Empty sky
When I was in New Jersey in April, I visited Liberty Park.
It’s home to the Empty Sky memorial
And the outdoor waiting area and old railway station
That used to take immigrants to their new homes all over the USA.
Both places are near each other — and it struck me
How they are almost opposites: the one being all about destruction and loss;
The other (in need of renovation – see last photo) a reminder of an age of tolerance and understanding.
Now that there is a harder attitude to refugees and immigrants and otherness
Around the world – it is somehow comforting to think that once the sky wasn’t empty,
But filled with open arms for people looking for a better life.
There was less ‘we and them’ and more ‘us’.
It’s my hope that there will be less hate and more love in the world.
Immigrant waiting area
For more stories, please visit: Our World.
Dancing on the edge
I have lots more photos from Portugal to share with you —
But I thought I’d take a break this week
And show you the beauty of raindrops
Dancing on the edge of
Beautiful green leaves (some would say weeds).
These shots remind me of a lovely Tagore quote:
Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.
For more dancing, go to: Our World.
Out of the blue
It’s always fun finding
The quirky side to a new place.
Ericeira, a small coastal village in Portugal,
Blue me away with its lovely azure glass tiles
And hand-y door knobs.
Aren’t they just blue-tiful?
For more fun and fewer bad puns, please visit: Our World.
Fairytale Palace
The small bus chugs up the winding roads of Sintra —
And then after a steep uphill climb on foot,
You gasp when you finally glimpse the fairytale outline
Of Pena Palace:
A beautiful example of 19th century
Portuguese Romanticism.
Gorgeous tiles and lemon walls
Are a breathtaking reminder
Of how amazing the human imagination
Coupled with architecture can be.
For more incredible sights, please visit: Our World.
Gone surfing
On Thursday, I’m flying off to Portugal again with the kids —
Time to enjoy Lisbon and then
Off to the beach for
Surfing and sunsets.
These photos are from the Atlantic Coast, Portugal, taken last year.
(See you all again in about ten days.)
For more great moments, please visit: Our World.
Midsummer joy
Midsummer’s Eve is the second most important
Celebration in Sweden after Christmas.
It’s a time for dancing
Around the midsummer maypole
With flowers in your hair
No matter whether you are male, female or child.
The folk dancers
Wear their traditional costumes —
(They start them off young…)
As do the musicians:
It’s hard work though!
And everyone has fun
No matter colour, age or belief system.
And that’s what is important in the world:
Love and tolerance.
For more celebrations, please visit: Our World.
Enjoying my greens
Early summer is
A symphony of green and wildlife:
The green is
Sometimes luminous and startling,
Sometimes like dewy
Emerald fireworks,
And sometimes abstract paintings
In the rain.
For more greens, please visit: Our World.
The art of wilting gracefully
I think there is much to be said
For flowers (and people) that have blossomed out, lived life
And then begin to wilt gracefully.
There is elegance in silken petals
(And lined faces).
Drooping flowers — and ageing people for that matter —
Have their own beauty and wisdom.
For more flowering posts, please visit: Our World.
Pink petal profusion
One of the highlights of spring is enjoying the sakura
Or Japanese cherry blossoms in the centre of Stockholm.
The sakura speak to us of
What is possible
And of petalled beauty
That lasts only a short time,
Blooming without holding back
And reminding us that life is like the sakura:
Fleeting, fragile, fabulous.
For more beauty, please visit: Our World.
And don’t forget: Skywatch.
Can a dog smile?
It was a glorious winter day
With snow, sun and sparkles on the trees.
That made me smile.
A long walk with friends
To chase
— That’s what made Simmie smile.
After two hours of running around
And enjoying the scenery —
We were all tired and happy.
(That’s my Ruby on the right as you look at the photo and Simmie on the back left
With Jessie, Ruby’s puppy, standing in front of him.)
For more smiles, please go to: Our World.
Who says what?