Non-summer

We are having the worst summer I can remember for a long time. Quite often December isn't great, but usually by now it's lovely and hot, to the extent that everyone complains about the heat and the dry conditions, lots of swimming happens, and I have to walk Manu at 6 am or else it's too hot for us both.

This year the main problem has been cold winds - weeks and weeks of strong blustery winds, sometimes gale force, from the south-west. Very little rain, though.

So to cheer myself up, here's some photos from my last big trip, of a lovely hot place I went to on my last big trip to Europe, 18 months ago.

This is a beach called Nazaré, in Portugal. 

We drove up to the top of a huge bluff to see this amazing view. 

Later, down in the town, we walked along the beachfront 

until we found a good place to have lunch and a cold drink. 

 

This was the view looking the other way, 

out to the Atlantic ocean.

Even up this high, there are pigeons...

I wouldn't mind being back there now, even though the average daily temperature in January is only about 13°C (55°F).

Hope the weather's good where you are!

Reflective: TP 379

Carmi's new Thematic Photographic topic is 'Reflective' (see here).

This time last year I was in Scotland, and I've been reflecting on how very much I would like to be back there, instead of here in month 3 of a southern hemisphere winter! (Although if I'm honest, it's about the same temperature here now as it was there last year...)

You've probably all seen the one of the colourful buildings in Tobermory, on Mull, 

but having taken it myself makes it special:

More shots of the beautiful Scottish countryside. The first two were taken travelling 

between Thurso and Skye, the other on Skye.

I'm glad it wasn't bright blue and sunny - that wouldn't have 

been how I have always imagined Scotland.

 

 

 

And the photographer - being reflective.

Holiday Memories 2

    The last country I visited was Scotland, and the city I stayed in before flying home was Glasgow.

The weather was just as you'd expect - cold, windy, damp and/or raining for the 5 days I was there. 

It was mid-July. I did enjoy my time there - especially the people-watching!

Everyone has seen this picture - the Duke of Wellington with his orange road cone, 

outside the Gallery of Modern Art:

I loved the Princes Square shopping centre, so different from the usual plastic malls:

On a dull day, these planters provided lovely colour:

Lastly, a reminder of the Commonwealth Games held in the city last year:

"The Glasgow invention of square-toed shoes was to enable 

the Glasgow man to get closer to the bar."
 

~ Jack House

Holiday Memories

Earlier this year, I spent nearly 3 months in Europe: my retirement present to myself.  

I have posted quite a lot of photos since I got back, but there are many more which I would like to have see the light of day, so I'm going to try to publish a few every day or two. 

Today's are from Barcelona. 

My son and his girlfriend have lived there for about seven years now, 

and I've been there before; it's one of my favourite cities, 

especially away from the crowded sightseeing spots.

This peaceful spot is the little plaça which my son's apartment overlooks. 

No cars are allowed, and the trees provide much-needed shade. 

The people of the neighbourhood meet for coffee and conversation while

the kids play, there is a community vegetable garden...

On one walk, we paid a visit to the enormous Cementiri de Montjuïc:

"In Spain, the dead are more alive than the dead of any other country in the world."

~ Federico Garcia Lorca

Wildlife and other Critters

Thematic Photographic 349 is Wildlife.  

Here's some of the wildlife I saw in Europe this northern summer...

(Please click to enlarge)

Storks, in Morocco

I love storks...

The heron is my new header photo above.
He was near Volendam, in The Netherlands:





This swan was one of the many on the canals in Amsterdam

and these were in Bruges, one of my favourite cities ever

 

You may already have seen this Canadian Goose in an earlier post. 

It gave me the eye at Leeds Castle.

At Dunrobin Castle, in Scotland, I saw a fascinating demonstration
by the resident falconer. There were falcons, hawks, and an owl - brilliant.

You can see other people's photos if you visit Carmi Levy's Written.Inc

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books."

- Sir John Lubbock

- See more at: http://wilderness.org/article/famous-quotes#sthash.9iDczeJY.dpuf

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books."

- Sir John Lubbock

- See more at: http://wilderness.org/article/famous-quotes#sthash.9iDczeJY.dpuf

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books."

- Sir John Lubbock

- See more at: http://wilderness.org/article/famous-quotes#sthash.9iDczeJY.dpuf

Surreal as you like...

Another highlight of my time in Spain in May (see A Day at the Rock) was a short trip with my son 

 to Cadaqués, a seaside town north of Barcelona (where he and his girlfriend live). 

They often go camping on this coast, and know it well.  

The scenery is stunning, and we had several lovely days there, 

but that's not the reason for this post.

We are both fans of Salvador Dali's paintings, and we were very keen 

to see the Dali Museum at Figueres, and his house and garden at Portlligat. 

The Museum and everything in it was designed and conceived by the artist, 

and is considered to be his last great work. 

It was amazing, strange and weird at times, but always brilliant. 

None of the photos I took inside came out well, but I did have a chance to see 

one of my favourite paintings, Galatea of the Spheres:

 The next day we walked over the hills from Cadaques to Portlligat to Dali's house. 

You have to book several weeks ahead to go inside, which we hadn't done, 

but we were able to buy tickets to walk around the garden, 

which I'm sure was far, far better than the house!

 The garden winds its way up to the top of the property. 

Here's the view from a high point:

As you will see, it was all white, with lots of lovely cool trees. 

And an egg theme...

One end of the very inviting swimming pool:

and, along a narrow channel, the other end:

 

There were some Dali-esque oddities, including quite a few 'snakes':

But the overall feeling was of a lovely, calm and peaceful place. 

I'd go back tomorrow, if I could:

Please click on the photos to enlarge them. They look better when they're bigger!

A Day at The Rock

In May, during my time in Spain, I spent a day visiting Gibraltar, which some of you will know is a little piece of Spain which belongs to the United Kingdom.

I knew it would be touristy to the extreme, but I have always wanted to go there.

Here are a few pictures - click to enlarge.

The Rock, from the landward side. 

Formed from Jurassic limestone, it is 426 metres (1,398 ft) high.

The view from the seaward side:

The mosque at Europa Point is clear evidence of how close we are to Africa. 

At the narrowest point of the Strait, it is only 14 km (9 miles) away.

On the far side, the other Pillar of Hercules (Jebel Musa, in Morocco) is  clearly visible:

 Some of the locals, many of whom are British ex-pats. 

What a great climate!

Of course, I had to get a shot of the lighthouse...

Probably everyone who goes to Gibraltar visits St Michael's Cave:

And everyone wants to see a macaque!

There weren't many about when we got to the top of the Rock, 

but this guy managed to grab my friend's water bottle out of her backpack. 

It then sat on the wall chewing the bottle until it managed to bite through the plastic.

Lunch in the central square of the town:

It was an interesting and very enjoyable day - but would you want to live there?