The Cat in the big smoke

There’s something delightfully peculiar about finding a cat on a lead. I spotted these two characters taking a break near Camden Town in London. The scene just screamed to be photographed. The smoke caught in the sunlight and the cat’s nonchalant pose, how could I resist?

It’s a candid shot, of course, and as the photo was taken in 2022. I wonder if they were and are still living in London?

I searched and found this TikTok video from later in 2022, so they were still around there in October that year!

A cat on a man's shoulders, getting on to a bus.

Apertureƒ/7.1
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length16mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/500s

A visit to the Acropolis of Athens

If you visit the Acropolis in Athens, be prepared to join the crowds of other tourists visiting at the same time. There’s an insatiable interest in the area, of course, because it’s so well known.

First you walk up the side of the Acropolis hill, and enjoy nice views of the city, including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the modern buildings surrounding it, and then the crowd bunches up as you enter the ruins, with tour guides holding flags up and lots of chatter from everyone.

Black and white photo of tourists walking through the Propylaea gateway at the Acropolis, with its massive stone columns and architrave framing the path

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I got up there. The smooth cement ground pictured above continued through the middle of what turned out to be a massive construction site, with scaffolding around a few of the buildings. Those paths made the site more accessible for everyone, which is to be commended.

Black and white photo showing train or tram tracks leading to a construction site trailer, with the Parthenon's massive Doric columns looming above

Walk to the side, and you were on rougher ground, on gravel and bare rock, with construction materials and tools seemingly left unattended, within roped off areas.

Black and white wide angle view of the Parthenon with tourists gathered on the rocky Acropolis plateau, showing the temple's Doric colonnade and partial scaffolding against a cloudy sky

If you’re hoping to get photos of the site without other tourists, you’ll probably have to go early in the morning, with a tripod to take multiple photos of the same photo and remove people digitally.

Black and white architectural photo of the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis showing its iconic Doric columns and entablature, with scaffolding visible for ongoing restoration work

This is a long exposure shot of the Parthenon temple. There were loads of people around. A huge group was congregating to the far left of this photo, and another group was heading over from the far right.

Black and white photo of the Erechtheion temple at the Acropolis showing the famous Caryatid porch with female figure columns on the left, stone walls, and tourists in the background

On the way out, when I wanted to take a photo of the Erechtheion, a smaller temple apart from the Parthenon, someone else wanted to pose. Our bus was waiting for us below, so there was no time to waste. Afterwards, I liked seeing the human element in this photo.

If you’re visiting Athens, a trip to see the Acropolis has to be high on your list of things to do. I only had an hour or so there, but I’d love to return and spend more time there taking photos.

As an aside, I find it funny that the Unesco ID for the Acropolis site is 404. No chance this place will go missing.

This is the last post of the year 2024 here. The Acropolis has been around for thousands of years. What will human civilization look like in another two thousand, five hundred years? What will happen to all our digital records? Who or what will be remembered of us in that era? Not much survives over those time periods.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1000s

Rural Barriers

Barbed wire along the edge of a field on Valentia Island is knotted to make sure the barrier holds.

I remember hearing a podcast about the use of barbed wire in the US, how, in the 19th century, it helped white farmers control herds and easily fence their territories.

The wikipedia page is quite interesting.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length105mm
ISO125
Shutter speed1/200s

A mirror of a mural

What caught my eye when I saw this in front of me in Bishop Lucey Park, was the man leaning against the railing seemed to mirror the pose of the figure in the large mural on the wall.

The park itself is closed off now. This is a picture of a bygone era. Can’t wait to see the new layout of the park!


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length26mm
ISO320
Shutter speed1/500s

Wisdom Visits Cork

In 2018, a ship called WISDOM visited Cork. Which is odd because this site says the ship was renamed, “Jasmine Scan”, in 2012. Apparently, it’s now called “WARTHOG” and bears a striking orange colour that’ll be hard to miss.

If you were ever nostalgic for the old R&H Hall building, it’s here too. Must be loads of photos of that place taken by loads of people over the years. I’d love to see some from when it was actually being used.


Apertureƒ/9
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length28mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/80s

A dog walk in Lisbon

A woman walks her dog in Lisbon. She stopped outside Centro Social Laura Alves.

Laura Alves was a Portuguese actress who was born in Lisbon in 1921. She passed away in 1986. Read more about her on Wikipedia.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/500s

The curves of the Sacré-Cœur

The curves and textures of the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre in Paris are evident in this close up photo of the roof. I love how the curves flow, and the patterns repeat.


Apertureƒ/4.9
CameraGalaxy S23 Ultra
Focal length27.2mm
ISO50
Shutter speed1/540s

Doggy had their hair done

It’s lovely to see well cared for dogs. Shih tzus need so much grooming or their fur gets in their eyes, but this one had a nice bow, and happily walked along a street in Madrid.


Apertureƒ/4
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length24mm
ISO800
Shutter speed1/320s

A tour of the 30th floor

Wander around the 30th floor of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw on a nice evening, and you’ll find plenty of people enjoying the views and not a few relaxing in deck chairs in the cool evening air so high up.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO12800
Shutter speed1/500s