Plaza de la Revolución José Martí

This huge square is biggest square of Cuba and it is used for big political events. According to Wikipedia it is 72.000 square meters big.

The square is dominated by the José Martí Memorial. He was one of leaders of the first revolution against Spain back in 1895 and is now a national hero.

The other buildings, decorated with Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos which

Tulips

My last post was on a tulip field, I got introduced to by a friend. Now, I want to show you a few of the different tulips. I was very surprised of the huge variety. Even I know tulips differing in color and size. but, here were tulips of shapes I’ve never seen before.

Originally,

Japantag 2013

Yesterday, the Japanese Community in Düsseldorf, celebrated the Japantag (Day of Japan). Some more information you can find in my last years post.

This year we had bad luck with the weather conditions. Although the weather was fine, when I arrived, it was quite windy. Later in the afternoon it became cloudy and the first raindrops felt on the people. Thus I decided, not to wait for the fireworks. The weather forecast proposed heavy rain, so I went home early.

But all over the day

Let the music play

When thinking about Cuba, what do you think first? Rum? Cigars? Tabaco? Music? Or old cars?

To shorten it: I found all of this.

Music is everywhere. In hotel  lobbys, restaurants and in the streets are people playing music. Usually bands with more than 2 and  up to 10 members. Here in Germany music in restaurants is usually played by CD and street musicians are playing alone. But in Cuba there were usually bands playing music.

Many of them also try to sell their own CDs. Some CD are homemade, using a CD burner, others are made professional. The price

Flowers everywhere

It’s spring again – finally. The winter lasted long this year, but finally spring came. Spring means, trees and bushes start blooming and flowers coming out of the soil.

The Netherlands are well-known as a flower growing country and the flower everyone connects with the Netherlands first is the tulip, even tulips originating from Persia. I heard about big fields with tulips and was eager to visit one for taking photographs. But going on a trip

Lake Möhne

This artificial lake was built in 1913. It’s a huge artificial lake build for stabilizing the water supply. This birthday was celebrated with an illumination. As a continuation of my last weeks post, I show the photos taken in the afternoon, now.

The photo on the left only shows the overfill basin. The track around

Leisure time

In the evening you can meet many, many people at the Malecón.

This street goes along the sea-coast for about 7 or 8 kilometers. Only a small wall divides the city from the sea, the atlantic ocean. This wall is used by the people in the evening for meeting, sitting, chatting, playing music, drinking and, of course, smoking. At about 5 p.m. the first few people appear here and stay until late. One night

Möhne-Illumination

Last week I was on a photography trip with a few friends.

The dam at the artificial lake was build 1913. Thus the owner, a water company, celebrates the 100th birthday with an illumination.

You can find a few impressions below.

You can still visit the illumination until Pentecost.

I’ll show a few photos taken during daylight in one of my next posts in parallel to a continuation of the Cuba posts.

Take care!

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Mother’s day

Today, we celebrate Mother’s day, a holiday to honor the mothers and her work for the family. It’s held on the second Sunday of May in most parts of the western world and is originating from the US in the early 20th century.

The mothers get flowers or chocolates from her older kids or if they are at younger ages (i.e. preschool) self-painted pictures or handicrafts. In case, the kids are grown up and live on their own or already have their own family, they visit their mother or invite her for tea time or for going out for lunch.

 

el peluquero

or “the hairdresser” in English.

This project in Havana is meant to give the poor an opportuntiy to earn their own money by teaching them to become a hairdresser. On the other hand old and poor people can get a free haircut by being a volunteer for the trainees. So, both side can profiting.

You, as a tourist, can visit the school and the regular salon. It’s a complete (even small) street between

The castle

Havana is located at the coast, but it also has a big bay that is used for the harbor. This bay has a small passage to come in. The city with the old town is located on one side of this entrance and an old castle is located on the other side: