The Prickrils' adventures in Germany

Luisenpark

2011-08-06T20:38:00.001+02:00

About 20 minutes from our house lies Mannheim, a somewhat maligned city that has tons to offer. Most folks around here love to shop there but would never (ever) live there. It’s true that Mannheim is a bit more blue color than many of its neighbors, but it has a dynamism many of the other lack almost entirely.

Regardless, Mannheim is home to a gorgeous urban park call Luisenpark. For a few Euros, you can enter this sprawling botanical garden, spending the day seeing the sites, drinking some cold Hefes and scarfing ice cream. I’ve blogged about it before, but this spring it was especially beautiful. As Jack White so famously said, the message “bears repeating”.

The spring offers as grand an abundance and variety of flowers as I’ve seen anywhere. I think the pictures make that point much better than I ever could. There’s also a very nice Chinese Garden with a beautiful pagoda with its own tea terrace and water feature, including a fountain.The park also has a large population of almost prehistoric looking storks. Their nests are enormous, as are they. This guy came up to about my stomach, and I ain’t exactly short.

Competing interests…

2011-08-06T20:03:00.001+02:00

As times and technology change, so do our habits. I’ve spent much more time updating Facebook in the last few months than I have this blog. While I like the selective exposure of Facebook, I’m beginning to miss the narrative and plot that a blog affords. Since I have some time off this summer, I’m going to make an attempt to get caught up a bit.

One of the few benefits of compulsive photography is the ability to remind oneself in high definition of one’s activities well after the fact. The older I get, the shorter the increment of this “well after”. I now measure it in a single-digit number of days.

Anyway, I wonder if anyone still read this.

Inside…

2011-04-23T14:11:00.002+02:00

Before heading back to my hotel, I thought it prudent to make a quick pitstop. Only then did I realize I hadn’t seen the inside of the restaurant. It was total eye candy for a compulsive photographer.

The restaurant has what seems like endless little rooms and private corners. I can imagine spending hours in there with inclement weather. The place was pretty much empty – the perfect opportunity to shoot it up. There was a one man karaoke band keeping the mood light. I sang Girl from Ipanema (in Portuguese!). To the relief of the wait staff (I’m sure), I finally hit the bricks.

Last night in Madrid…

2011-04-23T13:47:00.001+02:00

As we walked around Madrid on our last night, we did our best not to think about having to leave. We had a few beers at the Plaza San Miguel and then poked around the Mercado San Miguel at bit. We (Wolfgang, Chris and I) ended up at Meson on Calle Cava de San Miguel to have drink and tapas. Chris and Wolfgang were drinking Sangria. I (go figure) was having ice cold beer.We ordered a plate of meats and cheeses and some chipirones (baby squid). All was excellent.

I became transfixed with the table next to us. To me it was a still life masterpiece. We chatted with the very friendly French “artists” for quite a while. His son was headed to the US. First stop? Harlem.Wolfgang decided to head back to the hotel around midnight. Chris bailed on me a bit later (leaving a huge mug of sangria for me to finish).I was then left at 1:00 or so to head back to the hotel alone. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

First night in Madrid…

2011-04-16T14:29:00.001+02:00

We got to our hotel by 10:00 or so and immediately hit the pavement. By 17:00 we were pretty tired and knew it didn’t make much sense to head out before 21:00 so we rested. I didn’t want to lug my camera around on our first night on the streets so took a few shots/videos with my phone. The city was hopping. Starting near the Plaza San Miguel, we walked a good kilometer and half on streets packed with folks of all ages letting loose in the near perfect Spring weather. Nothing like smoked pig leg to get the party started. Chris was drinking Sangria; I beer (as usual). It didn’t take too long to get a nice buzz on, although we took it relatively easy (the same cannot be said for Monday night!). It was a pleasant surprise to find the city way more active after dark than during the day. The streets were jammed with people walking around or having beer and wine at the countless bars along most streets.

Sandhausen on Saturday…

2011-04-16T12:19:00.002+02:00

We live about 10 minutes from the metropolis that is Sandhausen yet I’ve never been there on a weekend. Today Robert suggested we take a look so I packed Sophia and him in the Truckster and we were off. BTW, I didn’t take my camera so shot all these with my new iPhone.We parked near the church above and descended some stairs to the city center.The fountain is a nice touch in such a small city. The building below is a museum, but with this weather that will have to wait for another day. It is asparagus season in this part of Germany.By the way, if there are any English-speaking Sandhausener reading this, feel free to beef up the Wikipedia article on your city: It’s embarrassingly brief.

Wine garden…

2011-04-14T20:39:00.003+02:00

Beside the palace and across the street from our hotel lie the Gardens of Sabatini (Jardines de Sabatini). After hours of walking around the city, Chris decided we’d go there and rest our dogs and souls. This expansive and beautifully landscaped park was just what the doctor ordered. Somewhere during our peregrinations, I had decided that it would be cool to buy some cheap wine glasses, get a nice Spanish wine and relax. We found all we needed at a couple of the many El Corte Inglés outlets clustered near the Calle Mayor. We also bought some strong, sweaty Spanish cheese.We had a feeling we were being sold a bill of goods when we bought a bottle opener that was supposed to work with suction. 5 Euros wasted. Luckily, I always carry a "travel" corkscrew when globe trotting ("Never leave home without it"). Although we weren't sure where our hotel was relative to our resting spot, I volunteered to go find it. Luckily for us, it was right across the street from where we’d stopped! A perfect ending to a perfect day. We went back to the hotel and laid low waiting for night to set. This detail from the picture above shows just how close we were to our hotel (I took the shot from my room).

The Golden Tower…

2011-04-14T20:11:00.001+02:00

The La Torre del Oro is nestled into the walls of the Plaza Mayor. I can’t think of a place I’d rather wet my whistle while there.

Bullfighting is the dominant decorating motif, with pictures galore that would make Hannibal Lector gag (you’ve been warned). Actually, I think you can find cheaper eats and drinks a minute or two from the plaza, but the ambiance of this place is priceless.

Plaza Mayor…

2011-04-14T19:57:00.002+02:00

The Plaza Mayor sits at the heart of the old part of Madrid and is a fascinating place to spend a few hours. It is jam-packed with people, bars and activity at all hours of the day and night. Apparently the residents of Madrid selected the wall color when it was restored. It has served as a venue for parties, ceremonies, bullfights and even executions.Some of the walls are covered with beautiful paintings.

A palace in Spain…

2011-04-14T19:36:00.001+02:00

The Palacio Real de Madrid was the first breathtaking site I saw once we hit the beach in Madrid. It is absolutely enormous, beautiful, ornate and is oozing with history. Because of the unbelievable weather and other commitments, I didn’t tour inside, but have heard it rivals any palace on earth. Chris read in his guide book that the hats of the guards were designed to allow them to lean back against the walls of the palace while smoking a cigarette. These people think of everything!Next time I’m in the ‘hood, will definitely take the tour.

Madrid = Architecture Overload

2011-04-13T20:27:00.001+02:00

As Chris (a neighbor of mine who came along) and I started to explore the city, we were almost immediately overwhelmed by the variety and abundance of amazing buildings. I think this city’s architecture speaks for itself. (A good think as I know almost nothing about it!)

The Hotel…

2011-04-13T20:02:00.001+02:00

After an unprecedented research effort, we decided to stay at the Hotel Principe Pio, near the Palacio Real. Although unassuming from the outside, it is extremely well located, right across the street from the Gardens of Sabatini. The shades were drawn when I entered my room, so I was absolutely shocked when I opened them to a perfect view of the palace.If I go back to Madrid, I will stay in this same hotel. The view of the palace at night was straight up world class.

I HEART Madrid…

2011-04-13T19:43:00.002+02:00

Got back on Tuesday from one of my best excursions ever: Madrid. I had a business meeting on Monday afternoon so decided to fly in Saturday to give it a thorough look-see. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit now that I had low expectations. I’m a big fan of Barcelona and Catalonians in general don’t tend to speak too highly of the Spanish capital.Suffice it to say that I love Madrid almost as much as Barcelona, whose beaches give it only the slightest advantage. I found the old part of Madrid to be a wonderland of architecture, human warmth and amazing food and drink.I sense tons of posts emerging in the coming days.

Very old school caravan…

2011-03-16T18:55:00.001+01:00

We were excited when the brochure for the excursion to Timanfaya national park offered camel rides. Luckily, on the ride out there, our guide saw that the “camel stand” wasn’t busy so we got the old school caravan under way post haste. There were probably more than a hundred camels waiting to take tourists around a small circuit for 15 minutes or so.Robert was terrified but sucked it up quite nicely. The rest of us were almost giddy.Camels have a reputation for being cantankerous, but we found these to be quite pleasant (and patient). Hopefully they’ll use part of the 6 Euros apiece we paid to spring for teeth whitening treatments for these (otherwise) beautiful beasts of burden.It was at this stop that my camera started bugging out. I still haven’t had it looked at, but now it won’t take pictures at all. I hope it’s the lens (which I’ve never been crazy about).Our guide explained that the camels are very well cared for, only working every other day. Our camel herder gave our breakfast muffins B lugged along to one our camels, so I think they are a bit pampered.

The Boilers…

2011-03-16T11:01:00.001+01:00

On the Tuesday during our vacation we took a day excursion to Timanfaya National Park, situated on the enormous lava flow created during the 18th century mega-eruptions. On the way, we stopped and rode camels (more on this later). Who needs Giza?

The park is fascinating. The lava hardened hundreds of years ago, but a few inches down is still hot (hundreds of degrees Celsius a couple of meters down)! A restaurant there simply dug a well and cooks steaks etc. from this heat.

On the way back, we stopped on the coast at Los Hervideros (roughly translated as “boilers” in English), one of the most beautiful coastal areas I’ve ever seen, even more dramatic because of strong winds.

Magic…

2011-03-16T10:52:00.001+01:00

Sometimes you flip the camcorder on and magic happens. Could be just because I love the subject so much, but this video of Emily flittering about on the beach captivates me. I feel like the kid in American Beauty watching the wind-born trash bag (although to me Emily is much more fluid and graceful!).

The slow wind-down…

2011-03-14T17:45:00.001+01:00

An unusually long (for me) video of a gorgeous sunset viewed from our balcony. What more can I say?

Golden at the beach…

2011-03-14T16:53:00.001+01:00

About two kilometers (about 2 miles) from our hotel sits the small city of Playa Blanca. This little burg boasts a jewel known as Playa Dourada (Golden Beach). Not only is the beach itself world class gorgeous, it is tucked under a well developed commercial area with restaurants, bars and even supermarkets. The hotel had a shuttle that went there several times a day, although a cab only costs 4 Euros.

From our rented chairs (3 Euros each), the view was drop dead beautiful. Warning: The gentle bobbing of this sailboat is hypnotizing.

The water was gorgeous. I took this shot from one of the breakwater at the west end. It is one of my favorite shots from the trip.

This shot is from the breakwater to the east. I LOVE LANZAROTE!!!

Papagayo Beach

2011-03-14T16:28:00.001+01:00

Our hotel took its name from a neighboring beach, Papagayo Beach (Parrot Beach in English). Although only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, Papagayo Beach is fairly remote, with no infrastructure such as bars or even restrooms. It is sandwiched between two bluffs that give somewhat adventurous types a gorgeous view in both directions.

Here’s the approach to the beach from the hotel.

Here’s the view from the “western bluff”.

And now toward the west from the eastern bluff.

As you walk down the treacherously rocky coastline east, you find a series of remote beaches of various sizes (that attract a fair number of nudists (sorry, no video)!).

The hotel…

2011-03-14T16:15:00.001+01:00

We stayed at an all inclusive resort called the Sandos Papagayo Arena Hotel. Because of lackluster (to put it lightly) food service, I’m on the fence as to whether I would stay there again. However, the place is beautiful, our room (a junior suite) was huge and the view from our balconies was gorgeous. Here’s a shot of the back of the hotel with a mega-zoom on our balconies.

The beach at the back of the hotel isn’t particularly hospitable, but there were a couple of very nice beaches very close. Here’s Emily playing on the hotel’s beach our first evening there.

Here’s a shot roughly south from the beach.

More on the other beaches in future posts.

We’re back

2011-03-12T11:49:00.001+01:00

Just got back from a week in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. What can I say? We are in love with the place. More posts, pics and videos forthcoming. Here’s a bit of unedited video from Playa Dorado (Gold Beach) about 2 kilometers from our hotel.

Here’s the big mountain behind the hotel.

Moment of Tranquility for week ending February 11, 2011

2011-02-10T16:14:00.001+01:00

Camboinhas: the gift that keeps on giving.

I am profoundly envious of the person in white walking on the beach.

Home brew in the Altstadt…

2011-02-08T22:15:00.003+01:00

As the lady folk celebrated the eminent arrival of Thomas and Andrea’s son Jonas (due in a couple of weeks), we men folk headed to the Altstadt and partook of the some of the microbrewed beer thereof. We started at Vetter, a quaint little joint near the Hberg bridge that at one time held the record for the strongest beer in the world (the dark stuff below).It’s even mentioned on wikipedia. How’s that for famous?If I were forced to describe the place’s decor, I would have to classify it as “glassy”. Style has always been a function of one’s perspective. Later, we moved to Kulturbrauerei, an upscale joint I had only been to on business outings.The place is ancient but beautifully remodeled. It’s ever so slightly off the beaten path. If you haven’t been there, I suggest strongly you give it its day in court: The beer is great and the unrestored walls and ceiling are interesting. The rest of the night is somewhat blurry. I remember a Döner on the Hauptstrasse, drinking some (delicious) tea with some Turkish guys there and finally swilling a couple of Franziskaners at the company outlet, also on the Hauptstrasse. We made it home fairly early with the baby shower still in full swing. From the looks on their faces, I’m not sure they had missed us much.

Massive assembly required…

2011-02-08T21:23:00.001+01:00

We got Robert a foosball table for his birthday. Little did we know we would have to assemble its constituent molecules atom by atom (an exaggeration, but only slightly). It took a couple of weeks and intervention from a mechanically inclined friend (Thomas M.), but it is now ready for play. I never played much in my formative years so am surprisingly bad. The kids are coming up to speed quickly. Have to admit I’m surprised at how much fun it is.

Tough subjects…

2011-02-05T21:46:00.001+01:00

A couple of weekends ago I decided to give the Little Lady some “me time” so packed up the kids and headed to Speyer, a city I have come to love. We walked down to the Rhine and found folks feeding a passel of swans. Turns out these fabulous fowl are tricky photographic subjects: the contrast of their bright white feathers against the dark water makes getting a good exposure a bit tricky. This was the shot of the day in my book. Probably a shot only a photo geek could love, but the detail in the feathers is hard to capture.

Moment of Tranquility for Week Ending February 4, 2011

2011-02-04T14:58:00.001+01:00

Last weekend I travelled back in time to Amsterdam in the late 19th century. The high definition video I brought back with me to Germany (and the 20th century) is the only specimen of its kind. The sepia-like tones are entirely natural – the video has not been edited. Sit back and soak in this bygone experience, preferably with the sound turned low (modern street noise was somehow bleeding through the wormhole I traversed to get there).

Heat wave…

2011-02-02T10:28:00.003+01:00

After a few days in the arctic wonderland that was Amsterdam, this Walldorf forecast for the weekend looks like a heat wave to my eyes (temperatures in centigrade).

A solid 8 for Casa 400…

2011-02-01T16:03:00.001+01:00

I stayed in a different hotel this time in Amsterdam and really liked it. The Hotel Casa 400 is clean, modern and about a 3 minute walk from Amstel Station, putting it about 10 minutes from the heart of Amsterdam by metro. You can take a 15 minute tram to the museum district (Museumplein) from there too.Parking is reasonable too at 16 Euros per day, which kept me below 100 Euros per night. The view from my room to the left wasn’t stellar, but pleasant. The mud pit (soon to be a building?) to the right kind of grew on me…By the way, our navigation system (Poposuda) blew a gasket on the way there. I used Google Street View to preview the exits I would have to hit on the way home. It helped tremendously.

Another one in the books…

2011-02-01T13:24:00.001+01:00

As much as I love Amsterdam, I’m almost always ready to head home after a few days. So it was this time. Here are a few more pictures that stood out from the few hundred I took there. If I had any artistic talent, I would recreate this picture (with warm tones enhanced) as an impressionist masterpiece.

Beer for buttons…

2011-02-01T13:06:00.001+01:00

Upon entering the Heineken “Experience”, you get a rubber bracelet with two buttons attached that can be bartered for beer at the end of the tour. On the way to the bar, there’s a machine that will create a bottle of beer with your name on the label. Tempting, but I moved right along. Since I had a long drive ahead of me, I only had one beer. The “kids” had a few and then we headed back to the hotel to pick up the Truckster.

Now that’s a museum…

2011-02-01T12:59:00.002+01:00

After a whirlwind tour of the Van Gogh museum, Marina wanted to go to the Heineken brewery/museum. Paragon of selflessness that I am, I agreed to go too. The brewery itself is about a 10 minute walk from the Van Gogh museum, but with the thermometer hovering below zero, it felt like an hour.One pays 15 Euros for a walk through the museum which includes a live lesson on making and then drinking beer. A short list of things I learned:

the most important beer ingredients are water and yeast
drinking beer doesn’t make you fat, it’s the food you eat with beer supposedly. Given the quantities I’m known to quaff, I find this to be only half true in my case
a glass of milk has more calories than a glass of beer

The area with the copper beer vats was interesting. I tasted wort, the malted barley cocktail to which hops and yeast is later added. I won’t say I loved it, but assume I could get used to it if the world ever ran out of hops and yeast.There’s also a simulator-like ride that puts you in the middle of the brewing process. On the way to the ride, I was instantly relieved to discover that it wasn’t the beer or wort that smelled like horse manure; it was horse manure! After the ride, one proceeds to the Heineken bar to cash in the buttons affixed to the bracelet one receives upon entry. I’ll save those pics for another post.

I Amsterdam…

2011-01-31T21:20:00.002+01:00

It was Marina’s and her friends’ first time in Amsterdam. On Sunday, we went to the Museumplein to see the Van Gogh museum. We also took a few shots near the famous I Amsterdam letters. Here’s Marina with her boyfriend, Cadu.
Here’s Barbara and her boyfriend Bruno. Barbara visited us with Marina a few years ago.
Aren't these little scamps cute?
All Cariocas (Rio natives), I’m sure the cold was harder for them to take than it was for me. They powered through it admirably though.

Arctic Amsterdam…

2011-01-31T20:51:00.001+01:00

Had a quick meeting Thursday night in 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) in the Netherlands so decided to stay the weekend in Amsterdam. It just so happens that my sister-in-law is doing a quick tour of Europe with friends, so we decided to meet there.Amsterdam was beautiful as always, and although it was sunny, it was ridiculously cold and windy. However, nothing keeps this intrepid photographer from taking too many pictures.

Greetings from Amsterdam…

2011-01-30T00:11:00.001+01:00

The wind this weekend has been brutally cold, but it’s been worth it to see this glorious city in the sun. Many more pictures and much more video to come…

Heaven on earth…

2011-01-26T15:02:00.001+01:00

A bit of hyperbole perhaps, but there’s only one way that spending 3 days in Amsterdam (2 of them with my sister-in-law and friends) could get better: An unbelievable forecast (for winter anyway). Can’t remember the last time I was this fired up about a (long) weekend.

Moment of Tranquility for Week ending Jan 21, 2011

2011-01-16T14:48:00.001+01:00

I’ve been editing film I shot last year and came across the following clip of church bells tolling in Rothenburg. Gives one a peaceful, easy feeling, no?

I love Seattle...

2011-01-10T16:41:00.000+01:00

and, for the record, don't really believe that folks in DC are more literate.

A helicopter for Robert (I think)…

2011-01-08T20:16:00.002+01:00

I bought Robert a small remote control helicopter. He’s still afraid to fly it as it looks much more fragile than it is. I, on the other hand, have lost a significant amount of time flying it around our house.

Pretty cool, no? On one of the flights, I managed to clip the mistletoe we seem to be too lazy (or starved for affection) to take down. After a bunch of pretty nasty crash landings, it’s taken its licking and kept on ticking. I’m already shopping for bigger and better models…

Feast of friends…

2011-01-05T19:53:00.002+01:00

Happy new year all! Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Year’s Eve. This year, the Walldorf posse assembled our family and friends and rented a large banquet room at Orchidee, the Thai restaurant in the Ambient hotel near downtown Walldorf. About 50 of us (including kids) assembled for dinner, drinks and dancing.Preet kept the tunes spinning, cutting his teeth on VirtualDJ, an easy to use and really cool DJ application. Robert, freshly trained on the Wii Michael Jackson Experience, set the dance floor on fire.We even had CDs. Remember those?We’ve never before rented space for a new year’s party, but I can tell you that having a clean house on Jan 1st made it well worth it. The folks at Orchidee didn’t have it so good: We made a full on mess with confetti. My guess is that hotel guests in 20 years will still be wondering why they find it everywhere.

Moment of tranquility for week ending New Year’s Eve, 2010

2010-12-28T09:14:00.001+01:00

This is the waterfall on my employer’s campus. The ice in high def is surprisingly beautiful, particularly for an “everyday” object.

Go forth and own the peace.

More winter birds…

2010-12-27T12:25:00.001+01:00

A couple more clips of the birds I shot (with a camcorder!) the day after Christmas. As you can see below, not all creatures are well-equipped to walk on ice.

A couple of clips showing birds that aren’t of the yellow-breasted variety.

Grizzly Prickril…

2010-12-26T21:19:00.001+01:00

I’ve been spending a lot of quality times in the woods around Walldorf. Not exactly the stomping grounds of Grizzly Adams (are you old enough to remember him), but as close to roughing it as I’ll be getting (voluntarily) in the near future. It snowed like crazy all Christmas Eve and last night too. However, there’s been virtually no wind so the snow is piling up deep on everything, even the thinnest of tree branches. The woods keep getting more beautifuller. The sun breaking through on these trees was spectacular. I strolled close to the pond and took some nice video. There is only a small unfrozen pool next to the bank that is now home to all the waterfowl.

Folks have put out bird feeders near this area. I spent quite a bit of time filming the hundreds of birds getting their fill. Getting my camcorder to focus on these little buggers was much harder than I had assumed. I’m happy with the results though.

More to come soon.

Room for dessert?

2010-12-26T20:26:00.001+01:00

In what amounts to a passing of the generational baton, B made her mother’s walnut cake. It was excellent. There was also an assortment of cookies, some of which were left for Santa. I’m not sure how he got them down, but I’m glad he found the strength to power through it.By the way, B found this cookie jar here in Walldorf for about 3 Euros. Cute little chap, no?

Christmas Dinner…

2010-12-26T20:18:00.001+01:00

It was just us this year, but B still managed to pull together a top notch Christmas dinner (or Christmas Even dinner to be more precise). As usual, we got a little bit of help from the Bolz butcher shop in Kirchheim and, as usual, the duck and ham were superb.Their meatloaf-like stuffing also deserved high praise. B made “salada da sogra” and some wicked traditional stuffing with sausage. Assuming I really only need 2,000 calories or so per day and calculating my caloric intake over the weekend, it looks like I’ll have to run from here to Warsaw to avoid gaining weight. If it weren’t for all this snow, I’d be on the road right now…

New post to inner circle…

2010-12-25T15:57:00.001+01:00

I’m finally getting around to posting some pictures of the kids to the inner circle blog. If you’re a member, click there to see that and probably some Christmas pictures soon.

Winter wonderland…

2010-12-24T17:17:00.001+01:00

It was softly snowing this morning (and has all day) so I wanted to go into the Walldorf woods to shoot some pictures and video. I had planned to head out with Robert at about 10:00 when I discovered that B had failed to turn the camcorder off when she filmed Robert’s play on Wednesday. That meant no battery power and a full hard disk.

After doing some charging and clean up on the hard drive, Robert and I made it out the the woods around 14:00. It was absolutely gorgeous. I had seen several deer while jogging a week or so earlier, so Robert was excited to see some. I tried to manage his expectations down, but, believe it or not, we hadn’t been there 5 minutes when about 5 dear crossed the trail in front of us about 50 yards away. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the video camera in time.

Anyway, I took some nice video, which compensates for the lack of picture taking.

Cleansing the snow-laden palate: Moment of tranquility for the week ending on Christmas Eve!

2010-12-20T13:06:00.001+01:00

As I watch snow fall outside, thought I’d give folks out there and myself an attractive alternative.

Heidelberg snowy castle reloaded…

2010-12-19T21:03:00.001+01:00

A few more shots of the Heidelberg castle in a blanket of white. The last couple of pictures are vertical panoramas. Here’s the snow-blind lion on video.

Snow at the castle…

2010-12-19T20:45:00.001+01:00

Soon after we rolled out of bed this morning, it started to snow. I decided to head into Heidelberg to take some pictures and film a bit from up on high at the castle. By the time I got there, the snow was very fine so made the city looked foggy, but still beautiful. This lion gives new meaning to the term “snow blind”. After a while the snow stopped entirely. This is my favorite shot of the day. With a little cropping (or a microscope), you can see folks on the Haupstrasse and the skating rink (where we were yesterday).If you haven’t been to the castle in the snow, I recommend it.This clip looks like a still shot, but if you load it in Youtube you’ll see the merry Weihnachtsmarkt crown winding their way up and down the Hauptstrasse.

A video is worth a thousand pictures…

2010-12-19T15:38:00.001+01:00

Well, not a thousand. But here are a few clips I took at Heidelberg’s Christmas market on Saturday. Directly below is the Kornmarkt.

Here’s the area around the skating rink. The kids were having a blast in the snow.

And here’s the eats. Gotta love Weihnachtsmarkt food…

Kornmarkt Madonna…

2010-12-19T11:57:00.001+01:00

I’ve always loved the view of the madonna statue in the Kornmarkt with the castle behind. It’s particularly beautiful when decorated with a bit of snow and with the Christmas market in full swing around it. Enough said.

Back to H-berg…

2010-12-19T11:16:00.001+01:00

My mission on Saturday was to wrangle the kids and keep them distracted far from home while B made ready the compound for her birthday party (more on that in future posts). The kids’ mission was to get their picture took (as we say in Oklahoma) with Santa. We killed two turtle doves with one stone (that metaphor is adapt particularly well to Christmas, no?) by going to Heidelberg’s Weihnactsmarkt.The sun was out, but low on the horizon and disappeared behind the castle mountains relatively early. The weather was nice, but cold! It looked as though the Altstadt had been flocked, which made for nice shots in my opinion. The muscle man in the Marktplatz was carrying a hefty load of snow on his shoulders.Santa was positively snowed under.We parked near the Kornmarkt and didn’t make it past the Marktplatz. We instead headed to the ice rink and the girls gave it a whirl, Sophia with the aid of a helper penguin. Emily, as usual, was cruising around unassisted in a matter of minutes.

Merry Wimpfin…

2010-12-19T11:04:00.001+01:00

Last week we packed into the car early (by our standards) and headed to Bad Wimpfin, a lovely little village about 30 minutes from Walldorf. We had heard the Christmas market there was something special and, as usual, Bad Wimpfin didn’t disappoint.Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a very photographic mood, which you can tell by the uninspired images below.Regardless, the Weihnachtmarkt in Bad Wimpfin is everything a Christmas market should be, traditional, not too crowded, and full of place selling tasty grub. If you haven’t been there, think about putting it on the list.Here’s a bit of video of a place selling grilled Würst etc. My blood thickens just watching it.

Eclectic and getting eclecticker…

2010-12-17T20:44:00.001+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, B bought our tree (near Schwetzingen). She swears it looked much smaller “on the lot” (it’s tall and much girthier than it looks below). Anyway, we all set about decorating it that night. It’s not as well illuminated as in past years as a couple of strands of lights went on the blink (actually, off the blink) and we couldn’t be bothered to try to track down replacements. My favorite ornaments are still the ones we picked up in Amsterdam.This year while in Brazil we bought a beautiful Baiana to give the tree a bit of tropical color.We also hung the ones we got in Greece. We now have four continents and a whole slew of countries and cities represented. If we don’t start staying put, we’re going to have to put up multiple trees, probably starting next year.

Torture, Medieval Style…

2010-12-16T21:01:00.001+01:00

On Sunday the 6th, we headed to the Weihnachtsmarkt in Esslingen am Neckar, close to Stuttgart. Our friends Chris and Heather had been before and made the trip with us. Although it was a great idea on paper, it turned out to be a bit of a whipping by the time all was said and done.The city is absolutely gorgeous and the medieval market is huge and elaborate. However, it seemed that everyone in southwest Germany was eager to see it as well. It was packed!Add a little cold rain and you’ve got the recipe for a less than ideal Christmas market experience. Since I had to drive back, I couldn’t even take the edge off with a little Glühwein, which was being served in interesting little earthenware (?) cups.On the upside, there was a section that was dedicated mostly to kids, with a Ferris wheel and a shop where the little ones could make candles. I shot a little video from the street above.

I can’t wait to go back in better weather to see the city, which boasts an old city wall and a lot of gorgeous architecture.

Is that all there is?

2010-12-16T20:33:00.002+01:00

The kids were excited about the Christmas market in Walldorf this year but, truth be told, we found it much smaller and less animated than last year.Even though it was cold, the kids enjoyed themselves for the hour or so we hung around. Sophia got up close and personal with St. Nikolas himself and was rewarded with some candy.Ever since I tricked Robert into trying a wasabi-flavored snack, he’s been extremely careful about what he puts in his mouth. His exceptional olfactory sense came in handy when it was time to try Kinderpunsch.
On Saturday, I'll take him to the woods near Walldorf to see if he can find some truffles. Stay tuned!

Back on the grid and “out of the mouths of babes”…

2010-12-16T11:17:00.002+01:00

Our new router came in yesterday, sans instructions! However, we managed to get back online. On a completely unrelated note, B took the kids to have Asian noodles in Walldorf on Wednesday night. They were fascinated by the fortune cookies, something they had never seen. Some background to the forthcoming story:

Our kids love this video of a little kid talking about kicking monsters’ “asks”
Sophia’s is at an age that she loves to contribute to the conversation, even if doing so requires some “creativity” on her part.

Sophia said a friend of hers received the following fortune: “On Monday at school, you're going to get your a** kicked”. Simple, direct and precise. What more could her “friend” have expected from a fortune cookie?

I still can’t stop yucking…

Moment of tranquility for week ending December 17, 2010

2010-12-15T14:05:00.005+01:00

Contrary to your persistent delusions, you are not where you are.

You are sitting on Camboinhas beach, soaking in the Rio skyline during intermittent episodes of near-awareness, most of your discretionary cognitive cycles expended bringing your ice-cold beer in for a successful landing on your lips. Flying near-blind means some of this delicious potion will drip onto your chest, almost startling you into coherency.

It is hot, but not too hot. It is windy, but not too windy.

The slow chugging of a diesel motor across the water reminds you that you’ll have fresh fish for lunch. That does not mean that you’ll move an inch. You drift back into the beach dimension, where the only sound is the crashing of the waves and the only sensation is the gentle caress of the winter sun on your skin.

Yes. I need vacation.

Off the grid…

2010-12-13T10:54:00.001+01:00

Our T-Com router has gone the way of the buffalo, so no blogging until later this week when they send us a new one. The break from the online world has been enjoyable. We’ve used the extra time to go to a few Christmas markets so plenty of pictures forthcoming.

Weekly Dose of Tranquility for Week Ending Dec 3, 2010

2010-12-01T15:41:00.001+01:00

What it lacks in stability, it somewhat makes up for in length. Do not watch this video if you are on the verge of sleep (particularly if you’re at work).

Stragglers…

2010-11-29T21:36:00.001+01:00

A few more shots of S-bourg that escaped my eye the first time. World class beautiful in my book.

Keeping time, time, time (In a sort of Runic rhyme)

2010-11-29T19:10:00.003+01:00

I was waiting for the kids to make a pitstop when the cathedral bells started to peal. Nice touch, no?

Christmas Market in the Christmas Capital

2010-11-29T18:45:00.002+01:00

A couple of years ago, we arrived in Strasbourg on a freezing cold night just after the Christmas market had ended. We swore on then (although our lips were nearly frozen) that we we come back to see it in all its glory. Yesterday afternoon we headed back, and I can unconditionally recommend this wonderful city’s Christmas market. It’s the best we’ve been to, hands down.The market itself covers a lot of ground around the cathedral. Most of the side streets and plazas are beautifully decorated.We left Walldorf at about 14:45 and arrived in about an hour. Surprisingly, there was no congestion on the Autobahn nor in Strasbourg itself. We parked at the Gutenberg parking garage, about as close as you can get to the cathedral (they closed the lot directly beside it).The streets were crowded, but not unbearably so. It was a bit cold, but we were dressed for it. We also caught a really nice sunset. There are a lot of sweets being sold and, of course, Glühwein. We missed the food they serve in Germany though. The kids enjoyed the carousels, but grew weary after a couple of hours and begged us to head home. I took a lot of video that I haven’t edited yet. Here’s a quick clip to give you a Yuletide vibe.

We plan to hit a lot of Christmas markets this year, but it will be hard to outdo Strasbourg.

Moment of Tranquility for week ending November 26

2010-11-24T12:22:00.001+01:00

Your mission this week? Be the duck…

Should have more stuff to blog about after next weekend as we plan to crash a couple of Weihnachtsmarkts. Last weekend was spent fading in and out of a food coma brought on by the incredible Thanksgiving meal our friend Heather cooked (for more than 30 people!).

Weekly Dose of Tranquility – Week Ending Nov 19

2010-11-18T12:22:00.001+01:00

The self-flagellation (and that of my readers!) continues…

Hot teflon...

2010-11-14T17:20:00.001+01:00

Last night we had the Kalsis and Harbachs over for a relaxed night of raclette and fondue, two of the most social eating styles I know of. As usual, B had the compound looking good with a table full of good wine and food. We even let the kids join in the fun, but at their own table. Only one minor burn that I’m aware of, so I consider it a success. Heather brought over chocolate fondue, which was probably the last thing I needed after tons of potatos, cheese and countless Hefes. However, it was delicious. My favorite was the creampuffs. Soaked in rich chocolate, I have to assume it’s one of the most calorically dense foods on the planet (in the same ballpark as Hefeweizen).

Swans on the Neckar…

2010-11-14T17:13:00.001+01:00

This weekend was unbelievably warm, around 20 degrees. Today was also sunny, so we headed to the Neckarwiese in Heidelberg, a recreation area on the north bank of the river a bit west of the Altstadt. I shot a little video to give you a feel for the place. It was overrun with families and young folk enjoying what is likely one of the last days of decent weather for several months.

As we walked to the playground, I had the opportunity to get up close with couple of swans that foolishly assumed we had the forethought to take bread with us.I wasn’t in much of a mood to take pictures, but managed to get some nice ones anyway. Notice the detail in the cob’s face.Their bravado cracks me up.The pen had ducked her head in the water, so I was hoping the water droplets would be visible in the pictures. I know you’re probably sick of my fawning over image capture technology, but it still blows me away.

Weekly Dose of Tranquility – Week ending Nov 12

2010-11-12T13:47:00.001+01:00

I took this shot in the national park near B’s grandmother’s house. I use it as a screensaver at work, a place that benefits significantly from all things serene and natural.

BTW, if you pay attention, you’ll see that the image “floats” a bit in the frame. I learned that when my camcorder is on a tripod, its image stabilization feature causes image float. Unfortunately, I’m now thousands of miles from all that Brazilian beauty.

Oh, well. Live and learn.

Ahead of my time (again)…

2010-11-11T09:28:00.001+01:00

Since college, I’ve had the strong intuition that beer played a role in building the foundations of human society. Finally a little scientific corroboration. Wine is fine, but brew was the glue!

A few more beer factoids:

Beer is likely the first alcoholic beverage created by man
Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world
Beer is the third most consumed beverage overall in the world (behind water and tea). I’ll never understand why people prefer such bland libations to the masterpiece that is beer.
The Czech republic is the country with the world’s highest beer consumption by a pretty good margin. Unfortunately, beer consumption in Germany is falling.

By the way, the last link is to The Economist, by far the finest news magazine (or “newspaper” as they refer to themselves) I’ve ever read. If you haven’t ever checked it out, you should.

Fall reflections…

2010-11-09T20:35:00.001+01:00

The dark Main was reflecting objects on its banks beautifully. I loved the reflected geometry of this bridge.The prize though goes to this this classic German building and the bright fall foliage in front of it.

Another ship trip…

2010-11-09T20:25:00.001+01:00

The day was so beautiful in Würzburg, we couldn’t resist taking a 90 minute cruise down the Main (and then back up again!). Having become something of a German river cruise expert of late, I got us on the ship as early as possible to ensure good seats. Soon, all the seats on the upper, open deck were occupied. Early into the voyage, the hazy horizon blended almost perfectly into the river, creating an interesting effect. The vineyards on the banks of the river were particularly beautiful.These ships have rearview mirrors! That bridge was closer than it appeared.We ended up not needing the lifeboat, although there would have been a hell of a brawl figuring out who got to row it the 20 meters or so to shore.We turned around at a little village the name of which I never discovered. I got a great shot of the dock and Würzburg’s many steeples upon arriving, my favorite of the day.Here’s a little video to give you the experience in motion. I taped the entire trip and will attempt a DVD later this week.

Rock lock…

2010-11-07T14:30:00.001+01:00

The Main in Würtzburg has a lock through which we saw a few barges quickly pass. I haven’t seen another built in quite the same way, with a long, sloping rock break.I didn’t have the patience to film a ship being lowered, but took a few clips of the rocks, which make a loud but soothing sound as the river passes over them.

Here’s one from a bit closer that has become a favorite of mine.

And another of the cutwaters on this beautiful bridge.

I Heart Würzburg…

2010-11-06T21:11:00.001+01:00

When my parents told me that they had made plans to visit Würzburg, I was a bit suspicious. Although a co-worker of mine was dating someone there (they’re now married), I’d never heard of Würzburg, a city about an hour and a half from Heidelberg, referred to as any kind of tourist Mecca. After spending the night in Rothenburg on Saturday, we took the 45 minute or so drive up to Würzburg. What can I say? I LOVED IT!

The rich red steeple of the Marienkapelle can be see throughout the city. The Faulkenhouse next door is a beautiful example of Roccoco on overdrive. We quickly made our way to the Main, the same river that runs through Frankfurt. We then walked onto the Ludwigsbrücke, which in my opinion is at least as beautiful as the bridge in Heidelberg.

It is even overlooked by a lovely palace on a high hill. The morning sun and a bit of mist made getting a shot challenging.

Video from the top of the tube…

2010-11-06T14:05:00.001+01:00

I mentioned in another post that Jerry and I ascended a tower in Rothenberg’s Marktplatz. The final opening onto a narrow walkway around the bell brought back suppressed memories of my birth (it was ridiculously narrow and quite bright at the other end). I also took a little a little video that I haven’t had time to edit correctly. Anyway, those with acrophobia should think twice about clicking play.

White imbalance…

2010-11-03T22:00:00.001+01:00

Monday was a holiday in our state in Germany (All Saints Day), so that morning I took Jerry and my stepfather to the woods in Walldorf, where I usually run. I started taking pictures immediately but struggled mightily to try to capture the beautiful hue of the fall foliage. Jerry asked me about the white balance setting I was using and I (almost) instantly discovered the value of this heretofore overlooked setting. Notice how my camera’s automatic white balance setting turns fall (left) into summer (right).

Why must I learn all photographic lessons the hard way (after years of torturing myself trying to get a good exposure with slightly odd lighting) ? Regardless, the woods were absolutely gorgeous. Some of the trees appeared to be ablaze. Every wood worth its salt has a graffiti tree.The pond was beautiful, as usual. The colors continue to become more vivid with each passing day. A little video that I play when I need to go to my “happy place”.

Weekly Dose of Tranquility…

2010-11-02T11:05:00.001+01:00

More Camboinhas, from the rocks separating it from Itaipu.

Getting out at night…

2010-10-30T22:50:00.001+02:00

Jerry and I made a quick pass through the city at around 19:30 to take a few long exposures. Rothenburg clearly retains its beauty by night. I was a bit surprised to see so many Jack-o’-laterns. The Marketplatz is expertly lit and truly remarkable at night.Due to challenging lighting, this picture was surprisingly hard to capture. I still don’t think I got it right. The arched bridge over the river Tauber and clock tower were beautifully illuminated. We ended the evening fairly early with a couple of Hefes. Tomorrow we’ll head to Würzburg.

Street bling…

2010-10-30T22:33:00.001+02:00

Rothenburg is an amazing example of a medieval walled city that for some reason (my guess is unbridled tourist-mongering), has more than its share of German street bling, provided here at no extra charge to you, my faithful readers.I guess there was a time in Germany when no establishment worth its salt would hang its shingle without also hanging one of these things, whatever they’re called. Rothenberg is absolutely lousy with them.Although somewhat macabre, I liked this little butcher statue. This cat was perched over a driveway. I’ve seen similar adornments of roosters and even a gargoyle, but never a feline. Speaking of fowl, here are a couple of mildly interesting specimens. I found this lion eye-catching for whatever reason.

Warning: more pictures of food…

2010-10-30T22:01:00.001+02:00

I’ve likely dedicated more real estate than necessary in this blog to food. I see no reason to change now. Behold our typical German lunch. As I am wont to do, I’ll start with the beer; in this case a dark Hefeweizen served in a 300 ml glass. If such a small serving is not technically illegal in Germany, it should be. Linda and I had maultaschen. Think of it as German ravioli filled with stuff the composition of which is best left unexplored. The others were much more conventional, ordering tasty Würst with saurkraut.After heading back to the hotel at around 17:00, all four of them ordered Apfelstrudel that looked particularly good. I tasted it, but was in no mood for sweets. In retrospect, I should have reconsidered.

Top of the tube…

2010-10-30T19:09:00.001+02:00

Jerry and I decided to ascend the tall white tower next to city hall to get the lay of the city and hopefully some nice shots. It’s probably the narrowest staircase I’ve ever had to climb, blurring the line between stairs and ladders. Any way, the view was absolutely gorgeous. We got some of the best shots from a window we opened on the way up. However, nothing could top the view from, well, the top!If you make it to Rothenburg (and don’t have a heart condition), I would recommend the climb.

The folks are here….

2010-10-30T18:42:00.001+02:00

My mom, stepfather and a couple of their friends arrived Wednesday morning. Their flight was delayed in Chicago, but they arrived safe, sound and extremely tired. Today we left B and the kids at the ranch, heading to Rothenburg, a city I have been to with the family a couple of times. I had forgotten how beautiful it is.We arrived at our hotel, Gästehaus Edith, a little after noon. We then strolled leisurely around the city, enjoying the perfect fall weather. Mom and Linda did quite a bit of shopping. Jerry and I took a lot of pictures.Fall is definitely in the air. The leaves have turned, so the hour and a half drive here was spectacular.The freshly pressed apple cider was a pleasant surprise and couldn’t have been more appropriate.

Beach o’ the week…

2010-10-27T13:41:00.001+02:00

Itacoatiara in this case.

Smoke on the water…

2010-10-22T16:35:00.001+02:00

I’ve been dragging my carcass out of bed way too early lately to run in the woods around Walldorf. My route takes me by a pond that routinely steams in the near freezing morning air. This morning I decided I would swing by before work to take a few shots and even film this picturesque scene and the beautiful fall foliage.

I can assure you the view is more appealing on a relaxed morning stroll (as opposed to jogging while begging god to live).

Another beach…

2010-10-21T16:09:00.001+02:00

This time Copacabana. You’ll see the sun peak over the mountains about 26 seconds in. Watching the sun rise in Copacabana is a memorable experience, if for nothing more than the masses of punchy tourists (mostly) who are winding down after a night on the town.

The only way to cruise…

2010-10-17T10:03:00.001+02:00

Our cruise up the Rheine was virtually perfect. We took one that lasts about 45 minutes and left about 12:30. Not sure what else I can say except that drinks were included and at 12 Euros, Thomas and I decided it made sense to go again!

The scenery is exceptional, including the typical TV tower. The bridges are also nice. At the first turnaround point, we saw some very interesting architecture.

Watercraft of every sort were on the river in abundance. I can unreservedly recommend taking such a cruise if you’re in Düsseldorf.

Yin and yang…

2010-10-16T20:20:00.001+02:00

As we strolled through the quiet streets near the Lambertus-Basilika, I remembered a fascinating surreal statue I had seen on the previous trip.My research didn’t yield much information, but I absolutely love everything about it, from its location to the the amazing detail and its odd conglomeration of images. The artist, Bert Gerresheim,is apparently still alive.It seems to have wondered out of Barcelona (or maybe Dalí’s backyard).

Düsseldorf is for cool people…

2010-10-16T19:54:00.001+02:00

We arrived in Düsseldorf Saturday night after hitting major Autobahn congestion all day, spending 3 or so hours at different points in stop and go traffic. We stayed near the central train station at a Holiday Inn which we liked (we got a single huge room with 3 beds).

On Saturday morning, we drove 10 minutes or so to the Altstadt, which I find beautiful. We parked near the Königsallee, as it seemed to be fairly close to the river and our navigation system could find it! We then walked about 5 minutes to the Rheinuferpromenade, a pedestrian area along the Rheine, overflowing with bars and restaurants.

We walked around in the morning waiting for Thomas and Andréia to arrive. They had been to a wedding the evening before in a nearby city. I’m not sure how to describe the weather, but the term glorious comes to mind. We decided we would take a Rheine cruise.

Bonnthoven…

2010-10-16T15:11:00.002+02:00

Last weekend we decided to see a couple of cities we hadn’t visited as a family, Bonn and Düsseldorf. I had been to Düsseldorf solo while the family was in Brazil earlier in the year. We first hit Bonn.Aside from being the birthplace of Beethoven, Bonn struck us as a fairly typical German city. It was the capital of West Germany but doesn’t seem to be suffering much post-reunification. We had a very nice lunch near a faux castle gate (the name of which escapes) me. We then cruised by Beethoven’s childhood home, although we decided not to take the tour. The weather was unbelievably beautiful. We walked down to the Rhine, but didn’t see much in the way of restaurants or cafés, a real shame in our opinion.The kids played on a playground near the University (I think) and then we headed out to our hotel in Düsseldorf.

Incidental art…

2010-10-16T14:39:00.001+02:00

One of the many joys of being a parent is finding spontaneous works of art authored by your kids. Veterans of this blog may remember Robert’s abstract piece on the futility of superhuman effort for purely material gains. (See bottom of this post -- we finally figured it out!)

Anyway, one of the girls assembled a sculpture in their bathroom with at least as much meaning. Once again however, I’m not sure what it is.Any insight on the profound message expressed in this piece appreciated (but not expected).

Another beach…

2010-10-14T15:10:00.002+02:00

Came across this clip of gorgeous Camboinhas on a gorgeous winter day. Note the overbuilt monstrosity on the left with the whacky arch. Money can’t buy taste. Stare at the surf for 10 seconds and try not to doze off.

Dare to believe...

2010-10-06T13:33:00.000+02:00

Can’t think of a way to improve on this forecast from weather.com, not that I put much stock in it. Anyway, unlike San Diego, one doesn’t see this type of sunny outlook that often in Southwest Germany. Having complained so much about the weather in the past, the least I could do is pass the good news along.

Behold Rocket Beach…

2010-10-05T12:16:00.001+02:00

I’m thinking about highlighting a new beach clip every week or so. Regardless, behold Praia do Foguete (Rocket beach) in Cabo Frio. It is rough and tumble but also absolutely gorgeous. I could stare at it for hours (and have!).