photo challenge

Black and White 5 day Challenge- Day 1

I’m very much a person who thrives on colour, be it vibrant or more subtle nuances, so I kept my head down when I saw the Black and White 5 day Challenge making the rounds. But when a lovely lady like Pommepal invites you, how can you say no? Just as I was considering it, Wilbur’s Travels threw down the gauntlet too. What’s a lady to do but delve into the archives for something you might like? This is what I came up with.

I really like it, but more for his wonderful expression than the colouration. Any ideas where it might be? I’m sure some of you will know. I’ll give you another clue tomorrow when I post my next black and white photo.

There are only two rules for this challenge:

1. On 5 consecutive days, create a post using either a past or recent photo in B&W.
2. Each day invite another blog friend to join in the fun.

Today I’m inviting Viveka. She’s another colourful lady, like myself, and not much given to black and white, but I know if she takes the challenge on that she’ll do a cracking job. No obligation to take part, of course. It’s meant to be fun. Apologies to lovely Gilly, whose kind offer I spurned (what a cad!) and many thanks to Pauline and Wilbur.

Festival of leaves- week 2

Solitary on an Algarve bench

Or even on an Algarve beach

Have you seen any lovely leaves lately? This is an Autumn challenge I discovered just last week. Rather nice, isn’t it? Just click on the link to start those leaves falling. I was out kicking the English leaves about today. Just as beautiful! Join me next week and see.

Wild! Fast! Panoramic! Epic!

A tame version of wildness, but beautiful, don’t you think?

He’s one of my favourite photos from Loule Carnaval, and let me tell you, things can get a bit wild there. It’s a while since I entered a photographic competition, so when I discovered that my friends at Blacks were hosting one with a pretty wild prize, I thought it was time to have a go. It’s just a bit of fun really, but you never know where it might lead, do you?

The prize is £2000 to spend with adventure travel experts Explore. When I opened the link to them and read “Burma for under £2000”, I was convinced to enter! They organise walking tours and wildlife tours, and cycling tours, of course. I wondered what a ‘tame’ option like rail journeys would offer and was beyond excited when I saw ‘Japan by rail’ and ‘India by rail’. Go and have a look at the boat journeys ‘to die for’! The Nile on a felucca or the Maldives on a dhoni? I’ve taken a gulet cruise off the Turkish coast, so that’s one less to think about.

So, now you need to know what to do. Simply, compose a blog post around the subjects ‘Wild, Fast, Panoramic, Epic’. I’ll give you more details later but for now you should know that Leo the Lion, up there, is my entry for Wild. Well- you can go pretty fast with two pedalling, can’t you?

In case you haven’t guessed, this is my entry for Fast. They do say at Blacks that you should be creative, and certainly have fun with it. I haven’t made it onto that Shinkansen train yet, but I have been to Barcelona. Stick with what you know, right? El Quatre Gats was a venue for one of the most creative artists our planet has ever known. I was walking in the footsteps of Picasso.

I looked up Epic in my dictionary to be sure of the meaning and it seemed to have connotations of history and grandeur. A few places came to mind, but in the end I decided on Warsaw’s amazing reconstruction of Stare Miasto, the Old Town. Nothing can have been on a more epic scale than the rebuilding that was necessary after it’s total annihilation in World War 2.

Plac Zamkowy- Castle Square

And while I’m in Poland I thought I’d finish on a slightly different, interesting panorama. I was rather surprised by these chess pieces the last time I was in Krakow. I’m returning next week for a family wedding so I’ll have to check if they’re still there. Hope you like my Panoramic entry.

Beautiful -framed behind the chess pieces

Beautiful Wawel Castle and Cathedral, framed behind the chess pieces

So now you need some competition details, but you have to promise me not to win! Otherwise how will I get to Burma or the Maldives? The closing date for entry is Monday, May 5th at midnight. You need to tweet your post to Blacks #epicadventures or put it on their Facebook page. Full details are in the link.

I hesitate to wish you luck. Oh, go on then! Good luck! But expect to be struck off the friend list if you win.

A Lingering look through glass factory windows

Looking out of the National Glass Centre, Sunderland

Looking out from the National Glass Centre, in Sunderland

In my Monday post A promenade to Roker we took a walk through Sunderland’s ship building past. Though ships are no longer built here, a thriving cargo trade has developed on the River Wear today. The National Glass Centre occupies the former site of J. L. Thompson and Sons shipyard, on the north bank of the river, and is witness to most of the comings and goings.

Glass making was introduced to Britain from France in 674, specifically for the windows of the Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory, which stood not far from here. The industry thrived on cheap local coal in the 18th century, and Sunderland gradually established a name for glass. The Pyrex factory was based here until its closure in 2007.

The construction of the National Glass Centre in 1998 was a bold move, part of a regeneration scheme in a declining area. Today the centre is free to visit, with daily guided tours.

You can keep an eye on the boats while you admire the glassware

I know someone who loves owls!

Light bulbs?

Maybe not!

A telescope for looking out to sea?

The pieces are highly individual

And beautifully displayed

Part of the fascination is watching the glass workers ply their trade.

Behind glass, of course!

There’s bound to be an element of danger, isn’t there?

I love the quirkiness of these

The shapes of these

And the bright colours of these.

The building itself is quite interesting, and there’s a restaurant looking out onto the riverside.

And in the vestibule, possibly my favourite thing- this suspended glass sculpture.

Let’s raise a glass!

The National Glass Centre website gives full details of opening times, events and free tours.

I really enjoyed putting this post together for Dawn’s weekly Lingering Look at Windows challenge. Hope you like it too.

The price of a unique home

Santana on Madeira has some of the cutest homes I ever saw. Beautifully maintained, I found it a little sad that I had to queue up for a look inside and to purchase a thimbleful of liqueur, when once such hospitality might have been offered freely. Still, I suppose it’s a small price to pay to preserve these unique homes, with their triangular roofs, thatched in straw. Once they were occupied by local farmers. Now they are a mainstay of tourism in this rugged northern part of the island.

They’re a little different from Jake’s chosen home this week, but equally unique. Pay him a visit? It won’t cost you! Just click on the logo.

A Lingering look at Windows : week 8

Leo the lion looks out hopefully

Remember I was in York last week for Lisa and Leo’s wedding anniversary? This window would have fit quite nicely in the Valentine’s collection, wouldn’t it? Missed the boat, again! It wasn’t really the weather for window shopping, but everything looked so tempting.

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And when the rain finally drove me inside, I looked through the pretty stained glass windows of The York Tap at the vaulted station roof.

It’s been a bit drier here this week. Did you linger outside any windows? I know Dawn did. Pop over and take a look.

Flowers for Jake!

Flowers in bread oven

You have to smile, don’t you? Whenever I’ve done one of Jake’s challenges, I’ve always sang along to myself as I selected the images. Don’t ask me why, but it’s become a habit. I didn’t spot this challenge till late in the week so even by my standards it’s a bit late for a Sunday Post.

What am I singing? Well, I was humming away to an old tune “Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing”… I don’t know if you know it, but when I got to the line “gone to graveyards everyone” I realised what a very sad song of war it is. And that just won’t do. So, determined to make you smile, I’m singing the Move’s “Flowers in the rain”. Far more appropriate for many of us, I’m sure you’ll agree?

Yes, it rains in the Algarve, but it’s still beautiful!

I think I may have seen these in England, too

It’s always amazing what you can find in the hedgerows

Just growing completely wild and beautiful

Or tamed in the landscape

I found this pretty fellow shining in some bushes

But I always love a “pop” of colour

So we'll end in the rain. This might be the guy for me!

So we’ll end in the rain. This might just be the guy for me!

As ever, I hope you enjoyed my singing. You’re quite lucky not to be sitting here in the front room, with me! Please give Jake a little of your time and attention. His graphics are totally inspiring (unlike my singing).

Windows on the soul

I have a strange entry for Dawn’s Lingering look at Windows this week. Maybe a little mournful, and not playing strictly by the rules. But I do think that these windows are rather beautiful, and hope that you will too.

Roses for eternity

Sunflowers for Fernanda

Simplicity for Maria

Lilies and colour for Joao

More roses for Rosa

Eternal health

The wife of Jacinto

And the prettiest of pinks for Teresa

All keeping each other company

In England we have nothing like this, and I am always drawn by this expression of love. On a Sunday afternoon, in a sleepy Algarve village, family members come and go, bringing fresh flowers and relighting candles. I watch quietly and respectfully, and then try to capture the serenity. Even in such a tiny village, newer members have their problems.

Reaching the top boxes is for the fit and agile

Reaching the top boxes needs a head for heights

Windows come in all shapes and sizes, don’t they? For a very different view, visit Dawn- A Lingering look at windows- week # 5

A Lingering look at windows- a little fun in week # 4

Our neighbourhood Dalmation, Louie

I’m feeling kind of mischievous this week. While I was in the Algarve, I did a little spying on the neighbours. I had to be careful though. Some of them were looking right back at me!

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Have you spied on any windows this week? Dawn at Lingering Visions would love to see them (and so would I). So, why not share?

Nostalgic reflections

You know what’s coming, don’t you? Earlier in the week a delicious sunset drew me into Sue’s Word a Week Photo Challenge. Reflect was the subject, and as Sue seemed to be suggesting, time for a little nostalgia and a few reflections of my own.

It’s been a great year, from Barcelona in November all the way back to my daughter’s wedding in February. If you click on a photo it will take you back to the original post.

Sagrada Familia, reflected in the lake in Gaudi Square

Sagrada Familia, reflected in the lake in Barcelona’s Gaudi Square

Crossing the pond to the Scottish Parliament building

The tip of Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, reflected in the pond

Girona was one of my favourite cities this year

I love a novelty shot! Looking up, reflected down, in the harbour at Barcelona.

And the shadows lengthened as I crossed over the bridge.

One of Durham’s lovely bridges reflected in Autumn shadows

Reflections of Newcastle’s bustling city centre

I spent some lovely days in Whitby, North Yorkshire, this Summer

And with Aunt Lusia in Zawady- this is her garden pond.

You can get a better impression of size from here.

It was a little cloudy for reflections- can you see the Transporter Bridge?

Head in hands- he must have got it wrong! (best yet reflection of the Trinc?)

HMS Trincomalee, in the Georgian windows of Hartlepool Maritime Experience

A sparkling, clear day on Hartlepool beach- a “day in my life”

Not possible to leave out that bridge, is it?

Haven’t seen this bridge for a while, have you? I’m returning soon.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but recently WordPress has started to include links to “related posts” at the bottom of the page? I presume it encourages people to stay with you and wander through your site in a way that the page layout often doesn’t. I guess Be With Us found my Weekly Photo Challenge post A Day in my Life in this manner? However it happened, I was delighted to return with them to an April day this year and a stroll on my beach. It prompted me to write this post.

One of my New Year’s resolutions must be to introduce some changes into this tired old Restlessjo site, or even be bold and start a new blog. Hope you’ll stay with me for another year, good or bad. Meanwhile, huge respect to Sue for her challenge, and all the other folks who mount challenges throughout the year. Thanks for reflecting on 2013 with me.

restlessjo

Roaming, at home and abroad

photo challenge

Black and White 5 day Challenge- Day 1

Festival of leaves- week 2

Wild! Fast! Panoramic! Epic!

A Lingering look through glass factory windows

The price of a unique home

A Lingering look at Windows : week 8

Flowers for Jake!

Windows on the soul

A Lingering look at windows- a little fun in week # 4

Nostalgic reflections

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