Mike Kraus

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Danube Reflection - Passau, Germany

WILLKOMMEN IN PASSAU, DEUTSCHLAND! Strolling up Höllgasse in Passau, Germany's Artist's Alley. Colorful cobblestones are a fun way to wander through a beautiful town.

Looking toward the Rathausturm (City Hall Tower) on Höllgasse Street

The tower was constructed in 1889-92 to replace a previous tower that was destroyed in 1811.

Mural on the exterior of the City Hall.

View of Veste Oberhaus from Rathausplatz (City Hall Square). Veste Oberhaus was built in 1219 as a fortress to show the power of the Bishop of Passau.

Gisella Temlom

Paulinerkloster Mariahilf (Pilgrimage Church of Maria ob Passau) on the banks of the Inn River

View of Dom St. Stephan (St. Stephen's Cathedral) from Residenzplatz (Residence Square)

View of tower of St. Stephen's Cathedra from Zengergasse street

Interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Looking toward alter

Just a part of the largest cathedral organ in the world. It has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers and 6 consoles.

St. Stephen's Cathedral from Domplatz

St. Paul's Church constructed in 1678

Interior of St. Paul's Church

Entrance to Lukas-Kern-Kinderheim aka Bürgerliches Waisenhaus (Lukas-Kern Orphanage aka City Orphanage) was founded in 1749 by the shipmaster Lukas Kern

The opposite bank of the Inn river. This pic is for Marianne because she wanted to see livestock on the hills. And that's what the little white dots at the top right are.

Schaiblingsturm (Schaibling Tower) is from the Medieval town fortification dating back to about 1250

View down Rindermarkt Street

Meerkat graffiti! These truly are my people.

This is why you measure twice and buy a van once in Europe...

In the wheelhouse with the Captain of the MS Savor.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIANNE!

Captain's orders that you must have his drink, "The Hiroshima:" 3/4th Triple Sec, lightly topped with Bailey's, couple drops grenadine to the center compliments of our awesome bartender Rahman.

Gala night means tuxedo napkins.

A perfect compliment to our well-worn tiny hands...

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Danube Reflection - Český Krumlov, Czech Republic and a Little Bit of Linz, Austria

Vítejte v České republice! Europe may no longer have border checks, but you are required to pull over to a duty free shop and take a shot of Becherovka when entering the Czech Republic. Here's our guide, Michael, passing out our obligatory drink at 9am. The liquor is commonly drank at all time of the day for digestive health, contains a variety of herbs, and is 38% alcohol.

VÍTEJTE do Českého Krumlova! Cesky Krumlov was settled by mostly Germans when building started in 1240. Various monarchs and their nobility owned the town and castle until 1945. Since the fall of the Communist government in 1989, the town has been under restoration.

View of Castle and town

Kostel Sv. Vita (Saint Vitus Church) steeple.

Náměstí Svornosti (Square) - Is that another plague column I see?

Walking down Soukenická Street

The building to the right housing Jakub restaurant was constructed in the 14th century and the exterior was painted by Josef Palouda

"Mirror, mirror tell me who is the most beautiful in the world?" Just a bit of street art.

Strolling down Široká Street

Castle Tower - While parts of the structure were started in the 13th century, it's current state was built in the 1590s to update the castle to a Renaissance style.

Another view of the tower.

Latrán Street

More Latrán Street

Arch over the street for the monarchs. It was a skyway for royalty so they didn't have to mingle with regular people.

Sv. Jošt (St Jobst) Church steeple, which is now the home to the Marionette Museum

Courtyard of the castle.

Another courtyard

There's Dick checking out the souvenir shop.

Castle Theater - We were fortunate enough to view this Baroque theater. Constructed in 1680, it's so delicate that it's only used 3 times a year and only a handful of people are allowed to view it for tours each week. Everything in here is original. They even have the special effects equipment and costumes. Only the candles have been replaced with candlelight simulated electric lights because of fire hazard. This is someone else's photo I found on the internet.

View of Cesky Krumlov on the banks of the Vltava River from the castle.

One last look at a remarkably beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site.

WILLKOMMEN IN LINZ, ÖSTERREICH! This is the Hauptplatz (Main Square) in Linz, Austria. I'm not positive, but I'm guessing that's another "thank you for letting us survive the plague" momument.

Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom (Mariendom Linz, St. Mary's Cathedral, The New Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) - Construction lasted from 1854 to 1935

Front door of the cathedral

Strolling down Altstadt Street

View of church steeple down Hofgasse Street

Possible Plague Pillar in Hauptplatz with Alter Dom (Old Cathedral) in the background.

Video of the ARS Electronica Center changing colors. Unfortunately, the cruise took off before I could capture the other shapes and designs of the building.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Sunflowers and Lavender In Provence

Sunflowers and Lavender In Provence, 2016

acrylic on canvas board

8" x 10" in a vintage frame (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm in a vintage frame)

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/243811153/sunflowers-and-lavender-in-provence

10% OFF with coupon code JOINTHEFUN

Our bikes race up and down the gentle hills of Provence. Everything has a distinct texture, the colors are vibrant, and the perfume in the air is intoxicating. And every twisting road we turn down has countless rows of purple and blue lavender. The heat of the Mediterranean sun presses against our backs as we pedal back to the village of Sault. I'll never forget the fields of France.

This painting would look best in a space that is dark red, yellow, dark, orange, blue, green, purple, black, white, beige, or wood.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Danube Reflection - Grein, Austria

WELCOME TO GREIN, AUSTRIA! A small village of about 2,900 people on the Danube River. Grein roughly translates into "shriek" or "scream" in old German. The Danube use to be very treacherous here and the city was named after shipwrecked sailors yelling and their widow's cries.

Stadttheater Grein. Notice the three dates on the building. 1468 was the year it was constructed as a granery. 1563 is when it became a rathhaus (city hall). 1791 is when it installed a theater. Emperor Josef II encouraged the construction of theaters so the proceeds could be used to fund poor houses. A cause that was really supported by citizens after a major flood.

Inside Stadttheater Grein, the oldest theater in Austria. Lots of funny and interesting facts about this theater. The first couple of rows had an early form of season ticket holders. To guarantee your seat, you were given a key. When you weren't at the show, you'd fold your seat to the back and lock it so there was no place for a person to sit.

Shows use to be very, very long. So, there's a small bathroom located stage right for the audience. The only barrier was a small curtain. This meant if an exciting, funny, or climatic scene was about to happen you could peek out the curtain and not miss a thing. "It didn't smell nice near the bathroom, so these seats were cheaper..."

This building also had a small jail that was located stage left. To keep the prisoners entertained, they gnawed a hole in the wall so they could watch from their cell. The audience was very kind to the prisoners bringing them food and drinks during the show. A somewhat selfish gesture though because this was to prevent them from yelling and disrupting the show.

I think this is my favorite theater.

Volksbank Niederösterreich Building

St. Giles Church - Saint Giles was a hermit living in the woods of Septimania and Provence. He foraged for food and drank the milk from a deer. Because of this, St. Giles is the patron saint of lactating mothers.