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Something different to do in Cologne – Cologne Chocolate Museum

Michelle August 2, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

If you’re heading for Cologne this summer, we’ve found the most unusual museum for you to visit – the Cologne Chocolate Museum! Sharon Preston describes what it was like to visit there

Located near Cologne’s Old Town, you’ll find a most unusual museum – the Chocolate Museum, which has displays that tell the story of this delicious treat’s 3 000-year-old history. The museum, which is located at the Rheinau Harbour, opened in 1993. It’s already a very poular attraction and is visited by thousands of people from all over the world, who come to enjoy the story of how this popular confection was created, starting from the cultivation of the cocoa bean to the finished product.

The moment you enter the modern glass and steel museum building, you can smell the chocolate. It’s certainly an exciting voyage of discovery; the items on display take visitors through chocolate’s history, from when it was first discovered by the Aztecs in Mexico to chocolate production over the years right up to the present day. You can even all take a walk through the greenhouse at the museum to see some cocoa trees – it’s a great way to explain to children that chocolate is created from a simple bean from those trees.

The museum is a real joy to explore, as it is very modern and interactive and offers a number of activities where visitors can participate. One of the most fun things to do is sample chocolate from the 10-foot high chocolate fountain. We then got the chance to dip waffles into the chocolate, which was also great fun.

The museum also has a mini production section so that one can literally see how chocolate is made. And best of all, you will be able to purchase an array of delicious German and Swiss chocolate in the museum shop, a store decorated in the style of chocolate shops in the 19th and early 20th Century.

The museum was originally founded by Dr Hans Imhoff, a German businessman and entrepreneur. It comprises three floors and covers everything one could ever want to know about chocolate, from growing and harvesting raw cocoa to learning about the cocoa plant itself. You will also get to see a collection of beautiful porcelain and silver cups and pitchers used in the 17th and 18th Centuries to serve this luxury delicacy.

I loved seeing the displays of adverts and posters that included pictures of chocolate, as well as packaging of different brands around the world. We also got to see how superior European chocolate like Lindt and Spruengli is made, in a two-floor exhibit that demonstrates how chocolate is manufactured today.
In fact, the museum creates 400 kilograms of chocolate every day to show people how it is made and for tasting in the chocolate fountain.

The Chocolate Museum is a great excursion whether you’re six or 60 – and highly recommended!

LET US TAKE YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION

In Paris this August? Visit Princess Diana’s memorial

Michelle August 1, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

Princess Diana was involved in a tragic car accident in August, 17 years ago, so if you are visiting Paris this month, why not visit the memorial to the princess, The Flame of Liberty, which is a model of the flame from New York’s famous Statue of Liberty. The Flame of Liberty is an exact replica of the original flame in gold leaf and is also the same size. It’s located at the upper end of the torch carried by Lady Liberty at the entrance to New York harbour. The original flame in New York City was given to the US by the French to commemorate the friendship between the two countries.

Like the New York flame, the Paris replica is three and a half meters high, which gives one an idea of how enormous the Statue really is. It’s made out of gilded copper, and is supported by a pedestal of black and grey marble. People from all over the world donated approximately $400 000 dollars to have it made to celebrate the International Herald Tribune’s centenary in 1987 – this English language daily newspaper is still one of the most popular reads in Paris. The Flame was also a token of thanks by France, as two French companies were chosen to restore the statue in the United States on the anniversary of its 100th birthday.

The Flame of Liberty as it is called became the unofficial memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, as it is located above the exit to the Paris tunnel in which she died in the motor accident in 1997. Interestingly enough, the Flame of Liberty was originally going to be installed in a public square called United States Place, or Place des Etats-Unis, in the 16th arrondisement of Paris, but the mayor at the time, Jacques Chirac, did not agree. So it was decided to place the Flame here, in an open area near the intersection of l’Avenue de New York and La Place de l’Alma. It was dedicated in 1989 by Jacques Chirac.

The memorial is still visited by people from all over the world, many of whom leave bunches of flowers there in honour of Princess Diana’s memory. You will also see what looks like graffiti on the flame – in reality this is not graffiti at all. Those are messages of love and friendship for Princess Diana.

Amsterdam must-visit… Anne Frank’s house

Michelle July 31, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

For over two years, Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis in a house in Amsterdam during the Second World War. Today, this famous house has been transformed into a museum to commemorate Anne Frank who wrote her famous diary there. Sharon Preston visited there recently…

Whenever I think of Amsterdam, Anne Frank’s House is the first thing that comes to mind. Yes, her story is a sad one, but it is also a story of hope. And to see that small space, just a few empty rooms hidden in an annex to the house on Prinsensgracht, will certainly make an impression on you. It’s hard to believe that two families lived like that for two long years, in such close proximity.

Actually, not only Anne and her family stayed in that annex. The Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer also hid there with them. You will be able to see how the doorway to the annex was hidden behind a specially built moveable bookcase. Interestingly enough, the people who worked in the office knew about the hiding place – they actually assisted the eight people who were in hiding by supplying them with food and news about the outside world.

Sadly, on August the fourth in 1944, someone betrayed those who were in hiding. They were found and deported to various concentration camps. In fact, only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived the war. Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she died. She was put to death in the German concentration camp called Bergen-Belsen.

The original diary by Anne Frank is on display here too, as part of the museum’s permanent exhibition. You will also be able to see other items on display that will give you an idea of what it was like for those who were in hiding. You will see excerpts from Anne Frank’s diary, as well as a number of images and historical documents, plus items that belonged to those who lived there, and those who worked in the offices in front. You can even experience a ‘virtual journey’ through multimedia of the house itself.

Today Anne Frank’s spirit lives on through her diary and also through the millions of people who come to the museum to learn about her short life. It’s hard to believe that over 100 000 people were deported from the Netherlands and died in concentration camps during World War Two. This museum serves as a memorial to all those people who died.

Anne Frank’s touching, honest diary has kept her memory alive. It remains one of the most widely read books in the world. It’s also served as the basis for numerous plays and movies. Next time you’re in Amsterdam, make sure you visit this little house.

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