Another Green Christmas

Last year we had no snow at Christmas with cool temperatures.  This year, again no snow and temperatures in the 70s (that is 20 centigrades!).  Last year we certainly got the snow we were missing at the right time.  What will this winter bring us? 

Somebody in our neighborhood found a solution and just got some imitation of snowy winter landscape and additional snowman.  

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-6-ft-H-Inflatable-Photorealistic-Snow-Globe-with-Santa-and-Reindeer-36692/205919576

Happy Holidays!

Poinsettias are offered in all sizes and are the most popular Christmas plant. With them we can create an immediate festive decoration of any space.  They are available in every flower store and sometimes hard to choose because they come not only in the classic red and white but pink, striated or in elegantly faded red.  And now for customers celebrating Chanukah, there are even blue ones with silver glitter attached.  Psst - they are white poinsettias with blue 'make-up'.

The Winter Solstice in Boston will be on December 21 at 11:49 pm and then we have a reason to celebrate the return of longer days. Light and warmth is coming back and let us all have Happy Holidays!

Semi-Arctic Country

There is no way around the stop-over in Iceland when flying with Icelandair from Europe to the US.

This is a reason for some travelers to avoid this airline, others prefer the pause and the opportunity to walk up and down the long corridor in Keflavik airport. Sometimes the nostalgic thoughts come back from the adventure of the first trip to New York from Luxembourg ... when flying to the US was still a big adventure.  http://savvytraveler.publicradio.org/show/features/1999/19990206/postcard.shtml

Every time I see the empty landscape before landing the thought of a longer stop pops up.

Icelandair offers an up to 7 days free stop over which is tempting.  Perhaps next summer when the  snow is gone and the green moss is visible. 

Peaceful Park

The unusual mild December day invited to take a walk in the Versailles park. With the short days now all entrances will be closed at 5 pm.  We made it in time and then looked back through the large gate which is now always closed for cars to enter.  "Due to the enforcement of antiterrorist security plan,

this access is closed to vehicles." is the explanation on a big sign next to it.

And we just walked along this peaceful field where sheep were grazing and the chateaux in hiding  behind the tree line at the horizon.

Museum Island in Berlin

                              

With five large museums all owning important collections, the sculptures on the ground around them may not get the attention they deserve.  A recently installed 'monument' gives a thoughtful contrast to the other glorious 'king on horse' sculptures.     http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/museumsinsel-berlin/museum-buildings-collections/kolonnadenhof/skulpturen.html

And the graffiti next to the Bode-museum is something Jules de Goncourt has said?

Translation: "Nobody in the world listens to so many stupid things as the paintings in a 

museum have to do"

One Museum of 180

The weather is cloudy, cold and the wind mixed with rain.  Therefore it is better to just wander in the galleries of the Kunstgewerbemuseum to admire the Brandenburger Tor on a Biedermeier plate. 

http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/kunstgewerbemuseum/about-the-collection.html

Instead of twisting your tongue on Kunstgewerbemuseum just try 'museum of decorative arts' which can be found close to the Philharmony.

The Kulturforum in which this museum is part of has an uninviting court yard - do not get fooled,