I am going through my Colmar photos trying to decide what to publish. I am limited to 30 photos per slideshow…this limitation is a function of the photo hosting service that I use.
So first I quickly peruse through the photos grabbing the best for a shortlist. Then if there are more than 30 photos…I just have to be critically ruthless. It usually doesn’t take too much time because my shortlist typically counts around 30. I’d like to think I’m a good photographer but it’s just a numbers game and the law of averages. On average I snap 300 photos per day (because that’s about how many will fit on my memory card). Only one in every 10 or 20 shots is relatively good. (Spectacular photos are few and far between.) What I’m trying to say is that it’s usually easy to get to a shortlist. But Colmar!
When I took the first round of photos, we didn’t know at the time that we would be in Colmar for three days. And I was so gobsmacked (an Aussie expression) by what I saw that I was manic. And Slice on the bike was manic, going up and down and around every single lane. And because it was gorgeous gorgeous sunny weather the whole time we were there….I got lots of great photos. I took 1200 photos of Colmar. I’ve perused the first 400 photos and my initial shortlist is 200 instead of maybe 40.
So here are just a few more photos of Colmar….to keep you satisfied while I work on 2 or 3 slide shows. I hope you’re not going to get bored with medieval.
Most of our photos of Colmar are from the central part of the town but the main road leading into the center (a five minute bicycle ride from our camp site) was littered with wonderful old buildings.
This was one of my favourite. Not very colorful but I love the earthy just as much as the more colorful and elaborate buildings. We passed this one a dozen times going to and fro and it always caught my eye.
To Colmar….
From Colmar, there it is again ….
A couple more earthy pieces in central Colmar…..
This next photo was taken late in the day…the light is not great but it is a good view of one of the main avenues in the seriously-medieval section of Colmar. We were sitting at an outside cafe. I set the camera on the table and proceeded to snap photos of people walking by…I got some very interesting people photos which I’ll put in a slide show.
This is a good teaser…
And well…I just can’t help but include…what else? Another kirche…St Martin’s. Circa 1235 and seriously gothic. At the other end of this church (see the steeple) you find a main entrance. There we sat in a plaza where we drank a coffee, gazed up at the steeple in awe and listened to the 6:00pm bells call the devoted to mass. In Islam territories you hear an arabic voice call to prayer. In catholic territories you hear bells do the same.
Until tomorrow…I leave you with this little gem….
You know, I was looking at the photo’s of Colmar, the medieval town in Northern France (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=colmar,+france&ie=UTF8&ll=48.080679,7.359972&spn=2.429462,4.707642&z=8 – just south of Strasbourg and north of Basel) and I was immediately struck by how it would be to live there – what it would be like.
Firstly, because it appears to be so different from living in Perth – from an urban and suburban environment.
Secondly, by the beauty (old-worldly, etc, etc) of the buildings, and the way that they are all put together – cobble-stone streets and small shops, and three story height and nothing more – etc etc.
What is it like to live in a place where one has to participate in the place in a certain manner – walking and riding, rather than driving. And arranging lifestyle in that manner. A closer and more intimate way of living, rather than driving quickly from one place to another, parking, doing one’s business, and then driving back again. More connected to what is around one – rather than the inside of a car.
I was struck by this because of the recent move to inner city living rather than purely suburban living – with the consequent change in behavioural patterns relating to travel and transport and connection to the rest of the community. This was a GOOD move – and I can see how it may relate to living in a place such as Colmar (although I am probably disregarding the downsides of living in a place like Colmar. I live in an inner urban community, which is a quick train ride from the centre of the city and has the rest of a large city available to it in short distance. Colmar seems to be smaller – but still appears to be a medieval village inside a larger residential area, and probably only less than 60km away from Basel – which is still within the suburban sprawl of Perth now. Maybe it does not have as many facilities available as we have in this city. Maybe it does within a reasonable driving distance – which would include a reasonable train distance as well. And it does seem to have a massive forrest close to it – so maybe it has everything that anyone could want in living in a place!).
But the thing that I REALLY wanted to write about was the fact that medieval towns like Colmar have not only survived, but are vibrant and a part of the whole living in Europe experience – and are maintained as such, as part of the lifestyle of the place – rather than simply being pulled down and destroyed, or left to rot.
There are a whole range of similar towns etc in Germany which I have visited as well – they are more the norm rather than the exception. They all have their own peculiar character which makes it a wonder to visit and enjoy. I am sure that there is an element of appreciation by those of us who have never lived in such a situation, when we visit, that the locals do not understand or are aware of.
See next comment …
I had the same thoughts as Mr. SUtherland. Living there looks like a real adventure. What do you think?
Wonderul pictures, thanks again. xxxooo
Boys
Sure you know ICANN is opening up domain names to whatever you want to dream up with an application to them.
That’s a posting full of inighst!