View of rocky islet framed by leaves
Pick a Word,  Themed galleries

Gallery: pick a word (June 2023)

June 24, 2023 / 46 Comments

I began thinking that words and pictures, married, might possibly produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.

Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss

And ‘marrying’ words and pictures is exactly what I try to do in my blog. 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!

My selection this month will take you from Cambridge in England, to Norway and on to Oman, Nepal and Vietnam. As always I haven’t stuck only to Paula’s five words, as I like to tell you a little bit about each photo. However I do try to be more succinct for this challenge than for most of my posts!

ARDENT

Man in orange with orange painted face and long beard

Sadhu at Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu

Sadhus are holy men who have left behind all material attachments. They are solitary men, often using intoxicants as a path to spiritual insight. Their lives are dedicated to achieving enlightenment through meditation and contemplation of Brahman. However they need to eat! So at temples like Pashupatinath they often pose for photos for a small donation towards their support. I have a photo of some more of the sadhus here.

EXPANSIVE

Panorama of a town on an island linked by a bridge and surrounded by snowy mountains

View of Tromsø Island from Fjellstua

We took the Fjellheisen aerial tramway in Tromsdalen, near the Arctic Cathedral, to the top of Storsteinen, 421 meters above sea level. There we had dinner in the Fjellstua restaurant. This panorama is stitched together from three shots taken at a viewpoint a few metres away from the restaurant. But this is pretty much the view we had as we ate (until clouds descended over the mountain!)

FRAMED

View of rocky islet framed by leaves

The view from Thien Canh Son Cave, Bai Tu Long Bay, Vietnam

Thien Canh Son Cave is just one of 59 known caves in the Halong Bay area. It is situated on Cong Do Island, one of the many islets that populate Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay’s less visited neighbour.

LEISURELY

River lined with buildings and a stone covered bridge with bats passing beneath

Punting under the Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge, England

This is Cambridge’s best-known bridge. It was built in 1831 and is named after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, presumably because both are covered. University legend however has it that the bridge is named for the sighs of students as they walk from their rooms to their tutors’ offices.

STEEP

Steep mountainside with terraced farming

Terraced farming near the town of Sayq in the Jebel Akhdar mountains, Oman

These terraces are irrigated by a network of channels known as falaj (singular), aflaj (plural). These ancient water channels date from 500 AD. The system divides the water among all the farmers, giving everyone fair access.

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