Tuesday Photo Challenge – Vista

Dear Frank, of My most breathtaking vista, I have no photographs. Machu Pichu was a childhood dream, and I went to Peru in the 1980’s to see it. No camera. When we finally reached the top of the mountain, the Urubamba river down below and the surrounding rainforest oozing thin dew drops along the mountain side…I could hardly breathe. For me, Nothing beats that vista.

So, I will have to give you another one. The Great Wall, the first time I saw it and walked it. Early morning light. Not a sound. That special feeling maybe fades a bit every time you visit, but it is still an impressive sight the fifth time you visit.

Many years later, we traveled on the highest elevated railway in the world – built on permafrost – from Beijing to Lhasa. The plateau on which Lhasa and Tibet is situated, offers stunning vistas every time you look out the window. They have to use extra oxygen in the train because of the height, but feeling ”high” on this journey had nothing to do with the extra oxygen…

These photos are all taken with a simple point and shoot – but highly treasured by me.

CFFC: Arch, Dome or Half Circle

For Cee – three different, man made examples and one natural this Tuesday.

In the header, Moroccan architecture.

Beijing, Bridges in the Forbidden City.

Reykjavik, Hallgrímskirkja

And Rome, nature’s own design

 

 

WPC: I’d Rather Be…

Krista’s challenge…where/what would I rather be/doing…is quite easily answered, but then again – maybe not. It is not easy to pick some special activities among so many interesting things I like to do.

In the header is one of the last pictures of my Dream Garden, that used to belong to an old couple I have known for many years. Last summer their garden was sold, and those who bought it, immediately changed it for ever. I’d rather be with my old friends in their fantastic garden – but I know this dream belongs to the past.

Generally I am rather happy as I am…but here are some more suggestions:

I might rather be…walking the streets of Rome, enjoying its history while passing old and abandoned buildings.

I’d rather be attending interesting exhibitions…

And I’d rather be hiking new and exciting landscapes…

But, most of all, I’d rather be walking my everyday paths in the forest, with Totti. Hopefully, in some weeks, finding the forest floor exploding with white wood anemonies. Oh, the joy!

 

Travel theme: Leaves – Beautiful Dead and Alive

Leaves for Ailsa. Trees and their leaves do represent life, and in China I always admire the ancient Ginko tree with its beautifully designed leaves. But on our last trip there, I found these traditionally painted leaves and could not resist buying one. They were framed in glass, otherwise not possible to take home.

From China – so thin and fragile – a handpainted leaf from a Banyan tree. Some lamp light from the right side, but hopefully you can understand what it looks like on my wall.

Travel theme: History

Travel theme: History

To me, maybe China and the Great Wall stands out when I think of History. Not only is it very old, but there is so much history behind the building of the wall, so many lost lives and such a fascinating idea from the start.

So, I keep returning to it…

Travel theme: Exits

From Ailsa this week – Exits.

Photos from China 2009 – A starspangled exit at the airport, and another kind of exit …I hope you think it is rather sweet anyway…

 

SL-WEEK: Reflection

 

For Sylvain Landry – Reflection. I love the way the world changes in reflections. In the header, a photo from somewhere in China, where many separate worlds are revealed …and the second photo is from my forest at home. My world.

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

 

SL-WEEK 43: Wedding

According to Chinese tradition, the bride always wears red on her wedding day. So, for Sylvain Landry, this week’s wedding pictures come from China. Old tradition in the beautiful water city of Suzhou, and in the header, a modern couple walking the Bond overlooking the Pudong area in Shanghai.

 

 

SL-WEEK 37: Electricity

 

Sylvain Landry this week – something essential in our high – tech society – electricity.

The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Yangtze River in China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest power station with a total electric generating capacity of 22.500MW.

The dam project was started in 1993 and completed in 2012, 

As well as producing electricity, the dam is intended to increase the Yangtze River’s shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream. The Chinese government regards the project as a total success, However, the dam flooded archeological and cultural sites and displaced some 1.4 million people, (See the post on Shibaozhai earlier.) It is also causing significant ecological changes, The Chinese river dolphin became extinguished and there is an increased risk of landslides. The dam was built in an area of potential earthquakes, and the consequences if – this would happen,  would be disastrous.

There are two series of ship locks installed – each of them is made up of five stages, with transit time at around four hours. We passed during the night. Looking out from the balcony, this is what we saw.

SL-WEEK 36: Women

 

Sylvain Landry – Women. International Women’s Day.

In the header – The old and the new China.

 

Young Chinese girl of today

Rome – a connecting nun.

My mother, here 79 years old. Still hiking, still curiously looking forward to things…

A woman – not passé even if she is ageing.