May 25, 2012

Collioure in Sud du France as a miniature

The charming village Collioure with the Royal Palace in a tiltshift setting of May 2012.

KLICK the photo for a large version.

 

May 24, 2012

As an Elk passes by...

klick for large version
Yesterday evening this Elk passed our mountain cottage on her way up from a nearby river - a quite normal incident i the forests up here in the lower mountains in Norway South.. (KLICK photo for large version)

Camera Canon G1X

 

May 21, 2012

Port-Vendres in France - tiltshift

Port Vendres - KLICK the photo for a larger version

Port-Vendres in Sud du France looks like a Disney-land creation in this tiltshift version....

Camera: Canon G1X
PP: Paintshop incl. tiltshift effect                            

May 20, 2012

The Smaalenene Bridge (bro), Spydeberg, Norway

"Smaalenene Bridge" from 2010 - KLICK for large version
From a fine day in May 2012 - the 2 year old bridge fits well the landscape along the river Glomma - the longest in Norway with it's 623 kilometer...

I followed the construction of this bridge through all seasons over several years,
KLICK here  for my short video...

May 19, 2012

Village detail along the Oslofjord

Typical white houses in an idyllic seaside village along the Oslofjord 

Another photo from the small village Drøbak along the Oslofjord, only some 30 km south of Oslo.
May 2012.

Camera: Canon G1X

May 18, 2012

From Drøbak a small village along the Oslofjord

A May day in the small village Drøbak by the Oslofjord - KLICK the photo for a large version

One the narrowst places by the Oslofjord you will find this little idyllic village: Drøbak.
The setting here from a fine day in May 2012.

Camera: Canon G1X          

May 17, 2012

May 17 - National Day of Norway

Children Parade on the National Day Celebration outside Oslo - KLICK for large version

Traditional children parade, brass bands and flags - typical details when we celebrates our national day in Norway.

Photo from Spydeberg a village app. 40km southeast of Oslo.

Camera: Canon G1X - effect: tiltshift

May 16, 2012

Under an old tree in South of France

By lake Raho in Sud de France (klick the photo for a larger version)

A warm afternoon by the lake Raho in sud de France, just outside of Perpignan you will find this small village with the beautiful lake and the path where you can use  1,5 hrs. to walk around the lake and enjoy the pleasant landscape and climate and find idyllic scenes as here...

Camera: Canon G1X. May 9th. 2012        

May 15, 2012

The wine drinker in Sud du France

The wine drinker in Sud du France
I found the wine drinker on this orientation table on the road to the Madeloc Tower - overlooking the plains of Rousillon in the region Languedoc-Rousillon in Sud du France - the worlds most producing wine area.                          

May 13, 2012

MV Minerva departs from Port - Vendres, Sud du France

Newly renovated the small exclusive cruise vessel Minerva departs this Saturday afternoon after some hours in this very attractive part of the deep South of France

May 11, 2012

What a day in South of France...

In the daily updates from our base camp in France du Sud we presents of this Friday in May this photo of the church in the harbour of Port - Vendres.

Click the photo for the whole Flickr series from May 2012.

Peyrepertuse the Cathar Castle in the clouds...

You could see this day how the clouds was hanging around the summits of the lower Pyrennes.

We had in fact to wait till after lunch before visiting this very interesting historical site - even then we ended up with a walk in the clouds this day of May 2012.

Click on the photo for a Flickr Photo Set.

 

May 10, 2012

A tree in the clouds...

In the South of France with app. 300 sunny days in a year - you will some time see the clouds hang down the lower summits - and you walk into the clouds and find a tree...

May 9, 2012

Argeles sur Mer in Sud du France

The photo of the church in Argeles sur Mer is stitched from 6 individual photos.

The small village is a very popular holiday resort, not far from the Spanish border situated in the South of France. This photo set was made 8 th. Of May 2012.

KLICK here for a small photo set at Flickr

 

May 8, 2012

Sailing in the Mediterranian - Cote Vermeille

Photo from the hills behind the village, Port-vendres, sud de France.

The ship is app. 3km away from the camera (Canon G1X)

May 7, 2012

Super Panorama of Cote Vermeille, Sud du France

Cote Vermeille in May
Where the powerfull Pyrennes end up at the shores of the Mediterranian you will find this fantastic landscape called Cote Vermeille, Sud de France, with the 3 pittoresque villages (from left) Collioure then Port-Vendres and finally Banyuls sur Mer (Cerbere the last village before Spain is not visible from this panorama spot at the Madeloc tower).

To really enojoy the large pano click the photo for the Flickr version and then select the large original: 6029 x 1371 pixels.

Camera: Canon G1X. Stitched in ipad with Autostitch Panorama. Photo from May 7th 2012.

 

May 6, 2012

Sunday in Collioure, Sud du France

We had some rain in this morning, but later on the sun was back shining over this piqtouresque small village not far from the border to Spain.

Photo from May 6th 2012. Camera Canon G1X.




 

May 5, 2012

Today in Port-Vendres, Sud du France

Some clouds this Saturday afternoon in the small village in the South of France.

Photo from Sat. May 5th 2012.

Boat arrives in the small deep water harbour.

 

May 3, 2012

Beziers and Minerve in the Cathar history

Beziers with the Saint Nazaire Cathedral and the old Roman bridge crossing the river 
The ethnic cleansing of the Cathars in the Languedoc region started here in Beziers with the burning of some 20.000 citizen The 22nd of July 1209.
The place where the local abbot when asked how to sort out catholics from cathars is said to have replied:
"Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoscet” – “Kill them all, God will know his own.”


KLICK here for more interesting details and selected photos at my Flickr Photo Set >>

Cathar Castle - Chateau de Lastours - HD





An unusual arrangement of three castle towers is this fortification that  belonged to the Lords of Cabaret, who held in fief from the Trencavels. 

 In the thirteenth century there were three towers here, built on the same rocky outcrop. They are called Cabaret (to the north), Quertinheux and Surdespine (to the south). These are some of the few original Cathar castles left. 

 The Seigneurs of Cabaret received troubadours here, including Raymond de Miraval and Peire Vidal, who dedicated verses to the Cathar Ladies of the place.

Lastours lies in the Aude departément just north of Carcassonne. During the Cathar Crusade this was one of the most ardent centres of resistance to the French Crusaders,

In 1209 it was besieged unsuccessfully, by Simon de Montfort. It was here a year later that a line of a hundred men appeared on foot, having snaked their way from Bram, their eyes torn out, their noses cropped and their lips cut off by the Holy Catholic soldiers of Christ., carrying out what they described as "God's Business"

 In March 1211, after the fall of Termes, Pierre-Roger de Cabaret, negotiated the surrender of the château, under diplomatic rather than military pressure. In 1223 he recovered his property. Once again Cabaret became the foremost centre of resistance against the French invaders. The Cathar bishop of Carcassonne, Pierre Isarn, was given refuge here until 1226.

May 2, 2012

Valetta, Malta - blue hour

Valetta, Malta. The harbour in the blue hour. Nov. 2011.
The night is falling when we have this photo of the harbour, taken from our cruise ship Constellation from Celebrity cruises on her way through the Mediterranean Sea while we close up our 1 day visit to Valetta.

May 1, 2012

Costa Concordia arrives in Malta

Costa Concordia arrives in Malta. Nov. 18th. 2011

Nov. 18th 2011 - 2 months before her fatal sinking in Italy the big ship arrived in the harbour of Valetta in Malta. Photo taken from the panorama road in the Valetta Harbour.

We thought our ship Constellation from Celebrity Cruises was big - but this one was really huge as it passed the gates to the harbour.

It seems they now will try to bring her out in one piece - a real challenge to be launched in May 2012.