In Riga, Latvia a group was formed 600 years ago of merchants and traders who became known throughout Europe and made alliances with many different cities around Europe and other parts of the world. As you go through the photos you will gradually see the story of Riga and blackheads.
Schindler‘s LiftRiga’s cathedralBeautiful stained glass windows This is the narrow list and shortest street in RigaThis explains the term “blackheads” and the significance of the founding of the merchant union Why Maurice is celebrated Riga was founded in 1201So in 1413, or thereabouts, the blackheads were started and they were a traveling merchant group of people. They are suggesting this is where the idea of the Christmas tree came from. I have not checked that information but it’s very interesting It’s unfortunate this building was completely destroyed but it has been rebuilt Completely destroying the building was in line with the anti-capitalist ideology but the remnants of the building were probably a danger in any case.The blackheads building is rebuilt as a monument to the power of the city and the country This crystal was a gift for the opening of the new buildingThis is an explanation of the beautiful artifact but I forgot to keep the photo of the artifact The grand meeting room A long time associated group in Germany is celebrated OK, now we get down to the street. This is all different kinds of street food available with prices in euro The Russian orthodox church in Riga The Russian Orthodox Church
pulling from memory, there is a story of how the Russians became aligned with the Greek version of Christianity. One of the Russian Ivan’s were shopping for religion. If he allied with Rome he would have to bow to the pope. However, if he allied with the orthodox church he could claim that he is the intermediary between God and the people, kind of like being a pope.
The train station There are reasons the three Baltic states are three different countries and a lot of it has to do with history and a major part of that history is language.
Warsaw is a large city and I was not very interested in the surroundings since very little seems to be of historical interest except for the remnants of the Jewish ghetto. There is a museum there and this is from the museum.
Santa Claus was walking around with his daughter.You can see it’s a big city by the very tall buildings On a medium sized street this is what you can see in the morning. They were filled with some kind of vodkaTrain travel is very organized. You can buy your tickets online and the schedules seem to be fairly accurate
The road from Dungloe to Culdaff going up north to where I stayed this evening has some interesting attractions and it’s worth taking this path rather than the faster road.
Going over the mountain pass this is the benefit. You can actually climb up part of this mountain and probably see some fascinating and beautiful views. Dunlewey area was stunning views of the Lake which feeds down into the river and then the oceanI went to the Glebe house and garden but the house was not open so I walked around the garden and down to the lake since it was such a beautiful day.Grianan of AileachGrianan of AileachSomeone who had an opinion posted this on the monument signThese two photos are looking down on the valley and the lake from the Grianan of AileachWalking around CuldaffThese are just some photos of the estuary going down to the beach in CuldaffExercise equipment for adults Exercise equipment for kids A portable sauna in the beach parking lot This is one of the pamphlets I saw looking through the windshield of the truck This was a first. This is a little cabinet on the beach where people can put and take books. I’m sure it’s a free service since there’s no monitoring. This is where I stayed. It’s not that expensive and it’s very comfortable.
how do I remember scintillating Sligo? There is a song sung by the Clancy Brothers back in the 60s called “the Irish Rover”. They mentioned “the best Sligo rags. So when I saw the village on the map of course I had to stay here a night or two. It’s a cute little town where you will definitely want to visit especially if you come north of Galway.
This was on the wall in the restaurant “hooked” which had really nice food and very pleasant people working there. I highly recommend recommended it. At the hotel, Riverside Hotel, which is very pleasant by the way, right on the river. Make sure you get a Riverview room, the Reception person recommended the fish and chips at this restaurant. The fish was really excellent, not soggy and you get too decent pieces and you can order an option to “chips” such as the salad which was recommended and was very tasty.This was from my room which was of course a RiverviewThis is kind of a very interesting old post officeThe Sligo City Hall The city Plaza Below you can see one of the ancient burial sites. The entrance was closed so I took a photo from the distance. This is one of the ancient burial sites It’s a little difficult driving and taking photos at the same time but I was able to snap this one horse buggy going by deep in the countryside Looking out at the farms and some residential areaI didn’t know at the time this was the place of Yeats. He is buried in Sligo and you will see the photos belowThis is the Knocknarea mound and on top is the burial site of queen Maeve. This mound on top of this hill is almost 6000 years old.It’s a rough pathway up the hillAn explanation of the trail in the area Beautiful views from the top of the hillThis actually reminds me of Champasak in Lao which is in the Pakse areaThis is the view of the path while walking downYou can see the city of Sligo in the distance Here is the mound and on top of that you can see the top of Queen Maeve’s tombThen I went down to Strandhill beachOn my way to Donnegal I saw a sign for “Yeats grave” so I decided to stop by.A memorial to Yeats There are some very old graves here which have been neglected and fallen into disrepairThe grave of William Butler Yeats And then there is a memorial to the great disaster shipwreck the three ships of the Spanish Armada and thousands of sailors deadThe memorial to the shipwreck
there is a tale of the “black Irish” having black hair and therefore descended from the Spanish Armada sailors who landed or worship wrecked off of Ireland. Of course the Spanish did try a mass attack of Ireland in an effort to defeat the British. But it seems the term “black Irish“ was really a derogative term against the Irish. There were probably very very few survivors of the shipwreck who were able to stay hidden in Ireland. The English and the Irish rounded them up and the English executed most of them. So the term “black Irish“ does not refer to descendants of the Spanish Armada and in fact there are probably no descendants of the Spanish in Ireland.
this is very interesting fishing port and one of the very beautiful little cities with a castle of renown.
It’s interesting to see excellent Welsh ice cream started by an Italian. Actually I had a good friend from Scotland who was also named Mario. The ice cream was chocolate on the bottom and on the top was strawberry.I could have entered here to find my future. But it was closed so who knows what the future is The streets of ConwyOn the other side of the port you enter the very popular city of Llandudno
It was cold enough to snow in the hills but not quite at the port. This was looking out from the castle A cute boat man had an appealing call to the children every three or four minutes A very old bank building near the station A small but adequate town square The train station is just this little place out of the rain. You better have already purchased your ticket somewhere else. And some people there told me that if the train is full they may not stop even though you’re on the scheduleIt’s an interesting profession for the Kurds. I am sure they do a great jobYou can walk the walls of the city which go all the way around and are extremely well preservedWalking around the backstreet I saw this exclamation that the occupants are obviously Welsh. You can tell by the dragon. On the union Jack there are four crosses. The cross for whales is David who slew the dragon.This was very tasty efficient chips except I exchanged the chips for onion rings. This little restaurant, mostly take away, is very famous
Clicking on the title of the section you will get a link to the history of the castle. It’s just a shell now but the shell is very impressive Walking around inside The birds were very comfortable here with the tourists. They obviously have taken over the castle, both see pigeons and the seagulls A view of the railroad tracks and a new tunnel entrance to the bridge which sort of matches the castle concept The seagulls are at home here This black bird and his buddy I caught just in flight which it was kind of cool The whole castle remains
Hay-on-Wye
This cute little town is probably going to be a good highlight for you to walk around. It’s a very interesting town and you can look at all the bookstores which seemed to be the highlight and fame of Hay on Wye. The river this is on is the Wye riverThe clock tower The Wye riverI’m not sure what this old building in the back was used for but it looks like it might have been a general marketI like this view You can see the defense door at the entrance which is extremely old and has withstood many attacksI bought a pair of shoes here and this is the old cash register from more than 100 years ago. The fellow who sold me the shoes knew what he was doing. Actually he was retired but he decided to come in at work since his wife was working here also. She is the fourth generation of the owner of this shoe store. Now they have jackets and many other kinds of clothing. They are very proud of their profession. You might want to stop here and buy a pair of shoes. Here is the shoe store on the corner. Actually it looks like it’s been expanded to another building as well. It’s fairly largeFish and chips next to a bookstore. Why not!Another view of the river A large occupied house near the river I like this view
Llandudno
This is the town of the video recording I did which in two days got over 1000 views, something that totally blew me out of the water. It’s a very popular place. Even though it’s not tourist season you see that many of the bed-and-breakfast are fully booked. It’s a nice place to stay for a couple days. Looking over at another hotel from the promenade. It’s obvious this was a resort area for many decades In the distance you can see the many windmills and it’s obvious you need to protect yourself against the wind. It was very strong when I was there He is looking down the promenade along the beach I was recommended this beer and I had this pasta which was extremely well done. And the beer was very tangy and delicious This is their lunch menu The beer was produced not far from here
Llandaff
I stopped here to see the cathedral Interesting display in front of the altar Beautiful ceiling inside This is part of the original Norman construction so over 900 years old Some famous fellows and the first one is King ArthurThe arch and the balcony and ceiling were very impressively beautiful The Norman archway
if you’re traveling in Poland I would recommend the city and spending more time here than in Warsaw. This has a lot of history, many older sites, is a smaller city and is extremely interesting. It is also the entryway to the Auschwitz memorial.
This is what you see when you first get out of the station These kids are just playing around. I’m sure this man has had many thousands of kids pestering himScreenshot
Fryderyk Chopin
born 1.03.1810, died 17.10.1849
Composer and pianist. Born in Zelazowa Wola; when he was no more than seven years old he was already believed to be a musical genius. He is considered the greatest Polish composer and the creator of the so-called “national school” of Romantic music. He was known as the poet of the piano and a master of harmony, simplicity and moderation in music. His music drew Inspiration from Polish folk music. His works, in particular the Polonaises and Mazurkas, have become symbols of Polishness.
insoiration from Polish folk music. mis works, in parcula une polonaises ano mazuras, nave Decome symoois of rousnness.
The great majority of all Chopin’s works are piano compositions: waltzes, rondos, varlations, études, preludes, nocturnes, ballades, scherzos, sonatas and songs. Fryderyk Chopin’s premature death as an émigré in Paris marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of his artistic and spiritual presence in world culture. The ceremony of the unveiling of the Medallion of Fryderyk Chopin – a copy of the original that lies on his tombat PCre Lachaise cemetery in Paris, was held at Wawel Cathedral on
28.02.2010 – on the day of the inauguration of the Chopin Year.
People from all over crowded around during the Christmas season This is some banksy artThe history of the area The large synagogue in Kraków
The Wall of Tears During the Second World War the Remuh cemetery was utterly devastated and profaned by the Nazis. Most of the tombstones were smashed. According to some of the testimonies, the Nazis planned to pave the pavement in the Kazimierz district with the broken matzevot. There is a well known story about the group of Polish doctors and lecturers of Krakow Medical College who collected fragments of the matzevot in order to give it back to the Jews. The brave doctors were harshly punished for their heroic act and sent to the concentration camp. The broken matzevot which were not fit for reconstruction were integrated into the wall, which was later called “The Wall of Tears”. Thus the precious monuments of Jewish funeral art were protected. Many of the matzevot are of exceptional historical and artistic value. They are a testament to the memory of the Jewish community and their thriving life in Krakow’s Kazimierz. – Fragments of the tombstones from the 16th-18th centuries discovered during excavation and conservation works conducted between 1958-68.
During the Second World War the Remuh cemetery was utterly devastated and profaned by the Nazis. Most of the tombstones were smashed. According to some of the testimonies, the Nazis planned to pave the pavement in the Kazimierz district with the broken matzevot. There is a well known story about the group of Polish doctors and lecturers of Krakow Medical College who collected fragments of the matzevot in order to give it back to the Jews.
The brave doctors were harshly punished for their heroic act and sent to the concentration camp.
The Remuh (Remu) Synagogue Built centuries ago, to all the Jews this synagogue is the most sacred place in Cracow. Throughout the centuries it endured fires, wars and plagues. Its walls preserve the memory of the ages long gone. The place is inhabited by “Shekhinah” (Hebrew: Presence of God from the time it was founded up to these days.
It is at this building that the great scholars studied Torah and Talmud day and night, at this courtyard that picturesque Jewish weddings took place, it is here that Jewish life once thrived. The Hebrew inscription on the gate reads: “This is the Gate to the New Synagogue dedicated to the blessed memory of Remuh”.
It is at the time of Black Death which
plagued the Town of The Polish Kings in the second half of the 16th century that Rabbi Israel (Isserl Lasers), son of Josef erected the synagogue to commemorate his wife, Dinah Malka, the daughter of Rabbi Eleazar, who died of this disease. The synagogue was named after his son, the great scholar, Rabbi Moses Isserles, called “Remuh”. The official opening of the Synagogue took place in 1558. Thanks to the efforts of the Jewish Community and attentive care of the experts from the Civic Committee for the Restoration of Krakow Heritage, the Remuh Synagogue regained its former splendour. Presently the Remuh Synagogue is the Chief Synagogue of the Jewish Community in Krakow. It is here that everyday and holiday prayers take place. In 2016 the former women’s gallery was adapted as the so-called “Shtiebel”, the place where the local Jewish community as well as the Jews from all over the world can pray and study the works of Rabbi Remuh.
Auschwitz camp Orchestra This is the camp identification papers for one of the prisoners This is a map of Auschwitz. This was originally created as a barracks for Polish troops and was taken by the Germans and repurposed as a concentration and annihilationcampThis is the famous entrance of the camp next to the original Auschwitz camp which was built mainly for extermination. You see the train tracks for the transport directly into the camp You can see the smoke stacks of the houses that used to be there which were destroyed. They were used by the occupation army Each one of these cubicles would hold many people sleeping together
In December I started my trip from Cologne Germany where I had tickets to see Rod Stewart and continued on east through Poland and then up through the Baltic states. Here are just a few memories.
The pizza was pretty good. You can tell it’s salami on cheeseA beautiful subway station Kaiser Wilhelm Tower in Cologne It’s nice to see they’re doing something about GESUNDHEITIt looks like advertising for a circus which I did not go see A stained glass window in Saint Andrews Cathedral cologne Wow! €5000 for a baby transporter bike The Hawaiians are taking over the world with poke I wore my Scotland hat from the euro cup to the Rod Stewart concert. This hat was given to me by a fellow I met in Scotland at a bar. And he still had a lot of energy Yes, forever young This was a lot of food. At the cathedral this door has panels, the second ones from the top, which are very similar to the Japanese simple in a Shinto temple and also an old Celtic symbol in IrelandNice to have this kind of art on the side of a gray building in Frankfurt (oder). This is the other Frankfurt on the border with Poland.This is a pilgrimage path that leads into Spain These you see very often in Germany and Poland where people were taken and never came back during the second world war In a restaurant in Poland, a map showing the different specialties of Ukrainian food and where they are located In Poznan the marker for a famous personIn the city Of PoznanGiving a lecture concerning history to kids at a famous statueThey had a nice festival but it melted This doesn’t require explanation
these are some interesting places around Wales. I have found this country to be extremely beautiful. If you are interested in beautiful countryside or beautiful villages in cities and beautiful hills then this is definitely a place to visit, anywhere around Wales.
this was the second castle that John of Bute rebuilt for you and his wife too bring up their family. Of course he spent a lot of time in London and castle in Cardiff but also spent quite a bit of time here as well.
These are three Greek gods. Of course John was able to read an ancient Greek and Latin as well. This is the castle from the front. They are doing some restoration work. Various stories painted on the walls for edification. Family tree of the Lords of this areaThis is the sitting room. You will notice places to sit by the windows at different places in the room to catch the sun as it moves aroundA beautifully decorated ceiling The courtyard in the middle The bathing areaOne of the bedrooms Another beautiful ceiling with a wall which has a dual family crest of John and his wifeThis is John’s bedroom Another dual family crest which is different than the other one. I did not ask why they were different. the bedroom’s beautiful ceilingThis is just a display of what people were eating at the time at different parts of the day with some clothing from that eraThe bedroom of one of the children, Margaret Margaret’s bedroomThe modern entertainment machine This phone obviously was made for a left-handed person
Crickhowell
Just some beautiful photos of the countryside One of these smelting plants of the area
Tretower castle
this is actually two castles. One was built during the Norman times and the other one was built later. I was not able to walk over to the old Norman castle since it was raining and the mud was too much of an obstacle.
Tretower castle signThe courtyard of the New York Castle
This is the old castle built by Picard in the 11th centuryI took several photos because I just found the scenery very beautiful This is the newer castle They had these virtual displays here with talking snakes explaining the details of the people who lived there and some of the artifacts A long room probably for diningThis shows how the Newcastle walls were constructed, with sticks and mud for the façade, outside walls.The large banquet room The kitchen area
I visited the city from Birmingham since it seemed to be convenient by rail, on the way to Hollyhead in Wales where I could hop on the ferry for Dublin. But much to my surprise it was an extremely interesting city and worth a couple days to stick around. If you go chasing around Chester make sure you go down to the city center to see the old tutor style buildings and to walk along the older shops in the back streets and get some nice flavor of the town. Another interesting thing about Chester is it just a few minutes away from Liverpool, home of the Beatles, most of whom were of Irish descent. So whether you’re just visiting Chester for the history or you want to go onto Liverpool it’s a good idea to stick around here for a couple days.
This was a moon exhibit at the cathedral. You could see people in lounge chairs relaxing and looking up at the moon. It’s pretty interesting. If you can expand this and read it you will learn about this moon exhibit.
This is inside the cathedral which is very beautiful Looking back at the cathedral entrance These two photos are models of the cathedral as it stands nowFrom the back looking towards the front Beautiful stained glass windows These are ancient arches and the wall I think is from the Norman era so about 1000 years ago The walkway around the cloister On the ceiling in a chapel is this figure explained below. William Tracy who killed Thomas Beckett at the behest of Henry II had to go around and build three churches as penance for the murder. There was a good chance he may have been my ancestor.Explanation of the emblem A food court downtownThe rainbow colors spread out all along the large promenade This is actually one of the stations on the way from Birmingham to Chester, Shrewsbury station. It’s just an interesting old stationI asked the fellow what “off license” means. The fellow told me that the shops are just not part of a large corporation or a franchise. They are independently owned convenience stores. When I saw this building it just reminded me of Louisiana because of the balcony style This sure grabbed my attention. The pictures go from left to right. If you have a hair transplant you wind up with more hair. If a woman has an eyebrow transplant she winds up as a man. I found that pretty…. Different.A news and “off license” convenience store He wrote some of the old buildings downtown I made my own spaghetti sauce which was very delicious You have been warned. Going to a coffee shop you are now facing software from the US requesting tips.
when you’re going into Wales it’s a really good idea to start in the south visiting Cardiff 1st. It gives you a general history and sense of the country. It also hosts some of the very important monuments such as Cardiff castle. This town is very much a cross-section of England and Wales. It gives you a multiple perspective of the ancient attempts to occupy and subdue the people in Wales. That’s why I say “Cardiff is a must“.
would you visit Cardiff Castle you will be greeted by Paddington bearJust out and about finding a Chinese fast food restaurant which has good reviews on Google maps but obviously by touristS. It was a box take away restaurant with a lot of seating but you still just get the box.There are many of these old timber brick and plaster houses in Cardiff
Cardiff castle
Cardiff Castle was started by the Normans and has a very long and interesting history. The son of William the Conqueror imprisoned William here in order to lessen his power. From the end became a seat of power for much of Wales.
The entrance to the castle The castle from a distanceThis clock tower is very interesting This gate actually looks very welcoming The elaborate rooms were created by the Marquess of Bute, a descendent of the royal Stuart family of Scotland and also of the BrucesUnbelievably beautiful ornatenessAll of the decorations were employed to tell stories Each room had a fireplace to keep it warm. You will notice the family crest over the fireplace The playroom for the children. The walls were decorated with an ancient tales to educate and entertain the children Around the bird is an outline of a man. This was John who had this room decorated for his childrenA very secure door to lock someone in The dining hall The loft above was used for the musiciansAgain, storytelling within the design. Look at the castle above the fireplace. In the lower left you will see the face of a man behind bars. That was William the conqueror who was imprisoned hereThis was John’s bedroom. You notice in the right side of the room several corners where people could sit. The sun would shine at different places during the day so the people live here could change where they sit to get the sun. There was always glass up above to bring in sunlight to this fountain and gardenroom with storytelling around the wallsThis is a really beautiful ceiling These are real gems embedded in the middle of these squares in the ceiling Over one fireplace was a family shield, actually two. One was John’s family on the left and on the right was his wife’s shield World leaders gathered here after 2008President Obama attended
Cardiff cathedral
The castle from the street Cardiff Cathedral from a distanceThis burial site was so old it was difficult to even tell it was someone buried under here The family crest of one of the royalty. The Plantagenets loved to use lions Here you can see the crestS of the different owners of the castle
These two windows were commissioned by Sophia, Marchioness of Bute in 1855. At this time Sopia was a widow, and her son (John, the third Marquis) was still a minor. No information is yet known on the designer or maker of these windows, though it seems safe to assume they were created by the same person given the similarity of design. The left hand window shows the paternal arms of the donor, and the other window shows the arms of the families to have possessed Cardiff Castle from 1091 to the mid 19″ century.
Beautiful stained glass window windows This was my hotel, guest house which was completely adequate
