Travel 2010
Took a brief trip up to the Derbyshire Peak District in May, to explore and take some pictures.
In August, went to my first Notting HIll Carnival. Jostling crowds and the need to take pictures very quickly, meant that my pictures were not as good as I had hoped.
September saw me make a quick dash across to the Black Forest in Germany, as I had a week free before starting work again. About time some would say, having only worked 11 weeks in the last 3 years.
The end of November saw a long weekend enjoying the delights of Vienna and the Christmas markets. I loved this city and think it is the best one I have ever visited. Spectacular and especially at Christmas with the markets and the snow.
The Peak District
Went up to the Derbshire Peak district at the end of April, just prior to starting work, after 2.5 years unemployed. Stayed in a nice B & B near Matlock.
Below are some of the pictures I took while walking along Stanage Edge, which is 4 miles long and 460m high. I spent the best part of a day walking along the top of it, and back. It's in the east of the peak district, near Sheffield. The area, near Hathersage, is believed to be the setting for Jane Eyre and it has been used a lot in films and television. In fact, the BBC were filming a new version of Jane Eyre (I think) while I was there, with Dame Judy Dench and some other actors I did not know. They had big Winnibago's up on the moor, parked near where they were filming.
This last picture is not Stanage Edge. This was the Edale valley, not far from Casleton (my mothers maiden name) and mam tor.
Owned by the dukes of Devenshire for god knows how long, cannot remember, the house and gardens are quit spectacualr and well worth a visit. Not the current duke, but his father (I think) was married to one of the famous Mitford sisters and there was an exhibition about her and the two familes.
The fountain is powered by gravity and is feed by lakes further up the hill side. It has been known to reach heights of 300 feet, but was only doing about 100 feet, the day I was there.
The house and grounds.
This stepped water fall in the gardens, reminded me of a similar one at Linderhof palace in germany, which was one of the homes of mad King Ludwig.
Tulips at the base of the waterfall.
Went to my first Notting Hill Carnival and thoroughly enjoy it, but hard work on the feet.
A selection of pictures below and I have to say, some of the girls were very obliging when it came to posing for photos.
Some of the costumes.
Some of the children.
Some of the beautiful young women and as I said, they were not shy about being photohgraphed
Brazillian Drumming band school from Liverpool, and they were brilliant.
A little busy down the side streets.
Having found a job in September, I found myself with a week free, so took a quick trip through France, down to the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) in Germany.
Decided to stop in Strasbourg for the night, on my way down. Turned out to be a very nice place, as cities go. Outskirts much the same as any modern city, but the centre was old fashioned and medieval, surrounded by water.
The moat or waterway which surrounded the city centre, which is on the right of the picture.
More of the waterway, in the Petite France quarter.
A restaurant on the river and next to it, an even smaller restaurant, closer to the river. Wonder what happens went it floods.
A night shot of some of the restaurants.
One of the space age trams in the city. Looked like something straight out of Joe 90, for those of you old enough.
The Palais du Rhin on the Place de la Republique, a former imperial palace.
Very strange Cathedrals they have in this part of France and nearby Germany. They seem to have a sort of open latice work for the spire structure.
After Strasbourg, I moved over the border, into Germany and the Black Forest.
Spent the remainder of the week just touring around.
The Rathaus (Town Hall) Gengenbach. In the winter they use the 24 windows (1st and 2nd floors and the 2 loft windows as a giant advent calendar.
Just your typical Volksbank in Gengenbach. Banks in the UK look just like this!
Crammed in painted buildings in Rottweil.
Not sure where this was. Just another pretty valley with a town in it and in this case, a clock factory in the foreground. In fact, there is a route you can follow through the Black forest, which is famous for it's Cuckoo clocks "The Deutsche Uhrenstraße", the German clock route.
The little hamlet of Schiltach.
There was a guy here taking pictures, with some very flash camera gear. He had a gas filled ballon, with a craddle slung underneath it and a camera mounted in the cradle. He allowed the ballon to rise into the air on a rope and took pictures from the camera via a remote control unit with a viewer. Impressive.
Schiltach.
More Schiltach.
Grape vine growing in Schiltach even though it is very cold and gets snow in the winter.
The tourist office in the town square or triangle as was the case.
Typical alpine countryside near Todtnau.
Todtnauer Wasserfall. Some slow motion photography.
Although it was autumn, it was surprising how green these trees were, more spring like.
Took a brief trip to Vienna at the end of November. Being back at work for a couple of months was hard work after not working for 3 years. So I needed the break.
This has to be one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited, in terms of history, architecture, walking and of course Christmas markets, as I came at just the right time for those. A nice hot cup of Gluhwein and a Kasekrainer (bratwurst with cheese in it) are perfect for wandering around the markets in the snow. And I say markets, as there was one in every platz.
Some of the pictures are a bit blurred, as I used my small Casio instant camera, as opposed to my Canon and it was cold, so trying to keep your hands steady for night shots was not easy.
Frohe Weihnachten - Merry Christmas. Some shots of the Christmas markets. decorations in the parks and on the hedges and nearby Christmas trees.
I know this photo is out of focus, was cold and snowing, but I liked the effect it created.
Some of the Christmas decorations in the streets.
The Rathaus (Town Hall) during the day and at night, with Christmas market out front. My hotel was just behind this.
Architecture
No internal photos of any of the palaces, as they don't allow it. Very annoying.
The Hofburg Palace. This image is 3 photos stitched together, so it has lost some perspective.
Another view of the Hofburg Palace.
The Parliament building, during the day and at night.
The Schonbrunn Palace.
The Belvedere Palace.
The Opera house. Apparently, the little tent on the top of the building is where the children perform their operas.
Church of St Charles Borromeo.
Tube station entrances, pretty fancy.
St Stephen's Cathedral
Other odds and sods shots I took while walking around.
Pretty little Christmas shop tucked away in a quiet little courtyard.
A little shopping courtyard I turned in to in my exploring.
I think this was a hotel, with the small unobtrusive Underground entrance in the right hand corner.
Musikverein - This is where the New Year's day concerts are staged. Like to go to one some time, but they tend to be booked out at least a year in advance and tickets range from 300 to 900 euros.
Spectacular building inside and out.
Mozarthaus. Didn't make it to Beethoven's, as I ran out of time.
Statue of Johann Strauss in the Stadtpark.
The Riesenrad in the Prater park to the east of the city, was made famous in the Orson Welles film "The Third Man", about Vienna just after the war. It's part of a large amusement park.
This was one of the rides in the amusement park. As you can see, it is pretty high and the chairs spin round and round and go up to the top and back down. You sit in an open chair with your legs dangling. Not for me and it was -2C that day, so bloody cold.
The Danube Tower with it's magnificent views, but not that day, too cold and misty. The top two floors are a restaurant and cafe, which revolve. They were booked out, so went to the observation deck just below. Bloody cold up there.
Can you make out the bungee jumping platform, closed for the winter. they must be mad.