Time travels in divers paces with divers persons. I’ll tell you who Time ambles withal, who Time trots withal, who Time gallops withal, and who he stands still withal.
William Shakespeare, As You Like It
There are places in the world where time seems to stand still. Places where you can feel the weight of history. Places where the people who came before you seem still to linger, just out of sight and reach.
For Donnaβs Lens Artists challenge theme of Time, I want to share some images of places where I experienced that sense of the past hanging heavy on the present. Ancient streets, places of worship and homes, all redolent with echoes of other footsteps, other events. Whether still in use by the people of today, or left in ruins, these places all had a special atmosphere for me.
Some of these images I will have shared before (and have linked to some of those previous posts); others I will no doubt share in more detail in the future. But for today I will keep things brief. We are just back from a few days in Paris, with lots of photos to sort and edit, as usual. And Iβm busy preparing for a trip to Chicago in just over a week. Still, I couldnβt let this fascinating theme pass without contributing something!
Walking in the footsteps of the Anasazi at Tsankawi, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
And in the footsteps of the Mogollon at the Gila Cliff Dwellings in the same state
The House with the Large Portal, Herculaneum, Italy
Temple 49, Tikal, Guatemala
The Jaguar Temple at Lamanai, Belize
At Fatehpur Sikri, India
The Fujian Assembly Hall in Hoi An, Vietnam
The nave of Wells Cathedral, Somerset, England
In the SacrΓ© Coeur, Paris
The Juma Mosque, Khiva, Uzbekistan
On the streets of Khiva, Uzbekistan
Ruined house, Al Minzafah (Ibra), Oman
Walking through Al Hamra, Oman
A back street in Antigua Guatemala
In Villa de Leyva, Colombia
A timeless scene in Trinidad, Cuba
[my feature photo was also taken here]
And another in old Havana, Cuba
In Dhulikhel, Nepal
A sleepy afternoon in Arpino, Italy
[if you only follow one of my links I’d love for it to be this one, as Arpino is a very special place for us]
76 Comments
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Time does seem to stand still in those places, Sarah! I read you Arpino post too, and it was lovely. What a wonderful trip with your mother-in-law.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks for taking the trouble to read about Arpino too π
Mike and Kellye Hefner
No trouble at all! I enjoyed the post.
maristravels
Wonderful look into another world, Sarah. Couldn’t pick a favourite as they are all so special.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Marie, I’m really glad you liked these!
Image Earth Travel
Great collection of images Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank You π
Sue
I loved this post! Great images, Saarah
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Sue π
Sue
ππ
equinoxio21
Antigua and Villa de Leyva are gorgeous.
Great post.
How was your stay in Paris?
Sarah Wilkie
Great thanks, but very hot! And on balance I wouldn’t recommend that apartment, although the location couldn’t be beaten, directly opposite the Bar du MarchΓ© π Certainly in that heatwave it wasn’t ideal as you can’t open the windows properly.
equinoxio21
Balance is important. The flat I rented is way below par. Still no internet, I had to buy a portable wifi. Cleanup was below average. Definitely would not recommend.
I am beginning to wonder how to improve my choices criteria. Not sure how. Had a few mishaps lately…
Glad you enjoyed Paris.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh dear – at least our internet worked! Probably in milder weather ours would be OK, especially for one person on their own, but not in that heat.
equinoxio21
Heat in Paris is becoming an issue. September is supposedly better. LOL.
SoyBend
I liked the one you took in New Mexico, Sarah. It looks like a very special place. Great textures in the rocks and sky.
Sarah Wilkie
I’m sure you would love the Gila Cliff Dwellings Siobhan if you ever get down that way – a fascinating place to explore!
KhΓΌrt Williams
It sounds like youβve had some incredible experiences visiting places with a rich history . Any specific plans or places youβre looking forward to visiting in Chicago?
Sarah Wilkie
I’m meeting up with friends, two of whom live in or near the city, so I’m putting myself largely in their hands.
wetanddustyroads
For me, just being in nature is the perfect place where time stands still (like that photo at the Gila Cliff Dwellings). And what a great throwback (and story) about your visit from 1987 and again later in 2017 in Arpino.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks π I know what you mean about nature although I think there is more impact about an inhabited place having that timeless quality.
Amy
Facinating, Sarah! What a fabulous gallery!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Amy π
pattimoed
Fantastic set, Sarah. Your photos are terrific! Thanks for the world tour. π
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Patti, I”m happy you enjoyed the tour π
Anita
I love your interpretation of time Sarah, as usual your photos are absolutely stunning. It’s not possible to choose just one favorite, everyone says something of their own. The temple pictures as well as the first two nature scenes are impressive and I really like your photos with people in them. But like I said, they’re all excellent. Thank you for taking the time to share, even though you have just arrived home and will soon be leaving again. Chicago, I look forward to seeing your photos from the Windy City. π
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Anita π I’m really pleased you enjoyed seeing these photos π And yes, there will be plenty from Chicago I am sure!
Wetravelhappy
I can imagine that when choosing these lovely photos, they took you back to those wonderful travels. And wow traveling again! I haven’t been to Chicago, looking forward to some ‘postcards’ from there, soon. Have a safe and enjoying trip, Sarah. π
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, yes, indeed they did take me back – one reason I enjoy taking on these blogging challenges! And I promise to ‘send’ at least one postcard from Chicago and share more photos on my return π
Ju-Lyn
I have been thinking about Time (maybe because it’s my birthday month!) – ephemeral, fleeting, ponderous, all depending on where, when & how we are. I love your opening paragraph: “There are places in the world where time seems to stand still. Places where you can feel the weight of history. Places where the people who came before you seem still to linger, just out of sight and reach.” Words to ponder. Emotions welled in me as I viewed your series of captures. I am reminded once again of how intrepid a traveller you are, and the sensitivity with which you capture your subjects.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh Ju-Lyn, what a lovely comment to receive! I’m so pleased my words spoke to you as well as my images π I’m not in the slightest bit intrepid in my travels (I like my creature comforts and often the support of a travel company too!) but I do love to get out and see the world!
Ju-Lyn
Nothing wrong with travelling comfortably, Sarah! I like my creature comforts too!
Marie
Timeless is right! I think the Central American ruins and the empty street scenes speak most to me. How lovely to have that connection with Arpino (I had to look it up on the map!)
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marie π I doubt many people have heard of Arpino – I’m always surprised that it hasn’t got on to the tourist map as it’s both pretty and historic (Cicero was born there)
Tina Schell
Walking back through time around the world Sarah. Thanks for the lovely tour! Beautiful gallery.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tina, I’m happy you enjoyed the tour π
EgΓdio
Incredible gallery and beautiful photos.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, so glad you liked them π
Sofia Alves
Amazing places all so beautifully captured but of all your photos, it was the common streets that really made me smile. There’s a feel of peace and simplicity in them, something to long for.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sofia, I know exactly what you mean about those streets π
grandmisadventures
beautiful and peaceful and feels very much like time has paused however briefly. I visited the Gila Cliff Dwellings years ago and was just amazed at carving houses out of stone.
Sarah Wilkie
I’m glad you too were amazed by those cliff dwellings π
Anne Sandler
Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos where time seems to have stopped.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne, and sorry for the delayed reply – for some reason your comment ended up in my spam!
rkrontheroad
I can feel the serenity and quiet of these places from your excellent photos. (I know that street in Antigua!)
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ruth – I’m happy to have transported you back to Antigua π
Wind Kisses
A great collection, Sarah. Echoes of other footsteps, indeed. Bandolier had that sense for me when visiting. There are many answers to find there, and yet so many more questions.
If only walls could talk in all your photos, and yet maybe they aren’t supposed to. Maybe we are meant to take away that timelessness we feel. I love where you did include people to add a sense of past and present, along with the place in time. The mossy temple at Belize shares time in its own fashion. Looks like you had. great visit in Paris, even with their heat. Welcome home.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Donna for this thoughtful response π I agree, maybe it’s better that the walls let us soak up their atmosphere without letting go of their secrets.
Yes, Paris was as lovely as ever despite the heat, and I’ve plenty of photos to sort and share!
jazzibee
Marvellous range of images from round the world. I can see why you see them as timeless – no modernity in sight. I especially liked the Wells Cathedral and the ones where you’ve included people. I look forward to seeing some of your images of Paris.
Sarah Wilkie
Aw, thank you π At first I wasn’t sure about including present-day people in some of the shots but I liked the way they demonstrated a (probably) largely unchanged way of life over the centuries.
jazzibee
Absolutely!
leightontravels
An amazing compendium of such diverse places that you’ve managed to link with your quote and your particular experience of their present suffused with timeless echoes. I love the shots from Oman in particular as we are in the midst of considering a trip there next year.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Leighton π I do highly recommend Oman. The landscape is stunning and the history, especially recent history, fascinating.
restlessjo
Some thrilling sights here, Sarah. I especially love the mood of your opener and the angel in Sacre Coeur is an exquisite shot.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Jo π We were lucky with that SacrΓ© Coeur visit. The light was perfect and it was in the aftermath of Covid so still very quiet π
restlessjo
π€π©΅
margaret21
A lovely evocation of timelessness. And no, I can’t pick a favourite. Even to choose your beloved Arpino would be a little invidious.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret π No, don’t pick Arpino as a favourite, just because Chris has a connection to the place! There are probably many more here that are more fascinating and atmospheric!
margaret21
Like … all of them …
Sarah Wilkie
π
thehungrytravellers.blog
Marvellous collection, some fabulous shots of old buildings which just bring the scene to life. Have fun in Chicago!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Phil π I’m sure Chicago is going to be great – just a week to go now!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Actually I have a question about it. How did you get on applying for an ESTA – or did you have to go the long route. I ask because youβve visited Cuba and Trump did what he didβ¦.(and of course weβre interested in going to Cuba but donβt want to compromise visits to my daughter)
Sarah Wilkie
Cuba was so long ago it hasn’t been a problem on subsequent visits to the US, including one in 2017 after Trump took office. But visiting North Korea means getting an ESTA is a definite no no (even if you’ve acquired a new passport since, as I have) so I’ve had to go the long route. It meant several forms to fill in and a dull morning at the US embassy but otherwise wasn’t a problem. So if you don’t mind that degree of hassle I’d say go for Cuba!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Ah, thank you, useful information for the future. A bit of faff is a lot better than not being allowed in!
Sarah Wilkie
Ah well, I’m yet to test the ‘being allowed in’ part of the process π Watch this space!
Nemorino
I’ve just had another look at your Arpino post, which I half-remembered reading at the time. I have also unfortunately failed to keep in touch with some of the outlying branches of our family β the Hungarian side, for instance, despite the fact that I am ‘friends’ with some of them on Facebook.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Don π I sometimes wonder if we would be able to find any of Chris’s Arpino relatives via FB but I don’t think he is especially interested in doing so after so long.
Stephanie
These are all amazing shots and combinations of past and present. The ruined house is especially mesmerizing to me, like a portal to another time.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Stephanie π I’m glad that ruined house ‘spoke’ to you. Those deserted villages of Oman certainly feel haunted, although locals are starting to realise their potential charm and restore some old houses.
sustainabilitea
I love this sort of experiencing time, Sarah, as I’m a big fan of history and historical places. Beautiful photos that perfectly illustrated the quote you used. Excellent.
janet
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you π All these places are wonderful to visit if you have any interest in history – or even if you don’t!
Hammad Rais
Wow!
This is truly amazing. Places of the past are always intriguing and you have captured these so wonderfully π
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Hammad, I’m really pleased you liked this π
Aletta - nowathome
What an amazing selection of photos Sarah! I love it!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much π