In Praise of River Cruising

Alright. Enough belly-aching over pandemics, politics and isolation. I need to get away and show places we can no longer visit…for now.

Last November, we completed our fourth European river cruise. Since the May cruise through the Baltic capitals provided ample photo-sharing and story-telling opportunities, I will give this trip the same treatment, but first, the topic needs a general introduction.

I was unaware of this travel option until my in-laws invited us to join them on a trip up France’s Rhone River in 2006. This excursion was on the smallest boat of the four trips…only 43 passengers. The one dining room held all of us together as the staff served French cuisine and wines based on the regions we passed through.

The ‘Chardonnay’ in Avignon, France (22 April 2006)

I was sold from the get-go. European rivers have for centuries been the main arteries of travel, settlement and commerce. There is so much history and architecture to appreciate. Every one of the four trips highlighted Roman activities and remains. Of course, all is not pristine and unspoiled, but if you’re cruising past a cement plant on the port side, you can take a few steps over to the starboard side and appreciate what’s there…because in a few minutes, it will be behind you anyway.

The Iron Gates Gorge on the Danube River (10 April 2017)

Unlike flying or doing 70 on the interstate or a big cruise ship on the open ocean or even a train ride through the countryside, a riverboat is like a scenic walk. One can lounge on the sun deck as the landscape slowly scrolls by and you have time to enjoy what you see. The photographer is able to frame a picture and shoot it a few times if need be.

Parliament of Hungary, Budapest (5 April 2017)

Another neat thing about river cruising…These ancient towns were first-settled on the rivers. Therefore, you are often docked in the oldest, historic quarters. The sights you came to see are frequently within walking distance of the boat.

The vessels that run on European rivers are designed for their waterways, specifically the locks and dams that make the rivers navigable. Many dams are required to create the necessary water depths that allow commercial traffic to operate. Cruise boats are a small fraction of the vessels that use the rivers. These waters are the main routes to deliver products to and from the coastal seaports and central Europe.

In a Lock on the Moselle River (13 November 2019)

Apart from being flat-bottomed with shallow drafts (our last boat was 360 feet long but sat less than six feet below the waterline), the boats are practically inches narrower than the smallest lock they must fit through. Being floating rectangles, it also makes it easier to tie to one another when dock space is limited.

Friendly Neighbors, Cologne, Germany (28 July 2007)

River cruising is about where you are going. It’s particularly nice to be able to unpack your suitcase once and still be in a different destination every day.

This kind of vacationing is not for young families. The boats do not have kid spaces, night clubs, casinos or shopping malls. The ONE bar/lounge is the place for all the briefings, lectures and entertainment. Passengers are older, mostly retired folks so the crew is very attentive. From airport arrival to last departure, they take care of you.

Wertheim, Germany (1 August 2007)

Another enjoyable aspect of river cruising is that each stop (at least on the line we use – Grand Circle) includes a walking tour after which you are free to wander on your own. You can return to sights you were shown or venture further into the new town. Here in Wertheim, I elected to go to the castle fortress ruins on the high ground for a better view of the town, the Main River and our boat.

Coming next will be a series of posts from a trip down the Rhine River that began in Basel, Switzerland and ended in Antwerp, Belgium.

State Capitols – Austin, Texas – Inside

Let’s take a break from plague-related stories and finish what was introduced on February 28, when the Texas capitol and grounds were presented.

The Texas State House is another fine example of the design, materials and craftsmanship that flourished in the post-Civil War period. I was fortunate to have been bitten by the capitol bug at a time shortly after many states put significant resources into restoring their capitols to their former grandeur.

Rotunda, Texas Capitol, Austin (19 June 2008) 

By now, you know I try to take a balanced, symmetrical shot straight up from under the rotunda. The lighting in this cavernous space did not work for my hand-held camera. Here’s a good image of the inner dome on the Wiki page. The Lone Star at the center measures eight feet from point to point and was added in 1958.

Ground Floor Under the Rotunda, 

Texas Capitol, Austin (19 June 2008)

The terrazzo floor beneath the rotunda features the seals of the nations that have governed Texas since European colonization began in 1519. We East Coast types have a much shorter list…British colonization followed by the United States. Period. Texas was under the flags of Spain, France, Mexico, the Confederacy, and finally, the United States. As the photo confirms, the biggest deal in the hearts and minds of Texans was the nine-year period when it was an independent republic, 1836-45.

Under the Texas Dome, 

Austin (19 June 2008) 

Above the terrazzo, Six Nations floor, the rotunda rises up to the Lone Star, 218 feet overhead.

Along the walkways on three levels above are hung the portraits of the forty-eight governors of Texas, the most recent on the first level. The fourth floor portraits include the presidents of the Republic of Texas with Sam Houston being the first.

Statue of Steven F. Austin by Elisabet Ney (1903) 

Texas Capitol, Austin (19 June 2008) 

Accomplished artist Elisabet Ney moved to Texas from Germany and was commissioned to create statues of Texas founders Sam Houston and Steven F. Austin for the capitol. Houston led the revolution of independence from Mexico and was the republic’s first president. Austin is considered the “Father of Texas” because he was instrumental in the early settlement of the area. Marble copies of the same works are the two Texas contributions to the National Statuary Hall collection in Washington, D.C.

A Mass of Lines and Shapes 

Texas Capitol, Austin (19 June 2008) 

Another image I thought improved as a monochrome.

By the time the 1983 fire damaged the capitol, it held three times as many workers as it was designed for. From that point on, a number of major renovations over the next dozen years restored the 1888-1915 appearance, modernized its infrastructure and added a significant extension of work space…all underground so as not to spoil the views of the capitol.

Texas House of Representatives, Austin (19 June 2008) 

The largest room in the building is the House chamber. The 150 representatives sit at original oak desks with a gallery above them on all sides. On this day a group of lucky school kids were sitting at representatives’ desks getting the kind of civics lesson I wish I had at their age.

Texas Senate (19 June 2008) 

The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate and its 31 members. As with the House chamber, the Senate has been restored to its turn-of-the-century appearance. The walnut desks are original and the room has a grand wrap-around gallery. The chamber is also known as the place for art, as the walls hold some of the oldest and most grandiose paintings in the building.

Detail of ‘Dawn at the Alamo’ by Henry Arthur McArdle (1905) 

Texas Capitol, Austin (19 June 2008) 

Born the year Texas gained independence, the artist in the last few years of his life re-painted this monumental work (8 x 13 feet) that hangs on the back wall of the Senate chamber. The fire that destroyed the old capitol in 1881 also torched his earlier work. It is a vast panorama of the last day of resistance by the Alamo’s valiant defenders, with various heroes included in the depiction. This portion of the painting is where Davy Crockett is left to swing his empty rifle before he meets his maker. I couldn’t help but notice the Mexican soldiers are shown with villainous looks and are way darker-complected than most Mexicans I know.

Door Hinges, Texas Capitol, Austin (19 June 2008) 

Have to hand it to Texas. When they build a capitol, they go all the way. I didn’t know custom fixtures included these beautiful door hinges. Since most doors are closed, I might never have. Now I wish I had removed that annoying thread that was caught in the works.

The Texas State Preservation Board has a terrific web site with many photographs of the capitol’s interior. If you wish to see many of the grand spaces displayed as 360° controllable, panoramic images, go to this page.

Notes from the Plague – Pictures from Home

Front Patio (1 May 2020)

Being the lazy lout that I am especially after fifteen years of retirement, it seems I have mastered the social-distancing skills mandated during the current pandemic.

It is springtime and the plants have come alive. Fresh green shoots are sprouting. Blooming things are blossoming. I can’t get out to the local public gardens to take woohoo pictures of springtime. But that shouldn’t deter the avid shooter to practice finding images (I’m more of a semi-avid shooter). I can at least step out into the yard and find some scenes to capture. This is a photography blog after all…sort of.

Baby Hostas (28 April 2020)

One way to create some keepers from the yard (or anywhere) is to get in close. There are many reasons to do this. The appeal of minimalism and simplicity is the main one. Also, with wider views, you have to consider backgrounds and unwanted objects in your shot. If you want to go wide, all elements in the composition need to work. Getting in close can eliminate background issues altogether. The image is more about basic shapes and designs. You can find terrific photography books based solely on the fundamental shapes found in Nature.

Our house is on a pie slice-shaped, one-third acre lot on a cul-du-sac. One of its attractions from my perspective was the absence of any lawn…front or back. I have long-standing feelings regarding lawns, as has been documented on these pages in 2015.

Moon Over Ivy (29 April 2020)

One does not require lawns to have a beautiful yard. There are shade-loving ground covers and bushes that do well under a forest canopy. We have some of that here, but we’re never going to be the subject of a ‘House and Garden’ spread. Another reason to get close when looking for images.

Fresh Fern from Above (29 April 2020)

Another tip, in addition to getting closer to your subject, is shooting straight down. It also eliminates unwanted background objects and that perspective can highlight the shapes and geometries that Nature showcases so beautifully.

Azalea Blossoms (29 April 2020)

The house came with azalea bushes in the front yard. I have not been the most attentive and nurturing of bush managers in the thirty years we have lived here. I do trim and prune regularly and Beck feeds them…occasionally. The bushes try their best every year anyway, regardless.

This was a good day to take flower pictures. It was bright but overcast so there were no harsh shadows to darken parts of the composition.

Temple Bell and Japanese Maple (29 April 2020)

I had to crop away the hose that was visible through the fresh Japanese maple leaves. Some years ago, I walked by the bell and moved the clapper to ring it which prompted the huge hornet inhabitant inside to nail me good. Hornets are not to be trifled with.

Flowering Weeds and the Right Backdrop (2 May 2020)

After taking the pictures on 29 April, I had a light bulb moment that went something like this.

“You idiot. You walk around snapping shots like your usual drive-by, undisciplined self when you KNOW that your tripod and a little time will produce better images.”

Right. This one is probably the best example of how depth of field and sharpness can improve the end result. I had stacked sections of a hickory tree that was taken down last year and a pretty weed sprang up in front of it. The first picture I took was hand-held. I set the ISO (“film speed”) at 1000 and the lens opening at f-14 so there would be enough depth of field to get this relatively flat scene at 1/50th of a second shutter speed.

When I returned with the tripod, I was able to improve the ISO to 200 and the depth of field with an aperture of f-20. The tripod allowed the picture to be made in 1/10th of a second. The difference, while not striking, was quite noticeable. More cracks on the wood were apparent where the earlier shot simply blended the dark lines into the flat wood color.

Moral of the story – You get out of it what you put into it. Quality requires some effort.
Don’t be a lazy-ass.