Friday, August 21, 2009

Monument to the Jewish people of Europe, Berlin

View of the TV Tower over the
Holocaust Memorial near the
Brandenburger Tor







View of the different level heights among
the monument





the ground under the monument
ungulates like the waves of the ocean
it was fun to run along the uneven ground.




Me standing for a self portrait by
the holocaust monument.
this was one of the smaller of
the cement rectangles.
most went up above my head.






Trees among the monument.
very pretty.




Hamburg bahnhof



Berlin Bahnhof

On my way to Berlin
I had to transfer at hamburg
were I boarded my final train of my trip!



Thursday, August 20, 2009

From the End to the Beginning: Berlin

Camels in Berlin and not in Dubai!














Along my trip I saw, and used various modes of Transportation and photo documented just a few for the fun of it!


Walking the most basic form of transportation
I used this for the majority of my trip


Biking, everyone bikes in Germany, Denmark, and Prague. they even have designated sidewalks every where you go for bikes and the people actually use them!

Anne one time I even saw a mom riding her bike with a trailer just like yours hooked onto the back! that was special!












there is the tourist boat rides that float around the cities canals.

These two cars were just begging for a
photo-op! so I couldn't possible leave them
just sitting there.




while waiting on the metro platform I saw
Polizie bikes turning this corner, then they
were shortly followed by racers on in-line-skates.
when I arrived at my stop and was out on the street the bunch caught up with me and I was
able to watch them for a second time.

when I arrived at my stop and was out on the street the bunch caught up with me and I was able to watch them for a second time.





the Deutsch Bahnhouf
the German Trainstation
Deutsch Bahn
Berlin Station :)



















Above Ground Metro near Skalitzer Str. which
was were I was staying!







This scooter
actually says
flipper on the
side of it!















More shots of the Metro this is actually after I
had seen Check Point Charlie and was trying to
get back to Toni and Julianne's for dinner.
the sunsets were beautiful with a vast display of
colors blended into puffy clouds. Loved it!













Chris and Carolee, and Mom,
I thought of the three of you
simultaneously when I saw the medic truck.
Mom and Chris, because of M.A.S.H, Carolee because your a Doctor.









This scooter was down the street from were I was staying and there was a humming bird on the front I couldn't resist taking a photo of this. there was a group of friends near by
who were drinking at a cafe and a girl kept turning and looking at me, it maybe was her scooter so I just smiled to her, and she smiled back so all was well.












A Thunder bird and A Fire bird.
Mom, the Fire bird was for you. when I took a snapshot the driver revved his engine. It gave me a bit of a start. no pun intended.











the cars which inspired the modes of transportation blog.




right here you see a white smart car, a red scooter, a yellow Ferrari?, and your everyday bike all parked next to each other and I thought how ironic is that, these vehicles all so close in the vicinity of each other. so I had to photo document this for sure. people on the street were looking but that made it even more special!



















the white Mini, this would be my car if I lived in Europe! with a Blue thunder bird and a silver scooter. I was snapping away happily and then i noticed that there was a woman sitting in the blue thunder bird, Oh well it looked like I was taking pictures of the mini anyway, and I was!



the Deutsch Bahnhouf , the German train station with a beautiful chrome like stature of a stallion, then bikes all lined up in front, typical sight in Germany.









The Red Baron's Fokker
hung in the foyer of Tegal Airport
and Frankie these are for you!!!!!





Frankie this photo is for you. I took this in the Tegal Airport in Berlin. I thought it was pretty sweet!

Fallen Trees All over Central Park!



I woke up Wednesday morning and prepped for a run in central park. it had been a whole month since I'd been running in the park and i was looking forward to soaking in the fresh crisp air of the park. when I hopped off the subway and made my way into the streets of the park i could see there was wind damage from a storm i has slept through the night before. what i didn't see yet were countless of huge trees uprooted and snapped in two. there were small broken branches and leaves all over the streets and then I saw a tree fallen over. It was relatively small so i thought little of it. then I saw a whole tree broken in half which had crushed a traffic light. after that there were branches after branches completely cracked in two. Policemen and a channel 2 news man were documenting the wreckage. none of us had ever seen destruction like this in central park before. I kept going with my run and about 10 minutes later near 103rd street I saw a huge 40-50 foot tree completely uprooted, that was not the only one I would see. Sad but awe struck I made my way through the park yesterday morning witnessing the damage of an 80/mhr wind storm that took it's toll on such a beautiful place like central park.

I didn't have my camera but here are a few pictures i found on line. the police and park crew began closing places off because of the damage.


Monday, August 17, 2009

Berlin, Ich Liebe dich!

The morning began quietly on Skalitzer Str. as the sun broke over the graffitied buildings and shimmered serenly through welcoming windows. I found a post card today of a rundown building most likely on the east side of berlin, with a sunshine graffitied on the wall and green leaves hanging delicatley in front of the cameras picture plane. this vision is now the vision of all Berliners, from the East to the West. Skalitzer str. is located in what used to be East Berlin, and nearly 20 years ago was occupied by communist russia. now that sunshine that comes from freedom has settled over this people. Berliners are happy to meet you, smile at you say gutten morgen, or danke schon. they thank you for your being in their city and simply have a smile across thier whole face!

Just yesterday i was walking back to skalitzer str. along Leipziger Str. and was thinking about check point charlie, wondering were it was. I had been looking at pictures showing old berlin, East/West. then there was a part that talked about check point charlie and a map of were it was. Looking at the map, then turning my head to get my bearings I realized all i had to do was turn the corner and check point charlie was that close to me. so my next steps were to do just that, i walked to the end of Leipziger Str. turned left onto Friedrich Str. and about two blocks away I could see the remains of check point charlie.

when the Berlin wall went up, the Russians demolished any building that stood in the way, cutting through roads, breaking up neighborhoods, families, and friends. One night they were united and the next morning the wall had gone up and Berlins people had been divided. After the wall came down on Oct. 9th 1989 the city restored the streets to their original grid. the building that had been demolished were replaced by modern buildings and the land were check point charlie stood was put up for sale. Check Point Charlie was the dividing point between the American and the Russian Sector.

I saw a picture of a small boy about 5 or 6 reaching his hand up to a soldier who stood on the american side just over tangled up barbed wire. that soilder looked around him clearly torn by the small childs wishes, not understanding the consequence but realizing that crossing the barb wire fence would bring him a happier life. Clearly people were watching because their picture was taken. I doubt the soldier would have ever put that little boys life in danger.

I love Berlin, I love Germany, I love love love this land and all the people who ever suffered because of the wickedness of one man.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Hjorring

I'm on my way to Hjorring today to see the town were great great grandma, metta marie mortensen was born. I wonder were bodil mortensen came from? She's the little girl who crossed the plains with the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. she passed away at Rock Creek. and ever since I went on the treck her story and her life has stayed with me. she was 8 years old.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

In the land of my ancestors

Good Sunday to everyone.

It is a beautiful day and I am happy to be writing about my trip. I'm now in Allborg, Denmark.
I don't know what is going to come of my being in Denmark. today at church Í spoke with a memeber who said he would help me look for family members but it will take time. so i might not find anyone on this trip but i'm not going to give up just like that. so we'll see what happens.

Denmark is beautifull. and so are the people. I am staying with a girl named Anita Paulson who is investigating the church.

while on the train i spoke with a lady named Anne-Vibe i shared with her about joseph smith, and the book of mormon. and she talked about how most Dane's do not belong to a religion. i shared about how our purpose is to see what more truth we can bring to the truth that people might have. and then we talked about, how the purpose of our life is to serve and love one another, and our families. I think the danish people have those basic understandings. now they must open thier hearts to the idea that the gospel has been restored to the earth.

well, i love you all, and i know that christ lives that he is our savior and that he loves us.
i know that heavenly father has watched over me and been with me the whole time i've been over here.

i love you all. thank you for everything

Carlynne-d-lou-who