On Thursday I posted an assortment of some of the travel ornaments that we have on our tree this year. We haven't been doing much travel because of COVID and it looks as if that might get extended even more so this is as good as it gets right now.
Here we go with Part 2.
This is a depiction of the White House Christmas from 2008. I was in DC for a conference.
This is a two or one post.
The Snowman is from Cheticamp on Cape Breton island. Rug hooking is a popular local craft and we bought this at the famous Flora;s Gift Shop.
The little green man walking energetically is a bit obscure.
These figures were created in 1961 by Karl Peglau, a traffic psychologist. Actually, Karl had the idea to use characters that showed the pedestrians what to do instead of just relying on colours which could be confusing, especially for children. He then handed over the task of creating the image to his secretary, Anneliese Wegner, who designed the charming, little hat-wearing ampelmannchen.
These green and red characters were used in East Berlin to teach children about road safety. Then they went on to appear in cartoons, games, radios broadcasts, and bedtime stories. They were an important part of the culture.
When the Berlin wall came down East Berliners were eager to adopt all aspects of the west. However, they did not want to lose their ampelmannchen. You see them used at cross walks in Berlin to this day.
When we first visited Lucca, Italy we were surprised to see so many representations of Pinocchio. It turns out that the author of the original story lived in the area. In fact, there is a Pinocchio theme park just outside of Lucca.
Another two for one post.
The first is obvious - Paso Robles, one of our favourite wine destinations in California. We have visited 4 or 5 times and i am yearning to go back.
The carved Santa is from Maine. It is carved into a small buoy. It is an example of the strong folk art talent on the East coast.
This was brought at the Hancock Shaker village outside of Pittsfield, Ma. If you are in the Berkshires this is a fascinating place to visit.
Another obvious one - from a trip to Vegas.
Yes, Paul and I went sea kayaking when we were staying in Stonington, Maine. This ornament commemorates our day on the water.
Finally something from Canada! We camped in Algonquin Park in 2003 and we purchased this ornament in Huntsville.
Comments