January – December 2020
Alright: I decided to try and catch up with the journalling. And to stand any chance, I thought it’s best to tackle 2020 in one go. So, here we go.
Of course, the defining thing last year was the COVID-19 pandemic (and it still is this year).
When the first lockdown was happening mid-March, it was new to everyone. We were really careful in the beginning. But as temperatures rose, and the virus was barely spreading – well, in comparison to this past winter anyway – restrictions were lifted, and summer actually felt pretty “normal”. So, we went on various camping trips – long and short. We concentrated on Germany, though, to avoid having to deal with any border-crossings or having to acquaint ourselves with Covid-Numbers and restrictions in other countries.
Generally, we could afford not to be super-careful. Meaning, we did occasionally meet with people. Even indoors. But still, we did not see many people compared to a non-pandemic year. We both worked from the home office pretty much exclusively. And we had much less private get-togethers, too. But we simple didn’t want to see no-one. And it was good the way it was. We were privileged for sure to be in this position.
So, yes, of course it was a frustrating year. But objectively not terrible for us.
Anyways: photography wise I mainly photographed alongside whatever I was happening to be doing. Which mostly means photos of family activities, of course.
Unfortunately I lost almost two full rolls from my Yashica FR-1, because I wasn’t paying close enough attention: the winding mechanism wasn’t working properly and failed to advance the film. So quite a few activities were not recorded during summer. But I think the images in this entry are still plenty, anyway.
So here are 2020’s images. It’s one big scroll. Some infos are in the captions. And there are a lot this time.
I start with an image I took 10 days into 2020. I think it works well as both an introduction to this post and as a summary for year one of the pandemic:
![](/images/2020/01/960w/001.jpeg)
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I found trees.
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I found a car.
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Zoe discovered headphones. And of course the flat still partly looked like we just moved in.
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On a trip with her new “bike”.
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When we still regularly took the tram…
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…to visit the swimming pool.
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When you could still visit the aquarium.
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When the flea market was still open.
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…and people had “Sektfrühstück”.
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When playgrounds were still open.
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And cafés.
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And their indoor playgrounds.
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When you could still eat at restaurants.
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Or go to pubs.
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And meet there with people.
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When you could still go to concerts.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/019.jpeg)
…or exhibitions.
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When I could still work from cafés.
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In February, playgrounds were still open.
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And the Rhine had its annual high water.
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One guitar got new strings.
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Haven’t seen Tim in years. So this was nice. But it was the last time I had dinner at a restaurant. This was the end of February.
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Haven’t seen Timo even longer. This was the last evening at a pub beginning of March.
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Then Merkel gave her speech. Lockdown was happening.
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Playgrounds were closed. So we went elsewhere.
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Into the woods for example.
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Exploring the neighbourhood.
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Tried a swing someone made.
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Went to the beach.
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Carried branches.
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Went to another beach.
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Saw sheep.
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I tried on my first mask.
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Then we made a first camping trip. And went hiking.
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And saw a tractor.
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And explored.
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Father daughter hiking selfie.
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Lunch break.
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Back in Düsseldorf. A brief meeting outside.
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A huge turnout at the local BLM protest. Don’t know if this was a good idea during a pandemic. But the local incidence was relatively low. And this was outside.
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I saw a vending machine.
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Then: summer holiday started. Camping of course.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/047.jpeg)
We spent a few days on a farm campground.
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…near the Loreley. (Down there was not our campground.)
![](/images/2020/01/960w/049.jpeg)
And I found another vending machine.
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We visited a castle.
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We made it to Garmisch.
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And went for another hike.
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Marvelled at those mountains.
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Another lunch break.
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Rode a gondola.
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Saw the river.
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More mountain appreciation.
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Another vending machine. “Only in Bavaria…”, I guess.
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Drove back north and spent some more time at another campground.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/060.jpeg)
Found one more vending machine. And a post box.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/061.jpeg)
Back in Düsseldorf, new buildings had been built.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/062.jpeg)
The tiny extinction rebellion had a protest.
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Jens Spahn goes vegan.
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We visited the fun fair.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/065.jpeg)
Which this year was taking place at the grounds of the trade fair. To be able to control visitor numbers.
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Remake.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/067.jpeg)
Indeed, not many people there.
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I bought a basketball and went playing. At some point the baskets were taken down, though, so I couldn’t anymore.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/069.jpeg)
Mum and Zoe played a different ball game.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/070.jpeg)
Another (hot) camping weekend.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/071.jpeg)
“Housing should be affordable”.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/072.jpeg)
We saw a wild boar. Sleeping. Behind a fence.
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Splashed about in a stream.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/074.jpeg)
..with friends.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/075.jpeg)
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At mum’s birthday.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/077.jpeg)
I built a pedalboard. And tried it in the practice room, too.
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Laurenz in side light.
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Zoe in a bag.
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Playing pandemic.
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Yes! More holiday. More camping.
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The best spots are those where you can hang the hammock.
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More hiking in the woods.
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With company.
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I found a derelict hut.
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Morning in the camper.
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More hiking.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/088.jpeg)
I saw another tree.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/089.jpeg)
The duck (aka. “Die Ente”) is always accompanying us.
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At the “Teufelsschlucht”.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/091.jpeg)
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How about another vending machine?
![](/images/2020/01/960w/093.jpeg)
Or dinosaurs?
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Met up with more friends.
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Tried a playground. (Restrictions were lifted during summer.)
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More hiking.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/097.jpeg)
![](/images/2020/01/960w/098.jpeg)
Is this photo trying to tell me something?
![](/images/2020/01/960w/099.jpeg)
You know the drill by now, I guess.
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Back in Düsseldorf once again.
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I was witness to an “illegal” haircut.
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When the flea market was still open in September. I think this was one of the last weekends it was.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/103.jpeg)
“Nervenkitzel und Spannung”
![](/images/2020/01/960w/104.jpeg)
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Oh! Yes! More camping! Hehe.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/107.jpeg)
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They had this giant jumping pillow.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/109.jpeg)
I found another car.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/110.jpeg)
I made another self-portrait with mask.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/111.jpeg)
New signs in the city.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/112.jpeg)
Riding the tram with Laurenz.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/113.jpeg)
Riding the train to Bonn to see co-workers and the office. I did this twice in September. Then it was all home office again.
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And I found more cars there.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/115.jpeg)
One more.
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We had guests. Zoe’s cousins.
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Best friends.
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Sina came by to take some family photos.
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Playing games with her other cousins.
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Is there anything better than watching your child peacefully asleep?
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We dared to have a birthday-breakfast at a Restaurant. Indoors.
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Another walk through the neighbourhood.
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Went shopping with masks on.
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Zoe and her Instax.
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Had take-away ice cream.
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Had quesadillas.
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I got the lights on my bike fixed.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/129.jpeg)
Peppa.
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Halloween
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Mask-bowl.
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Rope swinging.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/133.jpeg)
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Shot my new Yashica Super 2000 SLR (which I purchased as a replacement for the FR-1).
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…at the botanical gardens.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/136.jpeg)
You couldn’t go inside the buildings. So I only got a glimpse.
![](/images/2020/01/640w/137.jpeg)
Unmistakably Düsseldorf.
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Our hood.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/139.jpeg)
The work Xmas party was online this year.
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Riding the bike through town.
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Empty street on the ride back.
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The camper and some beets.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/143.jpeg)
A brief visit.
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Mum and Zoe in the woods.
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Making…
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…a Lebkuchenhaus.
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Riding a horse.
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Just an ordinary pandemic street scene.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/149.jpeg)
![](/images/2020/01/960w/150.jpeg)
Baking with grandma.
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Tree shopping.
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Xmas.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/153.jpeg)
Now with better sized headphones.
![](/images/2020/01/960w/154.jpeg)
Remote greetings.
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It’s over soon.
![](/images/2020/01/1280w/156.jpeg)
I got a Horizon S3 Pro panoramic camera for Christmas.
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Zoe got a bike.
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Meeting family.
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We had guests on new year’s.
The End!