Criss Cross

Every city that we have visited so far on our roadtrip has had a really good public transport system with trams, buses and metro (with driverless trains) which has been great as it means I haven't had to navigate round the cities in my car.

The tram system in Gothenburg is quite old and you will see from my post yesterday that the rolling stock is fairly dated.

In places the roads and tramlines are separated by kerbs or barriers but at larger junctions it is much less clear, at least to a visitor like me who has to constantly remember to look left instead of right  before stepping off the kerb.

At some junctions the tramlines criss cross in a confusing jumble as you can see from today's picture. I had to stand in the middle of the junction to get this shot, assisted by my son who was keeping an eye on the traffic and listening out for the warning bells of approaching trams. I like this picture so it was worth the risk...

I'm writing this during a pause in our journey to Malmö from where we will be taking the overnight ferry to Germany. We have a good day planned for tomorrow so hopefully I will have something interesting to share with you tomorrow evening.

A Random Trio

So here are three random shots taken around Gothenburg today.

It has been scorching hot today with temperature of 31c so it was great being out and about. Tomorrow is set to be a little cooler at 29c.

I took the first picture on my way down to the tram stop. It made me laugh in a schoolboy snickering way after all farts are funny right. In Swedish fart means speed so obviously not as funny but it shows how funny different languages can be.

Our plan for today was to explore one of the islands in Gothenburg's archipelago. We went to Vrango the southernmost island and spent a few hours wandering the trails and clambering over the rocks around the shore. I got some really nice landscape images but I am saving those til I get home. Instead my selection from the island is of the lichen on the rock which is a brilliant yellow.

The final picture today is of one of the trams, I thought about posing the question "I wonder what's got him so cross?" because the destination says Angered, just another example of how words can mean very different things.

Tomorrow before leaving this interesting city we're going to see the famous fish market and the horticultural society's garden which apparently is stunning.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

So today you find us in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city and the most northern point on our trip. We are here til Thursday when we will be taking an overnight ferry from Malmo into Germany.

The drive up from Copenhagen was excellent as we first crossed the magniOresund bridge. We were greeted by a somewhat surly border guard but as we made our way into Sweden we were pleased to get another country under our belt. To start the scenery wasn't much different to that in Denmark but as we got further north there were more wooded hills and small lakes and lots of rivers and I felt there were a lot of similarities to driving in parts of Canada. 

My son and I chatted away giving each other little quizzes and having a bit of a lark. We spotted a few cranes in the fields, not a bird we would  see at home.

We spent the afternoon exploring a park in the city called Slottsskogen which is huge, there are lots of walks and different activities, there are fountains and cafes and even a petting zoo. There is also a wildlife park which is home to a variety of native species including seals, moose, elk and reindeer and a breed of pony that has been around these parts since the stone age. There was also the Scania goose (Skånegås) that is so heavy that it has difficulty flying.

While I was watching a dogfight between some beautiful dragonflies I noticed the rainbow in the spray from the fountain and I thought it would make a nice image to share with you.

The second of today's pictures is of a secluded lagoon just visible from one spot along one of the woodland paths and it was a good spot to pause along the way.

Tomorrow We will be heading out to visit one of the islands in the archipelago, there are quite a few, each with something special to offer so deciding where to go may be difficult but with the promise of more good weather I don't think we can go far wrong.

All Stacked Up

This evening I am in Copenhagen on day 3 of my road trip and so far we have racked up over 1200 miles.

We left Vejle this morning after breakfast and headed to Billund, home of Lego and we visited the Lego House part of which you can see in today's picture. I have more shot of the building but I will save those for after I get back home.

The outside of the building is a massive playground and we spent so much time exploring it and messing around that we ran out of time to go in and look at the exhibits. We did manage to visit the shop though before setting off again.

On the way to Copenhagen I spotted an I sorry sat on a post not far from the road, I had never seen one before so that was a real treat. Then we drove across the Storebaelt bridge. Wow, I thought the Afsluitdyjk was impressive but today's bridge was somethielse entirely.

This afternoon we have explored parts of the city including the Free State of Christiana, I was warned not to take pictures inside so I only managed a few shots.  We walked along the waterfront and of course went to see the famous but dare I say it slightly underwhelming little mermaid statue...

Tomorrow we're pressing on to the next country on our route... Sweden and we'll be crossing the Oresund bridge, something I've been excited about for weeks. I know, I'm a bit weird and nerdy but some people love me for that so I'm happy.

Ups And Downs

So today is the second full day of my European roadtrip with my youngest son and I have a few pictures taken today.

Yesterday morning we arrived in Amsterdam after driving through the night, it was really hot and I was super tired and I hardly took any pictures so today I hoped to be a bit more productive.

We had an 8 1/2 hour drive to our second destination Vejle in Denmark it shouldn't have taken quite so long but we hit a few traffic jams which slowed us down quite a bit. We also stopped a couple of times and i managed a few shots on my camera and using my phone's camera.

The first stop was on the Afsluitdijk across the IJsselmeer which is a marvelous feat of engineering and something i had wanted to see ever since I was a child having read about it and seen it on a map. It is almost 20 miles long forming a defensive barrier against the sea. Part way along the road there is a viewing platform reached by means of a spiral staircase and you can see the views looking down and up the staircase in the first two pictures.

The third shot is of the corridor in our hotel. The lobby area to the hotel chic but the corridors have an almost industrial feel but it makes for an interesting photo. The room is comfortable and the food is good and the architecture is interesting so all in all it was a good choice.

Tomorrow we head to Copenhagen after a brief visit to the home of Lego so hopefully lots of good photo opportunities ahead.

Drip Drip Drop

So, not April showers but the remnant of a light shower in May but on a very sunny morning so these beautiful droplets reflected the sunlight as they settled on the vibrant green leaves.

I was amazed at the different shapes and sizes of the droplets and how they hold their shapes so well, one droplet not seen in these images was on the edge of the leaf and it had a straight side, amazing...

Inverted Bloom

I don't know what these flowers are, but I am sure that someone out there will know and maybe you will tell me, because I think they are really beautiful.

They were growing in the shade alongside the path and I almost missed them but I am glad I didn't.

Changing The Guard

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f /5:6.3

ISO 250  309mm  f/7.1  1/500

ISO 250  483mm  f/7.1  1/500

I missed posting something yesterday because, well just because, but I didn't want to let another day pass without some more great pictures and I hope you will agree these pictures don't disappoint. 

They follow on from my selection from Sunday night which if you didn't see them I hope you will take a few minutes to take a look.

I have called today's post Changing the Guard because that is what is happening, one of the adult swans had been sitting on the nest and the other after having a good stretch came to relieve the other and I like the way they carefully switched positions with balletic precision. Then with a look of pride (if you can attribute that to a swan) s/he stands guard before settling down on the clutch of precious eggs.  I think this was a wonderful scene and something I felt privileged to witness. I really love the second picture.

but now for something completely different...

...this is cropped from the first of today's pictures and in colour rather than black and white.  Can you see a totally different creature in this image? 
I have lowered the exposure which has given a pink tint to the white feathers and with the upturned tail and the dip to the wing tips it resembles the face of a pig at least I think so and I can thank my eagle eyed son for spotting this detail in the original shot.

Regal

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f/5:6.3

ISO250   552mm  f/6.3  1/320 sec

ISO 160  400mm  f/5.6   1/320 sec

The swan is such a majestic bird and always look so serene. Even when having a stretch as in the first shot or when chasing away a goose as in the second image. 

This bird was one of a pair that was nesting on a small island at the far end of the pond and s/he was very protective of the nest chasing away any potential threats. 

After a little while I watched the changing of the guard on the nest and was treated to a nice view of the clutch of eggs (more of that another day). But I wanted to share these pictures because they are really good and I love the reflections.

Smiling Buck

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f/5:6.3

ISO 100   600mm  f/6.3   1/160 sec

At Dunham Massey I had spent most of the time in the gardens photographing the spring flowers but before going home I wanted to wander into the deer park and see whether I could get some nice shots.

At this time of year the herd of deer is spread out around the park in small groups and unlike the autumn months when there is a lot of activity in early May the deer seem much more relaxed and were contentedly feeding as the many visitors walked by. 

It wasn't really the best time of day to get really interesting shots but I do like this one of a young buck who was gently munching on some grass. He was completely at ease as I approached and seemed to pose for me. You can see that his cheeks are full of food but with his lips parted slightly I think it looks very much like he is smiling.

Pink, White & Blue

Canon 100mm f 1:2.8

ISO 100   f/3,5   1/160 sec

ISO 100  f/3.5   1/100 sec

ISO 100  f/3.5  1/200 sec

So actually it is blue, pink and white but I don't think it matters what order I list them they're all really beautiful, but I think they're in my order of preference. 

I hope you like them too.

I really like this time of year when there is so much new life and vibrant colour in our gardens. It helps put the cold and dreary winter months to the back of my mind and I can look forward to the warmer months which offer more opportunities to get outdoors.

Raindrops On Tulips

Canon 100mm f /1:2.8

ISO 100  f/11  1/30 sec

ISO 100  f/3.5  1/800 sec

ISO 100  f/3.5   1/800 sec

I know the line from the song is "Raindrops on Roses..." but there were no roses to see but these beautiful tulips will more than make up for that.

These flowers certainly make it onto my list of favourite things.

At Rest

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4 L

ISO100   75mm  f/22   1/125 sec

ISO 100  65mm  f/22   1/15 sec

Two more sunset on the beach images for today's post.  This is a different boat for tonight and I really like the colours in these pictures and the angle at which the boat is leaning against its mooring rope. As with yesterday the reflections are really cool and the colours are rich and warm.

Cool Evening Reflections

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4 L

ISO 100  47mm f/22  1/100 sec

ISO 100   47mm   f/22  1/50 sec

I have said many times how glad I am to live by the sea. One of the real bonuses is the fact that we get lots of wonderful sunsets and on a nice calm evening when the tide is out there are some great photo opportunities.

Recently I had gone for a walk along the seafront to Dovepoint and I spotted a number of photographers out on the beach and in the creeks photographing some of the boats that were at rest on the mud. I wasn't dressed to join them so I went back the following evening and spent a really rewarding hour up to my shins in stinky mud with my camera set up on a tripod to capture what I hoped would be decent images.

Here are the first two that I wanted to share and I have to say I am pretty happy with them. I love the light, I love the reflections and I love the overall composition. Let me know what you think in the comments or just like and share , I like to get feedback...

Ancient Arches

Canon 24mm - 105mm f1:4 L

ISO 100  24mm   f/14   1/125 sec

ISO 100  82mm  f/8.0   1/125 sec

I think that these will be the last shots from Easby Abbey near Richmond.  

I like the perspective in the first shot looking up the gentle rise at the ancient ruins. While there is a lot missing from the building there are plenty of traces that give an indication of how the building would have looked when it was new. I also really like the cloud formation which appears to be emanating from the nave.

The door in the second image caught my eye as I walked from the abbey down to the River Swale. I really like the shape of the door as it appears framed by the hedge and the wrought iron gate and the stepping stone paving that leads the eye to the centre of the shot.

Nicely Framed

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4 L

ISO 125    65mm   f/10   1/125 sec

ISO 125    102mm   f/8.0   1/125 sec

ISO 100    73mm   f/10   1/125 sec

Three more views today from Easby Abbey.

I love wandering around ancient ruins and trying to imagine what the building would have been like during its heyday. Trying to imagine the sounds and smells and recreate the bustle of activity in the different parts of the buildings. Who would have been wandering the corridors and running up the stairs and who would have looked through this magnificent window when it was in its full glory.

I also marvel at the skill of the masons who constructed these buildings with the limited technology available to them. 

It is also fun to watch the expressions of the modern day visitors as they also explore the ruins, especially the children climbing on the walls and playing hide and seek and telling their parents to "come and see!" 

At The Abbey

Canon 24mm - 105mm f/1:4 L

ISO  100   28mm   f/11   1/250 sec

ISO 100   24mm  f/11   1/250 sec

A few weeks ago I went over to see my mum and other family members and we visited Easby Abbey in Richmond. It was a really lovely day and as always I had my camera handy to capture a record of the day.

Like The Clappers

Canon 100mm f/1:2.8   ISO 100  f/4.0   1/80 sec

When we look at Bluebells, as a rule we look from above or perhaps from the side to take in the mass of colour or the beautiful bell shaped flowers but do we stop to look closely at the detail?  

In case the answer to that question is no take a look at the pictures that I have shared today. With the benefit of my macro lens and with my camera securely mounted on a tripod I can show you the wonderful interior of the bluebell with its clapper like stamen with their sugary pollen coating. Isn't it wonderful the way the petals peel back in that bell shape to expose the heart of the flower, enticing bees and other pollinating insects to do their work to ensure beautiful displays of these native beauties year on year.

Sunburst

Canon 100mm f/ 1: 2.8   ISO 100   f/5.0   1/200 sec

This beautiful flower is a Lesser Celandine and it is like a little burst of sunshine in the shady woodland. It is such a fantastic shade of yellow but where it catches the sunlight it appears white.  It really is a wonderful plant and if you look closely you can see a darker corona emanating from the central stem outwards along the petals providing a strong background to the jewel like pollen bearing centre.

Bluebells

Canon 100mm f/1:2.8  ISO 100   f/6.3   1/160 sec

I had intended to share some of my pictures of the carpet of Bluebells in the woods at Burton Mere but when I was trying to choose I was a little disappointed with them because although the bluebells make a fantastic display there is also a lot of greenery that detracts somewhat from the flowers.  The green was that sticky weed, like velcro which happens to be called "Sticky Weed" or more properly Galium aparine. There was masses of the stuff and it spoils the overall effect of the pictures so I may have to try again to get some better shots.

So instead I decided to share a couple of macro images which are, I think, really beautiful.  You don't have to be a genius to see that the two pictures are of the exact same flower and the camera settings for each shot are identical. There is a slight difference in the angle but the principal difference is the lighting with the first image lit solely by the sun, from behind while the second is also lit from in front using a small hand held torch.

I really like both images, they have different qualities, I like the colour of the flowers better in the second image but I like the background effect in the first. If you have a favourite why not leave a comment, and let me know the reason for your choice...

Mallards In Flight

Canon EF 24mm - 105 mm 1:4 L

ISO 100   105 mm   f/10   1/250 sec

This is a bit of a random post today as I had intended to carry on with my shots of Bluebells at Burton Mere but earlier I was sorting out some pictures of my daughter-in-law and her horse and I found this shot of two Mallard ducks that flew past and I just managed to capture.  I have to say I am quite pleased with this given that I hadn't set my camera up for this type of shot and I really didn't have the right lens. This is cropped from the original image and it is still quite sharp. 

This evening I have been down on the mud at Meols photographing some of the small boats at low tide with the sunset in the background.  It may be a while before I get round to posting them but be sure to keep coming back, I think I got some cracking shots.

Different Perspective

Canon 100mm f/1:2.8   ISO 100   f/3.5    1/100 sec

I have said it before that although the Dandelion is generally considered a weed it really depends on your perspective and these two shots demonstrate that they really are beautiful wild flowers.

I love the bold yellow and the shape of the petals with the crimped ends and the sugary pollen. Either individually or as a mass display they really don't deserve to be dismissed so easily.

Forget Me Not

Canon 100mm f 1:2.8

ISO 100    f/4.5   1/100 sec

ISO 100   f/3.5    1/100 sec

I had gone to photograph the bluebells at Burton Mere and as it was a beautifully sunny morning the prospect of capturing some great images filled me with hope as I set off.

Before I got to the main show of bluebells however I spotted a magnificent spread of Forget Me Not's and so I stopped to get a few shots. They really are such beautifully delicate flowers and they make a nice display in the dappled  early morning sunlight.

Grey Heron

Tamron 150mm- 600mm F/5 - 6.3

ISO 400   600mm   F/6.3    1/320 sec

I have really liked the black and white pictures that I shared over the past few days and I think this grey heron looks really good in black and white too.

It was actually sat overlooking the penguin pool at Chester Zoo, perhaps in the hope of stealing a free meal. He really is a handsome fellow