Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Photos Part 6 (The Finale)

Here it is, the last photo post, and probably the last major post for this blog (at least, for awhile). This last set covers my time in Berlin through the departure from London. Enjoy.

BERLIN

 The Brandenburg Gate, one of the few remnants of old Prussian Berlin.
 The Victory Column.
 Looking back at central Berlin from atop the Victory Column.
 Just south of the Brandenburg Gate you can find the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
 Across the street from Humboldt University and right next to the university library is the infamous square where the Nazis held their book burnings. In the background on the right you can see a group of people gathered around. They are looking down at the memorial to the book burnings.
 The memorial to the victims of war and fascism. The statue of the mother and her dead son is directly under the oculus in the ceiling, so when it rains or snows the weather falls through the roof and onto the statue.
 The old world clock at Alexanderplatz. In the background is the Berlin TV Tower.
The Berlin Cathedral, also called the Berliner Dome.
 The East Side Gallery, which is a one mile stretch of the Berlin Wall that was kept up. Along it, artists from all around the world have turned it into the world's longest art gallery by painting directly onto the wall.
 Checkpoint Charlie. Note the McDonald's in the background. What better to proclaim the victory of capitalism?
 The glass dome on top of the Reichstag.
 From inside, looking down in the dome. From the windows at the bottom you can look directly into the main chamber of the German parliament.
 The Reichstag.
 Inside the Pergamon Museum you can find the massive Ishtar Gate of Babylon. There were actually two parts to the gate, but the bigger part couldn't fit in the museum.
 Brandenburg Gate at night. Unlike daytime, it's not overrun with tourists at night.
The Reichstag at night.


COPENHAGEN

The royal palace. Denmark still has a royal family, and their palace seemed strangely under guarded.
Walking around Copenhagen. It was really pleasant when I was there in July, but I imagine it's not so nice in the winter.
 Copenhagen's former red light district, now a scenic tourist zone.
The Little Mermaid Statue. Like the Mona Lisa, it's actually quite small and you'll never need to see it a second time.


COLOGNE

The Cologne Cathedral, which used to be the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel Tower got built.
 Inside the cathedral.
 Along Cologne's rail bridge you can find the most extensive collection of padlocks ever. People put a padlock on the bridge to mark a significant event such as an engagement.
A view of Cologne Cathedral from across the Rhine River.


AMSTERDAM (SECOND VISIT)

 Arrival in Amsterdam for the second time, and what's that? It's sunny?
Vondel Park.
Walking around Amsterdam.
I still can't believe the sun's out.


LONDON (SECOND VISIT)

 Back in London, and just like last time, it is cloudy and wet.
 Westminster Palace and Big Ben.
Another view of Westminster.
Buckingham Palace. No need to see changing of the guard this time.
 Inside the British Museum is the famous Rosetta Stone.
 The inside of St Paul's Cathedral. Last time I was there I didn't get any photos, but on my second visit I made sure to get some.
Tower Bridge, with the bridge raised for a passing boat. You can see the Olympic rings hanging from the bottom of the upper bridge. It's a bit hard to tell, but this photo was taking in the middle of a massive downpour.
My plane back to America (ok, so this is actually in Dallas, not London).


And that does it! Thanks for following along over the past few months. This blog probably will not see activity again for awhile, but any future trips like this will likely resurrect it.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Photos Part 5

Yet another batch for you. This one covers more of Eastern Europe, from Vienna to Krakow. This is a big one.

VIENNA

One of the (many) Maria Theresa monuments you can find scattered around Vienna.
 The memorial to the victims of war and fascism.
St Stephen's Basilica.
Inside St Stephen's Basilica.
The new wing (built just before the outbreak of World War 1) of the Hofburg Palace.
The Austrian Parliament.
The entrance to the Schonbrunn Palace, which was the royal family's summer estate.
 Inside the Schonbrunn.
 Looking back at the Schonbrunn from out in the gardens. Although the Schonbrunn gardens are not as vast as Versailles, they're still pretty big.
Passing through part of the Schonbrunn gardens.


SALZBURG

A view of historic Salzburg from the river.
 Salzburg Cathedral. During the Reformation, the bishop of Salzburg stayed loyal to the Vatican, and thus guaranteed that his building projects got well funded.
St Peter's Cemetery. In Austria, people sometimes are buried in these garden graves and their friends and relatives tend to the flowers. However, if you run out of people to pay the rent for your grave, your body gets dug up and a new person goes in.
 Inside St Peter's Church, which is right next to the graveyard.
 A view of Salzburg from the castle.
Another view of Salzburg, but this time with the castle in it.


HALSTATT (AUSTRIA)

Approaching Halstatt, a small town on a lake, up in the Austrian mountains.
The town is right on the side of the mountain, so all the buildings appear to be almost built on top of each other.
 Walking around town.
 Halstatt was a favorite retreat of the Austrian royal family.
A look back at town from farther along the lake.


MUNICH

 One of the old gates of Munich.
 At Munich's main square.
 Walking along the river.
Near the Residenz (the city estate of the Bavarian dukes) you can find a square with a large baroque church.
 Inside the church.
 In Munich's massive city park you can find the famous river surfers.
The concrete under the water creates an artificial wave, and people take turns trying to surf it.


PRAGUE

 Wenceslas Square, which really isn't so much a square as a long boulevard. It was here at the end of the Cold War that the Czechs rallied to break away from the Soviet system.
Old Town Square. The Hyundai stuff was for the Euro Tournament, which was going on when I was there.
 The old astronomical clock.
 A view of part of Old Town Square from the tower with the astronomical clock.
 The Charles Bridge and Prague Castle in the background.
 The "Fred and Ginger" dance building.
Entrance to Prague Castle.
 St Vitus Cathedral, inside Prague Castle.
 On a hill not too far from Prague Castle you can find this mini Eiffel Tower. Although a fraction of the Eiffel Tower's height, because of the elevation, the top is actually the same height as that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
From atop the tower, looking out at Prague.


KRAKOW

 Wawel Castle, along the Wista River.
The royal cathedral.
Krakow's old town square, with the Cloth Hall in the center. In the old days cloth merchants would fill the building (hence its name) but these days it is full of souvenir shops, restaurants and museums.
The cathedral on the square.


Ok, just one more update to go. The last one will cover from Berlin to the end of the trip.