Jade Gryphon's Tavern

Florida's Faces and Last January in Southern Spain:Reflections.

2012-01-28T13:21:00.005-06:00

A year ago about this time, we spent three weeks exploring southern Spain. I loved the experience for two basic reasons. First of all, I found the places to be interesting to explore and the people to be warm and welcoming. Secondly, it was a break from Wisconsin's winter and it made that season not last so long. As a result, I vowed that in future winters there would also be a break. Any place that we visited had to meet three criteria: warm (above 40 F), a large body of water, and palm trees. This year we ended up in Florida.

When I think about last year in southern Spain and this January in Florida, I am torn. The southern Spain that I saw was mostly urban (Seville, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba). Part of the time was spent traveling with a tour group and part on our own. Wandering around those cities was wonderful and I was able to gain a sense of history and culture, at least as much as you can experience in three short weeks relying on walking and public transport. The whole trip was a form of mini-immersion.

Florida has also been a good experience. We've explored parts of the Gulf Coast side of the state from central Florida to Key West. While there have been smatterings of Florida's history and cultures, it has been a difference experience. Different does not necessarily mean bad. First of all, many of the people with whom we've interacted are transplants from other places or "snow birds" (people who spend their winter months in Florida and live elsewhere for the rest of the year). While I have enjoyed sharing stories with them, I really wonder how many people native to Florida that I've met. The other main difference is that, due to Florida's unusual natural diversity, we have had a lot of our time seeking alligators, manatees, pelicans, crabs, fish, and other creatures either in the wild or in controlled environments. All have been enjoyed and duly photographed, from the iguana that was on the pier in the Keys to the manatee next to a power plant in Apollo Beach.

Given all of that, which surprises me as this is not what I intended to blog about today; let me tell why I included the images that I did this time. When I created this post, my intent was so show those of you not familiar with Florida some of its aspects which I have come to appreciate during the four weeks that I have been here.

-Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West..the place where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out when he visited the Keys. It's an example of the laid back culture of key West.

-the beaches of Marco Island...more crowded and developed than many of the other beaches that we visited. A source of conch (later to become tasty fritters and stews, beautiful in their shells).

-the expanded puffer fish held by a Mote Aquarium-based naturalist during a boat tour of Sarasota Bay (dolphins, nesting birds, and other aspects of nature were seen in the wild that day).

-an interesting building under Key West's brilliantly blue sky...hints of Spain.

-a fisherman and a pelican patiently wanting for a nibble around the quiet curve of Apollo Beach...a peaceful way to spend retirement.

What it all comes down to is the question of what you want to experience during travel. Both the trip to southern Spain and the trip to Florida are ones that I'd like to do again in the near future. When I revisit Florida, I'd like to experience more of its people and its cultures. When I go back to southern Spain, I'd like to see more of its natural beauty. All of this, of course, in addition to revisiting the parts that I have enjoyed in the past.

As I write this, I feel extremely fortunate that I am able to travel as I do. I also hope that there will be many more travels ahead-so many new places to explore and old favorites to revisit. Thank you for visiting. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Florida Keys/Places You Happen Upon and Fall in Love With

2012-01-20T17:34:00.005-06:00

Have you ever traveled to a place just to see what it is like and fallen in love with it? It happens every so often and takes you totally by surprise. As I write this, I think of Paris, Seville, Lamu, Albuquerque, Boothbay Harbor, Sheboygan, and now the Florida Keys. There is a different reason that I have this strong feeling for each of the places that I have named. I don't really think that other than the gestalt of a place that the reason for this attraction can be clarified and, to be honest, it doesn't really matter. The feeling is there regardless.

The photos I've included in this post are aspects of the Keys that I have enjoyed. The laid back atmosphere of Key West as found in Margarittaville with the Young Rebel Goombas playing their 1970's riffs. The natural beauty found on the docks and beaches of the Keys. Conch chowder and other savory food waiting to be experienced. The people who live there and the people who return year after year for however long they can. The whole experience is much, much greater than the sum of its parts. And, yes, I have seen evidence that even paradise isn't perfect. The force of the hurricanes and the poverty in the trailer parks where service workers live speak for themselves. Still, it can be a good place and can be made even better.

My Florida travels are not over until the end of the month. We have, however, left the Keys and are heading back towards central Florida to the Tampa Bay area. While Tampa Bay is enjoyable, it stands in the shadows of the Keys. We will return to the Keys sometime in the future and continue to enjoy it. I will share other photos at a later time. It's been a bit of a long day, but I wanted to share some of this with you.

Thank you for visiting, feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your own travels be interesting and enjoyable. Remember-dare to go beyond your present horizon, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Kerry

Ybor City, Florida Revisited

2012-01-13T19:59:00.002-06:00

Today I visited Ybor City for the second time in a week. It is a colorful section of Tampa, rich in cultural heritage. Although there have been nontraditional additions such as tattoo parlors and night clubs, the total flavor is one to be experienced and enjoyed. In between travels I thought I would share these images with you, and also a link to much more information about Ybor City than I could give you from my visits. I f you are interested in learning more about the city, I recommend that you visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ybor_City.

Thank you for stopping by; feel free to come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Florida-Experiencing the Unusual

2012-01-09T05:25:00.002-06:00

manatee

conch fritters

pelican

osprey

banyan trees

Why travel? One reason to leave your comfortable home environment is to go beyond your present horizon and experience the unusual. Many of us seem to have that drive to do that, even though it is sometimes personally risky to try something new. Some people are content in life to go from one McDonald's restaurant to another. Others of us see conch fritters (a kind of snail) on the menu and just have to give it a try. Pardon my food analogy, but conch was one of the attractions for me when considering Florida.

I have been to other tropical coastal locations, but I have to admit that so far I have found Florida to be outstanding in its natural diversity. The endangered manatee, a myriad of bird life, banyan groves with air roots that become tree trunks-I'm definitely not in Wisconsin any more. And,yes, I have had my first taste of conch and thoroughly enjoyed it (even though the woman who took my food order warned me that some people have been known to return the dish as something beyond their taste adventure limits. I mentioned that when teaching in Kenya, I joined my students by sampling live flying ants as a one-time experience. She grimaced and took my order for conch fritters with a slight shake of her head).

There will be other images as time goes on-Florida has a rich history and a diverse population in addition to its natural attractions. I'll post as travel permits and more after I return to Wisconsin's winter in early February (that time and place seems so far away to me at this point in my travels).

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Florida First Impressions

2012-01-03T08:22:00.003-06:00

I haven't been in Florida long enough to have a real understanding of the land or its peoples. Still, I thought I'd share a few photos of my first impressions. If you go back the the post before this one, you can see that I'm in a definite state of transition, and a pleasant one at that.

So far, I've been impressed by Florida's natural beauty and its incongruities. Beautiful sunsets, palm trees, new wild life and plants-much to explore. Christmas lights on palm trees, inflatable plastic Frosty the Snowman, elderly golf cart drivers in customized carts, gated communities of more than 100,000 people- different than what I am used to.

A month from now I may have developed some conclusions, it's too early now. In the meantime, new experiences while traveling are ahead of me. New horizons! As I discover more in the next month, I will start to share my impressions with you.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Early Winter Musings

2011-12-22T20:01:00.003-06:00

We are creatures of habit, aren't we? For the last few days, two sets of thoughts have been running through my mind. At the end of December we'll start our road trip to explore parts of Florida for a month, a new place for me-exciting! It's almost Christmas and the ground is brown and bare-it doesn't seem like Christmas at all.

When I woke up this morning , I was met with a surprise-I looked out the window and saw whiteness! There wasn't a vast amount of snow, but suddenly the holidays and the land fell into sync. I felt good, even though I knew I'd have an hour or so of snow shoveling in front of me.

It's strange how the familiar is important. I want to break up the winter by traveling for a while to a place that is warm, has palm trees, and ocean. On the other hand, I would be truly disappointed if on December 25 the ground was not snow-covered for Christmas. That was one of the few things that I missed during the years that I lived and taught in Kenya and Morocco. I am sure that you have similar ties to the land where you were born and the cultural events that you grew up with. Yes, you can enjoy change, but there is something about time and place that remains in both your mind and heart.

Thank you for visiting, feel welcome to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable and your new year be the best ever.

Kerry

It's Nearly Christmas

2011-12-12T18:42:00.005-06:00

Lucca, Italy

Godshill (Isle of Wight), England

Malaga, Spain

Santa Fe, New Mexico USA

Brittany, France

As I travel, I don't usually seek out religious buildings unless I'm with a tour group or traveling with a friend who is interested in doing so. Mostly, at this stage in my life, I appreciate this type of place for its historical and cultural connections to a setting rather than its spirituality. It wasn't always so-I began as a Christian, drifted into Zen Buddhism, and presently profess no ties to any religion though I respect the religious beliefs of others as long as they do not try to force their beliefs upon me. The photos in this post came from a variety of places, their common theme is their ties to Christianity.

This theme was prompted by my reaction to the nearness of the celebration of Christmas. For the last few days it has been difficult to go anywhere without hearing Christmas carols. I enjoy the melodies, but am also a bit taken back by the fact that, even though I have not been a active Christian for many years, the melodies trigger the lyrics and then the memories of my childhood and turning into a young adult. I experience these memories and reflect that, while I have grown in different ways, both the carols and the thoughts behind them have been a part of my culture. A person's culture helps one define oneself.

It has taken me years to arrive at this acceptance. What used to be an important part of my spirituality is now a part of my cultural past. Notice that I didn't say that it was "just" part of my cultural past, that would not have given it the weight that is due. When I hear those songs in their various settings or visit a building related to religion, I can appreciate them for what they are from a cultural and historic point of view.

Travel should be a learning experience, in addition to an experience full of fun and adventure. I understand that if I avoid a part of a culture because it either makes me uncomfortable or is not part of my present culture, I am missing part of the total picture of a place. These thoughts are all tied into the songs I have recently heard in light of the celebration of Christmas. Music is, indeed, a powerful cultural element.

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travel be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

p.s.

I am just a few days away from exploring a place new to me. At the end of the month, I will travel southward to Florida and will spend the month of January there. I'm looking forward to new experiences that I'll be able to share with you..

Waves and Winds Close to Home

2011-11-30T19:59:00.004-06:00

Every so often, I share aspects of my own home base-Sheboygan, Wisconsin located on the western shore of lake Michigan. Those of you who have visited the Tavern for a while know that large bodies of water have been an important part of my life. Large bodies of water give me peace of mind and places for contemplation.

The photos in this post were taken yesterday. I have never, in the 31 years I have lived on Lake Michigan,seen it so fierce as it was then. As I stood on the breakwater leading to the lighthouse, gusts of wind buffeted my body and waves of mist surrounded me at times. It was "awesome" in the original sense of the word.

Those of you who live near the ocean can now understand how a mid-western lake can produce a culture that includes surfers. No, the Lake isn't always like this. Often it is placid and allows large vessels to bring goods to its harbors, sailboats lazily exploring the coastline, commercial fishing boats stalking the wild salmon, or children and their parents frolicking along the beach. Then there are days like this one. I truly appreciate the lake in all of its many guises.

Thank you for visiting, I hope that you enjoyed it. Please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

p.s. At this time next month it'll be road trip time and I'll be on my way to sunny Florida.

Thanksgiving:Remembering the Wampanoag

2011-11-24T09:42:00.004-06:00

Today is the day that those of us from the United States celebrate Thanksgiving. This is done in memory of the survival of the first English settlers in what they called the New World in the early 1600's. They would not have survived that first year without the help of those who already lived in that part of North America, the people who call themselves the Wampanoag.

Most of the English who arrived in what would later become Massachusetts were ill-prepared to survive in this new environment. The crops were different and the winters were harsher than anything they had experienced before. Without the willingness of the Wampanoag to help these people who had strange appearances and even stranger customs learn new ways, the new settlers would certainly have been doomed.

The photos in this collection were taken at Plimouth Plantation. In an earlier post, I took you through the replica 17th Century English settlement where reenactors simulated life in the Plantation. The Wampanoag who work in this part of Plimouth Plantation are not reenactors. Rather, their goal is to tell modern visitors about their past and present and show them aspects of traditional life among their people during the 17th Century. Essentially it is a place where the Wampanoag can say "That is where we came from and this is who we are today". I felt that it was a meaningful collaboration between the First American peoples and the European peoples. It was representative of who took place in the early 1600's.

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Kerry

Searching for the Sun

2011-11-13T13:20:00.003-06:00

Ronda cafe

Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico

Dali's NE Spain bay

Paris on the Seine

Seville sidewalk

It's that time again in my part of the world. The days are shorter and the skies are grayer.As these times progress, I realize more and more that I am a creature of light. It's not that I don't enjoy the beauty of a foggy beach or the drama of a thunder storm, I certainly do. Sunlight and accompanying blue skies have a marked positive effect upon my energy level and my outlook towards life. They have also decidedly had an effect on where I have chosen to travel and how much I have enjoyed my stay.

Please don't misjudge me, I am not a fair-weather traveler. I can enjoy exploring a new place (or revisiting a place) in spite of dark clouds and rainfall. A couple of years ago I spent three weeks in early Spring exploring parts of Wales, England, and Scotland. Much of that time was spent with an umbrella in one hand and my camera in the other. In retrospect, I really could have used at least a third hand for a warm cup of strong coffee.

Still, if I am given a choice, sun and blue skies are two ideal parts of travel or just day to day living. Here in bleaker middle America I am waiting in anticipation for the month of January, a chance to explore parts of Florida for the first time. A few months later, it will be May and my first visit to the emerald hills of Ireland (yes, I know it takes rain to make those hills green).

In the meantime, I'll spend a little time looking at photos from past trips and reminiscing. The Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico-the state that has blue skies 70% of the time. Spain-where sunlit cafes, benches , beaches, and plaza are places to meet friends and share times with family. Viewing parts of Paris as you travel on public transport along the Seine. Each of these brings back pleasant memories that help diminish a November gloom in Northa America. A picture is, indeed, worth a thousand words.

Thank you for visiting, feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable (and full of sunlight, if that's what you prefer).

Kerry

The Magic Gardens of Philadelphia

2011-11-05T10:22:00.006-05:00

Perhaps you thought you'd be seeing riotous flower gardens or experimental urban vegetable gardens, not so. In an earlier post I mentioned that one of the things that I found in Philadelphia was that there was a surprise around every corner. This was very true during our walk along South Street. As we walked along there were parts of buildings decorated with "found" or recycled art. Camera came out and photos were taken. Then we arrived at Philly's Magic Gardens. We didn't go in that day, it was the end of a day with much walking and exploring behind us and it was obvious that the Gardens were so extensive that they would be better visited another day.

We did go back and had an enjoyable time exploring the work of Isaiah Zager and his amazing mosaics. To be honest, it was difficult to chose five photos that would truly represent the experience. While I was trying to be a reflective photographer and not take random photos, the imagery and varied combinations made it difficult for me to put the camera away and just appreciate it. If you ever do git a chance to visit Philly's Magic Gardens, be sure to to give yourself enough time to truly appreciate them. If you are interested in learning more about the Gardens, their website is:

http://www.phillymagicgardens.org/.

It's interesting to me to learn how people in different places define "art" . Philly certainly presents the concept in a variety of ways-formal museums, building murals, and the mosaics of the Magic Gardens. There is so much visible artwork that it is like walking through a European city. In fact, the more I think about it, Philadelphia's artwork, street cafes, coffee houses, and diversity in approaches to food remind me very much of a European city (even though home of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall).

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Dona Nobis Pacem

2011-11-04T07:31:00.003-05:00

Dona Nobis Pacem/Give Us Peace

Today, on November 4, I’m taking a detour from my usual blogging to Blog for Peace. Those of you reading this on my photography blogs might react with a, “He promised that he wouldn’t get political in his blog posts on this site”. If you read just a little further, you’ll discover that I have kept my promise.

“Peace”, in my mind, is not and should not be a political word. Peace is a time when people are not in conflict with one another, and treat each other as they’d like to be treated- with respect, dignity, and understanding. True peace does not concern itself with ideology, religion, gender, social class, nation of origin, sexual orientation, or any other way that is commonly used to divide people into “us” and “them” categories. Peace is how you and I relate to each other on a one-to-one basis. I understand that these words are extremely idealistic. I also understand that here are circumstances when peace can only be attained or held onto through non-peaceful struggle. Still, as I travel in my own country and in other parts of the world, it is clear to me that we have more similarities than differences. As individuals, we all have a strong desire for peace for ourselves and those we care about. It is imperative for our own survival that, to the greatest degree possible, we “give peace a chance”. There is no substitute for peace.

Would you like to be part of this peace initiative next year? If so, follow this link:

http://mimiwrites.blogspot.com/p/blogblast-for-peace-2011-how-to-get.html

Peace,

Kerry

Views From Mount Battie

2011-10-29T08:08:00.003-05:00

I keep returning to the beauty and tranquility of the rugged Maine coast. Actually I was born and grew up about 50 miles that coast and I rediscover it during my visit when go to spend time with family in Maine. My adopted area along the western shore of Lake Michigan has many similarities, but it doesn't have the high panoramic views, nor does it have the salty sea breezes. If only I could import them to Wisconsin!

The views that you see here are from Mount Battie near Camden on the central coastal area of Maine. The day was sunny, the sky a brilliant blue, and while there were a number of people enjoying the view it was still possible to take landscape photos without intruding people bodies. The Maine coast is always worth visiting, but especially after the height of the June-August tourist season when the population of the State seems to triple in size and coastal Route 1 has bumper to bumper traffic.

Thanks for visiting, I hope that you enjoyed the views. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

BTW-Travel excitement is in the air here, plane tickets for a May 2012 Ireland trip arrived this week, another new place to explore!

Kerry

Philadelphia-First Impressions Set the Stage

2011-10-20T09:54:00.003-05:00

After a day of travel, you finally reach your destination. Now, you have two options-take a rest or hit the streets. Our daughter met our train from Boston, got us checked into our B & B (La Reserve), then started to show us the city she had fallen in love with over the last few months. This is the way to start a visit-immerse yourself in the new place from the moment your arrive. Rest and relaxation can come later.

I didn't take many photos the first day, but the ones in this post are expressions of my first impressions of Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love was captured in views of Love Park and the sign of a Pledge of Nonviolence. Philadelphia lived up to its name during our stay, leaving a lasting impression of being a warm, safe, friendly city on our day and late evening walks. Other flashbacks-a flower cappuccino made by a coffee artist at Elixr, the skyline around City Hall, and the playful game pieces sculptures on the way to Love Park.

That walk during our first afternoon in Philadelphia set the stage for our other explorations over the week. It became very obvious why our daughter loves the city. While we saw and did many things during our stay, there is still so much yet to experience. Philadelphia, we will return.

Thank you for stopping by, please come again. Until then, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

'Settlers" of 17th Century Plimouth Plantation

2011-10-14T14:10:00.002-05:00

One of the many interesting places that I visited during my recent trip the the U.S. east coast was Plimouth Plantation. The settlement is located in Plymouth, Massachusetts near Plymouth Rock where the English colonists landed the Mayflower and started a colony. A visit to Plimouth Plantation can include wandering through separate settlements of the Wampanoag(the original settlers of the area) and the English colonists. A short distance away you can tour a replica of the Mayflower and then take a short walk to the actual Plymouth Rock (dated 1620). If you are interested in learning more about Plimouth Plantation, you can visit its website http://www.plimoth.org/.

The photos in this post focus upon the English settlement. The "settlers" whom you meet as you wander around Plimouth Plantation stay in character -they dress, act , and speak as English settlers of the early 1600's. The re-enactors are a well-versed, talented group, and I learned much of the daily life and conditions of those who left England to spend the rest of their lives in North America. As visitors are encouraged to take photos during their stay, I was able to capture close-ups of people in their daily lives without my usual inhibitions of being intrusive in the lives of others.

May visit to the Plantation was enjoyable, even though it was a gray and foggy day. Actually, the weather helped set the atmosphere and enhanced a feeling that we were taking a journey back in time. I hope that you enjoyed this aspect of the Plantation. Another time, I will take you through the Wampanoag settlement where the intent of the presentation is very different.

Thank you for visiting. Please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Murals Along the Streets of Philadelphia 1

2011-10-09T21:02:00.004-05:00

I have added another city to my short list of favorites-Philadelphia. There are many reasons that I enjoyed exploring the city for the first time. The images you find in this blog are one of the reasons for this new interest. In the short week in Philadelphia, I found it to be a live, vibrant, diverse city in all of its aspects. As you walk along its streets you often turn a corner and are struck by a vivid work of art decorating the wall of an otherwise mundane building. I am very fond of this type of art-it's openly accessible to everyone and it is part of the total nature of a neighborhood. Outdoor art and its appeal is something I've talked about in some of my other posts. As this form of art is temporary ( exposed to the elements and subject to being lost forever as a building is renovated or torn down) , I always feel compelled to photograph one whenever I see it. That way, the work of the artist may live on just a little bit longer than it might have otherwise.

In this post I tried to include a sampling of murals that reflects some of the city's diversity. At were times the location of the mural was almost as surprising to me as its content. All of what was discovered during the many walks that were taken added to the total impression of the city. Philadelphia is alive and well, and deserves be be visited again.

Thank you for stopping by. Please feel free to come back, if you wish. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Philadelphia Interlude

2011-09-30T09:07:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post between explorations of this vibrant, interesting, and charming city. This is my first time here and I'm enjoying every minute of my visit. Much of my time has been spent wandering streets and side streets taking in the sights and tastes. Fantastic! Cultural diversity, history, and innovations all blend to make the week-long stay interesting.

There will be more posts in a week or so, but I wanted to share one of my favorite images to date. These houses are found in the historic waterfront district of the city. What colors!

Thanks for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Sunset at Boothbay Harbor, Maine

2011-09-22T07:40:00.003-05:00

I've just started my East Coast trip, but I wanted to share these images of yesterday evening. Boothbay Harbor on the south-central coast of Maine. It was an evening that ended a perfect Maine Fall day- sunny, high 60's F, and a few leaves changing colors. I'll have other photos another time, but this evening was exceptional.

May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable. Until later...

Kerry

Nations Cup Sheboygan

2011-09-18T11:53:00.002-05:00

As I prepare to leave tomorrow for a two week trip to the east coast of the USA, I am reminded that sometimes interesting photo-ops are found at home. The day before yesterday we took an afternoon walk along the Sheboygan riverfront so that we could reconnect one more time with the river and Lake Michigan before we left.

I had forgotten that this weekend Sheboygan was hosting the Nations Cup grand final sailing event. (if you're interested in learning more about the event go to www.nationscup2011.org.) The banners along the riverfront proclaimed that 60 sailors from 15 nations would be involved and that only one would be the winner. As we rounded the bend in the riverfront, we came across two tall ships docked along the side. During the weekend, people could buy a ticket and experience a short voyage on Lake Michigan. Further along the riverfront walk is the harbor mouth and a view of the lake. Races were taking place and we had a land-bound front row seat. Walking away from it all, we later wandered around the brightly painted carnival rides that were being fine-tuned for the evening and the rest of the weekend. All in all, it was an even better walk that we thought that it would be.

Thank you for visiting, please fee free to stop by again. For the next two weeks I'll be traveling, so I may not make a post. I'm excited to revisit Maine and Boston with a chance to see family as well. Philadelphia will be a new city to explore, and there will be a family visit there as well. In the meantime, may your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Further Windows Into Cultures

2011-09-09T19:32:00.004-05:00

carnival costumes-Spain

women's fashion-Paris

boilded eggs/statues-London's Chinatown

Human Cycles-Seville

kilted mannequins-Edinburgh

Once more we find images of different storefronts. These images relate to what people in a place want for themselves, not what they hope that visitors to their cities will buy. How customers are enticed to buy things is often the same in urban areas. Instead of the colorful, noisy marketplace of smaller places with vendors aggressively encouraging people to buy their wares, streets are lined with competing display windows. Whether you are in Paris, London, Nairobi, or Boothbay Harbor (Maine) items will be placed prominently in windows, often with the word "sale" in bold letters. "Sales" , we know, are relative terms. What is interesting to me as a traveler is WHAT is displayed for local use......

Kilts are still worn by some Scots in formal occasions, as you will discover as you walk the streets of Edinburgh. Carnival costumes in Spain and hard boiled eggs in London's Chinatown, signs of special celebrations. Vibrant colors of cartoonish figures with word bubbles draw the eye towards a women's store in Paris. "Human Cycles" in Seville advertises bicycles (something the city actively promotes the use of) but makes me wonder what sort of "human cycles" could be involved. All of these items give the traveler a bit more insight in the total culture of the place. Wouldn't it be boring if these windows were the same, regardless of the city or country? Our cultural differences at times cause misunderstandings, but they also make it interesting for us to travel beyond our present horizons and discover what is there. What better reason to travel?

Thank you for visiting, please stop by again. In themeantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

p.s. I forgot to mention that I'm looking forward to my next trip, which will happen in a little over a week. Will spend time with family members in Maine, Boston, and Philadelphia and also do some travel on our own. Philadelphia is a new city for me and almost a week will be spent there. A combination of revisiting the old and exploring the new-an excellent travel blend.

Finding the Unexpected

2011-08-30T14:50:00.003-05:00

One of the joys of travel is coming across the unexpected. It may be an unplanned stop in a village where you discover friendly people, interesting sights, or good food. It may be stepping into a side street after visiting a museum or cathedral, seeing an interesting shop and finding a "treasure" that you've been looking for as a rememberance of your stay. Or it could even be stumbling across a place you never knew existed in a city you have visited many times before. The photos included in this post fall into the latter category, just 50 miles from my home.

A few weeks ago, we drove to Milwaukee to take our daughter to the airport. It was a beautiful summer's day and her flight was later in the day, so we decided to explore. The beaches were crowded and orange road construction cones seemed to be everywhere, so we headed away from Lake Michigan in search for coffee and lunch. A two-hour parking place was found near a coffee house on a Sunday afternoon! Lunch and a bit of exploration were the game plan; we didn't have to be at the airport until after 5 p.m. As we headed eastward on foot hoping to find an uncrowded lake view, we came across the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum & Renaissance Garden. I, for one, hadn't known of its existence. We spent an hour or more exploring the museum and admiring its fantastic view of Lake Michigan.

As you look at the photos, you need to remember that this was once the private home of the Lloyd R. Smith family. While many aspects of Milwaukee are working class or university-centered, there has been also an element of affluence and many of those people chose lakeside homes as their places of residence. Milwaukee is definitely a city where there is a sharp divisions between the "haves" and "have-nots", one that is particularly hard for me to reconcile in my own mind.

The home, itself, and its furnishings were influenced by the family's trip to Italy in the early 1900's. As we wandered through what is now the museum, caterers were setting up for an Italian-American event. It was interesting to think that what was once a "mere" family home was transformed into a museum and cultural center. One expects to find this in the castles and palaces of Europe, not in metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin home of Miller Beer and Harley=Davidson motorcycles. It was definitely the unexpected in more than one way. If you are interested in learning more about the museum or the history of the home that it used to be, you can visit their website: http://www.villaterracemuseum.org/index.html .

Thank you for visiting, feel free to stop by again. I hope that you have enjoyed your stay. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Plazas

2011-08-21T10:04:00.002-05:00

There was a time when cities and towns were designed to be experienced, not circumvented by outer roads and by-passes. Nothing brings this concept home to me more that the plazas of Spain. The plaza is a place of beauty and liveliness. It is a place where families and friends connect , as they have for generations. Often shaded from the warm sun, sometimes lined with cafes and neighborhood bars and restaurants, usually containing a statue or monument to remember something significant in the life of the community.

I am envious of these settings and wish that they were found more often in my own country. They seem to say to those who visit them that life is meant to be savored and that it's important to spend time in social interactions. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I've enjoyed New Mexico's Santa Fe and Old Town Albuquerque with their strong Spanish designs. Unfortunately, my own community had a plaza when I first moved here, then converted back into a through street in order to "facilitate cross-town traffic" and "better access to stores". Many Americans have a car mind-set and prefer it to walking. Oh, well.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. If you happen to know any other places where I can experience plazas, town squares, and similar settings please let me know. I will definitely include them on my list of "places to visit". Until the next time, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

A Matter of Intent/The Sometimes Perplexed Traveler

2011-08-11T09:35:00.003-05:00

artificial roses-Seville

new age statues-Edinburgh

religious statues-Malaga

furniture-Lucca

haggis-Edinburgh

As you wander along the streets of an unfamiliar city, the almost universal modern cultural element of the storefront window display is unavoidable. Some travelers intentionally try to avoid these displays and focus on architecture, statues, modes of transportation, and the ways people dress and act. I look at a storefront window display and try to figure out for whom the items are intended. Unless you know the culture of a place, coming to a conclusion isn't always an easy thing to do. Even if you do arrive at a conclusion, there are times that the only way you can be sure you are correct is to ask someone native to the community. That assumes that you are able to develop a rapport with someone who lives there and he/she will be frank with you. That conversation, if you are fortunate to have it, can lead to interesting cross-cultural discussions.

Take a minute and think about the photos in this post. In the bottom photo you see a rather unimpressive display of haggis. Are you familiar with haggis? If not, read what Wikipedia has to say about it:

"Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal,suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.

Haggis is a kind of sausage, or savoury pudding cooked in a casing of sheep's intestine, as many sausages are. As the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour".^[1]"

Given the fact that many Scottish people consider haggis to be a taste treat, was this display intended for them or for the tourist who wants to "take a walk on the culinary wild side"?

Spain has many very religious people and Catholicism is very strong there. The religious statues could be for them. On the other hand, they may be intended for commercial purposes only and "real" religious statues are best bought though Church-related places. Spain is also known for its colorful clothing and accompaniments. I can envision a Spanish woman potentially wearing one of the artificial roses. On the other hand, I have a minimal understanding of the culture of Spain, and both displays could be for the tourist who thinks that the items are small, light, easy to pack, and are representative of Spanish culture. I never took the opportunity to ask-any conclusion would be pure speculation on my part. The same could be said of what I think of as the "New Age" angels founded in the window of an Edinburgh store. Do Scottish people get involved in the concept of "New Age" to any degree?

The only photo that I am 99% certain that it contains goods intended for local buyers is the furniture store in Lucca, Italy. Few tourists buy large pieces of furniture and have it shipped home, at least among the travelers with whom I am familiar. Even this photo's content perplexes me because it seems incongruous. The modernistic lighting was found in a narrow side-street in the walled old city rather than the modern part of the city.

Travel and all of its opportunities to be exposed to other cultures is what going beyond your present horizon is all about. It is enjoyable and, at least sometimes, is a chance to experience different styles and perspectives.

I hope that you enjoyed your visit, thank you for stopping by. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Stand On Any Corner

2011-07-30T12:51:00.004-05:00

Seville's Triana District
Seville
Rhonda, Spain
London
Bath

Stand on any corner of a new city and soak in the flavor of the place. As your eyes scan the area, you will notice people in their daily activities, movement, architecture, colors, and weather. Your ears will capture the sounds of the place, your nose the odors and fragrances. Just by stopping for a moment and really using your senses you will capture aspects of the essence of a place as it now is. These impressions are as an important part of the whole travel experience to me as visits to museums, cathedrals and ancient sites.

Think for a moment about why you travel. Isn't it really to experience places beyond your own horizon? I don't argue that museums, cathedrals (or other important buildings) and ancient sites are significant to experience in person-a video, book, photograph, or written description is just not the same as being there and having actual near physical contact with it. What I am saying is that those are aspects of the place that help you better understand its past and its people. They are important, and I would never suggest that you ignore them as you travel. I suggest that the traveler should appreciate them for what they are AND also appreciate the place in which they exist today.

I have been in guided travel situations where I have "experienced" three castles and a cathedral in a day's outing (Wales). At the end of the day, it was difficult for me to remember what was where and why it was even remotely significant to either the past or the present. At other travel times, I have spent part of my day exploring a significant building or site and the rest of the day wandering around the neighborhood that surrounds it or sitting at a table outside a cafe soaking in the sights, sounds, and even the fragrances of the place. It's not difficult to guess which type of travel I prefer. I'd rather experience a few places more in depth than complete an itinerary check-list so that I can say that "I've 'done' place X". Do you, the reader, have any thoughts on how you like to travel that you are willing to share? I really would be interested.

In the photos above, I'd like to point out just a couple of features:

-the Mediterranean colors and textures in Seville's Triana District buildings

-the Arab-influenced arches in the large building opposite the cafe in Seville

-the narrow streets leading from the plaza in Rhonda

-a famous clock in London

-the Georgian style houses looming over the rainy streets of Bath.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Rural Views/Drive-by Travel Photography

2011-07-21T08:31:00.004-05:00

Wales by bus
Southern Spain by train
Southern England by bus
Isle of Wight by car
Scotland by bus

More and more I've been thinking about the kinds of photos that I take. When I travel, photos seem to fall into two categories. There are some photos that I take that will remind me of the character of the place I'm visiting. The countryside, city streets and buildings, marketplaces and cafes, people going about their daily lives or people in costumes for special occasions, animals and plant life typical of the area-all of these capture part of a place's "flavor". The other category of photos is "the unusual"-distressed metal objects, graffiti, a unique sign, poster, or statue, an object see from a different perspective, culturally unique color combinations or patterns, a spontaneous unexpected event (dancers filming a video on the streets of Seville). I guess I'm kind of catholic in the images that I capture, not focusing on or confining myself to a particular genre.

The images in this post were taken while I was in transit and often while I was in motion. No, I'm NOT an irresponsible photographer/traveler, someone else was driving. Each of the photos was taken because it struck me as being somewhat representative of the land and the people. I have something to remember the place by, even though I wasn't able to make a stop and truly experience it. While I prefer to focus my travels in staying in a place and interacting with it for a few days, these "drive-by shots" are also part of the total travel experience. It makes me wonder what life is in that particular place and, just maybe, encourage me to revisit it at a later time. BTW- you'll notice that when traveling from place to place, I am happy to travel the secondary roads and avoid the bland highways.

A couple of thoughts about taking photos as we travel. First of all, you have to be constantly alert and camera-ready. If you're traveling with someone, this may not be the way travel because it certainly makes you less companionable. It also means that, even though my e-reader is nearby, no reading or dozing while in-motion. It really makes a lot of sense to me, I may never travel past this place again and I don't want to miss anything interesting during this one-time chance. Secondly, this type of photography is iffy at best. Part of the iffiness is your travel speed and your ability to catch the image as it is, instead of a blur. Hint: bends in the road/rails or sharp rising/falling elevations take care of this issue for you sometimes. There is also the "window factor" . If on public transportation, has the window been cleaned lately? Another aspect of "window factor is the current weather- rain streaks, dust storms lead to picking up the e-reader or dozing after a couple of thwarted photo attempts. Still, in the age of digital photography, you have nothing to lose by trying. There's always "delete" and there is no monetary cost to a bad photo.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit. Time was spent writing about the ins and outs of photography rather than the actual places in Britain and Southern Spain. Perhaps you found this interesting. If not, I hope that you at least enjoyed the photos. Please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be intereting and enjoyable.

Kerry

p.s. I always enjoy reading any thoughts that you, the visitor, have as far as your own travel experiences in regard to what I have written. Feel free to post a comment here or e-mail me at kerrybryne@yahoo.com.

Stone Water Spirits

2011-07-16T18:29:00.003-05:00

La Rochelle
Cardiff
Paris
Paris
Seville

Sometimes when you travel, you really have to search hard to locate the unusual. As you walk down streets you are surrounded by people, buildings which are different from what you are used to, tantalizing sounds and smells. At times, the total experience can be overwhelming. While I appreciate all of those things, if you were to watch me walking down that street you would occasionally catch me looking up intently and then focusing my camera. GARGOYLES!

I have always been attracted to gargoyles, those ornate and often bizarre creatures that decorate water spouts. There are a couple of reasons that I have that reaction. One is my love of fantasy novels. I really enjoy most variations- historical fantasy such as that written by Mercedes Lackey and Charles de Lint's and Neil Gaiman's urban fantasies. A second reason for my interest in gargoyles is historical. Imagine the European world centuries ago when minds were filled with superstitions and these creatures were very real to the viewer. Mind-boggling!

For those of you that have never seen a gargoyle and wonder what possible purpose they could have, I quote Wikipedia: "In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. Preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls is important because running water erodes the mortar between the stone blocks.^[1]Architects often used multiple gargoyles on buildings to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize the potential damage from a rainstorm. A trough is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. Gargoyles are usually an elongated fantastic animal because the length of the gargoyle determines how far water is thrown from the wall. When Gothic flying buttresses were used, aqueducts were sometimes cut into the buttress to divert water over the aisle walls."

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will come again. If you have a chance, seek out a place with a gargoyle and try to imagine an earlier time or a time today when the creature you observe has the potential to take on a more lively guise. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Presenting a Stone Face to the Public

2011-07-06T19:44:00.002-05:00

Statues and their place in different cultures are of interest to me when I travel. Some are created at public expense to commemorate either someone who is famous for his/her deeds or would like to be considered famous. Some statues have religious significance. Others are just artistic expressions that in some way or another make a community space more aesthetically appealing. It is some of the latter group that I'd like to share with you.

The top image of the desolate man is located in Paris near the Louvre. It was the last photo I took in Paris on that particular trip, and really represented the way I felt about leaving. My first stay in Paris, and I fell in love with the city. Fortunately, I have returned since then and will again.

The second image was taken in New Mexico. The strength character and endurance was eye-catching. Also, have you noticed that in most cultures the majority of statues are male? In some cultures a woman has to have truly exceptional qualities to be recognized in this way.

The third statue is Roman and was found in Carmona, Spain. The incomplete person in a state of arrested development with a brilliant sky in the background was striking. An interesting piece of art and an outstanding day!

The frivolous knight outside a hotel in Las Vegas personally commemorates a night of staged jousting tournaments and spectators holding large goblets of alcohol, kitsch at its best. Frivolous but fun, indeed! (Once in a lifetime was enough for me, however. Glitz does not usually act as a magnet for me.)

Then, lastly, there is the Seville lion. If it didn't have such a serious facial expression as it tries to hold the world in place, it would be humorous. Actually I do find some sense of humor there, even though the state of the world is often quite another matter .

I've had fun putting these images together, I hope that you've enjoyed them. Thank you for visiting, feel free to come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Behind These Doors

2011-06-29T20:12:00.004-05:00

As you travel to new places, do you ever see an unusual door and wonder what is on the other side? I do, especially when my eye is caught by a door's unusual color, shape, or condition. Think of the stories that could be written if you had the talent and the inclination! Each of the doors in this post have, for some reason or other, made me wonder about the people and events that were going on behind it at the particular moment that I suddenly stumbled upon it. I'll never know, but have enjoyed the moment of stretching my imagination in considering the possibilities. Feel free to do the same. (BTW-can you identify the general location where any of the doors was found by something in the nature of its design?)

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and will come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Graffiti: Variations in Intent

2011-06-22T19:48:00.004-05:00

The first time I ever thought about graffiti was when listening to Simon and Garfunkel's musical album ""Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme". One of the songs is a short bit, " Poem on an Underground Wall" that describes a lone person nervously waiting until no one is around to scrawl an obscene word on a subway wall. Yes, there is that kind of graffiti, as well as the almost universal plague of street gang symbols that can be found in almost any town or city in the world. Still, there is more to graffiti than that as I have briefly commented in a couple other posts.

In the past I've written about graffiti as street art through which an unknown person can share his or her visions with a public. While its impact is not as lasting as art carefully hanging in a museum or gallery, at least for a brief time it is seen and maybe even admired. I have previously mentioned that I am often compelled to photograph graffiti in order to preserve it from the ravages of the elements or the city clean-up crew.

There are also a variety of other reasons for producing graffiti. The riverfront wall of Seville "Creatures from the Deep" seems to tell a saga in cartoon form. The monument in Southern Spain with the word "Revolution" slashed across it in black is a political statement. The riverside image of Michael Jackson's head that appeared in Sheboygan, WI right after his death is a kind of "in memorium" statement. The "Hummingbirds" found on a New Mexican wall and the "Fire Breathing Dragon" found on the entry to a Welsh castle and cultural statements.

One more thing that intrigues me about graffiti-the situation in which the piece is produced. It is not usually evident if the graffiti is done with the blessing of the community or in the dark of night with others acting as lookouts for authority figures who will capture the artist and force an end to the art in progress. Sometimes because of the location and the message, it is very obvious that the work is not expected to be appreciated or the message condoned. At other times, the graffiti is a celebration of colorful beautification of what is a city part that has seen better days. Regardless of the intent, graffiti is one of those universal traits of all cultures and all times. Is there a reader who thinks otherwise? What about the strict laws of Singapore??

Thank you for visiting, please stop by again. Until then, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Splendors of Cordoba

2011-06-14T11:05:00.003-05:00

Let me begin by saying that there is no way I can do justice in terms of capturing the total splendor of this building that evolved over the centuries from the Roman years to the age of Spanish Islam to the its later Christian influence. A person could spend years exploring it in its totality and never become bored. Given that, I thought that I'd share glimpses of the building's interior. Perhaps you'll be inspired to make a visit and experience the beauty for yourself.

The immensity of the structure and the uncountable detail was overwhelming to me. More recently I have become aware of the "slow photography movement" in which the photographer holds a reflective lens and considers carefully before taking a photo. To be very honest, there was so much I didn't want to miss and I had such a limited time to visit, I took non-stop photos with the idea of sorting them out later. In retrospect, I think that by taking this photographical route prevented me from savoring the moment and appreciating the artistry. The trade-off was that I came away with many photos that encompassed many aspects of my visit.

The photos in this post have three purposes. Obviously the first is to show you aspects of Cordoba's beauty. The second is to show the blend of Muslim geometric images and those of 16th Century Christianity. The last is an attempt to convey its vastness.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit. Perhaps Cordoba has been added to your list of places yet to visit. In any case, may your travels be both interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Living Spaces (Western European Style)

2011-06-07T13:40:00.004-05:00

Where and how people live is an interesting aspect of travel. In part, the where and how is determined by the nature of the land. Climate, available resources, length of settlement of a location, cultural preferences, and economic circumstances are just some of the determining factors. While there are some settings that I wouldn't want to permanently contend with, it is cool to explore new settings for a period of time.

I will be the first to admit that there are many, many places I have yet to experience. I have never been to Asia, most of Africa, Central or South America (though I do hope to explore part of Central America in the near future), or Eastern Europe. Yet. Until then, I will have to share images of Parisian apartments; the upper story of a house in Carmona, Spain; the row houses originally provided by a company to the miners of Wales; an isolated Isle of Wight farm complex; and house boats on the Avon River in Bath, England.

My own personal preference for a home is a place in a small city with a temperate climate located near a large body of water, one that has the option of visiting a metropolitan area without much travel or effort. I wonder what preferences you, the visiting reader, have. If you care to share, please leave a comment before you go.

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Distant Places/Wild Spaces

2011-05-29T20:59:00.004-05:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about Nature and its diversity. The land has a strong influence upon the cultures of those who live in a place. Where people have chosen to live and how either they have adapted to their environment or how they have adapted their environment to meet their needs is of great interest to me. All of the images in this post focus upon the land, itself, rather than the ways that people have adapted to these various places. While I found each of these places beautiful in their own way, those of you who have been reading this blog for a while realize that the places I am most drawn to are those which hold a large body of water. There's a need for that water element that is part of my being.

The photos that you have before you include: an arid plateau in Acoma, New Mexico; the rocky, pine-lined Maine coast; the flat, rocky plains of Morocco; the misty valleys as seen from Wales' Mount Snowden; and the turbulent waves buffeting Lake Michigan's western shore in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Each of these places inspired a sense of awe in terms of its natural beauty. I have chose them to stand by themselves without the presence of those who live there. The inhabitants and how they have adapted I will leave to your imaginations.

One question that often comes to mind when I travel to such places-"Do people who live here on a daily basis actually experience the wonder of a place, or do they just take it for granted and go on with their daily lives?" I suppose that,in part, it depends on how difficult the land makes peoples' lives and how much energy is left to appreciate the beauty of place. Another thought related to the land and Nature is that while we all share our common humanity, our life experience as influenced by the land may be very different. Consider a simple difference such as the arid land child who has never been caught in a rain shower....So many places,experiences, and perspectives-all part of the joy of travel. If only we could see and experience it all.

Thank you for visiting. Please feel free to leave a comment before heading towards your next destination; comments are always appreciated. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: Signs of the Times

2011-05-21T12:43:00.002-05:00

In light of May 21, 2011 and the bizarreness of Harold Camping's prediction that the world would come to an end today, I thought I'd make a frivolous post. Side note: He is far from the first to predict the end of the world ordained by a deity, nor will he be the last. I would point out that those of his followers who did NOT give away all of their worldly possessions, neglect needed medical treatment, and other similar actions are better off for having shown prudence in this matter.

The above comments have absolutely nothing to do with either travel or photography, the purpose that I maintain this blog. They do, however, serve as a "justification" for why I have chosen photos of signs that caught my eye in Southern Spain. I chose these particular signs for different reasons. The two I have titled "Chicken-Hearted" and "Sophisticate" have the vibrant colors I associate with the colors of Andalusia or Southern Spain. "Alotta Bull" pokes a bit of fun at the tourist who has had a couple of beers and poses as a "matador" with a silly bull. "Musical Louse" is a poster for a musical group's concert. (Just when you think there can be no more original names for a band...."Mama Crab Louse"!) Finally, the "Unwelcome Guest" sign that was situated outside a cafe and, I assume is a tongue in cheek comment. (Why is it in English in a Spanish town? Owned by a British expatriate? It was closed for the afternoon, so the mystery behind it's comment may remain a mystery to me forever.)

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and will come again. Thanks for stopping by on this non-end of the world day. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: Urban Expressions of Beauty

2011-05-09T21:09:00.004-05:00

One of the aspects of travel is the chance to encounter objects created through the imaginations and talents of people within their communities. Each region holds such pieces of art that range from the simple to the ornate and reflect the cultures and values of those who live there or who lived there in the distant past. I enjoy wandering around and experiencing them in small doses. (I do believe that too many marvels in a short time are overwhelming. Over saturation, even of architectural treasures, takes away from the appreciation of the creator's work. It is impossible to "do" Alhambra in a single hour's visit and do justice to the efforts of it's beauty.)A small viewing with time to reflect and absorb what has been seen is ideal.

I chose photos for this post by nature of the object rather than location. Southern Spain was influenced by the Arabs, Phoenicians, Romans, and many others. It was a pleasure to see the results of these efforts, still intact and unmarred. The next time that I visit, I will be less compelled to use my camera's viewfinder and will be more likely just to observe and appreciate.

Thank you for visiting, I hope that you have enjoyed your stay. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: People Scenes

2011-04-28T09:56:00.004-05:00

Last post I reflected on why I travel. One of the most important reasons that I do is because of people. When I think of the people who I interacted with in Southern Spain, the word "hospitality" comes to mind. People were consistently warm and friendly. I felt welcome there and it was a feeling that makes me want to return. While I rarely took photos of people I interacted directly with (that changes the nature of the interaction), I did capture images that represented aspects of life there that I enjoyed.

The Southern Spain that I experienced had a more relaxed pace of life than I am normally used to. A two hour cafe visit was the norm, not the exception. Cafes were often full. (Note: It was pointed out to me that people in Southern Spain entertain friends and family in cafes and restaurants rather than in their homes. That means that you will often see intergenerational gatherings in those places rather than people of the same age group sitting or standing together.) Since my retirement, I've gravitated towards spending long periods of time in coffee houses and this aspect of Spain fit right into where I wanted to be. BTW-I arrived in Southern Spain the week after the no smoking in public buildings law" went into effect. This made my visits to tapas bars and cafes much more enjoyable from my own perspective.

At home I'm a person who enjoys bicycling. The pedicab I saw in a plaza in Malaga made me envious. I think it'd be cool to ride around town riding one, especially if there were bike lanes. I saw a lot of bicyclists there and cities were "bicycle-friendly". I wish more towns and cities in the USA joined this trend-a great way of traveling and ecologically good as well. That reminds me-in Seville I noticed racks of city-owned bikes that people could use and then leave at another public bike rack near their destination. I just read that Madison, Wisconsin will be trying something similar.

People in unusual settings. Unusual is a relative term. In the USA, most nuns do not wear habits. Many also do not wear veils and can't be easily identified as members of a religious order. I couldn't resist a quick glance with the camera when I saw the nuns in this photo set while they were going about their daily in the city of Ronda. For me, it was almost a trip back in time to the pre-1960's before the concept of a nun in blue jeans became a reality. I also couldn't resist the newspaper-clad performance artist who gestured for me to sit on the bench next to him after I had left a euro in his tip jar. Street performers brought back memories of a visit where I wandered the streets of San Francisco.

Last, but not least were the street musicians. I can't play a musical instrument, but I enjoy all forms of music-especially when it's live and spontaneous. The image in this set was taken in Seville on a sunny Sunday afternoon. As families wandered around the streets and parks after the main meal of the day, vocalists and guitarists added to their day.

These images all are representative of the "people part" of my visit, and one of the many reasons that I want to return someday soon.

Thank you for visiting,feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Why Travel?

2011-04-21T18:01:00.002-05:00

Have you ever thought about why you do or don’t feel the need to travel? Every so often, I do. My recent trip to visit my family in Maine and the discussions that we had made me reconsider the question. Members of my Maine family are content to be where they are and have had relatively little interest in exploring the rest of the world. They are comfortable with their familiar surroundings and, when they do travel from them, have a strong urge to return to where they call home. My father was forced by circumstances to travel to Europe as a soldier during World War II, as were my uncles. Other than that, all of my Maine relatives have spent most of their lives in Maine with a little travel to other parts of the USA. A generation before, it was a different story. My mother’s father traveled by himself from Newfoundland to Maine at age 12, found work there, and settled. My father’s father, in addition to service in France during World War I, spent time as a ship’s carpenter sailing from Florida to Cuba. That was then. Family members of both my father’s and my generations tend to be content as “home bodies”.

It is obvious to anyone who looks at my father, my brother, and me that we are definitely related. My urge to travel does not seem to involve a genetic drive. For some reason, as long as I can remember, I have always been curious about what is beyond the horizon. (I think that’s why I am happiest living near a large body of water where I can’t see the distant shore and wonder what’s over there.) Since I have been an adult with the opportunity to travel, my curiosity has taken me to parts of Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. There are many, many places left to visit on my “travel wish list” and places that I have been that I’d like to revisit.

I spent some time looking at the photos I took in southern Spain in January with a goal of choosing shots that made me want to travel again soon. It all basically comes down to a wish to try experience something different, even though I’m quite happy with where I finally made my home. Images of the land, culture, people in their daily lives, food, ways people have adapted to their environment-all of these make travel part of my life. With the exception of naming the specific location of the stalactites of St. Michael’s Cave in Gibraltar, I’ll let the other photos stand as representative of kind.

I recognize that none of these statements regarding why I travel are either profound or earth-shaking. The process did, however, remind me of why I feel the need to travel. I then had fun trying to choose five photos that would represent aspects of travel experiences that I enjoy. I have two challenges for you, if you‘d care to take them. The first is to go through the process, yourself, and determine why you do or don’t have the urge to travel. The second is for you to dare to go beyond your present horizon sometime soon-there may be something interesting waiting for you there.

Thank you for visiting, feel free to stop by again. If you feel inclined, I’d be very interested in reading your thoughts on travel. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Maine Interlude

2011-04-14T14:47:00.006-05:00

I just spent the last week visiting my 87 year old father in Maine, the Northeastern state that I grew up in. Thought it might be an interesting change of pace to present some images of the place that calls itself "Vacation Land" and "the Pine Tree State".

Maine is one of the areas of the USA with the older settlements of Europeans. Signs that give a settlement date of the early 1700's C.E. are not unusual. There have even been evidence of Viking settlements along the southern coast that date back more than 10 centuries. I understand that for some of you a settlement of 10 centuries ago is a "new" one. For those non-American Indians of North America, both 1,000 and 1700 C.E. are "ancient history". Isn't it interesting how our cultures give us different perspectives about simple things such as "old" and "new"?

Today's Maine is, like any other place, a product of environment and culture. It's long, rocky coast gave settlers access to the sea. The sea was vital for both a supply of food and a livelihood. The pine trees were a source of building materials for the British navy. Both sea and pine still exert a strong presence and act like magnets to attract the tourists who temporarily triple the population of state from May to September. Maine doesn't totally mind the tourist influx as the state is the northern part of Appalachia and, like other places in Appalachia, has a very limited economy.

The photos that I included in this post revolve around two sources. Those of the coast were taken at Reid State Park, a natural resource area that is relatively unchanged by humankind. The others were taken in Hallowell, a town next to the state capitol. Hallowell is located on the Kennebec River. In the 1800's, before the invention of refrigerators, the river ice was cut in blocks, packed in sawdust, and shipped to the far corners of the world. In the 1900's there were a number of shoe manufacturing factories and granite quarries. Today, the town depends on the tourist visiting its antique shops and visiting restaurants before and after walking along the river trail that was fashioned from the old railway tracks.

I hope that you enjoyed your brief visit to a small segment of Maine. Thank you for coming, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Spanish Tiles/Shades of Blue

2011-03-31T13:27:00.003-05:00

One of the traits of Mediterranean cultures seems to be its artistic expression through tilework. I first experienced it in the intricate geometric patterns that I saw during my year as a teacher in Morocco. When I visited New Mexico, I came across tilework that was influenced by the Spanish settlers who blended with the cultures of Mexico. Last January, as we wandered through cities and towns on the northern edge of the Mediterranean, I came across yet more forms of tiled artistry.

The tilework that I found this time bridged the gap of eras and cultures. Places such as Italica were sources of Roman gods, mythological beasts and wildlife found as decorations in no longer used baths and walkways. In the former mosques of Seville and the balconies of Carmona are geometric designs influenced by Muslims and which follow the Koran's statement that there will be no images of man nor beast. Then there is also the tilework of modern Spain that ranges in form from the religious to the historical representation to the modern form of advertising.

There were so many images I really enjoyed that I will need more than one blog posting to share them with you. In this group I tried to include a variety of styles and eras. For some reason or other all of the images that seemed to fit together for this post have elements of blue as part of their features. I hope that you enjoy them.

Thank you for visiting. Feel free to stop by the Tavern for another look. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Cordoba Street Views

2011-03-24T10:09:00.003-05:00

We could learn a lot from Cordoba. Cordoba is a city where, for more than 900 years, Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in harmony. That sense of community is one that we could certainly use today. I am not mentioning this to make a political statement, that is not the purpose of this blog. I will only note that during that time of cross-cultural harmony Cordoba was a center of learning while many of its contemporary cities faced numerous problems.

This time I thought I'd include images taken as I walked along narrow streets. Wandering around ancient streets without a sense of urgency and mostly pedestrian traffic was very enjoyable. Narrow, winding streets are a source of wonder to the visitor because you never know what will be around the next turn of the street. (By the way, I say mostly because every so often a smaller car would squeeze its way through the narrow passageways and pedestrians would duck into doorways to preserve their toes.)

On the bridge causeway leading to Cordoba,you see a woman lighting a candle as a form of petition to a religious statue. At the ends of the streets you see a mosque dome and a cathedral. In a square you come across a statue that honors Ben Maimonides' contribution to medicine. Finally, in the Arab tradition you look from a plain exterior through a wrought iron gate into an ornate home interior.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit to the streets of Cordoba. Another time we'll visit the architectural wonders found in the city. Thank you for visiting, feel free to come again. Until then, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: the Love of Bullfighting

2011-03-15T15:42:00.003-05:00

I hope that no one expected to see photos of an actual bullfight. If you did, I'm sorry to have disappointed you. There are two basic reasons why you don't see "live" bullfighting scenes here. The first is that I was in southern Spain at the wrong time. Bulllfighting has seasons, though they tend to be spread out to include both Spring and Fall depending upon where the bullfighting ring is located. The other reason is that, as a rule, I am not a fan of "blood sports" be it boxing or bullfighting. I honestly don't know if I would have attended a bullfight if the opportunity had been available. I do try to experience other cultures without prejudgement and bullfighting has been an important part of the region. There would be skill and courage shown on the part of those who fight the bulls, as well as courage shown by the bulls. It would be a cross-cultural experience to be part of the spectators who line the ring. Still....I would have reservations about the ultimate result, the death of the bull for the sport of the crowd. That is my own personal opinion, and I might convince myself to attend once for historical and cultural reasons. And then again, I might not. I hate it when I am so ambivalent!

In any case, bullfighting has historically been a part of the culture of southern Spain. You can find evidence of the people's love of the event in many different representations. I have included photos from two cities in particular. Seville has great importance in the sport of bullfighting, and so there is a photo of Seville's ring from an outside view. Ronda is historically very important. From that city there are photos of the bull statue outside the arena, bullfighting implements, and a view of the bullfighting ring. The photo of the senora watching a bullfight through binoculars while wearing traditional Spanish costume was found as one of many bullfighting related photos on the side of a building in Seville's city center.

If you are curious about the history, culture, terms, and the actual events related to bullfighting, I suggest you visit this website:
http://www.andalucia.com/bullfight/home.htm

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: Graffiti-Informal Street Art

2011-03-09T13:40:00.003-06:00

Those of you who have visited the Tavern for a while may remember that I made a post on the graffiti that I found in France. Southern Spain was another source of informal art that I found to be quite good.

Why take photos of graffiti when there are magnificent examples of architecture, interesting people, beautiful landscapes, or delicious foods? I think that one of the reasons that graffiti intrigues me is that it appears to be a universal cultural phenomena. In almost any place that you visit, you will find graffiti in some form or another. At times it is gang symbols, marking territory. At times it will take the form of political or social commentary. In what ever form it appears, from a mere word to an elaborate technicolored scene, each piece of graffiti is a personal expression made by someone within a community. However, unlike personal expressions revered and placed in museums for future generations, graffiti is subject to the elements of weather and time. Photography is a way of capturing those personal expressions and perhaps preserving them for a bit longer.

I wanted to give you a fair sampling of different kinds of graffiti that I found in southern Spain. Most of the more than 50 that I shot were taken in Seville, a city very rich in this form of expression. Some of them quite serious and with a message: "Andalucia is NOT England" brings forth the resentment that some have towards attempts to Anglocize southern Spain. Some, like the "Respect for Old People" are a bit on the irreverent side. Then we have modern art, such as the one that I have titled "Robowash". Finally, there is Malaga's bull motif, celebrating an important cultural and historical element-bullfighting. To be honest, I had a difficult time selecting the examples to display here, there were so many and I appreciated them all for what they represented.

Thank you for visiting the Tavern, feel free to stop by again. I hope that you enjoyed your time here. If you'd care to leave a comment behind, they're always appreciated. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: Malaga Musings

2011-03-01T09:13:00.002-06:00

One of the aspects of Southern Spain that really interested me was the different ways in which cities showed their age. For example, Sevilla was a combination of the old and the new. Modern broad avenues with roundabouts funneled people into squares that led to narrow streets with only foot traffic. This was typical of long-established European cities that I had visited in the past.The Malaga experience was quite different.

Malaga is a city on the coast of the Mediterranean and is today a gateway to
the part of Andalusia known as the Costa de la Sol (the Sun Coast), the Spanish Riviera. Cave paintings give evidence that it was inhabited during prehistoric times. In 700 B.P.E, the Phoenicians established a port city where Malaga is presently located. You would expect to find a 2,700 year old city that blends the new and the old, as you do in other locations.

I had two short stays in Malaga, a week in all. As I walked through the city, and I did for miles and miles, I saw wide streets, vast plazas, modern buildings, and constant on-going construction. Yes, there were a some small winding streets without motorized traffic but it was a distinctly minor part of the total city ambiance. Malaga wears the face of a very modern city, and it presents a natural face not one elderly-botoxed with unnatural features.

I enjoyed Malaga and would like to revisit it. It was a good contrast to my excellent stay in Sevilla. Malaga is a modern city full of life, friendly people, and beauty. Near the fantastic beaches, you can walk through a giant park that is full of tropical plants and interesting art work. It was also the birthplace of Picasso and many of his works are found there. Malaga has an interesting history-it was, among other things, a hotbed of conflict during the Spanish Civil War. Besides all of those attractions, the Cathedral, a Moorish fort, the the tapas bars of the sidestreets and the stores in and around the plazas are interesting places to explore. For more information, you might visit:http://www.malagaweb.com/tourist_guide.php

Thank you for visiting, feel free to come again. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Views From Above

2011-02-23T15:31:00.004-06:00

The land of southern Spain has such great diversity. Moving from coastal beaches, you suddenly encounter plains, rolling hills,valleys, and mountains all within a relatively short distance from one another. While I did spend much of my trip in the cities, I was able to experience some of the land contrasts as I traveled by bus and train. This time I'd like to share images taken from the high view, a different perspective than I am used to. I truly enjoyed the beauty of the mountains. At best, my Wisconsin home has high hills and not many of those. The photos in this post were all taken in the highlands, out of the ordinary from my usual vantage point.

A couple of thoughts come to mind. First of all unlike coastal southern Spain there were vast areas of unsettled land. This gives a very different feeling from the cities with their winding streets and intentionally closely packed houses.A second contrast was that due to higher elevation, the towns found in those higher areas were markedly cooler. In an hour's drive you can change from a short sleeved shirt to a down vest over a sweater (be prepared!). A third thought is even though the land was very different, it was not distant from the coast and it was,for example, very possible to find fresh seafood in a place like Granada. The relatively short distances were what amazed me the most. It would not be too difficult to have an early morning ski run near Granada, then change, take a drive, and spend the afternoon on the beach in Malaga watching the Mediterranean. Yes, it is possible to have it all!

I hope that you enjoyed the high view. Another time, we'll view the land from a different perspective. Thank you for visiting, please feel free to come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: Culinary Delights

2011-02-16T12:37:00.004-06:00

Discovery-if you enjoy sampling delicious food, southern Spain is the place do do exactly that. First of all, think about where you'll be located-near the Mediterranean with its bountiful assortment of sea food. Add a regional .love of pork and ham. Combine that with a variety of subtle herbs and spices. Wrap it together with a gusto for casual leisurely dining. What more could you ask for?

While breakfasts were good (eggs, various sausages, fresh fruits and bakery goods, excellent strong coffee) none of those samples are shown here I apologize. To be honest, it's difficult for me to take photos or do much of anything else before two cups of coffee have been consumed. By then, breakfast samples have been enjoyed and have vanished. Another factor-it was harder for me to get started in the morning when sunrises waited until 8:30 A.M.to appear

After walking around for hours, the Spanish custom of having the main meal of the day at 1:30 or later seemed very good. Seafood (squid and prawns) were high on my list of things to sample. Paella was near the top (I first had it when I taught in Morocco). A large meal accompanied by either a house wine or a Cruz Campo (beer brand) and then a cafe solo (espresso coffee) was a fine way to spend an hour or so. Then it was back to walking for more miles and then perhaps a siesta.

The last meal of the day was later in the evening, 8:30 PM was an early start and you would see whole families out much later. A way to sample different taste treats is to go with a friend or four to a side-street tapas bar for an extended stay. Ordering a variety of small portions and then sharing will lead you to discover new food likes. Of course a bit more house wine (vino tinto, vino blanco), sangria, or more Cruz Campo is an excellent complement to the evening.

Obviously, I am "passionate" about the tastes of southern Spain.I am NOT being paid to promote them, I just highly enjoyed them. ;-} If you ever have the chance, I recommend that you give the region a visit and freely sample everything in order to have an authentic food experience. I'm taking my own advice seriously, and I did bring back a cook book titled "100 Tapas" to experiment with until my next visit.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope that you enjoyed your visit. Please feel free to come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

p.s. I almost forgot about mid-morning snacks. A cafe solo(espresso) and a decadent confection such as the one shown here (it had a rich, orangey flavor) is an experience to be savored. Remember-you'll be walking for miles and can burn off those calories!

Southern Spain: A Brief Visit in Carmona

2011-02-09T06:49:00.005-06:00

We only were able to spend an afternoon in the beautiful town of Carmona. Not being able to have a say in schedules one of the drawbacks of traveling with a group, something I did for the first part of my stay in southern Spain. Given the time constraint, how do you make the most of your stay so that your can get a feel for the flavor of a place?

One of the things I like to do when I have a limited time in a place is to just wander around and explore. Narrow streets with interesting tile work in entry ways, a plaza with families and friends enjoying each others' company, buildings and statues-all add to the flavor of a place. After a bit of wandering, a sidewalk seat in a cafe gives you the chance to sample local foods and also people-watch as you dine. (The eggplant with smoked salmon was delicious.) Last, but not least, another time of wandering to work off some of the meal that was enjoyed and then try to find that perfect view before being herded back on the tour bus for your next destination.

I enjoyed my brief visit to Carmona In the short time that we were there, I think that I was able to at least start to get a sense of what life in a small town in southern Spain is like. If it doesn't work out that I am able to return to Carmona , I at least got a chance to sample a bit of its flavor. Some flavor is, after all, better than none at all.

As you may have gathered from this post, I prefer not to travel in a group and also prefer to spend more time in order to get to know a place better. I was able to do so later on in Seville and Malaga. On the other hand, as one who choses to travel in other countries by public transportation instead of drive, the tour bus took me to places that were more difficult to access by public transportation. All forms of travel have trade-offs, don't they?

Thank you for visiting, feel free to come again. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Southern Spain: Expressions of Faith

2011-02-02T12:24:00.004-06:00

Everywhere you go in Southern Spain you will find an expression of faith in one form or another. Giant cathedrals, rural chapels, icons on the sides of buildings, and monuments of the long and diverse Spanish history. It was very difficult for me to choose images that are truly representative. I tried to include at least one example from each of those settings. I included an image from the Alhambra that contains Arabic script as a reminder of the centuries of Arab influence in the region.

To be honest, the scope of religious influence on Spain is overwhelming. At best i can try to give you fleeting surface impressions that struck me during my short 2 1/2 week visit. Foremost in my mind is the fact that for centuries Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived in places such as Cordoba in harmony. If only that sense of community could exist in the world again. Another impression is that of massive cathedrals with untold wealth of gold and jewels brought by Spanish conquest of the Americas. On one hand, they are places of beauty. On the other, they were furnished by the blood, sweat, and tears of the people of the Americas. A third impression is the diversity of styles in religious expression. Throughout all of those styles of expression, the severity of the crucifixion seems much more graphic to me that North American counterparts. A final expression of faith that comes to mind is that you can round a street corner, enter a narrow side street and discover a shrine with well-attended flowers is a common occurrence. All of these expressions of beauty and devotion make me wonder how people who could create them would also produce the horrors of the Inquisition as an expression of faith. I believe that it is something that is almost impossible for me, at least, to begin to understand. Fortunately, the Inquisition is behind us. The expressions of faith and beauty still remain.

I am not a religious person. I can, however, appreciate the beauty and sincerity in the expression of faith by others. It would not be possible to visit a place such as southern Spain without including expressions of faith as part of the understanding and appreciation of the regions's culture.

Thank you for visiting once more, please stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable. I challenge you to,if possible, stretch your comfort level and search for places beyond your present horizon. There are so many new and different experience that await you.

Kerry

Take It To The Street!

2011-01-26T16:42:00.003-06:00

Throughout the ages buskers or street performers who rely on donations from the public for their performances have added to the character of some cities. Often they appear daily in the same location, put out their hat or other container for "tips" and creatively entertain passersby for short periods of time. The cities of Sevilla and Malaga were places where I enjoyed seeing them in their daily routines.

The performance artists I came across during my stay really varied between the two cities. Sevilla had accordionists, guitarists, singers, and dancers. Those who I saw in Malaga often dressed in costume and acted as living statues. What they held in common were creativity and a sense of bringing joy into the sometimes mundane lives of people who stopped their daily routines for a short time of spontaneous enjoyment. I was glad to share that experience.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable. Do take time to experience the unexpected, you'll rarely regret it. Thank you performance artists, everywhere!

Kerry

Flamenco Night in Seville

2011-01-23T13:19:00.003-06:00

One of the memorable experiences of my recent trip to southern Spain was the night we went to a flamenco show in Seville. It was a performance, not a flamenco in the true sense of the word, but it was full of beauty and a celebration of life in all of its aspects. The true flamenco, said to have its origins in Seville as part of the Gitano culture, is personal, spontaneous, emotional and private from outsiders. Some say that a cultural equivalent of the flamenco is the blues of African-American origin. Traditionally, there was singing with no dancing involved and women played a very minor role. The traditional flamenco artist bared his soul in his performance. The staged performance that I saw was reputed to be as close to authentic as seen by outsiders. It involved both dancing, vocalists, and musicians. The role of women in the Spanish culture of today was reflected in the important roles of the women performing. The evening, with its accompanying tapas and wine, was unforgettable.

The photos in this blog are different that those which I usually post for two reasons. First of all, they focus on people not place. As this was a paid performance, I felt that I could freely capture images without being intrusive. The second difference was the way in which the photos were taken. So as not to take away the viewing experience of others, I used the camera of my Sanyo Zio cell phone. On the whole, I was happy with the results, and even made a couple short video recordings.

Question-
Do you think that photographing a cultural event takes away part of the photographer's appreciation of the performance?
(I have mixed thoughts on the subject and I am curious as to your opinions.)

Thank you for visiting, feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

People of Seville on a Sunday

2011-01-18T14:38:00.002-06:00

Hola, everyone! I'm still in Southern Spain for a few more days and I thought that I'd share some images with you. All of what you see in this post were taken on a Sunday in Seville. Seville is now on my list of "favorite cities". It is a vibrant, interesting city with many warm people. On Sundays, friends and families go into the streets and parks in order to enjoy each others' company. These are some of the scenes that I saw.

Those of you who have been following this blog over the last couple of years know that these images are different than my usual. I have struggled to capture the essence of a place while not be intrusive. These photos were taken in a way that did not interfere with the activities of the people who have been captured in their daily lives. I seem to be finally learning how to do this.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit. Thank you for stopping by. Until the next time, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Sevilla Street Scenes

2011-01-08T13:29:00.004-06:00

Hola! Greetings!
I'm having a wonderful time in Southern Spain. The last three days have been based in Sevilla (Seville), a vibrant and colorful city full of fine people. While I'll eventually have many photos to share and stories to tell, I thought I'd give you some images of my first day here. These photos were taken with blurry eyes as I did not sleep on the plane, so it was more than 24 hours after I had last slept. Still, the day was good, enhanced by sunshine, greenery, and high octane cafe solo (the small, but potent espresso coffee you see in the photo).

adios!

KERRY

Things Soon to Come

2010-12-29T16:54:00.003-06:00

In less than a week I'm off to southern Spain for 17 days. Excitement about places new to me is racing through my mind. Seville, Granada, Malaga are the three main stops, although there will be side trips as well. The only part of Spain that I've explored has been in in valleys of the Pyrenees along the Spanish-French border. Southern Spain with its Moorish influence will be new. I did spend a year teaching in Morocco, so I do have some feeling for North Africa. Anyhow, it will soon be time to wander down city streets savoring sights, sounds, and tastes. Camera will be in hand. Actually, cameras will be in hand as I plan on experimenting with my Sanyo Zio cell phone camera to unobtrusively capture people shots (something I've been reticent to do with a more visible camera). If the latter turn out well, I will post a few as well as those that I take with my Canon.

I may find time for a brief post or two during the trip. Otherwise, I certainly will have posts to share soon after the trip.

Thank you for visiting. You are always welcome. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Christmasy Downtown Chicago

2010-12-17T14:34:00.002-06:00

This week we traveled to Chicago to pick up our daughter who had spent the last two months exploring parts of Central America. While we were there, we took the opportunity to wander around downtown Chicago for a day to see the sights and do a bit of shopping. Even though it was cool, the Windy City was kind to us and there was no snowfall and we found even a bit of sunshine at time.

The glimpses you see in this post avoid the crowds of shoppers that were found even on a weekday. The city truly never sleeps . The decorated lion "guarding" the Art Museum;skaters at Millennium Park; a snow-covered distant park scene; a view from the 7th floor balcony at Macy's Department Store...all parts of the scene, and so much more that could be shown. It was a good visit in al respects.

Thank you once more for visiting. Please feel free to visit again. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Blizzard Wisconsin

2010-12-12T15:43:00.003-06:00

I don't usually create posts so closely together, nor do I usually focus on nature shots in this blog. On the other hand, I suddenly remembered that what is mundane to people locally may be exotic to those who may never have a similar experience. Given that thought, here are images of my neighborhood as a winter blizzard comes to an end. Blizzards are winter storms that have both heavy snowfall and frigid winds. The snowfall is over, but the present wind chill at 4 PM is 0 degrees F and the temperature is still dropping. As Wisconsin is prepared for these conditions, schools, businesses, and life in general will go on as usual tomorrow morning.

Thank you for visiting. I hope that this was of interest for those who do not experience snow. t's been an interesting 24 hours and I, for one, look forward to the near future when the wind stops howling. I can't imagine living in a place where the wind sounds go on for days at a time.

May your travels be enjoyable and the winds be kind to you.

Kerry

Wisconsin's Door County

2010-12-11T18:01:00.003-06:00

Our trip to southern Spain is still three weeks away. A winter blizzard is going to hit us with up to 15" of snow and high winds starting at midnight tonight and the large snowflakes have just started to fall. It's time to temporarily think of warmer times.

Wisconsin's Door County is a place of natural beauty,artists, apple and cherry orchards, vineyards and wineries. It is also a place that has areas of tourist-attracting glitz. In spite of the latter characteristic, I enjoy spending time there.I've included a little of each aspect in this post=a goat on a grass=covered rooftop, bits of artwork displayed out of doors, a conglomeration of tourist ""collectables" and a water view that includes the boat "Quo Vadis".
Quo Vadis, Latin for 'where are you going?" is a question that all those who travel face.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope that you enjoyed your visit. May your travels be both interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Building as a Canvas

2010-11-29T16:23:00.003-06:00

Art comes in many forms and is found in diverse locations. The artistic efforts displayed in this post were not found in famed museums of the world, nor were the works of Grand Masters. All of which is shown is contemporary and uses building sides as their canvas. A hundred years from now they may not exist, either weathered by the elements or torn down for city renovation.

The artwork was captured in a variety of locations. Florence, Italy gave us a view back in time on the wall of a bar. Souther France presents a multi-story building with a false side-view. St. Brieuc, France sends us a lover of music. Tucumcari, New Mexico celebrates the free-wheeling Route 66. A beastly creature lurks on the wall leading to a Welsh castle. I enjoyed unexpectedly finding each and every one of them. The unexpected adds spice to the act of traveling.

Thank you for visiting,feel welcome to return another time. Until then, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

p.s. Just a mere 5 weeks until my trip to southern Spain. I'm excited!

Windows 2010-Version 1

2010-11-16T12:50:00.002-06:00

Those of you who have visited before know that windows and doors are interesting to me. In different ages and different cultures, one can find variations in both window styles and what you find on the other side of them. The images in this post were all taken during my 2010 trip to England, Scotland, and Wales. Some were found in ancient and unused castles and cathedrals. Others were part of modern urban settings. The stained glass woman warrior was found in a Cardiff castle that had been restored of a 19th Century Industrial Giant. Regardless of their present settings, they represent a sign of their respective times. They are cultural clues for the historical detective. (I'll give you another clue, sorry if it's so obvious...version 1 in the title can be taken to imply that there will be more to follow at a later date. ;-}

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and will come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

The Plaza-A Gathering Place

2010-11-11T20:44:00.003-06:00

I've always been interested in how people use their space. Cultures and the land combine in so many interesting ways. Sometimes you can look at an unlabeled photo of a place and mentally say to yourself, "This HAS to be.....!"

-Are there any places in this collection that you have that feeling when you look at it? (Two of the photos were taken somewhere in North America and three somewhere in Europe.)

-Do you identify anything that these settings have in common?

Thank you for visiting, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Taverns-Signs of Welcome?

2010-11-05T11:50:00.002-05:00

I am currently reading a translation of Arturo Perez-Reverte's, "Captain Alatriste". The novel is set in Madrid during the 17th century and much of the action takes place in "The Tavern of the Turk". The primary characters spend much of their waking hours (and some sleeping) socializing in the tavern, interacting with each other and the occasional passersby who wander in and are often received with mixed welcome. This has led me to think about how "public taverns" present themselves from the outside.

Tavern/public house signs can either act as magnets to attract passersby to venture inside and explore, or they can be understated and off-setting. As I looked through the photos I took in Edinburgh last March, I was able to identify tavern signs that presented a variety of messages.

The Rabbie Burns sign not only advertises the poet Robert Burns, but also grabs the attention of the many tourists that wander Edinburgh's streets. The Jinglin'Geordie is located on a narrow side street and refers to a 17th century character who lived in Edinburgh. The Holyrood 9A sign playfully warns us that , "A little beer is a dangerous thing." and has a drawing of a woman who reminds us of the 1920's era. The Oxford Bar sign is stark and tells the facts as they are without any come-ons. The Malt Shovel is ageless and appealing.

Here is the question: If you were in the mood for a drink, which sign would lead you to open the door and venture inside?

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

A Church in the English Countryside

2010-10-20T10:25:00.002-05:00

To me, the small buildings in rural areas are just as inspiring as the gigantic cathedrals of urban areas. Rural English churches impart the same sense of community history, merely on a smaller scale. The photos in this post try to create a composite image of one of these country churches.

As I wandered around the church grounds, I was struck by a sense of quiet permanency and a feeling of tranquility. It is interesting to try to imagine the people who have walked along the same stone-paved paths that are worn with age and the footsteps of many. As you go through the old heavy wooden doors on a sunny day, yous eyes are immediately drawn to the beauty of stained glass windows whose colors remain vivid after centuries. In hidden niches, you will discover images such as that of an armored knight and his lady with their hands clasped in prayer. The total effect was one that combined simplicity and beauty, one that generations of congregation members had experienced and even perhaps taken for granted. This last statement reminds me that often what is a marvel to the eyes of the visitor has become commonplace to those within the established community. Perhaps that condition is a reason that we should all travel so that we can return to our places and view our surroundings with fresh eyes.

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

The Beauty of Wisconsin's Fall

2010-10-15T08:15:00.002-05:00

The Fall colors have been exceptionally intense this year, so I thought that I would share them with you. Their possibility is the main reason that I usually chose not to travel outside the State during September and October. I hope that you enjoy these Fall images

Thank you for visiting. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Edinburgh:Reflections of a Traveler/Amateur Photographer

2010-10-04T14:15:00.004-05:00

I truly enjoyed my two days in Edinburgh and intend to return and explore it in greater detail. As a result , I chose to use photos from there to illustrate my reflections on why I take the kinds of photos that I do when I travel.

First of all, I admit that my photos are eclectic. I don't focus on Nature, architecture, portraits, or transportation. Rather, I try for images that will capture the essence of an aspect of a place. Let's look at the photos that I've posted this time.

The image of the Scottish Parliament building stood out to me as incongruously modernistic in a city rich in history. The story behind it is that it is modernistic to represent the fact that Scotland recently gained some local autonomy.

The busking bagpiper is uniquely appropriate in a Scottish setting.

The road to Arthur's Seat in the heart of Edinburgh captured both the natural beauty and the land that helped shaped the character of the Scottish people.

The Oxford Bar sign reminded me of my personal pilgrimage to the "Ox" to pay homage to Ian Rankin's fictional character Inspector Rebus. (The barkeep and noontime patrons were dour and unwelcoming to a couple of American tourists.)

Edinburgh Castle in the fog should have been a disappointment but turned out to be very revealing. A tour guide who we happened upon in a side chapel spent time discussing the local weather and how it had such a strong impact upon the darker writings of Edinburgh's authors. (The next day, as we sat on the airport bus headed towards our flight to London, we saw Edinburgh Castle surrounded by brilliant sunlight. What a contrast!)

This post has been helpful to me in better understanding why I take and select the photos that I do. I hope that you have enjoyed the images and the contexts that I have given them. Your comments and thoughts are always appreciated.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Godshill, Isle of Wight

2010-09-25T17:33:00.004-05:00

It is the sense of history rather than a sense of religion that draws to to the religious edifices of the world. While I was raised as an Episcopalian (American version of the Church of England) and have been a Zen Buddhist, I consider myself to be an atheist. When I travel to places like the Isle of Wight, I can not ignore its religious buildings if I want to capture a sense of culture.

The All Saints Church of Godshill on the Isle of Wight was built sometime in the 15th Century (Christian Era). As you walk through its doors, you are hit by a coolness of temperature and the mustiness of age. Walking between its walls was a walk through time. The church is off of the beaten path and not crowded with tourists. It is also still actively used 600 years after it was originally built. The photographs in this post try to present some of the characteristics that have grown into its being over the ages. The religious icons, the statue of a crusader, and a tract on the benefits of Christian Vegetarianism are all part of its history.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit to a part of British culture. Thank you for visiting, please stop by again. As you notice from my previous post date, my resolution to put this blog aside was very short-lived. The fact is, we have become part of each others' lives and I don't want to end that relationship. So, as that singing duo of the mid 1960's (Sonny and Cher) once said, "The beat goes on".

May your travels be both interesting and enjoyable as you seek out new places beyond your present horizon or just revisit a favorite old place that you found sometime in your past.

Kerry

Wandering Off the Beaten path

2010-09-23T14:39:00.003-05:00

Hi Fellow Traveler,

I haven't posted for a while because there haven't been any viewer responses to what I have posted. To be honest, your comments are what have made blogging meaningful to me. An important part of traveling to me is the sharing of the images that I have found and the experiences that I have had and the interaction that results.What I'm going to do for the moment is not post here and concentrate on the Flickr groups that I belong to. Feel free to follow the Flickr link if you wish. It won't be quite the same, because I won't be able to comment as much, perhaps that's just as well.;-}

Those of you who have followed me over the years, thank you. I have enjoyed getting to know you and have followed your blogs as well. I feel it was unfortunate that Verve Earth no longer connects us as it used to.The is now a gap in the blogging community.

If you wish to leave a comment at this post, I will answer it and very likely resume my posts. Also feel free to contact me at kerrybryne@yahoo.com.In any case, may your travels be both interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Signs of Fall/Labor Day Weekend Ramblings

2010-09-06T12:38:00.004-05:00

There are times to travel and times to refrain from travel. In my mind, if you are in the United States on Labor Day weekend, it's a time to refrain. Labor Day weekend lasts for three days and was started as a time to celebrate the American worker. It is also the last gasp of summer before school sessions are in full swing and family travel plans are more limited. As a result, American highways often face bumper to bumper traffic over the weekend and places that you would find interesting are wall to wall with people. I have traveled over labor Day weekend, but I prefer to opt for local activities and go to those interesting places when they are not so overwhelmed by people.

The photos in this post show images of the Sheboygan,Wisconsin area during Labor Day weekend. Saturday and Sunday the Dairyland Surf Classic was in full swing. Yes, there are surfers who live near the shores of Lake Michigan and often enjoy riding the waves. In order for that to happen, the winds must come from the right direction in order to create those waves. The Monday before the surfing event the conditions were perfect and the surf was pounding. By the weekend, the winds had changed and Lake Michigan was subdued (but not totally flat). In spite of the fact that most of the surfing had to be surf paddling and the 58 degree F. temperature meant that people were bundled up, a good time was had by all.

The next day was a bit warmer and nature in the form of the Maywood nature center beckoned. The trails were uncrowded and occasional wildlife wandered unbothered by human interlopers. A flock of turkeys, an inquisitive faun, and a myriad of monarch butterflies went on with their daily lives. Leaves had started to turn their Fall colors and plants had begun to turn brown, a sign of colder times to come.

All in all, it was a good weekend free from the herds of travelers. Today, Monday, is a cool day of scattered thunder showers. Not a bad situation, I was given time to spend time looking at my plans for a trip to southern Spain in January.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoyed your side trip to Sheboygan's Labor Day weekend. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Chicago Towers Downtown

2010-08-24T11:12:00.003-05:00

I spent part of last weekend in Chicago. Partly because of the heat and humidity and partly because of the potential beauty, we decided to take a river/lakeshore tour. The time spent was excellent and the views astounding. I thought that for this post I'd share some of the buildingscapes (is that acceptable English?) with you. To be honest, I'm almost embarrassed by the number of photos that I took in the two hour period. I will post more images of aspects of downtown Chicago another time, but if you want to see more photos now just click on my Flickr link that is located on the right side of this blog page.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Madison, Wisconsin Moving Days

2010-08-18T16:21:00.003-05:00

Madison,Wisconsin is a unique place to be in mid-August. Madison-a city of around 200,000- is an interesting blend of established home-owners and renters. Many, but far from all, of the renters are the 50,000+ students who live in the city. Every August, large numbers of those renters are temporarily homeless of 24 to 48 hours as they move out of one rental unit and wait to move into another. They and their belongings often either stay in rented U-Haul vans or camp out on an available lawn, hoping that the weather remains dry.

This August, I was involved in moving my daughter from one apartment complex to another. The process started on Friday, the 13 (an inauspicious day at best) and ended on Sunday the 15 when she was able to move into her new living space. Unlike many, she was able to leave her belongings that did not remain in the van at the house of family members. I'd like to share both impressions of the process and images of the aftermath.

Madison Renters’ Moving Weekend-a time of family, tornado watch, moving belongings in pouring rain, lightening and thunder, temporarily homeless students on lawns with rain-drenched belongings, dumpster scavengers pushing baby in stroller, photo ops, good food and cold beer, humidity followed by cool air and sunshine. On the whole an "interesting time" . It was an interesting time. I arrived at 1PM on Friday, the 13 for a move that would start at 4 PM. Shortly after arrival I was eating lunch when the rains burst open the skies. An hour later, the rains let up and I started to explore State Street while I waited for my son at 3 PM and would then go with him at 4 PM to help my daughter begin her move. Suddenly the tornado sirens went off-a potential tornado situation had been observed nearby and people were supposed to seek shelter. Most went on with what they were doing; I had a cup of cappuccino at a coffee house as nothing seemed imminent. Finally, after 4 PM, we started loading my daughters belongings into the van amidst thunder, lightening, and pouring rain. That took care of the moving aspect of Friday the 13th. Both Saturday and Sunday went much better; the humidity was gone by Sunday and the move was relatively stress-free.

Saturday afternoon, a transition time between having moved out and the time when renters were allowed to pick up keys and move in, was when I took the photos included in this blog and the others in my Flickr album. They are images of a Madison east side neighborhood, contrasting impressions of the established neighborhood dwellings and the aftermath of the moving out process that renters underwent. It was a spontaneous photoshoot; I decided to take a walking tour of the neighborhood in which I was staying. In the process, I didn't want to be intrusive and include actual people moving. They were stressed out enough as it was. Besides, we were busy moving when they were and in limbo when they were. It was the aftermath that caught my camera's eye. The abandoned belongings along the curbs sort of reminded me of a seaside beach at low tide with debris left behind.If you would like to see more of the photos that I took, please visit my Flickr album at the following address:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jadedirishgryphon/sets/72157624622419299/

Thank you for visiting, please stop by again. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.I must, however, be careful in my wish fr you. Interesting can be a multi-layered condition. ;-}

Kerry

Sheboygan Summer Scenes

2010-08-08T12:20:00.002-05:00

This is a very spontaneous post. I suddenly got the urge to share some local summer images to show you why I am very content to be in Sheboygan, Wisconsin much of the summer. Being the water person that I am, many of the photos I take are along the lake shore or riverfront. Two shots that are away from the water were taken during our local art fair in July. If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to visit the city and its surrounding area. There is a lot to see in terms of natural beauty here, even during the frigid ice and snow moths of January and February.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. As always, your comments are appreciated. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

The Streets of Wales

2010-08-02T12:20:00.005-05:00

I went into the experience with few preconceptions except with the knowledge that some of my ancestors came from Wales. Once I arrived, I soon discovered that Welsh towns are interesting to wander around. People are friendly, streets are colorful and safe. I didn't even mind the March drizzle that seemed to follow me practically everywhere I went (maybe that's why my ancestors boarded the boat and left for North America!) Seriously though, I enjoyed my visit and could very easily be convinced to spend more time exploring the country.

The photos in this post are from a variety of small towns. What they all have in common is a sense of age, permanency, order, and friendliness. I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and will come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Tintern Abbey

2010-07-17T18:28:00.004-05:00

I really enjoyed visiting Wales this last March. Wales is the land of poetry, King Arthur, coal mines, ales, castles and cathedrals. One of my favorite stops in terms of the historical was Tintern Abbey. It was amazing to wander through the ruins and try to imagine the lives that were spent connected to the Abby. Fine mists and gray skies added to the mood of the place.

"Tintern Abbey is in the lower Wye Valley in south Wales. It was founded in 1131 as the first Cistercian Abbey in Wales (and the second of what were to become 86 abbeys in Britain), on land originally owned by Henry I - the fourth son of William the Conqueror. The original sizeable 1100s stone Romanesque monastery and abbey church were completely demolished in the late 1200s to make way for new gothic buildings. The south front of the ruined gothic abbey (the monastery buildings were on the north (river) side."

I hope that you enjoyed your visit to this site. I encourage you to visit the abbey if you can, the experience will be truly memorable. Thank you for coming, please come again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

On the Street

2010-07-07T08:10:00.002-05:00

One of the reasons that I travel is to enjoy the flavor of the everyday life found in other places. Museums and cultural centers are interesting and informative, but it is the city, town, or village street that shows the visitor what "today" is really like in a place. The museums and cultural centers help explain the "why" of it all.

I have chosen a potpourri of images without a particular theme except for the fact they represent the ordinary. Bath in the rain with people going on with their lives in spite of it. A kiosk in Paris along the River Seine. Warmly dressed sightseers in London's Chinatown examining a food display. A flower stall in France's Brittany. A cathedral square in Lucca, Italy during a night religious celebration.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and will return sometime. Thank you for stopping by. Until then, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Isle of Wight Countryside Views

2010-06-26T12:42:00.004-05:00

From last week's shoreline views, we move to the interior of the Isle of Wight. As you can see from the images here, the IOW is not a crowded area with teaming masses. It always amazes me when I travel how uncrowded a land that has been settled for countless centuries can be, especially an island with a temperate climate. Still, there is much to be said for a place that has miles of winding roads free from garish billboards and filled with sites of natural beauty and rustic scenery.

A couple of comments on what you see on this page. Notice the plank attached to the wooden fence rail. These planks are put there to assist ramblers ((people who hike) in climbing over fences. Fences are used to keep animals in their place, not necessarily to keep people out and protect the owner's privacy. How civilized in the true sense of the word, so much different that the electrified barbed wire fences with "No Trespassing" signs commonly found in my own country. Also notice the narrow, winding road free of advertising. The driver is forced to slow down and enjoy nature. Yes, it takes longer to go places. On the other hand, the view is more than worth the time spent. (Stop! There I go with the cultural concept of worrying about "the amount of time spent". The concept that time can be spent says something about my cultural heritage, doesn't it?) I need to reflect a bit more on the concept of time and how I view it. There is room for growth. ;-} That's what travel is all about-a chance to see, experience, and grow.

I hope that you enjoyed your visit and will come back again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Isle Of Wight Shoreviews

2010-06-19T07:03:00.002-05:00

The Isle of Wight visit that we had in late March was excellent. Besides the time to spend time with very good friends, the Isle was an amazing place to explore. About 5,000 years ago it was part of mainland Britain. Today it is an island cut off from the mainland by the Soylent and bordered by sometimes imposing coasts. What I would like to show you in this post is views taken along the coast. In future posts, I will explore the interior of the Isle with you, a land of interesting history and contrasts. If you'd like to explore the Isle of Wight on your own before then, consider visiting this website: http://freespace.virgin.net/roger.hewitt/iwias/home.htm

Thank you for visiting, I hope that you enjoyed your stay. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Edinburgh's Colorful Signs of Commerce

2010-06-11T13:52:00.005-05:00

As I said in my previous blog, I like the uniqueness of Edinburgh. The photos in this post show the "eye candy" it uses to part money from its visitors. So of it is quite tasteful (the Celtic crafts sign) and others less so (the fake Scottish gear that includes a red wig). As we are visiting a land known for its whiskys (Scottish spelling), pub signs are duly represented. On a future visit to the city, I may be tempted to try the evening "ghost tour"...Edinburgh on a misty, foggy night lends a special atmosphere to the whole concept.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit to the streets of Edinburgh. I highly recommend a real visit if you have the chance. Next post, I will take you in a different direction.

Thank you for visiting, please come back again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

The Streets of Edinburgh

2010-06-04T08:50:00.003-05:00

Edinburgh is a city with a unique character, one worth exploring. I had had a bit of exposure to the city through Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series and Alexander McCall Smith's "44 Scotland Street". (If you haven't read either, I highly recommend both authors.) The two authors sort of prepared me for my three day stay there in late March.

The photos in this post are some of the many street scenes that I took during my stay. Edinburgh is a great place to wander around by foot or just people watch from a cafe. Kilted signs of Scottish culture seemed to be everywhere, from the formal wear in a store front window to the piper busking near the train station. The streets themselves encouraged exploration-narrow side streets leading to hidden pubs and other unknowns off of the beaten path.

For the most part, the city was open and inviting. I did, however, find an exception to the rule. After much walking, we finally located the Oxford Bar. "The Ox" is a constant setting for Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus. After taking a photo of the sign, we wandered inside to take a look and perhaps grab a lunch (it was 12:30 and we had done a lot of walking to arrive at the place). When we walked through the door, there was a woman behind the bar and two middle-aged men enjoying their drinks. We smiled and looked around, and they looked at us without a word of welcome or a query as to what we'd like. After a moment of looking at the staring faces, Lori just spoke up and said we were just looking. The bar maid and the drinkers went back to their conversation and we left. Outside the Ox, we took another photo then went to a friendlier place for a pint and a sandwich. Our thought was that the Oxford Bar patrons were constantly interrupted by Ian Rankin readers visiting the bar and they just wanted to be left alone. It was a strange, but memorable, Edinburgh experience. I truly want to revisit Edinburgh and explore it in greater detail.

Thank you for visiting. I hope that you enjoyed your stay. Please feel free to leave a comment behind if you wish. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Travels Closer to Home

2010-05-30T15:55:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you don't have to travel far from home to have a trip worth remembering. The photos in this post were taken yesterday as part of my visit to Madison, Wisconsin, a city where I used to live and one that is two hours from my present home. Unlike my usual fare, these images focus on nature in a park setting. The early evening in the park was perfect-people escaping the heat of the city in the shade of the park and enjoying a dramatic sunset. I'd like to share both river and sunset views with you,they reflect the peacefulness and quietness of the time and place.

Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed this side-trip in urban natural beauty. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable, be they near or far.

Kerry

London Meanderings

2010-05-20T21:08:00.003-05:00

I enjoy wandering around London. The parts that I am familiar with are friendly, interesting and diverse. The photos on this post reflect part of a day's wandering through some parts known to me and others which I hadn't explored before.

We were at a hotel near Heathrow airport and decided to take the Tube into London and spend a few hours revisiting some of the places we had seen before and try a few new places as well. It was the Saturday before Easter, a weekend with a Bank Holiday-parts of London were absolutely packed with people wandering around exploring like we were. Holiday crowds can either be overwhelming or a lot of fun. As the day was sunny (for a change, after a couple wet weeks)people were in good moods and the crowds were not a problem at all. It was one of those times where you were surrounded by tourists and it didn't matter (a rare occasion), so just take those photos and enjoy the scene as you do it.

Trafalgar Square was crowded and people were enjoying themselves. I couldn't resist taking a shot of the guy with his head near the lion's mouth. Wandering towards the Eye, we had times of few people, at least until we came to the bridge near Big Ben and felt like we were sardines in a can. Still, it was a festive time and people weren't acting impatient. After walking back to Trafalgar Square, we veered to the ares of Chinatown and the theater district, both are relatively close to one another. Eventually we found our way back to the Tube station and headed towards Heathrow and our hotel. It was a very enjoyable day...London can be a great city to spend time in.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. I hope that you liked your virtual visit to London. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Britain-Stone Images of War and Peace

2010-05-17T12:06:00.002-05:00

Aspects of war and peace are not something I go looking for when I travel. I would rather spend time exploring the various cultures and the land that has shaped them. In all honesty, there are times that you can not avoid topics that make you feel uncomfortable. As I traveled through Wales, Scotland, and England I came across reminders of war-related events that helped shape British culture. It is a set of select images related to this that I have chosen to include here. Because of their nature, the stone images are presented in black, white, and gray. My intent is not to make a political statement regarding war, British military use, the British people, or those who attacked Britain at various times in history. Rather, I am acknowledging the fact that these events were realities that, in part, shaped the present lands that I visited.

The photos that you see represent a variety of eras. The sentinel king looking from Stirling Castle. A London remembrance of the women of World War II. The statue of a lone Gurkha soldier who served the British faithfully and then had to fight for recognition to become a British citizen. The kilted Scots soldier ready to defend his country. The dove of peace in a Welsh cathedral that was bombed by accident during World War II (the intended target were the docks of Cardiff).

I hope that you had a good visit and will come again. Please feel free to leave a comment behind; comment are always appreciated. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Glimpses of Welsh Countryside

2010-05-11T10:24:00.003-05:00

The way that we travel has a strong impact on what we see and experience. The trip to Wales was different than others I have taken. On one hand, because I was part of a university tour group traveling by bus on a set schedule, I had less control of the "where" and the "when" of it all. On the other hand, I had a chance to see parts of Wales away from the cities and off the beaten path of major train lines and highways. Many of the photos in this blog were taken through a bus window, something I had not really tried before. I learned two basic lessons. One was that traveling speed was a key factor. You never knew what you would come upon, so you had to be constantly ready. The other part of that factor was how quickly you passed something that caught your eye. Fortunately, many Welsh roads were winding and very narrow and bus speed was slower than you might expect. The other lesson that I learned is that bus window shots were next to useless when windows became rain-covered. Hint-there is a lot of rainfall in the British Spring. :-} In spite of these learning experiences, I had an excellent trip and actually came away with some good images of the Welsh countryside.

Thank you for visiting, I hope that you enjoyed your stay and will come back again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Taking a Gamble on Bath Revisited

2010-05-03T09:09:00.003-05:00

Revisiting a place is always a gamble. If you went once and had good memories of the place, you might replace them with memories with which you are less fond. On the other hand, if you had a bad experience there, another one would confirm your first impression and make you mentally kick yourself for foolishly wasting one of your limited number of travel days. Of course if your are a traveling optimist, there's always the chance that you can come away from the experience with better memories.

If you read my earlier post on our rainy walking tour of Bath in a mental state of more than a day without sleep as we traveled from Chicago to Wales, you might question our decision to spend our last day in Britain traveling to and from Bath to spend a few hours there. Remember though, in spite our our state of mind and the weather, there had been some good impressions of the city. Also, it was Lori's birthday and it was what she really wanted to do. So, being the perennial optimists, we became Bathward bound once more.

I have to admit, the trip there was a bit of a hassle. It was a Bank Holiday, so we couldn't get seats on the pre-booked 8AM bus from near Heathrow. With the help of a National Express employee, we were able to catch the 10AM bus from the central terminal, a cross-cultural experience itself. In fact the whole concept of pre-booked bus coach seats was a learning experience. It was, however a good way to travel.

Our day in Bath was excellent. The streets were crowded because of the Bank Holiday, but it created a festive air. It was sunny! (Much of our three weeks in Britain was spent in drizzle, fog, or rain.) We revisited some of the places we had seen the first time, only this time we were rested and had full mental facilities. There were also new places visited, one of them being the Jane Austen Museum. The day was a gamble that paid off. BTW-I tried to have the photos in this post complement those from my earlier Bath post, I hope I was successful.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoyed your time here and will come again. In any case, may your own travels be both interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Beasts of Cardiff Castle

2010-04-26T12:35:00.011-05:00

It was a fast-paced March day as part of a university tour group. After a hearty Welsh breakfast we rushed from a castle to an abbey to lunch on our own to a restored Welsh village to Cardiff Castle. In the process, we dealt with rains, sunshine, and a mile long walk to and from Cardiff Castle that included post-game crowds from the Wales Italy rugby match. A bit too ambitious a schedule in our minds and we took the next day off from the tour to do a bit of exploration at our own pace.

Cardiff Castle bills itself as "a Welsh Victorian Camelot". It has a 2,000 year history. It was restored by a Victorian (late 1800's) entrepreneur, and is an example of Disneyesque "conspicious consumption". The tour was also conducted by a guide who may have been a master sergeant or perhaps Atilla the Hun in one of her former lives. You can find more information about the castle through the following link- http://www.cardiffcastle.com/.

One of the aspects of the castle that I truly enjoyed was the various creatures that were found throughout the grounds. These are the images that I'd like to share with you and, I hope that you enjoy them.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. If you'd care to leave a comment behind you, it would be greatly appreciated. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

From the Walls of Castle Conwy

2010-04-20T14:09:00.002-05:00

Imagine yourself back in time as a guard walking the walls of Castle Conwy on a sunny Spring morning. In spite of your slightly aching head, due to a few too many pints of Dragon's Breath cider the night before, you're alive and have a spectacular view of the world from your heights. If you look inside the walls, you can feel secure as you see a truly massive structure and people bustling in all directions. Of course your eyes are supposed to be directed outward from the castle, searching for the signs of invaders. While none are evident at the moment, you can see the close by town,,the boats in the bay at low tide, and snow on the distant mountain. Life could be worse than walking the walls with your long bow in the morning sun.

I have to admit that I was surprised how many castles are found in Wales. Of those that I visited, Castle Conwy was my favorite in terms of the views that surrounded it. The castle, itself, was also interesting.

Thank you for visiting, please come again. Feel free to leave a comment behind, they are always appreciated. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Street Art on the Way to Castle Conwy

2010-04-14T12:57:00.008-05:00

There are so many images that hit a traveler's eyes. A visit to Castle Conwy in Wales was one of those experiences. Another time I'll share photos of the castle,itself, and the view of the bay that is seen from its walls. This time, however, I'd like to share images of modern street art that I found in a tunnel that eventually directs the walker to the castle entrance.

I've always been interested in street art, and this collection is exceptional. The vibrancy of the colors and the subjects that seemed to appropriately blend into this setting-archers, dragons,magical ravens, monk-like figures. As a photographer, I found them to be magnetic in the way they demanded my attention. I hope that you enjoyed them as well.

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to visit again. Any comments that you wish to leave behind will be appreciated. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

Edinburgh Castle in Fog and Mist

2010-04-08T19:05:00.002-05:00

Sometimes travel plans don't work out as you expect them to. Then, you as a traveler, have the choice of making the best of the situation or not. We were scheduled to visit Edinburgh Castle on a day full of fine mist and a cloud cover so dense that it was difficult at times to see a castle feature until you were actually next to it. It would have been easy to decide to either abandon the tour completely or rush through it in order to get on to a less challenging setting.

A guide in a small out of the way section of the castle helped us put the day in a proper perspective. He told that the day was a good example of how Scottish authors were influenced in their writing by their local environment. The gray and haunting cloud-covered mists have inspired authors such as Ian Rankin to write mysteries full of dark humor. Indeed, wandering through the castle did bring to mind lurkers in the fog and sudden dire happenings.

While the photos that I took that were very different from the sun-lit castle I saw two days later as our bus was leaving for the airport, I am glad that things worked out the way that they did. I was challenged to capture the spirit of Edinburgh under less than ideal conditions and actually enjoyed the castle visit. I also appreciated the insights into the culture of Edinburgh that the guide had given us. My castle visit will be fondly remembered in spite of fog, drizzle, and coldness. After all, isn't gaining new perspectives part of what travel is all about?

Thank you for visiting. I hope that you enjoyed your stay. Please feel free to leave a comment behind if you wish. May your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry

A Tale of Bath

2010-03-28T16:48:00.003-05:00

Sometimes a place can be wonderful to visit in spite of circumstances that you face. On Thursday, March 18 we left Chicago on our trip to Britain. We arrived at Heathrow airport in London on Friday at 6:45 A.M. (1:45 A.M. our biological time), and got on a bus shortly afterwards to head south. After a brief visit to Avebury, we were on our way to Bath. When we reached Bath, there was a drizzle in the air, hunger, and a night without sleep. We got off the tour bus and went our separate ways in search of some sort of lunch before a walking tour of the city in the rain. Ironically, many of the 39 members of the tour group ended up in the same restaurant, something that I was trying to avoid on my first tour group experience.

After lunch I joined a small group lead by a dynamic tour guide and saw aspects of Bath that I would not been aware of. My tiredness was forgotten as I saw the interesting street scenes, the Victorian "seasonal houses" and the ancient Roman baths. I enjoyed every minute of the visit and plan to take a day trip there from London in just a few days. This time I will be more alert and rested, and more in sync with the city and its people. I also won't be traveling in a group.

While I have many more photos to share and tales to tell, I thought I'd at least take time to recount the start of my new adventure.

Thank you for visiting. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry