WITH MY CAMERA

Not the sky

2010-12-23T21:04:00.001+01:00

No picture of the sky but a picture of what the sky gave us. It is 4 weeks nog since we saw the first snowflakes. It would be a great opportunity to take marvellous winter pictures but it is too slippery to go out.

Wish everyone of you whereever you are in the world a peaceful and wonderful Christmas!

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-11-29T18:13:00.000+01:00

Winter is definately here, This morning everything looked like being touched by a little baby powder.

Now it looks like this. A little early this year.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-11-19T01:43:00.002+01:00

I spent a week in Houston, Texas, lately. After two hot and rainy days the sun came out and we saw a bright blue sky. I was impressed by this building which really tried to reach the sky. I took the photo from the 22d floor of our hotel. No idea what the exact height is and how many floors there are in it.

This picture was also taken from the same floor in the opposite direction. It clearly shows the pollution at the horizon. Funny you can't see the smog right above you.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-11-12T02:20:00.000+01:00

Where could you have a better view on the sky than being in the sky? Last week I went to Houston, Texas, and spent to and fro about 24 hours in planes. Feels good to see the clouds from above. There you see the variety of clouds like endless white landscapes with mountains and valleys, without crowds, traffic and noise.
So peaceful.

Approaching Heathrow (London) meant disappearing into the mist.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-10-22T01:58:00.000+02:00

We had some incredible sunsets this week but with the lack of horizon (as Jan calls it) this is all I can show about it.

Today was a wonderful sunny day. It really makes the trees in our street shine.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-10-14T23:17:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday we went for a drive to the country. The region where I spent my childhood is close to the highest point of the Netherlands. And would you believe I had never been there? So we drove to the watch-tower on the Vaalserberg. It is located on the spot where three countries meet namely Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. While writing this post it suddenly occurred to me that the pictures I took on Sunday are historic now. Since 10.10.2010 the highest point of the Netherlands is Mount Scenery on the isle of Saba. Saba was part of the Dutch Antilles which ceased to exist last Monday. Curacoa, Aruba and St. Maarten chose to be independent countries while Saba, St. Eustacius and Bonaire prefered to stay part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Officially the three islands together are now a Dutch municipality.

Untill last Monday this was the highest point of the Netherlands, 323 m above NAP (sea level)

Typical for this region are the slim pointed church towers. You see them everywhere in the villages between the hills.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-10-07T19:55:00.002+02:00

We have had some lovely autumn days this week. Temperatures around 20C and beautiful skies. Last Monday we had a nice sunset but bricks were in the way again.

Tonight's sky

This little critter was catching the last sunrays too.

My World Tuesday

2010-10-05T01:18:00.003+02:00

A fast changing world just around the corner, only a three minutes drive if there is no traffic jam. The first picture gives an impression of how the area looked about 30 years ago except for the Kentucky Fried Chicken in the front. The other pictures show how it is now. Could be anywhere I suppose! Same shops, same restaurants anywhere.
It was a misty day which shows in the photos.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-10-01T00:35:00.006+02:00

There is not much happening in our sky these days. It is misty, rainy etc. Autumn is here. I really don't mind the weather but a few sunrays would be nice to take some pictures.

Last Saturday at sunset I saw a balloon over our house.

On Monday I saw this hole in the sky. It was only seconds then it was all cloudy again.

And finally yesterday I saw some sunrays at sunset. Not really spectaculair but anyway I saw the sun.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-09-06T23:55:00.011+02:00

Last week I went to Aachen in Germany just across the border. It is a very old and historic city. The centre of the city is the Aachener Dom (cathedral) of which I will show some photos. Aachen has been severely bombed by the Allied Forces during WW2 but as a wonder the cathedral survived. It has been damaged several times but a group of brave teenagers kept guard during the war and extinguished each and every fire that they discovered.
Construction of the oldest part of the church started in 792, the octagon that is now the centre of the building. The cathedral is so huge that I could not take a picture of the complete church. We also couldn't get in because there was some work going on at the entrance. I would have liked to take pictures of the fantastic windows from the inside.

A bronze model of the front of the cathedral. The copper plate on the base is in braille.

The back with a plate with normal lettering

Last view from the parking lot

SkyWatch Friday

2010-09-03T01:19:00.003+02:00

The tower of the magnificent Aachener Dom (cathedral) pointing at the sky. Aachen is situated just across the German border only 10 minutes from where I live. I'll show some more pictures next week on MyWorld.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-08-30T22:00:00.006+02:00

After days and days of heavy rains with strong gales which caused floods in some parts of the country the sky finally cracked about 5 pm today. I went outside and I tried to catch a few sunrays and warm up a little just like this little creature.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-08-23T21:27:00.005+02:00

Referring to last weeks MyWorld post I can show you a photo of the coal mine in the place I grew up. I think the picture must have been taken before the war because I see empty spots of land where I remember houses. I also see only one cooling tower and there were two as far as I remember.
The closing of this coal mine as of all the other mines in this region had an enormous impact on life. Many people were glad they did not have to do the hard and dirty work anymore though most of them feared a collapse of the economy and empoverishment in the future. Government promised alternative employment by developping and setting up new heavily subsidised industries. But they were not very succesful. Many young people left the area to find jobs elswhere in the Netherlands. The former mining part of the Netherlands changed it looks totally during the last decades. It is about the most beautiful part of the country with a foreign look. Not many windmills, no clogs, not much water and no flat polders here. Geologically the land belongs to the northern part of the Belgian Ardennes. Tourism has been promoted and many touristic attractions have been developped. There is a strong interaction with the surrounding countries Germany and Belgium and the region is flourishing again. The only concern of the government is that there live relatively more older people here than in other parts of the country. That is one of the effects of young people moving way three decades ago.

The Domaniale Mine, probably before WW2

This is how the area looks now

SkyWatch Friday

2010-08-20T01:01:00.006+02:00

Highways and crossroads. Interesting sky after three dull rainy days.

For more sky pictures from around the world click on the SkyWatch button in the side bar.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-08-16T22:56:00.006+02:00

Today's pictures show historic grounds. This is where I grew up. It looks quite good now but it is a former mining area. The oldest coal mining area of Europe. It was in the 11th century that the coal reached the surface at Rolduc and mining was not very difficult. When the mine was exhausted they had to dig deeper and coal mines were established. During the 1960s most mines were closed and the grounds were developed for housing and recreation.

The road in this picture used to be a railroad for coal transport only. I had to cross it every day when going to school. A high wall and a barrier prevented us from entering the mining site.

These two pictures give you an impression of how it looks today. Neat houses and a lot of green.

Unfortunately I have no photo of how it was at hand. I must have a book with old postcards on my shelves but I could not find it. I hope I did not lend it to someone I don't remember.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-08-12T20:14:00.010+02:00

We had some wonderful skies in the Ardennes last week end. I saw many faces, animals and other shapes which no one else did notice!

The pictures were al taken around the house we stayed in.

For more sky pictures from around the world click here or on the SkyWatch button in the side bar.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-08-10T01:51:00.005+02:00

Last week end I stayed with friends in the Ardennes in Belgium. Before driving home I took these pictures. The scenery is so beautiful it is never boring.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-08-05T15:43:00.009+02:00

These pictures look very different from the usual green Dutch country sides which are flat and usually covered in green grass. The photos were taken on the Veluwe a region in the centre of the Netherlands. Dry and sandy heathland surrounded by (to Dutch standards) vast woods. The sky was just as dull as the land.

Click on the SkyWatch button in the side bar for more pictures from around the world.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-08-02T20:53:00.010+02:00

Today we went to Spakenburg an old fishing village upon the former Zuiderzee (southern sea) which was a very rough and dangerous bay of the Northsea in the northern part of the Netherlands. In 1932 the Afsluitdijk (closing dike) was build to separate the bay from the sea. A huge lake was formed fed by the river IJssel an called IJsselmeer. You have to know the Dutch and their struggle against water and claiming their land from the sea. So they did by draining half of the IJsselmeer and our 12th province was born: Flevoland. Many people around the IJsselmeer lost their livelihood. Also in Spakenburg. The botters (wooden fishing boats) are kept and well maintained and used for pleasure boating on the remaining waters.

In Spakenburg people used to wear their typical folkloristic dress. It is disappearing but some women still wear it. We saw a few women fully dressed at work in shops. It looked beautiful. Men and children don't wear traditional costumes anymore. In the Traditional Costume and Fishery Museum I took a few photos which give you an impression. In the first picture are children up to toddlers age and the second picture show children up to about 18 years. I am not sure if it was comfortable for the younger kids. The other pictures show complete families.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-07-29T20:27:00.006+02:00

Yesterday we went to Zutphen, a lovely old hanseatic town on the river IJssel. The weather was great to take many photos of this wonderful city......... But shame on me. I forgot to recharge the battery of the camera and all I could shoot were these four pictures before it went flat.

To take a look at some wonderful pictures from around the world click here or on the SkyWatch button in the side bar.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-07-22T20:43:00.012+02:00

Last weeks storms showed some interesting skies. The clouds were actually rolling, the sky turned dark green, almost black. It looked sinister and frightening. Never seen the sky change so fast from blue to black.

In the east the sky was still blue while

in the west it was getting darker and darker.

For other interesting skies click the button in the side bar.

Watery Wednesday

2010-07-21T10:46:00.002+02:00

Last week we had some heavy storms. One came so unexpected and quickly that we only had time to get the most important things in a save place. My husband forgot to take inside his important things though!

SkyWatch Friday

2010-07-15T22:19:00.005+02:00

And finally after the heat wave the storm arrived. Temperatures dropped from 38C to 19C within minutes. Damage went into millions of Euros and yesterday's storm even took a life. The climate is definitely changing.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-07-01T23:58:00.005+02:00

From the colours in the sky I can usually see that we have a beautiful sunset. But where we live it is impossible to see the sun actually set. It is a densely populated area and there is always a house or a tree in the way or the sun is hiding behind the hills. I took this picture last week end. Hardly a noticeable sunset but I thought the sky looked interesting.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-06-18T01:36:00.007+02:00

While it was rainy and cold in most of the Netherlands our corner had the best weather you can imagine. Nice temperature, a light breeze and beautiful clear skies.

Do you see the angel flying towards me?

My World Tuesday

2010-06-14T23:24:00.005+02:00

While driving around to find a photogenic spot to try my new camera I passed the Hoensbroek castle again. Artists were building sand sculptures for a medieval festival on the grounds next to the castle. Visitors are not allowed to enter the site until the artists have finished the sculptures. I managed to take some pictures standing on the road nearby. Though they were at a distance of about 150 metres I zoomed in with my camera and was surprised at what I saw when I uploaded the photos. Very clear pictures. Amazing what you can do with sand and amazing what my simple camera did (again a Kodak Easy Share). A pity though that this was the only angle where I could see a little of the sculptures.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-05-21T01:23:00.007+02:00

Our town has several flock of sheep to keep the grass in our parks short in a environmentally friendly manner. Last Monday the sheep were in our neigbourhood. A flock is about 150 - 200 sheep and one shepherd and two dogs to keep them together.
It is always fun to watch them.

The sky was as much fun to watch too.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-05-17T19:52:00.009+02:00

Last week I showed some pictures of Rolduc. Today's pictures are taken only about 1500 meters from there. In the old days Kerkrade and Herzogenrath were one community, 's Hertogenrade. Most important buildings were Rolduc Abbey and the castle only a few hundred meters apart. During the Vienna Congress 1814-1815 new boundaries were formed in Europe. One of the results was that the town of 's Hertogenrade were split into a Dutch and a German part. Kerkrade in the Netherlands and Herzogenrath in Germany. Just like that and never mind the feelings of the people concerned. The new frontiere line was drawn right in the middle of a street, the Nieuwstraat (New Street) and was marked with barbed wire, poles, chicken wire etc.
What I remember as a kid after WW2 was that an aunt of mine lived in the German part of the street and for every visit we had to pass through customs and show passports.
A few decades ago with a united Europe to come the wire and poles were pulled down and low concrete frontiere was built. People who lived in the street got a special passport to cross the street both ways. In 1991 the concrete border was removed as well and no boundaries are left.

This is the Nieuwstraat now the righthand side is Dutch, the left is German
My aunt and her family lived in the house at the left. At the opposite side of the road schoolfriends of mine lived. When visiting my aunt I could not cross the border to play with them. I was not even allowed to go near the wire fence to talk to them.
Now it is just one open street as you can see.

The streetnames in both languages. The sign is placed in Germany and where I stood to take the picture is Netherlands.

There where the Dutch part of the street ends a new building was constructed about 10 - 15 years ago which accommodates German and Dutch offices. I think it is an ugly monstrous building and divides a street that onze was several kilometers long and straight. Don't know who's idea it was but I have not met anyone who is happy with it.
The house at the left is the last house of the Nieuwstraat on Dutch territory.

This picture is taken at the back of the hideous building. From there the street is German at both sides.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-05-14T00:21:00.006+02:00

Today I show you a photo I took a few days ago. In it is the only blue I have seen for almost two weeks now. If you have a close look you'll see a vague blue at the right corner. We have had only grey skies and a lot of rain recently and a temperature of 12C.

I took this picture exactly a year ago driving through the country. It was a hot and clear day. What a difference.

My World Tuesday

2010-05-10T18:20:00.011+02:00

Today I went down Memory Lane. I went back to my birth place where I spent the first 23 years of my life. I had a happy childhood growing up in a coal mining town close to the German border. The mines are all closed down and there are few signs of mining past. The very first coal mine in Europe was at Rolduc in Kerkrade and goes way back in history. Rolduc was an abbey founded by the Augustians in the 12th century. It has a great history, has been Dutch, German, French, etc.

But this is about my memories. In my time it was a boys boarding school and a Roman Catholic seminary. I was at a girl's highschool and in those days we were not even allowed to look into a boys direction! But twice a year we had a concert at Rolduc by the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. There we were boys and girls together chaperoned and escorted by nuns and teachers. The conductor of the orchestra was Andre Rieu, yes the father of THE Andre Rieu.
Today I went back to see if much had changed. It was about 30 years since my last visit. It had changed a lot. Rolduc is partly a hotel and a conference centre now.

Please click on the picture to read the text

The maine building an oldest part

This used to be the farm belonging to the abbey. Main building and stables are reconstructed and converted into offices.

Driveway to the entrance

The total environment has been changed, modernised, it is still majestic but not as respectable as it was decades ago. It is much bigger than I can show here.
I found this airial view on the internet.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-05-07T02:22:00.004+02:00

Sorry sky watchers I can't come up with a better picture. This is how our sky has been looking for the last few days: gray, dull almost solid gray, watery and windy.
Heater is on again and the weather forecast does not promise happier photo's in the next few days.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-04-30T01:46:00.004+02:00

Last week in the Belgian Ardennes we saw beautiful blue skies. No planes that drew white lines and no sounds.

And then suddenly after 4 almost perfect days we were back in modern times again.

My World Tuesday

2010-04-27T01:33:00.008+02:00

Last week I spent a few days in the Belgian Ardennes near Durbuy. I think it is the most beautiful part of Belgium. It has historic places and a wonderful scenery.
The first thing that strikes you in Durbuy is the imposing castle build in the 11th century on a rock overlooking the small town located at the river Ourthe. Most houses are built of Ardenese stone and have a real ancient look. Almost all of them are restaurants or hotels. Never seen so many in a small town.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-04-16T01:50:00.001+02:00

This is what we have been waiting for. Looks like winter is over!

My World Tuesday

2010-04-12T23:41:00.010+02:00

Today I want to show you some photos I took in Iceland a few years ago. Actually I risked my life to take them. We went on a tour to a glacier and our guide was amazed how fast it was melting. According to him this was all covered in ice only a few years before!

Only three months before we were there the ice reached the ground. Now a cave of ice had been formed.

Can you imagine there was an entrance under the glacier we could walk into. Our guide said it was dangerous to go in and it was at our own risk. He would not go in.
Well some of us did. It was exciting but I did not have the feeling the glacier would collapse at that moment. I knew what I was doing but I wanted to experience this. I would never get the chance to take photos from under a glacier again. It was fascinating and thrilling. The further we went the darker it was. At some spots the ice was really thin and we could see some beautiful blue light shining through. It was fantastic realizing there was such a mass of ice above us. And I muss confess I was also happy to leave the glacier safely. I let the pictures speak for themselves.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-04-09T00:35:00.007+02:00

This was our sky today: grey and drizzly:

But looking up to the sky on the parking of our local hospital there was a lot going on. I saw dozens of crows nests and many couples of crows watching over their eggs. Marvellous. I have never seen so many nests before. These are only a part of all the nests. It was to wet to get out of my car!

Please click on the pictures for a better view.

For more interesting sky photos click here or on the button in the side bar.

My World Tuesday

2010-04-06T00:49:00.005+02:00

Today's picture shows a historical water mill, called the Weltermolen (molen = Dutch for mill). The mill was first mentioned in the 14th century. It is not known when exactly the mill was build. I suppose the first water wheel must have been made of wood. The ownership of the mill changed many times caused by deaths or divorces. It is now privately owned. The mill is fed by the pond mentioned in my last post while the pond is fed by a stream: de Geleenbeek. The water wheel was replaced by a new iron wheel at the end of the 19th century. During WW2 the mill was taken out of action and fell into decay. Because of the historical value of the mill it has been restored around 1980. On a few milling days the mill works and is open to visitors.

This picture gives you an idea of the size. The diameter of the wheel is over 5 meters.

For more interesting My World pictures clich here.

SkyWatch Friday

2010-04-02T01:01:00.005+02:00

In and around Heerlen many trees, especially poplars, have tenants, namely the well known mistletoe. A lot of people take them for birds nests but they are half parasite plants growing on branches. The plants are protected in the Netherlands so it is strictly forbidden to cut some for Christmas. We are even not allowed to remove trees in which mistletoe is growing.

MyWorld Tuesday

2010-03-29T23:42:00.007+02:00

The pictures show Kasteel Hoensbroek one of the largest castles in the Netherlands. It is only a 5 minutes drive from our home. Our part of the country has a rich history. Our province (Limburg) has been occupied by almost any European tribe from Romans and even earlier tribes to Germans, French etc. That's why we are surrounded by castles. They were built by gentry or nobility to defend themselves from enemies. If you would like to know more about the castle please click here.
The castle contains over 60 rooms and is now used as an official marriage location, for conferences,as a museum, for parties etc. I am not sure if there are families living in the castle nowadays. I remember that a few families lived there some decades ago among which was a welknown Dutch writer: Bertus Aafjes.

The entrance

The cour (courtyard)

Seen from the south

North-west

Skywatch Friday

2010-03-25T19:10:00.007+01:00

The last signs of winter and the first of spring. I really love those old bare oak trees. They are so much more interesting than when covered in leaves.

A tit has found a place to start a family. I could not see if he/she was feeding or still building.

And only 20 steps away a couple of geese were walking their babies. Dad got really nasty when a duck came to close.

These were the first photos taken with my new camara. Again a simple Kodak EasyShare.

For more interesting SkyWatch pictures click here.

Sky watch Friday

2010-03-19T01:40:00.003+01:00

All that water scares me sometimes. This is Holland, two provinces at the coast and below sea level. Fortunately I live in the 'safe' part of the Netherlands far above sea level. Far right you can see part of the Delta Works the huge project to keep the water out. If you click on the pic you'll have a better view.

My World Tuesday

2010-03-16T02:17:00.003+01:00

No spectacular buildings or views to show. I went to a quilt retreat last week end with 45 women. You probably can imagine that I need some time to get myself back again. If you are interested in a girls week end out click here

My World Tuesday

2010-03-02T11:15:00.004+01:00

We had strong gales last week end which caused a lot of damage. Roofs were blown away, trees fell over etc. We were rather lucky. Only the fence collapsed. But it seems that the snow has finally gone ;-)

My World Tuesday

2010-02-16T00:45:00.004+01:00

I am afraid I can't show you exciting pictures today. I wanted to but the weather got in my way. This week end untill today midnight it is carnival here in the southern part of the Netherlands. Today there was a parade in my birthplace and my intention was to take some colourful and merry pictures. But it snowed like it had been snowing for the last 6 days and I really didn't feel like standing in the cold for hours and with my feet in about 4 inches of snow. We live here in a traditionally catholic region and the history of carnival goes way back to the middle ages. Of course it is celebrated much differently now than it was then. Though we don't take part in the celebrations any more it still is fun to watch and enjoy the dressed up people and their music in the parades. But we stayed at home which was a good decision for the snow just would not stop.

This is what we saw in our street, no parade but a snow shovel

I can't remember ever having so much snow in our country!

SkyWatch Friday

2010-02-05T00:11:00.007+01:00

From our home we can never see a great sunset. Too many houses and roofs around us. A few days ago I tried to catch a sunset from the parking deck in a shopping mall. Not spectaculair but at least I had some pictures.

And I got a bonus too.

SkyWatch Friday - MyWorld Tuesday

2010-01-29T01:57:00.006+01:00

This picture was taken from a slide. So the quality is rather poor.
I wonder if any Australian reader recognizes this beach?

Well, it is Surfers Paradise in 1975! Our girls have been there two years ago and they told us it had become a little crowded.

For more SkyWatch pictures click here or on the button in the side bar. For more My World pictures click here or on the button in the side bar.

My World Tuesday, Watery Wednesday

2010-01-26T01:08:00.010+01:00

Please scroll down for Watery Wednesday.

On our trip along the South Coast of Iceland we also visited the Skogar Folk Museum. The museum is partly an open air museum and gives a good impression of the harsh life in the past. The entire collection is found and brought together by one man. He did an amazingly good job. The 'manager' was in his mid eighties when we were there and still working and collecting. The photos give a small impression. If you would like to read more please visit http://www.nat.is/Sofn/eyjafjoll_skogar_folks.htm

Farm houses and stables under one roof, covered with turf to keep the cold out

The collector-manager-owner of the museum

Part of the interior of the museum

Part of the interior of the church. This is the smallest church I have ever seen. Only a few square metres.

And if you are not bored yet please look at my Watery Wednesday photos for tomorrow. I don't think I'll have the time to post tomorrow so I show them now. It is an unbelievable powerfull mass of water which makes you feel very small.

The Gullfoss waterfall

Sky Watch Friday

2010-01-22T00:33:00.004+01:00

For today's Sky Watch I have another two photos I took in Iceland. It is a country with 4 seasons a day. The sky is constantly changing.
One moment it looks like this

and the next moment it looks like this. I think it is wonderful and I couln't get enough of it. When the sky opens up it is the brightest blue you can imagine.

For more beautiful SkyWatch photos click here or on the button in the left side bar.

Watery Wednesday

2010-01-20T02:43:00.005+01:00

Of the hot springs in Iceland the Great Geysir and the Strokkur are the most famous. And it really is breath taking to see the hot water moving and then burst out into a fountain every seven minutes. The Strokkur is the most active but he was not really showing off when we where there.
What I also found just as interesting were the ordinary hot springs. They looked like poodles of water but at a closer look they were very deep and the water was boiling hot. Amazing. I held my hand about 50 cm above the spring and still felt the heat.

My World Tuesday

2010-01-18T20:01:00.016+01:00

About two years ago I visited Iceland with a friend. Or actually it was the capital Reykjavik that we visited. From there we made a few nice sight seeing trips. In the next couple of postings I'll show some pictures I took during our trip to Iceland.

The Hallgrims church, build over several decades from 1945 to 1988. It is a massive building and I just couldn't get the whole church in front of my camera ;-) The church doubles as a concert hall.

It's tower is about 75 m. high, the highest building in Iceland and visible almost anywhere in the city

By the way: did you notice the wonderful skies?

For more interesting pictures please click on the My World button in the left side bar.

Sky watch Friday

2010-01-15T00:47:00.004+01:00

The first sunset after weeks of cloudy skies. Lovely to see everything in an orange glow.

For more great skies click on Sky Watch Friday

My world Tuesday

2010-01-11T21:09:00.003+01:00

Our world is still white. Today was a real winter day: cold, gray and some snow.
The building at the end of the road is an old water tower -a huge water reservoir- not far from our home. At least three times a week I drive along this road and see the huge building. It was built in 1952 on the grounds of the Oranje Nassau mines in Heerlen. The (coal) mines are all closed down and many houses have been built on the grounds. The tower still exists and I sincerely hope that it will be kept for future generations. Many water towers have been demolished but nowadays communities are trying to keep them as historic buildings. It was a pity I could not take a better photo today. I will try again on a sunny day.

My world Tuesday

2009-12-29T02:52:00.005+01:00

Since my camera doesn't work properly I had a look at the old pictures and slides my husband has digitised recently. It really was a walk down memory lane. Wonderful. I came across these photos of Freudenberg in Germany where we spent our holidays in 1974 when we were on leave from Australia. This is a beautiful little town with characteristic houses built of wood and clay.
I wonder if anyone knows if it is possible and how to improve these old pictures? They all look a bit hazy.

For more MyWorld pictures click here

My World Tuesday

2009-12-22T01:08:00.005+01:00

This is our world today. I wonder if we'll have a white Christmas. Would be the first this century.

That was last Saturday

An then on Sunday we had a blizzard that left about 15 cm of snow.

If you would like to see what all the different parts of our globe look like today just click here.

My World Tuesday

2009-12-15T01:07:00.004+01:00

This morning when I woke up the world looked magic. We had the first frost last night and the garden looked as if covered with caster sugar. Unfortunately my camera did not work properly so I can't show you a photo. Instead I show you some pictures of one of the most beautiful parts of the Netherlands, Zuid Limburg, situated like a wedge between Belgium and Germany. The photos show the Belgian country side but were taken from the Netherlands. There is no formal boundary anymore so while driving you don't hardly realize that you left your own country and have entered Belgium.

The electricity poles and wires show that it is Belgium for we don't have those in the Netherlands. Electricity wires are all led underground in our country.

For more interesting My World pictures click here

Skywatch Friday

2009-12-04T00:26:00.004+01:00

I thought this was a nice picture for today. Looks like shooting clouds. I took it in our garden on a rather clear day. A good contrast to the cloudy and gray skies we have had for some days now.

For more beautul sky pictures click here or on the button in the side bar.

My world Tuesday

2009-12-01T01:15:00.006+01:00

My world or rather THE world seems a little confused. Usually this time of year should be freezing cold with all plants retired and all leaves fallen off. And when we have our garden ready in October grass won't grow and weeds don't pop up anymore. Not so this year. Lots of rain and a temperature of around 15C keeps grass and weeds growing and our geraniums flowering. Wonder if we should take the lawn mower out again.

If you want to see some wonderful pictures just click here and try any link.

Skywatch Friday

2009-11-27T01:01:00.005+01:00

Part of the skyline of Cologne in Germany at sunset. Just an every day picture I guess but I loved the way the towers of the cathedral stood out in the darkening sky.

For more Skywatch pictures click here or on the button in the side bar.

Watery Wednesday

2009-11-25T12:06:00.005+01:00

Rain is pouring down. So there is enough water around on this watery Wednesday. I'll show you a photo of better times, the path to the beach. Taken last Oktober. It was rather cold and windy then but at least it was a dry day and the right weather to enjoy a walk on the beach.

My world Tuesday

2009-11-24T01:31:00.006+01:00

The weather has been really bad lately. Gails and heavy rain so I'd rather stayed at home than go out to take some pictures. Instead I'll show you some pictures taken last September in the Alsace in France. It is a part of France with a beautiful scenery and lovely little villages. These pictures are taken in Ste Marie aux Mines.

For more beautiful pictures from all over the world click here.

Skywatch Friday

2009-11-19T23:48:00.007+01:00

I did some sky watching last week and this is the result. A Dutch 'polder' (flat land below sea level) Do you see the wind mills at the horizon? They are mighty poles but to be honest I like the old wind mills much better. They really belong in a Dutch landscape. If you can't see them clearly just click on the pictures for a better view.

More interesting Skywatch views are only a click away.

My World Tuesday

2009-11-16T21:54:00.002+01:00

No excitement here today. After being away for a month my world is very small.

SkyWatch Friday

2009-11-13T01:37:00.010+01:00

Waiting for a spectacular sunset at sea yesterday.

This was the best I got.

Then turning around to the South I saw this. Clear blue sky with only a few clouds!

Click on the pictures for a better view.

For more Skywatch photos click here

Watery Wednesday

2009-11-11T01:26:00.004+01:00

Surf at the South shore of Iceland. I love the contrast between the real black beach and the wild white foaming water. A fascinating sight I can't get enough of.

For more Watery Wednesday photos click here

My World Tuesday

2009-11-10T00:57:00.005+01:00

Last Saturday we visited another old town, Woudrichem. Beautiful and romantic at dusk. You would expect horses and coaches riding by, but we only saw rows of metal. The difference between then and now!

For more My World photo's please click here

Skywatch Friday

2009-11-06T00:43:00.004+01:00

Today it was raining cats and dogs while driving through the country. I saw impressive and mighty clouds but..........I left my camera at home. Forgotten. The photo I chose for today is one of my favorites. It never happens that a plane flies over our house so low that we actually see it. Usually it is only a dot with a white stripe. But last summer this one flew over and I was lucky enough to have my camera at hand.

If you would like to see more beautiful skies click here

Watery Wednesday

2009-11-04T01:08:00.003+01:00

A few years ago I went to Iceland with a friend. I got the impression that there was more water on Iceland than ice. I took this photo of one of the numerous waterfalls during a trip along the South shore.

For more interesting watery pictures click here.

My World Tuesday

2009-11-03T00:01:00.000+01:00

This is my first 'My World Tuesday' posting. I really enjoy showing some photo's of the world around me whether it is water, sky or earth. Everyday pictures I catch with my camera.
Yesterday my husband an I went for a walk through Bergen op Zoom in the South-Western part of the Netherlands. It is a very old and very pretty town. It was an important place in the Middle Ages and it still shows. Look for yourself.
If you would like to know more about this town please click here.

For more beautiful pictures please click the button in the side bar,

Sky watch Friday

2009-10-30T01:15:00.000+01:00

I took this photo yesterday while driving through the polder in Zeeland on the island of Tholen with a view over the Oosterschelde. It was a hazy day and my eyes could not distinguish the line between water and sky. There was no wind and the water was calm like a mirror. But the photo shows it perfectly by reflecting the clouds in the water. I love that light because it is not foggy and it is not bright. It belongs to this time of year where nature is retiring and getting ready for winter.

For more SkyWatch pictures click here on the button in the side bar.

A new blog.

2009-10-28T13:26:00.000+01:00

To keep both my hobbies seperated I decided to start a new blog for my photo's. I have discovered several wonderful blogs wich offer the possibility to sign in and post special pictures on fixed days. I like the idea. Last week I joined SkyWatch Friday and enjoyed the many visitors to my blog and visiting all the other blogs. I'll have a look around the different blogs and intend to join more of those blogs.

I found a blog called Watery Wednesday. I like that idea as well. The elements 'Sky' and 'Water' are among my favorite objects. And because it is Wednesday I might as well start immediately!

Though our country has absolutely no lack of water the first photo I post I made in Bouillon, Belgium, last summer. I am not staying at home for a couple of weeks and I only have my laptop with me. Most pictures are stored at home. Hope you don't mind and enjoy the calm stream.

I need to dress this new blog and make it personal yet. It will come as soon as I have time.