Let's make it Super September!

Welcome to a brand new month. Back to school in many areas.
Super September!

Shall we begin September (though still over 6 hours left of August) with a volcano? This is Mt Taranaki/Egmont, the volcano had not been visible for about 10 days but on one day while I was there it was like this. An interesting Maori legend as to how this volcano found itself here all alone.

A hillside of wild lupins near Brunico in the South Tyrol in June this year. Such a pretty area with some wonderful cuisine

Seen in northeastern New Mexico.

For someone who lives in the desert I seem to have a lot of greenery in my backyard. I didn't plant all this stuff but I did find some interesting things. I'll post some pictures in the next few days.

More night material now I know how. On the right is the junction of Ossulton Way, Hampstead Garden Suburb, where I lived from 1965-93. Being one of the most expensive areas in the world (it has reached number one) I wasn't able to stay there on my own means but my mother still lives a few roads away so haven't entirely lost my connection.

This is the renown Britannia Royal Naval College which overlooks Dartmouth in Devon and which
is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. I took this from Kingswear on the other side of
the River Dart.



(Yes, it was built on a slope like that, honest!)

Love all the photos, particularly your wild lupins, Sellavee!

Yesterday I visited the Chapel of Sainte Barbe, in the Le Faouët area of Brittany. The church has the particularity of being constructed on the north/south axis rather than the traditional east/west one, and thus has the alter facing sideways-on rather than at the end of a long central aisle. In front of the altar there is, as in many Breton and French churches, a model of a boat hanging from the vaulted ceiling:



Edit: I've just been checking out the significance of the model ships. They are known as ex-voto maritime. The story goes that sailors, on finding themselves in a perilous situation, would often pray to the Virgin Mary, asking her to intercede and keep them safe. On returning safely to land they would offer the church a token of their thanks, in the form of a model of the ship they had been on, a painting, a piece of their ship, some rope or cordage or other such 'souvenir'. These ex-voto are kept in the church, and displayed in the regular processionnals which take place once or twice a year, when statues and other relics are paraded around the local area and back to the church. Even nowadays these pardons are commonplace, and draw large numbers of people, finishing up with a communal meal and festivities late into the night.

Wikipedia explanation

After a pleasant overnight ferry journey with a room to myself and a late dinner where I had to ask a Norwegian couple if I could sit at their table, we are arriving in Copenhagen. See, the Disney cruise ship did beat us here. Not much sunshine in Scandinavia so far....

Scary gondola trip overlooking Garmisch Partenkirken with the Zugspitze in the background...

Looking at all the alien shrubbery in my new back yard I found two avocado trees. Guacamole anyone?

The Golden Jubilee fountain in Hampton Court

Great photos everyone. Havn't taken much lately due to a variety of reasons, mainly decorators and workmen. Hope to do better soon though, but in the meantime I'm enjoying everyone elses shots.

Santana, that was interesting about the ships, having recently returned from Brittany I actually saw some of these ships and artifacts in a couple of churches.

Here is a picture of Conwy marina, taken last Monday.

I will break up the Mt Egmont/Taranaki photos with a few others around the New Plymouth area. This is the Waiwhakaiho River at the Meeting of the Waters Scenic Reserve. Looked like there were some good walks around this area but I did not have time to see what they were like.

September's off to a great start.

Sunflowers in Salt Lake City, Utah. Seen while on my walk early in the morning.

They would have been good for the monthly "S" theme too!

Here's a shot of the exterior of the chapel of St Barbe, Brittany, as seen through the pillared stairway:

These flowers grow at the tip of branches on a desert willow, which has leaves that look like a willow tree (this one is about 3 meters tall) but is really part of a family of flowering plants. Some have white, pink or purple flowers.

The Rick pond in Hampton Court, with the River Thames behind in front of the buildings on Portsmouth Road, Surbiton

Good to see the 'spring' flowers in ClaraSue and CmdrK's photos!

The pics are lovely - I especially love the sunflowers. They're my favourite.

My poor camera is sadly neglected but my ipod is never far away to catch a funny sight. This little bearded dragon doing some tight rope walking
I'd say he's only just waking up from winter as he's a bit on the skinny side!

Here's another flower to keep redwaldo thinking of Spring! I don't know what these are called but they seem to be one of Nevada's favorite flowers. You see them everywhere. Each individual blossom is only about 8mm. It's hard to get a good picture even with a macro setting. Or maybe my camera has bad optics.

Alexandra Palace from Highgate



This is where our first TV broadcasts came from as it was so high up, and the TV part closed around the 80s when the Open University stopped using it as their studios. The rest is used for exhibitions and ice skating etc, but had to be refitted after it burnt to a shell around 30 years ago.

Loving all the photos, especially that cool bearded dragon!

Apologies for fuzziness and not being centred, but I was just so happy that I reacted quickly enough to catch this chap when he flew for me the other day!

I think that it not being centred makes it!

Love your skinny bearded dragon, copago, not to mention all the other pictures. Here's a final shot of the chapel of St Barbe:

Oh that is pretty, Santanna.
And I agree about your bird not being centred, Liz, I think it looks great.

I do like to be up and about early

]

The Trekroner Sea Fort at the entrance to Copenhagen Harbour, one of three artificial islands built as part of the defense of harbour. Construction began in 1767 and sold in 1934 to the Copenhagen harbour services as it was no longer military significant after World War 1. Of course, then World War 2 occurred and it was used as barracks for the Germans during the german occupation of Denmark. Not used after the war until 1984 when it was opened to the public.

Lovely shot Jill, the sort we say is like a postcard on Flickr. You've finally crossed my path in Copenhagen Howie, although almost 40 years after me. For some reason I didn't take photos but my grandpa had a box marked Denmark with something else in it and sadly he didn't live long enough to tell me where they were, although to be fair he probably wouldn't have had a clue as it took me years to find what he'd done with the ones from America he did the same thing with.

I always like long flat buildings, and this takes something to be beaten for those qualities in Hemel Hempstead, which is half industrial estates.

I loved the arrow-detail fan on the window arch of this doorway.
Town of Ganges, south of France.

Another view of Mt Egmont/Taranaki, this time we are looking over Lake Mangamahoe. The height of the volcano is 2518m (8262ft).

Sunset behind approaching storm clouds

The hills next to Hemel Hempstead

The River Avon in flood at Twyning near Tewkesbury

The Red Hot Pokers are in full display mode.
I took this at night using the flash & thought it came out well if not quite perfect.

That certainly worked Martin, night shots are totally hit and miss, really need a tripod and are very lucky when one comes out as well as that.

Fancy industrial buildings in Hemel Hempstead

The crater of Mt Egmont/Mt Taranaki, zoomed in even more (fully zoomed) than the previous photo which was zoomed a bit and taken at the same spot. I also have a photo of it not zoomed at all from the same place and the differences are amazing...lol

Thanks David.

Another photo taken at night. No flash, no tripod just a long exposure and a handily placed wall:

Muswell Hill from Highgate

We have a bumper crop of apples this year. I think I need one of those old Victorian apple peelers.

lol Christina. My apple tree is so loaded that some branches are a mere two feet from the ground (poor thing).

Commander K: I know you're trying to identify the plants in your new yard, but sometimes it's helpful to ignore the "common names" that Joe down the block tells you lol. In one of your photos, you have called it a "desert willow", which could be many things, but is generally associated with Chilopsis linearis. It's a tree, not a "plant" and the flowers usually have "frilly" edges, somewhat like an Iris. It's more probable that your plant is a Nerium Oleander. I have one in my house, although mine is pink, not that gloriously beautiful red shade you have. Anyway, if you have a dog, don't let it chew on the leaves. It's one of those toxic kinda thangs.

As for the yellow flower it is most definitely Lantana camara x Gold Lantana. On the downside, it's listed in the 100 most invasive species. On the upside, that's probably not a real problem in the desert LOL

Jakeroo, I see what you mean about the Nerium although the leaves look a little too dark. But Bingo! on the Gold Lantana. Thanks!

The Liberty Monument in Nicosia, Cyprus

The Lantana (Camara) that you mention is absolutely loony-wild here. It is hard to keep out of the garden as it is rampant on every roadside.
On the same subject , the other name of Oleander is Dogbane, which figures.

So, Martin, in a suspense movie someone would enlarge the reflection on that nighttime Gromit and find...YOU. (I suspect.)

In re the Cyprus monument photo: very interesting design. The 'people coming out of a prison room' aspect is one I haven't seen before. (I wonder if real people try to get in there?--perhaps the scale is wrong.)

More fields near St Albans

Never seen quite so many berries on my honeysuckle, hope it isn't a sign of a bad winter.

Pretty much all of the perennials are "done" for the year, but I have a few annuals that are still struggling along..

After getting off the ferry I decided I would walk to the hostel not that it was close by but so I could see a bit of Copenhagen on the way. It took me 6 hours including looking around a few places. Not long after I set off with one large and one small backpack I came across the Kastellet (The Citadel), a fortress set out in the form of a pentagram. Construction began in 1626 but had to be rebuilt in the mid 1600's after the Swedish seige of Copenhagen. This building is the church.

It is high enough, Gheelnory, but it never struck me to try.

Brightly coloured windows on an old building in the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia.

Now I'm getting the hang of the night setting here's Acton Town station, one of many art deco on the Piccadilly Line, some square and some circular

The mill pond at Oundle, Northamptonshire.

The road goes over a long gone railway in Hemel Hempstead

Playgolf driving range in Northwick park, Harrow

Susie has a new toy, still intact so far as well!

The beginning of Harrow School, the buildings line the entire road ahead.

These mallards rushed up from the water at Lake Mangamahoe near New Plymouth to say hello.

(gasp!) They are just gorgeous, Howie!

Every evening lately, just as it starts to get dark, there is this massive flock of starlings gathering on the wires that run across the field by us.

An office building in Brentford which meant we were coming home from the 60s onwards from the west country. The M4 motorway runs along the flyover heading for Devon.

Still at the Kastellet (the Citadel) in Copenhagen, this time with a view of the windmill.

A Victorian postbox at the end of Surrey in Elstead

Love the windmill/postbox photos!

Llandudno a few weeks ago.

A bit of traditional Britain, the Unitarian Hall in Farncombe near Godalming.