Family Snippets

June 5nd, 2010 at 15:00-17:45 Graduation Ceremony of Ana at the Oberursel Stadthalle. Ruth van Reken is the guest speaker. A reception with juice being served will follow the ceremony in the lobby of the Stadthalle. Ana is now going to be part of the FIS  Alumni together with her brother Miguel.

Admiral of the Portuguese fleet, Gago Coutinho was historian, mathematician and geographer. Born in Lisbon (1869-1959). With Sacadura Cabral made the flight across the South Atlantic for the first time. He also invented the sextant that bears his name and that made him admired  in the world. Author of works of geography and history, especially about the navigations of the Portuguese. Next to the Tower of Belém stands today a replica of the airplane he used for the crossing of the Atlantic.

It takes 20 minutes in the chair lift from the valley boarding station, Mühltal, to Gedeonseck and Vierseenblick high up on the hill. It is an unforgettable experience and something, which every one traveling to this region should experience. From the top one can enjoy a unique panoramic view of the Rhine. A few minutes away on foot from the lift station, we arrived at the famous lookout point from where we have a view of the Rhine. This point, with its restaurant, is a starting point for many walking routes.

An incredible view of the Rhine River Near the city of Boppard, the Rhine makes an impressive double loop, which, when viewed from above, forms a panorama worth photographing. The city of Filsen is located at the foot of the lookout point. On the far side of the Rhine, we see Boppard, which gave the name to the Boppard Loops. On the left side of the loops, towards Osterspai, lies the largest contiguous orchard in the World Heritage Site. The vineyards of the Bopparder Hamm are clearly visible on the left side of the picture. This photograph was taken at the Gedeonseck lookout point with a Canon EF-S 10-24mm.

Imperial Court Around our home in Frankfurt there are many little towns and villages full of history. We like to explore medieval influences and in particularly discover remains of the roman empire's culture and influence. Wetzlar, although quite small, was a very important part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Reichskammergericht (Imperial Chamber Court) was built in town to deal with justice, and it was one of the highest court institutions of the time. It can still be found in this city. It has the symbol of a two headed black eagle on the front and is used as a restaurant today. Inhabited for the past 5000 years, this town is just 30 minutes away from our home. We walked in narrow alleys, saw half timbered houses with exquisite designs, and admired stone structures including the old Lahn stone bridge across the river.

The Stockholm Royal Palace has been built on top of the foundations of a previous medieval castle - Tre Kronor (Three Crowns), dating back to the mid 13th century - which was ravaged by fire in 1697.  The remnants of the old castle can be seen in the Tre Kronor Palace Museum. The construction of the new palace lasted for 57 years, from 1697 to 1754 and was the largest single construction project in Europe during this time.

Here were the Romans, the Franks, the Normans, the French, the Russians... this is a city with a rich history of more than 2,000 years just an hour away from home. The Deutsche Eck (German Corner) is the name of a headland in Koblenz where the Mosel joins the Rhine. From this sport which we visited today one can see the beauty of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. After the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic in 1949, the country was divided. President Theodor Heuss turned the German Corner into a monument to German unity. As a result, the coats of arms of all German Länder (states), including those of former German territories such as Silesia, East Prussia and Pomerania, were installed. Replacing the destroyed equestrian statue, a German flag waved over the plaza. After the Berlin Wall came down in October 1989, three concrete parts of the actual wall were installed next to the monument. This is a place of history and beauty!