I was there too
Being a guardian of the alley is tiring work and when they can, the guardians take a break. The lovely ginger cat I photographed in yesterday’s post jumped into this flower bed/shrubbery to rest and didn’t object when I took his photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.7 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 6.3mm |
| ISO | 20 |
| Shutter speed | 1/220s |
Two cats protect a narrow street in Athens, Greece. Tourists were milling around, talking loudly, enjoying their food and drink on a warm afternoon. Cars drove past nearby, but the cats didn’t move until a delivery man drove up on the pavement. Even then, they didn’t go far. The ginger fellow lay down to sleep nearby!
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
In parts of Paris, they have such wide footpaths that café and restaurants have seating outside. The city where I live has done likewise, sometimes successfully, but more often, impeding pedestrians and annoying people. One pub claimed so much public real estate that pedestrians had to walk between tables to get past.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.7 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 6.3mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
A young tourist listens to the audio tour of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris while the statue of Tarcisius, a Christian martyr, lies next to him.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 26mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/400s |
I have no idea what was so interesting. On a bench in Bishop Lucey Park in 2019.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
The setting sun casts a lovely glow on the Igreja Paroquial da Graça in Lisbon. People up on a balcony in the church get a great view of the city and the sun.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 105mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
One of the wonderful things about other places is when dogs are allowed in. I had just left the American Book Center in Amsterdam when a man and a dog walked towards me and into the shop!
There’s no chance a dog like that, or any dog, would be allowed in a bookshop where I live! I sometimes get away with bringing Diego in when I carry him in my arms. 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 640 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Parking in front of a no parking cone must have seemed like a good idea at first. I bet the rider was just popping into the nearby duck shop.
The bike was soon taken away and chopped up for parts and exported to Ireland, where it was used to build a submarine.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/800s |
At a rally for Gaza on the Grand Parade last February, a large crowd listens to someone speak.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 75mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Have a seat. Here’s one. I don’t know where it came from, maybe a local office or flat, but it was gone again in the morning. Be famous, seat.
| Aperture | ƒ/16 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1.6s |
Frank Flaherty, the Cork Birdman, who passed away earlier this month, pictured sitting on the wall of The Outdoor Adventure Store in 2021. His dog sits underneath, waiting patiently.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 17mm |
| ISO | 800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Last week, we experienced the sudden loss of an extraordinary and beautiful person. Velda, my Dad’s partner and a constant presence in our lives for over twenty-two years, passed away after a brief illness.
Velda and my Dad, Barra, lost their spouses in the late 90s, at ages that were far too young to be going through something so devastating. We were all so happy when Dad met Velda and love was in the air again.
Velda was loyal, compassionate, fun-loving, unflappable and full of joy and laughter. She loved hiking, gardening, travelling and more. She baked some seriously delicious muffins for us, whenever we called. She was someone with a love for life and a tremendous intellectual curiosity. She used her retirement to explore, crossing tundra on the Orient Express or hiking the Peruvian jungle and fishing for piranha. She was always interested in people, and loved to hear and debate everyone’s thoughts on current events. She brought a fierce intelligence and warmth to any discussion, and saw the best in people.
Many a bottle of fizz was shared with her during family celebrations over the years. There was always an atmosphere of fun when she was around, her laugh was so infectious. You were guaranteed to be in good humour after meeting with Velda. It was an honour to have her in our lives for so long. She will be greatly missed by all of us.
And, now that I have told you about Velda, you will remember her too. As Terry Pratchett wrote in his book, “Going Postal”,
Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal.
Thanks to my family for help writing this. I couldn’t have done it without you.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 6D |
| Focal length | 39mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/100s |
