Travelsupermarket | restlessjo

My lovely friend Suzanne, The Travelbunny, has tagged me to take part in this year’s Travelsupermarket competition, Capture the Colour 2013. When you’re at my level it’s just a bit of fun, but the prizes are brilliant, and some of the entries I’ve seen so far are pure inspiration. Nothing to lose, right?

A string of white rosary beads on the Carmo Church, Tavira.

The above shot is my entry for White. I used it in a Six word Saturday post when I’d just returned home from the beautiful Eastern Algarve. I was trying to get the images out of my head and back to my “real world” in England.

Romantic Summer evenings weren’t so easy to forget. Blue was the mood, and leads to my second entry from Tavira, pictured below.

A moonlit blue for an evening stroll.

But eventually you settle back in and start to plan for the next excitement. A wedding anniversary certainly helped. The trompe l’oeuil effect in my favourite Italian restaurant in Durham provided me with an interesting Green entry, and a good post for the Lingering look at Windows series.

Atmospheric green and trompe l’oeuil in La Spaghettata.

I looked through a lot of Polish windows earlier this year too, none more lovely then my Yellow entry. The Ratusz stands prominently in the market square, Rynek Główny, in Kraków. I had often looked at it in admiration but it wasn’t till I climbed the tower that I found these gems.

Through the windows of the bell tower of the Ratusz or Town Hall in Krakow

Yellow stained glass windows in the bell tower of the Ratusz (Town Hall)

I thought long and hard about my last colour, Red. I know that this isn’t a prize winning shot but to me it’s very special. It captures all the warmth and vibrance of the amazing occasion which was my daughter’s Steampunk wedding this year. My red-haired lady and her beloved cut a dashing pair. Lisa made her gown and Leo’s red frock coat. I think she deserves a place in this post.

Lisa and Leo leaving the church

I hope you enjoyed my selections as much as I enjoyed the chance to look back. Time to look forward and nominate 5 people to take part in the challenge.

Cathy of Catbird in Europe (just to confuse you, she’s now Nomad, Interrupted)

Lynn at Blue Brightly

Seonaid at Breathe of Green Air

James and Terri at Gallivance (an unfair advantage here, methinks!)

Guntha at Movin’ On

I know that in making these selections I’ve kissed goodbye to my chances, but it’s all about the taking part, isn’t it? (boo! hoo!) You have until 9th October to get your entries in folks, and you don’t even have to wait to be nominated. All the details regarding entry are at Travelsupermarket.com. Just follow the link. Good luck!

Colour is so much a part of our world. The challenge to capture it in a memorable way has been set by Travelsupermarket.com, and a formidable array of talented bloggers have already joined in. Amongst them, Kathryn, of Travel with Kat, who has very kindly nominated me. Many thanks, Kat. I’ll do my best.

The challenge requires that you submit a blog post with an image for each of 5 colours- red, white, blue, green and yellow. Full details are to be found on the Travelsupermarket website. The top prize, £2000 to spend on travel, is definitely worth a little effort.

Blue

The Marquess of Londonderry, encapsulated in a snowdome- Durham “Lumiere” 2011

I’m starting near to home with a photo that cost me a black eye. So captivated was I by the light installations at Durham City’s “Lumiere 2011” that I forgot to look where I was going and went head over heels over a concrete block- ouch! I shall exercise more caution when I return to Durham for “Lumiere” 2013, but return I most certainly will. The illumination of Durham’s historic buildings was simply spectacular. I loved the blue of the Snowdome, but equally beautiful were “The Waterfall”, and the Lindisfarne Gospels projected onto Durham Cathedral.

White

A sparkling white carriage makes its stately way around Rynek Glowny in Krakow

My first sight of Rynek Główny in Kraków was charged with emotion. I had the arm of my Aunt Anna tucked into mine. We had met, for the first time, just days before. She and Dad were separated when he was only 15, and reunited 64 years later, with grateful thanks to the internet. The Market Square with its medieval Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) will always be special to me. The horse and carriages are a little cliched, but perfect for my white photo, from my K is for Krakow post.

Red

One of 400 breadbaskets carried aloft at the Festa dos Tabuleiros, Tomar

My red photo transports me immediately to July 2011. The Festa dos Tabuleiros takes place just once every 4 years in Tomar, Central Portugal. The streets dazzle in swathes of multi-hued paper flowers and the 4 feet high breadbaskets are paraded on the heads of 400 or more dainty ladies. Crisply dressed young escorts slip an arm around each of the waists and help to balance the weight. It’s a sight I will never forget.

Yellow

Such a mix of ancient and modern, the architecture of Wroclaw

I loved the subtlety of the old gold of this building in Wrocław’s colourful Rynek. Polish architecture is an intriguing mix, much of it reconstructed following the wholescale devastation of World War 2. It’s my offering for yellow.

Green

The Queen of Hearts on the village green in Elwick

I’m coming home again for my green choice. National pride was strong in my local village, Elwick, when they gave their annual Scarecrow Festival a Jubilee theme. It was so much fun and the sight of the characters from Alice in Wonderland playing croquet on a traditional village green brought many a smile.

Travelsupermarket request that we pass this challenge on to 5 more bloggers, so I’m very happy to nominate:

Marcia of La Chica Writes

Andrew of Have Bag, Will Travel

Richard of A Bit of Culture

Robin of Bringing Europe Home

Zoe of Zoetic Epics

Good luck everybody!