RikeH Posted Sep 5, 2010, 8:51 pm |
Hello World,
Hi it's me - KalliHH the Bee. I love to fly around and talk to others. Next to me you see HelgaHH, a friendly ladybird - she is my best friend. We both love flowers - as you can see. I am not sure if the purple one is nicer... ...or the yellow one. What do you think? Hey, HelgaHH called me - she found some nice grapes... ...and shared the grapes with me. There were so many grapes - so we invited a friendly bunny - Dicker Kumpel, who walked through the garden. You know - I love to talk - so we talked a lot - and he told us about ToyVoyagers. What a great idea - I want to try it out!!! Please help me and invite me! Greetings KalliHH |
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RikeH Posted Sep 13, 2010, 1:12 pm |
Hello again,
today I will start my travel. I said good-bye to Dicker Kumpel and HelgaHH. HelgaHH went to the envelope with me – I will miss her. Hopefully the trip will be fast – and I will meet becka_kate soon. Australia I am coming! Bye KalliHH |
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becka_kate Posted Sep 27, 2010, 8:43 am |
Hi
I arrived safely about a week ago. We apologise that I didn't check in straight away, but it was the last week of the school term and just so hectic! I spent the week hanging out in Bec's classroom, improving my English. I was surrounded by lots of great company, as most of the students at the school are learning English as a second language as well! I am proud to say that after a week of instruction I have... * brushed up on the alphabet, * learned lots of great words, * can tell you all about action verbs * have enjoyed reading about how plants grow! Now, its school holidays, and I'm very excited because on Wednesday morning, we're hopping on a plane to visit Adelaide & Kangaroo Island! Will write more then. Bye |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 11:45 am |
Up bright and early this morning, ready to make the trek to the airport and down to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia!
Adelaide is a beautiful city, the first city in Australia to be settled by free citizens and not as a penal colony. After checking in at our hostel we raced over to the Haigh's Chocolate Factory for their free tour. If you ever come to Adelaide, this tour is highly recommended (and their chocolate is great - just ask AbbyB!) Haigh's is the oldest family-owned chocolate manufacturing retailer in Australia and they apprenticed under Lindt, so that should tell you how yummy their chocolates are, though the chocolate is so rich that by the end of the tour we were slightly chocolated out! KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr After the chocolate factory we walked back into Adelaide centre at a much slower pace than when we walked out, enjoying the scenery and the beautiful gardens that surround the inner city. These beautiful flowers are a native called a bottle brush - because they look like the brushes used to clean bottles!! Clever people these Australians! KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 11:57 am |
We headed for the famous Rundle Mall, Adelaide’s main shopping area. We did a little window shopping and checked out some of the popular sculptures that line the arcade, like the silver balls and the piggies.
KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr (Don't you love how happy this piggie looks?) KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr (Even the rubbish is sculpted!) This is Bec’s (and, with its name!), I think my favourite building in Adelaide – Beehive Corner, home of a Haigh’s Chocolate shop! KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr Mmmmm…. Chocolate frogs, chocolate pandas, chocolate bilbies & chocolate Murray River Cod (though I’m not too sure about the idea of chocolate fish!) KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr On our way back to the hostel we stumbled upon these really cool murals. Aren't they great? KalliHH in Adelaide by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 12:41 pm |
Today we visited the Coorong National Park, which consists of a large lagoon where the Murrary River meets the Southern Ocean. It is home to many types of birds and the destination of many migratory birds, some of whom fly here for the summer from as far away as Alaska and Siberia!
To access the Coorong, we had to pass through a lock at the Goolwa barrage, which was built to keep the fresh water of that part of the Murray from the salt water of the ocean. KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr Can you see the sea lion sunning itself on the wharf? KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr Time for lunch on our cruise... a typical Aussie picnic lunch - cold meat, garden salad, pasta salad & coleslaw with bread and butter. Followed with a cup of tea. Does this count towards my mission?? KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr Further along we came across the dredging operation that has been in action for last few years desperately trying to keep the mouth of the Murray River open. This has become a problem due both to the drought and over use of the water system by farms all along the Murray. Did you know that the Murray is the largest river system in Australia? KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr And, here it is... where the Murray meets the sea, well, the Southern Ocean to be exact! KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr The beach was covered with all these beautiful cockle shells KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr This is just such a beautiful part of the world. KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr And here I am on the edge of the Southern Ocean. Next stop.... Antarctica! KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr To get here we had to cross some pretty huge sand dunes (Luckily the track was marked with a Dutch ladder, which made it a lot easier than it might look here!) KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr Sand dunes are quite a challenge for a tiny ToyVoyager! KalliHH @ Coorong National Park by becka_kate, on Flickr Soon it was time to head back to Adelaide, meet up with our other travelling companion (who had passed on the Coorong trip, preferring to go wine tasting) and prepare for our next little adventure. |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 12:55 pm |
Day three of our South Australian adventure and we hired a car to head out into the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley where I started to really feel at home. This was because of the history of the area... it was primarily settled by German immigrants in the mid 1800s and this influences a lot of the tourist industry in the area.
KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr The area is also well known (world over) for its wineries. Nearly everyway you look you can see vineyards stretching out over the mountains. KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 1:01 pm |
Next stop, Gumeracha (pronounced Gum-er-ack-a), home of the Big Rocking Horse - the biggest rocking horse in the world. It is 18.3 metres or 60.0 feet, approximately the height of a six-storey building!
KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr Just to show you roughly how far from home I was.... KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr Bec was disappointed that Sydney was missing from the Australian places signpost. |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 1:21 pm |
Soon we headed on to Hahndorf for lunch, but on the way we got a little bit lost and while looking for somewhere to turn the car around came across Fairy Land Villiage, home to tiny cottages containing animatronic figures from many of the Grimm's Fairy Tales and other popular children's stories. Very strange we thought and of course we had to go in and check it all out!
Red Riding Hood... KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr Alice in Wonderland... KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr and a really cool playground where I got to see what it's like to ride a kangaroo! KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 1:30 pm |
KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr (translation please?? My German is seriously rusty. Have worked out most, but need help! Thanks )
Finally we made it into Hahndorf, in time for a very late lunch of kransky's and saurkraut at one of the German Inns that the town is famous for. Hahndorf is Australia's oldest surviving German settlement. The first settlement took place in 1839 when Prussian Lutheran families arrived and you can see this influence in many of the old buildings. KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH - Barossa Valley by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 5, 2010, 1:50 pm |
Yay! Kangaroo Island and our reason for heading off to South Australia!
Kangaroo Island is the third largest island in Australia (not counting mainland Australia!) It is 155 km (96 miles) from east to west, 55 km (34.5 miles) at its widest point and 1 km (.6 miles) at its narrowest point and home to most species of Australian animals, including some that have been made extinct on the mainland and can only be found here on the island. It was named Kangaroo Island by the explorer Matthew Flinders, who circumnavigated Australia and was saved from starvation by the kangaroos he found here! This is where the ferry docks in Penneshaw, the second largest town on the island. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 6, 2010, 2:14 pm |
Our first stop on the Island was at Pennington Bay, one of the very, very many beautiful beaches you'll find here.
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Look at how blue the water is! Absolutely gorgeous! KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr We climbed to the top of these very high rocks in order to take in the views. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 6, 2010, 2:19 pm |
Next we climbed the 509 steps to the top of Prospect Hill. From here you can see nearly the entire island and it is where Matthew Flinders trekked to to discover that he was not, in fact, on the mainland, as he had initially thought, but on an island!
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr The view was completely worth the climb! On the way we kept passing signs like this. Sadly, we didn't see any of the wildlife or their tracks. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 6, 2010, 2:21 pm |
Next stop was at the Emu Farm Eucalyptus Distillery where I met an emu!
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 6, 2010, 2:34 pm |
After lunch we went koala spotting. There is one up this tree. Can you see it?
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Here it is! KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Some gum leaves. Ever wonder why koalas sleep all day? Its because the eucalypt oil is actually poisonous and their bodies need all the energy they can get process it. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr and some gum nuts... Which are actually the blossoms and seeds for the gum trees. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Along with a number of koalas we also saw kangaroos, including a joey (a baby kangaroo) KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 9:37 am |
Our next stop was to check out the Remarkable Rocks in the Flinders Chase National Park. The huge rocks look like a creation of the crazy sculpturer - its simply amazing what water and wind can do to granite!
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr This part has been nick-named "Sad Sam". You can see why, can't you? KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 9:50 am |
Last stop of the day was Admiral's Arch to see a colony New Zealand Fur Seals and sun set over the ocean as we were at the western point of the island.
The seals were a major factor in the European settlement of Kangaroo Island.The first white settlement on Kangaroo Island was by ‘sealers’ in the early 1800s. Fur-seals and sea-lions were hunted relentlessly for their skins and fat and until about 1920 when they were almost hunted to extinction. They're a bit hard to see here, but there are four seals on this ledge. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr This is Admiral's Arch, which has been formed by weathering and erosion from the sea over thousands of years. The scraggly bits hanging down are actually petrified tree roots! Cool! KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Sadly, clouds rolled in and covered the sunset - bec thinks she's cursed when it comes to seeing sunsets while on holiday! |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 9:55 am |
We started our second day on Kangaroo Island with a spot of sandboarding, which is a lot like snowboarding, but on a sand dune instead!
At first glance the sand dune didn't look too bad... KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr but then we got closer and started to climb... KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Scary..... but SOOO much fun!!! KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 10:03 am |
Our next stop was very exciting. We went to Seal Bay where we sat on the beach just a few metres away from a colony of Australian Sea Lions! They come up on to the beach to rest as they spend three days at sea feeding. There were also a number of female sea lions up on the beach with very young pups. It was just very cool, and when it was time to go, we just didn't want leave.
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 10:16 am |
Time for lunch, so we stopped at Vivonne Bay (and I am most disappointed that someone forgot to take photo of me eating kangaroo!!)
Vivonne Bay is stunning and was once named "Australia's Best Beach" KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr We went paddling in the Southern Ocean, which was not as cold as you would expect it to be KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr before going wading in Harriet River, which flows along this part of the beach. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr It is quite safe to paddle in despite its unusual colour, which comes from the eucalypt oil from the trees surrounding the river further up stream. |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 10:25 am |
After lunch we headed off to Kelly Hill Caves, a huge cave system that was discovered when a farmer and his horse (Kelly) fell into a sink hole in 1880. He managed to get himself out, but the horse was never seen again and nobody really knows just how big the caverns actually are.
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr On the walk back to the bus from the caves I was introduced to this beatiful flower, which is the Australian floral emblem and the reason why Australian sporting teams always dress in green and gold. KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 10:34 am |
On leaving the caves we had to make a mad dash across the island to get to Kingscote (KI's largest town) in time for the daily 5 o'clock pelican feeding with John the Pelican man.
KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Pelicans mainly eat fish, but will pretty much eat anything they are offered, so I was seriously grateful that Bec was keeping a firm grip on me. Look at how big their bills are! They can hold up to 15litres of water in there! |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 10:42 am |
And, back to Penneshaw again so we could catch the ferry back to the mainland (where we would have to get ready for a very, very, very early start to the morning the next day!)
Don't you think that this is a brilliant view for a dinner spot? KalliHH on Kangaroo Island by becka_kate, on Flickr Kangaroo Island simply a beautiful part of the world, and one which I can highly recommend! We were very sad to be heading home again. |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 11:00 am |
While I've been staying here I've been making progress on one of my missions. Bec is currently 'fostering' her sister's menagerie of pets as she's renting and obviously can't have the animals in their apartment!
So, this is Lady (the big dog) who is a collie cross kelpie (Australian Sheep Dog) and Angel (the little dog) who is a Tenterfield Terrier. IMG_6943 by becka_kate, on Flickr There is also a cat, 3 birds and 4 fish, but they're all a little camera shy! |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 11:05 am |
And, we're off again!
This time to Canberra to visit Bec's friends. After someone kept forgetting to get a photo of me enjoying a barbeque in South Australia, I was glad to hear that barbeque was on offer for dinner Friday night. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr And, here it is - an Aussie barbeque for dinner (minus the garden salad...) KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 11:17 am |
Every year in spring Canberra holds a flower festival called Floriade. This year there were more than one million flowers organised into artworks celebrating Imagination. Most of the flowers on display are tulips, but you will also see lots of pansies, lillies, daffodils and daisies.
KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr We also got to meet a family of black swans who were swimming in the lake, and more than happy to come up to the shore where people were offering food. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr I really would have liked to stay and buzz around the flowers all day, but unfortunately it was soon time to start the long drive back to Sydney. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 12, 2010, 11:27 am |
On the way back to the car we took the scenic route, following the walkway around the lake. Lake Burley Griffen forms the centre of Canberra (which, in case you didn't know, is the capital of Australia)
Most of the important buildings are near or on the edges of the lake. The large building to the left is the National Library and the pointy bits to the right is the flagpole above Parliament House, the seat of Australian Federal Government. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr Sadly, we weren't there at the right time of day to see the Cook Fountain going - due to water restrictions and the drought, it only runs for an hour or so a day. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr We thought this provided an interesting view of Parliament House. It is very hard to see against a cloudy sky. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr Lake Burley Griffen is very popular for family days out and you can hire canoes, kayaks and paddle boats to ride around on it. That looks like a lot of fun. The bizarre building in the background is the Australian National Museum by the way! KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr Black Mountain Tower (for telecommunications, but also has a viewing platform for tourists) is a very handy landmark when travelling in the Australian Capital Territory! KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 19, 2010, 11:25 am |
On the way home we stopped at Lake George.
KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr I bet you're thinking its a pretty strange looking lake. Where's all the water? Lake George is a freak phenomenon. It has been known to disappear virtually overnight. The lake has been totally dry in 1837, 1870, 1902, most of the1930s and the early1980s. It has been completely full in 1852, 1897, 1925, the 1950s and the mid-1980s. There is no pattern to this strange phenomenon. It is almost dry now (this is probably the first time in 11 years of regularly driving to Canberra that my host has spotted any real water in it at all). Sometimes it appears as though there is water in it, but it is only a mirage! KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr It is a very eerie place to be in, especially at night (or so my host tells me). Its Aboriginal name is Weereewaa, which means "bad water". When it has been full, the waters are very rough and a number of people have died while participating in sports on it. |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 19, 2010, 11:35 am |
Australian country towns are very fond of building 'big things'. There are over 146 such objects around the country, such as big bananas, pineapples, oysters, trouts, rocking horses etc!
On the way back we stopped in Goulburn for a "stop, revive, survive" break(Australian drivers are encouraged to take a break from the road every two hours to beat fatigue) and visited the Big Merino. KalliHH in the ACT by becka_kate, on Flickr The Big Merino is a 15 metre tall cement Merino sheep. It has a shop and tourist centre underneath and visitors can climb to the top and look out through the Merino's eyes to view the local area. A couple of years ago, the Big Merino was moved to a location 800m up the road, closer to the Hume Freeway, to increase visitor numbers. This was very complex operation as the Merino is as high as a four-storey building and as wide as a country road! It involved cutting the power cables on that section of road, cutting off the rams legs (and other unmentionables!) and using an 96 wheeled truck moving at three kilometres an hour! Crazy, huh? |
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becka_kate Posted Oct 25, 2010, 11:17 am |
KalliHH left Australia today and is on his way to Hong Kong. | ||
vivyanhui Posted Dec 28, 2010, 12:56 pm |
After a long trip,
I can't wait to fill my stomach! The breakfast I had today is congee with sesame, vegetables and the fried flour, it makes the congee much chewy~ |
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vivyanhui Posted Dec 28, 2010, 1:05 pm |
Today's dinner:
mushroom rice, fishball with mushroom, and a hot tofu soup, what a nice treat in winter time~~! |
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vivyanhui Posted Dec 28, 2010, 1:09 pm |
Decorations in shopping malls are always funny and full of imagination!
See all of us are sitting on such a giant apple! Next to us is a potato~ I meet some friends too, it reminds me of HelgaHH, don't know when will we meet again? |
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vivyanhui Posted Dec 28, 2010, 1:13 pm |
Jade Market is a popular spot for tourist,
here you can see many colourful gems and giant jade. Behind me is one of the two kinds of calligraphy of the chinese word "jade", it sounds "yog". Besides, there are some stalls selling Buddha items too, but I like the colourful flower cloth that behind me more~ |
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vivyanhui Posted Dec 28, 2010, 1:16 pm |
Guess what I ate today?
Steamed pork rice with sauced chicken leg~ yumyum! And the buns are good too, the smaller one is filled with egg yolk / salted egg mustard, the bigger one is with vegetables and chicken fillings. They are common buns in the region. Both of them are bigger than me! |
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vivyanhui Posted Dec 28, 2010, 1:21 pm |
Behind me are some dummies of the old style street kiosk,
there are many kinds of them, some selling vegetables, dried food, flowers, and even goldfish! At night, the stall keeper will pack all things back to their "green box", and setup everything again at the next morning, just can't imagine how to store all the things inside? |
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Delenna Posted Feb 1, 2011, 11:44 am |
I have arrived in Finland! It's snowy and chilly but sunny. Can't wait to get out and bee touristy | ||
Delenna Posted Feb 2, 2011, 2:52 pm |
Not touristy yet, but it's my first group photo here There's me and Banyo and Gary Boldie plus two Travelbugs.
My host found another geocache nearby and there were these two TravelBugs - a scubadiver (Fridolin the diver) and a duck (Little Duck Just4U). They look like toyvoyagers! They were the first ones my host had found and she was pretty thrilled |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:14 am |
Finally it's December,
I am glad that I met Santa Claus in the shopping mall~ I rushed to him and told him my wish~ |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:17 am |
Decorations were everywhere, I like Christmas~~
Taking festive photos is such a wonderful thing~~ |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:20 am |
Finnish decorations here in Hong Kong,
Do the animals really look this way in Finland? |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:25 am |
Exciting games at Ocean Park tonight!
Other than rides and games, there are also other kinds of animals like seal, shark, pandas, peacock and so on. However, they all went to sleep since it's night time... |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:32 am |
Another theme park today! Snoopy's World!
It is full of different Snoopy decorations and statues, and friends too! Some of them are habving barbecue, some are fishing, and even riding the boat. |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:37 am |
New experience on new food,
first comes the beef offal in sauced, it's hot and yummy~ Then it's the fried sausage with becon, great~ |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:39 am |
I met Santa again! But he looks a bit different...?!?! | ||
vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:42 am |
Merry Christmas~~~ | ||
vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:45 am |
To celebrate Christmas,
we the toyvoyagers decided to have a great meal together! Cheers everyone~ |
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vivyanhui Posted Feb 6, 2011, 9:47 am |
After the dinner, how can we miss the dessert? Hee~ | ||
Delenna Posted Feb 9, 2011, 11:43 am |
The Baltic Sea! All frozen and snowy. Tallinn (Estonia) is only 117 km away to the South and St. Petersburg (Russia) 267km east - both calculated via airline. | ||
Delenna Posted Feb 9, 2011, 11:48 am |
This is me in the old town of Porvoo, by the river. In the first photo you can see Castle Hill where used to be a real caste hundreds of years ago.
The red shorehouses are also part of the old town - and the most wellknown attraction in Porvoo. The brochure tells this about them: The shore houses are now red, but they got their colour only in the late 18th century. Red ochre paint was used to paint the shore houses in honour of King Gustav III's arrival from Sweden. All of the houses along his route were painted, in order to make them more beautiful. The red ochre also helped protect the logs from wind and sun damage. Exotic fruits, wines and spices were brought to Porvoo, and the shore houses also served as intermediate storehouses for coffee an tobacco. Today the shore houses are used as private living quarters and storage space. |
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Delenna Posted Feb 9, 2011, 11:52 am |
After the old town we went shopping to the city center. Here's a quick look around the market square. There's lot more happening in the summer I was told... | ||
Delenna Posted Feb 9, 2011, 11:56 am |
My host ran some errands in the capitol, Helsinki and I tagged along. She did some geocaching too and one was hidden nearby this monument. My host said she had never been to this Sibelius Monument before - so geocaching is educational as well!
Wikipedia reveals this about the monument: The Sibelius Monument (Finnish: Sibelius-monumentti) is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). The monument is located at the Sibelius Park (Finnish: Sibeliuspuisto) in the district of Töölö in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland. The monument was designed by Eila Hiltunen and unveiled on September 7, 1967. Originally it sparked a lively debate about the merits and flaws of abstract art, for which reason an effigy of Sibelius was included in the work. It consists of series of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. The purpose of the artist was to capture the essence of the music of Sibelius. The monument weighs 24 tonnes (24 LT; 26 ST) and measures 8.5 × 10.5 × 6.5 metres. A smaller version of the monument is located at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. A work with a similar concept, also designed by Hiltunen, is located at the grounds of the United Nations headquarters in New York City. |
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Delenna Posted Feb 9, 2011, 12:07 pm |
This is the very center of Helsinki. In the first photo you can see the Parliament, in the second the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma and in the 3rd the main post office and the main railway station behind it and so on My host had to run to a meeting we didn't have time for more photos | ||
Delenna Posted Feb 9, 2011, 7:25 pm |
My host is cat-sitting this week and she took me with her tonight. These are 3 male cats whose names I won't reveal My hosts favorite is the lion one as the younger cats try to bully him - and succeed in driving him nuts, poor thing.
Does this count as three different pets as they're different - just all cats |
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Delenna Posted Feb 21, 2011, 3:50 pm |
Today we went to see the Disney On Ice -show in Hartwall Areena, Helsinki. The show was called Disneyland Adventure and it included about all Disney characters. It was a suprisingly small ice they used! We didn't get good photos because my host thought cameras were prohibited and she only had her cell phone "camera" to use. But I was there! | ||
Delenna Posted Mar 9, 2011, 6:13 am |
I'm leaving Finland now Thank you for the visit! | ||
TaisAfinskaia maria.forletters@gmail.com Posted Apr 18, 2011, 9:35 pm |
Hello mummy!
I`m in Russia! And here are many TVs who immediately became my friends - great luck! First we had a walk through Moscow narrow streets. But at any small street you can easily find some monumental building, seems that Russian people are crazy about everything big |
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TaisAfinskaia maria.forletters@gmail.com Posted May 2, 2011, 8:18 pm |
Yesterday I cooked sushi for Maria. She can`t cook at all and I was afraid that we all will die without food | ||
TaisAfinskaia maria.forletters@gmail.com Posted May 9, 2011, 8:47 pm |
Tverskaia street | ||
TaisAfinskaia maria.forletters@gmail.com Posted May 9, 2011, 8:59 pm |
Hello mummy!
I visited great park!!!!
This park has great areas and many wedding couple come here to make photos with these beautiful places. |
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TaisAfinskaia maria.forletters@gmail.com Posted Jun 19, 2011, 7:04 pm |
Hello mummy!
We had a bicycle walk in the park. You can hardly see me and my friend Orpheus at the first photo, but I wanted to make picture with that bridge. We were very good at bicycling! |
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marcie08 Posted Jul 20, 2011, 9:04 pm |
Hi Mom!
I have arrived here in Austria. I was welcomed by Clyde, a fellow toy on the European trail. He told me a bit about my new home, but soon it was time for him to travel on. We shared the chocolate I had brought with me and then dropped him off at the postoffice. Soon more from me! Love, Kalli |
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marcie08 Posted Jul 20, 2011, 9:10 pm |
Hi Mom!
Today I had a look around my host mom's flat. I met a super cute sheep, welcoming me here in Vienna! There were so many postcards everywhere in the room so I had a closer look. Host-Mom told me that she is a postcrosser and she showed me some of her favorites. She has many cards on display, some of them in a kind of shower curtain that has slots for cards. Clever, eh? Many interesting things to see on the cards! Bye! |
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marcie08 Posted Aug 31, 2011, 5:24 pm |
Hi Mom!
My hostmom is taking me on vacation to the US soon! But first, she had to keep up with her work in the office. I went along and had a look around, but then decided that it was more fun to eat my host mom's breakfast and drink her coffee |
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marcie08 Posted Aug 31, 2011, 5:36 pm |
Hi Mom,
as we are now getting ready for the vacation, we went to Graz to pick up some things Mom needed for the US! Here are some pictures from my train journey. Luckily there were only few people in the train and I had my own seat! My hostmom was also happy that I went with her as she usually traels alone and that is always so boring |
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marcie08 Posted Aug 31, 2011, 5:41 pm |
Hi Mom,
we did some more preparation for the vacation! I helped my hostmom by scanning some of her documents and then I uploaded them to her google docs! My hostmom said that I was a huge help |
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marcie08 Posted Sep 13, 2011, 7:37 pm |
Hi Mom,
after a very long flight we have finally arrived in the United States. I am in Los Angeles now, the movie capital. The first thing we did after having freshened up in the hotel was visiting the walk of Fame. Lots of very important and famous people have a star there. Then we went to Venice beach. We saw the bodybuilders at Muscle beach and walked around a bit. We even tried out the water, but for me, it was far too cold We went on a bustour of LA and drove by the houses of the rich and famous. And then we went up to a hill to have a look at the world famous Hollywood sign! CU soon! |
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marcie08 Posted Sep 13, 2011, 7:45 pm |
Hi Mom!
We picked up our car yesterday and started our round trip. We drove along the coastline of California and visited many scenic overlooks. But we also drove along boring highways, where we only saw boring rows of bushes and trees and other agriculture... Bye! |
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marcie08 Posted Sep 13, 2011, 8:05 pm |
Hi Mom,
we went on along the California coastline and stopped at Hearst Castle. The castle is situated on top of a hill and all the land you can see from the top, once belonged to Mister Hearst and is today part of the Hearst trust. Mr Hearst was the first media tycoon. The castle is really beautiful, especially the beautifully landscaped garden surrounding it. Later we drove on to Monterey, a small town with a world-renowned aquarium. We saw a lot of fish, octopus, sea horses, penguins... That was really fun. Though I have to confess that I would not love living in the water - some of the fish were really scary... Better to fly around and visit the many blooms Bye, Mom! |
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marcie08 Posted Sep 14, 2011, 7:22 pm |
Hi Mom!
We have arrived in San Francisco. Wow, that was a drive...up and down and up again! Our hotel was located near Fisherman's wharf, so that was the first place we visited. We walked along the pier there and came upon a historical landmark: It was an old submarine. I can't imagine living there...I would very much miss all the blooms Thenw e went to a really cool restaurant: It was with Forrest Gump decor. They had kind of license plates on the table with"Run, Forrest, run" and Stop, Forrest. With these you could signal the waitress. What a lovely idea The restaurant was called Bubba Shrimp by the way...does it ring a bell? Im sure you remember the name from the movie! Later we took a tour with a hop on, hop off bus. Oh, that was fun! I love riding the bus. I received my own earphones, so I could listen to the tourguide. So far, I really love San Francisco! Bye! |
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marcie08 Posted Sep 14, 2011, 7:35 pm |
Hi Mom,
what would a visit to San Francisco be without a visit to Chinatown? This is a really different world, with all the shop, the different music and smells... So of course we had lunch in a Chinese restaurant. We tried dumpling and had sweet and sour chicken. Later we had dessert, a wonderful grean tea ice cream and of course we also received a fortune cookie After lunch we took a walk through the neighbourhood and decided to drive with the famous cable cars. Of course, that is what all the tourists do,, so we had to wait a bit. But that was in fact quite interesting, as we could see how the cars drive by. They arrive at the end station, that is where we waited to board, and they stop on a platform. Then the driver and some helpers get out and they turn the platform around, so that the cable car faces the other direction! The car turns like a record on a record player. Tomorrow we will leave San Francisco... I am a bit sad as I would have loved to visit some more... Bye! |
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marcie08 Posted Sep 19, 2011, 11:13 am |
Hi Mom!
Today we arrived here in the Napa Valley, the famous area for wineries. On our way there we stopped in a National Forest to have a look at the Giant Redwoods. Look at those trees, they are really old and huuuuuuuge! But back to the vineyards: You can see me looking out of the window while we drove through the small cities and passed many wineries. I am not sure if I will be allowed to visit a winery, as you have to be 21...but maybe my host-mom can smuggle me in? Later we had lunch in a small park - some salad and a baguette. That was nice! Bye! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 3, 2011, 9:08 pm |
Hi Mom!
My host mom managed to smuggle me in the Beringer winery...here are two more pictures from there. Later I wrote some postcards! Today, we went to the Yosemite Valley, a huge National Park. You can see us driving around there. I travelled in the front, sometimes also on my host mom's knee. I even got a cookie to keep me entertained during the long drive. |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 3, 2011, 9:15 pm |
Hi Mom!
Today we went into the National Park again! We looked at the map to see where we wanted to go today. We stopped at a river and had a rest there. Then we drove on, through different forrests. We saw many beautiful trees and the view of the mountains surrounding the Valley was just breathtaking! I really loved when we stopped for the waterfall. So much water coming down so fast, that was impressive! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 3, 2011, 9:20 pm |
So Mom,
we are still in the Yosemite National park, but today we went to a different part of the park. There even was a fire! Did you know that fires are quite common there? They have special firefighters that control the fires, so you are not in danger as a tourist there. But the smoke was a bit scary. I have never been this near to a fire before... You even see burnt trees and I read in my information sheets that fires are really important for this area, as some trees need the fire to grow! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 3, 2011, 9:25 pm |
HI Mom,
I am in Las Vegas! We are staying in the Mirage hotel, that is where Sigfrid and Roy did their magic shows! You can see all those big hotels, so many rooms, that it is hard to find your way back to your room. Luckily you get a map that shows the way! My host mom smuggled me into the casino area, though I was officially not allowed to go there...and as you can see I was quite a lucky charme for my host mom - she won I got some delicious frozen yoghurt as a special treat! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 4, 2011, 7:35 pm |
Hi Mom!
Her are some night views from yesterday. You can see some of the hotels and also the volcano that belonged to our hotel. I watched the volcano eruption - the fire was quite hot...and above all it had about 40°C outside, so it was like being grilled on a bbq... We also visited other hotels and I took a picture in the Italian style hotel. Look, it is quite kitchy, don't you think? Today we travelled on to Red Rock Canyon. I took some pictures while we were on the road. And then I finally saw the red rocks. What a color! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 11, 2011, 9:12 pm |
Hi Mom,
welcome to the Arches National Park in Utah! The national parks here in the US are really beautiful...and it is really comfortable as you can drive with your car! Well and that was a real treat today, because we had 40 degrees!!!! And inside the car we had our lovely aircondition! On one picture you can see me eating a special muffin: It was called "breakfast muffin" and it was a mix between a bacon muffin and a blueberry muffin... I know that sounds really strange, but it was actually very good! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 11, 2011, 9:34 pm |
Hi Mom!
We are now on the way to Four Corners, the special place where 4 US States meet: Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. You can sit directly on the point, where the States meet...well at least that was the plan. But lately some scientists found out that the actual borders are a couple of meters away - oops! Here you can find more info about it: Four Corners on wikipedia This is also the area where several Native American Nations live. We were really looking forward to seeing the famous Monument Valley where the Navajo Nation lives. We took a tour but inside the valleye it was so sandy that we could not take pictures without harming the camera. And the road was really bumpy, so we were really shaken after the tour |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 11, 2011, 9:40 pm |
Hi Mom!
Hello from Santa Fe, New Mexico. The city is full of those red brown adobe houses and you can visit many little stores selling Native American crafts. There was also the State Capitol and we took a picture there. We visited the Native American Museum, where we learned a lot about Native Americans, their history and contemporary art and crafts! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 11, 2011, 9:56 pm |
Hi Mom!
We have arrived on our last destination: The Grand Canyon in Arizona! Wow, it really is grand! We drove through the park and we even went on a little hike. It is very important to be aware of the sun, so I used my host mom's hat and drank plenty of water! I really enjoyed my tour through this part of the US and I hope to see some more interesting places soon! Now I will travel back to Europe! |
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marcie08 Posted Oct 11, 2011, 9:58 pm |
Hi Mom!
I am back here in Vienna. Look at all the stuff we have bought in the US! Can you even find me in the middle of all the souvenirs? Now I am going to help my host mom with her wedding preparations! Bye! |
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olgamaus Posted Oct 17, 2011, 1:42 pm |
Hi Mummy,
today I arrived in Germany, in Remscheid. Yes, the package with me inside was delivered today. on a Sunday I was welcomed by my host Katja and two curious ToyVoyagers, Claire Squirrel, also from Germany, and Hryusha from Russia. I brought delicious candy from Austria with me, everyone was interested in those candy As soon as I had a quick breakfast, we went outside to take a walk with one of Katja's friends. We drove to Eschbach Dam, the oldest dam in Germany, opened in 1891 A.D.. We parked the car close to a Motel and motorway restaurant. After walking two minutes we reached the dam. What a lovely view with the autumn colored forest! In the background you can see the Motel again. Because the dam is not really large, we departed from the dam and took one of the paths which are leading away from the dam. We reached a small monument, a cross made of stone. It commemoreates a man who was killed in 16th century - at least there is a legend telling this. Here you can read the story (only available in German). This looks like a rural area, but do not be mislead by the look - the motorway A1 is crossing behind those meadows! Back in the forest we took a group shot (Hryusha thought me might pick those mushrooms for dinner). After walking for about two hours we lost our way in the forest, but we thought it might be a good idea to follow this creek because it probably would flow into the dam. We were right, soon we reached the dam. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Oct 20, 2011, 1:39 pm |
Hi Mummy,
Katja took me to the city centre in her lunch break. We started our trip at the city hall. Its tower is 48 m high, visible from a lot of places around the city, because the city centre is situated on top of a hill. The city hall was originally built in 1906, but was nearly destroyed in World War II. When the war was over it was rebuilt in a more modern style. There is a large open space in front of the city hall, the farmers market is taking place here twice a week. Here you can also find a pillar with a lion, the heraldíc animal of Remscheid. The water tower is situated opposite of the back side of the city hall. Here you can see the central bus station with one of the most busy streets in the city centre. From a bridge we had a good overview to the district Hohenhagen in the background. The main shopping street is beginning here. We went through a side street to leave the shopping street. In the background you can see the company building of the local newspaper, Remscheider General-Anzeiger. The central bus station once more ... This is the public library. We went to the shopping mall than, to do some shoppings for dinner. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Oct 24, 2011, 7:55 pm |
Hi Mummy,
we are still having fantastic weather, so we are taking long walks every day. Today we followed a railway track for some time. We walked through the district "Reinshagen" where I saw those lovely houses that you like so much We went into the forest than. Katja showed me Germany's highest railway bridge today, Muengsten Bridge. She promised that we will visit it soon. Today we walked where the bridge's abutments are situated. You have a fantastic view to the bridge from here. From one side ... ... and from the other side. We followed a lovely walking path along the railway track, it seems at is was not used too often. There is grass growing even on the path. When we walked back home it was already getting dark. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Oct 25, 2011, 8:46 am |
Hi Mummy,
we took a walk with one of Katja's friends today. We walked from the city centre to Luettringhausen, another district. As soon as you are levaing the main streets of the city centre you can see the rural areas and woodlands around. We had walk all the way from the city centre on top of a hill to a valley. Morsbach creek is running through the valley. You can find a lot of industrial sites along the creek, based on all the historical industrial sites which you could find here in ancient times. They are mostly metalworking companies, like this one, a steelworks. After walking through a small hamlet we walked along the valley, between meadows and forests. We found a fantastic place in the forest - a hammer mill. Iron and steel was produced here since 15th century - nearly unimaginable. A large millwheel was lying on the ground. Here you can see the rear side of the building. We had to cross a street later. When we walked towards Luettringhausen, we went along a parkway. Some dozen apple trees were planted here, some of them sponsored by citizens of the city, some to commemorate celebrated public characters. After passing a playground we finally reached Luettringhausen. I was so tired than I went into Katja's bag for a nap. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Oct 25, 2011, 6:55 pm |
Hi Mummy,
I met Shiva, Brighty and Zaehnchen in the evening. No, they are not ToyVoyagers. They are living here and they sometimes behave really bad Claire Squirrel called them impudent, naughty, cheeky and hoggish creatures They are ferrets and behaving bad is simply ferret behaviour. This is Shiva. This is Brighty, she is wearing protective mimicry relating to the sofa And this is Zaehnchen, the most agile ferret in the whole world. Thankfully they do not consider me as their dinner Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Oct 29, 2011, 10:46 pm |
Hi Mummy,
we took a walk in the late afternoon from Wuppertal-Ronsdorf, a district of Wuppertal on the border to Remscheid, back home. We started our trip in a rural area, close to a woodland area and a dam. I met a curious cat There are picturesque old house, one of them looking skew-whiff. There are fish ponds along the path downhill. Katja told me that this restaurant is existing here for more than 100 years now. We reached the bottom of the valley between Remscheid and Wuppertal, from here we had to walk for about 50 minutes uphill to get home. Bye Kalli |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 6, 2011, 8:50 am |
Hi Mummy,
today we planned to visit a museum, the German Tool Museum (Deutsches Werkzeugmuseum). It is situated in the district Hasten, we went there through the municipal park. We all had fun playing in the leaves. Hasten is one of the oldest districts here, you can still find narrow lanes with cute old houses here. Inside the museum we had to hurry a little bit, they were closing 30 minutes later. The ground floor is dominated by a steam-engine. In each drawer you could find different tools. A check clock ... We also found displayed tools from early ages, for example Stone Age and Bronze Age. A historic company sign ... ... and packed tools, ready for shipping abroad. Outside the museum you can still find machines and tools. Afterwards we took a short walk along those old houses. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 6, 2011, 9:07 am |
Hi Mummy,
today we took a walk in the vicinity of the medieval castle in the neighbour city Solingen. But first I have to tell you that we have a new visitor here, not another ToyVoyager, but a ToyVoyager host, fam-united. She will stay with us until Wednesday. She bought some plushy guests with her, of course Before visiting the castle we took a walk in the surroundings. We started our trip in a rural area with lots of livery stables. Far away in the distance the city centre of Remscheid, situated on its hill, is visible. The castle came into sight. We reached this lovely outlook pavilion. From here we had a fantastic overview to the valley of the river Wupper. We saw the castle which is situated high above the river Wupper several times before we finally reached it. We went to this lovely outlook pavilion to have a look across the valley. We saw a defence tower. It was built for protecting the outer line of defence, some hundred meters apart from the castle. Here you can see me and all the other ToyVoyagers who went with us today. Soon we reached the castle. A market for decorative arts is taking place here, as well in the courtyard as in the castle itself. Schloss Burg was built in 1133 by Count Adolf I von Berg on a hill above the river Wupper.That's why this region is called "Bergisches Land". Many people believe that it's name refers to the landscape with hills and valleys. (For those who do not speak German: The German word for mountain or hill is "Berg", so many people think that the name "Bergisches Land" means "land with many hills" ) About a hundred years later it was enlarged by Count Engelberg II von Berg. This is the man on the horse in the courtyard. I saw a craftsman working. Inside the castle it was too dark to take good photos. Later Katja bought wooden buttons for knitted cardigan. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 6, 2011, 3:13 pm |
Hi Mummy,
today we decided to show you Muengsten Bridge, one of the touristic highlights of this region. Muengsten Bridge is Germany's highest railway bridge, opened in 1907, 107 m high and about 500 m long. The bridge is overspanning the valley of the river Wupper which is marking the border between Remscheid and the neighbour city Solingen. Can you see the little pavilion in the background? It is a sibling of the one we saw on Saturday, created by the same architect. We had to walk for only a few minutes until we reached the bridge. A few years ago a leisure park was built under the bridge. You can find lawns for relaxing here and a crazy golf course. We even climbed to the train station on the Solingen part of the valley. When we reached the station we took the train to Solingen to have lunch in a restaurant. The Zwilling company is situated here, well known in the whole world for their knifes and cutlery. Here you can see part of the former railway track, now built to a lane called "Korkenziehertrasse". Those buildings were the freight depots once, nowadays you can find artist's stores and cafés here. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 11, 2011, 5:41 pm |
Hi Mum,
Katja's cell phono was ringing, a SMS came in. From HelgaHH? How should this be possible? Helga?! I cannot believe it! Now I have to hurry. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 11, 2011, 10:20 pm |
Of course we went to the municpal park, it's only a few minutes walk from here.
Soon I found Helga's secret signs. I watched out for more signs at the pond ... ... until I found the next one, on a bench this time. I found several declarations of love on this tree, but none of them was Helga's. The other ToyVoyagers wanted to take the usual tourist photos but I was only interested in meeting Helga! By the way, here you can see the observatory, situatedin the entrance area of the park. Ah, Helga's next signs ... Here in the shrubbery Helga was awaiting me! My dear Helga - I could hardly believe my luck. Helga was lucky, too. We took a long walk together in the park. All our traveling friends shared our happiness. We were so happy that we met here. HelgaHH came here just to see me. We found the perfect hiding-place for privacy. Later at home Helga asked for some romantic candles. Katja found some in her daughter's room Good night! KalliHH + HelgaHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 12, 2011, 4:51 pm |
Hi Mummy,
today we helped Katja to prepare mussels for dinner. First the mussels had to be cleaned. Some vegetables had to be cut, leek and onions. We also needed mustard seed, salt, bay leaf and black pepper. While Katja cooked the mussels in vegetable stock with the spices and some white wine I prepared a salad. Soon dinner was ready. Bon appetit! KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 14, 2011, 7:40 pm |
Hi Mummy,
today I spent another romantic day with HelgaHH. We took a walk in Solingen-Unterburg, a lovely historic quarter in the neighbour city Solingen. First we visited an old formerly evangelic graveyard. It belongs to this little church from 18th century. The graveyard was opened in 1744 A.D. and closed in 1854 A.D. 52 graves remained. This graveyard really is a speciality because the tombstones were created in a nearly unitary style, made from an originally yellow-reddish sandstone. Presumably they were made at the same time around 1745 A.D. They were probably made with the inscriptions and sayings, later the dates of death were filled in. After visiting the graveyard we took a walk in the nearby forest. From a view point we saw Muengsten Bridge in the distance. Here is also a zoomed photo. Katja showed us a memorial for Hermann Löns, a German journalist and author, who lived from 1866 A.D. till 1914 A.D. He died as a soldier in World War I in France. When we left the forest Schloss Burg came into sight. I would love to show it to HelgaHH, but I will leave soon, and HelgaHH probably also will. Bye KalliHH |
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olgamaus Posted Nov 17, 2011, 8:05 am |
Hi Mummy,
today it was time to say good-bye to Germany and all my friends here. I also had to say good-bye to my love HelgaHH, that was really difficult for me. HelgaHH is going to Austria now, while I will visit my next host in the UK now. We both packed our things and were ready to leave. Almost ready One last kiss ... Good-bye HelgaHH!! KalliHH |
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miapearl Posted Nov 26, 2011, 9:07 pm |
Just to let you know I have arrived.
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miapearl Posted Dec 12, 2011, 11:12 am |
My host is doing a jigsaw
She isn't quite finished yet... Luc Zeke is leaving today. For travel, he's popped back into his egg. ... |
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miapearl Posted Dec 12, 2011, 12:14 pm |
My host had put in some dried fruit for soaking in brandy the other day.
Today, we will make the Christmas cake. The butter and sugar is being creamed. Eggs were added. Flour, spices, the fruit, nuts and treacle also get added. The cake will take 4 hours in the oven, after our bedtimes. Maybe we'll have a photo with it when the cake is fed some more brandy. |
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miapearl Posted Dec 12, 2011, 7:40 pm |
Today, we've come out late to Porthmadog to find a Geocache.
We are in a bird hide. Porthmadog is a coastal town and is sited on the estuary of the River Glaslyn. On another occasion, my host has seen a red-breasted merganser bird. I can't see any birds out there. This is a geocache, with the logsheets in a 35mm film canister. It is getting dark and time to go home. |
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miapearl Posted Dec 16, 2011, 7:50 pm |
Today, we went for a walk. We've come to Penrhos Coastal Park on Anglesey.
It is a bit windy. The coastal park also has a woodland. They have a pet cemetery. Having a rest on Tunnicliffe's seat. We saw some fungi. Not sure why this yellow bear is on the fence post. Holyhead mountain is in the distance. Near here is a geocache. The geocache was found but we didn't want to reveal the exact location of it. More fungi. Brr, it is cold. |
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miapearl Posted Dec 20, 2011, 11:02 am |
Oh dear...
There's a piece missing.... |
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miapearl Posted Dec 20, 2011, 11:04 am |
We heard that there had been snow in the mountains, so we jumped on a bus
and headed out to them. Can you see the snow on the mountain? We came to Llanberis. This is Padarn Lake. On the other side of the lake is where the Quarry Hospital is. Duck! It is too late in the year to go on the train up Snowdon, in fact, they are closed for the off-peak season and are doing maintenance. Snow isn't all that far down the mountain. Before the bus home, we had time for a quick look at Dolbadarn Castle. You can't see the really snowy mountain in the background! |
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miapearl Posted Dec 20, 2011, 11:14 am |
We've come out to Porthmadog to go shopping, but first, a look at the snowy mountains. |
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miapearl Posted Dec 20, 2011, 11:15 am |
Some houses on my host's estate have outside decorations. |
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miapearl Posted Jan 11, 2012, 11:47 am |
We went to my host's mum's for Christmas.
We heard they were doing the tree so we all came for a look. These lights work! I tested some of the other lights. They work too! The tree is going to look good.[img][/img] |
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miapearl Posted Jan 12, 2012, 11:59 am |
What is behind us in the wrapping paper? Gold! |
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miapearl Posted Jan 12, 2012, 4:01 pm |
We've come out for a New Year's Eve walk to the beach
This is (old) Hunstanton beach, faces west but is on the East coast of England. Oh dear, poor whale. According to one of the locals, it had died out at sea. It was quite a big beast. Perhaps it died of old age. The brown layer is Carrstone, a sandstone with cement. Above, there is red and white chalk. The old lighthouse sits atop the cliffs. The sun will set soon. There isn't as much white chalk on the cliff, some had fallen down. |
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miapearl Posted Jan 12, 2012, 4:16 pm |
We are going to spend the rest of 2011 relaxing. Tomorrow is a new year!
Let's celebrate with some cake |
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miapearl Posted Jan 12, 2012, 4:19 pm |
Happy New Year.
Today, we've come for a New Year's Walk at Freiston Shore. It is an RSPB nature reserve. The weather wasn't all that great but at least it was dry. |
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miapearl Posted Jan 20, 2012, 10:38 am |
Today, we'll be making our way back home to Wales. I wonder if we'll stop off anywhere interesting. |
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miapearl Posted Jan 20, 2012, 11:08 am |
On our way home, we went via Magna, an industrial science museum set in an old steelworks near Rotherham/Sheffield.
The museum is in 4 sections. The first section we visited was Fire. This shows the inside of an engine, middle in... middle out... The fire is lit. Twirling up into a tornado On to air next, but had a quick look at the Big Melt show This thing blows air to generate "music" at the press of buttons. Then, onto water Lots of possibilities to get wet but we didn't bring any towels, so will be careful. A water blaster.. Those cones will get full of water when someone raises the water up a rope or something. Those balls are being kept in the air! Then, we went on to Earth This film is showing the Earth. We arrived here late and didn't have time to put our hard hats on. |
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miapearl Posted Jan 20, 2012, 11:19 am |
A package arrived
Henrik came to see us! Hello and Bye Henrik! Tomorrow I vamoosh! |
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miapearl Posted Jan 20, 2012, 11:20 am |
Bye bye Wales..... I hope my journey isn't too long | ||
annix Posted Jan 26, 2012, 10:36 am |
Hi mum,
I've just arrived to my new host and I already have 4 new TV friends: Lupus-Tigger, Tomi the Bear, Finn and Ranil. We'll have a gret time together! Love, KalliHH |
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annix Posted Feb 1, 2012, 1:52 pm |
Hi mum,
this is me visiting Sforzesco Castle! I've visited it just in time because today it starts snowing and it's so cold here so I think I'm going to stay at home! Love, KaliHH |
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annix Posted Feb 7, 2012, 9:40 am |
Hi mum,
today I tried to go out with my friends Finn and Lupus-Tigger but it's so cold that we've immediately decided to came back home! Hope it's going to be better in the next days! Bye |
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annix Posted Feb 24, 2012, 1:08 pm |
Hi mum,
in Milan there is a very important exposition called "International Tourism Exchange", there are leaflets about all the world countries (and also some typical sweets...) and so I'm thinking about all the other countries I'll visit in the future! I find a lot of nice pitres about Tunis and the desert and...I took some photos in front of a desert picture! It seems that i was there but, believe in me, I'm still in Italy! Love, KalliHH |
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annix Posted Feb 25, 2012, 3:59 pm |
Happy Carnival mummy! In Milan we celebrate it today so I'm having fun with my TV friends! | ||
annix Posted Mar 5, 2012, 9:52 am |
After some very cold week now the temperature is getting warmer...I really hope winter is over!!! | ||
annix Posted Mar 12, 2012, 4:18 pm |
Hi mum,
before leaving Italy I want to taste a typical Italian pizza! Then I'll be ready to start travel again! Love, KalliHH |
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annix Posted Mar 12, 2012, 4:18 pm |
The ETVT 2012 is waiting for me!!!!!!! | ||
iloveletters Posted Mar 17, 2012, 10:43 am |
Hello mommy!
I arrived at my new host in Germany and was welcomed by Spencer, another TV staying here at the moment. I am sure we will have a good time! First I looked out of the window to see where I am. It is a nice green place and we have beautiful wheather at the moment. Mechterstädt is a little village in Thuringia. Thuringia?! I looked on the internet to get some information about this German state: Thuringia is situated in the center of Germany with a population of about 2 million inhabitants. The Capital is Erfurt. And this is the coat of arms : CU! |
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iloveletters Posted Mar 17, 2012, 7:58 pm |
Today we went to Eisenach to see the big
parade of the 'Sommergewinn'. It is one of the biggest festivals in Germany celebrating the beginning of Summer. And we had summer like weather with blue sky and sunshine all day long. The parade was great with music and all different kinds of cars. There were many other people too. Mister Winter in chains: This was my favourite car: the honey and bee one! All my friends up there! And last but not least Misses Summer - Frau Sunna! Many houeses were also decorated with paper flowers like this one. And there was a funfair! I had some candy floss! After a long day and many impressions we went home by train. |
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iloveletters Posted Mar 21, 2012, 1:10 pm |
Today we went for a little walk in the village to
get an idea of where I am. Mechterstädt is in Thuringia near Eisenach and there live about 1000 people. This map shows how small the place is. Mechterstädt has 2 twin towns: Saclay in France and Ballnicollig in Ireland. There is a village hall and a church There is even a little shop and today was market day in front. The river Hoersel runs through the village. And at the moment there is a large construction site in the village near the train station... because of this: The rail-crossing gates are closed very often because the railway track is the main route from East to West. That's why there are often traffic jams in the village and so the German Railway decided to build a tunnel instead of the rail-crossing. My host lives near the crossing on this street: And this is the house I am staying at at the moment. We already put up some Easter decoration. And in the garden there are snowdrops everywhere. It is beautiful spring weather with sunshine and blue sky - I love it! |
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iloveletters Posted Mar 30, 2012, 11:18 am |
My host went to the town Waltershausen,
near Mechterstädt and showed me around. There is not that much so see... The market square with the old town hall is nice. And there is a well with a figure called 'Muschelminna', a woman with a shell. It is still closed because of winter. The town church was built in the 18th century and houses the oldest baroque organ in Thuringia. The 'Klaustor' is an old town gate. |
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iloveletters Posted Mar 30, 2012, 11:22 am |
At home I took a time-out and relaxed
with the two cats living here, Bonnie and Clyde. But because the weather was brilliant with sunshine I also spent some time on the balcony, together with Spencer. I enjoyed a good book... and the nice view from the balcony. In the background you might see the 'Inselsberg', the second highest mountain in Thuringia with about 1000 metres. |
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iloveletters Posted Mar 30, 2012, 11:24 am |
Today it was time to say Goodbye to Spencer.
He travels in the Big German RR and will visit Munich next. Bye Bye! |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 5, 2012, 4:50 pm |
The last days were very busy because we went on several trips.
First we went to Leipzig for the weekend. We went by train and it took us about 2.5 hours. We had to change trains in Naumburg. Ah well, not much going on here... When we arrived in Leipzig it was very rainy. But we wanted to visit the zoo anyway. And we found the way easily because animals left their traces on the sidewalks. And there we are! There is much to see and do here so I took a view on the map to see where to start. Because of the weather we went to 'Gondwanaland' first - a huge tropical hall with 31 °C. It felt like summer holidays! KalliHH in the jungle.... After our walk we enjoyed and ice-cream. Next we visited the animals outside. There were tigers and monkeys and elephants and zebras and and and. And the suricates are soooo cute! |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 5, 2012, 5:03 pm |
After our visit to the Leipzig Zoo we took a stroll through the city centere.
The university building at Augustplatz is amazing. They tore down the old GDR building and rebuilt the whole campus. In former times there used to be a church which was demolished for the GDR building. Now they kind of recreated the church tower in a modern way. This is the old university tower which belongs to the MDR TV nowadays. The Leibniz monument: Next to the university is the Gewandhaus..... ....and the opera. That's where we are going tomorrow to visit a musical. Leipzig is famous for its shopping archades, e.g. Speck's Hof and Mädlerpassage. In the latter one you can go and eat at Auerbachs Keller, a place that appears in Goethe's FAUST. In front of the entrance there are monuments of that scene from FAUST. At the end of our stroll we saw the old town hall (which is built in the style of the golden section). And we finished at the train station because our hotel was next to it. |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 9, 2012, 4:02 pm |
Today we did some more sightseeing around Leipzig.
We went to the 'Völkerschlachtdenkmal' (Monument to the Battle of the Nations) by tram. The monument to remember the 1813 Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations was completed in 1913 for the 100th anniversary of the battle. We went inside and then climbed to the top with a great view over Leipzig. There were maaaany steps... In the afternoon we went to the Opera House again to watch the Musical 'Rocky Horror Show'. Well, we were not allowed to take photos inside but here are some impressions from the outside. Crazy fans.... |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 9, 2012, 4:09 pm |
My next trip this week lead me to Bad Steben in Franken. My host visited her
parents there who were on holidays. Bad Steben is a quiet health resort town for elder people. It was not too exciting. We went for some walks in the park and in the countryside. Brrrr, there was a cold wind and it was a little rainy, too. Can you see the castle in the background? That's were we hiked to: Lichtenberg. I saw patches of beautiful anemones. As a tradition the people here decorate the wells for Easter. Can you see me, mommy?! It was not busy here, we were almost the the only people and animals in the town and castle. |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 9, 2012, 4:28 pm |
Back 'home' in Mechterstädt there was a surprise for me.
A package had arrived. I was curious to open it. I welcomed my friend SunnyHH who travels on the Big German RR and will stay in Thuringia for April. He brought some Easter presents with him and we read some stories about Easter in our new book. |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 10, 2012, 11:09 am |
Today we got ready for Easter and baked an Easter Bunny!
First I read the recipe. Let's see what we need... Here I have all the ingredients. And the baking dish. First I have to weigh all the ingredients. Hey, let's see how much I weigh! SunnyHH joined me. Ok then, let's put all of it together in a bowl and stir well. The dish must go in the oven for 45 minutes. And voila: there he is - our Easter Bunny! What a pity that he will loose his life tomorrow |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 10, 2012, 11:19 am |
For the Easter weekend we went to Berlin to visit my host's brother.
We also took some time for sightseeing. We started our tour at the Alexanderplatz. With the World Clock: And the TV tower: We wanted to go to the top but that was what about 1000 other people wanted to do , too. The queue was too long. So we moved on. And saw the read town hall: The Neptune Well: Marx and Engles Monument: The Berlin Cathedral The New Museum The National Gallery And the Pergamon Museum We were lucky to be able to jump the queue, because we had online tickets! |
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Oppenheimer Posted Apr 15, 2012, 6:56 pm |
Hey hey hey!
Yesterday I arrived at my new host's house in the beautiful area of Westerwald! Here is some information about it, if you haven't been there yet (; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerwald My new host told me to say thanks for the sweets and the postcard I brought with me - I think he really liked it ^^ By the way, he told me that unfortunately he goes to a class trip for five days and can't take me with him, because insects like me aren't allowed :/ But guess where he's going? To good old Hamburg, near my hometwon ! After he's back, he promised me to do something really cool ... something with music - keep your eyes open! ^^ Love, KalliHH |
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iloveletters Posted Apr 18, 2012, 8:25 am |
Byebye Thuringia! Today I am travelling to my next host. SunnyHH waved my Goodbye.
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Oppenheimer Posted Apr 22, 2012, 4:39 pm |
Hey there!
It's me again. my host came home from his wonderful class trip and he told me many stories about his great class and how nice it was to see Hamburg. After that I got to see some new friends. One told me that his name is Xinzu and he came from Asia a long, long time ago! Maybe you know the others, I think they are really nice people By now I'm reading the current issue of my host's favourite magazine, the german "Musikexpress". Thanks to that, I now know tons of things about Britpop! All the best and greetings home, Kalli |
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Oppenheimer Posted Apr 24, 2012, 6:45 pm |
Hello, Hello.
Look at this, mom, I started making music myself. Ain't that cool?! The first song I learned was 'Gloria' by Mando Diao, really great one. I hope you're doing fine at home - I miss you... but just a bit. I'm a rockstar ;-) |
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Oppenheimer Posted May 1, 2012, 3:11 pm |
Hey! happy first of may to all!
Today was a day off, so I decided to let you know what we did in the last days ! Yesterday my host came back from hospital, after having an allergic shock. Silly me, I shouldn't have passed him the peanuts ;D After that we just relaxed and played some records. Now I know the maybe greatest band of all time ... The Beatles! Do you know them? Well ... I think so. Peace & Love! Kalli |