Kato's travels...

100,000

2011-09-23T11:57:00.000+02:00

... people living right behind those hills within the next 10 km.

This little fellow

2011-09-12T17:32:00.001+02:00

... hitched a ride in exactly that position on my passenger-side door for over 20 km.

Rainbow

2011-09-12T17:31:00.000+02:00

Ferry

2011-08-13T22:03:00.002+02:00

Inside the Cloud

2011-08-02T11:12:00.001+02:00

Fence

2011-08-02T11:11:00.002+02:00

Lines

2011-08-02T11:11:00.001+02:00

Construction

2011-07-15T11:34:00.001+02:00

Was in the way of taking a pic of those cute little low clouds between the hills.

Valley

2011-07-15T11:32:00.001+02:00

Just off to the right is "Hell's Grounds"...

Parallels

2011-07-14T01:58:00.001+02:00

Hut

2011-07-14T01:56:00.000+02:00

Wachenburg

2011-07-14T01:55:00.000+02:00

Rock Sea

2011-07-06T01:20:00.003+02:00

Part of the Felsenmeer in Schlierbach. One of a number in the wider area, although its one of the smaller and less important ones. Nature protection zone.

Cabin

2011-07-06T01:18:00.003+02:00

At the top of Schlierbach's "Rock Sea", for people to get some rest or sheltering from rain when walking the trails there. Built in 1903 by a charity. The round thing at the side is the trashcan. That one's newer.

Badger

2011-07-06T01:17:00.001+02:00

Wooden statue at one station of the "Forest Experience Trail", a relatively new trail on Königstuhl mountain focused around about fifteen stations with stuff for kids to play.

Gate

2011-07-06T01:16:00.001+02:00

... to Heidelberg's "Arboretum II". Which is asian-themed, mostly because it includes Chinese and Japanese trees. 150-year-old Gingkos for example.

Chabu-dai

2011-07-06T01:15:00.000+02:00

At Heidelberg's "Arboretum II".

1849

2011-07-06T01:13:00.002+02:00

Marker showing an entrenchment during the 1848/49 Revolutionary War. From here on you walk through the original old entrenchment (a trench that's only two feet deep), but it's not really all that noticable.

Grotto

2011-06-12T22:22:00.001+02:00

Mariengrotte in Sinzheim near Baden-Baden.

Roofs

2011-06-12T22:18:00.001+02:00

Saint-Jean, Strasbourg

International

2011-06-12T22:16:00.002+02:00

German cross-border commuter train in France.

Tires

2011-05-29T13:57:00.003+02:00

Mirrored

2011-05-10T17:47:00.001+02:00

Neckargemünd at night, mirrored in the Neckar river.

Marker

2011-05-10T17:46:00.001+02:00

Only pyramid-shaped trail marker in Heidelberg's forests that i know of.

Wayside

2011-05-10T17:45:00.000+02:00

At "White Stone" on the Heiligenberg.

Panorama

2011-05-10T17:44:00.001+02:00

The Odenwald area as seen from the northeastern ridge of the Heiligenberg in Heidelberg.

Bench with a View

2011-05-10T17:43:00.002+02:00

Tower

2011-05-10T17:43:00.001+02:00

The blue stuff is new.

Sequoia

2011-05-10T17:41:00.001+02:00

The log circle shows the circumference of the largest sequoia tree worldwide, the 2,200-year-old "General Sherman". This tree here in Heidelberg is only 140 years old.

Hollow

2011-05-10T17:34:00.001+02:00

Cute

2011-04-25T18:29:00.002+02:00

Cetonia aurata

In front of my window. Somewhat rare and protected in Germany - you're not allowed to kill, injure or capture them.

Heel

2011-04-25T18:28:00.000+02:00

This time the guy following me in walking around the enclosure was a bit bigger.

Information

2011-04-25T18:22:00.003+02:00

Nature Park Bergstrasse-Odenwald.

Area 1600 km², 308 parking lots for 10,080 cars, 3,120 km trails, 7,000 benches, 310 shelters, 40 sunbathing areas, 26 playgrounds, 26 educative nature trails, 10 fitness tracks, 34 BBQ areas and 12 camping grounds.

Oh, and about 250,000 people living in it. Heidelberg's bordering it at its southwest corner.

Trees

2011-04-25T18:21:00.000+02:00

... and a buffalo.

Construction

2011-03-13T23:45:00.001+01:00

Construction site of the rebuilding Heidelberg City Theater.

Staircase

2011-03-13T23:44:00.001+01:00

Victoria Tower, Mannheim

Landscape

2010-12-12T23:04:00.000+01:00

(click to enlarge)

Before the snow got everywhere.

Grid

2010-12-12T23:01:00.002+01:00

Snow

2010-12-12T23:01:00.001+01:00

It's everywhere! Or at least it was last week.

In the way

2010-12-12T22:59:00.000+01:00

The tree didn't want to move for a better view.

Lights

2010-11-29T15:05:00.000+01:00

Nighttime in Mannheim's Rheinau harbour.

Rusted

2010-11-29T15:01:00.000+01:00

(click to enlarge)

Spidey

2010-10-28T17:31:00.002+02:00

Technically venomous. But cute.

Window

2010-08-24T18:27:00.002+02:00

Parade Square, Mannheim. From the changing room area of a department store.

Almost done

2010-08-24T18:25:00.002+02:00

B535 completion. This week they started painting the lines.

Awesome bench

2010-08-24T18:25:00.001+02:00

Sky over Schwetzingen

2010-08-24T18:24:00.000+02:00

Not edited.

Landscape

2010-08-24T18:23:00.000+02:00

Heidelberg in the background.

Tastes like Chicken

2010-08-24T18:22:00.000+02:00

Ostrich at a farm in Walldorf. Six feet tall.

Have a Seat

2010-08-24T18:21:00.000+02:00

Fast

2010-08-24T18:20:00.000+02:00

Trees

2010-08-24T18:18:00.001+02:00

Terraces

2010-08-24T18:17:00.000+02:00

Number Six

2010-08-24T18:06:00.003+02:00

"A forward entrenchment to defend Heidelberg in 1622 at the junction of three paths coming from Plättelshöhe, Kohlhof and Gaiberg."

Not everyone loves trashcans

2010-08-08T21:46:00.001+02:00

Yep, shotgun.

Green

2010-08-07T18:14:00.000+02:00

Algae.

Sheer Size

2010-08-07T18:12:00.002+02:00

Imperial Dome in Speyer, consecrated in 1061 AD. Note tourists at bottom for size comparison.

Show and tell

2010-08-07T18:11:00.000+02:00

Explaining how energy is being produced and distributed in Mannheim.

Willow

2010-08-07T18:08:00.001+02:00

Memorial

2010-08-07T18:05:00.002+02:00

For 48 officers and 1842 enlisted soldiers of the 2nd Royal Bavarian Engineer Battalion who died in WW1. In Speyer.

Stairs

2010-08-07T18:04:00.000+02:00

Bilingual #3

2010-08-07T18:02:00.001+02:00

Bilingual #2

2010-08-01T18:26:00.000+02:00

Table

2010-08-01T18:25:00.000+02:00

Horns

2010-08-01T18:23:00.002+02:00

Fake Aurochs ("Back Cattle") at an enclosure in Mannheim. Real Aurochs died out in 1627 and would have been twice as big.

Tall

2010-08-01T18:22:00.002+02:00

Postcard #3

2010-07-30T17:21:00.000+02:00

Wadi

2010-07-30T17:19:00.000+02:00

Ray of Light

2010-07-30T17:18:00.002+02:00

Bridge #2

2010-07-30T17:18:00.001+02:00

Bridge #1

2010-07-30T17:17:00.000+02:00

Barely Legible

2010-07-30T17:14:00.004+02:00

"In this area, guarded in the depression between Gaisberg and Königstuhl, Tilly's troops in 1622 erected one of five mountain camps."

Note: Tilly's troops = the enemy.

Water

2010-07-30T17:14:00.001+02:00

Ensemble

2010-07-30T17:13:00.000+02:00

Castle

2010-07-30T17:11:00.001+02:00

A Cloud

2010-07-24T00:05:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

... from the inside this time.

Tower

2010-07-24T00:03:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Teltschik Viewtower, Wilhelmsfeld. 41 Meters high, at 530m elevation. 192 steps to the top. Built in 2001.

Forest

2010-07-24T00:02:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Not HDR.

Another Postcard

2010-07-24T00:01:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Ant Land

2010-07-23T23:54:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

I've counted eight anthills in the area, at least close to the path. At least three of them about 8-10 feet across, which is about the maximum for their kind. There's probably more. This one was the only one i saw that took advantage of a collapsed tree for structural purposes when building the nest.

All of them formica rufa, red forest ants. They're freaking awesome - eat anything up to the size of mice, if they find a dead one. Do not touch - even a single bite itches, and these hills have up to 5 million of the little ones living in them.

Strategic Location

2010-07-23T23:50:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Strategically built nest at the entrance to the already posted hut. Located such that they get sun most of the day, while also keeping dry under the hut's outcropping roof. Pretty small nest though, i'd say probably only about a hundred-thousand inhabitants.

Hut

2010-07-23T23:47:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

"Prinzensitz", Wilhelmsfeld

Bilingual

2010-07-23T23:46:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Playground

2010-07-23T23:44:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Location: Dossenwald forest, Mannheim.

Lights

2010-07-18T14:57:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Scenery from the Königstuhl mountain above Heidelberg at 1 am. Parts of Heidelberg at the bottom, Mannheim on the right-side horizon.

Training

2010-07-10T00:01:00.003+02:00

(click to enlarge)

... for the "Dragonboat" race event in Ladenburg next week. 16 guys and girls paddling, one steering and a little girl sitting at the bow beating the drum to give the paddle rhythm. The team from Ladenburg shown here is called "Roman Dragons". Part of the local soccer club. Cute.

They're expecting about 60 boats to participate in the two-day race event btw.

Lit Up

2010-07-09T23:59:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

The new childrens' clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital. The University Hospital is the third-largest hospital complex in Germany these days - after downsizing significantly.

Dusk once More

2010-07-09T23:58:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Ramp

2010-07-09T23:55:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

One of a couple dozen old "NATO ramps" across the Rhine. Built in the Cold War, they were intended to serve as easy ferry access points across the river once the bridges were all blown up. There's an identical structure on the opposite side of the river.

Girls

2010-07-09T23:53:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Unlike their men sitting in the sun and getting a tan. At least the sun was still there 10 minutes earlier, they're just too lazy to move.

Shade

2010-07-09T23:52:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Cuz at 100+ F no sane man goes out in the sun.

Hole in the Ground

2010-07-09T23:49:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

The "Heathen's Hole", a 183-feet deep hole in a mountain. Dug about 2400 years ago, no one knows why. The grate is to prevent people from climbing or falling in (duh).

Babies

2010-07-09T23:48:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Ok, at that size they're probably already toddlers.

Postcard

2010-07-09T23:47:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

What?

2010-07-09T23:47:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Facial Expressions. They're universal.

Campus

2010-07-09T23:45:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Neuenheimer Feld campus, University of Heidelberg.

Majestic

2010-07-09T23:44:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Yes, it's a buffalo. Mannheim has an enclosure with a herd of them.

Distance

2010-07-08T03:16:00.000+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Heidelberg, from the Neckar valley.

Pontoon

2010-07-08T03:14:00.001+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Extremely rarely used access plank for the passenger cruise ships touring the Neckar.

Construction Site

2010-07-04T01:26:00.002+02:00

(click to enlarge)

Schwetzingen is revamping the plaza in front of its - moderately famous - palace. The road framed by the trees is a direct, absolutely straight 10 km connection between Schwetzingen Palace and Heidelberg Castle.