More Lions in Braunschweig.

 Henry´s Lion on his plinth takes centre stage.

Preparations are now well under way for the opening performance of "La Traviata" on the 8th August.   I took this photo of Henry's Lion just before a kindly sound engineer told me to wander around,  and see some even better kissing lions on the other side of the stage.  He spoke excellent English, and works all around the world setting up the sound systems for concerts and open air theatres.  English seems to the the common language in all countries.  What an interesting job!   The director of this production of "La Traviata" is an Englishman, and he is very good too, so my informant told me.

 Parts of the scenery, two kissing lions and two gravestones.

I am going to a performance, and it will be interesting to see exactly where these lions are positioned and what part they play in the action.  Very soon the rehearsals will begin, and on a warm afternoon it is pleasant to sit on the lion benches outside the cathedral, and listen to the chorus and soloists practising their parts.  The orchestra plays too, and this part of BS is filled with wonderful music every day.

 More parts of the scenery and the pink boxes containing the sound equipment and cables.

 The Landesmuseum to the left, and the little ticket kiosk in the centre.

A similar scene, with the cathedral to the right, and the open air stage occupying the whole Burgplatz.

There are many benches along this side of the cathedral, a good spot for listening to free music by Verdi.  The beautiful face of "The Lady of the Camillias" can be seen on the posters.

Duke Henry of Braunschweig and the Legend of the Lion.

The Brunswick Lion.

The Brunswick Lion is the best known landmark in the Lower Saxony city.    It stands in the Burgplatz, in front of Dankwarderode Castle and near the Cathedral.   The Lion was erected around 1166 outside his residence by "Henry the Lion,"  Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, born in Ravensburg in 1129/30 and died in Brunswick in 1195,  as a symbol of his ducal authority and jurisdiction. 

The Brunswick Lion is the oldest, and best preserved large sculpture dating from the Middle Ages north of the Alps, and the first large hollow casting of a figure since antiquity.   The bronze casting by an unknown artist, probably from Brunswick, weighs 880 kg,  is 1.76 mt high, with a maximum thickness of 12 mm. 

The Legend of the Lion

Shortly after the death of Henry the Lion, he became the subject of a folktale, the so called "Henry Saga."  The tale was later turned into the opera, "Enrico Leone" by the Italian composer Agostino Steffani.  The saga tells the fictional account of Henry's pilgrimage to the Holy Land. According to the legend, Henry witnesses a fight between a lion and a dragon during the pilgrimage.  He joins the lion in its fight, and together they slay the dragon.   The faithful lion then accompanies Henry back to Brunswick.  After his master's death, the lion refuses all food and dies of grief on Henry's grave.  The people of  the city then erected the statue to honour the lion. 

The Brunswick Lion in London.

There are several replicas of the Brunswick Lion around the world, all mainly in Germany, but including the one to the right, which stands in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Below is the replica that stands in the Burgplatz.  The original statue is too precious to stand outside in all weathers, and during the war both the original and the copy were safely hidden away.  Many statues in Germany were melted down during the war to supply metal for the ammunition industry.  The lost statues are now being gradually replaced by modern copies in many cities,  using old photographs and extant information and designs.

The copy of  the Lion on his pedestal in the Burgplatz.

Near the two sunlit archways stands the Cathedral's  "Lion Portal," which is the only portal remaining in the original Romanesque architecture.  It has deep scratches in its sidewalls, and these are the subject of another legend.  The lion was a good companion of Duke Henry, and it is said that he scratched away at the walls with his paws, because he did not want to leave his master alone in death.   The truth behind  the formation of these  scratches is more mundane.  They were probably made in the Middle Ages by the custom of whetting the edges of a sword, and for the endowment of good luck in battle. 

The Timmerlah Bus Stop in a Heatwave.

The Hopfenhanger bus stop in the Braunschweig direction .

This blog might pass as the least exciting and most boring of the year, but circumstances do not permit me to out gathering exciting blognews in a record heatwave.   Little Miss "High Pressure Zlatka" has come up from the Sahara, to create a weekend of record high temperatures.    Although it is not as hot here as in southern Germany, we expect temperatures today of around 31c, although Stuttgart and München will be sweltering in 37 - 39c.   I´m going to a birthday party today, where hopefully a cool breeze will waft under the garden umbrella, and a cold beer will go down well.

I was waiting at the above bus stop late last Thursday afternoon, for choir friends to pick me up and travel to a care home in Tuckermannstraße.   There we sang German folk songs to the elderly,  while they enjoyed their supper.   The performance of perhaps eight folk songs, went well, and included, "To Wander is the Miller´s Joy,"  a well know folk song in England,  and my favourite German song,  "Little Anne from Taurau."

Everyday, when it is raining or impossible to walk to Weststadt in a heatwave, I catch the bus from the above stop to Donaustraße, where I change and catch the tram into the city.   In the far distance you can see Weststadt, where I do the weekly shopping.   The second house from left, with the white wall is my flat in the roof of the house.     Two buses an hour run from here during the week,  and one an hour at weekends.    The bus runs on time, and is never very busy. 

 Same bus stop, but looking in the opposite direction.

This photo shows the corner of Timmerlahstraße with the turning into Hopfenanger on the right.  The house is a private home, but with an insurance office in one of the rooms.   Outside the house is the bus stop for buses to Lengrede and Geitelde,  two small hamlets further up the road, and out towards Sonnenberg and the Mittelland canal 

My friendly neighbours´ house in Hopfenanger.

 The friendly couple who live here and tend their garden,  always stop for a chat as I go by.   I recently taught them the words, "beer and ale," with the help of some diagrams of a bottle.   I tried to explain the difference, but we ended up agreeing that whatever is your tipple, it tastes good, whether beer or ale.

Along the fence hangs a series of signs, all of which have been useful for learning new vocabulary while standing staring into space at the bus stop.  The first left advertises a carpenter and cabinet maker´s business at the next left turn, the middle advertises a garden centre near Weststadt, and the third the otter centre in Eschede,  where the word  "mittendrin," meaning "in the middle of"  dawned on me last year!    A good "Eureke moment" can arise at  any bus stop in Germany.

"Men at Work" in the Burgplatz

The first part of the stage has gone up in 2.5 days. 

The time has arrived again to erect the huge open air stage in the Burgplatz, for this year's production of "La Traviata,"  which is presented by the State Theatre and Opera of Braunschweig.   I did not see last year's production of "The Bartered Bride," although I listened to many of the rehearsals while sitting outside the Cathedral.    

In August 2011 I went with friends to see Puccini's  "Turendot."   Well actually we went twice, once when the heavens opened and the performance was cancelled,  and the second time, when Act 1 remained dry, but by Act 2 the drizzle had started and persisted until the end.   I enjoyed the damp performance, with its Chinese Chairman Mao take on the story.

Burg Dankwarderode

Burg Dankwarderode was built between 1160 and 1175 on an island in the River Oker by Henry the Lion and his wife Matilda of England.  The castle lost its military significance as a defensive structure, and became completely surrounded by the growing city.  During the 15th century, the Dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel moved from the Burg to a new residence in Wolfenbüttel, a town outside the city.   The building fell into disrepair, until the late 19th century, when in 1887,  it was rebuilt by Ludwig Winter,  based on archeological investigations, 

The building was severely damaged in the war, and has been faithfully rebuilt, and is part of the Duke Anton Ulrich Museum.  With the Cathedral and several traditionally built half-imbered buildings, it forms one of Braunschweig's "Historical Islands."  At it's centre is the statue of "Henry's Lion of Braunschweig," and the open air stage is constructed around this monument, and incorporated into the action.

The stage viewed through the arches of the gallery that links the Burg with the Cathedral. 

This large square makes a wonderful setting for the many open air events and activities held in the city throughout the year.    A large Christmas fair takes place here, one of the many events I would really like to visit.   The place on a snowy winter´s evening, with colourful lights on the many stalls , must look like a winter wonderland.   Maybe I will visit one Christmas time!

Trainspotting.

All rational thought on my part is now suspended until this current impossible heatwave disappears.  In temperatures of over 30c every day, it is not possible for me to go blog news gathering, especially when the trams are not running from Weststadt into the city. Nobert and Brian, the Pied Piper and a postcard of my man JS Bach spent some time this morning train spotting from the front window, that was until the sun forced us to close the blinds.  I then hung out the washing on the patio while Norbert watched two  trains pass by.   He is wearing his "much too small for me" sunhat!  I do dread this weather, as I like to walk everyday for my health and sense of mental well being.  I cannot sleep properly without some exercise each day.   

Yesterday I walked from the English groups, who meet in the Gliesmarode community centre, into the city, a walk of about a mile, and I managed to stay in the shade of the tall buildings, where it was surprisingly cool and windy.   

In the photo above the 10.20am regional double decker train from Braunschweig to Hannover can be seen passing our front window.   This train does the BS, Hannover, Peine, BS loop every hour, and is the train I take to Hannover Airport, a journey of about 40 minutes.  Most passengers like to sit in the upper deck, which gives a wonderful view of the flat, passing countryside. 

 The Pied Piper pipes for the two coach regional train to Goslar in the Harz Mountains.

This little train travels from BS to Goslar, a lovely town nestled at the foot of the Harz Mountains.  It is a town of traditionally built, half timbered German houses, and the castle was the former home of the Dukes of Braunschweig before they moved into the city in middle ages.

 Norbert dances with death on the terrace rail.

An ICE express travels into BS left, with a regional locomotive bringing up the rear.  On the horizon can be seen the telecommunications mast in Broitsam, a small satilite town in the distance.  The tram is not running from there either, which means very crowded replacement buses.

A distant Norbert on the terrace rail, watches the ICE express go by.

This train travels to Hannover (right of photo,) and onwards via Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Freiburg  to terminate in Basel in Switzerland.   Not only am I good at memorising bus timetables, I have developed a thorough knowledge of the Lower Saxony railway system!   No,  not quite true, although I can tell the time by the passing of the regional trains.  

The photo was taken on the terrace, with the white bricked well seen in the background. 

This, and the white stepping stones across the garden, can be cleary seen on the Google Earth image of my flat.   It is 11.55 here, and already 28c!   Oh for the coolness of a damp day in Devizes.

More Windmills in my Mind!

"Lady Devorgilla"  the wedding windmill from Dumfries.

The town of Gifhorn, site of the Windmill museum is twinned with Dumfries in Scotland.  The above mill is a copy of one that stands in Dumfries, and is a celebration of the partnership between the two towns.  A registrar's office is based in the mill, and it is used as a place for weddings.

Through the door of the Mallorcan mill, looking out towards the Greek mill.

 Looking out of the Mallorcan mill  towards the Greek mill with the canvas sails, the Dutch mill,and in the far distance the French  Sanssouci mill. 

 A view of the Russian church from the Sanssouci mill.

Inside the Korean watermill.

The overshot waterwheel drives a shaft, from which two spokes protrude, and raise each hammer, which then drop onto the grain, in the pit.   The hammers eventually beat the grain to a fine powdery flour.

Gifhorn Mill Museum.

Windmills from France left and Mallorca.

During my annual travels in German,  I have visited many wonderful places, and some special places in particular remain indelibly imprinted upon my mind.   The Frauenkirche in Dresden, the River Neckar in Heidelburg, Charlottenburg in Berlin, the Leipzig Churches where JS Bach worked and Köln Cathedral.  I can now add to my list a collection of delightful windmills from around the world, and best of all, a Russian wooden church.  The day for our visit was warm, but the museum site was tree covered, and it was possible to sit in shady corners, drink water, eat lunch,  and in the lovely cafe, drink a large German beer!

A Portugese mill left,  and one from Greece. 

The following link will give you a detailed history of the site, and information about its founder, who converted his interest in making model windmills into the present day museum, with real, life size mills collected from around the world.

International Wind- and Watermill Museum - Wikipedia, the free ...

                       en.wikipedia.org/.../International_Wind-_and_Wate...‎

           ...

The French Windmill.

A deserted stork´s nest on the roof, with a ducking stool in the foreground.

The wooden Russian Orthodox Church.

The French Mill viewed from the Russian Church.

Bronze Sculptures in the Botanical Garden.

This Botanical Garden is part of Braunschweig University, is a most wonderful place in which to sit and wander.  It's stands in the middle of a city beside the River Oker, and is always shady, cool and quiet, and a great place to hide from the heat.  I returned today to find out more details about the sculptures that grace the garden. "Adam" here was sculpted by Sabine Hoppe, an artist who lives in Braunschweig. He has a very determined look on his face, and is maybe, searching for his Eve, who is nowhere to be seen unless................................................

Eve is the "Lady in the Ravine."  She sits on the other side of the stream, and it is not possible to jump across to see if a plaque gives her a name and creator.   I did ask a nice young man in German in the "Fern House" if he knew anything about her, and he answered me in impeccable English, "No, I'm afraid I don't."   Well I tried!

"The Lady in the Ravine" aka Eve?

What a nice place to sit and watch the never ending rivulets, flowing over the stone steps of the cascade

"The Lady in the Ravine," and showing the entire cascade surrounded with ferns.

"Gänseblume" by Sylla Molsaln. (not sure of the artist´s name, as it was difficult to decypher.)

I like these two huge daises, so boldly, and simply sculpted.

 Professor Johann Heinrich Blasius, the founder of the Botanical Garden.

A red squirrel enjoy the warmth.

I have seen red squirrels in Timmerlah woods on several occasions, but this was the first time I was able to take a good photo.   I spotted him scurrying towards me from under some bushes, and he conveniently hopped up onto the bench around a nearby tree, and I was able to catch him at the one moment he stood still.   I wonder what his name is?

Building Site Braunschweig.

 Sewer or drain work in  Friedrich Wilhelm Platz.  Buses used to stop here, and the sign says, "Feuerwehrzufahrt,"   "Fire brigade access!"  Hahaha!

These photos could have been taken anywhere in Braunschweig, as there is so much reconstruction work going on, it is difficult to take a straight forward journey anywhere!  I have found the closure of the tramlines from Weststadt into town particularly tiresome, as less frequent and smaller buses have replaced the once excellent tram service.  Everyone is patient, especially in cool weather, but on a hot day, the overcrowded travelling verges on the impossible!  A journey that took 12 minutes on the tram, has become, depending on the rush hour, 20 to 25 minutes long!  I have found an alternative route, which takes longer, but at least the bus is not so crowded.

 

The former taxi rank, now host to piles of wood.  This has been like this since May.

The No 5 tram (replaced by a bus at the moment) cannot take its usual route to the railway station, because the entire length of Leonhardstraße has been dug up!   Quite how the little shops and cafes here are coping I don`t know.  There was an article in the paper recently stating, "School Holidays, Dig up the City!" or words to that effect.  

I should add in all fairness, that the speed of the work has impressed me.  The old tram track disappeared almost overnight, and the old ballast and stonework went in a flash, with the help of a very noisy digger that burrowed its way underneath the stone!

 New track at Donaustraße Tram Stop.

This is my interchange, where I disembark  from the Timmerlah bus, and usually climb onto the M3 or the M5 tram for the 12 minute trip into the city.    Travel here is usually so easy, but I must admit to being a little put out at the moment!  The children are back at school in three weeks time, and the major upheaval is scheduled to finish on August 7th, when my beloved trams will be running again.  

Rheinring Tram Stop

The tram stops in Weststadt are named after rivers that run through Germany, Donaustraße, Rheinring, Alsterplatz, Saalestraße and Weserstraße,  which is the terminus, and where the tram turns around.   I alight here and walk the last mile home across the fields of corn, (when it´s not too hot or raining, and just about right!)

Hopefully next year this section of tramway will be working normally, although I expect another chunk of the network will be ripped up somewhere else!  There is a major tram junction in the city at Hagenmarkt, a point at which four trams change direction!  Heaven help us when this junction needs repairs.  Hi di ho!

With Adam in the Botanical Gardens.

Adam surveys the plants in the Botanical Garden.

This lovely bronze sculpture stands a the top of the steps into the Botanical Garden.  Whenever I walk past I always say "Hello Adam," and stroke his head.  Quite where Eve is I don´t know, but as a friend wrote to me recently, "Possibly she is out buying an apple."  On hot days this garden is the place to be with its many shady corners and a cool ravine, where a little waterfall flows through the dank fern garden.  It is a favourite spot for local lovers, and often I cannot sit there for fear of disturbing them.

Greenhouses, the tallest housing the giant ferns, the nearest houses the carnivorous plants, and the other is home to "Victoria Amazonica"  hte giant waterlily.

The gardens, founded in 1840 by Johann Heinrich Blasius in the grounds of a stately mansion on the banks of the River Oker,  are a department of the Technical University of Braunschweig.   In 1828, a smaller garden existed on the opposite bank of the river, which soon outgrew its purpose, and Blasius had to find a bigger site.  The old garden was lost in 1868. By 1900 there were 2700 species outdoors, and 1200 in greenhouses.  Some of the original trees from 1840 remain to this day.

The gardens and greenhouses were bombed in 1944/45, and partially destroyed, but all have since been rebuilt.   By 1985 a two acre baroque garden, with an emphasis on farming,  was laid out, which was augmented in 1989 with a stream and small waterfall in a ravine.   The garden was expanded by four acres in 1995, which is now a research area.

Red and pink hollyhocks.

Stating the obvious I know, but these blooms, together with their neighbours of many colours were a most beautiful sight to behold.  I had obviously chosen a good time to visit.

Maroon hollyhocks!

The sixty species of hollyhocks are native to Europe and Asia, and are annual, biennial or perennial plants usually standing in an erect, unbranched form.  They are popular garden ornamental plants, and are easily grown from seed.   The red flowering variety attracts hummingbirds (none to be seen on Thursday) and butterflies.  The stems can be used as firewood, and the roots have been used for medicinal purposes.

The centrepiece of the herb garden.

 I do like symmetry, and this garden, with its different varieties of herbs laid out in each box hedged quarter, has this central feature of the red geraniums growing in a stone urn.  Four pathways radiate from the centre, with four trees in tubs, two of which can be seen.  The seat in the background in mirrored by one behind me, as I took this photo.  Slow wandering and pondering the meaning of life are two necessary prerequisites for the enjoyment of these gardens, and a strong desire to keep out of the heat of course!

Looking for the Schul-and Bürgergarten behind Braunschweig United´s Football Stadium.

 Braunschweig United´s football stadium in the process of being upgraded.

No this is not the Schulgarten I was looking for, it´s the  "Eintract Braunschweig Stadion," which is somewhere near the garden I searched for this afternoon.   I thought I knew where the garden lay, having  committed  to memory the pattern of roads from Google Earth, but could I find the entrance?  No!   I recognised the street names, but it was so quiet, and there was no one about to ask.  After a fruitless walk of at least a mile,  I caught the tram back to the city, and  I´ll have another attempt to find it next week.

Braunschweig United´s training pitch.

Not even a footballer was about to shout at and ask directions!   Eintract have moved up into the first division of the Bundesliga, and will play a test match against West Ham United on July 27th.  The stadium is a building site at the moment, just like the rest of Braunschweig!   I don´t know anything about football, and have no desire to change that situation!

It is school holiday time, and the tram tracks from Weststadt into the city have been ripped out, and are being replaced.  Work started on June 27th, and is scheduled to finish on August 7th, in time for the schools to go back.  At the moment travel is very chaotic, with fewer, smaller buses than trams carrying workers and shoppers into the city.   That means a tight squeeze on most journeys, and in this hot weather, I rather dread the journeys!   New sewers are being laid in several streets, the Autobahn is having a major junction rebuilt, and the whole city seems in uproar!  

News from Wimbledon.

I'm very fortunate to have a friend who lives in Stöckheim, (a small satellite town a few miles outside Braunschweig) who receives BBC tv on a special satellite dish.  This meant that I could watch both Wimbledon finals, and  I spent Saturday and Sunday afternoons glued to the set watching the matches.   Miss Sabine Lisicki, the German player did her best in her first Grand Slam final, but was completely overawed by the occasion.  Her opponent, the French player Marion Bartoli had played in a final before, so was more prepared the the stress of the occasion.   I cheered for the German player of course, but she played a poor game against a much stronger Miss Bartoli.  I was able to remain fairly calm watching this match, and the photo above shows the loser signing autographs after the match.

Andy Murray being interviewed after the match.

Calm was not a word to describe my viewing of the men´s final between GB´s Andy Murray and live wire Novak Djokovik from Serbia!   The match was wonderful, and I´m lucky that my fingernails survived the three set match in tact!     Both men fought their hardest to win, but it was Andy who played the better game and who, this year,  was determined to win having been the runner up in 2012.   The photo shows him being interviewed by Sue Barker after the match.  My friend is an English teacher and a member of the Braunschweig/Bath twinning group.   On the wall can be seen a map of England, a country is has visited on many occasions and which is dear to her heart.

A hot air balloon floats over my home in Timmerlah.

The tram tracks are being renovated during the school holidays, which means that my journeys from Timmerlah into the city are not as straight forward as they usually are.  I do miss the trams, which have been replaced by less frequent buses.  After the stress of watching Andy win, I decided to walk the last mile back home, and watched a hot air balloon gently drift across the skyline above my flat.   My flat is in the peaked roof house in the centre of the photo.

The first thing I did when I got home was to have a nice, strong cup of English tea and feel so pleased that after 77 years, another British player has won the Wimbledon final.

In Hamelin Town with the Pied Piper and Two Glasses of Beer.

I've tried on many occasion to visit this town, and on Thursday I manged to get there!  I had planned a trip on the bus and train, but came with friends in the car, which I must admit was a much easier journey.  The town lies in the Weser mountain area of Hamelin-Pyrmont, an area in Lower Saxony.  The old town still retains its medieval street layout, and only a small section of the defensive wall and two gate-towers remain.   The town is most famous for the folk tale of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin," a story that tells of the tragedy that befell the town in the thirteenth century, and which is thought to have it origins in the plague.  The version written by the Brothers Grimm made the story popular throughout the world.  It is also the subject of poems written by Goethe and Robert Browning.   

Every Sunday in summer the tale is performed by actors and children in the town.  The town has many fine medieval half-timbered buildings,  some of which were damaged in WW2, and have been restored.   A monastery was founded here as early as 851 AD, and a village had grown up around it by 12th century.   The Pied Piper incident is supposed to have happened in 1284, and may be based on a true event.  The statue above shows the Piper playing his pipe and surrounded by rats around the base.

 The Rat Catcher's House built in 1602.

The house has the story inscribed on the timberwork, which is beautifully carved with faces, figures, and traditional patterns, all painted in soft browns and yellows.   These patterns are found on many German half timbered buildings, including many in Braunschweig.  It is now a restaurant.

 The Minster of St. Bonifatius, with a crypt dating from 1120.

We climbed the centre tower, which has a viewing area in the cupola that gave a wonderful view over the town.  The photo below shows a view of the River Weser.  The tower to the right contains the bells.

 The River Weser, deep and wide, washes its walls on the southern side.

The following link can be read in English and gives more information:

Tourismus und Freizeit in Hameln und Weserbergland - Stadt Hameln

                     www.hameln.de/tourismus/‎

       

A view looking down towards the spire of St Nikolai, the market church in the town centre.

It was a lovely day in a lovely town on a warm day.  The Information centre shows an introductory film  about the town in English and in German, and sold many souveniers.   I bought a little model of the Piper and his rats, made of white plastic, but which from a distance could pass as ivory!   

A young man in the Info Centre was dressed as the Piper, and spoke excellent English to a large group of people who were about to take the guided tour around the town.  It was a lovely day,  with a good lunch of roast ham and vegetables,  accompanied by two glasses of beer!