Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ10 Brings You More

One more to go and that will be on the move . I had considered attempting all 80 spots but , since some appear not worth it they are off my list ... plus , where building works make the filming ultra difficult the same applies .Believe me there is a great deal of building all over this city .I've climbed up ,balanced and sprawled out on the pavement in order to get shots .It's been fun though ......

Going Up In The World .

Illuminations give us pleasure and for some strange reason so do viewing towers from which,almost like giants we can observe our surroundings from a different perspective. Here is my offering regarding Rauen and the new viewing or obervation tower which has been erected . The eastern part of Germany is rather flat but here we have some 'hilly spots '. This 40 meter structure is ideally situated among huge forests. Well worth a visit for excellent views , fresh air ,exercise .Try to take your binoculars .Then you will be doubly amazed.

The Festival Of Lights Berlin 2011.

On the 12th at 19:30 the powers that be pressed the red switch and whoosh , 80 sites throughout the city were graduallly illuminated .I watched the action at Potsdammer Platz from afar,then traveled down to the Brandenburg Gate making snippets of film.

Over the next 10 days the plan is to travel the city ,by bike , plus tripod and camera in an attempt to capture all 80 . Reality may prove something else . Variables such as weather will play a role .However ,between 7 pm and midnight each day the city will be a blaze of colour come wind , rain or whatever .

Pumpkins For Colourful Cookery .

Whilst riding my bike last week what should I see but this astonishing display of pumpkins etc . The autumnal colours are superb and I was soon parked up to investigate( the beauty of a bike ). This collage illustrates the diversity and the display creativity of the vendors . So many items later I came away . Below are the purchases .

Top left) somewhat larger than a garlic bulb . It's for peeling , grating and adding to a salad. Top right) again a variety for peeling , grating and adding to salad.

Bottom left) Remove top .Then bake . Scoop out the seeds . Fill with meat or cheese and bake a little longer . Bottom right ) These are really different . One must prick all over . then bake as for baked potatoes . Cut in half , remove the seeds. Scoop out the flesh , mix with cheese etc , replace and place under the grill for a few minutes .

German Unity , History and Sightseeing

Tomorrow is the big day .However today was great thanks to a visitor .We did the city on bikes and took in a lot.Here's a documentation of some of the best German history has to offer. Believe me this country does have a greater history, mainly cultural and it deserves to be aired . A book to be recommended for this is :-

The German Genius by Peter Watson............

THE BERLIN MARATHON 2011

Here we see the tail end of the event after 20km. As I'm filming this the leaders are already nearing the Brandenburg Gate , over 20km further on . Yet what is wonderful is all keep going , get the lovely medal and are a winner in as much as they have taken part and given their best .Music cheered them and so did the public .

X Marks The Spot .

X

Today wasn't just any day. It was Make Your Mark Day. In other words Berlin elections .
Special, since in Britain I have no vote what so ever. Even though I hold a passport and pay tax each month. Hence my one X meant a great deal . It gave me some rights. Mr Cameron and Co like all before them are not at all interested in the 3 million Brits scattered around the world in the same situation . Why should they be whilst they continue to take taxes whilst denying us representation. How sick therefore that they are the first to throw stones and pontificate , yet fail to put their own house in order .

Belfast , Peace and Walls .

Today began at City Hall where I was taken round . What fun it was to sit as the Lady Lord Mayor and as the member of the ALL Party. This splendid building was not paid for by rates or taxes. Instead profits from the gas industry were used. Less than 500,000 Pounds. Such sense and astonishing considering the marbles wood used.
Then off to one of the very many peace walls .For sure emotions and feelings are best expressed in art form as opposed to violence but do communities have to remain split by metal walls topped with wire ? Whatever the faith two 'rules ' spring to mind .
LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF and THOU SHALL NOT KILL .
The Good Friday Agreement is holding , decommissioning has taken place. Is it really healthy to live apart labelled in any way ?
The video shows but a few of the pieces of art .My favourite is the scrabble 'Peace By Piece '

The Giants Causeway Coast ,Antrim. Northern ireland

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland make sure you take in the Antrim coast . It's magic , myth and majestic rock formations will leave you spellbound and wanting one thing only ,MORE .
As will The Bushmills Inn . The cuisine here is outstanding and as you can see I indulged . My starter was poached pear with an Irish blue cheese. For mains it had to be Irish Lamb with asparagus, beans and a creamy mash with finely chopped spring onion . Finally I weakened and had honey ice cream . Today has worked it all off .

Belfast -- A Very Special City .

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves and may you get pleasure from seeing this superb city . All around the world there are so many cities plagued by 'troubles' .Belfast has suffered it's share yet the people have spoken and two things are clear .
1) peace is a must .2 ) the majority of Northern Irish wish to remain with Britain
A musical track will be added ASAP . Need to find something suitable....... and appropriate .

McLaren Formula 1 Experienced At IFA.

IFA was as ever fascinating and fantastic .I'll need time to sort my photographs and movies. However this is worthy of the Guiness Book Of Records. I who've never even changed a bike tyre had a real thrill with this. OK no where near the time taken by the team. Still it set a record as the first pit stop wheel change performed side saddle .......
IFA is on until the 7th. Why not give it a try .

Quote For Today

'When taking a photograph feels right,it's like falling in love'

Arthur Elgort ( Photographer)

------------

So here's a collage of some of my work that has given me this feeling.

Having read about Arthur Elgort I've ordered his book CameraCrazy . Something tells me it's a must have .

Bats are Beautiful

I loaded this onto my YouTube account last Sunday as it was the Night of The Bat . However there was a techno glitch with YouTube and their audio swap system. The piece used from audio swap is entitled Bugs . Very apt since a bat eats a third of it's body weight in insects each day .How amazing is that ? More bats and fewer toxic pesticides which drench our soil and too much of of fruit and veg would be ideal. So let's keep on protecting this delightful little mammal . They do us no harm, quite the reverse. Very difficult to film but I got close .See how many you can count .

Looking Forward

The days are getting shorter. That wonderful smell of autumn is in the air some mornings and it's good .
My camera arrived back superbly cleaned . One lightweight folding bike has been bought and will be put to very good use .
Mode and Sparen my favourite boutique had this bright yellow top. Ideal for bike wear, warm and extremely visible at all times .
Then, wonder of wonders, IFA Berlin 2011 is due to start .The world's largest trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. It takes place from 2 to 7 September 2011 here in Berlin. No prizes for guessing who will be there with her camera .
First stop Panasonic ... where else ? Should you be in Berlin do try and get to this. It's simply fantastic .If you see me say hello and who knows I may take your photo .There's so much to look forward to .

A Day In Dresden

The weather was delightful, as was the train journey ,so what a thrill to arrive in Dresden and discover the city festival in full swing. It's a city with a history which goes way back as can be seen in the architecture still being carefully and painstakingly restored. The WW2 carpet bombing of Dresden destroyed much, but not the will to hold onto the amazing and cultural heritage. eg) Wagner's Tannhäuser and Richard Strauss's Der Roskenkavalier premiered at the Semper Opera .Robert Schumann lived in the city and wrote much of his work here. In order to view one of the finest collections of Old Masters I must return. The Gemaldegalerie housing these is to be found in the Zwinger, one of Dresdens most beautiful palaces. A steamer trip to Schloss Pillnitz not to mention the steam train to Schloss Moritzburg... These are but a few of the 'must visit' places on my agenda. Note,during the week there are many splendid organ concerts and of course Pfunds Molkerai will either give you the energy for the day or refresh you at the close. Tram 11 from Hauptbahnhof takes you almost to the door .Not only did this astonishing place survive the WW2 bombing but it came through the austerity of the DDR years. To walk in there is to step back 119 years ..... Dresden has much to see and savour . Take the 's' out of strain and use the 'train' to get there.

Green-Piece in Berlin.

Berlin reflects a German passion ... flowers. By and large they are bought each week and a walk around the streets shows the smallest balcony is a blaze of colour most of the year . Though not an avid balcony gardener ( I travel too much), over the years here, flowers have become a regular purchase. Last week I went to film a very talented florist at work.
Frau Köhler is the owner of Green Piece ,a beautiful shop at Kaiserdamm 109 . Her training was three years, after which she worked as an employee ,then, over a year ago bought her own business.
She employs three others and they work well as a team . A working day begins at 8am and ends 18-00 Monday to Saturday.
Sundays the shop opens 9am to 13-00. Three times a week Frau Köhler is ready at 4-30am for a drive to the huge flower market In summer she likes to buy European flowers as this means lower prices . Roses tend to come from Equador as they are excellent quality .Her preference is for seasonal flowers when possible with not too many glass house blooms. Watch this film in the knowledge that as she works the following must take place. 1) The customer says how much they wish to spend, 2) they may want specific colour they may not, 3) the florist must then take blooms and greenery to create a work of art, at the same time calculating each item included. Whilst this mathematical element is important it must not detract from the creative process. What a balance . When I asked her why she chose her career the answer came that to work creatively and with nature was her dream . It's come true and with the flowers she is able to make sure that all who buy have 'sunshine' round the clock. Flowers do have a great power to lift our spirits and show us the beauty of our world . One single bloom can do that . Try it . For any new to Berlin try Green Piece .

Slut Walk Berlin 2011 A March For Tolerance and Justice

A huge crowd gathered at Wittenberg Platz Berlin on the 13th August .Their reason -- the Sut Walk Berlin 2011. All ages, many men there to support women, terrific atmosphere , excellent placards , music and superb cooperation with the Berlin Police made it a huge success.
The walk made it's way via Nollendorf Platz , to Potsdammer Strasse, Leipziger Strasse and finished in Gendarmenmarkt .The main issue being that unwelcome sexual advances and rape are not only wrong, they are criminal acts . There is no way that a woman's choice of clothing is ever reason for such. We women have a right to dress for ourselves . No does mean no and the only appropriate kind of sex is consensual. As for me I wore my boots. One reason being that, in the not too distant past I was judged as being sluttish for wearing such.
For me boots have always proved an attractive and comfortable form of footwear and the fact that I also look good in such is pleasing not a crime on my part.

Die Badende ( The bather )

Yesterday I took the train to Hamburg to see, photograph and film the huge sculpture in the Binnenalstar known as Die Badende.
Created by Oliver Voss this is a spectacular and impressive work .As the wind blew the head would slowly turn thus giving an illusion of life . Here you see a short film made using a selection of stills. The best is yet to come via iMovie but this will take a day. By the end of this week she will have been lifted from the water and I,like so many others am oh so glad I made the effort to view .

London's Burning

Remember the song we sang as children ? Seems today we have nasty ,uneducated thugs to blame and not a bakers shop in Pudding Lane .
If only the authorities had looked abroad they would have done as many continental countries do and made use of water canon to wash this 'scum element' away and at the same time put fires out befoe they got out of control. No good just saying these riots are unacceptable and failing to use a very acceptable means of control. It still isn't too late to hose these criminals down .Chances are it's the freshest they'll ever smell !
As for any sentimental do gooders , let them pay for the damage along with those they seek to protect+.

Toilets , Lavatories , WC's

Maybe it's because my late father was a plumber,or it could be due to a personal quirk caused by too much standing cross legged at concert halls and theatres in the interval. Whatever the reason, it's fair to say I'm fascinated by public toilets.Their design, cleanliness , accessibility are all matters which interest me. Lack of any the aforementioned --infuriates.
To some this may seem strange, maybe eccentric but on returning from France where I did film some rather impressive facilities what should I hear last week on BBC radio4 Woman's Hour but a heated debate on this very theme . It appears that rather than improved provision being the case, the opposite is the truth. So much so a serious UK seminar / debate was covered. The French film is at the top and you also see a clip made way up on the north west coast of Scotland .
There are good food guides and stars are awarded to restaurants why not a good toilet guide . So let's make a stand other than in a queue , raise our glasses , say 'bottoms' up and improve the lot for females. Meanwhile my pictures and movies file about such is growing. Good provision is worthy of note. Lonely Planet take note .