Bad Mergentheim night illumination

I wish you all a colourful and de-light-ful weekend!

No. 4 of all the TOP 100 sights 2015 in Germany: HEIDELBERG

Heidelberg's Old Bridge over the river Neckar with Bridge Gate and the Heidelberg Castle in the background.

And which are the other TOP 100 travel destinations???

The TOP 100 sights and attractions in Germany

OK, now you know...

...let's return to Heidelberg.

Once again: the Bridge Gate with its twin towers...

...THE top photo motif in Heidelberg: the Old Castle ...

..and a view along the long pedastrian zone with the steeple of the municipal church (on the left). 

Old long-playing record (you remember?) "Alt Heidelberg du Feine" / "Old Heidelberg you fine one"

and: (Latin scholar to the front) "Gaudeamus igitur" --> ""So Let Us Rejoice" / "Lasst uns also fröhlich sein!" 

is a popular academic commercium song in many Western countries, mainly sung or performed at university graduation ceremonies. Despite its use as a formal graduation hymn, it is a jocular, light-hearted composition that pokes fun at university life. The song is thought to originate in a Latin manuscript from 1287. It is in the tradition of carpe diem ("seize the day") with its exhortations to enjoy life. It was known as a beer-drinking song in many ancient universities and is the official song of many schools, colleges, universities, institutions, student societies and is the official anthem of the International University Sports Federation.

This is...

...what I don't want to post about! ;-) 

For those of you who come occasionally to Heidelberg (like me, because it's only 110 km away from my home town), there are even more popular places to spend some pleasant hours or even a whole day.

  

Therefore you have to cross the Neckar to arrive at a district called Neuenheim.

On a Saturday morning, ...

...this is one of my favourite places in Heidelberg.

Especially: the streets around the Neuenheim Market with their charming little shops and cafés, many of them "French style"...

...but the star / my favourite of Neuenheim is the weekly market itself!

Selected farmers, butchers, other producers and merchants with a wide range of quality and bio/organic products from the vicinity offer their choice of products.

The price-performance ratio of the products is really great compared to the high level of quality!

At the end of the market day you can enjoy a coffee (or two) and some German or French pastries in one of the many enchanting coffee bars...

Café Auszeit / coffee bar "downtime" (literally translated)

Now you may understand why I prefer the "quality time" at Neuenheim far away from the flow of tourists in the middle of Heidelbergs Old Town.

Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Weikersheim

Friday evening, on the Christmas market "Weihnachtszauber" / "Christmas Glamour" at Weikersheim,

13 kilometers away from my home town.

This year's Christmas market was is situated around Weikersheim Palace,

on of the bigger palaces in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany

Multiple food stands and booths with Christmas gifts and decorations are placed in the inner courtyard and around the palace, including the part of the Weikersheim market place facing the palace.

This is what we call 'Gluehwein / Glühwein' in Germany, literally translated into "glow wine",
as far as I know it's called 'mulled wine' in English.

A radio and TV crew was on site as well on the Friday evening...

...to report about this enchanting local Christmas market.

Due to the fact I visited the Christmas market together with my sweatheart and her friend I did not take my tripod with me (--> the ladies are not willing to wait excessively for their companion!). But my monopod is 'a must' when taking photographs at available light or even during night to minimize camera shake as good as possible.

A great 3rd Advent Sunday for all of you!

Pleasant Advent Season!

My hometown: Bad Mergentheim pedestrian zone with the Deutschorden Castle in the background,

this afternoon. 

Persian Poem 'Bani Adam',

the Children of Adam.

 

In Persian:

بنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرند
که در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار
دگر عضو ها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی

A simpler translation that I like:

The sons of Adam are limbs of each other,
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time affects one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others,
You are unworthy to be called by the name of a Human.

- See more at: http://www.zaufishan.co.uk/2011/09/iranian-poetry-bani-adam-inscribed-on.html#sthash.yUMKKC5Y.dpuf

In Persian:

بنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرند
که در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار
دگر عضو ها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی 
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی

A simpler translation into English that I like: 

The sons of Adam are limbs of each other,
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time affects one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others,
You are unworthy to be called by the name of a Human.

Und auf Deutsch:

Die Menschenkinder sind ja alle Brüder
Aus einem Stoff wie eines Leibes Glieder

Hat Krankheit nur einzig Glied erfasst
So bleibt anderen weder Ruh noch Rast

Wenn anderer Schmerz dich nicht im Herzen brennt
Verdienst du nicht, dass man noch Mensch dich nennt.

 A Pleasant and Peaceful Advent Season to all of you!

In Persian:

بنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرند
که در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار
دگر عضو ها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی

A simpler translation that I like:

The sons of Adam are limbs of each other,
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time affects one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others,
You are unworthy to be called by the name of a Human.

- See more at: http://www.zaufishan.co.uk/2011/09/iranian-poetry-bani-adam-inscribed-on.html#sthash.yUMKKC5Y.dpuf

In Persian:

بنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرند
که در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار
دگر عضو ها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی

A simpler translation that I like:

The sons of Adam are limbs of each other,
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time affects one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others,
You are unworthy to be called by the name of a Human.

- See more at: http://www.zaufishan.co.uk/2011/09/iranian-poetry-bani-adam-inscribed-on.html#sthash.yUMKKC5Y.dpuf

Bani Adam

Bani Adam

Magnolia heyday at Lauffen 2014

Lauffen vineyard near the town center beneath Katharinenstrasse,

a blessed place and residential area

and one of my favourite spots in early spring to take the first magnolia blossoms.

Currently the magnolias there are in full bloom.

I captures the scenes last Friday morning, right before I started into my work day.

Regiswindis church at Lauffen, Germany,
predecessor buildings of this church are from the 8th century.
Today's church was rebuilt in 1564 after a fire.

Sometimes it's really difficult to focus the right part of that "sea of blossoms",
you really have to find a suitable structure worth capturing within this huddle.

Or: you just take the whole scene...

At the foot of the vineyard...

...the sloe / blackthorn bushes are full-blown as well.

Sunday afternoon stroll in January

The winter 2014 in Germany is rather dully and grimly at the moment.

So far no snow or ice in the lowlands. Even the hills in the uplands haven't seen much snow this season of the year.

Currently the colour of the hill tops meanders something between a dark olive green and mud brown, depending on the incidence of light.

Incidence of light? What kind of light is he talking about??? We used to have sunshine even in wintertime here in Germany, but that was ages ago... ;-)

Generally speaking I would say the whole landscape is wraped in different shades of grey - and these shades of grey are far away from being erotically at all... ;-)

Yes - GREY - is the new (?) and dominant (!) colour of the winter season 2013 / 2014 here in Central Europe.

At the weekend the best bet is to stay at home, to lie on your sofa and pull the blanket above your head...
...or: you take your camera and try to find some fresh (grey?) air and some (other!) colours outdoors.
That's what we did on Sunday afternoon, after we overcame ours weaker selves.

Our Sunday stroll started at Bronnbach Abbey, located in the north of the valley of the Tauber, in the north of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

That's approx. 40 km away from my hometown.

We walked on the bike- and walkway along the river Tauber.

A first surprise and fortunate coincidence was our discovery of an old piety column out of the 18th century.

We have many of these piety columns and wayside shrines spread over the whole region.

That's the reason why our part of the country is (also) known as "Madonnenländle" - the (small) region where you find many pictures and statues of Madonna and many other saints.

This piety column was made from sandstone and built up in 1738 - so nearly 300 years ago!

And still in good condition, although sandstone is not very solid.

The first unexpected colour "explosion" we found in the middle of the grey was a shrub with bright red berries.

As far as I know / guess these are the berries of the Viburnum opulus - the guelder rose in winter time.

In the meanwhile we left the valley and climbed on of the hills above the river Tauber.

Behind the village of Reicholzheim we walked on the plateau of the hill, where the landscape looks like this.

Again we found vestiges of the past - this time an old station of the cross.

Quite unusually the stone crosses - again made from red sandstone - were embedded into a stone wall.

Continuing our way back to Bronnbach Abbey we found other colours and structures that attracted our attention...

...an impressive old oak...

...and a knobby old and moss-covered apple tree along our way.

The beautiful green colour of the moss we were able to photograph several times, especially in shady and moist areas of the wood.

On closer consideration / observation of the countryside we even spotted the beautiful structure of a scythed and ploughed corn field with its golden stubble.

That's always my experience:

No weather is too bad or no landscape is too dull - with a camera in your hand you become an explorer and you see and capture colours, structures or things that stay generally invisible for others.

To become an explorer you just need to conquer the force of gravity sometimes,

which is highest when lying on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon... ;-)