9th of the last 10 days spent in Hebden Bridge. When the weather is as beautiful as this however, it doesn’t matter. This is one of my neighbours: spiritualists may read in what they will to the captured aura here, but I do note the picture was taken right into the sun.
I worked yesterday, so walked today. This is my usual walking county — Cumbria — but so far away from my usual haunt that it’s outside the Lake District National Park, on the very edge of Morecambe Bay. Forty years ago this area was marked on the map as mud and sand, but changes in the currents around the Bay (caused by sea protection works in Morecambe, some say) have seen the sea retreat and leave these salt marshes. There were a few clouds around when I arrived at nearby Kents Bank railway station to start my walk a few minutes before taking this photo, but they soon burned off, and it was another very hot one today.
Joe was invited to the birthday party of one of his friends, and though it was a bit cool and damp to take the picnic that was planned, we (that is, about 8 adults, 15 kids and 3 dogs) did get a walk up on the fells above the western end of Hebden Bridge. It did occasionally remind me why I do tend to walk alone… but still, like the Saturday last weekend, it showed me some parts of my locality that I have not seen, and that alone made it worth doing.
As you’ve probably noticed I experience a lot of hotels. The Rica Forum on the outskirts of Stavanger is nothing special really: except in one respect. This is the view from its breakfast room.
Although I should add that I’d really like to meet the man (and it will have been a man) who thought that building that concrete monstrosity to left of centre was a good idea. Do you think we should go for a trial by jury, or move straight to the execution? Anyone who could willingly offend the eye so readily and permanently really must have been a severed child.
Remember, the rule on the blog is — all photos are taken on the day. So I bet I’ve seen more snow than you today, unless you live in Antarctica or somewhere. This is what Norway looks like, on June 9th, at 1,222m (4,000 feet approx) above sea level, from the train on what must be one of the world’s great rail journeys from Bergen to Oslo. And a bargain at 399 Norwegian kroner: and there aren’t many of those in Norway I can tell you. Particularly in the Voss – Geilo section this is a truly spectacular ride. Do it some day…
I have started going to certain places simply because I think there’s a chance that I might get a decent photo. Tjeldstø is a village near the end of a chain of islands that extends into the North Sea to the north-west of Bergen (specifically, it is on the island of Alvøy). For 50km (32 miles) or so, as you drive up route 561 along a chain of bridges, things are much as you see here – rocks, water, sheep. Here’s my best attempt to encapsulate the region in one picture. What is missing are the twenty or so seabirds that were buzzing me at this point. Guys… I wasn’t after your nests, honestly. Just the photo.
Denmark sneaks itself onto the blog again, courtesy of overflying it then changing planes in Copenhagen, on my way to Norway for a week and a half’s work. I love this, proof that nature can create beauty at so many different scales. It looks like a flower, don’t you think? I also think the single little cloud in the bay is a nice touch.
A couple of minutes’ searching on Google Maps suggests this is the ‘island’ of Æbelø, just north of the city of Odense on the north coast of Fyn (and on that island is also located Nyborg, which has also featured on the blog if you recall). It must be low tide here — I would bet this area looked quite different a few hours later.
Oh yeah, it’s day 650: and every 50 days I update the ‘Best of the Rest’ page. Only two new ones this time — I must be getting pickier. (Or less good at photography.)
I’m walking again. If you want to know more about that part of the day then see my other blog. It was a gorgeous, glorious summer’s day, perfect weather in every respect, and this is more-or-less the only picture I took all day that didn’t have some blue skies on it somewhere. But nevertheless it’s the one I like the best: good curve on the wall, the solitary X-shape of the stile.
Over the last 10 days Fiji has delivered some damn fine landscapes and seascapes, and here, as a final parting shot, it delivers a pretty fine cloudscape too. Taken from flight VA154, Nadi to Sydney. The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for.
The little island of Kuata is separated from Wayasewa by a few hundred yards of open water. It is uninhabited except for the basic resort which lies on the spit of land to the right. This shot was taken from the top of the huge crag of Vatuvula, which towers over the Wayalailai resort, and to which, each night, a bunch of tourists will be dragged by enthusiastic, barefoot and completely vertigo-resistant Fijian guides. It’s probably worth it, though.
Incidentally film buffs – and Tom Hanks fans – might be interested to know that the island on the horizon, just right of center (with the more visible peaks) was the location for the movie Cast Away.
Being 42 