To infinity and beyond...

After the disaster that was Sri Lanka (and me being very lucky to escape the bombings) I decided a safer long weekend would most likely be one in Sicily. I had heard a lot of good things about it so I was keen to visit.

The food is really amazing; people are friendly and you'd be tempted to indulge and live life to the fullest. I think I need to come back. I do believe the South of Italy and maybe the South of France have a lot in common, and for some reason I think maybe settling down there would be nice....

This picture was taken at the pool of the hotel I stayed in. I had thought about the name for the blog entry and for various reasons the word "Infinity" popped up in my mind. Well, I guess this wasn't infinity really, but maybe dreams are there to fill the void....

The other image I thought was worthwhile posting here was taken at a Sicilian wedding. I thought the young man was crying a bit too much for the occasion but hey, maybe he had all the right reasons to be sad. Who knows...

I did like the angle of view, the colours and the fact that his mother didn't seem to be bothered at all by her son's lack of happiness. Too busy texting her friends, I guess.

Sri Lanka

Since I haven't had much of a holiday for the last 15 months or so I decided to finally go on a week-long trip to Sri Lanka. It had always been on my bucket list and I felt it was the right time to get some rest and maybe some new perspectives.

The country is a lovely and colourful addition to anyone's travel agenda. People are nice, the food is tasty and there is a lot to explore.

Obviously, Colombo takes centre stage, but it's actually not precisely pretty. The beaches are a bit ...well... see above....it's all a bit sad, I guess.

Sri Lanka is also a place which has gained enormous popularity in recent years, post its civil war. Nowadays it surely is where East meets West. Or maybe it is the other way round....(and no, since a few people have asked, I do not know any of the women pictured in the above image). I felt this was a funny picture, full of scenic contrast, which is why I featured it here.

But after all it's about what you learn when you travel. I wanted to see tea plantations, and what is apparent is that a life spent on harvesting tea leaves is a tough one. On my journey through one of the plantations I was lucky enough to share a moment of eye contact with the little girl. It has become one of my favourite images from the trip.

First things first

Just recently I went to a concert of a friend of mine. While I was taking pictures in the church I noticed a little girl totally unimpressed by the beautiful classical music. She was very much obsessed with her looks, making faces and checking herself out in the display of her phone. First things first.

Along the coastal path of Norfolk

So it has been a while since I last posted a comment here. After my last entry I actually thought I should shut down this blog. It has been online for about ten years now but I realised that some entries caused misunderstandings, some of which were quite surprising to me. My last one falls in that category for sure. I was about to give up.

But then I went to the Norfolk coast with my cousin the other weekend. It's a beautiful coastal region with wonderful beaches. I had been there before, a few years back, with sweet memories of that trip on my mind. I remembered long walks along the beaches, wild horses, and good food.

Maybe I will keep this blog going for a little while longer. After all I only have this website because I write for my own good, as they say. It's a bit sad as the meanings of most of the entries are actually pretty obvious to most of the people who know me. Anyway, it is what it says on the tin: A diary.

Words....

....sometimes you are better off without them....

Tokyo Drifter

Japan! While I have been to Japan a few times for work, this time I went there for fun, to travel and learn more about the country and to enjoy the amazing food.

My trip took me to Tokyo, Kyoto and Kanazawa. All three cities are attractive in their own right, but I have to say that Kyoto was the most impressive one. I was also surprised to see many women wearing Kimono, the beautiful traditional dress, always worn with a lot of pride.

Bermondsey Angle

Just a quick stroll around my 'hood... I hadn't really paid attention to reflections and angles in the past, but when I came across these two I liked them...

Gardening leave

As it so happens I have a few weeks off between two jobs. Still thinking about this motorcycle trip across Asia, but for the time being I visited San Francisco, one of my favourite cities in the world. Unfortunately Napa Valley was a no-go zone given the devastating fires there.

A few days on the Thames

I was lucky enough to spend a few days on a boat on the River Thames recently. The trip went from London up North, passing by beautiful Bray, Windsor, Henley-on-Thames and a few other lovely cities. The image below I took on the very last day, and I admit I didn't know the Thames could look anything like this....

Cornwall

Cornwall is always beautiful, rough around the edges with endless cliffs and seagulls, a deep-blue sky and a misty sea....

Funchal

Another photo I shot last week while enjoying my time on Madeira. Another one I happen to like...

Fishmonger

On my recent trip to Madeira I went to see the famous Mercado Dos Lavradores in Funchal. It was beautiful, full of colourful flowers and fruits, but I thought the fishmongers were the real stars in the market. Definitely my favourite image from the trip.

Beautiful Madeira

Went away to Madeira for a few days just to get away from London. Lucky enough to have found a hotel right on the cliffs, the views were spectacular.

Dead woman on the beach

Spent a few days in France & Belgium by the sea. One of the images I took was a bit on the absurd side of things and made me laugh. The sunbathing woman looked a bit dead to me.....

You talkin' to me?

When I passed by St. Paul's Cathedral the other day I stopped for a moment wondering why this guy isn't freezing to death...but then I realised he wasn't one of these people pretending they are a statue to beg some change from tourists...it actually was a statue. Mark Wallinger is the artist, and his work is called Ecce Homo.

Drifter

The aquarium in the Horniman museum is tiny but if you happen to be in the area you should pay it a visit. I enjoyed watching these little drifters, completely unspoilt by what is going on in the world these days.

Horniman Museum & Gardens

I hadn't been to the beautiful gardens of the Horniman Museum, but I came away fairly impressed. The views over London are pretty spectacular but I liked the photo I took of the small car, supplying food to the Farmer's market.

Scapes and shapes

This weekend was a really relaxed one. I didn't have much of a plan so I decided to go to the seaside and enjoy the views there. The photo I took at Beachy Head on Saturday reminds me of another photo I took in San Francisco a while back, which is featured here on this blog as well. Maybe it goes to show you don't need to travel far to discover a beautiful landscape....

On Sunday I went to Greenwich Hill, one of my favourite spots for a view when it comes to London. Nothing new here, and I assume everyone has seen the impressive view of Canary Wharf from there, but it still manages to impress me every time.....

Which one do you like better?

January stroll

London is always a safe bet when you want to see interesting people. While waiting for a friend to show up for lunch in Chinatown I took a few shots.

Skating away (on the thin ice of a new day)

I must admit that I wasn't entirely sure about this photo. But that is what friends are for: Every single one I asked said I should publish it, and so here it is.

Autumn forest

Went on a really nice walk through a beautiful forest with bursting autumn colours. One part of the hike was particularly impressive, and the sun coming in did its best to illuminate the scenery...

Sunday stroll

Beautiful weather tempted me to go for a long walk along the South Bank today. The image below I took at Borough Market, one of my favourite hang-outs....

The image below is just one in which I like the symmetry.

Millenium Bridge always offers some interesting perspectives...

Who needs a car if you can have one of these?

Iceland

Spending two weeks in Iceland with a bunch of friends is like travelling to another planet. Surreal scenery, a breathtaking landscape, combined the best fish & chips ever. Do you need more reasons to go there?

This picture was taken on the second largest glacier on the island. You may ask why these images were converted into Black & White; I felt it was a bit different, maybe a bit more exciting than the regular photos you usually get to see.

In the midst of a long hike my friends take a quick rest and suck in the scenery.

A sad day for Europe

Now so far this blog has stayed clear of politics and I am planning on keeping it this way going forward. However, the British vote to leave the EU really marks a sad day for the idea of a European vision. It is also the first time that the elderly have restricted the options available to the younger population. Unheard of, and I can see why the young man in the image is frustrated, to say the least.

Chapman Peak Drive

Chapman Peak Drive is a 9km winding route from Hout Bay to Noordhoek, and is widely regarded as  one of the most scenic routes in South Africa. Well worth it, in particular if the rising mist turns the landscape into some mystic panorama.

Perspectives

Another shot I like from my trip to South Africa. View from Table Mountain over Cape Town.

Cape Town

Boulders beach where penguins play, 

The perfect place to spend the day.

Cape Point juts out to the sea,

I've stood on the cliffs and felt so free. 

Poetry by Sandy Botha

There was a really impressive rainbow over Table Mountain as well.

Almost...

Spent the weekend by the sea, part of a celebration to honour the "almost got the noble prize for literature" Stijn Streuvels, almost family and also almost forgotten now in mainland Europe.  What a shame, as his writing is as refreshing nowadays as it was a hundred years ago.

 The weather was beautiful, and spring was in the air for sure.

Angel at my gate

A lovely scene in a street in Paris the other day....a wanna-be angel, offering his umbrella to a girl passing by....

The whole point of no return

Countryside! How lovely! Spent a weekend with friends in the West Country, such a treat...long walks in the cold, proper country pubs, fabulous home cooking, what's not to like?

Not entirely sure why the sheep was staring at me like this. I assume the animal was thinking that I was either a) yet another idiot with a camera or b) a soul mate in human disguise. Hmm.