Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sightseeing in New York City
First stop for any red-blooded sightseer in NYC is the Statue of Liberty! You can hop on a ferry that takes you there and to Ellis Island - both of which are FREE National Monuments. You only have to pay for the ferry ride. You do not automatically get access to walk up to the crown - this requires a separate ticket which must be purchased before you get on the ferry. These tickets sell out way in advance so be sure to order them through the internet way ahead of time if this is something you want to do.
The exhibits within the Main Building highlight the daily activity of the workers and immigrants flowing through the system. An informative self-paced audio tour is available that adds significantly to the material presented on the displays. They do a good job of making you feel how intimidating and scarry it was to go through the process. No one wanted to be sent back home - many were fleeing repressive governments and America represented a new beginning for all who could successfully pass through the screening process. 
Evening NYC skyline from Ellis Island.
And here are some familiar sights, starting with the Empire State Building.
The FlatIron Building
The Brooklyn Bridge
And some newer architecture...
Pleanty of the old still remains - you gotta love the detail work.
It not often that you catch Lady Liberty putting on her makeup.
And no trip through Harlem is complete without visiting the infamous Apollo Theatre.
Officially closed in 1954, Ellis Island sat in a state of disrepair and decay for many years. The main building was restored and opened to the public in 1990. An additional 28 buildings are slated for restoration as funds allow.
Several building can be seen from the main hall that still require restoration work.
The exhibits within the Main Building highlight the daily activity of the workers and immigrants flowing through the system. An informative self-paced audio tour is available that adds significantly to the material presented on the displays. They do a good job of making you feel how intimidating and scarry it was to go through the process. No one wanted to be sent back home - many were fleeing repressive governments and America represented a new beginning for all who could successfully pass through the screening process.A tracing room is also located within the main building for those who wish to try and trace the history of their ancestors through Ellis Island's volumes of documentation.
Evening NYC skyline from Ellis Island.
And here are some familiar sights, starting with the Empire State Building.
The FlatIron Building
The Brooklyn Bridge
And some newer architecture...
Pleanty of the old still remains - you gotta love the detail work.
It not often that you catch Lady Liberty putting on her makeup.
And no trip through Harlem is complete without visiting the infamous Apollo Theatre.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Amsterdam, Netherlands
On our way up the Rhine River to Amsterdam, we saw a few of the traditional windmills that were once used to pump the water from the reclaimed land. Rather than raising the land up, the Dutch build dikes and then pumped out the water. Nowadays the pumping is done by modern equipment and only a few of the old windmills remain. Some are unused reminders of the past (and probably left there for the tourists) while others have been converted to new uses like grinding grain.
The Amsterdam canal system is obviously a result of deliberate city planning. It is laid out on four concentric half cirles, with both ends terminating in the IJ Bay. An elaborate system flushes water in the canals twice a week to keep it fresh. You can anchor your boat along the canal for about 5,000 euros per year (more or less, depending on the lenght), if you can find a space. Many of the boats are permanent living quarters, moored to the canal walls, with piped in water, electricity and sewer connections (a requirement for all houseboats.)
The bridges are low, which the above boat could never navigate, so many of the taller boats have been designed with removable or collapsable second stories.
With much of the land of Amsterdam reclaimed from the sea, the buildings are constructed on soft, muddy soil. Consequently, buildings sag and tip over time, as can be seen by the center building below.
Bicyles are the main means of transportation in Amsterdam. This impressive multi-story bicycle garage is located near the ferry terminal. Supposedly there are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam.
The van Gogh Museum is a treasure of works by Vincent van Gogh. It houses the largest collection of his work in the world. The museum offers an incredible audio tour that gives insight into the artist and his work, from the perspective of many art historians and via excerpts of the many letters van Gogh wrote (especially to his brother) during his career. Exhibits also include many of his original sketches on which many of the works are based.
The Amsterdam canal system is obviously a result of deliberate city planning. It is laid out on four concentric half cirles, with both ends terminating in the IJ Bay. An elaborate system flushes water in the canals twice a week to keep it fresh. You can anchor your boat along the canal for about 5,000 euros per year (more or less, depending on the lenght), if you can find a space. Many of the boats are permanent living quarters, moored to the canal walls, with piped in water, electricity and sewer connections (a requirement for all houseboats.)
The bridges are low, which the above boat could never navigate, so many of the taller boats have been designed with removable or collapsable second stories.
With much of the land of Amsterdam reclaimed from the sea, the buildings are constructed on soft, muddy soil. Consequently, buildings sag and tip over time, as can be seen by the center building below.
Bicyles are the main means of transportation in Amsterdam. This impressive multi-story bicycle garage is located near the ferry terminal. Supposedly there are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam.
The van Gogh Museum is a treasure of works by Vincent van Gogh. It houses the largest collection of his work in the world. The museum offers an incredible audio tour that gives insight into the artist and his work, from the perspective of many art historians and via excerpts of the many letters van Gogh wrote (especially to his brother) during his career. Exhibits also include many of his original sketches on which many of the works are based.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Cologne, Germany
As we sailed down the Rhine toward Cologne, we were treated with views of numerous castles, towers and churches, many of which have been restored to their former glory.
Even the train tunnels are adorned with castle-like entrances.
Katz Castle near the medieval village of Wellmich.
Even when the castles lie in partial ruin, they are still impressive.
With its majestic tower, the Ehrenfels Castle stands guard over the Rhine.
The beautifully restored Marksburg Castle.
We arrived in Cologne around 3 in the afternoon to overcast skies and cool temperatures - beautiful crisp and refreshing weather - and another day without rain!
The cornerstone for the Cologne Cathedral was laid in 1248, but this majestic gothic structure, which is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary, took over 600 years to complete. It is one of the largest churches in the world and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. And, until the completion of the Washington Monument in 1884, it was also the tallest structure in the world! 
Time and the elements have unfortunately darkened the façade of this majestic cathedral. Within the last few years, lasers were used to clean the statues over the entryway bringing them back to their original color. However, cleaning the entire building with lasers is prohibitively expensive and cleaning by sandblasting is too destructive to the soft limestone, so the cathedral darkly dominates the skyline.
The huge stained glass windows are quite impressive and it is amazing to me that they have not buckled or broken under the weight of the massive structure. The architects of the 13th century really knew their stuff...
The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Shrine of the Three Kings, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century. It is traditionally believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men. 
The crucifix above the main alter.
Many bishops are entombed within the cathedral.
This crypt is of a duke who, through a special edict, was allowed to be buried within the church. The shaft of light is a mystery... It was not visible to the naked eye, and when I saw it on the viewfinder I took another image to confirm its existance. Try as I might, I could find neither the shaft of light nor its origin. Hmmm.
Christmas decorations are going up in the city square.
Only a few days till the Christmas markets open and the town squares are a flurry of activity getting ready.
Holiday shopping has already started in the downtown area and the people were out in droves.
Even the train tunnels are adorned with castle-like entrances.
Katz Castle near the medieval village of Wellmich.
Even when the castles lie in partial ruin, they are still impressive.
With its majestic tower, the Ehrenfels Castle stands guard over the Rhine.
The beautifully restored Marksburg Castle.
We arrived in Cologne around 3 in the afternoon to overcast skies and cool temperatures - beautiful crisp and refreshing weather - and another day without rain!
The cornerstone for the Cologne Cathedral was laid in 1248, but this majestic gothic structure, which is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary, took over 600 years to complete. It is one of the largest churches in the world and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. And, until the completion of the Washington Monument in 1884, it was also the tallest structure in the world! 
Time and the elements have unfortunately darkened the façade of this majestic cathedral. Within the last few years, lasers were used to clean the statues over the entryway bringing them back to their original color. However, cleaning the entire building with lasers is prohibitively expensive and cleaning by sandblasting is too destructive to the soft limestone, so the cathedral darkly dominates the skyline.
The huge stained glass windows are quite impressive and it is amazing to me that they have not buckled or broken under the weight of the massive structure. The architects of the 13th century really knew their stuff...
The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Shrine of the Three Kings, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century. It is traditionally believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men. 
The crucifix above the main alter.
Many bishops are entombed within the cathedral.
This crypt is of a duke who, through a special edict, was allowed to be buried within the church. The shaft of light is a mystery... It was not visible to the naked eye, and when I saw it on the viewfinder I took another image to confirm its existance. Try as I might, I could find neither the shaft of light nor its origin. Hmmm.
Christmas decorations are going up in the city square.
Only a few days till the Christmas markets open and the town squares are a flurry of activity getting ready.
Holiday shopping has already started in the downtown area and the people were out in droves.
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