdbWLtwtossQCboQcZU3erWS382_geyW8XkpKeErt8ku5fJbrXG2tVZX6pP4B1EYJSE/s200/IMG_5525.JPG" width="141" /></a><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Child care</span></b> - I'm so used to seeing moms dropping kids off and picking them up and taking them out to run errands that I was (and still am) surprised to see how often the roles are reversed here.<br />
<br />
Every day I see dads riding kids to daycare on their bikes or taking kids on an outing or going grocery shopping. Fantastic.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QXs0tOUh15l4ei-SuAaBxEJnF59v0MBy5QN1u3flx8K2y6-u4KgPLYwdrmDRq5fWnmgci1-TXUUo1_29-AQwYowPgIG4WaURcwOdNzYoj-mflqZZTmQmCF4aHF7fKgJjsI4H-scTg6s/s1600/IMG_5319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QXs0tOUh15l4ei-SuAaBxEJnF59v0MBy5QN1u3flx8K2y6-u4KgPLYwdrmDRq5fWnmgci1-TXUUo1_29-AQwYowPgIG4WaURcwOdNzYoj-mflqZZTmQmCF4aHF7fKgJjsI4H-scTg6s/s200/IMG_5319.JPG" width="103" /></a><br />
<u><br /></u>
<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Crutches</b> </span>- The underarm style of crutch we use in the U.S. is apparently not used here. Whether it's a sprain, small break, or big break, I've only seen forearm crutches.<br />
<br />
<u><br /></u>
<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Dogs</b> </span>- I've seen some unique crossbreeds here, as well as rare old European breeds we just don't have in the States. My favorite is one that looks like a cross between a wolf and a greyhound. Ensures there's never a dull moment walking in the park.<br />
<br />
Also, Hamburgers love their hounds. They take them everywhere. But the relationship between dog and owner here can best be described as "business-like." It's not that there's any less affection between the two than what I saw in the U.S., but in public, dogs seem to know they have a role to play, and that role is to be well-behaved and obedient.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMwEBB8Zba_xA0Z0OusL5DjZhWc7g6MPqldNrWObiMVxDo533cvDRgINTVw54V4FRJ1uhZKgfmdY2exapDKtV726RKgsugRZt17xh1IUw7DJ3ahI1zD2cdicqBbYQq6mX16UoHvEs7Hk/s1600/IMG_8385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMwEBB8Zba_xA0Z0OusL5DjZhWc7g6MPqldNrWObiMVxDo533cvDRgINTVw54V4FRJ1uhZKgfmdY2exapDKtV726RKgsugRZt17xh1IUw7DJ3ahI1zD2cdicqBbYQq6mX16UoHvEs7Hk/s200/IMG_8385.JPG" width="115" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bag found </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">along </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">a busy public path</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u></u><br /><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Faith</b> </span>- I don't mean of the religious variety; I mean faith in your fellow man. The first time I experienced this was when I ordered some things from a German website, and instead of taking payment up front, they sent a bill with my order for me to pay once I was satisfied.<br />
<br />
It's happened at other times for in-person transactions, although overall, cash is still king. <br />
<br />
Also, when someone loses something--in a park, on the sidewalk, in a stairwell--you'll find that item placed somewhere closer to eye level, where it can easily be seen when the owner returns to search for it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Food</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, no wrap-up post would be complete without an explicit mention of food. 😀<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKI-wkJqBfLgZYH-xDAuex6ED-5cGg11EhYOZf41p8kIGlE2zxQoDzQ6SKCoKua8EE3ljpbgiOxbCkuCa3efKUm8A-oLuJ5xT96Sv9rwcoHhg-_DpT4wpH6O0GxWTI7tecSEqN2rz6VQ/s1600/IMG_8406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKI-wkJqBfLgZYH-xDAuex6ED-5cGg11EhYOZf41p8kIGlE2zxQoDzQ6SKCoKua8EE3ljpbgiOxbCkuCa3efKUm8A-oLuJ5xT96Sv9rwcoHhg-_DpT4wpH6O0GxWTI7tecSEqN2rz6VQ/s200/IMG_8406.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember my post about</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/03/happy-pi-day-aka-little-things-pies.html" target="_blank">f</a></b></span><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/03/happy-pi-day-aka-little-things-pies.html" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>ood differences & finding ingredients</b></span></a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Edeka now carries vanilla paste</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">and vanilla extract!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yes, I still miss a good taco, a cheese steak sandwich, delivery pizza that doesn't need to be sliced, and the easy availability of Bisquick.<br />
<br />
I continue to add to my food-from-scratch repertoire, most recently making homemade tater tots. (They were a bit of a pain, but good enough that I will try it again.)<br />
<br />
But tired of German food? Nope. Crackling <i>wurst </i>just off the grill? Divine. And the 2-Euro chicken schnitzel sandwich I get at my local <i>S-Bahn</i> station is still one of the best things around.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<h2>
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2>
<b>Language</b></h2>
<div>
<b></b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNseTjhD2xbyXN-i-Thgwp3AJxJE-tQitKMTB7U09sNnizoVu08jpdyyrX6mgT3M6OFJfIK2sTRhG5gvxsyXLAFFhSWY0iElE_ZvIsxVPkQFzA6su0YseANfaBxhmmSzBRAteDq4Q03Y/s1600/languages.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNseTjhD2xbyXN-i-Thgwp3AJxJE-tQitKMTB7U09sNnizoVu08jpdyyrX6mgT3M6OFJfIK2sTRhG5gvxsyXLAFFhSWY0iElE_ZvIsxVPkQFzA6su0YseANfaBxhmmSzBRAteDq4Q03Y/s320/languages.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, that's right. German is literally in a <br />category all by itself.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><b></b></div>
I recently saw that you need about 750 hours of instruction to be fluent in German. That's the equivalent of 5 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 5 months. Whoa. Puts my three classes since we've lived here in perspective. 😏<br />
<br />
Now I feel a bit better that while I can navigate within my limited realm just fine, it's normal that I can't easily eavesdrop, that I get nervous about my pronunciation and random vocabulary, and that when a conversation picks up pace or I have to speak on the phone, I'm quickly lost.<br />
<br />
In my <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/01/the-little-things-language.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>post about language</b></span></a> I talked a a bit about dialects and different vocabulary. How prophetic. Because I know from experience that German in the south (including nearby Switzerland and Austria) is different.<br />
<br />
So in addition to trying new outlets to practice my speaking, there may be more classes in my future.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h2>
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2>
<b>A Final Goodbye and a New Beginning</b></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's tough to say goodbye. I've seen many different sides of the city, and met amazing people from around the world. Although I'm looking forward to my new adventures, I'll miss the security of my Hamburg home.<br />
<br />
I had planned to end this post with a bunch of tips for anyone planning to move to Hamburg (or even just coming to visit). But, like most things in this world, I think it's an evolving and subjective experience.<br />
<br />
That being said, I love the city and my time here, and would be thrilled to be a resource if you have any specific questions. You can always reach me at michelle AT mpmellon DOTCOM.<br />
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Till then, <i>tschüss</i>!<br />
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-24496629698576188322016-08-23T08:16:00.000+02:002016-08-23T08:16:51.389+02:00Final Post: Time to Say Tschüss!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ou3gYmyJL1C19oVzUXWC2EFTohDvlsyaz7GhHQE35RTlm17ZofVdbUzGAKwgv3wWVTrXlR_UIVV5ksEgYkGYZOvXjDoSJVyOzVzErV_fFwCO6bKCRKEpMIz0ntGQmcWUte2llfIUblI/s1600/IMG_5208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ou3gYmyJL1C19oVzUXWC2EFTohDvlsyaz7GhHQE35RTlm17ZofVdbUzGAKwgv3wWVTrXlR_UIVV5ksEgYkGYZOvXjDoSJVyOzVzErV_fFwCO6bKCRKEpMIz0ntGQmcWUte2llfIUblI/s200/IMG_5208.JPG" width="145" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhRfjfsiG_uX7GwlF-t3wtNz80nQoeeo5D56CDh6NOTU66srhwc0prOtCvkk6krWJmiD2rcc_jf9Eo1I2dx-zqTbIWm45ZSATcIQmqsGodrEXGzod5woLf6wscEqBvwqCD2Hs5o6lOn0/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhRfjfsiG_uX7GwlF-t3wtNz80nQoeeo5D56CDh6NOTU66srhwc0prOtCvkk6krWJmiD2rcc_jf9Eo1I2dx-zqTbIWm45ZSATcIQmqsGodrEXGzod5woLf6wscEqBvwqCD2Hs5o6lOn0/s200/IMG_0652.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">August 2015</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">A year ago I became a </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hamburgerin</i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. It’s been 12 months of ups
and downs, learning about myself, and getting to know this wonderful city. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">In fact, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I quickly went from
thinking of Hamburg as a nice entry into our dream of spending time in Europe,
to thinking of it as our European home. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPYFBWqmuIljQMEKtNF74847fGpTaYUzyxvJisjnFbTvHyo2ZHciOswxhDrh7_LQ97pYnkkATrslBYTB28pLSHiWYQL-fOnxlSsuCWiXtsy6uYOLKYE9_aHBHwq6-M-Spa3Esldb5c_0/s1600/IMG_5642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPYFBWqmuIljQMEKtNF74847fGpTaYUzyxvJisjnFbTvHyo2ZHciOswxhDrh7_LQ97pYnkkATrslBYTB28pLSHiWYQL-fOnxlSsuCWiXtsy6uYOLKYE9_aHBHwq6-M-Spa3Esldb5c_0/s320/IMG_5642.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">August 2016</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">So what’s next? I honestly don’t know, but
my plan is to continue navigating the day-to-day here, while writing about what
inspires me (which includes a small collection of scary stories set in
Hamburg).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">For those of you who have hung in there with me this far, thank you! I hope you’ve enjoyed this year as
much as I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vEC1unqwHgFvjRmT7F_xJwD6rFNchopZjhiKHZ-zjEk6NYBjX6uAAGogin2vGckfATy7743IhnTPSWmbP_9sKGCZzcwHLD30g-KY26XCzzs_nPNm6gwGP8C19PT1pCZjgwRffDJcUOo/s1600/IMG_2227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vEC1unqwHgFvjRmT7F_xJwD6rFNchopZjhiKHZ-zjEk6NYBjX6uAAGogin2vGckfATy7743IhnTPSWmbP_9sKGCZzcwHLD30g-KY26XCzzs_nPNm6gwGP8C19PT1pCZjgwRffDJcUOo/s320/IMG_2227.JPG" width="154" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEF3GgkqyliVPWKn6scv0sstPpcrtDJ0wEa2RdWhlWZMtfN71tt7kdJyeTgX9V1FjDj_NTKgZMMe1i2bwAD1Xt1rAgDwP1qPmXKjqjUHhkxqnlo1JeRiHWG4KA4pgejZRZUL5gQi66_s/s1600/IMG_5589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEF3GgkqyliVPWKn6scv0sstPpcrtDJ0wEa2RdWhlWZMtfN71tt7kdJyeTgX9V1FjDj_NTKgZMMe1i2bwAD1Xt1rAgDwP1qPmXKjqjUHhkxqnlo1JeRiHWG4KA4pgejZRZUL5gQi66_s/s200/IMG_5589.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I want to leave you with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQsvzmHI2Zs" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">this song</span></b></a> I
found during one of my random Internet searches on all things Hamburg. (And I heard it played last week during a football game [American style] in a park stadium.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It's called "In Hamburg sagt man </span><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tschüss." </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Good luck getting it out of your head! You can find the lyrics </span><a href="https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Heidi-Kabel/In-Hamburg-sagt-man-Tsch%C3%BCss" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">here </span></b></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">in
case you want to sing along. ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tschüss! Bis zum nächsten Mal!</span></i><br />
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">p.s. You can always:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Find updates on my writing (including
any new blog projects) on the <a href="http://www.mpmellon.com/whats-new.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">What's New page</span></b></a> of my website.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Follow random ideas on <a href="https://twitter.com/mpmellon" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">my Twitter feed</span></b></a> (@mpmellon) </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">See my new <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mpmellon/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">photos on Pinterest</span></a>.</span></b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Questions? Comments? Plans to visit or move to Hamburg? Drop me a line: michelle AT mpmellon.com</span></span></li>
</ul>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-5658685478542317512016-08-18T21:47:00.000+02:002016-08-18T21:47:16.717+02:00Being a Hamburger(in)<div class="MsoPlainText">
I've resisted for almost a year, but now I've devised a cheesy backronym to describe what Hamburg means to me:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">H</span>uman</b></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1-ipRweaTipsRKWGWHHxx6vd94c3P_5iMkAgcT9XoTtwfcc7WvTuo6iylNvp7GL46Z-5WgvXv-5Kaxnx_alCSUXR_JdECf3M5t8mhQNXu34zPOpJLjCqioVMXoPqRJHXMsSMTIRLBQ4/s1600/IMG_1752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1-ipRweaTipsRKWGWHHxx6vd94c3P_5iMkAgcT9XoTtwfcc7WvTuo6iylNvp7GL46Z-5WgvXv-5Kaxnx_alCSUXR_JdECf3M5t8mhQNXu34zPOpJLjCqioVMXoPqRJHXMsSMTIRLBQ4/s320/IMG_1752.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hamburg Against Nazis"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PYtUQPiu6xkkqOGNq2lATc5edJApHNv63004aUkn489JDmQJKW5mjo1yN5ST61PvrEYZ2wk7HmC4KuuBjVL3nM9GZSaJwWxGXquIRhUCA1M36sxi9vOnQj1qLtVi6rWs2EpIFYtlgsI/s1600/IMG_5740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PYtUQPiu6xkkqOGNq2lATc5edJApHNv63004aUkn489JDmQJKW5mjo1yN5ST61PvrEYZ2wk7HmC4KuuBjVL3nM9GZSaJwWxGXquIRhUCA1M36sxi9vOnQj1qLtVi6rWs2EpIFYtlgsI/s200/IMG_5740.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All over the city, you'll find these small<br />
plaques in the sidewalk, giving the name <br />
and deportation information for <br />
former Jewish residents. <br />
It's one way to keep those atrocities <br />
from being shelved and forgotten. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8l5zy0mIy64wvq56P1YA0btJ__xryFVpqh8DoiyPo6uVwPPCm5g4_L1jwdLQ5_NPvn3GLOPSHLeigW6vsh_jGMZGbHt-Cj-bV_vQNKl6SJdNDtbMan8bSijvL5cRc8WGt-aFyRjDTNE/s1600/IMG_5300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8l5zy0mIy64wvq56P1YA0btJ__xryFVpqh8DoiyPo6uVwPPCm5g4_L1jwdLQ5_NPvn3GLOPSHLeigW6vsh_jGMZGbHt-Cj-bV_vQNKl6SJdNDtbMan8bSijvL5cRc8WGt-aFyRjDTNE/s320/IMG_5300.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">A</span>rtsy</b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyBNBNrcZbiwR_mz1DUjgdphkOxA5hF-IMgU4dH9B56iZVC3TNNlQGcWGB3hyy_QmexsVHdFpDKCsX5Q9g-WN9v8q0fJaPDreFEwtBECroLv188WkwGhHjQ2hfY5O24lv0GblBjq2N5M/s1600/IMG_2850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyBNBNrcZbiwR_mz1DUjgdphkOxA5hF-IMgU4dH9B56iZVC3TNNlQGcWGB3hyy_QmexsVHdFpDKCsX5Q9g-WN9v8q0fJaPDreFEwtBECroLv188WkwGhHjQ2hfY5O24lv0GblBjq2N5M/s320/IMG_2850.JPG" width="143" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoKhrXUFDm61N7ap21ZYFFhXL8aAgSjXGUv-5Dsk4ff5keaLZc4hFcX9TksiGRvbqrEcUbxAzBvGlghUu92rouEVEopgGc_1XwVFW-TczuNlQNQjHdXzqIts6K-2lwNFmGu6TbGfp9aY/s1600/IMG_5730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoKhrXUFDm61N7ap21ZYFFhXL8aAgSjXGUv-5Dsk4ff5keaLZc4hFcX9TksiGRvbqrEcUbxAzBvGlghUu92rouEVEopgGc_1XwVFW-TczuNlQNQjHdXzqIts6K-2lwNFmGu6TbGfp9aY/s320/IMG_5730.JPG" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many Hamburg Hummels <br />
can you find? In 2003, more<br />
than 100 of these figures, <br />
representing Hamburg's last water <br />
carrier, were created and decorated <br />
by artists. Most were sold, <br />
but you can still find some <br />
scattered around the city. </td></tr>
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<o:p>There's definitely a funky side to Hamburg. You'll see a lot of it in the St. Pauli and Sternschanze neighborhoods, but everywhere you go you'll find <i>ateliers </i>for every medium imaginable, and see enough street art and counterculture fashion to balance the suits and well-heeled workers downtown.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>"A" could also stand for "anarchistic," as Hamburg has had a couple of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rote_Flora" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">infamous areas of squatting resistance</span></b></a>, and maintains pockets of "authority-allergic" citizens.</o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">M</span>aritime</b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr3LJ9ChtDZKEdfg2B5XcXYKUujt0yU7M0U1mASIUyN3nMWhof-jC3y04FBJtzBcQLCRrrDgbNr_R1NSpnEaLiYStiGiM7d89Cpoye8ESOV9CWCYRpFW7ljbL9sNf09z7Sl29zMr_FN4/s1600/IMG_2702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr3LJ9ChtDZKEdfg2B5XcXYKUujt0yU7M0U1mASIUyN3nMWhof-jC3y04FBJtzBcQLCRrrDgbNr_R1NSpnEaLiYStiGiM7d89Cpoye8ESOV9CWCYRpFW7ljbL9sNf09z7Sl29zMr_FN4/s320/IMG_2702.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fYmZIr7XxY1RmVtshc4lFl0L53TLL0YsIrK5RVbdChow2OmVIMt581fcb-LtUd9sZFWIu3ZZ3Ej1RmJmqrq73V2yKraTWCjbxD3JmgzTerxoVhyphenhyphenGse4ZLBD6i_Jf81gOUtvnXiMbE3g/s1600/IMG_3200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fYmZIr7XxY1RmVtshc4lFl0L53TLL0YsIrK5RVbdChow2OmVIMt581fcb-LtUd9sZFWIu3ZZ3Ej1RmJmqrq73V2yKraTWCjbxD3JmgzTerxoVhyphenhyphenGse4ZLBD6i_Jf81gOUtvnXiMbE3g/s320/IMG_3200.JPG" width="184" /></a>In my most recent German class there was a travel lesson with a blurb about Hamburg. The book notes that Hamburg is no longer a "harbor city," but a "city with a harbor." </div>
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It's true that Hamburg's financial base has diversified, but that river heritage runs mighty deep in the city's culture.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dpVJbXJCQ_d6LMZnADG6_aTqq3oAN3D0SJSEKqiSPibF_eYleRwaaHaRlvYCq6P0jE1d1aB9xBp1tOpCiU70Z8lDvt7vpAxdUVfYKgsz3eO7Gary0Z3OZuEHWwPiYUO1ppBHZWmNPec/s1600/IMG_5718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dpVJbXJCQ_d6LMZnADG6_aTqq3oAN3D0SJSEKqiSPibF_eYleRwaaHaRlvYCq6P0jE1d1aB9xBp1tOpCiU70Z8lDvt7vpAxdUVfYKgsz3eO7Gary0Z3OZuEHWwPiYUO1ppBHZWmNPec/s640/IMG_5718.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></h2>
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">B</span>eautiful</b></h2>
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<o:p>One thing most people notice first about Hamburg is how green it is. It's really rather striking. Then, of course, there's the architecture and the Elbe and the Alster and the countryside...</o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LjyJJQ7NefR82j7gllyF5RuSojlqeUH9abi1ehcAOfxnyCj7bh2sGupNXwGd7S-LU87zMGSVTsJerRuEkyUYG2XryMwHPKI2l-67xQCnd8mS42Kn9P_xXSd6X2hFvI3Iip7E-QaapQc/s1600/IMG_5103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LjyJJQ7NefR82j7gllyF5RuSojlqeUH9abi1ehcAOfxnyCj7bh2sGupNXwGd7S-LU87zMGSVTsJerRuEkyUYG2XryMwHPKI2l-67xQCnd8mS42Kn9P_xXSd6X2hFvI3Iip7E-QaapQc/s640/IMG_5103.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZDBxe2c7XeUj7QgXg5Fyv8tFcuIGCpvEiEXDi2eijQWdewE9ixcGo-PF7y7tatWFRWjH17EzVNyvwgQaDWenB621Q13mbyfitdKbav9xZwowVIZBHnqwHtxAY068NkS0gUHjkfzHIUg/s1600/IMG_5719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZDBxe2c7XeUj7QgXg5Fyv8tFcuIGCpvEiEXDi2eijQWdewE9ixcGo-PF7y7tatWFRWjH17EzVNyvwgQaDWenB621Q13mbyfitdKbav9xZwowVIZBHnqwHtxAY068NkS0gUHjkfzHIUg/s640/IMG_5719.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2TW6xy6J_GYfttojuLl6ioJE5dUCxlVFTSeKCrQ69Pp5yYFmZyohqlCqOxGFTJQY1Aslb2PvvXhO8_ZJqLWvii1oawmNzcotJihPLgsSqZNR6hPF6eYbA8MZzBEjn_zXfDRD0RZT7Nk/s1600/IMG_3128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2TW6xy6J_GYfttojuLl6ioJE5dUCxlVFTSeKCrQ69Pp5yYFmZyohqlCqOxGFTJQY1Aslb2PvvXhO8_ZJqLWvii1oawmNzcotJihPLgsSqZNR6hPF6eYbA8MZzBEjn_zXfDRD0RZT7Nk/s1600/IMG_3128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2TW6xy6J_GYfttojuLl6ioJE5dUCxlVFTSeKCrQ69Pp5yYFmZyohqlCqOxGFTJQY1Aslb2PvvXhO8_ZJqLWvii1oawmNzcotJihPLgsSqZNR6hPF6eYbA8MZzBEjn_zXfDRD0RZT7Nk/s640/IMG_3128.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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U</span></span>rbane</b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeWLqY6_kAV0qw3YHpwx0vn51QyqDtSBOqQF2c06qgFf7KERabTMSaYulYRjYhwDIrYYc4Ibb-EAzv4uSVL1RCJJbY9DHr-WgzIaHA7dpaStjDvabVteByASmm5mEzv_XCj0NTEHlVPg/s1600/IMG_5716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeWLqY6_kAV0qw3YHpwx0vn51QyqDtSBOqQF2c06qgFf7KERabTMSaYulYRjYhwDIrYYc4Ibb-EAzv4uSVL1RCJJbY9DHr-WgzIaHA7dpaStjDvabVteByASmm5mEzv_XCj0NTEHlVPg/s200/IMG_5716.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Hamburg is home to high-quality living. It has Germany's highest per-capita income, and the largest number of millionaires in relation to the population.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ317oyoPPP7R6IK1TcovolYZec9RaR3Oz9SYL1dvrKs1y4C39kpJJTitbepz2QvSVF1LqtR_3zIGm2XhKlRzrnZNzcej3WvuKsxPfz42n441VT7pleQ4ZjEbI0bQr6QtE50DgrI8wts/s1600/IMG_5710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ317oyoPPP7R6IK1TcovolYZec9RaR3Oz9SYL1dvrKs1y4C39kpJJTitbepz2QvSVF1LqtR_3zIGm2XhKlRzrnZNzcej3WvuKsxPfz42n441VT7pleQ4ZjEbI0bQr6QtE50DgrI8wts/s320/IMG_5710.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Why yes, that <i>is </i>a limited edition Lamborghini with a rare</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">gold-chrome finish parked outside the Cartier store</span></td></tr>
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Money aside, Hamburg is also home to 5 of the 6 largest German publishers, 14 of the 20 biggest German newspapers, and more than 80 museums.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHg3SCt9Wlbn5RG9DuJYN4peo7aSvJ3PA5CjuFSOEzLIFhR0HFUhOllPBM6h3-PArvK2ZuP41MEMQEm9-CwsNH3cXs8lMWlzKaPd6uLOFr5NNEMaoZafkV7ZQeQdWgI2B0QUHMKCWWNs/s1600/IMG_5704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHg3SCt9Wlbn5RG9DuJYN4peo7aSvJ3PA5CjuFSOEzLIFhR0HFUhOllPBM6h3-PArvK2ZuP41MEMQEm9-CwsNH3cXs8lMWlzKaPd6uLOFr5NNEMaoZafkV7ZQeQdWgI2B0QUHMKCWWNs/s200/IMG_5704.JPG" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We can debate whether or not </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">musicals </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">count as marks of </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">sophistication, </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">but Hamburg </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">is the 3rd biggest spot </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">in the world </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">for musicals.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b></h2>
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b></h2>
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"></span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">R</span>esilient</b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzuE_Bc0xZipRQMZ8JeB7C0mXoSYHWkjRk-XgMrCfvsVdUqGogQOKJtZwu-E_iWv0QnRGq0UoEN4Ea_hH7R8rsq6TT8Ek5wpnxIG7zXDM-ggrSYf3_d-fpB7I28yik1gQYaMieiRBfLw/s1600/IMG_5625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzuE_Bc0xZipRQMZ8JeB7C0mXoSYHWkjRk-XgMrCfvsVdUqGogQOKJtZwu-E_iWv0QnRGq0UoEN4Ea_hH7R8rsq6TT8Ek5wpnxIG7zXDM-ggrSYf3_d-fpB7I28yik1gQYaMieiRBfLw/s640/IMG_5625.JPG" width="640" /></a><o:p>Twelve hundred years of invasions, fire, flooding, epidemics, and devastating World War II bombings. Still thriving. </o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">G</span>erman</b></h2>
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These are stereotypes, yes. But based in reality. Instead of trying to explain, I think some of the pictures give a better indicator of what I mean/have experienced. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRr3vIo2ATd2sfdWA3QDc3S1qf4VvSAUYy5ahqmT1mjNz_W8DJHo5LNuCToPV0-UROp7iHIn3g3X9GFPIJQXsWPouLunj-x7k8XK9cDdzFjGsAjLYHeAEuL_TBZ7sjD41fVNLyqf_t2sQ/s1600/IMG_2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRr3vIo2ATd2sfdWA3QDc3S1qf4VvSAUYy5ahqmT1mjNz_W8DJHo5LNuCToPV0-UROp7iHIn3g3X9GFPIJQXsWPouLunj-x7k8XK9cDdzFjGsAjLYHeAEuL_TBZ7sjD41fVNLyqf_t2sQ/s320/IMG_2792.JPG" width="174" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Direct</span></b>. "Whoever wears fur, <br />
wears the dead." <br />
PETA would be proud.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8OXWiKGetWi7DhZsQSyYWtsJZu5LVTASQqv0O62IlHC5HZWGaywD4L5kjmojg3h1WbRuRWWobsoi-Mw5l3iNanFYTXKmRp8jwC4J48Qbzw7egZ8HRqMYZR_9zW6HzeqWMvWDclLb2jE/s1600/IMG_1726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8OXWiKGetWi7DhZsQSyYWtsJZu5LVTASQqv0O62IlHC5HZWGaywD4L5kjmojg3h1WbRuRWWobsoi-Mw5l3iNanFYTXKmRp8jwC4J48Qbzw7egZ8HRqMYZR_9zW6HzeqWMvWDclLb2jE/s320/IMG_1726.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Efficient</span></b>. Pre-packaged meals, but fresh. You''ll find<br />
these bundles in most grocery stores. Just <br />
grab and go to make your own soup or stew.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp7wi-2u37KyZA7sg9GVByARNBRkZzItmKzfhOe9-ZZYLQuwu4IWqjIPCbrjqPGJluxUE97S8n-joKg231cyYOpbBEjW_RaqEaStswAEPL15FRMOcBd7UeWS6yMy1AvjPWF_wkGv5E7A/s1600/IMG_5133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp7wi-2u37KyZA7sg9GVByARNBRkZzItmKzfhOe9-ZZYLQuwu4IWqjIPCbrjqPGJluxUE97S8n-joKg231cyYOpbBEjW_RaqEaStswAEPL15FRMOcBd7UeWS6yMy1AvjPWF_wkGv5E7A/s320/IMG_5133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Punctual</span></b>. From March till July we endured ever-changing <br />
mazes like this as the main street near our apartment was torn <br />
up and refurbished. They said it would take 4 months. <br />
They did it in 4 months.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Intellectual</span></b>. Anytime is a good time to learn something new. <br />
So why not add a little history to a street sign so folks <br />
will know a bit about the person for whom the street is named?</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Bureaucratic</span></b>. My mom forwarded me some mail in a padded envelope, which apparently freaked out customs. So I dutifully went down to the harbor with my 4-page letter from customs to possibly pay a fine and pick up my package. </div>
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The office is like the DMV; you check in, get a number, fill out a form, and wait till called. Then you go to the counter to confirm (and in my case open) your package. Thankfully I had no fine to pay, and, getting back to that whole efficiency thing, the entire process took only 20 minutes.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Logical</span></b>. I'm having fun discovering new words, like, <i>Zahnfleisch</i>. It means gums. But its literal translation would be tooth (<i>Zahn</i>) flesh (<i>fleisch</i>). </div>
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Or there's "to hug"--<i>umarmen</i>. <i>Um </i>is around, and <i>Arme</i>, are, well, arms. </div>
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There are challenges to learning German, but you gotta love when it makes so much sense!<br />
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-88626554911002986512016-08-14T20:07:00.001+02:002016-08-14T20:09:40.034+02:00The Little Things: Earth Day Everyday<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I’ll admit it. I was fully prepared to be an eco-snob when we moved to Hamburg from San Francisco. I even thought about donating my kitchen recycling bin in our pre-move reduction of stuff, but took a quick
peek online first. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All of the waste disposal <br />details were cheerily laid <br />out in this 48-page booklet <br />we received in the mail.</span></span></td></tr>
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Turns out I should have gotten a couple more bins.</div>
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The San Francisco Bay Area is great about recycling—glass, plastic, paper, bio waste,
electronics, hazardous household substances, etc. But Germany takes it to a categorical
level. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most public trash cans have a <br />
speech bubble on the outside. <br />
This one says, "I don't want <br />
chocolate, I prefer paper."</td></tr>
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Like San Francisco, most plastic bottles can be returned for refunds, and there are recycling centers for electronics and hazardous materials.<br />
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But here glass bottles are recycled in large public bins, separated by color. And curbside (or binside, in the case of our complex), you separate your paper/cardboard, worthy/valued recycling, mixed trash/recycling, bio waste, and trash for burning.<br />
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It’s a good thing recycling is popular here, because German
companies seem to love using paper. If you sign up for a service (any service) you receive a 2-3
page letter, the first page of which welcomes you and congratulates you on
your wise move. I think I’d like a little more of the directness you get in verbal interactions, and save more paper upfront instead of having to recycle it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh air, fresh flowers--fantastic!</td></tr>
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There are a couple of things that have taken/still take some adjustment. One is the run time for appliances. Saving energy is good, but waiting two
hours for my laundry to dry is annoying.<br />
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Another point of departure is air flow. Coming from the land of vents and ducts and piped-in temperatures, I prefer things here, where I use open windows and fresh air as
regulators instead.<br />
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That’s fine
for me, I’m alone at home during the day. In, say, an open office (or small classroom) full of people, it quickly becomes a stifling
issue to have no circulating air. </div>
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The problem is easily solved when the weather is agreeable and outside noise is at a minimum. But this is Hamburg, which means there's usually construction somewhere and the weather
is changing constantly, making an open window a heavily negotiated option in a group of people.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eat local!</td></tr>
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Speaking of options, we have a great array of fresh produce available to us. There's a lot of farmland around Hamburg, and, in fact, Hamburg and the neighboring state of Schleswig-Holstein share the largest fruit-producing region in central Europe. </div>
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Like the Bay Area, that means a strong commitment to
locally grown food. Unlike the Bay Area, availability is highly seasonal here, and import options are fewer. (<i>Spargel Saison</i>--asparagus season--is a cultural phenomenon. Really. There should be a movie about it.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCZLzx5uJe-Wg9Ew0icTDL1yL3_3Hktm_eYF-wNN9u9STWPUbCrV0bBiHJCL2eaYsrwgt7BvluZrKBjPcbSLZnNNOvlRk6Ygo5wcJCvOHmK139BR-hGOTtoXgShVgLieiPM_dGWUKKgg/s1600/IMG_2237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCZLzx5uJe-Wg9Ew0icTDL1yL3_3Hktm_eYF-wNN9u9STWPUbCrV0bBiHJCL2eaYsrwgt7BvluZrKBjPcbSLZnNNOvlRk6Ygo5wcJCvOHmK139BR-hGOTtoXgShVgLieiPM_dGWUKKgg/s320/IMG_2237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
And that focus on local productive lands leads me to the <i>Gartenverein / Schrebergärten/ Kleingärten (</i>garden
club) culture. The concept is similar to the community garden plots in San
Francisco, but the execution is quite different. </div>
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First off, these are plots of
land big enough to place a small house on. Which makes them more like miniature estates. And together they take up significant chunks of geography
around the city. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sfQ7P8dpqv5fMog1QyIHXNVY2mlcL7bWxRK6969b1fbNOZvGhC_B-9be0rE-J5wcbwFwkDJXufk4A81azN7kEuoRhfE2vodxUngWCe8jQUd8Y0XP7ZWBAYC3XRGpx_I1Q8sT_8FRyEA/s1600/IMG_2335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sfQ7P8dpqv5fMog1QyIHXNVY2mlcL7bWxRK6969b1fbNOZvGhC_B-9be0rE-J5wcbwFwkDJXufk4A81azN7kEuoRhfE2vodxUngWCe8jQUd8Y0XP7ZWBAYC3XRGpx_I1Q8sT_8FRyEA/s320/IMG_2335.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
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It’s amazing to walk through the alleys of these areas to see the different
approaches to gardening (traditional lawns, rock gardens, flower fields, fruit trees and veggies) and the houses, ranging from one-room weekend shacks to
two-story domiciles. </div>
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Of course, few things these days are without their political aspects, and even these garden plots <a href="http://www.thelocal.de/20160630/berlin-garden-group-wants-no-more-turks-schrebergarten-small-gardens-discrimination" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">are no exception</span></b></a>. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But I'm happy that I've been repeatedly disabused of any notion of life in Hamburg as a step back on a green path. It's one more way the city is familiar, even if the particulars are different.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpW2Y7XDzaxK7ojOZFG1kUHFKqojmxnpgS_xxKrIHSMw3OwV-3fk9uPlTCQOs53WrUWQONJwh4MVzNn-_2mzlkZjPv2nfDU1WKZYRMLnmI8h-nI-9_xiQmb1GKeBsb7hzmsZjl1D4sBvA/s1600/IMG_5314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpW2Y7XDzaxK7ojOZFG1kUHFKqojmxnpgS_xxKrIHSMw3OwV-3fk9uPlTCQOs53WrUWQONJwh4MVzNn-_2mzlkZjPv2nfDU1WKZYRMLnmI8h-nI-9_xiQmb1GKeBsb7hzmsZjl1D4sBvA/s640/IMG_5314.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see this banner every time I ride the bus. Since me riding my bike would frustrate most "real" cyclists, <br />
I figure using public transportation still counts as doing my earth-friendly duty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiqvTP8UZtgDFjkd-WQwZJrPQTApZEdbOJ8tkO6EHEr3shHUINSdikIlxtrkJ4jL-xPpWdj92bl6UFPMLRP4BI79b0MVyMR5kUM-DBI8bLZbZ3yD_T3c0Ip5cFhYQYPh9glGKADAktyY/s1600/IMG_2410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiqvTP8UZtgDFjkd-WQwZJrPQTApZEdbOJ8tkO6EHEr3shHUINSdikIlxtrkJ4jL-xPpWdj92bl6UFPMLRP4BI79b0MVyMR5kUM-DBI8bLZbZ3yD_T3c0Ip5cFhYQYPh9glGKADAktyY/s640/IMG_2410.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor art installation of plants in front of a panoramic of downtown Hamburg</td></tr>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-17462198775227872482016-08-06T11:23:00.002+02:002016-08-06T11:23:16.636+02:00The Little Things: Stopping to Smell the Roses (and Drink the Beer)<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCiGhaI_oWaRoV7RuDi6LQk8IQDuRLKb63mzBpORA7M1yAVNdL7BNakUwL5vdYII1P_kLDLd-dm6DztJ8JlGrbb_gIGtck8k6vkSEBepon2nAjcM_g8pnjay-8k6z6KGssPFnQqUxY68/s1600/IMG_0974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCiGhaI_oWaRoV7RuDi6LQk8IQDuRLKb63mzBpORA7M1yAVNdL7BNakUwL5vdYII1P_kLDLd-dm6DztJ8JlGrbb_gIGtck8k6vkSEBepon2nAjcM_g8pnjay-8k6z6KGssPFnQqUxY68/s320/IMG_0974.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing wall on the outside of your house? <br />
Sure thing!</td></tr>
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Although a lot of people think of Germans as reserved, when it’s time to relax and have fun, they excel.<br />
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Exercise, travel, and passionate commitment to sports aside, I've also noticed a few things in the day-to-day here that remind me to enjoy life!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEwN3N5fILeJcjIMuksIEXyttd2CClOHfgYh7Vjw_Qd9oNt3VX5l-sshsrnP9ClhMF4G-ERmqyFXK9VqPUT84jab50SuTQ4bCGFBMCZI0hBeKXzcPnyT9rO_f19S0Vu_oHdvbEafFXbg/s1600/IMG_1943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEwN3N5fILeJcjIMuksIEXyttd2CClOHfgYh7Vjw_Qd9oNt3VX5l-sshsrnP9ClhMF4G-ERmqyFXK9VqPUT84jab50SuTQ4bCGFBMCZI0hBeKXzcPnyT9rO_f19S0Vu_oHdvbEafFXbg/s320/IMG_1943.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why not have a little fun with directions to the bathroom? <br />
No words needed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWNlSskqEE8ZXVce_WfRRHEO2SxBHtgCsEeNYdkYbirElQg4AwEFU_LgbfyhVJnD-j86PgtZkFdW4hwYIpr2FFxTkZzkGVcbYgk6g8lRJ_h87jER84jNNcDqvlG4mRO-20jgKqlQnrNw/s1600/IMG_2281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWNlSskqEE8ZXVce_WfRRHEO2SxBHtgCsEeNYdkYbirElQg4AwEFU_LgbfyhVJnD-j86PgtZkFdW4hwYIpr2FFxTkZzkGVcbYgk6g8lRJ_h87jER84jNNcDqvlG4mRO-20jgKqlQnrNw/s320/IMG_2281.JPG" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Condiments are usually bottom-shelf items <br />
in the grocery store...</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-nB75WTP3g62mpMl0GczfxLAyZpQfNVzuYu5aW8IQo5M9qeLb64s7ZMTIvgId-NmFydazcnhvQ6bWRoG-rLu8spgUmgxW3pHtdW2dk01P26ZteVhZ7uMKamifWVqm5_7lY-bouZ0G60/s1600/IMG_2282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-nB75WTP3g62mpMl0GczfxLAyZpQfNVzuYu5aW8IQo5M9qeLb64s7ZMTIvgId-NmFydazcnhvQ6bWRoG-rLu8spgUmgxW3pHtdW2dk01P26ZteVhZ7uMKamifWVqm5_7lY-bouZ0G60/s200/IMG_2282.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...because apparently you can't have too much!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zsUA1UXu8R2FFhvy9VNc3wMkJ8VRwcA26hsi9KQpRdS1GH9_lf95u03gminZfkYztJte3-BWD-5w2xo5l_gvIG4IFHaI_fNHIfzLvsZAEEZhMsqrSrtBIqruZfB-66gmLg3VyQyRj6s/s400/IMG_5471.JPG" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A summer sale on small barbecues. Go to most gas stations and you'll<br />
find cheap foil versions that look like a small turkey basting pan with a flimsy <br />
mesh top. After nice-weather weekends you see mountains of those in the <br />
park, piled up next to the trash cans.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0gNnmIbiciegrRjIEr9AkNaYVcIt3uwBDP7j5H-lG8YYbjoRSjrn-lC7Ng2X2PgYQRVGkooEyrMmdDq1K7q1t_ExwlrCHhfgyHlC-tNSzPRrjMCiUj5FBEo5_-Cy47s9fVipojerQ7g/s1600/live-sound-microphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0gNnmIbiciegrRjIEr9AkNaYVcIt3uwBDP7j5H-lG8YYbjoRSjrn-lC7Ng2X2PgYQRVGkooEyrMmdDq1K7q1t_ExwlrCHhfgyHlC-tNSzPRrjMCiUj5FBEo5_-Cy47s9fVipojerQ7g/s200/live-sound-microphone.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The U.N. should seriously </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">consider </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">karaoke as an </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">ice-breaker. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">In the past 11 months </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">we've </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">done </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">karaoke </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">a few times in a club,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">in the back room of a bar, </span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">and in a sound studio in </span></div>
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Larry's office.</div>
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My favorite of these outings:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Listening to a German woman</div>
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sing American big band</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tunes from the 1940s.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhDISi0MpvzjAFalNmQ84fyGq1NQWoEhMqJdY1py5Ss3W7nmr8R3f-AZwYMddlEsLy-tAj3m243TQ0mpGmql3X0SOFkuXdarxxSVtUrjQkp31Ji2s0709yX0K6OQ7DDNg8WV7OcumApQ/s1600/IMG_5267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhDISi0MpvzjAFalNmQ84fyGq1NQWoEhMqJdY1py5Ss3W7nmr8R3f-AZwYMddlEsLy-tAj3m243TQ0mpGmql3X0SOFkuXdarxxSVtUrjQkp31Ji2s0709yX0K6OQ7DDNg8WV7OcumApQ/s400/IMG_5267.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uptight? More like outta sight! This was at the <i>Schlagermove </i>event <br />
a couple of weeks ago, advertised as "a festival of love."</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwyNb8d1sbwV3s40deF19VBR9wN-EVOMdT0QuvbwptmEgntRSzJkzBn_Cyw7BJ6FCptUmk9-Ldc3ZP-eDWG5Gm6c7zlyIJHDPrkottl1S8vhTAq0OwC6j138DEIukPb3oQaGBu7wg3Cc/s1600/IMG_5481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQEqrjuDPngf3DP6u_faL_EQ_v_ZtZMtNrU-y8M17Es6RxmwtM49CweN7ZWfHjvTOwXug-QEp-gVkv9FQ7QHcOURnWSada8Ylah8VEcOeZo8kYWdoVg6Y6rtz8YMO2jNm-ZMB5hKr_G8/s1600/IMG_3163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQEqrjuDPngf3DP6u_faL_EQ_v_ZtZMtNrU-y8M17Es6RxmwtM49CweN7ZWfHjvTOwXug-QEp-gVkv9FQ7QHcOURnWSada8Ylah8VEcOeZo8kYWdoVg6Y6rtz8YMO2jNm-ZMB5hKr_G8/s200/IMG_3163.JPG" width="162" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwyNb8d1sbwV3s40deF19VBR9wN-EVOMdT0QuvbwptmEgntRSzJkzBn_Cyw7BJ6FCptUmk9-Ldc3ZP-eDWG5Gm6c7zlyIJHDPrkottl1S8vhTAq0OwC6j138DEIukPb3oQaGBu7wg3Cc/s320/IMG_5481.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="207" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />This one always gets me grinning. Most vendors wrap fresh flowers in paper. Great present to open!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwyNb8d1sbwV3s40deF19VBR9wN-EVOMdT0QuvbwptmEgntRSzJkzBn_Cyw7BJ6FCptUmk9-Ldc3ZP-eDWG5Gm6c7zlyIJHDPrkottl1S8vhTAq0OwC6j138DEIukPb3oQaGBu7wg3Cc/s1600/IMG_5481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNDiCZebOHneZYkvvm0XIvwDtSD3CVgk-V0h7qFJFJIcsuhBprptnD3HiODjVuV1_2aDNkMZE21mjHENatE9ol7ArnzQ0eedeUUH4jRVQQxF0xEtimzdSdedPq4Q2vSNx2Hkzm5yKXK4/s1600/IMG_5417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNDiCZebOHneZYkvvm0XIvwDtSD3CVgk-V0h7qFJFJIcsuhBprptnD3HiODjVuV1_2aDNkMZE21mjHENatE9ol7ArnzQ0eedeUUH4jRVQQxF0xEtimzdSdedPq4Q2vSNx2Hkzm5yKXK4/s640/IMG_5417.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we're on the subject of flowers, I resolved when we moved here to actually make time to stop and smell the roses.<br />
With so many fantastic gardens around--from sidewalk strips to garden club plots to formal garden parks--there's<br />
no shortage of beautiful spots to feed my resolution!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GvrjwN9lFOBbPfelQYz4ajHMLWDOwJFcBW750NUu5Vxo4dEeX_89txxt3BYABh7C0916llYDY7eYoFNxBmOUd4nwf_PQ46pSK5NofNpLY6CrZWcU-Osg1zQSCFFE8N3yt-HaocEB4F4/s1600/Weltenburg_pretzel+beer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GvrjwN9lFOBbPfelQYz4ajHMLWDOwJFcBW750NUu5Vxo4dEeX_89txxt3BYABh7C0916llYDY7eYoFNxBmOUd4nwf_PQ46pSK5NofNpLY6CrZWcU-Osg1zQSCFFE8N3yt-HaocEB4F4/s320/Weltenburg_pretzel+beer.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Prost</i>! <a href="http://www.thelocal.de/20160805/times-germans-proved-they-really-really-love-beer" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Anytime is a good time to relax </span></b></a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.thelocal.de/20160805/times-germans-proved-they-really-really-love-beer" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">with a beer</span></b></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That includes cafes in parks, museums,</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">other cultural attractions.</span></div>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-18758053587727264192016-07-30T07:53:00.001+02:002016-07-30T07:53:45.902+02:00Politics Unusual<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” --Dalai
Lama</span></blockquote>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NUcIxp6unL1KXf-5y5_CCTKprOV4cFi__XrragNgdb62iShdXu8UpzRDUvfah6plGRC7X-B6Jya4fcf06WVc8ZOnMRcWz4AzJ0Ykq0OAdNMWT54MRWnCf0NMCc8JT8_M_jxX6XGrQ7c/s1600/American-Flag-iphone-Computer-Wallpapers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NUcIxp6unL1KXf-5y5_CCTKprOV4cFi__XrragNgdb62iShdXu8UpzRDUvfah6plGRC7X-B6Jya4fcf06WVc8ZOnMRcWz4AzJ0Ykq0OAdNMWT54MRWnCf0NMCc8JT8_M_jxX6XGrQ7c/s320/American-Flag-iphone-Computer-Wallpapers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy
<a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/friendshipday/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">International Day of Friendship</span></b></a>. Given the tone of this year's election so far, it seems unlikely our would-be national leaders will be celebrating this today.<span style="font-size: x-small;">*</span> They’re probably also not going to lead by example on “Bring Your Manners to Work Day” in September or “Do Something Nice Day” in
October.<br />
<br />
And the ever-timely “Golden Rule” seems to have long flown out the
window.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ugliness
in politics is not unusual. What’s unusual for me is the fact that I’m writing
this post at all. I'm passionate about individual issues. Politics in general
is a science that has never held any appeal for me. But the incredibly base
nature of this year’s presidential race has filled me with such a sense of disgust
that I decided to say something.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a million miles away, in shock, and at the same time, not distanced enough. People over here mention our presidential race with sympathy. As personally embarrassing as
it is to me, it affects them, too. America is a major player on the world
stage. And right now it feels like we’re standing up there drunk, disheveled, and flailing
about for our next line.<br />
<br />
I have some small hope that as we move past the conventions, our official nominees will look beyond personal jabs to address the bigger picture. Unfortunately, I just don't think that's possible for the Republicans.</div>
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So here’s
the part where I talk about Donald Trump. To put it mildly, I am not a fan. In
fact, I haven’t felt this much shame since Arnold, the porn star, and what
seemed like a third of the state ran for California governor in 2003.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having a free election does not equate to having a free-for-all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, Trump
is the poster child for “prevaricate.” It’s a word that’s not used often
enough, but he seems to be a master of it. And when he’s called out on his exaggerations, innuendos, or outright untruths--like any insecure and unqualified individual--he goes on the
offensive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'll be generous and say his lack
of civility is subterfuge, designed to distract us
from very real problems. Like his political platform, which appears to be a
celebration of subjugation and dehumanization. Rather than engaging in discourse with his detractors, he blocks their access or bullies them. No wonder he’s been compared to the
most distasteful dictators of the past.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is
not to say I’m all in for Hillary Clinton. I admire her personal and
professional strength, but I'm still waiting to be inspired. In light of Trump’s divisive agenda, she has a responsibility
to <span style="background-color: white;">remind everyone that America was built on the backs of diverse peoples who worked hard to make it so, not the cretins who sit back,
put their feet up, and conveniently forget how it all came to be.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking
of forgetting history, Trump and his supporters keep talking about returning
our country to greatness and oppressing, expelling, or turning away those who are different. Different than whom? Trump’s grandfather came here in 1885. There are a lot of
us darker Americans--particularly <b>Native Americans</b>--who were here long before then. <i>Guess we should have built
a wall.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I truly believe Trump
wants us to be fearful and ignorant and keep to ourselves. He’s like the
abusive boyfriend trying to isolate us from the independent thinking that would
liberate us. And if that weren’t enough, he’s encouraging internal unrest. What
kind of leader who loves his country as much as he professes to love America, actively
works to fracture it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At least Clinton isn't courting hate-mongers to gain support so she can use America up at her own whim and then
toss us in the Goodwill bin. I think Trump sees us as his personal plaything
that he’ll become bored with when it doesn’t do what he wants, when he wants.
Then where will we be? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sad
thing is the rhetoric isn’t even in full force yet. When it comes time for the
debates, are we going to get more bombastic theatre, or an intelligent
examination of the issues? Right now everything is set out in shades of black vs.
white, good vs. evil, us vs. them. But life is lived in shades of gray, not
absolutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To both
parties, I ask: Is this the example of leadership you want to set? Is this the
legacy you want to leave for the children of America? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is
the road to infamy, not greatness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, getting
back to the kindness quoted at the beginning. It would be wonderfully <i>kind</i> of my fellow voters to let productive
purpose, decency, and some light of humanity prevail in the November elections.
Don’t embrace dogma to the exclusion of your reason and your
heart. <b><span style="color: #990000;">Don’t be less than who you are. </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we
don’t demand respectful consideration of everyone who has
contributed to make the U.S. the envy of other nations, then Trump & Co.
will be returning us to “greatness” by establishing the most openly hateful,
dismal period American history has seen for more than 100 years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>#AmericanUnityNotEnmity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*for
the record, I am not naive enough to think that actual friendship applies to politicians
opposing each other in a race. If they’re so intent on putting on a show to
garner attention, however, how about modelling some <b>friendly</b> behavior and stop being so gauche?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-52737704228996744012016-07-26T16:12:00.001+02:002016-07-26T16:12:28.256+02:00Tying Up Some Loose Ends<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I debated the end of this
blog--whether or not to do it, when to do it, etc.--and decided to stick to my
original one-year plan. Today we’re one month out from that auspicious date (!)
so I thought I would go back to some things I mentioned in </span></span><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2015/08/things-i-will-miss-about-san-francisco.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">an early post</span></a> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">and see
where they stand:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtgStJWExTzH_g3naKshrnYRtspT56aFcGaayk3xzgD1uVRYVkOB9QMZCuDMEKRkMWLeni3RBQ6uP1VOpkKFlWaN4mz3onsKXZuLQnlIOlvgjxDfZ1Ot3P7GA25KVq5lH7j4Ii7tvhZM/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtgStJWExTzH_g3naKshrnYRtspT56aFcGaayk3xzgD1uVRYVkOB9QMZCuDMEKRkMWLeni3RBQ6uP1VOpkKFlWaN4mz3onsKXZuLQnlIOlvgjxDfZ1Ot3P7GA25KVq5lH7j4Ii7tvhZM/s200/IMG_1712.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-indent: -24px;">And there are </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-indent: -24px;">"party tacos"<br />for </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-indent: -24px;">making nachos!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Food</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. As you might expect, street </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">food
here is </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">bratwurst</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> and </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">pommes frites</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. I have eaten (and will continue to eat) my yummy share of those, but sometimes I crave my San Francisco Mission neighborhood favorites--tortillas filled with seasoned, meaty goodness. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I've heard rumors of a good burrito place a short distance from our apartment, but have yet to check it out. In the meantime, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I’ve found tortillas to make my own burritos and
enchiladas, and I’ve learned how to make a pretty mean empanada from scratch.</span><br />
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></b>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 11pt;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></span></b></div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></b>
<div style="font-size: 11pt;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></b><br /></span></b>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
</div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Weather</span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. I didn’t expect Hamburg to come close to San Francisco
weather-wise, but I also didn’t expect it to surpass it in extremes. The Bay
Area is infamous for its many microclimates. Hamburg has only one: uncertainty. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxy3hWGceOa08j0neM8CK352OXAHbpYSKJmRTygP3743_cjcUGvhabD1vsuVns3Fm9589K3XQIz_jdiY1PzubzCG3yzhxZ1XJ_U3ftm2HxugOkoFvi4r0OyjokBtMn-OX0I8fq0FPye4/s1600/IMG_2206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxy3hWGceOa08j0neM8CK352OXAHbpYSKJmRTygP3743_cjcUGvhabD1vsuVns3Fm9589K3XQIz_jdiY1PzubzCG3yzhxZ1XJ_U3ftm2HxugOkoFvi4r0OyjokBtMn-OX0I8fq0FPye4/s200/IMG_2206.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Those
dreams of leaving layers behind were just that—dreams. (Although layers here
usually mean including some form of rain protection.) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">When the weather changes
literally every hour, you just have to go with the flow. A lot of times people
don’t even bother with umbrellas, because in the next hour it could very well be warm and sunny again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">It's been a good test of adaptability, especially for someone as fond of pre-planning as I am.</span></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Views</span></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. I love Hamburg’s beautiful architecture and blend of urban and protected landscapes. Attractive downtown, lakes, river, beaches, fertile farmland, nature preserves and parks--I can easily see how it earned a <a href="http://www.thelocal.de/20150911/hamburg-takes-crown-as-germans-fave-city" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Germany's favorite city</span></b></a> title last year.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e0kTM_heFwvLYsMbqZ2LcfGzT84fk4UMbaayUhkcc4uhzHcSzh47vh7BOnz-IxsBBYdT5iGyHqgJY7HNjJPrUhf0VkXYDlcavx-7geu4rW-Ajpv-hH1OirIKYpi1jksRvL4OwShanUg/s640/IMG_5203.JPG" width="640" /><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Craigslist</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. Again, as I expected from
some state-side exploration, Craigslist is just not as popular here. Thankfully,
given our current lack of storage, our acquisitions have been minimal, and have
come easily enough through word-of-mouth, flea markets, or Amazon.de.</span></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS9_2aNEktjEeqS83dipzO7QTUit9JECCrFz-2vWDAxg64dY51u_ExNiicHh8tySQ8KjNWamHAUWsrtZzelQklWJqemzZGbU4fMcszggwecmbjpCzLLCXfBUa181lgNK70Sl2qxBm6LY/s1600/IMG_2076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS9_2aNEktjEeqS83dipzO7QTUit9JECCrFz-2vWDAxg64dY51u_ExNiicHh8tySQ8KjNWamHAUWsrtZzelQklWJqemzZGbU4fMcszggwecmbjpCzLLCXfBUa181lgNK70Sl2qxBm6LY/s200/IMG_2076.JPG" width="127" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that is a friendly <br />
neighborhood cigarette-<br />
dispensing machine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Smoking</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. I don’t want to say I’ve gotten used to it, but I no
longer whip my head around to see who’s lighting up (because in reality, there
are usually more of them than me). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">And I actually find it intriguing to watch
the whole cigarette-rolling process, complete with specialty pouches for
supplies, and carefully timed breaks during the rhythm of a restaurant meal. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">My most memorable smoking-related moment to date? Watching a man in a
three-piece suit pushing a baby carriage while smoking.</span></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
<div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmoc_qTHeXB5IdTPmvbiYZVMhnKA3c4GPG9P5JlBToNEXWc7EO7GgHWz2llAM6q5YvSPnu8P6N7sqfjlg7HiM2-eyMmIKt9jNUdl1i6f0snOSkF34wMCTfIGOT9kUg7aXy7rSVRiDC6k/s1600/Food+Tasting+Tour+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmoc_qTHeXB5IdTPmvbiYZVMhnKA3c4GPG9P5JlBToNEXWc7EO7GgHWz2llAM6q5YvSPnu8P6N7sqfjlg7HiM2-eyMmIKt9jNUdl1i6f0snOSkF34wMCTfIGOT9kUg7aXy7rSVRiDC6k/s200/Food+Tasting+Tour+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGV31udBRODKfIbhntI9uK9h1XgoWn_32_B5XKQ89yjBs63lu0Hx5QvvJMg_OIIftBLE6ZUoXg4s9LqzEPCfhhzfArOEmGMt_dW_rShyL_L6aw7ihEBwzU28dlTDjJNCMHyE1-zrRG98/s1600/IMG_3136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGV31udBRODKfIbhntI9uK9h1XgoWn_32_B5XKQ89yjBs63lu0Hx5QvvJMg_OIIftBLE6ZUoXg4s9LqzEPCfhhzfArOEmGMt_dW_rShyL_L6aw7ihEBwzU28dlTDjJNCMHyE1-zrRG98/s200/IMG_3136.JPG" width="200" /></a><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Friends</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. The hardest part of being overseas has been the distance
from family and friends. When you’re used to your support network being a phone
call, a text, a desk, or an ultimate frisbee tournament away, it’s tough when
you find yourself far away with new obstacles to overcome (<a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/the-little-things-internet.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Internet connections</span></b></a>, phone plans, time zone differences, etc.). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">And it's particularly distressing when things go wrong. In the past year one of my friends passed away, and two of my dearest friends have been battling breast cancer. Being closer wouldn’t have given me anymore power, but I don’t think I would have felt as powerless. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Despite the lack of office mates and some language differences, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I have found a small circle here, and continue
to try new things to meet new people. I've even made some inroads cracking some of these tough northern German exteriors, because
I already know from experience what incredibly funny, warm people you'll find inside.</span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So even though I know it’s
time, it’s tough to think about bringing this virtual part of my journey to an
end. I keep thinking of little things I haven't shared, because they're becoming so much part of my new normal. But over the next several weeks, I’ll do a few final observational posts on some
of the differences I’ve noticed while living in Hamburg for the past year.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-25696754530934189972016-07-22T10:25:00.001+02:002016-07-22T10:25:53.614+02:00On the GO in Hamburg<div class="MsoNormal">
I talked about nostalgia in <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/07/the-art-of-brick.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>my last post</b></span></a>, but I
didn’t actually pay much attention to Pokémon when it was wildly popular 20 years ago. I don’t know any of
the characters, or really anything about their world. Now the franchise has had a resurgence through Pokémon Go, and when I saw last week that Germany was
the first <i>official</i> launch site in Europe, I thought, why not have a little fun?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJalFifrkdxZ36Ya_0fgHEyoSFhyphenhyphenAOhfds9ADrwC4t3mdzgIdyTnYqSxU7VNMHwwyh4s_yGWhOpghEvFRa6uw4prerQvQL7psAGUzerbUYmt40EINs5gGVzXPT8UtYePOsD9L4Flfu-M/s1600/IMG_5218.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJalFifrkdxZ36Ya_0fgHEyoSFhyphenhyphenAOhfds9ADrwC4t3mdzgIdyTnYqSxU7VNMHwwyh4s_yGWhOpghEvFRa6uw4prerQvQL7psAGUzerbUYmt40EINs5gGVzXPT8UtYePOsD9L4Flfu-M/s200/IMG_5218.PNG" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmm. Looks like I've acquired <br />
<b>two </b>writing partners.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike
others seized by Pokémon madness, I did not fall in a pond, discover a corpse,
get banned from a zoo, or traipse over sacred memorials in my efforts. In the
beginning I did have the same issues with server overloads, meaning the best
time for me to search was in the mornings, while most of the U.S. was asleep. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7tkgKj2gs_WWxiAGmv_b97V2B0WuTms1p3Bi1mjG0IDY2UI60hiRkEzfDHNkrGAi-V3Jg7xNoyW0lwiRr-8LKhimYs2EvMsauTtqTchWGwRqeZ9gNX_wj_iHGaUu_IZeGWQd9AiiGUY/s1600/IMG_5336.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7tkgKj2gs_WWxiAGmv_b97V2B0WuTms1p3Bi1mjG0IDY2UI60hiRkEzfDHNkrGAi-V3Jg7xNoyW0lwiRr-8LKhimYs2EvMsauTtqTchWGwRqeZ9gNX_wj_iHGaUu_IZeGWQd9AiiGUY/s200/IMG_5336.PNG" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure this little guy <br />
understands the usual relationship <br />
between cats and birds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’ve
seen others here in Hamburg who I suspect are also looking for Pokémon, and
the Hamburg police recently issued <a href="https://web.facebook.com/polizeihamburg/photos/a.1401912723402451.1073741828.1390767804516943/1702684206658633/?type=3" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">six “rules”</span></a> to follow while playing—things that would have been common sense B.P.G. (Before Pokémon Go), e.g., respect special places and private homes, beware of dark
and potentially dangerous places, don’t play while riding a bike or driving,
etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After
a week of hunting and capturing these little creatures, I can see how
consuming it can be. So here are a few snapshots of Pokémon hanging around
Hamburg, and I'm going to go delete this app from my phone before it's too late... ;)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZaJQaEygO-WNCJtEfaHzT68hOg50M5vg_iSIthGH1313ktlU8XCA-GOHkbyivHkRmmsG-7pU9Tc5UVL8hV7pSoB6zfxlLmticsSrMR9rfPTrDRF14bC3Wjy8GMyqChyTiIWWGR073IQ/s1600/IMG_5303.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZaJQaEygO-WNCJtEfaHzT68hOg50M5vg_iSIthGH1313ktlU8XCA-GOHkbyivHkRmmsG-7pU9Tc5UVL8hV7pSoB6zfxlLmticsSrMR9rfPTrDRF14bC3Wjy8GMyqChyTiIWWGR073IQ/s640/IMG_5303.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">This slightly scary fellow was hanging out, appropriately enough, <br />
near the <b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Uebel und Gefährlich</span></i> </a></b>(evil & dangerous) bunker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY_Qb3hGN3n95SgJYURszLS5RJHERtp10wKR1bqL8c0UaY2M278dlFPGLMwmu-FG0aJwWQGfX6o2eBa2qQvdIrtuMsFsY-q2V2zJn8ZidaYXQoPZ8aeOlmaY637aAB1al1lkksuYvB1A/s1600/IMG_5283.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY_Qb3hGN3n95SgJYURszLS5RJHERtp10wKR1bqL8c0UaY2M278dlFPGLMwmu-FG0aJwWQGfX6o2eBa2qQvdIrtuMsFsY-q2V2zJn8ZidaYXQoPZ8aeOlmaY637aAB1al1lkksuYvB1A/s320/IMG_5283.PNG" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking of nature,<br />I found this interesting<br />fellow at the <i>Planten<br />und Blomen </i>park near<br />downtown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXWaBVhBk_3G_uJumtAT-IuwjW0fXcv4SkXgM4VuFnM5QXsh1ShYdLc1ATTvXULODlJ9_yb19sDHItYqNqnqHhH-sOw98wZkBZdPDbMsMrQ-o-GMqmtRIy7DWt5SpXB6DSeKosMjiT-U/s1600/IMG_5316.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXWaBVhBk_3G_uJumtAT-IuwjW0fXcv4SkXgM4VuFnM5QXsh1ShYdLc1ATTvXULODlJ9_yb19sDHItYqNqnqHhH-sOw98wZkBZdPDbMsMrQ-o-GMqmtRIy7DWt5SpXB6DSeKosMjiT-U/s320/IMG_5316.PNG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good thing about the wetter, cooler weather <br />in Hamburg: a longer blooming season. I guess that's <br />what's captured this guy's fancy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw-HnCR0saj2Di3cSpkwJT8jymMVsdSvJtDySbF2ByvZQvxKxHen9tiGz03e374ioJ5VX78W1LjN-pYldVa9yzZwxMmW-Bqwi__dhryyCo3lxThjAiUbovgu4KdljiKWcKzKibbc1YbA/s1600/IMG_5342.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw-HnCR0saj2Di3cSpkwJT8jymMVsdSvJtDySbF2ByvZQvxKxHen9tiGz03e374ioJ5VX78W1LjN-pYldVa9yzZwxMmW-Bqwi__dhryyCo3lxThjAiUbovgu4KdljiKWcKzKibbc1YbA/s400/IMG_5342.PNG" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
A gold star for the</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Rickmer-Rickmers Museum on the Elbe.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAo6a58w43gTlGMBUz8K_rs0N14I2ZhOl3Q9lyihnXnTQ55824henVU2f31dWN7WTxlgQwifeYZAjAnK2TBVSNBzzimDqbrWzyg7MWzw_v9DupAD1wdaT5YYDtVb-swL-SCZw2xXsoKhk/s1600/IMG_5357.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAo6a58w43gTlGMBUz8K_rs0N14I2ZhOl3Q9lyihnXnTQ55824henVU2f31dWN7WTxlgQwifeYZAjAnK2TBVSNBzzimDqbrWzyg7MWzw_v9DupAD1wdaT5YYDtVb-swL-SCZw2xXsoKhk/s400/IMG_5357.PNG" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">
I know the top of the <i>Elbphilharmonie </i></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">
looks a bit like an aquarium,</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">
but this little lady is out of luck.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-GUqI0FyoseBSQBMvwLZoUXm5cKoY5zi41sr1dXo_VOOat3t7rvHQVPWS_SfVgDRM8wEwbbFqtJ3fFIUEpKXxlkRQxx_0vcTBnaVPK0UgflrvGVpfj42RMbRynM7B9NEt6aQ-vKeztI/s1600/IMG_5313.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-GUqI0FyoseBSQBMvwLZoUXm5cKoY5zi41sr1dXo_VOOat3t7rvHQVPWS_SfVgDRM8wEwbbFqtJ3fFIUEpKXxlkRQxx_0vcTBnaVPK0UgflrvGVpfj42RMbRynM7B9NEt6aQ-vKeztI/s320/IMG_5313.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Able to cruise around the Alster lakes under its own power...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe8uG4burx1em0NCZrA38bIYS8mM46Xd5OEKrIcfeijFF4_Z-78C69sXdF0q4HxF9ktFKY7e1BJCOyF7NsUukH9hgGQzzWtU9Feg2S03CVlTjrmiwJqZuCbFp2u0YncazTNM1ldHWCio/s1600/IMG_5310.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe8uG4burx1em0NCZrA38bIYS8mM46Xd5OEKrIcfeijFF4_Z-78C69sXdF0q4HxF9ktFKY7e1BJCOyF7NsUukH9hgGQzzWtU9Feg2S03CVlTjrmiwJqZuCbFp2u0YncazTNM1ldHWCio/s200/IMG_5310.PNG" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...taking the luxury cruise option</td></tr>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft728BCggG3MoFfYaAT5HFW95bHMD3ZRms6H6dRfzRhtq5_dVKAue2HaMdVr2fuA1fxCv1GXa8XbtobHle4dQxZ-6QOyxuVR6_8CD2-ITcajKMhMlUtZocfBEcJstWMZQEcoctz_NwsQ/s1600/IMG_5359.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft728BCggG3MoFfYaAT5HFW95bHMD3ZRms6H6dRfzRhtq5_dVKAue2HaMdVr2fuA1fxCv1GXa8XbtobHle4dQxZ-6QOyxuVR6_8CD2-ITcajKMhMlUtZocfBEcJstWMZQEcoctz_NwsQ/s400/IMG_5359.PNG" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurray! The <i>Speicherstadt </i>is one of<br />
my favorite parts of the city, too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFwFk_nGDVEe97kLI0gHEivvSgvxOJTE1Uj6DNpMQdnR4AJOUZ0fuYsoUhvoENIwfvZZR4o_sU3o03r9Lab3JqC9nwqJuEEQwn5DdRG0e3hL2VRDnqoyrmS_ubnYlDGDsPEvXKGKhais/s1600/IMG_5328.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFwFk_nGDVEe97kLI0gHEivvSgvxOJTE1Uj6DNpMQdnR4AJOUZ0fuYsoUhvoENIwfvZZR4o_sU3o03r9Lab3JqC9nwqJuEEQwn5DdRG0e3hL2VRDnqoyrmS_ubnYlDGDsPEvXKGKhais/s320/IMG_5328.PNG" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this literal fish-out-of-water <br />
on my afternoon bus ride.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcieQrYpFbUdrdHRVYi-VTpE-J2xBpys_-tqXR_6uEa9u5n55NRCDkjXZRPPYevVgMrO9MxWRxXKWAY2GzHvzjMo9NCp73rumvh-wbjdSncmJLddLnnzqRbBkEqQNNKxRt905oCLv8b8/s1600/IMG_5325.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcieQrYpFbUdrdHRVYi-VTpE-J2xBpys_-tqXR_6uEa9u5n55NRCDkjXZRPPYevVgMrO9MxWRxXKWAY2GzHvzjMo9NCp73rumvh-wbjdSncmJLddLnnzqRbBkEqQNNKxRt905oCLv8b8/s320/IMG_5325.PNG" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a nice day at the <i>Rathaus</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma5-PG3Zf8gLg_IH_Mt1J8T111Od9La1bh60kFBZezOuMElBrd74vyrptTINIGpi5zbU3xhuh4hSvixGQYjIZG0oLrw8do7zAyRTC_Thlgftt83l_Q51EkaIsQ3y0h_nfKf4mgVyx7PM/s1600/IMG_5298.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma5-PG3Zf8gLg_IH_Mt1J8T111Od9La1bh60kFBZezOuMElBrd74vyrptTINIGpi5zbU3xhuh4hSvixGQYjIZG0oLrw8do7zAyRTC_Thlgftt83l_Q51EkaIsQ3y0h_nfKf4mgVyx7PM/s320/IMG_5298.PNG" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, the sights you see along the infamous <i>Reeperbahn</i>!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAO50TviOY7mYsiGdCXEI9-siTN4WQobntBT5eDQhKlIWkyh99XH4RphCkZ2gck-dMnRksyuO3tWr6TpbTEOEKwBDWHqzJEkdFaRdwsdD1NgRFJT68_5X_D5y0Mgf63u86xwx8eTzvuI/s1600/IMG_5375.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAO50TviOY7mYsiGdCXEI9-siTN4WQobntBT5eDQhKlIWkyh99XH4RphCkZ2gck-dMnRksyuO3tWr6TpbTEOEKwBDWHqzJEkdFaRdwsdD1NgRFJT68_5X_D5y0Mgf63u86xwx8eTzvuI/s320/IMG_5375.PNG" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This big-eyed, whatever-it-is was near <br />
the entrance to <i><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/angels-demon-and-some-heavenly-sights.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">St. Michaelis</span></b></a></i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTKGfPkl9TDFvX3KMJZqFr9Kipw-eWyAYATbpJRLHLfqJW8nrHQVPR4SP0JLs_q8cUJq6usvQTVFazevTnOHyzM9asvoEeuX-kXckIJAWZbqvDlY2Ul-wgibDHfjsEhaNgJTyB9UBlwY/s1600/IMG_5382.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTKGfPkl9TDFvX3KMJZqFr9Kipw-eWyAYATbpJRLHLfqJW8nrHQVPR4SP0JLs_q8cUJq6usvQTVFazevTnOHyzM9asvoEeuX-kXckIJAWZbqvDlY2Ul-wgibDHfjsEhaNgJTyB9UBlwY/s320/IMG_5382.PNG" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure this perch above<br />
the <i>Autobahn </i>is ill-advised.</td></tr>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-62222615901699474342016-07-17T09:24:00.000+02:002016-07-17T13:44:34.544+02:00The Art of the BrickThere seems to be a lot of nostalgia in the air right now--from Pokemon Go, to Netflix's new 80s hit, to the 60s-themed party festival in Hamburg this weekend. Maybe it's that need for a security blanket in an <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/07/stranger-in-not-so-strange-landscape.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">ever-uncertain world</span></b></a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwwRSZlombC2ieG96nFeC3029GJ5nj0_x3wXcLQMGrqs5WajwRNguPDhp-W9NUcPmV5fX7QfWTwQBWsEq5VRAkmMb_maCXUZjuuIqIAazrNDM1mA5NEiYUBp3WOpdLeoJyLxHNPCIESE/s1600/IMG_5257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwwRSZlombC2ieG96nFeC3029GJ5nj0_x3wXcLQMGrqs5WajwRNguPDhp-W9NUcPmV5fX7QfWTwQBWsEq5VRAkmMb_maCXUZjuuIqIAazrNDM1mA5NEiYUBp3WOpdLeoJyLxHNPCIESE/s320/IMG_5257.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the exhibit gift shop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got my own dose of nostalgia yesterday, when Larry and I went to <b><a href="http://www.taotb.de/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Art of the Brick</span></a></b>. Normally I don't post about the individual exhibits I see, but I wanted to share this one because it was so exceptional.<br />
<br />
The artist, Nathan Sawaya, is a former lawyer who creates his work using...LEGO bricks!<br />
<br />
I'm not even sure how many hours my sister and I logged over the years playing with our LEGO sets, but Sawaya's work is inspirational and a challenge to look at things--even the most familiar things--in a new way.<br />
<br />
<div>
If you get the chance to see this exhibit, go! Here are just a few of my picks from the show:</div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1D14GouKuHlcwBpHAk5kP0_BOI58uUFNR1QECYU7Z9eGfVhOgM8TCFPGdnLK-rBb-l3Y61mb8ikti873HrFai5QGCcnWDvniq7Y8VRxsDhSivmZjfUIJdmrJOpNXNeIzKgI-kQu-saNU/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1D14GouKuHlcwBpHAk5kP0_BOI58uUFNR1QECYU7Z9eGfVhOgM8TCFPGdnLK-rBb-l3Y61mb8ikti873HrFai5QGCcnWDvniq7Y8VRxsDhSivmZjfUIJdmrJOpNXNeIzKgI-kQu-saNU/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1D14GouKuHlcwBpHAk5kP0_BOI58uUFNR1QECYU7Z9eGfVhOgM8TCFPGdnLK-rBb-l3Y61mb8ikti873HrFai5QGCcnWDvniq7Y8VRxsDhSivmZjfUIJdmrJOpNXNeIzKgI-kQu-saNU/s320/IMG_5222.JPG" width="263" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyDSoSt9DL3tGrr4DGICVw8U96hg6gowfBMcMGmvzNmox7X5JtzFbCInjAOcI3je2n9cIFW3SUsv3UShkzBFNl8t6WLoFqWuMaeLulDEVs5C2pum5JpLFsxrz4610Usd347iT_Nx0vlY/s1600/IMG_5245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyDSoSt9DL3tGrr4DGICVw8U96hg6gowfBMcMGmvzNmox7X5JtzFbCInjAOcI3je2n9cIFW3SUsv3UShkzBFNl8t6WLoFqWuMaeLulDEVs5C2pum5JpLFsxrz4610Usd347iT_Nx0vlY/s320/IMG_5245.JPG" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think we can all relate to this at one time or another</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Af9a_yE4Mnl_DzgRqsYhBSl86lJiMVNpfTOX88z2yarAPrWad0BWzhU1VPV-wUuw3dUZyxmvjvrfZPidnbbI7a2Tw1DRYweNw-58s04hJllJz9ISU5HXwc0IwYdWMnTa72hSTCniQL4/s1600/IMG_5228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="571" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Af9a_yE4Mnl_DzgRqsYhBSl86lJiMVNpfTOX88z2yarAPrWad0BWzhU1VPV-wUuw3dUZyxmvjvrfZPidnbbI7a2Tw1DRYweNw-58s04hJllJz9ISU5HXwc0IwYdWMnTa72hSTCniQL4/s640/IMG_5228.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry's just chillin' with a new friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYDo2n9RRLyj2lPRLMaGPtKMrDSFCMwcn9CDEdp9-EdnKm8Q72hNR9AV7Ep6Ap-23dVAmmCs6bRWQ8XIx5MOBi7EP4kAZbgc8bESYjXYG7sUisDYWHWiGJ2ygCg124C9mTVe5GZyTBFw/s1600/IMG_5232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYDo2n9RRLyj2lPRLMaGPtKMrDSFCMwcn9CDEdp9-EdnKm8Q72hNR9AV7Ep6Ap-23dVAmmCs6bRWQ8XIx5MOBi7EP4kAZbgc8bESYjXYG7sUisDYWHWiGJ2ygCg124C9mTVe5GZyTBFw/s320/IMG_5232.JPG" width="264" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitf-cIICv7bTb3g0eO3NbYb5Fu-mOAztsPiHeq8SRMBfAR-QEVzLMOwqtTglv4wfd-g4XJ66ZJC7h7rpYZHsyvQZ8g03faL6uoULgLbd3V2zXZXCcRkICI0TsxSjDKxazyAAHBCUtzf30/s320/IMG_5239.JPG" width="303" /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfNdhSqsUXubd0WHXaeiK5oLWQgplbDATAnfHx6gu1X4ENRm1gclyzsURsahue2muLN_AAcdjQk_m1pTCnu2dvTQXeZU7Ryy4M8Myq8VUVCaCdS_pCnOv5vOUUYIzpqVGs06QGUMsf4U/s1600/IMG_5241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfNdhSqsUXubd0WHXaeiK5oLWQgplbDATAnfHx6gu1X4ENRm1gclyzsURsahue2muLN_AAcdjQk_m1pTCnu2dvTQXeZU7Ryy4M8Myq8VUVCaCdS_pCnOv5vOUUYIzpqVGs06QGUMsf4U/s640/IMG_5241.JPG" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sawaya's most well-known piece, "Yellow"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1MbvcOba-JHJcq_sxp9Vb7QlYVB4vHmP_5oE_pZ3yAJT_KiZatXPybHN9XBIO1_jo2SI8u-XMj_82FLS5lXRhZfZ2mMGBaWf0wzdiA7nX9dI1Rg7QzQayC-UdtaA7bduPh37FlxGX9E/s1600/IMG_5251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1MbvcOba-JHJcq_sxp9Vb7QlYVB4vHmP_5oE_pZ3yAJT_KiZatXPybHN9XBIO1_jo2SI8u-XMj_82FLS5lXRhZfZ2mMGBaWf0wzdiA7nX9dI1Rg7QzQayC-UdtaA7bduPh37FlxGX9E/s320/IMG_5251.JPG" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hands" conveys his nightmare <br />
as an artist--losing the source <br />
of his expression</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGydvf3pLm2uOMUPJiTT0k_0NfB2koGvGzyO49uMdKyXUTyKSJZ0Gi_wV4_hpWEwKlH5ZlBY6dt1U5MT53N6s_jQ4veyL85CNEqept5mZPfWmJl_QVhN6A-aQN2RfCcdIJABF2BUx32M/s1600/IMG_5224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGydvf3pLm2uOMUPJiTT0k_0NfB2koGvGzyO49uMdKyXUTyKSJZ0Gi_wV4_hpWEwKlH5ZlBY6dt1U5MT53N6s_jQ4veyL85CNEqept5mZPfWmJl_QVhN6A-aQN2RfCcdIJABF2BUx32M/s320/IMG_5224.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved "The Writer" because to me, it <br />
represents the fear and struggle around <br />
getting words to MOVE<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ew2wfLvfE7Rufh5eyFrStydpmK6mQQn_yEfIqFjm2o2CJWLGp-bNL6rxQALsceknbAfKDsNY_TeUoOfOeWAXbIrXcyvvQXrHnYa0hfq6W9oJNxn_AudeKdkTVtFZgPXh2sAuk5ouGVE/s1600/IMG_0936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ew2wfLvfE7Rufh5eyFrStydpmK6mQQn_yEfIqFjm2o2CJWLGp-bNL6rxQALsceknbAfKDsNY_TeUoOfOeWAXbIrXcyvvQXrHnYa0hfq6W9oJNxn_AudeKdkTVtFZgPXh2sAuk5ouGVE/s320/IMG_0936.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5uqsV2p_MCAtkJZPRISw9_cREVpRaZ6w8d-LgIb2gMPKUFVkLhUrb-oZF7bWt4QJUgD2yU1lo3fcmxcfduP1KAFxVRgy1GQhlT2jyMzHH0zcX4yPoClf0FgCIwzHOuqPdysxCXIR0Gk/s1600/IMG_5250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5uqsV2p_MCAtkJZPRISw9_cREVpRaZ6w8d-LgIb2gMPKUFVkLhUrb-oZF7bWt4QJUgD2yU1lo3fcmxcfduP1KAFxVRgy1GQhlT2jyMzHH0zcX4yPoClf0FgCIwzHOuqPdysxCXIR0Gk/s320/IMG_5250.JPG" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Despair" reminded me of the statue at <b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">St. Nikolai</span></a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiqgdaGVX23-MLEAs03lp4Sc3fMWh-QVMkJgRaQcospyl9bhCZA3R83X0dhKVNsDaPtfRhPtuDjDyuU14jecnTXrBWgVD9f10iAV0vqEc1dPwSDK1_qm5SY8WcIbhYi8RNuuuOsViqbs/s1600/IMG_5246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiqgdaGVX23-MLEAs03lp4Sc3fMWh-QVMkJgRaQcospyl9bhCZA3R83X0dhKVNsDaPtfRhPtuDjDyuU14jecnTXrBWgVD9f10iAV0vqEc1dPwSDK1_qm5SY8WcIbhYi8RNuuuOsViqbs/s640/IMG_5246.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Boy" was my favorite sculpture. The emotion he's able to convey here is amazing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L_ZrTV3lqGaYGNwSTVCYlasDNFj26UIxujIL5CyRa3R6MBS0PWL7uxanMIoqakVZ3EsfhW6CHXtuYTFF9D_b_bMSoKEtg-2Ly6ANIWuXmMchQ-MoGIpzA5XjXCXvlSX-W9bC7cLRXsw/s1600/IMG_5244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L_ZrTV3lqGaYGNwSTVCYlasDNFj26UIxujIL5CyRa3R6MBS0PWL7uxanMIoqakVZ3EsfhW6CHXtuYTFF9D_b_bMSoKEtg-2Ly6ANIWuXmMchQ-MoGIpzA5XjXCXvlSX-W9bC7cLRXsw/s640/IMG_5244.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-1152811196706477992016-07-12T16:44:00.001+02:002016-07-12T17:06:40.124+02:00Stranger in a Not-So-Strange Landscape<div class="MsoNormal">
I
wanted to continue my post-cruise buzz with a fun follow-up post, but the world
I know right now seems less than fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
every story about immigrants and refugees finding common ground through
volunteer work or support of national soccer teams, there are stories about
racist public comments and social media posts, Nazi marches in the streets of Sweden, physical
assaults on non-whites in the wake of the Brexit, and mind-boggling
restrictions by the Danish government on people who marry non-Danes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ClZPghg8x2YIDHtR6WUBcD4yBHu6hRMqFF9xXqHt5-Zjzn9HZ7s2KDq3-ZxPjMrNA5pMLdhqn44B9SO7-7uMLlbpvGfIu9fNQNkZWsR9p0pQ5JcrO_6nf6Ny-W3oZUv27Upe4uPyEIo/s1600/IMG_5071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ClZPghg8x2YIDHtR6WUBcD4yBHu6hRMqFF9xXqHt5-Zjzn9HZ7s2KDq3-ZxPjMrNA5pMLdhqn44B9SO7-7uMLlbpvGfIu9fNQNkZWsR9p0pQ5JcrO_6nf6Ny-W3oZUv27Upe4uPyEIo/s200/IMG_5071.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
refugee crisis has awoken a barely dormant beast. Insecurity and fear have
taken root on a continental scale, and it seems just a matter of time before we
reach a tipping point.<br />
<br />
What happens if we enter an endless loop of unrest
leading to violence leading to refugee emigrations? What happens when the dead
soils and rising seas of our damaged environment force even more people into flight?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over in
the U.S., we have an African American president, but 400 years of racial
history that periodically bubbles up to a boil. These days, we seem to be a scant few
degrees away from scalding.<br />
<br />
Right now I feel far from home, but not far at all from a climate where human wholeheartedness is battling ignorance and intolerance. Before
sinking into despair, I ran across <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/11/europe/black-lives-matter-protests-europe/index.html"><span style="color: blue;"><b>this
article</b></span></a> about BLM solidarity demonstrations here in Europe.<br />
<br />
Despite the deaths that have brought us to this point, it was refreshing to hear about more people who remember that we all are, in fact, people first, and the labels and boxes and associated prejudices we have for each other mean nothing in the face of that bigger picture.<br />
<br />
If we choose to see it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHlclUZbVxXiRZjHvgtdudSXVeQDbbSD0rMtQPIskY08q0qTpSj3DygQIULAPOMHQD8Ky9eZVKdiII876gLGLWlS-20WfpqBbdFFNn8Bd1TTLwh5dANXFJ9RHiRz8nrMatYtBx47JPGc/s1600/IMG_5077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHlclUZbVxXiRZjHvgtdudSXVeQDbbSD0rMtQPIskY08q0qTpSj3DygQIULAPOMHQD8Ky9eZVKdiII876gLGLWlS-20WfpqBbdFFNn8Bd1TTLwh5dANXFJ9RHiRz8nrMatYtBx47JPGc/s200/IMG_5077.JPG" width="200" /></a>I
thought of two outings I made early last week. The first was to the site of two
shipwrecks. In light of recent events, those shipwrecks are, to me, symbols of the beautiful fragility of what we can achieve and how quickly it can be taken from us.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMarLM33q4XSIfJHwHAGLn6Ht6slu3yPqXo6FrL9JUxRsG-gZmvLdsb3zlHMzc3UrR5pUOKtpTp4yPOeDSQMhjP12voRog7Uddrr57B-iqLjEEXVMyWxkpiGpQ6lX-jWk0B8iWhHpjrKY/s1600/IMG_5141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMarLM33q4XSIfJHwHAGLn6Ht6slu3yPqXo6FrL9JUxRsG-gZmvLdsb3zlHMzc3UrR5pUOKtpTp4yPOeDSQMhjP12voRog7Uddrr57B-iqLjEEXVMyWxkpiGpQ6lX-jWk0B8iWhHpjrKY/s200/IMG_5141.JPG" width="100" /></a>My second outing was to the Ohlsdorf section of Hamburg, home to the
largest park cemetery in the world. Walking the grounds, I noticed a difference: the gravestones read “Here rests…”
rather than “Here lies…”<br />
<br />
It was a
reminder that we live our lives—and perhaps we struggle—but then we enjoy
peace. The question I have now is why we <i>choose </i>the struggle and the strife in life.<br />
<br />
None of us are guaranteed to have what we have forever. None of us can say with certainty that we will never be scared, hungry, stripped of our possessions, or staring down the barrel of a gun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Maybe, instead of focusing on our differences and what we can gain for ourselves, we can work together on finding a common understanding and some peace--<i>before </i>we're laid to rest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-30439090946631935632016-07-03T09:04:00.001+02:002016-07-03T09:17:25.937+02:00Postcard: People and PlacesMy final "postcard" blog about my <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/how-other-half-lives.html">recent river cruise</a> is just that--a collection of pictures of some of the people we met, silly fun we had, and things we saw on our 15-day journey from the Netherlands to Austria.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSgKc7KoMHjzYNt5ZnQ1lpmPgAzesYAVXJEpykVbxmxA34onw1VSJyFtMyUYhKJxadmYeXRTbUU3sClx96MJco51I3Jx1g-0FKnB_w_bxUiT-pRq122iPBACk23W7HBR-BfQp1Q4q3uI/s1600/Amsterdam_canal+tour_Maritime+Museum+ship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSgKc7KoMHjzYNt5ZnQ1lpmPgAzesYAVXJEpykVbxmxA34onw1VSJyFtMyUYhKJxadmYeXRTbUU3sClx96MJco51I3Jx1g-0FKnB_w_bxUiT-pRq122iPBACk23W7HBR-BfQp1Q4q3uI/s640/Amsterdam_canal+tour_Maritime+Museum+ship.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large, ornate, seagoing vessels? Thumbs-up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObPIPmO9nGms5NkybEExnXWr0RtN8wYKSE2e7iU1cioRqwCq9QsEHpHx9KiUCysViqEEmwzKAdPiSAZoBZ2oUI22_RBl4Et3xFwBZbJbHQYZSFkMrAFBpVUKaWfCKE2yXyuKwDLxqHIM/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObPIPmO9nGms5NkybEExnXWr0RtN8wYKSE2e7iU1cioRqwCq9QsEHpHx9KiUCysViqEEmwzKAdPiSAZoBZ2oUI22_RBl4Et3xFwBZbJbHQYZSFkMrAFBpVUKaWfCKE2yXyuKwDLxqHIM/s200/IMG_0037.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Teeny tiny cars that can park</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">on a sidewalk? <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Angela gives </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">that </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">a thumbs-down.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15HuH0HaY-SQ1KoYSSUxTd7W0274x5p_WmnfQguqR65gYRGfspTqE-ffBHpngkB5k13tDH7uefye4EO6uTcKixozB_etnpqbV2W48vuK8EPnmFtOdPk04bhZfz3Bn7RAEB4lTBCwV1Zc/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15HuH0HaY-SQ1KoYSSUxTd7W0274x5p_WmnfQguqR65gYRGfspTqE-ffBHpngkB5k13tDH7uefye4EO6uTcKixozB_etnpqbV2W48vuK8EPnmFtOdPk04bhZfz3Bn7RAEB4lTBCwV1Zc/s320/IMG_0043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safety drill!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of Angela Pratt</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCSmeZUv2dXueLddNi2928o6qmp6CRnHge0Unm1jj7c-RYUw-MtIMOWyWS017KA0hIG12BmZ_232dlTzYkHIcsDJSnERdYIlR6PvuKx6zmJLJHUYUTEqk4Blxd9syJ6eckxOFm-d0SiI/s1600/Amsterdam_raw+fish+Udo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCSmeZUv2dXueLddNi2928o6qmp6CRnHge0Unm1jj7c-RYUw-MtIMOWyWS017KA0hIG12BmZ_232dlTzYkHIcsDJSnERdYIlR6PvuKx6zmJLJHUYUTEqk4Blxd9syJ6eckxOFm-d0SiI/s320/Amsterdam_raw+fish+Udo.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Program Director, Udo, shows us how to <br />
eat raw fish the Dutch way--<br />
with plenty of onions and pickles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSPlrF9PdsabpicR3SpC7vmCVWcYCinQz7QmpXeXE27i4BbCMol5nOsomhvcMCD_g32QZbNQOSFpFEGOKm_UT9VClgkSgW9Bv4yX6LPCXrbMFTuPNsWE_y0St176RgCqxh7G88AD6Sz8/s1600/Amsterdam_church+relief.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSPlrF9PdsabpicR3SpC7vmCVWcYCinQz7QmpXeXE27i4BbCMol5nOsomhvcMCD_g32QZbNQOSFpFEGOKm_UT9VClgkSgW9Bv4yX6LPCXrbMFTuPNsWE_y0St176RgCqxh7G88AD6Sz8/s320/Amsterdam_church+relief.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKAEcFuTjJ2wpP3MIQZhbz_EOir9MeHGot_CO0fTX1Hw5uyq4aoKDMVSgvGhIcpqzKImv98lY8VPiYlzejJd9PdxACoAjmBAhkPG7hkVB_AjF-xPTm8o0sJNsUidSdAQfRDYjHnr-sqU/s1600/Koeln_birthplace+of+cologne.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKAEcFuTjJ2wpP3MIQZhbz_EOir9MeHGot_CO0fTX1Hw5uyq4aoKDMVSgvGhIcpqzKImv98lY8VPiYlzejJd9PdxACoAjmBAhkPG7hkVB_AjF-xPTm8o0sJNsUidSdAQfRDYjHnr-sqU/s320/Koeln_birthplace+of+cologne.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birthplace of cologne</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ovsowT_4RzwajYftlEIAHli4qCbim7XOKS9LH9yI9zDgU0YCA_MAFm6Y6w5yMLVL_dO6wzst1GgdG8jMjKxM-sUxL0F70MjaTcdYjyty328a8mwWip-LXijUmwIj8aLPvEFhbhy3Gag/s1600/Amsterdam_rough+night.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ovsowT_4RzwajYftlEIAHli4qCbim7XOKS9LH9yI9zDgU0YCA_MAFm6Y6w5yMLVL_dO6wzst1GgdG8jMjKxM-sUxL0F70MjaTcdYjyty328a8mwWip-LXijUmwIj8aLPvEFhbhy3Gag/s400/Amsterdam_rough+night.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">You know it's been a rough night in Amsterdam </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">when the streetlights need a break!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxptveANWgo-ugB4uU2EraKq7e3OpVNzATpV_py2NT87PRWyCnrRt4Of0Ez_Y5YLDJ822DjoNJda2Nepdrn5L9-3qzPS2SmZ2XvpnQaRixUD_8NIaYGusFKI6zTuifosatn3QMzEj-1pc/s1600/Koblenz_Kaiser+Wilhelm+statue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxptveANWgo-ugB4uU2EraKq7e3OpVNzATpV_py2NT87PRWyCnrRt4Of0Ez_Y5YLDJ822DjoNJda2Nepdrn5L9-3qzPS2SmZ2XvpnQaRixUD_8NIaYGusFKI6zTuifosatn3QMzEj-1pc/s640/Koblenz_Kaiser+Wilhelm+statue.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaiser Wilhelm statue in Koblenz</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Tt85rl8vxcx6opUmbrqAJDgVEgqh4_CRymbmtO5Cx4JyEAEoQ8Y0brHEhuaqHLQfbeBmZ_is6O-GSDFc1xO7-P1yqbufFk_HptyqaTaqHRxZW8nteBx_8pLE9yWYtBdUhQnZl3Sq5zo/s1600/Heidelberg_view+from+castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Tt85rl8vxcx6opUmbrqAJDgVEgqh4_CRymbmtO5Cx4JyEAEoQ8Y0brHEhuaqHLQfbeBmZ_is6O-GSDFc1xO7-P1yqbufFk_HptyqaTaqHRxZW8nteBx_8pLE9yWYtBdUhQnZl3Sq5zo/s640/Heidelberg_view+from+castle.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Heidelberg from the castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghScFC7dJmH87iIyXUUcFnQh4fn9ATSRQQLOB2zq8hgMuLOOEUspA5FKzqs3pyhv6uzh17AFSlbLE9qE6imoaZOeorH5-cByDx8XLLNzI8SfrpUL7f8NWFwLT6TFjUwW3-Z4k8pd1XZrM/s1600/Frankfurt_city+scene2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghScFC7dJmH87iIyXUUcFnQh4fn9ATSRQQLOB2zq8hgMuLOOEUspA5FKzqs3pyhv6uzh17AFSlbLE9qE6imoaZOeorH5-cByDx8XLLNzI8SfrpUL7f8NWFwLT6TFjUwW3-Z4k8pd1XZrM/s400/Frankfurt_city+scene2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saw this...whatever it is...on a building <br />
as we sailed out of Frankfurt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdcHW1uvVuKpWBX5ZuK3Dp8iFitQJ7nYtrd84m9nXfopXs2mBLsWr859L9lSvvIY5wUNHdw5necHN0PTgYjgu2_JqkWkL2qeytBSpObFJKev9a8g5P6zQmLwtPIKv8_F71PiCrxJ75v8/s1600/High+water+low+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdcHW1uvVuKpWBX5ZuK3Dp8iFitQJ7nYtrd84m9nXfopXs2mBLsWr859L9lSvvIY5wUNHdw5necHN0PTgYjgu2_JqkWkL2qeytBSpObFJKev9a8g5P6zQmLwtPIKv8_F71PiCrxJ75v8/s320/High+water+low+bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain was keeping river levels high, making our passage <br />
under some bridges rather tricky. A couple of times we were <br />
near the point of having to leave the ship and<br />
continue our journey via bus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaY383XMPbhmfwlFgAAH4HrA3wlfRogeZzLeN5vEX0fHD_0LbLSCcb-rPzvP0Ry7R67iJsu1WV9omo2BLK0ZdhKWf_goWkfnPID3RD6xDrghnEXJpXiYVXA1S9sP9UcCmArCrIkOt8sk/s1600/IMG_3238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaY383XMPbhmfwlFgAAH4HrA3wlfRogeZzLeN5vEX0fHD_0LbLSCcb-rPzvP0Ry7R67iJsu1WV9omo2BLK0ZdhKWf_goWkfnPID3RD6xDrghnEXJpXiYVXA1S9sP9UcCmArCrIkOt8sk/s320/IMG_3238.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although I wasn't awake for all 66 locks we sailed <br />
through, I watched our passage through <br />
as many as possible. As you can see, <br />
not a lot of wiggle room, and our crew <br />
steered through them manually, <br />
with no GPS or radar aids.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRG_mcOmWIsf19Y42zvl5Nhxj9_qPvulL9C7Bt_6j7LZddUmnCL1S5X5eqKu161Ukv3fzuPWMmdL-UB_Gj7md8fiYKCIDITJRV0jOv3XkOJG0FOi2fGPpV967PRY5SnYY5ZvvPVYthO4/s1600/Wuerzburg_building+statue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRG_mcOmWIsf19Y42zvl5Nhxj9_qPvulL9C7Bt_6j7LZddUmnCL1S5X5eqKu161Ukv3fzuPWMmdL-UB_Gj7md8fiYKCIDITJRV0jOv3XkOJG0FOi2fGPpV967PRY5SnYY5ZvvPVYthO4/s320/Wuerzburg_building+statue.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECENG8G7_26NiKTC6M2y7SrcZsOKK8Sv053bfmFVKYAWTqYWvVwLZYDsnWlGe1kkjY3kh5LTHWY0CKGDJzjajcYilWjSE-_OGnY6c4oDdL3vMs1fkfF0K90yjt2blIKg-03jN-4qsgVU/s1600/Wertheim_glass+blowing+demo_cutting+glass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECENG8G7_26NiKTC6M2y7SrcZsOKK8Sv053bfmFVKYAWTqYWvVwLZYDsnWlGe1kkjY3kh5LTHWY0CKGDJzjajcYilWjSE-_OGnY6c4oDdL3vMs1fkfF0K90yjt2blIKg-03jN-4qsgVU/s320/Wertheim_glass+blowing+demo_cutting+glass.JPG" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wertheim is known for glassblowing, so we got a private demo <br />
by a local artist before we set out for the day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5ypdJBq2-olA0XTffzBIsX3U5-q3cavOAr9ne6MgK9uJPMNDUrUyVgiNAy1bwG2vucd23Iy32rQyKg6EV9dzs39ftS6wyzBJ7U2-77koZXAkgrmaHHIU1WNguFw1IMiGn0QAno6VwdQ/s1600/Wuerzburg_old+main+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5ypdJBq2-olA0XTffzBIsX3U5-q3cavOAr9ne6MgK9uJPMNDUrUyVgiNAy1bwG2vucd23Iy32rQyKg6EV9dzs39ftS6wyzBJ7U2-77koZXAkgrmaHHIU1WNguFw1IMiGn0QAno6VwdQ/s640/Wuerzburg_old+main+bridge.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old main bridge in <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Würzburg</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnhyphenhyphen1qMhEJH3JqwlCy5D7K1Wwhye-By8CZpDs96JfPWD7PX-7vfccTsfQ16dSvnyP6SDQrDvguuPos8fQOqyrZLPg3ZTqDR-ZxYT3YZiaA5wDc_hXYgpS3SDMrAOBypGBhML4YVTBXSs/s1600/Wuerzburg_river+scene.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnhyphenhyphen1qMhEJH3JqwlCy5D7K1Wwhye-By8CZpDs96JfPWD7PX-7vfccTsfQ16dSvnyP6SDQrDvguuPos8fQOqyrZLPg3ZTqDR-ZxYT3YZiaA5wDc_hXYgpS3SDMrAOBypGBhML4YVTBXSs/s640/Wuerzburg_river+scene.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeMpholIfbStWzGAMOYfdZreMLsPGirKqTUIYHKrMmxbhAsJUzR1L_BCwEN3ZlF870XixLEa38GtUU4qXRlabVbTf6Zgwbriln4-cy1McyxWUn3NnJbkrYOb5lh2Srx3B8tUrIHnIbKo/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeMpholIfbStWzGAMOYfdZreMLsPGirKqTUIYHKrMmxbhAsJUzR1L_BCwEN3ZlF870XixLEa38GtUU4qXRlabVbTf6Zgwbriln4-cy1McyxWUn3NnJbkrYOb5lh2Srx3B8tUrIHnIbKo/s320/IMG_0351.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good clean fun in Rothenburg</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIANbLvz5GFFHn_Nrev2G7e9uj4z2QEyrHQweL8RAihcXnb3FVjo4T9_97XQ9UW90u49rplHAL81qzav9mlBICDkedhCnpbhYEUbPglnvLvt3F51jQUxDNUH8mION_cppoYqLLINAWms/s1600/Schweinfurt_pig+downtown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIANbLvz5GFFHn_Nrev2G7e9uj4z2QEyrHQweL8RAihcXnb3FVjo4T9_97XQ9UW90u49rplHAL81qzav9mlBICDkedhCnpbhYEUbPglnvLvt3F51jQUxDNUH8mION_cppoYqLLINAWms/s200/Schweinfurt_pig+downtown.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pig in--where else--Schweinfurt!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pn27j0bHoisU4X6iUFm_gqeXJwd_TF6twGDu0D8KrCEAbhZVcX4Nr8aQXiwaYRhYQjwtheSwZWGP68t8tL9PPOyX4WMr3dgQAfMphVqZrp8x00nu9fE3sqIvkQDdsp2whQoFcVU1q0Y/s1600/Frueschoppen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pn27j0bHoisU4X6iUFm_gqeXJwd_TF6twGDu0D8KrCEAbhZVcX4Nr8aQXiwaYRhYQjwtheSwZWGP68t8tL9PPOyX4WMr3dgQAfMphVqZrp8x00nu9fE3sqIvkQDdsp2whQoFcVU1q0Y/s320/Frueschoppen.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Früschoppen - a brunch tradition that, in some parts of Germany, <br />may involve more beer than food</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3Rp0HQd3Pef4R2BvDCopZ-41MwCGBPvfE3ywlOM6vC37Sd8QuWjGgP8kSBdDE8T4MeDth6mSqnuSfYA51-HxMDVbhZayeTTNS-6uTWteU2pPnXdR9QdaECl5jWCQWMhg6eFmbw0t72w/s1600/Bamberg_roofing+journeyman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3Rp0HQd3Pef4R2BvDCopZ-41MwCGBPvfE3ywlOM6vC37Sd8QuWjGgP8kSBdDE8T4MeDth6mSqnuSfYA51-HxMDVbhZayeTTNS-6uTWteU2pPnXdR9QdaECl5jWCQWMhg6eFmbw0t72w/s320/Bamberg_roofing+journeyman.JPG" width="152" /></a><br />
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Another German tradition is that of journeyman workers. While walking toward old town Bamberg we ran into this roofing journeyman, who will travel for the next couple of years with just the belongings under his arm, finding work, food, and shelter by the grace of the people in the towns through which he travels.</div>
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I thought maybe it was something that was only alive and well in the southern areas of Germany, but when I got back, I noticed a couple of journeymen in their traditional garb walking through downtown Hamburg.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgeUBUWo_BXCyMM1XbY4izQJ4t3p1S3Mxx9-P6gNIzt7-eoaX6UpOOpDYuR9CKcPN4h0AhvwC4dHeqlcbFTCxkAHxTbsl8B1TnIMuszVPNvZbjLLrrNw5C4Fg9J0Z-FsEjtJcr8uuJsY/s320/Nuernberg_downtown+statue+side+1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="220" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">One side of an incredibly creepy statue </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">in Nuremberg</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgeUBUWo_BXCyMM1XbY4izQJ4t3p1S3Mxx9-P6gNIzt7-eoaX6UpOOpDYuR9CKcPN4h0AhvwC4dHeqlcbFTCxkAHxTbsl8B1TnIMuszVPNvZbjLLrrNw5C4Fg9J0Z-FsEjtJcr8uuJsY/s1600/Nuernberg_downtown+statue+side+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and...the other side</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35qEgxE9LlKbgjr7Xrv-Moq_SMGJZX1oHuFA5_l2FU0UhF6-vBaXK6-xpqUaGeaJkNmgJSQXLmdp5pV0WQTKM0UZaawrYAfVlpzcL-2ccnRQq2eco9P8U9fMtx-1H9sVu82iqaP1vFfA/s1600/Passau_war+graffiti.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35qEgxE9LlKbgjr7Xrv-Moq_SMGJZX1oHuFA5_l2FU0UhF6-vBaXK6-xpqUaGeaJkNmgJSQXLmdp5pV0WQTKM0UZaawrYAfVlpzcL-2ccnRQq2eco9P8U9fMtx-1H9sVu82iqaP1vFfA/s320/Passau_war+graffiti.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeXwE8p1oRXqNXFN_FQw6ViRfPj7fxI_GgbY3w0QK7tujzQP2XP8biSpktfQA2B6mynPHCI6Fdg_P6MZlrWVIL92vLmAaqo7_V8F9Xl-Lo_2Vu6q1zXXpopMWEWSxUCx7JHWbPUvhd7g/s1600/Nuernberg_architecture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeXwE8p1oRXqNXFN_FQw6ViRfPj7fxI_GgbY3w0QK7tujzQP2XP8biSpktfQA2B6mynPHCI6Fdg_P6MZlrWVIL92vLmAaqo7_V8F9Xl-Lo_2Vu6q1zXXpopMWEWSxUCx7JHWbPUvhd7g/s640/Nuernberg_architecture2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of the lovelier side of Nuremberg's history</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyafgw7r4RDVtA1xJ4ivTlRME_MveG923dUVLVyesDCx4UrjvdQVtZg_Xd6CQfn6CB858MvMMK3FL1HOzFim5MeTNh-tsmJbqOZ57x1GAddXx1AV6oyDoUa2vAaHNqWgSQzW1VprokYlE/s1600/Leaving+Nuernberg_highway+underpass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyafgw7r4RDVtA1xJ4ivTlRME_MveG923dUVLVyesDCx4UrjvdQVtZg_Xd6CQfn6CB858MvMMK3FL1HOzFim5MeTNh-tsmJbqOZ57x1GAddXx1AV6oyDoUa2vAaHNqWgSQzW1VprokYlE/s640/Leaving+Nuernberg_highway+underpass.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this is a highway overpass, which means that the cars you see are driving under us as we sail across!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDDR3EnK2-bmyOmndJUVXTGVibZSt7386xT2-rCyDrV9e9_u5q5sqnoCgvSJe-Cq7kH89fDkRBfqgGVQ1zI16ytuY8b1Ci0Qk3itYZEsJDf57CpoSv5g7QTLgym1dxxJxlPOeRl6C8c4/s1600/Kelheim_Danube+gorge+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDDR3EnK2-bmyOmndJUVXTGVibZSt7386xT2-rCyDrV9e9_u5q5sqnoCgvSJe-Cq7kH89fDkRBfqgGVQ1zI16ytuY8b1Ci0Qk3itYZEsJDf57CpoSv5g7QTLgym1dxxJxlPOeRl6C8c4/s640/Kelheim_Danube+gorge+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry ride through the Danube Gorge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q0JMlYEg_-LbnjLt6JV8J2YmHJY_UGuhcqpJx2iCpficUIzYfHUkHrp7xmmhNoWtp7TFRSEl5h4kqoWNoPkcxbzVRyPAlmr5tC7UU937ssp75JqQnRDKSDMv07kpxQwDLDZmtIDgGAQ/s1600/Regensburg_new+hat2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q0JMlYEg_-LbnjLt6JV8J2YmHJY_UGuhcqpJx2iCpficUIzYfHUkHrp7xmmhNoWtp7TFRSEl5h4kqoWNoPkcxbzVRyPAlmr5tC7UU937ssp75JqQnRDKSDMv07kpxQwDLDZmtIDgGAQ/s320/Regensburg_new+hat2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and by the afternoon he's picked up <br />
a new hat in Regensburg!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKhnjCSAw8SXxgblSt71jFNgu45ZPSz-PujPpOj6jqbVlYG0tduiMyu1GAcdRbDb9Iya2b-YYybddh8Oqi8QTPErTRTFd3DRkzbwKlYOKCnma54aBOhEHOBZZWhCdnuiFqR0N_eUwtNI/s1600/Weltenburg_Larry+baby+keg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKhnjCSAw8SXxgblSt71jFNgu45ZPSz-PujPpOj6jqbVlYG0tduiMyu1GAcdRbDb9Iya2b-YYybddh8Oqi8QTPErTRTFd3DRkzbwKlYOKCnma54aBOhEHOBZZWhCdnuiFqR0N_eUwtNI/s320/Weltenburg_Larry+baby+keg.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All in a day's work!<br />
After a morning visit to the Weltenburg <br />
Abbey, Larry has secured a baby keg <br />
of the monks' very good beer...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR74OCpXB4kQkYkozam9k9YfHuDXazT6dene5UnADfHfIMwwlvf9ev3JgEl3B34_q-7UPt5j-9vR6ZSzHWyrqoERYERQ-x104CIk7DAcSnnNVSBva6PPhDrdiQqpf1uznT8760GWbhcb0/s1600/Passau_city+view+panoramic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR74OCpXB4kQkYkozam9k9YfHuDXazT6dene5UnADfHfIMwwlvf9ev3JgEl3B34_q-7UPt5j-9vR6ZSzHWyrqoERYERQ-x104CIk7DAcSnnNVSBva6PPhDrdiQqpf1uznT8760GWbhcb0/s640/Passau_city+view+panoramic.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down over the city of Passau. There's our ship, Grand Circle Cruise Line's MS River Harmony!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8Fcuq88H_0cGXuVR3_bsGCXcn-eyC0OkVQQTQ6MDDas8rvEl0Bsqew_sirvgM3aVTUPmBPDvk3CuWQHGUQ65zeqS1sJb7fwQ1m5mG-WBApBkfgNYlVKg5ylm2sm2kVV1qKdtsf9E2Bw/s1600/Loreley+rock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8Fcuq88H_0cGXuVR3_bsGCXcn-eyC0OkVQQTQ6MDDas8rvEl0Bsqew_sirvgM3aVTUPmBPDvk3CuWQHGUQ65zeqS1sJb7fwQ1m5mG-WBApBkfgNYlVKg5ylm2sm2kVV1qKdtsf9E2Bw/s640/Loreley+rock.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Loreley rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVdz_yrXiML0OsP5N_e0rSMZWQmRz_fj53UVQfGGZg6Uhx3bIyL0ipTmKqaHCz-r5CjaZCV0LkiIiq5-RwU_RWtvKLfidPbuRdpAtJOG8YIqsyJsTgG6V1QM7RbTKYuYpemRO-9BCSGI/s1600/Duernstein+Castle_Richard+the+Lionheart+imprisonment2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVdz_yrXiML0OsP5N_e0rSMZWQmRz_fj53UVQfGGZg6Uhx3bIyL0ipTmKqaHCz-r5CjaZCV0LkiIiq5-RwU_RWtvKLfidPbuRdpAtJOG8YIqsyJsTgG6V1QM7RbTKYuYpemRO-9BCSGI/s640/Duernstein+Castle_Richard+the+Lionheart+imprisonment2.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of the castle in Düernstein where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in 1192.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fWooASjjenPWFMX93URmogVhf3JuqpceNmOkbPAgMpBOQF5uzEyr8nsG5Qh2liq0YPdctaFwkfcjl-G8De58JM66TkrNV_P13A6ZQdWj4pQpBWs1Woie2apirNvVSOGHkmXeg4DSZmI/s1600/Wertheim_architecture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fWooASjjenPWFMX93URmogVhf3JuqpceNmOkbPAgMpBOQF5uzEyr8nsG5Qh2liq0YPdctaFwkfcjl-G8De58JM66TkrNV_P13A6ZQdWj4pQpBWs1Woie2apirNvVSOGHkmXeg4DSZmI/s400/Wertheim_architecture2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">We saw numerous examples of Fachwerkhaus construction in some not-so-common colors. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7bLIkhh5aOoVtY0aRucHssjr0jrD_CsYwdBLseioQdF8x5Eeh8fqcuvAmFyHe7hEREK8Y8vOCacwmD6wZLq7sUjvF8ZYH83iQLlN4l67CYOsFM3ni-ONnaj_bCHzCLqQWyexHQqMVFY/s1600/Melk_Michelle+with+captains+wheel+with+abbey+in+background.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7bLIkhh5aOoVtY0aRucHssjr0jrD_CsYwdBLseioQdF8x5Eeh8fqcuvAmFyHe7hEREK8Y8vOCacwmD6wZLq7sUjvF8ZYH83iQLlN4l67CYOsFM3ni-ONnaj_bCHzCLqQWyexHQqMVFY/s400/Melk_Michelle+with+captains+wheel+with+abbey+in+background.JPG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Although this looks like some kind of fake photo backdrop,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">the abbey on the hill is real. I'm guessing the wheel </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">is a semi-permanent way to promote the show </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">on the poster behind me. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDlgBqdY-uQ8n-Vureh5WunFIIusWC0jFj21vCYQNI_tkMDEazaAXXZAazqr9ejOtUZ4s7_9KkobM5rckwppVE5y_SOOip9pE7r7HeOZAJVlbZl1zp-ivJ5COGloJJxRzmfNafBstpd8/s1600/Mladan+Ivan+Brano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDlgBqdY-uQ8n-Vureh5WunFIIusWC0jFj21vCYQNI_tkMDEazaAXXZAazqr9ejOtUZ4s7_9KkobM5rckwppVE5y_SOOip9pE7r7HeOZAJVlbZl1zp-ivJ5COGloJJxRzmfNafBstpd8/s320/Mladan+Ivan+Brano.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few members of our incredible crew<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of Angela Pratt</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This swimming pool is the only part of<br />
Danube we saw that was actually blue<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wachau Nose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of Angela Pratt</span></td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwX2u8gHf-5MTRTs1vQINCJI3coC_y1YSLi0miwzLboO-nctzi0J3j35yvzDUWLvAuDI4K0t-ZOXtlsSs0wsw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is a video clip of a troupe that came aboard and </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">performed some traditional Bavarian dances for us.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of Angela Pratt</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Did you miss any of my previous "postcards" from this trip? You can find them here:</span></div>
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<a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/postcard-time-travel.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Time Travel</span></a><br />
<a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/postcard-medieval-madness.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Medieval Madness</span></a><br />
<a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/postcard-royal-treatment.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Royal Treatment</span></a><br />
<a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/07/postcard-abbeys-cathedrals.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Abbeys & Cathedrals</span></a><br />
<a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/07/postcard-darker-days.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Darker Days</span></a></div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-4300344643260931572016-07-02T07:32:00.001+02:002016-07-02T07:32:04.889+02:00Postcard: Darker DaysSeveral common themes appeared throughout our <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/how-other-half-lives.html">river cruise</a>. </span></b>The one that should not have surprised me did just that, as I realized how far-reaching and deep ran its network of scars.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Amsterdam</span>, the Netherlands<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Anne Frank<br />
near the church she <br />
mentions in her diary.</td></tr>
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Our first afternoon in town we went to the Anne Frank House. It's an informative, thought-provoking experience, especially as you wind your way up and through to the secret annex in the back, where the Frank family and others hid for two years.<br />
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One of the last exhibits explains where the inhabitants of the house were taken. Anne's roommate, Fritz Pfeffer (known as Albert Dussel in her diary), was taken to Neuengamme in October 1944 and died there two months later.<br />
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Although I haven't read <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i> in decades, I remembered my sense of it. And I entered the house expecting to be impacted most by the plight of this young girl and her family.<br />
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Instead, I stood staring at Fritz Pfeffer's picture and final bio, stunned to find myself visiting here, where he hid with some hope for the future, when only <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/05/neuengamme.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">last month I visited Neuengamme</span></b></a>, where he labored and suffered and died at the age of 55.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nuremberg</span>, Germany</div>
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It's a shame that the vibrancy of Nuremberg is shadowed by its past, but the truth is the Nazi Party had big plans to make it their center of power, and it feels like the city is being careful to balance the responsibility of educating people about that legacy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Nazi Party rally grounds in Nuremberg</span></td></tr>
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We visited the buildings that remain from the Nazi era, the courtroom where the first trial for "major war criminals of the European Axis" took place, and the <i>Dokumentationszentrum</i>--a comprehensive history of the rise of National Socialism. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtroom 600, site of the first and most famous of the Nuremberg trials</td></tr>
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Near the end of the <i>Dokumentationszentrum </i>journey, I hit a wall.<i> </i>They were showing footage from concentration camps: naked human bodies stacked like firewood or carelessly tossed into large piles.<i> </i><br />
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I began to cry. </div>
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In almost every town we'd visited, there was mention of a <i>former </i>Jewish quarter, a marker for a <i>former </i>synagogue, and streets named or <i>formerly </i>named for a Jewish neighborhood. In one city, our guide told us the Jewish population was around 1,500--roughly a tenth of what it had been prior to the war. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vienna</span>, Austria<br />
Memorial to victims of National Socialism.<br />
Nearby is a plaque dedicated to Nazi Party deserters.</td></tr>
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As I walked out of the main exhibit area, I looked inside the unfinished Congress Hall, adjacent to the document center. <br />
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Trees grow in what would have been the building's vast interior. Down the road, another former Nazi building--in a sweet bit of irony--houses the office of immigration.</div>
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Instead of tearing them down and pretending they didn't exist, I think it's good that we keep these places. They serve the purpose of all scars--to remind us of our pain and teach us to be more mindful/careful/open/human in the future.</div>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-77487282572529264892016-07-01T08:05:00.003+02:002016-07-01T08:05:46.314+02:00Postcard: Abbeys & Cathedrals<div class="MsoNormal">
If you
want to be awed, visit a cathedral. An old one. Full of marble and gold leaf
and swirling fresco, created by artisans as devoted to their craft as they were to their faith.</div>
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If you want to be overwhelmed, visit a bunch of them. ;)<br />
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These are just a few of the 15 or so churches I visited on <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/how-other-half-lives.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">our recent river cruise</span></b></a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cologne</span>, Germany<br />
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: The Cologne <i>Dom </i>(cathedral) is the second-tallest church in Germany and third-tallest in the world, at 157.4 m (516 ft.). Construction began in 1284, stopped in 1473, began again in 1842, and was completed in 1880.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyARpU23dKZYpr522HTTMrRyrqrjPxWXyQMZvdZ4-G-MWxQGwHQFauzEGkMWjFWT5kJ0QeNQIrOuaQAyKsxXropcGLCVi7KBpAMiC6nPni9lGOziAMaQQCHwVCodL1jgVRVLovTD7eKU/s1600/Koeln_river+view2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyARpU23dKZYpr522HTTMrRyrqrjPxWXyQMZvdZ4-G-MWxQGwHQFauzEGkMWjFWT5kJ0QeNQIrOuaQAyKsxXropcGLCVi7KBpAMiC6nPni9lGOziAMaQQCHwVCodL1jgVRVLovTD7eKU/s320/Koeln_river+view2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cologne Cathedral as seen from the river</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycZrWCioCG2pBrbgnwFryKyKOjrF3ECctXTBZc_m1JgBNVgoNqdLrKYdQrrYm_5urkTST-hkaGlZwkOT6S2uXee3WVcMF9PsyOMcmUNH2UZEkStsJu090BjaxZsHkgLojfGyKn0UorRU/s1600/Koeln_Dom_interior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycZrWCioCG2pBrbgnwFryKyKOjrF3ECctXTBZc_m1JgBNVgoNqdLrKYdQrrYm_5urkTST-hkaGlZwkOT6S2uXee3WVcMF9PsyOMcmUNH2UZEkStsJu090BjaxZsHkgLojfGyKn0UorRU/s320/Koeln_Dom_interior.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of the Cologne Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtg-p4EiixPWAKCMWANigS7Z0RVWqsKtnbxeFur7qU23BX2o6ZZAPoDqGo17D4tnRIPZWvJjkMvo1WYb5yQOC7eFGBOxHNP2_X1EbHJU5qEk5X_QMFyulgfvR0KjPge2N0UKJWkCCdBc/s1600/Koeln_Dom_city+view2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtg-p4EiixPWAKCMWANigS7Z0RVWqsKtnbxeFur7qU23BX2o6ZZAPoDqGo17D4tnRIPZWvJjkMvo1WYb5yQOC7eFGBOxHNP2_X1EbHJU5qEk5X_QMFyulgfvR0KjPge2N0UKJWkCCdBc/s640/Koeln_Dom_city+view2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
View from the cathedral out over the city of Cologne.</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Angela and I climbed the 533 steps to the viewing platform of the south tower in about 12 minutes. Whew!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Melk Abbey</span>, Austria<br />
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: The Melk Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that has been active since 1089. In addition to the monks, the abbey hosts a school, a museum, and an impressive library that includes a book from the 9th century.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIDq3TxsjbnXdCbt88vOtNV5iTucMqCWbq4TtTwr8PD9lkRifO2d0umVcoHqFClgxHxPelbxKa4U5bSCvJcffVc1agxGDMGYGtELPaThcsH12xkNHFpN6QrHnrL15y9ra_ncfbBVGv74/s1600/Melk_Abbey_service+coffin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIDq3TxsjbnXdCbt88vOtNV5iTucMqCWbq4TtTwr8PD9lkRifO2d0umVcoHqFClgxHxPelbxKa4U5bSCvJcffVc1agxGDMGYGtELPaThcsH12xkNHFpN6QrHnrL15y9ra_ncfbBVGv74/s200/Melk_Abbey_service+coffin.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An item on display in the abbey's <br />
museum was this service coffin. Moving <br />
the lever on the side dropped the bottom <br />
open, so the body was released into the <br />
grave and the coffin could be re-used.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBmoCGcdPfQWpgYqO3Av_w9OOOrwXYE48pkXLjOxPfgOqKZKUy15A-WZLhX1DHmV-piOaEU5CLu0i-T5hqSa_oN9eBt6cc7wBn8BIICIYUS0u2OvElYRHLC6_uZWA01baN4eYV6_I5ow/s1600/Melk_view+of+abbey+from+below.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBmoCGcdPfQWpgYqO3Av_w9OOOrwXYE48pkXLjOxPfgOqKZKUy15A-WZLhX1DHmV-piOaEU5CLu0i-T5hqSa_oN9eBt6cc7wBn8BIICIYUS0u2OvElYRHLC6_uZWA01baN4eYV6_I5ow/s320/Melk_view+of+abbey+from+below.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side view of the Melk Abbey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9JeQ_y1qZbB37s0UvWaadNJJpQG2mIOrWVbh626CWTYmVspj_Xy3MVByafE3hGiWEa0seZl8yqvlSNdUdRxXrG7AvFP1msdXVuYbatYmMG4XCgQkCXfv52fCKedEibUEK40DAjyqi7o/s1600/Melk_Abbey_chapel3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9JeQ_y1qZbB37s0UvWaadNJJpQG2mIOrWVbh626CWTYmVspj_Xy3MVByafE3hGiWEa0seZl8yqvlSNdUdRxXrG7AvFP1msdXVuYbatYmMG4XCgQkCXfv52fCKedEibUEK40DAjyqi7o/s640/Melk_Abbey_chapel3.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior view of the Melk Abbey chapel</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Passau</span>, Germany<br />
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: The Passau Cathedral (St. Stephen) contains the second largest church organ in the world, with 17,974 pipes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjThDfESA4aEzZ5xy38sT9YrnrZwaVcrX28HUF4R_Ljk7Nuj2no06CiCwOM_6sYW6yfJXqjT8z9uJmdKnlYn8A-0NqtDj78jHwmdidj5Lu0fMBVx_I4_LBCDAq6ALzGbXhJ1q1-f5kcY/s1600/Passau_St+Stephen+Cathedral_ceiling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjThDfESA4aEzZ5xy38sT9YrnrZwaVcrX28HUF4R_Ljk7Nuj2no06CiCwOM_6sYW6yfJXqjT8z9uJmdKnlYn8A-0NqtDj78jHwmdidj5Lu0fMBVx_I4_LBCDAq6ALzGbXhJ1q1-f5kcY/s400/Passau_St+Stephen+Cathedral_ceiling.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior view of St. Stephen Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_-5YN8HsCj_UAsrTNFQEc25dXEWIVAfEJl9GJIP8d_L4nQgAGFc2fEo7K_rE1K8yOLFkpcG-gmGp_gD0qHv0TRwypBEtoKUJqwnIPuSqOZtQ8VlAAkDFSDb8bGOX-AzdI6UqB4mmzW0/s1600/Passau_St+Stephen+Cathedral_exterior2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_-5YN8HsCj_UAsrTNFQEc25dXEWIVAfEJl9GJIP8d_L4nQgAGFc2fEo7K_rE1K8yOLFkpcG-gmGp_gD0qHv0TRwypBEtoKUJqwnIPuSqOZtQ8VlAAkDFSDb8bGOX-AzdI6UqB4mmzW0/s200/Passau_St+Stephen+Cathedral_exterior2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view of St. Stephen Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6-dUE1vvJop7YShL-ZS16HUPyWxHMkXHIffpbFgp7I42fh7ZUOyJ8XNczn4ee_4j4D6dFQDFVKHCVDa7mLrkFly54QlPElwNpQNx1NBVvxWbVb8CXZnHJKoryoIr-qM_-H0xBoQER0M/s1600/Passau_St+Stephen+Cathedral_organ2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6-dUE1vvJop7YShL-ZS16HUPyWxHMkXHIffpbFgp7I42fh7ZUOyJ8XNczn4ee_4j4D6dFQDFVKHCVDa7mLrkFly54QlPElwNpQNx1NBVvxWbVb8CXZnHJKoryoIr-qM_-H0xBoQER0M/s640/Passau_St+Stephen+Cathedral_organ2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main section of the Passau organ. We were able to attend an organ concert, which was truly sublime.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">W</span><span style="font-size: large;">eltenburg Abbey</span><span style="text-align: left;">, Germany</span><br />
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: The Weltenburg Abbey was originally founded around 620. Since the first half of the 8th century, it has operated as a Benedictine monastery. The abbey is also home to the world's oldest monastic brewery--active since 1050!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4clIW3-Zq97h7sQ5tUe2s01tmBs7XsAzWriFE3WtlRLzuHx-aTxehTf8WNnZ-mSancVOyxI9wtImKm2QTatGSW4oMuuxKRyOZ8L4ViWx8Kq5FJefFaTGQtx5ySQlVII8-ntgfrzEtVA/s1600/Weltenburg_abbey+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4clIW3-Zq97h7sQ5tUe2s01tmBs7XsAzWriFE3WtlRLzuHx-aTxehTf8WNnZ-mSancVOyxI9wtImKm2QTatGSW4oMuuxKRyOZ8L4ViWx8Kq5FJefFaTGQtx5ySQlVII8-ntgfrzEtVA/s320/Weltenburg_abbey+wall.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9u1t3UcCPVJrDEAVCA2Cj79XL7GoVdLK6dnhKyFlVL4IweY6ftf7wuyJCHEcyIJ0KGzJK3KId1wKnAaVboJT6bexiswh0Vp2OCVGazXsJmy0ypLLKt8FijG3FRnqNM4sCSrAlq547og/s1600/Weltenburg_abbey+chapel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9u1t3UcCPVJrDEAVCA2Cj79XL7GoVdLK6dnhKyFlVL4IweY6ftf7wuyJCHEcyIJ0KGzJK3KId1wKnAaVboJT6bexiswh0Vp2OCVGazXsJmy0ypLLKt8FijG3FRnqNM4sCSrAlq547og/s320/Weltenburg_abbey+chapel.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">External view of the Weltenburg abbey chapel.<br />
Looks pretty unassuming, right?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4clIW3-Zq97h7sQ5tUe2s01tmBs7XsAzWriFE3WtlRLzuHx-aTxehTf8WNnZ-mSancVOyxI9wtImKm2QTatGSW4oMuuxKRyOZ8L4ViWx8Kq5FJefFaTGQtx5ySQlVII8-ntgfrzEtVA/s1600/Weltenburg_abbey+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFT1VttNvr2D4PfMMlrA2LaGnW2-1-TwsFiRtJz9s9zEeSSY4gDI7Zbz6QmMpzyJ4MMflIUVshMRldqD1gSWicyTMprQzgSzVoRjbRu1zmbJS4Enzfh6LthdMt6FnAtsGgwuK3_rB4ck/s1600/Weltenburg_chapel+high+altar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFT1VttNvr2D4PfMMlrA2LaGnW2-1-TwsFiRtJz9s9zEeSSY4gDI7Zbz6QmMpzyJ4MMflIUVshMRldqD1gSWicyTMprQzgSzVoRjbRu1zmbJS4Enzfh6LthdMt6FnAtsGgwuK3_rB4ck/s640/Weltenburg_chapel+high+altar.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chapel's high altar features a larger-than-life statue of St. George with the dragon and the princess.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIjCELb-UAA1838ODyMHq1TaeCiUOpS3hX8avtENRBjxHzB_bk1r4_JtFtcgvUDth0gUnlDGaRDcGEb5FnMWHqvgdSDBoiBoE5yADkgtPYfK-rA8K-7qRoKkoogiyzP0pOcEwyWDIP24/s1600/Weltenburg_chapel+ceiling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIjCELb-UAA1838ODyMHq1TaeCiUOpS3hX8avtENRBjxHzB_bk1r4_JtFtcgvUDth0gUnlDGaRDcGEb5FnMWHqvgdSDBoiBoE5yADkgtPYfK-rA8K-7qRoKkoogiyzP0pOcEwyWDIP24/s640/Weltenburg_chapel+ceiling.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">View up to the chapel ceiling. The three tiers of the chapel, from the ground up, represent <br />
different states of being. The darkest is life here on earth, the middle tier is enlightenment, <br />
and the brightest, most colorful tier at the ceiling represents heaven.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahFjIRUchRVu5YuAVCkwDp1N0A2dvbaXpk5fID70xwppdRzN4AYIcYdjJcwlW7QCE5_Z-bVIGUAPY2yK6N4t1Iz4YWFNuoPea4GOyF8XtHJS6kZax87b_skUlhMtaDEDI7YLsTTlo3cg/s1600/Weltenburg_chapel+panoramic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahFjIRUchRVu5YuAVCkwDp1N0A2dvbaXpk5fID70xwppdRzN4AYIcYdjJcwlW7QCE5_Z-bVIGUAPY2yK6N4t1Iz4YWFNuoPea4GOyF8XtHJS6kZax87b_skUlhMtaDEDI7YLsTTlo3cg/s640/Weltenburg_chapel+panoramic.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic view of the chapel interior gives you a small taste of how ornate it is.</td></tr>
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<u>Feelings</u>: Toward the end of our cruise I had a conversation with one of my fellow travelers about the abbeys, chapels, and cathedrals we had seen. In summary, I was torn between admiring their displays of opulence and despairing the social opportunity that wealth represented.<br />
<br />
Then our conversation led to a broader discussion about legacy and purpose. I thought about my writing and my desire to effect change through my words. It's that passion that inspires you to (hopefully) create something greater than yourself.<br />
<br />
I'm not a particularly religious person, but with that thinking, I held a different appreciation for the churches we visited. Besides, there’s no denying the inherent beauty of what those artists brought to life.Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-28928133275106089542016-06-29T06:53:00.001+02:002016-07-26T09:37:21.299+02:00Postcard: The Royal TreatmentThe one thing at the top of my list for this <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/how-other-half-lives.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">recent river trip</span></b></a> (and other trips I want to make in Germany): see castles!<br />
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Not only did we see palaces and castle/fortress ruins in many of the cities we visited, but we spent several hours one day sailing down the Rhine, gazing back and forth at castles on both shores.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Heidelberg</span>, Germany<br />
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<u>Fun
Facts</u>: The Heidelberg castle was the domain of prince-electors, who elected the King of the Romans
(who was then crowned by the Pope as Holy Roman Emperor). Each prince-elector who
lived in the castle added his own space to distinguish himself from his
predecessors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
The castle
has been a tourist attraction since the early 1800s, and is home to the
largest wine cask in the world.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogx0cdDjqRzgXWVV00YtpRJxhmIT3RzFGb3tek54xZw8BmeEdpEW2nIZ0du-D3Z9JO2xhjDJBizDdojI9fSHdud08UFyIPnrIrGdYMpEmFk5mdTgPjU2vkSE3sMsqSOMNuGPV22xe0GU/s1600/Heidelberg_Castle+panoramic2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogx0cdDjqRzgXWVV00YtpRJxhmIT3RzFGb3tek54xZw8BmeEdpEW2nIZ0du-D3Z9JO2xhjDJBizDdojI9fSHdud08UFyIPnrIrGdYMpEmFk5mdTgPjU2vkSE3sMsqSOMNuGPV22xe0GU/s640/Heidelberg_Castle+panoramic2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic of the castle near the entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg5eqVUJZKPh-RLwZDUPb9P_swgtfmOe2QVYW9bA87-3WHFh-M9CyuuVzPmCroXxVljJXMzOZfuIVy52sI5gqUBFbxv600OV2eWHv6Q-AA2WFjT7OO0dZGVdfNIb_x9hBeYy2cFSJw6k/s1600/Heidelberg_Castle+inner+courtyard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg5eqVUJZKPh-RLwZDUPb9P_swgtfmOe2QVYW9bA87-3WHFh-M9CyuuVzPmCroXxVljJXMzOZfuIVy52sI5gqUBFbxv600OV2eWHv6Q-AA2WFjT7OO0dZGVdfNIb_x9hBeYy2cFSJw6k/s640/Heidelberg_Castle+inner+courtyard.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic of one of the interior castle walls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggj2sLUZ8Z9mccCaUftl7PXzEiUjVhYdPE5YS2MK4D9eW-zRnCC_IxzSujxxQW44T6RhGlnH6LjRIoR2RorkPyXMejaOZKpVN6V5wReDpVOS2xVOT38xJv9GnIa-R1DP-pnrzO5pLpxEU/s1600/Heidelberg_collapsed+tower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggj2sLUZ8Z9mccCaUftl7PXzEiUjVhYdPE5YS2MK4D9eW-zRnCC_IxzSujxxQW44T6RhGlnH6LjRIoR2RorkPyXMejaOZKpVN6V5wReDpVOS2xVOT38xJv9GnIa-R1DP-pnrzO5pLpxEU/s400/Heidelberg_collapsed+tower.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tower destroyed by gunpowder explosion. <br />
The castle has also been severely damaged by lightning strikes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoAMymOKFcT68yc51UR792EODI2FbipjStix8wTnsvt7b00_cv0Pazt3_TfYQNoTfJOm32Apgfb9ztctqFRWRU-c_x_Z_GYS2MCWN8kKsl4naznTHAOxxQKBq3-48hJogp0x7EKli7zk/s1600/Heidelberg_worlds+largest+wine+cask2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoAMymOKFcT68yc51UR792EODI2FbipjStix8wTnsvt7b00_cv0Pazt3_TfYQNoTfJOm32Apgfb9ztctqFRWRU-c_x_Z_GYS2MCWN8kKsl4naznTHAOxxQKBq3-48hJogp0x7EKli7zk/s400/Heidelberg_worlds+largest+wine+cask2.JPG" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the basement of one wing you find the<br />
world's largest wine cask. The railing you see<br />
above is for a dance floor on top of the cask.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wertheim</span>, Germany</span><br />
<u>Fun
Facts</u>: Construction
on the Wertheim fortress began in the 12<sup>th</sup> century, and expansion
continued till the 17<sup>th</sup> century. It was built to house the counts of
Wertheim, and was privately owned by noble families until the town bought it in
1995.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe_pwKKJ91Hoe68Ut6L6mg4OxfKmZbo-al730G4gzZNhSz6tjuXm1yYWVVkVCj2nluRCsztoWLsGi1GRnXbyJnb9ZvcfJ8qp-vVBBvVn58Ar1py4sSiHJ7jiEO7UGIiZ424AT09lsq14/s1600/Wertheim_Castle7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOOy5xX-MvWR624GyyjCsA72AJGpoWkDbx7EIHA0NnCp0P6azfImTiL2YhRDLc9yAtO5PXOD9yFRSpiM9qhvba8EIRh6DrFAADbRzToGToHLFqr5Vc7teP12Mu3cwDPe2Sx3fDYMAmjI/s1600/Wertheim_Castle4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOOy5xX-MvWR624GyyjCsA72AJGpoWkDbx7EIHA0NnCp0P6azfImTiL2YhRDLc9yAtO5PXOD9yFRSpiM9qhvba8EIRh6DrFAADbRzToGToHLFqr5Vc7teP12Mu3cwDPe2Sx3fDYMAmjI/s320/Wertheim_Castle4.JPG" width="240" /></a><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe_pwKKJ91Hoe68Ut6L6mg4OxfKmZbo-al730G4gzZNhSz6tjuXm1yYWVVkVCj2nluRCsztoWLsGi1GRnXbyJnb9ZvcfJ8qp-vVBBvVn58Ar1py4sSiHJ7jiEO7UGIiZ424AT09lsq14/s400/Wertheim_Castle7.JPG" width="300" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIXHsNtEoAWYhrPJsG89awOrH4dUS2cKeC_ShGPo5C5to5mYl5zB7E98-FE-9wrW2uyHzQ2tWWSMJFMT0l4GhkyPBrQLjxrCKgTrCIDbwXTZGxgJ3Ma0091Dc4gVQE8_Z8aW_lixck-w/s1600/Wertheim_Castle9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIXHsNtEoAWYhrPJsG89awOrH4dUS2cKeC_ShGPo5C5to5mYl5zB7E98-FE-9wrW2uyHzQ2tWWSMJFMT0l4GhkyPBrQLjxrCKgTrCIDbwXTZGxgJ3Ma0091Dc4gVQE8_Z8aW_lixck-w/s640/Wertheim_Castle9.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Würzburg</span>, Germany<br />
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<u>Fun
Facts</u>: The palace of the Würzburg prince-bishop took 60 years to complete, and features an unsupported vault ceiling with one of the largest frescos ever created. Despite heavy damage to the rest of the palace during World War II, the ceiling survived due to the intervention of an American soldier.<br />
<br />
The palace was restored through images and eyewitness accounts, and includes many original furnishings. Of its 341 rooms, only 40 are open to the public.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX2Dq7NCJQ5Je0Ge3I55NDLWlz4Kiq4_NYDOya4bGfjDZ_SqZ5qudzvOJ1cKgbDtc5emldpsiL1KxTZy1vAuFUuRf7Lx28jJYDoR5m1kFOxnS6ZePGANCh18k9wbgCorkVOqeqavYLVw/s1600/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence+panoramic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX2Dq7NCJQ5Je0Ge3I55NDLWlz4Kiq4_NYDOya4bGfjDZ_SqZ5qudzvOJ1cKgbDtc5emldpsiL1KxTZy1vAuFUuRf7Lx28jJYDoR5m1kFOxnS6ZePGANCh18k9wbgCorkVOqeqavYLVw/s640/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence+panoramic.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography isn't allowed inside the residence. Here's a view of the front.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget9o2yuGVE_78pYNYuE-JJ0YPBcItwCe6fu3eK-N5sQ49JkgfgiduA7q3C5mqq-vZPi0lAw3LR_ki0EyXW6GSN2wllmECkzsSVOljLgMVVobasmseb5gn-EsWKqykXIKodc5e4Xn2OPI/s1600/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence++garden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQkou8AmND5XrJXFryA4T3kkOucA54A4lSFMccBd9845Kez1tv8crRNvikfeYHUf-dkyV-ewh6valY59gcg5fnI9PZuvXcO_3JaMeGWpBpu42cuO6yL6qg2oZzUB4VomGLJ0sb23JogE/s1600/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence+hedge+harden+panoramic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQkou8AmND5XrJXFryA4T3kkOucA54A4lSFMccBd9845Kez1tv8crRNvikfeYHUf-dkyV-ewh6valY59gcg5fnI9PZuvXcO_3JaMeGWpBpu42cuO6yL6qg2oZzUB4VomGLJ0sb23JogE/s640/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence+hedge+harden+panoramic.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Here's a view of the back of the residence with a small portion of the beautifully landscaped gardens.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGFBHH3A12kmmcQ7qv4eggc4t9EzlSZuhtt2ANKGx8_685gT4athejK_xpEG9WZNpPRoG1soTU2QaDFwZ1Bamo3Yz8MjVXmNd_zcZk0AOS4hUjQXF4zL-K0lRxohBS5zojzZtju0M684/s1600/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence++garden+statues.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGFBHH3A12kmmcQ7qv4eggc4t9EzlSZuhtt2ANKGx8_685gT4athejK_xpEG9WZNpPRoG1soTU2QaDFwZ1Bamo3Yz8MjVXmNd_zcZk0AOS4hUjQXF4zL-K0lRxohBS5zojzZtju0M684/s320/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence++garden+statues.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget9o2yuGVE_78pYNYuE-JJ0YPBcItwCe6fu3eK-N5sQ49JkgfgiduA7q3C5mqq-vZPi0lAw3LR_ki0EyXW6GSN2wllmECkzsSVOljLgMVVobasmseb5gn-EsWKqykXIKodc5e4Xn2OPI/s320/Wuerzburg_Prince-Bishop+Residence++garden.JPG" width="320" /><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rhine River</span>, Germany "Castle Pong"</span></div>
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<u>Fun
Facts</u>: There are more
than 40 castles along the Middle Rhine, which is also home to vineyards and the infamous Loreley (Lorelei) rock.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsAJ7iaS5yXamHKppnjVQGQiZSXiVd6ELQKRSEludJ7pvuAtQynnaGH2m32h0IuGVD133Z_loF7KyLKD69JsfqdL3IixqK4F7up6ReXyIA8GgcJ5KbT3zHDRLHDQ29OF5bX4iqFV6ac0/s1600/Pfalz+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsAJ7iaS5yXamHKppnjVQGQiZSXiVd6ELQKRSEludJ7pvuAtQynnaGH2m32h0IuGVD133Z_loF7KyLKD69JsfqdL3IixqK4F7up6ReXyIA8GgcJ5KbT3zHDRLHDQ29OF5bX4iqFV6ac0/s1600/Pfalz+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsAJ7iaS5yXamHKppnjVQGQiZSXiVd6ELQKRSEludJ7pvuAtQynnaGH2m32h0IuGVD133Z_loF7KyLKD69JsfqdL3IixqK4F7up6ReXyIA8GgcJ5KbT3zHDRLHDQ29OF5bX4iqFV6ac0/s320/Pfalz+Castle.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pfalz Castle (yes, it's in the middle of the river)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLMf4HBhQtKJqUdLYzjKDWEhJEDdnFZ2ZobnMRidMrBRldk0MkI2oFtJ9m7nPUGRhkDYFGlGvYYjK9XiTTGOvjOO1YeYNQ_BVlnKVi22-mF-zM0HoSJNuldy9bdxOvJehbrt-OaKywd4/s1600/Ehrenfels+Castle2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLMf4HBhQtKJqUdLYzjKDWEhJEDdnFZ2ZobnMRidMrBRldk0MkI2oFtJ9m7nPUGRhkDYFGlGvYYjK9XiTTGOvjOO1YeYNQ_BVlnKVi22-mF-zM0HoSJNuldy9bdxOvJehbrt-OaKywd4/s200/Ehrenfels+Castle2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ehrenfels Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xcp2oS-hX42BCXMLbuwmMOM8eVmmq-_ORxtTtaf5m5ykUQp90PpDr-wHNXXq9Sr6OQ-PjRavKVgJ2dbxwUgoVQ9UyeJhZecWx9ZMjhVOehTy0ZvXId-62_R9w3HSUxcMqcgYwj6JEos/s1600/Katz+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xcp2oS-hX42BCXMLbuwmMOM8eVmmq-_ORxtTtaf5m5ykUQp90PpDr-wHNXXq9Sr6OQ-PjRavKVgJ2dbxwUgoVQ9UyeJhZecWx9ZMjhVOehTy0ZvXId-62_R9w3HSUxcMqcgYwj6JEos/s640/Katz+Castle.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katz Castle (unfortunately, my photo of "Maus" Castle was too blurry)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: black;"><u>Feelings</u>: It turns out there <i>is </i>such a thing as "castle fatigue." Later in the trip, I was more content to view castles from afar if there were other things in a town to see, or my priority became climbing to a castle to see the view rather than see the castle itself. </span></div>
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Thankfully, with a little rest, that fatigue has lifted. I'm ready now with my list of other castles I want to see around Germany!</div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-85862873085178891272016-06-27T08:18:00.000+02:002016-06-27T08:18:29.842+02:00Postcard: Medieval MadnessA lot of the cities we visited on <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/how-other-half-lives.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">our recent river cruise</span></b></a> had elements of medieval history scattered throughout. But two cities in particular captured the imagination in that regard.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Regensburg</span>, Germany<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: Home to Germany’s oldest bridge and world’s oldest sausage kitchen (12<sup>th</sup> century), as well as the world’s oldest golf ball and club (1525).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4RFBFkiKjl1T-9L4gDLdggCIqV90NJ-XS18nboXSdCmB95fFhdUzoGQQnYaWEy4u64NU6RvAfcP6ebxUU-B2qkXC-08YOgUGCWYOYH_jeJ_cq85rtwfIwCx99kxIJsHWt_p8RALH2qQ/s1600/Regensburg_oldest+wurst+kitchen+front+side.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4RFBFkiKjl1T-9L4gDLdggCIqV90NJ-XS18nboXSdCmB95fFhdUzoGQQnYaWEy4u64NU6RvAfcP6ebxUU-B2qkXC-08YOgUGCWYOYH_jeJ_cq85rtwfIwCx99kxIJsHWt_p8RALH2qQ/s400/Regensburg_oldest+wurst+kitchen+front+side.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of the historical sausage kitchen. Apparently Regensburg and Nuremberg <br />
have had an ongoing battle about their sausages. I've had both, <br />
and I have to say I like the Regensburg <i>wurst</i> better.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROYQ2EwG2POrFaPZjDMINGcaRBtnbehukWA-i3HBk2yYgh9LhjwPO0BCXkRQJYimGCI7bfh3ch7zFDNnqsvob0fzND5a7bhxsvVyhlltRdv2HAN5D8sJ0jpUeGscHn9u0F-FgYa2umfY/s1600/Regensburg_architecture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROYQ2EwG2POrFaPZjDMINGcaRBtnbehukWA-i3HBk2yYgh9LhjwPO0BCXkRQJYimGCI7bfh3ch7zFDNnqsvob0fzND5a7bhxsvVyhlltRdv2HAN5D8sJ0jpUeGscHn9u0F-FgYa2umfY/s320/Regensburg_architecture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely David and Goliath mural <br />
on the side of a building <br />
in downtown Regensburg</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1QBwnC2vOFgajx4D7Pfj6GFesunQOKR037gkjiTgPLO-nvYk0GmHB36cj-8XJrFE98njMG9Hlwz5rIJqQs1AKk3yWSQ1RuGZXwa5swBGtbmwcfhLCxlTge6Q9LX6OWzLC5iCyBJbCYI/s1600/Regensburg_former+wealthy+merchant+residence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1QBwnC2vOFgajx4D7Pfj6GFesunQOKR037gkjiTgPLO-nvYk0GmHB36cj-8XJrFE98njMG9Hlwz5rIJqQs1AKk3yWSQ1RuGZXwa5swBGtbmwcfhLCxlTge6Q9LX6OWzLC5iCyBJbCYI/s320/Regensburg_former+wealthy+merchant+residence.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<u>Feelings</u>: Our time in Regensburg was
like a picture of ancient Germany come to life. First we had a guided tour with a
city native, wandering through courtyards that led to alleys that led to narrow
streets, all filled with old homes and local shops.</div>
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Then we attended a cuckoo clock
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The evening ended with a concert from a local
Shanty Choir, who sang sea-faring songs in English, German, and French.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rothenburg</span>, Germany</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighxg-EYKU6FsAPTc8td46mAR7SOMkGH2RAwJ7QAMo_G_ok1gCqThPKB9ohBk1rwvYwUjHObUFBlDZS3LxR-hBX4t4f0QFBSmG7-J98455o46wV1pCUY2OHoR2_KQnxPCdwD5t7hKWxM0/s1600/Rothenburg_city+wall2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighxg-EYKU6FsAPTc8td46mAR7SOMkGH2RAwJ7QAMo_G_ok1gCqThPKB9ohBk1rwvYwUjHObUFBlDZS3LxR-hBX4t4f0QFBSmG7-J98455o46wV1pCUY2OHoR2_KQnxPCdwD5t7hKWxM0/s320/Rothenburg_city+wall2.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: Following a defeat in the Thirty Years’ War, and further decline during the Black Death in 1634, the city was left without money or power—a major factor in preserving its 17<sup>th</sup>-century appearance. </div>
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Rothenburg is also home to the <i>Schneeball</i> (snowball), a ball of deep-fried dough covered in confectioner’s sugar or chocolate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHL8sbgE0cx9C5tWeV8nRXKCNy4ZaBDaRjrMGQfBwNfhu8SwuZoEavxhihZP08q3dM04fDJvsGXxHnwY-6eq31yRBsqYKw2OefQfnXkuv7fhNt6fuhwEWYIpA5BDvbylPWQVbjrro3Ns/s1600/Rothenburg_architecture4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaEniDNdpBjkMEuIKhM77qEHkTAx9UcIx3JaM4aIaFoRpm4R5VkkrDzn4hFLaO3d6rCYLu11NVTMkNher9XQGY1Nnoo2uPSjQ59TdsHvlXKyFkrpX1i7IyyW0lwWYBAU-0xb6FfPmbe0/s1600/Rothenburg_architecture6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaEniDNdpBjkMEuIKhM77qEHkTAx9UcIx3JaM4aIaFoRpm4R5VkkrDzn4hFLaO3d6rCYLu11NVTMkNher9XQGY1Nnoo2uPSjQ59TdsHvlXKyFkrpX1i7IyyW0lwWYBAU-0xb6FfPmbe0/s400/Rothenburg_architecture6.JPG" width="125" /></a><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHL8sbgE0cx9C5tWeV8nRXKCNy4ZaBDaRjrMGQfBwNfhu8SwuZoEavxhihZP08q3dM04fDJvsGXxHnwY-6eq31yRBsqYKw2OefQfnXkuv7fhNt6fuhwEWYIpA5BDvbylPWQVbjrro3Ns/s400/Rothenburg_architecture4.JPG" width="300" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPEk6JNyWlkrqNiDST-DRIwdm6NyySe6gH_jJ5V4UWSP-raPuBCO-QhJiZL_Woj7ofO-QbKrI6IIvPSK_RPnnJFxxsVPq6jk8u37vsBmt2Tyf5dvH94X2MqY3xBqBOhjk4QbM09FXKiw/s1600/Rothenburg_street+scene3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPEk6JNyWlkrqNiDST-DRIwdm6NyySe6gH_jJ5V4UWSP-raPuBCO-QhJiZL_Woj7ofO-QbKrI6IIvPSK_RPnnJFxxsVPq6jk8u37vsBmt2Tyf5dvH94X2MqY3xBqBOhjk4QbM09FXKiw/s640/Rothenburg_street+scene3.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<u>Feelings</u>: Hands down, Rothenburg was my favorite city. <i>Of the whole trip</i>. It’s like it was tailor-made for me: beautiful architecture in a walled, walkable town, delicious lunch in a moody restaurant with armor hanging from the stone walls, a Christmas Museum, a Medieval Crime & Punishment Museum—what more could a girl want??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhrFGCDEDu0-MsNK1wR2zPcDqKxOOGNXsooigHPlWx6juuePMX8iXV5FGtlUxFP5OXc5pMfvh5jgAlabDQH-SG8Q_pdlQJyftH4fUkXUGhdYxTU-y-VpCtoIYJw0eNDbsg4-DYiIIyTc/s1600/Rothenburg_Medieval+Crime+and+Justice+Museum_spiked+chair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhrFGCDEDu0-MsNK1wR2zPcDqKxOOGNXsooigHPlWx6juuePMX8iXV5FGtlUxFP5OXc5pMfvh5jgAlabDQH-SG8Q_pdlQJyftH4fUkXUGhdYxTU-y-VpCtoIYJw0eNDbsg4-DYiIIyTc/s320/Rothenburg_Medieval+Crime+and+Justice+Museum_spiked+chair.JPG" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum <br />
was a four-floor journey through <br />
instruments of torture, descriptions of offenses, <br />
discipline, law, religion, and superstition <br />
in the Middle Ages </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg6CWI-0WwJ-N6OLoZSOzSrMRIh7VS2avn0U7MnwgUpGAgp1Lc-Rfv9FOMwT2Eo_mYn-GY391SSiafU1Ju4Eh9tCIuU9Vn47DcK8Q1h2KMjW2QTvEB1FQNSjK1RU6gjuttWXJV9wQf1c/s1600/Rothenburg_Christmas+Museum_weinachtspyramid+display.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg6CWI-0WwJ-N6OLoZSOzSrMRIh7VS2avn0U7MnwgUpGAgp1Lc-Rfv9FOMwT2Eo_mYn-GY391SSiafU1Ju4Eh9tCIuU9Vn47DcK8Q1h2KMjW2QTvEB1FQNSjK1RU6gjuttWXJV9wQf1c/s320/Rothenburg_Christmas+Museum_weinachtspyramid+display.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Christmas Museum included the origins/locales and history <br />
of different types of ornaments, depictions of St. Nicholas and <br />
Santa Claus, elaborate tree stands, and <i>Weihnachtspyramiden.</i> </td></tr>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-72846170127270782042016-06-25T12:23:00.001+02:002016-06-25T12:23:15.048+02:00Postcard: Time Travel<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather
than take you through <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/06/how-other-half-lives.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">my recent river trip</span></b></a> city by city, I thought I’d talk about it
using themes. </div>
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One thing that's always fascinated me in Europe is
how different villages/towns/cities handle the past
vs. the present. With so much rich history around, this is no easy task. </div>
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On
this trip, it was interesting to see some places that really cultivate a
celebration of their past, some that isolate it, and others that find a way for it to coexist with the
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Here are just a few examples.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bamberg</span>, Germany<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: The entire old town area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Bamberg is also known for its lace and a special variety of smoked beer.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K0szmP2_0lyaW83fTCa-5duHFctuA29V6-w366XSSUrJWUT1KcnVVvX5GcaF5N4E9LPzINQKVR1CNfwozNBEA5U0UjiOVyXs9PjUAWNqN858xpwvPcEC24wz9Wzl5i63d3-aavCSiUo/s1600/Bamberg_buildings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K0szmP2_0lyaW83fTCa-5duHFctuA29V6-w366XSSUrJWUT1KcnVVvX5GcaF5N4E9LPzINQKVR1CNfwozNBEA5U0UjiOVyXs9PjUAWNqN858xpwvPcEC24wz9Wzl5i63d3-aavCSiUo/s320/Bamberg_buildings.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical architecture in Bamberg old town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEmlV9C5Zdx01AvhTX9RU9fnJDsCFNc5pre2il0T9I9YnL2l7XyfebZpd_Oe3SBMEdUngwQicp3oT60boAQ9YRn7b_TZRgU9CrxmM3-Fs3_nDAz2KwsfKkr-qii3HVxnfIIu4Jr2bEIw/s1600/Bamberg_city+scene.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEmlV9C5Zdx01AvhTX9RU9fnJDsCFNc5pre2il0T9I9YnL2l7XyfebZpd_Oe3SBMEdUngwQicp3oT60boAQ9YRn7b_TZRgU9CrxmM3-Fs3_nDAz2KwsfKkr-qii3HVxnfIIu4Jr2bEIw/s320/Bamberg_city+scene.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of old Bamberg up to Michaelsberg Abbey</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old <i>Rathaus </i>in Bamberg</td></tr>
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<u>Feelings</u>: While the old town area is a
nice capsule of 11<sup>th</sup>-century architecture, to me it seemed just like
that--a capsule. It was isolated from the rest of Bamberg, so it felt populated
by too many tourists in too small a space. <u></u></div>
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Embracing my tourist status,
however, I did have a sip of Larry’s <i>Rauchbier</i>
(tasty) and now have a small fan made of Bamberg lace.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Koblenz</span>, Germany<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<u>Fun Facts</u>: Koblenz sits at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, and dates back to a Roman fortification in 8 BC. (!) It is also the origin of <i>Max und Moritz</i> (forerunner to The Katzenjammer Kids) and <i>Struwwelpeter</i> stories.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gqB4RqFHm8Jm7eBeM8tW85IR8pqhwdvQkM_NeF-qjNKBmBoYsCfslHarq2rlShCFo4iNILQfJRgmBl2Hsz68AGZWrXJ6NTiFPxeBlxsutPu1pG0g2Ch-ZAcPlAWEK-a88mpj3MVbf6U/s1600/Koblenz_architecture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gqB4RqFHm8Jm7eBeM8tW85IR8pqhwdvQkM_NeF-qjNKBmBoYsCfslHarq2rlShCFo4iNILQfJRgmBl2Hsz68AGZWrXJ6NTiFPxeBlxsutPu1pG0g2Ch-ZAcPlAWEK-a88mpj3MVbf6U/s320/Koblenz_architecture2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely architectural details in Koblenz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyd6RQSRY4NGhSYMhO6KUuId07cRbR7YD1jmxIrOoJmtDDQMJB-66tga9Jqp2HM9S58xCoGMW1xfXa3ySCkEemXKaleMaQxgDYCibE1u6cw-YHsrii4vkesOlRRcw9b9ojl1fh36NyWs/s320/Koblenz_Church+of+Our+Lady+street+view.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="224" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Church of Our Lady in Koblenz deliberately <br />reflects very different architectural styles, <br />and part of it sits on an old Roman fortification. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYq_YTCWBF5qTn_DY_bb-IBq_PrccblQmoFHMPRSzE1zRpWu6f-GncyDFimYsnZXn7mU-alK1ocVEYBDhKxvvngCbuuYTsErO-Cz_bFZdlVA9nzS9DRQTH9EDkQbr3ITk7mAMPnLo6i2o/s1600/Koblenz_resident+carvings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYq_YTCWBF5qTn_DY_bb-IBq_PrccblQmoFHMPRSzE1zRpWu6f-GncyDFimYsnZXn7mU-alK1ocVEYBDhKxvvngCbuuYTsErO-Cz_bFZdlVA9nzS9DRQTH9EDkQbr3ITk7mAMPnLo6i2o/s400/Koblenz_resident+carvings.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of a functional old architectural detail in Koblenz--images of a home's <br />residents grace buildings so those who can't read know who lives there. </td></tr>
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<u>Feelings</u>: I think of Koblenz as “that quirky” town we visited. To me it had the most seamless blending of old and new, and a great sense of humor represented by many statues that told the tales of characters throughout the town’s history.<br />
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The video below is an example of that humor. The clock face represents Johann Lutter von Kobern, who was falsely executed as a robber in the 1500s. Lutter's eyes roll with the movement of the clock, and each hour he sticks out his tongue when the clock chimes.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Vienna</span>, Austria</b></div>
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and the world’s oldest Ferris wheel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3GjAk-1lGv_y6-weLYYqrH3aZds5ghMbwgcAcWBu6gwLzlqgeCxKysywx61o0XCnRdzIS1iSjRh4bZimeBSt8CEaYXISewR5ZFcCohe6cDHgICkoriImm22jM2MhfkAuwKsmQ2QQFFE/s1600/Wien_Hofburg+Palace_panoramic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3GjAk-1lGv_y6-weLYYqrH3aZds5ghMbwgcAcWBu6gwLzlqgeCxKysywx61o0XCnRdzIS1iSjRh4bZimeBSt8CEaYXISewR5ZFcCohe6cDHgICkoriImm22jM2MhfkAuwKsmQ2QQFFE/s640/Wien_Hofburg+Palace_panoramic.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna: An imperial palace!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna: A 21st century skyline!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsfP3SzbrB4pBDCxShnKa28D4uwCxasd0fpF27fVWlnsvmz1xIXmSaUr5QJAlXNru_0Zq_l7yu0Tm8bcHlWf6oSjE6TCqehYC4hHU9V_dvWWukDwZTIrc06zEsboAdV8IXvXZocbdHII/s1600/Wien_two+riders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsfP3SzbrB4pBDCxShnKa28D4uwCxasd0fpF27fVWlnsvmz1xIXmSaUr5QJAlXNru_0Zq_l7yu0Tm8bcHlWf6oSjE6TCqehYC4hHU9V_dvWWukDwZTIrc06zEsboAdV8IXvXZocbdHII/s320/Wien_two+riders.JPG" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna: a city straddling very old and very new.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxNDuH6Tp-GwX7rMvdp1hlSzoToZyKJQ4YDwJTd-haqeAdvlgNLqjR41W_jfQ_V1O21DW8DBy7E0EYnz0umezqucC2UugycN6qZp7WmznZGSARQeiezYYmY66jBf6qn-uHdK9Z3CgCeA/s1600/Wien_architecture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxNDuH6Tp-GwX7rMvdp1hlSzoToZyKJQ4YDwJTd-haqeAdvlgNLqjR41W_jfQ_V1O21DW8DBy7E0EYnz0umezqucC2UugycN6qZp7WmznZGSARQeiezYYmY66jBf6qn-uHdK9Z3CgCeA/s320/Wien_architecture.JPG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely Viennese architecture</td></tr>
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<u>Feelings</u>: After being immersed in so much history
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It felt like there were two Viennas, both beautiful in their own right. But my heart belonged to some of the more modest and decidedly less modern cities and towns along our route.</div>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-23609524964354074912016-06-19T11:09:00.002+02:002016-06-19T11:14:59.953+02:00How the Other Half LivesUnfortunately, this is not a rags-to-riches tale. Instead, it's the start of my understanding of all of those cruise ships that flood the docks of the Elbe downtown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQuo300APNuyX1MS8rHGgMlzEnreRl_Xhvc4fkmFkULOE-PvjRJs7_eaR5SKkhZhbQGyiouD1HV08NoccYs4ejGvjPki66bz6K3lhmjMDCzqnD2rZd9nIGtyv64GFYnJxKV76c5k_xgA/s1600/IMG_4173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQuo300APNuyX1MS8rHGgMlzEnreRl_Xhvc4fkmFkULOE-PvjRJs7_eaR5SKkhZhbQGyiouD1HV08NoccYs4ejGvjPki66bz6K3lhmjMDCzqnD2rZd9nIGtyv64GFYnJxKV76c5k_xgA/s320/IMG_4173.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This ship was home for 15 days: the MS River Harmony</td></tr>
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River cruises are big business. Hamburg has an annual festival welcoming them to town, with booths along the river and celebratory events.<br />
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Last year when I learned about it, I avoided the river. I did not want to be caught up in the throng of wide-eyed tourists, trying to capture the measure of a town in mere hours.<br />
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But that's exactly what I've been doing for the past two weeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv0isRnvY_hoS37A4SsVckQS2hjXWAANeJbxIykXJE7PfZhjPIB7RrP6yXJ_bOJufBsVFRScziMWNVcn_HhyphenhyphenGZKbKNFPsdQCAMOOLECmah2ykGecCcPLolc9H-p_CXhL0s7AMRUtpiaY/s1600/IMG_3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv0isRnvY_hoS37A4SsVckQS2hjXWAANeJbxIykXJE7PfZhjPIB7RrP6yXJ_bOJufBsVFRScziMWNVcn_HhyphenhyphenGZKbKNFPsdQCAMOOLECmah2ykGecCcPLolc9H-p_CXhL0s7AMRUtpiaY/s320/IMG_3222.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are leaving the waters of Amsterdam and starting our <br />
journey along 3 rivers, a couple of canals, and 66 locks.</td></tr>
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My trip was not along the Elbe, but on a Rhine/Main/Danube riverboat sailing from Amsterdam to Vienna.<br />
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The cruise was a celebration of my mother's recent retirement, so it was nice to be able to drag Larry away from work, see my family, and be reunited with family friends from our long-ago time living in Germany.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZavgS0ZFs36sgd4UU8uu-XhhzvKD_nqLAvv9K6nWubXSV8XwkBfo4qXACwTRBA5OZwulZo9aU9U99utAttB6kS8V7KSFPU4RZ66-VEIUmT4lwiWQ0wU69f4lq8ar-L6V_MSkI8dyk5Hs/s1600/IMG_4058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZavgS0ZFs36sgd4UU8uu-XhhzvKD_nqLAvv9K6nWubXSV8XwkBfo4qXACwTRBA5OZwulZo9aU9U99utAttB6kS8V7KSFPU4RZ66-VEIUmT4lwiWQ0wU69f4lq8ar-L6V_MSkI8dyk5Hs/s320/IMG_4058.JPG" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela raises a glass for the yummy beer <br />
we had at the abbey in Weltenburg--<br />
the oldest brewery in the world.</td></tr>
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That was already enough to make it a great vacation. But it turns out that a whirlwind tour through the history of towns along the river (though exhausting) was informative, exciting, and inspirational. And I met some wonderful people on the trip--passengers and crew.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9MfRQnGpXUQHWYjmq5TFKpztoNF_14FmxgPR0IsoYlV6vy4eYFzlzaHfLekTdtCpFXNNvDbWZxEvGmgUSCV4CMFqPLCQabP7FEq7u4hbhSFFeg7C2Fi5cOtkIgd8v_gyMHiGFDYaWqs/s1600/IMG_3458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9MfRQnGpXUQHWYjmq5TFKpztoNF_14FmxgPR0IsoYlV6vy4eYFzlzaHfLekTdtCpFXNNvDbWZxEvGmgUSCV4CMFqPLCQabP7FEq7u4hbhSFFeg7C2Fi5cOtkIgd8v_gyMHiGFDYaWqs/s320/IMG_3458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents enjoy shots in a <br />
traditional German restaurant in Rudesheim.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT2aKoqj9N-YDCoMAqfMT9QB37tgVn_TuEfXChqat3Z_qoLWqoftKTcyxThry_Bslza5f-aNF4SSR8ffxOmdgj6S0Xrj03VrWWhn9A2QMxU0zkqJQEwuFi0AqGHsGsfcfJfh-dspeXa4/s1600/IMG_4199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT2aKoqj9N-YDCoMAqfMT9QB37tgVn_TuEfXChqat3Z_qoLWqoftKTcyxThry_Bslza5f-aNF4SSR8ffxOmdgj6S0Xrj03VrWWhn9A2QMxU0zkqJQEwuFi0AqGHsGsfcfJfh-dspeXa4/s200/IMG_4199.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite appearances it wasn't all about drinking--<br />
we had a lot of decadent meals and desserts reflecting <br />
the towns we were visiting. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPUIJu6D-FZwZzDyhaEVP5Wl-d0DgWP27yNRiBgjCIJsEFym-FmF30SODQV2aIpBObrD0kO8lny_zf2OEjqZ_OEZwULwePEC0e8hWwMuoOTgE83N_SrO88wdZLakXqDJJyXdOwiCgrDI/s1600/IMG_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPUIJu6D-FZwZzDyhaEVP5Wl-d0DgWP27yNRiBgjCIJsEFym-FmF30SODQV2aIpBObrD0kO8lny_zf2OEjqZ_OEZwULwePEC0e8hWwMuoOTgE83N_SrO88wdZLakXqDJJyXdOwiCgrDI/s320/IMG_0912.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pratts, the Todhunters, and the Mellons</td></tr>
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Over the next little while, while the weather here in Hamburg tries to make up its mind between muggy summer and chilly spring, I'll share my version of "postcards" of the places I've been on this trip.<br />
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I hope you enjoy the ride!<br />
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<br />Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-58710913980052485862016-06-01T18:23:00.001+02:002016-06-01T18:23:58.879+02:00Around Town: StatuesAs I wander around Hamburg admiring the architecture, I've also become a bit obsessed with capturing images of the city's many statues.<br />
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Some are just visually appealing to me, while others give me an excuse to look up the famous German personage or event they represent.<br />
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These are some of my recent favorites:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMX3GTIIuIP4H-NW-70leQgDVawKJWnymvhqgDQHFFj0qqWyTs-KfPCNdqGs_uUJikYGZcIGXGLStJblIvLtB4I7C_yQLr09Ynhyv_8AP1BKjDw3FR6QrlY9c-fPBDrLQClj8glSfRbM/s1600/IMG_2832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMX3GTIIuIP4H-NW-70leQgDVawKJWnymvhqgDQHFFj0qqWyTs-KfPCNdqGs_uUJikYGZcIGXGLStJblIvLtB4I7C_yQLr09Ynhyv_8AP1BKjDw3FR6QrlY9c-fPBDrLQClj8glSfRbM/s640/IMG_2832.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Pauli - Otto von Bismarck Memorial<br />This 115-ft. high monument to Germany's first chancellor <br />is in a pocket park between Planten un Blomen <br />and the Reeperbahn. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKkD96nA4madHLRRx2DI5EvDDvql1xxLWtWZKjOybUd-SpNPPhI-1ePxwfqwx1KsvRz0QnrDImbWFEAFuFyjr1OQdIYOSuIz_UGoV918ivNkMWj_2Nq1ahz8cUEVx8_iUe-LMlaRFSso/s1600/IMG_3156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKkD96nA4madHLRRx2DI5EvDDvql1xxLWtWZKjOybUd-SpNPPhI-1ePxwfqwx1KsvRz0QnrDImbWFEAFuFyjr1OQdIYOSuIz_UGoV918ivNkMWj_2Nq1ahz8cUEVx8_iUe-LMlaRFSso/s640/IMG_3156.JPG" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HafenCity - Klaus Stoertebeker. <br />Not only is it cool to have a statue <br />depicting a legendary pirate, <br />but I like the strength you see here, <br />especially considering that he's bound <br />and awaiting his execution. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIVXZyuU8z4ns09Mi9a3PktLEx7CWwy8e_BH79hmNejZElIyZZ94o0teYdGqdzcE7qTeePoGMBHbvv_VcRQDOTFWvIg5zly2opUE4MhXCgjzOmUkbTfQ6pwZtCZwQ4OvaBdRZU40GS-0/s1600/IMG_2495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIVXZyuU8z4ns09Mi9a3PktLEx7CWwy8e_BH79hmNejZElIyZZ94o0teYdGqdzcE7qTeePoGMBHbvv_VcRQDOTFWvIg5zly2opUE4MhXCgjzOmUkbTfQ6pwZtCZwQ4OvaBdRZU40GS-0/s640/IMG_2495.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown, St. Nikolai Church - <i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Angel on Earth</i><br /> "Take my hand and let me lead you back to yourself."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klein Flottbeck, Botanical Garden<br />"Adam plunders his paradise."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown, in front of the <i>Rathaus</i><br />Memorial to poet & essayist Heinrich Heine<br />The panel below the statue is an image of Nazis burning books.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU3QuR0KZtW7WZV1rwtMXo7G2BAsSPmlqvXmf2ONGhV0TlU5f1FkglXiv9i5pnrMHs03OFSr6fFegvizkD4ipLQ-BZgw0fv22jIyTBw9ISSsWrRhmPHWUUN7mwwH-s5yUvIkzFtg8bX0/s1600/IMG_2981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU3QuR0KZtW7WZV1rwtMXo7G2BAsSPmlqvXmf2ONGhV0TlU5f1FkglXiv9i5pnrMHs03OFSr6fFegvizkD4ipLQ-BZgw0fv22jIyTBw9ISSsWrRhmPHWUUN7mwwH-s5yUvIkzFtg8bX0/s400/IMG_2981.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This panel on the back side of the Heine memorial depicts <br />the destruction of the original memorial statue.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EUEOOFAwlFDxuYGGkYLxFzkWlsd94qfIhGwPD6EnrCFK-R62GaoiUFp9oUySQBqPAR6txvapMScvB2BNUlGU4CHhg63d8vmpArG9xXqaT8jwrtjsRLyN0qOsp1LBuMTR9HEc5qRKZyI/s1600/IMG_2970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EUEOOFAwlFDxuYGGkYLxFzkWlsd94qfIhGwPD6EnrCFK-R62GaoiUFp9oUySQBqPAR6txvapMScvB2BNUlGU4CHhg63d8vmpArG9xXqaT8jwrtjsRLyN0qOsp1LBuMTR9HEc5qRKZyI/s400/IMG_2970.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">St. Pauli, Fish Market area - "Madonna of the Seas" memorial<br />"The eternal sea, the ships are no longer,<br />and the simple men do not return to their days."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyk6UrVmNm5StwzuGtb1C2UEOMW2nwq1WQd4ghfUP2OszFpsh-KsIp-0TFDdau9qwRWwYEkKEmL8eXM33NeEfTxELVKpl9dDi0Vm27gQvjwAYB3K3eTayvAdLU0mErrt7xDZwIgi4gbg/s1600/IMG_2827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyk6UrVmNm5StwzuGtb1C2UEOMW2nwq1WQd4ghfUP2OszFpsh-KsIp-0TFDdau9qwRWwYEkKEmL8eXM33NeEfTxELVKpl9dDi0Vm27gQvjwAYB3K3eTayvAdLU0mErrt7xDZwIgi4gbg/s640/IMG_2827.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Pauli, outside Planten un Blomen park<br />This wooden statue has different <br />representations of nautical living, <br />including a mermaid.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Pauli Fish Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbezUiaYwpABcej4uxy_yb012ujTtHzDWWrIaWbtUPKApNUyZzT5c9_wb_PAy8l_Lz6hewthMxak-9u0pqD8hyfzyTN4anmr25z5T7rttVUCegnOn4Ro2j4hcclukccrxG4KBbYV2vY4/s1600/IMG_3191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbezUiaYwpABcej4uxy_yb012ujTtHzDWWrIaWbtUPKApNUyZzT5c9_wb_PAy8l_Lz6hewthMxak-9u0pqD8hyfzyTN4anmr25z5T7rttVUCegnOn4Ro2j4hcclukccrxG4KBbYV2vY4/s640/IMG_3191.JPG" width="603" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Altonaer Balkon, "Fishermen"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5NmeiWe1nhdgDeSuBpVVuLdhihUYSK6TQ3birwaCaSKzzzTHXTJ-nnrN07_qC-sgeuwhWYln3K68dLosP4eazcz6m_gyYAyP9aH3id3GFhmtloxxCqSkH_aiq63rGBcPj-G8meW57r4/s1600/IMG_3185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5NmeiWe1nhdgDeSuBpVVuLdhihUYSK6TQ3birwaCaSKzzzTHXTJ-nnrN07_qC-sgeuwhWYln3K68dLosP4eazcz6m_gyYAyP9aH3id3GFhmtloxxCqSkH_aiq63rGBcPj-G8meW57r4/s640/IMG_3185.JPG" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Altona, "Der Stuhlmannbrunnen"<br />A huge fountain featuring two centaurs fighting for a giant fish, surrounded by spraying lizards, a Nereid, and a Triton.</td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-85313625377966253852016-05-24T13:08:00.001+02:002016-05-24T13:21:57.868+02:00Nine Months Later...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s hard to believe we’re ¾ of the way into
our first year in Hamburg. At this time last year, it wasn’t even a blip on our
radar!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, Larry is a regular employee at GGS (i.e., not
contract) working on a new project, and I’m taking another German class and continuing
work on my writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfuTRvNYwR4yvsFpQmiPdfvnfz1JYFfpV3NDjHKxNwSWXE_GS6LVniiSbvJhOOhdJQZqoBKyfaoTgbyCa2CccmQ_t5Ck4DrPgIHN3X2nCZ6wYXNl8MKbIFH9fM26JRSUdrV5_y8LnmXw/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfuTRvNYwR4yvsFpQmiPdfvnfz1JYFfpV3NDjHKxNwSWXE_GS6LVniiSbvJhOOhdJQZqoBKyfaoTgbyCa2CccmQ_t5Ck4DrPgIHN3X2nCZ6wYXNl8MKbIFH9fM26JRSUdrV5_y8LnmXw/s200/IMG_3060.JPG" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The all-American-themed <br />
going-away party my coworkers <br />
threw for me last fall.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">How do you like Hamburg? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s the first question people ask when they
learn I’ve moved here. That’s to be expected, but I’m consistently surprised
by their reactions to my answer, which has evolved over time from “it’s
different, but nice,” to “I like it,” to “I love it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Usually the response runs along the lines of an
exchange I had with a gentleman at the flea market, who moved here from
Ghana 20 years ago. When I told him I really liked living in Hamburg, he looked
at me in utter disbelief and exclaimed, “But you came from America!” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Hmm. I guess I don't see my love of America and my love of Hamburg as incompatible. Besides, if there was one place in the world that could be everything for everyone, we'd all be living there, right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">What’s your favorite thing?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">That's the next question people ask, particularly if they know I'm writing a blog about my experience here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmQHBGb4mqhIbkwqblavu3MuhbRea6gPADC32-GIBfNQTTbdGNBFxRTS31dV3xbsU2FbVHt4PX2VQHFfSGMnLQlol7m7r3HWmIqdN3ReoagFQf-3yugSffHy_KyrPC1TIQDW-3xXjrvA/s1600/IMG_1612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmQHBGb4mqhIbkwqblavu3MuhbRea6gPADC32-GIBfNQTTbdGNBFxRTS31dV3xbsU2FbVHt4PX2VQHFfSGMnLQlol7m7r3HWmIqdN3ReoagFQf-3yugSffHy_KyrPC1TIQDW-3xXjrvA/s320/IMG_1612.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The <u>flippant answer</u>: Everything except the winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The <u>short answer</u>: Last week I was running some errands, and in the
course of only two hours, I ran into people I know in three different areas of the
city. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Hamburg is large enough
to be interesting, and small enough to feel comfortable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The <u>long answer</u>: I suspect other expats ask this question because they’re looking for things they might do here, and people from Hamburg
just want to know what an outsider thinks is great about their city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">How would you answer that question about where you live? It's hard, especially as different types of experiences bubble up into your mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So I decided to go back through my “bucket list” that I created when we first moved here, to see what I’ve done so far:</span><br />
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<ul style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.robinandthetourguides.de/en/tours/hamburg-beer-tasting" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><b>Beer-tasting Tour</b></a></span></li>
<li style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/seeking-solace-im-schloss.html" target="_blank"><b>Bergedorfer Castle & Vierlande Museum</b></a></span></li>
<li style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.bghamburg.de/" target="_blank"><b>Botanical Garden</b></a></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1naiUP124qeaQpR6ODFn1bXCbAYZDvftsaSttWIjVZ6f69BET3AAkkUBEFtURINII_tqSr4qsHC57g6oHyb1FojrydtY7rR7d8FzWu820sDQnTfdm7yIdyp0ytj16e87c4nbypFJeo/s1600/IMG_2859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1naiUP124qeaQpR6ODFn1bXCbAYZDvftsaSttWIjVZ6f69BET3AAkkUBEFtURINII_tqSr4qsHC57g6oHyb1FojrydtY7rR7d8FzWu820sDQnTfdm7yIdyp0ytj16e87c4nbypFJeo/s640/IMG_2859.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Loki Schmidt Botanical Garden is maintained by the University of Hamburg and includes planted areas of different geographies, a stone garden, a smell and touch garden, and a museum of "useful" plants </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(herbs, medicinal, food). </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<li><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Bunkermuseum</span></a></b></li>
<li style="color: blue;"><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><a href="http://www.gartenderschmetterlinge.de/" target="_blank">Butterfly Garden</a></b></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6vZiITU_zRIi0G7tGqhG8d6frFJAabngL4OwB1CF_ECRIsolBJM84d5J1Xa-TYcjkGBUp4VW_bwQeh5t4SXTKfQvspZRVqPzDz8oWtNhzjtcORrXpZO_YLHncTUt8C7Bpr3DCZPv2QE/s1600/IMG_3036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6vZiITU_zRIi0G7tGqhG8d6frFJAabngL4OwB1CF_ECRIsolBJM84d5J1Xa-TYcjkGBUp4VW_bwQeh5t4SXTKfQvspZRVqPzDz8oWtNhzjtcORrXpZO_YLHncTUt8C7Bpr3DCZPv2QE/s400/IMG_3036.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The butterfly garden has a hothouse, outdoor garden, water garden <br />
with coi, birds, bunnies, and more.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOkKBOVucpgGeAMviATOlZfy0FrAsWEMD2cNZZ5t5j1VrdIQVC4-d-PSG87nY7fWyWu1LOFKKXjzpAOI57EhuiAQ5tIb1RVeuCYWzUrXTaiUi371I1z95TBmsI-NZxaxImPeLhiaYpZE/s1600/IMG_1930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOkKBOVucpgGeAMviATOlZfy0FrAsWEMD2cNZZ5t5j1VrdIQVC4-d-PSG87nY7fWyWu1LOFKKXjzpAOI57EhuiAQ5tIb1RVeuCYWzUrXTaiUi371I1z95TBmsI-NZxaxImPeLhiaYpZE/s320/IMG_1930.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen at <i>Chocoversum</i>, where we got <br />
to choose ingredients to make our own chocolate bar!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhumC6n8qKBW3FePdZfHA0uM5FYd2IyQjTb8LQOB3PdOaBZH7RAthedFUIKI8NPLRkmBy-s_TIGalzzun7x0kkmHCpP0WRNhKZ4llo9-bakq502JpDOTovFE3BgbMrq-xo8bZXcyzaD2c/s1600/IMG_2304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhumC6n8qKBW3FePdZfHA0uM5FYd2IyQjTb8LQOB3PdOaBZH7RAthedFUIKI8NPLRkmBy-s_TIGalzzun7x0kkmHCpP0WRNhKZ4llo9-bakq502JpDOTovFE3BgbMrq-xo8bZXcyzaD2c/s320/IMG_2304.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's face it, carnivals are pretty similar in the attractions <br />
they offer. But we went to the Winter <i>Dom </i>to check <br />
it out, then came back for the Spring <i>Dom </i>to enjoy the food!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Café Vju</span></a></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.chocoversum.de/en/" target="_blank"><b>Chocolate Museum</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2015/12/around-town-christmas-in-hamburg.html" target="_blank"><b>Christmas Markets</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2015/10/and-through-woods.html" target="_blank"><b>Dahlia Garden /Volkspark</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/hitting-halfway-point.html" target="_blank"><b>Doll Museum</b></a></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://english.hamburg.de/visitors/290760/hamburg-hamburgs-dom-english/" target="_blank">Dom</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/03/happy-easter.html" target="_blank"><b>Easter Market</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/hitting-halfway-point.html" target="_blank"><b>Ethnology Museum</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/hitting-halfway-point.html" target="_blank"><b>Fine and Applied Arts Museum</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/around-town-to-market-to-market-in.html" target="_blank">Flea markets</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/05/happy-birthday-hamburg-harbor.html" target="_blank">Harbor Festival</a></b></span></li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKZmgypLN34rAsZaDU0FazQA3HxHgkrz1hJqNXL-V16pZincNkw5uYlD-eQ-q4MfaUYxEJpjvQeTM77a7ILr1ATe4zq2_rLLuOpBVNRRXMiLOOyiOoHhfb74lK4__XnzBzatYlO-RckQ/s1600/IMG_1894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKZmgypLN34rAsZaDU0FazQA3HxHgkrz1hJqNXL-V16pZincNkw5uYlD-eQ-q4MfaUYxEJpjvQeTM77a7ILr1ATe4zq2_rLLuOpBVNRRXMiLOOyiOoHhfb74lK4__XnzBzatYlO-RckQ/s320/IMG_1894.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Polizeimuseum </i>is on the campus of Hamburg's <br />
police academy, and provides a good history of the <br />
city's law enforcement, complete with a hands-on forensics area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="https://www.robinandthetourguides.de/en/tours/historic-city-centre" target="_blank">Historic City Centre Tour</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/around-town-to-market-to-market-in.html" target="_blank"><b>Isemarkt</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/angels-demon-and-some-heavenly-sights.html" target="_blank">Kramer-Witwen Wohnung</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/05/neuengamme.html" target="_blank"><b>Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2015/10/under-river.html" target="_blank"><b>Old Elbe Tunnel</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://www.hamburg.de/polizeimuseum/ihr-besuch-np/4110304/oeffnungszeiten-und-preise-a/" target="_blank">Police Museum</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://www.alsterdampfer.de/" target="_blank">St. Georg Steamboat Cruise</a></b></span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNz4dEosyn8CMiDD-QlKTF7xt1fOrgpSReSWIlGPzJ8DrPRnnI27vsdnYKp4EJ7S5OjGzo6y1nyp2gy7owMuRr3Gr2S4eV1UEohUDBvjrYEL3u-u8uzABYQ27E_sreJPaeZl0hm4aPluk/s1600/IMG_2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNz4dEosyn8CMiDD-QlKTF7xt1fOrgpSReSWIlGPzJ8DrPRnnI27vsdnYKp4EJ7S5OjGzo6y1nyp2gy7owMuRr3Gr2S4eV1UEohUDBvjrYEL3u-u8uzABYQ27E_sreJPaeZl0hm4aPluk/s320/IMG_2010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The St. Georg is an authentic steamboat that provides <br />
tours on the Alster lakes in the heart of downtown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-9BhQRjM1x3lfFoYm582fY840t4bEHHbp2_boidaqUVmu5LFrAqXzdCYwNASXTKH4rzrUDNhC8AM7ufOVDzQ1w98yWzmF6Ff2tBFEZNVL-vh9Z22vknfPJdnFOjlM_kYX_RcSQ5QLig/s1600/IMG_1968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-9BhQRjM1x3lfFoYm582fY840t4bEHHbp2_boidaqUVmu5LFrAqXzdCYwNASXTKH4rzrUDNhC8AM7ufOVDzQ1w98yWzmF6Ff2tBFEZNVL-vh9Z22vknfPJdnFOjlM_kYX_RcSQ5QLig/s320/IMG_1968.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Treppenviertel </i>is this part of Hamburg -- <br />
nice homes nesteled in hills above a beach, <br />
with steep, narrow, winding staircases <br />
you can climb for a nice view of the Elbe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSpsZIIHGAS0Zjn3yHYn3XBpc8HXNpAfTC-ik31AJD3FYQfxBArSYwKVRwE1DwZdubMrLAxMGNdr8gcpKYpgFsvef5kAprP5PdQUqg6WdIcCtXdKHgK0zE1Lk2X6dal6sN_sjVnAbnHM/s1600/IMG_0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSpsZIIHGAS0Zjn3yHYn3XBpc8HXNpAfTC-ik31AJD3FYQfxBArSYwKVRwE1DwZdubMrLAxMGNdr8gcpKYpgFsvef5kAprP5PdQUqg6WdIcCtXdKHgK0zE1Lk2X6dal6sN_sjVnAbnHM/s400/IMG_0214.JPG" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Speicherstadt</i>--<br />
Hamburg's historic warehouse district--<br />
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site <br />
and the world's largest carpet trading <br />
and storage area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/angels-demon-and-some-heavenly-sights.html" target="_blank"><b>St. Michel Tour</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" target="_blank">St. Nikolai War Memorial Museum</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/around-town-to-market-to-market-in.html" target="_blank">St. Pauli Fish Market</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="https://www.robinandthetourguides.de/en/tours/harbour-and-st-pauli" target="_blank">St. Pauli Tour</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="https://www.robinandthetourguides.de/en/tours/speicherstadt-unesco" target="_blank">Speicherstadt Tour</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/02/hitting-halfway-point.html" target="_blank"><b>Spice Museum</b></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><b><a href="http://www.strandperle-hamburg.de/" target="_blank">Strandperle</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Treppenviertel</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXSjog2nT_MxX6JjcZ6WeyOJ5wJnU79xrydBJ98o9cc8d9eKrWCEk8G4ze_bpCC67DWSTensntyL8OfsjC8hk7b68t2bl754qHdtTpKp7MFvD6b8bL26QOCTPCBqAXZzb9QoEnt_8nLk/s1600/German+Unification+Day+on+the+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXSjog2nT_MxX6JjcZ6WeyOJ5wJnU79xrydBJ98o9cc8d9eKrWCEk8G4ze_bpCC67DWSTensntyL8OfsjC8hk7b68t2bl754qHdtTpKp7MFvD6b8bL26QOCTPCBqAXZzb9QoEnt_8nLk/s200/German+Unification+Day+on+the+beach.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Strandperle </i>is where <br />
we celebrated <br />
German Unification Day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Getting back to the question of a "favorite," I don’t have one
thing I’d call out (although the Botanical Garden is a
contender). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Each time I see or do something new I relish the experience, but I'm always eager to see and do more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I think I have some small fear that if I reach the point where something
gets crowned “the winner,” I’ll stop exploring as much. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">And I have a lot more
things I want to see before hitting the one-year mark in August!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">p.s. I've written reviews for several of these attractions on <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g187331-Hamburg-Vacations.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">tripadvisor.com</span></b></a> if you want more information. You can also always<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="mailto:michelle@mpmellon.com" target="_blank"><b><u>drop me a line</u></b></a></span>.</span></div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-28865920963578494732016-05-13T08:37:00.002+02:002016-05-13T08:37:55.518+02:00A Cheese-y Day TripOne of the many reasons we were excited about living in Hamburg is its easy accessibility to so many other places. Although our vision of hop-scotching through Europe on regular weekend excursions has yet to come to pass, I did spend a whirlwind 18 hours in the Netherlands last week to see a friend from my job at <a href="https://openspacetrust.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">POST</span></a>, and tag along with her and her partner to visit the Alkmaar cheese market.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mO5xejYRpsK_Pzfe_Pv9VRyzxdCiBVrgkZqJaugr-YWf3unNliwPUAkyvZZ9BdLHnmzRWBqCQO6A-xNAYpVHB7sjMoa-SjJ2hiM__T_bAfgaA872IQ2QWkORbknJfV6X0HFzCoqeybQ/s1600/IMG_2673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mO5xejYRpsK_Pzfe_Pv9VRyzxdCiBVrgkZqJaugr-YWf3unNliwPUAkyvZZ9BdLHnmzRWBqCQO6A-xNAYpVHB7sjMoa-SjJ2hiM__T_bAfgaA872IQ2QWkORbknJfV6X0HFzCoqeybQ/s320/IMG_2673.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Alkmaar is about 40 km northwest of Amsterdam. This quiet, quaint town started its cheese trading in 1365. Even though its cheese distribution has now been modernized, every Friday from late spring to early fall, the town puts on a reproduction of their centuries-old cheese market traditions.<br />
<br />
Over the course of the first hour, we heard running commentary--in four languages--from the cheese market MC, giving us an overview of the market's history and players (you can read a bit about it <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.kaasmarkt.nl/en/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>)</span></b>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemUZA1NAbi2nHKd3ZQm7CaE8h90WcasxkDwMU6Ay1cfK9cTqut-PRMi-Eot0BWn1jcvs0fyn7Uu6Eo-xScn66OJG2eHI1dg6IqMwmg0G2fBJUHr3Yjmt8qOqSPrhpSLaoTfDg6QUKXE0/s1600/directional+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemUZA1NAbi2nHKd3ZQm7CaE8h90WcasxkDwMU6Ay1cfK9cTqut-PRMi-Eot0BWn1jcvs0fyn7Uu6Eo-xScn66OJG2eHI1dg6IqMwmg0G2fBJUHr3Yjmt8qOqSPrhpSLaoTfDg6QUKXE0/s320/directional+sign.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you weren't sure which way to go, <br />
they had these markers set up to lead you <br />
from the train station to the market square!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[photo courtesy of Kathryn Hargis]</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHhvPzejltwdO64gP0ua8Dw-obEm70cF6-H6ecSeuf2_dZpj3nPF8-B85UokIZBq84jc0T6rEE-J6KRk8rJpjV4LD13hIFn6EQgqDtz-7kWoib1NJ6XgFIcKbcjARbtOHaGG-VOdcyPc/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHhvPzejltwdO64gP0ua8Dw-obEm70cF6-H6ecSeuf2_dZpj3nPF8-B85UokIZBq84jc0T6rEE-J6KRk8rJpjV4LD13hIFn6EQgqDtz-7kWoib1NJ6XgFIcKbcjARbtOHaGG-VOdcyPc/s320/IMG_2668.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing the cheese to the market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduVwoPw1H2Rr_0tni7sKsuKbj3R4xwkezUW4Gq-DtcgRyaljARa4qe92478HbgO3rTadz9izl5XTUszdZqEH59pLrerDIrljWBvcqLL4YKzjCz-ZPWPhR5kV-giEbOXYtjmhU788fiYg/s1600/IMG_2657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduVwoPw1H2Rr_0tni7sKsuKbj3R4xwkezUW4Gq-DtcgRyaljARa4qe92478HbgO3rTadz9izl5XTUszdZqEH59pLrerDIrljWBvcqLL4YKzjCz-ZPWPhR5kV-giEbOXYtjmhU788fiYg/s640/IMG_2657.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The market square. The day we were there they were partnering with Aklmaar's Beatle Museum (don't ask), so the carillion tunes at the beginning of the market were all Beatles songs (including "Michelle"!)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqqks1AzOkEtXkx5w28A22AagZGf3skirb-r2rTljMg3cgusPZtQJHTj1JixOTqctRgBMSe4kopYkwx3LwWGRs6U4mWh6XURRdtqI2c4ca0oMoBH9eo0i9kHEC1MDVyAkgDAmE0O7t-w/s1600/IMG_2637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqqks1AzOkEtXkx5w28A22AagZGf3skirb-r2rTljMg3cgusPZtQJHTj1JixOTqctRgBMSe4kopYkwx3LwWGRs6U4mWh6XURRdtqI2c4ca0oMoBH9eo0i9kHEC1MDVyAkgDAmE0O7t-w/s320/IMG_2637.JPG" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quality check. They cut a wheel in half <br />
and inspect it, then core out <br />
samples for tasting. <br />
(We were close enough to try it--yum!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKstX_4amjMUJaiDRb5vPZPmGG0DCG2RO1y_WS64F4xaLfEqeFjrseQvypdU5OF75tobv9XmLGetSxmvzEU1lTi316txY-33ls5bO-8z6LNSAoUL23eqrVy1BnWKw9HmJI0AY9HxkFJo/s1600/cheese+models.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKstX_4amjMUJaiDRb5vPZPmGG0DCG2RO1y_WS64F4xaLfEqeFjrseQvypdU5OF75tobv9XmLGetSxmvzEU1lTi316txY-33ls5bO-8z6LNSAoUL23eqrVy1BnWKw9HmJI0AY9HxkFJo/s320/cheese+models.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Each wheel of cheese weighs about 25 pounds!</span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[photo courtesy of Kathryn Hargis]</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iKp_JecuohF_UIJRAoSWJWzr581rlFSVSRt_PjaVBtekT3UroEsP5bqZ3eZjAYCV2jz23rsO3mBPzn2aQ4-ohorhacEoOtFoPGtEvu7DxhqcqqqOgcbiS07nXmqELnlah4cmdURZOsE/s1600/IMG_2640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iKp_JecuohF_UIJRAoSWJWzr581rlFSVSRt_PjaVBtekT3UroEsP5bqZ3eZjAYCV2jz23rsO3mBPzn2aQ4-ohorhacEoOtFoPGtEvu7DxhqcqqqOgcbiS07nXmqELnlah4cmdURZOsE/s320/IMG_2640.JPG" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
After the quality is assured,</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
the seller (left)</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
and buyer (right)</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
slap hands continuously,</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
negotiating until they</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
come to an agreement.</div>
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</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7z0_XMDV-nT_omisL_qsYHF1UkzRm7cJxuHwotgQCxI1-Qka7_BNlTDR1QmiHY1iWLZExtj1d6qSx9aMZ2DP3U6IRqFnjk8FKYX5SdjWhhPuBKIDYMuz7neuJFUMgL1w_oGngSJugEc/s1600/IMG_2660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7z0_XMDV-nT_omisL_qsYHF1UkzRm7cJxuHwotgQCxI1-Qka7_BNlTDR1QmiHY1iWLZExtj1d6qSx9aMZ2DP3U6IRqFnjk8FKYX5SdjWhhPuBKIDYMuz7neuJFUMgL1w_oGngSJugEc/s320/IMG_2660.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No easy feat to toss this cheese around to load onto sledges.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEBkge9JnyHjBs5dG8_uFxD0rAXOfsImm50kwa6ZCPff6eWCh6GMCIHPniy9QaVphFiM7wf5MRqRo2lt9OtCq1u85fw8d8fOb0WLP-jeLV83CwG7pkdHmr14u11kigCIP4qOElmX949g/s1600/IMG_2649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEBkge9JnyHjBs5dG8_uFxD0rAXOfsImm50kwa6ZCPff6eWCh6GMCIHPniy9QaVphFiM7wf5MRqRo2lt9OtCq1u85fw8d8fOb0WLP-jeLV83CwG7pkdHmr14u11kigCIP4qOElmX949g/s320/IMG_2649.JPG" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a lot of running with cheese <br />
at the market. After it's loaded <br />
onto sledges it's taken to the scales.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF38mVgRp92rgNbnt929MI9lE6sg3J-k4DpkNePLn10LuiuEkbrEzPc5_lF97B3Dqlo_WgyaeMS4R5Vs_xBMat9jN_vovylFzlY0yxM29QGhDaPWdLrNXJgJdzQ9JMvLhXvkolSehoPs/s1600/IMG_2648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF38mVgRp92rgNbnt929MI9lE6sg3J-k4DpkNePLn10LuiuEkbrEzPc5_lF97B3Dqlo_WgyaeMS4R5Vs_xBMat9jN_vovylFzlY0yxM29QGhDaPWdLrNXJgJdzQ9JMvLhXvkolSehoPs/s400/IMG_2648.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">After it's weighed, the carriers trot off to take the cheese to waiting wooden wagons.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKkJLnH9BXVLgji4oBEzEL3u34ZSzbO46QEXY5OGjKO-INao9b0M_qFOFPQOfq8i67WaTqElx8hblNLnmFHRzb1TXKI4zsKkdRY2nJJ0_U16F4P17Ym303kQW2GxesCO_vDpvZmz35W8/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKkJLnH9BXVLgji4oBEzEL3u34ZSzbO46QEXY5OGjKO-INao9b0M_qFOFPQOfq8i67WaTqElx8hblNLnmFHRzb1TXKI4zsKkdRY2nJJ0_U16F4P17Ym303kQW2GxesCO_vDpvZmz35W8/s320/IMG_2666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, we tried that flourescent blue cheese you see in the back. <br />
It's a pesto cheese with lavender giving it that unique color. <br />
Very mild flavor--almost like a mozzarella with lavender accents.</td></tr>
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All around the market square were different vendors, selling everything from waffles and Dutch shoes, to, of course, different types of cheese. It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful day, and I look forward to more chances to travel abroad for glimpses of the incredible history around me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlp0BzG2t6iVJifcdOnGxY1JZKQp3J8MM9ASm-ahf9J-ihhGd5D_Wta-y_CGeKy0icr-lqyKl5KMdu9wbkYC9o8z-AOx-ty4OdOefijplcfkMbFQtB6A_yE5cpnR_GQHDGgI6pRk4-HiY/s1600/Cheese+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlp0BzG2t6iVJifcdOnGxY1JZKQp3J8MM9ASm-ahf9J-ihhGd5D_Wta-y_CGeKy0icr-lqyKl5KMdu9wbkYC9o8z-AOx-ty4OdOefijplcfkMbFQtB6A_yE5cpnR_GQHDGgI6pRk4-HiY/s1600/Cheese+board.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[photo courtesy of Kathryn Hargis]</span></td></tr>
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p.s. <i>If you go to the cheese market</i>: it's about a 20 minute walk from the train station to the market square. We got there at 9:25 and had prime viewing. Although the market goes from 10-12:30, you'll want to get there early, because things slow down a lot after the first hour.<br />
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<br />Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-43186506882596415342016-05-08T11:33:00.001+02:002016-05-08T12:12:13.033+02:00Happy Birthday, Hamburg Harbor!<br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year Hamburg celebrates its </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hafengeburstag</i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">--Harbor Birthday--with hundreds of ships visiting from other countries. This year the harbor turns 827!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 107%;">How does a harbor have a
birthday? On May 7, 1189 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa issued a charter to allow
Hamburg to sail ships up the Elbe to the North Sea without having to pay customs
duties.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 107%;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And since the harbor is the lifeblood of the city, only the <b>biggest harbor celebration in the world </b>will do!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GlX-9qo22gLjZmSJg8BCBNEqcqBkTT5AWpU64jnFmKFLIWwp0fhTXQeng9eiZDixW7XdWhUrs2UMnleSv0MnJVJg_-6BgD51tX5CxKiBbuSeGBnbs8kD8WpX-HslccdRIRlm9YldmEA/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GlX-9qo22gLjZmSJg8BCBNEqcqBkTT5AWpU64jnFmKFLIWwp0fhTXQeng9eiZDixW7XdWhUrs2UMnleSv0MnJVJg_-6BgD51tX5CxKiBbuSeGBnbs8kD8WpX-HslccdRIRlm9YldmEA/s320/IMG_2787.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The promenade area was 3+ km of food, drinks, jewelry,<br />
and souvenirs, with everything from carnival carts to<br />
more elaborate pop-ups, like this bar made to look like a ship. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It felt like half the population <br />
of Europe was crammed into the harbor!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The one thing I wanted to see during the four-day celebration was the </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Schlepperballett</i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">--the tugboat ballet. So I made my way through the throngs of people yesterday to explore a harbor full of ships and enjoy the welcome 75° F day!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went aboard this massive Russian ship and staked out a spot to see the tugboat ballet.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The "ballet" featured four tugboats initially showing off their maneuverability before they moved into some synchronized movements, do-si-dos, and close-quarters sailing. Over the course of the 45-minute performance, the background music alternated between classical, pop, and rock.</span><br />
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The tugboats are in a line and perform an about-face<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></div>
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The tugboats are moving in a line, rocking from side to side. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">You can barely hear it, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">but the background music </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">for this is "Purple Rain."</span></div>
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The tugboats bid farewell, and the ships that <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">moved out of this part of the river </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">during the performance </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">greet them as they come back in.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzibr6gzxNP1qdJw0537N9id8A5lkXvEo5CO9LKG2Qy2IRtM39wwHFidXuJ5IYFgbT1eHYZrUdCycYKKO5aVSAKdQ5FRJHRW7DyZzl16edxU55Tu8rEMjuC4hG2W5wrqAf_Uy-29zlBgo/s1600/IMG_2777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzibr6gzxNP1qdJw0537N9id8A5lkXvEo5CO9LKG2Qy2IRtM39wwHFidXuJ5IYFgbT1eHYZrUdCycYKKO5aVSAKdQ5FRJHRW7DyZzl16edxU55Tu8rEMjuC4hG2W5wrqAf_Uy-29zlBgo/s640/IMG_2777.JPG" width="412" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIOB8nmNMkq3fDi-N5OMcybSFbOTMdYkHT1e4cUD0U7klLblwcsARTEpznegS8yjZ8knZWwqhOJ8opLvZ90MaFsukt8AD0z-UpqRuQ3XCBdYZEj7SXF2JpscKPe-DfyPFzHzJK8Sr_AA/s1600/IMG_2707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIOB8nmNMkq3fDi-N5OMcybSFbOTMdYkHT1e4cUD0U7klLblwcsARTEpznegS8yjZ8knZWwqhOJ8opLvZ90MaFsukt8AD0z-UpqRuQ3XCBdYZEj7SXF2JpscKPe-DfyPFzHzJK8Sr_AA/s200/IMG_2707.JPG" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ships? Sun? All smiles!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm less a fanatic about boats than I am a big fan of being on the water, but it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement. And some of the ships are truly sailing works of art. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would call Hamburg's <i>Hafengeburtstag</i> a definite bucket-list item for ship enthusiasts, and a great way for everyone else to see how proud this city is of its harbor heritage!</span><br />
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-48334965374674003012016-05-04T21:00:00.000+02:002016-05-04T21:13:25.434+02:00Neuengamme<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although yesterday marks 71 years since Hamburg surrendered
to the British in World War II, I thought it more fitting to post the final entry in my war series today, in honor of <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.shiva.com/learning-center/commemorate/jewish-holidays/yom-hashoah/" target="_blank"><b>Holocaust Remembrance Day</b></a></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA68tJPP2Dt_l2nNPjBpeOrl0qrhBKrTVGYyDw7Om-dglNzEtMJoXU-RTHWWMvTfq88JaFJRniWFEU4kOwB2TwbOwPbfyAWBGYMi8Y9hrnRj72VrhH291-rvsJzH30_cqqQGnfGGJL7U/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA68tJPP2Dt_l2nNPjBpeOrl0qrhBKrTVGYyDw7Om-dglNzEtMJoXU-RTHWWMvTfq88JaFJRniWFEU4kOwB2TwbOwPbfyAWBGYMi8Y9hrnRj72VrhH291-rvsJzH30_cqqQGnfGGJL7U/s320/IMG_2602.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About 25 km southeast of downtown Hamburg sits the former
site of Neuengamme, the largest concentration camp in northern Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Neuengamme operated from 1938 to 1945. It began as a
satellite of Sachsenhausen, then become an
independent camp with more than 80 satellite camps of its own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the war, Neuengamme was used by the British, then
turned into a succession of prisons, until politicians finally listened to complaints
that the site’s history was being dishonored and deliberately overlooked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I strongly debated visiting the Neuengamme memorial, but feel it’s one thing to encounter the
horrors of the Holocaust through books and pictures and movies; it’s another
thing to stand on the soil where tens of thousands of people lost their lives.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtJI2vsKkz0KzMZSCbm3aFRUqAA2lMf0LqmVUWzfaNeJXNihVT9NpYdVA6tDgGgKc6WJOD0Kp_cR5v2Sprn-pHmxSovn3vP8TsGzlYcYk5uGojXMpaSPIAhMsnnda-Zjkn_8DDnNZ2to/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtJI2vsKkz0KzMZSCbm3aFRUqAA2lMf0LqmVUWzfaNeJXNihVT9NpYdVA6tDgGgKc6WJOD0Kp_cR5v2Sprn-pHmxSovn3vP8TsGzlYcYk5uGojXMpaSPIAhMsnnda-Zjkn_8DDnNZ2to/s320/IMG_2585.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Many of the original buildings were destroyed, but the rubble</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">from the demolished prison that later sat on the camp grounds</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">has been arranged to show where the wooden </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">inmate </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">housing blocks once stood.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm5unnqNIAKgyBAHN9cB95sKy90PXPIJu63IToheDXPLF_oAl4XSWAxwNTLfoC5LJPuLI1oL_SAvF6D3pS9RlMN3hrwEn_-0h3VlDWn3dTfwIpT_hogOmVC4-Kl3Cplfc7rmWTrYdaGo/s1600/IMG_2519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm5unnqNIAKgyBAHN9cB95sKy90PXPIJu63IToheDXPLF_oAl4XSWAxwNTLfoC5LJPuLI1oL_SAvF6D3pS9RlMN3hrwEn_-0h3VlDWn3dTfwIpT_hogOmVC4-Kl3Cplfc7rmWTrYdaGo/s320/IMG_2519.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the rubble from one <br />
of the rows of barracks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I expected my visit to make me sad. Instead, in the
beginning, I was angry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was angry at the teenagers on a field trip who were laughing and pretending they were researching the camp's rail system just to get away from the main group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was angry at the man who wanted his smiling photo taken
among the ruins of one of the infirmaries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was angry at the kids running up the ramps of the brickworks building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then I was angry at myself, for being
angry and judgmental. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I didn't know why these other people were here and what
they were thinking, any more than they knew why I was typing notes and taking
pictures and constantly checking my phone (turns out there is a Neuengamme app that provides information for each of the 100+ signs around the site).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who’s to say what is the right way to honor, mourn, or reflect?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPEN_95PMoeZkjSzazGKdQyfBc64X8WMJR2kRR4hbYTYTqJiv_JKEMYsxNttCDmhGNbH-b49vVQrOLPyrpdxwmaD19qMYG6EH9EIHX59RF5qoS_wUjBYmAEy6koIPG6KFMAz-7ZW_cy8/s1600/IMG_2510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPEN_95PMoeZkjSzazGKdQyfBc64X8WMJR2kRR4hbYTYTqJiv_JKEMYsxNttCDmhGNbH-b49vVQrOLPyrpdxwmaD19qMYG6EH9EIHX59RF5qoS_wUjBYmAEy6koIPG6KFMAz-7ZW_cy8/s640/IMG_2510.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">This willow tree was planted as part of a garden that was closest to the road and camp entrance.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Inmates maintained the garden, but could not use it. The SS guards called it The Oasis.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I walked the grounds first, to see what was left of the original camp buildings, before going
inside one of the barracks buildings for the main exhibit. The world felt disjointed, from the incredible rainbow completely encircling the
sun, to the beautiful, quiet countryside complete with a nearby town of thatched-roof houses. It felt like a make-believe place where the things that
photos and quotes and archaeological remains said had happened, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">could not have happened.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHOQWF2fkDKZ2Cmr-R2sUMPEF_vULCmQ7BDkebcQZCg6eFbp39Y98xAtckntE-nvFXPP6g-0gqwrfZTRbBYpEvl3jzQ3LIKazvRfr23Zo_R1334qLfMEOdZT1WOccxLSK9AZg4k_4bfc/s1600/IMG_2536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHOQWF2fkDKZ2Cmr-R2sUMPEF_vULCmQ7BDkebcQZCg6eFbp39Y98xAtckntE-nvFXPP6g-0gqwrfZTRbBYpEvl3jzQ3LIKazvRfr23Zo_R1334qLfMEOdZT1WOccxLSK9AZg4k_4bfc/s640/IMG_2536.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Neuengamme was originally founded for brick production. Inmates dug clay from pits like this one to transport to the brick-processing facility on site. Work expanded to include <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">making armaments and supplies for the Nazis, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">and even running an angora rabbit farm.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbKrPskXKfvCf6cmevtbYwDCNT5In0pc0h1Ll-SW2deRN0osT8oawTWrwy5fjzDcVSE9UIWl3YugC-imEkKwlfTfif-CKjzDNZNiowWP1keYx_N04RLBtOFJUjFyGLBIq0zq3EWl3d78/s1600/IMG_2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbKrPskXKfvCf6cmevtbYwDCNT5In0pc0h1Ll-SW2deRN0osT8oawTWrwy5fjzDcVSE9UIWl3YugC-imEkKwlfTfif-CKjzDNZNiowWP1keYx_N04RLBtOFJUjFyGLBIq0zq3EWl3d78/s640/IMG_2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Commemoration site for the crematorium. Some victim's ashes were buried nearby; </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">many were scattered on the grounds of the camp's plant nursery.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zVTqFMiROBbKYtxYxOxEIa8BBJYz1wCHlRz_wDPEkFBmC79KRVO7Y9CanJMCzZslj5krEHZNEW5zXgyzRkWPPkvaiBQt4ILuwtEl0zzvxLlJk3EEloWnfZhtdpaVDlKPaJzv0CSXoL8/s1600/IMG_2556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zVTqFMiROBbKYtxYxOxEIa8BBJYz1wCHlRz_wDPEkFBmC79KRVO7Y9CanJMCzZslj5krEHZNEW5zXgyzRkWPPkvaiBQt4ILuwtEl0zzvxLlJk3EEloWnfZhtdpaVDlKPaJzv0CSXoL8/s400/IMG_2556.JPG" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 13.5533px;">Le Deporté</span></i><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 13.5533px; text-align: start;"> by French sculptor Françoise Salmon</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It wasn't until I got to the memorial area, near the site of
the old nursery, that I got my first punch of reality. It came in the form of the painfully bea</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">utiful sculpture,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.5533px;">Le Deporté</span></i><span style="line-height: 13.5533px; text-align: center;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I actually gasped when I saw it, then walked around it again and again, to take it in from every angle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This, I felt, was the soul of Neuengamme. It reinforced and reflected every word, every image, every emotion around the loss of humanity in this place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then I went to the House of Remembrance, where I saw the camp's heart--laid out on red walls with long white banners listing the names of the confirmed Neuengamme
dead, beginning with Kurt Urban on February 22, 1940.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic view of the walls of the House of Remembrance<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time I got to the main exhibit building, I was emotionally
exhausted. But there was more to learn. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like the convergence of two worlds around </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Operation Gomorrah</a><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">D</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">uring air raids, the Neuengamme inmates were beaten and rapidly forced into the few buildings with basements, causing many to be trampled, and those remaining to suffer from insufficient oxygen. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later, in the aftermath of the bombing, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">inmates were sent to clear debris from dangerous ruins and recover the bodies of bombing victims.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The stories of the Holocaust differ in their particular,
local atrocities, but run on the same themes of degradation, malnutrition,
medical experimentation, and murder. I learned something new here, however. Neuengamme had a “special barracks”—a brothel</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">where a
dozen women from another camp were brought and forced to be
prostitutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The memorial area includes a tower, large stone plaques for the 25+ countries of inmates' origins, and markers for villages, individuals, and homosexual victims of Neuengamme. But there is nothing to recognize the shameful treatment of these women. Every time I look at one of my pictures of <i>Le Deporté</i> now, I see them, in their silent, unacknowledged agony.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">History shows us over and over the human capacity for cruelty to others. For the tragedy at Neuengamme I feel an unfortunate kinship, given the history of African Americans in the United States. Still, when I left the memorial, I wondered how these things continue to happen, even today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How does someone disavow or disregard the suffering of a group they feel is different from themselves--forgetting that they, and their friends, and their family are all "those people" to somebody else?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had thought this exploration of the past might gain me insight into Hamburg and its persona. But each person here is part of that mosaic, with
experiences that may have everything or nothing to do with 1200 years of
invasions and fires and floods and bombings and concentration camps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I'm looking upon my time here with renewed vigor. To continue to explore and learn and-- yes--compare, but also to discover more about Hamburg on an individual scale. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because among the many things that I take away from Neuengamme is this overarching lesson: when we lose sight of the fact that each name and every face around us carries its own story, we lose sight of our common humanity.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Your suffering, your fight, and your death <br />
will not be in vain."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>This is the last of my three posts about world wars and Hamburg. If you missed the others, you can read them here: <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/ein-madchen-im-krieg.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Ein Mädchen im Krieg</span></b></a> and <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/bunkering-down.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Bunkering Down</b></span></a>.</i></span></div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-45883162006867548962016-04-30T07:54:00.000+02:002016-04-30T07:54:16.317+02:00Bunkering Down<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/03/happy-easter.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">my family was here last month</span></a></span></b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">we went on
a walking tour of the city. Near the end of the tour, a siren sounded. Someone
joked about a <i>really</i> loud car alarm,
but we were all frozen and looking at our tour guide with rising concern as the siren stopped, then began wailing again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I heard a warning siren once as a kid, for an incoming tornado. Your reaction is instant, nearly animal,
instinctive—a need to find someplace safe. For that tornado we sheltered with other
people in the vault of a nearby bank. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Thankfully this alarm was “just” an
accident at the harbor involving hazardous chemicals. But somewhere in the back
of our minds I think we all felt some ghost of fear from Hamburg’s experience
in the second world war.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Operation Gomorrah</span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ew2wfLvfE7Rufh5eyFrStydpmK6mQQn_yEfIqFjm2o2CJWLGp-bNL6rxQALsceknbAfKDsNY_TeUoOfOeWAXbIrXcyvvQXrHnYa0hfq6W9oJNxn_AudeKdkTVtFZgPXh2sAuk5ouGVE/s1600/IMG_0936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ew2wfLvfE7Rufh5eyFrStydpmK6mQQn_yEfIqFjm2o2CJWLGp-bNL6rxQALsceknbAfKDsNY_TeUoOfOeWAXbIrXcyvvQXrHnYa0hfq6W9oJNxn_AudeKdkTVtFZgPXh2sAuk5ouGVE/s320/IMG_0936.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: right;">Memorial statue in the remnants of </span><br style="text-align: right;" /><span style="text-align: right;">St. Nikolai. The church's tower was used </span><br style="text-align: right;" /><span style="text-align: right;">as an orienting point for pilots during </span><br style="text-align: right;" /><span style="text-align: right;">Operation Gomorrah. Today, the church crypt </span><br style="text-align: right;" /><span style="text-align: right;">is a war memorial museum.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For 8 days and 7 nights from late
July to early August 1943, a joint bombing campaign by British and U.S. troops
turned Hamburg into a flaming wasteland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hamburg was a logical target—a key
transportation hub with many large shipyards producing submarines.<span class="apple-converted-space"> The Nazis fought back with </span><span style="background: white;">anti-aircraft weaponry, but the scope of the Allied assault
and the resulting firestorm were too much. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The bombing super-heated
the air, causing hurricane-like winds and a tornado of fire. There were reports
of streets of boiling asphalt and the firestorm pulling oxygen from the air in
surrounding areas. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yno8NBQQpO4WAj8wvQal5jyRT1ZpRu0a9XRySU88e3jM8krjrPWYpVr-JIoCBx6-_jRNQudUKjmFM1LwVMMk9CMmdHPrB1MrihzSSJ64aKh9DQ7U5F_WstIiQgGeDXuNxF32wqdyyuo/s1600/IMG_2474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yno8NBQQpO4WAj8wvQal5jyRT1ZpRu0a9XRySU88e3jM8krjrPWYpVr-JIoCBx6-_jRNQudUKjmFM1LwVMMk9CMmdHPrB1MrihzSSJ64aKh9DQ7U5F_WstIiQgGeDXuNxF32wqdyyuo/s200/IMG_2474.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">In the post-bombing chaos, people</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">relied on these "proof of life" </span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">cards to know if loved ones were alive.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">[from the St. Nikolai museum]</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The glow of the burning city could be seen from more than a 100 miles away. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">More than 40,000 people died and more
than half of the city’s homes were destroyed.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Air Raid Precautions Are Essential" - <br />
board game to help Germans become used to the idea of air raids.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">[from the St. Nikolai museum]</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Bunkers</span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Having made its own air raids, Germany knew it would suffer the same. The government tried to normalize defensive manuevers (e.g., mandatory blackouts at night to thwart air raid targeting), so citizens would feel safe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As part of its preparation for war, Hamburg constructed 1,700 shelters for 230,000
people--about a quarter of the population. Of these shelters, few are still safely accessible, and one has been
turned into </span><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://hh-hamm.de/bunkermuseum/english.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">a museum</span></a></span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSgL4RHnoMfAmIW8pvX1B-4Wn2i4CGedMWVfrL0xRk_maWKSIFgsvLwaufWOEHshzzoE2VJBD_XOZiQYuoGRF7Zo3tCxvZVgCjRn-rj2VWjDKejYyV6StuyFuHJ4HydZ9oivfwWw2JY4/s1600/IMG_2279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSgL4RHnoMfAmIW8pvX1B-4Wn2i4CGedMWVfrL0xRk_maWKSIFgsvLwaufWOEHshzzoE2VJBD_XOZiQYuoGRF7Zo3tCxvZVgCjRn-rj2VWjDKejYyV6StuyFuHJ4HydZ9oivfwWw2JY4/s200/IMG_2279.JPG" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunker Museum entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The four-chambered structure includes photographs of bunker construction around the city, images of residents in bunkers during alerts, recordings of residents talking about the air raids and bombings, actual bunker items, and debris from Operation Gomorrah.*</span><br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycfL4dwEmzUTeCoWlgaeuY6TgKGSu0XB3NQX3J0JDDe-3mdhKCFoLhcLPt6Rknt_CHhLwN-iDAib5F2ptYVehkgmDZ5mXpM7OlkApNUPcdSdjA9fKRbpuaPh0PbbbQnKSLJJt28VZvgo/s1600/IMG_2262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycfL4dwEmzUTeCoWlgaeuY6TgKGSu0XB3NQX3J0JDDe-3mdhKCFoLhcLPt6Rknt_CHhLwN-iDAib5F2ptYVehkgmDZ5mXpM7OlkApNUPcdSdjA9fKRbpuaPh0PbbbQnKSLJJt28VZvgo/s400/IMG_2262.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the four bunker chambers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6N3KTI6pjcQ4KiCWFCNRM9_gPwmodenM1v3bepYTIznYUtpQiYOLVP6g2CqgnIwHlXWE_txqgbByBBZDJbm1GyMS_-f6Oo3H0LZejkwafAESsb1_aUQ3XTMSpr8n7cy0M-MJXMWb2wU/s1600/IMG_2275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6N3KTI6pjcQ4KiCWFCNRM9_gPwmodenM1v3bepYTIznYUtpQiYOLVP6g2CqgnIwHlXWE_txqgbByBBZDJbm1GyMS_-f6Oo3H0LZejkwafAESsb1_aUQ3XTMSpr8n7cy0M-MJXMWb2wU/s320/IMG_2275.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">One display area included gas masks, </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="text-align: start;">suitcases, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">emergency kits, candles, and helmets. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The Operation Gomorrah display included </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">phosphorous bomb remnants, melted</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">glass
bottles, and fused </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">metal </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(temperatures in the firestorm reached</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;"> 1,500 °F</span>/
815 °C).</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I could barely imagine being huddled down there, on those hard wooden benches under those low ceilings in the slightly damp chill, while fire devastated the city overhead. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As it turns out, many of the underground bunkers collapsed or were blocked by rubble during Operation Gomorrah.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">There were also
plans to create a triangle of large, above-ground bunkers to provide shelter and anti-aircraft
defenses. Only two of the three were built.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Both of the above-ground bunkers required reservations, although overcrowding led to some ventilation issues. And </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Jewish residents and foreign nationals were denied entrance to any of the public bunkers.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.uebelundgefaehrlich.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Uebel & Gefährlich</span></a></span></u></b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">(“Evil and
Dangerous”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0gAUlgYQkEw3BblEylNPdFIkNXxYuiOYhIhUIT8lfJl2wnGsWzwttUpMKEJsLrQs3IPc3Xvsi_FjtId_G0OAFURD280ODiZa0PgEInRmHVidRus6BmSalwW1sE8WUU0CVUf4dsdrJ24/s1600/IMG_2415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0gAUlgYQkEw3BblEylNPdFIkNXxYuiOYhIhUIT8lfJl2wnGsWzwttUpMKEJsLrQs3IPc3Xvsi_FjtId_G0OAFURD280ODiZa0PgEInRmHVidRus6BmSalwW1sE8WUU0CVUf4dsdrJ24/s400/IMG_2415.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bunker is one of the largest ever built, measuring 75 x 75 m / 246 x 246 ft. <br />
at the base, 39 m / 128 ft. high, with walls that are 3.5 m / 11 ft. thick and <br />
a ceiling that's 5 m / 16 ft. thick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Up to 25,000 people sought protection
in this bunker during Operation Gomorrah. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It sits just north of downtown,
between the colorful St. Pauli and Sternschanze neighborhoods. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Today it houses
some businesses, a private school, a club, and is used for events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.iba-hamburg.de/en/projects/energiebunker/projekt/energy-bunker.html" target="_blank">Der Energiebunker</a></span></span></u></b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_Kjr5vt5_Rs0SrsodwuzduwtJiSOeihlimKd_Y29OpScNtwgJf3JvEggz2bKRF-yNu9d_yK9ILCtHY-RFk2s0X5ZgBMB8Ot6DpU2grGG_xA2MJkbeoJCq3CEk1MLVoolUXls-4PcqMM/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_Kjr5vt5_Rs0SrsodwuzduwtJiSOeihlimKd_Y29OpScNtwgJf3JvEggz2bKRF-yNu9d_yK9ILCtHY-RFk2s0X5ZgBMB8Ot6DpU2grGG_xA2MJkbeoJCq3CEk1MLVoolUXls-4PcqMM/s200/IMG_2421.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Energiebunker is 41.6 m / 136 ft. tall, <br />
with walls that are 2 m / 6.5 ft. thick <br />
and a ceiling that's 3.5 m/ 11 ft. thick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituQRPZlqeXAm23vBOQLGZLSZ9eBBfxbLh5pB1umDfuUB-MwnMM-gNvz5DIBCMtzeG4-SI1qDM38TZc-__Bh7MoL_54smVeRgohc6dsF9dNZcxe3goWFrVb-1gwP_YLyFSwboINolO8vM/s1600/IMG_2435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituQRPZlqeXAm23vBOQLGZLSZ9eBBfxbLh5pB1umDfuUB-MwnMM-gNvz5DIBCMtzeG4-SI1qDM38TZc-__Bh7MoL_54smVeRgohc6dsF9dNZcxe3goWFrVb-1gwP_YLyFSwboINolO8vM/s320/IMG_2435.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shadowed person at the base of the far column <br />
gives you a sense of the bunker's scale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background: rgb(244 , 244 , 244); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: rgb(244 , 244 , 244); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For 60 years, this bunker in the southern part of Hamburg stood empty. The British demolished the interior shortly after the war, and the building was deemed unsafe. </span><br />
<span style="background: rgb(244 , 244 , 244); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="background: rgb(244 , 244 , 244); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="background: rgb(244 , 244 , 244);"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today, it provides energy through the massive solar panels that cover the roof and crawl
down one side. There are tours of the plant available, and a panoramic view of Hamburg from the café at the top.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFS9Sc0bjDYqcque34yy1dbf7GvwHkgKo0ZJL1Vc7c6wAo7sHb-MKydBfRo-RoAuCdj7fAvfA-cP8ojK2X01kcBoA8GAj2TmFxg4DnN7O38mqfTc-YXMQ2tVBZzU4qOFUhhgnlgQARzkM/s1600/IMG_2424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFS9Sc0bjDYqcque34yy1dbf7GvwHkgKo0ZJL1Vc7c6wAo7sHb-MKydBfRo-RoAuCdj7fAvfA-cP8ojK2X01kcBoA8GAj2TmFxg4DnN7O38mqfTc-YXMQ2tVBZzU4qOFUhhgnlgQARzkM/s640/IMG_2424.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even on a rainy day, the vista from Vju cafe at the Energiebunker is lovely</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hamburg has smaller structures (even submarine bunkers!) that have been re-purposed. In fact, all over Europe, bunkers like these
have been turned into homes, hotels, and entertainment spots. I’m probably a
little conflicted. I think it’s great for them to have a positive, new purpose,
but I also think it’s important not to forget why they exist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Looking at before and after
pictures of Hamburg, hearing survivor voices, watching<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCYPrur6ssU" target="_blank"> <b><span style="color: blue;">this sobering video</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> about
the bombing and aftermath, then walking among some of these places now—it all seems
unbelievable and incredibly sad. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, Hamburg had been
dealing its own hand of horrors during the war. But I’ll talk about that
in my next post…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">This is the second of three posts about world wars and Hamburg. If you missed the first post you can read it </span><a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/ein-madchen-im-krieg.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a><span style="color: #666666;">.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*I haven't included many pictures from the Bunker Museum out of respect for their usage policy.</span></div>
</div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-55889213904422319702016-04-26T14:13:00.000+02:002016-04-26T21:01:28.110+02:00Ein Mädchen im Krieg<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The title of this post (“A Girl in War”)
is the title of a poem I wrote in my high school German class. It seems like an odd topic, but I can't remember if it was something assigned or inspired by what we were studying at the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Right now that poem is sitting in a box in storage because, if there’s one thing that every advice
blog/column/article I read before we moved here agreed on, it was: </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">don’t talk about the war</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missile sculpture outside a <br />
former ammunition factory <br />
in a trendy shopping district</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Not that my earnest imagined scribblings
from nearly 30 years ago have any bearing on real-life discussions today, but
the advice (and the poem) seemed unnecessary, as I could not imagine a scenario
when the topic of war might arise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But then it happened. Many weeks ago, at
a dinner consisting mostly of Germans, someone told a few French (war) jokes.
Then they reflected that since Germany had lost every time it entered a global
war, perhaps the French should be telling jokes about them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It was an honest and awkward moment, and
the conversation quietly shifted to other things. But I couldn’t help thinking
about our different experiences surrounding war.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMp__BEoPZ7PWpvANohlpzFBVI-GiA53lLmTSTZRZUA481-jFc5HQaToH3ljGas6DdH_HBPCysQE7N7aUUwqstTNHnmjjHnJbF8WyWWKJIa5ISA6LphOkt2k2SpgMJPpsp2qcZr5TMbYQ/s1600/IMG_0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMp__BEoPZ7PWpvANohlpzFBVI-GiA53lLmTSTZRZUA481-jFc5HQaToH3ljGas6DdH_HBPCysQE7N7aUUwqstTNHnmjjHnJbF8WyWWKJIa5ISA6LphOkt2k2SpgMJPpsp2qcZr5TMbYQ/s320/IMG_0746.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This obelisk in the main plaza <br />
downtown reminds visitors <br />
that "40,000 sons of the city <br />
gave their lives for you" in WWI</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In America, with some exceptions, war
memorials are a destination: a site, or an aggregate of monuments honoring the
nation’s soldiers. For global conflicts, our troops left the country to fight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In Hamburg, you’ll find memorials and
remembrances downtown as well as around the corner in a neighborhood park or
shopping center. Here, “global” war was fought on the home front. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgJcr1V_KviCDwntikX3iGiBkJz5w0O5rTQdIaeGq2Z_aW_yzhYfLCPDCHoF6p3QHOZysbR7Z8aUred2Jt-hHhc9EwkdxHid1yMV0nmkNdO_mYRlkNetmgrHfbzjeNzfX_-WBhSHATD8/s1600/IMG_1703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgJcr1V_KviCDwntikX3iGiBkJz5w0O5rTQdIaeGq2Z_aW_yzhYfLCPDCHoF6p3QHOZysbR7Z8aUred2Jt-hHhc9EwkdxHid1yMV0nmkNdO_mYRlkNetmgrHfbzjeNzfX_-WBhSHATD8/s320/IMG_1703.JPG" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A WWI memorial in a pocket park, <br />
courtesy of the Lutheran church across the street</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">These last days of April mark the
time when, 71 years ago, Germany began the slow road to surrender in the second world war. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So for
my next couple of posts, I’m going to write a bit about the
war experience in Hamburg. It'll be a mix of</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> history and my impressions as an outsider looking in on something that so profoundly impacted this city and changed this country and its people.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Germany must live even if we must die" - <br />
WWII monument in Hamburg's botanical park.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">War memorial section in a local cemetery. The
large center cross is surrounded by </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">nearly 2,000 graves, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">marked either by the smaller
cross-shaped gravestones you see in the </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">foreground </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">or flat stones within each strip of
flowers.</span></div>
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Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051528397541013451.post-31698697255998548612016-04-22T09:15:00.001+02:002016-04-22T09:15:52.454+02:00Seeking Solace im Schloss<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Toward
the end of my recent <a href="http://mpmellon.blogspot.de/2016/04/the-little-things-getting-around.html" target="_blank">involuntary inactivity time</a>, we got the distressing news
that the executives at Larry’s company are canceling the project he’s working
on and dissolving the studio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(The
specifics on this and other cringe-worthy incidents during Larry’s tenure might
be fodder for a far-future post, but needless to say there have been a couple
of evenings of not-so-happy hours and much gloominess in recent days.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As
Larry explores other project options, I’ve been puttering about and trying to
be supportive. But I realize there’s little I can do at this stage in the
upheaval, which is a bit depressing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So yesterday I did what any person in my situation would do to feel better: I went to a
castle.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHUtCuD_gDNiGmBBSi3erUAzUep_5deb0-FnWYRZ7wJisoTXI5b4e5md-zZAuboPF7a5Oqn2_wlgG_1qYy_18EViKepsEEzVzW1XaTof_vo4p9ta8rZ1tliO1DUYqXW00KGBN6cZU1j0/s1600/IMG_2391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHUtCuD_gDNiGmBBSi3erUAzUep_5deb0-FnWYRZ7wJisoTXI5b4e5md-zZAuboPF7a5Oqn2_wlgG_1qYy_18EViKepsEEzVzW1XaTof_vo4p9ta8rZ1tliO1DUYqXW00KGBN6cZU1j0/s640/IMG_2391.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bergedorfer Schloss is Hamburg's only remaining castle. It is undocumented until <br />
the 13th century, although it might have been around much earlier.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It turns out there's a modest castle--<i>das Bergedorfer Schloss</i>--that sits on a teeny island in the middle of the Bergedorf district in southern Hamburg. </span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Awesome.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj488XcDxiwscxybdbTnk4qiFfAAHdEDo-id2gm9nDdC8z6QChupAW758Dn_LShyUKuGUCsChgM0wDkT-OA3xQkFpNa9D_SB2jpJC9uKgsBpXMpYd38BaB7g3B2WG1PB4bAXy_OYj5QHf4/s1600/IMG_2350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj488XcDxiwscxybdbTnk4qiFfAAHdEDo-id2gm9nDdC8z6QChupAW758Dn_LShyUKuGUCsChgM0wDkT-OA3xQkFpNa9D_SB2jpJC9uKgsBpXMpYd38BaB7g3B2WG1PB4bAXy_OYj5QHf4/s320/IMG_2350.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum entrance is accessed through <br />
the castle's inner courtyard.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Even better is the fact that the castle is a cultural museum, so while you do get to see some fun furnishing exhibits, you can also learn about the traditions of the surrounding </span><i style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">Vierlande </i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">(four southern farming districts carved into island areas by the Elbe River).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The current main exhibit focuses on the experiences of a Bergedorfer in East Africa in the first World War (a topic that partly coincides with some of my upcoming posts).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although all of the exhibits were in German, between what I could read and what I needed to look up, I learned some good history (and new words!).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the tower stairs</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoalDdE-R24s8CBqG8vDKC9G7o180MxrXdMuX7ZolMybh26CmtfJOPuvImdJcKlmHlnIIjeviOAvVOsiR8DWyab8w-aZJcJdx7CUObyrF4nSbvAecKNBJze0Zg2bbrYt6a8dEiKjoo1I/s1600/IMG_2355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoalDdE-R24s8CBqG8vDKC9G7o180MxrXdMuX7ZolMybh26CmtfJOPuvImdJcKlmHlnIIjeviOAvVOsiR8DWyab8w-aZJcJdx7CUObyrF4nSbvAecKNBJze0Zg2bbrYt6a8dEiKjoo1I/s320/IMG_2355.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were a few sections of the original painted wood ceiling</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As much as I enjoyed the diversion of the castle and subsequent stroll on its sunny grounds, the big question remains:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Will
we get our fairytale ending here in Hamburg? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I guess that remains to be seen. Hopefully things out more like Disney’s <i>Cinderella</i> and
less like Andersen’s <i>The Little Mermaid</i>…</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Michelle Mellonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17587418368409361909noreply@blogger.com2