I will be traveling to Florida this weekend. I hope there will be some photos to post in the albums here when I get home.

~Annie

I had a wonderful time in Florida this weekend. I was able to take some photos while I was there. They can be found in the Photos section at the very top. The beach photos are from Guana State Park, which is still one of my very favorite places. I hope you enjoy the photos!

Updated at 2/22/2009 @ 8:32 pm

9:17 pm | Comment (0)

I learned a great deal about night photography on Saturday night. For the first time I actually experimented taking pictures with a camera at night. This time with the aid of a very patient friend. It was great fun and I learned a lot. The photos are posted in the album section under Korean War Memorial. Hopefully in future weeks and months I will go out and do some more night photography!

1:19 am | Comment (3)

I posted some new photos recently! They cover a wide range of subject matter. The new albums are Best Photos, Miscellaneous 2008 and Experiments. The experiments were taken at the lake July 4th 2008.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! May 2009 be wonderful for you all!

10:29 pm | Comment (1)

Hello Everyone!

I just now put up the Germany photos. They are what I consider to be the best of the lot. I took seven rolls of film and about 150 digital photos. Lots of photos! I often take photos to document what the place looked like. Not always just for a pretty picture. All of the experiences are outlined fairly well in the blog but if you have questions feel free to ask me anything about the trip or the photos.

I hope everyone looks at everything and gives me feedback on what they think.

Next week brings a new chapter in my life. I start what will hopefully be a successful academic semester at a new school! I am going to continue to work on the website and hopefully get the business going some point soon. I have pictures from California that I am going to put up too!

Thank you everyone for your love and support!

7:13 pm | Comment (1)

I had an outstanding weekend. Falk offered to take Annika and I on a road trip this past weekend and we went. It turned out to be quite outstanding with visits to four countries. It was definetly an adventure. I enjoyed the experience greatly.

The road trip began at 4:30 AM on Saturday. We rode in the car until 9:30 AM when we arrived at Schloss Neuschwanstein. . We saw both castles, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The castles are nestled on hills that has a backdrop of the stunning Alps. The castles were very different from each other. Neuschwanstein was much larger in size, the interior decorations were much grander and gaudier than the interior and decorations of Hohenscwangau. The tour in Hohenscwangau was much better than Neuschwanstein. It was with a much smaller group and it was more comprehensive and much easier to follow. To get to the castles you had to walk a fair amount of distance and vertical hill. I walked all portions of the trip. It was very enjoyable and I had a great time! I would highly recommend visiting both castles if you go to visit Southern Germany.

From the castles we drove through the Alps and over the border to Austria. We ate a late lunch at the top of a pass. The view was outstanding. I took lots of pictures! From there we headed to a ski town in Austria and found a pension to spend the night at. After checking Falk drove us around in search of great views. We went up and down many mountain roads trying to find a way to get a great view. We found a great place, after asking a local for somewhere to go. We also drove to Innsbruck. The towns in Austria are very beautiful and picturesque. I loved the beautiful, bold flowers that were hanging on many of the windows. It was beautiful country.

On Sunday we headed out early after a breakfast at the pension. We went through the Alps, which are very beautiful. We crossed into Lichtenstein. I added another country to my list. I bought gas for the car there. I have pictures of me standing there. Later we crossed into Switzerland and drove through there. We only drove through these two countries. It was very beautiful. I would like to go back with more time to take more pictures. After a back-road filled trip through Switzerland we crossed into Germany. It was a welcoming feeling to be back there. We drove to Schwarzwald (The Black Forest) to look around and see waterfalls. We ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking the forest. I had a delicious meal that had lots of different things and was a popular dish in the area.

After walking up yet another steep trail to see waterfalls we headed back home. It was a long 2 days but totally worth it. It was wonderful to spend time with friends and to travel more. I had a great time and can not wait for my next road trip and adventure.

4:29 pm | Comment (1) | Categories: Adventures, Austria, Germany, Lichtenstein, Road Trips, Switzerland, Travel

I spent my last day in Munich doing a variety of different things. I first headed to Dachau to see the memorial site. Dachau was a concentration camp of the Nazi regime. It was a moving experience. It is hard to beleive that in the 80 years ago that it was the site of the massacre of many innocent people. It was eerily quiet there. I think it is important to remember what happened during World War II. People can't just forget the things of the past. They must recognize that history is a part of our present state and our future.

Annika and I headed back into Munich on the S-Bahn. The last of our sightseeing in Munich was to see the Alte Pinakotek and the Neue Pinakotek. Both were interesting. We spent a lot less time in the Alte Pinakotek, which has a large collection of Renaissance art and other older works. The Neue Pinakotek was a more interesting museum for me. I saw lots of art. The highlights were the Klimts. I really like his work and was excited to see it in person.

We rounded out the afternoon with a late lunch in an outdoor cafe on Kaufinger Straße. I wrote loads of postcards! :-) The food was good. I had my last beer in the Beer Capital of the World. Lots of fun and a great end to a fabulous trip.

We got a ride back with the girl that drove us to Munich. It was quick and we were home late, exhausted from a crazy four days.

The weather was good while we were there and has been for most of my trip here. We are heading back to Bavaria, but further south to Neuschwanstein. Neuschwanstein is the castle who gave inspiration to the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disney movies. I am very excited about this trip. We are also going to tour the area for a little bit, then head home on Sunday.

I don't think I will be able to post much while in Southern Bavaria but I will make sure to post about my adventures on Sunday evening. Have a great weekend everyone!

5:20 am | Comment (3)

For those who don't know the word Strasse in German is the equivalent to Street in English. I saw a lot of different streets today. I started walking from my home base, the hotel on SchwanthalerStrasse. Then I walked down St. Pauls Strasse past an absolutely gorgeous gothic cathedral. I then headed down the U-Bahn at Theresinwiese and got on the U4 into Munich's Central City. I got off at Karsplatz Stachus then down NeuhauserStrasse. This street is full of many different shops to visit and buy things from. I also went down Kaufinger Strasse which is also full of shops. Today was definetly a day of shopping and relaxation. HackenStrasse was the location of a Spanish fruit store that had yummy dried strawberries and apricots. After buying and tasting dried fruit Annika and I headed back down Kaufinger Strasse, Sparkassen Strasse, then Ederer Strasse and then to some other streets until we got to the Hofbrau Haus. Hofbrau Haus is a Bavarian Beer Hall. I tasted Weiss Wurst, which is white veal sausage. It is the stereotypical food for Munich. I of course had a beer, which was soooooooooo good. Munich lives up to its name as the Beer Capital of the World. Lots of fun of course. Annika and I then headed down many other streets where we went shopping for many different things but mainly souvenirs. Later Annika and I visited the Frauenkirche to take more pictures of the interior. Great of course. I took many photos and will hopefully post some of them when I get home. We spent the rest of the afternoon chocolate shopping and buying a huge pretzel for us to munch on. The best part of the day is that Annika found out about an organ music performance at Frauenkirche. It was interesting and a lot of fun. I had never heard a concert of organ music. The best was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". Very fun. To top the evening off we walked all the way back to the hotel and took a longer and more scenic route and were able to see a beautiful sunset. It was a great day. Tomorrow is Dachau, the Nazi concentration camp, Alte Pinakotek and any last minute things that come up. Annika and I are catching a ride back to Gefell with Stephanie and will get in late. So check the blog on Friday for updates.

4:11 pm | Comment (0)

This morning Annika and I headed out to the Olympic Park early on the U-Bahn. The weather here in the morning was cold and grey. When I arrived at the Olympic Park I was taken away by the beauty of the structures. The architectural workings of the roof over Olympic Park were interesting. There were large supports that were holding the structure together. It was different than Berlin in the fact that you could not go into the stadium and walk around. The entire area was deserted except for the swimming pool. I took what I hope are some great photos. I can't wait to develop them when I get home.

After the Olympic Park Annika and I headed back into central city and to the art museums. We happened upon the Theatinerkirche. The Theatinerkirche is an Italian Baroque church. It was outstanding. The facade was very Baroque with the attached pilasters and it was undulated like a wave. This was the first Italian Baroque church that I had seen. The interior was also interesting. It was all white and with very ornate carvings.

The Pinakotek der Moderne was a great find! Located in a more posh and expensive area of Munich the Pinakotek der Moderne was great fun. The museum focused on some modern and contemporary artists. A great majority of them were of German descent. I saw some great pieces. I spotted an Anselm Kiefer from the other side of the building and that was very exciting. (I really like Kiefer's work) There was also a Dali which was also cool. There was an exhibit displaying many photographic depictions of women. That was okay. Some of them were a little bit too much and I didn't really want to see American artists when I was in Germany. The weirdest thing of the experience was seeing part of the Dan Flavin (neon art) exhibit that was at the National Gallery three years ago. It was cool and proves that art is an universal language.

Afterwards Annika and I went on our way to find the Hard Rock Cafe. I am a huge Hard Rock Cafe fan and I try to go to them when I am in faraway places. It was an awesome time, as always. We battled the lines for tshirts and a sweatshirt after the meal.

After lunch there was a whirlwind of activity. I went to the top of the Frauenkirche
. It was 86 steps and then a lift. The view was great. We were able to see all parts of the city and I think the coolest thing was the view of the Alps in the distance. They are very beautiful. The third church visit of the day was to St. Peter's Cathedral. It was not my favorite. We just stopped in and walked around. I must say that the enormous amount of artwork in churches and cathedrals provides an avenue for art for everyone. People may not go to the art museums but when they visit these churchs to look around or light a candle they are getting exposed to many types of art.

Later we visited a market. We looked around. There were many different traditional foods and wares for sale. We went out late to a great restuarant that we visited on our first day for lunch. It was delicious, again. I tried goulash, which was outstanding and Annika and I split a tradition German dessert, Kaiserschmarn, which is apple filled strudel with raisins topped with powdered sugar and applesauce. It was delicious. I am heading to bed now and look forward to tomorrow with a day full of touring!

5:41 pm | Comment (3)

The last two days have been insanely fun but tons of craziness with lots to do and many miles travelled. On Sunday we traveled to Northern Bavaria to visit Annika's grandparents in Rehau. Carla and Wolfgang prepared a Christmas dinner for me in August. I was sooo excited. These were foods that they knew I loved so they made them special for me. It was outstanding. We had roulade, which is thinly sliced beef with lots of different stuff that makes it absolutely delicious! The best part of the meal is the klöße. They are potato dumplings that have croutons in the middle. They are my absolute favorite and Wolfgang's are especially good. I had four and they were delicious. There were lots of other German goodies at the table and I tried everything. During the afternoon Annika and I took Tobias and Sindy to the park. We had a great time! We played on the jungle gym and on the swings. It was a great afternoon! When we got home we packed and got ready for our voyage to Munich.

This morning we got up early to get ready to go down to Munich. Stephanie, one of Annika's childhood friends drove us to Munich. The trip was fun. It is very different to be in a tiny car going 140-160km an hour. (That is about 90-100 miles per hour) It was very different. We arrived and went for a tour of Stephanie's office building. We also went to meet people she worked with who spoke English. It was cool. I met an American from Prince Georges County who was fluent in German and was working for a German bank. It was fun and the best part was the view from the top level of the building. Her office building was twenty-five story building. The top level was an enclosed viewing deck. After the great views we went on the U-Bahn (subway) to the area where our hotel was.

Once we entered the city central of Munich it was great. We found a little restaurant where we had another great meal. I had wiener schnitzel and a beer. The food was great and the beer was even better. It is definetly better in Germany! After a short rest and recharge we headed out into the city. We walked to the center of Munich through many different shops and streets. We ended up in Marienplatz which is where the Rathaus (city hall) is located. This was also the location of the Frauenkirche which is an absolutely beautiful structure. It has onion domes and is made of brick. We are going to climb the tower on Wednesday or Thursday. We made a stop at Starbucks. I know but it is Annika's favorite and there are no shops anywhere near she lives. We then headed home on the U-bahn. We are now sitting in the hotel lobby laughing and having a great time.

I don't have many pictures because I am mainly taking them with my film SLR. I hope to post some in the blog entries when we get back to Gefell or at the latest a few days after I get home.

This has been such a wonderful trip so far!!!

I forgot something yesterday night when I wrote this. When we were in Starbucks I saw the Tibetan flag pass by. A few more did and then we were out in the streets to follow a Tibetan Freedom parade. It was beyond cool to hear Tibetan broadcasted and projected over Munich. Very cool. I support Freedom for Tibet. And if you would like more information check out this site Free Tibet.

Updated at 8/5/2008 @ 11:45 pm

4:05 pm | Comment (2) | Categories: Adventures, Germany, New Experiences, Travel

Last night Annika and I walked through the town to visit her friend Stephanie, who will be driving us to and from Munich next week. It was especially cool to sit with Stephanie and her family because she spoke English and her father was an English teacher in the local German school. It was great to talk about America, life there, politics, pop culture, and many other topics with people who were interested and excited to hear about it. It was a great night. We drank wine and talked until late next to a fire in a courtyard area. I now see the positive aspects of living in a small town, there is a great sense of community. The girls that were sitting with us had known each other for their entire lives. It is a completely different way of life here. A great night again! This afternoon we will go to Schöndorf again. It is clearing here so a night of stargazing is probably in order. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

8:06 am | Comment (2)

Last night Annika and I went to go visit her boyfriend Falk and his family. They live in what we would call the middle of nowhere. They live in an old country house. It was a nice evening, we sat around in their outdoor area while we talked and laughed. What was really wonderful was that the stars were outstanding. The total darkness and complete lack of light pollution provided for an excellent star gazing experience. We actually walked out into the fields, which was an experience, I took very small steps and held onto Annika's hand. It was outstanding, while the some of the stars are different things like Ursa Major (The Big Dipper) are also visible in the night sky. It was really cool to see so many stars. The coolest thing is that we saw the bright light of the International Space Station. It was amazing. It shone brighter than any other light in the sky. It was an end to a great day. We go back there on Sunday and I hope that we will be able to do more star gazing.

7:59 am | Comment (2) | Categories: Adventures, Germany, New Experiences

I am in Germany for two weeks and went across the border to the Czech Republic for the day today. Today was a definite photo experience. We started out by going to a castle Schloss Seeberg that has been restored and currently serves as a museum for tourists to come and visit. The castle was restored in the late 1980s and has some really interesting artifacts inside of it. All of the artifacts on the inside of the castle were in areas too dark to photograph with a basic film or digital SLR. I found some really great shots of the wild flowers that were blooming all around the castle grounds. It was very quaint. We ate lunch in the castle, which was lots of fun. I had authentic German cuisine prepared by a Vietnamese chef. It was quite an experience. The food was outstanding.

The second part of the day we spent time in a Czech city, Franzensbad that has been newly renovated in the past ten years. The town is known for its water which is said to have healing power. The city was full of hotels, casinos, restaurants and little shops. There was also a large park area that spread about through the central city. The lampposts in the park were outstanding. Very cool. There was lots of iron work on many of the buildings that was really interesting. I was told that many Germans of older generations come there for rest and rehab. They come to relax and keep themselves healthy. It was a great place.

The Czech Republic is always a great place to visit and I was really happy that we did not just go over the border for shopping but instead experience what the area was about.

10:54 am | Comment (3) | Categories: Czech Republic, Flowers, New Experiences, Travel

Welcome to my new website. I will post photographs here and record notes about my photo adventures. I hope everyone looks around and sends me feedback on what they think about my photos and of course the site.

2:02 pm | Comment (5)