COP 15 Danmark Citt a rally and lots of police

COP 15 United Nations Climate Change Conference Dec 7th To December 18th Copenhagen, Denmark

Our flight from the UK Stansted airport was a bucket flight on "Easy Jet". It took 30 minutes to get through chaotic security. I do believe the poms put the Q in Que. The flight was packed with Danish kids returning from a sports tournament. The ground staff are adamant about one hand bag per person. Result is chaos.
We watch it all and think well this is what happens when you are not on a train.

Copenhagen is cold but clear. We arrive in the late afternoon. Our hotel is 60 kilometres out of Copenhagen at a pleasant 15th century town called Helsingor. The town is a direct port for Helsingborg Sweden. There are trains to Copenhagen every 20 minutes 24/7. All accommodation in Copenhagen was booked out when we planned in June 2009.

Our mission in Copenhagen (labeled "Hopenhagen" by the conference goers) is to meet and spend some time with Citt. And at the same time revisit this city where Mary and Fred live.

Citt's mission in "Hopenhagen" is to administer a film festival for the UNU called "Indigenous Voice on Climate Change". A series of short documentaries portraying the plight of indigenous people throughout the world focusing on the effects changing climate has on their country, homes and lives. It was held in the Danish National Museum. Citt is nervous and excited.

The first thing that you will notice about Copenhagen is the price of living. Once the initial shock of paying $A6 for 300ml of beer or $A10 for a coffee (the food cost is worse) then all else is bliss.

The city is clean and neat, Germanic in a precise way. All of the buildings are masonry and stone with cobbled streets for the ice and snow. The shops do not have outside areas at the time of our visit but I do reckon that the summer would be a different story then the light would be awesome. At the time it was light at 8.00am and dark at 3.30pm. The weather was cold and crisp. We only had two days to enjoy.
The Danes smoke cigarettes like chimneys though not in buildings or public places. So there is a a lot of cigarette butts on the streets.

The climate change conference (COP 15) as the press reported was pretty big. But what the general press does not report is that there are three separate groups meet at these things.
"The UN sponsored circus" with jets, hummers and entourage. World leaders, the cynical say, have vested interests.

"The Klima forum group" the scientists, sociologists and engineers with real concerns for the planet and its people. The cynical say are off with the fairies.

"The indigenous people" of the planet being people who live off the land and have done so since the beginnings of habitation. The cynical say, so what! As the island nations disappear and ice in the glaciers and polar regions melt.

The UN sponsored circus is focusing on the interests of the industrial nations who, says Klima and indigenous people, created this mess anyway and they want to make money out of it on the way out and blame someone else. True? The indigenous people say it is all too late. The forests are near gone and the fish and wild life are near to extinction! What will happen to us? (We will immigrate with people smugglers?)
Think about the people of Bangladesh. Millions living 1 meter above sea level. Where will they go and who will feed them? You? So who is right and who is wrong?
My stance is if the brand "Climate Change" can focus peoples attention on creating a cleaner greener planet for our kids and grand kids then all the hype arguments and innuendo is worth it. It is up to each of us that call this planet home to do our bit and change our behaviour. And it is time our leaders stopped pushing their own barrows.

The indigenous people are suspicious rightly so, as nobody has been kind to them throughout history. Europeans have devastated the planet with colonization drawing borders across tribal lands deliberately to create conflict, ransacking every country they visited and have never given back.

Carbon trading is seen as another form of colonization by the industrial nations. Another control mechanism to try to buy out of trouble. Who will administer this huge tax? The big 4?

The world is talking about pollution and climate change. It is front page news. Let us hope it transfers into action. It is up to us, you and me to save forests and the great oceans and seas for our kids and their kids?

We marched in the rally on Saturday 12th December 2009 to make a stand. It is far too easy to say "this is not my problem". simple "clean up the earth and stop the pollution".

The atmosphere in Hopenhagen was charged and everywhere and anytime it was full of police. Screaming sirens black uniforms and guns. I am told 11,000 police were in the city.
The march.
Place Hopenhagen Date 12th December 2009
Distance 6 kilometres to the Bella forum centre outside town where UN were meeting.
Protest march number estimated 100,002. Pam and I were the 2.
Start point - Clock Square behind the Royal Palace (Fred and Mary's house)
The march started late. 5 minutes into the march, the anarchists started breaking windows and causing trouble for the police. Further along the road tear gas was being used.
Pam and I were close to the anarchists at the start, so we held back only to be engulfed in another bunch. After 3 kilometers we pulled out of the march. It was becoming cold and dark and looking dangerous with police mustering in large bunches around us.

The march never really reached its goal. It was sabotaged. It started late and finished in the dark and at the wrong destination.

The message was never delivered to the delegates
Result - a lot of fun for a lot of people but not a lot of result.
The police had a great time.

We left Copenhagen after a birthday celebration in Tivoli gardens riding some pretty awesome sky-rides and roller-coaster.

Citt packed up her bags after the film festival. We had a farewell dinner then rode the train back to Helsingor. Back to UK next day and the long journey of 72 hours home.
Image 1 Royal Palace Copenhagen (Fred & Mary's House)
Image 2 Square Copenhagen
Image 3 Rally
Image 4 Rally
Image 5 Rally Anarchist
Image 6 Greenpeace
Image 7 Me with rally banner
Image 8 rally passionate
Image 9 Polar Bear ice melt
Image 10 My pick "best of Rally outfit"
Image 11 Streetscene Helsingor
Image 12 Pam enjoying a coffee in minus temperature on the street

New Romney Kent in old England

Hello we have paid a visit to our old home village New Romney on the Kentish coast. UK

Our little holiday house Buttfield Cottage served us well from 1976 till 1981 when we returned to Australia with Kellie-Ann and Catherine (Citt).


New Romney is a Cinque port. The Cinque Ports cover the whole of the southern coast from Dover to Hastings.

In the late Anglo-Saxon era, the threat of Norse invasion was constant. For a time England had a Danish king in the person of Cnut (Canute) but after his death the Anglo-Saxon Edward the Confessor did his best to keep the Norse threat at bay.

The key to the security of the realm as Edward saw it was to control the English Channel. To this end he granted the ports of Sandwich, Dover, and New Romney, all in Kent, the right to keep all legal fees assigned in court cases. This was quite a profitable concession for the towns involved, and made them far more prosperous than most towns of similar size elsewhere in the country.

In exchange, the towns agreed to provide ships and sailors for defense when required by the crown. To the original three ports later added Hastings in Sussex, and Hythe, in Kent.

These five coastal towns made up the five ports (in Norman French the "Cinque Ports"). In the 13th century Rye and Winchelsea joined nearby Hastings and in the next century gained legal status as "Ancient Towns", affiliated with the Cinque Ports.

The need for defense was so great that a large number of other towns became allied to the major ports. Thus, inland Tenterden became an ally of Rye, and Pevenseyan ally of Hastings. This 'coastal confederation' reached a total of 42 towns at its medieval peak. Source http://www.britainexpress.com/History/cinque-ports.htm

In later years the Napoleonic Wars created alarm and the military canal was built along with the Martello Towers. The canal is a boaties dream and the Martello towers are for the tourists to gawk at. Later Adolf created WW2 and the ports were the first line of defense. Wooden tanks and field guns lined the foreshore. They fooled Adolf. Pill boxes were built along with concrete gun emplacements. These are still evident.

Walmer Castle near Deal (Kent) is the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, a post little more than ceremonial today, but once of huge national importance.

The late Sir Robert Menzies held that office from 1966 till his death in 1978 as well as Constable of Dover and took residence at Walmer Castle. When we lived in the UK (1970-1981) for us it was comforting to see the Australian flag fluttering from the New Romney town hall one street from our weekend cottage.
Sir Robert Menzies was the longest serving Australian Prime Minister, 18 years 5 months and 12 days. He was a royalist and created the Australian Liberal Party. His awards are numerous from Univeristies throughout the world. source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Menzies#Retirement_and_Legacy

We spent some time with our friend Sandra who nows lives in the idylic surrounds of New Romney catching up with her family and news. We did a pub crawl but I'm afraid those days are gone for us so we sat and talked till the wee hours. The next day we spent exploring the streets and looking at old landmarks.

The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway serves the ports and it is the smallest steam rail still operating in the world. The little engines were mostly built in 1926 and still do the school run every day and haul excited tourists in the summer months.

The churches are interesting as I am not sure if they are churches or small fortresses. Whatever we had an interesting afternoon photographing and being silly in the marshes.

Enjoy. To us this is one of the most interesting and beautiful areas of England. From here we travel to Eastbourne, Maidstone and back to London.

Image 1 Buttfield Cottage Church Rd New Romney ( our old holiday home)
Image 2 Map of Cinque Ports
Image 3 Chalk Cliffs
Image 4 Romney Cathedral
Image 5 Sandra and her mob. Tyler, Sonny, Beau and Daughter Rae. (Our God Daughter)
Image 6 Santas' Sleigh Romney Hythe and Dymchurch rail.
(Note the size of the engine) it is on a stand.

Paris

In the morning we are in Paris. Hotel booked (Thanks Jo) only around the corner from the Gare Du Nord.

Book in, lock up our packs, set off determined to savour every moment in this fabulous city of culture, food, and fine buildings.

The croissants for breakfast are fresh and hot. The coffee is to die for. We take a pastry to munch as we travel on the Metro. Local boulangeries and bistros, never disappoint.
We walk for kilometres marvelling at the fabulous architecture (real estate).
We visit the Eiffel Tower. It is blowing so hard it would "blow a cattle dog off its chain".
The Louvre, to say hello to Mona Lisa.
Notre Dame, Musee D'Orsay (moden art)
cruise the Seine,
marvel at the christmas lights on the Champs Elysee and the Arc de Triumphe and take videos of the childrens windows in the Gallerie Lafayette.
Have lunch at Montmatre in the Salvatore Dali square watching the sketch artists at work, me getting a free lesson.
Visit the Sacre Coeur with its fantastic views.
The scenes are frantic in the retail areas as it is near Christmas. The touts are out with lots of junk and the Gendarmes play the game.
The flower market is full of potted shrubs, orchids, carnations, roses, chrysanthemums, decorations for the Christmas season. I reminisce about my family and our flower farm in Melbourne where we grew chrysanthemums. This market is so wonderful but I am told "no photos!" I sneak a photo for you to share.

The saying is see Paris in the spring. I reckon you can see it any time and it is wonderful.

We board 15.13 Eurostar to take us on the 1 hour 50 minute journey across the channel.
Our heart is heavy leaving Paris so much more to see but we look forward to seeing our dear friends in our old haunt and home for a time Citts birthplace Ashford Kent UK.
It is so good to see Tonys smile. He is waiting for us at Ashford international. So many stories from his family we talk long into the night
Then time to catch up with all our dear long time friends and enjoy a drink.
This is not the end of the great train journey as we will not declare it finished till we hear the sound of Big Ben striking the hour at Westminster.



Image 1 Silly at the Eiffel Tower
Image 2 Notre Dame
Image 3 Notre Dame chapel
Image 4 Notre Dame alter
Image 5 Flower market
Image 6 Gallerie Lafayette
Image 7 Salvadore Dali Square Montmartre
Image 8 Street lady with her dogs

Berlin Big and Bold

Hi fellow travellers. Our route has now taken us to the northern area of Poland from Wolsztyn to Poznan.
Poznan looked to be a large city with high rise and some industry. We travelled from Wolsztyn to Poznan on the local rail motor. The country we passed through is fine farmland.
A service pulled by steam goes each day at 8.00 but our photographic project and a hair cut in the local barbers was more appropriate. The barber was a comedian He tried to make me look like Stalin, yeah fat chance. Pam could only nod.
Poznan to Berlin Express stopping most stations. (can never figure out why they call these trains express)
Arrive Berlin at 18.10 on time. But Berlin is big.
Berlin is starting the Weinachesbaum (Christmas) period of celebration. We had not booked a bed. Sooo um yes. 1 hour on the net and 2 hours door knocking, near panic.
I stumbled on a very helpful young desk clerk who told me of a motel that had just opened on the other side of the city and they had a lot of empty rooms. A bed at last.
Rule 1. Always book a room in advance in a major city. Yes Malcolm. Thanks Mike.
The upshot of all this is we were in a hotel and it was a beauty. Upshot it was late and we were in the old eastern section. We had not eaten. The streets were quiet and dark. But the intrepid travellers set out to find food. Guess what? We found the best Italian restaurant. Our waitress was a Turkish girl who had relatives in Sydney. No we did not know them. The owner befriended us and we finished our disaster night with pasta to die for, wine and schnapps on the house. Germans love to party. "No problems" says I. "you were lucky" says Pam.

Berlin for us had changed. We visited East Berlin in 1973 with Kellie-Ann in a papoose back pack. This time our hotel was in the old Eastern section and a lot of work is going on updating buildings, infrastructure and services with scaffolding covering government buildings. Huge areas are still empty in the central areas. These are earmarked for landmark construction as soon as the recession blows over.
The buildings are on a grand scale. One is called the "elephants bath" and it looks like it. The Berlin HBF is huge five floors. Metro trains on the top and international and long distance on the lower deck. The other decks are shops, eateries, carparks. Very efficient and very easy to get lost. The city is modern as you would expect being rebuilt for 60 years after the battering it copped in the closing year of WW2 and subsequent division. But the city retains its place as one of the art centres of the world covering cinema, theatre, modern arts. It is vibrant.
The celebration, 20 years since the fall of the wall, has created Museums and tours of communist houses. (I wonder if they will take tours of our disaster residential areas?)
However we spent our days doing the usual tourist things We took a local train to Potsdam where the agreement after WW2 was signed between the allies. US, USSR, Britain, France. It is the old royal city and has heaps of castles and palaces. AFC thanks Nikki.
Took a city tour for convenience. All good ends too soon. The weather is mild.
The night express train to Paris.
On the great train journey
Image 1 Berlin HBF station
Image 2 Berlin Radio tower Alexander Platz
Image 3 Checkpoint Charlie
Image 4 Peace sculpt with Cathedral memorial in the background
Image 5 Brandenburg Gate at night

Public notice

The Germans noticed I was not Twittering.

regards

mal

Wolzstyn off the main line. Steam and History.

Hello Our next stop is to be a town in the Polish countryside. Our goal is to reach a small town near the German border called Wolsztyn.
Our reason for going to the town. We were sitting talking of our journey on a Sunday morning breakfast prior to our dearture with Voitek our friend. He mentioned he had left Poland as a refugee and he had never been back. The town was Wolsztyn.
So we said "we will go and take a look and take a few snaps" So here we go!
We were not prepared. We had no detailed map of Poland to reference. So we visited the rail information centre in Warsaw. They are marvelous. We discussed our itinerary with them and they printed out some scenarios.
Train to Krakow. OK done that.
Then miss breakfast and catch the 7.45 to Lesno. (Missed our paid breakfast but the train station has ladies cooking up rolls and coffee (much more fun))
On the 7.45 to Lesno. Stopping all stations. ETA 3.10. Lots of locals on and off the train.
The country close to Krakow is coal mining centres with heavy industry. Some of it is left from the Soviet era and is derelict. The country is not pretty but I find that interesting as it is the history of Poland. The Germans controlled this area for 250 years as part of Prussia prior to 1914. Therefore the old villages are Germanic in appearance.
After lunch the scenario changed. The country turns into beautiful rolling farmlands with last years hay still in the fields. Beautiful villages with a church steeple and white washed cottages every so often as our train takes its time winding through the country.
We love this style of train travel. Every so often a tea coffee trolley appears with pastries and good coffee. The locals are friendly and inquisitive about our travel and why we are on this train? Too soon it is 5 minutes to Lesno.

Arrive Lesno 3.11 late. Wolsztyn train due to leave 3.15. Six platforms which one?
Pam gets the count on the hand of a sweeper-porter,
Platform 5
Go Go to 5 only problem is huge flights of stairs and we are fully packed with all gear.
Up the stairs and there in front of us is the little rail engine.
The school bus. Wow says I with camera out catching the scene. "Shiiet" says Pam "get on. Put that stupid thing away". The school kids get the giggles and it is all up hill from there.
The country is rolling farmlands with 15 stops to Wolzstyn. The stations are not stations as such but grass platforms.
Further up the track glasshouses and small crops. Deer graze in the fields, an idyllic site. I think to myself it is easy to see why the Mongols, Swedes, Russians, Germans, Austrians last of all the Soviets wanted this land. It grows food and you need food to feed armies and industrial workers. I am a smart Guy! Thanks John
Wolzstyn we see the steam engines before we see the town. 25 or so of the huge machines. The town is a living museum of steam as well as Voitek's birthplace (he did not mention the steam bit). Every May the Rail Buffs that love smell of smoke meet and engines come from all countries to celebrate the age of steam. They say 50 engines turn up for the festival and if you like you can hop up on the plate and drive one of these monsters. Awesome.
We find a hotel and start the search for Voitek's house. This is a town with a long history. Changed flags so many times since 1155 AD.
The main street is dominated by the train station but also a cemetery with headstones of soldiers telling us that a major battle was fought here in Jan - Feb 1945. The soldiers aged between 18 and 24. I, like others, wonder when will we ever learn?
Then we discover a beautiful lake in the centre of town and by the pictures it is a sailing centre in summer.
The buildings in the main town are two storied shop houses, shingled roofs, timber and masonry framed with narrow winding streets. The town is full of charming shops The three churches dominate the skyline Lutheran, Catholic, Orthodox.
There is a large house dominating the town square To the right of the large official house is a row of shops and there it is the shop-house as described. Voitek's parent's old shophouse, his birthplace, renovated and looking resplendent.(subject to confirmation by Voitek) Our search is over and it is dark. Decide to photograph in the morning as our train is at 11.45am. Celebration time. I noticed a beaut pub housed in an old building. So in we went and had a real merry Polish evening. The best. We love Wolsztyn! Thanks Voitek. What a bonus.
Next morning. Train to catch. Photographs to take and on to Poznan to connect to the Berlin Express.

Route to travel Berlin a city on the express lane. Then Paris via express\ Then Euro Star to UK and our close friends and the end of the Great Train Journey.

On the road again on the road again. Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway We're the best of friends

Insisting that the world keep turning our way

Willie Nelson

Image 1 Rail Motor School Bus

image 2 Derelict station

Image 3 Station on the line

Image 4 Big Wheels

Image 5 Wolsztyn station

Image 6 Headstones

Image 7 Lake at Sunset

Image 8 Local with his dog

Image 9 Voitek's birthplace house (with rolled arches and dormas)

Krakow a medieval city. Schindlers factory. Poland

Hello we moved along fairly quick from Warsaw as we wanted to get out of the big cities and visti some more rural areas. Our train the 15.10 express was due in Krakow by 18.30

Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind.^[3] Situated on the Vistula river (Polish: Wisła) in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century.^[4] Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural and artistic life, and is one of Poland's most important economic centres. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596 source www.wikipedia.com

The cost in human life in Krakow has been immense. During WW2 the Nazis reputedly murdered 3500 Jews and the work of one Krakow man to save lifes is immortalized in the movie Shindlers List. There is a stirring memorial in the city where the Ghetto once stood to the people who will never return, the factory of Shindler still stands and operates.

1945 saw the country taken into Stalin's Soviet State and 1994 saw the independence from Russia and the work of rebuilding a modern country. Poland is now part of the EU community.

In the walled medieval city you will find art galleries, university, opera house. Bars, wine bars, restaurants, music bars, in every street.

The city has an annual tourist visit of between 7 - 9 million. Students mingle with tourists and trams trundle up and down the streets. The shops are modern and well stocked with all top labels available. It is near picture perfect.

But all the art is not in the galleries. We found interesting paintings on the streets and graffiti in the most unusual places.

I met the bird man of Krakow and he was feeding the knights of the realm as the legend goes.

Krakow is interesting refined and very very proud.
Image 1 Town Square
Image 2 Opera house
Image 3 Horse and carriage tourist transport
Image 4 Bird man feeding the Knights of the realm (legend)
Image 5 Penelope Cruz reconfigured.

Next stop Woltzsyn.
Steam trains and the birthplace of our dear friend Voitek Biskup

On the road again on the great train journey.

Warsaw Poland, a city reborn

Hi We had to forsake our journey to Tallin in Estonia (15th century medieval town) and catch a plane direct to Warsaw.

As it turns out our decision was opportune as Polish railway had cancelled

the train from Vilnius Lithuania to Warsaw. We would have been stranded and had to take a bus. Oh No!!

Warsaw, a town completely rebuilt into its original form. After Adolf peronally supervised the dynamiting the whole of the city after the unsuccessful uprisinging in 1944 by the citizens of Warsaw. It is stated that Warsaw was the biggest brick pile in Europe.

The human figures are staggering. 350,000 Jews lived here prior to WW2. Today there are 2000. Auschwitz, Treblinka are all close by.

We are told the bricks to rebuild the city came from Wroclaw. So they demolished one city to build another. The result is astounding. The city is vibrant, full of art, coffee shops and hope.

They also completely recreated the Hotel Bristol (6 stars). Queen Elizabeth opened it and stayed in the penthouse. Beautiful building.

Building work is still going on as there is scaffolding everywhere. Here comes the Poles into the 21st century.

Flowers everywhere. Malcolm got carried away. Even taken on a personal tour of one of the shops.

Modern trams offer an quick and efficient way to get around to all parts of the city. Pity help you if you are not hanging on when they take off.

The Science Museum was a gift from Stalin to the city but he did not live to see it finished. The locals do not like it. What do you reckon?

It is 20 years since the fall of the Communist government. The Government are working to

make the city the Shanghai of Europe. We hope they do.

We had 3 days in the city walking and discovering wonderful places.

Off to Krakow on 16.05 Express. Krakow

only town in Poland not to suffer major damage during WW2. "On the road again!!"

Image 1 Stalin's gift The Science Museum

Image 2 Warsaw station

Image 3 Flowers everywhere

Image 4 Hotel Bristol

Image 5 Warsaw tram