• Domed building with a large bubble floating in front
    London,  Pick a Word,  Street art,  Travel galleries

    Gallery: pick a word (November 2023)

    While a photo can tell a story without the need for words, and words can do likewise without any illustration, the combination of both can be more powerful than either. Each month Paula challenges us to find photos to match her chosen words. Some seem easy to ‘illustrate’, others I genuinely find challenging. But it’s an exercise I always enjoy!

  • Grand building with fountain in front
    Art,  Monday walks,  Paris

    An ‘arty’ stroll in Paris

    Paris is famed for its art galleries. From the iconic Louvre via the stylish Museé d’Orsay to the wonderful display of Monet’s Waterlilies in the Musée de l'Orangerie, there are collections to appeal to all tastes. Smaller galleries too, many less well known, and artists’ studios such as those of Rodin and Delacroix. And now there is a new kid on the block, the Bourse de Commerce.

  • Half-finished relief carving of people in ancient dress
    Art,  Crafts,  Lens-Artists

    Works in progress around the world

    One thing I always enjoy while travelling is to see artists at work or locals demonstrating local crafts. It helps me to understand and appreciate the artistic traditions of a country. It can also open my eyes to the amount of effort that has gone into creating some of the beautiful things I see around me.

  • Street art painting
    London,  Monday walks,  Photographing Public Art,  Street art

    A London walk with a blogging friend

    Yes, London can be different things to different people, and different parts of London can be different to each other. Contrast Mayfair with Camden Market, or Soho with the South Bank. As a Londoner I have lots of favourite areas of course, and love to visit all of them. But I always enjoy a walk in London’s Spitalfields and Brick Lane areas, and even better when I can introduce a friend to this lively area.

  • Mural with mix of photos of people and painted background
    Monday walks,  Norway,  Photographing Public Art

    A brief break in Bodø

    The Hurtigruten line is first and foremost a postal service and ferry, although it caters well to tourists too with a cruise-like offering of quality food, excursions and on-board lectures. Many of the stops the ships make are brief, typically twenty minutes. Supplies for these small coastal towns and villages are off-loaded, post and parcels collected. A few passengers embark or disembark. Most are locals, visiting family or returning home after time away. Only a handful will be tourists, hikers perhaps.

  • Colourful buildings reflected in a river
    Architecture,  Monday walks,  Norway

    A summer evening stroll in Trondheim

    In Viking times this was the capital of Norway. Today it is a busy modern city with an impressive cathedral. It lies where the Nidelva river meets Trondheim Fjord, creating an excellent sheltered harbour. Although south of the Arctic Circle and therefore experiencing neither Polar Night nor Midnight Sun, in the summer months it remains light enough all night for artificial lighting only to be needed in poor weather.

  • Pale tulip against a dark background
    Flowers,  London,  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  The Changing Seasons,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: a May selection (2023)

    May is an especially lovely month in England. At the start of the month spring is at its height, while by the end there are hints of the summer to come. With spring being late this year, the early part of May felt more like April, with chilly winds and frequent showers. But the trees were green at last after the winter bareness, and there were flowers everywhere!