Category Archives: Photographs: Travel

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Kosovo, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Market, Peja

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Street Market, Peja
“Street Market, Peja” — Shoppers at the street market in the town of Peja, Kosovo.

The town of Peja (or Pec) is located in western Kosovo, just below the spectacular and rugged Accursed Mountains. During our visit a couple of years ago we were fortunate to have in our group a Kosovo native who is fluent in the local language and who knows where to take visitors. Without his help (and the hospitality of his family, who housed us during our visit) it would have been very difficult for us to see as much as we did.

One day we all headed to the town for a look around and, eventually, lunch at a local restaurant. (I became quite fond of various Kosova dishes during our visit.) Here we walked up a main street where people were congregating and vendors were selling everything from clothing to the usual faux high-end watches and so forth.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel

Forest and Fog at the Pena Palace

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Forest and Fog at the Pena Palace
“Forest and Fog at the Pena Palace” — Thick fog engulfs the forest surrounding the Pena Palace near Lisbon, Portugal.

The morning weather was not promising when we took the train from Lisbon, to visit the Pena Palace in the mountains above Sintra. By the time we arrived at the entrance to the palace grounds we we under cloudy skies and soon engulfed by low clouds and fog. I made this photograph as we walked through the forest near the palace.

At first I think we may have been a bit disappointed by this weather — and challenged to keep dry and warm! But as the day wore on my attitude changed. While a warm and sunny day might have felt pleasant, this challenging weather produced a lot more visual drama and mystery.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Belgium, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

At the Manneken PIs

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At the Manneken PIs
“At the Manneken PIs” — Tourists taking pictures at the Manneken Pis in Brussels, Belgium.

Some “tourist attractions” are darned near inexplicable. Manneken Pis is one of them. Located at a nondescript corner in a relatively nondescript area of Brussels, it is a fountain with a tiny (61cm tall) statue of a small boy urinating. Indeed, the idea that such a thing exists is mildly interesting. But the actual site is a pretty big nothingburger in my ever-humble opinion.

So, you might wonder, where is the fountain in this photograph referring to it? It is out of the frame to the right. I was completely uninterested in photographing the peeing kid myself. However, the people who came to look and photograph themselves in front of it were fascinating. Some stood back and shot images of it — and I’m trying to imagine them getting back home and wondering why they did. Others lined themselves up to take selfies with the urinating youngster in the background, thus managing, I suppose, to prove that they were actually there. Standing next to a 61cm statue. Of a pissing boy. Or something. ;-)

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Belgium, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Art, Antwerp

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Street Art, Antwerp
“Street Art, Antwerp” — An old structure is decorated with street art along the waterfront in Antwerp, Begium.

The photograph comes from Antwerp. We were in Belgium at the end of May and beginning of June. Adding Belgium to a trip that was mostly in Portugal and Spain was a bit of an afterthought, but we managed to stay in Antwerp, Bruges, and Brussels, and make a day trip to Ghent. It was a lot to see in one week, and with more time we might have spent extra days in Antwerp and Brussels.

On the day that I made this photograph we headed out on one of our typical wandering walks. It took us towards the waterfront, where it appears that some sort of long term redevelopment project is underway. An urban walkway traverses much of the area, but there’s also still a certain amount of interesting street art.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.