Paris photos
Friday, February 15, 2008 by Reece Harley
Paris!
by Reece Harley
After a few short days in Egeln and an overnight stay in Arends
ee, a lake-side summer holiday spot where the Egeln Highschool choir have an annual singing camp, Kathi and I were off to Paris.
It had been 5 years since I was last in Paris and my expectations of my favorite city were sky-high. And every single one of them was met...
We stayed in a little hotel in Montparnasse, a charming, arty suburb in Paris's south.
On our first day we went to St Chapelle (right), the Louvre, the Eiffel tower and more... I just can't remember it all. We went ice-skating in front of the Hotel de Ville, we had dinner at the top of Montmatre, so much to do in this wonderful city. Still my most favorite.
ee, a lake-side summer holiday spot where the Egeln Highschool choir have an annual singing camp, Kathi and I were off to Paris.It had been 5 years since I was last in Paris and my expectations of my favorite city were sky-high. And every single one of them was met...
We stayed in a little hotel in Montparnasse, a charming, arty suburb in Paris's south.
On our first day we went to St Chapelle (right), the Louvre, the Eiffel tower and more... I just can't remember it all. We went ice-skating in front of the Hotel de Ville, we had dinner at the top of Montmatre, so much to do in this wonderful city. Still my most favorite.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
by Reece Harley
Wow!From one picturesque city to the next.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (on the Tauber river) is post-card perfect in every sense.
The colours are so vibrant, the cobblestones so neat, the streets so hilly and the views into surrounding countryside like a fairy tale. Rothenburg is another medieval, walled city protected by it's high location on a hill overlooking very flat farmland.
The train journey to Rothenburg was interesting enough on its own. after a full days walking around the quaint streets and along the medieval battlements the whole choir gathered for our final night together at a beautiful restaurant in the Romantik Hotel Marrkstum.
The following morning we all packed our bags and hopped on the train towards frankfurt. at the next changeover I bid a rather hurried farewell to Ivoci and boarded my next train back to Egeln.
Nuremburg
by Reece Harley
A thousand apologies again...Nuremburg was astoundingly beautiful. A town that Adolf Hitler described as the most German of German places...
Nuremburg is an ancient city. Surrounded by high medieval walls and overlooked by a picturesque, yet menacing castle (The Kaiserburg), Nuremburg is full of little alleyways, stone bridges, and some of the most amazing architecture in the region.
Nuremburg was devastated, almost completely flattened, during World War two. As the spiritual heart of Hitler's 3rd Reich, and home to the Nazi's annual Nuremburg rallies which occurred in specially built parade grounds just outside the city, Nuremburg is jam packed full of interesting history. You can visit the Hauptmarkt, the town's city square where Stormtroopers once paraded their colours. You can head to the main Cathedral, which during the bombings of world war two was left a pile of rubble. You can go into one of the city's war-time bomb-shelters, dug into the side of the rocky mound on which the castle is built.
Our youth hostel, the castle's old stables and military accommodation, was used by the Nazi party as housing for the Hitler youth. (The Hitler Youth Hostel) ha ha ha.
Bretzels, (the 'breadier' version of pretzels) are sold on most street corners filled with butter, cheese or pickles. The smell of bratwurst fills the air as you meander along the cobblestoned streets. It really is one of the most attractive places i've been too and somewhere that i'd definitely go back to.
Egeln
Friday, February 8, 2008 by Reece Harley
Hello everybody! I promise I haven't dropped off the face of the earth... I've been having a wonderful time, albeit without reliable access to a computer!
After my last post the choir travelled to Egeln, a small (rather rural) town situated in rolling green fields about 25 minutes away from Magdeburg. The Young Voices Choir is almost entirely comprised of former students from the local Egeln Highschool which makes for a very close-knit group of friends.
There I met Kathi again (at long last) and stayed with my friend Franzi in her lovely house. We toured the water castle in Egeln, and had a civic reception in the town hall with the mayor before a party in the castle cellar that night. Egeln was great, and it was fantastic to catch up with old friends.
After only a few short days in Egeln, getting re-accquainted with people the choir left for Magdeburg and then onto Nuremburg.
More on that part of the trip later on.
Reece
After my last post the choir travelled to Egeln, a small (rather rural) town situated in rolling green fields about 25 minutes away from Magdeburg. The Young Voices Choir is almost entirely comprised of former students from the local Egeln Highschool which makes for a very close-knit group of friends.
There I met Kathi again (at long last) and stayed with my friend Franzi in her lovely house. We toured the water castle in Egeln, and had a civic reception in the town hall with the mayor before a party in the castle cellar that night. Egeln was great, and it was fantastic to catch up with old friends.
After only a few short days in Egeln, getting re-accquainted with people the choir left for Magdeburg and then onto Nuremburg.
More on that part of the trip later on.
Reece
Venlo and goodbye to Vluyn
Thursday, January 17, 2008 by Reece Harley
Today we all went to the Netherlands, not by boat, train or flight, but with a simple
20 minute drive down the autobahn at speeds of up to 195 km's per hour... (not joking!).
Driving to the Netherlands (now part of the E.U.) needs no passport and the former checkpoint is now a flower nursery. The small town of Venlo is the town nearest to the border of Germany and so many of the signs, menus and timetables are all written in both of the two languages...
What struck me first about venlo was the bicycles. I have never seen as many bikes in the one location. The town is largely void of cars as stylish women and their friends ride around the cobblestone streets at a cracking pace. Bicycles, cóffee, cobblestones, jewlers, sho shops and bakeries overwhelm the senses. I would go back to Venlo in a flash if I could.
From Venlo, back across the border to Vluyn and then Margaret was kind enough to invite us to see her studio about ten minutes away in an old farmhouse in the german countryside.
From here Margaret can get some peace and quiet and create her amazing artwork. There are three other artists who have similar studios
within the grounds of the farmhouse and we met an artist (whose name eludes me) who specialises on intricate, post-modern woodcarving. He is currently contracted to a local church and is creating 12 modern 'Stations of the cross'.
We are so lucky to be able to have experiences like these that other travellers would find almost impossible to have.
We then performed our last and largest concert so far in the church in the center of Vluyn. It was, of course, completely full with much of the
standing room taken up as well.
Tommorrow, our last day in Vluyn and a sad farewell to our Gaestparentes who had been so generous and accomodating... Next stop, Magdeburg!
20 minute drive down the autobahn at speeds of up to 195 km's per hour... (not joking!).Driving to the Netherlands (now part of the E.U.) needs no passport and the former checkpoint is now a flower nursery. The small town of Venlo is the town nearest to the border of Germany and so many of the signs, menus and timetables are all written in both of the two languages...
What struck me first about venlo was the bicycles. I have never seen as many bikes in the one location. The town is largely void of cars as stylish women and their friends ride around the cobblestone streets at a cracking pace. Bicycles, cóffee, cobblestones, jewlers, sho shops and bakeries overwhelm the senses. I would go back to Venlo in a flash if I could.From Venlo, back across the border to Vluyn and then Margaret was kind enough to invite us to see her studio about ten minutes away in an old farmhouse in the german countryside.
From here Margaret can get some peace and quiet and create her amazing artwork. There are three other artists who have similar studios
within the grounds of the farmhouse and we met an artist (whose name eludes me) who specialises on intricate, post-modern woodcarving. He is currently contracted to a local church and is creating 12 modern 'Stations of the cross'.We are so lucky to be able to have experiences like these that other travellers would find almost impossible to have.
We then performed our last and largest concert so far in the church in the center of Vluyn. It was, of course, completely full with much of the
standing room taken up as well.
We were given 5 standing ovations and had to do 3 encores before the audience were satisfied... That's my kind of audience! Then dinner at 'Alt Vluyn' Brauhaus (Old Vluyn Brewery) for Wiener Schnitzel and Pilsner.
Tommorrow, our last day in Vluyn and a sad farewell to our Gaestparentes who had been so generous and accomodating... Next stop, Magdeburg!
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