Thursday Thoughts – Memories From Last January

25 januari, 2018 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

Most photos this month were from the Galapagos Islands and our beautiful ship – Cachalote – Here are some of my favorites. In the header, me and my lovely mockingbird!

Our lovely crew…

…and our brilliant guide, Juan – planning the next day for us – excellent mapping!

Cachalote

Red-billed Tropicbird – a true beauty in its gracefulness

On our way exploring

Volcanic Islands all of them – and here at Sullivan Bay – strikingly beautiful.

The sealions were so adorable…

My absolute favorites on this trip were the iguanas – especially the land iguanas. We were so lucky to find an iguana up in the cacti – they love eating them, but rarely have any success in climbing them.

I would not mind going back one day – to see the other islands as well. Each island has its own specific flora and fauna. Mostly untouched by humans – and therefore, animal kingdoms.

Most well-known are these giants, of course

Thursday Thoughts – Memories From A Year Ago

18 januari, 2018 / Leya / 4 kommentarer

I thought I would share some memories posted in January 2017 – My dream trip to Quito, the Amazon Basin and Galapagos. Let us start in Quito – a city of festivities that week!

Miss Quito and Gentleman

These musicians were absolutely professional – we did not leave even if we had finished our meal…

Lovely festive ladies

An unforgettable journey with lovely people – and a country I would more than love to return to.

Wordless Wednesday

17 januari, 2018 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

CFFC: Letter V – Needs to start with V and have at least 6 letters

16 januari, 201816 januari, 2018 / Leya / 14 kommentarer

For Cee’s letter V this week – Gran Canaria, vacation. Upcoming: Letter V – Needs to start with V and have at least 6 letters (vintage, vagrant, vacation, velvet, vizors, vegetable, volume)

Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word in January – y3

4 januari, 20184 januari, 2018 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

Go to Paula, Lost in Translation, and pick a word or two from her five suggestions! I picked festive (midsummer dance many years ago), angular (a famous monastery, Varnhem) and auricomous (monkeys at Auckland Zoo).

The words are candescent, algid, angular, auricomous and festive

Varnhem

Auricomous – blonde

Wordless Wednesday

3 januari, 2018 / Leya / 6 kommentarer

Wishings for The New Year

30 december, 2017 / Leya / 37 kommentarer

We say goodbye to the Christmas of 2017, and to the year gone by. My deepest gratitude to all readers, followers and friends for your good company and fantastic support! We meet here, we exchange thoughts and comments, maybe even pass by each other on the street without knowing it… It is a small world, and blogging makes it even smaller. We learn so many things from each other, and I hope you will hang on for another year – I plan to…

We are grateful for 2017, even if this year maybe did not bring as much good to the world as we had hoped for.

Let us hope for a better year to come – and set sails for 2018 – see you at dawn!

On Contemplating

29 december, 2017 / Leya / 15 kommentarer

This is maybe many people’s dream of a relaxing vacation – but luckily we are all different. We are all sailors on this vast ocean – but we are all different vessels and we all sail according to what we have learned, so far.

Also I dream of light and warm winds – especially during the Swedish winter. But I can more relate to these guys, who seek a space of their own with enough room and silence to let their thoughts run free. Reading a book…

…fishing the blue waves…

…or just contemplating life, sitting at the edge of the ocean.

All different vessels, but sailing together. Let us take good care of each other while we are here – Life is a wonderful gift.

Thursday Thoughts – The Magic of One Photo

28 december, 2017 / Leya / 29 kommentarer

”Have you ever tried to sum up your blogging year

in a photo?” says my dear friend Gallivanta, at silkannthreades.

If I could find one picture, one picture only, that would be a symbol of my 2017?

I know what, and who, has been on my mind every day this year. We walk together every day and we talk every day. But many things she no longer remembers. When I talk about the old days, her childhood and when her grandchildren were small – she smiles. Glimpses. For a short moment there is that old shine in her eyes. My Mother.

She is in my thoughts every hour of the day.

To sum up my blogging year is more difficult. Travel, colorful places, family, good friends, nature, animals…and photography. The inner journey. Despite all my travels and meetings with lovely people and lovely places – a day alone with my thoughts has always been my best day.

When I think back, there are so many wonderful people who left us this year, both famous legends and close friends. The frailty of life. In so many countries and places on Earth, things have changed for the worse. Our planet, our world, is suffering.

True, there has been much light, but maybe more of darkness in the world this year, 2017. Still, I always search for the Magic…in everything. I try to see the beauty in every grain of sand, and I hope I can convey at least some of it to you as well. I need this magic – to look away from the darkness, to survive. I guess there might be more people than me who feel the same.

So. The header photo is my choice, dear Amanda.