Bayram Cigerli Blog

Bigger İnfo Center and Archive
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    Sende web sitemize reklam vermek veya ilan vermek istiyorsan. Tek yapman gereken sitenin en altında bulunan yere iletişim bilgilerini girmen yeterli olacaktır. Ekip arkadaşlarımız siziznle iletişime gececektir.

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    Sende kalemine güveniyorsan web sitemizde bir şeyler paylaşmak yazmak istiyorsan siteinin en aşağısında bulunan iletişim formunu kullanarak bizimle iletişime gecebilirisni

The British Turned Xenophobic In 1940

 In  London railway station, British armed police escort foreigners to a internment camp.

On May 12 two days after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, the British arrested 2000 foreigners mostly of German and Austrian origin and residents within 30 kilometers of the coast of the Channel. During the following five days thousands more were arrested.  the rest of women and men in countries hostile to Britain were arrested and taken to concentration camps. The camps were erected  in race tracks, old factories and even field properties in resort locations on the island of Man. In two weeks 4000 Italian expatriates were arrested  when Italy declared war in mid-July and there were more than 50,000 foreigners behind the barbed wire.


The restaurant on Old Compton Street, London, informs its clients that their noodles are Made-In-Britain.

For a short time the wave of super-patriotism swept the country. British entrepreneurs began to fire German employees, homeowners only rented to compatriots, restaurants that served foreign food till now, began preparing national dishes.

In the xenophobic panic  tens of thousands including many anti-Nazis who had fled the assault troops of Hitler were arrested. The indiscriminate arrests became a scandal in late summer and there was demand for a correction. A few months later many prisoners were released  And in less than two years there were only about 5,000 men and women; one tenth of the initial amount in British prison camps.

Our Fave Foods -- a List

Maybe you don't know this, but I like to make lists. I am always bugging Big K to tell me what his "favorite places, foods etc" are. In case you don't realize, I also like food. Everywhere we go, whether it is New York city or Namibia, we try to eat some of the local cuisine. So, the last one was a list of each of our top 5 (or so) foods, where they were and why. Here is our combined effort: K and K's top 10 foods from May to August (an ongoing list). In no particular order.

1. Steak Florentine - Florence, Italy - This is just a big T bone steak. No sauce. Just meat.

2. Pickled Anchovy tapa - Madrid, Spain -- cold pickled fish. Sounds weird, but tastes awesome!


3. Mussels in creamy garlic sauce - Paternoster, South Africa


4. Shrimp - Tofo, Mozambique -- at two dollars a plate, these were fried to perfection and crispiness

5. Shrimp dish - Bologna, Italy -- the whole meal was fantastic, but the shrimp were our fave. It had white beans and tomatoes and olive oil and goodness...


6. Mussels in Biarritz, France -- comes with fries, and a nice creamy sauce. Yummy.

7. Dorado (fish) in Porto, Portugal -- whole fish, fried to crispy goodness

8. Gnocchi at same restaurant as shrimp in Bologna -- this restaurant was fabulous!

9. Tapas at Fork in Cape Town


10. Last but not least, Spaghetti Carbonara in Rome. Love the Italian food....love it!

More to come once we try a few more places.

On Top of The Table

We hiked Table Mountain yesterday. It was gorgeous. Luckily, we decided to do it yesterday instead of the day before, as it rained the day before, but was absolutely gorgeous yesterday. It took us about 2 hours to get to the top, which is about 3000 feet up. It was a hard slog, as it is all stone steps which are uneven, bumpy and slippery. Some are about 2 inches apart; others are a foot and a half. My legs were wobbly!

We got to the top, where you can see pretty much all of Cape Town. There is a walk around that you can take that takes about an hour and gives you pretty much a 365 view of the city. It is a very beautiful city; it is surrounded by water on three sides and has Table Mountain as well as a few other mountains right in the middle of the peninsula, so it is quite pleasing to the eye. Not only that, but it is winter here right now and it must have been about 65 degrees yesterday. Not too shabby.

Here are a couple of photos from the hike.  I found that weird looking bearded guy on the side of the road and befriended him. You can find more here.

SEREN SERENGİL NASIL ZAYIFLADI SEREN DİYETİ


şimdiki seren serengil

Bir dönemin en popüler şarkıcısı ve oyuncusuydu... Yüzü hep gülüyordu. Ancak yaptığı mutsuz evlilikler ve bebek kayıpları, onun yüzünü soldurdu. Onu hep üzgün bir halde, ağlarken gördük magazinhaberlerinde... Ancak Seren Serengil, şimdi adeta küllerinden doğdu. Yaşadığı sıkıntıları atlattı. İç huzuruna ve fiziksel güzelliğine yeniden kavuştu. Serengil, nasıl kilo verdiğinin sırrını şöyle anlattı...

"Hamilelikten dolayı 25 kilo almıştım. Bunun son 12 kilosunu 45 gün içinde verdim. Diyete üç ay önce başlamıştım. Tabii psikolojik sıkıntılarım da oldu. Bebeğimi yitirdikten sonra psikoloğum bana diyet yapma izni vermedi. Çünkü zaten yarı deli haldeydim. Ne zaman ki kızımın mezarını bulup onu aldım ve babamın yanına defnettim, o zaman başladım hayata..."
önceki hali

80 kiloya kadar çıkmıştım. Ama kızımı babamın yanına gömdükten sonra, ertesi gün iç huzuruyla diyetime başladım. Öncelikle şekeri kestim. Çok çikolata yerim ben. Çok kola içerim ve su hiç içmem. Bunları değiştirdim öncelikle. Asitli içecekleri, çikolatayı ve tatlıyı kestim. Sonra bir spor merkezine yazıldım, her gün düzenli olarak 45 dakika yürümeye başladım. 1.5 ay içinde 8 kilo verdim."

Ama son 12 kiloyu 45 gün içinde nasıl verdiğime gelince... Bodrum'da Osman Müftüoğlu'nun otelinde kaldım. Ama kalabalığın içinde tek başımaydım. İnsanları benden uzak tuttular. VIP lüksü yaşadım. İnsanlarla temasa geçseydim yine "Vah vah yazık sana" deyip yaralarıma tuz basacaklardı. Bunu engellediler; beni tecrit ettiler adeta. Bana özel ve sadece benimle ilgilenen bir görevli verdiler. Hiç kimseyle konuşmadım. Ruhumun yüreğimin de iyileşmesi gerekiyordu..."

Gelelim uyguladığım diyet programına... Sabah, öncelikle dişlerimi ve dilimi fırçaladım. Ağızdaki toksinleri temizlemek çok önemli. Bu diyetle çok alakalı bir durum. Bu temizliğin ardından bir büyük bardak su içtim. Suyu sevmediğim için içine limon attım.

Peynir kesinlikle yemedim, çünkü bu yasaktı. Genel kahvaltım şu oldu: Yulaf, yabanmersini, yoğurt ve tarçın... Bunları karıştırıyorum, içine franbuaz koyuyorum. Hem doyurucu, hem de lezzetli oluyor. Şöyle bir büyük tabak içinde... Kahvaltı sonrası 45 dakika yürüdüm, bisiklete bindim.

ARA ÖĞÜN (SAAT 11:00'DE )
Bitki kökleri suyu içtim. Osman Müftüoğlu'nun bilgisiyle hazırlandı. Kerevizden tut da maydanoza ve melisa çayına kadar, müthiş bir karışım. Bunları içerken bir tane de şeftali yedim.

ÖĞLEN (Saat 12.30'DA)
Izgara tavuk ve bol salata değişmez mönüm oldu.

AKŞAM YEMEĞİ (Saat 19.30'DA)
Izgarada yağsız balık ve bol salata yedim. Yiyeceğin balık avucunun içi kadar olacak, ölçü bu.

ARA ÖĞÜN (Saat 22.00'DE)
Yine bitki kökleri suyu içtim. Bitkilerin hepsini çiğ yedim. Tuz ve şeker hiç kullanmadım

Bu yalnız bedenimi değil, aynı zamanda ruhumu da arındırdı. Çok spor yaptım, çok hareket ettim. Yoga da yaptım. Birkaç kilo daha vereceğim. Bu söylediklerimi ev hanımları rahatlıkla uygulayabilirler.

VÜCUT GELİŞTİRME TEKNİKLERİ VÜCUT KAS YAPMA




Vücut Geliştirme ve Fitness Sporunun 10 Temel Kuralı

1- Doktora Gidin :
Şekillenmek sağlıkla başlar. Arabanızı yarıştırmadan önce kaputun altını kontrol etmekten çekinmezsiniz. Öyleyse vücudunuz içinde aynı şeyi yapmaktan korkmayın.
2- Terminolojiyi Öğrenin :
"Tekrar", bir kere (hem kaldırma hem indirme) olarak egzersiz manasına gelir."Set" tekrarlar grubu.8'den 12'ye tekrarlı bir set yapmak demek egzersizi bu kadar defa yapmak anlamına gelir.
3- Sıralamayı Önemseyin :
Antrenman sırası, ilk olarak geniş kasları (bacak,sırt,göğüs,omuzlar) sonra daha küçüklerini (triceps,biceps) çalıştıracak şekilde olmalıdır.
Sebebi;
Geniş kas gruplarını çalıştıran egzersiz vücudu stabilize etmek için küçük kas gruplarını da devreye sokar.Eğer bu küçük kasları erkenden yorarsanız, geniş kasları çalıştırmak için gereken hareketler sırasında güçlük çeker ve başarısız olursunuz.
4- Bir Yardımcı Kullanın :
Ağırlığı baş üstüne kaldırdığınızda emin olmanız için sizi takip eden birini bulundurmak önemlidir.Ayrıca yardımcı birisi size motivasyonda sağlar.




5- Nefes Alış-Verişinizi Düzenleyin :
Bir çok insan kaldırma sırasında nefeslerini tutarak hata yaparlar.Bunu yapmak sadece kan basıncını yükseltmez, vücudunuzun enerji harcarken kullandığı oksijen miktarını da kısıtlar.Bunun yerine her egzersiz sırasında, yüke bindiğinizde nefes verin ve yükü boşaltırken nefes alın.
6- Sakin ve Kontrolde Kalmak :
Kaldırma sırasında çok hızlı gitmek yada vücudunuzu sağa sola oynatmak antrenmandan tam verim almanızı engeller ve bu sizi oyalar. Oysa ağırlığı yavaşça almak, çalıştırmak istediğiniz kası ayırır ve yaralanma riskinizi azaltır. Bir ağırlığı kaldırmanız iki saniye, indirmeniz ise dört saniye sürmelidir.
7- Egzersizler Arasında İyi Zamanlama Yapın :
Her setten sonra kaslarınız bir daha kaldırana kadar bir süre dinlenmek ister. 60-90 saniye dinlenin ve saati dikkatlice takip edin. Dinlenmeyi çok uzun tutmak kaslarınıza dinlenmesi için zaman verir, bir başka sete çok erken geçmek ise onların görevlerini tam olarak yapmalarına engel olur.
8- Acıya Duyarlı Olun :
Esasen bir antreman sırasında veya sonrasında bir acı hissetmek normaldir, bu etkili bir ilerleme olduğunu gösterir.Bir kası normalden fazla kasmak, atık materyallerin yada diğer asitlerin birikmesine sebep olur. Bu yanma duygusunu tecrübe etmek, kaslarınızın ve paranızın karşılığını aldığınızı gösterir. Eğer kramp gireceğini anlarsanız ne yapıyorsanız durun ve kendiliğinden çözülene kadar yavaşça gerdirin. Sonuç olarak herhangi bir olumsuzluk,egzersiz sırasında sürekli bir ağrı veya birkaç gün devam eden ağrılar hissederseniz, durun ve mutlaka doktora gidin.
9- Bir Gün Antreman ve Bir Gün Dinlenme Kuralına Uyun :
Kaslar gym'de gelişmez, onlar siz evde oturup tv seyrederken gelişirler. Antrenmanlar kaslarınızın onlardan ne istediğinizi bilmelerine yardımcı olurlar. Bundan sonra, bir dahaki sefere kadar kendilerini tamir etmek için zamana ihtiyaçları vardır. Bu kas değişimi, kaslar en az 48 saatlik dinlenmeye terk edildiğinde ortaya çıkar.Vücudunuza gelişmesi için yeterli zamanı verdiğinizden emin olmak için antrenmanlarınızı iki günde bir olacak şekilde (Pazartesi,Çarşamba,Cuma) programlayın.
10- Gelişmelerinizi Not Edin :
Egzersizlerinizin takibini yapmak, geleceğiniz için harcamalarınızı kontrol etmek kadar önemlidir. Sonuçları görmenin en iyi yolu her antrenmanda kaslarınızı kıyasıya çalıştırmaktır. Fakat bir gün önce onları ne zorlukta çalıştığınızı hatırlamıyorsanız, bunu asla başaramazsınız. Her antrenman detayını (ne kadar ağırlık, kaç set veya tekrar vb.) kaydedin ve bir sonraki antrenmanınıza başlamadan bir önceki çalışmanızı referans alın.




Vücut Geliştirmede Beslenme ile ilgili Tavsiyeler

1-
Daha çok protein yeyin
2- Antrenmandan sonra daha çok karbonhidrat tüketin
3-
Bir antrenmandan sonra basit şeker tüketin
4-
Bir günde üç büyük öğün yerine altı küçük öğün yeyin
5-
Her öğünde lifli bir şeyler yeyin
6-
Günün son öğününde karbonhidrat alımını yarıya indirin
7-
Son öğününüzden kıstığınız karbondihidratları ya günün ilk öğününde yada antrenman sonrası öğünde alın.
8-
Kafein, L-Carnitin ve Hidroksisitrik asit'i deneyin

Yoğunluk Çalışması ve Hacim Yapmak (High Intensity Training)

Az ama yoğun çalışmak.Hacim yapmanın en önemli kuralıdır.
Ağır çok ağır çalışın.
Haftada 3 kere çalışın (aynı kası haftada 2 kereden fazla çalıştırmayın).
Büyük kaslar için 8 set*6 tekrar, küçük kaslar için 5*6 yapın.
Aralarda 2-3 dakika dinlenin.
1 saatten fazla çalışmayın.
15-20 dk. ısının.
Çok yiyin.( 4000 - 5000 kcal, 250-400 gr protein )
İşte sizi yoğunluk çalışmasında kullanabileceğiniz 3 teknik

1-
TEKRARLANAN EFOR TEKNİĞİ
2- MAKSİMUM EFOR TEKNİĞİ
3- DİNAMİK EFOR TEKNİĞİ

Arvydas Mickus

Arvydas Mickus is an amateur bodybuilder from Lithuania.
Take a look at this big muscle stud!












Country: Lithuania 
Birthdate: 1972 
Height: 174cm/5'9'' 
Off season weight: 115kg/255lb 
Competition weight: 110kg/243lb

Germany Did Occupy Britain During WW2! The Channel Islands At Least!

The Occupation of the Channel Islands refers to the military occupation of the Channel Islands by Germany during World War II which lasted from 30 June 1940 until the Liberation on 9 May 1945. The Channel Islands comprise the crown dependencies of the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey which are not parts of the United Kingdom, and also take in the smaller islands, of Alderney and Sark (part of the bailiwick of Guernsey). These were the only portions of the British Isles to be invaded and occupied by German forces during the war.



On 15 June 1940, the British Government decided that the Channel Islands were of no strategic importance and would not be defended. They decided to keep this a secret from the German forces. So, in spite of the reluctance of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the British Government gave up the oldest possession of the Crown "without firing a single shot" 


It's right there near the English coast. Wonder why the British abandoned it.

 The letter by King George The Sixth informs the authorities in Channel Islands that Britain is withdrawing troops from there.



 British policemen on Channel Islands

 THE GERMANS OCCUPY CHANNEL ISLANDS


Since the Germans did not realise that the islands had been demilitarised, they approached them with some caution. Reconnaissance flights were inconclusive. On 28 June 1940, they sent a squadron of bombers over the islands and bombed the harbours of Guernsey and Jersey. In St Peter Port, what the reconnaissance mistook for troop carriers were actually trucks lined up to load tomatoes for export to England. Forty-four islanders were killed in the raids.

While the German Army was preparing to land an assault force of two battalions to capture the islands, a reconnaissance pilot landed in Guernsey on 30 June to whom the island officially surrendered. Jersey surrendered on 1 July. Alderney, where only a handful of islanders remained, was occupied on 2 July and a small detachment travelled from Guernsey to Sark, which officially surrendered on 4 July.

 A German soldier 

WHAT ABOUT D-DAY? 

During June 1944, the Allied Forces launched the D-Day landings and the liberation of Normandy. They decided to bypass the Channel Islands due to the heavy fortifications constructed by German Forces . However, the consequence of this was that German supply lines for food and other supplies through France were completely severed. The islanders' food supplies were already dwindling, and this made matters considerably worse - the islanders and German forces alike were on the point of starvation.

Churchill's reaction to the plight of the German garrison was to "let 'em rot", even though this meant that the islanders had to rot with them. It took months of protracted negotiations before the International Red Cross ship SS Vega was permitted to relieve the starving islanders in December 1944, bringing Red Cross food parcels, salt and soap, as well as medical and surgical supplies. The Vega made five further trips to the islands before liberation in May 1945.


 German soldiers in Jersey

LIBERATION OF CHANNEL ISLANDS 

Although plans had been drawn up and proposed by Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, in 1943, for Operation Constellation, a military reconquest of the islands, it was not to be. The Channel Islands were liberated after the German surrender.


On the 8 May 1945 at 10 am, the islanders were informed by the German authorities that the war was over. Churchill made a radio broadcast at 3pm during which he announced that:

Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight to-night, but in the interests of saving lives the "Cease fire" began yesterday to be sounded all along the front, and our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed to-day.

The following morning, 9 May 1945, HMS Bulldog arrived in St Peter Port, Guernsey and the German forces surrendered unconditionally aboard it at dawn. British forces landed in St Peter Port shortly afterwards, greeted by crowds of joyous but malnourished islanders.


Heiress of Sark Lady of the island that bears her name meets German officers in the yard of her property

The Channel Islands Under Nazi Rule

Our predominant image of Britain in World War Two was of the bombing of London. Winston Churchill and Princess Elizabeth personified the grim determination of the people of the United Kingdom to defeat the Nazi menace at whatever cost might be necessary. The sacrifices of soldiers lend eternal resonance to this bloody chapter in British history.

There is another side to the history of British territory in the Second World War. It is that of the Channel Islands. Although they are only thirty miles from France, the hearts of the Channel Islanders are with Great Britain, which is twice as distant. French is widely spoken in the Channel Islands, where Elizabeth II reigns not as Queen but as Duke of Normandy.

Jersey, one of the larger Channel Islands is very popular as a place to get away for the summer. Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark also attract their share of vacationers and stamp collectors. Even those who never make it to Great Britain send their money to the Channel Islands not for the light of the sun but for the ample shade provided by its banking laws.

The Channel Islands History took a sharp turn from the British mainland on June 30, 1940 with the following declaration, signed by His Royal Highness King George VI



MESSAGE FROM THE KING TO THE BAILIFFS OF JERSEY AND GUERNSEY

For strategic reasons it has been necessary to withdraw the Armed Forces from the Channel Islands

I deeply regret this necessity and I wish to assure My people in the Islands that in taking this decision My Government has not been unmindful of their position.It is in their interest that this step should be taken in the present circumstances.

The long association of the Islands with the Crown and the loyal service the people of the Islands have rendered to my ancestors and Myself are guarantees that the link between us will remain unbroken and I know that My people in the Islands will look forward with the same confidence as I do to the day when the resolute fortitude with which we face our present difficulties will reap the reward of Victory.



With this awkwardly formal declaration began the arrival of German troops , which would remain formally in charge of the Channel Islands until May 19, 1945.

How did the people of the Channel Islands respond ?

There was a window of opportunity in which those who wished to could evacuate to the British mainland. About a third of the islanders did so. On Alderney, almost everyone left. On Jersey, relatively few did so.

The Germans were not harsh with most of the Channel Islanders. there were restrictions on listening to the BBC. There were deportations to labour camps on the European mainland of non natives. among these non natives were 17 Jews, some of whom were murdered in concentration camps.

There was some resistance to the German occupation. Almost all of it was symbolic, such as defacing street signs. Occasionally, escaped slave labourers were given refuge. In General, the civil service shifted allegiance to their new German masters, implementing the new order.

The occupation was mild for natives to the Channel Islands. It was welcome news to many a German soldier that he would be stationed in the Channel Islands. It was a rest stop among a cordial populace that included some who welcomed them wholeheartedly.

For Spanish Civil War prisoners and Russian Prisoners of War, the Channel Islands were far more grim. there was a forced labour camp that was built in Alderney, upon the ruins left by retreating residents who wanted to leave nothing of use to the Germans. After their hurried departure, the entire island was turned into a forced labour camp. The web site Islandlife.org recounts their travail as follows.

There was no deliberate extermination of the prisoners here but, inadequate food, excessive labour, frequent beatings, poor living conditions, with no medical help and insufficient clothing, meant that considerable numbers died from malnutrition, dysentery, septicaemia and pneumonia. A few were shot trying to escape. The exact number who died will never be known. At the peak of the work there were about 5-6,000 slave workers and 3,500 German troops and technicians in the island. When the island was eventually freed by a small British force and the German garrison surrendered on 16th May 1945, more than a week after Jersey and Guernsey were freed on the day after VE Day, the German records and the marked graves found showed 437 deaths amongst the workers, but many of the survivors claimed that hundreds more were buried in the trenches where they fell, or, if they died in their barracks, their bodies were piled into lorries and tipped into the sea off the Breakwater. Many more slaves were taken back to France after D-Day and some died en route for Germany, or trying to escape from the trains.

On the Isle of Jersey, a hospital was dug out of the rock and built underground as a showpiece at the centre of a network of fortifications. Although it functioned as a military hospital, it was built at the expense of hundreds of lives of the slave labourers conscripted into its construction. although much of what the Germans built was destroyed after the war, the hospital is maintained for public view. The death toll involved in its construction is hard to approximate. Many slave labourers who died in its construction were dumped in the ocean like city garbage.

What role did the Channel Islanders have? Were they simply overpowered by the massive might of the Wehrmacht? The British government thought it better to surrender the islands. What happened when they left? Julia Pascal writes as follows on Buzzle.com


"In one of the most shameful episodes in British history, more than 2,000 British subjects were deported from the Channel Islands to Nazi-controlled France and Germany. Sixty years on they are still waiting for compensation, yet today all they hear is a deafening silence.

In September 1942, under German orders, the Channel Islands government made deportation lists of British passport holders and foreign nationals, while native Channel Islanders remained safe. The deportation of foreign-born Jews had started in April 1942. Four months later it was the turn of the British. Their lives were uprooted and some died, yet after the liberation the subject was closed and any mention of compensation ignored.

The Channel Islands' war history was one of almost total collaboration with the Nazis. It has taken decades for the islands to admit their role in the Jewish deportations, which took place when Guernsey and Jersey absorbed Nazi Germany's anti-Semitic laws into their own legal system. Today there is still shame about the issue, and the islands' governments are uneasy about revealing what happened during the second wave of deportations. "

The British deportees included pregnant women and babies. It was a harsh deportation in which some died Julia Pascal, in the London Independent paints a damning picture of the useful and wholehearted collaboration of channel Islanders. She compares the Bailiff of Guernsey, Victor G. Carey to Marshal Petain in France, who traded his medals for valour for the role of Nazi collaborator. How bad was Carey? At one point he offered a 25 Pound reward for anyone who provided information useful in the apprehension of those who defaced German signs with anti Nazi graffiti.

How was Victor Carey treated after his wartime record of referring to the Allies as "the enemy"?
After the war, he was knighted by King George VI. To this day, critical records on the island remain classified. The checkered history of the Channel Islands is kept under wraps.

Massive fortifications were built on the Channel Islands. They were given a very high priority in German defenses. Why was this done? It is generally agreed that the islands had little military value. The occupation of the islands had great value as propaganda. after their conquest, it could be reported that British territory was under German rule. Allegedly against Winston Churchill's objections, it was decided to cede the islands to those who wanted them more, to Nazi Germany. 


Residents of Guernsey watch the German troops march down the streets of the port of Saint Peter, the main town of the island.

The day after the invasion, the commander of the Wehrmacht took over the local newspaper, special copies printed and distributed with a statement of what was in store for the folks of Channel Islands

A Nazi flag proclaims that the City of Jersey has become the German headquarters of the island.

Cinema posters in Guernsey announce a German film titled Sieg im Westen (Victory in west) that shows victories over the Netherlands and France.

Placing a light cannon covering an inlet of the island, the soldiers build a wood platform facing the sea.  
German soldiers on a reconnaissance trip on a motorcycle.

Germans erect strong searchlights to catch  RAF night raids and shoot down the planes.

Russians Move Towards Berlin: February-April 1945

Russian HIS-152 self-propelled heavy artillery, approaching Posen, February 1945.

Soviet soldiers examine a German Nebelwerfer 41 (150 mm) multi-barrel gun, 1st Belorussian Front, February 1945

January 1945. Soviet tanks enter Posen

Leaving behind a trail of dead German soldiers

A Russian Howitzer B-4 (203 mm) firing on German positions in Posen, 1st Belorussian Front, February 1945.

Near the bridge of Posen  a  Soviet sign says, "The Bridge on the Varta Posen is the last bridge in front of the lair of the Nazi beast."

A crashed German HS-129

Men of the Volkssturm march bravely in February 1945

These German soldiers are quite cheerful. Remember this was in March 1945

A destroyed German tank

A German anti-tank artillery column was hit by Soviet aircraft near Küstrin, March 1945

March 1945. Men of a SS-Panzer Division being decorated for bravery for fighting in Arnswalde

Last line of defense for Berlin: Volkssturm and....

Boys of Hitler Jugend and men of the 19th Panzer Division. March 1945. The end was near...

The German soldiers surrender. The ones who lived that is. March end 1945

Free at Last. Hallelujah!

So, we have been camping for the last...um...2 or 3 weeks. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind camping. In fact, I don't mind it at all. However, after camping for 3 weeks, sleeping on the ground, freezing, waking up at 445 am because the neighbors are going fishing, cooking top ramen every day for dinner and getting into stupid arguments with big K because there is no space for us to be away from each other, let me just say, I am GLAD we decided to stay in the Westin in Cape Town for a couple of days.

We have our OWN bathroom. Score. WITH a HOT shower. Bonus.

We also have....a bed. Oh man is it nice. I totally took it for granted before but beleive me, it is the best thing in the world these days.

We have food. Okay, well we have free breakfast and free happy hour snacks and drinks...but its free. And it's food. And its NOT top ramen.

Anyway, I got pretty spoiled when I was working in New Olreans, staying in a nice hotel or apartment, getting a stipend for food every day. Now I pinch pennies because every extra dollar I save means I can stay one more day on the road. But sometimes it is hard. Big K and I get into the STUPIDEST arguments because I want to save two dollars and he wants to just have hot food for a change, or I want to camp and he wants to splurge on a hotel, or I want to take the bus and he wants to rent a car..... Yup, I am the cheap one and he is the extravagant one.

But, we are having fun. Right now we are in Cape Town, and let me tell you, it is absolutely freaking BEAUTIFUL! I mean...BEAUTIFUL. On a bay with mountains...what more can you ask for? It's great. AND for the first time in a little while, we have the chance to go to the post office, buy replacement camping items, camera items etc and just relax in our awesome hotel.

The other day we went to Simon's town and saw the African Penguins (ps I love penguins!!) We also went to Cape Point (see photo above) which is the end of the Cape Town peninsula. It was gorgeous.

Tomorrow we plan to hike Table Mountain, which is one of the peaks in the middle of the city. It is about 3000 feet tall. After that, it is off on a hell bent for leather trip up the east coast, as we have to be back in Mozambique for our flight to India on the 8th of September, which is getting nearer and nearer!!!

So, where to next, you ask. Well, let me enlighten you. Our plans today include India, Nepal, China, most of South East Asia, including Vietnam and Indonesia and then a tiny trip to Australia before heading home for good. How long will this last, you ask. I do not know. Our flight right now is scheduled to be home on Dec 22, but we are seriously considering an extension. So plans may change. I will update you all as I know what is going on. And I usually don't know.

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