daily visitor - the landlady's old cat.
this is the last segment of the mecklenburg lakeland series and it will be about three different occasions. the first few pictures were shot in the late afternoon and evening, after we had spent half the day in waren's 'müritzeum' due to heavy rain - the müritzeum is a museum about lake müritz and the wider region surrounding it. it's a wonderful museum about nature, about flora and fauna and the history of this region and we learned so much there! it has huuuuuge freshwater fish tanks with lots of local fish swimming inside and the architecture and the design of the place is also worth mentioning. i enjoyed the visit very much, though i haven't shot a single camera photo inside or of the museum itself ( except with my mobile phone - and those are exceptionally bad and i won't include them here ). so you have to take my word for it that it's definitely a place you should visit when you are in the area! of course you can check out their website for further infos and images.
before we headed to waren i had a cuddle session with this senior lovebug, our landlady's super old and almost blind cat. he often visited us in the morning and collected some tender loving care before wandering off again. unfortunately, i forgot his name, but i remember him being very cuddly and friendly, sometimes wanting to slip into the appartment for more warmth :3
this was one of his favourite spots! if you ask me, every vacation home with a cat visiting you again and again is a good vacation home ❤
after our museum visit we decided to drive to a local beach as the weather startet to clear up and ended up in a small village called sietow-dorf ( a district of the community sietow ). we only spend a very small amount of time here, initially wanting to check out a circuit around the village, but then deciding against it ( my mom was tired and not up for a 6 km hike 😅 ). instead we drove to göhren-lebbin to check out the fleesensee resort, which also just ended up being super brief - nobody really was up to do something bigger than dilly-dallying around in the end, turns out a visit to the museum can absolutely macerate you and your motivation to do anything 😂
the harbour of sietow-dorf is rather idyllic and a little bit sheltered inside the sietow bay. it is part of lake müritz. i loved this chic sailing boat, which had a special name...
... hidigeigei. what a strange name, you say? hidigeigei is a literary figure - actually a cat! it is a creation of the poet joseph victor von scheffel, who lived from 1826 to 1886 and wrote lots of biedermeier prose and poems. in the poem about the tomcat hidigeigei you will hear about his life and the consequences he learned over the course of it, and in his old age ending up sitting on an observation post looking down on what the human beings are doing and judging them. it's a poem about disappointment and frustration over human kind, over lost loves and hopelessness and the decline of morals in the society - all things you start looking at critically the older you get. hidigeigei is a very bitter cat - an analogy of a bitter human being in his later life. what that has to do with a sailing boat? i don't know, but maybe the owner felt reflected by the tomcat hidigeigei in his convictions and experience of life.
the harbour of sietow-dorf.
oh, what i would give for a dacha by a lake or the sea 😭 this one even had a parking lot for the in-house boat.
my dad exploring the local beach.
in the village you can find a 13th century church made out of field stones and bricks. the timber frame fixture at the top is most prominent and not so common ( i think ) in the area.
whereas timber frame homes indeed are very common. i loved this old thatched tenement, which formerly belonged to a manor house that is not existing anymore.
our next brief stop in göhren-lebbin is next on the menu.
we didn't explore the village very thoroughly, only walked from a mall parking lot to the nearby fleesensee palace and back again. somehow the place didn't really do much for us, it is catered to tourists through and through and somehow missed out on the charm other local places had. there is a big golf course surrounding the village and a robinson club is also part of the vacation game here, as is the very luxurious hotel inside the palace. other than that we felt like the place was hugely clinical in most areas, somehow without soul... anyways, this building by a pond kind of looked idyllic anyway ( who is to say that boring places don't have at least one or two pretty sceneries to offer ;P? ). it is a small center for all kinds of activities, be it conventions, or to hire for birthday/wedding/celebration stuff.
also worth mentioning, even though it is very, very exclusive these days, is the fleesensee palace, which is also incorporated into the money making machine for holiday guests as a hotel. it is directly connected to the big golf course ( it's located behind the palace ). while we were taking pictures, expensive cars drove into the underground parking area, complete with old dudes and their young trophy wives sitting inside them. while the castle is nice to look at... i didn't like the atmosphere all that much. it just seemed kind of repellent and snobbish.
the castle ( it is actually called lebbin castle, and not fleesensee castle, as it is not situated directly next to the lake but in the village of lebbin in the göhren-lebbin community ) was built in 1842 first, but later renovated in 1912 in a neo-baroque way. the blücher family was responsible for the errection of this building, namely count ludwig II, but the reconstruction was induced by one hubert baron of tiele-winckler, who modernized it in a way that wasn't very common back then, with a central heating system, several lifts and passenger elevators and even a vacuum cleaning system? ( which i am not sure how that would look like to be perfectly honest 😂 )
at the gate entrance, topped on some columns were these fire bowls, welcoming you with a small subdued flame.
the logo of the hotel.
we returned back to loppin where i went out for a little walk in the evening, to capture some ground fog we had arrived to, while my parents prepared some hearty food.
stumbling over some huge parasol mushrooms on the way.
this ground fog was absolutely gorgeous and so mysterious! as i was out there on my own, nobody else in sight, it felt so very magical to be immersed in this spectacle ❤ i love remembering this evening, with the pastel purple skies and the befalling darkness, the ascending mist and the quiet sounds of the early night.
gosh damn it, i really do love these pictures! not to toot my own horn, but i think i succeeded in capturing the mood of that slightly chilly evening.
a little connecting canal that links loppin lake with a smaller lake called 'lankhagensee'.
close-up.
the sky lit up in a soft colour gradient way, from peach to rose to lilac to indigo. utterly gorgeous 😍
the charm of a single tree, obscured by ground fog.
i moved a bit out of the furrows where the fog resided in and left them for the open field.
it got increasingly colder and warm food kept awaiting me, so i decided to return back again. a last picture of that quiescent night, reflected in a puddle of water.
the next day, the last day in loppin, we decided to head out into the surrounding woods again and see what else we would discover. we ended up finding lots of mushrooms again, which we would prepare as our final meal in the evening, transforming them into a delicious creamy fungi sauce which we would pair with a huge bowl of spaghetti.
we would also discover another lake nearby, the bergsee, which was hidden deep in the woods and other nice forest places, all clothed in the apparel of the autumnal season. it was a really lovely last day in loppin and we again were confirmed in our fondness of this deeply solitary and idyllic landscape and region.
prevent forest fires! loved this stylized hot red fox and its huge flamy tail ❤
the first mushrooms were waiting for us already after 10 minutes of walking. while we hadn't had found a lot of mushrooms on prior walks, after it had rained for a few days we were finally gifted with a huge concentration of them on this last walk. these are probably larch boletes or sticky buns ( i lean towards the first one ). both would be edible!
one of my absolute favourite mushrooms ever, the cauliflower fungus! in germany we call it 'krause glucke' - translated it is curly hen. why it is associated with a hen, and at that a curly one, i don't know, but i fucking love that term! it is another edible mushroom, and veeeery tasty! its consistence indeed resembles a cauliflower when cooked and it tastes rather nutty and aromatic! cleaning this mushroom is quite a task, though, as in all the coils and whorls pine needles can hide well and soil loves to stay put as well. a lot of water is needed to rinse it all out ( some even swear that a toothbrush is the perfect cleaning instrument for this delicacy 😅 ).
a particularly nice tree i discovered along the way.
the bergsee ( mountain lake ) is situated in the north-western parts of the loppin woods, but the name is misleading, as it isn't necessarily a mountainous area you can find it in. either way, it is quite charmingly nestled into the middle of the woods though, approximately 1.700 meters in length and 400 meters in width. further down the forest clears up quite a bit and can be approached by foot from the small village of alt gaarz, but we did not go into that direction ( though in hindsight i would've loved to explore that little village as well ).
the bergsee is another outwash fan relict from the ice age meltwater channels - one of many more in this region.
i can only guess the intention behind it, but i think this little altar was actually a commemoration monument for someone who died. i was quite moved by it and loved that every detail was made with natural elements.
a little talisman was also part of the arrangement.
peace be with you.
when something new grows into existence on something old and moribund. kind of fitting if the intention of the memorial was indeed to commemorate someone lost to life. an underlying message that the end can also be a beginning.
the wonderful chaos of a lake beach.
compared to the loppin lake, the bergsee definitely had a more secluded feel to it, and while i perceived both lakes as peaceful, the bergsee was a bit more so, and even felt a bit more forlorn.
close nearby was this strange tunnel. it turned out to actually be part of another canal, that links the lankhagensee with the bergsee and is supposed to function as an underground crossing. the canal was completely dried out ( due to a very hot summer as our host explained to us later ).
while it was sad that there was no water in this canal, it made for a wonderful photographic motive!
loved the corrugated sheet iron structures contrasted against the wooden wilderness at the end of the tunnel ❤
close-up of the fallen tree.
the tunnel view into the other direction towards the lake.
back at the lake again.
one last beach picture.
we said goodbye to the lake and returned into the woods, discovering beautiful autumnal details like the colour change of a blackberry bush.
there's just something about the autumnal forest that captures my attention even in the most unexceptional ( for most people's eyes ) places. the structures and patterns and colours, everything is a wonderful interaction of visual stimuli.
zoomed out.
autumn light & a soft breeze turned the long wisps of grass into a glistening fairyland.
more and more mushrooms were appearing on our paths and fungi mania started in our heads - leading to a big picking session. this one is a slimy spikecap and is supposed to be an edible one ( but i rarely trust gilled mushrooms 😅 )
the same mushroom, but in baby form! they were super cute ( yes, that's me calling baby fungi cute 😂 i just love their little heads peaking out of the mossy soil ).
wispy grass details ❤
more tiny cutiepies emerging out of the grounds! these translucent seeming beauties are called iodine bonnets. they're not edible.
a biiiiig ant hill between the trunks of two birch trees.
everyone knows these babes, the ever-famous fly agaric. they were super abundant in those woods.
always in love with mossy undergrounds ❤
a flaky inkcap. not edible!
the glistening inky cap is one of those mushrooms that you can find fairly often. what i didn't know before i researched this mushroom was the fact that it is actually edible ( though experts warn against eating and preparing it with alcohol - which can cause symptoms of poisoning ). if you decide to collect this mushroom, it is supposed to be a perfect fungi for soups when young.
i quite like their ochreous colour and how it blends into a darker foxy brown at the top!
another ink cap, unfortunately i couldn't identify them properly, though i believe it's one of the coprinellus family.
forest path suffused with light.
an interesting mushroom that secreted milk. young exemplars of the weeping bolete do this, the reason behind this is simply to regulate the temperature within the plant or fungus. these mushrooms are edible, though it is said that they are best when still young, because the older they get, the slimier they will turn. they are best for risotto meals!
i don't know about you, but i was absolutely fascinated by the guttation.
a turkey tail mushroom ( or schmetterlingstramete in german - butterfly tramete ) growing on some rotting left-over birch wood. these kinda fungi vary greatly in colour and pattern, which makes them real fun to search for, depending on which kind of wood they grow and what kind of substrate they provide.
close-up. their velvety top side is one of their main identification markers. these mushrooms are not supposed to be edible, though they are used as medicinal components, to help strengthening the immune system.
very common in german woods and always making me happy because they look cute: the yellow stagshorn. it is not toxic, but because of its consistency it's not sought after. occasionally can be used as a decorative element in meals!
deliciously red specimen of the fly agaric! 🍄
an older one, perfectly round from above!
you will never be able to talk me out of enjoying those sunny woods ❤
drawing a bow.
edible birch boletes are hard to discover in autumn, since they resemble brown leaves from above. their white stem, which has dark flakey spots, resembles the trunks of birch trees and is another characteristic you can easily identify about them. and of course, the fact that they often can be found near birch trees! their sturdy bodies are strangely visually pleasing 😂 they are often pickled in brine or vinegar, but can also be stir-fried. they are best in a mixed-mushroom meal.
see what i mean, when i say they can be easily missed? anyway, despite this, we still found a huge amount of these, and some were as big as a hand! ( here's proof :D )
an older specimen.
let's not forget taking in the woods with all of your senses again! this clearing was right next to the lankhagensee.
this lake was even more remote than the bergsee and not easy to get to ( there was no real path going around it ). we sat down here to enjoy the solitude and have a little lunch and it was perfect.
the sun illuminating these wisps of club-rush.
leaving the lake to head back to loppin. have i ever mentioned how much i love tiny forest paths? always makes me feel like i am walking through a fairy tale scenery.
raised hides were hidden everywhere.
last glance back towards lankhagensee ( though you cannot really make it out anymore ).
almost in loppin again - an open area of land.
colourful autumnal bushes 🍂
apparently the open land was perfect for fly agarics! they overpopulated this area!
so bright and colourful and beautiful, but yet so poisonous! why are dangerous things always so incredibly gorgeous?
as you can see, i was not able to stop taking photos of them!
another hide, prominently overlooking the meadows this time. i reckon this is a perfect place to watch and study wild game!
loppin fields.
autumn colours make everything seem more cozy and snug!
one last picture of a green patch of woods.
we then made a little nap break after this morning walk, before heading out again in the afternoon to attend a motocross race in malchow.
the motocross race tracks in malchow were brought into existence in 1999 and are an established institution in the malchow club landscape. every year they host and organize the mecklenburg-vorpommern state championships in everything motocross, which is a sport of off-road motorcycle racing. the vehicles used are mostly motorcycles and quads!
usually i am not known to be a motocross enthusiast, and quite frankly i am pretty oblivious to the newest developments and trends, but attending one of these loud and dramatic races was still pretty awesome. in addition to that i could practice action photography as well, which i am all open for, since it might help broadening my abilities in terms of future motive selections. and well, here i am tooting my own horn again, because many of these pictures turned out great!
since i don't have anything more to say about this whole endeavour and my knowledge is pretty slim on this topic, i'd rather just let the pictures talk.
after starting signal.
there were also older participants in the game, one of which, heiner, was most prominent to me. he was not too fast compared to the other ones, but i loved that it didn't bring him to giving up the race. he drove with a patience and tenacity that was admirable. i don't know how old this guy was, but he looked like he was over 50 at least, maybe even in his 60ies. since the tracks are super rough i consider it a great success for anybody mastering them, even more so when your bones are much older and could crack a lot faster 😂
heiner from the front. i loved his motorcycle as well, it looked a lot older than the others that were on the track.
my dude heiner again ;)
then the quads arrived on the scene and they were making a hot mess!
i'd definitely love to try driving one of these vehicles myself if there was an opportunity.
the drivers looked super bad ass.
overview of the whole track area!
after the race ended we drove to a small settlement at lake plau ( a lake we haven't really explored during these vacations, but would learn more about the next summer ). there we indulged in one last dinner feast at a fishermen's hut situated by the plauer werder - another peninsula.
and this was the last image of the day and the vacations, ending it with a blue hour - kind of a perfect mood also to mourn a very nice and wholesome vacation 💙
these images end the series on the mecklenburg lakelands, and i hope y'all were able to enjoy it a little, even though it takes me more and more time to create and write these 'reports' and it must be strange to you that i am telling stories of things that happened almost two year ago. it is also so very odd to me as well, since these pictures were taken before the world ended up being uprooted by the corona virus and tells of a time where we were able to still gather in huge groups, go on extended vacation trips and explore without a second thought on possible repercussions. i mean, yeah, we did return in summer 2020 for our last big holiday travel, but that was much less unburdened and light-hearted than this trip. and this year, in 2021 the rules were adjusted so tightly that it seems like no one really will be able to go on vacations, unless you are fully vaccinated. which in germany might still take a while, as we are currently only at a rate of about 25 % in partially vaccinated people and only like 7 % that are fully vaccinated. the german government estimates that we will be able to have herd immunity in early july, assumed that people will get voluntarily vaccinated as much as possible and given that the vaccinations are exponentially delivered and administered. i've read somewhere that a healthy 30-year old adult working in a 'non-essential profession' will be eligible for vaccination from july to august at the latest, and since i fall into that category i am assuming i still have to be patient for quite a while and summer vacations will probably not be a thing because of that. well, and since everything is still in lockdown it's still unsure when or if the travelling industry will re-open eventually, especially with more and more people being vaccinated. aside from that my summer vacation is not even specified yet, since my superiors weren't able to grant my wishes during that time because of blatant understaffing. that's the way it is right now, and yeah, i admit, it really kinda sucks. but... i am really looking forward to our first real vacation trip again, i miss exploring places further away and enjoying a nice dinner in a restaurant in the evening or going to museums and concerts and yes, even meeting up with my best peers, without having to fear that we will infect each other! i can't wait for that to happen.
until then, continue to stay curious!
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