Cubism

Defined.

Sometimes it’s just about shapes.

Tones.

Lines.

OK, a lot of lines.

Goes back to a comment made about me several years ago – “Bill is a line whore”.

And I can’t deny that assertion.

Etz Chaim

Holocaust Memorial aka Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin, Germany.

Etz Chaim is the Jewish interpretation of the Tree of Life.  Very appropriate in this location.

Not quite the composition that I wanted, but there was a wire wastebasket immediately below this frame.  And the basket was firmly bolted to the ground.  So I had to work with what I had.

But at least I had that opportunity.

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For a continuation of this post, based on comments below, please read this.

Raphael, Auschwitz Deportiert

Germany is full of memorials of the Holocaust.

Some subtle, some not so subtle.

We were standing over these before we noticed them.  Three brass memorials in place of cobblestones on the sidewalk.  At an entrance to a courtyard where apparently the Raphael’s lived.

All deported to Auschwitz.

After we found their memorials, we found several more while walking through Kreuzberg.  A very multi-cultural, lively quarter of Berlin, chock full of clubs, bars and phenomenal food.

Definitely gives pause.

And if you’re interested in the Raphael genealogy, take a look here.

Rose Memorial

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Holocaust Lines

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin, Germany.

November. A whirlwind tour.

Wow.  It’s been a busy month.  The first week of November was enjoyed here at home.  The rest of November has been enjoyed elsewhere.

Running and riding have definitely taken a back seat during the past three weeks, but it’s time to kick it back into gear.

The next few posts will show you a bit of what we’ve been doing, but here’s the Reader’s Digest version.

First off, a week of professional development in a lodge high up in the Bavarian Alps, just across the border from Salzburg, Austria.  Staying at the lodge was a bit eerie, considering it was a hideout for Dietrich Eckart, a man who considered himself Adolf Hitler’s mentor.  There was even a picture (right) in the lodge of Hitler and a couple of his cronies looking up at the  lodge.  All that aside, it’s a beautiful area, although it was gloomy every day except for the morning we drove out.  We were high enough up the slopes that we were in the clouds the whole time.  Luckily Goddess and I would be see more of the area a week later.

Next was a quick overnight back home to wash clothes, repack and scoop up Goddess for the next couple of weeks.  We were off the next day to say farewell and thank you to someone who has served her country for more than 20 years.  What better reason to get together and celebrate?  Well, we did.  But we also played it a bit safe, since Goddess and I had a long drive ahead of us the next day.

By the next evening, Goddess and I were enjoying real Italian food and great wine in Mogliano Veneto, just two stops up the train line from Venice.  Unless you’ve got a suitcase full of money, staying in Venice is really not an option.  Especially if you have a car that you need to park.  Well, I packed well, but no suitcases full of money.  So we stayed outside the city.  That worked fine too, since we just left the car parked and used public transportation.  A bonus after enjoying a glass (or three) of wine.

So after two days of exploring Venice, we headed up the road to another work-related conference.  While I sat in meetings, Goddess explored the countryside and brought a few cases of local wines that she liked back to the room.  At one point we actually discussed mailing some clothes home so that we’d have room in the car for the wine.  That’s a sign of a good trip.

Once that conference was over, Goddess and I pointed the car north, drove through Austria, and ended back in the same town (Berchtesgaden) that I was in the week before.  A beautiful town.  Luckily the weather had cleared and the Alps were visible the entire time.  Unfortunately, not much snow.  But that was OK, since we were able to hike.  After a couple of nights there we pointed the car towards home.  But didn’t make it (yet).

Instead, we stopped for a few nights in Munich.  It truly is a wonderful city.  We made the most of our time there, although one evening of touring the beer breweries really impacted our sightseeing the next day.  We’ll need to go back again to see a few of the museums, but we also know that if we don’t make it back, we definitely did our best to get the feel of the city and we’d be satisfied with that.

Finally, we made it back home and basically collapsed.  Just in time for Thanksgiving, even though the cupboards were bare and the turkey was frozen.  Luckily some friends called that morning and invited us over for dinner and conversation. 

Anyway, that’s the month in a nutshell.  I’ll be posting pictures and words from our trip in separate posts in the coming days.  It’s really been a while (over three years) since I’ve shot so many images in a trip.  So it’s taking me a while to get back into the groove of processing. 

Plus, naps keep getting in the way.  ;^)