The Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Collecting the knowledge of the world….

That was what libraries were about in ancient times. We all remember the stories about the library in Alexandria in ancient Egypt and the fire that destroyed all that knowledge and culture.

The very modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina is (off course) located in Alexandria in Egypt. Alexandria is the second largest city of Egypt is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and is Egypt's largest port. 

View from the library 

The roof - facing the Mediterranean

The boulevard in Alexandria, Egypt

The roof provides lots of light

A palace among libraries.

In the Netherlands the library of the Royal Tropical Institute had to be closed after the subsidies for this institution were diminished. Its collection is unique. A small part of the collection went to Dutch institutions. On October 31 (2013) was announced that the bulk of the collection would go to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt.

In this magnificent library the books of the Tropical Institute will get a new home.





The walls of the building are covered with the different symbols that are used by different languages.  

The gold of autumn...

Sometimes we are lucky. 

This year we had a lot of perfect autumn days. The temperature was almost like summer, the sun was shining and the leaves on the trees were going bright yellow and orange. Because we had some friends staying, we had to go sightseeing. But what a sight it was this year!! 

Most of the canals in Amsterdam were decorated with golden trees.

The trees at the Amstelveld are superb.

 In The Hague, in the small square in front of the Royal Palace, the statue of our former queen Wilhelmina admires the changing of the seasons in front of the Gothic hall of the Palace on the Kneuterdijk.

 At the rear of the hall the formal garden is shining with light.

 The driveway of the beautiful Lange Voorhout (at the end the Palace Lange Voorhout) is carpeted with leaves. Fit for a King!

The Plein (The Hague) is surrounded by yellow limetrees. During lunchtime the cafes and restaurants here fill up quickly with civil servants of the nearby ministries. Every hour of sunshine is welcome. Let's enjoy before the autumn storms arrive.

In the polders of Kinderdijk the reeds are already waving in the wind. 

An elegant bridge

The Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam is a magnificent example of bridge architecture. Finally we were there on a beautiful day. A blue sky with white clouds.

The best view you get from the “Kop van Zuid” (a good place to have a coffee or something else). The complete bridge with the sun shining on it. On a dark day the scenery is much more gray.

All sorts of traffic go over the bridge. Pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, cars, busses, trams….. 

The train used to have its own bridge “De Hef”. It has been memorized in a movie "De Brug" by the famous movie maker Joris Ivens in 1928. Now there is a tunnel for trains underneath the river. (sorry for the balustrade of the bridge in this picture, but it was impossible to cross the street.)

The other side..... as behind a curtain.

The structure is very elegant. 

But still there are some people who think it is just a fancy bicycle stand.....

A last warm evening

The beginning of September was warm. In the day time we were very busy, but some of the evenings we could get out. We were near the Doorwerth Castle on the rive Rhine. 69 Years ago these were the grounds of the Operation Market Garden. Here the soldiers had to ry to get back across the river. We came to have an evening picknick. Everything was quiet. No tourists, no other people. Just the sounds of nature.

Nobody was there, only some cows.

 A late ultralight (paraglider) is flying above us, like a giant buzzing fly. We can still see the colors of the parachute.

Doorwerth Castle looks completely deserted. Nothing stirs in these grounds.



As we eat our sandwiches, the skies turn more red. The leaves look like lace against the sky.

The lamp post is being photogenic.

The day ends with a beautiful reflection of the sun in the water.

  

Like the water is on fire.

We go back to our hotel and try to keep our minds off the daytime troubles.

I cannot resist; wine is so beautiful when the lights are low.

Last year we had been here in winter. This was the last time. It was beautiful while it lasted.

Along the PANAM south of Lima

Driving in Peru form Lima to Ica south along the Panam (The Pan America Highway)
there is a lot of interesting scenery. No time to stop....  So I have been taking pictures
from the bus (again..)...

In the morning it is misty; the very cold Humboldt current flows along the coast.
In the afternoon the sun appears in full glory. Also because of the Humboldt current
the and is very dry, a dessert.

 Agriculture in the dessert.

 New settlements arise everywhere along the road.

 Politics give rise to vehement emotions.

 A lot of tires along this road.

  An industrial development.

 Here live becomes more colorful.

 Between a tuk-tuk and a car.... Very easy to get a taxi in Peru.

 The people love these fences of woven reeds.

 The larger kind of taxi..... lots of these around too.

 Inca Kola.... you have to drink it!!

 From old school-buses to very modern night-buses .... and everything in between.

This is what you get when driving past to fast....  only half the picture (and reflections).

 Strictly no smoking ladies ..... !!!

More about the trip trough Peru, Chili and Bolivia in my other blog  Check in 
More about the Panamericana...