Prague, Czech Republic - 26th February 2012
By: Krtecek
Dear mum,
we are flying back to Paris. Krtecek is coming with us. We are looking out the window and hoping the flight will be pleasant.
Whats more, I am already packing for my new adventure - Japan.
Tedi.
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Posted Feb 27, 2012, 5:09 pm
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Takamatsu, Japan - 9th March 2012
By: hanachan
Doll Festival - Hina Matsuri
March 3rd was the Girls' Day in Japan. It is also known as Hina Matsuri. It means "Doll Festival".
hanachan displayed beautiful dolls representing Emperor and Empress in ancient court costumes on the day. This is the tradition that parents pray for their girls' growth and happiness.
I arrived in Japan yesterday and I was late for the Hina Matsuri. Usually dolls are put back in the box soon. hanachan decided to leave them for a while. Because she has more TV guests in this month. I was lucky
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Posted Mar 20, 2012, 5:13 pm
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Kurashiki, Okayama pref., Japan - 11th March 2012
By: hanachan
Hello, Mom!
We came to Kurashiki-city, Okayama pref.
Our train ran across the Seto Ohashi Bridge over the Inland Sea. Unfortunately we saw nothing out of the window in the stormy weather when the train was running on the sea.
This area is kept the old city view of Tokugawa Shogunate period. (17th-19th century)
There are many historical houses beside the canal. These were once used as warehouse of cotton.
"Kura" of the city's name means warehouse in Japanese.
Mom, what do you think about "JinRikisha"? Nice photos we took!
Tedi
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Posted Mar 31, 2012, 7:08 am Last edited Mar 31, 2012, 7:10 am by hanachan
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Hinomisaki, Shimane pref., Japan - 25th March 2012
By: hanachan
Hinomisaki is a cape in Izumo, Shimane prefecture, Japan.
Check View Map where I am We are far away from Takamatsu now.
Hinomisaki faces the Sea of Japan where blue sky and clear sea water are beautiful. The Hinomisaki Lighthouse is about 40m high, and is the highest of stone-build lighthouse in Asia. The guidebook says that the Lighthouse was selected as one of the World's One Hundred Most Historic Lighthouses
Near the lighthouse, there is Hinomisaki Shrine.
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Posted Apr 7, 2012, 6:04 am
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Matsue, Shimane pref., Japan - 26th March 2012
By: hanachan
Matsue Castle
It's a pity the weather is bad
more about Matsue Castle
Samurai house and Inari shrine
Near the castle, some old houses which once Samurai lived still remain.
Today they are renovated as restaurants and souvenir shops, and beautiful garden is opened to public.
Mom, what do you think these statues of fox? Cute? Funny?
In Japan Fox is worshiped everywhere. This shrine is built on the site of the Castle.
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Posted Apr 21, 2012, 6:58 am
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end of Sakura season, Takamatsu, Japan - 15th April 2012
By: hanachan
Sakura is falling. Petals on the ground look like a gorgeous carpet.
Hey Mom, Japanese really love this flower.
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Posted Apr 21, 2012, 7:24 am
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annular solar eclipse, Japan - 21st May 2012
By: hanachan
annular solar eclipse
Unfortunately it is cloudy here. The sun went behind the thick clouds. So let's see it on TV!
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Posted May 23, 2012, 1:02 pm
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Naruto, Tokushima pref., Japan - 23rd June 2012
By: hanachan
Otsuka Museum of Art
The world's first collection of Ceramic-Board Reproduction of Masterpaintings.
These are not original paintings. They are ceramic works using a special manufacturing technique. Visitors can see over 1000 full-size ceramic reproductions of major works of art, including the Sistine Chapel, Scrovegni Chapel, triclinium of the Villa of the Mysteries... The works are transfer-printed from photographs before being fired and retouched.
In the Gallery of Modern Art, it shows Reproduction of many famous works everyone knows.
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Posted Jun 28, 2012, 8:11 pm
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Moscow, Russia - 24th July 2012
By: Dangerousebeans
Hi, mom!
This weekend we’ve visited Kremlin!
Wow, I think, I should come to Moscow again, because it is such a wonderful place and has such an interesting history! My host thought that I should know everything about it, but of course, now I can remember only a small part.
This is the Troitskaya Tower - the tallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its current height on the side of the Alexander Garden together with the star is 80 m. Today, the gate of the tower is the main visitors' entrance into the Kremlin. And the view is so beautiful!
Here you can see the Kremlin Senate, a building within the grounds of the Kremlin. Initially constructed from 1776–1787, it originally housed the Moscow branch of the Governing Senate, the highest judiciary and legislative office of Imperial Russia. Currently, it houses the Russian presidential administration and is a highly secured and restricted area closed to the public. At present, only the southern corner façade, opposite the Tsar Cannon can be viewed.
Then we saw the most interesting exhibits of this museum – the Tsar-Bell and the Tsar-Cannon.
The Tsar-Bell was made of bronze and it is currently the largest bell in the world, weighing 201,924 kilograms, with a height of 6.14 metres and diameter of 6.6 metres, and thickness of up to 61 centimetres. The bell is decorated with relief images of baroque angels, plants, oval medallions with saints, and nearly life-size images of Empress Anna and Tsar Alexey. Unfortunately, before the last ornamentation was completed, a major fire broke out at the Kremlin in May 1737. The fire spread to the temporary wooden support structure for the bell, and fearing damage, guards threw cold water on it, causing eleven cracks, and a huge (11.5 tons) slab to crack off. The broken piece weighs 11,500 kilograms, you can compare it with the crowd around – it’s as tall as a man! Some people believe that on Judgement Day, it will be miraculously repaired and lifted up to heaven, where it will ring the blagovest (call to prayer).
The Tsar-Cannon was cast in 1586 in Moscow, by the Russian master bronze caster Andrey Chokhov. Mostly of symbolic impact, it was never fired in war. Per the Guinness Book of Records it is the largest bombard by caliber in the world. The very low ratio between its calibre and the length of its barrel makes it technically not a cannon, but a stylized mortar. The Tsar Cannon weighs 39.312 tones and has a length of 5.34 m. Its bronze-cast barrel has a diameter of 890 mm, and an external diameter of 1,200 mm. The spherical cast-iron projectiles located in front of the cannon - each of which weighs 1.97 tons, were produced in 1834 as a decoration.
Of course, there are many other cannons in Kremlin, but they don’t look so impressive, do they?
Then you can see The Ivan the Great Bell Tower - the tallest of the towers in the Moscow Kremlin complex, with a total height of 81 metres. It was built in 1508 for the Russian Orthodox cathedrals in Cathedral Square, which do not have their own belfries, and is said to mark Moscow's precise geographic centre. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower today contains 22. Of these, 18 small bells hang in the base and in the middle of the bell tower. Of the four large bells, one is named the Upsenskij Bell, and weighs 65.5 tons. It rings traditionally among the largest religious festivals such as Easter, and was made in the early 16th century.
Next building with great triangle golden roof and domes is The Cathedral of the Annunciation (Blagoveschensky sobor). It was originally the personal chapel for the Muscovite tsars, and its abbot remained a personal confessor of the Russian royal family until the early 20th century. Compared with the other major Kremlin cathedrals, the Annunciation Cathedral has slightly smaller dimensions. It is also built in a more traditional style, as it was created by local architects from Pskov, rather than Italian expatriate architects. The most characteristic feature of the building is its nine golden domes, and roof with rich kokoshnik ornamentation in an ogive form.
This beautiful cathedral with frescos is The Cathedral of the Dormition (Uspensky sobor). The Cathedral is regarded as the mother church of Muscovite Russia. In its present form it was 1475-79 at the behest of the Moscow Grand Duke Ivan III by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. From 1547 to 1896 it is where the Coronation of the Russian monarch was held. In addition, it is the burial place for most of the Moscow Metropolitans and Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, one of the most important cult images of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Theotokos of Vladimir kept at the Cathedral from 1395-1919 is now at the Tretyakov Gallery. Near the south entrance to the Cathedral is the Monomach Throne of Ivan IV (1551).
Verkhospassky Cathedral with eleven small golden domes was constructed by tsar Michael Fedorovichem in 1635-1636. From this temple the ladder conducted to a seigniorial platform where decrees, orders of the tsar were read to boyars, and the tsar presented boyars and near people birthday pies. Divine services in it aren't made.
The Cathedral of the Archangel is a Russian Orthodox church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It was the main necropolis for members of the Tsars of Russia until the relocation of the capital to St. Petersburg. It was constructed between 1505 and 1508 under the supervision of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Noviy on the spot of an older cathedral, built in 1333.
The Grand Kremlin Palace was built from 1837 to 1849 on the site of the estate of the Grand Princes, which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsky Hill. Designed by a team of architects under the management of Konstantin Thon, it was intended to emphasize the greatness of Russian autocracy. The Grand Kremlin Palace was formerly the tsar's Moscow residence. Thon's palace is 125 meters long, 47 meters high, and has a total area of about 25,000 square meters. It includes the earlier Terem Palace, nine churches from the 14th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the Holy Vestibule, and over 700 rooms. Now it carries out a role of smart president residence of Russia. Important nation-wide ceremonials pass in its halls, such as delivery of the state awards or credentials. You can see that big national flag is lowered on the spike. It means that Russian president is out now, but he could come back every minute!
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Posted Jul 24, 2012, 10:09 pm
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Moscow, Russia - 5th August 2012
By: Dangerousebeans
Hi, mom!
My host tells me that now it’s time to leave Russia. Well, she said, we spent fantastic days together, but when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. She gave me some presents, so I’ll not be boring in my travelling. Farewell, Russia!
Of course, I’m kidding!! Me and my host are going on holidays to Turkey! We’ll have amazing tan, swim in the Mediterranean Sea, eat a lot af fruits and have fun! My host tells me that she is too tired (she found a new job 3 month ago and she is working there like a slave), so this time no excursions, no running, just sleeping on the beach and drinking cocktails. We are going to be there till Sunday, so please, give me your address, and I can send a postcard to you!
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Posted Aug 5, 2012, 8:53 am
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Moscow, Russia - 21st August 2012
By: Dangerousebeans
Hi, mom!
Now the day has come when I and my host are going to the airport! It is the new small terminal of the Sheremetyevo airport and in spite of the fact that my host already about 20 times was the abroad; she flies for the first time from this terminal! In my opinion, it isn't very convenient yet - few seats for the rest, only two cafes. But you can't stop the progress, of course!
As it is necessary to come to the airport in 3 hours (mother of my host very cautious person and always is afraid to be late) what shall we do before the departure? To eat, of course! Here, the last time we will try a traditional borsch and Russian salad. Now it is possible to fly.
Oh, when people will understand, what it is wrong to take water in the airport, because it can't be taken out? Well, why to bring 1-liter bottles?
At last our plane arrived. It looks impressively, isn't it? And the luggage is brought there!
Ladies and gentlemen, please, fasten your belts, the plane prepares for take-off!
Finally, we are in our hotel in Turkey. Its name is MegaSaray. Very amusing fact: in Turkish, Saray means a palace. Whereas in Russian Saray means a barn. My host laughed a lot, when she chose the hotel!
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Posted Aug 21, 2012, 3:36 am Last edited Aug 21, 2012, 3:37 am by Dangerousebeans
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Megasaray, Turkey - 1st September 2012
By: Dangerousebeans
Hi, mom!
Today we decided to play tennis together! Certainly, not at afternoon, when the sun is so hot, but early in the morning - perfect!
Rackets and balls can be taken free on a reception. I decided to play with Kioko - in my opinion, he is a very bad tennis player.
I extremely liked this rest spot - there is an automat with tea, coffee and coca-cola, convenient chairs, a fine look and THE TREE GROWS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE ROOF. Minus 10 to protection against a rain, but plus 20 to originality
So, I am ready to begin the game!!!!!
I even have a team of fans. It is a pity that I didn't manage to make ribbons with my name.
Oh, we are soooooooo tired... I agree for a draw.
Let's drink on a glass Coca-Cola to celebrate the beginning of my sports career!
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Posted Sep 1, 2012, 1:41 pm
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