South Africa – From Cape Town to Winelands

Samsung Electronics has provided the author of this article with the mentioned digital imaging device.

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/750s │ f3.7 │ 5.3mm │ ISO 80

My group has decided to spend a day in the wine valley to discover how the good South African wine is produced.

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/60s │ f4.4 │ 13.7mm │ ISO 80

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/180s │ f3.5 │ 4.9mm │ ISO 80

From Cape Town we went to Stellenbosch, situated about 50 kilometers east. It is the second oldest European settlement in the Western Cape province.

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/10s │ f3.5 │ 4.9mm │ ISO 400

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/15s │ f3.5 │ 4.9mm │ ISO 400

The South African wine industry produces about 1,000,000,000 litres of wine annually. Stellenbosch is the primary location for viticulture and viticulture research.

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/500s │ f3.5 │ 4.9mm │ ISO 80

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/250s │ f3.5 │ 4.9mm │ ISO 80

Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/750s │ f3.5 │ 4.9mm │ ISO 80

The small city looks like a cenarium. The time seems to be stopped there.

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We visited the Village Museum. It shows the four historical Stellenbosch house’s built in four different city moments:

THE SCHREUDEURHUIS – 1680 – 1720

BLETTERMANHUIS – 1750 – 1790

GROSVENOR HOUSE – 1800 to 1830

OM BERGH – 1850 – 1870

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Samsung ST550(TL225) │ 1/350s │ f4.9 │ 16.3mm │ ISO 80

We visited three different wine yards and understood a little bit more about wine production…

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All vineyards offer wine tasting, we taste lots of kinds of wine and almost got drunk.

The third post will be…from Wineland to Durban…

kisses and hugs

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Elctronics Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung ST550(TL225), which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net imageloger, please click here

The Bridge on the Drina

Samsung Digital Imaging has provided the author of this article with the mentioned digital imaging device.

Last weekend I went to rafting on river Tara in Bosnia. It was amazing (you’ll see photos in my next post). But while we were traveling there, one more time I realised how and Serbia and Bosnia and all ex Yugoslavian republics are truly beautiful!! In one moment we stopped at famous bridge on Drina river, it’sa bridge with heavy and long history just like entire Balkan. So, this time, for all of you who love history we will take a little ride trough part of Balkan history and famous novel of writer Ivo Andric.

The Bridge on the Drina is real bridge but it’s also famous novel written by the most popular ex
Yugoslavian writer Ivo Andrić. Andrić wrote the novel while living quietly in Belgrade during World War II, publishing it in 1945. Andrić was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for the novel in 1961.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/250 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO: 80

The Bridge on the Drina centres around the town of Višegrad and the Mehmed Paša Sokolović
Bridge over the Drina river. In Andrić’s story spans about four centuries during the Ottoman and
subsequently Austrian administrations of the region and describes the lives of local people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/250 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO: 80

This bridge has very long and rich history and Andrić has written it so well. Andrić describes how
the mothers of these children follow their son wailing, until they reach a river where the child is taken across by ferry and the mothers can no longer follow. That child becomes a Muslim and, taking a Turkish name (Mehmed, later Mehmed pasha Sokolović), is promoted quickly and around the age of 60 becomes Grand Vizier. Yet, that moment of separation still haunts him and he decides to order the building of a bridge at a point on the river where he was parted from his mother.

The middle of the bridge, called “the gate”, is wider, and it quickly becomes a popular meeting
place for people from Višegrad and the surrounding area in a relaxed mood which is still typical of present‐day Turkey and most of the Balkans.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/125 / lens aperture: F4.4 / ISO: 80

In this novel, reader also learns that there are no tensions between the Muslims (referred to as
Turks throughout the novel), Christians (the Serbs), Sephardic Jews and the Roma people. Rather, they stand in solidarity with one another during the regular floods of the Drina.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/350 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO: 80

About a century later, Habsburg Austria conquers what is now Hungary, and thus a crisis within
the Turkish empire begins. The first nationalist tensions arise in the 19th century when the Serbian uprising in the neighbouring Belgrade pashaluk (todays Serbia) begins. After the Congress of Berlin, Serbia and Montenegro become fully independent countries while the Austro‐Hungarian Empire receives a right to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina and thus turn it into a protectorate. Since the completion of the bridge, time has seemed to stop, and the local people have many difficulties in accepting the numerous changes that come with Austrian rule.

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Town suddenly experiences a substantial influx of foreigners. People from all parts of the
Austro‐Hungarian kingdom arrive, opening their businesses and bringing the customs of their native regions with them. A narrow gauge railway line is built to Sarajevo and the significance of the bridge is soon reduced, but not completely, as will become apparent subsequently. Thanks to this modernisation, children begin to be educated in Sarajevo, and later some of them continue their studies in Vienna. They bring home ideas from the rest of the world and, along with the newspapers that are now available in Višegrad, nationalistic ideas emerge, especially among Serbs.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/250 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO: 80

Another “contribution” to these changes is the crisis of the year 1908, when troubles in Turkey give Austria an excellent opportunity to formally annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. During this Annexation Crisis, it becomes evident that Austria sees the Kingdom of Serbia and its royal dynasty, the Karađorđevićs, as a serious obstacle to their further conquest of the Balkans. The Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913, when Turkey was almost completely pushed out of the Balkans, do not help to foster better relations between Serbs and Austrians as they undermine the significance of the middle span of the bridge, with its friendly inter‐ethnic relationships and camaraderie. Many young Serbian men pass over it at night and smuggle themselves across the border to Serbia. The reader never learns if the most famous of them, Gavrilo Princip, passes across this bridge, although historically it would have been a possibility.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/500 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO: 80

In 1914 Gavrilo Princip assassinates Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo and that’s how World War I started. The Kingdom of Austria and Hungary declare war on Serbia, and the Austrians begin to incite the non‐Serbian population of Višegrad against the Serbs living in the town. The bridge with the old road to Sarajevo suddenly regains its importance, as the railway line is not adequate to transport all the war materiel and soldiers who will soon invade Serbia. As we learn from the historical account, the Serbian army defeats the Austrians on their first invasion and starts to advance towards Bosnia, so the Austrians decide to establish the front line on the Drina. They evacuate Višegrad and blow up portions of the bridge.

Some time after that we have World War II and some time after that we got beautiful country called Yugoslavia with famous president Tito. For years we lived in prosperity and peace (all 6 republics and nations together). Later we realised it was a mask, because during the 90’ we had terrible, teribble war, previous “brothers” were killing each other and ex Yugoslavia fall apart and republics separeted from each other. Now we all have our countries but most of the people are still quite nostalgic.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/250 / lens aperture: F5.9 / ISO: 80

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such.

All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung ST550(TL225), which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.

“Oh Vienna”

Samsung Digital Imaging has provided the author of this article with the mentioned digital imaging device.

I think I finally know why Ultravox decided to make song “Vienna”!
All I’m gonna say is “Oh Vienna”!!!!
It’s amazing, neat, adorable, calm, romantic, cold (like the rest of Europe as well at this moment), full of amazing energy and history and damn to cool!….Ohhhh Vienna!!!

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/45 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO:100

Very wild weekend is behind me. On Friday, I finished with my “normal” job, left Belgrade and went to the north of Serbia. I arrived quite late. In Sombor I drunk coffee with my parents and then met some friends, my brother and his wife and we went to Vienna by bus. Bus is definitely choice for tourist adventurist, It’s cheaper and so on, but if you have lack of time like me and only 1.5 days to visit Vienna and then come back home and prepare for job then it’s not so great choice. However, even I forgot what sleeping means and completely change night for day or day for night or…simply didn’t sleep, I have to say I had truly amazing time there!

When we arrived to Austria, first we did was attacking famous Austrian shopping village Parndorf near border. It’s literally a village full of all the famous clothing brands in the world. All of these goods are from previous seasons, and / or some of the items may have some minor errors or mis‐constructions etc. but hardly visible and choice of clothes is just amazing. When it is important for you to wear a certain lable on your clothings, these shops in the Designer‐Outlet Parndorf make sense ! You might be happy to get a jacket for “just” 300 euros that is over 600 euros in other shops.

After that we finally came to Vienna. My first impression was wow. What I find fascinating is that entire city is covered with amazing architecture in Austro‐Hungarian style so you have a kind of feeling that you have lost in some past time but the feeling is very comfortable.

So if you ask me what are things you must do in Vienna, I would say on first place : Please visit
Schönbrunn: Schonnbrunn Park and Gloriette!

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/800 / lens aperture: F9.1 / ISO:80

Schonnbrunn

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/750 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO:80

Schonnbrunn Garden

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/180 / lens aperture: F9.1 / ISO:80

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/800 / lens aperture: F4.7 / ISO:80

I was born and raised in part of Serbia called Vojvodina (north) and in past, this part of Serbia was under Austro‐Hungerians at some point and Maria Theresie in that time made some truly amazing buildings in Vojvodina. So…before I visited Vienna, I already knew that Maria Theresia was a lady with lot of style, great taste and she was definitely a huge hedonist! And this place is just one part of Schönbrunn complex. She loved this building with its incredible view of the gardens and palace and took breakfast here daily. Lucky lady hmm?

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/125 / lens aperture: F5.4 / ISO:80

This is view from the garden on previous photo. Looking at this scene I couldn’t stop wondering what’s the feeling when you’re so powerful in every aspect and see all those ants (read: people) who are working for you. Ok I promiss I wouldn’t go in deeper psycho analyze of this.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/250 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO:80

I don’t know really those guys, they just insisted to pose for me while I was taking photos in Schonnbrunn.

Samsung
ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/60 / lens aperture: F5.4 / ISO:100

This is Museum of Modern Art. One more amazing thing about Vienna is that they invest so much in young talents and art. On their billboards, most of adverts are related to art events such as exhibitions, festivals, Opera etc. I guess, it’s one of the ways how you can see how developed is some country. If I’ve heard well, their Opera gets from government around 10 millions euros every year and employes God knows how many people. Respect!

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/125 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO:80

This is Hofburg Imperial Palace. The city was a stage to the Austrian Civil War of 1934, when Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss sent the Austrian Army to shell civilian housing occupied by the socialist militia. In 1938, after a triumphant entry into Austria, Adolf Hitler famously spoke to the Austrian people from the balcony of the Neue Burg, a part of the Hofburg at the Heldenplatz. Between 1938 and the end of the Second World War, Vienna lost its status as a capital to Berlin.

Samsung ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/20 / lens aperture: F5.8 / ISO:200

Romantic, isn’t it? :)

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Parlament

Here is little more of Vienna spirit

Samsung
ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/750 / lens aperture: F4.1 / ISO:80

Samsung
ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/45 / lens aperture: F5.7 / ISO:200

As every proper tourist, in the end of my one day journey trough Vienna, I went to famous Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel at the entrance of the Prater amusement park lol.

Samsung
ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/45 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO:200

Samsung
ST550(TL225) / shutter speed: 1/8 / lens aperture: F3.5 / ISO:400

Rainy day, cold evening didn’t gave me marvelous panorama view, still it was maybe the perfect way to chillax somewhere on the sky and look Vienna after a crazy day.

If everything goes well, I’m going to Prague very soon and can’t really wait!!!

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such.

All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung ST550(TL225), which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.

Working day at Recife – Northeast of Brazil

Samsung Digital Imaging has provided the author of this article with the mentioned digital imaging device.

One day while I was in Recife working, I decided wake up very early to walking through the Boa Viagem beach, near the hotel.

During this walking I saw someone pointing to the sea and saying: “look at the sharks, look at the sharks”. I couldn’t believe it. I saw some signage warning about the dangers in that beach but I didn’t expect to see sharks.

First it was only one…after two…until to see four sharks…

I thought that nobody believed me, so I tried to take some pictures to prove that it wasn’t a fisherman talk.

Boa Viagem beach is well known for its coral reefs. People can swim safely just in the places where this barrier exists.

Some accidents involving sharks happen because the surfers cross the coral reefs to get waves in an open sea.

Renato Costa

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[Samsung ST550(TL225) 1/500s ㅣf/5.8 ㅣISO 80ㅣ22.0mm]

 
[Samsung ST550(TL225) 1/750s ㅣf/5.9 ㅣISO 80ㅣ22.5mm]

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung ST550(TL225), which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here