Swedish coastline in Black & white

I spent most of my life living close to the coastline (Brittany, England South coast, Skåne in Sweden). I treasure it, I am grateful for it. I think this explains why I am more a fan of the sea rather than the mountain. 

During my time in Sweden, we were lucky to live close to the coast and I enjoyed capturing their coastline. In a way, because the expectancy of a photo of a water point is in colour, I wanted to try it in black and white. So this is my first series of the coast in black& white. See what you think. 

Enjoy the end of the summer break!

It's a beach life!

Some of you know that I spent 3 years in the South of Sweden. We really enjoyed ourselves there, discovering new places, meeting new people. 

The winters were just a tad long.....But the summers were wonderful. Somehow we never thought that the weather would be as good as it got, During the summer time, temperatures can reach more than 30 degrees C. So we made the most of it and enjoyed going to the beach and visiting nearby islands (Ven), whenever possible.

As it is today still summer and most of us are on holiday, I wanted to share some photos of Sweden in the sunshine. This is the coast of Sweden, Skåne and Bohuslän regions. 

Happy beach life !

West coast, North of Gothenburg

South coast

South coast

South coast

Close to Kivik, Baltic sea

West coast, North of Gothenburg

West coast, North of Gothenburg

Enjoy the rest of your holiday and summer. And if you have the opportunity to go to the coast, grab it. 

Back to the beginning

Whichever place we come from, we always go back to it. Whether it's on a regular basis (some people never leave it) or only towards retirement...Where we come from is a special place, no matter what. 

And where I come from is a special place (of course I'd say that). 

I always enjoy going back to my sources. Because of its beauty, the warm feeling I have inside me when I'm there, the memories, the experience. It just feels good. Complete. 

And so I am on my way there this week to cherish my close ones for a few weeks. I am excited. For a simple reason. I have not been back for two whole years. In honour on my return home, I wanted to present some photos I took  last time I set my eyes on Brittany. 

...until I take some more! 

Happy holidays! 

Tronöen's beach (surfers' paradise)

Quimper, Old part

Quimper, Old part

Near Quiberon (another surfers' paradise)

A secret place close to Beg Meil, Finistère

A secret place close to Beg Meil, Finistère

This is an actual road! Honest. 
Cars can sometimes drive to the other side...sometimes!

Vendée

Popular beach in Vendée

Happy August! 

A garden in France at the end of July

I was lucky to spend a week at my parents' house. They have a great garden with many fruit trees, including an apricot tree. And in the garden, you can also chase the little insects that keep jumping in and out of the high grass. The children love it. Mine did. 

At the end of a few days waiting for the apricots to mature, we decided it was time to pick them. So, we ate them and also made a tart. Yes, a yummy, mumsfillibaba tart. 

This is what our afternoons were about : chasing grasshoppers & watching the apricots!

...and then, of course, baking and enjoying the fruits of the garden.

The perfect place to run around and find insects

Chasing grasshoppers

Observing the grasshopper before freeing it. Not many escaped the observatory phase, as the chidden were pretty good at catching them. Let me reassure you, they all got released back in the nature. 

Somebody enjoying the apricot

The apricots maturing 

After the baking session, the apricot tart is ready to be deliciously appreciated!

Hoping you enjoyed your July. 

Light and lightning exercise...a bit like fishing

Just to practice taking photos by night and using my camera setting, I took the opportunity of a bad storm to take photos. Loud thunder and bright lightning were part of the live show a few nights ago. I enjoyed it and was pleased to have reached my objectives (it does not take too much to please me). All I wanted to do was to capture the lightning. 

After spending a little while through the storm (my camera and I were fully protected against the rain and wind), I realised that this experience is quite close to fishing. You have to be patient, pay full attention and react at the right instant to obtain something decent. 

More to the point, you have to rely on other people to make you a nice cup of tea, as you cannot let your eyes looking away from the sky for a second (quite an addictive exercise, it turned out to be, actually).

This is the result of a few vicious storm elements that I captured in my little black box. The colours are what they turned out to be (no change in post-editing). 

A first experience, a little trial, see what you think. 

Oh, I am not a storm catcher, by the way. This is just an experiment. 

The colours of Cape Town area

To brighten things up (following the recent black and white series) I wish to continue with the South African theme and take you on the journey to the very end of the african continent. This time, in colour. 

This series is mainly about the landscape that I came across on my discovery of Cape Town region. I have to admit to having visited touristy places. A 5 day trip to South Africa only allows you to focus on the most visited places. Nonetheless, I did not mind as the views and the atmosphere lifted my spirits and my aspiration to travel further the world grew, after discovering the magnificent landscape that Cape Town region has to offer. 

I am very thankful for this experience. I hope you also enjoy this little journey. 

To South Africa!

Somewhere in Fresnaye

Camp Bay

Close to Cape of Good Hope

Close to Cape of Good Hope

Close to Cape of Good Hope

Local market

Close to Cape of Good Hope

(on my way to visit the seals that you saw in the previous post)

Close to Cape of Good Hope

Local market

Local market

On the way to Cape of Good Hope

Boulder's beach

Boulder's beach

On top of Table Mountain

On top of Table Mountain

On top of the world! (Table Mountain)

Animal life

I had the opportunity to travel to Cape Town to discover its wonders in a few

days. I saw beautiful landscape, met lovely people and also got the chance to

see the animals around the area. Let me introduce you to those that literally

crossed my path during this amazing trip in South Africa.

Seals lazing around

Seals roughing it out

Penguins from the famous Boulder's beach. 

Protected area.

Apparently there weren't that many penguins on the beach that day!

The story goes that a bunch of people found this beautiful beach and decided to build their property close to it, thinking they would have their private beach... Until the penguins arrived by hundreds and never left. Now the penguins are so numerous, that the inhabitants nearby can't even go to the beach. It's now protected....for the penguins.

2 lonely penguins

Baboon mummy with her young baby willing to stop passing cars for food

A family of baboons in the national park

A baboon's life

Rock rabbits on a promenade off the cliffs of Cape of Good Hope

A posing rock rabbit 

(actually they do not look like rabbits and have no tails)

A fierce big bird...(no need for introduction)

A bird....at the top of Table Mountain 

(if any of you visitors know the name of the bird, please drop me a message, that would be nice. Thanks)