Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

Yay, sunshine with just a few cotton wool clouds greeted us this morning.
Outside the IceBar (located in the same building as the Hostel), we catch the Hop On Hop Off bus again.  As we move through the stops, we wonder at the laid back attitudes of the staff - anyone would think that they are Aussies, and yet none we have encountered are!

We are headed into the Christianshavn area on a series of artificial islands within the harbour.  First founded in the 17th Century when King Christian IV extended the fortifications of the City, and at the time was an upper society residential area.  Description
Inderhavnsbroen - an opening bridge across the inner harbour.

In the 1970s a commune society set up in an area of the Christianshavn area that became known as Freetown in abandoned military buildings.  Later, many of these residents self-built their own homes, paying no regard to rules or regulations.  Following many attempts to make the residents conform to the laws of Denmark, finally in 2017 the 1,000 or so residents made their first payment to the state and so began the process of the area coming under the Copenhagen Council rule and home ownership status as opposed to squatter status.

But the area we have come to see is the magnificent Church of Our Saviour with its amazing helix spire that comprises 400 steps to the top.  Needless to say, we did not climb it!  This Church is definitely one of the more ornate and adorned churches we have seen here in Denmark.  The organ pipes dated 1698 and set in elaborate carved timber work borne on the backs of two plaster elephants. While the altar is stunning, and the carved pew heads amazing in their work - appreciated all the more because of my opportunity to watch the carving process of the Peace Pole being developed for the Rotary Club of Maryborough-Sunrise back home, it is the baptismal font that is the pick of the ornate statuary.  It is balanced at the other end by the austerity of the poor chests in the foyer.  The locks on these, as with the many other examples we have seen would seriously challenge any pick-pocket - old or recent!


From here, we walked back onto the City proper across 

Description

Inderhavnsbroen - the opening bridge that crosses the inner harbour, passing by the Børsen, the 17th-century Copenhagen  stock exchange, complete with its twisted spire of crocodiles or dragons - no-one really knows the inspiration.  The commentary on the bus yesterday wondered at how many crocodiles the locals of the 17th century would have seen.  We wonder how many dragons

they might have been witness to!!

We are looking for the Hop On Hop Off boat, only to discover that the ticket we have been given does not cover the boat - even though we specifically asked for it. Too bad.  So we decide to head for the Citadel and the Little Mermaid rather that waste any more time.

We alight the bus for the citadel in front of an amazing fountain, and the only Anglican Church in Denmark - much later, being constructed in the 1870s.  The fountain is the subject of a plethora of tour visitors making it very hard to get a good photo.  One of the standout features of Copenhagen as a city are the number of statues that are to be found at every turn.  This area is no different with artistic and commemorative statues almost every time you turn your head.  The Gefion Fountain features large-scale oxen being driven by the legendary Norse goddess, Gefjun. It is located in Langelinie Park next to Kastellet and is the largest monument in Copenhagen and used as a wishing well.  According to an ancient legend, Gefion was the goddess who ploughed the island of Zealand out of Sweden. The Swedish king Gylfe offered the goddess Gefion as much land as she was capable of ploughing within one day and one night.

Looking across the moat to the citadel, you can clearly trace the outline of the five pointed star.  Michael and I first saw an example of this type of fort in Blaye in south-western France.  Today, they are mowing the grass sides - with a domestic mower attached by a rope to a tractor riding along the top of the mound.  It looks so comical, and yet is so practical.

 The Citadel, or 

Description

Kastellet, is one of the best preserved fortresses in northern Europe, and like much of the existing city, dates back to the early 17th century.  This is still a working facility with mess houses and the normal workings of a military establishment.  It should have been easy to walk through the fort through to visit the Little Mermaid on the other side, but the City, among all the other places, is

undertaking works here - this time to protect the fort from flooding!  So back outside we trudge to wait for the next bus to take us around closer to this iconic symbol of Copenhagen.

The Little Mermaid sits on her rock pensively looking at you, pining for the loves she never.  Not often spoken of alternative mermaid - the Genetically Modified Mermaid - is found off a new Square at Langelinie.  She represents a tortured soul, albeit with feet,but still without a love.

The day is getting blustery now and darker clouds are moving in.  We decided to ride the bus around to Nyhavn and have some early dinner before returning to the Hostel.

In the dying light of the afternoon, this colourful canal community is stunning.  A 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants.  Hans Christian Anderson lived in this district at the time that he wrote most of his fairy tales.

Not having had any lunch, we stopped at No.19 Nyhavn at the Skagen Restaurant where we feasted on seafood tapas (Donna) and Fish Soup (Maria) followed by Surf and Turf (Donna) and Rib Fillet (Maria).  It is raining as we eat and the wind has really come up, so we take advantage of the blankets the restaurant offers.

From here it is a 5 block walk back to the normality of the hostel.

Tomorrow we begin our journey for home, flying first to Amsterdam from Copenhagen.  It would have been nice to go by train, but it is an overnight trip and the train gets in a little to close to our departure for our Sydney bound flight.

One more night - this time back in Amsterdam.

There's a little place called Ludwigsburg

Ludwigsburg is about an hour from Schwäbisch Gmünd. Well, it is normally, IF there are no

roadworks and IF there are no Umleitung (detours) and IF those Umleitung don't confuse you and you set off in the wrong direction!  En-route to our destination, we came across a familiar logo - yes, the local Rotary Club in Schwäbisch Gmünd is also passionate about ending polio!

Anyway, today we decided to visit the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace. Steph had taken Mum and I when we visited here in 2006, but Michael had never seen it - and it really is worth the seeing.

The first palace on the site was constructed from 1704 onwards. It was intended as a hunting lodge for Duke Eberhard Ludwig. In 1718, however, when Ludwigsburg became the Duke’s principal place of residence, he sought a more fitting reflection of his power and prestige. The impressive structure was completed in 1733. Today, it is one of the few Baroque buildings to have survived the tumultuous history of the last centuries almost unscathed. This truly palatial complex stands out not just for its impressive size, but also for its sumptuous interiors. It also features a unique blend of three quite different architectural styles: Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism.

BUT that is not all.
The Ludwigsburg Residential Palace sits in some of the most impressive gardens you will ever see. 

Even before you get to the entrance, the floral displays lining the outer fences and walls bring anticipation of what we might find inside.

Surrounding the palace on three sides is the massive, 32 hectares Blooming Baroque garden, or in German, "Blühendes Barock." 

Our entrance tickets at €18 each is one of the more expensive entrance tickets we have had to buy over the last six weeks - BUT, I know it will be worth it!
Just the view of the Palace from the entrance gates is mind blowing.  It is huge with stunning gardens, water features and statuary - all before you get in!  The cottage garden beds lining the walk from the entrance gate into the grounds feature stunning dahlias - Dad's favourite flowers.

We wander from garden to garden eagerly drinking in the sites and reveling in beautiful symmetry, gorgeous fountains and stunning statues.  The Rose Garden, like all the gardens is 'walled' within a hedge.  You step into it and immediately are hit with the scent of thousands of roses - it was such a sensory delight.  Will have to let the gardeners back home that take care of the Maryborough Rose Gardens know - too bad I could not capture the scent to share with them.  I really think that the hedge held the scents in!


We wander in and out, making our way to the Garden Cafe where we dined under the canopy of trees with me having the last of the wurst for our trip. Tomorrow, we begin the preparations for our departure for home!  We had the most amazing freshly squeezed orange juice that had all the taste of the fruit grown on the site - and this rivaled even the magnificent juice we get from the oranges from Gayndah back home.   Funny thing was, that even though there we plenty of the wasps around - they didn't wan't that orange juice - just all the sugary carbonated drinks others were drinking around us. Just as well, because they were not getting any of mine! Coffee and cake followed before we resumed our explorations.

As we walked back through a grove of trees under-planted by beds of tuberous begonias, I could't believe the size of the blossoms. To show you the scale, I got Michael to put his Akubra hat in front of the bed - huge, aren't they! 

And at the moment, the gardens are hosting two very special events - one is an impressive display of sand sculptures - including one by the Australian sand sculptor - Kevin Crawford - but the more interesting display is the annual (largest in the world) Pumpkin Festival in the Lower East Garden.

And I mean large.

There are literally thousands of  pumpkins lining the walkways to the exhibit - yes, literally, thousands - I can count more that 700 just in one view!

This year, the theme is Rome and the exhibits all relate to that theme.  Take a look at some of the amazing displays.

There was Asterix fighting a Roman and his side-kick Obelisk nearby,  two gladiators fighting, the Roman 'turtle' that famous Roman army formation invented by Julius Caesar, a charioteer, an Aquaduct and King Neptune complete with a lightning bolt!

On the return to the stunning parterre garden, Michael picked up a couple of pumpkins - a Butternut and something akin to a Jap - to roast for the family dinner tomorrow night!

Once we had done with the gardens and the special displays, we headed in to the Palace itself and joined the last tour of the day. Well, for a while, WE were the last tour for the day and our elderly but informative guide began our tour in perfect English. Unfortunately for us, a German family came in and as the tour was advertised as a German speaking tour, he had to revert. But with the consent of the others, he doubled up, delivering his interesting commentary in both languages. Was a little absent minded - more than once, he told us something in English then relayed it in German, only to then repeat the same in English again!

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take the camera inside, but to describe it in brief:

• 432 rooms
• largest chandelier weighs 48 ton (a full tour of people standing below it and all clapping at the same time can make this chandelier 'sing')
• there are series of three staircases - the king's/queen's, the knight's and the servants
• the knights hall now houses a chapel where for €180 you can be married or have your child baptised.  This was where the King knighted the members he appointed to his Order of the Golden Eagle
• Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg, who commissioned the construction was a big man - 210 cm and 200 kgs!  You should see the size of his throne!  The future kings of Württemberg in turn ignored and restored and further developed the Palace
• the mirror room once had mirrors on the floors as well as the walls and ceilings, but when tours of the Palace commenced in 1906, the ladies complained and so the mirrors on the floor were removed (think about it).  Mirrors were a sign of wealth and to have one mirror was special.  The Palace has 147 in this room alone.

We finally left the Palace after 6 pm and as I was worried that some of the internal gates might have been closed (parts of it shut at 5 pm), we had to return to the car the long way around the exterior of the Palace compound via the streets of Ludwigsburg. My feet are absolutely killing me now.  We have walked about 10kms!

We program Google Maps to direct us back to Schwäbisch Gmünd, only to have it advise us that due to heavy traffic there are long delays. Do we want to take an alternate route to save 25 minutes?   Bloody oath we do!

We stop off at Edeka (a supermarket) so I can buy some drinks to bring home as they are cheaper than duty free.  Finally reach the house a few minutes before 8 pm. Knackered, but happy!

The trouble with travels

We've had a few problems with our technology.
The computer wouldn't connect to the web here at Steph and Felix's new house.
The camera disk won't download the photos.

Guess the 'equipment' is saying "enough already - give us a break!"
So, I did.

But tonight the laptop has connected first try when I plugged it in to a power outlet that actually has power connected to it (there are some issues with a couple of outlets and lights here at the new house - they should be sorted this weekend). Blasted SD card still won't download directly - but where there is a will, there is a way - and I am nothing if not determined - put it back in the camera and downloaded through the camera!


It was great getting back here to Schwäbish Gmünd. Steph and Felix had moved in the first week we were gone, and they are now almost settled in to their new home. They have actually had the house since April 2016, engaged an architect and set about making it their own. The former owner had lived here almost all her adult life and had raised her family here.  Now, she has passed on and her children with teenage children of their own, have sold the house to a new family. They replaced the roof and pretty well gutted the interior, opening to a more open plan, put in new kitchen and bathrooms and are now putting the finishing touches.

We arrived home to have Steph cooking the selection of fish that Felix had bought for dinner in her new steam oven - very nice. Would love one if it was a little earlier in our lives!  Very quick and combined with her induction hotplates, it is as good as gas!  And veges - so nice to have veges.

Since arriving back, we have been trying to help around here a little - Michael spent two days cutting out hedges and hedges of diseased buxus. Four trips to the green waste bin to get rid of it all - and one to go! Tomorrow we will go back to their former house and spakfill the holes where paintings were hung, and sweep up and wipe down after the kitchen was removed - yes, they sold the kitchen that they had put in in the rental - it is not considered a fixture here!!


But it has not been all work and no play.

We spent Tuesday afternoon exploring part of the Schwäbish Gmünd Munster and marketplace.
It was nice to become re-acquainted with the Munster - we did visit it during our 2009 trip, but we spent more time delving into its history and secrets this time. There are some amazing stained glass windows and Michael happily discovered a number of Green Men in the carvings above doorways.

There is so much history in the churches. Makes you look on their role in a whole new way.
Now, the icon for Schwäbish Gmünd is the Unicorn and we see unicorns in lots of places around town. But there are other quirky little things - like the bright orange plastic armchairs that are chained in place to provide seating for those weary from their expeditions in to town.

And there are stunning examples of engineering, of architecture and of a community that has learned well, the art of bringing the old into new times, of mixing today's life with yesterday's heritage.

The fountain that was under its winter cover on our last visit, is happily providing drinking water to all who need the refreshment - and doesn't discriminate between beast or man - it as happily lets the pigeons drink as it does the local man filling his child's water bottle.  The surrounds of the fountain tell the stories of the various coats of arms associated with the city and a multi-sided statue has the complete holy family watching over the users and the town square in general.
 
The main Marketplace is living history with a range of architectural styles showing how the city has changed over time. The buildings in the centre of the photo below (brown and white ones) are some of the earlier and date to when tax was paid on the footprint of the building - so the ground floor was smaller and each additional floor added width to the building!  The Rathaus (Council chambers) is the pink building on the left.  These always have beautiful displays of flowers and usually have a chiming clock - the one in Schwäbish Gmünd is particularly nice with some chimes that play a number of classical pieces.

Finally it is nice to see that the old buildings find longevity in new uses and that these communities of old have happily found ways to allow the old and the new to sit comfortably side by side in a new millenium.

After a few hours wandering and wondering, we come home to Steph and the kids, to pretzels and fresh seed rolls, to ham and salami and joy of joys to amazing cheeses that are SO cheap at the local supermarkets here!

Nite one and all - I'll tell you all about our trip to Ulm today, tomorrow.
 

A stroll through Zagreb - dead and alive

Daylight saving finished today which meant we all got to sleep in for another hour - whoo hoo. Michael and I certainly got more sleep than Donna did as she battled with her cold last night. She is on medication from the pharmacy, but it sure doesn't have the efficacy of some of those we are more used to being able to get at home. What she really needs is a good decongestant! And that space that Donna could call her own last night was very hot - the window is on the other side of the room, and the airconditioning unit over the door, so it means that Donna's alcove had no circulating air. Poor thing was hot all night.

And it has stopped raining - yahoo! It is still cloudy, but more of the light high type than the dark filled clouds that threaten to burst their edges at any moment. But that is not all together a bad thing - it means that we will not have to worry about beating sun today as we return to inner Zagreb to have more of a look around - today we are concentrating on the Lower Town.
But first we are off to Mirogoj to have a look at the cemetery. And today we are armed with the name of the streets on which it lies to make sure that Kate can direct us there correctly the first time!! We get about half the way up the hill when we encounter what I had thought we might - thousands of people on their way to the same spot. The traffic was at an inch by inch crawl for the last kilometre or so and with cars parked over the (?) footpaths on both sides of the road, as a driver, you had to be ever so careful not to bump the myriads of people walking up the hill. But Frances came good on the second try and we got a parking spot along the wall about 150 m from the entrance gate.

Now, that wall and its cupolas look far more stunning in the light of day. It hides a 500 m long neo-renaissance arcade with 20 domes. There are lots of famous Croatian people buried here - both in the arcade and within the cemetery proper. Graves here are amazing - there is everything possibly imaginable from austere simple crosses or headstones to elaborate works of art that include all forms from the very traditional to art deco to very modern and abstract. Yet they all sit very happily side by side. We go on a search for old graves but don't find many before the turn of the 20th Century. Ahh, the cemetery was only built in the late 19th century - so that explains that. And do you know what is a little spooky? Some graves have the names, birthdates and the numbers 20 already engraved - for people who are not yet dead!

The number of people out here cleaning graves and just visiting is amazing. There are whole families here - with kids (and some teens too!), there are groups of old ladies and the odd very old couple who look like they are not long before permanent residence here themselves! People also stop at a couple of other spots to reflect and/or pray. One is at grave of Franjo Tuđman, the first post-communist leader of Croatia, others are at the memorials to the fallen in the various wars and the last is to a gilded crucified Christ that stands half way down the main avenue. At all these, people leave wreaths and lit candles. You know, it was that interesting that you could spend a whole week here just ambling through the thousands and thousands of graves.
And so now that we have seen at least some of Mirogoj, we take our leave for the lower town of Zagreb. Being a Sunday, there is no charge for the normally metered parking IF you can find a spot. Luckily, we are happy to leave the car at the far end of the area we want to visit, down near the main rail station. There are less residences here and we get a spot first time - thanks Frances! The area we want to see measures about 3 long blocks by 5 blocks. Now, anyone who knows me knows that this is going to be one huge day for me!! So, off we set . . .

First stop (because this is where we have parked the car) is King Tomislav Square - a large open green space with a monument to Croatia's first king (9th century) standing proudly at one end and looking towards the main Railway Station. It is situated across a myriad of tram lines, bus stops and a major road. Built at the end of the 19th Century, it was one of the stops for the Orient Express Rail Service between Paris and Istanbul in its hey day and the nearby Hotel Esplanade was built to cater for these first class passengers.

At the northern end of the park is the classically beautiful Art Pavilion. Parts of the building are shrouded at the moment with works underway. We wonder whether there are problems with the footings as there are lots of core samples being drilled and at the moment, they lie in wooden boxes drying out.

The next park up is much plainer and is basically a green space with a playground and playing fields. With so many people living in the centre of the city, these sort of facilities are really needed. And then comes Zrinjevac. This is the most beautiful square and park that we see in all of Zagreb. It is named for the Croatian man who died heroically defended a Hungarian fortress beseiged by Turks in the 16th century. The park is very formal in its layout with mature Plane trees, flower beds, neat rows of fir trees and plenty of pathside seating.

Within it are located some important pieces of Zagreb's history including the Meteorological Post where weather conditions have been recorded since 1884. The clock however, is wrong by ten minutes! The first fountain in Zagreb was built here in 1878 just after the opening of the Zagreb waterworks. And nearby stands a bandstand - hmmm, I could just as easily be describing a nice part of Queens Park in Maryborough back home! And there are busts to many notable locals - all recently cleaned with their engraving re-gilded by the look of them.

Lining the streets that border this trio of parks are some amazing examples of architecture - most in Neo-Classical and Neo-Renaissance styles. Opposite the park is one building of great interest - it houses the Archeological Museum. We go on over, only to be stopped by the guard at the door. It closes on a Sunday at 1 pm and it is now almost 2 pm. She does however, kindly let Michael walk through the still open doors into the foyer to have a smidgen of a look.

So we are now at the northern most point of the parks. From here we turn to the west and follow the streets to Petar Preradović Square. This is just short of the half way point and there are a number of cafés open and doing a roaring trade. So we decided to join them all in a coffee and cake. But first we want to find the grounded Sun. No, not that yellow thing that hangs in the sky, but rather a contemporary sculpture that is set in the ground amidst the forest of café umbrellas. In relation to its size, there are supposedly metal spheres representing the planets placed around the city in true scale to this sun. Hmm, no clues as to where and if it were true, then we should at least be able to find Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, but no such luck - we wonder whether they are pulling our legs! In the immediate vicinity are two architectural gems - the Octogon and the Napredak Skyscraper, which the architect hates being called a skyscraper as it is only 7 stories high, but it was the first of the modern tall buildings built in 1936 to serve as a commercial and residential building.

The Millenium Café beckons so we sit and enjoy good coffee and great cakes while we gather our gusto for the remainder of our walk and give our tootsies a momentary rest. Thirst quenched we walk back through the square taking photos of the statues of Petar Preradović and Tim Ujević. Both were poets and Petar was an army general as well.

From here it is a few blocks over to the other set of parks that we want to visit. It is amazing to see under the grime of centuries that the grand old buildings now house couture design houses and up market retailers. Street signage is almost non-existant, so you need to walk directly past them to know that they are there. Many of the buildings are covered in scaffolding and hessian and plank walkways that are raised above large holes in the footpaths. Seems that there is much to be done! Masarykova Street houses some lovely commercial buildings and apartments with exquisite finishing touches such as coloured tiles, statuary around doorways and fancy balconies.

And so to the other set of three parks and squares. At the northern most is Marshall Tito Square although there is no statue to him to be found - guess there are mixed feelings about him! The square houses the elegant facade of the Croatian National Theatre, the Well of Life, the Museum of Arts and Crafts and a stunning statue of St George slaying the dragon. His poor horse looks scared half to death! Now, many of the sculptures around Zagreb are the work of one man - Ivan Meštrović and this is considered possibly his best work. It is very striking and you can imagine the figures from young, to lovers to old people reacing in to scoop out the precious water in the well. It is no deeper than the sculpture. This is one busy place - although with the buildings closed on Sunday afternoons, there are not too many tourists around. In fact, the local skateboarders outnumber us all!
The next park is filled with walking paths set amidst mature trees, oh, and that water supply! Nothing much to look at otherwise. And so we come to the last of the large squares within the Lower Town. This is Marulić Square. It houses Croatian State Archives that was once the National and University Library. The building is heralded as the best example of Croatian Art Noveau architecture with its detailed facade elements. The statue of Marko Marulić dominates the open space behind the Archives. He is known as the father of Croatian literature, writing in Latin, Italian and Croatian and wrote Judita (Judith), an epic poem that was the first work to be published in the Croatian language.

And we have now reached the border of the green horseshoe that is formed by these six garden squares and the Botanical Gardens now in front of us. But the day is done and none of us want to explore them, so we turn and head back past the Hotel Esplanade and the Railway Station to the car. We make a quick trip into the Upper Town so that we can get a photo of the amazing tesselated tiled roof of St Mark's Church and one also of St Catherine's Church and the nearby tower. We can't even pull up here for a few minutes as the streets all around here are home to the various consulates and embassies. And Michael is told tersely that he must not take photos of these buildings - a bit hard when they lie directly behind St Marks which comes a very close second to the Cathedral in terms of the wow factor. Sheesh! In the last light of the day, we admire finally the gaslight lamps - more than 200 still exist today in the Upper Town and are lit on dusk by two lamp lighters. Neat, very neat.

We walked a total of 4.24 kms today - no wonder we are tired! There is no way we want to eat out near the hotel tonight and so we decide to try to find somewhere here in the city. We know that there are some restaurants at Kaptol near the Cathedral, BUT, there is no parking up there. Donna pulls out her Croatia guide and we find that we are but a few blocks from one called Restaurant Čiho that specialises in seafood.
Entrees:
Salata od hobotnice (Octopus salad) Michael
Creme škampi juha (Creme scampi soup) Donna and Maria
Mains:
Kraljevska grdobina sa crnom palentom (Royal Frog-fish with Black Polenta - cooked in squid ink) Michael and Maria
Pijana grdobina (Drunken Frog-fish - cooked in white wine) Donna
Desserts:
Čokolada palačinke (Chocolate pancakes) Michael
Orah palačinke (Walnut pancakes) Donna and Maria

Yep, a marathon day today! And bed awaits . . .