Hello 2007!!
I was too busy selling houses until May 2006 to take any photos OTHER than my homes in inventory, the market had started to slide, and I left my employer just in time. The real fun began when I arrived in Europe, June 2006. My retrospective covers the second half of 2006, because you all don't want to see a bunch of pictures of new construction!
After nursing a couple days of jet lag, we decide to take an ausflug (short trip) in our backyard to see some of the sights. This was taken on the Kochel See, a tiny lake about 20 minutes from our new home. The new leaves were tiny and very bright green, I found them mesmerizing.
Shortly after arriving, my youngest daughter came to spend most of July 2006 with us. Here she is on top of the world with my husband in the far southern German Alps. We traveled extensively to Prague, Vienna and around Germany. Had a blast. Her visit was too short. She comes again in May after her first year of grad school has ended. We'll be heading to Spain then, and I will finally be able to visit the Alhambra and Cordoba, which I studied in graduate school. A lifelong dream to see these places...
One of my favorite Prague pictures, The Charles Bridge, looks great in BW or color. July 2006
In August I spent more time with the camera, this is from the end of my street, a huge nature preserve. August 2006
September found me preparing to fly home again for 3 weeks, but not before we made a quick trip over to the Rhineland area to visit our favorite Aunt. August 2006, near Falkenstein, Germany
In late September after my jet lag subsided (see a recurring theme here? Jet Lag? It does me in), I drove to Vermont and New Hampshire to see my stepfather and enjoy the Fall colors. But Fall decided it was going to hold out on me. On my one day's excursion I literally ran into this Iraq War Commemoration/Protest put together by the good citizens of Rochester Vermont (I think that was the place?!) It was very moving, and also made me very angry at the Squatter in Charge.
The end of my trip to VT was cold and rainy, but the trees began to explode with color. Of course, the day I was driving back home! Better luck next year, I heard them say. September 2006, Fairhaven, Vermont.
October 2006, we went on vacation for a week in Gozo, the very day after the International newsmedia found out that the priest that molested Mark Foley was alive and well in the next town over from where we stayed on this sleepy little island. Here is one of Malta's many stray cats.
October 2006, one of my best shots of the year. Gozitan Windmill.
November we were traveling on business again, this time to Cannes. I know, life really sucks for the 48 family, but somebody's gotta do it. Cannes was gorgeous, but very expensive, thank the stars for expense accounts! A hamburger here was 20USD. I saw this homeless man on the beach, and at night he would sleep in a gazebo at the other end of the strip.
Over Thanksgiving, we visited my husband's lovely home city, Hamburg. It is very different than the southern part of Germany. Lots of ties with the sea, because of the Elbe River, its architecture looks like what you would see in the Dutch countries or Denmark. A man was serenading whoever would listen along the wharf. I took quite a few photos of him, and plan to do a tryptych in black and white.
Christmas in Munich, December 2006: A lovely day with Miss Honeychurch, we had a great time eating junk food and wandering around the city with our cameras.
The last picture is kind of sad for me. I took it on Christmas Day. There has been very little snow here at all this year, the ski areas are struggling, and if the papers are correct Global Warming has come to Europe. I can't imagine this area of the world without the white stuff on thr ground in the winter. Let's hope it is just an anomaly. Last year they got dumped on, early and frequently.