Lappeenranta in the Southeast of Finland is beautifully situated on lake Saimaa and is connected to the Bay of Finland and Russia via the Saimaa Canal. The canal was built between 1845 – 1856. It was formally opened on September 7 1856. It was later overhauled and widened 1963-1968. The canal is 42.9 km long (26.7 miles). the difference in elevation between lake Saimaa and the lower laying Gulf of Finland is 75.7 m (248 ft). The Finnish part has three locks, the first one in Mälkiä.
Mälkiä Lock on Saimaa Canal
Mälkiä lock is the first lock when traveling towards Russia on the Saimaa Canal, it is also the lock with the biggest difference in elevation, 12,4 m (41 ft).
Mälkiä lock
The lock port is rising from below to seal off the lake side of the lock so that the transition downwards can begin.
Mälkiä lockMälkiä lock locking towards the lower part of the CanalMälkiä lock locking back towards lake SaimaaMälkiä lock
The gates have closed and lock is being drained of water, lowering the boat to the level of the lower part of the canal.
Mälkiä lock – Ready to move outBack in the Canal, 12.4 m lower
Take a two hour cruise on Lake Saimaa and the lock at Mälkiä with El Faro, it is a great experience!
Weimar in the state of Thüringia in Germany was the place, where after the First World War, the first German Democratic constitution was signed. This was also where the Weimar Republic period in German history (1918-1933) was formed. It was the home of the period in art called the German Enlightenment and also the home of two of the main characters in the Weimar Classicism literary genre – Goethe and Schiller. Weimar was at one point home to such artists as Franz List composer and pianist. Artists and architects such as Paul Klee, Wassili Kandinsky, Henry Van de Velde, Lyonel Feininger and of course Walter Gropius the founder of the Bauhaus movement.
Weimar City Castle
The Weimar City Castle, (City to distinguish it from other castles in the area) was a center for the arts in Weimar. The church attached to the castle was a place where J.S. Bach premiered many of his compositions.
Candleholder in the city Castle in WeimarCarl August Von Sachsen Weimar
The Archduke Carl August von Sachsen Weimar was a supporter of the arts and used some of his wealth to purchase art and also brought in artists to the city and sometimes employed them to help them support themselves when their art could not.
Goethe and Schiller in front of the Opera house in Weimar
Goethe and Schiller were two of the intellectuals that were present in Weimar. Goethe, who was brought in to the city by the Arch Duke Carl August von Sachsen Weimar to ply his craft wound up working for the city in many capacities as he was well educated and had administrative capabilities in addition to his artistic ones. The two became fast friends and collaborators.
Goethe’s Summer House in the park and der Ilm in Weimar
Goethe had a summer house in the park which was a gift from the Archduke. The above pictured house is a replica of the original to preserve the original it from the wear and tear brought on by the many visitors that come every year to see it.
Viola tricolor in Goethe’s garden
The garden at Goethe’s summer house is said to look exactly as it would have during the time Goethe lived in the house.
Shakespeare statue in Park and der Ilm in Weimar
Weimar is home to the largest Shakespeare society outside of England in the world and there is a statue of the Bard in the Park and der Ilm. William Shakespeare lived April 1564 – April 23 1616 and was born in Stratford upon Avon in the U.K.
The statue on top of the Brandenburger gate closeup
The name of the post is from JFK’s (President of the United States John Fitzgerald Kennedy) speech in West Berlin June 26 1963 some 22 months after the Berlin wall was erected on August 13 1961 as a means of keeping people in East Germany from fleeing to West Germany.
Today Berlin is once again a united city and construction is still ongoing to bring the former East up to the standards of the West. It is a vibrant city with a lot of things to do and see. The photos are from a recent visit to Berlin in May 2015.
Brandenburger Tur
The area around the Brandenburger Tur is an interesting area with a lot of different buildings to see, the Reichstag, the Gehry designed Deutsche Bank building, and many other interesting sites around.
In the background is the Fernseh Turm Berlin (the Television tower in Berlin) built in the former East Germany, DDR 1964-1969Deutsche Bank Brandenburger TurPariser Platz 3 – Address of the Deutsche Bank building designed by Frank Gehry
When you look at the Deutsche Bank building next to the US Embassy by the Brandenburger Gate, it is hard to believe that the building was designed by Frank Gehry and constructed 1998-2000. If you peek inside it becomes more clear that this is indeed a Frank Gehry design.
Deutsche Bank interior atrium with a Titanium and glass roof and inner shell intended as a conference/performance spaceFormer Allied Checkpoint CharlieKochstrasse U Bahn station at Check Point Charlie
When Berlin was divided between East and West some U-Bahn lines were cut off and two were allowed to pass through East Space with no stops creating ‘Ghost stations” where trains would pass by without stopping. one stop on the West Berlin route at Friedrichstrasse was used as a transfer point between the transportation systems and as a border crossing into East Germany.
The German Reichstag building in Berlin where the German Bundestag (Parliament) meets.Berlin Wall Footprint Behind the Reichstags building
To the right in the above picture is former East Berlin where the old German Reichstags building was. It was damaged in a fire 1933 and not used until German unification and an ensuing renovation that started in 1990 and lasted until 1999 when it once again started housing the German parliament.
Berlin Wall footprint at the River Spree behind the Reichstag building looking towards the river. East Germany was on the left and on the other side of the river.
The Berlin wall ran right behind the Reichstag building dividing the city of Berlin into to parts, East and West Berlin. The river Spree was part of East Germany and acted as a border between the two parts.
Tempelhof Airport Terminal Building
Tempelhof Airport, or as it was called in German, Zentral Flughafen. It was designated as an airport in 1923 and the terminal building was constructed in 1927. This is where the famed Berlin airlift took place in 1948-49. “Operation Vittles” as it was called started June 26 1948 when a US Air-force Douglas C47 brought in 80 tons of supplies to the people of the city of West Berlin who’s supplies were cut off by a Soviet shut down of all access roads and waterways into West Berlin, only three air corridors remained open.. The airlift was later joined by US Navy and the British Royal Air-force as well as various private airlines from England. A unified command was created to coordinate the effort, it was called the Combined Airlift Task Force.
German Eagle at Tempelhof AirportColumbia Theatre across the street from Tempelhof Airport
The above building was part of a complex built in 1951 for the US Air-force personnel stationed at Tempelhof Airport across the street, this was a movie theater with a 400 seat capacity and next to it was the Columbia Hall which was a bigger sports building also for the USAF personnel.
The Bauhaus architectural movement started in Weimar Germany. In 1860 an art school was started by the Grand Duke Carl Alexander, the school later went it’s own way and distanced itself from the court. Plein air painting was big and the area was home to some of the great German impressionist painters. In 1920 a decorative arts school was set up by the Grand duchy and a Belgian, Henry van de Velde was appointed it’s leader. The school closed in 1915 and Van de Velde had to leave Germany just before the outbreak of the first world war in 1917 because he was a foreigner. In 1919 architect Walter Gropius (1883–1969) with the support of the local government of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach founded “Das Staatliche Bauhaus”. The general idea was to unify all ways of art and design in order to incorporate it into architecture. Gropius left the Bauhaus University in 1926 and moved to Dessau, more or less forced out by the rise of the National Socialist party. There is really only one ‘real’ Bauhaus designed original building in Weimar, most buildings can be found in Dessau, unfortunately some were destroyed in the second world war, later rebuilt according to original spec’s, but still a shame. The buildings are very functional and incorporates new ways to open windows to produce airflow in the buildings to make them comfortable.
Window opening mechanism in a Meisterhaus in Dessau
One of the more eye pleasing and location perfect buildings is the Korn Haus, which was built in 1929-30, commissioned by the city of Dessau and is still used as a restaurant. It sits on the bank of the river Elbe and is just the perfect spot to enjoy a meal and a beer or maybe just an ice cream.
Korn Haus restaurant on the ElbeKorn Haus restaurant on the Elbe rotunda
Below are some pictures from the Bauhaus University in Weimar.
Walter Gropius office at the Bauhaus University in WeimarDetail of light fixture in Walter Gropius office at the Bauhaus University in Weimar
Mural in the stairway leading up to the floor where Walter Gropius office was at the Bauhaus University in Weimar. By Oskar Schlemmer (1888-1943) done in 1923.
Looking down from the top of the stairs at the Bauhaus University building in Weimar that housed Walter Gropius office.
Art Nouveau stairs in a different building at the Bauhaus University in Weimar.
