invited at a Porsche dealer presentation in Drogenbos

PORSCHE (link, enlace, lien)

On Thursday we have been invited at a Porsche dealer presentation in Drogenbos, Brussels. They received us in a special new section the Porsche Classic where their offer maintenance for their old cars. 

BUT they were also proud to introduce the new Spider 918, the Porsche 1st hybrid car! But hold on, this car reaches 0 to 100km/H in 2.3 sec! Fuel consumption (combined): 3.1-3.0 l/100 km! of course not when racing but I guess you understood that :)

For more on tech details and videos visit the Porsche website, but if you don’t you have to witness the record-shattering lap of the new 918 Spyder  6 minutes 57 sec for 21km, on the famous Nordschleife ring in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9UUPNaOzE speed record broken. 

To see the photographs of the event as usual click on the link above or below

PORSCHE (link, enlace, lien)

Viaje a Croacia, día 2

Opatija - Pula - Rovinj - Porec - Opatija (link, enlace, lien)

Salida para recorrer la península de Istría, con bellos paisajes y ciudades llenas de historia: Pula, visita al anfiteatro, teatro, museo, fortaleza, arco triunfal, calles, catedral, templo romano, etc, seguiremos a Rovinj, almuerzo y tiempo libre en esta pequeña ciudad medieval, calles, palacios, iglesia Stª Eufemia, con preciosas vistas y comida. Por la tarde, continuación a Porec, con su magnífica Basílica Eufrásica, bizantina, patrimonio de la humanidad, muralla con torre pentagonal romana y circular medieval, plaza Marafor, antiguo foro, calles, palacios… Regreso a Opatija.

Opatija - Pula - Rovinj - Porec - Opatija (link, enlace, lien)

Viaje a Croacia, día 1

Zagreb - Karlovac - Opatija (link, enlace, lien)

Salida de Madrid vuelo a las 6 de la madrugada, llegada Zagreb a las 14 horas, parada en la ciudad de Karlovac.

The Austrians built Karlovac from scratch in 1579 in order to strengthen their southern defenses against Ottoman encroaches.

Zagreb - Karlovac - Opatija (link, enlace, lien)

Bernard's Travels: Italia marzo 2014 con Los Amigos de los Castillos

Bernard's Travels: Italia marzo 2014 con Los Amigos de los Castillos: Este viaje con la asociación "Los Amigos de los Castillos" nos llevó a la costa sur de Italia, de Napoles a Paestum, visitando lu...


Estas son fotos para los participantes en el viaje de Italia pero cualquiera interesado puede disfrutar de ellas.

Those photos are for the participants to the Italy trip, everyone is welcome to look at them.

14th of July Fireworks

14th of July 1st Fireworks (link, enlace, lien)

So finally comes the best part of the day, the FIREWORKS!
I must say that they were gorgeous. Enjoy

14th of July 1st Fireworks (link, enlace, lien)

Lady Eiffel's tower dressed elegantly for the 14th of July

Lady Eiffel Tower (link, enlace, lien)

The 14^th of July coming again, Lady Eiffel tower on July 13^th decided to dress elegantly to show the world that she was still a modern grande dame. There goes few of those dresses. Enjoy

Lady Eiffel Tower (link, enlace, lien)

14th of July Military Aircraft Parade

14th of July 1st part (link, enlace, lien)

So comes the 14^th of July celebration day! Going to the Champs Elysées where the crowd gather very early in the morning is not anymore for me. Hey! you see much better on TV and more comfortably. But luckily from our window's flat we can enjoy, life, the military aircraft parade; so again here goes few pics. Enjoy.

14th of July 1st part (link, enlace, lien)

The Atomium

Atomium (link, enlace, lien)

The Atomium is a building in Brussels originally constructed for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak, it stands 102 m (335 ft) tall. Its nine 18 m (59 ft) diameter stainless steel clad spheres are connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times!

The Atomium renovation began in March 2004 and was finished in February 18, 2006. The renovations included replacing the faded aluminium sheets on the spheres with stainless steel. Three of the four uppermost spheres lack vertical support and hence are not open to the public for safety reasons, although the sphere at the pinnacle is open to the public. The original design called for no supports; the structure was simply to rest on the spheres.

Atomium (link, enlace, lien)

Un paseo por la capital del país vasco

Vitoria (enlace, link, lien)

If you ever go the basque country Vitoria-Gasteiz is a must stop either on your way to the Rioja region or back or on your way to Santiago de Compostela. Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain. Within the city Santa María Cathedral is the visit not to be missed. Santa María de Vitoria Cathedral was built by King Alfonso VIII of Castile after the conquest of Vitoria in the second half of the 12th century. Alfonso X was responsible for expanding and modifying the structure with Gothic details in the 13th century.

Due to a lack of funds and political unrest, the cathedral had been poorly maintained for years, and suffered from structural and conservation problems, including the destabilization of the foundation and walls, which had shifted over time. In 2002, a conservation master plan was developed and its implementation was carried out as funds became available by the Ayuntamiento (Municipality) of Vitoria-Gastéiz. The site Excavations during the restoration of the cathedral revealed layers of history dating back to the eighth century, including countless pottery fragments and almost 2,000 graves. The original settlement of Gasteiz was built around A.D. 800. In the eleventh century, the first city wall was erected and the first church was later built against it.

I could go on but this isn't the purpose of this blog.

Enjoy those snap shots taken along my visit. 

(photos taken with my Fujitsu XE-1 18-55mm lens)

Vitoria (enlace, link, lien)

The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken

Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (link, enlace, lien)

The Royal Greenhouses are a vast complex of monumental heated greenhouses in the park of the Royal Palace of Laeken in the north of Brussels. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the city.

Every spring, the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are open to the public for 3 weeks. It is an excellent opportunity to see the wonderful architecture of Alphonse Balat, the mentor of Victor Horta, and the many plants in the greenhouses.

Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (link, enlace, lien)

Early Pictures from Bir - Hakeim bridge

Early Pictures (link, enlace, lien)

One more early morning. The first pic was taken at 6:20 am. To my surprise 3 other photographers had already their tripods set up and shooting. The sun was supposed to rise at 6:50 am, supposed because the horizon was very cloudy like the rest of the day has been. Anyway I enjoyed my early morning and I believe those few shots were worth it.

Enjoy.

Early Pictures (link, enlace, lien)

Sunset at La Pyramide du Louvre

Sunset at La Pyramide du Louvre (link, enlace, lien)

That day I wanted to check what would be in April a sunset on La cour du Louvre. Most of the day has been sunny and I thought that the weather would hold for the rest of the afternoon evening but it turned out not be cloudy.

I arrived a little too early thinking I could scout for original views and try to snap some shots. But man, it seems that half of the tourists visiting Paris come to visit le Louvre and then sit everywhere. Anyway, I had no other choice than to sit and wait, quietly watching all those tourists posing for the family picture in every pose there are able to think of. Then finally came the hour that they thought it was diner time, slowly we had less and less people but still … The sky was still very cloudy and it was getting cold. I was determined to take my chances up to the end. 

I believe I’ve been rewarded with at least 2 good photographs.To put you into the mood I’ve included few less interesting pictures :) . Last word: when it comes to sunset, be patient.
Enjoy

Sunset at La Pyramide du Louvre (link, enlace, lien)

End of the afternoon, between Le Louvre and la Concorde

between Le Louvre and la Concorde (link, enlace, lien)

with a sunset on Mercury riding Pegasus, (1701–02) by Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720).

enjoy

between Le Louvre and la Concorde (link, enlace, lien)

Hoping for a sunrise at La Butte Montmartre

Hoping for a sunrise at La Butte Montmartre (link, enlace, lien)

The night before I checked the weather forecast and decided it was worth getting up early.
I arrived well on time and guess what! Although it was still night we clearly see a cloudy sky, see the first photo of the slide show. So no sunrise but some others photos of Montmartre Le Sacré Coeur.
Enjoy

Hoping for a sunrise at La Butte Montmartre (link, enlace, lien)

Swan Ally Island, Paris

West part of the river Seine (link, enlace, lien)

In the afternoon of this day I decided to explore the west part of the river Seine not known by tourists, more specifically the Île des Cygnes (Swan Ally Island), an island in the river Seine where you find a replica of the Statue of Liberty ,11.50 m (37 feet 9 inches) high. This exact Statue of Liberty replica monument was offered to the French by the American residents of Paris as a remembrance to commemorate the Centennial of the French Revolution. It was inaugurated on November 15, 1889.

Enjoy

West part of the river Seine (link, enlace, lien)

Sunrise over Paris from the Trocadero

Sunrise from the Trocadero (link, enlace, lien)

I'm not the kind of man that gets up very early, that’s why you haven’t seen many sunrises in my photography so far. Weather was good, not too cold, early morning was forecast to be cloudless, so Hop on my way to the Trocadero, hoping for a nice sunrise. Anyway enjoy theses few pics taken from 7 am to 8 am.

Sunrise from the Trocadero (link, enlace, lien)

Sunset Place de la Concorde

Sunset Place de la Concorde (link, enlace, lien)

At the end of this afternoon I wanted to check how the sun was setting on Place de la Concorde. I arrived a little too early so I wandered around and took some pictures of the surroundings.

Enjoy

Sunset Place de la Concorde (link, enlace, lien)

Paris, along the river Seine

along the river Seine (link, enlace, lien)

The week of 15 to 21 I had a really good time photographing Paris again ,my favourite playground. :)

The weather has been a mix of sun and cloudy skies with temperature around 12 early morning up to 20 celsius for the best day. Some mornings I have been rewarded with a nice sunrise other well not, but even I can tell you, being alone in Paris streets, well almost since you get the street cleaners, the delivery vans, the joggers, etc.  in your way, but compare to hordes of tourists it’s nothing really.

So I’m going to share those mornings, evenings experience

The first day will be along the Seine river.

Enjoy

along the river Seine (link, enlace, lien)

Italia marzo 2014 con Los Amigos de los Castillos

Este viaje con la asociación "Los Amigos de los Castillos" nos llevó a la costa sur de Italia, de Napoles a Paestum, visitando lugares únicos ... y un buen chaparrón colectivo en Sulfatara!

para ver las fotos favor haz click sobre los enlaces de cada día.

Day 01 Anagni, Alatri, Fossanova

Day 02 Napoli

Day 03 Campi Flegrei, Golfo di Pozzueli

Day 04 Napoli

Day 05 Ercolano

Day 05 Pompei

Day 06 Sorrento Capri

Day 07 Amalfi Coast

Day 08 Salerno, Paestum, Caserta

Day 09 Montecassino