TRAVEL WORDS

One Day One World Project: Midnight – 01:00

After Midnight

I’m often up after midnight, though I have recently tried to train myself into going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. But last week I needed to stay up and try to get some night shots for the project. It is very quiet around the medieval streets of Ludlow, especially in the area I live as there are no public houses close by. Not even the hoot of an owl or the bark of a fox.

I thought I’d have a go at photographing the night sky, though unfortunately there are some distracting yellow street-lights which I find totally useless for lighting your way home. I got out the tripod that I never use and a compact Panasonic with a ‘starry sky’ scene mode to play about with and went into the courtyard to give it a go.

Standing out there shortly after midnight I discovered I was not alone. A lady walking her dog went by, giving me a funny look, then an open-top convertible drove up the narrow street behind me, blasting headlights all over the scene, one lady driver; it was a very warm night. And shortly after that a police van came up the same road and turned the wrong way into the one-way street. And a helicopter was hovering nearby, though I couldn’t see it.

Anyway, the photos: although a very starry sky and no moon my captures were pathetic to say the least (above). So I played around with the software to see what happened.

Equalized (front)

Levels adjusted

Midnight – 01:00

Auto fixed

Lisa of the blog NorthWest Frame of Mind has decided to run a different project over the next 24 weeks. To try to show what is happening in different parts of the world (if you all join in) at a particular time of day. If you would like to participate you have until next Saturday midnight to post a photo or write about what is happening in your part of the world. This week is between 24:00 – 01:00. I hope you’ll join in! See links for more details.

Pimm’s o’clock

What says Summer Lovin’ to you?

Travel Theme: Meeting Places

A meeting place is by definition a place where people meet. It can be a public landmark, a railway station, a pub, a café, a statue, a park gate or something iconic like under a well-known clock.

So how about the Praça do Comércio, Lisbon’s vast riverside square where over the last centuries numerous processions, festivities, concerts and even executions have taken place. In 1974 thousands of people assembled here during the revolution that overthrew the dictatorial regime.

The Tourist Information Centre can be found in one of the classical old buildings on the west side as well as one of the city’s legendary cafes, Café Martinho da Arcada which dates from 1782 and was a favourite of poets Fernando Pessoa and Almeida Garrett and of novelist Eça de Queiroz.

The Statue is of King Jose I showing him on horseback, wearing his emperor’s mantle, and measuring 14 meters in height counting from the pedestal.

And at the northern side is the Arco da Rua Augusta, a triumphal arch that leads to the Rua Augusta, a beautifully paved pedestrianized street.

The Mill on the Fleet

The Mill on the Fleet – The Mill was built in 1788 as a cotton spinning mill by James Birtwhistle from Yorkshire and was the second mill to be built on this site. The water wheel on the gable end was used to drive the machinery to spin the cotton.

(click to enlarge images)

The Mill and Terrace

The Mill Wheel

The Mill Gable End

By 1800, because of increasing competition from steam driven mills, the cotton industry in Gatehouse declined and by 1850 the mills were out of use. In 1859 they were bought by the Helme brothers from Dalbeattie and the upper mill was used to make wooden bobbins for the textile industry while this mill was used as a store and bark mill for the processing of oak for the leather tanning industry which was thriving in Gatehouse at the time. Source: History of the Mill

Note the thickness of the walls

The Mill Wheel (Textile)

Views out over the terrace

As well as a lovely tea room (and terrace), an information centre and a shop on the ground floor there is a bookshop and a permanent exhibition floor focusing on the history and heritage of Gatehouse, and exploring the Fleet Valley and surrounding areas, and on the top floor the Faed Gallery holds a programme of temporary exhibitions throughout the season.

The metal staircase

Bobbin Display

Bobbins

During our visit work by William Neal from his two current strands – Lyrical Abstraction and Iridescent Passages was on display. I have to say I was completely mesmerised by the way the light falling on the paintings changed with each angle you looked at them.

This weekly challenge is hosted by Dawn from ‘The Day After’ who invites participants to post pictures of any windows that they find curious, inviting, photogenic, or in some way tell a story. Visit her blog to see more windows and/or to join in with the challenge.

Circumnavigating Grasmere Lake

Whilst in the Lake District last month – time flies – we did a couple of lakeside walks. One, around the pretty picture postcard village of Grasmere is about 3 miles long which is long enough for me, especially as on this day, rain threatened. The lake is one of the smallest and a full circuit should not take long unless, like me, you stop to take dozens of photographs. The start and end of the walk is on the road, but it is fairly level once you reach the lake shore and there is a lovely lakeside beach at the southern end.

After wandering around the lovely village for half an hour or so, we headed off along Red Bank at the west of the village (near the church) and up hill where stunning homes nestle amongst the woodland filled with vibrant pinks and mauves of rhododendrons.

Where fayries wander

Selma and Siri's Lakeland cousins perhaps? — Selma and Siri’s Lakeland cousins perhaps?

and bright yellow Welsh poppies huddle alongside the hedgerows. In fact I am reminded of Wales here. Though it feels lighter somehow.

Red Bank

Beautiful Woodland

Pretty cottage

The Garden House

One, the wooden Garden House, appealed to me, but I dare say the price is high as well as the terraced garden, but oh, what a view.

The road continued meandering around bends, with no sight of a lake.

Then, a glimpse, through the trees and not long after we found the rough track leading down to the shoreline.

Careful with those loose stones

A neat track to the shore

The views once we reached the shore were amazing. Lush green fells rearing up all the way around the lake, the village now shrouded in cloud and to the south, just a glimpse of the beach we were heading to.

And neat wooden boardwalks to help us safely over the streams that feed into the lake.

Boadwalk

A family of shovellers

Lakeside Path

The path follows the shoreline until you reach the southern end, where you head up slightly into woodland, before coming out onto the beach. This must be a lovely place for a picnic in the summer months. It was, however, a little drizzly today.

But with beautiful reflections in the mirror-like surface

We found more people at this end of the lake (and discovered later that there is a car-park not too far away), some sitting admiring the view, others walking their dogs, and other fit people climbing up the fell behind us.

Now we had to decide which way to go. There was no obvious sign, so we headed over the wooden bridge and into the woodland. Only to get lost. Later we realised that we should have simply followed the path alongside the river as that led to the road and car-park. It was awfully wet though.

Into the wood

Finally, after doubling back on ourselves a couple of times, we found a way out of the wood and onto the very busy A591 road which leads to Windermere. Fortunately we only had a few metres to walk before hitting the pavement which took us back into Grasmere. Can you spot that lovely house overlooking the lake?

A last view of the lake at the northern end.

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.