I have long been fascinated by the roofs of the far east. The ornate figures that line the top edges if a Chinese roof. The intricately carved end tiles of a Japanese temple roof. The delicately painted beams that hold them up. And the steep temple roofs of Indochina.
-
-
I think we all hope our words will mean something, and many of us hope that our photographs will too. Paula’s Pick a Word challenge gives us a chance each month to consider her words and pair them with our photos.
-
September has been a lovely month, in several ways. The weather improved considerably compared to July and August, with a mini heatwave at the start of the month. I had two fantastic trips abroad and some fun activities closer to home too.
-
Spiders are pretty persistent. Remember the tale of Robert the Bruce? Legend has it that when he was struggling in his fight against the English he hid out in a cave. While there he watched a spider try time and again to spin its web. Every time the spider fell, it got up and began again. Bruce was inspired by the spider to continue his campaign against the English, culminating in victory at Bannockburn.
-
Picking favourites is never easy. People ask me, what is your favourite place you have visited, and I usually struggle to choose. If I’m permitted a top five or top ten it’s easier; but ask me tomorrow and I may come up with a different list. And ask me WHY it is a favourite, and I may find it hard to articulate why one place ranks higher than another in my travel memories.
-
On our recent visit to Paris much of the time we simply walked. With no need to tick off the famous sights we instead strolled some of our favourite streets, explored new ones and checked out some less well-known places.
-
This is a house in Oak Park, just outside Chicago, one of several private homes in this neighbourhood designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
-
The Place des Vosges must be one of the most beautiful corners of this beautiful city. Like the Place Dauphine it owes its existence to the city planning ambitions of Henri IV. It was laid out as an elegant residential square where the upper echelons of Parisian society could live and socialise. Much has changed since then, not least due to the Revolution, but it remains as elegant as ever.
-
When out with my camera I often ‘shop’ for windows, seeking out ones that might make interesting images. Whether peering through them, looking for reflections or simply enjoying the geometry of their frames, windows make great subjects for photography.
-
Given that few of us are blessed with the language skills of Doctor Dolittle, probably the best way to ‘listen’ to animals is to observe them. And for many of us that often means a visit to a (hopefully) ethically-run wildlife sanctuary. There we can really take our time to watch animal behaviour, and listen to the experts who’ve made it their job to get to know and understand the needs of these creatures.
