Gallery: pick a word (June)
Not for nothing is this blog subtitled ‘travel snapshots’. In it I try to blend my two passions of travelling and photography, often both in the same post! I can be wordy, but sometimes it’s better to be succinct and let the photos do the talking. Well, most of the talking; being me, I can’t resist a few words to accompany each!
In that spirit I’ve decided to join Paula’s monthly Pick a Word challenge. Five words, five photos inspired by those words.
BOULDERY
Brimham Rocks, Yorkshire
The landscape at Brimham Rocks was created by an immense river that flowed here 100 million years before the first dinosaurs walked the earth. The river washed sand and grit into a huge delta that covered what is now Yorkshire. When the glaciers of the last ice age retreated, the melting ice caused ripples in the rock surface and gradually sculpted the solid rock into peculiar shapes. Rain and wind further eroded the rocks to create bizarre formations.
PERCHED
Lilac-breasted Roller, Botswana
The pretty Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is one of my favourite African birds. This particular one, in Chobe National Park, perched so nicely for me for ages.
SURGING
Aysgarth Falls, Yorkshire
These falls, in Wensleydale, are in three sections; these are the Upper Falls. They are not very deep, and the water was brown when I took this photo, rich with peat from the moors above thanks to recent heavy rains. These falls have attracted artists over the centuries; Turner painted them, and Wordsworth waxed lyrical about them, as did John Ruskin. More recently they were the setting for some scenes in Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
SWIRLING
Dancers at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
This performance was part of the Jodhpur RIFF, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival. It is a traditional Rajasthani Gair dance. The men wear pleated skirts that fan out as they swirl. They move first in a clockwise then anti-clockwise direction, beating their sticks known as khanda to create the rhythm.
VAULTED
The ceiling of the Nicholaikirche in Leipzig
Johann Sebastian Bach was musical director at this church and several of his works premiered here, including the St John Passion. The church more recently played a significant part in the Monday Demonstrations, the peaceful political protests against the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) that started in Leipzig in September 1989. They took place every Monday evening after the weekly Friedensgebet (prayer for peace) in the church, which supported the protestors. The demonstrations swelled and spread to other cities. They contributed significantly to the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, and eventually to the end of the GDR regime.
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grandmisadventures
That ceiling is incredible with the color and details 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
The whole church is beautiful, and I found that such an unusual colour scheme for a church 🙂
wetanddustyroads
I like your travel snapshots very much 😊 … with your pictures it’s true that everyone of them tells a story. The Aysgarth Falls is stunning, but the tiny Lilac-breasted Roller is picture perfect!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much 😊 I do try to choose and share photos that say something about the location where I took them and/or the experiences I had there!
norasphotos4u
I like how the rocks framed the tree and that bird is beautiful!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nora 😊 I do love Lilac Breasted Rollers, their colouring is fabulous!
restlessjo
Margaret’s right, as ever! Aysgarth and Brimham- that’s a cracking shot of the Rocks. Yes, I think I intended the pun. Love the Roller too.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Jo 😊 I found the rocks so photogenic, I took loads of shots there!
restlessjo
🤗💟
leightontravels
Nicely done Sarah, that Lilac-breasted Roller is a pretty fella/gal.
Sarah Wilkie
Apparently the boys and girls both look the same so it could be either!
rosalieann37
I would have been tempte to pick the photos first and then picked the words to match. Either that or had someone else give me the words. But the photos absolutely go with those words.
Sarah Wilkie
Someone else did give me the words Rosalie – that’s how this challenge works. I should have made that clearer I guess. Every month Paula posts five words with her photos to match and challenges us to find photos to go with her choice of words. It’s a fun challenge, especially as the words often aren’t obvious ones to match to a photo 🙂
rosalieann37
I didn’t realize that. Picking the words would be fun
Amanda
An amazing church roof and important place in history that I wasn’t aware of.
And those dancing men in Rajasthan. That would be something to see. Dus you video them?
Sarah Wilkie
I learned a lot about Leipzig’s role in the fall of the Berlin Wall when we visited, most of it new to me. If you’re interested (and ONLY if you’re interested!) I have a blog post about it: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/around-the-corner-in-leipzig-die-runde-ecke/
And yes, I’m sure I videoed those dancers – I’ll have to look it out!
Heyjude
The Lilac-breasted Roller is such a beautiful bird and I have never seen one so I am very envious of this photo!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Jude – I’ve been fortunate to see several but this is by far the most successful attempt I’ve had a photographing one. He posed beautifully 🙂
Heyjude
He did indeed. A great shot.
justbluedutch
Wonderful photographs Sarah, you really capture these moments.I always enjoyed your posts and inspired by your eloquent photography.
Sarah Wilkie
Ah, thank you so much, that’s a lovely compliment 😊
margaret21
A marvellous collection, and good to see Yorkshire making the cut – twice!
Sarah Wilkie
I know! All the places I’ve travelled, and yet it was Yorkshire that fitted two of these words perfectly 😀
thehungrytravellers.blog
Aysgarth is my favourite in this little collection – you can feel the power of the water in the photograph
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks – it was one of my more successful attempts at using a longer exposure to blur the running water. I don’t carry a tripod so this sort of shot is a challenge!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Sarah, you do a fabulous job of mixing your photography and words of your travels. We always enjoy your posts!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much, I’m always glad to hear when you enjoy a post 😊