Thursday Thoughts

Thursday Thoughts – Memories from Tibet

/ Leya / 26 kommentarer

I was thinking of Tibet today. Maybe because the sun made a short glimpse through my morning window. A shining memory it is, from 2009. I just hade to go back to the archives…

Through all the sorrows for the people there with the occupation, this nunnery was a gleam of joy. The nuns going about their daily business with a smile. The shining spheres in the yard were for warming water with the sun. The kettle was put in the middle.

The most sacred monastery in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, was built in 647. The smoke from the fires was thick and people from all over the country gathered to pay their respect, fueling yak-butter lamps, eating and praying. They all waited patiently in line to come inside.

Outside Lhasa people lived off the land and every house had a cow in the street or on a small balcony. Not a great life for the cows not being free – but so much better than in the big factories here in the west. In Tibet they were family members and got some words of love every day.

There were always welcoming doors to the temples…

Seldom is the journey to go to a place more interesting than this one was. We entered the train in Beijing, and I think we sat by the windows with cameras tight every minute of those 48 hours – not in the darkness though. There was extra oxygen in the compartments, and the rails were laid on the permafrost, which I guess now is melting… We were not allowed to leave the train anywhere on the trip.

The landscape was spectacular with long views, open plains and mountains on the Tibetan Plateau.

Nomads with Yaks like little dots – and only once we got this close! A beauty.

How I loved that landscape! And the clouds seemed so huge and so close to the ground.

The beauty of it all seized us and will keep its grip forever.

I have hundreds of photos from that train ride. Every time I look at them I must take a deep breath. And remember. Because I will never see this again.

Thursday Thoughts – Dreams from Holland

/ Leya / 38 kommentarer

Back to Holland again – and some lovely plants from botanical gardens in Amsterdam and Leiden.

But this photo is from the flower market along one of the canals. The red flower in the lower right corner is a Gloriosa – a climber I have tried several times… but cannot make thrive at home.

A different way to use a palm house – every plant in a separate barrel.

I love these – and I know that Cee Neuner has posted ”the real thing” many times!

More from the pond and the wetlands of the gardens.

Now I am longing for summer again…

Aren’t you?

Thursday Thoughts – Bicycles, Bicycles…

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

The city most known for a multitude of bicycles used to be Beijing – but as they are getting much fewer there since the 1980’s, my guess is that Amsterdam has taken over the lead.

Or, do you have another suggestion?

Thursday Thoughts – Seen From a Canal Boat

/ Leya / 27 kommentarer

When I look back on Amsterdam – it was a lovely trip. We took a tour on the canals too, and it was quite beautiful. Let’s visit this friendly city!

A gallery with many characteristics: barges, glasshouses with bulbs and flowers, architecture with crow-stepped gables, etc.

I hope you enjoyed!

Thursday Thoughts – The Corso

/ Leya / 28 kommentarer

The Dahlia Festival is not only flowers – but decorated floats in annual parades called Corso. In fact we saw more than 20 of them in this little town. They were really well made down to the finest detail. The people here start in April with ideas and sketches, then they make the figures and paint them. When the Dahlia season arrives in September, the floats are decorated with flowers the same colours as they were painted in.

I’ll post a couple of the floats, and also a video I made on one of the most impressive ones. You will see that the actors take their work seriously!

First there was a children’s parade, where the floats were drawn by children as well.

Then came the bigger floats made with impressive reality look.

And of course they also were more and more architecturally impressive.

Anubis was one of my favourites.

And finally, the great lion – well, they couldn’t have made it more fascinating than this!

I hope you enjoyed the show!

Thursday Thoughts – Dahlia Festival in Holland

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

I guess Holland doesn’t need more presentation than this: canals, boats, bicycles – and flowers! Not only tulips, but this year we decided to visit the Dahlia Festival instead. And we were not disappointed!

The gallery features some glorious dahlias from Keukenhof Castle. We arrived just after a shower and could savour all the colours and shapes – and some raindrops too.

We also visited a couple of Dahlia farms with a multitude of different sorts. Pompon Dahlias are still popular and I understand why. They don’t look real! I thought I would buy some bulbs and give away to Dahlia lovers back home – unfortunately they are not for sale in September – but in early Spring…

Well, I loved photographing them, and a couple of days later we saw the Dahlia Parade too, with flower floats you could only dream of…

Thursday Thoughts – Colours Still Lingering Here

/ Leya / 39 kommentarer

With Milo as good as new after his makeover, we drove homewards, but made a stop at the beautiful waters I always passed by when I was still working.

The old mill is still standing, but this time the light was wrong for a photo. Instead we walked along the river banks, listening to the silence.

Milo was completely happy, and so was I.

The Autumn air was crisp and cool – and I never tire of watching the colourful leaves falling, floating, making beautiful patterns.

A couple of Mallards came swimming, hoping for food, but disappeared quickly when they saw the dog.

On our way back again, the sun gracefully spread its golden rays, and my old love for Autumn was kindled once more. Thank you for walking with me and Milo!

Thursday Thoughts – Autumn Colours

/ Leya / 36 kommentarer

This morning I had an appointment for Milo – his annual big haircut, bath and spa (if I can call it that…). He has a love/hate thing with it. He rushes to his beloved Mia – and doesn’t want to have an ordinary walk before the ordeal. But after suffering a couple of hours at her hands, he then emerges as a RENEWED DOG.

While he is there, I take a long walk in my old surroundings, where I worked for about 20 years. This walk was always a pleasure, and now, with some colours still lingering – it’s a treat.

Please walk with me even if it is damp and foggy in the morning –

– it will get brighter when the sun has soaked up the mist.

And it’s on its way now…

I can feel it!

The forest is silent and the air crisp and clear. Autumn at its best.

Now when Milo was his loveliest self again, he happily jumped into the car to go home. But first another walk where I always used to stop after work – The Old Mill. See you there next time!

Thursday Thoughts – What to Do with a Leftover Firestation

/ Leya / 17 kommentarer

Well, on our visit to Kent and Sussex we lived in the little town Tonbridge. Scouting one day, I came across the old fire station.

The fire station was no longer in use…or so I thought at first. But this is what they had made it into!

This grey day it still looked a bit abandoned – but soon arrived some chatting ladies. I talked to the girls at the bar, and they showed me the massive amount of dog photos on their wall. You should take a photo of your dog and hang it here – with the dog’s name on it. And there were many of them – I could swear there must be more dogs than people in this town. Never verified though.

A lovely place anyway, with excellent coffee.

Thursday Thoughts – Lost in Japan

/ Leya / 36 kommentarer

I often have Japan on my mind. Not only for the beauty, but also for the amazingly kind and helpful people. My children had told me about it, but I still was overwhelmed.

I loved the streets in our area in Tokyo and Nara. Empty or crowded, morning or evening, the special light and people hurrying by on bicycles. It made me remember our first visits to China – thousands of bicycles in those days (1989)!

The Japanese are very disciplined, queueing patiently for their turn. If you look lost, within a minute, someone is there to help you. Smiling and good humoured. We were very grateful, because it was impossible to find the way with no street names… Our first day here, a truck driver even parked his car and accompanied us all the way to our hotel.

That first day, we went to Tokyo Sky Tree, as we wanted to see Tokyo by night from above. I have posted on it earlier – an experience to be recommended.

But, when we tried to find our way back through the darkening streets (they still had no visible names ), we realised we were lost.

And there was noone out in the street to ask. The shops were closed, so no chance there either. My husband is usually good at walking in the most probable direction…but not this time.

We kept walking, rather tired now, when I saw this shop – a must have photo. Strangely enough it cheered us up!

That is just another wonder with Japan – you don’t have to be afraid of empty streets or dark places. Not at all. A taxi would not have been wrong though, for tired legs.

We finally came across a biking man who could direct us towards Asakusa, where we lived. We realised we were kilometers away from our hotel. And hungry. It was one of those sooo good moments to be back in our own street!

Lost again? No, the bamboo forest is like an uplit highway through the grass – for it is a grass – that is fast-growing and very versatile. From bowls to knickers! I guess all of us have got something made of bamboo in our homes. And it is such a beautiful plant too with its marked stems and thin leaves. I hope not all of these were planted the same year, because bamboo dies when it has flowered. And it only flowers once.

More of Japan will pop up over time – it is one of the most special places I have ever visited.