There has been a lot of public debate if the very expensive reconstruction of the Neues Museum with its mostly Egyptian and other antiquity collections was done properly. It was destroyed during the Second World War. Afterwards it kept decaying as a ruin for decades.
“God created the earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands.” This saying describes a bit the magnitude of how the Dutch literally built their country in the middle of the waters, for a large part below the sea level. This is an amazing feat of engineering. It all started centuries ago but still needs constant work every day to make sure that what has been won from the sea and rivers is not immediately lost again.
I have uploaded a range of new photos taken at various locations. In my picture gallery you can find new travel snapshots from Lourdes, Biarritz, San Sebastian (also with some pictures from 2002), Pamplona and Bilbao (again with quite a few pictures from 2002).
The village of Locronan is a small French treasure chest of medieval houses and a wonderful church. Glad the granite stone is so hard that the buildings survived the centuries – but it still must have been a lot of work to restore the village to its former grandeur. I was there on a very foggy morning. Walking through the streets felt like suddenly being in one of these old German Edgar Wallace black & white movies. Please go to my gallery for the pictures.
Published a few photos taken during my stay in La Rochelle. Includes primarily the Vieux Port (Old Harbor). There are also quite a number of outside shots of Fort Boyard. This a fortress built into the middle of the bay entrance to protect the harbors of La Rochelle and Rochefort. Unfortunately it is not possible to enter this “stone ship” in the sea. Other pictures show the nice aquarium of La Rochelle. Please go to my gallery for the pictures.
Today I finally had a bit of time to upload some pictures from the Côte de Granit Rose or Pink Granite Coast in Northern France. This spectacular part of the cost line in Brittany is dominated by huge granite rocks that very often shine in a pink color. I was very lucky with the weather when I was there on October 27, 2014. Please go to my gallery for the pictures.
The abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is probably one of the most iconic buildings in France. More than 3 million visitors come to Normandy to see the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, the fortified village and the abbey on top of the hill. For me it is a very magical place. I cannot really explain it but the combination of location, stunning architecture and the sea/wind make it so interesting for me.
This city in the Belgian province of West Flanders was so far my definitive highlight. I had very high expectations – but they were actually surpassed when finally arriving there.
Had the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. This used to be the City Hall until Luis Napoleon became king and transformed it into his palace. He then later had to leave quite quickly when his brother lost his empire. Therefore he left all of the expensive furniture behind. The interior was afterwards mostly kept as it is. The palace is today only used for official receptions and matters of state. Please go to my gallery for the pictures.
Today I have uploaded a range of photos from this impressive castle. Know that it only 100 years old and thus a bit fake. But it looks great! Unfortunately it is not allowed to take pictures inside the building. Please go to my gallery for the pictures.