Photography

Thursday Thoughts – An Eternal Love Affair

/ Leya / 24 kommentarer

My lifelong relationship with books and literature makes me visit every library I come across. Going to Dublin meant I would be able to visit one of the most fantastic libraries I know of –

Trinity College, Dublin – I had seen the Long Room in some photos before – and of course the Book of Kells. This old library makes a perfect Harry Potter setting….and already walking through the gates, into campus, sent pleasant electrical shocks along my spine… Soon I would enter the magic…

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The long Room is the main chamber of the Old Library, and is nearly 65 metres in length, housing around 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books. It also contains the oldest surviving harp in Ireland.

Just to the left of the Shakespeare bust, is the magnificent spiral staircase. And then –

So many great men and women have walked this wooden ground…
…and forever left their footprints in our world…
All books are handled with the utmost care
And the marble busts in each row – are all famous men (yes…men, of course…..)
This is indeed a remarkable Old Library – The Long Room

WPC: Reflecting

/ Leya / 11 kommentarer

A visit to wonderful Ireland and Waterford, House of  Crystal, gave many reflections to reflect upon.

For more of these, or for participating, click here.

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B&W Sunday: After and Before Y1-04

/ Leya / 19 kommentarer

Today I will try Paula’s (Lost in Translation) challenge: ”After and Before” – new to me, but sounds fun! I have used this ”before” picture before (!), but when I posted it I was thinking… it might look good in B&W as well. Which one do you prefer?

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Travel theme: Earth

/ Leya / 15 kommentarer

Travel theme: Earth

Earth Day. I listened to her, as I do every day, but as this was a very special day, I walked with all my senses, even more intently listening…

P1070161_copyPlanet Earth is mostly water – the Blue Planet. Today was a lucky day, because the blue was clear and intense – in the skies as well as in the water on the ground.

P1070163_copyAnd the tiny wood-sorrel made last years’ leaves look green and fresh again…

P1070179_copy…maybe not all of those leaves were that lucky, but slowly drifting in a fresh pool is beautiful as well.

P1070192_copyLike the clouds. They all meet here – the sky, the clouds, the earth, the trees and the water.

P1070193_copyWe all belong here…to this planet and in this world and in this universe…

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I believe all of us know…and my best friend knows it too. He felt so good today, running around, bathing and frolicking in the leaves…

Howling when he was told we were walking again…

P1070217_copySo, this day, Earth Day, has been a beautiful day of belonging and pondering about what we have and how grateful we all should be.

We are not here forever…only for some short moments we can dance in the light. Let us take good care of each other, and of our Planet Earth – we want our children and grandchildren to feel this gentle belonging and the joy of life…and above all, it really is the animals’ and the plants’ planet, isn’t it. They were here first. We are responsible.

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CFFC: Crawling or Flying

/ Leya / 24 kommentarer

Back to wonderful Galapagos for Cee’s challenge! A colourful Marine iguana most certainly crawls to reach the water. And the mating of the  Swallow-tailed gulls includes flying attacks.

See more crawlers and flyers here.

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Travel theme: Walking

/ Leya / 25 kommentarer

My first thought is of course my every day dog walking. Walking is also one of my absolute favourite things to do. But, I just have to share this amazing, graceful creature with you.

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Have you ever dreamed of ,or wished, you could walk on water? I thought I only knew of one…who maybe could do that….

But, at sea, swirling around our sailing ship in the Galápagos, I saw this wonder with my own eyes. It is an Elliot’s Storm -petrel. I took hundreds of shots…but only a few shows clearly enough this amazing bird’s abilities – it walks, runs and stands on water.

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The story of this Storm-petrel is enigmatic as well…It is pelagic, and feeds while fluttering and pattering on the water with wings raised. …”…endemic subspecies galapagoensis. Population estimated at many thousands and although a nest has yet to be found in Galápagos, breeding is suspected to occur between April and October. Conservation Status: Data Deficient.” (Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galápagos Islands. An Identification Guide by Andy Swash and Rob Still.)

Thursday Thoughts – Why Galápagos is a Paradise

/ Leya / 38 kommentarer

For many reasons of course. When I think of these wonderful islands, my dream was, and is, that animals can live together without fear, and that they tolerate us humans – they are not afraid of us, but rather curious instead…

I made friends with many animals – but we were not allowed to go closer than 2 metres from any animal. Except from trying to pass them on the paths of course…The wonderful thing is that they approached us instead – and that, is true magic.

This mockingbird was really communicative – jumping up and down on the tree trunk,  hiding, but still keeping an inquisitive eye on me. I know I lost a bit of my heart there…

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The birds here are yellow warbler and mockingbird, then iguanas and sealions.

Nature is fantastic. Everything to me. This time I was really living my dream.

WPC: Names

/ Leya / 19 kommentarer

Skyr is a delicious Icelandic youghurt that has been a part of Icelandic cuisine for over a thousand years. It is traditionally served cold with milk and a topping of sugar. For a short while Skyr was available in our local food store (after my constant wishing for it…), but as it was rather expensive…I think they did not make enough profit from it…so, Iceland is the only option to get it…

But I love the taste of it and I love its Name!