Recently I got excited over panorama images. As my cameras lack fisheye lenses and image stitching software I am using an open source cross-platform solution called hugin. I use hugin as frontend which allows me to use auto pano and pano tools and finally create nice tif images which can be easily used with enblend to create the final stitched image. Then as a last step I use gimp to crop the image and adjust levels, brightness, contrast, etc. At the beginning (as hugin and tools seemed quite troubling and complicated) I used the pandora combine plugin for gimp which worked nicely but as I was looking for more precision I finally figured out how to use the more advanced solution.

To celebrate hugin and tools I created a new page dedicated to panorama views where I will put the newest panorama views from time to time. The gallery uses some JavaScript (tested in Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera) to present the images nicely. The raw files of the images can be found here.

Between meetings and tasks I have been spending all my spare time with getting to know the pre alpine region not far away. Luckily I was carrying a camera with me and so I can provide you with some expressions from the trips:

On Friday we will go to Portugal. Starting from Lisbon we will drive all the way to Porto and be back in about one week. I am very happy my wife managed to plan the whole trip and I am really looking forward to one week without any computer near me. We also booked our big spontaneous trip to Tokyo, Japan in autumn. Three weeks of Tokyo. That is going to be “legendary”.

Maybe you want to try some sausages – worufu style?

Today the climax was reached so far. Again 100% sun, no clouds, more than 20°C. There was the local city marathon going on and we went to the main square in the city center to watch the arrival of the runners. To compensate our excitement we decided to grudge us some icecream.

Anton Bruckner that is. He was living from 1824 to 1896 (the first half of his life near and in Linz) and developed his musical genius in the second half of his life. He was born in Anselden, a small Town near Linz and this article is linked to this town. By clicking on the location map link you can see where it is. You can read more info about the person by following the links posted below. There is only one anecdote from wikipedia which I want to add

Bruckner was a very simple man, and numerous anecdotes abound as to his dogged pursuit of his chosen craft and his humble acceptance of the fame that eventually came his way. Once, after a rehearsal of his Fourth Symphony, the well-meaning Bruckner tipped the conductor Hans Richter: “When the symphony was over,” Richter related, “Bruckner came to me, his face beaming with enthusiasm and joy. I felt him press a coin into my hand. ‘Take this’ he said, ‘and drink a glass of beer to my health.’” Richter, of course, accepted the coin, a Maria Theresa thaler, and wore it on his watch-chain ever after.

Anton Bruckner Links

• Austrian encyclopedia AEIOU.at
• Wikipedia entry
• Bruckner conservatory in Linz
• link to the bakery

I took some photos of buildings in Linz which are related to Bruckner. The bakery exists since 1570 and was officially allowed to deliver the royal family in 1903. That means during Bruckners lifetime it was not delivering bread and sweets to the royal family but it existed already. There is also a little cafe inside where you can see lots of old photographs. Probably even Bruckner himself was there buying his favourite bread.