The Organ in the Wieskirche

Here is a link to an organ concert in the Wieskirche featuring the organ in the image above. 

Konzert in Wieskirche / Concert in Church of Wies

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies

Quoting from WikipediaL The Pilgrimage Church of Wies also known as the White Church is is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by brothers J. B. and Dominikus Zimmermann, the latter of whom lived nearby for the last eleven years of his life. It is located in the foothills of the Alps, in the municipality of Steingaden in the Weilheim-Schongau district, Bavaria, Germany. See Wikipedia: Wieskirche.

Walking into this elaborately decorated church is a memorable experience. 

Patterns in the Quarried Granite Setts

Although you might think these are "cobblestones" actually when the stones are regularly shaped they are known as quarried granite setts. Cobblestones are naturally shaped stones, usually rounded and are designed for horses to get a good grip when pulling a load. Both cobblestones and setts have been used since ancient times. Streets paved with stones are still used in some parts of the eastern United States but most of them have been paved over with asphalt. I have seen streets being paved with setts and I would characterize the process as labor-intensive. These particular setts were found in Germany. Here are some observations about setts from Wikipedia.

A sett, also known as a block, Belgian block or sampietrini, is a broadly rectangular quarried stone used in paving roads and walkways. Formerly in widespread use, particularly on steeper streets because setts provided horses' hooves with better grip than a smooth surface, they are now encountered rather as decorative stone paving in landscape architecture. Setts are often referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct from a cobblestone in that it is quarried or worked to a regular shape, whereas the latter is generally a small, naturally-rounded rock. Setts are usually made of granite.

Although cheaper and less labor-intensive, asphalt streets are less permanent and harder to maintain than setts or cobblestones. 

 

Rocks on a Roof

While traveling across the United States, I have often seen houses and particularly mobile homes with old tires on the roof. Especially when the roof was corrugated roofing usually either metal or PVC. I supposed that the tires were not there for storage but to assist in keeping the roof on the building. I remembered the old tires when I saw this house in Germany with rocks placed strategically to hold down the shingles.  

A Rural Church in Germany

You might overlook the church in the distance. The church is St. Coloman, a Baroque church. The lake in the background is the Forggensee. You can also see part of the village of Schwangau on the left side of the image near the lake. The village on the shore of the lake, just barely visible, is Waltenhofen. 

Hohenschwangau, Germany

This image was taken from a lookout point high up on the mountain above the village. This Hohenschwangau. Here is an explanation of this village in Wikipedia: Hohenschwangau.

Hohenschwangau is a former village and now an urban district of the municipality of Schwangau, Ostallgäu district, Bavaria, Germany.

It is located between Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau and is visited by about 2 million people annually, where they start tours to the former royal palaces. The village is dominated by car parks, restaurants, guesthouses, hotels and souvenir shops.

Hohenschwangau is bordered by the Alpsee in the West. Here the Museum of the Bavarian Kings was established in 2011 in a former ancient hotel building (Alpseestraße 27).

The actress and singer Helen Vita was born in Hohenschwangau. Julien Duvivier shot exterior scenes of one of his films, Marianne de ma jeunesse, on the location.

You can either walk up the trail or ride a bus partway up the mountain. We walked some of the way up and all the way down. 

Detail of the Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

This is a real-life fairy tale castle but it isn't a real castle. The idea of a castle is fortification including a moat. This is called the Neuschwanstein Castle but it is really more a palace. The apparent fortifications are for show and design. Here is an explanation about why this lovely building and prototype for Walt Disney's trademark castle is really a palace. See Wikipedia: Neuschwanstein Castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced [ˈʃlɔs nɔʏˈʃvaːnʃtaɪn], Southern Bavarian: Schloss Neischwanstoa) is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honour of Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing, rather than Bavarian public funds.

The castle was intended as a home for the king, until he died in 1886. It was open to the public shortly after his death. Since then more than 61 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer.

The Roots Are Showing

I was intrigued by this network of tree roots and the way they had been eroded from the dirt. This tangle was part of a trail I was hiking in Germany near the Neuschwanstein Castle. I have hiked a lot of trails in the mountains and the deserts and never seen roots eroded like this. 

Crown on Westerkirk, Amsterdam

This is the crown on the steeple of the Westerkirk in Amsterdam. Here is a short history of the church from Wikipedia: Westerkirk.

The Westerkerk was built between 1620 and 1631 in Renaissance style according to designs by architect Hendrick de Keyser (1565-1621). He is buried in the church he designed earlier: the 'Zuiderkerk'. The building of the Westerkerk was finished and completed by his son Pieter de Keyser (1595-1676) and inaugurated on June 8, 1631. The church has a length of 58 meters and a width of 29 meters. The high nave is flanked by the two lower aisles. The three-aisled basilica has a rectangular plan with two transepts of equal dimensions. As a result, the plan for this church was given the form of two Greek crosses connected with each other. (a patriarchal cross).

Several older churches in Amsterdam, such as Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk, were originally built before the Reformation and were converted to Protestantism during the Reformation in 1578. The Westerkerk was one of the first purposely built Protestant churches. The Noorderkerk and Zuiderkerk preceded the Westerkerk. Today the Westerkerk remains the largest church in the Netherlands that was built for Protestants, and is still in use by the PKN (Protestantse Kerk in Nederland)

An Iris of Two Colors

I have seen wild iris growing in the deserts and mountains of Arizona. In Spanish, the word for rainbow is "Arco Iris." Some of the species and varieties are very hardy plants. Here is a short description from Wikipedia of the Iris genus. 

Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Some authors state that the name refers to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also widely used as a common name for all Iris species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.

The often-segregated, monotypic genera Belamcanda (blackberry lily, I. domestica), Hermodactylus (snake's head iris, I. tuberosa), and Pardanthopsis (vesper iris, I. dichotoma) are currently included in Iris.

Three Iris varieties are used in the Iris flower data set outlined by Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems as an example of linear discriminant analysis.

An Iris by any other name... 

Iris Portrait

May is the best month for flowers at our house. We have a significant selection of iris and peonies. Both of these are selected because they will not be eaten by the deer herd that lives in our yard. We enjoy the flowers and are sad when they finish blooming. 

Kohlrabi or German Cabbage

Quoting from Wikipedia: Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi (from the German for cabbage turnip; Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group), also called German turnip, is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. It is the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan.

Sometimes when you see a vegetable in a store, you can identify it but it is different when you see the same plant growing in a garden or field. Could you identify this growing plant as Kohlrabi? 

Kale growing in a garden

Kale, a member of the cabbage family, is currently touted as having numerous health benefits. One claim is that kale is among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It also claimed to be loaded with antioxidants. We have very limited ability to grow anything that deer like to eat so we don't have a traditional garden. Fortunately, we know people who do and who share. 

Sun-Bright Yellow Iris

These gorgeous sun-bright yellow iris have to be actually seen to believe. May is the month that the iris bloom along the Wasatch Front in Utah. Iris are perennials and bloom every year. Of course, they need to be fertilized and when the plants get too thick, they need to be replanted and spread out. When I was very young, we associated iris plants, then called "flags," with cemeteries and particularly Memorial Day. Because there are many flower buds on each stock, they continue to bloom for a few weeks and then the plants grow during the summer. 

Plant Nursery in Amsterdam

We are well into Spring here along the Wasatch Front in Utah, but the Pandemic and other issues such as living in a homeowners association where we can't really do much gardening. But I have spent a lot of years growing large gardens in the Salt River Valley of Arizona. This gardening background was the main reason we were visiting a nursery in Amsterdam. We love plants and we love succulents more than many others. I was also impressed with chile plants in the mid-background. Amsterdam is also well known for its tulip sales. We can't plant tulips around our Provo house because the deer eat them and we have lots of deer. 

Bulk Cheese

There are places in the United States that sell cheese in bulk. But the usual display in a supermarket has a selection of sliced cheese and a few packages with larger pieces. This is what a cheese display looks like in Amsterdam. I was interested to see that because of all the tourists, the signs were mostly in English. Unfortunately, carrying cheese home on the airplane was not an option. 

Amsterdam Flower Market

Here in Provo, we have just had a lot of flowers planted courtesy of one of our daughters and some of her children. In addition, the iris and the peonies are blooming. It is a lovely time of year and of course, because of the COVID-19, we have lots of time to enjoy the flowers. I will post some of our own flowers but I remembered the flower vendors in Amsterdam. 

Amsterdam Skyline

For a city with such a high density of population, Amsterdam has relatively few highrise structures. Relative to other cities of the world, Amsterdam is quite small with an estimated population of 741,636 in 2020. This is compared to the Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan Area (Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale etc.) where I grew up that has a current population estimated at 4,737,270. Phoenix is currently ranked as the fifth-largest city in the United States with 1,743,469 people. Phoenix also includes about 517 square miles. Amsterdam's area is 84.68 square miles. These statistics, of course, do begin to compare the two cities. Except for the ruins of the original native inhabitants, almost all the "old" buildings in Phoenix were built well into the 20th Century. The oldest still existing building in Phoenix was built in 1879. The oldest buildings in Amsterdam date back to the 1600s. 

Amsterdam - View from the NEMO

The NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands is a very visible landmark. The roof of the museum building is an open stepped area with benches, chairs, and viewpoints of the city. This day was rather chilly and threatened rain, but with some sunshine, the upper deck would be a lovely gathering place. We spent most of a lovely day in the museum and finished with a visit to the upper deck. The view is spectacular. 

Dutch Sailing Barge with Leeboards

This is a Dutch sailing barge with leeboards. The leeboards are used instead of a keel so that a boat with a shallow draft can sail against the wind. The leeward side of the boat is the side downwind or sheltered from the wind. Here is a description of these barges from Wikipedia: Dutch barge.

A Dutch barge is a traditional flat-bottomed shoal-draught barge, originally used to carry cargo in the shallow Zuyder Zee and the waterways of Netherlands.

Originally, Dutch barges were sailing craft with wooden hulls. Today, while few wooden examples remain, there are many steel barges that are 100 years old or more. Although most Dutch barges have been converted to motor-propulsion, schuyt sailing contests are still held on the IJsselmeer and on the Wadden Sea (Waddenzee).

There are several types of Dutch barge, with characteristics determined by local conditions and traditions. Dutch barges have become popular live-aboard leisure craft, and brand-new "replica" examples continue to be built.

The First Iris of the Season

It is comforting to know that the flowers will still bloom in their season and the leaves will come back to the trees. The snow will melt on the mountains and the sun will rise and set according to its schedule. All of this occurs despite a worldwide pandemic and sequestration. Life does go on. There is beauty in the world and all this will pass. 

Bikes and Boats

My impression of Amsterdam is overwhelmingly one of bikes and boats. I am used to canals from living in the Salt River Valley but the Arizona canals are nothing compared to the huge number of canals in Amsterdam. The Arizona canals also do not have boats, in fact, it is illegal to float or put a boat on an Arizona canal (although it has been done). Also, when the outside temperature is a toasty 118 degree Fahrenheit, you do not want to try to ride a bike unless you are a die-hard bike person. All of these reasons and more make the bikes and boats of Amsterdam a treat for someone who lived almost his entire life in Arizona. 

Evening in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Amsterdam is a beautiful city. When I reflect on the extreme contrast between living in Amsterdam and living in Provo, Utah, I can only wonder about the circumstances of life that placed me where I live today and how different my life would have been had I lived my life in Amsterdam rather than the Salt River Valley and Utah Valley. All in all, I am glad I live in Provo. 

Sentinel in Kodachrome Basin

There are some areas of the world that cause you to suspend your sense of reality. They are so strange and unsettling that you cannot imagin that they are real. Kodachrome Basin in Utah is one of those places. The rock pipe or spires are so random and unexpected that you can hardly adsorb what you are seeing. Even if you walk or climb over to the pipe and touch its surface you can't really believe what you are experiencing. 

Unique Rock Formations

Without some research and study, you probably would not recognize a completely unique rock formation because you would not have anything to compare it to. This pipe in Kodachrome Basin State Park in Utah is a member of a very small number of this type of rock formation that is not found anywhere else in the world. There are 67 of these formations inside the State Park and a few more outside the Park. What is most interesting about these particular formations is that there is no generally accepted theory about how they were formed. Here is a quote from the Geoscience Research Institute article entitled, "Classic Pipes and Dikes in Kodachrome Basin."

The mechanism for intrusion is problematic and may never be known. Hannum (1980) has suggested that the pipes came from cold springs. Hornbacher (1984) favors seismically induced sediment liquefaction and intrusion. The relatively smooth and striated wall pattern of some pipes (Figure 3) favors the latter interpretation. To add to the mystery, there seems to be little or no disturbance of bedding planes or indication of compressive strain in the sediments surrounding the pipes. This suggests that both the pipe material and the surrounding sediments were soft when the pipes formed.

You may want to read the entire article.  

View to the South of Utah Valley

This is what we could see of the valley sitting in our camp chairs and waiting for the Hill Air Force Base flyby. If you look closely at the hill on this side of the sidewalk, you will see that the plants are very interesting and not at all what you might expect. Although there is a paved sidewalk, there are no houses in this immediate area. It almost like it was built to give us all a vantage point for looking down on the valley without hiking up the hill. We are sitting right next to our parked car.

Utah Valley from Oak Hills

We have a favorite vantage point on a side street in the Oak Hills neighborhood of Provo, Utah. On May 1, 2020, we sat on the side of the street and watched for a flyover from jets stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. I don't have any photos of the jets because when the flew over they were just small black dots. From this vantage point, you can see the central part of the valley mostly part of Provo City. The large buildings near the center of the image as part of the Missionary Training Center (MTC) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The MTC is almost completely empty right now because of the coronavirus. We did not have to worry about distancing while sitting on the street, there were only a few other people out and about. The snow on the distant mountains is almost gone and it was a warm day. We enjoyed just sitting there looking at the valley. As soon as the jets flew by, we were back home sequestered once again.

Sedimentary Pipe in Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah

Quoting from Wikipedia: Kodachrome Basin State Park:

The geologic interest of the park are sandstone spires and columns called sand pipes, believed to be found nowhere else on earth. Differing geological explanations of the features in Kodachrome Basin State Park exist. One explanation is that the area was once similar to Yellowstone National Park with hot springs and geysers, which eventually filled up with sediment and solidified. Through time, the Entrada sandstone surrounding the solidified geysers eroded, leaving large sand pipes. Sixty-seven sand pipes ranging from two to 52 meters have been identified in the park.

I have seen most of the sixty-seven pipes in the Park. The area where the pipes are located is primarily inside the Park but you can spot several outside of the Park area including some that are not completely eroded out of the matrix. There a many such interesting areas spread over the entire state of Utah.