Spiekeroog Island Germany

We took a bus from Esens to Neuharlingersiel and then the ferry to Spiekeroog Island at the edge of the North Sea.

Spiekerook Island is a peaceful place with no cars, only foot, horse, bicycle and hand cart traffic.

Jever Germany

We took the train again from Esens to Jever, about 15 miles or so.   We took a little side trip on the way Jever.  Here Lynda is waiting for the train. 

This was a lonely part of the track.

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More beautiful architecture. I believe this is a ratthouse, official building.

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Jever has a beer named for it. The brewery is a striking modern contrast to the traditional architecture.

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We spent several hours exploring the museum in side Jever castle. This proved to be a good plan as it was raining off and on throughout the day. 

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Faeince Steins are some of the earliest Steins made from local clay and hand painted.

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Early clothing, very colorful.

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The ceiling in the room is carved wood.

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We climbed up the stairs to the tower.

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Embedded in the wall was a set of shackles, supposedly for prisoners. 

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One of the views from the Jever Castle tower. The bell tower and the brewery are both visible.

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Maria Von Jever of Hungary had the town of Jever fortified, granted the town charter, and created the small principality with a royal seat in 1536.

Perhaps she also influenced the German’s love of dogs.

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Buildings along the town square.

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When we were in the town square, they rang all the bell towers at once.  It was lovely.

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And the water pump.

Oldenburg Germany

 

 Oldenburg is a larger city in the area, with five centuries of architecture,  according to the tourist guide.

The day we visited, they were setting up for a carnival. There were extra tents and beer wagons making the streets even more narrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oldenburg is about 55 miles away from Esens, so we took the train for our visit. Germany has an extensive train system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside the Oldenburg train station, there were rows and rows of bikes waiting for their owners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tall buildings and narrow, winding streets.  It was like wandering through a giant, ever-changing, maze.

 

 

 

 

 

The coffee and bakery cafe’s are another pleasant part of the journey. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pretty alley leads to an Italian Restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

The corner of Oldenburg Castle (1607), now home of Landesmuseum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the gargoyles. I’m curious about the thought behind the choices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A balustrade in the park area near where Lynda and I took a paddle boat tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Lamberti Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More of the park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to make friends with these geese, but they had other places to be.

Rural Germany and Bicycles

 

The area around Esens is fairly flat farmland with dikes woven through fields of hay, corn, and cows. The dikes are part of interconnecting pathways for bicyles and pedestrians between towns. We spent one morning riding through the beautiful countryside. On another day we rode out to Benersiel on the coast.

 

 

 

 

A traditional windmill at the outskirts of Esens

 

 

 

 

 

Modern windmachines dot the landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

Lynda and I stopped to take pictures of ourselves out on the dikes/bike paths

 

 

 

 

 

Definately tourist behavior!

 

 

 

 

 

I love the brick work detail of this barn

 

 

 

 

This barn is interesting also, for different reasons.

The kitten is trying to hide.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a three story house attached to a very large barn. The house is the part with the red roof.

 

 

 

 

 

Simple braided rope serves as a gate.

 

 

 

 

 

This lovely horse appeared so peaceful in the gale force winds.

 

 

 

 

 

Roadsigns give bicylists directions to Bensersiel, Esens, and beyond. This path runs on top of a dike along a canal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sheep keep the soil tamped down on the dikes. Fenced areas control their wanderings.

 

 

 

 

 

The sheep fences lead to the problem of access along the pathways.

Lynda is demonstrating how to negotiate a sheep gate with a bicyle.

 

 

 

 

 

Contentment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Esens from a distance. The spire of St Magnus church towers above the roofs of brick homes.

Esens Germany

During the last week of August first of September, I (JoAnn) flew to Germany to visit my friend Lynda. Lynda had been living in Northern Germany for the past 8 or 9 months and invited me for a visit before she came home.  I have to say that having someone living there as a tour guide is the way to go, especially when they have an apartment to stay in. We had a great time, eating, touring, biking, and catching up with each other. 

While I was gone, Neil and Kelsey somehow destroyed the TV and had to replace it with a new one. But that is a whole other story not to be made public.

Now that it is over a month later, I thought I’d finally upload a few of the thousand images I came home with. I am starting with the town that Lynda was living in, Esens. It is at the end of the railroad line, a few miles away from the North Sea. It is definately affected by the ocean weather with its fresh air and frequent, sudden rainstorms.  It is also a pretty town with a nice pedestrian area of shops, church square, bakeries and gellato or ice cream cafes. The people are friendly and many spoke English. Some had visited the USA, but as far as we could tell, we were the only USA visitors there at the time.

 

 

 Outside of Lynda’s apartment were signs pointing to various parts of Esens, the marketplace, the postoffice, pedestrian area, train station, police, and Catholic Church.

 

 

 This is part of the Fussgangerzone, the pedestrian area. No bicycles or cars allowed.

 

 

 

 People sitting outside the Eis Cafe (gellato cafe)  and bakery enjoying some music.

 

 

 

The pedestrian area is crowded with people buildings and signs.

 

 

 

There are many, many dogs out also with their people. They are amazingly well behaved.

 

 

 

 

Interesting architecture and light.

 

 

 

 

 Such intricate stone work in the paved areas.

 

 

 

 

 The town square. The official building in the back is the “Ratthouse” which is a government building. There is also a bank and some shops here.

 

 

 

 

 Near the town square is the St Magnus Church

 

 

 

 I believe this is the pulpit.

 

 

 

 

 Gothic sandstone sarcophagus of the dead chief’s Siebel Attena 1473

 

 

 

 

 Every church we visited had a small area to the side for candles and prayer.  I thought this was one of the most beautiful and peaceful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In the other direction (remember the sign?) lies the more modern city.

 

 

 

 

 

 That gas price translates to about $7.32 per gallon!

 

 

 

The Combi store is the big grocery store.

 

 

 

Even the residential neighborhoods are beautiful.

 

 

 

 

How they stay so beautiful.

Santa Fe and Albequerque

 

 

On Wednesday evening, after returning from the Bandelier National Monument, we spent some time in downtown Santa Fe around the plaza.  We were too early for dinner at the Coyote Cafe, so settled for a delicious pizza on the rooftop. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, we packed up our things and left our comfortable Fort Marcy Condo in Santa Fe. We drove to Albequerque on highway 14, “the turquoise road.”   We stopped along the way to take some last photos of the scenery, some of it manmade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived in Albequerque in time for lunch at the Cascade De Fiesta Mexican Restaurant.  Everywhere we ate in New Mexico, the food was interesting and good, this was not exception.  Then we walked around “Old Town”  which is centered around a Plaza flanked by the San Felipe de Neri church. The plaza is a nice placed to hang out, especially on a sunny day, and to shop. We were able to buy turquoise and silver jewelry from the local pueblo members who spread their merchandise on blankets along the sidewalk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s our trip to New Mexico!  Comments are always appreciated – hope you enjoyed the photos —JoAnn and Neil

Bandalier National Monument

 

 On Thursday, we again drove North of Santa Fe, on Highway 4 into the Jemez Mountain Range.  The landscape continued to be interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 We stopped along the highway to take a closer look at these rock formations with giant holes.  We later learned that the rock is Tuff, a volcanic rock that dwellings were carved out of into the cliffs. I looks like giant Swiss Cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We eventually arrived at the entrance to Bandelier National Monument at over 7,000 feet. It was an effort to walk the short distance from the car to the entrance sign for this picture because of the altitude.

 

 There was a great view of Frijoles Canyon, home to the dwellings we were to visit.  The  day was overcast and extremely windy – 50mph gusts. In the background you can see the snow coming. 

 

 Before entering the canyon, we stopped at the museum and learned a little about the people who used to live there and their pottery.

 

 

 The top, hanging, pot is a “seed pot” which was used to store seeds over the winter for the next year plantings.  The clay of the pot would absorb any moisture from the seeds so they would not mold. 

 

 

We took the trail out to the village on the canyon floor called Tyuonyi.  The guidebook states it is about 600 years old.

 This is a large kiva, center of ceremonial life and the culture. The short logs show the position of the 6 wooden pillars that would have held the roof.

 

 

 The stone walls would have been covered with mud.

 

 There was 400 rooms one to two stories high housing about 100 people. Access was through a single ground-level openning.

 

 In the distance is a rebuilt cliff dwelling to show how they might have looked originally.  Apparently the doors in the front are now considered inaccurate. 

 

 

 

 Cliffs create interesting design.

 

We are starting the climb up to the cliff dwellings.

 

 

 

 

 

 The cliff dwellings are accessed by ladders.

 

 There were some narrow walkways, and we are getting higher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Everything is about going up.

 

 Tyuonyi from the cliffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 Views from inside the cave dwelling.

 

 

 

 Tyuonyi and the cave dwellings apparently existed at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This cave has been reconstructed to show the location of loom supports in the ceiling. The wood to the left is the top of a ladder.  The caves are smoked black to harden the rock.

 

 

 Dwellings were built in to the South side of the canyon to take advantage of the sun’s warmth.

 

 

 This cave shows zig zag designs, probably of the feathered serpent associated with water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Petroglyphs and viga (wood support) holes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ Talus House”  You can tell how many stories it was by the rows of viga holes supporting the ceilings.

 

 This was a colored pictograph

 

 

 

 

 The guidebook states this is a parrot, indicating trade with people further South.

 

 

 

 

 These deer were unperturbed by people walking 20 feet away.  Wish we’d carried the longer lense on this hike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This squirrel posed on the rock, again, should not have left the longer lens in the car! 

Shortly after this photo was taken at the end of our tour, it began to snow, such perfect timing. 

 

Next, and last, post:  Santa Fe and Albequerque  –JoAnn and Neil

Taos

 We continued our drive on Tuesday to Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in the USA. 

 

 This is the third San Geronimo Church, built in 1850. It is at the entrance of the Pueblo.  The first San Geronimo church, according to our guidebook, was built in 1619 by Spanish priests with Native labor.  The third was later destroyed and became the site of the cemetery.

 

 

These outdoor ovens are called Hornos. They are heated by a cedar fire, the ashes are removed and then bread and pastries are baked inside. These are still in use with bread and pastries for sale nearby. 

This picture also shows how the buildings are built with adobe bricks which are then plastered with a layer of adobe. The adobe has to be re-plastered yearly.

 

 

This is a wall of adobe brick, without the plaster.

 

 

A drying rack in front of the building, and an American flag.

 

 

 

One of the main buildings, Hlaukkwima (South House), is believed to be over 1000 years old. It is many individual homes with common walls.  Originally they did not have entrances in the front, only through the roof with access by ladders.

 

 

More of the South House. This mother and pup were sunning themselves.  The Vigas (wood beams) that support the roofs are visible on the right side.

 

 

 

We went inside this shop and enjoyed Fry Bread cooked by Paul. 

 

 

 

Paul lived in this home until his grandmother died.  He then moved and turned it into a shop.  He was one of the only that would allow his photo to be taken. We appreciated this as it helps us remember a very pleasant visit with him. 

 

 

 

The color is modern.

 

 

This is called Hlaauma, the North House, four stories high and also estimated to be 1000 years old. Remember the walls are re-plastered every year, what  a commitment.

 

The Pueblo had lots of narrow streets to walk through. Most of these are homes, a few are shops. They have no running water or electricity. Some do have woodstoves inside.  Most have a horno outside.

 

 

 

 

The kivas inside are suprisingly warm and it was a very cold day. 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Willow Creek is the only source of fresh water for the Pueblo.  Signs ask that visitors stay out of the creek in order to keep it clean. It comes from Blue Lake in The Sangre De Cristo mountains, which is a sacred site and nontribal members are not allowed into the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bell tower still stands from the second San Geronimo Church reconstructed in 1706.

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed our visit to the Taos Pueblo, enjoyed meeting several tribal members who were very generous in sharing their history and culture. 

 

 

 

 

We left, driving through the town of Taos. The main street is lined with shops. This was one of the more colorful.

 

 

 

 

On our way out of town, we stopped at Ricky’s restaurant for lunch of New Mexico style chili, both green and red. It was accompanied by more fry bread, called sopapillas to be dipped in the chili or eaten with honey. 

 

 

 

 

We took the “Low Road” which follows the Rio Grande River. 

 

 

 

On the way back to Santa Fe, we stopped at Camel Rock.  It stands near the highway, alone in the desert. There is a nice stone path up to it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next post, Bandelier National Monument, location of another pueblo site and cliff dwellings. — JoAnn and Neil

Santuario De Chimayo and the High Road to Taos

The first night of our stay, during our drive North, we found the Santuario De Chimayo in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This adobe chapel was built around 1816. It is believed to have healing properties and is said to be the most visited chapel in New Mexico. 

Because we arrived so late in the afternoon, we had the grounds to ourselves and could truly appreciate its peacefulness.

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning we returned along with the other tourists. 

 

 

 These interesting stone crosses are placed along a stream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued on our way to Taos; our ultimate destination for the day. We took the “High Road” which snakes through several villages.

We stopped to view the Truchas Mountains and met a friendly horse.

 

 

 

 

This red roof grabbed Neil’s attention amongst the desert and adobe.

 

 

 

In Las Trampas we took in the San Jose De Gracia Church, built in 1760, a Spanish Mission style.

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we continue to Taos and explore the Pueblo.    — JoAnn and Neil

New Mexico – First Day

We spent four days in New Mexico March 30th to April 3rd 2009, and being who we are, took a lot of photos. We’ve narrowed them down to some of our favorites and some that tell the story of our trip. I’m going to upload them in installments over the next few days. We would love comments and hope you enjoy sharing these with us.

 

We arrived in Santa Fe at 2 a.m. Monday March 30th. The Fort Marcy Suites were home for the next four days. The first task was finding our room and hauling our luggage up the stairs. In daylight it was a beautiful place.

 

 

 

 

 

This was our living room. A condo that is rented out by the owners to the establishment. Plenty of room for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The skies are so blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nearby home on top of the hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These cactus are everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timber fences are the most common in Santa Fe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mailboxes embeded in the wall with tile numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

More homes and beautiful skies. Notice that all the buildings are “adobe.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate lunch at il piatto in downtown Santa Fe. Very good food, very nice people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a late lunch we went for a drive North.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the overpasses are decorated and named with a nearby settlement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The evening light painted the landscape yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The setting sun also changes the adobe. This is the same house as an above photo, overlooking Santa Fe at sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next post will be about El Santuario de Chimayo – JoAnn and Neil