Stayed in a Cave Last Night
Yes, really.
Frankenjura Climbing – Leupoldsteiner Wand
Got out of the house and had some fun shooting climbing during the last week. These guys are way good!
A couple pics of bouldering sometime later. Forest was a bit dark so camera was at ISO 2000, but I kind of like the grainy texture. Reminds me of shooting Kodak Tri-X back in the day, well, not that far back.
Eilean Donan
It was late October 2003 and I was leaving the Isle of Skye after spending nearly three weeks (of a two month trip) in Portree. The week prior had been one of brilliant weather, but the last had night brought fresh snow to the Cuillins, so it was on a cold and misty afternoon that my friend Kylie and I said goodbye to the girls at the hostel (where we had been working) a hopped on an Intercity bus headed towards the magnificent Glen Coe. The sun was getting low in the sky as I looked out the window as we passed Eilean Donan castle and the surrounding mountains with a light dusting of fresh snow. I thought to myself that I’ll have to come back and take a photo one of these days. I passed the castle again in the autumn of 2006, but the day was ugly and gray, not the moment I was looking for…
So finally, back in May and after nearly five years, I managed to get pretty close to the image I’ve had in my head all this time. Now I just need to come back when there is a bit of snow around and all will be perfect. Hopefully I wont have to wait another five years…
Burg Rabenstein
Burg Rabenstein is one of the cooler castles in the area, so it was no hard choice to head over to the medieval market on Sunday. Such medieval festivals seem pretty popular here in Germany and this is the 4th that I’ve been to in the last couple months. Weather was dark and stormy most of the morning, but the day was spared any rain, luckily.
Lots of good food to buy. I’m especially fond of the roasted almonds. There are also people selling various ‘specialty’ wines, usually some sort of berry-wine with a cool name, but I prefer Mead and have picked up a bottle or two.
We sat down for lunch just as the band was starting to play some cool medieval music. I always like bagpipes anyhow.
Old photo of Burg Rabenstein castle from back in the spring
More Fireworks
Was over in Bayreuth (home of Wagner during the later part of his life) on Saturday evening for the annual Sommernachtsfest at the Schloss Eremitage. Seemed to be quite the place to be…
Kilmory chapel
I’m a sucker for cool old ruins! Give me old castles, churches, standing stones, walls, brochs, anything, and I’ll be entertained. Old cemeteries also tend to be pretty interesting, especially if they have a bunch of old 13th and 14th century burial slabs like at Kilmory, a small village on the west coast of the Knapdale region. Perhaps I’d be a bit bummed though if I was some cool warrior and paid a bunch on money for a carved grave slab, then someone comes along and takes it so a bunch of tourists can see it. I guess it will happen to us in a few hundred years as well…
Loch Garten
Woke up early hoping to get a good sunrise, nope!
Mooo
I wonder if Scottish cows have accents? I’ve always thought these guys are cool looking. I think they have a mildly ‘cheeky’ look to them and I wonder how they are able to see? The little buggers are really funny looking, like some fuzz ball with long legs that runs around.
Skye Panoramics
The lonely Old Man of Storr against the morning light
Rugged cliffs of the Quiraing concealed by clouds
Red Cuillin hills the with the days last light
Black Cuillin as seen from Glenbrittle
Looking across the Sound of Sleat as the Black Cuillin rise into the setting sun
Maffeispiele
Every year the old iron mine on the edge of town has a celebration: music, dancing, theater, fire, beer, bratwurst, and fireworks.
Seasons On Lofoten Winter eBook
Seasons On Lofoten Summer eBook
