Heading to Würzburg in Franconia

It's was about time to visit Roman in Würzburg. So many times he invited me before!

The prolonged holiday and the Africa Festival in the town fitted perfectly. Now sitting in the train and reaching Würzburg soon!

Hoping for some African food and drum music. Yay!

Soon in Brazil again!

Only two more weeks and I'll be landing in Brazil with my friends Anja, Roman and Frauke.

We have planed a great route in the country visiting my family, old friends and discovering new parts of this amazing country.

On the plan is to visit my dear Veronica in Rio de Janeiro and enjoy the "cidade maravilhosa" (wonderful city). From Rio we head to Salvador, the first capital of the country, where my dear friends André, Vinicius and Leandro will be waiting for us. After Salvador we meet my family in the middle north, in Maranhao and go to explore the "lencois maranhenses" and refresh in the lagoons in the middle of sand dunes.

Our last stop is the city Belém, capital of the state Pará in the rain forest. Let's see if we manage to get that three days long boot ride along the Amazon river. Adventure!!

The route in Brazil.

Oh! The heat, the beaches, the food, friends and family.

Can't wait! Already so excited!

25. Africa Festival in Würzburg

Yay!
Got the invitation from my friend Roman to go to Würzburg this weekend and discover a new part of Bavaria.

The plan is sightseeing, taste the Franconia wine and enjoy the 25. Africa Festival in the town. The program the Festival includes artists from Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Cameron and so many others.

Meeting there!

Pictures from Lithuania: the ones I like most!

I was pretty happy about the pictures I was able to take in Lithuania, specially those presented here. Its always an amazing feeling to have the opportunity to get to know a different environment and pass it further somehow. In this case, through my pictures.

Outskirts of Alytus.

While visiting my friend Jitka in Lithuania I've been to Alytus, one little town south west from the capital Vilnius.

Outskirts of Alytus. Lithuania.

In the industrial area in the outskirts of Alytus. The presence of the Soviet influence could be seen in some abandoned industry buildings on in the still inhabited old apartment blocks.

Abandoned building in Alytus. Lithuania.

I could experiment with my lenses and films from this amazing app, the Hipstamatic, and got great results.

Jitka in Alytus. Lithuania.

The "angel of freedom" in Alytus. Lithuania.

In the park in Alytus. Lithuania

In the graveyard at the St. Guardians Angel`s
church in Alytus. Lithuania.

An ancient Lithuania house in the Alytus Museum
of Ethnography. Lithuania

Industrial area in Alytus. Lithuania.

The sunrise as I left Alytus. Lithuania.

I left Alytus early in the morning to Vilnius with the plan of spending a few hours in the capital of the country and get some impressions of it.

Street artist in the capital Vilnius. Lithuania.

Vilnius impressed me with its classic and well-preserved building. There is not much of the Soviet touch through the old blocks, which are more frequently seen in the outskirts of the town.

Grandma selling her self knitted wool socks.

Hope you enjoyed!

Cheers everyone!

A day in Salzburg

To make the most of Anja and Frauke's visit, my dear frequent travel companions, we decide to head to Salzburg, Austria, in this sunny Sunday morning, and enjoy this sweet little town.

From Munich we drove along secondary roads almost 2 hours till Salzburg. Its not the fastest way but the most beautiful. The mountainous south Bavarian landscape is just spectacular.
I cant lose time to start photographing!

On the way to Salzburg. South Bavaria, 

Mountains in south Bavarian. Germany.

Heading to Salzburg. South Bavaria, Germany.

Salzburg is ideal for a walk. The city is small, the streets narrow and all the attractions close to each other. Its very comfortable to check the shops, pass by the birth house of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, have a coffee in the old town, and for me, to experience some new lenses and take some great pictures.

View from the Getreidegasse. Salzburg, Austria.

View from the Getreidegasse. Salzburg, Austria.

Facade of Mozart's birth house. Salzburg, Austria.

Entrance of Mozart's birth house in Salzburg.

Square at the Salzburg Cathedral.

The towers of Salzburg.

A "must see" place to go in Salzburg is the Hohensalzburg fortress (Hohensalzburg Festung) in the heart of the old town. The beautiful view from the town, the few expositions in the fortress and the fortress itself are definitely worth visiting.

View of the Hohensalzburg fortress from the old town.

Funicular from the old town to the Hohensalzburg fortress.

With the Salzburg card here (buy it if you have more time in the town for visiting other places) or buy ticket for the funicular (11,0€ adult fee) with entrance to the fortress, to the expositions and an audio guide right away. A few hours of entertainment are provided.

Below some of my pictures in the fortress. Enjoy!

In the Hohensalzburg fortress.

View of the Salzburg old town from the fortress.

The Hohensalzburg fortress.

The Hohensalzburg fortress.

View of the mountains around Salzburg from the fortress.

This short trip was the best choice to be around with my dear friends on a prolonged holiday!

Cheers girls! 

Munich is always some shots worthy

Some new great shots resulted from my last photographic attempts in Munich.

These places are among my favourite spots in the Bavarian capital, where I've been living for more than one year. Munich is just a beautiful, modern and welcoming town.

The research and innovation center
(Forschungs- und Innovationszentrum) of BMW in Munich.

The Sendling gate (Sendlinger Tor) is THE meeting point for party goers. It's kinda the gate to the Glockenbach square, which is the area preferred by they gay community in Munich. If one wants to find bars, clubs, restaurants, shops and a lot of fun easily in Munich, this is the place.

Sendlinger Gate in the Glockenbach square. Munich.

The Leopold street (Leopoldstraße) is loved by every single visitor in Munich because of the highest concentration of historical, as well as, classical and modern architecture along this boulevard. Starting from the Odeon square (Odeonplatz) with the Residence Palace (Residenzschloss), passin through the building of the Ludwig-Maximilian University, the St. Louis (Ludwigskirche) till the Münchner Freiheit, with its impressive modern design.

Arches of the St. Louis church (Ludwigskirche) in the Leopold street. Munich.

At the University square (Universität) in the Leopoldstraße. Munich.

The Nymphenburg Palace is situated a bit afar from the down town but ease to reach with the local public transportation or, if one prefer to rent a bike, cycling. Its garden complex is definitely worth visiting.

The Nymphenburg Palace. Munich.

Fountain in the garden of the Nymphenburg palace. Munich.

The spring fair (Frühlingsfest) in March on the Theresienwiese is a pre-taste for the Oktoberfest, which takes place on the very same place in September/Oktober.

Fun fair in the Theresienwiese. Munich

During some of my exploratory cycling hours through Munich I took this shot not far from the central train station. Really like it!

View from the Friedenheimer bridge at the Hirschgarten. Munich

For those, who dont know yet, the plaster cast museum for classical sculpture (Museum für Abgüsse klassiche Bildwerke) is just my favourite place in this town. Such a wonderful place. Previously I dedicated a complete post to it. Check it out here.

Once in a while I'm returning there for some inspiring moments.

Sculptures in the Plaster cast museum for classic sculptures. Munich

I don't remember how many times I've being photographing the King's square (Königsplatz) anymore. Love this place as well. I always bring my friends and visitors to this place. A visit to the Glyptothek and to the Antike Sammlung with their Greek and Roman classic exhibits is a must for those coming to Munich.

The Glyptothek in the King's square (Königsplatz). Munich.

More pictures soon.

Cheers everyone!

German Democratic Republic: a time travel

While visiting friends in Saxony last time, my dear friends Anja, Marina an Frauke,  had the great idea to visit the DDR Museum Zeitreise (GDR time travel museum). This museum is the biggest one on the East Germany lifestyle I've been, even bigger than the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum in Leipzig.

Home: www.ddr-museum-dresden.de

The very typical East German pedestrian traffic light
with the Ampelmännchen (little traffic light man).

The DDR Museum Zeitreise ist located in the Wasastr. 50, in the city Radebeul in the surroundings of Dresden, the capital of Saxony. An adult entrance fee in the museum costs 7,50€  plus 1,00€ to photo permission, optional of course.

Furniture of a bomb shelter.

Furniture of a bomb shelter ... ant the bomb itself.

The immense exposition of the museum is scattered in the four floors of the old and GDR typical apartment block in the Wasastrasse. Each section is a true reproduction of the everyday life in East German: the post office, living room, supermarket, the toy store, the medical practice, and many more.

In the post office.

Reproduction of a supermarket.

The very famous GDR TV figure, the Sandmann, can also be seen in the DDR Museum Zeitreise.

The Sandmann.

And who doesn't know the Trabant? The Trabant was the "MINI" from East Germany. The most famous East German automotive. Many people say the "car made of cardboard", but actually its exterior was made of a cellulose based composite material. Nowadays the Trabant is a rare and expensive collector's object mainly in the ex-East German states..

The Trabant.

And what is left from many after the fall of the wall
DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik).

The peoples`police (Volkspolizei).

More of the GDR transportation section.

The unexpected visit to the DDR Museum with Anja, Marina and Frauke was a great surprise and the best way to end my weekend in Saxony.

Maybe next time in Berlin...who knows!

Cheers everyone!