Completed 18th April 2026 (incl. a link to a livestream of a whale rescue)

  

500 Pieces

 

Kiel

 

by Bernd Natke

Made by MOCA 

 

 Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. 

With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea.

The city of Kiel was founded in 1233 as Holstenstadt tom Kyle  

 

I can't believe that my previous trip to Kiel to take a cruise with AIDA was already 4 years ago 

Since march 2026 a humpback whale stranded four times on four different spots. Screenshot CNN 

Since friday, a rescue team tries to safe the whale a remove him from his near-coastal place. 

 

If interested, please watch the livestream of NDR 

Update 27th April: the rescue is still underway 

 

 

Impressions from our long weekend in Frankfurt and Darmstadt, Germany

 We spent our long weekend (9.-12. May) in the near of Darmstadt

Our first sightseeing hotspot was Frankfurt and "Mainhattan", the financial district at the river Main, related to Manhattan, NYC

 

We also visited the St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt, which was a Protestant church.

 

   ©I, Dontworry

 It became  famous because the first German parliament met there:

On May 18, 1848, liberal, radical democratic and monarchy-loyal members of parliament gathered in Frankfurt's Paulskirche to adopt a liberal constitution and a unified German nation state. Since then, the church has been regarded as a symbol of the first German democratic movement.

 One of the historically outstanding achievements of the Frankfurt National Assembly is the imperial law on the Fundamental Rights of the German People passed on December 21, 1848. This was the first time that human and civil rights became law in Germany.

  The Paulskirche constitution failed because it was rejected by German princes, the deputies had no power to enforce it and the Prussian king rejected the imperial crown.

Inside the plenary chamber

 

 

 Today, the building is a venue for all kinds of events, such as concerts, speeches and award ceremonies.  It is a national monument that is important for the whole of Germany.

 

 Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels is an international peace prize awarded annually by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (English: German Publishers and Booksellers Association), awarded during the frankfurt book fair. The award ceremony is held in the Paulskirche. The prize has been awarded since 1950 and all award winners are immortalized on the plaques at the entrance to St. Paul's Church

 Impressions from the "Römer"

We went on a river trip on the Main and show you some impressions here

Remarkable is a large and imposing inscription on top of the "Eiserne Steg", written in ancient Greek. It reads Homer's line from the Odyssey, when the goddess Athena descends to Ithaca to urge Telemachus seeking his father, Odysseus: "PLEON EPI OINOPA PONTON EP ANTHROPOYS" which means "Sailing through the dark sea with people of other languages".

New building of the European Central Bank

 

Tower of the imperial cathedral St. Bartholomew behind a row of houses by the river

 

Exterior view of a cement factory with green crane

 

Niederräder railroad bridge

The characteristic spire of the Messeturm (on the left)

A real gem of Frankfurt is hidden under the Niederräder Brücke bridge: the Orange Beach. It's actually just a slightly larger kiosk with unusual seating, including beer benches, deckchairs and beach chairs. But with a little beach feeling and a lot of charm, this place has quickly achieved cult status and enjoys enormous popularity, not only among cyclists and walkers. 

Riverport Gutleuthof (also known as Flusshafen Gutleut or Flusshafen Gutleuthof) is an inland port in Frankfurt am Main, which was built as a landing stage in the early 1960s and is used in particular for handling bulk goods and metal products.

"Maynblick Project", a luxurious home

 

Mainova AG is one of the largest regional energy suppliers in Germany and supplies around one million people in Hesse and the neighboring federal states with electricity, natural gas, heat and drinking water.

Inside St. Bartholomew

Gothic altar

 

Byzantine style icon of St. Hedwig 

Inside the Electoral chapel

From 1438, the electoral chapel attached to the south of the choir, which otherwise served as the abbey library, was the venue for the imperial elections. There was an altar on the east wall and seven chairs on the long walls for the election. During elections, the electors' armchairs were covered with red velvet.

At the beginning of the election, the electors gathered in the Römer for preliminary negotiations. The following day, they went to St. Bartholomew's Church early in the morning in full electoral regalia. The collegiate chapter received them there and opened the ceremony with a Mass of the Holy Spirit to ask for a blessing for a wise decision. An oath was taken in front of the altar of the election chapel. In the sanctuary, above the electors' chairs, there was an impressive depiction of the Last Judgement with Christ as the Judge of the World, who will also hold the earthly rulers to account for the consequences of their actions. The imperial marshal closed the chapel. The electors met as a conclave. The actual election was secret, a simple majority of votes was sufficient.

The result was then solemnly announced in the cathedral. As the highest-ranking of the electors, the Archbishop of Mainz swore in the new king, after which the electors lifted him onto the altar of the cross in front of the rood screen. After the Te Deum had been sung together, the election of the king was publicly proclaimed. 

Floor tiles in the electoral chapel

Every year on the last Saturday in January, the Office of Charlemagne is celebrated in the cathedral; this pontifical mass in honor of Charlemagne has commemorated his death and memorial day, January 28, since 1332. Today, the focus is on the idea of a Europe united in Christianity, of which Charlemagne is considered the representative. A cardinal or bishop from another European country is therefore usually invited to deliver the sermon. 

A large painting with an eventful history: "Deposition from the cross" 

by Anthonis van Dyck painted in 1627. He originally painted it for the Archbishop of Mainz, 

who did not want to pay for it after completion.

The disgruntled painter eventually donated the painting to an impoverished Franciscan monastery. The monastery was delighted with the gift in the middle of a war and soon sold it on, which saved the painting: the monastery was burned down by an enemy army shortly afterwards. 

 

The painting ended up in the Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna and from there in the possession of the Birkenstock family. Their daughter Antonie later married a Frankfurt patrician's son, Franz Brentano, and brought the painting with her to Frankfurt. After Brentano's death, his widow bequeathed it to St. Bartholomew's Abbey in 1852. In 1952, the painting was given its current place of honor in the north transept of the cathedral. 

I will show you Darmstadt Vivarium and "Grube Messel" in a separate blogpost :-)

Travelling to Oslo and Kopenhagen (May 2022)

Das Abenteuer meines Lebens: manche erleben eine Kreuzfahrt vielleicht sogar mehrmals im Jahr, aber für mich war es eine Premiere! My adventure of a lifetime - others may experience it once or more each year, but this journey was a premiere for me.

 Wir kamen am 6.Mai mit dem Zug in Kiel an, aßen bei "Peter Pane" zu Abend und nahmen einen Absacker im "Jan+Klaas+Hein+Pit". We arrived in Kiel on the 6th of May - by train and started with a dinner at "Peter Pane" and a smooth cocktail at "Jan+Klaas#Hein+Pit"

Der Kieler Hafen vom 12. Deck der AIDAluna aus The Port of Kiel from the 12th deck on AIDAluna

Die AIDAprima stach ein paar Minuten vor uns in See. Das Schiffshorn der "luna" war ohrenbetäubend, zumal wir direkt darunter standen! AIDAprima left Kiel just a few minutes earlier. The horn of our cruise ship was overwhelming - just because we were in direct line beneath it!

Sektempfang an Bord Champagne on board

 Der erste Sonnenuntergang auf See - the first sunset

 

Guten Morgen - heute ist Seetag. Wir reisen von Kiel nach Oslo und entdecken das Schiff

Good morning on the first day. We travel from Kiel to Oslo and explore the cruise ship.

 

 Unsere Kabine mit Balkon ist auf dem 9. Deck - our cabin with balcony is on the 9th deck

 

Mein erster Blick vom Balkon auf hoher See - first glimpse from the balcony 

 Wer - was - wann - wo? Die Scouts stellen alle Landgänge in Oslo und Kopenhagen vor. Where to go, what to do? Just listen to the scouts: they introduce us to all tours in Oslo - and Kopenhagen

 

Wir versuchen unser Glück beim BINGO und besorgen uns für den Abend drei Spielkarten im Casino. We decide to play BINGO in the evening and buy three cards

Artisten proben ihre Auftritte Artists practice their excercises throughout the day and in public.

 Der Lotse kommt an Bord, um die AIDA durch den Oslofjord zu führen - noch ca. 4 Stunden bis Oslo!

The pilot comes in to guide the AIDA through the Oslofjord - still 4 hours to go.

 

Norwegen in Sicht - Norway in plain sight :-)

 

OSLO

 

 

Im Rathaus wird jährlich der Friedensnobelpreis verliehen - the townhall of Oslo, where the  Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annuall.

 Kunstschneereste im Mai - artificial snow in may

 

König Harald V von Norwegen scheint daheim zu sein. Harald ist seit 1991 König und der erste in Norwegen geborene norwegische König seit Olav IV. im Jahr 1370.- King Harald V seems to be at home.

 

E-Roller sind sehr populär

 

Das Neue Opernhaus von Oslo - The new opera of Oslo

 

 

Nächster Halt: Holmenkollenbakken, die älteste Skisprungschanze der Welt * Next stop: Holmenkollenbakken, the oldest ski jumping hill in the world

wird zu Polterabenden auch gern für Ziplinig gebucht * used for Ziplining on wedding-eve parties
 

Ein Blick ins Museum. Thema und zahlreiche Ausstellungsstücke sind vor allem die großen Expeditionen von Nansen, Amundsen, Scott und Shackleton. Das Museum wurde 1923 gegründet und ist somit das älteste Skimuseum der Welt. - A view to the museum (founded in 1923)  that shows authentic exhibits of the great expeditions of Nansen, Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton.

Nächster Halt: Vigelandpark. Die Parkanlage zeigt 212 Granit- und Bronzeskulpturen des norwegischen Künstlers Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), darunter den Granit-Monolithen mit den Stationen eines Menschenlebens und Einzelfiguren, die alle Gefühle des Menschen reflektieren. Gustav Vigeland hat auch die Medaille des Friedensnobelpreises entworfen. - next stop: Vigelandpark (Frogner Park) with 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) who also designed the Nobel Peace Prize Medal.

Danach ging es zurück zum Schiff. Noch ein Blick vom 12. Deck auf das Rathaus, einen Touristenbus und das wirklich erschreckende Schiffshorn, das die Abfahrt ankündigt. Dann warteten Dinner, Cocktail und das Abendprogramm auf uns. - Afterwards we went back to the cruise ship, had a final view from the 12th deck (including the frightening horn) and went back to dinner, cocktail and the evening programme.

Über Nacht und süß schlummernd erreichten wir am nächsten Vormittag Kopenhagen ...

After a cozy night and sweet dreams we arrived at Kopenhagen

Vorbereitungen für die E-Bike-Touren, vom Balkon unserer Kabine aus betrachtet. Die Scouts waren ganz schön flott! Preparations for the E-Bike-Tour; in fact, the Scouts were very quick

Palastwache in Amalienborg

A Guard at Amalienborg, just in front of the Palace of Queen Margarethe

 

In der Ferne: Kreuzfahrtschiffe am neuen Terminal

Cruise ships at the new terminal 

 

 Die königliche Yacht Dannebrog

 Her Danish Majesty's Yacht Dannebrog

 

Die kleine Meerjungfrau - ein Touristenmagnet

 Den lille Havfrue

 The little Mermaid

 

Der königliche Pavillon (der mit der Krone im Vordergrund), in dem die Königin wartet, um auf ihre Jacht Dannebrog zu gehen.

The royal pavillon with the crown on top is provided for the Queen to wait before she enters the Dannebrog

 

Farbenfrohes Nyhavn (neuer Hafen) - Sehenswürdigkeit, Treffpunkt und touristisches Highlight. Dort war es richtig belebt!

Colourful Nyhavn (new port) - a place to be and to meet. Crowded places everywhere

Nach drei Stunden Spaziergang durch Kopenhagen kamen wir wieder an diesem hübschen Pavillion an. Dort fand eine sehr friedliche Demo mit Musik für die Ukraine statt.

After a 3-hour-walk through Copenhagen we arrived at this nice pavillion. A very peaceful demo with music for the Ukraine has taken place there, but we had to leave...

 

Die letzte Nacht an Bord

The last night on board

Ich hoffe, euch hat die Reise so gut gefallen wie uns

I hope you had fun like we had