Greece, Athens

Athens, Greece, October 2013

George has visited Greece together with Lis, Lennart and Bjarne.

They saw The Runner (Dromeas) by noted Athens sculptor Costas Vanotsos. Dromeas stands 12 meters tall (nearly 30 feet), and is built from thousands of broken pieces and shards of glass stacked into the shape of a runner in full sprint.

In Athens you must visit The Acropolis. Akros - highest, topmost and polis - city is a settlement built upon elevated ground.

George made it to the top and enjoyed the ancient ruins of the Erechtheion. The Erechtheion is the youngest temple of the Acropolis and was built next to an old temple which it was designed to replace. The most famous part of the temple is the porch of the Caryatids where the pillars have been replaced by maidens.

The place is full of statues

The Acropolis of Athens is full of pillars.

And the place has a lot of arches.

Denmark, Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2013

George went to visit the biggest Viking exhibition ever in Copenhagen with Sigfus, Trond and Madeline.

The National Museum is hosting a spectacular Viking exhibition that centres around the 37 m long Viking ship Ægir. The ship is the world’s longest Viking ship and is exhibited for the first time since it was found at Roskilde in 1997. #natmus

The Viking exhibition also features other Viking finds from around Europe. Here George is having a good look at some Viking clothes. George met Piou-Piou from France. Like George a world traveller.

There was a replica of the big Jelling stone. The Jelling stones are rune stones found in Jelling and are considered the birth certificate of Denmark and features one of the earliest records of the name "Danmark" (in the form of accusative "tanmaurk". The rune inscription on the stone reads: "King Haraldr ordered this monument made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Thyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian."

A finally George with one of the biggest ornaments of the exhibition. This crucifix fro Gammel Åby Kirke year 1050-1100 is one of the earliest Christian treasures. Only in the Nordic countries do you see Christ wearing a crown like a king.

Sweden, Stockholm

Stockholm, Sweden, October 2013

George has visited the Swedish capital Stockholm, where Bruno Mars was giving a concert.

George did find some time for sight seeing. Here he is on Riksbron the National Bridge looking across to Wasabron the Wasa bridge, the Swedish House of Knights (Riddarhuset) and the Bonde Palace with the Ridderholm church in the background.

Iran, Teheran

Teheran, Iran, October 2013

George has returned from a short trip to Iran with André

They arrived in the Imam Khomeini International Airport where George noticed the 747-200 from Iran Air and the Airbus 340 from Mahan Air.

George visited the Hamadan Province and here he is enjoying the view from the hotel room.

Having a sweet tooth George had an extra look on the desert menu.

Australia, Gnomesville

Again George has been out and about in Western Australia. This time he has visited Gnomesville.

George likes gnomes. Probably because of the similar size. Gnomesville is outside a small town called Dardanup in the South West region.

So, where did it all start? One story is that a group of Dardanup school children declared the intersection a hazard. While the council began constructing a roundabout to fix the problem, a single gnome was placed in close proximity by a local, as a quiet protest to the project going ahead. Soon after, other gnomes also rallied in objection and a community was borne.

Name them, pose them, leave a message or a pun. The latter seems popular: "Gnome news is good new", "Gnoman Empire" and "Gnome sweet gnome".

A story was told in the days of old of a village in the bush. On the side of a hill, with a creek running through and a bridge to join the two. A Gnome I once knew, told of a family or two who lived in this faraway place. They doubled and doubled and doubled until they called it Gnomesville. Fisher Family

There are gnomes as far as you can see. Deep in the forrest.

And right next to the creek.

The Czech Republic, Nové Město nad Metují

Nové Město nad Metují , The Czech Republic, October 2013

George has just returned from a visit to the Czech Republic with Allan.

Nové Město nad Metují is located in the north close to the Polish border. The name means "New City on the Metuje". The town was founded in 1501 round a rectangular square with a castle and a church of the Holy Trinity.

Ireland, Dublin

George have had a fantastic trip to Ireland with Lennart and his family.

Fáilte go hÉireann - Home of the famous Guinness. The Guinness brewery is still in Dublin and George wanted to visit it as one of the main attractions.

There is a permanent exhibition, called the Guinness Storehouse, on the 250-year old Guinness brewery's history. You get to see how Guinness is made.

At the very top floor of the building, it was possible to try the famous Guinness. George only enjoyed the fantastic view of the Dublin skyline.

After the brewery George made it to the Temple Bar area that is famous for - well Guinness and and a lot of bars. The most famous one and the one that has named the whole area is The Temple Bar established in 1840.

Inside the pubs there is live music and "Sweet Home Alabama" for some reason.

George crossed the Ha'penny Bridge across the Liffey. The bridge's official name is the Liffey Bridge. Before the bridge there were seven ferries across the Liffey which flows through the centre of the city . The operator of the ferries was granted the right to extract a half penny toll from anyone crossing it.

George also saw The Spire of Dublin, which is a 121.2 metres (398 ft) high, stainless steel, pin-like monument on O'Connell Street. The Soire of Dublin was built on the site of the former Nelson Pillar that was destroyed by a bomb planted by Irish republicans in March 1966.

George met Molly Malone in Grafton Street. Molly Malone is the character in a popular song, set in Dublin, which has become some sort of unofficial anthem of the city. The song is telling a fictional tale of a beautiful fishmonger who worked in the streets of Dublin, and who died died young of a fever.

Off Dame Street George saw Dublin Castle, a major Irish government complex, which until 1922 was the seat of British rule in Ireland. Most of the existing castle dates back to the 18th century. However the site served as the seat of English, then later British government of Ireland under the Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541). The Record Tower is the sole surviving tower of the medieval castle dating from c.1228.

In North Earl Street they met James Joyce. Who is considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century. Joyce's fictional universe does not extend far beyond Dublin; Ulysses, one of his most famous works, is particularly set with precision in the streets and alleyways of Dublin.

After having met James Joyce in the street George made it to No. 7 Eccles Street, the original front-door to Leopold Bloom’s home in Ulysses. It is on display in the yard at the back of the James Joyce Centre.