Tag Archives: historic

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Night, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Mercado de Navidad, Plaza Mayor

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Mercado de Navidad, Plaza Mayor, Madrid.
“Mercado de Navidad, Plaza Mayor” — Crowds at the Christmas market at Plaza Mayor, Madrid.

One of the great things about travel is that you get to enjoy being naive. No, really. When you go to new places, it is completely normal to not understand everything you see, every tradition, every experience, every norm. It happens in different ways, both major and minor. It happened on this late 2024 trip to parts of Germany, France, and Spain. We knew that we would visit German Christmas markets, but they we learned that Germany has no monopoly on these seasonal events, and they are popular everywhere.

The market in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor was one of the larger ones we encountered in that city. We intended to mostly avoid this tourist magnet, but we ended up there for several reasons after all. First, it seemed to us that we were seeing a lot of Spanish people there — not just international tourists. Second, it was quite impressive to see the place decked out in holiday lights.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Germany, Photographs: Travel

Interior, Sebalduskirche, Nürnberg

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Interior, Sebalduskirche, Nürnberg
“Interior, Sebalduskirche, Nürnberg” — Interior of the Sebalduskirche (St. Sebald’s Church) in Nürnberg, Bavaria.

On the last full day of our 2024 autumn visit to Nürnberg we visited some of the older historic sites. A couple of the old churches were on our list — first the St. Lorenz church and then the Sebalduskirche. This photograph is of the interior of the latter. Of the two, this one seemed darker and a bit more foreboding, though the change in the ambient outdoor light may have enhanced this impression.

This is a very old medieval church — construction began 800 years ago. Like so many buildings in this part of Nürnberg, the structure was seriously damaged during WWII. Since then it was restored, and today there is little obvious evidence of the destruction.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: People, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Vendor, Madrid

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“Street Vendor, Madrid” — A street vendor sits on his stool on the sidewalk by his wares at the El Rastro street market, Madrid.

Near the end of our December visit to Madrid we went on a long walk that took us to the famous El Rastro Sunday street/flea market in the Barrios de Embajadores area. From what I gather, this market has been going on for centuries. There is a small market square, but the main action takes place up and down nearby streets where scores of vendors are set up and thousands of shoppers completely fill the narrow streets.

If you like observing and photographing people and don’t mind working in close quarters, this event presents a plethora of visual opportunities. The market stalls are fascinating, as are the wildly diverse shoppers checking out them out. You can find almost anything here: clothes, toys, hats, cameras, phones, cookware, food, you name it. I photographed this vendor, sitting on a stool in an uncharacteristically minimalist “booth.”

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel

Eguisheim, Alsace

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“Eguisheim, Alsace” — A narrow street in the town of Eguisheim, Alsace, France.

Eguisheim is a medieval French village in Alsace, a region that has a deep German history as well. The village is definitely quaint, with timber-framed construction preserving its medieval roots with buildings that lean in sometimes-alarming ways and which are painted in striking colors. The village is laid out in concentric circles of narrow, curving streets.

We visited during out late-November stay in the nearby Alsatian village of Riquewihr. We drove over from where we were staying in Germany and spent three days enjoying the food and wine of this region and visiting a number of small villages and towns. Eguisheim was the destination of one of those day trips. We spent half of a day wandering its narrow street, stopping in to small shops, paying too much for a few souvenirs, and grabbing lunch before heading on.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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