X is for X-ing the emissions with "Tres Hombres"

No ordinary ship passed me by this morning: it was Brigantine "Tres Hombres". It may look like an "ordinary" sailing vessel, but it is not. It was built in 2009 on a Dutch initiative to make sustainable merchant ships with zero emission.

It is engaged in so-called tramp freight and is registered in Sierra Leone (you can catch a glimpse of the flag in the lower photo). It has now been in Bergen to fetch a load of timber and traditional Norwegian food. The timber is intended for the restoration of The Norwegian Seamen's Church in Cardiff, and the food for a food festival there.

And here is what The Norwegian Seamen's Church looked like in 2002.

Today's post is an entry in the SIXTH round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more, you can log on via the MckLinky enabled site

Monochrome Museum

The ceiling at Altes Museum, Berlin

This is my contribution to Dragonstar's The weekend in Black and White. It is a continuation of Aileni's Monochrome Weekend.

A Royal Visit

Yesterday we had one of our twice-yearly visits from this Royal Queen - the Queen Mary 2 (QM2). After the decommissioning of the QE2, this is by far the favourite of all the ships that pass by our terrace. If only we could afford a cruise...

W is for Weekend With Wife

"First we took Manhattan, then we took Berlin"

The essence of this slightly changed song title from the famous Canadian poet and singer Leonard Cohen did not escape us, as my wife and I visited Berlin for an extended week-end in connection with a private celebration. Since we have recently visted NYC, one might even say that it was fairly obvious.

We had not the time, nor the inclination, for any extended photo-tour, so you have to settle for the typical tourist photos. The one above is of course Brandenburger Tor at the end of Unter den Linden.

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche

Berliner Fernsehturm

And it couldn't escape even my notice that Serbia had beaten Germany at the World Cup in Football (soccer to the Americans) in South Africa...

Today's post is an entry in the SIXTH round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more, you can log on via the MckLinky enabled site

Curves from a cube

Yes, really - it is a sculpture made by the artist Bård Breivik that is at the moment exhibited in the City Park, Bergen.

Monochrome Metro and Bench

Taking the "R" train to Brooklyn. The waiting is over.

For those interested in monochrome photos, this might look like a high-sensitive photo on film. However, it was shot by a digital Canon G11 at ISO 3200, 1/100 sec and f 2.8

This is my contribution to Aileni's Monochrome Weekend.

For those interested in benches, this one (and its companions at other New York Subway stations), was one of the most comfortable public benches I have tried. I have never seen anything quite like it. Although it might need a little polish, it showed thoughtfulness in the construction on behalf of the travellers. Even on a bench you are entitled to a tiny bit of privacy.

Don't fence me in

Nature beats culture.

A visitor from rural Norway

We have a summer cottage an hour's drive from Bergen. It is our heaven on earth. Among other things one gets to meet some of the local inhabitants that really keep in touch with the grassroots.

MoMA

This is my contribution to James at Newtown Area Photo's meme called Weekend Reflections.

It is also my contribution to Aileni's Monochrome Weekend.

Photos Accepted

Winter Post

Earlier this year I entered two of the largest photo contests in the world called Trierenberg Super Circuit and Trierenberg Special Themes Circuit. The contests are huge with many thousands of participants and many more thousands of photos. I did this through my Photo Club, "Bekkalokket" .

Now the results are out, and my photo club won a Trophy for Top Overall Club! And not only that, one of our members won two Gold Medals!

I, of course, did not win any medals, but 9 out of my 21 submitted photos (printed or as digital files) were accepted for the circuits - and I feel very humble about this indeed. And quite a bit proud too :-) So I'll share them with you.

I have presented preliminary versions of several of these before, but I hope you won't mind seeing them again. The first five photos are from the Super Circuit and the last four are from the Special Circuit.

Cold Reflection

Crocodile

Two Towers

Light and Lines

Greek Fisherman

Norwegian Summer

La Sagrada Familia

Ballstad Lofoten (a Panorama)

T is for Treatment,Transported, and Transfixed

On a personal note: I have been well Treated for my respiratory affliction (a consequence of The medical Therapy I need after my heart Transplant some years ago). The Treatment was 1. class in every way from Top to bottom. In addition, my daily view has also changed from what will always be a fairly colourless hospital room to more saturated daily surroundings

On a more serious note: I usually do not mix politics with pictures, but Today I must. On returning home from hospital I learned that an unarmed convoy Transporting relief aid from the Free World to the blockaded Gaza area had been attacked by Israeli naval forces in international waters. Maybe Ten people were killed. The convoy was among other Things carrying such dangerous commodities as Textbooks and Teddy-bears. Hundreds of voluntary participants have been illegally arrested, among Them Three Norwegians.

I was Transfixed at This Tremendous Transgression of Transnational Treaties. I Trust That This Treatment by the Israeli government does not represent the True will of The Israeli people.


Today's post is an entry in the SIXTH round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more, you can log on via the MckLinky enabled site