Winter Wonderland

Here we are, at the tail end of oh-ten, and it’s mightily cold back home in Germany. Makes for scenic views, though – both in the countryside...

...and in the city. Here’s Hamburg’s harbor on a particularly beautiful winter day. Sunshine in the middle of December – all too rare in this part of the world.

Flare Is Art.

Lots of ice floating in the harbor by the Baumwall subway station...

...and downtown on the Alster.

Roof With A View

A couple of San Francisco icons, as seen from neighboring rooftops: above, Coit Tower in North Beach, and below the famous Transamerica Pyramid.

Golden Glow

A slightly filtered view of the Golden Gate, with the polarizer bringing out the colors of the sky and the bridge basking in the afternoon sunlight.

Scary Pumpkin

Halloween, by way of Switzerland.

Floating Market

Here’s Seattle’s version of a farmers’ market: a “Farm Boat” delivering fresh produce from local growers to workers downtown, by way of Lake Union. Turns out the idea isn’t quite as novel as it seems – but nonetheless very cool.

Ellis Island of the West

Angel Island is bit unassuming, and much less famous, than its nearby sister Alcatraz, but no less interesting. For many years, the speck of land in the San Francisco Bay served as the point of entry for millions of immigrants coming to the U.S. – mostly from Russia, Latin America and Asia, especially China.

While today Angel Island is mostly enjoyed by hikers, bikers, and nature-seekers as a National Park, remnants of its history are still visible at the former Immigration Station.

You can even walk through the remains of the barracks which used to house personnel and immigrants. In World War II, Angel Island also served as a detainment center for prisoners of war.

For non-history buffs, though, the main attraction are clearly the many views of other parts of the Bay Area. Above, Treasure Island and the East Bay. Below, Tiburon.

And seeing San Francisco’s skyline from Angel Island is certainly worth the ferry ride across the Bay, not just during Fleet Week.

After a long walk, you can chill out in the picnic area right next to the ferry landing...

...or let your feet take a cool bath in the Bay.

Sailboats In the Fog

It’s comforting that even San Diego gets grey skies sometimes – and much appreciated if a few rays of sunshine break through the morning fog to accentuate the nicely photogenic harbor scene.