Tag Archives: uk

Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Hootananny

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Hootananny
“Hootananny” — A woman at the door of Hootananny, a music venue and restaurant in Inverness, Scotland.

Since the previous photograph I shared came from the last day of our Great Glen Way trek in Scotland, it seems appropriate to follow it with a photograph from our first full day back in “civilization” in Inveness. (To be honest, while the Great Glen Way walk is an outdoor experience, it is pretty civilized, too, as I have written in previous posts.) Our itinerary for this day would involve a train trip from Inverness to Glasgow, but we had several hours of free time in the morning. So we stashed our luggage at the train station and went out for a walk. Along the way we passed this venue, which is apparently a center for performances of Scottish music.

We really were not in Inveness long enough to fully experience the place. We had thought of it mainly as a place to end our walk and sleep one night before heading on to the rest of our trip — but after being there I realized that it would have warranted a longer stay. We did enjoy our morning walk around the compact center of the town in the area near the railway station.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel

Houses of Parliament

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Houses of Parliament
“Houses of Parliament” — The intricate facade of London’s Houses of Parliament on a cloudy day.

I made this quick photograph in London back in June, on the last full day of about four weeks of travel in (mostly) Scotland and England. We started this day by going to Westminster Cathedral. Patty has learned that you can visit many such churches simply by attending one of the regular church events. (For example, we attended evensong in York.) Advantages are that you don’t have to sign up for tickets or, in many case, pay a fee. (Though if they “pass the plate” it is appropriate to donate something, right?) However, you are expected to act as a person attending a church event, not a tourist snapping selfies! In any case, after visiting Westminster we walked back toward the Houses of Parliament.

Parliament is typically busy, with guards watching over all the entrances. But on this Sunday morning it was quiet and I don’t recall seeing anyone inside the fence. One other factor? The British snap election was about to happen, and I’m betting that every member of Parliament was out campaigning! In any case, we walked here. because I had a memory of a little pub on a nearby side street that we visited the very first time we were in London, and I wanted to see if we could locate it. And, yes, we did — just a few blocks further up the street.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Interior, St Giles’ Cathedral

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Interior, St Giles' Cathedral
“Interior, St Giles’ Cathedral” — Visitors walk through the interior of Edinburgh’s St. Giles’ Cathedral.

Our May 2024 visit to Scotland was centered around our weeklong Great Glen Way walk. But the majority of the trip was in more urban environments, ranging from smallScottish towns to London. Before leaving Scotland, we spent four days in Edinburgh. There is, of course, quite a lot to see there — from the “old” and “new” towns to our hike to Arthur’s Seat to the Holyrood Palace and more. St. Giles’ Cathedral is one of the most important and interesting sites in the Old Town.

We stayed in a mundane area that was perhaps a ten minute walk from Old Town, and our first walk there brought us almost immediately to St. Giles’ Cathedral, and it was one of our first stops. I’m no expert on Scottish history — far from it — but we quickly understood that this place is a center for quite a bit of it. Its history goes back many centuries, and during that time it has been used by Catholics, Protestants, royalty, and for other secular events. This continues today — there were concerts there and even a craft sale inside!

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Borough Market Entrance

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Borough Market Entrance
“Borough Market Entrance” — People at one of the entrances to London’s Borough Market.

On many mornings London’s Borough Market can be a happening place. There are lots of visitors — people looking for a coffee or a quick bite, tourists wandering through just to see the place or pick up a souvenir, locals who actually shop for products from the vendors. We were there to grab a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry — though in the end we settled for just the coffee before moving on.

The physical layout of the place is fascinating — maybe almost the antithesis of a neatly laid-out market like the one in Porto, where the vendor stalls are arranged in straight aisles on a grid. Because odd angles intersect at Borough Market — where things align with small streets, major avenues, approaches to bridges, and odd spaces between buildings — the layout feels rather haphazard. Not that this is a problem, especially if you are happy to simply wander a bit.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.