Werner Ulrich's Home Page:  Picture of the Month

Now "Ulrich's Bimonthly"

January, 2004

The magic of a new beginning ...  There is a magic in the beginning of a new year: it's all expectations and no regrets, as it were. We are looking forward, we can make a new start. As if to confirm this magic of a new beginning, the mountains and hills around the city of Bern are usually decorated by fresh snow, and the weather turns cold but sunny. This is the time of crystal-clear winter skies, of refreshing walks in the snow, of beautiful excursions to the mountains. Even when a thick winter mist is occasionally hanging over the city, it is usually sufficient to walk up to some viewpoint at 900-1000 metres above sea-level in order to be on top of the fog and to enjoy the panorama of the snow-covered Alps.

For a hyperlinked overview of all issues of "Ulrich's Bimonthly" and the previous "Picture of the Month" series, see the site map

The following picture was taken on 20 December 2003 at 1:00 p.m., from a viewpoint situated close to our home. Technical data: digital camera (4 MP), shutter speed 1/500, aperture f/5.6, ISO 50, focal length 23.4 mm (equivalent to 114 mm with a conventional 35 mm camera). Original picture size: resolution 2272 x 1704 pixels, memorized with "fine" compression (1141 KB); current resolution 700 x 525 pixels, compressed to 108 KB.

„There is a magic inherent in every new beginning,
protecting us and helping us to live.”

„Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
der uns beschützt und der uns hilft zu leben.”

From Hermann Hesse's poem "Stufen" (Stages), published in 1942

Last updated 12 Feb 2008 (picture and page colors edited); first published 5 Jan 2004)
Layout last modified 17 April 2009