0910 - u3

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f1.8 | ISO100 | 1/4000 | lightroom 4.2

the metro line u3 is the jewel among hamburg's public transportation system. it is designed as an orbital line that is operating in the centre of hamburg and goes around both the inner and outer alster lake. the main peculiarity of the u3 line is that it runs mainly on the surface on dams so that you are able to enjoy the wonderful routing alongside the elbe river.

today's picture shows the beginning of the part of the route that runs directly parallel to the elbe and leads exactly towards the impressive container port that is the second biggest in europe after rotterdam. you can divine the huge harbour installations on the horizon. every tourist should visit the harbour and usually they also do so.

the interesting circular building in front of the bend hosts the portuguese restaurant galego. besides horrible service bad value for money wait for you. please avoid this place although its location would be worth the visit and stop by at another place.

cu, trshptr

1609 - katz orange

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f2.8 | ISO1600 | 1/20 | lightroom 4.1

already in advance we'd decided to stop by at the berlin restaurant and bar katz orange for an extensive dinner after we'd have explored the city. the search on an internet gourmet portal listed the katz orange next to sarah wiener's restaurant which by itself is a distinction, isn't it?

the ostentatious facility of the katz orange is an old brewery in which since more than 100 years no beer isn't brewed anymore. the building is located in a backyard at the bergstraße in the district prenzlauer berg. some of the interior could have been saved during renovations. solely the public toilets are a joy to use and look at. anyhow the whole furnishing is very cosy and generates a feelgood factor. in the upper floor a bar and a library wait for the satisfied guests.

the local atmosphere is very relaxed, you can wear jeans and shirt or suit and evening gown. you almost cannot be badly dressed for this occasion. if you come before 9pm you might get a (very) personal service, the young and motivated service staff is always kind and attentive.

of course we'd read about the cuisine of the katz orange. the boss in the kitchen is a cook who had worked with an other famous former michelin-starred german chef. we had pork that was simmered for 12 hours at very low temperature: you don't need a knife to part this meat, unbelievable tender. thereto a variety of delicious garnishes was served. value for money is very good in this location although you have to calculate with 80 to 100 euros for a nice dinner for two. it's useful to make a reservation in advance.

the bottom line is that the a visit at the katz orange is a great possibility to leave all your cares behind. an explicit recommendation by me!

cu, trshptr

0309 - orange

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f1.8 | ISO250 | -1.0ev | 1/80 | lightroom 4.1

while i was cleaning up my workroom today in the afternoon an empty flacon attracted my attention. every now and then tina beautifies not only our social areas but also "my private" room with useless but decorating stuff, as probably every wife in the world does. i've always liked the odour of the citron fluid in that flacon but today it unfortunately appeared empty and scentless.

till i'll have got anything appropriate to refill this nice, little bottle, a mix of rum and aperol had to satisfy for the daily pic. although this cocktail doesn't smell as good as an orange tree, it definitely looks as orange as the original fill had looked.

cu, trshptr

3008 - behind bars

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f2.8 | ISO800 | 1/80 | lightroom 4.1

keeping of animals is a sensitive topic. who gives the mankind the authorisation and permission to cage up animals of any kind? is it the evolution, our superiority? or is it outright ignorance?

every human being on this planet has to answer this question for itself. basically there are different reasons for keeping and caging animals and i don't want to kick off a huge discussion about the reasonableness of caged pets. only one question: dear lovers of nature and animal protection advocates, why is it okay for (the most of) you to cage up these wonderful horses?

cu, trshptr

2908 - silent reading

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f2.8 | ISO100 | +3.0ev | 1/640 | lightroom 4.1

it's quite possible that we've had the last day of midsummer today. probably for the last time of this year the air was pleasant warm and the lake's water invigorating cool. at the moment heavy clouds and thunderstorms are gathering over lake constance and south germany.

i'll definitely miss the daily short getaway on the lake when i'll leave the area around lake constance one day. tina was already on the lake when i ended today's work and enjoyed the silence by the water. she had soaked up the sun the whole afternoon and unfortunately her skin was already coloured in a kind of brown-red. for that reason she dressed with her white bike longsleeve and turned her back on the sun while she was reading her current (german) book "die unglaubliche geschichte des henry n. brown". she sitting in front of the glowing, silent lake was the perfect subject for today's candid picture.

cu, trshptr

1908 - retro charme

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/400 | lightroom 4.1

now, on sunday evening, the heat wave is almost over. we had a wonderful weekend at our beloved families and extended the trip for another night. therefor we will have to get up at five o'clock in the morning to arrive before noon at our place.

while walking through the town crimmitschau - the village where my mother lives belongs to it - we have spotted a tuned and modified trabant 601. the trabant is a car that was produced by the former east german car manufacturer veb sachsenring in zwickau. it was by far the most common vehicle in east germany. more information about the trabant on wikipedia.

the crumbled wall, the renewed street and the antique car - this could have been a retro-style scene of a movie from the 80s but it actually is the real life in 2012 in the eastern states of germany.

cu, trshptr

3007 - diversity

setup: sony nex 7 with fujian 35 f1.7 | 35mm | f1.8 | manual focus | ISO100 | 1/2500 | lightroom 4.1

step by step the great diversity finds its way also into germany. those days when immigrants had felt off-colour in good old germany are mostly gone, hopefully never to return.

mercifully the bounds between different peoples will melt intensely during the coming decades, especially in europe with its schengen convention. there are already some examples of working multicultural togetherness: above all samples the big european melting pots london and berlin show how intercultural communication has to be. of course there is right-wing radicalism in these locations, too, but fortunately during the last years the mentality of the people has changed in this way that discrimination isn't tolerated anymore at all.

today we have been in friedrichshafen at the culture festival where cross-cultural art, music, theatre, cinema and sundry other things are offered in the open air. in my opinion it is delightful that i can enjoy the presence of people of every colour, language and origin without leaving my hometown.

cu, trshptr

1807 - orange patchwork

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f2.8 | ISO640 | 1/50 | lightroom 4.1

today i hadn't had the time to catch a breath before half past nine. after work i had to wash all the bicycles, three in number, and do some maintenance work on tina's mountain bike. after all i have lingered after an after work coffee latte at a branch of a well-known big junk chain for the whole evening. at half past nine tina and i had finally accomplished our object, a tall latte for me and a vanilla frappe for her.

while we were stretching our legs subsequent to the drink, i spotted the illuminated, orange wall, that seems to be composed of dozens of rectangular patches. nothing spectacular, but beautiful to look at, especially because its recurring forms and the nicely produced shadows.

cu, trshptr

1407 - spanish folklore

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f2.0 | ISO400 | 1/120 | -0.3ev | lightroom 4.1

open air music, some beers and the setting sun - that's how an evening at the weekend should be. and if the music is spanish folklore and the beer tastes fresh and delicious, it would not have taken much for completing the vacation feeling.

unfortunately i don't know who the two guys are that made music yesterday afternoon near our home, but what i know is, that they are really good at playing their instruments and conveying the local mood of the iberian peninsula. thank you for the pleasant evening!

cu, trshptr

1606 - fancy bits

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f1.8 | ISO1000 | 1/80 | lightroom 4.1

i've never been at a 24 hour flea market before. what a night!

we went to the transborder flea market constance / kreuzlingen by bicycle and ferry, only this experience was worth the journey. after some burgers and beers at the minster and the football match between poland and czechoslovakia at an italian coffee shop we started our scrabbling tour with some friends - a migration distance of 14 kilometres and round about 1.000 exhibitors were waiting for us.

i turned the bedside lights off at 4am on sunday. what a night!

some more interesting pics of the event can be seen here.

cu, trshptr