Travel theme: Weather

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

Bäcken lever. The brook comes alive when the ice is gone.

Ice melting…letting spring run free

Fog softly rolling in a late summer night

Thin autumn drizzle

Cee’s B&W Photo Challenge: Bathrooms and Outhouses

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Bathrooms and Outhouses

Three Moroccan bathrooms for Cee this week. In the header – Sahara.

Marrakesh

Sawadi

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…

Spanien 1 och 2 847_copy

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?

Abandoned

We passed the tiny village Castro in our search for the hidden monastery. After the visit there, the decision was easy –  to park the car and walk up the main street of Castro.

At first sight it looked abandoned, but …electricity and a TV antenna told another story.

And all those doors…most of them belonging to abandoned houses or houses torn down – the door opening onto endless meadows behind… every door having its own secret story.

And, somebody is caring for the lonely rose.

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…

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 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…

Travel theme: Writing

Travel theme: Writing

We once started writing to sum up collected taxes and to label things. We still do.  But, we also write for many other reasons – Love for example, and for religious reasons (I guess that too is out of love).

Me meeting all the H.P. fans at the "Elephant House"

Me meeting all the Harry Potter fans at the ”Elephant House” in Edinburgh.

Sometimes the writing is not that beautiful…but still written out of love.

Tibetansk skylt ovanför ingången till ett tempel

Tibetansk skylt ovanför ingången till ett tempel – Tibetan sign from a temple in Lhasa.

And sometimes I find writing utterly beautiful.

Often the eastern ”alphabets” and writings are much more artistic and beautiful than ours – or what do you think?