As a child, I would go visit my grandparents almost every summer holiday, and sometimes also in spring, autumn or winter. I spent a significant part of my childhood there, and so that little village in the very southwest of Germany became a bit like my second home. I have many fond memories of spending my holidays there that come back with each (nowadays rare) new visit.

This fall, my grandfather would celebrate his 90^th birthday, and that was reason for us to head southward for a visit. The day before the actual celebration, we (that is my wife, son and I) went for a stroll through the village of my childhood memories, and it was very touching for me to see my son explore some of the same places that I did in his age and older.

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/500 sec, ISO 200

A single floating leaf in an ocean of water, like a single memory floating through an ocean of thoughts.

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/250 sec, ISO 200

Emil, like all small children, loves to play with water. This was at the same fountain as the floating leaf above.

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/160 sec, ISO 200

"Fountain of memories" | Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/8, 1/20 sec, ISO 200

In my grandparents’ village, there are many fountains like this one, often decorated with flowers during the warm months. This one is located directly at the main road, so I’d eventually come by it each time I visited.

Olympus E-P1 + 20/1.7 @ f/2.8, 1/640 sec, ISO 200

I don’t have any personal link to this little church, but it’s another one of those sites I’d eventually pass by on each stay.

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/640 sec, ISO 200

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/320 sec, ISO 200

A rose bush in front of the church. In this picture, I notice again what an exceptionally great little lens that Lumix 20/1.7 is!

Olympus E-P1 + 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/100 sec, ISO 200

She looked pretty beat up with her dishevelled fur and injured (and consequently probably blind) right eye … but she didn’t seem afraid of us, and stayed patiently until I had finished taking her portrait. Good kitty!

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/320 sec, ISO 200

As we headed back home on another route that I had walked along many many times in the past, I noticed this beautifully backlit nettle. Exactly the right mood to finish this emotional retrospective