Spree Forest and it's Beauty

Today was indeed a wonderful day because I’ve received a call from back home in early morning and went excursion to the Spree forest, which is full of nature. Nine am in the morning when we all went to Spree forest with Dr. Claus, Ms. Angelika and Mr. Niklash. It took approximately one hand half hour ride from IIJB to reach Spree Forest and boat for us was already booked. Actually Spree is the name of a famous river here in northeastern Germany, which flows down from the Lusatian Mountains just above Neugersdorf and wade through north past Bautzen and Spremberg, where it splits temporarily into two arms. After it passes Cottbus, the river divides into a network of channels, forming a marshy wooded region that is known as the Spree Forest of Lübbenau and Lübben. After a brief welcome speech by our Boat sailor guide in German we slowly started to wade through Spree river which looks like a painted canvas with lush green. This river is divided into two parts, Upper and Lower Spree Forest. Upper Spree forest is a huge water labyrinth and full of small trees. Sailing was very quite and beautiful. I like the smell and sound of forest, which is full of birds chirping and distinctive cuckoo singing like we do have back home. Both Lübbenau and Lübben are known as a tourist destination here in Germany and is very famous for its sour cucumber pickle. Many local shops were selling these special pickles almost everywhere. The best way to navigate Lübbenau and Lübben is by boat in Spree River, which threads their way through this park-like agricultural area. All boats are sailed by single man without motor engine. Venturing into this Spree is a unique experience of both for its landscape and culture of Lübben. River is about 100km/62mi southeast of Berlin, and it's humid lowland with sandy flats and dunes and crossed by numerous water-courses known as the "Fliessen." The Spree River here in Berlin is 382km long. The Spree also holds other importance to Berlin. It supplies most of Berlin's drinking water and other needs. A large part of the river's water is pumped up out of the coalmine around Cottbus, replacing the ground water which itself has been reduced by constant use over the centuries. Fauna and flora in this biosphere reserve of Spree forest has about 830 species of butterflies, 113 different mussels and snails, 36 species of fish, 45 mammals species of birds like crane, gray heron, sea eagle, big brackish bird, hoopoe, king-fisher, all species of woodpecker, white and black stork and 48 species of dragonflies which definitely is a good sign of ecologically intact water ways. Well we are not able to see different kinds of these birds but we enjoyed a lot listening their sweet chirping.
In 1991 UNESCO recognized this forest as its cultural heritage list and every year it attracts more than 3 million tourists. Okay I guess I really don’t have to equip any word to tell all how we felt from this wonderful excursion. Here are whole lots of pictures telling stories of its beauty. Just enjoy!! It is very interesting how local people love to decorate their homes with all these miniature in their small garden which are full of beautiful flowers.
Little company while we were sailing through the Spree River. These are wild ducks but still they are relaxed with people and they keep following boats like dolphin. With Dr. Rüdiger Claus(Director of IIJB).

Children’s Carnival @ Goerlitzer Park

Ever since I start to fall in love with photography I love taking pictures of small babies and children. And most of you know that quite well. I have even blogged on Photographing Children long time back. And how can I miss this great chance to take pictures of children's carnival here in Berlin yesterday evening at Goerlitzer Park. It was kind of funfill day for children and they seem discovering the world with all those recreational activity especially organized for them. Especially, clowns and music shows kept them like bee to nectar. Hundreds of parents flocked with their toddlers and were making sure for the best time for their children. Since everything to me was new I tried to talk to some parents to get more information on this Children Carnival but unfortunately they don’t speak English much and I had to rely on stalls representative from different part of the world who were there to showcase works on children.

After sometime I came to know that the carnival was for making sure that children have had best time with their parents. And this sort of carnival is also for different community come together and creat a cordial bond between. And parents here in Berlin are busy and they have no time to be with their children. Obviously children miss their parents a lot and they have less quality time with them. I know Nepalese parents are also on the same track thesedays and they have less time for their children due to working pressure of cosmopolitan life.

Anyway, yesterday what I saw there at Children Carnial was so nice, children were happy being with their parents, playing, eating, singing and enjoying day's out. And there I was smiling taking pictures of those cute children around. I have captured some beautiful pictures of children who had their faces painted. Let me share someof those pictues here in my blog. And yes those faces might look bit puzzled but actually they were watching clown show in an amazement. Enjoy the picture.

Delights of Britzer Garden

My today’s Assignment was to write a theme in a piece of paper and hand it over to Mr. Georg Krasuse (one of our course teacher) before I visit to Britzer Garden. Photojournalist should always be acquainted with his/her subject before going on a photo assignment. So, I have done some Internet research and you know ‘Delight of Berlin Garden” is what I wrote in that piece of paper because I want to photo document this very well known Garden here in Berlin. The garden is spread about 90 acres. Through net I came to know that this garden was elected amongst the 10 most beautiful gardens in the whole of Germany in 2002. It was 9 am when we went there and spent nearly two hours clicking pictures delightful landscape of this wonderful garden. What I've found most interesting about the garden is that it consists of garden dedicated to some Asian countries. The Recreational Park Marzahn is open to garden art from around the entire world. This garden already has five “Gardens of the World” like Korean “Seoul Garden”, China ‘, Japan, Balinese and Oriental Garden. Though small, it makes one feel almost he/she is not in Berlin but to that country’s native nature. And this assignment for me was a great chance to taste a bit of Korea, Japan, China and other place. This Britzer Garden every year in different season ‘Spring Street’ is celebrated. According to different seasons garden is densely filled with crocuses, tulips, grape hyacinths, rose, sunflower and many other bulb flowers. Rose garden is small but it has large variety of roses. One kind of rose is even called “Rosa britzensis” or Britzer Rose. While taking some picture of Rose garden I thought of Thankot Park where we also have Rose garden at the left side of the gate. The garden is very peaceful and quiet and there are some small lake landscapes with a size of 10 acres embedded in a hilly landscape. It arranges itself into the large lake with the ‘Love Island’, a miniature boat harbour beautifully in the lake and it reminds me of Nainital of India. There is a small bridge with the steep towering pillars crossing both lakes. And it allows you to enjoy beautiful views across the park landscape. Springs can be found on two of the hills with little streams trickling down as well as waterfalls. Inside there are quite a lots of grassland with some little shrubs which is perfect to be used for a variety of activities. Today there was Red Cross team organizing drills to rescue people of different casualties. Inside the garden there was one station where I saw a dismantled car completely overturn with some fake victims (drill actors) inside for Red Cross volunteer to rescue. The areas of shallow water and the cane break lined along the water banks belong to the sub natural arranged park areas. And it is hard to believe that it was once planned by garden architects and designed by landscape gardeners. The garden offer a special charm to married couple for pictures. I have seen three set of Bridges and Grooms having their wedding portraits done. There were looking so beautiful and happy. I wish I could take much photo because of limited time.

“Seoul Garden”
After accepting the invitation from Berlins governing mayor Klaus Wowereit, Mr Myung Bak Lee, mayor of Seoul, came to visit the capital city of Germany and this very wish of deepening and strengthening the bond between their capital cities. They agreed on building the Korean Garden in Britzer Garden which was a further contribution to the “Gardens of the World”.

Based on this agreement the city council in Seoul developed the project “Seoul Garden”. This 4000 square metre garden constitutes a quite generous present to the city of Berlin. It boasts various shaped landscapes, yards, and a pavilion. This Garden is also a unique example of foreign garden culture.

The new “Seoul Garden” is designed as a place where visitors can enjoy happiness, feel inspired and relax in nature. The planning was done by a garden architect in Seoul, whereas the building was realized by Korean gardeners in 2005 in the Erholungspark Marzahn. The materials used for the pavilion, the walls and the artworks are mainly from Korea.

Garden of the Reclaimed Moon
The Chinese “Garden of the Reclaimed Moon” project began as early as autumn 2000 and it was opened after a four-year construction period. This garden covered 2.7 hectares and t is the largest Chinese garden in Europe. The construction was carried out by Chinese craftsmen.

A self-enclosed garden world with a pavilion, ponds, waterscapes, dry garden, and imposing stone installations has been enchanting visitors to Recreational Park since May 2003
Garden of Merging Water
The Japanese “Garden of Merging Water” is a project of the city partnership between Tokyo and Berlin. This garden displays typical Japanese plants, like Japanese maple, Japanese flowering dogwoods or Japanese lavender. It was opened in May 2003 with a large and festive celebration. Highly maintained and well created piece of Japanese hardworking I must say.

Master of creation of this Japanese garden is Shunmyo Masuno with traditional stylistic elements in 2001, which fascinates Europeans a lot about its ability of Japanese planners to capture and visualize the entire fullness and beauty of nature in a garden. One can imagine how skill full they are in creating such a bewitchingly beautiful garden. In Japan’s famous temple gardens, the essence of nature is sought and one has the impression that the beauty and radiance of the natural world is exceeded by the imitation of itself. Japanese gardens are places of silence and of observation, or to put it in more common terms, they are “open-air churches”. I felt like doing meditation. No doubt nature lover will get love in love in its first sight. The Oriental Garden
This garden was opened for public on July 7th 2005 and now it is becoming a “place of pilgrimage” for garden enthusiasts. The location of the garden is at the right side of main entrance Britzer garden. I know many of my engineer friend would love it because it is clearly built in a geometric concept.

This concept was result of working in cooperation with the garden historian Mohammed El Fai’z, the garden architect Kamel Louafi who developed a garden courtyard, a Rivad (architectonic garden). A four metre high wall surrounds the entire garden, thereby drawing upon the building tradition of oriental garden culture: the oasis, the hidden font, paradise is often imminently visible.

The garden courtyard is laid-out in a geometrically quadratic form, and contains waterscapes with fountains and pools. You can see pictures below.

The planted areas in the garden’s interior let the visitor see a wide variety of plants, which is supplemented by potted and tubbed plants during frost-free periods. Fruit trees, roses and other scented plants, as well as exotically invoking leafed plants, give this traditional garden culture its voice and expression. Water effects from a variety of fountains complete this representation of paradise.