Carpe Diem

This is the tree that I've been trying to "catch" for a few years now. Don't get me wrong, trees don't move much over here in Lithuania (unless we have strong winds), it's just that every spring I am very fond of its white blossoms and tell myself that I need to bring my camera and make a few photos. It's the first year I've acctually done it! Usually the petals would fall off and I'd regret thinking "I still have time, I will do it tomorrow". Oh, well once again I'm back to carpe diem subject, when I wish I would learn to live here and now enjoying everything what life brings to its full...

I hope I can start pulling myself together and stop thinking that everything's still in the future. Hmm... sometimes it isn't easy, but I must admit it is possible! One of these things was my journey to the neighbouring country - Latvia. I took my mum there for a long weekend. We haven't been anywhere abroad just the two of us for years and I don't think she'll be rushing to do this soon again. On the day we got there I got food poisoning and thought I'd end up in a latvian hospital... Oh, my did I feel rough... Anyway, I got better and we still managed to enjoy the trip, so I will leave you with some photos of Riga.

Just don't forget the falling petals and the wise latin phrase - carpe diem.
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Part 1 - Riga for Tourists

Just Before Christmas...

Just before Christmas I wanted to share some photos of a beautiful church that is definitely “one of the greatest secrets of London“. I’ve been to this city for quite a few times now, but only on the last trip I’ve discovered Westminster Cathedral and how much effort people can put into building God’s houses.

Some facts that I didn’t know: "Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster. It is dedicated to the "Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ" (the Eucharist)."

It is the largest Catholic church in England and Wales and, to tell the truth, I've never seen anything like that before. The architecture could be called atypical as looking at the tower I'd suspect it's actually a mosque. And the interior is stunning - the colourful mosaics make you think you've actually gone back in time and ended up somewhere in the Byzantine Empire.

God inspires us to do great things, something you might not even think is possible. I hope you can keep it in your mind not just before Christmas and not only through the new coming year.

Christmas Colours (London)

Shop keepers definitely know how to get their shops ready for Christmas. Every detail counts and the neatly arranged stock simply lures the passers by to go inside. I’m afraid the spell hasn’t worked on me – I was impressed, no doubt about that, but these days I’m glad to just seal all this up into an image and later on, when I’ve got time, to admire the creativeness and imagination that can make Christmas feel special again, just like it once was – in our childhood.

You could say that too much colours and glitter makes us forget what Christmas is all about. Well, if you’re only interested in stuffing your belly and getting some presents it certainly isn’t the right way, but if your festive ornaments are just the means to make this holiday the most special in the year, why not?

London Christmas Frenzy

Where have I been!? Everyone’s already counting days to Christmas and I’m still not in my panic mode – although to tell the truth it’s time I was… The snow’s falling on our land continuously; the neighbours have got their festive lights out, so how come I’m still sure I’ve got time to get everything ready?

I wish I had prepared earlier… Although it’s not time to wince now, is it? Anyway, it’s the 100th post on this blog (something to boost my self-esteem), so I promise there will be some changes – the photos are going to get a bigger, there’ll be more colour and hopefully more posts. I’d also like to take this whole blogging thing one step further, but for now I’ll keep it a secret, just in case God decides to laugh at my plans.

Meanwhile I’d like to share my London photos – oh, boy, it really felt Christmassy there!

The trip went really well – we avoided the snow, didn’t get stuck at the airports or train stations, missed the student riots by a day and even the tube workers’ strike was an advantage – we had to walk and of course this way saw a lot more! (My legs were aching, but I was so happy – I could snap snap snap…)

Westminster Central Hall, just opposite the Westmister Abbey, where next year on the 29th of April history will be made.

Old Ben and the fence round the Parlament, ornated with the royal symbol - little crowns.

The London Eye! A rather young construction, but can you imagine London without it?

Trust me, it's massive! You quickly realise that when you get right under it.

That's the real Christmas spirit! I never dreamt I'd still go on one of these in my lifetime. In London everything's possible!

London traffic - will they ever decide to drive on the "right" side of the road?

More colours, cars and people. The shops were full, the streets were full... I'm afraid after sometime it becomes tiring.

Impressive Christmas stars.

Just one of the many theaters - Victoria Theatre. (I hoped to see a musical this trip, but it looks like it's the thing I will have to come back for.)

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The photos were taken without a tripod, so are a bit “shaky”; also it was very cold (excuses, excuses…) so I’m happy with the outcome quality and quantity wise.

Holiday Photos Part 3 - CULTURE

While being abroad I love to have a glimpse at the country’s history and culture. This can easily be arranged by visiting museums or old castles, manor houses. I prefer the latter as museums can sometimes be boring, but castles never cease to amaze me – vast spaces, colourful rooms, smallest details, huge fires and kitchens, where servants prepared feasts for the rich...

I’m really glad that this time we managed to visit Schleswig and Glucksburg, right on the Danish border.

Scloss Gottorf - has been turned into a huge museum; it has several halls that can make you say you've never seen anything like that before.

A wine inn that used to be in Lubeck. The whole room has been brought to Gottorf! If it stayed where it originally was, we wouldn't have seen it - the inn was destroyed during the war.

The Hunters Hall. It's a shame that nowadays the cellings are mostly only white...

The cobbled yard. I'm sure it looks nicer on a sunny day...

Glucksburg - a little town right next to the Baltic Sea and the beautiful Castle that was featured in a German TV series my grandma used to watch last year!

Huge yard and nice paths. The gardens must be taken care of by several gardeners.

The entrance - believe it or not, but you can take cars down there.

Coming up to the castle. (We were unlucky as we got there to late and couldn't go round the inside, but I was lucky as there was no one around and I could take uninterrupted photos.)

If I had such a post box, I'd expect to get letters every day!
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I guess it’s time to forget the holidays. The kids are back at school, the trees are changing their colour and the autumn is here, so it’s time to think of something else to look forward to... Well, in the coming cold and darkness it has to be Christmas, although I’m sure there’ll many more nice things in between.

Holiday Photos Part 2 - GERMAN STYLE

Location: Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

German Style – that‘s red bricks, neat gardens, clean streets and colourful surroundings. Everything’s so tidy! Especially in the small villages (Dorfs), where every house is covered in flowers and you never see people working on this (I even developed a theory that such gardens are tended to late in the evening, just after the sunset).

And the big cities? Well, they are just like anywhere else in the world – full of people, who seem to always be in a hurry; places that make your head spin - with too many inviting shops and a hidden sense that even a cup of tea in a local café can leave your purse “a bit” lighter…

Every detail counts, when you want to create something that catches the eye.

Cute red brick house and all the flower pots, that make it so special.

Monkey Puzzle Tree - I'm told. Would like to own one, but I'm not sure if it would surrvive Lithuanian winters.

Red bricks again. But how do you lay them like that!?

Hamburg on a cloudy day.

Overlooking the railroad tracks - all these paths that can take you further into the country.

Holiday Photos Part 1 - COAST

Location: Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

We’ve been to the same spot for about 3 or 4 times, but it still interests me. Maybe it’s because they have tides, that make the sea water somehow disappear from under your feet, maybe it’s because the beach has no sand, just grass with lots of sheep on it… Well, everything’s so different to where I come from, although we live just round the corner, so to speak. (22 hours on a ferry, that travels at about 40km per hour and you’re in another world.)

This year I didn’t take many photos, but they can still be divided into a few sections. I’m starting with COAST, inspired by an English TV series that grabbed my attention this summer.

(COAST - BBC documentary that covers various subjects relating to both the natural and social history of the British and Northern Irish coastline and also more recently that of the Republic of Ireland, Norway, Faeroe Islands and France)

How not to get tangled in the Kieler Bucht?


Not sure what that is, probably a sponge of some sort that we don't get in the Baltic.

And this was a spectacular sunset on a nice August evening.

I haven't got a clue what that sign says, but I think the sea gulls weren't worried at all.

Sheep on the beach and lots of wind turbines in the background; that's how I remember the German coast.

That's so cozy and romantic, just shame about the water - what if someone decides to go for a swim?

The same sunset and a nice company that reminds me of my childhood - the four of them seem to be plotting something and of course having fun.

More sheep on the beach!

Where the sea once was... Looking for shells? Or sea water?