Tag Archives: town

Photographs: Italy

Vineyards Below Radda

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Vineyards Below Radda
Evening light and shadows on vineyards belown Radda in Chianti

Vineyards Below Radda. Radda in Chianti, Italy. August 23, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Evening light and shadows on vineyards below Radda in Chianti

We have now visited this small town several times. The first time we passed through on our way to another place, barely giving it a glance. (I know, that is hard to believe.) Then on the return drive we came back through it and noticed the remarkable location atop a mountain ridge, with buildings alongside the narrow road and stretching off in either direction. Then we returned for dinner, arriving early enough to take a bit of time exploring the village, which turned out to be a bit larger than we had imagined.

On this dinner visit we came into town a little before 7:00 PM, and since dinner wasn’t scheduled until 7:30 we had some time to wander. After walking up and down some of the narrow streets — barely wide enough for a single small car in many places and few cars go there — I found a walk along the edge of the ridge overlooking the valley to the west and facing into the beautiful evening light. Far in the distance (and not seen in this photograph) were tree-covered hills stretching off toward very distant mountains. Below were vineyards and olive orchards, with the gentle gold-hour light passing from left to right and beginning to darken the shadows.

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 and Amazon.
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Photographs: Germany

Altstadt-Heidelberg

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Altstadt-Heidelberg
The Karl Theodor Bridge, the old bridge, the Heiliggeistekirche, and portions of Altstadt-Heidelberg, Germany

Altstadt-Heidelberg. Heidelberg, Germany. July 11, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The Karl Theodor Bridge, the old gate, the Heiliggeistekirche, and portions of Altstadt-Heidelberg, Germany

It has now been close to two years since our visit to England, Germany, and parts of Austria back in 2013 — too long, I think! Our visit began with a week in London, where various members of the extended family met up, and then adjourned to Germany, where we have relatives. We stayed with them in Heidelberg for a few days, then took a train to Salzburg and ended up at a big country home at the base of the Alps near Königssee and Berchtesgaden, Bavaria for a week. This was an incredibly picturesque location, with the peak of the Watzmann towering above us as we sat at picnic table behind the farm-house where we stayed. Then it was back to Heidelberg for a few more days before heading back to the US.

In Heidelberg we stayed in a home not far from the old town area along the Neckar River. We were a short walk away, over a hill and along the footpath called the Philosophenweg (or “philosopher’s way”), then down to the riverfront and across the old bridge to the town. The old town of Heidelberg appears like something out of a fantasy of Europe, with narrow streets, many church steeples (including the Heiliggeistkirche seen in this photograph) and the Heidelberg castle on a hill above the town. At the lower left of this photograph you can see the bridge leading across the Neckar River to the old gate to the town.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Germany

Heiliggeistkirche Steeple, Altstadt-Heidelberg

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Heiliggeistkirche Steeple, Altstadt-Heidelberg
The old part of Heidelberg with the steeple of the Heiliggeistkirche.

Heiliggeistkirche Steeple, Altstadt-Heidelberg. Heidelberg, Germany. July 10, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The old part of Heidelberg with the steeple of the Heiliggeistkirche.

The Heiliggeistekirche is a main landmark in Heidelberg — not as monumental as the old castle, but a central feature and visible from all around. Most often we approached the old town by walking over the hill on the Philosophenweg, an old footpath that follows the ridge parallel to the river, and then descending to cross the bridge. From this elevated perspective it is possible to see a lot of the town, from the waterfront to the castle to the hills that rise beyond.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Germany

Old Heidelberg Gate

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Old Heidelberg Gate
Statue and buildings near a gate to Old Heidelberg

Old Heidelberg Gate. Heidelberg, Germany. July 10, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Statue and buildings near the gate to Old Heidelberg

From time to time something triggers a visit to old photographs that I have not looked at for some time — it might be that I had to go find an image for some project, perhaps a question about the subject came up, or it might even be more or less chance. Inevitably this leads to a visual detour away from whatever more current work I’m focusing on, but just as inevitably I enjoy the side-trip — and sometimes I find material that I had passed over originally.

Nearly two years ago we made a trip to London and then to Germany and as far south as Salzburg, Austria. We spent about a week in London, then went to Germany for a couple of weeks. We started in Heidelberg, where we have family, then spent a week in Bavaria, and then returned to Heidelberg for a few more days. We we fortunate to be able to stay essentially across the river from the old section of Heidelberg, allowing us to walk over there. We entered this part of the town for the first time across the old bridge and through this gate.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.