Lens-Artists Challenge #164 – Looking Up/Down

/ Leya / 66 kommentarer

Sofia of Photographias is our host this week – welcome! In a way, she continues Amy’s lovely ”Keep Walking” by wanting us not just to look around ourselves, but also to look up and down:

”So, what have you discovered when you looked up or down? Were you surprised?”

My garden is still filled with fluttering wings and buzzing bees this autumn. Sunny days with no wind – and I go out in the mornings to enjoy the last colourful flowers, butterflies and bees. My Buddleias have grown very high, about three meters, so I mostly look up to find the little beauties eating breakfast in the warming sun.

I was surprised to see a common brimstone – they haven’t been here since Spring. Hundreds of butterflies come to my garden every day, but now in September mainly red admirals, peacock butterflies and small tortoiseshells. The occational comma and cabbage butterfly.

When I look down, I find the hydrangeas are already fading into their new beauty – laced and plumcoloured. I don’t really know which way I like them best…but these silent, warm Septemberdays, I so love them.

On our trip to Denmark some weeks ago, we walked to the northernmost tip of the country to see the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. The sky was spectacular, and we remembered the 19th century Skagen painters who used to come here because of the magical light.

Time to look down as we reached Grenen, where the two seas meet. A tough walk in the strong wind, but beautiful waters awaiting. Quite a special feeling to stand there in the flying sand to the sound of clashing waves. Michael Ancher’s famous A Stroll on the Beach seemed a bit far away though…

They say the two seas meet in different colours. It was rather dark when we finally got to the point where they do meet – but maybe you can see a faint difference in this photo if you look closely? Anyway, it is time to look both up and down when you come to a special place like this.

Please go to Sofia for more inspiration, and if you join us, please include a link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can all find you.

Patti at Pilotfish will be our host next week, 11th September. Until then, we are looking forward to seeing your ups and downs. Stay kind and cool.

Thursday Thoughts – The Iceberg

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

Aarhus again, and the Iceberg Building area. Fascinating architecture.

From the pictures I had seen before, it looked gorgeous, innovative and a must see.
As we passed the first building, we admired the apartements close to the water.
A modern Venice?

On reaching the Iceberg, we realised it clearly is best seen from the sea.

But, I just have to post on some of the area anyway.

No easy angles here… and I was a bit disappointed that they were building a high tower right next to this complex – see this in the first photo.

The area is well worth a visit – and I enjoyed walking there for an hour or two.

Lens-Artists Challenge #163 – Keep Walking

/ Leya / 90 kommentarer

Amy says: ”This week, our theme is “Keep Walking”. Let’s share our walking and/or hiking experience.” I have always been a walker, and hopefully I will keep walking – just like the two elderly gentlemen in Segovia. I walk to see and feel – to come close to everything living on our planet. I walk to think and contemplate. Why do you walk?

Why not start with a pair of beloved shoes – my young son’s batman shoes… Shoes are very important to keep you walking. For longer hikes, I mostly wear hiking boots, but my other family members prefer ordinary walking shoes.

Our children are used to extensive walking. As soon as they could wear more solid shoes, at the age of three or four something, they walked with us in the forest and on our vacation trips. The Swedish mountains in the first image, then Madeira and the Azores – all favourite hiking areas. The first time they walked the levadas in Madeira, they were three and four years old. The Ribeiro Frio-Portela route is the most popular one with us. We visited Madeira five times, and that hike was always a must. My mother liked it too. In this photo she had just turned 75.

The Azores are constantly on our list – one day we would love to go back for more hiking. The last photo is from Norway, also a favourite hiking area. I am on my way to Svartisen glacier.

We were fortunate enough to visit Bhutan in 2018, and walked the famous path to the Tiger’s Nest. A strenuous five-hour-hike, but worth every step.

Pilgrims from the whole world walk this path and we met many wonderful, smiling people. This family offered me small treats to make me feel less tired. (The dog got one too – everything living is to be cared for.) I learned that the elderly lady was 75 years old, but she just swept past me like a wind and soon disappeared with light steps… while I kept struggling in the thin air.

Finally – a walk I still dream of for the future – if there is one. The walk to Santiago de Compostela. The way of St James. A walk through the whole of Spain, for many a way to find out more about themselves, and how they want to live their Life. In 2016 we drove parts of the Camino, and walked small parts of it. Talked to people and found ever so many different reasons for making this pilgrimage. I guess today we can find even more reasons to walk the Camino…

Many thanks to Tina for “It’s all about the light” last week. She gave a series of comparisons about the power of light, and through your beautiful thoughts and images, we have learned even more about the importance of light.

This week, we invite you to share your walking adventures and photos on trails, streets, gardens, neighborhoods… Remember to link your post to Amy’s original, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you.

We’re excited to announce that LAPC #164 will be hosted by Sofia Alves on September 4th. Her theme is “Looking Up/Down”. Be sure to visit Sofia’s site.

Thursday Thoughts – Papirsclip

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

We visited the Museum for Paper Art in Blokhus, Denmark. We hadn’t planned to, as we didn’t know it was there – but it opened in 2018 and is the only one of its kind in Scandinavia. Who can resist it? I have made so many paperclips over the years – as a child, and then with my own children too. I hope they will pass it on to new generations too.

The main exhibition was from the art of Bit Vejle – a famous psaligrapher with exhibitions all over the world. Right now she is in the US with a Chinese Dragon show.

She cuts everything by hand, with a pair of sharp scissors. The big oval with the tree measures 3×2 meters – the details are amazing. There was also a workshop for those who wanted to let their inner paper artist loose!

Bit Vejle is based in Norway, but was born in Denmark. She and her daughter were the founders of the museum.

In the header you see a paper theatre – a much loved art form in Denmark. Even the Danish Queen has made backdrops for some theatres, and she has played herself as well. She is a very talented woman, who, among other things, writes books and paints.