Shadow Shot Sunday 23 - Tepoztlan

This shot was taken very recently at one of my favourite weekend getaway destinations only an hour South of Mexico City. It is, of course, the magic village "el pueblo magico" of Tepoztlan, although these wrought iron gates are just an ordinary, everyday part of the place. I like the way these gates and their shadows look in sepia tones as well as monochrome......

What do you think?? I just love the delicate patterns that wrought iron shadows always create..

Especially in the filigree finesse and delicate detail of the shadows......

For more shadow-hunting shadowplay click here for the weekly meme Shadow Shot Sunday...

Washing Lines around the World - Copper Canyon to Croatia to Colonia Cuauhtemoc!!

Why is it that other people's washing lines in other countries all around the world are always much more picturesque and photogenic than one's own?? Why do they always seem to provide pleasing subjects for photography??? Take a look at all these washing lines snapped this summer in various locations throughout Croatia from Split down to Dubrovnik...

Don't they all prove my point??? Aren't they picturesque??

What about these gorgeous full Tarahumara skirts blowing gently in the breeze on washing lines in the Copper Canyon, the far, far North of Mexico...

But wouldn't you just die of embarrassment if you saw your washing line featured on someone's blog available to all and sundry on the Internet?? Isn't it the worst kind of voyeurism?? A terrible invasion of personal privacy?? To counteract such a charge, I am quite willing to air my own laundry on the blogosphere ( clean of course!!)...

....and to prove my point that one's own washing just doesn't cut it in the realm of the photogenic and picturesque, no matter how much you stage the photo and pose the alternating colours of red and black. It still just doesn't work!! Maybe of more mild interest in this shot is the world of cages that exists on top of most apartment buildings in Mexico City, with Colonia Cuauhtemoc being no exception. We all have our own lockable "jaulas" to keep our washing from blowing away or getting stolen... But it just doesn't compare with this....

Right?? So that's my challenge today - air your laundry and show me I am wrong!!

Split to San Miguel - Doors and Windows on the World.....

What is it about doors and windows around the world?? Somehow they provide such gorgeous glimpses into other cultures and are in themselves such a rich source for photography of the picturesque at its most photogenic and evocative....

These first three collages were all shot in the charming colonial town of San Miguel de Allende here in Mexico. I just love the saloon swing doors of the cantina bars, the purple and red doors of the bullring, and the colonial windows with their wrought iron balconies all in rich hues of ochre, terracotta, russet, and dusky pink....

Next we move to Croatia where the stone takes on such a different texture and tone, with the doors and wooden shutters all predominantly in shades of green, blue and white with just a hint of pale pink thrown in...

Is it just me or are all of these doors and windows works of art in their own right??

For more windows on the world click here to enjoy gorgeous glimpses all around the globe..

Shadow Shot Sunday 22 - Tequisquiapan

Anyone for afternoon tea in Tequisquiapan?? The looming shadows on the lawn in the late afternoon do look somewhat ominous and threatening, unlike the shadows around the hotel pool that day...

Tequisquiapan is a charming colonial town situated three hours north of Mexico City. It makes the perfect chilled out weekend retreat to simply relax and take it easy...

For more information about Tequisquiapan see the post before last, and for more shadowplay from around the world simply click here and enjoy!!

The Beauty of Britain....

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?? Is it always the case that when you return home after a long absence or visit from living abroad, that you see your home country afresh and appreciate the beauty even more??

These photographs were taken in my favourite place in the heart of West London; a National Trust property called Osterley Park. I have been walking here on and off for twenty seven years, and have always found it the perfect place to clear the mind and restore the spirit...

Visitors I take here are always amazed that this enclave is so close to the urban grit of Hounslow with the M4, Heathrow, and noisy streets a stone's throw away. There is a resident grey heron, horses, stables, and a farm selling local produce on site as well as the elegant Osterley House featuring Adams' interior designs.....

There wasn't much sun in England this summer when I was visiting, but the beauty of Britain can still certainly be appreciated and photographed in the pouring rain!! Above are photgraphs all taken in torrential rain at Upton House; another National Trust property near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Whenever I return home I am always particularly struck by the beauty of the British countryside and gardens. What do you tend to notice first when you return home??

Taking off for Tequisquiapan.....

Mexico City is surrounded by many places which prove to be wonderful weekend retreats, and Tequisquiapan is another to add to your list of such enchanting destinations. It is renowned for its quiet, bougainvillea-lined cobbled streets...

and its heavy concentration of hotels with spas, and posadas with pools, making it the perfect place to relax for a few days...

Being so close to the more well-known colonial city of Queretero, it also has the added advantage of being relatively unvisited and quite off the beaten track....In fact, you will probably only run into a few Mexican weekenders...

Wouldn't you just like to chill out here in the zocalo, admiring the beautiful church, and sitting on one of these lovely wrought iron benches whiling away a few tranquil hours.... ???

Tequisquiapan hosts an annual wine and cheese festival every June, and can be reached in three hours from Mexico City via a plush ETN bus from Terminal Norte.

P.S. Just noticed I have just reached Post 100 - dedicated to all the gifted, talented and creative travel bloggers out there!! For other gorgeous glimpses around the world click here and enjoy!

Colours of Croatia 2 - Blue

People say that Croatia's crystal-clear waters are the bluest of the blue, and judging from my recent trip there island hopping this summer, I am more than inclined to agree...Aren't you??


The sea here is certainly an absolute dream to swim in, or happy hours can be spent gazing at the sparkling sapphire vistas from aboard your boat or the beach...

All shades of blue are covered from jade and aquamarine through to turquoise and sapphire and finally peacock and navy......


All these photographs were taken around the islands of Hvar and Korcula and from the mainlaind at Split, Trogir, Brela and Dubrovnik. Do they turn you blue with envy??