tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23364216486652330282024-03-05T06:29:28.044+01:00a man with a pentaxIt's all about traveling and photographs (and Stuttgart).Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-70676598949795802352022-08-12T15:08:00.001+02:002022-08-12T15:08:20.869+02:00SBB RAe II TEE 'Gottardo'The legendary SBB RAe II Gotthardo made recently a tour from Olten to the Swiss 'Seeland' between Biel/Bienne, Murten and Neuchatel. Some impressions:<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI-6TkNy7Gtf0VrnqI25KJ8oAoXcHhac8UwjCT6OSmeUG-HYygWQ9fbhwbscW6SajLTLhcmwaDu_gsabo5hQ2EJiVv7DDwIp9NQ3qZ07oB_WM5fSbhWqE59P9WSw4ygkt48h_QyyI-Mg/s1600/1660309696420894-0.png" width="400">
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</div>in Kerzers</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>at the Lake of Biel.</div><div><br></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-20635949131023334102016-11-03T00:05:00.000+01:002016-11-03T00:05:23.715+01:00Trees in the cloudsDuring the last days we had a quite typical weather situation for fall in southwest Germany and Switzerland: stable high-pressure weather which results often in dense fog in the valleys and sun on the mountains. I had last weekend the opportunity to visit the area of Emmental in Switzerland, the hills there were just high enough to be above the clouds (fog) while some lower hills were still partly covered with fog and clouds. A chance to take some nice pictures with mystic “trees in the clouds”.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9OQe8TY93KXtUZsFJB22CfUAyJm3xBejzJTNN7UKowVqQYgkyhAeSU3YL0Is07fxPJH5jC51wa5unnDhDpqqJrTAtXxsrakOGa8QDQJeC8hyeU39KTdVzv59XuBbaswQH2waXJc-JAg/s1600/Trees-in-the-clouds-I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9OQe8TY93KXtUZsFJB22CfUAyJm3xBejzJTNN7UKowVqQYgkyhAeSU3YL0Is07fxPJH5jC51wa5unnDhDpqqJrTAtXxsrakOGa8QDQJeC8hyeU39KTdVzv59XuBbaswQH2waXJc-JAg/s400/Trees-in-the-clouds-I.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trees in the clouds I</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trees in the clouds II</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trees in the clouds III</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trees in the clouds IV</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trees in the clouds V</span></td></tr>
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Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-6100730964325043262014-09-11T23:58:00.003+02:002014-09-11T23:59:16.794+02:00Urach Waterfall45 minutes away from Stuttgart by car is the Urach Waterfall. Urach is a little city at the northwestern drop of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_Jura">Swabian Jura (German: Schwäbische Alb)</a>, a mountain range build out of different limestone formations from the Jurasic period. The Schwäbische Alb is actually a high plateau that drops to the northwest about 400 meters, little rivers cut narrow valleys, sometimes canyon-like into the rocks. Some of the rocks and hills are crowned with castles or ruins of castles. One of them is the Urach castle overlooking Urach. Urach itself has a nice historic city center, but maybe the greatest attraction is the nearby Urach Waterfall. The waterfall can be reached from different parking spots in about 40 minutes to one hour by foot. The Urach Waterfall is one of the highest Waterfalls in Germany outside the Alps. It has a vertical drop of about 37 meters.<br />
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This waterfall has something unusual – while other waterfalls cut into the rocks and over time their step is moving backwards – this waterfall lets the rock it flows over grow over the years. The waterfall is feed by a nearby karst spring. The spring water is saturated with calcium hydrogen carbonate (carbon dioxide solved calcium carbonate in the underground), when the water gets in touch with the atmosphere calcium carbonate precipitates and tufa rock is created, actually a real plateau was created over the ages. Fern and Moss growing around the waterfall is covered by tufa. And even where the waterfall leaves the rock the tufa from the water is creating a overhanging chute, which breaks down from time to time if gets to heavy.<br />
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Enough introducton, now some pictures:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water flows over the overhanging chute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterfall's spray</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu1SesnKMFyNQHlMnVO_8l16O_8zpQEZzbfgx_WBuSsj4XV9_C4hN7yymYpDrDieigprvPV0M3hTprLO05LGtjQkbEjH8fOvzv_Q5Buj5yhj-OPddTZYGdyhlaehshHsuuJgJGfQhm4M/s1600/Urach-Waterfall-below.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu1SesnKMFyNQHlMnVO_8l16O_8zpQEZzbfgx_WBuSsj4XV9_C4hN7yymYpDrDieigprvPV0M3hTprLO05LGtjQkbEjH8fOvzv_Q5Buj5yhj-OPddTZYGdyhlaehshHsuuJgJGfQhm4M/s1600/Urach-Waterfall-below.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Urach Waterfall from below, after 37 meters of vertical drop, drops another 50 meters over several cascades.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The surrounding forrest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching from the southeast through a little canyon</td></tr>
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<br />Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-35025588283885241732012-01-23T23:08:00.003+01:002012-01-23T23:18:49.408+01:00SeoulLast December I spent a few days in South Korea for business - mostly in Seoul. Our agenda was quite full, we visited every day several companies. Typically we were picked up at 8:30 am at the hotel and often we didn’t get back before 8 pm or we had even a business dinner at the evening. That left not much time for sight seeing and taking pictures. At least at the days of arrival and departure I managed to visit some of the palaces. <br />
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I stayed at the Westin Chosun Hotel which is located in the vicinity of the town hall and the major department stores.<br />
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<b>Gyeongbokgung Palace</b><br />
The Gyeongbokgung Palace (‘Palace of Shining Happiness’) is a royal palace located in northern Seoul. It is in a walking distance from the city hall. One could describe it better as a palace city than just a palace. First constructed in 1394 was it the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty in Seoul. The palace was once nearly destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), and then reconstructed in 1867 to form a complex of 330 buildings and 5792 rooms. It was then destroyed again during the Japanese occupation of Korea after 1911, more demolition was happening to the palace city during the Korean War.<br />
More information about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongbokgung">Gyeongbokgung Palace at Wikipedia</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Change of the guards at Gwanghwamun gate, the southern entrance to the palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The western front of the Geunjeongjeon (Throne Hall)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyangwonjeong Pavilion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Hyangwonjeong Pavilion built in the late 19th century. Today the bridge leads from the south to the island. The original bridge was connecting the island from the north, it was destroyed during the Korean War.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubM8rbqVKnM8N2svbM2dCNdev61evfVs6wz04SRcXmv2Ax5iqlOEQDdnCTBZlLg9HxO7wJclhv69zMNz-6BzrvWOSgB1gpV5RA_1YbX3EPUbr47kumU5D834UoA8CExM0ryGL4NfUwTU/s1600/IMGP0534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubM8rbqVKnM8N2svbM2dCNdev61evfVs6wz04SRcXmv2Ax5iqlOEQDdnCTBZlLg9HxO7wJclhv69zMNz-6BzrvWOSgB1gpV5RA_1YbX3EPUbr47kumU5D834UoA8CExM0ryGL4NfUwTU/s400/IMGP0534.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyeonghoeru Pavilion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, is a hall that was used to hold important and special state banquets during the Joseon Dynasty. The present building was constructed in 1867. The first Gyeonghoeru was built during the early 15th century, but it was burned down during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT2puDQwrzBPhC_goXTBt8FeamSNyGgp_FNtAqZhPT-9-R_-4aBC5NA1id-tzFl-Y8HQ53w3kWyNzHZQRMkSxMJsTgnp3k7l0flIzfbh5-m5zHVqB9NLGwWbJWcac4kn-rcgvUbEHBHc/s1600/IMGP0532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT2puDQwrzBPhC_goXTBt8FeamSNyGgp_FNtAqZhPT-9-R_-4aBC5NA1id-tzFl-Y8HQ53w3kWyNzHZQRMkSxMJsTgnp3k7l0flIzfbh5-m5zHVqB9NLGwWbJWcac4kn-rcgvUbEHBHc/s400/IMGP0532.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern and historic Korea sets a nice contrast.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<b>Changdeokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace</b><br />
Changdeokgung (‘Palace of Prospering Virtue’) is located in the north-eastern part of Seoul. Again this is rather a palace city, it was also heavily destroyed during the Japanese occupation. In 1997 Changdeokgung became a UNESCO World Heritage.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcS9mf6UYQ_OiZErOY1stLqeBEV22kcFGA4zEeaUxQqPytqqbPxo22u3lY6Zcol23Z6iCo2YxTS88wgkMRJHuT7qyWyAraGN6E_fY6OZDQRnCJkbXMpvGD1i0grt5PpUq8wyYH6umxs4/s1600/IMGP0797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcS9mf6UYQ_OiZErOY1stLqeBEV22kcFGA4zEeaUxQqPytqqbPxo22u3lY6Zcol23Z6iCo2YxTS88wgkMRJHuT7qyWyAraGN6E_fY6OZDQRnCJkbXMpvGD1i0grt5PpUq8wyYH6umxs4/s400/IMGP0797.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main gate</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEk7VjvrqI40vMsIpsyzpYZyPu1uZf75glLKU2KqnRLgDa0pQ8Lzrhsq_V5vlAX9zmjvWHDCaqUWyeNHPyxOeeika0XZpRuA2nGHHxMOl094YLOxZgwfQVrOzKaAa4EFWhorlJ0ZhE3xQ/s1600/Detail-Pagode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEk7VjvrqI40vMsIpsyzpYZyPu1uZf75glLKU2KqnRLgDa0pQ8Lzrhsq_V5vlAX9zmjvWHDCaqUWyeNHPyxOeeika0XZpRuA2nGHHxMOl094YLOxZgwfQVrOzKaAa4EFWhorlJ0ZhE3xQ/s400/Detail-Pagode.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pagoda detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDQkXXtmSqW1CiAuzgQjAmeEM496Ewq_4pXc8Aj2DVNUZ6dEa60M9Q-gyaRHn716g8UVTP5bnYCd5amBzU3BvGShYY2RKh-GgcmZ3UxtY3sqme8QAWTByJ5lVxVypBP5xOkY0MgQ0-XU/s1600/IMGP0747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDQkXXtmSqW1CiAuzgQjAmeEM496Ewq_4pXc8Aj2DVNUZ6dEa60M9Q-gyaRHn716g8UVTP5bnYCd5amBzU3BvGShYY2RKh-GgcmZ3UxtY3sqme8QAWTByJ5lVxVypBP5xOkY0MgQ0-XU/s400/IMGP0747.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towards the Injeongjeon Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAKhXv61VDx1ZN0cZfb2tITJfD4_iM9cj7ikxvcpXYkN3fuzHk-qt9zE5hxYdmbSGfWo6eFl3wZ3gy9OxRwnt27iEMa5hUzo5JcV8EEdxhzLg9FevX2CSt8Gaj0xPxCATw6-R62ocjyI/s1600/IMGP0784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAKhXv61VDx1ZN0cZfb2tITJfD4_iM9cj7ikxvcpXYkN3fuzHk-qt9zE5hxYdmbSGfWo6eFl3wZ3gy9OxRwnt27iEMa5hUzo5JcV8EEdxhzLg9FevX2CSt8Gaj0xPxCATw6-R62ocjyI/s400/IMGP0784.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nakseonjae</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>More impressions from Seoul</b><br />
Some evening left the chance to discover the neighborhood and also the company visits gave the opportunity for some photographic expressions.<b> </b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEJFR4SmpUe0Au7lgz08mlZ8W5qvUbNNLbSwpDh2UR-hkr8w72LvWH8tAz51pDUCf_ASAt90s_qxmzLOymOjjSJGF1qMt0lWB1hjak-m9_PjGMrjyliweOYhyosw81iJIAbrXlgRlP1Q/s1600/IMGP0680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEJFR4SmpUe0Au7lgz08mlZ8W5qvUbNNLbSwpDh2UR-hkr8w72LvWH8tAz51pDUCf_ASAt90s_qxmzLOymOjjSJGF1qMt0lWB1hjak-m9_PjGMrjyliweOYhyosw81iJIAbrXlgRlP1Q/s1600/IMGP0680.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myeong-dong is a busy modern shopping district…</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGOF3i74yWg0lDnmamBV_laM51HU0BrsY6mzxKyb2uUd-1gPWQCNMC7MHb8FfgLGi13SC1Ac_ai08VIqMqcbnIzJRqINvbp6FEwEYuaKUFST1Jjlyo6e8b9TSA8cdbILh9GglGjEA6Ic/s1600/IMGP0685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGOF3i74yWg0lDnmamBV_laM51HU0BrsY6mzxKyb2uUd-1gPWQCNMC7MHb8FfgLGi13SC1Ac_ai08VIqMqcbnIzJRqINvbp6FEwEYuaKUFST1Jjlyo6e8b9TSA8cdbILh9GglGjEA6Ic/s400/IMGP0685.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…but traditional snacks are cooked freshly on the streets</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOCOT2PTKbctadj6wxosTex4mbeXxxo8bZAYtfCaof4yOkFre17njgaRK4s-piSbSH1-ieSSAxsMgOlOfvb8bxZ8asimTyxtEqJ3PMXxy_DmVMAPSd7kdwrHS39EQTZdXU2ItxQ97dZM/s1600/IMGP0593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOCOT2PTKbctadj6wxosTex4mbeXxxo8bZAYtfCaof4yOkFre17njgaRK4s-piSbSH1-ieSSAxsMgOlOfvb8bxZ8asimTyxtEqJ3PMXxy_DmVMAPSd7kdwrHS39EQTZdXU2ItxQ97dZM/s400/IMGP0593.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on the Han River from the LG twin towers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9tFuht_34ovKDfJJtg8UMyMi_kCWS-0DnY0-2Ob9ZvhIaAoZb8LQhgzKFqvpMpTQD-AGqEJ6iPrTd42t8S0piPlDiHIc_zEZMqfPMIHZ2qEf5NUFah28VBkF-jkHmb-nIDrlszRWnlg/s1600/IMGP0640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9tFuht_34ovKDfJJtg8UMyMi_kCWS-0DnY0-2Ob9ZvhIaAoZb8LQhgzKFqvpMpTQD-AGqEJ6iPrTd42t8S0piPlDiHIc_zEZMqfPMIHZ2qEf5NUFah28VBkF-jkHmb-nIDrlszRWnlg/s400/IMGP0640.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The technology Seoul: Samsung show room ‘d’light’ </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Other places I visited and I would recommend to visit when staying in a down town hotel are:<br />
Namdaemun Market – a rather traditional market with lots of little stands and shops. In the evening cook shops are dominating.<br />
Insa-dong – a street with an interesting mixture of galleries, boutiques and souvenir shops.<br />
<br />
This pictures were taken with the wide-angle (12-24 mm), the standard zoom (18-55 mm) and the tele zoom (70-300 mm). Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-61183011571436010022012-01-17T00:57:00.000+01:002012-01-17T00:57:56.381+01:00Door knockers of Mdina, MaltaDuring a walk through the historic center of Mdina which was the old capital of Malta during the medieval ages I caught a variety of door knockers. The door knockers are iron, bronze or brass and accentuated on the colored wooden doors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1p3TT_dtnePqPFmsora4RbQ4yrR4nYisMtjPWtllCKk58G1stkqCWX7vVrH17-sXwqvZ_JRZxiTmuHDQQWaXEnHHbsLOJxMTnS3NUGWSwZFwPbehoR-hJv5j4auQqn5JTAaMowug7po/s1600/door-knocker-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1p3TT_dtnePqPFmsora4RbQ4yrR4nYisMtjPWtllCKk58G1stkqCWX7vVrH17-sXwqvZ_JRZxiTmuHDQQWaXEnHHbsLOJxMTnS3NUGWSwZFwPbehoR-hJv5j4auQqn5JTAaMowug7po/s320/door-knocker-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmE8gaDoXhT3upv8XXnAiRE4S80XY2zIgCQy_oflBRE07wqPg256JuzKr4RtIa5BtiGf0e2dPwqbConSTeHUfsUaQWa3HjIEzmF5hTBU9O4Na_XEhURDa8lAnIr6m1RCAH3EyDupE2W8c/s1600/door-knocker-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmE8gaDoXhT3upv8XXnAiRE4S80XY2zIgCQy_oflBRE07wqPg256JuzKr4RtIa5BtiGf0e2dPwqbConSTeHUfsUaQWa3HjIEzmF5hTBU9O4Na_XEhURDa8lAnIr6m1RCAH3EyDupE2W8c/s320/door-knocker-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUug6Hf7hYKzpBQLQZrri7VjKOVLQD9u8KoogRXHs4teIO9kiTVW0KyMQCaOyVnZkSGvVOY3CdqFJZzyPiZdGsZdRtBnN3_7y2AUyKf0rMi27VjCFUFLi-YnL-fBW9yFXapY03cOVfF-c/s1600/door-knocker-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUug6Hf7hYKzpBQLQZrri7VjKOVLQD9u8KoogRXHs4teIO9kiTVW0KyMQCaOyVnZkSGvVOY3CdqFJZzyPiZdGsZdRtBnN3_7y2AUyKf0rMi27VjCFUFLi-YnL-fBW9yFXapY03cOVfF-c/s320/door-knocker-16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-36469036473966253802012-01-17T00:40:00.005+01:002012-01-17T23:01:53.899+01:00MaltaLast November we spent almost two weeks on the Mediterranean island of Malta. This tiny independent country is located south of Sicily and north of Tunisia and Libya. Malta has an impressive history; different cultures changed the face of the island again and again. The humans of the late Neolithic left huge temples, pottery, mysterious grooves in the rocks and other relicts. The Romans built the cities with catacombs. The Arabs left their language – Maltese is the only Arabian language written with Latin letters - and their architecture. The crusaders and the Maltese order built churches, palaces and fortifications. The Italians brought the cuisine. And the British left driving on the wrong side of the street, more fortification and made the island an important trade place.<br />
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We stayed on the west coast of the main island Malta at a hotel in the Golden Sands Bay. There are not many buildings on the west coast, so it is a quite place, but since the distances are never big busier places are easy to reach. We did some hiking and visits to cities, monuments and other scenic points. I would like to share some of my favorite photos I took during the stay. In the cities and inside buildings I used quite often my wide angle lens Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4. It is not at all easy to take pictures that look natural with the wide angle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPQPU8bPKKLbVVI6xgd7tyD66PkBF_52iUHLCfseq6v8OUQihS8SF1XJV1MShOW4h9kJYGs5j5M3dX3hSCtJ8v0QGRvLiyQajzT0T2TEC90cycp_WCznoQwycADC41VYglbJMr23SKFk/s1600/Bucht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPQPU8bPKKLbVVI6xgd7tyD66PkBF_52iUHLCfseq6v8OUQihS8SF1XJV1MShOW4h9kJYGs5j5M3dX3hSCtJ8v0QGRvLiyQajzT0T2TEC90cycp_WCznoQwycADC41VYglbJMr23SKFk/s400/Bucht.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View down to the Gnejna Bay during a hike starting at our hotel (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwHGaUPmlPjdaul_qHqixU0rMCp5zdhOvcK8Y35cXmbX3XK2bDKHCFo0sB0hjDFFdS_0R6Ao-vQ1QrWO6BK59iDlx2tQJT2jpCzp9pu8vgCvAGMlS7JpwvMCHMhR3Zx5LgTJT5w_ktxo/s1600/Strand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwHGaUPmlPjdaul_qHqixU0rMCp5zdhOvcK8Y35cXmbX3XK2bDKHCFo0sB0hjDFFdS_0R6Ao-vQ1QrWO6BK59iDlx2tQJT2jpCzp9pu8vgCvAGMlS7JpwvMCHMhR3Zx5LgTJT5w_ktxo/s400/Strand.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gnejna Bay with the island of Gozo in the background (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXcP41IZJBvqtlYX5v_tjTYOLNRlyrWsBGPJ6zUEEzv6WmS-jUox0m5p-jxpZ_9J0s7iybXa6OJhLAPhOfkFRo7Mqh9jTVYRRlGFDYz3E63uPuKg8d4UAd8NidoFw0_3hnhXMCPqaSME/s1600/IMGP0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXcP41IZJBvqtlYX5v_tjTYOLNRlyrWsBGPJ6zUEEzv6WmS-jUox0m5p-jxpZ_9J0s7iybXa6OJhLAPhOfkFRo7Mqh9jTVYRRlGFDYz3E63uPuKg8d4UAd8NidoFw0_3hnhXMCPqaSME/s1600/IMGP0031.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dingli Cliffs. A 200 meter vertical drop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ni1JFqUgw7_cOotAjxJ-IMLsGC199s5nx1g0yfzABZN2fC_t3Y5AaMmQIbo-uXCsT-xbkMhJ1oIjiJb9wzcQF43OJhQ4JRlKbZ-ih9cA6ZKM-KHTelWw2zMy17y839Ba6tUBSnuLkUY/s1600/panorama-tempel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ni1JFqUgw7_cOotAjxJ-IMLsGC199s5nx1g0yfzABZN2fC_t3Y5AaMmQIbo-uXCsT-xbkMhJ1oIjiJb9wzcQF43OJhQ4JRlKbZ-ih9cA6ZKM-KHTelWw2zMy17y839Ba6tUBSnuLkUY/s400/panorama-tempel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temples of Mnajdra are today covered by a huge tent (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvZawxvl10FTX50H23ityKnBkfwQNZfYo5Raa0tJO95eGBowSMJYOib5VgqXkNNRSysROAwruGRj5xAQ0VHZaR9EyBFuINWJ3ief_AZTvpLXl8AYhrDED866XT0rzT9rI2K4TLGbYxPQ/s1600/IMGP0047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvZawxvl10FTX50H23ityKnBkfwQNZfYo5Raa0tJO95eGBowSMJYOib5VgqXkNNRSysROAwruGRj5xAQ0VHZaR9EyBFuINWJ3ief_AZTvpLXl8AYhrDED866XT0rzT9rI2K4TLGbYxPQ/s1600/IMGP0047.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cart ruts can be found at many places on the island. It is not clear what the origin of the ruts is</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIzgWcECO28Wg7mtuQxfg7VlI92r55OrGFoms-YWTNoEEHP8q90GtC8R2m4KAfPIFJ-BK6rYE4WQlvErLJ1wReRMgMbDytSekM8kqdezIHS8EAKrmbus894K9gCMqIGJE9VAD6mKLplQ/s1600/IMGP0211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIzgWcECO28Wg7mtuQxfg7VlI92r55OrGFoms-YWTNoEEHP8q90GtC8R2m4KAfPIFJ-BK6rYE4WQlvErLJ1wReRMgMbDytSekM8kqdezIHS8EAKrmbus894K9gCMqIGJE9VAD6mKLplQ/s400/IMGP0211.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical for La Valetta, the islands capital, are the gazebos…</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dbi5kXZel7Y6X9UcVCA4hNWulc7Id_CL4nqS586b2qZA6efsS98yIXWG7u9sGneUwVOadYCjesXBgF786iXGIC4qwdtGL5lsMgnET_zMDwVd2fPhtxb_rhtMVdNAvs7I4i30E_cjkpQ/s1600/IMGP0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dbi5kXZel7Y6X9UcVCA4hNWulc7Id_CL4nqS586b2qZA6efsS98yIXWG7u9sGneUwVOadYCjesXBgF786iXGIC4qwdtGL5lsMgnET_zMDwVd2fPhtxb_rhtMVdNAvs7I4i30E_cjkpQ/s400/IMGP0114.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…painted in all colors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO53LKtFiKv9GvtXiKAUx6CRnTB2E4zis-wO9F76WUpdsUPWLop9fJEGmAE4Au6ykGGhyphenhyphenwp5Vfovj5D5HHxlCS5AXojgYfEGL69BbynoUniE3DUcnc3zbq8bEMiTnq_547k7eZaXwBLM/s1600/IMGP0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO53LKtFiKv9GvtXiKAUx6CRnTB2E4zis-wO9F76WUpdsUPWLop9fJEGmAE4Au6ykGGhyphenhyphenwp5Vfovj5D5HHxlCS5AXojgYfEGL69BbynoUniE3DUcnc3zbq8bEMiTnq_547k7eZaXwBLM/s1600/IMGP0237.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Valetta is built on a rock, streets and stairs go permanently up and down. (Sigma 1:4-5,6 DL 70-300 - 230mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO200)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDQ5xIPkJVYBujZ0fHT-QYrt53zxIIgcLw-cLlFf2DAv5FPKYWnixREaUXVTl_xKt5bh_3Q_C7of1TfbPzvmgCQJvSPnyaI-Iew6TjOql4DUa0X_347nGhEDUfZuwOETlkX3IfsD4RK8/s1600/IMGP0225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDQ5xIPkJVYBujZ0fHT-QYrt53zxIIgcLw-cLlFf2DAv5FPKYWnixREaUXVTl_xKt5bh_3Q_C7of1TfbPzvmgCQJvSPnyaI-Iew6TjOql4DUa0X_347nGhEDUfZuwOETlkX3IfsD4RK8/s400/IMGP0225.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city is narrow, why not using a car to display goods.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS73e4uZ7U8fX1v9NKtf0ju_c3R0bnqL1qvLeQjSyEfgsLFDlyVEmr7DKFkDmfuhgqElbwO8f_171dtCGiX25d22HFZStQ-BgziJKRtWrZMojtBhoobqlxxidq1FtEVV5fqkCPPy6Ron0/s1600/IMGP0269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS73e4uZ7U8fX1v9NKtf0ju_c3R0bnqL1qvLeQjSyEfgsLFDlyVEmr7DKFkDmfuhgqElbwO8f_171dtCGiX25d22HFZStQ-BgziJKRtWrZMojtBhoobqlxxidq1FtEVV5fqkCPPy6Ron0/s400/IMGP0269.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this car is owned by a cat. (Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4 - 19 mm, f/8, 1/15s, ISO200)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UQXvN4-J-WO1kiksP_1RR7f11-hdfQqqAFeg09XwYnsdh8OitWMGg0NUDu6HfwdJnGWKbbzTN-HA3PwQ7DEYp3XUbV-CMmO4AHfkFixh7iEUcXugBJ3o_rGCLJ28j1KAR1D27yiJJqQ/s1600/IMGP0290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UQXvN4-J-WO1kiksP_1RR7f11-hdfQqqAFeg09XwYnsdh8OitWMGg0NUDu6HfwdJnGWKbbzTN-HA3PwQ7DEYp3XUbV-CMmO4AHfkFixh7iEUcXugBJ3o_rGCLJ28j1KAR1D27yiJJqQ/s400/IMGP0290.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The St. John Co-Cathedral looks plain from the outside…</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WctXOS2AFG0eASJALZRRXsApCVnxfyXYWVkYnlpLet1CwLxwBJ8vq0an66WpArmoJ6GWpzdiZyMg2e46XOjNjRVWRBCiwE-l4DKndU_htYqKQVvdW_U0lYgSSJo4MxUnVcUz3n9GqIA/s1600/IMGP0119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WctXOS2AFG0eASJALZRRXsApCVnxfyXYWVkYnlpLet1CwLxwBJ8vq0an66WpArmoJ6GWpzdiZyMg2e46XOjNjRVWRBCiwE-l4DKndU_htYqKQVvdW_U0lYgSSJo4MxUnVcUz3n9GqIA/s400/IMGP0119.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…but is one of the most impressive baroque churches I have ever seen. (Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4 - 12mm, f/4, 1/8s, ISO800, angle slightly corrected)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho22Ibqpv5tZc-7VW3DzbMz4DG_wIORrYeWjtHjHDvEvNe3u_QOa5lIO4kC8oacU1Nu-fBpz7RPaP0oiAOd3qg9jIWUyUOR6g5I5oGheXFDy6VB_mN-bB1-NnqUm_1vBnIeOelvE-AQ5I/s1600/IMGP0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho22Ibqpv5tZc-7VW3DzbMz4DG_wIORrYeWjtHjHDvEvNe3u_QOa5lIO4kC8oacU1Nu-fBpz7RPaP0oiAOd3qg9jIWUyUOR6g5I5oGheXFDy6VB_mN-bB1-NnqUm_1vBnIeOelvE-AQ5I/s1600/IMGP0125.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over and over full with gold and paintings and the complete ground is covered with artful tomb slabs. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XpigiydF5oD68uyrP6YaTeBjFAnyhjjwV8FVxafLoXGd1mKxQFjThGNXNge9MaKe1C2o9cEK4XPp4TUuOgZNQADfYzPaFiD7Anr3PnZZx5uH_pGQYInCOQfGpyQz1DBaSLZ8nYV746U/s1600/IMGP9925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XpigiydF5oD68uyrP6YaTeBjFAnyhjjwV8FVxafLoXGd1mKxQFjThGNXNge9MaKe1C2o9cEK4XPp4TUuOgZNQADfYzPaFiD7Anr3PnZZx5uH_pGQYInCOQfGpyQz1DBaSLZ8nYV746U/s400/IMGP9925.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other Co-Cathedral is St. Paul's in Mdina – the old capital</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
A very interesting detail Mdina offers are the <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2012/01/door-knockers-of-mdina-malta.html">artful door knockers - see the second blog post on Malta</a>.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-39492942545037048222011-01-26T23:30:00.000+01:002014-09-12T00:00:30.489+02:00Rhine FallsI was just reviewing some pictures I took in 2010 and I thought the follwing pictures from the Rhine Falls might be worth to publish. During the fall 2010 I had a business trip to Zurich, on the way back to Stuttgart I stopped at the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen close to the Swiss-German border. I didn't visit this largest European waterfalls since a few years.<br />
<br />
The waters of the 150 meter wide Rhine River fall down about 23 meters. The all year average water flow is about 250 m³/s, the falls are more spectacular usually during the summer months, when the water flow is in average 700 m³/s!<br />
<br />
The falls can be easily visited, signs will lead you from the main streets to the parking lot that is close to the nearby castle. Read more on the Rhine Falls on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Falls">Wikipedia</a> and the <a href="http://www.rheinfall.ch/home?lang=en-US">official page</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa28B5Ba8V-4qNncns1MCy3UVrQyoAWJWWLstSKfHmXW9_9q7lG8R3lr05dry6S7Qv0aIZTviy3lFUwxbdGXshw-rbqYNs9FtmjYFLj4km1Wmlp4spaTVawo4VBH7BRFL1ekv3WUMoPE/s1600/Rhine-Falls.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa28B5Ba8V-4qNncns1MCy3UVrQyoAWJWWLstSKfHmXW9_9q7lG8R3lr05dry6S7Qv0aIZTviy3lFUwxbdGXshw-rbqYNs9FtmjYFLj4km1Wmlp4spaTVawo4VBH7BRFL1ekv3WUMoPE/s400/Rhine-Falls.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhine Falls and Castle Laufen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_shA-miHowo2FMTQwZmS-DoCdtp2hhsNVJkH5AHoD8nKWdBCrOwJxavdYzKUdlEZjxBOe-kKLkReGSBsKtJOF0LOr7QJootQIHlW7nnbDbnffULrbPMz84Qdj0FxjdJ_ls6vm3ge6wU/s1600/Rhine-Falls-Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_shA-miHowo2FMTQwZmS-DoCdtp2hhsNVJkH5AHoD8nKWdBCrOwJxavdYzKUdlEZjxBOe-kKLkReGSBsKtJOF0LOr7QJootQIHlW7nnbDbnffULrbPMz84Qdj0FxjdJ_ls6vm3ge6wU/s400/Rhine-Falls-Rocks.jpg" height="131" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two rocks in the middle of the falls can be visited by boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVg5mGe3brwLyCEwEZvE9DwDQkJ7xwZuVM9qRYPnBjWOn8vu3BrEKEHOg48DNZWQwjgGcqaw6uReBrexo4Gmb7-wTHVs_sSAyuUNH4shymdcwr7ZlOsoK_Iy0CpYjGlT2WhzCHkX20U4/s1600/Mystic-Rhine-Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVg5mGe3brwLyCEwEZvE9DwDQkJ7xwZuVM9qRYPnBjWOn8vu3BrEKEHOg48DNZWQwjgGcqaw6uReBrexo4Gmb7-wTHVs_sSAyuUNH4shymdcwr7ZlOsoK_Iy0CpYjGlT2WhzCHkX20U4/s400/Mystic-Rhine-Falls.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spray of the falls can give an mystic mood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa28B5Ba8V-4qNncns1MCy3UVrQyoAWJWWLstSKfHmXW9_9q7lG8R3lr05dry6S7Qv0aIZTviy3lFUwxbdGXshw-rbqYNs9FtmjYFLj4km1Wmlp4spaTVawo4VBH7BRFL1ekv3WUMoPE/s1600/Rhine-Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a> </div>
Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-28946274624913563102010-09-20T21:30:00.000+02:002010-09-20T21:30:10.512+02:00Art in the Park – Stuttgart SchlossgartenRecently the work for the new train station in Stuttgart (so called Stuttgart 21) started accompanied by protests and demonstrations. Parts of the demonstrations are full of creativity. Trees in the nearby park “Schlossgarten” are decorated in different ways by the people of Stuttgart. About 250 of these huge trees sometimes more than 200 years of age will be cut down in the next days or weeks. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6qBhEqqJtec1RAoKPciSVZz821rcphW5Y1M_Gr04awgixTU9v8PKFxsSzQN3uAIhHWR2skma36WdywWCS-R4A9pFUKTLY9635ZZwNjdUz2p7jHKgz_wJnWIdT9lZvUWKS7UTzBWPJ9c/s400/Stuttgart-Main-Station.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Station Stuttgart behind the trees of the park - seen from the east</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6qBhEqqJtec1RAoKPciSVZz821rcphW5Y1M_Gr04awgixTU9v8PKFxsSzQN3uAIhHWR2skma36WdywWCS-R4A9pFUKTLY9635ZZwNjdUz2p7jHKgz_wJnWIdT9lZvUWKS7UTzBWPJ9c/s1600/Stuttgart-Main-Station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht17EjsXm9PZR-kAbYeCLaIbrLnSrC-Yx5JB_RJ7mUEYs_-DPP81YvhfCqDAOwIit5NFyc802MJXnX4j9qBzPsgl1YtgraFFl8aCeIXGlY7rGqja_pKOX1EiOeN76O2SIncOIDeyKb9TM/s400/Stuttgart-Beech.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beech, more than 200 years old, survivor of two world wars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht17EjsXm9PZR-kAbYeCLaIbrLnSrC-Yx5JB_RJ7mUEYs_-DPP81YvhfCqDAOwIit5NFyc802MJXnX4j9qBzPsgl1YtgraFFl8aCeIXGlY7rGqja_pKOX1EiOeN76O2SIncOIDeyKb9TM/s1600/Stuttgart-Beech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBLtC07_2HIWw4-glAGtRlyA4GJlyTTAK308Wnw1ENZU7Q8yYX0lslx0v0didIcj2XM_uU5hr92Ud1196f0gKxt80l4heIOYv_f7PzFr0DD6eZlgO9_5aGfaTd9M-g-Ne-jfPucu5l-w/s400/Stuttgart-Art-Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art in the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBLtC07_2HIWw4-glAGtRlyA4GJlyTTAK308Wnw1ENZU7Q8yYX0lslx0v0didIcj2XM_uU5hr92Ud1196f0gKxt80l4heIOYv_f7PzFr0DD6eZlgO9_5aGfaTd9M-g-Ne-jfPucu5l-w/s1600/Stuttgart-Art-Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPPdbVtE7gFYy3Twm3C2Q6lagEklux4xzT02f0x7OwbdSFO4B3eeMngAdmWETt5lUOaoC3NJUC5kV348_9tcHs-2EDvdItJIsRgeJeSyhRG8BxLfjr4sstWBHBpt1WHrQcK7d7XlO44A/s400/Stuttgart-Banana-Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana tree in Stuttgart?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPPdbVtE7gFYy3Twm3C2Q6lagEklux4xzT02f0x7OwbdSFO4B3eeMngAdmWETt5lUOaoC3NJUC5kV348_9tcHs-2EDvdItJIsRgeJeSyhRG8BxLfjr4sstWBHBpt1WHrQcK7d7XlO44A/s1600/Stuttgart-Banana-Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o-DdIkokhfZOPFs-yoH5pMK49U98mpDVXFTnCwyHiOLI5-7mtWY86wmZlod2VcG4A0TTz1mjIievnuleHQX_4ydbGw9uQsbZEkgmXXxY45iwK-k7S6PJ8LrzIGdj13LAPj9K0PqisXI/s400/Stuttgart-Tree-with-Face.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Face for the tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o-DdIkokhfZOPFs-yoH5pMK49U98mpDVXFTnCwyHiOLI5-7mtWY86wmZlod2VcG4A0TTz1mjIievnuleHQX_4ydbGw9uQsbZEkgmXXxY45iwK-k7S6PJ8LrzIGdj13LAPj9K0PqisXI/s1600/Stuttgart-Tree-with-Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOysy7YsjqExUxWDuuVNXUfDm7hm9KB_NmgfAx-oMx7vh231GVfec5cZEBsfPXmtuufb6AwKDEbRpqDi5SjaEKpfUu4AdWe3xjSABCYn_lRTtN9Di2re2znDBL6GdNmexpS6MHc2jUqU/s400/Stuttgart-Angry-Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this tree angry?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOysy7YsjqExUxWDuuVNXUfDm7hm9KB_NmgfAx-oMx7vh231GVfec5cZEBsfPXmtuufb6AwKDEbRpqDi5SjaEKpfUu4AdWe3xjSABCYn_lRTtN9Di2re2znDBL6GdNmexpS6MHc2jUqU/s1600/Stuttgart-Angry-Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<br />
More about the train station project:<br />
<a href="http://www.das-neue-herz-europas.de/default.aspx?culture=en-GB">about Stuttgart 21</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/world/europe/15stuttgart.html?scp=1&sq=stuttgart&st=cse">New York Times about Stuttgart 21 </a>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-56803142757368890812010-06-21T00:14:00.002+02:002010-06-21T00:16:36.480+02:00Traveling through Morocco: Morocco slide showA gallery of about 40 pictures from my visit to Morocco.<br /><br /><a href="http://zinsstag.com/Slideshow/Morocco2010">Morocco slide show</a>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-15694004489325498282010-06-20T22:45:00.003+02:002010-06-21T00:19:34.526+02:00Traveling through Morocco: N'kob, Val du Draa, Kasbah Tamnougalte, Marrakech<span style="font-weight: bold;">Merzouga to N’kob</span><br />After the breakfast and shower we drove to Rissani to visit the market which is held three times a week. When parking the car we were immediately surrounded by young man offering their service as a guide to lead through the market and protect us from kids and traders. We decided to take a guide called Salid. The market offers whatever people in the Tafilalet region need including fruits and vegetables, spices, dates, medicine, goods of wood, iron, recycled truck tires, carpets, tissue, cows, chicken and goats. A curiosity is the donkey parking, during the market the farmers park their donkeys on a place aside the market – the donkeys are parked and watched for a dirham or so. Or the donkey gets some new horseshoes while the farmer is on the market.<br /><br />After the visit at the market we were heading eastwards to N’kob. This part of southern Morocco is less touristy than the Val du Dades. After a while the landscape changes from sand and rock desert to almost east African scenery with acacias. The area is well known for minerals and fossils, especially Trilobites. A good place to learn more about Trilobites and also to buy some is the shop of Ihmadi Mohand in Alnif, Ihmadi has a Ph. D. in geology and is a real expert on Trilobites. Be aware of fake fossils elsewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOwz9Qy8FlkyeJMWqmBA9LpNxykafTtzMBPdjWBrc21dnZRO018eVu9XoPUuda9PSEM7jjV2WtoNBDqnw1DrmLH9HomavzGukZnmlm8vlM6-JuwKyLnI7514goxcKl1IOWAlJqoO0qps/s1600/IMGP8072a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOwz9Qy8FlkyeJMWqmBA9LpNxykafTtzMBPdjWBrc21dnZRO018eVu9XoPUuda9PSEM7jjV2WtoNBDqnw1DrmLH9HomavzGukZnmlm8vlM6-JuwKyLnI7514goxcKl1IOWAlJqoO0qps/s400/IMGP8072a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484971235860211634" border="0" /></a><br />In N’kob we stayed in the Ksar Jenna, a real palace in the desert. This place offers a beautiful garden and wonderful decorated rooms.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">N’kob to Val du Draa</span><br />After a nice breakfast we enjoyed the nice garden of the hotel. Later one of the hotels employee took us on a tour to the nearby village, through the Palmeraie (traditional irrigated palm gardens) and a traditional Kasbah house. It’s quite impressive seeing and meeting the very friendly people here working on the fields like 3000 years ago, with simple tools and no machines. The acres are surrounded by some walls of rammed earth. On the acres wheat, corn, potatoes and vegetables are grown, at the border fruit trees like Figues, Oranges, Lemon, Almonds, Apricots and Pomegranates etc. are planted and the huge date palm trees provide some shadow to all of them.<br /><br />A short ride led us to Val du Draa and the Kasbah Timidarte. The wide Draa River contrasts to the surrounding desert. We stayed one night in the restored traditional Kasbah of Timidarte. Simple but proper rooms with a shower in a very traditional guest house made out of rammed earth! We had here another nice tour through the much bigger oasis and Palmeraie. Timidarte lays on the former caravan trail connecting Timbuktu and Marrakech.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdUl_CWF-gzAJP7hEjCCMoj6FhRwjx83NSLB1M5JrT0o2C6_jA4kJ0bIFl9e4uLUM9NzFk_t9X10fnd4__Y7pVAeajUYWvnEmoLtZ1AkFaCD33cxTIDQZJzPj8BbU4fr4HjNzJHunJGA/s1600/IMGP8154a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdUl_CWF-gzAJP7hEjCCMoj6FhRwjx83NSLB1M5JrT0o2C6_jA4kJ0bIFl9e4uLUM9NzFk_t9X10fnd4__Y7pVAeajUYWvnEmoLtZ1AkFaCD33cxTIDQZJzPj8BbU4fr4HjNzJHunJGA/s400/IMGP8154a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484971246163620066" border="0" /></a>Kasbah Timidarte, a traditional guest house<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Val du Draa to Marrakech</span><br />We visited in the morning the huge Kasbah Tamnougalte, definitely a must. This huge Kasbah with only a few houses that are still inhabited consists of four parts: for the noble ones, the regular people, the Jewish part and a part for the slaves. It offers several palaces including some painted wood ceilings, mosques, and a synagogue. To visit it you have to take a guide and an entrance fee is obligatory. The Kasbah was film location for several Hollywood and European movies and there were some moments when we felt like being part of an Indiana Jones movie expecting Harrison Ford to come around the corner every moment.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFT0VrrFL6NyHfpwTHCp6z6pw3lw-bAfkpn8OjyZ9il5zwKZvPL505WFwq9AP6uf9mcf1LAWdQGuL_gcOqPDRkhBBQTeWiz7IcR-DWLZDNcvUFLpgs41ELyvEXOqy1Ed7palgeUaWiJac/s1600/IMGP8233.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFT0VrrFL6NyHfpwTHCp6z6pw3lw-bAfkpn8OjyZ9il5zwKZvPL505WFwq9AP6uf9mcf1LAWdQGuL_gcOqPDRkhBBQTeWiz7IcR-DWLZDNcvUFLpgs41ELyvEXOqy1Ed7palgeUaWiJac/s400/IMGP8233.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484971252113307778" border="0" /></a>Kasbah Tamnougalte<br /><br /></div>From the Draa valley to Ouarzazate the road leads over some passes offering nice sights of some canyons.<br /><br />At the end of our tour through Morocco we spent another day in Marrakech, this time in the southern part of the Medina. This part appeared touristier to us, it seems that you find more traveling groups in this southern part with the Bahia palace and other points of interest. As a result the traders are more aggressive than in the northern part of the medina.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgkVUCkAzKhLKDDsJXWv4yRF2mFCDYWkGAYOH6o_G7O-nIlOKiAtEQvxyHFZAcI39N7LQLNYgQBcGj-MzC00AHZ7B17Slu9RZPzMVThhN7LQdHbUbzUNE8fUo2-vBdURwE7PODl8shSY/s1600/IMGP8292.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgkVUCkAzKhLKDDsJXWv4yRF2mFCDYWkGAYOH6o_G7O-nIlOKiAtEQvxyHFZAcI39N7LQLNYgQBcGj-MzC00AHZ7B17Slu9RZPzMVThhN7LQdHbUbzUNE8fUo2-vBdURwE7PODl8shSY/s400/IMGP8292.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484971256466823426" border="0" /></a>Bahia Palace<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDffPDT5TdZkui0UTJOERuf9rgJvDaTP7JvfczrV05aZeNzEozuCc-iuAjf6KaXDU95jOxfD_j_wE8J0m1sE2ZQ_Lw3sIDPU-k-WJpPpXNQKmwy8FC4LC7U4KY4zcnPQC5R9s8P_0WWA/s1600/IMGP8327a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDffPDT5TdZkui0UTJOERuf9rgJvDaTP7JvfczrV05aZeNzEozuCc-iuAjf6KaXDU95jOxfD_j_wE8J0m1sE2ZQ_Lw3sIDPU-k-WJpPpXNQKmwy8FC4LC7U4KY4zcnPQC5R9s8P_0WWA/s400/IMGP8327a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484971298994254914" border="0" /></a>Spices on the market in Marrakech<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">See the <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2010/06/traveling-through-morocco-morocco-slide.html">Morocco slide show</a> for more pictures.<br /></div></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-45574110440455455582010-06-20T22:43:00.005+02:002011-03-09T14:42:39.057+01:00Traveling through Morocco: Gorges du Dades, Gorges du Todhra, Merzouga, Erg Chebbi<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ait Ben Haddou to Gorges du Dades</span><br />
After enjoying the sunset at Ait Ben Haddou and a nice breakfast at our hotel we hit the road towards the Gorges du Dades.<br />
The road leads mostly through desert sometimes interrupted by huge oasis along the Dades River. We stopped for the market in Skoura and in the ‘city of roses’ El-Kelaa M’Gouna. Honestly none of these little cities offered a lot to us. Although it sounds romantic when you read that El-Kelaa M’Gouna is the world capital of rose oil and rose water, it is not spectacular: an oasis with some Kasbahs nearby and a busy main street.<br />
The landscape changes in Boulmane. Driving to the north from Boulmane leads through a beautiful green valley with several Ksars or Kasbahs, strange rock formations and then finally the very narrow canyon of the Dades River (‘Gorges du Dades’).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqg6PdHQ_vnRDFw0Hxwcg5EcSmaZpfcbgFrX2hF28v-f0QwjHLJzhwHZhm0WDj_qOcRAGziApPfoA0TabFjOYirsiiK8WjYMFvV5AGusRfhKwq4bzOE5dhAiyOj-_bdVTPUaDUF-ng00/s1600/IMGP7836.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484969410502299538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqg6PdHQ_vnRDFw0Hxwcg5EcSmaZpfcbgFrX2hF28v-f0QwjHLJzhwHZhm0WDj_qOcRAGziApPfoA0TabFjOYirsiiK8WjYMFvV5AGusRfhKwq4bzOE5dhAiyOj-_bdVTPUaDUF-ng00/s400/IMGP7836.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWptDxzWxHnZTQOrmjoV3OIDzUJm3dYBA1ORRrvlN3P-KQeSuR5i8M2c4PVvh06uVur7_YxtorWnzP1cl-jMItBGNKP4cnVbq64nvs_-JAPFp8bDCmavl2TxzqxMVmD9Pr0f4_KzCdUuE/s1600/IMGP7845.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484970174368173794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWptDxzWxHnZTQOrmjoV3OIDzUJm3dYBA1ORRrvlN3P-KQeSuR5i8M2c4PVvh06uVur7_YxtorWnzP1cl-jMItBGNKP4cnVbq64nvs_-JAPFp8bDCmavl2TxzqxMVmD9Pr0f4_KzCdUuE/s400/IMGP7845.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_m_3EMeOxrNRklM3_cvoxKbXvE9qgKn8akj-TYLbfep20vmOvesl-E4sR4Wey7kQfzw8dB49BUQKDf5K3MwE69SgjlKNip_lj4WCtzxvVw4gwpdXGPUM20bBpMkUwoluOLQrnQO3laM/s1600/IMGP7873.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484969490265469858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_m_3EMeOxrNRklM3_cvoxKbXvE9qgKn8akj-TYLbfep20vmOvesl-E4sR4Wey7kQfzw8dB49BUQKDf5K3MwE69SgjlKNip_lj4WCtzxvVw4gwpdXGPUM20bBpMkUwoluOLQrnQO3laM/s400/IMGP7873.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Scenes from the canyon of the Dades River (‘Gorges du Dades’)</div><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gorges du Dades to Merzouga</span><br />
The first stop this day leads to the Gorges du Todhra, the canyon of the Todhra river starts just a few kilometers north of the city of Tinehir with its wide oasis. We drove the Todhra valley further north, to the impressive, most narrow part of the canyon where it is quite crowded due to bus tours. Further north the landscape is nice although not so spectacular: a clear river with fresh water winds through the mountains.<br />
After a picnic at the river we drove back to Tinehir and then through the desert towards Tinejdad. Tinejdad is a dusty desert village, but it offers two jewels: One is the beautiful garden and museum with all kind of collectibles of Said Ouadou in the center of Tinjdad on the main street. The other is also prepared by Said, some kilometers west of Tinejdad, he restored a group of mineral water springs in the middle of the desert. The area around the springs is decorated with typical goods and tools from the nomads and farm people of the region.<br />
Further eastwards towards Erfoud the desert changes, it becomes sandier and some kilometers before Erfoud the first small dunes appear.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Merzouga – Erg Chebbi</span><br />
We staid two nights in Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi region. Our hotel (Hotel Kasbah Mohayut.) offered us a nice room in the hotel for one night and arranged the tour to the desert with dromedaries (some call it just camels, although there is a difference) and the night in a tent as well.<br />
If you don’t want to explore the dunes during the hot day, but you want to do more than just hanging around on the pool I can recommend the Dayet Sri, a big seasonal lake and the ‘Depot des Nomads’ if you are into shopping of traditional goods from a scarf through lamps to carpets.<br />
In the late afternoon when the temperature was more moderate – even in April it was far beyond 30°C during the day – our tour with the camels started. We were a group of about 10 tourists and two guides; it took us about one and a half hour to get to the tents in the middle of the dunes. Arrived at the dunes we watched the sunset, had a simple but nice diner, enjoyed the stars in the sky and talked at the campfire. The tents were equipped with real, proper and quite comfortable beds. After the impressive sunrise we went back to the hotel were the breakfast was served and we could take a shower.<br />
It was quite impressive to ride through the dunes and I would recommend to everybody to do such an excursion.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhyphenhyphendQL-99wk_3ZgwdyHHXayDPOauGG8FGFwXI-upfXyk2IJu8UU7gPCGizKjn76gO2ue-oCsyWP38Go37OjzOFMvLqV38Ds04_YsFS_kO1IGzUxq_bpm6sBWL9Vy53LvQJIXqd2KBI1w/s1600/IMGP8021.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484969544176513506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhyphenhyphendQL-99wk_3ZgwdyHHXayDPOauGG8FGFwXI-upfXyk2IJu8UU7gPCGizKjn76gO2ue-oCsyWP38Go37OjzOFMvLqV38Ds04_YsFS_kO1IGzUxq_bpm6sBWL9Vy53LvQJIXqd2KBI1w/s400/IMGP8021.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Ride on the dromedaries<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0roUHupQvmw52-Xk-6Mp3gzK_zvlprQmXCPCSkVXshIyg9qeYac_xxgGKO-sTghvpLhyUcvoWWHJgDW-3in3UjhnulUEE6-LxnijccNp6tCjDkPDgr2myySZfKyAW74SAeD0jCEDTZZM/s1600/IMGP8011.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484969501525757442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0roUHupQvmw52-Xk-6Mp3gzK_zvlprQmXCPCSkVXshIyg9qeYac_xxgGKO-sTghvpLhyUcvoWWHJgDW-3in3UjhnulUEE6-LxnijccNp6tCjDkPDgr2myySZfKyAW74SAeD0jCEDTZZM/s400/IMGP8011.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Colorful dunes in the Erg Chebbi</div><br />
Next: <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2010/06/traveling-through-morocco-nkob-val-du.html">N'kob, Val du Draa, Kasbah Tamnougalte, Marrakech</a><br />
Or see the <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2010/06/traveling-through-morocco-morocco-slide.html">Morocco slide show</a> for more pictures.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-27936859631212112052010-06-20T22:40:00.006+02:002010-06-21T22:24:34.153+02:00Traveling through Morocco: Marrakech and Ait Ben HaddouThis April, we traveled 12 days through Morocco. We started in Casablanca, took then the train to Marrakech where we stayed two nights. From Marrakech we did a loop with a rental car over the Atlas Mountains and through the Moroccan part of the Sahara with the following stations:<br /><ul><li>Ait Ben Haddou</li><li>Val du Dades</li><li>Gorge du Todrah</li><li>Merzouga and Erg Chebbi</li><li>N’kob</li><li>Val du Draa</li></ul>And then back to Marrakech were we spent another night, finally we went back to Casablanca from where we took the plane back to Stuttgart.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Photographing in Morocco</span><br />Before starting the description of our travel through Morocco a few words on photographing in Morocco. Morocco is an Islamic country. Although not explicit written in the Koran, since centuries the religion has a tradition to not show human beings and animals in paintings or photographs (as a modern version). This is known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniconism_in_Islam">Aniconism in the Islam</a>. One of the results of this tradition leads to the fantastic ornamental work in the architecture of Morocco and Andalusia (southern Spain) which can be found especially in palaces. Although you have TV and Billboards in the Morocco of the 21st century some people still feel uncomfortable being captures on photography. Therefore you have to be careful taking pictures of people – it might happen that you try to take a picture of a crowded place in a medina and people will raise their hands to cover their face. On the other side people offer to be on a photograph and expect then a tip. And it might happen that people entertain some doubt if they should be portrayed to get a tip or not to be compliant with their belief.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marrakech</span><br />We stayed in the Riad ‘Les Trois Mages’ which is in the northern part of the Medina, later in the trip we stayed also in the southern part - I preferred definitely to stay in the northern part, although it is a little bit farer to walk to the famous ‘Djema el Fna’. But you enter the souk from the less touristy side where it seems to be more authentic and the merchants are less ‘pushy’ in trying to sell you whatever they offer.<br />Things to do in one and a half days in Marrakech’s northern part of the medina:<br />Visit of the souk and ‘Djema el Fna’<br />Visit of the ‘Jardin Majorelle’, a nice tropical garden, although it’s crowdie with a lots of tourists.<br />Visit of the Medersa Ben Yousef (former Koran school)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlisEKtRYS95mBZqmkElLH79mncYzzOKK_wdk40O6T4NO-hQPfH4aNvffkjXbNHT9YBpSsc0NwD_zLlqeXyY9vbGM5lyIe1Z7T0-u5GX-YFzNWDb9NRUi9ArWTzZPS-GSYbVEZUCosiDA/s1600/IMGP7645.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlisEKtRYS95mBZqmkElLH79mncYzzOKK_wdk40O6T4NO-hQPfH4aNvffkjXbNHT9YBpSsc0NwD_zLlqeXyY9vbGM5lyIe1Z7T0-u5GX-YFzNWDb9NRUi9ArWTzZPS-GSYbVEZUCosiDA/s400/IMGP7645.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484967166730689986" border="0" /></a>Dyed wool<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6yOiYiBdMXhRqD5y2zQ1V4nQ8jy9IoGiop8-TlMFu2K9zqqlrCahlswLoVQ2LovtYC0SLCwR7DauvTODemF8h1ZKP2o_nmlZUyKMVhfGXjt6CaeZfv1LLlMgHUW1ksVhSrCNcQm4wnw/s1600/IMGP7455.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6yOiYiBdMXhRqD5y2zQ1V4nQ8jy9IoGiop8-TlMFu2K9zqqlrCahlswLoVQ2LovtYC0SLCwR7DauvTODemF8h1ZKP2o_nmlZUyKMVhfGXjt6CaeZfv1LLlMgHUW1ksVhSrCNcQm4wnw/s400/IMGP7455.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484967108595216306" border="0" /></a>The souk of Marrakech<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYCOHmQp5xETxGUFxxpmbFLeJ0KRqZS-9Py-NC3CMGc9gQVBQaRuqgdGfCy6yA3X6DfytlqY3jrEv6IH5JIQ0awqnZYfqaoDgtoG_X-T_uYnW-_Pzxpd5moMiDZXXV8VPZzrOtuIRE-I/s1600/IMGP7438.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYCOHmQp5xETxGUFxxpmbFLeJ0KRqZS-9Py-NC3CMGc9gQVBQaRuqgdGfCy6yA3X6DfytlqY3jrEv6IH5JIQ0awqnZYfqaoDgtoG_X-T_uYnW-_Pzxpd5moMiDZXXV8VPZzrOtuIRE-I/s400/IMGP7438.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484967067277501634" border="0" /></a>Djema el Fna, with an fantastic mood right after sunset<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkbZx1D3PQph_n51HT4NiuSsDrCtbgKb2xtfo8wIqPPylpv8XvaKV0FNsP5SDl-Hti5HaZQufR0lYWWfZZcuXLpBynk4j3nOUNRWPc-fOo0NZFDGmNpogCDFY5H6gSLrvZ9yOX0O7Faw/s1600/IMGP7603.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkbZx1D3PQph_n51HT4NiuSsDrCtbgKb2xtfo8wIqPPylpv8XvaKV0FNsP5SDl-Hti5HaZQufR0lYWWfZZcuXLpBynk4j3nOUNRWPc-fOo0NZFDGmNpogCDFY5H6gSLrvZ9yOX0O7Faw/s400/IMGP7603.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484968570375522818" border="0" /></a>Medersa Ben Yousef, the former Koran school<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou</span><br />Originally I planed to have a 4x4 car, but since we were at peak season in Marrakech it was impossible to get one – at least I was to late organizing it. So we had a regular car, a mini-van with a little bit more clearance which worked well for our trip to the south and into the Sahara desert. Major streets in Morocco are usually quite good. Sometimes you might have to drive a short distance over some gravel roads to reach your final destination.<br />In springtime you drive from Marrakech to the Atlas Mountains through a very green and flowering landscape. Probably not what you expect thinking about Morocco. Coming to the foot of the mountains the meadows are more and more replaced by forest. Getting higher and coming closer to the Tizi-n-Tichka pass the landscape gets alpine with less and less vegetation. All along the street you see booths with minerals and fossils. The minerals are colorized in the fanciest colors! I never understood why they colorize them so unnaturally. On the southern side of the Atlas Mountains the landscape changes, rocky and colorful mountains stand in contrast to green valleys.<br />After five hours on the main road we arrived in Ait Ben Haddou. This Kasbah completely build by traditional rammed earth is a UNESCO world heritage and a very popular stop for tourists in this area. It might be crowded during the day. We visited it in the late afternoon after 4pm and it was not to busy. If the river carries some water locals with some donkeys offer to bring you to the other side. You have to negotiate a price. Some of the houses in Ait Ben Haddou are still in use and you might be able to visit a traditional home, when visiting a tip is expected.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZwLJr4luG0ALD5sT82VvuNbrAyMt5U6-pkOosLUSk0aOb5AdsvYjVloTtu5OphgxnO-1kScC5ksOUxKNTA5-sgfNfoXhksJGLhsVqBiLoenNtJe3AI4i-n9vSnU7jtYSm8wBrPPurm0/s1600/IMGP7741.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZwLJr4luG0ALD5sT82VvuNbrAyMt5U6-pkOosLUSk0aOb5AdsvYjVloTtu5OphgxnO-1kScC5ksOUxKNTA5-sgfNfoXhksJGLhsVqBiLoenNtJe3AI4i-n9vSnU7jtYSm8wBrPPurm0/s400/IMGP7741.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484967174859828146" border="0" /></a>Ait Ben Haddou, UNESCO World Heritage, completly build from rammed earth<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowBxn_U1CFo29YpvMpUXIYqNC1zxdTycafNpg1xNCX71zeMm-wnsX9UyCyulSKKOHDCtjnzSuRjAj8LlATZT5VUDWwDZGD-LNo_upncIbjWKoUGQHPXXhDatL9fFvgdWpxfagg2w938E/s1600/IMGP7816a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowBxn_U1CFo29YpvMpUXIYqNC1zxdTycafNpg1xNCX71zeMm-wnsX9UyCyulSKKOHDCtjnzSuRjAj8LlATZT5VUDWwDZGD-LNo_upncIbjWKoUGQHPXXhDatL9fFvgdWpxfagg2w938E/s400/IMGP7816a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484968579009025362" border="0" /></a>Ait Ben Haddou</div><br />Next: <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2010/06/traveling-through-morocco-gorges-du.html">Gorges du Dades, Gorges du Todhra, Merzouga, Erg Chebbi</a><br />Or see the <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2010/06/traveling-through-morocco-morocco-slide.html">Morocco slide show</a> for more pictures.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-72804114465195671052009-10-29T13:41:00.009+01:002009-11-01T17:08:13.920+01:00Hiking Cinque TerreDuring our vacation at the beginning of September we spent a few days in Monterosso al Mare one of the five villages building Cinque Terre in Italian region of Liguria. The five picturesque villages became a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/826">UNESCO World Culture Heritage in 1997</a>. The villages are more or less glued to the rocks like a eagles aerie surrounded by very step terraces were vineyards and olive trees are grown. There are several possibilities to visit the villages; for sure the car is the worst of them. To get from one village to another by car you have to take steep and winding roads. The road from La Spezzia to Levanto from where the access roads to the villages leave runs about 400-600 meters above the see.<br />Better ways to visit the villages are the train which is connecting all of them at least once per hour (one way ticket about € 1,50), the boat (watch for the sea condition, it is not running during high surf!) or hiking – all the villages are connected by a trail along the sea. For the hiking trail a admission fee has to be paid at one of the little booths, it’s about € 6 per day.<br /><br />If you hike during the morning and noon you probably want to walk from east to west, the sun in the back gives a nicer light on the landscape. For the afternoon I recommend to hike from east towards west again with the sun in your back.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW7LjwFJba9rPYsSgATya3SjgMuZTjXzTPr_B18ZB818o8qvyf63bjSiELRdQTZq3HDDcosGWvEUSGIY_fSeS4qjauX2leJ-7oVQpqK-w7W73PefJU_hmhDXkriR7LYc44uUw9ZsfjI4/s1600-h/Riomaggiore.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW7LjwFJba9rPYsSgATya3SjgMuZTjXzTPr_B18ZB818o8qvyf63bjSiELRdQTZq3HDDcosGWvEUSGIY_fSeS4qjauX2leJ-7oVQpqK-w7W73PefJU_hmhDXkriR7LYc44uUw9ZsfjI4/s400/Riomaggiore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002137370525090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-jiUksYYwY8X0Ik87quEuRmLQccOVyMd32lklHjRcQt179jP3Y2NClccEpe7a8u9T6GCTEOsf3s-kx9OQYkIEop-gWyRajyxXc3BS1vM_6dBTMaJ_b6jHMN8lzdfNGOMlpx4Ege7iEM/s1600-h/Riomaggiore-Boats.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-jiUksYYwY8X0Ik87quEuRmLQccOVyMd32lklHjRcQt179jP3Y2NClccEpe7a8u9T6GCTEOsf3s-kx9OQYkIEop-gWyRajyxXc3BS1vM_6dBTMaJ_b6jHMN8lzdfNGOMlpx4Ege7iEM/s400/Riomaggiore-Boats.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002145414856786" border="0" /></a>Riomaggiore<br /></div><br />We stayed in Montorosso (the most north-westerly village) in a private apartment. We started our first hike on a late morning in Riomaggiore (the most south-easterly village) where we got to in about 15 minutes by train from Monterosso. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Lovers Walk") and has an easy access at the train station, it is mostly concrete, totally flat and easily to walk for everybody even with a baby buggy. You need probably some 30 minutes to reach Manarola.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEP_M1PIAoA7j-O5CnjFzNs-sQuUrwF4pfmfKEyg6DZeJkPFEdIwijiUWm_1Kqm9wDJhNHgIL6u2akmYKZeRcjzDQreYDpblyYMES8lw85KfwGbcMyXnhyWy4Ga44EzBeUvmUK0wkmzE/s1600-h/Trailhead-Riomaggiore.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEP_M1PIAoA7j-O5CnjFzNs-sQuUrwF4pfmfKEyg6DZeJkPFEdIwijiUWm_1Kqm9wDJhNHgIL6u2akmYKZeRcjzDQreYDpblyYMES8lw85KfwGbcMyXnhyWy4Ga44EzBeUvmUK0wkmzE/s400/Trailhead-Riomaggiore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002148920204866" border="0" /></a>Entrance to the "Via Dell'Amore" in Riomaggiore<br /></div><br />From Manarola to Corniglia the trail has some steps in, but it is pretty wide and there are no steep passages, this makes it another easy hike. After some 60 minutes you reach the train station of Corniglia. Walk along the train station and follow the signs to Corniglia. You will reach via a long stair where you have to climb close to 400 steps to get to Corniglia.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLv3Wno0-xK6hw7vxl5HenBsMhwRy0m9pRVstob1L9ghDJ5pwSiDZ6ARwVv4_QGegEczGnYUHk6dxJNZTvlZ_7oCt0FJ9NF-Yu1Cdv3IL4dGpK8BE1G4dWEj1P40utT3TbbOWvEFrWrFw/s1600-h/Steps-Corniglia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLv3Wno0-xK6hw7vxl5HenBsMhwRy0m9pRVstob1L9ghDJ5pwSiDZ6ARwVv4_QGegEczGnYUHk6dxJNZTvlZ_7oCt0FJ9NF-Yu1Cdv3IL4dGpK8BE1G4dWEj1P40utT3TbbOWvEFrWrFw/s400/Steps-Corniglia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002150289260322" border="0" /></a>Stair to Corniglia<br /></div><br />Knowing that the next leg to will take longer and will be steeper, we stopped hiking in Corniglia and took the train back to Monterosso.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCl4j8L53z64E13XY-MYfE_X4zOJ5dobATcR-KAD3C3sv-3Za3bB78JvBw6Q9IQFmof2kZc_JqX2Cd83I967i8JhQ-IisBK0Za4XeezFEtrjal4vzN4VlVHSlyxNFxAjRIGZ7WNcpBKE/s1600-h/mystic-train-station.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCl4j8L53z64E13XY-MYfE_X4zOJ5dobATcR-KAD3C3sv-3Za3bB78JvBw6Q9IQFmof2kZc_JqX2Cd83I967i8JhQ-IisBK0Za4XeezFEtrjal4vzN4VlVHSlyxNFxAjRIGZ7WNcpBKE/s400/mystic-train-station.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399166916107035010" border="0" /></a>Mystic situation at train station in Corniglia<br /></div><br />On another day we started quite late at around 5:30pm from Monterosso towards Vernazza. This trail is totally different; it is narrow and steep, sometimes just wide enough for one person.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5q2q-IikO4CFeYK3AIvi4bZRvp2iusVSH2nAOaGF5hlWpMpq1SUD5fyGpUza614brSDWwf8-tiOhyr3H7k3QJIhRBSQvwnbsOE8lhe7DCm5T9_6oXyNsxIOeuP-RWcsQMhi_T_cHYlk/s1600-h/Cinque-Terre-Trail-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5q2q-IikO4CFeYK3AIvi4bZRvp2iusVSH2nAOaGF5hlWpMpq1SUD5fyGpUza614brSDWwf8-tiOhyr3H7k3QJIhRBSQvwnbsOE8lhe7DCm5T9_6oXyNsxIOeuP-RWcsQMhi_T_cHYlk/s400/Cinque-Terre-Trail-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398003202945004466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsPEojS5xgOrUDB5gcDn1CuZ8pw2eJdI7e0ccy5YStG6QYxhrpyVtf2ChLwvDlKZdvVpj4dt2Aanc5VpuAbnOHc07slk-Xizgivf-cM44n5O-3EenSe9zRMT3qoI_2MKsT_6o8xDA2tM/s1600-h/Cinque-Terre-Trail-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsPEojS5xgOrUDB5gcDn1CuZ8pw2eJdI7e0ccy5YStG6QYxhrpyVtf2ChLwvDlKZdvVpj4dt2Aanc5VpuAbnOHc07slk-Xizgivf-cM44n5O-3EenSe9zRMT3qoI_2MKsT_6o8xDA2tM/s400/Cinque-Terre-Trail-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398003201367386210" border="0" /></a>The small and steep trail from Monterosso to Vernazza<br /></div><br />The trail leads to an elevation to more than 200 meters above the sea and is offering a great view back towards the bay of Monterosso. This part of the trail is by far less crowded as the convenient ones described earlier. You pass vineyards, olive trees and fruit gardens.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_XWGVBWXXCyRJTmAoZgCa8uP2kV67JAl6TnN9I7ZVMVqeyvUtoSFEd4VCChXKnuFVOGqQnju-MG_nGVaBWPTn5yaMh-4NEqtLRuDWnGbBhFZ5EsxCaoYMG61MM_6P0PurpRK0dwrmNM/s1600-h/Passing-Olive-Trees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_XWGVBWXXCyRJTmAoZgCa8uP2kV67JAl6TnN9I7ZVMVqeyvUtoSFEd4VCChXKnuFVOGqQnju-MG_nGVaBWPTn5yaMh-4NEqtLRuDWnGbBhFZ5EsxCaoYMG61MM_6P0PurpRK0dwrmNM/s400/Passing-Olive-Trees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398003207117572578" border="0" /></a>Olive trees give some shade for the hikers<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO4OJ1tCxMenzS1UHJIDdEtLA_XiAGPL-9ILjdE1q5QB3pV6Z7d-_QYFMkI3CId3zere8vdspmoYtz0mh9T8c3RpR65Yv1yqZHDbavdnft4Cd6rZ-7nc533ckO7VCQEv95h76dGze1GY/s1600-h/Olive-Trees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO4OJ1tCxMenzS1UHJIDdEtLA_XiAGPL-9ILjdE1q5QB3pV6Z7d-_QYFMkI3CId3zere8vdspmoYtz0mh9T8c3RpR65Yv1yqZHDbavdnft4Cd6rZ-7nc533ckO7VCQEv95h76dGze1GY/s400/Olive-Trees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399165451733923826" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Olive trees with nets for the harvest. The nets are spread on the ground when the olive fruits are ripe.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixylQtQyMJODiOWCfgJQ4BbUilRzEBZZRUIuALgL_9KDGW4RiS5hyphenhyphenSLGUm7fQmQfaQy7MPfpqPnNXlvSaQ-m0yK6fuZpFNzxstm6aCZhyphenhyphenHg7uVEbutv4pSQAP8wEHIesHJ-gqWHpvLfug/s1600-h/IMGP6659.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixylQtQyMJODiOWCfgJQ4BbUilRzEBZZRUIuALgL_9KDGW4RiS5hyphenhyphenSLGUm7fQmQfaQy7MPfpqPnNXlvSaQ-m0yK6fuZpFNzxstm6aCZhyphenhyphenHg7uVEbutv4pSQAP8wEHIesHJ-gqWHpvLfug/s400/IMGP6659.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399161622793159042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjqIKxFv5pCfCphfRwIFTV5DCLLSEpTQDA8RPB67VFT0v9DHe3KRmWZ-JNqjKjFj24gPOGcpFWL_jpoeaaDYMDob8QB_2G_-Aouf8srVX-naNXQd_nwfQDWRqYBI7fn6gdGLbDfCBmRQ/s1600-h/IMGP6674.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjqIKxFv5pCfCphfRwIFTV5DCLLSEpTQDA8RPB67VFT0v9DHe3KRmWZ-JNqjKjFj24gPOGcpFWL_jpoeaaDYMDob8QB_2G_-Aouf8srVX-naNXQd_nwfQDWRqYBI7fn6gdGLbDfCBmRQ/s400/IMGP6674.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399161616338917570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieH7z66qPOl2qC3seLDkRpcnN9IJj_s4UBiYLgePNrMdaMkQbRTSuB1KS_Q2CcYQ1xh133gW7AX_F7XQGSQx-uhbBQqfzvWlzlCnAD44ODFgpOb4vLXhqdR26eRPyENa_XzW8a_cVfqkY/s1600-h/IMGP6683.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieH7z66qPOl2qC3seLDkRpcnN9IJj_s4UBiYLgePNrMdaMkQbRTSuB1KS_Q2CcYQ1xh133gW7AX_F7XQGSQx-uhbBQqfzvWlzlCnAD44ODFgpOb4vLXhqdR26eRPyENa_XzW8a_cVfqkY/s400/IMGP6683.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399161611348359842" border="0" /></a>Take your time and enjoy the little details of nature: flowers, insects, spiders and lizards.<br /></div><br />After a little more than one hour the village of Vernazza is appearing below on the coast. The whole trail from Monterosso to Vernazza takes about 1.5 hours.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflyzo9duZa7NXmHXYXMmZArL50Podme_yYjud-7TQIBmfvq2_KfDqdM72DhD6Vswi-Ws8HlXcg4-kQi_2kM2JyejapZBtGSp1HESEFbZ5gLyn7XVF6jfp3hy42BhJI__bdxMro7Wjq8Q/s1600-h/Vernazza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflyzo9duZa7NXmHXYXMmZArL50Podme_yYjud-7TQIBmfvq2_KfDqdM72DhD6Vswi-Ws8HlXcg4-kQi_2kM2JyejapZBtGSp1HESEFbZ5gLyn7XVF6jfp3hy42BhJI__bdxMro7Wjq8Q/s400/Vernazza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002155912461618" border="0" /></a>Vernazza<br /></div><br />We spent the evening in Vernazza in one of the restaurants, so we had a chance to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of this village; with the boats in the main street and the little harbour.<br />The last train after midnight brought us back in a few minutes to Monterosso.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ONhw0D3r_jTlzjT9C5KLh_eq218p6NatqLlazGN0MFW1hZ-KcjhoxTc_E3pPUvFTwfD7WtTvNNXlDrtlngN2sXOGFLiTSziRhLdEnyspovOHQb4qDEb6_XGmLEHKLQeb2iwQ6LuRcP8/s1600-h/Vernazza-Sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ONhw0D3r_jTlzjT9C5KLh_eq218p6NatqLlazGN0MFW1hZ-KcjhoxTc_E3pPUvFTwfD7WtTvNNXlDrtlngN2sXOGFLiTSziRhLdEnyspovOHQb4qDEb6_XGmLEHKLQeb2iwQ6LuRcP8/s400/Vernazza-Sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002306290884418" border="0" /></a>Boats in the main street of Vernazza<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_PE8a5Swj_6GpU-UkIwEgcx1WGnj4qr3eV15ho8BgSfaCXHX24wu8TmuMBrH8ZCQa3JR_cGsITYcqYnsO4OXAcputxTB_lbxogJjKvYGTeTjGxqUtuTiXqgZLNvtSvA-Huuh5kGjzdo/s1600-h/Vernazza-Night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_PE8a5Swj_6GpU-UkIwEgcx1WGnj4qr3eV15ho8BgSfaCXHX24wu8TmuMBrH8ZCQa3JR_cGsITYcqYnsO4OXAcputxTB_lbxogJjKvYGTeTjGxqUtuTiXqgZLNvtSvA-Huuh5kGjzdo/s400/Vernazza-Night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398002302470996034" border="0" /></a>Harbor of Vernazza by night<br /></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-54081088271610052932009-09-14T00:14:00.012+02:002009-09-17T13:45:20.324+02:00Hiking along the Aletsch Glacier<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi609bDkcD8-IYIQensLIrChAMa1O2iaBGGUIzRuFugdc1abW7YRyu1PFBydxeN9Fuz9TPbFBUVSiKcc1FTHSrJnno1sWUZBab40H0xZr23ckKwAz-lGMtaSHNjsczrqDoqFwXjMo4MUDs/s1600-h/IMGP6363.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi609bDkcD8-IYIQensLIrChAMa1O2iaBGGUIzRuFugdc1abW7YRyu1PFBydxeN9Fuz9TPbFBUVSiKcc1FTHSrJnno1sWUZBab40H0xZr23ckKwAz-lGMtaSHNjsczrqDoqFwXjMo4MUDs/s400/IMGP6363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381084727947650258" border="0" /></a>Aletsch Glacier<br /><br /></div>The Aletsch Glacier is the biggest glacier in central Europe. It builds together with the world famous summits of the Bernese Alps (Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau) and the Bietschhorn the Unesco World Heritage Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn.<br /><br />We stayed in Fiesch, a touristic center popular for skiing in the upper Rhône valley. This part of the Rhône valley is also known as “Goms”.<br /><br />Our first hike leads us from the top station of the Eggishorn aerial tramway to the summit of the Eggishorn (2934 m). From there we went down to the Märjelen-Lake and the border of the Glacier. We returned to the middle station of the Eggishorn cable car. If you take your time to enjoy the great views, the fauna and flora and if you spent some time taking pictures you might take 4-5 hours for the hike. The signs in the area show shorter walking times!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3Cn1kHXWH1oQ_T-aYeMEeDpQ92vPh63QwFIQW5RUlZSmDPcJwuOEKxokG3QuR-5btbQxQQJACIqM1S4-ZG6DLH4uGEUXwQ5_AJOc7vTNKLHojqUHnHOSIhfFzEeRmSE3vhZ7DDORC9o/s1600-h/IMGP6410.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3Cn1kHXWH1oQ_T-aYeMEeDpQ92vPh63QwFIQW5RUlZSmDPcJwuOEKxokG3QuR-5btbQxQQJACIqM1S4-ZG6DLH4uGEUXwQ5_AJOc7vTNKLHojqUHnHOSIhfFzEeRmSE3vhZ7DDORC9o/s400/IMGP6410.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381084747584771874" border="0" /></a>Trail to the summit of the Eggishorn<br /></div><br />From the top of the Eggishorn you have a fantastic view on the Aletsch Glacier and you see on the horizon most of the summits with more than 4000 m of the alps, including: Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Aletschhorn, Finsteraarhorn, Monte Rosa, Dom, Matterhorn, Weisshorn and Mont Blanc.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://zinsstag.com/Sommer2009/aletsch.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzmgsfp_78vgQiXu8-RmILXj9Db7-QKHIZLX5PnxJbDxCvdUjzgeyIGY7pH3PU6QcE04Gq7K2ZQzGCuCo_BxcpV77OLQtqkC7hvN6BaMS3OIIntj7S01dzNm2BconWA_nqsDfpnAmSUY/s400/Aletschpanorama.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381086506901280018" border="0" /></a>Aletsch panorama view (<a href="http://zinsstag.com/Sommer2009/aletsch.html">click to enlarge</a>)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fzRppKE5HKuyb8NXk_uOQA-sJi76zWOo7bKwrqVd6R1WwDcx1dtLDAxLYpSOESd8eq_p7i2Qt26nyBFoYGuw8y8047iVKRyoC6TpuzQXvRu_yrr_NsSU7ZxD0hTPTP7JkNgXnVPJe_A/s1600-h/IMGP6368.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fzRppKE5HKuyb8NXk_uOQA-sJi76zWOo7bKwrqVd6R1WwDcx1dtLDAxLYpSOESd8eq_p7i2Qt26nyBFoYGuw8y8047iVKRyoC6TpuzQXvRu_yrr_NsSU7ZxD0hTPTP7JkNgXnVPJe_A/s400/IMGP6368.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381084735385111266" border="0" /></a>Details of the glacier surface<br /></div><br />The way down to the Märjelen-Lake is accompanied by great alpine nature.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IhkXabD96L-VQJwo7JlVILq3XA82FrAJUKZv-Bl9FmuqzsIerqfBO_KlEXweCHA9bNtDsK8CmU7N6Z0Hsya7NbXLrp-SKkLiXsIOIYi8sbtIFbTTSx6_crevlz4UdqOOdeFbZOrefPo/s1600-h/IMGP6416.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IhkXabD96L-VQJwo7JlVILq3XA82FrAJUKZv-Bl9FmuqzsIerqfBO_KlEXweCHA9bNtDsK8CmU7N6Z0Hsya7NbXLrp-SKkLiXsIOIYi8sbtIFbTTSx6_crevlz4UdqOOdeFbZOrefPo/s400/IMGP6416.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381084751045086274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zlrrRMERDLnV57ytHH4qckTa5fX-Iu-VDjuBOY3MGhKmH34zespCJIulceRF56fZWg9kIOT2Qz6MQB-qBnjnQbQa0kg8d_3hfT36Nruiyeaexif5umBTUrPL3aLA5IutcUwwH-FEgbQ/s1600-h/IMGP6423.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zlrrRMERDLnV57ytHH4qckTa5fX-Iu-VDjuBOY3MGhKmH34zespCJIulceRF56fZWg9kIOT2Qz6MQB-qBnjnQbQa0kg8d_3hfT36Nruiyeaexif5umBTUrPL3aLA5IutcUwwH-FEgbQ/s400/IMGP6423.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381084761402057330" border="0" /></a><br />The Märjelen-Lake was formed in the 18th and 19th century when melting water was retained by the Aletsch glacier.<br /><br />The edge of the glacier is quite impressive. Parts break down during the summer month.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFU17bZZGK3D-c-OjQV9Zlefx3AN_V3pQ-Krms4r3Q_RoY7N88v8bdnaGrR9mq-Sv-JP9G9W3B4BRsPhFInYUL3k_J97JOazQhoJHOEdiKvguh35x2kFxHIlZ6__51PnJicO4MNQMH5Y0/s1600-h/IMGP6452.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFU17bZZGK3D-c-OjQV9Zlefx3AN_V3pQ-Krms4r3Q_RoY7N88v8bdnaGrR9mq-Sv-JP9G9W3B4BRsPhFInYUL3k_J97JOazQhoJHOEdiKvguh35x2kFxHIlZ6__51PnJicO4MNQMH5Y0/s400/IMGP6452.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381085743541279394" border="0" /></a>Note the persons in the center right part of the pictures<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzCeLofw9CnGyqqYe9P5X-tErFSOKRhsItAMf-N27c92ZLVSQk8JTv_YA8WUAinvxCU2urhHUbwbE_7stYncnrnpkgMNwf-lbauk26zvWBsBh5GqbeNDQCEKL9jzV1ENvb_5pxp91Vtg/s1600-h/Gletscher-Detail-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 119px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzCeLofw9CnGyqqYe9P5X-tErFSOKRhsItAMf-N27c92ZLVSQk8JTv_YA8WUAinvxCU2urhHUbwbE_7stYncnrnpkgMNwf-lbauk26zvWBsBh5GqbeNDQCEKL9jzV1ENvb_5pxp91Vtg/s400/Gletscher-Detail-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381085315529827106" border="0" /></a><br />On the way back to the middle station of the cable car you have a nice view towards the Fiesch Glacier, the second biggest glacier of the Alps.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisf5Q1M1yOnAz0Q4tHENb0OoqCTch-s2ND05-SU8u5p9ePKWMgrY2HOO2QXO_AvUZm3Mz3JX69swlol0Kev_aD04-ELcWv61-_xuBlmYJi-YkaGJJQjeVhguq2HwXH897iug4YfYJC2nY/s1600-h/IMGP6464.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisf5Q1M1yOnAz0Q4tHENb0OoqCTch-s2ND05-SU8u5p9ePKWMgrY2HOO2QXO_AvUZm3Mz3JX69swlol0Kev_aD04-ELcWv61-_xuBlmYJi-YkaGJJQjeVhguq2HwXH897iug4YfYJC2nY/s400/IMGP6464.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381085749632799506" border="0" /></a>Fiesch Glacier<br /></div><br />The second hike on the other day started on the mountain station of the aerial tramway from Mörel to Riederalp, we spent most of the time in the area of the Aletschwald and returned to Riederalp.<br /><br />The Aletschwald (Aletsch forest) stretches on the northern slope of the Hohfluh and Moosfluh mountains between 1600 m to 2200 m. Which are a part of the same range as the Egishorn and Bettmerhorn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NS_rnOZSrdeM_NvA0dqMkSdQ-paVx0vbKepoiVvb9grrGGpxXmTmI1GAbht5X4syGZdmSx7cL0PEsut2LFxeli7eqeUW-MM3H_Jm3SmQTcDDB-l03DpS3alXUznjwzSHZQPBzBrf4Yo/s1600-h/IMGP6472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NS_rnOZSrdeM_NvA0dqMkSdQ-paVx0vbKepoiVvb9grrGGpxXmTmI1GAbht5X4syGZdmSx7cL0PEsut2LFxeli7eqeUW-MM3H_Jm3SmQTcDDB-l03DpS3alXUznjwzSHZQPBzBrf4Yo/s400/IMGP6472.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381085762133738850" border="0" /></a><br />The forest includes some of the oldest trees of Switzerland, old larch trees and Swiss stone pines. The trails offer great views down to the lower part of the Aletsch Glacier whose glacier tongue is as low as 1700 m.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLpvxPQNjES_ZdKY3V7QPgWbDCOmijQ6_Nz1m5ADFhvFFD7HTUtw-0x0tvoumxNiJ2ozSBealBv59QI-mRPfHCONaNqRAJ9i-LyGx9tx5wkd4_wBdHKbTuMhLH8x7TDK3cVKsNQtz1i0/s1600-h/IMGP6490.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLpvxPQNjES_ZdKY3V7QPgWbDCOmijQ6_Nz1m5ADFhvFFD7HTUtw-0x0tvoumxNiJ2ozSBealBv59QI-mRPfHCONaNqRAJ9i-LyGx9tx5wkd4_wBdHKbTuMhLH8x7TDK3cVKsNQtz1i0/s400/IMGP6490.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381086499933592242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8j9cCcDNWvleq9fWEvP5wwBDuGIcw0l0BaqNMcI37iVUNucplaarpuiUY7X4A6DuDgtWq-yYC59ifd-1Tcg9NxKEnVtIHSkhwCsD3FiBBV5zbn1esaOK5B6lOmGgrIxgmsZqwAAppPWw/s1600-h/IMGP6506.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8j9cCcDNWvleq9fWEvP5wwBDuGIcw0l0BaqNMcI37iVUNucplaarpuiUY7X4A6DuDgtWq-yYC59ifd-1Tcg9NxKEnVtIHSkhwCsD3FiBBV5zbn1esaOK5B6lOmGgrIxgmsZqwAAppPWw/s400/IMGP6506.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381086490476202546" border="0" /></a>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-291544067350956682009-09-14T00:13:00.003+02:002010-02-15T13:23:01.461+01:00Summer vacation Switzerland and ItalyRecently we spent around ten days on a trip through Switzerland and northern Italy. Our stations were the upper Rhône valley, called Goms in the Swiss canton of Wallis, where <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2009/09/hiking-along-aletsch-glacier.html">we visited the Aletsch glacier</a>. Then we drove south to <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2009/10/hiking-cinque-terre.html">Cinque Terre on the Italian cost of Liguria</a> and finally we visited Treiso, a little wine village in the Langhe region of southern Piedmont.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-3262130489688432092009-02-13T09:46:00.011+01:002010-06-17T19:29:02.275+02:00Some photographic highlights from HawaiiAs written earlier, we spent around two weeks end of 2008 and early 2009 on the Hawaiian Islands. Four days on the Big Island, eleven days on Maui and two days on Kauai.<br /><br />Some of the photographic highlights were: Lava on the Big Island, whale watching and the road to Hana on Maui and a helicopter flight in Kauai.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lava on the Big Island</span><br />South-east outside the Volcano National Park the recent lava stream meets the Ocean. The county keeps a street with parking lots towards the lava fields. The parking lot opens every afternoon weather permitting. You actually cross several times newer lava streams. A marked trail leads from the parking lot over lava fields to a spot were you can observe how the lava meets the ocean. When we were there the trail was about 300 meters (my guess). Tip: to go there you should wear some closed shoes and bring flash lights if you got there at dawn.<br />During the day you see a huge cloud of steam arising, sometimes some rocks that are hurtled in the air. And some times little tornados leave the clouds.<br />During dawn and night you can see glowing rocks and lava spraying in the air. The explosions happen when the lava is getting hard by the contact with the water but is not building slid structures. With new lava adding the fresh structures break.<br />I used my Sigma 70-300 mm lens, a high ISO and a tripod for the pictures at dawn and night.<br /><br />The <a href="http://hawaiianlavadaily.blogspot.com/">Hawaiian Lava Daily-Blog</a> of Leigh Hilbert might be useful for planing you trip to see some glowing lava.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjk8fSryk36dE168kYEbvkYJxyjLzdwCnqwNeWl_M_14qvOoiB-UCLK_husUCyqw7G0MOmc1C9-3r1gRuNSxS6org1OffmBFFsy8hKB2VZceIS1ZzHYnyeUJH0haxTkP8PQInsrnL4y_s/s1600-h/IMGP3857.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 451px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjk8fSryk36dE168kYEbvkYJxyjLzdwCnqwNeWl_M_14qvOoiB-UCLK_husUCyqw7G0MOmc1C9-3r1gRuNSxS6org1OffmBFFsy8hKB2VZceIS1ZzHYnyeUJH0haxTkP8PQInsrnL4y_s/s400/IMGP3857.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302213733069053858" border="0" /></a>Where lava meets the ocean, steam arises...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJogvUAwRJn1OIt2nUR53BrDw8dIPxchSwB837kD0gxVo5kmZjgKm5rFKvk5khcDjuwy8CsMwtNK0smNd97iBlhDQ8M5fhuxTVKmHBsJZaHj0wcy8-p4JAE0G2vbAUWds6Fq9mpMIT1ks/s1600-h/IMGP3973.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJogvUAwRJn1OIt2nUR53BrDw8dIPxchSwB837kD0gxVo5kmZjgKm5rFKvk5khcDjuwy8CsMwtNK0smNd97iBlhDQ8M5fhuxTVKmHBsJZaHj0wcy8-p4JAE0G2vbAUWds6Fq9mpMIT1ks/s400/IMGP3973.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302213733181202450" border="0" /></a>...and glowing rocks fly through the air<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Whale watching on Maui</span><br />From December through March numerous humpback whales visit the sea between Maui, Molokai und Lanai. Pregnant female whale come here to give birth, while the other whales come for mating. We could watch whales almost every day from the Maui coast, none the less a whale watching tour brings you really close to those giants of the ocean. We did a tour with the <a href="http://www.pacificwhale.org/">Pacific Whale Foundation</a> starting from Lahaina. Impressive was the hydrophone they put into the sea to listen to the whales during the tour.<br />I did most of the pictures of the whales with a focal length from 200 to 300 mm, again using my Sigma 70-300 mm lens. Be careful with exposure times, although the whales are moving relatively slow, they are still moving and the boat is a bit shaky.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnJcP0iag9o-3jmLetmFSS0EpXrVBWdGIZPPrqn2DlCgXsYiIdV1x8SfmV_0wciWv9qxaJn1bD7kV3J6r2iDaXfcp9gsLn2QRFeJk4fPalJuU_KR2F0rsFtas3xxUwh7_lkB7W6WkoC8/s1600-h/IMGP4547.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnJcP0iag9o-3jmLetmFSS0EpXrVBWdGIZPPrqn2DlCgXsYiIdV1x8SfmV_0wciWv9qxaJn1bD7kV3J6r2iDaXfcp9gsLn2QRFeJk4fPalJuU_KR2F0rsFtas3xxUwh7_lkB7W6WkoC8/s400/IMGP4547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302213736383595346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlmTkPaqk3gasFMfT1dHo_y3L0-oNeJOf0b6lNKFsfTyuACCki9BCXlO0pcPM86kOBU3d0_JQQL5rHY0G52s28jHOdFnIdalc8GKYm77ezUPAF4KYmi5V5U0WQDLMSVyZRaj3_wdoZBk/s1600-h/IMGP4578.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlmTkPaqk3gasFMfT1dHo_y3L0-oNeJOf0b6lNKFsfTyuACCki9BCXlO0pcPM86kOBU3d0_JQQL5rHY0G52s28jHOdFnIdalc8GKYm77ezUPAF4KYmi5V5U0WQDLMSVyZRaj3_wdoZBk/s400/IMGP4578.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302213737990421874" border="0" /></a>Whales of Maui<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Road to Hana on Maui</span><br />Rumors say the road to Hana has more than 400 turns, I didn’t count them! The road passes waterfalls, jungle, wild coast and lots of beautiful viewpoints. Start early and take your time to make plenty stops.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y5FcgbVNeTn0YdMPbyC8K7u7eway4P9fiAzwU5q8VK1yS4sKnY9LNOwouOU4MWbFdAcrdZsSeIlxSGQ9t3c5G5hyac7lZ1VJKQcZj2ViLwd0g0o_w_vUh6eQg7raMUp0nLi9v0MAH08/s1600-h/IMGP4334.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y5FcgbVNeTn0YdMPbyC8K7u7eway4P9fiAzwU5q8VK1yS4sKnY9LNOwouOU4MWbFdAcrdZsSeIlxSGQ9t3c5G5hyac7lZ1VJKQcZj2ViLwd0g0o_w_vUh6eQg7raMUp0nLi9v0MAH08/s400/IMGP4334.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305241980304765586" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM__V-UWh6gCSiwTNBkJl9tB4QlnqSaV6riibUhyt-HITZTi4N95_ySPpr452RZ-2NaMjvkPjuvPjzXc4KJShx0q5Oa9qGabGlF4DqK6V71B4ZM-jxdO20nNjb3A2D8kgaPFS-n_HnvH4/s1600-h/IMGP4377.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 450px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM__V-UWh6gCSiwTNBkJl9tB4QlnqSaV6riibUhyt-HITZTi4N95_ySPpr452RZ-2NaMjvkPjuvPjzXc4KJShx0q5Oa9qGabGlF4DqK6V71B4ZM-jxdO20nNjb3A2D8kgaPFS-n_HnvH4/s400/IMGP4377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302215576273886226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpY08id81YjPDIhrTxn9jj88_I3H2D7CTJ_azKImvMx8v_aHedSGqiONn47DlzhMoj_GiswaHA1qcVtddMUHefaf_s8n33Z6t4ExrDEeNgDcR3BHTieXteee0WynfbO7Te3HqjUJXABOc/s1600-h/IMGP4438.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpY08id81YjPDIhrTxn9jj88_I3H2D7CTJ_azKImvMx8v_aHedSGqiONn47DlzhMoj_GiswaHA1qcVtddMUHefaf_s8n33Z6t4ExrDEeNgDcR3BHTieXteee0WynfbO7Te3HqjUJXABOc/s400/IMGP4438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302215582126920370" border="0" /></a>Road to Hana with plenty of beautiful places<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Helicopter flight in Kauai</span><br />The impressive Waimea Canyon, Na Pali Coast and other Kauai sights are a fantastic surrounding for a helicopter flight. We did the flight with Blue Hawaiian.<br />If you are into photography during a helicopter flight you might want to consider the following points:<br />The windows of the helicopter produces reflexions and flares, there are several possibilities to avoid them. The easiest: take a doors-off flight (we didn’t). If you take the more convenient flight with doors, wear dark clothes (reflections usually come from light coloured things in the helicopter e.g. the people inside the helicopter) and use a polarizer filter, although it has a negative effect of rising the exposure time!<br />The recommended focal length is 15 to 70 mm. Use exposure times higher than 1/250 second, the helicopter is sometimes moving fast and you have some vibrations from the engine and the air.<br />The seating in the helicopter is based on the weight; lighter people are seated in the front or on the windows, while the heavier ones sit on the back middle seats.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs_og67XXtpxTI61pu88RxTLM0JX7_sJaePq9GEB7dkoZS1X-uHQEzK1O2H28X96g_mrzt0lpNhWc0RKTE3o8xErUhvlkd6OTUkSaUkN38HGHjMGWK-hRorHuJ1i-pncDx3RUA-9zIvY/s1600-h/IMGP4713.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 451px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs_og67XXtpxTI61pu88RxTLM0JX7_sJaePq9GEB7dkoZS1X-uHQEzK1O2H28X96g_mrzt0lpNhWc0RKTE3o8xErUhvlkd6OTUkSaUkN38HGHjMGWK-hRorHuJ1i-pncDx3RUA-9zIvY/s400/IMGP4713.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302215581511143506" border="0" /></a>Waimea Canyon<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMb6IxreE8VxSsYWQb5guDWpaul3O1q2zHfseUbUqOCybCENb47OM5QZRHMvVqFYw1ri_gRX8FRTZNQo2M4txAUBuzBV6O3qEKJ_ZwFAiTaR24XddzyJTu2QewIQ4JkhIn3ohtti6Iuw/s1600-h/IMGP4732.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMb6IxreE8VxSsYWQb5guDWpaul3O1q2zHfseUbUqOCybCENb47OM5QZRHMvVqFYw1ri_gRX8FRTZNQo2M4txAUBuzBV6O3qEKJ_ZwFAiTaR24XddzyJTu2QewIQ4JkhIn3ohtti6Iuw/s400/IMGP4732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302215590181588514" border="0" /></a>Na Pali Coast<br /></div><br />I prepared <a href="http://zinsstag.com/Slideshow/Hawaii2009/">a slideshow with more pictures from Hawaii</a> that includes more waterfalls, orchids, Haleakala Mountain, sea turtles and many other impressions from this beautiful islands.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-43287527587782994722009-02-08T18:16:00.003+01:002009-02-08T18:21:42.469+01:00Tokyo and Hawaii GaleriesI created two galleries with a collection of pictures from my recent trip to Tokyo and Hawaii.<br /><ul><li><a href="http://zinsstag.com/Slideshow/Japan2008/">Tokyo and Japan gallery</a></li><li><a href="http://zinsstag.com/Slideshow/Hawaii2009/">Hawaii gallery</a></li></ul>The photos were taken with the Pentax K100D and the following lenses<br />Pentax SMC-DA 1:3,5-5,6 18-55 mm AL,<br />Sigma 1:4-5,6 DL 70-300 mm,<br />Sigma 1:2,8 105mm EX Macro.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-87114638445176268932009-01-21T18:18:00.006+01:002009-01-21T18:54:41.933+01:00Tokyo - Shinjuku, Akasaka and general tips (Day 4)We spent the last day of our trip to Tokyo in the district of Shinjuku and at the Hie Shrine in Akasaka.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some general information and advices for travelling to Tokyo:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where we stayed:</span> Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, which we can recommend, as long as you get a good rate (we paid around 100 € per night, booked at <a href="http://www.hotels.co.uk/pageDetails.do?viewTab=photos&destinationId=D1474120-AF9F-48D3-917C-B4673EDD264C&hotelId=232630">hotels.com</a>). The hotel is located in the center of Tokyo and a subway station is located in front of the hotel. This offers a quite good connection to all places of interest. The Limousin Bus Services is connecting the Hotel directly with the Narita Airport, this bus is a very convenient way to commute between Narita and the city, a ticket is 3000 YEN..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Were we dined and wined:</span> Most of the places didn’t have their names written in Latin, so it’s hard to recommend one precisely. The food quality was in general good and not to expensive compared to Germany. For two persons we paid between 2000 and 5000 YEN. Remarkable was the sushi in a restaurant around the fish market and the food in the restaurant of the museum located in the New Tokyo Forum.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Guide books we used: </span>We used for the preparation and while exploring the city three German guide books on Japan and Tokyo. I did the short summery of this guide books in German.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marco Polo Reiseführer Tokyo:</span> Wir empfanden das Buch sehr nützlich, um einen schnellen Überblick zur Planung der Tage in der Stadt zu bekommen. Die aktuelle Auflage ist eben erst erschienen und lieferte aktuelle und präzise Informationen. Auf den 140 Seiten wird freilich kaum auf Details eingegangen. Aber auch beim Erkunden der Stadt ist der Reiseführer ein guter Begleiter mit einem guten Stadtplan und Metrokarte, der auch in die Jackentasche passt. <a href="http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3829705700?ie=UTF8&tag=hinterhofgart-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1638&creative=6742&creativeASIN=3829705700">Marco Polo Reiseführer Tokyo bei Amazon</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tokyo mit Kyoto und Yokohama:</span> Dieser Reiseführer beschreibt viele Details und eignet sich gut, um sich intensiver mit einzelnen Sehenswürdigkeiten und mit der Geschichte und Kultur zu beschäftigen. <a href="http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3831715092?ie=UTF8&tag=hinterhofgart-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1638&creative=6742&creativeASIN=3831715092">Tokyo mit Kyoto und Yokohama bei Amazon</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vis a Vis, Japan (DK):</span> Der Dorling Kindersley Japan Reiseführer wartet mit den bekannten dreidimensionalen Zeichnungen auf. Wie so oft bei DK empfinde ich den Reiseführer als zu oberflächlich. Er ist nett anzusehen, aber punktet nicht beim Informationsgehalt, außerdem ist er auf relativ schwerem Papier gedruckt, was ihn nicht zum optimalen Reisebegleitet macht. Letztendlich haben wir diesen Reiseführer kaum genutzt. <a href="http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3831000557?ie=UTF8&tag=hinterhofgart-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1638&creative=6742&creativeASIN=3831000557">Vis a Vis, Japan (DK) bei Amazon</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Useful links:</span><br /><a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html">Japan Guide</a><br /><a href="http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/">Airport Limousin Service</a><br /><a href="http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/">Tobu line leaving Asakusa station for Nikko</a>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-25340581306062155432009-01-16T22:52:00.008+01:002012-01-23T23:21:39.510+01:00Tokyo - Emperors palace, Asakusa and Ginza (Day 3)It was December 23, the emperor’s birthday, a national holiday and one of two days of the year when the inner palace garden is open to the public and we missed it! We missed it because we tried to enter the palace by a closed entrance and all the guards didn’t really speak English, so instead of going directly to the only open gate we walked from one to another just to learn that the next one was closed too. At least we had a chance to take a look at the regularly open gardens later the day. The garden of the palace is not overwhelming and there are for sure more impressive gardens in the world, but it has some nice details and even end of December it surprised us with some colors.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_4QmmXzNOMyv8b9v8EUQLg2PKtYtF8_Q8CES6Pgig9uIbE7xkp9ZnTMJtizm00H6-y7NWfBl-dWsAcLpolPjp-iqcF6kc1qKrcSPKdRDx5QSRZn2B3GABRWNIHW8jspKngrCoKJyFTQ/s1600-h/IMGP3337.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292013659146245698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_4QmmXzNOMyv8b9v8EUQLg2PKtYtF8_Q8CES6Pgig9uIbE7xkp9ZnTMJtizm00H6-y7NWfBl-dWsAcLpolPjp-iqcF6kc1qKrcSPKdRDx5QSRZn2B3GABRWNIHW8jspKngrCoKJyFTQ/s400/IMGP3337.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 451px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Tradition meets modernity once more<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MY-S-sTjkWrr9XsiNzJB_3ZUKPOmuX22UR-jDYMbHnh2yh25xLlteRft6XnT3aoyiCYEgs4FFycFhwDIyNF-G4qexf3-BoXaB9IKlKDFS1kQmW3RDzAaGNvpfSFxbmSYUrMe5RpcnHI/s1600-h/IMGP3352.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292013662382114498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MY-S-sTjkWrr9XsiNzJB_3ZUKPOmuX22UR-jDYMbHnh2yh25xLlteRft6XnT3aoyiCYEgs4FFycFhwDIyNF-G4qexf3-BoXaB9IKlKDFS1kQmW3RDzAaGNvpfSFxbmSYUrMe5RpcnHI/s400/IMGP3352.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a>Fall is still greeting<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbcQ7qtvYciW96ZB3Z2piOL3wq20DOFZmNjt5mdblU3s_ecRw9ky5W_VsFFVubx0i4goziKM4QFULHvwTIithOaDCImsRfxrp739B5-j3Y0Q3EBYMGYy9rEWb3bp2rs9IRTT6snks5DQ/s1600-h/IMGP3359.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292013667289936354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbcQ7qtvYciW96ZB3Z2piOL3wq20DOFZmNjt5mdblU3s_ecRw9ky5W_VsFFVubx0i4goziKM4QFULHvwTIithOaDCImsRfxrp739B5-j3Y0Q3EBYMGYy9rEWb3bp2rs9IRTT6snks5DQ/s400/IMGP3359.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 451px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Bamboo<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH6bhWNBN9oP1Q-XIFLB538-AriM2qc35l5Fm24KvBWqbPOSNjxps5fPbMDtPJD-KJJa5h-vLrIofG26uHSX76RA-KtXdvfZwzis1tqJrZFZbgH43_ZwWRG_Ra4-1iiT1TDzZwPKLHdk/s1600-h/IMGP3381.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292013676282318818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH6bhWNBN9oP1Q-XIFLB538-AriM2qc35l5Fm24KvBWqbPOSNjxps5fPbMDtPJD-KJJa5h-vLrIofG26uHSX76RA-KtXdvfZwzis1tqJrZFZbgH43_ZwWRG_Ra4-1iiT1TDzZwPKLHdk/s400/IMGP3381.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 301px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a>Reflections<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSYcidoSzVlBM1GxtPOD2wjJQw1U6XVcQ6R6yhPB-jzAdiBYB3zcE0wpcPaVoP1z2h5wwqiy09UEKp7DQ0OeCR2Mo64E84FRQES2_plg9M1aRC5R_wleMRg-E31i1AjSGhbZJP5NJQtA/s1600-h/IMGP3385.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292013681432148274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSYcidoSzVlBM1GxtPOD2wjJQw1U6XVcQ6R6yhPB-jzAdiBYB3zcE0wpcPaVoP1z2h5wwqiy09UEKp7DQ0OeCR2Mo64E84FRQES2_plg9M1aRC5R_wleMRg-E31i1AjSGhbZJP5NJQtA/s400/IMGP3385.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 299px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a>Camellias blossom in wintertime</div><br />
We spent the afternoon in Asakusa, where the quarter close to the Sensoji Temple (also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) was very populated that day.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsGWd4hgBVZURpSKCCq50uvhs3i6Har5pz1V_2fpOu0vG2SwgyEayTo-sjHSuSUfdbOEmPhyphenhyphen1-x97GJpyIMpc_poA48D_GCIg_3VbZiHDMThLE8WNSkw69UmDZOmquAK9_bMrFuBK0To/s1600-h/IMGP3418.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292014426236975186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsGWd4hgBVZURpSKCCq50uvhs3i6Har5pz1V_2fpOu0vG2SwgyEayTo-sjHSuSUfdbOEmPhyphenhyphen1-x97GJpyIMpc_poA48D_GCIg_3VbZiHDMThLE8WNSkw69UmDZOmquAK9_bMrFuBK0To/s400/IMGP3418.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 299px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc8pGiWdqJeaMYZr_Pxbfy_oEPQxpy1b3XVG95swx8QUZnRxQWJBRcvbgwCAnaPK6oVnsbYq4jiNSDcTr7_KYvTrQ2q724IXfKSEMnnbzkKYd9DaLeuN6D-tSqUb5PS52FhXuy8vj2GE/s1600-h/IMGP3427.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292014442870478626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc8pGiWdqJeaMYZr_Pxbfy_oEPQxpy1b3XVG95swx8QUZnRxQWJBRcvbgwCAnaPK6oVnsbYq4jiNSDcTr7_KYvTrQ2q724IXfKSEMnnbzkKYd9DaLeuN6D-tSqUb5PS52FhXuy8vj2GE/s400/IMGP3427.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 449px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Popular Sensoji Temple</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzTcW-UXyBpJFrsFz7jmIBWxF47nFGXiyFfA-f1LedLPAYLV2zREznJD0_eeh-85KvaSfwOvOFcdlsbP3u9Nl8JqfvQFvvIOgx5xr_ONE5gVmLcV1DGUK1EOyEjFt6Y5p_HqZEzyeS3k/s1600-h/IMGP3420.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292014435253177298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzTcW-UXyBpJFrsFz7jmIBWxF47nFGXiyFfA-f1LedLPAYLV2zREznJD0_eeh-85KvaSfwOvOFcdlsbP3u9Nl8JqfvQFvvIOgx5xr_ONE5gVmLcV1DGUK1EOyEjFt6Y5p_HqZEzyeS3k/s400/IMGP3420.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 449px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Traditional clothes are not so rare here<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAH4HlRWVzmcHVy9lLutT8gV0SmuFUMOfBD6M18nKbIiuQL0nEo4qh1UqW2kBXPSBLR-uV8SnxTGduXpR7q3ZGblxCN61mKZ2b4fU1TB7Xvk-MVITu7JWfK_Z3SdxL9FpeVut8aOOlMg/s1600-h/IMGP3474.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292014444908788786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAH4HlRWVzmcHVy9lLutT8gV0SmuFUMOfBD6M18nKbIiuQL0nEo4qh1UqW2kBXPSBLR-uV8SnxTGduXpR7q3ZGblxCN61mKZ2b4fU1TB7Xvk-MVITu7JWfK_Z3SdxL9FpeVut8aOOlMg/s400/IMGP3474.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a>Colorful Tokyo</div><br />
City signs. Tokyo is full of colorful signs and banners, advertisement, directions, ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRoInWrmYJVXyAYoJRniPLX26jXWW4GuqJ7ahNpD9__kdqzSKmFo-n9Gt8yQnj9VOiPTlgkIQFb7zjeb4Y9J3UpQjRmzEJVfHj4sGj0h-XZM7loPjFttL-9C2qMlLZOOySeMT3Q_0UiY/s1600-h/IMGP3583.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292015503486680178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRoInWrmYJVXyAYoJRniPLX26jXWW4GuqJ7ahNpD9__kdqzSKmFo-n9Gt8yQnj9VOiPTlgkIQFb7zjeb4Y9J3UpQjRmzEJVfHj4sGj0h-XZM7loPjFttL-9C2qMlLZOOySeMT3Q_0UiY/s400/IMGP3583.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 451px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTadz9HlOW89jowqjU42K_Cpk7amNgBaShAk61edi2zPTXG5K_5l5qVVd8Lo-76k2fEu5xIzmtl8Tx5BMdAbIgtTaCXHBLohQUdGe1EjlJAFopaddv6mqzb33xIL0Ot6Hq8IIR7MBflXM/s1600-h/IMGP3325.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292015487859444450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTadz9HlOW89jowqjU42K_Cpk7amNgBaShAk61edi2zPTXG5K_5l5qVVd8Lo-76k2fEu5xIzmtl8Tx5BMdAbIgtTaCXHBLohQUdGe1EjlJAFopaddv6mqzb33xIL0Ot6Hq8IIR7MBflXM/s400/IMGP3325.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 451px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ibjaD0V7tpk2CaFFFI-AJKeX1DTQ6yGiMjT7TjFtd9ET3o5glztm-G6pJSpMqFR6JOBuRwEnCLUPg9yaZmPqnRoiPMoUICFbxBkndUvXYpa-sERcEMtRbvddA8W3nGUzpdnj2bRKVTg/s1600-h/IMGP3573_corr.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292015494593468114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ibjaD0V7tpk2CaFFFI-AJKeX1DTQ6yGiMjT7TjFtd9ET3o5glztm-G6pJSpMqFR6JOBuRwEnCLUPg9yaZmPqnRoiPMoUICFbxBkndUvXYpa-sERcEMtRbvddA8W3nGUzpdnj2bRKVTg/s400/IMGP3573_corr.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 312px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6M_CRGOCWiToHp3W34yfH2tuJJrIMKm25XOLrMNw-h4F_m6nA_k1zOopo8JRe3aeIw8CBMdk42dRWXfTAF2ns_lpl04jsmDuGWlbmu0_qpC-o_m6dRVp9f5fMgYpddp3vLP-3kJwoAU/s1600-h/IMGP3398.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292016548093387826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6M_CRGOCWiToHp3W34yfH2tuJJrIMKm25XOLrMNw-h4F_m6nA_k1zOopo8JRe3aeIw8CBMdk42dRWXfTAF2ns_lpl04jsmDuGWlbmu0_qpC-o_m6dRVp9f5fMgYpddp3vLP-3kJwoAU/s400/IMGP3398.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-5976871567745089322009-01-15T11:17:00.012+01:002009-01-15T15:37:01.143+01:00Tokyo – Fish Market and Nikko (Day 2)We started the second day in Tokyo with a visit at the Tsukiji Fish Market, which is the biggest fish market in the world. The access is open to everybody, you want to be there early in the morning. The fish auction starts around five in the morning and the markets business continues ‘til 10 o’clock or even longer. From the Tsukijishijo metro Station or Shimbashi train station you can easily walk to the market. Before you enter the actual fish market, you will pass some small streets with stands that offer everything from fruits and vegetables to household goods, in between some sushi places. We selected one of this sushi places after visiting the fish market for a sushi breakfast, which was excellent.<br /><br />The fish market is unbelievable busy and as a visitor you should respect the people and their work, it’s not a show, it is hard and serious work!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Some rules that you should obey<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Waer closed shoes, its slippery and wet.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Be there early.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Do not enter areas restricted to authorized personnel!</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Do not obstruct traffic!</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Do not take flash photography during the tuna auction!</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Do not bring small children or pets!</span></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiL1zo8qABKZNNYqML_hLFDKhCvncI8T6ZV6bCTRN1HVsQk_v0dTOcEx0vA4g8RbhVPLDGY6u3-gJUklIeq2P5ONeFdZLp5MHJTsUtbOMtlggdggpt1EPpPVyg0b-tB5lIFa1wR8PmcQ/s1600-h/IMGP3223.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiL1zo8qABKZNNYqML_hLFDKhCvncI8T6ZV6bCTRN1HVsQk_v0dTOcEx0vA4g8RbhVPLDGY6u3-gJUklIeq2P5ONeFdZLp5MHJTsUtbOMtlggdggpt1EPpPVyg0b-tB5lIFa1wR8PmcQ/s400/IMGP3223.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465152615611970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInOit1nbXZ4Ey75katoWtjnOcPuIi5tuSRlcoN-aJAVUo9YCe5dzs46xEQ5g6Zekqh5vfm4JJBX-fAMxzFVSrf4CJmCoidT75e3Om2pTeMTfuafFlCajr73oe5hcZYN4mVBRcWHkWtAE/s1600-h/IMGP3245.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInOit1nbXZ4Ey75katoWtjnOcPuIi5tuSRlcoN-aJAVUo9YCe5dzs46xEQ5g6Zekqh5vfm4JJBX-fAMxzFVSrf4CJmCoidT75e3Om2pTeMTfuafFlCajr73oe5hcZYN4mVBRcWHkWtAE/s400/IMGP3245.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465162645220866" border="0" /></a>Selection of all kind of seafood<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHHiBtv-_SScTB6FqCeovXcl6a1Ow1XmQ-1jQ5yIuw_L5clJXODqpZ5gvOjoVap8Gk787GE2uhRfQqllrhOR70sLwwNKFL0lkDKKe0-C8cYjwARLx-hTPXvgm2JoYwZK-2xuG8uR6_sk/s1600-h/IMGP3257.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 451px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHHiBtv-_SScTB6FqCeovXcl6a1Ow1XmQ-1jQ5yIuw_L5clJXODqpZ5gvOjoVap8Gk787GE2uhRfQqllrhOR70sLwwNKFL0lkDKKe0-C8cYjwARLx-hTPXvgm2JoYwZK-2xuG8uR6_sk/s400/IMGP3257.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465381112271282" border="0" /></a>Blocks of ice…<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xGd-0D8whweJWaynnX5hlosef1JcJtxb7wpjERO67aao65DAa29B2n7d2n9-Xp51-rlvD1EN1QkQRDSEXKT8Nr9XUJUuA7zBO9fYE8e-TnXZTjpAz8oiAvCgHCDd5q-Is1eMRf2zi-k/s1600-h/IMGP3259.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xGd-0D8whweJWaynnX5hlosef1JcJtxb7wpjERO67aao65DAa29B2n7d2n9-Xp51-rlvD1EN1QkQRDSEXKT8Nr9XUJUuA7zBO9fYE8e-TnXZTjpAz8oiAvCgHCDd5q-Is1eMRf2zi-k/s400/IMGP3259.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465380489280770" border="0" /></a>…are crushed with this old machine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeOYuqeo0ohizapdA3E8FOyrrpul4uTZsxAnk2Yfv1MOy2pOpFc3IBmhbjN71FpvbIMV_qv9gOJEeDJr8JiITWvoRphZDOO00tB7gzIez36gD-MGJViCsCM_cwI9MbeQdKnmBpJOQGO0/s1600-h/IMGP3221.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeOYuqeo0ohizapdA3E8FOyrrpul4uTZsxAnk2Yfv1MOy2pOpFc3IBmhbjN71FpvbIMV_qv9gOJEeDJr8JiITWvoRphZDOO00tB7gzIez36gD-MGJViCsCM_cwI9MbeQdKnmBpJOQGO0/s400/IMGP3221.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291528720265251394" border="0" /></a>These carts might hit you!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KNFRIVkUb5qMsqp56CyBQgOBU1xidjmaJqhvRJ04pXeGtL51x-3wrv0zpEy7A54F3kG7H-zOSATTBheGumoFFPd0UsNac9txOKdsSavOz8OntTq0Y-XgpBEJrW9J_Z5pRxBU8tCSnWg/s1600-h/IMGP3241.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 449px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KNFRIVkUb5qMsqp56CyBQgOBU1xidjmaJqhvRJ04pXeGtL51x-3wrv0zpEy7A54F3kG7H-zOSATTBheGumoFFPd0UsNac9txOKdsSavOz8OntTq0Y-XgpBEJrW9J_Z5pRxBU8tCSnWg/s400/IMGP3241.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465155773157890" border="0" /></a>Tuna deep frozen…<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3uo035FM_eUn8_A-U-4Y-KkIeDub2ySi4_OIjCOSJhK4_0kV_Ov07LcBUsQzCNKZMkOYauS3qronHLaAXp58cc4o_el9mLL09DRfXUgHackNsQOtcruzyxFo5SiUSnqntAoazrsRUYU/s1600-h/IMGP3226.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 450px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3uo035FM_eUn8_A-U-4Y-KkIeDub2ySi4_OIjCOSJhK4_0kV_Ov07LcBUsQzCNKZMkOYauS3qronHLaAXp58cc4o_el9mLL09DRfXUgHackNsQOtcruzyxFo5SiUSnqntAoazrsRUYU/s400/IMGP3226.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291528714451248898" border="0" /></a>…and freshly prepared<br /></div><br />Strengthened with the sushi breakfast we went to the Asakasa train station to hit a train towards Nikko. The city of Nikko offers a group of beautiful temples which are protected as a UNESCO world heritage. And a Japanese saying is “don’t say awesome, before you have seen Nikko”. Nikko is about 2 hours north of Tokyo. Unfortuneatly it started to rain on the way to Nikko and the temperature droped by some 10°C.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKSmZAx8Fkr1SmK_rtbFDT5fv3KPH3r_T_jbqfXnjufyc9FUCkloRUCQt5pj6UEvCXcLodc5pYxUkGiAkBgM0bP-cmtym3azHJ2q5JlisREqmaCEAcvmnFgI98NO-MvH-oQe7tfP2rv8/s1600-h/IMGP3290.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 450px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKSmZAx8Fkr1SmK_rtbFDT5fv3KPH3r_T_jbqfXnjufyc9FUCkloRUCQt5pj6UEvCXcLodc5pYxUkGiAkBgM0bP-cmtym3azHJ2q5JlisREqmaCEAcvmnFgI98NO-MvH-oQe7tfP2rv8/s400/IMGP3290.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465384437443618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBw72byhXAWU4-u-souziE1acpcDV0MlWVGvvujxmT4JpgrSMhmEpIWxy3osbHeUH9ZKhD8_MxntXIh80YK_uznR4AVsWc6M_Sc1NMc3rlKYHmA-Q6y5VjML-ph27e5E24evfwgs9ENc/s1600-h/IMGP3315_corr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 450px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBw72byhXAWU4-u-souziE1acpcDV0MlWVGvvujxmT4JpgrSMhmEpIWxy3osbHeUH9ZKhD8_MxntXIh80YK_uznR4AVsWc6M_Sc1NMc3rlKYHmA-Q6y5VjML-ph27e5E24evfwgs9ENc/s400/IMGP3315_corr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465462305659858" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRT0HasVcF8_jQz6I04RnHlOtxQk3pgxGP7LdrBhoapv_MGKdjtQ_ylMahVm99ZJ75ir12Zsoku2D9n30jiOIzhTDs2JoWuhPruBHJdcVmDfJSX4M6Z-zipnrZJLZ2KQtDlpcNXRFfN8/s1600-h/IMGP3295.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRT0HasVcF8_jQz6I04RnHlOtxQk3pgxGP7LdrBhoapv_MGKdjtQ_ylMahVm99ZJ75ir12Zsoku2D9n30jiOIzhTDs2JoWuhPruBHJdcVmDfJSX4M6Z-zipnrZJLZ2KQtDlpcNXRFfN8/s400/IMGP3295.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465383175236530" border="0" /></a>Impressions of Nikko, due to the clouds and the rain, the pictures are by fare not as colorful as the reality.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DDpY04_cSCuH4R2vJM7YFs1tl71W57BczleERGWCCidIax4KomGAmnc94ihQ_dcFocRCWSxYUsjKGl_532MODY_nM0i00_-4IwiuqIZpXi5cHvLKeFgSHdxMlv1CrkUFJg5ExP9qRMM/s1600-h/IMGP3297.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DDpY04_cSCuH4R2vJM7YFs1tl71W57BczleERGWCCidIax4KomGAmnc94ihQ_dcFocRCWSxYUsjKGl_532MODY_nM0i00_-4IwiuqIZpXi5cHvLKeFgSHdxMlv1CrkUFJg5ExP9qRMM/s400/IMGP3297.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291465389722126770" border="0" /></a>One of the famous Nikko masterpieces: the three apes<br /></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-38789546136163936612009-01-15T10:03:00.008+01:002009-01-15T11:17:13.400+01:00Tokyo - Meji Shrine and Shibuya (Day 1)Our first day lead us to the Meiji Shrine and via Omotesando to the Shibuya station.<br />This first trip offered a first impression how tradition and religion meet modern live in Japan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCexZJlNb_S-9rWKtf6iSJt2JEMaUgMxEn2gH_7bcVHHNPE6Kb2CRkfOQfZmE4cmMMcna9KzE7yJSQBgJfHLU42i3TXv5a9VqgwNrP1OZHeFa0Ra-F6mmQTusoqWojH7iXVw0RXJ-VTo/s1600-h/IMGP3132.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCexZJlNb_S-9rWKtf6iSJt2JEMaUgMxEn2gH_7bcVHHNPE6Kb2CRkfOQfZmE4cmMMcna9KzE7yJSQBgJfHLU42i3TXv5a9VqgwNrP1OZHeFa0Ra-F6mmQTusoqWojH7iXVw0RXJ-VTo/s400/IMGP3132.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445475446244434" border="0" /></a>One of the Toriis of the Meiji Shrine<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDCFbmf3Z0lZ0Muilz0QjG9J0wRtlw5QtIHZSr5anoQNNk01oLdLGl0J_nat6MY7eh5_rapaNnK1Xdwfj170r4SrAY7q-fdDRRE-1aoPFZv0P9eC0-Wk-VY8eL7HHg2J4BO1UnceH1rU/s1600-h/IMGP3083.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDCFbmf3Z0lZ0Muilz0QjG9J0wRtlw5QtIHZSr5anoQNNk01oLdLGl0J_nat6MY7eh5_rapaNnK1Xdwfj170r4SrAY7q-fdDRRE-1aoPFZv0P9eC0-Wk-VY8eL7HHg2J4BO1UnceH1rU/s400/IMGP3083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445474589588770" border="0" /></a>Barrels of Sake which were donated by companies<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PcUco17VnmNeYp4cQDdUDQg7cqQAA-9HtQjpsJkAyxgFYXUSx-8BwBj1BY7GNdsjc5r-QOfazX1IDWIimp9WCIAPGxJXCdFsrZrH0bkCaptrjoLWItm7YghbbU-Gb9BsA8BCLpsLRLI/s1600-h/IMGP3091.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 449px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PcUco17VnmNeYp4cQDdUDQg7cqQAA-9HtQjpsJkAyxgFYXUSx-8BwBj1BY7GNdsjc5r-QOfazX1IDWIimp9WCIAPGxJXCdFsrZrH0bkCaptrjoLWItm7YghbbU-Gb9BsA8BCLpsLRLI/s400/IMGP3091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445479734346370" border="0" /></a>Little girl…<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7zinBPMNFCxYGHpdFfsQUM4Vh1TgtOSqIzld0TrcBPVd0j_x10NX-F5b-IVtmiH0OlOecdDGG-thfRk74rpfLsi8tL4T4HZKjATNvF8BZjaiS5ONlxWms1n2nE45q4rD-F0r2QS-p3k/s1600-h/IMGP3110.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 449px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7zinBPMNFCxYGHpdFfsQUM4Vh1TgtOSqIzld0TrcBPVd0j_x10NX-F5b-IVtmiH0OlOecdDGG-thfRk74rpfLsi8tL4T4HZKjATNvF8BZjaiS5ONlxWms1n2nE45q4rD-F0r2QS-p3k/s400/IMGP3110.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445476079347346" border="0" /></a>…and woman in traditional clothes<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwraIm5wWQB1jCshDlo-q-zLe5NOGlVEbyThncDG9w2Wfh7gMLdS_PlT5AS3OU-T7bWRbWkz8AyP-e5pGChhyXwfcUZ82X7g05ObPlULifX5PnmcDfu8lMaMaAoiM3R_8RMhnvWIpLis/s1600-h/IMGP3133.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 449px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwraIm5wWQB1jCshDlo-q-zLe5NOGlVEbyThncDG9w2Wfh7gMLdS_PlT5AS3OU-T7bWRbWkz8AyP-e5pGChhyXwfcUZ82X7g05ObPlULifX5PnmcDfu8lMaMaAoiM3R_8RMhnvWIpLis/s400/IMGP3133.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445480631299506" border="0" /></a>Nun in the shrine<br /></div><br />Quite impressive are the lights of the city, it seems nobody in Japan is concerned about high energy cost. Big screens and creative illuminations everywhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmPrzri_rt34q5kZ2aWN9-w1sdtFxfkkr-Z20b8WwqLjJ8KKw-deZ0rGE1zlXIvi-M3Tt-xW6Ut-Ct3eJowsOHFpuG-UT26k8fDKA8GoYygRAIDNH1l1U3RCrB59mw_Tx6NZnawrDo1c/s1600-h/IMGP3170.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmPrzri_rt34q5kZ2aWN9-w1sdtFxfkkr-Z20b8WwqLjJ8KKw-deZ0rGE1zlXIvi-M3Tt-xW6Ut-Ct3eJowsOHFpuG-UT26k8fDKA8GoYygRAIDNH1l1U3RCrB59mw_Tx6NZnawrDo1c/s400/IMGP3170.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445881683292002" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTTLp9l6LIWNI97qxmQK7KsHoAH0CAIhQKJQMRaWcHT4_JmADccmsoAXSAca009d_HQLzq5B06wOHVkg_2_Z9TE114XpEhjpa1x9d-xD-U29fSyc6dBWr0ZjHqJAZirq1UmxM0Upppt0/s1600-h/IMGP3161.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 452px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTTLp9l6LIWNI97qxmQK7KsHoAH0CAIhQKJQMRaWcHT4_JmADccmsoAXSAca009d_HQLzq5B06wOHVkg_2_Z9TE114XpEhjpa1x9d-xD-U29fSyc6dBWr0ZjHqJAZirq1UmxM0Upppt0/s400/IMGP3161.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445882908756818" border="0" /></a>I guess nowhere in the world is the density of premium brand boutiques as high as in Japan, two of many Chanel and Dior shops.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQfq9xjg3KFEiChJversz3IwqMawCtRv7dnt_Y6DdUrbf9BTKVtmNT_wSU0D3ugxCMJpy7vbtdxsj3-5uIG4m7OZRpsm5MEkjkVNMR89IX4xslEXSBbr_RDCuLnaA_MD0Dngl9p-kK3A/s1600-h/IMGP3180.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 452px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQfq9xjg3KFEiChJversz3IwqMawCtRv7dnt_Y6DdUrbf9BTKVtmNT_wSU0D3ugxCMJpy7vbtdxsj3-5uIG4m7OZRpsm5MEkjkVNMR89IX4xslEXSBbr_RDCuLnaA_MD0Dngl9p-kK3A/s400/IMGP3180.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445879599456914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQLzr7U6rgYMAlqk2ZR3YZwxfgtCz9VFA1B7FlbFuJ96C0EhU-we6p9mvnGoFapoGNjU5XeKFBg4YKkUztMvEwfesInfCa2Hu-UV7cDV3tiAney26cd16bFLpZKbpnNROFa9jHeePguc/s1600-h/IMGP3195.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQLzr7U6rgYMAlqk2ZR3YZwxfgtCz9VFA1B7FlbFuJ96C0EhU-we6p9mvnGoFapoGNjU5XeKFBg4YKkUztMvEwfesInfCa2Hu-UV7cDV3tiAney26cd16bFLpZKbpnNROFa9jHeePguc/s400/IMGP3195.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291445884487928866" border="0" /></a>Shibuya: busy, bright, colorful<br /></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-9184731433232588392009-01-15T10:01:00.004+01:002009-01-21T18:53:27.393+01:00Traveling Japan and HawaiiWe used the holiday season for traveling to Tokyo and Hawaii, which made this trip to a travel around the world. It was the first time for us to be in Japan as well as on Hawaii.<br /><br />Our schedule lead us to the following places:<br /><ul><li> Dec. 20 leaving Stuttgart, Germany </li><li> Dec. 21 in the morning arriving in Tokyo, Japan (<a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2009/01/tokyo-meji-shrine-and-shibuya-day-1.html">Day 1</a>, <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2009/01/tokyo-fish-market-and-nikko-day-2.html">Day 2</a>, <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2009/01/tokyo-emperors-palace-asakusa-and-ginza.html">Day 3</a>)</li><li>Dec. 24 leaving Tokyo on the evening (<a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/2009/01/tokyo-shinjuku-akasaka-and-general-tips.html">Day 4</a>)<br /></li><li> Dec. 24 arriving on Hawaii (Big Island) in the morning</li><li> Dec. 28 leaving the Big Island and arriving on Maui</li><li> Jan. 5 leaving for a short trip to Kauai</li><li> Jan. 6 returning to Maui</li><li> Jan. 9 leaving Maui with a half day stop in Honolulu</li><li> Jan. 11 arriving back in Stuttgart </li></ul>This three week travel offered lots of places for photographing and lots of things to experience. During the next days I will publish and share some of our experiences and off course also some pictures that I made recently.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-91993288255515051922008-11-18T09:04:00.017+01:002008-11-23T23:39:18.802+01:00Early winter in the mountainsWe spent the last weekend in the Kleinwalsertal, the Austrian valley that is only accessible from Germany and building a part of the ‘Allgäuer Alpen”. Mid November is an unusual time to spend a weekend in the mountains, ski areas are not open yet and the hiking season is over since it is getting colder and wetter and the first snow is covering the mountains. But anyway we had a great weekend, sunny days, some snow and cold nights.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4Wl81EDL8UaPwfnu9bJmTmWEPy-xfyqASfoVw-ti1oscgNCSXvnsDT2tLGxJDNdh4H5wH2JdlpY0PlIYOfwVV57V1Ce-KeGzospHYFRukUyYbgZMG8klU2G1g78N_q6kYoT7t4SA3cI/s1600-h/elfer-zwoelfer-widderstein.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4Wl81EDL8UaPwfnu9bJmTmWEPy-xfyqASfoVw-ti1oscgNCSXvnsDT2tLGxJDNdh4H5wH2JdlpY0PlIYOfwVV57V1Ce-KeGzospHYFRukUyYbgZMG8klU2G1g78N_q6kYoT7t4SA3cI/s400/elfer-zwoelfer-widderstein.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269908576175784834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, DA 18-55, 55 mm, 1:8, 1/30 s, ISO 200<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">First snow in the Kleinwalsertal with the dominating mountains: Elfer, Zwölfer and Widderstein<br /></span></div><br />We did some small hikes along ice covered creeks up to the snow covered parts of the mountains. The thin layer of snow and the building ice crust were made to shot some pictures.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCdbV41GrGuELY7S2741SNkAVCz0N6ZpUbURi-KiHVZlu3YVS0uF0NfGFuR50SA5jMHeMx0dKBkFdEckGeRVTl4GY2b6H4raabD9NxPYV3QTd2Fb6ebHSM_fatshM1elNCpVaRh2Q0ms/s1600-h/gras-snow-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 449px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCdbV41GrGuELY7S2741SNkAVCz0N6ZpUbURi-KiHVZlu3YVS0uF0NfGFuR50SA5jMHeMx0dKBkFdEckGeRVTl4GY2b6H4raabD9NxPYV3QTd2Fb6ebHSM_fatshM1elNCpVaRh2Q0ms/s400/gras-snow-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269908577534120930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, DA 18-55, 55 mm, 1:8, 1/30 s, ISO 200<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiy8t6WPxVo8jgf_H-FQuuqcUiChktJsjRN16kc_U1XqP4MkeD0VR6JeUnHyvyVvHbIbmWE1gap4aOnPXNyCmblmlt_3NZguezICrwfGBB-rwp_ebZySo-DMh8EhbHGI1Olr3K4lxV0k/s1600-h/gras-snow-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 449px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiy8t6WPxVo8jgf_H-FQuuqcUiChktJsjRN16kc_U1XqP4MkeD0VR6JeUnHyvyVvHbIbmWE1gap4aOnPXNyCmblmlt_3NZguezICrwfGBB-rwp_ebZySo-DMh8EhbHGI1Olr3K4lxV0k/s400/gras-snow-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271983609449663106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, Sigma 70-300, 210 mm, 1:13, 1/500 s, ISO 400</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Gras looking through the first snow of the year</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-3D1P0Uu1ZdIIXAgg0ZP8aA5-tvcSGKVuqaOiIoRiXAsrQSUoexzFFFI99UU91k0KfQ4usAdeM9b_a6oVp8zGQrKenBqNefRc1a2Hpd4g-3E67o2VdkTsBhABz3z_exB_xrWzU7MKUU/s1600-h/water-ice-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-3D1P0Uu1ZdIIXAgg0ZP8aA5-tvcSGKVuqaOiIoRiXAsrQSUoexzFFFI99UU91k0KfQ4usAdeM9b_a6oVp8zGQrKenBqNefRc1a2Hpd4g-3E67o2VdkTsBhABz3z_exB_xrWzU7MKUU/s400/water-ice-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271983609440337538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, DA 18-55, 18 mm, 1:11, 1/20 s, ISO 200<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_uNiXcgZ0ieUIriyQPg5R1ShVS79BqbdtyDsOuLt5gCbC6pcOcGOkQ1S-v-PgWEkKBU-4dHXUmXWd18ZqTyoO5N5IRWuMfu5h_wwEep6BfGEdOwSXOt3gv3A-6IAwK7e3Bm-Qo88fNA/s1600-h/stones-ice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_uNiXcgZ0ieUIriyQPg5R1ShVS79BqbdtyDsOuLt5gCbC6pcOcGOkQ1S-v-PgWEkKBU-4dHXUmXWd18ZqTyoO5N5IRWuMfu5h_wwEep6BfGEdOwSXOt3gv3A-6IAwK7e3Bm-Qo88fNA/s400/stones-ice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271983602041580674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, DA 18-55, 30 mm, 1:8, 1/30 s, ISO 200</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Streaming ice – icy streams</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4b-NWmfCCxCt-jPqEh1aOG6jvG-AmcNit0rcdCAwE2l6AU4mACb6BptnQlrWRYk7jOOBVOIGvNDu_R-gJopZv886hojCjvRqKPZn60A2lrZuj2lohvFkkoYbqAo_MClGRCwTqO68EF-Y/s1600-h/Snow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4b-NWmfCCxCt-jPqEh1aOG6jvG-AmcNit0rcdCAwE2l6AU4mACb6BptnQlrWRYk7jOOBVOIGvNDu_R-gJopZv886hojCjvRqKPZn60A2lrZuj2lohvFkkoYbqAo_MClGRCwTqO68EF-Y/s400/Snow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269909163186639010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, Sigma 70-300, 160 mm, 1:4,5, 1/4000 s, ISO 400</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Waves of Snow</span><br /></div><br />More pictures from the <a href="http://zinsstag.blogspot.com/search/label/Kleinwalsertal">Kleinwalsertal in other posts</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfRwgfZWliM_i_5IU9v36j-JllzmCfbN_-5n1MxQLX3irLrJriYIMdHG8JLfzGpz-TwwQb_AWm390NyuGTtAygRbBG6z_zoDIjPsbV9FDj-Xyf_uOZR0M3fGl5YwFcICitJOvasTiccM/s1600-h/water-ice-1.jpg"><br /></a>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-58689679508315342962008-11-09T23:04:00.012+01:002008-11-23T23:05:51.844+01:00The new Porsche MuseumWe still wait in Stuttgart to see the opening of the new Porsche Museum. The opening is planed for early December. I took a look today how far they are. It is still a construction site but they work inside and even today on a Sunday there were people in. That's the way it looks on November 9:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqA8YPKI4eyBLlKct1uowRybWWZQl-AwCzWQd5_q78vRRXqVolhpMWCTyuBGdi50DL8Xc3HQ6iQb_q8Xa9u62nSV0DwfKhxt8AG9IL3a9rl6YusnxqDoLFCrv5FPu_tyRvly9uk2p5GI/s1600-h/IMGP2853.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 450px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqA8YPKI4eyBLlKct1uowRybWWZQl-AwCzWQd5_q78vRRXqVolhpMWCTyuBGdi50DL8Xc3HQ6iQb_q8Xa9u62nSV0DwfKhxt8AG9IL3a9rl6YusnxqDoLFCrv5FPu_tyRvly9uk2p5GI/s400/IMGP2853.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266783734754115794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, Sigma 105 mm, 1:16, 15 s, ISO 200<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl-Dadpybix4TkoAppNJfSXKNh8HMg_j35jyN8CbTjRSEws4o5kgXeZIyrWt85VJILiVyxE2oA-en5borvtIcuubhJ00Dq_kkIFgaGusle04CREffusHXEN_tAO3EUD-oNG5tUGae3rc/s1600-h/IMGP2852.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl-Dadpybix4TkoAppNJfSXKNh8HMg_j35jyN8CbTjRSEws4o5kgXeZIyrWt85VJILiVyxE2oA-en5borvtIcuubhJ00Dq_kkIFgaGusle04CREffusHXEN_tAO3EUD-oNG5tUGae3rc/s400/IMGP2852.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266783729493066722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, DA 18-55, 26 mm, 1:16, 15 s, ISO 200<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNbsSMdN-LJcm56vjrAAOUWxdywvmd_FCASUiIXRFCHWulxXwQae1HwmbaBKJb_N88oyHMAyJPkpkgYIvsY6UUumTzNCUDLBf61gsJxTRHIjyrAi6MsLj6HTkKlvFT0e0M4CUU0r4kkw/s1600-h/imgp2846.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNbsSMdN-LJcm56vjrAAOUWxdywvmd_FCASUiIXRFCHWulxXwQae1HwmbaBKJb_N88oyHMAyJPkpkgYIvsY6UUumTzNCUDLBf61gsJxTRHIjyrAi6MsLj6HTkKlvFT0e0M4CUU0r4kkw/s400/imgp2846.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266783720868098738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Pentax K100D, DA 18-55, 20 mm, 1:16, 15 s, ISO 200</span><br />The new Porsche Museum almost ready for the public<br /></div><br />The old Porsche Museums is quite small and can only show a few cars at one time. The new Porsche Museum has quite an impressive architecture and will be located at Porsche-Platz in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. On <a href="http://www.porsche.com/germany/aboutporsche/porschemuseum/">their Website</a> Porsche is still not talking about the opening!Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336421648665233028.post-61464582781772897702008-10-05T23:52:00.006+02:002008-11-12T18:32:59.846+01:00Autumn walkA beautiful autumn day lead us to the vineyards above the Neckar river between Mundelsheim and Hessigheim, 30 minutes north of Stuttgart.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU__M2OGPDosQeqjZ6jsVnuW5MwwKO87R4Y9419ayxmUFyoR4K0jnuRTMJELQKZwPmAuob5IOD-e8xy9_UiuPo82JlSPVyVolH2FxWvxceN3YUZBnhIYPS4aODOl8nUXJ7APX_6yAcP5k/s1600-h/IMGP2735.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU__M2OGPDosQeqjZ6jsVnuW5MwwKO87R4Y9419ayxmUFyoR4K0jnuRTMJELQKZwPmAuob5IOD-e8xy9_UiuPo82JlSPVyVolH2FxWvxceN3YUZBnhIYPS4aODOl8nUXJ7APX_6yAcP5k/s400/IMGP2735.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253791774799419586" border="0" /></a>Sinuosity of the Neckar River<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF4Bf0t4ByFGtnNZaxvj-jYJ5WAXzwdKUlLA89hfmO3aK_VNfFe4Mrr9gFAd11Hqu2Vi0bl4OarzRqnGAXGSShmZv3XFZMiwvTsBoM9d6ri2JwhWNtm_fKIkxX5-RwlwbILYvHCwjH9Y/s1600-h/IMGP2746.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 450px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF4Bf0t4ByFGtnNZaxvj-jYJ5WAXzwdKUlLA89hfmO3aK_VNfFe4Mrr9gFAd11Hqu2Vi0bl4OarzRqnGAXGSShmZv3XFZMiwvTsBoM9d6ri2JwhWNtm_fKIkxX5-RwlwbILYvHCwjH9Y/s400/IMGP2746.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253791783750473074" border="0" /></a>Thr Trollinger is ready for the harvest<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrHhT2faTVq3t4ZrqFDTgPCjPZgiuwojem-RaWLaLuwALnHuAg1fCFfq2QJszxLaBpGzQ0C8r0wZ7_vf90SM6PEogfryqueIgjJMs3RMAdetUu7H0aSaNrp6dWkAmD5Vo0PDQ1Yn4PTQ/s1600-h/IMGP2730.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrHhT2faTVq3t4ZrqFDTgPCjPZgiuwojem-RaWLaLuwALnHuAg1fCFfq2QJszxLaBpGzQ0C8r0wZ7_vf90SM6PEogfryqueIgjJMs3RMAdetUu7H0aSaNrp6dWkAmD5Vo0PDQ1Yn4PTQ/s400/IMGP2730.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253791772530285458" border="0" /></a>Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus/Turmfalke) is hunting between...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnbrd4PY0NnVrmTmOrP6X6CQ_drcYDKz5BGMOl8za0fysGJ2_i2Yhjkzu273osbG2Xtr9OgNI5J5inKyLx9zaVNrG1z2eJQ-7G7yH-XDs9cgH8Gz61fAlK7Hq41vvybHIjk2hzHsyFFY/s1600-h/IMGP2740.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnbrd4PY0NnVrmTmOrP6X6CQ_drcYDKz5BGMOl8za0fysGJ2_i2Yhjkzu273osbG2Xtr9OgNI5J5inKyLx9zaVNrG1z2eJQ-7G7yH-XDs9cgH8Gz61fAlK7Hq41vvybHIjk2hzHsyFFY/s400/IMGP2740.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253791780240509314" border="0" /></a>...and above the vineyards.<br /></div>Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082972903171358389noreply@blogger.com0