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Travel snapshots from Toonsarah

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        • The Friendly Friday Challenge: how to join in
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      • One-to-Three
      • Ten photos
      • Thursday Trios
      • Thursday Doors
  • About me
    • Contact me
    • ‘Always Write’ interview
    • My love of travel
    • My photography
      • Photographic techniques
      • My photography journey
      • Video
    • Disclaimer & GDPR
  • Archive
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • England
      • London
      • Newcastle-upon-Tyne
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Austria
      • Bulgaria
      • Estonia
      • France
        • Paris
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Jersey
      • Latvia
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Spain
        • Seville
      • Switzerland
      • Ukraine
    • Beyond
      • Africa
        • Botswana
        • Cape Verde
        • Gambia
        • Kenya
        • Morocco
        • Namibia
        • Senegal
        • Tanzania
        • Zimbabwe
      • Americas
        • Belize
        • Canada
        • Chile
          • Rapa Nui
        • Colombia
        • Costa Rica
        • Ecuador
          • Galapagos Islands
        • Guatemala
        • Jamaica
        • USA
          • Chicago
          • New Mexico
          • New York City
          • Washington State
      • Asia
        • DPRK
        • India
          • Kerala
          • Rajasthan
        • Indochina
          • Cambodia
          • Laos
          • Vietnam
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Oman
        • Syria
        • United Arab Emirates
        • Uzbekistan
  • Themes
    • Architecture
    • Art
      • Crafts
      • Street art
    • Colour
    • Dark tourism
    • Eco-tourism
    • Food & drink
    • Gardens
    • History
      • Ruins
      • War
    • Landscape
      • Coast & seascapes
      • Deserts
      • Mountains
      • Rivers
    • Nature and wildlife
      • Animals
      • Birds
      • Plants
        • Flowers
        • Trees, forests and woodland
    • People
      • Culture & tradition
      • Street photography
    • Travel in general
  • Photo galleries
    • Themed galleries
    • Travel galleries
  • Postcards from the road
  • Challenges
    • Photography challenges
      • Lens-Artists
      • Monochrome Madness
      • Nature Photo Challenge
      • One Word Sunday
      • Photographing Public Art
      • Pick a Word
      • Squares
      • Sunday Stills
      • The Changing Seasons
      • Cee’s challenges
        • CBWC
        • CFFC
        • CMMC
    • General challenges
      • Happy Place Happy Space
      • Monday walks
      • Words of Wisdom
      • Writers’ Quotes Wednesday
    • Challenges archive
      • Bird Weekly
      • Friendly Friday
        • The Friendly Friday Challenge: how to join in
      • Friday’s Foods of the World
      • Just One Person
      • Life in Colour
      • Mid-week Monochrome
      • One-to-Three
      • Ten photos
      • Thursday Trios
      • Thursday Doors
  • About me
    • Contact me
    • ‘Always Write’ interview
    • My love of travel
    • My photography
      • Photographic techniques
      • My photography journey
      • Video
    • Disclaimer & GDPR
  • Archive

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Topics I’ve touched on

africa animals architecture art birds black_&_white bulgaria cambodia chile cities colombia colour costa_rica dprk ealing england flowers france friendlyfriday Friendly_Friday history india landscape lens-artists Lens_Artists_Challenge london Monday_Walks naturephotochallenge nepal new_mexico north_korea paris people photography photo_effects PPAC ruins Street_Art Street_Photography Sunday_Stills thechangingseasons usa views village wildlife
  • Pick a Word,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: pick a word (August 2023)

    September 2, 2023 / 26 Comments
    Small round tower on a rocky islet

    To focus on a single word and bring it to life in an image; it sounds simple, but … This month’s Pick a Word choices come from Botswana, China, Oman, Guatemala and Peru. Whatever else they make you feel, you could well be dizzy travelling so far so quickly!

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    View of rocky islet framed by leaves

    Gallery: pick a word (June 2023)

    June 24, 2023
    Black and white photo of a lady smoking a cigar

    Gallery: pick a word (August)

    August 30, 2022
    A subway station platform seen through columns supporting the roof

    Gallery: pick a word (January 2023)

    January 28, 2023
  • Lens-Artists,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: things overlooked or unseen

    July 31, 2023 / 59 Comments
    Bright coloured bracts on a stone path

    By ‘looking over’ the places we visit with our cameras, that is properly looking at and seeing them, we are less likely to ‘overlook’ a great photo opportunity.

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    Or what about ...?

    Stone statue on a plinth on a grassy hillside

    Admiral Lord Collingwood, a forgotten hero

    April 25, 2021
    Three different versions of a waterlily photo

    Gallery: three ways of seeing

    October 9, 2022
    River view with modern city buildings

    Gallery: city living in London

    February 15, 2021
  • CMMC,  Themed galleries,  Travel in general

    Gallery: searching for M and M

    July 29, 2023 / 39 Comments
    Small bird hovering by purple flowers

    Hummingbirds are among the hardest of birds to photograph, I find. So even though it’s not perfect I was happy to get this shot of one in Costa Rica last year.

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    Blue and turquoise mosaic

    Gallery: feeling the blues

    November 11, 2021
    White wall with a painting of the god Ganesh and a blue door

    Gallery: intriguingly incomparable India

    May 25, 2023
    Dark red flower

    Gallery: looking closely at Nepal

    January 6, 2023
  • Pick a Word,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: pick a word (July 2023)

    July 28, 2023 / 30 Comments
    Black and white photo of a tree in a park

    The writer, the painter and the photographer have the power to ‘shake up a familiar scene’. Through their eyes we often discover something anew even though we may have seen a similar scene many times before.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    View of rocky islet framed by leaves

    Gallery: pick a word (June 2023)

    June 24, 2023
    Black and white photo of a lady smoking a cigar

    Gallery: pick a word (August)

    August 30, 2022
    Black and white photo of a statue of two figures, one with a gun

    Gallery: pick a word (December)

    December 30, 2022
  • Pick a Word,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: pick a word (June 2023)

    June 24, 2023 / 46 Comments
    View of rocky islet framed by leaves

    I like to caption my photos; I like to illustrate my words. But when it comes to Paula’s monthly Pick a Word, my task is to illustrate her words. She assures me that I ‘don’t have to do all of them, one is enough’. But I always like a challenge so feel compelled to try!

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    Or what about ...?

    Man with a beard in sunglasses, wearing a hat

    Gallery: pick a word (July)

    July 28, 2022
    Large rock outcrops

    Gallery: pick a word (June)

    June 24, 2022
    Black and white photo of tiny fungi growing out of lichen

    Gallery: pick a word (September)

    October 6, 2022
  • Nature and wildlife,  Nature Photo Challenge,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: dragonflies draw flame

    April 28, 2023 / 47 Comments
    Two pairs of slender damselflies linked together on reeds

    While I love to see dragonflies and damselflies I often confuse one with the other. But I hope I have captioned my selection of these delicate insects properly!

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    Orange butterfly on a cloth by apples

    Gallery: the wings of the butterfly

    May 18, 2023
    Close-up of a shiny green fly on a leaf

    Gallery: small is beautiful

    July 19, 2023
    Dark red flower

    Gallery: looking closely at Nepal

    January 6, 2023
  • History,  Lens-Artists

    Reading messages from the past

    January 29, 2023 / 64 Comments
    Rock with petroglyphs of animals

    When I travel I am always curious about the people who inhabit the places I visit. I seek to understand their way of life and observe how it differs from, or is similar to, my own. But there are other people who populate my travels, the people who ONCE lived in these lands.

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    Or what about ...?

    'Welcome to Syria' banner

    Once upon a time in Syria: part one

    September 19, 2020
    Stone church and blue sky

    The wonders of Bulgaria’s Bachkovo Monastery

    February 10, 2022
    Large stone building with towers and arched windows

    Ealing, the Queen of the Suburbs?

    December 10, 2022
  • Culture & tradition,  Monday walks,  Oman

    A walk along the Corniche in Muttrah

    June 9, 2022 / 31 Comments
    White houses, blur minaret and dome, distant mountains

    On our last morning in Muscat we explored the district known as Muttrah. This is the city’s commercial heart, home to its port and a number of sights. Our walk took us from the bustling fish market at its northern end past the port to the equally busy souk near the far end.

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    Books on a market stall

    A postcard from Tirana: the flea market

    April 24, 2023
    Looking over an Italian hill town

    The Palio della Balestra in Gubbio: a centuries-old tradition

    November 26, 2020
    Elaborately decorated table

    Eating like honoured guests in North Korea

    December 30, 2021
  • Culture & tradition,  Deserts,  Oman,  Ruins

    Dhofar, the Land of Frankincense

    May 11, 2022 / 26 Comments
    Small squat tree in a dry stony landscape

    You can’t travel far in Oman without hearing the word frankincense. Every Omani home burns this fragrant resin daily, it is an intrinsic part of Omani life. Not only does it make the home smell nice, it also keeps flying insects such as mosquitoes at bay. The best quality frankincense is steeped overnight in water which is then drunk at breakfast time to treat a variety of ailments. And inhaling the smoke is said to be good for asthma.

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    Or what about ...?

    Man's hands working with tin

    Using our hands: handicrafts around the world

    April 27, 2021
    Bright yellow gourds on a wooden bench

    Gallery: kitchens in time and place

    July 4, 2023
    Line of seated stone statues wearing red caps and bibs

    The Bake-Jizō of Kanmangafuchi Abyss

    February 16, 2021
  • Friendly Friday,  Oman,  People,  Travel in general

    Friendly Friday: meet some amazing guides

    November 19, 2021 / 30 Comments
    Banner with photo of a man in Arab dress

    A local guide can make or break the travel experience. A good one will not only smooth the path and tell you about the sights you are seeing, they will also share something of themselves. Spending time together you will get to know each other and learn more about the country than you ever would from reading guidebooks, from the perspective of someone who lives there. They will be able to introduce you to some insider secrets: a little-known site; a café or bar frequented only by locals; a short…

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    Or what about ...?

    Rock formation with arch and pinnacle

    Video: big skies and red rock country

    May 29, 2021
    Looking down at snowy mountains from a plane

    Gallery: it’s a wonderful world, from above

    November 5, 2021
    Two elephants in long grass in black and white

    Two ways: black and white or colour?

    November 6, 2020
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Read my featured blogger interview

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By Marsha of 'Always Write'

And my answers to Bren’s ‘five at five’ questions

Lady in a hat and red top sitting on rocks

Some favourite photos

Man in a turban with fishing nets
Fisherman in Fort Kochi, Kerala
Two elephants in long grass
Okavango elephants
Blue glacier edge
Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile
Elderly woman in black hat and sunglasses
In Santiago, Chile
Very large statues of North Korean Leaders
Statues of the Great Leaders on Mansudae Hill, Pyongyang
Water reflecting the sky with clouds and low sun
Approaching sunset in the Okavango Delta
Feet of huge metal sculpture, with man standing beside
The feet of the Angel
Large moai with row of more behind
The ‘travelling moai’ and Ahu Tongariki
Man in knitted hat by water, black and white photo
Waiting for the ferry, Banjul
Mountain reflected in a lake
On the road to Dyrholaey
Sunset at Wahiba Sands, Oman
Squirrel with a conker in his mouth
In Walpole Park, Ealing
Silhouette of a man in a gateway
Looking out from Bundi Palace
Blue and pink bird on a dead tree
Lilac-breasted Roller, Chobe NP, Botswana
Buddhist monk in orange robes with mobile phone
Monk at Wat Nong Sikhounmuang, Luang Prabang
Man sleeping in a tuk tuk by a carved stone wall
Tuk tuk driver by the Terrace of the Leper King
Close up of flamingo with head tucked under
Flamingo (Jersey Zoo)
Lady with baskets of fruit sitting by a canal
In Hoi An, Vietnam
Small fishing boat with a man in it, on a large lake
Lake Atitlan
Wet street and two people with bright pink umbrella
Street in Lucca, rainy day – edited

Some topics I’ve touched on

africa animals architecture art birds black_&_white bulgaria cambodia chile cities colombia colour costa_rica dprk ealing england flowers france friendlyfriday Friendly_Friday history india landscape lens-artists Lens_Artists_Challenge london Monday_Walks naturephotochallenge nepal new_mexico north_korea paris people photography photo_effects PPAC ruins Street_Art Street_Photography Sunday_Stills thechangingseasons usa views village wildlife

Archive

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  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020

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  • Gallery: tell us why
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  • A postcard from Chicago: Oak Park

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All images and texts copyright Sarah Wilkie - 2023 ©
 

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