Vicarious Travels

 

The last of our Vicarious Travels posts features trios of Central Oregon from Lorraine; Astoria from Mark; Joshua Tree Park from Shelley, and France from Phil.

From Phil:  “These 3 shots were all taken in southern France.  The actor was portraying Nostradamus, a fore teller of the future; he lived from 1503 to 1566.  The actor performed before a crowd of maybe 100 in the town square of Isle sur la Sorgue, a small town in the Provence region, on a warm fall evening.  To say that he was animated would be an understatement.  The couple, who I think were homeless but I was never sure, sat along a street in the same town during the day, begging or looking daggers at passersby.  Then at the end of our trip, we spent a few days in Nice.  One afternoon after exiting an art gallery, we found a group of men playing the game of boules in a nearby park.  With a telephoto lens, I could not resist trying to capture the intensity of their play.  I think they may have noted my presence but did not care.”

From Mark:  “My best friend (of 55 years) and I try to get together 2 or 3 times every year to do photography. We got together zip/zero in 2020. These photos are from trips to Astoria over the years. 2 are film, 1 is digital. On our last visit we stayed in a rental called the Crab Shack, it is a 2 bedroom unit built over the water on pilings in what used to be a restaurant. If you go don’t forget to visit the Light Box Gallery, it is worth a visit. As is Bowpicker Fish and Chips across from the Maritime Museum”

 

From Shelley:  “I’m missing my sojourns to Joshua Tree National Park during the pandemic, BIG TIME. So nice to (re)visit the Park. . .vicariously.”

Lorraine goes on another ‘mental health drive’ to the other side of the Cascades.

Only got a week to travel?  And want to feel like you’ve “Groked” an exotic place you’ve heard of your entire life?  The English called it Ceylon and Captain Lipton’s Tea made it famous.  In one week you can explore the unique features of its coastlines, it’s ancient monuments such as the “Lion Fortress” of Sigiriya, famous for its beautifully preserved 5th Century frescoes, and the Highlands with its endless vistas of carefully manicured Tea Plantations.

 

 

If you visit Nepal be prepared to pack for 3 Seasons:  Katmandu Valley with its vibrant unique Hindu culture and Monuments like Durban Court; Trekking in the Himalayas and enjoying the wonderful, friendly rural Nepalies;  And don’t forget that there’s a slice of Nepal reaching the Jungle

 

Want to see Weird critters? Madagascar is the place for you. No insect is Weirder than the Giraffe Beetle;  no mammal is Weirder than the Aye Aye; and no reptile is Weirder than the Giant Leaf Tailed Gecko with its incredible eyes

Portugal in 1980 — “The photos of the Cais das Colunas in Lisbon were made during a trip I made to Portugal in 1980. The ‘Columns Quay’ is located on the Tagus River at the foot of Rua Agusta, the main shopping street in Lisbon. Across from the Cais das Colunas can be seen a shipyard that I had once visited in order to install software on their computer. On trips to Portugal, I always brought back a bottle of the delicious domestic vinho verde.”

 Russia in 1960:  “The first of several trips that I made to the Soviet Union was in 1960. The borders were then opened for tourists driving their own cars. I took advantage of this to drive in my Peugeot 403 from Paris to Moscow and return via Leningrad. At the time I was studying Russian at the Ecole des Langues Oriental Vivante in Paris. The photos were made with a Russian copy of a Leica, which I bought for the equivalent of $10 at the GUM department store in Moscow. I had to make photos unobtrusively, as taking photos that might include bridges or government buildings, etc. could be considered espionage. The photo of the street scene showed many of the typical buildings in Moscow, most of which dated from before 1918. Kvass is a common beverage in Russia. Here it was disbursed from a small tank wagon. There was only one glass to drink from; a pail of water served for rinsing the glass. The photo with Saint Basil’s Cathedral at the Red Square in the background was taken from the Manege Square, at the heart of Moscow. The Russian camera was confiscated at the Finnish border when I was leaving the USSR. I couldn’t show that I purchased the camera with foreign currency. (I used Rubles, gotten on the Moscow black market, to buy the camera, as well as gasoline for the car.) However, they ignored the Russian religious icons that I had in the car.”

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“Atty and I once visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Not being the Easter or Christmas season, the only spectator in front of the church, besides a nearby goat, was a  priest. The low entrance forces visitors to bow in order to enter the church. The grotto, reached by a stairway under the altar, is considered to be the  birthplace of Jesus.

from the series, “A Walk in my Neighborhood”, at www.efn.org/~hkrieger/oakway.htm.

From Herman — People visit shopping malls for various reasons besides shopping. I took a look at different shopping malls from Eugene to Portland in search of photo possibilities. A number of the photos are included in the series “Mall-aise” that can be seen at
http://members.efn.org/~hkrieger/mallaise.htm.​

From Bob — “I have not been hiking in the mountains for many months. The fires and closures prevented me from going to important places. I have been walking 5-8 miles each morning, and pondering what I might be interested in photographing now that I am not photographing for students anymore. This gray squirrel didn’t make it across the road. It is a nasty corner where people come zipping around the corner way too fast, and often cut into the bike lane where I am walking. I push into the bushes where I hear a car coming.”

From Rich — “When the virus restrictions went into place last March, I decided to turn my daily walks into a photo project to find idyllic views along Dixon Creek, a once-wild stream that drained the Northwest Hills to the Willamette.   Named after one of the founders of Marysville in the 1800s, the creek has been rerouted many times over the years, as the town grew over and around it. The little book on the project can be seen at the link below, and can be purchased at cost at the Corvallis Arts Center.

https://www.blurb.com/b/10200430-idylls-along-an-urban-stream

From Eric — I can’t take my mind of Ireland! “Taking a Break in Kinsale” was taken mid morning when there was no-one about. We were walking along most of the streets on a gorgeous day by the bay. “First chore in the morn” was a block from the boat ramp at a very,very popular groog spot at night. This man was the bartender, showing he was doing it all…perhaps he was the owner as well. “Dragg’in Further and Further Behind” was taken while I was on the third deck touring the city of Dublin. I had a very short time period to take it”

 

From Mark — “These 3 photos are from a trip to Germany I took 42 years ago. The trip was 17 days in a rental car. We looped from Frankfurt, up the Mosel Valley thru Luxembourg, France, the Black Forest, Switzerland, Garmisch, Austria, Munich, Rothenburg back to Frankfurt. The shots were on Ektachrome 64, in a Nikon F2s with 28mm & 50mm. Scanned to digital in 2013 on an Epson Flat Bed scanner. I ran across them this summer after a Lightroom crash. Highlights of the trip were: white wine, schnell imbiss, Rothenburg, Deutsches Museum, the autobahns, BMW factory tour. the Porta Negra in Trier, camping in Idar-Oberstein and hiking in the Alps.”

From Shelley– “These photos are a mere glimpse of the hand-painted murals found throughout the city of Basel, Switzerland. They are painted on building exteriors, as leafy filigree around windows sills, and to the elevation heights in snug alleys. Interior spaces are also embellished with hand-painted murals all around the city. The walls of most bars, and many restaurants, display murals of hybrid, fantastic creatures posing in elaborate costumes, creatures such as those from “our Basel neighborhood.”

From Lorraine — Views of the countryside while driving north on Hwy 97 with a dusting of snow.

From Rich — “Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to explore three of Eastern Oregon cattle baron Pete French’s barns on field trips with fellow PAG members, some trips stretching back to the 1990s. The most recent was last fall, when for the first time I got to visit French’s Sodhouse Ranch. Though the sod house itself has long ago melted into the high desert floor, several buildings remain, including one of the two so-called “long barns” he built back in the late 1800s, which I photographed here in infrared.  Back about 20 years ago, I took this interior of another of his long barns (the more accessible one near Frenchglen) with my 8×10 camera, and some years before that I used the 8×10 to make my first picture of the famous Round Barn.”

From Allan — “I find the round barn in Eastern Oregon fascinating.  The Peter French barn in the Malheur National Refuge was built circular so that when breaking horses there were no corners for the horse to go into.  All of the vertical supports are from juniper trees.”

From Herman — “Several views of the old West in Southeastern Oregon”

From Allan — “This view of Wildhorse lake from near the top of the Steens Mountains is my favorite scene in Oregon.  I first saw it in 1963 and each time I visit it seems to be slightly different.  I find a comfortable rock to set on and take it all in.  These were taken in three different years–2006, 2010, & 2016.”

From Phil — “Another Oregon destination of interest is the high desert small town of John Day, 7 hours or so drive from Corvallis.  The Kam Wah Chung museum is the preserved mid-1800s general store and herbal medicine shop that served Chinese laborers who worked in the region.  Chinese businessman Lung On and herbal doctor Ing Hay operated the store for many years.  Oregon Parks personnel, like Judy, give interesting tours of the building.  In John Day, there is a neat church; see Herman’s photos earlier in this series.  One late afternoon, I wanted to get a photo but only had my iPod with me.  Thinking I could use the “panorama” mode (but vertically) to capture the full extent of the building, I kept loosing my balance as I panned upward.  This accidental result was the most appealing of my efforts.

From Rich — “Carol Ann and I visited the Isle of Skye in northern Scotland a couple of years ago, and enjoyed seeing the colorful little harbors, shaggy Scotland cattle and  majestic old castles there”

From Al — “Want to go somewhere so high that you never catch your breath, so cold you never see warms oppressed that you never stop looking over your shoulder? Try going to to Tibet.  And if you go to Tibet you must visit #1-The POTALA PALACE.  The  Winter Palace of the Dalai Lama, located in the capital city of Lhasa at an elevation of 12,000 feet; #2. The Kumbum Stupa in Gyantse is a 3 dimensional Mandala containing 101 sacred images; and #3. The Sera Monastery — famous for it’s monk’s silent debates.

From Mark–  “Maui is unique among the Hawaiian Islands in having 3 neighbor islands offshore to the west covered in red dirt. This produces stunning sunsets year round when the winds kick the dirt into the air. Upcountry Maui (elevation approx. 2000 – 5000 ft.) on the west side of Haleakala is some of the greenest and most inviting scenery I’ve seen anywhere. You can go from sea level to 10,000 ft. at the summit of Haleakala in roughly 90 minutes. It is a spectacular drive!”

From Al:  “We visited the Tibetan Buddhist country of Bhutan 7 years ago.     No visit there is complete without visiting the Tiger’s Nest Monastery located on the side of a cliff at an altitude of 10000ft.  The monetary is reached only after a grueling hike on a narrow, winding dirt path starting on the valley floor 3000 ft below.  Also unique monuments are the Chorten (Bhuddhist Shrines) and Dzongs (Fortress Monasteries).”

From Mark:  “Our 2020 trip to the Big Island in April was cancelled due to the pandemic. So I tried to compensate by trolling through images from previous trips to this favorite place of mine. Here are three fond memories”.

From Eric:  Here are some “vicarious scenes in Old Ireland locations: Waterford, Glendelough and York County. Focusing on the thoughts of individuals as I bustled through the enchanting lands.”

Herman joined a PAG field trip to the Painted Hills in 2007, and turned his camera on the people taking the pictures.

From Rich: “I’ve visited the Painted Hills section north of Mitchell three or four times over the years, and have taken many photos there, tho I can’t find most of them. (I don’t recommend basing a filing system on memory). But I did find these, which include two of my favorites (as far as I can remember). I particularly liked the way the unmelted snow in the creases of the hills outlined the shapes so well.”

From Phil:  “Not every trip I take requires hours on an airplane. The Painted Hills is a part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.  About a 5 to 6 hour drive east from Corvallis, near Mitchell Oregon, the Painted Hills are quite striking in their layers of colors, especially in the spring when grasses and flowers come alive on the hill tops.

From Al:  “Want to go somewhere off the beaten path — how bout South Georgia?    No — Not THAT South Georgia.  To get to this South Georgia spend a couple days in high seas an Expedition Ship to visit the Birthplace of the worlds largest colonies of King Penguins and Elephant Seals and the burial place for Sir Ernest Shackleton.

From Mark:  “These photos are 3 locations on Kauai that are part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens system of 5 gardens (the other two are on Maui and in Florida). Visiting the Gardens is always one of the highlights of a visit to Kauai, one of my favorite places.”

From Shelley:  “This is the same walk through Old Town Basel, in new and different alleyways.”

From Paul:  “When I first started working with an 8×10 Deardorff camera in 2017, one of the first things I wanted to do was photograph my favorite (and more dramatic) Oregon Coast features. Navigating the quirks of an 80-year-old camera that used 8×10 sheet film was a challenge, especially in a natural setting. But I was determined to learn, so off I went. These three scenes from the coast are some of my favorite work from the 2018 work: they illustrate what I love about the Oregon coast – its drama and primal beauty. I need to spend more time out there.

From Herman:  “After the gold ran out in 1954, Sumpter became a ghost town and the site of a State Park.  A remaining gold mining dredge, six miles of the Sumpter Valley Railway excursion railroad, and surviving structures, attract a variety of tourists and photographers.”

From Rich:  “I’ve always loved visiting the Astoria area with my camera, primarily for the authentic feel of early Oregon that I first discovered there on field trips with the late great Dave McIntire 30 years ago. Much has changed in Astoria since then, as the old fishing and cannery piers have been torn down and gradually replaced by more tourist-friendly attractions. But one constant anchor over that time has been the magnificent Astoria-Megler Bridge over the Columbia. And a few old historic sites, including the Liberty Theater, have made a comeback after restoration.”

From Shelley:  “Old Town Basel, Switzerland Walking Tour: Paracelsus  (Theophrastus of Hohenheim; 1493-1541) was Basel’s city doctor from 1527-1528. This tour through medieval alleys is the way to the Pharmaziemuseum der Universitat Basel. Unfortunately, the museum was closed the day we toured past it.”

From Phil:  “These 3 photos were not taken in a common locale but share a common topic: isolated religious structures.  All were far off the beaten path, requiring a several hour drive or long boat trip to see.  The small church in the village of Hana Vave, on the island of Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands, serves just a few hundred residents; the drive there, sitting in the bed of a pickup, was an adventure in itself.  While the island of Ilha Bela off the southeast coast of Brazil attracts many Brazilians on weekends, this small chapel was isolated well off the road, providing respite for one young lady at midday.  And though in Tuscany, the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, a former Benedictine monastery located in a beautiful wine growing valley, is not a major attraction as it requires a few hour drive from Siena to reach.

From Al:  “In February 2013 Burma had began opening up to international tourism. There are many extraordinary places to go and things to see in Burma. However there are 3 Premier Extraordinary Unique in all the World places–#1. Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the greatest of the great gilded pagodas;  #2. Between the 11 and 13 centuries thousands of temples, pagodas, and stupas were constructed on an arid plain near the Irrawaddy Rivers;  #3. Inle Lake.  A large shallow lake surrounded by small villages built on stilts .  Famous for Floating Gardens and water based lifestyle.

From Vicky: “These images were taken around Juneau, AK on a family trip we took in 2017.  Juneau is beautiful, especially after rainy days, which was about half the time of our visit there.  Bring your rain jacket if you go.”

From Mark:   “We went to the Canadian Maritime Provinces in 2015 and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. The highlight was Prince Edward Island. Very rural, red dirt, lots of farms (mostly potatoes and canola), 30 lighthouses and more than 13 commercial fishing harbors on an island 80 miles from end to end. Beautiful back roads. Many tourists from Japan (due to a writer named  Lucy Maud Montgomery and a girl named Ann Shirley). Very photogenic, beautiful coast, seafood, Cajun food, Gaelic music and poutine. I had hoped to visit again this year, if we got back to Maine. Alas it was not to be! “

From Herman:  “In 2012 I took advantage of the reduced restriction of travel to Cuba to make a trip there. I spent a week wandering around the old city of Havana taking photos with a folding camera using black and white film. One of the main squares is the Plaza Vieja, which is surrounded by shops, restaurants, and an elementary school. The Plaza de Armas is occupied by used book dealers. The largest square is the Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, which is a favorite locale for wedding photographers. More photos can be seen in the photo essay, “See See Havana”, at http://members.efn.org/~hkrieger/cuba.htm.”

From John Ritchie:  “Although I saw spectacular scenery and fascinating events while in Ethiopia in January of this year, what I miss most about it are the wonderful people. I think often of them in these troubled times, especially as they face unrest in their country.”

From Al:  “In October of 2008 we joined a Road Scholar trip to Papua New Guinea.  The trip focused on the Coastal areas, the Highlands and the Sepic River areas.   The Highlights of the trip were the opportunities to view and photograph a few of the many unique cultures and rituals.”

From John Morris:  “On safari in six African countries.  Each was unique and forever in my memory, but the most up close and personal with critters was this off-road visit to Sabi Sands, a private preserve in South Africa.”

From Herman we have three views of an historic church in John Day.

From Phil we get three perspectives of a more impressive spire: “A few years back, we spent an April in Paris.  In the mornings, I went to a language school, gaining a marginal command of French.  Our rented apartment, a metro ride or 30 minutes walk from the school, was just next to the lovely park south of the Eiffel Tower.  I know that the tower has been the focus of probably a billion photos by now, but each day I had the freedom, early or late, to wander through the area where the Parisians take the tower quite for granted as they walk their dog or have a chat on a bench.  Each time I went, I would look for a potentially unique perspective on the icon.”

From Bill: “Here are some shots of people enjoying the Oregon Coast. Miss it. Hope to get back there in 2021.”

Naarden is an old Dutch fortress town about 15 miles from Amsterdam known for the Photo Festival, which occupies the entire town, and takes place every two years. I was in Holland at the time, and rode my bike from Amsterdam to Naarden quite often during several weeks. More about town can be gotten from the photo essay at http://members.efn.org/~hkrieger/fotofest.htm While in Holland, I also visited a recumbent bicycle racing and expo event.

John Morris:  “Morocco is a country of unexpected cultural and geographic contrasts that led me to take over 1,500 photos.  It was a magical visit that we will likely never repeat.  In this era of COVID we certainly will not see the bustling activity of the markets, which I have tried to capture here.”

Mark narrates:  “These photos were taken at Antelope Island State Park in Utah on some of my yearly family visits. The park includes a historic ranch (1848-1981 bison, cattle and sheep). The cattle and sheep are gone but some bison remain, along with approx. 16 outbuildings), It is beautiful, but never busy. Great views of the Great Salt Lake, Wasatch Mountains, Oquirrh Mountains and more. It is a good size park with lots to explore.”

 

Phil and his wife spend a month in Siena Italy (nominally to learn Italian, he said; while his wife succeeded, he did not.  “Our small apartment was in the center of the town, a short 3 minute walk from the Duomo, the beautiful main cathedral.  So I could get up early (before the hordes of tourists and students arrived) and go looking for photos.  The exterior of the Duomo has many benches and nooks built into its lovely stonework.  These 3 photos caught locals enjoying the early quiet, meeting or waiting for friends.”

 

Jeff revisits a trip he and Vicky took to Wales with some photos taken on a walk through the town of Abersytwyth. “JRR Tolkein spent the mid-1940’s as a visiting professor at the university in Aberystwyth in Wales.  A wonderful town.  These are images made during a walk through Aber (what the locals call Aberystwyth) to eat lunch on the hill at the north end of town.  The landscape that [mostly] inspired Tolkein’s Middle Earth.”

Roaming up and down (literally) the streets of Old Quebec last year, Rich found plenty of interesting photographs.  The old city is divided into Upper Town and Lower Town–the grand Chateau Frontenac caps the escarpment over the St. Lawrence River (as it has for the past ?? years), while the narrow streets in Lower Town face the harbor, offering tourists plenty of shops and eateries. We stayed in Lower Town in an apartment over an antique shop–the rear of the buildings along the street had wooden bridges that spanned an alley (shown below), leading to private sitting spaces carved into the stoney escarpment.

Phil has this to say about his photos from Norway:
While we were staying in Bergen Norway, one day we rented a car for a drive into the countryside.  From a map, I knew of a few remaining wood “stave” churches; there used to be hundreds of them in the country but now only a few remain.  Driving past one of the most spectacular waterfalls I have ever seen, after 2 hours drive we reached Vik, a small town near one of the fjords.  Outside of town is the Hopperstad Stave Church, begun in the 1100’s.  Surrounded by a grave yard, it is a very imposing structure.  I took a lot of photos, one shown here in color and one in infrared; it was June.  Nearby was a comparably interesting small church, built of stone but more recent than the stave church.

 

Al had a great time flying his drone over the Columbia Gorge recently, and came back with several photos to remind him of his trip. These are just three of them:

 

Rich says:  One of the nice things about living in Western Oregon is that you don’t have to get too far from home to feel like you’ve really gotten away and left the humdrum and hassles of daily life behind. This trio of pics from a recent hiatus in Yachats reflects the feeling of escape I have when I’m staying at the coast.

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