Photography

Sunday Post : Splendid

Would you believe it, he’s got me singing again!  Jakesprinter that is.  His theme for this week’s Sunday Post is Splendid.  So what was I singing?  “Love is a many splendoured thing”, of course.  Quite appropriate as it’s my wedding anniversary this week.

Splendour is a wonderfully old fashioned word.  It suggests to me churches and ornate beauty.  Splendid is maybe a little more casual?

Durham Cathedral and Cloisters

Wawel Cathedral in Krakow

St. Elizabeth’s Chapel, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Wroclaw

Oratorium in Wroclaw University

Ruined Whitby Abbey

Silk panelled walls in Newstead Abbey

The Moors understood the concept of splendid extremely well.

The Lion Courtyard, Alhambra Palace, Granada

A room with a view (Sacromonte, from the Alhambra)

Gardens of the Real Alcazar, Seville

As usual, I had great fun with this.  What will Jake come up with for me to sing along to next week?  You’ll have to come back to find out.  Better still, why not join in the challenge yourself?  Follow the links or click on the flying dragon logo for details.

Don’t forget to check out some of the other great and varied entries:

http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/monet-at-the-ny-botanical-garden/

http://cuoreq.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/sunday-post-splendid/

http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/sunday-post-splendid/

http://bopaula.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/sunday-post-splendid/

http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/sunday-post-splendid/

http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/splendid-lines-of-waterfalls/

http://36beauty5.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/sunday-post-splendid/

http://nprimopiano.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/white-stars/

http://africatoalgarve.blogspot.pt/2012/08/splendid.html

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/sunday-post-splendid/

http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/weekly-photo-challenge-splendid/#comment-1017

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/sunday-post-splendid-2/#comment-6505

http://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/late-sunday-afternoon-post-splendor/#comment-1525

Six word Saturday

My week as a tour guide

My weeks are often hectic, but this one has excelled itself- mostly in a good way.  The Polish family from Norfolk are coming soon, so I’ll keep this brief.

If you’re ever in Durham, book the Castle tour- it really is fabulous!

Just one highlight- the carved pews in the Chapel

The University Library is having a makeover. These are the glass entry doors. Pass through to buy your tickets for the Castle tour. The Lindisfarne Gospels are coming soon- awesome!

Replica door knocker at the Cathedral- they won’t turn you away.

A rainy day on the Cathedral roof. Of course, we still went up there!

Newcastle Quayside, celebrating the Olympics

A view from my favourite “Eye” (Gateshead Millenium Bridge) across to the Sage Theatre

And of course, the Millenium Bridge from the Baltic Gallery viewing platform

Welcome to York- the Medieval gatehouse sits nonchalantly beside traffic lights.

The city walls are a great place to start

The gardens at the Treasurer’s House

We used to make brass rubbings here.

I could definitely use a seat in one of the numerous shops.

Or maybe Betty’s Tearooms would be a better choice? (just visible in the corner)

St. Mary’s unique church at Whitby

It was a pleasure talking to the church warden. So many tales to tell.

Whitby Abbey is incomparable

The setting is superb

And the craftsmanship- how did they achieve this?

I have really appreciated seeing my world through my niece’s eyes, and will miss her when she goes to Norfolk tomorrow.  She has one further week in the UK before her return to Poland.  We certainly packed a lot in.  I haven’t included the local stuff, the 1st birthday party, or the one for my 96 year old aunt, Isa!

I’m sharing my world on the invitation of Cath of Show My Face, and am grateful for the opportunity to do so.  If you have six words that would sum up your week, why not join in?  Just follow the links or the header to do so.  More 6WS’s on this pretty button.

Sunday Post : Road

Why is it that whenever I see Jakesprinter’s new challenge, a song comes into my head?  This week’s topic Road had the same effect, and I’ve found myself singing McCartney’s “The Long and Winding Road” at intervals all week.  Surely a hint, and time to put pen to paper.

The road I had in mind was my long and sometimes deviating road through life.  Slightly crazy in my youth, I guess I haven’t really changed as much as I might think.  Mellowed, shall we say?

I imagined taking you on a photographic oddessy through my life, but I’ve settled instead for an illustration of one of it’s many twists.  This week I am escorting my lovely Polish niece, Basia, around England’s north east.  Lively Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Durham’s inspiring Castle tour both scored hits.  Even the spell on the roof of Durham Cathedral, clutching umbrellas damply, didn’t spoil our enthusiasm.  But it was in historic York that I had to marvel at the ability of some of England’s roads to adapt and survive.

York Minster, the Cathedral

Stonegate is at the heart of the walled city of York, which was founded by the Romans in 71AD.  Six feet below its pavement lies the Via Praetoria, which connected the Roman fortress to the civilian settlement of Eboracum (York) across the River Ouse.  The name Stonegate is thought to derive from the quantity of stone transported along it during the building of York Minster.

In the Middle Ages the road fell under the jurisdiction of the Minster, and was home to goldsmiths, printers and glassmakers, trades related to the Cathedral.  Today Stonegate is a pedestrianised hub of tourism.

A touch of whimsy as the “statue” pedals down Stonegate

So many shops to choose from

Some a little strange

Some, not so strange

Some, more traditional

But the antiquity cannot be denied

Fashioning gold and painting glass must have been thirsty work

Such a stylish emporium!

A little fashion?

With a hint of refinement, even at Sale time

I can’t help liking them all.

This road has certainly withstood the test of time.

I am again indebted to Jakesprinter for hosting his Sunday Post.  Follow the links or the dragon logo to see other interpretations of this weeks challenge.  What does the word road conjure for you?  Why not join in, if not now, then next week?

Six word Saturday

Just as promised, a few photos

The iconic Ratusz (Town Hall), in the Rynek (Market Square)

And in close up

Ooh, look Mum!

Such a pretty square, even on a grey day.

Look up! Look up!

Oh did my legs ache when I got to the top of St Elizabeth’s to take this for you!

And this!

The Cathedral on Ostrow Tumski

Yes, I climbed this one for you too!

That’s Dad sitting down there under the yellow umbrella at Jan Pawla 2 Hotel!

The Cathedral up close

Remember the magical bridge from my last 6WS? This is how it looks in close up!

A peaceful spot on the River Odra

And a rather more playful one! I tested out that lounger. It works just fine.

Still feeling playful? Delightful Plac Solny.

And some more children having a good time.

Remember the Polish Eagle? This one’s above a bank.

The Oratorium in the fabulous University buildings.

The ceilings are wonderful- and don’t miss Aula Leopoldina

The dancing fountains at the Centennial Park

My lovely niece, Basia- more about the gnomes later.

I really have to stop now, but I took well over 300 pictures of Wroclaw.  I think you’ll agree it was worth it?  Tempted to visit?  You should be.  Sadly I can’t lend you my wonderful family but I had a truly great time and can’t thank them enough.

I should also thank Cath of Show My Face for the opportunity of sharing these with you.  Six Words?  Not exactly, but if you follow the links you’ll get the idea, and maybe join in next week.  See you then?  The button below or my 6WS page will take you to more Saturday fun.

Sunday Post : Collectibles

Having just returned from Wrocław with over 300 photos, you could say that I collect photographs!  However it’s wonderful of Jake to unexpectedly present me with the opportunity to display some of them with his theme for this week, Collectibles.

My uncle Włodek lives in the Polish town of Zgorzelec, snuggled so closely to the border with Germany that it has a counterpart across the River Neisse, in Gorlitz.  The two are one, but divided by language and a boundary.  On Saturday morning when we went to explore this curiosity, it transpired that there was a large market in process, and the following caught my eye.

Don’t you love this pottery?

Or maybe this style?

With a tealight? Delicious!

Motyli – butterflies.  I don’t know what they are in German?

Something more for the garden?

 

Or maybe him? He’s looking pensive.

 

While the horse looks patiently on.

I have to confess, I love pottery and spent happy minutes just browsing.  When it comes to collecting, though, my real vice is postcards.  I filled a suitcase with them, and when it was overflowing, decided enough was enough.  But I still gaze longingly at postcard stands.

So much “stuff” we collect!  One of my nieces came back to England with me and we were looking in the local museum yesterday.  The teddy bear collection was everybody’s favourite.  Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear -what would life be without them?

Many thanks again to Jake for presenting yet another opportunity to share my world.  I’m late this week (for good reason) but maybe you’d like to join in next week?  The details are all on Jakesprinters home page.

Sunday Post : Silence

My friend Jake has come up with the theme of Silence for this week’s Sunday Post challenge.  Hush!  I’m searching for the sound.

How rare is silence!  At home, with the TV and radio turned off, still there’s that intermittent ping of the fridge, a gurgle from the central heating, or the steady breathing of my laptop.  Walking down the street, my head buzzes with thoughts and words, never mind the rumbling of the traffic.

So where do you find silence?  For me, the gentle Algarve countryside is peace and quiet itself.  Bird song, or maybe the rustle of the eucalyptus, is all of the sound.

Rio Arade, with Silves in the far distance

Even the Algarve villages can be a place of refuge and silence.

Looking out from the village of Salir

A quiet corner in the village

Empty beaches on the Ria Formosa, with sandbars that stretch for miles, have no lapping tide to disturb the stillness.

Ria Formosa at Cacela Velha

Wide, open spaces characterise the west coast, but peace there can often be disturbed by the crash of the waves.

Still, there’s always an empty cove to be found, at the right time of the day.

The beach at Burgau

And as the day ends, sunlight, glinting on the water, carries no sound.

Algar Seco, near Carvoeira

Cliff tops have always held appeal for me.  High above the water, I revel in the silence.

Clifftop near Staithes, North Yorks

Far from the Algarve, the North York moors owe their restorative powers to the stillness of their ridges and valleys.

Ruggedly beautiful, the Moors can be a bit of a scramble

But so worth it!

Roseberry Topping in the far distance

And when the colours roll in…

August’s riotous colours

…there’s no place like it.  Even the bees hum quietly.

So where do you go to find your silence?  It’s something to be treasured.  Something that all of us need.

Jake has given so much pleasure in providing this opportunity to look at and experience our world.  Many thanks to him.  You will always be welcomed to Jakesprinter’s world.  Please, just follow the link.

Six word Saturday

These boots are made for walking!

Saltwick Nab from the cliff top

Looking back at Whitby harbour

As usual, my week included its fair share of walking.  It’s been muggy, stormy and grey much of the week but, undeterred, the boots have come out.

A little closer to the Nab

On around the bay

Whitby is a little tacky, like many a tourist town, but it has an endearing quality, and is everybody’s choice of the place to go for fish and chips.

The catch has gone- straight to “the chippy”!

Harbour trips, just £2.50 a go!

You can take a Vintage Steam Bus tour, or sample some of the quirky shops.

Whitby ducks- one of my earliest memories!

Love a bit of fudge.

All kinds of “glam” at The Shepherd’s Purse

Yes, please!

You can’t leave without buying some Whitby Jet!

A look back at the Abbey, and it’s time to go.

Now you might think the boots would be tired, but my Thursday Nordic walking group think differently.  By complete contrast, we’re off to the Tees Barrage next.

The Barrage dams the River Tees, and there’s often a playful seal in the water, looking for company. This morning, the White Water facility is in use by the lads from the fire brigade, doing their fitness training.  After a pause to admire, we follow the river bank to the Infinity Bridge.  There are foot and cycle tracks on both sides of the river, and damp runners and cyclists pass us by. (just a bit more rain)

Isn’t this bridge just magical?

End on a high- my favourite shot!

Time to hang up my boots for another week.  Come out with me next time?  I’m sure Cate, of Show My Face, will be my generous hostess again on Six Word Saturday.  Follow the links to join in, or view my previous posts on the button.

Sunday Post : Village

Jakesprinter’s theme for this week is Village.  How nearly impossible to choose just one.

The villages closest to my heart are the storm tossed fishing villages of the north east coast of England.  Battling the elements, they shiver beneath crumbling cliffs and cling fast to steep-sided gullies.  Erosion is a daily concern.  Yet visit these same villages on a calm summer’s day, and all is serenity.  Not a hint of turmoil, or the toll that the sea has taken.

I love them with a passion, for their sheer beauty, and for the tenacity that holds them there.  I never feel quite so free as when walking the clifftops, nor so peaceful as when rambling through their maze of streets and the miracle of their survival.

Looking down on Robin Hood’s Bay

Climbing the hill out of the village

And a little up the coast, Runswick Bay.

And Staithes.

And even sad Skinningrove, watched over by it’s wooden fishermen.

Can you see what draws me to them?

Thank you again, Jake, for your amazing graphics, and the wonderful opportunity you provide for us to share our treasures.  To join Jake’s challenge simply click on Jake’s magical dragon logo, or, if you prefer, here.

Quotes from the Masters : Grahame

I couldn’t resist the theme of “messing about in boats” that is the basis of this week’s Quotes from the Masters challenge, designed by Robin of Bringing Europe Home.  This is a great idea, using quotes from celebrated authors to inspire.  Looking at Robin’s lead photograph, I think she may well have messed about in some of the same boats as me.

I’m going to take you back more than 20 years with this post, but I still can’t imagine that there is anywhere in the world more glorious than the Turkish coastline for messing about in boats.  It’s an idyll to me, with the bluest of seas and a flotilla of islands for drifting in between.

The holiday I have in mind was a bit of a gamble, in more ways than one.  Although I love water in all its forms, I’m not much of a swimmer, and totally lacking in confidence when out of my depth.  Yet I had in my head the image of a gulet, cruising in and out of beautiful bays.  I somehow convinced myself that I’d be game to go in over the side- such foolishness!

Despite being fairly gregarious by nature, I wasn’t entirely sure that a gulet full of people was quite the medium for me.  The potential for disaster was assuredly there.  Moaners, crashing bores- even worse, what if nobody liked me? (apart from the husband, and he was duty bound)  Still, those lovely images in my head persisted, and any reservations were firmly put away.   The booking was made almost a year ahead, but it was never part of the plan that I would be pregnant when we set sail!

Boats at Bodrum

In so many respects, I needn’t have worried.  I fell in love with the gulet, and as we sailed out of Bodrum, I was awed at the magnificence of my surroundings.  My fellow sailors proved to be a highly likeable bunch, (phew!) with many tales to tell, and none of them seemed particularly averse to me. (double phew!)  The 3 man crew were totally amazing.  They cooked, in the most minute of spaces, or occasionally on a beach, some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted.  They laughed and joked, and entertained us.  They manoeuvred our boat through some of the loveliest waters I have ever seen.

Of course there were hiccups!  It was enormously difficult to have a satisfactory hot shower in the confined space.  I was bitten on the bum by a huge flying insect, causing considerable consternation.  And you know that I never leapt bravely into the sparkling water, but clung like a limpet to the rope that anchored us in the bay. (despite the cumbersome lifejacket I was kitted out in)

A salutary lesson on messing about in boats was taught, unwittingly, by the crew.  Dressed in drag, two of them capered around the deck, and then proceeded to “fall” into the water.  Unfortunately one of them cracked his head on the side, and was rowed to shore, bleeding and concussed.  Imagine our dismay when several hours later and heavily bandaged, he rejoined the boat, pronounced by the hospital “fit for duty”.  I expect he needed the money, but we made sure after that to proceed with care.

Thank you so much, Robin, for the opportunity to share this.  It’s a holiday that remains vivid in my memory.  The photos were taken by my husband on an old Brownie camera, but I make no apologies for that.  Looking forward to seeing what your next challenge brings.

Follow the link to Bringing Europe Home to join in, people.

Sunday Post : Famous movies

Jakesprinter’s theme of Motion Pictures this week had me dipping into the memory banks, not to mention an old photograph album or two.  That’s always a pleasurable experience, so thank you, Jake.  Now, as the song goes, “Let me entertain you”.

As far back as I can remember, there have been Star Wars films.  My daughter loved them with a passion, and I have to admit, I found Han Solo’s brusque style quite compelling.  Nineteen years later when my son came along (yes, it was a bit of a gap) the Star Wars saga was still unfolding, and trips to the cinema became a regular feature.

My daughter married and left home, but was always pleased to be able to entertain her baby brother.  So it was that, one Easter, they were both to be found in our garden, transforming paste eggs into Star Wars characters.  It’s an image that never fails to make me smile.

When James was a little older, a Sorrento based holiday gave us the opportunity to catch the train (another passion!) north to the Caserta Palace.  The reason?  Nothing to do with the fabulous Baroque architecture of this 18th century palace.  Oh no!  James wanted to hide from the Storm Troopers in the spacious palace grounds, and possibly help rescue Queen Amidala.  I confess to looking furtively over my shoulder as I mounted the iconic staircase.

Caserta Palace- from Wikipedia Commons

The Caserta Palace was used for filming in Star Wars Episode 1 : Phantom Menace, and then in Star Wars Episode 2 : Attack of the Clone Wars.  I’m sure we had some photos of the Palace somewhere.  Maybe the Storm Troopers confiscated them?

Thanks Jake!  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the movies with you.  I wonder what next week’s Sunday Post challenge will bring?  To join in, follow the link or click on Jake’s dragon logo.