Charlottenburg Palace jan 2016

Our last morning in Berlin, and its sunny with blue sky!   typical isn't it, rain every day and now we are leaving and its beautiful weather!   
Jan is staying with her Daughter and grandson while i take Fergus out for a walk to Chatlottenburg Palace which is only 20 mins walk away.
Arriving at the Palace there are patches of cloud but blue sky close by .......

                                              A bit of sun on the statue on the dome :)

                          There are loads of building work here, all along the building fenced off.

                                        I  Love the Urns that are prominent all around here.

                                                                      Yay!    blue sky :)

                                                     Fergus is posing as well as Mollster :)

 The gardens are well laid out, i bet they look superb in the summer all planted with bedding plants .

       Christmas tree branches are protecting the beds from the frost and they look quite nice also.

                                         It is really cold still, the fountain pool is frozen solid!

 Looking back towards the Palace , the lake is just behind me , i have just enough time to walk around and then back home.

                                                    The statues along the dam wall .

           A Long lens shot of the building at the bottom of the gardens across the frozen lake.

                          On the bridge looking at the Palace , time to walk around the lake now.

 I have just spotted a Grey Heron on the ice , i quickly walk across this bridge and crouch down behind some rushes , Fergus is being really good and quiet :D

 

 "Ice Fishing"

 After about 10 minutes watching the Heron, time to walk quickly back now, don't want to be late , we have to get to the airport for about 2 o'clock.


                                  There is some lovely light on the building through the trees .

Back through the woodland towards the entrance...

       Sun on the Palace front , the tree looks stark in comparison to the beautiful coloured building.

                                 A Final image, and one of my favorites from this morning :)

The end of our stay in Berlin.

Powis Castle 30 th nov 2014

Today we are going to Powis castle in mid wales ,  there is a special illuminated event this weekend with the castle and gardens lit up tonight.
Walking through the main entrance to the gardens this is the first view of the castle , mid afternoon sun lighting up the castle. Huge yew trees have been cut into topiary , the big one on the right is couple hundred years old! it was way back in 1720s most of these yew trees where planted.

The castle gardens are built in terraces.

Stunning view from the top terrace.

                                                                    More giant Yews. 
 

              A nice Urn gives good foreground interest with the formal gardens in the background.

                                                            The sun illuminates the terrace.

          These must be the tallest Pampas grass i have seen ,  don't see this plant so much these days.

         At the bottom of the formal gardens a view through the gate looks out onto this ............. :)

Time to go back to the car and some food before the lights get turned on after dark ,   after making our way back to the top of the terraces it is getting dark already.  just outside the entrance a group of Deer are standing under the big tree and a Peacock has just flown up into the branches :)

Walking back to the car i glance up to the left and spot something in a clearing between the trees , it moved again and i could make out it is a Deer .  Getting out my long lens , and shooting hand held at iso 6400 at f7.1  i got 1/25th shutter speed ,   enough to shoot this image of what turned out to be a big Stag with the afterglow behind it as the sun had already gone down.   What a lucky sod i am sometimes :D

As soon as we have eaten it is time to go back into the gardens  , it seems strange and unfair for all those people that are not National Trust members that paid to go into the house and gardens earlier that they have to pay Again to go in again!!!!!!   luckily we are members, as i would not be happy paying twice  lol

                                       The first view , as it was this morning.     WOW!

                            It looks so spooky in the dark , with coloured spotlights everywhere.

                                                    The balcony , with the figures lit up :)

                                              The statue is lit up with the castle behind.

                  I have  Managed to get Jan to stay still for nearly 30 seconds!    quite difficult   lol

                                                           Light tubes look like a runway   :)

                                                 What a view from down in the lower gardens :)

                                                          The rose arch is well lit in red .

            Two frames merged , one focused on the lantern and one for the castle in background.

Leaving the gardens and walking trough the woods below the castle , spot lights illuminating the trees

                                             

                                       A last image of the inner courtyard , with x mass tree.