The oldest and most quaint sections of Bremen is the Schnoor Quarter. A tangled maze of small streets are lined with shops and restaurants. The name Schnoor refers to the workshops where the rigging for ships were made. This neighborhood was one of the poorest and home to the local fishermen. Many of the half timbered buildings date back to 1400 and 1500’s.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame features over 2,700 stars and almost half of them are in the Motion Pictures category. Anyone can nominate someone for the honor, but the honoree (or their agent) must provide a letter of agreement to be considered. Each application also requires a sponsor to pay the $50,000 for the creation and upkeep of their star. The star is also obligated to appear at the star’s unveiling ceremony. Barbra Streisand was the only star that refused, however she did show up years later when hubby, James Brolin was honored.
Over the year’s four stars were stolen. Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas, Jimmy Stewart and Gene Autry all were the victims of star theft. Gene Autry had 4 other stars on the walk, so it wasn’t a big deal. Douglas and Stewart’s stars were recovered from the home of a construction worker who was hired to secure them.
Gregory Peck’s star on the corner of Hollywood and Gower, was stolen in broad daylight. Men wearing orange construction vests cut a perfect square around the star, loaded the 300lb slab onto a truck and never were heard from again. The star has never been recovered.
The Hollywood Property Owners Alliance is responsible for the upkeep but today many stars in poor condition. The pink terrazzo and brass stars are sometimes cared for by the celebrities fans. You would think that the 20 stars issued ever year at $50,000 each, there would be plenty of money to keep Aerosmith’s star in good condition.
You don’t even need to be a real person to get your star on The Walk Of Fame. Mickey and Minnie Mouse have their own stars, so do Godzilla, Alvin and The Chipmunks and Shrek. Animal actors including Rin Tin Tin and Lassie have been honored with stars.
For more information check out this official website.
While walking along Fleet Street, just past Wildly & Sons bookshop, keep an eye out for small stone arch. Just above the arch is an elaborate Jacobean Townhouse. This is the portal to “Temple”, once the stronghold of The Knights Templar.
Famously known as a Medieval order, The Knights Templar, are integral figures in The Crusades. The knights protected pilgrims along the dangerous route to Jerusalem. They became incredibly wealthy by running a sort of bank for the pilgrims. Before setting out on their journey, a pilgrim would give the knights all of their money in exchange for a promissory note to be redeemed in Jerusalem.
Fans of The Da-Vinci Code will remember the puzzling “In London lies a knight a Pope interred. His labour’s fruit a Holy wrath incurred. You seek the orb that out be on his tomb. It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb.“
Tom Hanks character, Robert Langdon finds himself at Temple Church to find it’s answer.
Should you be on your own Grail Quest check out the Temple’s website for information on how to visit.
Where can you find the perfect mix of Halloween and Christmas? Look no further than Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. The old New Orleans Square attraction gets a holiday overlay beginning in September and running through the Holidays.
Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is trying his hand at Christmas decorating. Jack O Lanterns with Santa hats, Wreaths with skulls and spider webs and Scarecrows impersonating the man in the red suit appear on the grounds of the deserted mansion.
Inside, the townspeople from Halloweentown are busy at work getting ready for Jack’s big holiday mash-up.
Do you like to go around and round? Getting dizzy in Disneyland is the perfect pastime. Especially after dark.
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Los Angeles is great way to get an up close at movie making from one of Hollywood’s legendary studios. It was Warner Bros. that released the first talkie, “The Jazz Singer” back in 1927. Since then, “Casablanca”, “The Music Man”, “Friends” and “ER” have all worn the Warner Bros. label.
Casablanca was filmed almost entirely on the backlots of Hollywood. The famous flashback scene of Bogie and Bergman looking out the window above Cafe Pierre lives on as the last standing set from the film.
Batman, my favorite super-hero has a strong presences on the lot. The facade for Police Headquarters in the 1960’s Adam West of Batman stands. There was only one shot of the facade taken and re-used for multiple episodes as the caped crusaders ran to Commisioner Gordon’s office.
The Batman garage features vehicles that span the history of the Batman franchise. Keep an eye out for Jared Leto’s Joker mobile, Christian Bale’s Tumbler, Batmobile’s from Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton’s portrayal of the Dark Knight.
Jason Momoa’s “Aquaman” is also featured on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. You can sit on the Throne of Atlantis and hold Aquaman’s trident.
You can also see original costumes worn by Gal Gadot and Chris Pine in “Wonder Woman”
The four-star Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd is one of the area’s most haunted hotels. It seems that some guests just refuse to leave. One such guest was the legendary, Marilyn Monroe.
The Roosevelt Hotel is named for President Teddy Roosevelt and was financed by Hollywood elite, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B Mayer of MGM. Among the Hotels’ guests were Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and Montgomery Clift (who still paces the halls of the 9th floor.)
Among the treasures of the Roosevelt is a particular mirror that used to be in Suite 1200 during the time that her modelling career was flourishing. Some believe that she comes back to the spot where she spent some of her happiest days. In the 80’s after a lengthy renovation, a mirror from the suite was relocated to an alcove off of the main lobby near the elevators.
One day as an employee was dusting the mirror, she noticed the reflection of a pretty blond woman. She turned around to say hello, but there was no one there. But, when she turned back to face the mirror, the woman was still there.
Marilyn is not the only spirit that haunts the halls of the Roosevelt Hotel. A ghostly apparition manifests on security cameras in the hotel pool. When security goes to investigate, there is no one there, yet the camera shows the swimmer standing next to the security guards.
Caroline is a five year old girl that likes to skip around the lobby singing and 2 gentlemen haunt The Blossom Room. One is seen wearing a tux, the other is heard playing the piano. Guests have been locked out of their rooms, the switchboard receives calls from empty rooms and yes, Montgomery Clift is heard practicing the trumpet he played in “From Here To Eternity” outside room 928.
The Roosevelt Hotel is operational today and, if you dare, you can book a room and discover if it’s haunted for yourself.
Looking for somewhere to spend Eternity? Look no further than the Key West Cemetery. If you’d like to preview your everlasting rest stop, start at the entrance at Passover Lane and Angela St. and pick up a free map at the office.
The cemetery was built in 1847 after the original cemetery was washed away in a hurricane a year earlier. Bodies were discharged from the sandy graves and drifted down the street. Some reported that even after the waters subsided, there were bodies stuck in trees around the city. To prevent the horrors of the flood, the new cemetery was built on the highest ground in Key West. Some of the new gravesites are above ground like in New Orleans.
Walking around the cemetery gives you the impression that this is it’s own little city. Populated by the dead, chickens and iguanas.
Here lie the graves of Key West’s famous residents. See if you can find “Sloppy Joe” Russell, Hemingway’s fishing guide and famous bartender. Popular epitaphs located around the grounds showcase the eccentricities of the Key West population.
If you “Remember the Maine” stop near the entrance where there is a fenced in area that contains the remains, known and unknown of many of the 260 sailors killed in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. An explosion occurred by accident and not a Spanish mine, as was originally thought. William Randolph Hearst and other newspapers shouted ‘Remember the Maine!’ and was the beginning of US involvement in the Spanish-American War.
Visit the grave of Norm Taylor aka Captain Outrageous. He legally changed his name to run as mayor of Key West. Visitors to the gravesite often leave offerings of Mardi Gras beads to let him know that he is remembered.
A giant Florida Conch marks the grave of Sir Peter Anderson, Secretary General of The Conch Republic. Sir Peter was one of those colorful people that made Duval Street so much fun.
As you wander among the graves and enjoy the sun bleached marble headstones, look carefully and pick out your future spot.
The Friends of Key West Cemetery website has information on the famous and infamous buried here. Check it out below…
http://www.friendsofthekeywestcemetery.com/
A memorial to Captain Outrageous can be found here…
Francisco Marrero, a cigar maker from Cuba, built a beautiful home at 410 Fleming Street, Key West. He hoped that it would to lure his love, the beautiful Enriquetta to join him on the island. They lived happily married for many years having 8 children together. Unfortunately, Francisco had already been married in his home country. After his death, his first wife found out about the second marriage and the mansion in Key West. Six months later, she arrived on the island with her lawyers and Enriquetta was evicted from the mansion with her children. Standing on the street as she was thrown out she cried “Esta es mi casa para siempre y nunca me voy a ir” “I will always remain in spirit.” The first wife, Maria Ignacia Garcia de Marrero sold off the house and all its contents and returned to her home in Cuba. Within a few years of being tossed out on the street, Enriquetta and all 8 children died of Tuberculosis or diphtheria.
I stayed at the Guest House with a small group of friends, we had asked specifically for haunted rooms. I was in Room 18, Enriquetta’s old room and my friends were in the front room that had been the children’s nursery. A doorway between the two rooms had been plastered over and a large Armoire stood on my side of the wall. When I first entered the room, I noticed a strong smell of a very flowery perfume. The basket of potpourri on the dresser was old and had no scent left. I took this as a sign that I was welcome in her home.
My friends decided to hit the pool upon checking in and went to my room for a nap. It’s a long drive from Orlando to the Keys. The bed was comfortable and I fell asleep with no problem. When I awoke a short time later, the armoire at the end of the bed was standing wide open. It had been locked shut when I entered the room. Upon further inspection, I was locked in my room. The privacy lock wouldn’t open and the host was unable to unlock it from the outside. He ended up crawling across the small roof form the next room and climbing through the window. After forcing the door open I was able to join my friends downstairs on the porch.
We met the housekeeper who informed us that we had just missed a television crew. They had been filming a haunted travel documentary and Enriquetta was not happy about it. She told us that when Enriquetta is upset, she likes to walk through her. This feels like a freezing cold spasm through her body that only lasts a moment. The housekeeper had a special relationship with Enriquetta and was very careful to try and keep her happy at all costs.
On my last night in the room, after hearing the sound of empty bottles being dumped from a nearby bar, I drowsily looked up to see a figure standing in the window. I can only imagine that it was Enriquetta. The clattering bottles pouring into the dumpster had disturbed her and from the scowl on her face, she was pissed. I was still too sleepy to comprehend what I was seeing, but it didn’t strike me as odd at the time, that the woman in the room was only visible from the waist up. Even more so, when she dissolved into the early morning, I simply rolled over and went back to sleep.
Enriquetta’s spirit can be gentle and playful. Sometimes, playing pranks on her guests or softly brushing up against them. The sound of her children crying was also reported during our stay. I can safely say that, Marrero’s is HAUNTED. Check out these links for reservations and more of Enriquetta’s story.
https://southernmostghosts.com/most-haunted-places-in-key-west-5-marreros-guest-mansion/
Travels With Ackbar 