Katie's Soccer Practice
September 25, 2007
Not looking that interested right now...
Oktoberfest Munich, Germany
September 22, 2007
We drove to Germany for the weekend (leaving Friday late afternoon, returning Sunday night), stopping for the night just before Melk. Saturday morning we got up early and drove the rest of the way to Jenbach (close to Ramstein Airforce Base) and visited the rest of the day with and spent the night at the Richards'. We had a good visit there and left early the next morning to drive to Munich for a brief glimpse of the Oktoberfest festivities. I was actually quite surprised what a good time someone could have there, even without partaking of the drinking aspect of the festival. They had a complete amusement park set up and of course booths with all sorts of food, including, of course, bratwursts. We spent the afternoon there before making the six hour drive back home. If we are close to Munich this time next year, we will be sure we budget a little more time to enjoy this "cultural" event.
September 22, 2007
We drove to Germany for the weekend (leaving Friday late afternoon, returning Sunday night), stopping for the night just before Melk. Saturday morning we got up early and drove the rest of the way to Jenbach (close to Ramstein Airforce Base) and visited the rest of the day with and spent the night at the Richards'. We had a good visit there and left early the next morning to drive to Munich for a brief glimpse of the Oktoberfest festivities. I was actually quite surprised what a good time someone could have there, even without partaking of the drinking aspect of the festival. They had a complete amusement park set up and of course booths with all sorts of food, including, of course, bratwursts. We spent the afternoon there before making the six hour drive back home. If we are close to Munich this time next year, we will be sure we budget a little more time to enjoy this "cultural" event.
Vienna, Austria (Sand in the City and Belvedere Castle)
September 8, 2007
Vienna had an exhibit going on where it had different artists create sand sculptures of different historical landmarks from St. Basils Cathedral in Moscow, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, to the Parthenon in Athens. Considering the Soccer (Football) craze on this continent, it also included a large Soccer cleat and a larger than life sculpture of German Football Czar Franz Beckenbauer (widely considered the 2nd greatest footballer ever, behind Pele).
We also visited the Castle Belevedere, built in the 18th century first as a garden, then added to become the Summer residence of Prince Eugene (one of the greatest Habsburg Generals). It was sold to Maria Theresa, the Archduchess of Austria, with Archduke Franz Ferdinand being the last to reside here (before his assassination by a member of the Black Hand that started World War I).
September 8, 2007
Vienna had an exhibit going on where it had different artists create sand sculptures of different historical landmarks from St. Basils Cathedral in Moscow, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, to the Parthenon in Athens. Considering the Soccer (Football) craze on this continent, it also included a large Soccer cleat and a larger than life sculpture of German Football Czar Franz Beckenbauer (widely considered the 2nd greatest footballer ever, behind Pele).
We also visited the Castle Belevedere, built in the 18th century first as a garden, then added to become the Summer residence of Prince Eugene (one of the greatest Habsburg Generals). It was sold to Maria Theresa, the Archduchess of Austria, with Archduke Franz Ferdinand being the last to reside here (before his assassination by a member of the Black Hand that started World War I).
Airshow St. Stephens Day
August 20, 2007
Each year on St. Stephen's Day (St. Stephen was the King of Hungary at the turn of the 11th Century, defeating his pagan uncle and uniting the regional tribes under Christianity), along with celebrating a public holiday and a fireworks show, they present an air show. Some friends of ours here invited us to their hotel room at the Intercontinental Hotel, which lies right on the Danube and is a perfect location to view the show in comfort. The weather was not great, but good enough, and certainly better than last year when heavy rains actually flodded the river resulting in at least a couple of deaths.
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August 20, 2007
Each year on St. Stephen's Day (St. Stephen was the King of Hungary at the turn of the 11th Century, defeating his pagan uncle and uniting the regional tribes under Christianity), along with celebrating a public holiday and a fireworks show, they present an air show. Some friends of ours here invited us to their hotel room at the Intercontinental Hotel, which lies right on the Danube and is a perfect location to view the show in comfort. The weather was not great, but good enough, and certainly better than last year when heavy rains actually flodded the river resulting in at least a couple of deaths.
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Statue Park, Budapest, Hungary
August 13, 2007
While Mark and Kristen Voorhies were visiting us we decided to go and visit Statue Park which is just about 15 minutes from our house. When the communist government fell in 1989 in Hungary, most of the communist statues scattered throughout the city were immediately removed. A few years later, it was decided to create an outdoor "museum" of these statues, opening in 1993, on the 2nd anniversary of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Hungarian territory. Just outside the park is a re-creation of the base of the 25 meter high 
Stalin monument that was erected in 1951 in celebration of Stalin's 70th birtday. This statue was torn down as part of the 1956 Hungarian revolution (today, in the original spot of the Stalin monument is a monument honoring the '56 revolution), leaving only the base and the boots. The recreation outside of Statue park includes the base and just the boots.
August 13, 2007
While Mark and Kristen Voorhies were visiting us we decided to go and visit Statue Park which is just about 15 minutes from our house. When the communist government fell in 1989 in Hungary, most of the communist statues scattered throughout the city were immediately removed. A few years later, it was decided to create an outdoor "museum" of these statues, opening in 1993, on the 2nd anniversary of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Hungarian territory. Just outside the park is a re-creation of the base of the 25 meter high 
Stalin monument that was erected in 1951 in celebration of Stalin's 70th birtday. This statue was torn down as part of the 1956 Hungarian revolution (today, in the original spot of the Stalin monument is a monument honoring the '56 revolution), leaving only the base and the boots. The recreation outside of Statue park includes the base and just the boots.
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