The Kudamm is really spectacular during the holidays. There are always beautiful light displays. I just love the simplicity of the trees with a star on the top.
KDW
The Kaufhaus des Westens is Berlin's most famous department store. It's located at the end of the Kudamm - Berlin's equivalent of the Champs Elysees. They have beautiful decorations during the holidays both in the store and on the street.
Gendarmenmarkt
I know it's a little late to be showing Christmas decorations. But I couldn't resist sharing this lovely tree from the Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt. My husband and I stopped by on Christmas day and enjoyed some mulled wine and a look at the different wares. I still think the Schloss Charlottenburg is nicer though.
Happy New Year!
Sorry I've been away from my blog for awhile, but we were busy celebrating Christmas and a birthday in Berlin and then New Year's in New Orleans.
This is a look at the Schloss Charlottenburg which was specially lit for the Christmas Market this year. This particular market just opened last year and it has grown a lot. In fact, I think it's even prettier than the Gendarmenmarkt which is traditionally the most beautiful in Berlin.
I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and all the best to you and your family in 2009!
This is a look at the Schloss Charlottenburg which was specially lit for the Christmas Market this year. This particular market just opened last year and it has grown a lot. In fact, I think it's even prettier than the Gendarmenmarkt which is traditionally the most beautiful in Berlin.
I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and all the best to you and your family in 2009!
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!
This is my Christmas tree! My sister helped me decorate it when my family was here for Thanksgiving. She has that extra special touch which makes everything look beautiful.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!
It's hard to believe that this was what it looked like around Jackson just a week ago! This photo is courtesy of one of my colleagues who has a farm about 20 miles south of the metro area. We did not have as much of the white stuff in town, but even in the country this much snow is almost unheard of.
I will be in Berlin for ten days and probably won't be posting. My mother-in-law only has dial-up internet which is way too frustrating for uploading photos!
Happy skywatch Friday to everyone and don't forget to click on the picture below to check out the other skies around the world today.
Old Camera
What could be more appropriate for a photo blog than a picture of a camera? They had some lovely old ones on display at the museum.
Old Flag
This flag is on display inside the Old Courthouse Museum. The place is chock full of artifacts from the Civil War as well as everyday tools and such that help us understand life in ye olde days. Considering its age, this flag is extremely well-preserved. I'm glad there are people out there who keep these kinds of things to share with the public. Check back tomorrow for more!
Old Court Room
This is the original jury box in the old court room - it's located on the second story of the Old Courthouse in Vicksburg. I recently served on the jury for a trial in Madison County - it took a whole week. I would not have liked to spent a week sitting on one of those hardback chairs.
Old Court House
After sating our appetites and shopping around, we headed a few blocks down to the Old Court House. The building itself is quite impressive and although it does not serve its first purpose any more, the Civil War Museum inside is quite interesting. It's amazing how many artifacts are still preserved. I'll show more of the museum this week.
Downtown Vicksburg
After our visit to the Anchuca, we headed downtown for a coffee and a snack. There were many lovely little boutiques, a bookstore and an art gallery. It was sort of drizzly and grey that day, so the indoor distractions were welcome.
The Wilson Suite
This is the main sleeping area in the Wilson Suite, named for Victor and Jane Wilson who purchased the home in 1840. Unfortunately, none of the home's original furniture survived the Civil War, but the owners have scoured the markets for period antiques and replications to give the home an authentic feel.
The Eliza Room is part of the Wilson Suite, it's named for the Wilson's daughter. The rooms share a lovely bathroom complete with an old fashioned claw-foot tub. It's the perfect place for a family or romantic getaway!
The Eliza Room is part of the Wilson Suite, it's named for the Wilson's daughter. The rooms share a lovely bathroom complete with an old fashioned claw-foot tub. It's the perfect place for a family or romantic getaway!
Christmas at The Anchuca
The owners of the Anchuca welcome guests into their home year round, but staying during the holiday season is something special. Their tree was splendidly decorated and they offer special Thanksgiving and Christmas buffets.
Tomorrow I will show you one of the guest suites.
Tomorrow I will show you one of the guest suites.
The Happy Home
We finally did find a house to visit - The Anchuca Mansion which means happy home in Choctaw. I'll show you the inside of the Anchuca tomorrow. It is just gorgeous and has a lot of historical appeal!
Cedar Grove
We packed up for a tour of historic Vicksburg during the Thanksgiving holiday. We originally wanted to visit the McRaven House, but it is already closed for the season. Cedar Grove was our second choice, but unfortunately they were having a wedding that day and were not touring.
We did walk around outside a little bit. Perhaps my husband will treat me to a night in one of the guest rooms sometime. They look sumptuous!
We did walk around outside a little bit. Perhaps my husband will treat me to a night in one of the guest rooms sometime. They look sumptuous!
The Mississippi Story
The Mississippi Story is the permanent collection at the Mississippi Museum of Art. My family and I toured the museum during the Thanksgiving holiday. We saw an exhibit of Audubon prints, but I really found the Mississippi collection more interesting.
Bye Bye China!
Our last day in Shanghai was sunny so we took a boat cruise up the river. It was a nice way to see the skyline and the reflections on the water.
Tomorrow your regularly scheduled Jackson photos will return.
Tomorrow your regularly scheduled Jackson photos will return.
Dim Sum
Yummy yum yum! Who can resist tasty dim sum?
And these were purported to be the best in Shanghai! Unfortunately, we did not try them as the queue was more than 50 persons long and there are limits on how long I can wait - even for the best dim sum.
And these were purported to be the best in Shanghai! Unfortunately, we did not try them as the queue was more than 50 persons long and there are limits on how long I can wait - even for the best dim sum.
Cloisonee
While we were in Beijing, we visited a cloisonee factory. The tour was actually quite interesting and informative. We saw these vases just coming out of the fire - quite impressive. It takes 10 - 15 layers to fill up the spaces on a vase, that's pretty tedious work. But the results are worth it, the works are quite beautiful. We took home two Christmas ornaments. Funnily enough - there was even a Mississippi State Bulldogs ornament all the way in China. I should have taken a picture of that!
PS: This is my 365th post - one full year's worth of pictures.
PS: This is my 365th post - one full year's worth of pictures.
Yu Yuan Bazaar
The Yu Yuan Bazaar is just next to the famed Yu Yuan Gardens in Shanghai. Although everything may look old, this is actually a small section of streets which have been restored to former Chinese glory. It's filled with tea shops, souvenir stands, department stores and restaurants. It's a lovely place to visit in the day, but it definitely gets more magical at night.
Spectacle
My husband and I went to an acrobatic show in Beijing. It was actually quite disappointing. I don't know if the performers were tired from the show just before ours or if they weren't very experienced, but there were quite a few mistakes. The costumes were beautiful though and I got a few good photos.
I will continue posting China highlights until the end of the week. Next week Jackson will be back!
December Theme Day: Circles/Spheres
This is the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai. When you go up to the observation deck, you can look down on the Shanghai Grand Hyatt. It's pretty spectacular.
Take a look at how others across the world have interpreted today's theme.
Terracotta Soldiers
These are the terracotta warriors of Xian. Archeologists have uncovered around 2,000 men so far - they believe there are more than 8,000 in total. They are believe to have been commissioned by China's first Emperor - Qin - to protect him in the afterlife, although there is no written record of the project. Amazing!
The Forbidden City
On our first evening in Beijing, we took a stroll around town. The entrance to the Forbidden City by night is quite impressive. It is guarded constantly - most of the guards don't look like they could be over 15 years old.
Crabs
These are the famous green crabs of China. They are purported to be quite a delicacy. I saw these for sale at the airport. Surprisngly, quite a lot of people would buy food and pack it in dry ice to transport on the plane in the cargo hold. I'm not sure that would fly with Homeland Security.
Gardens
I don't know what the name of these gardens is, but they were somewhere in Wuxi. The driver from the factory was instructed to take us here, but he didn't speak any English. The signage was mainly in Chinese - the only English near the entrance stated "Natural Site of Beauty" or something like that.
It was a lovely place to spend an afternoon. We didn't have enough time to explore the entire garden, but we saw plenty of beautiful things. There were rock gardens, water gardens and, of course, flower gardens. Each was surrounded by pavilions dedicated to Chinese arts - music, calligraphy...
Thanks to D at Tuscaloosa Daily Photo for tagging me!
The rules of this Meme are:1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six Random Things About Me:
I speak French fluently and am pretty good at German.
I've been to almost every continent - my next conquest is Australia.
I have a 29 handicap at golf, but I'm working on getting it into the teens.
My favorite color is red.
I am a Kansas Jawhawks fan through and through.
I drive a blue diesel Volkswagon New Beetle.
Tagged blogs:
Crittoria in West Paris
Brian in Terrell
Chris in Nashville
Hilda in Manila
Sally in Sydney
Per in Stockholm
The Big Buddha
This is the Big Buddha of Wuxi. Wuxi is a city about 3 hours northwest from Shanghai. My husband's company has a factory there, so that was our first stop. One of his colleagues helped us organize the rest of our trip and also arranged the company driver to take us to the Buddha and a local park.
The Buddha was really impressive. I'm not sure of the actual dimensions, but I'm sure he could give the Jesus of Rio or the Statue of Liberty a run for the money. My husband and I were the only western tourists there. It's apparently a big draw for Chinese people, but outside of China Wuxi is virtually unknown. There was no mention of the Buddha in our guidebook - even though the city has 7 million inhabitants! I'm glad we got to see this treasure.
The Buddha was really impressive. I'm not sure of the actual dimensions, but I'm sure he could give the Jesus of Rio or the Statue of Liberty a run for the money. My husband and I were the only western tourists there. It's apparently a big draw for Chinese people, but outside of China Wuxi is virtually unknown. There was no mention of the Buddha in our guidebook - even though the city has 7 million inhabitants! I'm glad we got to see this treasure.
Protection
When I opened the closet in our first hotel, I found two gas masks. I'm not sure what their purpose is - to save us from a nuclear war? in case of fire? to avoid the air pollution? I'm not sure if it's comforting to find a mask in your closet. Is there a good chance we'll need one?
I have around 1,000 pictures from my trip - it's going to be difficult to choose which ones to post, but I hope you'll enjoy them!
I have around 1,000 pictures from my trip - it's going to be difficult to choose which ones to post, but I hope you'll enjoy them!
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