Travelog for: Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,

we went to a DIY-store today, we had to look for wall paint and other things. We went there in Katja's lunch break. Because the weather was really great, we took a walk to the DIY-store through the city centre. First Katja showed us the entrance area of the shopping mall, Allee-Center. There is a large fountain in front of it.



When we reached the end of the shopping street Katja showed us another fountain, a very colorful one with funny water games.





Oh dear, this area does not look so nice ... Katja told me that DIY-stores often were situated on industrial estates and those often do not look to nice.



Here we looked for wall paint.



On our way back we came along the station area, it was built about three years ago, a bridge for pedestrians was opened last year.

This is the new bridge. Cyclists and pedestrias can now reach the city centre much faster than before when they had to cross severeal streets to get there.





On our way back to the office we bought a few things for lunch, we were starving!

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,

today we started to paint the walls in Katja's new apartement.

After protecting the edge of the ceiling and the  washboards we started to paint her favourite colour in the bedroom.



We even managed to paint the wall without getting terribly dirty



That's all for today, a load of work was waiting for us!

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
we moved to my host's new apartment last weekend. Still there is not everything fixed and finished, tools are still everywhere





Nontheless we took a walk in the late morning because the weather finally became better after two extremely rainy weeks. We went to the outskirts in the West of Remscheid.



It did not take long until we reached a forest.





Walking downhill we reached a creek which is flowing in the valley.



Here we found hogweed, a plant which originally came from Eastern countries, from the Caucasus mountains. Although it looks pretty people do not like it. Its sap causes phytophotodermatitis on human skin.



Can you see the markings for hiking trails on the tree? The encircled "R" stands for a hiking trail around the municipal area of Remscheid, about 63 km long.



At home a lot of work was waiting for us, so we went back home.



Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
today we went to Wuppertal again to visit the Botanical garden there. Unfortunately the "Schwebebahn" is closed due to repair works.



The Botanical garden is situated on a hilled called "Hardt", we had to climb umpteen stairs to get there.



The closer we came to the Botanical garden the more lovely were the dwellings, mostly beautiful mansions.







You can find the former country house of a textile manufacturers named Eller, which contained a villa (built 1820), orangery, residential and farm buildings, and the Elise Tower (built 1838) which provides the garden's focal point.



We saw different kinds of gardens, like this rockery...



... and different flowers.





Here are Echinacea, also known as Purple coneflowers, a medicinal herb.



Here you can see  Elise Tower once more.





These are Angel's trumpets, originally from South America. Angel's trumpets are beautiful flowers, but extremely poisonous.





There is also a pond in the Botanical garden.



We rested in the shade of this Phoenix plant.



We also had a look at the greenhouses in the entrance area. We found bananas here



There is an exhibition with butterfly sculptures.







Later we went to the city centre to pick up Katja's daughter from her work place in a restaurant. On our way there we saw this great fountain in front of the city hall.



We had a large ice cream and went home than.

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
we took a walk today in the district Hasten, one of the historic districts- You can find lots of lovely old traditional houses here. This one is a beautiful one, although not a traditional "Bergisches" house.



A museum is situated in this Patrician villa, built in late 18th century.



The "German Tool Museum" is situated on the the same estate.



Hasten is situated close to woodland, you can already see it.



These houses, covered with slate and with green shutters, are traditional houses.



We found this large machine for wood processing.



Katja showed us the cemetary when we went back home.







We reached the city centre after walking uphill for some time. In the background the tower of the city hall is visible.



And here you can see where I am living at the moment. My host moved to the house on the right side last month, to the second floor. From inside we have a good view to the park opposite of the houses. Even in the backyard there is a large lawn with old trees.



That's all for now )

Bye
Orkku Orava

The weather became much better until noon. In the afternoon we took a walk with one of Katja's friends in the outskirts of Remscheid, often rural areas. This one also, with meadows and horses,lovely gardens and lots of nice landscape.





From here we walked towards river Wupper. Along the path we found some rocks with engraved boardgames, Nine Men's Morris here.



I recognized the path .... I have been here before. This path is leading to Muengsten Bridge, along river Wupper.

Himalayan Balsam is growing everywhere.



This time we walked uphill to the abutment of the bridge on Remscheid's side of the valley. This path is not very common, like Katja told us. We had a great view into the bridge from here.



This was a very interesting trip.

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
today we took a walk in the outskirts in the Northern part of the city, closer to Wuppertal. Here are also lovely rural districts.



When we walked through an area with pasture on both sides we had a good look to the district Hasten ...



... and to the city centre in the background of the photo, with the two towers of city hall and water tower.



We reached a very special school than, "Naturschule Grund". You can learn a lot about nature here, next weekend they are offering a "spider walk" for kids, they can learn about spiders than. (Does anybody want to know anything about SPIDERS?)



We walked through the forest than.



Katja showed us a water wheel, it belongs to a museum. You can find the remains of many water wheels along the rivers and creeks around Remscheid. Remscheid has an age-long history in tool producing industry, from middle ages on. All the smithies were run by water wheels.





The coat of arms of Remscheid is worked into the fence of the museum.



From here, deep in the valley, we had to walk uphill for about half an hour to get home.

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
it is incredibly hot today. We are spending the day inside. We helped our host to  sew curtains for the bedroom.



It was quite easy and soon they were finished.





Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
my host is a knitting maniac and she made her first attempt in dyeing yarn, with a procedure called "solar dyeing".

You put the yarn and several ingredients like plants, flowers etc into a large jar, add water and alum .... and place it into the sun. As my host does not has a garden, she put the jar onto the window sill. Last week it was extremely hot so t here already was a visible result.



There are blackberries, hydrangea and juniper berries as dyeing stuff. We were really exited how the yarn would look.



There is also another jar "boiling" in the sun, filled with several sorts of tea and curcuma.



We took the hank out of the glass. The blackberries made a fantastic colour, but t he flowers did not. There is a purple part and sort of dingy cream colour.



Than the colour had to be fixed. The yarn had to be heated in the microwave oven for two minutes twice. Therefore we wrapped it into plastic wrap.



Afterwards the yarn had to cool down and than it was washed and hang to dry. Katja promised to make a shawlette for me with this yarn.

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
we took a walk today in the district Luettringhusen, when we took Katja's friend's son to his soccer training. Luettringhausen is one of the historic districts, embedded in lovely landscape. We started in the town centre. Here is one of two churches.







What a lovely mail box - a reproduction of an historic mail box.







We walked along a rural area with meadows than.



There are a few houses hidden in the valley.





We had a lot of fun here

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
Katja's colleague Elke invited me to accompany her on a short vacation trip to the North Sea. That's great!

Here we are on our way to ... can you read it? ... Emden at the North Sea coast.



Elke is taking part in a skittles club trip. She and her friends are having lots of fun (and lots of sparkling wine ).

In the meantime we reached a place called Haseluenne. We visited the Berentzen factory here, a famous producer of spirituous beverages.

Huh ... the photoflash nearly killed me Here you can see historic items produced here.



This is one of several dining halls here, you can hire it for your own parties.



Finally the best part of the factory tour came: Tasting, tasting and more tasting.  Testing the different spirits in great profusion - everything which is produced here



The different spirits are also available in the outlet.



Later ...

Oh dear, this was nearly knocking me off. An elephant was crawling through the wall! (Was this due to the alcohol?)



That's all for today I think I will sleep a bit longer tomorrow.

Bye
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy,
today I packed my things and hopped into my envelope. I am now on my way to Italy.

Like my host promised, she knitted a shwalette from the solar-dyed yarn for me. Now winter can come (and still some updates from my holiday trip with Elke).



Love
Orkku Orava

Hi Mummy!

Great news: I finally landed in Italy!

I couldn't wait to came out of the envelope, I had to stay there for a few days... then I finally saw a little light and a voice...

"Hello there!"



It was Gaspode, the little dog, who welcomed me! I introduced myself to him and to my new host Francy, and gave them the beatiful postcard an the sweets I got in Germany -they looked very happy!



I was right on time for breakfast and I actually was a bit hngry after travelling so long, so I gladly accepted a cup of coffee and a snack



Then Gaspode showed me a little around, there still is a nice weather and flowers here, so it's nice to relax outside! 



It was quite warm, so I decided to take my new scarf off, at least inside home...
Later, Francy got some chestnuts, so we helped her preparing them to be roasted...



and of course, we also helped her eating them after dinner!





Tomorrow we'll be back in Torino, which is where Francy actually live.
But she already told us to be ready to leave again soon and she went on saying she was very happy I came on time -where will we go???

So, here we go! 

This morning Francy packed everything, including us!

Trifolo the rabbit is coming with us too!

So, he took place in one of the bags...



... while Gaspode and I jumped in the other one! We're ready to go!



We could came out after a while, when we were safe and confy on a train.



The journey was quite long, I guess we stayed on that train for 4 or 5 hours... 

As Trifolo and I never met before, he introduced himself briefly.

He says he's a famous one in Italy, a real VIP. I wasn't really bound to believe him, but then he showed us he's on chocolates packages as well, so maybe he really is an important testimonial here around... We checked it closely and it's undoubtfully him... I'm still not fully convinced though... 






When we finally arrived, Francy told us she had something to do that night, so we just stayed in our room. 

Luckily, she gave us a guidebook about our tomorrow trip: we're going to visit Venice!!!! 
I'm so excited!!!!!