2023 - Twelve Pictures of the Month

2023

In short. 

Oxford, Shetland, Wales, Lombardy, Lombardy, Shetland, Shetland, Shetland, Shetland, Lombardy, Shetland, Shetland.

In pictures.

January - Sunrise, Bury Knowle Park, Oxford

February - Waves, Scat Ness, Shetland

March - Worms Head, Rhossili

April - Clusane, Lake Iseo, Lombardy

May - River Oglio, Boario Terme, Lombardy

June - Puffin in the Pinks, Sumburgh Head, Shetland

July - Puffin & Puffling, Sumburgh Head, Shetland

August - Sandsayre Piers Shetland

September - Scat Ness, Shetland

October - River Oglio, Boario Terme, Lombardy

November - Aurora Borealis, Quendale, Shetland

December - Sunset, Quendale Beach, Shetland

Monthly Report, November 2023

Entirely Shetland.

And weather. There's been a lot of weather about at 60N.

By the Numbers

Reporting Days: 30

Location: Shetland 

Distance Walked: 260 km

Distance Driven: 499 km

Photographs Taken: Thousands

Shetland

When I roll through the pictures for the month (particularly a month spent on Shetland), I inevitably see lots of pictures of blue skies, gentle waves and golden sands. Perhaps with the occasional calming view across a flat sea.  And perhaps the occasional glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Quendale Bay - warm and calm

Quendale Bay

Pool of Virkie - tide in & flat calm

Ladys Holm & Fair Isle

Northern Lights

This does perhaps give a misleading view of island life in the late autumn but it does reflect the fact that these are the conditions when it's most pleasant to be out and and about with a camera.

But if you wrap up well (and keep the camera kit out of harms way), there are also big waves, big winds, gloomy weather and rain showers to photograph too.

Big Waves on Scat Ness

Wind Rip on Quendale Bay

Quendale Bay - not always sunny

West Voe beach - storm damage

Showers means Rainbows, Jarlshof

 

Next time - back south for a bit.

 

Monthly Report, October 2023

Mostly Italy.

I signed off the last report in Zurich.  From there it's relatively short rail trip through the Alps into Northern Italy - and time exploring Val Camonica (north of Brescia) and Val Senales (a bit further east and almost into Austria).  But first the Numbers.

By the Numbers 

Reporting Days: 31

Location: Mostly Italy

Distance Walked: 297 km

Distance Driven:  998 km

Photographs Taken: Hundreds

Italy

The jaunt around Italy in April and May was (COVID not withstanding) a delight, so when the opportunity to do it again in October was presented we didn't take much convincing.  

In April and May we did all the travelling by train, so the obvious thing to do was to use the train again.  However, tunnels.  

There are a few rail tunnels through the Alps, and since the April trip two of the tunnels have suffered major incidents.  The main route between Paris and Turin (Frejus rail tunnel) has been closed by a landslide (and still is) and the Gotthard base tunnel (the new quick route between Zurich and Milan) closed by a major derailment.  This meant that the plan to go to and from Italy via Paris and Turin was derailed. Plan B was to go out via Zurich (and to allow enough time for the slower old route down to Milan) and to come back via Nice on the French Riviera. The conclusion from this is that rail travel is still better then flying (the scenery is much better), but the stress level is lower if you don't try and spend all day travelling and allow a wee bit of leisure time and some nice overnight stops too!

Stop One this time was back in Boario - for another couple of weeks of neurotherapy, spa time, fine dining and very good coffee - and the occasional gelato.

Boario & River Olgio

Old Bridge, Boario

Madonna of the Alps, Boario

Lovere, Lake Iseo

Stop Two was in Certosa, high in the mountains north of Bolzano and Merano (in SudTirol) - where we finally got to spend time walking in the Senales Valley - a trip originally planned for Summer 2020.

Madonna di Senales

Lago di Vernago

And in the spirit of slow travel, the return journey involved overnight stops in Verona, Turin and Nice.

Verona

Nice

Back in UK

In April I commented that its felt like we'd fast forwarded from Spring to Summer - the converse this time was the shock of going from walking in shirt sleeves in the Italian Mountains or promenading along the Boulevard des Anglais in Nice to late Autumn in Oxfordshire.

C S Lewis Reserve, Oxford

Bury Knowle Park, Oxford

Heading North

Oxfordshire autumn not really being to my taste - I ended the month by promenading along the Esplanade in Aberdeen, before hunkering down for a bumpy overnight trip back up to Shetland. 

The Esplanade, Aberdeen

Next Month  

That'll be Shetland.

The Mirrie Dancers

 

Monthly Report, September 2023

OK, so this report is seriously late.  And rather brief.

The summary version is 'mostly Shetland'.  

The slightly longer version is 'Shetland, Oxford, London, Paris and Zurich'.

By the Numbers

Reporting Days: 30 (including one birthday)

Location: See above

Distance Walked: 366 km

Distance Driven: 1427 km

Photographs Taken: Thousands

Cameras Replaced: One

Shetland

Shetland in September can pretty much be guaranteed to provide a mix of sunshine, big seas, fog, rain and the first glimpses of the Northern Lights.  The challenge is figuring when each of these will appear.

Evening calm on Quendale Beach

Wild Seas on Scat Ness

Surf and Sun on Quendale Beach

Northern Lights over Virkie

Travelling 

The last few days of the month were the start of the latest European train (and bus!) trip - which got off to a thoroughly leisurely start with overnight stops in Oxford, London, Paris and Zurich.

The Headington Shark, Oxford

King's Cross Station, London

Paris

Lake Zurich

Coming Soon

And next month?  That'll be mostly Italy.

 

Monthly Report, August 2023

Another 31 Days of Shetland

Anyone who watches the stream of photographs I share - on Instagram, Threads, X, Facebook and Flickr - could have made two observations over the last month, firstly "He seems to spend a lot of time on Quendale Beach" and secondly "There are a lot of photogenic locations at the south end of Shetland".

But second things first.  Having had a very auk-centric July (which meant a lot of time spent at Sumburgh Head), I decided that I needed to ring the changes for August, and try and take photographs at 31 different places during the 31 days of August.

And Quendale Beach? Q Beach is the closest beach to the house, about 700 metres down a farm track from doorstep to sand.  And this summer I've got into the habit of walking to (and along) the beach pretty much every morning (30/31 in August) and sometimes later in the day too. At low tide and at high tide. In fair weather and in less fair weather too.

By the Numbers

Reporting Days: 31

Location: Shetland

Distance Walked: 388 km

Distance Driven: 915 km

Distance Rowed: 30 km

Photographs Taken: Thousands

Cameras Trashed: 1

31 Locations

Brough Head, The Castle, Lerwick, Quendale Beach, Fitful Head, Scat Ness, Sumburgh Head, Broken Brough, Gulberwick, Grutness, Bight of Laward, Garths Ness, Scord Beach, Hoswick, St Ninian's, Scalloway, Boddam, Scousburgh Sands, Toab, Compass Head, Quendale Mill, Broch of Burland, Helli Ness, Beach of Mail, West Voe of Sumburgh, Jarlshof, Horse Island, 60N, Sandsayre Pier, Meal Beach & Corston.

Sumburgh Head

Lerwick Harbour

Quendale Mill

Broken Brough

Garths Ness

Helli Ness

60N

Sandsayre Pier

Quendale Beach

Where there are usually gentle waves, blue skies and no people (but not always)

10th August

12th August

13th August

21st August

25th August

31st August

Camera Juggling

I've had a good run for my money.  I've been carrying digital cameras since 2004 (and analog ones for years before that), and this month I finally bounced one.  All I can say is, always check that your camera bag is properly done up before hoisting it onto your shoulder..

Next month

Current plan is to spend a few more weeks on the beaches and headlands of Shetland, before heading south by car, boat, bus and trains.