The Bergs

Last weekend we were scheduled to take a train from Frankfurt to Berlin for the Pentecost holiday.  Because of a rail strike (which have been happening far more frequently than they should), our train was cancelled.  So, instead we decided to use the long weekend to visit someplace within a civilized driving distance.  We opted for Nuremberg and Bamberg.  It ended up being a good Plan B.

Nuremberg is known for being the sight of all the Nazi party rallies and, of course, being where the war crimes trials were held in 1945 when the war ended in Europe.

One of the former Nazi buildings lurks in the background of this shot.
Congress Hall is HUGE and pretty ugly.  Today it is barely maintained, but houses the symphony
and the Documentation Center, an excellent museum which shows how the Nazis came to power,
how they held it, and what they did in their attempt to destroy Germany and Europe.

What is left of the Zeppelin Field grandstand.  If it looks familiar, that is because this
spot is featured frequently in the nazi propaganda films. 

Today the grandstand is falling apart.  It's a place to throw garbage, scrawl graffiti
(though that happens to almost every large surface in Europe), and look out over
what used to be Zeppelin Field- a football field and porto-johns.  How to
handle these sites is very controversial.  Do they deserve to be preserved or should
they be left to rot? 

The Nazi sites are outside of the city center and they're probably the only thing Nuremberg has that is definitely worth visiting.  Today, the city hosts the largest Christmas market in Germany.  It also has some rather impressive medieval history, most of which was bombed into oblivion during the war.  Things to see in Nuremberg include the deteriorating super structures of Hitler's regime, a large castle, and a bunch of reconstructed old buildings surrounded by ugly post-war architecture.  Other than that, it's pretty much like any other city in Germany- clothing stores, wurst restaurants, ice cream shops, Italian restaurants, street performers, and movie theaters that only show movies dubbed in German.  But, it is home to some really bizarre fountains.  They aren't worth planning a trip to see, but when you come upon them unexpectedly it's rather entertaining.  The famous one was completely enscaffolded so no opinions there.  But, the Fountain of Virtues seems to be more of a study on chronic lactation and the one on marriage is a sculpture and a nightmare.

The Castle is worthy of a look if you're already in town.  It was the residence of the
Holy Roman Emperor when he was in town.

The old hospital is a nice sight.  Today it is an old folk's home and, weirdly, a restaurant.

One of Nuremberg's churches

Another church and a fountain with a lot of lactating women.

 The next day we headed directly north for 45 minutes to Bamberg.  Bamberg is a unique city in Germany.  It's not a large city.  It's importance faded sometime in the early 19th century, so it's a bit of a time capsule.  There wasn't anything of significance going on here during the war so it wasn't bombed and the entire center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  There's a pope and a Holy Roman Emperor buried in the cathedral.  Actually, there's are a couple of cathedrals, and a castle, a monastery, and this wonderful construction.

So, unlike all the other cities in Germany with the usual cathedrals and castles and wurst shops, this one also has a beautiful building on a bridge.  The Old City Hall was built in 1386 and has been well cared for.  The outside is covered in some festive frescoes (there's a couple creepy cherubs sculpted to crawl out of the walls).  I shot this thing in the afternoon, early evening, night, and right after sunrise.  I could probably go back and shoot it again.  After a month of some frustrating travel experiences, uncooperative weather, and hordes of tourists it was refreshing to find a subject that was great in any light and pretty easy to access.  The only minor problem was the wobbly wooden footbridge that was the only place to shoot it from head-on.  But, we powered through and got quite a few shots I'm happy with.

This one taken just as the lights were coming on is my favorite.  The rest are up
up on the website.

Another of Bamberg's charms is its beer.  Now, I know German beer is considered by many to be the best in the world, but, guys, I've done lots of research on the subject and German beer is typically kinda "meh."  Don't get me wrong, they've definitely mastered the pilsner.  But, creative German beer is not.  Except in Bamberg.  Here they make Rauchbier and Rauchbier is like the weird relative we all have that runs off to join the circus or become a lumberjack in Oregon or be an interpretive dancer in Paraguay or something.  Rauchbier is so totally off the wall for German beer it hits you like brick to the face.  Rauchbier is smoked beer.  I've had smoked beer before.  It's one of those things that's popular in trendy American craft beers.  This is SMOKED beer.  Like it's smoke with beer in it.  It tastes like a glass of bacon.  Mmmm, right?  Well, it seems it's a pretty polarizing beverage.  You're either a Rauchbier person or you're not.  If you're not, that's ok because Bamberg's NINE breweries also make the usual stuff too.  There's a beer trail tour that you can sign up for in the tourist office which shows you where to satiate your thirst.  The tour gives you some fun perks like a backpack, a stein, and drink vouchers.  Bamberg is totally strollable and a beer trail is the perfect route to stroll.

Bamberg is a lovely little city that, in my opinion, should be on more people's sightseeing lists.    There aren't any street performers (which is refreshing), weird fountains, or nazi stuff.  It does have lots of wurst places, a couple ice cream shops, really photogenic spots, a building in a river, and a beer trail.  Recommended weekend getaway spot?  Definitely.

Old fisherman's houses on the river

Water flow control system in the center of town

Head on over to the German Cities Gallery to pick up a print from the two Bergs!

Chamoniiiiiiiix!

Well, I wrote this post once already today, then Blogger had a problem and highlighted all the text, and then it just deleted the whole post all together.  So, here I am, once again, writing a blog post on Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France.  Sigh.  Oh, and as I said in the original version, I was intending to write about the Fujinon 10-24mm lens, but I'm going to leave that for a later date.  Ok, here we go.  Again.

The city of Chamonix with the Mont Blanc Massif towering above

 Last weekend, we drove down through Switzerland to Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France.  Chamonix-Mont Blanc (usually just called Chamonix) is one of the oldest tourism based towns in Europe.  It is pretty much located where the borders of France, Italy, and Switzerland meet.  The famous dome of Mont Blanc towers high above the town.  Mont Blanc is the tallest mountain of the Alps and the tallest in Western Europe.  It was the first major peak in the world to be climbed; the first ascent took place in 1786.  Some of the greatest climbers in history were either from Chamonix or spent significant time there.  Back in the day, the "Chamonix Guides" were men of legend.  Mont Blanc is still one of the most important mountains to ascend for mountaineers, usually the first major climb done by Europeans starting out in the sport and it's a must do for those attempting the Seven Summits.  The town is usually packed with climbers in the summer attempting the various routes of Mont Blanc, Grand Jorasses, or the many Aiguilles.  I'm fascinated by mountaineering and its lore and have always wanted to visit the valley from which the greats like Herzog, Terray, Messner, and Walker climbed out of into the clouds.  It's a sobering experience to see the spurs, walls, faces, ridges, and peaks in the flesh.

The dome of Mont Blanc

The Aiguille du Midi with its visitor center on the peak.  The cable car to the center is the
highest reaching vertical ascent car in the world.

Alpen glow on one of the peak of the Aiguilles

But, it's not just a town for climbers.  Chamonix hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and it's still a top destination for skiers in the Winter.  And, there's plenty for hikers, paragliders, runners, and cyclists too.  Chamonix is an outdoor sports enthusiast's playground year round.  It's basically a French speaking Aspen; heck, it's actually Aspen's sister city.  Everyone walks around wearing Columbia, Patagonia, Jack Wolfskin, Northface, or Odlo, even if they're just going to the pub.  The town has been supporting the tourist trade since the early 19th century and it shows.  The center is lined with fondue restaurants, outdoor equipment stores (some with espresso bars), pubs, hostels, hotels, and gourmet food shops.  It's a bit shabby, despite the popularity.  Sleepy alpine village it is not, but for those making a first time visit to the Alps, Chamonix is good place to start.  Despite being a little worn around the edges, it has excellent facilities, good food, and the friendliest French townspeople we've ever met.  And, of course, the views will never get shabby.

View from center looking southeast on the chalky white Arve River

We were kept down in the valley due to snow on Friday, the first real snow we've seen this year (a bit odd to experience it in May).   That allowed us time to get some local provisions like Savoy cheese and saucisson, génépe, fresh bread, and some bottles of Chignin Bergeron.  It was also a good time to check out the Crystal and Climbing Museum too.  The weather was a bit tricky for most of the weekend, as it tends to be in mountainous regions.  It was foggy in the mornings, clear for about 5 minutes in the afternoons, then cloudy again in the evenings.  I threw the 55-200mm lens in the bag as an afterthought, but ended up using it quite a bit to get tight shots of the peaks and ridges (like the ones above) when there was a break in the clouds.  It also came in handy for shooting rock climbers scaling a wall down in the valley.

We did a 10 mile hike on Saturday.  For that I packed the 18-55mm, 55-200mm, and the 10-24mm lenses.  I cannot get over how much easier it is to use the Fujifilm system on a long hike in comparison to my old DSLR.  I packed the photo equipment (tripod, filters, etc) in my Hama backpack and still had plenty of room for extra clothing, lunch for us and The Dog, and other oddments.  That pack was still lighter than the other small daypack we had with a few additional supplies and water!  While I was definitely hankering for a weather sealed system on the snow day, I was thankful to be running the super light body of the X-E2 during the hike.

View of the valley from the Petit Balcon trail shot with the 10-24mm lens

House in Chamonix passed at the end of the hike. Shot with the 18-55mm. 

The rapidly receding Taconazz glacier.  Shot with the 55-200mm lens from across the valley
on the Petit Balcon trail.

Thanks to the weather, we really only got in one proper outdoor day.  It was a bit too early in the season for high altitude trekking as those trails were still under snow and many others were undergoing repairs.  It wasn't proper mountaineering season yet either.  There was a high risk of avalanche and we heard several from across the valley during our hike.  Of course, there were still plenty of climbers hanging around tackling clearer, lower routes.  The lower trails had a steady stream of hikers and runners, the roads were filled with cyclists, and the skies dotted with paragliders.  If ever you're headed to Chamonix I recommend giving it at least 5 days so you're more likely to get some clear weather.  The view from the Midi is supposedly worth the crowds and price.  Unfortunately the cable car wasn't running during our visit because of the weather.  So, summer is definitely the time to go (unless you ski).  There's enough to do in town on a bad weather day.  The cuisine is rich and hearty alpine fare (vegans may have some trouble).  The locals were all incredibly friendly and helpful.  Although it's a tourist town, Chamonix attracts a different type of tourist and generally the place has a laid back vibe.  While it's not my favorite spot in the Alps, I believe it is worth a look.  For someone who climbs (or, like myself, is just fascinated by the sport and its lore) Chamonix is definitely a must see.  However, its slopes and trails will be much more crowded than other alpine spots. So, don't expect to be alone in nature for long periods of time.  Unless, of course, you're clinging to a rock face high above the valley.

In the Midst of the Herd

So, Prague.  We stepped off our train at 10:30am at the main station and it became clear that we hadn't done our due diligence in preparing for this.

We knew it was a holiday weekend, obviously.  What we didn't think about was that Prague is apparently everyone's favorite place to celebrate this particular holiday, May Day.  Where better to have the traditional drunken bash than the place with the cheapest drinks and food?  So, there was that.  Additionally, Prague was hosting the Hockey World Championships.  And, they were holding a marathon on Sunday.  And, there was some sort of unidentified conference going on.  Therefore, everyone, and I mean everyone was in the capital of the Czech Republic.  Several years ago we decided to go to Manhattan to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade.  As you might imagine, the island was packed that weekend.  Every restaurant, sidewalk, pub, and museum felt like a cattle pen.  We've never been anywhere like that before or since.  Until last weekend.

That made getting around and taking photos pretty difficult.  The Old Town Square was full of marathon stuff, packs of segway tours, and a political demonstration.  So, getting any decent shots there was out of the question.  The Charles Bridge, well, the memory of that still gives me the shivers.  Every neighborhood from the Castle to Old Town, from the Jewish Quarter to Wenceslas Square was a madhouse.  Thankfully, we'd made dinner reservations before we left, or else sitting down for an evening meal might have been tricky.  It became clear really quickly that the photography wasn't going to go according to plan.

Shooting the first night ended up being a complete wash.  There were just too many people on the night of the holiday to get set up where I wanted to.  Also, we were exhausted from the train ride.  The only direct way from Frankfurt was a train that left the Frankfurt station at 1:00am that morning.  I maybe only got an hour of sleep in on the ride.  By that evening, I hit a wall and couldn't think straight, let alone set up and fend off the staggering tourists.

After a good night's sleep though, we were more with it and able to get some decent shots, not as many as I had hoped for, but enough to walk away satisfied.

Gate to the Old Jewish Cemetery

Moses Sculpture, Jewish Quarter

Long exposures were the only way to get wide city scenes with all the crowds.

View towards the castle from one of the bridges over the Vltava River

If we had it to do over again, which we would like, we'd definitely do some things differently.  First of all, we'd make sure Prague wasn't hosting the rest of the continent the same weekend.  Secondly, we'd have to find another way to get there.  Flights weren't affordable, but driving to Leipzig or Dresden then catching a daylight train from there may be an option.  Lastly, we'd schedule a little more time.  There was a surprising amount of things to see and do and we missed a lot.  Why would we go back?

Well, Prague has certainly embraced its reputation as a tourist destination and run with it since the Velvet Revolution.  The main drag from Old Town Square to the Charles Bridge is a bit like Times Square without the lights.  There's segway tours, Jedis giving trike rides, Thai massage parlors, wax museums, a torture museum, and about a million snack and junk shops.  But, once you wander away from that nightmare, cool Prague reveals itself.  We found a great pub that offered a rare beer sampler paddle (above).  Most pubs are owned by breweries, so ones that offer a wide range from many breweries aren't common.  This place was a fantastic way to try a lot of different Czech beers.  Since Czech beer is some of the best in the world, it's definitely worth trying a few or 10.

Czech food is not only inexpensive, but also very tasty.  Rich gravies, roasted meat, big heavy dumplings, fried cheese, and savory sauces are the fare and it is all delicious.  We hadn't heard anything about Czech food before the trip, so this was quite the unexpected discovery.  It's hearty stuff, so the cooler months might be the best time to go (not only for the comfort food, but for the thinner crowds).

The locals were another surprise.  Everywhere we went we were greeted by friendly and helpful folks.  We felt completely welcome and perfectly safe.  Another bonus is that everyone speaks English and all the important signs are printed in English as well as Czech.  The city was a breeze to navigate (except when the metro was shut down for the marathon).

Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus

Charles Bridge

Another river view

St. Wenceslas Square

Is it the most scenic city in Europe? No.  But, it is definitely photogenic.  I would certainly like a second chance to do it justice.  The unique situation of the weekend meant most of my shooting was done very late, way too late for my liking.  The only way to shoot on the Charles Bridge was to wait until close to midnight.  By then, blue hour was long over.  During the day, long exposures were the only way to clear out the crowds, so it would be nice to go back when it's a little more mellow and retake some of these.  Plus, I don't have a single image from the Old Town Square.

So, yes, Prague was a great destination.  I think a future visit would be much better now that we have a clearing understanding of the city.  As for how the new Fujinon 10-24mm lens worked out, that'll be the next post.