Byggnader

Thursday Thoughts – The Lonely House

/ Leya / 29 kommentarer

Lonely houses have always fascinated me, but maybe you too have noticed, that some people have a downright obsession with them…?

A lonely house can have a very picturesque location…

– maybe not that easily accessible…

And, at a closer look, you might find it is only an old boat shed…

…or maybe a lonely barn. On the other hand – I could live in one of those as well.

Some newer loners enjoy spectacular seascape views…

…while others stand dilapidated, slowly falling apart.

And then, there are the abandoned houses just looking – eerie…

…while others, at the end of the road, see new guests arriving every year.

Where do you stand in this? Do you believe they are lonely, desolate, forlorn, solitary – or what word would you use? Is a house ”alive” in some ways? Could they hide/have memories? Do you ask yourself questions like: I wonder who once lived here? And, what did their lives look like? Why did they leave?

Are you constantly photographing them…or would never dream of doing it?

I find them enigmatic.

Lofoten – Å – Oh!

/ Leya / 39 kommentarer

Road nr.10 ends in Å on the southernmost part of Lofoten. An old fishing village with rorbuer and  – fish.

And charm…

Many galleries,  and flowers in the small gardens.

We had a great view from our hostel Salteriet.

Down the road we felt almost Chinese… I half expected an artist standing there, painting.

When we left in the early morning, the whole landscape felt dreamy and unreal.

Almost supernatural.

But that is what Lofoten does to people…

 

WPC: Lines

/ Leya / 16 kommentarer

Cheri asks us to pay attention to Lines – and my choices are natural ones as well as man made. Unfortunately the magic of the old tree is only left in photos and memories now. Last summer it finally gave in to old age.

 

WPC: Tour Guide

/ Leya / 39 kommentarer

 

Tour Guide – What do I love about where I live? Well – The beautiful nature and countryside! Including:

My garden and flowers

The animals I meet every day

The old fairy tale villas

Even our ugliest old building looks beautiful in the low sun…

And I love our Castles, Hovdala and Wanås, always hosting spectacular art and exhibitions. Here josting and below Wanås with ants (from a South American artist) crawling over the faςade. They also have great areas for hiking and outdoor activities.

I do love this area, and I guess I would not want to live permanently anywhere else.

 

 

 

Enhancing, Destroying – or Just For Fun?

/ Leya / 21 kommentarer

I have been playing around with Photoshop, and Nik filters. I wanted to show this little island, Tylö, in three different interpretations. In the first picture – in the header – it lies hidden in a haze, seen from the attic window of the hotel building.

In the second one, you see it in a B&W conversion, a bit old style, with only the sea in front and behind …

…and in the last picture, you see the island the way I did through my camera lens.

It is not the same picture, but the same island photographed. I would love to hear your thoughts and reflections: Which interpretation do you prefer? Why? What feeling/mood comes up when you look at one of these pictures?

Do you like to enhance/change your own pictures much before posting, or should they go as true and ”natural” as possible?

Wish you a great weekend!

 

WPC: Weathered

/ Leya / 47 kommentarer

This weathered Castle we found in a forlorn place in the Spanish countryside. We saw the pinnacles sticking up from the treetops and headed for it. A fairy tale castle!

 

 

Canary Pearls

/ Leya / 19 kommentarer

Montaña de Arucas on the north coast of Gran Canaria boasts a view of the town as well as almost the whole island. An early morning view from up there is not bad. The church (Not a cathedral!) San Juan is a real beauty. From the narrow streets its spires look almost unreal.

We continued our roadtrip to some northern pearls, Teror and Firgas.

Teror is the religious heart of the island, and every year, September 8, pilgrims come here from the whole of Gran Canaria. They all come because of Nuestra Señora del Pino, their patron saint.

The church, with the same name, was built in the 18th century in Moorish and baroque style. Very special.

Some of the 16th century houses along the street. Many famous for their skillfully carved balconies.

At the end of the street you can also see one of the great pines growing outside the church
Gargoyles on the west side
The altar and the Virgen of Snow and Pine

After a slow and meditative walk through Teror, we headed for Firgas. Mineral water con gas, was my first thought – but the small town is also known for Paseo de Gran Canaria with its cascading water and tiled benches decorated with landscapes and historical symbols of Gran Canaria. On the walls – city arms.

A closer look at the cascades in the header!

If you walk further up the stone steps, above Plaza de San Roque, you will find tiled maps of the largest 7 islands in the archipelago. A geography lesson well worth a visit!

 

Lost – and Found

/ Leya / 10 kommentarer

On our way in the early morning for another mountain hike – we suddenly came upon this strange settlement. A set of caves with real doors and windows. Dogs barking and people up and on the move.

Guanches? Strictly speaking, the Guanches were the indigenous peoples of Tenerife, but  the name came to be applied to the indigenous populations of all the seven Canary Islands, those of Tenerife being the most important or powerful.

Guanches refer to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands, and it is believed that they migrated to the archipelago around 1000 BC or perhaps earlier.

The population probably lived in relative isolation up to the 14th century, but after the Spanish conquest of the Canaries they were (almost totally) ethnically and culturally absorbed by Spanish settlers.

A bit touristy this settlement…and yes, soon a bus arrived with camera people swarming out…But, on the other side of the road, people were, for real, living in caves. Nobody looked that way…And if you look closely at the header picture, you will find the dog standing there – the one I used for Abandoned or Alone in Cee’s B&W challenge.

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Well, when we continued driving towards the mountains, we realized we were lost – this was a dead end road –  and not at all the road leading to our planned hike….But, instead we had found these interesting caves!

They day was turning into evening, so we had to return to our apartment. Again passing this strange wind mill. Why do you build one right in the factory- and shopping ghetto?

 

WPC: Experimental

/ Leya / 21 kommentarer

Experimental…at least maybe a little. I love mirrored motifs, and often cannot resist taking a photo. Here, in Lodz, I was just going to press the button…when I realized the photo might be a bit more intriguing if I chose to enclose the ”real” buildings to the left of the house as well. What is really ”real” in the picture and what is ”unreal”?

Was the result of the experiment a more fun/interesting picture or not? Well, as I did not shoot an alternative picture, we do not know, but we can still have an opinion!