on Saturday, i went on a little road trip to the "Schwäbische Alb", to a place where remains of a Celtic settlement are still visible. just driving there was amazing. the "Schwäbische Alb" is a mountain plateau, it's not far from here: i can see its "skyline" or rather "mountain range line" in the distance from the window here. the drive there takes about half an hour. yesterday i went there again. and i guess, i will go there more often now. there's such a variety in views. so many little places with a history. and so many spots that invite to sit and enjoy it all: the landscapce, the trees, the views, and the song of the birds. click the video for a snapshot of being there (and turn up the volume to hear the birds):
being there, forgetting about time, about the news, i just walked and looked, and stopped every now and then to take an image. and now created a place for those larger images - i revived my "participation" blog, the one that is home to my river of stones from january, and to the 100days-of-summer moments.
i think, for a while i will return there with a daily photo. the first ones are up already:
participation
and here's a bit more about the "Schwäbische Alb" - the "Swabian Jura":
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The Swabian Jura (German: Schwäbische Alb) is a low mountain range in the South of Germany, extending 220 km (140 mi) from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km (25 to 43 mi) in width. The area's profile resembles a high plateau, which slowly falls away to the southeast, while the northwestern edge is a steep escarpment.
In a number of its caves, some of the oldest signs of human artifacts were found. Best known are: the oldest representation of the human body, the Venus of Schelklingen. Other finds include a mammoth, a horse head, a water bird, two statues of a lion man, and the flutes made from the bones of swans and griffon vultures, some 30- 35,000 years old. In some places, former volcanic activity has left traces, such as maars and hills.
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i really like that little sign on the tree, the pointed arrow: a tiny sign in the huge landscape, a hint of a path to take. and what you see in the first image actually is such a volcanic "maar" as described in the wiki quote: a crater that opened near the edge. but it takes a map and a diagram, or best: an animated movie clip to really see the formation in the landscape – or rather: see the landscape as a geological formation, the slope as the remains of a crater whichs other side has been washed away by a stream.
Previous "Alb" trips
and here, the first post of what probably will turn into a series, and the wiki link:
- 2200 years ago, near here (the trip to the Celitc settlement)
- landscape (a view from the Alb plateau into the lower valley)
- the larger context: A sense of place in time
- and the wiki link: wikipedia/SwabianJura
2 comments:
What an utterly amazing place, Dorothee. And you taught me a new word: "maar", which I can't wait to find a use for...
Wonderful post.
Yes, a fascinating place! Knowing about the history makes it almost a different place. And i just looked, "maar" is the same in English and German, a word derived from the Latin "mare" - sea, probably because they usually fill with water.
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