Winter in Stockholm

Winter finally came around easter. Lovely white powdery snow...

...So we just had to go outside and make a snowman!

Richard working hard...

... and here is the final product! A very happy snowman!

Of course Richard had to run inside to get his s8 camera to fill the whole thing too!

Indiana Jones!

You guys are probably not as exited as I am and Richardson undoubtedly is going to hate it, but here is the first teaser trailer for the new Indiana Jones (click here).

Enjoy,

Raúl

Karneval part deux! The Rosenmontag

Not many pictures from Monday's street celebrations of Karneval, mainly because I couldn't be bothered to carry my camera through the narrow and filled streets of Oldtown in Bonn, and also because the pics would be crap anyway due to the freezing cold weather and rain, but well here it goes...

Me and Elis, one of the PhD students here dressed improv as mad scientists. I know, I know I am fat..

The streets of oldtown (Altstadt) were considerably more packed than Endenich on Sunday, and this was taken after the parade finished.

The party afterwads at one of the bars. I got groped several times, and one time by a guy!!! Kinky Germans!

Karneval! (Sunday)

Hello there! Couldn't help but notice that the number of posts in this blog tends to come in short burst of activity. Given that Karneval/Carnaval/Mardi Gras just happened around these parts, please take notice of the inequivocal evidence that all Germans are insane!!

Kiri came over to Bonn and our Karneval fueled day started like this (snow flakes the size of your head)

We went to a Karneval parade in Endenich (don't ask) and we saw plenty of old people dressed as clowns.

more clowns...

The origin of Karneval in these parts is a bit different from the rest of the world. See the geeks in uniform? These particular garments are a testimony of the Prussian ocupation of the 18th Century. This ocupation reputedly stopped the French from expanding their borders to this side of the Rhein. So they celebrate this with Karneval... weird!

A view of the main street

The KGB was present and they made sure they controlled all public display of lovin'!

The Karneval parade thing was these guys idea. At the right of Kiri are Marie (lady Beattle) and Christian the Pirate, my friendly neighbours.

A fuller view of the street.

bla bla

The KGB looking attentively at the guys in the truck offering candy to the people in the street
Mexicans in Bonn?!

Kiri thinking that she has a sudden urge of voting in George W. even if he is not running for president. (it's the hat people)

And the day ends with no traces of snow and with a blazing sun. I guess it is a karneval thing.

Clarke is having a new baby!!!

Actually, Juanita is having one... But Clarke did the hard job.

Look!

Since Bjorn and Wiebke are not blogging much... at all.... I'm at least showing proof of Bjorn's existence!
And it's a nice existence by the look of his lab - fancy equipment and a huge office with ginormeous window with a bit of a view. (I should explain that our bosses are collaborating on a project now, so I got to travel to Zürich over the day to see some fancy lasers...)
I also got to meet Wiebke for a coffee, but no picture. She told me about snow shoe hiking in the mountains that they are doing every now and then... I'd like to try!

Guess who will be moving in late March?

More from Bonn and Köln....

Here is Raúl, ruler of all he surveys (the part of the Rhine that runs through Bonn at least)

And doing foolish things with a cannon, I don't think it's loaded at least

And here is his marvelous palace, where he works (2nd floor, window just to the right of centre)

Nice view from there to the city :)

We snuck into the Münster in Bonn, it really has a strangely ancient feel to it, unexpectedly peaceful too, despite being in the middle of the city

As we left, we witnessed a miracle: blessed Jesus ducks who could walk upon the surface of the water- jealous Antti?

And to Köln, and the wonderfully interesting streets down by the river, a nice change from the totally commercial and modern centre of the city (no pictures of that part, just imagine a city)

Full of wonderfully imposing churches, nothing like striking the fear of God into the hearts of mere peasants.

And finally the riverfront at Köln, strikingly similar to Bonn, but with extra people. Not surprising given it's the same river and all I suppose. So, if you would like to see more, come visit Raúl in Bonn and take a day trip to Köln, he's got a sofa bed arriving this week just for visitors!

Hope the new year is treating you all well, and I miss you all!
Kiri

After listening to this song I could not forget you guys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHpSCHxb780&feature=related

Köln

Hey!! Greetings from Northern Westphalia! Sorry for my delay in not posting any pics lately on the blog, but I have been tied up in adjusting to work around here after stopping for so long after I left Canberra. The following pics are from a trip myself and Kiri took to Köln just after the new years.

Enjoy and happy new year,

Raúl

The biggest and meanest Cathedral I have ever seen! You leave the Central Station in Cologne and you have this huge massive ugly beast looking down at you and giving you a big "fuck you". The Köln Dom is from the 13th Century and it took around 800 years to be fully built. Up until the mid 19th century it was the worlds tallest building.

The Dom is a fat little bugger...

Typical medieval narrow streets in downtown Köln.

You can almost imagine the people in the middle ages walking these narrow streets and and looking up at the Munster and it gave them the creeps.

Couchman in da Haus! (Kiri in all her green bag splendour)

Another huge church, this one I believe it is called St Martins Church, and it is still f****g massive!

Kiri with the waterfront area by the Rhein river as a backdrop.

Hej hej!

Have a great week end, dear friends!

Cheers from us!

Man has walked the moon, and Brazilians have walked the ice. Very happy aunt Rosely, mum Iara, grandmum Guiomar and Ri to be in the middle of a frozen lake.

Swedish invention, need no further explanation... ;-)

Christmas at the Svahn's. Mamma, me, pappa, Ri, cousin (and movie star) Michael, Rosa, Gui-Gui and Iara.

Better than the electric car.....

The air car! What will they think of next that we can all ignore? What new marvel shall all the genius of the human race create that will be snuffed out by greed and selfish interest?
Ah well, we can dream...
http://www.theaircar.com
;)
K