Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Marbachshöhe is a former military area at Kassel, Germany. The buildings in this area are nowadays used by companies and as residential homes. Next to them you can find the tiny nature preserve known as Marbachsgraben or Marbachsgrünzug. It is taken care of by the city to give insects, birds and small animals a home. If you follow the Helleböhnweg up the hill you can have good views on Kassel next to the Westfriedhof cemetery.
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Within the city of Kassel, Germany you can find an area with beautiful old oaks – the Hutewiesen above the Dönche nature preserve. They are grown as nature wants them to be – in every direction and wild as only an oak can grow. In summer the area is often used to host a herd of sheep.
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The ‘Wasserkünste‘ of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany are enabled by a system of water flows. While the cascades below the Herkules receive their water from two artificial lakes behind the monument, the Steinhöfer Wasserfall gets the water from the old mine ‘Zeche Herkules‘ and the tiny stream Sichelbach. From Neu-Holland the water is first brought by a long channel to the mountain lake Asch.
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The Mercato Metropolitano is a wonderful food court at Elephant & Castle, London. You can sit inside or outside and get drinks and food from numerous small shops. From burgers via Spätzle and burritos to gyoza. Everything that your heart might desire – and as a surplus they claim to be sustainable.
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Readers of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series know the Diagon Alley as a narrow and dark road full of shops in London, England where you can buy all kinds of supplies for wizards. By the way: German readers miss this wonderful pun as it is just called Winkelgasse in the translated books. Nevertheless, the inspiration for this fictional place was Leadenhall market between Monument and Liverpool Street.
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It is a fantastic building at London, England: the Freemason’s Hall which is the headquarter of the United Grand Lodge of England. The location near Covent Garden was used since 1775 from freemasonic activities, the current building in art déco style was built from 1927 on. It includes the great temple, the assembly hall, a library and a museum. Tours are offered hourly.
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The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon or short the Templars were a Cathology military order – one of the most powerful and massively engaged in the crusades. A building at London, England which was of great importance to them was the Temple Church, an Anglican built in the 12th century CE. It was also used for negotiations that lead to the signing of the Magna Carta.
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Within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany you can see one of the oldest collections of roses – it dates back to year 1767. When the current building of Schloß Wilhelmshöhe was errected the Schloss Weißenstein – formerly located there – was destroyed. In 1798 the remains were thrown into the lake Lac next to the castle. Since then they formed the island Roseninsel which is now home to the rose collection.
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If you like a stroll in a park or watching bats and raccoons the Lac at the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany might be the right place for you. It is an artifical lake that belongs to the Schloss Wilhelmshöhe and was used by the different inhabitants of the castle. It was created in 1785 by connecting five former lakes and building small waterfalls and paths around the lakes. By that time it was normal to give French names to buildings and lakes (le lac = the lake).
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There was a time at Germany when everything from China was en vogue. That is why there was a Chinese village at the borders of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany. It was built from the year 1781 on and was named ‘Mou-lang‘. Today still 13 of the 21 original buildings are in place – but you’ll have to search for them because their ‘Chinese style’ is unobtrusive and they are surrounded by different mansions built afterwards.
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