Harle, Germany

Hello from Germany!  Stanley has arrived at the home of Marleen Regula.  Marleen is a friend of Manchester High School's 2010 foreign exchange student Judith Hochschorner.

The Regula family lives in the village of Harle.  In this photo of Stanley, we have a great view of the village and the green fields that surround it.

Where is Harle?  Harle is a small village about 30km
(20 miles) south of the city Kassel, near the center
of Germany.  The name "Harle"  comes from the old Germanic "har" which means -sharp, pointed-or pointed rock.  The village name probably stems from the pointed basalt rock which protrudes through the surface by about 12 meters.

The soil is very fertile so the history of Harle is rich in agriculture.  January of 1974 Harle became part of the nearby town of Wabern.

Here is a street scene in Harle looking southeast near the Schwalm River.

You can see the steeple of the Harler Kirche (church).

Below, see another view of the Kirche, and visit the angel at the Harle cemetery located just outside the village.

Stanley is visiting Germany during the Easter holiday. He enjoys looking for Easter eggs with his new friends Giulia and Anuthida.  The girls join Marleen and family dog Arthus for a walk up the mountain.

Before heading off on his next adventure, Stanley enjoys a typical German meal of smoked pork chops, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut.

Stanley sagt auf wiedersehen zu seinen neuen Freunden und danke fur die tolle zeit in Deutschland.

Spain

             

TRAVELS

OF

FLAT STANLEY

in

MADRID

and

Extremadura

SPAIN

Hello everyone. I have arrived safely here in Madrid! The mailman dropped me off at Jake Mendaro's house and it was sure good to get out of that envelope! I went out with Jake's mom, Pam, and his sister, Amanda, yesterday to see some sights and will be traveling around a bit this next week. We will be sending pictures and having fun!

Stanley is visitng a farm in Extremadura, Spain, close to a town called Navalmoral De La Mata.

Here he is standing next to a very large cork tree. The cork trees are stripped of their bark once every 9 years. They can live to be up to 500 years old.


You can see where the cork was stripped away about three years ago, (the dark cork) and how it is getting thick again. It will be ready to harvest in another 6 years.

The mountains seen behind Flat Stanley is part of the Sierra of Gredos mountain range. It belongs to a larger range called the Sierra Central. This is a photo of the highest peak in the range and it is called El Pico de Almazor, 8604 ft.

This is Bribon. He is a Pure Spanish Horse. The Spanish horse is known and respected throughout the world for their beauty, strength and agility. Bribon is from a very elegant breed and learns difficult moves very quickly.

Stanley leaves the countryside and heads to the great city of Madrid.  Here he visits the Piruli or Tower of Communications televisión tower. The national television channels are broadcast from here. It was built in 1982 for the FIFA World Cup.

There are 1208 steps to the top!  Oh my!              

El Edificio Metrópolis is an office building in Madrid at the corner of Calle Alcala and Gran Via. It was built in 1911.  Stanley views the wonderful street scene from the front seat of the car.

La Gran Via, (the Great Way) is an upscale shopping street. It is one of the most important shopping areas with many hotels and theatres. It is a showcase for modern architecture. It just celebrated 100 years.

After walking all over the city of Madrid- we stopped at the only KFC in town.

Homesick!

At the en dog Gran Via is the Plaza de España.

It is a large square that features a monument to Miguel Cervantes. It is bordered by the Palacio Real. It is a tourist destination and normally holds street markets with handcrafted things.

These bronze statues represent Don Quijote and Sancho Panza, the most noteable Spanish adventurers in Spanish literature. Right behind them is the monument to Miguel Cervantes featured in the next photo.

In the center of Plaza de España is the Miguel Cervantes Monument. Cervantes was the author of “Don Quijote”. The monument was erected in 1915 on the 300th year anniversary of the Quijote publication. 

Construction began in1738 on the Palacio Real and its gardens. Previously, that area was the countryside where the royalty hunted, strolled, and rode on horseback. Now it is in the center of Madrid.

The Palacio Real is the official residence of the King of Spain but is now used only for State Ceremonies.

The building benind Stanley with the green roof is Torre de Colon (the Columbus Towers). The strange thing about them is that they began the construction at roof level. They made two enormous concrete pillars and an upper platform and then began to work their way down to the ground.

The Plaza de Castilla is in the northern part of Madrid. It is a place where there is a lot of movement, as it is a place where the subways, city buses all meet. It is the second largest in Madrid.

The obelisk of Calatrava (the golden pole) was a gift from one of the banks. The Kio Towers can be seen all over Madrid and they have a 15% inclination.

In the distance you can see the Cuatro Torres Buisness Center. It was just recently built.

The Atocha Train Station is the largest in Spain. It was built in 1851 and accomodates the commuter trains and the high speed trains, (AVE)  Atocha station Memorial was built in June 2004 after the 11-M terrorist train bombing in which 191 people were killed. It is a subterranean shrine with thousands of messages of condolence inscribed on its interior wall.

Well, I’m off on another adventure!

Me despido de mis amigos espanoles con un fuerte abrazo.  CON DOS GOTAS DE SANGRE Y UN RAYO DE SOL,DIOS HIZO UNA BANDERA Y SE LA DIO A UN ESPAÑOL

Your friend, Stanley

Kwajalein, Marshall Islands

                                              So just where is Kwajalein?

From North M

From North Manchester, Indiana USA,

the island of Kwajalein is on the other side of the International Dateline!  It is just 700 miles north of the equator, keeping the temperature at 85 degrees year round.

Arriving there puts Stanley a day ahead and 7 hours behind.

is on the other side of the International Dateline!  It is just 700 miles north of                       

What's an ATOLL?

An atoll is a group of coral islands enclosing a lagoon. Situated in the Kwajalein atoll are approximately 100 small islands. Kwajalein is the name of the atoll and also one of the islands in that atoll.

Kwajalein Island, where Stanley is, is the largest island in the atoll, but still only 3/4 of a mile wide and 3.5 miles long. It is a US Army installation and approximately 1,600 people live on island. Occupations include military personnel, military support contractors, educators, and island safety and security.

What a wonderful beach!  Since Kwaj is a small island, one can see water from just about anywhere on the island.  The Pacific Ocean is on one shore and the lagoon on the other.  The round looking building is new for the island.  It is one of many married housing units.
The American flag being hoisted next to the flag of the Marshall Islands.
Radar domes are a common sight on island.

Manchester photos

Stanley had a wonderful time in North Manchester. He was here in the winter months, so outdoor snow activities, snug family room story time, barnyard chores and following the high school girl's basketball team on the bus were part of his stay here.

Let's begin Stanley's story with an introduction of his home town.

The area of the midwestern United States known today as North Manchester, Indiana, began as home to the Potawatomi Indian tribe when they settled near the Kenapocomoco River in 1750. The first Caucasian child was born in the same area in 1837.

The town now has a population of approximately 6,000 residents within a 3 square mile area.

North Manchester has been named "Small Town USA" by ABC's Good Morning America. It offers a victorian village appearance filled with historic homes and quaint shops. North Manchester is also home to nationally recognized Manchester College and is the birthplace of US Vice President Thomas Marshall. People living here enjoy a superior public school system, two excellent retirement facilities, a symphony orchestra and churches of varied religions.

Flat Stanley MHS

WELCOME! We are the Art Club of Manchester High School located in North Manchester, Indiana USA. We want to invite you to share with us the adventures of our Flat Stanley as he travels the globe making new friends and experiencing different cultures.