Come away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o
It should have occured to me before that some of the grandest places I’ve seen, were in Delhi and Rajasthan, northern India. So here is a little gallery of some grand places I visited there.
Grand. It all depends on your interpretation doesn’t it? If I go to ‘grand’ places I tend to focus in on the small details rather than the big picture, so maybe that’s why, even with forty thousand photos, I found grand hard to find.
I don’t feel very grand today, but I remember that I felt the Bosphorus was grand. From a boat, this body of water is awe inspiring as are the buildings that line it.
Here is the Ciragan Palace, now a luxurious hotel.
And the Dolmabahce
The wide, blue Bosphorus itself.
My photos look small on my new theme, but if you click on them you can see full size versions!
Can you show us something REALLY grand?
Join in at http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/grand-photo-challenge/
Ailsa has the most amazing photo on her site as part of her Sky theme. The one of Bonneville Salt Flats, have a look, I’m sure you’ll like it too. While you’re there, think about joining her challenge this week, everyone has good sky photos!
This is a local one taken on Dartmoor a few years ago.
The sun going down over Tunku Abdul Raman Park – the islands off of Kota Kinabalu.
Looking through the sky down to the Alps somewhere over northern Italy.
This one is on Borneo, I think the cloud is ascending through a hole in the sky.
To join in visit Ailsa, http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/11/29/travel-theme-sky/
Footnote: My photo of the pink sky on Dartmoor has been taken by Reddit and they have removed my url and replaced it with theirs. It was high ranking on a search for sky. The end result is that it still ranks quite highly but leads to a page that I’m not connected to instead of mine. I can’t find a way to contact them to complain.
I’m sticking with images after a five day haiku marathon, so here is a little light.
If you can throw some light join in here, http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/photo-challenge-lights/
One of the joys of the autumn is to find fragrance in a garden. I’ve known this wonderful tree for a long time, but it still catches me by surprise, and I smell it before I remember and find it. 
It has dainty leaves that are a very pretty shape, and fresh shade of green in spring and summer, but then once they start to fall the divine aroma bursts out. It’s a Katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum Japonica, commonly known as a toffee apple tree. And that’s exactly what it smells like, especially if you walk on the leaves or crush them in your hands. Heavenly!
There will be another Katsura photo tomorrow for my Daily Post haiku challenge, but meanwhile this is my Ailsa’s Travel Theme, http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/
In the world of Ponies you can’t get any shorter than a Shetland!
This is a last minute post for Ailsa’a Travel theme, http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/11/15/travel-theme-short/
Daylight is leaving
sliding away with the tide
yachts taking shelter
safely in Torquay harbour
but their masts betray them still
I popped down to A La Ronde, a little National Trust property that overlooks the Exe estuary, a few weeks ago. It was one of those beautiful autumn days that I add to my memory store, to help me throught the winter. A La Ronde was built in the 18th century and isn’t actually round – it has sixteen sides! Those of you who love windows would fall for it, they are a delight. I hope this photo is legible, read a little of its history.
And here is some of the exterior, click on any photo for a better view.
I’ll be back sometime with some inside shots, the Parminter ladies had some bizarre design ideas and quirky collections. Meanwhile here is the outside of the house, just before the painting was finished.
Threshold
Gate do you lead out or enclose?
climb steps through the overgrown green
close in for winter in the underworld
hide behind bars wrought and curved
like a rusty shepherds crook
then cross the threshold to who knows where
a return to joy, trust the rock hewn pathway
a final look and then turn your back on loss
Gate do you enclose or lead out?
across the fields to the river’s torrent
stride to the estuary panorama
always wondering about the opposite shore
somewhere over there west of the river
south of the channel south of land fall
and twenty degrees west joy will be found
forge ahead travel forward with purpose
to distant horizons hot and dry
wander like a gypsy-o swaying to the future
trusting the uncertain pathway
Lucid Gypsy 