Time for remembering and reflection:again. Lots has happened since November. Berlin, Potsdam, Prague, Xmas and meeting new friends. Soon we will depart Greece for new countries- Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and our next winter home Sicily.
Firstly Germany. What a great place! Due to just good luck we arrived in time for the celebration of the coming down of the wall. Steve's blogs have covered this but maybe my perspective is different: bound to be.
For at least 20 years I taught WW1 and Germany 1918-1945 to HSC students in NSW schools. There were times that I said I didn't want to study or teach these topics any more. I wish I had the opportunity to visit Berlin and Potsdam while exploring these topics.
I was struck by the landscape. We drove along motor ways, or autobahn, into the heart of Berlin. I could easily imagine Hitler's tanks rolling along them or his people's car the Volkswagen, which I am pretty sure I saw photos of when it was first produced next to a beaming Hitler, on one of these autobahns. Around Berlin it is quite flat. There are quite few horse stables outside Berlin , so flat.
Our Moroccan room in wonderful Petra and Marco's home Deetz, Germany
Petra and Marko our dear friends were great hosts in Germany. They really went out of their way to give us an amazing German experience:cultural and culinary. We visited Kiel, Lubeck and Weimar. Drank German beer, experienced a real beer house, were taken to some truly amazing musical and cabaret events. Mutti's Kinder was probably my favourite, followed by the musical event in the church in Potsdam. We were definitely enculturated! is this a word?
Germany
Prague was a city I have always wanted to visit. Buildings in the centre of the old city are covered in paintings, or drawings. the clock is beautiful. At night the lights make Prague a fairy land. Fortunately we stayed in a hotel near the train station. We soon got a gist of the tram network and started to use it. It rained a bit so using public transport was essential. I remembered the film "The Incredible Lightness of Being " which Ray and I saw when it was first released. I was also reminded of the images of Russian tanks rolling into this beautiful city in 1968 as Dubcek had tried to give communism a human face. Moscow was not ready for this. The cold war was at its height.
We spoke to a woman in a lovely coffee shop about the economic situation in the Czech Republic. Many are unemployed and businesses are going under. She said she was lucky to still be there. Tourism is clearly vital to Prague's economy. There are many sites to see and the centre looks prosperous. But it is only a facade, as for many of these cities in Europe. Go into the streets behind and you see the poor living conditions. Greece is the same. What tourists see is the side which they only want to see in the main. The real country is a few streets away.
Firstly Germany. What a great place! Due to just good luck we arrived in time for the celebration of the coming down of the wall. Steve's blogs have covered this but maybe my perspective is different: bound to be.
For at least 20 years I taught WW1 and Germany 1918-1945 to HSC students in NSW schools. There were times that I said I didn't want to study or teach these topics any more. I wish I had the opportunity to visit Berlin and Potsdam while exploring these topics.
I was struck by the landscape. We drove along motor ways, or autobahn, into the heart of Berlin. I could easily imagine Hitler's tanks rolling along them or his people's car the Volkswagen, which I am pretty sure I saw photos of when it was first produced next to a beaming Hitler, on one of these autobahns. Around Berlin it is quite flat. There are quite few horse stables outside Berlin , so flat.
Our Moroccan room in wonderful Petra and Marco's home Deetz, Germany
Petra and Marko our dear friends were great hosts in Germany. They really went out of their way to give us an amazing German experience:cultural and culinary. We visited Kiel, Lubeck and Weimar. Drank German beer, experienced a real beer house, were taken to some truly amazing musical and cabaret events. Mutti's Kinder was probably my favourite, followed by the musical event in the church in Potsdam. We were definitely enculturated! is this a word?
Prague was a city I have always wanted to visit. Buildings in the centre of the old city are covered in paintings, or drawings. the clock is beautiful. At night the lights make Prague a fairy land. Fortunately we stayed in a hotel near the train station. We soon got a gist of the tram network and started to use it. It rained a bit so using public transport was essential. I remembered the film "The Incredible Lightness of Being " which Ray and I saw when it was first released. I was also reminded of the images of Russian tanks rolling into this beautiful city in 1968 as Dubcek had tried to give communism a human face. Moscow was not ready for this. The cold war was at its height.
We spoke to a woman in a lovely coffee shop about the economic situation in the Czech Republic. Many are unemployed and businesses are going under. She said she was lucky to still be there. Tourism is clearly vital to Prague's economy. There are many sites to see and the centre looks prosperous. But it is only a facade, as for many of these cities in Europe. Go into the streets behind and you see the poor living conditions. Greece is the same. What tourists see is the side which they only want to see in the main. The real country is a few streets away.
Back in Lefkada for Xmàs, Anne and Gordon hosted lunch. Great to find friends so far away. Finally I finished my painting after Classes with Lissa in Lèfkas town ,bought a new guitar from Berlin and continued going to the gym. My hand was a minor issue, but the ganglion got cut out for 4300euros!
My painting finished, but how am I going to frame it!!
Not happy!!
So now in Moutros.We cast off the lines in Lefkas and sailed north to Paxos. Now opposite Corfu we wait to cross for Greek Easter. Can't wait.
Going to try blog more in 2015, you know history and everything.
Yasas!
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