A day at the Big Nerd Ranch can fill you with an inner glow.
Too bad there aren't any other photographers taking the class.
I feel so lonely having the only camera.
I'm not sure who this cyclops is that is following us around.
Performing some strange ritual. Perhaps casting a curse.
On the first day, we took a walk up the hill to one of many ObScenicOverlooks.
Student (from Malta) taking in the ObScenicOverlook.
LOOK! SCENERY!
I lurve depth of field.
At the Big Nerd Ranch, we eat very well. We have the Student Lifting System in-place to extract us from the classroom on Friday.
Ooooommm... .Surf ooooooMMmmmm...
More overlooking.
Yet More Overlooking
I for one welcome our tiny camera overlords.
If you fail to pass the debugging challenge, you must dance!
Dance Paulo, Dance!
These are the naughty vines. They've been sent to stand along against the wall.
I'm not sure why they encouraged me to stand in the middle of the road. Muttering something about "too bad it's not the autobahn"
Apparently the bright yellow flowers are Granola (i.e. rapeseed, but here in america we can't use that word). I would have thought the granola plants would be bigger. And crunchier.
Back at the Monastary, where we have here the Holy Front-loader.
And the Holy Porta-potty.
The building is still pretty.
Even when it becomes Absorbed by the Glasses of Death From the Eighth Dimension!!!
Yeah! Big Nerden Ranchen!
Beware of two dimensional frogs surrounded by a red force field. Because the frogs are two-dimensional, the field will protect them.
I think the sign says "TOADS! Beware eighth Dimension". An alternate translation courtesy of maf is "Violators will be towed and toads will be violated."
ALL HAIL CHICKEN GLORY!!!
Quick shot testing the flash.
By using a powerful flashlight, you can change the time at will.
Inside of the Eberbach monastary. Some baroque roof detail.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a guide that spoke american. Luckily Alex stepped in and translated. Apparently the PCI interconnect spec was invented in this room by a small army of badgers.
Inside of the Basilica, which has wonderful acoustics. Like the american teacher of the Cocoa class, I sang gregorian chants in Latin. It's a very forgiving hall.
A museum of wine presses. These things are impressively huge.
The large thing on the left is a single chunk of wood.
MUST... CRUSH... GRAPES...
Inside of the monastary dormator
Another photo for Aaron. Apparently he can drain one of these barrels in a single gulp.
I like candles. This is inside of the wine tasting room. There are a lot of neat old barrels, but alas they are just there for effect. The ambiance provided by the candles and the lichens on the ceiling was neat.
BARRELS!!!
MORE BARRELS! Good Work, Terrie!
Our wonderful guide.
After the class was over, I spent some quality time in the Basilica. I forgot to bring in my iPod full of Gregorian Chants (take a Chants on me), and didn't want to pay another three Euro to get back in.
The monastery was desanctified at the turn of the 1900's (I think). And now only the camera lights receive the heavenly glow from above.
But the occasional Angel visits.
It was late afternoon, and the light was casting some fun shadows across the un-fun-feeling chairs.
Detail of the chair interlock.
View of the basilica ceiling
View from the front altar area. The reverberations in the place were incredible. One HOOOOOT from a water bottle echoed for 10-15 seconds.
View of the windows at the far end
Giant mosquitoes were trying to break in
And a detail.
Carved stone work on something.
CANDLES!
MORE CANDLES! Good Work... er, never mind.
Yet more candles. The splash of red is part of a triptych of paintings of impressions of the Rhine valley.
The view out into the garden.
The evening light was very nice.
very nice indeed.
Detail of the floor.
Staring up at a hanging lamp.
One of the side-chambers off of the main part of the basilica.
At the far end are these carvings and a Holy Fire Extinguisher.
This one is for Humansky. Byzantine midget porn? The world may never know.
