Foto-Poet-CALENDERs english - 1996 till 2010 (part 2)

SARDINIA 2010

Once again we used September to get to know this paradise island without the mass tourism … We stationed in the northeast for the first week and in the northwest for the other.

No day passed without a special kind of excursion.  Whether it was the cities of Alghero and Castelsardo, the fantastic rocks and bays of Capo Caccia, Capo del Falcone, Capo Testa or d'Orso or the Grotta di Nettuno ...

The dreamlike light, the clear blue or evening gold of the still warm sea, the delicious food served in both hotels or the pride and friendliness of the Sardinians.     We always felt warmly welcomed and pampered, especially by the blood-hungry mosquitoes ;-) ...

CRETE 2009

After a baby break of less than 2 years, we finally dared to saddle up the luggage again and went on a classic 2-week hotel vacation. 
However, that didn't stop us at all from exploring beautiful excursion destinations by rental car almost every day.    And Nikola? He had fun and enjoyed being lovingly cared for by the hotel staff and other Cretans.

The eastern, less touristy part of this largest Greek island is not only varied and full of historical tragedies, but also allowed us to constantly discover new natural oases: be it the hike through the Samaria Gorge, the South Sea beach of Elafonisi, the quaint old town of Hania, the fantastic sunsets or simply the deep blue sea ... Efcharistó

SERBIA 2008

Probably, without Nikola's mom I would not have visited this country until today and would have remained stuck in my prejudices …

But not only my first visit to Valjevo with the extended Serbian family gave me a deeper insight into this country, which has been badly shaken by its history.

The scars of the war were still visible everywhere and wanted to be healed during a visit to the many Orthodox sites and churches ...

In particular, strolling through Belgrade and especially visiting rural nature and recreational areas showed us what hidden beauties can be found in this country and - like the people - long for peace ...

TENERIFE 2007

Despite pregnancy (of course I was only partially affected by it ;-)) we enjoyed (one last time) in September 2006 as a couple this hotel vacation full of contrasts by rental vehicle.   Tenerife is not only in possession of the highest mountain in Spain, the Teide, with over 3,700 m, which literally takes the breath away from naïve vacationers, but also appeals with winding roads, ancient dragon trees, blooming botanical gardens, Sahara beaches and the famous Canarian potatoes.

In the 7th month, not all things are reasonable and possible anymore.  Nevertheless, we undertook a lot, met among other things a college friend by chance, and were saturated in the evening from the diverse impressions of the day and - of course - the tapas ...

HIMALAYAS 2006

I had a dream: to face the highest mountain on earth - Chomolungma (8,848 m) - on my 40th birthday.  The fulfillment had consequences for my further life. But more about that elsewhere ... ;-)

I hiked through the Sole Khumbu region for 35 days in April and May 2005, covering 18.6 kilometers of altitude upwards and 17.5 kilometers down. Almost every day an eight-thousander of Nepal rose in front of me.      When I was allowed to look at Mount Everest in the distance for the first time above Namche Bazar, tears came to my eyes - like many other times: impressed, exhausted and grateful for the beauty, mightiness and silence. In Kopan Monastery and around the Bodnath Stupa in Kathmandu I let this healing path to myself come to an end ...

ECUADOR 2005

Even if it was the last joint trip to distant worlds with my girlfriend at the time - which we could not have guessed at that point in time - I can say today: it was a dream for my photographer's heart.

To walk through unspeakably beautiful landscapes in a deserted expanse, to marvel at animals living only on Galapagos and free of fear in their natural environment, and being able to experience adventures with wonderful other travel companions, while the local population always gifted us with an honest and friendly smile, was pure travel happiness. 

If one is additionally allowed to share a lettuce leaf with the then oldest turtle "Lonesome George", the soul of life leaps in quiet joy and humility ...

VIETNAM 2004

In the summer of 2003 we traveled as two couples for 4 weeks from the north of Vietnam (Hanoi) along the coast to the south (Hoh Chi Minh) with everything that lively Vietnamese had to offer in terms of mobile transportation.

Although we didn't always know what was in front of us with the culinary "delicacies" offered to us, we stayed healthy. We were more bothered by the high humidity, the strong sun and the freezing cold train rides.

Whether it was the fascinating temple complexes, the hilly ever-green rice terraces, the majestic limestone formations, the hustle and bustle and exchange of goods mostly taking place on the water or the always warm, helpful and cheerful laughter of the many ethnic groups, we will remember an impressive exotic modern country in our hearts ...

USA, the WEST 2003

Along the legendary Highway No. 1 and then into the interior of the country was our route plan. In the end, it was almost 5,000 km in a Chrysler without gear shift.
The land of unlimited possibilities kept many of its promises: we immersed ourselves in dreamlike national parks (Sequoia, Yosemite, Redwood, Zion), European-influenced cities - above all San Francisco -, varied, impressive natural landscapes - from Bryce Canon, Grand Canyon, Monument and Death Valley to the Mojave Desert, and dived into expensive accommodations. The camera always remained in action mode.     When I was also allowed to see my 3 trekking friends from the Himalayas in Colorado again and with them, among other things, climbed the highest mountain in the USA, Mount Whitney, the circle of the traveler community was again worthily closed ...

THAILAND 2002

A three-month consulting project as part of my MBA allowed me to visit the land of smiles for a second time.  The bustling and never sleeping mega-metropolis Bangkok was an ideal starting point …

So there were - besides a lot of work - always longer weekends, e. g. to dive into the different facets of Thai culture and life; alone or with work colleagues.

The royal sites of Sukothai and Ayutthaya transferred the Buddhist practice of pausing and conscious being almost by itself.   
But witnessing an elephant polo game, bathing in rejuvenating freshwater oases, or haggling in the countless markets were also calming in their own way ...

SOUTHERN AFRICA 2001

From July 10th to August 20th, 2000 I drove with 4 other "crazy" travelers (called Big FIVE ;-)) as well as an all-round talent (he was our driver, border crosser, cook, tour guide, mechanic and girl for everything etc. type) and his colleague through the south of Africa.     All that in a vehicle that could have been a cross between a truck, bus and camper.    We had booked four trips together as a package: Swaziland and South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

It goes without saying that there were plenty of adventures and encounters with wild animals (e.g. from large elephants to more inconspicuous scorpions), unique landscapes and great companions on this road tent trip.   So thanks to the organizer African Routes I became part of Africa's Roots for 7 weeks ...

WIDE WORLD 2000

Although I went for a club holiday in Tunisia and camping in northern Italy in 1999, I decided - for the first time - to create a calendar that would contain previously unpublished photos of my travels from around the world.

This potpourri or hodgepodge should also express the diversity of my motifs. So I chose the legendary photo "Hanging around in New Zealand" for the cover, while the months featured atmospheric images from every continent on earth. These include the endless expanse of Peru, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, a sunset on the Sea of Galilee, the smile of a market woman on Montserrat, the ancient temple complex of Delos, the bustle at the Ghats of Varanasi, the fluttering of prayer flags on Dhaulgiri ...    Check it out for yourself ;-) 

NEPAL 1999

As a teenager, I had devoured the stories of the highest mountains in the world, especially those of Reinhold Messner ...    In the spring of 1998, the time had finally come: 6 weeks of trekking in the Kingdom of Nepal. The Annapurna Circuit, also known as the Cola or Pizza Trek, was always recommended to me as a starting point. Although I had been to these heights several times before, an unexpected onset of winter and my common sense prevented me from making the circum-navigation via Thorong-La (5,416 m) ...   Nevertheless, the sight of blooming rhododendron trees with the background scenery of the Dhaulgiri and Annapurna massif, the Machapuchare or other eight-thousanders were always "breath-taking" ... Afterwards I let these breathless impressions end not only in the German Bakery of Kathmandu, but also in Chitwan NP and Kopan Monastery ...

MALLORCA 1998

I visited this favorite island of the Germans once in spring and once in autumn 1997 - the first time alone for hiking in the southwest, the second time with my girlfriend , to explore especially the north …

So I saw and experienced Mallorca more in its secret, less touristy places and squares. I often asked myself: where is mass tourism?

In any case, I usually only had to share the most beautiful bays, the loneliest hiking trails along the coast and in shady gorges, the blooming and scent of the almond and lemon trees and the deep blue sea with a few, and could give me and my camera a variety of vibrant colors and motifs ...

LAND der INKAS 1997

Finally, in the summer of 1996, after I had already used Easter and Whitsun holidays for vacations as a teacher, I landed on the South American continent at the age of 31 and crossed Peru and Bolivia by public transport for 5 1/2 weeks ... Not only the legendary Inca Trail, which offered an unforgettable view of Machu Picchu after 4 days of strenuous marching, but also the Santa Cruz Trek through the Cordillera Blanca brought me sometimes to my mental and physical limits ... But strolling through the moon valley near La Paz, the magical stones of Cusco, the sight of circling condors, the shimmering blue of Lake Titicaca and much more, all the hardships were quickly forgotten ... Wonderful travel companions and the hospitality of the indigenous people did the rest ...

LADAKHI PEOPLE 1996

After I unfortunately just missed the Dalai Lama in his exile in Dharamsala in 1993, it was already clear to me at the time: if I still want to experience Tibetan Buddhism in its most original form, it unfortunately cannot be in Tibet anymore, but only in Ladakh ... If I remember one of the many wonderful character traits of the people there, it is the deep, peaceful and calm smile that comes from the heart.     After the journey over the highest mountain passes in the world, including severe altitude sickness, I was able to gradually acclimatize during both the 3-day Monastery and the 11-day Markha Valley Trek. I was always impressed by how the locals integrated Buddhist practice into their hard everyday life in such a light-hearted and easy way ... The benevolent "Namaste" I felt everywhere ...