Nuremberg, Germany - Imperial Castle of Nuremberg (Part 1)

My morning destination was the Imperial Castle, located in the northern section of Nuremberg. It is built on sandstone and, along with the massive wall, is considered one of the most formidable medieval fortifications.[Details in wikipedia: Nuremberg Castle]  I arrived before the tour groups and was able to get some uncrowded photos.

The street was pretty steep, so I took my time and took photos.  This fancy building is an Arts and Crafts Museum. I didn't have time to visit but would like to on another journey.  It was originally a merchant's house from the late Renaissance.  The main building survived the World War II bombings.

On to the castle... It was overcast with a thick cloud laying pretty low.  The skies are white and it is cold but not uncomfortable.  This walkway takes us to the castle.

The castle complex is actually made of three different castles.  This walkway is in the Burggraffenburg (Burgrave's Castle).  The building is the Bergamtmannsgebaude (Castle Bailiff's building).

This is the Walburgiskapelle (Walpurgis Chapel).

 The large patio area ahead is called Freiling and the round tower is the Sinwelturn (Sinwell Tower).

 Nuremberg lies below the castle, tucked in a blanket of fog.

 The tower is anchored in to the sandstone.  The tower is considered to be inside the next complex, the Kaiserburg or Imperial Castle.

 I pass through a gate and continue on to the Inner Courtyard with the Heidenturn (Heathen Tower) square and tall on the left and the lower building on the right, Tiefer Brunnen (Deep Well).

The larger building in the background is the Secretarial building.

A closeup of the Sinwell Tower brick work.

 Closeup on the windows and roof line.

I walk through the courtyard and follow the crowd through the next opening.

Nuremberg, Germany - Back Bude Cafe

I am in Nuremberg for a few days before joining a river cruise to tour a few Christmas Markets in Germany and Austria.

I started my first morning in Nuremberg with a French croissant and latte.

This is a view of the neighborhood.

 This little shop is down the street from the apartment and will make a good place to start the day.

 This is a self serve place so I figure out how to make my coffee.

 I pick up a white paper (but didn't see the tray) and selected a croissant from the cases.

 There is a large selection including other breakfast pastries and some hot dog type of sandwiches.

 Fueled and ready for a day of touring, I made my way to the Nuremberg Castle.   This advertisement for the Christkindlesmarkt shows a nice map of the markets and will come in handy throughout the weekend.

Transatlantic - A Full Day of Travel

The flight left Phoenix and flew 10 hours directly to London. I slept soundly for about 8 of those inflight hours. I landed at Heathrow midday, took the shuttle from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 and had a light lunch. 

I didn't shop but there were plenty of options.

Next leg is a British Airlines flight to Düsseldorf. This is a view before we left the ground. 

Midway

A little inflight snack in festive holiday shapes. 

Landing in Düsseldorf. 

My passport was stamped upon arrival and I had about an hour before my next flight. I saw a smoker's lounge sponsored by Camel, complete with a clear warning that smoking can kill you. Other than that, an interesting grab and go (or grab and sit) place. Nice airport. 

The next leg was in a smaller plane. I had to check my carry-on luggage plane side. We sat on the plane for awhile, something about traffic around Frankfurt.  

I think that I like this plane because it is red. 

The good news is that the lower altitude gives great photos. 

I had my first taste of the famous German Christmas cookies with ginger. 

We landed in Nuremberg to a scene straight out of Casablanca. 

My home for a few days in Old Town with NBF Melanie. 

Phoenix, Arizona - Full Moon Rises Over Tovrea Castle

I have been waiting for months for the full moon to align with the Tovrea Castle so that I could have this type of photograph.  I was astonished as the dark night sky started to brighten and then I saw the edge of the moon shining through the windows on the top level.  It was an astounding sight.

You can see a prior post of the Tovrea Castle, the inside and outside in daylight, click here.

Miami, Arizona - The Cats of Miami

A town wide project to paint cats throughout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miami-based artist Marianne Collins remembers getting up around 5:30 a.m. and painting until it got too hot each day for months on storefronts, doorways, planters, and trash bins around Miami's historic downtown. Her objective? To line the streets with 121 original painted cats and other creatures.
(Source: http://www.globemiamitimes.com/cats-of-miami/)

We had a fun time finding a few of the 121 cats.

Las Vegas, Nevada - Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon is a National Conservation Area 20 miles west of Las Vegas.  It has easy access and is also very accessible for great pictures with an abundance of "pull over" parking areas throughout the park.  Many thanks for fellow adventurer Vicki for the Lexus four-wheel-drive trek to photograph this beautiful canyon.  Best at sunset and sunrise.  We were there for the sunset part and need to return in the early morning to catch the light on the other side of the canyon.  The area also has a lot of hiking and biking trails.

There is a very nice visitor center with exhibits and a gift shop.  Make sure to get your National Park Passport stamped!