The city of Cologne from a dirty airplane window. If you look closely you can see the cathedral at the Rhein river bend. The city is the oldest in Germany. Already year 50 it was granted city privileges from the Roman empire. With one million inhabitants it is the forth largest German city.
What goes up, must come down. Ha de Gött!
Siegburg is a city with around 42 000 inhabitants 10 kilometres from Bonn and 26 kilometres from Cologne. Administrative centre for the Rhine-Sieg-Kreis district in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. On a high hill in the middle of the city is the old Benedictine monastery founded in 1064. The abbey is known by the name Michaelsberg Abbey.
All places has a story, even the unexpected ones. Ha de Gött!
Tram passing Church of Annedal reflecting in a pond at Slottskogen, Göteborg. A scene of stillness in the busy city alarm.
Keep calm and ride on, ha de Gött!
Nine meter sail free height to the air cables, at the north end of lake North Bullaren and the beginning of Enningdal River. The river marks the border between Norway and Sweden for a few kilometres flowing north to Idefjorden. In Swedish the name is Enningdalsälven and Norwegian Enningdalselva.
Sail on, ha de Gött!
Moored fishing boats in Resö harbour a calm Saturday morning in the off season.
We all need that safe home port, ha de Gött!
Alder tree’s around a frozen pond. Sometimes it pays getting off the main road and driving the winding backroads.
A pond is always a good place for pondering, ha de Gött!
Less than a month to Christmas so I took a tour to Santa’s stable. Rudolf was busy preparing the Christmas eve tour with the Alf’s so he had no time for photos.
The Skogsren (Rangifer tarandus fennicus), Finnish forest reindeer is a rare subspecies to the reindeer. Native to Finland and north-western Russia. It is larger than the semi-domesticated common reindeer. Between 180 and 220 centimetres long. Adult male weighing up to 250 kilos while the female weighs about 100 kilos. Rarely seen by humans as it thrives in the dense Taiga, or Boreal, forests. This beautiful animals that stood model for Disney are near extinction.
Be a dear to someone for Christmas, ha de Gött!
More from Nordens Ark. This is the little Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens). Also known as the lesser panda. Native in southwestern China and eastern Himalayas bamboo forests. Bamboo shoots and leaves are the favourite food. Quite small between 50 and 60 centimetres, weighing 3 to 6 kilos. The Red Panda is considered to be an endangered species. Even if the name suggests so, they are not related to the larger Giant Panda.
Even the small counts, ha de Gött!
Saturday we took a trip to the zoo Nordens Ark, the Ark of the North. The zoo is dedicated to preserve endangered species both wild and domesticated. At the shores of Åbyfjorden they hold a variety of wild animals large and small. Most famous for the large tigers and snow leopard. The zoo holds large areas for the animals so you’re not guaranteed to see them.
At my visit the tigers and leopards decided to sleep hidden from us, but the smaller Pallas Cat gladly posed for us. The Pallas Cat (Otocolobus manul) normally lives in Central Asia in cold areas with little snow. They weigh between 2,5 up to 4,5 kilos and become 45 to 65 centimetres long. The tail is between 20 to 30 centimetres. With its thick fur and short legs, large amount of snow will hinder it when hunting.
More cool animals will come so be sure to check in during the week. Want to find out more about Nordens Ark and their excellent work? Go to https://en.nordensark.se/ there is an English version. Ha de Gött!
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf Germany. The art museum in Düsseldorf.
Art is heart, ha de Gött!
UlleHaddock 