Oslo to Copenhagen ferry
Thought for the day..”Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.”
“It is not the strongest of the species which survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” Charles Darwin
Oslo harbour and the ferry which goes between Norway and the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Prices onboard this boat have gone up a lot, and the journey time has also been increased, making the trip now more expensive and also slower. This boat was previously owned by Viking Line, and sailed from Sweden to Finland. Whilst the ferry was previously a good option, with the high prices onboard and also with the improved road connections to Denmark, it is no longer a good option. Quite why the company thought that slowing the trip down was a good idea is a mystery, as is the logic of increasing the prices onboard. Just like the airlines, DFDS have started to charge for things (eg. internet onboard and the bus connections to/from the boat) that used to be included in the ticket price. It appears that nearly all the public seating onboard has also been removed, presumably to try and force people into the bars and restaurants onboard to spend more money. Sad to see the decline in standards on these ferries now, and the need to pay extra for so many things. The kayakkers had a great view of the ferry though……
and another photo…A dramatic sunrise over the hills of Pembroke, New Zealand. Great cloud formations are not unusual on the South Island of New Zealand due to the prevailing winds crossing the Southern Alps, which often leads to banding and wave clouds. Add that to the first sun of the day and the result is a great photo.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT, CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
An aviation classic – the Hawker Hurricane
Thought for the day…”I haven’t failed. I just found 10 000 ways that won’t work” Thomas Edison.
“Turn your face to the sun and the shadow falls behind you”.
Wanaka, New Zealand hosts the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow every two years, and was at one time, also home to a number of Warbirds, such as this Hawker Hurricane. This particular aircraft had an interesting history, having flown in 1940 and crashed in Preswick, Scotland, then after a rebuild was damaged several more times before being transferred to the Soviet Air Force in 1941. It crashed again near Murmansk, Russia in 1943 and was recovered around 1990 and partly rebuilt in the UK from 1992 to 1995. It was fully restored in Wanaka and flew again from Christchurch, NZ in January 2000. It was later sold to a French owner based in Cannes. The photo was taken in Wanaka about 2010 prior to the sale to the new owner.
And a photo from Oslo harbour in Norway. The DFDS ferry travels overnight down to Copenhagen, Denmark. Unfortunately, journey times have been increased now and prices onboard are very high, making it much less attractive than previously, especially when the highway down through Sweden is a fast alternative. Why management wanted to slow the trip down is a mystery, as the boat is now much slower and leaves both cities too early to be much use to business travellers or people wanting a full day trip.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT, CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
Thought for the day….”One fails forward toward success”
“Life Always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow”.
Off to the Himalayas and to Nepal for the photo today. As usual, the porters were carrying extremely heavy loads, this time including the kitchen table. Unusually though, these porters had good footwear, instead of the more common flip-flops or sandals. Climbing up with such loads is even more difficult due to the thinner air and often harsh conditions. The photo is from a scanned 35mm negative.
and another photo from the collection….Oslo city centre, which in parts is dirty, run down and full of beggars and drug-addicts. Far from the image of Scandinavia that many people have.
RESPECT, CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Norwegian coast at sunset by drone
Thought for the day…”Coffee is a hug in a mug”
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
As always, it is a few bad people who spoil things for the rest of us. Just been out with the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone but nowadays the word drone makes people think of spying and that they are ‘bad’. Increasing restrictions on drone use are appearing all over the place, yet the responsible people who fly drones safely are being penalized for the actions of a few stupid idiots. Very sad that every week further restrictions are being placed on responsible drone users. The results from drones are amazing, and there is no need for more regulations. Go after the idiots who fly near airports, but let normal, sensible people fly drones and take beautiful photos.
Beautiful evening sunlight over the coast of southern Norway, taken a couple of days ago with the Mavic 2 Pro drone. Amazing calm conditions and great light for photos…..
and another photo from the archives…. carnival time and a happy woman……
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT, CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
Rich Norway but icy pavements
Thought for the day…”Every failure is a step to success.”
“There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.” (Franklin Roosevelt)
Today’s photo is of some rare winter sunshine in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. One thing that you will notice if you visit Oslo in winter is how bad the Norwegians are at coping with snow, even in the capital. For some reason, the arrival of snow in WINTER seems to surprise Norwegians, leading to travel chaos. It is also very surprising that the local council in Oslo seems to be so bad at treating the pavements. On some days, walking around is extremely dangerous due to ice on the streets, yet the Norwegians seem very bad at treating the pavements. Compared with cities such as Helsinki in Finland, Oslo is a long way behind. So why is it that the arrival of snow causes so many problems in a country that should be used to it? As most of the country lies above 60 degrees north (and some parts of it are over 70 degrees north) then snow and ice should not be a surprise to them, but it is. And with all the money that rich Norway has, then why are the pavements so dangerous because the local councils have not cleared or treated them?? It is another surprise in a country that many think of as modern and advanced. As an example of how much money Norway has, the Opera House seen in the photo below cost around 4.1 BILLION Norwegian kronor, or about USD 700 million. Just to the left of the Opera house, the large new building being built is a new library. Estimated cost of that is 1.8 BILLION Norwegian Kronor. So, with all this money, why are the pavements being neglected when it is icy ???
and another photo from the archives….the legs have it…
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT,CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
Oslo, Norway – Not the modern, organized place that you think…..
Thought for the day..”It is better to rust out than wear out.”
“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.” (Charlotte Wilton).
One of the great mysteries of life is why in Norway, the arrival of snow in winter causes such chaos. Norway lies mostly above 60 degrees north (parts of it are over 70 degrees north) so is Artic or sub-Artic, yet the arrival in WINTER of snow seems to cause such chaos. Do the Norwegians not expect snow in WINTER? Are they not used to snow arriving in WINTER? It appears not. As anyone who has been in Oslo recently will have experienced, the streets have been extremely difficult to negotiate. Pavements have alternated between sheet ice and deep snow, all of this in the CAPITAL of a country that is rich and that is supposed to be modern. It sure shatters a lot of images when you work in Norway, those images that many people have of a modern, well-organized society soon change when you see how it really is. And I just cannot but help wondering what the local council in Oslo is doing (or rather, not doing). The one plus side to the chaos caused by the snow and ice is that is has forced many of the begging gypsies off the streets. Again, the gypsy problem is something that the Norwegian government and police seem unable to deal with, same as with the heroin problem in Oslo. Whilst drug sellers operate openly in the city centre, nothing appears to be done about the problem. Oslo has been called the “heroin capital of Europe’, with the statistics showing the big problem with heroin addiction and deaths in the city, but the authorities do not seem to be doing enough. Have a look at some of the videos of the problem on YouTube. So if you have any ideas that Norway is a modern, clean and well-run society, then a short visit may change your views !!
One photo of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, taken before the snows arrived…..
and another photo from the archives Rafsundet near Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands, Norway.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT, CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
Not a nuclear explosion, but sunset over the Baltic Sea
Thought for the day…”Well done is better than well said.” (Benjamin Franklin).
“To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.”
A wonderful story in the news at the moment from Washington, DC, about ‘Steve’, the security robot who fell down some steps into a water fountain. The high-tech robot was fitted with ultra-sonic sensors, infra-red sensors and HD video, yet still managed to fall down the steps and into the water below. His makers, Knightscope, have been providing updates on his ‘condition’ from ‘hospital’. The security robot is quoted as thanking his human helpers for saving him, and he is also quoted as saying that he did not see the ‘No Swimming’ sign before entering the water. Apparently the water has played havoc with his electronics (natually). His condition was reported as ‘critical’. So despite all the high technology, the ‘intelligent’ robot still managed to end up wet and useless. And this is supposed to be the future !!
Not a nuclear explosion, but sunset over the Baltic Sea near Sweden for the photo today…
and another photo…Lake Hawea on the South Island of New Zealand, another Fuji X-T20 photo..
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT, FAIRNESS & CONSIDERATION