Out And About.

[Duque de Bragança]

Having a drink in Frankfurt, watching a small Palestine demonstration across the street. About 20 people, chanting about peace and ending the war. More than half are women and kids. Within 15 minutes dozens of police vans turn up, there must be at least a hundred police in riot gear. Cordoning of streets and stopping public transport. It looks utterly ridiculous.

Sounds like your average demonstration in Frankfurt. 
Did they attempt to demonstrate on the Ziel or Konstabler/Hauptwache or what? 

My favourite is anarchists demonstrating and being protected/isolated by the state police. 

 

It was near the big Euro sign. On the pavement, well away from traffic. Still, all the trams had to be stopped 

Willy-Brandt Platz then, the former ECB HQ. Not far from the local red light district by the Central Station (Bahnhof Viertel), just in case. 

[mongers]

Looking forward to the first hints of Spring next month, at least the evening light is returning at it's fastest rate now, something like one minute and 45 seconds each and every day. 

Lots of deer about on the forest lanes the last few days I've been coming home, that way, life becoming more active by the day?

Time to get out and about more, it could hardly be less my current semi-hibernating state.   

[Richard Hakluyt]

Snowdrops are at their max round here, have not seen a crocus yet though.

[Norgy]

Looking forward to the first hints of Spring next month, at least the evening light is returning at it's fastest rate now, something like one minute and 45 seconds each and every day.

February started with a cold wave, and with three feet of snow on the ground, I am not expecting to see as much a flowerbud until April.
But I do enjoy the sun not setting at 3 pm anymore.

Still plenty to do outdoors, though, apart from shovelling snow. With the cold weather, the sun also comes out and with clear blue skies the light is just amazing and a walk along paths in the woods a sort of therapy. It is even worth the frozen feet and cold arse.

[Maladict]

I've been sitting on the roof, enjoying the (finally) clear sky at night.
Got a small telescope, nothing like seeing Saturn or Jupiter with their moons, just hanging there in the sky.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Yeah, the planets are set up really well for us right now 

[Norgy]

I've been sitting on the roof, enjoying the (finally) clear sky at night.
Got a small telescope, nothing like seeing Saturn or Jupiter with their moons, just hanging there in the sky.

That sounds really nice. 

[mongers]

Snowdrops are at their max round here, have not seen a crocus yet though.

Only saw the first few snowdrops yesterday, the day before the 1st crocus and today I noticed some daffs in a shltered lane.

I think we might have had colder weather here over the last few weeks than you in North-West! 

Well going by the 'fact' Bournemuth airport has been the coldest place in England a couple of times recently.

[Richard Hakluyt]

There are some daffs in the park that may be out by tomorrow, they have a SE exposure and are close to the river which keeps things just a little bit warmer. I will check them.

[Barrister]

There are some daffs in the park that may be out by tomorrow, they have a SE exposure and are close to the river which keeps things just a little bit warmer. I will check them.

It was -32c this morning.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Ah yes, very bracing 

The English winter is never about the cold, I have worn a coat just once this winter, its the darkness though, blooming miserable at 54N.

[mongers]

An especially rare encounter yesterday evening, out in the meadows, a ghostly pair of wings, a barn owl out on the hunt, first I've seen in 7-8 years, odd because I live amongst river meadows. 

This evening I spied 3-4 dozen falow dear, all female bedding down for the night in some small fields in the forest, getting towards the time they give birth?

anyway definitely time to get out and about, as Spring gets a hold of this slumbering landscape. 

[Savonarola]

Yesterday my wife and I went to Boca Raton where they had an exhibition on Baroque Spain and the Spanish Empire.  Typical for south and central Florida (but not something I recall encountering in Europe) they'll provide both works from Spain as well as those from the new world in the same exhibition.  It was (I thought) an impressive exhibit (Boca Raton is quite wealthy) including works from El Greco and Murillo.  The high point, though, was this painting of Saint Lucy by Zurbarán:



In most Catholic iconography martyrs have their instrument of martyrdom as their attribute.  Lucy is said to have been strangled, so it should be a garrot; but in her case her attribute is what she's patroness of, ocular diseases.  She's carrying a pair of eyes on a platter.  That amused me.