maremagnum

the blogger is out!

2009-07-15T05:52:00.032+02:00

image courtesy of the net

It's time for a break 800 km/ 500 miles away from home, which also includes a break from blogging. This means there is no time for a Part 2 on the ruby chairs of the prior post but thanks for asking, I was pleasantly surprised by the feedback and the wonderful comments! (at any rate, I wish a happy ending !).

I shall be back from France in early August with renewed energy, fond memories, and 500+ shots. Please take care of my blooming yucca, it will have its prime time while I am gone.... ::waving good-bye and blowing air kisses::

My yucca last Monday:

blooms from a past summer:

waiting

2009-07-14T06:40:00.011+02:00

Ruby Tuesday

If a picture tells a thousand words, this one tells even more to me. I saw this scene in Heiligenhafen ( Baltic Sea), Germany, and the romantic in me imagined a whole love story of an impossible love. Two lovers being separated but longing to meet .The ruby red chairs and the table indicate the meeting point but time goes by, plants are growing tall and dominating the tiny garden.

The sky is dark and sad, melancholy rules. In addition you see the little sculpture looking out the window trying to spot the beloved one and and listening very carefully, too, so as not to miss a single detail which might reveal the presence of the significant other. And the mail box also seems to be waiting for a love letter…

napkin holder

2009-07-13T06:31:00.010+02:00

Macro Monday ♬ ♬ Blue Monday

Update: seen at a small fish restaurant, therefore the pattern...

I want to ride my bicycle

2009-07-10T08:55:00.016+02:00

Instead I took the train to Barcelona this morning…to watch Le T*our” live! together with my camera, which reminded me how often I am confronted with this week’s theme for the Photo Hunt:
gar·bage n.
3. a. Worthless or nonsensical matter; rubbish

Despite my best efforts for a good picture I often end up with many garbage/worthless shots, an example of which is found below. A couple of hours ago I was watching the bikers go through this busy avenue downtown Barcelona, the tour's 7th stage. But here the trees are on the way and it’s a busy picture… The only positive point is that you can see the yellow jersey right in the middle of the picture (concentration is required!), quite relaxed biking with his arms behind his back. Find further below other no-prize-winner shots of this amazing event! the weather wasn't cooperative either (and with all the excitement I forgot to select the "cloudy" setting...) as the day began overcast and dark. There was no time to concentrate on the subject as the bikers only need a couple of seconds to ride by… It was simply "shoot and hope the snapshot is at least not blurry"! Here they come!!

photohunt is hosted by tnchick

Your turn: where is ~~Wally~~ Lance ???

back this afternoon

2009-07-10T08:00:00.000+02:00

I am busy
downtown Barcelona
watching Le T*our live!!
(map courtesy of the net)

bluer than blue

2009-07-09T08:26:00.008+02:00

window views

Windows reflected on windows... This is a picture I took in Seville back in 2005 with my first digital camera. Time just flies!

on dolphins and bells

2009-07-08T05:10:00.001+02:00

It's time for Jientje's A Thousand words in Idioms. "The idea is to pick an idiom, or a saying, (even slang is allowed) and illustrate it with a picture. Each week we'll cover two letters of the alphabet". Here are my choices, pulled -again- -from the archives. Which means idioms are carefully selected to match my pictures...

Queer fish: (UK) A strange person is a queer fish.

Tile work at the bottom of my pool


Ring a bell: If something rings a bell, it reminds you of something you have heard before, though you may not be able to remember it very well. A name may ring a bell, so you know you have heard the name before, but cannot place it properly.

Cathedral of Seville, side entrance

sailboat masts and a bit of red

2009-07-07T06:26:00.002+02:00

Ruby Tuesday

Oh, yes, the reflection posted yesterday showed some sailboat masts! June was the first one who guessed right. I loved reading your contributions to the prior post! The image you see here is upside down, just to tease your mind...

untitled

2009-07-06T08:11:00.004+02:00

It's been too hot and humid to be able to think straight. I am looking forward to more pleasant temperatures this week (wishful thinking!). I didn't even feel like choosing a name for this post... it is a very straight forward picture which I didn't even frame! do you know what it is? what would be your choice for a title? more tomorrow.

pink poinsettia

2009-07-03T19:43:00.005+02:00

photohunt is hosted by tnchick

I am not particularly fond of pink, except for pink as offered by Mother Nature. This one is a shot from my Xmas archives... Wishing tnchick 's husband a speedy recovery.
Happy 4th of July weekend to the American friends of this blog!!

square in Seville and more

2009-07-03T02:29:00.016+02:00

1. When I heard the news about MJ I was very sad...

2. Laughter is the best medicine.

3. It's late, but I'm trying to fill these in!

4. Love always.

5. My eyes have seen beautiful things and not so beautiful ones, I try to remember the former.

6. Love strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some chilled sparkling wine, tomorrow my plans include a pool and a book and Sunday, I want to rest and relax. Happy 4th of July weekend!

hot

2009-07-02T08:20:00.005+02:00

window views

In the summer months blinds are kept down in Seville to keep the heat and the light out at midday. No view out of the window, but a cooler atmosphere indoors.

view from the riverside

2009-07-01T08:29:00.011+02:00

Walking on this bridge over the Guadalquivir river in Seville I saw locks with names on them (there are four in this pic):

Here is where couples in love come to leave their love locks. Hand in hand they throw the key into the river, this way their love will last forever... A bit of romanticism a day makes this world a better place! Below is the view of the river, one love lock down to the right, the arrow points to the Gold Tower- Torre del Oro.

And this is the view of the Torre del Oro at night from the riverside:

Watery Wednesday

Update after the second comment: love locks are not a local invention, there are more love locks in Italy, in Seoul and many pictures here (Thanks to g**gle for the information!)

while the sun is bright

2009-06-30T01:25:00.010+02:00

Walking down the streets of Seville last weekend, I saw a bit of red:

The street awnings are a big help to cope with the high temperatures during the summer. This is the only place I have seen such awnings!

And I also saw a lot of red!

Ruby Tuesday
My World Tuesday

more from the South

2009-06-29T05:15:00.009+02:00

(Scroll down for the macro shot) A beautiful poem from a Spanish poet begins like this:

"My childhood is memories of a patio in Seville,
and a garden where sunlit lemons are growing yellow..." (read more)

I remembered those lines because: My weekend is memories of a patio in Seville! Not only patios, but these two were particularly inviting:

A private entrance, but since the main door was open I placed my objective through the iron fence to capture the peaceful interior...

The one below is a scene from another building which is currently a vegetarian restaurant. Was I glad that the restrooms were on the second floor!! so I could have another perspective of the patio but at the same time I didn't want to be too intrusive... so I stepped back a bit , I don't like disturbing people.. .

And the first food macro of mine that I like! this was our dinner last night once we got home, assortment of tapas. Pictured here is cream cheese sprinkled with Provençal herbs, behind a ripe tomato...

Macro Monday

southern flair

2009-06-25T08:47:00.004+02:00

Windows in beautiful Seville (Spain):

Sometimes the old streets are very narrow. Imagine being able to shake hands with your neighbor when you open your window!

window views

going for a swim in the early days...

2009-06-24T09:00:00.008+02:00

Wordless Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday

Now for some words: this was the only proper way for ladies to go for a swim in the old days, they were literally transported into the water in this Badekarre so as not to be exposed to the public in intimate bathing attires... The wagon is displayed in Grömitz, Baltic Sea, Northern Germany. The net told me the first ones reportedly arrived there in 1813...

And....Thanks, Tor !!

Your turn: right click to save and spread some friendship!! I think it is supposed to be passed on to eight bloggers, Tor named only five, I don't ever follow these rules ...you do as you please! At any rate: have a wonderful day.

wicked wicker

2009-06-23T06:48:00.003+02:00

A very special invention from Germany is the Strandkorb, a roofed wicker beach chair, closely connected with the cultural history of the North and the Baltic Sea, where you can rent them on all public beaches. They have little tables for your beach essentials! like books and drinks. More important: they have a roof, so you are protected against sunburn, rain and winds... and sometimes, it is a ruby red roof, just for Ruby Tuesday!

Ruby Tuesday

It seems the first one dates back to 1882 when a lady had a special request. She asked a particular basket maker for the production of a "seating accommodation for the beach as well as to protect her against too much sun and wind", because she suffered from rheumatism but didn`t want to miss the stay at the beach. After all, the fresh sea air with the stimulating climate is widely considered to be health supporting (...) Up to now beach chairs are distinguished between the rather angular and sharp-edged form of the North Sea and the roundish and swung form of the Baltic Sea.

The "roofed wicker beach chair" isn't only found at the beach nowdayas! it is also a decorative item I would love to have in our garden (prices start at around 350 euros / 485 USD, but then there would be a not-very-little transportation detail...) The one pictured below was at a restaurant's entrance. Doesn't it look inviting?

Tonight is the Midsummer Celebration and tomorrow is a holiday in Catalonia, not in whole Spain, though. The traditional midsummer party in Spain is the celebration in honour of San Juan (St. John the Baptist) and takes place in June the 23rd night with parties, bonfires, fireworks ( I love them) and firecrackers (I do not enjoy them!). On the Mediterranean coast, especially in Catalonia and Valencia, special pastry Coca de Sant Joan and a glass of cava, the Catalonian sparkler, are a must for the celebration! It will be a long night tonight!

delicate pink at the Baltic Sea

2009-06-22T09:48:00.006+02:00

Heckenrose

Macro Monday
Today's Flowers

creamy

2009-06-19T10:02:00.011+02:00

French Alps, SOTC:straight-out-of-the-camera

photohunt is hosted by tnchick

Creamy landscape (click to enlarge) ... because many times when I am skiing I feel I am in a huge bowl of Chantilly Cream..!! (the sweetened whipped cream, sometimes vanilla-flavoured, which it is said to have been invented by François Vatel, maître d'hôtel at the Château de Chantilly in the 17th century.)

Friday, three weeks ago

2009-06-19T07:22:00.000+02:00

Walking along the same path where I photographed the homes from the prior posts!

An Award: the generous and wonderful Thom shared with me this "One Lovely Blog Award". Thank you very much, Thom, I truly appreciate your kind gesture and I will proudly display it on my site! Disclaimer: I never follow the tagging rules...

windows, thatched roofs, and more...

2009-06-18T03:15:00.003+02:00

A closer look to the homes seen on my prior post. These pictures were taken at the Baltic Sea in Germany. I particularly liked the thatched roofs and the roof ornaments. And enjoyed seeing many windows!

Love these windows under the roof:

Detail of a roof ornament and unusual window:

And below is the whole home:

Here you could see through one window from the road to the Baltic Sea!

window views
AND I found another theme: theme thursday : r o o f

beach homes

2009-06-17T09:46:00.002+02:00

wordless wednesday
Baltic Sea, Heiligenhafen, Germany

here comes the sun

2009-06-15T01:14:00.002+02:00

l o c k

2009-06-12T08:28:00.010+02:00

lock (n.) 2. A section of a waterway, such as a canal, closed off with gates, in which vessels in transit are raised or lowered by raising or lowering the water level of that section.

PhotoHunt is hosted by tnchick

I took this picture in Narbonne, France, last July at high noon, which is not the best moment to use the camera! Narbonne is linked to the nearby Canal du Midi (which joins the Atlantic to the Mediterranean) and the Aude River by the above pictured Canal de la Robine, which runs through the centre of town and it has six single locks.