It's a girl!

Peekaboo! The newest member of Hagenbeck's elephant herd, a little girl born last Friday, as yet unnamed.


She was four days old when the photos were taken.


I think that she's already very adept at using her trunk.


having a drink


itchy nose :)


siesta



photos were taken at Hagenbecks Tierpark, published with kind permission.

MyWorld Tuesday: Bus and Ships

Where did that come from? I don't know if someone actually shipped an US schoolbus to Germany, but it did look very much like the real thing and not like a remodelled bus made to look like one.


See that guy standing on the platform? I don't know what he was thinking, the Elbe is dangerous to swim in!
I'm just pulling your leg of course, it's a statue. There are more of him to be found in other parts of the port and one is riding a giraffe (statue) in front of the zoo.


harbour police


a tugboat


The photos were taken in Oevelgoenne, a part of Hamburg were many captains used to live and spend their retirement, and there are a few museum ships, for example a fire ship and an icebreaker. The ship in the photo is an Ewer, the name comes from the Dutch envarer, which would translate to German Einfahrer = one driver. Originally, Ewer only had one crewmember. The big wooden paddles, daggerboards, are typical for Ewer and are used to stabilize the ship in the water to avoid drifting and spinning in the water.

Travel around the world with the MyWorld Tuesday meme

Camera Critters: Hagenbeck, again

female lion, enjoying the sun


house mouse, stealing some food


spoonbill, being photogenic


Kamtschatka bear, looking for food


Asian elephant Mala, having a sandbath


Orang Utan Bella, looking her best at more than 40 years of age


Orang Utan Tuan, turning into a fully-grown male


Bactrian camels, chewing cud


a green-winged macaw, taking flight


bunny, being tired


a water dragon, giving me a dirty look


the big aquarium, looking mysterious (you may have to turn up the brightness of your monitor if it's too dark)

all photos made at Hagenbecks Tierpark, published with kind permission.
The Camera Critters meme has more cute animals for you to look at!

MyWorld Tuesday: Kriegsklotz

This is the Kriegerdenkmal near the Dammtor train station in Hamburg. It's a memorial for the 76th Infantry Regiment and was built in 1936. The inscription says "Germany has to live, even if it means we have to die", "Deutschland muss leben, und wenn wir sterben müssen". It's known as the Kriegsklotz, the war brick.

You probably guessed that it's controversial these days. It has been the target of grafitti many times, it was for example painted green and orange (the colours of the goverment parties at that time) in 1999, when the German army was send to the Kosovo as part of NATO troops. Another time the soldiers were given blue helmets with the help of blue plastic bags, as a reference to the UN peacekeeping troops and their blue helmets.
Originally, the Bundeswehr was only meant to take defensive actions inside the borders of Germany. In 1994, keeping the peace in other parts of the world as part of NATO/UN was ruled to be part of that defensive mission by the Federal Constitutional Court, a decision that is still a matter of controversial debate.

Camera Critters: Cape Hyrax

a Cape Hyrax (Procavia capensis) - a small animal about the size of a big rabbit that is related to elephants and manatis/dugongs. The teeth are the most obvious sign for that. They have feet with soft pads that allow them to jump and climb very deftly, something that is a bit surprising given their plump bodies.

pictures taken at Hagenbecks Tierpark, published with kind permission

More cute critters at the Camera Critters meme

MyWorld Tuesday: Museum of Mineralogy

The Museum of Mineralogy belong to the University and it's one of the less known museums in Hamburg - maybe because it's only open for two days per week. But it has an amazing collection and it's free of charge.

the blue bobble is canvasite, on a piece of stilbite


Pyrite also known as Fool's Gold - it is beautiful. The piece was rotating under a spotlight and the reflections were mesmerizing. When I visit a museum or art gallery, I choose three pieces that I would steal if I could and that is definitely of of them. It's fun to compare lists when you visit a museum with other people :)

As an aside, the explorer Martin Frobisher (1539 – 1594) loaded his ship with 1500 tons of Pyrite when travelling in Northern Canada, believing it to be gold. He made a second voyage and brought back another 1300 tons, only to be told that it's worthless. Whatever did the do with all that stuff?


a marcasite nodule


a piece of silver (the second item on my to steal-list)


gold


gypsum - the formation is known as desert rose. I'd love to touch one.


a detail from a piece of vivianite


onyx


crocidolite, also known as blue asbestos


I forgot to take a picture of the sign, so I don't know what this is - but it's the last item on my list :)


a piece of fossilized tree - reminds me a bit of a Jackson Pollock painting


azurite (blue) and olivenite (green)


again, I don't know what that is - but it looks like a cubistic painting

I hope you enjoyed the visit! Continue to travel the world with the MyWorld Tuesday meme.

MyWorld Tuesday: Penguin Fountain

The Pinguinbrunnen (penguin fountain) in the Stadtpark, the biggest public park in Hamburg. I have no idea why penguins, but I like it :) It was build in 1925, the penguins were made in 1912 by the sculptor August Gaul, the German Wiki article has some more pictures of other sculptures he made, all animals. The penguins you can see now are replicas, though, because the originals were vandalized and some were stolen.

See other people's world over at the MyWorld Tuesday meme