GERMANY: PFORZHEIM CEMETERY, DOWNTOWN, ENZ RIVER, WALLBERG

 May 23, 2025

When we got up in the morning, we knew we had a big day ahead that involved meeting cousins we didn't know we had because our mother chose to keep their existence a secret from us, if she even knew about them (and we are pretty sure she did). The day would also include a visit to the Pforzheim cemeetery, a trip to one of the archives that our researcher used to uncover some of the information that had been in hiding for 85 years, a visit to the street where our mother and her family lived until 1945, the installation of a Stolperstein in our grandfather's honor, and more.

But since parking is an issue in Pforzheim, and since the cemetery had a big parking lot, that is where we began. We could park our two vans there and walk to our other destinations during the day, then pick up the vans at the end of the day.

A map of the cemetery at the entrance had this information: "Pforzheim's main cemetery is considered one of the most beautiful park cemeteries in southern Germany. Eighty percent of its total area of approximately 33.4 hectares (82.5 acres) is protected as a historical monument. These areas are characterized by stately tree stands and . . . garden design from the imperial era. From 1877 to 1945, the basic strcture of long avenues and numerous neatly trimmed hedges, which still characterize the cemetery today, gradually emerged.The historical fabric is still largely intact."

I love cemeteries, which I've said many times in this blog. Every grave and monument represents a life and a story, and that seems especially apparent in a cemetery as beautiful as the one in Pforzheim. If I understand correctly, plots are leased for a specific period, usually 20 to 30 years, rather than purchased outright. If the lease is not renewed, the remains are moved or cremated and the site is "recycled" for another burial. Beautiful, well-maintained gravesites are a staple of German culture. Visiting the cemetery is almost like strolling through a botanical garden. Each grave is distinct from the others around it and artfully decorated as if it is a separate room. Take a look at these examples:

INDIA, DELHI: GURDWARA BANGLA SAHIB SIKH TEMPLE, THE GANDHI MEMORIAL AT RAJ GHAT, AND BACK TO THE INDIRA GANDHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

 December 23, 2025

We had spent the morning with a new guide on our Food and Faith Tour, and he was okay, but he spoke way too fast and his accent was hard for us to understand. We were very happy to get our first guide, Sajeet, back. He was amazing, in both presentation style and content.

Our first stop was the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, one of the the largest Sikh temples in Delhi and associated with the eighth (of ten) Sikh Gurus, Guru Har Krishan (not related to Hare Krishnas). This Guru is known for healing many people suffering from cholera (or smallpox, depending on whom you ask) when he stayed in this spot in 1664, a disease that he himself contracted and died from that year.  "Bangla" is derived from the word "bungalow" and refers to the original structure that stood on this site that was owned by a Raja, or prince. Guru Har Krishan stayed at the bungalow during his visit, and sometime thereafter it was converted into a place of worship to honor him. 

As in the Sikh temple we visited earlier in the day, there was a helpful sign listing the basic tenets of Sikhism, along with several other posters that gave additional information.

I think the information on the turban below is especially interesting. I am familiar with groups that require women to cover their hair, and it is nice to see one that requires men to cover their hair!

This particular Gurdwara ("place of worship") is particularly focused on service. For example, they have a medical diagnostic center where patients can get an MRI scan for about 50 rupees, or less than a US dollar. 

However, the most impressive part of the Gurdwara is the Langar, a free community kitchen that provides meals for anyone who needs to eat. By the way, the practice of "Langar" was initiated by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. He lived from 1469 to 1539 in present-day Pakistan.

NORTHERN IRELAND: DERRY/LONDONDERRY, PART II (THE BOGSIDE)

 July 9, 2024

We met our guide, whom Bob had booked through Derry Blue Badge Guide, at Guild Hall, a beautiful building originally used for tax collecting and as a town hall and now the seat of local government. The current building was erected in 1912 after the previous one burned down. During "The Troubles," which I'll explain in a minute, this building suffered damage in multiple terror attacks. When Bill Clinton visited Derry in 1995, he gave a speech in the large square in front of the Guildhall.

 

Our guide was excellent. When "The Troubles" began in the late 1960s, he left the country in order to escape being embroiled in the conflict. He returned when it all ended. Though he was not present, he was well-informed. He knew and was passionate about Derry's and Ireland's history, particularly from the time "The Troubles" began in the 1960s to 1998 when they ended.

So, what are "The Troubles"? On the surface, it was a civil war between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, which is how most people see it--a religious war. In reality, the conflict really centered more around who would rule that section of the country--Great Britain or the Irish. It is just that the pro-British Rule side tended to be Protestant and the Irish Nationalists were overwhelmingly Catholic. But it went even deeper than that. We learned that a central issue was voting rights, which were given only to landowners, e.g., Protestants. The majority of Catholics had no rights.

We began by walking through the Catholic neighborhood that had been the scene of so much bloodshed and terror, and where our guide grew up as one of eleven children in a Catholic family. He told us that his dad was part of the civil rights protestors. This area is outside the city walls and is known as The Bogside. It got its name from the marshland that used to be here.

A three-day altercation in this neighborhood in August 1969, known as the Battle of the Bogside and fought between the Catholic/Irish Nationalists and the Royal Ulster Constabulary/Loyalists, led to more violence in other Northern Ireland locations and is generally seen as the beginning of The Troubles.

A picture from the same neighborhood shows a scene from the battle.

MALTA, DAY 3: DAPHNE GALIZIA MEMORIAL AND VALLETTA'S CO-CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN

 March 20, 2024

On our last day in Malta, our first stop was at a makeshift tribute to Daphne Galizia. Before the trip I had read the book A Death in Malta by her son Paul Galizia, so I was excited to see the monument. 

Daphne Galizia was an outspoken investigative journalist and activist who spoke out about financial and political corruption in the Maltese government and other places. She was also known for her investigative reporting on the Panama Papers, which exposed international financial graft, fraud, and tax evasion involving many prominent figures worldwide, including many Maltese officials.

Galizia was extremely popular and respected. Her blog attracted over 400,000 views, more than the combined circulation of all the country's newspapers. Tragically, her popularity got her killed. In October 2017, Galizia was killed by a car bomb just a few meters from her home. She was 53 years old.

This memorial to her is placed around the base of the Great Siege of 1565 Monument, a bronze created in 1927 by Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino to honor the successful resistance of the Maltese Knights when the island was invaded by the Ottoman Empire. The three figures represent the virtues of Faith, Civilization, and Valor--appropriate virtues to relate to Daphne Galizia.

One corner of the memorial included photos of Alexei Navalny, a Russian who similarly fought corruption in his own government and who died while in a Russian prison, presumably at the hands of his captors.