All Quiet on the Timmerlah Front.

"Out of the ruins arises what the war destroyed"

I had a quiet day today and thankfully, it is much cooler with a breeze blowing.  I ran out of food this morning,  I was down to my last egg, a stale roll and an apple, so was forced to go shopping.   I've now stocked up for a few days, but I never did like shopping.

I've switched on the tennis from "Queen's Club" in London and I'm shocked at how  green the grass it, it's all very yellow here.

Houses in the Magniviertal.

Before the last war Braunschwieg was a congested city of half timbered houses, like the examples shown here.  In the fire bombing in 1945,  90% of the buildings were destroyed, rather like the "Pudding Lane" London scenario of 1666.   Since the war some buildings have been reconstructed as the originals and others have come from other towns and found a new home here.   Each newly erected building carries a date and some information about its history.

The plaque left, is on a house rebuilt here from its original home in Ruenigen, not far from Braunschweig.  It was built in 1643 as a toll house and stood on the old "Reichsstrasse" road to Frankfurt.  In 1948-1950 it was re erected here by Peter Borel, one of the citizens of Braunschweig  who had the foresight to rescue parts of destroyed buildings and save them for future reconstruction.  

The stones from the bombed Royal Palace were numbered, buried for safe keeping and then re erected in 2005 to form "Schloss Arkaden" a big Shopping Mall in the city centre, with a library at one end and a museum at the other.   Over the years many buildings have risen from the ashes.  www.schlossarkaden.de 

Cats on a Hot Stone Column.

I was so hot today, enough to make me feel a little poorly.  I have gone deaf in one ear, only temporarily I hope, and have bought some eardrops, so hopefully I will hear the world again in stereo!   I visited the English groups today, but couldn't hear what was going on!! We had some rain this evening, not a lot but enough to make the earth go dark brown instead of sand coloured, and for the air to smell fresh again.   The crops outside my window are growing well, but we need real rain for 24 hours to improve the situation.  Tonight there were storms about, and looking towards BS someone was receiving a good drenching.

These photos show a very strange statue in Braunschweig Centre.  I'm not sure what is going on but I will find out.  There is a plaque at the base, and I will decypher the German.  It shows lots of cats eating bones and has some significance, I know not what at the moment.

VW Autostadt Wolfsburg, The Allersee and Mittellandkanal.

VW Autostadt in Wolfsburg.

The Allersee.

A wonderful day today walking with Monika and the walking group in Wolfsburg, home of VW auto production.  The city revolves around VW, who seemed to have built most of it, the ice rink, the sports centre and many facilites for the local inhabitants.  It was really hot, but we managed to walk in some shade around the Allersee, a big lake with an artificial sandy beach and then along the canal towpath.

We lunched in the "Pump House" a canal side Beer Garden, complete with a mens' choir, dressed in smart blue shirts, singing to the customers.  It was a long, hot walk back and Duno the dog had to stop and have several dips in the canal to cool down, she can be seen watching the world go by in the bottom photo, which also shows some of our group.

I came home with Monika, Ralph and Gudren, but only after we'd stopped at  "The Schweizer Haus" restaurant for yet another beer.  Well it was a very hot day, and we all agreed that we have to keep up our fluid intake with the occasional large beer!

The blue clad mens' choir singing to the beer drinkers.

Festival of Friendship between all the People of Braunschweig.

The photos are from today's  "Festival of Friendship" between all the people and cultures that live in the city. It was a very colourful gathering.  The blue balloons carry outlines of the continents if you look carefully.   The many stalls sold traditional foods and children sang and danced on the stage.  It was lovely to be there, even in the heat.  There was a heavy police presence, as a march planned by the right extremists for today was banned by the authorities.  There were police vans everywhere.

I met J & G in the Kohlmarkt and we walked to the Cathedral at 12 noon to hear the bells ringing and to listen to a short service accompanied by the organ music of Bach.  I came home early, it was so hot and I didn't want to witness any antagonism between the Police and far right marchers, that's if they managed to congregate, which seemed  unlikely.   

I watched the final of the French Open Ladies Championship, the best player won and tonight, when it cools down I will do my usual three mile walk!   It is very hot!

Norbert returns from Bortfeld to watch Murray loose against Nadal!

Norbert has returned home and we both watched Murray loose to Nadal this afternoon in the men's semi final at the French Open Championships.  Murray played really well, but Nadal seemed the stronger player.  I'm glad I watched, usually when Murray waits until the bitter end to come through in a match, I get so nerve wracked I can hardly watch!

I shopped early this morning using my newly acquired senior travel card, at £42 a month it is much cheaper than buying tickets daily.  We British oldies are VERY lucky to have free bus transport, there is no free transport here for the elderly, nor in Switzerland, so my Swiss email partner tells me.

Tomorrow morning I will go to the demonstration in BS against the far right extremists.  An advertisment for the event is seen right.  There are several events going on around the city in the morning and at 12 noon all the church bells will chime.  The far left are banned from marching through the city, and I hope there is no trouble if they have the nerve to turn up.  The police were much in evidence on Tuesday evening at the colourful meeting in the Burgplatz. 

I must show my opposition to extremism, as who in their right mind would want a repeat performance of the hatred and destruction of great European cities in the last war.  I will keep out of trouble!

A Bit of Braunschweig History.

Here's a short videoclip I made on Wednesday in the Burgplatz during the colourful demonstation against the extreme far right parties.  The speaker speaks much too quickly for me but the gist of the speech is: "the people of Braunschweig and all other regions wish to live a colourful life with tolerance and respect for all people.  We offer a home to people worldwide and from other cultures.  We say in this country, "Never again."

On February 26th 1932 the Austrian born Hitler became a civil servant in Braunschwieg which made him officially a German citizen.  The following year his allowed him to run for and win the election that made him German Chancellor.

Thursday was Himmelfahrt, Ascension Day and a public holiday.  I nursed a slight hang over all day because I drank too much wine at Wednesday evening's party, and failed to come round.  I did manage a three mile walk in the evening when it was cooler, but Thursday I never really woke up!!

Bunt Stoppt Braun. (Colour stops Brown)

I have lots of news from today, but have just arrived home from a Birthday Party (22.15) where I drank enough wine to make me merry, and so can only write a few lines.  The photos come from a demonstration in the Domplatz against the extreme right and the Nazi groups.  The city has banned a demonstration and march through the city by the far right on Saturday June 4th. 

A peaceful demonstration staged by the churches, schools and all those interested in peaceful harmony between people is allowed to go ahead.  These photos are from today's meeting outside the Dom.  A couple of dozen washing lines were hung with multi coloured hankies bearing childrens' comments:  Let's live in peace.  We want tolerance. No to the Nazis.  I will write more tomorrow on Braunschweig's part in the rise of Hitler.   Braun schweig has nothing to do with the colour brown. (Braun is German for brown)   Gute Nacht!