Florian Kriechbaumer 9/1/19 Florian Kriechbaumer 9/1/19

Sicily - Island of Etna

Another beautiful wedding gave me the opportunity to visit Sicily, exploring Catania, hiking Mount Etna, and wandering through Acireale. Unfortunately three days are definitely not enough for the largest island in the Mediterranean, nevertheless you get a taste for the life across the Strait of Messina.

Sicily from Above

The island is characterised by a tendency of overfarming, and by the clouds hanging over the Etna, often accompanied by a thin layer of dark smoke from the volcano.

For Sale

A salesman with his goods near the main Piazza in Catania.

Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi

A man sitting in front of the Monumento al Cardinale Dusmet in Catania.

Roman Theatre of Catania

The theatre and Odeon were built on a pre-existing Greek structure. The lower part has sunk due to various eruptions and earthquakes, resulting in the city's underground Amenano river running through part of the center area.

Above History

This photo shows how modern houses had been built on top of the structure of the Roman Theatre in the last few hundred years.

Layers

This aerial capture illustrates how the site looked before excavations began and the houses built on top of the amphiteatre were removed. Even today, archeologists still discover additional sections and artifacts below and around the site.

Street Views

The Cathedral of Saint Agatha at the end of Via Giuseppe Garibaldi.

18th Century Violine

On display at the Castello Ursino.

Artifacts

The 13th-century castle features objects from monastery & painted crafts.

Scenery

A street corner in Catania.

Closing Up

The market street after the activities of the day have ceased.

Church of the Abbey of Saint Agatha

The interior of the church with its baroque style, common in Sicily's churches.

Porta Uzeda

The gate from 1695 built in typical Catanian baroque style acts as the entrance to the main Piazza.

Fontana dell'Elefant

The fountain with a Roman statue of an elephant carved from basalt, now the symbol of the city. The origins of the symbolism aren't clearly defined, with several tales competing for the truth...

Roof Structures

The domed roof of the Cathedral of Saint Agatha seen from Church of the Abbey of Saint Agatha's roof.

Fragile

A behind the scene view of the decorative elements of the church shows how intricate some of the work is.

Catania Views

The church allows visitors to climb the roof level, providing a view over Catania with the Etna in the background.

Facade

A woman looking at front of the Basilica della Collegiata from 1768.

Roman Amphiteatre

The 2nd century AD arena was one of the largest in the Roman empire, but only a tenth or so is visible and excavated today.

Via Etna

One of Catania's central roads.

Downwards

A narrow angled street in Catania lined with blossoming trees.

Sunset Skies

The front of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.

Business

A group of Indian sales men and their starry balloons in front of the Cathedral of St Agatha.

Birds Eye

People walking below the umbrellas hanging above the market street in Catania.

Musical

A singer in Catania's main square.

On the Crater's Edge

A group of people walking at the edge of the 2003 craters.

Landscapes

The base of the Etna features a hilly and relatively barren terrain.

Cold

It was about 20 degrees less than on the ground up at 2800m.

Panorama

The drive up the Etna transitions to an increasingly brown, reddish and black landscape as you come closer to the end of the main road.

2001

The Southern flank of Mount Etna showing lateral cones and flow from the eruption of 2001.

Craters Silvestri of Mount Etna

The two smaller craters near the end of the main road, seen from the third and larger one, are from 1892.

Patches

The only greenery you can find on the lava covered mountainscape as the cable car ascends.

Flora

On the lower craters, there are still occassional bushes of colourful flowers, which slowly disappear as you go higher.

Evidence

Etna is one of the most active volcano's in the world, with plenty of recent evidence.

Transport

The cable car station isn't your last mode of transport - these vehicles take you up another few hundred metres.

In the Clouds

It's rare to have a clear sky around the summit of the Etna.

To the Top

A group on the path to the top summit, which is another 2-3h hike from the end of the 4x4 road. While this is where the active craters are, luck is needed catch a clear day for this hike.

The Summit

The top of mount Etna, engulfed by clouds at 3300 metres. Usually, the early morning (this was around 10:30am) is the best time to catch a clearer glimpse. Note the yellow tone of the sulfur filled sediments.

Cloudy

Patches of clouds also touch the lower summits of the 4x4 landing area, at around 2900m.

Colours

While from afar things appear of a more uniform blackish colour, looking closer at the ground reveals traces of sulfur, iron and more.

Warmth

Even the craters below the summit still have warm soil, once you dig a few centimetres.

A Bumpy Road

The way up is not exactly a highway, and the fine lava sand means the road needs to be flattened regularly.

Entertainment

An old cinema and comedy club in Acireale.

The Real Secrets...

...often lie below the floor of the churches of today, hidden from view unless you spot them through a drain hole, like in the case of this grave.

Ceiling Paintings

The illustrations on the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Announcement.

Back Views

The roofline of the Cathedral and the Basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul on the right just behind.

Church Bells

You can climb up a few stairs to the Cathedral of Acireale's bell towers. While they both look identical, the one on the south is from 1655, while the one to the north, is from 1890.

Acireale

The view from the bell tower is unfortunately obstructed by a fence to keep birds out, but you can still see the majestic Etna in the background.

Triumvirat

The third major church in the centre of Acireale is the Basilica Collegiata San Sebastiano.

Procession

A wedding took place in the afternoon at Acireale's main square.

Just Chilling

The obligatory cat photo for this album.

Conversations

Problems with the Mafia or the wife, who knows what the topic may be?

Clarity

The clear waters of the Mediterranean sea engulfe the island.

Coastal Views

The town of Santa Maria La Scala lies at the foot of the cliffs on which Acireale sits.

Meridian

In the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Annunziata is a meridian noon mark designed and built in 1843 by the Danish astronomer Frederik Christian Peters, which I was lucky enough to observe at the exact time it was meant to illustrate.

The Unfinished Church of San Nicol

Just attached to the Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l'Arena.

Raw

The church feels as raw on the inside as it does from the outside.

Entrance

The staircases for the monastery may as well be host to a Harry Potter movie.

No Passage

Some doors are closed more permanently than others.

Courtyard

The monastery is one of the largest monasteries in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but today houses the Department of Humanities of the University of Catania

Bridge

The bridge acting as entrance into the monastery from the back is one of the oldest parts of the building, with lava remains from the 1669 eruption that destroyed a big part of the complex still visible on the left side.

Florian Kriechbaumer 8/3/19 Florian Kriechbaumer 8/3/19

Lebanon - Crossroads of Cultures

In July 2019, a wedding of one my best friends gave me the chance to visit another country in the Middle East: Lebanon. The history of the country and its natural setting result in a truly diversified experience. Assyrian, Hellenistic, Roman, Phoenician, Persian influences are evident throughout the country, which features everything from beaches, green mountains, nightlife, skiing in the winter, and some of the most impressive ancient sites in the world.

In July 2019 a wedding of one my best friends gave me the chance to visit another place in the Middle East: Lebanon. The history of the country and its natural setting result in a truly diversified experience. Assyrian, Hellenistic, Roman, Phoenician, Persian influences are evident throughout the country, which features everything from beaches, green mountains, nightlife, skiing in the winter, and some of the most impressive ancient sites in the world. While there is work to do to improve the traffic situation and general conditions of its major attractions, and the political situation remains challenging, it’s absolutely worth a visit (or two). During the 5 days, I visited Byblos, Harissa, the Jeita Grotto, Baalbek and explored parts of Beirut. Oh, and even passed by the Casino du Liban, once my mum told me my late grandfather and uncle had been there in the 1970s.

Contrasts

The traditional Lebanese house overlooking the Mediterranean sea is situated just next to the ruins of the Byblos castle area.

Artifacts

The museum in the castle features ornaments going back more than 5000 years. Byblos was first occupied in 7-8000 BC, and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Ruins of the Roman City

The rendering on the left shows the eastern entrance to the Roman city, while the real ruins are currently undergoing reconstruction.

Trains

These tracks inside the castle district have not been used in a while - my guess is they were laid to transport stones and rocks during the excavations.

The King's Spring

Once the source of water for the city.

Temple of the Obelisks

Built over 3000 years ago, it was used for religious offerings.

Entrance

Looking towards the Sultan Abdul Majid Mosque, built in the 1600s, at the exit of the Old Souk from the castle.

Open Arms

A local man was happy to have his photo taken.

Preparations

A man - possibly the local Imam - preparing the area in front of the mosque for the Friday prayer.

St John the Baptist Church

The church was originally built during the crusades in the 1100s.

Interior

It isn't always open, but I was lucky to catch a glimpse at the sparse but imposing interior.

The Squad

Obligatory cat photo.

Messages

A door in the historic city quarters of Byblos.

The Fossil Museum

The Lebanese mountains are home to many fossils from up to 100 million years ago, some of which are on display and even for sale in the local museum.

Hiking Trip

I took a few hours to explore the Lebanese mountain ranges, here in the Bentael Nature Reserve.

Greenery

The mountains of Lebanon are home to a wide range of Flora.

St. John’s Chapel

Inside the reserve, you can find this hidden 12th century chapel cut into the rock. This is one of the three caves.

Up

Another one is not reachable by foot, and most likely was used only for shelter.

Beaches

The coast to the south of Byblos.

Byblos Old Souk

At night, the old souk in Byblos turns into a street of bars and entertainment. (Taken on iPhone XS)

Wedding Fun

The primary reason for my visit? The wedding of these two amazing people. NB: Lebanese weddings are crazy.

Historic Quarters

Much of the central part of the city is now filled with restaurants and courtyards.

Bay Views

Moving southwards to Jounieh, and the view from the Harissa mountain area.

Notre Dame du Liban

The statue is a Marian shrine & pilgrimage site for Christians & Muslims alike.

Modern Basilica

The moden cathedral next to the statue has a spare but impressive interior leaning on Brutalist architecture.

Echo

It produces amazing acoustics - I was lucky enough to hear a choir while visiting.

Basilica of Saint Paul

Just a few hundred metres away is the Basilica of Saint Paul, with its impressive mosaic lined walls and roof.

Detail

The decorative features of the illustrations in mosaic are incredible.

Téléphérique

The gondola lift taking you up and down the mountain. Note the manual release mechanism of the gondolas.

Squares

Beirut offers many interesting architectural details.

Crossroads

Lebanon's population is more or less half Christian, half Muslim. Churches are built side by side with Mosques.

Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque

This modern mosque was built in 2008. During its construction, archeologists discovered Roman ruins just next to the site.

Saint Georges Maronite Cathedral

With the Roman ruins of the Beirut downtown area in the foreground.

Ottoman Style

The mosque follows the monumental Ottoman architecture.

Artifacts

A decorated wall somewhere in downtown Beirut.

Bechara El Khoury

Zokak el-Blat was one of the more affluent Beirut areas, and home to many palaces, now abandoned, like this one.

Streets

The rarest thing in Lebanon? A helmet.

Parking

An empty lot between two buildings in Beirut.

Exhibitions

The Beirut souk area features regular exhibitions and events.

Prince Monzer Mosque

Greenly lit at night.

Into the Mountains

We took a trip to Baalbek into eastern Lebanon, which takes you over the central mountain ranges. While sparsely populated these days, parts of it become very busy in the winter when the skiing season kicks in. Yes, you can ski in Lebanon. The white statue of Saint Charbel in the background.

Tents & Huts

Local farmers live in temporary tents up in the mountains.

Unusual Crop

No comment.

Stairs

The stairs leading to the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek's complex of ancient ruins. It is the largest of the Roman world, but today only a few columns - currently under restoration - remain.

Temple of Bacchus

This second century temple, dedicated to the god of wine, is one of the best preserved ruins of the Roman empire.

Columns

Another view of the temple from the Great Court.

Friends

A local that is selling Roman coins and guidebooks to tourists wanted to be part of my album.

Great Court

The exterior walls of the Great Court. A basilica was later built inside the courtyard.

Bustan al-Khan

The ruins of Heliopolis, as Baalbek was called in Hellenic times, are today some of the most significant in the world. This section, south of the Temple of Jupiter, is a portico with twelve columns.

Stone of the Pregnant Woman

The podium of the temple complex includes 3 stones weighing 800 tons each. Even larger ones, among them this one, were found in the nearby quarry, weighing up to 1800 tons each. The original method of construction remains an archeological mystery, but the quarry was slightly higher than the temple complex, so some form of folling the stones to the site was probably used.

Overview

I hiked up a nearby hill to get an overview of the site. The Temple of Jupiter is visible with the pillars under restoration at the moment, thus covered in scaffolding. The Temple of Bacchus just in front. The entire complex was fortified later under Arabic rule, but not touched much anymore since the 14th century. There is a third temple, the Temple of Venus, not visible here, to the right of the Bacchus temple, as well as the Temple of Mercury, on the same hill this photo was taken from, but very little is left of it. To the very left is Bustan al-Khan.

Sayyida Khawla Mosque

The golden roof makes this mosque hard to miss.

Military Presence

Given the close boarder to Syria, military posts and check points are still omnipresent in this area.

Digging

A team led by a German archeologistc is digging in the area east of the temples, to determine if further excavations would make sense.

Raouche Rocks

These two rocks are probably the most famous of Beirut's landmarks.

The New Lighthouse

While this one opened in 2003, it has been the same family that is responsible for Beirut's nightly guiding light for the past 150 years.

The Old Lighthouse

It was built in the 1920s, but when an influential businessman constructed a taller building in front, a new one closer to shore was needed.

The illustrious M

The BMW M badge seems to be highly coveted in Lebanon, and thus applied generously.

La Maison Rose

Another one of Beirut's abandoned palaces, this one is located directly on the hill on the north western tip of the Ras area. While the door was open, a very official letter posted at the entrance, and the questionable condition of the staircase, didn't quite give me the confidence to walk inside.

Power

Lebanon is famous for its regular power outages. One can only guess as to what may be the reason for such occurences...

Alignment

A bit of planning and the right spot allowed me to get the postcard shot, with the sun setting between the rocks, while a boat of tourists cruises around them.

Flying

A couple watches a plane approaching Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Cave

Unbeknownst to the diners above, the coastline in front of the famous rocks features a beautiful cave structure below.

Strange Things

What are they, why are they here, and how did the car get in between them - these and other questions come to mind.

Mini Marina

A small harbour is perched in between the rocky coastline of Beirut.

The Dark Side

One is sometimes tempted to apply a little photoshop and get the perfect photo - but the reality of the site is full of garbage and plastic, as seen here. In general, the country would be well advised to take better care of its beautiful setting.

Jeita Grotto

The small road leading up to the cave is closed for cars - a cable car brings you to the top if you don't want to walk.

No Access

One of the team members of the Grotto's staff waiting for the next group to arrive.

Respect the Grotto

The rules are strict, and phones and cameras are not allowed to be taken inside. Having met and listened to the General Manager of the site who has build and looked after most of the attraction since it reopened after the war in 1995, it was clear that his passion for keeping the attraction in a pristine state is behind the rules, and they seem to be working.

Artworks

The office of the General Manager of the Grotto features paintings of school children as part of a competition. As he explained to me, judges made them draw an outline of the painting on the back while evaluating the submissions, to be sure it was really the children who were responsible for the work.

Opportunity

However, after a brief exchange I was deemed trustworthy enough to visit the Grotto after hours. While I didn't have much time inside, it was an incredible experience, for which I'm very grateful.

Lighting

One of the most impressive feats is the way the Grotto has been lit up by the team, accentuating the shapes, contrasts, and colours, in the right places.

Tunnel

About 50m in, visitors walk through a tunnel connecting the accessible chambers.

Puddles

While there are several spots where the water drips from the ceiling (side note - this is much more amazing if you get a chance to be in the cave in absolute silence like I was) water collects in only a few spots in the Upper Grotto.

Scale

Note the viewing platform on the top left, providing a sense of scale in this photo. The space is enourmous.

Depth

The total length of the two interconnected caves is almost 9km, but not all of it is accessible.

Into The Deep

Looking down into a part of the cave not accessible on the walkway, past the third and tallest chamber with an impressive height of 120m.

River

The underground river that runs into the second ower grotto, provides drinking water to more than 1 million people. You can get a glimpse of it on the bottom center in this photo.

Water

A close up between the tight gaps in the rocks reveals the river, 50m down from the platform.

Walkway

A total of the three chambers are accessible to tourists in the Upper Cave, lined with walkways to avoid damaging the natural environment.

Climb

As you make your way up the 5th or 6th flight of stairs, you truly start to appreciate the size of the chambers.

Upwards

A view upwards in between the karstic limestone rock formations.

Flow Control

Water dams and valves have been set up to control the power of the river out of the grotto.

Classic

There are many old cars in Lebanon, but not many in this condition.

Owner

The owner is visibly proud of his vehicle.

Last Evening

The end of my stay came with a beautiful red sunset and a nice dinner with the people that were the reason for the trip.

Florian Kriechbaumer 3/10/19 Florian Kriechbaumer 3/10/19

Mainz - German history on the Rhine

The pleasant occasion of the wedding of one of my best friends gave me the opportunity to expand the (embarrassingly short) list of German cities I’ve visited. While it was only a short weekend visit, the city of Mainz has a few beautiful spots that I was able to capture. Since I didn’t bring my camera along, the below photos were all short on iPhone - the capabilities for even advanced photography on smartphones keeps growing exponentially.

The pleasant occasion of the wedding of one of my best friends gave me the opportunity to expand the (embarrassingly short) list of German cities I’ve visited. While it was only a short weekend visit, the city of Mainz has a few beautiful spots that I was able to capture. Since I didn’t bring my camera along, the below photos were all shot on iPhone - the capabilities for even advanced photography on smartphones keeps growing exponentially.

The Wood Tower

Mainz is full if historic sights. This is the mediaeval Wood tower, with its Gothic appearance from the early 15th century.

Lunch

We had lunch in a great old restaurant with its own brewery.

Beer Tower

... which serves 5L beer towers...

Courtyard

The courtyard of the St Stephan's church.

St Bonifatius

A copy of the original statue which is in the cathedral. Note the dagger through the bible.

The Mainz Cathedral

Over 1000 years old, but restored several times.

Interior

The main nave of the cathedral.

Heiliggeist Restaurant

Situated in what was the oldest hospital in Germany from the 13th century.

The Roman Theatre

The backdrop of this train station features the Roman Theatre. Escavated in the late 1990s and over 2000 years old, it once had a capacity of over 10000 and was the largest north of the Alps.