Photo: Nuremberg Christmas market. Dec. 2011
Dec 252011
Dec 242011
Photo: Baltic sea, Warnemuende, Germany. Nov 2011
Gray November along Germany’s Baltic coast. Probably not the best time to go for a swim, but there’s still a few interesting things around.
Photo: Coastal forest, Warnemuende, Germany. Nov 2011
Photo: Bouldering, Frankenjura, Germany. Nov 2011.
…Continuing from yesterdays bouldering pics. Here’s fotos from day two. We found a cool looking boulder, that while not especially difficult (though conditions were crap), made for some good photos I think. Again, I used an off-camera flash most of the time, which on a few pics almost makes it look like a nice sunny day instead of cold and misty.
In the final days of November I found myself back in the old familiar landscape of the Fränkische Schweiz. Once my back yard, the rock towers, lonely valleys, high cherry orchards, and dark forests still remain familiar to me after the passage of the years. The days were short and cold, a heavy gloom coating the land. German Gray I once called it, and I still keep this opinion. Anyone who’s been there would agree that this is an appropriate description. More than just a color, it is a feeling that fills the land in the cold months.
I was lucky to be with a few friends and head out to shoot some bouldering sessions on a couple days. Here’s a few images from the first day, near Pottenstein. Light in the forests was pretty much non-existent, so I had to use my SB-800 as an off camera flash to add a little light to the scenes.
Dec 072011
Photo: Northern lights over Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct 8, 2011
It’s been quite a bit of time since my last post. I’ve been on the road for the last 2.5 months in northern and eastern Europe. I really tried to get some blogging done, but every time I pulled out the crappy little netbook that I had, I felt more like throwing it in the ocean than trying to get any work done.
The trip started with 2 weeks on the Lofoten islands, with a spectacular display of the northern lights on my final night. I next spent 25 hours on 3 train to reach Stockholm. Then I took the overnight ferry along with hoards of drunk Finns to Helsinki and immediately took another ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. I had meant to travel through the Baltics about 5 years ago, so this part of the trip was long overdue. I spent 2 weeks heading south via Riga, Klaipeda, and Vilnius before an epic bus ride to far south east of Poland. In Poland I hiked around the Biesczszady and high Tatra mountains, taking advantage of an unusually warm and dry autumn in Europe this year. After Poland was a journey through the Czech Republic, visiting some old favorite cities of Olomouc and Cesky Krumlov. Finally it was another 2 weeks in Germany visiting old friends and a bit of bouldering.
I’m in and around Wales for the next couple months. Will make a journey out the the Western Isles for the new year again and maybe another journey in late Jan out to Orkney. I’m also working on possible plans for a Lofoten trip in Feb.
The blog should more or less be back to normal now (not that many people read it anyhow) and I’ve lots of photos and stories to post from the last couple months.
Photo: Main square, Tallinn, Estonia
Photo: High Tatra mountains, Poland
Photo: Bouldering, Frankenjura, Germany
Jun 042011
What do you get when you cross a historic German city, a river, punt boats, some creative costumes, a bit of friendly competition, and lots of (somewhat drunk) Germans? The Tübinger Stocherkahnrennen – The Tuebingen punt boat race. The race draws thousands of spectators who fill the city to the brim. Lining walls, bridges and riverbanks all to watch the race, and chaos of the day. Once things are over, it’s time to head towards a river side biergarten for some afternoon shade and some yummy käsespätzle
For 2011, the race occurs on Thursday, June 23. Events start at 12:00 noon.
I advise arriving a bit early to try and get a good position. Eberhardsbrücke is a good place to watch from and is the center of most of the action as the boats try to circle the bridge.
Location:
Tübingen is located in the center of Baden-Württemberg, on the banks of the Neckar river. Numerous trains run daily from Stuttgart (45 min – 1hr), Reutlingen, Munich, Freiburg, and other larger cities. By car, Tübingen is about 45 minutes south of Stuttgart.
My images are from when I was there in 2008.
Photo: Fires of the Ewige Anbetung light festival above Pottenstein, Franconia, Germany. Jan 6, 2009
As the light of a cold January day fades into night a thousand fires are lit, illuminating the hillsides surrounding the town of Pottenstein. The fires are part of the Catholic celebration of the Ewige Anbetung (Eternal Adoration) which occurs in Pottenstein on the 6th of January every year. The light and fire festival attracts thousands of visitors who line the hillsides and fill the streets, braving the cold and watching a display that can only described as spectacular. To see the Lichterfest in person would be a memorable moment of any winter holiday in Germany.
Photo: Burg Pottenstein and fires of Ewige Anbetung Lichterfest, Pottenstein, Franconia, Germany. Jan 6, 2009
When:
Thursday, January 6th 2011
The festival begins around 5pm as the sky gets dark. Be sure to arrive early to find parking. The fires will burn for a couple hours into the night.
Where:
Pottenstein is located in wonderful countryside of the Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz) region of Upper Franconia (Oberfranken), Northern Bavaria. By car, Pottenstein is approximately 1 hour north of Nuremberg or 30 minutes south of Bayreuth; 10 km west from the A9 autobahn. Postcode 91278.
There are also several other light festivals of the Ewige Anbetung celebrated elsewhere in the Fränkische Schweiz region in the weeks preceding the festival in Pottenstein. CLICK HERE for more information and dates (in German)
Apr 232009
On my last Sunday in Germany we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take one last tour of the Franconian countryside. First stop was to Walberla and then we made our way to Hohenstein for one last Windbeutel.
Apr 202009
On Tuesday afternoon I’ll be walking onto a plane in Munich and flying 10,000km west, to California. It’s been a constant battle to stay here in Germany (the legal way, that is), but I’ve finally run out of options, for now. The last weeks have been busy while trying to take in as much of Germany as possible before heading home. The days have been so nice lately, seems a bit of a shame to have to leave just now…
Mr. Stork arrived a few weeks back, while the Mrs. showed up a couple days ago.
On Easter Sunday we took a lazy afternoon trip over to the historic city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It’s one of the cooler cities that I’ve been to here, and judging by the hordes of guidebook carrying tourists of all nationalities, I’m not alone in my thinking.
A cool old wall surrounds the town, which after climbing a flight of stairs, one can walk around on and enjoy a rooftop view across the city. Anywhere one looked, cool old towers were rising into the sky. Cobble stone streets and colorful old buildings finished up the mood.
