Saturday's PhotoHunting: Dark

On ABC Wednesday I featured a photo of this beautiful beach in Hawaii.  It was a bright, sunny gorgeous day where the blues of the ocean and skies and the greens of the grass and trees really jumped out at you from the photo.  

I wanted to once again feature another beach photo but on this day it was a bit rainy, the wind was really kicking and there were these dark storm clouds hovering above, preventing the sun from shining through.  

These photos are of the Marina Grande Beach in the seaside town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Southern Italy.  Being there at that moment made me realize that there are just some places in this world that remain gorgeous, even in bad weather. 

In keeping with the mood presented by the weather, I decided to post process my original photos in Black and White.  Back in the old film days I used to really enjoy taking and processing B&W photos. I remember the excitement I had watching as the images came to life in the dark room. Now it is a matter of one click on a software like Photoshop CS4 which is what I used and voila.

And in case you're wondering, here is one of the photos in it's original color. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

ABC WEDNESDAY: B is for . . .

~ Beach ~

Feel the cool ocean breeze,

 brush through my hair.

Feel the soft white sand caress my toes,

no other feeling can compare.

Hear the melody of the waves,

as they wash ashore.

It's here on the beach,

my heart, my soul, they soar.

~Trekcapri (Kathy)



Photo taken in Hawaii

I know this is a little sappy, but well with me sappy is sometimes what you get. :)

I've been very fortunate to travel to some pretty awesome places with some very beautiful beaches.  But IMHO, I would have to say that the best beaches that I've been to are located on the islands of Hawaii (Wikipedia)!

What can I say, you can take the local out of the islands, but you can't take the islands out of the local. :)

To see more members, see Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE.  



Saturday's PhotoHunting: Animal

I really enjoy taking photos of all the wonderful animals that I get to meet while traveling.

It took a lot to resist posting yet another one of my beautiful Highland Cow photos from Scotland or more recently a photo of my little hiking buddy from Italy.  But for this entry, I thought I would feature this group of turtles playing in their private little pond. 

Well, actually. . . it's not quite so private.

Their home can be found here in one of the coolest train stations that I have ever passed through while traveling, the Madrid Atocha Train Station  in Spain.

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

ABC WEDNESDAY: A is for Acoustic . . .

Thanks so much to my blogging friend, Annie (Churches in Venice), for introducing me to a wonderful and fun meme called ABC Wednesday. 

Starting this week, participants create a post (photo or words or both) of a subject or an idea that starts with the letter "A".  I think this is a really fun and creative meme and I am so happy to join Mrs. Nesbitt, the ABC Wednesday Team and my fellow ABC Wednesday participants for Round 10.

An acoustic (Wikipedia) guitar can really sing . . .

This is a close-up photo of my very special Spanish Guitar which I purchased in Granada, Spain.  It really beats the guitar App on my iTouch, which I carry with me when I travel. :)

To see more cool posts, please visit Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE. 



Saturday's PhotoHunting: Joy

This was actually a tough theme for me because there are so many things that gives me joy and to find one visual to express it was a bit of a challenge. 

But when it comes right down to it, nothing warms my heart and brings Joy in my life more than being with and spending time with family and friends (including my wonderful Internet friends).

I took a photo of this cool looking purple heart just off the main square in the town of Delft in the Netherlands.  The famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer lived here. Among his works, I would have to say that "The Milkmaid" and the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" are my two favorites. The town is also known for their Defltware which are hand made and beautifully painted. I also had the opportunity to visit one of those factories, which I featured HERE on a previous theme.

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE! 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Tree Branches

These Tree Branches provides a cool shade for hikers.

This is a photo that I've posted HERE before.  It was taken while hiking along the Sentiero degli Dei (“Path of the Gods”) trail on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. And just under the sign you can see a glimpse of my little hiking buddy who I met on the trail.  Not only did he keep me company but he actually escorted me all the way to the town of Nocelle.

Tree branches are also used for hand rails on some sections of the trail.  Check out my little hiking buddy waiting patiently for me at the top of this uphill section. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's  Kehole Pictures website HERE! 

Reflections: What I thought of on New Year's Eve . . .

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Drinks

Kamikaze, Bahama Mama, Between the Sheets, Purple Hooter, White Russian, Zombie, B-52 and Alabama Slammer are a few examples of some interesting and fun names for cocktail drinks.    

You can now add . . . . Purple Haze, Naked Colada, Up All Night, Strawberry Butterfly and Mango Kush . . . from the Numb Bar at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.   These are slushy frozen cocktail drinks guaranteed to give you a sweet little buzz, especially if you're not a big drinker like I am.  :)





As 2011 comes to an end and everyone is gearing up plans to ring in the New Year, you might consider one of the many cocktail drinks to choose from on About.com (recipes included) for your celebration. 

Have fun toasting in the New Year with family and friends, but remember to be safe and don't drink and drive.  Have a designated driver, call a friend or a family member to pick you up or take a taxi if you've had even one of those Naked Coladas. It will be the first wise decision that you will make in 2012.

I've been a little absent from the Blogshpere this past week while my sister has been in town.  And now I am really looking forward to catching up with everyone before the year is up. :)

Wishing everyone, especially my family and friends, all of my blogging friends and fellow Slow Travelers and PhotoHunters a very Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year!

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE! 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Lights

I'll be spending Christmas 2011 with my wonderful sis, Jean, and her family in Las Vegas!  Bright lights, gambling, food, extravagant shows . . .



Bright Lights - Las Vegas Strip

Wishing all of you and yours a very Happy Holidays and a Safe and Healthy New Year!

Christmas Tree Lights & Decorations - Bellagio Hotel

To see more Saturday PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE! 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Natural

The Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy has the most beautiful Natural environment that I've seen while traveling.  They have these high rugged limestone cliffs which drops dramatically down toward the Tyrrhenian Sea.   

What amazed me about the area is although the terrain is stunningly beautiful I would think that it would be next to impossible to do any kind of gardening or farming here.  But the hardworking locals manage to do just that.  Throughout the coast you can see these cultivation terraces carved out along the rocky mountainsides where lemons, olives and even grapes are grown.  

This is a photo that I took while hiking the Sentiero degli Dei trail.  You can kind of see examples of these terraces in the background to the right. 

Here's a closer look at some of these terraces. 

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's  Kehole Pictures website HERE!