Billy, Rastatt, Germany

Katara


Posted Oct 29, 2011, 12:07 pm
Au revoir South Africa - I'm off to France today and I am super excited!  :D
This is my first travelling adventure - hopefully I'll have a comfortable journey.
fam-united


Posted Feb 8, 2012, 9:28 pm
Hello everyone,

I just crawled out of my package and what did I hear? German talking - I thought, they would talk French here?
Surprise:

I arrived in Germany
:)

I heard, that I will meet many other toyvoyagers here. I only will stay for a few days. Boy, it is cold here, although my host says, that it is somehow warm, because it only has minus 6 °C. They had about minus 14 °C yesterday night. But she also told me, that it would get colder again.

And: My host already told me, that I might half fulfill one mission at her place - to play in the snow. She said, that there is a touch of snow outside. To fullfill my mission completely, it should have more snow, she said
:(

I will talk to you later and also only allow to take a photo of me, when I feel better again. I'm a bit dizzy after my travel. Boy, they did throw me through the garden door on the cold stone floor. I still feel like a mashed potato.


Bye, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Mar 11, 2012, 2:17 pm
Hello world!

It´s me again!

I savely arrived at Lichtenfels and the first I did was to make a party! Not only me arrived at this day, also Dr.Kröbner and his TVs visited my hostmum and hostdad yesterday.
This was a good chance to get to know all TVs here.

So much new faces! 15 new TV faces and of cours hundred or so others  :stare: But we just had fun, had chips and had a chat with each. I posed on Dr.Kröbners knee while we chatted.

Now I am a little bit tired and will go to bed soon.

I love you!

Billy
fam-united


Posted Mar 16, 2012, 6:22 pm
Today I visited my host's school class.

These two boys really liked me and asked me to come and help them with their work.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/6841556188_a4561503b7.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6841556456_90a6b441be.jpg


Her pupils also worked on book presentations and created a poster for each book.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6841556702_2dc2e5c9f5.jpg


Here are more posters of book presentations and a large world map - really interesting for the pupils.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6987680311_686ebba7c0.jpg



The windows are decorated with some funny clowns.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6841557372_b3085b0485.jpg
fam-united


Posted Mar 16, 2012, 9:07 pm
Today we met some members of our hosts' family group of their church. We walked from Bruchsal to Unteroewisheim and drink some coffee and eat cake. I think, that the landscape is really lovely.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6841557744_a2c45a751e.jpg


The way leads along vineyards to the 221 m high "Eisenhut", a historic significant hill. It was named after Anton Eisenhut, who was executed after participating in the German Peasants' War in 1525. This stele reminds us of Anton Eisenhut.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6987681237_077bd71a85.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6987681381_ec0e4838f1.jpg


Then we walked through this loess hollow-way.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6841558846_2e1f3a8e9f.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6987682207_d707341e3f.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6987682613_7f43f6c051.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6987683263_9c057eb428.jpg

fam-united


Posted Mar 16, 2012, 9:19 pm
Then we arrived in Unteroewisheim. After having coffee and cake we took a photo with the church. It was built in 1825. Unteroewisheim is a town in the Kraichgau.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6987683389_678e3c578f.jpg
fam-united


Posted Mar 16, 2012, 9:39 pm
Back in Bruchsal we took a sunset photo of the schoolyard and part of the school St. Paulusheim.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6987684113_9c7cdd2f1c.jpg


Bruchsal is located at the edge of Kraichgau to Rhine valley, so partly it is really flat and partly hilly. You see the baroque church St. Peter and the house Santa Maria in the far. We live with our hosts near to both buildings.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6841561094_bd78f52b21.jpg


St. Paulusheim is a private catholic school, founded by padres of the Pallotti order.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6841561474_edeff970c9.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6987685061_e680b82719.jpg
fam-united


Posted Mar 16, 2012, 9:48 pm
Today we walked to a restaurant and had lunch. On our way back we took some more photos. You can see houses of Bruchsal in the far.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6841561988_8f39689247.jpg


Here is a building of the fire brigade school.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6841563002_cd012dbc77.jpg


You still can see many wayside crosses around Bruchsal.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6841563422_be5fdb3253.jpg


I really didn't realize before, that we hadn't been in Bruchsal anymore, but now we are back.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6841564116_7bdaea1038.jpg
Yosemite


Posted Mar 17, 2012, 4:37 pm
Hey, Mummy at home!

Today we had the first real spring day in Germany! So we decided to help our hosts in the garden.

I helped as good as I could with the little blade. Garden work is a little bit hard for me because I have no arms  :) but I did my very best  :D

After we finished we found pretty crocusses in the meadow! Sooooo nice!

Then we relaxed, it was so good to feel the warm sun on my belly!

Love you and send you a kiss!

Your Billy
fam-united


Posted Mar 18, 2012, 12:04 pm
Today we drove to Cologne. Petra's husband had to be there for a Trade Fair and Petra met olgamaus.

Here is some information about Cologne (wikipedia):


"Cologne (English pronunciation: /kəˈloʊn/, German: Köln [kœln], Kölsch: Kölle [ˈkœɫə]) is Germany's fourth-largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.

Cologne is located on both sides of the Rhine River. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest and largest universities.

Cologne is a major cultural centre of the Rhineland and has a vibrant arts scene. Cologne is home to more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne, Gamescom and the Photokina."



Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is the city's most famous monument and the Cologne residents' most respected landmark. It is a Gothic church, started in 1248, and completed in 1880. In 1996, it was designated a World Heritage site; it houses the Shrine of the Three Kings that supposedly contains the relics of the Three Magi. Residents of Cologne sometimes refer to the cathedral as "the eternal construction site" (Dauerbaustelle).

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6989193825_f3a932d4b2.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6843071520_188b37ba34.jpg


Cologne Central Station: On an average day, about 280,000 travellers frequent the station, making it fifth busiest station in Germany.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6843073106_8071d29901.jpg


Then we walked down to the Rhine.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6989197655_685747d51c.jpg


We turned around and took a look back to the cathedral.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6843074928_83c33dcb9b.jpg


Here's the Hohenzollern Bridge.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6843076634_9c0a1a103d.jpg


Great St. Martin Churchis a Romanesque Catholic church. Its foundations (circa 960 AD) rest on remnants of a Roman chapel, built on what was then an island in the Rhine. The church was badly damaged in World War II, with restoration work completed in 1985.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6989201115_c65c108d5f.jpg


We then walked around the Imhoff-Chocolate Museum. 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6989203839_f43242d3b1.jpg

We took a look back to the Hohenzollern Bridge, cathedral and Great St. Martin.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6843081486_5db75be8a6.jpg


The museum is run by the Schokoladenmuseum Köln GmbH. Since March 2006, the Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli has been its partner in producing exhibits. Prior to that the partner was the Cologne chocolate producer Stollwerck, and the museum was formerly known as the Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum. Sadly Petra forgot to take photos with me, while we were inside the museum.


This equestrian statue shows Frederick William III of Prussia. You can see here, who else is on the base of the statue.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6846083920_de5bb98183.jpg


The Heumarkt is beside the Alter Markt the biggest place in Cologne historic city.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6846084040_d5df2222ae.jpg


There are several small breweries in Cologne. This one is located at the Heumarkt.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6992214575_f30216d8a2.jpg


Another brewery in the small streets of the historic city.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6992215283_8301d7f461.jpg


It started to rain and we walked back to the cathedral. We entered it and it was so so dark inside, that we had problems to take nice photos. So please excuse the quality.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6992217339_3b2abe7b0f.jpg


There was a nice mosaic on the floor.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6846090416_6a95217a08.jpg


So this was the last photo of Cologne and we drove back to Bruchsal again.
fam-united


Posted Mar 18, 2012, 4:03 pm
Today I had a chance to have a glance on the church tower and other houses of the palace area. I have to go there, I'm sure, that Petra will show me the palace.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6846322950_4292e383db.jpg


The house with the tower is the county court.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6992450605_2d9fdb47d0.jpg
fam-united


Posted Mar 18, 2012, 7:34 pm
So this is my last update of Bruchsal. My envelope is already on the table, but Petra said, that she would like to show me the city today. The weather is sunny and the sky is all blue, so what else do we need.

Bruchsal was first named in 976, but it surely is older than that.

Here we are in a street, where you still can see some old houses. About 80% of Bruchsal was destroyed during World War II., so you can't see many really old houses.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6846361056_e1c4f3dc5b.jpg


The baroque palace of Bruchsal is one of the most beautiful baroque palaces of Germany. In the park you can find statues of the four elements fire, water, air and earth and four statues of the four seasons. Here you see summer.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/6992489397_f7ff9a5859.jpg


It is the only episcopal Baroque residence on the Upper Rhine. The foundation stone was laid in 1722 by Cardinal Damian Hugo von Schönborn, Prince Bishop of Speyer, who made the palace the centre of his absolutist dominion. Read more here.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6846364266_89e26f8e3d.jpg

After being almost completely destroyed in the final days of World War II, the main tract was painstakingly reconstructed according to the original design and work was completed in 1975, including the magnificent dome, Marble Hall and Prince's Hall. The staircase designed by Balthasar Neumann is considered to be an architectural tour-de-force and has been described as the "finest staircase in the world".

Here you see the church tower and the backside of the church St. Damian and Hugo.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6992493231_500dd7f923.jpg


From this place you have a good view to many different buildings as named on the photo.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6992494549_762f3bb381.jpg


This is the front of the palace with the main entrance. On the right is the building with the chamber music hall and on the left is the church. On this photo you can't see them.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6846369988_628901ab6c.jpg


We just turned around and took a photo of the county court and the fountain called Amalienbrunnen or Schnecklesbrunnen, how they say in Bruchsal, because there sit many snakes on the fountain edge.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6992497651_8d67ffcd25.jpg


Then we drove to the Andreasstaffel. You have a perfect view over Bruchsal from this place.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6846375466_e111244eae.jpg

Sorry, that this photo is so bad, but the sun was already really low and we had no chance to get a better photo.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6846375278_2a7c01d8ea.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6846375612_71b9ca26e7.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6992503359_4834579d9e.jpg


The Belvedere on the edge of the "Stadtgarten" was built by Leonhard Stahl in 1756 as a hunting lodge for Prince Bishop Franz Christoph von Hutten. Today, the Belvedere is used as a venue for concerts and theatre productions.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6846377322_028008b459.jpg
Yosemite


Posted Mar 21, 2012, 5:11 pm
Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!

Believe it or not, I fullfilled my first lifemission!

I drove in a Ferrari! A real Ferrari California! The car of hostdad´s boss was broken, so he got a alternative car. Fortunately a Ferrari! I got the chance to sit in it. WOW, what a feeling!
Feel the leather under my buttom  B)
Feel the wind in my face!
Feel the power!
Mom, I will save all my money to buy a car like this!

Thank god hostdad´s boss got this alternative car, otherwise I had to sit in a Maserati  :rolleyes:

Kisssssssssssssssssssssssss from Germany

Your Billy loves you
Yosemite


Posted Mar 29, 2012, 6:06 pm
Dear Mummy! Today we had an exciting day! Hostmum, Mr.Quakedi and me traveled to Bayreuth by train. At first we learned everything about the production of easter eggs. Is was explained by the rabbits themselfes!
At first was shown how cacao beans were harvested. Then they have to dry in the sun. After that they were cracked by a hammer machine, it seems to be hard fork, poor rabbits!
The next station shows how chocolate is filled into egg molds. Last step: paint and put into a package, yeah  B)

After that we saw some culture. In apark there was a wonderful lady of stone, we tried to cuddle with her but she had a heart of stone  :(

Although there was no sun today we enjoyed the day in the park. Look at the pretty views!

Our next station was the Villa Wahnfried, that was the house of the famous composer Richard Wagner. A "must have seen" in Bayreuth

But I liked the last photo more, the funny house with the funny figures, climbing up  B)

Very crazy city, I hope I can come back once!

Mummy, I love you!

Yours, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Mar 31, 2012, 10:47 am
Hey Mummy!

Today we made a round trip through our hosts´kitchen. But not by foot, we drove by motor scooter! We found this crazy stuff on our shopping trip in Bayreuth last week. It is sooooooooooooo cool!
B)

Just look at yourself!

Yours, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 6, 2012, 4:13 pm
Hey Mummy!

Do you know that I like ice cream very much?

We ( Plaudagei, hostmum, hostdad and me) were at the ice cream parlour in Lichtenfels city and we were allowed to order. We decided to have a cup of cappuccino for each and a cup with strawberries. Ooooooooooooooooh, what a good decision! It looks so good to my skin ;) And the taste! Fantastical!

Love you, Mummy and send you a kiss!

Yours,. Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 8, 2012, 3:34 pm
Happy easter, dear Mummy!

Today we went into the garden because hostmum said that she saw a bunnie with a big basket. I thought about a good concealment. And in fact, a purple chocolate bunnie stood in in the shutter!

Altogether we found so much sweets! A whole basket was full!

Yours, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 16, 2012, 4:57 pm
Hey Mummy,
believe it or believe it not, I am on holidays!

Today we visited a very little house, excatly in the right size for us TVs! Unfortunately the park with a whole village of houses in this size was still closed by season, so we only could watch thsis single house. But I liked it very much!

Love you, your Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 22, 2012, 3:45 pm
Hello Mummy!

Today is Baerle s and Maeusle s birthday! We sang a "Happy Baersday" for them and got an invitation to have coffee and a chocolate cake with them.

Yummiiieeeeeeeeeee!!!

I like partys with other TVs!

Love you, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 23, 2012, 4:07 pm
Hej Mummy!

Today we made a trip to Billum, maybe you´ve never heard of this city. But maybe you know the Lego bricks, they come from here.

In Billund is the headquarter of this factory and a parl with buildings and scenes made out of Lego bricks. And this all is in mini size! Perfect for us small TVs!

Look at yourself!

I was at the castle of Neuschwanstein (original in Germany), in front of the Man´s Chinese Theatre (original in Hollywood), stood at a villa in the USA and in front of a stave church in Norway.

After we saw everything we were very hungry and enjoyed Spareribs, in big size  :D

We were also allowed to look into the yard of castle Amalienborg.

Yours, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 27, 2012, 1:55 pm
Hej Mummy, yesterday I found a very yummie sweet!
A big lollipop! Oh, so yummie!!!  :p

Now it´s time to leave. Byebye, Denmark, hello new adventures!

Yours, Billy
Yosemite


Posted Apr 29, 2012, 11:31 am
Hey Mummy!

We are back in Germany! And now it´s time to leave my host family. I had a great time with you!

I said Goodbye to all my TV friends and then it was time to crawl into my envelope.

Byebye, Lichtenfels, I will never forget my time here and the great ride in the Ferrari  B)

Yours, Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 3, 2012, 7:36 pm
Hey Mummy!!

I arrived in Dortmund today, yaay :)
My new host says a huge "Thank You" to Yosemite for the present and the postcard. She loves it!! :)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-68Yvss7n-dU/T6LLwewmqiI/AAAAAAAABGE/hiUSZ82MykY/s512/SAM_2007.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ny3JWRSLJEI/T6LLxVT2jaI/AAAAAAAABGM/7YnU9eHsyOo/s512/SAM_2009.JPG

After crawling out of the envelope I saw the other TV's which my new host is hosting at the moment. Brownbeard, Bussi and Marawarpina welcomed me and asked me a few things about my travels and my former hosts. I showed them some pictures and told them about my Toyvoyager-life :)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ziFJ5cMpduk/T6LLyoyLqFI/AAAAAAAABGY/I7m8XuMfsvA/s640/SAM_2011.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Tl1CW0gWnOg/T6LLzw38DkI/AAAAAAAABGc/-Ckxe2oQjdU/s640/SAM_2013.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-63w1ZpIUuGA/T6LL01GJc6I/AAAAAAAABGk/CUqCr3BlJdg/s640/SAM_2014.JPG

Afterwards, I spent some time on the balcony.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YXKSvRxcFuY/T6LL2qjiJ6I/AAAAAAAABGs/g5-pbzfBGFw/s640/SAM_2015.JPG

Well, it was already evening when I arrived in Dortmund so I stayed at home and relaxed a little bit.
My host has an exam on monday so we probably won't spend much time outdoors until then, but she told me that we're gonna spend more time outdoors from tuesday on.
Yay, that's it about my arrival here in Dortmund.

Love,
Billy

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XwveJbHGYhk/T6LL3g9nRXI/AAAAAAAABG4/tVjVu27PXb0/s512/SAM_2016.JPG
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 5, 2012, 12:03 am
Hello Mummy :)

I have been in Bochum this evening and I went bowling! It was much fun because it's disco-bowling every friday night. That means that it's darker than usual, there's a lightshow and loud music.
Another cool thing is: you can win something if there's a bright orange bowling pin in the front row and you bowl a strike then. Before you bowl, you have to take a card out of 5 cards, on each one is a prize written. It doesn't happen that often but my host was one of the lucky ones who actually won something, even though it was just a cocktail  B)
Unfortunately I couldn't take nice pictures because of the darkness, but I tried my really best.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5Z4fXzYo3RA/T6ReQmRaUdI/AAAAAAAABIY/UYhE8Oh7_24/s640/SAM_2046.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hGI9iCdjDbU/T6ReLJu914I/AAAAAAAABHk/JTO8VVRtzRM/s640/SAM_2035.JPG

Wow, the bowling balls were so heavy and big!!
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zPCWpV4Fm4I/T6ReMvGRAnI/AAAAAAAABH0/WNKvG5WCxNo/s640/SAM_2039.JPG

Well, that's it for today. It's very late now and I need some sleep after this funny and exhaustive evening.

I hope you had a nice day!! :)
Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 9, 2012, 2:49 pm
Hey Mummy!!

I went for a stroll today :)
The park where I was is called "Grummer Teiche". "Grumme" is the district where I live here in Bochum (host's second home). Back in the 12th century, it was called Grumhem, later on it was called Grommen and now it's called Grumme. The waters here in the district were named "Grume", that's why the area was called Grumhem, it means something like "Home of the Grume".
There's a park which goes through the whole district - disconnected by some streets - called "Grummer Teiche" (Grummer ponds) with the waters. It's such a nice area :)
Here you can see some impressions:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rCnr9pxUB5g/T6pvdMFPn5I/AAAAAAAABJA/e7QKJJXE9AU/s640/SAM_2056.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4FzrWRMC0Bo/T6pvkDi3HnI/AAAAAAAABJ0/o3InKZpWSjc/s640/SAM_2063.JPG

As I walked through the park I passed some cute geese with their chicks. The geese with the chicks are Egyptian geese, the other two are Canada geese.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hVh8EAhD6IU/T6pveJUFB0I/AAAAAAAABJI/qrxy9ji49gU/s640/SAM_2057.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cNF4oCkInGg/T6pvfSiYwjI/AAAAAAAABJM/QWI2HOu92hQ/s640/SAM_2058.JPG

It was very warm so I stopped at a drinking fountain :)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CcxN9vN1WmQ/T6pvnwXGRSI/AAAAAAAABKY/hVZvqh_UrXw/s640/SAM_2068.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W8uGVG5lC4I/T6pvtGjEgoI/AAAAAAAABLE/LDj1odJuMl0/s512/SAM_2074.JPG

Afterwards I went home and spent some time on the balcony. From the balcony I had a view on a part of the park, but it's hard to see because of all the trees.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DQBPIMWxr6M/T6pvxWU-jgI/AAAAAAAABLw/XUFYEpP9c38/s640/SAM_2079.JPG

Well, that's it for today. I'm looking forward to the weekend because I'm going to London with my host and a few friends which are hosts as well. :)

Lots of Love,
Billy

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zO4Gqqx550I/T6pvunD8dRI/AAAAAAAABLY/ezkhyT_Wn2M/s512/SAM_2076.JPG
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 14, 2012, 6:31 pm
Hey Mummy :)

My holiday in London started this evening, yaaay!! We are sooo many TV's on this journey.. Well, what else could you think when you hear that there are 4 girls and 3 of them are hosts :D We are 7 TV's, it's so cool to go on vacation with so many great guys!!
The departure was at 08:05 pm but there was a little delay so we flew a little bit later.
We were sooo high :)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oYR9yUMtIzY/T7EvoosQJkI/AAAAAAAABMc/bg0w-9GBuEc/s640/SAM_2084.JPG

This is our TV group... The plane was so small that we had to sit on the tray table.. They're all so nice! From left to right:
Brownbeard, me, Bussi, Marawarpina, two TV's of which I don't know the names at the moment (whoops, I'll tell you later!!) and Leif E

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xlIZGCjp4yE/T7ExJo0zDKI/AAAAAAAABPY/gbZGsefGe5Q/s640/Sam_0307.jpg

London is the capital of England, which belongs to the United Kingdom. As we arrived there, we headed straight to the hotel and went to bed. It was such a strenuous day!!

Good night!!
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 14, 2012, 6:38 pm
Hello Mum,

today was a great day!! We did some sightseeing and the weather was awesome!! No rain, bright sunshine and it was warm.

We started at the "King's Cross" station. There is the platform 9 3/4, maybe you know it from the Harry Potter movies. It's the platform where the ride of the Hogwarts Express starts.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7jxCUOuStkU/T7ExKi1uCZI/AAAAAAAABPg/kYAPPXPpnng/s512/Dscn6363.jpg

Here you can see me in front of the Tower Bridge and the Thames :) The bridge was built from 1886 til 1894 and it's near the Tower of London.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f_1hRaV_FH8/T7EvrNxhHVI/AAAAAAAABM4/L2kgvYe6BUw/s640/SAM_2107.JPG

Alright, this is the London City Hall. It's very new and modern, it opened in 2002.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uv9TRz_GWiA/T7EvueqjkkI/AAAAAAAABNQ/d1-zRB2_8cQ/s512/SAM_2112.JPG

Here you can see the Tower of London. It is a historic castle near the Thames.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fiEFgnoRUFQ/T7Evx7ROksI/AAAAAAAABNo/hw24U83Ze7E/s640/SAM_2128.JPG

Hahaha, this is such a typical tourist-picture :D A red telephone box and a red bus in the background.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KJE8sFEE-ZA/T7Ev0NdsgVI/AAAAAAAABN4/oG1f3sWMelA/s512/SAM_2145.JPG

A guard with his horse..

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6juBfzmL9-0/T7Ev3mlwypI/AAAAAAAABOQ/koGHljzBgfs/s512/SAM_2161.JPG

Here you can see Big Ben, it belongs to the Houses of Parliament. Most people think that it's the name of the tower, but actually it's just the name of the bell of the clock.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Xw82otCWpEA/T7Ev8Y_rcYI/AAAAAAAABO4/P_XDTfWotPs/s512/SAM_2171.JPG

And finally, this is the Buckingham Palace. It's the residence of the British monarch - The Queen.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xvATG5SiKeI/T7Ev_q7gBpI/AAAAAAAABPQ/RbYrwEQF69s/s640/SAM_2192.JPG

At evening we went to Wimbledon to see the musical "Starlight Express", it's currently on UK Tour. The show here in London is a bit different to the show in Bochum. The stages in Great Britain are much smaller than in Bochum, so the "races" aren't live but shown on a screen in 3D. Some of the costumes look very different, some choreographies are new and some songs have a different beat or are new or are missing in the show. Most of the performers in London were already a part of the german production, so my host and her friends knew almost everyone who was on stage this evening.
And you won't believe what I tell you now... Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber himself was with us in the audience!! Oh my god, exciting times!!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ewtGMvUyJ-Q/T7E_OaAuHnI/AAAAAAAABPw/piaA2cK9998/s512/SAM_2198.JPG

Yeah, that was my day here in London. I think I won't take any pictures tomorrow because we just fly back tomorrow.

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 17, 2012, 3:15 pm
Hey Mum,

I spent some time in Bochum today :) The weather wasn't very nice and it started raining, that's why the pictures are a bit dark.. :(

However, Kate showed me the stadium of the local football team "VFL Bochum". The club is currently playing in the German second league.
Earlier the stadium was called "Ruhrstadion" but since 2006 it is called "Rewirpowerstadion". Most of the footballfans still call it by its old name, it's kinda traditional ;)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jp8ZeglKc1k/T7UEMyjtDKI/AAAAAAAABQY/L493QJnbHKQ/s512/SAM_2203.JPG

Near the stadium is the planetarium, called "Zeiss Planetarium Bochum". It's one of the most modern planetariums worldwide at the moment, even though it doesn't really look like it'd be so modern..

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GIfKGK_zMaQ/T7UEPPie6EI/AAAAAAAABQw/EO0pQk36320/s640/SAM_2206.JPG

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 21, 2012, 6:17 pm
Heyho Mummy :)

It is the birthday of my hosts brother today and we will visit him tomorrow. Kate bought a comic book for him and we gift-wrapped it today :) We needed some wrapping paper, scissors and cellotape to wrap it up :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7Po4on1wasw/T7p2m6qruKI/AAAAAAAABSI/Ki2Dxzp3-Y0/s640/SAM_2216.JPG

At first I cut the paper to the right size:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7vIU37K8zJY/T7p2p_LhzoI/AAAAAAAABSc/VWQSoe7UoAY/s640/SAM_2219.JPG

Afterwards I sticked the paper:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-80C6lB-FVL4/T7p2qxsfYnI/AAAAAAAABSo/jMajsgWowTc/s640/SAM_2220.JPG

Tadaa, the finished present :)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QpXv1quf6hc/T7p2t5tZjdI/AAAAAAAABTQ/RmDO56V9kZ8/s512/SAM_2223.JPG

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 21, 2012, 7:12 pm
Hey there,

Today was some loooovely weather!! I spent the whole day outdoors and went to the theatre at evening :)

I met some of Kates friends at the "Halle" at noon. The Halle is the nickname of the theatre that we visited at eve. Well, we met there because all the guys came from different cities and that was the best place to meet.
The theatre is near Kate's house so we could walk to the theatre. On our way we passed some road works.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RaNsY2SKPZc/T7p6zapMJ6I/AAAAAAAABTc/hNe88CtdsTE/s640/SAM_2249.JPG

After we met Kate's friends at the Halle, we headed to the city centre to go for an ice cream. It was so delicious!! Kate and me shared a kiwifruit sundae. Yummy!!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bgMrOstCLM8/T7p62H0z7SI/AAAAAAAABTs/U8AjPSJcu4I/s512/SAM_2251.JPG

Well, we spent some hours downtown, ate some pizza later and went back to the theatre afterwards.
We watched the musical "Starlight Express", composed by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. It's a musical about the world championship of some trains. Engines from all over the world try to win the championship, the maincharacters are Greaseball - the Diesel engine, Electra - the electric engine and Rusty - the steam engine. Besides it's about finding some self-confidence and the true love. I also watched it in London last weekend, do you remember? But the show in London is kinda different to the show here in Bochum.
It will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year!! It's the musical with the longest repertory season in Germany (it opened in Germany in 1988) and there's a world record for the most visitors to a musical in a single theatre.
Starlight Express will open in South Africa on July 2nd 2013 at Joburg Theatre for a limited season. Maybe you'll get the chance to see it :)

It was still bright sunshine when we went to the theatre.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dwma1d8fdqY/T7p65SkEE0I/AAAAAAAABUE/3gxzu6gDmUQ/s640/SAM_2254.JPG

This is a train which is placed on the forecourt of the theatre, apposite to the theme of the musical :)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i3QHNcP9zTg/T7p64YnfhbI/AAAAAAAABT8/lqo-2rwwvYQ/s640/SAM_2253.JPG

Well yeah, that's it about my day.. I really enjoyed the show this evening :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 22, 2012, 3:40 pm
Hi Mum,

I went to the city centre of Dortmund today because Kate had to buy some presents for her mums birthday next week.
We found some presents at the "Thier-Galerie", it's a new shoppingcenter that opened last year.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZNjVee3hPME/T7uikqlxwtI/AAAAAAAABVE/sR0x95qcFIU/s512/SAM_2262.JPG

We found a BVB - Fanshop. The BVB Borussia Dortmund is the local football team which won the german championship this year and also last year. The writing "Echte Liebe" by the BVB logo means "True Love".

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LGgGpkiOFTQ/T7uig-B69zI/AAAAAAAABUs/Tc9VeVTHM7s/s640/SAM_2259.JPG

Here you can see the opera house of Dortmund:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vmpZLTpjL4A/T7uinhIYdpI/AAAAAAAABVU/Sn8SESkzmFM/s640/SAM_2264.JPG

This is the street cattycorner the theatre.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_1K4cNDrNO0/T7uio43muYI/AAAAAAAABVc/KlpTEFXBqZ0/s640/SAM_2265.JPG

Later this day we headed to Bochum, I'll tell you more in the next Update. :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 22, 2012, 4:01 pm
Alright, same day - different city.

I already told you that we went to Bochum later this day. Kate showed me the "Schauspielhaus Bochum", the local theatre. It's one of the largest and most notable theatres in Germany. Many famous german actors worked there in the past. I think you don't know any of them in South Africa, so it's useless to tell you some names :D

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sZapD8Mf3bs/T7uitoKQPyI/AAAAAAAABV8/e5TGVvx8ZoY/s640/SAM_2269.JPG

Then we drove through the car wash. It was quite fun! I love it when the mops pop on the windows :D

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aknHk_tN6zU/T7uiuiWYIVI/AAAAAAAABWE/T7KK164LC4s/s640/SAM_2270.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nb1acdmazak/T7uiwVOumfI/AAAAAAAABWQ/c7ePU-mcPZc/s640/SAM_2272.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AJkkS77AwA0/T7uixFGOfqI/AAAAAAAABWc/CinwDVVbx44/s640/SAM_2273.JPG

Yeah, that's it for today... I hope you have a nice day!!

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 26, 2012, 2:57 pm
Hallo Mummy :)

I spent some time in Datteln this evening. Datteln is a very small city near Dortmund, it takes about 15 minutes by car from Dortmund to Datteln.
You might wonder what I did there.. I went to the KATiELLi-Theatre to see the play "Nächster Stop: New York" (Next Stop: New York). It was very very funny and I laughed so much :D It was like a comedic concert with different guys who want to become famous and move from Datteln to New York.
The theatre is very small, it is a former cinema with one room. There are only 140 seats so everything's very familiar and small. The owner of this theatre is also one of the performers on stage.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O57us8EhRfw/T8AaFEGwvAI/AAAAAAAABYA/lsVkLmdFwZI/s512/SAM_2297.JPG

This is the theatre from the outside:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Kt70uq5FZpY/T8AaAAIU2EI/AAAAAAAABXQ/Jd9OE_Ig7yk/s640/SAM_2284.JPG

And from the inside:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aY9J1ctNdeA/T8AZ-qg7MuI/AAAAAAAABXA/u4ShluVqFwY/s640/SAM_2281.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0VR8Tmku27k/T8AZ-GXRqrI/AAAAAAAABW4/g6kWF1dbl8k/s512/SAM_2280.JPG

This is the program of the theatre for this month and next month:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KG-OQAqDrtE/T8AaG5VU7QI/AAAAAAAABZk/eNLNVu3b0b0/s512/SAM_2300.JPG

Afterwards I drove to Bochum with my host to have a night out. I'll tell you about it in my next update :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 26, 2012, 3:19 pm
It's me again :)

Well, I had a night out in Bochum and went to a bar named "Sausalitos". I drank a cocktail named "San Francisco", it was delicious!! Yummy  B) But don't worry, it was without alcohol :D You have to try it at home, the ingredients are: passion fruit, pineapple, orange, grenadine and lemon.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kQ0F1WzrPCk/T8AaB69wA8I/AAAAAAAABXg/JgumvZGNX6I/s512/SAM_2288.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DtwQri-syG8/T8AaEf8FM4I/AAAAAAAABX4/ENhQnatIVrQ/s512/SAM_2294.JPG

Back at home it was time to say goodbye to my buddy Bussi because he'll leave us and travel to Öhringen.

Byebye Bussi, I hope you have a safe journey and a great time with your next host!!
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OIjAGHB1bRI/T8AaJSNj7kI/AAAAAAAABYo/szjKo_f2A5M/s640/SAM_2303.JPG

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted May 30, 2012, 11:26 am
Hi Mummy,

I've been at the theatre of Starlight Express again and spent nearly 12 hours there!! Today was a special day, some of the performers had their last show today because they'll leave the show to start some new projects. Many guys came to the theatre to say goodbye to them. However, I met many TV's there and I had a great time!!

This is the stage door of the theatre with some big posters of the main characters. On the left you can see Electra, next to him is Rusty the steam-engine, next to him is Pearl the 1st class car and on the right you can see Greaseball the diesel-engine.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WA6j8Oee7Ns/T8XvIcFdDTI/AAAAAAAABaw/IrTstR1W-bE/s640/SAM_2355.JPG

This is the right side of the theatre with the bikes of some of the performers and other staff.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vxivFFLDXQY/T8XvHEwQzJI/AAAAAAAABao/N0b6Bq8aph4/s640/SAM_2354.JPG

Alright, here you can see a bunch of TV's!! There were 4 different hosts at the Halle and everyone of them took some TV's with them.
Besides you can see Pearl and Electra again, next to them, in the blue-white dress, is Dinah the dining car. Next to her is Greaseball.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_7VQYNplRvE/T8XvKPNTOmI/AAAAAAAABa4/NBFRuP0pxPw/s640/SAM_0333.JPG

This is us in front of Buffy the buffet car.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FeOFcYlqMMY/T8XvMZ8G7MI/AAAAAAAABbA/ODCbfG7WB10/s640/SAM_0334.JPG

And again, but this time without the others.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xav_SL3EDBE/T8XvQAGcceI/AAAAAAAABbQ/SGnVuvQS5o0/s640/SAM_0339.JPG

Here you can see Bobo, the TGV. He is a french engine who enters the races of the championship with together Buffy.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s8de_P19K5U/T8XvOf1gC2I/AAAAAAAABbI/HA58MbT66kM/s512/SAM_0338.JPG

It was a long day so we brought some food and drinks with us :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N4A80Q2iMVs/T8XvFWCIqZI/AAAAAAAABag/vt3Ke3dwLHg/s512/SAM_2353.JPG

I got a sunburn today because it was a very sunny day!!  :o

Well, that's it for today.

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 2, 2012, 6:32 pm
Hey there,

today was a very rainy day. I couldn't go out and had to stay inside the whole day, I could just spend some time at the balcony.
Take a look at the rain that crackled on the windscreen when we were in the car!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ol0FAmGDFr0/T8pFDeKGxjI/AAAAAAAABbo/u21MrFleino/s640/SAM_2391.JPG

As it stopped raining for a short time I went and got some fresh air at the balcony. I love it when single raindrops flow down the culms :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f7ey1PRT2G0/T8pFHLmTiNI/AAAAAAAABdk/o4S3no9LoqE/s640/SAM_2395.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ywGFowLlTFA/T8pFHxJ_F4I/AAAAAAAABcM/nYaFruy5apo/s640/SAM_2396.JPG

Well, it is my host's mum's birthday today so we went for a meal. The restaurant is called "El Rancho" and it's something like a steakhouse. Kate had some Cordon Bleu with croquettes, peas and carrots. That's not really typical to eat when you are at a steakhouse, but Kate doesn't really like steak :D

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bWpI61LKH0U/T8pFMCpvDkI/AAAAAAAABcs/E4XIwR5q64I/s640/SAM_2400.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xRRPHuqmdt4/T8pFKfXwddI/AAAAAAAABco/l6OXpuotPAU/s640/SAM_2399.JPG

As dessert we had some delicious ice cream with a colorfull palm sticked into :D
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-poLbza9ZfNU/T8pFNoIdV9I/AAAAAAAABc8/8Cypq53qbro/s512/SAM_2403.JPG

Alright, that's it for today :) Hope you have a nice weekend!!
Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 4, 2012, 8:54 pm
Heeey Mum,

how are you today? I have been at the local university today. It's called TU Dortmund (TU = technical university). It exists since 1968 and has 2 campuses. The northern campus is bigger than the southern campus, but the southern one is more familiar.
At the northern campus are the natural sciences, the humane discipline and everything related to music. At the southern campus is the whole constructing stuff, like architecture, spatial planning and civil engineering.
I just visited the southern campus today, because my hosts studies spatial planning there.

Here you can see some of the buildings of the southern campus and above me are some tracks of the H-Bahn (Hochbahn or Hängebahn). The H-Bahn is an overhead track which connects the campuses.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9DGDUccut44/T80MQBJ3F9I/AAAAAAAABeA/Aniys6opWRc/s640/SAM_2428.JPG

And this is the H-Bahn :) It is driverless, everything works with some complicated technology.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4e4gdrr87M8/T80MR8gjKRI/AAAAAAAABeQ/fZm_dEa5WQk/s640/SAM_2430.JPG

There's a beaten path which leads to a small forest...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-U3ArX9npspk/T80MM9WlxoI/AAAAAAAABdw/vRn4nwXCmi4/s512/SAM_2426.JPG

Well, Kate had two lectures today and both of them were in the same lecture hall. I couldn't take a picture inside the hall but hopefully I will be able to next time. The lecture halls in Germany are called "Hörsaal" and my host's lectures were in "Hörsaal 6"

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xqj4xR6EOns/T80MSoyeNDI/AAAAAAAABeY/PVNz5V3hX1Q/s640/SAM_2431.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gkMluPiT-UI/T80MWL5JHzI/AAAAAAAABeg/D0dBTLRrZlY/s512/SAM_2432.JPG

Alright, that's it for today :)
I hope you had a nice day.

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 5, 2012, 5:19 pm
Hello Muuum,

Kate showed me many great places today. We started at the german mining museum ("Deutsches Bergbau Museum"). It's one of the most important museums about mining worldwide. Aside from the normal museum you can go on the shaft tower and there's a recreated adit in in a depth of 20 meters which you can explore. The length of the tunnel is about 2,5km.
Bochum and the whole Ruhr Area were famous for mining and industry. In the past, there were lots of collieries and steel productions in the Ruhr Area. Most of the collieries doesn't exist anymore.
This is me in front of the museum and a shaft tower:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZOd0k5k8Q-8/T84mZVaHgdI/AAAAAAAABfw/-v7ZjikRQM0/s640/SAM_2441.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DmE8E_dUXCk/T84maVbJglI/AAAAAAAABf0/0LzedfAlQUk/s512/SAM_2442.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VkJRsW8Ej9Y/T84mQw61NKI/AAAAAAAABfI/UPHvacLiKcA/s512/SAM_2436.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d81DV-gjpmo/T84mcsb-sQI/AAAAAAAABgQ/nnfi6qWwqYc/s512/SAM_2445.JPG

This is a sculpture which is placed next to the museum. It shows a mine horse at work.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QydpSnyln4g/T84mR6ytIAI/AAAAAAAABfQ/kkro3kONrJs/s640/SAM_2437.JPG

Afterwards I've been at the local footballstadium again. I've been there once before, do you remember? Well, this time Kate told me more about it. :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8dkAVqTVaoQ/T84mf_z0hMI/AAAAAAAABg4/5abjrVSwflo/s640/SAM_2450.JPG

Here you can see the divisions of the stadium. The ones on the right side, (N, O, P and Q) are standing areas and for the fans of the VFL Bochum. Most of the other divisions have seats. "E2" (bottom left) is for the fans of the opposing team.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Oix2LNOKHbo/T84meghXj5I/AAAAAAAABgo/ddfEZUUxkiI/s640/SAM_2448.JPG

In this building, which is connected with the stadium itself, are the management, a fanshop and a bar. Between the building and the stadium is the VIP box, called "Rewirpower Lounge", it connects both places. People with lots of money watch the football games from this place, it has an own bar and restaurant and special seats in the stadium which are separated from the other "normal" seats. But you can also hire it for special events, my host celebrated her graduation party there. I'll go there on 22th June for the graduation party of some friends of my host. Maybe I can show you everything then, but I'm not quite sure at the moment.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1kNePhexXKg/T84mhKCRFEI/AAAAAAAABhI/7Gq4JKbZZ4A/s640/SAM_2452.JPG

This is the "Rundsporthalle". It's a veeery old sports hall next to the stadium.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3grtuCifkxc/T84mjF2vb8I/AAAAAAAABhY/L8g2EZWnL5A/s640/SAM_2454.JPG

Here you can see the "Renaissance Hotel". It is very expensive, even though it doesn't look so :D

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cx5BQjv7jMo/T84mnK71hVI/AAAAAAAABh0/64sKZCYEqb8/s640/SAM_2457.JPG

Well, the last place that I visited today was an old church. It's called "Lutherkirche" and was built in 1911/1912. You know, almost every building in Bochum got destroyed in World War II and this church is one of the few buildings that remained and reminds of the history before World War II. It looks nice, doesn't it? :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VVzKc26nBHU/T84moamLSFI/AAAAAAAABh8/fbAEJSTkkZY/s512/SAM_2458.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EQphAlROM7Y/T84mrsXHZqI/AAAAAAAABiU/bvQI5kLwF2g/s640/SAM_2461.JPG

When you turn around you can see this:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xJeMVfkbQXs/T84ms_ScBOI/AAAAAAAABic/StALEPOBoTo/s640/SAM_2462.JPG

Yeah, that was my day..

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 8, 2012, 7:48 pm
Hey Mummy :)

How are you? I hope you're doing good!!
Today was the first day of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship (short: UEFA Euro 2012 or just Euro 2012). I watched the official opening and the first match on TV. The first match was Poland vs. Greece with the final result Poland 1 - 1 Greece. Many guys (actually 7 guys) of the polish national team are under contract to teams in Germany. Jakub Blaszczykowski, Robert Lewandowski and Lukas Piszczek are under contract to the BVB Borussia Dortmund at the moment and all of them became german champions with this club this year and also last year. That's the reason why we watched the match and Lewandowski actually scored a goal!! Whoop whoop  B) Well, and Blaszczykowski (most people call him just "Kuba" because almost noone can say his real name right, hahaha :D ) is the team leader of the polish national team, so every BVB fan is very proud of the guys :)

But well, here are some impressions of the opening:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R6qaWu3xyAs/T9JEuBEXUHI/AAAAAAAABi4/FePJt6iI3BY/s640/SAM_2528.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ALQHuq-ep9Y/T9JEy9smlrI/AAAAAAAABjU/IHhyfooWl98/s640/SAM_2536.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OsO26YAkopU/T9JE0tceS3I/AAAAAAAABjk/Z7yKq9siQ0Q/s640/SAM_2538.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-j4nn3u0dtsM/T9JE5pxo_fI/AAAAAAAABkM/nRbNAvEemhA/s640/SAM_2543.JPG

This is the final pose, the dancers formed the lettering "UEFA Euro 2012":

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7zmncSCnT6U/T9JE6muhyFI/AAAAAAAABkU/uXJJY5O4bp8/s640/SAM_2544.JPG

Here you can see Lewandowski giving an interview:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qZzkfE-DsZ0/T9JExAr_RfI/AAAAAAAABjI/t1jQEcz_518/s640/SAM_2533.JPG

This is the march-in of the polish (red/white jerseys) and greece (blue jerseys) national teams. Kuba is the one on the front:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LZAoN_wl3sE/T9JE8z_uRDI/AAAAAAAABkg/8m6exlWF4QU/s640/SAM_2549.JPG

Alright, that's it for today. The first match of the german national team will be tomorrow and I'm gonna watch it with my host and a few friends of her. Can't wait!! :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 10, 2012, 1:01 am
Hi Mum!!

Another football match update.. hope it's okay for you! Well, today is the second day of the european championship and it was the first match of the german national team.
I watched it in Herne, a more or less small city next to Bochum, at a friend of my host's house. It was great fun, there were so many guys and as well another host, Tiffy, who brought some TV's with her :) I already knew Tiffy and the TV's from my day at the Starlight Express :)

Alright, but let's start at the beginning... At home, Kate and me prepared for the match "Germany vs. Portugal" and got a jersey of the german team out of the wardrobe. It's an old one, guess it's from 2006. The number 16 and the name "Lahm" are printed on it. Philipp Lahm was my host's favourite footballer when she was younger. Back then, when the jersey was bought, he was the youngest footballer in his team, now he is the leader of the team! Times are changing..

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Km-7WgMKH2I/T9PWxqZVU4I/AAAAAAAABlk/sbsMYK6kcTI/s512/SAM_2555.JPG

The 3 stars symbolize that the german team has been european champion 3 times (1972, 1980, 1996). Or maybe it means that it has been world champion 3 times (1954, 1974 and 1990). My host isn't quite sure when she got the jersey and if it's from the European Championship or the World Championship, but she thinks it's from the World Championship.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yFxI6gzjMZM/T9PWs_z-tZI/AAAAAAAABlE/FUPA3tZsQtU/s512/SAM_2550.JPG

In Herne I met the other TV's, Sterni and NiliHH. Well, and Dottie Mouse was there as well, she came to my host a few days ago :) We had so much fun!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jZdG3n7hGaM/T9PW0pGMIVI/AAAAAAAABl4/VmrCLTa4Ins/s640/SAM_2561.JPG

Here you can see a scene of the match:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YFbKwkppmo8/T9PW3X-rPYI/AAAAAAAABmU/AEtAeflU_fk/s640/SAM_2567.JPG


The guy who lives in the house where we watched the match is a student of medicine and he got a skeleton from my host and the others for his birthday this year. This skeleton watched the game with us and it was decorated!! Hilarious!! :D

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qZNx4s4elEE/T9PW5VUIG_I/AAAAAAAABmg/BrNdCo_Bq2A/s512/SAM_2594.JPG

Mario Gomez scored a goal for Germany, Portugal couldn't score a goal so the german national team won this match. Yaay, Congrats, guys!!  B)

Well, it's quite late now and I need some sleep now. Sweet dreams!!

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 16, 2012, 10:13 pm
Hey Mummy,

it rained cats and dogs all week!! It's unbelievable... Strange weather, it's summer and I want to have sunshine :(
However, even though it rained almost the whole day, I went for a walk at noon. I passed a meadow :)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2Q3OJqH_ttg/T9zxhd5-nTI/AAAAAAAABnQ/CYTw5iGKEFg/s640/SAM_2612.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eSwgBTeAb1A/T9zxiiS7ojI/AAAAAAAABng/nUufz9Qe4sM/s640/SAM_2615.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j8a5Z16MBiU/T9zxjFv2PGI/AAAAAAAABno/ya_tnLBYtck/s512/SAM_2616.JPG

As I moved on, I saw a terrific car :) Somehow I really like it, I can't explain why..

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YnrpjFO9qSs/T9zxl5na2tI/AAAAAAAABoQ/ueu6Y6R9igg/s512/SAM_2621.JPG

Near the car was an underpass with roadworks.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sXWXy36Jm8E/T9zxmleS6wI/AAAAAAAABoY/58yFWGZ6wFE/s512/SAM_2622.JPG

Afterwards I passed a small cemetry which belongs to the district where I live here in Bochum.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TgUXGBrefL4/T9zxoV4zvsI/AAAAAAAABow/y7EXSwjpqdc/s512/SAM_2625.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M2u_BVEH-Gs/T9zxpKiIc3I/AAAAAAAABo8/T_58YtoZd7s/s512/SAM_2626.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Pe-K90P2-bc/T9zxsPtbLcI/AAAAAAAABpc/xhlyrr9IY0k/s640/SAM_2630.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-t3scsxWhLgU/T9zxrenkv0I/AAAAAAAABpU/bY5SDxeOm3g/s512/SAM_2629.JPG

This is the way that leads to the cemetry:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-II2QhCHmazc/T9zxtEC64HI/AAAAAAAABps/KtUI2H4IkmQ/s512/SAM_2632.JPG

When I was at home I ate some noodle salad! It was delicious!! Yummy :)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uc-SxbvK1Zs/T9zxvOzLdfI/AAAAAAAABqM/SkBqQhT7re0/s512/SAM_2636.JPG

Well, let's come to the more or less boring part of my day... I helped my host to do some stuff for university... Here you can see me with the Federal Building Code:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pKkcbQZYTDA/T9zxv-RJQVI/AAAAAAAABqc/BEHVGMiQzBg/s640/SAM_2638.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4IazV6cl9Ng/T9zxxCGqqtI/AAAAAAAABqs/h_bzzo07AVE/s640/SAM_2640.JPG

And last but not least I want to introduce you the dog of my host, a lovely Jack Russell terrier named "Lady" She is 12 years old now..

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XPiAjHfZUns/T9zxxj7ZimI/AAAAAAAABq0/ePFcetFRFak/s640/SAM_2641.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fiPxoamZRmA/T9zxzbT5VVI/AAAAAAAABrQ/KS2Q5JuWCDY/s512/SAM_2649.JPG

Yeah, that was my day. I hope you had a nice day!!

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 19, 2012, 6:21 pm
Hey Mum!!

How are you? Hope you're fine!!
It's my host's birthday today and I took some really nice pictures, unfortunately the memory card doesn't work anymore so I can't show you the pictures!!!  :mad:
I have no idea if it'll work in the next days... In other ways my host will get another memory card on saturday but our last taken pictures will be lost then :( So I just want you to know that I'm sooo sorry that I can't show you some pictures this week :(

Lots of Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 19, 2012, 8:16 pm
Alright, it's me again,
Kate was lucky enough to be able to recover some of the files, so I can show you some of the pictures now :) yay!!

We started our morning in Bochum at Kate's parents :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lSQe0mG5yrE/T-DJWz4x-lI/AAAAAAAABsA/r5gC5YJP5qM/s640/SAM_2652.JPG

Mhhh yummy cheese cake!!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y62hU2-hUbo/T-DJXtqxsRI/AAAAAAAABsE/gDl4Zj_m3ew/s512/SAM_2653.JPG

At noon we went to university and we just came home to Dortmund about 6pm :( At home Kate got some presents from her friends. A wonderful chest with british theme :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9R8o9TPYL38/T-DJbZIsKWI/AAAAAAAABsg/7_0GsTdwWL8/s640/SAM_0008.JPG

It was full of presents :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d2WSQhStJ9A/T-DK3PeNH_I/AAAAAAAABtM/_VHSZkW5uZg/s640/SAM_0017.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HXqjG0dHovE/T-DK4VyeEHI/AAAAAAAABtQ/Tb3yd9PlNhM/s640/SAM_0018.JPG

And a lovely birthday card :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7mCQBax_TLA/T-DJfRFoGWI/AAAAAAAABtA/d539X8FAr98/s512/SAM_0016.JPG

Yeah, that's it for today...

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 25, 2012, 6:57 pm
Hey Mum,

how are you doing? Hope you're fine!!
I have been to Datteln again today, it's a small city near Dortmund. I went to a small theatre there, named "KatiElli Theater". I've been here once before, do you remember? The owner is a musical perfomer and takes part in every single show that is shown there. Tonight's show was called "Et Lisbeth", it's a musical comedy. It was great!!!

On our way to Datteln we passed another small city, called "Castrop-Rauxel". I took some pictures out of the car for you, couldn't stop there because we were very late.. whoops  :rolleyes:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oPto9l0p7h8/T-idpcL-d1I/AAAAAAAABts/7EulkgIobj0/s640/SAM_0044.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nEM1KQk3j88/T-idtsUo5iI/AAAAAAAABuM/ULQVp9-60zs/s640/SAM_0049.JPG

This is the theatre from the inside:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Sf2b3Oj5Puw/T-idxkMyTfI/AAAAAAAABus/yrMTMRPU1lc/s640/SAM_0053.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JEKtJTZ3QM8/T-idzbOkaJI/AAAAAAAABxc/Jos0N_7xu5Y/s512/SAM_0055.JPG

Well, I have nothing more to tell you at the moment... Hope you have a great day!! :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jun 25, 2012, 7:07 pm
Hello my dearest Mum!!!

I've been to the theatre again. This time I watched the musical "Starlight Express" by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. I've been here a few times before, I think you remember what I told you about it...
Well, today was a special day. One of the performers - Adam Sheffield - had his first show as the character Greaseball today. Normally he plays Ruhrgold, the german ICE. Adam is part of the Starlight Express for a few years now so it is very special for him to be allowed to play Greaseball from time to time from now on.
Well, me and the other TV's supported him during the show, it was great fun and he did an awesome job!

However, I couldn't take a picture of the theatre from the outside today because it was heavy rain, but I have some indoor pictures :)
On the following pictures you can see the foyer. Some of the characters are drawn on the wall and there's a castboard which shows the names of the performers of today's show.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tnwq-XleF0Q/T-ieAWM8-MI/AAAAAAAABwo/ATUZBRkCy7M/s640/SAM_0070.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-seITqrmLO-M/T-ieEMmlkWI/AAAAAAAABxE/ehY3LPlRUrw/s640/SAM_0073.JPG

And this is the audium and the stage. The barrier in the middle of the stage is just during the break so that the audience doesn't walk on the stage.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UPe-ZGnd7Ag/T-id4JYMGvI/AAAAAAAABvk/GzPyMcCicZQ/s640/SAM_0060.JPG

Dottie Mouse and me:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ehl8NLAy788/T-id5rHGDLI/AAAAAAAABvw/gLpgDWvSnGk/s640/SAM_0062.JPG

We met some other TV's there, Sterni and NiliHH which are currently hosted by Tiffy. I already watched a football match on TV with them :)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ounuWamsKzw/T-id8IG4G2I/AAAAAAAABwM/i_umiTGxilQ/s640/SAM_0065.JPG

And our TV group grew bigger... Batgirl and Marawarpina joined us as well, they are hosted by Lizzy at the moment.  I've been to London with them in May this year, so we all know each other very well :)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dlMLhFVibV4/T-id_VyfHeI/AAAAAAAABwk/s6dBcQS6J-w/s640/SAM_0068.JPG

Alright, that's it for now... :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 1, 2012, 10:58 am
Hey Mum!!

Guess where I've been today!! I've been at the German Sea for a day today. There are many small villages along the North Sea coast and there are some islands as well. Well, the North Sea coast is about 4 hours by car from Bochum. The weather was okay but it could have been better. It rained outward bound but it stopped raining as we arrived there, what a timing!! :D Well, it was a bit foggy at the beginning, but anyways.
But let me start at the beginning. I had to get up early in the morning, the departure was about 8am. After a while we stopped at a motorway service area because my host's dog had to walk, eat and drink something. So I had time to discover the area.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZUNcdeyTcz8/T-3YV8aI50I/AAAAAAAABxg/Gdayrpz5VDM/s640/SAM_0074.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W4l2LG92afQ/T-3YXl-nwjI/AAAAAAAABxw/2yHeY-RLRWs/s640/SAM_0077.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4w0MOt0dDCk/T-3YbNUPqlI/AAAAAAAAByI/kU1mohXFomI/s640/SAM_0082.JPG

About 12am we arrived in:

Norddeich

We took a walk along the dike and the beach. It was a bit foggy but it didn't rain, so it was okay for me. There were only a few people there, well... it's not holiday time at the moment.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1Vry97ozn8Y/T-3YdLMmn9I/AAAAAAAAByY/GT1fZb2dul8/s640/SAM_0086.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K-D7M4FiLdI/T-3Ygjf-ZwI/AAAAAAAAByw/q5NNLoXV8LI/s640/SAM_0091.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V0ymxVChkPs/T-3YhvnypGI/AAAAAAAABy4/ywYuehY7QPM/s512/SAM_0092.JPG

Here you can see Dottie Mouse and me on a big anchor:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WkNH8kcNvO8/T-3Yj3hdPrI/AAAAAAAABzI/aUdWxxkh1k8/s512/SAM_0095.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gS6m1mEQ-a4/T-3YlfsW38I/AAAAAAAABzQ/SA3tC_I1HrE/s512/SAM_0096.JPG

Peek-a-boo :D
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RQsQEwx7IAA/T-3Yn3ngMdI/AAAAAAAABzg/gbqjWwfL3nU/s512/SAM_0098.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wk7gu5lz-I4/T-3YmUqRZFI/AAAAAAAABzY/Jny_c6C7bmA/s512/SAM_0097.JPG

Unfortunatly it was low tide when we were there, but well. They have a swimming pool near the beach. I wonder why people pay money to go swimming in a pool when they can go to the beach..

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0JQ_EU_U4iY/T-3YohArvxI/AAAAAAAABzk/8ssWoXAqjRk/s640/SAM_0101.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w-t-xtLMNgE/T-3YpfvvKpI/AAAAAAAABzs/8oKXXxcKw-8/s640/SAM_0102.JPG

Alright, afterwards we went to:

Nessmersiel

It's a very very very small village. Well, actually it is just a dirstrict of the municipal area "Dornum", Dornum belongs to the administrative district of "Aurich".
Most of the houses in Nessmersiel are holiday houses, so out of summer season there's almost noone there.
The beach of Nessmersiel is just very small. My host told me that it once has been bigger than now, but I have no idea what happened...

This is an old mill in Nessmersiel, but it's closed now, that's why there are some typical things missing:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HyIFTUtNiJ8/T-3Yut3vaYI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/LIU2iklScOw/s512/SAM_0108.JPG

This is an old sluice gate:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Byl-A-OuF-s/T-3Yvrnn-HI/AAAAAAAAB0g/LbZNTNpXutk/s640/SAM_0110.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r_OslcIMpkQ/T-3Y1LXa9EI/AAAAAAAAB1E/LIoOyE2s5c8/s640/SAM_0114.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YudPTVQ4n7M/T-3Y4IgCGzI/AAAAAAAAB1U/RvrTU_Dh0bw/s640/SAM_0116.JPG

This is another old sluice gate:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iqBT9ZGtlgU/T-3Y8ulptkI/AAAAAAAAB1s/KelJ1qxuQ1s/s640/SAM_0119.JPG

And this is the "beach" of Nessmersiel.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5oj3oIirEcY/T-3ZAUFvN6I/AAAAAAAAB2E/EJPBwiE7dQM/s640/SAM_0125.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qR4ZhWMe-4w/T-3ZF_lGAoI/AAAAAAAAB2s/0TDWZw6Xq-4/s640/SAM_0132.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yzXnB9REbbo/T-3ZDPz8P0I/AAAAAAAAB2U/3il2qqrvBr0/s640/SAM_0128.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ci53jV0q_rc/T-3ZBzPmxQI/AAAAAAAAB2M/EbPjQySRLl0/s640/SAM_0127.JPG

And last but not least we visited:

Neuharlingersiel

Neuharlingersiel is a district of the city "Esens", which belongs to the administrative district of "Wittmund". Neuharlingersiel is much bigger than Nessmersiel and it has a lovely small harbour!! God, I love it there.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E_GzKBzzGV4/T-3ZGzdCnMI/AAAAAAAAB2w/1FPxSq4buQ0/s640/SAM_0134.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0NEFmRoJT58/T-3ZKXoCxwI/AAAAAAAAB3M/hqOSoO37Mso/s640/SAM_0138.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fZgIk5jXWZg/T-3ZMgipN-I/AAAAAAAAB3c/IB2lvvmB1es/s512/SAM_0149.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZqoyMwx6hAM/T-3ZNo_qGHI/AAAAAAAAB3g/dtqlImYoxtQ/s640/SAM_0151.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S8UN-luoQYg/T-3ZQN80WNI/AAAAAAAAB30/92gwW2x_VkM/s512/SAM_0153.JPG

On our way back home we passed another old mill. It's 200 years old, it's from 1812!!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-veWUVN7znPU/T-3ZTmNYiGI/AAAAAAAAB4M/7VR7nvy4xMY/s512/SAM_0159.JPG

Well yeah, that was my trip to the German Sea. It was very exhaustively but it was a nice day and I saw many nice places today :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 5, 2012, 9:53 am
Hey Mum,

I've been to Oberhausen today to do some shopping :) It takes about 20 or 25 minutes by car from Bochum to Oberhausen, so it isn't that far away. There's a big shopping mall called "CentrO". There are many shops and a big food concourse. Next to the mall is a stream with a promenade. It's lovely to sit in one of the cafés or restaurants along the promenade.
The weather was absolutely lovely today!!  B)

Well, this is the food concourse in the mall:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Bd5rEcThXJo/T_VN-AuuG2I/AAAAAAAAB4k/Uh1FyOcQn80/s640/SAM_0162.JPG

Have a look at the mall, it is very long and there are 2 floors.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U1QmU6k6G5U/T_VN_8fvzLI/AAAAAAAAB4s/nWhLUDe1QZk/s512/SAM_0164.JPG

And this is the promenade outdoors.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-VysfGWyAPd4/T_VOFUH69JI/AAAAAAAAB5k/VrYEd0lpyo0/s512/SAM_0170.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZCAx9b8IsgI/T_VOBypi3aI/AAAAAAAAB5A/orNdyHLO2-A/s640/SAM_0166.JPG

Look at the big Irish Pub, it is awesome!!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7ITrKv9nGG4/T_VOESp7uyI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/tWm4Hr2FROo/s640/SAM_0169.JPG

And last but not least there's a theatre, called "Metronom Theater". Musicals like "Wicked", "Dance of the Vampires" and "Beauty and the Beast" have been shown there, but currently there's a musical called "Dirty Dancing". Bet you know the movie, Mum. But my host told me that it's not worth watching the musical.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4O7MC0A20dQ/T_VOHS8C_AI/AAAAAAAAB5w/caaSM5TyexM/s640/SAM_0173.JPG

Yeah, so that's it for today..

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 15, 2012, 12:17 pm
Hello there,

long time no type, I'm so sorry!!
My host has been very busy and still is, so I couldn't visit so many places. But what could I do... It's raining all week, it's kinda depressing. This year's summer in Germany isn't very nice :(
Well, today I visited a furniture shop called "zurbrüggen" in Herne, a city next to Bochum. I just needed to flee from the rain!!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yxPmknUz7k8/UAKcRh7XHuI/AAAAAAAAB6c/FKz9KH7Z_c4/s640/SAM_0528.JPG

A special thing is that there are no stairs, there's just a huge ascent in the middle of the building which rises like a spiral to the highest floor. (Okay, and there's an elevator)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lRN_7QHL7vk/UAKcUn6P1RI/AAAAAAAAB64/3cawLc6xsP4/s512/SAM_0531%2520%25282%2529.JPG

I found some furniture that reminded me of my home... It was some kind of South African - Style with elephants and giraffes and all that stuff. :) Wish I could be with you know..
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SzJlHdFP1Nc/UAKcSYEcyII/AAAAAAAAB6o/_8gwGCQH9NA/s640/SAM_0529.JPG

Okay... that's it so far. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do the next days but I'll let you know when anything interesting happens.

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 15, 2012, 6:23 pm
Hey Mum,

good news, no rain today!! Even though there were some really dark clouds, but in the end it didn't rain. :)
I visited the "Phoenix See" in Dortmund today. It's a new project in a district called "Hörde" with an artificially produced lake and new homes and offices around the lake, and gastronomy and an insomnia clinic. There are still many construction zones because some things are still not ready. The lake area was permitted to the public in 2010, so as you can see everything's very new.
Besides, there are remains of an old castle near the lake, called "Hörder Burg". The remaining building was refurnished and looks quite new now.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-marw2gFy1U4/UALvG0fJN8I/AAAAAAAAB7k/xq7ixYIuIfE/s640/SAM_0535%2520%25282%2529.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y3qyJRKgZ0c/UALvGCzltbI/AAAAAAAAB7c/U0eMxKLvhYI/s512/SAM_0534%2520%25282%2529.JPG

The castle was built some time between the years 1100 and 1200, so it's very old!! Here you can see some original foundations of the castle near the building:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x0NMZ_rtulQ/UALvISklYrI/AAAAAAAAB70/nWE11tpxb2Y/s640/SAM_0538.JPG

In the past, the area of the lake was an industrial area with furnaces and all that stuff. Among other things there was a converter that refined crude iron into crude steel.
This is the old converter, called "Thomas Konverter".

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rxIkOWqf8ns/UALvL0MWBkI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/Ospmqc4eSYw/s512/SAM_0542%2520%25282%2529.JPG

Alright, so let's have a look at the lake itself!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HwMf0ax1Qxo/UALvOSpShwI/AAAAAAAAB8c/GItcWyeGO1Y/s640/SAM_0544%2520%25282%2529.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D4nZzDPqucs/UALvRqvLN5I/AAAAAAAAB84/ut4IdYj2ZAI/s640/SAM_0550%2520%25282%2529.JPG

This is a creek called "Emscher" which flows from Holzwickede (next to Dortmund) to Dinslaken and has a length of 83,1 kilometers!! It flows along the Phoenix See. Do you see the cranes in the background? It's the construction areas of the new insomnia clinic.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZGaYqbGZr0E/UALvSeQBlfI/AAAAAAAAB88/nz4dgZp6124/s512/SAM_0551%2520%25282%2529.JPG

Aaaand the other direction:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-t18zV9r4NKk/UALvVUOZAtI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/YwIrAMn4huE/s640/SAM_0554%2520%25282%2529.JPG

And finally this is an old industrial building next to the Emscher and near the lake. It is protected as a historic monument so it can't get demolished. It gets completely refurbished and the building is expected to have some nice flats. Can't really imagine, but who knows.... maybe it's gonna be a real beauty.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GiTGSBW8LEE/UALvXPDrXzI/AAAAAAAAB9c/fNTUr5QCKCc/s640/SAM_0555%2520%25282%2529.JPG

Alright, that's it for today. I enjoyed walking around the lake, about 5 kilometers. :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 22, 2012, 9:54 am
Hey Mum,

I am very busy at the moment with helping Kate doing some stuff for university. We study very hard because there's an exam about economics in August. Urgh! The tables in Kate's flat were too small for all the things that we needed, so we had to sit on the floor, not the best position to study.  :thinking:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H9kqqmOAP4g/UAsiVLr-ozI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/57C8Mqo804M/s640/SAM_0559%2520%25282%2529.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V9FP1zcTfr8/UAsiWIOIpcI/AAAAAAAAB-k/KPEekJ5wC08/s512/SAM_0560%2520%25282%2529.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MHGr4SlqYtk/UAsiYAb0gPI/AAAAAAAAB-w/a4t8PNNkHSQ/s640/SAM_0562%2520%25282%2529.JPG

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 22, 2012, 10:03 am
Hello Mum,

guess what, I'm going to Vienna with my host!! It's the capital of Austria. We'll stay there from monday morning until thursday evening, I can't wait!!! :)
We had to pack the suitcase in Dortmund today because we'll spend the weekend in Bochum and won't come back to Dortmund until next weekend. :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-795b2F3LZYg/UAsiZCOZqQI/AAAAAAAAB-4/xh0wVP9N8a0/s640/SAM_0563%2520%25282%2529.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uk-Syuvy68c/UAu10xJjCmI/AAAAAAAAB_U/8Wn9-XI6CpA/s640/SAM_0564%2520%25282%2529.JPG

In german, the city is called "Wien"
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bwPA2mznluw/UAu14YE--_I/AAAAAAAAB_0/Vyt_RPHgQlI/s640/SAM_0569%2520%25282%2529.JPG

Monday will be pretty hard. The plane departs about 6am so we have to be at the airport about 4am. That means that we have to leave the house about 3am!! Jesus, I'll be tired as hell and I won't sleep that night because Kate and her friend Tiffy decided to pull an all-nighter in a bar.  :D Tiffy takes a TV called Frosty with her, I don't know him yet but I think he's gonna be a nice guy. And guess what, Marawarpina will be with us, too!! Do you remember her? I spent some time with her here with my host and she joined us as we went to London and I saw her at the Starlight Express theatre a few times. Can't wait to see her again.

I'll tell you everything about my holiday in Vienna when I'm back. :)

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 27, 2012, 8:00 pm
Hey Mummy :)

I'm sending you many greetings from Vienna, the capital of Austria!! Today was our first day here and the weather was beautiful!!!
Departure was about 6am, so I had to get up very early.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_AKyJSEu8-k/UBLTOGCAAzI/AAAAAAAACFc/hOaRepV4NCE/s640/SAM_0573.JPG

We started our sightseeing tour at the Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral). It's the most important religious building in Vienna and is in the heart of the city.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WTZMb3zu028/UBLTMTymDiI/AAAAAAAACFI/Fgp7mPBv_Vw/s640/SAM_0589.JPG

Here you can see the Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), well at least the profile. It's near the cathedral and it was built from 1861 until 1869. Most of it was destroyed by war in 1945 and this is the reconstruction. But there are still some old remaining in the building and it looks stunning!!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P-bdBhdfN0s/UBLTK_mkXjI/AAAAAAAACE8/XbbBlorJEsM/s640/SAM_0600.JPG


We continued our sightseeing and passed the Franz-von-Assisi-Kirche, an emperor-jubilee-church which was built from 1898 until 1910. This church is located near the Reichsbrücke (Empire Bridge) which crossed the Danube River. This bridge was built from 1872–1876 and was originally called Kronprinz-Rudolph-Brücke (Crown Prince Rudolph Bridge) until 1919.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Ou9_YRAxCK4/UBLTJAO9MhI/AAAAAAAACEk/KC2_tZ5l6GM/s640/SAM_0652.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YF8Uy9uIccE/UBLTJs3dogI/AAAAAAAACEs/xoiW8MrNET8/s640/SAM_0662.JPG

We took a boat trip that started under the bridge. It was very nice to sail down the Danube River and I enjoyed sitting on deck with the sun shining down on me. We also passed a ship lock.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NplDAtDA7iM/UBLTGRk5QfI/AAAAAAAACEI/q4XhQVRqZj0/s640/SAM_0672.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i-zsG_xHJyQ/UBLTFKvsgUI/AAAAAAAACD8/P3hkc8FI-64/s640/SAM_0682.JPG

Then we headed to the Donauturm (Danube Tower). It's the tallest free-standing structure in Austria and has a height of 252 metres. The view is stunning!!!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--EXffD664Zc/UBLTCPKYxSI/AAAAAAAACDc/0Eh_AEwMzPo/s640/SAM_0722.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--QR3NSr0VYg/UBLTBrDjkQI/AAAAAAAACDU/iVdTPks7oyo/s640/SAM_0723.JPG

That was the last thing that we did today... It was a quite long day without any sleep and we all were very happy to be at the hotel and finally find some rest.

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 29, 2012, 9:42 am
Hi Mummy,

it's our third day in Vienna and we visited the Wiener Prater, it's an amusement park. There was heavy rain in the morning, that's why everything looks so dreary. Well, the best known thing there is the Wiener Riesenrad (Vienesse giant wheel). It symbolises the city for many people all over the world, so it's very popular. It's very very old, it was built in 1897!! We took a ride with this historic wheel, it's an incredible feeling!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QWLCeqCskiM/UBLS9DLDa9I/AAAAAAAACCs/QKWSmDKFC6A/s640/SAM_0799.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KAGJCptFvB4/UBLSzmFEoCI/AAAAAAAACBU/LhDHf2Jd544/s512/SAM_0934.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XhlOOq-PcoM/UBLS5IhcemI/AAAAAAAACCI/lxto1KXtZXQ/s640/SAM_0818.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6bCw5zKkUbY/UBLS4TGA_gI/AAAAAAAACCE/l1NggOO_TKs/s512/SAM_0819.JPG

Another popular thing in the park is the "Madame Tussauds" wax museum, I guess you know it :) There are many celebrities shown, it's awesome!! Well, we decided to visit the museum and we had lots of fun there!!
Here you can see us with George Clooney!
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kmUflITN4Zw/UBLS3f49lrI/AAAAAAAACCA/kjAmhL-U72U/s512/SAM_0917.JPG

Robbie Williams:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lYeDbjgUjSQ/UBLS2nq46aI/AAAAAAAACB0/eNYn5Y9XCoI/s512/SAM_0920.JPG

Leonardo DiCaprio:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j7BzxIPutKU/UBLS05VaCKI/AAAAAAAACBk/ZIbnkYspq7Q/s512/SAM_0922.JPG

And this is Audrey Hepburn. God, she looks beautiful! :)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i5ymJ4NGIuU/UBLS0ZuP98I/AAAAAAAACBc/3XRKW0Wpoh8/s512/SAM_0927.JPG

Afterwards we went to the hotel to take a little rest. At evening we headed to the townhall.
In July and August there's the "Vienna Film Festival". There's a big screen in front of the townhall and every evening there's another opera, recording of a performance with classical music, concert, musical or ballet shown. There are about 6000 seats for the audience!!  :stare: Imagine how great it is to be a part of that. The atmosphere is just stunning!! This evening the opera "Carmen" was shown, we sat down very early that's why the auditorium looks so uncrowded.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yuvasmLj1qA/UBLSyNRxD_I/AAAAAAAACBE/urEUlUYQAq0/s640/SAM_0954.JPG

We all were very knackered at the end of the day so we were happy to go back to the hotel later this night.

Love,
Billy

P.S. I couldn't make an update for the second day yet because the pictures were taken with another camera but I guess I'll get them in the next days.
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 30, 2012, 6:07 pm
Hi Mum,

it's already our last day in Vienna today. It was damned hot and the sun was burning this morning, I almost melted!!
Anyways, we visited the "Tiergarten Schönbrunn" today. It's located in the huge palace garden of Schloss Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Palace) and is a World Cultural Heritage. My host told me that it's the oldest zoo in the world and that it was founded in 1752. Originally it was only for the imperial family, but after the end of the reign of Maria Theresia (died in 1780) it was also opened for "normal" people. Pretty impressing, isn't it? It hosts giant pandas, only a few zoos in the world are hosting pandas and I got to see some of them  B)
Unfortunately the pandas were asleep when we were there :( Can you spot them lying there?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PCG-IpD8ncM/UBLSuaK8gQI/AAAAAAAACAk/roao6yklMl0/s640/SAM_0975.JPG

This is the "Kaiserpavillon", it was the imperial breakfast-pavillon of the empresses and emperors but now it's a restaurant / café for the visitors of the zoo. I think it looks very nice!! Mum... Imagine the empress Maria Theresia sitting there with a beautiful dress and some court ladies walking around. :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f_4M_HJEz8U/UBLSv0tbhOI/AAAAAAAACA0/DfAyzwn76M0/s640/SAM_0970.JPG

As I already mentioned the zoo is located in the palace garden. We took a little stroll through the park after visiting the zoo and passed the palm house / greenhouse, it is among the largest botanical exhibits of its kind in the world. It was opened in 1882 and most of it got destroyed in 1945. It was reopened in 1953.
It looks awesome, doesn't it??

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7DRvsJNib8M/UBLStL3i4NI/AAAAAAAACAU/UmWf8lMB3As/s640/SAM_0982.JPG

Afterwards we headed to the "Schatzkammer" (treasure chamber) where the crowns and all that stuff are coffered. It was very interesting.

Well, at evening we went to the airport to get back home, but some big problems came up!!! We couldn't fly from Vienna to Düsseldorf as we actually booked. The flight was overbooked and our airline AirBerlin changed our booking to a flight to Berlin and from Berlin to Düsseldorf. Well, the flight to Berlin had a delay, so as we arrived in Berlin we missed the flight to Düsseldorf. AirBerlin didn't want to pay for a hotel for us so we had to sleep on the floor of a small air terminal and take a flight the next morning!!!  :mad: It was horrible, I couldn't sleep a single minute that night :( Bad end of a beautiful holiday...

Alright, that's it so far.

Love,
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Jul 31, 2012, 8:12 pm
Hey Mummy,

it's our second day here in Vienna and the weather is awesome! Bright sunshine and no rain B) We visited many things and walked soooo much that my feet hurt!! Well, almost our whole day was under the theme of "Sisi". Sisi is the nickname of Elisabeth, the empress of Austria and queen of Hungary. I'll tell you some facts about her life now before I start showing you some pictures.

Elisabeth was born in 1837 and got killed in 1898 by the italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. Her husband was Franz Joseph I, emperor of Austria and king of several countries. They were cousins and Sisi was very young when they got married, she was only 16 years old!! The couple had 4 children; 3 daughters and 1 son. Her daughter Sophie died at the age of 2. Rudolph, the only son and successor to the throne, committed suicide at the age of 30. Sisi had a quite tragical life, she hated everything about her life in the Schönbrunn Palace and the "Hofburg", she had eating disorders and depressions. That's why she went on many journeys through the whole world for many months and sometimes a few years. Her death was a tragedy for Franz Joseph, he loved and adored his wife so much.
Oh god, imagine you were Franz Joseph and you would have lost 2 children, a brother, your wife, your nephew (Franz Ferdinand, the successor to the throne after Rudolph's death, got killed) and the wife of your nephew. Poor guy, he had so much to cope with :(

Anyways... This is "Hofburg Palace". It was the imperial winter residence. Nowadays there are museums and the national library. It looks nice, doesn't it? :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RdGUm05_A9M/UBLTAqHM8eI/AAAAAAAACDM/LVAzYkoi7rU/s640/SAM_0772.JPG

And this is Schönbrunn Palace, the imperial summer residence. It's a huge Palace and the the garden behind the palace is much bigger than the garden of the Hofburg. Actually, the garden here is a huge park, with a huge zoo, a labyrinth and things like that. It must take many hours to walk through the park...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nxj0lwQrcOY/UBgmRSKN--I/AAAAAAAACGA/xPqhy7d3TuA/s640/PICT0214.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nIa8Mek-yZw/UBgmV9Z0-BI/AAAAAAAACGo/Vqo-Sa5U4kY/s512/2012-07-24%252016.18.05.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-51FIft6oERA/UBgmXNADMRI/AAAAAAAACGk/320L-pr0rU4/s512/2012-07-24%252016.18.15.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2aG0tbWtwKg/UBgmX4cOpuI/AAAAAAAACG0/bipAISBBB-Y/s640/2012-07-24%252016.19.43.jpg

Unfortunately it wasn't allowed to take pictures inside of the Hofburg and Schönbrunn Palace :(
After visiting these buildings we headed to the "Kaisergruft" (Imperial Crypt), it's underneath the Capuchin Church and is therefore called Capuchins' Crypt. Here are the bodies (of course in coffins) of every emperor and every empress and some other important members of the imperial family.
Here you can see the coffins of Elisabeth (on the left), Franz Joseph I (in the middle) and Rudolph (on the right). I can't describe what I felt when I looked at these coffins, knowing that the people in there are so important people for the european history, it gave me the shivers  :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S9oHsLaKygU/UBLS9_-EBZI/AAAAAAAACC0/HQIXwHf8tSA/s640/SAM_0793.JPG

Well, at evening we walked through the city and passed a theatre, called "Ronacher". Normally the musical "Sister Act" is shown there, but in Austria the theatres have a summer break in July and August and during this time there's no play, musical or opera shown in Vienna.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kz1fS-ofdhg/UBgmTL-4yBI/AAAAAAAACGU/f3JQADk7ky0/s640/PICT0223.JPG

Alright, I think this were enough history lessons for you today, Mum  :D

Love and miss you!!!
Billy
La_Kate_Boheme


Posted Aug 2, 2012, 7:30 pm
Hey Mum,

today was my last day here in Dortmund and I had to say goodbye to Dottie Mouse and my host. I spent a long time here so I'm quite sad to leave my host, but it's time to move on and I can't wait to arrive in Kiel :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qCz8GvL6QWk/UBrEsN-fOcI/AAAAAAAACHM/PTXhNLOCxJM/s512/SAM_0992.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IcwBjqW3kco/UBrEs-M2DfI/AAAAAAAACHY/SrbHdiO4d_Y/s640/SAM_0993.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XoQWdfen3l4/UBrEtpV7WcI/AAAAAAAACHg/pRlVJHm9zf4/s640/SAM_0997.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9r1esiEze00/UBrEuDedXHI/AAAAAAAACHk/UDO-4hZ4aes/s640/SAM_0998.JPG

Well, my next Update will be made in Kiel, I can't wait to tell you everything about my first days there!! :)

Love,
Billy
sunset


Posted Aug 4, 2012, 5:07 pm
Hey Mum,
yesterday I arrived in Kiel. I felt that my travelop was dropping into a letterbox and later someone with a deep voice took me out saying "uh what´s that... hm... have I buyed something...?" and it was getting light again because he opened the envelop. Yeah fresh air again...  :D
So I first meet Jan, a friend of my new host. I was sended to him, because she didn´t expect me bevor in a few weeks and she´s just moving and don´t know where she will live then.
urks it seems that I lost a little bit of my english-knowledge during the last travel  :stare:
but that will become better again...

The first evening i spent watching The Olympic Games with Jan and it was relaxing to do nothing else than watching tv after the travel, but exiting too to see the athlets.

Today I was introduced to my new host, sunset. I´m glad to know now whith whom i will spend the next weeks.
She was very happy and surprised that I am here  :D
First she said was "oh is he sweet and I didn´t think that he´s so small"
Than she looked what I was bringing with me, and she says many thanks to Katja that she send me so well packed and thanks for the nice card. I also had some sweets for the journey, but I didn´t eat them all...  ;)
Every thing is allright, I´m a bit excited to see my new home, and I will write again in a few days.

Love, Billy
sunset


Posted Aug 6, 2012, 12:33 pm
Hey Mum,
let me tell you now, what happend the first evening with my new host.
First I got something to eat and drink because she thought, that I must be hungry after the day in the envelop. We had noodles and ZucchiniHack. :D

After that I got a place at the window to get an overview where I was now.
Later we went "home" by bike.
It is nice to travel by bike, because you can see everything.
We wanted to see the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, internationally called Kiel-Canal.

On the way we had to pass a small dark underpass for pedestrians and there I used the first chance to try to escape!
Of course sunset noticed immediately that I was away and came back and picked me up.
She was very concerned why I try to escape allready the first evening...
We discused it and came to the result that I´m not used to travel by bike and so I didn´t hold on good enough,
or it is because I came to Kiel to fullfil my Life mission Going on a boat cruise and now it is allready completed  :thinking:
and so I have to travel on... that I want to go to the wilderness...

The next morning sunset found my identitycard on my back and now she isn´t so much in sorrow anymore what might happen if i REALLY escape.

Back to that evening:
I watched the canal from above on the bridges and had a fine view to the flootgates. There were two ships in it who came into the canal and I was lucky because one ship was coming from Brunsbüttel while we were taking fotos  :D

The small white point above my right ear is the only ferry that passes the canal in Kiel - although Kiel is the capitol of Schleswig-Holstein! It carries only pedestrians and bikers.

sunset


Posted Aug 6, 2012, 12:53 pm
After the photosession on the bridge my host showed me her home.
It looks nice, but...
of course it has reasons when someone moves.
What a luck that I can travel by envelop- uh what difficulties to change apartement when you are a humanbeing with possession...

I spent a while on the balcony and then we eat the sweets from Kate and watched Olympia.

We also had some minutes without stress playing a computergame.

Next days my host has to visit apartements and things like that and I can´t join her then - people might think that she´s crazy when she carries a toy with her...
I will stay here then and look at the map par example, it is a map from sweden. I think I should go there to see the nordern lights...

love Billy
sunset


Posted Aug 6, 2012, 12:58 pm
Two photos are missing.

I don´t know why it dosn´t work that the text is around the photos but all photos on the end of the text...
sunset


Posted Aug 13, 2012, 1:34 pm
Hey Mum,
I spent the week watching the Olympic Games on TV, until I nearly got square eyes... often I was still watching while sunset was already sleeping.
It was fantastic, I saw a lot of fabulous moments.
But we didn´t see only sports, we saw some documentaries too.
So I have seen the northern lights!!
It was only a short sequence, so we could´t take a photo of me watching it.
But it was great to see the northern lights, although it was only on TV.
My mission isn´t completed, I have to see it in real, and I wish I could´t take sunset with me because she also wishes to see this fantastic phenomen.  :)
It was a calm week for me.
But sunset is getting more and more restless.
We try nevertheless to visit something this week and take some photos for you. Have a good time until then!
Your Billy! :D
sunset


Posted Aug 28, 2012, 4:51 pm
Hey Mummi,
I have seen a lot.
First we had a few hot days in Kiel,
and I was in a reserve for deers and boars.
After that I visited a friend of my hoast in his garden,
where we had a barbecue that evening. That was on sunday.
It was nice there, not as hot as directly in the city.
Have you seen me sitting on the table?
We also had to pick green beans. I just needed to watch, I was to small to do it...
sorry that I didn´t write during the time.
I have changed the date above, because this happened that date,
but we have already the 28., I travelled... and had no internet...
travelling-experiences will follow soon!
love, Billy
sunset


Posted Aug 31, 2012, 11:44 am
Hey Mummi,
now I want to tell you from my latest tour through Germany.
I was travelling by train, from Kiel through Hamburg, through Bremen to a small town named Nordenham, which lies on the river Weser.
It was very spontaneous, so we went with a camera with accumulator half-full...  :(
I was surprised, that I have made only two photos, I´m sorry  :o
It was nice wether and it was good to travel again and to be out of the city and see the landscape. Everything was green  :D
I have seen a lot of animals, mostly cows and sheep.

Nearby Nordenham I have taken the second photo.
Can you see the cows and the windmill in the background?
The mill was working the weekend I was there!!
The windmill sails were spinning around fastly, oh that was so nice!
The mill is a museum, but it is still full functional.
It is shown how to make flour a few times the year.
Very interesting! And loud! You can here the clack-clack even a kilometer away, where I am on the photo.
Crafts from the middlesages were also shown around the mill.
A hand-miller, a salt-cooker, a potter and a few more, about 10 reenactment actors.
And a female shepard who had a sheep on a leash like a dog was there  :D
That was the main atracction on that trip, there isn´t much to see except landscape.
But that was good relaxation.
Bye for now,
Billy
sunset


Posted Sep 8, 2012, 5:05 pm
Hey Mom,
don´t worry, I´m fine and I´m still alive!
I haven´t seen a lot I´m sorry, because my host is terrible in a hurry. But I will travel again to Niedersachsen tomorrow yippie!
I´m already very exiced.
I will go by train again.
I will look after the camera this time and take more photos.
When I´m "home" again, I will write again.
Best regards
Billy  :D
sunset


Posted Sep 15, 2012, 10:29 am
Hey Mom,
I´m fine and back in Kiel.
Now I tell you from my last trip to Nordenham.
On the first picture I am in the train.
It was nice weather and everything went well.

On the next picture I have found a bench in right size for me  :D

the other pictures show the garden and the wintergarden
sunset


Posted Sep 15, 2012, 10:45 am
The next day I visited the region.
the land is called "Butjadingen" and is very flat and wet,
so everywhere are drainage canals.

the small one on the first pictures is next to the house
on one picture you can see the landscape

the last picture is from a bigger canal - there exist even bigger ones
which flow into the northsea but I haven´t been there.
sunset


Posted Sep 15, 2012, 10:59 am
Then I was in the garden again.
On the picture from 09.Sept. you have seen me in the green beans
but there are also zucchini and appletrees.
There are much more vegetables but I haven´t taken a photo from everything.

I´m sorry that the text is always short in the last time,
but I don´t have any time!
I have to change the size of each photo and that takes so much time... from the last picture in the appletree I had to do it three times until upload was possible...

I had a nice time there and I hope that you are fine too.
The next day, on thursday, I went back to Kiel but I don´t have pictures of that.

Greetings your Billy
sunset


Posted Sep 15, 2012, 11:14 am
There is one thing I want to add.
I have seen the Weser, the river which flows from the Mittelgebirge
to the Northsea.
The Weser gets its name by Hannoversch Münden and is a combination of the Werra and Fulda.

I have no idea where the photos with me in front are...

Greetings Billy
sunset


Posted Sep 20, 2012, 8:06 am
Hey mom,
I have visited the harbour of Kiel and have seen all classes of ships.

first you see me in front of an area where the big ferries usuly are lying but there wasn´t one at the moment (already away and the next not there yet)

then in front of the promenade with modern sailingyachts
this is the area where the famous Kiel-Week area begins (the area is some kilometers long at the side of the Kieler Förde please google for further information)

then I have seen old ships in the museum-harbour, some are steamboats

then I have seen the "Hansekogge" and replique of a woodship from middleages

And then we went to the area with the ferries which are going to scandinavia each day. There are lying the Color Magic and the Stena Scandinavica.
The Scandinavica is just getting its freight.

Big surprise: I am free, out in the wild and waiting for my trip to see the northernlights!

I have nearly checked-in.
My host passed me on to a very nice and friendly young man at the counter for check-in.
I got a letter around my neck with the most important informations on it, that I´m a toyvoyager named Billy and I want to see the northernlights...
The employee will pass me to someone from the boarding-crew. I hope that I won´t get lost on that big ship and in the big world...
and that I will travel soon. But all involved persons are looking forward that everything will go well.
I haven´t been so close to see the northernlights yet and I am very exiced and hope to write you soon again, then from sweden!

Bye Mommy!!

sunset


Posted Apr 16, 2013, 8:00 am
Hey mum,
nobody took me on the ferry...
I was sitting there and waiting for a long long time...
it´s not allowed to travel alone on the ferries when you are a small toyvoyager...
at last a friend of my hoast came and took me back home with him, thats where I arrived when I got to Kiel. So I was in familiar environment again.
I was spending christmas with him there.
He even took some pictures from me in the snow, we have had a long long winter with a lot of snow for a long time...
and he promised to make an update... as you can see, he didn´t do  :(
my hoast is angry with him. She didn´t had any possibility to make an update. I was in kiel, she is living now in Niedersachsen...
But, I am not lost. I am still alive and healthy  :D
Hope to see you soon again!!
Kisses, Billy
fam-united


Posted Jun 2, 2013, 8:31 pm
We are on the way to Bad Wildbad, where our host's husband has an appointment. As the weather was so terrible again during the last weeks, we took the chance to take some photos today.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/8924973199_3ec67221ed.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8552/8924967245_48f25e0282.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jun 2, 2013, 8:59 pm
Today I'm on a sightseeing trip by car - the weather had been terrible during the last days, but today it is a little bit better.

Here you see one of Bruchsal's oldest streets: Württemberger-Straße.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/8925205839_715a8227ba.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jun 3, 2013, 4:34 pm
Then we drove to Heidelsheim, which is one of Bruchsal's surburbs. Heidelsheim belongs to Bruchsal since 1974. The river Saalbach also flows through Heidelsheim. The small city was first named in 770 A.D.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/8925816682_85e6f64597.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jun 3, 2013, 4:50 pm
We drove to Blaustein on the Autobahn. My hosts' one son lives in this town, which is close to Ulm. Here you see some impressions during our drive, which took about 2 hours one way. You still see thick clouds in the sky.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3692/8925807934_c295d9648a.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5469/8925193987_31c9ffa475.jpg


This parking house was built over the autobahn. It is next to Stuttgart airport.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8135/8925806906_3f8bf46713.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7301/8925192403_37fa9524ff.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5459/8925804184_c43c8cf0e3.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jun 3, 2013, 5:05 pm
It seems, that sightseeing means to look out of windows or driving cars. The weather was too cold and we only had a little time in Blaustein before we had to drive back to Bruchsal again, so here you can see just a view over the roofs.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/8925182265_a74623c7c9.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8925181497_841d46bd80.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8925794082_5cf5b2ac66.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jun 3, 2013, 7:00 pm
Two more hours in the car, then we were in Bruchsal again.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5441/8925536407_4c6a41b4cb.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/8926145166_385f42d7a0.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jul 21, 2013, 7:21 pm
The weather is really nice, if you don't count the heavy clouds, so we decided to go on a drive to two of Bruchsal's suburbs: Untergrombach and Obergrombach. At first we wanted to visit the chapel on Michaelsberg, a small hill which belongs to Untergrombach. It was too crowded there, because there was a wedding.
So we only took a photo of the small hills of Kraichgau.


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3796/8925523777_221abeb8c0.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jul 21, 2013, 8:11 pm
Then we drove to Obergrombach.
At first we enjoyed the nice view over the vineyards to Obergrombach.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/8926135954_9b0aca26ec.jpg


Our plan was to take more photos, but it started raining again. So here's only one more photo of Obergrombach with a beautiful half timbered house.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8926131702_dc6d7fe457.jpg
fam-united


Posted Jul 21, 2013, 9:05 pm
Today we decided to bake a rhubarb cake. Our host allowed us to do it all alone without her help. So please take a look at the recipe. We explain it step by step:

At first we had to find a place - we are quite a few
:)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8925650459_25c2fb409a.jpg

Of course we aren't all traveling. Some of us are here as active toyvoyagers, but many of us are guests, who decided to stay here as long as the owners don't find time to get in contact with our host. And of course some of us live here, but we all have one thing in common - we are toyvoyagers.
At next we had to get the eggs. We need six eggs for the cake.


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/8926263186_1c392f9ea5.jpg


It was Sausi Karl's job to beat the eggs.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/8925649599_791739a839.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2837/8926262302_7aeafb0649.jpg


Then one of us - don't know who - added 50g sugar for each egg, so it was 300 g sugar. It's quite a lot, we know.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5340/8925648755_99037120e0.jpg


Madam Miff added one packet of vanilla sugar to the dough.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/8926261548_8998663879.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7396/8925647869_237cb5fd27.jpg


Of course we had to beat the dough again, but we couldn't handle the camera while beating the dough.
Matcha and Ted added 300g flour and one packet of baking powder.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/8926260672_da07c34399.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3678/8926260212_c72498b239.jpg


Then we had to stir the dough again until it was fluffy.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/8925646503_71c81a9212.jpg


Melek helped

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/8925646031_19fa977bf5.jpg


and Nathalie

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2879/8925645579_b3897924c7.jpg


Then Matcha prepared the dish for the dough. We baked without bottom on a foil.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7396/8925645243_84f5a0b420.jpg


Nathalie was still busy stiring the dough.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/8926258054_90e53dfbcb.jpg


And the she filled it in the dish.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/8926257628_0006344c9a.jpg


Then we all were sitting there and waiting for the cake to get baken in the oven. Man it was boring at first. But we didn't expect, that half an hour can be such a short time, when so many tvs are together.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/8926257210_04a81c0d7e.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5448/8926256334_e45a065417.jpg


After this break we had to prepare the rhubarb, because we wanted to fill the cake with rhubarb cream.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5325/8925642549_64bc3d6b29.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8280/8925642077_7d28b046f1.jpg


Little Dragon helped to skin it.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/8926254860_9ffd0a4e02.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2891/8925641099_55bf42ecab.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8557/8925640615_c12058fe1e.jpg


And Matcha helped to cut it in pieces.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/8925640213_0ed27dc6e2.jpg


I helped Matcha to stay on the pot during cutting the rhubarb pieces.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/8926252924_722dec89c7.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/8926252512_ca9e8678ee.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3834/8925638829_1cffc388c3.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8546/8926251574_0be69c2f2e.jpg


Then we had to prepare some ingrediences for the cream. We needed two packets of vanilly pudding powder, one egg white and one yolk. We had to stir the egg white.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3809/8926251194_8c89fefb59.jpg


Before adding the stirred egg white, we had to add the pudding powder. We had added a little bit of water to it and shook it until it was smooth. Then we added the pudding powder to the cooked rhubarb. We also added the yolk.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3716/8926250806_6303221319.jpg


Then Louis the Rat added the stirred egg white and gently folded it in.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3800/8926250320_b994916c7a.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/8926249780_60c4a38bda.jpg


Finally we cut the cake in two layers and filled the cream on the first and then on the second layer and put the last layer on top of it.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5460/8926249078_87082c87f3.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/8926248634_af3da8b85e.jpg
fam-united


Posted Aug 24, 2013, 11:56 am
I had the chance to go to school today and learn more about the federal state Baden-Württemberg. Bruchsal is a town in Baden-Württemberg.

Parts of river Rhine flow through Baden-Württemberg. It is the longest river in Germany with about 1,232 kilometres (766 miles).


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/9421544993_bbaf1ec431.jpg


There are also parts of Limes. A limes was a border defence or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7393/9424314672_92e9343871.jpg


There are many people in Baden-Württemberg, who love Sports. Some of them even took part in Olympic Games. On pupil told us more about them.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7415/9424314432_541d626876.jpg
fam-united


Posted Aug 24, 2013, 4:14 pm
Today we drove to Rastatt to visit a concert in front of the palace. It was SWR1 lyrics. We had a lot of fun.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/9584125878_73e4b18490.jpg


Have you ever had "salad to go"? It really looked funny.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/9584124292_20722a7310.jpg


We had to wait about 2 hours until the concert started. It had to be after sunset - and still it was really hot.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/9581337185_3df7c745a3.jpg

Back