TAKEN IN ЧОЛПОНАТА (КЫРГЫЗСТАН) - TSCHOLPONATA (KYRGYSSTAN) / LAKE ИССЫК-КУЛЬ/ISSYK-KUL

TAKEN AT ОШ-БАЗАР (КЫРГЫЗСТАН) - OSCH-BASAR (KYRGYSSTAN)

TAKEN IN БИШКЕК (КЫРГЫЗСТАН) - BISHKEK (KYRGYSSTAN) - FORMER FRUNSE - PART I

The city has emerged from a caravan stop on the Silk Road in the Tian-Shan Mountains. In Soviet times the city was renamed Frunze.

Even today the main square and its architecture are still very much influenced by the Soviet era.

In some places Echoes of the historical Silk Road can be seen.

Since 2010 Kyrgyzstan is a parliamentary republic. From independence until there it was a difficult way to Kyrgyzstan. Tulip Revolution, electoral fraud and ethnic unrest dominated the country for the past 20 years.

Even today the country faces major challenges. Many problems can not be solved by the State. Perhaps this also supports a return to Islamic roots.

Not always the power supply is guaranteed everywhere. We experienced the capital often quite dark ...

... but found the light elsewhere. In the eyes and hearts of the residents.

TAKEN IN БИШКЕК (КЫРГЫЗСТАН) - BISHKEK (KYRGYSSTAN) - FORMER FRUNSE - PART II

Kyrgyz worlds close to each other. Yurt in front of skyscrapers.

We lived in the house of the Kyrgyz writer Tu̇gȯlbaĭ Sydykbekov together with his son, the architect Sabyrbek who told us a lot about the history of his country.

The best-known and maybe only-known modern Kyrgyz author was Chingiz Aitmatov. He was writing in Russian and died 3 years ago in Germany.

When the phone is still connected with bell wire ...

... Power out of the tree is quite a surprise. Green power in Kyrgyz.

The uncertain energy supply makes the purchase of unusual devices attractive. A combination of electric and gas stove. Something always goes.

TAKEN АТ КУРШСКАЯ КОСА (KURISCHE NEHRUNG) - РОССИЯ / RUSSIA

Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Curonian Spit" on its 46 russian kilometers was a long-standing desire. The Russian part of Spit is far less developed for tourism.

The Curonian Spit is regarded as a tourist development zone of Russia. In future there should be greater construction activity and the number of tourists is expected to increase strongly.

The spit consists entirely of sand with huge dunes.

Unfortunately, for a long time nobody paid attention to protect the coast. Now, sometimes laborious efforts take place. Particularly in order to protect the famous dancing forest.

TAKEN IN ЗЕЛЕНОГРАДСК (OSTSEEBAD CRANZ) - РОССИЯ / RUSSIA

This small town is known as seaside resort on the coast of Samland. The formerly very beautiful place was much neglected in recent years. In some places around the beauty already back ...

... in most cases it is even guessable. This was and still is a hotel. If you search for "Hotel Königin Luise" you will find pictures how this building was looking about 100 years ago.

From the elegance of the old villas and hotels at best traces remained, but all the same, everywhere in the city center is being built and renovated, more and more in an effort to preserve historic seaside architecture.

In Selenogradsk you sometimes don´t know exactly what to think about the many half-finished buildings or building fences with locked: Are these ruins or sites? The answer: a bit of both. The harsh juxtaposition of decay and structure is characteristic for the oldest and most fashionable seaside resort and once on the Amber Coast. By the way, a well known sister of this city is Beate Uhse.

TAKEN IN KALININGRAD (KÖNIGSBERG) - КАЛИНИНГРАД (КЁНИГСБЕРГ) - (РОССИЯ)

First is to say that this city was badly damaged by II World War bombing. So it is a large power to build up this city again during Soviet time. But due to missing many historical buildings the city seems to be a little faceless.

The former place of the historic castle is these days ("Bauruine" because of static problems) the unused "House of the Soviets" developed as councils home building.

If you search for historic buildings you will find only a few left ...

... and they are not far away from eyesores.

The few left historic builings are often used as museums. In this case it is museum for amber ...

... for which the region is also known.

Next to Königsberg Cathedral you will find a monument of the Theologian Julius Rupp (of course he studied in Halle). As far as I can trust the Internet the original monument was designed by his granddaughter Käthe Kollwitz.

But of course even closer at the Cathedral is the grave of the most well known son of the city: Immanuel Kant. He was a big motivation for me to visit this city.

TAKEN IN LIDZBARK WARMIŃSKI (HEILSBERG) - (POLAND / ПОЛЬША)

The castle of Warmian bishops at River Alle (and located behind that the weir system High Castle).

EAST MEETS WEST = TAKEN IN NÜRNBERG (GERMANY) - НЮРНБЕРГ (ГЕРМАНИЯ)

Cutback of famous Nuremberg Christmas Market "Christkindlmarkt".

TAKEN IN DRESDEN (GERMANY - FORMER GDR) - ДРЕЗДЕН (ГЕРМАНИЯ - бывшей ГДР)

Spending Christmas in Christmas Town Dresden feels really like home.

Church attendance is a central part of german christmas day also for church distant people.

To listen or take part at Christmas oratorio (Рождественская оратория) is a real sublime feeling.

Even the owner was surprised about still having a large number of GDR-designed products more than 20 years after fall of the Wall.