Alienating Urban Landscape from Hong Kong
Picture from Michael Wolf
A pretty impressive image collection on Hong Kong unlike anything I had ever seen about that city. It seems that, as human populations grow, our societies are behaving more and more like ant colonies whereas humans are also not required to distinguish each other as individuals for a group to remain unified. I am probably already too old to adapt my psyche to such conditions but ... if need be.
http://photomichaelwolf.com/#architecture-of-densitiy
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Some more enjoyable spring views that have made me taken a photographic pause a little while ago. I again couldn't help it.

The snow already feels like a distant memory and yet I've been running on it at this very place only two months ago.

I find it always amazing how nature is able to wake up with such force and determination after such a long and quiet hibernation period.
#ZelidarPhonePics, #ZelidarRunning.
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This is probably what keeps my doctor away
I am approaching half of a century of existence and I have never suffered anything more serious that an appendicitis as I was a boy. I know that the risky half is ahead of me, but so far, so good; knocking on wood.

Yes I eat chocolate, lots of it, to fuel my legs while running but not only that. On Saturdays I usually get myself fresh vegetables and on Sundays I chop them down into six neat little lunch boxes, as I just did. That will last me until the next Saturday, my refill day. I also eat fruits: two or more apples, one or more banana and several kiwis per day plus whatever seasonal varieties.

I am a strong believer in sickness prevention measures and the food I eat is one of the easy one I can take, physical activities being a tad harder one but I fortunately grew quite a liking for running as well.

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."
Thomas Alva Edison

I suppose we are now in that envisioned future but we know that Edison would be bitterly disappointed. As Virgil said 2000 years ago already, our greatest wealth today is still health.
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The Small Stream
This is what I brought back from running in the nearby forest yesterday afternoon. I loved the view of that little stream fading away in the light and I tried to match what I saw with a bit of post-processing holiday time on the laptop on the basis of the poor images I captured with my "jogging" phone. A couple of years ago I use to play a lot with my images this way.
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Thun
I went back to the oldest parts of Thun but walking instead of running and with the DSLR fitted with my wide angle lens.

I know I chose the easy way to practice this hobby today for it is pretty difficult to come back empty-handed (understand the memory flash of my camera).

I hope you'll enjoy this little walk as much as I did.
#MyTownToday , #ZelidarThun  , #ZelidarDSLR  
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Today has been windy with large clouds hurrying above our heads and since last week Google is allowing me to show it to you with a delightful accuracy. I hope you will forgive the geek in me who had to try it out ;-).
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Some Real Flowers
What a wonderful mixture of plant species, probably designed by a botanist but nonetheless reminding us that nature strives on variety. Here too I had to stop running this afternoon and then began to wonder where a honey bee would land first.

Just like what I did myself I reckon that many bees and butterflies have already memorized this little patch of paradise as a POGI (point of great interest) on their own tiny GPS.
#ZelidarNature, #ZelidarPhonePics
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Photo-running in Delémont
We are spending part of the weekend at my parent's, in the town where I grew up, and I took my running gear along, just in case. The case presented itself rather quickly and strongly with a beautiful sky and a rain that kept procrastinating half hour by half hour to my great satisfaction. The pics are geo-tagged, directly uploaded from the Xperia P to Google. Enjoy!
#ZelidarPhonePics, #Switzerland
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Around the Castle of Thun
For the nth time my morning jogging had me going through the area surrounding our dear castle and, for the nth time, it has been a renewed pleasure enjoying everything that the area was offering me.

I do feel fortunate to live close by and, on top of that, to have a lake nearby. This is becoming a small town I increasingly care for and, at the same time, other places further away or abroad are steadily loosing some of their luster.

I hope you are all enjoying a nice weekend
#ZelidarPhonePics, #ZelidarThun
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The Same Chalet from Behind
During a second run down I remembered to stop early enough and above to catch a glimpse at the view that the occupants of this chalet must be enjoying where they are at home.

Another typical Swiss view with our white and red national flag in the middle, the chairlift I've used on the left and two poor things heavily covered by snow on the right.
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The Small Chalet
This is such a typically expected view in the Alps and there are so many such chalets. What is a bit harder to obtain is the combination of some fresh snow, a great sky with both the sun and some clouds and no other "disturbances" at the moment of taking the picture. That day I won that particular lottery, the only one I am willing to play at the cost of carrying my camera bag possibly for nothing worthwhile.
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Enjoying the View
This is one of the first view that has greeted us as we made our first descend. As you can guess from the traces visible in the snow at the far right and left of this panorama our day began with a morning grace followed by a hearty breakfast. A great many had made it up here before us thus:
Virgin snow surfaces belong to those who rise early or those who can walk a longer time
Me, learning that same lesson again
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Schadau Parc
Let's begin 2013 with the last day of 2012, as it was a nice one on several accounts. It shall give us the outlook of what is to come, some grey days and some colorful days.
Happy new year everyone!
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10 km and 1 hour
After hundreds of times and looping through my second winter I have now made jogging part of my life and routine to such an extend that when I stop more than two days it then feels like an irresistible call from my inner nature to go out and enjoy some freedom, fresh air and natural light. 

10 km and 1 hour, those nicely round numbers, have proven to ideally suit me as typical values. On weekends I put on some extra and a couple times per year I double that distance.

Some of the lessons I have learned in no particular order
01 ✦ At the beginning one can and will easily find excuses for not going but after a few weeks, or months, it turns into a pleasure.
02 ✦ Very few diseases will keep me from running
03 ✦ The price of the shoes, their cushioning and other technicalities are less, much less important than I first thought. I have accumulated 4 pairs between $50 and $200 and I rotate them without noticing anything significant.
04 ✦ Warming up is good, I often return faster than I left and I strive to take 5 to 10 minutes to do some calisthenics.
05 ✦ Paradoxically rocky paths seem better for my feet and legs than those Swiss smooth asphalted roads
06 ✦ Running in the rain can be fun
07 ✦ Running over some ice seems dangerous but is actually less dangerous than barely walking on it. One just needs not trying to make sharp turns or stops.
08 ✦ Running on the snow is magic, it is all so smooth and silent. Appropriate shoes can be helpful.
09 ✦ Hills are fun too, they bring variety in my tracks. Normally nice views as well. I just reduce my speed to swallow them.
10 ✦ Dogs are putting an awful lot of people on nature's paths, but those are so much more friendly than these others hidden in their vehicles.
11 ✦ Horses produce a lot of manure
12 ✦ I have much less interest for alcoholic beverages than before and I eat much more chocolate (http://goo.gl/VvD69) :-)
13 ✦ Old ladies are always smiling back when you greet them, some old men do too.
14 ✦ The final length of a session is often a matter of surprise. It can be 8 or 16 km without me knowing it when I began.
15 ✦ Running naked (=without any electronics) has its value that I've learned to enjoy but..
16 ✦ ..but audio books and podcast are my best jogging friends
17 ✦ Running backward or sideways for a few minutes feels good
18 ✦ What goes along a good regularity in jogging is a good routine about my meals, and also about when and what to eat.

Less than 1 hour and 10 km
19 ✦ Running 1 hour is roughly equivalent to 3 hours of mountain hiking
20 ✦ No need for special food or drinking before or after. I will usually drink and eat a lot more than usual because I need it.
21 ✦ It is even possible to start just after dinner but the first 30 minutes will be about the food you just ate :-)
22 ✦ When in the forests or shady places gloves come quite handy after 30 minutes from November through March
23 ✦ The rest of the clothing choice is not crucial, 1 hour is short and one can cut home shorter if needed when the track is a circle.
24 ✦ When running less than one hour my feet are usually just fine. Over one hour and without rest days I will need taking some preventive measures.
25 ✦ Aside from a camera, and preferably my DSLR, I now always try to squeeze a pair of running shoes in my suitcase. 1 little hour can often be organized.

Oh yes, and I don't need an electrical bicycle. Jogging helps me ride faster on my leg powered one than most with their Li-ion powered motors :-)

Image from http://www.runnersworld.com
#ZelidarRunning, #running , #jogging  
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A Rainy Day
Fortunately we've not been hit as hard as in other parts of Switzerland but got plenty water nonetheless.
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About my new little GPS dual core 1GB/16GB Android ICS based mobile running assistant
Today I've replaced my under performing Galaxy Mini -- my sport smartphone -- with a Sony Xperia P I got brand new for less than 200 $ and took it for its very first spin along this afternoon running to my favorite nearby hill.

Wow! So much better on every account. Most of all the GPS gets its fix within 30 seconds versus 5 minutes and the battery appears twice as lasting. This little baby will surely help me reach that Spring marathon milestone.
#ZelidarTech , #ZelidarRunning  
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Another Sunday, another jogging, another beautiful landscape to enjoy and share with you.
http://goo.gl/maps/2ASgq, #ZelidarPhonePics, #ZelidarRunning
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A friendly reminder from our Syrian friends, but we know we have friends in other parts of the world who share the same concern.
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About Trees
I have always admired trees and, among them, been fascinated by slow-growing evergreen trees teaching me lessons of patience and endurance. Fortunately we have a few in the nearby parks but not enough or not old enough for my liking.
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Ascona
The last few pictures I have from Ascona for those of you who like to virtually join me on my summer getaways
#ZelidarDSLR,  #Ticino  
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Look at this +Barry Smith, so much beauty one can hardly handle it.
#ZldMountains, #ZelidarDslr, #Switzerland
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Factory Made but Top of the Line Swiss Chocolate
Should you ever be in Switzerland at or soon after Easter you will find pretty great deals on chocolate. The stores will traditionally stock up their shelves in the week before like there is no tomorrow and then the prices drop already on Saturday but mostly during the first week of April and it can be very significant, I got those today at 40% from their normal value.

On a side note, I appreciate to be running regularly as I now got myself enough chocolate energy to cover about 175 km <grin>.
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The Weight of Snow
Snow feels so light and yet, as trees know it, it can be a real burden, even on naked branches.

I jogged here yesterday and today I brought back my bike and camera to enjoy all this beauty one more time while it lasts.
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Where is the Snow?
No traces left of snow at my parent's and a gentle and warm afternoon for a December 26th instead. Just before the sun disappeared and the temperature sharply dropped, I decided to go out and enjoy the familiar view that some of you will probably remember from the Buzz days.
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On my way to the office
Some more snow fell down on the night from Sunday to Monday but then the sky cleared for a beautiful and cold morning leaving that beautiful coat of fresh and white snow all around, for our viewing pleasure. Made me especially happy to have come to work this Monday :-). These were all I could shoot between getting off the bus and rushing to an early morning meeting.
#ZelidarPhonePics, #Switzerland  
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First Snow
This morning, only a few minutes after I woke up, someone rang very loudly on our front door. The ringing volume is constant, obviously, but when it occurs too early or too late then it appears as if one has found a way to turn up the volume to unbearable levels.

None of us were ready to take it (me half asleep and in pajama, all other in pajamas), none took it. The noisy and annoying stranger came back a few minutes later via our backyard. It was Lucy's best friend wanting to share the joy of playing in that fresh snow with her.

Snow on a October 28th is very unusual and it won't last, I made a couple of shots to remember the event.
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The Suks, what will be left of them?
I was along those lucky few who could visit the old city of Aleppo during the past recent years. In particular I walked around in the suks for hours until I thought I had deciphered its maze but, moments later, I realized I was lost again.

Like that first picture, it has done several rounds on the internets since I first published it on my (late) web site and WikiPedia in January of 2003. I returned to that very same spot in March 2005 and then finally in March 2010 when I also learned that the son had just taken over the shop of his father thus carrying on a cultural heritage from the distant past to the now uncertain future.

Several centuries and countless invasions: the Hittites, Assyrians, Akkadians, Greeks, Romans, Umayyads, Ayyubids, Mameluks and Ottomans, two world wide wars, ... the old city seemed invulnerable and now this. How sad!

29 September 2012
"A blaze has swept though ancient markets in Aleppo, activists say, as rebels and government forces seek to gain control of Syria's largest city. Reports say hundreds of shops in the souk, one of the best preserved in the Middle East, have been destroyed."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19775530

"Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans. The 13th-century citadel, 12th-century Great Mosque and various 17th-century madrasas, palaces, caravanserais and hammams all form part of the city's cohesive, unique urban fabric, now threatened by overpopulation."
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/21
#Aleppo  
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Another large image to better do justice to the giant actors that compose it.
2560 x 1600 pixels
#ZldMountains 
#ZelidarDslr
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Another one for all of you mountain lovers from another mountain fan. Down there in the distance, over where the Eiger glacier used to flow down, the valley where Lauterbrunnen lies, a spectacular U-shaped valley carved by  that I shall specifically photograph on a future occasion.

What does Lauterbrunnen have to do with Yosemite? They are completely different places, except they are both glacial valleys with spectacular scenery and waterfalls, and a similar size area. Looking at the equivalent (same scale) maps of Yosemite valley (Almost Tunnel View to Half Dome) and the Lauterbrunnen Valley (about Zweilütschinen to Stechelberg) helps make the comparisons.
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Parenting
Nature made sure to provide its creatures with nearly infinite patience to foster their future generation and for those of us with a big enough brain it gave us relishing, love and compassion.

When spending long hours building a nest like this one from nothing, even birds must be looking forward for what lies ahead of them. After all, when we're happy aren't we whistling like birds are doing?

That happens to be the second empty one I see in three days and I can only wish their former little guests the best of luck and much fun with flying.
#ZelidarNature
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