We recently came back from a two-week trip with Flo and Corinna to the island of Elba in Tuscany, Italy. Even though it wasn’t the expected fry-in-the-sun-at-the-beach vacation because of the chilly spring-time weather, it was a great trip. May is wild flower season in Tuscany and the entire island was exploding with colors. We went on several hikes and saw places that I have never been to in the thirty years that I’ve visited this island now. Below are a few impressions of the Elban spring.
Flo and Corinna feed the sea gulls on the ferry from Piombino to Porto Ferraio, Elba, Sunday, May 13, 2012.
Lichen and two-colored rock work together to create an abstract painting on the Percorso del Monserrato hiking trail in Porto Azzurro, Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
Looking East from our roof terrace across the sea to the Italian main land, Saturday, May 19, 2012.
Beth celebrates her birthday at L'Aquila (the eagle) just off the pilgrims' church of Madonna del Monte above the village of Marciana, Friday, May 18, 2012.
A huge agave spreads its leaves at the Percorso del Monserrato hiking trail.
Flo hikes up the Percorso Pietre Rosse trail from Cala Del' Inferno beach in Rio nell'Elba.
Pine trees cast their shadows on the grass underneath at Mount Calamita, Capoliveri, Tuesday, May 22, 2012.
Flo, Beth and Corinna take a break after hiking up the steep and strenuous trail to Monte Strega, Rio nell'Elba, Monday, May 21, 2012.
Rosaries, photographs and other offerings are lined up on a wall inside the Madonna del Monte pilgrims' church above the mountain village of Marciana, Friday, May 18, 2012.
Flo, Corinna and Beth fool around while watching the sunset atop L'Aquila in Marciana, Friday, May 18, 2012.
June 3, 2012
I just went through my archive to prepare my POYi entry, and found these pictures of Grand Canyon that I meant to post for a long time:
Visitors browse through the gift shop in the Desert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, Thursday, June 2, 2011.
Visitors overlook the Grand Canyon from a boardwalk near the visitor center on the South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, Wednesday, June 1, 2011.
Park visitors gather at the Desert View Watchtower to watch the sunset over Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, Thursday, June 2, 2011.
January 11, 2012
Early last week, we got the cabin fever and wanted to get outside for some fresh air. It was Reunion Day, our national holiday, and a gorgeous late summer afternoon, so we decided to go on a hike in the beautiful Altmühltal, a nature park just around the corner from my home town. The river that used to meander through the valley has in part been replaced by the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, and with it a lot of the endemic species of both plants and animals went away. However, parts of the old river still remain; squeezed in between a former branch and a formation of impressive limestone cliffs is the medieval village of Essing – a scenery right out of a movie set.
Located on the cliffs above the village is the Castle of Randeck, which dates back to the 10th century. Monday, October 3, 2011.
The old city gate of Essing with the wooden bridge across the Altmühl river.
Fall has colored the trees lining the historic Ludwig's Canal southeast of Essing.
Bicyclists ride past a pedestrian underpass on the Altmühl bike trail.
The historic houses near the market square in Essing are dwarfed by the limestone cliffs that tower over them.
The sun sets over the historic Ludwig's Canal near Essing, the 150-year-old predecessor of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.
October 10, 2011
Last week, Beth and I went on a short trip to Elba with my family. The small island in the Italian Tuscany region is something like my second home, because my family and I vacationed there almost every year of my life. However, I hadn’t been there in almost four years because of my stint in the States. It’s hard to describe how much I missed this place and how excited I was to finally go back there. I was so busy enjoying the experience that I hardly took any pictures, let alone good ones. Beth did a way better job, which you can see here (and at the end of this post…). In the meantime, here are a few of mine:
The early morning sun shines on the village of Capoliveri.
An Opunita bears rich fruit near the village of Ripe Alte. The figs from this cactus taste delicious, but picking them without gloves is a bad idea...
An old man climbs the stairs to his home in the mountain village of Marciana.
This winery between Chiessi and Colle d'Orano on Elba's wild West Coast is one of my favorite places on the entire island.
October 2, 2011
