On the Mississippi - at last!

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Popeye the sailor in his hometown Chester (on the Mississippi)
Not a lot ferry's are working during the winter time - but this one was, so we hopped on.

Meet me in St. Louis

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One of the things on my bucket list was to see the masterwork of Eero Saarinen: The Gateway Arch in St. Louis. It was much much better then I had hoped for. It is truly monumental. All the best icons in the world are a "simple" shape - be it a obelisk, pyramid or even the Eiffel Tower. No wonder Saarinen choose to use a simple shape as well - but added some genius touches. The height is exactly the width and the structure is twisted and clad with stainless steel. That makes that the Arch is always different - no matter what the weather is like or what angle you look at it. The ride to the top in a "bubble" tram is an adventure on its own. The the view breathtaking.

Roadtrip part II

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Mark Twains' town - Hannibal on the Mississippi

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It was really fun to wander around in Mark Twain (Sam Clemens) old home town. The houses where he, Huck and Becky lived in are all there and you can really feel the atmosphere of his famous (autobiographical) books coming alive. I reread The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn while being in Hannibal and was actually surprised how good and funny this book actually is. I vaguely remember old movies about Sam and Huck and when home I have to try to find those too.

Lemme see him, Huck. My, he's pretty stiff.... ;-)

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 Norman Rockwell - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...

Michel Bras in St. Louis

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We had dinner at restaurant Niche where chef Gerard Craft created a very interesting tasting menu for us with a mashed potatoes dish that seem to come right out of Michel Bras' Kitchen way back in Lagiuole. And sure when I asked Gerard about it - it was this what he intended to make :-) - and he succeeded. According to Eddie it was even better because of the consistency....

Other treasures at the Mississippi

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Real Dutch windmill at the border of the Mississippi at Fulton

Inside the Wells Fargo Bank in Davenport

The first Mormon "Temple" in Nauvoo - we were not allowed in...

John Woods; Mansion in Quincy

Galena - US Grant hometown

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US Grant was the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877) and lived in Galena, a town that became wealthy because of the (lead rush mid 19th century) It was at its time the biggest city of Illinois and still has a nice authentic look and feel.

And down south we go...

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Lot's of bald Eagles along the river - hunting for fish - awesome view!

Pikes Peak

Me and Mark Twain discussing literature

Stcckholm och Amsterdam ligger bara 10 mil från varandra

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66 invånare?


Some stuff along the river

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White Eagle eating a rat at the American Eagle Center

Along the River Mississppi

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