tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11274368983155090132024-03-13T00:48:36.727-07:00Susan in SwedenSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-10026149492101322272019-10-14T15:30:00.001-07:002019-10-14T15:30:34.844-07:00Last weekend in London and Trip Back to Canada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My flight back to London on Ryan Air passed without incident although I was SO bored (I didn't have a book, there is no inflight magazine and I still had not updated my MP3 player with podcasts - it still had sleep inducing recordings on it) I was reduced to tearing a piece of paper out of a notebook, putting a long word down (i.e. revolutionary) and seeing how many smaller words I could make out of it (an activity my late mother used to get me to do if I was bored).<br />
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We arrived on time, I hopped on a pre-booked bus to London and then on to Maija's house where she had a delicious veggie lasagna waiting for me. The next day we went to the feminist book fair (part of the <a href="https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2019/event/new-suns-a-feminist-literary-festival" target="_blank">New Suns Feminist Literary Fair at the Barbican</a>). There we were inspired by the abundance of great writing by women about all aspects of feminism, modern culture as well as novels, poetry, criticism etc etc. Fabulous.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Barbican - this would be where I would live in London (if I could afford it)</td></tr>
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<br />I was on a mission* to try and find a copy of George Orwell's 1984 so after looking around the book fair we walked toward the British Museum where Oxfam has a second-hand book shop (this is something unique, as far as I know, to the UK - Oxfam has whole shops that are just second-hand books and also<a href="https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/books" target="_blank"> offer books for purchase online</a>).<br />
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No luck with finding 1984 there and since we were in the neighbourhood we decided to head back to my favourite street for Indian food in London - Drummond Street - and the <a href="https://www.ravishankarbhelpoori.com/" target="_blank">Ravi Shankar vegetarian buffet</a>. On our way there we passed <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/campaign/festival/its-all-academic-festival-saturday-5-october-2019-10am-4pm" target="_blank">University College London that was having this academic fair</a> - we returned there after lunch and got to see some really neat 'green projects' and lots of kids interacting with students (not much older than them) . It was inspiring and hopeful.<br />
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We then stopped by the <a href="https://www.friendshouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">Friends House</a> (just across from Euston Station) for a coffee - the Friends House is a great hang out place with a good vibe, a well-stocked bookstore and a cafe (and clean, free toilets). When we got back to Peckham (where Maija lives) we stopped at a couple more second hand shops and then, when I'd pretty much given up hope, we stopped at a little hole in the wall place where the independent bookseller knew his stock and within seconds handed over a copy of 1984 priced at a pound. SOLD!<br />
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The next day (Sunday), my last full day on holiday (sob), Maija, her beau Shane and I went on a 'public transit' adventure through London. We took the bus to Deptford Bridge where we boarded the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docklands_Light_Railway" target="_blank">Docklands Light Railway</a> (DLR) which winds its way through a forest of skyscrapers and other buildings - some offices and some housing. We got off at Royal Docks to walk over to the <a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/emirates-air-line/" target="_blank">Emirates Air Line</a> - a cable car system opened in 2012 - that takes riders in gondolas over the Thames from Royal Docks to Greenwich. All this for just 3.50 pounds (if using your Oyster Card). It was very cool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjL4cA9AEtvpnPYjz2K3XwZt-fscjkGtSxfHpohy9i4bwPxXqTicMIi_DzJOpTm9OLg7pmctuSWGYU25-k-REFpwgLpuaRQ2o9Toi2mmWcEK1NnyP9clKfzDSs8GsdlUNx34Y1n6ClXY/s1600/71514832_498020861040756_8918741452637339648_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjL4cA9AEtvpnPYjz2K3XwZt-fscjkGtSxfHpohy9i4bwPxXqTicMIi_DzJOpTm9OLg7pmctuSWGYU25-k-REFpwgLpuaRQ2o9Toi2mmWcEK1NnyP9clKfzDSs8GsdlUNx34Y1n6ClXY/s320/71514832_498020861040756_8918741452637339648_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maija captured my best side in this shot :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6ZEzU-zvSjKPV8FABhmJl4XM5esgJx_gKz4nNn0wKzSV3MR6QLoJ3DWi0T24DDtqlgc6KxxELXYivlo19RS-VVfnYwLFHZKOj516KVZfZIVcBXY-E1fkD76vtAC6XjKqVAi6xpMWr7w/s1600/71403220_2993051580711297_1229077889014562816_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6ZEzU-zvSjKPV8FABhmJl4XM5esgJx_gKz4nNn0wKzSV3MR6QLoJ3DWi0T24DDtqlgc6KxxELXYivlo19RS-VVfnYwLFHZKOj516KVZfZIVcBXY-E1fkD76vtAC6XjKqVAi6xpMWr7w/s320/71403220_2993051580711297_1229077889014562816_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An 'up-in-the-air' selfie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was quite windy- which this photo does not really capture</td></tr>
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We then found a place to have a South Indian lunch which was pretty good although a little bit slow coming and Shane headed off to catch up with friends while Maija and I walked around Greenwich sharing a yummy cheesecake at a local cafe and discovering the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_foot_tunnel" target="_blank">Greenwich Foot Tunnel</a>. We got back to Peckham and enjoyed the veggie lasagna (again, it really was very good) and had an early night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMIvu0kIVCIY3ntdHFjX6nZbNMbutpfNAZOBZziiLQ3GL4oBn1zWN4mXxfSuhGxL_BghjjqdzGqSLwpeAiVGr0pKOL1P5SJGKiDZ9iHRnCTh7HpSQrFW3byfBtJ4V4zqKt1-MjzAHouQ/s1600/71521271_1323295567828551_2785692732801155072_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMIvu0kIVCIY3ntdHFjX6nZbNMbutpfNAZOBZziiLQ3GL4oBn1zWN4mXxfSuhGxL_BghjjqdzGqSLwpeAiVGr0pKOL1P5SJGKiDZ9iHRnCTh7HpSQrFW3byfBtJ4V4zqKt1-MjzAHouQ/s400/71521271_1323295567828551_2785692732801155072_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking in the Docklands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQkYVtu3kA4urqD-Gw8MAbl0qje3sVovLAdhvyGYZy4eYZ7wdos3QRvCAZCp8AKJXq_fL_4OmAos9o8ZR5gsM2XkNQLDmTgKwLkiS55cw5Z1jLA1FSXTzW9YpGM7hU4R3kh_XSyIqdC4/s1600/71498059_521741295284579_5119503181771964416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQkYVtu3kA4urqD-Gw8MAbl0qje3sVovLAdhvyGYZy4eYZ7wdos3QRvCAZCp8AKJXq_fL_4OmAos9o8ZR5gsM2XkNQLDmTgKwLkiS55cw5Z1jLA1FSXTzW9YpGM7hU4R3kh_XSyIqdC4/s400/71498059_521741295284579_5119503181771964416_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Greenwich Foot Tunnel</td></tr>
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The next morning I left with Maija to go to the train station - she going into the city and me going the opposite way to Gatwick. Unfortunately the 7:30 train to Clapham Junction (from where I would take another train to Gatwick) that I had intended to take was cancelled and the next one was, as you can imagine, packed full. I did feel bad as I struggled not to take up too much room and/or crush people's feet with my big bag. But it wasn't too long and we made it to Clapham Junction where I boarded a mostly empty train to Gatwick. I had no idea that I was actually going to arrive at the wrong terminal (South) and had to take the 4 minute free monorail to the North terminal. But it all worked out okay and within a short time I had checked my big bag, got a cheap cup of filter coffee at Pret (49 pence when you have your own cup) and ate some of the snacks I had packed for the flight.<br />
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We boarded on time and the flight was good - I slept quite a bit and we landed into Vancouver per schedule. I answered the customs form honestly which resulted in me having to eat a whole, hardboiled egg in a very short period of time (as per the customs' officers instruction). Due to a stupid error on my part (there was another flight to Victoria leaving at the same time but it was an Air Canada flight) I ended up having to sprint to the gate for the short flight to Victoria.<br />
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By 5:00 pm I was back in my apartment where I found that my lovely landlady Kim had stocked my fridge with the basics so that I could have breakfast the next morning without having to go to the store. I stayed up for a couple more hours and then tumbled into bed around 8:00 pm and slept quite well until the next morning.<br />
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It was a fabulous holiday - now it is time to think about how I am going to spend the rest of 2019 and what is going to be on the cards for 2020.<br />
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* I was looking for 1984 because of this <a href="https://theoryofeverythingpodcast.com/2019/08/1984-the-book-not-the-year/" target="_blank">episode of Theory of Everything Podcast</a> which talks about (among other things) <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/we-re-all-reading-1984-wrong-according-to-margaret-atwood-1.4105314" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood's theory about the novel and its definitely 'downer' ending</a>. In ToE the host mentions the appendix to the book which I could not for the life of me remember reading. Hence the search for the book.</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-33098596017834920172019-10-14T12:35:00.001-07:002019-10-14T12:35:53.293-07:00Feast for the eyes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This post is just images of the beautiful dahlias found in North Park (Nordpark) a lovely greenspace in Bielefeld that Diana and I visited one day during my time there. Enjoy.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-36435573908461206922019-10-09T14:37:00.000-07:002019-10-16T09:01:49.637-07:00Living it up in Lithuania<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This was not my first visit to Lithuania - I had been lucky enough to go to Klaipeda to stay with my classmate's mother during the summer of 2013 - but this was my first visit to the capital city Vilnius. There is much to recommend Lithuania (and the other Baltic countries - Latvia and Estonia) - they are affordable, fascinating and offer a variety of attractions (museums, natural beauty, history) in a fairly small geographic area (for scale Lithuania is only about twice as large as Vancouver Island).<br />
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Like Bielefeld Vilnius offers a tourist card though Vilnius's version is MUCH more expensive (despite transit and the attractions themselves being much cheaper) - still I bought the 3-day version which cost 40 Euros and gave me free admission to about 20 attractions, discounted admission to about a dozen more, 3 days of transit and free food/drink offers at various restaurants (i.e. free dessert with a meal, free snack with purchase of an alcoholic drink).<br />
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Many of the museums I visited had excellent audio guides (though usually for an extra charge ranging from 1-3 Euros) - my advice is always go for the audio guide (and this is from someone who loves museums and reading but still often finds the sheer volume of text exhausting). Since my classmate Vilte lives in Vilnius I had the benefit of a local expert who showed me neat places to explore, translated menus and took me (with her husband Adrian driving and accompanying us) to destinations I never would have gotten to on my own.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Vilnius Skyline(s)</h3>
Vilnius is an intriguing mix of old and new with a <a href="http://www.truelithuania.com/old-town-of-vilnius-183" target="_blank">UNESCO-listed old town</a> second only in size to that of Prague bordered to the North by the New Town (which is not really that new - mostly dating from the 19th century) and then spreading out into suburbs that still have early 20th century ornate wooden buildings (like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDv%C4%97rynas" target="_blank">Zverynas</a> where Vilte and Adrian living) and of course masses of Soviet-era blocks of flats further out. Here are some photos of various skylines.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozdxeVs7DsKn9PaL3ma9fmkwYb1KJGuRqTrow9pNgdLmn6HkdXYGTltk6CE2DUsAxp4lQxbLsxRqqO2k3RdaFxfUrzHhFd3-o9RV1zhPnsVbFk-aOZ338hmNb9CW1kf5kyRM1_ywYQhw/s1600/another+vilnius+skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozdxeVs7DsKn9PaL3ma9fmkwYb1KJGuRqTrow9pNgdLmn6HkdXYGTltk6CE2DUsAxp4lQxbLsxRqqO2k3RdaFxfUrzHhFd3-o9RV1zhPnsVbFk-aOZ338hmNb9CW1kf5kyRM1_ywYQhw/s400/another+vilnius+skyline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this shot is from the 'Hill of Three Crosses' which is located east of the Old City</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the lookout that was located up the hill behind the hostel I stayed at</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of two of Vilnius's more than two dozen churches</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view from the hill of three crosses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CpMtevvJS2ImfyHJH1G74Q5LFeOaOM_Ir_-BFX8rTtzFXKcywIrnXAVRToLjsbhIEoT29bCFWwn5bTGt79vB-sAg7GLI309tuSQE02qT_u8qNCGmNpBkJ-Mqg1Dg9dSvvzroVUw6-AY/s1600/art+and+skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CpMtevvJS2ImfyHJH1G74Q5LFeOaOM_Ir_-BFX8rTtzFXKcywIrnXAVRToLjsbhIEoT29bCFWwn5bTGt79vB-sAg7GLI309tuSQE02qT_u8qNCGmNpBkJ-Mqg1Dg9dSvvzroVUw6-AY/s400/art+and+skyline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from beside the Neris River looking toward the one remaining tower of the Upper Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFVKdyL8QsaT-QTZVjNMG2DOL-SLN7iKXGxYIaMBNlpyaSfOUsJdtuf-yvbGNRlSdfeLNvbwZQl6maaElwTm2Dr9BbKGjCi7J8IcEoiQS6Mtk5IKaZ2bOxk71VqtPGvsFosIFbVVZdwQ/s1600/balloons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFVKdyL8QsaT-QTZVjNMG2DOL-SLN7iKXGxYIaMBNlpyaSfOUsJdtuf-yvbGNRlSdfeLNvbwZQl6maaElwTm2Dr9BbKGjCi7J8IcEoiQS6Mtk5IKaZ2bOxk71VqtPGvsFosIFbVVZdwQ/s640/balloons.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot air balloons are synonymous with Vilnius - they make for a very pretty picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBvFcNQj6VB2yH4KbYlLEWTx3mxGoGAhN4q4xYqzE3-qyg5DtS3qcOYWf9QXYDiSjFY-wWQiOMU79jeYjV78VUvgjyP_0o-vCEhSVekiToANPQhhJIjBLrNGkOLGrK7yYO5luce-i4HA/s1600/1+view+from+tv+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBvFcNQj6VB2yH4KbYlLEWTx3mxGoGAhN4q4xYqzE3-qyg5DtS3qcOYWf9QXYDiSjFY-wWQiOMU79jeYjV78VUvgjyP_0o-vCEhSVekiToANPQhhJIjBLrNGkOLGrK7yYO5luce-i4HA/s400/1+view+from+tv+tower.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the TV tower showing the blocks of Soviet Era flats stretching to the horizon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVIvXXwSx7uTppt2raDvBG_Jdmhy6gPnKEHK9HCjQFs-AWve_LiejE9sqkOlcdbMEwRyKfGRA-UiXC7jB-j4U0QnEy6chwAXIyYXQ_FEVV1tidtOqKelCb3HwJBYmN_-YGi16yg8hM4Y/s1600/3+tower+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVIvXXwSx7uTppt2raDvBG_Jdmhy6gPnKEHK9HCjQFs-AWve_LiejE9sqkOlcdbMEwRyKfGRA-UiXC7jB-j4U0QnEy6chwAXIyYXQ_FEVV1tidtOqKelCb3HwJBYmN_-YGi16yg8hM4Y/s400/3+tower+view.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Soviet flats</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlUcyrHP_DAwADPRNN-ZsVJnAa3Y2WPrcrd1q3R7JzxPwm8XEyNzUCS9LWJJoMHO3O1nYTVX41tNX36jUvyLC2WjzW0zfid4nPf6kHTmc8LKDce4uTzCQePZoqa6UP7wOx-ILzOkB3_0/s1600/tv+tower+view+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlUcyrHP_DAwADPRNN-ZsVJnAa3Y2WPrcrd1q3R7JzxPwm8XEyNzUCS9LWJJoMHO3O1nYTVX41tNX36jUvyLC2WjzW0zfid4nPf6kHTmc8LKDce4uTzCQePZoqa6UP7wOx-ILzOkB3_0/s400/tv+tower+view+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and more ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr6_Zw9hRuDI-wMdLlknlNkXBvggnDPfdCZXikztZIa4W13HV0b5gVMQ8bL6yIyemiJPLw8JOdX88iXZrrUsrfoFaA_f6O3d8RtdNrlmGY7wvE4UByhw3-I_F6TKHKi8b_hgIoxkOPnE/s1600/2+view+from+tv+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr6_Zw9hRuDI-wMdLlknlNkXBvggnDPfdCZXikztZIa4W13HV0b5gVMQ8bL6yIyemiJPLw8JOdX88iXZrrUsrfoFaA_f6O3d8RtdNrlmGY7wvE4UByhw3-I_F6TKHKi8b_hgIoxkOPnE/s400/2+view+from+tv+tower.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and more ...</td></tr>
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Before I purchased the tourist card I went on two free walking tours - the 'standard' Old City tour and the 'Alternative Tour'. These tours, both led by young residents of Vilnius, were a great way to orient myself to the city as a whole and find out what I might want to explore more deeply.<br />
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Here are some images captured during these free tours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviukWb2sYubA3FTiyQbafzmQbSQ6m4vyJUT2-wxJfZcwlfzWdOugFEjb_uYhUampV0lSKNjamHRIzhvmkBJ28UfL-EBAd8nSknbIP6pvR-pDbuZRUUsbVo1rzbAUXBKP_6fxQd9NWb4c/s1600/cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviukWb2sYubA3FTiyQbafzmQbSQ6m4vyJUT2-wxJfZcwlfzWdOugFEjb_uYhUampV0lSKNjamHRIzhvmkBJ28UfL-EBAd8nSknbIP6pvR-pDbuZRUUsbVo1rzbAUXBKP_6fxQd9NWb4c/s400/cathedral.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The imposing Cathedral (consecrated 1783) with the bell tower beside it </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbHl8WczNZCEXug03rqFNF05C6s-sd6Sai9EiRKUsyAMkjHF0KGrs-c7lUcS4cCqsluIC3YK7vb-GOuGjkt2w4ZEPd26XwPhyphenhyphenO6KsyJTxBKMwsybchIv9uK-aIYb2LLZe3wtHN_vnPh8/s1600/close+up+of+walls+remembrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbHl8WczNZCEXug03rqFNF05C6s-sd6Sai9EiRKUsyAMkjHF0KGrs-c7lUcS4cCqsluIC3YK7vb-GOuGjkt2w4ZEPd26XwPhyphenhyphenO6KsyJTxBKMwsybchIv9uK-aIYb2LLZe3wtHN_vnPh8/s400/close+up+of+walls+remembrance.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<a href="https://www.lzb.lt/en/2019/08/27/the-walls-remember-the-people-tell/" target="_blank">The Walls Remember</a>' Project that creates street art based on actual photographs of Vilnius's Jewish residents prior to World War II</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmyVisHrXqqKd5gScH9hNvvSQ5wBIFBBUlXfuLBVfA6NQ0EeFzCkuiglMoGun131Fcwgu4TfVIwFCwJcX_hqCdzjffeM42kaTDntNWPbBwKlp5Fbp5z34ipqwKVzPtdMI-6mR5d-n2c8/s1600/closer+view+of+street+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmyVisHrXqqKd5gScH9hNvvSQ5wBIFBBUlXfuLBVfA6NQ0EeFzCkuiglMoGun131Fcwgu4TfVIwFCwJcX_hqCdzjffeM42kaTDntNWPbBwKlp5Fbp5z34ipqwKVzPtdMI-6mR5d-n2c8/s400/closer+view+of+street+art.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street Art (seen on the 'Alternative Tour')</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzJnp7YE7p_w334tU1t4XZ2XRTNLiyWE8PfWwk7j5lTJaSp9N8L_gIwhBTjEUQTuYRKN842vRm7tBr8XmfC7vY4MQiYQgZPHSVaR1UWZVys1-PVXPKSy041fhJPR9Uwfmqdcd6-F6FSM/s1600/colourful+mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzJnp7YE7p_w334tU1t4XZ2XRTNLiyWE8PfWwk7j5lTJaSp9N8L_gIwhBTjEUQTuYRKN842vRm7tBr8XmfC7vY4MQiYQgZPHSVaR1UWZVys1-PVXPKSy041fhJPR9Uwfmqdcd6-F6FSM/s400/colourful+mural.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street art from this photo onward is from the Loftas Fest Open Gallery (visited on the Alternative Tour)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfKzBp-oWR7jVqXfXIeKs4c8FOgTOq6hyphenhyphenhJMwqM9InKyx-KY4aW0sXi2pN9NZYGj-bIREBjGOMA1YoXOCzc6nDOzecB-SwJ013vyDPPKVzUqXCETguF-gAjxQnJMPt_iIRrxJxVcaYg0/s1600/perkup+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfKzBp-oWR7jVqXfXIeKs4c8FOgTOq6hyphenhyphenhJMwqM9InKyx-KY4aW0sXi2pN9NZYGj-bIREBjGOMA1YoXOCzc6nDOzecB-SwJ013vyDPPKVzUqXCETguF-gAjxQnJMPt_iIRrxJxVcaYg0/s320/perkup+art.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pf6UYL5Bo0zZmkDJMpTsmOE719PWwxDv0fh8Rum2zf2WSbtSxOl8HZLRoufTZSLIck7zI9xGEH51eDot8U_2uQY7piuR878PRHfA-eHtwB04rybUNIxL4VRFfjY9ytNhuu3gF3MNRqk/s1600/street+mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pf6UYL5Bo0zZmkDJMpTsmOE719PWwxDv0fh8Rum2zf2WSbtSxOl8HZLRoufTZSLIck7zI9xGEH51eDot8U_2uQY7piuR878PRHfA-eHtwB04rybUNIxL4VRFfjY9ytNhuu3gF3MNRqk/s320/street+mural.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The following images are of street art seen outside of the Loftas Fest Open Gallery - the famous Vilnius <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2016/11/vladimir-putin-and-donald-trump-get-ready-big-deal" target="_blank">mural of Trump kissing Putin</a> has unfortunately been painted over (much to the chagrin of the 'Alternative Tour' guide Ieva who says the new picture which says 'Make empathy great again' totally ignores the negative effective on tour guides who can no longer bring visitors to see the world-renowned piece of art).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CzoD3g7ErNHtmag4zETzsdfDy6Ml_6vr0edpCgyh3fPtV6LOXcZadkbTectbuQg59_oR_NEQ_ZsVzplyDLidAF5p1_FsKsNBZKlGyR4Gk_blbRVm_pI-UAVwmlxOfpKgOJq_HyA9bxM/s1600/kitten+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CzoD3g7ErNHtmag4zETzsdfDy6Ml_6vr0edpCgyh3fPtV6LOXcZadkbTectbuQg59_oR_NEQ_ZsVzplyDLidAF5p1_FsKsNBZKlGyR4Gk_blbRVm_pI-UAVwmlxOfpKgOJq_HyA9bxM/s400/kitten+statue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitten statue - memorial to Lithuanian writer Jurga Ivanauskaitė (1961 -2007).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhu78f00hiHHHHW-haNeWHuyNB0uq0JkpDcK8KUVo3QNK2irOsu3hKPXlWJVkrrZKsHAfLWHx7BUX1btThwZwnhGvC16uVOcP4-RgL3MBT2d6b9g4YqSWC6h2hAO7aZ1LoCiQcaSxNlw/s1600/street+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhu78f00hiHHHHW-haNeWHuyNB0uq0JkpDcK8KUVo3QNK2irOsu3hKPXlWJVkrrZKsHAfLWHx7BUX1btThwZwnhGvC16uVOcP4-RgL3MBT2d6b9g4YqSWC6h2hAO7aZ1LoCiQcaSxNlw/s320/street+art.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MbajGlKJ9-CWSq8NMvs_CcYaIDzwOWOkADEM-RtOGuClzJDAgc3lT_V851pvfkIA_k4RezzMGUrPoTAyPorsfbcByzVuJTqqpxC9uZMF7XhK-Yjr4xJcLorMd8BBl2JoDiHwX49oCW0/s1600/tony+soprano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MbajGlKJ9-CWSq8NMvs_CcYaIDzwOWOkADEM-RtOGuClzJDAgc3lT_V851pvfkIA_k4RezzMGUrPoTAyPorsfbcByzVuJTqqpxC9uZMF7XhK-Yjr4xJcLorMd8BBl2JoDiHwX49oCW0/s400/tony+soprano.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently this is supposed to be Tony Soprano - he is surveying the railroad tracks from a popular bar at the Vilnius Train Station</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://vilniuswithlocals.com/tours/soviet-vilnius" target="_blank">Soviet Tour</a> and <a href="https://vilniuswithlocals.com/tours/jewish" target="_blank">Jewish Tour</a></h3>
With the 3-day tourist card I was entitled to take two walking tours (usually 12 Euros each) and so I took the Soviet Tour and the Jewish Tour. Here are images captured on those tours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJyhhkaHSva6Do3sIVfrGf0fdLvXglBdNlpfmD5bjYSVdTpYqFZtlC_RO70i-Tew7nEMqLBiCHSWwYnMnaqHNsF5VQO7ugNhwXzNLgNFINQpzjONjm5_5K7vjbIK5M9x3r2gCFMQyiWE/s1600/another+view+of+sports+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJyhhkaHSva6Do3sIVfrGf0fdLvXglBdNlpfmD5bjYSVdTpYqFZtlC_RO70i-Tew7nEMqLBiCHSWwYnMnaqHNsF5VQO7ugNhwXzNLgNFINQpzjONjm5_5K7vjbIK5M9x3r2gCFMQyiWE/s400/another+view+of+sports+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The massive and long-since-abandoned sports hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY868N5jVNtJgXGtKOibQPfzlRUsZ9b_ysmhe4a25QlU29v6dMvCP7ghWNhfCH3F2qxl73rDdDGQPtP1284vHmbGu735f75ng9SOLTAIybjjGuf5ISKop4Mrcihfhd-Y2gsJRxvHdSEz8/s1600/graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY868N5jVNtJgXGtKOibQPfzlRUsZ9b_ysmhe4a25QlU29v6dMvCP7ghWNhfCH3F2qxl73rDdDGQPtP1284vHmbGu735f75ng9SOLTAIybjjGuf5ISKop4Mrcihfhd-Y2gsJRxvHdSEz8/s400/graffiti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti featuring Gagarin and a recognizable name (Castro) and another that I need to Google (Mustafa)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis853HK1NArzZRmPdEKC637zF-S-4E4Z-IlkvWQ2NZsxGEHp0VZ-3lcwJKEOCMCQELU7zn9Djpn4DIUa-nXVitqJDWuusbQa3mEwHGv6O_VvlxJQM8D6BEn7rwWZfjelowHbwvCBH5Xa8/s1600/glass+blower+mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis853HK1NArzZRmPdEKC637zF-S-4E4Z-IlkvWQ2NZsxGEHp0VZ-3lcwJKEOCMCQELU7zn9Djpn4DIUa-nXVitqJDWuusbQa3mEwHGv6O_VvlxJQM8D6BEn7rwWZfjelowHbwvCBH5Xa8/s400/glass+blower+mural.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many early Jewish residents were glass blowers (as shown in this mural above the entrance to the Stikliai Hotel) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaisCMKTXPDy63BECllnTk4NKXSDhtm_qoFNdM6BiJPVLozekA97u2kAYhzWDu59BoVKKH4mL0N4ceQoWMijzau4HIW-ZXkrA2NS3S8VRRRRr3e_7O3Ko4ERuROhbmlQIIXwAcA_Hn0gY/s1600/merchant+wall+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaisCMKTXPDy63BECllnTk4NKXSDhtm_qoFNdM6BiJPVLozekA97u2kAYhzWDu59BoVKKH4mL0N4ceQoWMijzau4HIW-ZXkrA2NS3S8VRRRRr3e_7O3Ko4ERuROhbmlQIIXwAcA_Hn0gY/s400/merchant+wall+picture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This image and the one below are from the Jewish tour and are more depictions based on photographs from The Walls Remember project</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZguTLgppIgMOYZ2Ebj_KOTisQPODIJAKn3pApXMb1cSoyezqg9JVUQkHtiJSoku6TJNZldBUJF3zXEcEokyjYubUxOTiv882MfXBeW4Vd82jDsVCzxCx541RxswJELtwlB3LczM9erJY/s1600/more+remembering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZguTLgppIgMOYZ2Ebj_KOTisQPODIJAKn3pApXMb1cSoyezqg9JVUQkHtiJSoku6TJNZldBUJF3zXEcEokyjYubUxOTiv882MfXBeW4Vd82jDsVCzxCx541RxswJELtwlB3LczM9erJY/s320/more+remembering.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/17/world/soviet-crackdown-lithuania-lithuanian-dead-buried-as-martyrs.html" target="_blank">Soviet Crackdown - 1991</a></h3>
Some of the most moving things I saw were the memorials to those that were killed in the Soviet Crackdown of 1991 - either crushed under tanks or shot. This TV tower is the same one as the shots of the Soviet-era buildings are taken from earlier in this post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4KrAHixeacH01BL84kzRoBozyOfIyuoE0BC859W6jGr8-j9cwZyW2Wat1ZXvQ_JtcsVDD277fRrKw2UMjjLGKZwUu6h47PLKZoLkgCqQ1MH7jYf2MtffCoK0X58vwzPhG-l1NWRB2sQ/s1600/coffins+of+tv+tower+heroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4KrAHixeacH01BL84kzRoBozyOfIyuoE0BC859W6jGr8-j9cwZyW2Wat1ZXvQ_JtcsVDD277fRrKw2UMjjLGKZwUu6h47PLKZoLkgCqQ1MH7jYf2MtffCoK0X58vwzPhG-l1NWRB2sQ/s640/coffins+of+tv+tower+heroes.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffins of some of those killed in the crackdown at a mass ceremony/funeral (Cathedral Square)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGNy_ByJz3I_mWdA5Q8_OZvI1JWEmiuj3FkaQP0XY6ZtY-upWBHdgGmAk0_TcRs_Qs24q4OHN1b_GWmM9NceSTuRoJx9P_inTKLt1khIlD68cQsJOxH38n9MwVIqoiFO8a-ql8XAlggQ/s1600/crosses+at+tv+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGNy_ByJz3I_mWdA5Q8_OZvI1JWEmiuj3FkaQP0XY6ZtY-upWBHdgGmAk0_TcRs_Qs24q4OHN1b_GWmM9NceSTuRoJx9P_inTKLt1khIlD68cQsJOxH38n9MwVIqoiFO8a-ql8XAlggQ/s400/crosses+at+tv+tower.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crosses at the small museum within the TV Tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgAX-B6op-H6ZeJR3QO8wD2p6HgBXSXwHQcVYtS8yNS3KqH02k43vjLwe1jRYsmdN2w2pjJAvA1uG0SZQPORKBaELAh1ZuQkFwhk22u0c35kWjVVYMcRpB0wfb85BiODhUytg4KR695Q/s1600/photos+at+tv+tower+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgAX-B6op-H6ZeJR3QO8wD2p6HgBXSXwHQcVYtS8yNS3KqH02k43vjLwe1jRYsmdN2w2pjJAvA1uG0SZQPORKBaELAh1ZuQkFwhk22u0c35kWjVVYMcRpB0wfb85BiODhUytg4KR695Q/s640/photos+at+tv+tower+museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Images from the 1991 Crackdown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXBjUZk8PAI6uZDYIaFzf-VNCV6xnq-9KB9GdhrS0XoelI2n8flDFDXSXaFD_vzBSyI1X68WryAb5b9pPXZTdFYh-rGIbtSYsDEhv8sGabxkGOnfayE082CBkUTmfPnhHDFAkA8yuxFs/s1600/statue+at+tv+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXBjUZk8PAI6uZDYIaFzf-VNCV6xnq-9KB9GdhrS0XoelI2n8flDFDXSXaFD_vzBSyI1X68WryAb5b9pPXZTdFYh-rGIbtSYsDEhv8sGabxkGOnfayE082CBkUTmfPnhHDFAkA8yuxFs/s400/statue+at+tv+tower.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue at the TV Tower - I believe it is something to do with the events of January 1991 but cannot find any information about it online</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Images from Wandering Around</h3>
A large part of the pleasure of Vilnius is simply wandering around its twisty, narrow, cobbled streets replete with buildings of varying ages adorned with original architectural details or more recently added contemporary decoration or displays of goods for sale.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3tZQfBboJ9nZ_947yTbpHJImL2X-4IEMZuLy3TBCcCaeSySgLgIATABrlYjXvaMf9VMj_zBwhLRIs8szRJRAVEh1SrlNM5HZqZbtykUVV6aJfqvasfxSnfiowi2ke40C_ND3hAkAXKQ/s1600/art+deco+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3tZQfBboJ9nZ_947yTbpHJImL2X-4IEMZuLy3TBCcCaeSySgLgIATABrlYjXvaMf9VMj_zBwhLRIs8szRJRAVEh1SrlNM5HZqZbtykUVV6aJfqvasfxSnfiowi2ke40C_ND3hAkAXKQ/s400/art+deco+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delightful art added to a building (I think it was a hair salon but can't remember for sure)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRSMhGTF51dMckbqGBCzcO3zIrDmpEm4b_de__214r4sC-c9QzWpTpx6utE-QUKGKBZ7Lns5y0ksj3YwZMgA6nXqdGfVlpBYhcMAFXsSUyvfRRNfe61FFFX9GRUUpTE33A1vF5bdO82g/s1600/close+up+of+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRSMhGTF51dMckbqGBCzcO3zIrDmpEm4b_de__214r4sC-c9QzWpTpx6utE-QUKGKBZ7Lns5y0ksj3YwZMgA6nXqdGfVlpBYhcMAFXsSUyvfRRNfe61FFFX9GRUUpTE33A1vF5bdO82g/s400/close+up+of+flowers.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know I shouldn't love this (because of the plastic bags) but it was just so pretty in the sunshine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_Iy6rxbJTxCn8380VMtbb50IUXEt3ryUX5nEBU6j1dttmiB_sorAxg5W-hK0MVGMJymZLq7yfPNMFmjHfzTBvxqA9d_OtPRCSwL8rWyYqPuOLLkFp9zKaGjXbq-asSnQOaoNN6OvTRU/s1600/flower+shop+reflection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_Iy6rxbJTxCn8380VMtbb50IUXEt3ryUX5nEBU6j1dttmiB_sorAxg5W-hK0MVGMJymZLq7yfPNMFmjHfzTBvxqA9d_OtPRCSwL8rWyYqPuOLLkFp9zKaGjXbq-asSnQOaoNN6OvTRU/s400/flower+shop+reflection.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My reflection in the window of the florists (site of the plastic bag display shown in the previous photo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1YCvPmO_Av3OBWPJLFgWoG3r7094ZBLcUXqjDNcGC6pKAg-sHEwipiKHoxOouiLhun07iqB9tOPxpNEXGA4B2zvJgYv62LUYdkw19nmmeO2sIF5H2XvqYMCm4b6VFAlXSEp4p7ctcZs/s1600/green+man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="788" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1YCvPmO_Av3OBWPJLFgWoG3r7094ZBLcUXqjDNcGC6pKAg-sHEwipiKHoxOouiLhun07iqB9tOPxpNEXGA4B2zvJgYv62LUYdkw19nmmeO2sIF5H2XvqYMCm4b6VFAlXSEp4p7ctcZs/s400/green+man.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought maybe this was the Lithuanian version of the green man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9hXt-zi-PxGK2vVrQoufWofBkPVowng4d17bY6NScM_5Jlhr4kLhSkRvDOhSP7U2RVRtVWTbEXNL-YnOZXyFye5r8Hf6nAV5mWe8xMq-fM9nfcSDWhkxoKh_177dMIO_XOKVY-H7Vn8/s1600/house+of+signatories+facade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9hXt-zi-PxGK2vVrQoufWofBkPVowng4d17bY6NScM_5Jlhr4kLhSkRvDOhSP7U2RVRtVWTbEXNL-YnOZXyFye5r8Hf6nAV5mWe8xMq-fM9nfcSDWhkxoKh_177dMIO_XOKVY-H7Vn8/s400/house+of+signatories+facade.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facade of the building that houses the <a href="http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/what-to-see/museums/house-of-signatories/" target="_blank">Museum of the Signatories</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82oUd2A_1Ggka_w495GYo6RUKRQjgtvKbnT5Xc8cvZs4HwvbwDa1i_VbFpWAtUQPqg5Mpi5tl2WK0j_I-H3IO9uAz9P3X57yMEIEKEiUhnOgjyyM-2GCazoxaebKSKuhX60jc2nVC1rs/s1600/more+art+deco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82oUd2A_1Ggka_w495GYo6RUKRQjgtvKbnT5Xc8cvZs4HwvbwDa1i_VbFpWAtUQPqg5Mpi5tl2WK0j_I-H3IO9uAz9P3X57yMEIEKEiUhnOgjyyM-2GCazoxaebKSKuhX60jc2nVC1rs/s400/more+art+deco.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More paintings (same building as the first photo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLj6Ja-aa2p4opUu0oKgDFYHHNMFletxDPgZjOZkbOUJ3nfU0lSf9DKsukXOXwN8X7293botesWDXl3CUQWj2pK7NE442va88moRF8NSliCpwttrFfXcG4cjVruJHZ63IFb9m4uhmZluU/s1600/play+advertisement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLj6Ja-aa2p4opUu0oKgDFYHHNMFletxDPgZjOZkbOUJ3nfU0lSf9DKsukXOXwN8X7293botesWDXl3CUQWj2pK7NE442va88moRF8NSliCpwttrFfXcG4cjVruJHZ63IFb9m4uhmZluU/s400/play+advertisement.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Vilte tells me that this provocative sign is actually an advertisement for a play (the line at the top is its title)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqGMtD6ndYtXp5bMqOxLN3rVkTdhowxTBsJ30-R351zOm4WhjIQuyyDjRDTXRD9foBeYFFwRrRv-5GYiJKZYC6M_S61n0WPn-_u4c1W2YgtESDEhKSGauhCuE9kPqhZQEWU1IELozqt4/s1600/statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqGMtD6ndYtXp5bMqOxLN3rVkTdhowxTBsJ30-R351zOm4WhjIQuyyDjRDTXRD9foBeYFFwRrRv-5GYiJKZYC6M_S61n0WPn-_u4c1W2YgtESDEhKSGauhCuE9kPqhZQEWU1IELozqt4/s400/statue.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue in one of the leafy squares of Vilnius</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkSf3NEzKOZ_qeOPBoZKyNo9p_DjwyHZNq-IrHtz3KBiq6uPpFJuIXt5qRScktCJztJXs9y2zfUy7idkq_D1E6KQfmLqr5lXne_WzWZXcQAVvSh3qT_r0efcaUn2RZeK0oK7KIPRL34c/s1600/strange+wooden+thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkSf3NEzKOZ_qeOPBoZKyNo9p_DjwyHZNq-IrHtz3KBiq6uPpFJuIXt5qRScktCJztJXs9y2zfUy7idkq_D1E6KQfmLqr5lXne_WzWZXcQAVvSh3qT_r0efcaUn2RZeK0oK7KIPRL34c/s400/strange+wooden+thing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strange wooden object on the corner of a street in the Jewish Ghetto</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Side Tours from Vilnius</h3>
Vilte, Adrian and I went out to visit Vilte's mother at the cottage she has bought some two hours from Vilnius. While Adrian and Vilte picked the last of the apples to be taken off the trees before her mother closes up the property until springtime I went for a birdwatching walk in the forest. Unfortunately the time of year (and day) was not well suited to seeing much and the day was overcast making it hard to see much in the canopy (though I could hear the birds) - still it was a pleasant walk in a very still and desolate forest. After visiting with Vilte's mum the three of us went to a nearby lake and a walk in the forest there (where we didn't see any birds but quite a few frogs - ranging from about an inch long to 4-5 inches - and lots of mushrooms). Photos below courtesy of Adrian.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ3ci3RrA4S7PTH7k9o-1GhKOng35LrBkKwgMczWQxWrxAvBuSG-GaDNBALv38iAUFJ2Z1Nwe41Lc6KAa64Q6cMUzhok-mbHROCGO44G3-ldd7T3oQ_IghfxOHa66hQLr0j0OW2NseSE/s1600/MRP_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ3ci3RrA4S7PTH7k9o-1GhKOng35LrBkKwgMczWQxWrxAvBuSG-GaDNBALv38iAUFJ2Z1Nwe41Lc6KAa64Q6cMUzhok-mbHROCGO44G3-ldd7T3oQ_IghfxOHa66hQLr0j0OW2NseSE/s400/MRP_11.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vilte and I in the forest (thanks for the loan of the red raincoat Vilte)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EsSWZkk18rBXQrVZvSw52Vxlijj2u-NeeBPwxbPlVKBKaMgUutsmAWOT5knAMTyhV_ONXEACW2liZ8BPlQ9GFZik3zCd1AMNZwIwZ8yDYnvF8HkBbPkwCOhjgTyG6KkT1ozcaifpV2M/s1600/MRP_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EsSWZkk18rBXQrVZvSw52Vxlijj2u-NeeBPwxbPlVKBKaMgUutsmAWOT5knAMTyhV_ONXEACW2liZ8BPlQ9GFZik3zCd1AMNZwIwZ8yDYnvF8HkBbPkwCOhjgTyG6KkT1ozcaifpV2M/s400/MRP_12.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn colours</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq97GzW2mLP0vdeAtTJ5LF47CvmkeYw3_ZvJNV5AhEyQWK7RXy_4Aa8ILmUEMJjfHqAoB9wZSEKL54QWGffEW5v9mO90aCPu4CFihA7-sSGw6go_gA3FDnAdicRrEKi8q6NlOb7Wuyo8/s1600/MRP_35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq97GzW2mLP0vdeAtTJ5LF47CvmkeYw3_ZvJNV5AhEyQWK7RXy_4Aa8ILmUEMJjfHqAoB9wZSEKL54QWGffEW5v9mO90aCPu4CFihA7-sSGw6go_gA3FDnAdicRrEKi8q6NlOb7Wuyo8/s400/MRP_35.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest against a dramatic sky (cloudy and threatening rain at the bottom but sunny at the top)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH1w0_Dq9VXPCkcXTD1m2Bx7RVnLAbEhW65VRPTakl3mU8dRWBL0CUWLfCCW48M6Fu0iu7Y7baVAHnoQlz28V23SAcoz2C11UH04Ro4-Bdc3PJzLLvnb7hLvDsFS2FtcnGmD4DXIiHs0/s1600/MRP_32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH1w0_Dq9VXPCkcXTD1m2Bx7RVnLAbEhW65VRPTakl3mU8dRWBL0CUWLfCCW48M6Fu0iu7Y7baVAHnoQlz28V23SAcoz2C11UH04Ro4-Bdc3PJzLLvnb7hLvDsFS2FtcnGmD4DXIiHs0/s400/MRP_32.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vilte and I in black and white</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLJiecem63rd2j6THyOeUD-ofdv9g_bPFYVKffWX_Pfw927bDMFxZDacGBcbYmJMw7HbQEuIXmQdO2YuQ34JQFm9KcVF4l6-vDWPkFK1mx0YUyUuFuRys6ewKpmYS0nlIuQ34RuY8pqk/s1600/MRP_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLJiecem63rd2j6THyOeUD-ofdv9g_bPFYVKffWX_Pfw927bDMFxZDacGBcbYmJMw7HbQEuIXmQdO2YuQ34JQFm9KcVF4l6-vDWPkFK1mx0YUyUuFuRys6ewKpmYS0nlIuQ34RuY8pqk/s400/MRP_21.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf litter on the forest floor</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGinY7E4NPOhixgbEKFTGZLlibzP7HBOsI5d_f6CT6nu3z25EYbWL5KcsSQrOAAjfNepUvHm3DGD6hIRY6W-hY5N7OC9zetWbKy8oeNl4qz8C97BEtwdLmjnuCzh0wVGteMPr57khX2Qw/s1600/MRP_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGinY7E4NPOhixgbEKFTGZLlibzP7HBOsI5d_f6CT6nu3z25EYbWL5KcsSQrOAAjfNepUvHm3DGD6hIRY6W-hY5N7OC9zetWbKy8oeNl4qz8C97BEtwdLmjnuCzh0wVGteMPr57khX2Qw/s400/MRP_14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFDGXaRphegS4tCdSQ9eOHjDqSMtfWq5vzqhp6-CifUUaufGXnQchzljVEE4JQAnv08A9etysa4S19HhkrFVH2DkW2rQiK7OTHPLWBIXd_gy5fD937gHwrWTZyJbHpZB2wlNyC8RXYZ8/s1600/MRP_26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFDGXaRphegS4tCdSQ9eOHjDqSMtfWq5vzqhp6-CifUUaufGXnQchzljVEE4JQAnv08A9etysa4S19HhkrFVH2DkW2rQiK7OTHPLWBIXd_gy5fD937gHwrWTZyJbHpZB2wlNyC8RXYZ8/s400/MRP_26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silvery leaves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fa2oREEBfu8KWx92Wb91o0ItW6k-Fyuw1W_4-ijmc1N962LuFNTaYgkO7aXlcLDp_MTXRgYZuSHF37csUJUYr71mAiUrTNjQJvPWux2VMRcQZ5Sek10B8qfLOc12CpGfW6BFPTxDNWA/s1600/MRP_36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fa2oREEBfu8KWx92Wb91o0ItW6k-Fyuw1W_4-ijmc1N962LuFNTaYgkO7aXlcLDp_MTXRgYZuSHF37csUJUYr71mAiUrTNjQJvPWux2VMRcQZ5Sek10B8qfLOc12CpGfW6BFPTxDNWA/s400/MRP_36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More mushrooms</td></tr>
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The other side trip we made was to the <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/multimedia/videos/the-decommissioning-of-ignalina-nuclear-power-plant" target="_blank">Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant which is being decommissioned</a> (reactors were shut down in 2004 and 2009). Ignalina, when operational, produced 1500 MW from its RBMK reactor - if that name sounds familiar it is because it is the same kind of reactor as at Chernobyl. Despite having a spotless safety record Ignalina was forced to close because of political pressure after the Chernobyl disaster. Not surprisingly, since the HBO series Chernobyl interest in Ignalina has spiked and free tours of the information center and the buildings outside the controlled area are available as well as 60 Euro tours that will take you inside the actual reactor buildings (apparently these are booked solid well into January 2020).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTCXRJybcNqcWR13dYB9kjjvSV2TBwza9EL7VU68IIs02LxQzKC6zUEpWw1qtcBpPJ5H70TuWGqN95OekGRMZDSaZyWLf9FbQmAUJxh4z4zCL2y3xPhNyKKEa1WEFg0K_VyTEqOjYa4c/s1600/72039109_3578770692149220_3229523842737111040_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1008" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTCXRJybcNqcWR13dYB9kjjvSV2TBwza9EL7VU68IIs02LxQzKC6zUEpWw1qtcBpPJ5H70TuWGqN95OekGRMZDSaZyWLf9FbQmAUJxh4z4zCL2y3xPhNyKKEa1WEFg0K_VyTEqOjYa4c/s400/72039109_3578770692149220_3229523842737111040_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building on the left (with the AE logo) seems to be where employees go in and out of the controlled area buildings - the large chimneys are for ventilation not for off-gassing of radioactive steam</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvW_nA69v2-yGLHhyvramujklQKxJoDZkCTIVGzBbpQYUmdnj0SkMMtuzIJkNQfQ12br1dgf6XD-Rc7yUbQbLWERXDMjzAJ8SQXIv2J4qB-hEOl9DU2e3WRpwoHAin5e8PIgBm3Kk3SM/s1600/72311988_2390455691203135_56879149549092864_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="754" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvW_nA69v2-yGLHhyvramujklQKxJoDZkCTIVGzBbpQYUmdnj0SkMMtuzIJkNQfQ12br1dgf6XD-Rc7yUbQbLWERXDMjzAJ8SQXIv2J4qB-hEOl9DU2e3WRpwoHAin5e8PIgBm3Kk3SM/s400/72311988_2390455691203135_56879149549092864_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of one of the chimneys</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6pOolhNWwFREKaihYzBcGq7CJx3lk5b0DveCgW0FDDTu_4OFT3ETjsCWXT10IE1Yq6QICUs5PfkulBQjJX5xBuc2qBKA5e5W44MyC6F_kjhdRi1lILFPLN9G6JV7Qg7_L-6_hpxxPnY/s1600/72320676_520864958479137_8458479880886026240_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6pOolhNWwFREKaihYzBcGq7CJx3lk5b0DveCgW0FDDTu_4OFT3ETjsCWXT10IE1Yq6QICUs5PfkulBQjJX5xBuc2qBKA5e5W44MyC6F_kjhdRi1lILFPLN9G6JV7Qg7_L-6_hpxxPnY/s400/72320676_520864958479137_8458479880886026240_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can see it was a beautiful day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHx1917521qsd9aZIcz2Lp1aeyKAGoJFG_8gZbnODqkz_nFEwFebEbhIYlmuT3-DO4SdAqs_Nl2KX0_0BB-2tErYJZaNXnxWjdM_pu1yNDUUDTrLenUhycHTuqon0G97LN9b4F2iGosA/s1600/lunch+in+canteen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="754" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHx1917521qsd9aZIcz2Lp1aeyKAGoJFG_8gZbnODqkz_nFEwFebEbhIYlmuT3-DO4SdAqs_Nl2KX0_0BB-2tErYJZaNXnxWjdM_pu1yNDUUDTrLenUhycHTuqon0G97LN9b4F2iGosA/s400/lunch+in+canteen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in the canteen</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ_98uSA-_hcB5ivSB5zGg7LDKZwxdO9OxtVlwknVFFGz2UNJGvL0R2cZUx97YGGawdOjZGhy5GyGbVSnl1AJclBnF0nrvmupFVCD3go30x1PyQRrf5X1cp_NEzBIJWOLkCVkpHnn4t8/s1600/Ignalina_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ_98uSA-_hcB5ivSB5zGg7LDKZwxdO9OxtVlwknVFFGz2UNJGvL0R2cZUx97YGGawdOjZGhy5GyGbVSnl1AJclBnF0nrvmupFVCD3go30x1PyQRrf5X1cp_NEzBIJWOLkCVkpHnn4t8/s400/Ignalina_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adrian at Ignalina</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KhoWTRuI0IF63wbro1IO_Lg20qoUzyY9GI4_k0qKICbJgWX_-q5-0rvGstML768KgBnGL_oL1npnt0SqwdPhnihfbwfVzkcj4e8JCq-edUjmQL8aY9IqSEmYfjC9KBjiMRpgQttzeBE/s1600/Ignalina_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KhoWTRuI0IF63wbro1IO_Lg20qoUzyY9GI4_k0qKICbJgWX_-q5-0rvGstML768KgBnGL_oL1npnt0SqwdPhnihfbwfVzkcj4e8JCq-edUjmQL8aY9IqSEmYfjC9KBjiMRpgQttzeBE/s400/Ignalina_10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very cool retro sign at the entry to the Ignalina Power Plant</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuVJFcAT-xnQU4YEPMKVff_9C9I6Cc_A2E8sTVxiNfj0Ay_JYMdplAyJr6sNU9znlV4QgYUSAbblzWt5pzapw3Q3lLjm1r3MOsFOmPoYu_VKQGlSoixt8MNoEvE9Gr16G5Bm_IzP0-Tc/s1600/Ignalina_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuVJFcAT-xnQU4YEPMKVff_9C9I6Cc_A2E8sTVxiNfj0Ay_JYMdplAyJr6sNU9znlV4QgYUSAbblzWt5pzapw3Q3lLjm1r3MOsFOmPoYu_VKQGlSoixt8MNoEvE9Gr16G5Bm_IzP0-Tc/s400/Ignalina_12.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting orthodox church between two apartment buildings</td></tr>
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<br />The decommissioning process is fascinating and Vilte, Adrian and I, after taking in the free tour, agreed that we would be interested in paying the 60 Euros for the internal, guided tour. Maybe next time I am in Lithuania. We ended our visit with a meal in the canteen which was extremely affordable (less than $15 for a hot lunch for three).<br />
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On our way back into Vilnius we stopped at a lookout that overlooked a nature reserve where Lithuania's current president has created controversy by building a modern house that completely encapsulates a heritage house (that apparently he was not allowed to alter in any way - though it seems he has broken the rules by building in the nature reserve in the first place). The colours of the forest were gorgeous - illegal house or no :-) .<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp150Tqn55JRk_kuuYxJuLXZECVPbx0fufj3sDGbj63meA8x7Vo3B1JXxQkzVY_37b651NJjRoqLmCx64ANPsvPX9F-n33r6FTqFj1t83_MktqKugaKb5EIxipw-03GlI5L0NeohEyzw/s1600/beautiful+fall+colour+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp150Tqn55JRk_kuuYxJuLXZECVPbx0fufj3sDGbj63meA8x7Vo3B1JXxQkzVY_37b651NJjRoqLmCx64ANPsvPX9F-n33r6FTqFj1t83_MktqKugaKb5EIxipw-03GlI5L0NeohEyzw/s400/beautiful+fall+colour+view.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dramatic fall colours</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOH2TdVKFYU0yMWmbmdmht5T8xwqAnpwU7lOA1fyoSMgqHNM-CuBh2LMBa9Nr-CLnORV0NVx-qvxmA3Cz3R0Bk6cO399KsCfzPLqAhpdBkMBtnOb26k-qbXG_AFhVhfuWXwCcqDFpEI10/s1600/fall+colours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOH2TdVKFYU0yMWmbmdmht5T8xwqAnpwU7lOA1fyoSMgqHNM-CuBh2LMBa9Nr-CLnORV0NVx-qvxmA3Cz3R0Bk6cO399KsCfzPLqAhpdBkMBtnOb26k-qbXG_AFhVhfuWXwCcqDFpEI10/s640/fall+colours.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President's house is the black square one roughly in the centre of the photo </td></tr>
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The rest of my time in Lithuania was spent going to as many churches as I could manage (according to one of the walking tour guides Vilnius has 28 churches in the old city alone - I think I made it to about 16) and a couple of museums that I hadn't made it to on the 3-day card that I thought were worthwhile. Speaking of museums I highly recommend the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Grand_Dukes_of_Lithuania" target="_blank">Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania</a> and the <a href="http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/what-to-see/top-20/genocide-victims-kgb/" target="_blank">KGB Museum</a> (desperately sad and horrifying but important to understanding Lithuania's history - note that KGB Museum is no longer its official name but is the one everybody knows it by). In both these places get the audio guide which costs a little extra but is definitely worth it.<br />
<br />
Vilte and Adrian were off to the UK for a wedding a day before I was to leave Vilnius and so we got together for lunch on Wednesday (October 2nd) at the hipster <a href="http://downtown.lt/" target="_blank">Downtown Food Hall</a>. I spent the next day and a half visiting churches and wandering around taking in the ambiance before I had to leave the continent and return to London for a last few days of hedonism before returning to Canada.<br />
<br />
On Friday October 4th I hopped on the #88 bus for the less than 15-minute trip to the airport for my first experience flying with RyanAir (I had already given away a bunch of stuff from my checked bag to get it down to 10kg). Despite being nervous about whether the bag I was taking as hand luggage was too large and my checked bag being 200 grams too heavy everything went fine (though it did seem I had materialized - as if beamed down from the Starship Enterprise - within Lithuania as my passport had no record of when and where I had entered the <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/schengen-area" target="_blank">Schengen Area</a>). Now when I look at this <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/schengen-area" target="_blank">Canadian government page</a> I see that is is important that I should have had my passport stamped - presumably when I entered into France at Calais on the bus from London - but as far as I know nobody on board the bus had this done. Oh well, the Lithuanian authorities let me out of Lithuania (presumably they had no problem with letting me leave) but if I travel by bus again I will try to figure out how to get a stamp.<br />
<br />
More to come on the next entry which will describe my last few days of this trip in London as well as the journey back to Victoria.</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-45383806971455831952019-10-08T15:42:00.000-07:002019-10-08T15:42:13.854-07:00A weekend in Rotterdam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Three of my classmates from Sweden had been planning a weekend away together for some time and I was lucky that it coincided with my trip and that they invited me along. This gave me the chance to catch up with a classmate that I hadn't seen since our graduation in Sweden (2014) as well as the opportunity to see another city on my 'European Tour'.<br />
<br />
Our time in Rotterdam was brief but left a positive impression though there is no denying that it is a pretty expensive destination. We had a short visit - arriving in the afternoon on Friday (September 13) and leaving around 2 pm on the Sunday (September 15). Our major touristy activity was taking advantage of a free walking tour that lasted 3 hours (versus the promised two) which may have been too long for some but suited me fine.<br />
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Here are some of the things we saw while walking around on our own before the tour started.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV2E8WCUNyfU7bjw3yM4I5gt4nfx3mGtkRPvH3wf6NP-_G3-xA9d_gJp43XBWCjd9oE0ycwNXQu6N0lNZrCW2ESWsx9_olOFq8X6jvpvmhQngrpPlDK7q7TZkQQezU9j7LcrhuA2zRvE/s1600/more+rotterdam+skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV2E8WCUNyfU7bjw3yM4I5gt4nfx3mGtkRPvH3wf6NP-_G3-xA9d_gJp43XBWCjd9oE0ycwNXQu6N0lNZrCW2ESWsx9_olOFq8X6jvpvmhQngrpPlDK7q7TZkQQezU9j7LcrhuA2zRvE/s400/more+rotterdam+skyline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The block-ish building on the left is called The Rotterdam and the building on the right (above the red building) is the Erasmus Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvENFNeZrUCTWU6kLcLzofVuprMNdcoAgsO_l4qeD9GlPN4RjrJ1OHyXLzaOVm6Fq6GOloEABG2BGzxZ3uLhFgSw2wPz1suLXAYNjok59GLJPuQxsRtiFozaP9XCrZ49YLbm30-gatCU4/s1600/rotterdam+skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvENFNeZrUCTWU6kLcLzofVuprMNdcoAgsO_l4qeD9GlPN4RjrJ1OHyXLzaOVm6Fq6GOloEABG2BGzxZ3uLhFgSw2wPz1suLXAYNjok59GLJPuQxsRtiFozaP9XCrZ49YLbm30-gatCU4/s400/rotterdam+skyline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the skyline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA03rKxzlHYJVgVzS6LRk682mTTEwQ-TG6Osbu-fhqU_B40__L1-83R-bddkynzzsiB5TKBn6etGN-PY8FSEVhj4Fjna1Q8DCz9RfA8QlDVZyKZgP5LVRUpdrUSJu1TIT-buK8fTnguE/s1600/us+girls+in+rotterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA03rKxzlHYJVgVzS6LRk682mTTEwQ-TG6Osbu-fhqU_B40__L1-83R-bddkynzzsiB5TKBn6etGN-PY8FSEVhj4Fjna1Q8DCz9RfA8QlDVZyKZgP5LVRUpdrUSJu1TIT-buK8fTnguE/s400/us+girls+in+rotterdam.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classmates enjoying the sunshine (and some birds and a guy that photobombed us) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujN_M0ZhPuwbqbQdFV-VmBlLBrsAxQefuY7rMvSrok-0UCQa7Nf2Uf5Coc7DnMQKqu32gTcG8e63nXQFQy_UMuPHHeyikhhDj4PupUUKBHTYTaAJjLgVDaKeSHotyjS4wN9YGGcWaHqY/s1600/rotterdam+street+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujN_M0ZhPuwbqbQdFV-VmBlLBrsAxQefuY7rMvSrok-0UCQa7Nf2Uf5Coc7DnMQKqu32gTcG8e63nXQFQy_UMuPHHeyikhhDj4PupUUKBHTYTaAJjLgVDaKeSHotyjS4wN9YGGcWaHqY/s400/rotterdam+street+scene.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street scene - lots of opportunities to eat and drink outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy_cqhiHaFilNtH_gzGpSAXvp7fsZmodOOCBuDa1GnJDeW-Icmt1Qg2s9aGj-GFpOGGIzmVYFykvIVTsOexYULlY5ZAs1v1asPvj6tHewXBfRBVG04DxGtQSHjvmbEVkcKMORoCJkDB0/s1600/building+detail+rotterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy_cqhiHaFilNtH_gzGpSAXvp7fsZmodOOCBuDa1GnJDeW-Icmt1Qg2s9aGj-GFpOGGIzmVYFykvIVTsOexYULlY5ZAs1v1asPvj6tHewXBfRBVG04DxGtQSHjvmbEVkcKMORoCJkDB0/s400/building+detail+rotterdam.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful detail on building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSSga1BdnVPY-46SqhM4nRR5bFedMnrgNO4hvsdk0D8CF0aBfoJXXwt9niMvUHjDC1tSUt0AiJpbDYJfL5imA7aScPYBtW-ZVc_o7W-I_qjog5LZ1vTBzWXx30MCaHnqdH4FOxV3vp6g/s1600/rotterdam+architecture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSSga1BdnVPY-46SqhM4nRR5bFedMnrgNO4hvsdk0D8CF0aBfoJXXwt9niMvUHjDC1tSUt0AiJpbDYJfL5imA7aScPYBtW-ZVc_o7W-I_qjog5LZ1vTBzWXx30MCaHnqdH4FOxV3vp6g/s400/rotterdam+architecture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting architecture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Hg4cjLyFR0AIwPCV0X4F46cs3FXD2pBqLjbdUY_sga5qtp4kIsJZb611Q4WVLHwPBwprMCXJw2sqyKYrVtdfPvEDDuODt-HOqUxj5DEAPyi5MMPCQRo6PWtzTucVTLQhTCF9ddIeck/s1600/st+paul+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Hg4cjLyFR0AIwPCV0X4F46cs3FXD2pBqLjbdUY_sga5qtp4kIsJZb611Q4WVLHwPBwprMCXJw2sqyKYrVtdfPvEDDuODt-HOqUxj5DEAPyi5MMPCQRo6PWtzTucVTLQhTCF9ddIeck/s400/st+paul+church.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Paul's Church - apparently it is supposed to resemble/represent a diamond</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Seen on the Tour</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I754nJCrD_9ezCHh9FgK9sC7IcUjC8NunH-D9udmgkhjbIB0f20gt9dLUT4xdw8TrGs87CZmNrO-CGBjJUskKyIvYKgZ-NpIkq0l-BId_pEm4Nn9oxcrrJyemaF9ub3rwBe4d1IbZfA/s1600/cubehouses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I754nJCrD_9ezCHh9FgK9sC7IcUjC8NunH-D9udmgkhjbIB0f20gt9dLUT4xdw8TrGs87CZmNrO-CGBjJUskKyIvYKgZ-NpIkq0l-BId_pEm4Nn9oxcrrJyemaF9ub3rwBe4d1IbZfA/s400/cubehouses.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotterdam's famous 'cube houses'</td></tr>
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As our tour guide (Peter) was quick to point out Rotterdam has a long and quite proud history of copying what other places have done. The <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cube-house" target="_blank">cube houses</a> are a good example - they may have been partially inspired by the cube houses of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67" target="_blank">Habitat 67 in Montreal</a> and definitely were based on earlier cube houses built in the Dutch city of Helmond.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfa_V8R7tHAHLuInhJvYv53BQsRxkpePdNRy2Qx9jht3_2AbLPXQE4YcNiSXD591i5DKaJVXu5ioNdy08LKYcXulBp_35K6q_3G5yUSsnbdhGRtWqfV-scZfM6IgmTqAgEj1j-fCtfuM/s1600/detail+on+the+whitehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfa_V8R7tHAHLuInhJvYv53BQsRxkpePdNRy2Qx9jht3_2AbLPXQE4YcNiSXD591i5DKaJVXu5ioNdy08LKYcXulBp_35K6q_3G5yUSsnbdhGRtWqfV-scZfM6IgmTqAgEj1j-fCtfuM/s400/detail+on+the+whitehouse.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotterdam's White House is a privately owned building with some lovely statuary</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witte_Huis" target="_blank">Witte Huis</a> (White House) was built in 1898 and at one time was Europe's tallest building.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEMRH1tl5V9Dzed7A58MbxBWfLILZMfg8h2wP6_AYdkS-ULQHgsb36_CxNMiAe1rHJR3vA0KzpH_69tU39x1ES9JOXneX5IEBWhoomt-kfuLqg5Nd3q8Yf1HAt42B2gpZnHuBFiT4WnA/s1600/more+stained+glass+in+city+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEMRH1tl5V9Dzed7A58MbxBWfLILZMfg8h2wP6_AYdkS-ULQHgsb36_CxNMiAe1rHJR3vA0KzpH_69tU39x1ES9JOXneX5IEBWhoomt-kfuLqg5Nd3q8Yf1HAt42B2gpZnHuBFiT4WnA/s400/more+stained+glass+in+city+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stained Glass inside the City Hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1GSZWjhbRKVj36PwkIDyrgtPKiZaZW2k2GCcnyHotnfC9IXjjvIHaCaxAxJWIHZY4gl0g5RH9WY0KadO1JWoHxWIPcZyUuw6_xNSzedvoddWOwM4IFPWgMooobS3nqgdM95Z6-IVFlU/s1600/statue+in+city+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1GSZWjhbRKVj36PwkIDyrgtPKiZaZW2k2GCcnyHotnfC9IXjjvIHaCaxAxJWIHZY4gl0g5RH9WY0KadO1JWoHxWIPcZyUuw6_xNSzedvoddWOwM4IFPWgMooobS3nqgdM95Z6-IVFlU/s400/statue+in+city+hall.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The City Hall had several pieces of sculpture</td></tr>
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We were lucky that our Saturday tour coincided with 'Open Monument Days' and so we went inside City Hall which is usually closed on a Saturday and only viewable from the outside then. Not only did we get to use the extremely elegant toilets but we enjoyed free coffee, tea and cookies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IeDdjfyjBcrH0VjzYzhaTn64El6b5JhfnDcdSyzRdunMfoppKcUdRucX2RECWlRQcwGndbjdy75bJJErGERE4ALMLDG6IXZCxPcrU4TkG61I1qbV0nxoTZNrnvroctaMk806FzrliLc/s1600/santa+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IeDdjfyjBcrH0VjzYzhaTn64El6b5JhfnDcdSyzRdunMfoppKcUdRucX2RECWlRQcwGndbjdy75bJJErGERE4ALMLDG6IXZCxPcrU4TkG61I1qbV0nxoTZNrnvroctaMk806FzrliLc/s400/santa+statue.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Currently Rotterdam's most (in)famous piece of public art - it's Santa with a Christmas tree (obviously) - what do you see?</td></tr>
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We had a lot of laughs, some good discussions about where our separate lives have gone since graduation, a good dinner at a bustling middle Eastern restaurant and enjoyed some tasty take-out in the pretty garden of the Air BnB. All too soon it was time to leave but I hope we might do something similar in another city with more classmates invited in the future.
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A final couple of pictures - as it was open monuments day on the Sunday too I got a peek inside the Royal Waiting Room at Amsterdam Central train station (which I passed through on my way back to Bielefeld) where members of the Royal Family of Netherlands waited for trains (rather than mixing with the hoi polloi I presume). Unfortunately I did not have time to stay for the tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXCLSOxgZylbMp_7nSKew68_MVtKYUqclLXSL1rO7oqyfNEFXQHSZbEWnbsLs3RqBfoHtXFwQ1FJ7tVX-Dbj1RBEAgGhL0FVPPp_wXl_0udrVV2NYUBLNX-dkBiB_fk5uhbuHLBulC6I/s1600/amsterdam+royal+waiting+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXCLSOxgZylbMp_7nSKew68_MVtKYUqclLXSL1rO7oqyfNEFXQHSZbEWnbsLs3RqBfoHtXFwQ1FJ7tVX-Dbj1RBEAgGhL0FVPPp_wXl_0udrVV2NYUBLNX-dkBiB_fk5uhbuHLBulC6I/s400/amsterdam+royal+waiting+room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of the waiting room with loads of beautiful wood paneling and stained glass galore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgtAbXtEp7xbapchRondzwBxL_oWKWWzx2lCGUgae1uqlgpHBCuLJjJgNwe9yHot6TSou-criG9eKDwkC_KIL_smLPIc8uQoYdN3j1QvqH8uN0FKVJ3bH_Uba_RqrG2qOX1tLB2mbmo8/s1600/entrance+to+royal+waiting+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgtAbXtEp7xbapchRondzwBxL_oWKWWzx2lCGUgae1uqlgpHBCuLJjJgNwe9yHot6TSou-criG9eKDwkC_KIL_smLPIc8uQoYdN3j1QvqH8uN0FKVJ3bH_Uba_RqrG2qOX1tLB2mbmo8/s400/entrance+to+royal+waiting+room.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imposing entrance to the Royal Waiting Room</td></tr>
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-50995969505869354272019-10-04T04:54:00.000-07:002019-10-08T13:21:20.971-07:00Bielefeld, Germany - Part 2: Beautiful Bielefeld<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Yes, Virginia, <a href="https://www.thelocal.de/20190823/why-is-germanys-bielefeld-offering-1-million-to-anyone-who-proves-it-doesnt-exist" target="_blank">there is a Bielefeld</a></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgwOKEeyEWU-iDf8pMaDnOFNip3Zg5lctvpxEsQotJZkGKuFaQr6xg0RBLYQ59g9fZTlMrtTPwAFc0W2eNRrSGwgrC8bP_904RCx76FlRgFLCcpadL6L87DezI9x-VLQW6cxvoda34wg/s1600/old+houses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgwOKEeyEWU-iDf8pMaDnOFNip3Zg5lctvpxEsQotJZkGKuFaQr6xg0RBLYQ59g9fZTlMrtTPwAFc0W2eNRrSGwgrC8bP_904RCx76FlRgFLCcpadL6L87DezI9x-VLQW6cxvoda34wg/s400/old+houses.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old houses (19th and 18th century) in the historic part of downtown</td></tr>
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If you Google Bielefeld you will find that there is a 25-year-old conspiracy theory disputing the very existence of the place. Well, I won't be applying for the 1 million Euro reward since I definitely cannot claim that it is non-existent after spending an exceedingly enjoyable 12 days there.<br />
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Bielefeld has a population of about 330,000 - a significant portion of which are students that attend the University of Bielefeld (whose claim(s) to fame I will get to later). It is a leafy, calm and rather bucolic place with some major industries (Dr. Oetker, Miele), a significant profile in academia and a relaxed yet industrious feel to it.<br />
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Almost immediately after arriving I learned about this fantastic tourism deal - a card that would get me free entrance to a number of museums and also give me unlimited transit on the city's buses and trams - all for just €13 (a real bargain considering a single ticket on transit that was good for 90 minutes cost €2.80). More about that later.<br />
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My classmate Diana lives there with her partner Jens (who also studied in Uppsala though not in our faculty). Diana is employed as a research assistant at the University and is also working on her PhD while Jens is works mostly remotely for an IT company but goes once a month for a few days to be on-site with the company (which is located in his home town).<br />
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For the first couple of days I let Diana march me around the city (she seems congenitally unable to walk slowly but I do have the advantage of probably 8 inches in height on her so this pace works for me) and show me the university and the abundance of green spaces that make it possible to get to many destinations with very little time spent on busy streets. After I got kind of oriented and she went back to work I wandered around on my own discovering the all important items I look for in every place I visit (free toilets, reasonably priced and reasonably good coffee)<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
University of Bielefeld</h3>
This university has a couple of claims to fame - one of being the second largest building (in terms of square footage) in Europe, second only to the Romanian Parliament Buildings (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament" target="_blank">Palace of the Parliament</a>), and the other of being the 'ugliest university in Europe'. It is a typical Soviet era building (the university is just about to celebrate its 50th birthday) and does indeed seem somewhat cavernous and unwelcoming but I found it to have its own kind of charm.<br />
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There was also some rather interesting art on its walls as well as a variety of services not readily available at the University of Victoria (for example) such as being able to buy wine and organic fruit and vegetables. Very helpful and convenient if you don't have time after class to go to a shop on your way home to buy ingredients or wine for dinner. Feel free to form your own opinion based on some photos below (or better still consider a visit to Bielefeld to find out for yourself).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2H6vu_EBQYB_BXZ9T9-C6le1pHEyg_G-Fpi6scIQgWnx2E6VtoIsDxf7E52ESGEoFxS5MTxnKPzzjze_e8azWG6IwEXnhwdurk4v2Xn3HU9p9ysNuUlzzxkmizhxYwROBPrqy8WrP_E/s1600/dianas+uni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2H6vu_EBQYB_BXZ9T9-C6le1pHEyg_G-Fpi6scIQgWnx2E6VtoIsDxf7E52ESGEoFxS5MTxnKPzzjze_e8azWG6IwEXnhwdurk4v2Xn3HU9p9ysNuUlzzxkmizhxYwROBPrqy8WrP_E/s400/dianas+uni.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a small part of the overall university building - which basically is a large central hall with various wings (two shown here on each side) coming off of it on both sides</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The central hall has the feel of a gymnasium combined with a massive train station hall with higher levels having narrow corridors around the edges. This photo doesn't capture it but gives you an idea of how it looks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JCk87bDS4EE0aNWQyTafOXY2SRbEUZYyyGuEcBEA0SbweUWo_JJlcCQs-bBjtA_6mbWpkzXXiBIk8NAin4blf3-739wLZaEw2LpvgEnzWAtza8jH-uGgmF8HgMLZ2O8o59i_pPlYcvg/s1600/view+of+uni+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JCk87bDS4EE0aNWQyTafOXY2SRbEUZYyyGuEcBEA0SbweUWo_JJlcCQs-bBjtA_6mbWpkzXXiBIk8NAin4blf3-739wLZaEw2LpvgEnzWAtza8jH-uGgmF8HgMLZ2O8o59i_pPlYcvg/s400/view+of+uni+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTjhpiLUyHyVutK1lSUZM2dw8a-C7DPR7Sa_vcqcYIbzwUwcjuxo-FLO4qDFteeNIvhvmkcv12n4LV0cGquFv41oTrimhrMBHj54aUkrUkA9JXUiUeaNyKUBVGj7TI1X5yqu5qBRzbdk/s1600/more+uni+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTjhpiLUyHyVutK1lSUZM2dw8a-C7DPR7Sa_vcqcYIbzwUwcjuxo-FLO4qDFteeNIvhvmkcv12n4LV0cGquFv41oTrimhrMBHj54aUkrUkA9JXUiUeaNyKUBVGj7TI1X5yqu5qBRzbdk/s400/more+uni+photos.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor seating - probably much more heavily populated in warmer weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0v3-aZNeXAfWRtbVD8DtiogdOYSHZOGDkwTP2ZzHzneENMMBJoxb_NTIbgHYUbQ1u_6x5ad9iv02SFmR_vtiCiakIcVzX7e3KwNpuYnScxcnW4UyMnqukTDip3TIfRCwGNyUQEdGP8s/s1600/depressing+painting+uni+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0v3-aZNeXAfWRtbVD8DtiogdOYSHZOGDkwTP2ZzHzneENMMBJoxb_NTIbgHYUbQ1u_6x5ad9iv02SFmR_vtiCiakIcVzX7e3KwNpuYnScxcnW4UyMnqukTDip3TIfRCwGNyUQEdGP8s/s400/depressing+painting+uni+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rather depressing painting (a reference to the Titanic or just the state of the world?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvfWmuucC1_WBp7Yg4hc_tXyG5HaHOtdbR1EN-QLzHAhXI9xlRuOToOZI4RJiOVjeBMzp9Agqiovu5v-ioNHiZWAbjZ_Ox5Of9aMlZ7FjmYSYmBlDo75gGY2L-mFb7CoagvHBDQz2tVU/s1600/more+uni+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvfWmuucC1_WBp7Yg4hc_tXyG5HaHOtdbR1EN-QLzHAhXI9xlRuOToOZI4RJiOVjeBMzp9Agqiovu5v-ioNHiZWAbjZ_Ox5Of9aMlZ7FjmYSYmBlDo75gGY2L-mFb7CoagvHBDQz2tVU/s400/more+uni+graffiti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0-54fG9WogjNvXo_GDNWhMiAipQwQtyV5iOtHLEnPkJgGxYQlddtto7P1JplIT8PpucgipvUjF-6mt4XwdQJYgmDiPyCo3zVpKI1czLYqgddhbWIWUTWwn3W2AeDp1PoieQIojlKhSc/s1600/lobster+detail+in+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0-54fG9WogjNvXo_GDNWhMiAipQwQtyV5iOtHLEnPkJgGxYQlddtto7P1JplIT8PpucgipvUjF-6mt4XwdQJYgmDiPyCo3zVpKI1czLYqgddhbWIWUTWwn3W2AeDp1PoieQIojlKhSc/s400/lobster+detail+in+graffiti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster detail of the graffiti shown in previous photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTJ8xNEyGb6KZVUfl7PEiqS4BjBptRFaryV2Twcsh5ceGuqYOHpwuTb_15t-J81N34irnLjqs0IACvp7tBW5GhCU9J8ubxuZdJoo7B5NIG0xvgN7bJ0eEBwQp4JctSBr5woq8pqienrY/s1600/red+uni+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1350" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTJ8xNEyGb6KZVUfl7PEiqS4BjBptRFaryV2Twcsh5ceGuqYOHpwuTb_15t-J81N34irnLjqs0IACvp7tBW5GhCU9J8ubxuZdJoo7B5NIG0xvgN7bJ0eEBwQp4JctSBr5woq8pqienrY/s400/red+uni+graffiti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another piece of graffiti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIwSLwh6unJ5BI2G9rq_XS-b_2jPruQz_J_Gd-fdF6f2jh9tcB6Gpiyfjf-0i1DKqHHHFXywi9f1L7NmWowxeXxiDyt_mb_O1P3Czc002Pc79xD4l_eo000TjQZz9CYDgiYUEBW3j1aY/s1600/uni+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIwSLwh6unJ5BI2G9rq_XS-b_2jPruQz_J_Gd-fdF6f2jh9tcB6Gpiyfjf-0i1DKqHHHFXywi9f1L7NmWowxeXxiDyt_mb_O1P3Czc002Pc79xD4l_eo000TjQZz9CYDgiYUEBW3j1aY/s400/uni+graffiti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor graffiti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Out and About in Bielefeld</h3>
Unlike Vilnius (undoubtably because Vilnius is much more of a tourist destination) very few of the museums have written information in English nor do they have audio guides. Despite this I enjoyed my visits to several museums which allowed me to get visual impressions of the city, its history and its artistic foundations even if I could not always understand the captioning and explanations that accompanied objects.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Farmhouse Museum</h4>
This museum was the exception in that it had a quite helpful printed guide in English. It was lovely and informative and gave an excellent primer into the history of rural inhabitants of the Bielefeld region.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhJ-RPA5fWV9QDgdOr7lYBEMRTpektEuP8-Aj2fgNPDdkmBrD-VSQCjSnRuzQEt5bqBBp7Q8KRDlWZ8STqOq4_H_PkSDz5gXojSQRCdYw4O4mW8CJP0ZgRSyHrsuvP7taGEkyhbjQRuc/s1600/detail+of+bed+in+farmhouse+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhJ-RPA5fWV9QDgdOr7lYBEMRTpektEuP8-Aj2fgNPDdkmBrD-VSQCjSnRuzQEt5bqBBp7Q8KRDlWZ8STqOq4_H_PkSDz5gXojSQRCdYw4O4mW8CJP0ZgRSyHrsuvP7taGEkyhbjQRuc/s400/detail+of+bed+in+farmhouse+museum.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the fancy canopy bed, that I presume was part of the marriage/wedding night </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVMiIgrU3xp9tbOy6mrH_9QnxPRQY4n0gIUoP3ytDjJJZn2xfu0Hr07xrc1Q4F1iRcCLOU5S5hfli9vxZiu_cAa02rf0AgYXdwKrt07HWr6f8lTClMMOfOWQY_tp68FJqNoqJZUUmFxY/s1600/dresser+in+farmhouse+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVMiIgrU3xp9tbOy6mrH_9QnxPRQY4n0gIUoP3ytDjJJZn2xfu0Hr07xrc1Q4F1iRcCLOU5S5hfli9vxZiu_cAa02rf0AgYXdwKrt07HWr6f8lTClMMOfOWQY_tp68FJqNoqJZUUmFxY/s400/dresser+in+farmhouse+museum.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dresser in the farmhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Old City Hall</h4>
The old City Hall (rathaus) which is under renovation and so unfortunately could not be toured has some lovely architectural details as do many of the houses about the town.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlh2bCbSgL1sAEBDT1JpzHdyebSqL2cpnkSdUugSXF1xaVjHxnxoaOjsJBGERAvmANFkQ7cQmzbQW1oioxfEZYmN-tJJOMvOmjnlHuT7Nk4sHtO5fMKRNP6fnz_QjMSSlwjtDlNel9ys/s1600/another+head+on+old+rathaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlh2bCbSgL1sAEBDT1JpzHdyebSqL2cpnkSdUugSXF1xaVjHxnxoaOjsJBGERAvmANFkQ7cQmzbQW1oioxfEZYmN-tJJOMvOmjnlHuT7Nk4sHtO5fMKRNP6fnz_QjMSSlwjtDlNel9ys/s400/another+head+on+old+rathaus.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scowling (protesting city hall?) face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8iwJV2fx1xnqyUYUAawUczCCTs1n_3lbUXC1g4vOJoJuAU_DZ0FchNbLNuUyivaz2-lsHbuILn3ZqsD05VolwZSXOo5jlD9ZGAhJ6ttCwoed2uauU9SSOBU4Jt3W-CGN1pGy4A7RwJo/s1600/head+on+the+old+rathaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8iwJV2fx1xnqyUYUAawUczCCTs1n_3lbUXC1g4vOJoJuAU_DZ0FchNbLNuUyivaz2-lsHbuILn3ZqsD05VolwZSXOo5jlD9ZGAhJ6ttCwoed2uauU9SSOBU4Jt3W-CGN1pGy4A7RwJo/s400/head+on+the+old+rathaus.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">happier looking face (well-paid city employee?)</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgpmtT9-6DJtnMvk9iTAFtrFUu7d4UXFTG1KJEULV2sJEnzWrZfZw8phEkeqGNTZTc5wl4xumwlxZfWMwAdojr7iUoyLNjbGzSQXvkkxLIfGfDvx7ZiiMpBFmnd1LlgAi_tk101FTKww/s1600/owl+on+rathaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgpmtT9-6DJtnMvk9iTAFtrFUu7d4UXFTG1KJEULV2sJEnzWrZfZw8phEkeqGNTZTc5wl4xumwlxZfWMwAdojr7iUoyLNjbGzSQXvkkxLIfGfDvx7ZiiMpBFmnd1LlgAi_tk101FTKww/s400/owl+on+rathaus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owl and face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6lVltoXms4Z0tZNeYdnR3RZijX4LPofQ66wKi-EnlL6_trJwqVXOt1MZzqJ5BnTm3XgPZkbo6ykH6Nt6OgrCayU792ca2kGLJsdW5YqgLfNCk5X6lX76R75cd_F9w1HT3Y3ZxS38vTY/s1600/pan+on+the+rathaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6lVltoXms4Z0tZNeYdnR3RZijX4LPofQ66wKi-EnlL6_trJwqVXOt1MZzqJ5BnTm3XgPZkbo6ykH6Nt6OgrCayU792ca2kGLJsdW5YqgLfNCk5X6lX76R75cd_F9w1HT3Y3ZxS38vTY/s400/pan+on+the+rathaus.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan (?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeecyQdlEl2R9_leT25xe8toeWLZQgkgAcda_67Cn4kGJ9M37hvLHlCDlZIruMCg0hXxEtfB4Vkl0R1bnFNrOOKR83ZrW5GnzKVTXOT9A3baKMQ-5Z6TqnGXnD6Vfs0x4EsZ8RBvYmy0/s1600/window+on+the+rathaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeecyQdlEl2R9_leT25xe8toeWLZQgkgAcda_67Cn4kGJ9M37hvLHlCDlZIruMCg0hXxEtfB4Vkl0R1bnFNrOOKR83ZrW5GnzKVTXOT9A3baKMQ-5Z6TqnGXnD6Vfs0x4EsZ8RBvYmy0/s400/window+on+the+rathaus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window and archway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Houses and Art</h4>
During my wandering (both with and without Diana) I came across beautiful houses and pieces of public art. Here's a small sample of what I found on my ambling.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblV2BWHifrwX6yw86SS2TEQX3j-nbcPNmtqYonRL1Cep7QF8gKLbYHTaHyzJi61qtT9ciEg063gPPQ7Iqa93tPq7VPh6mD1DqFJIaj0rOBHzMlX4Lh-ygt5_JM-gqBGBfSInxdTP9zz8/s1600/bigger+house+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblV2BWHifrwX6yw86SS2TEQX3j-nbcPNmtqYonRL1Cep7QF8gKLbYHTaHyzJi61qtT9ciEg063gPPQ7Iqa93tPq7VPh6mD1DqFJIaj0rOBHzMlX4Lh-ygt5_JM-gqBGBfSInxdTP9zz8/s400/bigger+house+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House that caught my eye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFaork0L5dY95YaNUhF0DGCN87H96wleZNzf2BQTdwO_Bpsop5DC4ZOYtfi0aJx_w9JWdL6HRr8Twp8ZbOG1JIydocY43-81VvLwo-9Zjdb3K9wbildAA8X96aAXxqXMbOee-TekB6Ys/s1600/detail+on+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFaork0L5dY95YaNUhF0DGCN87H96wleZNzf2BQTdwO_Bpsop5DC4ZOYtfi0aJx_w9JWdL6HRr8Twp8ZbOG1JIydocY43-81VvLwo-9Zjdb3K9wbildAA8X96aAXxqXMbOee-TekB6Ys/s400/detail+on+house.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail from the house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsI1hW3JCR94vlfl-TF4_xkr-aBginulsJEc-IB4ROBzrNV0ioW_X2YGLk9a0bMHVmn0UBPa3RpNA-oMqAviaQ9Cz7n2mmOWzenpjmQimGGeGZSGjyo3BWc8XEEN9hnToA50JKR_SFMs/s1600/house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsI1hW3JCR94vlfl-TF4_xkr-aBginulsJEc-IB4ROBzrNV0ioW_X2YGLk9a0bMHVmn0UBPa3RpNA-oMqAviaQ9Cz7n2mmOWzenpjmQimGGeGZSGjyo3BWc8XEEN9hnToA50JKR_SFMs/s400/house.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another attractive house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7ZrXuHCgISYVKY7JX6SFOR0q5nGj30O3U8-6MCzpmfRB6r8SMD7Y-cAv7dCHoXc_W2mAcxph_WNZTiXTsq8khs-rJalOTblZLH63tNYNwpRWipYPgO2H05nb117S0aG_1g1nND497tk/s1600/random+sculpture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7ZrXuHCgISYVKY7JX6SFOR0q5nGj30O3U8-6MCzpmfRB6r8SMD7Y-cAv7dCHoXc_W2mAcxph_WNZTiXTsq8khs-rJalOTblZLH63tNYNwpRWipYPgO2H05nb117S0aG_1g1nND497tk/s400/random+sculpture.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacchus maybe?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR5wDgFDDoHBIZNw0nRNdhGJf-bYMkVEQaEIdzK2YIKBuRZ3SZH3H65LA4gmJG9dcR2BA2t4omGoXyV7FRYGxVU8I8gJL-3XAEx7tsowJDmaiV4jfUR1i87mgh9jBrGn7SNajfByXpMg/s1600/sculpture+st+judocus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR5wDgFDDoHBIZNw0nRNdhGJf-bYMkVEQaEIdzK2YIKBuRZ3SZH3H65LA4gmJG9dcR2BA2t4omGoXyV7FRYGxVU8I8gJL-3XAEx7tsowJDmaiV4jfUR1i87mgh9jBrGn7SNajfByXpMg/s400/sculpture+st+judocus.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture outside St. Jodokus (Diana told me the artist was a woman)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uXQVSOpFW5P9-udju8TGlM1qa9rOVEmZ7obu-659l94PPJANk1lQnAENsjPJ7mZTbWcPSVSqh3cydDgf7zcfkwOm8KzrObHPNXG2q2RsFsbwvG5uGeGtlaOPxdhyphenhyphen8UZMbGqyYQ5I3Is/s1600/cafe+with+meissen+tiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uXQVSOpFW5P9-udju8TGlM1qa9rOVEmZ7obu-659l94PPJANk1lQnAENsjPJ7mZTbWcPSVSqh3cydDgf7zcfkwOm8KzrObHPNXG2q2RsFsbwvG5uGeGtlaOPxdhyphenhyphen8UZMbGqyYQ5I3Is/s400/cafe+with+meissen+tiles.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous green Meissen tiles on a cafe</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QSom3NIV9aKYPQerhr0PALfsclP9xpqtuEHx-ELVtOh_xB7AZoDCGW95nJ-xBahftU33mr4_JUyJ20s9rXF8CrDURD9U22sXO89tt1kbKpqx6F7Oh6dWDSoi9g8ZeKn8JLPr3Tv_HXI/s1600/interior+cafe+knigge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QSom3NIV9aKYPQerhr0PALfsclP9xpqtuEHx-ELVtOh_xB7AZoDCGW95nJ-xBahftU33mr4_JUyJ20s9rXF8CrDURD9U22sXO89tt1kbKpqx6F7Oh6dWDSoi9g8ZeKn8JLPr3Tv_HXI/s400/interior+cafe+knigge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy interior of a place Diana and I stopped for coffee and a treat (Cafe Knygge)</td></tr>
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<br />
In no particular order here are some other things I enjoyed during my time in Bielefeld:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>riding all of the tram lines (except for one that is being replaced by bus service on one spur) from end to end and just observing the city around me</li>
<li>the art museum (<a href="https://www.kunsthalle-bielefeld.de/?lang=en" target="_blank">Kunsthalle</a>) - free admission with the tourist card - and with works by Picasso and supposedly Yoko Ono (though I could not find any of the latter)</li>
<li>the Bielefeld History Museum which although it had no information in English was still intriguing because of its innovative way of presenting artifacts</li>
<li>a couple of hours spent wandering around the lake north of the city (Oversee) where I saw quite a few birds and enjoyed the sparkle of sunshine on water</li>
<li>the visit Diana and I paid to <a href="http://www.bielefeld.de/de/un/tpo/" target="_blank">Bielefeld's zoo</a> where we saw birds, mammals and lots of happy parents and kids (human not animal)</li>
<li>while Jens was away visiting his parents Diana and I watched quite a bit of TV including Mr. Robot (dark and more than a little disturbing) and the Minions movie (hilarious!)</li>
</ul>
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In the middle of my time in Bielefeld Diana and I went to Rotterdam to meet up with two other classmates from our studies in Sweden for a weekend. That is featured in its own post.<br />
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All too quickly it was time to bid farewell to Bielefeld. I was filled with trepidation at the thought of a bus trip from Bielefeld to Vilnius, Lithuania after the not so good bus experience from London to Bielefeld. I investigated train (possible to Warsaw but then kind of fell apart) and flying (costly and complicated as Bielefeld does not have its own airport and this would require a bus or train trip to a bigger city first plus the problem of very rigorous luggage restrictions which you don't face on a bus or train) but in the end settled on a bus to Berlin with BlaBlaBus and then on Ecolines from Berlin to Vilnius.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-82696487086183146442019-10-01T22:04:00.001-07:002019-10-01T22:31:55.126-07:00Bielefeld, Germany - Part 1: Getting there<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
(Getting to) Bielefeld</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCKbTQjJWr3_gho838b2J2xtJPLRaHpGFbRb6qJxDqtzi8XyK6roGaS5rDfNzcJiI8w4RS6njQ3YcuBsztCMGRXCb6sMbkwwOvNcyilvkhl4rYFcmPhDB-cScjHWMJnqGVFgqURFFHlQ/s1600/castle+view+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1159" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCKbTQjJWr3_gho838b2J2xtJPLRaHpGFbRb6qJxDqtzi8XyK6roGaS5rDfNzcJiI8w4RS6njQ3YcuBsztCMGRXCb6sMbkwwOvNcyilvkhl4rYFcmPhDB-cScjHWMJnqGVFgqURFFHlQ/s400/castle+view+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bielefeld skyline from the Sparrenburg Castle</td></tr>
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<div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Getting there is half the fun (?)</h3>
<div>
As mentioned earlier I decided to try and take buses on this trip to decrease my carbon impact - the first long trip was from London to Bielefeld, Germany. The bus left Victoria Coach Station at 8 pm on September 9, 2019, and was meant to reach Bielefeld, Germany at 11:30 am on September 10, 2019.</div>
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<div>
It was not a fun trip to say the least. Perhaps in deference to the weather the air conditioning was turned up very high and I was extremely cold (I was wearing a light cotton dress with short sleeves because I didn't want to be wearing constricting pants). Although I was very lucky in that I had two seats to myself I couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to get any kind of quality sleep. This was my first experience of going through the Chunnel (the tunnel underneath the English Channel from Dover to Calais) and it was this that caused the first delay - I think due to a passenger. </div>
<div>
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<div>
The train that goes through the tunnel is kind of like a ferry - cars and buses and people (? - not sure about the latter, I think maybe you have to transit in some kind of vehicle) - drive onto a double decker high train which then goes through the tunnel. Departures are not that frequent and when we arrived about 2 hours after leaving London there were two departures shown - one at 22:50 and one at 23:20. All the passengers have to get off the bus and go through passport control and then reboard the bus. The bus then gets into position to drive into the sort of 'corraling' area (again reminded me of the ferry with numbered lanes) where they will then be directed down a ramp onto the train itself. We got into position to drive into this area and then backed up and let another bus go ahead of us. After maybe 15 or 20 minutes the door opened and a passenger got on apologizing to us all - presumably she had lost her way somewhere between passport control and the bus (or maybe she was subject to extra examination). Anyway, I think we missed our spot and then had to wait until 23:20. The trip itself is super fast - only about 25 minutes and then we were in France. </div>
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<div>
I dozed on and off as we trundled along to Belgium (Antwerp), the Netherlands (Eindhoven) and in to Germany where I had to change buses in Dortmund. We arrived there pretty much on time and I went for a wander around the town as I had about 2 hours until my connecting bus arrived. I went in search of coffee and a toilet that wasn't moving (the one on the bus seemed to be broken - certainly nothing meaningful happened when you pushed the flush button - neither water nor vacuum evacuation - and it was pretty gross by Dortmund). I found a place run by a nice Italian gentleman who sold me an extremely strong coffee and let me make use of his delightful toilet (behind a locked door) for €2.30 (considering the toilet at the bus stop was €1 I thought this was a good deal). I wandered back to the bus station and started up a conversation with a young woman who asked a man in English if he couldn't perhaps go and smoke his cigarette somewhere else. I asked her if she thought the fact that the bus to Bielefeld (which she was also taking - final destination Copenhagen) said +75 minutes after it meant it was 75 minutes late. She went to the kiosk and confirmed that was the case. She used her phone to navigate us to another (nearer) cafe where she had tea and me coffee and I charged my laptop. There was no WiFi at the cafe (the elderly proprietor just looked at me blankly) so she set up a hotspot with her phone and I managed to message Diana (my classmate from Sweden who lives in Bielefeld and who I would be staying with).</div>
<div>
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<div>
Finally, some two hours late, the bus that would take me the final hour and a half to Bielefeld arrived. A pleasant hour and a half through the German countryside and I bid my new friend farewell, thanking her for the loan of her Internet access and was happy to give a big hug to my friend Diana who I hadn't seen since 2016 when we had a mini-reunion of Uppsala students in London.<br />
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Verdict - this trip was not a good experience though the cost was low. The driving was occasionally erratic - several times we seemed to veer onto an exit at the last minute as if the driver had not been paying attention and had almost missed the exit. The traffic was appalling (though luckily it was mostly going in the opposite direction to us) in Germany - I was so surprised to see so many solo drivers - I thought the Europeans had all this stuff sorted out and it was just us folks in North America who are still struggling with car culture that has drivers travelling alone (I was to get a more dramatic taste of this later). Fifteen and a half hours to go 717 km seems pretty pathetic and if I was to do this trip again I would plan further ahead and try to take a train rather than a bus which I think would be more comfortable though probably more complex in terms of changing trains and connections.</div>
</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-64422955590586797222019-09-30T08:12:00.000-07:002019-09-30T09:18:07.697-07:00Bristol and Cornwall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Bristol</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNA9759opY-GVtV5heq4MHWM45c1ZZwhvlJYIOkzedlFNWLxiSUkfnGbgSpnUi3QL-kPwcgfhEeoHlHPGPr-wouLZekP1yT-wuFHO3jSHZukWeYhCw9JEU6H-GQLRGiiEiyVoH7CjFPc/s1600/houses+above+bristol+harbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNA9759opY-GVtV5heq4MHWM45c1ZZwhvlJYIOkzedlFNWLxiSUkfnGbgSpnUi3QL-kPwcgfhEeoHlHPGPr-wouLZekP1yT-wuFHO3jSHZukWeYhCw9JEU6H-GQLRGiiEiyVoH7CjFPc/s320/houses+above+bristol+harbour.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brightly coloured houses above the harbour</td></tr>
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Invariably when I mention Bristol to travelers I meet they will report either that they have heard good things about it or that it is one of their favourite places. I have been a couple of times before (since my friend Delia moved there from London in 2011 - that date is roughly correct I believe). This trip I was fortunate in that I got to accompany Delia to Cornwall to visit a friend of hers (more about that below) and also got to help Delia set up her exhibition in <a href="https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/st-john-on-the-wall-p25891" target="_blank">The Crypt of St. John on the Wall</a>.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Bristol Street Art</h3>
Bristol is the reported birthplace of Banksy but not being one to cough up dough for an official tour I am afraid you will have to be satisfied with the following photos of probably NOT Banksy art.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpYUuJ235DVNt5izepOP9iSkTL38EW5GxCNEmXpH1uHRy_tRbAtqqHKUGiIZ1Ww8f6AO9Qwkoj8lxnmhmGiETlhjgJrBylGc1SJAM98udw32xE8SFffhNBUs76wJLCm8NnpYRkfuXmyU/s1600/bristol+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpYUuJ235DVNt5izepOP9iSkTL38EW5GxCNEmXpH1uHRy_tRbAtqqHKUGiIZ1Ww8f6AO9Qwkoj8lxnmhmGiETlhjgJrBylGc1SJAM98udw32xE8SFffhNBUs76wJLCm8NnpYRkfuXmyU/s400/bristol+graffiti.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is an alien of some kind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycjWFIbavPP3DSpJF5440YR4sXK9ndwivPCjRnYf45gz1-6eSukVzWo1CTz4aOE-ZeSMmmOiWjR7IfUTjN8xZ7c2uxQtyRHLiboAky16iQYqLnYHwPI3eND6egm3t5TDtT8PVKYn3lk4/s1600/girl+with+pearl+earring+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycjWFIbavPP3DSpJF5440YR4sXK9ndwivPCjRnYf45gz1-6eSukVzWo1CTz4aOE-ZeSMmmOiWjR7IfUTjN8xZ7c2uxQtyRHLiboAky16iQYqLnYHwPI3eND6egm3t5TDtT8PVKYn3lk4/s400/girl+with+pearl+earring+graffiti.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girl with the pearl earring - note the cunning use of an alarm company wall sign as the pearl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eBxCbbT1_nIHRwTtBTRVhTpNfXgUlp-C5T_YRSEFB6b6wNcswB6aF4O7wurnb4s7ujMBQapH8Z3qhHGbX_kvXMdVFExmaGPSsrJhn0ELLgxu3MfTrD1zoOWdXc3HUqsZsV4akmdzf2Q/s1600/lion+graffiti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eBxCbbT1_nIHRwTtBTRVhTpNfXgUlp-C5T_YRSEFB6b6wNcswB6aF4O7wurnb4s7ujMBQapH8Z3qhHGbX_kvXMdVFExmaGPSsrJhn0ELLgxu3MfTrD1zoOWdXc3HUqsZsV4akmdzf2Q/s400/lion+graffiti.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charming lion with a friendly mouse</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
</h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Bristol Wandering Highlights</h3>
As with all the places I travel I enjoyed random discoveries that I stumbled upon while wandering around Bristol including the photos shown below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjluphmkVvjOnPYqnTgNdEp5ypdgyOsz9AsmFo9XcQ7nGl9E5Z7Oe3Jm4S7xR3IF9SVKDk7y9KgqU0pQdNOD24_Qamjn0CyFuGeIJa2zyoyX_F9EuvgGBNMStMntAMO7l_70QxarpJyk/s1600/cricketer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjluphmkVvjOnPYqnTgNdEp5ypdgyOsz9AsmFo9XcQ7nGl9E5Z7Oe3Jm4S7xR3IF9SVKDk7y9KgqU0pQdNOD24_Qamjn0CyFuGeIJa2zyoyX_F9EuvgGBNMStMntAMO7l_70QxarpJyk/s400/cricketer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial to a famous cricketer on a shopping centre building<br />
<br style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;" /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqoUon5A0ixhnQEq8oUQXD-Uan6z5S8W4v0kQEGKxX2mBJQkTOoSCDf3h5JvWcLezPhX1O8T7KuES7rCu8lkbH4kgoVTrxKrQp5xnXTdWnMFwD2KlYFOt4ANXQZlQrFNoJaC-qt647QU/s1600/house+with+thatched+roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqoUon5A0ixhnQEq8oUQXD-Uan6z5S8W4v0kQEGKxX2mBJQkTOoSCDf3h5JvWcLezPhX1O8T7KuES7rCu8lkbH4kgoVTrxKrQp5xnXTdWnMFwD2KlYFOt4ANXQZlQrFNoJaC-qt647QU/s400/house+with+thatched+roof.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House with a thatched roof</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjInsRlZwBWalCOBtLqIsixVLYg-yQvp5g0PFnyHR8-oqGeOfhw6T19XLr9n1kAfAJP6PFTjB5ceG4KIbwnwFktKYh4TVFJwz-_36BVrVSitSHkeUUAhiHjBQKiiXznU8XMbI0ZsI_pNw/s1600/dragon+bristol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjInsRlZwBWalCOBtLqIsixVLYg-yQvp5g0PFnyHR8-oqGeOfhw6T19XLr9n1kAfAJP6PFTjB5ceG4KIbwnwFktKYh4TVFJwz-_36BVrVSitSHkeUUAhiHjBQKiiXznU8XMbI0ZsI_pNw/s400/dragon+bristol.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon and street art</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1IqWhOYzb6x3yfknI1f_jv-qtgzycroiBCwEs62f6syqKyX01FpvDh_6zSDe8qtU6_hD3nJ3wPqZJ8i5O4QZlvjt2CPTlTG_4oFWkwSSPmDqXKGa4ZmkzYaVLYDPE13r0c6Uw8gMx_c/s1600/house+gnome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1IqWhOYzb6x3yfknI1f_jv-qtgzycroiBCwEs62f6syqKyX01FpvDh_6zSDe8qtU6_hD3nJ3wPqZJ8i5O4QZlvjt2CPTlTG_4oFWkwSSPmDqXKGa4ZmkzYaVLYDPE13r0c6Uw8gMx_c/s400/house+gnome.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House gnome (gargoyle?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZONnvJQUPm_Nz2977o0C2YKGZckFkL0eeKTHXsr8B1HzRnk8t0U22rWLimASmW7qdEcnvnkAD9S12efFhhKmyapeUOWNlIoEKB-1w2s__qqMY4KBjx297YLhxaYPu3Q2a79q85iL1FM/s1600/building+detail+bristol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZONnvJQUPm_Nz2977o0C2YKGZckFkL0eeKTHXsr8B1HzRnk8t0U22rWLimASmW7qdEcnvnkAD9S12efFhhKmyapeUOWNlIoEKB-1w2s__qqMY4KBjx297YLhxaYPu3Q2a79q85iL1FM/s400/building+detail+bristol.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe this is where Victorians filled their water bottles?</td></tr>
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Another highlight - of a culinary bent - was my introduction (via Delia) to Baba Ganoush Kitchen (also known as Jerusalem Falafel). Delicious and economically priced food. Here is a photo of the falafel salad that I took with me on the bus from Bristol to London - priced at just £2.50 this is only a partial view - it also had 3 more falafel which I had eaten on the trip down, this was being eaten to fortify me before getting on the bus for the long trip from London to Bielefeld (which turned out to be 15.5 hours though not all of that on the bus).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Apt757ac2vQfph72LNWDR14Ryvnuem0TFFzL5WsG5LePiOTfwFlHqU-OzDSthsg_xx0v3rJJ3OY0WkpFW2q6zCrMa5DKfr5-LvNHtoqF7oPZYnMmAxwnvsduI9T_blYsgsyvXAIooOM/s1600/falagel+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="871" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Apt757ac2vQfph72LNWDR14Ryvnuem0TFFzL5WsG5LePiOTfwFlHqU-OzDSthsg_xx0v3rJJ3OY0WkpFW2q6zCrMa5DKfr5-LvNHtoqF7oPZYnMmAxwnvsduI9T_blYsgsyvXAIooOM/s400/falagel+salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falafel salad with tahini dressing and bread - yum</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Cornwall</h3>
A few days after arriving in Bristol Delia and I left for Cornwall to stay at the home of her friend Elizabeth. What a treat this was to enjoy the beauty of Cornwall in such luxurious accommodations (certainly more than I would be able to afford on my travel budget). In Cornwall we visited beautiful, historic churches, took in the glorious scenery and ate some delightful meals (both at home and in restaurants). It was a gorgeous respite from the faster pace of Bristol (and of course London). Here are some snaps of churches and the scenery.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVks8-YvYj5v3Wi-253DVbuvSEVfuIhTGRPQkdPQAkCJgDv9yqHzIanCuhatBDxOvId5KBJZPpzveepHZAd2D1H6YbQ9CveVsu64889lId4H1AVjqFzbOEvgHLEU35vUURxnvJejaOrg/s1600/stained+glass+church+cornwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVks8-YvYj5v3Wi-253DVbuvSEVfuIhTGRPQkdPQAkCJgDv9yqHzIanCuhatBDxOvId5KBJZPpzveepHZAd2D1H6YbQ9CveVsu64889lId4H1AVjqFzbOEvgHLEU35vUURxnvJejaOrg/s400/stained+glass+church+cornwall.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delightful window in one of the churches we visited (unfortunately can't remember which one)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3FyL5Jr2CklxiShHezlMp-MhyVTaWflgd4l4WgamL38y_k0e_dA_-8KOhoiUhd-c7lAeycd0pNUNo1TZVeAX9GCHG80BmxDBM36X9Xi2m63RzFi649WqOhA6AQkSteaJJLNZ1trIHPA/s1600/tintangel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3FyL5Jr2CklxiShHezlMp-MhyVTaWflgd4l4WgamL38y_k0e_dA_-8KOhoiUhd-c7lAeycd0pNUNo1TZVeAX9GCHG80BmxDBM36X9Xi2m63RzFi649WqOhA6AQkSteaJJLNZ1trIHPA/s400/tintangel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tintangel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZUUnfphLb2kotfsmew4CMauGWk4ZifvfAIUNDdrs7RpBbe4y57iMsP5RgQLPHH7QUyyYgxV7W4MAV8mLv3F4cZZ1T6VVt3w4TmkX3Dw6aRzek45u8rAoGgcbJ4uw18RMW070U38ZltI/s1600/overview+of+rock+formation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZUUnfphLb2kotfsmew4CMauGWk4ZifvfAIUNDdrs7RpBbe4y57iMsP5RgQLPHH7QUyyYgxV7W4MAV8mLv3F4cZZ1T6VVt3w4TmkX3Dw6aRzek45u8rAoGgcbJ4uw18RMW070U38ZltI/s400/overview+of+rock+formation.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dramatic rock formation - you can see the sandy beach through the hole in the rock</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Back to Bristol</h3>
On the Monday (September 2) Delia and I returned to Bristol to get ready for her exhibition (Fearless Symmetry which ran from September 7-September 22). This exhibition saw Delia display her fabulous Tarkovsky tribute window which is an impressive 150 by 150 cm. The photo below is by Delia capturing it in the crypt where it looked very fine indeed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWKxmwT15MM1k_auICB5dLKYFkJzqb1M6Y7os2_sg_1t69wwajrkS6gN4QpiOKlujhqnjBoyM4j-QM3Wm8ApPFPLmT6mRr3lmg0r_1Q8v4ojO7jcGchcVkPJhHv5E_rjy_sw05n_J1Ek/s1600/tarkovsky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWKxmwT15MM1k_auICB5dLKYFkJzqb1M6Y7os2_sg_1t69wwajrkS6gN4QpiOKlujhqnjBoyM4j-QM3Wm8ApPFPLmT6mRr3lmg0r_1Q8v4ojO7jcGchcVkPJhHv5E_rjy_sw05n_J1Ek/s400/tarkovsky.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tarkovsky Window - by Delia Whitbread</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Side Trips from Bristol</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Wells</h4>
<div>
On Delia's advice I made a couple of side trips between when we came back from Cornwall and when the exhibition opened while Delia was busy setting up the exhibit in ways that didn't require my help. The trip to Wells was to see the <a href="https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/history/timeline/" target="_blank">fabulous 12th century cathedral</a> which is considered the first built in the Gothic style in England.</div>
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<div>
It is just a short bus ride (around 70 minutes) from Bristol and an all day ticket (that will also allow you to use city buses in Bristol) is just £6.50 (as of September 2019). The cathedral is simply gorgeous and free tours happen frequently during the day led by volunteer guides. The pictures below really don't do it justice - make sure and go if you have the chance (and if cathedrals are your thing).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD9XETPpyFeQlg9zUV_P20zF4Wl72NZ48L0HtW_X-rI1oByJNIMT6LobHL7i7tsgAM8Jy92xDuHxQyl3_LRbMkNM-x_jnt6KWM28V8pPSguwvCNcW7UQDoVAlTyc2OR0PgiTXEueZ24k/s1600/another+wells+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="618" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD9XETPpyFeQlg9zUV_P20zF4Wl72NZ48L0HtW_X-rI1oByJNIMT6LobHL7i7tsgAM8Jy92xDuHxQyl3_LRbMkNM-x_jnt6KWM28V8pPSguwvCNcW7UQDoVAlTyc2OR0PgiTXEueZ24k/s400/another+wells+detail.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail outside the cathedral in the town itself</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCwl_1hSV6zBQYw-XG7L1k-xPG4TNvZoZwVx1S_ziHMl934Dvt7RW84t8COSBexndgZRd4MBHkX-sE0lYkHNg8TUioOqpKspS1HNoNXLZxT0iWu1q2LltatvwRMEbXfdLhRDk5SFQ_q0/s1600/archway+in+wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCwl_1hSV6zBQYw-XG7L1k-xPG4TNvZoZwVx1S_ziHMl934Dvt7RW84t8COSBexndgZRd4MBHkX-sE0lYkHNg8TUioOqpKspS1HNoNXLZxT0iWu1q2LltatvwRMEbXfdLhRDk5SFQ_q0/s400/archway+in+wells.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archway in the town of Wells itself</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JC1wqRNAqXyARF5LuMzsTVlXyX1Cx5A28GaqtCcvHJdP8fqHqvAoAqj3IWKFUk6idYQaYYhGSfdTgT1l3ztC32P3u80MIZP1ajiBuubun1ReX42lvYhRd5zUTgI6HRuo6LrcN7vIpv4/s1600/facade+of+wells+cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JC1wqRNAqXyARF5LuMzsTVlXyX1Cx5A28GaqtCcvHJdP8fqHqvAoAqj3IWKFUk6idYQaYYhGSfdTgT1l3ztC32P3u80MIZP1ajiBuubun1ReX42lvYhRd5zUTgI6HRuo6LrcN7vIpv4/s400/facade+of+wells+cathedral.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The facade of Wells Cathedral</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiBfaFU4Kk_Rl_GSAK62jZVFPJ66IElHiNfoBNRGUYsorrWwuhG6JGMvf8BaplzJuTE2P60f6FtqNatnL1zcdAHeu_KTxrFrOh89WNJsa23u5Oh4foDwBR5qo8HFWUqKZfEHMg8o5Ez0/s1600/spectacular+view+from+cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiBfaFU4Kk_Rl_GSAK62jZVFPJ66IElHiNfoBNRGUYsorrWwuhG6JGMvf8BaplzJuTE2P60f6FtqNatnL1zcdAHeu_KTxrFrOh89WNJsa23u5Oh4foDwBR5qo8HFWUqKZfEHMg8o5Ez0/s400/spectacular+view+from+cafe.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Cathedral facade from the pleasant cafe that had good coffee and desserts</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuxL1afEuLLh62WlkD7Q0O4uF8pJFxevdqcOg0BMlE1CqnvHtYEwkMBSVRrnVEpVtFn86hQhoqsWDHlGyBz_cSXTIchogPtIX8U_boyQNQqhC_vFuBDqVPPt0aX2RhhMKeocc1ZZ-zCk/s1600/scissor+arches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuxL1afEuLLh62WlkD7Q0O4uF8pJFxevdqcOg0BMlE1CqnvHtYEwkMBSVRrnVEpVtFn86hQhoqsWDHlGyBz_cSXTIchogPtIX8U_boyQNQqhC_vFuBDqVPPt0aX2RhhMKeocc1ZZ-zCk/s400/scissor+arches.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous scissor arches inside Wells cathedral</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEGHRl1EbMHwAopY1z6d7JENnf-FJ2Oxd2TcLdXn_jyZS5zG5qHQC60KCKIbZQEboJVrwcCMdgFl0qN-eqFggk_pEsoqZxY2jDZvFSX0Xv1imOc3lwXPBcC_Qxc9tR1Cr8MN254ndQ8I/s1600/detail+inside+wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEGHRl1EbMHwAopY1z6d7JENnf-FJ2Oxd2TcLdXn_jyZS5zG5qHQC60KCKIbZQEboJVrwcCMdgFl0qN-eqFggk_pEsoqZxY2jDZvFSX0Xv1imOc3lwXPBcC_Qxc9tR1Cr8MN254ndQ8I/s400/detail+inside+wells.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous stone work </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ9kFrP3B3QDVDyoguw7SvROGzgjQgaBvOE9JKoOoCBGlV2ZLhaTywcUMp1sLUOMuvhnqOcw60WAapB3DZ_nuOtZ8DynBzX1X4qpq2DbXiW5GY9Sg2qK62eA9RKiCdWSw0O-LcMu3sqc/s1600/inside+wells+cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ9kFrP3B3QDVDyoguw7SvROGzgjQgaBvOE9JKoOoCBGlV2ZLhaTywcUMp1sLUOMuvhnqOcw60WAapB3DZ_nuOtZ8DynBzX1X4qpq2DbXiW5GY9Sg2qK62eA9RKiCdWSw0O-LcMu3sqc/s400/inside+wells+cathedral.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cathedral is full of lovely little details like this figure</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uwb3XNeuiq_xR7Gt3qFZfVBOcNh43v7yWWXON61cgSrEeY6XyQMmS5CNVym24n-crtpWLUgfO6JenFD4zA9AJhwemhPQ0SJyV7r3eKhmIecbBlCX-op-w4nhaCMefrLic7JEbVbZK_w/s1600/interior+of+wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uwb3XNeuiq_xR7Gt3qFZfVBOcNh43v7yWWXON61cgSrEeY6XyQMmS5CNVym24n-crtpWLUgfO6JenFD4zA9AJhwemhPQ0SJyV7r3eKhmIecbBlCX-op-w4nhaCMefrLic7JEbVbZK_w/s400/interior+of+wells.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The so-called Jesse window - just spectacular, you need to see it in person with the sun streaming through it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkRAKwsUhpGddMd1K7DOSzZs_Asuw_nZuwNUtkDhrCRo0RMFCJPT24_bvrKr7lItwnvgVh8O7wE8dYbKSTpLFtw1YFSmQgvjgIUlewd8Pl_TOLyWyzUy-zLrHyVgYiwJ2a9OvSOycRs8/s1600/jesse+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkRAKwsUhpGddMd1K7DOSzZs_Asuw_nZuwNUtkDhrCRo0RMFCJPT24_bvrKr7lItwnvgVh8O7wE8dYbKSTpLFtw1YFSmQgvjgIUlewd8Pl_TOLyWyzUy-zLrHyVgYiwJ2a9OvSOycRs8/s400/jesse+window.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer view of the Jesse window</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT1_P26EhLeeIVk4DVvTCg_E1Y6EvoL-PnaKwDXokFJLY_qFcCvnY7bC3h75VISyo1zDQQ5JfYHWuf8LK3cVnsIm1Jj59qfwew1KJ42wcGd6s0R9oRisPQPSGQdnIcOmwf84ar2RL1t4/s1600/stained+glass+inside+wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT1_P26EhLeeIVk4DVvTCg_E1Y6EvoL-PnaKwDXokFJLY_qFcCvnY7bC3h75VISyo1zDQQ5JfYHWuf8LK3cVnsIm1Jj59qfwew1KJ42wcGd6s0R9oRisPQPSGQdnIcOmwf84ar2RL1t4/s320/stained+glass+inside+wells.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stained glass detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdaWIxYCcFu2pV9zhlgBJPg1DGhHRpoGygQhv9na2YcygriVQn2fotOmSVqXIoobia7lg8sI5Bq1soVBOJt6pgjzSur97sRaVk-7JILpM3kFYMvFkG1Zd0vN0AijFJyAstuLNjJKySXE/s1600/the+quire+wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdaWIxYCcFu2pV9zhlgBJPg1DGhHRpoGygQhv9na2YcygriVQn2fotOmSVqXIoobia7lg8sI5Bq1soVBOJt6pgjzSur97sRaVk-7JILpM3kFYMvFkG1Zd0vN0AijFJyAstuLNjJKySXE/s400/the+quire+wells.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The quire</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Severn Beach</h3>
The other side trip I made was to Severn Beach - which is a bit of a misnomer as although at low tide there might be a muddy and pebbly beach it is hardly what most of us think of when the word is mentioned. This excursion was made on the lovely little train line where a day long return ticket cost just £2. I visited Severn Beach to do a bit of birdwatching and certainly wasn't disappointed. The major area to see birds is a cluster of swampy pools that are some walk away from the station - this is the area called the <a href="http://www.severnsidebirds.co.uk/page2.html" target="_blank">Pilning Wetland</a>. Although binoculars were adequate the birds cannot be approached very closely and a spotting scope would be better. There may be other spots reachable by car that are more suited to getting up close. I don't have any pictures from Severn Beach as frankly the estuary itself was quite dull looking and the birds were too far away for decent photos.<br />
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I stayed just a few days into the exhibition and on Monday, September 9, 2019, I boarded a bus for London's Victoria Coach Station (yet again) where, a couple of hours after arriving I would board yet another bus, this time to Bielefeld, Germany. I had decided, wherever possible, to take the bus over flying to try and reduce my carbon footprint during this trip.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-19350931217297274632019-09-30T03:33:00.001-07:002019-09-30T03:46:40.044-07:00Getting There and the First Few Days in London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I am actually indoors at my hostel in Vilnius, Lithuania as it is raining quite hard outside and I thought this would be a good day to do some posting of photos and present some evidence that I am actually on holiday somewhere and not just <a href="https://petapixel.com/2014/09/11/dutch-girl-fakes-5-week-vacation-south-east-asia-posting-phoney-photos-facebook/" target="_blank">hiding out in my apartment pretending to be travelling</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiEshg3z4Wx9uvGSg7903ahaN67_0NYkhzM_zq2NjKi3n8ypFljdL6WnGZkYQ8aT3Q-mIILfV3_U-hHdNluiEPtnfNJRBoPf7SmTMQq7pll7_VBQ93fnMZhunKcucqHBSKK3r9xvxSF0/s1600/chamberlain+street+in+wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiEshg3z4Wx9uvGSg7903ahaN67_0NYkhzM_zq2NjKi3n8ypFljdL6WnGZkYQ8aT3Q-mIILfV3_U-hHdNluiEPtnfNJRBoPf7SmTMQq7pll7_VBQ93fnMZhunKcucqHBSKK3r9xvxSF0/s320/chamberlain+street+in+wells.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Chamberlain Street that is not the one I live on :-)<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
In the Beginning...</h3>
This trip featured something new for me - I travelled from Victoria Airport rather than using some other means of transportation over to Vancouver and leaving from there. On the one hand this was somewhat easier (particularly since I left at an hour that was conducive to getting to the Victoria Airport without getting up at the crack of dawn) but on the other hand I may not appreciate it so much when I am dealing with the 3 hour or so layover in Vancouver on the way back. But still - it is such a privilege to be able to travel at all - when so many do not have the means to do so - I am grateful.<br />
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I got an okay deal on the flight from Westjet - around $1100 Canadian return to Gatwick. One does have to take ones own food these days however as anything bigger than a pack of peanuts/pretzels or beyond juice, soda, coffee or tea must be paid for.<br />
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The flight to the UK was fine - I selected the seats just behind the bulkhead that separates business/premium/whatever the heck you call it these days from economy which has lots of leg room. I also used the <a href="https://www.easybus.com/en/routes/london-stansted/" target="_blank">easy bus website</a> to secure a cheap (£1.99) bus ride to Victoria Coach Station. This ticket had the added advantage of being valid 60 minutes either side of the reserved time which is very helpful since one can never predict when you're going to breeze through customs and be out early or you'll be delayed and need some extra wiggle room time wise. Similarly when I fly back from Vilnius (Friday, October 4) I will use them again - for £2.29 this time - to get from Stansted to Victoria Coach Station.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
London, Round 1 (August 21-27)</h3>
Since I arrived around 10:00 am on August 21st and knew that my hostel bed would not be ready until the afternoon I instead walked the mile or so (admittedly not much fun with the big suitcase) to the Vidal Sassoon Academy where I was able to get a haircut for £13. This left me with a head of hair much more suited to the hot weather and easier to let go days without washing.<br />
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I then set off walking again reaching my hostel sometime around 4pm I think (the haircut, done by a rather timid student, took a LONG time) but it was quite relaxing to sit in the chair and be fussed around. I then went out for something to eat (I think) and was in bed early and fairly well over my jet lag by the next day.<br />
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London didn't really involve any fabulous excursions just my usual kind of rambling around and looking at stuff (buildings, people, the Thames, shop windows). Maija and I did try to 'do' the Notting Hill Carnival but that was a bit of a bust as we were either too later or too early and saw no fabulously costumed dancers on parade. The highlight of that day was definitely the <a href="http://www.ravishankarbhelpoori.com/" target="_blank">great value Indian vegetarian buffet</a> (£6.95).<br />
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It was really quite hot - which seems like a distant memory now in Vilnius where it is raining quite hard and it is about 15 degrees C - and I ended up having to buy some cheap socks at the pound shop because I was getting blisters from my sweaty toes rubbing against each other.<br />
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One highlight of London was discovering the Barbican (I had always known about it but didn't realize until this trip that it has a whole area - <a href="https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/series/level-g" target="_blank">called Level G</a> - where you can sit for as long as you like without buying anything and use the free wifi and have access to coffee and bathrooms). I spent quite a bit of time there between wandering around forays.<br />
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I remained in London until the morning of August 27th when I caught the MegaBus (another bargain - particularly if you book ahead, cost me less than £6 to go from London to Bristol) to Bristol.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-18066756045131302182015-11-09T19:39:00.001-08:002015-11-09T19:39:30.055-08:00November 9, 2015 - Day 7 Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think most people have stopped their challenge but I will continue on until the end of today (some 4.5 hours away at this point though I intend to be asleep well before the stroke of midnight). The last two days have actually been pretty good - I attribute that to the change to oatmeal instead of cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast.<br />
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It has been an up and down week. The last two days, as I say, have actually been okay. Days four and five were very difficult. I am going to be looking carefully at how I have been eating - although I don't know that I want to continue to consume so few calories I think 1.5 times what I am eating now would be plenty and keeping junk (refined carbs, added sugar) mostly out and limiting things that I suspect are bad for both my body and my emotional stability (deli meat, bacon, high glycemic index fruit) are going to be on the agenda going forward.<br />
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Let us hope that none of us have to do the welfare challenge next year.</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-5640158292017248102015-11-08T19:15:00.001-08:002015-11-08T19:15:28.572-08:00November 8, 2015 - Day 6 Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Penultimate day of the <a href="http://welfarefoodchallenge.org/" target="_blank">Welfare Food Challenge</a> went quite well. I slept in until about 7:30 am (that doesn't sound that late but I bet I was asleep by 9:30 pm). The cold seems to have moved into my chest - I have a productive cough - but by the evening (I am writing this at 7:00 pm) it seems to have diminished and my nose seems clear. I don't seem as hungry today or perhaps just haven't noticed it so much because I have been busy working on the computer. I have had tasks to do but none were particularly creative or challenging - thus they kept me occupied without straining my lack-of-calorie fuzzied brain.<br />
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Tomorrow I will try to keep myself similarly occupied doing some data entry kind of work and going out to meet with someone in the afternoon. And then in a little over 24 hours (I am going to continue right up until the end of November 9th) this year's Welfare Food Challenge will end. Maybe we won't have to do it again next year because the government will have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RaiseTheRatesBc/?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">raised the rates</a> to a reasonable level. What a win that would be!</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-13805829763096736752015-11-07T19:48:00.000-08:002015-11-07T19:48:00.693-08:00November 7, 2015 - Day 5 Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Blah day. Very hungry and not focusing very well. Still haven't completely shaken off this cold. I can see that if I had to function at this level all the time I would be a very different person. Cheated and had a forbidden teaspoonful of peanut butter spread on a perfectly legal piece of toast. Switched out cottage cheese for the equivalently priced amount of oatmeal (on the recommendation of a friend with many years of living on welfare experience). It's good to have something hot and it seems to have more staying power. Glad there are only two days left. </div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-85265333392583047132015-11-06T21:37:00.002-08:002015-11-06T21:58:26.555-08:00November 6, 2015 - Day 4 Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today seemed extremely difficult. I woke up quite early - around 6:00 am but felt so horrible I tried my best to go back to sleep. Headachey, a bit of nausea and chills. I have encountered this before but typically after a TOO RICH meal the night before and/or a small amount of alcohol. So who knows what is going on - perhaps it is just a mild cold that I don't seem to be able to shake off as easily as usual. I managed to fall back asleep and slept until around 9:00 am (very thankful I didn't have any morning responsibilities to get up for) at which point though still not feeling great I got up.<br />
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Went to visit a friend this evening and we chatted about the challenge - which he lived for real for nearly two decades many years ago. He suggested I'd be better off having oatmeal rather than fruit and cottage cheese for breakfast and maybe I will try that for the last three days. I have some oats and I think I can remember what I paid for them. I left my MP3 player at his house - brain is fuzzy it seems - and was just too tired to walk back and get it by the time I realized I didn't have it.<br />
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Glad there are only 3 days left. Looking forward to bed where I will have a reprieve from thinking about food - hope I don't dream about it. </div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-18934925998061874302015-11-05T12:37:00.000-08:002015-11-05T12:43:53.912-08:00November 5, 2015 - Day 3 Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thursday I usually head out with my running/walking group (<a href="http://pih.bc.ca/pih/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35%3Athursday-morning-gang&catid=11&Itemid=118" target="_blank">Thursday Morning Gang</a> - TMG) and then we go somewhere after for breakfast. I considered not going but that seemed to be playing into the idea of social isolation (which many people on a low income will doubtless experience because unlike me they may not belong to a group where the fact that 30 out of 31 people are eating at the cafe makes it okay for the one who is just having water). I got up and announced why I wasn't eating.<br />
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I am not really sure what people thought - I could see some people thought that it wasn't their problem how difficult life is for people on assistance. Others commiserated but passed on various stories they'd heard about the integrity of agencies trying to help the needy as well as stories from friends about how those in need were 'picky' about what was being offered. And of course more than one offered me some of their food which I politely refused. It was a good discussion and hopefully if there is time I will also bring it up tomorrow when I attend an Island Health event in their <a href="http://www.viha.ca/rnd/K2Amonth/" target="_blank">Knowledge to Action series</a>.<br />
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Today is going okay - I am typically splitting each meal into two parts to try and keep hunger pangs at bay. I'm also drinking my 'fruit refuse soup' inspired in part by the work of <a href="http://tastereport.com/TasteReport.com/Home.html" target="_blank">Cinda Chavich</a> (so the peel of the banana I have for breakfast as well as the core of the apple, a dash of cinnamon and boil all with water for a few minutes) - having this slightly sweet, warm drink is helping. I also put the chopped up banana peel into the lentils and it was perfectly okay - after boiling it has no taste and blended in with the spicy lentils perfectly. And the potatoes - oven roasted with salt, pepper, oil and fresh rosemary - are heavenly. I am looking forward to them for dinner. The lentils expanded amazingly in cooking - I had measured out 1 lb (454 grams) and when I weighed out the finished product it was ~2kg. Something to keep in mind. Here's a photo of my wonderful potatoes.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-7446812443397358222015-11-04T22:13:00.000-08:002015-11-04T22:13:01.435-08:00November 4, 2015 - Day 2 of the Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today actually went okay. What I did was split up breakfast into two smaller portions (so 1/4 of an apple, 1/2 banana and 2 tbsp of cottage cheese) and had the first early (around 7:30 am) and the second around 10:30. Then lunch of an egg salad sandwich and a small chunk of carrot (~50 gm or so - which is hardly anything). For dinner I had lentils and oven roasted potatoes that were seasoned with salt, pepper, oil (about 2 tbsp) and chopped fresh rosemary.<br />
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I know we are not supposed to eat from a garden but the rosemary is from the yard (not garden!) of a neighbour down the street and I know when I was on a walk about downtown today with renowned urban planner <a href="http://www.toderianurbanworks.com/" target="_blank">Brent Toderian</a> (and other members of the <a href="http://victoriaplacemaking.ca/" target="_blank">Greater Victoria Placemaking Network</a> and the <a href="http://gvcc.bc.ca/" target="_blank">Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition</a>) I saw rosemary growing in planters outside a cafe right on Government Street. So I respectfully assert that if you want rosemary for your potatoes you can find it for free in Victoria!</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-55585771385761738502015-11-03T16:28:00.001-08:002015-11-03T19:08:56.728-08:00November 3, 2015 - Day 1 of the Welfare Food Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When is being sick (as in sore throat, congestion, fatigue and a lack of interest in anything but sleep) a good thing? When you have to cut back on eating. I woke up yesterday (Monday, November 2) feeling kind of yucky - sore throat and a bit feverish - but had stuff to do so shrugged it off. By 6:00 pm on Monday I was shivering, my throat was throbbing and I went to bed at 8:00 pm and slept through till about 6:00 am when I got up to send some emails regarding activities I had planned which I now bailed on.<br />
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So my first day of the challenge has been fine since I didn't feel like eating much. I did have coffee once my throat had stopped protesting too much and I've also eaten a mandarin orange and 1/4 of an apple, 1/2 a banana and 2 tbsp of cottage cheese. I've cooked the lentils and will do the potatoes later this evening. For dinner I'm going to have a toasted egg salad sandwich and 1/4 of an apple, 1/2 a banana and 2 tbsp of cottage cheese for dessert. I am also trying something a bit novel (inspired by <a href="http://tastereport.com/TasteReport.com/Home.html" target="_blank">Cinda Chavich</a> author of the Waste Not, Want Not cookbook). In the picture below you'll see banana peels, orange peel and apple cores being boiled with a dash of cinnamon - it produces a slightly sweet drink that I hope will help to keep hunger pangs away a bit. I may also chop the (stewed) banana peels up and add them to the lentils. We'll see.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-71140088708580199932014-08-03T11:35:00.001-07:002014-08-03T11:35:32.793-07:00Hej då Sweden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I write this I am sitting in my new (old - I got my former apartment back) apartment in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The weather is gorgeous and later today I'll head out to enjoy <a href="http://victoriasymphony.ca/splash/" target="_blank">Symphony Splash</a> along with about 40,000 others. It is good to be back in Canada and I am certainly enjoying the luxury of having my own place - no more sharing of kitchen and bathroom - although it is daunting to have to start pretty much from scratch in terms of furnishings and kitchen stuff and linens and ... (especially with no IKEA just a bus ride away - the nearest IKEA is on the mainland which entails a way too expensive ferry ride if you're going to take a vehicle).<br />
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I am certainly missing all my fabulous classmates who are scattered around the world either vacationing or returned to their countries. Here is a favourite graduation photo of us on the steps of the University Main Building. For now it is hello Victoria and goodbye Uppsala. For at least the next year or two.<br />
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-21860286467233125332014-08-03T11:25:00.005-07:002014-08-03T11:25:57.105-07:00A Wonderful Ride on a Vintage Train<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the last things I did in Sweden was to go for a ride on <a href="http://www.lennakatten.se/" target="_blank">Lennakatten</a> - the vintage, wooden steam train that runs in the summer time between Uppsala and Faringe. It was a lovely trip - good weather and the pretty Swedish countryside all around. I went all the way to Faringe, which in retrospect was not such a good idea since I went on a Sunday and NOTHING was open there so I was left cooling my heels for an hour and a half (as I recall) with no activity to pass the time (don't know why I didn't take a book). Solution is to take a picnic if you are going on a Sunday or get off at one of the other stops (Marielund or Almunge) where there are refreshments available.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtsY1tYnUfiDyCFkhgrop3qtudJ-fyiREz5DYoaVM8NMdDcuq06gWxU5QwRqs3R8yqqLr_hkn1CGdkOuSu41tQjXOiXnePfrg1bjw4A8ZL07lV6eXEEoQAhBR_tNR9JAaY3psg_7gGfU/s1600/coal+fired.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtsY1tYnUfiDyCFkhgrop3qtudJ-fyiREz5DYoaVM8NMdDcuq06gWxU5QwRqs3R8yqqLr_hkn1CGdkOuSu41tQjXOiXnePfrg1bjw4A8ZL07lV6eXEEoQAhBR_tNR9JAaY3psg_7gGfU/s1600/coal+fired.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steam engine is powered by coal - keep this in mind if you sit by an open window (you'll get sooty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcGtN0zljmrAQteTXWB-oBX_thwjQ74pifDa-yRB9e6_k_6OIticlcKb_WMgsf0j_pSCEjg_ijEByJ5Vj0S3ldADW5_wL3l_dJ8Thdofb9dyo_qkQWk6zkMfKgFTFQ0OxPAx8jrl0fcY/s1600/engine+number+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcGtN0zljmrAQteTXWB-oBX_thwjQ74pifDa-yRB9e6_k_6OIticlcKb_WMgsf0j_pSCEjg_ijEByJ5Vj0S3ldADW5_wL3l_dJ8Thdofb9dyo_qkQWk6zkMfKgFTFQ0OxPAx8jrl0fcY/s1600/engine+number+5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the locomotive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHUAXNGC-v2Kiz9XypZwlSW4XwmDWzntIKEEm0h_WSg9JVUNKUHs3GLRWglKv81FrkeDBF2o3aecmpL2v5Vhk2BGCT4zKOG9h9zyRi7B1SB22Y_Be2wXkRe22SrZ2rGE8-NGvUTdL0Lk/s1600/engine+plaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHUAXNGC-v2Kiz9XypZwlSW4XwmDWzntIKEEm0h_WSg9JVUNKUHs3GLRWglKv81FrkeDBF2o3aecmpL2v5Vhk2BGCT4zKOG9h9zyRi7B1SB22Y_Be2wXkRe22SrZ2rGE8-NGvUTdL0Lk/s1600/engine+plaque.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the locomotive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW2_di8OW3Q-JRWqsx6hxoGZ5e79SyDicOAelZ_cmFxGcaqK461p9tejt6Ksp4HDNLocaMBI7flCE73Ct8Nhk5uDX7Mtgt6OaSA-PeW8DQylVOIAsHVVXphR7DNg-R5UsU7c0ZCvtl5E/s1600/engine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW2_di8OW3Q-JRWqsx6hxoGZ5e79SyDicOAelZ_cmFxGcaqK461p9tejt6Ksp4HDNLocaMBI7flCE73Ct8Nhk5uDX7Mtgt6OaSA-PeW8DQylVOIAsHVVXphR7DNg-R5UsU7c0ZCvtl5E/s1600/engine.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letting off steam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUihTr3z_Snqpu_5C30bEragEqusiiCSOFrmNwVU2buyz0ki-vEEZselefJVfJ_R8asT3JFQSdGNsWlTbdpvo2fqlWdz-p0_jvgcVTZD-2Grqof_f7A9N3oD1MUob6vsd0TEcAxHbWp4/s1600/Interior+of+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUihTr3z_Snqpu_5C30bEragEqusiiCSOFrmNwVU2buyz0ki-vEEZselefJVfJ_R8asT3JFQSdGNsWlTbdpvo2fqlWdz-p0_jvgcVTZD-2Grqof_f7A9N3oD1MUob6vsd0TEcAxHbWp4/s1600/Interior+of+train.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden interior of train</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUqfG6fU9ORdVZ0IVL-bGIVQI4TbCECvybzYxPxtf8EU5FvXwrKfwVHjHTxppVv8Q7zQmVkaZMQFCzXlFTj49rHO4U9te9w4FnUylyIs37GnOaZQuyZ5UG6fw0S-U5kfmuyIk4f5bXSY/s1600/playground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUqfG6fU9ORdVZ0IVL-bGIVQI4TbCECvybzYxPxtf8EU5FvXwrKfwVHjHTxppVv8Q7zQmVkaZMQFCzXlFTj49rHO4U9te9w4FnUylyIs37GnOaZQuyZ5UG6fw0S-U5kfmuyIk4f5bXSY/s1600/playground.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playground with a train motif (just after you leave Uppsala station)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXw2axeWzXAYgRIMOPhjMRTwX5eYl44BfRJXFbwm5agdV4EZXfbFYOotE017B2QPSW0S9E4rO7AOImHq5K7CVvub50ZrnDk66hg8navYJd6FVdg1gKt2WVJFk8yx6wWvqFLFFS_ptQ88/s1600/steam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXw2axeWzXAYgRIMOPhjMRTwX5eYl44BfRJXFbwm5agdV4EZXfbFYOotE017B2QPSW0S9E4rO7AOImHq5K7CVvub50ZrnDk66hg8navYJd6FVdg1gKt2WVJFk8yx6wWvqFLFFS_ptQ88/s1600/steam.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is something so evocative about the hissing and chugging of a steam-powered train</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ai_71x63aFpas9oxewMbqnAcdSb-sUp68ENz3RQEOTttzaH1egFDORIyO-LU4u3Y52WAZFYbimPsWIO-D67LPhQJ_7M0bpIIkx8qggWOjN8Sc2V3WfeSMr1Z3h47Tb5TU_74LTJVywc/s1600/train+at+faringe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ai_71x63aFpas9oxewMbqnAcdSb-sUp68ENz3RQEOTttzaH1egFDORIyO-LU4u3Y52WAZFYbimPsWIO-D67LPhQJ_7M0bpIIkx8qggWOjN8Sc2V3WfeSMr1Z3h47Tb5TU_74LTJVywc/s1600/train+at+faringe.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the passenger cars that make up the train</td></tr>
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-14638972248948507312014-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:002014-08-03T11:06:13.869-07:00Famous Swedes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I enjoyed the photo exhibit (think it was called Crossroads) at the airport on June 11, 2014 (and yes again the date on the camera was set wrong but since the poor old thing is now consigned to the garbage ...) when I left for India. Was surprised how many of the Swedes I now recognize either from their image or their name or both. How many do you recognize?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGuAWUSb6ZXP4h-4aSjExR-2sukWbuIfGMNcqbaiW-MoN8FYOs-KqZ3A1NWHOJEM4tG5xfWrZry90sV8db7E6AXgZSVt0cxgiAC1PiCa2ljXv12P83iQis5eEDPBe0twp5XVZwgxuSq8/s1600/noomi+rapace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGuAWUSb6ZXP4h-4aSjExR-2sukWbuIfGMNcqbaiW-MoN8FYOs-KqZ3A1NWHOJEM4tG5xfWrZry90sV8db7E6AXgZSVt0cxgiAC1PiCa2ljXv12P83iQis5eEDPBe0twp5XVZwgxuSq8/s1600/noomi+rapace.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noomi Rapace from The Millennium Trilogy films (and of course other Swedish productions not as well known to North Americans)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNmTvYwYFSPhYi1V6HmRmVri8BsWI6jfvTs7SFfHYr0kddVuALGhyphenhyphenaeSntV2_xTcI99hNm0a3s5aK2asLC9Nwa0zwI1cXSm_0OXSVF2X8JmmAZzxGccN9fGq4uTZi-2F5TvHXV5HD9Gs/s1600/nyquist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNmTvYwYFSPhYi1V6HmRmVri8BsWI6jfvTs7SFfHYr0kddVuALGhyphenhyphenaeSntV2_xTcI99hNm0a3s5aK2asLC9Nwa0zwI1cXSm_0OXSVF2X8JmmAZzxGccN9fGq4uTZi-2F5TvHXV5HD9Gs/s1600/nyquist.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Nyqvist - also from the Millennium Trilogy films (and of course other Swedish productions not as well known to North Americans)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTBX7PsjU67WKet8MZhpi0We566zZdWzBv9TSKA92MelO5T3B9aHj12vR699TTei2IuL3b17LgMMUYm5Eoyy06PrratkNNoYdVSnfm17pB-SN_tf9iA9AjYWq0AeQ4TLsPWCJDHuaQHs/s1600/rosling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTBX7PsjU67WKet8MZhpi0We566zZdWzBv9TSKA92MelO5T3B9aHj12vR699TTei2IuL3b17LgMMUYm5Eoyy06PrratkNNoYdVSnfm17pB-SN_tf9iA9AjYWq0AeQ4TLsPWCJDHuaQHs/s1600/rosling.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hans Rosling - our class's hero!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PVkXovNrH6gjki3IY73e130jPmBBLoxOdF2hcwfcne7ySWytYMypTp5XKrORtfihni8NyqHJFNmtGAfLhOREZGIJzNSTU76xkKzwIgZNs6pxF-KS3-VwLoA4WOt4ieKpwkwWiqyhe60/s1600/without+gloves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PVkXovNrH6gjki3IY73e130jPmBBLoxOdF2hcwfcne7ySWytYMypTp5XKrORtfihni8NyqHJFNmtGAfLhOREZGIJzNSTU76xkKzwIgZNs6pxF-KS3-VwLoA4WOt4ieKpwkwWiqyhe60/s1600/without+gloves.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writer Jonas Gardell author of '<i><b>Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves' </b></i>a trilogy of novels about the effects of HIV/AIDS on the gay community in Stockholm in the 1980s<i><b><br /></b></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmeUBN6r9Vb33Y2ykDR_Sxooug4064vcUrEC-bd4fYlJXwbN4R9C-xARYAdh_jQml2n8Z-3pIawWEk0NB5U87DONgvm7rVyeOV4xfY6DSkIRVuzULocJonjFkped82y9JpsiuOUPlg_A/s1600/zlatan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmeUBN6r9Vb33Y2ykDR_Sxooug4064vcUrEC-bd4fYlJXwbN4R9C-xARYAdh_jQml2n8Z-3pIawWEk0NB5U87DONgvm7rVyeOV4xfY6DSkIRVuzULocJonjFkped82y9JpsiuOUPlg_A/s1600/zlatan.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one and only Zlatan</td></tr>
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-37160142641937929072014-06-08T23:55:00.000-07:002014-06-09T00:00:07.590-07:00Moving out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Please return the keys along with the signed sheet to the key centre at 107 Kungsgatan. Pictures below explain location and key drop off procedure if office is closed. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMmmIZ6r8ZzlGl_MynQIXfxvVnTBjPIODtGVd5zX5QoCoBsur4XbLyQcyCasXmhLLZ3fvlozzmx91GDNFvRnLdYOqhJ4t24pQMfG221lw_b9szz7iwURAn2pYl3YMTzrM0Gn5VbXF6mg/s1600/bus+stop+vimpelgatan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMmmIZ6r8ZzlGl_MynQIXfxvVnTBjPIODtGVd5zX5QoCoBsur4XbLyQcyCasXmhLLZ3fvlozzmx91GDNFvRnLdYOqhJ4t24pQMfG221lw_b9szz7iwURAn2pYl3YMTzrM0Gn5VbXF6mg/s1600/bus+stop+vimpelgatan.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take the 5, 20, 22 or 42 bus and get off at Vimpelgatan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTRHp05gl3BUWZELuP3rYkRqBKL1Ccke1LLH4XGjmnuI-WDpzFbSEQEEQBOxSWFpdI2K4EqLWlAhg-5zwiLE0tUq7yqbsQ5Fcda7CpeSiqYrnqQTIhk6cy7YepsRJSh2O91iwdMIL4Xs/s1600/closer+up+bus+stop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTRHp05gl3BUWZELuP3rYkRqBKL1Ccke1LLH4XGjmnuI-WDpzFbSEQEEQBOxSWFpdI2K4EqLWlAhg-5zwiLE0tUq7yqbsQ5Fcda7CpeSiqYrnqQTIhk6cy7YepsRJSh2O91iwdMIL4Xs/s1600/closer+up+bus+stop.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer view of bus stop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Jb-WCNq96QE4wlv8TPkSdpxDL3YwkE-rRdkHC1Mz__3BueQ7dgwvztdka8mAKieplmfrogTySxVqu65hxokWtO51cS0iLmMSsRDlVZEJqvulKxe_hmNjmP9eoRftYns0twzHc1vSkxI/s1600/building+where+office+is+located+107+Kungsgatan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Jb-WCNq96QE4wlv8TPkSdpxDL3YwkE-rRdkHC1Mz__3BueQ7dgwvztdka8mAKieplmfrogTySxVqu65hxokWtO51cS0iLmMSsRDlVZEJqvulKxe_hmNjmP9eoRftYns0twzHc1vSkxI/s1600/building+where+office+is+located+107+Kungsgatan.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep walking in the same direction that the bus is going (down Kungsgatan) - you are going to the building behind the trees in this photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAH0VFyjxHOyZTH2EN4-c6mmLEb4faKqtP3cYnaVHWzEHZMNzmz0wor2btuXhnvkQXOWg1KAe_IdGFRBUgz1ah4Id9AM0jhMrOxAhidJ7DVdUJMSxhb9SGHcgBQ_zCBxJSdQPi4VDZoo/s1600/door+and+key+drop+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAH0VFyjxHOyZTH2EN4-c6mmLEb4faKqtP3cYnaVHWzEHZMNzmz0wor2btuXhnvkQXOWg1KAe_IdGFRBUgz1ah4Id9AM0jhMrOxAhidJ7DVdUJMSxhb9SGHcgBQ_zCBxJSdQPi4VDZoo/s1600/door+and+key+drop+off.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the door to the office - key drop off slot on the left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tz5H7fkvNt6g-DxLKOIrW7rKJeAHUUYRUUK4Fe7nK-FoVi5WlCxi4fuO8DlF8eoAmk39DEoLNj_OGJOZxI0GvU0qBob_JlPVKCVb_oSnaN2tyxXIonksn70XxMSLvWH_gv1XMiup5BQ/s1600/key+drop+off+slot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tz5H7fkvNt6g-DxLKOIrW7rKJeAHUUYRUUK4Fe7nK-FoVi5WlCxi4fuO8DlF8eoAmk39DEoLNj_OGJOZxI0GvU0qBob_JlPVKCVb_oSnaN2tyxXIonksn70XxMSLvWH_gv1XMiup5BQ/s1600/key+drop+off+slot.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the key drop off slot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-65757345227628866742014-05-04T09:10:00.000-07:002014-05-04T09:10:19.458-07:00SFI (Swedish for Immigrants)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
SFI (pronounced ESS-EFF-EE) is the government-run program that all newcomers to Sweden are entitled to enroll in once they get a personnummer. Uppsala University also runs Swedish classes for International Students but I never bothered to try and get into one of those classes since we were told repeatedly that 2-year master's students were at the bottom of the priority list for being given places (which I never understood).<br />
<br />
I thought, naively as it turned out, that getting my personnummer wouldn't take very long and that I could enroll in SFI in either late 2012 or early 2013. But in fact it took about 9 months for me to get the ten-digit number that is almost essential for life in Sweden and thus I did not get signed up for SFI until September of 2013. I decided to try distance in the first place but this was a mistake and after a few weeks I gave it up altogether as I was finding the pressure to keep up with my self-imposed standards for homework accomplished and results obtained in conjunction with a heavy courseload at school was turning me into a very unhappy individual.<br />
<br />
I started again in February 2014 at a Saturday class that ran for 3 hours from 10:00 am to 13:00. The method for which class you are put in for SFI is quite interesting - it is not based on your knowledge of Swedish but rather your educational background from your home country. I guess this makes sense and indeed I have seen how difficult the reading and writing part of learning Swedish is for people who have very little formal education in their past (especially true if they are from a country with a language that doesn't use the Roman alphabet like Thailand or Syria). As you might guess my reading and writing are at about a C level but my speaking and listening skills are abysmal.<br />
<br />
I have made not much progress but to be truthful I also haven't tried very hard. Obviously I am in a privileged position as an English speaker - there is an excellent chance I can make myself understood with 99% of Swedes I may encounter - plus there is very little incentive for me to apply myself. I was going to go to just a few more classes before I left Sweden but our teacher, the delightful Åsa, dropped a bombshell yesterday telling us that the outfit she works for, because of a shortage of teachers, has decided to eliminate most of the Saturday classes. Now the Saturday class will be just once every four weeks. I could try and get into an evening class or switch to the only other outfit in town that runs classes on Saturday (Hermods) but I think I will just let it go.<br />
<br />
Here is a writing assignment we did in class. Apologies to my Swedish friends since it is probably riddled with errors. And thanks to Åsa for her patience and good humour with our class.<br />
<br />
******************************************************************************<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="SV" style="mso-ansi-language: SV;">Hej vänner! Åsa,
min SFI lärare, har bett oss att skriva ett brev om vad du gör en vanlig dag.
Här är mitt brev.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="SV" style="mso-ansi-language: SV;">Jag vaknar
klockan halv åtta. Klockan halv nio äter jag min frukost. Sedan läser jag
e-mail och facebook. Jag promenerar till skolan. Jag arbetar på min uppsats. Klockan
tolv äter lunch men vänner. Nu när vadret är vackert på terrassen i solskenet.
Efter lunchen springer jag vid en å. Efter springtaren arbetar jat på min uppsats
i två eller tre timmar. Omkring halv fem promenerar jag hem. Jag lagar middag i
det gemensamma köket och äter på mitt rum. På kvällen tittar jag på teveprogram
på min dator eller så läser jag en bok från biblioteket. Omkring halv elva
lägger jag mig.</span></div>
</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-89926605905385332452014-05-03T07:52:00.000-07:002014-05-03T07:52:50.168-07:00Road Trip - Lake Mälaren<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At some point in the last year I picked up a brochure describing a series of slott (castles/palaces/stately homes) around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A4laren" target="_blank">Lake Mälaren</a>, Sweden's third largest lake. This looked like an interesting and enjoyable excursion for when the weather improved - presuming of course one had access to a car, certainly not something that is cheaply available for rent in Sweden nor something that many of my classmates possess.<br />
<br />
But as luck would have it the planets aligned and on April 28th those of us still in town (many had left on trips to visit home or simply to relax a bit as we had submitted the first draft of our thesis on April 25th) had a vehicle at our disposal and we decided to head off fairly spontaneously without too much forethought or planning. We left about 10:30 am and headed out on our (partial) <a href="http://www.malarslott.se/index_eng.htm" target="_blank">tour of the castles around the lake</a>. We were aware before we left that the castles would not be open - most do not open until the beginning of 'tourist' season (so either late May or early June) and are even then often only open on weekends. But we were looking forward to the drive and being out in nature just as much.<br />
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My photos have a date stamp on them - and for some reason this date is one day behind, so it was actually April 28, 2014, not April 27.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Wik</h3>
First stop was <a href="http://www.lul.se/sv/Kampanjwebbar/Wiks-slott/Wik-Castle/" target="_blank">Wik</a>, some 20 km southwest of Uppsala.This was the oldest castle that we saw being well over 500 years old. There was a pleasant nature trail and the weather was gorgeous. It was disappointing not to be able to see inside this rather odd looking building - the shape makes it look as if it is about to float out into the lake or rise like a balloon into the sky. But after glancing at the website I get the feeling that perhaps it is better not to see inside since it is now a conference centre and that must have entailed significant renovation (wiring, plumbing etc).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgj1smtEMub6j9v-_Ldb3QkrDRTm-Gu-7D2nk-caqbYD3SXf6k4DtT_8R9tVU0bhxOzdy5Ifnzqtj-O7r7sc3JL9paiHcES_0rpk7wnhyMZgnHnO6TpaK6KAvieYN0Mp7ckUqjwiqHlI/s1600/walking+toward+wik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgj1smtEMub6j9v-_Ldb3QkrDRTm-Gu-7D2nk-caqbYD3SXf6k4DtT_8R9tVU0bhxOzdy5Ifnzqtj-O7r7sc3JL9paiHcES_0rpk7wnhyMZgnHnO6TpaK6KAvieYN0Mp7ckUqjwiqHlI/s1600/walking+toward+wik.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking toward Wik - what a glorious day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39_GjWPqy1sqox5zmTJ439Q4i8FDLmVaDu4YjzNQTS60iQ5RiGy89UUQdH2EhRe3VN7VhWU_7iMUO1e1tuKz7_y0_0iB2619Ln8UfahkkV77T8Yo4j24Mv7nOTpNrrQGKpHhI7ROF-bo/s1600/wik+castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39_GjWPqy1sqox5zmTJ439Q4i8FDLmVaDu4YjzNQTS60iQ5RiGy89UUQdH2EhRe3VN7VhWU_7iMUO1e1tuKz7_y0_0iB2619Ln8UfahkkV77T8Yo4j24Mv7nOTpNrrQGKpHhI7ROF-bo/s1600/wik+castle.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wik Castle as you approach from the parking lot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKiL83eyNMYirGaAiLJA5A4lOqMClor77xmjy4DihdBlQQAoAqGSMjyCdbJScBWvJV034LB7f9pVcRXZaGgUO9u8YmvwnniH_vd7DP4_SiwOwMgl85Cpa4UKK-y1WsTfK8zprbSBdf_A/s1600/another+corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKiL83eyNMYirGaAiLJA5A4lOqMClor77xmjy4DihdBlQQAoAqGSMjyCdbJScBWvJV034LB7f9pVcRXZaGgUO9u8YmvwnniH_vd7DP4_SiwOwMgl85Cpa4UKK-y1WsTfK8zprbSBdf_A/s1600/another+corner.jpg" height="320" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh to be inside that round room with its view out over the lake</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEO1nJKPeumR7i1hQXgPPTagB2IJ2NHjZYvjThP01DcOHK8H6CwO6AP7qUqpa_C2GHJi3-P1sW7_CSAtWSXzU78zItOujojwq4KS5H9UzPjUvp_lAkkrNQvHW_UpMse9cpBJ126qWFSw/s1600/corner+of+wik+castle+against+the+sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEO1nJKPeumR7i1hQXgPPTagB2IJ2NHjZYvjThP01DcOHK8H6CwO6AP7qUqpa_C2GHJi3-P1sW7_CSAtWSXzU78zItOujojwq4KS5H9UzPjUvp_lAkkrNQvHW_UpMse9cpBJ126qWFSw/s1600/corner+of+wik+castle+against+the+sky.jpg" height="183" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the corner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJUC7-zr7l110BowM-FIuhkS-E1z5J0rYEfIN2H3jbd-wLUSsKaNE8JzZ0VK_QBEAskABWAmW9mTlK4jNl8GupJObdH2ObA0J5yHqCbKNfQXhdAw25q34Zqvqk2T9E62tQBNyigzNMOg/s1600/taking+photos+of+wik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJUC7-zr7l110BowM-FIuhkS-E1z5J0rYEfIN2H3jbd-wLUSsKaNE8JzZ0VK_QBEAskABWAmW9mTlK4jNl8GupJObdH2ObA0J5yHqCbKNfQXhdAw25q34Zqvqk2T9E62tQBNyigzNMOg/s1600/taking+photos+of+wik.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astrid capturing all of us capturing Wik photographically</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkWCneqv2K7_ZLzdPJs7qyuX7pe9sBBvC6dtozOstavq_G3JmoF9GFmS790fhmwYolzA9LWQ6dofz-ZyiV4GA1mTKMCcfpcFZeXclYThunSmbEQIlLb3ShrlaCncdh8ggqZ0T774d4CQ/s1600/wik+castle+from+the+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkWCneqv2K7_ZLzdPJs7qyuX7pe9sBBvC6dtozOstavq_G3JmoF9GFmS790fhmwYolzA9LWQ6dofz-ZyiV4GA1mTKMCcfpcFZeXclYThunSmbEQIlLb3ShrlaCncdh8ggqZ0T774d4CQ/s1600/wik+castle+from+the+front.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wik from the front</td></tr>
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We ate banana bread, unsuccessfully tried to create 'jumping photos' (we are not a physically well-coordinated group it seems) and just soaked up the sunshine and the peace and quiet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdi2ObmLUpFSUcRLrBtc2zgeO8uauMzRHTGyIcvQnPwjQEJJRODI9AMqQL2AwZ6HZ7owkbNOWonw2S5dD7FP_n3lHFBQc1JGZ4e8SVhHCOshRFCE9uxFRoK7kDfGAwT354Ris8ipSti4/s1600/all+five+of+us+on+bench+at+wik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdi2ObmLUpFSUcRLrBtc2zgeO8uauMzRHTGyIcvQnPwjQEJJRODI9AMqQL2AwZ6HZ7owkbNOWonw2S5dD7FP_n3lHFBQc1JGZ4e8SVhHCOshRFCE9uxFRoK7kDfGAwT354Ris8ipSti4/s1600/all+five+of+us+on+bench+at+wik.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A passing employee (I think) was kind enough to take our photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kRQ9OHBAy9xHt3hmAZRSXeRk28osznn-QQQ5J7Gne1tcQZCkYDwjuIosFuNpjTGXjwq3vQHTOCDKJXJbSAxGlsq0enhg1F6op_erHPAxon1_uPZu_ymZJX69gwRRgmkYcfWyVcn6wFc/s1600/astrid+vik+maija+sofie+on+a+bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kRQ9OHBAy9xHt3hmAZRSXeRk28osznn-QQQ5J7Gne1tcQZCkYDwjuIosFuNpjTGXjwq3vQHTOCDKJXJbSAxGlsq0enhg1F6op_erHPAxon1_uPZu_ymZJX69gwRRgmkYcfWyVcn6wFc/s1600/astrid+vik+maija+sofie+on+a+bench.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astrid, Viktoria, Maija and Sofie</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Biskops Arnö </h3>
I think this is where we went next (how embarrassing that less than a week later I can't remember in which order we traveled). From what I can understand this is kind of a focused, specialized highschool (or is it a college?) that offers course in documentary filmmaking and photography. The <a href="http://svensknorska-foreningen.se/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/img_62621.jpg" target="_blank">14th century vaulted hall</a> (or what is left of it) was kind of underwhelming but the oak tree of slightly more recent vintage (maybe only 600 years old!) was magical.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuyabQcsfq0rpBA9zmiUWbJ7NdnaW7e9WTLYew-yNOjJyMJseZRHv0qc7DmAKSNqpLd_FNDzqFn4MhK9zBe2dahe_H2dXekB_RHnuStkwfiu3wKnfE_LoCDosyQWKYRAne7QOO_nNzKc/s1600/600+year+old+tree+biskops+arno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuyabQcsfq0rpBA9zmiUWbJ7NdnaW7e9WTLYew-yNOjJyMJseZRHv0qc7DmAKSNqpLd_FNDzqFn4MhK9zBe2dahe_H2dXekB_RHnuStkwfiu3wKnfE_LoCDosyQWKYRAne7QOO_nNzKc/s1600/600+year+old+tree+biskops+arno.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 600-year-old bishop's oak tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwskvxaqJqG8B1ru0iKy3XeWlMNpVPG6jq9gpm_O5Y_urntp2vKXjPMiIVCSGyUgS6Suu0IhatOcPUm39Lh-b7b9l9o_pIJqjQe-apVwCPk8KDPOyIXRpFzImsOpNOHxgWa_kJCJ4Xf4/s1600/astrid+maija+sofie+and+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwskvxaqJqG8B1ru0iKy3XeWlMNpVPG6jq9gpm_O5Y_urntp2vKXjPMiIVCSGyUgS6Suu0IhatOcPUm39Lh-b7b9l9o_pIJqjQe-apVwCPk8KDPOyIXRpFzImsOpNOHxgWa_kJCJ4Xf4/s1600/astrid+maija+sofie+and+tree.jpg" height="320" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astrid, Maija and Sofie manage to go halfway round the tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKRje90vIXWVQ1plRQ8Oa9icVHVOoQpqkBAersL5et7ZFVqNSFd0qZuGu9bOkA4tTlWE4XCECREylTIjg5N3iEAEBCyOZNwlpVWIipZehsq2vhDAEwNRfr4uPpfPgeWVsksUybyQfh9E/s1600/astrid+vik+with+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKRje90vIXWVQ1plRQ8Oa9icVHVOoQpqkBAersL5et7ZFVqNSFd0qZuGu9bOkA4tTlWE4XCECREylTIjg5N3iEAEBCyOZNwlpVWIipZehsq2vhDAEwNRfr4uPpfPgeWVsksUybyQfh9E/s1600/astrid+vik+with+tree.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astrid and Viktoria</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPKOgKXVvbgPk_obRtb7mEvRBvShpbpy5uWBZ0f8A-z0HLe3uW4es23W3_yBYUNDwTk0M9TBrFRgWIMAEptzAa4LATw0BF23PZojbAnQrsAqED6Tmyee8lcaGokwvF4txXSjc1EPfdpg/s1600/swedish+countryside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPKOgKXVvbgPk_obRtb7mEvRBvShpbpy5uWBZ0f8A-z0HLe3uW4es23W3_yBYUNDwTk0M9TBrFRgWIMAEptzAa4LATw0BF23PZojbAnQrsAqED6Tmyee8lcaGokwvF4txXSjc1EPfdpg/s1600/swedish+countryside.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Swedish vista</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDS90kwn0gGZqQZ0VP0J1Mw6_8zgoBNu87H3ttB4Ks8VP9JLx4V3x4uGoJ0ck0QNx8DEVW5owVfKl6gYgZxWribmYtMXZgaz9R868qx6M3Wa0AlRIcqKsDo_CTSb5viSnDMeILVTSIEs/s1600/vik+sofie+maija+walking+at+biskops+arno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDS90kwn0gGZqQZ0VP0J1Mw6_8zgoBNu87H3ttB4Ks8VP9JLx4V3x4uGoJ0ck0QNx8DEVW5owVfKl6gYgZxWribmYtMXZgaz9R868qx6M3Wa0AlRIcqKsDo_CTSb5viSnDMeILVTSIEs/s1600/vik+sofie+maija+walking+at+biskops+arno.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktoria, Sofie and Maija walking in the grounds of Biskops Arnö</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Skokloster </h3>
Lunch was outside on the deck of Lilla Torget, a pizza and pasta place in <span class="st">Örsundsbro. Reasonably priced, tasty and more than enough to fill us up after our strenuous morning. </span><span class="st"> </span><br />
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Then it was on to Skokloster, a <a href="http://skoklostersslott.se/en/visit/castle" target="_blank">huge building built in the mid 17th century</a> and currently under repair (actually for the next 6 years according to the signs on the building). Part of the roof was under a tarp but as we passed by the front entrance we could also see scaffolding and men working inside - I am not sure if they were able to open as published on May 1 to welcome visitors. We then sat in the pretty, parklike setting where we spent some time just sitting and musing on how a whole different world exists outside our 'International Health at Uppsala University' bubble.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0cXfU2uS2ng5kZaq-6bXF5fSIKYN3TEUyXPvgC8pzrjHzAI5BqxHMa7lirKlZVdr0C2wW6PDXYTUXouiimqoION-_yPoFy32M-sHyuDo9lIrv7kKVvF7RnVdSq_59UsRHxA0ThvCeoQ/s1600/klar_sm_dig4386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0cXfU2uS2ng5kZaq-6bXF5fSIKYN3TEUyXPvgC8pzrjHzAI5BqxHMa7lirKlZVdr0C2wW6PDXYTUXouiimqoION-_yPoFy32M-sHyuDo9lIrv7kKVvF7RnVdSq_59UsRHxA0ThvCeoQ/s1600/klar_sm_dig4386.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For some reason I don't have a photo of Skokloster - this one is 'borrowed' from the castle's website</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8jb4sduHOMn-l-MwAwNUIh_vr5VQT7Myhn1KN0KZDP-czXDzvIdKLzNTNwcAzS3GPc6j5KlrbZTTYVtIhnaSfvd_8yKgptlhB5yJuLGbtlRYbvcIHmYMoZYEZJqNlVicpeRJiEOnuyI/s1600/church+at+skokloster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8jb4sduHOMn-l-MwAwNUIh_vr5VQT7Myhn1KN0KZDP-czXDzvIdKLzNTNwcAzS3GPc6j5KlrbZTTYVtIhnaSfvd_8yKgptlhB5yJuLGbtlRYbvcIHmYMoZYEZJqNlVicpeRJiEOnuyI/s1600/church+at+skokloster.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently this church is even older than Wik castle (13th century!)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwrbUp9qlbgElox9aT-Ri1plF0H8tutsxkkZSvMVtlWrzwDIVsGugoqbl4ryBLgsmo18zQN4uRiLD0qEpAAZRNhbY88rL-9Lkqfrzct_lhgDGyogNICX5PbQCt6xKJJPF6rKWYWtTS9o/s1600/me+trying+to+catch+v+and+m+jumping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwrbUp9qlbgElox9aT-Ri1plF0H8tutsxkkZSvMVtlWrzwDIVsGugoqbl4ryBLgsmo18zQN4uRiLD0qEpAAZRNhbY88rL-9Lkqfrzct_lhgDGyogNICX5PbQCt6xKJJPF6rKWYWtTS9o/s1600/me+trying+to+catch+v+and+m+jumping.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astrid capturing me trying to capture Viktoria and Maija jumping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jv4FpeRMv3y2Opop34YrTrdPt0lXSVjI3gQooS4k7UVgJwL_szDCCmorxIqCNgRHolUdl6N496aXSzEz_EnTYAgPUsywGk-NWHPdoFKllgA4Mk8NLisXAxhGdH1ENo1k-Z9Kb0tPlXw/s1600/maija+and+viktoria+landed+skokloster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jv4FpeRMv3y2Opop34YrTrdPt0lXSVjI3gQooS4k7UVgJwL_szDCCmorxIqCNgRHolUdl6N496aXSzEz_EnTYAgPUsywGk-NWHPdoFKllgA4Mk8NLisXAxhGdH1ENo1k-Z9Kb0tPlXw/s1600/maija+and+viktoria+landed+skokloster.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neither jumpers not photographers did a good job (probably more my fault than theirs for an unsuccessful capture)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPARlpHJ9dmZP4Pkgp0C-BlQ8gms5vr6WAdZjQ4h-DzUa4yX2npO7EQ3X_fMFC_xgSDRh6-yAhgi20XMobHVNXc1gjV4Y6y6D2U4n-M9ZDZ8Dzsdw7xrIVb7PPpskeTUVucAZSOfQHRk/s1600/maija+at+skokloster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPARlpHJ9dmZP4Pkgp0C-BlQ8gms5vr6WAdZjQ4h-DzUa4yX2npO7EQ3X_fMFC_xgSDRh6-yAhgi20XMobHVNXc1gjV4Y6y6D2U4n-M9ZDZ8Dzsdw7xrIVb7PPpskeTUVucAZSOfQHRk/s1600/maija+at+skokloster.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maija in the distance</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtQGvVS69ZdssKQ1sEeJXtFzM8PZ6m6EwRecP9tysg_D_rHhlMnmayTiGQJUB3Ax4WRrD2a6rUIO6IgHBrEFcY9LzdMLg3i-pj_tUzWw9KwrWGf9I21kXaiq-oSo-hger0inzqa7rhhw/s1600/me+trying+door+of+church+at+skokloster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtQGvVS69ZdssKQ1sEeJXtFzM8PZ6m6EwRecP9tysg_D_rHhlMnmayTiGQJUB3Ax4WRrD2a6rUIO6IgHBrEFcY9LzdMLg3i-pj_tUzWw9KwrWGf9I21kXaiq-oSo-hger0inzqa7rhhw/s1600/me+trying+door+of+church+at+skokloster.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not open - would also like to see inside this building</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGfIymrNViU1pvRTET-FZ1FID5jxCVUkikShbpnaGYJVsEscHJJWZvY2ecRxwjETBZVkoi12kxTRBi2OBbjnZpt0V5NYpQYBfrcxYDfdCNp0Blzjk5XNF88sLuOiwFnaGUYD-_0qLIeQ/s1600/vik+sofie+maija+at+table+at+skokloster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGfIymrNViU1pvRTET-FZ1FID5jxCVUkikShbpnaGYJVsEscHJJWZvY2ecRxwjETBZVkoi12kxTRBi2OBbjnZpt0V5NYpQYBfrcxYDfdCNp0Blzjk5XNF88sLuOiwFnaGUYD-_0qLIeQ/s1600/vik+sofie+maija+at+table+at+skokloster.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktoria, Sofie and Maija at a (non)ancient table at Skokloster (circa 1985)</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Sigtuna </h3>
Last stop was the attractive little town of Sigtuna that is Sweden's oldest being founded in 970 A.D. We wandered down the main street and posed for pictures in front of the museum. We browsed in a couple of rather chi-chi shops and then collapsed onto a bench by the lake and enjoyed the sunshine for a while before it was time to head back to Uppsala.<br />
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Apparently both Wik and Skokloster can be reached by bus from Uppsala so I am thinking to go back to the latter (once I confirm by phone/email that they are actually open on weekends in May) some Sunday soon so I can have a look inside both the castle and the church. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRKKp1vP3MY9ptYcAf5OhyphenhyphenjvfefyfQVuyMceYucZt-cyArmQS9p6J-B-Ndr7y7-nnd94ExSEaWYFv6hT7crq70Gccsk8B3s7g3CZvhFuHqmE1EJ7IdWrxLmFJCahUD48_6sxi9dXgfVs/s1600/walking+in+sigtuna+me+maija+vik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRKKp1vP3MY9ptYcAf5OhyphenhyphenjvfefyfQVuyMceYucZt-cyArmQS9p6J-B-Ndr7y7-nnd94ExSEaWYFv6hT7crq70Gccsk8B3s7g3CZvhFuHqmE1EJ7IdWrxLmFJCahUD48_6sxi9dXgfVs/s1600/walking+in+sigtuna+me+maija+vik.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maija, Viktoria and me - walking Sigtuna's main street</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUojK5QvXd1CXvEv1M1Bwdg0ZHhwwDvXVl0dLOpersXLjOL0mfHDsXmS53urTe7uM2C6ocCxD3WZxvYDndEuKRBxZIqxc3HtGd2sBXLIIOpynkc27bV4_1E5O3-bMO03AU03w4XOIEaA/s1600/me+maija+sofie+vik+on+benches+by+lake+sigtuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUojK5QvXd1CXvEv1M1Bwdg0ZHhwwDvXVl0dLOpersXLjOL0mfHDsXmS53urTe7uM2C6ocCxD3WZxvYDndEuKRBxZIqxc3HtGd2sBXLIIOpynkc27bV4_1E5O3-bMO03AU03w4XOIEaA/s1600/me+maija+sofie+vik+on+benches+by+lake+sigtuna.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a bench by the lake - me, Sofie, Maija and Viktoria</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHI5AX5499uTKiNFBxf8AotCDCIf1lD9_QPGtH_DoenKC79C0DAsA65trVje66yU4LKlgv74Qx4LfDO6wjeePVldYNiQytpO7N2LmuOhZkLhxz82B1PWG3GM24_WWrd60UeBNnNJJlauo/s1600/all+five+of+us+in+sigtuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHI5AX5499uTKiNFBxf8AotCDCIf1lD9_QPGtH_DoenKC79C0DAsA65trVje66yU4LKlgv74Qx4LfDO6wjeePVldYNiQytpO7N2LmuOhZkLhxz82B1PWG3GM24_WWrd60UeBNnNJJlauo/s1600/all+five+of+us+in+sigtuna.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktoria, Maija, me, Astrid, Sofie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKn9F9LENXuXH2szfg76QL12KpiM1F06hl_KD158XrYig38X2RO9u7N91MJc3W1akNBRM0Q4B1Tb71tyPS6rHs-AryqsnAoqe_ar5y-rLh9NiV2PizoLxY6AiXsZncCrPFD80M6kW_lE/s1600/me+maija+sofie+looking+pensive+sigtuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKn9F9LENXuXH2szfg76QL12KpiM1F06hl_KD158XrYig38X2RO9u7N91MJc3W1akNBRM0Q4B1Tb71tyPS6rHs-AryqsnAoqe_ar5y-rLh9NiV2PizoLxY6AiXsZncCrPFD80M6kW_lE/s1600/me+maija+sofie+looking+pensive+sigtuna.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this photo - it is like we are all looking into a different future direction and expecting something different to happen for each of us - which is probably pretty accurate as in a couple of months our lives will be on completely separate trajectories after almost 2 years of moving in sync to a large degree</td></tr>
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-63239232804029333052014-05-01T07:31:00.000-07:002014-05-01T07:31:21.630-07:00Medical Faculty Masquerade Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The International Health master's program that I am doing is part of the Medical Faculty here at Uppsala University and in early April we had a party where we all were supposed to wear masks. Actually decorating (and in some cases making from scratch) the masks turned out to be great fun. Mine got a little bit out of control and I ended up looking like a <a href="http://luchalibreusa.com/" target="_blank">Mexican wrestler</a> which was not quite the effect I was going for. Still, it was surprisingly enjoyable making/decorating the masks and many of us mentioned how we'd like to do creative things more often. Need to make that happen when I am back in Canada - but will try to avoid more Mexican wrestler masks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkmCaoQt15T5JvM117eJadgsrQz-cwgc32f4ge6Gq-Pydm0ZQiQEDMdZ9qjLQSJ6qonP3mx7BiItiysLrIdjXSzF5crIx7Np0Z57KZalYoPXLm24W0W90RLouE_c8F9tJ4YqE-6VU3Ao/s1600/first+years+making+masks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkmCaoQt15T5JvM117eJadgsrQz-cwgc32f4ge6Gq-Pydm0ZQiQEDMdZ9qjLQSJ6qonP3mx7BiItiysLrIdjXSzF5crIx7Np0Z57KZalYoPXLm24W0W90RLouE_c8F9tJ4YqE-6VU3Ao/s1600/first+years+making+masks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the first year students from our program making/decorating their masks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSmOC-RabqHA6RCLITDaJPqvzMOjNEk4A4y5M1KYjIQMFs_3PrtH0_BVJgCYCs9cMOx-5XsK8peEIomQTfId0VFryH7bNz2mfV7hkG06UMqsO6s9Is0cp-1LYzCs7TpK3p06nvPZb0PE/s1600/imch+making+masks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSmOC-RabqHA6RCLITDaJPqvzMOjNEk4A4y5M1KYjIQMFs_3PrtH0_BVJgCYCs9cMOx-5XsK8peEIomQTfId0VFryH7bNz2mfV7hkG06UMqsO6s9Is0cp-1LYzCs7TpK3p06nvPZb0PE/s1600/imch+making+masks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sofie (centre of picture) my classmate with her elegantly simple mask</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXDaEVvJJaFaMSjSstUqynEK89ZaKorAhMeUvk-toTYJwWIJO_5pYBKRP859YsDgOuhHdHCVoFLW5U9YX6ft0KFyKtvjem1kZ8cpb1chACc3OXqM-hEtXBaF6HRx07cnO68TAG14__j0/s1600/more+of+first+years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXDaEVvJJaFaMSjSstUqynEK89ZaKorAhMeUvk-toTYJwWIJO_5pYBKRP859YsDgOuhHdHCVoFLW5U9YX6ft0KFyKtvjem1kZ8cpb1chACc3OXqM-hEtXBaF6HRx07cnO68TAG14__j0/s1600/more+of+first+years.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mask decorating in full swing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSAawnAYukGMXNyQVz2husuhh1yc-TLnYhu5e7gG2U84u4nvLWAGOgxyc0kPazW4fGH5QQLHZ6ehK6AE8MGEKQ0uJGO3dklLlJJzUO9SHmgn4hijV_hMIY3RXKZNXIy8NtJXOqygOv5E/s1600/my+rather+silly+mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSAawnAYukGMXNyQVz2husuhh1yc-TLnYhu5e7gG2U84u4nvLWAGOgxyc0kPazW4fGH5QQLHZ6ehK6AE8MGEKQ0uJGO3dklLlJJzUO9SHmgn4hijV_hMIY3RXKZNXIy8NtJXOqygOv5E/s1600/my+rather+silly+mask.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My rather ridiculous and garish mask</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4YQpLcO7rGz03IYQnadvzr9n5cI6lCHCVqUmKyuMnFKVp5fRnDZPISnf5KKZUO6gJRKxXljS8MgKx2lvue0JDYEOHEwatNFWqAC28k9mXjFtXIe_19u4P1vlzuQsUqERGb445CoP2dw/s1600/sulochanas+mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4YQpLcO7rGz03IYQnadvzr9n5cI6lCHCVqUmKyuMnFKVp5fRnDZPISnf5KKZUO6gJRKxXljS8MgKx2lvue0JDYEOHEwatNFWqAC28k9mXjFtXIe_19u4P1vlzuQsUqERGb445CoP2dw/s1600/sulochanas+mask.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sulochana's (classmate from Nepal) much more tasteful and classy mask</td></tr>
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Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-80215896603346804382014-05-01T07:20:00.002-07:002014-05-01T07:20:30.405-07:00Spring in Uppsala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is rather ironic that as I write this today (May 1, 2014) it is a chilly 7 degrees C outside and there are still patches of snow (yes, SNOW) in the shade. The sun is shining now but earlier today it was quite gloomy and really very cold, especially for the first of May. But the winter of 2013/2014 was very mild with little snow and no really long stretches of cold temperatures. A very welcome change from last year. Here are some photos that capture spring in Uppsala - let's hope it returns in the next couple of weeks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYqeVyY4luXx8WZ1FimiV5lVcuYDMLPv-w2ZiyvhC4ArX6e_Lct4gim3cN_kntiyaK-ydFMrXeKAlPIFDtBKDFrd-qYLZ6R38tKOAusgIl63Hh5-FJFAtXo7ZZrEnSjWbH9JmOpyxl5M/s1600/blossoming+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYqeVyY4luXx8WZ1FimiV5lVcuYDMLPv-w2ZiyvhC4ArX6e_Lct4gim3cN_kntiyaK-ydFMrXeKAlPIFDtBKDFrd-qYLZ6R38tKOAusgIl63Hh5-FJFAtXo7ZZrEnSjWbH9JmOpyxl5M/s1600/blossoming+trees.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful blooming trees in the courtyard of a building in the centre of town</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvqvCl274mWQHiCowXOB-s5_Oo_gbqWKhGHfWYKo9lZoPsE911SFWhsxK-WJWdDPoOophl3n7THfPH59dM2r2PgiPVGnuyC8JXNSWH1mP4Ez6a8XqfwsfNVesk7dlEP8xoehyTmEjyK4/s1600/bridge+with+flower+baskets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvqvCl274mWQHiCowXOB-s5_Oo_gbqWKhGHfWYKo9lZoPsE911SFWhsxK-WJWdDPoOophl3n7THfPH59dM2r2PgiPVGnuyC8JXNSWH1mP4Ez6a8XqfwsfNVesk7dlEP8xoehyTmEjyK4/s1600/bridge+with+flower+baskets.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge over the river - the orange and yellow building in the background is Västgöta nation (Uppsala's oldest, founded in 1639)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLj0fpYByV0ILUzL6ukiLrXcd5S_5m2cZQkywmlXW8LhBSIUqAytfyNOZar4xHUvI7yEk-a1ZT_56OL6N_AjC4IHFMeJu7Uyx8IGQkhyIPm1g10qmkbTlQU-o7J_5G_R8QHQ14XYFDSU/s1600/more+blossoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLj0fpYByV0ILUzL6ukiLrXcd5S_5m2cZQkywmlXW8LhBSIUqAytfyNOZar4xHUvI7yEk-a1ZT_56OL6N_AjC4IHFMeJu7Uyx8IGQkhyIPm1g10qmkbTlQU-o7J_5G_R8QHQ14XYFDSU/s1600/more+blossoms.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More blossoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-39443264953266583822014-01-07T12:35:00.002-08:002014-01-23T13:36:02.484-08:00Whew - marathon composing and posting done!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been very, very, very bad about keeping this blog updated - it is well over 6 months since I last posted. I knew that with all this time off I had absolutely no excuses any more and so I am happy to report that I have completed posting 11 (or 12 if you want to count Helsinki as two) new items that tell you what I've been up to in the last 7 or 8 months as well as what is to come before I am back in Victoria (in late July or early August 2014). My work is certainly not done - I still have a master's thesis to write, several more trips planned (including a week in Nice starting in just 5 days - yippee!) or in the early stages of contemplation and today I re-enrolled in SFI (Swedish for Immigrants).<br />
<br />
Here is a list of the posts I put up and links to them:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/2014/01/adventfika.html" target="_blank">Adventfika 2013</a> - an annual celebration at the home of classmate Erica</li>
<li>Uppsala's <a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/uppsala-attractions.html#cemetery" target="_blank">picturesque old cemetery</a> (still one picture to come)</li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/2014/01/christmas-2013.html" target="_blank">Christmas 2013</a> - quiet but joyous just the same</li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/european-escapades.html#copenhagen" target="_blank">Copenhagen</a> (summer of 2013 trip)</li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/exploring-sweden.html#gothenburg" target="_blank">Gothenburg</a> (October 2013 trip)</li>
<li>Helsinki in the <a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/european-escapades.html#summerH" target="_blank">summer</a> and in the <a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/european-escapades.html#winterH" target="_blank">winter</a> (both 2013)</li>
<li>Innovations Against Poverty (<a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/2014/01/innovations-against-poverty-iap.html" target="_blank">IAP</a>) (October 10, 2013)</li>
<li>International Health Uppsala Goals (<a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/2014/01/ihugs.html" target="_blank">IHUGs</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/exploring-sweden.html#karlskrona" target="_blank">Karlskrona</a> (summer of 2013 trip)</li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/european-escapades.html#riga" target="_blank">Riga</a> (summer of 2013 trip)</li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/2014/01/tedx.html" target="_blank">TEDx</a> (September 21, 2013) </li>
<li><a href="http://susaninsweden.blogspot.se/p/european-escapades.html#nice" target="_blank">Nice</a> (January 12-19, 2014) </li>
</ol>
<br />
Hope you enjoy these posts and I'll try not to get so behind again!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1127436898315509013.post-11029827351592705222014-01-07T12:21:00.000-08:002014-01-07T12:21:03.458-08:00IHUGs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So here it is, somehow,
January 2014. The 'only' thing left to do educationally is our
master's project. I already have my subject picked out but won't
describe it here since I doubt it will be of interest to most. We do
not have individual supervision for our projects but rather we are
put into groups depending on whether we are doing quantitative or
qualitative projects and then have two supervisors. We have meetings
to discuss our work as a group – but not very many of them and they
start late. Our first meeting is on January 31, 2014 (this is why I
have time to go to Nice next week – January 12-19) and then we have
only five meetings before our final submission date of May 16, 2014,
with our presentations on May 27 and 28. Our graduation will be some
point after that – probably in the first week of June.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The thesis won't be the
only thing going on during those weeks – my classmates and I have
decided we are going to pursue International Health Uppsala Goals
(IHUGs). These are activities that we think we should experience
before we leave Uppsala for perhaps the last time (who knows what the
future holds). These IHUGs range from the mundane (go to Gamla
Uppsala) to the more expensive and potentially memorable (attending a
hockey game). I'll keep you posted on how we are doing on them –
and must make sure to do some of my own (like going to the Castle
which I still haven't done).</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I will head off to
India for a few weeks and return to Canada, YVR via Iceland with
Iceland Air seems (to my surprise) to be the most economical route. I
should be back by the end of July or very early August 2014. It will
make me very sad to say goodbye to all my International Health
friends but I am also tremendously excited to get back to the
beautiful city of gardens by the sea. Right now that date some 7
months away seems very remote but I know the time will go quickly. To
everyone in Victoria – see you in August 2014 or a few days before.</div>
</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975704436312926431noreply@blogger.com1