county down

i set off for downpatrick this morning armed with some vague instructions and the forecast of a lovely day. the good thing about driving in ireland is that really you just need to know the town you're heading to and the ones inbetween - then follow any sign pointing in that direction. one of the fun parts of driving in northern ireland is that they use mph and my car only has kph - so i have no idea what i'm supposed to be driving. ah well. :) i had pulled over early on to take some photographs and as i was about to head on, a lady honked at me. i thought i'd done something wrong but she was wanting my help to get to kilkeel. i checked my map and gave her directions. and she was irish. :)

i think i'm going to have to give up the computer soon, so i'll be brief...i got to see the saint patrick visitor centre and the downpatrick cathedral & cemetery where saint patrick is buried. the centre was surprisingly well done. after that i visited the ruins of inch abbey and then tried to find a dolmen west of ballynahinch, but the road i needed was closed and i couldn't figure out another way, so i headed back east to newcastle. on my way i stopped a few times for sheep. there are loads of lambs and they're so adorable. if it was easier to stop along the road more, i would. newcastle is along the coast, so i walked the promenade for a bit and then treated myself to some ice cream -- blackcurrant & cream. seriously?? so good.

this evening i walked through the park again. there are some marvelous trees. i didn't take my camera w/ me b/c sometimes i like to be free. just me walking. but now i might have to wake up early and go for a short walk again so i can take pictures of some of the trees i saw. then, i sat on a hill overlooking the loch. and watching the mountains and water in the gloaming. *sigh*

so now tomorrow i'll be heading up to cushendall and after that rathlin island.

arrived.

so things had originally been set for me to arrive in dublin yesterday. but due to strange weather in atlanta, delta cancelled my flight on monday and booked me on one for tuesday. certainly not my happiest moment, but now that i'm here, i can only look forward. so tuesday morning i flew instead to jfk airport where i got to hang out for six hours awaiting my flight to dublin. an elderly welsh man saw my hiking bag and noticed my welsh flag patch and came over to chat with me for a moment. on the flight, i was seated by a lovely couple around my age. the husband is irish and the wife is american - californian to be exact. we talked a fair amount and had some things in common. they ended up giving me their phone #s as he works with the police so could help me out if i need anything. they even shared a bit of their easter candy with me. all in all the flight was good (except for not getting to sleep).

driving to rostrevor from the airport wasn't too bad. though i did have a false start off the lot when the car kept beeping at me and i couldn't figure out why, so i turned back only to have the guy note that i hadn't let up the emergency brake fully. nice.

the weather today has been overcast and rainy, but i was able to go on a brief walk mid-morning and after tea this evening without getting too wet. for those of you who helped with my camera bag rain cover -- it's holding up grand! the people here at the christian renewal centre are lovely, really going out of their way to make me feel at home. and i have a room facing the loch.



tomorrow i think it's to be nice out. and i plan to drive up to downpatrick and check out some saint patrick sites. and so the adventure begins! i hope i sleep well tonight. my mind's been a bit dodgy all day. please keep me and my little car in your prayers!! :)

some recent old favourites

so i've been scanning and uploading pictures from my last trip to ireland & the uk (feb/mar 2005) and coming across some photographs that i'd forgotten about. here are a few of my new old favourites.


a lovely missing (york)

i remembered this one, just hadn't seen it in a long while as i'd lent my album to a friend so she could use the pictures as inspiration for her painting. but the more i look at it the more i love it. it was part of a temporary exhibit in the yorkshire museum gardens. i'm now trying to hunt down more information on it (artist, title, etc). it intrigues me. there's something so simple and so lovely about it. and i'm glad for the b&w which accentuates the simplicity of line.


a place to remember (edinburgh)

this one, i don't really recall. i definitely remember the greyfriars kirkyard where i took it. and the strange cold rainy/snowy afternoon i spent there. i remember not taking many pictures, though there were many interesting gravestones and the green grass was glowing in the strange light of the overcast day. but this picture pleases me. perhaps one of my favourite cemetery pictures (and cemeteries are a common subject of mine). there's something in this composition, this almost looking over the 'shoulder' of the gravestone that gives a sense of closeness. a surprising embrace of sorts. oh, and it was fun to realise that it was exactly four years ago today that i took this picture.

an upcoming third

 

my third venture to ireland is six weeks away. i started writing "trip" but that didn't seem apt enough, so i thought 'venture' but then wasn't sure if i meant 'adventure' or if 'venture' is correct. so i checked good old webster.

ven⋅ture: an undertaking involving uncertainty as to the outcome, esp. a risky or dangerous one; speculation in which something is risked in the hope of profit

that may sound a bit dramatic for vacation. but there is a risk in seeking rest and rejuvenation. i often don't dare to claim it because i fear it may not be as good as i hope. i may not be refreshed, rejuvenated, restored. what if i just feel the same when it's over?

my first venture to ireland was from sep-dec 2001. besides beginning just days before 'september 11', there was plenty of uncertainty, plenty of change. but all the time, money, and comfort i risked definitely paid off in richer dividends than can be shown on a bank statement or resume. probably the most educational four months of my life. i got my 3rd tattoo to commemorate this time--to "remember" what the LORD did, who He showed Himself to be.  

four years later, my second venture lasted two months [feb-mar 2005]. this time i risked a bit more in regards to what could be considered folly -- taking a break from my job to spend money travelling in the midst of trying to save for my upcoming move to los angeles. but again the daring paid off. among other things, my first photography show. and now, again four years have passed and i'm heading back. this time i will only be there for three weeks. but this time i will also only be in ireland (the other two times i spent part of the time in the uk). and i won't be staying with any friends, just me wandering around ireland. and i'm renting a car so i can go wherever, whenever and stop at any lovely sight i see. i can't wait.

going to africa

so i'm leaving for africa this afternoon. rwanda & kenya to be precise. it's going to be a long trek there and i already feel a little weird. not sure if i'm "feeling" the malaria medication or just think i am. :)

i feel like a trip like this makes one look different. maybe just to yourself, but i'm intrigued to look in the mirror two weeks from today to see.

i wanted to share really great remarks pre-trip, but time has flown by (or as donna said the other night, "time is freaking up my mind") and so this is all i have time for.

in the midst - sep 7

my second photography show opens tomorrow evening at the imago gallery in the crossroads for first friday! i am already overwhelmed by the support and excitement of my friends...and it hasn't even "happened" yet.

i'd love to see you all there (217 w. 19th ter; kcmo 64108 - just east of central, on the southside of 19th terrace). it's "officially" from 7-9pm and that's when rachel bonar's band, oriole post, will be playing. but if that time frame doesn't work for you, i'll be there as early as 5pm - so you're welcome to stop by before all the festivities. and...if you can't make it out friday night - i will be moving the show to the jacob's well gallery for the remainder of september.


a recent random fun photography fact: i sold this photo for $50 to be published in a text book. theories of performance by elizabeth bell comes out in october 2007.

i first received an email in flickr from dr. bell’s assistant:

Your image of your friend acting like a car salesperson struck us as particularly engaging for theories of performing identity. I'd just been typing in keywords and it came up in a search. When Dr. Bell saw the image, she thought it would be great for the book!

after i expressed interest, dr. bell sent me further info:

Enough about performance, let’s talk about your image and this book. My goal in choosing photographs is to stay away from staged performances. There are plenty of photographs available of stage plays, concerts, and “famous” performers. Instead, I’m trying to include photographs that capture the fascinating ways that humans are creating, not “faking,” themselves, their relationships, and their commitments in the world. I’m also trying to include photographs that are really interesting to look at, beautifully composed and shot, and ripe for discussion in the classroom. Your photograph is a wonderful complement to the section on Performing Social Roles. Jaclyn and I laugh every time we look at it! You certainly captured the "sales" smile and handshake!

so wonderfully strange. in this instance, of course, i owe at least 60% to chelsea's acting & charm. :)

cervantes welcomes you

cervantes called toledo "the glory of spain and light of her cities". having only been to a few cities in the same general region, i cannot say for sure; but it was certainly an adventure traipsing after kate & andré down the narrow and twisty cobbled streets that could dead end at any moment.

there were churches everywhere, which isn't surprising having formerly been the capital of the holy roman, visigoth and muslim empires. i opted for bravely climbing the tower of the cathedral while kate & andré serenely sat down below.

i am so glad i was able to visit them in spain. my previous attempt to see spain in 2001 didn't pan out, but this was so much better. and it was delightful getting to spend an entire week with kate whom i've been friends with since we were two, but who i rarely get to see since we graduated ten years ago - and andré, whom i normally only get to chat with over the dinner table on christmas break.

thank you two, for being such good friends and hosts.

segovia: simple, detailed, layered

kate & i took a bus to segovia. en route we had some gorgeous views of the mountains across the plains, but i always waited to long to try capturing picture. the bus station is rarely by the best parts of a city, so my first glimpse of segovia, was nothing special. we walked to a "little" church, however, and sat on a bench behind it to eat our bocadillos (turkey & cheese sandwiches)--

oh! allow me to digress back to madrid for a moment; i just remembered a great moment. kate & i had been walking for ages and finally stopped to eat our sandwiches on the steps across from the palace. we were really thirsty, but i think had already drunk our juice or had forgotten to bring them. but, kate, always thinking, decided to try drinking her orange. she removed a tiny portion of the peel and started trying to suck the juice out; of course, getting it all over herself. but she was quite proud of her quick solution. i opted for eating my orange (which was freaking delicious!). we were also entertained by a small boy who was taking great delight in chasing a pigeon around the stairs, laughing with pure glee every time it hopped away from him and a man sitting near by whose camera made a sci-fi laser sound any time he took a photo.--



ok, so we were eating lunch in segovia, looking at this gorgeous church, san millán, seeing the spires of the cathedral in the distance. then, we moved on to the ancient roman aqueduct, which, like the cathedral, you can see peeking above the city.



all in all - segovia was lovely. and in an almost humble manner - at least generally speaking; the cathedral, aquaduct and castle are all larger than life and gorgeous, but even so, there's a simplicity to them that made me like them more.

a spanish swartley sunday::el parque del buen retiro

one of my favourite days in spain was the sunday that we spent in madrid. i'd heard about the typical "swartley sunday" and how kate and andré would take the train to madrid to spend most of the day wandering through the huge parque del buen retiro (350 acres) and step out for a coffee before heading home. the weather was gorgeous and there was so much to see in the park: a rose garden, great paths through trees, the "forest" monument for the victims of the march 11th (2004) bombing, and brain trees! they tried to prepare me for these delightful trees, but i think upon my first sight i actually gasped or clapped or both. andré thinks they're just a regular evergreen type tree, but cut to look this way. true imagination! i also love the completely natural "dr seuss trees" (as kate & andré have dubbed them) with their tall spindly slanted trunks and leafy tops.

they also had some great fountains and statues, one of which, el angel caído, depicts the fallen lucifer. it was stunning. i wanted to take a photo, but felt kind of bad, like i shouldn't want to. but photographers capture what they see - so i did. and was quite pleased when i saw the print: that bit of hopeful blue that he's cowering before - brilliant.

alcalá de henares

it's often quite comical being a photographer. people are always confused as to what exactly you're photographing - and why. for instance, these doors. i'm walking along the street with kate - and suddenly i see these doors. brilliant! perfect subject. so i stop. and there were probably four or five passersby confused by my choice.


one of my favourite things about alcalá were the huge stork nests on the tops of buildings around town. apparently storks are good luck, so the city wants them to roost wherever they please. may be hard to tell from the photo how big the nests are - but just note that you can easily see them and they're on top of a really tall building.


kate's school was in alcalá - luckily for me, she had quite a bit of free time while i was in town so she toured me around. but when i stopped to take more than one photo, she'd find the nearest seat and start in on her homework.

camarma, and that something more

i walked down this street every day to the bus stop in my friend's town - b/c to do anything we had to go one town over (alcala). i remember seeing this shot and setting myself up to capture it, when the sun went behind a cloud. i waited and waited. started feeling foolish and tried to convince myself it wasn't that cool anyway and i should just carry on. something made me stay, and wait. looking at the photo now, i see it's b/c here is a perfect example that my angle, isn't always the full story. the tree itself looks somewhat skimpy and awkwardly shaped, yet the shadow on the wall shows a full, lovely round tree.

the sun reveals something more than i can see.


i've started uploading my film photographs to flickr.
you can check out the digital snaps in the may travels set
and the 35mm photos in the a may journey set.

oh oxford

this was my window view when i woke up. you can see oxford's city centre in the distance. i got in last night and just walking through the streets was wonderful. jackie & i passed by magdalen college and saw this:



and for a moment it was like i was actually seeing a life size version of my photograph from my last visit. it obviously is a life size version, so i'm sure that doesn't make a lot of sense. can't explain, but it was bizarre and brilliant at the same time.

well, i'm off to start the day!

me mum's from lincolnshire (apparently)

okay - so here's the tidbit i promised: on friday i was in bath. as some of you know, i have a tendency to pick up on the accents of those around me. i think b/c i'd been so long amongst non-english speakers, i really soaked up how people were talking once i landed in england. so, much of friday, i would find myself speaking in a british accent. i never knew when it'd come out until i started talking. since i don't know any of these people, it didn't really matter. but i got myself into trouble when i took a taxi to collect my things at my first b&b and head on to my second one. out came the british accent. and once we were on our way the taxi driver became chatty. where was i from? "kansas" but i don't sound like i'm from kansas. "well, me mum's british. she's from lincoln" (sorry mom! my british friends i met in prague were from lincoln & it sounded like a nice place) does she live here or in the states now? "states" does she miss england? "oh, yes." etc, etc. i couldn't believe what was coming out of my mouth. but it seemed less awkward than trying to explain to a complete stranger that i pick up accents from people and i can't help what comes out. i guess at least i'm glad i really did sound british and not like an imposter.

another fun moment was when i arrive in bath, i got totally turned around by my directions. the b&b was only a mile away from the train station so i started walking but ended up going in the complete opposite direction, walking for like 30 minutes. eventually i stopped at another b&b to ask for directions. the lady was the quintessential british b&b-er. she brought me back to her kitchen and had me sit down while she called a taxi and rang my b&b to make sure they didn't give my bed away. she kept going back & forth between the front & the kitchen trying to find info for me and i didn't know whether i was to follow her or stay sitting, but it seemed rude to just sit, so i'd stand every time she got up. finally she turns to me and says, "sit down, love, i'm not the queen."

yes, i'm slow

okay - so pretty much nevermind about a travel log whilst i'm travelling. :) this trip has been so different from my other experiences - an initial lack of internet and an almost continually full schedule have made my time when on the internet focused on checking email and arranging accomodation. for anyone interested, i plan on writing a travel log and posting it here once i return home.

right now i'm in bath (england), but in a few minutes i hop on the train for cornwall. so i only have a brief moment.

i was overjoyed upon arriving in england. almost felt like coming home. and bath has been lovely - though there have been some travel/accomodation frustrations for sure! ah well. i have a funny story that i'll post later tonight when i get to beki's.

oh to travel

since i'm backlogged with stories and now wishing i were asleep, i thought i'd post two random travel tidbits from a few days ago. (i'm currently in germany, staying with my friend taryn - fabulous thus far!)

so i was supposed to fly out of madrid on monday (the 14th) at 19:15 and arrive in basel, switzerland by 21:25. i'd already booked my hotel which was a bus ride and a tram ride from the airport. this would be accomplished of course, only after i'd gotten some swiss francs (& quickly acclimated myself to the look of my new money). so kate kindly rides the buses with me to the airport in madrid and makes sure i get checked in okay. we sit and chat for a bit and then, she goes on her merry way. i sit and read for a while and finally head off to my gate to wait some more. i had to check my main bag this time, which always makes me a little nervous - but it's kind of nice not having to haul two bags around. long story shorter - right before we should've started boarding, they announced (in spanish, of course) that the flight was delayed TWO HOURS. that meant i wouldn't get into basel until midnight. a place i've never been, and a language that i can only say hi, bye, please & thank you. yippee. i call the hotel and they're open 24 hrs, so no worries there; however, the buses only run until 12:30 - so depending on if there's any hassle with the flight or airport, i may have to take a taxi or figure something else out. we ended up flying in after midnight, which the airport apparently normally closes at midnight (do airports really close??). thankfully my bag made it safely and i got some francs, but only got two 50 franc bills. there was a bus outside and i was trying to buy a ticket from the machine and this guy was staring at me that seemed to have some connection with the bus but didn't speak english. i thought he understood i was trying to get a ticket for the bus but the next thing i knew, the bus and the guy were gone. thankfully i could cancel the ticket purchase. and i knew that was the last bus - so i walked over to the remaining taxi and asked the guy if he spoke english, but he didn't so i took out my handy piece of paper where i'd written out how to get a taxi ride somewhere and dove in. he said it'd cost between 28-40 francs and i said fine (what else was i going to do?). he seemed really nice and could speak some spanish, so we conversed a bit that way. when he stopped in front of my hotel, i'm pretty sure he said something about 14. i pulled out my 50 and asked if it was okay (as in, do you have change for this) and he nodded. apparently it cost 37 francs - so i'm not sure if i got scammed or the 14 was just miles and not cost, but by that point i didn't care and wanted to pretend that everything was just great. whew.

the next day (my one full day in basel) i got to help a british man & his mother find a museum they were looking for even though i had no previous knowledge - i had a map and figured it out quickly enough to actually be helpful; and it was such a relief to hear english and with such a great accent. :) shortly after that i stopped for lunch at a little cafe and ended up having a waitress who was from california - so i was able to have a swiss experience but actually know what i was ordering. it was the best quiche/pastry i've ever had.

there's always more, but for now i'll leave you with two photos. the first is in one of the main platzes in basel, taken with my phone. the second is a typical delightful little bavarian cafe in munich.

¡ah, españa!

this is a photo of kate & i in segovia, where we went on friday. it´s a lovely town just outside of madrid. we wandered through the streets and i visited the cathedral, which was gorgeous! sadly i couldn´t take photos or video inside, but i did get a bit of the cloisters. speaking of which, i was trying to take a photo when this family walked into my shot, so i waited while they headed for the centre garden. the bells rang and this little boy of 3 or 4 yelled out "hello, God!" and when he got into the garden yelled it again louder. it was so cute.

this is going to be another lame-ish entry simply b/c the internet place didn´t open until 2 hours after it´s supposed to and kate is supposed to get back from class soon and i have her house key. but wanted to post a wee bit before i leave spain (and fly to switzerland this afternoon).

i have tasted tortilla (a spanish potato omelet of sorts), vino tinto (red wine), paella valencia (scary rice stuff with CRAB, which i didn´t eat), natillas (custard), vino tinto de verano (almost sangria - you could only get a pitcher of sangria and i just wanted a glass so this was the next best thing). most of the time andre cooked for us, which was very tastey. and we had lots of bocadillos (sandwiches).

i´ve been to madrid three times; stayed in camarma; visited alcala several times (as we always have to go there first to get anywhere else; and that´s where kate´s school is); segovia; toledo. the towns are all fascinating with great old architecture and lively plazas. yesterday we went to kate & andre´s favourite park in madrid and it was AWESOME. think of central park in nyc but way way better. you can smell eucalyptus, honeysuckle and more. they have fantastic trees. even some called "brain trees" b/c they´ve been cut that way.



kate showed me how to make tortilla last night and i got to videotape the process, which was fun - especially as we were sharing her ipod (one ear phone each) whilst cooking.

another favourite capture of mine, was while we were in toledo - we were up on a hill and down below could see into the backyard of an elderly couple´s house. they were hanging out clothes to dry and were adorable. hopefully it comes out.



oh and also in toledo i climbed a church tower for a "view of the heavens" whilst andre & kate waited down below. i´m afraid of heights, but always fascinated by them. well, the stairs are thankfully one way, but you are in one room and can see all the stairs and they´re grilled, so you can see through them as you´re walking. i of course was freaking out. the lady ahead of me ending up chickening out halfway and i had to plaster myself against the wall so she could pass me and go back down. i almost followed her, but forced myself ahead. the view was grand, but then it´s time to go down. whew. i had flip flops on and didn´t think i could make it without tripping and falling to my death, so i took them off and stuffed them in my bag. the whole way down i was repeating "via con Dios" to encourage myself. i think i almost broke out in a sweat, but i made it! later that afternoon, we were walking down a narrow alley (toledo is known for its narrow, windy cobbled streets) and i tripped and skinned my knee quite bad. made me especially thankful for removing my flipflops before the descent down the tower stairs!!!

okay - i best sign off before kate has to wait for me.

(check out the pic for my previous post below...i just added it today)

en madrid

as a preamble, the only thing on the screen in english as i write this blog is what i am writing. the blogger page itself, all in spanish. and i can´t figure out some of the punctuation on the keyboard, so i can´t always type how i want.

i was able to carryon on my pack & camera bag, so no worries with my belongings thus far! plane ride wasn´t grand, but definitely not my worst experience, either. since i can´t sleep on planes, movies are key. however, the first movie, freedom writers, was only dubbed in spanish, so i didn´t watch it b/c i actually want to see it at some point and i figured that would ruin it for me. the second movie was spanish and i watched part of it. the third movie was eragon, and i it was actually in english so i watched it. probably enjoyed it way more than i would have otherwise. i had a window seat and so i was able to catch part of the sunset and later watched the moon and stars for a while. pretty cool to be almost on a level with the moon! then, as we were approaching the airport i was able to see the land--mountains, olive tree fields, towns with red-roofed buildings. and when we were taxiing down the runway, i saw these gorgeous patches of red flowers, which i later found out were poppies and are EVERYWHERE. it was a nice welcome.

kate met me at the airport. and we headed to camarma where she lives to drop everything off. then took a bus to alcala and walked around. the town is really lovely and there´s definitely something distinctive to the look of spain. she showed me the huge nests on top of buildings for these storks (?). i was fascinated by these.

yesterday i went to her school in the morning and then we took a train into madrid and walked to the main plazas and saw the cathedral and palace. they have some amazing architecture here.

today i came into madrid by myself. thus far i´ve gone to the reigna sofia (art museum) and saw picasso´s guernica (per hannah´s suggestion). art museum´s always overwhelm me so i decided to take a brake before i head to the prado which is a massive museum.

don´t think i´m sounding too articulate but i still feel tired. i was awake for basically 32 hours before i slept tuesday night and then i´ve been walking and in the sun loads. hopefully my next post will sound more exciting!

just wanted to let you all know i´m alive and well in spain.

oh mother MAY i

bought my plane tickets today. nothing makes me nervous like that final click on a flight site. whew. i will be out of the country from may 7th through june 6th. i'll fly into madrid (spain) and out of london. inbetween - i'll be in basel, munich, prague, bath, penryn, saffron walden, oxford, and windsor.





the folks above will be my introduction to mainland europe.

kate & andré are currently in spain while kate works on her masters. i'm a little nervous about going to a non-english speaking country. and spain in particular b/c i should know way more spanish than i do. but kate said she expects me to try, so try i shall. :)

taryn is starting her second year in germany working with younglife. told this girl i'd visit her at some point during her three years there, and so i'm excited to make that a reality. i'm not quite sure what to expect of germany; i don't know much about it except for holocaust history. so i'm intrigued for this first part of my journey.



these folks will welcome me back to the grand ole uk. these pics are actually from my last visit over in 2005.

i haven't seen beki, damon & lucy for over two years, which is way too long considering that beki & i have been friends since we were four and grew up living just two doors down from each other. can't wait to see them & cornwall again.

jackie & clint are still in oxford and i hope to at least pop in for a day or so
to visit and see their new lodgings.

my view is

angled web

scanned a stack of photos this evening and added a few more pics from my 2004 trip to nyc. i remember one day specifically setting out for the brooklyn bridge - not to be waylaid, as i was my first trip - because i had to see it for myself and photograph it.

what is it about some places or things that can entice you to add your photo(s) to the plethora of others? i was actually well-pleased with my brooklyn bridge photos. but i remember thinking as i walked for ever in the cold, "it better look cool."