Where’s My Backpack

Benches
Boring here without the backgammon!

Anybody seen the backgammon set?

You might have noticed I’ve got my “Greek head” on at the minute.  Something to do with sunshine, or lack of.  The above photo is one that was destined for my post A tale or two : Rhodes, but it escaped.  I rather think it must have been holding back for Ailsa’s challenge this week.

A goodly knight sits on a bench in Constancia, Portugal
Bench with a view
Not so much a bench- more a chaise longue.
A silly bench livens up a wintry park
A bench facing “that” bridge, in Tavira
Almost missed this bench!
The riverside gardens in Tavira are full of shady benches

The challenges can be a lot of fun, can’t they?  With Ailsa’s permission I’m going to use this post to ask whether anyone has heard anything of Jake of Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post lately?  We all pass each other by and dash to the next challenge, but Jake has been strangely absent since his Entrance post.  He has left no hint on there of his whereabouts, and hasn’t been commenting on posts as he normally would.  Maybe he’s just busy, but I would like to be reassured if any of you know anything more?

Sorry, Ailsa, to use your post like this, but it’s been “nibbling” at me all week.  Hope you don’t mind?  There are some great bench shots over there so don’t forget to check them out.  Thanks everybody.

Bridging the Gap

Some posts just kind of lure you in!  You could do a Challenge post every day of the week and two on Sundays, if you had the time.  Mostly I look, admire, make a mental note, blink twice and the next Challenge is there before me.  Somehow I’ve completed all my chores with time to spare this weekend, and without further ado, I present Bridges, at the kind invitation of Ailsa at Where’s My Backpack.

Fonte Pequena at Alte, has two little bridges
The Infinity Bridge, Stockton-on-Tees
The beautiful approach to Cordoba and the incomparable Mesquita
A bridge spanning 2 countries, Poland and Germany, at Zgorzelec
An alternative “Bridge of Sighs”, in Cambridge
The River Wear and Framwellgate Bridge, Durham
The Shard, still at construction stage, beyond Tower Bridge
My “Poohsticks bridge”, Valley Gardens, Saltburn-by-the Sea
Barcos rabelos below Dom Luis I Bridge, Porto
Similar but different, Newcastle’s famous Tyne Bridge
And it’s beautiful neighbour, Gateshead’s Millenium Bridge
The setting sun over one of the two road bridges, Tavira
And it wouldn’t be complete without my favourite bridge, and we’re back with the subtle colour.

The wonderful thing about bridges for me is that often they span my favourite element, water.  I love to lean over a bridge and gaze into the depths.  Sometimes they even create beautiful reflections as a bonus- two for the price of one.  Putting them side by side has taken longer than I expected, but now that I have, I’m taken with the contrast between my surly northern skies and the gentler images of Southern Europe.

Click on a photo to see them in gallery form.

Thanks, Ailsa.  I’ve enjoyed my Sunday leisure time.  Come bridge spotting with me over at Ailsa’s?