Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park - I

In the first Week of July – 2011, we went to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.

FMG Mission Statement:
To promote the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of gardens, sculpture, the natural environment, and the arts.

Our Visit
We went up with my Son and Daughter in law from Benton Harbour to this wonderful place. It’s about 1 1/2 hrs drive and it was well worth the Drive. The park is Michigan States second most visited attraction.
 
Here the first sculpture, at the Parking area. Se the two faces?
 
The Entrence –let’s start the visit indoor enjoing the Tropical Flowers and Plants.
 
We were fascitaned by the blue colours here - Orhides
 
Wonderful flowers and colours here as well – Orchides

In the tropical section you will find a subsection with Pitcher Plants. Very fascinating. Watch your fingers and nose;-)

More Pitcher Plants – See how they trap insects below:

 
More Pitcher Plants – How do you grow them?
 
There are sculptures among the plants as well
Click on the small photo to read about the Sausage Tree.

More to come from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park,

Saturday report from Oslo – March 26-2011

It’s Springtime and a Sunny Day here in Oslo this Saturday. What are people doing when the Sun shines and it is still lot’s of Snow in the Hills and Ice on the Fiord?  How does it looks like?
Lets take a tour along the shores of the inner part of the Oslofiord.
 
Ice on a Rock with Sunlicking Birds. Click to enlarge. From Huk.
 
Lets start our tour in Southern Oslo, at Hvervenbukta. See, it is still Ice on the Fiord, which has been rare for many years. Far out you can see some people – fishing.
 
Some people prefere to enjoy the last of the Winter for a final Cross Country Skiing in the Hills. But it is as well popular to go to the Seaside and enjoy the Sun.  Here is the proof.
The two photos on top shows divers traning under-ice diving. They did find a wreck.  The Divers are connected to the Ice surface with a Rope. Down left: Memories from last Summer and down right: Young girls checking the Ice.
Naked trees at the Seaside. It’s a nice walking path along the Shore, you can walk for around for45 minutes. Go up on the Hill with a nice view over the Oslofiord. Or just sit down in the Nature and have a nice time at the Beachfront.
 
Well, this was a short visit to Hvervenbukta in Oslo South. Now I will bring you to the Peninsula where I grew up:  Bygdöy. Here from the Royal Farm. Still lots of Snow. 
 
We will go to the very popular Beach at Huk.  It’s about 20 km via the Operatunnel and then to the West and South again. The Photos are taken from the Naturist part of the Beach, but no Nudes this time of year. LOL:-)
I think you will understand this Day was not meant for swimming…  Fascinating with the Iceblocks on the Rocks. From top left: Ice on rocks. the inlet separating the Naturist Beach from the textile beach, down left view westward and down right view eastward.

West of the Beach the old Oslo Airport used to be (until Oct 7, 1998). Today it houses IT-industry, In-door Sport Arena, Businesses and a new City is under construction.
Sun reflexions on Fiord Ice
 
Let’s end this tour at a very special place: Rodelökken Kafe, located at the northern part of Bygdöy.
 
First part of the House is from 1780 and the Cafe opened in 1874
The Cafe is very popular during the Summer Months. It opened for the Season this Saturday. Up right  you see part of the original building.  The Panel is renewed. Down under you see the view from Rodelökken. Oslo West End and Frognerkilen, one of the two  inlets that makes Bygdöy a peninsula.


Out here at Bygdöy peninsula you will also find the Viking Ships Museum, The Kon Tiki and Ra and the Polarship Fram and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History outdoor and indoor museum where you can see how people have lived here in Norway the past 1000 years.
Among others.


PS. Still waiting for a new permanent Internet connection

A fabulous view and something we did not knew

Happily Claudie and Pierre had a day off from work – even mid week -  when  they so gently hosted us first week of October 2010.
So what to do?
Among 1000's of options we choosed the Sky.

Why not?
 
Risky business ?– well – it swinged
 
What was the idea. Was it a View?  Pierre did test while Claudie awaited the result.
La plus belles rade d’Europe – agree? OK – the view from Flöien Bergen Norway can compete.
 
We went for a Walk – 30 minutes or so on the plateaux

And we did visit this sacret place.

There is more on Mount Faron: WW2


It was closed when we where there, but you can see and think  your own thoughts
We went to the ZOO.

They do care of Cats, all seizes here . feed them and bring them back where they natural lives. Humans protect them in one hand, and kill them with the other.

Genette
Wiki in French
Wiki in English

Suddenly something very unespected – have never seen or heard about before.

Did you know these animals was domestic? Used by Farmers in Southern Europe in the Middle Age to keep the Mice away.  They now live as wild animals. Hardly known and seen.
 
Looks like a Cat – click to have an interesting View.
 
We were up there for splendid hours – a rest needed

If we come down safe and sound, there will be a very secial post from St. Tropez and Tahiti Beach.
If not wooooooooowooo
Wisk you all a happy week. Carpe Diem - it's your week