LandScope

Don't stop me now, I'm having such a fairy tale in Neuschwanstein, Bavaria

2012-01-16T01:46:00.000-08:00

I was really in a fairy-tale in Fussen. I don't know how can I tell what I felt in this place but it was very very mystical place I've ever seen. In my visit to Germany, my friends told me that I should go and see Schwangau. Lots of time we made plan to go there, but something went wrong. And I decided to make a visit on my own in my last day of 20 day Germany trip. What a shame :))

Schwangau

When I arrived to Fussen, I felt that I was really lucky to be in that place. Indeed the landscape of Alps was perfect in its own but Schloss Neuschwanstein adds an extra beauty to this region. Ludwing II created a fairy-tale in the Alps, in an magnificent landscape.

It was built in medieval style in the 19th century. King Ludwig wanted to create his own alternative world. He could live like a king of the Middle Ages. This was the idea behind the castle and he created his fantasy world. But Ludwig slept only 11 nights in castle. When the guide told us the story while visiting his bedroom, I felt worried about him.

To reach the area castle located, you need to take a bus from Fussen train station. Bus stop is behind the station and if you bought a bayern ticket, which gives you unlimited travel by train in Bayern, you don't need to pay for bus. It takes 5-10 mins from station.

In Hohenschwangau, at first you should go to ticket center to learn the tour times and take a ticket fitting your programme. Sometimes, it can be 2 hours between two tours in English. And please keep in mind that you need minimum 20 min to reach the castle place.

walking route

Castle is located on top of the hill and you should climb to reach it. 3 options; walking, taking bus and horse-carriage. Horse carriage has no schedule, they run independently according to demand of the visitors. If you take the bus, you need to walk when you get-off.

The point is that you are responsible for your schedule, because if you miss the tour and you aren't there on time, no refund :(( If you have a good health condition, I advise you to walk.

Walking route

The route was acceptable for walking. Furthermore I saw a group of 60-70 year-old people walking down in this route. Maybe it can be an encouraging example for you. :) It took 15-20 min. and I had enough time for my tour, approx. 1 hour:)) There are souvenir shops and cafe-restaurants along your route also.

When I reached the courtyard of castle, it was time to discover surrounding, because I had enough time for my tour. I surrounded back side of castle and saw a viewpoint where lots of tourists were taking photos. It was an incredible landscape. At the background, The Alps, Alpsee and a great topography were waiting for you.

At first I watched the panoroma quite a while and took lots of photos. I had great photos but it seemed as if I had not satisfactory photos showing this magnificent view. So I took photos again and again. :))) I must confess that the photos with me were not as attractive as the photos of only panorama. I think I don't need to say more.

Alpsee

Second view point is Marien brücke located above the castle. From this point, Schloss Neuschwanstein seems a part of great idyllic world and as a Disneyesque image.

Marien brücke from castle

Neuschwanstein from Marien brücke

Inside of the castle has different atmosphere, but I won't tell that. I wish you visit and feel the same as all of us visited and left with great feelings from this place. At the moment while I'm writing about there, I am still excited.:)))

Prien am Chimsee, Bayern Region, Germany

2011-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had many opportunities to see lots of destinations and make day trips during my travel in Germany this year. One of them was Chiemsee. I had planned to go to "Insbruck" for a day trip from Munich , therefore I got up early in the morning to catch the train. But the plan didn’t work out :(( When I reached to the DB train station, I tried to buy a Bayern ticket to travel cheaper in Bavaria region... I wanted to be sure the ticket was available for Insbruck, so I asked to the staff in the ticket office... They told me that Bayern ticket didn’t contain the city of Insbruck.
At that time, I started to think about the other choices...
But the hours worked against me. ..
A train to Ulm departured, then the other one to Fussen and so on...
I needed to decide a place to go. So I chose the closer one and take the train to Prien am Chimsee. And I took the train to Salzburg. The direction is same to go to Chiemsee, by the way I had seen the station when I went to Salzburg.

Prien am Chiemsee train station

Prien am Chiemsee town center

It took one hour and I reached the small and nice town of Chiemsee. Town was really beautiful on its own. The first thing affected me so much was buildings. Lots of buildings were two storeys and there were decorative paintings on the facades of the buildings and they make the total view really fabulous.

Prien am Chiemsee Heimat Museum

When you get off the train, you are in the town center and you need to walk or take a train to reach the Chimsee. Firstly, I preferred to stroll around a little and wanted to see the streets, squares and buildings. There were some street cafes, restaurants in the center, but there were not so much people around. Nontheless, it was really nice and attractive.

Chimsee town center

Seestraße

After I took a map of the town from tourist information, I decided to walk through Seestraße to reach to the See and port. You have a chance to take the nostalgic train to the destination, but I think it was good idea to walk and see the surroundings. It wasn’t too long and I walked approximately 20 minutes. Here is a seaside place and there are houses with gardens on the both side of the route. There are also some small restaurants, cafes, shops along the street, so it is an attractive route to walk.

Seestraße

Houses in the Seestraße

Chiemsee Bahn -nostalgic train-

When I confronted with lots of hotels, I noticed that I came to waterside. The view and paysage was outstanding. I took the photos, but when I looked at the photos, I didn’t feel like that. It is really different to see and feel the atmosphere on site.

The Alps and Chiemsee lake

There are two important islands in Chimsee. One of them is Herrenchiemsee and the other one is Frauenchiemsee. I chose only Herrenchimsee which is bigger one... In fact I hadn’t enough time to stroll two of them:)).

Let's look at to the Herrenchiemsee...

Versailles garden in the German island - Herrenchiemsee Palace park-

2011-08-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny day and taking a boat trip was good. I reached to the island after 15 min. long trip. I had no idea about places that I would see in the island.
When you arrive there, first you see the tourist information and ticket office. You need to buy a ticket to visit the palace located in the island, but I didn’t prefer to visit inside of it and I started to walk to the place where the palace located. You confront with some signs reminding to buy the ticket, before you reach the palace. Because you can't buy it in the palace or another place and you need to walk 15-20 minutes to reach there. If you decide to visit the palace, you need to turn back or you can't visit. Therefore I hesitated a little, but then I went on...

Herrenchiemsee port

Horse carriage in the island

The island is covered lots of trees, green and wild spaces. I was walking through the jungle and I didn't know what I would see at the end of the route... There were horse carriages as an option but as always I walked. When I arrived to the palace, I was shocked. Because I hadn’t read about the palace and garden before.

Herrenchiemsee Palace park was a model of the gardens of the Versailles Palace. King Ludwig II of Bavaria purchased the Chiemsee island and a plan made for this project.

There were symmetrical planted parts and fountains and the main axis from the palace was reaching to the see. This included the "parterre d'eau" towards the west, consisting of two large basins with the surmounted statues of Fama and Fortuna expressly requested by Ludwig II to highlight the mythological effect, the flower parterre with the Latona fountain and the "Grand Canal", in front of whose mirror surface an Apollo fountain was to rise up.

This garden was really surprising for me. I came here to see one of the famous and big lakes –Chimsee- for its natural beauty. Then I learned that there was an island and all of the tourists visited there, so I took a boat trip to see it. And I found a great model of the gardens of Versailles palace. It was a good present for a landscape architect to find a planned garden in an island spontaneously. Maybe a professional instinct attracted me to Prien am Chimsee.

Travel Green Guide

2011-04-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More green travel

WATERLOO, Belgium: Historical landscape of battle which changed the European history.

2010-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Waterloo is an important place in European history, because this place is remembered with Napoleon's defeat.

On the way of Brussels from Mons, we had seen lots of route signs written "Waterloo". And then we decided to change our way to Waterloo to see this interesting place. Waterloo is a very small city in Belgian province of Walloon-Brabant. When we reached there, we only saw a few buildings including cafes, restaurants, museum and bars and large open and green spaces, and I thought that there is no living population in here. That was right, because the residential part of the city was far from this area. This part of the city is special for tourists to see only battlefield. The monuments of the Waterloo- "Battu du Lion" located on the top of hill can be seen from road and of course you follow this direction to reach that point.

Waterloo is the place where the "Battle of Waterloo" between French under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte and Allied armies commanded by the Duke of Wellington from Britain and General Brücher from Prussia took place. Although the fighting mostly took place in Braine-l'Alleud and the surrounding areas, history commemorates it under the name of "Battle of Waterloo" with its monument - the "Butte du Lion" (The Lion's Mound). The battle of Waterloo is one of the biggest battles in European history because of the consequences.

Waterloo battlefield has been preserved almost it was in 1815 and it is a good example of historical landscape of Waterloo. The Wellington museum (headquarters of Duke Wellington) presents now a panorama, fresco of battle. There were also a big historical re-enactment of the battle but it wasn't available on the date we had been there, but I wished I had seen it. Because in this event, thousands of re-enacters coming from all over the world gather for a magnificent reenactment of the events of 1815. Generally the show takes place on the date of the battle which is 18th June. So maybe it is more meaningful to visit this historical landscape on these dates to live this atmosphere.

We went to Waterloo by car and saw lots of tourists coming with a group tour. So I had no idea about reaching this area by public transportation. But I think if you chose to come to Walloon region of Belgium, you had a few chance to take public transportation. It is better to rent a car for your stay, but the north parts of the Belgium are really accessible by public trains and by foot in the center of the cities. As a result of car transportation, you focus on only museum place and visit this place and leave from there very quickly. So I hadn't any chance to see residential part of the city. But architectural styles and streets in the museum place were really traditional and give you the inspiration of this historical atmosphere.

There is also a sculpture of Napoleon in memory of his defeat in here :)

www.waterloo1815.be

Medieval Brugge: Short stay, long impression

2010-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

I hadn't spent so much time in Brugges, but Bruges was one of the most attractive and mystic city I've ever seen. Firstly, it is accessible for pedestrians and its narrow streets, canals, local architecture, green spaces, squares and cute cafes make this city most attractive for visitors. Secondly, it serves people from all age groups with its varied public space alternatives. It is in the UNESCO World Heritage list and when you reach the boundary of the historic city conservation zone, city welcomes you with its gates. I think that such a kind of boundary makes strong impression on people to perceive the differences of that place.

Bruges streets

I visited the city while I was making a research about pedestrian friendly cities. So city transportation infrastructure and urban design took my attention at first. Although most historical cities are under the motorized traffic pressure, only some of them create qualified solutions to compete with this problem. Toledo and Bruges, which are the places I had been, are only two of these successful models.

When I started to stroll around in Bruges, I saw cars, bicycles and pedestrians together in the medieval streets, but I didn’t feel the negative pressures of cars in the city. Motorized traffic wasn’t as effective as pedestrian transportation, so streets are full of pedestrians. Pedestrian transport was the most preferable transportation mode and urban design supports such kind of transportation mode in the city.

Typical houses with triangular roof
In the most of historical cities, such as Istanbul for example, it is too difficult not only protect city’s historical character but also save traditional building style in urban development process. And I saw in Bruges that it is not impossible. The importance given to its urban design to sustain its character was successful.

According to me, sustained street character (being narrow, covered with traditional surface materials), typical old houses (low buildings, brick houses) and their adopted usage form to new life styles were the reality of the successful story of this city . The triangular roof and stair-cased sides are typical features of Bruges houses and those houses may not be renovated without permission of the mayor. These typical houses aligned side by side in the streets are seen as a model and they are very cute. Your recreational activities and shopping spree take place in traditional and restored old houses and it is amazing for someone to use these houses.

Tropical garden in the train station, Atocha-Madrid,Spain

2009-12-05T01:09:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, we made a visit to Spain. When we reached to Madrid we need to take a train to Toledo but we missed the train because we couldn't understand Spanish people J They really want you to speak only Spanish, but I don’t know anything in Spanish so we couldn’t aggreed with. The next train was after one hour. And we should wait for it.

The central station was an exotic place. It provides an indoor plaza, a tropical garden. It covers 4000 square metres and has more than 500 species. Garden includes tropical species, plants and fauna. It provides really an exotic atmosphere in train station.

There are several cafes around it and tall palms reach to the roof. This tropical garden has a good view from upstairs but the most interesting thing that took my attention was little turtles. At first sight I think that these were not alive, because they didn’t move. I watched them and I understand that they were alive...

There are lots of small and big turtles and it was so interesting. This place gives a good opportunity to spend your time while you are waiting your train. It was such an interesting garden I’ve ever seen.

Virtual visits to World Heritage Sites

2009-12-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Cultural and natural sites listed in World Heritage will be accessible to people around the world in internet now. I read about this new alliance today. Unesco and Google make an alliance to provide virtual visits to these sites. Internet users can visit 19 sites via "Google Street View" interface. All the other sites on the list will be shown on the "Google Earth" and "Google Maps" interfaces. Street view provides panoramic views taken by cameras, so these views can increase awareness about these sites.

This project starts with a short list including Old town of Caceres, Historic city of Toledo, Banks of Seine, Archeological Areas of pompei, Historic centre of Siena, Historic centre of San Gimignano, Historic centre of Prague and some others located in Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, United Kingdom. The focus is on harder-to-access sites. They can be appreciated by millions of people who might never have the opportunity to visit them. These sites are located in South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Netherlands.

This project can be useful for people who have not any opportunity to visit some sites. For example, Brazil, Canada or Australia are inaccessible for me, so I can have a chance to visit sites located in these countries via this project. But I think, if someone has a change and opportunity to visit and see these sites in real world, it is better. Because it is meaningful, when you go and live real life in these sites and experience the natural and cultural heritage.

I searched lots of Unesco sites in internet before, to make a research about my study, you can learn lots of things about these sites but you can not interiorise the importance or unique character of these sites. I understood that when I made a visit to some of these sites (Toledo, Brugge, etc.). It was different than I read. Every source was telling about mediaval character and old narrow streets of Toledo. I learned about it from documents, but I thought that there is a place like a museum conserved by Unesco. When I went there and while I was strolling and walking in the city, I felt these mediaval city. I lived and experienced the city and it gives you the unique character of them. This is my opinion, but as I said before this project provides an alternative on the other hand.

SHAPE: A Discovery In NATO Military Services...

2009-11-21T04:17:00.000-08:00

These summer, I and my fiance had thought about his military service very much. We tried to guess some interesting places about the place where he would go. The most interesting place that came into our minds was Belgium. Because one of NATO's two strategic commands was there and people from all Nato countries go this military base for their military services. If you live in a foreign country and know about foreign language you can have a chance for doing your service in this base. But it was seen impossible for us, because it is an option for immigrants only. Anyway we had only thought.

After he went for his military service, I decided to go abroad for a travel. And I communicated with some contacts and finally I decided to go to Belgium. They live in Mons and when I looked at the city in Google Earth, I saw the SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) near Mons. I was surprised. In the airplane, I met a person and when I told him the place that I will stay, he asked me whether they are related with military. Because Mons is remembered with its military base. I hadn’t known about it.

One of the first places that I wanted to go and see was SHAPE of course, when I reached there. Luckily we found a friend in there and the day was came. I wanted to go there insistently, but they didn’t understand why I wanted to go there so much. It was my secret ;) It would be really interesting for me. I was in the city that we talked about my fiance’s military service so I couldn’t miss this opportunity. He was in another place but I were in SHAPE. That’s it. It was really interesting and when I told him about this, I think he will be surprised.

Then we went and entered in. We met with a friend from Turkey and her husband was a soldier there. She showed us the place. Lots of people was talking about the free shop because of its cheapest price, but it wasn’t. And there were Carrefour shopping center, flower shop, shop selling electronic devices, sport center and apartments. I saw lots of soldiers from different countries, but especially I saw some soldiers from Sweden. There were kids cycling, women shopping and teenagers jogging. There were also good opportunities such as sport center, language courses, etc. for families living there. The place wasn’t so good for a tourist but being there was enough for me. Is there anyone having a SHAPE pass card taken during her travel. I was lucky because I went Mons and my friends was knowing some people from SHAPE.

Now the scope of my visit to there will take place. Think about it!!! My fiance doesn’t know the city that I stayed during my Belgium travel and of course the city where SHAPE located in. And I showed him my SHAPE pass card while he was making his military service. What can he think about it? There is a card in his hand and writing SHAPE pass card and my photo on it...

It was worth seeing the astonishment on his face.

Mons, Belgium - Where my belgian story starts

2009-11-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

Mons was the city where my travel started and I stayed during my travel to Belgium.

When I first arrived to Mons, I felt a little bit confused. Because there were a few people around and I couldn’t see people strolling in the street. In addition to that, the house that I stayed was far away from the city center and there were no public transportation there. So, first day of my travel, I asked to myself “what will I do here, how will I reach to destinations?” I was lucky because the family I stayed with was really helpful to me. They provide lots of opportunities for me to reach the other cities and destinations, but I need to tell that if you plan or want to go there, try to stay a place in city center or near the train station.

Mons is a car-dependant city and we reached the city center in 5 minutes by car. Maybe you can think about walking but it is impossible. There are only motorways and if you are far away from the center it is not meaningful . Infact in the street where my house located in, you can not see any people too. People come home and go to work by car and they don’t use the streets. They have not a public life in the site that they live.

One evening, we went out and walked to another house where my host’s daughter live in and we hadn’t came across anybody. It was really interesting for me who live in a crowded metropolis.

Anyway, if we talk about the real city, we should mention about the city center and the lives in it. Mons is a green city. There are lots of trees in the streets and the houses have their own gardens and there are also some big parks. The city center is really different from the other sides of the city.

There were some traditional narrow streets covered by stones and a big city plaza and this side was really alive. But when you go down to the border of the center you face with different features. You can see that the city hadn’t extended from the city center. There is a motorway surronding the center. It seems like the new houses had been scattered in different areas far from the center. There is no connection between center and peripherial sites.

After I saw the place that I stayed, I hadn’t expected to see such a beautiful center. The “grande place” was big and full of historic buildings. There were a big public space in the center. People were sitting in the street cafes and there was a flower bazaar in the center and the Mons town hall was the most attractive building in there.

On its facade, the monkey of the Great Guard remains a mystery to this day. This animal is now a symbol of the town. If you stroke its head with the left hand, you will find happiness for at least a year. There are also some water effects designed for attractiveness. Here was attractive center for inhabitants and tourists. There are also some pedestrian streests without cars and these streets are used by inhabitants for their daily activities such as shopping, strolling, travels between home and work or school.

You can easily get involved into the real life that continues in the town. Because when you see some people after seeing empty streets, you start to live with them easily and automatically. I think the time that I went there made me feel like that. Because there were no tourists and i saw the real life sustaining in there in that period.

Everything is "Green" now!..

2009-10-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

All disciplines concerning with sustainability issues need to add a “green” word to their works to make it acceptable by environmental activists in recent years. Architects concern with “green buildings”, while some urban stakeholders concern with “green skyscrapers”. It is also interesting that some car manufacturers concern with “green cars” and they ignore that it causes increases the demands of the roads. Every professional has some words about sustainable environment by adding a word to their productions. But none of them need to give up their processes. And the last view is not related with a green environment in today’s cities. There are lots of “green” productions but city still doesn’t seem as a green city, because we forget the real “green things”. Andy singer, who is a cartoonist and alternative transport activist, comments about this process by its meaningful works.

I think if we are talking about sustainability, green environment or whatever it is, firstly it is needed to change some political decisions about land use and transportation systems. And we need to improve the existing features, not adding new products. There are lots of things that can be done in this manner.

The Wild Life- "We're all doomed"

2009-10-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

As all we know, Climate Change is the biggest problem of today’s world. More diciplines try to support to prevent the changes according to their professions. But I think the most important part of these initiatives should be supported by public. And FlickerLab introduce their newest animated series with this awareness. The series, which targets 8-12 year-olds, is designed to teach kids about climate change in a fun, story driven setting.

Aiming to help “save the planet one cartoon at a time”, FlickerLab’s 26 five –minute episodes each feature a three minute story driven cartoon introducing a theme such as the greenhouse effect, renewable energy or power along with a curriculum driven, two minute animated Climate Cartoon on the theme.

The Wild Life has an associated online website based community where the wacky barnyard animals from the show and creative kids meet to put the fun back into caring about environment. The site offers multi-dimensional levels of participation, including cartoons, Animtoon software, an immmersive simulation game in which animals model for humans how to reduce our carboon footprint, a mediarich curricular wiki, and a wide range of engaging interactive features packed with fascinating Earth Science facts. The Wild Life exemplifies what the FlickerLab brand is all about –using humor, technology and creative storytelling to promote important environmental and educational content. It also has an associated website featuring their proprietary Animtoon software that lets kids make their own broadcast ready Climate Cartoons. The kids will have access to every character and prop from the show to use in Animtoon to make their own cartoons with.

The Wild Life debuted on Denmark’s TV2 in October 2009. In 2010, The Wild Life will trot into longer form, with production starting fall 2010 on forty eleven –minutes episodes. These episodes will feature character driven stories with a softer curriculum around eco-literacy, climate change and earth sciences, along with associated animated shorts with deeper curricular content.

View the video

"Ascenseurs Hydrauliques du Canal du Centre Historique" Hainaut, LA LOUVIERE, BELGIUM

2009-10-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

“Historic canal of the centre” should be the most interesting and amazing landscape feature I had seen in Belgium. It was really amazing. The day we went there in fact, we had planned to go to Bruges, but after long trips in Belgium we couldn’t get up early and we decided to spend the day in sites close to Mons. I should mention that the people(one of my mother’s close friends and her family) hosting me in their home were really nice people and wanted to show me lots of places according to my interest as much as they can during my short trip. And that day we started the day a little bit late and I had an idea about riding bicycle. Then they brought me to that nice place near the canal. It was very green and calm and there were long trails to ride bicycle in a very peaceful and fascinating landscape.

At first I couldn’t get it, when they tried to tell me about the lifts for ships. What kinds of lifts? Why is it necessary? Because, I hadn’t seen above parts of the canal. But it was my lucky day and I had a chance to see the action of a boat. It was really interesting and this was a good example of industrial heritage. Then I learned that the "Historic Canal du Centre" and its old-century lifts were classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

There are four lifts in different elevation. Each of those lifts, the only ones in the world still in use, is able to compensate for a change in level of about 17 meters thanks to a single source of energy: water !

While we were cycling on the trails continuing along the canal, I could see those four elevators. And it was really interesting to see this cultural heritage which you feel the difference of levels. You ride on sloping trails and on above level you see the standing water again. The landscape and seeing this level was great.

The oldest construction on the site, hydraulic lift no. 1, welcomes you to a fun exhibition, "engineer Clarck's remarkable machine", where you will discover the history of the lifts and how they work through original documents from the era (maps, plans, etc.) as well as modern, interactive media.

There are a whole range of possibilities available allowing you to discover all the treasures of this exceptional days for infant and primary classes, and of course the cruises that include the chance to take a ride with this timeless structures. Yes, I must confess that cycling was a good opportunity to discover the site while doing our daily sport:)

GREEN TRAVELER, TRAVEL GREEN

2009-09-26T04:37:00.001-07:00

Travel can be much more than simply visiting places, taking pictures and buying souvenirs. Sustainable travel can be made by knowledge and traveler can make responsible travel choices. It is important to be aware of natural and cultural heritage while you visit some destinations. Sustainable travel starts with an awareness of positive contributions to conservation.

When executed mindfully, and with the minimum impact, travel can be a powerful tool for positive change, inspiring awareness, tolerance, and commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

TIES is an international society promoting ecotourism and sustainable travel. They define ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people,". According to that we can define ecotourism principles:

1. Minimize impact

2.Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect

3. Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts

4. Provide direct financial benefits for conservation

5. Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people

6. Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental and social climate.

As they emphasized, by educating tourists and tourism professionals and influencing public institutions to integrate principles of ecotourism into their operations and policies, we can support sustainable travel. Making our travels with this awareness also gives opportunity to discover very special areas. By exploring alternative travel choices, you can have a unique trip and avoid leaving negative marks on cultures, economies, and the environment.

As a green traveler, Do's and Don'ts list While traveling

At the hotel: Ask about environmental policies and practicies. Talk with staff about working conditions. Does the hotel support community projects?

Language: Learn a few words of the local language and use them.

Dress: Read up on local conventions and dress appropriately. In many countries, modest dress is important.

Behaviour: Be respectful of local citizens' privacy. Ask permission before entered sacred places, homes or private land.

Photos: Be sensitive to when and where you take photos/videos of people. Always ask first.

Environment: Respect the natural environment. Never touch or harass animals. Always follow designated trails. Support conservation by paying entrance fees to parks and protected sites.

Animal products: Never buy crafts or products made from protected or endangered animals.

Pay the fair price: Don't engage in overly aggressive bargaining for souvenirs. Don't short-change on tips for services.

Buy local: Choose locally-owned lodges, hotels, and B&Bs. Use local buses, car rental agencies and airlines. Eat in local restaurants, shop in local markets and attend local festivals/events.

Hire local guides: Enrich your experience and support the local economy. Ask guides if they are licensed and live locally. Are they recommended by tour operators?

Try to make your next trip with this awareness. I'm sure you'll discover real lifes in amazing places.

Different transportation choices in Flemish and Walloon regions in Belgium

2009-09-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was in Belgium to make a research about historical cities and sustainable transportation in them two weeks ago. I had a chance to stay both in Flemish and Wallon regions of the country. There was a big difference between these two regions in terms of life styles and city characters. I would like to make a contribution to these differences according to their transportation choices.

In Flemish cities (Ghent, Brugge, Antwerp, etc), people mostly prefer to use sustainable transportation modes such as bicycles, public transport and walking and transport infrastructures support sustainable transportation modes, by creating bicycle routes and parks, etc..

But in most of the Walloon cities (Mons, Charleroi, Tournai, etc.) people use cars for their daily transports and you can't see any bicycle routes, streetscape and supporting infrastructure for pedestrians.

These different transportation preferences create different life styles and city structures. People are more healthy and active in Flemish region and Flemish cities are really very compact, animated and mostly crowded cities. These cities also supports sustainable transportation modes to protect their historical and cultural characters.

Especially in Brugge, narrow streets providing walking and cycling and pavements supporting these transportation modes are remarkable points in the city. In addition to non-motorized transportation modes, city offers good public transportation opportunities for people. In Ghent, there is a same approach and city supports car-free events and develops good transportation policies. These Flemish cities are in some initiatives to support sustainable transportation for their future plans .

On the other hand, Walloon cities are mostly car dependant cities. Most of people use cars for their short and long distance travels. And city centers are full of car parkings. Although some of them (such as Mons) have lots of historical and cultural heritage, people can not feel this character of the city.They use bicycles for only their leisure activities not for their daily transports. For this reason, you can not see people in the streets so much. They come to the city centers by their car and make shopping or eating or whatever they need for their daily life and spend less time with other people.

You really feel the differences between in these two region of the country in this context. Flemish region are more alive than the Walloon region and it was a good chance to compare those cities from that point.

EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK CONTINUES!

2009-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

SEMAINE DE LA MOBILITE - 16-22 September 2009

Hundreds of cities across Europe are taking part in this year's Mobility Week. Sponsored by the European Commission and non-government organizations, the event is meant to raise public awareness for sustainable mobility. European mobility week is an event supporting sustainable transportation in major cities and Ilse, my friend from Ghent, reminded me about the date of this event in Belgium cities. In addition to transport plans, Ghent supports sustainable transportation events. The 20th of september was the first car-free day in Ghent. As a part of “European Mobility Week”, cars weren’t allowed in the city and the entire city centre of Ghent became a car-free zone. The whole area within the small Ghent ring road (R40) bans all motorised vehicles for a whole day. There was a big biking tour around the city and there were lots of activities in the city centers for young and old people.

The main purpose of this car-free day is making people think about the use of cars in city centres. Only a few Belgium cities (Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent) were car-free. Global warming, quality of life in cities, road safety, et. are all current social themes begging for a solution. Events like these can invite people to try out alternatives to car use in major cities.

City on the river mouth with its lights, GHENT, BELGIUM

2009-09-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ghent is a historical city with its art, culture and events. The city's name means 'river mouth' or confluence. Until the 13th century Ghent was the biggest city in Europe after Paris; it was bigger than London, Cologne or Moscow. During my short trip to Ghent, I stayed in one of my friends’ place and I had a chance to learn about city, its historical and cultural features, transportation policies and life styles from her. As my friend told me, beside its historical character, Ghent presents a contemporary city view. Ghent has managed to preserve its mediaval power, while keeping up with time. It is a university city and presence of young people and students has turned Ghent into an important cultural centre. Ghent established a nice blend between comfort of living and history – it is not a museum city. It is an alive city.

When I was there,there were lots of restoration and construction works to make the city and cultural life better. Honestly, I must confess that I felt like I was in Istanbul. These initiatives and vitality made me feel like that. Large public squares, ancient buildings, churches, towers and other historical buildings were remarkable nodes in the city.

Especially true mediaval castle in the middle of the city impressed me so much. While we were walking in the city, it appeared in front of us and it was amazing in the evening with its lights. I visited the city at night and it was more desirable for me to feel the real life when tourists left and inhabitants stayed. City was also great with its lights and rivers in the evening.

When you walk in each street, you feel different ambience because every street of the city reflects different character of it. Some streets are narrow which give you a feeling like you are in a historical city, while others are wide and present a modern city view. Second interesting point was the old fish market at St. Veerleplein. There was a restoration works in there to make a new fish market having a walking area with view on to the rivers and hosting an event hall. I think it will be a nice attraction point with its original charm and character.

In Ghent, people try to use bicycles and public transportation for their daily lifes. There are good infrastructure opportunities such as underpasses under bridge to provide continuous cycling routes and the city has an extensive public transport network serving the city centre and surrounding area. These were results of good transportation policies. Ghent can be easily reached by car and national trains from other cities in Belgium.

At the same time,these transport opportunities by car leads to excessive private vehicle usage in the city. In order to counter the traffic problems, a number of plans had been established. With the bicyle plan (1993), cycling infrastucture and bicycle culture were created. A lot of infrastructure was, and is still, constructed along city roads or along the abundant waterways in the city (including some underpasses under bridges). With the mobility plans for the inner city (1997), it was injected a new dynamism into the historical centre of Ghent. Creating large pedestrian area, traffic flow measures, constraints for car usage in city center, traffic calming, and re-designing the streets and squares to make the city more attractive to citizens and visitors were important decisions of that plan. Ghent has one of the largest car-free area in Europe now.

I couldn’t spend more time to discover the city but, I felt its unique character and I look forward to be there again in a short period.

"Ghent is not just a city like any other which will charm you for a moment then let you go without a further thought. No. Like a beautiful woman who is very much aware of her charms, Ghent will seduce you with its passion and fire. You’ll be distraught to leave it and consumed with longing."
Le Guide du Routard

“Divo-Nanto” – Sacred Valley, DINANT, NAMUR

2009-09-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Here was a really "Sacred Valley"

When we departed from autobahn to the local roads of Dinant, I hadn’t guessed to face with such a beautiful city. City was located in lower side of the area and we were driving to downward. When you enter the city, lots of old and traditional houses welcome you and city seems such a ghost town. I think it is related with the small population of the city. The upper parts of the city were not crowded so much and when you go down to the city center, you can see most of people strolling around.

When I saw the river, I was a little bit surprised because I hadn’t expected to see a water channel. You feel that you are in a small city with only some houses and shops located on both sides of narrow streets. City gives you that feeling while you walk in narrow and old streets. But these streets lead you to the large open area and“sacred river” at the end of them. Being surprised is a result of this unexpected atmosphere. When you reach to the “Sacred river", you really feel that you are in a different world. Streets lying near the river were full of cafes and restaurants . There were lots of people eating there.

I was looking at the river and cross side of it and after I decided to take a photo, I turned my back to the river and I saw the huge rock and a castle at the top of it and Notre-Dame cathedral in front of the huge rock. It was the famous citadel. I hadn’t heard about the city and citadel before I visited here , so discovering such a great area excited me so much. We decided to climb the citadel, but there were 408 steps and we thought that it can tire us out. And we took the elevator to climb the citadel. The view from the elevator was also great. After we climbed, we watched the perfect landscape of the city, its old and traditional buildings, streets, river and green areas.

The city’s name comes from the Celtic word “Divo-Nanto”, meaning “Sacred Valley”. The name of Dinant was first recorded about 800 BC. But in this period the citadel hadn’t came into being. The first fortress was built toward 1040 and the first bridge round about 1080. The town was detroyed most of times, but it has survived until the present day. The town was occupied by Louis XIV from 1675 to 1698, when the castle was given a major facelift under the supervision of the French military engineer “Vauban”. From 1818 to 1821, the castle was once again destroyed and then rebuilt by the Dutch to produce the Citadel we know today.

In the castle there is a central courtyard where you can see cannonballs and a cafe. We hadn’t more time to visit the castle but if we hadn’t done it, we couldn’t learn about more places to see. In the corridors of the time,there were three rooms recalling milestones in the history of the Dinant Citadel. There were dungeons where you can visit the prisoners’cell, the guardroom and the torture room.

After visiting that part, we went to the splendid view point. This strategic position, 100 m above the Meuse river, is the fortress look-out point. The view of the city was great.

Then we continued to the tour in castle and we saw some places where you can see three scenes from life as it used to be in 1820s – a forge, kitchens and a bakery from 1820s-. The most interesting part of the castle was collapsed shelter cave. You lose your balance and try to stay on course. We had a dizziness while we were passing from this part. It was so interesting. After this nice tour in citadel, we discovered the city. You feel like you are in a mystic place and streets and houses give you that feelings. There were lots of people on streets and you really feel that you are in a sacred town far far away.

Travel back in time and explore the fortress.

Address: 9 kms from the E411 Brussel-Luxembourg motorway - Exit No 20

Show off your work, Online Portfolio

2009-08-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I was preparing my portfolio and Cv. I needed an example for a part of my portfolio and I searched in web to find a good example. And I found very very beneficial website. www.carbonmade.com. I was waiting such a website for along time. They define the website like that:

Easisest way to display and manage your works.

Your online portfolio

A clean canvas to show off your works.

At first I thought that was a special site for designers in a professional network. Maybe you need to apply for creating such a portfolio, but I saw that you can create your account and address for your online portfolio. It was incredible. In fact I really liked the design of the website and I started to create my own portfolio after that :)). You can take any address you want for your portfolio and it is your personal address. You can arrange your pages and there is a part to add about yourself and your cv.

There are lot of professionals in the system such as artists, photographers, designers, architects, landscape architects, web designers. All of them are interested in different branch of the design such as, animation, drawing, editorial design, fine art, graphic design, logo design, painting, etc.

I think this site will be beneficial for every designer to present their unique works. I created one and that is it http://zerrinhosgor.carbonmade.com

SECRET PARADISE IN SAPANCA

2009-08-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sapanca is getting one of the most important “ecotourism” areas in Marmara region in Turkey day by day. You can reach Sapanca from Istanbul in less than 2 hours. Sapanca provides opportunities for “green tourism”, “nature tourism”, “adventure tourism” and “cultural tourism” . This nature based region aims to use local resources and traditional architecture. Samanli mountains and Sapanca lake are two important natural richness in region. Mountains are covered by rich forests and the other parts of the region are full of the fruit gardens. Here is one of the greenest region of country and there are a wide variety of tree on mountains.

The most important economical activity is agriculture based on orcharding. Lots of small facilities are managed by local families and they tries to improve these traditional economical activities . And the growing potential of “ecotourism” make the region more attractive for local residents. It makes this region to be sustain their natural character and give opportunities for socio-economic developments of the population.

Sapanca with its natural resources presents a good “ecotourism” example. “Trout farming” is a growing economical activity and there are lots of facilities established near brooks and they are managed by local population. Especially if you have a passion to climb the mountains to see the full landscape of Sapanca (I think you should have:)),you can come across with most of them welcoming you in your way of climbing. I can honestly tell you that the highest point of the mountains was one of the most exciting areas I have ever seen.

Firstly the clean air and the wide variety of the trees make you feel that you are in the natural area not in a designed or superficial one. The landscape of the region can only be seen in the top of the “Kartepe”. This mountain also serves for winter sports and in recent years this area appeals most of tourist because of this potential in winter. I need to tell that Sapanca is a really natural recreational area which serves to most of recreational activities for all age groups.
There are also some alternative tourism options such as baloon flights, microlight, trekking, rafting, horse-riding and paragliding. Sapanca is a paradise for people who want to relax and be with nature. It serves most of opportunities for full of a day. We haven’t a chance to experience the microlight flights because of bad weather conditions but it seems attractive and anyone should make it.
I think these “ecotourism” area will be one of the best areas in these conditions in country, because there are lots of opportunities for developments and conservation as well.

Car-free Island, BUYUKADA - lSTANBUL

2009-08-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Istanbul is one of the rapidly growing city in the world. It tries not only protect its cultural character came from the Byzantine Period and continued with Ottoman Period and Turkish Republic but also adopt the developing world’s necessities. Cars and motorized vehicles are some of these necessities. It was interesting to see carfree places in such a metropolitan area. I think, it is related with the natural character of this area that I talk about. Because this car-free place is an island.

The Princess Islands are a combination of nine islands off the Asian coast of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. The name of the islands comes from the Byzantine period, when royal princes and empresses were exiled there. With the introduction of steamboats during the late Ottoman period around the 19th century, these islands became popular resorts for the rich people who built their wooden houses. Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities were a large part of the inhabitants here. Today, the islands are popular tourist destinations for daily excursions especially in the summer time. There are many monasteries and historic buildings on the islands, besides 19th century Victorian style old wooden mansions.

Buyukada is the biggest and most famous one of these nine islands. Its historical buildings, street character and life styles appeal to people having different interests about island. Architects, engineers, planners, sociologists, etc. might concern different issues in that place. According to me, its car-free character is the most important and wonderful one.

Motorists are not permitted on the islands except the ones belonging to the local municipality for public works, therefore you have to walk or rent a bicycle or horse-drawn carriage (fayton inTurkish). Istanbul hasn’t a flat topography and as a result of this feature, many planners and transport experts have argued that cycling isn’t suitable for Istanbul’s topography. In addition to this, Istanbul hasn’t had a bicycle culture from past to present.

But after my short trip to Buyukada, I changed my mind. I was in there today. And these summer days are the most crowded time of the island. I and my partner had rented a bike when we came in spring but we had decided to walk in this time to discover the different areas. After crowded, polluted parts of the Istanbul, in Buyukada we felt that we were in another city . Buyukada is an exceptional example of bicycle culture. And it is also a good example to support the sustainable transport in Istanbul. It hasn’t a flat topography too, but its strict transportation policy on not allowing the motorized car in the area had caused to be created a new transportation mode. Today, most of the residents of the Buyukada have their own bicycles and cycling has became the main transportation mode used by inhabitants of it. Second transportation option is the horse-drawn carriage which has a cultural background coming from Ottomans. This transportation mode is mostly prefered by old people and tourists. You can ride bike comfortably in assigned roads for bicycles. And as i mentioned before, topography isn’t flat but cycling had became mostly preferred mode of transportation. It is useful and suitable. Especially in summer times, horse-drawn carriage become dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, because they are highly used by tourists.

As a result of the sustainable mode of transportation and green, the air quality is better than the Istanbul centre. Forests, private gardens and squares are the open and green spaces in Buyukada. These green spaces help to control microclimate conditions. Tree-lined roads provide shelter for pedestrians and continued walking routes. So we walked easily by following these connected greenways.

It was a good experience to see such a good sustainable transport application in Istanbul. This transportation mode isn’t against to protect the cultural heritage and adopt the necessities in developing world.

ANIMAL KINGDOM- No Puppets,Not fictionalized Scene, Real Wildlife in Disney World

2009-06-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

EXCITING, ATTRACTIVE AND DIFFERENT THEMATIZED PARK...

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund established by The Walt Disney Company supports conservation programs which are operated in all over the world. Conservation and education programs are the most important programs of the conservation fund. Especially primary school education programs helps to be aware of the nature. Main goals of the Company are to care animals and protect wildlife, preserve habitat.

The result of the conservation initiatives gives its form to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. It is so creative initiative to connect with the real wildlife and adventure. It provides to be close to animals. Thereby, it increases attention from all age groups. It becomes a big outdoor classroom to recognize the value of the wildlife while entertaining people at the same time. It shows the conservation matter that concerns all of us.

Source: Ideal Bite

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park is dedicated to nature and conservation . And it leads animal care, education and research specifially. There are 1700 animals from 250 species. It is the most amazing and largest themepark with its special concept. This concept is one step closer to the real wildlife conservation initiative for education.

Celebrate Summer

Digital Landscape Architecture, ASLA

2009-04-14T00:19:00.000-07:00

Lots of Landscape Architects are subscribers of the "Landscape Architecture" magazine published by ASLA. I learned a new information about it and i think it will be very useful for landscape architects who want to follow the news about our sector. They present a digital format of the magazine and it is useful for research, in this way readers can link directly to related online information. It is also practical for people who dont want to wait a hard copy of it.

The past issues of Landscape Architecture going back to May 2006 are also being uploaded for single copy purchase. So, the issues can be kept in a digital format for several years.

If you would like to review the digital issue, you can look into April issue.

TOLEDO, "Castilla la Mancha" : Medieval city in 21st century

2009-02-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

City walls, plazas, narrow streets and religious structures of Christian, Muslims and Jews. All of these structures describe the old capital of the Spain. The most descriptive feature of the city is its pedestrian-oriented streets and city structures. I’m talking about the Toledo where is the capital of the "Castilla la mancha" region and is placed in World heritage list of Unesco. I went there for my research interest.

Firstly I had planned to go to Madrid after 2 days stay in Toledo. But here was not only a historical city or museum city, it was a living city. You can feel its historic structure when you stay in there. Along our 5 days travel, we lived the city as an inhabitant not as a tourist thereby shopping in “Supermercado”JI think it is related with its pedestrian streets, open spaces and natural landscape.

City initiatives consider social and economic factors of city to characterize the sustainability in addition to focusing architectural and environmental aspects. It is the point I think. Toledo is a city encircled on three sides by Tajo river and sitting on the top of a hill. With its amazing landscape it presents lots of opportunities for people.

Especially Tajo river is an advantage for city inhabitants for recreational activities. It is a place that makes you peaceful. We saw lots of people going jogging, picnicking, climbing and watching the river. I think it is one of the best cities sustaining its cultural identity by answering the current citizen’s needs. Especially while you are walking in narrow and winding streets you can lost yourself in a medieval city. But don’t worry, because all the streets meet at least one plaza and there are signs helping for way-finding.

If you would like to live in a medieval city surrounded with city walls and reflecting its cultural structure in 21^st century, Toledo can be the best place in Madrid. The views from both inside and outside of the city are different. You can see the best views of the city from outside while you are travelling with the tourist train. And the best views from inside can be seen on the top of hill where best two places located -El Greco’s museum and Alcazar –

Finally I need to mention about the escalators providing access to the historic centre from outside of it. It is definitely a successful approach for people’s mobility and accessibility. It is also mentioned that the escalator has a great impact on the reduction of traffic within the city.

ROTTERDAM: "Het park", "Beurstraverse", "Schouwburgplein"

2009-02-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Rotterdam is an example of modern architecture. You can see its modernist vision in all structures and buildings. The central station was the first point where we firstly met with Rotterdam. When you reach the city you feel a little soulless character of it. But when you go inside and try to live the city, it gives you its unique character. So it is a success, I think. After the Second World War, it won its current identity that makes it a modern city. While we were strolling around, we met lots of good examples of redevelopments. There were three areas which took me into its everyday life. The first one is “Het Park”, second is the most famous shopping street called Beurstraverse, third is the Schouwburgplein.

Het Park

Here was the most beautiful park I’ve ever seen. It was the end of the fall and the colors of the trees and plant were amazing. I feel myself in a postcard which shows the fascinating landscape in a perfect painting. Oranges, yellows, greens and reds. all of them are together. The extension of the park leads to the Rotterdam port which is the most important place for both city and Europe. Also, Erasmus Bridge adds a modernist look to port. You feel its atmosphere from this part of the city too.

Beurstraverse

This car-free, pedestrian street was a part of the redevelopment plans of the shopping district that are redeveloped nowadays. this shopping street is below the ground level and it is such a big trench. This shopping trench of Rotterdam is an architectural subterranean link between the two sides of the Coolsingel. It's one of the largest continuous collection of shops in Europe. It is safe, car-free basically pedestrian oriented. So it is a good example for such a city that has large boulevards and modern shopping centers. The world cities try to be pedestrian friendly, so this redevelopment plans are good efforts such a city.

Schouwburgplein

The Schouwburgplein which was the one of the major works of Adrian Geuze is a public square situated in the heart of the city of Rotterdam. It is surrounded by shops and flanked by the City Theatre and the City Concert Hall. It is an interactive public space and changing during day. The major elements of the square are the four red lighting elements. This square emphasizes the big void and the design of the square is a distinct approach against the city skyline.