Tag: Rheinland-Pfalz

Nostalgia or State-of-the-art?

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I don’t normally use my cell phone for photography except for classroom purposes (homework, tests, attendance lists and the like) but I’ve been so mixed-up lately that I managed to take not two but three empty camera batteries along on our last outing.

But have a look – is this photo really from the era of cell phones? It looks vintage, doesn’t it?

King Ludwig I. of Bavaria built a classicist villa above the village of Edenkoben in the Palatinate (part of Bavaria in the mid 19th century) and below the castle ruin of Riedburg. The villa offers a panoramic view across the Rhine Valley to the Odenwald on the other side of the river. In 1954 a chair lift was built to the top of the hill. The pamphlet proclaims that the chairlift is technically up-to-date but the newest thing we could find were the “please wear a mask” Corona warnings which were stuck to the masts. The seats looked decidedly prehistoric, and kind of unsafe, and a bit rusty. But there has never been an accident in 67 years and apparently, the modern technical side is hidden behind the scenes.

Cellpic Sunday

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This Forest Is Unpredictable

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I was really puzzled by this notice I came across in a piece of wood in the Palatium:

Careful! Wood!

These trees are actually woodland.

Enter at your own risk.

Branches might fall down and trees might fall over.

Please stay out on windy days.

Don’t stand underneath the trees and do not park there.

Town of Otterberg, Forestry Office Rhineland-Palatium

I’ve learned that forests are unpredictable. As are public notices in the Palatium.

The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Unpredictable

The raising of the maypole

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It is a tradition of the villages in the Rhineland-Palatium, the southwestern part of Germany to raise a maypole on 1 May.  In some areas it is a naked pole carrying a wreath, in others it is a tall, slender birch with the young green leaves and a few colourful ribbons.

Maibaum

It is no mean feat to raise the fallen tree again as it is quite heavy belying its tender stature.Maibaum

Many ladders are involved in the endeavour as one can see.

Maibaum

But the concerted action of the village people usually results in an upright pole.

Maibaum

Not much more to do now!

Maibaum

And the maypole is up.  And yes, if you’ve been thinking about spring and erections and long, yet strong, slender symbols and wondering why sometimes there is a wreath that looks as if the pole has speared it, you’ve been right. The tradition dates back to Celtic fertility rituals, and no, you don’t have a dirty mind.

For Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: chutes and ladders.

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The future is on the horizon

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08 horizon (640x480)

Looking out from the Odenwald in Hesse over the upper Rhine valley.  The  wind turbines are all on the other side of the Rhine in the State of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) where politics were much more conducive to develop renewable power alternatives.

For OneWordSunday:

Horizon