Einstein Museum

Possibly the only non-boring Bern attraction is the Einstein Museum. A short walk across the bridge from the Old City, I spent a wonderful 3 hours perusing through the ins-&-outs of Albert’s life.
One interesting tidbit was that he once issued an ultimatum to his wife – she had to accept his rules about their marriage, which included him never having to have sexual relations with her, or else it was over. She didn’t accept his terms & their relationship ended. He was quite the ladies man...what with all that testosterone stimulating his hair into an absolute frenzy...he drove women mad!!

Red Cross Museum

On the Saturday, after lounging around my room most of the morning, then grabbing a quick Chinese lunch, I headed out to the Red Cross Museum. I had to catch a bus (another free ride) to get out there, wherever it was. The snow was thick on the ground out there & I was sad that I didn’t have anyone to throw snowballs at.
When I got there, I paid the entrance fee & went through to the museum. I spent over 2 hours there & learned all about the Red Cross, which was started up in 1863 based on the ideas of a Swiss guy called Henri Dunant. His ideas concerned the care for the sick & wounded during combat. I really didn’t know the Red Cross interest in humanitarian causes (esp concerning human suffering) were so diverse. There is also a Red Crescent (Muslim-based) society, but no Jewish equivalent.
If you’re interested in humanitarian issues, this museum is a must-see if in Geneva.

Seeing Dead People - Egyptian Museum, Cairo

First stop for the day was the Egyptian Museum which holds much of the treasures of Ancient Egypt. An Egyptologist & OTG tour guide Tamil took us through the key exhibits. Every single piece on display was incredible - you really need at least 2 full days to cover it properly. Crypt, coffins, burial stands, jewellery, mummification slabs, mummies - & all dating back thousands of years. A couple of us - Jenny, Kylie, Kirsten & I - opted to go into the mummies section which cost an extra 100 Egyptian pounds. Two rooms of mummies, including King Ramses II were there to view. And you could see so much detail in these mummies, even the hair, fingernails & eyelashes were preserved with some of them - incredible! We were only in the Museum for around 2 hours, but it was well worth the visit.

Oops...Forgot My Visit to New Lanark

Okay, forgot to mention I visited this ideal little town my first weekend in Glasgow. Margaret & Don took me there on the way back from an overnight wedding trip. New Lanark was a cotton mill village in the 18th century set on the River Clyde in Southern Scotland that was a century ahead of its time.

Why? The owner, Robert Owen, implemented revolutionary practices in the areas of childcare, education, healthcare, cooperatives & the trade union movement for the workers in his village. This guy was way way ahead of the game, realising that taking good care of his workers equated to greater profits - a visionary capitalist.

A World Heritage Site, New Lanark gives a great feel into what it was like to live in this village. Although dear Robert was a bit of a control freak, he did introduce compulsory education for all kids (phasing out child labour) & even developed an Institution for the Formation of Character.

A nice day out!

Hospitality & Sights in Glasgow

I stayed in Glasgow in a suburb called Giffnock with Margaret's family - her hubby Don, & grown boys Allen & Ian. It was a lively home with lots going on at all time. Ian just arrived home from a trip to Australia, & Allen was going off to California on a holiday with his mates. So, at times there was pandemonium with so many things that needed to be sorted.
I managed to get myself in to see Glasgow one day. Couldn't believe it though - I actually left my camera back at the house, so was forced to limit my photos to a few crappy ones taken on my mobile. Not happy Jan!!!
So I took a train into the city & walked over to the Glasgow Cathedral first, which was completed way back in the 1400s. Just behind the Cathedral on the hill was a cemetery called the Necropolis which has been a burial ground since the beginning of recorded history. The tombstones there were simply magnificent, overlooking Merchant City & the wider city of Glasgow.
Then on to St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art just across the road from the Cathedral. It showcased artifacts & info on on range of religions & cultures in the world - fascinating!!

Wrapping up Amsterdam

I saw a few more bits & pieces in Amsterdam. There was a 1 hour canal cruise that went through the main canals which was a tad boring. But the houses lining the canal were nice to see, & we also went past a canal cleaning crew that were dredging stuff from the bottom like bikes & supermarket trolleys.
On my last day I visited this old house (can't remember the name) in the red light district that housed a Catholic Church in its attic back in the old times. This was because Catholicism was banned in the country & people could only worship on the quiet.
Just strolling around Amsterdam is really nice. It's got a relaxed feel about it. But even though most people think it's a tolerant place, me thinks this is only on the surface. Intolerance may lay just beneath.
I went out with Thijs, Joris, & Sjors on the second last night for dinner & drinks, which was lovely - more alcohol consumed. Then Thijs & I met up for a few drinks & a chat on the last night at a nice little gay pub somewhere near the Dam.
The weather had been great for the whole five days I was there. It started to rain as my plane lined up on the runway for take-off.

Sightseeing in Amsterdam - Part 2

Part 2 of my sightseeing comprised of a day full of art.

First of all, the Rijksmuseum, the national gallery of the Netherlands. The artwork was stunning & included many of Rembrandt's painting including 'The Night Watch', together with Vermeer's 'The Milk Maid' & many more Dutch artists. I spent a good two hours there.

Next was the Van Gogh Museum that houses the largest collection of his art in the world. A whole floor filled with Van Gogh's painting, sketches, & sculptures. Just splendid!

Sightseeing in Amsterdam - Part 1 - Anne Frank's House

I'd purchased an 'IAmsterdam Card' on the first day for 3 days at 58 euros (a bloody lot of money). It gave you access to most of the sights & museums in town, as well as a free canal trip & free public transport.
On the Monday, I lined up for nearly an hour to see Anne Frank's House. It was quite a museum, based in their actual residence, & through all the various rooms where the families (the Franks & 2 others) stayed in hiding throughout the Jewish purge of Amsterdam. In the end, some very challenging questions were asked, such as:
* Freedom of speech is a fundamental element in every democracy, so should individuals be allowed to publicly denying the holocaust?
*Freedom of religion is an individual right, so should religious leaders be allowed to use holy scriptures to provoke discrimination against homosexuals?
*The right to demonstrate is a fundamental democratic right, so should neo-Nazis be granted the right to organise a march that passes in front of a synagogue?
*Freedom of the press goes hand-in-hand with freedom of speech, so should biased media groups or individuals be able to publish (print or media) opinions/ideas that conflict with another person's fundamental rights?
Hmmm...something to think about...

Food For the Soul

My last night in Prague & no Zuzana to keep me company, so I decided to trot off to a Classical music performance. I looked at a couple of adverts, but the one that caught my eye was at 7pm at the National Museum & featured the Prague String Soloists Chamber Ensemble. In the one-hour performance, they played Vivaldi (Four Seasons, Sinfonia in G), Bach (Air for Strings), Mozart, Beethoven (4 German Dances), Tchaikovsky (1st string quartet) & Dvorak.
Set up on the giant staircase of the museum, it felt like quite an intimate setting with people sitting around on pillows & chairs watching the concert. The acoustics were pretty good too. Overall, a wonderful way to spend an evening hour.

A Couple of Other Prague Museums

On my second day I visited the Narodni (National) Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square. Not what I expected. I thought it would take me through the history of Prague, but no. It did have an amazing collection of minerals, fossils & stuffed animals. I’ve never seen better.
On my third day, I wandered over the Legions Bridge to the western side of Prague to find the Ethnography Museum which a woman at the tourist centre said I’d find interesting. It took me quite a while to get there & when I did, I was the only person visiting the museum. Let’s say, it wasn’t that exciting - mostly all in Czech, quite a few mannequins in old style dress, & quite a few old trinkets & stuff relating to Czech history. So I did get some idea of how the Czech dressed & lived in old times - their dress is really quite elaborate with lots of lace & frills.

14-17th July - Out & About in Oslo

After spending quite a bit of money on the Stockholm card, I decided to tighten my money belt while in Norway. Besides, I was exhausted from my Stockholm tourist experience - rushing here & there to see as many attractions as possible to get my moneys worth.
Oslo, while not as pretty as Stockholm, still had a vibrant energy & people were out & about enjoying the sunshine when it appeared. The parks in the area are splendid & many locals bask on the green grass sunning themselves. The parks here are a deep green, quite a few shades darker than in Sydney. And down by the harbour is delightful too, even if it is quite a bit touristy.
I did manage to see a couple of sights that were free for everyone - the Parliament House, National Museum, & the Sculpture Park. I also chipped in a few kroner to view the Nobel Peace Prize Museum which was similar to the one in Stockholm, but with a sole focus on the Peace Proze recipients.
I was feeling like I needed to get out of the city. I couldn't have picked a better country to escape into.

Nobel Prize & a Free Concert

What a lovely afternoon I had today! The Nobel Museum was great, taking you through the various winners in history in the different categories - Peace, Medicine, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Literature. It also had a section on freedom of speech - how the concept had risen historically & what had happened to silence this freedom throughout history & today. Very inspiring!

Then at 6pm there was a free concert just outside the museum in the square. The Swedish Royal Army Band were playing a range of tunes. I met the General & the Conductor before they started - even got the semi-official handshake. And all for only asking what time they were starting & who was playing! After the show, I got a photo with the General. Obviously I was seen as a very important tourist!

Musei Capitolini

The oldest antiquities museum in the world, the Capitoline Museum was a veritable feast of art. Recognised as one of the best museums/galleries in Roma, it was a treasure trove of paintings & sculptures from some of the greats. It took me at least 3 hours to get all the way through, in a thorough fashion, of course.