Here and There Blog

Sorry about the lag! I went straight from Paris to Auckland and have been working long hours everyday till now. Last night I had a great local beer - Schipper's Scallywag. I'd been waiting for a return trip so I could try it and while that took almost 18 months, I could finally toast the beer! I'm now off to Palmerston North, where if all else fails, I can post a photo of the river by the hotel.

Chateau Vincennes dates back to the 12th century and is easily reached from the Metro. It's not on the main tourist stops and as a result, not crowded.The complex has a castle and a chapel that both offer plenty of stairs to climb and it's a fun wander when you are on culture and history overload from the rest of Paris.  Above - stained glass in the chapel and below, prisoner graffiti from the castle dungeon.  Sainte -Chapple  Chateau de Vincennes  Overlooking the moat. Website click here.

The Pantheon Paris has the usual vaulted ceiling and great dome but also a large underground crypt where contributors to France and the world are buried.  View from the entrance  Time Keeper  Stained glass in the crypt  The crypt has many side rooms. Visit Madam Curie, Victor Hugo and Louis Braille. A short profile is on their website at http://www.pantheonparis.com/

The Museum of the Middle Ages has a collection of textile artifacts, with a series of The Lady and the Unicorn from the 15th century.  The museum is inside part of the Cluny Abbey hotel. The hotel has samples of everyday life, such as decorative grill work.  Gothic Sculptures that have lost their heads  Heads that never had bodies  The tapestry room was pretty cool. No flash photos allowed since the color needs to be preserved.  More grill work. The Cluny makes a nice stop with your museum pass once you've hit all the "must sees" of Paris. For more info click here.

Two free sites that are close to the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviet Memorial is an open structure with a back courtyard that has stories of the soldiers killed in 1945 in Berlin.  Keith at the Soviet Memorial.  The Holocaust Memorial is dedicated to the murdered Jews in WWII.  Below is an information center with the history and background on the Holocaust. The center was closed during my visit but provides the story that balances the emptiness of the structures. The story can be found here

285 steps to get this view and we felt all of them as we climbed up! The Victory Column in Berlin is a central landmark and can be viewed from many vantage points. Inside is an exhibit about the history of the column and what the pictures represent.  Lady Victory is one of the few women in the mosiac.  Perched on top.  To get the whole column in one photo, go to one of sides of the roundabout.

Building wall near Checkpoint Charlie Checkpoint and a snack if you are so inclined. I recommend the Checkpoint Charlie museum. The exhibits that were my favorite were the ones that told the stories of people who escaped and made it to freedom, those who were shot and killed in the run, and those who were caught and sent to prison. Click here for the link.  Brandenburg Gate. The "must take" photo.  Looking at the gate from the road. The tree lights wer starting to go up for the Christmas Market.