In the UK: Memories from the travel

Hello all! After my short trip to the UK, as is my wont, I now put together some photos and thoughts. Thank you for your comments... I need to add that I really don't travel often - and I never travel for a vacation, but only to meet family members or to attend a ceremony, sometimes a funeral, sometimes a happier event.

(From the cover of  the Degree Ceremony Brochure)

This time I had a pleasure to attend a graduation in one of the most fascinating buildings used for University ceremonies, the Sheldonian Theatre, in Oxford, built in the 17th century after a design by Christopher Wren and named after Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of the University at the time.

"If good come in, if wicked by no means"

Dining with family and friends is always fun. I wouldn't have chosen to eat at a Chinese restaurant... but I must admit the food was tasty. :)

Sitting at a coffee shop... and listening to Christmas songs! :)

Without the Canon I normally use, I wasn't able to take good photos in the dark...

... but turning the photos black-and-white helps a little. :) These "snow-covered spruces" (at Broadgate Circle) were so pretty!

The hotel room was comfortable, the view from a corner room was great, and as I wrote earlier, the breakfast was really good.

(This is not a sponsored post. The opinions are always my own and all expenses were paid by me or by a member of my family.)

The photos are all in black-and-white also because the colours of some of them really didn't fit together. This photo, however, should have been in colour. The handsome aeroplane tails are of course cheerfully blue, red and white. :)

The flight from London back to Helsinki was much better than the outward flight. There was more space between the seat rows, I was sitting near a window and with two jovial Swedish passengers next to me. :)

From the sunny London I was flying towards the evening and the full moon (the tiny spot in the photo) in the pink clouds... In my final destination, in Eastern Finland, it had been and was snowing (much) and we needed to circle around for about 20 minutes waiting for the runway to be cleared, mechanically and with some chemicals. Fortunately, there's a lot of SnowHow in Finland. :)

The airports had decked out the terminals... and indeed Christmas is less than a month away. :) Have a happy new week!

PS I'm planning to turn the blog open to invited readers only. 

Let me know - in the comments or via email: sara(dot)villaemilia(at)gmail(dot)com - if you are interested in following it. :)

😊

Compact camera shots: Travelling

Hello all! I have been away from the blog world because of a brief trip to Italy. To travel light, I took only my point-and-shoot camera with me. Italy was green, lush and warm and, despite the busy schedule, I managed to take about 250 photos... Don't worry, I'm not going to post them all!

Lämmin sää saapui tänä keväänä Pohjois-Italiaan etuajassa. Pikaisen käyntini aikaan päivälämpötilat olivat 25 - 27 celsiusasteen paikkeilla. Vihreys oli ihanimmillaan ja sinisateet ja koristekirsikat kukassa. Lisää kuvia seuraavissa postauksissa.

Roadside flowers

Driving in Italy can look like this...

... or like this.

Early in the morning at the airport in Milan.

Flag carrier...

Malpensa Airport is the second busiest Italian airport (after Rome Fiumicino Airport) for international passenger traffic.

The ATC tower

Vapour trails

Bye for now, Italy!

Preparing to shop...

:-D

:-P

Hello again, Finland!

♥

Favourite birds and other handsome fellows - Huhtikuuta

Turdus merula

Hello all! Above is my best (ever) photo of a (Eurasian) blackbird. In this post, there are several photos that are best-ever, first-ever or first-this-year. Some photos aren't very good, like the one of the (European) Robin below, but since it's a bird I never saw when I was a child, I'm thrilled every time I see one.

Erithacus rubecula

Jippii! Aurinko paistaa ja lumet sulavat melkein silmissä. Etelä-Suomessa taitavat ensimmäiset sipulikasvit jo kukkia. Meidän pihassa ei vielä piippoja näy... koska parhaat paikat on varattu lupiineille. Uskolliset ystävämme ovat heti valmiina kasvamaan, kun maa paljastuu lumen alta. Tämän lupiinipenkin lunta onkin sulatettu ripottelemalla hiekkaa lumen pinnalle.

Viime kesänä maahan pudonneet siemenet itävät urheasti. :)

Lupinus x regalis :)

Cygnus cygnus

Pyrrhula pyrrhula, ♂ and ♀

♥♥♥

The (Eurasian) jay is not my favourite bird (it for example raids the bird feeders, if possible)... but it is fascinating too.  "Its usual call is the alarm call which is a harsh, rasping screech and is used upon sighting various predatory animals, but the jay is well known for its mimicry, often sounding so like a different species that it is virtually impossible to distinguish its true identity unless the jay is seen." (Wikipedia)

Garrulus glandarius

Emberiza citrinella

Kerrankin sattui olemaan kamera kädessä oikealla hetkellä. Aivan ensimmäiset kärppäkuvani:

Mustela erminea in winter fur

All the animals and birds (except the swans) have been photographed through a window. By sheer fluke, I happened to have a camera in my hands when I saw this stoat moving rapidly (checking for food perhaps). Behind our house, the snow (fallen from the roof) hasn't been moved away. So below you see the animal on a snowbank just outside a window. You can also see some ash and sand we use to help the snow melt quicker.

Jouluruusut paljastuvat lumen alta.

Helleborus orientalis

An aircraft flying over us. I think there's written "Pakistan" on the belly. Trying to study the routes, I now believe it was the flight from Toronto to Karachi, which operates on Sundays. Hello, Canada! Hello, Pakistan! :) How small is the world...

A thuja has overwintered indoors. Its green leaves make me happy throughout the year.

One of the sour cherries also winters indoors...

Prunus 'Amarena Florina'

Ainakin osa viileässä talvehtineista kasveista voi hyvin. Tässä on kultasade. Aika pieni vielä. :)

Laburnum alpinum

Whooper swans are amongst the heaviest flying birds.

Coming from the supermarket, I noticed the car parked next to mine... and I just had to take a photo with my phone.

Komea savolainen autoilija

Mukavaa alkanutta viikkoa!

Have a great week ahead!