The harbour of Isafjodur, Westfjords

We have been to Isafjordur as a starting point for our tours to the outer Icelandic Westfjords. These are pictures of the harbour area. The harbour also hosts the local historical museum.

Wir waren bereits mehrfach in Isafjordur als Ausgangspunkt für die isländischen Westfjorde. Hier ein paar Bilder vom Hafen. Dort ist auch das Lokalmuseum.

harbour at night

harbour

tied

Guillemot eggs, Eier der Trottellumme

Museum

The Butterflies

In town we have a butterfly house that is accessible most of the year. I like going there to test my cameras.

Das Schmetterlingshaus ist fast das ganze Jahr über zugänglich. Ich gehe gern dort hin, um meine Kamera zu testen.

I am being stared at!

closer up

The pink boots

The girl in the pink boots I saw in summer of 2004 in Amsterdam. I was just quick enough to get the scene on camera. Unfornuately I only had a very simple digital camera then, so the noisiness of the picture is a little disappointing.

Photo Documentation: When the Atlantic froze - Part 1

When taking a trip up to Maine and out to the coast line right after New Year of 2008 we got struck with really cold weather. The day we spend out at the waterside it was minus 32 degree Celsius. And that was a little less than we had been hoping for.

Auf unserem Trip nach Maine und an die dortige Küste kurz nach Neujahr 2008 sind wir in sehr kaltes Wetter geraden. Der Tag draußen an der Küste überraschte uns mit minus 32 Grad Celsius und das war ein bisschen kälter, als wir es uns gewünscht hätten.

After a seriously cold night we were actually surprised to see that the ocean water was not frozen at all. I had expected ice on the edges.


Well, the ice started to form only after the tide had rolled in.

here the freezing really starts from the coast line out. It was a terrific sight!

Nach einer unglaublich kalten Nacht waren wir überrascht, dass das Ozeanwasser nicht zugefroren war. Ich hatte erwartet, dass sich an den Rändern Eis gebildet hätte.

Das Eis begann dann, nachdem die Flut vollkommen aufgelaufen war.

Later on the tide moved out and the ice was not supported by water anymore. That made the ice layer drop.

You can see where all the rocks are: the ice broke open over the rocks. That is also where you can see how thick the ice became in just hours.

Später, als die Flut zurückging, fehlte dem Eis die Grundlage aus Wasser. Dadurch fiel die Eisfläche herunter und brach über den Steinen auf dem Grund. An den Bruchstellen kann man sehen, wie dick das Eis in wenigen Stunden geworden ist.

to be continued...
Fortsetzung folgt...

Belgium

We have taken several trips to Belgium. The country side and old cities offer worthy motives. No, we have not just been to cemetaries and grave yards, but the pictures I like a lot. Belgium makes me want to convert pictures to black & white a lot. Maybe that is because of the gray stone most buildings are made of and that makes the photos monochrome anyways.


Auf mehreren Reisen nach Belgien haben wir viele lohnende Motive gefunden. Nein, wir waren nicht nur auf Friedhöfen, aber ich mag diese Bilder. Belgien veranlasst mich schnell, Bilder in schwarz-weiß zu bearbeiten. Vielleicht liegt es an dem grauen Stein, der die Bilder ohnehin monochrom wirken läßt.

US winter pictures

Cold weather can offer great motives. Here are some from the US.

Bei kaltem Wetter findet man tolle Motive. Hier sind einige aus den USA.

New Hampshire woods

covered bridge, Keene, New Hampshire

old rail road bridge at Frankenstein Ledge in the White Mountains, New Hampshire

icycles, Woodstock, White Mountains, New Hampsire

Beach in Maine at minus 32 Celsius

Beach in Maine at minus 32 Celsius

Zoos

Another topic in my pictures are animals in zoos and parks. I prefer pictures where the bars and cages can not be seen but sometimes they do get in the way.

Sheep in a park in St. Peter Ording, 2008

Burger's Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands, 2009

Burger's Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands, 2009

Burger's Zoo, Arnhem, 2008

Eyjafjallajökull and Fimmvörduháls

In March 2010 we were about to set out to a trip to the USA, stopping over in Iceland for a few days. Just days before take-off the volcano erruption of Fimmvördurháls began. 

First we thought the airport in Keflavík was going to be for the time being. We thought we might not be able to go. But the airport opened up just about a day before our flight and we did get to Iceland.

The options to get to the volcano were just posted in some places. But the heli flights were mad expensive and the jeep tours that went all the way up to the flowing lava were really tempting but also very expensive.

We finally opted for more liberty and rented a little Jeep from cheep jeep in Reykjavík and drove out ourselves.

Suzuki Jimmy from cheepjeep.com, the steam in the background is not the erruption

First we went to the southern coast at Skógar Foss and tried to start the hike up to Fimmvöduháls to see the lava. But it was majorly cold and regular heavy winter gear was just not enough. The polar cold between the glaciers got down to about -30 degree Celsius around those places and we were just not set up for that. We talked to the hikers and they told us that if we did not hike in through freezing mud for six hours we would not see anything.

Ponies along the roadside

We could not drive in to Thorsmörk behind the eruption, because that road had been closed and Thorsmörk was about to be evacuated any moment. Then we were told that the road to Fjallabak was on the far side of the valley of Thorsmörk and that that road was open and used by volcano watchers. 

Eyjafjallajökull, from Thorsmörk / Fjallabak Valley, not long before the erruption tore off that cap

Thorsmörk / Fjallabak Valley

other curious people near us on a ridge

We did drive out there. The term road was a little far fetched since most of it was driving through river beds and river runs. The little jeep held up well and got us to the perfect viewing place.

Fimmvörduháls in the daytime from Thorsmörk Valley / Fjallabak

we have a million different pictures of the erruption with different lava spurts

We did spend about 7 hours there in an icy car because the spot was perfect but the view was supposed to be better at night. And it was. Here is the view we enjoyed.

Industrial

Collage Hamm

Here are some pictures of rust and industrial scenery. Most of them were taken in the area.


Hier sind ein paar Bilder von Rost und industriellen Motiven. Die meisten stammen aus der Region.

coil of rust, Hamm

train lot

Hamm, harbour