tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64445532049241281332024-02-19T23:38:33.133-08:00Traveling with JeffJeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-21771245336645457322009-12-17T16:00:00.000-08:002010-02-08T16:46:06.577-08:00Day 1 (May 10th) Flight Out of Little Rock<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">FLIGHT TIMES</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1:40 depart Little Rock</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">3:25 arrive in Chicago</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">5:30 depart Chicago</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">8:45 arrive in Paris</span> <br /></span></span>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-62629040681179552312009-12-16T20:25:00.000-08:002009-12-30T15:48:43.881-08:00Day 2 (May 11th) PARIS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0508/images/paris-wandering.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0508/images/paris-wandering.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">THE HISTORY</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> OF PARIS </span><br /><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;">The earliest archaeological signs of permanent habitation in the Paris area date from around 4200 BC. The Parisii, a sub-tribe of the Celtic Sennoes, inhabited the area near the river Seine from around 250 BC. The Romans conquered the Paris basin in 52 BC, with a permanent settlement by the end of the same century on the Left Bank Sainte Genevieve Hill adn the Ile de la Cite. The Gallo-Roman town was originally called Lutetia, but later Gallicised to <i>Lutèce</i>. It expanded greatly over the following centuries, becoming a prosperous city with a forum, palaces, baths, temples, theatres, and an amphitheatre. The collapse of the Roman empire and the fifth-century <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migration_period" title="Migration period">Germanic invasions</a> sent the city into a period of decline. By 400 AD, <i>Lutèce</i>, by then largely abandoned by its inhabitants, was little more than a garrison town entrenched into the hastily fortified central island. The city reclaimed its original appellation of "Paris" towards the end of the Roman occupation. The Frankish king <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_I" title="Clovis I">Clovis I</a> established Paris as his capital in 508.</p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;" class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width: 152px;"> </div> </div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;">Paris' population was around 200,000 when the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death" title="Black Death">Black Death</a> arrived in 1348, killing as many as 800 people a day, and 40,000 died from the plague in 1466. Paris lost its position as seat of the French realm during occupation of the English-allied <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Burgundy" title="Duchy of Burgundy">Burgundians</a> during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War" title="Hundred Years' War">Hundred Years' War</a>, but regained its title when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_VII_of_France" title="Charles VII of France">Charles VII of France</a> reclaimed the city from English rule in 1436. Paris from then became France's capital once again in title, but France's real centre of power would remain in the Loire Valley until <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_I_of_France" title="Francis I of France">King François I</a> returned France's crown residences to Paris in 1528. During the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Wars_of_Religion" title="French Wars of Religion">French Wars of Religion</a>, Paris was a stronghold of the Catholic party. In August 1572, under the reign of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IX_of_France" title="Charles IX of France">Charles IX</a>, while many noble Protestants were in Paris on the occasion of the marriage of Henry of Navarre, the future <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_France" title="Henry IV of France">Henry IV</a>, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_de_Valois" title="Marguerite de Valois" class="mw-redirect">Marguerite de Valois</a>, sister of Charles IX, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bartholomew%27s_Day_massacre" title="St. Bartholomew's Day massacre">St. Bartholomew's Day massacre</a> occurred; begun on 24 August, it lasted several days and spread throughout the country. During the Fronde, Parisians rose in rebellion and the royal family fled the city (1648). King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France" title="Louis XIV of France">Louis XIV</a> then moved the royal court permanently to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles" title="Versailles">Versailles</a> in 1682. A century later, Paris was the centre stage for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution" title="French Revolution">French Revolution</a>, with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille" title="Storming of the Bastille">Storming of the Bastille</a> on 14 July 1789 and the overthrow of the monarchy in September 1792.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-align: justify;"><br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">THE MAJOR SIGHTS </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">OF </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Paris">PARIS</a><br /><br /></span><span>Click on sights to learn more about them:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe">The Arc de Triomphe</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower">Eiffel Tower</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre">Musee du Louvre</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%83%C2%A9e_d%27Orsay">Musee d' Orsay</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris">Notre-Dame</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panth%C3%83%C2%A9on,_Paris">Pantheon</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides">Les Invalides</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_de_Versailles">Chateau de Versailles</a><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">THE AGENDA:</span><br /><br /></span><span>(Subject to change)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. Arrive in Paris around 8:00 am<br />2. Take Train to Paris Central and Unload Luggage at Hotel<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>3. Tour the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower">Eiffel Tower</a><br />4. Lunch<br />5. Tour the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe">Arc de Triomphe</a><br />6. Tour <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris">Notre-Dame </a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">7. Visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides">Les Invalides</a></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">8. Dinner</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">9. Settle down for the night</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe">THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE</a></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Arc_Triomphe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 311px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Arc_Triomphe.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The <b>Arc de Triomphe</b> is a monument in Pairs, France that stands in the centre of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_Charles_de_Gaulle" title="Place Charles de Gaulle">Place Charles de Gaulle</a>, also known as the "Place de l'Étoile".<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe#cite_note-0"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> It is at the western end of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es" title="Champs-Élysées">Champs-Élysées</a>. The triumphal honors those who fought for France, particularly during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a>. On the inside and the top of the arc there are all of the names of generals and wars fought. Underneath is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I . The Arc is the linchpin of the historic axis (<i>L'Axe historique</i>) — a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route which goes from the courtyard of the Louvre Palace to the outskirts of Paris. The monument was designed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Chalgrin" title="Jean Chalgrin">Jean Chalgrin</a> in 1806, and its icongrapic program pitted heroically nude French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in chain mail and set the tone for public monuments, with triumphant nationalistic messages, until World War I. The monument stands 49.5 m (162 ft) in height, 45 m (150 ft) wide and 22 m (72 ft) deep. The large vault is 29.19 m (95.8 ft) high and 14.62 m (48.0 ft) wide. The small vault is 18.68 m (61.3 ft) high and 8.44 m (27.7 ft) wide. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe#cite_note-1"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> Its design was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus. The Arc de Triomphe is so colossal that three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919, marking the end of hostilities in World War I, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Godefroy" title="Charles Godefroy">Charles Godefroy</a> flew his Nieuport biplane through it, with the event captured on newsreel.<br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris">NOTRE-DAME </a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/NotreDameDeParis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 493px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/NotreDameDeParis.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="thumb tleft"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">In 1160, because the church in Paris had become the "parish church of the kings of Europe", Bishop <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_de_Sully" title="Maurice de Sully">Maurice de Sully</a> deemed the previous Parisian cathedral, St Stephen's (which had been founded in the 4th century) unworthy of its lofty role, and had it demolished shortly after he assumed the title of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_of_Paris" title="Bishop of Paris" class="mw-redirect">Bishop of Paris</a>. As with most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_myth" title="Founding myth">foundation myths</a>, this account needs to be taken with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_of_salt" title="Grain of salt">grain of salt</a>; archeological excavations in the 20th century suggested that the Merovingian Cathedral replaced by de Sully was itself a massive structure, with a five-aisled nave and a facade some 36m across. It seems likely therefore that the faults with the previous structure were exaggerated by the Bishop to help justify the rebuilding in a newer style. According to legend, de Sully had a vision of a glorious new cathedral for Paris, and sketched it on the ground outside the original church. To begin the construction, the bishop had several houses demolished and had a new road built in order to transport materials for the rest of the cathedral. Construction began in 1163, during the reign of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VII_of_France" title="Louis VII of France">Louis VII</a>, and opinion differs as to whether Maurice de Sully or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_III" title="Pope Alexander III">Pope Alexander III</a> laid the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_stone" title="Foundation stone" class="mw-redirect">foundation stone</a> of the cathedral. However, both were at the ceremony in question. Bishop de Sully went on to devote most of his life and wealth to the cathedral's construction. Construction of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choir_%28architecture%29" title="Choir (architecture)">choir</a> took from 1163 until around 1177 and the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar#Christianity" title="Altar">High Altar</a> was consecrated in 1182 (it was normal practice for the eastern end of a new church to be completed first, so that a temporary wall could be erected at the west of the choir, allowing the chapter to use it without interruption while the rest of the building slowly took shape). After Bishop Maurice de Sully's death in 1196, his successor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudes_de_Sully" title="Eudes de Sully">Eudes de Sully</a> (no relation) oversaw the completion of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transept" title="Transept">transepts</a> and pressed ahead with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nave" title="Nave">nave</a>, which was nearing completion at the time of his own death in 1208. By this stage, the western facade had also been laid out, though it was not completed until around the mid 1240s. Over the construction period, numerous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architect" title="Architect">architects</a> worked on the site, as is evidenced by the differing styles at different heights of the west front and towers. Between 1210 and 1220, the fourth architect oversaw the construction of the level with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_window" title="Rose window">rose window</a> and the great halls beneath the towers. The most signifiant change in design came in the mid 13th century, when the transepts were remodelled in the latest <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayonnant" title="Rayonnant">Rayonnant</a> style; in the late 1240s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de_Chelles" title="Jean de Chelles">Jean de Chelles</a> added a gabled portal to the North transept topped off by a spectacular <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_window" title="Rose window">rose window</a>. Shortly afterwards (from 1258) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_of_Montereau" title="Peter of Montereau">Pierre de Montreuil</a> executed a similar scheme on the South transept. Both these transept portals were richly embellished with sculpture; the south portal features scenes from the lives of St Stephen and of various local saints, while the north portal featured the infancy of Christ and the story of Theophilus in the tympanum, with a highly influential statue of the Virgin and Child in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_%28architecture%29" title="Portal (architecture)">trumeau</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris#cite_note-1"><span> </span></a></sup>The cathedral was effectively complete by around 1345.</p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >HOTEL</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://www.hotel-leveque.com/en/index.php">Grand Hotel Leveque</a></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-5645865971932199802009-12-15T16:14:00.000-08:002009-12-27T06:21:04.764-08:00Day 3 (May 12th) PARIS<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">AGENDA</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. Breakfast</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">2. Tour the Louvre</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">4. Lunch</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">5. Visit the Palace of Versalles</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">6. Dinner</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">7. A night viewing of the Eiffel Tower for those interested</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span> <div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span></a><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span></a><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en">THE LOUVRE</a><br /><br />The Louvre is the largest museum in the world (over 6 miles of exhibits), and is also considered as the best art gallery in the world. It is not possible to see everything in the Louvre. Therefore it is best to provide a time limit (around 3 hours o<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1640663-The_Louve-Paris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 192px;" src="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1640663-The_Louve-Paris.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>r so) and allow each person in our group to tour at their own pleasure. Different people will find different things interesting. For those who want to stick with me, I will try to hit the more notable exhibits; kind of a general tour of the best of the Louvre. I recommend that you visit the <a href="http://www.louvre.fr/llv/musee/alaune.jsp?bmLocale=en">Louvre's website</a> and spend awhile getting familiar with its various collections (this is a great website). The Louvre can be broken down into 6 sections. Egyptian Antiquities, Oriental Antiquities and Islamic Art, Greek and Roman Antiquities, French Painting, Northern European Painting, Italian and Spanish Painting, Sculpture, and Objects d'Art.<br /></div><br />Here are some of the more notable exhibits of each collections (at least exhibits I find interesting) . Click on the underline words to learn more.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">A. EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES:</span><br />1. The Large Sphinx (Old Kingdom c. 2600 B.C.)<br />2. Sarcophagus of King Rames III (1184-1153 B.C.)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">B. ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES AND ISLAMIC ART:</span><br />1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi">The Law of Hammurabi</a><br />2. Walking Lion (6th century B.C., from the Temple Of Ishtar, Babylon)<br />3. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargon_II">King Sargon II and a Dignitary</a> (713-704 B.C., from the palace of King Sargon II)<br />4. Winged Bull (713-705 B.C., from the palace of King Sargon II)<br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;">Frieze of Archers</span> (510 B.C., from the reign of Darius I)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">C. GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES:</span><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Aphrodite</span>, known as Venus de Milo (c. 100 B.C., Greece)<br />2. Portrait of Socrates (330 B.C.)<br />3. Hadrian (2d century A.D.)<br />4. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Winged Victory of Samothrace</span> (c. 190 B.C.)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">D. FRENCH PAINTING:</span><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Christ with St. Joseph</span> by George de La Tour (1652)<br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">Louis XIV</span> by Hyacinth Rigauy Ros (1701)<br />3. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Coronation of Napolean</span> by Jacques-Louis David (1806-7)<br />4. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People"><span style="font-style: italic;">Liberty Leading the People</span></a> by Eugene Delacroix (1830)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">E. NORTHERN EUROPEAN PAINTING:</span><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Erasmus </span>by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497)<br />2. <a href="http://www.artbible.info/art/large/620.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Tower of Babel</span></a> by Lucas van Valchenborch (1597)<br />3. <span style="font-style: italic;">Jester with a Lute</span> by Frans Hals (1666)<br />4. <span style="font-style: italic;">Self-Portrait</span> by Rembrandt (1633)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">F. ITALIAN AND SPANISH PAINTING:</span><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Christ Blessing</span> by Bellini (1516)<br />2. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mona Lisa</span></a> by Leonardo de Vinci (1519)<br />3. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supper_at_Emmaus_%28Caravaggio%29,_London"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Supper at Emmaus </span></a>by Titian (1535)<br />4. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fortune Teller</span> by Michelangelo (1571)<br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Club-Footed Boy</span> by Jusepe de Ribera (1642)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">G. SCULPTURE:</span><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Charles V. King of France</span> (1365-80)<br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">Voltaire</span> by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1785)<br />3. <span style="font-style: italic;">Virgin and Child</span> by Donatello (1466)<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles"> </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">THE PALACE OF</span> <a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles"><span style="font-weight: bold;">VERSALLES</span></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Versailles_Palace.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 166px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Versailles_Palace.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a suburb of Paris, some twenty kilometers southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France from 1682, when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France" title="Louis XIV of France">Louis XIV</a> moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien_R%C3%A9gime" title="Ancien Régime">Ancien Régime</a></i>. For more information upon the Versailles click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">NIGHT VIEWING OF THE EIFFEL TOWER</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Eiffel_tower_and_the_seine_at_night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 155px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Eiffel_tower_and_the_seine_at_night.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">HOTEL</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hotel-leveque.com/en/rates.php">Hotel Grand Leveque</a><br /></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-30399848161392692952009-12-13T06:30:00.000-08:002010-01-22T17:40:22.675-08:00Day 4 (May 13th) Provence -- Arles & Nimes<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />AGENDA:</span></span><br /><br />1. Take the 7:46 am TGV train out of Paris and arrive at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%AEmes" title="Nîmes">Nîmes</a><br />2. Check into hotel<br />3. Take train to Aries<br />6. Tour the sights in Aries<br />7. Take train to Avignon<br />8. Tour the Popes Palace<br />9. Take train back to Nimes<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The TGV train from Paris to Nimes</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz8foQf_uK2nGdTxr7Oy-RidDVEYm-BtNYQiEEQ29DtwKzGYti-PxwHZJnsZT_CR77xnlnuZSWUo2o3noVBgg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">ARLES</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 201px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_015.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Main Sights in Arles</span></span><br /><ul><li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_theatre_%28structure%29" title="Roman theatre (structure)">Roman theater</a></li><li>The arena or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arles_Amphitheatre" title="Arles Amphitheatre">amphitheater</a></li><li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alyscamps" title="Alyscamps">Alyscamps</a> (Roman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necropolis" title="Necropolis" class="mw-redirect">necropolis</a>)</li><li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermae" title="Thermae">Thermae</a> of Constantine</li><li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptoporticus" title="Cryptoporticus">cryptoporticus</a><br /></li><li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ob%C3%A9lisque_d%27Arles" title="Obélisque d'Arles">obelisk</a></li></ul><br /><br /><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafe_Terrace_at_Night" title="Cafe Terrace at Night">Cafe Terrace at Night</a></i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Van_Gogh" title="Vincent Van Gogh" class="mw-redirect">Vincent Van Gogh</a> (September 1888). It depicts the warmth of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9" title="Café">café</a> in Arles.<br /><br /><h1 style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arles_Amphitheatre"><span style="font-size:130%;">Arènes d'Arles</span></a></h1><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fadingad.com/blog/france/french_walls/arles_arena.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 234px;" src="http://www.fadingad.com/blog/france/french_walls/arles_arena.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Arles was established by the Romans. The Romans took the town in 123 BC and expanded it into an important city, with a canal link to the Mediterranean Sea being constructed in 104 BC. However, it struggled to escape the shadow of Marseilla further along the coast. </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Its chance came when it sided with Julius Caesar against Pompey, providing military support. Massalia backed Pompey; when Caesar emerged victorious, Massalia was stripped of its possessions, which were transferred to Arelate as a reward. The town was formally established as a colony for veterans of the Roman legion Legi VI Ferrata, which had its base there. Its full title as a colony was <i>Colonia Iulia Paterna Arelatensium Sextanorum</i>, "the ancestral Julian colony of Arles of the soldiers of the Sixth."</p><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Roman Theatre</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Remains of columns and pillars in the Theatre Antique in the city of Arles. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/134373978_7ec6791ca7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 144px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/134373978_7ec6791ca7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The characteristics of Roman theatres are similar to those of the earlier <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece" title="Ancient Greece">Greek</a> theatres due in large part to its influence on a single Roman Consul or emperor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnaeus_Pompeius_Magnus" title="Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus" class="mw-redirect">Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus</a>. Much of the architectural influence on the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings. However, Roman theatres have specific differences, such as being built upon their own foundations instead of earthen works or a hillside and being completely enclosed on all sides. Roman theatres derive their basic design from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_Pompey" title="Theatre of Pompey">Theatre of Pompey</a>, the first permanent Roman theatre.<br /></div><br /><p><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Oblisk</span></span><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Arles_obelisque.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 226px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Arles_obelisque.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The obelisk was first erected under the Roman emperor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_II_%28emperor%29" title="Constantine II (emperor)">Constantine II</a> in the center of the <i>spina</i> of the Roman circus of Arles. After the circus was abandoned in the 6th century, the obelisk fell down and was broken in two parts. It was rediscovered in 1389. Its re-erection in its current location was completed on March 26, 1676, on top of a pedestal designed by Arlesian architect Jacques Peytret. A fountain was added at its base during the 19th century, together with bronze sculptures by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Laurent_Dantan" title="Antoine Laurent Dantan">Antoine Laurent Dantan</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">AVIGNON</span><br /><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_des_Papes"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Popes' Palace</span></a></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Palais des Papes</span>)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Avignon%2C_Palais_des_Papes_depuis_Tour_Philippe_le_Bel_by_JM_Rosier.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 227px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Avignon%2C_Palais_des_Papes_depuis_Tour_Philippe_le_Bel_by_JM_Rosier.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Avignon became the residence of the Popes in 1309, when the Gascon Bertrand de Goth, as Pope Clement V, unwilling to face the violent chaos of Rome after his election (1305), moved the Papal Curia to Avignon, a period known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avignon_Papacy" title="Avignon Papacy">Avignon Papacy</a>. Clement lived as a guest in the Dominican monastery at Avignon, and his successor Pople John XXII set up a magnificent establishment there, but the reconstruction of the old bishops' palace was begun in earnest by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XII" title="Pope Benedict XII">Pope Benedict XII</a> (1334-42) and continued by his successors to 1364. The site, on a natural rocky outcrop at the northern edge of Avignon, overlooking the river Rhone, was that of the old episcopal palace of the bishops of Avignon. The Palais was built in two principal phases with two distinct segments, known as the <i>Palais Vieux</i> (Old Palace) and <i>Palais Neuf</i> (New Palace). By the time of its completion, it occupied an area of 11,000 m² (2.6 acres). The building was enormously expensive, consuming much of the papacy's income during its construction.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:180%;" >NIMES</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />The Main Sights in Nimes<br /></span></span><p>Nîmes may have been one of the richest and finest Roman cities of Gaul.<br /></p> <ul><li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maison_Carr%C3%A9e" title="Maison Carrée">Maison Carrée</a> </li><li>The <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_of_Nimes">Arena of Nîmes</a></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maison_carree_side.jpg"><b>Maison Carrée</b></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Maison_carree_side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 196px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Maison_carree_side.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maison_carree_side.jpg"><b>Maison Carrée</b></a> is an ancient building in Nimes; it is one of the best preserved temples to be found anywhere in the territory of the former Roman Empire. It was built c. 16 BC, and reconstructed in the following years, by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Vipsanius_Agrippa" title="Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa">Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa</a>, who was also the original patron of the Pantheon in Rome, and was dedicated or rededicated c. 2-4/5 AD to his two sons, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Julius_Caesar" title="Gaius Julius Caesar">Gaius Julius Caesar</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Caesar" title="Lucius Caesar">Lucius Caesar</a>, adopted heirs of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus" title="Augustus">Augustus</a> who both died young. The inscription dedicating the temple to Gaius and Lucius was removed in medieval times. However, a local scholar, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_S%C3%A9guier" title="Jean-François Séguier">Jean-François Séguier</a>, was able to reconstruct the inscription in 1758 from the order and number of the holes in the portico's facade, to which the bronze letters had been affixed by projecting tines. According to Séguier's reconstruction, the text of the dedication read (in translation): "To Gaius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul; to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul designate; to the princes of youth." The temple owes its preservation to the fact that it was rededicated as a Christian church in the fourth century, saving it from the widespread destruction of temples that followed the adoption of Christianity as Rome's official state religion. It subsequently became a meeting hall for the city's consuls, a canon's house, a stable for government-owned horses during the French Revolution and a storehouse for the city archives. It became a museum after 1823. Its French name derives from the archaic term <i>carré long</i>, literally meaning a "long square", or rectangle - a reference to the building's shape.</p><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >The </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_of_Nimes">Arena of Nîmes</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Arenes_de_Nimes_panorama.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 376px; height: 241px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Arenes_de_Nimes_panorama.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The elliptical Roman amphitheatre, of the first or second century AD, is the best-preserved Roman arena in France. It was filled with medieval housing, when its walls served as ramparts, but they were cleared under Napoleon. It is still used today as a bull fighting and concert arena.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >HOTEL:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h30000belle-provence.htm">Hotel de Provence</a><br /><a href="http://www.brasserie-arenes.com/"></a><br /><br /></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-54782745544355111672009-12-12T17:20:00.000-08:002010-02-08T15:22:47.844-08:00Day 5 (May 14th) Provence -- Les Baux & Pont du Gard<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />AGENDA:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1. Breakfast</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">2. Travel to </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Les Baux</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">4. Tour</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> Les Baux </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">5. Lunch</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">6. Travel to </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Point du Gard</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">8. Back to Nimes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">9. Dinner</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Baux-de-Provence"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Les Baux</b></span></a>, <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><b style="font-weight: bold;">a strong-hold for the French <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot">Huguenots</a></b></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Baux_de_Provence.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 635px; height: 209px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Baux_de_Provence.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The defensive possibilities of Les Baux led to the site being settled early on in human history. Traces of habitation have been found dating back as far as 6000 BC, and the site was used by the Celts as a hill fort or <span style="font-style: italic;">oppidum </span>around the 2nd century BC. During the Middle Ages it became the seat of a powerful feudal lordship that controlled 79 towns and villages in the vicinity. The lords of Baux sought control of Provence for many years. They claimed ancestry from the Magus king Balthazar and placed the Star of Belthehem on their coat of arms. The knights of Les Baux use a scent derived from Cypress trees before battle to give them courage, as the symbol of Les Baux is the Cypress tree. L'Occitane En Provence make a [men's range] in this scent (Cypress, Frankincense and Vanilla) as a way of preserving the culture. Despite their strengths, the lords of Baux were deposed in the 12th century. However, the great castle at Les Baux became renowned for its court, famed for a high level of ornateness, culture and chivarlry. The domain was finally extinguished in the 15th century with the death of the last princess of Baux, Alice of Baux. Les Baux was later joined, along with Provence, to the French crown under the governance of the Manville family. It became a centre for Protestantism and its unsuccessful revolt against the crown, led <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Richelieu" title="Cardinal Richelieu">Cardinal Richelieu</a> in 1632 to order that the castle and its walls should be demolished. Les Baux is now given over entirely to the tourist trade, relying on a reputation as one of the most picturesque villages in France.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.europe-travelers.eu/IMG/jpg/DSCF5167.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 555px;" src="http://www.europe-travelers.eu/IMG/jpg/DSCF5167.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zastavki.com/pictures/1024x768/2008/World_France_Les_Baux_007584_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 297px;" src="http://www.zastavki.com/pictures/1024x768/2008/World_France_Les_Baux_007584_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><p style="text-align: justify;"> (Check out these great websites: <a href="http://www.lesbauxdeprovence.com/">www.lesbauxdeprovence.com</a> and <a href="http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/bouches/baux/baux.htm">www.provenceweb.fr</a>)</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Pont du Gard</span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Pontdugard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 359px; height: 238px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Pontdugard.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">It has long been thought that the Pont du Gard was built by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_Augustus" title="Caesar Augustus" class="mw-redirect">Augustus'</a> son-in-law and aide, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Vipsanius_Agrippa" title="Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa">Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa</a>, around the year 19 BC. Newer excavations, however, suggest the construction may have taken place in the middle of the first century A.D; consequently, opinion is now somewhat divided on the matter. Designed to carry the water across the small Gardon river valley, it was part of a nearly 50 km (31 mi) aqueduct that brought water from the Fontaines d'Eure springs near Uzes to the Castellum in the Roman city of <i>Nemausus</i> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%AEmes" title="Nîmes">Nîmes</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-lamouroux_0-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_du_Gard#cite_note-lamouroux-0"><span> </span></a></sup>The full aqueduct had a gradient of 34 cm/km (1/3000), descending only 17 m vertically in its entire length and delivering 20,000 cubic meters (5 million gallons) of water daily. It was constructed entirely without the use of mortar. The aqueduct's stones – some of which weigh up to 6 tons – were precisely cut to fit perfectly together eliminating the need for mortar. The masonry was lifted into place by block and tackle with a massive human-powered treadmill providing the power for the winch. A complex scaffold was erected to support the aqueduct as it was being built. The face of the aqueduct still bears the mark of its construction, in the form of protruding scaffolding supports and ridges on the piers which supported the semicircular wooden frames on which the arches were constructed. Various inscriptions are found across the surface, containing instructions used in construction. For example, "FRS II" (<i>frons sinistra II</i>, Latin for "left face 2"), phallic symbols (intended to ward off bad luck), and graffiti left by builders throughout the ages. The upper levels of the bridge are slightly curved in the upstream directions, a fact long attributed to the engineers wanting to strengthen it against the flow of water, like a dam wall. However, a microtopgraphic survey carried out in 1989 showed that the bend is caused by the daily expansion and contraction of stones under the heat of the sun, by about 5 millimetres. Over the centuries, this process has produced the deformation witnessed now. It is believed to have taken about three years to build, employing between 800 and 1,000 workers.</p><p style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">HOTEL:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.brasserie-arenes.com/">Hotel Brasserie des Arenes</a><br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Pontdugard.jpg"><br /></a>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-6376597447646524582009-12-11T10:12:00.000-08:002010-02-08T16:17:03.062-08:00Day 6 (May 15th) Switzerland<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />AGENDA:<br /><br /></span></span>1, Take morning train to Geneva<br />2. Tour <a href="http://www.geneva-tourism.ch/?lang=_eng">Geneva </a><br />3. View Chillon Castle<br />4. Take Golden Pass to Interlaken<br />5. Dinner<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">GENEVA</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lowposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/geneva.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 356px;" src="http://lowposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/geneva.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://religion.info/artman/uploads/0424_reformation_wall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 214px;" src="http://religion.info/artman/uploads/0424_reformation_wall.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Protestant Reformation affected Geneva. While Bern favoured the introduction of the new teaching and demanded liberty of preaching for the Reformers <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Farel" title="Guillaume Farel" class="mw-redirect">Guillaume Farel</a> and Antone Froment, Catholic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fribourg" title="Fribourg">Fribourg</a> renounced in 1511 its allegiance with Geneva. In 1532 the Roman Catholic bishop of the city was obliged to leave his residence, never to return. In 1536, the Genevans declared themselves Protestant and proclaimed their city a republic. The Protestant leader <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin" title="John Calvin">John Calvin</a> was based in Geneva from 1536 to his death in 1564 (save for an exile from 1538 to 1541) and became the spiritual leader of the city. Geneva became a centre of Protestant activity, producing works such as the Genevevan Psalter, though there were often tensions between Calvin and the city's civil authorities. Though the city proper remained a Protestant stronghold under St. Francis de Sales, a large part of the historic diocese returned to Catholicism in the early seventeenth century.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Map_of_Geneva_in_1841.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 243px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Map_of_Geneva_in_1841.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Plan of Geneva and environs in 1841. The colossal fortifications, among the most important in Europe, were demolished ten years later.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">CHATEAU-DE-CHILLON</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/Places/Switzerland/Chateau-De-Chillon-Montreux-Switzerland-1-1600x1200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 377px; height: 282px;" src="http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/Places/Switzerland/Chateau-De-Chillon-Montreux-Switzerland-1-1600x1200.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b>Chillon Castle</b> (Château de Chillon) is located on the shore of Lake Geneva in the municipality of Veytaux, at the eastern end of the lake, 3 km from Montreux, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland" title="Switzerland">Switzerland</a>. The castle consists of 100 independent buildings that were gradually connected to become the building as it stands now. The oldest parts of the castle have not been definitively dated, but the first written record of the castle is in 1160 or 1005. From the mid 12th century, the castle was home to the Counts of Savoy, and it was greatly expanded in the 13th century by Pietro II. The Castle was never taken in a siege, but did change hands through treaties. It was made popular by Lord Byron, who wrote the poem <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner_Of_Chillon" title="The Prisoner Of Chillon" class="mw-redirect">The Prisoner Of Chillon</a></i> (1816) about Francois de Bonivard, a Genevois monk and politician who was imprisoned there from 1530 to 1536; Byron also carved his name on a pillar of the dungeon. The castle is one of the settings in Henry James' novella Daisy Miller (1878). The history of Chillon was influenced by 3 major periods: the Savoy Period, the Bernese Period and the Vaudois Period. Chillon now hosts a museum with some historical objects preserved and is open to public tours.</p><p style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a href="http://www.goldenpass.ch/"><span style="font-size:130%;">THE GOLDEN PASS</span></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.greatrail.com/media/6111461/GoldenPass-Line-train-540300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 208px;" src="http://www.greatrail.com/media/6111461/GoldenPass-Line-train-540300.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.eurorailways.com/kb/photos/trains/bernina/images/bex04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 170px;" src="http://www.eurorailways.com/kb/photos/trains/bernina/images/bex04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><p style="text-align: justify;">The golden pass is considered to be one of the most scenic train rides in all of world. Check out its official website <a href="http://www.goldenpass.ch/">www.goldenpass.ch</a></p><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />INTERLAKEN<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Europe_Pictures_001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 493px; height: 366px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Europe_Pictures_001.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/M%C3%A4nnlichen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 493px; height: 167px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/M%C3%A4nnlichen.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A view from Interlaken of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/M%C3%A4nnlichen.jpg"><br /></a>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-74001305694782358052009-12-10T10:14:00.000-08:002010-02-08T16:17:17.257-08:00Day 7 (May 16th) The Swiss Alps<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />AGENDA:</span></span><br /><br />1. Breakfast<br />2. Take train to Lauterbrunnen<br />3. Take cable car to Gimmelwald<br />4. Take pictures until our memery cards are full<br />5. Take cable car back to Lauterbrunnen<br />6. Take train to Jungfraujoch and make a snow man<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzPFOa3c6StC2ntvDZruvlpPp5H2QI5FZSJRLCoVqezd_HPT7rDpaqQW5rHIUnD5x9lx48sXZTkpROI10RNlA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />This video clip gives a good glimpse of some of the things we will see--simply breathtaking.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">MAP OF</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernese_Oberland" title="Bernese Oberland"> BERNESE OBERLAND</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.papajohn.org/Europe/Gimmelwald.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 479px; height: 303px;" src="http://www.papajohn.org/Europe/Gimmelwald.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Click once on map to enlarge, double click for even further enlargement. See if you can find Interlocken, Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, and Jungfraujoch These are the places we will be going.<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE LAUTERBRUNNEN VALLEY</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ayashbasu.com/photoblog/images/20061005170405_lauterbrunnen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 483px; height: 319px;" src="http://www.ayashbasu.com/photoblog/images/20061005170405_lauterbrunnen.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauterbrunnen">Lauterbrunnen</a> Valley. The village of Lauterbrunnen (foreground), the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staubbach_Falls" title="Staubbach Falls">Staubbach Falls</a> (centre right), the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungfrau" title="Jungfrau">Jungfrau</a> (top left) and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauterbrunnen_Wall" title="Lauterbrunnen Wall">Lauterbrunnen Wall</a> (background). This is not the artwork of some dreamer, but God's application of His own imagination.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">GIMMELWALD</span></span><br /><br /><p><b>Gimmelwald</b> is a small village in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernese_Oberland" title="Bernese Oberland">Bernese Oberland</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland" title="Switzerland">Switzerland</a>, halfway up the mountain between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stechelberg" title="Stechelberg">Stechelberg</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCrren" title="Mürren">Mürren</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schilthorn" title="Schilthorn">Schilthorn</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_tramway" title="Aerial tramway">cable car</a> stops in Gimmelwald where it is possible to board another cable car which runs between Gimmelwald and Mürren. In addition to a shop that sells fresh cheeses, Gimmelwald also possesses its own school and firehouse. Farming and tourism are the main occupations. Farmers raise hay on tiny plots of land to feed small herds of cows. Gimmelwald has a few small hotels, bed & breakfasts and the 50-bed Gimmelwald Mountain Hostel. It was saved from development as a ski resort by having it falsely declared an avalanche zone. The 2003 population of Gimmelwald was 130, most of whom have one of three family names: von Allmen, Feuz, or Brunner.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mountainhostel.com/images/views/Myra-%20Gimmelwald%20176.jpg"> <img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 335px; height: 224px;" src="http://www.mountainhostel.com/images/views/Myra-%20Gimmelwald%20176.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I don't know who this guy is, but imagine that's you standing there getting your picture taken. Just back up just a little bit more, a little more, a little more....wait--where did you go?<br /><p><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rowntheworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dscf2935.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 445px; height: 329px;" src="http://rowntheworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dscf2935.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p>Here is the offical website for <a href="http://www.gimmelwald.ch/">Gimmelward</a>, make sure you view the <a href="http://www.gimmelwald.ch/en/fotoshow.htm">photo show</a>.<br /></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">JUNGFRAUJOCH</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/M%C3%A4nnlichen01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 177px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/M%C3%A4nnlichen01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jungfraujoch</b> is the lowest point on the mountain ridge between Mönch and Jungfrau, at 3,471 meters (11,388 ft). It is just above this location that the mountain station of Jungfraubahn is located, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungfraujoch_railway_station" title="Jungfraujoch railway station">Jungfraujoch railway station</a>, which at an elevation of 3,454 meters (11,332 ft) is the highest railway station in Europe. The Jungfraujoch is often called the "Top of Europe" in tourist literature. Not far east of the Joch rises a peak called the Sphinx, which tops out at an elevation of 3,571 meters (11,716 ft). It begins from the Jungfraujoch on the Valais side and at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Aletsch_Glacier" title="Great Aletsch Glacier" class="mw-redirect">Great Aletsch Glacier</a>. There is an elevator to the summit of the Sphinx, where a small viewing platform and a scientific observatory, the Sphinx Observatory, are located.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-47918038119592533722009-12-09T10:36:00.000-08:002010-01-30T12:29:53.083-08:00Day 8 (May 17th) The Black Forest & Worms<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br />AGENDA:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">* Take the gold pass (part 2-the eastern section) to Lucern<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">* About an hour visit at Lucerne </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />* Take train though the Black Forest </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />* Possible stop in Freiburg</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">* Take train to Worms and see where Luther made his famous speech</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">* Take train to Bacharach where we will spend the next two nights </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">LUCERNE</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4140558-Kapellbruecke_is_one_of_most_famous_Swiss_landmark-Lucerne.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 462px; height: 346px;" src="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4140558-Kapellbruecke_is_one_of_most_famous_Swiss_landmark-Lucerne.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The <b>Kapellbrücke</b> (Chapel Bridge" in German) is a 204 m (670 ft) long bridge crossing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuss_River" title="Reuss River" class="mw-redirect">Reuss River</a> in the city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucerne" title="Lucerne">Lucerne</a> in Switzerland. It is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe, and one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions. The covered bridge, constructed in 1333, was designed to help protect the city of Lucerne from attacks. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century, depicting events from Luzerne's history. Much of the bridge, and the majority of these paintings, were destroyed in a 1993 fire, though it was quickly rebuilt. </p><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Adjoining the bridge is the 140 feet (43 m) tall Wasserturm (Water Tower), an octagonal tower made from brick, which has served as a prison, torture chamber, watchtower and tresury. Today the tower, which is part of the city wall, is used as the guild hall of the artillery association. The tower and the bridge are Lucerne's trademark and form the most photographed monument in the country.</p><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Forest"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE BLACK FOREST</span></span></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/images/s/germany-black-forest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 289px;" src="http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/images/s/germany-black-forest.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">FREIBURG</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Freiburg_Rathaus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 249px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Freiburg_Rathaus.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Freiburg im Breisgau</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> is a city in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Located in the extreme south-west of the country, Freiburg straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Forest" title="Black Forest">Black Forest</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> in the Upper Rhine Plain. One of the famous old German university towns, and archiepiscopal seat, Freiburg was incorporated in the early 12th century and developed into a major commercial, intellectual, and ecclesiastical centre of the upper Rhine region. The city is known for its ancient university and its medieval cathedral, as well as for its high standard of living and advanced environmental practices. The city is situated in the heart of a major wine-growing region and serves as the primary tourist entrepot to the scenic beauty of the </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Forest" title="Black Forest">Black Forest</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">. According to meteorological statistics, the city is the sunniest and warmest in Germany.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">WORMS</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Worms has a few notable attractions:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />1. Worms Cathedral </span><br /> One of the finest Romanesque Cathedrals--12th-13th century. The historical site of the<br />Diet of Worms (Where when on trail for his Protestant beliefs).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The Reformation Monument </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Jewish Cemetery </span><br /> There is also one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.<br /><br />Also it is worth noting is the first complete edition of the Bible in Modern English, translated by </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale" title="William Tyndale">William Tyndale</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, was secretly printed in Worms in 1526. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Worms_1630_P7160060.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 228px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Worms_1630_P7160060.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> Map of Worms in 1630. The Jewish Ghetto is marked in yellow.</span><div style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The city is known as a former center for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism">Judaism</a>. The Jewish community was established in the late 10th century, the first synagogue was erected in 1034. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Cemetery_in_Worms" title="Jewish Cemetery in Worms" class="mw-redirect">Jewish Cemetery in Worms</a>, dating from the 11th century, is believed to be the oldest in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe" title="Europe">Europe</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashi_Shul" title="Rashi Shul" class="mw-redirect">Rashi Shul</a>, a synagogue dating from 1175 and carefully reconstructed after its desecration on <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht" title="Kristallnacht">Kristallnacht</a></i> is the oldest in Germany. Prominent rabbis of Worms include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashi" title="Rashi">Shlomo Yitzhaki (Rashi)</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elazar_Rokeach" title="Elazar Rokeach">Elazar Rokeach</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yair_Bacharach" title="Yair Bacharach">Yair Bacharach</a>. At the Rabbinical Synod held at Worms in the eleventh century, rabbis for the first time explicitly prohibited polygamy. Much of the Jewish Quarter was destroyed in the events known as <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht" title="Kristallnacht">Kristallnacht</a></i> in 1938. Worms today has a very small Jewish community and a recognizable Jewish community in Worms no longer exists. However, after renovations in the 1970s and 1980s, many of the buildings of the Quarter can be seen in a close to original state, preserved as an outdoor museum.</p><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE DIET OF WORMS</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2k12.net/__oneclick_uploads/2009/09/092609-1237-greataposta1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 230px;" src="http://2k12.net/__oneclick_uploads/2009/09/092609-1237-greataposta1.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The <b>Diet of Worms</b>: <span lang="de"><i>Reichstag zu Worms</i></span>, was a general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire that took place in 1521 at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worms,_Germany" title="Worms, Germany">Worms</a>, a small town on the Rhine River located in what is now Germany. It was conducted from 28 January to 25 May 1521, with Emperor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_V,_Holy_Roman_Emperor" title="Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor">Charles V</a> presiding. Although other issues were dealt with at the Diet of Worms, it is most memorable for the <b>Edict of Worms</b> (<i>Wormser Edikt</i>), which addressed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther" title="Martin Luther">Martin Luther</a> and the effects of the Protestant Reformation. The previous year, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_X" title="Pope Leo X">Pope Leo X</a> had issued the Papal bull <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exsurge_Domine" title="Exsurge Domine">Exsurge Domine</a>,</i> outlining forty-one purported errors found in Martin Luther's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95_theses" title="95 theses" class="mw-redirect">95 theses</a> and other writings related to or written by him. Luther was summoned by the emperor. Prince <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_III,_Elector_of_Saxony" title="Frederick III, Elector of Saxony">Frederick III, Elector of Saxony</a> obtained an agreement that if Luther appeared he would be promised safe passage to and from the meeting. Such a guarantee was essential after the treatment of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hus" title="Jan Hus">Jan Hus</a>, who was tried and executed at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Constance" title="Council of Constance">Council of Constance</a> in 1415 despite a safe conduct pass. Emperor Charles V commenced the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_State#Reichstag" title="Imperial State">Imperial Diet</a> of Worms on 28 January 1521. Luther was summoned to renounce or reaffirm his views. When he appeared before the assembly on 16 April, Johann Eck, an assistant of the Archbishop of Trier, acted as spokesman for the emperor.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/2842412.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 186px;" src="http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/2842412.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/de/rheinland_pfalz/photos/worms_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 153px;" src="http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/de/rheinland_pfalz/photos/worms_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/images/worms/worms-luther-memorial-mikereed-350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 175px;" src="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/images/worms/worms-luther-memorial-mikereed-350.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a href="http://www.bacharach-germany.net/"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">BACHARACH</span></span></a></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Owner/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-6.jpg" alt="" /></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2768417-The_Rhine_Valley_above_the_town_of_Bacharach-Germany.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 361px; height: 340px;" src="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2768417-The_Rhine_Valley_above_the_town_of_Bacharach-Germany.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bacharach-germany.net/pictures/bacharach/bacharach-von-osten-450_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 285px;" src="http://www.bacharach-germany.net/pictures/bacharach/bacharach-von-osten-450_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"> <span style=";font-size:100%;" >Bacharach, named for Bacchus, the ancient Roman god of wine, is a medieval walled town only meters from the river's banks. The Rhine river once splashed up against the town's walls, but a landfill has been added to accommodate a road, train tracks and boat docks. From 1300 to 1600 Bacharach was a major wine center. Due to shallow waters, ships had to unload upstream and reload in Bacharach, so every boat traveling the Rhine had to stop here. At it's peak Bacharach boasted a population of 6,000, though today it is closer to 1,000. The view of town from the Rhine belies the charm hiding within. The town is a collection of some of the finest half-timbered medieval houses in Germany, some dating back to the 14th century.</span></p><div style="font-family: times new roman;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><b>Top Sights in Bacharach</b></i></span></p><div style="font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </div><div> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify;"> <span style=";font-size:100%;" >Just one visit to the<b> town square</b> is enough to make you fall in love with this jewel of a town. You'll be transported into Medieval Germany as you walk the cobbled streets and admire the quaint half-timbered facades. Life seems to have slowed down here, and you can too among the small shops and Weinstubes. A wine room is an establishment that serves wine and some food. Often the food will be a sampling of cheeses and breads to compliment the wines offered. A bit further away from the church and on the same side of the Ober Strasse you will find the <b>TI</b> and Post office, or <b>Posthof</b>. Recognize it by the golden horn shaped sign that hangs above the entrance. (These horns have long symbolized the postal service in Germany.) WWII buffs will want to enter the courtyard of the post office to see an eerie reminder of years past - a fascist eagle from 1936 over the door on your left. Steep steps along the side of the church lead up to the town's castle. Now a youth hostel it is probably not worth the hike if you aren't staying there. However, you should follow the steps until you reach <b>Werner Kapelle,</b> a skeleton of an old chapel with no windows, doors or ceiling. It's a beautiful sight when lit up at night. It was a regular stop on the Grand Tour in the 1800's as a place to contemplate the impermanence of human endeavor. <b>The Altes Haus, </b>or old house, is also located just off the square. This red and white building dating back to 1368 is the oldest still standing in Bacharach. As with many older buildings, you will find its date on the facade near the top of the ground floor. Today the Altes Haus houses a Weinstube.From the town square, if you pass the Altes Haus, you will come to <b>Fritz Bastian's Wine Tasting</b>, on your left. This Weinstube, which also has an outdoor garden, is a fine place to sample the wines of the region. For a set price, you get a sampling of about 15 different white wines from the Rhine Region.Across the street you will find the <b>Münze</b>, or old mint. As with many professions in Germany, the sign tells the story. This one is adorned with the image of an old coin.From here look up the hill to see one of the town's original towers. For an excellent view, hike up to it by continuing past the Münze and making a left on Rosen Strasse. About 100 paces from here you will reach an old well. Behind the well is a tiny stepped path that leads through the vineyard and up to the tower. If the tower is open you can go to the top of the town wall for a wonderful view overlooking the town and six of its remaining nine towers. You can also walk along the top of the town's walls on the sections nearest to the train tracks. While some parts are not very attractive and seem abandoned, you'll get a feel of Medieval Bacharach.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt 10px; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: center;"> </p></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-31511320369888602362009-12-08T10:47:00.000-08:002010-02-08T15:17:29.107-08:00Day 9 (May 18th) Castle Eltz & the Rhine River<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br />AGENDA:<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">1. Breafest<br />2. In the morning Rhine River Curse<br />3. Lunch at St. Goar<br />4. Visit Rheinfels Castle </span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">5. Tour Eltz Castle</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">6. Take train back to Bacharach for the night </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >RHINE RIVER CURSE<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The </span><b>Rhine</b> is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at 1,320 km (820 mi), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 m<sup>3</sup>/s (71,000 cu ft/s). The name of the Rhine derives from Gaulish <i>Renos</i>, and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-Eruopean root *<i>reie-</i> ("to move, flow, run"), which is also the root of words like <i>river</i> and <i>run</i>. The Rhine and the Danube formed most of the northern inland frontier of the Roman Empire and, since those days, the Rhine has been a vital, navigable waterway, and carried trade and goods deep inland. It has also served as a defensive feature and has been the basis for regional and international borders. The many castles and prehistoric fortifications along the Rhine testify to its importance as a waterway. River traffic could be stopped at these locations, usually for the purpose of collecting tolls, by the state that controlled that portion of the river.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwbLFNPxdrFa4w0n04QR-A4Zglr9zUmRfh25r8yUGINA1C3k6KYeCvTBxBw70qnUxKkd8kkFtuoTSGX7xminA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div> <p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">We will cruse the best and most scientci part of the rhine river (a thirty mile streach from Bacharach north to St. Goar).<br /></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><br />RHEINFELS CASTLE<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/st-goar-rheinfels-castle-mittelrhein-region-d1605.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 213px;" src="http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/st-goar-rheinfels-castle-mittelrhein-region-d1605.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span><b style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Burg Rheinfels</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> is a castle ruin located in </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankt_Goar" title="Sankt Goar">Sankt Goar</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, overlooking the Rhine river. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen and was partially destroyed by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine, and historically covered five times its current area.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >BURG ELTZ<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rhine-castles-germany.european-vacation.net/rhine-river/burg-eltz-hoch-290_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 387px;" src="http://www.rhine-castles-germany.european-vacation.net/rhine-river/burg-eltz-hoch-290_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.eifelreise.de/B/Fotos/BurgEltz0902g.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 181px;" src="http://www.eifelreise.de/B/Fotos/BurgEltz0902g.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Lurking in a mysterious forest, it's been left intact for 700 years and is furnished throughout much as it was 500 years ago. Thanks to smart diplomacy and clever marriages, Burg Eltz was never destroyed. It's been in the Eltz family for 850 years. Elz is the name of a stream that runs past the castle through a deep valley before emptying into the Mosel. The first record of a Burg (castle) on the Elz is from 1157, built to protect a trade route. By 1472 the castle looked like it does today: the homes of three big landlord families gathered around a tiny courtyard within one formidable fortification. Today, the excellent 45-minute tours wind you through two of those homes while the third remains the fortified quarters of the Eltz family. The elderly countess of Eltz — whose family goes back 33 generations here (you'll see a photo of her family) — enjoys flowers. Each week for 40 years she's had grand arrangements adorn the public castle rooms. It was a comfortable castle for its day: 80 rooms made cozy by 40 fireplaces and wall-hanging tapestries. Many of its 20 toilets were automatically flushed by a rain drain. The delightful chapel is on a lower floor. Even though "no one should live above God," this chapel's placement was acceptable because it filled a bay window, which flooded the delicate Gothic space with light. The three families met — working out common problems as if sharing a condo — in the large "conference room." A carved jester and a rose look down on the big table, reminding those who gathered that they were free to discuss anything ("fool's freedom" — jesters could say anything to the king), but nothing discussed could leave the room (the "rose of silence").</p> <table style="width: 52px; height: 36px;" class="photocap" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="caption"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rhine-castles-germany.european-vacation.net/rhine-river/burg-eltz-hoch-290_01.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-80525451889190158452009-11-30T14:51:00.000-08:002010-02-08T14:43:53.887-08:00Day 10 (May 19th) Rothenburg & Nurnberg<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.romanticroad.com/rothenburg/sights.php">ROTHENBURG</a><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.walledtowns.com/wtfc/townpics/Rothenburg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 262px;" src="http://www.walledtowns.com/wtfc/townpics/Rothenburg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The best preserved medieval town in Germany, Rothenburg ob der Tauber fits the word romantic perfectly. Walk the wall that encircles Rothenburg to get various perspectives of architecture in the middle ages (as well as a lot of exercise). Climb to the top of the Rothenburg Town Hall Tower (circa 1250-1400) for the wide angle view of Rothenburg and surrounding, mostly pastoral countryside. To feel the excitement of a medieval traveler as he approached this then important town, view Rothenburg's incomparable silhouettes from the plateau across the Tauber River Valley (in the direction of the village of Schwarzenbronn) and from the ancient double vaulted bridge on the valley floor. The whole walled town of Rothenburg is a museum. The wall connects five medieval gates complete with guard towers that date from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. Just walk along Rothenburg's narrow cobblestone streets and admire the gothic, renaissance, and baroque houses and fountains. You may wish that you had lived in these prettier, quieter, slow times. A visit to the Rothenburg Crime Museum, with its extensive display of instruments of torture and execution should bring you back to reality. Besides itself, Rothenburg offers a complete card of good medieval concerts, festivals, plays from the middle ages, guided walks, historic hotels and restaurants, gothic churches, art exhibits, museums, suits of armor, and great Franken wine, to name only a few.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.romanticroad.com/rothenburg/sights.php"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">SITES OF ROTHENBURG</span></span><br /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br />JACOBS CHURCH</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Built During The height Of Rothenburg's Gothic Period, The Jacobs Church Took Over 170 Years To Complete (1311-1484). The Church's Greatest Artistic Treasure Is The Holy Blood Alter Carved By Tilmann Riemenschneider Between 1499 and 1505. The Alter Gets Its Name From The Rock Crystal Capsule Mounted In The Gold Cross Set In The Alter. Since The Middle Ages, The Capsule Is Said To Contain Three Drops Of Christ's Blood. If You Like Organ Music, Recitals Are Offered Twice A Week During The Summer. Open: 9:00 AM-5:30 PM (Easter To October), 10:00-12:00 And 2:00-4:00 PM (November To Easter).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">THE EARLIEST TOWERS </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The Markus and White Towers (circa 1172) are the gates to the original twelfth century Rothenburg. Next to the White Tower, you will find the medieval Jewish Dance Hall. The small adjacent garden has ancient Jewish gravestones built into the stone wall.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">MEDIEVAL CRIME MUSEUM</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The Rothenburg medieval Crime Museum features the best collection in Europe of antique objects and documents pertaining to crime and punishment from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. It presents, often graphiclly four floors and 2000 square meters of medieval laws, verdicts, punishment and torture devices used to keep the little people in line.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">ROTHENBURG VAULTS</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The museum nicely presents costumes, weapons, and scenes of the Thirty Years War between Protestants and Catholics (1618-1648). Explanations are in German and English. Don't miss the dungeon. Heinrich Toppler, Rothenburg's greatest mayor died in the dungeon in 1408.</span><br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">NURNBERG</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scrapbookpages.com/nurnberg/Nurnberg02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 287px;" src="http://www.scrapbookpages.com/nurnberg/Nurnberg02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE MAIN SITES OF NURNBERG</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Altes Rathaus</span>, (old city hall) next to the hauptmarket in central nuremberg was once the site of speeches by nazi party big wigs during the nurnberg party rallies. Today a visitor can take a tour of it's 14 th century dungeons.<br /><br /><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ehrenhalle</span> was built in 1929 as a military monument. During the 1930's nazi party rallies it was part of the luitpold arena were hitler addressed S.A. and S.S. storm troopers. The ehrenhalle was surrounded by stone bleachers that could accommodate 150,000. Today most of these bleachers are covered with earth and the area is now used as a public park.</span><br /><br /><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Kongresshalle</span>, (nazi party congress hall) was designed by franz and ludwig ruff. Construction of this massive building began in 1938 but was never completed because of the out break of WWII. The design of the building was inspired by the coliseum in rome. Built to accommodate 50,000 people it was to be used for nazi party meetings. today it is used as a warehouse and is home to the dokumnetationszentrum, (documentation center), an excellent museum about the third reich and the holocaust.</span><br /><br /><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Zeppelintribune</span> grand stand was built in 1933 for the first nazi party national rallies. These rallies where held in september in 1933 through 1938. The rallies were discontinued on the out break of WWII. during the years of the third reich the zeppelintribune underwent several changes. These additions and up grades were supervised by albert speer. On the top of the large buliding in the center of the grand stand was a huge swastika. It was blown up by american troops in 1945. Also, there was a row of columns on the top of the grand stand. they were removed in 1967.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/13/bb/8a/the-frauenkirche-in-nurnberg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 168px;" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/13/bb/8a/the-frauenkirche-in-nurnberg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Frauenkirche</span>, ( church of our lady) was built in the 14 th century. At noon each day mechanical figures act out the story of the golden bull of 1356. Inside the church is the 1440 tucher alter. </span><span class="content">This church is located on the hauptmarkt in the center of old nuremberg. During the years of the third reich the hauptmarkt was called adolf hitler platz. It was here that hitler reviewed his political organizations during the nuremberg party rallies.</span><br /><br /><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Handwerkerhof</span> ( = court of the craftsmen) 17 lovely half-timbered houses with great shops for souvenirs, Christmas-decorations from Erzgebirge, dolls made by artists etc.</span> <span class="content">It is not an ordinary shopping-mall, but made with a special atmosphere and goods you may not find easily at other places. I have seen that small village, that is totally surrounded by the old medieval towers and walls, several times and it really looks great at any time of the year. The tower in the back is also called "Dicker Turm" (fat tower) This place is also fine for a snack or meal in one of the restaurants. Nürnberger Rostbratwürste are a Must !! </span><br /><br /><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Palace of Justice</span>, home of the 1946 nuremberg trials of nazi war criminals. located in</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Nurnberg/Nurnberg16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 127px;" src="http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Nurnberg/Nurnberg16.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="content"> furth on the the outskirts of nurnberg it was the only undamaged building in the nuremberg area that was large enough to hold the trial. in the main trial in 1946 the following defendents were tried, martin borman, (in absentia), karl donitz, hans frank, wilhelm frick, hans fritzsche, walter funk. hermann goring (commited suicide during the trial), rudolf hess, alfred jodl, ernst kaltenbrunner, wilhelm keital. robert ley, (committed suicide during the trial), konstantin van neurath, franz von papen, erich raeder, joachim von ribbentrop, alfred rosenberg, fritz sauckel, balder von schirach, hjalmar schacht, arthur seyss-inquart, albert speer, and julius streicher. after the main trial there were several other trials of lesser known nazis. the palace of justice is open to the public on weekends.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/8946403.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 111px;" src="http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/8946403.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="content"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mauthalle </span>is one of the biggest medieval buildings in the centre of Nürnberg / Nuremberg and you may quickly understand how easily clever people could make money by getting toll from the merchants passing by on the road or on the river. In 1498 the building was first constructed as a storing-place for salt and wheat and later it became the toll-hall and a place to officially weigh all of the goods. Today this building is a shopping-centre with a great beer-hall and restaurant in the cellar - see my restaurant tip about "Barfüsser"</span><br /></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-20616994719289561262009-10-31T06:52:00.000-07:002010-02-08T15:13:32.121-08:00Day 11 (May 20th) Nurnberg & Wittenberg<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.wittenberg.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=661&topmenu=661"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">WITTENBERG</span></span></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.opt.tu-darmstadt.de/events/esi2006/wittenberg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 361px; height: 269px;" src="http://www.opt.tu-darmstadt.de/events/esi2006/wittenberg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Wittenberg is home to numerous important historical artifacts, as well as portraits and other paintings by the </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Cranach" title="Lucas Cranach">Cranachs</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">. On the doors of </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Wittenberg" title="All Saints' Church, Wittenberg">All Saints' Church, the <i>Schlosskirche</i></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> ("castle church" </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://whatthecrap.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/luther_wittenberg_1517.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 163px;" src="http://whatthecrap.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/luther_wittenberg_1517.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">built 1496–1506) Luther nailed his </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95_theses" title="95 theses" class="mw-redirect">95 theses</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> in 1517. It was seriously damaged by fire in 1760 during a bombardment by the French during the Seven Years' War</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, was practically rebuilt, and was later (1885–1892) restored. The wooden doors, burnt in 1760, were replaced in 1858 by bronze doors, bearing the Latin</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> text of the theses. Inside the church are the tombs of Luther and </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philipp_Melanchthon" title="Philipp Melanchthon">Philipp Melanchthon</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, and of the electors Frederick the Wise</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> (by Peter Vischer the Younger, </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1527) and John the Constant (by Hans Vischer), </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> and portraits of the reformers</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">. St. Mary's Church, the parish church in which Luther often preached, was built in the 14th century</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, but has been much altered since Luther's time. It contains a magnificent painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, representing the Last Supper</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> (with the faces of Luther and other reformers), Baptism and Confession, also a font by Hermann Vischer the Elder (1457). In addition, there are numerous historic paintings in the church. The ancient electoral palace is another of the buildings that suffered severely in 1760; it now contains archives. There are also Melanchthon's house and the house of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553), who was mayor of Wittenberg. Statues of Luther (by Schadow), Melanchthon and Bugenhagen embellish the town. The spot outside the Elster Gate where Luther publicly burned the papal bull in 1520 is marked by an oak tree.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SITES IN WITTENBERG</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY</span><br />Part of the <a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/a/au/augustinians.htm">Augustinian</a> <a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/m/mo/monastery.htm">monastery</a> in which Luther dwelt, at first as a monk and in later life as owner with his wife and family, is preserved, and is now the world's premier Luther museum. It contains numerous priceless historical artifacts, and portraits and other paintings by the <a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/l/lu/lucas_cranach.htm">Cranachs</a>.<br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">LUTHER MEMRIAL</span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/La2-martinluther.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 175px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/La2-martinluther.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">MELANCHTON-HOUSE<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a3.powerset.com/assets/orig/120px/Wittenberg_Melachtonhaus.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 108px;" src="http://a3.powerset.com/assets/orig/120px/Wittenberg_Melachtonhaus.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">This is the house where Philipp Melanchthon lived</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />ALL SAINTS CHURCH</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect6/Wittenberg_Schlosskirche.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 221px;" src="http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect6/Wittenberg_Schlosskirche.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">All Saints' Church, the </span><i style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Schlosskirche</i><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> ("castle church"), to the doors of which Luther is said to have nailed his famous 95 theses</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> in 1517</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, dates from 1439-1499. It was seriously damaged by fire in 1760 during a bombardment by the French during the Seven Year's War</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, was practically rebuilt, and was later (1885-1892) restored. The wooden doors, burnt in 1760, were replaced in 1858 by bronze doors, bearing the Latin text of the theses. Inside the church are the tombs of Luther and </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/p/ph/philipp_melanchthon.htm">Philipp Melanchthon</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, and of the electors </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/f/fr/frederick_the_wise.htm">Frederick the Wise</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> (by </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/p/pe/peter_vischer_the_elder.htm">Peter Vischer the Elder</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, 1527) and </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/j/jo/john_the_constant.htm">John the Constant</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> (by </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/h/ha/hans_vischer.htm">Hans Vischer</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">), and portraits of the reformers by </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/l/lu/lucas_cranach_the_younger.htm">Lucas Cranach the younger</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">.</span><br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">ST. MARY'S CHURCH<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">St. Mary's Church, the parish church in which Luther often preached, was built in the <a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/0/14th_century.htm">14th century</a>, but has been much altered since Luther's time. It contains a magnificent painting by <a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/l/lu/lucas_cranach_the_elder.htm">Lucas Cranach the elder</a>, representing the Lord's Supper (with the faces of Luther and other reformers), Baptism and Confession, also a font by <a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/h/he/hermann_vischer.htm">Hermann Vischer</a> (<a href="http://en.allexperts.com/e/0/1457.htm">1457</a>). In addition, there are numerous historic paintings in the church.<br /></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-9814155633337660012009-07-31T06:55:00.000-07:002010-02-08T16:32:16.814-08:00Day 12 (May 21) Berlin<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">BERLIN</span><br /><br />BRANDENBURG GATE<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Brandenburger_Tor_abends.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 355px; height: 235px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Brandenburger_Tor_abends.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate" title="Brandenburg Gate">Brandenburg Gate</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> is an iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany. It also appears on German </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro" title="Euro">euro</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> coins (10 cent, 20 cent, and 50 cent). The </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_%28building%29" title="Reichstag (building)" class="mw-redirect">Reichstag building</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> is the traditional seat of the German </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundestag" title="Bundestag">Parliament</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, renovated in the 1950s after severe World War II damage. The building was again remodeled by British architect </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Foster,_Baron_Foster_of_Thames_Bank" title="Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank" class="mw-redirect">Norman Foster</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> in the 1990s and features a glass dome over the session area, which allows free public access to the parliamentary proceedings and magnificent views of the city.<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />THE PERGAMON MUSEUM </span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /></span><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The Pergamon Museum is one of the largest and most impressive museums in Berlin, and if you only get to see one museum, this should be it. Itwas named after an ancient Greek city and was eventually opened in 1930 after a long period of construction. Building had started in 1907 but was severely interrupted due to World War I and the subsequent years of economic hardship in Germany. Like so many other notable Berlin museums, it is located on Museum Island and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.</p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The Pergamon is divided into several areas including Near East Museum, the Islamic Art Museum, Folk Museum and the Antiquity Collection. There is also an Ancient Coin Museum. Its main focus is on ancient and early modern history.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/312381665_5633663d54.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 205px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/312381665_5633663d54.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">One of many striking artifacts in the Antiquity Collection is the massive structure of the Altar of Zeus. It originally came from the Acropolis of Pergamon (Turkey) where some of the base still remains. Nearly the entire 2000 year structure was uprooted and taken by the Germans to the museum. It takes up the space of a whole room and its transportation is an engineering feat. The marble staircase is spectacular. Some suggest it is one of the largest single structures to be housed in a museum. </span> <p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Other large pieces include a panel from the Palace Throne Room from Babylon (Iraq), the Babylonian Procession Street, the Lions Parade panel, the Market Gate of Miletus, the Islamic Mshatta facade and the massive, mosaic Ishtar Gate with its ornately placed unicorns. </p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">There are so many noteworthy masterpieces on display that is would take several days to thoroughly investigate all exhibits. For those with a keen interest in antiquity, a visit to this museum is a must.</p><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />THE TOPOGRAPHY OF TERROR </span></span><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">The Topography of Terror chronicles the horrors and atrocities of the Nazis from the period 1933 to their fall in 1945. It is situated near the boundary between West Berlin and the former communist East Berlin and is adjacent to part of the <a href="http://www.cityscouter.com/travelguides/berlin/Berlin-Wall.html">Berlin Wall</a> which was erected during the Cold War. </p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">It is an open air museum, built on and near the former buildings used by the Third Reich Government during their time in power. Many of these buildings, such as the Gestapo and SS Headquarters, were completely destroyed during the war and the subsequent allied invasion.</p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">In the late 1980s, these ruins were excavated and revealed cellars which were used by the Nazis to torture, imprison and kill political prisoners. In 1987, the site was made into a memorial and museum dedicated to revealing the horrors of the German Third Reich.</p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">KAISER-WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://processmediainc.com/process_blog/archives/images/Berlin_Eiermann_Memorial_Church__375.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 391px;" src="http://processmediainc.com/process_blog/archives/images/Berlin_Eiermann_Memorial_Church__375.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The most striking building on <a href="http://www.cityscouter.com/travelguides/berlin/Kurfustendamm-West-Berlin.html">Kurfürstendamm</a>, Berlin's most exclusive shopping street, in the half destroyed Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church (Gedächtnis-Kirche). Initially, there were plans to demolish the church to make place for a new one, but due to public pressure this did not happen. Instead, the church stands were it always has, with its bombed out tower - a constant reminder of the Second World War. Today, the church is a memorial hall, where visitors can still see the ground floor interior of the church as well as see before and after shots, and learn more about the history of the church and the surrounding area. Even though the old church was never demolished, a new one was built. Standing in stark contrast just beside the original is the new church, designed and built in the 1960s. </p><p><br /></p></div>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6444553204924128133.post-68438235384704324092009-07-30T06:57:00.000-07:002010-02-08T16:50:39.613-08:00Day 13 (May 22) Travel Home<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">FLIGHT TIMES</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">11:05 am depart Berlin</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">12:05 pm arrive in London</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">2:30 pm depart London</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">6:30 pm arrive in Dallis </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">9:30 pm depart Dallis</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">10:35 pm arrive in Little Rock </span>Jeff Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336713058373263249noreply@blogger.com