Urban Photography | Fotoeins Fotografie

24T80 Basel observations

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It’s easy to forget how it’s at least 20% more expensive in Basel compared to other locations I’ve stayed and visited so far in Germany and Austria. However, Basel SBB is sizeable, and Migros’ own eatery has many many choices; also, fresh flowers! But to buy, not to eat. A big positive is that the coffee is very good. Here are some other things I saw in Basel, earlier today on travel day 80.

And by the way, yesterday I passed the 1-million number in walking steps for this entire trip.

*Zum Spalenbrunnen, towards Spalentor in the distance at right.*

*Door-knocker at Gailingen Synagogue, 1836; saved from destruction during the 1938 Pogrom. (Jewish Museum of Switzerland.*)

1901 image, Theodor Herzl on the balcony of Basel’s Three Kings hotel, overlooking the Mittlerebrücke (Middle Bridge) and the Rhine river. Reproduction in Berlin, 1927. (Jewish Museum of Switzerland.)

*A modest memorial plaque, on a building in Riehen, north from Basel.*

“Leonard Euler (1707-1783): mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and philosopher, spent his youth here in Riehen. He was a great teacher and a kind person.” The building isn’t an original, but his family home was in the vicinity.

*Les Trois Rois / The Three Kings hotel.*

*Promenade below various room-balconies at The Three Kings hotel, next to the Rhine river and the Mittlerebrücke (middle bridge).*

*A very red Rathaus (City Hall) in late-afternoon light.*

I made all photos above with an iPhone15 on 26 Jul 2024. I received no support from an external organization. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T76 Some Stuttgart from the city centre

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I spent travel day 76 (Euro day 75), mostly in Stuttgart’s city centre. By early afternoon having relearned something I found out years ago, I began a new “mini-project” for the final visits of the day; that 1-off will appear at a later date.

*What’s now Schillerplatz with the Schiller statue was once home to an original stud farm called Stuotgarten (c. 950 CE), giving the future city its name*.

*Towards the Rathaus (City Hall) with its modern clock tower.*

*1111am on 22 July; moon just past full and into waning gibbous phase.*

*Inside Stuttgart’s Rathaus: the famous “Paternoster” elevator in service for employees, residents, and visitors like me. Of course, I used it to go up and down.*

*Next to the Rathaus is this statue “STUTTGARDIA”; see below.*

*Inside the Markthalle (market hall), with a great abundance of meats and cheese.*

*I arrived at Herr Kächele, hungry for Maultaschen. I got so much more …*

… with their big “Schwabenteller” (Swabian plate combo), including from left to right: potato salad, meat patty with gravy, regional specialty Maultaschen, cheese Spätzle. Washed it all down with a black currant juice spritzer. All made locally with locally sourced ingredients.

*The massive and ongoing “Stuttgart21” central train station redevelopment project.*

*Marienplatz, in Stuttgart Süd: the arrival of the “Zacke” city cogwheel railway.*

City route 10 operates as the “Zacke” cogwheel railway between Marienplatz and Degerloch until 845pm, after which a substitute bus rolls out into service at 9pm. It’s a steep climb south which is why the cogwheel is effective.

*The SSB is the city’s transport provider: Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen AG*.

I made all photos above with an iPhone15 on 22 Jul 2024. I received no support from an external organization. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T70 From Vienna to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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Travel day 70, Euro day 69, and Vienna day 36. Morning wake-up in Vienna’s 6., and I’m sleeping tonight among the Wetterstein mountains.

Euro24 in Germany is done and dusted, although I didn’t watch any of the matches because I’d already spent time and energy on the ICC T20 World Cup and that extraordinary up-and-down final between India and South Africa. Time to head back into Germany for the third and final leg: but first, the mountains.

*Inside the main (west) entrance, 1211pm.*

*After departing Salzburg, the train crosses the Saalach river near Freilassing; also, crossing the international border east-to-west, from Austria (left) into Germany (right).*

*6.5 hours after leaving Vienna, the familiar Waxenstein, Riffelspitze, and Zugspitze peaks come into view (at left), as I arrive finally in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.*

*Another familiar sight after previous stays: facing north to Kramerspitz (left).*

I made all photos above with an iPhone15 on 16 Jul 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T69 One final full day in Vienna

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Travel day 69, and day 35 in Vienna: the final full day in the grand city for this crazy ride. Another hot humid day in the books further emphasized my wish to travel/visit “small and close.” I managed to return to some of my (new) favourite places, and to consciously see everything I possibly could in “one last light.”

After 3 consecutive summers and over 100 days in stay, Vienna is very much now a part of me, although I seriously doubt the reverse is true. The city’s reputation is justified: people here can be grumpy and “unfriendly,” but I’ve gotten to know a few people and I’ve seen many different beautiful charming sides to the city across all 23 districts. I’ve no regrets, but what’s bittersweet is I don’t know when I’m coming back.

*In Rathauspark: #Wienliebe / #ViennaLove.*

*Heldenplatz: at what is Archduke Carl looking in the distance?*

*He’s looking northwest at buildings now related to the Federal Chancellery. At left in the background is the Minoritenkirche.*

*Inside the church is a grand copy of “The Last Supper” which Napoleon tried but failed to deliver back to Paris.*

2nd time here this visit, once again for their weekday lunch specials. I read a copy of today’s “Kurier” print newspaper, completed a couple of postcards for Canada, and checked online my travel plans beyond Vienna. Eating at a cafe or restaurant is neither rapid nor rushed.

*One last look at this part of the Innenstadt.*

*One last look towards Leopoldstadt, from Schwedensbrücke.*

Discovered many years ago on a visit to Berlin, Buchhandlung Walther König (WK) is one of my favourite bookstores. With a location in Vienna’s MQ (Museums Quartier), the shop is full of books on art, architecture, design, arty and artful looks at Vienna, and, naturally, photography.

*Seen in the MQ. “Steadily grumpy, but content” is the way I feel about this past month in Vienna. Nods to the fine actor Danny Trejo.*

*One last look at Ringstrasse architecture, with late-day light on the Natural History Museum, from Volkstheater.*

I made all photos above with an iPhone15 on 15 Jul 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T68 Vienna 22: Aspern Seestadt

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In the Austrian capital, the 22nd district is the city’s largest by area, and presently undergoing rapid change as new residences and homes are created to keep up with demand. In the fall of 2013, eastward expansion of the U2 (purple) metro line reached the former Aspern airfield, reconverted for the creation of Seestadt (“Lake City”). From 2014, the development of Seestadt in multiple stages encompasses 240 hectares (almost 1 square mile) with living space to accommodate more than 25-thousand inhabitants.

Aspern has additional history as the stomping grounds for the French army and Napoleon’s invasion of Austria, with major battles against Austrian forces in May 1809 (French defeat at Aspern) and July 1809 (French victory at Wagram).