Ska band, Brick Lane Market, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
I’ve been quite insular lately; not going out much nor engaging with the world beyond my front door. I was going to blame the weather; it has been raining constantly for days, and a southerly wind has blasted up from Antarctica, making even the shortest trip seem quite unappealing.
But of course that’s an excuse. Really I just haven’t felt like putting on my “hello world” face and stepping outside.
Pensive; woman at Covent Garden Market, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
Dancers in the Carnaval des duex rives, Bordeaux. Despite at times torrential rain, thousands turned out to take part. Photo: Su Leslie
Earlier this year I went to Europe with the Big T and our boy-child (with a stop-over in San Francisco). It was the end of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, and although San Francisco was positively balmy and London turned on a few days of gloriously early spring, both Munich and Bordeaux delivered very season-appropriate weather. Yet each day we donned hats, coats and gloves and we went out. From morning until late we explored, not knowing what we’d see around each corner and reveling in the sheer “otherness” of ancient European cities.
Even on a wet Sunday the Neues Rathaus on Marienplatz, Munich had plenty of visitors. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
Late afternoon sun streams on visitors leaving Horse Guards Parade, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015
Street musicians on Jubilee Walkway, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
Holidays are finite. We were only in each place for a short time and there was so much to see and do; the idea that we would stay in our apartment to avoid bad weather was unthinkable.
I love the way children can make fun, even on a wet day. Doesn’t look like Dad is quite so happy though. Bordeux, 2015. Photo: Su Leslie.
But of course life is finite too — just (hopefully) on a different scale to holidays. Lately, I seem to have forgotten that and have dreaded, rather than looked forward to, the new day. Looking at some of the street photos from our trip has helped remind me of how much I miss by shutting myself away.
Petticoat Lane Market, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015
Just hanging with the guys, The Haight, San Francisco. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
Climate change protest, Parliament Square, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
Sometimes even solitude is better in a crowd …
Brick Lane, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.
… which thought reminded me of the classic Petula Clark song, Downtown (although I prefer Emma Bunton’s 2006 cover)
The title of this post comes from that song, and cheesy as it is, there is a certain truth in the lyrics. A few nights ago the Big T and I had our first date night in a while. We went to see Fallout — a beautiful and powerful play by Bronwyn Elsmore about the sinking of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour 30 years ago this July. Both of us lived in Auckland at the time of the Rainbow Warrior bombing, and judging by the way this play moved everyone in the audience — we weren’t the only ones who felt transported back to that time. Being part of that collective remembering was a powerful feeling.
Today I persevered through rain, public transport failure, overfull carparks to see Partner with the Enemy, an inspiring documentary about two women trying to build a business together against ridiculous odds.
Now it seems that the rain is likely to clear (at least for a few days) and I might even get a walk on the beach.
Seen in Selfridges window, Oxford Street, London. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, edited with Pixlr Express.
I seem to have developed a habit of photographing shop windows. I’ve only recently become aware of this, and have been thinking about it quite a lot. I think it’s because I love the interplay of items placed and framed deliberately — often with great care and at great expense — against the totally random nature of the world reflected in the glass.
Still life with coral – and a couple walking their dog. Seen in window of design store, Munich. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, edited with Pixlr Express.
Is it street photography? Abstraction? Or in the case below, self-portrait?
Captured in a store window in Bordeaux. “Jellyfish” made of fabric, chandelier, armchair, street scene and the photographer. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, edited with Pixlr Express.
Apologies; I’m posting from my iPad and having trouble captioning the images. So:
1. San Francisco from the Coit Tower
2. Church of St a Peter & St Paul, San Francisco
3. My “boys” with Francesco; street performer in Munich
4. The boys again. On the road up to Schloss Neuschwanstein, Bavaria
5 & 6. Views from the train; Munich to Fussen
7. Resedenz Garten, Munich
8. A perfect plate; macarons in a shop window, Munich
All images: Su Leslie, 2015
Not exactly wordless, but this last week pictures definitely speak louder than words.
We’ve been in Bavaria for the last couple of days, and yesterday went to the famous Schloss Neuschwanstein. It’s winter here and there has been quite a lot of snow. Coming from a Kiwi summer, this change of weather has accentuated the feeling of difference — best exemplified by the very different architecture of this part of the world.
Schloss Neuschwanstein: a fairy tale castle built high in the mountains.
Icicles hang from the roof of this house, in the village below the castle.
The inn just below the Schloss Neuschwanstein, perfect place to warm up.
This post was written for Sally’s Phoneography and non-SLR Digital Image Challenge, at Lens and Pens by Sally.
The Big T wants to visit the BMW museum while we’re in Munich. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, edited with Pixlr Express.
With less than a week until we go on holiday, the boys are busy making lists of things to do and visit. The Big T is keen on the BMW museum in Munich, while the boy-child is looking forward to skating in Bordeaux.
I had such fun photographing our little toy BMW Isetta the other day (DP Photo Challenge – not quite to scale), that I decided to take a few more shots, and then of course I needed a skateboard.
Checking out the skate scene in Bordeaux is high on the boy-child’s list of things to do on holiday. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, edited with Pixlr Express.
Not sure how I can represent my wish-list for our holiday. As long as I can find coffee, book shops and art galleries, I’ll be happy.
