#explorationwalk

Day 31 - Oct 8 2014

Our first full day in Berlin we decided to wander our way to Alexander Platz where we could get the Berlin Pass with discounts to transit, museums and more. It was fun to explore some of the side streets and other places along the way.

I had read about this playground that was supposed to be totally awesome place to play, and it was...meh.

But our imaginative girl was able to have some fun running around a while anyway.

There was no info for this statue of Käthe Kollwitz, but looked her up when we got home and found she had been an artist who was well known for linotype and sculpting, and we actually saw an integral piece of hers on a tour a few days later. (you’ll see.)

We chose a nice cafe to fill up on some lunch and rejuvenate for the rest of our walk.

Loved this tree trunk library we found outside, which was titled “Bücherwald” - for “books on a journey”. :)

Then we carried on our way again. Some views along the way:

I spy with my little eye.

Bikes!

"Bauarbeiter" was created by Gerhard Thieme in 1968 as a memorial statue for the construction workers who have built Berlin.

Once we found the tourist office and purchased our passes for the week, we found a large market area at Alexander Platz, which is a transit hub for various train lines, streetcars and buses, so there is a lot of people coming and going and plenty to see.

A beautiful two level carousel lured Sasha and I on for some fun.

This is not a thrill ride though - actually the slowest ride I’ve ever been on!

Once we were ready to go, we stopped for a drink to rest up for the last of our walk back. The perfect place - Marcus Bräu! The display in the window is a meter of beer, which is something you can order if you’re brave enough.

We found out from an artsy fella standing nearby that this is the “People’s Theatre” known for controversial performances, and the walking wheel is used as a logo on promotional brochures and such. (He gave us a box of matches with the logo to make the point.)

We stumbled upon this great slow food restaurant in a shipping container and were going to stop here for dinner, but they were closing. :(

Another place built from shipping containers right next door, with a very different vibe.

And of course, many gorgeous old buildings too.

By the time we finally got closer to home, the hangriness had kicked in for all of us, and we settled for a sushi place after suffering from choice overload, lol.

This is the store next door to our apartment. :)

Day 29 - Oct 6 2014

Woke up to a beautiful day in Bremerhaven, and I was keen to go for a walk bright and early...others, not so much. Off I go: this is our house from the outside.

I went up the road in search of money and food. Up the street we were near a supermarket and bakery, which is where I bought our food supplies for the day after finding the bank machine a little meander away.

View of our street from the corner. I wish I had taken more pics on the streets while we were here; as it turns out, Bremerhaven is a place on google maps that you can’t see in street view yet! I remember it all though. :)

After returning with the groceries, we had breakfast and got ready to go out for another day of adventure. Our home was on the edge of this vast green space with trails around a little lake, along fields, and past about a dozen windmills.

Once out of the more wild green space, we walked the tree lined road that crosses the freeway and then brings us to the border of this municipal park, which we walked through to get to the train station/bus loop area on the other side.

We stopped at this bench in the sunshine to eat our picnic lunch and relax a while in a beautiful garden.

Ready to go!

We gave our legs a rest and took the bus, and soon enough we were back at the waterfront, just past the Klimahaus we visited yesterday.

We were here to visit the Deutsches Auswanderer Haus, a museum exploring emigration from, and immigration into, Germany since the 1800′s. Millions of people sailed out of Bremerhaven up to the 1970′s when it became cheaper to fly than cross the ocean on a ship.

As my family sailed out of Bremerhaven in the 50′s to live in Canada, this was a story I felt connected to, and a place I felt I had to see when we made it to Germany.

When you have purchased your tickets you are given a boarding pass which has a card that will enhance the experience by making it multi-media.

Your card also allows you to hear more details on two particular story lines. The first is someone who emigrated out of Germany; the second is someone who immigrated into Germany.

Then you are in a holding space, where they have a display of how the harbour front has changed over the centuries. After a few minutes some doors open, and you find yourself on a pier next to a ship soon to leave port.

Some luggage was open so you could see examples of toiletries and other things people packed.

Then a gallery full of archives and artifacts sharing stories of many people who left the country over time, and the many reasons why they left.

The emigration story I was following was that of Justina Tubbe. All 3 of us had different life stories we were following, which allowed us to absorb even more from this experience.

I found examples of the paperwork for people leaving for Canada around the same time as my family.

Then you go up the walkway into the entrance of the ship, looking down on the pier we passed when entering.

Models of the 3 ships used in the museum to convey life on board for emigrating passengers.

The 3 people we followed traveled across the Atlantic in 1855, 1872 and 1923.

There were examples of cabins, dining areas and other spaces from these 3 ships, and you could hear stories from passengers and see artifacts common to travel in each time period.

After exploring 2nd class life on board a few different ships, you land on Ellis Island in New York. This is a space that would have been full of travelers looking for permission to carry on the journey.

After a long wait, this is where one wait to be tested on whether you can stay... or have to board a ship sailing back to Europe.

After being processed on Ellis Island, many migrants moved on to other parts of the US, and beyond.

A space with details on immigration rates over the decades, and brochures, books and other things that were used to help immigrants ease into their new country.

In the Grand Central Station exhibit we found the modern day update to the stories of the people we had been learning about along the way. Displayed are tales from the grandchildren or other ancestors, along with pictures and artifacts donated to the museum.

Justina Tubbe and her two sons settled in Texas, and there are still living relatives in the south.

Martha’s life didn’t turn out as well in America, and she ended up moving back to Germany to live with her sister into old age.

Ottmar invented the Linotype machine in Baltimore which revolutionized the art of printing.

Having wrapped up the emigration experience, the focus now switches to the people who have immigrated into Germany.

At this little convenience kiosk, we were given information and new cards to guide us through the search of the immigration stories we were following.

We searched the 70′s style mall for clues to find more and more of the story for each of our people.

Serife Seyitler immigrated into Germany in 1965 from Turkey.

She is now in her 80′s and has raised a family in Bremerhaven, pictured here in 2009.

Plenty of information on how the borders have changed around Germany over the centuries, and the bureaucracy behind people coming and going.

Left this place with a few boatloads of things to think about. Not only about my family emigrating out of Germany, and Mark’s parents emigrating from England, but also thinking even more about the boat loads of people who have left their home lands to escape war and other horrors, especially the many thousands seeking refuge today.

Positively amazing experience, and I was happy I had planned our trip around visiting this museum.

With our minds full, we walked through a pedestrian plaza, found a place to buy a few postcards, and wandered til we found the bus that would take us home.

Day 24 - Oct 1 2014

We had one more day of wandering around London to experience, and two places we wanted to see. We had no guides for today's journey, but now we knew where we were going and easily found Imperial Wharf station to carry on our way.

View of new developments changing the landscape of this neighbourhood.

Exiting at Waterloo train station.

This time we were walking in a different direction. Pretty sure this place isn’t a very quiet place to sleep.

First we were looking for a bookstore as Mark and Sasha needed something to read. Somehow don’t have a pic of the actual bookstore, but a couple of snapshots along the way.

Next stop, the Imperial War Museum.

A piece of the Berlin wall outside.

Big guns outside.

First view inside the newly renovated space.

A car that was destroyed by a suicide bomber in Iraq, which has toured the world as part of an exhibit on the horrors of war.

The first floor has an in depth, and very well curated exhibit on World War I. There was a huge amount of detail on the timeline, and what life was like on the ground for soldiers. One portion tries to convey the experience of having sound and flashing of bombs going off around you, as well as gun fire sounds. Not overwhelming (given a heads up that it will happen), but combined with the artifacts and stories it has a great impact.

I didn’t capture any shots that really show how well the exhibit is laid out, and how much you see, but here are just a few things that left me thinking.

Imagining how hard it must have been for these soldiers to pick up their weapons in the trenches the next day.

This hands on activity was all about getting supplies to the front line, and covered the politics of some supplies (like fuel, of course), what happened when stocks were low, and other things that could go wrong when supply chains broke down.

A variety of gas masks, all of which look terrifying.

There was an exhibit called A Family in Wartime, which was about one family in particular, the Allpresses, and their experience living on the home front in the city during the war.

An example of the bunker they had buried in their yard. There is an identical bed and shelf on the other side with about 3 feet between them.

A model showing bi-section of a shelter buried in the yard.

A snapshot of the road a few blocks away from them that was mostly reduced to rubble. Wonder when will we stop making families live through this kind of chaos.

The gallery for World War II was more structured around larger items, with lots of text details, making it feel more of a showcase of objects, instead of the story line shared to curate the earlier war.

Probably the biggest game changer in war history was the technology that led to this bomb.

And the exhibit covering conventional war had things like a piece of steel beam from the World Trade Centre, along with things created by artists to comment on war over time.

Certainly look imperial from the outside.

Done with weapons and reflecting on war for the moment, we had a nice long walk as we explored our way across the river to our final destination. Plenty of sights to see! A beautiful community park,

Looked like a street that would have lots of food options, but nothing open we could agree on.

The House of Commons and Big Ben.

More big and fancy looking buildings across the street.

St. Margaret’s Church.

Westminster Abbey.

We entered St Jame’s Park and enjoyed the gardens and greenery, especially around this cute little Duck Island Cottage by the end of the lake.

A couple of big impressive looking buildings across the road.

We had a nosh in the cafe by the lake, and then carried on along the path, heading to the other end of the park.

And finally we arrived at Buckingham Palace. We weren’t there for any changing of the guard or tour, so we just roamed around outside the gate and around the fountain for a little while, and we tried to answer all her questions about the royal family and its influence here, and in our own country.

I ran out of battery power for taking pics, and would have loved to be able to take some photos as we followed the path through Green Park to the tube and transit home. A lovely park, and trees full of parrots was not something we expected to see!

For our final night we wanted to treat our hosts to a dinner out, but we all decided to have convenience of take out instead. Ben and I took a nice stroll to the local Thai place, and enjoyed a drink while waiting for our food to go.

Day 23 - Sept 30 2014

Chris and Bob had a particular town in Shropshire that they wanted us to see, so after a quiet morning hanging about (here Sasha is curating a museum of wonders she has spread around the living area for us to visit) we got ourselves ready for another afternoon exploration walk before catching the train back to London later in the day.

Out the door and ready to go!

Our road trip to Shrewsbury included a couple of stops along the way. We pulled off the road at the Wroxeter site. This is the partially revealed ruins of Viriconium  which was once the 4th largest city in Roman Britain. You can see a fair bit from the road side, but if you pay entry there are exhibits and other things to do along with walking through all the exposed ruins.

The next stop was Attingham Park, a National Trust site where Chris used to volunteer in the book store. Pictured here is Attingham Hall, and the wall that borders it. Looking out from the building all you can see is lawn, and it keeps out the cows that graze on the massive lawns around this property. 

When we arrived at Shrewsbury we parked across the way from the Shrewsbury Abbey.

The first marvelous place we came upon walking into town was a community garden that was full of info on the plants and insects found in the garden, which had been painted by garden club members young and old.

Shrewsbury is basically wrapped around by the River Severn, and there are two bridges to cross into town on the main road that cuts through it. This is the English Bridge which crosses on the east side of town, and the western bridge is the Welsh Bridge.

A few blocks along after we crossed the bridge, Chris told me we were reaching the corner where everyone starts going “click click click” with their cameras. And this is where the post card town really comes into view:

This place maintains a street plan laid out in medieval times, and has hundreds of buildings that still have the timber framing from 15-16th century design. I’m just going to share some of my highlight pics from our walkabout town, so you can see a few of my favourite views, architectural buildings, off the path alcoves and passages, and the all around loveliness of this town.

Had lunch in their regular spot, the Off the Square Cafe Bistro. Sasha really loved touring around with Bob. :D

Another castle to see, but we simply enjoyed the gardens outside. For people who are into flowers and gardens, the Shrewsbury Flower Show is one of the best in the country, and this town is in permanent floral display mode. :)

Charles Darwin is the most famous local, born and raised here, and this statue is found outside the school where he was a student.

Back over the English Bridge on the other side.

Time to share many big hugs with our wonderful Auntie Chris before hopping on our train.

The train was slightly delayed and arrived right at dinner time, so chose to find a restaurant near the station. The place we ended up in was a 50′s themed burger joint that served a wicked milkshake and wine in mini bottles.

Happy birthday Mark! Woke up to a perfect day for family adventure time in Edinburgh, and the sun is shining as we start his happy day. :D

Our airbnb host had left us the morning necessities like bananas, cereal, milk and coffee which was particularly awesome as there wasn’t any food store conveniently close by. A quick coffee and breakfast and we were out the door.

Just around the corner from our front door was the short cut path to the park.

They went back to the apartment for something, and I took the chance to capture a short clip to showcase the 360 view in the park:

Let’s go climb a hill and see how close we can get to Arthur's Seat, the peak of the hills that watch over Edinburgh city.

This was the peak we were aiming for (the highest is significantly to the left and much higher) but Sasha was not keen to climb further as it got windier and windier the higher we went...so we didn’t quite make it.

Still a nice view from this high up! (panoramic from the left to the right)

Back down the hill we went on our quest for brunchy lunch, and passed the parliament buildings on our way to the Royal Mile.

Around the other side I was taken with this quote out of many etched into the walls:

Up the Royal Mile we go:

We took a left after a few blocks and went into the university area to try out a place I had read about that was good for brunch eats. The food was great, and I even tried blood sausage for the first time (won’t go out of my way to try again, but not as gross as I thought it would be), but the downside to this place, especially traveling with a child, was no washroom at all. Fortunately the fitness centre across the street let us use theirs.

Back on the Royal Mile we were now at the beginning of the cobblestone road.

Which eventually becomes all pedestrian road! Yay!

They are total gamers these two.

I love how there are these little secret passageways everywhere leading to other worlds off the main strip.

There were many street performers to entertain along the way.

Spent a while exploring the beautiful St Giles Cathedral.

Then back out to the street to carry on our walk.

We reached a fork in the road, and the return of cars, so stayed to the pedestrian road which continues to the right.

At the end of walk uphill on the Royal Mile we found the Edinburgh Castle.

A view including the hill we tried to get to the top of that morning.

Having decided this was a castle worth checking out, we bought our tickets and crossed through the gates on our way in.

From one of the viewing pulpits this is the scene from left to right:

The castle actually has quite a few stand alone buildings that have served various roles over time. This chapel was probably always a chapel though.

The entrance at the base of this clock tower leads to a historical timeline of royalty in the UK (and their connections to Scottish lineage) and is also the home of the Scottish Crown jewels.

The Great Hall has a historical sword that you can pose with, in the midst of a large collection of armour and swords through the ages.

Another fancy room bringing Britannia back to mind again! ;)

After a few hours of exploring the site and the Scottish National War Museum, and the exhibits that covered prisoners of war, and the army barracks of the 1800′s, we had our fill of history and now needed to fill up on some grub! Back down the Royal Mile hill to see waht we could find.

The World’s End had appeal, but kids not allowed soon after our arrival and we didn’t want to rush...

so we happily found a table at Whiski. Excellent food and service!

Energized for the final leg of our walk home.

At the bottom of the hill we were back at the parliament building. This building is fascinating architecture, but I didn’t get any good pics to capture how cool it is.

Walking by the Palace of Holyrood which was right in our backyard, I snuck this pic through the fence that was now locked.

Around the corner and we were on the cobblestone path that would take us back to our apartment for one more night.

Sasha finished the birthday treats for the day with a song just for dad! :D

Day 18 - Sept 25 2015

Before we left this northern edge of Scotland, we wanted to visit the Findhorn Foundation school, Cluney Hill. Mark’s dad was the administrator for years while they lived at Findhorn, and I was curious to see this old hotel turned into a school, that engages people in learning the principles and practice of sustainable living and many other things.

As soon as she walked into the Great Hall she took off her shoes and ran around dancing.

Sasha led is in a moment of gratitude in the sanctuary.

On the road south from Forres, back down the highway I couldn’t see anything on when we drove north to Findhorn. Random passenger view of hay field. Wish we had gotten a few nice pics of the National Park forest scenes. Gorgeous. But rolling hills of farmland are always nice to see.

We stopped for lunch in another quaint little town off the highway (only decent pic I got in town was this one). In this town I drove down a street that was way too narrow (with cars parked on both sides) and ended up scratching our car again on someone’s side mirror which folded in as my car passed it. I couldn’t believe I caused more damage to our rental...but at least it wouldn’t cost us more now that we had already lost the damage deposit. Oy.

And on to Edinburgh.

Cross the bridge and we’re almost there!

I was so happy to get out of the car and not be driving anymore! Found out how lucky we were to have paid a bit extra for insurance: my little accidents would have cost us another £1000 without the extra coverage! omg!

Now we were in another city, with a bit of time before meeting our host at our apartment, and looking for some place for dinner.

The place we chose was an Italian restaurant “Vittoria”, which happens to be the name of one of my supervisors - another Britannia reminder!

Super friendly owners and staff, exceptional service and the food was great. They found a home for all our baggage while we relaxed and enjoyed. Perfect! :)

Great place to rejuvenate from the road trip.

We walked about 30 min to our apartment from the restaurant, around the Royal Terrace Gardens and across the tracks.

At the end of the road was our flat on the second floor.

And here are a few pics from our 2 night home:

View up the street.

View out the back is the corner of Holyrood Park nearest the Palace of Holyrood (which is just beyond those trees ahead).

And another place with the comforts of home.

Day 17 - Sept 24 2015

We had a leisurely morning, and enjoyed cooking another meal for ourselves. Breakfast to give us energy for our day trip adventure!

Before heading out, we went wandering and retraced our path from the night before, but by daylight.

A couple of outside pics of our eco-cabin and a one room cabin.

The one room cabin has a table that lifts up or down within a booth area, turning a dining/hangout space into a platform bed space.

Being a fan of alternative ways of dealing with natural problems, like waste management, I was particularly keen to investigate the Living Machine.

I had not thought of potential tours on site when planning the days we’d be here (our calendar had worked around when was best to be where, and then we looked for things to do during that time) but I do wish I had planned our visit to coincide with a tour of this place! We did get a verbal tour of the system from a Findhorn resident who had been a part of the whole project from day 1. Listening to his stories and experiences made up for missing out on the tour, and I was grateful we found him!

He did encourage us to peek our heads in, though we wouldn’t be able to wander around in the greenhouse as there were students working in there who would not feel comfortable is we started asking questions. They did let us peek though! :)

Outside there is this hill which is a part of the process.

And this contraption.

And this project can treat up to 65 cubic meters of waste water per day!

When we exited by the southern corner of the property, we found ourselves at this road which has the peaceful community of Findhorn on one side, and an air force base on the other. Could you get any more yin yang than that? ;)

Down by the bay where no watermelon grows, but a safe place for the birds to go.

Though there is a large grassy area, the line of logs (some of them huge) show that the waters can get really high sometimes.

With the tide being super low at this point she ran out as far as she could, beyond the tree laying submerged in the bay.

There were planes using the runway of the decommissioned air force base for touching down practice. They fly and just touch their wheels to the tarmac before pulling up and taking flight again.

These jets were loud!

One plane that never took off while we were there.

With a nice leg stretch in for the morning I was ready for the drive to Inverness and beyond for a boat tour on the Loch in search of Nessy.

We signed up for a boat tour that also included some time at Urquhart Castle, and we were on our way once everyone had boarded the Jacobite Warrior.

Heading south on Loch Ness and the sun is peaking through more and more.

First glimpse of Urquhart Castle.

We found a toilet older than Canada! Minus the metal grate, this hole was once the dumping ground for the Constable of the castle. Mission accomplished for Mark, lol. (this makes sense if you read about his quip to the customs agent at London airport. heheh)

Done with ruins.

Hey! Your boat is here!

The monster has the munchies.

Snippet from our boat ride on Loch Ness...with bag pipes!

Back to the dock and a stop at the Clansman up the hill for postcards. One of the staff asked Sasha if she had seen Nessy, and of course, like all the children (so the staff said) she sure did!

Sasha took a great random shot passing through Inverness.

Before heading back to Findhorn for the night, we wandered Forres in search of dinner.

Stumbled upon some live action theatre outside this church. The audience was following the actors, and they happened to stop here with loads of dramatic flair that caught our attention. Thankfully the murder we witnessed wasn’t real. ;)

Found Memory Lane.

But it was a trap as it was locked on the other side too.

What a lovely Scottish town.

As we are book nerds this restaurant hooked us. “Chapter One. Let the story begin...”

Cheers to another day of good times!

Day 14 - Sept 21 2014

Another full day for exploring in Manchester and we set out bright and early after breakfast to enjoy the day.

The Gallery of Costume is found in Platt Fields Park which was just up the road from our hotel, so we decided to start our day with a walk in the park and visit here.

Once upon a time it was a mansion for a wealthy family, but today it showcases the fashion trends of the past few hundred years. I’m thankful women no longer have to where get-ups like this, unless we want to.

Also thankful to be a woman who has the right to vote.

Also determined to prove Dior wrong; women don’t need to be saved from nature.

Sasha’s fave pair from the room of shoes.

Once we had explored the whole museum we hopped on the magic bus to get to the city center, and when it hit traffic and stopped moving, I remembered it was the day of the global Climate Justice March! Of course, we got off the bus to go join the masses on the street! :)

Hunger took over after a while and we knew exactly where we wanted to go: right out front of the Manchester City Hall.

For the Food & Drink Festival!

Once we were full and happy again, we made our way to the Art Gallery.

She was far more interested in making up her own story and visualizing her characters in the doll house - she can create a story anywhere, with anything. Love it. :)

When we switched to the collections of artwork spanning many periods of art history, this is the position Sasha would be in after a few minutes of browsing the art in each room.

An impressive array of beautiful pieces, but my fave corner was this corner in a gallery showcasing the private collection of some person; here is a portrait of the first black actor to play Othello on a stage, and a piece by Banksy.

Back outside, she chose to do some quiet reflecting while we figured out where we were, and which direction we needed to go in next.

We eventually found our way to the next destination - the John Rylands Library.

This piece is call Lost in Literature and represents the response of a group of artists from Manchester School of Art who were overwhelmed by the information and knowledge found in the library. The history and contents within the library created an abundance of inspiration and this expresses the chaos they felt.

There was also an art exhibit called  Echo and Narcissus which featured a collection of mirrors dedicated to literary heroines.

The mystery was figuring out which books they came from.

When we arrived in Manchester our cab driver had recommended Lal Qila as his favourite place to eat on the Curry Mile, and we decided to give it a try for our last dinner in the city. And it was the best curry I’ve ever had in my life! Totally tasted heaven right here.