The yellow Bike

On the Lofoten, summer 2013, there was a bike race going on that we didn't see in person as we just missed the days. But all over the place you find these painted bikes.

Spiekeroog

Many years ago, when we went to Spiekeroog, I took this photo just before a storm that night. I still love it.

Summer Sunset

You do not have to travel far to find beautiful landscapes and scenes.

This is a field just a few minutes walking distance from my house.

Wildlife Slow Mo

Look what I found!

She loves me, loves me not

The only sunflower in my garden that yet has a flower on it. And after it looked awesome and new last week and everything, this week it looks as if someone was wondering weather it is love or no love.

Temple Statue

Photographed at Sri Kamadchi Ampal, Temple Festival, July 2014.

Boat Place

A boat

A boat between the flowers in Camara de Lobos, Madeira.

The little trees

These little trees I found on a coutry side farmers' market on Madeira. I liked how they were placed in that niche with the fruit next to them.

Câmara de Lobos

On Madeira we spent one evening in Câmara de Lobos. A fishing town just west of Funchal with legendary, colorful boats.

Temple Lights

The man at the temple was holding the fire out and people were touching their hands into it. It looked very festive.

The Kavadi Dancers

This is a video of the Kavadi Dancers at the temple festival in Hamm, North Rhine Westfalia, Germany.

Really hard to imagine that these festivities take place in Hamm - of all places - every year. In 2014 it was officially estimated that the Sunday celebrations (of several days of the event) were visited by more than 20,000 people.

Inside the temple

The Shrine

The main part of the parade is the large shrine that people pull along the whole track of the parade.

Fire Bowls

The ladies that cary the fire bowls on their heads got ready for the big parade.

The Dance is in full Progress

A little break in the Kavadi Dance. It is being used to regroup the dancers that are overcome by the power.

Drinks and massages and consultations are all around us.

Kavadi Dance in Hamm

The temple of Sri Kamadchi Ampal is the largest Hindu Temple outside India next to the one in London, as far as I know.

On the 6th of July the temple fest brought over 20,000 people together for a celebration. The images of the last few days in my blog are telling the beginning of that story.

Here is some more insight into the Kavadi Dance - a trance dance that people participate in to give thanks for something the acchieved or to ask for something they are persuing. We got told stories about health recoverey, job situations and things along those lines a few years ago when we looked deeper into it.

Check back in: On one of the next few days I will share a little movie I made of the dancers.

Right before the dance

The Kavadi Dancers were getting ready and we were Standing in the front row. I like the dedication that they put into this performance.

The boy at the temple

This little boy caught my attention at the Temple Festival in Hamm one week ago.

Hindu Temple

I have presented images of the Hindu Temple in Hamm before. You vcan find them in the history of the blog here. 
Last weekend the annual festval happend again and we went out to celebrate.

More than twenty thousand people came to celebrate. And it was a colorful show. The women are wearing these awesome saris (sarees) and the men are dressed in bright and vivid colors, as well.

Here are some first impressions and I will keep posting images from the festival at Sri Kamadchi Ampal in the next few days.

1000 Years

These bay trees are 1000 years old, the information says. We found them with little hinting and in the middle of cold, grey fog. And they looked perfect.

Hiking Through Tunnels

When you do the levada hikes on Madeira, you should check out the route before you go. When they mean good flash light they mean good flash light and that is what they say. Do it.
The batteries in our headlamps were relatively low and we had to change the batteries to get more power.

Without good light you do not see the wall or the ceiling that keep jumping in your way. Needless to say that the path goes along the levada edge a lot. Result: small balcony to walk on. With a side wall on one side that is all uneaven. And with a wall on the other side that is out of reach. But with a water edge you should not fall into.

We thought it was fun and a little adventurous. Some of the tunnels you were walking through for 15 minutes or longer.

Have a look at what the tunnel end looks like. The light reaches in for a few meters only. Then it is virutally dark.

Green Gorge

The greens you find in this lush rain forrest - for lack of other words for it - are amazing. This is the view down from the path into the way, water dissapears steeply.

Waterfall Niche

There is a nich in the hiking trail, brimming and rushing with a waterfall. The levada hikes really present you with many surprises, some of them wet and non-avoidable.

The Valley and the Ocean

Madeira, looking over the northern coastline from our levada hike.

Garajau - Portugese Statues

In the last days we see the statue in Rio De Janeiro a lot. Of course, since the world cup keeps ruling the news. But did you know that these statues, alike not the same, can also be found in other places?

One of them I found in Lisbon, Portugal, and another one we found in Garajau, a coastal town on Madeira near Funchal.

The Hooded Double

Seen from the shore near Kabelvag, Lofoten: A hooded double of mountains. Summer 2013.

Dramatic Landscape

I love the northern countries because they offer such dramatic landscapes and along with them, you often get amazing light. Since this is north of the polar circle the sun often gets to the scene in a very shallow angle and brings out the drama.

The Eagle's Flight

On our boat ride to Trollfjord on Lofoten we got close to this sea eagle. Here is another one of my images.

Zoom in for detail!

A row of houses

There is a row of houses in Norway, Lofoten. This is in Hennigsvaer that is famous for its historic and pictoreque center. These are vacation homes as far as I know.

Stormy rain coming in

Nusfjord, Lofoten, a museum village in the fjords with a natural protected harbour.

PAPERminis No. 19: The Hawks of the Night

Ich bekomme heute die Chance, die PAPERminis bei einem großen Event zu präsentieren. Bei Adobe Create Now in Düsseldorf.

Ich halte dort einen Vortrag im Pecha Kucha Stil. Was das ist? Ihr müsst schon vorbeikommen, wenn Ihr das erfahren wollt. Falls es ein Video gibt, werde ich den Link natürlich teilen.

Als besonderes PAPERmini für heute habe ich mir meine Homage an Edward Hoppers Nighthawks ausgesucht. Im Gegensatz zu Hopper habe ich den Betrachter von außen mit ins Bild genommen.

Aquarell Stifte mit Wasser auf geknicktem Papier.

I am given the chance today to present the PAPERminis at a large event. It is Adobe Create Now in Düsseldorf.

I will be holding a speach in Pecha Kucha style. What's that? Well, you will have to check in to find out about that. If there is a video later on I will, of course, link to that.

As a special PAPERmini for today I chose my homage to Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. In contrast to Hopper I placed a viewer outside the diner.

Aquarell pencils on folded paper.