“Four Cotswolds Trees” — Large old trees stand in a Cotswolds field.
Near the end of May we did a one-week walk in England’s Cotswolds. Ours was not the most aggressive walk, and our mileage was shorter than it might have been on more aggressive walks. (Basically, we did an out-and-back loop starting and ending at Moreton-in-Marsh.) The plan was to enjoy the walking, but have plenty of time and energy to enjoy the towns we passed through and stayed in each night.
“Sharpsville” — A person walks by the Sharpsville store in Dublin’s Temple Bar district.
On trips like our recent one to the British Isles, I operate in at least two distinctly different photographic modes: landscape photographer (s my recent Scotland work) and street photographer. During our visit to Dublin I was almost exclusively in the latter mode. Dublin is a rich location for street photography. There are crowds of people, and the city has a vibrant, alive feeling. There are also lots of fascinating old and sometimes nicely weathered building.
“Stone Building, Loch Stack” — An old stone building on the shore of Loch Stack in the Scottish highlands.
As we neared the end of our weeklong visit to Skye and the north coast of Scotland we spent a couple of nights at the old lodge at Altnaharra. My understanding is that decades ago this was a place where people from cities came to stay and to fish. It is a sprawling building, with large common rooms downstairs, a dining room, a small bar, and many guest rooms. At one time it was reportedly a luxurious place, at least by the rural standards of its isolated location. (To be honest, today it is a shadow of that historic lodge, but it still carries a resonance of that earlier time.)
“Posters, LIverpool” — A wall covered with posters in the Ropewalks district, Liverpool.
Every city has a unique character — though my perceptions can be affected by which parts of a city I visit, what I do there, and even the season. When we spent a few days in Liverpool recently, it was almost always gray and often wet, and our lodgings were in a section of the city that is vibrant and alive, though with some rough edges.