Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #51 – Unique

Unique – ask a dictionary, and it says being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual, or special in some way. The most unique place I have visited is the Galapagos Islands.

This Ecuadorian archipelago with 19 islands are all unique in their own way – both flora and fauna. They all have endemic species, and the animals let you come close without being startled or afraid. They do not consider humans their enemies. Unique.

Thank you, Charles Darwin!

Charles Darwins resa med HMS Beagle 1831-36, Galápagosdelen

Some of the strange and fascinating landscapes on the islands –

If you look closely, you might see the flamingo…-

We had a very unique opportunity to see the land iguanas eating from the giant cactii.

Not many visitors are that lucky – at least our guide told us so.

Unfortunately we came too late to meet Lonesome George. Every effort to help this last of his species failed, and he died 2012. But we met several other giant tortoises on the island Santa Cruz.

In the header, two marine iguanas – unique to these islands, but unfortunately on the road to getting even more unique. As the waters are warming due to climate change, their sea food is dying and their numbers are already decreasing.

Let us hope these islands will stay unique – in a positive way. Nature is good at mending – if we will just let it.

A special thanks to Amy for this week’s photo inspiration.

 

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Illumination

For Friendly Friday –

The soft sunlight on the clouds, seen from an aeroplane. And then, the inside of Casa Battlo´, with natural illumination and other.

This photo challenge is alternately hosted each Friday by the bloggers:
Something to Ponder About  and The Snow Melts Somewhere

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Vista

Dear Frank, of My most breathtaking vista, I have no photographs. Machu Pichu was a childhood dream, and I went to Peru in the 1980’s to see it. No camera. When we finally reached the top of the mountain, the Urubamba river down below and the surrounding rainforest oozing thin dew drops along the mountain side…I could hardly breathe. For me, Nothing beats that vista.

So, I will have to give you another one. The Great Wall, the first time I saw it and walked it. Early morning light. Not a sound. That special feeling maybe fades a bit every time you visit, but it is still an impressive sight the fifth time you visit.

Many years later, we traveled on the highest elevated railway in the world – built on permafrost – from Beijing to Lhasa. The plateau on which Lhasa and Tibet is situated, offers stunning vistas every time you look out the window. They have to use extra oxygen in the train because of the height, but feeling ”high” on this journey had nothing to do with the extra oxygen…

These photos are all taken with a simple point and shoot – but highly treasured by me.

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge- Alleys

This photo challenge is alternately hosted each Friday by the bloggers:
Something to Ponder About  and The Snow Melts Somewhere

Amanda’s prompt for this Friday is: Alleys

 

I have chosen some colourful favorites from Poland, Spain and Morocko.

We dined in here somewhere…

Just walked through, enjoying the softly coloured, calm atmosphere…

I remember this very hot day and the sweltering walk between these clay walls – No sane people out in this heat…

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #41 – Delicious

This week Patti has chosen to challenge us with Delicious, which means having a very pleasant taste or smell, or it can be used to describe a situation or activity that gives you great pleasure.

Few tasty things give me more pleasure than the first semla/fastlagsbulle of the year! These were temptingly standing in a window in Umeå some months ago. I can tell you they did not stand there for long…

Last week I was in The Netherlands, at Keukenhof,  for the the biggest flower show in the world. Holland, or The Netherlands, is the magical land of tulips and hyacinths.

The gardens and fields were filled with the most delicious scent, colours and shapes. I was in a state of euforia for 7 hours – the visit was a total dream. I had not been to this flower show since somewhere in the 90’s.

Interested in joining the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge? I guess you too have some delicious experiences to show us! For instructions and more information click here.

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round

The world is spinning – round. But not much is really, really round, is it? For Frank:

Still, there are many quite round things that I really love…like Dalí’s art and his home in Figueres, Spain. And the Beehive in Kew Gardens!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Layer

This week Frank, at Dutch Goes the Photo, challenges us to find some layers.

The glaciers of New Zealand provide magnificent layers in stone, and as a contrast,  colourful clothes can also be displayed in layers. A bit less sustainable though…

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #31: Landscapes

The challenge from Amy this week is Landscapes. And I must agree with her, searching the archives for landscapes I have traveled through brought back many fond memories. I also got reminded of my love for two English painters, namely John Constable and William Turner. Constable a naturalistic painter and Turner a Romantic – they merge into the kind of art I love the most. So, let me start with a photographic painting from the winter where I live in the southern part of Sweden. And then, some different Swedish landscapes.

”The landscape you grow up in speaks to you in a way that nowhere else does.”

Molly Parker

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If we go abroad, the landscapes of course change for every country. Here are some of my favorites, starting with the Alps of Switzerland.

Endless, lonely beaches in Latvia

…and in Iceland. More Icelandic landscapes are here and here. More? Here and here!

Early morning dunes in Morocco – so different from the warm yellows of the evening sun!

This view from a kapok tree in the Amazon basin is one of my loveliest memories ever

The unforgettable, strange landscapes of the Galapagos Islands. The impressive, 5-40 ft, endemic Opuntia cactus is common, but

– every island is different…

Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers of New Zealand display extremely impressive landscapes

Back in Europe again, and the lush, rural landscapes of Bastán, Spain

A spectacular landscape hidden somewhere in the Pyrenees, Spain

And finally, China, along the Yangtze river…

… and the vast landscape of the Tibetan Plateau – shot through a train window. We traveled on the highest built railroad in the world, and the only train running on the permafrost.

 

Thank you, Amy, for this opportunity to revisit some favorite landscapes! I quote Charles Lindbergh: ”Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance.”

Thank you for visiting, and welcome to join in the challenge! Also, be sure to tune in for Tina’s challenge next week, February 9!