Colditz

 Colditz, a beautiful town in Saxony was a stop off point on the drive to Dresden on our 2018 road trip. Following a visit to the famous castle which stands above the town it was nice to relax and explore a little before setting off.

In the main square there was a fabulous bakery and café where we bought some delicious cakes and then we ate them sat by the fountain. It was just as well that we did because on the next stage of our trip which should have taken about an hour, allowing us plenty of time to find our hotel, explore Dresden and find a nice restaurant, actually took us almost 7 hours. There was a terrific storm but this unfortunately caused a landslide which blocked the motorway leaving us stuck for 6 hours. This was certainly an unexpected adventure and by the time we reached our hotel in Dresden everything was closed and we went to bed hungry but grateful for the delicious cake we had eaten earlier in the day.

Water Sculpture

These abstract images are from shots of fountains near to the Lego House in Billund, Denmark taken on my road trip in 2018.

I love taking photos of water, it offers so many opportunities for some stunning images whether that is ripples, reflections, or rushing rapids, or perhaps refracted light through dewdrops, waves and waterfalls. Or as here in these two mid air sculptures as the water reaches the top of its trajectory and hangs momentarily before falling back on itself.

If you look long enough you can see all sorts of different shapes, a bit like staring at clouds and seeing faces or rabbits, and in the second shot you can see the ripples on the surface where smaller droplets have fallen and left their mark.

Flying High

Stood here looking across the St Marys River towards the USA a french speaking couple asked if I knew what the building on the far side was. At the time I had no idea, there was a large old sailing ship moored nearby and I wondered if it had a military function. There is also a large freighter and so I wondered if together it was a maritime museum. 

It turns out that the freighter the SS Valley Camp is a museum but the building is actually St Marys Falls Hydro Power Plant. The river has been diverted from above the locks via the Edison Sault Electric Company Canal.

However it wasn't the building that caught my attention I was really more interested in the way the early evening sunlight lit up the fountain giving it a warm glow. 

Finer Detail

On the occasion the above pictures were taken I was staying in a small village called Saint Sauveur les Bray in the Seine et Marne region about an hour from Paris.

The first two pictures are of the street lamps just outside of the cottage.  It struck me at the time that in a quiet lane in a remote village these were rather ornate and they suggest the great pride the locals have in their village.

The last two pictures are from the Chateau at Fontainbleu, the first is of a decorative feature on one of the many fountains in the extensive grounds and the final shot is of a frieze over one of the gateways features the Salamander which was the emblem of King Francois 1 whose had the chateau built as a hunting lodge.