Wordless Wednesday
Travel
LAPC #223 – Flights of Fancy
John leads this week’s challenge, and it is no surprise it involves a ”flight”…
I was a little bookworm, a girl with my head full of dreams. Many dreams of foreign countries I read about in books and saw fascinating pictures of. Mostly special places in these books, not so much whole countries. I never thought they would be more than dreams, but then I met a young man as eager as myself to see the world. We started travelling together when I was 16 and he was 21. And we never stopped. Today I am very grateful that so many ”flights of fancy” from my childhood really came to fruition. Of course I have many dreams left, but in fact there is only one more great travel dream, and that is to see the cherry blossom and the wisteria tunnels in Japan. Somehow I don’t think that dream will come true – but it feels good to still have dreams!
Please go to John’s site for more inspiration!
I have picked three different ”flights”… big and small, and in two out of three there is a real flight involved.
One of my first ”flights of fancy” was this house. As a young girl I used to spend every summer in the public swimming pool of our village. And on my way to the pool, every day I passed this white house, surrounded by a big garden with lots of birches, apple trees, plum trees and pear trees. It was built on a bit higher ground than the other houses, and I also knew that one of the most handsome young boys in my little village happened to live there…
Little did I know that my boyfriend and I would buy this house when I was only 21 – and we have lived here since then, for 44 years now. And, it is still my dream house!
This image is from quite some years ago, when we had both Mille and Totti waiting for us to come home.
Another ”flight of fancy” was going to New Zealand. I had a pen friend when I was 11 (one of many…), and this girl sent me a calender with photos from both islands, North and South. I was so mezmerised, so in love with these extraordinary nature sceneries, that I started dreaming of getting there one day. In my mind, no other country could literally have ”everything” I loved: high mountains and glaciers, volcanoes and hot springs, magical forests and jungle, unimaginable animals…yes, everything. A dream which of course sounded absolutely impossible…NZ was at the the other end of the world – the New Zealanders are our antipodes.
Then there is another ”flight of fancy” involved too. I had always loved the novels of JRR Tolkien, and especially Lord of the Rings. Our children loved it too…so, finally we arrived in NZ, North Island around Christmas 2011. We travelled the islands for a month, and of course we had to visit Hobbiton! And do you know what – it looked just like in my dreams.
Yet another ”flight of fancy” started with a novel, James Hilton’s Lost Horizon. I dreamt of the magical Himalayas and mystical Tibet, but realised I would never get there. This was literally another world. But, in 2009 my family took the train from Beijing over permafrost and the Tibetan Plateau to Lhasa. It is the world’s highest railway, 5,068 meters at Tanggula. The cars are equipped with oxygen supply to avoid altitude sickness. Still today, we all think this was one of our greatest adventures.
Over the last years, our home has become a ”flight of fancy” for birds and insects, plants and hedgehogs. I try to make it my own Shangri-La, a hidden paradise behind birches, bird cherry and lilacs. I cannot save the planet, but I know I can be of great help to make this little piece of Earth thrive.
According to John, and to Dictionary.com, the idiom “flight of fancy” refers to “an unrealistic idea or fantastic notion, a
pipe dream. For example, ‘She engaged in flights of fancy, such as owning a million‐dollar house.’ This idiom uses
flight in the sense of ‘a soaring of the imagination,’ a usage dating from the mid‐1600s.”
I believe we all need imagination and flights of fancy to survive in this unruly world, so, keep dreaming…
A big thank you to Amy for a spectacular mountain challenge – and to you all for your fabulous entries! Now we are looking forward to seeing what was your flight of fancy (or someone else’s) that came to fruition? Please link to John’s original post and tag Lens-Artists.
Next week, Sofia hosts challenge #224 – Exposure. Be sure to visit her beautiful site for inspiration. Until next, stay calm and kind.
Thursday Thoughts – Porto’s Sister, Gaia
On the other side of the Douro river, is Gaia. Home to the wineries and the good food, the salesmen and the old boats – and great street art. Let’s pay the area a visit.
My first impression was of a rather run down area, nothing fashionable at all. The best thing was the lovely views of Porto on the other side of the river.
Walking along the Gaia waterfront, you can see the slender old port boats and even a vintage tram rattling along the Porto streets.
Bacalhau! A national dish in Portugal. We got a first taste of it here, with a glass of port of course…The neighbour was a spectacular sardine shop. You could even buy a box of sardines with your year of birth on it – luckily the fish was not the same age… I bought a box for my father, who turned 89 two weeks later.
A marvelous work was this rabbit, or hare, made of debris and I guess whatever found… We met him at a corner and could not stop looking at all the details. I told him how amazing he was, and he nodded gracefully – I am sure!
Thank you for walking along with me in Gaia, and now, a glass of port – cheers!
Thursday Thoughts – Douro River
From Porto, a boat trip along the Douro river into the beautiful wine district was a must. The Douro valleys have a microclimate allowing for cultivation of olives, almonds, and especially grapes, which are important for making port. According to our guide, the region around Pinhão and São João da Pesqueira is considered to be the centre of port, with its quintas (or farms/estates) along the steep slopes of the river valleys. Today, many of these are owned by multinational, reputed wine companies.
The grapes had been harvested two weeks before we arrived, so the fields were empty – but still eye-catching.
We went by bus to the vineyard where we were going to eat and try their wines. With those lovely views everywhere, you could not fall asleep…
…neither on the river nor on the bus.
The rolling green hills and the blue sky – all softness and harmony.
The vines were almost always combined with olive trees – giving a soft silvery touch to the landscape.
Finally, as our trip was coming to an end, we inhaled the magnificent view from Quinta S Luiz before entering the bus again.
Of course we had delicious Portuguise food and nice wine along with it. Strolling through the wine cellar of Quinta S Luiz, I found ”my” vintage wine – but I did not buy it… maybe I should have…
Thursday Thoughts – Porto and the Waterfront
As much as I love the alleyways and narrow, cobbled streets, Porto has a beautiful waterfront too. We walked and we took a boat trip to see the colourful houses from a distance. And we were not disappointed.
…or walking up from it – was always a treat. I even met some dogs enjoying the shadow.
Colourful and happy houses makes the wanderer happy too!
The bridge across the river made for beautiful views all over. The city looks delightful any time of the day.
A boat trip along the river is always to be recommended. I am not a boat person, but you will see all the bridges and the waterfront up close.
So far we had only walked the Porto side of the river. Another day we would walk the Gaia, where there are many good restaurants and all the wineries.
Gaia photographed from another bridge. We couldn’t get enough of the river – or the many bridges. We’d had a delightful day, so thank you for coming along!
Wordless Wednesday
LAPC #220 – One Subject Three Ways
This weeks challenge is hosted by Patti, who once again wants us to think photographically – One subject three ways.
I am just back from Porto, and I have to post from the amazing Livraria Lello – ”The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World”… and a bit more than three images it had to be. How do you portray a staircase like this? Hope you don’t mind, Patti! I stayed for an hour and a half to work this shot…
There were so many people in queue to come inside, that we had to try three times to find a queue that didn’t stretch all over Old Town Porto.
And I really don’t know how many books were sold or borrowed or… most people were there for the same reason as we were there – for the love of the architecture and for photographing.
My photos are all crowded, but there was no chance of shooting without people getting in the way…
…taking turns posing or just standing in awe. But for a second or two, suddenly there were only two people in the staircase!
This is my favourite perspective and the lady looking upwards shows there is more to see up there – a beautifully painted glass ceiling for example. But that will be for another post, this one was all about the spectacular staircase!
Patti says: ”This week, we invite you to “work the shot.” Post 3 photos of the same subject–from your archives or from a recent outing. Vary your distance from the subject, try different perspectives, zoom out for the big picture, or zoom in on the details. It’s up to you. You can even experiment with processing the photos differently–in black and white or color, cropping, or trying different filters or effects.”
As usual, be sure to include a link to the original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you in the Reader.
A special thanks to Tina for hosting last week’s challenge for photo treasures. Your photos were so varied and inspiring–as always!
I, Ann-Christine, will host next challenge, LAPC #221, so be sure to visit Leya, next Saturday at noon to get all the details. We hope you will join us!
Until then, stay safe, inspired and kind.
Thursday Thoughts – A Piece of Porto
So, we finally went to Porto, a trip cancelled two times due to covid. I must admit it felt strange to travel again…boarding a plane, walking in the sun, taking photos, eating out… My guess is I took more photos than I usually do.
I will share my first impressions of this friendly city today.
But, the azulejos were not the reason why we went to Porto. I knew from my blogging friend Viveka (Myguiltypleasures), that the narrow streets and alleyways, the old houses and the charm of the river Douro – and good food – was THE reason.
Stairs and steps…but worth the trouble!
No words for this path – it was just my kind of path…
More of Porto later on – hope you enjoyed the first piece. We also went to the wine district in the Douro valley. I hope you will enjoy more of Porto later!
LAPC #216 – Urban Environments
You know, I don’t really understand a suburban environment. I want to be out in the woods, I want to be where it’s wild, I want to wake up and hear birds, I want to walk outside and see a gaggle of turkeys bouncing across my lawn – I want to be someplace like that – or I want to be right in the middle of an urban environment. – Karen Allen
This week Sofia asks us about urban environments – I used to love visiting big cities now and then, for a week or two. But, due to covid, the last three years we have stayed at home. I must admit I miss those adventures…
I will tell you something of why I liked visiting the cities chosen.
But you can find anything in Rome…
A gallery of the kind of urban environments that I love the most. Narrow alleyways and old buildings. But as Sofia says, new architecture can also be interesting. Like Bilbao in the header and Århus in Denmark.
Finally, my nearest big city, Malmoe – the photo taken from a plane flying in from somewhere in the world. Santiago Calatrava’s Turning Torso shining in the evening sun.
”This week’s challenge is about how you view any urban environments you came across, either by visiting as a tourist or the place you live in or commute to every day. What makes that city or town special and how do you capture it.” Please link to Sofia’s marvelous original post and tag with Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.
Last week John emphasized the way of transport to your destination. An inspirational challenge where the different interpretations were varied and interesting.
Next week is Tina’s turn to host, please have a look at her wonderful site and join us if you can.
For more information on how Lens-Artists Challenge work, please click here.
LAPC #215 – Planes, Trains and Automobiles…and the Places They Take Us
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles…and the places they take us . Visit John for more inspiration!
I must admit I am not an avid photographer of any of these transportation machines…I prefer walking and hiking. But, I did find some that I really liked. Hopefully these will fit the bill, John.
This pretty thing was found at a car show in Ronneby, Sweden. It is not a really old car, but I like the style.
A steam ship took us over to an island near Queenstown, NZ.
There we watched skilled guys shearing sheep and clever dogs herding.
A different way to promote your company – Keukkenhof, NL.
The mountain train in Switzerland, Bernina Express, took us to stunning sights. A trip warmly recommended if you happen to stay for a while in this country!
Adventure making for everyone
My favourite planes are from Druk Air, Bhutan. They are beautifully decorated with dragons, and their pilots are trained to land in narrow valleys between high mountains. To land a plane here, they have to make a U-turn with the wings close to both mountain sides – and we had a perfect landing.
One more plane story: Going to the little island of Madeira also takes special pilots to land safely. We have been to Madeira five times, and the last one was a nightmare. We landed in a storm, and we knew four planes ahead of us had continued to the next island for a safe landing. We had to try twice before touching ground. Everyone on the plane cried…
Going to Bhutan was an old dream of mine, and yes, every expectation was fulfilled.
We arrived just in time for the big festival, Paro Tsechu, and the people all wore their best clothes. Dancing and celebrations were spectacular.
Bhutan is a stunning gem in the Himalayas. It was an unforgettable visit in every way. People, culture, landscape, architecture – and the fact that they are carbon neutral.
As winter is approaching here in the northern hemisphere, I thought I would finish with a bright and shining tram! I love trams, but of course this one was not in traffic. Warming my eyes though!
Thank you all for sharing your interesting finds with us last week! Very inspiring and diverse – just what we hoped for!
For the challenge this week, John is asking us to share images that focus on our journeys. ”Consider examples of historical modes of transportation if you happen to have some in your gallery, a horse-drawn wagon in Pennsylvania, or maybe an abandoned boat along the seashore.”
”Consider images of places you’ve traveled if you’re not into capturing those modes of transportation that got you there. It’s all about the journey for this week’s challenge.”
Next week’s challenge will be hosted by Sofia. If you’d like to join in the fun but aren’t quite sure how to begin, look here.
Leya 
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