Reflection

I guess it’s that time of the year where some look back over the outgoing year. Plans for the new year, a new you. I hope your dreams and hopes rise in the dawning of the new year.

The photo here was taken on my Scottish coast and highland tour last year. I spotted the sun breaking through to light up the mountain behind me. So using the motorcycle mirror to frame the shot also  showing  the road I had just came down.

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Thank you all that visit and support this blog. Your likes and comments, so all that’s left is to wish you all a Happy new year.

(For Cherie)

For a new beginning.

 

In the out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

waiting until you were ready to emerge.

 

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

 

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the grey promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

 

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plenitude opening before you.

 

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at one with your life desires.

 

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

 

John O’Donohue , from the book ‘ To Bless the Space Between Us’.

A book of Blessings.

 

 

 

Black and White Wednesday

This photo I shot a few month’s back at Salts Mill, Bradford. It was parked outside the church and just managed to get a couple of shots before it left with the wedding party.

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Thank you for visiting and please feel free to comment.

George

Black and White Wednesday

Hello, this week we are off to the Mourne Mountains, well Dundrum bay to photograph the mountains. With the moving cloud cover and the brighter highlights it gives a nice distinction to the landscape.

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Thank you for viewing.

George.

 

Portmeirion, North Wales

This is the first post in a short series on my motorcycle tour of North Wales. I include a couple of links on the history of Portmeirion and the filming of the Prisoner, a cult 1960’s television series filmed there.

Portmeirion history.

The Prisoner

My Photo essay a walk through Portmeirion.

Parking the motorcycle in the car park and entering a place I recall from television. It was a little overcast but warm has I start my photo essay.

 

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Lets enter, notice the painted ceiling in the archway.

 

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One of the bikers I was travelling with.

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Tides out, the following photos off a young blackbird are taken at the railings on top of the round platform in the photograph.

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Moving on.

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Up into the village.

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Through the archway and into the gardens.

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I liked the scale this child gives to the chest pieces.

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A short climb back up into the village.

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A short stop to play my respects to the Buddha.

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He had a great view across the gardens from his lofty perch.

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some little teasers of  the garden has I make my way around the village.

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The garden from another view.

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It ‘s down hill from here, with a steep decline to the shore.

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Things aren’t always what they seem.

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With the last shot looking at the climb back up to the motorcycle, but not before a coffee and a short chat with other visitors.

Thank you for company on the walk around Portmeirion, Hope you enjoyed it and I’ll spare you the walk back up that hill. There are some longer walk in the grounds around Portmeirion, but walking in motorcycle gear is not recommended. Well that’s my excuse…

Feel free to comment, good or bad let me know, have a good weekend.

George.

 

 

 

 

 

Scotland my trip. part 1

So on leaving the Peak district and heading north, destination Scotland. I travelled up through the middle of England and called at friends, the things you do for a free cuppa. With heavy showers of rain and a few bright sunny spells I stopped of in a town on the east coast. Seahouses is the name of the town on the Sunderland coast. The B&B I stayed in was the…

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Modern well decorated rooms with ensuite  has advertised. Nice place but I think was over priced. Leaving Seahouses it was up the coast to the town of Bamburgh. I stop and walking through the sand dune’s I saw Bamburgh castle.

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It was shortly after this the weather closed in and the heavy rain returns. This you will find been a pattern during this trip, There are days where I got no photographs taken. So let’s get back on the road. I continued north that day travelling has close to the coast at all times . Through Edinburgh which was slow going due to road works and restricted speed limits. Through Dundee and my final town for the day was Arbroath. It was another few mile to my camp site for the night at Foresterseat Caravan Park. 

It was the cleanest site I have ever stayed on, had a lovely spot for the tent well sheltered from the wind.  I awoke the next morning with a rising sun slowly creeping up the tent wall.

During the night I answered a few questions for a friend and put my phone away. the next morning it had died. It passed away during the night. It was a case of drinking to much water over the last few days and it had drown. The best part of a day was sorting out a new phone and getting a new sim card with my number etc moved over.

Another wet day and I got a pitch right beside the sea shore, I went to sleep with the sound of the waves washing up the shore. And the sound of rain drumming softly on the tent.

Part 2 will get here some time, depending on where I am and the availability of wifi to access the internet.

Thank you for visiting.

George

 

Wet weather motorcycling in the Peak District UK.

So Friday the 8th September rolls round and its an early start for me. Motorcycle packed and its off to Dublin to catch the ferry across to Wales. Leaving the house the dark and wet morning wasn’t looking good for a 100 mile plus ride to the ferry. Heading south the weather picked up and by the time we cast off the sun had replaced the grey sky.

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Irish ferries terminal Dublin Port. With a slight swell on the water it was out pass Howth peninsula has it projects out into the Irish sea.

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Leaving the harbour in Wales you could see the rain falling in the distance. It wasn’t long before the lovely welsh mountains disappeared  behind a curtain off falling water. When I arrived at The Royal Oak pub and camp site the with the sky grey but bright. The start of the tent village started to appear on the slightly sloping camp site.

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The last dry photo of the day before the rain returned. with a wall of water falling it was time for a beer and motorcycle talk in the bar. Saturday started like Friday finished, yep it was still raining. What should have been a ride out with scenic views over the Peak district. Turned out to spot the roadside hedge’s. Yes it was really a wet day. We hit lucky once and stopped at Lady Bower reservoir where I got a couple of photos.

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So this lasted about 5 minutes before …….. yep you guessed it. More rain.

It was great to meet up with friends old and new.

Sunday comes and its time to pack up and head home, or in my case head north to Scotland. Will be there on Monday and hope to get some posts done has I travel around the coast over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you all for spending a little of your time here.

George

Just started.

Hi to all you lovely people who take time to read my posts. This one is to tell you about a friend from Ireland ,who is just starting the second leg of a round the world trip. He’s starting in Seattle and heading for Guatemala over the next six weeks.

He has just started a blog here on WordPress, its called wrongwaydown2017 , hope you check out his blog and say hello to Dessie and his orange KTM motorcycle. If any see or meet him on his trip say hello he loves a bit of craic. That’s an Irish word you can google if your not heard of it.

https://wrongwaydown2017.wordpress.com

Have a good weekend,

George