Nice Things

I feel in the mood for something entertaining today, so I rummaged through my picture file and found some nice things from interesting places that I feel happy to look at. Hope some of them will cheer you up too!

A photographer colleague, Jeremy Hoare (checkout his lovely pics here) is convinced that the future of travel "writing" is largely visual and cinematic. He uses this little movie as evidence, and I almost think he might be right. It's called The City of Samba from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo. This filming technique is known as tilt head video, featuring close focus and quick or slow motion, giving the impression that human life is really a video animation. I love it.

Now some of my own photos. Below, a ceiling in a mansion in Trieste. I'd like one like this. It wouldn't go with my furniture, but I'd still like it. I mean, imagine that above your head.

Below, this rather surreal picture shows a steam train chugging out of a wood in Norfolk. But it's real. The place is Bressingham Steam and Gardens, and I recommend a visit if you like acres of beautiful gardens, or steam vehicles, or both (as I do).

My friend E's adorable dog in New York. All the time E was home, Maizy would run around full of beans and happiness. The minute E went out of the apartment, the light would go out of Maizy's life. She'd lie around with her feet up on the wall, just.... waiting.....

She really cracked me up, it makes me smile every time I look at this photo.

Since I had the Greek Santorini photos out, here's another (true colour) which shows the volcanic island of Santorini from an island in the caldera of the extinct volcano. At least I thought it was extinct but apparently it isn't. The ground was pretty hot and steamy, come to think of it.

Ah! twin babies! (not really) in the backpack ready to go!

Here's a photo of what I would MUCH PREFER to be doing today. I spotted this guy last month in Malaga, Spain.

Actually what I have to do today is organise permissions for the Japanese translation of my Lewis Carroll biography, research a proposal, and wade through a load of unutterably tedious legal stuff that just goes round and round in a crazy way till I feel like Alice, shouting "You're nothing but a pack of cards!"