Big foot, home, Delligsen, Germany

Dr.Kröbner Posted Nov 21, 2011, 2:47 pm	I am a rat with really big feet I've lived quite a time in Delligsen and now I've come up with the idea to travel even a little bit, if someone wants to show something of the world, I'd be the happiest rat in the world  Here are some pictures of me I do not know if I'll wear the t-shirt ever, I only tried it once ... I think a rat should not wear t-shirts? I think about it again by the way, I am loving and do not snore  bye, bye Big foot
Dr.Kröbner Posted Nov 23, 2011, 1:59 pm	Hello hello, I'm sooo excited .... I travel to Finland ,  F I N L A N D must go now...... of course I must take my Sauna towel ... sirkku-susanna I am coming to you bye, bye Andreamom and Dr.Kröbner, Dr.Kröbner again thanks for the help, without you I would forget my Sauna towel
Dr.Kröbner Posted Nov 24, 2011, 10:40 am	Hello, the Postoffice was closed yesterday afternoon .... ... luckily I totally forgot to say goodbye to Wolfgang  ... rats have to stick together ...  again out of the envelope Then we hugged ... who knows when we'll see again ... Wolfgang and Dr.Kröbner have then helped me to climb into the envelope and now I'm finally on the road bye, bye I'll miss you all
sirkku-susanna sirkku-susanna@suomi24.fi Posted Dec 4, 2011, 5:42 pm	Hi Mom! I arrived here in Finland last Friday. On our way from post office, my host told me, that she has two other visitors at her place. We made a plan to surprise them. So we went in on our tiptoes. There were three fellows talking at arm chair. I climbed over chair’s back and shouted HELLO! And boy there were surprised.  In pictures you can see tiny bear Wavy Gravy and little ducky Darwin, they both are TV’s. And that dog Droopy lives here. We shared candies I brought and some chocolate. Then Droopy started to teach us Finnish. We have two books. Mom Finnish is very difficult language. This time I learn only two sentences. Hyvää päivää! = Hello and Minun nimeni on Big Foot (iso jalka) = my name is Big Foot. Maybe I will learn some more. Take Care Mom! Love you Big Foot PS: Susanna say thank you for little candles and card!
sirkku-susanna sirkku-susanna@suomi24.fi Posted Dec 11, 2011, 7:35 pm	Hi Mom! We got first snow here in southern Finland night before last Tuesday. It very well might not be the permanent one, but still it was nice. Last Tuesday 6.12 was also Independence Day of Finland. Susanna really tried to take photos of us with Finnish flag, but it wasn’t windy enough. Some people light two candles at the window at 6 pm, but Susanna can’t do that, because of that funny cat of  hers. She really don’t do anything special to celebrate, but there are two tv-programs she watches every Independence Day, so we watch them with her. First is old black and white movie called Tuntematon sotilas ( The Unknown Soldier) based on Väinö Linna’s book. Film is about Finnish Continuation War. It was little frightening time to time, glad I have company with me. And then we watch reception by Finnish president Tarja Halonen at Presidental Palace. Can you believe mom we watched several hours, how people shake hands with the president. And that is one of the most popular tv-programs at all year here. Susanna explained, that it is interesting to see whose been invited, who’s with who and what kind of dresses ladies have. Really…… We are all busy with Christmas preparations, but I will write soon. Kisses Big Foot
sirkku-susanna sirkku-susanna@suomi24.fi Posted Jan 3, 2012, 6:35 pm	Hi Mom! I’m sorry we haven’t update for a while, but before Christmas we were busy and at Holidays we just relaxed. Here are few photos, how we spent our time. Couple of days before Christmas we went to see Christmas lights at Lahti City Hall. This was the first year, they have special lightning. Photos are not very good (Susanna says sorry!).  At Christmas Eve we went to cemetery and take candles to graves of those loved ones, who have passed away. Weather was not so nice as you can see. We all were feeling cold, when we got home. So we were ready to Christmas sauna. Mom, I just loved it. I have my sauna towel and I could have spent hours there. It was so warm and pleasant. Wavy Gravy and Darwin was not so excited. After sauna we had our Christmas dinner. There were lots and lots to eat. For example Christmas ham, rutabaga casserole, potato casserole, rosolli salad and much more…Boy we were full and so we went to sleep quite early. There is some snow here “already” and I can’t wait to get out to play… Happy New Year Mom Love you! Big Foot
sirkku-susanna sirkku-susanna@suomi24.fi Posted Feb 25, 2012, 5:41 pm	Hi Mom! When you read this, I’m already on my way to Australia. Hope it is warmer there…There was very very cold here about -25 degrees Celcius for couple of weeks. But before that coldness, we went out to play in snow. Darwin and Wavy Gravy were still here then, they left before me. We went to see little lake again. It sure looks different. It is all covered with ice. We saw people on ice, and wonder, what they are doing. Susanna explained. As soon as ice is strong enough (sometimes those people try to go there before that… drowned people every autumn) people, mostly man goes to ice to ice fishing.  They make hole on ice and catch fishes. These Finnish people really are funny. They sit on small stools at cold, windy lake for hours and hours, and got few small fish or nothing. And Mom, they all were alone, so they don’t have talk to anybody. Hmmmmmm.  Well we have fun at snow, me Darwin and Wavy. So bye bye Finland, see you at Australia! Love you Mom! Big Foot
fleursmum Posted Feb 27, 2012, 6:36 am	I have arrived!!  I can hear voices. so I must be in Australia! Ah Hello!! If I could just squeeze out of this box..... that's much better.. here I am in Gisborne, Australia with Phinook (on the box) Freaky up the back, Meav, Shane, Flummi and Diddl-Maus. Looks like the food supply here could be ok... Here I am outside in the yard...hang on ...I thought it was summer here..it is warm but stormy - I heard thunder before!! What is going on here? Will report back soon Love and hugs Big Foot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Feb 27, 2012, 6:38 am	Ahhhhh...I came back inside and there are more TV's here!! Apparently SchokoCookie is heading off to Norway tomorrow so we all said goodbye. Best wishes Big Foot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 1, 2012, 5:28 am	Today we went to work with Sue - here we met the Lucky Cat - it is made from folded paper and was made by the Japanese teacher at the school.  we helped set up the TV - I had charge of the power button!! (remote control)  we had a look at some books this book showed what Melbourne city looks like at night these bollards are at Geelong (we might get to have a look there) this is hot air ballooning over the Yarra Valley - lots of grapes are grown here! here I am looking out the window - the windows here have heavy screen on them to stop the risk of ember attack in a bush fire and hopefully making the building safer! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 1, 2012, 5:34 am	Hi Mum., Just hanging around today Then I saw a message from you Mum!!! Sending you hugs too!! Hey another TV arrived today Mum, from Germany via Japan - we are keeping an eye on the lollies that came in the box!!!  So Mum we have...Meav, Shane, Diddl-Maus, ME, Binky,Flummi, Freaky, LittleLucy, Pninook and Hasune. We are going to chat with LittleLucy to see what Japan is all about! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 5, 2012, 7:39 am	Hi Mum, We are on our way to St Leonards for the weekend but had to have a quick stop in Geelong to show you the bollards - they are all around the beachfront and tell the history of the local area. the life savers the ships captain tried to catch us all in his bird cage, but I was too clever for him and squeezed out the top!!  this very attractive lady was talking to a sailor - she didn't have time for me!! the sailor was very friendly though and he said hello!! Off to St Leonards now!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 5, 2012, 7:44 am	Hi Mum, Here we are at St Leonards - it is windy, windy, windy!!! the bay isn't usually like this - I hope we can get a fine day to show you! Ahhh...I might blow away here, back to the house now I think! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 5, 2012, 7:50 am	Hi Mum, Today we woke up to more windy weather and it was raining!!! We went to have a look at the pier, but no one wanted to get out of the car But then Sue stuck me out the window for another photo - what are you doing you mad woman!!!!! Luckily soon after she took us all home! Huffily yours BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 5, 2012, 7:55 am	Hey Mum, We woke to another world today - the wind had died down, the rain had gone and the sun was shining!!  Now I am happy to go outside from the car!! What a difference hey Mum!! Beautiful day!  we are off to explore the beach behind me Ahh..might just stretch out in the sun here! we came across some balloons caught up in the power lines -they must blown away yesterday in all the windy weather. I like this place Mum..very pleasant. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 8, 2012, 8:16 am	Hi Mum, Today we took Diddl-Maus to the zoo to achieve a mission!! Pretty exciting! check out the tiger Mum we found this big butterfly in the butterfly house gray kangaroos - they were very relaxed! an emu there are two koalas up the tree here Mum but they are hard to see  Mmmm...some kind of lizard here me thinks Yahoo!!! The best time of the day!! LUNCH!!  Before going home we had a quiet sit in the Japanese Garden. Good day out Mum! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 9, 2012, 8:22 am	Hi Mum, Today we said goodbye to Meav, she is travelling on to Germany now. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 13, 2012, 6:54 am	Hi Mum, Tonight we are staying in the city - the hotel we are in is a very old (by Australian standards!! ) building that has been renovated but still has some of the old features I quite like it here!! More soon BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 13, 2012, 7:12 am	Hi Mum, Today we went out to explore a bit of the city Here I am outside the hotel in Little Bourke Street, looking towards Chinatown (the bright red/orange pillars way down the street) We have driven down to the Yarra River - over the river is the new soccer stadium behind me is the city of Melbourne Phinook and I on one of the bridges that crosses the Yarra - behind us is the MCG - Melbourne Cricket ground where the Australian Rules Football games are played and also cricket of course Now I am at St Paul's Cathedral Over there is Flinders Street railway station This weekend the Moomba Festival is on so there is water skiing on the river, side shows and all kinds of things happening in the city we are on the opposite side of the river away from most of the crowds Back near the soccer stadium Ahhh....a quiet sit by the river before we walk over the bridge and back to the car. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 13, 2012, 7:17 am	Hi Mum, Home day today, Sue had to do boring things like gardening and washing - I did try to help  I played weight lifting with the garden Buddha  I tried to help with the weeding but the fork was too heavy  I helped with the washing basket - well I had a ride in it  Phinook and I got thrown out with the weeds - I didn't think hiding in the wheelbarrow was a good idea!!!  Luckily we could scramble out ok!!  Phew - time for a rest now Mum I think!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 17, 2012, 2:47 am	Hi Mum, Today a strange smell came to me....I went to investigate...and found Diddl-Maus was getting a treat to meet a life mission...I had to help and make sure it was ok!! YUM!!!! Luckily we all got a taste!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 17, 2012, 2:48 am	Hi Mum, I nearly forgot to tell you...I was helping Sue with her knitting the other day, but got a little tangled!! Lucky for me Freaky and Binky were nearby to help me!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 25, 2012, 7:58 am	Hi Mum, Today Sue had to take her car in for a service and then we had to walk home. Lucky it was a fine day!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Mar 25, 2012, 8:08 am	Hi Mum, Not really a beach day today but we went to have a look, this beach is miles away from Gisborne and on the opposite side of the bay to St Leonards. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 2, 2012, 7:33 am	Hi Mum, We came with Sue today to visit a friend and to go scrap booking. This little park is nearby and we liked the sculptures so stopped for a photo. Sue says sorry for no photos lately Mum, her camera memory card went kaputt!! She lost a heap of photos and there were some nice ones of me I might add!!!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 4, 2012, 6:51 am	Hi Mum, A little meditation in the garden on a lovely afternoon!!  Later we helped bring the washing in!!  Actually Mum I was having a little snooze in the washing basket but don't tell anyone!!  Here I am down the bottom of the garden - the dam is getting empty because there hasn't been much rain lately.  Hey Mum we are off the the beach for Easter so will be in touch when we get back.  Happy Easter Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 4, 2012, 6:54 am	Hi Mum, Having a lazy day at home today Could get used to this Mum!!  Say Happy Easter to Dr Krobner for me!! Love and hugs BigFoot xx000xx
fleursmum Posted Apr 11, 2012, 8:30 am	Hi Mum, A new tv has arrived today Looking....looking..... This is Tica from Germany. We stopped at the bollards again for a look Nice park in Geelong Miss Geelong contest  Eastern Beach Yum!! Ice cream truck!! More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xx00xx
fleursmum Posted Apr 11, 2012, 11:22 pm	Hey Mum, Early morning photo with the sun coming up and then back to bed!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 11, 2012, 11:39 pm	Hi Mum, Today we went to the beach here to walk the dog - the tide was very high - it is called a king tide - so we couldn't walk for very long or we would have been in the water! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 12, 2012, 12:15 am	Hi Mum, We have come a little further down the coast to Barwon Heads, where the Barwon River comes out to the sea. Tica and I had to hold on because it is very windy here! Behind me is the camping ground. More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 12, 2012, 12:27 am	Hi Mum, Now we have driven back up the coast past Ocean Grove and have stopped to look at the light house. Point Lonsdale is at the end of Port Phillip Bay - from here all the ships go out into bass Straight and off to the world. Yes it is me Mum - funny photo huh!! Will have to talk to Sue about her photography!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 12, 2012, 1:41 am	Hi Mum, We had a look at the market by the sea on Saturday morning then a look at the jetty (not such a good photo, Sue says sorry!!) In the afternoon we took the dog for a walk by the beach Love and  hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 12, 2012, 1:58 am	Hi Mum, Off for a beach walk today Nah...maybe I will just sit here and look at the view...do some meditating....watch the world go by...just chill... Good plan Mum?? Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 12, 2012, 2:08 am	Hi Mum, Look what I found today!!  Yum...yum...yum... Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 17, 2012, 9:43 am	Hi Mum, Guess what I found on the kitchen bench today???? Mmmmm.....I turned it around..... Hey Mum a coconut for drinking and eating!!!! I am about to achieve a mission I think!! I cut and cut and cut..... and then Mum I had to have a rest....boy these things have hard shells!! I had to stop Mum and wait for some help...and I am still waiting Mum, but I will let you now what happens!! Hopefully yours BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 18, 2012, 8:36 am	Hi Mum, We are at St Leonard's for the weekend and do you know, I had to leave the coconut behind!! It had better be on the bench when I get back or there will be trouble!!  Anyway, we went on a bike ride this morning to have a look around, it was a great morning ready to go Binky and I having a chat when we stopped to look at the beach at the boat launching ramp - aahhh..incoming seagull!!! thank goodness it went to join the other seagulls and the one lone pelican through the camping ground another beach stop Mum Here we are at the St Leonard's jetty past the shops and off up Mooraduc Road and I think this sigh should say and ladies on  bikes!!  round the corner and onto Bluff Road a stop at the reserve and walking track and home for a rest in the sun!! I will let you know about the coconut Mum..I haven't forgotten!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 22, 2012, 7:42 am	Hi Mum, Still at the beach today - we had another bike ride but just to the shops and back today - More pelicans today and nice looking out at the water Mmmmmm..I know there is a drink in here, maybe if I just chew on the top here I can get to it... or maybe I will just have a snooze in the helmet here - is almost like a hammock....zzzz.... Love and hugs BigFoot xx00xx
fleursmum Posted Apr 22, 2012, 9:00 am	Hi Mum Still at the beach - we are off for a walk today Ohh.. a bit close to the water - my feet might get wet!! this is a bit better - back on solid ground!!  Umm....a bit close to the water again here.... Love you Mum, BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 22, 2012, 9:05 am	Hi Mum, Today we said our goodbyes to Phinook - he is heading home.  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 22, 2012, 9:20 am	Hi Mum, It is still here, still not opened and still mine!!! I am off to find a hammer Frustratingly yours BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 22, 2012, 9:42 am	Hi Mum, We are helping cook dinner tonight I got to chop up the brocollini Tica cut up the zucchini with some help from Binky - I was supervising, you can't be too careful with a kitchen knife you know Mum! we think that is enough for now into the wok goes the garlic and ginger In go the veges - I had to watch my feet here Mum it was pretty hot!! and here goes the rice into the water. Do you know Mum, Sue, the silly duffer forgot to take a finished photo for us!!    It tasted pretty good though - not as good as drinking coconut water thought I am sure!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 24, 2012, 7:43 am	Hi Mum, I helped in the garden today, but I think these gloves are a little big - maybe I need some smaller?? Can you see me Mum? Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 26, 2012, 9:32 am	Hi Mum, Today we went up to Kyneton to go to the wool and patchwork shop but on the way we got to jump in the autumn leaves Here we are driving to the wool shop now coming back from the wool shop - no photos allowed  this is an old picnic shelter in the park more park - lovely trees here Mum near the creek here I am at the Kyneton train station Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 29, 2012, 7:42 am	Hi Mum, We went out for lunch to a friends of Sue's today and had a little look at the garden - it was cold an draining so we didn't want to be out for long lovely autumn colours Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx PS Still no coconut opened Mum
fleursmum Posted Apr 29, 2012, 7:50 am	Hi Mum, Today is ANZAC day - it is a public holiday and a day when people stop and remember the people who fought int he wars. This day marks the anniversary of the first day the Australian and New Zealand forces went into battle in 1915. We watched the big parade in Melbourne on the tv. It must have been hard for the people marching because it was a very cold and wet day. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 29, 2012, 8:05 am	Today we said goodbye to Hasune, he is heading home to Germany. More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 29, 2012, 9:00 am	Hi Mum, Today we took the chow chow to the park for a walk. Good balance hey Mum!! and up to the war memorial to see the flowers from ANZAC Day. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Apr 30, 2012, 9:17 am	Hi Mum, Guess what!! Today someone picked up MY coconut and carried it through the kitchen - I was hanging on to it Mum!!!  I jumped off the bench onto the coconut as it went past!! (Speed blur in the photo Mum  ) I hung on as we went along the back path and into the shed Mmmmm...maybe this will be ok......tools have appeared I wonder if I can get this open..... No, I need some help, so I am sitting back at a safe distance safety glasses on...can't be too careful Mum Hey it is ok...MISSION ACHIEVED MUM Yum!! This is not bad Mum and Mum you would be proud of me - I shared with the other TV's  I think Binky and I got the most though because we could reach the straws the easiest!  I am one happy rat Mum!!        More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 6, 2012, 9:17 am	Hi Mum, Today we are back in Kyneton - yep back to the wool shop! But we went to the Botanic Gardens for a walk by the water fountain Yeeha!! Riding the cattle dog statue!! and the sheep Can you see me Mum? I am squashed - yes squashed in down the left hand side!! Pfff..... but Mum, if I wriggle a little I think I can get out of here and go for a run along the board walk!! the river is behind us Mum - hard to imagine that a month or so ago it was flooded here and the water was up to the path way here the path is closed. Lots of big old trees here Mum the path goes under the road bridge along the river these gardens are pretty special here!  Here in the town is an old horse trough - no horses here any more but if there were they could get a drink!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 7, 2012, 9:27 am	Hi Mum, Today we said good bye to Binky and Mello - Binky is going to Sydney for a little while and Mello is off to Luxembourg!! Safe travels!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 7, 2012, 9:43 am	Hi Mum, This fuzzy photo  is me playing in the sewing room while Sue is at work!! I had a chat to the owl that lives in here - it is too big for travelling so stays here. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 7, 2012, 9:56 am	Hi Mum, A very exciting thing happened today - usually Sue takes TV's to the wildlife park here in Ballarat but we had something better!! We met Elvis!!!!  He didn't have a lot to say Mum  , maybe he was saving his voice for later?!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 10, 2012, 9:52 am	Hi Mum, Today we went to the Book Festival at Clunes -it is a very old town and a small town but was very big in the gold rush days. Neat sign huh?! A real Punch and Judy show!! Yum! Yum Baked spud for lunch!! Hey Mum we found a pomegranate tree and the fruit was ripe!! Mmmmm...might just sit here for a while, although my tummy is full of potato, but these look pretty good!! More soon, off to the beach for the weekend. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 17, 2012, 5:19 am	Hi Mum, Today we helped put the washing out - we had to do the whole soccer team shirts! That's a lot of shirts Mum! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 17, 2012, 5:26 am	Hey Mum, A new TV arrived today - we could hear a little voice in the bag - maybe because we were sitting on it?? I remembered my manners thought Mum and helped the new visitor out of the bag -Tica made sure I was careful and now we have Lexie with us - all the way from Dortmund! I am surrounded by girls now Mum....might have to go spend some time in the bedrooms of Sue's sons!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 17, 2012, 6:02 am	Back at the beach Mum!!  We took Lexie to the beach to show her what it was like the water on the Bay is really calm today Mum -the weather forecast is for rain and maybe hail later!!  back at the house we found a gum tree with flowers on one side and gum nuts on the other! And in the garden bed we found a mushroom - I think someone had a nibble before we found it Mum! later in the morning we went to the pier looking back at the beach usually here Mum there are lots of people jumping in and swimming, but today it is too cold. Just good for looking! and a little relaxing!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 21, 2012, 9:04 am	We took the dog to the park this morning Mum Lexie and I had a chat we found this interesting tree we had a play in the leaves I got to sit on the hand rail on the bridge over the creek -but it was a bit risky 'cos it was windy and I didn't want a swim!! just hanging around in the playground!! Oohhh....a crocodile in the playground!! Only kidding - it is a toy one!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 21, 2012, 9:33 am	Hi Mum, We are here again but are walking a different way today behind me is the indoor swimming pool this is the old part of the park with the oak trees we found this tyre swing on a old oak tree up the back of the park here you can see a little bit of Gisborne township in the back ground and here is the chow chow doing what dogs do when they can run in the park!! we found an old burnt out tree - good for hiding in!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 25, 2012, 8:43 am	Hi Mum, back to the beach this weekend - we took Lexie to see Ocean Grove and the beach there Just hanging out Mum!!  Now we are at Barwon Heads there was a big rain shower and a nice rainbow out over the ocean very windy here today Mum  time for a cuppa at a nice cafe in Barwon Heads township Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 27, 2012, 7:37 am	Hi Mum, We are heading home today  but we stopped for a look at the bollards at Geelong some interesting swimming costumes here Mum!  here are the life savers - good view up here!! behind me is Eastern Beach - and the enclosed swimming pool - it has wire under the water to keep the big fish out - but is still salt water we think this is where the life guard sits in the summer swimming season another bollard - heading off home now, Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 27, 2012, 8:17 am	Hi Mum, Another walk in the park today waiting for the dog!! one of the BBQ's in the park Hey Mum!! We found sausages up a tree!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted May 27, 2012, 8:50 am	Hi Mum, Today was very cold and wet so we stayed home and cuddles up in a beanie that Sue is making.  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 3, 2012, 9:11 am	Cold morning this morning Mum!! Too cold to be out posing for photos!! At least the sun is coming out now!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 4, 2012, 9:21 am	Hi Mum, Today we went into the city to show Lexi around and in Federation Square found a display of old petrol bowsers. We think they were promoting electric cars - of course maybe one day the bowsers wont be needed so they can be used for other things!!  this one was used for warming pies and sausage rolls!! It smelt fantastic!! this one was full of balloons - you pushed a button and a balloon came out, then on the side was a tube, you put the balloon over that and pushed a button and it blew the balloon up for you!  this sculpture is behind Federation Square near the Yarra River and here we are on the bridge over the river with the MCG behind us. here we all are in Sue's bag ready to go home!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 5, 2012, 5:27 am	Hi Mum, We came to Kyneton this morning with Sue's son - he is playing soccer, we took the dog for a walk watched the game - mostly from inside the card because it was a cold day!! this was the best place to be - inside the knitting bag!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 5, 2012, 5:46 am	Hi Mum, Today we decided to watch Sue's big son Adam cook dinner!!  the veges are cooking here...mmm...smells ok so far  Lexie and I got sidetracked 'cos there are doughnuts over there!!! If I can just get a little closer.... I am closer!! I am sitting on them!! But Tica told us a joke and everyone fell over laughing!    We did notice that the veges are going into a big dish Seriously now that pasta is going on top of the veges the cheese sauce has gone on and now the parmesan cheese is being sprinkled...what has distracted Binky I wonder???    ah yes....the cheese seeking chow chow!! Lucky he can't reach the bench!!  Now the dinner goes in the oven DINNER!! YUM!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 8, 2012, 8:26 am	Hi Mum, Today we went down the bottom of the yard to have a look around - there a any many rabbits living here so we sat quietly for a while to see if any went past us it was a cold but sunny afternoon and Lexie, Tica and I were quite happy sitting in the grass we had a photo with Binky because he is heading home tomorrow!  Tupai was sniffing around for rabbits he was too busy to sit with us for a photo! the sky was really blue today - can you see the moon between the trees? Later we cut some of the grass - I helped steer the ride on mower  It's a bit noisy but off we go!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 8, 2012, 8:50 am	Hi Mum, We walked the dog again today but it was cold and wet and not very nice to be outside! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 8, 2012, 8:54 am	Hi Mum, Tonight we are at the patchwork and craft group - we saw this lovely angel panel that is being hand quilted and cuddled up in this crochet blanket to keep warm - it is huge!!! Big enough to cover a double bed! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 9, 2012, 7:08 am	Hi Mum, Today  we had an adventure and went to the Ballarat Wildlife Park to see the Australian animals. And they were waiting for us - as soon as we got in the door we saw these emus they cane over to see if we had food, but the kangaroos pushed in and wanted all the food for themselves!!  We decided they hadn't had many visitors this week so were hungry for the seed mix we had for them! once the feeding frenzy was over we got to say hello properly! Next we met Misty the koala.....and she has a baby in her pouch - we didn't get to see it but the keeper told us about it. That is very special. This is the Tasmanian Devil - they eat mice so I am glad Sue has a good grip on me..I don't like how it is looking at me!! The Devils got their names because they scream and wail and when the light shines through their ears they look like red devils horns! In the bush you can see the ears and hear the noise but not the black bodies. They must have been very frightening to the early settlers there!! See the red ears Mum!!  This is the red kangaroo - they are frightened of people so are off in their own enclosure these are the giant tortoise - they are not Australian but we took a photo anyway a rest stop in the cafe - just waiting on our hot chocolate!! and here we met a young wombat and this is Patrick the wombat - he really wanted to go back into this burrow and sleep - wombats are supposed to sleep in the day and be out and about at night. back to the young wombat again it is a bit hard to see Mum, but koalas are asleep in the branch under the roof shelter can you see me Mum?  I was having a chat to the kangaroos in the shop Wow! Loads of possible toy voyagers here Mum! I had a good day with the animals today. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 24, 2012, 3:25 am	Today we are packing the bags and trying out our travel bag.... looking forward to tomorrow!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 24, 2012, 3:45 am	Hi Mum, Here we are at the airport - not such good photos the sun got in the way!! Now off to the plane Mmmmm...that was lunch beef and rice...yum! Off for a sleep now Mum..more soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 24, 2012, 6:17 am	Hi Mum, Well....I am here in Bali.....it is the evening and it is hot...we are by the pool...when we left Melbourne it was 4 degrees C and when we got here it was 28degrees C! Phew a bit of a change!! Here we are just hanging out! More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 24, 2012, 7:01 am	Hey Mum, Check out breakfast!!!      Not bad huh! Here we are on one of the statues/temples at the villa We went to a glass manufacturer and found this wonderful Buddha statue made from green glass. I would have liked to send it home!! In the afternoon we  sat by the pool  Very relaxing Mum!! In the evening we went to a bar on the beach - sat in bean bags and watched the sun set over the sea!! Very nice! More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 25, 2012, 7:21 am	Hi Mum, Today we had a big drive in the car to the Bali Safari and Marine Park - long drive because the roads are narrow here and there is a lot of traffic and it is slow travelling! But here we are at the entrance We saw the elephants having a bath And we saw some people riding on the elephants - Sue saws sorry for the photo she was taking it out the window of the bus in a hurry, but I am the blurry lump in the corner!!  this was where we had lunch these are the white tigers here I an hanging out!! More soon Mum, Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 26, 2012, 7:14 am	Hi Mum, We forgot one photo in yesterdays update - most important but scarey one!! We had a look at the marine part of the park and found a tank full of PIRANHA!!!!!   Lucky I was on the outside of the glass - they might like a snack of rat!!  More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 26, 2012, 7:45 am	Hi Mum, We have left the safari park and not are driving to see a temple that is built in the ocean, but on the way we took a photo out the window!! interesting road traffic! this is the temple we have come to see at Tannah Lot - it was built in the 11th Century. When it was built there was rock between the temple and the land but the action of the ocean has worn the rock away and now you can only get to the temple at low tide. and here is the temple we came to see - along with hundreds of other people!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 26, 2012, 8:39 am	Hi Mum, this morning we drove to see a cultural show - here I am by one of the costumes on the stage we stopped at a place to look at coffee and cocoa being grown and processed and to taste!! Bit I think someone is playing with me here Mum!!! Guess what Mum??!! We stopped for lunch at Kintamani and look what I got to drink!!   More coconut water!!! Yay!!! Happy me!! Then we had a look at the volcano Mount Batur More coming soon Mum (Sue is slow getting the photos sorted!! Love  and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 28, 2012, 12:38 am	Hi Mum, Here we are again at Mount Batur - can you see the black on the ground? It is lava from the last time the volcano erupted in 1994!  Lucky all was quiet when we were there!!  On our way back we stopped at a beautiful Hindu temple - Sue and her husband had to put on a sarong and have it tied around the middle - the purpose of that is to encourage good thoughts! (The purpose of the sarong is to cover those bits of the body that must be covered!)  It was a beautiful and peaceful place and has been there since the 15th century. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 28, 2012, 12:47 am	Hi Mum, This morning we walked down through the shops and hotels and has a walk on the beach This beautiful statue is back at the villa we are staying at. Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jun 28, 2012, 12:59 am	Hi Mum, Today we are on the road to Lovina in the north - we stopped for a look at the rice fields and then another Hindu temple beside Lake Beratan and we had a look at some monkeys on the side of the road - you can't go close to them or touch them or they will bite you!!  Not very friendly Mum!! More soon Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 1, 2012, 7:57 am	Hi Mum, Nasi goring and chicken satay for lunch...yum!!!! Yours hungrily BigFoot xxoooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 1, 2012, 8:22 am	Hi Mum, This afternoon we had a walk on the beach we had a look at the fishing boats then had a read by the pool just chilling evening walk on the beach here we are at the edge of the rice field having a rest! we aren't in the photo but this was what we saw at sunset.  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 1, 2012, 8:57 am	Hi Mum, Today is rest by the pool day!!  this water feature has a lot of fish swimming around in the pool underneath In the evening we went to a really nice restaurant to watch the sunset and have dinner - sadly there were a lot of clouds so we didn't see the sunset but we did have a good time!! here I am by the swimming pool chilling in the bean bags by the pool the fire is lit and the drink has arrived!!  what could be better!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 1, 2012, 9:07 am	Hi Mum, Back by the pool this morning we had a look in one of the other villas then went for a walk to the shop and checked out the drinks we had dinner at the villa - chicken satay corn fritters Time for a rest now Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 1, 2012, 9:25 am	Hi Mum, Today we went for a massage it was very relaxing Mum and I got to look and smell this lovely bowl of frangipani flowers!  here is the villa we are staying at my last time at the pool Mum  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 1, 2012, 9:33 am	Hi Mum, Tonight we are flying back to Australia - it is after midnight so I am off to get some sleep!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 4, 2012, 5:53 am	Hi Mum, A package was in the mail box today.... inside was Calliope we made Calliope and the rice biscuits very welcome!!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 4, 2012, 6:05 am	Hi Mum, Tonight we are watching dinner being cooked the mince is browning in the pan next the curry powder went in then some rice frozen veges then vege stock was added then the lid went on to let it simmer away!  BUT Sue forgot to take a photo of the finished meal!!  Oh well it was yummy anyway! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 4, 2012, 6:09 am	Hi Mum, It is a very cold day today - we are getting warm by the fire!!  then we sat on the couch and looked at a quilting magazine!! Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 8, 2012, 8:21 am	Hi Mum, Today we took a trip into the city and saw all these umbrellas hanging in a shopping centre We had a photo taken down by the Yarra river We found this interesting sculpture in a park We found this interesting carved rock in the park too and in an alley we found this interesting graffiti Heading home on the train now  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
fleursmum Posted Jul 8, 2012, 8:33 am	Hi Mum, Today is an important day for me!! I am preparing to travel on to my next host!! I have brushed my whiskers, cleaned my teeth, combed my hair - I look very handsome now Mum!! Now I am saying goodbye to Tica, Calliope and Lexie Made sure I had my sauna towel and my travel quilt Said goodbye to the chow chow we had a little chat about travelling but I don't think he understands much of what I tell him Mum!!  some gifts for my new host I am all tucked in and ready to go!! Hope I have a speedy trip to the U S of A!! Yahoo!! Will let you know when I arrive Mum!  My last goodbye from Australia!  Love and hugs BigFoot xxooxx
tarepanda Posted Jul 22, 2012, 4:02 am	It was a long journey.  I hear some noises outside?  Have I arrived? Hi greetings!  My dear friends!! I meet another rat!  Her name is Genoveva and she looks a bit shy.  She is from Germany too!  Hallo, mein schönes Mädchen!
tarepanda Posted Aug 11, 2012, 6:00 am	Today we get another visitor arriving!  Wow!  Looks like this one can't wait to get out. Let's give him a hand. One... Two... Three! A few more...  One... Two... Three!  To the left, a little bit...  yay we get a leg out! Our new friend is a giraffe.  His name is Fidibus and he is from Germany too!  Guten Tag mein neuer Freund! Fidibus tells us that because his package was broken, he had to stay somewhere while they fix it and tape it up so he can continue his journey.  Therefore he takes a long time to arrive, and his dad is very worried.  He surely looks tired and hungry.  To cheer him up, Genoveva takes out some German candies to celebrate.  Hmm, where is the beer?
tarepanda Posted Oct 19, 2012, 8:00 pm	Today the weather is very nice so we go to the park.  It will be the first time getting outdoors to enjoy the beautiful South Florida weather! I see people running and exercising. The palm trees are very beautiful here. There is a dog park where people can unleash their dogs and let them run around inside the fenced area. Hello, are you having a great time like me? We find this little palm tree. Look there are some palm nuts. We catch a glimpse of the ocean. I spy a bridge.  Where does it go? It is a vista point for the bay. The bay connects to the Atlantic.  You can see all the boats anchored there. These are the mangrove tree.  They are very important, ecologically.The roots hold on to the soil, and slowly increases landmass. It also acts as barrier to protect against hurricanes.  Now people know about its importance they no longer cut them down. Wow looks like the wind is really strong here. We find a gym playground. Let's get fit! Phew we are tired.  Time to sit down for a rest.
tarepanda Posted Oct 19, 2012, 9:12 pm	Today we go grocery shopping! Wow look at all the candies and drinks!  Hmm, you think I will gain weight and look like an American now I am living here? Look at the colorful salt water taffy!  This candy originated in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  David Bradley's candy shop was flooded during a major storm in 1883, and his entire stock of taffy was soaked with salty Atlantic Ocean water. When a young girl came into his shop asking for taffy candy, he joked that he has some "salt water taffy." But the girl and her friends liked it, and a new candy was born.  Today, Bradley's shop is still on Atlantic City boardwalk.  Hey look what I found! And a Mozart chocolate bar! A rainbow of Jelly Bellies! Okay okay let's look for something healthier.  How about some nuts? You can get freshly ground peanut butter and almond butter, which tastes a lot better than the ones in jar. Coffee, anyone? And cheese? We found some Champignon German Brie among all the French stuff! And Cambozola among the blues.  Yay! Look at all the big chucks of Parmigiana Reggiano!  Oh I get a serious craving for some good cheese!  Don't forget a nice loaf of bread to go with the cheeses. We get some olives at the olive bar. This is the spice rack where we can get some spices. Let's pick a bottle of wine. Here's a guy doing a tasting.  Sadly we don't have our IDs so he won't give us a glass. Hmmm maybe we should go for a good beer instead?  Either way sounds like a delicious dinner tonight!
tarepanda Posted Oct 21, 2012, 12:00 am	Yay today we are visiting the beach!  The very famous Miami Beach! We pass by the W Hotel.  Look who we see? Hello Kitty.  But why is she crying a bucket of tears? Hello Miffy! And My Melody. We continue on to the broadwalk. Someone is making jewelry to sell. Great, we are on the beach now.  It's a beautiful beach. What a lovely day it is. I am at the Atlantic Ocean now.  On the other end is Europe.  I am missing home a bit! Looks like someone is trying to build a sand castle.  Let's offer some help. Hmmm, life is good. The sun is a bit strong. I think this cabana is perfect.
tarepanda Posted Oct 22, 2012, 2:17 pm	After such nice sunny days it has gotten rainy. We watch the news.  A hurricane is coming!! Looks like it may be heading to Florida. Weather in the island of Key West, the southernmost part of Florida, looks rather bad as the reporter shows us. Our host family decides to put up the shutters.  We give them our help.  The metal shutters prevent projectiles by the wine from breaking the windows and causing major damage to the house.  Many houses are installed with shutters or if they don't people nail up wooden boards, which are not as strong but cheaper. Besides the shutters, we also need to buy extra water and food, in case the water supply gets contaminated or the electricity is down. After we put up the shutters the weather calms a bit.  It's not that the hurricane is over, but the bad weather comes in bands.  We decide to go around the neighborhood for a look. This house looks prepared! This one too. This one has shutters on even on the door!  The house must be totally dark inside.  Our host doesn't like shutter because it makes the house so dark, so she only cover the big ones. Looks like the owner takes a break while installing the garage shutters.  Even though there is no rain the wind is rather strong.  We better head home before it gets bad. I hope we are safe and the hurricane will pass soon.
tarepanda Posted Oct 23, 2012, 3:09 am	Yay the hurricane has passed and the sun is out again.  Let's enjoy the sun and go outdoors.  We decide to visit the Botanical Garden. They have a variety of trees. Hmm what is that hanging from the tree?  Looks like some weird fruit.  Oh, it's some glass decoration! They have a Japanese garden inside.  I feel like I am in Japan. This gazebo is very nice to rest in. What a weird looking little tree. We better stay away from these spiky ones. This one looks like a bad hair cut. Look at this statue in the pond!  It gets big feet like me!! No kidding!  This statue is called Big Foot!  Like me! I guess I should take another picture with it.
tarepanda Posted Oct 26, 2012, 7:35 pm	Tonight we go and visit a chocolatier.  We get to see how chocolates are made and make some ourselves!  How exciting! This is a cacao tree, where the cacao bean comes from.  As here is not the best weather to grow it it is a little sad looking. This is the machine where they melt and pull the chocolate. This one is for making white chocolate.  The owner gave us a brief introduction about how chocolate is made. We dip marshmallows, pretzels and strawberries into chocolate and sprinkles.  After the chocolate squares are made, they are pressed onto a transfer sheet where a pattern is printed.  The pattern is thus transferred onto the chocolate. I thought someone painted them by hand! Wow. Look at all the varieties. The gift baskets look very nice. The chocolatier makes a lot of chocolate in different shapes for different occasions. To make lollipops, we pick from one of the moulds here.  We paint color onto the mould then pour chocolate in, then set the skewer in. This is how the lollipops get such wonderful colors. We get to take everything home to enjoy!
tarepanda Posted Oct 31, 2012, 3:06 pm	Today we decide to make some laksa noodle.  I've never tried it before!  It's a noodle dish that is popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. First we help clean the bean sprout and trim the tails off. It is quite a bit of work but makes it taste better. We cut up some chick'n - that is vegetarian chicken.  Usually a laska noodle has shrimp and other ingredients too, but we are just making it simple with whatever we have on hand. Meanwhile, we cook the noodles.  It's some white rice noodle we bought at a Vietnamese grocery store and comes in little bundle tied with a bamboo straw.  We fried some garlic slices and set it aside. Now we cook the onion with some curry paste. Then add the chick'n in. We add the broth, as well as other seasonings. It's almost ready!  We put the noodle and bean sprout into a bowl. Now add the onion, chick'n and broth.  Sprinkle the garlic on top. Mmm mmm, it looks delicious!  And sure tastes so too!
tarepanda Posted Oct 31, 2012, 3:40 pm	Wow today we go to the airport.  We are strapped to our seat as the plane takes off.  I wonder where we are going?  I ask Mocha but he just says that it will be a fun place I've never been to before.  Hmmm? I am a bit worried but when I see the beautiful sky I decide to relax a bit.  It's so beautiful, the clouds.  It feels like you can walk on them.
tarepanda Posted Oct 31, 2012, 3:55 pm	We arrive in a place called Newark.  But that's not our destination.  Now we check for our next flight.  Hmmm, where are we going??? Here's our next plane.  It looks really big.  I think we are flying far, far, away.
tarepanda Posted Oct 31, 2012, 4:11 pm	It was a long flight indeed though I slept very well.  We have landed.  Hmm, what are all these weird characters?  I can't read them! Oh gosh!  We are in Hong Kong!  I am back in Asia!
tarepanda Posted Nov 16, 2012, 4:15 am	Let's try some local food now we're here!  Dim sum is a popular way to enjoy breakfast or lunch in Hong Kong.  The food is usually small bite-sized pieces of dumpling, meat or sweets.  You can see in this picture here some of the varieties. We sit by the window so we can enjoy the scenery.  Hong Kong has a lot of tall buildings!  You can see the Victoria Harbour. We check off the dishes we want to eat and give it to the waiter.  We want to try everything! The hot dishes come out in little bamboo steamers.  Let's walk around after lunch. We walk along the harbour on the "Avenue of Stars".  It's a tribune to the movie industry in Hong Kong. We are on the Kowloon side, which connects to mainland China.  Across the harbour is the Hong Kong Island.  You can see the many tall buildings there.  Right by me is the Convention Center. And here you can see IFC, the tallest building in Hong Kong. This cute little bus is a food stall. Ready, take one! Get the reels rolling! Looks like a lot of people wants to be a movie star. There are a lot of hand prints along the way.  Look, this is Jackie Chan's!
tarepanda Posted Nov 16, 2012, 2:32 pm	Today we take a visit to the Chung King Mansion, known as where the Indian residents and visitors congregate! There is an Indian restuarant here for a more formal meal. But of course it is more fun checking out all the unfamiliar food. Hmm I get hungry looking at all the food! Look at all the desserts!  But our host says we are going elsewhere for food. There are many different stores too, selling things from Indian, videos and music, clothing and more. Later that night we go for dinner with our host for her high school reunion.  Does this scene look familiar?  Yes, we are in the same building as yesterday's lunch, but a different restaurant.  There are about 12 restaurants in the same building, serving various cuisines, a set up quite popular in Hong Kong.  The night scene is very beautiful.  It's time to take the bus home.  It's a double decker so we get on the upper deck. Woohoo it's fun! Look they even have TV to keep you entertained. Time to get off, let's ring the bell.  Stop please!
tarepanda Posted Nov 20, 2012, 2:27 pm	Today we first have another round of dim sum for lunch.  Then we go take the subway, called MTR in Hong Kong.  Yay!  I am going to ride in a subway!  Isn't that cool?  I finish my lunch in a hurry. Here we are at the station. Hmmm we figure out the fare and get our ticket. Next we pass through the gate. And arrive at the platform. According to the sign, the next train is coming in a minute. There is a glass panel that keeps people away from the track.  Across the track there are a lot of advertisements.  Sometimes they even play movie trailers. Wow it's getting crowded. Train has arrived! We get onto the metro. Checking the map again to make sure where we are getting off. Time to get off! If you can read these squiggly worms it says Causeway Bay, the station we are at now. Let's see, which way do we go?  They have very good directory and map here.  Okay, follow me, this way! We take the escalator up.  This is an ad for mooncake.  It's a pastry with egg yolk inside.  Traditionally it's eaten on the Mid Autumn Festival, when the moon is supposedly the fullest and brightest in the year. Here's another ad for milk powder.  There seems to be a lot of ad everywhere inside the MTR. Causeway Bay is a very busy district for shopping and eating.  This big ad of sushi makes me hungry! This is Sogo, a Japanese department store.  They have a Forever 21 here too! Ahh, David Beckham bodywear.  That looks hot! The boards behind us are about Fa Lun Kung, a cult that is banned in China.  However, as Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Zone, people can protest over here, whereas if they do the same in China they will certainly get arrested. We see a food stall where people are enjoying kebabs of different types of meats and veggies.  Street food is very popular here. This is a tram.  It's the slowest and cheapest mode of transportation in Hong Kong, after walking (which is jokingly called bus number 11 here.) This shopping center is called Times Square.  It has shops on 9 levels and restaurants on the higher.  We continue on the street.  Lots of tall buildings here. And find the place we are looking for. We come here to check out the Official BookCrossing Zone. It's the only OBCZ in Hong Kong, where people can take and leave books.  Our host is a BookCrosser so she brings some books here to release.  The books have IDs like we toys do, so the person who finds it can journal its travelling and comment on the book.  We take along some books to release. It has a nice bookshelf. We even find some books in German. Look, we find a card on the shelf.  It is addressed to us? Hmm there is a card inside! It is from the owner, thanking us for visiting and letting us know we are welcome to enjoy the books.  How very nice. Afterwards, our host takes us to try a dessert we haven't had before.  We receive the menu.  This is a dessert shop (quite common in Hong Kong) so they only serve desserts.  I am liking their menu already. So many to choose from! We are trying a shaved snow or snow ice.  It's a cross between ice cream and shaved ice. Instead of plain ice, the ice blocks are made with juice, fruit or other flavors and then shaved into thin ribbons like wood shaving. This one is green tea flavor with red beans, coco jelly, condensed milk and tapioca.  It is pretty and delicious, melting like fluffy ice cream in my mouth!
tarepanda Posted Nov 24, 2012, 3:06 am	Today we are back in the Tsim Sha Tsui area.  This is the clock tower is at the southern tip of Tsim Sha Tsui, by the harbour.  It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway, which connects to China.  The Kowloon-Canton Railway was inaugurated on 1 October 1910; but construction was delayed due to the advent of World War I, so the station and the Clock Tower was not completed till 1915.  The clocks have run ever since except during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Where it used to be the station, now is the cultural center, art museum and a garden.  The boardwalk leads to the Avenue of Stars which we visited a few days ago. The station is right next to the ferry terminal.  You can see the Hong Kong island and the harbour. This is the outside of the Tourism Office. We enter the shopping center.  Here is a nice view of the harbour.  You can see the ferry terminal.  The ferry connects people between the Kowloon peninsula and the Hong Kong Island.  Before underground tunnels were built this was the only way to travel. We check out some of the shops.  This one sells teaware. Look at these cute turtle bread!  I want one! Our host is taking us to see an exhibition.  I wonder what it is? It is a celebration of 100 Years Before Birth of Doraemon.  What does it mean? Doraemon is a very popular manga and anime character from Japan.  Nobita is a Japanese boy who has bad grades, bad in sports and gets bullied all the time.  His great-great-grand-son sends a robot cat, Doraemon, back from the future in hope that it can help Nobita be more successful and so his descendants lead a better life.  Doraemon has lots of gadgets from the future to help.  The manga is popular in Asia for decades, and in 2002, Doraemon was featured along Aung San Suu Kyi and Hamid Karzai as one of the 22 heroes featured in a special edition of Time Magazine on Asian Heroes.  The robot cat is supposed to be born in 2112, so this year marks his 100th pre-birthday.  To celebrate there is a big exhibition going on. This is Doraemon.  There is a whole army of Doraemon statues, each with a different gadget.  Doraemon stores all his gadget inside his pocket. This is Doraemon and mini-Dora. This is one gadget that our host remembers fondly she wanted as a kid.  Memory Bread.  You press the bread onto the book and the words get imprinted onto the bread.  Then you eat it and you will remember everything printed on the bread.  But when Nobita eats too much memory bread before the exam, he gets sick and has to go to the toilet, ends up remembering nothing at all.  (So the moral of the story is, children, you just have to study hard, there is no short cut. Though our host is quite sure that if she had the bread she will not over eat.) But she forgets what most of these gadgets are. This Mood Band can change your mood by the music it plays. This purse allows you to pull out things you leave elsewhere. Be careful! If the ink hits you, everybody will dislike you. This angel will lead where you wants to go.  But she hates detour! This lamp has a genie inside, but of course your wishes don't quite come up as you expect. There is also a cafe. This is a scene of Nobita marrying the girl he likes.  Guess he grows up to be a better man.
tarepanda Posted Dec 1, 2012, 4:43 am	Today we go to the Ladies Market.  It is the most well-known street markets in Hong Kong, where various kinds of products are available for cheap prices.  It sells a lot of clothes, handbags, accessories and stuff, but now it has everything from toy to cell phone covers to souvenirs.  They also have fake name brand stuff and licensed products.  The prices are very cheap and you can test your bargaining skills.  Be warned though, don't expect great quality.  This stall sells different type of watches. These Chinese style dresses are pretty. This one has toys and more. Handbags and magnets. Want some blue hair along with a hat?  We have it! Cell phone covers?  Some are just US$1 or 2. Gucci or LV handbags?  Most certainly! T shirts of any character you may like: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Spongebob, Doraemon, Angry Bird, Princesses... only a few dollars each! If you want some souvenirs this is a nice stall to visit. And here's more. Nice cell phone covers! Aren't these slippers adorable? Look at all the toys!! It is crowded but sure a fun place to visit.
tarepanda Posted Dec 1, 2012, 6:22 am	Yay today we go visit Victoria Peak.  Usually referred to as The Peak, it is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island at  552 m.  In the early days of the colony, the peak attracted European residents for its cooler climate and panoramic view.  The sixth governor had his residence built here in 1868.  In those days they are carried up the hill in sedans.  Hmmm, nice view indeed!  You can see the tall buildings on Hong Kong Island, the Victoria harbor, and the Kowloon Peninsula from afar.  To the left is IFC, the tallest building in Hong Kong.  The one near the center, with crosses on it, is the Bank of China, at one time the city's tallest building.  The little red house used to be home for engineers working on the Peak Tramway. It was rebuilt in 1901 as a stop area for sedan chairs, but re-opened as a restaurant from 1947 on. In 1888 the funicular started service.  This is the Peak Tower, a shopping and entertainment center. You can take a peek of the reservoir through the trees.  As Hong Kong is famous for its shopping, naturally there will be shops here.  The focus is on Hong Kong style products and brands. Panda t shirts. This photo shows a common style of buildings in the 60s and 70s.  With people living in crowded small units (they still do, but the buildings look nicer now.) This is how mailboxes used to look, all lined up on the ground floor for mail to be delivered. This is a model of a tram.  This pastry shop sells popular Hong Kong pastries like the egg tart. Maneki Neko is imported from Japan but very popular here, as it's supposed to bring good luck.  Different colors represent bringing in various things like luck, money, love, health, etc. This twin set of bracelets is called dragon and phoenix bangles.  In Chinese custom, a bride will wear a set of such bangles on her wedding day.  Most brides don't wear bangles this thick as it will be too expensive, as the bangles are usually made with real gold.  Our host says she has a pair too. These are cards for tourists, with popular names written in Chinese. Lots of souvenir shopping again. This is a shop that specializes in embroideries on shoes. I like the panda one. Hmm hmm, very beautiful. This Two Girls brand is the first local cosmetic brand, selling Florida Water, Face Cream and Hair Oil since 1898. This is their products.  Very cute packaging. This is how a Chinese girl's vanity table may look like back in the 50s, with a mahogany table with mirror.  The gold letters on red paper says, Eternal Youth.
tarepanda Posted Dec 3, 2012, 2:04 am	Today we go with our host's mom to the market to shop for dinner. At the entrance they have a poster suggesting ideas for what to make for dinner. You can tell from the sign that this is the area for fish and vegetables. The live crabs are keep in tanks.  I hope they don't escape! Their crabs are tied with water weeds. Inside the aquariums there are different kind of clams and shellfish. The fish look really fresh! I recognize the eggplants and broccoli and bok choi, but some of the vegetables look funny to me. I see some beets, cabbages and lettuces. Onions, potatoes, garlic, chestnuts... and the carrots come in orange as well as green! I know these!  Corn, carrot and tomatoes! These are different types of dumplings and meatballs, make from beef, pork, fish and even squid. A lot of eggs! We also see packages of different beans, cereals and nuts, like almond, barley, kidney beans and more. The sign says that they have local pork.  People usually prefer local pork over imported ones which came frozen, or the ones from China which may have more chemicals and antibiotics. You let the butcher know what you want and he will cut it for you. I think we are all set for a nice dinner!
tarepanda Posted Dec 3, 2012, 9:32 pm	Tonight we visit the Mong Kok area again.  There are several streets there close off to traffic and at night it becomes very festive. This is the Ladies Market we pass on the other day. Hey there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken shop! This monk has a sign that says that he is from Thailand and he uses kung fu to break bricks, lie on glasses and do other dangerous things. One of the artists is doing filigree the other some drawing. There are also street performances. This is a banner for a maid cafe, where cute, young waitresses dress up like French maids (and mostly target young men). These banners are for some face cream and a hotel. There are a lot of shops. We spot a Body Shop. And a Swatch. Do you think this is a movie poster? Wrong!  These are ads for tutor schools. To make sure they get good grades and enter top univsersities, high school students often take extra classes after their regular school to study harder.  The tutors need more than qualifications.  They need to be good looking as well to get the teenagers to sign up their classes! The balloons look very colorful. This is another one of our host's favorite dessert shops. They are famous for their mango desserts.  They also have desserts made with watermelon, aloe vera, coconut and more.  I have to say, they all look very delicious.
tarepanda Posted Dec 3, 2012, 10:32 pm	It's lunch time again!  Let's see what we will try today! There is a Cambodian restaurant. This one is for Northern China cuisine.  They specialize in dumplings and noodles. This Japanese place has tonkatsu (fried pork chop) and sushi. Mmm mango desserts!  That's the place we saw last night! Too bad we can only pick one.  We end up going to a Taiwanese restaurant. The decoration inside is quite nice. Our drinks arrived.  We get a bubble milk tea and a Taiwanese herbal tea that is kind of like passionfruit flower and hibiscus. Here are the food! Taiwanese stew beef noodle is very famous, with tender beef and rich broth. This is a soy sauce marinated mix of eggs, tofu, chicken wings, beef shank and more. After lunch we visit the post office.  We help our host mail some of her packages.  We weigh the packages, buy the stamp, and now have to lick and put them onto the packages and post cards. I hope my postcard arrives soon! We also see this cute bag for sale in the post office.
tarepanda Posted Dec 5, 2012, 3:15 am	I wonder where we are going today?  We ride on the double decker bus. Cross Harbour Tunnel?  We are actually going to go under the harbour!! We are now under the sea!  It's so cool!  I can't see the fishes though. I think we see light at the end of the tunnel! We are now on the Hong Kong Island side.  Looks like we are heading to Causeway Bay. Causeway Bay was a fishing village in the past and the bay was a typhoon shelter for boats.  Today you can still see boats anchored here. We are hungry!  Let's eat first.  Like many shopping centers here you have a lot of choices.  You have Shanghai, Cantonese, Korean, Steak House, Vegetarian, Teppanyaki, Tempura and more. We end up eating Japanese ramen.  This place is called "Ippudo", meaning "one wind hall." It is a Japanese noodle chain that also has stores in New York, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Let's look at the menu.  Hmmm which one should we get? These are the condiments.  They have pickled ginger, soy sauce, chili pepper, chili oil and sesame.  See the wall?  They decorate it with cakes of noodles. Our noodle arrives along with a side order of hot spring egg.  Hot spring egg originated by cooking eggs in a hot spring.  The water is warm enough to cook the yolk semi-soft but leaving the egg white soft and custardy.  We never tried this type of egg before and it's very delicious!  Now we are full, we will do some shopping.  We come to this new shopping center, Hysan Place. It looks very beautiful. Look at this shoe made of flowers! Shops here look very trendy indeed. We visit Eslite bookstore inside the mall.  It is the largest bookstore in Taiwan, and this branch, opened in August, is the largest bookstore in Hong Kong with over 100,000 books. It has a nice variation of books.  On the left is a book from a Taiwanese author.  In the center is a Japanese translated book about Cooking and Art.  Then to the right is a book by Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef from America. Let's check out the bestsellers. They also have a nice tea shop inside. Check out the restroom!  Even the sign is done so stylishly. See the lights? This is a cool restroom! Is it time for some afternoon snack?  Hmmm... I like these restaurant directories. This is a French patisserie.  They specialize in macaroons and make them in some very Asian flavors like oolong, jasmine, lychee and sesame. We also get a chocolate mousse because we want the ramekin. Delicious!
tarepanda Posted Dec 5, 2012, 5:58 pm	Sweetie really want to see a temple, so today we are going to visit one!! Wong Tai Sin is a deity in Taoism.  Wong as a mortal lived around 3-4th century CE, he was a shepherd since 8 but when he was 15 he met an immortal in the mountains and started practising Taoism.  His fame spreaded in Hong Kong when numerous cures were attributed to him during a plague in the area in 1894.  It was said that during the WWII, the Japanese tried to demolish the temple several times but there were always some miraculous intervention. Today, the temple is among the most popular in Hong Kong.  People come here to pray for cure, for success at work and school, and for love. We come to the first gate. This is a protector of the temple. Oh, we see some statues of the twelve animals from the Zodiac signs. I can recognize the dragon and the rabbit. and the rooster. Mr. Piggy is here too! The goat, the horse, I think there is the year of rat too?  Oh we find it!  The rat god!! Now we pass the main gate. There are some dragon cravings on here and this gate is modeled after the similar ones in Forbidden City. We come to the main altar.  It's very colorful! Along the side are craved stone pillars. We spot a fairy a general and a man on a tiger!  They are all fairies in the Taoism mythology. A lot of people, young and old, male and female, come to say prayer and give thanks by offering incense. You can get your fortune told here.  It's reputed to be very accurate.  Every New Year's Day, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong will come here to get the fortune told.  First you get a bamboo jar full of thin bamboo sticks.  The sticks are numbered 1 to 100. You can see the ladies here asking for their fortune.  You kneel down, say your prayer and specify what you want to know.  Like will I marry who-and-who?  Will I get into university?  Will I get a promotion?  When will I have a baby?  Then you shake the jar until a stick falls out. The number on the stick refers to an oracle.  You can get a copy of the oracle here.  You can read the oracle and its notes to interpret your fortune.  Or if you like, you can find someone to explain it in detail. On the side of the main altar are shrines for minor deities.  This one is for the God of Fortune. The God of Medicine And this old couple is the God of the Land.  They protect your home and bring blissfulness. Here is the Three Saints Hall. Hmm, a very fancy office! The Door to the Confuscius Hall. And guarding it a scary lion! Look how beautiful the ceiling is! This is the Confucius Hall. Now we visit the Good Wish Garden by passing through this circular door. Oh wow this is so beautiful!!  There are lots of fishes and turtles in the pond.  Can you see them? This is the Yin Yang Symbol meaning a well balanced universe. The corridor is made with lots of turns, because Chinese believes that ghosts cannot make turns very well.  So if you walk around in a zig zag way they have a hard time following you! What a lovely garden. Although the tall buildings behind do spoil the scenery a bit. What is this?  A cave? Let's go exploring! We come back up the other side of the temple. This Nine Dragon Wall is modeled after the one in Beijing.  The name Kowloon (Hong Kong is divided into the Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon peninsula which connects to China, and other islands.) literally means Nine Dragon in Chinese. This is the Old Man in The Moon.  He is supposed to use red threads to tie couples together.  It is believed that two people who are destined together are tied by this invisible thread and they will eventually find each other.  Here is an instruction of how to hold a piece of red thread in a special way, pray to the Old Man, to help you find the one you love. A lily pond, but not with real lilies. The baby lions seem to be doing circus acts. Good boy! Another lion! We go to the souvenir shop to pick up some souvenirs. They are building a stage with bamboos. They are getting ready for a temple fair.  There will be Chinese opera, dances, music, snacks and more.  Wish we will be here to attend!
tarepanda Posted Dec 9, 2012, 3:17 am	Dessert time again!  (Do you think I look fatter in the photos? I haven't weighed myself but I am worried!) The newspaper clippings on the wall says that this dessert shop has been around for over 10 years.  Let's check out the menu.  Mmm, everything looks good. We decide to have another one of those shaved snow.  But which one?  We want them all! This time we pick the plum flavor with marshmallow, dragon fruit, coco jelly and banana.  It looks very pretty in pink!
tarepanda Posted Dec 9, 2012, 3:59 am	Our host has packed her luggage again.  Looks like we are heading somewhere? We pass through immigration at a ferry terminal and now we are in a lobby. Hmm... I wonder which ship are we taking?  I am so excited we will be heading somewhere new! We are boarding. This is the bow of our ship.  It's a hydrofoil, which means that it kinds of float on top of water when it travels, so it can go faster and no bumpy. The seats here look very comfy.  Much better than the airplane.  Good bye Hong Kong. After an hour, looks like we are reaching our destination. Hey, this ship looks like ours. We line up to pass through immigration.  Wow lots of people. Macau welcomes us!
tarepanda Posted Dec 9, 2012, 5:07 am	We are very hungry after the journey, so let's go eat lunch!  This time we are going to a restaurant that specializes in Shanghai food.  They have an all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet.  At the entrance is this display of Chinese white wine.  The poster shows a shark fin soup.  It's made from shark fin, abalone, chicken, ham and other ingredients and is very delicious.  Also very expensive too.  In recent years there are activists who try to persuade people not to eat it, as the sharks are becoming endangered.  And these are moon cakes, the traditional food for the Mid Autumn Festival, which is coming up. The story goes that back when the Mongolians invaded China, the Chinese passed messages to each other by hiding it in the moon cakes, and used the festival as an excuse to bring the cakes as gifts to each other.  In this way they are able to organize a rebellion that eventually drove the Mongolians out of their country.  Enough history lesson.  Let's sit down and eat.  First we got served tea. He he we are getting like pro as this.  Next step is to mark down what we like on this piece of paper. We have the Shanghai style cold meat, drunken chicken (chicken cooked in wine) and soup dumpling. Now we have fried sticky rice stick, dumplings, spare ribs, greens, and a Shanghai dish called Choy Pong Hai.  The name means "Almost as good as Crab."  It is made with egg white and vinegar, stir fried so it resembles shreds of crab meat.  The story goes that Empress Cixi once wanted to eat crabs, but she was nowhere near the ocean or lake.  The royal chef thought up this dish (to save his head), and the Empress enjoyed it very much.  This one is a rice noodle roll with fried dough inside.  I know it sounds weird but it actually tastes pretty good.  This one is a very typical Cantonese dish, served for breakfast or lunch.  These little pumpkin dumplings are real cute!  Dim sum chefs are skilled at shaping the dumpling skin to look like different things: fish, rabbit, flower, fruits and more.
tarepanda Posted Dec 17, 2012, 10:44 pm	Today our host tells us that we will go visit someone very special.  I wonder who that is?  First, we have to take the bus.  We wait for the bus at the bus stop.  There is a mail box which is very Chinese looking. Ah, the bus is here.  Macau is a much small city than Hong Kong, with half a million residents vs 7 million in Hong Kong, so instead of double deckers we get small buses. The signs are bilingual in Chinese and Portuguese, because Macau was a Portuguese colony. We pass by some nice looking buildings.  These are casinos and hotels, which we will go later. Here is the border to China.  After passing immigration you will walk into China!  But that is not on our itinerary this time. we get off at a park.  Ah, this is a cute panda statue. We see another one. Hmm, lots of pandas around! Oh, we are visiting the giant pandas! The pandas are called Kai Kai and Xin Xin.  Kai xin means happy in Chinese. Oh there they are!  Looks like they are having lunch. Oh please don't turn your back to us! Ha ha looks like he is taking a nap. Back to snacking. I think panda eats like pig!  Do they do anything besides eating and sleeping? Looks like they really enjoy the bamboo. Good bye my new friend!  Be happy!
tarepanda Posted Dec 18, 2012, 5:11 am	After saying farewell to our panda friends, we travel on to visit downtown Macau. We take the bus and cross the bridge from the island. It feels funny not to be able to read the signs at all. Can you see a colorful tricolor building?  That's the MGM casino. This little octagonal building is the first library in Macau. First stop... you guess it... something sweet!  This place is famous for its pasteis de nata, which originates from Lisbon. Yummy, they are very delicious. Notice the red sign? It is shaped like a bat carrying a coin, and indicates a pawn shop.  There are lots of pawn shops in town, near the casinos. This is the BNU tower.  To keep the historical look, but be able to expand the building, they demolish the building except for the facade and build a new building behind it. Downtown Macau is a designated UNESCO heritage site.  This is the Largo do Senado.  The tiles on the ground are very typical of what you may find in Portugal, and were laid by artisans from there. As it is nearing the Mid Autumn Festival, they have built a large Chinese tower and hung lanterns all along the square.  An interesting mix of East and West. At one end of the square is Leal Senado, which was the seat of Macau’s government during its colonization. The building is neoclassical style, showing its Portuguese influence. These tiles are called azulejo, and is very popular in Portugal. What a beautiful garden! This is a statue of Camoes, a famous Portuguese poet. This is the St. Dominic's Church. The street signs here are very unique. We pass by some souvenir shops. There are people walking around with samples of almond cookies.  It is a specialty here that tourists like to take home. Here you can see the bamboo baskets used to bake the cookies. There is even Turkish ice cream!  We would have tried some if we are not so full already. For restaurants not on the main street, they hire people to hold signs telling walker-bys where to go for food. What is that up there? It is Macau's most famous landmark, the St. Paul's ruin.  The cathedral was built in 1602 and destroyed by fire in 1835. Only the southern stone façade remains standing. What is that next to the church ruins? It's a tiny little temple! The temple is for Na Ja. According to myths, his mother gave birth to him finally after 3 years and 6 months, and he came out as a little boy that can walk and speak.  Then one day while playing with his friends, a general from the dragon king appeared and captured his friends as sacrifices.  Na Ja wounded the general, then killed the son of the dragon king.  People offer incenses in this cauldron. This stove is for people to burn their offerings. Incenses are made in a large coil so they can burn for a long time. All that walking leaves us a bit thirsty.  We stop by to get a drink. We get a rose tea with basil seeds.
tarepanda Posted Dec 25, 2012, 7:05 pm	Today we visit the hotels and casinos at Cotai.  This is a newly developed area by reclaiming name from the two islands, Coloane and Taipa.  The Cotai stripe is where the new casinos are.  There is a Hard Rock Casino. The shopping arcade here is very beautiful. We go there to see a new circus show called Dancing Water, similar to Cirque de Soleil, with beautiful stage and exciting acrobatic acts. The stage looks very beautiful! Wow it's exciting! Next we go to the Venice Resort.  It's very beautiful here. We feel like we are in a palace! There are some ladies performing traditional Chinese music in the lobby. We are indoors but the ceiling is painted to look like the sky. You can even take a gondola ride! This is modeled after the San Macro square in the real Venice.
tarepanda Posted Dec 25, 2012, 7:56 pm	Today we cross the bridge to go over to Macau downtown.  You can see the Macau Tower here.  It houses the world's highest bungee jump, if you are brave enough to try that. Hmmm, Macau street names always seem like a mouthful. This is Casino Lisboa, the oldest (and used to be the only) casino in Macau. This is its new wing.  If you stand in the right spot you can actually see your reflection in one of the mirrors. We take a peek at the gambling hall as we go upstairs to the noodle restaurant.  We are too young to go into the gambling area. The restaurant specializes in different type of noodles, freshly made.  We can watch them make it in the open kitchen.  The chef is now making ramen, meaning pulled noodles.  He starts with a ball of dough, stretch it, fold it, and keep doing so until he ends up with many strands of noodles.  Looks like he can do jumping ropes with the noodles! She is making scissors noodle.  She uses a pair of scissors to snip off small thin pieces of dough.  The noodles are shorter and kind of look like the Italian capunti. This style is called knife shaved noodles.  The chef has a ball of dough and uses a blade to shave off thin ribbon of noodles, one by one, into the boiling water. Lunch is ready!  Enjoy!!
tarepanda Posted Dec 26, 2012, 1:06 am	Today we are returning to Hong Kong.  Before we leave, first we have breakfast in the hotel. We order some typical Hong Kong style breakfast.  There is a buttered toasted bun (which is from the West) and stir fried noodles with a bit of scallion and soy sauce. Another very popular breakfast dish is the congee, a rice porridge. This one has eggs and meat in it.  Afterwards we walk around the hotel a bit.  This is the lobby.  It is a Japanese hotel so the decoration looks a bit Japanese. This is the outside of the hotel. It has a man made beach with waves. As the Mid Autumn Festival is nearing, there is an exhibition of lanterns.  The Festival is also known as Moon Festival, and the moon is supposed to be at its brightest and fullest of the year. This one is huge! The Chinese believed that there was a rabbit in the moon, so rabbit is a popular theme for the lanterns at the Moon Festival. This one is very intricate! We pass by the almond cookie shop.  On display here are the tools used to make the cookies, such as the ingredients, the scales and the moulds. Oh oh we are getting hungry again!
tarepanda Posted Dec 26, 2012, 2:10 am	We are now boarding the ship to get back to Hong Kong. There is another Hydrofoil going to Hong Kong. We pass by the Sands casino. We can see the Macau Tower and the tricolor MGM casino. This is the bridge we have passed by several times. Goodbye Macau! We are out in the sea now!  It's kind of stormy! Look, that's the hydrofoil we saw at the dock! You can see how it's floating on the water. We see some unhabitated island. This is Lamma Island, one of the outlying islands in Hong Kong.  We are now back in Hong Kong. You can see all the tall buildings now! Hey the boat is now heading back to Macau. Remember IFC, the tallest building?  and the convention center on left? For our last night out we go to eat hot pot.  First we get a pot of broth.  We have selected the half-and-half, with half of it spicy and the other not. We check the dishes we want to order. Here are different seasonings that you can mix in your bowl for your favorite sauce. There are sesame sauce, soy sauce, chili, cilantro, scallion, ginger and more. The food arrives.  We have beef, corn, oyster... but they are all raw! We get fish and ribs too!  And they are raw too? Oh!  We are supposed to cook it ourselves in the pot.  That is fun!
tarepanda Posted Dec 26, 2012, 10:04 pm	This morning we take the taxi to the airport.  We go onto the Tsing Ma Bridge.  It is the longest suspension bridge in the world carrying both road and rail traffic! I have a good nap on the plane.  Then I wake up, and looks like we've landed somewhere and are inside an airport.  Wonder where we are?  We pass through this beautiful tunnel. We are in Chicago!  We are on our way back to Miami.  What a fun trip it was to visit Asia!
tarepanda Posted Dec 27, 2012, 4:19 pm	Back in Miami, we decide that we have missed the tropical sun.  SO today we hit the Miami Beach.  This is a very nice hotel called Fontainebleau.  Opened in 1954, it is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels on Miami Beach.  It has also appeared in many movies and tv shows. This is the Chateau Lobby. Let's get a drink and see if we can spot some celebrity! Our host comes today to visit the spa.  With 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) it is a very nice spa and we get a special promotion coupon.   After a good massage we decide to visit the pools. Lots of people are enjoying the sun. Hmmm this is very comfy!  I am feeling sleepy! This round bed looks fun. How about this one with TV?  We can order some drink and while we wait for our movie star friends!  Oh here is the kiddie pool with a slide. We have a good time swimming in the pool. After the sun and some good exercise, we feel a bit hungry.  There are some restaurants in the hotel, but they are all very fancy. The Chinese restaurant has a US$195 Peking Duck. The pasta dish in this Italian restaurant is among the best! However, as it's a warm beautiful day we decide for something casual and cold.  Our host suggests we try some ceviche. Ceviche is a seafood dish made from fresh raw fish marinated in lemon or lime juice, and seasoned with chili peppers, onions, salt, and coriander. It is popular in the coastal regions of the  Central and South America but is believed to have originated in Peru. This place has won some award as Best Ceviche in town! Let's check what they have. We can see the chefs prepare our food. Here is our food!  Octopus taco and fish taco with some tortilla corn chips.  Yummy!
tarepanda Posted Dec 27, 2012, 5:05 pm	Today we have a new visitor! His name is Micky, a little mouse from Germany.  Genoveva and I are happy to have a baby cousin, and  Fidibus too all very much enjoy the German chocolate Micky brings along.
tarepanda Posted Dec 27, 2012, 5:17 pm	We decide to take our new friend to try some Chinese food, because, he he, we start to have some cravings after our wonderful trip. We have some hand made noodles with beef, and a steamed bun. For dessert there is some sweet bean pancakes, and some sweet tofu pudding. I have to say it's not as good as the food in China.  Ah, guess we have to make a trip back!
tarepanda Posted Dec 28, 2012, 4:04 am	Today another box arrives!!  Hmmm, what is it?  Hello?  Anybody there? Oh my gosh, it's a mouse!!  We are one big family here!  While the others complain that we are causing an infestation and they need to buy some mouse trap, I think they are just being jealous, ha ha.    His name is Mozart, after the famous composer.  But he is not from Austria.  He is from Russia.  I like him already because he is a very friendly guy and brings us lots of candies! He he he...
tarepanda Posted Dec 28, 2012, 4:49 pm	Our host bought this by mistake last week when she shopped for some beets.  We did not know what it is, but we helped her figure out that it is a rutabaga.  We decide to make a soup out of it. First we cut it up into pieces. We also cut some potatoes and carrots. We brown some onion in the pot. When it's ready we put the root vegetables in as well.  We throw in some herbs, bay leaves and pepper and some water. Now it's time to put everything in the blender. We put the puree back into the pot, add a bit of wine, salt and pepper to taste. Let's a final touch, of scallion and shredded asiago.  Doesn't it look good?  It's very delicious!
tarepanda Posted Jan 3, 2013, 4:26 am	Today we are going to Tampa, which is on the west coast of Florida, to visit our host's friend.  We get onto the turnpike. See the bridge up there?  It's the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Look, the water in the gulf is so beautiful! You can see the old bridge.  Part of it is still around and used as a  fishing pier. When we arrive... we are feeling a bit hungry.  I wonder what we are having for lunch? It's a Korean restaurant.  The decor looks very interesting. We first enjoy some hot tea. Or maybe we should order some Korean wine?  It is similar to Japanese sake. At a Korean meal, there are many small dishes called banchan.  Kimchee is the most famous type, but there are others made with steamed, marinated or stir-fried vegetables, anchovies and more.  Some are spicy but some are not. We have some soup and a spicy noodle.  It's so delicious!
tarepanda Posted Jan 6, 2013, 10:06 pm	Today we come baked pork chop rice at home.  First we have to marinate the pork chops. Next, we chop up the tomatoes and onions.  It's not easy work! We prepare the rice by stir frying it, adding a little egg and sausage. We grease the bottom of a pan. Then put the rice in it. Now we fry the pork chop. We lay them nicely on top of the rice. Next up is the tomato and onion! We add tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar to make the sauce.  Cook till it's thick and bubbly. Once we pour the sauce on top of the pork chop and rice, it's ready to go into the oven! We sip a glass of wine while we wait for the dish to cook. Is it ready?  Is it ready?  We keep checking the oven. Finally, it is!  Now we can enjoy a wonderful dinner!
tarepanda Posted Jan 7, 2013, 3:00 am	Today we head out to try some local food.  The restaurant is called Cracklin Jack and says A Taste of the Everglades.  The everglades is a wetland in South Florida, near where this restaurant is.  It looks like a swamp, or a grass prairie, but is actually a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long.  How slow does it move?  It travels about half a mile (0.8 km) a day!  I can walk faster than that!!  The Everglades has been inhabited by Native Indians since over 15,000 years ago and today is still home to some Indian tribes.  On the wall they have pictures from old newspapers. They have frog legs, catfish and gator tails on the menu!  Our host tells us that there are a lot of alligators in the Everglades, one time she went cycling and saw 47 of them on a 15 mile trail!  Hmmm... I was thinking of visiting the Everglades but now I change my mind.  Here are more traditional Southern dishes: sweet potatoes, fried okra, fried green tomatoes.  In the south, they like fried food a lot, and a common meal will be fried chicken or fried catfish.  They are also famous for their barbeque as well.  Real barbeque is different from grilling.  The meat is put into a pit with low heat and smoke, and cooked for many hours.  Here comes our food!  Fried catfish!  Catfish is a fish common in the south, with whiskers that look like cat. BBQ ribs with baked beans. As we head home, we pass through the Everglades.  We are now in the Indian reservation area.
tarepanda Posted Apr 26, 2013, 5:12 pm	Fibicus the giraffe is leaving for Japan, and we decide to take him somewhere special for a farewell party. It's a restaurant named Giraffe!  At first he thought it serves giraffe meat but when he finds out they don't he feels very happy and honored! We go to the counter to place our order.  This is a Brazilian burger and steak place. Then we find a table.  Look at all the giraffes on the wall! We are number 73.  We first get our drinks and the cheese bread, which are round little balls. This is the quinoa salad.  It's delicious! There is also steak.  Like many South American cuisines, the meat comes with black bean and rice.  There is the chimichurri sauce, made from parsley and garlic, for dipping the steak in. We have a good dinner together.  It's sad saying goodbye, but we promise to stay in touch.
tarepanda Posted May 9, 2013, 10:38 pm	Wow looks like we have another TV joining us!  Who's he? Who's he?  I hope he's a rat too! Oh it's a moose.  Mocha is very happy to finally see another moose friend.  He says there are too many rats and mice in the house.  He is joking of course.  Anyway, we give Jasper a good welcome party! Mocha He proudly introduce Jasper  to his grandpapa, Cappuccino.  His Grandpapa is too old to travel but he loves having visitors.  Then he can tell his stories all over again. (Not that he doesn't repeat his stories with us...
tarepanda Posted May 23, 2013, 9:24 pm	This weekend we visit Tarpon Springs.  It is a small town on the west coast of Florida.  It used to be famous for its sponge production back from 1880s.  Back in 1950s the sponge industry made millions of dollars a year.  Nowadays, due to the high costs and water condition, very little sponge is produced and the place is mostly a tourist attraction.  However, the town continues to have the highest percentage of Greek American in the whole country, many descendants of the divers who immigrated during the sponge industry boom. First on the agenda: visit a Greek restaurant to try some Greek food. We are ordering the gyros.  It is a sandwich, with some grilled lamb & beef wrapped in a pita bread, with some tomato, cucumber, onion and tzasiki sauce. Look at all the pita bread!  Can you see the roaster where the meat is grilled?  Our gryos has arrived.  We also have a lamb souvlaki, similar to gryos but with lamb inside.  They are both very delicious.
tarepanda Posted May 23, 2013, 10:12 pm	Today we visit the Sponge Dock.  There is a statue memorizing all the sponge divers who had lost their lives when sponge harvesting. This is an example of a sponge boat.  Maybe we should go and try harvest some sponge? Or maybe not.  I don't want to be shark dinner. It's safer to go to check out the shops. What do they have? Lots of sponges!! This one is called finger sponge. This one is your plain old yellow sponge.  And the sign says it's harvested locally! And these are vase sponges! These are called sea biscuits but I don't think they are very tasty. And these are sand dollars.  You can find them on the beaches, though usually not as complete as this. They are the skeletons of sea urchins, although in folk legends, they were thought to be the coins lost by mermaids or people of the Atlantis. Ah, I know these!  Star fishes! Next we go to a Greek bakery. There are many kind of sweet pastries, like bavlaka. Our host gets some of her favorite, diples.  It's a roll made from a thin sheet of fried dough and drizzled with honey.
tarepanda Posted Jun 5, 2013, 11:18 pm	Today we go to an arts fair. These metal plates are very beautiful! These paintings are really cute. These are photographies of the islands in Florida. There are some food stalls. This one sells popcorn and lemonade.  There is also a music band playing. This one has Chinese style paintings on gold paper. This artist creates interesting pieces with metal. This one displays South Western inspired artworks.
tarepanda Posted Jun 6, 2013, 8:07 pm	Today we go to visit a Free Little Library.  These are the books we are bringing.  We register them on BookCrossing first.  BookCrossing is like toyvoyagers, every book gets an ID number and it travels around the round.  By reading the book's journal you can find out where the book has gone and what its readers say about it. The Little Free Library is an organization that promotes setting up little "library" boxes in communities around the world, to encourage people to gather together, and to promote read.  People are welcome to visit the libraries to take and leave books. We put our books into the library, and check to see if there is anything interesting. Hmmm, maybe we can just live here for a few days and enjoy some books?  It would be nice and cozy here.  Hey can you bring us some snack?
tarepanda Posted Jun 13, 2013, 6:15 am	Can you believe it?  I am staying here almost a year already!!  Time sure flies by.  I had fun in Florida and I even got to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, but I guess it's time to move on before I get kicked out!  (Not that the host ever hinted at it...) While I pack for my things (must not forget my blanket and sauna towel, and of course plenty of food for the trip) my friends tell me that they have a special farewell gift for me.  Hmmm what is it?  Oh it's a coconut!!  It has been a long while since I last drank one!    Since I am a pro at this already (ha ha) I show everybody how to cut it open. First, we trim off some of the fiber outside the shell. Next, we get a screwdriver and a hammer.  Make sure you clean the screwdriver first. With the help of the hammer, we use the screwdriver to make several holes around, like a dotted line.  Then we pry it open.  Voila!  It takes only a minute or two! Now we can enjoy the cool, refreshing water inside.  Coconut water has electrolytes too so it's a natural replenishment, better than artificial sports drink! Don't forget to enjoy the tender meat as well!  Our host tells us also that when you choose a young coconut, shake it.  If you hear water, the coconut is drying out.  Old coconuts have thick, dry, hard meat inside with no water.  So if you don't hear anything, that means that the coconut is young and full of water and the thin layer of meat is very tender.  Okay, after the delicious drink, I am all ready for my travel!  Farewell, my sweet friends, hope I will see you again.
MA_17 Posted Jul 17, 2013, 9:04 pm	Hello Mommy, I arrived in Germany!!! In front of the house of my new host I met another toyvoyager who already arrived. Her name is Nathalie. Together we rang the bell. The door opened and we were welcomed by the others. They all cuddled us. Then we both showed our souvenirs. I gave Alex a very special souvenir from Asia. Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jul 20, 2013, 10:01 pm	Today Tsukumo left us.
MA_17 Posted Jul 23, 2013, 10:32 pm	Hello Mommy, today we visited the most famous lake of Berlin: Greater Wannsee. Its size is 2,732 km² and it is about 2,53km in length. Nobody was there in the morning, just some little Toyvoyagers. [img][/img] Your little Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jul 24, 2013, 10:05 pm	Hello Mom, today we drove through Teltow, a small town near Berlin. It looks very nice. On the place where Teltow ends Berlin starts. There's no space left between both cities. In Berlin we drove through the shortest avenue of the whole city: Tusnelda Allee. There's just one house number. It's number 1 for the church. There's nothing else in this street. Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jul 27, 2013, 9:05 pm	Hello Mommy, today it was hot. Too hot! But we decided to visit the Botanical Garden. It has an area of 43 hectares and around 22,000 different plant species. Sadly our camera didn't have enough energy. Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jul 28, 2013, 1:13 pm	Hello Mommy! Today we visited Erfurt the capital of the Thuringia. It is also the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany. First we went to the Krämerbrücke. It is a bridge which is covered with inhabited, half timbered buildings on both sides. It is unique in Europe north of the Alps. This is the next stop we wanted to visit: the famous Erfurt Cathedral (left) and St. Severus Church (right). The Catholic Erfurt Cathedral is a 1200 year old church located on Cathedral Hill. It is of an International Gothic style, and is also known as St Mary's Cathedral, and is located, uniquely, on a hillside. It was beautiful inside the Cathedral. Your little Big foot
MA_17 Posted Aug 1, 2013, 10:27 pm	Hello Mom, it's my hosts holidays so we have lots of time to visit some nice places. Today we went to a small village called Wiehe. We were allowed to sit in the first row in the car. This village is really small with only 2000 inhabitants! But then we were told that here we will find the worlds biggest model railroad year-round  show! It was so impressing. Big train, small trains, tiny trains... ...travelling through the area of Thuringia & Saxony-Anhalt... Germany... Europe and the USA! First I took a picture in front of the mountain Brocken. It's not so far away from here. This is America! Mt. Rushmore looks a little bit different I think. your impressed Big foot
MA_17 Posted Aug 1, 2013, 11:33 pm	Hello Mommy, today our host had to go to Halle/Saale. Sure, we were in the car, too. Halle is a city in the Southern part of the German state Saxony-Anhalt and it is a very important economy and education-center in east Germany. The University of Halle-Wittenberg is the biggest university in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the oldest Universities in Germany. It has a population of about 250.000 inhabitants. First we saw nothing... But then... Halle! We crossed the river Saale which had a big flood in June. The city center is coming closer. The church which you can see on the left is "Market Church of Our Dear Lady". It was built between 1529 and 1554 and is the most recent of its medieval churches. And 2 more churches... (middle + right) This white building is called Francke Foundations. It is famous for its baroque buildings (including Europe‘s largest surving half-timbered building) and historical collections. Some newer buildings in Halle... This is Riebeck square. About 10 years ago it was the most dangerous place in Halle to cross by car. Now there are more traffic lights, better paintings on the street and you don't have to check for the tram, because they also finally got traffic lights. Yes, we got it! Look, this is the "Water tower North". It's 54 meters high and it was built between 1897 - 1899. The high level tank got a capacity of 1500 m³! Driving in the shadow is really nice at this temperatures! We left Halle. Then we passed a small city called Bitterfeld... At the end of that small city we saw the famous lake Goitzsche. It is a former brown-coal open cast mine. And we crossed the river Mulde, where Crawfish made a report about the flood in June. There was a locomotive standing next to the street, but there was no station anywhere. Just a few kilometers left till "home". Our butts already started hurting. Big foooooooot
MA_17 Posted Aug 8, 2013, 8:04 pm	Hello Mommy! I think today was the hottest day of the summer. Our therometer said 39,5°C. But, who cares?! We jumped into the car and travelled for a few hours. We were really surprised when we arrived. Lots of other plushies welcomed us! Look, all of us are official registered as Toyvoygers. We are the "rat gang". Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Aug 14, 2013, 9:40 pm	Hello Mommy, every time when we're having an overnight stay in Berlin we hear a noise around us. It rumbles and sometimes it tickles under our feet. It often feels like tiny earthquakes! Most of the time it happens by night when we are in bed. This is scary!!! So now we decided to ask Alex_Kitty what this noise is and he showed us! It's the underground which is passing under our feet. The station close to our house is not so nice, so we went through the city to find one which is more beautiful for taking a picture. Big foot
MA_17 Posted Aug 17, 2013, 9:35 pm	Hello Mommy, at the moment our host doesn't have so much time. So we decided to enjoy the day at a playground. It was not easy to find one. After a while we saw this slide. Hmm, looks like nobody was playing here for a while. We decided not to use it... Big foot
MA_17 Posted Aug 17, 2013, 9:52 pm	Hello Mommy, guess what! We found a boat! It was standing around... Little Toyvoyagers are very curious! Alex and Troot went to close to the boat when it keel over. Luckily they have friends who rescued them! So what to do with a boat...? We should use it! We all jumped into the boat and paddled on the great ocean. Let's see where we will be stranding... Your a-little-bit-seasick Big foot
MA_17 Posted Aug 21, 2013, 10:15 am	Hello Mommy, our journey by boat took really long. After a while we fall asleep and when we woke up we were on a place we didn't know. It looks a little bit scary. There was nobody else except us. Is this an unknown planet? Who is living here? Will we get back home? Does somebody know where our boat is? Big foot
MA_17 Posted Sep 8, 2013, 6:23 pm	Ouh Mommy... Our host found us lying on the ground with some bottles. Hmm, these drinks were delicious. She took the bottles away from us and said we should not wonder when we see spooky places which look like foreign planets... Whatever... I don't care what she said...I just want to sleep! ZzZzZzzzzz Nagg nagg Big footzzzzzz
MA_17 Posted Sep 14, 2013, 10:40 am	Hey Mommy, I really don't know what happened! When we woke up after a really long nap, Nathalie was missing. We were searching everywhere, but we couldn't find her. Maybe she doesn't want to hang out anymore with us crazy guys. So today our host decided we could do some sports. A bike tour would be nice, so we did! While biking through forests and over fields we saw a family of pheasants! We jumped off of the bike and waited to see them again. Look! We couldn't find any more animals on the field. Going by bike is really slow, so we decided to take the train back home. We waited for so long, but no train arrived. So we went on by bike. We arrived at a big lake. As it was really hot today we wanted to go swimming, but our host told us that swimming is not allowed here. Am I still drunk or do you see that ufo, too??? On our way back we met this lovely lady. She was surprised about our visit as she never saw Toyvoyagers before. Her hubby wasn't so nice to us... He was looking really angry at us! Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Sep 18, 2013, 7:41 pm	Hey Mommy, it's time for a road trip. We just traveled through a town called Bitterfeld. Not really interesting at all... Yours Big foot
MA_17 Posted Sep 18, 2013, 8:14 pm	Hey Mommy, the weather was ok so we did a short stopover at Lake Goitzsche. It's one of the biggest lakes in this area. It's size is about 24.000 hectar and it was formed of 3 former open-cast mines. And it was really windy! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Sep 30, 2013, 11:53 am	Hey Mommy, guess what?! We made another road trip. We crossed little villages like Dessau and Zerbst, and we didn't have time for sightseeing, but it was nice, too. We drove over rivers and through tunnels. Funny trip. Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 1, 2013, 4:10 pm	Hello Mom, today we found a box! We were really curious and hoped it would be full of sweets! But then it opened and Gustav and Phog jumped out. We welcomed them. Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 2, 2013, 6:53 pm	Ehm Mommy? I swear I have nothing to do with this, but... We were playing outside, just like Toyvoyagers do. We had a lot of fun... Anyway, they are going to send you the bill... I hope you still love me! Your little Big foot (Pictures taken "before" and "after" having fun! ) Before: After:
MA_17 Posted Oct 6, 2013, 11:59 pm	Hello Mommy, I was just kidding, you won't get a bill... I hope! Let me tell ya the whole story! We jumped into the car for... guess what... a roadtrip! But it was only a short one. We used the freeway just to come to the next exit, because lots of other streets were closed. Our destination for today was Vockerode, a small village with about 1500 inhabitants. And they own an old power station which is closed since 1998. What do we want here? And what are all these people doing here? We did the same like all of them: taking pictures of the 2 last chimneys, each 100m tall. At 11 o'clock sharp there were 2 really loud explosions, followed by 2 little earthquakes and LOTS of dust! After a few minutes we could see clearly what happened! The chimneys were gone! Later we were informed that people used about 90kg explosive materials and 900 detonators. This pic was taken by our host! Everybody was a bit sad, because these 2 chimneys were some typical landmarks for the village. You could see them on the freeway long time before arrival. We couldn't take any pictures during the explosion, but a good video can be seen here. After a while we were allowed to go to the chimneys and have a closer look. On our way back we just had eyes for the power station and where everything happened. All of us still shocked from the explosions and the earthquakes! ...when we noticed we weren't driving on a street. Holy crap! We never noticed before some tracks here. Woah and what a tiny and beautiful train! And yes, the train isn't longer than you can see in the pic. Just a few cm of it cut off in the pic. Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 9, 2013, 8:01 pm	Just another update in the car. We cruised to Berlin and through the city!
MA_17 Posted Oct 9, 2013, 8:13 pm	Hello Mommy, today we found some seeds. We decided to grow them! First we needed a box with some soil. We "cut" the soil into single pieces and gave them numbers. Then we placed lots of seeds in it. All seeds were cacti and succulents. At least we placed the seed box in a plastic bag, filled it with some water and closed it. Now we have a tiny greenhouse for the seeds. Lets see if they are going to grow! PS: We are going on holidays SOON! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 9, 2013, 9:05 pm	Hello Mommy, as I promised: we made a trip! Yesterday we traveled through whole Germany to Cologne, the biggest city at the river Rhine! After that long journey we were too tired and just slept the whole evening. But today... We woke up really late, so the first we needed was something delicious to eat! We started at the famous Hohenzollern Bridge, which is crossing the Rhine. It is the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany. People have placed love padlocks on the fence between the sidewalk and the tracks! Amazing! Then it was time to see the most famous sight of the city: the Cologne Cathedral! It is a Roman Catholic church. It is also the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. It is 144.5m (474 ft) long, 86.5m (284 ft) wide and its towers are approximately 157m (515 ft) tall. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires and largest façade of any church in the world. We had a wonderful warm and sunny day, but we had to go back home in the evening. Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 14, 2013, 7:23 pm	Hello Mommy, today we made a tour around the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) which is the colloquial name for the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church in Berlin. The Berlin Cathedral has never been a cathedral in the actual sense of that term since it has never been the seat of a bishop. It was built in the 15th century. Isn't this a pretty view of the river Spree, the TV-tower and the Bode Museum at the Museum Island?! Hugs Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 14, 2013, 7:43 pm	We celebrated my birthday!
MA_17 Posted Oct 23, 2013, 9:00 pm	Hello Mom, we used that beautiful day to enjoy our lives close to the water. First we went to the Spandau Ship Canal. Then we went to lake Plötzensee. Sad it was too cold to swim in it. Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 25, 2013, 11:23 pm	Hello Mommy, guess what! We went to the forest to find some mushrooms. Gustav thinks he knows a lot about mushrooms, because he always reads his brother's best friend Murph's blog. He's famous for his knowledge about mushrooms. We found some lovely mushrooms, but he told us not to eat them. He wasn't sure about the poison. So we just watched them. The next mushroom was so beautiful. It had the same color like lovely cakes have. So we decided that it is eatable. It was delicious! I'd really like to tell you about that mushroom, but nobody knows the name. After our meal we all started smiling like Gustav...that explains a lot Yours Biiieg vooud
MA_17 Posted Oct 26, 2013, 8:45 pm	Hey Mom, do you remember my update with all the seeds? Well, the seeds grow up! Have a look!!! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 30, 2013, 10:17 pm	Today we said goodbye to Landroval. He's going back home. He got a big group hug. Then we opened the window and Landroval spread his wings and flew away. I hope he knows the right way back home! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Oct 30, 2013, 10:33 pm	Hello Mommy, we made a short trip to a nearby city called Lutherstadt Wittenberg. It is famous for Martin Luther who nailed his 95 theses on the doors of All Saints' Church ( "castle church" ) in 1517. It was already getting dark when we arrived so we could only take a picture on the market place. The white building on the left is the Town hall. In front of it you can see the Luther Memorial. The church is the Town and Parish Church of St. Mary's. It is the civic church of the city. The reformers Martin Luther and Johannes Bugenhagen preached there and the building also saw the first celebration of the mass in German rather than Latin and the first ever distribution of the bread and wine to the congregation - it is thus considered the mother-church of the Protestant Reformation. Since 1996 it has been a World Heritage Site! Your Big foot
MA_17 Posted Nov 14, 2013, 9:55 pm	Hello Mommy! Today it's Halloween! Whoohoooo... We all were so excited ... until our host told us that we're not celebrating. Instead of eating too many sweets we could do some sports! We jumped on the bike and started, but after 1km our butts started to hurt! We thought this could be our chance to go back and be able to celebrate, but... no mercy! We passed forests, fields, lakes etc... Ok, the landscape was really beautiful, but after 30km we asked our host to go back! I think I can't sit for the next few days. Damn you muscle ache! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Nov 14, 2013, 10:14 pm	We are soooooo excited! We're going on a short trip to a foreign country! Can you image what the security wanted to do with us? They wanted to scan us! Hell! If they do they would see us naked! NOBODY wants to see a Toyvoyager naked! As it is already dark outside we didn't take any more pictures today...
MA_17 Posted Nov 16, 2013, 9:45 pm	Hello Mommy, guess what! I made it to LONDON! I heard when you go to London you have to use the underground, because the London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world. So I did! First I visited the famous Big Ben. This is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. The four clock dials are 180 feet (54.9 m) above ground. Wow! And of course, we also saw the Palace of Westminster which is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The tower you can see in my picture is called Victoria Tower. Then we went to a circus. We were so excited to see many animals and maybe a clown, but what we saw was something totally different! Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly. In this context, a circus, from the Latin word meaning "circle", is a round open space at a street junction. And there were lots of illuminated signs, gosh! From there we went to another close public space and tourist attraction: Trafalgar Square. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of contemporary art. That's enough of rain for today! Let's see what we're going to see tomorrow... Your little Big foot
MA_17 Posted Nov 20, 2013, 8:48 pm	Hello Mommy, we spent another day in London. And this time it didn't rain! So we used the time to visit more famous sights! First we visited "Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress", more commonly known as the Tower of London. It is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in the center of London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The castle encloses an area of almost 12 acres (4.9 ha) with a further 6 acres (2.4 ha) around the Tower of London constituting the Tower Liberties – land under the direct influence of the castle and cleared for military reasons. The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. It's length is 346 km (215 mi). The building on the left is called "The Shard". It is an 87-storey skyscraper. Standing approximately 306 metres (1,004 ft) high, the Shard is currently the tallest building in the European Union. The Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London which crosses the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name, and has become an iconic symbol of London. It was built from 1886 to 1894. It's total length is 244 metres (801 ft). We also visited St Paul's Cathedral. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominating the skyline for 300 years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world. And of course we went to meet the Queen! This is Buckingham Palace. It is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Unfortunately the Queen didn't have time for tea. Tomorrow we're going back to Germany! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Nov 27, 2013, 7:58 pm	Hello Mom, just wanted to let you know that we're back to Berlin. It's already cold outside, but our host decided that we need some fresh air. So we did a walk through the Tiergarten... Brrr... Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 1, 2013, 10:11 pm	Hello Mommy, today Gustav left for a new adventure, so we all hugged. Then he went to the famous Berlin "magical black hole" where he's leaving through. Now you will say it is only a Christmas mug, but it isn't... He sat down on that hole while we were singing a goodbye song. ...and... *kaboumbzzzzzztsch* There was a light and he was gone. It's magical! Impressed Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 13, 2013, 10:42 pm	Hey Mommy, today a new girl arrived! Her name is Freya and she's German, too. Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 23, 2013, 1:50 pm	Hello Mommy (+ Daddy!), we spent the afternoon in the cinema watching a lovely movie called "Frozen". Did you watch it yet? Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 24, 2013, 8:32 pm	Hello Mommy, today we did a walk in an urban park near the station Gleisdreieck. This park is really new and not everything is opened yet. Here we found an old watch tower from the time when Germany was divided. We spent a lot of time watching the yellow metro... It's a great place where you can see it, because normally it's going underground. Yours Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 24, 2013, 8:38 pm	Hey Mom, we spent this beautiful day walking along the old elevated dump. The sun was shining so bright! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 24, 2013, 8:44 pm	Night cruise through the city Dessau...
MA_17 Posted Dec 24, 2013, 11:55 pm	Hei Mommy, we made a trip by train! At this time of the year the countryside looks really boring. We saw some interesting trains... ...lost stations... ...the river Mulde... ...and passed a small city named Bitterfeld. Our destination was Halle/Saale. It's a very important economy and education-center in east Germany. The University of Halle-Wittenberg is the biggest university in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the oldest Universities in Germany. As our host had something to do in the city we had a little bit time to walk around. We noticed LOTS of all kind of towers everywhere! This is the Leipzig Tower (Leipziger Turm). It was built in the 15th century and remains of the town wall in the south of the city centre. The Red Tower (Roter Turm) in front of me was originally built as campanile of the older St. Mary's Church between 1418 and 1503 and is a famous landmark of Halle. I hope you can see it as I'm standing next to the church. The Market Church of St. Mary (Marktkirche) was built in 1529–1554 while using elements of two medieval churches: St. Gertrude's Church dating back to the 11th century and the older St. Mary's Church from the 12th Century. The church has four steeples, the two western octagonal ones are called Blue Towers because of their dark blue slate roofing. The other two Hausmannstürme are connected by a bridge and on this bridge was the fire watch. The church owns as well the original death-mask of Martin Luther. The Marktkirche's four towers and the city's nearby Roter Turm (Red Tower) are a landmark symbol of the city and marking the city’s silhouette. We also stopped at the Christmas market which is placed around the Red Tower, directly on the market square. Your little Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 26, 2013, 6:57 pm	This evening we visited another Christmas market. This time we went to Dessau. Believe me, the red wine blueberry punch was sooo delicious! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Dec 30, 2013, 9:42 pm	Hey Mommy, there's so much to do during the days before Christmas! We jumped into the car to go shopping... all the stuff we needed, like food... Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jan 9, 2014, 11:32 pm	Hey Mom, it's just 1 day left until Christmas! So we jumped in the car, enjoyed the beautiful sky and went shopping...just something to eat for the next days! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jan 11, 2014, 9:59 pm	It's CHRISTMAS!!! In the evening we heard some "HOHOHO"... Who is it?! Santa!!! He arrived with his sleigh and Rudolph (the reindeer). We were so excited! His sleigh was full of presents. He gave all of us a present! And Rudolph started to eat Santa's birch. Little hungry reindeer... Look at our presents... handbags! When Santa saw that we were happy Toyvoyagers he and Rudolph left. There were some more Toyvoyagers waiting for him. We are a pretty gang! Big foot
MA_17 Posted Jan 22, 2014, 10:07 pm	HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We didn't really celebrate last night because our host had to work, but we got some lovely drinks. Anyway, today we did a small tour by car again and saw the sun going down. Nice!
MA_17 Posted Jan 22, 2014, 10:39 pm	Hey Mommy, today we found some stuff from Australia on the floor: souvenirs and sweets. Somebody left a present for us. Then we heard a voice, turned around and saw Squab who's back from his journey to Sydney and Melbourne. We hugged him a lot. It's also the goodbye-hug for Troot and me. I'm coming home! Big foot
Dr.Kröbner Posted Feb 3, 2014, 3:02 pm	Hi folks, look, I´m home again!!!  I´ve made a realy round- the Wordtrip, I don´t know how many miles I´ve traveled, but it was great. this is my last travelbox...a lot of souvenirs and my friend Troot pffff...fresh air.... hello my friends and brothers and sisters, nice to see you time for a biiiig hug with Dr.Kröbner and my brother Günther and then it was time to show the souvenirs...a wonderful plaid, I got as a gift  from (Sue) Fleursmum and a nice bag from  ( Sanny) MA 17 and yummy cookies for us all  Günther has received a special gift from Alex, new parts for his pot of gold, he has hidden it immediately It will take some evenings to tell about my adventures. Be surprise…. Big foot

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