Lyrics: “Dan’s Song” ~ Frank Turner, 2009
A few days ago I upgraded my camera kit. I had vaguely thought about it for a while and also had reached a “you need to do something” state of my mind. I’m rather impulsive when I get to this point, because those “do something” projects are also clearly some kind of distraction from whatever gloomy place my mind had went to at that point. Remember the “buying a guitar” last year? Ehm, I really should get back to trying to learn to play that. It’s gathering dust in the corner of my living room.
But anyway, I decided to buy the camera and I also knew I wanted to spend the weekend playing around with it. I already had plans for “coffee and going for a walk” date with two friends in Düsseldorf to celebrate one of their birthdays on Friday afternoon. With this already scheduled the idea formed in my head, that I should not drive home after the meeting but just go to some other place for a mini break and the chance to try out the new camera outside of my usual setting. I also thought that a change of scenery might help me to unwind a bit more. Not be distracted by Netflix on my TV or any book lying around. But also not get dragged into another cycle of self-loathing in my familiar setting where every corner reminds me of the things I should/could be doing instead of staying on my couch in some sort of lethargy. My mind is a mess sometimes.
Long story short: I booked myself into a 4 stars hotel in Düsseldorf Media harbour. To be able to snap lots of interesting photos around there on the Saturday. And to possibly just have some time to be more introspective with nothing distracting me. No personal clutter and all that. I didn’t do too much introspection, but that’s fine. I was out and about snapping a lot of pictures. I napped. I went to bed early. I had two extensive breakfasts….
I loved it. I should do things like that more often especially as I haven’t really been on a proper relaxing vacation since… long before the pandemic really. I’ve been to the sea for a a week each in September 2020 and in July 2021. But that’s not enough.
Here are some of my photos. I forgot to bring my tripod, so the night photography turned out quite blurry. I need to re-read more about the settings for that and all.
There were quite a few cute Peanuts images at the arches on the riverbank…
TV and the famous Gehry Buildings at sunrise on the Saturday.
Some closeups of the Gehry Buildings…
Here is the end of the day companion piece to the sunrise photo from above….
A view of the the media harbour, the colourful building is the hotel I was booked in.
Ending it with a blurry one…. But so much potential with better camera settings and a tripod.
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