The Tower of London...

There it is 'The Tower'! I want to write 'off with their heads' and other things like that, but it's not funny - that's all that seemed to happen at this place and, in my opinion, often to people who didn't deserve it.

Here is a view of The Tower from South Bank of the Thames...

You can see if you zoom in where on the bottom of the picture it says 'Entry to Traitor's Gate'...



Here is the outside entry to Traitor's Gate. What's odd is apparently it was originally built to safely bring royalty into the Tower for refuge...











These are called 'the Queen's Stairs' - this is where/how later royalty entered the Tower. This is supposedly where Elisabeth I entered the Tower complex, after she was ordered there by her father, Henry 8th. With whom I am deeply unimpressed with at the moment....













The 'modern mobs' trying to get in ;) You have to pay a pretty farthing, that's for sure....

Here is the main entrance used today - more or less this is the area where King John, of Robin Hood fame, built a zoo! Hmm....I wonder if he ever saw the Disney version of 'Robin Hood'....

Here is the inside of Traitor's Gate.....

Most people were killed outside the Tower complex on what was called Tower Hill. Here, in this little green area, there used to stand a scaffold where Anne Boleyn, Katherine (another wife of Henry 8), Lady Jane Grey and others were killed.

After visiting Hampton Court, Henry 8th's palace, I read more about him and his wives, etc. He was just an absolute jerk! Nothing more to be said...he did what he wanted because he wanted to do it! And killed people who disagreed or got in his way!! I am really 'perturbed' at him right now..... but as I was reading about another victim of Henry's, Sir Thomas More, it hit me, AGAIN, that I shouldn't judge. The Tudor's came to power following the War of the Roses....maybe that was what was driving a lot of Henry's actions? Then here I felt sorry for Sir Thomas More and really admired him for taking a stand against Henry and dying for it - but then when More was Lord Chancellor of England he had 6 Lutherans burned at the stake as heretics, etc. I guess we're all messed up....and that's why we shouldn't judge....I don't know....

This is the building where the Crown Jewels are held. They put you on a moving escalator-walk that moves you along. I don't know...that's the other thing that hit me after hearing/reading at the Tower....all of this death, blood, etc. and for what? Few things last...I wrote my sister, we'd better make sure that things are truly worth our time/energy/etc.





These guns were all captured by Wellington at Waterloo. Why whenever I read biographies when I was little I always wanted Napoleon to win? Or Mary, Queen of Scots, to be pardoned by Elisabeth I? ;)

I just liked this photo....Tower Bridge from 'the Tower'....

Here at the Tower's ravens - apparently if the ravens go the monarcy will end, Britain's over - things like that....

And the ravens are -

Gwylum (M/18 yrs)
Thor (M/15)
Hugin (F/11)
Munin (F/11)
Branwen (F/3 yrs)
Bran (M/3)
Gundulf (M/1)
Baldrick (M/1).

Here is the 'White Tower' of 'the Tower' ;) that was built by William the Conqueror in 1078.

The top floors were royal apartments with a banquet hall underneath, and then a prison in the 'basement'....

The "Princes in the Tower", Edward V of England (November 4, 1470 – 1483?) and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York (17 August 1473 – 1483?), were the two young sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville who were declared illegitimate by the Act of Parliament. Their uncle, Richard III of England, placed them both in the Tower of London (then a royal residence as well as a prison) in 1483, and they were never seen again. Their fate remains unknown, although many presume them to have been killed there.
In 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered under the staircase leading to the chapel, (THIS IS THAT STAIRCASE!!) during the course of renovations to the White Tower. These were believed to have been the remains of the two princes, but there has been recent evidence against that theory. On the orders of Charles II the remains were reburied in Westminster Abbey.

Again, who knows, but...what people are willing to do for power, money and other things that don't last....

This is called 'the Line of Kings'. They were carvings of the Kings of England over the years, but now it's just their horses....the first proof that they were here is in the 1660's, but some of the carvings were in the possession of my dearest Henry 8th....

And there are the remaining faces/heads. And of course, again, in the middle, Henry 8th.... I AM NOT!!

This is supposedly armor made for Richard, one of the princes, who was killed, but....again, who knows?!

One good thing happened that day - a wedding! The Tower actually includes a number of apartments where the Beefeaters live with their families. Here she is, the bridge awaits to enter the chapel where Lady Jane Grey and so many others are buried....

A loverly view of Tower Bridge...

Goodbye Tower of London! I hope the tourists can bring you some happiness after all you've gone through for the last thousand years or so....

Back to Berlin...

So, as with most things, there is was an end to my stay in Sweden.

Here is another look at Goteborg before we say 'goodbye'. Say 'goodbye Goteborg'...

I grabbed a bus to make the journey back to Berlin. I thought it would be fun to see the countryside, etc. And I was grateful I made that decision....

Here we have a picture of the southern Swedish countryside heading towards Denmark. LOTS o' farms!

This was my last look at Sweden as we crossed over a HUGE bridge to Denmark. Say 'goodbye Sweden!'...






















And say 'hello' to Copenhagen! A busy street in Copenhagen....
























And the Danish countryside...looked different from Sweden, but, yet again, LOTS o' farms!





















The bus took us to the southern coast of Denmark where we caught a ferry over to Germany. This was a nice surprise because I thought we'd just drive all the way - so the boat trip was a nice surprise.

My last look at Denmark. Say 'goodbye Denmark!'...















You'll have to click on this picture to see what it's a picture of ;) There is a huge windmill farm off the Danish coast. Good idea! Me like...






















Being tossed to' and fro at sea....rough winds, rough water, I was praying not to get sea sick - and it worked! ;)



















All wasn't so 'bad' weather-wise ;) There was this beautiful break (answers to prayers ;) in the weather system...





















A very soggy and windy German coast welcoming me back! This is the port city of Rostock on Germany's northern coast....



















Here we are in the 'belly of the whale', i.e. HUGE ferry ship! Just waiting for our bus driver to get back and to get on for the rest of the voy-azzh.




















Home sweet Funk (Radio) Tower!

Midsommer in Sverige...

So where else would I go during the pagan solstice celebration? Sweden of course! And not just anywhere in Sweden, but to Goteborg (that's Yoo-tuh-boree for those of you who are a little rusty with your Swedish ;)

My Goteborg friends, Kent and Janne, have invited me so many times to come visit them I finally gave in ;)

Here is the paganic (why doesn't that word exist in English?) pole of the solstice celebrations. In Alaska, we just stay up, go shopping or have a party, in Sweden there are many things to do, but first....












We must begin with the all-important 'Swedish pizza made by real Italians'. This was called 'the African', it had BANANAS and CURRY sauce on it! Very interesting, slightly good and a new experience for me to never forget...






So, 'only in Scandinavia' I guess...but this woman, as part of her bachelorette party, hangs a sign on her that says 'Last Chance! Hug = 1 Crown Kiss = 2 Crowns'....

My friend Janne had to convince me to do it, my 'American Puritanical-Victorian' leanings were against it...










But...'when in Rome'... ;)
















And there she, actually he, be - the Midsommer pole that the Swedes dance around! And did my American Puritanical-Victorian background overcome the 'pagan pull'?

No, Janne and I danced along as well ;)






Hanging with the locals....

PS They loved the fact that I was from Alaska!


















The women wore these 'Rose headbands' (Kranzen) on TV, in public, etc. during Midsommer. The little girl looks KYOOT with hers on!





So Janne took me to this amusement park and in this garden they have handprints from famous people - and, even though the Swedes are probably sick of it, who are probably the most famous Swedes?

ABBA!

PS Try to figure out why they are called ABBA - all the clues are in this picture...





We went up a 'ride' on a tower and got to see Goteborg from up high. Nice view....















Few things make me happier than chocolate! When I first moved to Europe (Munich) I bought different chocolate every couple of days in order to find out which one was the best. My favorite back then, and roughly still now, is Sweden's Marabou. And this is how I'd feel if these Marabou bars were real ;)







This is a neighborhood in Goteborg where several members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live....











Speaking of which, here is one of the local chapels....

PS I still think it's odd for a Germanic language to make a word like 'Kyrka' (church) sound like 'Shheerka'. Hmm....

PSS I like Swedish...it's very 'sing-songy'. It's enjoyable to listen to people speak it...













My friend Janne took me to see several of the local islands on a boat (you can use the same ticket that you use on the bus/trams!).










Trying my best to be a Viking/Bezerker....umm...yeah.... ;)










The Norwegians heard me and started to invade! (Story correction: these are NOT Norwegian Vikings, they are a Norwegian marching band in the area for a competition ;)


I had a lot of fun, but as with all things, the fun came to an end....

Thanks Kent! Thanks Janne!

Night at the Opera

So my dorm/Studentenwohnheim set up a visit to the Opera for those who wanted to go. The opera was to be 'La Clemenza di Tito' by Mozart. It was shown at the Staatsoper, or the opera of the former 'East Berlin'.










Here I am warming up for my solo...



















After I stormed the stage and some ugly Polizei bidness was taken care of, I was allowed to take my seat.

Some inside shots of the opera house...

































































Our group - it was a comfortable 98 degrees inside so let us just say that there was no 'clemenza' for us ;)
















Applause - I felt it was fine to take a picture during this point - if this is not so, please contact my lawyer...




Loverly, simply loverly....

The Arteest

so Suzanne and I were speaking about 'personal development' and I decided to start one of the things (play the piano/guitar/learn how to paint/etc.) that I've always wanted to do, so the cheapest and easiest thing was to grab a pen and paper. So here you go!

Here is what my room actually looked like on that day of days...










And this is how it looked 'after Aaron' ;) Hmm...






















Original picture of 'the Kids'...
























So, you can see the creation process - without faces, I think not bad (no art training since elementary school, thank you ;)


















but with the faces, I WAS LAUGHING LIKE CRAZY!! So, in conclusion, my 'review' would be that: Suzanne and I look like we're 134 years old! Julia is 'all smiles! ;) David looks like Groucho Marx; Mel's seen better days; Haidan, I don't know...; and Caitlin, I just laugh EVERY TIME I look at it! (She's like a crazee cartoon character!)...


Anyway, - develop your talents and share them! ;) Umm...yeah....