My New Year's Resolutions

I HAVE been hearing lately that most New Year's Resolutions are  broken by the second Friday following the New Year. Let's hope not, because if that is true, most of us just looked at our resolutions in the rear-view mirror. I think, though, that those remarks are mostly addressed toward the self-restraint and exercise side of things. Maybe if I restrict mine to photographic things, I will have a better chance of getting past Friday. 😎

TAKE LESS PHOTOS

HMMN. SEEMS like an odd one for a photographer. What I mean here is take less photos of the same subject (that are essentially duplicate photos). I have been dissatisfied with my "cataloging" process for my archived photographs for some time now. I have looked at a couple different DAM solutions, and tried a couple of them (including one that was supposed to make my life easier with its AI-based "find and label" capability - it didn't - it just gave me a headache). I finally decided my own best solution was comprehensive keywording (in the past, I have been haphazard about that). That process means I am basically going through my archives image-by image. Tedious, but necessary. One thing that jumps out at me is how many repetitive images I have in my archives. Where I went out to a site and made image after image (like maybe I was going to miss something)? I get that sometimes things are continuously changing and you really don't want to miss something. But mostly in my case - on review - these are essentially "in-camera-dupes." The late Jim Moore was one of the most influential mentors I have ever had. I remember him counseling me on this very thing. I took it to heart for a short time (much like those "only 'till Friday" resolutions above). In 2025, I want to make a concerted effort to make less images of a subject. Work the composition. Get the correct exposure. Maybe try something creative. But then move on to another compostion. Or another subject altogether.

BE MORE CREATIVE

I HAVE been reading and using the "stand in front of better stuff" quote a lot recently. I fully expect to continue doing that in 2025. The real question for me this year though, is what am I going to do with that "good stuff." I made some strides in 2024 (especially during the last few days of my central Europe trip) at making some more unique and creative images. While I am sure I will continue to take the "I was there" (hopefully iconic) shots, I do want to be more creative (more on that below). The though here is to spend some time in thought (when that is possible) and visualizing as scene/subject, and then tryhing to think outside the box with it. In some cases I am hoping for in camera results (like the moving train image, or unique camera position, or working with shutter speed and aperature). I also want to try unique compositions. Something that I have begun to do better, I think, is to visualize what kinds of creative things I might be able to do in post processing, and make some images accordingly.

I THINK that's enough. 😐 I would much rather make just a couple resolutions that I can keep in mind and really work on, that a laundry list that I might be successful on a couple of them. I have to keep in mind that these resolutions mostly apply to a a certain part of my photography - those ocassions when I am out for a dedicated shoot. My travel photography will mostly be bounded by what whatever groups I am traveling with are doing for an agenda. That is mostly fast-moving and though I make a lot of images, they are rarely as repetive as - say - the waterfall where I have me 30 shots from the same position. I need to try to think longer and shoot less on those kinds of shots (giving more credence to wind, proximity to things that I want in focus, and more "what would it look like if . . . " kinds of parameters). I will try to circle back to this in late 2025 and we will see how I did.

My Favorite Photos of 2024

 

Cherry Blossom lined street
Hakodate, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

CHOOSING FAVORITES has only gotten more difficult as my opportunities to shoot have increased. We have been fully retired now for nearly 6 years. Pre-retirement, we were going on at least one major trip a year, with some shorter and closer additional photographic outings for me. Since retirement in early 2019, we have substantially ramped that up.

Twin Moms - Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
Tokyo, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE NOW usually do 2 to 3 major trips per year together, and I find ways to fit in my photographic trips too, when I can. I try to do at least one per year, but 2024 didn't work for a myriad of reasons - none of which are important here. I already have a GSMNP springtime photo trip scheduled for 2025, with two of my good photographer buddies. I am anticipating that. In addition, we are booked now, for 2 cruises in 2025. Since retirement, it has not been unusual for us to do two trips out of the country; either cruises, land-based, or both.

I stood in front of some really good "stuff" in 2024

2024 WAS no exception. In January, we cruised in the Caribbean. In April, we cruised around the main island of Japan (4 days in Tokyo and 14 days on a cruise ship). In September and October, we visited Central Europe for 15 days. I just checked my 2024 image archive folder and it contains well over 5,000 archived raw photos. No wonder picking favorites has become increasingly difficult. Acclaimed National Geographic contributing photographer, Jim Richardson is credited (there is no direct source for this quote that I have been able to find - but who cares: its good stuff!) with having once said: "If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of better stuff." Whether you wholly agree with the sentiment or not, I have to say, I stood in front of some really good stuff in 2024.

I WANT to qualify my use of the word: "favorite." My favorites may not be the ones that would "sell," or be chosen by viewers. It may not be the first up on my website. In one or two cases, this may be the first time they have appeared in "print" anywhere. What they mean to me is that as I reviewed my images for the year, something about these images stood out to me. I flagged them and then went back to see if I could cull them down somehow. The best I could do was 18.

Traditional Garb - Ikuta Shiinto Shrine
Kobe, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

BEGINNING WITH the first image (and they are not necessarily in any order), I planned with great anticipation to try to find some compelling cherry blossom images as we were there during the season in Japan. I made many photos with blossoms in the image, but not showcased in the way I had hoped. The closest - the image here - was made on a dreary, dingy day. Thank you, Photoshop. My resulting image was how I imagined it would look on a perfect day. The "Twin Moms" image was made during a vist to one of Japan's plentiful and beautiful gardens - this one in Tokyo. It was one of those "f8 and be there," serendipitous compositions where things just came together in front of me. I am amazed that I had the forethought to make the image, as it was obviously fleeting. Talk about repeating patterns.

Siriu-ji Shrine
Aomori, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE SHRINE shots were example of color and patterns that always grab me. When I was researching for my individual blog posts following the Japan trip, I wondered about that ubiquitous bright color that you will find everywhere in Japan. Not really red. Not really orange. But visually compelling to me. Vermillion. I even like the sound of the color.

picking favorites has become increasingly difficult

THERE WERE many great opportunities in Japan, but we made one stop in South wKorea (which I suspect had something to do with maritime laws and passenger taxes). I thought the harbor in Sokcho, South Korea was especially nice, and made a few images both daytime and night time, but the image from my archives that pulled at me was this canopy covered street in the downtown area.

Sokcho, South Korea
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

EARLIER IN the year, before our trip to Japan, I did get away for one afternoon to Florida's Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, about a 90 minute drive north of us. I haven't done much wildlife photography for many years, and my gear isn't really suited to that as a serious pursuit. On this trip, I accompanied my sister and brother in law who were visiting. It was the middle of the day and I didn't anticipate any really decent light, so I brought the "travel" gear (M 4/3) along. I had a consumer grade zoom that was equivalent to 300mm (35mm equivalent) and surprised myself by making a couple decent images. In post, the circular pattern of this one caught my eye.

Pink Flamingos - Homosassa Wildlife Park
Homossa, Florida
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IN LATE September, we embarked on our much anticipated "Octoberfest" trip to Europe. We severeal days each in Zurich (with visits to Lucerne and the Alps), Munich (with a visit to the Bavarian Alps), Prague and Berlin. The theme of the trip was rain, unfortunately, but I still made a healthy batch of pictures during the 15 days we were abroad. The shot of the bridge with the castle in the background gives a feel of what it was like the day we were in Lucerne, and I am able to imagine what it might look like with nice light and a cotton-candy sky. Either way, it feels like a nice, moody, travel picture to me.

Lucerne, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE ICONIC shot in Lucerne is the 1th Century Kapell Brucke, a wooden footbridge Spanning the Ruess River. I made a few different images of the bridge. A couple were "nice." None really grabbed at me as a "favorite." The shot below was taken just next to the bridge.

Lucerne, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

I HAD some time to "kill" one morning while waiting for the group to get organized for our outing of the day. Our Central Plaza hotel could not have been more dead-smack in the middle of the city. It was not only very convenient, but was a major crossing hub for the very busy Zurich Tram system. One set of tracks went up a hill just behind our hotel, and the though had ocurred to me that I might be able to practice some panning.

Tram - Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS are familiar with the saying: "F8 and be there." For those who aren't it kind of means that sometimes being in the right time and place and semi-ready for anything that comes your way can yield some pretty spectacular photos. I guess I will let you be the judge of how "spectacular" or not, it is, but this was my favorite of a series of 8 or 10 images I was fortunate enough to "be there" for during our lunch stop in Interlaken, the day we visited the Swiss Alps.

Paragliders Landing in Interlaken, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE WERE in Zurich just during the time when an annual international bicycle race was being held. If we had more time and it was better planned, I would have dedicated a day and gone of by myself to shoot this event. As is was, we only learned about it just as we arrived. I got the impression that many of the Zurich natives felt it was a nuisance, but everybody appreciates that these events bring cities revenue. We were on a walking tour our first afternoon in Zurich, and we crossed a couple of turns on the race course. I got just a couple fleeting chances at some photos. Lighting and Lensing; I really wasn't prepared for shooting this kind of event. I didn't really have the equipment and I hadn't done any study of the light and environment of the race. Ironically my favorite image of the handful I got was not of the cyclists, but of the motorcycle escort.

KNOWING WE would be visiting the Bavarian Alps and particularly that we would have the Neuenschwanstein Castle on the itinerary, the shot below was clearly a check the box item for me. I knew there would be a shot like this of the castle, based on what I had seen published on the internet. What I didn't know was where I would need to go to make that shot. I did know there was a bridge somewhere near the castle that would yield a good shot. When we landed at the base of the castle where all roads let up the mountain, I learned from a map that the straightest and fasted route to the bridge was via a shuttle. I also had learned that there would be lines both at the shuttle and at the Bridge. We had been given time for lunch before we had tickets for the castle tour (let me just say that if you are a photographer and the weather is even slightly cooperative, don't waste your at the castle grounds or in the castle (it is a very abbreviated tour and no photographs are allowed inside). The bridge had a long line and it was probably about a 15-minute wait. Worth every minute. The bridge is a mob scene, but because it is perpendicular to the castle view, once you get on the bridge, you will have not issues getting a nice shot or two (or a few) - don't even think about a tripod though. Rain, once again, had been the theme of the day, but for just a few minutes while I was on the bridge, a little sun popped, giving me some nice lighting. Even though a "bucket list" icon kind of photo, I would probably print it and hang it on my wall if I still had my office.

Schloss Neuenshchwanstein - Bavaria, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

MUNICH YIELDED many photographs. Like so many European Cities, it is photogenic. Within the old city, probably my real favorite was an experiment from the "get go." I saw the busker in the picture below standing in front of a nondescript department store. There was really nothing about the setting that said "this would be a good representation of Munich." Indeed the shot could be any city anywhere in the world. In my mind I saw some potential. I knew as soon as I made the photo that I would have this on the screen in post-processing, doing something with it - probably some kind of vignette. And so I did. Certainly my favorite "city" image in Munich.

Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

MUCH LIKE Munich, I found some really great photos in Berlin. The two that I clearly come away calling favorites don't necessarily demonstrate high quality photos (the night shot of the tram station was taken with my Samsung S21 smartphone). The do, however, evoke the emotion in me that they were at least among my favorite shots that I made in Berlin.

2024 - The Year in Review

 

Sun setting in our rear view - Celebrity Apex - January 2024
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

ALMOST EVERY year, I try to do a "year in review" type of blog at the end or right in the beginning of the New Year. Once again, 2024 was a full travel year, and we put 2 cruises and a major land-based trip abroad on the books. I have tried, in the past, to boil it down to one or two of my favorite images from each place we visit. This year, I couldn't do it. There were just too many "favorites." A warning, this will be a long post with lots of images.

For all these things, we are immeasurably thankful

I DIDN'T make my usual couple weeks in Michigan this past summer, due to a number of "logistics" issues. Our trips abroad included a short Caribbean "holiday," a long (nearly 3 weeks) trip to Japan which included circumnavigation of the main Island of Japan on our Holland America Westerdam cruise ship (I new line for us - not our first choice, but I have always said it is about the itinerary, and this was a good one), and and a 16-day "jaunt" to central Europe.

Sunset Sail-away on Celebrity Apex
Copyright Andy Richards 2023 - All Rights Reserved

FOR THE most part we think our move to the Tampa Bay/Clearwater, Florida area has been a resounding success. For the 10th or so time in as many years, I will be outdoors, poolside on our lanai on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. We moved here as much as for any other reason for the weather. We don't miss the snow and ice.

Celebrity Apex - 2024 "Holiday" Cruise - British Virgin Islands
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Rserved

IRONICALLY, THE only downside has been the weather. 😶 This year Mother Nature decided to hammer us. We had 3 full hurricanes: Debby, Helene and Milton. Each had its impact on our area - differently, but devastatingly. Over the years, we have mostly dodged the proverbial "bullet" right here in Palm Harbor. For whatever reason, they seem to initially target us, but before making landfall, nearly always have turned their wrath either north or south of us enough that we really haven't had any ill affects.

Tokyo, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

NOT THIS year. Debby hit the northern Florida in August. As seems to be the pattern, it turned away from Tampa and up north into the "Big Bend" (where Florida turns westward on the northern beaches of The Gulf of Mexico), where she swept across northern Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. She did a lot of damage to our neighbors to the north of us. From Debby we learned something new to us. It is not unusual when a hurricane sweeps across the northern part of Florida and enters the Atlantic for it to re-develop, turn northwest, and make landfall a second time. Debby did that and hammered the Atlantic coast, causing substantial coastal flooding, and heavy rainfall in the southeastern coastal states. As hurricanes go, a Category 1 is the lowest rating to earn the name "hurricane." One would think that was a "mild" one. But none of them really are. Our experience has been that even though we refer to it as "hurricane season," once we get one, we breath a sigh of relief and think we are done for the year.

Koishikawa Garden - Tokyo Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

NOT THIS year. We had already seen Beryl develop in the Caribbean, strengthen to a Category 5 (as high as can be) in the Gulf, and sweep north into eastern Texas, causing lots of damage over there. What many of us didn't anticipate (though anyone who lives here always knows they call it a "season" for a reason - I put my hurricane protection up at the first real prediction of a strike and leave them up usually until well into November) was that we would entertain not just another one. We would instead get hammered 2 more times, less than 3 weeks apart.

Seiryu-Ji Shrine - Aomori, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

ON SEPTEMBER 26, Helene made landfall just north of Tampa Bay, once again in the Big Bend area as a Category 4. It had one of the biggest storm centers in recent history. Unfortunately, Helene also dragged the most significant coastal storm surge in modern history. That surge impacted the Florida coastline from well south of us (Sarasota and the barrier islands - Anna Maria Island and Siesta and Longboat Keys), all the way up into the Big Bend. We have friends who own a home just under 2 miles west (toward the Gulf) of us and they had 4-5 feet of water in their single story home. They gutted it and are in the process of completely rebuilding the interior. 100's of homes were similarly damaged. Maybe even worse, this quirky storm brought unprecedented rainfall to the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, creating disastrous flooding as swollen rivers flowed down and into towns which nobody ever dreamed would happen. For our own part, we had high winds and our only damage was one screen out of our lanai. Helene may have been statistically the worst of them to hit the west coast of Florida. Given the damage caused by Milton a few weeks following, I would be hard pressed to call one worse than the other. I suspect east Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina residents would agree that the worst one is the one that lands near where you live.

Ikuta Shrine - Kobe, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards - All Rights Reserved

ON OCTOBER 8, Milton made landfall just a little over a week and one-half; this time south of us on Siesta Key. Still reeling from Helene's impact, coastal regions and barrier Islands of Sarasota (Siesta, Longboat) and Bradenton (Anna Maria) were hammered. As high as a category 5 storm while approaching land in the Gulf, Milton had dissipated to a Category 3, still a devastating storm (winds to 120 mph). Again, a substantial storm surge contributed to the problem. What may have made Milton even worse though, was historical and unprecedented amounts of rainfall. While we did not get the full hurricane winds impact here in Palm Harbor, we got more rainfall in the space of a few hours than had ever been historically recorded.

Sorakuen Garden - Kobe, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE HAVE been personally fortunate. Perhaps beyond what we deserve. Our home is in one of the highest points in Florida and is 2-plus miles away from the Gulf. We have had several hurricanes threaten us and we have been spared from the brunt of every one so far. We only worry about wind and we think our wind mitigation is sufficient to withstand anything but perhaps a dead-on Category 5 strike. Ironically, the 3 that have come closest to that all occured while we were gone. We commonly travel in September - October; right in the heart of the hurricane season. We left for Zurich, Switzerland on September 25, just a day before Helen struck. We returned to Tampa on October 10, just 2 days after Milton!

Sorakuen Garden - Kobe, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

TURNING TO more positive things, we have only not been in our Palm Harbor home one time to usher in the New Year since we bought it some 10-plus years ago. in late December, 2023, we joined our close friends, Paul and Linda on the Celebrity Apex in Ft. Lauderdale shortly after Christmas to spend 7 days in the Caribbean. I recently blogged about that "holiday" cruise over on my other (cruising) blog: "I Am A Celebrity." It was probably the most fun and relaxing New Year celebration in my recent memory. It was cool to see a ship we have sailed on multiple times all decked out for the holidays. It was also nice that we had great weather and "endured" some spectacular sunrises over the ocean.

Yokohama - HAL Westerdam
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IN APRIL, we joined two couples we have gotten to know here in Florida (one we actually met during a cruise) on a 14-day cruise around Japan's main island, on the Holland America Westerdam. Our grandson currently lives in Tokyo and we went over a few days early and spent a few fun days in Tokyo; a very photogenic city.

Fukuoka, Japan - HAL Westerdam
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE CRUISED from Yokohama, where we boarded the ship and set sail around Japan. It was a fun cruise with many great sites. We had a couple private tours - perhaps the best of them in Kobe. There were many rural destinations as well as a couple pretty interesting cities.

Sokcho, South Korea
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

JAPAN MAY have a similar law to the U.S. "Passenger Vessel Services Act" (commonly mistakenly cited as "The Jones Act"), which requires that a ship originating and terminating in the U.S. to stop at at least one foreign port.  Whatever the reason, we had one stop in South Korea. I really liked that one and it was certainly a favorite on the trip, especially views of the port from our ship, as we sailed into the harbor.

Sokcho, South Korea
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

APRIL IS pretty much during the cherry blossom season - especially in the northern part. Fortunately for us, the blossom was slightly late in Tokyo, giving me a chance to photograph many of them. The best, however, was on our last day, and was unfortunately only a "snapshot" opportunity. A little Photoshop work made it probably my favorite image of the entire trip.

Cherry Blossoms - Hakodate, Japan
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE WOULDN'T travel again until September when we embarked on our long-anticipated trip to central Europe. The geopgraphic boundaries of "central Europe" for purposes of our trip would be The northern (German) part of Switzerland, Munich (Bavaria), Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic, and Berlin in northern Germany.

Octoberfest - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE "ANCHOR" for this trip was Munich in terms of geography, and Oktoberfest in terms of timing. We traveled with our great friends and neighbors, Bruce and Joyce. Oktoberfest has been on Bruce's travel destination list for a long time. We have talked about it off and on over the several years we have known them, but it seems like we always opted for some other trip (we have done a North Sea/Iceland/Ireland/U.K. cruise, a trip to Portugal, and a long weekend in New Orleans). I think it was about time for us to give a nod to Bruce's wishes.

Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OF COURSE, our viewpoint is that we don't spend the money or take the time to do a single-destination trip. We planned about 15 days for this one, and while we were in the area, we decided to do Switzerland and end up in Berlin. We vacillated between Vienna and Prague. The swell of opinion seemed to be Prague and in a lean toward my desire to find a truly photogenic destination, we chose Prague. We were not disappointed!

Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE SPENT 2 days traveling around Switzerland. One day was in the "storybook" town of Lucerne. It was beautiful, but unfortunately, we had unrelenting rainfall while there, making photographs less than optimal, and making for an overall "soggy" experience.

Rainy Lucerne - wet, but happy - travelers

WE STILL wouldn't have missed it. It is definitely "bucket list" material.

Kapellbrucke - Lucerne, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024

ANOTHER DAY, we hired a driver to take us up (actually southwest - but up in altitude) into the Swiss Alps in an area known as the Bernese Oberland. Again, rain seemed to be the dominant factor, but on this day, we did get just a few "peeks" at some sunshine. The "grand landscape" shot of (or from) the mountains never really materialized, but I still made some nice area shots.

Bernise Oberland - Swiss Alps
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

PERHAPS THE highlight of that day was an almost peripheral experience. When we were in Interlaken, we stopped for lunch and our restaurant was adjacent to a large park in the center of town. Even though the skies threatened to open up at any time, the paragliders were hard at it. As always, bright colors draw my eye. This may actually have been a time when the overcast skies created a beneficialy photographic atmosphere, rendering the colors bright and contrasty (where sun and/or blue sky might well have degraded that). I was able to make some cool images of the gliders as they came in for their landings in the field.

Paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

INTERLAKEN IS known to be the center of the Swiss outdoor recreation center, with hiking, fishing, boating, skiing, climbing and of course, paragliding. The whole Bernese Oberland is much like that. At the end of our day we stopped in Grindelwald. I haven't ever seen that many outdoor outfitter shops in the same tiny little town. I would guess there were about 20 of them, all full of boots, down and fleece, gloves, hats, socks and on and on. Some of them were popular brands we have in our U.S. markets and some I didn't recognize. Looked like nice stuff and there were some tempting sale prices - except that I live in the Tampa Bay area. 😐

Grindelwald, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OUR DRIVER was just that. He was not a guide and his English appeared somewhat limited (though the advertizement said: "English-speaking driver"). Don't get me wrong. A very nice guy. Took us to all the right places. And we knew from the "get" that we weren't getting a professional guide. We didn't learn some of the local interest and world history tidbits we often get from a guide, but we got exactly what we paid for, so no complaints. Had to do some of the research on my own (mostly after we returned home and I started writing blog posts). Grindelwald is a base for one of the most famous mountaineering spots: Eiger. There are three spectacular, tall sheer faces of the Alps here. Eiger is famous for its "North Face," one of the most difficult climbs in the world. There have been a few deaths of climbers here over the years. It is popularly thought that the Eiger "North Face" was the inspiration for the popular outdoor outfitting company. A bit of research reveals that that is not wholly true. But it is one of the inspirations. On most of these climbing destinations, the north face of the mountain is typically the most challenging because - well -it faces north (where the worst of the weather mostly comes from).

Somewhere in the Bernise Oberland - Swiss Alps
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE HAD one final day in Zurich. I haven't said much about Zurich, but it is a very interesting town. We were particularly impress with how clean, well-organized, and modern things were in a very old city. Our hotel was right on a short bridge and road that crossed the river. The main train station was accross that bridge. The tram system was wonderful. Lots of the city is walkable. That all made getting around a snap. Every country has - more or less - its own food and traditions. On first glance, Switzerland isn't really notable, but they do have some of their own traditions. My friend, Bob (more below) says that the "gourmet" of Switzerland is "peasant food." Before modern Switzerland emerged, the country and region was mostly agricultural and rural living. The two remarkable "entrees" we had in Switzerland were the relatively well known cheese fondue (we found a great spot in Lucerne), and Raclette, which is mainly meat (usually) - like our "cold cuts," potatoes, and melted cheese. It might sound kind of plain, but trust me, it is delicious.

The two remarkable "entrees" we had in Switzerland were . . . cheese Fondue . . . and Raclette

ON THIS last day, I had an experience I had been waiting a long time (years) for. My law school roomate recently retired from his job as assistant General Counsel for a worldwide pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Zurich. By now a long-time (dual) Swiss resident, Bob owns a beautiful home in suburban Zurich. We spent a good part of the day visiting him and his delightful wife in his home, where they we had our first experience with Raclette, along with some fine wine. The Swiss have a machine they put in the middle of the table that has accomodations for multiple users to melt the cheese. You can bet I have a raclette machine on my Amazon list. 😋 It was great to catch up - and it was literally as if we had seen each other regularly over the years. It was the first time in probably 25 years! Certainly a highlight of my 2024! The next morning we headed across the street to the Rail Station, headed for our second (perhaps the main event) destination: Munich. The "balloon" hanging prominently in the middle of the station is supposed to be a protector of sorts.

Zurich Haouptbanhof "Protector"
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

EUROPE BEING much older than the U.S., most of these cities date back many hundreds of years (I often think that we in the U.S. don't appreciate this fact). Most cities have an "old town" dating back to at least - and often well before - Medieval times. This made all of them have photogenic components. Munich's history is strongly tied to beer - and secondarily to food which, not surprisingly, pairs well with beer. Roasted chicken, roasted pork (especially the knuckle) and a large variety of sausage seem to be the staples in Munich. We sampled our share of all of that. One of the most popular eating establishment are the brewery-sponsored "Beer Halls."

Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OF COURSE there was Oktoberfest. the festival goes on for at least a week. It draws huge crowds and for the most part the best way to partake is to purchase a ticket to one or more of the tents. We did that for one of our days. It is one of those "you want to say you have done it things." Afterward, my personal take is that it is somewhat overblown. Cool, but not maybe living up to the hype. Lots of commercial touches with souvenir shops (certainly mostly made in China) and prices. Having said that, I surely do not regret it having checked it off and being able to say: "been there, done that."

Octoberfest - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

MUNICH WAS fun. We saw most of the obligatory tourist sites, like the Glockenspiel in Marienplatz and the Viktuellianplatz. Once again rain seemed to be the weather du jour.

Old City Hall (with its famous Glockenspiel)
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

ONE OF our 4 days in Munich was taken up by a trip to the Bavarian Alps - and mainly to two famous castles built by King Ludwig: Linderhof and Neuschwanstein (famous for being Walt Disney's inspiration for the castles in his movies and at his theme parks). Both were ornate. Both were photogenic.

Nueschwanstein Castle - Bavarian Alps
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE was especially fun to photograph because of its setting. It is perched high up on a mountainside with spectacular views from the castle. At a spot about the same height there is a walking bridge (Marienbrucke) some distance away from the castle that is a magnificent viewpoint. I made multiple (repetitive) shots from there. I wasn't going to walk away without some choices later. It was high on my "bucket" list and I was glad to be able to check it off.

Linderhoff Castle - Bavarian Alps
Copyright Andy Richards 2024

IN THE heart of (and fittingly the capitol) Bavaria, I wouldn't hesitate to visit Munich again. Indeed, I would probably schedule even more time up in the Alps on a second trip.

Oberammergau, Germany (Bavarian Alps)
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

AFTER OUR 4 days in Munich, we again boarded a train for Prague, Czechnia (Czech Republic), where we stayed yet another 4 days. For photography, it was clearly the apex of the trip for me. This mostly medieval "flavored" city is full of both "traditional" and creative photographic opportunies. We stayed right in the heart of the city across the river from the main old town. We were literally steps from the Charles Bridge with great and walkable access to all parts of the city. Prague has a great public transportation system, consting at its center, of the tram system. One great visitor perk: all modes of public transportation is free for anyone 65 or older. Rather than try to narrate each day, I will just post a series of Prague images below.

Charles Bridge at morning Twilight
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St. Vitus Cathedral - Prague Castle
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Prague Castle - St. Vitus Cathedral
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Old Town - Prague
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Malastronska (Lesser Town) - Prague
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Under The Charles Bridge - Prague
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Spiral Staircase - Kubist Museum - Prague
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Bridges over the Vltava River - Prague
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LEAVING PRAGUE was hard. I could easily have stayed longer. We were in a great location. There was more to photograph. There were more sites to see. We had taken a food/walking tour on our first day and there was more food to sample. I was (and had been even from the planning stage) "lukewarm about our next destination: Berlin (wrongly, it turns out). Time doesn't stop. Onward.

Berlin, Germany
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OUR FINAL destination was Berlin. I was prepared to be underwhelmed. It was a good thing I had spent some hours doing research and watching You-Tube videos, or I might actually been shocked. The difference between Munich (Bavaria) and Berlin is pretty stark. Munich is a traditional, old German (Bavarian) city with lots of medieval influence in architecture and design. Berlin (having been largely destroyed in WWII) is a much newer, more modern city. Most of the architecture reflects a modern approach. Berlin is one of the largest cities in Europe. It is also very cosmopolitan. While there is much history there, it doesn't impress so much as a "German" city, as it does an "international" modern, metropolitan city.

Checkpoint Charlie - Berlin, Germany
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OF COURSE, I wanted to see the wall, including the famous "checkpoint Charlie." What really impressed me though, was the amount and variety of visual subjects in the city, from the grandiose buildings, to street art.

"Mr. Gorbachev! Tear down this . . ."  (well; you know the rest)
Berlin, Germany
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FITTINGLY FOR a capitol city, Berlin has many grandiose elements - particularly the governmental buildings; and many uniquely modern, but still grandiose structures. Unfortunately the Brandenburg Gate is under renovation and the construction equipment made it not only difficult to approach, but much to cluttered with equipment to make any images I thought would be pleasing. During our first day, we took the hop-on-hop-off bus for a tour of the city. We have learned that it is usually best to take the entire loop on these busses without getting off. We saw much of the city, including the massive and impressive governmental center/buildings, but alas, we did not get back there. Geographically compared to all the other cities we spent time in, Berlin is huge.

Commercial Office Building - Berlin, Germany
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SURPRISINGLY TO me, the "hugeness" made for lots and lots to do and see. Even with 3 days in the city, we left many things behind. When we arrived in the Berlin Train Station the first afternoon, we found a travel office and purchased one of the "Berlin Passes" (there are a couple different variations, so it behooves you to do some research first - which we had done). We concluded that the pass was worth the cost to us because of its diversity. The pass covered all modes of public transportation, including trains, subway and trams within the city (there is another one that will add destinations outside the city, including the airport if you want that). Being able to get on and off the subway and trams without an worries about fares made it worth it to us. In addition, our pass gave us a river tour, a day on the hop-on-hop-of, and discounted and/or free entry to museums (we, unfortunately, did not have time to hit any of the museums - so that will be a priority next time).

Berlin, Germany
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EVEN WITH the 35-some odd years since the wall came down and reunification was begun, West Berlin and East Berlin have some very different character. We learned, for example, that there are no trams (or tracks) in West Berlin. Presumably when it was rebuilt they went with the subway system instead. Too bad. I have really liked the trams in every city we have been where they are prominent (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zurich, Prague, Munich, and Tokyo to name a few). In East Berlin, on the other hand, trams are a prominent feature. There was a slightly more "old Europe" feel to East Berlin. While we really enjoyed our hotel in West Berlin, I think if/when we return, I would like to stay in, or much closer to, East Berlin. In my upcoming (2025) Blog posts on our days in Berlin, I mention a word that kind of fits 

Berlin: "eclectic." I think the image below, with its touches of Asia, Old European, and modern art and architecture might best illustrate the city.

Berlin, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024

I MENTIONED food earlier in reference to Switzerland. The food culture in both Bavaria and Prague were - to me - remarkably similar. Both places focus on beer and often "heavy" foods like meat and potatoes that match up well with beer. Both have a tendency to claim they are the world-center of beer. Foods were good and hearty and "german" in my view. Sausages, chicken, pork, schnitzel. Not gourmet-remarkable, but good. We learned, though, not to expect "german" food to be a big part of Berlin. As a city with a large international mix and influence, there are a lot of other "ethnic" cuisines; or at least ethnic-influenced. One such ethnic-german fusion food is a uniquely Berlin food, though: curryworst. Not being a fan of curry (for numerous unrelated reasons), I did not go out of my way to find or taste this. My bad. On our first evening, we did a "food" tour around central Berlin (including parts of both West and East Berlin). One of our stops was a curryworst restaurant, so, of course I tried it. Loved it! Had it for lunch at least one other time. If you are in Berlin, you must have the curryworst!

AS LARGE as Berlin feels, our tour the first afternoon/evening took us to some onclaves that were cozy, and we found some wonderful street art that was clearly part of a planned space. I may have made my most memorable photos there.

Berlin, Germany
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EVEN THOUGH modern and largely re-built, there are still many old, pre-war buildings mixed in with the new and modern; most notably churches.

Berlin, Germany
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OUR BERLIN hotel was mildly quirky, with a markedly modern exterior. Much like our Munich hotel, it was set in a quiet, "neighborhood" setting with a bustling restaurant scene one street over, and close proximity to a subway station. The modern, commercial/retain area of West Berlin was maybe a 15-minute walk away. Bruce and I enjoyed a couple "cigar walks" around that neighborhood and of course, I toted my camera.

Near our Berlin Hotel
Berlin, Germany
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NOT FOR the first time, Berlin was a place where my low expectations were really kind of blown away. I found it to be one of those cities that just keeps giving photo-ops around nearly every corner. Given time and opportunity, I would go back in a heartbeat.

Nollendorf Subway Stop near our Berlin Motel
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THE EUROPE trip was a fitting crescendo to yet another eventful year. It was really the end of our traveling for the year. We are already looking forward to the next year, as we have travel plans to London and Norway already on the calendar. We will also be joining some good friends on a Caribbean Cruise in March/April. I have a springtime photo trip with tow of my best friends and fellow shooters in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in April. Who knows what/where else we will be?

One of my favorite Berlin Images - "Street Art"
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WE HAVE been very fortunate over the years, and no more so than in 2024. We have crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to visit new places, and experience new cultures. We have our good health, and have eluded the terrible forces of nature. We were favored with the month-long visit from our one and only grandson and his mom over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. We are blessed with family and many wonderful friends all over the world. For all these things, we are immeasurably thankful. We wish all of our friends, family and acquaintances a prosperous and above-all, happy 2025!