Category: photography

Milky Way Over St. Michael’s Mount

Are there some places you would like to go to or things you would like to do, but haven’t because you want to do them with another adventurous person? One such experience I tried this summer was getting a photo of the Milky Way over St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, England.

St. Michael’s Mount at low tide.

St. Michael’s Mount is an island that can be reached at low tide by foot. There is a castle and medieval church on the island. The site is maintained by the National Trust. During the day time, one can walk over and see some of the rooms inside the castle. At high tide there are boats that can ferry you across. The St. Aubyn family live in the castle.

Tour

I would never never attempted to do this alone, even if I had stayed in Marazion, the Cornish town on the other side of the causeway. Instead I completed a day tour with Photograph West Cornwall. Ken Whalley took me to scenic spots on the Cornish coast by day, then later at night we attempted to get these shots at St. Michael’s Mount. Ken is a outstanding landscape photographer who leads tours in Cornwall in villages south of Port Isaac. He is knowledgeable about the time tables for tides, events in the sky, and weather. He informed me long before I arrived this may be a possibility if the sky cooperated. The added bonus was Ken and his wife treated me like an old friend.

If you are interested in seeing Cornwall south of Port Isaac through the eyes of a landscape photographer, book a tour with Ken Whalley and Photograph West Cornwall.

For more information look here: http://photographwestcornwall.com

To see some of his work, this is the Facebook page for his business: https://www.facebook.com/Photographwestcornwall/?eid=ARDnpqg1FH1Z_9FJl7n9hpMLWiY1rwqqq6cJbdlM_GAms6Yy_R9fC8WNOgHeg07My1ngT6Tow8kFVluQ&timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=100004050793544&fref=tag

People of New York

Do you ever see interesting people on your travels you would like to have a conversation with? Are certain people a fixture in a neighborhood? I recently stopped to chat with one such person.

Louis Mendes I have seen quite often on 34th Street near the corner of 9th Avenue in New York City. Since I love taking pictures, I see him when I visit my favorite camera store in the city, B and H. Louis is never without his camera. For street portraits he uses a 1940s Speed Graphic camera that he turned into an instant camera by rigging polaroid gear on the back.

Louis has taken many photos over the years of famous people. Some of those names include Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, and Hillary Clinton. He also has photographed some of the jazz greats such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He is from New York, but also he has liked visiting New Orleans to take photos. These days he makes money by taking photos of people on the street in New York.

Louis is an interesting person to talk to. He does move around, but I have seen him quite frequently on 34th. If you are visiting Manhattan and get down in the neighborhood of 34th Street and see him, say hello. Louis is truly an icon of New York.

Louis has a Facebook page that is maintained by a friend. You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/LOUIS.MENDES.ICON/

You can find out more about Louis here: https://twitter.com/nypost/status/980894638205800448

Meow Parlour NYC

Have you ever been in a coffee shop that shares its space with cats? Do you want to experience a relaxed setting where you can play with cats and kittens up for adoption? Perhaps your building does not allow animals and you want to spend time with a furry buddy. If any of this interests you head for Meow Parlour on Hester Street in Manhattan.

One of the younger kittens available for adoption.
How Does it Work?

Go to Meow Parlour at 46 Hester Street on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. They have a window where you will make your appointment. Then you head next door to the Macaron Parlor Patisserie featuring Harney and Sons tea, macaroons, scones, muffins, cookies and other baked goods. Order your food and sign the online form releasing responsibility in case you get scratched or bit. Then wait to be called. I only had to wait about 15-20 minutes. You can take your food with you when you hang with your feline friends.

When you return you take off your shoes. They have plenty of toys to tempt the cats with. There are areas in the store for cats to sleep in. There are sitting areas for the humans. When I visited there were some older kittens and younger ones as well as one cat that appeared to be full grown.

This gal is named Coffee Mate. She is in the window watching the action on the street.
They had boxes with see through tops and entrances shaped like cats that were used for cat naps.
Older kitten watching the humans at the window.

You pay on the way out. The cost is $8 for thirty minutes. This helps them pay their heating and electric costs for the premises.

Decor

The location is filled with cat related items for decoration and some for sale. There are books on the shelf you can sit and read while you spend time there, all about cats of course. There are children’s books such as The Cat in the Hat and others.

Cat decor

They also sell cat related items such as t-shirts.

Hours
Purpose

Meow Parlour partners with the shelter Animal Care Centers of NY. The kittens and cats that are at this location are up for adoption. There are opportunities to foster as well.

For more information look here: https://www.meowparlour.com

If you are looking to adopt, foster, or just spend time with a feline friend, travel to Meow Parlour. Its the cat’s meow.

National Cathedral Gargoyles

Gargoyles and grotesques of long ago were frequently scary images of monsters and mythical creatures. Today as some places replace ones that are wearing down in the elements, they may put in place ones based on real people or even characters from stories. One such place that is doing that is that National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader is very high up. He is on the dark side of one section.

I heard they had a Darth Vader grotesque. I asked the guards at the Cathedral where it was located. They answered look on the dark side. They didn’t seem so sure of its exact location themselves. I had to ask someone wandering around. It is high up on the dark side of northwest tower of the cathedral. It is very high up and one would need good binoculars to locate it.

For help locating the Darth Vader grotesque look here: https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/exterior/vader/

Gargoyles

Gargoyles have pipes going through a section of their body, usually the mouth. The purpose is to lead the water away from the building.

Monster with curlers?
Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?
Two heads are better than one
Man-like creature with big eyebrows
Stick a fork in it- fishlike?
Definitely scary
Grotseques

Grotesques are like gargoyles, except they are more for decoration. They do not have a pipe protruding from a mouth.

A more traditional one
Making fun of the cathedral visitors?
Part man -part hooved beast
Appears to be a bagpiper
Angel rat

Many go to the cathedral to see the interior. If you plan to visit, bring a good pair of binoculars or a zoom lens. It is worth looking up.

Taylor Farm

More and more farms have to get creative to stay afloat in the age of mega farms. There are less and less small family farms. One such small farm that is getting creative is the Taylor Farm in Londonderry, Vermont.

They have chickens, horses, and cows.

You can get up close and personal with some of their animals. Among their animals are chickens and cows. They have a piano next to the cow barn, so if you are talented enough you will get a four-legged audience gathering behind you. I did not take a picture of the piano because a youngster was sitting at it trying to play scales repeatedly while I was there. Not interesting enough for our animal friends.

They have a farm store on the property with a variety of items. Outside they have a wood oven. They sell wood-fired bagels in the morning. You can add a variety of toppings including guacamole, their own cheese, and other choices. They will stick the bagels back in the oven to melt the butter and cheese for you. It appears they sell wood fired pizzas in the afternoon. I saw a sign on the road for that while I was there.

Wood-fired bagels. They made plain, everything, and maple the day I was there.

If you are traveling through the area, make a stop at Taylor Farms. It is a nice location for a break in your travels.

Autumn Horses

I believe these horses were in Vermont. Otherwise they were in NY near the Vermont border.
I have stopped at other farms to try to get horse pictures, but these horses were more photogenic. They were very friendly. They came right up to me to say hello. I was standing roadside. A third horse was more shy.
The building behind him is rather dilapidated, but it makes for a more interesting photo.

Southern Vermont Covered Bridges

What can be 100 years old, has a roof, usually has a single lane, and spans a body of water? If you answered a covered bridge, you are correct. Covered bridges are pieces of history that many times are located in scenic locations.

Purpose

The purpose of a covering a bridge with a roof and sides was to protect it from the weather. It was mainly to protect the structure that supported the bridge. Without covering, the bridge might last 20 years, while covering it translated into the bridge maybe lasting 100 years.

One of the more picturesque spots. This is Arlington, Vermont. Norman Rockwell lived in this little town on the other side of this bridge in a large white house that is labeled as an inn. As the of time I wrote this, the Rockwell house is for sale.
Bridge at Arlington taken from near the Norman Rockwell House.
Vermont

Other states have more covered bridges, but Vermont can lay claim to having the most per square mile over any other state. Vermont has more than 100 surviving in total. Some you can still drive over, others you can walk over. There are sites online that recommend short driving tours that include a few of them. Some towns have more than one covered bridge. I found two in the Grafton area. According to Wikipedia these are the towns with 3 or more covered bridges: Bennington (3), Charlotte (3), Randolph (3), Cambridge (3), Waterville (3), Pittsford (4), Northfield (5), Tunbridge (5), Lyndon (5),and Montgomery (6).

The Bridge in Grafton
Looking from the other direction- Grafton
This is a second bridge on the outskirts of Grafton, near a cheese store.
The view from one of the windows on the bridge on the outskirts of Grafton. It is next to a place that sells cheese. This is a pedestrian only bridge.
Locations

There are websites that list locations and provide a map detailing where some of them are. I recommend this website :

https://www.vermontvacation.com/things-to-do/arts-and-heritage/covered-bridges

Once you click on the link, scroll down and click on another link to get a map with locations.

When I think of autumn in New England it conjures up memories of pictures I have seen in travel articles featuring covered bridges and fall foliage. It is fun to scavenger hunt in fall and winter for covered bridges in Vermont. If you are visiting Vermont or traveling through, try to locate one.

Chisel Bridge

York City Wall

What location has the longest medieval town walls in England? What place has gorgeous views from those walls? If you answered York, you would be correct.

In some sections one side does not have a railing. I believe this was from the area of the train station looking towards York Minster.
One view of York Minster from the wall with also some lovely back garden views.

York has an old section of town that is surrounded by the remains of the old city walls. You can walk around most of this section of the city on top of the wall. You will have some nice views of York Minster and other parts of the old city from the wall.

History

The original walls were built by the Romans in AD 71. However, the walls you see now were the upgrade to stone built in 1226. They are the longest Medieval town walls in England at 3.4 kilometers (about 2 miles) and are very well maintained.

Another view of York Minster from the wall
A sentry on the wall
The wall is just too narrow in many spots, so dogs are not allowed.
Visiting

It is open daily 8 a.m. to dusk. It is closed on Christmas and any days that the conditions are icy or slippery. As it is an old wall, it is not handicap accessible. Also, dogs are not allowed on the wall as most of it is narrow. Some areas do not have high ledges or railing on one side, so one has to take care. Someone with a fear of heights may not enjoy this walk.

If you are visiting York, hiking on the old city walls is a must to get another perspective on this lovely city.

One of the gates through the wall into the old section of York.

Wayside Cross

Wayside (edge of road) crosses are one type of Christian Cross that could be erected in Medieval times (5th-15th century). What do you think was its purpose?

Locations

In England there are over 350 wayside crosses. They are mostly found in Southwest England in Cornwall and on Dartmor. They can also be found on the North Yorkshire Moors. Very few are found elsewhere. Other forms of Wayside crosses can be found in other European countries such as Germany and Ireland.

Function

One function of a wayside cross was to reinforce the Christian faith amongst those who traveled past the cross. It was meant to reassure the traveler. In addition, they were way markers. They helped mark the areas that were generally unmarked routes.

Boskenna Cross

This wayside cross is at the junction of B 3315 and Rectory Rd in Cornwall. It is near the Merry Maidens Stone Circle in Cornwall, England. The head of the Boskenna Cross is circular. On one side of the head is a cross. On the opposite side is a figure of Christ with his arms up stretched and his feet pointing outwards. Some other wayside markers in Cornwall are said to have rounded heads with a cross on one side and different carvings on the other side.

This side faces someone property. It has a cross clearly visible on it.
This is the side facing the road. It is said to have a carving of Jesus on it with his arms outstretched. If you able able to see it in person you can barely make it out.

Wayside crosses are unique to Europe and the type found in Cornwall seems to be unique to Cornwall. If you visit Cornwall, see if you can spot one of these ancient monuments that has stood the test of time.