Trysil / Norway - Ugla Hyttegrend - Luxury Log Cabins - Nowegian "Laft Hus" at wintertime

Trysil is a town in South-East-Norway near the Swedish border. It is a good skiing area. In this region were built many log cabins, some of them are luxurious and were built in the construction style of a Norwegian "Laft-house". This means a a log building with a sod roof. The moisture-proofing was assured by an underlay of several layers of birch bark. The wood often comes from Russia or Finland. 
Trysil at summertime

Villa Deichmann in Bonn-Ruengsdorf

The mansion “Villa Deichmann” was built in 1902 by the banker Otto Deichmann from Cologne for his family. His descendants still live there. The architect was Ernst von Ihne, who has built  many well known buildings and who also worked for Emperor Wilhelm II.

This Rhenish villa has been built in a country house style. Its design is nested with a roofing of various styles,  especially the cap of the tower.  The rooms directed to the river bank were destroyed in 1944 by a bomb. The reconstruction of the building  and its dwellings lasted until 1985.  Not only from the outside but also from the inside has the original villa been almost entirely preserved.  That is why it  stands out as a unique landmark among the Rhenish villas. The tea pavilion at the river bank is built in the Swiss cottage style (Schweizer Laubsägearchitektur)

Villa Deichmann seen from West

Villa Deichmann seen from the Rhine river bank

vane with coat of arms of family Deichmann

pavillon at the Rhine promenade

Levada do Furado and the Balcony of Ribeiro Frio

The walk along the Levada is short but very nice. It takes about 40 minutes only and at its end on the Balcony you can enjoy a wonderful view - enriched by a glass of Madeira wine, if you got. You get to the starting point by bus to Ribeiro Frio. It starts downtown Funchal next to the cable car station. You leave the bus behind the trout farm. After this nice little walk you can go back to Funchal by bus or continue the Levada do Furado in direction to Portela. From there you can reach Funchal by bus.

Along the Levada

Deviation to the Balcony

The Balcony of Ribeiro Frio

Information tile at the Balcony

View in Nortern direction on the Atlantic

View on the Ribeiro da Metade

Playa de la Rapita, Isle of Mallorca, Spain

On the south east coast of the Isle of Mallorca, there is a wonderful beach between Colonia Sant Jordi and S'Estanyol de Migjorn. The beach is known as a former landing site for smugglers. You can easily walk the distance via Sa Rapita in about 6 hours both ways. On your way, you may want to stop for a swim in the clear sea. The area behind the dunes is a protected natural reserve. Walking along the beach you have a view on the Cabrera archipelagos, which are conservation areas as well. Beyond the dunes are the salt works Salines de Llevant near the village Ses Salines. On your beach walk you will cross the saline's old salt water canal. During WW II General Franco found it necessary to fortify the island in order to keep up the neutrality of Spain. He had bunkers built, arranged in pairs and in such an angle that the defending soldiers would be able to shoot crossfire. Originally, the bunkers were built into the dunes. But gradually wind and water laid them open. In order to protect the dunes now, long ropes and rush mats are used.

Beach of Es Trenc between Colonia Sant Jordi Colonia and Sa Rapita

Beach between s'Estanyol de Migjorn and Sa Rapita

Light hours of Cape of  Salinas (left) and Isles of Cabrera (right)

Salt-works Salines de Llevant (seen from North)

old salt water canal of the company Salinas de Levante S.A.

old salt water canal to the Salines de Llevant

Marina of s'Estanyol de Migjorn with historic watchtower

two bunkers in pairwise arrangement

Sa Rapita

protection of dunes

beach restaurant at the Playa Es Trenc

Oslo - Vigeland-Park

In the Viegland-Park are exhibited many most impressive sculptures. They were created by Gustav Vigeland  (1869 - 1943), who was an ingenious Norwegian sculptor. The Vigeland-Park ist part of the Frogner-Park. In former times it belonged to the estate Frogner (Frogner Hovedgård).The recreation area Frognerseteren until 1848 was summer pasture of manor Frogner. There are the ski jump ramp Holmenkollen and a restaurant with wonderful view over Oslo.