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memories of Japan
In the autumn of 2007 Martin and I travelled to Japan. It was a country both of us always wanted to visit, and it was a memorable trip. My favourite part was our short seclusion in the Buddhist village of Kôyasan, which is located high in the mountains south of Osaka. It was founded twelve centuries ago, and is the centre for the study and practice of Shingon Buddhism. It is difficult to describe the majesty of its surroundings or the serenity that permeates the area. If you wish to stay overnight you must take lodgings in one of its 120 beautiful monasteries. In 2004 UNESCO named the “Sacred Sites…
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old horror
Today I was selecting photographs to post to my Flickr stream from those I took at the Church of Saint Bartholomew in Sóller, Mallorca. One of them was the above photograph of the eponymous saint himself, Saint Bartholomew. As I was examining the photograph I realised there was another face hanging from the Saint’s waist. It was a WTF? moment. I hadn’t even seen it when I’d taken the original photograph. Thankfully, a small bit of Internet research cleared it up. Bartholomew is reported as being martyred in three different ways, all of them bloody. The most popular variety is being skinned alive. Hence, pictures and sculptures of the saint…
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gallery cats
Mallorcans love cats and dogs. They are well-treated and indulged, and are everywhere on the island, usually not far from their doting owners. I snapped this mother and daughter duo in a Gallery in the incredibly picturesque village of Sóller. I caught the rickety train, with its old-fashioned wooden carriages, into the mountains to explore the town for a couple of hours. The train trundled upwards past almond trees shedding their blossoms, trees dripping with lemons and oranges, and ancient olive groves. Sóller’s buildings are relatively unaltered, with terracotta roofs, wrought iron balconies and sturdy, polished wooden doors. Many of its winding, narrow streets – loomed over by serrated mountains…
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mallorcan tree
I’m only a couple of days on Mallorca and I’ve already had blazing sun and blue skies, an afternoon of torrential rain and a nocturnal lightning storm. It’s mercurial and eventual staying on a Mediterranean island in February. I love it. The vegetation is amazing to my eyes – a variety of palm trees (tall, stubby, gnarled) with huge architectural fronds, a wide range of cacti, as well as pink, purple and violet flowers in bloom. And always the constant drumbeat of the waves pounding against the rocks. Most of the pubs, cafes and souvenir shops are closed. Santa Ponsa has a slightly forlorn feeling at times, but I don’t…
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minnie triumphant
It’s been a while since I inflicted a picture of Minnie the pooch upon you. I snapped this the other morning, as she stared resolutely away from the camera. She hates the shiny metal box that causes me to pause and point it at objects during her walks, so she shows her disdain towards it at every opportunity. That’s her racoon toy, which is rather adorable. She loves it because it’s very long, so she can grab it in the middle, scamper around the table and whip it about viciously so both ends slap against carpet, chairs, your legs… It has a squeaker in the head and in the end…
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web morning
This morning saw a beautiful combination of sunlight hitting wet trees and shrubs that were coated with a patina of frost. A mist curled up from the iced grass toward blue skies. Everywhere there were spider webs, jewelled with beads of water. One long chain formed a barrier across the path – I spotted it at the last moment and ducked underneath. Photographing cobwebs can be tricky, but I managed to snap a few of them. This was one of my favourite shots. Oh! The artless cunning of nature.
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bright days
This picture is from over a week ago, when I had a fantastic run of photographs on a freezing, sunny day. Since then the weather has been officially what we term ‘filthy’: wet and a constant twilight thanks to the permanent canopy of grey clouds. And recently there have been gusting winds, just to keep me awake at night too. So, the above picture is a reminder to Nature. A bit more sun, please. I know you can do it. Cheers!
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tree jewels
There are so many beautiful, strange things waiting to be noticed if you pay attention. I spotted this little wagon train of snails hitched up on the back of a tree recently. I loved the patterns on the shells, and how well the colour complimented the thick, scaly bark of the tree. It was bitterly cold – my fingers were numb from holding up the camera and taking pictures throughout my walk – and the snails were locked up tight in their houses. Although, they could have been out. I didn’t knock to inquire.
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shrouded
A cold, dank mist smothered Galway today. There were none of the usual markers of morning, noon and twilight, just a constant grey tone that collapsed suddenly to darkness in the evening. It was the kind of day that offered no incentive to venture outside, but the dog needed her walk, so in the afternoon I braved the woods. It was still, muffled. The thick mist suggested much and illuminated nothing. A rook cawed intermittently throughout my walk, there were occasional bangs – fireworks, or a gun – but otherwise it was utterly silent. The woods were eerie and mysterious, and I thought how easy it would be to conjure…
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new shoots
This is a hopeful sign from yesterday. It was taken on a day that could pass for Spring, but which followed one of the most miserable days (weather-wise anyway) we’ve had in months: sordid skies, torrential rain and gusting wind. I don’t mind coping with the grey days when they blow away and leave us with spearmint fresh skies and promises of verdant earth.
