The real Devil’s Bridge

Posted on September 18, 2016 by valanzo

Back in June I wrote an essay about my first 6 months spent in glory 2016. I wrote about my journeys, physical and emotional ones, from winter to early summer, and this summer -let me tell you- has been quite a ride too, that I’ll write down soon (very soon, promise).

One of the best moments was when I rented a car and drove with two old friends somewhere in Germany, at the border with Poland, to see a bridge. Now, it may sounds strange that three individuals go to see a bridge, none of them super particularly interested -nor expert- in architecture. But believe me, this daily trip to a random town was special. That small town has a park, in it there’s one of the weirdest bridges ever built.

Its German name is Rakotzbrücke.

What makes people want to go there is its reflection, more than its construction. The bridge can create a perfect circle when it is reflected in the waters beneath it, and believe me, it’s magic to look at. Yes, it’s an illusion, I am aware of it, but having to walk around made me appreciate the moment so much, and it wasn’t an illusion, it was a connection.

Was it the Devil’s outcome, then?

love-it

Everybody is wondering and wandering in life. Us three wandered around the park, and wondered. I kinda feel like we all three walked that bridge, somehow. Three completely different stories, yet all poignant. Being there together was such an unique moment to share, and I humbly felt happy to rekindle our friendship with that road trip. Devil’s trick, for sure.

From behind

One side

Of course, that bridge was too yummy to not filter it

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nice-one

Special thanks to…

ale

andrea-paparazzi

And by the way… “OH MY GOD this is my favourite song ever!” 🙂

Lübeck on a rainy winter day

Posted on February 24, 2016 by valanzo

It might not sound all that ideal, a trip to a city when you know the weather will be a scary mix of winter-in-Northern-Germany horror deluxe: Böen winds, possible fog, possible rain, possible snow. A delightful mix for your hair and the impending cold you feel growing inside.

Fizzy hair, don’t care. Cold, too. Train, here I come. Lübeck, see you in a bit.

First impression: Red bricks and houses that reminds me of Amsterdam. And Copenhagen. It’s like Amsterdam is, in fact, set in Cop. Pretty inception, I must say. It gets prettier when you realise that, despite being on German soil, the Old Town is a bit on sweet hills. Details are the interesting part of this trip.

Bar the rain, it was a pleasure to capture the silent streets, tiny alleys, beautiful houses and the small harbour. The pictures I took end up being quite dark and contrasting, catching the light was a bit difficult, but I might say I enjoyed some of the results

I would also get an extra side of rain for the fish I ate there. De-Li-Sh. I recommend you Kartoffelkeller >> www.kartoffel-keller.de/ 🙂

Following, snaps from the city.

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And the view from the harbour:

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I particularly liked the houses and the small, unique alleys spread around the city. Here’s some examples.

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I have other 50 pictures I would like to upload, but I’ll stop here. 🙂

See you soon.

Lichtgrenze – Berlin

Posted on November 10, 2014 by valanzo

I believe this past weekend was indeed the best one to be in Berlin. In part I am saying it because the weather was gracefully beautiful, but mostly because the events that the city pulled out for the 25th Anniversary of the Wall Fall were really on point. Lichtgrenze was a sublime project, and didn’t miss to spread a clear reminder of how a city can not be divided, without losing its soul.

This art project, composed of 15 km of light installation, sent out a message of clear immortality, like a peace can be reached, without forgetting, without losing the memory of it, of its core. 15 km to walk along, across, next to. The invisible wall of light was constantly mixing up with the city, with the iconic buildings of the past and the new ones, with citizens and tourists.

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I walked for 12 out of those 15km, carrying a broken camera, motivated to capture some eloquent moments, despite the crappy instrument (seriously, I need a camera). I played mostly with long exposures, because I despise the flash and wanted to preserve the colours. Suicidal move: I didn’t use a tripod, because it’s another thing I need to buy. I started walking around the closest piece of the Berlin wall I have next to where I live, the central part, on Friday. On Saturday, Mitte filled with people everywhere, I explored the northern part, from the Hauptbahnhof until the ex border crossing point Bornholmer Strasse. I kept the eastern part, around my neighbourhood, for Sundaym with the plan to get to the East Side Gallery. I didn’t reach it, due to the mass of people on the street. For many reasons, it looked like NYE. After an emotional tour around Kreuzberg, finding my way through the thousand of people on the streets, I stopped at Schillingbrücke, that is an important bridge between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, West and East Berlin. I thought it was a great point to see the balloons, that were attached to the light installation, let free. I could have decided to go to Brandeburger Tor and enjoy the concerts, but I wanted it to be a more private experience, and I really wanted to be at the crossroads between two former countries, now one. It was a good farewell. A meaningful one. I went home with the awareness of being part of the history. Moreover, I went home with the moral obligation to remember the history and share it with as many as possible.

Here are some snippets of the event. Bear with me for the quality. MORE PICTURES CAN BE FOUND ON MY FLICKR in the following days.

Zimmerstrasse

Checkpoint Charlie

Beautiful border between Kreuzberg and Mitte

@ Topography of Terror

Awful shot @ Potsdamer Platz, , the lights and people there were too many for my old friend, the crappy camera.

To Brandenburger Tor

The Reichstag-Bundestag area.

Liesenstrasse at the corner with Chaussestrasse, Mitte

Liesenstrasse

Gartenstraße

Park am Nordbahnhof

Bernauerstrasse

Mauerpark

Bornholmer Straße, ex border crossing

Bundesdruckerei

Indischer Brunnen, Kreuzberg

Bethaniendamm

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Berlin. Lights and Politics.

Posted on September 22, 2014 by valanzo

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There is a wonderful, free event at the Bundestag in Berlin, going on every evening at 7:45pm since the beginning of Summer, ending October 3rd.

October 3rd, does it ring a bell? It’s Tag der Deutschen Einheit, the day to celebrate the German reunification.

A friend of a friend brought attention to a film and light show along the river Spree, and curious to see I brought my camera along. What I saw what beyond expectations, a nice 30 minutes journey through parliamentary German history, from the Reichstag to the Bundestag, across the facts that changed Germany (the crisis, Nazism, war, the wall and its fall ’til the modern days).

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I am not a German citizen, but I have been living here enough to tell the good and bad of it. Not by any mistakes, the fact to have the possibility to be involved with such an important yet elusive element like politics is a sign of civility: It’s a sign democracy is working here.

There is nothing better than education and promotion when well explained, in a clear, catchy way; not to forget for free too. I found the event an excellent way to remember people the importance of politics, moreover the importance to vote.

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The show is subbed in English and always accompanied by famous German songs. The part about the Fall of the Wall was really entertaining and also quite moving, I must admit.

Here is a video:

Thanks Deutscher Bundestag for the pleasant event.

HEY! You are still on time to watch it, more info: https://www.bundestag.de/grossbildprojektion

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Brackets 2014

Posted on August 26, 2014 by valanzo

I have been a busy bee juggling life, work and guests. My sister’s visit was a great pretext to be a tourist in my own city, Berlin.

At the end I enjoyed it, even Alexanderplatz.

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Next chapter: monthly favourites, followed by Salzburg. Stay tuned, like these two dudes below might do, see their huge smiles… 0_0

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Berlin. Sky Art. Snippets.

Posted on July 21, 2014 by valanzo

It’s been a very interesting artsy month indeed.

Last Saturday in Berlin we experienced a very cool event in Mitte, precisely at Neue Nationalgalerie and related exhibition at Deutsche Bank KunstHalle “Otto Piene. More Sky”.

Let me start by saying I didn’t know this artist, at least I didn’t remember of him, but nevertheless its interest hold me an entire weekend, buzzing about him, despite the crazy heath hitting the Hauptstadt. It was a sky art exhibition!

This is a great video by Deutsche Bank to understand how big and exciting, especially with the help of the darkness, it was.

His beautiful description explains better than anything all the celebrations Deutsche Bank KunstHalle made for Otto Piene.

His Manifesto.

I took some pictures at Deutsche Bank KunstHalle I want to share with you, enjoy.

That yellow…

Greetings from Berlin, ’til the next time.

Berlin Calling. Bike answering.

Posted on July 5, 2014 by valanzo

That feeling of goosebumps on your arms when sun and win blend while you’re on your bike. That particular feeling, that one. There. It was me a week ago under a Summer day in Berlin.

I use my bike, sport in general, to keep my mind straight. It takes constance, abnegation and respect for the rules, and I like it like that because it helps my crazy head to stay alive.

I absolutely adore when I have free time to combine bike and photography, and this is the result of my past wanderings. I mainly went South, or followed the circular road around Berlin zone A, prophetically called “The Ring”.

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Bonus: pics taken with mobile:

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Berlinale Mitte

Posted on February 9, 2014 by valanzo

February 9th 2014 was a windy Sunday, ruled by Berlinale and spinning clouds in an intense blue sky.

I love the effect a film festival provokes on a neighbourhood, Mitte, usually runs by offices, bureaucracy and mass of tourists. This Sunday was different, with an incredible amount of young people rushing to get to the screenings, less tourists, ice melting on the lakes and a genuine, quiet, positive vibe that Spring is coming soon.

The light in ‘der Himmel über Berlin‘ was too amazing not to do a cheeky photo-session, and results were beyond my expectations, so I posted a selection on my Flickr page, the best media for sharing photos without have to lose the quality.

Here’s the link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60353299@N08/sets/72157640746003013/

Bis bald.

January, 1st 2014

Posted on January 4, 2014 by valanzo

2014’s Eve had almost everything I would want to carry along this year of personal changes I feel already inside me. It started with fireworks – the popular, transitory grandeur in our darkness – and some drinks in company..

There was a smile of a true friend, a good morning, a stroll along cemeteries of fun from the past night…

And then, there was the time to feed the soul with art.

Outside everything was quiet, like a fresh Sunday morning indeed.

Another museum tries to battle my melancholic state of mind.. It’s the view of a kid pretending to write notes about Modern Art that dropped me back to reality, again with a smile.

A moment, just a glimpse to get lost in the faces on the walls. Corridors became an arena of good feelings and memories of my studies..

Empty stairs anticipate my next travel; it will be long, silent, sometimes scary but full of thoughts and, hopefully, ideas to develop and love to nourish.

During my way back, tiredness was kicking hard, so was my need to create. It was on one side of the road, in a cold, cold German night that I saw countless stars. I remembered my father, who once taught me all the constellations, and it was a pretty lovely view, moreover memory. Around me, in the parking area, other lonely souls like mine were resting a bit, enjoying some fresh -freezing- air. Cold helps to collect the threads of your mind, to get conclusions.

So this is mine:

January, 1st 2014 was a day to remember. I have lots of new ideas and projects and I can’t wait to show something here. I am alive, breathing, smiling and I just keep walking. You’ll find me at your side whenever you want to look in that direction.

Berlin Festival of Lights

Posted on October 23, 2013 by valanzo

It is delightful to enjoy my city in the dark thanks to this festival, running for 10 days in October every year. The buildings and monuments get a new shape, thanks to fantastic, recreational lights that tell a story, a music, facts and events connected to the city.

This year, like last year, shame that the city centre and Unter den Linden were still sacrificed and closed due to the construction of a new underground line but I found incredible the show at Posdamer Platz.

I leave you a generous amount of pictures (WordPress quality permitting) to judge yourselves.

Gendarmenmarkt