Thursday 17 March 2011

A Mouth Full!

Up on The Drachenfels




Top of  Drachenschloss

Sunday March 13: Today, I went to Konigwinter and I invited two to the guys from the house to come. We took the train across the Rhein and stopped at the Konigwinter station and walked in the direction. Once we got to the base of the Drachenfels mountain, we decided whether to use the little train or to walk up it, but I made the decision that we would walk it, and yes it was long and steep. After about an hour, we arrived at the top, and ohh it’s a beautiful sight. (Oh, forgot to mention, I have already been there, but 4 years ago). First, there’s the Schloss Drachenburg and the tour into it was amazing, with so many rich colours, carvings and riches. It’s known for occurring theme of dragons and hunting (ie: deer). It also has everywhere wonderful murals on the walls and ceiling. We climbed to the top using very winding, steep stairs and looked out. At the top are the Drachenfels Medieval Ruins which is also an incredible lookout. Once walking all the way back down, we were really hungry so stopped for a phenomenal Doner (Turkish wrap). MMMMMM! Excellent!  
Tree Hugger (to the same tree 4 years ago)

Monday March 14: Unfortunately it’s humid/rainy.  After school, I went did my homework then went over to visit with Elke and her friend. During that time, I went out and bought groceries and schemed where I was going to put all of it for my bike home (I managed to fit all the delicates in my backpack and the rest in the bike basket). We had a lovely dinner and I biked home. My heart goes out to everyone being affected by the Japan disaster, for everything: the earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear fear. God, It makes you feel so damn lucky to live where we live, to see how much power and devastation mother nature can cause!
Tuesday March 15: The morning started out humid again which was not nice, and I get to school (by bike of course) only to be very confused because there were no cars in the driveway. I look at my watch and I’m an hour early! I must be really confused with home time and here time (I’m using my blackberry as an alarm but it’s still on home time). Though, it was beneficial, because one classmate from the UK came early(because she had just dropped off her kids) so we went across the street and had a coffee. I noticed during class that it seemed to be getting hotter and hotter (I don’t think anyone else was effected, because no one else seemed to be bothered...guess its that Canadian blood, not used to heat). Well when I stepped outside, I couldn’t believe it, it was REALLY warm! I was overjoyed; I could bike around in a Tshirt. Everyone else thought me crazy for having bare arms, but I found out it was a crazy 20 degrees and sunny! I started to panic though, because as I had not really planned anything for the day, I felt terrible wasting the day away, and I seemed it to be a waste to be indoors, so I decided to go for a roundabout bike ride; and a circle at that so I wouldn’t lose any positivity. So (possibly looking at a map to understand) I stayed on the lovely bike path all along the Rhein, crossed the bridge to the other side of the Rhein  till I got to the next bridge from Beuel to city Bonn and then back down the path to home again.
Wednesday, March 16: Word of the day is: Hell, which in German actually means Bright which for us English speakers, is the very opposite...so when having to say it, it is uncomforting!

Today we had a little test, but nothing big. We learned words for things inside a house (ie: Abeitzimmer (workroom), der Herd (stove), der kuhlschrank (fridge) ) After class, I biked over to the Kunst Museum which is right near the school and bought my ticket to go see The Flying Eyes and Beth Hart at Harmonie on the 24th and then went  to see the Napoleon Bonaparte exhibit, which was called Napoleon and Europe: Dream and Trauma. It had everything about him, gathered from all around Europe!  It fully portrayed both the positive and negative effects of Napoleon’s power in politics, war, propaganda, art theft, administration and cultural prosperity across Europe.  The exhibit was lush with many artefacts including the stunning artwork of him, his family, and the rest of the Napoleonic Era. There were many statues, his Emperor robes, his famous hat and jacket, artefacts from St. Helena (where he was exiled  and there died), locks of his hair, his golden crown wreath, breast plates, tools for amputations (during battle), the Napoleonic Code books themselves, blueprints for roadways and bridges, papers and artefacts of  his metric system, his spyglass, the many propaganda drawing from around Europe mocking Napoleon,  his death mask and of his only true son (who only outlives him by 11 years), the many of his symbolic banners and medals, and even the scripts of Stanley Kubrick’s Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made (he wanted to make a movie about him but it never worked out....that was very intruiging).  
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Drachenschloss

Another artefact, I was very interested in was the original music scripts of Beethoven’s 3rd (Eroica) Symphony, which was originally called “Bonaparte Symphony” in dedication of Napoleon and his sweeping military campaigns across the continent. But when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor in 1804, it outraged Beethoven calling him a tyrant for doing so. Thus Beethoven, as you can still visually see, how he vigorously scratched out the title, in his obvious anger. I found that most interesting to see (to actually see in front of me, the results of Beethoven’s anger of the impact Napoleon had on this famous composer).  Another thing I learned that I did not know before was the mass transportation Napoleon ordered of entire art and cultural collections and libraries all over Europe to Paris to be the European Mecca of the arts and sciences. He found this incredibly important to him, and had everything carefully and precisely documented, and then allowed to the public to come and view.
 He was truly an intriguing man  who left a great legacy: who as a boy, excelled faster than anyone at 16,quickly climbed up the ranks (became captain in 1792), stunned the world, for winning so many battles and taking over so much land so quickly, with brilliant battle tactic, (including being known for their quickness and known as a man who stressed for simplicity and tactfulness, even as a commander in world campaigns),  installed himself as First Consol in 1799 at 30, crowned himself Emperor at 35, in 1804 (all of this without real force or anger from the French people), and then exiled in 1815 after losing the Battle of Waterloo, then dying in 1821 (born in 1769 in Corsica). That’s just 16 years and to have gained so much in such a short time!  He had also done this by securing his family as leaders around Europe; managing his conquest of Europe like a family business............pheww! Just thought I’d get that out of there....sorry if I bored anyone. Learn Lots!

2 comments:

  1. That's so awesome!!! WOW are you getting your exercise! 20 degrees is waaarm, I'm so jealous!!

    How is your German coming along? You must be learning pretty quick, having to speak it all the time!

    *hugs*

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  2. I have to admit...it's not as intensive as I expected.
    But these the temperature has been very nice so far minus a few days :)

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