For Cee’s challenge in black and white, she has chosen Trees. Trees are my favourites on this earth…and my pick is a piece of the forest I walk in every day. Autumn is the feeling.
Nature
Wordless Wednesday
The Winner Takes It All – Song of Roland
”I am watching your every step…”
Towards Pas de Rolande, where Charlemagne’s army was ambushed after the sacking of Pamplona – celebrated in the medieval poem, Song of Roland.
Along the road we met a herd of, what we believe was, Iberian wild goats. The gamey smell filled the air, and soon we saw them climbing the stony slopes up on our right side as well.
As they were rather close to the road, about 5-10 metres up, we could study them roaming the bushes, popping up a head every now and then.
We reached the rock formation in the gorge. According to legend, the gap once was created by Roland’s horse.
On my way back, alone, (my husband went back before me) the strong smell from the goats appeared again. And, I was lucky to witness this piece of wild life -love life!
The chase…
and…the mating
The fight when his foe challenges him
The loser turns back…
Then posing alone on the rock
”Well, I have seen it before…and in my younger days I would…
…win all of those fights…”
Travel theme: Weather
You cannot catch them all…can you? But in the header – a sunny, clear winter’s day.
Ailsa’s theme this week is Weather. Something to talk about. Always.
It is snowing
Frost and colours a cloudy day
Ice melting…letting spring run free
Fog softly rolling in a late summer night
Thin autumn drizzle
Thursday Thoughts – The Beach
Sometimes strange things happen…like a jigsawpuzzle everything just fits in, and you experience a picture you thought you would never see…
…or be able to walk into. This happened to us this July, on the north coast of Spain. We had booked a hotel for the night, and had checked our guide books as usual – nothing special here in Santiago de Reinante…
But, I got a hint from a leaflet I saw at the hotel…that maybe we should go down to the beach. A square of 2×2 cm pictured Catedrales, a very special beach it seemed…
We soon realised that a permission was needed to walk the beach – it is a UNESCO World Heritage! Nothing, absolutely Nothing in our books had us prepared for these magnificent views.
My heart sank, maybe we would have to stay on the cliffs and not come down…But, there were very effective assistants on the steps down, and they helped us getting the permit via Internet – so, we were two of the 4000 people allowed on this beach per day. My heart jumped and beat so hard I could feel it in my throat. This was so unreal…How could there be ebb as well? How could we be so lucky?
We walked for hours and hours…endless kilometres…trying to savour this moment as the precious gift it was. Unbelievable. This was not happening…
I never wanted the sun to go down, never wanted to leave this magnificent world…
But finally the sunset had to come, and the night closed in. I cannot say how grateful I am for this evening gift. Pictures cannot convey …my deepest feelings.
I wish you all such wonderful and unexpected gifts – and a good night!
More facts and photos on this beach at Albatz Travel Adventures.
CFFC: Hands
For Cee this week – hands. Very useful tools. Not only for showing love or affection.
They might pinch things from you when you least expect it…
And they can hold the most delicate things and creatures without hurting them…
And, they can also work fast and swiftly make the tastiest edible things…
Hands are needed.
They work well in many sayings and expressions as well: ”Give me a hand”, ”All hands on deck” etc. I believe ”hands” are useful in most languages. A Swedish example is ” Ge mig ett handtag” ( Give me some help here). How is it used in your language?
Wordless Wednesday
Autumn Coming
There is a slight chill in the air…even though the wind still is soft and warm.
But, I can feel him coming…
Because the sky is crystal clear…
…and the colours are changing into a golden glow.
There is a stillness in everything, just before his gentle steps …heading straight in our direction. Let us glow – Autumn is coming.
The Enchanted Monastery
Monasterio de Santa Cristina (Ribas de Sil) in Galicia, Spain, originates from the 11th century, when monks came here to live in seclusion to meditate.
We had great difficulties in finding the hidden monastery, and had to follow winding roads for miles. Then a multitude of stone steps down…but, we were richly rewarded.
There is not much written about the monastery, or its church, but the very location and surroundings are enigmatic. I hope you noticed the stone faces watching us from above in the header…
You can only imagine all the trouble getting the stones for the monastery down here…
…and the impressive church
Hidden in the forest, it was impossible to get an overview of the buildings. We walked up the layered paths, and the unreal feeling only escalated. Not many monks have ever lived here – but how did they survive? It seemed impossible that they would have grown anything in this stone paradise. No matter how green it was…
The cross on top of the church
Stones, stones…
…and majestic stone fences in layers
The old trees all seemed to be aware of us being there…and as I turned around on the path, one of them made my eyes wander up the trunk for his message…resting some four, five meters up…
WPC: Morning
The soft morning…is lifting, taking off towards the day. Ziga, Baztan, Spain.
For more mornings – click here.
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