Amelia's photos

Clematis 'Nelly Moser' after a night of rainfall. The first PiP is Geranium macrorrhizum which grows well in dry semi-shade. The second PiP is the withered leaves and flower of the Guernsey Lily, Nerine sarniensis.

Nerine sarniensis, commonly known as Guernsey lily or Jersey lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. N. sarniensis is a bulbous perennial with stout stems bearing in early autumn umbels of long-stamened, red or orange-red flowers to 4cm across, the narrow tepals recurved and wavy-edged. Narrowly strap-shaped leaves appear after the flowers It is not frost hardy in our region, but survives well in the unheated greenhouse. It is easy to grow in very well drained compost, and the bulbs are planted with most of the bulb showing. It is summer-dormant, and the bulbs love being baked in the sun. I start watering these about August.

Sun setting over the North Sea.

The large Steinmeyer organ is the main organ of St Michael’s. Built in 1960-2 as Opus 2000 by the Steinmeyer firm, it has 5 manuals and pedal and 85 stops. It was dedicated in March 1962. With its 6,665 pipes, it is the largest organ in St Michaelis.

The church balconies are curved and seem to give a sense of movement to the inside of St Michaelis.

Above the main entrance to St Michaeliis, Satan writhes at the feet of the Archangel Michael who is shown defeating the Devil with a cross-shaped lance. This photo is taken from a window inside the church.

Almost as far up Michel as the general public can get.

The architect of the building in the centre of the photo is Hadi Teheran The dancing couple slants up to three metres away from the vertical axis. To find out more about this building look here: www.haditeherani.com/en/works/tanzende-t%C3%BCrme Many thanks to Gerrit and Klaus.

St.Michaelis Church (known as Michel to the HAMBURGERS) is the newest of Hamburg's main churches. It is a city landmark towering 132 metres with magnificent views over the city from the viewing platform below the dome. It has undergone many transformations. The first church built in 1649-61 was destroyed on 1750 by a strike of lightening; the second (built in 1750-62\0 burned to the ground in 1906. With the help of numerous donations, it was completely r built in 1907-1912. The viewing platform can be reached by 452 steps or a lift. Guess which we used.

THE SUNDAY CHALLENGE this week is: Blurred lines. Camera: Canon EOS 60D Exposure: 0.6 sec. This is actually reflections of a radiator caught in the circular base of a chrome bar stool. The 'orange' tinge is part of the quarry tile floor.

Saturday Self Challenge: Invent a fairy tale and illustrate it. Once upon a time a good fairy came to Hamburg from the south of Germany. She looked at the industry and all the graffiti, and thought to herself, “Hamburg needs to be green again. I will create a magic potion which will make the air fresh and pure. People who take a sip of this special and magical drink will be happy and always healthy. Trees and green spaces will flourish throughout the city, and all will be perfect.” But there was one mistake in her spell, a serious flaw, which she hadn’t accounted for. The blue sky in Hamburg had touched part of the potion and rendered it turquoise. Es war einmal eine gute Fee, die aus dem Süden Deutschlands nach Hamburg kam. Sie schaute auf die Industrie und all die Graffitis und dachte sich: "Hamburg muss wieder grün sein. Ich werde einen Zaubertrank kreieren, der die Luft frisch und rein macht. Leute, die einen Schluck von diesem speziellen und magischen Getränk nehmen, werden glücklich und immer gesund sein. Bäume und Grünflächen werden überall in der Stadt gedeihen, und alles wird perfekt sein." Aber es gab einen Fehler in ihrem Bann, eine ernste Schwachstelle, die sie nicht berücksichtigt hatte. Der blaue Himmel in Hamburg hatte einen Teil des Trankes berührt und türkis gemacht. Moral: There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip. ;-) Moral: Es gibt viele Fehler zwischen Becher und Lippe.

And now for a piece of music which suits the mood. Joe Sullivan - Just Strolling (1935)